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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003705.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008050119id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003705.html
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Time Warner To Spin Off Cable
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"We've decided that a complete structural separation of Time Warner Cable, under the right circumstances, is in the best interests of both companies' shareholders," Time Warner chief executive Jeffrey L. Bewkes said in a statement. "We're working hard on an agreement with Time Warner Cable, which we expect to finalize soon."
Fast-growing Time Warner Cable is the industry's second-largest provider, after Comcast, with more than 14 million U.S. subscribers. The company sells cable television, high-speed Internet and telephone service. Time Warner Cable has traded as a public company since last year, but Time Warner continues to hold 84 percent of it. A spinoff would liquidate Time Warner's remaining interest and create a company worth as much as $34 billion, analysts estimate.
Cable revenue was up 8 percent in the first quarter compared with last year, the company said. Despite the cable unit's success, it has increasingly become a difficult fit within Time Warner, which is still shaking off the crippling 2001 merger with AOL that created a sprawling holding company of unlikely parts.
Cable is a highly capital-intensive business. Time Warner Cable has wanted to invest more of its money into capital improvements and marketing campaigns to fight off growing competition from satellite television companies and Verizon's Fios service.
Instead, much of Time Warner Cable's free cash has been flowing back into its parent company's coffers. After the spinoff, Time Warner Cable can operate independently and Time Warner can concentrate on its content businesses, which include Warner Bros. movie and television studios; Time Inc. publications; HBO and Turner Broadcasting, home of CNN.
The timetable for the spinoff has not been set, Time Warner said yesterday.
Time Warner, the world's second-largest media company behind Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., is worth about $54 billion. Shares of Time Warner dipped 2.75 percent yesterday, closing at $14.85.
Now that Time Warner has announced the cable spinoff, its full attention is turned to deciding the fate of its AOL unit.
AOL has become two increasingly disparate parts -- a diminishing dial-up Internet access business and a growing online advertising arm called Platform A. Time Warner has been talking about a deal with Yahoo, which is fending off an unsolicited offer from Microsoft, about a merger of AOL's ad unit with the popular Yahoo portal. AOL's dial-up unit would not be included in the deal.
But in March, Bewkes told investors that he would consider keeping Platform A and adding to it.
There has been no recent movement on the talks between Time Warner and Yahoo over AOL, according to a source close to the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity yesterday because the discussions are private.
For the first quarter, Time Warner reported $771 million in profit on $11.4 billion in revenue (21 cents per share), compared with a $1.2 billion profit on $11.1 billion in revenue (30 cents) during the corresponding period a year earlier, a decline of 36 percent but in line with expectations.
Bewkes attributed the drop in profit to declines at AOL and Warner Bros. However, the studio downturn was largely attributable to the one-time, $116 million cost of combining Warner Bros. and New Line studios. Without the cost, Warner's first-quarter earnings would have risen.
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Media giant Time Warner will spin off its cable unit, it said during its quarterly earnings call yesterday, formalizing a decision that has been months in the making. Now the future of AOL has moved squarely to the fore.
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House Bill To Create Anti-Piracy Czar Advances
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A House committee passed an anti-piracy bill yesterday that would stiffen penalties for illegally copying and distributing music and movies and would create an "intellectual property czar" at the White House level -- a job that the Justice Department warned would "undermine" its independence.
The bill, introduced in December by Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and 17 co-sponsors and known as the Pro IP Act, is championed by a broad base of intellectual-property holders, including entertainment companies, auto parts manufacturers, drugmakers and unions. It now heads to the House floor, and advocates hope it will pass this summer.
In addition to creating the position of IP czar, the bill would amend federal copyright law to add resources to the fight against piracy and raise the ceiling on damages that could be awarded by a civil court to a rights-holder whose work had been pirated.
The authority of the czar remains a point of contention. The Justice Department blasted the bill after it was introduced, calling it unnecessary and worrying that an enforcement position at the Cabinet level could become easily politicized.
During yesterday's markup of the bill, committee members tried to mollify the Justice Department and head off a veto by clarifying that the czar would not make policy but coordinate anti-piracy efforts across government.
But the changes in language did little to persuade the agency.
"Establishing such an office would undermine the traditional independence of the Department of Justice in criminal enforcement matters," department spokesman Peter Carr wrote in an e-mail yesterday. "Establishing such an office in [the White House] would codify precisely the type of political interference in the independent exercise of DOJ prosecutorial judgment that many members of Congress and senators have alleged over the last couple years."
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said, "The White House has very serious concerns with the legislation."
The bill was initially and vigorously opposed by some in the tech community, most notably William Patry, senior copyright lawyer for Google, who called it the most "outrageously gluttonous IP bill ever introduced in the U.S." in a posting on his blog in December.
Patry and others opposed a section backed by the music industry that has since been struck from the bill. Referred to as the "compilation clause," it would have targeted users who illegally share music CDs, assigning penalties for each song pirated from a CD, rather than one penalty per disc. Even though the music industry lost the clause, it remains pleased with most of the bill. In March, Patry wrote on his blog that he was "very happy" the clause had been removed. He did not respond yesterday to an e-mail request for comment.
Early opponents fought hard to tone down what they said were the draconian elements of the bill.
"We just generally didn't like the whole tenor of, 'Oh, my God, we need to cut off people's toes' if they commit copyright infringement," said Gigi B. Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a public-interest group that has advocated reducing some penalties for copyright violation. Sohn said her group is generally comfortable with the bill as approved yesterday but said Public Knowledge has its own six-point plan for revising copyright laws that it will seek to have introduced as legislation this summer.
Sohn's group advocates an "orphan works" copyright law that would allow a content-creator such as a musician or a filmmaker to use a piece of copyrighted material if the rights-holder cannot be found and would provide reasonable compensation if the rights-holder emerges.
NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker is a lead backer of the Pro IP Act. Universal movies and NBC TV shows are among the countless works pirated in the United States and abroad, both on counterfeit DVDs and online.
The federal government estimates that U.S. businesses lose $250 billion per year in sales to pirated goods.
Zucker was pleased with the bill's progress yesterday.
"This is such an important step in combating this incredibly serious piracy and counterfeiting problem that's getting worse, not better," Zucker said in an interview.
The Motion Picture Association of America, the trade group of the big movie studios, and the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group of the major music labels, continue to wage an expensive and sometimes unpopular campaign of education and enforcement against piracy, including lawsuits against individuals.
Asked if the worsening piracy problem meant that the campaigns have been ineffective, Zucker said: "I dread to think where we would be if those measures hadn't been taken."
NBC Universal general counsel Rick Cotton, head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy, said the U.S.-based campaigns of the MPAA and RIAA don't reach every potential pirate, particularly those overseas.
Cotton said that NBC Universal movies and TV shows have been heavily pirated on DVD in Asia but that now several Web sites are popping up in China that offer pirated online versions of its content, compounding the problem. In Europe, online piracy is the bigger problem, and new pirate havens are constantly emerging, Cotton said.
For instance, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative added Spain and Greece to this year's "watch list" of countries that, in the view of the United States, are not tough enough on pirates. China and Russia continue to head the list.
A Senate version of the Pro IP Act was introduced last fall by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and is in committee.
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A House committee passed an anti-piracy bill yesterday that would stiffen penalties for illegally copying and distributing music and movies and would create an "intellectual property czar" at the White House level -- a job that the Justice Department warned would "undermine" its independence.
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To Wit: Twittering
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Politicians can have their message of the day, but on the Web, anybody can have their message of the hour -- or the minute.
Short updates on social-networking sites have become a new sort of public writing, the equivalent of text-messaging the Web.
As with texting, conciseness matters here; one popular site even limits updates to 140 characters. (See, this paragraph just hit that mark.)
The best-known example of the genre may be Facebook's "status update," in which you can share your latest tidings with friends.
For many Facebook users, it's their favorite part of the site, both reality-show entertainment and creative outlet.
These updates can be mundane, such as recaps of travel (everybody likes to complain about security lines!) and night-life agendas.
They can also be deliberately cryptic, part of the fun of quasi-public speech meant to enlighten close friends and puzzle others.
(What to make of one co-worker's declaration Tuesday that he "doesn't see what the big deal is"?)
Facebook's status updates have plenty of competition at other online social networks, each with its own style and grammar.
MySpace invites you to pick a word to label your mood; the business-networking site LinkedIn lets you describe your current project.
The site to make the most of this concept, however, doesn't offer much but status updates.
Twitter's home page ( http://twitter.com) simply asks people "What are you doing?"
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Politicians can have their message of the day, but on the Web, anybody can have their message of the hour -- or the minute.
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Justice Official Who Oversees Cases On Corruption, Fraud Is Quitting
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Her departure leaves the Justice Department even more short-staffed. Fisher is one of only four remaining division chiefs who have navigated the Senate confirmation process.
Among the ongoing investigations Fisher has been overseeing are cases involving members of Congress and executives at mortgage companies caught up in the credit debacle. Her deputy, Barry M. Sabin, a former federal prosecutor in Miami, is serving in an acting capacity, and her chief of staff left for private practice earlier this year.
Justice Department officials said they are not ready to announce who will replace Fisher, who previously worked for several years at the law firm Latham & Watkins.
Fisher's signature initiatives include a crackdown on corporate bribes and a new strategy to attack international organized crime. She developed a reputation as a tough-minded leader who marshaled resources and helped reenergize units that prosecute white-collar malfeasance and public-integrity offenses.
"She will leave a void that will be tough to fill," said Andrew C. Lourie, a former top aide to Fisher who is a defense lawyer in Washington.
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Alice S. Fisher, chief of the Justice Department's criminal division, said yesterday that she will leave government service at the end of the month after nearly three years overseeing major public corruption and corporate fraud cases.
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Brightness Outside, Darkened Moods Inside
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They lie awake for hours, squeezing their eyes shut, putting pillows over their heads and trying to close the louvered blinds tighter. They rearrange their rooms -- even their homes -- and spend hundreds of dollars on room-darkening shades.
Some furtively climb ladders to coat the bright streetlights outside their homes with a cloud of black spray paint, hoping to eclipse the glare.
One woman said the fancy new street lamps outside her apartment window are so bright that a recent dinner guest donned sunglasses before tucking into his pasta.
As neighborhoods across the District get lighting upgrades, residents increasingly are crying foul. New fixtures meant to fit a neighborhood's historic aesthetic and the introduction of energy-efficient bulbs have been causing sleepless nights from Georgetown to Penn Quarter.
"These lights are not practical for residential neighborhoods," Maryann Puglisi said of the streetlights erected in December outside her Dupont Circle building. They are beautiful, arching pendants that resemble a long bishop's crook with a fluted, ornamental base. "If you look out my window, it hurts. The globe of light just pierces your eyes."
Neighborhoods periodically get lighting upgrades, sometimes at the request of residents or because aging electrical systems need to be replaced. Other changes are made to evoke the city's history, like the rows of "Washington globes," wrought-iron sentries holding aloft glass spheres along Georgetown's quaint streets, on the grand stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue downtown and in other historic areas.
Upgrading the city's 67,000 lights is being done on a piecemeal basis. Rebuilding each streetlight -- with a new duct, wiring, manhole, pole, hardware, bulb and globe -- could cost up to $25,000, said Karyn LeBlanc, spokeswoman for the D.C. Department of Transportation.
When giant glass globes and decorative lampposts first graced the cobblestone streets of yesteryear, the light source was a small gas flame.
Today, white-hot 150-watt bulbs burn in the similarly styled light fixtures. The high-pressure sodium lights found throughout most of the city are the most energy-efficient, cost-effective and long-lasting product, LeBlanc said. But inside the old-time glass globes, their light spills beyond the sidewalk, up to the sky -- and into the bedroom.
In some cases, when residents have complained about too-bright lights, engineers found that the neighborhood had simply grown used to the soft glow of a dirty, dying light and are shocked at how bright a new bulb can be, LeBlanc said.
"People like the Washington globe. It's an old, historic look. The problem is, the Washington globe shines right into the home," said D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1). "I've had neighborhoods that lobbied and lobbied and lobbied for the Washington globes and got them, then hated them."
The problem of light spillage was addressed across America in the 1950s, when the sleek design of the "cobra light" made its debut. Looking much like the namesake's head, the cobra lights stream light downward from their aluminum casings.
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They lie awake for hours, squeezing their eyes shut, putting pillows over their heads and trying to close the louvered blinds tighter. They rearrange their rooms -- even their homes -- and spend hundreds of dollars on room-darkening shades.
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Kite Surfing: It Looked So Easy . . .
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The list of thoughts jiggling around my mind as I face-plow through the ocean like a log tethered to a speedboat, pulled by a prodigious force I cannot control, is short: "How the hell did this happen?" "I should try to breathe soon." And, "Kite surfing sure is harder than it looks." I am not thinking that I'm doing well, but when I surface, 50 yards from my last known location, that's what I hear.
"Good! Good! You stuck with it even though you were getting pummeled," Bobby Singleton is shouting. "Great focus!"
Flash back five minutes: I am standing next to Bobby, in waist-deep, 80-degree water in the Florida Keys, a half-mile from shore, feeling pretty confident about kite surfing.
Bobby, a tallish dude with short hair, facial scruff and almost comically oversized shades (picture Luke Wilson with an Elton John flair), is steering a large, crescent-shaped kite through the sky with such ease and grace that I surmise it must be easy.
The blue nylon kite, which resembles a cross section of a parachute, is taut in the breeze 90 feet overhead; four wire-thin lines extend from its corners to a single handlebar in Bobby's grasp; and the entire apparatus is hitched via a loop of polyurethane to a harness around his waist. The sun is blazing, turning the vast shallows off Islamorada a luminescent green.
"You want to do a series of small figure eights, like this, to get the feel of it," Bobby tells me. The kite dances obediently directly above his head. "Next, start to dip the kite further down toward the water, then bring it right back up to high noon." This is Stage 1 in the learning process, involving kite only; once I prove I can control it, Bobby will introduce a wakeboard-like board and, presumably, I will sail.
I've wanted to learn this sport since the late 1990s, when I saw sailors in Cape Hatteras, N.C., knifing across the water and catching 20, 30, 40 feet of air, then descending into fluid landings, like a vignette from one of those free-fall dreams. Give me some of that action!
Two things held me back: the entry fee, which runs around $2,000 with lessons and equipment purchase; and my windsurfing habit. I already had one wind sport, with a rack-load of affiliated stuff, so why did I need another?
The answer came on a trip when a string of light-wind days proved too calm for windsurfing, yet breezy enough for ripping kite sessions. My windsurf buddies and I sat on the beach while the kiters went off. (Basic physics: Windsurf sails range up to about nine square meters of surface; anything much larger, when paired with the requisite mast and boom, will bog down most windsurfing boards. Kites, made of thinner material and unencumbered by weighty rigging, can range up to 21 square meters and can thus capture much more wind than a windsurfing sail.) I knew then that kite-surfing lessons were in my future. It was only a matter of time, which, of course, was a matter of money.
"I'm going to hand you the kite," Bobby says. "When you have control of it, say 'My kite,' and then I'll let go."
The Keys are ideal for learning kite surfing -- warm, clear water, steady breezes in winter and spring, and miles of cushy-sand shallows that give students ample room to flail without crashing into shore or drifting into water over their heads. Bobby and I have motored out to these flats, offshore of the Whale Harbor marina, in a small pontoon boat littered with kite-surfing gear; the boat is anchored nearby.
I take the kite from Bobby and instantly feel an urgent tug, like I'm trying to walk a bison with a poodle leash. It is my first 'Oh, no!' moment, and my feet start to rise off the sand underwater.
"Sit back, sit back!" Bobby says. "Use your body weight to control it."
Ah, yes. Physics. Just as I'm getting the hang of it, I let the kite wander into what's called the "power window." Bobby shouts, "Whoa! Hang on!" but it's too late: I launch forward and my melon starts cutting a wake in the Atlantic.
Kite surfing may be the most modern thing going in the Keys. This is the land of the eternally funky, with beer-soaked conch shacks and bygone architecture still prominent along U.S. Route 1, the sole road running the 105 miles between Key Largo to the north and Key West to the south. The Keys are where Jimmy Buffett lifestyle fantasies come to die, and you can read on many faces the fatigued concession that lounging in the sun in a boozy haze for weeks on end doesn't quite jibe with the lyrics. On the plus side are countless fresh seafood restaurants and tropical-themed bars, and an environment that supports a fairly full slate of activities -- scuba, tennis, fishing, kayaking and pleasure boating -- in a tropical climate. Bobby, a Michigan boy, came down for a little adventure and ended up getting paid to spread the gospel of the kite.
"I was sailing real close to shore one day, doing all these tricks, and this guy comes out and yells at me for getting too radical near the beach," he says. "So I chilled out. When I came in, he called me over and asked if I wanted to teach at his kite-surfing school."
He's in his first year with Seven Sports, the dominant kite-surfing operation in the Keys, and has no idea how long he'll linger here. For now, he's stuck with me. By the end of our first two-hour lesson, I've grown comfortable steering the kite, have advanced to "body dragging" (a controlled version of my earlier facial enema) and am ready to try a couple of exercises with the board. But that, I'm told, will have to wait for Lesson No. 2. "I know, it's such a tease," Bobby concedes. But it's also better than it used to be.
In the early days of kite surfing, novices spent their first two to three hours on shore, enduring technical lectures on kite safety, before their toes even got wet. And the safety concerns were warranted: Early kites were a lot harder to fly than those made today, and they lacked quick-release bailout features, so if you got into trouble (jacked high off the water by a gust, for example), your primary option was to ride it out and hope the landing didn't hurt too badly. Often it did: Serious injuries and even fatalities, collectively known as "kitemares," were not uncommon in the sport's infancy.
Modern kites are easier to control and come equipped with bailout levers, which de-power and crash a kite with the flick of a thumb. But for all these improvements, actually learning to kite surf remains difficult.
A few days later, I return for another session. The wind feels almost too light for kiting, but when I pull up to the marina I can see three kites billowing on the horizon and the lesson barge anchored nearby. I hitch a ride out on a jet ski, find Bobby and start a series of exercises involving steadying the kite overhead with one hand while holding the board with my other and trying to wiggle my feet into the board's foot straps.
It's awkward and I don't sense much progress, but an hour later, just before the wind dies for good, I do something right, pop up onto my feet and ride the board for 15 feet before flopping.
This time, when I hit the water, there is only one thought in my head: "Oh, yeah!"
John Briley last wrote for Travel about skiing in New Hampshire.
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The conditions in the Florida Keys are optimal for all water sports. But that doesn't mean kite surfing is a day at the beach.
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A Nashville Mash-Up: Opry, Seabiscuit and Monet
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The last time I listened to country music was the summer after my senior year of high school, when I worked in a sweatshop in Tyrone, Pa., sewing seams in Big Yank work pants.
Even then, I didn't choose to hear it. Every morning an unseen factory official would drop a needle on a single record and blast it over the loudspeakers all day long; more days than not it was Hank Williams singing "Hey, good lookin'. What you got cookin'? How's about cookin' somethin' up with me-e-e?"
Country was the music of my father, who forbade the rock-and-roll I would sneak out to hear. I'd always felt I was a city girl mistakenly born in rural Pennsylvania. I pitied Laura Ingalls in her little house on the prairie; I wanted to be Eloise and live in the Plaza Hotel.
So what am I doing in Nashville's Grand Ole Opry?
It's a concession to my travel companion, my sister. And as it turns out, I rather enjoy myself. Five bands play in a two-hour show, and just as I start getting bored with one, another takes the stage.
I've never heard of a single one of these performers, but my sister tells me that Josh Turner is huge and that her granddaughter would love a photo. You can walk right to the edge of the stage, so I do. But then I realize I have no idea which one of the band members is Josh. I ask a teenager, who answers, "He's the hot one." I take a guess who is cutest, point and shoot.
The Grand Ole Opry long ago outgrew its home at Ryman Auditorium and has a state-of-the-art performance space on the outskirts of town next to an upscale shopping mall. The Opry's old home downtown is now used more often for rock, jazz and soul than for country music. Upcoming performances include the British rock band the Moody Blues, comedian Jon Stewart and four-time Grammy Award winner Dawn Upshaw, an opera-trained soprano.
In fact, you could easily keep yourself busy for a week in Nashville while avoiding country music altogether, as long as you didn't walk down Broadway after dark. But you wouldn't want to miss that experience even if you're not a fan -- the strip of honky-tonks is lively and fun. We don't even go inside any bars, yet we hear a different band every few steps while enjoying a slow stroll. Reminds me of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
My two-night trip this month turned out to be a mix of country and more citified pursuits. I spent part of an afternoon in the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, where the exhibit "Monet to Dali" is featured through June 1. Housed in a beautiful art deco building renovated in 2001, the Frist, rather than holding permanent collections, has shows from around the world, changing exhibits every six to eight weeks.
While I'm hesitant to admit it, my favorite part of the trip is in country territory: an evening at the Bluebird Cafe in a strip mall outside downtown. The tiny cafe, which opened in 1982, is a forum for up-and-coming songwriters. Everyone who is anyone in country music has played the Bluebird, and the names are sufficiently famous that even I have heard of them: Garth Brooks played the open mike there before he was discovered. When Mary Chapin Carpenter played there in 1987, the owner, worried no one would come, booked her with some people then better known. The cafe was also the setting for the 1993 movie "The Thing Called Love," with River Phoenix and Sandra Bullock.
On this night, four singer-songwriters, backed by virtuoso guitarists, take turns playing original songs. I'm blown away by a song Christy Long Hoskins wrote while pregnant, a song that captures the mystery and wonder of carrying a much-anticipated and welcome child: "I long to see who you'll be. What you'll love and all you'll do. Can't wait to know you. Can't wait to look into your eyes. Can't wait to hold you." Although the blue-eyed blonde looks and sounds like a performer, she tells me after the show that she has no ambition toward stardom. Her dream is for someone else to make her songs into hits. She also notes that the competition to play the Bluebird is fierce, and it's humbling to play there.
"Every country star you've ever heard on the radio has played the Bluebird," she says. Referring to the pictures of previous performers that cover the walls, she adds, "The wallpaper is history. When you sit in there, you're sitting in music history."
Even a drive around town featured a mix of urbane and country. For me, we ride around the campus of Vanderbilt University. For my sister, we ride around an upscale neighborhood that is home to numerous country music stars. If we'd taken a narrated bus tour, we'd know which stars live in which mansions, but never mind, it's a pretty drive. We also manage to cram in visits to the fabulous Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Art Museum, and the historic Belle Meade Plantation, a 19th-century stud farm whose bloodlines led to such legends a Seabiscuit, Secretariat and Barbaro.
Finally, there is no way to avoid it: the Country Music Hall of Fame. Who wants to see the old guitars and costumes of country music stars? My sister.
Actually, I'm amused to see Elvis Presley's gold Cadillac and films showing highlights of the best country music shows. The building is gorgeous, and I love the stations where you can listen to hit records from today and from the distant past.
I can't believe how many of the songs I know, and how many I like, even love. Every word from hundreds of songs suddenly just comes to me. It's almost scary -- what other things are embedded in my brain that I have no idea are there?
