Saturday, April 4, 2009

Y! Alert: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Yahoo! Alerts
My Alerts

The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Steven Weber: Lonesome Rhodes' Wild Ride Top
There was a brief moment back in his CNN days when Glenn Beck made a feint at a seemingly more credible libertarian identity by having as a guest the woefully misused genius D.L. Hughley (full disclosure: he's my friend. Hey, D.L.!) to balance his squint-inducing broadsides, making him merely irascible and somewhat approachable---a young, "aw, shucks" curmudgeon, mildly winking at the marginally more savvy audience that supposedly comprised CNN's viewership. But like all self-styled TV conservatives who prefer throwing M-80's onto a fire in lieu of water, Beck eventually realized that his own penchant for fomenting dyspepsia should be suitably compensated, hence his ratings-savvy move to Fox, cutting the line in front of other media imps like Michelle Malkin, Michael Savage and the redoubtable and desiccated Anne Coulter (whose froth flecked invective bespeaks their insatiable craving for contrived infamy and who must all be secretly enraged at Beck's ascension). And indeed his evolution from cuddly crew-cutted conservative care-bare to weepy, howling, media moondog makes perfect sense in this corporate controlled brand-driven culture. He is in fact the Obama-era's O'Reilly: younger, arguably sleeker and shallower, the next generation of corporate shill masquerading as outraged Christian Conservative to capture the pitchfork wielding demo of perpetually angry white guys who never travel abroad and never will, who eschew anything with the word "French" in it and who can only achieve a gelatinous erection when told by their flannelmouthed bully pulpiteers there are Commies, Commies and Commies everywhere. Glenn Beck is right wing media's version of the IPhone. (The ICrank? The IFoam? Submit any and all suggestions.) But he is also strongly exhibiting the defining qualities of Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, Budd Schulberg and Elia Kazan's creation from the 1957 film "A Face in the Crowd". "Lonesome" was a reg'lar feller who spoke his mind in the vernacular of Everyman and very quickly found his way into the hearts of the folks at home who had tired of the blizzard of soap flakes emanating from their Magnavox's and RCA's. They wanted homespun common sense, provocative yet easily digested pablum. They wanted someone to fight for them, to give voice to their daily frustrations and ailments, all of which were manufactured by forces beyond their control. And they got it in the form of this tousle-headed media construct (played by a youthful and surprisingly volatile Andy Griffith). The joke, of course, was that the power and fame which accompanies such meteorically successful firebrands ultimately corrupts and the once appealing message of cranky revolt becomes a caustic, solipsistic screed at once exposing and destroying the dime-store fascist beneath the crowd-pleasing polemicist, eventually driving the man into madness and obscurity. As Paddy Chayefsky's "Network" so presciently portrayed the eventual and crippling corporatization of the media, so "A Face in the Crowd" tells the same story only from the perspective of the individual seduced by intoxicating wealth and notoriety, engorged on fanatical adulation and ultimately undone by its innate fickleness. Glenn Beck is not so much Everyman as he is the worst in every man. He is yet another in the recent line of high profile media loudmouths which began with Father Coughlin in the late 1920's and reached their apotheosis with the creation of an entire network devoted to indiscriminate rabble-rousing under a false banner of ethical, unbiased journalism, Fox News. The power and reach of television is such that genuine fringe characters, the types of human wrecks people avoid making eye contact with while on their way to work (like Minnesota's cretinous Michelle Bachmann, for instance) have been given national stages upon which to perform. And since the inception of the 24 hour news/entertainment cycle's excision of pondering and thoughtfulness, virtually any inane issue's momentum is initiated by the merest flutter of a rabid wingnut's flapping lips, growing into a squall large enough to initiate things like partisan special elections, pressuring school boards into removing evolution from syllabuses, preventing a woman's right to choose, calling for a candidate's death at a Palin-McCain rally, and generally inciting obstruction and distraction from the progress this country is finally on the road to achieving. Glenn needs to be careful. Not only is he on the media's wild ride, he IS the wild ride. And all rides come to an abrupt halt.
 
