Friday, June 5, 2009

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Over 3,000 Artificts, Many Stolen From Italy, Found In Suburban Home Top
CHICAGO (AP) -- The FBI says religious artifacts, books and antiquities discovered in a suburban Chicago home two years ago were stolen from Italy and will be sent back to that country. The FBI says more than 3,000 items were discovered in the Berwyn residence, and many were determined to have been removed from Italy illegally. Robert D. Grant, special agent in charge of the Chicago FBI office, and Berwyn police chief William R. Kushner will hold a news briefing Monday to tell how the artifacts were authenticated. Members of the FBI's Washington-based art crimes unit are to attend. A sample of the items will be on display along with a detailed listing of what artifacts were discovered. -ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Michealene Cristini Risley: Zimbabwean, Betty Makoni is my hero! Top
I met Betty Makoni back in spring of 2007. I was introduced to her work by photojournalist and dear friend, Paola Gianturco: http://www.womenwholightthedark.com/ Paola and I were going to hear Betty speak in San Francisco but by accident when I called for a ticket to the event, Sara Dotlich, who was head of African Affairs for IDEX, answered the phone. Idex is a non-profit "that provides grants to those who promote sustainable solutions to poverty." http://www.idex.org/who-we-are.html. After my conversation with Sara, she arranged for Betty and I to meet in a small Café in San Francisco. We talked and shared our personal stories of abuse as children. Betty's story was horrific. By the age of 9, she had already been raped and watched her mother beaten to death before her eyes. We spoke the same language; a language of survivors who turned their personal stories into something more collective to change the world. We were like an old married couple, we finished each others sentences, read each others minds and left that restaurant as life long friends. In truth a relationship that was cemented by the same origins of pain. A pain that for both of us caused a deep and burning desire to help others. So much of the anger and resentment surrounding rape and abuse is stirred in a large bowl with love and laughter and other confusing factors. It is tough to mix those ingredients together into anything that resembles a normal life. The combination of those feelings makes sifting through the items for the recipe painful at the very least. I suppose part of what Betty and I had in common at that point was the resilience to keep moving through the pain to find a place of comfort. We both had healed enough to create productive lives and raise families. Both of us had a strong desire to help others through the maze of abuse. Even if helping others is defined by simply telling your personal story-it is enough to make other survivors feel less alone. Betty founded an organization called The Girl Child Network, a place where girls could come after being raped or abused. The number of children abused and raped in Zimbabwe is staggering. This behavior is fueled by the belief that if a man rapes a virgin he will cure his AIDS. Makoni has created three empowerment villages in Zimbabwe to help girls devastated by this myth. She has saved thousands of lives. Betty continues to tell her story, even though it is difficult. She must encounter those traumatized every step of the way. Sometimes she can help them, sometimes she cannot, but pain follows her like the skin upon her frame. Vital but unwanted. The aftermath of abuse, no matter how well you have healed, often hits you when you least expect it. For Betty, telling the truth and helping these girls has put her life at risk. After I went to Zimbabwe to tell her story, and after my own imprisonment, they hauled her into prison for harboring me, an "alleged CIA" agent. In the prison cell, she had to stand for days without food or water. Despite this, Betty never waivered from her support of the girls. So many people REFUSE to discuss rape and abuse. I often say that I can clear a room, when I start talking about this issue. It would be funny, if it wasn't so true. The only way we can begin to understand and eradicate abuse is by talking about it. According to Amnesty International: http://www.amnestyinternational.com "One out of every three women worldwide is beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime." According to the US Census Bureau roughly 3 billion women inhabit the globe. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html. One third of that is 1.1 billion women. Think about this-1.1 billion women will face abuse in their life time. Isn't it time we stood up and said, enough ? By they way, Betty isn't only my hero, check out her recognition at CNNHEROES: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/index.html Please check out our upcoming documentary on Betty Makoni: http://www.tapestresofhope.com. More on CNN
 
Geoffrey Dunn: Slap Shot: Alaska Legislators Set to Override Palin's Veto Top
As Sarah Palin leaves Alaska yet again for a pair of photo-op sessions in New York on the road to her 2012 bid for the presidency, Alaska's legislators, fed up with Palin's political posturing, have indicated that they have amassed sufficient votes to override her veto of President Obama's $28.6 million in State Energy Program stimulus funding. It will take a 75 percent legislative majority to override her veto--no small feat in a rightward leaning state. It would appear to be a political slap shot headed straight for the net. Don't believe the headlines of the mainstream media and rightwing apologists for Palin who claim this is part of some Democratic and/or liberal plot against Palin in the Last Frontier. This effort in Alaska is bipartisan and is being headed up on the Republican side by a slew of GOP legislative leaders, including lower house members Mike Hawker, John Coghill and Jay Ramras; and GOP Senators Gary Stevens, Tom Wagoner and Lesil McGuireIt also includes members of the conservative all-Republican Senate minority, Palin's staunchest supporters during her two-plus years as governor. Hawker told the Anchorage Daily News : This is just one of those cases where there is such a profound difference of opinion between the legislative branch of government and the executive branch. We could have one of those rare and difficult instances where we are actually able to override a governor's veto of an appropriation item. Palin, of course, has used Obama's stimulus package as a way of maintaining the semblance of a national profile in opposition to the president on economic issues. That she hasn't the slightest bit of economic savvy was underscored throughout last year's presidential campaign (who can ever forget that infamous interaction with Katie Couric ?), and just this week, Palin made some thoroughly inane assertions on economic policy while introducing right-wing radio talk show host Michael Reagan (son of the conservative icon) to a red-meat audience in Anchorage. Her remarks, transcribed quite nearly in full (with hilarious commentary provided) by The Mudflats , included this gem: Reagan knew that real change and real change requiring shaking things up and maybe takin' off the entrenched interest thwarting the will of the people with their ignoring of our concerns about future peril caused by selfish short-sighted advocacy for growing government and digging more debt, and taking away individual and state's rights and hampering opportunity to responsibly develop our resources, and coddling those who would seek to harm America and her allies. Yes, that is another direct quote. Les Gara, the popular Democratic representative from Anchorage, who many have identified as a possible gubernatorial candidate next year, told me today that he remains "disappointed" with Palin's decision: When 49 out of 50 governors have accepted the energy stimulus, you have to ask what is going on here. We're talking about windows and insulation in a state that desperately needs aa conservation program. The governor's decision doesn't help the national goal of domestic energy production to minimize our reliance on energy from rogue countries and it doesn't help the state's goal of increasing affordable, diversified energy production. I'm concerned that everything our governor does these days is to position herself in opposition to Obama. After calling the stimulus an "an unsustainable, debt-ridden package of funds" and likening it to "a bribe," Palin actually accepted 97-plus percent of the Obama stimulus. Talk about faux opposition One Republican legislator I spoke to this week who is fearful of political reprisals from Palin said that "I've never seen someone so disengaged from the legislative process. She claims to be all about Alaska; what she's really all about is Sarah." In April, Palin's nomination of Wayne Anthony Ross as Alaska's attorney general was overwhelmingly turned down by the legislature--the first time in Alaska's history that had ever happened. She's setting her self up for another fall. The only question remaining about a stimulus override seems to be not if , but when . If the Federal government requires a vote earlier than next January, then it is possible a special session will be convened by the Legislature. If it's not necessary, the state lawmakers are likely to wait until the beginning of the next legislative session in January of 2010. Such an override would mark a less-than-propitious way for Governor Palin to begin the legislative season in a year that she is slated to run for re-election. Award-winning investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn is at work on a book about Sarah Palin and her role in American politics, to be published by Macmillan/St. Martin's in 2010. More on Sarah Palin
 
Craig Newmark: 21st century statecraft: texting for Swat Valley refugee assistance Top
In Pakistan's Swat Valley, nearly 2.4 million people have fled their homes after rejecting the violence of the Taliban, and hundreds of thousands now live in tented refugee camps that are in critical need of funding for water, food, medicine, and shelter. Responding to this crisis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in addition to pledging $110 million of humanitarian assistance, has brought the relief efforts to the fingertips of any American with a cell phone. Just text to 20222, just the text "swat", and that sends five bucks to help people out who really need a break. This new media program, and others like it, are part of the State Department's commitment to "21st century statecraft" which encourages diplomatic efforts not just from one government to another, but from government to people, people to government, and, as with the "Text Swat" initiative, people to people.
 
Alan McGee: This Week in the Classroom: The Judicial System Top
With President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, there is much debate about what this selection would mean for the future of United States law. As debate continues and the Senate confirmation process moves forward, young students across the country have the opportunity to follow the historical process firsthand. Moreover, teachers now have a unique opportunity as well -- provided they have the resources available to support their curriculum. At DonorsChoose.org , we've been following related classroom requests that aim to engage high-need public school students in creative and innovative ways. In light of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's recent nomination, here are a few examples of many classroom requests that exemplify the imagination of our public school teachers -- in the form of grant proposals -- that can be brought to life by you, the citizen: In a high-need Illinois classroom , Ms. R is looking to teach her fourth grade students about the judicial system in a way that is both engaging and meaningful. Her classroom request, entitled The People vs. Goldilocks , will provide her students with materials to simulate due process of law: "In order to help my students make sense of the judicial process, and begin to build their civic vocabulary, I would like to have my students perform a mock trial. In my classroom, Goldilocks will stand accused of breaking and entering." A few hundred miles east of Illinois, a New York City teacher is hoping for materials that will help to prepare his students for a nationwide policy debate. Mr. F is the Debate Coach for a group of nearly 70 students ranging from grades 7-12, making up the largest urban debate team in the country. He explains that "debate is one of the most challenging academic opportunities out there. Students learn valuable skills in public speaking, writing, researching, logic, philosophy, current events, economics and so many other subjects." Next year's debate topic? Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase social services to persons living in poverty in the United States. This request will help to start a small classroom library so that relevant books are easily accessible, an excellent resource for students to advance their education both within and outside of the classroom. In Florida, Mr. C has a similar request designed to teach his high-school students to think critically about arguments made by political figures. Stating that "an engaged and educated citizenry is essential for our democracy," this classroom request will provide his students with textbooks that utilize a five-step methodology designed to interpret political argument and develop personal opinion. Whether to support the fundamental understanding the judicial system, or to inspire a career in politics or law, each project reflects one teacher's hope for the future of his or her students. As a citizen philanthropist, it's up to you to decide which classroom requests should be realized. DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support. After completing a project, the donor hears back from the classroom they supported in the form of photographs and student thank-you letters.
 
David Gartner: Obama's Call for Educating Women Top
As part of his historic Cairo address, President Barack Obama raised the hopes of millions of women around the world by highlighting how educating women can change the economic future of nations and promote equality. "I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality . . . countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous" proclaimed President Obama. The president has a unique opportunity to fulfill these hopes by delivering on earlier promises to create a new Global Fund for Education and contribute $2 billion so that all girls can go to school. Education, especially for girls and women, is the most highly leveraged investment now available for developing countries. Obama's top economic adviser, Lawrence Summers, has found that "educating girls yields a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world." Women's education is a key driver for the economic growth of countries around the world. A 100 country study by the World Bank found that every 1 percent increase in the level of women's education generates .3 percent in additional economic growth. Educating women increases their wages by as much as 20 percent for every additional year of schooling. Women's education is a key driver for the economic growth of countries around the world. Educating women is also essential for ensuring food security and protecting recent gains in global health during the current economic crisis. Educated women use their expanded knowledge and improved financial situation to provide for their children. One study of 63 countries found that women's education accounted for 43 percent of all progress in reducing child malnutrition. In Africa, the children of mothers who received five years of primary education are 40 percent more likely to live beyond the age of five. Education is a "social vaccine" against AIDS, dramatically reducing the risks of infection, especially for girls. Despite all the incredible returns that come from educating girls and the world's commitment to the U.N. Millennium Development Goal that all girls should have equal access to education as boys, more than half the countries in the Arab world, in South and West Asia and in Sub-Saharan Africa have yet to achieve gender parity in education. In Afghanistan, for example, fewer than 70 girls enter school for every 100 boys. Overall, 75 million primary school age children are still out of school and most of them are girls. Reducing the cost of education, employing an adequate number of teachers and creating safe environments for girls to learn are essential strategies for expanding access to education for girls. A number of countries have eliminated school fees in recent years, catalyzing dramatic expansions in enrollment and achieving gender parity in primary education. Bangladesh closed the education gap for girls by providing stipends for attending secondary school to cover the costs of supplies, textbooks and uniforms and more than tripled the number of girls enrolled. Creating safe environments in which girls can effectively learn is also vital to promoting educated women. Training more female teachers is especially important in countries, like Pakistan, where many parents are reluctant to send their girls to schools with male teachers. Burkina Faso recently made substantial gains in the enrollment and performance for girls by building schools in rural areas that included separate bathroom facilities for girls and provided lunch for students. In an earlier speech, President Obama promised to create a Global Fund for Education and pledged to invest $2 billion in order to "erase the global primary education gap by 2015" and ensure that every child can go to school. By fulfilling these commitments, Obama could leverage investments from the rest of the world and actually achieve the Millennium Development Goal of education for all by 2015. Obama's words in Cairo have raised the sights of millions of girls around the world, and creating a Global Fund for Education holds the promise that they will finally get the chance to learn. More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Week In Photos: Vote On Your Favorite, Send In Your Choices (POLL, PHOTOS) Top
Last week we launched a new feature that asked readers to vote on the best photos we chose from the week. This week we're asking you to vote again but we also want YOU to start contributing photos. Keep an eye out for impactful images from Saturday until next Thursday. Send your choice pic to ee+offtheweek@huffingtonpost.com by Thursday night for consideration in the weekly roundup. Your photo should have been taken the week that it's submitted. Please include your name and a link to the site that originally posted the photograph. Thank you... now please vote on this week's photos.
 
