Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The iPod and the Queen, the Kindle and the King Top
It was not an April Fools' joke. When President Barack Obama met with the Queen of the Commonwealth at Buckingham Palace, he gave her an iPod. Last week, I was half expecting the president to show up in the Middle East laden with Kindles. He could have started with a special reading selection when he met Saudi King Abdullah. The day after, when the president spoke to the Muslim world at Al-Azhar University, I pictured him handing out another Kindle to Muhammed Sayyid Tantawy, the university's grand sheikh. Obama might have had a third Kindle for the ambassador of Iran to Egypt (for this man represents the ayatollah, who is the highest authority for Shia Muslims), who attended the presidential address. Unlike the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth, the umma, or Muslim community, has no symbolic leader, let alone a formal one. The king of Saudi Arabia; the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar University (the largest, and in the eyes of many Muslim scholars, most prestigious Islamic center of learning); and the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran all make equal claims to represent the heart and soul of the umma. They have their differences. The king is the protector of the holy shrine of Islam and a political leader. The grand sheikh has no formal political power, but it is not an exaggeration to say his institution is one of the most influential in the Muslim world. And Iran not only claims spiritual power but pursues political and military dominance. The issue of who speaks for Islam is perhaps the worst nightmare for the U.S.; this is not fully appreciated by the crafters of American foreign policy. This makes a discussion of the relationship between Islam and the West much more problematic than the president's speechwriters realize. Like former U.S. presidents, Obama denounced Islamic extremism without once associating Islam with extremism. He firmly stated that America is not at war with Islam and will never be; and he invited the Muslim world to join hands with the U.S. to fight extremism tooth and nail. However, Islamic extremism can be read in two ways. The first is in its foreign policy implications for the United States -- that is, in its expansionist or jihadi meaning. Al-Qaida-like attacks on American soil against Americans or American interests will be met with force, the president promised. That's an easy position to take because for the United States; it's a position of self-defense. It is not America that is at war with Islam. It is Islam that is at war with America. The second sense of the word "extremism," used many times by the president, is as a euphemism for the application of Islamic law, or sharia, in Muslim countries. This, the president evidently hopes to counter by wooing the Muslim street. The courtship articulated in his speech was peppered with false praise (". . . it was innovation in Muslim communities that developed . . . our mastery of pens and printing"), feigned common principles and made ridiculous promises to fight negative stereotyping of Islam wherever he encounters it. This is all part of political rhetoric, but it really doesn't lead to concrete change. This, in my view, is the wrong strategy. Instead of pretending that Muslims invented printing, the president should be confronting them with the key products of the Western printing press. And it's here that Kindles really could be of use. I imagined him offering the king, the sheikh and the ayatollah each a Kindle with Abraham Lincoln's passionate case that he made against slavery and for equality. Obama reminded the Muslim world that "black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding." Nowhere in the world is bigotry so rampant as in Muslim countries. No difference is greater between American and Islamic principles than the founding ideals of both. It is on the basis of the founding ideals of Islam that al-Qaida and other Muslim puritans insist on the implementation of sharia law, jihad and the eternal subjection of women. It is on the basis of the founding ideals of America that blacks and women fought for -- and gained -- equal rights and gays and new immigrants continue to do so. I wish the president were so candid as to say that. But, perhaps, that is something for a later stage in the courtship. I would also include Thomas Jefferson's improvements on the New Testament. The king, the sheikh and the ayatollah might not cut and paste the Quran, but together they have the authority to rule that parts of the Holy Book no longer apply in the modern world. For instance, the edicts of sharia law that reject innovation and scientific inquiry and order all Muslims to spread Islam. Of course, no reading selection would be complete without a copy of the United States Constitution, highlighting (because you can do that in a Kindle) the Eighth Amendment banning cruel and unusual punishment. And for good measure, I would also add JFK's inaugural address: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. . . . To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required. . . . To those nations who would make themselves our adversary ... (w)e dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. . . . Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Not to mention woman. Obama promised to launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim majority countries to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. Does he realize that the transfer of ideas also creates opportunities for the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Saudi Arabia to punish the practice of un-Islamic ideas? That poor girl in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, who, after seven men raped her, was sentenced to flogging, had succumbed to the novel idea of flirting by cell phone. In the Kingdom, every Friday, cruel and unusual punishment is perpetrated, far worse than anything John Adams saw in his time. The hands of those suspected of stealing -- mostly poor, immigrant workers -- are amputated. The more one is dark-skinned in Saudi Arabia, the bleaker his circumstances, not to mention hers. For in the Kingdom, black is still considered to be inferior. Men and women convicted of adultery, apostasy, treason and other "offenses" are beheaded. Thousands of women are rotting in Saudi jails, waiting to be flogged, or are flogged daily for acts such as mingling with men, improper attire, fornication and virtual relationships on the Internet and cell phones. Promotion of literacy for girls, which the president wants to help pursue, is a noble cause. But, unless sharia laws are repealed, more girls will find themselves in flogging pens rather than rising up the career ladder. Barack Obama, a historic president in a historic moment, promised to host a summit of entrepreneurship in Muslim-majority countries "to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Muslim countries around the world." I wish he would host a reading summit where we truly "say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts that too often are said only behind closed doors." For too many of us born into Islam, saying those things openly can land us in jail or in the graveyard. More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
ZP Heller: Why Isn't This on CNN? Afghan Refugee Describes Recent US Bombings Top
Why isn't this footage on CNN or MSNBC? Why can't the American public have easy access to it? Those are questions we should be asking ourselves as we watch the powerful images of Abdullah Khan, a refugee from Afghanistan's Helmland province forced to seek shelter in an IDP camp outside Kabul. Innocent people who lost loved ones and limbs, homes and all possessions during recent US airstrikes are now living in tents, unable to provide food or water for themselves or their children. It's no wonder Khan, who lost two or three family members himself, resents the US military presence so deeply. "Americans don't do us any good," he says. "When the Americans came these atrocities happened. When the Americans were not here, things were calm; there was the same earth and sky. When the Russians came, they bombarded us, and also now the Americans are bombarding us. What benefit did the Americans bring us?" This exclusive footage is from the soon-to-be-released fourth segment of Rethink Afghanistan , which focuses on civilian casualties. Brave New Foundation is releasing it in the hopes that others use it to raise awareness about the dire situation on the ground in Afghanistan right now, but thus far, it appears the corporate media is not doing their job in covering this war accurately. When US airstrikes killed up to 143 civilians in Farah province last month -- an attack that was the direct result of military error -- FireDogLake blogger Siun discovered CNN was merely repeating the Department of Defense's spin on the story. I guarantee if footage like this ever found its way onto major news networks, public opinion about the war in Afghanistan would be dramatically different. Congress wouldn't be on the verge of approving $96.7 billion in supplemental wartime funding, the President and military leaders wouldn't be able to call for tens of thousands more troops so easily, and there would be a public outcry for the Pentagon to provide an exit strategy . You can also help make sure a wider audience sees this video with a few clicks on the following networking sites: digg , current , stumbleupon , and reddit . More on Barack Obama
 
Jonathan Richards: The Terrorists Win Top
Murder in the name of religious fanaticism. It has a familiar ring. More on Terrorism
 
