Friday, June 19, 2009

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Chris Weigant: Friday Talking Points [82] -- Is Obama The Only Person Who Remembers What America Did In Iran In 1953? Top
Welcome back to your weekly Friday Talking Points roundup. This week will be a bit unusual, as instead of the normal list of talking points Democrats everywhere should be using this weekend in conversations (especially with the media), I'm devoting the entire talking points segment to one single issue -- why what President Obama is doing on the situation in Iran is exactly the right thing to do, and why his hands are tied (by the ropes of American history) so that saying anything more enthusiastic than he's already said would actually be counterproductive if you support the Iranians currently marching in the streets. Because there is a giant elephant in the room of the discussion of American/Iranian relations that nobody wants to discuss, and nobody (other than Obama himself) is even admitting exists -- an elephant with the year "1953" painted on its side. But more about that later, let's take care of the weekly chores first. In the "silly story" category for the week, we now have video proof that President Obama, if annoyed sufficiently, would indeed hurt a fly. And not just hurt, but swat to kill. PETA immediately weighed in on "Flygate" (of course), but most Americans will see that video and merely marvel at the quick hands of our president. Other silly news revolved around Barbara "Call Me Senator" Boxer, who told a military gentlemen appearing before her in committee to please call her "Senator" rather than "ma'am." Those not aware of Washington protocol may find this strange (reactions were harsh from some corners), but the reality is that any official in Washington, elected or appointed, should be respectfully addressed by their official title. It's a sign of disrespect not to. Even ex officials still get their last (or highest) title used with their name (which is why it is still "President George Bush" and "President Bill Clinton" even though they aren't, anymore). If Boxer were male, nobody would have even noticed if she had chastised someone for not calling her "Senator," so I smell a whiff of sexism about the issue even being raised, personally. But then I like Boxer, as she's the best Senator California currently has, so I may be a bit biased on the issue, I admit. In more serious news, the healthcare battles rage on. I've been writing about this for weeks now, which is one reason I'm taking the day off from the subject. If you need a review, you can check out last week's talking points (devoted entirely to healthcare reform talking points), my suggested ad script for Senator Kennedy , highlighting the idiocy of courting Republican votes with a tax hike , and a call for the public's voice to be heard on the issue. On that last issue, I do have some news. While the mainstream media has ignored it (unlike, say, the teabag protests), there will be a huge rally in Washington, D.C. on June 25 (next Thursday) for healthcare reform, which is being staged by healthcare09.org , and supported by a variety of organizations pushing for real healthcare reform (such as the AFL/CIO ). If you can make it to the D.C. area next Thursday, and want to show your support, please check out the information for the rally and consider attending. Watch the healthcare09.org site for all the details. One other interesting development in the healthcare struggle is the emergence of Senator Chris Dodd as Teddy Kennedy's official stand-in. Dodd is the second-most senior member of Kennedy's committee, and although he was a little late to the battle (Senator Max Baucus, who chairs the other Senate committee healthcare reform has to make it through, jumped in earlier to the fray and has been receiving more attention as a result), Dodd now seems to be stepping up to the plate. Dodd wrote an interesting piece recently, which is fairly strongly behind the public option, at least as I read it. But no matter how Dodd works out as Teddy's heir as champion of healthcare reform, at least he's now entered the fray. Howard Dean, who it should be noted is a medical doctor, has been trying to champion a much stronger position on healthcare, but he is being mostly ignored by the media, so his voice isn't getting through as loudly as one would have liked. But you've got to give him credit for trying. Dean doesn't control the media, so the fact that they're ignoring him isn't really his fault. But, as I said, I've already kind of exhausted the subject of healthcare for the week, so let's move on to the awards before I weigh in on Obama and Iran.   While President Obama was indeed impressive on handling the aftermath of the Iranian elections this week (no matter what Republicans are saying), I'm devoting the whole talking points segment to this, so I'm arbitrarily disqualifying him for Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week this week. He certainly rates an Honorable Mention, though. Likewise, I have been conflicted after awarding a MIDOTW award last week to an organization (Change Congress) who ran an ad exposing a Democratic senator for accepting millions in healthcare industry dollars and then fighting reform on their behalf. But we here at Friday Talking Points are wondering about the propriety of handing out MIDOTW awards to organizations that are not, technically at least, Democrats. Is this fair? Is it proper? I throw it open to the commenters to weigh in on this subject. Because there were a few organizations which would have clearly qualified this week for the MIDOTW award. Sam Stein at the Huffington Post has the story , and the new ads. So, should Health Care for America Now (HCAN), MoveOn.org, and Americans United for Change be eligible for the weekly awards, or not? Go see the videos, even if you think they shouldn't be in the running for the MIDOTW . And don't be shy about weighing in on the issue in the comments. The Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week , however, is a four-way tie. This was due to the late entry of three House committee chairmen, who (finally!) came out strongly for the public option in the healthcare reform debate. Congressmen Henry Waxman, Charlie Rangel, and George Miller held a united press conference for their healthcare reform proposal, which includes a strong public option Rangel described as "the best of Medicaid, best of Medicare, then kick it up a notch." If you've been wringing your hands, wondering "when are the Democrats going to fight for the public option?" (as have I), then you will enjoy reading the whole story , which breathes some Democratic fire into the fight -- which has been sorely lacking up until now. So for all three committee chairmen, congratulations on winning Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week , and here's hoping you win a few more during this fight. And finally, before this afternoon's announcement, we had already decided to award this week's MIDOTW to Congressman Barney Frank. Frank sponsored a bill which would move marijuana from being a "Schedule I" dangerous controlled substance to "Schedule II." While this sounds esoteric, the result of this move would be to let the states experiment with medical marijuana without the fear that the federal government would overrule their efforts in federal court. Schedule II drugs have medical benefits and can be prescribed by doctors, while Schedule I drugs cannot (under any circumstances). I called for this exact action from President Obama a few months ago , and will have more to say on this bill next week (you can look it up under the number "HR 2835" to see if your representative has co-sponsored it... right before you pick up the phone and urge him or her to do so, of course, if they're not on the list), but wanted to acknowledge Congressman Frank's efforts to interject some sanity to federal drug policy as it relates to medical marijuana at the state level. So to all four recipients of the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award, congratulations, and keep up the good work! [ Congratulate Representative Barney Frank on his House contact page , Representative George Miller on his House contact page , Representative Charlie Rangel on his House contact page , and Representative Henry Waxman on his House contact page , to let them know you appreciate their efforts. ]   This week's Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week is none other than former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Daschle, along with his new buddies Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, and Trent Lott (I wish that were hyperbole, but Daschle himself cites these three ), introduced the mother of all compromises as a "bipartisan" healthcare reform plan, which conveniently left out the public option. Reaction was swift, and two Huffington Post headlines sum up the depth of the feeling: "Daschle, Dole Release Health Care Plan, Forget To Mention They Are Health Care Lobbyists," and the more direct "Go Away, Tom Daschle." So, for proving that it wasn't just the free limousines (which he forgot to put on his taxes), but for Daschle's prime example of how Washington often defines "bipartisanship" -- as "Democrats caving in to Republican wishes" -- Daschle is hereby awarded this week's Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week . Let's all be thankful he is not now the Secretary of Health and Human Services, since we all so obviously dodged a bullet on that one. [ Since Daschle is out of public office, I have no official contact information for him, sorry. I guess if you'd like to contact him, you could pony up a few hundred thousand dollars and pretend to be a healthcare company, as that seems to get his attention. ]   Volume 82 (6/19/09) Most of the time, we present seven discrete (but never discreet) talking points for Democrats to consider using when being interviewed by the media (or, for the rank and file, for use around the company watercooler). But this week, we are presenting one enormous talking point instead, since Republicans are making such a big deal out of it (because they sense political weakness). But there's a reason that President Obama and Henry Kissinger are both on the side of saying less (and not more) about the situation in Iran right now, and why Congress (led by Republicans) and some Democrats within Obama's own administration are on the other side of the debate. It involves the history of our two countries, which nobody seems to bother pointing out, but which is the key issue involved within Iran itself. Americans have two severely limiting traits, which must cause the rest of the world to scratch their heads trying to figure us out at times. The first is an absolute inability to see things as anyone anywhere else in the world sees them. And the second is a highly selective and whitewashed view of our own history. If we didn't have these two traits, nobody in their right mind would be pressuring President Obama to do or say anything more than he's already said on the situation in Iran right now. Because if these voices crying out for Obama to publicly support the Iranian protesters took into account how it would be seen in Iran itself, they would realize that any support from America is the absolute kiss of death for any street demonstration in Iran. Maybe in a generation or two this won't be the case, but for now any eager words from the President would spell doom for any uprising within Iran. Obama is smart enough to know this. Republicans in Congress, many in the news media, and even some members of Obama's own administration apparently are not this smart. They need a history lesson, in other words. Because there is a large elephant's corpse in the room whenever any pundits pontificate about "what we should do about Iran" which is not even mentioned . Again, this is utterly stunning to the rest of the world. "Don't they know their own history?" you can almost hear them asking. In a word -- no. No, we don't. And I'm not even talking about the man-on-the-street typical American citizen, I am talking about people who are paid to have an intelligent opinion on world events and American foreign policy. Let's work on that "inability to see things from another point of view" problem. Let's say that, right after World War II, the United States of America was invaded by Martians. But this was no armadas-of-flying-saucers military invasion, but rather a covert operation run by the Central Martian Intelligence Agency (CMIA). The CMIA infiltrated Washington, paid mobs of people to run riot, and, by doing so, caused us to change our government overnight and install a puppet government who took his orders from Mars. This Vichy-type puppet ruled America ruthlessly for the next quarter-century, suppressing dissent with secret police, and generally acting like a tyrant. Then, in 1976, instead of celebrating our Bicentennial, we instead had the Second American Revolution, and restored the type of government we wanted. This would mean that when your father was a boy, he knew the "old" United States of America, and then he saw Mars take over. Your parents lived through the tyranny of Martian puppet rule for a generation. But then just when you were born, the country was freed and a new system of government was installed by the American people themselves. Stipulating this alternate history, I have one question for you: How would you feel about Martians and Mars today? Might you harbor a little resentment? And perhaps
 
