Wednesday, April 22, 2009

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Elizabeth A. Sherman: Will Success Spoil Susan Boyle? Top
As the world awaits Susan Boyle's next performance, we have to ask: will the media mania, the pressures for a "total makeover," and the hungry maw of commercialism overwhelm and perhaps destroy the joie de vivre that makes her such an effective and affecting singing sensation? True, her magnificent voice, and the genuine surprise of its power and range, amazed and touched us deeply. But just as inspiring was the authenticity of her plucky personality that shone through the immediacy of the live contest. Susan's compelling self inspires us and undergirds her singing, and yet might she be unalterably changed by leaving behind her familiar (in the true sense of the word) world in her quest to become an acclaimed songstress? Launched and already half-way there, can she withstand the inevitable pressure? Will it be simply too much, too soon, and might her singing suffer as a result? After all, something elemental and profound, beyond the obvious surprise of a dowdy, middle-aged woman delivering a beautiful song with grace and verve, brought a world audience to a communal outpouring of admiration and affection. Part of that response emanated from seeing a naturally happy individual delighting in her gift, delivering a performance as she put it, "to knock the socks off that audience." Although she comes from a village near Glasgow, she seems mercifully removed from the complexities and anxieties of the 21st century, its rambunctious pop culture, economic insecurities and political upheavals. In the midst of the frantic pace and potent worries of our time comes Susan Boyle like a messenger from a simpler dimension and old fashioned way of life. Somehow she has managed a good life without the challenges of work, marriage and family. She lives with satisfaction in her small, subsidized home sans computer and Internet access, and remains attached to and spiritually enriched by her parish community and Catholic faith. By all accounts, Susan loved and cared for her mother to the end and has benefited from taking her advice to "go for it." At this point, Susan Boyle's singing career has embarked on the roller coaster of super celebrity with its promise of enormous financial rewards. As she takes that path, we'll feel some trepidation and surely root for her success. Although Susan exudes confidence in her gift, the soul of an artist can be fragile. Prettified for television, her palpable discomfort being interviewed and singing for Good Morning, America was painful to watch. Like it or not, the mavens of the total do-over (already encouraged by the Style section of The Washington Post -- hair, make-up, clothes, -- everything!) will relentlessly hustle her along to satisfy the potentially fleeting public appetite for all things Susan. Does she have the fortitude to withstand the all-encompassing pressures to conform to the expectations of stardom? Or will she submit to the demands for transformation and in the process lose the simple magic of her personality that connects her to our hearts? In an age of generalized fear and trembling, Susan Boyle offers a comforting reminder of the source of happiness in life, come what may -- family, friends and faith. Most of all, she communicates that lesson by singing with all her heart for herself, for us and, not a moment too soon, to give joy to a weary world. Let's hope all goes well.
 
Roger Ebert's Boyhood Home Gets Historical Marker Top
URBANA, Ill. — Film critic Roger Ebert's boyhood home is getting the thumbs up. Officials in Urbana, Ill., decided to honor the Chicago Sun-Times critic by placing a bronze plaque on the sidewalk in front of 410 E. Washington St. That's where Ebert lived with his parents from his birth in 1942 until 1961. The 66-year-old Ebert and his wife, Chaz, were in Urbana for Wednesday's ceremony. In a column Tuesday, Ebert described the home as "a two-bedroom white stucco house with green canvas awnings, evergreens and geraniums in front and a white picket fence enclosing the back yard." Ebert became film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. His annual film festival starts Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the historic Virginia Theatre in neighboring Champaign. ___ On the Net: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com http://www.ebertfest.com
 
Dennis Whittle: A Grassroots Alternative to Carbon Offsets Top
When it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it looks like the carbon-intensive industries are likely to face either a tax on carbon or a market for buying and selling emissions allowances in coming years. But it is not just power plants and large manufacturing facilities that contribute to climate change. All of us are accountable for some level of emissions--how to account for what your organization produces? A popular answer is carbon offsets--essentially funding a reduction in emissions or increase in carbon storage somewhere so that you can continue emitting carbon here. Although offsets have been widely embraced, the actual amount of carbon kept from entering the atmosphere is often questioned. OK, it will help plant trees. Where? By whom? And will they live the 20+ years necessary to accomplish their offsetting purpose? An alternative for skeptics is to fund projects that have received the climate-friendly " Green Leaf " designation on our online philanthropic marketplace, GlobalGiving . Our site features smaller environmental and social projects from around the world, letting you find opportunities you would not otherwise discover. Project leaders post detailed project descriptions so donors can see exactly what they're funding. And donors on GlobalGiving can see directly the difference their donations are making through updates from the field. Instead of quantifying offsets, we are encouraging individuals or organizations to take responsibility for their own emissions by helping these projects expand their reach. So we are able to promote a much broader range of projects that address climate change. For instance, a project in Ecuador teaches tens of thousands of children about climate change and ways to combat it. We can't translate this into tons of carbon, but it can result in a future generation of green voters, consumers, and policymakers. Other projects from the Environmental Foundation for Africa are working not only to provide solar electricity to schools in villages in Sierra Leone, but also to train technical school students in their installation and maintenance. Encouraging the Third World to keep walking the same well-trodden carbon intensive path is ultimately unsustainable. As David Wheeler and Kevin Ummel of the Center for Global Development report , if nothing changes in the global South their cumulative contribution to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would exceed that of the North within the coming decades. That means that even if developed countries cut their carbon emissions to zero, developing countries would face the same future--rising temperatures, more droughts and flooding, more frequent and intense storms, changing weather patterns. And there's no better time to donate to GlobalGiving Green projects than now - the Give a Little Green campaign is matching donations to these project by 50% through April 28th or until matching funds are exhausted. Thanks to Bill Brower for the research supporting this post. More on Earth Day
 
Don McNay: An Open Letter to Magic Johnson Top
Magic Johnson Hollywood, Ca. Dear Mr. Johnson, I wrote a column where I discussed your inexplicable decision to serve a spokesperson for Jackson Hewitt's tax refund loan program. It's called Money Now. Some celebrities know much about the products that they endorse. Pat Boone had to pay up, after he signed a consent order with the Federal Trade Commission. He did commercials for Acne-Statin. Acne-Station was supposed to clear up skin blemishes but didn't. Mr Johnson, you don't seem like the kind of guy whose ever needed a tax refund loan. Let me tell you how they work. Tax refund loans (also called refund anticipation loans) are financial products marketed primarily to poor people. They are described as a payday loan guaranteed by your tax return. Like payday loans, the fees and interest rates on tax refund loans are outrageous. According to IRS data, 8.7 million people took out a tax refund loan in 2007. Of those 8.7 million who got the loans, 67% received an Earned Income Tax Credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit is a program aimed to help the working poor. Only 17% of all taxpayers get it. The product you are pitching is aimed at the poorest segment of America. Your ads are most frequently seen in poor, urban areas. I doubt your nearby neighbors have seen the ads. Thus, you can maintain your "nice guy" brand to a larger world while exploiting poor people. Who is the real Magic Johnson? The friendly guy who raises money for charities or the guy who encourages people to get high interest loans they don't need? I hope that when you meet your maker you can "sell" your explanation to the people at the pearly gates. You say in your commercials that Jackson Hewitt is "a partner and a pal" You might need a pal at that moment. After I wrote the column, I received a barrage of responses. Not one single person defended your actions. Not one. It's a historic moment when 100% of Americans agree on something. We are all outraged. Many were angry and suggested you "sold out" to make some quick dollars. Others suggested you missed the limelight and figured that being in a cheesy commercial was the best way to get some attention. They figured that the tax refund business was the best gig you could get. Maybe they are right. The most interesting responses came from people who worked in tax refund loan offices. They said many people insisted on a loan because they saw your commercials. You obviously have sway with a lot of people. You are using that sway to get them to do something that hurts them. A refund anticipation loan is the worst kind of rip off. People can normally get a tax refund, without any kind of fees or interest payments two weeks after they file their return. They don't need "a partner and a pal." A banker gave me a really fascinating tidbit. Since people who received tax refund loans do not have established bank accounts or good credit, banks routinely put a 10 day hold on checks from tax refund loan companies. Not only are people paying outrageous fees, they don't get any benefit from it. They don't get the money any quicker than they would without the loan. I'm starting to wonder what kind of "partner and pal" you really are. Since I have been investigating tax refund loans, I wasn't stunned to see scummy behavior. Exploiting the poor is commonplace. Big corporations have taken the business model away from the loan sharks. The poor don't have high paid lobbyists. I am sure that other celebrities pitch exploitive products. However, you are more than a celebrity. You have been a role model for over 30 years. You come across as someone who does the right thing. Until now. There is only one right thing to do: Quit doing the commercials. Atone for your behavior and move on. Then I will start to think of you as "a partner and a pal." Your former admirer, Don McNay Richmond, Ky. Previous Huffington Post Column on the topic: Magic Johnson and the Tax Refund Rip Off http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-mcnay/magic-johnson-and-the-tax_b_184180.html Don McNay, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CSSC is the founder of McNay Settlement Group in Richmond, Kentucky. He is the author of Son of a Son of a Gambler: Winners, Losers and What to Do When You When The Lottery. You can write to Don at don@donmcnay.com or read his award winning, syndicated column at www.donmcnay.com. McNay is Treasurer for the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table. More on Personal Finance
 
Kevin Roose Infiltrates Liberty University To Write Book Top
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Kevin Roose managed to blend in during his single semester at Liberty University, attending lectures on the myth of evolution and the sin of homosexuality, and joining fellow students on a mission trip to evangelize partyers on spring break. Roose had transferred to the Virginia campus from Brown University in Providence, a famously liberal member of the Ivy League. His Liberty classmates knew about the switch, but he kept something more important hidden: He planned to write a book about his experience at the school founded by fundamentalist preacher Jerry Falwell. Each conversation about salvation or hand-wringing debate about premarital sex was unwitting fodder for Roose's recently published book: "The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University." "As a responsible American citizen, I couldn't just ignore the fact that there are a lot of Christian college students out there," said Roose, 21, now a Brown senior. "If I wanted my education to be well-rounded, I had to branch out and include these people that I just really had no exposure to." Formed in 1971, Liberty now enrolls more than 11,000 residential students, along with thousands more who study through Liberty's distance-learning programs. The university teaches creationism and that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, while pledging "a strong commitment to political conservatism" on campus and a "total rejection of socialism." Roose's parents, liberal Quakers who once worked for Ralph Nader, were nervous about their son being exposed to Falwell's views. Still, Roose transferred to Liberty for the spring 2007 semester. He was determined to not mock the school, thinking it would be too easy _ and unfair. He aimed to immerse himself in the culture, examine what conservative Christians believe and see if he could find some common ground. He had less weighty questions too: How did they spend Friday nights? Did they use Facebook? Did they go on dates? Did they watch "Gossip Girl?" It wasn't an easy transition. Premarital sex is an obvious no-no at Liberty. So are smoking and drinking. Cursing is also banned, so he prepared by reading the Christian self-help book, "30 Days to Taming Your Tongue." He lined up a publisher _ Grand Central Publishing _ and arrived at the Lynchburg campus prepared for "hostile ideologues who spent all their time plotting abortion clinic protests and sewing Hillary Clinton voodoo dolls." Instead, he found that "not only are they not that, but they're rigorously normal." He met students who use Bible class to score dates, apply to top law schools and fret about their futures, and who enjoy gossip, hip-hop and R-rated movies _ albeit in a locked dorm room. A roommate he depicts as aggressively anti-gay _ all names are changed in the book _ is an outcast on the hall, not a role model. Yet, some students also grilled him about his relationship with Jesus and condemned non-believers to hell. After a gunman at Virginia Tech killed 32 people in April 2007, a Liberty student said the deaths paled next to the millions of abortions worldwide _ a comment Roose says infuriated him. Roose researched the school by joining as many activites as possible. He accompanied classmates on a spring break missionary trip to Daytona Beach. He visited a campus support group for chronic masturbators, where students were taught to curb impure thoughts. And he joined the choir at Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church. Roose scored an interview with the preacher for the school newspaper, right before Falwell died in May of that year. Roose decided against confronting him over his views on liberals, gays and other hot-button topics, and instead learned about the man himself, discovering among other things that the pastor loved diet peach Snapple and the TV show "24." Roose would duck away to the bathroom to scribble down anecdotes or record them during lectures. He never blew his cover, even ending a blossoming romantic relationship rather than come clean. He revealed the truth on a return trip to campus. He grappled with guilt during the entire project, but said he ultimately found forgiveness from students for his deception. "If he told me he was writing an expose or maybe if the book turned out to be what I considered unfair, then I might have been more troubled," said Brian Colas, a former Liberty student body president who befriended Roose. The university administration has been less receptive. Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said in a statement that Roose had a "distorted view" of Liberty before he arrived and gave an incomplete portrait of the school. "We appreciate Kevin's generally positive tone toward LU but he admittedly comes from a culture that has very little tolerance for conservative Christianity and even less understanding of it," Falwell said. Roose said his Liberty experience transformed him in surprising ways. When he first returned to Brown, he'd be shocked by the sight of a gay couple holding hands _ then be shocked at his own reaction. He remains stridently opposed to Falwell's worldview, but he also came to understand Falwell's appeal. Once ambivalent about faith, Roose now prays to God regularly _ for his own well-being and on behalf of others. He said he owns several translations of the Bible and has recently been rereading meditations from the letters of John on using love and compassion to solve cultural conflicts. He's even considering joining a church. (This version CORRECTS penultimate graf to `letters of John,' sted `Gospel of John.')
 
