Friday, June 5, 2009

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Neal Wanless, SD Rancher, Wins $232 Million Jackpot Top
PIERRE, S.D. — If this were a movie, nobody would believe it: A rancher struggling to eke out a living in one of the poorest corners of America claimed one of the biggest undivided jackpots in U.S. lottery history Friday _ $232 million _ after buying the ticket in a town by the name of Winner. Neal Wanless, 23, said he intends to buy himself more room to roam and repay the kindness other townspeople have shown his family. "I want to thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity and blessing me with this great fortune. I will not squander it," he promised, wearing a big black cowboy hat and a huge grin. Wanless, who is single, lives with his mother and father on the family's 320-acre ranch near Mission, where they raise cattle, sheep and horses. They don't own a phone, a mobile home of theirs was repossessed last year, and records show they have fallen $3,552 behind in their property taxes. Wanless bought $15 worth of tickets to the May 27 30-state Powerball drawing at a convenience store in Winner during a trip to buy livestock feed. He will take home a lump sum of $88.5 million after taxes are deducted. The Wanless home stands in a grove of trees in Todd County, home to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. It was the nation's seventh-poorest county in 2007, according to the Census Bureau. Dave Assman, who owns farmland next to the Wanless ranch, said he is happy the family won't have to worry about money any more. "They've been real short on finances for a long time," Assman said. "They are from real meager means, I guess you'd say." "I hope they enjoy their money," said county assessor Cathy Vrbka, a family friend. "They work hard, backbreaking hard work." Wanless' father, Arlen Wanless, 54, has made a living in recent years mainly by buying and selling scrap metal, but his fortunes dropped with the price of iron, said Dan Clark, an auctioneer from Winner and a friend of more than two decades. The younger Wanless told lottery officials that he spent the last week working on the ranch and that he intends to continue that lifestyle, albeit on a larger piece of land. According to lottery officials, he recently told his horse, Eleanor, "It'd be nice if we go for a longer ride than usual on a bigger ranch of our own." "My family has been helped by the community, and I intend to repay that help many times over," Wanless said. He gave no details. An Oregon family turned $40 worth of tickets into $340 million Powerball prize in 2005, and at least four other winners collected larger jackpots than Wanless' prize. The store where Wanless bought the winning ticket will get a $50,000 bonus. Sharon Ulmer, manager of the store, said she is glad the Wanless family won. "From what I understand they don't have a lot, so the money definitely went to a good place," Ulmer said. "I know it went to a good home. They can use it." ___ Associated Press writers Carson Walker in Pierre and Dirk Lammers in Sioux Falls contributed to this story.
 
Teenage Girl Beaten, Burned, Has Hair Cut Off In Brutal Park Assault (VIDEO) Top
A girl was savagely beaten in a Sauk Village public park June 2 and a cell phone video of the attack was posted Friday on Fox News Chicago . The footage begins with two girls fighting in the dirt then quickly turns into a one-sided pummeling, with other girls rushing over to beat the victim, cut off parts of her hair with scissors and burn her with a cigarette lighter. The victim, who the Sun-Times reports is 17, can be heard yelling, "You're burning my head!" The victim, who is from South Chicago Heights, according to the Sun-Times , spent the night in the hospital with a concussion, bruises, cuts and burns. Two other 17-year-old girls were charged with aggravated battery and at least two more are under investigation, the paper reports. Sauk Village Police Detective Robert Grossman told the Sun-Times that cause of the attack wss likely "a misuse of [the assailant's] vehicle by the victim some weeks before." More on Video
 
Federer 1 Win From Tying Sampras' Grand Slam Mark Top
PARIS — Fresh off a ragged, rugged, five-set French Open semifinal victory Friday, Roger Federer was leaving for the night when a dozen or so fans drew his attention. They wanted photos and autographs, and Federer obliged, signing hats, a poster, even one guy's white polo shirt. As Federer ambled off, a man shouted: "Win on Sunday! Please!" Pausing for a moment before sliding into a car, Federer turned and, with a quick wave of his skilled right arm, replied, "OK." Ah, if only it were that simple. For all his accomplishments, for all his trophies and records, Federer now wants _ needs? _ to do something he never has: win a final at Roland Garros. By coming back to beat No. 5-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 3-6, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, Federer moved within one victory of his first French Open championship _ and of so much more. If he can beat No. 23 Robin Soderling of Sweden on Sunday, Federer also will tie Pete Sampras' career mark of 14 Grand Slam singles titles. And he will become only the sixth man with a career Grand Slam, at least one title from each of tennis' four majors. "There's still one more step," Federer said. He's come exactly this close in the past, losing each of the past three French Open finals to Rafael Nadal, along with a semifinal four years ago. But this time, Nadal is not around to torment him, having been stunned by Soderling in the fourth round. "Obviously," Federer said, "it's nice to see someone else for a change." Since the start of the 2005 French Open, Federer is 0-4 against Nadal at Roland Garros, 29-0 against everyone else. Similarly, over the course of his career, Federer is 2-5 against Nadal in Grand Slam finals, 11-0 against all other opponents. Federer just so happens to have a 9-0 career record against Soderling, who will be playing in his first Grand Slam final. He'd never been past the third round in 21 previous majors but reeled off the last five games of a 6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 victory over No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in Friday's first semifinal. Does Soderling believe he has a chance against Federer? "He's going to be the favorite, by far," the big-serving Soderling said. "But I think Nadal was the favorite against me as well." Soderling's first Grand Slam championship match will be Federer's 19th, matching Ivan Lendl's record, and the Swiss star's 15th in the past 16 major tournaments. Then again, Federer held similar edges in experience and head-to-head matchups against del Potro, a 20-year-old playing in his first major semifinal. Federer was in his 20th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal _ double the second-longest streak any man compiled _ and had won all 12 previous sets across five matches with del Potro. Yet early on, the 6-foot-6 del Potro played fantastically, using his long legs to speed around the court and his long arms to whip winners punctuated by loud grunts. "He came out of the blocks really strong," Federer said. Federer did not, even slapping himself in the face after one poorly executed point. Five miscues by a suddenly tight del Potro in the tiebreaker ceded the second set, and it took Federer 2 1/2 hours to convert a break point. When he did, it put Federer ahead 3-1 in the fourth set and really got him going. He broke del Potro twice more to level things at two sets apiece. "A five-set match is a test," Federer said. The light was fading, the wind was swirling, and the temperature dipped below 60 degrees. Not surprisingly, Federer dealt with the conditions better than del Potro. "That match escaped me," a subdued del Potro said. "I really wanted to be in that final, and now I'm going to have to watch it on TV." After double-faulting to hand Federer a 4-3 lead, del Potro trudged to the sideline with head bowed, while many spectators rose to yell, applaud and serenade their man: "Roh-zher! Roh-zher!" Three games later, Federer served it out, closing with consecutive forehand winners. He whirled around and glanced at the guest box _ at his pregnant wife, at his parents, at pal Anna Wintour, Vogue's editor-in-chief _ then walked to the net, placed both hands on the tape and leaned over, looking at the clay court that has bedeviled him in the past. Surely he was thinking: One more to go. One more to go. "It feels great coming through tough matches like this," said Federer, who also needed five sets to get past Tommy Haas in the fourth round. "It's more emotional. It's more satisfaction." Del Potro threw an arm around Federer and told him, "Everybody wants you to lift the trophy." Well, certainly not Soderling. He and Gonzalez both were in their first French Open semifinal, and you could tell. At the outset, Gonzalez's game was as shaky as his voice had been during a prematch TV interview. Soderling seemed tense, too, facing three break points over his first two service games. But then Soderling began looking a lot more like the man who upset Nadal, winning 31 of the next 38 points on his serve. When Soderling eventually faced another break point, in the second set's 10th game, he smacked a 133 mph ace. Down 2-0 in sets, Gonzalez did not wilt. Instead, Soderling faltered, getting broken in the last game of each of the next two sets. In the fourth, Gonzalez lost an argument over a line call and sat on the court to wipe away the shot's mark in the clay, leaving the back of his black shorts smeared with dirt. Gonzalez went up 3-0, then 4-1 in the fifth set, and would say: "I really thought I was going to win." Turned out he wouldn't win another game. "Didn't look good," Soderling said. "I just tried harder, and all of a sudden, it all worked again." Sounds easy enough. With six-time French Open champion Bjorn Borg, a fellow Swede, watching from the front row, Soderling hit one last forehand winner _ his 31st _ to stretch his career-best winning streak to nine matches. Soderling dropped to his knees and folded his body forward, covering his face with both fists. "The way he came through today was impressive," Federer said. "He's playing the tennis of his life." Asked if he'll miss seeing Nadal across the net Sunday, Federer smiled. "No," he answered. "Not really." More on Sports
 