John Farr: On Paul McCartney, and The Memories He Made Top
I had not planned on writing this blog. But early last week, I found myself at a benefit where I witnessed at fairly close range the former Beatle paying tribute to his daughter, designer Stella, before presenting her with an award for her long-standing commitment to the environment. Not being a big detail guy, I confess I had no idea that Paul McCartney would be joining us that evening, nor that Stella McCartney was being honored. Now I am a fairly jaded New Yorker who has attended many events of this type over the years, and seen countless business titans and celebrities speak, either to accept these awards, or introduce other recipients. These experiences now make up the faintest blur in my crowded consciousness. The other night was different for several reasons. First, hearing Paul speak in person, listening first-hand to that achingly familiar voice I've taken refuge in so often over the years. To me it sounded precisely the same as it always has; I could discern no age-related shifts to a lower register, and for some reason, this floored me. Second, Paul's tribute to his daughter was completely forthright and surprisingly personal, a one-two punch that also took me aback. What? No ego? No self-congratulation? Paul volunteered that Stella's name had certainly given her an entrée into the fashion business, but that if she hadn't the talent or work ethic to stand on her own, the industry would have used that same name as a "cudgel" (his word) to deter her progress. A trifle blunt perhaps, but absolutely true. He also praised her courage in challenging established practices by announcing from the outset she would use no animal skins in any of her products; on the face of it then, not the wisest career move, McCartney or no McCartney. He then brought up how proud Stella's late mother Linda would be, to see her daughter receiving the award where she (Linda) grew up- in New York. At this point, Sir Paul became slightly emotional, and so did the rest of us. I thought Stella's acceptance speech showed surpassing grace and humility as well. She fully acknowledged how lucky and blessed she'd been, and she thanked all those who had influenced and encouraged her, including her parents. If there is a heaven, Linda Eastman McCartney must have been looking down. The positively merry ex-Beatle beamed with pride the entire evening. My own engrained cynicism temporarily thrust aside, I started beaming too. I had to admire that someone who had experienced unparalleled fame and adulation from his early twenties could seem so balanced and self-aware, and also be sufficiently responsible and caring to help raise someone as grounded as Stella. This unexpected pleasure brought back my two prior sightings of Paul McCartney: once, walking the streets of New York the day before 9/11, the other in Paris circa 1963, when as a five year old, I looked inside a limousine covered with screaming schoolgirls, and saw the cherubic Paul within, smiling and waving at his ever-growing public. I couldn't identify any of the other Beatles- only Paul's face was at the car window. Just several months later, the world experienced a seismic shift when the Beatles first appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show". In the sixties, most everyone had a favorite Beatle, and since Paul always got the majority of the female votes, I latched on to John. In truth, I found John's anarchic spirit and mischievous persona more appealing then. I had also noted that George, known as the "shy Beatle", had a sizable female contingent in his corner, while court jester Ringo was pretty much universally adored (though few volunteered them as their favorite, as this made an automatic statement about one's musical acumen). The martyred John, of course, will always occupy a symbolic place in my life: only six days and Central Park separated John's slaying with the death of my own mother from cancer. When my immediate family went out to lunch the day she died, Beatles music was playing everywhere, and I recall this fairly cosmic coincidence felt oddly appropriate, since the Beatles was the first rock band my parents ever listened to in earnest. Believing in the timelessness of art, not only would my four children be exposed to great films of all types and stripes, but also to the music that met the same high standards. The Beatles were always front and center. Less than two years ago, we took our kids (now grown) to see the jaw-dropping Cirque de Soleil Beatles tribute, "Love", in Las Vegas. For me, there are few experiences more enjoyable than watching young people totally turned on to something you introduced them to. That's just what happened that night. Like Sir Paul at that benefit, the Beatles themselves never seem to grow old. You may not want to hear their music all the time anymore, but over forty-five years, never have I tired of a Beatles song I loved in the first place. And beyond their enduring songbook, much material exists that keeps the Beatles alive: beyond the literally countless books, you have both the CD and DVD versions of "The Beatles Anthology", arguably best for true fanatics. (Patrick Montgomery's 1984 feature-length documentary "The Compleat Beatles" may be the definitive documentary on the group, but the title remains unavailable on DVD.) To relive Beatlemania in all its madcap glory, I suggest you sit yourselves down to the following double-feature: A Hard Day's Night (1964)- The sheer energy and originality of the Beatles made no traditional plot necessary for this, the group's first film. Director Richard Lester felt it would be sufficient to portray a day in the life of the world's most talked about rock band just as they were attaining a stratospheric super-stardom. The result is part narrative, part documentary- and all magic. The explosive talent and natural charisma of the early Beatles commands our full attention, while fine British character actors like Wilfrid Brambell (playing Paul's incorrigible grandfather) are on-hand to provide comic support (not that much is needed). This contagious romp remains the freshest, most breathtaking of musical rides. Highlight: the spontaneous jam session of "I Should Have Known Better" in a train compartment. Yellow Submarine (1968)- Don't miss this inspired fusion of Beatles music and the vibrant, tie-dye color sensibility of artist Peter Max that became a visual signature for the drug-infused late sixties. In this trippy animated classic, when the Blue Meanies take over Pepperland and turn its inhabitants to stone, lone survivor Lord Admiral escapes in a yellow submarine to London, hoping to enlist the help of the Beatles. Traveling through strange landscapes, the Fab Four bring their psychedelic pop, wit, and message of love to the beleaguered land. Forty plus years after release, "Submarine" endures as an irresistible fantasy, ideal for younger children and their parents (as well as us aging flower children). Its dazzling visual and aural compositions combine with the Beatles' trademark British humor and endless punning to create a generous and satisfying feast for both eyes and ears. For close to 2,000 more outstanding movie recommendations, visit www.bestmoviesbyfarr.com . More on Paul McCartney
 
Pakistan: 62 Migrants Suffocated To Death Inside Shipping Container Top
QUETTA, Pakistan — At least 62 illegal migrants suffocated to death inside a shipping container found stuffed with more than 100 people in southwest Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan on Saturday, police said. Rasool Bakhsh, a senior police official in the city of Quetta, said the container had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and was headed for Iran. He said most of the victims were Afghans. More than 100 people were inside the metal container when police opened it on a tip-off, Bakhsh said. He said survivors were rushed to the hospital, many of them unconscious. Khalid Masood, another senior officer, said a total of 62 were pronounced dead. The stench from the container suggested some might have been dead for days, Bakhsh said. Officials ordered an investigation. Southwestern Pakistan lies on a well-trodden route for traffickers smuggling young men from poverty-afflicted countries including Afghanistan and Pakistan hoping to find work and prosperity in Europe and elsewhere. More on Immigration
 
Islamabad Police Base Hit By Suicide Bomber Top
A suicide bomber has killed at least five paramilitary police in an attack on a security base in the Pakistan capital, Islamabad, police say. More on Pakistan
 
Jim Cramer Declares The Depression "Over" (VIDEO) Top
t came and went - and some might not have even noticed it - despite the seriousness of its use. On April 2, CNBC's Jim Cramer proclaimed the Depression over. Throughout that day, the "Mad Money" host told viewers of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," CNBC's "Street Signs" and finally on his own program that the Depression was over and that we were on the verge of a bull run for the financial markets. More on Jim Cramer
 
