Tuesday, April 28, 2009

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Bradley Burston: Could the Taliban Get the Bomb Before Iran? Top
Just when you thought you knew the unthinkable -- now there's this: "If the worst, the unthinkable, were to happen, and this advancing Taliban encouraged and supported by Al Qaeda and other extremists were to essentially topple the government for failure to beat them back," Hillary Clinton said at the weekend, "then they would have the keys to the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan." The Sunni organization's stunning momentum of late in taking over key territory in Pakistan raises the question, could the Taliban have a bomb before Tehran does? The nightmare scenario of a nuclear Taliban was much in evidence in a Sunday editorial in the New York Times regarding the Pakistani military. "And -- most frightening of all -- if the army cannot or will not defend its own territory against the militants, how can anyone be sure it will protect Pakistan's 60 or so nuclear weapons?" the Times asked. Clinton was right, the Times continued, when she warned last week that Pakistan was 'abdicating to the Taliban.'" Here in Israel -- in the eerie interregnum between air raid sirens last week marking the memorial day for victims of the Holocaust and air raid sirens this week marking the memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism -- the specter of an atom-packing Taliban lends an unaccustomed measure of uncharted territory to the all-too-familiar domain of the unthinkable. In fact, as heavily as the prospect of catastrophe weighs during this period, Israelis may take a measure of cold comfort in the extent to which the Taliban relates to the Jewish state. It doesn't. Perhaps alone of all radical Islamic movements, the Taliban has taken no interest in Israel. It makes no pronouncements, threatens no annihilation, it has launched no campaigns to organize in the West Bank and Gaza. Were they to take over Pakistan, they would lack delivery systems capable of reaching Israel, even if for some reason they decided on such a course. Nonetheless, for some reason that goes beyond reason, I've decided to clean out our bomb shelter anyway. Perhaps because a Taliban bomb might convince Tehran to redouble its own long-delayed efforts at achieving a nuclear capability. Or because a bomb in Pakistan could be moved to a neighboring country with delivery capabilities. Or because a hard-line coalition legislator has suggested that the Taliban threat is one of the best reasons yet to unilaterally and pre-emptively bomb Iran. "If we take this action," Yaakov Katz of the far-right National Union party was quoted as saying on Sunday, "the U.S. is likely to act the same way against the rising terror threat in Islamabad, Pakistan." Or maybe it's because, at a time of serial unthinkabilities, a prepared shelter is just one less thing to have to think about. First appeared on haaretz.com . More on Israel
 
Robert Naiman: NYT: Americans Support Obama's Outreach to Iran and Cuba Top
Despite what some right-wing critics in the media and Congress would have you believe, Americans support President Obama's outreach to Iran and Cuba. The New York Times reports , based on a recent poll, that the public does give Mr. Obama credit for improving the image of the United States with the rest of the world. And it found support for Mr. Obama's overtures to Iran and Cuba; a majority, 53 percent, said they favored establishing diplomatic relations with Iran, while two-thirds favored Mr. Obama's plans to thaw relations with Cuba. If you look at the actual poll questions and responses, the results are even more striking. On Iran, the poll asked : Do you think the United States should or should not establish diplomatic relations with Iran while Iran has a nuclear program? and the response was Yes: 53% No: 37% DK/NA: 10% Four things are striking about this result. First, "establishing diplomatic relations" goes well beyond what is currently being discussed in Washington so far - right now, we're just talking about talking. We haven't even agreed to set up an "interests section" in Tehran that could issue visas to Iranians to visit the United States; we have such an "interests section" in Havana, even though we don't have diplomatic relations with Cuba. Second, the question asked explicitly "while Iran has a nuclear program." While it seems virtually certain that Iran will retain some kind of "nuclear program" in any agreement, we all know that at the margin, one can shape answers to a question by what you put in the person's mind at the time, so one might guess that this might have depressed the "yes" response. Third, U.S. officials during the Bush Administration continually sought to erase the distinction in U.S. political discourse between Iran "having a nuclear program" and Iran "having nuclear weapons" or "pursuing nuclear weapons," or "having the capacity to produce nuclear weapons." That history should have contributed to depressing the "yes" response as well. Finally, knowing the result was 53-37 tells you more than merely knowing that 53% were in support. Of those who gave a yes or no response, 59% said yes. On Cuba, the poll asked : Do you think that the United States should or should not re-establish diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba? And the response was: Should: 67% Should not: 20% DK/NA: 10% Note again that the ask went well beyond what the Obama Administration has done so far, and here the question wasn't conditioned in any way. And yet more than three-quarters of those who gave a yes/no response said yes. Three out of five said said the U.S. government should permit all Americans - not just Cuban-Americans - to travel to and from Cuba. If you agree, you can say so here . More on Barack Obama
 
Elizabeth Banks: 17 Again, Taken Way Too Seriously Top
I went to see 17 Again this past weekend. Not because I have an 11-year-old daughter. Not because I am an HSM fan -- never seen it! No, I plunked down my soft-earned money for this flick for one reason: I am a 3?-year-old woman inappropriately lustful for Zac Efron (Ya got me, media, especially you, GQ !). First, a disclaimer: I really enjoyed this movie and everybody's performances in it (I do like working in this town). Zac Efron did not disappoint. He's charming, makes use of many fingers while "twirling a basketball" (you get it) and looks great with his shirt off (some term that "star power"). At one point, I drooled. Here's the thing though -- the message of the movie seemed to be (and again, I may just be reading too much into the twirling fingers thing): knocking up your high school sweetheart is A-OK! Especially if you give up that Syracuse scholarship to marry her! F College! Now, I am all for taking responsibility. I am. Which is why I wish this flick had dealt more directly with this little situation that served as the jumping off point for a PG-13 movie (attended by lots of kids not yet in the double digits). It tries to make up for it with a scene in which Margaret Cho tells us that "abstinence is best but let's get real: just use condoms when you're screwing around with each other." Now, that statement at least gets close to something: if you are going to have sex, be safe. (Question: Why didn't Hunter Parrish also take his shirt off in this flick?) Unfortunately, this scene would have had a lot more impact if Zac Efron's character not only acknowledged that sex can lead to babies but also that having a kid when you're 18 is hard, hard, hard. (Spoiler alert: he should know, see, 'cuz that's what got him into this crazy mess!) Also, he doesn't want his daughter (again, born when he was 18) to have sex with her high-school sweetheart yet his most powerful argument against it -- HAVING A KID WHEN YOU ARE JUST GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IS HARD -- I KNOW, I'M REALLY YOUR DAD! -- never comes up. He's just like, "fingers crossed!" Now, of course, the daughter does not have sex (totally unrealistically) and ends up lusting after Mr. Efron (totally realistically, who wouldn't) and it's creepy and weird. My point here (sorry, I was looking up "image Hunter Parrish" on Google and got off-track) is that this movie pretty much glamorizes teenage parenting. It basically says: Go for it! Have a kid when you're 18. Throw another one in for good measure right after and you'll get a nice house, deck and hammock included, your baby mama apparently won't need to work, your kids will eventually have iPods and get into Georgetown and the person you picked (when you were 17) is actually your soulmate! Don't worry if the condom breaks -- it's cool! It's totally worked out for Bristol, ya'll! (Is it me or is Levi cute?) The problem with this message is that, according to unreliable online sources and my own anecdotal evidence collected over my 3?-something years: this is crap. It's a great Hollywood story (I really enjoyed this movie, did I say that?) but in reality, teenage parents (mothers, especially) face increased levels of poverty, lower education rates, and higher chances that their daughters will also end up teenage moms and their sons will end up in jail. (I would like to see Zac Efron and Hunter Parrish fight Channing Tatum in a jail flick). An interesting thing about the movie is that there's a message buried in it -- there's a fun thread of social satire pointing out that kids today obviously live in an overly-sexualized world that glamorizes the act so much, they practically have no choice but to bang each other (one cheerleading sequence took me back, the other disturbed me). But the satire was above the pay-grade of the 8 year-old sitting behind me. I'm pretty sure he/she (what's with all the long hair?) saw the movie like this: out-of-wedlock teenage pregnancy leads to falling off a bridge into a magic tornado, inappropriate dancing between a MILF and the star of HSM, buying cool Ray Bans with your rich friend's Black Amex, winning back the girl and, finally, running through a magic tunnel that makes your clothes suddenly fit you even though you just instantly gained 40 pounds. Now suspension of disbelief is no problem. Seriously, this film is a fun ride. I just wish the flick had explicitly mentioned, just mentioned, that it might not be cool to have a kid when you're 18 so for G-D's sake, use birth control! Matthew Perry admits to Leslie Mann he's been in a bad mood for 20 years. Well, having a kid when you're still one yourself might do that to you! Say it out loud. For the sake of the 8-year-olds.
 
Peter M. Shane: We Need Your Input on Community Information Needs Top
In a post last week, I explained the origins of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs in a Democracy and its initiative to address three critical questions: 1. What are the information needs of communities in a democracy? 2. How well are those information needs being met in contemporary America? 3. What public initiatives might help ensure that community information needs will be better met in the future? To help the Commission in its work, PBSEngage! created a public input web page . Users may offer comments on a downloadable draft introduction to the Commission's report and answer five straightforward questions about how people are finding -- or not finding -- the information they need to accomplish their goals, whether as citizens or in their private lives. A week into this discussion period, which will run from April 22 to May 8, we have received well over 600 answers to our specific questions -- and many more if we count in the other blogs, Facebook cites, and Twitter accounts (use #publicinput) through which people are sharing their thoughts. It would also help the Commission to get more specific reactions on the draft introduction. It's little more than nine pages to read, but I here quote five key passages with which you might want to agree or disagree: 1. The information needs of the democratic citizen are both civic and personal. Democracy means people govern themselves within the bounds of liberty and equality. In its American version, however, democracy means something more. It connotes a commitment to the freedom of the individual in daily life. It means opportunity to pursue one's personal goals and objectives, within the law, however one chooses. 2. A person who cannot file an online job application, who cannot get a free and reliable first round of advice on his or her physical ailments, who has to write or telephone for education-related information and then wait for its arrival by conventional mail - this person is falling into second-class citizenship. This is true even if we put aside the actual civic activities that online connectedness makes possible. Millions of Americans lack the tools or the skills to match their information-rich contemporaries in pursuing personal goals. 3. Information and engagement must work together to produce community success. Engagement marks a critical point where community and individual information needs intersect. What is needed to avoid failure is not just information. Communities need policies, processes, and institutions that promote information flow and support people's constructive engagement with information and with each other. 4. News is a critical element of the information flow on which individuals and communities depend, and effective intermediaries are critical in the gathering and dissemination of news. The journalism of the future may or may not take the familiar form of newspapers. But there have to be skilled full-time practitioners who frame the hard questions and chase obscure leads and confidential sources. They must often translate technical matters into clear prose. Where professionals are on the job, the public watchdog is well fed. Part-time, episodic, or uncoordinated public vigilance cannot have the same impact. 5. There are reasons of elementary economics why the private market for information cannot satisfy all of a community's essential information needs. People underinvest in information because its content and impact are uncertain. People underinvest in information because some information makes life uncomfortable, revealing hard truths. People underinvest in information because they suspect that they can benefit, without paying, from the investments that other people make. As a result of these basic facts, producers of information operating entirely in a free market will always underproduce because they can never recover the full value of what they produce through the market alone. Because information is a public good, America has a long history of providing social support for the development and transmission of news and information. Private and public investment are both needed to support information intermediaries. If you would like to criticize, amend, or reinforce any of these thoughts -- or others in the introduction -- the Commission would love to hear from you by May 8. You may put comments below, of course, but we are trying as much as possible to focus the interchange at the PBS Engage! web site . You can put comments about the draft report in the open field box at the bottom of the page. If you would like to know even more about the Commission's work, the site also allows you to post questions for Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president of search products and user experience and a Commission co-chair. Your questions, as well as your insights, are truly welcome.
 
Swine Flu: CDC 'Fully Expects We Will See Deaths' Top
ATLANTA — A U.S. health official said at least five people are hospitalized with swine flu in the United States and deaths are likely. "I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," as swine flu cases are investigated, said Richard Besser, acting director of the federal Centers for Disease Control. He said he did not know about a newspaper report of two deaths in two southern California hospitals in which the victims seemed to be suffering from swine flu symptoms. "I would say I'm very concerned," Besser said. "We are dealing with a new strain of influenza, we're dealing with a strain of influenza that appears to be moving through our community." Based on the latest lab analysis, Besser said new flu infections are still occurring. He noted, however, that ordinary human flu accounts for about 36,000 deaths every year in the U.S. He said hospitalizations nationwide include three in California and two in Texas. Besser said the country has 64 confirmed cases in five states, with 45 in New York, one in Ohio, two in Kansas, six in Texas and 10 in California. At least four other cases have been reported by states. More on Swine Flu
 
Eight Harsh Truths That Will Change Your Life Top
They say life is what we make of it. By the end of this post, I hope to have helped you decide whether that statement is true or not. There is no doubt that life has its ups and downs. However, how we deal with them can sometimes make all the difference. I want to share eight harsh truths that I've come to learn from life. There's also a message in each that I think we can all learn from, and when applied, will improve our lives infinitely.
 