Keith Ellison Explains The Significance Of Obama's Trip To The Middle East Top
President Obama embarks this week on a long-anticipated visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in North Africa and the Middle East. It's a region that, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corps. poll, 46 percent of Americans regard unfavorably. And with the President's decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan and block the release of detainee abuse photos, among other U.S. policies, many in the Middle East harbor a similar mistrust of the United States. More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Murray Fromson: Tough Love for Israel Top
For years, Washington has turned the other cheek while Israel pursued a policy of unflinching resistance to any compromise or outright withdrawal from the West Bank. However, the lesson learned from unilaterally pulling out of the Gaza Strip may be affecting continued reluctance to deal with the status of the West Bank. But with his speech in Cairo, President Obama has on one hand thrown down the gauntlet to Jerusalem to abandon its resistance to a two-state solution with the Palestinians. On the other hand, it has opened the prospect for a permanent peace accord that will dare the Arab world to end its long time animosity toward the state of Israel. Both challenges will require unprecedented courage and statesmanship from Jews and Arabs. Nonetheless, mistrust characterizes the attitudes of both sides. It has reinforced the Arab world's belief that the United States is irrevocably aligned with Israel and can never expect a sympathetic peaceful initiative that would lead to a peaceful resolution satisfactory to the Palestinians. The Israelis believe that neither the Palestinians or the rest of the Arab world will ever grant them legitimacy by recognizing their status of nationhood. President Obama recognizes this gulf as he explained in a surprisingly candid interview following his Cairo speech that he had with seven journalists from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia. the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Malaysia and Indonesia. I have visited Israel innumerable times and talked to Israeli and Palestinian political figures, journalists and academic experts since 1967 when I first walked across the Golan Heights at the invitation of the Israeli Defense Forces. Having seen the ruins of the Syrian army, knowing the fate of the Egyptian army at the hands of Ariel Sharon, I was convinced that a peaceful accord with its Arab enemies was inevitable. That hunch was furthered by a conversation I had with Moshe Dayan, the daring commander of Israel's Defense Forces whom I had met earlier in Vietnam when he went to understand the U.S. use of helicopters in combat. Dayan predicted that the occupation of the territories could not be permanent. "It would be like a cancer around our throats," he said. Unfortunately, according to Israeli historians I interviewed, Dayan never had the clout to convince Israel's political leadership of his conviction. For decades, unfortunately, friends of Israel in the United States have been telling its political leaders that the continued intransigence with regard to the territories, both in the West Bank and Gaza, was a hopeless impediment to peace. But these voices are by no means in the majority. Other well-funded American friends have encouraged the right wing within the Israeli political system to believe that resistance to withdrawal from the West Bank, as it has from Gaza, is something that can be deferred indefinitely with little consequences. Obama recognizes the divisions within the American Jewish community. He knows many prominent Jews from his days in law school and his years as a professor at the University of Chicago. David Axelrod, his senior staff advisor, and Rahm Emanuel, his Chief of Staff, are the first Jews ever to hold the two top staff positions in the White House. But he obviously is counting on the dynamics within Israel to have its greatest impact. That is why he has dared the Israelis to walk down paths they have never walked before by having an American president for the first time tell the leaders of Hamas and other violence-prone Arab leaders that they must recognize the legitimacy of Israel's existence as a condition of a permanent peace with the Jewish state. That's tough medicine for the Palestinians to swallow, but perhaps even tougher for Benjamin Netanyahu to believe. Obama said he had met with Netanyahu several times, first as a senator and then as president. "In each case, I found him a very intelligent person, an excellent communicator.... So I believe (he) will recognize the strategic need to deal with this issue and in some ways he may have an opportunity that a Labor or left leader may not have." As an unflinching opponent of peace with the Arabs in the past, the odds are heavily against the Israeli prime minister ever shocking world public opinion. But he has the opportunity of reversing course and placing the responsibility for such a daring move on Barack Obama's back. It would give Israel's right wing leader an unprecedented opportunity to strike a Nixon-like pose and reach out to the Palestinians the way the late American president did to the Chinese Communists in 1972 by going to Beijing and Shanghai to shake hands with Mao Zedong to sign unprecedented protocols that changed Sino-American relations in a profound and historic manner. It would be unheard of in Israeli as well as American circles to ever think of Netanyahu as a peacemaker. But then who can forget the Sadat-Begin meeting that was the kind of daring move that also altered Nixon's image before he was sunk by Watergate? More on Barack Obama
 
Chris Weigant: Friday Talking Points [80] -- Parsing Obama's Cairo Speech Top
This will be a truncated column this week (which doesn't mean it isn't also a fairly long one). Because every so often I have to devote the entire week's roundup to examining a single speech. And President Barack Hussein Obama's speech to the Muslim world which he just gave in Cairo is important enough to examine without other distractions. Which means no "most impressive" or "most disappointing" awards this week, sorry. No Democrat really stood out as being overly impressive or disappointing this week anyway, so it's not a great loss. If pressed, I would have given Obama the MIDOTW for his speech, and would have (if the rules did not forbid it) awarded the MDDOTW to myself, for extolling the virtues of the company that made the Hummer, in one of the most outrageously biased columns I've ever written. Bad Chris! Bad! Bad!! Heh heh. I spent much of the rest of the week looking at Obama's polls and spending two days discussing Judge Sonia Sotomayor, and her critics (including a look at what real racism sounds like, from Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who was denied a judgeship himself for this very reason ). Which I only mention in passing because while this column is a stickler for using correct titles (people in Washington love that sort of thing), I really wish a lot more of the media would do so in this case. Sotomayor, no matter what you think of her, is an federal appellate judge. This needs to be recognized and used by everyone, immediately, just as a sign of due respect we give to anyone in this position. It is "Judge Sotomayor" or "Judge Sonia Sotomayor." The next time you read a mainstream media article about her, notice whether her title is used the first time her name comes up. If it isn't, write the editor and complain. This is a sign of casual disrespect, and needs to stop. OK, enough ranting. Let's move along to Obama's speech itself.   Volume 80 (6/5/09) Although this is long, it merely hits the highlights of Obama's speech. I encourage everyone to take ten minutes and read the entire transcript for yourself. Obama, it should be pointed out, did not have to give this speech -- he chose to. He ran the risk of criticism here at home, and the benefits to him personally and politically in America were slight compared to the risk of actual political damage. But he felt it was the right thing to do, and important for America's image in the rest of the world. So he went ahead and gave the speech anyway. This is why he was elected, as far as he's concerned. The possible benefits of raising America's image in the rest of the world were more important than any domestic political concerns. So whether you thought the speech was a flop or a barnburner, you've got to at least give Obama credit for the attempt. Personally, I think this is one of those speeches which will long be remembered both in the Muslim world and here in America. Which is why I'm spending the whole column reviewing it.   President Obama's Cairo Speech President Obama opened his speech with words of respect for Cairo, Islamic learning, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. He also used the phrase " assalaamu alaykum ," showing (more than most Americans in foreign countries can manage, I might add) that learning a word or two of the local language ("please" and "thank-you" should be the first two) goes a long way towards showing that you are aware you are in a different culture than your own, and that you are trying to show that culture some respect. Obama then brought up September 11th, and talked about how some Americans now view Islam, and (more generally) the relationship between Islam and the Western world. He ends this part with the theme of his speech ("a new beginning"): I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings. I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. He then quotes the Koran (and calls it "the Holy Koran" -- again, showing respect), and talks about Muslim influences on his own life. He then admits to a fact most people in the West are unaware of -- that in medieval times, the Muslim world was a beacon of intellectualism, while most of Europe was pretty barbaric in nature, and suffused with religious intolerance of new ideas. Centuries ago, things were completely different to where we stand today: As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam -- at places like Al-Azhar University -- that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. Obama then moves to speaking about Muslim Americans, and misguided perceptions both in America and in the Muslim world: So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words -- within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum : "Out of many, one." He then continues on the "Islam is a part of America" theme for a while, before getting to the "laundry list" part of the speech, which he opens: The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms. In Ankara, I made clear that America is not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security. Because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people. The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals, and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al Qaeda and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice, we went because of necessity. I am aware that some question or justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet Al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with. This is an interesting subtext in Obama's entire speech -- he says things are "facts" and not opinions, which is important both for the American audience and the Muslim world. The conspiracy theory that Jews were really behind 9/11 is widespread in the Muslim world, and (just as with Holocaust-denial) is a cancer on the public's opinion. But before feeling too superior, remember that Dick Cheney told us for years that Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11 (and something like 70 percent of America believed him), meaning that people will use this sort of thing politically when it behooves them in our world as well as theirs. But it is refreshing indeed to hear any politician speak in such clear language: "This is a fact. It is not opinion." Considering the lunacy that passes for "political debate" (which the media stokes with a passion) on American television screens -- where there are always two points of view, and every "fact" is subject to spin from one side or another -- it is a breath of fresh air to hear someone stand up to this sort of nonsense and just lay it on the table: "This is a fact to be dealt with." And, once again, showing respect, Obama makes a Muslim argument that will resonate with the audience: Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths -- more than any other, they have killed Muslims. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam. The Holy Koran teaches that whoever kills an innocent, it is as if he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind. The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism -- it is an important part of promoting peace. Just as leaders of the American pro-life movement are the most important ones to hear from in the denunciation of murdering doctors (as most of them did), Islamist militants need to be countered by strong Muslim leaders who denounce them for being un-Islamic. Obama continues, talking about Iraq and Afghanistan, and the United States' desire to remove our troops from both countries eventually. Once again, this counters the impression of America as some sort of neo-colonialist power, which is prevalent in that part of the world. Changing these impressions is the main thing Obama wants to accomplish. Which he follows up with: And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter our principles. 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our ideals. We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year. These are symbolic gestures, and the scope of them is often not appreciated or understood fully in America. The image we project to the world is very important. Obama knows this. You can fault him for how he is going about closing Guantanamo or ending torture, but you have to give him credit for understanding what potent symbols they have become to the rest of the world. He then pivots to a tough part of the speech for the audience to hear -- America's bond with Israel. America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied. He talks a bit about the suffering of both the Jewish people and the Palestinians, and the two-state solution. He rebukes both sides, albeit very carefully. Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed. For centuries, 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. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It's a story with a simple truth: that violence is a dead end. It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered. Those last two sentences are among the most powerful in the entire speech. He then has some milder words of rebuke (notice the modifier "continued" in there) for the Israelis: At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop. This leaves open the question of what to do about the settlements that currently exist, but it is noteworthy that Obama pushed back against Israel even to this degree, since the Muslim world hasn't seen the United States as a neutral broker in the dispute in a long, long time. So even symbolic gestures carry a lot of weight on the subject. Obama then touches upon a very important point. Middle Eastern countries are notorious for saying what America wants to hear in English, and then going home and saying something completely different to their people. This game of doubletalk means they can appear to be one thing to the American audience, while reassuring their people back home "here's what we really feel." This is a major obstacle to progress, and Obama wades right into it: America will align our policies with those who pursue peace, and say in public what we say in private to Israelis and Palestinians and Arabs. We cannot impose peace. But privately, many Muslims recognize that Israel will not go away. Likewise, many Israelis recognize the need for a Palestinian state. It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true. Too many tears have flowed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully
 