Nelson Davis: Bold Moves Top
Decades ago the cereal market was dominated by two companies, Kellogg's and Post, but today the Kellogg Company is far ahead of their old competitor. Why? Bold thinking and action when it really mattered during the 1930s depression paved the way for their dominance. There is a very contemporary lesson for all business people in their story. I became curious about cereal magnate Will Keith Kellogg (1860-1951) because on the interstate 10 drive between Los Angeles and Palm Springs I've often seen a "Kellogg Hill" road sign. It turns out to be near property that was a ranch once owned by the pioneering businessman and indeed the hill was named after him. In 1925, Kellogg purchased a 377 acre ranch in Pomona, California which grew to 750 acres over the next 7 years. In 1932, he donated the ranch to the University of California system. These days I have too many conversations with executives working for large and medium sized companies who can only talk about cut backs and shrinking budgets. Of course everyone wants to save money these days, but that may not be the key to saving your business. There seems to be a noticeable lack of forward vision regarding how to build a dominant position or even increase market share in these doubtful times. In our busy little business hearts we know that cutting your way to prosperity is impossible. Slashing everything may lead to survival but just surviving is not why anyone starts a business. The business saga of the breakfast food titans, Mr. Kellogg and his rival C. W. Post, is a fascinating and instructive story. It was over a hundred years ago that Battle Creek, Michigan became ground zero for cereal production when Kellogg and his brother, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943), discovered how to toast a corn mixture into corn flakes. Harvey Kellogg managed a sanitarium and W. K came to work with him promoting the idea that grains and vegetables were healthier foods than animal proteins. That was the atmosphere that spawned the birth of wheat flakes, corn flakes, and other concoctions that became the basis for the cereals that you and I grew up eating. It was a small business that went through a pretty full set of the classic business misadventures. They included a feud between the brothers that ripped them apart, betrayals, and other stresses that would make anyone want a healthier diet. The plot really began to thicken like good oatmeal when Charles W. Post arrived on the scene in Battle Creek and the town's name proved prophetic. In the late 19th Century there were over 40 companies attempting to copy the breakfast food success of the Kellogg brothers. One that did well was the C.W.Post Co., organized in 1895. Mr. Post had gone to Battle Creek in a wheel-chair to be a patient in Dr. Kellogg's sanitarium. Cured of his ailments, he remained to make millions out of pre-cooked foods. W.K. Kellogg insisted that Post had simply ripped off their manufacturing techniques and secrets. He certainly did seem to walk the path already established by the feuding Kelloggs, but his talent for advertising made Postum a popular national drink in campaigns that warned drinking coffee was dangerous to health. He also promoted Post Toasties until his product nearly rivaled the Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Then he bought the rights to Grape-Nuts from a small company and made it an international favorite. The foods may have been healthy, but there was very bad blood between Post and Kellogg. The competition was bitter. Post employees would not associate with Kellogg workers, and for years the semi professional baseball teams maintained by each company could not play against each other because police feared rioting. It is when the great depression sapped the resources, vision, and the will of many businesses that W.K. Kellogg got his revenge on Post. Kellogg made an unprecedented move as the United States sank into the Great Depression. Instead of cutting back, he doubled his advertising spending - and Kellogg cereal sales increased. In response to the hard times created by the Depression, Mr. Kellogg reduced the hours of the three plant shifts and created a fourth shift, spreading the payroll among more workers. Declaring, "I'll invest my money in people," in 1930, Mr. Kellogg founded the W.K. Kellogg Foundation which bought the California land near Pomona. He also kept pushing and investing to develop the nutritional quality of Kellogg's products. Kellogg's® Pep became the first cereal fortified with vitamins through the "spray" method. Kellogg also instigated new marketing partnerships by sponsoring "The Singing Lady - Irene Wicker," the nation's first radio network program for children, and the "Howie Wing" radio show, based on the adventures of a young aviator. That was the bold strategy that lifted Kellogg's cereals above those of Post to dominate the American market. After Post's death, his company joined the Jell-O Company in the first of a series of mergers which led to the development of the General Foods Corp. The Kellogg's Company, still headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, became the world's largest producer of cereals with annual sales over nine billion dollars. Their flagship product is still the venerable Corn Flakes but also includes such famous brands as Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, and Special K among others. Additional food lines include Keebler, Pop Tarts, Eggo, and Nutri-Grain. There are plenty of reasons why it is easy to be afraid at all levels of business today. The safe and predictable course of the past several decades seems a lot less secure and a lot more slippery right now. The lesson here is that it is in times like the present that great business minds reveal themselves by taking bold action. Your ambitions and values have to guide you past the chaos that we can all see. We've just come out of an easy period when average actions could get noteworthy results on a balance sheet. That was an aberration and now gravity has done its work by imposing the fundamental rules of business once again. I think that the Austrian philosopher, Goethe, said it best: "Boldness has genius, power and magic to it." Where do you want your business to be after this harsh recession and how bold do you plan to be in achieving that goal? Visit www.MakingItTV.com for more resources pertaining to small business and entrepreneurs.
 
Right-Wing Protesters: Birth Control Will Kill You Top
Unable to turn the public against sex, the pro-life movement will be on the march Saturday trying to convince women that birth-control pills will kill them. The right-wing American Life League and a handful of regional organizations will stand around outside U.S. pharmacies and Planned Parenthood chapters this weekend for the second annual "Protest the Pill Day." Dispatches from last year's protests, posted at thepillkills.com, offer a sense of what to expect. "About two dozen prayerful witnesses testified to the facts of death about the pill," reads last year's ALL report from the protest at a Planned Parenthood in Napa, Calif. "For one hour the prayers were offered for the many uninformed patrons who come asking the staff of Planned Parenthood to provide chemicals, hormones, and sex-education as an answer to their problems with the natural consequences of abuse of sex." "We experienced a lot of thumbs up and approving honks," gushed a protester who stood outside the Planned Parenthood of South Texas for an hour last year. The American Life League blames birth control -- all birth control, conflating the pill with less time-tested contraceptives -- for abortions and a wide variety of deadly health problems. The group's Web site also helpfully provides a nationwide map to facilities and protests. More ominously, it includes some ambiguous language about who should use it. "As the national group focused on grassroots efforts to defeat Planned Parenthood, American Life League hopes the information presented will be helpful to all in this battle," the Web site reads. Behind the scenes, ALL and other right-wing groups are pushing state and local governments to deny women access to birth control and emergency contraception, as well as "fetal personhood" laws begging for a Supreme Court challenge, said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. In the meantime, Gandy said, the grassroots are a critical battleground, and education is key. "It's sad to say, they are targeting young women who, after eight years of 'abstinence only' sex mis-education, are particularly vulnerable to their propaganda," Gandy wrote in a letter. "We know that the greatest danger to women's lives comes from a lack of access to good reproductive health care, including birth control and abortion -- and scientifically accurate information." Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter! More on Health
 
TV Reporter Dunks On Kid, Makes Him Cry: 'I Feel So Powerful' (WATCH) Top
In a feelgood bit clearly gone awry, WGN TV sports reporter Pat Tomasulo literally reduced a little boy to tears after dunking over him on an outdoor basketball hoop. The clip, spotted by the Windy Citizen , shows Tomasulo jokingly taunting the boy after his dunk. After the teary kid's mother said her son wanted to leave, the reporter acknowledges feeling "like the lowest person in the world" but that when he dunked, "I felt so powerful." Watch: More on WTF
 
Perry Garfinkel: Costa Rica Green Report Card: Arenal Volcano Region Top
La Fortuna, Costa Rica - This country's modern-day Big Bang came in 1968 when its only constantly active volcano, Arenal, woke up from a 400-year geologic nap with a huge eruption that not only displaced thousands of villagers circling the mountain but also disrupted the lives of countless species of flora and fauna. Both Man and all other living things were probably already well adapted to the mobile lifestyle. There is anthropological evidence that Man inhabited the Arenal area as early as 10,000 years before the Common Era. The population never grew large enough to require extensive agriculture. After an eruption, the people would move 15 or so miles away, returning once crops began to grow again. This resiliency was probably a direct result of the Arenal people's simplicity; a small society in balance with the tropical ecology could bounce back more easily than a civilization as complex as the Maya. It's a sign of my own - our own - complexity and lack of resilience that when I saw Arenal's foreboding steam last week and then heard boulders, vomited out of its tubular top, ominously rumbling down its hard-sloping side, my initial instinct was to run, tormented by images of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in "Joe and the Volcano." Arenal continues a ridge of volcanic activity that eventually gave rise to the mountainous spine traversing the entire length of the Western Hemisphere, cutting across Costa Rica from northwest to southeast. Not far from Arenal, at the northwest corner of Costa Rica on the Pacific coast, geologists believe volcanoes spat out the first masses of earth that eventually created the isthmus bridging the Americas. This is Central America's oldest land. I mention this way-back-in-the-day long view to suggest that life forms here have experienced, endured and survived environmental shifts of unimaginable magnitude. Surely, they can survive the more contemporary eruption of tourism development. Spiraling up small windy roads on the three-hour drive from the Liberia airport toward Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort (www.tabacon.com), the award-winning five-star near Arenal's base and reputed to be one of Costa Rica's most pristinely kept eco-resorts, I was heartened to see that development along the way was not what I'd seen on Guanacaste's Gold Coast a couple of months ago, on assignment for The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/greathomesanddestinations/17Costa.html). There were many small hotels dotting the hillsides, but none of the high-rise condos or sprawling resort-cum-residential developments spreading up and down Costa Rica's Pacific side. But I worried it could go that way without tight protections and intelligent development (the very phrase sounds oxymoron when I think of moronic developers I've met in other tourism destinations). Luckily - for the area's 18 species of mammals, 20 of birds (including the endangered great green macaw), 15 of amphibians and reptiles; for the 20 species of medicinal plants and especially for four species of trees in danger of extinction; for the great anteaters, sloth, jaguars, howler monkeys, kinkajous or honey bears (endangered by either name), pumas and a hopefully growing species called the eco-sensitive homo sapiens - the Arenal Volcano National Park belongs to a National Parks Service conservation program that guarantees protection for flora and fauna threatened with extinction, as well as for areas of historical, archeological and scenic interest. Ironically, the Arenal park includes an artificial ecosystem, which turns out to be a good thing (if you ignore the fact that it probably displaced a natural pre-existing ecosystem). Next to the volcano is a dam, built in 1983, which created Lake Arenal, covering an area of almost 90 square kilometers. The hydraulic energy harnessed from the lake and its surrounding rivers accounts for almost 40 percent of Costa Rica's energy production. While the dam flooded what was previously the town of Arenal, it also created new life: there are more than 35 species of zooplankton, 14 species of macrophytes and 37 species of fish, predominantly cichlids and livebearers. At nearby Arenal Observatory Lodge, scientists come from the Smithsonian Institute, the Earthwatch Institute, the Organization of Tropical Studies, the University of California and other institutions to take advantage of the lodge's unique observatory location very close to the live volcano. They study details of the '68 eruption, species regeneration in volcanically affected areas and other effects of volcanic activity on local biology. The cynic in me thinks such studies are motivated by the desire to make sure that the tourism infrastructure is not disrupted by the next big one. I would like to see them also examine the environmental effect of increased traffic flow (the increased flow of everything) generated by the influx of tourists. But in the end, the true custodianship of this primitive land remains in the hands of individuals, whether it's you and me trespassing lightly and respectfully in these parts, or the owners and managers of the growing number of hotels and tour operators here. This is why I give Tabacón my own Green Pura Vida Seal of Approval and why I give most of that credit to Uwe Wagner, the German-born general manager passionately committed to responsible and sustainable tourism. Look, it's nearly impossible for a 114-room upscale hotel nestled into 750 acres of rainforest - which includes several eating establishments, pools, shuttle vans, many tons of waste water, all across the street from natural mineral hot springs also owned and managed by the hotel - not to leave some footprint, not create some environmental domino effect that alters the lives of local people, local plants and local ecology. Pulling off such a miracle would defy the laws of physics, at the very least defying quantum physics' observer-and-the-observed theory that the act of observation changes the phenomenon being observed. But, under Wagner's guidance since 2006, not only has the hotel raised its luxury bar and won a handful of awards and stars but it also has tightened up on its various eco-programs. To wit: • To eliminate toxic pesticides maintaining its extensive botanical gardens, the resort produces its own organic fertilizers. • It has implemented an ongoing tree-planting program (3,000 so far) to minimize the carbon footprint of guests arriving by car or bus. • All recyclables go to local schools, where students classify and sell them to recycling industries, generating income for the schools. • In May 2008, Tabacón committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of this year, ahead of Costa Rica's goal of becoming the first C-neutral country by 2021. • The resort has implemented energy-saving practices. Sensors in outdoor lighting and guest rooms reduced electricity consumption by approximately 35 percent over the past three years. • Water is heated by the nearby Arenal Volcano so no artificial heating systems are required; in fact, the hotel uses only mineral water from the volcano and natural springs. Your hotel shower is hydrotherapy. That last almost makes it moot to cross the street from the hotel to the spa and hot springs (which are open to the public: http://www.tabacon.com/hot-springs). Almost. Why would anyone pass up the chance to let cascading hot mineral waterfalls massage your back the natural way? Or take a water slide down into a pool, and float on over to the pool bar for herbal juice, or something stronger? Or get a Volcanic Mud Wrap in one of the 11 outdoor treatment bungalows, with private jacuzzi? To do otherwise would be to miss the meaning of Pura Vida. Next week Perry will ford a river in a Jimmy SUV to visit the southern reaches of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula and the beach at Punta Islita .
 
Nelson Davis: The Barber Shop Lesson Top
Barber shops in African American neighborhoods play several roles. They are a town hall and political debate forum as well as offering the expected hair care services. In addition to a hair trim this past weekend, I was reminded of the microcosm of the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in these shops as well. My barber, Rodney, is a grandfather of Social Security collection age, and he considers himself to be semi-retired. Here is what I noticed during 45 minutes in the Crenshaw Boulevard shop where he cuts hair several days per week: When I arrived, there was one customer in the chair getting a cut, and there was another person lined up ahead of me. By the time my haircut was done and he handed me a mirror to admire his craftsmanship, before pocketing my $20 bill, I did a quick calculation. Three customers in forty five minutes at $20 each adds up to $60 an hour, including a 15 minute break! A junior attorney or aerospace engineer would be tickled to accept the equivalent of $60 an hour in today's environment. While Rodney doesn't work forty hours per week nor does he capture $60 for every hour that he's in the shop, he probably takes home enough working for himself to nicely supplement any other income, and while I suspect that the word honesty must be in the shop's code of conduct, I would not bet that all the cash is reported to those who care about such things, like the IRS. While I waited for my turn in the barber's chair, a man of undetermined age walked through the shop with a belt slung over his shoulder and that belt held about ten various cell phone pouches. Though sunglasses shielded his eyes it was easy to see that he was sizing up the room in search of customers. Since I do love to support other small businesses and my Blackberry didn't have the benefit of a pouch that could go on my hip, he probably spotted me as a likely buyer. Five dollars for the fake leather holder seemed like a fair deal, and the transaction only took thirty seconds to capture me as another happy customer. He may not see himself as an entrepreneur, but he was demonstrating the spirit. Just after I settled into Rodney's chair for my trim, a woman came up to him with a Styrofoam container and said that she is launching her catering business and wanted some of the barbers to sample her food at no charge. Though I didn't want to suddenly move my head for fear of leaving there with more than a simple trim, I gave her an "atta girl" smile for that smart marketing move. I loved the simple resourcefulness of what she was doing. This barber shop is a beehive of activity with about twelve chairs and customers ranging in age from four years up to people in the cocktail hour of life. I hope the youngsters were taking in these lessons on what my father used to call "the hustle," which meant having a variety of legal ways to make a living. When I hear people say there aren't enough opportunities and that they can't make money, I'll tell them about the simple but valuable barber shop lessons. Visit www.MakingItTV.com for more resources pertaining to entrepreneurs and small business. More on Small Business
 
Dan Frommer: Apple Still Smartphone King Top
After a quick in-person peek at Palm's new Pre, it's clear that Apple is still leading innovation in the mobile phone industry. And Apple is set to extend its lead Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference, when the company will likely announce a new iPhone . The Pre, which we spent some time playing with this morning , is very nice. But while it's obvious that many of its features and design cues came from Apple, it's less obvious what, if anything, Apple will want to borrow from the Pre. (Except, perhaps, background processing. But that's not a Palm invention.) Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone 3.0 software and the new iPhone hardware will push Apple further ahead of Palm, BlackBerry maker RIM, Google's Android phones, and other competitors. Apple is likely to announce a slightly more powerful phone , which will fix the iPhone's biggest problems -- nagging processor and network lagginess , and no video recording. And possibly a cheaper iPhone (and ideally, a cheaper AT&T plan ), which could help Apple sell iPhones to more people. This isn't to rag on Palm. They really did a nice job with the Pre. It's vastly better than their previous phones, and better than pretty much any other smartphone on the market besides the iPhone . But Apple is still leading, and will likely extend its lead on Monday. See Also: CHART OF THE DAY: Palm's Hail Mary 3 Reasons The Palm Pre Might Not Bomb Palm Pre Is Nice, But I'm Keeping My iPhone More on Apple
 