WorldFocus.org: Sri Lanka-Tamil Tigers Conflict Root Causes Explored (AUDIO)(VIDEO) Top
The Red Cross is warning of a catastrophe as the Sri Lankan government launches a "final" assault against the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE ), who ignored the government's calls for surrender and are now cornered in a small piece of coastal territory. Tens of thousands of civilians are caught in the crossfire, although some 50,000 others escaped to government-controlled areas. Both the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government have been accused of humanitarian abuses. The Tamil Tigers have long fought for an independent state for Sri Lanka's Tamil ethnic minority, which is often at odds with the majority Sinhalese community. Seen by some as a prototype for modern terrorism, the Tamil Tigers pioneered the suicide bomb jacket and the use of women in suicide attacks. The 25-year civil war is one of Asia's longest-running conflicts, and was more deadly than the war in Afghanistan last year. Watch a video of Tamils in New York protesting the Sri Lankan offensive: Sri Lanka launches "final" assault against Tamil Tigers. Worldfocus.org's weekly radio show explored the root causes of conflict and life in Sri Lanka. Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge hosted a panel of guests: Rohan Gunaratna is the head of Singapore's International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research. He is a senior fellow at the Fletcher School for Law and Diplomacy's Jebsen Centre for Counter Terrorism Studies and at the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma. He was invited to testify before the 9-11 Commission on the structure of al-Qaeda and is the author and editor of 12 books including "Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror." Ahilan Kadirgamar is a spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Democracy Forum and contributing editor of Himal Southasian magazine. In that capacity he has worked on the peace process in Sri Lanka. His interests include state reform in Sri Lanka and political solutions to the ethnic conflict. He has written about the international dimension of the peace process and worked on human rights concerns related to the conflict. Jeffrey Lunstead is a former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He entered the Foreign Service in 1977 and has also served in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Malaysia. He also served at the State Department as the chief of South Asia analysis, director for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and as Afghanistan coordinator. He is the author of "The U.S. in the Sri Lanka Peace Process" and "Big Powers and Small Conflicts: The U.S. and Sri Lanka." [LISTEN:] More on Sri Lanka
 
Philip Slater: The roots of Homophobia in Iraq and Elsewhere Top
Islamic fundamentalists in Iraq are murdering gay men at the urging of their imams. This is their sick way of dealing with their own repressed homosexual impulses--the basis of homophobia. A psychological study found that homophobic men were sexually aroused by images of gay sex, while tolerant men were not. It stands to reason that Islamic fundamentalists--especially imams--would have homosexual leanings: since they obviously have intense feelings of fear, disgust, and loathing toward women, they must love somebody. American and African homophobes try to justify their neurosis by cherry-picking scripture, a transparent sham. They quote a single line from Leviticus, which says homosexuality is an 'abomination', and claim that this is the 'Word of God'. Leviticus also says eating seafood is an abomination, so this must also be the 'Word of God', but homophobes turn a deaf ear to that one. And at least one-third of the entire book of Leviticus is devoted to the proper way of preparing animal sacrifices, but homophobes don't seem to take all these very, very specific and detailed 'Words of God' very seriously either. Nor do they stone their children to death when the little ones are 'stubborn', for which dereliction of Biblical duty we can only be thankful. Imagine what a peaceful and pleasant place the world would be if all these angry, bitter, shouting, assaulting, murdering, Bible-thumping, Koran-thumping characters could just relax and let themselves be gay. They wouldn't have to change their appearance. I'd be happy to watch them march in a gay parade with their beards and books and turbans and crosses--it would add a certain leavening to the mix. Gay men have contributed enormously to every culture. Their impact in every field of human endeavor has been overwhelmingly creative. Whereas homophobes seem to have only one skill: destruction. So my advice to homophobes is: just let yourself be gay. You'll feel better, and I promise I won't look down on you for becoming honest to yourself. (In his inauguration speech, Obama talked of a new way of doing things. To understand the global cultural paradigm shift that engendered this change--the shift that both Bush and the Taliban have resisted so fiercely, see my website for information on THE CHRYSALIS EFFECT: THE METAMORPHOSIS OF GLOBAL CULTURE). More on Iraq
 
Chicago Tribune Lays Off 53 Newsroom Staffers Top
The Chicago Tribune today reduced its newsroom staff, a response to the economic downturn and changes in the media business model. More on Newspapers
 
Robert Redford: Making Every Day Earth Day Top
On its 39th anniversary, Earth Day still feels vital to me, but I know that some of you out there think that its time has passed. Everyday should be Earth Day, you say. Choosing just one, single day to say you care about the planet we call home -- what good is that? The first Earth Day came at the end of a decade in which social activism drove this nation's political agenda. Moved by a desire to create that better world, we got together to fight for change the only way a large group of like-minded people could: we laced up our shoes and walked side-by-side. When you have to get together in person, well, you obviously need a specific day to meet up. And that day turned out to be Wednesday, April 29, 1970. Some of us who fought for this country's first environmental protections make the mistake of assuming that because young people today are less likely to be found marching down the National Mall as the shopping mall, that they must not care as deeply as we did when we were young. But apathy has not replaced idealism. Idealism just looks a little different these days. This generation uses new tools to express itself and influence political decisions. They connect with one another in more ways than we could have imagined back in 1970: blogs, email petitions, YouTube videos, Twitter and Facebook. They're finding new ways to express their political views, and they do it every second of every day. Lately, I've come around to their way of thinking. I'm still standing up for environmental protections for the places I hold dear, but like so many of today's new activists, I've hung up my marching boots and taken to the blogosphere: You'll find me expressing my views at the Huffington Post, NRDC's Greenlight, and the Sundance Channel. So what good is Earth Day? It's a day that reminds us to take a stand every day and fight for the places we hold dear. So today, pause for a moment and take full advantage of the unprecedented array of tools we have for connecting with others and expressing our views. Speak up on Facebook, or Twitter, or go one step further and join me at NRDC's Greenlight . In today's world, you're a reporter too. Stand up for the people, creatures, and lands that inspire you to protect the environment. Reach out and tell the world about what's happening in the places you hold dear. Make your voices heard. More on Earth Day
 
Times Piece On Rattner Scandal Makes No Mention Of Ties To Richardson Top
With reporting from Marcus Baram Yesterday's New York Times featured a story on the unfolding investigation into private equity firm Quadrangle Group and its co-founder, Steven Rattner, who is alleged to have played a part in a substantial kickback scheme involving the New York State pension fund . Quadrangle was one of many firms to have allegedly made pay-to-play arrangements with the pension fund, arrangements which are now being probed from Andrew Cuomo's office and the SEC. Meanwhile, if you've not been keeping score, Rattner has since decamped from Quadrangle to head up President Barack Obama's ongoing auto bailout negotiations. Which is just great, I guess! Anyway, yesterday's paper made good and careful note of some of Rattner's political connections. He's pals with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for instance, who told the paper that Quadrangle was doing "a great job" managing his fortunes. But the paper delves deeply into Rattner's connections with the State of New Mexico, and one of its Democratic Senators, Jeff Bingaman: Mr. Rattner forged close personal ties in New Mexico, which invested $20 million in Quadrangle. He met with Senator Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat from that state, on at least one occasion, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. From about 2004 until early this year, Quadrangle also employed the senator's son as an associate. A spokeswoman for Senator Bingaman said that the senator's son did not raise money for Quadrangle, but instead helped make investments. Senator Bingaman was not involved in the pension process, she said. Funny that the good state of New Mexico should be so prominently mentioned, absent an important connection: former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson . As it turns out, Richardson has some significant ties to Rattner, as well as the aforementioned "pension process." From the New Mexico Independent : Steven Rattner, the head of President Barack Obama's auto-bailout program and a man who has been linked to a New York pension scandal that has tentacles in New Mexico, gave $5,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson's 2002 gubernatorial campaign and $15,000 to Richardson's 2006 re-election bid. That's according to the money-in-politics Web site followthemoney.org . Richardson heads the State Investment Council (SIC), which manages the state's investments. In October 2005, the SIC voted to invest $20 million with Quadrangle Group LLC, according to minutes of the meeting. At the time of the 2002 and 2006 campaign contributions, Rattner was a managing principal in the company, which he left in February of this year to take the auto-bailout job. And, as the NM Indy's Heath Haussamen helpfully reminds, what is it that scotched Richardson's own appointment to Commerce? Allegations that he participated in a pay-to-play scandal . All of which seems to be at least as worthy of mention as Jeff Bingaman's entanglements. RELATED: New Mexico Governor Raised $197,300 From Brokers, Investors [Bloomberg] [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 .] More on Barack Obama
 
Cantor Raises Big Funds, Hires 'Nancy Drew' Screenwriter Top
As the first quarter's campaign contribution numbers come in, one clear powerhouse has emerged in the form of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va), who more than doubled his non-election year first quarter fundraising record (from 2007) with a hefty $963,900. As reported by CQ: While the fifth-term Virginian more than doubled his take from the comparable first quarter of the last non-election year -- 2007 -- the other six members of the House Republican leadership combined to produce $25,900 less in the first three months of 2009 than they had two years earlier. Together, those six raised $1,031,100 for the first quarter of 2009 -- only $67,200 more than Cantor. [...] Cantor always has been a talented fundraiser, but he is quickly becoming a dominant force at a time when the other leaders of a powerless Republican minority (and even some majority Democratic leaders) are struggling to scrape together money. Beyond his natural fundraising talent and constant media and cable news appearances, Roll Call has found something else that could be serving as a secret weapon of sorts for Cantor: a Hollywood speechwriter. From Roll Call : The Virginia Republican snared the services of a speechwriter who apparently has silver-screen credits, including work on the 2007 "tweener" flick "Nancy Drew," starring Julia Roberts' niece, Emma Roberts. According to his most recent quarterly filings with the Federal Election Commission, Cantor paid $2,000 to Joshua Sostrin on March 3. According to the exhaustive Internet Movie Database, or imdb.com, a Joshua Sostrin assisted legendary writer Jerry Weintraub on "Nancy Drew" as well as all three of the "Ocean's" movies starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and a host of other A-list actors. Cantor also may be getting some help from the local press back home in Virginia. Culpeper's Star Exponent , for example, published a beaming review of the Congressman Tuesday that touts his increased role in the Republican party, as well as the grace with which he is handling his newfound fame. Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . More on GOP
 