The Real Reason Dems Wanted Arlen Specter On Their Side? The Jokes (VIDEO) Top
Many people don't know this, but Arlen Specter fancies himself a funny man. In 2007 he competed in the "Funniest Celebrity in Washington Contest." He finished second after Joseph Randazzo, assistant editor of the "The Onion," but ahead of Ana Marie Cox. [VIDEO BELOW] "Arlen has always loved stand up comics," says Joan Specter. "If he has the chance to go to a comedy show, that's his first choice." Sometimes this jovial nature gets him in trouble, like when he cracked some Polish jokes at New York's Rainbow Room while speaking at the annual meeting of the Commonwealth Club. The "New York Post" reported that Specter began by asking if anyone in the room was Polish. At that, around 10 people raised their hands. He proceeded to tell a few jokes about Polish people until one guest interrupted him, saying, "Hey, careful. I'm Polish!" Specter responded, "That's OK, I'll tell it more slowly." This was met with grumblings of tastlessness , and Specter eventually apologized saying it was a mistake. Here is some video of senatorial humor that went over better with the people around him. It's from the aforementioned competition in which he mocked Trent Lott saying: "Trent Lott was really despondent after the Hurricane hit. He had a lot of property damage but the thing he was most concerned about was that it destroyed his entire library. Both books. And Trent wasn't even finished coloring one of them." WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! More on Arlen Specter
 
Andy Ostroy: What Obama's Done for America's Confidence Top
What is a recession? What constitutes a bear stock market? In both cases, it's nothing more than perception . It's the collective belief by consumers and businesses alike that things are bad and getting worse. And it's mostly a self-fulfilling prophecy. Americans stop spending, corporate profits turn to mounting losses, and massive layoffs follow. And it's a vicious circle. We therefore create the very things we fear most. When that happens, nothing can turn it around except a very different perception. The shifting sentiment that things are looking better. Which brings us to a new ABC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Monday indicating that 50% of Americans now believe the country is headed in the right direction, versus just 8% in October, before the presidential election and three months before Barack Obama took office. Additionally, the Consumer Confidence Index released Tuesday showed a significant increase to 39.2% in March vs. 26.9% in February. Throw in Obama's approval rating, which hovers around 65%, and it's a pretty safe bet that Americans are starting to feel much better about the nation's leadership and the overall direction of the economy and the country. When consumers start feeling better about things, they spend. It starts with little things like clothes, toys, books, etc. They take extra trips to the mall. Then they slowly return to big-ticket items. They buy electronics, cars, houses, take vacations. And when they spend, it fattens corporate earnings. And that leads to job growth, reinvestment and spending on capital improvements. Pretty soon, recession turns to prosperity. Of course, I'm over simplifying, and an economic recovery can take a long while to achieve any appreciable measure of growth. But all signs point to a bottoming, and that would mean the crawl back upward begins. Whether we experience a V, U or L-shaped recovery is anyone's guess. But it would appear that a recovery, however slow, is at least underway. Obama's critics can bark as loudly as they wish and continue playing the partisan rhetoric game, but the simple truth is that his first 100 days have achieved major progress in turning around the economy, restoring consumer confidence, and curbing the hemmoraging in both the banking and housing crises. Not bad for 100 days.. More on Economy
 
Michael O'Leary, Head Of Ryanair, Says Swine Flu Only A Risk For 'Slumdwellers' Top
The outspoken head of the Irish budget airline Ryanair has dismissed apocalyptic warnings of a global swine flu pandemic, saying that the virus was only a risk to Asians and Mexicans "living in slums".
 
Some Guantanamo Detainees Going To Europe: Official Top
PRAGUE — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asked European officials Tuesday to accept some freed Guantanamo Bay detainees, and one minister at the meeting predicted he'll get his wish. Meeting with a number of European officials to update extradition and legal cooperation treaties, Holder asked for their help in closing the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "We had a very frank conversation," Holder said, adding later: "No promises were made." Currently, about 240 inmates are still held at Guantanamo. As many as 60 may not be sent back to their home countries because of concerns they could be mistreated. When it comes to the prospect of having former international terror suspects living free in society, the Obama administration is trying to overcome the "not in my backyard" sentiment that exists on both sides of the Atlantic. Ivan Langer, the Czech Minister of Interior, told The Associated Press he believes some European nations will accept Guantanamo detainees, though he doesn't think his country will. "Yes, I expect Europe will take some, and there is a strong will to do so among some countries," said Langer, who opposes such detainees coming to his country. "We won't accept anybody, because there is a very low chance of integration of such people" in the Czech Republic, Langer said. He added that it is critical for U.S. authorities to share "maximum information" on the detainees' cases, so European Union officials know exactly who they are accepting into their countries. An Austrian minister recently said that rather than asking other countries to take detainees, the U.S. should take them. Holder is in the middle of a three-city European tour, meeting with his law enforcement counterparts on issues ranging from Guantanamo to organized crime to child pornography. Also attending Tuesday's meeting were E.U. Commissioner for Justice Jacques Barrot, Swedish Justice Minister Beatrice Ask, and Czech Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil. The administration maintains some number of the remaining Guantanamo detainees can safely be set free, and hopes to place some of them in Europe. "We need to find places for these people to go, and we have asked for assistance from our partners in the E.U. in that regard," Holder said at a news conference after the meeting. European leaders at the meeting replied that the U.S. must provide much more detail about the backgrounds of the detainees. "What we are asking for is sharing maximum information," said Langer. Langer said the European officials are also determined to find a coordinated approach among themselves. "No one can say: 'You cannot take people,' or 'You have to take people'," the minister said. A day earlier, Holder met with British officials who signaled a willingness to consider any request they take Guantanamo detainees. Several European nations, including Portugal and Lithuania, have said they will consider taking such detainees. Some nations, such as Germany, are more divided on the issue. On Wednesday, Holder plans to give a speech in Berlin about the U.S. goal to close the detention facility in nine months. The chief purpose of his stop in Prague, though, was to formally exchange letters confirming new versions of an extradition treaty and legal assistance treaty with European countries. Janet Napolitano, the U.S. homeland security secretary, had also planned to attend but canceled in order to deal with the swine flu outbreak that has spread from Mexico to the U.S. and beyond. Napolitano's deputy, Jane Holl Lute, is attending the meetings in her place. Law enforcement officials say the new extradition and legal treaties will make it easier for police to launch joint investigations across borders and oceans, something necessary to curb the increasingly international nature of major crimes. Under terms of the new agreement, suspects can face extradition if they are accused of acts that are crimes in both their own country and the country that wants to prosecute them. Under the more traditional pattern of extradition treaties, such agreements had to spell out exactly which crimes were subject to extradition, meaning that the complicated legal documents needed frequent updating. More on War Wire
 
John Ambrose: U.S. Marshal Convicted Of Leaking Witness Information To Mob Top
CHICAGO (AP) -- A deputy U.S. marshal has been convicted of leaking secret information to the mob about a witness in a federal organized crime investigation. Deputy marshal John T. Ambrose also was acquitted Tuesday of two charges of lying to federal agents. Prosecutors say it was the first time in the 39-year history of the government's witness security program that its secrecy has been deliberately violated. The 42-year-old Ambrose sat expressionless and stared straight ahead as the 11-member jury returned its verdict following almost three days of deliberation. One juror was dismissed after becoming ill. Prosecutors say they realized there was a leak when they heard two mobsters in a prison visiting room talking about having a "mole" inside federal law enforcement. -ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Dan Goleman: Ecological Intelligence Top
Daniel Goleman , science journalist; author of Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything There's a new kind of math for the environmentally concerned, one that answers those everyday eco-conundrums like, Which is better: a reusable stainless steel water bottle, or those throwaway plastic ones? The answers come from life cycle assessment (or LCA), the method used by industrial ecologists - a discipline that blends industrial engineering and chemistry with environmental science and biology -- to assess how manmade systems impact natural ones. LCAs tells us that buying food in one store that's been shipped in bulk leaves a smaller carbon footprint than driving around town to the local bakery, farmer's market, and dairy. Or that the better wine choice for those living east of Columbus, Ohio, is a French Bordeaux, and for those to the west it's the Napa Valley. Those are simple problems in ecological accounting, which is designed to evaluate any manufactured thing - your iPhone, Cheerios, lip gloss - on its entire range of impacts on the environment, human health, and the people who labored to make it. An LCA lays bare the hidden impacts of our stuff from the moment its ingredients are extracted or concocted, through manufacture, transportation, retail, use and disposal. A simple glass bottle requires 1,959 discrete steps from birth to disposal, each of which can be analyzed for dozens of impacts, from particles emitted to air, water and soil, to energy footprint or impact on the incidence of cancer. Gregory Norris, the industrial ecologist who walked me through these ecological calculations, is putting LCAs to good use in Earthster, an open source website designed to help the folks who manage supply chains identify the impacts of their products and find less harmful upgrades. And the more we all apply this new math, the greater our collective ecological intelligence. So here's the lowdown on a very practical question: is it more ecologically correct to tote a stainless steel bottle you refill with water, or to use water in throwaway plastic bottles? As it turns out, it all depends. Off the bat, making stainless steel has a worse impact profile than knocking out plastic bottles. Food-grade stainless is an alloy of chromium, nickel, and pig iron. The chromium comes from minds in places like Kazakstan and India, where workers have a heightened risk of cancer from exposure to the raw ore. Melting the metals requires heating them to thousands of degrees. All these processes release hundreds of pollutants into air, water and soil - including green house gases like methane and lung-clogging particulates. Then once you have your steel bottle, if you wash it in a dishwasher that uses a half-liter of electrically heated water, somewhere between 50 and a hundred washes result in the same amount of pollution caused by making the bottle in the first place. Putting aside the question of plastics ridden with BPA, the chemical suspected of being a carcinogen and endocrine disrupter, the overall ecological impacts of a stainless bottle, compared to plastic, are more worrisome pretty much across the board . So does it pay to use plastic bottles rather than stainless? Yes - but. You've got to use the stainless bottle enough times to offset a great number of the plastic ones. At just five plastic bottles replaced by the stainless, the math starts to tip toward stainless; 25 uses brings you to the tipping point where most of the ecological negatives of the plastic bottles are outweighed by your using stainless steel. And at 500 replaced plastic bottles you pass the last marker - freshwater eco-toxicity - so you're benefiting the planet every time you sip from your stainless. Daniel Goleman blogs at http://danielgoleman.info. His audio explorations of ecological awareness can be heard at http://www.morethansound.net/ecological-awareness.phpl =
 
McConnell: Specter's Switch A "Threat To The Country" (VIDEO) Top
Mitch McConnell, leader of a Republican minority that is now even smaller, suggested Tuesday that Sen. Arlen Specter's defection endangered not just the party, but the entire country. "I think the threat to the country presented by this defection really relates to the issue of whether or not in the United States of America our people want the majority to have whatever it wants without restraint, without a check or a balance," McConnell said Tuesday . "Obviously, we are not happy that Senator Specter has decided to become a Democrat," McConnell said. "If we are not successful in Minnesota ... Democrats, at least on paper, will have 60 votes. I think the danger of that for the country is that there won't automatically be an ability to restrain the excess that is typically associated with big majorities and single-party rule." Watch: Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn struck a similar note , saying voters in 2010 would have the choice between "potentially unbridled Democrat super-majority versus the system of checks-and-balances that Americans deserve. Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . More on Arlen Specter
 
Swine Flu: What Travelers Should Know Top
The first and more obvious is personal safety: is this a time to stay home and not risk any unnecessary travel, particularly to Mexico? The second is the potential for an unfriendly welcome abroad, as some countries begin to look askance at anyone with the sniffles who shows up at their borders. More on Swine Flu
 
Hart Bochner: Crime and Crime Again Top
While the media frenzy this week over Swine Flu has knocked the Bush torture memos/photos out of the Number One spot from public consciousness, it becomes even more incumbent upon the Obama administration and the Justice Department to keep the culture focused on the previous administration's wrongdoings. With the release of those memos graphically detailing the inhumane behavior of terrorism suspects, the populace was finally privy to the specifics of one of this country's darkest hours. The decision, however, by Attorney General Holder and President Obama that those merely following orders in executing methods designed by the Bush White House were exempt from prosecution, is maddening. The anxiety and rage that's churned in our collective soul over the last eight years towards Messrs. Bush and Cheney finally began to subside with the transition to the new government. But this latest decision by the Justice Department and the White House does little to ensure this kind of nefarious behavior from ever happening again. As a teenager, I spent my 1973 summer vacation before the TV set, mesmerized by our system of checks and balances during the Watergate hearings. While most of the country was rooting for Nixon to be convicted and sent to prison, then-President Ford's issuance of Executive Pardon established that certain people are indeed above the law. During the late 80's, truth again was not served as the Reagan/Bush Sr. crowd was allowed to walk away from their crimes of the Iran/Contra affair. If the past is any barometer, we are poised to see these types of constitutional violations repeated, over and over. While our current president claims he wants to move this country forward, that is difficult to achieve unless we learn from lessons of the past. I can only wonder where we would be today as a culture if Nixon had served time, or had the Reagan administration been convicted for its wrongdoings. Tragically, the Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz rat pack, who served in those earlier administrations, learned too keenly how to get away with murder. Literally. Earlier last week, Cheney was blasted over the airwaves once again, doth protesting too much as he decried Obama's policy of open government, claiming that he, Cheney, was going to speak directly to the CIA about releasing supposed memos that depict the successes of his regime's enhanced interrogation tactics. Someone needs to remind the former vice president that he is no longer in office. The latest disclosure from Seymour Hersh that Cheney still has high-level officials in our government reporting directly to him must once and for all be stopped. Unless the Justice Department acts quickly to nip this in the bud and investigate their atrocities, these thugs -- our thugs -- will walk once again, because we, as a collective in this country, backed off. There was little outrage from the masses as Nixon retired to San Clemente. People turned a blind eye as Oliver North convinced America that any action is justifiable in the name of protecting the homeland. And it happened as we marched to war six years ago, spilling blood and squandering riches for no clear reason. I admire President Obama's class and measure. But it will become its own kind of crime if he does not set precedent at such a crucial juncture and pursue justice. Obama fails to recognize that this isn't about taking the high road; it's about building in safeguards to ensure this kind of thing from ever happening again. What he seems not to have considered is that someday, when another crooked regime finds itself in the White House, they will once again take the liberty of lying, murdering, and defying the Constitution because they will effectively be allowed to. Imagine Germany today without the Nuremberg Trials, if the world decided merely to move forward without examining what had brought us to the brink. Over sixty years later, justice is still sought for those atrocities, as witnessed a couple of weeks ago with the conviction (and subsequent exoneration) of retired Ohio autoworker and alleged Nazi John Demjanjuk, aka 'Ivan the Terrible', with 29,000 counts as an accessory to murder. Once and for all, it is time for America to reflect on its behavior, for without true justice, our days of darkness will continue. More on Eric Holder
 