I hum my way through the museum, buy a couple of CDs and come to a startling revelation: My God, I'm a country girl.
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Find Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland travel information, including web fares, Washington DC tours, beach/ski guide, international and United States destinations. Featuring Mid-Atlantic travel, airport information, traffic/weather updates
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Parting With the Pastor
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LAST MONTH, during a speech on race in Philadelphia, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) repudiated "in unequivocal terms" the explosive sound bites from his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., without denouncing him or repudiating their long relationship. In a confident address that discussed in an effective and intelligent way the impact of race on American life, Mr. Obama sought to put the rights and wrongs of the Rev. Wright into understandable historical context.
Yesterday was a different story. A downbeat Mr. Obama announced at a hastily convened news conference in North Carolina: "The person I saw [Monday] was not the person that I met 20 years ago." Forcefully breaking from the Rev. Wright, Mr. Obama said: "The insensitivity and the outrageousness of the statements shocked me and surprised me." He added that they contradict "everything that I'm about and who I am."
We didn't join the renewed and growing chorus calling on Mr. Obama to renounce the Rev. Wright after the minister's all-about-me rant at the National Press Club on Monday, but the candidate's motivation is pretty obvious. The Rev. Wright praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, said it was plausible that AIDS was a genocidal tool of the U.S. government to kill African Americans and proclaimed that attacks on him were an attack on the black church. He also delivered a deliberate poke in the eye to his former parishioner, suggesting that Mr. Obama's conciliatory Philadelphia speech was nothing but politics. With each defiant utterance Monday, the Rev. Wright dug a deeper political hole for Mr. Obama.
Did Mr. Obama climb out of that hole yesterday? It seems to us that the whole sorry episode raises legitimate questions about his judgment. Given the long and close relationship between Mr. Obama and the Rev. Wright, voters will ask: How could Mr. Obama have been surprised by the Rev. Wright's views? How could he not have seen this coming? Mr. Obama didn't help matters much by initially seeming to dismiss the furor building over the Rev. Wright's Washington performance, just as he did with the initial uproar last month. At a media availability at an airport Monday afternoon, he displayed none of the anger and sorrow that etched his face in North Carolina one day later.
But Mr. Obama is right when he says that his entire career is antithetical to the divisiveness of the Rev. Wright's comments. We've found things to cheer and things to criticize about Mr. Obama during this long campaign, but we don't see how anyone could question his commitment to transcending old racial battles and finding common ground. The Rev. Wright doesn't speak for the candidate, and we hope the pastor doesn't become a continuing excuse for political ads built on racial fears.
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We hope the pastor doesn't become a continuing excuse for political ads built on racial fears.
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5 Myths About the Best (College) Years of Your Life
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Harder than you think. Teaching, advising and actually being college students hasgiven us front row seats to undergraduate life. We've seen some students get a lousy education at renowned schools and others get a great education at uncelebrated ones. What they don't tell you in SAT prep courses is that, though where you go to college matters, what you do there is much more important.
So how can you make the most of college without giving yourself a panic attack? The first step is rethinking some common myths.
1.Your major determines your career success.
The unemployed graduate with a bachelor's degree in philosophy is a popular cliché, and we won't kid you: An electrical engineer who graduates with a second major in accounting has, at least at first, more lucrative options than, say, a history major vying for a coveted (and unpaid) internship on Capitol Hill. But many excellent opportunities are still available for graduates with seemingly "useless" degrees, as long as you can show potential employers that you know how to learn and will continue to do so as your field evolves. Many companies don't care whether you majored in medieval literature or international business; they want to know that you're passionate about succeeding and are probably hoping that you'll apply the keen eye you used on "The Canterbury Tales" to their long-standing clients' portfolios. That said, if all your courses have "Canterbury Tales" in their titles, it's best to hedge your bets by tossing in a few accounting or economics courses to demonstrate your readiness for the marketplace.
2.You should check off graduation requirements as quickly as possible.
What a waste of tuition, especially when you consider that most college lectures cost about as much as a ticket to "Monty Python's Spamalot" (but are not, we are sorry to say, nearly so entertaining). Every semester, students rush through general-education requirements as if college were a game of beat-the-clock bingo. Far better to treat those requirements as invitations to explore subjects outside your comfort zone, such as Legal Linguistics, History of Strata or Ancient Egyptian Mythology.
You should pick courses based on the professor's reputation, the course's reputation, your interest in the topic, graduation requirements and convenience -- in that order. A great professor can make an obscure area of study come alive, and a lousy one can make even the most titillating topic tedious. And should you be lucky enough to land a class that feels like Monty Python's views on statistics, who cares if it meets at 8 a.m. on Fridays?
3. The more extracurriculars, the better.
Only if you want to be a fifth-year senior. If everyone around you is smiling, giving you freebies and telling you how swell you are, you're either at your bar mitzvah or your college's annual activity fair. If you aren't careful, by the end of the hour you'll have signed up to sing in an a cappella choir, read to the blind, coach soccer for inner-city youth and write for the campus newspaper. Oh, and try your hand at intramural wrestling.
Resist! You can't do it all, and you're asking for a nervous breakdown if you try to juggle as many activities in college as you did in high school. When it comes to extracurriculars, less is more; you already have dozens of papers and lab reports and hundreds of pages of reading to keep you busy. Picking several diverse activities and engaging in them deeply is better than being a superficial (and overstressed) participant in lots.
4. You should study all the time.
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How to make the most of your undergraduate experience without suffering a panic attack.
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If you (or someone you know) will pick up a diploma this year, check out our 2008 Grad Guide. Graduates can search job listings, post a resume and get tips from experts on how to ace an interview or write a cover letter that stands out from the pack. You can share your thoughts with those who are about to enter the "real world" in the Jobs Talk discussion group, or ask questions in one of the work-related discussions like this one.
Posted by Carol Touhey | Permalink | Comments (1) Share This: Technorati | Tag in Del.icio.us | Digg This | FAQ: What Are These Links?
Why all of the hoopla? Rev. Wright is not Senator Obama. Rev. Wright is not running for President. The Senator is the sum total of many influences in his life, not just his minister. Mr. Obama should move on, not allow himself to be trapped into the phoney outrage. It's politics, one of the big elements of the game is "I Gotcha."
Posted by: Elwynda K. Chapman | April 30, 2008 10:07 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
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PostGlobal at washingtonpost.com
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The idea of a gasoline tax holiday might make good politics, but it surely doesn't seem like good policy. Most economists will say that it would be bad energy policy, bad tax policy, bad urban policy and bad climate policy. And gas prices won't fall much in the end, anyway.
Some background: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) on Earth Day proposed to suspend the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal excise tax on gasoline for the summer because of high pump prices. Today Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) matched McCain's proposal, evidently hoping to appeal to Americans livid about the record price of gasoline as the summer driving season approaches. (The Energy Information Agency said today that the U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline jumped 9.5 cents a gallon over the last week, to a new high of $3.60 a gallon.)
But does the tax holiday proposal make any sense?
On energy policy, consider the the laws of supply and demand. If high demand is propping up oil prices, cutting fuel taxes will only keep demand high and prevent oil prices from dropping. That will maintain our dependency on foreign oil by keeping demand high. If oil supplies are relatively constant, there will either be shortages or no change in prices. In fact, either McCainâs or Clinton's proposal could effectively hand a small portion of forgone tax revenues to consumers and the rest to oil producers or oil companies in the form of bigger profit margins.
The idea of a gasoline tax holiday also contradicts the presidential candidatesâ positions on climate change legislation. All three remaining candidates support a cap-and-trade system that would increase the cost of all fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide when they are used. The gasoline tax holiday would be doing just the opposite â and gasoline accounts for nearly half of U.S. oil use. Paul Bledsoe, Director of Communications and Strategy at the National Commission on Energy Policy, frames this contradiction nicely: âIt's antithetical to where energy policy is moving generally, which is to put a price on fossil fuels and put in market systems that encourage efficiency and alternative technology deployment. This is a little give with one hand and take with other. In that regard, it doesn't seem terribly wise or thoughtful long-term policy.â
In addition, the gasoline tax is a dedicated revenue stream. That means it's set aside for the Highway Trust Fund, instead of counting in the general use Treasury funds. So any reduction in the tax would either result in a cut in highway spending (never mind all the talk about repairing bridges) or would require a diversion of other tax receipts to replenish the Highway Trust Fund. This would effectively be a subsidy by all taxpayers (including anyone who takes mass transit to work) for people who drive automobiles.
(Unlike McCain, Clinton spells out how she would deal with this problem. She says that she would impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies to cover lost revenues to the Highway Trust Fund.)
Finally, itâs not as though U.S. gasoline taxes are excessive by global standards. The U.S. gasoline tax was last increased in 1993 as part of the first Bill Clinton budget, and that was a slimmed-down version of what President Clinton had sought. It also pales beside gasoline taxes in Europe, where gasoline prices are more than twice as high.
Len Burman and Eric Toder of the Tax Policy Center make a pointed critique of McCainâs idea in this essay.
They say: âFor a moment, forget about whether encouraging fossil fuel burning makes sense during a time of global warming, whether we should raid the highway trust fund when bridges are collapsing for lack of maintenance, or the disconnect between the proposal to cut gasoline taxes and the candidatesâ endorsement of âcap-and-tradeâ limits that would raise gasoline pricesâ¦.
âIf McCainâs excise tax cut translated into lower prices, weâd all want to drive more, which would push up the demand for gasoline. Since the refiners canât produce much more without building new refineries, the price has to go back up.â
Whereâs Sen. Barrack Obama (D-Ill.) in all this? As an Illinois state legislator, he backed a temporary cut in the state gas tax in 2000. But last Friday he said he opposed a national tax holiday because it would lead to a $10 billion shortfall for the highway trust fund. âYou don't know that the oil companies are going to pass the savings on to the consumers, or if you'll just see an increase in prices by the same amount that the gas tax goes down," Obama said. "And it would deplete the Highway Trust Fund that we need for rebuilding our roads and our bridges."
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A debate with Steve Mufson on how energy prices are moving money, nations, and lives.
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The one topic that has consistently drawn more heated debate than the war in Iraq is illegal immigration, and our Readers Who Comment are at it again today. The discussion is about a report that hundreds of foreign-born families have pulled their children from Prince William County public schools and enrolled them in nearby Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria. Amy Gardner tells us that this comes after Prince William began implementing rules to deny some services to illegal immigrants and require police to check the immigration status of crime suspects thought to be in the country illegally.
Opponents of the rules say even legal immigrants have left the county, fearing the climate there; supporters say the rules have done what they were supposed to do.
So far, officials tell Gardner, Fairfax and Arlington counties can absorb the influx; Prince William County officials say they will save $6 million in school costs as a result. But the longer-term picture is unclear. And as a Post editorial points out this morning, Prince William County has been slashing the high price of enforcing the new rules, which are expected to cost $26 million over the next five years.
This is playing out here and elsewhere because the federal government has punted on how to manage the illegal immigration issue, a federal problem impacting states and localities. The arguments in the comment string this morning reflect both compassion for the families affected and the bitterness many have that the battle over immigration even exists.
Just to set the tone of the conversation, we'll start with this exchange between vancouver199 and Scruffy 1970.
vancouver1999 wrote, "Hope PWC enjoys its backwards and backwoods policies which are hurting children and, more practically, driving money away from the county. Hope the pro-hate group people enjoy much larger real estate bills when Sergeant Stewart [Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and a strong supporter of the enforcement campaign] raises their taxes year after year after year to make up for lost business revenue."
Scruffy1970 responded, "You are absolutely wrong. I am White and I certainly don't like living with the dregs of society. PWC will become a great place to live and raise a family. These wetpeople have destroyed LA and the DC area is ten years behind that place unless all cities and counties adopt laws like PWC."
rscott251 said, "...I applaud Prince William and what they did. If Fairfax wants to accept them in their sactuary, good for them. But soon, taxpayers are going to get fed up with paying taxes to support the illegals. Why do you think Prince William made the push to begin with?..."
RegisUrgel wrote, "There isn't an "economic fence" to keep illegal immigrants out of PW county, like there is in Arlington or Alexandria, for example. Most illegal immigrants just can't afford to live in Arlington...In the short run, Arlington and Alexandria can easily absorb more school children, thanks to liberal high-income taxpayers in those counties. So Stewart shouldn't be holding his breath if he thinks Arlingon is going to pass any of his xenophobic legislation."
slim2 said, "Fairfax and Arlington both have a long history of embracing and coddling illegals, it's only "fair" their tax slaves shoulder more of the burden of supporting them, Prince William should now see some relief from escalating taxes for schools, jails and a real estate recovery from trashed neighborhoods."
VirginiaConservative wrote, "Hmmm, criminals fleeing the hostile environment of law enforcement. Whats next, a crack down on drug abuse causing junkies to flee?"
meredithand wrote: If they are mixed-status families, and some of them are "legal", that must mean the others are.... ILLEGAL... Reform the system? Definitely. Reward law-breaking? NO!"
merganser said, "...What we are seeing shows that the entire state needs to adopt a uniform policy of enforcing the law and that when it is enforced, lawfulness can return."
gmu92 wrote, "...We'll see how liberal and open-minded you are when the house next to you has 25 day laborers guzzling Tecate, thumping Tejano music at 2AM, and peeing in the yard right in front of your kids. PWC is no longer a dumping ground for the corrupt system of illegal immigration. Thank you Mr. Stewart for being steadfast on this matter."
wahoo3 said, "I would prefer that the white trash who are filled with hate and constantly blame minorities for their own underachievement leave our counties while the hard-working folks stay."
RustNeverSleeps, warned, "21,000 ESOL's [English for speakers of other languages] in FFX. If 25% are illegal or US born to illegals that is costing FFX residents about $70M. Wait until next year's count."
asmith1 said, "Connolly [Gerald E. Connolly (D), chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors] ...would hope Fairfax County taxpayers can be duped to believe ESOL is the only expense illegal aliens and their anchor babies will incur... the only way the county can subsidize the lifestyle of illegal aliens flowing into Sanctuary Fairfax is to tax legal residents and cut their services more. But, that is what Connolly does best."
Joan850 said, "Wake up Fairfax County residents. We have an election coming up and the faster we rid ourselves of these democrats the better off we will be. Our budget suffers with extensive ESL, free medical care, food, housing, etc. We are paying for it and illegals are just enjoying the fruits of our taxes..."
seenitallnow1 wrote, "For too long the[y] worked in Fairfax and we in PWC bore their cost. Now we'll see how the people of Fairfax feel about illegal immigration when they have to pay for it, and when it makes their neighborhood what mine became in past years."
aldous, with tongue apparently in cheek, wrote, "Yup! Kick those illegals out! Enforce the borders! Some of them are terrorists!!!"
But gitarre said, "Love the bluster of the politicians in the surrounding sanctuaries ... but the smell of fear is palpable. The extra costs to their school systems is just a PART of what they will have to deal with... and privately, they know it. It will be especially comical if one day these sanctuary pols, after all their trash-talk about Chairman Stewart, are crying for aid from GOVERNOR Stewart."
jamalnasir_2000 asked, "How about crackng down on the busnesses that employ these llegals? Simple solution to all problems.....if they cant work they wont live here..."
johnkwhite1 wrote, "...People who want to work and live and pay taxes and send their kids to school for an education aren't a problem. Communist China and our trade policies are the problem." Boogher suggested that "When all workers and families have a path to citizenship,they'll have 9 good ss numbers and pay billions more into social security and have car insurance. We'll all benefit. It's also the human thing to do..."
pedecini said, "Time to change the law that automatically makes you an American Citizen if you born here! That worked back in the day when people came here legally through Ellis Island...Time to put a stop to it!"
allie320 wrote. "As an Arlington resident, I welcome the influx of immigrants. Three generations ago, my Irish ancestors were treated with the same disdain that many people on this message board feel towards Latino immigrants. It is simply ignorant to repeat that cycle..."
Ali4 responded, "...It's not surprising you feel that way, Allie320, since Irish illegal aliens are a sizeable group AND also feel a sense of entitlement to ignore U.S. immigration laws because of their history here. They're so special, don't you know, that some of them were lobbying for a law to amnesty just them."
Last word goes to HillMan, who said, "...I agree that we need comprehensive immigration reform, but the cold fact remains: Americans simply won't do these jobs. Do you really think sweet little Tiffany or Brandon in PWC is going to do your landscaping work, or change beds in your hotels, or do the other myriad of crappy service jobs that are necessary?...Yet for our economy and our daily lives to continue as they are the jobs must be done."
All comments on this article are here.
By Doug Feaver | April 28, 2008; 9:30 AM ET Illegal Immigrants Previous: Blinders at Arlington Cemetery | Next: Does Obama Get It Wright?
Ali replied, to my posting saying my posting`s body was unclear. My english lit professor always had a few red marks on my thesis papers too. Simply, this woman whom i have conversed with for a year now and have spent hundreds of dollars in phone bills wanted to travel to the states to meet me in person.Both of us have high phone bills. Her vacation begins May 6-29. i wanted to show her a good time in Louisville during the Derby.We actually had plans for mid April to mid May, but once she filed for a visa the appointment given was two months later, which meant changing her vacation dates. She got her vacation changed but now has no visa to visit. It seems crystal clear to me that a consulate would have no reason to deny a visa to a Doctor knowing she has one month remaining in her residency! Who in their right mind would get a visa to the US to start her career over again here? Do they have any idea how many years it takes to become a pysician? ( 8-12) Even if we married she would be deported until a K-1 visa was completed. All of her school and medical credentials are accreditted by the A.M.A. The sad thing is all the money she spent(approx. $300 equiv.)was a waste and is not reimbursed by the consulate! The US welcomes nationals on its web site but it appears as a license to steal from these people! Yes the residency program pays her but not a lot of money. A visa appointment costs about $151.00 plus a fee for the pin number to apply plus money for copies of all the papers a person needs to sit in front of a consulate.Plus two hours of travel to the consulate paying $8.00/ gal for gas. Being a doctor means having to have many more papers than say a person who works in a boutigue. She needed these papers for the consulate as well as the state board medical licensure branches. We had plans of introducing her to dept heads of nearby hospitals. She told me that she was at the consulates office by 6:30 am in her capital city of Santo Domingo. Eight people in front of her were denied, she was #9 in a row of many. Lets say thats $300 multiplied by 9 plus the many more in that particular consulates office not to mention the hundreds of other consulates offices in several countries, of people, that are taking the correct avenue of visiting the US , but are denied after spending upwards of $200USD. These people are being robbed! At least i would feel robbed! How about you? She told me all her papers were in order and the consulate never even looked at them. " Sorry mame, you dont qualify for a visa" The trip to Disney is a plan for 2009 pertaining to her whole extended family of which she is the only one with out a visa.
You might ask why i dont fly there to see if i should begin the K-1 visa. I work in the home remodeling and building business. If you know anyone in that business you might have a good idea of what i am going through here in the US. I am staring at foreclosure and bankruptcy. I cant even sell the house and i am trying to give it away.
Posted by: steve | May 1, 2008 4:17 PM
Chairman Stewart should run for the governor's office! It's obvious the people currently in that realm have no ties to reality!
Tim Kaine should think twice if he thinks that his policies across the board will not be rescinded when a true leader takes over.... But at least he will have his special interest retirement packages lined up!
Posted by: Enough is Enough! | April 30, 2008 1:15 PM
"Do you think a big fat pay increase would teach them some work ethic?"
I think a large number of EMPLOYERS need to learn not only ethics, but to follow the law. Kids learn from examples, and when employers abuse the law, as they do, then kids see a lousy example. Employers want illegal aliens because they get a cheap, captive workforce who can't really complain and doesn't have many alternatives for jobs. Treat 'em badly and there's not much they can do. Employers carry that same mentality over to American kids who work for them. The employer who expects a kid to work at the employer's convenience, for an hour or two here or there, as the EMPLOYER NEEDS THEM, for not enough to cover gas money. The employer who expects kids to "volunteer" to work after hours.
You might also note that WAL-MART is trying this with its ADULT employees, expecting them to work around the store's busy hours and go home otherwise. It wants a "part-time" workforce at its beck and call. The company also had problems with managers requiring workers to clock out and then remain working, so they wouldn't have to pay them overtime.
Posted by: Ali | April 30, 2008 1:03 PM
"Are you cleaning up after the tourists and business travelers who feed your tax base? How ridiculous to compare the fact that you do your own housework to people who clean up after others."
Not ridiculous at all, considering many illegal aliens work as nannies, gardeners, cleaning ladies for INDIVIDUALS, not companies--and claim that they're raising our kids, cleaning our homes, so should receive amnesty. But for that matter, my nephew was a janitor at a hotel and my niece and her husband ran a restaurant. Cleaning up after others.
Posted by: Ali | April 30, 2008 12:55 PM
"There ARE jobs that kids won't do (pick tobacco, shovel manure, etc.) even if you paid them union wages to do so. Heck, they can hardly take a pause from their high school drama to bag my groceries. Do you think a big fat pay increase would teach them some work ethic?"
When my niece was a teenager a few years ago, SHE SHOVELED MANURE as part of her job working in a program for mentally challenged kids. She quit the job, not because of the shoveling, but because the organization started requiring its young employees to "volunteer" to work day-long events in return for a t-shirt.
Posted by: Ali | April 30, 2008 12:49 PM
"The hate filled people are in the minority. They cannot elect an anti-immigration politician worth a damn. The latest to loose was the racist Jim Oberweis in Illinois. In November a pro-immigration government would be elected at the federal level whether the antis like it or not. Make your choice: McCain, Obama or Hillary with an enhanced Democratic congress. It is the anti-immigration fanatics nightmare come true!"
Don't count on a Democratic Congress to pass amnesty. I'm a Democrat, oppose amnesty, and made that very clear to my Senators last year--Democrats. Guess what? They don't want to lose their seats and know that many Democrats don't want amnesty or "guest worker" programs, either. Then, too, any Democrat that gets into the White House will have to deal with our current economic woes. How do you figure they're going to explain giving amnesty to 20 million illegal aliens while millions of Americans are out of work, and none of us can afford tax increases to cover the social services and welfare legalized illegals would be eligible for?
Posted by: Ali | April 30, 2008 12:45 PM
**"Will your brother or niece go to Pennsylvania and pick tomatoes for $16.57... or just insist that if no human does it, there will be a magic machine inveneted to pluck the delicate fruit from their vines for us?"**
uh...that "magic machine" already exists and has been given "Historical Landmark" designation by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
From the California Farm Bureau website - http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=554&ck=5E388103A391DAABE3DE1D76A6739CCD
"The UC-Blackwelder tomato harvester, developed at the University of California, Davis, in 1949, helped to usher in mechanization that proved vital in the growth of California's tomato-growing business. Partly because of this piece of equipment, California now produces 95 percent of the processing tomatoes grown in the United States."
"Nearly all of California's tomato crop was converted to machine harvest within about five years, Hartsough said. That kind of rapid change isn't the norm, he added, noting that the changeover occurred much more slowly in other parts of the country and the rest of the world."