B. Jeffrey Madoff: Deeply Superficial Top
"Purple haze all in my brain Lately things just don't seem the same" There was no way I was ever going to convince my parents that Jimi Hendrix's music was good. More than anything, the youth culture was defined by its music. The chasm it created was called "the generation gap" a metaphor for the ideological differences that separated us. There is a new generation gap. It's not defined through music or politics or fashion, those ideas are shared much more among the generations than before. This time it's about privacy. "Every breath you take Every move you make Every bond you break Every step you take I'll be watching you" (Every Breath You Take by Sting, 1983) My generation came of age thinking about "1984", the looming threat of "Big Brother" watching over all of us all of the time. It was the government or some group which would monitor all of our actions, know all our habits: who we associate with, what we watch, what buy. 1984 came and went. Nothing like "Big Brother" happened unless you count Apple computer's historic "Big Brother" commercial which ends with the slogan: "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984". They were right - 2009 is. Personal details used to be considered private. We were careful about who knew what about us and certainly didn't post pictures of our friends, families and fantasies for all to see. Privacy does not seem to be valued anymore. Giving up one's privacy has become a rite of passage. It's what you leave at the portal when you sign up for any of the social networking sites on the internet. The sites are free - as long as you don't calculate the value of your identity, demographics, viewing and buying habits to advertisers. This isn't new, the Nielsen Ratings service has been assembling viewer information since the 1950s for television advertisers, but its methods were primitive in comparison to the two way constant information gathering that's done on the internet. In March 2009, Google initiated the use of "behavioral targeting", which uses information collected on someone's web-browsing behavior, such as the pages they have visited or the searches they have made, to select which advertisements to display to that individual. Social networks are constantly harvesting huge amounts of data that has tremendous value to advertisers. When Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation bought MySpace in 2005 for $580 million, his intent was very clear: they signed a deal with Google in 2006 for $900 million to provide a search engine and advertising on MySpace. Although the founder of Facebook claims to not be in it for the money, my guess is their venture capital partners are - that's why investors go along for the ride. The internet is like an amusement park, there are rides that get lots of attention then fade in popularity as something newer and faster shows up. The newest attraction on the fairground is Twitter. Twitter's promotional material states, "Real life happens between blog posts and emails - now you can share ". Share what, I'm not sure, because if you are twittering away the time between blog posts and emails you would still be missing out on real life - so what are you twittering about? Although Twitter has been around about as long as Facebook, in the last six months its profile has blasted off the charts and embedded itself in pop culture. While Obama was giving his first major congressional address in February, some members of Congress were shown twittering - juvenile and impolite but phenomenal publicity for Twitter. It seemed impossible to not hear about Twitter, most recently culminating in the blitz about Ashton Kutcher becoming the first Twitterer to reach the one million follower mark, followed by CNN and Britney Spears in third place. You can't buy publicity like that, but you sure can annoy the hell out of a lot of people who are wondering what has happened to our culture. According to Twitter's Privacy Policy, they have the right to collect personally identifiable data about its users, share it with third parties and retain the right to sell that information if the company changes hands. Twitter's founders claim they want to get the model right before they attempt to monetize it. That could be why Twitter's vocabulary is about "followers" not "friends". The next technological step towards "Big Brother" is called "geosocial networking" or "social discovery service". Companies such as Loopt, Google Latitude and Pelago are offering cellphone based GPS social sharing so people can constantly update their friend's location and find out what they are doing. Pelago's mission: "We foresee a world in which human behavior in the physical world is digitized, like human behavior on the web is today." I have no idea what they mean. As a part of an online social network you can meet, establish and end a relationship without ever actually meeting the other person. This used to be called having a "pen pal". Technology has created the opportunity to develop hundreds, even thousands of pen pals in a very short time and connect them to form a social network. There are many tips and techniques available for sale to those who want to obtain huge friend lists, therefore becoming quite popular, at least online. Online you can create yourself as a celebrity, defining your success by the numbers you accumulate. Celebrity is the phenomenon of being known, not necessarily for accomplishing anything worth knowing. The younger side of the generation gap is very loose with their privacy requirements, but very tight with how they try to project their image because they know all their "friends and followers" are watching. They communicate differently than we on the other side of the gap. Text. Twitter. As we have become more wired, networked, looped and linked, we've become more detached from that which makes us human - emotion. Technology has given us so many more ways to communicate but we seem to have less to say. No conversation - it takes too much time. In an effort to be unique, the quest has become gathering as many friends or followers as possible, most of whom you have no real knowledge of. You can only ask "what" not "why" - anything more becomes an obstacle to the rapid aggregation of numbers. A "Friend" is not a verb. Communication has become deeply superficial. More on CNN
 
Maine Gay Marriage Bill Gets Standing Ovation Top
AUGUSTA, Maine — A public hearing on allowing gay marriage in Maine has opened with a standing ovation for the bill's sponsor. Sen. Dennis Damon received a roar of approval at a crowded hearing Wednesday when he said the time has come to recognize same-sex marriages. He says his proposal "recognizes the worth of every man and woman among us." It is backed by 60 co-sponsors. Gay rights activists have set a goal of establishing same-sex marriage in all six New England states by 2012. They're already halfway there. The bill's prospects are uncertain in Maine. Gov. John Baldacci previously opposed the bill but now says he's keeping an open mind. More on Gay Marriage
 
Vivian Norris de Montaigu: An Expat's Week in America: Health Care, Yunus, Grameen and Broadway Top
Arrival in Baltimore last week, where the life expectancy for some humans is lower than that in Bangladesh. Riding public transport, light rail, train and metro to the World Health Care Congress in D.C., where Bangladeshi Banker to the Poor Muhammad Yunus taught doctors and CEOs in the health industry a few things about how poverty, and the alleviation of it, can provide models by which we in the West can serve our own disenfranchised populations. I saw CEOs, medical workers and those from the NGO world nodding their heads in agreement and deep understanding as Muhammad Yunus spoke. On to Philadelphia, where people from left-leaning art students to Libertarian wings of the old school Racquet Club found themselves agreeing on the economy and excited about the outspoken response from Americans who have never protested, much less loudly. I do not agree that the tea parties are lead by right-wingers. People are fed up with being abused by what has become a feudal system of extreme wealth, in which they are being robbed. And they know it and they are going to put an end to this unjust treatment. By the time I reached New York, I focused on receiving information and opinions from many different kinds of Americans as I did not know when I would be back "home" again. From drinks with a conservative (Bill Buckley's nephew), and discussions of the oil and gas industry, to dinners with psychoanalysts and NYU professors, all mixed in with talk of reality shows and narcissism, began to draw a picture of an America in which the political and cultural extremes were coming to the same conclusions: We are indeed, "Mating in Captivity." Then for the really good stuff. Muhammad Yunus' arrival as he spoke to a group at the Georgetown Global Forum about how our economic structure is what is wrong, it is not inclusive of two thirds of the world's populations. He described it as a horror film, and it went something like this: "Imagine that they made a Hollywood movie in which aliens came down and destroyed all the Wall Street banks. For many this would be a horror film. But for two-thrids of the world's population, the unbanked, they would not even be aware." "They have been living in a constant horror film-one in which they have had no access to credit, nor bank accounts, not the ability to change their situation," he added. Jump to a beautiful Saturday in Queens at the Grameen America Open House where Muhammad Yunus and the 365 female borrowers met to celebrate their first year of existence. The average payback rate is 99.6% (try to meet that you big banking establishments!). The average loan amount is $2,200. The women come from all kinds of backgrounds: a recent Ecuadorean immigrant selling handmade clothing, an African American woman who has started a catering company (Southern food-fantastic peach cobbler!), a Bangladeshi woman selling health care products, and the list goes on and on. These women were present with their families, proud to own their small yet thriving businesses. There was joy and optimism about the future of America in the air. Then back into Manhattan where an author friend tells me of how Twitter and his own participation in publicizing his books through social networking has changed his life, and with the property prices falling, he will now be able to buy himself an apartment in the city. He, along with the Grameen borrowers, (and myself) did not participate in the stock market, flipping, swapping, shorting culture of this past decade (or two). We earned our living, set aside some savings, have some cash in the bank, and are building our futures, and are very optimistic about the future. Because we OWN our futures. We have not gambled with other people's money. And last but not least, an evening at the Broadhurst Theater on Broadway premiere of Phyllida Lloyd's spectacular play, "Mary Stuart" starring Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter. The stunning New York Times review by Ben Brantley stated, "...it is hard not to be at least a little in love with -- and more than a little in awe of -- the very leading ladies in Phyllida Lloyd's crackling revival...of this tragedy of double-dealing politics." He then went on to add that, "It is also one of the most unsettling studies I know of the captivity in which heads of state are condemned to live. (Note to Michelle and Barack Obama: See this immediately)." The party afterwards at Tavern of the Green revealed the true theater community of New York. There is so much joy in this creative group of American and British and Irish actors who support one another's work. No one can crush the spirit of those who are doing what they love to do, and sharing it with us. Broadway, films and books all will continue to sustain us even during rough economic times. It is fascinating to note that the director of beautifully intense this theatre classic, also brought us the stage and film versions of the uplifting "Mamma Mia". And that leads to the end of my American stay this week...the country is on the move and it is very exciting to experience. But the media masters who are shaping the Obama's own Camelot, like the bankers behind the scenes, shaping the economic "recovery" , be forewarned: If they continue to try to create a United States of America in which there is an "Us" and "Them", it won't work. We are indeed, "all created equal" and we will take back our power, even as they lead us to execution...stunning in our glory, just as Mary Stuart, when Elizabeth I condemned her. The women borrowers in Queens, the women who have been left out of the leading roles in the economic recovery, the women on stage and directing the play, will all be heard. And the staid grey suited system will not crush the spirit of this country. Nor will the "fixers" be allowed to "own" the images. We are taking it back, piece by piece, and the "masters of the universe" will be left, just like Elizabeth I, diminished, servant-like, and alone...behind the Greenwich gates. More on Poverty
 
Moira Gunn: Global Information Systems: Doing "Good Beyond Good" Top
I teach a graduate course entitled "Global Information Systems," and in it we focus on data which informs us about the world. Now, I don't mean information which is available to the entire planet. That would be the Internet, which provides pretty much the same information to everyone, everywhere. No, what I'm talking about is complete information about our planet and the human beings in it. Truth be told - there's less of it then you might think, although its availability is on the rise. The official definition of a Global Information System is "any information system which attempts to deliver the totality of measurable data worldwide within a defined context," and there are a limitless number of questions which may be answered: How many cell phones are there? And where are they on the planet? Are they primarily used for voice? Or texting? On the health side, how many people have Tuberculosis? Malaria? HIV? Where do they live? And how about genetically modified crops: Where are they planted? Where does the food go after they are harvested? How does this compare to the totality of food grown worldwide? There's climate change, the services of Interpol, the number of commercial airplanes aloft at any one time, the global migration of humans, the infectious path of computer viruses, and the worldwide dumping of electronic waste: Everything and anything that can be counted or quantified under the sun. These global information systems answer questions which we need to know as a human race, and in many cases, the sooner we learn these answers, the better it will be for everyone. Throughout the course, we ask students to consider who generates the data and who funds its creation and/or dissemination. What might their motives be - both published and actual? In the end, we begin to get a reckoning on what is available, and who the big data generators are in the world. As a final project, we ask the students either to pose a strategic business question or a formal research question around a topic of interest. The answer must require at least two existing global information systems and possibly some additional research. One student asked to restructure the assignment, because he wanted to build a new Global Information System which didn't seem to exist anywhere, and I was hard pressed to deny him. A person close to this student was afflicted with Uveitis , an inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, which claims some 300,000 people here in the U.S. and over 2 million globally. It is responsible for some 10% of new blindness cases, and successful treatment is improved dramatically with immediate medical treatment as soon as the symptoms occur. As for the doctors who really know how to treat it? They are few and far between, and even with the availability of good medical care, it can mishandled, and there can be devastating consequences. This young man wanted to build a global information system, which connected people with experts physically close to wherever they happen to be when their symptoms arose. He conveyed a sense of urgency and commitment, which is essential in any ambitious undertaking. But what truly startled me was the last entry on the last slide of his proposal presentation: He was going to publish on the Internet the skeletal form of all his efforts. In that way, anyone interested in building a global website to support other diseases and conditions in a similar manner, could easily do so, simply filling in headings and descriptors and the like. So there it was. Not only was he trying to do something good; he was attempting to do "good beyond good." A good that he would never see, but that he could only imagine, simply based on empowering others. He did not know who these people were or what their mission they might be, and yet the result of his efforts had the potential to alleviate untold suffering beyond his personal focus. Even more impressive, this was a part of his design from the very beginning. The bottom line is this: Doing good is admirable and to be encouraged; doing good beyond good - now that really gets my attention.
 