Benjamin Todd Jealous: Democracy Hangs in the balance on Obama's 100th day Top
Democracy Hangs in the Balance: By Benjamin Todd Jealous 100 Days-that is how long President Barack Obama has been in office. 100 years ago, no one would have predicted we, as a nation, would have elected an African-American President. 100 days into the first African-American President's administration, the Supreme Court will hear arguments challenging a key provision of the very Act that helped make his election possible. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, the landmark civil rights statute that assures an inclusive democracy, is being assailed by far right groups who are stuck in the 18th Century. Millions of people - white, black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American - rejoiced in the breakthrough election of President Obama. It was the shattering of the highest glass political ceiling and his victory, our victory, was in no small part because of the doors that were flung open to all Americans to participate in the electoral process. The Voting Rights Act's section 5 requires that districts and jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination submit all proposed changes to the Department of Justice for approval-and it prevents hundreds of acts of voter discrimination in every election cycle. Our far right opponents are not resting. Their strategy was to find a test case from a tiny, virtually all white municipal district in Texas, to have section 5 - often called the heart of the voting rights act- declared unconstitutional. Their claim is that we don't need the Voting Rights Act anymore because we have successfully elected an African American president. I ask you, if we don't need the Voting Rights Act anymore then why do we continue to have dialogue and discussion about voter intimidation and suppression? Why are we hearing about voters of color being purged and removed from the registration rolls? Why are we still talking about voters who happen to have a similar name to an incarcerated felon being turned away at the polls? Why are we still seeing states not complying with federally mandated voting law changes like the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act? Finally, why are we still seeing racially polarized voting in those states affected by Section 5? What they fail to examine is the lack of change in voting patterns amongst whites in the states covered by Section 5. President Obama received 47 percent of the white vote in non section 5 states. But in the states covered under the Act, he only received 26 percent. In Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, he garnered an average of about 15 percent of the white vote. Obama did among whites than John Kerry in several of the covered jurisdictions , despite a nationwide Democratic swing. Race seems the best explanation for this difference ...doesn't look like we are post racial yet. As recently as the 2008 elections, counties covered under section 5 were the scenes of voter intimidation. In Boynton, Florida, people went through African American neighborhoods stating that anyone who has outstanding warrants or owes child support or even has an outstanding traffic ticket would be arrested if they attempted to vote. Police officers were stationed outside of polling places. Officials in Waller County Texas, have tried to prevent students at the historically Black Prairie View A&M University from voting for the past three decades. The county only abandoned this effort to suppress Black turnout when the university chapter of the NAACP brought a Section 5 enforcement action. In other parts of the country, Section 5 has made sure that Hispanic, Vietnamese and other people of color have had access to a free and fair voting process. It is obvious that voter intimidation still exists and Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act must remain intact. Dr. Martin Luther King stated that our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. As a nation, we must remain vigilant as the Supreme Court ponders this case. We don't know yet what will emerge from this new configuration of the Supreme Court. We can only hope that they recognize the fundamental value of the basic right to vote for all Americans, unfettered by the barriers of racism. In 2006, we advocated successfully for this provision to be continued and the extension was signed by then-President Bush. Now is the time for the Court to reject this latest threat to realizing our promise of democracy and assure every American can vote. Benjamin Todd Jealous is President and CEO of the NAACP
 
Diane Francis: Mexico flu epidemic a bunch of media bunk Top
Facts are that if there's a flu pandemic it's in the United States, not Mexico. Some 36,000 Americans died of influenza-induced illness in the last few years or 99 per day which happens to be four times' the current death rate in Mexico. And the reason is probably due to the lousy U.S. health "care" system which doesn't look after tens of millions of people. As CNN's hokey Sanjay Gupta (who has the health care thing totally wrong) roams around Mexico City looking for people with face masks and sad stories, he and the other so-called health experts ignore America's flue "pandemic or epidemic". Go figure. Mexico has lost 150 people so far and America 36,000 in 12 months. Despite these insignficant figures, the media at first billed this as a pandemic, then downgraded to an epidemic. Soon it will be an outbreak, but, frankly, it should be a media scandal. Part of the reason is that the real news -- the economic meltdown and attempts to right the world's listing ship -- is not telegenic. If the G20 leaders wore face masks or balaclavas every day, like the street protesters, they would be dominating TV coverage. If Iraq hadn't dragged on so long, and wasn't so expensive to cover for the dying television networks, it would dominate. But now it's poor old Mexico on a slow news week. The flu is a made-for-TV illness that is about as serious as SARs was in Toronto, Vancouver, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia a few years ago. SARs was a killer, costing a couple of dozen lives in total, but was ridiculously overblown. I feel badly for Mexico because the country depends on tourism, trade and remittance payments by illegals working in the US. and these businesses will suffer as people avoid the place due to all this publicity. As Canada found with SARs, some of the hype is fanned by American or other tourism/trade/convention rivals. When Toronto was the center of attention during the brief and small SARs outbreak, convention industry rivals worked the phones for days scaring people and conferences away from arch-rival Toronto with great success. Mexico will suffer the same fate as other sun-tan bearing regimes will swing into action to steal tourists away for years, maybe forever. Another nasty impact will be that this will also be exploited by American protectionists who will use the disease as reason to tighten the border even more than is already the case, bringing about more hardship for an already struggling and poor nation. Hopefully the hype will shift to more appropriate disasters like Darfur or Tibet or Pakistan but don't count on it. The big networks cover everything that photographs, not everything that's important or truly newsworthy, and always will. More on Swine Flu
 
Joseph A. Palermo: Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) Top
Newly minted "Democratic" Senator Arlen Specter's decision to abandon his party rather than face an ignominious defeat in the Republican primary is a welcome development that illustrates once again the rot that is currently eating away at the innards of the GOP. Senator Specter (D-PA) switched parties for the same reason Joe Lieberman became an "Independent" in 2006: He was going to lose his high perch in the United States Senate. Now Specter must change his opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) or else the Democratic base in Pennsylvania (meaning working people) is going to give him a lot of grief in the upcoming primary. Specter knew he couldn't face the fire-breathers in the Republican primary so he pulled the Ole Switch-a-roo. Political genius I say! You got to hand it to these guys who've been in the Senate since the Spanish-American War: They sure have staying power and know how to maneuver. No wonder nothing bold or visionary ever seems to come out of the Senate. They're too busy most of the time ironing their togas and offering stentorian speeches than leading the country. We're fortunate that President Barack Obama served less than a single term before he made a move on the White House. We'll have to wait and see what happens both in the Democratic primary and whether or not when Specter's re-election campaign heats up President Obama is willing to go down to Philly and rock their world for him. Specter's move gives Obama a lot of negotiating strength on lining up votes from the newest member of the Democratic Senate majority. Be forewarned: If you're gonna caucus with the Democrats, Arlen, you better start voting like one. Now watch the Limbaughs and the Hannitys and the Becks and the Coulters and the Roves go into full-throated character-assassination mode against Specter. "Specter Never Was A Republican Anyway!" "He Was Always a Baby Killer!" "He Never Defended Torture or Sarah Palin Enough!" The base of the Republican Party is eating its young (and in Specter's case its old). It's a joy to watch and we can thank Barack Obama for extricating the Democratic Party from the icy grip of the Blue Dog Clintonites and finally offering America a real choice - and look how America is choosing! More on Arlen Specter
 
Michelle Obama Honors Sojourner Truth, Wears Striped Skirt (PHOTOS) Top
*Scroll down for slideshow* WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday reflected on her own family's rise from slavery to the White House as she helped to unveil a statue of abolitionist Sojourner Truth _ the first black woman to be so honored at the Capitol. "I hope that Sojourner Truth would be proud to see me, a descendant of slaves, serving as the first lady of the United States of America," Mrs. Obama said to loud applause at a ceremony at the Capitol Visitor Center. An early crusader for women's rights to vote who also for an end to slavery, Truth met presidents Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and Ulysses S. Grant in 1870, and delivered her signature "Ain't I a Woman?" speech at a women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851. She tried to vote on two occasions, but was turned away both times. She died in November 1883 at her home in Battle Creek, Mich. Lawmakers, students and actress Cicely Tyson were among those who gathered at the visitor's center to celebrate Truth's legacy and watch Mrs. Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others unveil the bronze bust of Truth. "We're here because of barriers she challenged and fought to tear down, and paths she helped to forge and trod alone," Clinton said to an audience made up mostly of women. Artist Artis Lane created the bust, which was paid for with private money. Truth's sculpture will remain on permanent display in the underground visitor center's main space, called Emancipation Hall in part because slaves helped build the Capitol. "Now many young boys and girls, like my own daughters, will come to Emancipation Hall and see the face of a woman who looks like them," Mrs. Obama said. Few minority women are enshrined in the Capitol. There are several statues of American Indian women, but no Asian or Hispanic women, according Donald Ritchie, a Senate historian. Many of the statues in the Capitol's collection were given by the states in the 19th century, Ritchie said. Most of the collection's diversity has come in the last several decades. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Truth wouldn't remain for long the only black woman honored with a statue in the Capitol because a statue of civil rights icon Rosa Parks will soon be placed there. In 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law a requirement that a bust of Truth be placed in a "suitable, permanent location in the Capitol." Clinton co-sponsored the measure when she served in the Senate. The National Congress of Black Women, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of black women and their families, has pushed for Truth to be memorialized in the Capitol for almost 10 years. Kim Fuller, a member of the organization from Philadelphia, said black women have not been represented at the Capitol for "far too long." "But now we are," said Fuller, 49. "And who better to begin the representation _ this is not the end of the representation ... who better to begin than Sojourner Truth?" More on Michelle Obama Style
 
Ryan Haydon and Stefani Piermattei: Real Housewives of New York City Liveblog - Bethenny vs. Kelly: Round Two Top
Rematch! Join us as Team Beth and Team Kelly square off tonight, 10 pm ET/9 pm CT. Real Housewives - April 28 More on Reality TV
 
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy And Spain's First Lady Meet And Greet Husbands (PHOTOS) Top
Amid reports that "highly intimate photos" of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy had been stolen from her ex-boyfriend's brother's apartment on Sunday, France's first lady was the picture of calm as she spent a second day in Madrid with Spain's first lady Sonsoles Espinosa. The two women, both dressed to the nines, warmly greeted their husbands--Bruni-Sarkozy seemed especially pleased to see her spouse--before posing for pictures. Espinosa is no fashion slouch herself. See a slideshow of her style here . Or see photos of Bruni-Sarkozy arriving in Madrid on Monday and dining with the royal family on Monday night . *Follow Huffington Post Style on Twitter and become a fan of Huffington Post Style on Facebook * More on Photo Galleries
 
Max Fraad Wolff: Swine Influenzas Top
It seems almost too perfect to have swine flu be the pandemic fear of the hour. We have, after all, been dealing with economic swine flu for the better part of two years now. Debt and speculation ruled the global roost from 2002-2007. The speculative fever that gripped the world moved like a virus. Almost all were infected, and nearly all suffer some symptoms now. Our modern, high speed, borderless economy transmitted speculative fever amongst an unending chorus of media hype. A certain piggish -- if understandable -- desire for fast and large returns gripped billions. Swine Flu develops as an affliction usually confined to pigs jumps to human populations. That sounds a little too similar to the worst excesses of the financial crisis. A feverish daze blinded many regulators and presumed voices of reason. As this goes to press the World Health Organization (WHO) is placing states and publics on the highest alert level in recent memory. A/H1N1 flu is feared to be racing around the globe from its origins in North America. Again, a certain similarity is hard to ignore. However, like the financial crisis, this is global and could emerge from any corner of the globe. Sure, this is an analogy of convenience. However, the parallels seem both real and interesting. The co-mingling of various strains of the virus seems to have morphed into a seriously dangerous, polymorphous blight. The hap hazard tapestry of loans, credits, counter parties and shared risks in the global financial system acted similarly across the last few years. We are all linked together through trade, finance, germs and travels. The many and massive holes in our health care and epidemiological nets have allowed the nasty little germ to travel with us. The virus is able to employ our rapid travel and social needs to spread and fester. Likewise, the greed and global hunt for fast profits played on social needs. The debt and speculation virus struck first among the most vulnerable, sub-prime borrowers. The slow response and hope to quarantine losses to weak borrowers allowed the problems to spread without intervention. The low attention to Swine Flu when it was only reported in Mexico seems eerily similar. We must now work together, using the central authority of the state, to combat the virus through public education, pronouncement and action. The virus, like the global downturn, touches us all and only together can we solve the problem. The size, nature and speed of government reaction will determine how bad this gets. Fortunately, we have national and international agencies that are jumping into action to coordinate and alert us. Unfortunately, we have nearly 50 million people left out of our health care system. The virus, like the economic crisis, exposes the collective risk arising from irresponsible treatment of the least among us. Poor Mexico, reeling from the economic pandemic, is now mistreated to the viral version. Just like in the economic swine flu case, we see the best and worst of people and governments in the response. Perhaps the clearest lesson in both cases is the importance of rational, considered and cooperative action. More on Swine Flu
 