Keishla Villafane, Petite Beauty Queen, Fired By Puerto Rican Pageant Top
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Miss Puerto Rico Petite competition stripped the reigning queen of her crown Friday, accusing the young woman of "intolerable conduct" that included threatening and assaulting pageant staff. Keishla Villafane Rivera also used "coarse language" and violated the terms of her contract by agreeing to use her image in an advertisement without the consent of the pageant, the organizers said in a statement. Luis Santiago Productions, the pageant company, said it was obligated to dismiss the 19-year-old queen after she made death threats and assaulted staff members. Its statement provided no details of the purported misconduct. Villafane could not be reached for comment. Her attorney, Maribel Vidal, did not respond to messages left with her office in San Juan. A pageant spokeswoman, Libni Garcia, declined in an interview with The Associated Press to disclose details about the accusations, saying more information would be released in a legal action the company plans to file against Villafane. But she said problems between the queen and pageant officials began shortly after the woman won the title last August. "We were trying to handle this conduct of hers, but it was impossible," Garcia said. "It was constant." The production company appointed another contestant from last year's pageant, Tamara Perez, to serve the remainder of Villafane's term, which expires Aug. 26 with the next competition. The contest is open to 16- to 24-year-olds who are 5-foot-5 or shorter. Villafane is 5-feet-2. Beauty contests are taken very seriously in Puerto Rico, which has had five of its citizens win the Miss Universe contest. Police last year opened an investigation into allegations that someone sabotaged a beauty contestant's bid for Miss Puerto Rico Universe by dousing her evening gown and bathing suit with pepper spray. The investigation was dropped for lack of sufficient evidence.
 
Brian Dickie: The People's Opera - Москва Черемушки Top
So our regulars, our always curious Chicago Opera Theater audience, have voted for Moscow Cheryomushki , Shostakovich's 1959 operetta set in Kruschev's Moscow, which tells the story of a group of friends and acquaintances who have been granted new apartments in a new residential development. Of course this is satire, and hilarious comedy - well we hope so! Anyway there it is - it has been a huge hit from Vienna to Leeds! And it is certainly a change of pace for Chicago and should appeal to a huge new fun loving audience. And we will be doing it in the superb orchestral arrangement by the CSO's Gerard McBurney - this now is the version which is most widely performed and which has contributed hugely to the new found success for this piece. Shosty beat R. Strauss' Capriccio into second place, and Mozart's Magic Flute into third. Says a lot about the Chicago Opera Theater audience. I can not tell you what else we will be doing in 2011 - that is a secret until March next year. But I can assure you that what we will have is a uniquely fascinating season - manna for those really interested in opera, probably poison for the too large number of people who only like the old chestnuts. Even they seem to be getting bored with those. What is to be done? Photo: Tristram Kenton (Opera North)
 
Margot Pritzker: United We Serve ... in Chicago Top
This week, President Obama announced a new summer service initiative: United We Serve. He is calling on all people - young, old, from across the country - to volunteer this summer, from June 22 to September 11. He states that the changes cannot come solely from Washington, but we need to "build a new foundation for economic growth in America" beginning at the community level. "We can rebuild our schools, but we need people to be mentors and tutors in those schools. We can modernize our health care system, but we need volunteers in our hospitals and communities to help care for the sick and help people lead healthier lives," he said in his video address . So how will this affect Chicago? What opportunities exist for Chicagoans to take on this challenge and volunteer their time this summer - and beyond - and what opportunities can we create to maximize this initiative? WomenOnCall.org , my Chicago-based non-profit, takes a unique perspective to volunteering. It's an online network that matches women who are committed to volunteering their professional expertise with non-profit organizations that have specific and immediate volunteer needs. For example, an accountant may help a non-profit submit 990 forms, a lawyer may help review a memorandum of understanding, a public relations specialist may create a media outreach plan or help with a special event. And much of this can be done virtually - at home, while waiting in an airport or during a lunch break. I accept President Obama's Unite We Serve challenge - will you? If you're not sure how to find an exciting and unique opportunity in your community, consider volunteering your professional talents to a non-profit. More on The Giving Life
 
Cubs Comeback To Beat Indians 8-7: Theriot's Single In 10th Spoils Wood, DeRosa's Wrigley Return Top
CHICAGO — Ryan Theriot hit a bad-hop single with two outs in the 10th inning and the Chicago Cubs, saved by Derrek Lee's late homer, rallied from an early seven-run deficit to beat the Cleveland Indians 8-7 Friday. Lee homered twice, including a solo shot with one out in the ninth off former Cubs ace Kerry Wood that made it 7-all. Alfonso Soriano, who hit a game-winning single in the ninth Thursday to beat the Chicago White Sox, drew a two-out walk in the 10th from Luis Vizcaino (1-3) and stole second. Theriot followed with a grounder that took a crazy bounce past first baseman Victor Martinez. The Cubs trailed 7-0 against Cliff Lee going into the fifth and were still down 7-2 in the eighth. The Indians loaded the bases off Kevin Gregg (2-1) in the 10th before Kosuke Fukudome made a nice catch of pinch-hitter Ryan Garko's liner to center field. The Cubs beat Vizcaino, whom they released earlier this season. Wood, who saved 34 games for the Cubs last season and spent a decade with the team before signing with Cleveland as a free agent in the offseason, got a rousing ovation when announced in the bottom of the ninth in his return to Wrigley Field. But after retiring Milton Bradley, he served up Lee's homer. The crowd of 40,155 went wild as Wood absorbed his third blown save in 11 chances. The Indians took their big lead behind Lee, last year's AL Cy Young winner, on three-run homers from Luis Valbuena and Martinez. Homers by Reed Johnson in the fifth and Derrek Lee in the sixth cut it to 7-2. Joe Smith relieved for the Indians after Bradley opened the eighth with a single. Geovany Soto doubled, Johnson walked and a bases-loaded, two-run single by Andres Blanco made it 7-4. Facing reliever Rafael Perez, pinch-hitter Koyie Hill hit a hard grounder that went off third baseman Jhonny Peralta for an error, cutting it to 7-5. Soriano then delivered an RBI single that made it a one-run game. Former Cubs player Mark DeRosa also made his return to Wrigley. He got a standing ovation in his first at-bat and went 1 for 3 with two walks and an RBI. DeRosa played left field and was shaken up in the third inning chasing a foul fly by pitcher Rich Harden. As DeRosa reached for the ball in the Cubs' bullpen along the left-field line, he appeared to hit the brick wall with his hip and then came down on a telephone box, knocking the door open and exposing the phone. DeRosa limped, bent over at the hip and then after meeting with a trainer, stayed in the game. In the top of the fourth, he delivered a two-out single to put Cleveland up 7-0. Harden, in his second start since coming off the disabled list, allowed seven hits and seven runs in five innings, including the homers to Valbuena in the second and Martinez in the third. After walks to Jamey Carroll and DeRosa to start the third, Martinez sent his 100th major league homer into the right-field bleachers to make it 6-0. Valbuena hit his second homer of the season following a triple by Jhonny Peralta, whose high drive to center went off normally sure-handed Johnson's glove, and a walk to Kelly Shoppach. NOTES: Derrek Lee has a 16-game hitting streak. ... The start of the game was delayed one hour, 26 minutes by rain. More on Sports
 
Josette Sheeran: How The Internet Could Feed The Hungry Top
For the first time in history, there are more than a billion hungry people in the world . That's almost a sixth of the world's population. A billion people go to sleep hungry every night. There are also more than a billion people today fortunate enough to have access to the internet. You are one of them. So what would happen if the online billion turned their attention to service, and united their efforts to help the hungry billion? I think a great deal could happen. We are more socially aware now than we've ever been and we have many new ways to serve. Social networks have given the everyday Joe the power to mobilize and inspire vast numbers of people in a very short time. While service still means spending a year in a poor African country or working two nights a week in a soup kitchen, or even setting up fund-raising committees , the internet has opened up a whole world of possibilities for those who wish to help. Traditionally, service meant a few people did a lot. The web has redefined service, by allowing many people to do a little. Service has gone on-line. And the impact could be dramatic. Here are some ideas to start with: • Tweet the simple fact that there are more than a billion hungry in the world • Donate $5, in three clicks, to save a baby from malnutrition • Voice your opinions on Facebook If you want to join WFP's fight against hunger, and start serving online, check out this page (http://www.wfp.org/1billion-hungry) Online service counts. We'll appreciate it, and so will a billion other people. More on The Giving Life
 