"Not only did it (tomato harvesting) change rapidly in California, but the industry expanded here--essentially doubled in size. In the rest of the country, it kind of dropped down because they couldn't compete with the lower costs of harvesting here."
Heringer agreed, saying, "We just about conquered the whole tomato industry when we got those machines running in two or three years."
-- Now, maybe Pennsylvania tomato farmers are resistant to mechanization, but that's THEIR problem. (Non)apologists for illegal aliens like to trot out that old canard about how nothing will get done without illegals...no hotels cleaned, no dishes washed, no lawns mowed...and no tomatos on the grocers shelves. Well, guess what? It's a lot of malarkey, smoke-n-mirrors, a strawman. Maybe the people HE knows wouldn't be willing to do real work for halfway decent wages, but I know folks in Podunk, Nowhere (that's my hometown...) that would LOVE to have a job that paid decently well. They'd even, you know...frame houses, pour concrete, put on siding and roofing, paint, cook, wait tables, clean offices and hotels, etc etc etc. After all, that's what they USED to do before the illegal population got so big.
Posted by: Rightous Indignation | April 30, 2008 9:31 AM
The hate filled people are in the minority. They cannot elect an anti-immigration politician worth a damn. The latest to loose was the racist Jim Oberweis in Illinois. In November a pro-immigration government would be elected at the federal level whether the antis like it or not. Make your choice: McCain, Obama or Hillary with an enhanced Democratic congress. It is the anti-immigration fanatics nightmare come true!
Posted by: Chell | April 30, 2008 8:26 AM
To 'Calm Down and Think' - Many of the Midwest Farming Migrant Labor Groups are made up of Legal H2A Seasonal Workers who run the big machines that migrate north planting and south harvesting crops. Too bad those who complain about the lack of seasonal labor do not tell the whole story. First, there is no mention of the fact that in years past the H2A Program promised an almost unlimited supply of Seasonal Workers for Farmers but because of the easy access to Illegal Immigrants not so many people used the program. Now that enforcement is happening and Illegal Immigration is being curtailed, the Democrat controlled Congress, in their infinite wisdom decided that they should not allow the expanded H2A Program to be renewed. Effectively they are holding hostage legal channels to get Seasonal Workers in order to try to force "comprehensive reform". Second, the H1B program has the same problem. Up until the Democrats took control of Congress, increases in the H1B Visa cap were routinely approved. But not now. So we get to hear Microsoft et al whine and suffer until "comprehensive reform" passes. Why has Congress decided to cut off legal means for people to come to the U.S. and work? Sounds a lot Illegal Immigrant supporters in Congress are the ones trying to break the system.
Posted by: Norski | April 29, 2008 6:20 PM
"My nieces used to baby sit. Neither I nor my brothers' families have maids. All cleaning is done by US. That's how REAL people live..."
Are you cleaning up after the tourists and business travelers who feed your tax base? How ridiculous to compare the fact that you do your own housework to people who clean up after others.
Will your brother or niece go to Pennsylvania and pick tomatoes for $16.57... or just insist that if no human does it, there will be a magic machine inveneted to pluck the delicate fruit from their vines for us?
There ARE jobs that kids won't do (pick tobacco, shovel manure, etc.) even if you paid them union wages to do so. Heck, they can hardly take a pause from their high school drama to bag my groceries. Do you think a big fat pay increase would teach them some work ethic?
BTW - in my community, the school had enrolled children from biligual households who spoke perfect English in their special classes... because the SCHOOL GOT MORE $$ PER STUDENT. Now, who's ripping off whom?
Posted by: Beth | April 29, 2008 3:02 PM
To Calm Down and Think: Now, you calm down and think. Think about the fact that we do have guest worker programs for seasonal agricultural workers (no caps) and for unskilled workers in other areas. Business hasn't used them, preferring to rely on illegal alien labor. The issue isn't the AVAILABILITY of labor, but the wages. As for shortages of labor, Prof. Martin at UC-Davis has noted that the US has been slower than much of the rest of the world to modernize and mechanize BECAUSE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF CHEAP ILLEGAL LABOR. Part of the reason workers are being kicked off farms in Mexico is mechanization.
As for fences, well, plenty of farmers and land owners aren't happy, either, about having illegal aliens trekking across their property, stealing, killing animals, disturbing wildlife and being general nuisances, not to mention the harm that tons upon tons of TRASH left by illegal aliens does to the environment.
Posted by: Ali | April 29, 2008 2:53 PM
John wrote:" We need CIR Bill to fix the current situation, get all on the books, make them pay taxes. And, strongly enforce and secure our borders. Economy will boost as soon as they become legal, they will start spending here, paying fees, licences, buying cars/houses and all. This will save this country. As they are already here and making money. So, just by whinning won't do anything."
John, you idea of "compromise" sounds suspiciously like the 1986 amnesty. We were promised enforcement and it never materialized. Instead, we saw 3 million illegal aliens legalized and got a new crop of working poor welfare recipients and a new wave of illegal immigration by their friends and relatives wanting to get in on the next amnesty. Funny thing. No enforcement. Efforts at it were gutted, lobbied away by the same whiners in corporate America that we hear now. Illegal aliens, if amnestied yet again, would not pay taxes, but would likely be recipients of the earned income tax credit and eligible for other welfare programs and social services. They're among the working poor not because they're illegal but because they haven't the skills or the educations to do much better. The presence of millions of them guarantees that wages will be depressed not only for them but for Americans.
Posted by: Ali | April 29, 2008 1:20 PM
Steve wrote:"This foreigner I speak of is a respected physician in the last few months of a residency program. She has a son, a large family all of whom have a visa to visit and plans for a Disney trip next year. She has a vacation in May and wanted to meet me after one year of conversing on the phone and internet as well as meet hospital and board members to ascertain the opportunities of making a life here for her son, my children and me. Obviously, she would have to return to her country, her son, and her last month of a long residency program to complete the medical training as an Anesthesiologist. But she was denied."
Steve, the first part of your post doesn't jibe with the second. Was your friend intending to look for a job while she was here? Take medical boards? Or was she planning a simple trip to see you and Disneyland? From the sound of it, the consulate had reason to doubt her intent to return based on your first comments. You don't say what country your friend is from, but the rate of visa overstays for a country also makes a big difference in how many visas are issued and to whom.
Posted by: Ali | April 29, 2008 1:12 PM
Dan Griswold's column:"The fatal flaw of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act was not that it offered legal status to workers already here but that it made no provision for future workers to enter legally."
Mr. Griswold's column has a huge OMISSION. Federal immigration law already focuses on FAMILY REUNIFICATION which provides hundreds of thousands of largely unskilled and uneducated workers each year. These people are sponsored by legalized illegal aliens or by skilled relatives who came under employment visas, but who are themselves less educated and skilled. For family reunification, we require that the sponsoring family member guarantee the income of the immigrants he or she is sponsoring.
Now, is Mr. Griswold suggesting that we eliminate family reunification (parents, brothers, sisters and their families) in order to replace them with unskilled employment based workers? And just who's going to guarantee that unskilled employment based immigrants would not be an economic burden to US taxpayers? Perhaps would-be employers should be required to post a VERY LARGE bond? Of course, how does one select "unskilled" workers who by definition have no particular skills or abilities to distinguish them? Chances are, we'd get back to family ties--Mr. Li sponsoring his relatives to work in his restaurant, etc.
Posted by: Ali | April 29, 2008 1:07 PM
A first principle of civil society is that no one is to be permitted to obtain profit or advantage by wrongdoing which includes violating the law. An alien who entered this country without first obtaining lawful permission to do so violates 8 U.S.C. 1325 and is subject to criminal sanctions. Even an alien who entered lawfully is a wrongdoer if that person remained after visa expiration, though this is not a criminal offense. All of the amnesty (or whatever else it be labeled) proposals would permit the aliens who entered unlawfully or who stayed after visa expiration to remain in the US and enjoy its higher standard of living while those who obey the law, apply for a visa and await its issuance are not similarly treated, thus permitting the wrongdoer to profit as a result of wrongdoing.
Posted by: William Garland | April 29, 2008 12:53 PM
HillMan, who said, "...I agree that we need comprehensive immigration reform, but the cold fact remains: Americans simply won't do these jobs. Do you really think sweet little Tiffany or Brandon in PWC is going to do your landscaping work, or change beds in your hotels, or do the other myriad of crappy service jobs that are necessary?...Yet for our economy and our daily lives to continue as they are the jobs must be done."
Hillman should try living in Middle America. You know, the Middle America that Obama doesn't get. Kids still do those dirty jobs, and so do some American adults. My brothers do their own yard work. My nephew has worked as a janitor. My nieces used to baby sit. Neither I nor my brothers' families have maids. All cleaning is done by US. That's how REAL people live.
Posted by: Ali | April 29, 2008 12:44 PM
We as Americans have always had the individual right to CHOOSE whether or not to celebrate and join in on the festivities of other cultures. But when millions of people choose to invade our country and attempt to replace our American culture with their own, disregarding our right to resent this outside culture being shoved in our faces every day by illegally waving their Mexican flag above our own, disregarding our language of English first, filling our prison system, overcrowding our schools, breaking our hospitals, stealing our identities, and arrogantly expecting us to learn Spanish in order to communicate with them.
Some pro-illegal invasion activists, including LaRaza and even Mexico's own President, call them "heroes" for risking their lives for a better life here in America. You illegal invaders are nothing to the Mexican government but a cash flow into their own pockets. I call them ALL COWARDS for not having the guts that we Americans have to stand up for our rights in our own country and to recognize a corrupt government and vote those out that work to destroy our culture and our soverignty.
Illegals will be marching again on May 1st costing towns thousands each in police protection and shops closing!
Posted by: DinTN | April 29, 2008 12:29 PM
Vozukl wrote: "Every year economic immigrants leave their farms in Mexico and make the journey north ward. There are many reasons why they come, legally or illegally."
So? Do we really care WHY a burglar takes up burglary? Why a mugger decides to mug, a fraudster decides to defraud? So what makes you think we should give a &*#@% about why illegals CHOOSE to break the law? It doesn't matter why they do it. They know what they do is criminal and that we have legal punishments for those actions. The only ones whining that we don't have the right to enforce the law is the illegals. But then they don't seem to have much respect for the law anyway...ours OR theirs.
you also wrote: "the South western USA was part of Spain then of Mexico and then taken through the violence of war by the USA"
yeah, it WAS through violence that we aquired the southwest territory...MEXICAN violence, and had Santa Ana not chosen to invade Texas, maybe they'd hold those lands today. Had he not attacked us, we wouldn't have had to kick his @ss.
Truth is, we easily defeated their invading army and ultimately ended up occupying their capital city and most of their miserable little country. Though it would have been well within our rights to keep ALL the land we occupied, we gave most of it them back them. The bits that we kept, we paid for in cold hard cash. And it cost millions more than we paid for the entire Louisiana Purchase. It's always telling when pro-illegal people start whining about how that land was "stolen" so that they can justify the blatant law-breaking by hispanics. Sorry, but it wasn't "taken", it was sold off by the Mexicans themselves.
By the way, had we *not* purchased it from the Mexicans, we probably could have saved some cash by purchasing it from the French when THEY took over Mexico a few years later.
Posted by: Righteous Indignation | April 29, 2008 10:50 AM
Somebody mentioned their wasn't enough guest workers to harvest crops. Perhaps they should ask why farmers prefer just straight illegal labor...?
Rep. Raúl Grijalva says that farmers in Arizona are not planting sections of their fields out of fear that they won't have enough workers to harvest the crops. As a solution to this problem, Grijalva supports legislation by state Sen. Marsha Arzberger, D-Willcox, and state Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, who represent agriculture-heavy districts, to create a state-sponsored guest-worker program. House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also wants to allow the influx of foreign nationals. Perhaps her main reason is because she needs swarms of cheap labor that she can exploit on her grape plantations in central California. She is also trying to gut the border fence. As if that was not enough the leading Democrats are have amended President Bushes fence law and underfunded it. Including to re-engineer the plans of Rep.Duncan Hunter (R-CA) for a two-tier fence. Currently we have a damn mess were instead of miles of border barrier, we have towers with inoperative camera, sensing equipment and millions of dollars in wasted taxpayers money. Duncan Hunters border fence in San Diego county, California had a 90% success rate of stopping drugs, white slavery and an illegal aliens easy path into America.
But why are these politicians and farmers opting for an Arizona guest-worker program when the federal government already has on?. It's called the H-2A visa program designed for U.S. companies hiring foreign workers to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature. Why do they want to set-up shop in Mexico? Here there are very few workers laws, safety measures and they can exploit the poor, cheap labor.
However in this nation this program has a number of advantages for employers, most notably the assurance of a legal, documented work force and the reduction of labor turnover with the resulting loss in productivity. No restrictions are made on the number of H-2A workers that are admitted yearly.
So why don't farmers like the program?
Maybe it's because they don't like the H-2A visa requirements intended to protect workers from exploitive working conditions. Or they don't like having to pay the same wages as comparable U.S. workers would have to be paid as determined by the Department of Labor.
Or they don't like having to provide the laborer with an earnings statement detailing the worker's total earnings, the hours of work offered and the hours actually worked. That they don't like having to provide housing to all H-2A workers, which must be inspected by the Department of Labor to assure minimum federal standards.
Or they don't like having to provide transportation to and from the guest worker's temporary home as well as transportation to the next work place when the contract is fulfilled. Or they don't care having to provide meals or facilities in which the workers can prepare food. Or they don't like having to provide worker's compensation insurance, nor do they have to provide health insurance. The taxpayers provide that as a free-be to pariah employers.
If farmers had to comply with the federally mandated requirements, it would defeat the advantages of hiring cheap illegal immigrant labor in the first place. What farmers really want is to legalize the on-demand hiring of the same cheap labor they have always hired, with the taxpayers footing the bill for workers' benefits like schooling for their young, including free meals under title 1. Free student books and other complimentary hand-outs, including free health care. Not forgetting that low wage earners can apply for food stamps, subsidized housing, baby sitters for their toddlers and many other benefits on the taxpayers dime.
That is why some politicians like Grijalva push for the H-2A visa program? Could it be that they want "temporary" to really be "permanent" -- advocating that in return for the "cheap" lettuce produced, temporary workers and their families deserve a path to permanent U.S. citizenship? Is this a way around immigration enforcement, like the federal SAVE ACT now pending.
What is certain is that neither the farmers nor the lawmakers are really interested in what is good for America -- and the U.S. citizen worker is in this nation. They have become the puppets of the special interest lobby.
We desperately need a federal mandated law such as the SAVE ACT(H.R.4088), so we can seal our borders, and fully restrict illegal immigration within the interior of America as well.
Posted by: Brittanicus | April 29, 2008 10:42 AM
I say we open Ellis Island again...What was good enough for my grand parents and my parents should be good enough for any immigrant wanting to come into the USA. They had to wait their turn. The big difference is they stayed here rasied familys that all became American's. The illegal immigrants of today are here to send money to their family's (devalueing our dollar) and raping our way of life and our American system....
Posted by: Harry | April 29, 2008 10:24 AM
Mr. Feaver, you really should be more careful with your use of statistics. For costs of the program you use a five year figure of 26 million and for savings you use a one year figure of 6 million. You would be more clear and demonstrate that you were not biased in your reporting if you compared year on year figures rather than five year costs to one year benefits.
Posted by: | April 29, 2008 5:26 AM
Immigrants do jobs americans wont do for minimum wage. Thats the truth. I have some young friends/relatives that couldn't get into college and they are having a really tough time because they can't hardly make over $10 an hour. I am in college now, but I once worked construction for $7 an hour right next to people who I wouldn't doubt were illegal. If it wasn't for illegal immigration, our poverty rate would probably be 5% because so all those people in poverty would be making higher wages. Its simple economics. If you decrease the supply of cheap labor and the demand stays about the same, the price will go up and they will make higher wages. Its that simple.
Posted by: ajs87 | April 29, 2008 4:19 AM
The word you're looking for is 'deport'. The powers-that-be need to firmly grasp their counterweights and do more law enforcement. Some improvements have been made but 1/2-donkeyed efforts, public corruption, and mealy-mouthed politics don't get the job done.
Buy 2 citizenships, get your third citizenship for just $19.95, now at Alberto's House O' Immigration! Foxes guarding the henhouse, too. Reform, deport, stop pulling our chains with this one or at least save some money in there by just abolishing USCIS.
Posted by: Bert | April 29, 2008 1:52 AM
The basic facts in this situation are crystal clear. Mexico is ruled by an oligarchy consisting of a few hyper-wealthy families who do not want their extraordinarily luxurious life styles reduced by the kinds of political and economic reforms it would take to make Mexico a modern state that takes care of its citizens; such reforms, in fact, might topple them from power.
To reduce the chances of this revolution or even massive reforms taking place, the Mexican government makes every effort possible to reduce pressure for such changes by making it extraordinarily easy for those oppressed by the oligarchy to cross the Mexican border into the United States. Once across the boarder, we both care for them as their own government will not and the illegal aliens from Mexico get off the books jobs that still enable them to siphon off $25 billion a year for remittances to relative back in Mexico which further reduces the chances of real reform in Mexico. Because illegal aliens cost the U.S. tens of billions of dollars each years in extra costs for health care, education, social services and law enforcement at the same time as they are extracting and remitting massive amounts of money from the U.S. economy they are a major net drain on our economy.
In addition to this net monetary drain on the U. S. economy, the provision of all of these services to illegal aliens and their families means that citizens and legal aliens are often either not getting the government services their taxes pay for or their access to such services is reduced or delayed.
Meanwhile, the same routes that facilitate massive numbers of illegal aliens crossing our boarders not only facilitate a large trade in prostitutes and counterfeit goods but also facilitate the transport of massive amounts of drugs from Mexico--which poison our citizens and destabilize our country--while again providing billions more in U.S. dollars to Mexican drug cartels--often indistinguishable from the Mexican government itself; bottom line, even more American money extracted from America to the benefit of Mexico.
All the while, mind you, Mexican officials--who tightly control their southern border with Guatemala, don't allow non-Mexicans to own land and pick up and harshly treat any illegals they find in Mexico, lecture the U.S. government about how inhospitable and bad we are for wanting to control our border.
Good borders make good neighbors. Correct relations with Mexico, yes, them walking all over us, no. Invited guests, yes, thieves and moochers who break into our home and steal our clothes and food and try to take our seat at our table, no.
Posted by: Dave | April 28, 2008 10:06 PM
Every year economic immigrants leave their farms in Mexico and make the journey north ward. There are many reasons why they come, legally or illegally. One of the biggest is that American owned multi-national agribusinesses like Monsanto now require that the seed sold to them (at very high prices) be genetically engineered. This is the same with hybrid seed plants which can not produce a plant the following year because the seeds produced by hybrid plants are sterile. Small farmers there cannot to pay high prices at no profit to them. Our big companies, especially huge agribusiness are especially involved in forcing small farmers out of business in both Mexico and the USA. Ask our own farmers about it. We must clean up our own act and stop huge multi-nationals from using their monopolies to do this to the small business farmers if we want to solve the illegal immigration problems we face.(Not to say anything about the outragous prices they charge us for food.) Did you know that many of the American twin plants operating in Mexico under NAFTA have abandoned Mexican Workers just as they did American workers to move on to lower wages in Central America, South America and the slave labor shops of Indo China? The domino effect continues its momentum driven by greed of the huge banks and wall street lawyers who support the multi-nationals. We need to unite with other working families in the USA and in Mexico to resolve these problems. Place blame where blame is due. Consider and think what is really happening. As a person of Mexican Heritage, from when the South western USA was part of Spain then of Mexico and then taken through the violence of war by the USA, I have a slightlly different perspective of the color BROWN. I am proud to say that my family was here in the early 1700s long before other European settlers came here. Regardless of what you call me, you can not change historical fact. My civil rights are as important as anyone elses. We are a mix between European Spaniard and Indian Americans!
Posted by: Vozukl | April 28, 2008 8:51 PM
Posted by: LonewackoDotCom | April 28, 2008 8:23 PM
The Politicians like McCain, Obama & Hillary indeed most of the Democrats alone with the rest of the open Border pro-illegal Aliens supporters & the media false compassion for Illegal Aliens is sicking. This Nation has 47 millions citizens without medical insurance, Million of our elderly decide between food and medicine every day. Millions of American children live in poverty with no chance at the American dream. Our vets. return from the war that came about by lies from Politicians without proper medical care or treatment. Yet they shower rewards on the Illegal Aliens, free medical, free schooling for their many children, no reward is too great for the ones that break our laws, invaded this country and demand their rights.
The Politicians try to get the public to believe it is their great Compassion. Bull, it is the money they get from business from supplying them cheap labor paid for by the tax payers on the Republican side and the welfare votes on the Democrat side. If they really are Compassion and Caring there are Millions of American Citizens that have played by the rules, payed their taxes, obeyed the laws, fought the wars and built this Nation in great need, that the Politicians could use to show their Compassion but compassion for American citizens does not get either Money or Votes for our Corrupt/Lying Politicians.
Posted by: gary | April 28, 2008 7:34 PM
To hear Democrats and Hispanic racists tell it, the 38 million or so criminals in America from Mexico and further points south are not "illegal aliens," but rather are undocumented lovers, students, philanthropists, poets, philosophers, artists, circus clowns, snake charmers, human rights activists, and other vital cogs in the American way of life.
According to deluded open borders nut cases, nary a terrorist or other manner of criminal is among the beloved 38 million. Each and every one is a noble and loving human, worthy of the highest form of respect that can be conferred on a stranger without knowing a damn thing about that stranger's medical, financial, criminal, or social background and history. There is, they point out, no Spanish translation for the words Al-Quaeda. Not needed, you see, because terrorists are weeded out of Latino families at an early age. And raised to be members of MS-13 and other respectable Latino gangs, we might add!
So to the leftist and Hispanic racist mind set, the issue of illegal immigration is merely a Caucasian-inspired canard to keep brown people out of America. What is the fuss, they scream, over a simple piece of paper when human poverty and hunger need to be addressed?
Pope Benedict even joined the fray by lecturing American politicians about the awful consequences of separating families.
So, Your Holiness, why not counsel your flock of brown sheep to stay with their families in their home nations, instead of invading America and wrecking the aspirations of middle-class American citizen families?
In other words, if family is so damn important to Pancho, Pancho should not leave his family in Mexico to come here for food stamps and welfare!
To those already here and in a snit about leaving family, do us a favor: Take all your family, including anchor babies, with you back to Mexico! Keep that family together--just not here!
But to concede a point ever so slightly, I agree that illegal aliens deserve some form of American documentation. Specifically, a deportation order for each and every last one of the 38 million invaders!
Deportation orders are what illegals deserve and, when fully executed, will benefit America and the American people.
Posted by: bl | April 28, 2008 7:30 PM
In California, where I live, illegal immigrants can apply for health care through the state-financed program-- medical. They can go to public school. They can go to public universities and get the in-state tuition rates. They drive cars without licenses, thus contributing to high insurance rates, because, when they get into accidents, they have no insurance. Thus, all of our collective insurance rates go up. Moreover, you're starting to see the rise of illegal immigrant gangs turning formerly peaceful neighborhoods in LA County into war zones. Despite the increase in illegal immigrant gang-related violence, the mayor is opposed and refuses to let the police inquire about immigration status of the gang members they arrest!