Brad Balfour: Q & A: Versatile Actor Craig Bierko Bets On A Revived Guys And Dolls Top
What uncanny timing for a revival of Guys And Dolls. Based on gritty writer Damon Runyon 's Depression-era short stories (and one in particular, "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown"), this version appears set in the Great Depression, peopled by characters of questionable morality struggling to survive, maybe thrive, and--while generally avoiding it on the surface--to find love and commitment in the midst of it all. So it must be tough to be in a show that's gotten mixed reviews after you've worked so hard to realize your character, hammering away at learning the songs, hitting the right note (musically and theatrically), all the while getting the wry tone in place. And this isn't for just any musical. It's for one of the greatest Broadway shows of all time, one shadowed by the spectre of the late Marlon Brando --one of the greatest actors of all time. Brando played, if not the definitive version of Sky Masterson in the 1955 Samuel Goldwyn Company film version, then, essentially, a unique one. With all that in mind, Guys And Dolls could come off as dated, a bit cranky and crusty, or even over-scrubbed if rendered in a too-sanitized fashion. That's not so much the case here, because veteran director Des McAnuff (his hit Jersey Boys got its period right) strives, though not entirely succeeds, in serving up both "a simultaneously razzmatazz and tawdry affair," as Theatermania's reviewer put it. Armed with Frank Loesser 's grand lyrics and score, and the dead-on book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, this show guns for grit and sentiment in "a mythic New York where a kind of perpetual sense of hopefulness exists, even when things are at their worst." And that's where a solid New York theater veteran like Craig Bierko comes in. Since this version was cast with two neophytes to Broadway musicals-- Oliver Platt (Nathan Detroit) and Lauren Graham (Adelaide)--it needed the strong broad experienced shoulders of the 6'4" Bierko to lend support to this production. Along with Kate Jennings Grant (playing Sarah Brown of the "Save a Soul" Mission), Bierko (as gambler Sky Masterson) delivers some of the most seductive, time-tested love tunes of the show. With his 25 years of experience, from delivering a Tony and Drama Desk Award nominated performance as Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man to his stint on Boston Legal (as Jeff Coho), the square-jawed Bierko was a sensible choice to be in this show (currently playing at the Nederlander Theater). And certainly a smart choice of actor to be interviewed about the state of Broadway and the world in this exclusive Q & A. Q: This show has a dramatic element to it that enhances it as a musical. CB: It's deceptive. It's a spoonful of sugar. Aside from what I think is a brilliantly talented handful of co-stars that I'm blessed with, I think the reason you appreciated it was because [of director] Des McAnuff, whose directing was very sure handed, and realizes we've been handed the keys to a Ferrari. This musical works, and is as close to perfect as an American musical can be. The mistake that a lot of people make with musicals when they come over here is, they'll take a Ferrari and paint flames on it and think it's going to go faster. There's an argument that you're actually slowing it down. To extend the metaphor, [McAnuff] doesn't paint flames on a Ferrari, he repaves the track--the things he's done with the LED screen, the things he's done with casting choices, and also making sure that with each character he's lifted out a specific attribute, which is usually, what does this person want? How has it been working for them so far? Where's the point where they realize they're completely wrong, and if they don't change their way of thinking, they're going to be alone the rest of their lives? That's the subliminal message being sent through this musical, and it's a message that every human being over 30 can relate to. Everybody's been all four of the main characters. Everybody's been running from somebody, been running after somebody, or had a childish preoccupation that they have had to give up. There are even people who've hidden behind morality and discovered, like Sarah, that they're truly just hiding from the world, and that God isn't impressed. In my opinion, Adelaide and Nathan are two of a kind. It's easy for me to say I'm not playing them. They're idiots, they're morons. But they're two of a kind, so it's sweet. They're made out of lead. They're very sweet, they love each other very much, they're operators and schemers, and they're lower rung. Sky and Sarah are also two of a kind. The interesting thing to me, and the reason why this thing is ahead of its time--it was written [in the] late '40s or '50s [the first Broadway opening was November 1950]--she's hiding behind the Bible, he's hiding behind this code of being a sharpie, and they're both prevented from making contact with other human beings. It's almost like God is saying: "I created the world, but I don't need you to sing to me on Sundays; I'd rather you use that day to connect with other human beings." Q: Did it makes sense to revive it now because of the times? CB: Maybe that's true but a good play is a good play. It's a great story, so rich and compelling. It's a masterpiece and stands up any time you do it. I don't think there's a time not to do a great play, though certainly there are times not to do horrible plays. And to go back to the Ferrari metaphor, it's always nice to see a beautiful car take a couple spins around the track. Q: This play has a relevant theme, besides just the ever-relevant theme of romance--especially if you put it into the context of the '30s. People turned to crime because, what other options were there? To put that on a Broadway stage during the '50s was a radical thing. Now, it's not so radical. We've had lots of plays about the dark side of life: Gypsy, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, even Sweeney Todd. CB: Every single play you've mentioned, they've come back and somebody brilliant has reinvented that play, and, largely, it's fallen flat. That's because these are American musicals--that is, a light presentation; it is fluff pastry with a meat center. The minute you put the meat on the outside, it falls apart, it doesn't work. The whole recipe falls apart. You don't need to talk about gangsters and Depression and all that stuff. You can imply that stuff. But what people are responding to is: "I'm so afraid of being alone, even with this person I'm with, I'm afraid of being alone." Q: But it was the idea that even gangsters have those feelings--that's what was fresh-- The Sopranos of its day. CB: People love to be told stories, but it's the sugar that