Rob Cohen: I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Episode 11 Recap: Losers and Winners Top
Janice is finally gone, and I was happy to see her go. Unfortunately, I know I'll miss her next week, when the editors attempt to manufacture conflict between John Salley and Sanjaya. I can't say the same about Holly. She was about as dull as it gets, which goes against everything I railed against when her sister Heidi was on the show. I guess, in reality television, it does pay to go big or go home, even if going big makes you a hated antagonist. To be honest, I wasn't surprised by last night's results. Holly blended in seamlessly, which is not a way to get votes. I don't think I'll even remember that she was ever there come Monday. And while Janice may be the character we loved to hate (once Spencer was gone), we didn't love her enough to pick up the phone and vote for her. Which leaves us with six. And so, now that this is finally becoming a game in which the majority of people leaving the show are voted off instead of choosing to leave, the question of who will win is becoming more interesting. Marginally. Here's what I think about the remaining celebrities and their chances. Sanjaya In my opinion, he's the favorite, only because the raw size of his fan base is bigger than anyone else's, especially among the types of viewers this show attracts. Who's really watching this show? People into sports? Sorry John, no. People into politics? Sorry Patti, no (although, in her case, that might help... anyone into politics would like far worse things to happen to Patti than just losing this game). People into wrestling? Sorry Torrie, no one's into wrestling anymore. No, the people watching this show are the same people who watch American Idol. Just a lot less of them. With Holly gone, Sanjaya's got a monopoly on younger viewers. He's not my pick, but I wouldn't be too upset, either. He's hard to dislike. This kid's the frontrunner. Torrie I'm surprised Torrie's made it this far. She's pleasant enough, but it's hard to enthusiastically rally behind her. I don't think she had the mass appeal going into this game to be a winner, and she didn't do anything to really make herself stand out. The only way I could see her winning is if the final decision comes down to a challenge, performed by the celebrities, rather than a vote by the viewers, which to my knowledge has not been announced (though I'm assuming it will be a vote). But she's a fighter, so we'll see. Stephen No chance. I thought he was gone this week, and I think he did, too. His performance on the show correlates with his performance in everything I've ever seen him in: mildly entertaining. He's survived this far with his last name, but he hasn't given us a reason within the show to vote for him. Patti If Patti wins, it will be the excremental icing on top of a giant shit sandwich. I had to mix and invent a metaphor because no cliché I can think of could possibly describe how terrible it would be if Miss Blago redeems herself on this show. The producers have not only given her every opportunity to tell her story, but they've encouraged us to buy it. The other celebrities may be fooled, but I don't think viewers are. Then again, you never know; people are stupid. If she wins, good for her, but it will be a disgrace for NBC. John John sealed his fate this week when he chose to give himself immunity. Sure, he might've gone home last week if he hadn't chosen himself, but if he was going home last week, he'll still be at the bottom of the barrel this week. Saving himself will prove to be his downfall: if he was the frontrunner, that selfish act may change enough minds to rob the win from him. It's the first thing on the show that's truly poetic. Lou My vote, without question, is for Lou. He's played the game the best, helped his fellow celebrities the most, and been entertaining to watch at the same time. If anyone deserves a resurgence of his career, it's Lou Diamond Philips, but he didn't take his presence on the show for granted. He worked for everything, and he brought the group together when they needed it. Does Lou have the fan base to win? I certainly hope so. But if this show has taught me anything, it's to prepare for disappointment. I hate to say this, but make sure you vote. Disclaimer: If the final winner is decided in a challenge among the celebrities, and not by a public vote, then this entirely column is moot (except for my hope that Lou wins). More on NBC
 
Obama Radio And TV Correspondents' Dinner Speech: Excerpts Top
The White House released an excerpt from President Obama's speech at this evening's 65th annual Radio & Television Correspondents' Association Dinner. And when we say excerpt, what we really should say is punchlines. If you want to know more, Politico's Michael Calderone has a helpful post containing all the relevant information about tonight's event. I want to thank you for this opportunity to tell all the jokes that weren't funny enough for me to use when we did this five weeks ago. ... In Egypt, we had the opportunity to tour the pyramids. And by now I'm sure you've all seen the pictures of Rahm on that camel. I admit, I was a little nervous about the whole situation. I said at the time, "This is a wild animal known to bite, kick, and spit. And who knows what the camel could do?" ... Of course, most of my attention has been focused back home. As you know, we've been working around the clock on to repair our major financial institutions and our auto companies. But you probably wouldn't understand the concept of troubled industries, working as you do in radio and television. ... One problem we're trying to solve is the high cost of health care in America. And I'm pleased that in our quest to reform the health care system, I have gained the support of the American Medical Association. It proves true the old expression that it's easier to catch flies with honey. And if honey doesn't work, feel free to use an open palm and a swift, downward wrist motion.
 
How A Chicago Company Came To Sponsor Manchester United Top
When two executives of Chicago's Aon Corp. went through their mail one day last fall, they each found a large package with a leather-encased box, containing, of all things, a soccer shirt with the company's own logo emblazoned across the chest. The shirts appeared to be bonafide red home jerseys of Manchester United, arguably the most famous sports team in the world--or at least in the world outside the soccer-suspicious United States. More on Sports
 
Alison Rose Levy: Urban Zen Connects The Dots On Personal Healthcare Top
What's the single most important service you can do to help our troubled economy recover? Take care of your health! With health care costs rising (nearing 20% of GDP), if you commit to service for health, we'll all get a double-duty payoff (benefiting both health and the buckling economy.) Yet most of us don't know where to begin, because we haven't been taught how to connect the dots on health. Usually, people ignore health until there's a problem. But now the time has come to transform health care as we know it. To do this, every single one of us has to become a health activist. Designer Donna Karan's whose foundation Urban Zen has taken the lead in transforming health care, was inspired in her activism by her late husband, businessman and artist, Stephan Weiss. "He always spoke about connecting the dots.. stepping back and looking at the big picture... seeing how things are connected," Donna recalls. As I pondered this, I saw that we do the exact opposite with health. Our medical model trains us to consider the tiniest molecule and isolate a single chemical reaction--but not to connect the dots as to how all of the molecules interact. In medical care, we zero in on a symptom and hope to find a quick cure for it, but we don't connect the dots to look at compound effects, like how and when the sum total of multiples exposures to different environmental chemicals will interact in the body to trigger illness. Love, feelings, intentions, beliefs, and thoughts influence our health status, but since we can't find them with a microscopic, we discount them. Yet these intangibles shape our life, experience, and all we hold dear. Even on the internet, when we seek out health information, we want a quick tip we can use today. But a quick tip (like eating more organic food) won't do much good if larger forces (pressures from lobbyists, the food industry, or others) undermine the policies that help put these foods on our tables. The bottom line is simply this: Personal health is inextricably interconnected with societal and environmental health. We need to connect the dots. That's why to take care of health, we must act on two fronts at once: the personal and collective. By all means, become proactive about your personal health and make the necessary lifestyle changes. You probably know what these are, and if you don't, get some good advice. But it's a mistake to tend to your own garden while ignoring social and environmental policies, some of which further health--and some of which seriously undermine health. Every day, regulators determine public policies that affect all of us--yet few are aware or take action on these policies. With an array of lobbyists aiming to influence governmental decision making, citizens have to learn to connect the dots, and stand up for access to health care, health care freedom, and a health care system and reimbursement system that are humane and caring. That's why, if you want to serve both yourself and the greater public good, find a health cause that you care about and commit to taking regular action. Whether it's single payer health care ( www.moveon.org ) , environmental cleanups ( www.ewg.org ), health care freedom ( www.citizens.org ), autism ( www.defeatautismnow.com ), caring in health care (www.urbanzen.org), teaching kids to eat healthy (www.healthcorps.org) integrative medical care ( http://www.imconsortium.org and www.bravewell.org ), lowering cancer rates in children ( www.lesscancer.org ), maintaining organic food standards, ( www.organicconsumers.org ) or others, become a health activist. Once you connect the dots, you'll see that all of these profoundly influence health. For more on health and activism, get the free Health Outlook at www.health-journalist.com More on Wellness
 