Bradley Burston: Loving Israel by Hating Obama Top
I've got a home in that rock, just beyond the mountaintop -- God gave Noah the rainbow sign... No more water -- but the fire next time. (Traditional spiritual of African-American slaves) It's become a fashion, here and abroad: Jews who are convinced that they love Israel more than the rest of us -- and certainly better than the rest of us -- have told anyone who would listen that one way to express love of the Jewish state is to revile Barack Obama. This month, as the American president visited the Middle East, the fashion turned ugly. On the Sabbath, Israeli television viewers were treated to the recorded-on-a-weekday observations of Arele, a resident of the West Bank settlement of Karnei Shomron, grinning as he watched the progress of an arson fire burning Palestinian land near the Gilad Farm, an icon of the outlaw outpost movement. Asked by Israel Channel Two Television reporter Shai Gal what would happen if Israeli forces tried to evacuate Havat Gilad, Arele replied, "At most, they'll demolish one measly shack, so they'll have something to show...that Kushon [a Hebrew slur equivalent to the "N" word] in the United States, in order to have an Etnan [the biblical term for a fee paid to a prostitute] to give him -- if you [secular] guys know what an Etnan is." According to Arele, the fire, in this instance a form of pre-emptive revenge, was the price tag Palestinians would be forced to pay each time Obama pressed Israel to "touch any settlement of any kind, any place in Judea and Samaria." For sheer racism and Obama-hate masquerading as love of Israel, however, nothing comes close to the filth documented on a new short film Feeling the hate in Jerusalem on the Eve of Obama's Cairo Address . The three-minute video, by American journalist-filmmaker Max Blumenthal and American oleh Joseph Dana, became an overnight internet sensation. It shows a succession of U.S. Jewish visitors to Israel, most of them college-age and plainly and proudly drunk, toasting each other in a Jerusalem bar as they vie for the twin crowns of lover of Israel and loather of Obama. "He's a Muslim for sure, and who even knows if he was born in the United States," says a young woman who identifies herself as a political science major. "We haven't even seen his birth certificate yet. Bullshit -- he's not from the U.S. He's like a terrorist." Another of the young American Jews calls Obama "just another N----- from the town." Understandably, Jews abroad have voiced fears that the unapologetic racism in this ostensibly ultra-Zionist criticism of Obama could foster anti-Semitism, further strain black-Jewish relations, and add fuel to anti-Israel fires. All this comes at a time when confusing hatred of the Other with support for Israel has come into decidedly wider fashion. In historically liberal Minnesota, Chabad Rabbi Manis Friedman contributed the following to an " Ask the Rabbis " discussion conducted by the North American Jewish magazine Moment , which asked the question "How should Jews treat their Arab neighbors?" "I don't believe in western morality, i.e. don't kill civilians or children, don't destroy holy sites, don't fight during holiday seasons, don't bomb cemeteries, don't shoot until they shoot first because it is immoral," Rabbi Friedman began. "The only way to fight a moral war is the Jewish way: Destroy their holy sites. Kill men, women and children (and cattle)," he continued. A storm of criticism ensued. Rabbi Friedman later issued a clarification, stating that it was "obvious, I thought, that any neighbor of the Jewish people should be treated, as the Torah commands us, with respect and compassion." Seldom has this concept been less obvious. We live at a time when an avowed Kahanist is a serving MK, when overtly anti-Arab Knesset bills blacken Israel's name the world over, and Jewish talkbackers and bloggers think nothing of denigrating Islam and African-Americans in the name of some cockeyed personal battle against world anti-Semitism. The haters of Obama, the haters of Arabs, and the outpost gunslingers should bear in mind what happened at the end of that Channel Two report on the Gilad Farm activists: not long after they started the fire on their neighbors' field, smoke and flame were licking at the walls and windows of their own houses. This post originally appeared on haaretz.com . More on Barack Obama
 
James Von Brunn Apparently Part Of Obama "Birther" Movement Top
Among the myriad of disturbing qualities of James Von Brunn, the 88-year-old man who shot and killed a security officer inside the Holocaust Museum on Wednesday, is his apparent belief that Barack Obama is not a citizen of the United States and therefore has no right to the presidency. The reason it sticks out is that, even among Von Brunn's other characteristics -- including heavy streaks of anti-Semitism, disdain for the federal government, and threads of white supremacy -- being a "birther" has a modicum of political credibility. Certainly, the vast majority of people who are skeptical of Obama's birth in the state of Hawaii tend to be harmless conspiracy theorists. And there has been no suggestion that Von Brunn's distrust of the president's citizenship solely drove him to this violent act. "In addition to being a birther," said Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, "he also believed that Hitler didn't kill enough Jews. He had a history of anti-Semitic, hateful views." Indeed a "birther" mindset is more a symptom of extremism than a cause. That said, the extent to which the birther ethos has been driven into the political narrative by legitimate figures, and subsequently picked up by extremist elements, is noteworthy. In an obvious reference to questions about Obama's birthplace, Rep. Bill Posey, R-FL, has introduced a bill in the House requiring presidential candidates to file a copy of their birth certificates. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-V.A, has joined him as a co-sponsor of that measure. Several weeks ago, conservative reporter Lester Kinsolving, asked Robert Gibbs why the president would not "respond to the petition to requests of 400,000 American citizens by releasing a certified copy of his long-form birth certificate listing hospital?" Outside political circles, but still within the national spotlight, the view is much more widely articulated. As late as two weeks ago, for instance, Fox News was running a headline on its website, asking: "Should Obama Release Birth Certificate? Or Is This Old News?" On Wednesday morning, moreover, talk show host Rush Limbaugh sardonically compared President Obama to God, noting that, "God does not have a birth certificate either." Remarks like these aren't inherently violent. They can be picked up, however, by individuals who are. "I think it is perfectly obvious that the birther movement has gained a large following on the radical right," said Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center. "It may have emerged form the right wing of the Republican Party. But the reality is that it has been adopted by the most noxious elements out there and certainly John Von Brunn represents that element." Neither Posey nor Goodlatte's office returned request for comment. Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!
 
Leora Tanenbaum: Will the Real Islam Please Stand Up? Top
I've been asking devout Muslim American women how they feel about the status of women in Islam. Over and over, they give me the romantic apologist point of view: "Islam is a feminist paradise! I wouldn't change a thing." But then again, many others offer me -- a Jewish woman -- a vastly different, historical perspective: "I love Islam, but I'm sick of the way the men have taken over this religion to control women, and I want to do something about it." The romantic apologists claim that the beheading several months ago of Aasiya Hassan in upstate New York was not connected with Islam. (Aasiya Hassan was murdered by her husband, Muzzammil Hassan, founder of a Muslim television station in Buffalo, after she filed for divorce.) They are invested in defending their faith as flawlessly realized, and thus are blind to the reality that the typical non-Muslim American murderer does not saw off his victim's head. And the often horrific treatment of women in Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan? Well, that doesn't have anything to do with Islam either! That's just tribal custom! Muhammad the prophet, peace be upon him, worshiped women, saying that they were the gatekeepers of paradise! At its roots, yes, Islam truly is feminist. Islam regards women and men as coequals before God. In seventh-century Arabia, Islam gave women rights within marriage (including the right to sexual satisfaction), the right to divorce, and inheritance law centuries before women in the West were granted these rights. The pre-Islamic custom of female infanticide was prohibited. And yes, Muhammad the prophet repeatedly declared that women must be treated with respect. On many fronts, Muhammad improved the status of women. But men have long interpreted Islam from their own point of view and declared that point of view universal for all believers--just as male Christian and Jewish theologians and religious leaders have done throughout history. This point of view has permitted Muslim men in some cultures through the centuries to take multiple wives and to physically abuse or even murder the women in their lives. More broadly, this point of view has facilitated a general attitude that women have less value than men. The conflict between opposing interpretations of Islam is played out here in the United States, just as it is wherever there is a Muslim population. A fascinating PBS documentary, "The Mosque in Morgantown," covers one case study. The documentary will air June 15 on PBS stations nationwide at 10pm (check local listings). "The Mosque in Morgantown" follows journalist Asra Nomani as she challenges the mosque in her West Virginia community to back away from extremism. Formerly of the Wall Street Journal, Nomani currently leads the Pearl Project at Georgetown University, seeking to answer who murdered her colleague and friend Daniel Pearl. After going on hajj, the holy pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 2003, Nomani returned to Morgantown with a renewed faith. She wanted to be part of her local Muslim community and was excited that a new mosque was being constructed. On the eve of Ramadan, she reached the front door, but was not greeted with "Assalaam aleikum." Instead, the board president yelled at her, "Sister, take the back door!" Most mosques in the United States do not have separate doors for women, but the attitude toward women Nomani encountered was far from uncommon. Meanwhile, the men delivering sermons were intoning that wife-beating is permissible, that "a woman who loses her chastity is worthless," and, for good measure, that "Jews are the descendents of apes and pigs." Nomani initiated a series of events intended to force her mosque to retreat from its extremist direction. She walked through the front door and insisted on praying in the men's section (the small women's section is located in another space upstairs); she wrote about the gender inequality in an op-ed in The New York Times; she organized a protest outside the mosque and invited the media, including CNN, to cover it. Soon enough, the mosque leadership voted to expel Nomani, the feminist troublemaker, from the mosque. Nomani eloquently related these events in her 2005 book, Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam. Even if you've read the book (which I recommend: it's beautifully written and a moving story), you should watch the documentary. It broadens the picture by including the voices of Nomani's opponents. Brittany Huckabee, the film's director and producer, persuaded several of them to explain their side. The wife of the mosque president defends the mosque's separate door and prayer space. "You can't bend the rules," she explains, because the rules are from God. Another woman says accusingly to Nomani, "You do not show respect to yourself," to which Nomani replies, "I show respect to God." More than anything else, "The Mosque in Morgantown" reveals that Islam is understood in widely divergent ways, even within the same community. It is impossible to give everyone the Islam they want. As one mosque member says with some exasperation, there are just so many strands of thought and they have just one mosque trying to accommodate everyone. Yes, but there is a false and dangerous belief that the extremist way is most authentic. Alternate interpretations may be even more true to the spirit of the religion. (This applies to Christianity and Judaism as well.) The Qur'anic verse long understood to permit wife beating, 4:34, is now being revisited by scholars and translators who argue that the word translated as "beat" in fact means "to go away." Thus, the Qur'an does not advocate violence against women but rather the opposite: a non-violent separation between husband and wife when their relationship is heated. Who gets to define Islam--or any religion? Which interpretation is more "real"? And why does unequal treatment of women always become the litmus test of authenticity? It makes you wonder who is the ultimate power--God, or men invested in protecting their own turf? More on Religion
 