draws you into the theater. This is a spiritual play. This is a play, let's face it, that was put mostly together by Jews. I wouldn't necessarily say this is a Christian play, although it uses the mission church, but it is about God. These were men of God. I don't think they were atheists. This is a deeply spiritual play. Sky Masterson--Obadiah [Sky's birth name], by the way, is the guy in the Bible who leads everybody to God--goes down into the sewer, into Hell, to find the sinners. He bares himself, throws out all of his material stuff on one bet; he may have lost the bet, but he's willing to do that. He's willing to walk away from everything because he just wants to connect with God. Maybe I was going too far because I got excited about connecting the dots here that I went: Sky Masterson, Sky Masterson... Sky Master's son. That was the point where Des went, "Don't go nuts on me!" And that's the novelist Damon Runyon, [whose stories] the play is based on. If you break the elements down, it's a witnessing event. The moment at the end of "Luck Be a Lady," the first day, Des said, "I've never seen this before and I've always wanted to see it: I don't want you to sing it to the guys, I want you to sing it right to--it could be God or whatever you believe in--and I want you on your knees."' So I said, "Des, they're going to laugh." And he said, "Maybe some will, but I'm not interested in them." He was absolutely certain that this man needed to be brought to his knees. I really fought him on it right into previews. You don't hear anything, so you don't know what people are responding to. There hadn't been a laugh. I can't know what people are responding to, but I know, in my own work, connecting my own dots to the story, not only was he right, it was necessary, and I can't imagine it any other way. This is a spiritual story. This is a story about men and women being broken down to their bare essence, to the part of them that is God. This is a man who's in Hell, who's not only saying, "help me," but "help these guys get out of here; I'm going to give you everything." And that's what's happening. That's from the Bible. Q: Runyon's stories were about down and dirty, grounded-in-reality characters. This play gives these characters an ambiguous humanity, which traditionally hadn't been seen with such characters. You don't always get that when you take the songs out of context, but when you put them back in context, you really appreciate the songs in a very different way. CB: We're saying the same thing. I'm even digging a little deeper in saying once you get to these guys... What makes gangsters and Huffington Post writers the same? We're all in the fucking sewer. And maybe we do have a guy who's guiding us, leading us and inspiring us to give up an enormous amount to get out of the sewer. There's a very basic human story churning on: people sink down, and then they get inspired again. It's human nature. This story reminds us that it's okay. That's what you're down here to do: you're going to sink down, and then... What's your reaction time? How long before you get out of the sewer? Once you're older than 40, are you doing something to help the other guys who are having trouble? That's what the play is about for me: save yourself, and grab two guys. Try. If they slip out of your hands, at least you tried. Q: That's why the gospel scene--"Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat"--works so well. CB: By the time that scene comes, it's an orgasm. There's a reason why Sky leaves the room. Tituss Burgess is amazingly talented; that's a great vessel to send that song through. Now we're a church--we actually brought church to the Broadway stage. The reason people are reacting is because something has been released inside of them, and they're flying. The people who are open to something better, it's a great play for people to be experiencing at any point. But it's also like you said, especially now, because we're at that point in America where we're going to go through something tough, and once we do it we're going to be very happy we did it. And maybe we won't go back to the sewer again. Q: All Broadway show characters, especially musicals, are "ratcheted up" They're not a real people, they're mythological persons. To make that real on stage is tough. CB: The joy of it for me is, it's an opportunity to say, "Hey, I'm having this experience. Do you recognize this? Isn't this weird sometimes? Isn't this scary? Does this make you sad? Are you scared of this?" That's the joy I get. You can feel that coming off an audience. Usually in the first few rows you can see the people's faces. You can see them reacting or not reacting to certain moments. I don't use that to drive what it is I'm doing but when you have that moment of connection, it's not in the words. It's in the behavior of somebody realizing--you can feel them kind of with you. It feels like what we're doing right now: human beings talking, souls rubbing up against each other. It's positive. Q: What is it that makes us who we are or where are we in the world? Sometimes when you get a chance to talk and think about it, you're really getting in touch with it. That's what that experience of theater is: you have an encapsulated human process at work in this sort of abbreviated but hyper reality. CB: My fear is, you buy a ticket and you go on a ride for something like that, and you have the Guys and Dolls experience, and from the very first note you're like, "Oh," and then you literally feel like you're on a ride. Hopefully, you're fortunate to have someone like Des McAnuff as your ringmaster, so you're in good hands. He's certainly known as an impresario, a man who's in control of traffic. He's in the middle of what's going to be a long career. I suspect as it goes it along people are going to recognize him as a genius. There are a lot of people who can pull levers and visualize and blurry the lines between film and stage and have you feel like you're moving through New York--that's all very exciting. What he did do is, he looked at this play, and Des's vision of the play is complete. He has very strong personalities to work with in myself, Oliver Platt, or Lauren Graham. And they didn't agree on some things sometimes. I look at Oliver as Muhammad Ali. It's his first musical. He's fearless and he's staying in there. There's a lot of actors who, because it wasn't in their wheelhouse naturally, would've backed off, shrunk away, and ended up in the corner. Whereas Muhammad Ali is one of those rare people who just stands up and gets right back in and ends up winning the fight, knowing that they're probably going to die going into the center of the ring. You just get up and you go anyway. It's kinesthetic--the stuff I learn from Oliver. We're both fairly intelligent guys, and we can sit over
 