Lloyd Chapman: IT'S TIME TO END THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S MASQUARADE AS SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATES Top
A recent post on the U.S Chamber of Commerce website titled, "Business United or Business Divided - What's at Stake?" is one of the best examples you could find of typical U.S. Chamber propaganda. As he did in our heated exchange on CNBC, Chamber spokesman Giovanni Coratolo struggles to piece together a series of outright lies, blatant fabrications and misdirection to try and attack me and cover up the U.S Chamber's actual pro-Fortune 500 and anti-small business track record. ( http://www.chamberpost.com/2009/06/business-united-or-business-divided-whats-at-stake.html ) If you haven't seen our debate on CNBC, you can find it on YouTube under, "ASBL President Lloyd Chapman spars with U.S. Chamber of Commerce." I hope I get a chance to finish our debate on national television sometime soon. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWtLshGVEss ) Let me focus on Giovanni's statement referring to the annual diversion of over $100 billion a year in federal small business contracts to corporate giants as a "niche issue" that will "impact only a small sliver of the business community." The truth is, no issue affecting American small businesses has been the subject of more federal investigations and more stories in the mainstream media than the diversion of federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms and thousands of other large businesses. Since 2003, there have been over a dozen federal investigations on the issue and hundreds of stories. Every major newspaper in the country has reported on the problem along with major television networks like ABC, CBS and CNN. In Report 5-15, the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General stated, "One of the biggest challenges facing the Small Business Administration and the entire Federal government today is that large businesses are receiving federal small business awards..." ( http://www.asbl.com/documents/05-15.pdf ) In February of 2008, President Obama acknowledged the magnitude of the problem when he released the statement, "It is time to end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants." ( http://www.barackobama.com/2008/02/26/the_american_small_business_le.php ) As opposed to the U.S. Chamber's position that this is a "niche issue" that will impact "only a small sliver of the business community," this issue has negatively impacted every man, woman and child in America. You don't have to be an economist to understand the diversion of over $100 billion a year from the middle class, year after year will have a devastating negative impact on the national economy. The U.S Chamber claims to have 3 million members, 96% with less than 100 employees and 5% of those firms do business with the government. That comes out to 144,000 U.S Chamber members that are small businesses being negatively impacted by this issue. Now let's look at what the U.S. Chamber has done over the last seven years to address what the SBA Inspector General referred to as one of the largest challenges facing the SBA and "the entire federal government today." NOTHING! No lobbying, no press conference, no press releases, no blog posts, no legislation, no lawsuits, no newspaper stories, no radio interviews, nothing on their website! Why wouldn't the organization that claims to be the most powerful voice for small business in American lift a finger to address a problem that is impacting millions of small businesses, including 144,000 of their own members? Because the Fortune 500 firms that are receiving the lion's share of all federal small business contracts are some of the most powerful members of the U.S. Chamber. Dozens of Fortune 500 firms that are currently receiving billions of dollars in federal small business contracts serve on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber. Take a look at stories on this issue from the Associated Press, the New York Times and the Washington Post. Take a look at the investigative stories by ABC, CBS and CNN. (AP, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/07/politics/main552758.shtml ; NYT, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/06/business/06sba.html ; WaPo, http://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1179 ; ABC, http://www.asbl.com/abc_evening_news.wmv ; CBS, http://www.asbl.com/cbs.wmv ; CNN, http://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1170 ) Now take a look at the list of firms that belong to the U.S. Chamber and serve on their board. Over fifteen Fortune 500 firms on the U.S. Chamber board have received federal small business contracts. (http://www.uschamber.com/about/board/all.htm ) Small businesses in America need to quit listening to what the U.S Chamber says and start to watch what they do. If you do that, you will quickly realize they are no friend to American's 27 million small businesses. More on YouTube
 
Sotomayor Quits Belizean Grove Top
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor resigned Friday from an elite all-women's club after Republicans questioned her participation in it. Sotomayor said she resigned from the Belizean Grove to prevent the issue from becoming a distraction in her confirmation hearings. In a letter to Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the federal appeals court judge said she is convinced that the club does not practice "invidious discrimination" and that her membership in it did not violate judicial ethics. But she said she didn't want questions about it to "distract anyone from my qualifications and record." Federal judges are bound by a code that says they shouldn't join any organization that discriminates by race, sex, religion or nationality. The Belizean Grove bills itself as women's answer to the 130-year-old all-male Bohemian Club in California. The club owns a 2,500-acre camping area in northern California called the Grove. Chief Justice Earl Warren belonged to the Bohemian Club beginning in the 1940s, before he joined the court and long before the federal judiciary adopted a code of conduct. "The Belizean Grove is a constellation of influential women who are key decision makers in the profit, non-profit and social sectors; who build long term mutually beneficial relationships in order to both take charge of their own destinies and help others to do the same," the group says on its Web site. There are about 115 members, the club says. Earlier in the week, Sotomayor defended her participation in the group, telling senators that it involves men in some of its events and that she was unaware of any man who had tried to become a member. Sotomayor's backers noted that the court's only current woman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, belongs to the membership-only International Women's Forum. So did former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who defended her involvement in all-women groups during her Senate confirmation hearings in 1981. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy faced similar questions over his longtime membership in the all-male Olympic Club in San Francisco. Kennedy resigned his membership in October 1987, as he was under consideration for the high court. Sotomayor also told the senators that the search of documents from her time as a director of a Puerto Rican advocacy group is complete. Republicans had complained that Sotomayor initially omitted from the records she sent the Senate Judiciary Committee a report she signed urging the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (now known as LatinoJustice PRLDEF) to oppose reinstitution of the death penalty in New York in the early 1980s. The report, which has since been provided, said, "Capital punishment is associated with evident racism in our society." It noted that African-Americans at the time made up 47 percent of death row inmates, but only 11 percent of the U.S. population. More on Sonia Sotomayor
 
Huff TV: Arianna On CNN, Discusses America's Response To Iran Top
Arianna appeared on CNN's "Situation Room" along with Tony Blankely to discuss the U.S.'s response to the ongoing situation in Iran. More on CNN
 
Jeff Goldstein: Yesterday's Launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Brings Back Memories of Apollo 11 Top
Yesterday (Thursday, June 18) the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and will reach the Moon next Tuesday, June 23. LRO is a robotic mission that will pave the way for humans to return to the lunar surface. It's also a timely teachable moment in the news for another reason-- July 20th is coming. I'm waiting for the emotions to wash over me again. It will be the 40th anniversary of the first human footprints on another world, and I lived it. I remember it so vividly. It was July 16, 1969. At Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Apollo 11 -- a rocket as tall as a 36-story building -- blasted off with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins aboard. The command module Columbia -- with barely enough room for the three crew seats -- was their home for the 3-day trip to the Moon, and by July 19th they were in orbit. On July 20th, Armstrong and Aldrin crawled into Eagle and descended to the lunar surface. Back on Earth, glued to TVs and radios, hundreds of millions of us ... waited. We weren't sure how we'd know. We weren't sure what we'd hear. And then it came ..."The Eagle has Landed" -- and we were in awe . I was 11 at the time, watching it unfold on our black and white TV in Uniondale, Long Island. I remember racing outside, looking up at the Moon 240,000 miles away and thinking to myself--there are three people up there!! And they were surely looking back at me, with a beautiful blue Earth appearing 4 times the size in their sky as the Moon was in mine. Can you imagine that sight? I worked at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum for 8 years in the Laboratory for Astrophysics. I'd walk by Columbia each morning en route to my office. Never when I was 11 did I expect to be so close to it. When I first followed its flight in 1969, Columbia's journey took it 240,000 miles away from me. And there it was, this most remarkable piece of history, less than an inch below my fingertips resting against the protective plexiglass covering. At 5:00 pm, I'd often come down from my office in the non-public spaces, to be on the gallery floor, with all those that came from far and wide to this most visited museum on the planet. There were typically many school groups that had traveled to DC from across the nation that were still in the building. Their favorite gathering spot before loading the buses was the Milestones of Flight gallery, home of Columbia, as well as Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, and at the time, Orville and Wilber's Flyer. It was a sacred place for human dreams of flight in air and space. Almost every time I came down at the end of the day, I'd walk over to Columbia. It's as if it were asking me to visit -- to re-connect with my past, and to that moment when I was 11 that I knew I wanted to be a space explorer. And almost always without fail, sitting there under Columbia's comfortable overhang, a group of students casually waiting for the rest of their class. "Do you know what you are sitting under?", I would ask. They'd all twist their heads up, many of them close to 11 years old, and they didn't have a clue. How did I feel? It was a depth of hurt that only drove in me a deeper commitment to education. So from Dr. Jeff the educator, here is my advice. For those of you that lived it-- remember . And prepare to relive the anniversary next month with your children--and your children's children. For it was 40 years ago. Let me help a little. If you visit this post at Blog on the Universe , at the bottom of the page I've listed wonderful resources you can use to celebrate this moment in human history--as a family.
 