Sophia Yin: Tips for Traveling with Your Cat or Dog Top
Memorial Day Weekend has passed signaling that summer is right around the corner. For many, it's time to start planning ahead for major vacations. Whether it's an extended road trip or a visit to the home of relatives some of the 77 million dog owners and 88 million cat owners will want to take their pets. Here are some tips to make traveling with your pet safe and enjoyable. Identification Tags and microchip : Your pets should wear a sturdy collar with ID tags containing your pet's name and your cell phone number or some other number where you can be reached while traveling. Consider also getting your pet microchipped. Photos: Bring a set of recent photos of your pet. You can tape it to their crate. Health and Medical Needs Get a health check or health certificate . Pets going on an extended trip should have a health check by their veterinarian beforehand. Those traveling on planes will need a health certificate within 10 days of traveling. Bring your pets regular food and bring water in a bottle . Be sure to place the food in an airtight container. If you keep it in its regular bag, your dog or cat is sure to raid it at some point. Remember to offer your pet water. You can use a bowl that attaches to the pet's crate and won't be knocked over. Or you can get a spill-proof bowl and leave it out. If you're going to take extended walks or hikes, bring along portable bowls. If the weather is hot use a garden sprayer as a water mister . Dogs and cats don't tolerate hot weather as well as humans because their primary method for dissipating heat is by panting. If you're spending much time outdoors with them consider bringing a garden sprayer, filled with water so that you can mist the pets down when needed. Consider flea and heartworm prevention if you're traveling to locations with fleas or heartworm. To look for heartworm incidence by location, go to http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article_43.html , where you can download incidence maps. When Riding in a Car Your dog should wear a seatbelt , ride in a crate or otherwise be secured in the back seat. Cats should ride in a cat carrier . For safety purposes, you may elect to have cats wear a harness and leash even when in their crate so that you have a way to handle them if they suddenly bolt when you open their door. Crates and carriers serve a dual purpose of acting like your pet's palace and safe place when you visit new homes, hotels, and other unfamiliar places. Pets should first be trained to love their crates. You can place all of their meals in their crate and let them walk in and out anytime they want until they learn to associate the crate with good things. (See handout "Training Cats and Dogs to Love Their Crates" ). Pets can also be trained to love car rides by first letting them sit in the car while getting treats, and then taking them on short rides where they end up in places they like. (See handout "Training Cats and Dogs to Enjoy Car Rides" ). Other Essentials Make sure to bring things that help your pet feel comfortable , secure and relaxed--toys, bones to chew on, and food puzzles to help them pass the time. For cats, remember to bring a litter box . You can place a box with litter in a larger covered plastic storage box so the litter doesn't spill or stink the car up. Then open the box when you want to give your cat the opportunity to potty. This article originally appeared in www.AskDrYin.com/blog
 
Brothel To Hire Male Prostitutes During Downturn Top
Business is so slow at the Shady Lady Ranch that the owner of the Nye County brothel wants to add a few shady men to her roster. Bobbi Davis, the owner of the bordello located about 150 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is set to start interviewing men who aspire to be prostitutes. Get HuffPost Business On Facebook and Twitter !
 
Michelle Cote: Archbishop Tutu's Dream for the Future Top
"I'm comiiiiinggg!" Archbishop Tutu sings out from the adjacent room, the words rolling off his tongue in a playfully high-pitched refrain, before he comes wheeling and teetering -- all 5'2" of him -- around the corner of his suite at the Atlanta Grand Hyatt. Deep breath in. The adrenaline unleashed by excitement and nervousness takes hold. Mouth is dry, heart is beating fast, and mind is racing, searching for the proper greeting for an Archbishop. "It is an honor to meet you, Father." Or, should it be, "Your Grace?" "Your Holiness?" Archbishop Tutu joins us at the dining room table. His smile is gracious and slightly mischievous, his eyes sparkle, and his face matches the image of a man who has been signing his emails to us "Love and blessings, Arch." Formality fades, and we begin our conversation with a kindred spirit, a man far too excited about life and people to be bothered by titles. Archbishop Tutu has agreed to speak with us as a partner of The Purpose Project -- an effort that we designed to inspire and equip a future generation of social leaders by sharing the wisdom and experiences of our predecessors -- and we begin our interview by asking him to tell us a part of his story that might motivate and guide a future generation of social leaders. He responds by sharing snippets of the past and images of the people who have influenced him: "My mother was working as a cook in a school for blind, black people and she was cooking for the women in this institution. I must have been maybe 8 years old or so, and I was standing with my mother on the veranda when a white man went past wearing a long black cassock. And as he strutted past, he did something that I found striking: he doffed his hat to my mother. And I was just surprised that a white man should do that to a woman, a black woman, who was a simple domestic worker. I subsequently found out that he was Trevor Huddleston...one of the sharpest critics of the apartheid system and a great friend of Nelson Mandela...That helped to shape me, so that when I grew up, I probably thought that I wanted to emulate people of that kind." He shares the secret to winning the Nobel Peace Prize: "A few years ago, I was in Bali with about 300 young people, and other elders...three or four Nobel Peace Laureates. And, at one point, one of these young people said, 'What do you have to do to win a Nobel Peace Prize?' And I said to them, 'Ah, it's easy. You need three things. One, you must have a large nose. Two you must have an easy name, like Tutu. Three,'--you know it was very hot in Bali and I'm in shorts, and I said, 'Three, you must have sexy legs.' Basically saying...that Nobel Laureates don't come dropping from the sky....You don't come in a way, sort of specially equipped. We all come equally able." He reminds us about the nature and pace of social change: "When people look at a problem and think it is too big to solve, I remind them of the African saying, 'What's the only way to eat an elephant? One piece at a time.'" And, at one point, in his humble and self-effacing wit, he tells us something about the inevitable process of aging: "My son, if you want an example of incredible decrepitude, you have it right here." Laughing, he rests his head in his small hands. We have talked for the better part of an hour. Archbishop Tutu is clever and witty, calm and patient, and oh so wise, but tired--from a full day of meetings, a month on the road giving countless speeches and lectures, and a lifetime of solving the world's problems. Society has put Archbishop Tutu on a pedestal, but this exchange reminds us that he is, in fact, mortal. Eventually, he looks up, and smiles, "Ok, I'm done now." Deep breath out. Our interview is over, and when the door closes behind us after a parting blessing, a confused wave of emotion hits. There is exhilaration, from having the opportunity to soak up the words of one of the great leaders of our time. There is a twinge of melancholy, from witnessing the way that age and fatigue can temper the fire and zeal of even our most tireless, successful and revered leaders. But mostly there is hunger for more--more of his hidden strategy and struggle, the person behind his accomplishments, the story behind his story. * * * Head still spinning and stomach churning -- now, because we have promised Archbishop Tutu that we will share his message, even though we aren't immediately sure what it is. We listen again to the interview. Hoping to overcome our bittersweet feelings of having some of our expectations for our meeting go unmet, we review his words and search for their significance. There is a moment in our exchange when we ask Archbishop Tutu what he wants to say to the next generation. The question seems to activate his sense of hope and, as he answers, a light returns to his eyes, a boost to his posture, a passion to his voice. "I have the highest regard for young people. God frequently makes use of young people because young people are idealistic. They dream dreams about a better world. They do. Until they are infected by the cynicisms of oldies like us, they do believe that poverty can become history. They are just amazing. I have a lot of time for them and say to them, 'Dream. Dream your dreams. Dream your dreams of a better world.'" We've stumbled upon Archbishop Tutu's hidden message -- revealed partly in this short, simple vote of confidence, but mostly in his choice of what not to share. Through his reluctance to give us all the answers, solutions, and strategies for success, he conveyed a message much more profound, and simple: If we just get to work dreaming our dreams -- getting wrapped up in them so we feel we must live them, giving them voice, and sharing them with others -- then it will be very difficult to put them away again. The rest of the 'how' and the 'what' and the 'who' will take care of itself. We realize now that our great expectations for our meeting were in fact met, just in a manner that we hadn't anticipated. Archbishop Tutu's message is a profound call to action. It's time for our generation to imagine a better world, and to start building it. Don't worry about finding all the answers or having everything planned out. We already have everything that we need to accomplish our goals. The freedom to dream is ours. The power to act is within us. Cynicism, apathy, and fear of failure are the enemy. Don't let them take hold. We'll figure the rest out along the way. That's it -- now let's get to it! Our elders have told us in words, and shown us with their actions that we are all capable of anything we choose to dream. Now, they are relying on us to carry that legacy of inspiration and action forward. We are passing through a generational changing of the guard and it is now our time to dream, to serve, and to lead. Archbishop Tutu's request echoes back to us, "Dream. Dream. Dream. Dream that this can be a world without poverty. Dream that this can be a world without war. Dream that this is a world that will recognize that every human being matters. Dream. Dream. Dream." Have faith in our generation, Archbishop Tutu. We're comiiiiinggg! **** Matthew Bennett and Michelle Cote are Founding Co-Directors of The Purpose Project, a non-profit initiative to inspire and equip the next generation of social leaders by sharing the wisdom and experience of their predecessors. Join the dialogue, learn more, and become involved by visiting www.purposeproject.org .
 
Mark Weisbrot: Vulture Funds Lobby Against Argentina, Trying To Use the U.S. Congress In Public Relations Campaign Top
One of the differences between the United States and most other developed countries is that the Congress can have a foreign policy of its own, and one that does not necessarily coincide with the objectives of the executive branch. This is generally a good thing, since it allows the citizenry to have influence that it does not have in most European countries, and to limit some of the damage that the executive branch is often doing around the world. It was the U.S. Congress that, under pressure from the anti-war movement, eventually cut funding for the Vietnam War; and in the 1980s a well-organized, mostly religious-based movement pressured Congress to cut off funding for Ronald Reagan's brutal insurgency in Nicaragua. Occasionally, however, individual members of Congress - representing special interests -- can be an annoyance when the executive is trying to maintain or repair relations with other countries. Such is the case with U.S.-Argentine relations, which fell to a low point during the Bush years, and which President Obama would like to improve. Now comes Eric Massa, a freshman Democratic Representative from Corning in the state of New York, introducing legislation on May 20 that would seek to punish Argentina by, among other things, denying the country access to U.S. capital markets. Some background: in December of 2001 the government of Argentina defaulted on about $81 billion (plus interest) of its sovereign debt, as a result of a general economic collapse that followed a deep recession. In 2005 about 75% percent of the defaulted bondholders reached an agreement with the government that paid about 30 cents on the dollar. The remainder, with some $19.4 billion, held out with the hope of getting more later. The "holdouts" have a lobby group in Washington, the "American Task Force Argentina (ATFA)." It is headed by former Clinton administration officials, who are trying to use the U.S. Congress to put pressure on Argentina. The lobbyists include "vulture" fund investors (see below), who buy up defaulted debt at a small fraction of face value and then use lawsuits and other pressure tactics to fight for the face value of the bonds. If there is an injustice in Argentina's default, it is that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - which had as much responsibility as anyone in the world for the deep recession that pushed half of Argentina's population below the poverty line - ended up collecting on its loans in full. But that is another, longer story. The fact is that Argentina's default was an unavoidable part of an economic collapse. It was also a necessary precondition for the country's economic recovery, which began just three months after the government stopped payment on its public debt. In just under seven years Argentina's real GDP has grown by 66 percent, about the best performance in the hemisphere, pulling more than 11 million people out of poverty and reversing much of the damage that was done under IMF tutelage in the prior decade. Argentina's debt before the default was simply unpayable. In the United States and most other countries, we have bankruptcy laws that enable a debtor to get out from unpayable debts and start afresh. In the world of sovereign debt, there is as yet no comparable mechanism other than default. Of course, it is quite possible that the Argentine government will reach a settlement with the "holdout" bondholders, and there has been some movement in that direction in the last year or so. A settlement would restore Argentina's access to international credit markets. Ironically, the harassment from Eric Massa and ATFA makes it less likely that such a settlement would be reached, because the "vulture funds" that they represent are playing a different game. They want their pound of flesh: i.e., they are gunning for the face value of the bonds and are willing to throw any of the more realistic creditors (among the holdouts) under the bus to get as much as they can. The vultures are therefore undermining other creditors, including current bondholders whose investment is not in jeopardy, but would increase in value if Argentina had full access to international credit markets. Who are the constituents that Eric Massa and ATFA represent? A look at fifteen bondholders that hold more than $25 million each in claims against Argentina shows that nine of them have addresses in the Cayman Islands. One of these is NML Capital Ltd., a vulture fund affiliate of the hedge fund firm Elliot Associates (a member of ATFA), run by founder Paul Singer. According to Bloomberg News, NML Capital bought at least $182 million of Argentine debt for 15-30 cents on the dollar. Singer has taken a gamble that paid off in Peru in 2000, he made a 400 percent profit from the Peruvian government through lawsuits and harassment. The vultures will not get very far with Argentina, where not only the government but the political opposition and the Argentine people overwhelmingly are determined not to surrender to them. But they can make a settlement with the other creditors more difficult and also hope to throw obstacles on the road to better U.S.-Argentine relations. That appears to be the main potential of Massa's bill in Congress, and of course the ATFA lobby group's efforts: to create the false impression that the "holdouts'" debt is an impediment to improved U.S.-Argentine relations. This is certainly not true for the Obama administration. But the opposition media in Argentina can exaggerate the seriousness of this Congressional effort (which has almost no chance of becoming law) to try and undermine President Cristina Kirchner's government. It's all smoke and mirrors: an elaborate, well-funded international public relations effort. This column was published by The Guardian Unlimited on June 5, 2009. More on Argentina
 
Syria: New Uranium Traces Found, Says UN Top
VIENNA — The U.N nuclear agency on Friday reported its second unexplained find of uranium particles at a Syrian nuclear site, in a probe launched by suspicions that a remote desert site hit by Israeli warplanes was a nearly finished plutonium producing reactor. In a separate report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran continued to expand its uranium enrichment program despite three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions meant to pressure Tehran into freezing such activities. And it said the growing pace of enrichment is causing it to review its inspection routine so that it can maintain oversight of the process. Iran and Syria are under IAEA investigation _ Tehran, since revelations more than six years ago of undeclared nuclear activities that could be used to make weapons, and Syria after Israel bombed a structure in 2006 said by the U.S. to be a reactor built with North Korean help. But the agency has made little progress for over a year in both cases, and both of the restricted reports made available to The Associated Press on Friday essentially confirmed the status quo _ stonewalling by both countries of the two separate IAEA probes. Iran says its nuclear activities are peaceful; Damascus denies hiding any nuclear program. "In order for the agency to complete its assessment, Syria needs to be more cooperative and transparent," said the IAEA in a document that detailed repeated attempts by agency inspectors to press for renewed inspections and documents _ all turned down by Damascus. Drawing heavily on language of previous reports, the Iran document said Tehran has not "cooperated with the agency ... which gives rise to concerns and which need to be clarified to exclude the possibility of military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program." The report noted that Tehran continued to rebuff agency efforts to investigate suspicions the Islamic Republic had at least planned to make nuclear weapons. Without cooperation by the Islamic Republic, the IAEA "will not be in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran," the report said. Syria and Iran are to come under renewed scrutiny when the 35-nation board of the agency meets June 15 to discuss the two reports. While the Syrian report was prepared only for the board members, the one on Iran also was transmitted Friday to the Security Council, which for more than three years has tried to pressure Tehran to give up enrichment and other activities of concern. Tehran says it is exercising its right to develop nuclear power in expanding its enrichment program. But the U.S. other great powers and dozens of additional countries fear Iran might at some point shift from producing low enriched uranium needed for nuclear fuel to making highly enriched matter suitable for use in the core of nuclear warheads. The IAEA's Iran report reflected continued expansion both in the terms of the equipment in use or being set up and the amount of enriched uranium being turned out by those machines _ centrifuges that spin uranium gas into enriched material. Nearly 5,000 centrifuges were processing uranium gas at the Natanz facility as of May 31, said the report, while more than 2,000 others were ready for operation. More than nearly 3,000 pounds _ 1,300 kilograms _ of low enriched uranium had been produced as of that date, said the more than four-page report. That compares to just over 2,220 pounds (1,000 kilograms) mentioned in the last IAEA report in February an amount that experts and U.S. officials subsequently said was enough to process into enough weapons grade uranium for a nuclear warhead. Commenting on the Iran report, the Washington based Institute for Science and International Security said that at the present pace of production of enriched uranium, Tehran could make two nuclear weapons _ should it choose to do so _ within eight months. The report said inspectors have told Tehran that "given the increased number of ... (centrifuges) being installed and the increased rate of production ... improvements to the containment and surveillance measures" are needed. A senior U.N official said the IAEA was considering redirecting surveillance equipment and asking Iranian nuclear staff to change their "walking routes" through the underground Natanz facility as part of the changes. He demanded anonymity in exchange for commenting on the confidential report. Reversing the previous U.S. stance, the Obama administration has said it is ready to talk one-on-one with Iranian officials on the nuclear issue. Obama himself has said Tehran has the right to benefit from nuclear power _ as long as all proliferation concerns are put to rest. But President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly said his country will not negotiate on its right to enrichment. On Syria, the agency said the newest traces of uranium were found after months of analysis in environmental samples taken last year of a small experimental reactor in Damascus. It already reported a similar finding in February at a separate site _ at or near the building bombed by Israel more than two years ago. As in the case of the earlier find, the uranium particles "are of a type not included in Syria's declared inventory of nuclear material," said the report, saying their origin and potential significance still "needs to be understood." It also said Syria continued to deny cooperation with North Korea in building its nuclear program. More on Syria
 