Shepard Smith Says His Email Is Becoming "More And More Frightening" (VIDEO) Top
Fox News' Shepard Smith's pretty well known -- and oft praised -- for the way he can size up a news event and expose his own authentic concern without seeming mawkish or phony. And in the wake of today's shooting at the Holocaust Museum, Smith went on the air today to talk about the emails he's been receiving for "the past few months," and how they've been getting "more and more frightening." SMITH: There are people now, who are way out there on a limb. And I think they're just out there on a limb with the email they send us. Because I read it, and they are out there . I mean, out there in a scary place...I could read a hundred of them like this...I mean from today . People who are so amped up and so angry for reasons that are absolutely wrong, ridiculous, preposterous." He went on to read an email, filled with the usual paranoid "birther" nonsense, which included an admonishment to Smith. "This is, I promise, a representative sample of the kind of things that we get here," Smith said. Time will tell if Smith's colleagues at Fox stop taking these sorts of emails casually. Smith clearly could do that no longer. I think that's appropriate! WATCH: [Would you like to follow me on Twitter ? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here .] More on Video
 
Bonnie Fuller: My Dead Mom Wants to Be Dug Up Top
I never realized that trying to get a headstone for my mother's grave would be a full-time job. At least, that's what it must require to be successful. Since I haven't been able to accomplish that yet, I can only guess that to actually get a gravestone selected, engraved and placed on a grave, must necessitate quitting whatever you do to earn a living, canceling out of all your children's assorted baseball and soccer games and giving up on sleeping and eating. I say this because despite my best efforts and hours spent leaving messages or being put on hold... forever, I have been unable to even order a grave marker from the specifically required headstone supplier that my mom's cemetery will accept. What's fascinating about this, is that Jewish tradition -- my family is Jewish -- requires that you hold a funeral and bury your deceased loved one superfast -- usually within two days of their passing. But once that milestone is accomplished, the whole urgency factor evaporates. Jewish tradition prescribes that you wait several months before holding a ceremony to "unveil" the headstone, which is then placed upon the grave. I'm not sure why, there is supposed to be this waiting period but now I'm beginning to see the "unveiling" in a whole new light. It isn't merely a sombre event of remembrance -- it's more like a relief ceremony. People have clearly overcome innumerable hurdles to get that gravestone on the grave -- they need to celebrate their success. I say that because I can't even get the Benjamin Landmark Memorial and yes, I'm naming names here, to return my phone calls to discuss my mom's headstone order. First of all, the place is never open. It's closed days like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and oh yes, Friday. I've heard rumors that it's open on Sundays. It's also closed on holidays I've never heard of and can't pronounce. If it is open, the only person that you apparently can talk to isn't in that day. After a a few months of my mounting frustration, my husband Michael agreed to give it a go. He thought I was kidding or inept. Now he's also shaking his head. He did after multiple phone calls -- we live in New York, the cemetery is in Toronto -- get through finally to some guy named Howard. Basically, Howard told him that NO, we couldn't do anything special, artistic, carved or sculptured on the headstone, that my mom would have loved. NO we couldn't have anything but the standard size of 2' by 2'. And NO, we couldn't have too many words carved on it either. If you wanted a short, squat, plain gray headstone with a giant Star of David and her name -- that they could do. I have to admit that I haven't spent a lot of time in graveyards particularly modern ones, but one of the most charming aspects of the older cemeteries I've walked through is the variety of the shape, size and inscribed effects on the tombstones. The fact that they are personalized has always seemed loving and beautiful to me. So why does the Holy Blossom Memorial Park in Toronto have so many rules? Who decided that gravestones that were all nondescript, one shape and size, the regulated way to go? Why is there cemetery dictatorship? It feels so Mao Tse-Tung to me. Apparently, one other poor family attempted to bend the headstone rules and they ended up with their "unique' tombstone, sitting in a shed... while they butted heads in litigation with the cemetery, FOR TWO YEARS! Now I can understand when you have a memorial park like Flanders Fields with its miles of simple, white crosses, that the conceptualizers were going for a striking effect. But rows of short, squat grey headstones doesn't say spiritual to me. I'm wondering though who are the strident advocates for dull, uniformity at my mother's cemetery. It's not like people are saying "I refuse to be buried there if you allow mixing of different tombstone styles... I'd rather die than be buried next to a taller one. Wait, no, it's I won't die, if I'm going to be buried next to some individualistic headstone." Now maybe I just hit the reason for the lack of responsiveness to my and Michael's attempts to order a tombstone. Cemeteries truly are a recession-proof business. No matter what the economy is doing, people keep on dying at the same rates. Dying is one thing most people can't cut back on, like their heating bill. So cemetery operators don't feel the need to compete. They can treat grieving relatives with callous disregard. It doesn't matter -- after all, what are you going to do to protest? Get cremated? In the meantime, we have finally thrown up our hands on trying to create a more beautiful sculpted headstone that reflects my mother's love of nature and art. We did the best we could with the standard choices, ticking off all the boxes on the headstone order form that we finally obtained. Michael faxed it in over a month ago. He's now left 45 messages trying to follow up with Howard to make sure that our order is underway. But no luck on a returned call. Since especially after this blog, my poor mom is probably going tombstone-less forever or until I get really rich and can have her dug up and moved somewhere more dead-friendly, we have decided on an alternative plan. Since we know my mother's spirit isn't hanging around that cemetery anyway -- it's in nosebleed country -- and we feel her presence in our home, we're commissioning a memorial sculpture in her memory to place in our garden, which she loved. Sorry Ma, that we've been headstone failures so far. We just hope you're laughing along with us at the ridiculousness of this situation. But if any of you who read this have had similar experiences and have advice on how to successfully overcome this headstone impasse, my husband and I, and I'm sure that my mom as well, are all ears! Please share! And when her new gorgeous marker is ready and planted in our garden, we'll toast her with a glass of chardonnay and chocolate, which she'll love! My husband and niece are raising money for cancer research in memory of my mom Tanya, with the Ride to Conquer Cancer. If you can, please donate! Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com /bonniefuller .
 
Barbara Ficarra: Be Back In An Hour: What We Can Learn From Twitter Top
Are you "Down for Maintenance"? Maybe you Should be! Periodically on Twitter you'll come across a message that reads: Twitter is currently down for maintenance. We expect to be back in about an hour. Thanks for your patience. It's understandable that Twitter needs a little TLC. Twitter -once an obscure toy for social networking insiders, but suddenly a way millions of regular people are communicating online -- probably needs a break. With so many Tweets zinging around the globe faster than the speed of light, it only makes sense that Twitter needs some down time. It got me thinking: What if I put an "away" message on my e-mails that said, "Barbara is currently down for maintenance. I expect to be back in about an hour. Thanks for your patience." I wonder what the reaction would be. After all, I could use a little "maintenance" during the daily rush. If it's not a day I'm on duty in the hospital, I'm working feverishly producing radio shows, replying to e-mails, participating in conference calls, writing blog posts, tending to family issues, etc. I could use that hour of "maintenance" to bask in the sanctuary of peace and quiet, recharge and rejuvenate. Couldn't we all? Really, there's not much difference between maintenance for your computer, car, or home-and yourself. Without frequent maintenance, anything or anybody can get unbalanced and lose the ability to function. Just like Twitter, if we don't pay attention to regular maintenance, our foundations can crumble. So how can you maintain that strong foundation? 4 Easy Tips to Keep Your Foundation Strong 1. Eat healthy -- Use quality fuel . Choose snack foods with nutrients that maintain your body's health. Great choices include: • Walnuts • Raspberries • Blueberries • Pomegranates • Fresh fruits and vegetables of all types [For more info on healthy eating, John La Puma, MD, ChefMD , offers easy, delicious and healthy recipes.] 2. Recharge at night . Yes, your body and mind both need time to rejuvenate. Average sleep is about eight hours and turns out to be right for most people. [But not all people. If you have any question, be sure to talk to your health care professional about the right amount of sleep for you.] 3. Keep the machine running . Get moderate exercise 30 minutes a day , 5 days a week to keep yourself in tune. 4. Identify stress points and fix them . When you know you're under stress and need some down time, go for a leisurely walk, take a warm bath, or go for a massage. Whatever you enjoy that relaxes you, find time to do it. If you don't take care of stresses when they're small, you could wind up with big problems to fix later on. So maybe we should all use this message in our e-mails regularly. "[YOUR NAME] is currently down for maintenance. I expect to be back in about an hour. Thanks for your patience." You'll be fresher and stronger as soon as you're back in operation. More on Twitter
 