Lisa Solod Warren: Why NATO is Dead Wrong Top
I am not a warmonger. I hate war. I did not support the Viet Nam War, nor the Iraq War. I wish diplomacy would work and I think it can in some instances and should be tried whenever and wherever possible. But on the issue of sending troops to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda NATO is simply and completely wrong. 5000 more "troops" just ain't going to cut it. That's not support, no matter how Obama spins it. Terrorism as practiced by the Taliban and Al Qaeda is not an American problem. The United States is not and never will be the sole target. The Taliban and Al Qaeda wish to eradicate the West and Western Civilization and that includes Europe and many many other countries around the world. There have been bombings traced to Al Qaeda in Spain, England, France, Italy and India, Bali, and Indonesia, to name a few. There will be more. We made the huge mistake of supporting the Taliban against the Russians in the 1980s, just as we made the mistake of supporting Saddam Hussein for years. We have made many mistakes like that. We went into Afghanistan right after September 11 and then made the further mistake of dropping the ball and turning our attention to Iraq. We knew that then and we know that now. Had we asked for assistance in 2001 in wiping out Al Qaeda things might be very different. But we did not and now we are paying the price. We have lost our credibility. For that we can thank the past administration. And Europe and NATO are "punishing" us by refusing to come to our aid. Rather than seeing it is their own best interest to join with us to eradicate the power of Al Qaeda--a gang of terrorists whose sole purpose is to strap bombs to themselves and destroy the lives of thousands of innocent people--they are going to sit back and let us police the world once again. The war on terror will not be won by sending in hundreds of thousands of American soldiers into rocky, mountainous, unfamiliar terrain that the Taliban and Al Qaeda soldiers know like the backs of their hands. It will not be won by forcing our young men and women to give up their lives for a cause than cannot be won by conventional means. This is not a conventional battle; it is not a war like any we have ever seen. We are not doing this to "save" the Afghani people so that they can pass laws we do not approve of or live a lifestyle that makes us cringe. We are fighting terrorism pure and simple. We are dismantling the Taliban and Al Qaeda, amoral power systems with no regard for human life; that see nothing wrong with strapping bombs onto the bodies of young men and young women and sending them into crowded places, buses, airplanes, and detonating them for the glory of their G-d, who, is not a G-d that would ever ask such a horrific thing. We must have a concerted effort against the Taliban and Al Qaeda by all parties concerned, by specialist troops from all NATO countries who realize that as long as terrorists are allowed to run rampant bombs will go off unexpectedly in countries all around the globe and people will be killed for the glory of an Allah who does not want that glory. The Americans, the French, and the British have some of the best trained secret forces in the world. The Taliban and Al Qaeda have no rules of engagement, so why should we? Thus this war must be fought completely differently from the way it is now. Forget about the way we fought the Viet Nam war. That didn't work then and it won't work now. Think about this instead: Hundred of small groups of warriors living like the Taliban in the mountains, while large numbers of trained SEAL teams are stationed elsewhere. Each group has its different orders: the SEALs take out Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders, the mountain warrior divisions take out the soldiers. My husband, a SEAL- trained Special Forces soldier during Viet Nam has outlined this particular plan to me and convinced me that it is the only one that would work. I am sure he would be happy to give the Pentagon the dirty details. If this sounds ruthless, remember our enemy and his ruthlessness. The second part of the equation is to show our strength against others who might wish to become "involved," in this war on terror: countries like Pakistan or Iran. By amassing hundreds of thousands of NATO soldiers along those countries' borders--as a show of solidarity and strength. Once we have broken the back of the terrorists, perhaps then some real diplomacy can begin. And perhaps we can really work with Pakistan and India and Iran and even Iraq and Afghanistan in truly constructive ways. This is not to say that there will never be terrorism. There will always be people willing to kill themselves and others for a cause: be it their particular god or their particular cause or their particular country. But if the world shows a an equal willingness to band together against evil before it gets to the point it did in World War II then maybe we will actually be able to stop something before it gets so out of hand that millions, hundreds of millions, are dead and dying. Too many people sat on their hands while Hitler rolled through Europe. America finally came to the rescue. We were late, too, but we did come through. NATO is very very foolish not to see that their best interests lie in coming on board now; it's already late for them, but not too late. Our strategy needs to change and somehow we need to convince them to join us in destroying the power base of both the Taliban and Al Qaeda before things get even uglier. Who knows what the terrorists are planning even at this moment? Or where?
 