Jane Levere: Nichols Looks Back at the Birth of "The Graduate," Redford's Screen Test for it Top
Baby boomers aren't the only ones who wax nostalgic about the 1967 film, The Graduate . Mike Nichols, its director, and Buck Henry, who co-wrote the screenplay, did it themselves at a recent program at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, part of a two-week retrospective of Nichols' four-decade-long career. Describing what he called a "terrifying" preview of the film at a movie theater in Manhattan, Nichols said the 2,000 audience members "for the last seven minutes or so stood up and screamed like at a prize fight. And we were all scared. We think something bad has happened, it seemed insane." Referring to the film's star, Dustin Hoffman, who played Benjamin Braddock, a new college graduate confused about his future, Nichols said, "poor Dustin was seeing it for the first time, upstairs the balcony, and he came out afterwards, he was white as a sheet. It was this startling thing that happened." Henry, who was not present at the preview, said he saw the film a few months later, at another theater in Manhattan. "The theater was still full, and to my horror, the kids who had seen it already who were there were reciting the lines a few seconds before the actors did. It was very spooky." Although The Graduate subsequently won high acclaim -- it earned an Oscar for Nichols as well as numerous other awards -- Nichols said college students initially did not embrace it. Joseph E. Levine, the film's producer, sent Nichols on a college tour to screen the film, before it was previewed. Nichols said that 80% of the time it was shown, the question the students asked was, "'What about Vietnam?' because there was no way to be current, no way to be a student, if you didn't feel very deeply about Vietnam. The fact that the movie wasn't about Vietnam seemed to them sort of vulgar, self-concerned, not what they wanted, until it opened, and then they totally turned around because it was an experience of theirs. When it became a thing for them that they thought was about them, that was cool, then they learned the lines." Asked by a member of the audience if he had considered Robert Redford for Hoffman's role, as has been rumored, Nichols said he had tested Redford; he said he also tested Candace Bergen for the role of Elaine Robinson, the daughter of the woman who seduces Braddock and whom he falls in love with, a character ultimately played by Katharine Ross. Nichols, who cast Redford in Barefoot in the Park and became friendly with him, recounted a conversation the two had, over a pool game, about the test. Nichols said, "I said, 'You were wonderful, but you can't play this, you could never play a loser in a million years.' He said, 'Of course I could.' I said, 'No, you can't, I'm looking at you. You cannot possibly play a loser.'" "And he said, 'That's not true, honestly.' And I said, "All right, have you ever struck out with a woman?' He said, 'What do you mean?' That's a true story." Other Nichols collaborators speaking at the program were Nora Ephron, who co-wrote the screenplay of Silkwood , a Nichols film, and wrote the screenplay for another, Heartburn ; Elaine May, Nichols' famous improv partner; and Meryl Streep, star of Nichols' films Silkwood and Heartburn , among others, and of his TV production of Angels in America .
 
Christian Avard: Jack Shaheen: Obama delivers a message of peace to the Muslim world Top
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn114/Brattlerouser/JackShaheen.jpg As I surf the Internet and visit some of my favorite blogs, I read many people saying "why didn't Barack Obama say this" or "why didn't Obama say that?" Many prominent Mideast experts and bloggers I turn to expressed disappointment. They say it was "status quo patronizing," "nothing but empty words," "lip service," and much more. Jack Shaheen, one of the world's foremost authority on media images of Arabs and Muslims, said he was duly impressed with Obama's address to the Muslim world. Shaheen is the author of the groundbreaking work "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People," and "Guilty: Hollywood's Verdict on Arabs after 9/11," the winner of the 2008 "Forward Magazine" social sciences book of the year. Shaheen says Obama's message set the tone to begin a sincere dialog for mutual respect, honesty, and peace. He believes Obama "brought these issues in a very candid and articulate manner to the forefront and is committed from the get-go." I interviewed Shaheen shortly before the 2008 general election for Off the Bus and I checked back in to find out what he thought of Obama's address to the Arab-Muslim world. Huffington Post: So what are your initial impressions of Obama's address to the Arab-Muslim world? Jack Shaheen: The fact that an American president went to an Arab country and spoke not only young people throughout the Arab-Muslim world and Arab and Israeli leaders, but to world leaders and young people worldwide. I say this primarily because it was a message of peace. His words were designed to make people realize and understand that violence, the occupation of another people, and using religion as a weapon, have been done in the past and continue to go on. But it needs to stop and we as human beings have a responsibility to shatter a myth and cease the hate rhetoric that we have. We need to begin a dialog to go forward. We know that will not be an easy task, but [Obama] has set a tone. I think it always begins at the top and hopefully other world leaders and young people will take to heart his message. We also have to understand is that individuals have to act on it. We have to follow through as a country [to achieve peace]. We have to make certain settlements no longer exist and that Israel brings down the wall. Obama did not that, but should have. He could have compared that to the Berlin Wall. But I think given the hate and the mistrust that exists in Israel - which is not being reported [in the U.S.], - I think he soft-pedaled that. I can understand that. I also believe that for more than a century, we have in one way or the other demonized Islam and Muslims. This has had a telling effect not only peoples of the region. Many are afraid to come to the U.S. because of harassment at airports or sent home or taking off a plane because you were Muslim or Arab. Obama didn't mention that, but we knew instinctively that was what he was talking about. Without saying it, Obama was telling the world 'it's OK to be a Muslim. The Muslims are like Jews, Christians, Hindus, etc.' Now we know a lot of people are not going to shed their prejudices over time about Islam and Muslims. But again, it's coming from the top and that will filter down. I think this president is not going to let this go. He's not going to stop with this kind of rhetoric. It's going to continue: quoting the Koran and citing the similarities between the Koran, the Bible, and the Torah. Of course if I were writing the speech, I would've advised him that the Virgin Mary is mentioned more often in the Koran than she is in the Bible! Obama was trying to do several things. He was trying to shatter crude stereotypes: the ones we have about people of the region, Arabs and Muslims in our own country, as well as speaking to young people and Arab leaders and getting them to shatter their perceptions and misperceptions of Americans and Israelis. Israelis look at Arabs as a crude stereotype and vice-versa. There's a problem there as well. It's not just with the U.S. So I think [Obama's address] brought these issues in a very candid and articulate manner to the forefront. He's not waiting until the last few months of his presidency to try and bring about peace. Obama's committed from the get-go. This is the first. It reminded me - in some ways - when former president Richard Nixon speech when he went to China. Americans had all these images of China as "dirty commies." Nixon goes to China and almost over night, our perceptions and policies began to change. They're not going to change that fast, but we've been here before. We were able to turn this around with China. I see no reason why we can't do this. My problem was that Obama spoke out against Palestinian violence, but not against Israeli violence. He said nothing about the Israeli aggression in Gaza from late December and early January. Well, he didn't do all the things he couldn't have done. But look how many times Obama mentioned Palestine? He also mentioned the occupation. All of us have our particular biases. We can always find things and say 'why didn't he say this or why didn't he say that?' But by and large, it was a speech to bring people together. I think Obama treaded very carefully as to not to offend countries who will be stepping forward to negotiate not to offend them too much. First of all we have to take into consideration that this is this key first step. Obama set the correct tone for the beginning of the peace process. No president before has ever done this. Secondly, he did not speak to the Muslim world, he spoke to Muslims throughout the world. This speech did not only take into consideration Arab Muslims - the ones who are most demonized - but other Muslims from all over the world. No matter where they are, Muslims are persecuted and looked down upon because of their faith. I think this president deserves a tremendous amount of credit for reaching out. It's human nature to look at a speech like this and say 'well, had I been delivering this speech, this is what I would've said.' I'm sure Robert Fisk would've come down much harder on the Israelis and Tom Friedman would have come down much harder on the Arabs, etc., etc., etc. From that particular point of view, I think there's enough in it to say it was fair and balanced. I personally was impressed by the reception at Cairo University. I don't think Obama would've gotten that kind of reception in Israel. There weren't cue cards saying "applaud here" or "cheer there." They were sincerely moved by Obama's speech and his commitment. I think that's a very strong indication of the seeds that he's planted. Those seeds will develop and grow as long as he does not waver from this commitment. In terms of your area of expertise (media criticism), what issues of prime importance are not being covered about Obama's address? I think the mainstream media have basically said that the Israelis didn't mind it that much. I don't think that's true. There's been a lot of blogging on how Arabs have reacted, but not enough about how Israelis are reacting. I think we need to know that. I also think what we haven't followed up on are the crude stereotypes, how we perceive them, and how they perceive us. I'd also think commonalities have to be addressed. If I were Larry King, I would have a rabbi, priest and an imam. I don't think we can move forward on this until you shed these misconceptions that we've held for so many years. I think we need to define what they are and how does Obama plan on changing the way Israelis look at Arabs, or the way we look at Arabs and Muslims and vice-versa. I think that's the key and the major element. We should start with that. How does Obama's address reflect Americans' perceptions and misperceptions of Arab politics and Arab-Muslim culture? I think with Arab politics, Obama is talking about being more open and more responsive to citizens of different Arab countries. He does that by saying to political leaders that you have to be accountable for your people. He's not calling for democracy, but he's calling for accountability. That's extremely important. In terms of Arab-Muslim culture, we need to have a summit. We need to have a dialog to shatter these myths and I think the dialog comes with media leaders and all the countries involved. It's Hollywood, it's the press and it's about what can be done so these crude stereotypes are not taken to an extreme. If we continue to vilifying one another, peace will never happen. So where do we go from here after Obama's address? I think we've learned that we have a leader who cares passionately about the human race, curtailing terrorism worldwide and putting an end to an illegal occupation. He is a leader who has respect for all faiths, has the vision to see the commonalities among the faiths, and he is one that respects their differences. I see him as a fearless man and a champion of human rights. I see in Obama a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., only in many ways, he's more universal. There are elements of King and Mahatma Ghandi in Obama. It's all right there. You can see and feel his passion and his commitment to each and every person. More on Barack Obama
 
Michelle Obama Visits Eiffel Tower With Sasha And Malia, Wears Stylish Scarf (PHOTOS) Top
*Photos below* PARIS — Michelle Obama and her two daughters have paid a surprise visit to the Eiffel Tower. The first lady, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha spent about 45 minutes at the Parisian icon Friday night as President Barack Obama was arriving in France. An Associated Press Television News journalist saw the three enter the Eiffel Tower by the south pillar. Michelle Obama waved to tourists who squealed and greeted her back. It was not clear whether the Obamas went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The Obamas go to Normandy on Saturday for D-Day commemoration ceremonies. Michelle and the girls are expected to stay in France until Monday. The president leaves Sunday. French newspapers had speculated that the Obamas, and possibly their daughters, would dine atop the Eiffel Tower. More on Photo Galleries
 
Former Drug Dealers Tied To Murtha-Backed Firm Top
WASHINGTON — Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., steered millions of dollars in defense work to a campaign donor and the Pentagon went along with it, even though two convicted drug dealers had been deeply involved with the company. Records filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh starting in 2005 raise questions about whether the government ever checked into the background of William Kuchera of Windber, Pa., a Murtha constituent who has been doing government work for over 20 years. The records point to the political peril of Murtha and other members of Congress directing federal funds to particular contractors, an oft-criticized process known as earmarking that has directed hundreds of billions of defense dollars to favored contractors and programs over the past two decades. The companies owned by William Kuchera and his brother _ Kuchera Defense Systems and Kuchera Industries Inc. _ have received $53 million in federal contracts in this decade alone. According to the court records, Kuchera was convicted of marijuana distribution in 1982 in Wisconsin. Asked for comment, Dennis McGlynn, a lawyer for William Kuchera, said Friday he was preparing a response. In addition, a man who describes himself as an early partner in Kuchera's business in the 1980s is a convicted cocaine dealer who has served two terms in prison, according to the records. The early investor in Kuchera Industries Inc., Peter Whorley, is suing Kuchera for a share of the money Kuchera has collected in federal contracts. In 2007 and 2008, Murtha sponsored $14.7 million in defense earmarks for Kuchera Defense Systems. Before 2007, Congress did not disclose the identities of earmark sponsors, so it is impossible to say how much in earmarked funds Murtha directed to the Kuchera family business. In one early link to Murtha, Kuchera made a $1,000 campaign contribution to the congressman in March 1992. Kuchera and his uncle started doing business in the mid-1980s and Murtha became chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee in 1989. According to the court records, in 1985 William Kuchera approached his uncle, Michael, who was just starting up Kuchera Industries. William Kuchera "confided to me that he had just spent time in prison and he was looking for a fresh start," Michael Kuchera said in an affidavit filed in federal court in 2005. "After I agreed to go into business with my nephew, he introduced Peter Whorley to me," Michael Kuchera's affidavit states. "One day shortly after I had met Mr. Whorley, Bill told me that Peter had agreed to invest in the business." Under questioning in the lawsuit, Whorley said that he had invested $50,000 in the Kucheras' new business. Before that, Whorley said, he had been in prison for drug trafficking. Whorley said that he and William Kuchera were best friends and that they had been involved in "drug dealings." The government's overall earmark spending reached $18 billion in 2009 and $18.3 billion for 2008, and adding to that to the decades of earmarks before, "you easily top a $100 billion and even move, into the hundreds of billions of earmark spending, in the last few decades," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that tracks congressional earmarks. More on John Murtha
 
Huff Radio: KCRW's Left Right & Center 6.05.09 Top
Obama's MidEast Speech; Unemployment and GM, Now What? This was an intense show - very good and interesting - first about the aspirational nature of Obama's Cairo speech, then a serious take on the still-tanking economy. Lots of steak, not just sizzle. More on Middle East
 