Holocaust Museum Shooting: Illinois Holocaust Museum Expresses Shock, Adding Security In Response Top
SKOKIE, Ill. (AP) -- Officials at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center say they're "shocked and saddened" to hear an elderly gunman opened fire inside the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, killing a security guard. Executive Director Richard Hirschhaut (HER'-shout) says the Illinois museum's officials are working closely with the Skokie Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. He says they're ensuring a heightened level of security in and around the Skokie facility. The 65,000 square-foot museum opened in April. It's the largest of its kind in the Midwest and features 2,000 survivor testimonies, most of them from Skokie area residents. --- On the Net: Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center: http://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org -ASSOCIATED PRESS The full statement from the museum: The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic shooting earlier today at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the security guard killed in this senseless attack. The constant safety of Museum patrons is always the top priority of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. To ensure the safety of all our visitors, the Museum was built with a state of the art security system, which was developed in consultation with experts in the security field and with the support of the United States Department of Homeland Security. In response to this tragedy, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is working closely with the Skokie Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to ensure a heightened level of security in and around the facility. More on Religion
 
Sotomayor Condemned Antigay Violence Top
Judge Sonia Sotomayor, whose Supreme Court nomination hearings are slated to begin on July 13, was one of 39 individuals at Princeton University who signed a letter to the campus newspaper in 1976 condemning an attack against a gay student group More on Sonia Sotomayor
 
Alvaro de Molina: GMAC CEO's Private Jet Use Top
Call it flying high while the ship sank. For the leaders of the world's biggest companies, 2008 was a great year to have access to a private plane. As ABC News reports, 2008 saw more miles flown by elite CEOs than the previous five years. Curiously, one big bailout recipient led the way in racking up private jet miles flown. GMAC CEO Alvaro G. de Molina, the head of the embattled lender, logged $2.25 million worth of air time in company planes in 2008, almost four times as much as the next CEO on the list. GMAC was the only company on ABC News' list to spend more than $500,000 in private jet miles last year. To date, GMAC has received $12.5 billion in bailout funds. Yet, in 2008, de Molina's compensation more than doubled to $11.62 million. Reuters points out that about $2.62 million of this amount came from de Molina's private jet usage. Though, Molina certainly spent a large portion of 2008 in the air, things slowed down after GMAC took TARP money. Here's what GMAC said on the subject in its most recent 10-K: "Upon becoming a TARP participant all personal and business travel on company aircraft ceased. Prior to this, senior executives could make occasional personal use of company-provided aircraft if approved by the CEO. In addition, a company aircraft was provided for Mr. de Molina's personal use primarily related to commuting between his home and work location with all or a portion of the aggregate incremental cost to be offset against his realized SAR values in the future under an amended contract. Other senior executives with homes in the same area as Mr. de Molina, including Mr. Ramsey, commuted with Mr. de Molina. At the time of the hiring of Mr. de Molina, and subsequently of other senior executives, the personal use of company-provided aircraft was necessary in order for us to attract seasoned executives with their knowledge and experience at a time when GMAC was facing significant business challenges. All employees using the GMAC-provided aircraft for personal use were liable for taxes on the imputed income resulting from this perquisite." Get HuffPost Business On Facebook and Twitter !
 
Indian Sex Workers Study Karate (VIDEO) Top
The BBC reports that sex workers in southern India have responded to abuse and mistreatment by taking up a new skill: karate. There are reportedly nearly 3 million sex workers in India. "A thug once stripped me of my clothes and told me to run naked," one sex worker told the BBC. "From now on, I think nobody can do that to me. I will kick him." The women say they were so fed up with abuse that they approached a local community group for help. The organisers hope the course in the ancient self-defence technique sends a message that violence against sex workers must stop. Get HuffPost World On Facebook and Twitter! More on India
 
Senate Guru: The Politicization of Our Safety by Republicans and Right-wingers Top
A brief chronology: A Objective Assessment on Public Safety Concerns April 7, 2009: The Department of Homeland Security releases a nine-page assessment document entitled " Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment " (in PDF). Among the findings: Threats from white supremacist and violent antigovernment groups during 2009 have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts. Nevertheless, the consequences of a prolonged economic downturn--including real estate foreclosures, unemployment, and an inability to obtain credit--could create a fertile recruiting environment for rightwing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past. The assessment also warned of "a heightened level of extremist paranoia" and "lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks." Right-wing Blowback and Politicization April 14, 2009: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich : The person who drafted the outrageous homeland security memo smearing veterans and conservatives should be fired April 14, 2009: Conservative commentator Sean Hannity intentionally misrepresents the focus of the assessment as targetting "people who have pro-life bumper stickers." April 14, 2009: Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin : The "report" ... was one of the most embarrassingly shoddy pieces of propaganda I'd ever read out of DHS. I couldn't believe it was real. ... By contrast, the piece of crap report issued on April 7 is a sweeping indictment of conservatives. April 15, 2009: House Republican leader John Boehner demands an apology from the Department of Homeland Security for the report. The Report's Tragic Accuracy May 31, 2009 : Dr. George Tiller, a frequent target of right-wing hate and violence for performing late-term abortions, was murdered. The suspect apprehended is a right-wing extremist with a long history of violent rhetoric and criminal actions on behalf of the right-wing anti-choice movement. June 10, 2009 : A lone gunman opened fire at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, killing a security guard and injuring others. The suspected shooter is a right-wing extremist with a long history of violent rhetoric and criminal actions on behalf of the right-wing white supremacist and Holocaust denier movements. The Moral of This Brief Chronology : Our public safety and national security should never be politicized, especially not by Republicans and right-wingers desperate for relevance in the media. How many times do Republicans have to be wrong and divisively political - and have their "wrongness" be illustrated in tragic events - before they either change their tune or have the traditional media stop taking them seriously?
 
Huff TV: HuffPost's Julie Satow Talks Blogger Buzz On CNBC Top
Huffington Post Business Editor Julie Satow joined Rob Cox of BreakingViews.com Wednesday afternoon to discuss the buzz from financial blogs and news web sites on CNBC's Power Lunch . Watch the full segment below: More on Video
 
Greg Lukianoff: FIRE Protests UC Santa Barbara's Investigation of Professor Robinson Top
Back in May I reported on the case of William I. Robinson, a professor at University of California, Santa Barbara who is being investigated for writing his students an e-mail that compared Israel's treatment of Gaza to the Nazis' treatment of Warsaw. Back in May, the investigation seemed somewhat tentative and I had hoped that cooler heads would prevail. But, while my work does produce the occasional pleasant surprise, this was not to be. Therefore my organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) , sent a letter to UCSB today asking it to abandon its investigation of Robinson. In the letter, my colleague Adam Kissel forcefully demonstrates why such an investigation is not only wrongheaded but fundamentally at odds with the principles of academic freedom. In my previous blog post I pointed out why Robinson's case is somewhat stickier than most from an academic freedom perspective, but I ultimately concluded that, nonetheless, his speech is and should be protected. Those who disagree with Robinson or think his e-mail does not represent the best traditions of American pedagogy are free to those opinions. They are, furthermore, free to protest the University, Robinson, or his department, and to question UCSB's academic and hiring judgments. But once investigations are launched against professors for writing provocative e-mails to their students on issues related to the topics of their classes, we are faced again with a fundamental truth about education: being offended is what happens when you have your deepest beliefs challenged, and if you make it through four years of college without having your deepest beliefs challenged, you should ask for your money back. UCSB should drop its investigation of Professor Robinson. More on Israel
 