US Likely To Keep Losing Jobs In Coming Months Top
The U.S. may suffer further job losses in the coming months after employers cut payrolls by 633,000 in March and the unemployment rate jumped to a 25-year high of 8.5 percent. A host of companies -- from manufacturers such as Johnson Controls Inc. and Dana Holding Corp. to service providers like International Business Machines Corp. and even the U.S. Postal Service -- have announced plans to eliminate jobs in the face of depressed demand from their customers.
 
"HGTV's $250,000 Challenge": Families Vie For Mortgage Payoff Prize On New TV Show Top
LOS ANGELES — Drew Lachey is hosting a new HGTV competition series with a hefty mortgage payoff prize. The cable network said Friday that "HGTV's $250,000 Challenge" will give five neighboring families the chance to snare the quarter-million-dollar prize by competing in home-improvement challenges. The four-part series, debuting on May 31, teams the families with construction and design experts who will help them with weekly contests including kitchen and living room makeovers. The neighborhood's location and the names of the families were not announced Friday.
 
Rudy Giuliani's Consulting Firm Losing Jobs, Clients Top
Rudy Giuliani's once-thriving consulting firm is on the ropes, heavily pared down after his aborted presidential run last year, several sources told The Post. The firm's client list has thinned out in the past few years, as have partner salaries, the sources said. Some partners have left, and some support staffers let go. More on Rudy Giuliani
 
Ex-Playboy Staffer Files Discrimination Lawsuit Top
NEW YORK — Playboy magazine's former fashion director claims he was fired because of his sexual orientation and his age. Joseph DeAcetis filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court saying the magazine's editorial director "made fun" of him because he is gay and his hair was gray. The lawsuit says that the editorial director referred to homosexuals as "girls." The 45-year-old DeAcetis became a staffer at Playboy in 2005. He says his duties were gradually given to a younger, straight male assistant and a straight female editor. Playboy Enterprises spokeswoman Elizabeth Austin says the company "takes these allegations very seriously" and has been investigating internally. ___ Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com More on Playboy
 
This Week In Unnecessary Censorship (VIDEO) Top
Jimmy Kimmel is no fan of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the regulatory body in charge of policing the airwaves. So each week he does a segment called "This Week In Unnecessary Censorship," that takes normal every day language and makes it seems lewd by bleeping out words or phrases. As a result everything from "The View," to "Family Feud" comes out dirty...and hilarious. WATCH: More on Jimmy Kimmel
 
Anders Fogh Rasmussen: NATO Leaders Pick New Secretary-General Top
STRASBOURG, France — NATO leaders appointed Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as NATO's new secretary-general Saturday after overcoming Turkish objections to a leader who angered Muslims around the world by supporting the right to caricature the Prophet Muhammad. NATO's outgoing head, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said NATO's 28 member nations reached unanimity after a series of Turkish "concerns" were addressed at the alliance's two-day, 60th-anniversary summit. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that his government's requests had included the closure of a Kurdish satellite television broadcaster based in Denmark; the establishment of contacts between NATO and Islamic countries; appointment of a Turk as an aide to Fogh Rasmussen and senior NATO command positions for Turkish generals. Erdogan said President Barack Obama had been heavily involved in the negotiations. "Our president gave his approval after receiving information that our reservations have been addressed under the guarantorship of Obama," Erdogan said. "We hope our concerns will be met." Obama said there had been "important efforts to make sure that everyone felt included." Fogh Rasmussen told a NATO news conference in Danish that the station, Roj TV, was being investigated to find out whether it has any ties with the Kurdish militant group PKK or has advocated terror attacks, something the station has repeatedly denied. "If it can be proven that Roj TV is involved in terror activities, we will of course do all we can to shut down the television station," he said. "I have not given in to the Turks," he said on Danish television Saturday evening. "Sometimes it is better to sit face-to-face with people," Fogh Rasmussen, 56, has a reputation domestically and internationally as a deft negotiator. He has led a minority government since 2001, and helped raise Denmark's profile with a strong commitment to European Union cooperation and trans-Atlantic ties. He speaks French fluently, a key requirement in bilingual NATO. When Europe was split over the Iraq war, he joined President George W. Bush's "coalition of the willing" and sent a few hundred Danish troops to help topple Saddam Hussein. But he also criticized the U.S. for the detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay and secret CIA prisons. Denmark withdrew its soldiers from southern Iraq in 2007, and boosted its contingent in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, where it has about 700 troops. Fogh Rasmussen infuriated many Muslims by defending freedom of speech during an uproar over a Danish newspaper's publication of the cartoons in 2005. He has also angered Turkey by opposing its membership in the European Union. Turkish leaders argued that Fogh Rasmussen on the grounds that he would be a bad choice at a time when NATO was trying to win support from Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a diplomat from a member country who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Fogh Rasmussen, who stood next to de Hoop Scheffer during the announcement, said he was honored by the decision and would present his resignation to Queen Margrethe on Sunday at the Amalienborg Palace and would recommend that Finance Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen would be appointed as his successor. De Hoop Scheffer's term runs out Aug. 1. The secretary-general's duties include administering the day-to-day business of the alliance's headquarters in Brussels. The post has in the past been filled in private consultations between member states, and the choices provoked little public interest. Other possible candidates for NATO's top post had included Canada's Defense Minister Peter MacKay, Britain's former Defense minister Des Browne, and Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. ___ Hacaoglu reported from Ankara, Turkey. AP correspondent Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report.
 
Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Playa Hatin' on Madonna Top
Let's cut the bull. The issue is not Mercy James. That's the four year old Malawian orphan girl who Madonna wants to adopt. The issue is Madonna. Whether their motive is revulsion, disgust, secret wish fulfillment, sexism, or just plain, garden variety envy, legions just flat out loathe Madonna. Or in the street vernacular, there's a thriving growth industry in playa hatin' on Madonna. This writer became painfully aware of that after my piece "Madonna Deserves Cheers not Jeers for casting the ugly glare on Africa's adoption misery" hit the web. The calls, letters, emails, and shots from Madonna's sex book, and her onstage at times sado-masochistic antics poured in. The idea was to remind me that Madonna is an ego maniacal, crotch grabbing, whacked out onstage porno and fast buck exhibitionist who no one with a shred of decency could possibly think could be a fit mother, especially a fit mother to a black kid. The rants were against me, Madonna, and those Malawians who cheered Madonna; which by the way as every poll and survey has shown is just about everyone in Malawi from top officials down to the beggar on the street to Mercy's grandparents, relatives and caregivers. They all applaud Madonna for taking a personal and humanitarian interest in Malawi's one million orphans. The Madonna playa haters are absolutely unfazed by the millions of dollars that she has raised for her Raise Malawi organization. They pooh pooh the international attention that she's brought to a country that ranks near dead last on nearly every social and economic measure for developing countries. This is a country which nearly all the Madonna loathers thought was another way of saying Malarky, hadn't heard of and couldn't find on a map before Madonna tossed the spotlight on the dire poverty in the country. The haters air brush off Madonna's plans to bankroll a school for orphan girls in the country. They wave away the reminder that Madonna, outside of President Obama, is the most over-exposed celebrity on the planet and hardly needs to snatch away an African orphan to get some cheap pub. They turn the tinniest ear to this rejoinder; OK, so other than yap that Madonna has turned Africa into what the hater's brand a rich closet bigotted white woman's plaything, have you contributed money, written letters to elected officials, volunteered to work with relief agencies, or tried to sponsor an African orphan? Madonna's brash, sassy, and high energy in your face style and persona has long sent the clear message that she was her own woman. She turned sensuality into a badge of fierce independence and pride, the trademark of defiance.This has always sent the pack of Madonna haters spinning into orbit. The issue is not and never has been Madonna and Malawi's orphans. The issue is and always will be Madonna. It's a playa hater's delight. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, "The Hutchinson Report" can be heard on weekly in Los Angeles on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and nationally on blogtalkradio.com More on Africa
 