Sara Avant Stover: Unplug and Recharge: Loving Your Lower Back, Part II (VIDEO) Top
Last week , in the first part of our series on lower back health, we focused on stretching the fronts of your thighs. This week we'll target your core. By strengthening your abdominal muscles you will achieve such benefits as: greater core stability, a stronger digestive fire, and, at a more emotional level, an increased sense of self-confidence and self-worth. When one has lower back pain, this is often an indication that one's abdominal muscles need some attention as well. Keeping your core strong then not only stands as a key of lower back health, but also to aging gracefully and maintaining your "center" through life's ever-changing weather patterns. Join me for a few minutes to empower yourself (and serve your lower back in the process). This exercise is also quite relaxing--a great mid-day respite from work! More on Unplug And Recharge
 
Randy Charles Epping: Free Trade Top
Why is it we always hurt the ones we love? The recent Summit of the Americas had President Obama yet again joining other world leaders in a well-publicized powwow to find a way back to prosperity--this time for the Western Hemisphere. They ended up echoing the G20's call for a major spending push--along with calls for increased financial aid for cash-strapped governments in the region. But there's a fly in the soup. The dirty little secret (that all economists and most politicians already know) is that aid alone isn't going to solve the developing world's problems--and sometimes makes things a lot worse worse. Without access to world markets and a functioning economic infrastructure, the recipients will probably never be able to earn enough to pay the money back. Instead of giving them fish, the rich countries should be offering the struggling economies of the world a fishing pole--and a place to sell their catch. Basically, the only way the developing world can grow their way out of this global recession is to be able to sell their goods and services to the rich countries of the world. But how can they do it if the developed countries refuse to open their markets to trade? Virtually every major economist points out that free trade is a win-win proposition. Apart from a few coddled industries, everyone from consumers to workers in export-oriented industries--think of anything from elevators to movies to California almonds--are much better off. But when those few who stand to lose their jobs because of increased imports scream "protectionism", governments listen. In London, the best that the G20 nations could come up with was a call for members to "refrain from raising new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services." They made a similar call in their November meeting. And what happened? In a report published by the World Bank in March, seventeen of the nineteen nations that make up the G20 (the European Union is the 20th member), introduced some sort of restrictive trade practice in the ensuing months. The call for free trade was met with everything from a U.S. proposal to require federal stimulus money be spent only on American products to Russia's decision to increase duties on imported cars and France's decision to create a sovereign wealth fund that would protect French companies from foreign "predators". Instead of moving decisively to open the world economy to free trade, the G20 leaders decided to call for massive amounts of foreign aid, treating the world's developing world as economic invalids. Why all this largess at a time when even the rich countries are struggling? World leaders are obviously motivated by fears of contagion--the domino effect that a fall of a dozen Iceland's could eventually cause, bringing down the whole house of cards. Think of the disastrous effect on Western European creditor nations if the struggling countries in Eastern Europe were to go into economic free fall. The problem is that most of the new money is going to end up in countries that are on the brink of financial ruin--by definition, the IMF is there to bail out economies in trouble. Which means that the countries with most flawed economic policies are going to get the lion's share of the cash. But what good does giving increased aid do if the developing countries aren't allowed to access to world markets? The Inter-American Development Bank, in a report published in 2006, noted foreign aid's relative inefficiency in achieving economic growth, pointing out that it's more the quality of economic and political infrastructure in the developing countries--including access to foreign markets--which determines whether a country will grow and prosper in the new global economy. Just look at Brazil's rise to global powerhouse, achieved largely by access to foreign markets. So how do we get free trade back on the world's economic agenda? A global multi-lateral free trade agreement is obviously the best way to go. And we happen to have one waiting in the wings: the World Trade Organization's "Doha Round" which was scuttled last summer, mainly because of opposition of rich-country leaders who feared the political backlash of exposing local industries to the forces of global markets. Those few industries that actually benefit from trade barriers-- sugar growers in Europe and the United States, for example--obviously want to keep the money flowing and will do anything to keep the tariffs and subsidies in place. But what about us, the average consumer and voter, who benefit from open markets and access to the global economy? It's important for us to get our leaders to listen to our side of the story, too. By getting our leaders to open the world's borders to trade, we not only help ourselves, we help the developing countries of the world end their aid-enabled economic malaise--and become true partners in a renewed and reviving 21st century economy. More on Brazil
 
Av Sinensky: Remembering to Forget Top
I am a Jew and my mother is a Jew. Her mother and father are Jews whose own mothers and fathers (and sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles and cousins) were murdered by the Nazis because they were Jews. I am a Jew whose entire childhood and adolescence was overcast by the shadow of the Holocaust. The stories on my grandfather's knees were not the fables of Aesop or the fairytale legends of knights and dragons, but the chilling narrative of personal terror and the ugly deeds of survival. I attended a Jewish day school that erected a "Holocaust Garden," an agglomeration of white statues and plants that served as the venue for seemingly every educational program or assembly the school ran. The prevailing lesson of my elementary school education, more than spelling, more than the multiplication tables, more than even the Ten Commandments, was one simple word: " zachor " -- "remember." At first glance, this smacks of a relatively effortless chore that is lacking in any true significance. Why the emphasis on memory? The prevailing wisdom is one of learning from history's mistakes. "Remember," we are told, "lest it happen again." This appears to have been nothing more than an exercise in futility, however, as despite our noble efforts to remember, genocide has continued to claim the lives of millions: Yugoslavians, Rwandans, Sudanese. Surely, we were not trying to combat only the genocide of Jews. There is, however, another predominant explanation cited for our generation's perpetual duty to remember: preserving the legacy of the Holocaust for posterity, a basis that is disturbingly necessary. If one were to claim that they did not believe the Civil War ever happened, that is was a hoax concoted as part of a mass agenda, they would be deservedly ridiculed. However, when it comes to the Holocaust, every pseudo-intellectual and conspiracy theorist comes out of the woodwork to claim that an event so thoroughly documented, attested to by millions of eyewitnesses, has been exaggerated and embellished in order to manipulate and deceive the world, and that it did not, in fact, transpire. These deniers of history are perceived as such a threat that many fear that future generations will be left to ponder: if six million Jews were murdered but nobody is there to remember it, did it really happen? This is an important point and an important fight but I wonder whether fighting it is worth the trouble and whether this focus on remembrance is a double-edged sword. One of the biblical commentators tells us that one of the reasons that the Jews had to wander through the desert for forty years was because the generation that left Egypt had a fatal psychological weakness: it had a slave mentality. The generation of the desert was so traumatized by the bondage of Egypt, so stricken with a sense of victimhood, that they were not an appropriate generation for the ultimate redemption. Instead, they were doomed to die in the desert, and it was their children, a generation that did not remember the slavery of Egypt, that merited entrance into the Land of Israel. I wonder if somehow our obsession with the Holocaust, with burning its gory details into the brains of our children, is somehow infecting us with a similar trauma. Last week, like every Passover, we sang at our seder , "in every generation they rise up against us to destroy us." And indeed they do. Following the lead of the ancient Egyptians was the Romans and the Crusaders, the Cossacks and the Nazis. Today, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Ahmadinejad vie to wipe Israel off the map. The narrative of Jewish history has been a seemingly continuous march of blood libels, pogroms, gas chambers, and suicide bombers. It is a chronology that, while vividly accurate, also colors the lenses through which we perceive the world. It is a version of history that marks all enemies of the Jews as a common enemy and labels our battle for survival as an endless war for which there could be no political solution. It serves as a valid account of our past and, sadly, our present, but does it have to be our future? Admittedly, this ultimately depends more on the will of those who desire to destroy us than on our mentality, but our mentality isn't totally insignificant. In the context of Jewish history, our generation is truly blessed with not one, but two glorious nations where we are able to thrive, where our Jewishness is not a handicap. But our current circumstance of splendor is trumped by our knowledge of history and tarnishes our ability to enjoy the treasures we have been given. As Leon Wieseltier astutely observed years ago in The New Republic, "a minority that has agreed to believe that its life has been transformed for the better, that has accepted the truth of progress, that has revised its expectation of the world, that has taken yes for an answer, is always anxious that it may have been tricked. For progress is a repudiation of the past. Yes feels a little like corruption, a little like treason, when you have been taught no." The Talmud tells us that the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, a day currently reserved for fasting and mourning to commemorate the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, will in the future be transformed into a joyous holiday. Yesterday, Jews worldwide observe Yom Hashoah , Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day marked on the calendar to honor the memories of those who perished at the hands of the Nazis, and while I do not foresee it being transformed into a holiday any time soon, the sentiment is one worth considering. Wouldn't we prefer a future for our children where the notion that Jews would be targeted for exile and annihilation simply because they were Jews would be one that is totally foreign to them? Wouldn't we prefer that at seder tables of future generations the statement "in every generation they rise up against us to destroy us" is met with greater amazement than the presence of matzah on the table? I think I would. Yesterday was a day reserved for remembering those we lost, but today should be a day for admiring those we still have: people like my grandparents, true Jewish heroes who saw their entire families wiped out because they were Jews, yet continued to fight on and build as Jews. They helped build a Jewish state and generations of Jewish doctors and lawyers, rabbis and teachers, businessmen and congressmen that serve as an unshakable affirmation of a simple truth: Hitler lost. Yesterday was truly a day for remembering. But today, is it all right if I try to forget, just a little? More on Israel
 
Justin Guarini: Justin Guarini's Lowdown On Last Night's "American Idol" Top
Another Tuesday night was upon us and after a historic week in Idol, I was looking forward to seeing how the contestants stepped up to the tremulous nature of Disco Week. Without much ado the proceedings kicked off with Lil Rounds singing Chaka Khan's hit "I'm Every Woman," one her best performances in my book. She looked beautiful and like she was having fun, but she was given the dangerous first spot. Along with the position of doom, Lil has to overcome the judge's lack of excitement (and a particularly scathing review from Simon). I feel for her, and for her struggle to find her artistic center in this competition, but her chances are few and her odds are not looking good to survive the double elimination that's coming tonight. Kris Allen resumed the position behind his guitar, singing "She Works Hard For The Money," of all things, and I happily say that I was impressed. It just goes to show you that Kris Allen has the wits and talent to take a song about a prostitute and turn it into a Latin-flavored hit. In my humble opinion, Kris is the male dark horse. He's cool under pressure and delivered another great performance. Unless there's a catastrophic event he should be safe tonight. Danny Goeke was up next and in his usual style he belted out note after note of "September." Danny sounded great and like he was having fun, however, when I looked up from my typing it didn't seem as though it was in his body, it was almost like he was not totally comfortable. All in all a great performance, and one that hopefully America will remember. Allison Iraheta has grown by leaps and bounds during this competition; we've seen her go from shy 16-year-old to fiery 16-year-old with a seemingly natural penchant for entertainment. She didn't disappoint when it came to singing "Hot Stuff" last night. While this was not my favorite performance of hers, mostly due to the arrangement, Allison put her own spin on a beloved Donna Summer classic, and wowed the judges in turn. Clad in a sharp black suit with spiked hair, Adam Lambert stepped up and did what he does best, take a song (any song, really) and make it entirely his own. This may be obvious, but week after week Adam proves that he is the one to beat. America is wild about him, and understandably so are the judges. My question is: if he's indeed going to the finals as Paula loves to intone almost every week, who's going to be the one to face him and will they even stand a chance? Matt Giraud - After "Stayin Alive" in last weeks historic "Idol" show, he followed up t with a funky and fresh take on one of the Bee Gees most recognizable tunes. While I'm not a huge fan of Matt's falsetto choices, I do agree with Randy when he said that Matt can sing. Bottom line, he can, but will this performance be enough to weather the criticism from the judges, and save him for another week? Rounding out the show, Anoop Desai dropped a euro-club inspired version of "Dim All The Lights" on America and judging by his facial expressions, seemed to think that it was not his best performance. I've always been an Anoop fan, and I do believe that he has a great voice, but this performance left me wanting a bit of the old Anoop that rocketed through Hollywood and took the Idol stage by storm. I have an unsettling feeling that we'll see him in the bottom three again (or bottom four, who knows how they'll do it.) The dreaded results show will see off two of our favorite Idols and I, for one, am not looking forward to it one bit. Ok, well, I am to see if my favorites make it through, just like the rest of America. More on American Idol
 
80s Novelty Sweaters Make A Comeback Top
Designers' fascination with the eighties is taking many forms, some obvious, others less so. The Krizia animal sweater may be a rare breed that's unfamiliar to all but the most devoted collector, but it's a look that resonated for Fall. For more than 20 years, Mariuccia Mandelli selected a different critter to feature in her collection; in 1981, it was a cat.
 
Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau: Vitamins: Eyeballing our Sacred Cows Top
Some things are not meant to be said in 140 characters or less... So Friday, I shared a New York Times report via Twitter regarding some of the recent research on vitamins. Specifically, I tweeted: Crappy news for vitamins. New York Times http://twurl.nl/0rse7r My very next tweet was: Re: last tweet w/bad news about vitamins--serves as a good reminder that we should be using food not pills to get what we need. Two basic tweets -- a very fired up response. Although many were positive, others vehemently disagreed and/or accused me of spreading misinformation. The entire affair made me realize that some topics/viewpoints are too big for 140 characters or less. To clarify: I shared the New York Times article not because I think the information is Gospel or that the research is definitive but because it raised interesting questions about a few of our very closely held assumptions. And if there is one thing that's been M.I.A. in healthcare, it's been push back on the status quo. I sent the second tweet because I consistently run into people (both personally and in my work as a consumer health advocate) who proudly rattle off the long list of vitamins and other supplements they take throughout the day all the while shoveling in a horrendous diet. They have been lulled into a false sense of security that the pills can make up for a lack of fruit, vegetables and other good choices. Not only is this dangerous psychology, but the more we learn about nutrients, the more we realize how very little we know -- and how impossible it is to capture the complex miracles of nature in a bottle. The more we know, the more we realize that as much as possible , we should be turning to food -- real food (and preferably local and organic)--to best protect our health. We need to remember that vitamins, at their very best, should remain supplements , not replacements. And we need to shout this information from the rooftops and not make another dangerous assumption...that the general public knows and understands this. Bottom line, I am not against vitamins or supplementation. But I am for keeping them in perspective. I am for continuing to evaluate new data. I am for advocating better lifestyle choices versus more pills. And if you are a maker or seller of vitamins or supplements, I encourage you to remember and advocate their proper place in health and wellness (which many of you admirably do). I encourage you not to get defensive when honest questions are raised. I encourage you not to become a "mini me" of the pharmaceutical industry...using marketing and hype and defense tactics to push more pills and profits over the true wellbeing of the people you are serving. I appreciate the broad spectrum of comments that were sent -- the good and the bad. They pushed me to flesh out an important point. They pushed me to recognize the power of the tweet to communicate and mis-communicate. They pushed me to remember that we're all on the same team -- although we may haggle over approach, there's not one of us who doesn't want good health. And I suddenly recalled Maya Angelou whispering in my ear during our recent interview , "We are more alike than we are unalike..." And that's why sometimes, it's more than worth the effort to reach out and explain. More on Twitter
 
Mayor Daley Approval Rating At 41 Percent: SEIU Poll Top
Now comes evidence that the mayor's job approval is at an all-time low, according to a citywide poll commissioned by the SEIU Illinois State Council (which sponsors this website) and conducted by the Democratic polling firm Bennett, Petts, & Normington. The survey found that 41 percent of respondents give Daley an "excellent" or "good" job rating, while 58 percent give him "only fair" or "poor" marks. Here are the crosstabs, which show African-Americans and Latinos are particularly dissatisfied.
 
Amazon Kindle: Pricetag $359, But Costs Only $185 To Make Top
If you aren't sure whether Amazon.com Inc.'s latest Kindle electronic reading device is worth its $359 price tag, an analysis by research firm iSuppli may shed some light. It broke down the device's components and determined that the gadget costs about $185 in parts and manufacturing, or about 52 percent of the total price.
 
Michael Conniff: Con Games: Conservatives Tea It Up on Tox News Top
Like a flabby man consigned to dark chocolate, I've lost my native ability to assuage my sweet tooth with cable news even as I succumbed to an unauthorized visit to the blowhard buffet on tax day 2009. I used to think that America under Barack Obama was turning a corner after eight years of Bush-Cheney yielded nada in the way of real achievement. Instead, on the day the tax bill came due for Americans, I learned the harsh truth from people in the know. -Millions who railed and rallied across the country on tax day say they're mad as all get-out. -We are buying guns like crazy for fear Obama-Clinton will take them away. -The Government is using the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to persecute conservatives. And oh yeah: the Governor of Texas wants to secede from the Union. In point of fact, according to the political site FiveThirty Eight http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/how-many-attended-tea-parties.html, only 111,000 to 250,000 people attended the Anti-Tax Tea Parties across the country, considerably less than a groundswell. Obama has expressed no interest in curbing gun use other than assault rifles, and the Homeland Security Department issued a report about Leftist extremists that was not unlike the one proffered about the Right -- the report that had nothing to do with mainstream conservatives and everything to do with fringe groups like the neo-Nazis. No matter: the conservative pot must be stirred and their anger about pretty much everything, seasoned to the taste. My particular favorite salt-in-the-wound moment was not the grandstanding Glenn Beck last-standing in front of The Alamo -- there's no crying in conservatism -- but rather the appearance on-air of the Fox News senior judicial adviser Andrew Napolitano, not to be confused with Janet Napolitano, the Director of Homeland Security. On the table: DHS's "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." Here comes the (retired) Judge from the Tox News web site: "The summary (unclassified) document is terrifying. One can only imagine what is contained in the classified version. This document runs directly counter to numerous U.S. Supreme decisions prohibiting the government from engaging in any activities that could serve to chill the exercise of expressive liberties. Liberties are chilled, in constitutional parlance, when people are afraid to express themselves for fear of government omnipresence, monitoring, or reprisals. The document also informs the reader that Big Brother is watching both public and private behavior." Napolitano said much the same on-air as he berated the Homeland Security report. The Fox anchor -- reasonable, intelligent, and (natch) unnaturally blonde -- pointed out in passing that there was a "leftwing" report and many other DHS reports on extremism of all kinds. But for to do an actual report that showed DHS was agnostic would run counter to Tox balance and fairness. As Napolitano put it on the Web site: The writers of this abominable report are particularly concerned with the expression of opinions that might be used to fuel ideas that challenge federal authority or favor state and local government over the federal government. That's right: in case you missed it, the Department of Homeland Security is in the business of taking their guns away and putting conservatives in the hoosegow. "My guess," Judge Napolitano writes, "is that the sentiments revealed in the report I read are the tip of an iceberg that the DHS would prefer to keep submerged until it needs to reveal it. This iceberg is the heavy-hand of government; a government with large and awful eyes, in whose heart there is no love for freedom, and on whose face there is no smile." More on Fox News
 
Sharon Glassman: Big Science in a Small City (Part 3): In Praise of Cool Scientists Top
As I've noted in my last two posts , I have the amazing good fortune to live in a Rocky Mountain town full of scientists. "Science" is a wonderfully broad term, of course. Which makes life here even more fascinating. And leads me to the question at the heart of this post: "What kind of scientist are you?" 1. Vicky Hamilton , Planetary Geologist, Principal Scientist, Southwest Research Institute Wow! Factor: She gets answers to Big Questions from rocks...on Mars. Big Question: "My primary interest...is to understand what the rocks and soils on Mars are made of. The minerals that are in the rocks (or on them as coatings) tell us about the geologic processes that have operated on Mars. Why? "Very commonly, we gain insight about what we see on Mars by analogy with our understanding of Earth's geologic processes. But Mars took a different evolutionary pathway, and we may also learn about the potential future of Earth based on the geologic record preserved on Mars[...] Different bodies at different distances from the sun vary in their chemistry, and we can learn more about solar system formation (not just our own) by studying all the bodies of our solar system." Any thoughts about the "Life on Mars" thing? "I'm extremely interested in knowing whether or not life ever evolved on Mars, but searching for life directly is not my specialty or my primary interest. I am a geologist, and I am interested in the geologic history of Mars regardless of whether or not life ever evolved there." Biggest Eureka Moment: "...when my colleagues and I discovered evidence of what may be hundreds of salt deposits in the ancient terrains of Mars." Biggest Oops? "Thinking the then-new Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) was sending back data about a mineral, when it was recording dust and clouds. Fortunately, our knowledge and understanding of the data evolved quickly, and I'm happy to say that I don't think we've made any major 'oopsies' since then." 2. Leslie Leinwand, Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Director, Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology Wow! Factor: Mice on tiny treadmills are showing her the difference between male and female hearts - a difference that science didn't address, or acknowledge, until recently. Big Question : How do male and female hearts respond to exercise? Why? "Most researchers study male animals and it used to be that clinical studies focused on men; although that has changed more recently. I always felt that males and females might respond to a number things differently. After all, we're different in so many ways." What she's learned : "We have found that most things that we study are affected by sex/gender. For example, a genetic disease that causes sudden death in young athletes differs greatly between male and female mice that have been created to study this disease. The females have much less disease than the males. In exercise, there is this response called athlete's heart." Which means? "In response to a given amount of exercise, female hearts get a bigger bang for the buck than males," she writes. "We have also found that the plant estrogens in a soy diet have a big impact on this difference between male and female hearts." Men who dietary supplements loaded with "plant estrogens" can exacerbate their heart's natural disadvantage, her team discovered. This discovery has major implications for male hearts with FHC. Biggest Eureka: "When we found a few years ago that we could effectively 'cure' the symptoms of a genetic heart disease [FHC] in male mice by removing the soy diet." Biggest Oops: "I remember ruining a huge experiment when I was a graduate student when I threw away the sample and saved the unimportant part of the experiment. It was months of work." 3. Ryan Welch and Cody Payne; Engineers-by-day; Co-Founders, The Octopus Tap Wow! Factor: Invented keg tap with four arms, curing "Long Line-itis" in state with $13.7 billion annual beer economy . Quotes below are from Cody. Why : "Attending college we went to many parties, Ryan would drive up to Boulder to 'escape' and we saw the need." "Neither of our fields were 'directly' related to mechanical engineering. However Engineering gave us the creativity, computing skills, and imagination to come up with the idea and design...studies on beer flow rates and product durability." Um, the Octopus Tap has four arms. Doesn't "Octo-" = eight? "Yes of course ;) Really it just came down to the fact that it sort of looked like an Octopus when hanging off the keg : Guess if you include the 4 arms of the people pouring the beer plus the 4 on the tap = 8 ;) ...some of the hardware used for diving is also called an Octopus. It doesn't have 8 either. So we extrapolated from that example to octopus being a 'general' term for many. Not sure if that is true, but it was a quick thought process we had and we liked the name." Any tips for folks who are curious about how stuff works but feel they may lack science smarts? "You don't have to be a scientist or have an engineering background to create a product. It does require creativity and will to make your product a reality. There are plenty of mechanical design and rapid protyping companies that can help. Home Depot is also a good place to start on some projects, that is what we did. Also, the internet is full of information of "how things work" to get your ideas going." I'll drink to that. If you'd like to know more about how these folks got into the sciences, picked their field and ended up in Boulder, please shout out in Comments, below. More cool Boulder scientist "on tap" in my next post.
 
Stroger Visits Cousin Dunnings 'Shocked' Over Her Firing As Cook County CFO Top
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger paid a visit to the cousin he abruptly fired last week, touching off a rash of criticism about his management that has led to calls for his resignation. Stroger spent nearly 20 minutes at Donna Dunnings' home, the Tribune reports , and didn't comment as he left. "I don't speak to reporters camped out outside people's houses," he said. Then he got into a county SUV with a bodyguard and driver and they pulled away. Dunnings also refused to comment as she left her house. She told the Sun-Times that she was "shocked" by her firing and is concerned about her financial future, but that she is not angry at Stroger. The AP story on Dunnings' interview: Former Cook County chief financial officer Donna Dunnings says she was shocked when County Board President Todd Stroger fired her for her dealings with a former secretary. Dunnings told the Chicago Sun-Times she never had a physical relationship with Tony Cole, who was hired in October and later fired after it was learned he had a criminal background. Stroger has said he was forced to ask for Dunnings' resignation when it was revealed she had bailed Cole out of jail. He said he feared county board members would make an issue of the situation. Dunnings said she harbored no ill will toward Stroger, even though the move will leave her without health insurance. Dunnings suffers from multiple sclerosis and is a single mother of two girls _ one of which is seriously ill.
 