Chip Berlet: Holocaust Museum Shooting, Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories, and the Tools of Fear Top
The alleged shooter at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum today has an online book excerpt revealing his deep roots in historic White Supremacy and antisemitic conspiracy theories, including references to the hoax document The Protocols of the Elders of Zion . His website includes links to White Supremacist and Holocaust denial sites. People who believe conspiracist allegations sometimes act on those irrational beliefs, and this has concrete consequences in the real world. The shooting today is a prime example of why it is a mistake to ignore bigoted conspiracy theories. Law enforcement needs to enforce laws against criminal behavior. Vicious bigoted speech, however, is often protected by the First Amendment. We do not need new laws or to encourage government agencies to further erode civil liberties. We need to stand up as moral people and speak out against the spread of bigoted conspiracy theories. That's not a police problem, that's our problem as people responsible for defending a free society. Demagogues and conspiracy theorists use the same four "tools of fear . ," which Berlet identifies These are as 1) dualism; 2) scapegoating; 3) demonization; and 4) apocalyptic aggression. The tools of fear are a connected constellation of frames, narratives, and processes used by demagogues to mobilize resentment and undermine the democratic process . The basic dynamics remain the same no matter the ideological leanings of the demonizers or the identity of their targets. Meanwhile, our ability to resolve disputes through civic debate and compromise is hobbled. It is the combination of demagogic demonization and widespread scapegoating that is so dangerous. In such circumstances, angry allegations can quickly turn into apocalyptic aggression and violence targeting scapegoated groups like Jews or immigrants. Apocalyptic aggression is fueled by right-wing pundits who demonize scapegoated groups and individuals in our society, implying that it is urgent to stop them from wrecking the nation. Some angry people in the ir audience already believe conspiracy theories in which the same scapegoats are portrayed as subversive, destructive, or evil. Add in aggressive apocalyptic ideas that suggest time is running out and quick action mandatory and you have a perfect storm of mobilized resentment threatening to rain bigotry and violence across the United States. What historian Richard Hofstadter famously described as the "paranoid style" in American political rhetoric can quickly move far beyond the conscious intent of those who practice it. = = = Chip Berlet is Senior Analyst of Political Research Associates and the author of a new study entitled Toxic to Democracy: Conspiracy Theories, Demonization, and Scapegoating . He also is coauthor, with Matthew N. Lyons, of Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort.
 
Alex Matthews: Refugees: South Africa's New Apartheid Top
A year ago mobs rampaged through South African townships beating and in some cases killing the African immigrants living amongst them. Thousands who came to South Africa seeking the peace, freedom and economic opportunities lacking in their own often conflict-ravaged countries were forced to seek shelter from vicious attacks by locals. One night during the wave of xenophobia that engulfed the country I was at a church where hundreds of refugees were being temporarily housed. There was a knock on the door; two men stood stunned, shell-shocked, explaining their house had just been burnt down. The church had run out of space so we took them to another one in on the other side of the city. On the way, they told us their story. They had been living in Cape Town for about five years. A few days before, they were on their way from their car-washing job to the railway station when a few police officers spotted them. They searched them up against a wall before tearing up their immigration papers, arresting them and throwing them into a police van. They spent the weekend incarcerated; then on Monday, at the Department of Home Affairs, a kindly clerk recognized them, provided them with new papers and ensured they were released. The next day their house was attacked. Looters were going from house to house, asking the nationality of the residents inside. If there were immigrants they entered and ransacked the place, taking everything of value. Then they called the mobs to come and burn the place down. When they went to the police station and reported what had happened, the drunk police officers on duty just laughed at them. The day before, a friend of theirs had elicited the same reaction. Stuck in an overcrowded third-class train carriage, people inside started asking him the meaning for isiXhosa words (isiXhosa is the Cape's local indigenous language). When he was unable to answer, they began beating him. As the train was approaching a bridge, the passengers tried to open the door of the carriage to throw him out. Fortunately the double doors refused to budge. Badly beaten, the friend got out at the nearest station. When he explained what had just had happened to the Xhosa security guards, they laughed at him. He went then went to the police where his story also invoked much mirth. "You're a man -- you should be able to defend yourself," they told him between bouts of laughter. That was one year ago. The senseless anarchy that rocked South Africa may have calmed but, tragically, the hatred lingers and the tensions remain. Perceived -- all too often unfairly -- as job-steelers, criminals and competitors for scarce resources, immigrants are sub-humans in the eyes of certain South Africans: fair game for vilification, abuse and persecution. On a daily basis, immigrants are being subjected to brutal discrimination -- apartheid by any other name. And this is not merely manifested in the alienation and occasional bouts of intimidation they can be subjected to by the communities they live in. Tragically ironic in a country that experienced apartheid, xenophobia is also exhibited in institutionalized repression. While the South African government has relaxed its controls on its border with Zimbabwe, harsh treatment is meted out to the almost three million Zimbabweans who have fled oppression and economic collapse. Desperately hoping for respite from the horrors of their homeland, they instead face anything from arrests and assault by the police to Byzantine, corrupt and chaotic asylum processing facilities. Those that have no papers are often denied access to healthcare and safe shelter. Both government and the country at large must stop the discrimination and needless persecution of refugees and immigrants. As a nation which inspired the world with its remarkable transition from prejudice to peace, South Africa is obligated to. Watch the video from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on the plight of Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa here: http://afrodissident.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/zimbabweans-south-africas-second-class-citizens/ More on Zimbabwe
 
Ron Mirenda: Change and Charity: How You Can Ensure They Both Survive Top
Contrary to some short-sighted, misguided beliefs, charity is not dead, but merely licking its wounds. Yet, people continue to trumpet its imminent demise. It reminds me of Mark Twain's famous quote, "the report of my death was an exaggeration." Our country would not be the great nation it is today if not for the charitable sector. There is a rich, over 400 year-old, philanthropic tradition of people helping people in this country, beginning with the American Indians giving food and assistance to our "foreigner" forefathers in the early 1600's (our Thanksgiving). In 1638, John Harvard bequeathed his library and half his estate to Harvard College. In 1657, The Scots Charitable Society, the first American "friendly society" was created in Boston and is still in existence today. Yes, the philanthropic spirit is stronger today than ever. It has been the strongest catalyst for change throughout our history, and change is today's all-encompassing mantra. When our neighbors are in trouble, we create 'friendly societies" to help them. And it's not just the well-heeled who do this. Recent statistics show that lower-income individuals give more, proportionately, than do the wealthy. Instead of prematurely decrying the decline of the charitable culture, we should take firm, decisive steps to ensure its future. There are multiple ways of giving back. One can give money, goods and time. We all know the easy ways to give: outright gifts, in-kind property, buying auction items and attending special events. However, the need for volunteers in this country is overwhelming, especially in fields that help children. Why not give something more valuable than money: your time, your love, your knowledge and your experience to help a young person? Youth are our most valuable resource, and yet they are being wasted and thrown away at an alarming rate by our society. Here are five ways you can make a difference, create change in our country and, at the same time, ensure that young people will grow up being able to effect change in their lifetimes. One prime example is the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Their star-studded alumni list includes: Academy Award-winning actor and national spokesperson for BGCA, Denzel Washington, Mario Lopez, Muhammad Ali, Gen. Wesley Clark, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Shaquille O'Neal and a host of others. According to a 2007 BGCA alumni survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 57 percent of alumni reported, "The Club saved my life," while another 28 percent credited Boys & Girls Clubs with keeping them in school. Now, that's making a difference! Check it out at ( www.bgca.org ) or ( www.BeGreatAmerica.org ) Five Tips to Help Affect Change Tip #1: Volunteer at a children's hospital: their needs are many, from holding and rocking sick premies when their moms can't, to reading to cancer patients, to comforting their parents. Tip #2: Volunteer in your local school district: you can tutor, you can coach or you can assist teachers. You can participate in after school enrichment programs like LA's Best. ( www.lasbest.org ) Tip #3: Volunteer in a youth sports program: you can coach, you can referee, you can groom the fields or sweep out a gym or you can keep score. Tip #4: Volunteer in the foster care system: There are over 500,000 children in foster care in this country. You can be a foster parent, you can be a tutor or you can become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) www.casaoc.org Tip #5: Choose your own personal passion. Check out Volunteers of America and discover the thousands of organizations you can help. www.voa.org President Obama is building his administration on the theme of change, but he and congress can't do it alone. These are just five ways we can help ensure that change occurs through charity and philanthropy. We need to dive into the cold, murky waters of these uncertain times and help those that are floundering, even if we aren't strong swimmers ourselves. There will never be that perfect time when our 401ks are secure or our homes are paid off when we can say: "Now I can think about someone else". Now is the time to think of those who have neither home nor income. How will their children become healthy, productive adults if they are broken and discarded by our society? If we don't make the investment in them today, they never will.
 