Tom Alderman: Comedic King Lear and Jack Bauer Clone - Audiobook Reviews Top
Title: FOOL , by CHRISTOPHER MOORE Genre: BURLESQUE SHAKESPEARE Length: 8 1/2 Hrs - 7 CDS - UNABRIDGED Narrator: EUAN MORTON Publisher: HARPER AUDIO COMMENT Author Christopher Moore is an acquired comic taste. He's irreverent, absurdist, farcical, ludicrous, deeply bawdy and often funny. Of his 10 bent novels, he has re-imagined Jesus, vampires and angels. This time it's King Lear, as told through the eyes of his cheeky and priapic jester, Pocket. Moore's plots are not the primary sell. Fool roughly follows Lear and his dysfunctional daughters but through a glass contorted. Moore's sell is his Pythone-sque-meets-Austin-Powers dialogue and descriptors, delivered on these CDs with sly British sincerity and skill by Euan Morton. Moore so understands what he's delivering that he issues a warning to listeners at the top saying, "This is a bawdy tale. Herein you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, mayhem, treason and, heretofore, unexplained heights of vulgarity and profanity." Yep, indeed it is. With lines like, "It's not proper to dry-hump the dead," you pretty much know what you're in for with Christopher Moore and his Fool. BOTTOM LINE Laugh out-loud ribald entertainment for people who like libidinous comedy. Title: THE SILENT MAN , by ALEX BERENSON Genre: SPY VS TERRORISTS Length: 12 HRS, 12 MIN - CDS & DOWNLOAD - UNABRIDGED Narrator: GEORGE GUIDALL Publisher: PENGUIN AUDIO COMMENT Series super spy John Wells saves the world - again. You've got your requisite Islamic jihadists, stolen Russian WMDs, CIA cut-outs, duplicitous characters and tons of Middle-Eastern names that require a cast list to follow. So, what's different here? Nothing. Hero Wells is a mash-up of Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne without any juice. Even veteran narrator George Guidall can't breathe life into this potboiler. BOTTOM LINE Colorless characters doing predictable things in a worn-out story.
 
David Murdock: The Jay Bybee Problem (VIDEO) Top
As pressure grows for Congress to remove Judge Jay Bybee from his seat on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, people are revisiting the process that put him there in the first place. Bybee sailed through his Senate confirmation hearing just six months after signing memos legalizing CIA torture of detainees. No Democrats questioned Bybee at his confirmation hearing and the following month he was approved for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. How is that possible? This video produced by the American News Project features attorney and Harper's Magazine contributing editor and Yale University law professor Bruce Ackerman dissecting the Bybee problem. In the process, they reveal how Bybee benefited from some amazing luck in timing and explore the options open to those who want him gone. Click on video below to watch: For more on the Bybee problem check out the writings of Scott Horton and Bruce Ackerman
 
Rob Richie: Death of a swing state? Pennsylvania and Sen. Arlen Specter's party shift Top
Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to switch parties in this 2010 bid for re-election will draw most attention for its immediate impact on President Barack Obama's legislative agenda in Congress. Once Al Franken takes his Senate seat from Minnesota, as seems increasingly likely, Republicans no longer have enough votes on their own to mount a Senate filibuster. But there is a deeper story of long-term significance: Sen. Specter's decision is another nail in the office of the more moderate Republican philosophy associated with former New York governor Nelson Rockefeller. In the last dozen years, Democrats have won sweeping victories in the Northeast, with the region's Republican Party now on life-support. After the1992 elections, Republicans in New England and New York collectively held 20 of 54 U.S. House seats and held at least one House or Senate seat in every state. The intervening 16 years have been devastating for Republicans in the region, especially in 2006 and 2008. New England's last Republican House member, Chris Shays of Connecticut, was defeated in 2008, and Republicans now hold only three of 29 U.S. House seats in New York and no U.S. Senate or House seats in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. The shift has affected down ballot races as well, in both New England and broader swathes of the Northeast. In 2006 Democrats took control of both chambers of the New Hampshire legislature, and in 2008 took control of the New York senate for the first time in four decades, gained monopoly control in Delaware and greatly expanded their margins in state legislatures throughout the region. Pennsylvania has showed signs of moving this direction too -- it's been more than two decades since a Republican carried the state in the presidential race, and Democrats in the past few years have won the governor's mansion and a U.S. Senate seat. But John McCain invested heavily in Pennsylvania, and the state senate remains firmly controlled by Republicans. Sen. Specter's move could be a signal to a number of moderate Republicans in his state to abandon their party. It's too early to tell, but quite possibly Pennsylvania's days as a potential swing state could be over for at least a generation (although let's hope that soon will be immaterial with approval of the National Popular Vote plan ), and Democratic reach into the state could rise at all levels. Republicans throughout the Northeast have to be wondering whether their party's tent is big enough for them -- and for majorities in their state. More on Arlen Specter
 
Charlotte Hilton Andersen: Can Kate Moss Make Fat Cool? Top
In case you missed it, "fat" is experiencing a resurgence in the beauty world as evidenced by recent photos of Kate Moss where she sports some extra weight in the form of actual breasts and hips - the latter only if caught in the right light. Of course everyone cried pregnancy first but Moss has denied all fertility rumors, instead saying she's just getting "fat." Has the famous model finally succumbed to critics' demands that she "eat a sammich already"? Or has she decided to lay off the smack and take a healthier approach? Or is this some kind of grand publicity stunt? Did she just tie a gym sock to her abdomen and stuff her bra? Fashionistas are declaring Moss' unapologetic weight gain a coup for the healthy-girl crowd by stamping out skinny minnies everywhere. Of course anyone who has picked up a magazine, watched TV or surfed the Internet lately realizes how ludicrous that sounds. Almost as ludicrous as calling Kate Moss "fat." Consider the evidence: Kate Moss in her heydey Kate Moss last month She gained maybe 10 pounds? Maybe? The UK Times exults over Moss' weight gain, "After 10 years of maple-syrup diets, ashtanga yoga, low-rise jeans and rib-counting, something utterly unexpected has happened. "Fat" is no longer the ultimate fashion insult." So basically they're calling a still-quite-thin woman "fat" and then saying "but, hey, take it as a compliment!" The Times adds that since Moss is such a trendsetter, her 10 pounds mean renewed acceptability of older but "curvier" models like Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford. Not famous women may have to just hope for the trickle down effect. The Times article adds that the recession may be helping this "new trend" gain traction, concluding: "[...]that wearying daily analysis of jutting celebrity pelvises and matchstick arms. Crazy as it seems, only a few months ago, Madonna's sinewy calves or Victoria Beckham's angular collarbones seemed like bona-fide dinner-party conversation-starters. Now that we have some actual problems, debating some neurotic x-ray's eating habits seems pointless, to say nothing of panicking about our own bodies. Clearly we had too little to worry about if "Is it gluten-free?" or "Should I eat carbs after 6pm?" were troubling questions. Who cares? Malnourished women aren't interesting any more. They're depressing. And the six-pack, once evidence of having luxurious amounts of time and money to devote to self-sculpture, now looks like a feeble attempt at control in an uncertain world. Even worse, it implies a desperately high level of self-involvement. Fat people, meanwhile, look better every day. Why? Because they look carefree. So heave a sigh of relief and let your gut out. Kate Moss might be "fat", but it turns out she's bang on trend, as ever. " The skeptical part of me wonders if this is somehow a great publicity stunt or perhaps a stealth pregnancy or even just hollywood hyperbole but the rest of my fragmented, media-eroded personality hopes this is for real. That maybe our society is coming to its senses. That maybe we can start worrying about how to talk to our daughters about Darfur instead of their thighs. That maybe men will start looking for a strong woman who can pull her own weight rather than a delicate/emaciated trophy wife. That maybe women will start realizing that if we put all the energy into solving world hunger that we previously channeled into our arm fat, we could change the world. And if Kate Moss is leading that revolution? Well, I suppose stranger things have happened. More on Fashion
 
Payam Zamani: Girls: Society's Primary Educators Top
My wife Gouya and I just came back from a trip to Tanzania. We went there to visit a school in a town called Iringa, which is about 500 kilometers (350 miles) west of Dar Es Salam. The school is called Ruaha Secondary School. The property borders the Little Ruaha River, which connects to the main Ruaha River and passes through Ruaha National Park, famous for having more elephants than any other place in the world. About 10,000 elephants are believed to live there. My wife and I got involved with the school about 3 years ago. At that time we were looking for a social economic development project that was focused on the education of girls and ideally was located in Africa. A social economic development project is much different than a charity. These projects represent grassroots undertakings that have local support, are self-sustained and where outside help will simply allow them to do more and better, but their survival should not be dependent on assistance from outside. We focused on the education of girls because as Baha'is we believe that women are the first educators. It's only through education and specifically the education of girls that a society can establish a solid foundation that will allow it to enjoy reliable and lasting growth. The reason we chose Africa was because we felt, given our limited resources, we could have more of an impact. There are clearly countless numbers of worthy projects all over the world, but Africa represents a unique opportunity for many of us in the West to positively impact so many lives. To start we contacted our good friend, Mahnaz Javid at Mona Foundation . Mahnaz established this foundation in 1999 with the idea of assisting worthy projects all over the world focused on education and specifically the education of girls. Our goals could not have been better aligned. We preferred going through Mona Foundation because 1) they review many projects all over the world every year and ensure that those best prepared for advancement are identified. 2) Unless specifically earmarked, Mona Foundation does not take any of the contributed funds for administrative purposes. 100% of the contributions earmarked to specific projects are sent directly to them. 3) The Foundation does all the legwork but then gets out of the way and allows the donors to get directly involved in the project. Ruaha Secondary School has over 600 students. In a part of the world where education is difficult to come by, this school offers a great opportunity to enthusiastic students to advance their lives. This boarding school offers excellent education, room and food to about 450 girls and 150 boys. To make this post short I will continue this conversation in a future article next week. A couple of years ago we went to a U2 concert in Oakland. I remember Bono talking about his One.org Foundation. He said something that has stayed in my mind ever since. I'm paraphrasing: "If we don't get involved and at least attempt to assist these deserving people... then what has been the purpose of our lives." More on Africa
 
Alan Dershowitz: Confronting Evil at Durban II Top
Last week I came face to face with evil, as I stood just a few feet away from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We were both staying in the same hotel in Geneva. He was there to be the opening speaker at Durban II, a review and reprise of Durban I, the United Nations sponsored conference on racism that had turned into a racist hate fest against the Jewish people and the Jewish state. I was there--along with Elie Wiesel, Irwin Cotler and others who have devoted their lives to combating bigotry--to try to prevent a recurrence of Durban I. I first set eyes on Ahmadinejad when he walked into the hotel and waved in the general direction of where my wife and I were standing. We looked back contemptuously as my wife let out an audible hiss. He was about to be welcomed to Geneva by the Swiss President who made a special visit to the hotel in order to greet a man who denies the Holocaust while threatening another one, this time with nuclear weapons. When the Swiss President was widely criticized for his warm and uncritical embrace of one of the worlds most evil and dangerous tyrants, he offered two justifications. First, because Switzerland was the host nation for the conference, he was obliged, as the president of the host nation, to greet a fellow head of state. This is patent nonsense. American presidents do not greet heads of states invited by the United Nations, unless they have also been invited by the United States. No American president has greeted Ahmadinejad when he spoke at the UN. Nor would President Obama--certainly without publicly and privately expressing disdain for his bigoted and dangerous views. This leads to the Swiss President's second purported justification, namely that Switzerland represents the United States interests in dealing with Iran, with whom it has no formal diplomatic relations. In other words, when the president of Switzerland extended a hand to Ahmadinejad, it was not only the hand of Switzerland, but also the hand of the United States. This too is nonsense compounded by overreaching. The United States had no interest in extending a hand of legitimacy to Ahmadinejad. Indeed the Obama government--along with many other democratic governments--refused to legitimate this conference by its attendance. Other democracies, which chose to attend, publicly walked out of Ahmadinejad 's bigoted tirade. The Swiss president had no authority or right to act on behalf of the United States in the way that he did. The US should find another government--one that understands the difference between good and evil and knows how to confront the latter--to represent it in its dealings with Iran. By his craven actions, the Swiss president has disqualified himself from serving in this important role. Neutrality should not be confused with legitimating evil and being complicit with bigotry, as the Swiss have been guilty of since they served as Hitler's banker during World War II. Not only did the Swiss president legitimate, the Swiss security services protected him from the media. It was certainly appropriate for security to protect Ahmadinejad from physical threats, but they also sought to protect him from being embarrassed by difficult questions from the press, as evidenced by the following incident. A bank of television cameras and reporters were waiting to interview Ahmadinejad's after his meeting with the Swiss president. He was still in the meeting, and so I approached the reporters and suggested that they put several specific questions to him. The press was anxious to hear from me, but the security services physically removed me from the hotel, even though A was nowhere to be seen. My second encounter with evil occurred on the day of Ahmadinejad's speech. We, who were there to respond to Ahmadinejad's bigotry, were told that we could listen to his speech in a special room set aside for those who could not enter the actual room in which he was speaking. Several hundred people watched on a television screen as he walked up to the podium to rousing applause by many of the delegates. But the UN purposely decided not to translate his speech into English. All other speeches were translated but we were required to listen to Ahmadinejad in Farci. I complained that the right of free speech goes both ways: it not only includes Ahmadinejad's right to express his horrendous opinions, it also includes his critics' right to listen to his words so that we can rebut them in the marketplace of ideas. When the UN authorities refused to translate his speech, I led a walkout from the overflow room toward the room in which he was speaking. I entered the room and took a seat several rows away from where he expressed some of the most horrendous views I had ever heard. To their credit, many of the European delegates walked out in disgust. I joined them, urging other delegates to leave as well and telling them that "silence in the face of evil is complicity." But most of the delegates remained and applauded Ahmadinejad when he made his extreme statements calling not only for the end of Israel but the end of all liberal democracies around the world. It was then that I understood better how Hitler had come to power. Hitler rose to a position where he could commit genocide not as the result of anti-Semites, but rather because otherwise decent people put their own self interests before the need to condemn his bigotry. As Edmund Burke observed many years ago, "all that is required for evil to succeed is for good men [and women] to remain silent." In that room, on that day, I came face to face with Ahmadinejad's evil. I expected that, but I also came face to face with a different kind of evil: the evil of a president of a great nation extending a hand of friendship to Ahmadinejad; and the evil of delegates of many nations applauding some of the most bigoted statements ever uttered from a United Nations lectern. In the end, the forces of hate and bigotry were confronted by students, professors and political figures who stood against Ahmadinejad and everything he represents. Ahmadinejad and the conference that reflected his world view lost this round, but the battle against bigotry never stays won. More on Durban II
 