Heavenly Creatures! More First Lady Fashion At Strasbourg Cathedral (PHOTOS) Top
*Scroll down for slideshow* STRASBOURG, France — It was perhaps not what Michelle Obama expected on her first presidential foray to France. But it was certainly French. Anti-war and anti-capitalist protesters tangled the streets of the Alsatian city of Strasbourg and thwarted her planned visit to an anti-cancer research center with other spouses of NATO leaders. Police barricades and narrow pedestrian streets that wind through the city center meant she couldn't get there and back by motorcade. So the visit was shelved, and they had an unplanned coffee with the French first lady instead. A few kilometers (miles) away, Molotov cocktails and tear gas canisters exploded as protesters pushed back riot police, filling the spring air with smoke and acrid stench. Nearby, 28 NATO leaders met to choose a new chief for the alliance and seek answers for Afghanistan. Such violence is not all that common here. But marches, strikes and demonstrations are a standard form of public expression in France, and cars are regularly burned on the weekends in Stasbourg's poorer neighborhoods. Michelle Obama and the other spouses stuck to their main event of the day: a visit to a 15th century cathedral that is a UNESCO-protected monument in the historic city center. It wasn't a women-only affair _ German Chancellor Angela Merkel's husband, Joachim Sauer, joined them, too. They had Strasbourg's Notre Dame Cathedral largely to themselves, since the towering marvel of Gothic architecture was part of the "red zone" of the city restricted to outsiders. As a French priest gave them a tour, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy translated into English. Michelle Obama walked side-by-side with Hayrunnisa Gul, the Turkish president's Muslim wife, head sheathed in a scarf. A toccata resounded from the organ embedded in polychromatic sculpted wood, as priest Bernard Eckert described the stained glass windows as "comic books" of their time. Earlier, the last-minute hospital visit cancellation caused a protocol mishap. The spouses were sent to the 18th century Palais de Rohan instead of the hospital, but the wives of the Slovenian president and the Albanian president and prime minister showed up too fast _ even before their hostess, Bruni-Sarkozy. The French first lady, a former supermodel, handled it with aplomb, striding in in black pants and a camel coat, and shaking each arrival by hand. Michelle Obama arrived last in a belted black coat _ and was the only one to win a double-cheek kiss from Carla. The two held hands briefly for the cameras. The two women went head-to-head at their first meeting Friday in what people-watchers and tabloids dubbed a fashion face-off. Each held her own. Fuschia-robed Obama charmed French onlookers. Demurely dressed Bruni-Sarkozy signed autographs for fans of her throaty, and sometimes racy, folk songs. ___ Associated Press Writer Laurent Pirot contributed to this report. More on Michelle Obama Style
 
Police official: 3 officers killed in Pa. shooting Top
PITTSBURGH — A man opened fire on officers during a domestic disturbance call Saturday morning, killing three of them, a police official said. Friends said he had been upset recently about losing his job and that he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns. Three officers were killed, said a police official at the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Police spokeswoman Diane Richard would only say that at least five officers were wounded, but wouldn't give any other details. Police planned to release more details at a mid-afternoon news conference Saturday. The man who fired at the officers was arrested after a several-hour standoff. One witness reported hearing hundreds of shots. The shootings occurred just two weeks after four police officers were fatally shot March 21 in Oakland, Calif., in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001. Police did not immediately release the gunman's identity, but his friends identified him as Richard Poplawski, 23. They described him as a young man who thought the Obama administration would ban guns. One friend, Edward Perkovic, said Poplawski feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon." Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, said Poplawski feared that President Obama was going to take away his rights, though he said he "wasn't violently against Obama." Perkovic, a 22-year-old who said he was Poplawski's best friend, said he got a call at work from him in which he said, "Eddie, I am going to die today. ... Tell your family I love them and I love you." Perkovic said: "I heard gunshots and he hung up. ... He sounded like he was in pain, like he got shot." Vire, 23, said Poplawski once had an Internet talk show but that it wasn't successful. Vire said Poplawski had an AK-47 rifle and several powerful handguns, including a .357 Magnum. Another friend, Joe DiMarco, said Poplawski had been laid off from his job at a glass factory earlier this year. DiMarco said he didn't know the name of the company, but knew his friend had been upset about losing his job. The officers were called to the home in the Stanton Heights neighborhood at about 7 a.m., Richard said. Tom Moffitt, 51, a city firefighter who lives two blocks away, said he heard about the shooting on his scanner and came to the scene, where he heard "hundreds, just hundreds of shots. And not just once _ several times." Rob Gift, 45, who lives a block away, said he heard rapid gunfire as he was letting his dog out. He said the neighborhood of well-kept single-family houses and manicured lawns is home to many police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other city workers. "It's just a very quiet neighborhood," Gift said. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 133 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2008, a 27 percent decrease from year before and the lowest annual total since 1960.
 