I do not understand this. If we want to curtail the number of illegal immigrants, why are we providing free school, cheap university, and free health care through government programs to people WHO DON'T PAY TAXES. We're creating a welfare state for illegal immigrants. We've got a big welcome sign on the door and saying come-on-in!
Second, I do not understand why the county of LA, which is facing this spike in gang violence is not allowed to ask about immigration status. If you're in this country illegally and killing people, you should be deported and sent to prison in your country of origin.
Someone explain the logic of these policies to me.
Posted by: Calicali | April 28, 2008 5:15 PM
Immigration concerns in our country can be partially caused by our own actions as a country totally unknown by the citizenry of the US. The majority of our attitudes are that if a person wants to make a life here in the US then let them go through the correct avenues to get here. Our states post a shortage of doctors and nurses, yet we turn them a way at our foreign consulates when they apply for a visa to visit. A visit visa to meet hospital dept. heads, state licensing boards, etc. The State Depts. web site looks nice, friendly, and welcoming to visitors from other countries. But the guidelines by which a foreigner gets a visa to the US can be expensive and heartbreaking. When a person has crossed all the t`s and doted the i`s, paid the fees and they are denied and given "You don't qualify, there is no guarantee sir or madam that you will return to your home country," as a reason.". Does a person purchase a flight ticket that includes a return flight not knowing if they will get the visa? Both expenses, obviously, are non-refundable. This foreigner I speak of is a respected physician in the last few months of a residency program. She has a son, a large family all of whom have a visa to visit and plans for a Disney trip next year. She has a vacation in May and wanted to meet me after one year of conversing on the phone and internet as well as meet hospital and board members to ascertain the opportunities of making a life here for her son, my children and me. Obviously, she would have to return to her country, her son, and her last month of a long residency program to complete the medical training as an Anesthesiologist. But she was denied. Maybe these are the reasons why our U.S. Coast Guard spends so much time and tax revenue repatriating people from other countries. Possibly they have tried the correct avenues of visas but have been denied based on issues of not having enough money in their bank account, divorce, no children or lack of any hard visual reason to return to their native country. Or whatever the reason of the day is. Obviously, we don't need more people here on government help. And since we continue to let all our jobs go to Mexico, China, India, not to mention our resources, we have an unemployment rate that is shameful when you look at all the jobs that have gone to other countries. Yes we need to protect our borders for numerous reasons. But when a person tries the correct way they are denied. We simply wanted to meet to see if we should continue talking. Thanks USCIS for nothing! Upset in Indiana
Posted by: steve | April 28, 2008 4:50 PM
It is just simple economics. There is opportunity in America and there isn't the same kind of opportunity elswhere in some parts of the world. America does need immigrants to keep their economy running whether be it legal or illegal? Both contribute to the American economy. If it weren't for the illegals building American homes, doing landscaping jobs, and serving you good foods in restaurants in a cheaper price, where some of the workers are exploited by the American citizens. The recession n America right now could have really been depression in America.
Posted by: lol | April 28, 2008 4:17 PM
I read that Mexico city with its 20 million population can't process all of the sewage and that farmers routinely irrigate crops with water that is contaminated with sewage. The city is one of the worst for air polution and smog. It's slum area alone is supposed to be over 4 million people which is larger than almost all American cities.
Posted by: Phil | April 28, 2008 3:54 PM
First, let us remember the "illegal" part of being an illegal immigrant. Most Americans don't seem to have problems with legal immigration, however it only seems fair to question the value of any additions to our country who already show no regard for it's laws upon arrival.
Second, it seems far too easily forgotten that one must be an U.S. citizen in order to warrant the rights afforded to a citizen. That should be the end of discussion.
Third, legal immigrants working alongside native born citizens have made this country what it is. We have thrived on the contributions of immigrants and will usually need them, though to varying degrees, throughout most sectors of our economy. The problem is that we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to those who enter illegally, ignore our laws and seek to subvert our culture and national values. We welcome those who follow the rules, learn the English language, and respect our sovereignty. As illegal immigrants, it is not only offensive but also ridiculous to ask for rights, which they have not earned.
Let's secure our borders by building the fence so we have an effective and controlled immigration system at the same time as we enforce our currently existing immigration laws. During this interval we encourage illegals to depart (attrition through enforcement). Once our borders are secured and we have a grip on a functional system of immigration, we move against those illegals that have refused to leave. We should never ever grant amnesty.
We tried 'comprehensive immigration reform' in 1986. We gave amnesty to 3 million illegal aliens in exchange for the government promising to secure the borders, conduct workplace enforcement and enforce immigration law. It didn't work because the government lied and did nothing other than process the amnesty paperwork. Due to that folly, we now have 20 Million or more illegal aliens here demanding amnesty. Don't you think it is far beyond time that we engage in Comprehensive Immigration ENFORCEMENT rather than Comprehensive Immigration Reform?
Posted by: zeezil | April 28, 2008 3:38 PM
Whether there's a "help wanted" sign at the border or not, they STILL have no right to take that job. THEY know that it's illegal to come here even IF some shady employer offers them work, but they just have no respect for the law, ours OR theirs.
If these (non)apologists for illegal aliens were HONEST, they'd admit that we have beaucoups of temporary agricultural worker programs RIGHT NOW that farmers refuse to use. Why? Because the paperwork needed to follow the rules is aggravating, the fees aren't cheap, and the programs require farmers to fulfill certain requirements that they don't have to worry about with illegal labor.
It's a sorry mess all the way around but I and millions of Americans just like me are NOT willing to sell "amnesty" to criminal aliens for a few thousand dollars, no matter HOW pitiful the illegals sob-story is or how loudly the scofflaw farmers wail.
Posted by: Rightous Indignation | April 28, 2008 2:31 PM
Have you seen that the latest public figure that is now pushing for the rights of illegal immigrants is no other than Jessie Jackson. He thinks that low skilled Blacks and Hispanics are the same. He fails to understand that his client group, low income black people, are really the ones who are being hurt by the waves of mostly illegal aliens from South of the Border.
Posted by: Bruce | April 28, 2008 2:26 PM
My brother was willing to work in the service field (Janitor) for a fair wage. But they let him go and hired all immigrants. This was after they cut his pay in half to $6 an hour trying to force him to leave the job but he stood his ground and they finally fired him. Do the math that is $240 a week before taxes that is $12480 a year. He was the last one left. So this idea that Tiffany and Brandon will not want a job is complete nonsense that is used to try a justified the need for illegal immigrants. My brother has since moved to Winchester were he could fine companies that are willing to hire people that are here legally to work in the US.
Posted by: WinchesterBound | April 28, 2008 1:54 PM
Edweirdness - while you make some good points, I have to ask: have you been to any farms in North Dakota/No. Minnesota where my in-laws live? Like in many rural communities, the population does not support the need these farms face. Right or wrong, migrant workers are a necessary fact of life. Farmers in this region haven't met these desperate job-seeking American citizens you refer to despite their efforts to recruit workers. Great time to be a farmer? I'll be sure to tell my brother-in-law and his neighbors that times never have been better.
As you point out, the only reason that many of these farmers are in business is because of the farm bills that we, as taxpayers, pay for. And farms are still going out of business anyway causing competition to go down, and costs to go up. Many of them have jumped on the biofuel bandwagon, because it's the only way they can make ends. As they discontinue crops, we will and are already relying on more imports like soybeans from Brazil. Did I say food prices will be going up?
Talk to a USDA employee sometime - I live with one. Again - Any immigration reform needs to address these seasonal needs of the American farmer.
Posted by: Calm Down and Think | April 28, 2008 1:27 PM
We need to keep our hateful speeches on the side, and resolve this issue. We all need a compromising solution. We need CIR Bill to fix the current situation, get all on the books, make them pay taxes. And, strongly enforce and secure our borders. Economy will boost as soon as they become legal, they will start spending here, paying fees, licences, buying cars/houses and all. This will save this country. As they are already here and making money. So, just by whinning won't do anything. We need a bill which can solve this big mess and can make new strict laws to secure our border. For the last time we have to go thru with this to avoid future problems.
Posted by: John | April 28, 2008 1:06 PM
Some inconvenient facts (Mexico's statistics were simply the most readily available, so I chose them):
Mexico has the 12th. largest GDP on the planet, with only a third the population of the United States.
Mexico has an unemployment rate of 3.6%, while the unemployment rate in the United States is 4.8% (of a population 3 times larger than Mexico).
Population living below the poverty line in Mexico, 13.8%, the population living below the poverty line in the United States 12.0%.
Posted by: edweirdness | April 28, 2008 1:05 PM
American farmers experienced the highest level of productivity ever this year! Far from "crops rotting in the fields" as the result of "lack of workers", American farmers are increasingly turning to mechanized forms of harvesting, and to higher profit margin specialty crops and "organic" production methods.
Arguably, today is the best time ever to be a farmer, and if the massive farm bill passes, definitely so. One need look no farther than the dumpster behind any grocery store, restaurant, school, hospital or military facility to realize that we throw away more produce than we consume.
Indeed, America exports more food than we import and far more than we consume. One true point of concern is the effect that mass immigration (legal as well as illegal) is having on the avilability and expense of farm land and green space.
Overpopulation, congestion, urban sprawl, crime, pollution, lack of affordable housing, overcrowded schools and emergency rooms, diminishing resources, depressed wages, increased tax burdens, the balkanization of our communities and the overall decline in quality of life, are all the result of unconstrained immigration.
Too many people competing for limited resources has never been considered sound economic, environmental, social or cultural policy.
American's once held all the jobs that employers now assert American's won't do. American employers have forgotten how to recruit, retain and compete for the workers they need. Farmers are no different than other businesses. The objective remains to buy cheap and sell dear, and I doubt you'll find any employer who would suggest that constraining business to compete" for American workers is unfair. However; most of them would still prefer not to have to compete for workers!
Posted by: edweirdness | April 28, 2008 12:58 PM
How simplicist, how trite, how typical of a knee jerk bleeding heart apologist. Look, by the lastest estimates there are 30 million illegals in this country. These are, to be sure, desperately poor people, here to take any job they can get to deed their family. The result of these masses of desparately poor, is that they COMPETE with American workers for jobs, bidding down wages and benefits. The results FOR AMERICAN WORKERS has been the dangerous collapse of those wages and benefits, increased poverty, broken families, crime, an unavoidable increase in the suicide rate, health problems, and much much worse. Now, blaming the illegals is for their plight is clearly stupid. Likewise, blaming private industry for hiring cheap, albeit illegal, labor is evidently perfectly okay with the writer of this column. However, none of this wpould exist if the illegals weren't here. The ONLY option we have is to emulate Europe - actively seek out illegal immigrants, imprison them for up to 18 months, and ship them out. Deny any and all ilegals immigrants and social service, deny their children schooling, denying the family any medical assistance, and bring the 14th Amendment before the Supreme Court for clarification. It was passed during Reconstruction to grant citizenship to the children of former slaves. It was never intended to grant citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants - and their is language in that amnedment that is often overlooked, that can be interpreted to mean exactly that. This country, corporations, and empty headed leftists, all owe the citizens of this country jobs, owe their children an education, owe them health care, and a shot at the Amercian dream. We owe NOTHING to illegal immigrants nor to their children. Deport them, make life a living hell here for them, force them go home or forceably return them home. ALl of this is what is done in Eruope, everywhere else in this world, it's time we emulate them.
Posted by: mibrooks27 | April 28, 2008 12:56 PM
Undocumented workers built Prince William County. They added a lot of value to that jurisdiction. This country would strangle in its own spit if it wasn't for the sweat and toil of people who risk a lot to come here. It's time to give them a legal right to be here and continue supporting the value-added that this country produces.
Posted by: chambedr | April 28, 2008 12:45 PM
JUST THINK,ALL OF THIS WOULD'NT BE HAPPENIG IF THIS POLITICIAN WORKING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID WHAT THEY TOOK AN OATH FOR, TO ENFORCE ALL OF THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES . SO WE PAY THIER SALARIES WITH OUR TAX MONEY AND THEN WE STILL HAVE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.SO WHO'S THE STUPID ONES. WHEN WILL THE POLITICIANS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIER INACTION!
Posted by: T.MILLER | April 28, 2008 12:29 PM
1) Dave - 12 welders is one thing - it's another when farmers must rely on migrant workers at harvest time. Crops are being left to literally rot because farmers cannot get the help. You want those Americans who decide to work these fields (they don't) to get a fair wage? Well be sure to suck it up at the grocery store, because prices will get even higher. The simple truth - again - is this: Americans simply.will.not.do.these.jobs.
All this during a growing food shortage too. What a wonderful policy.
2) The fence - think about your property. Now think about a fence going right through your back yard. Perhaps right up to your house. Perhaps the government will just take it (eminent domain). This is what law-abiding American citizens are facing down along the border - land that has been in families for generations will be taken in one of the biggest federal government land grabs in history. Property was one of the most important items in our Founding documents, and this wall makes mockery of it.
A fence will not solve this problem. Period.
Benjamin Franklin said - Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Immigration reform can and will work if our political leaders actually take a stand. Let our nation of laws lead the way - not hysterical people.
Posted by: Calm Down and Think | April 28, 2008 12:19 PM
Truth - It is funny how the Cato Institute analysis ignores one simple fact - that we have not been at anything approaching full employment since the 1960's. It is only if you ignore that fact that the Cato Institute analysis makes sense. Add to that the fact that today our Unemployment Statistics ignore the unemployed who want to work but have not looked for a job in the last four WEEKS and the Cato analysis falls flat on its face. Per the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Report 12.2 million Americans are looking for work. Per recently released Social Security Administration data about 7.2 million Illegal Immigrants are working. So in fact Illegal Immigrants HAVE pushed Citizens and Legal Residents into the ranks of the Unemployed. And if you look back over the last two decades this has always been true. So the concept that Illegal Immigrants do work Americans will not do is incorrect. The concept that we need the workers who come here illegally is also not true. The million or so Legal Immigrants per year that we currently let in are enough to meet our job growth needs. The current system gives priorities to workers in areas with labor shortages, like Nursing. As a result, those who come illegally are predominantly in areas where we have many unemployed, looking for work. And the surveys show that the Illegal Workers are in fact depressing wages. In many cases this wage depression pushes wages below that paid by unemployment and welfare. So it would seem that Cato likes to adjust the analysis to fit the conclusion.
Posted by: Norski | April 28, 2008 12:17 PM
Last time I checked we were living in America. Land of the brave, home of the free. To bad the only FREE are the ones that souldn't be here. Why are Americans supose to change our ways to accomidate these people. We now have to look at everything with two languages. Our Children are being taught SPANISH, not because they want to but because they have to. I'm sorry but don't you think that maybe that should be reversed. If you go to another country to live you should learn that language. I'm glad we only have people from Mexico coming into this country. Oh wait a minute, we don't. We have people coming from all over the world to live here. So why are we only changing for one and not all the others. Makes you wonder a little. I quess the numbers don't lie. It is long over due for a big change in this country. Clean house so to speak or maybe just maybe the American people will finally say enough is enough and will start doing the job of cleaning house them selves. Either way something needs to be done.
Posted by: Paul | April 28, 2008 12:10 PM
Bush quote," jobs Americans won't do..?" How come then that 12 illegal aliens got arrested in a Newport News shipyard. They were working as welders and earning $28.00 an hour.
So that for a start is a bunch of garbage? Thousands of American workers, who have that skill would be only to happy, to be earning that wage.
Posted by: Dave | April 28, 2008 11:31 AM
We should not restrain any of our law enforcement, from questioning anybody about their immigration status. I Oklahoma, they are beginning to win the illegal immigration invasion battle.
STATE ENFORCEMENT IS WORKING BETTER THAN EXPECTED!! OH! OKLAHOMA!
As reported in the London, British media and other national papers around the world. A very high profile article appears in the London Telegraph, UK media. It's so embarrassing that the US press is so liberally biased in it's reporting, that they never offer an open book to reader. Most of the time you getter better researched and unsuppressed reporting from foreign sources.
'Unemployment rates are have dramatically risen across the United States, except in Oklahoma. That state is experiencing the most dramatic reduction in unemployment since 2007, an improvement many in Oklahoma attribute to the passage last year by the state legislature of a strong predator employment sanctions law.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported unemployment in Oklahoma had fallen to 3.1 percent in March, down from 4 percent in March last year, while unemployment nationwide was 5.1 percent, up from 4.4 percent in March last year.
"Oklahoma is no longer 'OK' for illegal aliens," said State Rep. Randy Terrill, who sponsored House Bill 1804 which passed by overwhelming majorities last year in both the House (84-14) and Senate (41-6) of the Oklahoma Legislature.
"The bottom line is illegal aliens will not come here if there are no jobs waiting for them," Terrill said. "They will not stay here if there is no government handouts, and they certainly won't stay here if they know that if they ever encounter our state and local law enforcement officers, they will be physically detained until (ICE) arrives.
States like California need to take notice that they had a $9 billion budget meltdown, according to California Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, a Republican from Oceanside
Now you can read the disturbing details in the new 70-page document called "The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration" by Edwin S. Rubenstein (eagleforum.org/sources). A Manhattan Institute adjunct academic with a mile-long scholarly resume, he has been doing financial analysis ever since he directed the studies of government waste for the Grace Commission of 1984.
Keep calling your Congressmen today, and demand they co-author The Federal SAVE ACT (H.R. 4088). Toll free at 1-877-851-6437 and 1-866-220-0044 & 1-202-224-3121 AND REGISTER YOUR OUTRAGE.
Also petition to build the border fence as originally planned at grassfire.
Please copy and paste and distribute freely.
Posted by: Brittanicus | April 28, 2008 11:27 AM
so you've got random people sneaking into your home, sleeping in your bed, eating your food AND using your money? sounds like you need a home security system.
Posted by: NoVA resident | April 28, 2008 11:25 AM
I find it amazing that there was even one comment supporting illegal immigration. And even those that I found are emotional arguments that make no logical or pragmatic sense. There were many other excellent comments to the previous story that were written better than what we find in the WP. They should be ashamed of themselves - making it sound as if pro-illegal immigration supporters made up more than a few of the responses. We all agree that all people should be treated humanely. But that does not mean illegal immigrants shouldn't go home or be hunted down like an animal when they refuse to do so. We are giving them a chance to leave with their dignity instead being uprooted forcibly. If they stay - they know it's gonna get harder and harder - not a smart move if you have kids. Illegal aliens should go home and fight to improve conditions in their own countries -we did and still do.
Posted by: MJB44 | April 28, 2008 11:20 AM
The problem with implementing comprehensive, is that there is no way to enforce it. If you say "Ok, everybody who is here ilegally, come forward and pay fines, taxes and learn English. Then get into line to earn citizenship." Ok lets be realistic, lets say of of the 12 millon ilegally here, 10 millon take you up on the offer,what the heck do you do about the 2 millon who pretty much say screw you? Do you go after them? We have already been told that we can not round up all the illegals. If we start going after them, the left will go oh you evil right wingers, how dare you go after the illegals who broke the law to get here and then shunned the immigration reform. How do you enforce it? No matter if your on the right, left or stuck in the middle, we need enforcement first. We need a secure border, and I don't mean some virtual fence that can't even stop virtual people. Also we have something called the National Guard and we need to use them. When units have thier 2 weeks a year service, we need to rotate them along the border. For people who say we can't possibly have armed forces on the border, then fine,during a patrol of 5 guards, have 4 unarmed but for god sakes, have at least one armed to protect the others who are not armed.Unless you are somebody that believes that drug runners and certain illegals just don't carry weapons. Its time for the U.S. to get real.
Posted by: fbullock | April 28, 2008 11:16 AM
Most of these posts are nonsensical. Here's one that really got me:
"cold fact remains: Americans simply won't do these jobs. "
Well, another cold hard fact is that my brother (born in New York) is a landscaper. So, obviously that statement is flat out wrong. A more correct answer would be that American's demand more pay for jobs that illegal immigrants are willing to work for less. Many businesses want this because it's cheaper on two fronts 1. lower wages and 2. they don't need to pay for worker's comp. insurance. If a business can't survive without underpaying their employees then they don't deserve to be in business.
It seems to me that a number of things could be done to humanly solve the problem. The first step would to implement no-match letters and crack down on business for employing illegals. The next step would be to create a visa system without a path to citizenship (they can wait in line like everyone else) that would allow them to work in the US in certain sectors like agriculture. I think that most of the illegals just want an income larger than the one they can receive in Mexico and not citizenship (hence the plethora of Mexican flags during the first immigration march). ICE should be beefed up to enforce current and future immigration laws.
A way to create jobs in Mexico is to tax companies that import from China for the inspections that are required to verify the quality of said imports. Those higher taxes will do two things, protect the US consumer from unregulated manufacturers in China and will make it more desirable for US companies to manufacture in Mexico instead due to cheaper costs. Manufacturing in Mexico might also be more environmentally friendly since Mexico is much closer than China.
Posted by: Rich | April 28, 2008 11:09 AM
I am proud to live and have been educated in Virginia, I am proud of our nation, and I am proud of our nation's history as the "shining city on the Hill." But after reading so many hate-filled, bitter e-mails, it reminds me that the social changes and gains Americans were once proud are being forgotten. It's such a shame, and it's really frightening too.
I think students of history would be interested in comparing the vitriolic fear-mongering common in many of the e-mails with much of the rhetoric in Europe in the 1930s before the Second World War. It's always easy to pick on those who do not have the resources to fight back, regardless of their "legal status."
And by the way, people, calling others names when they disagree with you and yelling loudly doesn't make you right: it just makes you sound angry and afraid...not much above the mental level of a herd of stampeding cattle. I think the great men who wrote the Federalist papers would nod to each other and say: "You see, this, the tyranny of the majority, is what we feared the most." (By the way, the people who wrote the Federalist papers weren't a bunch of "liberal losers": they were guys like Madison and Hamilton!)
Go ahead and yell at me and call me names. Go ahead and show your anger by impugning my integrity. But when reason gives way to hatred and bigotry, and when "respectable" newspapers and politicians give ear to hatred and bigotry, it's the beginning of the end of civilization, which depends on compromise and reasoned discourse to continue to function. God gave us big brains; why not use them instead of resorting to our baser impulses?
Posted by: oldtownwest | April 28, 2008 11:02 AM
It's so funny to see how supporters of illegal immigration use the same tactics to skew the debate. They use the word "xenophobic." They use "immigrant" instead of illegal immigrant." They claim U.S. citizens won't cut grass or make beds thus we must allow 20 million illegals stay. These pro-illegal supporters miss the mark by a mile. They get crushed in this debate over and over and over again - yet they keep up their ignorant name calling arguments. I can't wait to sneak into their homes, sleep in their rooms, eat their food, use their money, and call them xenophobes when they tell me to leave. Fair is Fair!