Heather Smith: Message from a Young Iranian - This Is Not Democracy Top
Votes uncounted. Freedom of speech threatened. Information censored. Violence against peaceful protesters. This is not democracy. At Rock the Vote, we've received thousands of messages from young people across the United States expressing their support for the young Iranians fighting for a free and fair election. You can add your message of support by going to Rockthevote.com and we will share selected messages on Huffington Post in the coming days. But today we want to share the story of one young Iranian-American named Donny who voted in the Iranian election. For the safety of his family living in Iran, we have not used Donny's full name or other specific details about his life. Donny's Story The culture of fear perpetuated by the Iranian government is nothing new and is the primary force in keeping citizens inside and outside of Iran silent for so long. I can remember being chastised by my father years ago for signing an Amnesty International letter regarding the human rights of prisoners of thought in Iran; he told me that if I wanted to continue visiting Iran as an adult I had to be careful about where I used my name. Born and raised in the United States, the idea of lending my name to causes was always rather inconsequential. With the right to free speech guaranteed under the first amendment, saying I support human rights has no implications for me and my family's well-being. In Iran the case is quite different. Voting in the 2009 Iranian elections was the second election I took part in, after the 2008 Presidential election in the United States. In both elections I voted for reformist candidates, believing that they would take the country in a direction I would most like to see. My family as a whole tends to support liberal candidates in American politics, but when it comes to Iranian ideologies, we are a diverse group. A devout Muslim, my father voted for Ahmadinejad in both elections believing him to be the candidate most capable of maintaining an Islamic state. My grandmother votes with her pocketbook; my mother chooses not to vote because she does not live in Iran and therefore feels that her opinions should not influence a country whose policies she is not subject to. We are not royalists and our opinions vary on the efficacy of the theocracy in Iran. On the eve of the election, tensions were high in our house as we debated the merits of each candidate and where we hoped the direction of Iran was headed. I remember feeling excited more than anything as we left for our expatriate polling place the next day, knowing my family in Iran were doing the same at their local polling spots; I had not felt that invested in an election ever before. While President Obama's election was a historical moment, I had never really been engaged in the election like my classmates at school. Initially supporting Hillary Clinton, I was reluctant to warm up to any other candidate after her loss. But here I was, driving a long distance to vote in an election for a country I did not reside in, influencing policy that had little effect on me. And yet, I felt like I had to be there. I had to go into that conference center and cast my vote, gesturing to those who knew me in America as well as Iran that yes, I am an Iranian, and yes, I care about what happens to the millions who live in a country that I also call home. When I think back to all the time I have spent in Iran, the memories that remain with me are the Nowruz celebrations with loved ones, the long lunches taken in orchards just North of Shiraz and visiting the haunts of my father's childhood. I choose to vote in Iranian elections because I am claiming my part of the idea of Iran just as much as the physical place. As returns began to trickle in, the reality of what was happening began to dawn on all of us. We had a unique perspective on the unfolding events of last week: with a satellite available to anyone who can spare $150, we watched as IRIB announced the results of the election. I was reading blogs that would soon become my bread and butter and we were contacting family in Iran who were dumbfounded by such an apparent landslide. We made allegations that Ahmadinejad cheated, but such utterances were only half-hearted. Frustrated by the outcome of the vote, those of us who voted for Mousavi sought to console ourselves by ridiculing Ahmadinejad and venturing guesses that he just might have been crazy enough to rig the national election. As hours turned into days, such jokes quickly became a troubling reality. What I feel now, almost a week out, is excitement mixed with a real sense of fear. My cousin, a student at a University in Tehran, has yet to be reached. My father and grandmother can't reach many of our loved ones by phone or email. The family members we have been able to reach say they are not afraid but they avoid going into crowded public spaces and everyone just tries to keep close to home. Amidst the chaos of what is happening to those I love in Iran, I constantly ask myself what would I be doing if I were there? Would I be in the streets, asking for my vote, or would I be at home, where my parents would no doubt be urging me to remain? I don't think these are questions we as Westerners ever ask ourselves. After college I went straight to graduate school and began study. There are challenges unique to my path but there is also guilt: as a graduate student at an Ivy League university, the resources available to me are not available to 99% percent of the rest of the world. How much do I take for granted? For me, a choice between liberty and death is a philosophical dilemma, a historical event, but never a necessary choice. I support the uprising of frustrated men and women in Iran. And I understand why some are reluctant to act out. The choice is a difficult one; a choice that I count myself fortunate (though somewhat guilt-ridden) for not having to make. All I can do from afar is be an actively engaged citizen and do my best to provide accurate, factual information to others. The confrontation between fear and frustration is what lies within the heart of each and every Iranian at this moment. Fear usually wins; the protests of 1999 and 2003 prove this. When the furor and intensity in the hearts of frustrated men and women run out, the fear slowly creeps in and forces these brave individuals back into hiding. As Americans, all we can do to prevent this is to provide the necessary outlets to those who continue the fight in Iran. Like a fire that dies without oxygen, the most damning action to those fighting for freedom in Iran is to deny them our focus and attention. We must retweet, forward, and ask our media outlets to keep Iran in the discussion. They must choose their own fate, all we can do is give them the tools to sound off. **** Give Iranians your focus and attention as Donny asks. Go to Rockthevote.com , sign a statement of support and send a message to a young Iranian today. More on Iranian Election
 
Adriana Dunn: From Iran: Interview with Filmmaker James Longley Top
James Longley, director of Gaza Strip and Iraq in Fragments, is in Iran filming a new documentary about a junior high school in the village of Pul. You can read his previous dispatch from Tehran here. What have been your primary means of communication both inside and outside of Iran? Email. The SMS network has been down since the night before the June 12 election. The mobile phones, both domestic and international, have been spotty at best. Skype comes and goes. Email is the only form of communication that has continued working consistently during this crisis. I have also posted many of my experiences to a documentary filmmaking online community, D-Word.com. What is the status of your translator? Is he still with you and safe? We were both released after about 20 minutes. But those 20 minutes were long enough for my translator to be brutally beaten by Iranian police. He has since recovered but has had trouble walking normally for the last week. It has been interesting to note that the Iranian government-controlled PressTV later ran an article on their website to spin our detention, saying that I have been making a documentary about the Iranian elections; the article mentions that we had been detained but failed to mention any of the violence toward my translator. The article then proceeds to list a number of filming locations in Iran supposedly included in my "election documentary" -- places I haven't visited in over a year. I am not making a documentary about the elections. I am currently banned from filming like all other foreign journalists. Are you still shooting for your film or has that jeopardized your safety to the point where you have stopped? My documentary film project -- the one I received my visa to make -- is about a junior high school in the village of Pul, in the Caspian Sea province of Mazandaran. Since the elections I have not been back to this village, and I am not sure at the moment whether I will be allowed to continue working on that project. As far as filming current events in Iran -- this has been declared illegal by the government. Also, there has been an active effort to scapegoat the foreign media and blame them for the violence and tension following the elections. I expect that this broad-brush anti-foreign media propaganda will make it quite difficult for me to work here in the future. It may be that I will have to abandon my Iranian project and work on other subjects outside Iran, where I will not be subject to such a prohibitive level of violence and censorship. Continue reading the interview. More on Iranian Election
 
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf: What President Obama Should Say About Iran 's Election Top
President Obama said many of the right things as the turmoil surrounding the outcome of the Iranian election unfolded. After Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke Friday, Obama has an opportunity to make an additional crucial point. In his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo this month, Obama impressed Muslims with his understanding of Islam. He quoted from the Quran and reminded his audience of his Muslim heritage. Never before has an American president expressed such cultural and religious awareness. As protests mounted in Iran after the election, Obama rightly backed away from inserting the United States into the dispute. He said he was "deeply troubled" by the violence and said the right to peaceably dissent was a universal value. As the protests continued, violence abated. Many Iranians who were so hopeful and so engaged in the election now fear their votes did not count, Obama said. "And particularly to the youth of Iran, I want them to know that we in the United States do not want to make any decisions for the Iranians, but we do believe that the Iranian people and their voices should be heard and respected." Khamenei indicated that the voices have been heard and respected. All that set the right tone. Friday, Khameini reaffirmed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner. And he made clear that this election was not a referendum on the foundations of the Islamic Republic. All of the candidates support it. But he also said that opponents who did not believe the election results should challenge them through legal means. This provides a chance for Obama to show Iranians that he understands their Islamic Republic and how it developed -- and to lay the groundwork for negotiations once the election dispute is resolved. A majority of Iran 's population is Shiite Muslims. Since its founding in the 7th century, Shiites have based their political theory on the cardinal concept of the legitimacy of the ruler. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was in part to depose the shah, who had come to power in 1953 after a CIA-sponsored coup overthrew democratically-elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossaddeq. And in part it was an opportunity to craft an Islamic state with a legitimate ruler according to Shia political theory. After the revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took the Shiite concept of the Rightly Guided Imam and created the idea of Vilayet-i-faqih, which means the rule of the jurisprudent. This institutionalizes the Islamic rule of law. The Council of Guardians serves to ensure these principles. Before the election, the Iranian government allowed an unprecedented degree of political discourse so that the election would establish a legitimate ruler. Now, on the streets of Teheran and undoubtedly in high political circles behind the scenes, Iranians are asking themselves, has this election confirmed the legitimacy of the ruler? President Obama has rightly said that his administration will not interfere with the internal affairs of Iran, unlike what happened in 1953. Now he has an opportunity to have a greater positive impact on Iranian-American relations. He should say his administration respects many of the guiding principles of the 1979 revolution -- to establish a government that expresses the will of the people; a just government, based on the idea of Vilayet-i-faqih, that establishes the rule of law. His administration understands that what is going on now in Iran is an attempt by the Iranian people to live up to their own ideals. Just as American democracy developed over many years, the United States recognizes that this election is part of the process of an evolving democracy in Iran. That would send a resounding message to the Iranian presidential candidates and their supporters that President Obama understands the ideals of the Islamic Republic and that he seeks a peaceful and harmonious Iran that has the unquestioned support of a majority of its population. As a result, President Obama may well find that no matter who is elected president of Iran, the chances of a negotiated rapprochement between the two countries would be far greater than it has been in the past 30 years. Such a rapprochement will help resolve conflicts from Palestine and Israel through Iraq and Afghanistan to Pakistan where, contrary to popular belief, Iran and the United States have many common interests. Abdul Rauf is chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, an independent, non-partisan and multi-national project that seeks to use religion to improve Muslim-West relations. ( www.cordobainitiative.org ). He is the author of "What's Right with Islam is What's Right with America." More on Iran
 