The Progress Report: Congress's Earth Week Top
by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt Corley, Benjamin Armbruster, Ali Frick, and Ryan Powers To receive The Progress Report in your email inbox everyday, click here . Thirty-nine years ago today, 20 million Americans participated in the first ever Earth Day. Initiated by former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson (D), the first nationwide environmental protest sought "to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda." Though the event was originally envisioned to "bypass the traditional political process," the eco-friendly message was embraced by politicians who took it as an opportunity to roll out environmental initiatives such as establishing an Environmental Bill of Rights. As Americans across the country participate in Earth Day this year, the focus will be on moving toward a low-carbon future based on renewable energy instead of fossil fuels and the creation of a green economy with millions of quality clean energy jobs. Appropriately, Congress is engaging in the "mother of all climate weeks" this week, when "fifty-four witnesses will testify on climate change legislation in three full days before the House Energy and Commerce Committee." The House Science and Technology Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are holding climate-related hearings this week as well. Following the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) landmark decision last week that greenhouse gas pollution endangers the health and welfare of the American public, the pressure is building for lawmakers to advance clean energy legislation. "The commitment is real and we will pass legislation this year," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said recently. "We don't want another Earth Day to go by saying, 'What are we going to do about the climate crisis?'" DECISION TIME APPROACHES: Following President Obama's call for investment in a clean energy economy, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chair Ed Markey (D-MA) unveiled the American Clean Energy and Security Act last month that sets national standards for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and global warming pollution. Though the draft legislation does not specify how the bill will return revenues generated from the program to ratepayers, the Center for American Progress Action Fund's Joseph Romm noted that the proposed legislation "boosts the economy, creates green jobs, and puts the country on a path to preserve a livable climate." Waxman and Markey's legislation has been met with the expected complaints from conservatives and centrists, who claimed that it would "raise energy taxes in the midst of a serious recession" and "impose too much of a burden." While the House is expected to pass climate legislation this summer, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said yesterday that the chamber won't take up the legislation until the fall. But the EPA's announcement last week that six greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health and welfare, "will certainly create some pressure on Congress," according to David Bookbinder, chief climate counsel at the Sierra Club. After a 60-day comment period, the EPA will be legally required to start limiting carbon dioxide emissions, which means that if Congress wants a say in the design of a reduction program, they need to act. THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE: Grist's Kate Sheppard notes that "as the House begins serious debate on a climate bill, the biggest sticking point is shaping up to be how much it will cost average Americans." In an effort to use the economic downturn to their advantage, conservatives have been pushing bogus claims that green economy legislation would cost American families up to $3,100 per year in higher energy prices. But two reports released yesterday seriously undermine their deliberate muddying of the waters. In a two-year study, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that "the United States can dramatically cut global warming emissions and reduce consumer and business energy bills at the same time." Analyzing the economic, emissions, and energy effects of their recommendations for clean energy, clean vehicles, and global warming standards, UCS found that by 2030, net household savings would reach $900 a year, while oil use would drop 6 million barrels a day and cut global warming pollution in half. In an analysis of Waxman and Markey's legislation, the EPA found that that the bill would "play a critical role in the American economic recovery and job growth." Without considering the costs of inaction, the EPA found that "returning the revenues" in a lump-sum rebate "could make the median household, and those living at lower ends of the income distribution, better off than they would be without the program." RIGHT-WING HOT AIR: As Congress moves forward in the debate over transitioning to a clean energy economy, "Republicans have yet to produce an energy plan." Roll Call notes that Republicans' solutions "remain unclear." On ABC's This Week last Sunday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) was unable to say how his caucus proposed to deal with carbon emissions. Instead, Boehner claimed that the idea that carbon dioxide is dangerous is "comical," while he disputed that there is a climate crisis. "The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical," said Boehner. "Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you've got more carbon dioxide." Boehner is not alone in pushing factually-challenged claims instead of actual solutions. On March 25, during a hearing on climate-change adaptation, Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) suggested the planet is "carbon-starved" while declaring that carbon dioxide is "plant food." "So if we decrease the use of carbon dioxide, are we not taking away plant food from the atmosphere?" asked Shimkus. At the same hearing, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) suggested that humans can simply adapt to climate change by finding "shade." More on Earth Day
 
AKMuckraker: Palin's Dirty Dozen -- New Ethics Complaint Filed Top
Spring is springing here on the Last Frontier, and with it pops up a brand new ethics complaint against the governor. For those of you keeping score at home, that makes twelve ethics complaints in all. That number, of course, includes the one Palin filed against herself last fall so the Troopergate investigation could be overseen by the governor-appointed personnel board, instead of leaving it solely to those rogue, mavericky legislators in Juneau. The complaint will be filed this afternoon asserting that Palin's involvement with SarahPAC constitutes "outside employment" and "misuse of official position." Anchorage resident Sondra Tompkins, child disability advocate and mother of a special needs child, is filing the complaint after observing Governor Palin repeatedly display "a pattern of unethical behavior." Sondra believes that the tipping point for her was Sarah Palin's most recent abdication of her role as Governor and apparent conflict-of-interest when she spoke at two outside events in Indiana rather than work with the Alaska Legislature during the most critical time, the end of the session. The complaint alleges: a) Governor Palin has entered into a contract outside of her official duties with the donors, employees, partners and any or all other participants involved in SarahPAC. b) The recent partisan trip to Indiana by the Governor was purely to benefit personal interests, had no benefit for the State of Alaska and was in direct conflict with her official duties. c) The Governor left the State to participate in these events during the most critical end-of-session Legislative activities, at a time where the legislators themselves are not permitted to leave Tompkins is also one of the growing number of disgrunteld Republican voters who find themselves disillusioned with the current administration. More on Sarah Palin
 
Madoff Mets Tickets Sell for $38,100 On eBay Top
NEW YORK (AP) -- Someone got a bargain with Bernard Madoff's Mets season tickets. The two seats in the Delta Club Gold section behind home plate auctioned for $38,100 Tuesday on eBay, well below the list price for the pair of about $56,000. More on Bernard Madoff
 
Tom Alderman: The Internet Is Absolute Democracy - Be Very Afraid! Top
The Internet is the ultimate 21st Century Jeffersonian dream come true: an informed public with unlimited information making knowledgeable choices in a connected, 24/7, placeless society where we take what we want, when we want, on demand. So, why does the dream look more like a nightmare when 'General Motors' and 'bankruptcy' are used in the same sentence, when red state and blue state minds argue whether global warming and evolution are real, and a Texas governor talks about secession. What happened? Like Guttenberg's printing press, the Internet has created radically new opportunities and systems that have put us at the beginning of a seismic cultural shift - and yet, something is terribly wrong. If you are Bob Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, you are very concerned about the Internet and the negative effects it's having on our society. "Yes, the Internet is an extraordinary wealth of information and a radical cultural shift," says the 50 year-old professor. He's concerned about the Internet's corrosive impact on "the precarious nature of authority. It's potentially dangerous. It's a complete democratization of information where unverified knowledge is often the result of our own emotional state," he says. "Yes, we are well connected, if connected means having huge contact lists, tons of Facebook and Twitter pals, we certainly are well connected as never before in history." But, here's the irony of the Internet's unintended consequence he fears: "Our youth is growing up in a fragmented culture. We are not all feeding from the same cultural trough, a shared body of characters and stories that bonds us all together with common beliefs, goals and systems. Why can't we agree on anything?" asks Thompson. "We are fragmented like Los Angeles - multiple communities in search of a center. Instead, we are linked together from enclosed cars and computer screens. We run the risk of having no sense of real authority. The result is anarchy." Okay, this is not what Jefferson had in mind. No Luddite boomer, Bob Thompson was an early tech adopter, getting his first computer in 1984, a Datafox , he remembers fondly. Raised in Chicago's western suburbs, and a product of the University of Chicago and Northwestern University's graduate school, Thompson is a heavy Internet user and culturally curious explorer who, at one point, spent two hours a day for 30 months watching YouTube. The result: "It's like a garage sale, 99 percent is absolute garbage." And for pre-Interneters like himself, "the current Twitter boom is totally baffling - reduced Haiku for idiots." Thompson's main point is that, while the Internet looks like a connector, it is developing into a national disconnector. He maintains "Parents and schools used to be the source of information. Now it's the Internet." We're evolving into a Wikipedia world relying on user-generated information. Thompson continues, "It's like having user-generated surgery." Not what you ever want. Thompson makes a compelling case. We do have unprecedented, unlimited and unverified information at our finger tips anytime we want. But isn't it more an illusion of knowledge based on excessive quantity, not quality? We live in an expanding universe of unfiltered thought and information that results in vertical silos of public discourse with no horizontal connections between them. There are millions of monologues without any dialogue. It's pure democracy from a nation founded as a representative republic. In other words, chaos. Not good. So, what's the antidote to this potentially Web- propelled chaos? There are many who will instinctively want tighter controls over the Internet, creating central order where none exists - like China now tries, like all authoritarians try when they lose control over the populous. Very hard seeing how that works when the World Wide Web's very foundations are universal access and distribution of information and thought. The answer lies with us, dear reader, the end users of this tsunamic information flow. It's about critical thinking, the ability to hear, see or read a story and ask - what's the context, who's saying what, is the source reliable, what might be missing? What's the real who, what, how, when and why of the thing. Critical thinking is currently not a priority in our education system even though it's the first line of defense and growth for any open society. It's the ability to seek the difference between causal and correlative facts. For instance, ice-cream consumption rises as the crime rate goes up in Chicago. Quite True. But is crime the cause of increased ice-cream sales, or do crime and ice-cream both rise only because it's summertime in Chicago? Got to know the difference to survive and thrive. Critical thinking taught in our schools would make Thomas Jefferson very happy - an informed public making knowledgeable choices no matter how unfiltered the flow of limitless information. It certainly helps next time you hear Obama is a Muslim, you get AIDS from shaking hands, or someone has weapons of mass destruction. More on Twitter
 
Cougars Appearing In Chicago, Wisconsin As Natural Habitat Diminishes Top
CALEDONIA, Wis. — Anna Lashley can't forget her surprise when she looked out her kitchen window three years ago just south of Milwaukee and spotted what she believes was a cougar. "I looked up and there's this lion in the back yard, and I thought it must have gotten away from the zoo," she said. "I called the zoo, and they said they hadn't lost one." Since then, she's seen several cougars _ also known as mountain lions and pumas _ most recently in March. She's not alone. Although the animals were wiped out in most of the eastern U.S. a century ago, they have recently shown up again, migrating from the Black Hills of South Dakota into places like Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. A cougar was shot and killed by police in Bossier City, La., in December. In April 2008 Chicago police shot and killed a 122-pound cougar in the city's North Side. And in 2007, the first documented cougar in Kansas in more than 100 years was killed near Medicine Lodge. Aside from a small population in south Florida, central Texas has been the eastern boundary of the cougar's customary breeding range. But now Wisconsin game managers get scores of reported sightings each year. They try to determine which are false, which are other animals such as bobcats, and which are cougars. Only two cougars have been confirmed in the state. The cougar killed in Chicago was seen and left clear tracks in the snow months earlier in the Milton area of Wisconsin's Rock County, 100 miles away, in January 2008. Bear hunters chased the second into a tree near Spooner in Barron County in March. It was photographed but it fled after an unsuccessful attempt to tranquilize it and attach a tracking collar. Ken Jonas, a wildlife biologist supervisor with the state Department of Natural Resources in Hayward, said the only ways to confirm sightings are with photos, good tracks or other physical evidence. In the case of the confirmed sightings, blood, hair, urine and droppings were recovered. Researchers learned a lot from the cat that roamed the Milton area for three months before being shot, said Eric Anderson, a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. "Here's a cat wandering across the landscape of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, a fairly heavily populated area, and nobody saw it," he said. Male cougars like that have been moving out from the Black Hills. Anderson said an estimated 20 to 25 young males are believed to leave there each year, looking for females as well as food. He expects Wisconsin will eventually have resident cougars. But if the state had a breeding population now, some cougars would be killed on roads and found feeding on livestock and more evidence would be found in areas where the animals spent time, Jonas said. Still, he said people venturing outdoors should be aware of potential dangers. He noted the state also has black bears and a healthy wolf population, and even a deer in rut can pose a threat. The Lashleys said they have nothing against cougars, but they want people to be aware of their presence. Sandy Kenner said she has no doubts the cats are here. "I'm totally convinced. I wouldn't jog at night anymore," she said. "It doesn't scare me. Just don't be stupid." ___ On the Net: DNR Cougar Info: 7 http://sn.im/gfou Cougar Network: http://www.easterncougarnet.org/ More on Animals
 