Swine Flu: Cuba Becomes First Country To Impose Travel Ban Top
MEXICO CITY — Cuba suspended flights to and from Mexico on Tuesday, becoming the first country to impose a travel ban, as the fast-moving swine flu strain extended its reach overseas and in the United States. World health officials in Geneva said they believed the virus appears to be establishing itself in communities and be able to produce larger outbreaks outside Mexico. In the U.S., there were new reports of hospitalizations among those affected, and officials are watching for a potential flu pandemic. "It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the World Health Organization's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference. The global health body insisted that travel restrictions were ineffective, but Cuba's 48-hour suspension came as the EU's disease control agency as well as Canada, Israel and France warned against nonessential travel to Mexico. "Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said, recalling the 2003 SARS epidemic that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy. "There was much more economic disruption caused by these measures than there was public health benefit," he said, adding that WHO is advising countries to provide treatment for the sick and make sure national plans are in place to ease the effects of a larger outbreak. Mexico City closed gyms, swimming pools and pool halls on Tuesday, and ordered restaurants to limit service to takeout _ extending a growing shutdown that already included schools, state-run theaters and other public places. But the swine flu has already spread to at least six countries besides Mexico, prompting WHO to raise its alert level on Monday but not call for travel bans or border closings. WHO raised the alert level to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission causing outbreaks in at least one country. WHO's pandemic alert system was revised after bird flu in Asia began to spread in 2004. Monday was the first time it has ever been raised above Phase 3. Fukuda cited a New York City case in which some students were infected with the virus, but did not travel like some of their infected classmates to Mexico, where most of the people confirmed with the virus were stricken. He said health experts are examining the situation. WHO calls this "community transmission" and says it's a key test for gauging whether the spread of the virus has reached pandemic proportions. In the U.S., federal health officials said Tuesday that the number of confirmed cases rose to 64, and states say there were at least four more. The Los Angeles County coroner's office told the Los Angeles Times the recent deaths of two men were being examined for links to swine flu. Flu deaths are nothing new in the United States or elsewhere. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 36,000 people died of flu-related causes each year, on average, during the 1990s in the United States. But the new flu strain is a combination of pig, bird and human viruses that humans may have no natural immunity to. New Zealand reported that 11 people who recently returned from Mexico contracted the virus. Tests conducted at a WHO laboratory in Australia confirmed three cases of swine flu among 11 members of the group who were showing symptoms, New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall said. Officials decided that was evidence enough to assume the whole group was infected, he said. Israel's Health Ministry confirmed two swine flu cases in men who recently returned from Mexico. One has recovered and the other was not believed to be in serious danger, health officials said. Meanwhile, a second case was confirmed Tuesday in Spain, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said, a day after the country reported its first case. The 23-year-old student, one of 26 patients under observation, was not in serious condition, Jimenez said. With the virus spreading, the U.S. stepped up checks of people entering the country and warned Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico. "We anticipate that there will be confirmed cases in more states as we go through the coming days," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration late Monday issued emergency guidance that allows certain antiviral drugs to be used in a broader range of the population in case mass dosing is needed to deal with an outbreak. Mexico, where the number of deaths believed caused by swine flu rose on Monday to 152, is suspected to be the center of the outbreak. But Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova late Monday said no one knows where the outbreak began, and implied it may have started in the U.S. "I think it is very risky to say, or want to say, what the point of origin or dissemination of it is, given that there had already been cases reported in southern California and Texas," Cordova told a press conference. Mexico City Health Secretary Armando Ahued said three people died in the capital Monday, but it was unclear if they were included in the national toll. He said 6,610 people went to city hospitals Monday with flu symptoms, but only 29 were remained hospitalized. Dr. Nancy Cox of the CDC has said she believes the earliest onset of swine flu in the U.S. was on March 28. Cordova said a sample taken from a 4-year-old boy in Mexico's Veracruz state in early April tested positive for swine flu. However, it is not known when the boy, who later recovered, became infected. A decision by WHO to put an alert at Phases 4 or 5 signals that the virus is becoming increasingly adept at spreading among humans. Phase 6 is for a full-blown pandemic, characterized by outbreaks in at least two regions of the world. Symptoms include a fever of more than 100, coughing, joint aches, severe headache and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea. Many victims have been in their 30s and 40s _ not the very old or young who typically succumb to the flu. So far, no deaths from the new virus have been reported outside Mexico. It could take four to six months before the first batch of vaccines are available, WHO said. Some antiflu drugs do work once someone is sick. The best way to keep the disease from spreading, the CDC's acting director, Richard Besser, said, is by taking everyday precautions such as frequent handwashing, covering up coughs and sneezes, and staying away from work or school if not feeling well. Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan said they would quarantine visitors showing symptoms of the virus. World stock markets fell Tuesday as investors worried that any swine flu pandemic could derail a global economic recovery. In the U.S., stocks fell moderately in early trading as investors worried that a growth in swine flu cases could hurt industries such as travel and tourism. __ AP writers Mark Stevenson in Mexico City, Mike Stobbe in Atlanta, Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Aron Heller in Jerusalem, Frank Jordans and Sandy Higgins in Geneva, Aron Heller in Jerusalem, Maria Cheng in London and Pan Pylas in London contributed to this report. More on Swine Flu
 
Lynda Resnick: Building Your Business From the Ground Up or Licensing Your Idea: Which Is Right for You? Top
You have a terrific idea for a new product. You've been working from home, making it yourself with a few friends in the garage. Now it is time to expand. But how? This question eventually plagues any growing business, whether you're selling a software solution, baby toys , or hand-painted martini glasses, as in the case of Designs by Lolita . The most common way to grow a business is by overseeing each and every aspect of the company, the "ground up" method. Most Fortune 500 companies began as small start-ups whose entrepreneurial founders slowly developed the infrastructure, hired the staff, sourced manufacturers or built their own factory, and created distribution, sales, and marketing plans. Every facet of the business began and remained under the company's direct control (until they went public.). Or you can go another way: licensing your idea to an established company that pays you a fee. With this scenario, you still control the business; you just don't do all the work. (This differs from a royalty fee, in which you sell your idea outright in exchange for regular payment.) Which option you choose - "ground up" or licensing - depends on a variety of factors, including risk, initial investment, and time to market. Pros of Creating Your Own "Ground Up" Infrastructure If you are an operating person who loves the idea of owning the road you travel to success, then your choice is clear: Build your business from the ground up. My husband Stewart and I are operating people, and I bet for every other entrepreneur who falls into this category, the following benefits far outweigh the headaches associated with running a vertically integrated company. Profits. With no partners to share the profits, you reap 100% of the earnings. After tackling all the work solo, you've earned it. Also if one vendor is working to your standards or your price point you can move to a new one of your choice. You have totally flexibility in meeting the demands of a changing marketplace. Brand Integrity. No quarrels, no brainstorming ideas on brand direction. Because you alone control the product, you have final say over all aspects of the brand, which means you have sole control of its integrity. With licensing, even if you build watertight clauses into your contracts, your idea is never as soundly protected as when you keep it to yourself. Quality Maintenance. In a licensing business model, you have to make sure that your partners are honest and respect quality and integrity. Quality control was just one of the reasons that Monica Williams of Pacimals cited for not being "ready to sell the idea" and sticking with an in-house infrastructure. Pros of Licensing Your Idea to Partners You may be a genius at design but not a good manager. In that case, the problems associated with building a business will zap your creative spirit. Or you may be a brilliant marketer and designer who doesn't want the headaches of operations, in which case you would seek out franchise partners who can assist you to the growth stage you desire. If the following benefits appeal to you, a licensing plan may be in your future. Workload. Under a licensing agreement, the licensee (the one who licenses from you) handles all the manufacturing, and perhaps distribution and sales. In some instances, they may even handle the marketing Keep in mind that although covering more business aspects means less work on your end, it also means that the licensee takes the lion's share of the profits and decides the cost of goods. Time to Market. Because a licensing business model allows you to have multiple partners (for production, distribution, etc.), you can speed up both your time to market and your company's growth. This is especially important if your idea is timely, such as if it is tied to a specific event (Olympics, an election) or trend (the boy band du jour). Initial Investment. Compared to in-house infrastructure costs, a licensing business plan requires a much smaller investment on you part. Using Your Strengths. With your partners covering other areas, you have more time to dedicate to your strengths, such as design or developing back-end products . Once she struck her licensing deals, Lolita, of Designs by Lolita, used her newfound time to expand her product line and to focus on marketing and sales. Manufacturing wasn't her forte, so she left that to her partners, while she forged ahead with the parts of the business to which she brought real value: marketing and design. Still stumped as to which route to take? It is a complicated question that shouldn't be taken lightly and that will differ based on each individual company's business goals and expertise. However, if you read my past Ruby Tuesday and Ask Lynda interviews with Williams , who chose to create her own infrastructure, and licensing maven Lolita , whose company pulled in more than $54 million in 2008, it may give you further insight. To license, or not to license? Understanding your talents and business goals is key to the decision-making process. Neither option is universally right or wrong. It all depends on which option is the best fit for you.
 
Bonnie Fuller: Hate-Mongering Conservative Commentators Using Swine Flu to Promote Racism! Top
Responsible members of the Republican party need to speak out IMMEDIATELY against the conservative commentators in their own ranks using swine flu as an excuse to spew out racist hatred. Radio, TV and newspaper personalities have jumped on the illness as a platform to attack "illegal aliens" for being responsible for carrying the disease across the Mexican border and infecting innocent Americans. Despite the fact that there is no evidence to support such claims, talk radio hosts Michael Savage and Neal Boortz, radio and Fox TV personality Glenn Beck, and columnist Michelle Malkin are spreading them faster than the contagion. "Illegal aliens are bringing in a deadly new flue strain. Make no mistake about it," blares Michael Savage. "I've blogged for years about the spread of contagious diseases from around the world into the US as a result of uncontrolled immigration," writes Michelle Malkin. "What happens if there's a rash of deaths in Mexico... and if you're a family in Mexico and people are dying and Americans are not, why wouldn't you flood this border?" announces Glenn Beck. These loud mouths are also trying to convince their audiences that Islamic terrorists have somehow been able to do what has eluded scientists elsewhere in the world — concoct a deadly new flu virus — and then introduce it into the Mexican population. "What better way to sneak a virus into this country than to give it to Mexicans....then spread a rumor there there are construction jobs here, and there they come," blathers Boortz. Savage — "make no mistake about it" — believes that radical Islamic countries planted the virus in Mexico knowing that humans make the "perfect mules for bringing the strain into America." OK, you ignoramuses: what you're saying is idiotic and racist on so many levels, it has to be called out. #1. Why would we believe that Islamic countries or terrorist groups would have virologists capable of creating a new bio-terrorist flu? Didn't we fall for the Weapons of Mass Destruction line already, and start a war over it? #2. If terror groups were capable of planting it among Mexicans — why wouldn't they be just as capable as planting it among Americans? If they couldn't get into the country, they'd just need to get a few of their own infected people to hang out in a foreign airport with flights going to the US. #3. Since most of the Mexicans who are sick are in Mexico City, hundreds of miles from the US border, how exactly would they just pick up and "rush it?" Furthermore, the first American cases of swine flu have turned up in New York City students who recently returned from a trip to Cancun, Mexico — they brought it with them. They're the human mules! American tourists returning from Mexico are at this point virtually all the other culprits spreading the new flu! The fact that this new flu is just an excuse to spread racism becomes even more disgustingly apparent when Michael Savage blares to his audience that he will protect himself by having "no contact anywhere with illegal aliens and that starts with the restaurants." He calls people who dine out "morons who eat in restaurants with illegals all over the kitchen." You could substitute the word "vermin" for "illegals" and he sounds frighteningly reminiscent of the Nazis talking about the Jews. It's time for Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, to speak out against this virulent strain of looniness. Immigrants aren't responsible for infecting Americans with swine flu — but racist commentators like these are spreading a far more destructive disease: hate! For more on Racist Commentators follow Bonnie Fuller at twitter.com/bonniefuller . More on Swine Flu
 