Obama In Paris, Will Meet Michelle And Kids Top
PARIS — President Barack Obama has arrived in Paris after meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany and touring the Buchenwald concentration camp, where tens of thousands of Jews perished during the Holocaust. Obama is to meet Saturday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and help commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Allies' D-Day invasion in France. Obama is also reuniting with his family in Paris. First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha flew to the City of Light on Friday to join him. Obama witnessed the Nazi ovens of the Buchenwald concentration camp Friday, its clock tower frozen at the time of liberation, and said the leaders of today must not rest against the spread of evil. The president called the camp where an estimated 56,000 people died the "ultimate rebuke" to Holocaust deniers and skeptics. And he bluntly challenged one of them, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, to visit Buchenwald. "These sites have not lost their horror with the passage of time," Obama said after seeing crematory ovens, barbed-wire fences, guard towers and the clock set at 3:15, marking the camp's liberation in the afternoon of April 11, 1945. "More than half a century later, our grief and our outrage over what happened have not diminished." Buchenwald "teaches us that we must be ever-vigilant about the spread of evil in our own time, that we must reject the false comfort that others' suffering is not our problem, and commit ourselves to resisting those who would subjugate others to serve their own interests," Obama said. He also said he saw, reflected in the horrors, Israel's capacity to empathize with the suffering of others, which he said gave him hope Israel and the Palestinians can achieving a lasting peace. Obama became the first U.S. president to visit the Buchenwald concentration camp. It was, in part, a personal visit: His great-uncle helped liberate a nearby satellite camp, Ohrdruf, in early April 1945 just days before other U.S. Army units overran Buchenwald. Earlier in Dresden alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Obama pressed for progress toward Mideast peace. The U.S. "can't force peace upon the parties," he said, but America has "at least created the space, the atmosphere, in which talks can restart." The president also announced he was dispatching special envoy George J. Mitchell back to the region next week to follow up on Obama's speech in Cairo a day earlier in which he called for both Israelis and Palestinians to make concessions in the standoff. Fresh from visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Obama said that while regional and worldwide powers must help achieve peace, responsibility ultimately falls to Israelis and Palestinians to reach an accord. He said Israel must live up to commitments it made under the so-called "Road Map" peace outline to stop constructing settlements, adding: "I recognize the very difficult politics in Israel of getting that done." He also said the Palestinians must control violence-inciting acts and statements, saying that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "has made progress on this issue, but not enough." Merkel, for her part, promised to cooperate on the long-sought goal. She said the two leaders discussed a time frame for a peace process but did not elaborate. "With the new American government and the president, there is a truly unique opportunity to revive this peace process or, let us put this very cautiously, this process of negotiations," Merkel said. Elie Wiesel, a 1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner, author and Holocaust survivor whose father died of starvation at Buchenwald three months before liberation, and Bertrand Herz, also a Buchenwald survivor; accompanied Obama and Merkel at the camp. Each laid a long-stemmed white rose at a memorial. They were later joined by Volkhard Knigge, head of the Buchenwald memorial. "To this day, there are those who insist the Holocaust never happened," Obama said. "This place is the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder of our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history." It was a pointed message to Iran's Ahmadinejad, who has expressed doubts that 6 million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis. "He should make his own visit" to Buchenwald, Obama told NBC earlier Friday. He added: "I have no patience for people who would deny history." Separately, the president told reporters: "The international community has an obligation, even when it's inconvenient, to act when genocide is occurring." After the tour, Obama flew to Landstuhl, the U.S. military hospital for private visits with U.S. troops recovering from wounds sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent about two hours visiting the wounded. More on France
 
2007 Aldermanic Race Could Be Overturned, Decision In Court's Hands Top
A federal appeals court is weighing whether to overturn a 2007 alderman's race, and the decision could force another election for Chicago's 25th Ward seat.
 
Richard Spilman: Whale Wars - Eco-Terrorism as Reality TV Top
Tonight begins the second season of " Whale Wars " in which a scruffy band of eco-crusaders, the Sea Shepherds , go to war against the evil whaling ships, by any means necessary. The reviews for the first season were great. Neil Genzlinger of the New York Times writes : ""Whale Wars" splashes across the increasingly exhausted genre of people-at-work reality series like icy seawater, jolting you awake with a frothy, briny burst of -- well, you get the idea. This is one spunky show." What's not to like? The show is action on the high seas; ocean combat to save the whales! Everyone likes whales. I like whales. Who doesn't like whales? What great television for those bored with shows about fishing off Alaska, ice road truckers or the real housewives of Duluth! So what it the problem with "Whale Wars"? The problem is that it is cheap exploitation in praise of what is nothing less than eco-terrorism. It is the glorification of vigilantism on the high seas. And oh, by the way, the Sea Shepherds do almost nothing to protect the whales where they really do need protection. While "Whale Wars" presents a simplistic case of us against them, the noble environmentalists against the evil whalers, the reality, of course, is not so black and white. By international agreement with the International Whaling Commission , the Japanese were allowed to kill up to a nine hundred minke whales and fifty fin whales in 2007/2008 in the Antarctic ocean for "research purposes." Critics claim that this is thinly disguised commercial whaling. Whatever it may be, minke whales, in particular, are not considered to be particularly threatened. Estimates have placed the minke population in the Southern Hemisphere in the range of 200,000-416,700 whales. Negotiating international agreements may not make for rousing "reality TV" but it has made a significant difference in actually "saving the whales." The Sea Shepherds on "Whale Wars" are abolitionist animal rights activists. They believe that every whale is sacred and should be preserved. On this basis, they justify aggressively interfering with and attempting to disable whaling ships in international waters, including pelting the ships with bottles containing butyric acid , which recently injured four Japanese crew members. Their zealotry is strongly reminiscent of anti-abortion extremists. (Both groups share a fondness for butyric acid attacks.) The Sea Shepherds also attempt to maneuver Zodiac boats in between the whalers and their prey. More seriously, they have taken to ramming Japanese whalers with their ship, the Steve Irwin . (They deny this but several videos of the Irwin ramming a whaler are widely available.) Members of the Sea Shepherds have also boarded whalers at sea and in one case the Sea Shepherds interfered with the search and rescue of a Japanese sailor washed overboard. (The Sea Shepherds deny they interfered but that is not the opinion of those conducting the search and rescue.) The Sea Shepherds fly the Jolly Roger flag of piracy. I think that they should be more accurately described as eco-terrorists. ''You don't beg criminals to stop doing what they're doing,'' Mr. Watson said in the first episode last season. ''You intervene, and you physically and aggressively shut them down.'' Of course the whalers, whatever you may think of their activities, are operating legally. It is Watson and the Sea Shepherds who are the criminals. And where are these self-described pirates or eco-terrorists, call them what you will, based? In Friday Harbor, Washington. Given their arguably illegal and dangerous antics, I am surprised that the group, as well as the producers of the television show and the Animal Planet Network have not been swamped in lawsuits. But do the Sea Shepherds make a difference? Not in any significant way. The WWF estimates that 90% of non-natural whale deaths are due to collisions with ships, followed by "by-catch", whales becoming caught in nets, and then lastly, by fishing. Only this week, an oil tanker bound for Valdez apparently collided with a humpback whale and dragged the carcass into the harbor on the bow of the ship. Special shipping lanes have been set up off Cape Cod to reduce collisions between ships and the extremely endangered northern right whales, which migrate through the area. It is hoped that these collisions will be reduced by an estimated 74% during the migratory season. Changes in shipping lanes around the world and the development of new technologies are making a real difference in reducing the number of whales who die needlessly, which also does not make for entertaining television. In the end, "Whale Wars" is a highly dangerous sideshow, which may make for diverting "reality TV" for the couch-bound, but has nothing meaningful to do with "saving the whales."
 
Lloyd Garver: Hummers To The Rescue? Top
If I heard that someone had actually bought a Hummer in this day and age, I'd consider that big news. So when I heard that someone actually bought the entire company, the Hummer brand, I considered it enormous news. No, it wasn't bought by the great Hummer-lover Governor Schwarzenegger. As you doubtlessly know by now, if the deal is approved, a Chinese company will buy the Hummer division from General Motors. This raises many questions, but the big one is WHY? Last year, sales of Hummers fell 51%, and they are down 67% so far this year. Maybe the new owners think that those who weren't buying Hummers were saying to themselves, "What's holding me back is that they're a General Motors product. I'd buy one of those things if they were just owned by a Chinese company." The prospective owner is Sicuan Tengzhong, a heavy machinery company. They say they plan to keep selling Hummers in America and all over the world, including China. In China, the Hummers would be subjected to a 40% tax that they impose on vehicles with big engines. So, good luck on that. The good news is that Sicuan Tengzhong says that they are going to continue to manufacture Hummers in this country. So at least for now, approximately 3,000 Americans will be able to keep their jobs. But if I were those workers, I'd keep one eye on the want ads, because I don't know how long they're going to keep making these simulated military vehicles. It's interesting that General Motors was able to unload Hummer before it sold Pontiac, Saab, or Saturn, the other brands that it is dumping. I would've thought Hummer would've been a tougher sale. After all, the Hummer had come to symbolize many of the admitted negatives of the cars that the American auto industry has been making: It's too big, it's not fuel-efficient, and it looks silly in a nursery school parking lot. I guess those Chinese businessmen see something in the Hummer that I don't. The parties won't disclose how much money the Chinese company is going to pay for Hummer, but I'm sure it was a bargain. And maybe they made one of those deals the car companies keep advertising on TV -- you know, if the Sicuan Tengzhong executive who agreed to this deal loses his job, G.M. will take back the cars and the Chinese company won't owe a penny. Legend has it that Hummers came about because of our Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, while making the classic film, "Kindergarten Cop," he saw a convoy of military Humvees drive by. He loved the way they looked, so he persuaded the Humvee company to make a civilian version, which became the Hummer. Can you imagine having that kind of power? You'd like to have something, so you talk a company into manufacturing it? I wish Schwarzenegger would look at a commercial aircraft, and call the people who make it and persuade them to make one that's comfortable in coach and always on time. The Hummer story is filled with irony. Since it looks like a military vehicle, the Hummer has always projected the image of a super-patriotic American car. Some of them are even painted with a camouflage design. The company that made the Humvees that Schwarzenegger admired was located in America's heartland - in Indiana. Now you'd have to go to China to talk to the head Hummer honcho. It's possible that this arrangement won't end up making either side happy. Why do I say that? Guess who G.M.'s financial advisor is for this deal. It's Citigroup. I'm not kidding. That's the same Citigroup that was so mismanaged that the phrase "toxic assets" came into the vernacular. It's the same Citigroup that received billions of bailout bucks. And that's who G.M. went to for financial advice? That makes about as much sense as a military vehicle company taking business advice from an actor who someday would be governor of a state that goes billions of dollars in debt while he's in office. Like I said, I'm happy that you Hummer workers won't be thrown out of work, but keep your options open. And don't let them pay you in stock. Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from "Sesame Street" to "Family Ties" to "Home Improvement" to "Frasier." He has also read many books, some of them in hardcover. He can be reached at lloydgarver@gmail.com . Check out his website at lloydgarver.com and his podcasts on iTunes .
 
Michael Archer: Can't Get Arrested Top
In an interview for Guernica Magazine , published June 1, I asked Wuer Kaixi where he planned to be yesterday, the twentieth anniversary of the Tianamen Square massacre. Kaixi, who became known to world when cameras captured him scolding Chinese Premier Li Peng while wearing a hospital gown, was one of the most prominent student leaders of the uprising. Kaixi, who escaped China shortly after the massacre as the second most wanted man in the country, hesitated. He stuttered slightly before answering, "I have not really decided yet. Most likely I will be co-hosting a commemoration in Washington D.C." The response struck me as odd since Kaixi had quick responses to a host of seemingly more intrusive questions, like how he felt about detractors who claimed he had spent his exiled life enjoying the perks of his fame -- meeting with foreign dignitaries and, for a time after relocating to Taiwan, hosting a radio program. Just days before the interview published, I emailed Kaixi once more, asking if he could let us know for certain where he'd be. "Thanks for your note," he wrote, "I am sorry that I still can't report to you where I will be this June 4th, maybe you will learn it through media. Thanks for your concerns. Voice is a bird that reports the arriving of the spring of freedom. We shall all have it one day." That last line seemed to be more than a pithy literary quote many of us writers fix to the end of our sent emails. It suggested something was up, a psychology that was veering toward a grand, romantic gesture -- though I couldn't know what it was. It turns out Kaixi, now married with two sons and working with an investment company, was ready to risk a comfortable and free life, meet his accusers and, most importantly, see his parents for the first time in two decades. Wednesday, Kaixi flew into Macau in hopes of being handed over to the Chinese mainland. Much like the idea of a peaceful demonstration twenty years ago, however, Kaixi's plan was foiled. He was denied entry to Macau and was sent back to Taipei yesterday. In the Guernica interview, Kaixi expressed gratitude for the many opportunities his exile has given him, but said of living in exile, "We may have gained the sky, but we lost the earth." He would much rather be in China. The events of the last couple days have not changed those feelings. "I will never stop trying to go home as long as I live," he told the Taipei Times yesterday. (Crossposting with guernicamag.com ) More on China
 
Ask Gavin Newsom YOUR Environment Questions (VIDEO) Top
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is running for Governor of California, and he's making the environment a big part of his campaign. Current.com wants you to help shape the environmental issues that our political leaders discuss with the media. WATCH: Here's how it works 1. Submit your questions to Gavin Newsom about his green elements of his campaign for Governor by Monday at 5pm PST -- put them right here in the comments or visit Current's site. 2. Vote. Often. The six questions that make it to the top of the list are going to be asked by Current Green. Last chance to vote is 5pm PST on Tuesday. 3. Watch and banter during the live stream and chat on Thursday, 12pm PST, at www.current.com/green .
 
Lisa Sharkey: Leave Your Germs at the Door Top
Quite often people ask me how much more it costs to "go green". And often my answer is that rather than spending money, there are free ways to go green that actually save you money. Here's one of my favorites. Leave your shoes, and their germ infested soles, at the front door. This sounds so obvious and simple but for some reason, we Americans traipse all over the place, stepping in various environmentally unfriendly things from what dogs have left behind on sidewalks, to pesticides on the grass and other chemicals that pollute our streets and fields. Once we come into the house we transport the awful mess directly into our bedrooms. This problem has a simple solution. I suggest a shoe rack at the front door of every apartment and house as the best place to leave your dirty shoes, sneakers and boots.If you don't have a rack, take off your shoes, wash them off, and carry them to the closet where at least you can keep the germs from spreading. There is a reason that in Japan, Turkey, Thailand and many other cultures hosts give their guests slippers in exchange for their shoes at the front door. How many times have you come in from the office, or the park, headed into your favorite room and onto your favorite chair and kicked back to relax, with your shoes still on? Imagine how happy that's making the germs to have been invited into the comfort of your own home. This suggestion can also apply to your visitors even on nights when you're having a party.Hand out cheap slippers, or cozy socks. The same rule applies to your dogs. We all know dogs gravitate towards the kinds of things we try to avoid when walking on sidewalks. Why not consider simply wiping your pet's paws at the door before Fido jumps up onto your bed? As for saving money, you'll have less dirt to vacuum up or use cleansers on when there is no more mud tracked into your home. And your wood floors will look great much longer without stiletto heel marks all over the precious planks. Not every green idea requires a wallet. It's as important to think about your indoor environment as it is to think about the air you breathe outside. You're probably spending a lot more time inside than you spend outdoors anyhow so consider the home environment every bit as important as the outside world . Have fun in your feet!
 