Elizabeth Goitein: Torture, Truth and Accountability Top
Yesterday, President Obama signaled his willingness to consider an independent, non-partisan commission of inquiry like the one proposed last year by the Brennan Center and more recently by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy. While stopping short of endorsing a commission, Obama's comments are a marked departure from his previous lukewarm response to the proposal. This is a welcome change, and one that heralds a potential victory for truth and accountability. Obama's statements follow the release of Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memos that erase any question about whether the U.S. adopted and implemented a program of torturing detainees. To be sure, the OLC attorneys did their best to make the techniques they were approving sound reasonable. Their efforts in that regard are more chilling than comforting, however. It is hard not to be disturbed by the detached, professional tone of the memoranda; the casual (and no doubt strategic) interspersing of more innocuous techniques, like grabbing a detainee's collar, with heinous acts like waterboarding; the emphasis on arbitrary limitations, such as an eleven-day limit on sleep deprivation; and the unnerving references to the presence of medical and psychological professionals at interrogation sessions. But the most offensive aspect of the memos is their cavalier assessment of whether certain acts cause "severe pain or suffering" (defined as pain or suffering that is "difficult to endure"). Incredibly, OLC attorneys concluded that waterboarding does not cause any physical suffering at all. The reasoning? The procedure does not produce "physical harm"; hence, it produces no pain. It doesn't take a lawyer to see the flaw in that logic. Nor does one need any specialized training to appreciate that it is more than just moderately uncomfortable to be shackled in stress positions until one's muscles literally give out, doused in frigid water for 20 minutes at a time, or kept awake for a week. The OLC memos rely heavily on the fact that some U.S. military trainees undergo these techniques to help them withstand interrogation at the hands of the enemy. But that only supports the conclusion that these techniques are torture. Why would the military bother subjecting trainees to techniques that cause only mild or moderate discomfort? Would that really help steel them against what they might face in a North Korean prison? For that matter, in interrogating our own detainees, what would be the purpose of inducing physical discomfort that falls short of being "difficult to endure"? The question is no longer whether the U.S. engaged in torture - we're beyond that now - but what to do about it. Last week, President Obama announced that the Justice Department won't prosecute CIA agents who relied on OLC memos. Reasonable minds can disagree on whether that approach is sensible or whether it treads too close to a "Nuremberg defense." But regardless of one's views on that subject, sweeping the government's misconduct under the rug isn't the only alternative to prosecuting agents who broke the law with OLC's blessing. For one thing, Obama's promise not to prosecute extends only to those who "relie[d] in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice." Top-level officials who colluded with Justice Department lawyers to implement a program of torture would not fall within this category. Nor would agents who went beyond what the memos authorized - as many of them clearly did, according to a recently leaked report by the International Committee of the Red Cross. But one of the most important steps we can take has nothing to do with criminal prosecutions. We must establish an independent, non-partisan commission to examine torture and other counter-terrorism abuses. We now know beyond any doubt that the U.S. government embraced policies that violated the law and our most fundamental shared values. For that to happen, a massive system failure must have occurred within every branch of government. Criminal prosecutions will not delve into these failures. They will uncover only the facts of specific cases - not the full facts about what the policies were, how they were developed, why Congress and the courts were unable to conduct effective oversight, and what institutional reforms may be necessary to ensure that our future counter-terrorism policies adhere to the rule of law. These are questions that must be asked and answered. Such an inquiry will make us safer in the long run. As one the 2005 OLC memos stated, "[I]t is difficult to determine conclusively whether interrogations have provided information critical to interdicting specific imminent attacks." On the other hand, it is easy to see the ways in which our torture policy has made us less safe. It has alienated our allies, assisted Al Qaeda and similar groups in recruiting new members, and undermined our ability to insist on humane treatment of our own troops. By affirming our commitment to the rule of law, a commission would mitigate these harmful effects. And by taking a close look at where our counter-terrorism policies went right and where they went wrong, the commission would lead to a more effective national security policy going forward. President Obama said today that an independent commission would be the preferable way to proceed "[i]f and when there needs to be a fuller accounting of what took place during this period." The OLC memos provide many of the facts we previously lacked. But they do not provide all the facts, and they certainly do not provide a "full accounting." If President Obama is serious about his stated pledge "to ensure that the actions described within [the memos] never happen again," he will support the creation of an independent commission of inquiry to provide the full accounting we so badly need. Elizabeth Goitein is the Director of the Liberty and National Security Project at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.
 
Jerry Zezima: Beating Around the Bush Top
In "Duck Soup," the Marx Brothers' 1933 war satire, Groucho is reading an important document when he says to Zeppo, "A 4-year-old child could understand this." Zeppo nods in agreement, at which point Groucho adds, "Run out and find me a 4-year-old child. I can't make head or tail out of it." That's the way I felt recently when I went to war with a butterfly bush that threatened to attack the house and I needed the help of a 4-year-old child to defeat it. The tyke was Brian Heidrich Jr., son of my landscaper, who came over with his crew to clean my yard and to slay the floral monster that made Audrey II, the man-eating plant in "Little Shop of Horrors," look like a petunia. As Brian Sr. knows from his annual cleanups, my green thumb is really a fungus. That's why, under my tender care, the lawn looks like it was manicured with a flamethrower. In fact, the whole place has gone to seed, so this year I asked Brian Sr. to drop some seed, as well as fertilizer (which I usually spread around pretty well myself) and lime, though not the kind that goes well with a gin and tonic, which I like to have in the summer after I have mowed what little grass remains. But the main job was getting rid of that butterfly bush, which was big enough to swallow a man (in this case, me) whole. It also drew so many winged creatures that our property often looked like something out of "The Birds." I was the birdbrain because every plant, flower and blade of grass I touched died except, of course, for the butterfly bush. Recently, my wife, Sue, who has grown several normal-size butterfly bushes around the yard, asked me to get rid of the big one so she would have room for a garden. It was a frightening task because the thing was about 12 feet tall and couldn't be transplanted. Its branches, which were more like tentacles, extended across the side yard and were within striking distance of the laundry room door. At first I tried hedge clippers. The bush just laughed at me, although it could have been the wind. Then I got an electric trimmer. It was like using a plastic knife on a giant sequoia. Finally, I called Heidrich Landscaping of Coram, N.Y. A few days later, a truck pulled up, followed by a car, out of which stepped the two Brians. I'm pretty sure Brian Sr. was driving. "This is Mr. Zezima," Brian said to his son, who was clearly unimpressed. But being a little gentleman, he shook my hand. Then he said to his father, "I want to help." Brian Sr. called over one of his workers, Luke Martinez, and asked him to give the young man something to do. "Is he your assistant?" I asked Luke, who patted little Brian on the head and said, "He's my boss." "Are you Luke's boss?" I asked little Brian. He smiled and nodded. As head of the operation, little Brian supervised while Luke used an ax to chop down the butterfly bush. "Is Luke doing a good job?" I asked little Brian, who chirped, "Yep!" To show he is not too important to get his hands dirty, little Brian helped cart away the branches, most of which dwarfed him. Still, he managed to drag a few of them to the truck. He also brought over a rake so Luke could smooth out the area where the bush had stood. "If the bush hadn't been taken down, it would have gone through the door," Brian Sr. said. "You could have had it arrested for breaking and entering." Thanks to little Brian's expert supervision, there was no need to call the police. "You did a good job," I said to little Brian. He grinned proudly and replied, "I know." Before the Brians left, Brian Sr. gave me a few yard-care pointers, like keeping the flower beds clean and making sure the lawn gets enough water. "A 4-year-old child could do it," I said. "And if I need help, I know just where to find one." Stamford Advocate columnist Jerry Zezima can be reached at JerryZ111@optonline.net. His blog is www.jerryzezima.blogspot.com. Copyright 2009 by Jerry Zezima More on Green Living
 
Gerald Sindell: The Posse is Not Currently Available Top
Ever regret finding a book in a used book store, think about buying it, and then a long time later regretting that you had decided not to? Many years ago I was visiting my hometown, Cleveland, and found a wonderful old bookstore. Suddenly I came across a twenty-some volume set of a complete transcript of the War Crimes Trials at Nuremberg. It was a massive set, and expensive. But it stood for me as the actual first-hand document of one of the ultimate moments in the history of humankind when the rule of law had taken the necessary first steps to restoring civilization after the world had gone mad at the hands of the barbarians. I wanted those books today. Two stories on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer last night offered a vivid contrast, especially had they been presented as one story. But they weren't. First we heard the sad and even terrifying story of the young and vulnerable U.S. journalist Roxana Saberi sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran, on charges that began with Ms. Saberi being accused of the grievous crime of purchasing a bottle of wine and which escalated into her being accused of spying. Another woman on the show, Haleh Esfandiari, who had also been imprisoned in Iran on false charges explained what Ms. Saberi would be going through - such as nine hours straight questioning by an unseen inquisitor as the victim faced a wall - and it didn't take long to get that this was damn close to torture. Ms. Saberi is thinking about going on a hunger strike. What would help get her out? Well, certainly it would help if her home country could bring some good old American moral authority to the court of world opinion. Yep, sure could use that good ol'.... Now where the heck did that go? And then came the vivid contrast. Jim Lehrer interviewed Jeffrey Smith, a former CIA official, who was there to defend the Obama/Axelrod/Rahm position that we needed to get torture behind us and move on. Michael Ratner, of the Center for Constitutional Rights, who has been outspoken on every issue regarding human and constitutional rights violations since the beginning of the 'War on Terror" was there to explain, once again, the implications of not prosecuting those who authorized and carried out torture. The two arguments came down to two very simple statements. They were close to perfect in expressing whether or not the end justifies the means that you almost wanted to take the transcript into every Sunday school in the country for a little class discussion. Michael Ratner simply asserted that the rule of law is necessary for civilization. Want to live in a civilized world? Then the rule of law is a requirement. Mr. Ratner: "If people, in the high levels of government, can break the law, what kind of example does that send, first, to the American people, who want to comply with the law, and, secondly, to nations of the world that say, "Well, the Americans did this when they had a terrorist attack. Why can't we?" and then just give people some legal memos and a slap on the wrist at best, if that, and let them off. "You just can't have a lawless world, and that's what we have here." Jim Lehrer then asked the perfect question: "Mr. Smith, do we have a lawless world?" Mr. Smith: "We have a lawless world, and I believe very much that the United States needs to stand up for the rule of law." But the president's decision not to prosecute? If ...he decided that he was going to open this up and prosecute them, who knows where it might have led? I think it could have been enormously destructive to the CIA, and I think our national security is enhanced by what the president did. And I think we should let him continue to do as he wants to do. So we have a lawless world and the president can do what he wants to do (didn't we just see how that turns out?) and somehow that is standing up for the rule of law. And that's one of the reasons Ms. Roxana Saberi will be thinking about a hunger strike for her rights as she continues to be abused in an Iranian prison. The posse is being detained on morals charges. More on David Axelrod
 
Anneli Rufus: "Screw Earth Day," They Say Top
The folks at Grist , one of the world's top green blogs, are behind a "Screw Earth Day!" campaign, based on the premise that "one day is for amateurs" and that really making a difference means living green every day, not just today. Grist argues that while Earth Day "played a critical role in launching the modern-day environmental movement ... its message has become watered down" since 1970, when then-U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) first established it as an environmental "teach-in." Screwing Earth Day is irreverent. It's ironic. It's counterintuitive, which is one of the best ways to seize attention in these divisive days when we believe we're totally on one side and the other side is frickin' nuts but then someone who seems to be on our side (Grist) does something that seems way out there on the other side (denouncing Earth Day), which forces us to think -- hard -- beyond sides. It sends us ploughing through the walls and fences and hedges and the smoke and mirrors that separate the sides, straight through to the issues themselves. There we stand startled, sweating, blinking, blurting: Huh. What matters matters -- not who says it does . The same thing happens when someone we thought was on the other side (take your pick) does something that seems to be on our side (pick again). Surprise! "Screw Earth Day!" is clever because, even in its stomping denial of the holiday that makes millions of otherwise wasteful people feel okay about themselves and maybe do some eco-conscious stuff for twenty-four hours, it attracts attention to this day nonetheless. So maybe, caught up in the clamor of the stomps, a few folks who never thought one way or another about Earth Day now suddenly will. That's nice. As for the premise that we should be green all year -- well, yeah. I am a scavenger. And every lamp or DVD player that any scavenger plucks from a curb and every loaf or coat that any scavenger plucks from a trash bin is one less item that would otherwise end up in a landfill, and/or transported across the miles to be processed, disintegrated, manufactured into something else, then transported again, again, again. Shopping at thrift stores and yard sales means that much less must now be manufactured. For scavengers, every day is Earth Day.
 