Posted by: IllegalsLose | April 28, 2008 10:45 AM
Daniel Griswold: Immigration law should reflect our dynamic labor market
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, April 27, 2008
Daniel Griswold is director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute in Washington. His writings on immigration can be found at www.freetrade.org; e-mail him at dgriswold@cato.org.
Among its many virtues, America is a nation where laws are generally reasonable, respected and impartially enforced. A glaring exception is immigration.
Today an estimated 12 million people live in the U.S. without authorization, 1.6 million in Texas alone, and that number grows every year. Many Americans understandably want the rule of law restored to a system where law-breaking has become the norm.
The fundamental choice before us is whether we redouble our efforts to enforce existing immigration law, whatever the cost, or whether we change the law to match the reality of a dynamic society and labor market.
Low-skilled immigrants cross the Mexican border illegally or overstay their visas for a simple reason: There are jobs waiting here for them to fill, especially in Texas and other, faster growing states. Each year our economy creates hundreds of thousands of net new jobs - in such sectors as retail, cleaning, food preparation, construction and tourism - that require only short-term, on-the-job training.
At the same time, the supply of Americans who have traditionally filled many of those jobs - those without a high school diploma - continues to shrink. Their numbers have declined by 4.6 million in the past decade, as the typical American worker becomes older and better educated.
Yet our system offers no legal channel for anywhere near a sufficient number of peaceful, hardworking immigrants to legally enter the United States even temporarily to fill this growing gap. The predictable result is illegal immigration
In response, we can spend billions more to beef up border patrols. We can erect hundreds of miles of ugly fence slicing through private property along the Rio Grande. We can raid more discount stores and chicken-processing plants from coast to coast. We can require all Americans to carry a national ID card and seek approval from a government computer before starting a new job.
Or we can change our immigration law to more closely conform to how millions of normal people actually live.
Crossing an international border to support your family and pursue dreams of a better life is not an inherently criminal act like rape or robbery. If it were, then most of us descend from criminals. As the people of Texas know well, the large majority of illegal immigrants are not bad people. They are people who value family, faith and hard work trying to live within a bad system.
When large numbers of otherwise decent people routinely violate a law, the law itself is probably the problem. To argue that illegal immigration is bad merely because it is illegal avoids the threshold question of whether we should prohibit this kind of immigration in the first place.
We've faced this choice on immigration before. In the early 1950s, federal agents were making a million arrests a year along the Mexican border. In response, Congress ramped up enforcement, but it also dramatically increased the number of visas available through the Bracero guest worker program. As a result, apprehensions at the border dropped 95 percent. By changing the law, we transformed an illegal inflow of workers into a legal flow.
For those workers already in the United States illegally, we can avoid "amnesty" and still offer a pathway out of the underground economy. Newly legalized workers can be assessed fines and back taxes and serve probation befitting the misdemeanor they've committed. They can be required to take their place at the back of the line should they eventually apply for permanent residency.
The fatal flaw of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act was not that it offered legal status to workers already here but that it made no provision for future workers to enter legally.
Immigration is not the only area of American life where a misguided law has collided with reality. In the 1920s and '30s, Prohibition turned millions of otherwise law-abiding Americans into lawbreakers and spawned an underworld of moon-shining, boot-legging and related criminal activity. (Sound familiar?) We eventually made the right choice to tax and regulate alcohol rather than prohibit it.
In the 19th century, America's frontier was settled largely by illegal squatters. In his influential book on property rights, The Mystery of Capital, economist Hernando de Soto describes how these so-called extralegals began to farm, mine and otherwise improve land to which they did not have strict legal title. After failed attempts by the authorities to destroy their cabins and evict them, federal and state officials finally recognized reality, changed the laws, declared amnesty and issued legal documents conferring title to the land the settlers had improved.
As Mr. de Soto wisely concluded: "The law must be compatible with how people actually arrange their lives." That must be a guiding principle when Congress returns to the important task of fixing our immigration laws.
Daniel Griswold is director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute in Washington. His writings on immigration can be found at www.freetrade.org; e-mail him at dgriswold@cato.org.
Posted by: Truth | April 28, 2008 10:11 AM
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Bayh Warns That GOP May 'Swift Boat' Obama Over His Former Pastor
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Bayh, who is supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, said he hoped other issues -- the economy, gasoline prices, health care and the cost of college -- will drive the decisions of most voters in Tuesday's Indiana primary. Obama has struggled in other states to win the votes of white, working class voters, and they could be the deciding vote next Tuesday.
Noting that even Obama has called the controversy of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright "a legitimate issue," Bayh said that in a presidential race, those voters will take more than the economy into their decision making before the primary.
"You're running for president and people want to get a sense of who you are, and when you're new to the public stage you're a little more susceptible to having the canvas painted in by your political opponents," Bayh said during an interview for the video program "PostTalk" on washingtonpost.com.
Bayh said neither he nor Clinton intended to inject the Wright controversy into the primary, but he is worried that Republicans will do so in a general election. "I'm sure the far right will be out there trying to do the whole Swift Boat thing and that sort of thing. But I hope people will focus on the most substantive issues and I think the vast majority of them will.
Bayh predicted a photo-finish in Tuesday's Indiana primary, but declined to called the Hoosier state a must-win event for Clinton. She trails Obama in polls in North Carolina, which also votes on Tuesday. A double loss on Tuesday would represent a major setback to her slender hopes of winning the Democratic nomination.
Bayh said that Indiana's proximity to Obama's home state of Illinois and the fact that independents and Republicans can vote in Tuesday's Democratic primary put Clinton at a greater disadvantage than she was in Pennsylvania last week, where only Democrats could vote. "If we had the same rules as Pennsylvania, I think she would win handily," Bayh said.
Bayh said Clinton started the Indiana race running behind Obama and has now brought the race to even. If she carries Indiana, this will be a very significant victory for her, he said.
Asked what advice he would give her if she loses Indiana and North Carolina, he demurred, saying he preferred to offer such guidance privately. "That's just a decision that she'll have to make," he said.
Bayh downplayed his own ability to deliver the state for Clinton next week. "There are no machines left in modern politics," he said with a laugh. But he added that the most useful advice he had given his Senate colleague was to be herself.
"She tends to portray a level of seriousness -- not to suggest he's not serious -- but strength, seasoning, the ability to deliver results," Bayh said in describing Clinton's appeal. "And so people who really feel they've got a lot at stake in this election I think are drawn more to her because they want somebody who'll actually get the job done, deliver the results, that they yearn for in their daily lives."
Bayh conceded there is some discomfort within the Democratic Party over the length and intensity of the Obama-Clinton campaign and said he prefers to see the nomination decided before Democrats assemble in Denver for their convention next August.
But he insisted there must be a solution to Michigan and Florida and said one key issue will be determining whether to count the popular vote in each state in assessing which candidate has won the most votes during the primaries and caucuses. The Democratic party has discounted the votes in those two states because their primaries were held in January, in violation of party rules.
Obama is expected to maintain a lead among pledged delegates, but Clinton is hoping to edge ahead of him in the popular vote. "The pledged delegates are intermediaries for real people," he said. "So who got the most real people to vote for them is something that matters. I don't know if we'll be able to determine who got the most real votes until we figure out how to count Florida and Michigan."
Bayh agreed that the Michigan issue is clouded because Obama took his name off the ballot there. But he insisted that counting Florida in the popular vote tabulation is entirely fair. "As a matter of law, those votes count," he said.
Bayh said if there is a clear outcome after the primaries end, then the superdelegates ought to quickly ratify the decision. But he held open that there could be another round of uncertainty. "If it looks like one side won the popular vote but another side won the pledged delegates, depending on how you count Florida, then maybe we've got a process we've got to go through to decide Florida and Michigan," he said. "But I don't think we're going to know until we get there."
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Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) today praised Sen. Barack Obama for denouncing his former pastor, but warned that Republicans will use the association to try to "Swift Boat" the Illinois senator if he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee this fall.
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Clinton's North Carolina Test
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By Jennifer Agiesta and Perry Bacon Jr. While Hillary Clinton aides don't acknowledge it directly, her momentum from a win in Pennsylvania may be blunted on Tuesday by one of the persistent problems of her candidacy: her struggles with black voters.
While polls show her effectively tied with Barack Obama in Indiana, she would gain more among both delegates and in the popular vote if she won the other state voting on May 6, North Carolina. But experts expect that more than a third of the voters in the Tar Heel state will be black, and according to National Election Pool exit polling, Obama has won by double-digits in all of the states where more than 30 percent of Democratic voters were black: South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Maryland and Virginia.
Out of 32 states where exit polls were conducted, nine states had primary electorates where more than a quarter of the electorate was black, and of those, Clinton won only Tennessee, which she carried by 13 points on the strength of her 41-point margin among white voters.
Of course, other demographics suggest Tuesday's outcome is still up for grabs and largely dependent on turnout. In South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana, Obama won overwhelmingly in part because of his fervent support among blacks, who comprised more than 40 percent of the electorate. In Maryland and Virginia, where around a third of the voters were black, and in Georgia, he was helped by high-percentages of college graduates, another Obama strength, and by better-than-average performances among all white voters.
In North Carolina, about four in 10 likely voters have college degrees, according to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, compared with nearly six in 10 in Maryland and Virginia and more than half in Georgia. In some ways the Tar Heel State is closer to Tennessee, where 35 percent of Democratic primary voters were college graduates.
In short, a very strong finish for Clinton among white voters without college degrees could put her in position to win the state if she can also peel off a small amount of the black vote. Obama could blow her out if black turnout is over 40 percent or he performs as strongly among white working-class voters as he did in a state like North Carolina's neighbor, Virginia.
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*** hillary ahead in north carolina ***
HAHAHA! How did that work out for you?
Matt Towery is a GOP shill (he used to manage Newt Gingrich's campaigns), and contributed the maximum $2300 to the Clinton campaign (look it up in federal filings) because he believes she would be easier to beat.
The funny part is that some idiots actually bought it.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:26 PM
Actually, you are an idiot.
Posted by: nic | May 6, 2008 1:40 PM
its very sad what has become of this presidential race seems to me that is a race between old hags( Hillary supporters ) against younger generation, in few words past as usual versus future for change, I am a senior myself and I am totally disgusted with these old asinine people, God help America for where we are headed
Posted by: joseph | May 1, 2008 8:08 PM
Facts are a stubborn thing. Obama cannot close his 20 year old relationship with Wright because there is so much video evidence against it. On the TV program THE VIEW, Obama declared that Reverend Wright accepted that his view were inappropriate and mischaracterized. That it had offended many people. Then weeks later Wright goes on a national Hate America Press Tour? This was a blatant lie. Or worse, Obama was fooled by Wright which is kind of scary. That a possible next president can be played by a character such as Wright. Check the video evidence yourselves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6J7yJ9R5p0
Posted by: Leanza Cornett | May 1, 2008 11:35 AM
Joe Andrew switches to OBMAMA
Joe's was appointed by Bill Clinton, but decided after McCain and Clinton pandered on GAS TAXES.
292 Delegates to Victory OBAMA total supers = 244 pledged
433 to 2025 Clinton total pledged supers 263
408 to be elected in ten contests 288 SUPERS UNPLEDGED / UNCOMMITTED left ____________________________________ 696 THAT THE TOTAL DELEGATES LEFT
Posted by: DELGATE MATH | May 1, 2008 7:37 AM
Um, actually the latest Insider Advantage poll in NC has Hillary AHEAD of Obama by two points - this is the first time in many weeks that she has led in NC. So when she wins Indiana and NC next week, EAT THOSE WORDS.
Posted by: please! | May 1, 2008 7:20 AM
Obama is only winning because of the black vote. If the White people were being racist Obama wouldn't have a chance.
Posted by: Lee | May 1, 2008 2:37 AM
to many people suppporting obama are goingot loose in november the rnc is connecting peoplile endorsing obma, we must save democratic party ,As clinoton supporter now the fact that all these adds are threatening democrats, because of adds being run, i cann understand obama being nominee and then looose,but that I think of it its not worth it because we need to keep housae and senate and if obama is nominee we jepordize keeping the house and senate so we will loose all 3 . but i think hillary wiil wrapp this nomination s next week when she pulls upset in north carolina!!!thern he will be forced to stepp down , remeber fellow democrats and obama suypporter you have to think about the party and saving our seats in novemnber!!!FALL INLINE WITH HILLARY NOW!!! PEOPLE
Posted by: fal in lin e withbhillary | May 1, 2008 1:59 AM
Breaking News InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Survey: North Carolina Democratic Primary: Hillary Clinton Takes Lead Over Obama
Compiled from InsiderAdvantage and Southern Political Report staff
April 30, 2008 -- A survey of 571 registered likely voters in North Carolina's May 6 Democratic primary shows Sen. Hillary Clinton having moved from a double digit deficit in an InsiderAdvantage poll taken in mid-April to a two point lead over Sen. Barack Obama in this telephone survey, conducted April 29. The survey was weighted for age, race, gender, and political affiliation. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8%
Hillary Clinton: 44% Barack Obama: 42% Undecided: 14%
Prior to his appearance on FoxNews Network's "Hannity & Colmes," on which the poll was released, InsiderAdvantage's Matt Towery noted: "The shift has come almost entirely from white voters age 45 and over. There was a small drift of African-Americans back towards Clinton, but not so significant as to establish any trend.
"I believe when all is said and done, Obama will likely carry North Carolina; or if he loses the race, it will be by just a few points.
"Our polling generally does not indicate the eventual compression of black voters that Obama usually enjoys just before Election Day. If that happens, my guess is that he will pull this out. However, this poll is clearly an indication of reaction to the latest statements by his former pastor; and it forces Sen. Obama to split resources between Indiana and North Carolina.
"If this white vote shift does not erode, given that North Carolina's white Democratic voters are primarily in the Research Triangle, where education and personal finances are in the top tier for the nation, then I would say this suggests a major shift in all future primaries towards Clinton," said Towery. Click here for crosstabs. Click here for party breakdown.
Posted by: hillary ahead in north carolina | May 1, 2008 1:53 AM
Why doesn't Clinton just run with McCain? They have been saying the same thing anyway.
Those harken back to the old glory days, do so with a lense of not seeing all of the absolute drama that came with it.
Posted by: Big Rich | May 1, 2008 1:08 AM
If she wasn't so naked with her attacks, then maybe you would have a case. Instead, we have BS. Why doesn't she just go and run for McCains VP slot. They have been working together a long time.
Posted by: Big Rich | May 1, 2008 12:58 AM
All the high and mighty claim that HRC is the choice. HRC doesn't know the first thing about character. If so, show me. I think that you will find your search lacking. She even can't prevent herself from lying about Bosnia. She is a fighter- for herself.
Posted by: Big Rich | May 1, 2008 12:48 AM
H I L L A R Y V O T E D F O R T H E W A R
Democrats: You have a choice between a relatively honest guy with a wacko pastor, and two pathological co-liars who sold out to big business and credited the dot-com boom to themselves, as if Clintonian policy, not technology, is what made business blossom in the late 90s.
Say what you want about Barack. His lies per minute are a fraction of the Clintons'.
Posted by: ,,, | May 1, 2008 12:42 AM
Perry Bacon has lost all credibility as an unbiased reporter. How much is the Obama campaign paying him?
Posted by: John | April 30, 2008 11:49 PM
Blue Dress Whitewater Impeachment Hearing Vince Foster Rape Accusations Theft of White House Property
We don't need the Clintons anywhere near the White House.
Posted by: Bob from Raleigh, NC | April 30, 2008 11:18 PM
Do you feel HilLIARy Clinton is worthy for the nomination after proving herself to be a liar? Do you feel it is rather hypocritical of HilLIARy Clinton to question the length Barrack Obama served with his church while not knowing Jeremiah Wright's radical views when Bill and Monica had oval office meetings while HilLIARy was in the same house? Barack Obama rejected J. Wright, and Hillary leached onto Bill Clinton despite his numerous disrespectful actions against her and the American people. Bill Clinton's sins cost taxpayers millions.
Why do the American people seek to always kill the movement for real positive changes in this country???
FUNNY - How the American people forgot the many lies HilLIARy has told throughout this whole campaign FUNNY - How the American people forgot how HilLIARy planted people in the audience to ask her specific questions FUNNY - How HilLIARy stole Obama's message and theme FUNNY - How HilLIARy will cry, lie, cheat and steal to get this election (Typical Politician)
As a perfect example of HilLIARy's leadership, why hasn't HilLIARy Clinton spoke up in any manner concerning an innocent man being murdered by three police officers based on "I THOUGHT HE HAD A GUN" excuse? IF she can't govern those in her own state of New York, WHY trust her to govern this nation?? To what extent does she care for the American people??
Posted by: Ohio - Dayton | April 30, 2008 11:03 PM
I find most of the pro-Hillary comments amusing. In terms of the Clinton presidency being so successful, let's not forget that Bush (the father) raised taxes & the Republicans were the majority in Congress. As for the Gas Tax holiday, Hillary & McCain need to take Economics 101, bad energy policy. As for some of her other ideas, many have come up during the campaign & they're short-term solutions for long-term problems - they're more about getting votes than what is best for America. What about the honesty/trust polls that don't reflect her well? She's an intelligent woman, that is capable, but does she have the right temperament? The obliterate Iran comment scares the hell out of me!! It's sad that the candidates we have to select from is poor, considering the challenges we face as a country. In my mind, there is only one candidate that resembles anything presidential, and it's not Clinton or McCain.
Posted by: Kevin | April 30, 2008 10:17 PM
Ok would you racist Obambi supporters stop telling us blacks are going to burn down the cities.
They are not the people who are going to riot are the Young obambi/War Craft player will because there mom did not put honey on their pancakes.
Posted by: mul | April 30, 2008 10:16 PM
does anyone stop to think why the majority of clinton's vote comes from people without a college degree?
1. Name ID (being a 'Clinton' is a powerful thing) & 2. Ignorance from the American people.
Those that stop and think about the two candidates overwhelming vote Obama.
Just some food for thought...
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 10:12 PM
Do you really want to rip the democratic party apart by giving the nomination to Clinton behind closed doors over someone who has the most votes, delegates and states won?
Also, what kind of disenfranchisement would that do to the black community in this country to see a white person pole-vaulted over a clear front runner?
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 10:03 PM
Barack Obama has self destructed in th elast month. The republicans obviously want to run against him in the fall. They are already tying democratic candidates to Obama in campaigns. The liberals who have given us McGovern, Mondale, Dukakis and Kerry should learn by now.
Posted by: Save the Dems from themselves | April 30, 2008 10:00 PM
you could be right...but don't hate the player hate the game. If you are really upset with how the democratic party holds its primary, you should take it up with them and not fault Obama for playing by the rules and winning...
Also, roughly 35% people of people think Hillary is honest/trustworthy...Don't think that will do very well in the general.
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 9:47 PM
In the general election it is winner take all. If the Democrats had winner take all in their primaries, Hillary Clinton would be up 2305 - 1604 delegates right now.
That has no direct bearing on the pledged delegates but it will weigh very heavily on the Super Delegates.
And of his 1604, most are from states he can't win in November.
Posted by: michaelp0429 | April 30, 2008 9:43 PM
DISPATCHES FROM THE GROUND WAR ...
MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA IS REPORTING ANTI-CATHOLIC MCCAIN PASTOR SUCCESSFULLY DODGES MAJOR MEDIA SPOTLIGHT ...
Wash. Post and NY Times published more than 12 times as many articles mentioning Obama and Wright as they did mentioning McCain and Hagee
Summary: A Media Matters for America review found that since February 27, the date that televangelist John Hagee endorsed Sen. John McCain for president, The New York Times and The Washington Post combined have published more than 12 times as many articles mentioning Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. and Sen. Barack Obama as they have mentioning Hagee and McCain.
A Media Matters for America Nexis search* found that since February 27, the date that televangelist John Hagee endorsed Sen. John McCain for president, The New York Times and The Washington Post combined have published more than 12 times as many articles mentioning Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. and Sen. Barack Obama as they have mentioning Hagee and McCain. The Post published 53 articles during that period that mentioned Wright and Obama, compared with three articles mentioning Hagee and McCain.
The Times published 46 articles since February 27 mentioning Wright and Obama, compared with five articles mentioning Hagee and McCain.
Additionally, during the same period, the Post published 40 editorials or opinion pieces that included Wright and Obama while publishing two editorials or opinion pieces that mentioned McCain and Hagee.
The Times published 22 editorials or opinion pieces that included Wright and Obama, compared with two editorials or opinion pieces that mentioned McCain and Hagee.
Media Matters has documented other examples of the disparity between the media's extensive coverage of controversial comments made by Wright and other supporters of Obama and their coverage of controversial comments made by Hagee and other supporters of McCain. ...
Posted by: MARTIN EDWIN ANDERSEN | April 30, 2008 9:38 PM
The sad thing in Politics is that those that don't understand basic Economics, (ie Hillary), use this idea to scare up votes right before the May 6 primary. Unfortunately, most people don't know the overwhelming negative implications of eliminating this tax, and will believe that 'hillary is doing something', when in fact she would do the opposite to what is necessary to reduce our oil dependence. Such a timed political ploy.
Hillary ought to read an Econ 101 textbook if she wants to claim that she's "the most experienced"...
Posted by: gas tax | April 30, 2008 9:17 PM
All economists agree the eradicating the gas tax is a BAD idea. Please note the word bad. If anything in order to reduce our dependence on oil, we should RAISE the gas tax. Eliminating the gas tax for the summer only increases the demand for gasoline, further continuing our dependence on oil.
And what would this save the average American? 28 dollars over the course of the summer??? Are you kidding me?? Oh of course, 28 dollars will solve all of our problems!
Posted by: gas tax | April 30, 2008 9:09 PM
Hillary has only advocated the gas tax holiday as a minor, short-term help during the summer holiday season.
Her solution is fiscally responsible because she makes up the tax revenue with a wind-fall tax on oil company profits.
No wonder Obama is against this - it would reverse the hundreds of billions in tax incentives he voted for in the Bush / Chenney Energy bill.
Hillary is also talking passionately about a call to America to move aggressively to energy independance just like Kennedy called on America to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. She recognizes the need for a long term solution and has well thought out plans for the longer term solution, but in the mean time, why not cut gas prices by 18 cents a gallon in a fiscally responsible manner?
The oil companies have recorded record proffit after record profit quarter after quarter through the Bush Administration. Who should pay that tax: the consumers or the oil companies who are making tens of billions of dollars per quarter?
Attacking her for not doing enough when you defend him for doing nothing doesn't make any sense.
Posted by: Michaelp0429 | April 30, 2008 9:01 PM
AT 1:23pm , an anonymous poster made some statements regarding Rev Wright's words. Let's examine for a second the veracity of some of those words. First the poster quoted Wright to the effect:
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye."
"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."
The writer than goes on to say that Obama is a fake. I am not sure of the logic of his/her argument, because there does not appear to be any connection between Wright's words and Obama, unless you assume that Obama and Wright are actually the same person.