GroundReport: Bob Rae: Canadian Politician, Critic Booted From Sri Lanka Top
By Emanthi Marambe Sri Lankan Authorities today detained and Expelled Canadian Liberal MP and strong critic of Sri Lankan Government Bob Rae soon after his arrival to Colombo.According to the Sri Lankan Immigration and Emigration Controller Mr.P.B Abeykoon MP Rae was briefly detained after his arrival to Colombo International Air Port from New Delhi last night over his links with LTTE. Expelled Canadian MP who is also the former Ontario Premier is widely known as criticizing Sri Lankan Government over the War against LTTE as he says that there is a Genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka. Immigration and Emigration Controller further said that the Canadian MP's visit is Not a suitable one and he was expelled from the Country for the destination he came from the very next flight."He is barred from Entering to Sri Lanka" he stressed.Meanwhile Government Authorities Suspicious on his arrival to Colombo as he carried one way Air Ticket. Ottawa Government expressed their Dismay and Displeasure over the Sri Lankan Government's decision to detained and Expelled the Canadian Liberal MP Rae. Get HuffPost World On Facebook and Twitter! More on Sri Lanka
 
Recession Kills The Mood: Americans Put Off Marriage, Children (And Divorce) Because Of Economy Top
Some Americans are putting off marriage and children because of the economy, according to a national survey released Wednesday. Eleven percent of Americans surveyed said they planned to postpone marriage, and the same number said they are waiting to have children, according to the survey by legal website FindLaw.com. But an even greater indication of the effects of the brutal economic downturn is that some people are postponing divorce. Four percent of those surveyed -- unhappy married people -- have decided to stick together because they fear cannot afford to split up. "We'd been hearing anecdotally from attorneys that people have been postponing some of these major life decisions because of the economy," FindLaw.com spokesman Leonard Lee told the Huffington Post. "We were surprised by the extent to which people are postponing these life decisions." "The fact that 4 percent said they'd postpone a divorce, that was kind of eye opening," Lee said. Lee said it's important that people understand the financial and legal implications of decisions to marry, have children, adopt, or divorce. The implications of a divorce, requiring spouses to disentangle from each other and worse, possibly unravel a mortgage, can be very serious in this market. The trend is more pronounced among young folks and poor folks. Thirty-seven percent of people between 18 and 34 said they were postponing marriage, divorce, or children. Thirty-five percent of those with less than $35,000 in yearly household income said they were putting off a big decision. Still, most Americans don't make life decisions based on broad economic trends. Eighty-two percent of all survey respondents said they don't care what the economy's doing when they make a major life decision. According to the National Center for Health Statistics , the marriage rate has steadily declined from 2000 to 2007, while the divorce rate has risen. The birth rate declined from 2007 to 2008. HuffPost readers: Are you putting off a big life decision because of these broad economic trends? Let us know! Email arthur@huffingtonpost.com . More on Marriage
 
LeRoy Carhart, Nebraska Doctor, Plans To Offer 3rd-Term Abortions In Kansas Top
OMAHA, Neb. — A Nebraska doctor says he'll perform third-term abortions in Kansas after the slaying of abortion provider George Tiller, even though Tiller's clinic is closed. Dr. LeRoy Carhart declined to discuss details with The Associated Press on Wednesday, a day after Tiller's family announced his Wichita clinic was permanently shutting its doors. Carhart isn't saying whether his plans include opening a new facility or offering the abortions at an existing practice. He says such details are "something that doesn't need to be talked about" until everything is in place. Tiller's clinic was one of the only facilities in the country that performed third-trimester abortions. Carhart had performed late-term abortions there for 10 years. Kansas state law allows abortions after the 21st week in certain cases. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The group that tried for years to put slain abortion provider Dr. George Tiller out of business is interested in buying his now-closed clinic in Wichita, its president said, but an attorney for the doctor rejected the idea as a publicity stunt. Operation Rescue president Troy Newman said that his group has discussed the idea of buying the tan, windowless clinic in east Wichita. He made the comment after the Tiller family announced Tuesday that the clinic would be closed permanently. "I would love to make an offer on that abortion clinic, and that's some of the discussion that we're having," Newman said in a telephone interview Tuesday from his group's headquarters in Wichita. Tiller, whose clinic was one of the only facilities in the country that performed third-trimester abortions, was shot May 31 while serving as an usher at his church. Scott Roeder, a 51-year-old Kansas City, Mo., resident, has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault. An attorney for Tiller wouldn't discuss the proposal. "I'm just not going to respond to every irreverent publicity stunt or comment by these extremists," said the attorney, Dan Monnat. The clinic building and the land upon which it sits were appraised this year at $734,100 for tax purposes, according to county records available online. Those records show that Tiller and the clinic owned an additional $51,600 in personal property. The owner of the building and property is listed as J & G Enterprises, formed in 1993. Tiller's widow, Jeanne, is named as the resident agent, or the person who would receive legal papers. Newman's group bought another former abortion clinic in Wichita in 2006 for its headquarters, but he said the group needs to expand. "We need a bigger office," he said. Tiller's clinic was the site of a 45-day "Summer of Mercy" protest in 1991 that included attempts to blockade it and led to more than 2,700 arrests. Operation Rescue was founded in the 1980s by Randall Terry, who led the "Summer of Mercy" effort. Terry stopped using the Operation Rescue name because of multiple lawsuits. He and Newman are engaged in a legal dispute over who has the right to use the name. Newman moved to Wichita in 2002 and brought his anti-abortion group from California to wage an aggressive campaign to shut down Tiller's clinic. "We would love to see that place established as a center for life, one that nurtures and cares for babies, rather than taking their lives," Newman said of Tiller's former clinic.
 
Russia Making Broad Claims To Arctic Energy Wealth Top
MOSCOW — Russia will rebuild its Soviet-era network of polar stations and use its icebreaker fleet to help support its claim to the vast resources of the Arctic, the man who led a mission to plant a Russian flag on the Arctic seabed said Wednesday. Artur Chilingarov, a famed polar scientist who was recently appointed the Kremlin's point man for Arctic issues, said Russia will gather data and resubmit its claim to the United Nations that an underwater mountain range crossing the polar region is part of Russia's continental shelf. Under a U.N. treaty, that would make the shelf Russian territory and Russia would have ownership of any of its natural resources. "Russia won't leave the Arctic, we will build up our economic and scientific presence in the region," Chilingarov told reporters. "I'm confident that our claim is fully legitimate." Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway have all been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, which is believed to contain as much as 25 percent of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas. The dispute has intensified amid growing evidence that global warming is shrinking polar ice, opening up new shipping lanes and new resource development possibilities. Chilingarov said Russia will rebuild a network of polar stations whose number has dwindled from about 100 during Soviet times to just about a dozen now. Russia's fleet of six nuclear-powered icebreakers also give it an edge in polar exploration, he said, because they are bigger and more powerful than ships from other Arctic nations. "Russia has a powerful atomic icebreaker fleet which can get to any area of the Arctic and fulfill any task," he added. "No other Arctic nation has such potential." In 2007, Chilingarov led two Russian mini-submarines on a mission to stake Russia's claim to the region. The two subs descended 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) to the Arctic seabed, where they collected geologic and water samples and dropped a titanium canister containing the Russian flag. Chilingarov said putting a flag on the Arctic seabed had a symbolic meaning, but Russia now needed to back up its claim with scientific data. Moscow first submitted the claim to Arctic seabed in 2001 to the United Nations, but it was rejected for lack of evidence. Chilingarov said Russia may resubmit the claim in 2013 after collecting more data. A Kremlin strategy paper signed by President Dmitry Medvedev last month singled out the Arctic as one of the areas of fierce competition for energy resources _ and even said that battles over energy riches may trigger military conflicts near Russian borders. But Chilingarov downplayed the danger of military confrontation in the Arctic, voicing confidence that Arctic nations will divide the region's riches in line with international law. "We will defend our economic interests, but I don't foresee any conflicts in the future," he said. More on Russia
 