Queen Noor of Jordan: Honoring World Refugee Day Top
For 35 years, my home has been one of the world's major conflict regions, home also to over 10 million refugees and displaced inhabitants. World Refugee Day (June 20) is a time to honor and support these individuals and families who persevere through devastating tragedies. I have lived and worked with the nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees and now nearly 5 million displaced Iraqis, many from each group now making their homes in Jordan. I have also worked with displaced people from Afghanistan, Colombia, Somalia, and those seeking safe haven during the first Gulf War. I have witnessed first-hand the anguish of those uprooted from their homes -- people who have had their lives threatened, homes bombed, and family members kidnapped or murdered. The global displacement crisis is both a humanitarian and a security issue. History shows that mass migrations pose a serious threat to regional stability, as we have seen in Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and West Africa. The Middle East is particularly vulnerable as ongoing tensions are further strained by such large scale displacement. Yet, I have also seen that refugees are a tremendous inspiration. Supporting these vulnerable people not only reduces their suffering, but also brings peace to troubled regions. Despite the pain and trauma they have experienced, refugees and displaced people hold on to the hope that they can someday return home and rebuild their lives. Like all of us, they want to be able to contribute to society, earn incomes, and send their children to school. An investment in refugees is an investment in whole communities and a clear way to promote peace and prosperity. Over the past few weeks, conflict between the Pakistani government and militants has made world headlines as some two million people have been forced to flee. In December 2001, I traveled to Pakistan with Refugees International and saw refugees pouring over the border from Afghanistan. Today, Pakistanis who seek protection from the current violence have had no alternative but to live in some of the very same camps built for Afghan refugees. Many more are living with families in small, over-crowded homes, struggling to access emergency aid. Refugees International just returned from Pakistan again this week, where staff members spoke directly with displaced people, aid workers and government officials to ensure that the needs of displaced Pakistanis are not ignored. RI is now steering through the corridors of power providing the most credible information to policy makers on how to resolve this humanitarian crisis. The world simply must respond more effectively to this crisis than it has to date. The U.S. has been generous, but other governments are lagging and the UN and private agencies are struggling to meet the massive needs. I have taken the initiative to write a letter to the Foreign Ministers of leading Arab and Islamic governments urging them to respond to the need for humanitarian aid to displaced Pakistanis. Yet, there are also those refugees whose suffering is no longer making frequent headlines. According to the UN, there could be as many as 4.8 million displaced Iraqis, more than half inside Iraq and the rest scattered throughout the region. Many remain reluctant to return home due to continued violence, the creation of ethnically cleansed neighborhoods, and poor government services. Others have tried to return, but found their homes occupied or destroyed. While we wait for the situation in Iraq to improve, we must continue to help those who cannot go home. We in Jordan have committed ourselves to providing aid and support to this population. The Noor Al Hussein Foundation, which I chair, is providing health care, rehabilitation services, and psycho-social counseling to thousands of Iraqis in Jordan through our Institute for Family Health. We have also expanded the Foundation's services to provide training to Iraqi youth in home business management and livelihood skills. This encourages entrepreneurship and strengthens their potential to earn incomes. These efforts are a small contribution to addressing the challenges these Iraqi families face while waiting to return home, but there is much yet to be done. Refugees International continues to lead the call to support Iraqi refugees, as well as millions more displaced people fleeing the world's worst crises. The organization's 30 years of experience has contributed to peace and stability and improved the lives of displaced people in countries like Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan. On World Refugee Day, we should reflect on those we have helped. But we must also focus our gaze on how much more is needed to end the vicious cycle of violence and intolerance, and support a more peaceful and prosperous world. Her Majesty Queen Noor has been a member of Refugees International's Board of Directors since 2001.
 
Rachel Sklar: Twitter, It's Time To Grow Up Top
"It's humbling to think that our 2-year old company could be playing such a globally meaningful role that state officials find their way toward highlighting our significance," a post on the Twitter blog by co-founder Biz Stone read. Therein lies the uneasy truth: In a major international crisis, one of the prime channels of communication and news for individuals, media outlets, and governments alike is a 2-year-old start-up in San Francisco with 50 employees, no discernible business model, a history of technical instability, and a misinformation-related lawsuit on the table. This is a problem." So wrote Caroline McCarthy on CNET yesterday, and she's right: Twitter's youth is over . Which means it's time for Twitter to grow up. The events of the past week have been incredible. Twitter's role in the protests against the Iranian election has been huge, as a tool for communicating and organizing, and mobilizing people around the world to work for a cause -- so huge that the State Department had to step in and press Twitter to postpone a planned 90-minute outage for maintenance : "We highlighted to them that this was an important form of communication," said a State Department official of the conversation the department had with Twitter officials. Here's the thing: I couldn't believe the State Department had to step in — it was obvious what a critical role Twitter was playing in the process. A friend of mine rather presciently noted on Friday night, during the " Facebook land grab ," that "Twitter and Facebook are so central and outages are potentially so disruptive that some sort of regulatory scheme can't be far." Turns out we're pretty much there. But even so: if it was so obvious to everyone what a critical role Twitter was playing here — even the State department — why wasn't it obvious to Twitter? So far the Twitter founders have played the role of newbies to the big kids' table — first time to the Time 100 , going on Oprah , a " Night Out " column in the New York Times and a cute little spar-off with Maureen Dowd to boot. But while they've been getting up the celebrity curve, their site has been growing in dog-years (or even fruit-fly years ). Twitter's first big international real-time news-reporting event was the terrorist attacks in Mumbai , and that was in November - eons ago in Internet time. Since then it has contributed real news value on numerous occasions, most notably with the first shots of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson . So while a regime-threatening uprising half a world away could hardly be predicted, it could hardly have been surprising ("The Revolution Will Be Twittered" had an impressive Google imprint even before it became emblematic of what's happening in Iran). Which makes Biz Stone's comment about how "humbling it is for our two-year old company to play such a globally meaningful role" just a touch disingenuous, or at least naive. If it "made sense for Twitter and for [network provider] NTT America to keep services active during this highly visible global event" after the State Department pointed it out, it surely made sense before. The upshot: As McCarthy so ably noted in her excellent piece , it's time for Twitter to grow up. And part of growing up means figuring out how to make money. It's becoming completely irresponsible for Twitter to just accept investor infusions of cash and drag its feet on a business model . Yes, they're a private company -- but they've become a very public platform. It's time to figure out how to pay for it — so they can keep it around. (Funny how this recession has shown just how vulnerable businesses are to a lack of money.) Heck, everyone else is making money on Twitter — did you see how much Jeff Pulver charged to attend his 140 Character conference ? Cf. McCarthy: Pundits' calls for Twitter to get cranking on its yet-to-be-unveiled business model have turned into little more than a broken record, but the prominence of Twitter as a communications channel in the Iranian crisis raises the question of whether a pre-revenue company — no matter how cushy its venture backing — is up to task. Hm. That sounds pretty directly linked to this: Unstable servers and fail-whales are just the surface, though. It's even less clear as to how effectively Twitter could handle large-scale denial-of-service attacks, phishing, hacking, or more serious forms of sabotage or cyberterrorism. Seeing how easy it has been to use Twitter for good has exposed the double-edged sword of how easy it could be to co-opt. (The dummy Iranian protest feeds are one example of this.) Twitter is an astounding platform for information, but it's a total blank slate — which means it's an astounding platform for dis information, too. They need to make money so they can hire more people to monitor all of this — never mind all the problems they haven't even thought of yet. Twitter is an amazing public tool with an incredible capacity for public good. We don't need the State Department to tell us that — and neither should Twitter. Welcome to adulthood, kiddo. With Iran crisis, Twitter's youth is over [CNET] Rachel Sklar is the Editor-at-Large of Mediaite.com , a soon-to-launch multi-media website all about media. Get a preview of Mediate on Twitter here , and follow Rachel on Twitter here . More on Iranian Election
 
David Orr: Chicago's Parking Meter Deal a Prescription For Trouble Top
Caution: Inspector General David Hoffman's report on Chicago's parking meter sales debacle may be hazardous to your health. Taxpayers who already suffer from high blood pressure shouldn't read his findings. They show that the 'dubious financial deal'--a 75-year lease to a private firm--was struck for at least $1 billion less than it was worth. According to Hoffman, that's how much more the city itself could have collected from meters without leasing them out. If that's not enough to give you angina, Hoffman says the city's choice to railroad the parking deal through City Council with only two day's notice contravenes every recommendation on adopting public-private partnerships (PPP's) from Texas to Australia. Even worse, the federal Government Accounting Office has already taken Chicago to task for sloppy public-private lease deals, citing the city's failure to consider potential toll revenues in Mayor Daley's 2006 Skyway Lease deal. Hoffman minces no words: there were other ways to fill the city's budget hole and all the savvy citizen has to do is follow news stories to believe him. One article examines how aldermen threatened with police layoffs were convinced to plug a $50 million dollar budget hole by leasing out parking meters. The next story counts up over a billion dollars in the city's bloated TIF slush fund. Who is in charge here? It makes your blood pressure spike. It's not just the lease giveaway. It's the parking inequities. In April, I wrote President Stroger and Mayor Daley because of the tragic effect new meter rates have on poor hospital patients, who were caught short of quarters when parking rates jumped. Nobody tracks how many patients leave the ER with a little orange paper souvenir, but judging from the windshields, it's too many. And believe me, the solution is not installing credit card meters. Asking credit-poor patients to use their credit cards is akin to saying, of the starving, "let them eat cake." All around, the parking mess is a lesson in how much we don't know. We didn't know how many billions we gave away to Morgan Stanley by leasing out meters. And we don't really know who foots the bill for parking fees. In low-income, high-density neighborhoods, where curbs spots are scarce, parking tickets are a regressive tax. They cost people who can least afford tickets, the most money. And when they are booted and lose their cars and jobs, it's not just cash; it's heartache. As taxpayers, it's high time we knew more: how many tickets are issued by ward, by neighborhood, by street. We should know why they are issued and who foots the bill, and, maybe, why a city with a billion dollar TIF surplus couldn't even balance its budget.
 