The World In Photos: April 28, 2009 Top
Here is the HuffPost's selection of photos of today's news and events from every corner of the globe. Check back Monday through Friday for this HuffPost World feature. Keep in touch with Huffington Post World on Facebook and Twitter . More on Swine Flu
 
Two Key Dems Express Pessimism On Bankruptcy Bill Top
Sen. Dick Durbin announced Monday night that after weeks of negotiations between Senate Democrats and the financial industry, a compromise had been reached on bankruptcy legislation -- but it remained to be seen whether that compromise would win 60 votes. On Tuesday, a key Democrat came out against the compromise bill, which would allow judges in certain circumstances to modify mortgage terms -- a process known as cramdown. Meanwhile, a second crucial Democratic vote said that he doubted the bill had enough support for his vote to decide it one way or the other. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) spoke poorly of Durbin's compromise proposal, which is now being circulated. "I don't think it's much of a compromise," Landrieu told the Huffington Post. "My community bankers are really opposed to it and I think it's important for people to realize there is a big difference right now in the country between the health of these large international financial institutions and our local community banks...I think we gotta be careful about adopting processes and procedures that would really hurt our community banks." Asked if she was a definite no, Landrieu responded that she was "pretty close to a definite No." Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) wouldn't say whether or not he supported the compromise, but he nevertheless expressed deep skepticism. "My concern about this is that in our appropriate zeal to help the four or five percent of Americans who might be faced with bankruptcy, we don't unduly raise the costs of homeownership on the 95 percent who never will," Bayh, who supported the legislation last year, told the Huffington Post. Backers of the bill say that they are close to getting the 60 votes needed; Bayh and Landrieu are key votes needed for passage. Bayh, however, painted a much more pessimistic picture, saying that he was unlikely to be the deciding vote. "I'd be surprised if that were the case," he said. "There's been a tendency on the part of some who are advocates for the legislation to overestimate the number of votes in favor...When I was actively involved at the moment it broke down it was my impression there were no Republicans who were willing to support it and at least a few Democrats have stated openly on the record that they were in opposition. How you get to 60 with those numbers is a mathematical problem." Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) previously told the Huffington Post he opposed cramdown, dealing a blow to the bill, but he has yet to comment on the new compromise package. Bayh, who has not been a principal negotiator over the last several weeks, said that he has not yet been briefed on the compromise and didn't rule out voting for it. "I'm not opposing anything -- I was one of 36 -- I voted for it. I was for getting something done in this area," he said, referencing his previous vote in support. "But if we're not intelligent about it we're going to raise the cost on the vast majority of Hoosiers who will never go into bankruptcy and that would not be fair to them. I am for getting something done. I voted for it last year and I'd like to vote for it again this year. It depends on what the specifics are." Get HuffPost Politics on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . More on Bankruptcy
 
Diane Francis: Credit rating agency scandals ignored by US Top
Where's the sheriff for these guys? Credit rating agencies contributed to the current economic collapse. They were paid fees by banks who sometimes pressured or shopped around for the most favorable risk assessments, an obvious conflict of interest. Despite the culpability, nothing much has been done about these intermediaries. The credit rating issue has been mostly ignored by the G20, politicians and regulators. Reforms are still being debated even though they should have been implemented long ago. Business leaders are perplexed about this vacuum of accountability and two were outspoken about this issue at a recent World Economic Forum conference in Rio de Janeiro. "The problem we had was the rating agencies like Moody's had been paid by the banks to rate these pieces of paper and the banks let it be known they would shop until they got the right rating. The banks fooled themselves," said Jim Goodnight, founder and CEO of SAS, a leading business analytics software provider. Lord Levene, Chair of insurance giant Lloyds of London asked: "Enron was rated Triple A just weeks before it went bust, so why didn't we learn from that and do something? Their business model was strange: If you have a target rated, who pays for the rating? The target does. That's a conflict of interest and I'm surprised the G20 didn't deal with that." Perhaps nothing has been done because the same regulators who missed the Enron and tech bubble missed this credit bubble. Perhaps nothing much has been done because of the inordinate political and media clout (and co-ownership) enjoyed by credit rating agencies such as Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and others. Since the nightmare began in August 2007 with poorly-rated asset-backed paper, Washington has been looking at the inherent conflicts, and other malpractices, among these agencies. Suggested reforms should have already been put in place and here are some put forward by the Association for Financial Professionals. -- Credit rating agencies should be stand-alone businesses where their only business would be to produce credible and reliable ratings. They should be financed by a transaction fee, not advice fee. -- Governments should support competing rating organizations and require two or more opinions on ratings so that there is competition beyond the two main players, Moody's and Standard & Poor's. The Association has 16,000 members who manage and safeguard the financial assets of more than 5,000 U.S. organizations. Its spokesman, Jim Kaitz testified in Washington this month. "The current rating agency processes and business model are broken," he said. "The big two rating agencies were a catalyst for the sub-prime debacle and resulting financial meltdown. The time has come for a fundamental overhaul of the system to restore investor confidence and reestablish efficient global capital markets." The Association told the SEC its members believe that information provided by credit rating agencies has been neither timely nor accurate; that they are serving parties other than investors; and that the SEC should monitor their activities and encourage competition. Despite evidence and pressure, the SEC said last week that new regulations could take months to put in place even though the agencies issued top ratings for investments - notably sub-prime junk - that have plummeted in value. What was dropped was a number of modest reforms as well as a major proposal requiring ratings agencies to publish all underlying information they used in making their ratings. Fixing these intermediaries is essential avoid future crises. Diane Francis blog More on Financial Crisis
 
Somali 'Vigilantes' Fight Back Against Pirates Top
Somalia's fishermen have formed sea-going vigilante teams to fight back against pirates who are hijacking their boats, it was reported on Tuesday. More on Somalia
 
Dan Sweeney: From a Purely Political Standpoint, Poaching Specter Is a Cowardly Move. Top
So, you've got a blue state represented by a Republican. Said Republican is old, and not as popular as he once was . Additionally, he faces a primary challenge that some polls say he will not survive , which would leave Democrats running against a far-right yahoo. So, what do you do? The proper response is to find a great Democratic candidate and run him/her against either that far-right yahoo or the old Republican, who has been left bruised and bloody following a drawn-out primary against said yahoo. Instead, the Democrats have essentially performed a tactical retreat here, moving Specter to the "D" column rather than risking an election that would clearly have favored the Democrats. Instead of an election that they probably would have won, leaving them with a solid Democratic senator, they have instead chosen an election that they will almost definitely win, but that will leave them with a mealy-mouthed political hack with all the morals of a wounded badger. As blogging great Glenn Greenwald has already mentioned over at Salon, "prior to the vote on the Military Commissions Act of 2006, he went to the floor of the Senate and said what the bill 'seeks to do is set back basic rights by some 900 years' and is 'patently unconstitutional on its face.' He then proceeded to vote YES on the bill's passage." (Greenwald's entire piece is a must-read.) Democrats now have Specter by the balls -- but only through the 2010 election. He's got to play ball now, so that the DSCC holds up its end of the bargain and disavows any competition for Specter in the Democratic primary. But even then, they haven't been pressing their advantage. In his news conference announcing his switch, Specter said that he remains against the nomination of Dawn Johnson and the passing of the EFCA. Which leaves me wondering: What exactly are Dems getting out of this deal, anyway, especially when the alternative was an even-rosier picture than Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.)? Contact Dan Sweeney at dfsweeney@citylinkmagazine.com More on Arlen Specter
 
6 Beijing Olympians Drug Test Positive Top
Six Olympic athletes have been found positive for doping in retesting of Beijing samples, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced. More on Olympics
 
Alan Shapiro: The Tao of Wow Top
I was 14 when I robbed my school's stockpile of camera equipment and earned a one-way ticket to "Boys Town." 35 years later, I remain vexed by the pathos and irony of this sorry episode, and haunted by the look on my filmmaking teacher's face when she discovered the thief was her favorite student. There are many good teachers, but Miss Newman was something special. Just 28 at the time, she possessed a torrid joi de vie and selfless devotion to the unique aspirations of each student. The look was pure '60s: burgundy bob, koo-koo smile, gams for days, and more jangling bling than a K-Mart bracelet tree. She held an unwavering conviction in me, and I craved her approval, which was often spiced with metaphysical chestnuts like "The toughest part of your body is scar tissue," or "We're all renting." She even had one just for me: Never lose your WOW. She was my Auntie Mame in go-go boots and I had a big schoolboy crush on her. What to do with such a tonic of love, trust and positive reinforcement? Destroy it. With extreme prejudice. I was obsessed with a French camera, Beaulieu, then the Stradivarius of super-8. Sync sound, variable shutter, macro zoom, it just looked wicked cool. I'd gaze hypnotically at its titillating trade ads, figuring how I could cobble together the sticker price, which rivaled a Bentley. So I hatched a fiendish plot: I'd swipe Miss Newman's trove of school film equipment -- I'd be last to be suspected -- then launder it for the Beaulieu. So on a bright Friday morn, after stealthily doing the dreadful deed, I sprang from the equipment closet, shocked -- shocked! We wuz robbed! By the time law enforcement swooped in, I had carted the loot to a pawn shop and bought my dream camera. (Ever the cunning criminal, I helpfully provided the pawn broker with my name, address and, just in case, phone number. Evidently it came in handy). For a blur of a weekend, coveted camera in hand, I filmed. Monday morning, the classroom door opened to a grim school principal and a couple of cops. As they pulled Miss Newman aside, I watched her face fall, a mix of shock and confusion, but most heart breaking, betrayal. Before a stunned classroom, I was unceremoniously whisked away. It was the last time I saw her. I was no longer merely a poor student, chronic truant and all-around incorrigible. I was a convicted felon. Further transgressions ensued, and I was exiled to a faraway "adolescent treatment facility," where I remained for two years. Upon graduating Ecole Wayward, my D+ GPA failed to excite NYU admissions, so I petitioned for an interview with its dean, the legendary grand-daddy of NYU Film, Haig Manoogian. Bringing my modest collection of super-8 movies, stills, and an adult helping of Miss Newman's vim and verve, I ranted on all things film until Manoogian surrendered and phoned admissions on the spot. Her force was with me; I got in on sheer Wow power. At NYU I made short films, one which won an award at Cannes, which led to a summer apprenticeship in Hollywood, which led to my first job, wife, kids, and so on. Then one day, in a moment of exquisite banality, I was helping my seven-year-old son with his first camera and he asked me how I got started. A teacher helped me, I explained, and changed the subject. That was it. I was tired of the monkey on my back. I wanted her to know that her presence on this earth mattered, and that I turned out okay. This passing blip on her radar, a kid she probably never thought of again, had not forgotten her and remains forever grateful. What happened to her? Was she even alive? Just who was this woman who held such amazing power which had gripped and changed me so deeply and continues to sustain me? I put on my detective hat. She was alive, all right. With a vengeance. Her bio read like Dickens: Born to her father's mistress in the shadows of Gary, Indiana steel mills. Mom got work as maid to Detroit billionaire Max Fisher, who sponsored her education. Fulbright scholar. Ph.D. Assisted Mother Theresa in Calcutta. (Yes, Mother Theresa.) Professional ventriloquist. Creator/star of kids puppet show on local TV. Profiled in People magazine. NASA Teacher In Space finalist with Christa McAuliffe. Enough. I picked up the phone to make the fateful call. As I walked off the plane from California, I thought about how long it had taken me to get here. Inside the terminal, I searched the crowds for her. Maybe she forgot? Maybe she remembered, but thought better of it. Maybe I'll inquire about the next flight back. But then, that voice, calling across the classroom for me to pick up my crap: Shapiro! We hugged. She hadn't forgotten me after all. Sure, she was hurt, but she'd long ago forgiven me. Now I needed to forgive me, she admonished. We both grinned. She took my hand and we walked in silence for the street. She was Miss Newman again. I was 14. All I could say was, "Wow."
 