Pia Sawhney: In Harsh Times, Pakistanis Seek Comfort On Facebook Top
When Arshad Kaleem left Baton Rouge for Pakistan two weeks ago to attend ceremonies following his mother's funeral, his wife Saima posted her fears online by updating her Facebook status. Bombings erupted in Lahore just hours after Kaleem boarded his flight. Saima Zaman-Kaleem is glad Arshad is almost in Islamabad and very worried about things in Pakistan she wrote in the status line of her profile on the widely popular social networking website. Nearly instantaneously, her update elicited support and sympathy from friends and family members. " InshaAllah he goes safely and comes back safely," wrote one poster. "Yeah, it's crazy there," her brother replied. "I told mom to be careful too!" Another friend tried to console her. "Oh boy," she wrote, following the phrase with a string of prayers and good wishes in Urdu. While the nation's news media has been prohibited from reporting extensively on military exercises in Swat and Buner districts, on Facebook and over instant text and e-mail messaging, questions and concerns crop up swiftly among Pakistani users whenever attacks ensue. Lately, among those Pakistanis who live either at home and abroad, discussions on whether the government's offensive to root out Taliban militants might have been implemented sooner are becoming commonplace. Estimates reflect three million people have now been displaced from Buner and Swat - a figure akin to the late nineteen-forties when the region saw tremendous upheaval during Partition, the moment in history that led to the formation of modern India and Pakistan. The vast migration of people to the two, newly-cast separate territories forced millions from their lands and ancestral homes at the time, leaving families vulnerable to mob attacks, rioting and civil unrest. The day Kaleem's plane landed in Islamabad he had planned to attend ceremonies in his mother's hometown of Malakand, a village near Swat, several miles north. But once he arrived, explosions seventy-five miles south in the eastern city of Lahore prompted him to change course. Minutes from the blasts, Shahana Munawar, a mother of two, began alerting friends and family as she watched the news. She uploaded television footage of the incidents to her Facebook profile. Munawar had been called to pick her children up from school and, at the time the incidents occurred, felt her doors and windows vibrate. It was alarming. [I] didn't know what it was till messages poured in. Got a call from my 6-year old's school to collect him in the middle of final exams. The school decided summer vacation was in immediate effect. In response to the news footage Munawar posted, one friend considered other harrowing moments in the country's previously unstable past. This reminds me of all the madness that happened in Karachi and in the southern part of the country in the 80s he commented under her video. I remember some place called Bhori Bazaar and seeing pictures in Time magazine. Pakistanis have experienced significant violence in recent weeks, but similar incidents in the late seventies, after the proxy war the US launched in Afghanistan to thwart Soviet interests, made life for locals perilous even then. Weapons that flooded the country's frontier provinces brought mayhem to city residents. Similar explosions were planned in prominent and heavily-trafficked civilian areas. Karachi, otherwise isolated by its geography in the south, turned out being most vulnerable to resulting sectarian clashes. A Pakistani filmmaker, based in that city today, was emotional on the day of the Lahore blasts. "My bleeding, beloved country," she wrote in one status update. The response to her post was brisk and spirited. "It hurts," wrote one Facebook friend. Another suggested people donate to help those displaced from Swat Valley. Others urged for a local theatre production promoting patriotism and free expression. In an interview, Saima Zaman-Kaleem was rueful. "This operation is something that should have happened years ago. Why would they take this long to do it? Why broker a compromise in Swat at all?" Zaman-Kaleem's family members, in the meanwhile, canceled plans to have the funeral in Malakand after curfews were instituted, and relatives instead opted to stay in Peshawar where much of the family is based. However, Zaman-Kaleem says they are now considering a move to areas away from the outskirts where much of the family lives and where military operations are underway. Instead, they're searching for a place closer to the city center. Munawar stressed that her friends on Facebook are concerned about safety but haven't yet opted to move. They also support the military's offensive. Most people I know have one stance and that is, "Long live the troops, drop dead Taleban." They are not taking any measures to leave or migrate. If they travel, it's only for summer break. She added that the city is back to normal and that people who choose not to leave home on a daily basis do so not because they fear attacks, but because of citywide power cuts and the unforgiving summer heat. More on Facebook
 
Robert Weissman: The IMF Accountability Moment Top
The Obama administration's budgetary Machiavellianism has backfired. Seeking to avoid a direct up-or-down vote on a proposal to send $108 billion to the International Monetary Fund, the administration, at the last moment, had the money stuck into a supplemental appropriations bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That maneuver turned out to be too clever by a turn. Republicans in the House of Representatives -- opposed to the process by which the IMF money was added, frustrated with the IMF unaccountability and critical of international institutions in general -- have announced they will oppose the appropriations bill . Meanwhile, 51 antiwar Democrats in the House voted against the appropriations bill when it was first under consideration, and 41 Democrats (overlapping substantially but not entirely with the 51 antiwar Democrats) have raised concerns about funding the IMF without attaching meaningful conditions. This unlikely coalition is poised to defeat the supplemental , unless the administration can peel off 18 of the antiwar Democrats to support the bill. The administration may need more than 18 if other Democrats vote against the bill because of the IMF money (this might include Blue Dog Democrats who object to the budgetary impact of the IMF funding and the ways in which the IMF money will aid European banks, as well as progressives). Defeating the bill will be a meaningful statement against the wars, and against unconditional money for the IMF. The White House and Congressional leadership are pressuring Progressive Dems to support the supplemental, warning of the cost of dealing a legislative defeat to President Obama. Whether they can stand up to the pressure -- and thus the outcome of the supplemental -- will depend in significant part on how much the public mobilizes to urge a vote against the wars and the IMF. You can take action through this "Citizen Whip" site maintained by firedoglake.com . Emanuel of course wields enormous power, but his arguments are misplaced. A defeat on the supplemental will be self-inflicted, not the work of progressives unsympathetic to the president. If the administration and House leadership are unable to garner sufficient votes to pass the supplemental, they can pull the IMF funding. Republicans will support a war-only bill. But antiwar forces will have shown their seriousness and power. And, the administration can seek funding for the IMF later this year, hopefully moving through normal legislative procedures. That would enable a legitimate debate over the merits of IMF funding. Critics would raise concerns that the money will be used to bail out European banks that lent recklessly in Eastern Europe. Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey has highlighted this issue , and noted the incongruity of aiding the European banks while Europe refuses to employ the stimulative measures adopted by the United States and China, among others. Critics would also focus on the contractionary policies -- primarily reduced government spending and higher interest rates -- that the IMF is imposing on borrowing countries hit by a global financial crisis not of their making. These policies are the opposite of the stimulative policies that the IMF recommends for rich countries, and directly contrary to the global stimulus that was the rationale for the decision of the G-20 (the world's most economically powerful countries) to increase IMF resources by $750 billion. On the ground in borrowing countries, these policies deepen the harmful impact of the economic crisis, and translate into serious human depredations. Less money is available for health, education and other key government programs; unemployment skyrockets; and families struggle to subsist. The IMF's favored contractionary policies also conflict with the economic logic of providing loans in the context of an economic crisis. "The main purpose of providing balance of payments support to a developing country in a time of recession or approaching recession is to enable the government to pursue the expansionary fiscal and monetary policies necessary to stabilize the economy," explains the Center for Economic and Policy Research in a recent paper . To be clear, the IMF has a response to these arguments : It says it has changed, and is much more reticent about demanding borrowing countries adopt contractionary policies than it once was. And, it says it aims to protect social spending in crisis-affected countries. Putting it mildly, the evidence does not exactly comport with this story. But in any case, it is a claim that should be examined through a proper legislative process. And, if the IMF takes the position that it only imposes contractionary policies when absolutely necessary, then it should be receptive to the top-line requests from IMF campaigners . These include demands that no contractionary conditions be included in IMF programs absent a quantitative showing that such conditions are necessary and cannot be delayed, and that health and education spending be exempted from IMF-mandated budget restraints.
 