Jim Watkins: End The Torture: Let Susan Boyle Go Home Top
"If I had an enemy and I was trying to conquer him, I would give him money, fame and power. They are three things that are extremely difficult to deal with." Curtis Martin/Former Star NFL Running Back It may seem strange to apply the words of an ex-football player to a newly-minted singing sensation. But that comment by Curtis Martin, an eventual Hall of Fame running back who starred for the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, applies perfectly to what we're now seeing with Susan Boyle. The middle-aged Scottish plain Jane who became a overnight worldwide sensation with her performances on "Britain's Got Talent," the English version of "American Idol," seems to be moving closer by the day to a complete emotional meltdown. The latest chapter came this week when Boyle had to miss two more performances on the 24-date Britain's Got Talent concert tour, after already skipping several other appearances. Today, organizers decided she shouldn't perform at a show in Cardiff after she reportedly had a "screaming fit." In Liverpool yesterday, witnesses said she was crying from her hotel balcony, begging for her cat to be brought to her. All this comes weeks after she checked into a private clinic for what was described as a breakdown. It's time for someone to say "enough." Ms. Boyle's rags-to-riches story is taking a turn toward tragedy, even faster than what we've seen from others traveling the arc of sudden fame. She is said to have mild learning difficulties, and may simply be incapable of processing the immense amount of attention she now receives. Or maybe she just doesn't like it, and wants her old life back. When someone is crying out from a balcony, "I want my cat, I need my cat," as other hotel guests saw her doing in Liverpool, it doesn't take Sigmund Freud to see that it's a cry to return to the environment and things she's familiar with. But without someone interceding on her behalf, it might not happen: "Her mentor Simon Cowell is close friends with the owner of the Planet Hollywood casino and hotel, Robert Earl, and has been trying to broker a deal which would see her singing on The Strip. A source said: 'Simon is confident that Susan will achieve a huge amount of success in America. 'She is already a household name despite coming second on the show, and she is now being lined up to play a number of dates in Las Vegas." Right. She can't handle a show in Liverpool, but she's going to be the toast of Vegas. It's time for someone with her best interests at heart to step up and, at least temporarily, pull her away from all this. More on Susan Boyle
 
Rev. Bekeh Utietiang: A Day Nigerians And Iranians Would Never Forget Top
It was June 12, 1993. Millions of Nigerians went to the polls to cast their votes in an election that to this date has been judged to be the freest and fairest election that has ever taken place in Nigeria. I was only 15 at the time but I was engaged in the political process. After many years of military dictatorships with failed promises, Nigerians were ready for a change. We were all excited about the change that was coming with the election of a democratic president. In my lifetime, I had seen the prosperity that I had enjoyed as a child being robbed from me by notorious military dictators. Through the years of military rule, my family had moved from upper middle class to lower middle class and there were reasonable chances that we were going to slip into poverty if the tide of corruption and inflation was not halted. While the two candidates representing the two national parties were not saints, there was reasonable hope that either of them would halt the depression and put the country back in the path of progress. We looked forward to June 12 so much that we named our cat, "June 12," the last cat I would ever love. All our hopes were lost and our dreams shattered when that election was annulled without any reason shortly after June 12. Given the intense pressure from both the international community and citizens, the then military dictator General Ibrahim Babangida stepped down and handed power to a transitional government which was overthrown within 100 days by General Sani Abacha, one of Babangida's military cronies. That coup set democracy in Nigeria back another five years. On the 29th of May, 1999, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a democratic President after the mysterious death of General Abacha. Last month was the 10th anniversary of this new democratic experiment in Nigeria. While there are still fundamental problems in the Nigerian polity, the bleeding has stopped and the country is gradually heading the right direction. What is required of all Nigerians is patience. The people of Iran on June 12, 2009 went to the polls to elect a president. The deteriorating economy together with the further isolation of Iran from the international community propelled millions of people to go to the polls and demand for change. Unfortunately, the Iranian establishment had their own anointed candidate. In the last few days, we have seen the streets of Iran filled with hundreds of thousands of protesters who are demanding that their votes be counted. Many of these people stood in lines for hours to cast their votes. In their peaceful demand for what is fair and just, they have been harassed, bruised and some even killed by the government that is suppose to look after their interests. The problem in Iran is the problem of people everywhere in the world. We share not only a common citizenship, "citizens of the world," but we are all created in the image and likeness of one God. While the US government needs to walk a delicate path, lest the Iranian leaders accuse them of being behind the crisis, the citizens must stand in solidarity with the peaceful marchers in the streets. If the millions of people in Iraq marching know that the rest of the world is behind them, they will continue peaceful demonstrations until their voices are heard. This is our opportunity to help the people of Iran build an effective democracy. Sending solidarity tweets would go a long way to encouraging them in their demand for true democracy.
 
Naomi Foner: Half Measures for "Almost Americans" Top
The immigrants who live in the United States illegally, by and large, work hard, pay taxes, obey the law and have families just like yours and mine. At least in the same percentage as the general population. They want nothing more than to be here legally. So their children can go to college and join in the benefits of the American Dream. They do the jobs that no one else want, at wages lower than the going rate, because they are unprotected by the law. They live outside the safety net. And that does no one any good. Frightened illegals drive without licenses, making an accident more likely. They avoid hospitals, making the spread of illness more likely. But they take no jobs away from their American counterparts. No one wants to do the work they do; cleaning and carrying and washing. And certainly, not at the wages they are willing to take. Obama's election was their hope for a better deal. And today he came up with his plan. Send them back to their own countries to get in line behind the more patient. This is a great disappointment. And wildly impractical. Good for the airlines. Twelve million people picking up and going south of the border to stand in line? I don't think so. Where would they get the money? How would it disrupt families? Children? Give them a chance to apply while they are still here. So many of them already have and been faced with the Kafkaesque process that requires money and a knowledge of forms and law beyond the reach of even college graduate. And even when completed, there has been consistent policy that claims the forms are lost or incorrectly filled out, that greets their efforts. These people have suffered enough. Let's share the American Dream we have been so privileged to experience. After all, how far back to most of us have to look to find the immigrant in our own histories? Obama, step up. Your father made the crossing. You wouldn't have wanted to travel back home with him to Kenya and get in line. Or to have waited (since you were born here) for years, for him to reach the front of it. The children, especially, will be hurt by this policy. Whether born in the US or out of it, they will have to live with ruptured families, and the ensuing financial hardships and emotional effects this misguided idea will make inevitable. This policy is just pandering to the worst instincts of a fringe of racist xenophobics. Say no to them and yes to the millions of "almost Americans" in our midst. We can do better than this. More on Barack Obama
 
Mike Smith: Genachowski Rule: FCC Confirmation Is a Lovefest Top
Julius Genachowski's confirmation hearing for FCC chairman last week before the Senate Science, Commerce, and Transportation Committee was a provocative give-and-take on national communications infrastructure, broadband policy, mobile deployment and transparency. Genachowski is well-versed in Senate diplomacy. He began his career as a legislative aide to Sen. Charles Schumer who introduced him to the panel and later served as an FCC staffer. Chairman Jay Rockefeller, Sen. Mark Warner, and Sen. Mark Pryor lavished Genachwski with praise of his Congressional, Judicial and Private Sector experience. So, it was also a lovefest with humor, family (the chairman-designate introducing his wife, Rachel, beautiful toddlers), and support drizzled across the committee floor. "Government can be a force for good," declared Genachowski, a second generation immigrant whose family fled Nazi occupation. His obligation to public service is a matter of family pride. "The FCC should be a model of openness, transparency, and a fair, data-driven process." Chairman Rockefeller cited a GAO report calling the FCC the most untransparent, secretive agency with closed hearings. "The issues GAO has raised are staggering," said Rockefeller. "There is not equal access to rule-making. More information is given to corporate stakeholders than public service groups." He said the FCC staff would tell some industry players about the content of votes. Genachowski rebutted: "We need an FCC that is open as the issues are too complex" for single interest groups. "We will communicate openly with the American People." There will be no more "secret studies." Critical crossroads issues were also mined such as: minority ownership and diverse FCC licenses, rural broadband penetration (BTOP) to underserved markets, e-911 and police and education frequency (PEG), interoperability, Children's (TV) Viewing Act, Indecency, and even the Dig Once bill now before Congress. Sen. Amy Kobuchar and co-sponsor Warner, in that legislation, call for construction companies to lay broadband fiber or cable while highways and infrastructure are being upgraded. There is also legislation around "texting." Genachowski was at his best on philosophical issues. He has small kids and wants to use technology and market forces to enforce decent programming content. "Technology can drive solutions under the Chldren's viewing act. "The government can provide incentives for technology companies to offer a solution to parents." He was near the World Trade Center on 9-11 and understands critical interop and police communications. "Lack of public safety interoperability is unacceptable." Warner added it was a national embarrassment that the U.S. does not have a "fully functioning public safety spectrum." Sen. John Kerry suggested broadband penetration must also be addressed and indicated telecomm comprises about one-fifth of the U.S. economy. "Our broadband penetration has slipped from about fourth to about 21st," said the former presidential candidate. Genachowski and committee members talked about mobility and new mobile programs: 270 million people now have mobile phones in the U.S. "The U.S. can lead the world in mobile," he contended. Home Turf Genachowski was right at home. Chairman Rockefeller chided the committee for making statements, posing some of their questions as a preface, and then leaving the committee room for other business. Rockefeller said from now on, the Senate Science, Commerce and Transportation Committee would only permit himself, and Senate minority committee leadership to speak ahead of the Q&A. He scolded colleagues. "It is embarrassing to the Senate, and to you, Mr. Genachowski" for senators to dash-off. Sen. Maria Cantwell opened the next line of questions by joking: "shall we call this the Genachowski rule!" Laughs all around. Then, Sen. Rockefeller abruptly left before Amy Kobuchar could speak, turning the gavel over to Mark Pryor. Genachowski rule broken by chairman's prerogative. I was fortunate to serve on the Tech, Media and Telecomm public outreach group for Obama for President which Genachowski chaired. We used several tech surrogates on the campaign trail. Virtually the entire tech and telecomm community was pro-Obama with Genachowski leading the charge from his office at General Atlantic in Washington. The chairman-elect is a friend of President Obama and has worked with him earlier in Obama's senate days. They are also basketball buddies along with Warner and used to all play at the YMCA together. The confirmation process was really a "lay-up" for the new FCC Chairman.
 