Roger I. Abrams: Sotomayor's Home Run Top
When President Obama introduced Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice David Souter, the only decision of hers he mentioned was the famous baseball case of 1995. Of course, she has written hundreds of opinions, some in important cases, others resolving the day-to-day disputes that make up the bulk of the docket of every United States Court of Appeals. The President's emphasis was not misplaced, however. More than any other decision, Judge Sotomayor's opinion in Silverman v. MLB Player Relations Committee evidences the qualities of thought and diligence she will bring to the Supreme Court. We must remember the state of baseball before the case was brought to Judge Sotomayor's court in New York City. Labor relations in the National Game had deteriorated by the mid-1990s to the point where the owners seemed willing to risk destroying their business in order to free themselves from the tight grip the players union had on the game. The owners were prepared to start the season with replacement players (generally referred to as "scabs") who would play while the real players stayed on strike. For its part, the stubborn union was not about to sacrifice gains it achieved over fifteen years of work stoppages, lockouts and difficult negotiations. Mediation proved useless. Even the direct intervention of President Clinton, who brought the warring parties to the White House, could not alter the course of events. (I was told by someone who attended that session that it was Vice President Gore who did most of the mediating that night while Bill Clinton shared golfing stories with the representatives of the parties.) The MLB Players Association complained to the National Labor Relations Board that the owners were not bargaining in good faith, and the Labor Board authorized Dan Silverman, the long-time Regional Director in New York, to file suit in federal district court seeking an injunction against the owners forcing them to undo the unilateral changes they had made in terms and conditions of employment. The case was randomly assigned to a junior trial judge, Sonia Sotomayor. It was the Judge's first labor case. The Judge's decision is a genuine tour de force. It demonstrates a fluency in national labor law that is uncommon on the federal trial bench. She perceptively explains that the three alleged unilateral changes in question - abolishing salary arbitration and the anti-collusion promise and prohibiting clubs from signing free agents - all are parts of the baseball salary system. As such, they directly impact on player salaries, a matter management must bargain over with the union under national law. She granted the injunction the Labor Board had requested and the players, in turn, voluntarily agreed to return to work. The National Game was saved. Much has been made of the fact that Judge Sotomayor is a Latina and that this somehow impacts on her decisions. Frankly, the baseball case does not reflect her heritage or her gender. It reflects her mastery of the law and her careful and informed reasoning. She certainly was mindful of the importance of the decision as a lifelong Yankees fan, but that should not be held against her. Her work in her judicial craft was as powerful as a Babe Ruth home run, as reliable as a Lou Gehrig consecutive game streak, and as steadfast as a Whitey Ford performance on the mound. President Obama was right. She saved baseball from itself.
 
Matthew Filipowicz: Exclusive Footage Of Glenn Beck's Common Sense Comedy Show Top
Well ladies and gentlemen, last night I, along with a few friends, decided to do the unthinkable. We went to simulcast of Glenn Beck's Common Sense Comedy Tour . And let me tell you, it was amazing! But, why should I tell you, when I could show you? See, I snuck in my camcorder and am now proud to present a bootleg copy of Glenn Beck's hysterical "stand up" routine. If Glenn looks a little funny, it's just the tape. Alright, that wasn't actual footage. But, I did actually go, those were actual topics of Glenn's "comedy", and Glenn did come out dressed as a Founding Father in act two. Don't believe me? Here's my ticket stub. There were about 20 people in the Chicago theater. My friends and I were the only non-believers. I secretly was hoping they would all rise at one point, turn to us like the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers and yell "We Surround Them!!!" But, they didn't. I actually live-blogged the event on Twitter , so I thought I'd post some of the "highlights". I corrected some typos and added some quotation marks, but here is Glenn's "comedy" as it unfolded. Opened with a joke about Whoopie Goldberg stabbing a man. about 16 hours ago from txt Making fun of public schools. Haw haw. about 16 hours ago from txt Making fun of Henry Waxman's looks. about 16 hours ago from txt He's very sweaty. about 16 hours ago from txt Keeps wiping his sweat with a tshirt. about 16 hours ago from txt He has a band aid peeling off his neck. about 16 hours ago from txt Nothing like seeing his pores on the big screen. about 16 hours ago from txt Made a joke about killing Big Bird. about 16 hours ago from txt Saw one minority in audience. about 16 hours ago from txt He's almost crying. about 16 hours ago from txt Keeps doing Marvin the Martian or Larry the Cable Guy voices. about 16 hours ago from txt According to Glenn, his wife has the voice of shrew. about 16 hours ago from txt Just made a pedophilia joke about a kid writing with her own blood. about 16 hours ago from txt Lots of people in audience have matching yellow shirts. about 16 hours ago from txt Oh, they have the snake on them. about 16 hours ago from txt Ok. Act two. Glenn's says he's coming out in costume. Hoping for a giant teabag. about 15 hours ago from txt Nope. Its a founding father's outfit. Kind of disappointed. about 14 hours ago from txt Opened 2nd act saying "give me liberty or give me jelly donut". about 14 hours ago from txt George Washington wooden teeth joke? Check. about 14 hours ago from txt Getting close to crying again. about 14 hours ago from txt The pedophile kid was named Sally Mukenfuch. Forgot that earlier. He did a call back. about 14 hours ago from txt Some guy in audience yelled "revolution!!" about 14 hours ago from txt Uh oh. He's bringing audience members on stage. about 14 hours ago from txt Fat dude in Iowa shirt is "England". Preppy dork is "revolutionary". Cute woman is "freedom". about 14 hours ago from txt Beck said "progessivism". Audience booed and hissed. about 14 hours ago from txt Made a "Whoopi stabbing" call back. This time stabbing Woodrow Wilson. about 14 hours ago from txt He just did a little dance. about 14 hours ago from txt He's running out of energy. about 14 hours ago from txt His manic depressive side is starting to show. about 14 hours ago from txt He's hawking his new book. No shit. about 13 hours ago from txt Telling people buy copies and give them to friends. about 13 hours ago from txt Looks like he's about to cry again. about 13 hours ago from txt He's yelling now about McDonald's and air conditioners. about 13 hours ago from txt Glenn says "I don't sleep very much". about 13 hours ago from txt Almost cried talking about how people don't listen to him. about 13 hours ago from txt Glenn just grabbed his penis through his pantaloons. about 13 hours ago from txt About to cry again. Ah. No. Now he's yelling. about 13 hours ago from txt Glenn said, not joking, "it takes a village". Some in audience groaned instinctively. about 13 hours ago from txt Closes with the line... "Don't eat the tater tots! Thank you, good night!" about 13 hours ago from txt Well, there you have it. Glenn Beck's "comedy" in a nutshell. Later that night Glenn tweeted : Just got word we may have set a ticket sales record. Makes me happy that bloggers had to pay to make fun of me. :) about 20 hours ago from TwitterFon I replied to him that it was worth every penny. Feel free to follow me on Twitter if you're someone who does that sort of thing. More on Tax Day Tea Parties
 
Rob Richie: Three-Way Tossup in Virginia Primary Shouldn't Block Majority Winner Top
My colleague Paul Fidalgo wrote a blog post today over at the FairVote blog that I thought timely to share. You can see a range of new posts there on timely topics . Following what should have been a well-attended gubernatorial primary in New Jersey this week (but most certainly was not, as is the trend these days in primaries), new polling shows that Creigh Deeds is defying expectations in Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary contest. Essentially, there is a three-way tie among Deeds, former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe and last year's presumed frontrunner Brian Moran. If recent history is any guide, turnout will likely range between really low and really-really low. In the Democrats' 2006 hotly-contested primary for US Senate won by Jim Webb, turnout was less than 3.65% of registered voters -- and it was only 2.6% in 2001's four-way lieutenant governor primary. So it's anyone's guess who will end up the nominee on Tuesday, but what is almost beyond doubt is that whoever wins will not have passed a majority threshold -- and may not be the candidate most Virginia Democrats preferred. Public Policy Polling (PPP) asked questions that suggest who that candidate might be. Last month, just as Deeds' numbers were beginning to trend upward (watch the purple line at Pollster.com ), PPP speculated about voters' preferences using the candidates' favorability numbers among their opponents' supporters. PPP blogged: -67% of voters with a favorable opinion of McAuliffe are planning to vote for him. -50% of voters with a favorable opinion of Moran are planning to vote for him. -Only 44% of voters with a favorable opinion of Deeds are planning to vote for him. What's going on here is that Moran and McAuliffe's supporters hate the other candidate, but tend to be fine with Deeds because he's stayed above the fray. [ . . . ] It appears for most McAuliffe and Moran voters Deeds would be their second choice...but in a state without runoffs that's not going to do him much good. It's just another example of how this being a three candidate field may be what propels McAuliffe to the nomination with well less than a majority of the vote. The point (for us) isn't whether or not Deeds should wind up the winner or who hates whom. The important point is that with a plurality system like this, in which the eventual nominee could potentially be elected with a little over one-third of the votes, there's no way to determine who might truly be the consensus choice of Virginia Democrats. PPP is guessing that Deeds would be that choice if preferences could be measured, but it is only a guess, though an educated one. Whatever happens, something close to two-thirds of the party faithful will have voted against the winner. This wouldn't be the case if Virginia Democrats were using instant runoff voting (IRV). With IRV, primary voters could indicate a second choice on Tuesday. Whoever wound up in third place at the close of polls would be eliminated, and his supporters' ballots would be divvied up between the remaining two candidates based on who was listed second, producing a winner who had majority support among the voters with a preference between those two candidates. If IRV were being used in Tuesday's contest, the winner would almost certainly be someone whom more primary voters could live with, particularly in this case where, according to PPP, Moran and McAuliffe supporters tend to "hate the other candidate." And also important: no one would have to come back to the polls for a separate, expensive runoff election (which isn't an option anyway, as PPP notes). As our study of federal primary runoffs shows, the odds are overwhelmingly high that turnout would plunge -- of the 116 regularly scheduled federal election runoffs from 1994 to 2008, 113 (all but three) saw turnout declines. The mean turnout decline for the period was more than 35% Some Virginia Democrats already have embraced IRV. Last month, the Democratic Party of Charlottesville held a "firehouse primary," an open caucus to nominate its candidates for various local offices, and for the first time they used IRV to reach consensus choices, in an election with turnout almost quadrupled from previous primaries. Local Democrats had the chance to express their preferences in the case that their first choice didn't make the cut, as in the contest for sheriff in which a majority was not reached on the first tally, and IRV allowed the caucus-goers to reach consensus without having to return to the polls. Many private organizations beyond political parties see the benefit of using IRV to elect their leadership (check out a list of highlighted groups ), and it's recommended by Robert's Rules of Orde r for elections where repeated, in-person voting isn't possible. Ranking one's preferences is not exactly an alien concept to Democratic voters outside of Virginia, either. The party's single biggest name, President Barack Obama , was a prime sponsor in 2002 of legislation to use IRV for Illinois primaries. The presidential caucuses in his neighboring state of Iowa have a key similarity to IRV, although more protracted (and decidedly public). In the caucuses, a candidate needs to achieve a certain threshold of support within a room to be "viable." If it turns out that a candidate can't reach that threshold, his or her supporters disperse throughout the room to join another candidate's group -- a physicalization of ranking one's preferences. If my first-choice candidate isn't going to make the cut, I get to lend my support to my second choice, and candidates with broad, consensus appeal tend to pick up support. There's no "fifty-percent-plus-one" threshold in the Iowa caucuses, so winners can still be declared with small pluralities (and they often are), but after the battle royale that was the 2008 Iowa contest, we at least have all become intimately familiar with the concept of ranking preferences. This year, Virginia Democrats will have to do without that opportunity. As of now, there are too many factors to consider (eventual turnout, mobilization efforts, last minute ad blitzes, etc.) to make predictions of the outcome hardly more reliable than sport -- even FiveThirtyEight.com's Nate Silver agrees . But we can predict that without a ranked voting system like IRV in place, the true consensus choice of Virginia's Democratic voters will likely remain a mystery long after the polls have closed.
 