Andrea Chalupa: WATCH: Donna Karan On How Holistic Living Can Cut Your Medical Expenses Top
Yoga. I've tried this yoga. And I always end up the one in the class who the patient instructor has to hover over to make sure one of my flailing legs doesn't knock somebody out of their zen. Donna Karan, at her two day Urban Zen retreat on nutrition last week, assured me that yoga is as simple as being present. Simple relaxation methods such as yoga, loading up on veggies, and using breath to combat anxiety and stress have proven to reduce medical expenses. In the video below, Karan shares some ways holistic living can reduce health care costs. I do have to say, she does share a great eating tip: soups made of all natural ingredients. She likes to toss some of her favorite veggies in a blender and slightly heat the mixture on the stove. I'm a big soup lover and could definitely incorporate something as simple and easy as blended-veggie soup into my Chinese take-out routine. Watch the video for more on how a downward dog a day keeps the doctor away. (Sorry, couldn't resist). More on Yoga
 
Michael Pollan: A Food Revolution in the Making, from Victory Gardens to the White House Lawn Top
Last month, First Lady Michelle Obama broke ground for a new vegetable garden on the South lawn of the White House. It's the first time food will be grown at the President's residence since Eleanor Roosevelt planted her Victory Garden during World War II. Back then, as part of the war effort, the government rationed many foods and the shortage of labor and transportation fuel made it difficult for farmers to harvest and deliver fruits and vegetables to market. The First Lady's Victory Garden set an example for the entire nation: they too could produce their own fruits and vegetables. Nearly 20 million Americans answered the call. They planted gardens in backyards, empty lots, and even on city rooftops. Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different types of produce, and formed cooperatives -- all in the name of patriotism. By the time the war ended, home gardeners were producing 40 percent of the United States' produce. They aided the war effort by creating local food networks that provided much needed produce in their own communities, but their effect on the social fabric of the nation was greater still. Urban and suburban farmers were considered morale boosters who had found a great sense of empowerment through their own dedication to a common cause. Today, home gardening is on the rise, but most Americans still know very little about where their food comes from, and even less about how the changes in temperature and precipitation associated with global warming may alter national food production. If you break down the fossil fuel consumption of the American economy by sector, agriculture consumes 19 percent of the total, second only to transportation. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a concentrated effort to mitigate its impact on the climate. If we want to make significant progress in reducing global warming we will need to wean the American food system off its heavy 20th-century diet of fossil fuel and put it back on a diet of contemporary solar energy. Resolarizing the food economy can support diversified farming and shorten the distance from farm to fork, shrinking the amount of fossil fuel in the American diet. A decentralized food system offers many other significant benefits: Food eaten closer to where it is grown is fresher and requires less processing, making it more nutritious, and whatever may be lost in efficiency by localizing food production is gained in resilience; regional food systems can better withstand all kinds of shocks. Here are few examples of how we could start: Provide grants to towns and cities to build year-round indoor farmers' markets. Make food-safety regulations sensitive to scale and marketplace, so that small producers selling direct off the farm or at a farmers' market are not regulated as onerously as a multinational food manufacturer. Urge The U.S.D.A. to establish a Local Meat-Inspectors Corps to serve and support the local food processors that remain. Establish a Strategic Grain Reserve to prevent huge swings in commodity prices. Create incentives for hospitals and universities receiving federal funds to buy fresh local produce which would vastly expand regional agriculture and improve the diet of the millions of people these institutions feed. This isn't just about government reform. Organizations, businesses, and even individuals like you can help advance these key initiatives and support both the revival of food local food economies and the health of our nation. Next month the Natural Resources Defense Council will honor individuals who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in the field of sustainable food in its first annual Growing Green Awards . As the Chair of the selection committee, I'm excited to be part of this initiative and join NRDC in recognizing the extraordinary contributions this years honorees have made in the areas of ecologically-integrated farming, climate and water stewardship, farmland preservation, and social responsibility. The Growing Green Awards is an opportunity to highlight the contribution individuals can make in creating a more sustainable future through better food production practices that improve the health of people and the planet. Along with my fellow Growing Green Awards panelists, Larry Bain, Fred Kirschenmann and Karen Ross, I'm pleased to announce the nine finalists in three categories: Food Producer, Business Leader, and Thought Leader. Food Producer Will Allen , Growing Power , Milwaukee, WI Judith Redmond , Full Belly Farm , Guinda, CA Joel Salatin , Polyface Farm , Swoope, VA Business Leader Fedele Bauccio , Bon Appetit Management Co. , Palo Alto, CA Michael Rozyne , Red Tomato , Canton, MA Thaleon Tremain , Pachamama Coffee Coop , Davis, CA Thought Leader Ann Cooper , Berkeley Unified School District , Berkeley, CA James Harvie , Institute for a Sustainable Future , Duluth, MN Sibella Kraus , Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) , Berkeley, CA The winners will be selected on May 9 at an NRDC benefit at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Calif. I hope you will consider joining me in celebration of this important event. Resources : Find out what's fresh near you and get great recipes at NRDC's Food Miles page. This post originally appeared at Greenlight , from NRDC's OnEarth magazine . More on Michelle Obama
 
Guillain Barré Syndrome : Refrigerator Perry Hospitalized With Top
AIKEN, S.C. — Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry remains hospitalized in South Carolina. Aiken Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Melissa Summer said Wednesday that Perry is in serious condition. The 46-year-old Perry has been hospitalized to deal with complications from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a chronic inflammation disorder of the peripheral nerves. Perry's nephew, Purnell Perry, said Tuesday that his uncle was admitted more than a week ago but was expected to recover. A man who answered the phone Wednesday at Purnell Perry's home in Aiken said he couldn't comment on the football player's hospitalization. The 300-pound plus defensive tackle played for the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl team, and helped lead Clemson to the 1981 national championship. More on Sports
 
Mike McCready: A Review of Rob Thomas' New Single: "Her Diamonds" Top
"Her tears are like diamonds on the floor and her diamonds bring me down" - Rob Thomas (Her Diamonds) Today is the official release date of three time Grammy-award winning artist Rob Thomas' new single called Her Diamonds. It's the first single from his upcoming album entitled Cradlesong which hits retail stores on June 30th, 2009. Huffington Post readers can hear the single today by clicking the song player below. Rob is making some news as one of the top musicians in our country adopting web 2.0 and new digital music technologies to interact with his followers and fan base. On March 11th he joined Twitter and in just over a month has attracted nearly 28,000 followers (@ThisIsRobThomas). Not everyone is Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) but then again, Ashton can't write and record songs that sound like this. I wasn't sure what to expect from a new Rob Thomas album. His first solo effort was a departure from his matchbox Twenty sound but his songwriting skills were as present as ever. I think that's his greatest asset. He's got a good voice and a good presence but it's really his songwriting that is noteworthy. I was a latecomer to Matchbox Twenty. They aren't big in Europe and a friend of mine in London says they couldn't hail a cab there. I was living in Barcelona so I think by the time I paid attention they already had a couple of albums out. Rob Thomas' songwriting was the first thing that stood out to me. At first I didn't get it. It seemed to me that he missed obvious transitions and logical melody lines and resolutions. I thought his songs could be much more compelling. But the more I listened the more I realized I was wrong. I was being too simplistic. Rob's melodies keep you interested after more than a few plays of the song. They aren't always predictable and it ends up being refreshing. Sure, some regard Rob Thomas as a guilty pleasure. I think there's substance to him as a musician and his new single doesn't disappoint at all. He's still bringing it. I'm eager to hear the rest of the album. More on Careers
 
Scott Diel: Toilet Tour Top
This past summer, one of the tour companies in Estonia allowed me the pleasure of guiding American cruise passengers. The company knew I hadn't passed any of the guide exams, but they still gave me the job. On my first day of work I realized why. "Where's the bathroom?" two American women cried in unison. The bus had just cleared the cruise pier and we weren't two minutes into our tour. The women were close to seventy and had undoubtedly raised kids who'd pestered them with the same question. So I gave them the parental answer: "Didn't you go before you left the boat?" They had. But they needed to go again. "Is everything here uphill?" another asked when we parked near Pikk Hermann tower and slogged up Toompea. "I don't like uphill." Some were grossly overweight and I found it hard to believe they'd read the brochure which makes it abundantly clear they'd have to walk several kilometers over uneven surfaces and climb a number of steps. On Toompea, a bunch of them disappeared into a bathroom and suddenly my group had shrunk. The tour company doesn't have a lot of rules, but a couple of them are cardinal: Keep the group happy, and return to the boat with the same number of tourists you started with. "Why are we standing around?" a man demanded. I told him I wasn't allowed to leave anyone behind. We would have to wait for them to return from the toilet. "But that's not fair to the rest of us!" I admitted he was right. "Hey," a woman squared up to me in front of the group. "You have to tell us what to do. Order us around." "How old are you?" I asked. "Sixty-eight," she replied. "I'm forty-three," I said. "I'm not old enough to be your mother." She dropped her hands from her hips. I had scored a direct hit. I turned from her and informed the group that I was here to talk about Estonia's fascinating history, and if they wanted to listen they were welcome. But if they wanted to spend their time touring Tallinn's toilets, I wasn't going to wrestle them to prevent it. "If you want to leave, you can easily find your boat. Walk to the sea and look for the biggest object in the water." During the lunch break, I talked to a veteran Estonian guide who told me many guides won't work with Americans because they behave like children. "I know it's not easy," he said. "But you really do have to boss them around. It's what they want." After lunch, I took the guide's advice and things improved. My new take-no-prisoners attitude worked wonders. The tourists filed right in, listened carefully, and won my genuine respect by posing intelligent questions. I think they appreciated me for moving things along, but also for not trying to pretend that the 1980 Olympic Sailing Center is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Instead, I pointed to the decaying hotel nearby and quoted P.J. O'Rourke on Soviet construction ("Commies love concrete, they just don't know the recipe"). I told the story of how the clever Estonians used the Olympics to get Moscow's money to fix up the Old Town. I explained the situation with post-Soviet pensions as we stood before Nevsky Cathedral's begging babushkas (the tourists gave them coins), and I didn't try to deny that most souvenirs are crap ("You're right, Mrs. Finkelstein. Your granddaughter could make a far better painting."). In the medieval Old Town Square, where you couldn't beat the juxtaposition, I described the Soviet housing district of Lasnamäe and why someone would have preferred to give up a regal home in the Old Town in exchange for a two-room flat with hot water and a flush toilet. But despite my perceived success (the tourists tipped well), I didn't have the job long. Perhaps word got back to headquarters that I wasn't telling the right stories. Perhaps I wasn't subservient enough. But I thought the group appreciated it when I handed a woman an empty Coke bottle after she demanded the entire group return to the ship just so she could pee in a friendly toilet. I didn't mind losing the job. I'm not cut out for guiding. A good guide combines the patience of a kindergarten teacher with the discipline of a drill sergeant. He can stick to the program but deftly deflect questions about Estonia's AIDS -- or suicide rate from an astonishingly well-read tourist. For better or worse, I don't fit that description. Even my mother once told me I wasn't cut out for diplomacy: One day, buster, your mouth is going to get you in a lot of trouble. But I'm glad I tried the job. I acquired new skills. I'm now able to force-march forty American octogenarians up a hill they don't want to climb. I mastered a tone of voice that makes a battalion snap to attention. And I learned Tallinn geography as only the elite few know it: I can tell you the precise longitude and latitude of every public and private toilet in the Old Town. And who wouldn't find that useful?
 
Julie Chen Pregnant (NEW PHOTOS) Top
Julie Chen, pregnant as she announced on Tuesday morning , stepped out with husband Les Moonves Tuesday night at a party for the Tribeca Film Festival. As she said on air, she's just started to show. PHOTOS:
 

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