Disgrasian: Marcus Epstein Gives Everyone a Bad Name Top
Marcus Epstein should know by now: Shame never dies. After all: shame, disappointment in self, feelings of failure and a deep sense of self-loathing (shocker of the century: Epstein is half-Jewish, half-Korean ) are apparently what drove the former Tom Tancredo speechwriter into a deep depression during 2007, according to Team America head Bay Buchanan . As Buchanan explains, the depression eventually led him to the drink, and it is in a deep state of inebriasian that the following occurred : "On July 7, 2007, at approximately 7:15 p.m. at Jefferson and M Street, Northwest, in Washington, D.C., defendant [Marcus Epstein] was walking down the street making offensive remarks when he encountered the complainant, Ms. [REDACTED], who is African-American. The defendant uttered, 'Nigger,' as he delivered a karate chop to Ms. [REDACTED]'s head ." Ah, hate crimes--it's always the alcohol and aversions to failure, isn't it? Though he pled guilty in early 2008, Epstein will not receive sentencing until July 8 of this year. He likely thought this episode was almost entirely behind him--but the story surfaced when that longtime boss of his started flapping his jaws about how Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor "appears to be a racist." Um, those hanging out with their Jewsian pals in glass houses... Talk about failures--we can't think of an easier bid for being a big, fucking failure than being a violent, racist, conservatard inmate. Ick. We just really wish Epstein would disappear, because he's giving Jews and Asians alike a bad name. (Then again, he seems to be doing the same for Tancredo, so maybe it's all a push, eh?)
 
Accounting Rules Hide Bank Loan Losses Top
June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Big banks in the U.S. say they're on the mend. The five largest were profitable in the first quarter, rebounding from record losses for the industry in the fourth quarter. Share prices have jumped, with the KBW Bank Index doubling since March 6. Get HuffPost Business On Facebook and Twitter ! More on Timothy Geithner
 
Kid Reporter Damon Weaver Returns To DC For Award Ceremony Top
Good news for people who like news about eleven-year old journalist wunderkind Damon Weaver! The Florida native will be making a return journey with Washington, DC -- this time as the finalist for a Shortie Award . The Shorties celebrates and honors "student filmmaking and news programs" and are not to be confused with the Shorty Awards , which celebrates and honors tweets, on Twitter. Damon has been nominated for his interview with Vice President Joe Biden , which is awesome! What's not awesome is that he still hasn't landed that ever-elusive interview with President Barack Obama. Did the President leave the country on so-called "official business" to avoid the blistering interrogations of Weaver? For the sake of argument, let's say, "probably." Anyway, John Harwood and Norah O'Donnell interviewed Weaver this afternoon on MSNBC. Weaver seemed a little subdued, his trademark ebullience kept in check. It's possible that he was a little nervous to be on the other side of an interview. Or maybe he's just having a bad day. He's probably getting awfully worn down by the White House and their typical media standoffishness. [WATCH.] Here's Weaver's Interview With Joe Biden: PREVIOUSLY, on the HUFFINGTON POST: Ten-Year Old Reporter Seeking Obama Interview Help Damon Weaver Get An Obama Inauguration Interview Damon Weaver, Student Journalist, Continues Push To Interview Obama (VIDEO) Kid Reporter Damon Weaver To Make 20/20 Appearance, Still Looking For That Obama Interview Kid Reporter Damon Weaver Scores College Scholarship [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
 
Jeff Biggers: Rep. Hechler to President Obama: Time for a Harry S. Truman Moment in the Coalfields Top
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963 Last month, as protestors from around the country converged in the Coal River Valley in West Virginia to protest Massey Energy's reckless mountaintop removal blasting operations within a short distance of a 7-billion gallon coal sludge impoundment, their ranks included 94-year-old former US Representative Ken Hechler. It was not the legendary West Virginia congressman's first march for justice: In 1965, Hechler was the only member of the US Congress to join Martin Luther King, Jr. on his march for civil rights in Selma, Alabama. Nearly 45 years after that historic moment, Hechler has a message for President Barack Obama: It's time for President Obama to have a Harry S. Truman moment, and issue an executive order to abolish the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia. Standing in defiance at the Massey property line of a mountaintop removal mining operation that could jeopardize the lives of thousands of valley residents--Massey's own evacuation plan determined that if the Brushy Fork coal sludge impoundment broke, nearly 1,000 nearby residents would have less than 4 minutes to flee--Hechler called on Washington, DC to recognize the urgent crisis at hand. On the heels of last December's TVA coal ash pond disaster, Hechler referred to the Brushy Fork Dam as an example of the "arrogance of power." Hechler declared: "The freedom of Massey is a clear and present danger to everybody that lives below Brushy Fork. Their freedom ends because they have put thousands of people at risk, who would be surely killed just the way the 125 were killed in 1972 on Buffalo Creek. The first three words of the constitution are 'We the People,' not 'We the Corporations.'" Hechler said he has great confidence in President Obama's judgment, though he remains concerned that an obsession with consensus could yield to pressure from the coal lobby. "It's a pipe dream that you can achieve progress only through consensus," Hechler told me, "especially when certain coal companies want to drive loopholes through otherwise principal legislation." "You've got to be ready to make enemies in order to accomplish something." Hechler is no stranger to courageous American presidents or the investigation of enemies. During World War II, serving as a major, Hechler took part in a five-man team that interrogated Nazi war criminals, including Hermann Goering and Joachim von Ribbentrop. As a history professor and author, he assisted Franklin D. Roosevelt with his 13-volume "Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt." But it was his tenure as a special research assistant for President Harry Truman that taught Hechler a lesson on a president's imperative to go against the Washington lobbies and conventional wisdom and make a historic stand. In Truman's case, risking the backlash of his own Democratic Party, and with a recent Gallup Poll that 82 percent of Americans were against his civil rights program, the president issued two "blockbuster executive orders" on July 26, 1948: Truman integrated the US military. For Hechler, it is time for President Obama, who called for an end to "blowing off the tops of mountains" in his campaign, to make a historic move for justice in the coalfields. A hero to coal miners in Appalachia and around the nation, Hechler's understanding of the complexities of the coalfield economy is unmatched in the country. Hechler's congressional leadership led to the passing of The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, which was the first legislation to deal with black lung disease from coal dust. In 1971, Hechler took the lead in dealing with another coal mining issue: strip-mining and mountaintop removal. He held the first hearings on mountaintop removal in 1971. Hechler introduced the first federal bill to abolish strip-mining in the spring of 1971. As Hechler testified in a House committee in 1971: "Representing the largest coal-producing state in the nation, I can testify that strip-mining has ripped the guts out of our mountains, polluted our streams with acid and silt, uprooted trees and forests, devastated the land, seriously destroyed wildlife habitat, left miles of ugly highwalls, ruined the water supply in many areas, and left a trail of utter despair for many honest and hard-working people." In 1977, Hechler's long-time crusade against strip-mining was ultimately betrayed by various compromising forces in Congress, resulting in the passing of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, which provided federal sanctioning of mountaintop removal. Since then, over 500 mountains in Appalachia have been blown to bits, over 1.5 million acres of hardwood forests in the most diverse and ancient mountain range on the continent have been wiped out, and 1,200 miles of streams have been jammed and sullied with mining waste. And Appalachia's coalfields remain a "trail of utter despair" for many communities. As three million pounds of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil explosives continue to rip daily through the Appalachian mountains, and as the EPA continues to hand out permits for mountaintop removal, whether or not President Obama heeds Rep. Hechler's call for a courageous Truman moment remains to be seen. Standing in the sun at the Massey Energy mountaintop removal operation last month, the 94-year-old Hechler showed no sign of retreating on this egregious violation of human rights and the environment. "It's absolutely necessary that people here today continue to demonstrate against this highly destructive practice," he called out to the protestors. Here's a clip from Russ Barbour and Chip Hitchcock's film documentary on Hechler, "Pursuit of Justice":
 
Forte, Fund Manager, Admits To $80M Ponzi Scheme Top
PHILADELPHIA — A suburban Philadelphia fund manager has pleaded guilty to operating an $80 million Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors say 53-year-old Joseph S. Forte (FOR'-tay) lured investors by promising returns ranging from 18 to 38 percent _ and pledging they would suffer no losses. But losses are exactly what happened over time as Forte paid himself millions, bought a Sea Isle, N.J., beach house and donated more than $1 million to charity. Investigators say he blew through more than $20 million from 1996 to 2008. Forte himself says all the money is gone. Forte, a 1978 graduate of Villanova University, lives in Broomall with his wife and four children. He will be sentenced Oct. 2 on three federal fraud counts and money laundering.
 
Manhattan Man Charged With Threatening To Kill Sotomayor Top
A Manhattan man is accused of threatening to blow up Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to help his girlfriend avoid going to federal prison, prosecutors said.
 
Bradley Cooper Jokes About Pat Buchanan At A Bachelor Party, Flirts With Mika On "Morning Joe" (VIDEO) Top
"The Hangover" star Bradley Cooper stopped by MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Friday morning, where he revealed that he's a big fan of the show. "I think it's just a very lame lifetsyle, that I get up in the morning to watch it," Cooper said of watching the show from LA, where it airs from 3-6 AM. "I begged to come on. I was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and I met some of your producers and I said, is there any way I can go on Morning Joe," he later added. "I thought I was going to be on the roundtable," Cooper said, upset that Mika and Joe were in DC while he was in New York. "I came to meet Mika! I'm a little disappointed." Cooper also joked about rolling up to a bachelor party (the subject of his movie) with Pat Buchanan. "Bachelor parties would pay a lot of money to hire Pat Buchanan to come," Willie Geist said. "I'm sure they would!" Cooper said. "At like, 4 in the morning, hey guys, ready for this? Bring out Buchanan!" "Buchanan comes out of the cake!" Pat chimed in. "No, you did NOT bring Buchanan out! Get outta here! No way! That can't be him!" Cooper continued. Watch: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy More on Morning Joe
 
John Zaubler Charged With Threatening To Kill Sotomayor Top
A Manhattan man is accused of threatening to blow up Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to help his girlfriend avoid going to federal prison, prosecutors said. More on Sonia Sotomayor
 
Craig and Marc Kielburger: Cell Phones Contribute to Rape, War in DRC Top
"I'm here" - two little words that sat in the inbox of one of our cell phones as we prepared to write this column. This particular message came from a friend we met the evening prior. The room was crowded and she wanted to let us know, "I'm here." Today, it seemed another woman wanted to tell us the same thing. Her story is a little different. She is a survivor of rape. One so brutal she was torn apart - both physically and emotionally. The rape also succeeded in tearing apart her family, her village and now her country - the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most people don't speak to this woman now. There's a lot of stigma attached to being raped by the soldiers of the rebel army controlling her region. The army is powerful, funded by the sale of minerals like tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. Minerals that are shipped to Asia, made into electronic goods and sold to us in the form of cell phones. Today, she sent us a message - "I'm here." This woman's story is not unique to her country. In fact, about 1,100 rapes like hers are reported every month with countless more going unheard. Despite the United Nations naming the DRC the most dangerous place on earth to be a woman, little action has been taken to reverse this foreboding moniker. The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is ongoing since 1996. An estimated 5.4 million people have died making it the deadliest conflict since World War II. Sexual violence has become a tool used by the militias to destroy communities. "What the armies are trying to do is clear the land so they can take the resources," says Tanisha Taitt, producer of V-Day Toronto, a movement to stop violence against women which this year focused on the Congo. "They realize that the land is occupied and the only way to rid of the people is to systematically destroy the families." This violence is so widespread Médecins Sans Frontiers reported 75 per cent of rape victims they treat are in the Congo. Physically, the women are often subjected to fistula or HIV. Due to stigmatization, the survivors are shunned by their villages leaving them to deal with the emotional trauma alone. The result is a population ravished by disease and malnourishment. The UN estimates 1.5 million people are internally displaced and 45,000 die each month. But it doesn't have to be that way. By all measures, the Congo should be a rich. Its fertile land is ideal for growing and minerals are abundant. But, the displaced population puts the agriculture sector in disarray. And, armies control the extraction of minerals by forcing miners to work in deadly conditions for low wages. The armies then sell their plunder to international buyers with annual profits estimated at $144 million. Lax international laws make it virtually impossible for consumers to determine where the 40 milligrams of tantalum in their cell phone comes from. While giving up the device isn't a viable option in our interconnected world, we can demand transparency. In Canada, Bill C-300 demands Canadian-headquartered mining, oil and gas companies adhere to the same human rights and environmental standards in developing countries as they do here. Failure would mean loss of diplomatic support, refusal of government loans and stock dismissal from the Canada Pension Plan. The Congo Conflict Minerals Act calls on the United States to cease activities that fund armed groups and contribute to human rights violations. Support for these laws are needed as is access to information. Consumers can take action on this by demanding companies trace the supply chain and conduct audits that document the routes taken. The key is not to stay silent. The key is to let others know, "I'm here." More on Sexual Violence
 
PATH TRAIN Service Disrupted By Fire At Journal Square Top
PATH train service between New Jersey and New York has been suspended due to an electrical fire in the PATH'S main control center in Jersey City's Journal Square, according to Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said.
 
Mike Lux: How DC Centrism Makes For Bad Politics And Bad Policy Top
There's been a lot of talk in Washington, DC lately of a "new, centrist compromise" gaining momentum in terms of how to fund health care reform, and that is taxing health care benefits. The problems? It's not new, it's only centrist in the bizarre inside-the-Beltway world of what qualifies for centrist, it's one sure way to make health care reform incredibly unpopular, and it's a bad policy idea. Remember how popular Ira Magaziner's "health alliances" were in the Clinton health reform battle? This would be worse. So let's go through this point by point: 1. It's not new. The idea of taxing workers' health benefits has been around for a long time, a staple of Republican health policy for at least a generation. It was, as many of you will no doubt remember, part of John McCain's health care reform plan. In fact, it was the part of McCain's health care plan that was polling so poorly that the Obama campaign spent over $100 million worth of TV ads attacking the rich. 2. It's not centrist except in the bizarre world of inside-the-Beltway land. Seriously, it is only in the odd nether-world of special interest-dominated Washington, DC that a policy widely unpopular with the general public in every poll, one where the winning presidential candidate spent over $100 million in campaign advertising attacking, could ever be considered as a credible "centrist" solution to anything. The reason this is possible is that centrism inside-the-Beltway has nothing to do with what real voters think, and everything to do with wealthy special interests and contributors happy. Centrism in DC basically equals corporatism- doing what's good for big business. Rather than do the simple, more popular (with the voter, as opposed to the big business lobbyist) thing of paying for health care reform with progressive taxes, having wealthier taxpayers and businesses pay their fair share, as President Obama has proposed, the DC version of centrism says "Hey, let's increase taxes on hard-pressed middle-class people who work for a living." 3. It's unpopular. When a Presidential campaign picks one policy of their opponent to run more ads on than any other, it is because that policy is a particularly vulnerable area for them with voters. The reason Barack Obama's campaign ran so many ads against McCain's proposal to tax health care benefits is that most people hate the idea. When asked whether health care reform should be funded by taxing health care benefits in a recent poll, only 19% favored the idea, while 77% opposed. Over half, 52%, strongly opposed the idea. On the other hand, paying for health care reform through the progressive tax plan proposed by Obama was favored 62%-35%. 4. It's bad policy. That whole trickle-down, never-tax-the-rich thing is fundamentally failed policy, and the idea of actually increasing the financial burden on hard-pressed working families whose out-of-pocket health care costs have been going through the roof makes no sense. For families with an income of $50,000, they have lost ground in the recent decade, with incomes rising hardly at all while energy, education, grocery, and health care costs have risen dramatically. It makes no sense to dramatically increase their tax burden. The kind of special interest centrism that comes up with tax-the-health-benefits policy "compromise" is classic DC establishment: in order to avoid offending wealthy contributors and special interests, let's be "centrist" and making middle-class families pay the bill. This is exactly the kind of politics that Barack Obama came to Washington to change.
 