Rangel To Obama: Stay Out Of New York Politics Top
In an interview with NY1, Rep. Charles Rangel warns state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo not to challenge Gov. David Paterson in a Democratic primary next year, saying it could create "racial polarization" in the state and be "devastating" to New York Democrats. More on Barack Obama
 
Paul Helmke: Being "Deeply Saddened" At Gun Violence Is Not Enough Top
Today we offer them our thoughts and prayers, but we also have to offer them our determination to do whatever it takes to eradicate this violence from our streets, from our schools, from our neighborhoods and our cities. That is our duty as Americans . - Senator Barack Obama, February 2008 Yesterday, President Obama gave an historic speech in Cairo, Egypt, in an attempt to create a new relationship between the United States and 1.5 billion Muslims across the world. Earlier this month, he spoke to the graduates of Notre Dame University on bringing together opposing sides of the abortion debate. Meanwhile, the President is still overseeing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, trying to pull the economy out of the ditch, and pushing to enact health care and energy reform by the end of the year. Yes, the President has a lot on his plate. Yet not only did then-Senator Obama contemplate this heavy workload, he campaigned for it. As a presidential candidate, he famously said last September, " It's going to be part of the president's job to be able to deal with more than one thing at once ." Keeping this in mind, there is an immediate economic and public health crisis in America that, so far, both the President and Congress have chosen to ignore: approximately 12,000 gun homicides, 17,000 gun suicides, 650 accidental gun deaths, plus 70,000 non-fatal gun injuries occur every year in this country. Yet rather than propose concrete action that makes it harder for dangerous people to get firearms - while still respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners - all Washington can seem to muster after high-profile shootings are "thoughts and prayers" for the victims and their families. For his part, the President has also included sincere expressions of "deep sadness" at these tragic losses - though without any call to change any of our policies to prevent those losses. For example, after the shootings in March of four Oakland, CA police officers at the hands of a gunman armed with a military-style assault rifle, the President said in a prepared statement : I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Sgt. Mark Dunakin, Officer John Hege, Sgt. Ervin Romans, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai. Michelle and I hold their families and your community in our thoughts and prayers. Our Nation is grateful for the men and women of law enforcement who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our citizens and our neighborhoods. They risk their lives each day on our behalf and ask little in return. And although the danger of their work is well known, words still fail to explain the senseless violence that claims so many of them.... Following the April massacre of 13 aspiring American citizens in Binghamton, NY , by a deranged gunman - who fired 99 rounds from two semi-automatic pistols with high-capacity ammunition magazines before killing himself - the President said in a prepared statement : Michelle and I were shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the act of senseless violence in Binghamton, NY today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families and the people of Binghamton. We don't yet know all the facts, but my administration is actively monitoring the situation and the Vice President is in touch with Governor Paterson and local officials to track developments. Last month, after a mentally disturbed soldier shot and killed five fellow servicemembers at Camp Victory in Iraq before killing himself, the President said in a prepared statement : I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear the news from Camp Victory this morning, and my heart goes out to the families and friends of all the service members involved in this horrible tragedy. I will press to ensure that we fully understand what led to this tragedy, and that we are doing everything we can to ensure that our men and women in uniform are protected as they serve our country so capably and courageously in harm's way. To begin this process, I met with Secretary Gates this afternoon to get a briefing on the situation. And now, in the days following an attack on a military recruiting station in Little Rock, AR, that killed one soldier and wounded another - at the hands of yet another man armed with a military-style assault rifle - the President released this prepared statement : I am deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence against two brave young soldiers who were doing their part to strengthen our armed forces and keep our country safe. I would like to wish Quinton Ezeagwula a speedy recovery, and to offer my condolences and prayers to William Long's family as they mourn the loss of their son. Contrast these statements with Candidate Obama's pointed remarks after yet another deranged " suicide shooter " attacked a classroom at Northern Illinois University in February 2008 and murdered 5 students before killing himself : Today we offer them our thoughts and prayers, but we also have to offer them our determination to do whatever it takes to eradicate this violence from our streets, from our schools, from our neighborhoods and our cities. That is our duty as Americans . Four-and-a-half months into his Administration, it sounds like there is a difference between Candidate Obama and President Obama. Candidate Obama stated his firm belief that we can reach common ground about effective ways to address gun violence prevention in America while respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Yet up to now, President Obama has been unwilling to do much more than express his deep sadness and send his thoughts and prayers to victims and their families in response to shooting after shooting in this country, repeating gun lobby rhetoric that we should just "enforce the laws on the books," and sidestepping the fact that there are only a handful of Federal laws which make it harder for dangerous people to get guns. He has yet to offer even a hint of his commitment after the Northern Illinois killings "to do whatever it takes" to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. Gun violence prevention should no longer be a cultural issue or a wedge issue. The Supreme Court decision last summer helped affirm this by putting the extreme positions in this debate off the table . When it comes to preventing tens of thousands of senseless American deaths and injuries every year, President Obama has a perfect opportunity to bring Americans together on a broad middle ground. In the wake of the next mass shooting - and sadly, due to America's lack of a gun violence prevention safety net, I fear this is inevitable - I hope the President goes beyond merely expressing his deep sadness, and calls on Congress and on all Americans to act . (Note to readers: This entry, along with past entries, has been co-posted on bradycampaign.org/blog and the Huffington Post .) More on Barack Obama
 
NRA, Chicago Prepare To Dig In On Gun Ban Fight Top
CHICAGO (AP) -- The National Rifle Association and Chicago long have been the biggest and toughest guys on the block in the fight over handguns. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia's handgun ban last year, communities around the country revoked their handgun bans - but not Chicago. When a federal appellate court this week upheld Chicago's ban, saying Second Amendment protections for gun owners apply only to federal laws, the NRA immediately appealed to the Supreme Court. "I've always thought that the one that would fight the longest and hardest and the one that would be the candidate for the Supreme Court would be Chicago," said Todd Vandermyde, a lobbyist with the National Rifle Association in Illinois. In 1982, when Chicago enacted its ban, the number of homicides routinely topped 800 every year and the mayor at the time, Jane Byrne, called it a "first step in a nationwide campaign" for stricter gun laws. When Mayor Richard M. Daley was elected in 1989, he continued to push for tighter gun laws, and has become one of the nation's most vocal gun-control proponents. And under Daley, the city has been willing to spend money to keep its ban in place. "Chicago's got the deep pockets and think they can squander all kinds of taxpayer money," Vandermyde said. After the Washington, D.C. ban was struck down last year, Chicago assured neighboring Oak Park - which enacted its own handgun ban in 1985 - that if it kept its ban, officials there could count on Chicago for help. "All of the issues in the Oak Park complaint are (covered in) the Chicago complaint and Chicago indicated that if we lost and there were attorneys fees on these issues that they would not seek a contribution from the village," said Ray Heise, Oak Park's village attorney who wrote the suburb's ordinance. Chicago leaders, including police Superintendent Jody Weis, say the issue is a battle for control of city streets. They point to the more than 10,000 guns the department takes off the street a year. And they fear that repealing the law might drive up the number of homicides, which police say have been lower over the last five years than at any time since the mid-1960s. "Anything that can turn that statistic in the wrong direction is something that we would not be in favor of," said Roderick Drew, a spokesman for the department. Last January, an appeals court panel in New York that included Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor upheld a handgun ban on the grounds that the Second Amendment applied to federal laws. And judges in New York and Chicago said only the Supreme Court could decide whether to extend last year's ruling throughout the country. Vandermyde said the NRA overcame its biggest hurdle when the Washington, D.C. ban was overturned last year. "The court has already said this type of ban is unconstitutional," he said, adding that Chicago's ban is "almost the twin brother" of the D.C. ban. Many of the constitutional protections of the Bill of Rights have been applied to cities and states, and Vandermyde said he's optimistic that the court will do that in this case as well. But Jennifer Hoyle, spokeswoman for the Chicago law department, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled clearly in the past that Second Amendment protections do not apply to cities and states. "The court expressly did not address that," she said. "The reason they ruled on the Washington D.C. ordinance is that Washington D.C. is a federal district," she said. It's not even certain that the high court will take the NRA v. Chicago case. If it does, Vandermyde said arguments could come as early as fall. That's fine with gun owners who have for more than two decades bristled at Chicago's law. "I get it all the time, somebody coming in and they say their neighbor just got robbed and I need to finally step up and buy a firearm," said Mike Diaz, manager of Mike Schrank's Smoke'N Gun in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan. "And I see they are in Chicago and tell them 'you can't have a gun.'" But even if the NRA prevails, Diaz doesn't think that will end anything. "Will this be the final nail in the coffin?" he asked. "No, because someone will look at another reason to write another gun law." -ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Bill Scheft: Dear Marty Fleck: Plus-8? I thought you said "Plus-date" Top
(Marty Fleck is a self-help guru, the author of the international bestseller Where Can I Stow My Baggage? and the syndicated column "Baggage Handling." He is also the pseudonymous protagonist of Bill Scheft's new novel Everything Hurts . He has generously agreed to answer questions from readers of the Huffington Post when he feels like it.) Dear Marty Fleck, My wife and I are in the middle of what I'm sure is a common impasse. She wants me to take a more active role in raising our children, yet she refused to let me interview potential nannies. What is more active than the interview process? know you are an expert in emasculation. Am I overreacting? Name Withheld, Pittsburgh Dear Jon Gosselin, Yeah, you heard me. Why act like I don't know who you are? And from what I hear, your name is the only thing you've been withholding these days. Interviewing nannies? Exactly what part of the interview process is checking into a Days Inn as "Dick Stray, Vice-Chairman, Octoman Empire?" I know your house is a wee crowded now, but you could make some room if you just taught the two oldest kids how to operate a camera. Union health and pension, hello???Am I the only one thinking? And no, I don't think it's exploitative to have children on the air 24/7. Look at "American Chopper." Is that a functional family or what? And can those boys bend pipe. But from what I hear from the housekeeping staff at the Day's Inn, so can you. By the way, did you know the biggest reality show in North Korea is Kim Jong-Il building Hyundai knockoffs with his two songs, Kim Jong-Uday and Kim Jong-Qusay? I feel bad for Kim Jong-Il retiring. Had to hand up the Roy Orbison wig and the platform shoes before he could achieving his ultimate goal: Waterboarding Alan Alda. Here's my point. Your wife did not have these kids on spec. You bought 'em. Sure, you only ordered the three-egg omelet, but that doesn't mean you run out on the check and change your ringtone to "Rico Suave." Enough. If I make another obscure pop culture reference, I have to pay a royalty to Dennis Miller. Actually, it's now half to Dennis, half to the RNC. Reverend Henry Ward Beecher said, "Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven." Wait a minute. A clergyman talking about children? Scratch that, and let's end with Rico Suave. More on Jon & Kate Plus 8
 