Gail Goodwin: How To Be Happy: Interview With Marci Shimoff Top
Happiness is one of the most natural yet elusive parts of our human nature. Like the butterflies that we chased as a child, it is often sought and seldom caught. Many spend their lifetime thinking, "If I only had X, then I'd be happy", only to achieve X and still find themselves living discontented lives. It's difficult for most people to name five people that they would describe as truly happy. Not just happy in the moment, or happy with their job or relationship, but happy regardless of their exterior circumstances. Interestingly enough, these five people aren't always the wealthiest or most successful people we know. These happy folks are not only difficult to find; some don't believe they exist at all. I did a quick survey online through Twitter as I was writing this blog. Less than half who responded thought that they were personally happy or could name five others who were happy. Some described happiness as a myth or a fairy tale, others as something that is only found in fleeting moments. We spend our whole lives working hard to provide a good life for our families- with the end goal of happiness, yet, we struggle to name five happy people! Upon reflection, I wondered if my friends and family would describe me as a happy person. Of course I hope they would, but I wonder how they see me. Would I be on their list of five happy people? What is it that happy people know that so many don't? No matter their background, circumstances in life, demographic or socio-economic background, happy people have one thing in common. They know a simple secret that most of us are missing- happiness is a choice. Today's Inspirational Luminary, Marci Shimoff , author of Happy For No Reason, wasn't born with a naturally happy disposition, but she was born with the happiest man in the world as her father, and an insatiable curiosity. When her dad shared his best advice, "Honey, just be happy!", she was determined to find out just how to do that. Marci interviewed one hundred unconditionally happy people. The one thing they all had in common was the belief that this is a friendly universe; one that's out to support us. Einstein said the most important thing you can ask yourself is, "Is this a friendly universe?" If you believe the world is out to get you and live an "Oh, poor me" existence, you'll have a great story to tell but no one will want to listen. On the other hand, if you believe it is a friendly universe, that you are supported and that there's a lesson or a gift in each experience, you will live a happier, more fulfilled life. You'll still have adversity, but you'll be better prepared with a greater understanding of the higher purpose behind what's showing up. When I think of the happiest people I know, I realize they expect the best from life. They have a vitality that attracts people and experiences to them. They are living a life, following their heart and their passions. These happy people are givers unto life; the lights that everyone is drawn to like moths to a flame. Even though some of them have experienced significant adversity in their lives, their happiness isn't based on external conditions, but on their own connection within. How can we change to live a life like this? According to Marci, the only difference between people who are deeply, truly happy and those that aren't, are their habits. "Our habits need to support our personal expansion of mind, body, heart and soul". Research shows that it takes twenty-one days to create a new habit. In our interview, Marci recommends that in order to improve your life, choose one habit and focus on it for the next three weeks. There are many ways to be happy, but it all comes from our habits and most importantly, what we choose to create as our habits. We've nothing to lose in trying something for twenty-one days. Listen to your heart, pick that which sings to you, and start with gratitude for the things already in your life. From that place, choose a healthy routine with exercise, meditation or prayer, nourishing foods, lots of water and plenty of sleep. Add a heavy dose of inspiration and appreciation, surround yourself with inspirational people, and get ready to know a new level of happiness. And remember, your happiness IS your choice. You have the power inside to be, do or create anything, including your own happiness. So go shine your light on the world, knowing that each day we're given the gift of a new day and the choice to be happy for no reason. We invite you to listen to today's FREE Inspired Interview with host, Gail Lynne Goodwin, Ambassador of Inspiration from InspireMeToday.com and today's guest, Marci Shimoff, author of Happy For No Reason. More on Happiness
 
Baltimore Water Main Breaks, Floods Downtown Top
BALTIMORE — A massive water main break shut down the heart of downtown Baltimore on Tuesday, sending thousands of workers home or to other offices and at one point flooding the city with two feet of water. Officials closed eight city office buildings, including City Hall, as well as the fire and police department headquarters. Many roads downtown were closed, snarling traffic during the morning rush hour. No injuries have been reported. Public Works spokesman Kurt Kocher said the floodwaters had receded. Television images showed water bubbling out of broken pavement at the site of the break. Commercial buildings were closed in the 32 square-block area, too. "It is the center of our commercial sector so there's definitely an impact there," Downtown Partnership President Kirby Fowler said. "This is really the heaviest concentration of employees in Baltimore city." The break was in a 20-inch line, but public works officials said crews also shut off a nearby 40-inch line while the damage was assessed. Water customers outside the area had low water pressure. Mayor Sheila Dixon said the city hopes to have the problem fixed by Wednesday morning. "This is going to be an all-day and night situation. This is a huge water main break and this is a huge area that's affected," she said. Kocher said crews have been planning repairs to two large water mains in the area, but the break occurred before those repairs could start. State officials closed the William Donald Schaefer Tower, which houses 14 state agencies, affecting more than 1,100 workers.
 
Caryl Rivers: The President and the Felon Top
by Caryl Rivers Ever wonder why the Vatican and conservative Catholics are out of touch with what real people -including their religious brethren--are thinking? Well, there's this: conservatives are throwing a hissy fit because the President of the United States is getting an honorary degree from Notre Dame, while they ignore the fact that a man who should be a felon is honored with a cushy job in Rome. Harvard law professor and former ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon is refusing to attend the Notre Dame graduation because president Obama is to be given an honorary degree. In a letter to the university's president, Glendon wrote that Catholic institutions "should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles" and that such persons "should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." Is the Vatican not a Catholic Institution? And did not the Vatican honor Cardinal Bernard Law, former archbishop of Boston, with a prestigious position after he made it out of the Bay State a few jumps ahead of the (lower case) law. Law, who protected and enabled pedophiles who for years preyed on vulnerable children, gets a sweet deal from the church. He is a member of the Roman Curia, archpriest of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and titular Cardinal Priest of Santa Susanna, the American Catholic church in Rome. A friend of mine, who happened to find herself in Rome on one recent Christmas Eve, wandered into mass at the Basilica and saw a familiar face atop resplendent red robes. "Oh my God, it's Bernie Law!" she said. She felt more like vomiting than praying. President Obama, who gave up a lucrative career that his Ivy League credentials would have afforded him to organize the poor of inner city Chicago, gets told he's not "moral" enough to step foot on the campus of Notre Dame? Conservative Catholics have a rather warped sense of morality. A president who supports a woman's right to choose--as do most prominent Catholic politicians, including Ted Kennedy and John Kerry--creates an outcry, but a pedophile protector escapes outrage. And what did Bernie Law do exactly? As Dahlia Lithwick noted in Slate, "We have a clearer picture of what precisely the Cardinal has done, or not done, over the past decade and a half. What's emerged is horrifying. Law was not only aware of egregious sexual misconduct among his subordinates but was apparently engaged in elaborate efforts to cover up incident after incident of child rape. Worse yet, he breezily reassigned clergy known for sexually abusing children to work with more children--conduct not all that distinguishable from leaving a loaded gun in a playground." In the 1990s, my Boston University colleague Joe Bergantino, then with the investigative unit of WBZ television in Boston, broke the story of father James Porter, the priest who started abusing scores of children in a Fall River parish on the 60s. Porter just kept getting passed along to new parishes, where his molestations continued. As the story grew to other media, Bernie Law declaimed in 1993: "By all means, we call down God's wrath on the media." God's wrath would surely have been directed elsewhere. Law was finally forced to resign after the Boston Globe Spotlight team revealed the vast scope of the pedophilia scandal in the church. My own interest in the story was not simply academic. My brother Hugh was murdered--that's the only word I can use-- by a pedophile in a Catholic school run by the Christian Brothers. The abuse was not only physical, but also emotional. A psychiatrist who treated my brother told my mother, "I have never seen so much ego damage as was done to your son in that Catholic school." After many years of struggling with depression, my brother hanged himself. He walked into his Catholic school a bright, engaging, decent young man, and the school destroyed him. Until the Vatican can look into its own dark heart, until it can stop rewarding the evil men it protected and enabled, who will listen to its moral pronouncements? Certainly not me. And certainly not millions of others. Boston University Journalism professor Caryl Rivers is the author of "Selling Anxiety: How the News Media Scare Women."
 
Top 50 US Renewable Energy Consumers (SLIDESHOW) Top
The EPA released a list of the top 50 organizations buying renewable energy in partnership with them. One or two took me by surprise -- New York University's in the top 50, as is the EPA itself. Purchase figures are based on annualized Partner contract amounts (kilowatt-hours), not calendar year totals. These rankings are updated on a quarterly schedule. The rankings below are based on data received as of April 7, 2009. The top 10: More on Photo Galleries
 
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi: Al Waleed: From Saudi Prince to Lebanese Politician? Top
Prince Al Waleed bin Talal has long been seen as an important link between Arabs and the rest of the world, acting successfully like a bridge between the business worlds of the Middle East and the West. But are the financial foundations of this bridge starting to whither? Furthermore, are there other bridges that Al Waleed can cross? In March 2008, Forbes Magazine published its eagerly awaited list of the world's richest billionaires. Standing firm at number 19 was the world's richest Arab, Al Waleed with an estimated fortune then of $21.0 billion. One year later, it couldn't be more different. For it was in March 2009 that Citigroup's stocks fell from a high of $57 recorded on December 18, 2006 to just 97 cents. Citigroup's shares had recorded a 52 week high of $27.35 on April 28, 2008, figures we are unlikely to see in the next few years. Citigroup is important because ever since Al Waleed invested $590 million in 1991 in the bank as it struggled with Latin American loan losses it has constituted his largest shareholding. Based on simple calculations, his 250 million shares were one day worth up to $14 billion and are now worth $250 million. At the same time, Al Waleed's Kingdom Holdings stock price plummeted from 14 Saudi Riyals to SAR3.9 and his Nasdaq Dubai Kingdom Hotels firm now trades (for lack of a better word) at one dollar from it's $9.25 listing price. Incidentally, Kingdom Hotels, one of the Prince's most asset rich and attractive companies can now be bought in it's entirety for $170 million, about half as much as he paid for his "flying palace" Airbus A380 that qualified for the CNN/Fortune 101 Dumbest Moments in Business rankings in 2007. At a $10 Billion market cap, the National Bank of Kuwait, although losing 50 percent of its value in the past year is today worth twice as much as Citigroup, the latter reaching a market cap of $270 billion in early 2007. In fact, Al Waleed's shareholdings read as a list of some of the most troubled investments in the past few years: Motorola, News Corp, Apple, EuroDisney, Eastman Kodak and Ford have lost between 50 and 80 percent of their value in the past few months. The Prince might not be bankrupt but he's never been closer to being so. This will be a tragedy not just for Al Waleed but for the many charity causes he champions. In 2005 he donated $40 million each to Harvard and Georgetown Universities to set up Islamic studies centres. He also endowed Cambridge and Edinburgh universities in Britain with $31 million to set up similar departments. In his home country Al Waleed is known to have built thousands of houses for the poor as part of his generous housing program in rural areas of the desert kingdom. Al Waleed is also known for spending every Wednesday evening, if he is in Saudi Arabia, receiving hundreds of visitors from lower income households with requests for financial assistance, this generosity can cost him up to $1.5 million on any night. But what can savvy investors learn from the financial turbulence that plagued so called Arabian Warren Buffet. Although it is by now an overused cliché but more than anything don't throw good money after bad money and when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Sadly this is a lesson that Al Waleed did not learn early enough. Encouraged by ADIA's costly and miscalculated gamble of effectively burning $7.5 Billion by investing in Citigroup in the autumn of 2007, Al Waleed followed suit and ploughed hundreds of millions of dollars to raise his steak to five percent to match ADIA's equity. He even called Citi's $six billion write down the previous summer a "hiccup.". Despite the horrific decline in the value of Citigroup, the one dollar threshold represents a new challenge, if the stock value drops below one dollar for 30 consecutive days, effectively becoming a penny stock, it may be delisted and become an over-the-counter company. What should Al Waleed and by extension ADIA do about their high-flying employees who got them into deep trouble? To borrow from the New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, writing about incompetent American jet-setting executives last autumn, "off with their headsets." Also, now that there is much less wealth to throw around flying palaces, it is time to go back to the basics of sound investments, steady growing firms are in the long term a much better bet than sexy stocks and trophy assets. If not, Al Waleed's magical story will be of a young prince and his Kingdom who had it all before he lost it all. An alternative option available to Al Waleed is to enter into the political world. On the one hand he could try his chances with the Saudi Royal court, after all King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz is his paternal uncle. Though Talal Bin Abdul Aziz, Al Waleed's father may have made it slightly tricky for his astute son to tread down that path. Talal was know as the Red Prince for harbouring socialist tendencies back in the 1950's that caused him to be exiled to Egypt. Al Waleed's free thinking father may have also indirectly influenced his son's liberal investment attitude. As Talal continued to call for educational reforms, empowering women and championing various humanitarian causes such as the Arab Open University which today that has over 22,000 students enrolled at moderate fees, 50 percent of whom are women. Prince Al Waleed for example does not shy from investing in alcohol serving establishments from Monaco's Monte Carlo Grand Hotel and London's Savoy Hotel to the luxurious Canadian chains of Four Seasons and Fairmount. Prince Al Waleed has meticulously positioned himself for a political role using his investments as a conduit. Commanding such vast amounts of wealth has allowed him to seek private audiences, not just with the likes of business luminaries such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet but also with world leaders whose time is usually spared for other world leaders or their ambassadors. Only in the past twelve months has he met with Pope Benedict XVI, Middle East Peace Envoy Tony Blair, Bashar Al Assad of Syria, President Tabaré Vazquez of Uruguay, President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines, President Hamid Karazai of Afghanistan, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed, Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbayev as well as the Presidents of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. The list of ambassadors he met in the same period possibly rivals that of Saudi Arabia's own Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and included emissaries from the Senegal, Uzbekistan, the US, Uganda, France, Mexico, Myanmar, Djibouti, Bosnia Herzegovina, Eritrea, Malaysia, the Comoros Islands, Poland, Australia, Korea, Georgia, Albania, Egypt, Afghanistan, Great Britain, India, Nepal, Jordan, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Palestine, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Macedonia, Japan, Sudan, Portugal, Qatar, Niger and American Congressmen; an impressive list by any standard. Al Waleed employs a brilliant Public Relations engine to issue press releases with photos of him and his elegant unveiled wife Princess Ameera meeting with many of these dignitaries, a process that has positioned him as a public figure as per his own accord exposing himself to both public scrutiny and praise. He has taken the unusual step in the region of publishing a candid account of his personal as well as professional life that included family photographs of his parents and children further highlighting his modern lifestyle. However, the Prince's widely known liberal leanings may not be as accepted in his home country of Saudi Arabia where he faced stiff opposition and religious edicts to list his Kingdom Hotels firm which ended up in the Nasdaq Dubai stock market. However, one place where his views have been accepted and would sit comfortably is the Mediterranean country of Lebanon. Even before the assassination of Rafic Hariri, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Al Waleed was a popular figure; people and giant billboards openly called on him to run for the position of Prime Minister. After all, taking a cue from his personal friend Silvio Berlusconi who leveraged his media empire to become prim minster of Italy, Al Waleed similarly owns An Nahar, one of the country's most influential newspapers as well as the liberal Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation and Rotana TV networks. Although popular in Lebanon this liberal media empire has been subject of much controversy in Saudi Arabia for depicting scantily clad women and has recently caused him to been condemned as "no less dangerous than drug dealers" by a Saudi religious scholar. Al Waleed's maternal grandfather Riad Al Solh was the founding leader of Lebanon in the same way that his paternal grandfather King Abdul Aziz was the founding leader of Saudi Arabia. Al Waleed referred to a charitable foundation he set up in Lebanon as "the address for every Lebanese citizen committed to his land, roots, and devoted to his country, free of religious or regional affiliations"- language not dissimilar to that of seasoned politicians in the country. Al Waleed, when questioned a few years ago by An Nahar newspaper whether he, a citizen of both Saudi and Lebanon, would seek Lebanese premiership, a position reserved under the constitution for a Sunni Muslim, his answer was "We will cross that bridge when we come to it." Maybe it's time for Al Waleed to cross that bridge after all. Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi is a non-resident fellow at the Dubai School of Government . This article first appeared on the Zawya.com portal on April 27th 2009 More on Saudi Arabia
 