Adam Green: Norm Coleman Raises $140,000 for Progressives -- Time for a Knock-Out Punch? Top
Ladies and gentleman...Norm Coleman's insistence on being a sore loser has now raised over $140,000 to help progressives defeat Republicans in 2010. Thanks so much to the many Huffington Post readers who read about the PCCC and Democracy for America's "Dollar a Day to Make Norm Go Away" campaign ever since Sam Stein reported it on the day it launched. If this were a boxing match, it appears Norm Coleman is on the ropes : Roll Call reports that we may now be entering a truly crucial phase in the seemingly never-ending saga of the 2008 Minnesota Senate election -- indeed, it might actually be ending fairly soon, if Norm Coleman doesn't have the heart to keep going. The MN Supreme Court will rule within a week or two. This is the moment of truth. Either we lay the pressure on thick now and get Coleman to concede when the ruling comes, or he appeals again -- keeping Al Franken out of the Senate for potentially months more. It's time for a knock out punch. Can you help us reach $150,000 by Monday? On Monday, we'll be taking our message directly to Coleman's DC funders! Back in Round 6 of the fight, when we were only at $86,000, local Minnesotans made sure Norm Coleman directly got the message that he was hurting Republicans every day he stayed in the race. To the right is the video of Coleman receiving a big check written out from him to progressives. Our campaign's generated a ton of national news (NY Times, Politico, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, Huffington Post, etc.) which Coleman's DC funders would have to try hard to miss. But on Monday, we'll making sure they hear directly just how much they'll be shooting themselves in the foot if they encourage Coleman to keep going. $150,000 is a nice round number that they'll have to take notice of... can you help us make it there? Help throw the knock-out punch... More on Al Franken
 
Daoud Kuttab: Obama is First US President in Office who Speaks of the Suffering of Palestinian Christians Top
"It is undeniable that the Palestinian people- Muslim and Christians- have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation, Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza and neighboring lands of a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations- large and small that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation of the Palestinian people is intolerable." The above words were spoken by the President of the United States Barack Obama in Cairo to millions of people around the world. Never before had a US president even admitted the existence of Palestinian Christians let alone speak of the suffering of Palestinian Christians. For years Americans were fed the stereotypical image of Palestinians as nothing less than Islamic terrorists. Jewish Israelis on the other hand were presented with the image of people with similar values and part of the Judeo Christian heritage. Right wing Christian televangelists and Christian Zionists portrayed the evil Palestinians who were somehow an obstacle to the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies. These Christian Zionists never admitted the existence of fellow Palestinian Christians let alone admit that they were suffering at the hands of the 'chosen' Jewish people. In his 47 minute speech at Cairo University President Obama spoke in general terms about the rights of other Christian communities including Egyptian Coptic Christians and Lebanese Maronites. In the past month the issue of Arab Christians was raised in public during the visit of Pope Bendict XVI. In welcoming the pope at the King Hussein Mosque in Amman, Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad gave special reference to Arab Christians: "Christians were in Jordan 600 years before Muslims. Indeed, Jordanian Christians are perhaps the oldest Christian community in the world, and the majority have always been Orthodox." Statistics regarding Arab Christians vary. Wikipedia states that Christians today make up 9.2 per cent of the population of the Near East. In Lebanon, they now number around 39 percent, in Syria from 10 to 15 percent. In Palestine before the creation of Israel, estimates range up to as much as 40 per cent, but mass emigration has slashed the number at present to 3.8 percent. In Israel, Arab Christians constitute 2.1 percent (or roughly 10 percent of the Arab population). In Egypt, they constitute between 9 and 16 percent of the population (the government figures put them at 6 percent). Around two-thirds of North and South American and Australian Arabs are Christian, particularly from Lebanon, but also from Palestine and Syria. The current president of El Salvador, Antonio Saca, comes from well-known Christian Palestinian ancestry; his family emigrated from Bethlehem in the early 20th century. Although the number of Christian Palestinians in Jerusalem and the occupied territories has dwindled over the years, they are still a key component of the Palestinian and Arab peoples of the region. Activists blame violence, occupation and uncertainty, coupled with work (or lack thereof) and emigration opportunities as the main reason for the flight of Christian Palestinians to the Americas, Australia and Europe. Unlike followers of the Jewish and Muslim faiths, Christians have no religious attachment to physical locations. Scholars refer to the response of Jesus to the Samaritan woman's question about whether to worship in Jerusalem or in the Sumerian mountains. Jesus replied to her: "Neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." A survey issued by the UN Office of Humanitarian Aid announced just prior to the visit of the Pope in May showed that Bethlehem, the birth place of Christ is being choked. In its report, the UN showed how the 176,230 Palestinians who live in the Bethlehem District amid 86,000 Israelis stood to lose even more of their land to 19 settlements and 16 outposts. "The physical and administrative restrictions allocate most of Bethlehem's remaining land reserves for Israeli military and settler use, effectively reducing the space available to the Palestinian inhabitants of Bethlehem," the report stated. Bethlehem's potential for residential and industrial development had been reduced, as had its access to natural resources, it said. According to the UN report, the security wall has also made it difficult for Christians and Muslims to travel to religious sites outside of the city. The once predominantly Christian town a few kilometers south of Jerusalem today boosts only 40% Christian population. While it is safe to say that the US administration still views the Middle East conflict in political rather than religious terms, it is refreshing to hear a US president give recognition to a small but faithful Palestinian Christian community. More on Israel
 
Jeff Danziger: American TienAnMen Top
More on Wal-Mart
 
Charles Taylor Converts To Judaism, Who Could Be Worse? (POLL) Top
Via Foreign Policy , one of former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor's wives told BBC Radio today that her husband is converting to Judaism. He will practice both Christianity and Judaism, she said. Taylor is currently imprisoned in the Hague on war crimes charges allegedly committed in Sierra Leone. As his wife told the BBC: Because of the difficulties, he always wanted to know God in a very different and special way. From a very small boy -- because we talk about his childhood a whole lot -- he asked himself questions about Christianity. Too many questions about why certain things happened. And why, this one and that one. Just too many question in Christianity and the whole thing about Christ because he does believe in Christ. When he got to the Hague, he got to know that he really, really wanted to be a Jew. Wanted to convert to Judaism. Get HuffPost World On Facebook and Twitter! More on Religion
 
Obama Arrives In Paris After Visiting Germany Top
PARIS — President Barack Obama has arrived in Paris after meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany and touring the Buchenwald concentration camp, where tens of thousands of Jews perished during the Holocaust. Obama is to meet Saturday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and help commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Allies' D-Day invasion in France. Obama is also reuniting with his family in Paris. First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha flew to the City of Light on Friday to join him. Obama witnessed the Nazi ovens of the Buchenwald concentration camp Friday, its clock tower frozen at the time of liberation, and said the leaders of today must not rest against the spread of evil. The president called the camp where an estimated 56,000 people died the "ultimate rebuke" to Holocaust deniers and skeptics. And he bluntly challenged one of them, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, to visit Buchenwald. "These sites have not lost their horror with the passage of time," Obama said after seeing crematory ovens, barbed-wire fences, guard towers and the clock set at 3:15, marking the camp's liberation in the afternoon of April 11, 1945. "More than half a century later, our grief and our outrage over what happened have not diminished." Buchenwald "teaches us that we must be ever-vigilant about the spread of evil in our own time, that we must reject the false comfort that others' suffering is not our problem, and commit ourselves to resisting those who would subjugate others to serve their own interests," Obama said. He also said he saw, reflected in the horrors, Israel's capacity to empathize with the suffering of others, which he said gave him hope Israel and the Palestinians can achieving a lasting peace. Obama became the first U.S. president to visit the Buchenwald concentration camp. It was, in part, a personal visit: His great-uncle helped liberate a nearby satellite camp, Ohrdruf, in early April 1945 just days before other U.S. Army units overran Buchenwald. Earlier in Dresden alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Obama pressed for progress toward Mideast peace. The U.S. "can't force peace upon the parties," he said, but America has "at least created the space, the atmosphere, in which talks can restart." The president also announced he was dispatching special envoy George J. Mitchell back to the region next week to follow up on Obama's speech in Cairo a day earlier in which he called for both Israelis and Palestinians to make concessions in the standoff. Fresh from visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Obama said that while regional and worldwide powers must help achieve peace, responsibility ultimately falls to Israelis and Palestinians to reach an accord. He said Israel must live up to commitments it made under the so-called "Road Map" peace outline to stop constructing settlements, adding: "I recognize the very difficult politics in Israel of getting that done." He also said the Palestinians must control violence-inciting acts and statements, saying that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "has made progress on this issue, but not enough." Merkel, for her part, promised to cooperate on the long-sought goal. She said the two leaders discussed a time frame for a peace process but did not elaborate. "With the new American government and the president, there is a truly unique opportunity to revive this peace process or, let us put this very cautiously, this process of negotiations," Merkel said. Elie Wiesel, a 1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner, author and Holocaust survivor whose father died of starvation at Buchenwald three months before liberation, and Bertrand Herz, also a Buchenwald survivor; accompanied Obama and Merkel at the camp. Each laid a long-stemmed white rose at a memorial. They were later joined by Volkhard Knigge, head of the Buchenwald memorial. "To this day, there are those who insist the Holocaust never happened," Obama said. "This place is the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder of our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history." It was a pointed message to Iran's Ahmadinejad, who has expressed doubts that 6 million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis. "He should make his own visit" to Buchenwald, Obama told NBC earlier Friday. He added: "I have no patience for people who would deny history." Separately, the president told reporters: "The international community has an obligation, even when it's inconvenient, to act when genocide is occurring." After the tour, Obama flew to Landstuhl, the U.S. military hospital for private visits with U.S. troops recovering from wounds sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent about two hours visiting the wounded. More on Barack Obama
 
Biden Skipping Mayors' Event Because Of Picket Line Top
WASHINGTON — Steering clear of a messy labor dispute, the White House on Friday said Vice President Joe Biden and other members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet have scrapped plans to attend a national mayors' conference in Rhode Island rather than cross a picket line of local firefighters. In a statement to The Associated Press, presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said the Obama administration will redouble its efforts to work with the nation's mayors in other ways. That includes a fresh invitation for the mayors to come to the White House. But for now, the list of premier guests at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Providence, R.I., next week just got a lot shorter. Even as the White House was announcing its decision, the mayoral group's Web site promoted that its confirmed guests included Biden, senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, Attorney General Eric Holder, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and other administration officials. None of them now plan to attend. "Unfortunately, because of circumstances surrounding the conference, administration officials will not be participating in this year's meeting," Gibbs said. Those circumstances are a years-long conflict between the Providence mayor, David Cicilline, and local firefighters over contract matters. Cicilline is the host of the conference in his home city, and the firefighters, backed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, plan to stage a picket line at the event. "While this administration is taking no position on the circumstances of the dispute itself, we have always respected picket lines, and administration officials will not cross this one," Gibbs said. In his own statement, Cicilline said the tactics of the firefighters have dampened Providence's chances of shining on a national stage. Still, he said, he would not "cave" into meeting contract demands even if means a no-show by all the Obama dignitaries. He called the effort "political extortion." "This means that some people will cancel plans to come to Providence, harming our hospitality and tourism industry and the workers who depend on it," he said. "It also means that the national media coverage will reinforce the worst stereotypes about Providence, our state, and the labor movement in general." The local union could not immediately be reached for comment. The firefighters' international association, based in Washington, praised the White House. "We appreciate the Obama administration's support of fire fighters," said the group's president, Harold Schaitberger. "This is another example of the administration's unqualified support for workers and organized labor." The annual meeting of the mayors is set for June 12-16. Obama has sought to keep strong ties with mayors and enlist their support in his economic recovery agenda since before he was even sworn into office. Gibbs made a clear attempt to show the mayors that the White House's decision was not meant to snub them. "We understand that this will prevent numerous administration officials from having a very useful and important dialogue with America's mayors at this meeting, and we will redouble our efforts to continue the dialogue in other ways," Gibbs said. The Providence dispute has intersected with national politics in the past. In 2007, Cicilline resigned his position as co-chair of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign in Rhode Island after the union that represents city firefighters threatened to picket a Clinton fundraiser. ___ Associated Press writer Kelsey Abbruzzese in Providence, R.I., contributed to this report. More on Eric Holder
 
Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh: I Hate The Term "Food Police." And I Wear It With Pride. Top
I hear the term "Food Police" a lot: mostly as a condescending slur on parents. It came up on the comments for my last post, as it often does when I give speeches or people review my book. People are incredulous that I would suggest that parents can feed their own children. This distaste appears any time the topic of parents and food intersect. We are a culture that delights in chiding parents and moralizing about food and we are never happier than when we combine these passions. My husband bought me a real metal sheriff's badge on eBay a few years back after one of my apoplectic rants about how often I hear "Well, you don't want to be the Food Police..." I wear it under my jacket or in my pocket so I can pull it out and make the slur into a badge of honor instead. I'm tired of this phrase and since I can't stomp it out I might as well own it. Here's the truth: food isn't magic and it isn't optional. Neither are parents. Parents have been feeding their kids since we had hands to do so. Although inherently mysterious, our relationship with food is not done with incantations and formulas; we have done it reliably and lovingly and communally down through the ages. Parents only became incompetent and penitent and apologetic more recently, but that we can unlearn. Not coincidentally, it is only recently that food itself was deemed not necessary to eating. Eschewing food is now more important than chewing. Our eating culture is structured around avoiding elements of food. The grocery store is a guided map to "low" "no" "free" consumption that we then drive somewhere to "work" off in measured increments of self-loathing. We eat inside a moral sculpture in the shape of our bodies. This is the hectoring unpleasantness we call healthy. This is the lifestyle we laud and the new Kool-Aid we give the kids. Do too much of it and you'll be the "Food Police" and do too little and you are part of the Childhood Obesity Crisis. The margin of normal? Vanishingly thin. I'm an eating disorder treatment activist. So you may think my perspective is simply reactive. You are half right: I have a chip on my shoulder right over my Food Law Enforcement epaulets. The acquaintance of countless families watching loved ones slip into obsessive avoidance of food does alter my view, but not in the way you might think. Spending time in the eating disorder world has taught me just as much about the rest of us as it has anorexia and bulimia and binge eating disorder. Disempowered parents are not great caregivers. Parents trained to be afraid of food, afraid of our own bodies, afraid of "passing on" our habits and hips and favorite foods, afraid of "too much" and excess and miscalculating the emaciated margin of Good Food and Ideal Body Weight -- these are parents rendered incompetent to nourish children. Faced with a child with a predisposition for an eating disorder and a mother and father become powerless and dependent on the ready militia of chiding, condescending moral experts on food. Even normal families in today's environment grow to fear and loathe the dinner table fraught with don'ts and can'ts and shouldn'ts. We give up and feed according to the label, without a schedule, eating to live but not together or in pleasure. I am called the Food Police because I believe parents can and should be in charge of their own family's table -- even and especially when an eating disorder is present. I believe in family meals and call on parents to be responsible for planning and serving and being there even in a culture that thinks we should put soccer practice and 110-calorie snack packs above planning a meal around a table. I call on parents to put delicious food on the table and enjoy it with their children. The policing, it seems to me, is better applied to those who would disempower a parent struggling to do the work of raising a family. An injunction against the term Food Police might be a start. More on Food
 