Huff Radio: Left, Right & Center: Obama's MidEast Speech, Unemployment and GM, Now What? Top
This was an intense show -- very good and interesting -- first about the aspirational nature of Obama's Cairo speech, then a serious take on the still-tanking economy. Lots of steak, not just sizzle. More on Barack Obama
 
Over 3,000 Artificts, Many Stolen From Italy, Found In Suburban Home Top
CHICAGO (AP) -- The FBI says religious artifacts, books and antiquities discovered in a suburban Chicago home two years ago were stolen from Italy and will be sent back to that country. The FBI says more than 3,000 items were discovered in the Berwyn residence, and many were determined to have been removed from Italy illegally. Robert D. Grant, special agent in charge of the Chicago FBI office, and Berwyn police chief William R. Kushner will hold a news briefing Monday to tell how the artifacts were authenticated. Members of the FBI's Washington-based art crimes unit are to attend. A sample of the items will be on display along with a detailed listing of what artifacts were discovered. -ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Michealene Cristini Risley: Zimbabwean, Betty Makoni is my hero! Top
I met Betty Makoni back in spring of 2007. I was introduced to her work by photojournalist and dear friend, Paola Gianturco: http://www.womenwholightthedark.com/ Paola and I were going to hear Betty speak in San Francisco but by accident when I called for a ticket to the event, Sara Dotlich, who was head of African Affairs for IDEX, answered the phone. Idex is a non-profit "that provides grants to those who promote sustainable solutions to poverty." http://www.idex.org/who-we-are.html. After my conversation with Sara, she arranged for Betty and I to meet in a small Café in San Francisco. We talked and shared our personal stories of abuse as children. Betty's story was horrific. By the age of 9, she had already been raped and watched her mother beaten to death before her eyes. We spoke the same language; a language of survivors who turned their personal stories into something more collective to change the world. We were like an old married couple, we finished each others sentences, read each others minds and left that restaurant as life long friends. In truth a relationship that was cemented by the same origins of pain. A pain that for both of us caused a deep and burning desire to help others. So much of the anger and resentment surrounding rape and abuse is stirred in a large bowl with love and laughter and other confusing factors. It is tough to mix those ingredients together into anything that resembles a normal life. The combination of those feelings makes sifting through the items for the recipe painful at the very least. I suppose part of what Betty and I had in common at that point was the resilience to keep moving through the pain to find a place of comfort. We both had healed enough to create productive lives and raise families. Both of us had a strong desire to help others through the maze of abuse. Even if helping others is defined by simply telling your personal story-it is enough to make other survivors feel less alone. Betty founded an organization called The Girl Child Network, a place where girls could come after being raped or abused. The number of children abused and raped in Zimbabwe is staggering. This behavior is fueled by the belief that if a man rapes a virgin he will cure his AIDS. Makoni has created three empowerment villages in Zimbabwe to help girls devastated by this myth. She has saved thousands of lives. Betty continues to tell her story, even though it is difficult. She must encounter those traumatized every step of the way. Sometimes she can help them, sometimes she cannot, but pain follows her like the skin upon her frame. Vital but unwanted. The aftermath of abuse, no matter how well you have healed, often hits you when you least expect it. For Betty, telling the truth and helping these girls has put her life at risk. After I went to Zimbabwe to tell her story, and after my own imprisonment, they hauled her into prison for harboring me, an "alleged CIA" agent. In the prison cell, she had to stand for days without food or water. Despite this, Betty never waivered from her support of the girls. So many people REFUSE to discuss rape and abuse. I often say that I can clear a room, when I start talking about this issue. It would be funny, if it wasn't so true. The only way we can begin to understand and eradicate abuse is by talking about it. According to Amnesty International: http://www.amnestyinternational.com "One out of every three women worldwide is beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime." According to the US Census Bureau roughly 3 billion women inhabit the globe. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html. One third of that is 1.1 billion women. Think about this-1.1 billion women will face abuse in their life time. Isn't it time we stood up and said, enough ? By they way, Betty isn't only my hero, check out her recognition at CNNHEROES: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/index.html Please check out our upcoming documentary on Betty Makoni: http://www.tapestresofhope.com. More on CNN
 
Geoffrey Dunn: Slap Shot: Alaska Legislators Set to Override Palin's Veto Top
As Sarah Palin leaves Alaska yet again for a pair of photo-op sessions in New York on the road to her 2012 bid for the presidency, Alaska's legislators, fed up with Palin's political posturing, have indicated that they have amassed sufficient votes to override her veto of President Obama's $28.6 million in State Energy Program stimulus funding. It will take a 75 percent legislative majority to override her veto--no small feat in a rightward leaning state. It would appear to be a political slap shot headed straight for the net. Don't believe the headlines of the mainstream media and rightwing apologists for Palin who claim this is part of some Democratic and/or liberal plot against Palin in the Last Frontier. This effort in Alaska is bipartisan and is being headed up on the Republican side by a slew of GOP legislative leaders, including lower house members Mike Hawker, John Coghill and Jay Ramras; and GOP Senators Gary Stevens, Tom Wagoner and Lesil McGuireIt also includes members of the conservative all-Republican Senate minority, Palin's staunchest supporters during her two-plus years as governor. Hawker told the Anchorage Daily News : This is just one of those cases where there is such a profound difference of opinion between the legislative branch of government and the executive branch. We could have one of those rare and difficult instances where we are actually able to override a governor's veto of an appropriation item. Palin, of course, has used Obama's stimulus package as a way of maintaining the semblance of a national profile in opposition to the president on economic issues. That she hasn't the slightest bit of economic savvy was underscored throughout last year's presidential campaign (who can ever forget that infamous interaction with Katie Couric ?), and just this week, Palin made some thoroughly inane assertions on economic policy while introducing right-wing radio talk show host Michael Reagan (son of the conservative icon) to a red-meat audience in Anchorage. Her remarks, transcribed quite nearly in full (with hilarious commentary provided) by The Mudflats , included this gem: Reagan knew that real change and real change requiring shaking things up and maybe takin' off the entrenched interest thwarting the will of the people with their ignoring of our concerns about future peril caused by selfish short-sighted advocacy for growing government and digging more debt, and taking away individual and state's rights and hampering opportunity to responsibly develop our resources, and coddling those who would seek to harm America and her allies. Yes, that is another direct quote. Les Gara, the popular Democratic representative from Anchorage, who many have identified as a possible gubernatorial candidate next year, told me today that he remains "disappointed" with Palin's decision: When 49 out of 50 governors have accepted the energy stimulus, you have to ask what is going on here. We're talking about windows and insulation in a state that desperately needs aa conservation program. The governor's decision doesn't help the national goal of domestic energy production to minimize our reliance on energy from rogue countries and it doesn't help the state's goal of increasing affordable, diversified energy production. I'm concerned that everything our governor does these days is to position herself in opposition to Obama. After calling the stimulus an "an unsustainable, debt-ridden package of funds" and likening it to "a bribe," Palin actually accepted 97-plus percent of the Obama stimulus. Talk about faux opposition One Republican legislator I spoke to this week who is fearful of political reprisals from Palin said that "I've never seen someone so disengaged from the legislative process. She claims to be all about Alaska; what she's really all about is Sarah." In April, Palin's nomination of Wayne Anthony Ross as Alaska's attorney general was overwhelmingly turned down by the legislature--the first time in Alaska's history that had ever happened. She's setting her self up for another fall. The only question remaining about a stimulus override seems to be not if , but when . If the Federal government requires a vote earlier than next January, then it is possible a special session will be convened by the Legislature. If it's not necessary, the state lawmakers are likely to wait until the beginning of the next legislative session in January of 2010. Such an override would mark a less-than-propitious way for Governor Palin to begin the legislative season in a year that she is slated to run for re-election. Award-winning investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn is at work on a book about Sarah Palin and her role in American politics, to be published by Macmillan/St. Martin's in 2010. More on Barack Obama
 
Craig Newmark: 21st century statecraft: texting for Swat Valley refugee assistance Top
In Pakistan's Swat Valley, nearly 2.4 million people have fled their homes after rejecting the violence of the Taliban, and hundreds of thousands now live in tented refugee camps that are in critical need of funding for water, food, medicine, and shelter. Responding to this crisis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in addition to pledging $110 million of humanitarian assistance, has brought the relief efforts to the fingertips of any American with a cell phone. Just text to 20222, just the text "swat", and that sends five bucks to help people out who really need a break. This new media program, and others like it, are part of the State Department's commitment to "21st century statecraft" which encourages diplomatic efforts not just from one government to another, but from government to people, people to government, and, as with the "Text Swat" initiative, people to people.
 