Jiverly Voong, NY Gunman, Angry Over Poor English Skills, Job Loss Top
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The gunman who killed 13 people in a rampage at an immigrant community center and then committed suicide was wearing body armor, indicating he was prepared to battle with law enforcers, the Binghamton police chief said Saturday. The gunman, 41-year-old Jiverly Wong, had been taking classes at the American Civic Association, which helps immigrants assimilate, until last month, Police Chief Joseph Zikuski said. Wong had a permit for the two handguns he used, Zikuski said. Most of the victims had multiple gunshot wounds, he said. Wong, who used the alias Jiverly Voong, believed people close to him were making fun of him for his poor English language skills, Zikuski said. Wong was ethnically Chinese but from Vietnam, a friend said Saturday. He was angry about recently losing a job, couldn't find work and complained that his unemployment checks were only $200 a week, said Hue Huynh, a Binghamton grocery store proprietor whose husband worked with Wong years ago. Wong had driven a truck in California before recently returning to Binghamton, only to lose a job there, Huynh said. "He's upset he don't have a job here. He come back and want to work," she said. Her husband tried to cheer him by telling him he was still young and there was plenty of time to find work, but he complained about his "bad luck," she said. On Friday, Wong barricaded the American Civic Association community center's back door with his car, walked in the front and started shooting with two handguns. Within minutes, a receptionist, 12 immigrants taking a citizenship class and the gunman were dead. Another receptionist, 61-year-old Shirley DeLucia, played dead after she was shot in the abdomen and called 911 to get police to the scene within two minutes. Zikuski said the injured receptionist stayed on the phone for 90 minutes, "feeding us information constantly," despite a serious wound in the abdomen. "She's a hero in her own right," he said. DeLucia was in critical condition at a hospital Saturday, along with another victim in the same condition and another in serious condition. A fourth victim was in stable condition at another hospital. Thirty-seven others made it out, including 26 who hid for hours in a basement boiler room while police tried to determine whether the gunman was still alive and whether he was holding any hostages, Zikuski said. Investigators said they had yet to establish a motive for the shooting. It was at least the fifth fatal mass shooting in the U.S. in the past month, and the nation's deadliest since April 2007, when 32 people and a gunman died at Virginia Tech. Wong was found dead in an office with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a satchel containing ammunition slung around his neck, authorities said. Police found two handguns _ a 9 mm and a .45-caliber _ and a hunting knife. A woman who answered the phone at a listing for Henry D. Voong said she was Jiverly Voong's sister but would not give her name. She said her brother had been in the country for 28 years and had citizenship. Accounts varied about the suspect's work history. Zikuski told NBC's "Today" show that the shooter had worked in Binghamton for Shop-Vac, which closed in November. The sister told the AP on Friday that her brother worked at a company where "they make the vacuums." Initial reports suggested Voong had recently been let go from IBM, which has roots in the region, but a person at IBM said there was no record of a Jiverly Voong ever working there. His father, Henry Voong, does work there as a contractor. Huynh said her husband had worked with Voong years ago at IBM and that he had recently been let go from IBM again after returning from California. The attack at the American Civic Association, which helps immigrants settle in this country, came just after 10 a.m. as people from all over the globe _ Latin America, China, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Africa _ gathered for English and citizenship lessons in an effort to become a bigger part of their new home. Wong parked his car against the back door before barging through the front and opening fire, apparently without saying a word. He then entered a room just off the reception area and fired on a citizenship class while terrified people scrambled into a boiler room and a storage room. Abdelhak Ettouri, a Moroccan immigrant who lives in nearby Johnson City, told the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin he found the back door locked when he tried to flee, then ran to hide in the basement as he heard 12 to 14 shots: "Tak-tak-tak-tak." Hoi Nguyen of Binghamton said his 36-year-old daughter Phuong Nguyen, who survived the massacre, was taking an English class in the basement when the gunfire started. "She said it sounded like a firecracker and everyone in the class was startled," he said. "Then the teacher locked the door, called the police, then told everyone they couldn't leave the room." Police arrived in minutes, heard no gunfire and waited for about an hour before entering the building to make sure it was safe for officers. They then spent two hours searching the building. They led a number of men out in plastic handcuffs while trying to sort out victims from the killer or killers. The shootings took place in a neighborhood of homes and small businesses in downtown Binghamton, a city of about 47,000 situated 140 miles northwest of New York City. The region was the home to Endicott-Johnson shoe company and the birthplace of IBM, which between them employed tens of thousands of workers before the shoe company closed a decade ago and IBM downsized in recent years. A string of attacks in the U.S. in the last month left 44 people dead in all. A gunman killed 10 people and himself in Samson, Ala.; shootings that began with a traffic stop in Oakland, Calif., left four police officers and the gunman dead; an apparent murder-suicide in Santa Clara, Calif., left six dead; and a gunman went on a rampage at a nursing home Sunday, killing seven elderly residents and a nurse who cared for them. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Michael Hill, John Kekis and Michael Rubinkam in Binghamton; Carolyn Thompson and John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y.; Jessica M. Pasko, George M. Walsh and Chris Carola in Albany; Ben Dobbin in Rochester, N.Y.; Daisy Nguyen in Los Angeles; and the AP News Information Research Center in New York.
 

CREATE MORE ALERTS:

Auctions - Find out when new auctions are posted

Horoscopes - Receive your daily horoscope

Music - Get the newest Album Releases, Playlists and more

News - Only the news you want, delivered!

Stocks - Stay connected to the market with price quotes and more

Weather - Get today's weather conditions




You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)