Nevertheless, I think it is important to point out that Wright is not wrong as far as those two statements are concerned. I am not justifying in any way whatsoever what happened on 9/11. Clearly 9/11 was an abomination and a result of evil evil evil men. But I don't think that anyone could disagree that the United States actually did drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. You may parse that statement, as you like it. But on the face of it is true: The United States certainly killed more men, women, and children, and old ladies, and old men, and handicapped people in those two bomb attacks than the number of people who died during 9/11. So to argue that the United States too has been responsible for great horror inflicted on other people is correct. He's not wrong. Most people in this country certainly didn't "bat an eye" that a couple of hundred thousand civilians died in the nuclear bomb attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
As far as the references to South Africa and Palestine, I also don't think he is far off the mark in regard to the way the United States has historically considered the value of non-American human beings. I grew up in Southern Africa, so I know a thing or two about Apartheid. Here is what I do know: The Sharpeville Massacre (google it if you don't know what it is...look at the images of the children shot in the back of the head), happened in 1960. The United Nations passed a resolution in 1962 calling on member nations to sever economic and political ties with South Africa. Poor countries like India placed sanctions on South Africa in the early 50's for it's racist policies. The United States of America waited until 1986, 26 years AFTER 300 men, women, and children were shot at Sharpeville (the majority of whom were shot in the back running away...again google it if you want to see it for your own eyes) to place economic sanctions on South Africa; the United States waited 26 years and let hundreds of thousands of more people die in South Africa BEFORE it decided that economic sanctions were appropriate. 5 years after the United States placed economic sanctions, apartheid ended. Yes, it took only FIVE years of pressure from this country to end a systematic oppression of black people in South Africa that had lasted for a over 100 years. So when Wright rails about the effect that U.S. foreign policies have had on other countries and the complete lack of concern that the general American population has shown to suffering that is a direct result of U.S. policies, he is not far off the mark. A lot of people outside of this country do not like Americans because of the policies that have hurt millions of people round the world. When a country as powerful and as dominant as this one supported a dictator like Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire (he had gold plated toilet seats in his palaces, while his people starved) by allowing and endorsing the coup that ousted his legally ELECTED rival Lumumba; or when it supported the Pinochet regime in Chile that killed a god awful number of its own people; or when it supported the various despots around the world that it has, you can't help but expect the rest of the world to be upset. What is sad, and in this I agree with Rev. Wright (though I am not black), is that the people in this country have completely closed their eyes to the negative impact (such as large scale death) that U.S. foreign policies have had around the world. What is sad is that many people in this country do not care how many people have died as a direct result of U.S. policies. What is sad is that not many people are actually upset about some of these shameful policies. People simply don't care, and Wright is correct about that. This again, in no way justifies the EVIL actions of others. But one should be able to look in the mirror and be able to say that this country is not perfect. In fact, the U.S. has on occasion acted in ways that can be construed as downright evil by both the people that it hurt, and the people of this country. That is important to remember.
Posted by: ProfessorInIndiana | April 30, 2008 8:58 PM
If hillary were really ready on day one obama would not be a threat. Obama has shown his organizational skills by the way he has ran his campaign. He has been david going up against goliath and she is the one on the ropes. There is a reason he has raised more money has more pledged delegates, more popular votes. These distractions that the media play up to try to challenge his character undermines the thousands of new voters his campaign has brought in. He inspired people in this country and all over the world with hope. Cynics want to bring him down at the cost of uplifting the country. it is still time call on our better angels.
Posted by: helen Vining | April 30, 2008 8:58 PM
If hillary were really ready on day one obama would not be a threat. Obama has shown his organizational skills by the way he has ran his campaign. He has been david going up against goliath and she is the one on the ropes. There is a reason he has raised more money has more pledged delegates, more popular votes. These distractions that the media play up to try to challenge his character undermines the thousands of new voters his campaign has brought in. He inspired people in this country and all over the world with hope. Cynics want to bring him down at the cost of uplifting the country. it is still time call on our better angels.
Posted by: helen Vining | April 30, 2008 8:58 PM
Obama leads in votes, delegates, states...what else do you need?
Posted by: mack | April 30, 2008 8:56 PM
Posted by: mack | April 30, 2008 8:55 PM
I can not believe the media continue to beat on an untrue fact that Obama only wins states where there is majority of african american. How many blacks are there in Washington, North Datoka, Nebreska, or Main. It is time to get it right.
Posted by: silverspring | April 30, 2008 8:43 PM
It is a shame that ANYONE would hire a candidate for the job of leader of the free world based on race. They should be examined by their records, and experience is an asset, not a liability. Hillary is the stronger candidate.
Posted by: S A Swanson | April 30, 2008 8:14 PM
I am ashamed to be an American after spending 15 minutes perusing these comments.
Posted by: Don | April 30, 2008 8:12 PM
Obama is finished. He did it to himself. He lied when he spoke in Philadelphia about his 20 year relationship with the Irreverand Wirght. Now he has to publicly condemn the same statements that earlier in Philadelphia he said were taken out of context. Yesterday, there was suddenly no context issue. Obama was simply accused by his 20 year Pastor of lieing about his relationship with the Chicago Church. The Pastor obviously did not think Obama was telling the truth and said so. He said Obama was just a politician saying what he needed to say to get votes. So much for truthfulness out of Obama.
I believe Obama will emerge out of the Democrat Convention being the weakest nominee the Party ever nominated. The Democrats blew this election big time. Now they have Obama who is someone that voters in Florida and Michigan, Jews in New York, Floirda and California, the elderly in Florida and throughout the US have every reason to mistrust. If Obama's own Pastor of 20 years doesn't trust him or at least thinks he is a liar, why should other groups vote for him??? I doubt if Rev. Wright would vote for him at this point...LOL.
Posted by: Indiana Joe | April 30, 2008 8:06 PM
It's very sad to see that racism is alive and well in the DC area. If White people vote for Obama, they're idiots, and if Black people vote for Obama they're racist. Why do people ASSUME that people are not voting for Obama because they believe in him, and want something more than another 4 years of Clinton/Bush. We are all Americans and have the FREEDOM to vote for who we want. Some of you need to examine your hearts and figure out if you're supporting Hillary because you believe she's experienced and qualified, which I have yet to see any evidence of, or if you are afraid or unwilling to vote for a Black man.
Posted by: DLT847 | April 30, 2008 7:56 PM
Wizard, if you think we will unite behind Obama, you have another thing coming to you man. McCain will get my vote long before Obama. And if you don't think Obama's associations and friends matter, you sir are stupid.
Posted by: Marcus | April 30, 2008 7:53 PM
Wow! Right on to you Sir. You touched my core by your words. There is strength in your wisdom.
God bless you and your family for seeing through the fog of Obama.
You got it right Sir.
May God Bless the good ole US of A.
Posted by: Marcus | April 30, 2008 7:43 PM
The bottom line is, democrats should be focused more on policy and who is going to get us out of this hindering war, and who best to bring the country together, rather than what Obama's middle name is and what his pastor says. If he wasn't Black there wouldn't be as much scrutiny against him.I mean, look at how Hillary's blatant lie about the Bosnia visit faded away, leave the man alone. He will be the democratic nominee so now it is time to stop slandering him as democrats and instead, unite behind him.
Posted by: Eric | April 30, 2008 7:41 PM
How each candidates supporters hate each other - almost sounds like Pastor Wright in here - For the record - I am an African American senior citizen - and for those that have been told there was no way to obtain their hopes and dreams and that it was hopeless look to HILLARY CLINTON as a symbolic figure. Obamas "word" for change is to eliminate the old time politicans in Washington DC - yet accepts the endorsements of Kerry, Kennedy and many many others. Hope was watching the Clintons over decades giving homeless - shelters - jobless - job opportunities from California to Mississippi. Bill went to New Orleans with Brad Pitt to give HOPE to the community for reconstruction - Hillary attended a rally there for HOPE even though she had not gotten the votes of the city - Obama was too busy with his campaign to attend - guess he already got their votes - much like leaving Penna before the count had finished.
My HOPE for my brothers and sisters in North Carolina and in Indiana is to vote with your heart and not by color - much of my own family is ging to do that - regardless of the candidate who wins - you WILL still HAVE to work for a living.
Posted by: Wizard101 | April 30, 2008 7:34 PM
OBAMA WAS ONLY VOTE IN FAVOUR OF SEX SHOPS LOCATED NEAR SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS IN CHICAGO! OBAMA VOTED IN FAVOUR OF NUCLEAR MEGA-COPPORATIONS TOGETHER WITH CHENEY AND BUSH!
HILLARY '08 - THE ONLY WINNABLE CANDIDATE!
Posted by: meme | April 30, 2008 7:32 PM
I think the black vote can be effectively discounted and not of interest to the superdelegates. At 14% of the population, they simply don't rate as kingmakers. Now that we know they are all racists too - picking their candidate on race, as indeed many white liberals are - white politicians should be free in future from catering to them.
Hillary beat Obama in the college educated suburbs of Philly and Pittsburgh. I think there are a few smart yuppies down in North Carolina.
Posted by: Chicago1 | April 30, 2008 6:49 PM
There used to be on these boards a particularly ignorant racist fool from Staten Island who went by the handle hotnuke-something-or-other. He disappeared after predicting that Hillary would sweep Super Tuesday and drive "that black racist scumbag" back into obscurity." I wouldn't be surprised if he and this new inbred Dylan are one and the same person.
Sometimes, no matter how many times you flush, the turd keeps coming back to the surface. Ah well, just six more days and this will hopefully be brought to a civilized close. Go Obama!
Posted by: whatmeregister | April 30, 2008 6:32 PM
oh oh its dinna time at the feeding trough
it's obama finger licking good says hot mama michelle
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 6:26 PM
Abraham Lincoln became Pres with the experience of ONE TERM in Congress (a third of Obama's). James Buchanan, the worst president, who presided over the slide into Civil War, was the most experienced Candidate for President ever - SEc. of State, 10 years congress, 10 years Senate, Ambassador to Russia and England. our second most experienced and competent candidate was Herbert Hoover. Experience can mean nothing, it never means everything. Idiots
Posted by: Manfred | April 30, 2008 6:24 PM
the white man burden just gets harder every day trying to educate the illiterate blacks
you can't get any thing into their thick skulls no way no how!!
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 6:23 PM
the great white historian pat buchanan is on the msnbc right now dissing the denouncement of obama as pure garbage!!
go pat go & bring back the rule of law
blacks spend more time in prison sucking up govenment hand outs than working
deport them and replace them with the mexican people who are willing to work their way up through hard labor insstead of waitng for a welfare check for them and their ten illigetamate childrensss.
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 6:21 PM
BlkDude4Hillary: "Martin Edwin Anderson - Jake has it wrong! Do you people ever research before you post?"
What in Jake Tapper's post is wrong? Nothing in the CounterPunch story you linked to contradicts anything he wrote. The fact is that the Clinton Administration knew of Cox's fronting for the Chinese, even if the public at large did not, and did not act to prevent Cox's acquisition of Magnequench. And Magnequench began shipping their jobs overseas in 1998 with the full approval of the Clinton administration, nearly three years BEFORE Bush took office.
Sorry, but this is an instance where Clinton gave away American jobs to the Chinese, as well as placing American military security at possible risk. And it makes Hillary look pretty foolish to protest yet another bad trade deal her husband made in hopes of pandering to the ignorant. Shades of NAFTA, eh?
Posted by: whatmeregister | April 30, 2008 6:20 PM
obama says i can no mo disown my reverend than i coulds disown mys white grandmother
he's not even worthy to be a slave on thomas jefferson's plantation!
Get obama's cotton picking wife off my tv screen!!! out with dat black spot!!!
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 6:13 PM
Excuse dylan grade school ed and certainly not a moderate republican ... middle of the road like McCain who will win in November
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 6:13 PM
for those blacks out there who can read this you should know that we whites don't care what obama, his big butt mama his reverend or any other obama supporter says
obama can do nothing to get back our vote
to the back of the bus barry boiyee!!
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 6:10 PM
so what that she is a fighter. If you look at a history, many strong fighters end up in misery together with their "strong" countries. What needed is strong leader, not a strong fighter. Whatever you fight against may hit you with double force.
Posted by: Victor | April 30, 2008 6:09 PM
mama in yo' face michelle obam is making the talk show rounds saying that wright is hurting her chitlins,,,er childrens
what nerve!! michelle'd kids were baptized by the racist wright and now she is throwing her childrenss under the bus for her black boiy barry
let get the boats ready to ship em back to the black coast!!!
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 6:05 PM
Posted by: double soy latte liberal from SF with PhD | April 30, 2008 5:53 PM
Yeah, right...we recognize your hateful drivel svreader.
Posted by: why i oughtta | April 30, 2008 6:04 PM
here in NYC al sharpton is our version of the racists wright and obama.
all ignorant blacks who think they're going to keep hope alive by voting for obama
obama and his black bad black mama michelle can go to well, you know wot im talkin bout, leeroy!!! get off da bus!!!
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 6:02 PM
Here it is: THE REST OF THE STORY (that Hillary doesn't tell, but Indiana voters remember very well)
excerpted from McClatchy Report... http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/story/35337.html
"In 1995, General Motors decided to sell the Indiana-based Magnequench to a Chinese-American consortium.
San Huan New Materials and Hi-Tech Co, a company owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Onfem Holdings, a company controlled by the State Nonferrous Metals Industry Administration in the Peoples Republic of China; Soros Fund Management, headed by George Soros; The Sextant Group, founded by Archibald Cox Jr.;
"Because Magnequench made magnets for smart bombs, the sale to a group that included foreign owners required approval under a 1988 law.
"After a 30-day review, the Clinton administration's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which includes representatives of the Pentagon, approved the sale in 1995.
"The buyers reportedly promised to keep manufacturing in the United States.
"Yet in 1998, they started building a plant in China, close to the source of the raw materials used in the magnets.
"The company reorganized in 1999, buying out Soros as well as Onfem Holdings.
"In 2000, Magnequench bought a magnet factory in Valparaiso, the same year it started operations at its China plant.
"In 2001, it closed its original plant in Anderson, Ind.
"And in 2003, it decided to close the Valparaiso plant, laying off its 225 workers."
Posted by: Joyce | April 30, 2008 5:59 PM
hey obama suckers, bill clinton is gassing up the bus to run over obama with it
all other blacks can move to the back of the bus
they've pushed their cause back fifty years
the collards have shown their true colors
it's only right to vote white
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 5:57 PM
Zombie, what do they say about young? It rhymes you know. Votes are not dictated by anyone but by your conscience. Hillary is the only candidate who can help our economy just like Bill Clinton did.
"Im a student, my professor told me to vote for Obama, so I did)"
Posted by: Zombie | April 30, 2008 2:08 PM
Posted by: Aie | April 30, 2008 5:56 PM
Wow!! I think we won already ... McCain ... there is alot of nastiness going on here ... Even our red states don't think like this ... Go Clinto Go
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 5:55 PM
I think dylan is a Clinton supporter - republicans don't talk ot think like that!!
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 5:53 PM
Obama has written that he hates his mother's race. He never bothered to show up when his mother was dying of cancer. He adores his muslim, polygamist, deadbeat foreigner father. Perhaps potentate of Kenya is a job he should seek. Today's NYTimes says Obama became a Christian in 1988 after being converted by Rev Wright. Does he still deny that he was a muslim by birth. Rev Wright gave him credibility in the black community after he was having a hard time penetrating the black community on behalf of white Jewish left-wing community organizers/rabble-rousers. Obama is an opportunist who threw his grandma and "uncle" under the bus when politically expedient. Although it took him 20 nanoseconds to dump grandma and 20+ years to dump "uncle" and that too only after uncle exposed the fact that Barry will say and do anything for political gain. Time to put the hustler in his place. Go shoot hoops in the hood and leave America alone. About the only thing he has shown he can do.
Posted by: double soy latte liberal from SF with PhD | April 30, 2008 5:53 PM
after all is said and done obama remains a racist piece of scum who will bring down the Dems for years to come
the blacks are to blame for acting like the ignorant low class illiterates they are. Blacks will not have any party left to leach off of after this election!!!
Posted by: dylan | April 30, 2008 5:51 PM
Black will always vote for black, they have a close affinity to each other no matter what. Wright and Obama will appear like they will denounce each other but it will just be a show so that Obama can win the election. I can just see the Wright, Obama and the black community winking at each other. Wink wink...
Posted by: Aie | April 30, 2008 5:49 PM
20 MORE YEARS of Bush - Clinton- Bush - Clinton then comes my favorite Jeb Bush then Chelsia
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 5:43 PM
Check out our show tonight from 8pm - 11pm EST at www.thirdrailradio.com with several NC state primary candidates. Feel free to call in and discuss critical issues with Pat Smathers (D) Lt. Governor, Derald Hafner (D) U.S. Congress NC-13, Colonel Dennis Nielsen (D) Governor, Jim Snyder (R) Lt. Governor, and Elbie Powers (R) Governor. Click one of the listen live buttons at www.thirdrailradio.com to tune in.
Posted by: Third Rail | April 30, 2008 5:38 PM
Why do I need to chill out, Joyce? I never denied gender and racial patterns in voting. In fact, I believe they are pervasive.
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 5:38 PM
Minnesota Man Claims He Took Drugs & Had Sex with Barack Obama in 1999 Elections Elections 2008 News Politics U.S. Politics Barack Obama now faces a new challenge - one that is sure to be much more scandalous than anything he's seen so far. If the allegations are to be believed, it's also a scandal that his campaign has tried to cover up. A Minnesota man has come forth, claiming that he took cocaine in 1999 with Obama, the then-Illinois legislator, and participated in homosexual acts with him.
Larry Sinclair, the man making the claims, said his story was ignored by the news media. Still not willing to let this one slip quietly under the rug, Sinclair made a YouTube video in which he made his case. It's had over half a million views already, but the story has still been largely ignored by the news media.
Sinclair's next step was to file a suit in Minnesota District Court, in which he alleges threats and intimidation by the Democratic presidential candidate's staff.
Still out to prove that he is telling the truth, Sinclair said he is willing to submit to a polygraph test. A website (WhiteHouse.com) has come forth offering him $10,000 for the right to record the polygraph test, and another $100,000 if he passes it.
Sinclair lives in Duluth, Minnesota, and in his filing, charges that his civil rights have been violated by Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. Obama, David Axelrod of AKP Message & Media in Chicago, and the Democratic National Committee have been named as defendants in the case.
Sinclair, who describes himself as gay, claims they met in an upscale Chicago lounge. They left in Sinclair's limo, where the drug use and sex allegedly took place for the first time. Sinclair says that Obama smoked crack cocaine, and that he snorted powder cocaine provided by Obama.
Sinclair, 46, says that he no longer uses drugs. He claims to be physically disabled, but says that he was not physically impaired in 1999 when they met.
Regarding the claims, Sinclair said:
"My motivation for making this public is my desire for a presidential candidate to be honest. I didn't want the sex thing to come out. But I think it is important for the candidate to be honest about his drug use as late as 1999."
Posted by: Mary | April 30, 2008 5:37 PM
From one Jack to another ... not stupid my friend ... this is how our plan is unfolding.
Can't picture Barrack in the White House Can't picture Bill Clinton back in the White House - Chaos is right ... what will Bill be doing beside defining the word "is"?
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 5:37 PM
According to a report issued in March by the Congressional Research Service, General Motors sold Magnequench in 1995 to a group of investors including Archibald Cox, Jr., the Sextant Group, Soros Fund Management, and two Chinese firms, one of which was owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In 1998, Magnequench began building a plant in Tianjin, China, which began operating two years later.
In 2000, Magnequench bought a neo magnet plant in Valparaiso, Ind. that had been owned by a French firm. But in 2003 it decided to close down the Valparaiso plant.
Money-losing plant "The plant closed because it was losing $5 million a year," said Cox, the former chief executive officer of Magnequench. "The rare earths were Chinese, the technology was Japanese. There were no secrets to give away and we gave none away."
While the Chinese partners were 60 percent owners after the 1995 purchase from GM, subsequent refinancing reduced the Chinese stake to below 20 percent. To characterize the company as a Chinese company at the time the Valparaiso plant was shut down in 2003 is wrong, said a person then involved in the company.
In 2005, Magnequench merged with a Toronto-based firm AMR Technologies, with the new firm called Neo Material Technologies.
"Magnequench divested itself of its business units that make magnets in favor of concentrating on producing the Neo powders that the firm supplies to other firms that, in turn, make the Neo magnets," said the Congressional Research Service report.
China's new PR campaign April 15: The Chinese government plans to hire a PR agency to help repair its reputation as a result of the unrest in Tibet. NBC's Mark Mullen reports from Beijing. Nightly News Nevertheless Magnequench, now part of Neo Material Technologies, "holds important patents that make it the only legal supplier of Neo powder for bonded Neo magnets manufactured or sold in the United States and it has approximately an 80% share of the world supply of Neo powders," said the Congressional Research Service.
The report added, "The Magnequench patent significantly restricts competition within the United States."
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 5:35 PM
Blkdude...As Bill would tell you. Chill out! There are many women voting for Hillary because of gender. And I suppose McCain will get the geezer vote. (Sorry, that was mean.) I fit Hillary's demographic as an older white woman, but I voted for Barack Obama because I prefer his ideas and inclusive leadership style. So, I guess we both went where our hearts and minds guided us and came out on different sides. So be it.
Posted by: Joyce | April 30, 2008 5:35 PM
1) bitten blue collar workers are really cannon fodder. You think Bush and Cheney and oil barons are sending their sons to Iraq?? you gotta be stupid
2) If you guys hate Bush but think McCain is going to be different because he likes to keep away from Bush .. you gotta be stupid
3) If you limbaugh watching oreilly junkies think McCain can win by getting clinton to win prmary through Operation Chaos and then by a swift boating Obama and then sabotaging Florida again.. not this time you gotta be STUPID.
Posted by: jack hahss | April 30, 2008 5:32 PM
CLINTON wins the nomination - this supresses the black vote already discouraged. McCAIN WINS!!
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 5:19 PM
Martin Edwin Anderson - Jake has it wrong! Do you people ever research before you post?
"In 1995, Magnequench was purchased from GM by Sextant Group, an investment company headed by Archibald Cox, Jr-the son of the Watergate prosecutor. After the takeover, Cox was named CEO. What few knew at the time was that Sextant was largely a front for two Chinese companies, San Huan New Material and the China National Non-Ferrous Metals Import and Export Corporation. Both of these companies have close ties to the Chinese government. Indeed, the ties were so intimate that the heads of both companies were in-laws of the late Chinese premier Deng Xiaopeng."
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 5:19 PM
To the anonymous poster, I posted that message, not "Just Mark." And I included that intro because he made the claim that the Dems do not want to "infuriate" black voters. Well, I already am infuriated!
No, my opinion does not matter more than anyone else, but if people are worrying about "infuriating black voters," then I guess they should hear from me! The Obama Internet Angels have been the ones spreading the gospel of racism and suicidal voting in rural America - not Clinton supporters.
I am not voting for Obama. I cannot speak for other blacks, but I can tell you this: they are lying if they say his race does not impact them at all! Same with many of his self-whiteous supporters. Most of the rest of your racial arguments arent worth responding to because I never said or implied those things.