Alan McGee: This Week in the Classroom: The Judicial System Top
With President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, there is much debate about what this selection would mean for the future of United States law. As debate continues and the Senate confirmation process moves forward, young students across the country have the opportunity to follow the historical process firsthand. Moreover, teachers now have a unique opportunity as well -- provided they have the resources available to support their curriculum. At DonorsChoose.org , we've been following related classroom requests that aim to engage high-need public school students in creative and innovative ways. In light of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's recent nomination, here are a few examples of many classroom requests that exemplify the imagination of our public school teachers -- in the form of grant proposals -- that can be brought to life by you, the citizen: In a high-need Illinois classroom , Ms. R is looking to teach her fourth grade students about the judicial system in a way that is both engaging and meaningful. Her classroom request, entitled The People vs. Goldilocks , will provide her students with materials to simulate due process of law: "In order to help my students make sense of the judicial process, and begin to build their civic vocabulary, I would like to have my students perform a mock trial. In my classroom, Goldilocks will stand accused of breaking and entering." A few hundred miles east of Illinois, a New York City teacher is hoping for materials that will help to prepare his students for a nationwide policy debate. Mr. F is the Debate Coach for a group of nearly 70 students ranging from grades 7-12, making up the largest urban debate team in the country. He explains that "debate is one of the most challenging academic opportunities out there. Students learn valuable skills in public speaking, writing, researching, logic, philosophy, current events, economics and so many other subjects." Next year's debate topic? Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase social services to persons living in poverty in the United States. This request will help to start a small classroom library so that relevant books are easily accessible, an excellent resource for students to advance their education both within and outside of the classroom. In Florida, Mr. C has a similar request designed to teach his high-school students to think critically about arguments made by political figures. Stating that "an engaged and educated citizenry is essential for our democracy," this classroom request will provide his students with textbooks that utilize a five-step methodology designed to interpret political argument and develop personal opinion. Whether to support the fundamental understanding the judicial system, or to inspire a career in politics or law, each project reflects one teacher's hope for the future of his or her students. As a citizen philanthropist, it's up to you to decide which classroom requests should be realized. DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support. After completing a project, the donor hears back from the classroom they supported in the form of photographs and student thank-you letters.
 
David Gartner: Obama's Call for Educating Women Top
As part of his historic Cairo address, President Barack Obama raised the hopes of millions of women around the world by highlighting how educating women can change the economic future of nations and promote equality. "I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality . . . countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous" proclaimed President Obama. The president has a unique opportunity to fulfill these hopes by delivering on earlier promises to create a new Global Fund for Education and contribute $2 billion so that all girls can go to school. Education, especially for girls and women, is the most highly leveraged investment now available for developing countries. Obama's top economic adviser, Lawrence Summers, has found that "educating girls yields a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world." Women's education is a key driver for the economic growth of countries around the world. A 100 country study by the World Bank found that every 1 percent increase in the level of women's education generates .3 percent in additional economic growth. Educating women increases their wages by as much as 20 percent for every additional year of schooling. Women's education is a key driver for the economic growth of countries around the world. Educating women is also essential for ensuring food security and protecting recent gains in global health during the current economic crisis. Educated women use their expanded knowledge and improved financial situation to provide for their children. One study of 63 countries found that women's education accounted for 43 percent of all progress in reducing child malnutrition. In Africa, the children of mothers who received five years of primary education are 40 percent more likely to live beyond the age of five. Education is a "social vaccine" against AIDS, dramatically reducing the risks of infection, especially for girls. Despite all the incredible returns that come from educating girls and the world's commitment to the U.N. Millennium Development Goal that all girls should have equal access to education as boys, more than half the countries in the Arab world, in South and West Asia and in Sub-Saharan Africa have yet to achieve gender parity in education. In Afghanistan, for example, fewer than 70 girls enter school for every 100 boys. Overall, 75 million primary school age children are still out of school and most of them are girls. Reducing the cost of education, employing an adequate number of teachers and creating safe environments for girls to learn are essential strategies for expanding access to education for girls. A number of countries have eliminated school fees in recent years, catalyzing dramatic expansions in enrollment and achieving gender parity in primary education. Bangladesh closed the education gap for girls by providing stipends for attending secondary school to cover the costs of supplies, textbooks and uniforms and more than tripled the number of girls enrolled. Creating safe environments in which girls can effectively learn is also vital to promoting educated women. Training more female teachers is especially important in countries, like Pakistan, where many parents are reluctant to send their girls to schools with male teachers. Burkina Faso recently made substantial gains in the enrollment and performance for girls by building schools in rural areas that included separate bathroom facilities for girls and provided lunch for students. In an earlier speech, President Obama promised to create a Global Fund for Education and pledged to invest $2 billion in order to "erase the global primary education gap by 2015" and ensure that every child can go to school. By fulfilling these commitments, Obama could leverage investments from the rest of the world and actually achieve the Millennium Development Goal of education for all by 2015. Obama's words in Cairo have raised the sights of millions of girls around the world, and creating a Global Fund for Education holds the promise that they will finally get the chance to learn. More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Week In Photos: Vote On Your Favorite, Send In Your Choices (POLL, PHOTOS) Top
Last week we launched a new feature that asked readers to vote on the best photos we chose from the week. This week we're asking you to vote again but we also want YOU to start contributing photos. Keep an eye out for impactful images from Saturday until next Thursday. Send your choice pic to ee+offtheweek@huffingtonpost.com by Thursday night for consideration in the weekly roundup. Your photo should have been taken the week that it's submitted. Please include your name and a link to the site that originally posted the photograph. Thank you... now please vote on this week's photos.
 
Nelson Davis: Bold Moves Top
Decades ago the cereal market was dominated by two companies, Kellogg's and Post, but today the Kellogg Company is far ahead of their old competitor. Why? Bold thinking and action when it really mattered during the 1930s depression paved the way for their dominance. There is a very contemporary lesson for all business people in their story. I became curious about cereal magnate Will Keith Kellogg (1860-1951) because on the interstate 10 drive between Los Angeles and Palm Springs I've often seen a "Kellogg Hill" road sign. It turns out to be near property that was a ranch once owned by the pioneering businessman and indeed the hill was named after him. In 1925, Kellogg purchased a 377 acre ranch in Pomona, California which grew to 750 acres over the next 7 years. In 1932, he donated the ranch to the University of California system. These days I have too many conversations with executives working for large and medium sized companies who can only talk about cut backs and shrinking budgets. Of course everyone wants to save money these days, but that may not be the key to saving your business. There seems to be a noticeable lack of forward vision regarding how to build a dominant position or even increase market share in these doubtful times. In our busy little business hearts we know that cutting your way to prosperity is impossible. Slashing everything may lead to survival but just surviving is not why anyone starts a business. The business saga of the breakfast food titans, Mr. Kellogg and his rival C. W. Post, is a fascinating and instructive story. It was over a hundred years ago that Battle Creek, Michigan became ground zero for cereal production when Kellogg and his brother, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943), discovered how to toast a corn mixture into corn flakes. Harvey Kellogg managed a sanitarium and W. K came to work with him promoting the idea that grains and vegetables were healthier foods than animal proteins. That was the atmosphere that spawned the birth of wheat flakes, corn flakes, and other concoctions that became the basis for the cereals that you and I grew up eating. It was a small business that went through a pretty full set of the classic business misadventures. They included a feud between the brothers that ripped them apart, betrayals, and other stresses that would make anyone want a healthier diet. The plot really began to thicken like good oatmeal when Charles W. Post arrived on the scene in Battle Creek and the town's name proved prophetic. In the late 19th Century there were over 40 companies attempting to copy the breakfast food success of the Kellogg brothers. One that did well was the C.W.Post Co., organized in 1895. Mr. Post had gone to Battle Creek in a wheel-chair to be a patient in Dr. Kellogg's sanitarium. Cured of his ailments, he remained to make millions out of pre-cooked foods. W.K. Kellogg insisted that Post had simply ripped off their manufacturing techniques and secrets. He certainly did seem to walk the path already established by the feuding Kelloggs, but his talent for advertising made Postum a popular national drink in campaigns that warned drinking coffee was dangerous to health. He also promoted Post Toasties until his product nearly rivaled the Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Then he bought the rights to Grape-Nuts from a small company and made it an international favorite. The foods may have been healthy, but there was very bad blood between Post and Kellogg. The competition was bitter. Post employees would not associate with Kellogg workers, and for years the semi professional baseball teams maintained by each company could not play against each other because police feared rioting. It is when the great depression sapped the resources, vision, and the will of many businesses that W.K. Kellogg got his revenge on Post. Kellogg made an unprecedented move as the United States sank into the Great Depression. Instead of cutting back, he doubled his advertising spending - and Kellogg cereal sales increased. In response to the hard times created by the Depression, Mr. Kellogg reduced the hours of the three plant shifts and created a fourth shift, spreading the payroll among more workers. Declaring, "I'll invest my money in people," in 1930, Mr. Kellogg founded the W.K. Kellogg Foundation which bought the California land near Pomona. He also kept pushing and investing to develop the nutritional quality of Kellogg's products. Kellogg's® Pep became the first cereal fortified with vitamins through the "spray" method. Kellogg also instigated new marketing partnerships by sponsoring "The Singing Lady - Irene Wicker," the nation's first radio network program for children, and the "Howie Wing" radio show, based on the adventures of a young aviator. That was the bold strategy that lifted Kellogg's cereals above those of Post to dominate the American market. After Post's death, his company joined the Jell-O Company in the first of a series of mergers which led to the development of the General Foods Corp. The Kellogg's Company, still headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, became the world's largest producer of cereals with annual sales over nine billion dollars. Their flagship product is still the venerable Corn Flakes but also includes such famous brands as Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, and Special K among others. Additional food lines include Keebler, Pop Tarts, Eggo, and Nutri-Grain. There are plenty of reasons why it is easy to be afraid at all levels of business today. The safe and predictable course of the past several decades seems a lot less secure and a lot more slippery right now. The lesson here is that it is in times like the present that great business minds reveal themselves by taking bold action. Your ambitions and values have to guide you past the chaos that we can all see. We've just come out of an easy period when average actions could get noteworthy results on a balance sheet. That was an aberration and now gravity has done its work by imposing the fundamental rules of business once again. I think that the Austrian philosopher, Goethe, said it best: "Boldness has genius, power and magic to it." Where do you want your business to be after this harsh recession and how bold do you plan to be in achieving that goal? Visit www.MakingItTV.com for more resources pertaining to small business and entrepreneurs.
 