Rep. Mike Thompson: Health Care Can't Wait Top
Congress must act quickly to pass health care reform- the bottom line is- we can't wait any longer. Across our country, 14,000 Americans are losing their health care coverage every day, joining the 46 million who aren't covered by health insurance. I'm as worried as anyone about how we're going to pay for this overhaul. But the cost of doing nothing is even greater. We must address the lack of access, and the crippling cost of health care that is hurting our families and our economy. The United States now spends twice as much per capita on health care than almost any other nation, and our outcomes are worse. Spending on doctors, hospitals, drugs, and other health care costs now consumes more than one of every six dollars we earn- that's approaching 20 percent of our country's GDP. The growing costs to employers, estimated at 5 percent in 2008, have forced many businesses to cut back on benefits. It is even worse now during tough economic times. Before the economic downturn, 62 percent of all personal bankruptcies in 2007 were the result of unaffordable medical bills. What's astounding is that three-fourths of those debtors had health insurance. According to the numbers alone, our system is broken. But the health care issue is about much more than just numbers. I've heard from countless folks in my district who can't afford health care, or are struggling to come up with the money to pay their rising premiums. One constituent likened her health care bills to a second mortgage. Her middle class family has been paying nearly $15,000 a year for health coverage, which is not uncommon. She's had to cut back on paying for other things in order to afford to keep her family insured. Her story - and others across my district - underscore the need to act quickly to make sure that all families have affordable access to the care they need. There is widespread agreement that something must be done. But as is usually the case when making public policy, the devil is in the details. Changing our health care system will be very difficult, and much compromise will be necessary. No one will get everything they want and after it is done there will be more reform to do. The American people want health care reform, but at the same time are afraid of losing what they already have (if they already have health care coverage). They want access to quality health care but are most concerned with being able to afford it. Of those who have insurance, few are interested in shifting from an insurance industry bureaucracy to a government bureaucracy. We need to make sure that people who are happy with the coverage they have can keep it. We need to make sure that the American people will be able to keep their doctors, and have a say in their health care decisions. But we must expand the options, so that Americans who don't like their plan, or don't have health care coverage, have a choice. And we can't afford to wait for an arbitrary "trigger" to be pulled to put this reform into operation. If that is part of the bill, reform will likely never happen. A public plan that provides true competition will be an important part of this reform. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a widely respected non-profit health policy research foundation, nearly two thirds of Americans agree with me that we need to make sure that all Americans have access to affordable health care by providing an alternative to the private insurance options that are on the market. We must ensure that every American has health care coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and that we have adequate protections in place for the doctor-patient relationship. And we must also make sure that people can keep their coverage if they change jobs, get divorced, or their employer changes their options. By streamlining health care, reducing fraud and abuse, ending unnecessary testing, discouraging over-utilization, investing in smart reforms, and emphasizing preventive health care, we can significantly bring down the cost of health care. In addition to working for these changes, I'll also push to expand access to telemedicine, which provides easier access to health care for people in underserved communities. We can also make significant cost savings by encouraging more collaboration and patient centered care by doctors. Rather than paying doctors for the volume of procedures they perform, we should reward them for keeping patients healthy. Reform won't be easy, but it is urgent that we act now to make sure that all Americans can access quality, affordable health care. For the families in my district, and families across the country who can't afford to go to the doctor, or can't afford the medicine they've been prescribed, it's more urgent than ever that we reform our broken health care system as quickly as possible.
 
Virginia Women's Prison Segregated Lesbians, Others Top
TROY, Va. — For more than a year, Virginia's largest women's prison rounded up inmates who had loose-fitting clothes, short hair or otherwise masculine looks, sending them to a unit officers derisively dubbed the "butch wing," prisoners and guards say. Dozens were moved in an attempt to split up relationships and curb illegal sexual activity at the 1,200-inmate Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, though some straight women were sent to the wing strictly because of their appearance, the inmates and corrections officers said. Civil rights advocates called the moves unconstitutional punishment for "looking gay." The warden denied that any housing decisions were made based on looks or sexual orientation, and said doing so would be discriminatory. The practice was stopped recently after the Associated Press began questioning it, according to several inmates and one current employee. Two current guards and one of their former co-workers said targeting masculine-looking inmates was a deliberate strategy by a building manager. Numerous inmates said in letters and interviews that they felt humiliated and stigmatized when guards took them to the separate wing _ also referred to by prisoners and guards as the "little boys wing," "locker room wing" or "studs wing." "I deserved to go for my crime and I did my time there," said Summer Triolo, who spent nearly six years at Fluvanna for theft before being released in February 2008. "But my punishment was by the judge to do time in prison away from my family and home. That was my punishment, not all the extra stuff." Living conditions in wing 5D weren't worse than the rest of the prison, and no prisoner said she was denied services other inmates received. However, the women said they were verbally harassed by staff who would make remarks such as, "Here come the little boys," when they were escorted to eat, and they were taken to the cafeteria first or last to keep them away from other inmates. The three guards confirmed such remarks were made. The two current guards and former guard William Drumheller said Building 5 manager Timothy Back, who is in charge of security and operations for that area, came up with the idea to break up couples by sending inmates to the wing. Gradually, they said, the 60-inmate wing was filled with women targeted because of their appearance. The current employees asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their jobs. "I heard him say, 'We're going to break up some of these relationships, start a boys wing, and we're going to take all these studs and put them together and see how they like looking at nothing but each other all day instead of their girlfriends,'" Drumheller said. Drumheller said Back told him the plan one day in a prison office. The other two guards, who are both female, said Back's reasons for moving the prisoners were commonly known among guards, though officials would deny the reasons for the moves if inmates asked or complained. Warden Barbara Wheeler called the policy a figment of the inmates' imaginations. "With female offenders, relationships are very important, and often times when they're separated from those relationships they might perceive it as punitive," Wheeler said. Wheeler said her employees wouldn't segregate inmates based on looks or sexual orientation, and she wouldn't condone it. "That's like saying I want to put all the blacks in one unit and all the whites in one unit," something federal courts have ruled illegal, she said. A dozen inmates interviewed in person or by letter contradicted Wheeler, saying there's no doubt why they were moved. Triolo said she had gone four years without getting in trouble until she shaved her shoulder-length brown locks. She soon was moved to 5D, away from her girlfriend. Triolo and Trina O'Neal were two of the first inmates sent to 5D in the fall of 2007. "I have been gay all my life and never have I once felt as degraded, humiliated or questioned my own sexuality, the way I look, etc., until all of this happened," O'Neal, 33, who is serving time for forgery and drug charges, wrote to the AP. Drumheller worked at Fluvanna for two years but said he quit in August because he didn't like the inmates' treatment. The prison declined repeated requests for an interview with Back, and the AP could not find a working home telephone number for him. Sex _ whether forced, coerced or consensual _ is forbidden in prisons primarily to prevent violence and the spread of diseases. Segregating gay inmates in men's prison has been upheld by federal courts to protect them and maintain order, though courts have ruled against total isolation or harsher conditions. Separating women based on appearance, though, violates the Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and freedom of expression, said Helen Trainor, director of the Virginia Institutionalized Persons Project. "Point blank, this institution is ran by homophobes, and the rules instated here are based on your sexual preference not what is right or wrong," wrote inmate Casey Lynn Toney.
 
Rushmore Drive, Search Engine Aim At Black Community, Closing Top
NEW YORK — IAC/InterActiveCorp will shut down the year-old RushmoreDrive, a search engine geared toward the black community. Spokeswoman Stacy Simpson said Wednesday that the Barry Diller-led Internet services company will close the site Friday after an unsuccessful effort to sell it. She also said that Johnny Taylor, the site's chief executive, has resigned. IAC rolled out RushmoreDrive with much fanfare in April 2008, calling it a "first-of-its-kind" search engine. It mixes search, news and job results with links to sites targeted specifically at the black community and user-generated content. The site was the first under IAC's Black Web Enterprises Inc., of which Taylor was also the head. Simpson said Black Web Enterprises will also close. Simpson said the closure was part of IAC's ongoing effort to streamline its emerging businesses unit, which includes a mix of Web properties like retail site Shoebuy and news site The Daily Beast. RushmoreDrive is the latest Web property that IAC is shedding this year. It sold comedy site 23/6 and campground reservation site ReserveAmerica in January. IAC's peers, including Yahoo Inc., Google Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL LLC, also have been gleaning some of their least popular services. The shutdown will affect 17 employees, most of whom will be laid off. Simpson says the company notified RushmoreDrive employees on Monday of the impending closure.
 
Paul Szep: The Daily Szep: North Korean Warhead Top
More on Nuclear Weapons
 
Color Your Own Eco-Speakers: Green Art Rocks! Top
It takes surprisingly little to house a functional speaker - make-it-yourself fold-out cardboard box set really is enough to do the trick. On top of being highly portable and sustainable, the blank brown slates of the sides of these boxes provide creative color-your-own surfaces. More on Green Living
 

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