Broadcom Co-Founder, Nicholas: Drug, Dungeon Charges Are False Top
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Broadcom co-founder Henry Nicholas III is speaking out in hopes of clearing his name after federal prosecutors accused the billionaire of throwing drug parties and slipping ecstasy into the drinks of business associates. Nicholas told The Orange County Register in an interview published Friday that there was no so-called secret lair beneath the mansion where he lived, except a room his children used for band practice. "Enough is enough," he told the newspaper. "There have been some pretty preposterous allegations made about me which have been reported in the media. While we have, can and will demonstrate that these allegations are false, what I have found is that if you don't respond, the stories are going to keep snowballing." Nicholas has pleaded not guilty to drug charges and to conspiring to backdate $2.2 billion in employee stock options while at the helm of the Irvine-based computer chip company. Prosecutors have accused Nicholas of keeping a warehouse where he stashed and distributed cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy. They say he also hired prostitutes and escorts for himself, his employees and customers. Nicholas' attorney James Brosnahan said the drug allegations would not stand in court because witnesses made them in the pursuit of money. A trial is scheduled for next year. Two earlier civil lawsuits filed against Nicholas by a personal assistant and construction crew accused him of drug use and hiring prostitutes. ___ Information from: The Orange County Register, http://www.ocregister.com
 
Amitai Etzioni: Progressive Security and Conserving Rights Top
There is no reason for the Democrats to allow themselves to be painted again as the party that is weak on defense, an image that will haunt them when the next terrorist attack hits. Nor is there a reason that security and the protection of rights cannot be squared. One should not take lightly the marker that Cheney put down, just because so many good people hold him in very low regard. Republicans, and many other voters and our allies overseas, will ask "Did the Democrats neglect security?" when we are attacked again. President Obama's response tries to split the difference by drawing legalistic distinctions. He is closing Guantanamo, but is keeping it open, or least holding the detainees there for now -- maybe some other detention location or shipping them to Saudi Arabia will follow. He has divided the detainees into five groups, each of which he hopes to grant a different level of rights, enough to make even the eyes of a law student blur over. He is closing the military commissions by reopening them under modified rules. There must be, there is, another way. Democrats ought to start by making it plain that Cheney and his associates, far from making us secure, left us woeful exposed. There are several major security threats that were largely ignored by the Bush-Cheney Administration. It is the Obama Administration that is attending to these threats, and in ways that progressive people have little reason to oppose. The threats include, first of all, the dangers posed by cyber terrorists to both the government and the private sector. Given the way U.S. computer networks are now exposed, little information--whether it concerns security or the economy--can be kept confidential. Moreover, cyber attacks can readily disrupt key elements of US infrastructure, such as air traffic. In 2008, hackers breached government computers and planted harmful software 5,499 times. Cyber spies stole information on the Defense Department's Joint Strike Fighter. It was left to Obama to pay the proper attention that this issue commands by appointing a cyber security czar, a long overdue step in the right direction. Equally exposed is the electrical gird on which U.S. factories, offices and homes all rely. Software programs were found to have been planted in the U.S. electrical grid that could be used to disrupt the system in the future. An experiment in an Idaho demonstrated that hackers could command an electricity-producing turbine to spin in ways that would cause it to fly apart. Another security matter the previous administration did not address. Finally, very little has been done to prepare for bioterrorism. A 2008 Congressionally mandated independent commission report found that a biological attack is more likely than a nuclear terrorist attack. It is widely agreed that Al-Qaeda has tried to develop a bioterrorism capability, and a January 2009 report indicates that terrorists in Algeria may have been stricken by biological agents with which they were working, possibly the plague. Dealing with this threat has also been left largely to the Obama Administration. Some may argue that although advancing these security measures violates no rights, indeed it helps protect them, merely championing new and powerful security measures amounts to fear mongering. However, the measures that are needed have the great merit that they should be introduced even if no terrorist attack is feared to occur . Enhancing cybersecurity is essential to protect our privacy, trade secrets, and intellectual properties. A smarter and more reliable grid is needed to promote energy conservation. And many measures needed to protect us against a bioterrorism are no different from those needed to respond to a pandemic. In short, any suggestion that Cheney and company made us more secure and that the Obama Administration is neglecting our security has no basis in the facts. At the same time, there are several key changes in security policy that civil libertarians favor and that no one in his right mind can claim undermine our security. For instance, instead of continuing with indefinite detention without review, a gross violation of one of the most profound foundations of liberty-- habeas corpus --the term of confinement of each detainee should be reviewed every year or so to determine whether it is safe to release the person, as is done for many sex offenders. The Supreme Court examined that form of detention in Kansas v. Hendricks (regarding the constitutionality of Kansas's 1994 Sexual Violent Predator Act) and found it constitutional. There is no reason to accord terrorists more rights than to American sex offenders. Similarly, it is hard to see why we should not replace the military commissions with a national security court, as suggested by the current U.S. Justice Department Deputy Solicitor General Neal Katyal, or better yet with a national security review board. Those reviewed by this body should have access to a lawyer of their choosing from a list of lawyers with security clearances. And they should be able to appeal the decision to a second, higher ranking, review board. Other adaptations can be made, such as not allowing incriminating statements to be thrown out on the basis of a suspected terrorist not having been read his Miranda rights, in the heat of a battle. But one can still ensure that those detained will be judged by some independent body that will fairly determine whether they indeed are a security risk or should be released. Other measures can be readily discerned if one does not approach the matter with attempts to parse each measure so that it address both sides of the issue. There are some security measures this administration can and should take, and several ways rights can be restored, without so much fudging. --- **I will respond to the comments of those persons who are willing to identify themselves, because I hold this essential for a civilized dialogue. Amitai Etzioni is University Professor at The George Washington University and author of Security First (Yale University Press, 2007). For more, go here. More on Terrorism
 
Rep. Edolphus Towns: Providing Parental Leave Benefits Invests in Federal Working Families Top
People are often surprised to learn that the federal government does not provide paid parental leave to its more than 1.8 million hard-working employees. Currently, when federal workers become new parents they are often forced to make the tough decision between staying home to care for their children without pay or return to work early because they cannot afford to take the time off. We believe this is a choice federal workers should not have to make. As the nation's largest employer, the federal government must be a leader in implementing family-friendly workplace policies. The pro-family "Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act" (H.R. 626), which we have sponsored for many years and passed the House of Representatives yesterday by a 258-154 vote, would eliminate this outdated federal workforce policy and better support working families during this critical time in their child's life. The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act provides four weeks of paid leave following the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child. For the 116,218 federal employees who reside in New York State, being forced to choose between getting a paycheck and caring for their new child is one of the hardest choices they will be forced to make during their careers. Moreover, paid parental leave allows families the opportunity to participate during those critical early moments in their child's life. Children whose parents are provided with paid leave are more likely to have regular check-ups, receive immunizations, and engage in the parent-child bonding that is crucial to early childhood development. But the joyous occasion of a new child can bring undue stress when a family is faced with reduced or no income at all. Today, most families no longer have a stay-at-home parent to care for a new child. Long before the economic crisis hit, few families could afford to go without pay for any length of time. Now, with massive job losses in New York City and across the nation, many formerly dual-income families are struggling to pay the bills on a single salary. On average, new parents spend $11,000 in added expenses in the year a child is born. Paid leave ensures that new families' incomes and spending remain steady and continue to drive economic growth, which we sorely need right now. Paid parental leave is also a worthwhile investment for the federal government. Family-friendly policies boost employee morale and productivity and in turn, reduce turnover and eliminate the cost to taxpayers of hiring and training a new employee. Consider the math. It costs 20 percent of an employee's salary to hire and train a new worker, compared to just eight percent of an employee's salary to provide a skilled, experienced employee with four weeks of paid parental leave. It's a win-win for the federal workforce and the American taxpayer. The United States has fallen behind other industrialized nations and the private sector in providing paid leave. We are the only industrialized nation whose national government workforce does not receive paid parental leave. An astonishing 168 countries are ahead of the United States in setting family friendly workplace policies. In addition, 75 of the Fortune 100 companies already employ workplace policies that invest in employees and their children. It is well past time for the United States to set workplace policies that make it competitive with the private sector--and get us in step with the rest of the industrialized world when it comes to supporting its federal workforce. We are proud that the House took strong action this week to support federal working families. Now, with the support of Senator Jim Webb, D-VA, who has introduced companion legislation in the Senate (S.354), we hope to see swift action on this bill and get it to the President Obama's desk for a signature in the coming months. Congressman Towns (D-NY) is Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and is an original cosponsor of H.R. 626; Congresswoman Maloney (D-NY), the author of H.R. 626, is Chair of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee.
 
Jeff Schweitzer: Green or Growth: A False Choice Recycled by the Right Top
When extremists on the left or right express views on the environment, the noise is easy to filter as chatter in the nut-wing echo chamber. But a disturbing trend has developed in which mainstream right-of-center pundits are regressing on issues of environmental protection, and that is more difficult to dismiss. The poster child for this childish behavior is George Will, who has a voice in the nation's most influential newspapers and on major cable channels. In the Washington Post this week, for example, Will writes that "reasonable dissent is impossible " on the issue of climate change due to the "grating smugness" of the left. His wrath was incurred by a statement in the New York Times that noted that in the late 1990s "it was possible to find global-warming skeptics among even the reasonable and informed." I suspect that Will believes anybody who disagrees with him is gratingly smug, even when all evidence is overwhelmingly in the favor of his opponents. The accusation of smugness coming from pursed lips and a bow tie seems incongruous, but so be it. In any case, faithful skeptics like Will make two critical errors in thinking that: 1) the problems are not real, and 2) even if the problems were real, addressing the issues would destroy our economy. Let's look at each in turn. Fallacy No. 1: Environmental Problems are a Creation of the Left Somewhere along the way, the conservative party stopped believing in conservation. Those on the right now believe that concern for the environment is a plot by the left to promote socialism. They can only reach this conclusion by ignoring compelling evidence to the contrary. Climate Change Faithful skeptics take the unusual position that they know more than climatologists from 166 countries who have evaluated the data and concluded that global warming is real and caused by human activity. That the earth has gone through natural variations in climate is not unknown to these scientists, who have incorporated that fact into their analysis. Note that with this approach of simply claiming expert knowledge we have finally discovered a cure for cancer. Let's have the right claim that they know more than oncologists who have studied malignancy and declare that cancer is not real. And magically, we will have no cancer, just as with such magic we have no climate change. Global Amphibian Deaths Since the 1970s, ecologists have documents a precipitous decline in amphibian populations worldwide. The right wing might want to jump in here and save the frogs by declaring that they know more than the world's most prominent herpetologists, and that the data should be dismissed as left-wing propaganda. Voila, the frogs are saved. But the faithful skeptics have to move fast because in some areas, scientists are seeing mortality reach 80 to 100 percent as chytridiomycosis spreads unchecked. In the last 20 years at least 168 species have gone extinct. We now document that another 2469 species are either declining rapidly or are past that point and now close to extinction. Honey Bee Colony Collapse Honey bees are responsible for pollinating one-third of all food crops in the United States, including such staples as nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables. The value of the 130 crops dependent on bees exceeds $15 billion annually. So we discover with some concern that some beekeepers started reporting in late 2006 losses of 30 to 90 percent of their hives. Scientists have not yet definitively determined the cause of the spreading Colony Collapse Disorder, but know that the problem has now been reported in 24 states. About one-third of all bees have been lost since the disease was discovered, although not all of those losses are due to CCD. Bat Pandemics A mysterious fungus is viciously attacking the bat population in the northeast United States. State biologists now believe that the offending white fungus might represent the greatest threat to wildlife in more than 100 years. You might think you do not care about bats, but if you like insects even less, the bat decline should cause alarm. Most bats eat their body weight in insects every night. So some bugs are celebrating the fact that the fungus has killed up to 1 million bats to date, and is spreading unchecked. Habitat Loss For a host of complex reasons, we are losing critical habitat at an accelerating pace. We are destroying 40 million acres of tropical forests every year. The earth is losing up to 50,000 species annually, a rate nearly 1000 times the natural background level of natural extinction. Along with those species and habitats we lose knowledge, medicines and critical ecosystems functions. More than half of all coral reefs are dead or dying. We now estimate that 70 percent of all reefs will disappear in the next fifty years, largely due to global warming. Why should you care? Coral reefs provide about $375 billion worth of economic and environmental services each year. About 500 million people live within just sixty miles of a coral reef, and benefit directly from the reefs' productivity and protection they provide from the ocean's wrath. The Great Barrier Reef alone supports about 8 percent of all of the world's fish species. You eat many of them. Perhaps not for long, though, because we have depleted 90% of the species in the ocean that supply us with food. Exactly how many canaries have to die in the coal mine before the right wing takes notice that we have some issues? Fallacy No. 2: Environmental Problems are Too Costly to Address Ignoring the most obvious argument that environmental problems are too costly not to address, let us look at the false choice offered by the right: economic growth or environmental protection. The next few centuries belong to the country smart enough to be the first to master green technologies and renewable energy. The false dichotomy between growth and the environment is an anachronism born from the failures of conservative thought. Conservatives believe that growth is only possible at the expense of the environment, and that any and all efforts to protect our resources impede growth. That philosophy is wrong on every count. Way back in the prehistoric times of 1988 as the Chief Environmental Officer at the Agency for International Developed I funded an effort to explore the economic incentives for conserving biological diversity. The results were published in a book authored by Jeff McNeely, who provided case study after case study that showed unambiguously that environmental protection was not only conducive to economic growth, but essential to it. We've known this now for 20 years, but the right keeps insisting on hiding from the facts. Environmentalism is not the ideology of left wing socialists, but instead the true engine of all future economic growth. Just as the United States rose to greatness on the engine of industrialization, the world's next great superpower will come to dominate by advancing green technologies. The false choice offered by the right is dangerous not only to the environment but to our national security. The next superpower will be the country that moves quickly to solar, wind and (sane) biofuel power, and finally to hydrogen. You have doubts? Consider the national security implications of moving successfully to a hydrogen economy free from the tyranny of foreign oil. The Middle East will become noting but another spot on the map, contributing no more than Tanzania or Lichtenstein to world affairs. Consider the benefits of clean energy from sun and wind giving life to factory and farms with local sources of power invulnerable to attacks on a national grid. Imagine a transportation sector that pollutes nothing but a few drops of water from each tailpipe. Imagine this as you contemplate the price of oil climbing back up to $140/barrel or more. Opportunities abound. Currently the United States generates only 18% of its energy through the use of renewable technologies. If bacteria can be engineered to digest cellulose to produce the feedstock necessary for fuel production, biomass fuels could meet a significant portion of our energy needs. Spray-on solar cells are now in the laboratory. Wind turbines get better every year. Of course one big stumbling block remains battery technology, which is why the Obama Administration is wisely supporting research into energy storage. The future belongs to those seeking to integrate green and growth. This is how our national interests will be secured. This is where jobs will be created. Several studies conclude that just doubling current wind energy capacity in the United States could create 150,000 new manufacturing jobs in 20 states. The United States should rightfully lead this charge, but only will if the faithful right wing skeptics adopt a more enlightened attitude appropriate to the 21st century and move away from the odd idea that any effort to discuss green growth is gratingly smug. Or the GOP could become irrelevant politically. I hope for the former but would settle for the latter. More on Green Energy
 
Indoor Air Pollution: Six Surprising Sources Top
The most widely quoted statistic about air quality is this: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be two- to five-times more polluted than the air outdoors. And while the EPA is responsible for cracking down on outdoor pollution -- the smog, ozone and other chemicals that spew from tailpipes and smokestacks -- protecting the air indoors is largely the responsibility of homeowners. More on Green Living
 

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