Right-Wing Protesters: Birth Control Will Kill You Top
Unable to turn the public against sex, the pro-life movement will be on the march Saturday trying to convince women that birth-control pills will kill them. The right-wing American Life League and a handful of regional organizations will stand around outside U.S. pharmacies and Planned Parenthood chapters this weekend for the second annual "Protest the Pill Day." Dispatches from last year's protests, posted at thepillkills.com, offer a sense of what to expect. "About two dozen prayerful witnesses testified to the facts of death about the pill," reads last year's ALL report from the protest at a Planned Parenthood in Napa, Calif. "For one hour the prayers were offered for the many uninformed patrons who come asking the staff of Planned Parenthood to provide chemicals, hormones, and sex-education as an answer to their problems with the natural consequences of abuse of sex." "We experienced a lot of thumbs up and approving honks," gushed a protester who stood outside the Planned Parenthood of South Texas for an hour last year. The American Life League blames birth control -- all birth control, conflating the pill with less time-tested contraceptives -- for abortions and a wide variety of deadly health problems. The group's Web site also helpfully provides a nationwide map to facilities and protests. More ominously, it includes some ambiguous language about who should use it. "As the national group focused on grassroots efforts to defeat Planned Parenthood, American Life League hopes the information presented will be helpful to all in this battle," the Web site reads. Behind the scenes, ALL and other right-wing groups are pushing state and local governments to deny women access to birth control and emergency contraception, as well as "fetal personhood" laws begging for a Supreme Court challenge, said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. In the meantime, Gandy said, the grassroots are a critical battleground, and education is key. "It's sad to say, they are targeting young women who, after eight years of 'abstinence only' sex mis-education, are particularly vulnerable to their propaganda," Gandy wrote in a letter. "We know that the greatest danger to women's lives comes from a lack of access to good reproductive health care, including birth control and abortion -- and scientifically accurate information." Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter! More on Health
 
TV Reporter Dunks On Kid, Makes Him Cry: 'I Feel So Powerful' (WATCH) Top
In a feelgood bit clearly gone awry, WGN TV sports reporter Pat Tomasulo literally reduced a little boy to tears after dunking over him on an outdoor basketball hoop. The clip, spotted by the Windy Citizen , shows Tomasulo jokingly taunting the boy after his dunk. After the teary kid's mother said her son wanted to leave, the reporter acknowledges feeling "like the lowest person in the world" but that when he dunked, "I felt so powerful." Watch: More on WTF
 
Perry Garfinkel: Costa Rica Green Report Card: Arenal Volcano Region Top
La Fortuna, Costa Rica - This country's modern-day Big Bang came in 1968 when its only constantly active volcano, Arenal, woke up from a 400-year geologic nap with a huge eruption that not only displaced thousands of villagers circling the mountain but also disrupted the lives of countless species of flora and fauna. Both Man and all other living things were probably already well adapted to the mobile lifestyle. There is anthropological evidence that Man inhabited the Arenal area as early as 10,000 years before the Common Era. The population never grew large enough to require extensive agriculture. After an eruption, the people would move 15 or so miles away, returning once crops began to grow again. This resiliency was probably a direct result of the Arenal people's simplicity; a small society in balance with the tropical ecology could bounce back more easily than a civilization as complex as the Maya. It's a sign of my own - our own - complexity and lack of resilience that when I saw Arenal's foreboding steam last week and then heard boulders, vomited out of its tubular top, ominously rumbling down its hard-sloping side, my initial instinct was to run, tormented by images of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in "Joe and the Volcano." Arenal continues a ridge of volcanic activity that eventually gave rise to the mountainous spine traversing the entire length of the Western Hemisphere, cutting across Costa Rica from northwest to southeast. Not far from Arenal, at the northwest corner of Costa Rica on the Pacific coast, geologists believe volcanoes spat out the first masses of earth that eventually created the isthmus bridging the Americas. This is Central America's oldest land. I mention this way-back-in-the-day long view to suggest that life forms here have experienced, endured and survived environmental shifts of unimaginable magnitude. Surely, they can survive the more contemporary eruption of tourism development. Spiraling up small windy roads on the three-hour drive from the Liberia airport toward Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort (www.tabacon.com), the award-winning five-star near Arenal's base and reputed to be one of Costa Rica's most pristinely kept eco-resorts, I was heartened to see that development along the way was not what I'd seen on Guanacaste's Gold Coast a couple of months ago, on assignment for The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/greathomesanddestinations/17Costa.html). There were many small hotels dotting the hillsides, but none of the high-rise condos or sprawling resort-cum-residential developments spreading up and down Costa Rica's Pacific side. But I worried it could go that way without tight protections and intelligent development (the very phrase sounds oxymoron when I think of moronic developers I've met in other tourism destinations). Luckily - for the area's 18 species of mammals, 20 of birds (including the endangered great green macaw), 15 of amphibians and reptiles; for the 20 species of medicinal plants and especially for four species of trees in danger of extinction; for the great anteaters, sloth, jaguars, howler monkeys, kinkajous or honey bears (endangered by either name), pumas and a hopefully growing species called the eco-sensitive homo sapiens - the Arenal Volcano National Park belongs to a National Parks Service conservation program that guarantees protection for flora and fauna threatened with extinction, as well as for areas of historical, archeological and scenic interest. Ironically, the Arenal park includes an artificial ecosystem, which turns out to be a good thing (if you ignore the fact that it probably displaced a natural pre-existing ecosystem). Next to the volcano is a dam, built in 1983, which created Lake Arenal, covering an area of almost 90 square kilometers. The hydraulic energy harnessed from the lake and its surrounding rivers accounts for almost 40 percent of Costa Rica's energy production. While the dam flooded what was previously the town of Arenal, it also created new life: there are more than 35 species of zooplankton, 14 species of macrophytes and 37 species of fish, predominantly cichlids and livebearers. At nearby Arenal Observatory Lodge, scientists come from the Smithsonian Institute, the Earthwatch Institute, the Organization of Tropical Studies, the University of California and other institutions to take advantage of the lodge's unique observatory location very close to the live volcano. They study details of the '68 eruption, species regeneration in volcanically affected areas and other effects of volcanic activity on local biology. The cynic in me thinks such studies are motivated by the desire to make sure that the tourism infrastructure is not disrupted by the next big one. I would like to see them also examine the environmental effect of increased traffic flow (the increased flow of everything) generated by the influx of tourists. But in the end, the true custodianship of this primitive land remains in the hands of individuals, whether it's you and me trespassing lightly and respectfully in these parts, or the owners and managers of the growing number of hotels and tour operators here. This is why I give Tabacón my own Green Pura Vida Seal of Approval and why I give most of that credit to Uwe Wagner, the German-born general manager passionately committed to responsible and sustainable tourism. Look, it's nearly impossible for a 114-room upscale hotel nestled into 750 acres of rainforest - which includes several eating establishments, pools, shuttle vans, many tons of waste water, all across the street from natural mineral hot springs also owned and managed by the hotel - not to leave some footprint, not create some environmental domino effect that alters the lives of local people, local plants and local ecology. Pulling off such a miracle would defy the laws of physics, at the very least defying quantum physics' observer-and-the-observed theory that the act of observation changes the phenomenon being observed. But, under Wagner's guidance since 2006, not only has the hotel raised its luxury bar and won a handful of awards and stars but it also has tightened up on its various eco-programs. To wit: • To eliminate toxic pesticides maintaining its extensive botanical gardens, the resort produces its own organic fertilizers. • It has implemented an ongoing tree-planting program (3,000 so far) to minimize the carbon footprint of guests arriving by car or bus. • All recyclables go to local schools, where students classify and sell them to recycling industries, generating income for the schools. • In May 2008, Tabacón committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of this year, ahead of Costa Rica's goal of becoming the first C-neutral country by 2021. • The resort has implemented energy-saving practices. Sensors in outdoor lighting and guest rooms reduced electricity consumption by approximately 35 percent over the past three years. • Water is heated by the nearby Arenal Volcano so no artificial heating systems are required; in fact, the hotel uses only mineral water from the volcano and natural springs. Your hotel shower is hydrotherapy. That last almost makes it moot to cross the street from the hotel to the spa and hot springs (which are open to the public: http://www.tabacon.com/hot-springs). Almost. Why would anyone pass up the chance to let cascading hot mineral waterfalls massage your back the natural way? Or take a water slide down into a pool, and float on over to the pool bar for herbal juice, or something stronger? Or get a Volcanic Mud Wrap in one of the 11 outdoor treatment bungalows, with private jacuzzi? To do otherwise would be to miss the meaning of Pura Vida. Next week Perry will ford a river in a Jimmy SUV to visit the southern reaches of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula and the beach at Punta Islita .
 