Pat Buchanan To Fix Conservatism At Conference In Virginia (And The Rest Of Your Scritti Politti) Top
Hey! What a weekend for people in the D.C. area! Coming to the Birchmere is Charles Ross, acclaimed One Man Lord Of The Rings . I want to go to there! But hey, what if you'd rather have the same sort of experience, only much longer, with more people, and everyone's rooting for Sauron to win? Well, you are in luck, because in McLean, Virginia this Saturday at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, The American Cause is gathering up the nations most noteworthy dyspeptics and race-baiters under one roof, for a meeting hosted by Pat "Go Somewhere And Chill While The Adults Talk About The Holocaust Museum Shooting" Buchanan, his sister Bay, and their ward, Marcus "Karate Chop" Epstein . It will be fun, fun, fun, until the Tom Tancredo karaoke breakout session, and then you'll probably wish you were dead. I'm Tellin' All A Y'All It's A Sabato : When Virgil Goode lost his seat, Larry Sabato lost a partner in cronyism. Ben Smith has all the details . I agree that the most fascinating disclosure here is the existence of a "Cordel Faulk," billed as Sabato's "current spokesman." I had no idea that Sabato left anything for anyone else to say! Birther Madness : Is it just me, or is it really messed up that Tom Coburn is even entertaining the derangement of these birther people ? He and President Barack Obama are supposed to be "longtime friends." But for the sake of not losing a single potential fringe weirdo vote, Coburn is supporting the birther bill . Not particularly friendly. Make Up Call : Greg Sargent reports that after a sustained period of heavy criticism for soft-footing promises made to the gay community, the Obama Justice Department is planning to meet with gay rights organizations. "At the meeting -- which hasn't been announced and is expected to include leading gay rights groups like GLAD and Lambda Legal -- both sides are expected to hash out how to proceed with pending DOMA cases." Pixar=Good People : "Pixar flew an employee with a DVD of the animated feature film "Up" (which is only in theaters right now) to the home of a terminally ill child for a private viewing." I don't think there's anyone in the world who've done more with computers to promote humanity than the much-beloved and well-acclaimed digital animators. [Would you like to follow me on Twitter ? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here .] More on Barack Obama
 
Supernova Discovered By New York Teen Top
In November 2008, Caroline Moore, a 14-year-old student from upstate New York, discovered a supernova in a nearby galaxy, making her the youngest person ever to do so. Additional observations determined that the object, called SN 2008ha, is a new type of stellar explosion, 1000 times more powerful than a nova but 1000 times less powerful than a supernova. Astronomers say that it may be the weakest supernova ever seen.
 
Libby Mitchell: The Bad Mother Conundrum Top
I am in the that phase of my life where pretty much everyone around me either has, is having, or is thinking about having children. And without exception, every one of them thinks they are, or will be, bad at it, especially the women. For instance, I have a friend, we'll call her Christy, because that's her name, who recently, after spending several years and thousands of dollars trying to get pregnant, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. During her pregnancy Christy read every book, and researched every product. She is my guru when it comes to what a baby needs and does not need. She is also one of the most loving and responsible people I know. Yet, earlier this week, she sent me an email saying she felt like the world's worst mother. I won't go into the details; Christy is also very private, but suffice to say, it was not a matter she had any real control over, nor something that put her in the same league as Medea or Nadya Suleman. That got me thinking, does any mother actually feel like they are doing a good job? I know my Mom has never really felt like she was a good parent. My sisters and I are now all in our thirties, and she still can remember instances when she believes she scarred us for life. Also, I know that out of the millions of blogs out there, I still have not found one written by someone who thinks they are an awesome Mom. I have come across "Her Bad Mother," "Martini Mom," and the "Un-Mom," but I am still looking for "Doing Fine At Mothering." Oh, and let's not forget Dooce, who makes bank criticizing her parenting skills. Why do all these women, none of whom appear to be raising serial killers, feel so bad about the job they are doing? Is it real, or is it an act? Do Moms inherently think they have to bad mouth their skills, even if their skills are good? Are they afraid they will be opening themselves up to criticism, or do they really believe they aren't very good at child rearing? I guess I am asking these questions due to my (hopefully) impending motherhood, and the fact I am already sure I have messed up my child, even though I haven't met him or her yet. First of all, there is the fact I will not be growing this child inside of me, or giving birth to it. The person who does that will be involved minimally, if at all. I think we have all heard the horror stories that result from those situations. Also, there is the fact that our child will likely be of a different race. That means the first thing most people will think when seeing us together is "oh, that kid's adopted." Will that lead to me embarrassing my kid by attacking anyone I perceive to be racist? Or will it lead to them feeling like they were ripped away from their culture due to "white privilege?" And how am I supposed to do their hair? I can barely do mine. Lastly, there is the issue of breastfeeding, which I will go into in depth in another post. For now let's just say that in the past few weeks my breasts have gone from my favorite part of my body to a source of pain, frustration, and embarrassment. Part of me thinks putting myself through this to breastfeed is the least I can do for my child, and part of me thinks the mental damage it could do would make things worse rather than better. Here is what I am proposing: let's all feel good about our parenting skills. Let's not just feel good about them after getting support from blog comments telling us we are actually doing great. Let's make a concerted effort to know we are doing the best for our children, or children coming to us. Trust me, there are enough bad parenting stories out there to prove me right. To Christy and my Mom, know this, it is women like you who give me the courage to undertake this endeavor at all. Thank you. More on Nadya Suleman
 
Jessica McBride, Milwaukee Magazine Writer, In Affair With Police Chief She Profiled Top
When journalist Jessica McBride penned a glowing, 5,400-word profile of Police Chief Edward A. Flynn for Milwaukee Magazine earlier this year, many in the Milwaukee Police Department jokingly dismissed it as a love letter to the chief. Little did they know. Sometime earlier this year, Flynn and McBride struck up a romantic relationship.
 
Jerry Weissman: Spin vs. Topspin Top
The presidential election is over, but intense jockeying from all quarters about legislation, issues, rights and wrongs, and errors and omissions has not abated one iota. Contention is a given in the competitive world of politics and is often expressed by spinning, the black art of attempting to influence public perception in one's favor or against that of the opposition. Spinning can be as harmless as gilding the lily or it can escalate to distortion or even to outright deception; all the points along the scale, however, are of dubious integrity. One of the best examples of political spin is the 1998 film, Wag the Dog , in which a U.S. President is accused of a scandalous liaison. To limit his damage, the president calls in a Washington spin doctor, played by Robert DeNiro, whose proceeds to retain a Hollywood producer, played by Dustin Hoffman, and together they concoct a fictional war in the Balkans. In this scenario, spin could more accurately be called "slant," for the tactic diverts attention away from the main issue. Spin is akin the sleight-of-hand magicians use to misdirect audiences. This is not to say that a politician, a businessperson, a representative of an organization, or anyone in any competitive walk of life--including you -- should not defend your own cause and position it in a favorable light. However, you must address the issue directly rather than divert away from it; only then can you go on to counterbalance the negativity by adding your own message. This additive, rather than digressive approach is called Topspin, a tennis term that refers to a stroke that causes the ball to bounce sharply and give a player a winning advantage. In public as well as personal communication, Topspin is a positive statement or restatement of a key message that gives a speaker a winning advantage. But just as tennis players must first meet the ball before applying Topspin, communicators must first address the central issue directly before adding their own message. While politicians rarely address issues at all, businesspersons must always do so. In business, accountability trumps messaging. For instance, if a salesperson were to be asked by a customer, "Why do you charge so much more for your product than your competition does?" the salesperson could respond, "The reason we sell our product at that price point is because we provide you with a service guarantee that extends the life of the product. When you buy our product, you get more for your money." Notice that the response doesn't deny the price point, nor does it agree that the price is high. Thus the salesperson acknowledges the negativity in the question without any evasion, admission, or contention. Then, having addressed the issue directly, the response continues on to Topspin with a call to action ("When you buy our product") as well as a benefit ("you get more for your money"). Topspin is a world apart from spin.
 

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