PS: I didnt make that comment about African Americans. I was quoting someone else.
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 5:15 PM
What a way to get at O'Bama without bringing up race or Hussein
Republicans all over these United Sates want CLINTON - because no one wants to see Bill Clinton get a 3rd term.
Rewpublicans in the White House for at least another decade - Reality Bites!!
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 5:15 PM
1. Ken Starr is not running for Prez either, but you guys seem to think that all of his investigations against the Clintons prove they are satanic.
2. I certainly do not think this Wright thing should derail Obama's candidacy, but your arguments about Hillary Clinton's bad judgment are reductionist and wrong. First, the health care thing occurred over a decade ago! Clinton is a second-term Senator, who by all accounts, reaches across the aisle -- much more than the Lord Obama. Also, there was absolutely no political consensus on universal healthcare then. Not even one state had universal coverage. Now, Mass does, and others are planning. It is a different issue today. And if you think that Clinton caused people to be uninsured, then you probably believe that Obama made the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. What a joke!
Also, 80 percent of the Senate supported the War. I vehemently disagreed with it, but voted for Kerry, because the party nominated him. I am not willing to say that Obama is better qualified for office than 80% of the Senate. There are a lot of things that go into being a president, and no one is perfect. This one decision does not render her unfit. Besides, no one really knows what Obama would have done had he been in office. Now that Wright is a problem, he threw him under the bus. Why wouldnt he abandon his anti-war stance with all of his colleagues voting for it?
3. I am glad you voted in a caucus, and no one is trying to take your vote away from you. But the caucus states did not record the popular vote. Also, caucuses are way under-attended, relative to primaries. They are also anti-democratic, because they discriminate against the poor, elderly, people with poor English skills, and persons with childcare obligations. So your vote was NOT just as Democratic. The constraints on caucus participation burden disadvantaged groups. No amount of touch-feely language can change that.
4. Obama too has argued that he is the "better candidate to defeat John McCain." So, I guess he's a fool too. Which fool should we select?
5. Thanks for calling us cheap, idiots and fools. I am now ready to "band together" with you. Not really, but it felt good. My principles are anti-sexist, anti-fake leftist politics, anti-villification of loyal Dems, anti-castigation of poor voters, and a deep loathing of people who invent claims of racism for a post-racial man who runs from race. Use that energy to fight for black kids in crumbling schools, not to protect Obama and the Rutgers basketball team. Fake liberals!
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 5:05 PM
DISPATCHES FROM THE GROUND WAR ...
ABC NEWS REPORTING ON THE TANGLED WEB THE CLINTONS WEAVE ...
Hoosier Responsible? Clinton Decries China's Acquisition of Indiana Company -- Ignoring Her Husband's Role in the Sale
By JAKE TAPPER Apr. 30, 2008--
As she campaigns throughout Indiana, Sen. Hillary Clinton has been talking quite a bit about Magnequench, a Valparaiso, Ind., factory that moved to China.
"We've got to elect a president next January who's going to remember Magnequench," Clinton told voters in Valparaiso on April 12.
It seems, however, that when it comes to Magnequench there's quite a bit that Clinton has conveniently forgotten.
"We went to Valparaiso," Clinton told voters in Princeton, Ind., last night, "where there used to be a plant called Magnequench that made the magnets that helped to guide the precision-guided missiles, the so-called smart bombs. You've seen those --they take off, they go down the chimney, they were incredibly sophisticated and these magnets, you know -- not the kind you put on the refrigerator, like we all do -- but these really sophisticated magnets were instrumental making that happen."
Clinton continued, saying, "Well, a Chinese company bought Magnequench and then they decided that they were going to move the whole company from Indiana to China. Now the president of the United States has the authority to veto that kind of a move, but Senator [Evan] Bayh begged the Bush administration not to export it it was going to lose jobs but it was also going to lose the know-how, the technical sophistication that created those magnets. President Bush and his administration wouldn't, basically wouldn't even give Evan Bayh the time of day. Those jobs left, and along with them went the savvy to make the magnets."
What Clinton doesn't tell voters is that Magnequench was originally sold to Chinese interests during her husband's administration, which okayed the move despite concerns about national security and eventual job loss. Experts say the Chinese acquired the "technical sophistication" that created the magnets long before George W. Bush took office.
Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind,, Clinton's top surrogate in the state, often joins her on the stump in bashing the president for allowing Magnequench to move abroad. What Bayh doesn't tell voters these days is that he has blamed the company's moving on a 1995 decision made by Clinton's husband's administration. ...
Posted by: MARTIN EDWIN ANDERSEN | April 30, 2008 5:04 PM
I guess you didn't get the latest smear memo. Now you're supposed to say radical, black, christian, pinko commie. Try to keep up.
Posted by: Bill C. | April 30, 2008 5:03 PM
You Hillary Supporters are STUPID-BITTER-POOR-OLD-UGLY-RACIST-RETARDS
Posted by: Hoping for a Hillary Loss | April 30, 2008 5:01 PM
Saudi Arabia has King Hussein. Iraq has Saddam Hussein So why USA cannot have President Hussein? Maybe a muslim brother can talk to another muslim brother and we will have cheap gas and the World will be at Peace after all.... Let's give him a chance for a change.
Posted by: Agogo | April 30, 2008 4:54 PM
Clinton: "I think this election, particularly here in Indiana, is about jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs..." Voice Over: "She's ready to turn our economy around. Stop tax breaks that move jobs overseas."
CLINTON VOTED FOR $136 BILLION "BIG TAX BREAK" FOR CORPORATIONS SHELTERING PROFITS IN INTERNATIONAL TAX HAVENS
Clinton voted for the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to remove impediments in such Code and make our manufacturing, service, and high-technology businesses and workers more competitive and productive both at home and abroad. The bill which repeals the extraterritorial income (ETI) tax regime in response to a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against the United States; creates a new manufacturing deduction equal to nine percent of a company's domestic production income, effectively reducing the tax rate on such income by three percent, from 35 percent to 32 percent; and allows U.S. companies to pay a lower tax rate on funds repatriated from foreign subsidiaries for one year (the rate would be 5.25 percent instead of the normal 35 percent corporate tax rate). [S 1637, Vote 211, 10/11/04, Passed 69-17; R 43-3; D 25-14; I 1-0]
AJCA Provided $42.6 Billion Worth Of New Tax Breaks On Overseas Income For U.S. Based Multinational Corporations Over Ten Years.
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (H.R. 4520) included "more than 20 new tax breaks, totaling $43 billion over 10 years, would go to U.S.-based multinational corporations for their overseas income. For example, nine foreign tax credit baskets would be reduced to two, making it easier for companies to subtract taxes paid to foreign countries from their U.S. tax bills." [CBO Cost Estimate, 11/9/04; CQ Weekly, 10/9/04]
Kerry Spokesperson Phil Singer Said The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 Gave Tax Breaks For Companies That Ship Jobs Overseas.
Phil Singer, spokesman for Kerry said of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, "There are a lot of important things in this bill, like ending the punitive European tariffs on our manufacturers and cutting taxes for American manufacturers. But George Bush filled the bill up with corporate giveaways and tax breaks for multinational companies that send jobs overseas." Singer said that Kerry would "call for the repeal of the 'unwarranted' international tax breaks." [Washington Times, 10/23/04]
Americans Jobs Act Gave Companies "A Big Tax Break To Bring Home Their Offshore Profits." The Americans Jobs Creation Act gave companies "a big tax break to bring home their offshore profits." [New York Times, 7/24/07]
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 4:51 PM
An earlier post said Obama only wins Red states. The States won by Clinton in primaries will not necessarily be lost by Obama and in some instances her runs better, as was shown by a poll out today showing him running 10 points better than Hillary against McCain in New Jersey taken from April 24 to 28 (after the PA primary and during part of the latest Wright distraction).He has won primaries in blue states of Wisconsin, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Vermont, Hawaii, Washington (non binding), Illinois (by a wider percentage and voter margin than Clinton in New York),and caucuses in Minnesota and Washington. A number of polls have had him running better than Clinton in Michigan and he has run better than her in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, California as well as other states against McCain.
Posted by: ejgallagher1 | April 30, 2008 4:49 PM
Just Mark. You preface your response with I am an "infuriated African American." Tell me, does your opinion matter more because you are African American? Do people who are white have less an opinion? Should white men not count as much because they are "evil" or racist." The reason that race is become such a huge factor in this debate is not because of the candidates, but because of the people supporting the candidates. From what I hear from everyone is they are more disenfranchised. According to the way people express this, the a female who is black has the most influence, after all it is the most discriminated on right???
I have heard many people who are black say they are voting for Obama because of his policies because they agree with him, not because they share the same skin pigmentation. However, these people also say they are a black voter voting for Obama. These two statements seem to contradict.
Now this will seem hypocritical, however it is meant to prove a point.
I am a white male. I am voting for Obama. However, if I were to support McCain would It be because I am a racist and fear the change of a female or non-white voter? I certainly hope not. Because if this were the cast that it would be doing the same thing that people are accusing blacks who vote for Obama are.
After this you do state that the democrats will not want to infuriate the African American voters...... so yes you do believe African American votes are more important. What strikes me as odd is two fold. One, you are employing a racist idea that the democrats need to prioritize you because your African American. And Two, you are disenfranchising many other people. Do you forget that not every black person is African American? African American is a reference to ancestry, not skin color.
Finally, True your argument than no one has a 50 state plan to WIN 50 states. Although, you want to appeal to as many people as you can.
Posted by: ... | April 30, 2008 4:48 PM
1) JEREMIAH WRIGHT IS NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. 2)You say the Wright thing shows Barack's bad judgment (e.g. he sat in that church for 20 years) Obama didn't kill anyone sitting in that church. Clinton voted for a WAR that has killed over 4,000 Americans. Clinton refused to even work with other DEMS to get healthcare passed in the 90s. 47 million Americans don't have it as a result. Gee, which instance of bad judgment is worse? 3)I voted at a caucus. I am an American. My vote counts, you morons. At caucuses, just so you know, you make your vote in SECRET just like voters at a primary. No one tries to convince you of anything. The discussion part of the caucus focuses on which issues should be on the state and national party platforms. My vote was just as democratic as yours, idiots. 4) Arguing about which Democrat is electable is foolish. We nominated Hubert Humphrey ('68), Walter Mondale ('84), Gore and Kerry because they were "electable." Umm, President Mondale anyone? 5)The only way the Dems can lose this election is if WE THE VOTERS keep engaging in this stupidity and don't band together behind OUR candidate in the fall. We HAVE to win. John McCain is a disaster for this country. Why isn't your country more important to you than you own cheap, personal satisfaction? Are you twelve? Christ on a Cross, people.
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 4:47 PM
DISPATCHES FROM THE GROUND WAR ...
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS FORMER CLINTON STATE SWINGING OBAMA'S WAY ...
Poll shows Obama ahead with N.J. Democrats
Support among New Jersey Democrats in the presidential race appears to be shifting to Barack Obama.
A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll finds 45 percent of the Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents surveyed would like to see Obama get the party's nomination compared to 38 percent for Hillary Clinton.
Clinton beat Obama in the state's Democratic primary in February by a 10-point margin.
Nearly 40 percent of the Democrats polled say the continuing battle between the presidential candidates will damage the party's chances in November. ...
Posted by: martin edwin andersen | April 30, 2008 4:45 PM
Please spare us -- more race baiting by the Lord Obama's Internet Angels. Sorry, I reject the argument that a vote against Obama is rooted in racism. I am a civil rights attorney, and I have spent my career representing victims of racism, sexism, and sexual orientation discrimination. I am more progressive than those fake liberals at Daily Kool-Aid, Obamingtonpost, and Obamico.com. All they want to do is purge their white guilt by supporting the post-racial black guy, who is just black enough to earn free coolness points and qualify as the first black president. It's all very pathetic. I support Clinton. I am not a racist. And if you suggest I hate myself, then you are just another pathetic person who subscribes to the belief that blacks who engage in decent suffer from a pathology.
"This country is falling apart at the seams. A dying empire. The white men who have pilfered this country and profited from their mis-deeds are afraid that they may lose their grip. This is a racist nation that will never vote for a woman or a black man, regardless of how competent they may be. Intelligence used to be a good quality, now the republicans have convinced the ill-informed that it is now a negative, elitist trait. Better that the masses don't understand that they are getting screwed. This country will never recover. There is a bumper sticker out there that says," If you think education is expensive-try ignorance". We are there and we are getting what we deserve. We have an un-informed electorate and they are voting accordingly. Vote for McCain and WWIII, the morons can grab onto that idea .
Posted by: Steve, Albany, NY | April 30, 2008 4:12 PM"
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 4:43 PM
Now gas prices are skyrocketing and she's ready to act again. Hillary's plan: use the windfall profits of the oil companies to pay to suspend the gas tax this summer. Barack Obama says no... again. People are hurting. It's time for a president who's ready to take action now. Barack Obama says no to suspending the gas tax
Economists Agree: Most Savings from Gas Tax Holiday Are Passed on to Producers, Not Consumers. "James Hamilton, professor of Economics at the University of California-San Diego, said that most of the benefits from a temporary tax moratorium would likely go to producers rather than consumers. He said that states that suspend gas taxes are able to respond to rising demand more efficiently than the country as a whole, because gasoline supplies can be easily moved from one state to another. "Prices would certainly rise to the market-clearing level," said Hamilton. "I would expect the price [of gas] to go back to very close to where it was before [the tax cut], in which case consumers would not see any benefit." Another economist, Jeffrey Perloff, of UC-Berkeley, agreed that a federal tax moratorium would likely have less impact on consumer gas prices than a state moratorium. He said his models showed that a suspension of the 18.4-cent federal tax on gasoline would likely result in a temporary 9 to 12 cent reduction in the cost of a gallon of gas to the consumer, with the remainder of the reduction coming in wholesale prices." [Washington Post Fact Checker, 4/29/08]
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 4:41 PM
As I read the responses to both Rev. Wright's comments and the subsequent denounciation by Barrack Obama, it only shines more light on the racial divide in this country and the lack of understanding that some white americans have of african-americans. Rev. Wright expresses views that have been long held in the black community and those views that white american refuses to admit. Why is it that some people hate to admit that comments made by others are right on the mark.
Posted by: Sick&Tired | April 30, 2008 4:41 PM
Regardless of the latest news about him and his pastor, Hussein will be a fine US President.
Posted by: Agogo | April 30, 2008 4:39 PM
If Obama fails to attract poor, white voters it is because those voters are racist. If Hillary fails to attract black voters in a race against a black candidate, it's her fault. That's logic according to this article, the elites, and the Obamabots and Hillarbashers posting here. Some might point out that blacks are, and historically have, voted more as a block than most so-called demographics. Some might think that such behavior is in itself as racist. I personally think it's their prerogative to support a black candidate if "they" want to.
But let's call it for what it is, blacks are voting for Barack because of his color. While the liberal in me wants to say that's not right or fundamentally wrong in some way. I can't. It is just what it is. I do think though, that people should then take pause before accusing whites, who are not voting in any such block, of being outright racist.
Further, the many, many people posting here that are spewing their hatred and dislike of Hillary. Your "contribution" to this dialogue simply implies your own personal and moral ineptitude's. In psychology, I believe it is called Projection. I suppose blogging is cheaper than professional therapy, but based on the garbage posted here, it certainly doesn't seem as effective. I recommend those who only want to post something hateful to give it a rest. You do more harm than good for you "cause." In fact, the more and more I read from Barack's supporters the more and more I dislike his canddiacy by association. The poor man doesn't deserve that...but watching his supporters is like watching a bunch sexist, elitist thugs dawn brown shirts and take to terrorizing the streets. They bash anyone for participating in the democratic process besides their holier-than-thou candidate. The two candidates hold most points of view in common, yet Barack's supporters act like Hillary Clinton is a right-wing conservative hell-bent on dismantling the state. So mis-guided you are about what matters in democracy.
Posted by: Sean | April 30, 2008 4:39 PM
HILLARY DIDI NOT START THE WAR! THE REPUBLICANS DID! AND IF ANY OF YOU DIMWITTS REMEMBER THERE WAS A WITCHHUNT GOING ON AGAINST ANYONE THAT WAS "ANTI-AMERICAN" AND AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN AND HIS "WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION". DON'T BLAME HILLARY SHE WANTED TO REMAIN IN THE SENATE LIKE ALL THE OTHER SENATORS THAT VOTED FOR THE WAR. SO WOULD HAVE OBAMA EXCEPT HE WASN'T IN THE SENATE AT THE TIME. SO DON'T FALL FOR THE REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA THAT SHE VOTED FOR THE WAR....SO DID KERRY, EDWARDS AND ALL THE REPUBLICANS...BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN LABELED AS TRAITORS AND UN-AMERICAN HAD THEY NOT!!!!
Posted by: John Doe | April 30, 2008 4:38 PM
Obama is unelectable (he can keep my campaign contributions). And I know Hillary is not 'stealing' anything (she can keep my campaign contributions too).
When the blacks vote along racial lines. It's called Identity Voting (in other words a soft name for racism), and it clearly means they are personally invested in voting for Obama (identity as in voting for yourself). so, no matter what happens, they won't vote for someone else. But, they are not needed anyway; they are MOSTLY in red states, so those states will simply be more red. Since the electoral process is an all or none process, there is no big loss to the Dem party for that. So go on black voters, vote racist (I mean identity voting) and everyone else can do the same and Hillary will be the first woman president of the US. Then we can finally get down to the business of fixing this screwed up nation (Thanks in advanced for the hard work HRC).
Posted by: Kuilor2k | April 30, 2008 4:37 PM
Wow....these commenters are sharp! Wonderful arguments here. You make me proud, speaking the truth the way you do! GO HILLARY!
Wake up, my dear Superdelegates, wake up! Come on out of the Clinton closet before its too late and the United States sinks rapidly into h*ll by a Barack Obama presidency.
Posted by: alh | April 30, 2008 4:37 PM
Go Obama! Let's live for some hope, folks :) it looks like he's going to pull it out!
Posted by: Steve | April 30, 2008 4:36 PM
Mr. jacksmith.....all your points seem to vote for Bill Clinton and not for HIlary Clinton. She had tea parties while HER HUSBAND did all the work!!! This time its HER who's running and NOT her HUSBAND
Posted by: Fellow American | April 30, 2008 4:36 PM
Well, I'm an infuriated African American. Obama does not have a 50-state plan. When is the last time a President won all 50 states? Get real.
"Hillary Clinton doesn't have a 50 state plan to win the election. She is behind in the numbers. The superdelegates will not want to infuriate the African American vote since they are far more important to the Democrats than the Reagan Democrats, who are fickle. And did you know: Clinton has sky-high negative opinion working against her.
Posted by: Just Mark | April 30, 2008 4:26 PM "
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 4:35 PM
Hillary Clinton, (while shaking her finger in your face) "I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT SNIPER!!" OH, YEAH, LET'S VOTE FOR THIS NUT JOB.
Posted by: Lefty Ladig, LA | April 30, 2008 4:34 PM
The economy's in trouble. When the housing crisis broke, Hillary Clinton called for action--a freeze on foreclosures. Barack Obama said no. Barack Obama said no to a freeze on foreclosures. Wall Street Journal, 1/11/08
New York Times Editorial: "Obama Has Endorsed The Best Idea Currently On The Table To Prevent Foreclosure." The New York Times wrote in an editorial, "Mr. Obama has endorsed the best idea currently on the table to prevent foreclosure: amending the law so that troubled borrowers can have their mortgages modified in bankruptcy court. That would give lenders a big incentive to work with borrowers -- reducing interest or lowering principal balances -- before they opted for bankruptcy protection. Mrs. Clinton has not endorsed bankruptcy reform. She has called for $30 billion in federal funds to bolster state and local foreclosure-prevention efforts and has proposed a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and a rate freeze on subprime adjustable mortgages. Those measures also could help, but as the crisis has developed, the problem has become less one of resetting interest rates and more one of borrowers owing more than their homes are worth. Bankruptcy reform is a better way to deal with that problem." [New York Times, 3/27/08]
New York Sun: Some Critics Say That Clinton's Plan "Could Actually Make Market Conditions Worse." Clinton's "plan to rescue homeowners with a $30 billion federal aid package on top of a 90-day ban on foreclosures and a five-year freeze on interest rates for subprime mortgages could actually make market conditions worse, critics say. Private companies may be less likely to lend if they know the government can come in and override the deal, some conservative scholars warn, or they may add costly premiums to account for the uncertainty." [NY Sun, 3/25/08]
Fortune Writer Jon Birger: Clinton's Mortgage Plan Freeze Is "The Dumbest Solution To The Current Mortgage Mess I've Hear From A Top Presidential Contender" And "Would Be Disastrous." "Hillary Clinton is no dummy. Even her detractors know that. And yet in last night's Democratic presidential debate in Nevada, Clinton floated what is perhaps the dumbest solution to the current mortgage mess I've heard from a top presidential contender. 'I have a plan - a moratorium on foreclosures for 90 days [and] freezing interest rates for five years, which I think we should do immediately,' Clinton announced at what was the last Democratic debate before the Nevada Caucus on Jan. 19. A 90-day moratorium on foreclosures would throw a lifeline to some deserving homeowners, though I suspect it would only delay the inevitable for most. That's not my beef. Where Clinton goes awry is her proposal to freeze mortgage rates for five years, which is essentially a much broader version of a deal President Bush recently hammered out with lenders to assist some subprime borrowers. If Clinton's only goal were to bail out homeowners facing steep rate resets on adjustable mortgages, her plan would work just fine. For everyone else though, such a freeze would be disastrous. ... Then there's the long-term impact such a bailout would have on behavior. While Clinton's plan would no doubt save some legitimate victims who were duped into taking out bad loans, she'd also be saving the flippers and speculators who knew the risks of low teaser rate mortgages but figured (wrongly) that they could always sell their house for a profit if the reset mortgage rate proved unaffordable. Bailing out these folks now would only encourage them to take even bigger risks down the line." [Jon Birger, Fortune, 1/16/08]
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 4:33 PM
This is why people want to vote for McCain. You guys have been asking Clinton to drop out since Iowa. YOu have been calling her all types of awful names and have been quick to blame her for any weakenesses concerning Obama. Also, the media have worked very hard to write a narrative of Obama The Great and Hillary the Evil. Well, we just do not like snowjobs. This party is already in the toilet -- having only one two-term president since Roosevelt. And now you treat him like scum. Well, the only two Democrat-appointed Supreme Court Justices were appointed by Clinton. The Clinton admin left a surplus and peace. You guys bought in to the Repub attacks and now believe everything they said about the Clintons. This is the most immature and self-destructive political community known to humanity. I started this race able to vote for Obama or Clinton. With every passive-aggressive statement like yours, which kicks Clinton in the face and then says "why won't you vote for our Lord and Savior Obama" I become more driven NOT to vote for him. Since he is the Messiah, he can win without my support. I don't hate Obama; I hate his supporters, including the media. And I hate the treatment of Clinton. Those are higher principles for me. And if I hear another "steal" the election lightening rod, I just might vote for McCain instead of just staying home!