Nelson Davis: The Barber Shop Lesson Top
Barber shops in African American neighborhoods play several roles. They are a town hall and political debate forum as well as offering the expected hair care services. In addition to a hair trim this past weekend, I was reminded of the microcosm of the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in these shops as well. My barber, Rodney, is a grandfather of Social Security collection age, and he considers himself to be semi-retired. Here is what I noticed during 45 minutes in the Crenshaw Boulevard shop where he cuts hair several days per week: When I arrived, there was one customer in the chair getting a cut, and there was another person lined up ahead of me. By the time my haircut was done and he handed me a mirror to admire his craftsmanship, before pocketing my $20 bill, I did a quick calculation. Three customers in forty five minutes at $20 each adds up to $60 an hour, including a 15 minute break! A junior attorney or aerospace engineer would be tickled to accept the equivalent of $60 an hour in today's environment. While Rodney doesn't work forty hours per week nor does he capture $60 for every hour that he's in the shop, he probably takes home enough working for himself to nicely supplement any other income, and while I suspect that the word honesty must be in the shop's code of conduct, I would not bet that all the cash is reported to those who care about such things, like the IRS. While I waited for my turn in the barber's chair, a man of undetermined age walked through the shop with a belt slung over his shoulder and that belt held about ten various cell phone pouches. Though sunglasses shielded his eyes it was easy to see that he was sizing up the room in search of customers. Since I do love to support other small businesses and my Blackberry didn't have the benefit of a pouch that could go on my hip, he probably spotted me as a likely buyer. Five dollars for the fake leather holder seemed like a fair deal, and the transaction only took thirty seconds to capture me as another happy customer. He may not see himself as an entrepreneur, but he was demonstrating the spirit. Just after I settled into Rodney's chair for my trim, a woman came up to him with a Styrofoam container and said that she is launching her catering business and wanted some of the barbers to sample her food at no charge. Though I didn't want to suddenly move my head for fear of leaving there with more than a simple trim, I gave her an "atta girl" smile for that smart marketing move. I loved the simple resourcefulness of what she was doing. This barber shop is a beehive of activity with about twelve chairs and customers ranging in age from four years up to people in the cocktail hour of life. I hope the youngsters were taking in these lessons on what my father used to call "the hustle," which meant having a variety of legal ways to make a living. When I hear people say there aren't enough opportunities and that they can't make money, I'll tell them about the simple but valuable barber shop lessons. Visit www.MakingItTV.com for more resources pertaining to entrepreneurs and small business. More on Small Business
 
PANIC! Alabama Congressman Warns Of Imminent Nuclear Threat To Seattle (And The Rest Of Your Scritti Politti) Top
If you cast your mind back to yesterday, on these pages, we made note of Supergenius Congressman Todd Akin, who doesn't understand why ANYONE would be opposed to climate change, because how else would the cold winter months give way to warm springs and summers. Come on! This stuff is academic! Well, people are going to start taking Akin a hell of a lot more seriously. Why? BECAUSE HOLY NUTS SEATTLE IS ABOUT TO BE NUKED BY NORTH KOREA! In an email with the forboding title "What if..." Akin expounds at length: Now more than ever we need to continue a robust investment in missile defense. Cutting or canceling missile defense programs in the face of growing threats from North Korea and other rogue regimes will weaken the national security of our country and increase the threats from these governments that menace the safety and security of our allies and our own shores. The Missile Defense Agency budget proposed this year by the Obama Administration strips $1.4 billion and calls for canceling or cutting major programs such as the Airborne Laser, Multiple Kill Vehicle, and the installation of additional Ground-Based Interceptor missiles in Alaska. But wait? What will restoring funding to these programs actually accomplish? And what "other rogue regimes" have nukes that will threaten us? And don't North Korea's missiles have the tendency to sort of not get out of the Sea of Japan? Non-proliferation expert Joe Cirincione told ThinkProgress : If we thought that North Korea was about to launch a long-range missile with a nuclear warhead, the president should and could destroy the missile on the launch pad. The North's missiles are liquid-fueled, still relatively basic and take several days to transport to the launch pad, assemble and fuel. They are large, stationary, relatively easy targets for U.S. forces. This "pre-boost phase" intercept" has always been my favorite form of missile defense. A commander would be a fool to wait until after an enemy had launched a missile to see of one of the anti-missile systems we deploy could intercept it. Tests indicated that the Aegis system deployed on Navy ships could not hit a Taepodong missile in its boost-phase, rising from North Korea. Nor could the Ground-Based Missile Defense System deployed in Alaska hit the missile in its mid-course phase if the North deployed even the simplest of counter-measures such as decoys, chaff or jammers. The missile now crawling to the pad in North Korea does not pose a serious threat to the United States, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates pointed out this weekend (and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley concluded following a similar July 2006 test). There is no evidence that North Korea has or is close to having a nuclear warhead that could fit on a long-range missile. That would take more tests and more years to perfect. Nor do they yet have a working long-range missile. If the North tests again it will be only the fourth test of a long-range missile in 11 years. None have worked so far. That sounds pretty reasonable. Very reasonable. Okay. I'm calming down. Nerves are soothed. Heart rate returning to normal. Hey, what's this picture Akin sent with his email? HOLY FRACK!! THEY'RE GOING TO DESTROY SEATTLE, BIRTHPLACE OF 'GRUNGE'!! PRESUMABLY BY CARRYING THE MISSILE TO SEATTLE AND DROPPING IT AND RUNNING AWAY VERY FASTY. OKAY, THAT DOES IT. THIS IS PLAUSIBLE. EVERYBODY HIDE UNDER YOUR DESK. THIS S#!T IS REAL! GO TIME! Everyone's a Critic : Matt Yglesias finds Mark Kleiman enumerating the many people who responded negatively to Obama's speech in Cairo: "Hezbollah, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, John Bolton, Hugh Hewitt, and the Republican Jewish Coalition, and John Boehner all disliked the President's speech." So, then...where's the downside, precisely? For Dick Cheney Debunkery Completists : More more more from 1115.org's Sarabeth. A highlight: Remember, yesterday, how Liz Cheney claimed that "Once it became clear that the report [about Mohammed Atta] didn't hold up, [Dick Cheney] and others in the administration were out publicly saying that." Well, two years after that report didn't "hold up," guess what Dick Cheney was saying? Rocky Mountain News on January 9, 2004: CHENEY: On the separate issue, on the 9/11 question, we've never had confirmation one way or another. We did have reporting that was public, that came out shortly after the 9/11 attack, provided by the Czech government, suggesting there had been a meeting in Prague between Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker, and a man named al-Ani (Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani), who was an Iraqi intelligence official in Prague, at the embassy there, in April of '01, prior to the 9/11 attacks. It has never been -- we've never been able to collect any more information on that. That was the one that possibly tied the two together to 9/11. Black Box Reporting : Choire Sicha, of the Awl, has a great piece up that demonstrates what a terrible job newspapers traditionally do with airline mishaps and tragedies. Overdramatization, supposition, projection, and just plain terrible writing show up as culprits. Look Who Is Awling Now : Oh, looky! Ana Marie Cox and I have put silly captions on photos from the White House Flickr pool , because that is what she and I do on weekends now that Battlestar Galactica is off the air. [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 .]
 
Dan Frommer: Apple Still Smartphone King Top
After a quick in-person peek at Palm's new Pre, it's clear that Apple is still leading innovation in the mobile phone industry. And Apple is set to extend its lead Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference, when the company will likely announce a new iPhone . The Pre, which we spent some time playing with this morning , is very nice. But while it's obvious that many of its features and design cues came from Apple, it's less obvious what, if anything, Apple will want to borrow from the Pre. (Except, perhaps, background processing. But that's not a Palm invention.) Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone 3.0 software and the new iPhone hardware will push Apple further ahead of Palm, BlackBerry maker RIM, Google's Android phones, and other competitors. Apple is likely to announce a slightly more powerful phone , which will fix the iPhone's biggest problems -- nagging processor and network lagginess , and no video recording. And possibly a cheaper iPhone (and ideally, a cheaper AT&T plan ), which could help Apple sell iPhones to more people. This isn't to rag on Palm. They really did a nice job with the Pre. It's vastly better than their previous phones, and better than pretty much any other smartphone on the market besides the iPhone . But Apple is still leading, and will likely extend its lead on Monday. See Also: CHART OF THE DAY: Palm's Hail Mary 3 Reasons The Palm Pre Might Not Bomb Palm Pre Is Nice, But I'm Keeping My iPhone More on Apple
 
Sophia Yin: Tips for Traveling with Your Cat or Dog Top
Memorial Day Weekend has passed signaling that summer is right around the corner. For many, it's time to start planning ahead for major vacations. Whether it's an extended road trip or a visit to the home of relatives some of the 77 million dog owners and 88 million cat owners will want to take their pets. Here are some tips to make traveling with your pet safe and enjoyable. Identification Tags and microchip : Your pets should wear a sturdy collar with ID tags containing your pet's name and your cell phone number or some other number where you can be reached while traveling. Consider also getting your pet microchipped. Photos: Bring a set of recent photos of your pet. You can tape it to their crate. Health and Medical Needs Get a health check or health certificate . Pets going on an extended trip should have a health check by their veterinarian beforehand. Those traveling on planes will need a health certificate within 10 days of traveling. Bring your pets regular food and bring water in a bottle . Be sure to place the food in an airtight container. If you keep it in its regular bag, your dog or cat is sure to raid it at some point. Remember to offer your pet water. You can use a bowl that attaches to the pet's crate and won't be knocked over. Or you can get a spill-proof bowl and leave it out. If you're going to take extended walks or hikes, bring along portable bowls. If the weather is hot use a garden sprayer as a water mister . Dogs and cats don't tolerate hot weather as well as humans because their primary method for dissipating heat is by panting. If you're spending much time outdoors with them consider bringing a garden sprayer, filled with water so that you can mist the pets down when needed. Consider flea and heartworm prevention if you're traveling to locations with fleas or heartworm. To look for heartworm incidence by location, go to http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article_43.html , where you can download incidence maps. When Riding in a Car Your dog should wear a seatbelt , ride in a crate or otherwise be secured in the back seat. Cats should ride in a cat carrier . For safety purposes, you may elect to have cats wear a harness and leash even when in their crate so that you have a way to handle them if they suddenly bolt when you open their door. Crates and carriers serve a dual purpose of acting like your pet's palace and safe place when you visit new homes, hotels, and other unfamiliar places. Pets should first be trained to love their crates. You can place all of their meals in their crate and let them walk in and out anytime they want until they learn to associate the crate with good things. (See handout "Training Cats and Dogs to Love Their Crates" ). Pets can also be trained to love car rides by first letting them sit in the car while getting treats, and then taking them on short rides where they end up in places they like. (See handout "Training Cats and Dogs to Enjoy Car Rides" ). Other Essentials Make sure to bring things that help your pet feel comfortable , secure and relaxed--toys, bones to chew on, and food puzzles to help them pass the time. For cats, remember to bring a litter box . You can place a box with litter in a larger covered plastic storage box so the litter doesn't spill or stink the car up. Then open the box when you want to give your cat the opportunity to potty. This article originally appeared in www.AskDrYin.com/blog
 

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