Islamic Group Forces Site To Remove Satirical Religious Video Game "Faith Fighter" Top
The Saudi-based Islamic group Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) spoke out Tuesday against "Faith Fighter" -- an online video game that pits notable characters from Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism against each other in combat -- and demanded that the game be taken down from its host website, the AP reports. The OIC regards the game, created by Italian-based Molleindustria, as offensive to the world's religions, describing it as "incendiary in its content". The OIC statement in full reads: When his attention was brought to an internet report posted by metro.co.uk on an online game depicting holy figures such as Prophet Jesus and Prophet Muhammad (PBUT) fighting each other to the death, a spokesman of the OIC Islamophobia Observatory in Jeddah today expressed his concern stating that the computer game was incendiary in its content and offensive to Muslims and Christians. He said that the game would serve no other purpose than to incite intolerance. He called on the Internet service providers who are hosting the game to take immediate action by withdrawing it from the web. Sure enough, as a result of the OIC's demands, "Faith Fighter" has now indeed been removed. Molleindustria is issuing the following statement , in place of the game on their site: Today after an official statement of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) we decided to remove the game Faith Fighter from our site. Faith Fighter was meant to be a game against intolerance that used over the top irony and a cartoonish style to express the instrumental use of religions. Faith Fighter depicted in a mildly politically incorrect way all the major religions as a response to the one-way islamophobic satire of the Danish Mohammad cartoons. If a established organization didn't understand the irony and the message of the game and is claiming it is inciting intolerance, we simply failed. ... We knew that this was a risky operation and we acknowledge our failure as communicators. Taking down the game from this website is a symbolic act: copies and documentation of Faith Fighter can be found all over the Internet. Hopefully this will help people to make their judgments by examining the actual work and not the sensationalist accounts spread by mass media. Update: In few hours this statement generated a way more heated reactions than the release of the game. We are not "bowing to the foundamentalists", we have no sympathy for any religion but we are aware that muslims are victim of widespread racism in the western world. This islamofobia is functional to the imperial interests in Middle East and all over the world. We just want to make clear that the game was not intended to contribute to the media-assisted narrative "islamic world vs freedom of speech". Molleindustria's Tuesday decision to remove "Faith Fighter" from its website, as noted by the update in its statement, is being met by some as "bowing to the foundamentalists. (sic)" However, included with the statement are links to other sites that still host the game. Prior to the OIC's outcry, as mentioned in both statements, Metro UK ran a story Monday aggregating critical views from a number of other religious leaders representing each respective faith that the game depicts. From Metro UK : 'This game is going out of its way to upset people and I think it should be taken off the internet,' said Douglas Miller, pastor of the Link Church in Birmingham. ... A spokesman for the Federation of Muslim Organisations said: 'In the current climate, this game can only create fear about religion. 'Having images depicting Muhammad in this way is also very offensive to our faith.' Brian Appleyard, former chairman of the Buddhist Society, called the game an 'offensive futile project'. Following the Metro UK story, Molleindustria's initial posturing was defiant, and the site issued the following statement, which has since been replaced with the statement declaring the game's removal: Faith Fighter Statement - Free Legal Forms The clash between the OIC and Molleindustria is yet another installment in what Molleindustria's updated statement labels the "media-assisted narrative 'islamic world vs freedom of speech.'"(sic) In fact, in early 2006, following the September 30, 2005 publication of the notorious Dutch Muhammad cartoons in Jyllands-Posten , the OIC called for the UN Human Rights Council Charter to be amended to say: "freedom of speech is incompatible with defamation of religions and prophets," according to Jeanne Favret-Saada. This amendment was not adopted, but later that year the UN General Assembly did go so far as to recommend that all states "undertake combating 'defamation of religions,'" Favret-Saada writes. This UN battle from three years ago was resurgent this year, according to the Independent's Johann Hari , who in a January 2009 column decried recent efforts by Islamic states to redefine the role of the UN Rapporteur on Human Rights so that it would focus more on religious protection than on freedom of speech. Following Hari's column, riots erupted in India when the English-language daily The Statesman republished Hari's piece. The the editor and publisher of the publication were arrested for "hurting the religious feelings" of Muslims, the BBC reports. The subject of the controversial column, the effort to redefine the role of the UN Rapporteur on Human Rights, was further cemented in a March 11, 2009 UN proposal issued and circulated by Pakistan that would criminalize the "defamation of Islam," according to UN Watch , a subsidiary of the American Jewish Committee. The "defamation of religion" ban was intended to be added into the official declaration of the Durban II anti-racism conference in Geneva last week, but was eventually shelved and replaced with a more targeted ban on speech that, "constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence," after the Obama administration refused to attend because of the original language, according to the Jewish daily Forward . And though the Obama administration opted out of attending anyway, the new language was retained in this year's declaration [PDF]. The Dutch Muhammad cartoons were, provocatively reprinted and put up for sale earlier this month. And considering this week's outcry towards Molleindustria, and the subsequent removal of "Faith Fighter" from its website, it would seem as though the freedom of speech versus defamation of religion battle is far from over. ------ Keep in touch with Huffington Post World on Facebook and Twitter . More on Middle East
 
GM To Force More Than 1,000 Dealers To Close Top
DETROIT — General Motors Corp. told its dealers Tuesday that it will force 1,000 to 1,200 underperforming locations to close their doors as the automaker tries to thin dealer ranks to make the remaining outlets more profitable. GM told the dealers about the plan in a video conference, according to a dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity because the video conference was private. It is part of the company's plan announced Monday to cut more than 2,600 dealers by 2010. The company expects to lose 500 Hummer and Saturn dealers when those brands close or are sold, and it expects 400 dealers to close voluntarily. Another 500 would be consolidated into other dealerships, according to the dealer. GM said Monday that it also would eliminate its Pontiac brand, but there are only 27 dealers that sell just Pontiacs, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. Most Pontiac dealers also sell Buick and GMC vehicles at the same location. Company spokeswoman Susan Garontakos confirmed the numbers and said GM is in the process of deciding which dealers to keep based on their sales performance, capitalization, potential profitability, size, image and customer satisfaction scores. After that, she said, the company will go market by market and determine which dealerships are not meeting the terms of their franchise agreements. "There's a lot of things that we have to consider, but we'll have talks with those dealers that show or haven't demonstrated that they have maintained a good performance," Garontakos said. John McEleney, chairman of the NADA, said in a written statement that GM must treat all of its dealers fairly and those that close should be compensated. "It's not out of any fault of their own that these dealers are being forced to close their businesses," McEleney said. He said many details were unknown about how the dealerships will be closed, but "137,330 dealership employees will lose their jobs, and state and local governments will lose an estimated $1.7 billion in sales tax revenue that would have been used for economic development in communities around the country." GM announced Monday it plans to reduce dealerships by 42 percent from 2008 to 2010, cutting them from 6,246 to 3,605. GM is living on $15.4 billion in government loans and faces a June 1 government deadline to complete restructuring moves, win concessions from its unions and cut its debt. If it fails to meet the deadline, it will go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. GM has decided to scrap its Pontiac brand and either sell or close Hummer, Saturn and Saab. It will focus on four core brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick. (This version CORRECTS spelling of spokeswoman's last name to 'Garontakos' from 'Garantakos.')
 
Chihuahua Blown Away By 70-Mph Winds Reunited With Owners Top
WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Tinker Bell has been reunited with her owners after a 70-mph gust of wind picked up the six-pound Chihuahua and tossed her out of sight. Dorothy and Lavern Utley credit a pet psychic for guiding them on Monday to a wooded area nearly a mile from where 8-month-old Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty and hungry but otherwise OK. The Utleys, of Rochester, had set up an outdoor display Saturday at a flea market in Waterford Township, 25 miles northwest of Detroit. Tinker Bell was standing on their platform trailer when she was swept away. Dorothy Utley tells The Detroit News that her cherished pet "just went wild" upon seeing her.
 
Palestinian Sentenced To Death For Selling Land To Israelis Top
A Palestinian military court has sentenced a man to death by hanging for selling land to an Israeli company. More on Israel
 
Tabby Biddle: Nature-Deficit Disorder Top
Last Wednesday was Earth Day . My email Inbox was packed with announcements, newsletters and events all in honor of this day. I didn't attend any particular event, but I did go out for my daily walk in my Santa Monica neighborhood and soaked in the beauty of the flowers, the warm breeze and the revitalizing sunshine. Nature, big or small, has always been an elixir for me. The other weekend in the New York Times Magazine I read an article that said even a limited dose of nature, such as looking to the outside world from your window is good for your health. It's reported that hospital patients heal more quickly and prisoners get sick less often. Mama Nature = healthier, happier people. Could be common sense, right? I have to admit that after seven years of living in New York City I was beginning to feel like one of those prisoners or hospital patients aching for sunlight and earth connection. I sought out every possibility the city had to offer a nature junkie...walks, runs and lazy days in Central Park , biking and blading along the Hudson River , sitting on park benches listening to the birds, stopping in flower shops just to stare at their miracle beauty -- but many times, it wasn't enough. Too much concrete and not enough green. The alternative to starving my soul of Mother Earth magic was to take the train from Grand Central up to Cold Spring and spend the day in the woods. It was incredible how just one afternoon on a hiking trail could bring back my physical and mental health for weeks at a time. I read recently that a growing body of scientific research suggests children who are given early and ongoing positive exposure to nature thrive in intellectual, spiritual and physical ways that their "shut-in" peers do not. My experience would second that. So now here we are at a time in our history where our technological advancements have taught us how to exploit our earth's resources at a rate higher than she can sustain. It is no secret that we are in peril of soon exhausting our natural resources. It should seem obvious, but I think we sometimes forget...our earth is fundamental to our existence. How long can we go on without a real, honest return to a diligent respect of Mother Nature? The events, activities and enthusiasm from yesterday are encouraging. Take for example Omega Institute's Center for Sustainable Living . They are working toward being a leader in sustainability education and a model for the Living Building Challenge . Yesterday, volunteers were busy planting 8000 plants to create what Omega called the " Eco-Machine. " This is a constructive wetland that will reclaim and purify the wastewater that is generated at the Institute campus which sees 20,000 people come through its doors annually. "It's not just about compact fluorescent lightbulbs...,but looking at what are the systems and the ways of engineering that are available to us now so that we can move to a higher level of sustainability, one that is truly balanced with the natural environment," says Skip Backus, Executive Director at Omega . Instead of inventing new man-made technology, sounds like it's time to invent new ways to use our earth's au natural technology. Omega and many other individuals and groups did incredible and commendable work across our nation yesterday. In addition to that great value, I think the most potent lesson is a reminder of our interconnectedness. Already we see this everyday through the Internet, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter -- but now it feels like it's time to translate this to a wider scale. I like what the Buddhists say, "There is no environment that is 'out there' separate than us; we are the environment." I think this statement is key. I wonder if we took on this perspective we would not only heal our split with nature, but heal our split with a number of other things. Your thoughts? More on Earth Day
 
Learning How To License Your Business Top
Just as Jason Thompson proved that art can be profitable, Lolita Healey has also turned her talent to riches. But unlike Thompson's Rag and Bone Bindery, Designs by Lolita has taken the licensing route, which has given Healey a whole different ballpark to play in. So far, she's batting a thousand. More on Small Business
 

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