"Is it really worth the trouble of upending the democratic party and it's voters to go against the popular vote? If she loves her party as much as she claims to, she should get out after Tuesday.
I really don't understand why Hillary supporters say that they hate Obama so much that they'd vote for McCain if Obama got the nomination. That makes absolutely no sense. to those people: take a look at what you really want out of your next president. McCain shouldn't be plan B if Hillary doesn't win."
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 4:33 PM
We the people keep this up we will have a revolt! The Dems against the Repub against the blue collar against the AA. Wanna bet who wins? Hmm...I would have to pick the blue collar you know we have all those guns we cling to and guess what we know how to use them! We blue collar people can shut down your highways we can stop your food from hitting the shelves and who ya gonna call when your car does not work? A wise man said one time if I could get all the votes of the people with a 4x4 truck with a couple guns hanging in the back window and a confederate flag plate on it I could win any race in this country! Guess Obama never heard that one eh..LOL
Posted by: Redneck | April 30, 2008 4:31 PM
Hillary Clinton doesn't have a 50 state plan to win the election. She is behind in the numbers. The superdelegates will not want to infuriate the African American vote since they are far more important to the Democrats than the Reagan Democrats, who are fickle. And did you know: Clinton has sky-high negative opinion working against her.
Posted by: Just Mark | April 30, 2008 4:26 PM
This is all pretty silly. Bitter-gate is so three weeks ago, and many of you go out of your way to take it out of context. That fact that some of you are that irresponsible with the truth is very sad to me.
But let's all be realistic about everything here. Clinton is not favored to win NC. She is not favored to win Oregon. And if she does win Indiana, it's not going to be by enough that will make very much of a difference in delegate count. When election season is over, she will likely have less delegates. Is it really worth the trouble of upending the democratic party and it's voters to go against the popular vote? If she loves her party as much as she claims to, she should get out after Tuesday.
I really don't understand why Hillary supporters say that they hate Obama so much that they'd vote for McCain if Obama got the nomination. That makes absolutely no sense. to those people: take a look at what you really want out of your next president. McCain shouldn't be plan B if Hillary doesn't win.
Posted by: Ryan | April 30, 2008 4:24 PM
North Carolina and Indiana, do your civic duty and VOTE now AND in November!!!!!
This is an important election and your vote does COUNT!!!!
I am biased, I'm a Democrat, but I am excited to see all Americans so involved in the political process. Though quite negative, negative involvement for democrats is alot better than apathy.
Posted by: DemOverRepub | April 30, 2008 4:24 PM
Hillary is done. She doesn't know how to quit but that doesn't change anything. And Rat, your party has had 8 years in the White House and has screwed up every single thing they've touched. Unless you own an oil company or have a defense contract, you should have sense enough to shut up for at least the next decade.
Posted by: Mike | April 30, 2008 4:22 PM
Posted by: Michelle | April 30, 2008 4:21 PM
I wish Obama's dirty laundry would have been out before the Super Tuesday. We would not be in this mess.
Posted by: Chiman | April 30, 2008 4:20 PM
Why is Jake D so obsessed with middle names? Why does he spend all his time being the first person to comment on political stories on wapo.com.
Posted by: MK | April 30, 2008 4:13 PM ____________________________________________
It is a sign of self induced psychosis brought on by severe exposure to clintonian fertilizer (manure).
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 4:20 PM
Posted by: Hillary | April 30, 2008 4:18 PM
Obama '08! C'mon Indiana and N.C.!! Deliver a great margin! =)
Posted by: Obama2008 | April 30, 2008 4:12 PM ________________________________________________
That is a GREAT WAY to support your candidate. No negativity.
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 4:17 PM
This is why Obama got mad - HE GOT SMOKED OUT! He was not mad about Wright's anti-American, racist rants until a few days back. But what made him mad is that his lack of credibility was exposed by Mr. Wright when he said "Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls," Wright told the Press Club. "Preachers say what they say because they're pastors. . . . I do what pastors do. [Obama] does what politicians do." A few days earlier, in an interview with PBS's Bill Moyers, Wright said Obama, in his Philadelphia speech attempting to calm the controversy created by Wright's sermons, had said "what he has to say as a politician."
Posted by: Chiman | April 30, 2008 4:16 PM
Oh my gosh, it's that sweet!! Someone made a website just for me!!
All the best, Writing from NY,where I never lived till I ran for office!
Posted by: Hillary | April 30, 2008 4:15 PM
Why is Jake D so obsessed with middle names? Why does he spend all his time being the first person to comment on political stories on wapo.com.
Posted by: MK | April 30, 2008 4:13 PM
This country is falling apart at the seams. A dying empire. The white men who have pilfered this country and profited from their mis-deeds are afraid that they may lose their grip. This is a racist nation that will never vote for a woman or a black man, regardless of how competent they may be. Intelligence used to be a good quality, now the republicans have convinced the ill-informed that it is now a negative, elitist trait. Better that the masses don't understand that they are getting screwed. This country will never recover. There is a bumper sticker out there that says," If you think education is expensive-try ignorance". We are there and we are getting what we deserve. We have an un-informed electorate and they are voting accordingly. Vote for McCain and WWIII, the morons can grab onto that idea .
Posted by: Steve, Albany, NY | April 30, 2008 4:12 PM
Obama '08! C'mon Indiana and N.C.!! Deliver a great margin! =)
Posted by: Obama2008 | April 30, 2008 4:12 PM
If you want any respect, why don't you post THE TRUTH? Two trial courts have dismissed Clinton from this lawsuit -- and it is not a criminal trial. Instead, some looney argues that he held a fundraiser for promises that he would be a business partner with Bill after he left office. Well once he discovered he was a criminal, they cut him loose. Factcheck.org has the information, if you care to know the truth. Also -- the FEC denied any wrongdoing by the Clintons. This is a pathetic lawsuit.
"If Hillary was so electable then why couldn't she win what was called an "inevitable" election? She also has a trial concerning a fundraising scheme set for November."
Posted by: BlkDude4Hillary | April 30, 2008 4:11 PM
We'd like to thank the McCain and Clinton Hate Machines for their contributions to today's column. It's good to see that all the people tossed onto the street when Reagan closed the mental hospitals found jobs working as political hatemongers. Thanks to you and the candidates you support, America continues to become just another nation like Russia, China, and Zimbabwe, instead of the beacon it once was. Being admired for liberty and justice was such a bother...
Posted by: American People | April 30, 2008 4:11 PM
Talk about a liar and a fraud, does anyone come to mine? We as Americans should stand-up and research these Politian's for ourselves. Obama, Clinton, and McCain all have skeletons in there closets and so do we. The election should be about who Loves This Country and It's People who can or will make rational decisions. Name One charge that have been proven against Obama, Clinton, or McCain. Stop the fighting and get educated on the facts of the candidates, it's not about the party it's about How We Are Living 8 Years Later!!!
Posted by: MarylandVB | April 30, 2008 4:11 PM
Only complete charlatans or morons would say that an election is over six months before election day. Get a grip. Hillary may have been running for 2012 for the last 8 weeks but that does not mean it is over.
Posted by: Who are u people? | April 30, 2008 4:11 PM
Yes, you're right Chiman. The American people are going to vote to stay the course in this election. Afterall, 4000+ dead troops, a recession, and $5 gas... are not enough to fire Republicans from office.
Posted by: Luke | April 30, 2008 4:10 PM
No matter what you racists jackasses say, Billary can not beat John McCain because she will NOT get the African American vote! We know you think that we, as African Americans are not important - but think again. Most importantly, the superdelegates are thinking and they know if they want to win their own respective races, they better support Obama.
In addition, it is so sad that your racists beliefs keep you from seeing what Billary and McSame have to offer. Your baseless hatred for Blacks hamper your ability to see that the gas tax relief, for example, that those two nitwits offer is nothing - but since you can't admit that a Black man is speaking the truth and trying to address you as adults - a huge mistake - because you are nothing more than a bunch of racist idiots - you will vote against your own economic interests rather than support a Black candidate. You will continue to commit suicide as your financial status declines because you can not face the fact that you are bringing it on yourself by voting for Billary or McSame. Grow up - get some education about diversity and own your own racist attitudes of superiority, which are really a mask for your inferiority and vote for what's in your best economic interest - as opposed to voting against a Black man. Jerks.
Posted by: dr. debra | April 30, 2008 4:09 PM
You preface many of your claims on Hillary's qualifications on the many years she spent leading the country, no wait that wasn't her, that was Bill Clinton.
Well at least she was doing a lot of the behind the scene's work as VP, no wait a second, that was Al Gore.
So what was her extensive work again? Oh yeah, she did do the standard "First Lady pet project." True, she did a larger one than most first ladies - she took control of the health care plan. This of course was a smashing success... no wait that's right it was an abysmal failure, and she failed to get it approved.
Am I advocating that Bill won't be helping her? I am sure he will be guiding her hand, but that is all. She will not be a puppet to Bill like Bush is to Cheney.
Onto your statements. You first assert that Obama says the working class is "bitter" than add in a lot of your own words - non of which came from Obama. Taking one word doesn't make it a quote. Additionally, he was saying they are rightfully bitter - umm a lot of jobs going over seas kind of grinds my gears as well.
Than you go to say Obama has less experience than Hilary because of her husband - I've already answered this above - this includes bullet points 2-8.
On your 9th point you assert that Hillary was Bill's right hand. However, again this was Gore - or so we have learned to believe. Maybe Hillary really was VP in which case I apologize .... You also assert that he is "on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history" What record is this? Your personal one? And for What reason?
On your 10th point you say there is two master politicians on Hillary's side - her and Bill. Yet again you have yet to show one shred of her "master" skills that was HERS not her husbands.
On your 11th. You say that republicans supported Obama, and won't in the election come November. However, I seem to remember history a bit differently, wasn't it the republican's switching to democratic voters for the primaries to support Clinton in Ohio and Texas? ....... Oh yeah, that's right they did. So where are your examples of republican voting for Obama? As recent as last month a majority of republican's were voting for Hillary because of this reason. - True it may have changed recently due to the Rev Wright issues.
After this you go back to talking about how Hillary had as you put it "the audacity and nerve to try and get quality, affordable universal health care for everyone" But remember she failed there. So while she may have supported it than - she couldn't do it.
As for individuals "nerves" Obama was always against the war, Hillary (under public pressure) began to support the war with many democrats for a time. Who's to say she won't bend her beliefs on other issues to gain public approval?
You than quote saying an Obama Aide said working class democrats not key. Which aide said this???? Please be more specific when attributing a quote.
You than go for the "crushing defeat" that Hillary won Pennsylvania. However, you forget to mention that she had a huge lead on him. So yes, he lost, and by more than he would of liked, but the margin of her win was much less.
So you say Hillary sounded as if she wanted Obama to win Pennsylvania????? Are you seriously that ignorant? She wanted to win it, if anything she sounded the way she did because she wanted to win by a larger number. She claims to be for the people like the Florida and Michigan voters to count. Yet, up until recently (when she really needed it) she was for the ruling of the Democratic Party that they should not and will not count. She is in this race for herself. She is NOT fighting for the American people by any stretch. She was on multiple occasions asked by her party to drop out because it was hurting the party as a whole by keeping this controversy up. She is the one to initiate the internal attacks that occur between herself and Obama.
You conclude with a quote of hers that she has more votes than Obama and any other candidate in a primary competition. Although it doesn't state that its by a slim margin - its only by .1 million and that's counting the votes in Michigan where Obama actually removed himself from the ballot. Obama was also supposed to win this state, which would have cut back into her numbers even more. None of this matter though, because Obama will make up the "so called deficit" in the remaining primaries where he is supposed to win all - except Indiana which could go either way.
Posted by: Jacksmith what you smoking? | April 30, 2008 4:09 PM
RAT-The and the rest of you that dog Obama, he's gonna be yo daddy and yo mamma!!! lolol He IS our next president and I can just see all the those who doubted, just sick at home looking at a black man for president. If you think he won't YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!!! lololol I laugh at all of you sucka's!
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 4:08 PM
I just hoope there are no catholics criticizing Obama and Wright's relationship.
Any ex-catholics ready to denounce the catholic church. Rev. Wright hasn't been accused of the things the catholic church has AGREED to pay victims for.
Obama will be alright. There is a reason why the college educated votes for him overwhelmingly.
Posted by: OneFreeMan | April 30, 2008 4:08 PM
Of course she will struggle with the African American vote. They have already revealed that they are voting based on racial lines. ----------------------- So explain the old white lady vote if that is so bad.
Posted by: WTF | April 30, 2008 4:08 PM
Mainly, I remember a lots of investigations and no showing of wrongdoing, except a covered up head job. That's does not show Clinton is a "disaster," it just shows how nasty the Repubs are. What is happening to Obama now is just a prelude of what would happen to him as president. Funny - you would think that his supporters would now realize that what is going on to him is the same thing that happened to the Clintons. Instead, only the Great Lord Obama gets falsely accused and caught up in distraction. Apparently, for the Clintons, an allegation of wrongdoing by the Repubs is a conviction. YOu people claim to be liberals, but you dismiss basic concepts like due proces. HYPOCRITES.
"REMEMBER WHITE WATER, FILEGATE, TRAVELGATE, STEALING VINCE FOSTER'S PAPERS BEFORE SHE LET THE POLCE INTO HIS OFFICE, HIRING PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS TO DISCREDIT THE WOMEN BILL CLINTON ABUSED AND IN THE CASE OF JUANITA BRODDERICK-RAPED, HAVING TO RETURN MORE THAN $30,OOO. WORTH OF FURNITURE ETC. THAT SHE STOLE TO FURNISH HER NEW MANSION IN D.C. AND MORE. IN ARKANSAS REMEMBER THE HOG FUTURE BONANZA, AND TROOPERGATE. SHE'S A DISASTER AND VERY BAD FOR THIS COUNTRY.!!!!"
Posted by: BlkDude4Hilllary | April 30, 2008 4:07 PM
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Clinton's momentum could be halted Tuesday by black voters, a constituency that has overwhelmingly gone for her opponent.
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In India, Even Gods Are Going Hungry
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NEW DELHI -- Every morning, Hindu devotees haul buckets of fresh, creamy milk into this neighborhood temple, then close their eyes and bow in prayer as the milk is used to bathe a Hindu deity. At the foot of the statue, they leave small baskets of bananas, coconuts, incense sticks and marigolds.
But recently, Ram Gopal Atrey, the head priest at Prachin Hanuman Mandir, noticed donations thinning for the morning prayers. He knew exactly why: inflation.
With prices soaring for staples such as cooking oils, wheat, lentils, milk and rice across the globe, priests like Atrey say they are seeing the consequences in their neighborhood temples, where even the poorest of the poor have long made donations to honor their faith.
"But today the common man is tortured by the increases in prices," Atrey lamented during one early morning prayer, or puja, adding that donations of milk were down by as much as 50 percent. He had recently met with colleagues from other temples, along with imams from local mosques, who reported similar experiences. "If poor people don't even have enough for bread, how will they donate milk to the gods?" he said. "This is very serious."
From Haiti to Senegal to Thailand, prices for basic food supplies have skyrocketed in recent months. The increases have been attributed to a confluence of factors including sharply rising fuel prices, droughts in food-producing countries and the diversion of some crops to produce biofuels. In India, milk prices rose because of increases in gasoline prices, which made it more expensive to transport the product from dairy farms to cities.
The U.N. World Food Program has said that more than 100 million people are being driven deeper into poverty by sharply rising food prices, which have sparked riots and protests from Bangladesh to Egypt. The crisis is serious in India, where nearly half the children younger than 3 are undernourished, a higher rate than in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNICEF, the U.N. agency for children.
In New Delhi, the price of rice rose by 20 percent and the price of lentils by 18 percent in the past year. Cooking oil prices have climbed by 40 percent over the same period. The price of milk, which is essential in both diets and religious rituals, rose more than 11 percent in the past year.
Milk is literally the nectar of gods in India. Most temples in the south use it at least twice a day to bathe Hindu statues, since it symbolizes the eternal goodness of human beings and is seen as a generous offering to the faith.
Across the country, milk also symbolizes life and death. Bodies are anointed with purified butter before cremation. Milk is a main ingredient in paneer -- a cheese-cube dish known here as the king of all foods -- as well as yogurt, curries, tea and sweets. And milk is often the main meal for children younger than 5.
While poverty rates in South Asia have decreased in recent years, more than 400 million people remain under the poverty line and account for nearly 40 percent of the world's poor, according to the United Nations. Although India's soaring economy has generated service-sector jobs, most of the workforce is still made up of men who lay bricks, sell fruit, or are hired as day laborers, making them among the most vulnerable to a spike in prices.
Munapar, a father of eight who lives in a makeshift camp of migrant workers, said he came to New Delhi in hopes of a better life. Instead, he has found hardship.
"We had to stop eating lunch. And we had to completely stop drinking milk," said Munapar, who is from India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, one of the country's poorest and most lawless.
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NEW DELHI -- Every morning, Hindu devotees haul buckets of fresh, creamy milk into this neighborhood temple, then close their eyes and bow in prayer as the milk is used to bathe a Hindu deity. At the foot of the statue, they leave small baskets of bananas, coconuts, incense sticks and marigolds.
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Senators Propose Ban on Chemical in Plastics
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Senate Democrats introduced a bill yesterday that would ban a controversial chemical found in plastics from all products made for infants and children up to age 7 and would direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the health risks the chemical may pose to both children and adults.
"There have been enough warning signs about the dangers of this chemical that we cannot sit idly by and continue to allow vulnerable children and infants to be exposed," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). His bill to ban bisphenol A, or BPA, was co-sponsored by Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Richard J. Durbin (Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), John F. Kerry (Mass.) and Robert Menendez (N.J.).
Schumer said he wants the CDC to weigh in because of conflicting scientific studies on BPA. A growing body of new studies has linked the chemical to prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, behavioral disorders such as hyperactivity, and reproductive problems in laboratory animals.
This month, the National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, was the first federal agency to raise concerns about the effect of the chemical on fetuses, infants and children. "The report earlier this month was an eye-opener," Schumer said. "Now we want to get one final, indisputable ruling, once and for all, on the effects of BPA on adults, and pregnant women in particular."
But the chemical industry and the agencies that regulate the use of BPA, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, have deemed the chemical safe.
The FDA's handling of BPA is being investigated by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) said he is concerned that the FDA based its safety rating on two studies, both funded by the chemical industry. More than 100 studies performed by government scientists and university laboratories have found health concerns associated with BPA; the industry-funded studies say it is safe.
Yesterday, Dingell expanded his investigation to include the Consumer Product Safety Commission. While the FDA regulates bottles and food containers, the commission oversees a range of other goods aimed at children that may contain BPA, such as utensils, dishes, toys, car seats and play yards.
Dingell has asked the commission if products it regulates contain BPA and what actions the commission has taken to protect the public health or warn consumers about possible hazards.
Spokeswoman Julie Vallese said the commission agrees with the FDA that the chemical is safe. She said her agency believes BPA poses the greatest health risk when it is comes into contact with food and drink and not in the types of products overseen by the commission. The agency studied rattles, teething rings and pacifiers in 2002 and found BPA in five of 133 plastics samples taken from those items, Vallese said. It has not studied whether the chemical is present in other products it regulates, she said.
BPA, in commercial use since the 1950s, is found in a wide variety of everyday items, including baby bottles, compact discs and automobiles. One federal study estimated the chemical is found in the urine of 93 percent of the population.
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Senate Democrats introduced a bill yesterday that would ban a controversial chemical found in plastics from all products made for infants and children up to age 7 and would direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the health risks the chemical may pose to both children and...
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Creative Captioning: Quick Draw McGraw
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Creative Captioning, once banished to the land of canceled blog features, is back. At least for today. Why? Because we've finally got a picture worthy of our wit. You have below a celebrity, a fragrance, an image and one seriously weird pose. Do your best (or your worst).
There has to be a certain amount of ego that goes along with naming a fragrance after one's self. Sure, at the most basic level, this is all marketing -- celebrity fragrances (for some unknown reason) are guaranteed sellers at Wal-Mart -- and chemical conglomerates make big bucks by branding their concoctions with soft focus images of Britney Spears and J.Lo. But, naming that fragrance "McGraw by Tim McGraw" screams "TIM MCGRAW TIM MCGRAW TIM MCGRAW!!!" You see my point, I think. Why clutter up one's stink with the stank of extraneous words like "perfume" or "cologne" or "stud" or "glam cowboy" or "brokeback" or any of the other myriad descriptors that could have been used to sell this scent?
In any case, we're thankful to Tim McGraw for clowning (at least we hope he's clowning) and allowing us to slowly step away from yesterday's Great Miley Cyrus Debate. The best caption(s) will be elevated to a position of prominence here in the blog. Now go forth and caption...
By Liz | April 30, 2008; 10:42 AM ET | Category: Creative Captioning Previous: Morning Mix: 'Leave Miley Alone,' says Rosie O'Donnell | Next: Morning Mix: Kate Hudson is 'Most Beautiful' Cover Girl
Keep up with the latest Celebritology scoops with an easy-to-use widget.
If you have tips, ideas for stories or general suggestions, let us know.
Someday soon I hope you'll get the chance to smell like you were dyin'.
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 10:56 AM
"McGraw Cologne: Who says cowboys can't be metrosexuals?"
Posted by: bahston | April 30, 2008 10:57 AM
Does this perfume make me look fat?
Posted by: yumdonuts | April 30, 2008 10:59 AM
Tim McGraw, the singer, inadvertently recoils from his first whiff of Tim McGraw, the fragrance.
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 11:00 AM
Whaaat? I cain't hear a dang thing since I did that song with them Def Leppards.
Posted by: Tom | April 30, 2008 11:01 AM
You like my shiny gray suit?
(read in Vietnamese accent ala "Good Morning Vietnam")
Posted by: yumdonuts | April 30, 2008 11:01 AM
Tim McGraw, is asked by an unknown reporter, "Is it true 'McGraw' smells like a**?"
("No," McGraw responded, "It smells like genitals.")
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 11:02 AM
Mr. McGraw, Ms. Leibowitz is calling.
Posted by: methinks | April 30, 2008 11:02 AM
Country singer Tim McGraw reaches for another sample of the chief raw ingredient in his namesake cologne.
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 11:03 AM
Mr. McGraw says that a bottle such as the one shown here "will keep a man smelling like a man for two weeks."
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 11:05 AM
I just put a little dab of deer whiz behind my ear, and I'm ready for the next 12-point buck.
Posted by: John | April 30, 2008 11:05 AM
Hey, at least my pants aren't pleated!
Posted by: RiverCityRoller | April 30, 2008 11:06 AM
Tim McGraw's launch of his fragrance at a glitzy ceremony on a remote Pacific island is interrupted by a poison dart attack.
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 11:07 AM
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 11:08 AM
"Girlfriend, that Randy Travis thing can kiss my grits. If you want a real cowboy in the saddle, you call McGraw. All night long."
Posted by: yellojkt | April 30, 2008 11:08 AM
Tim McGraw reacts to the question, "Do you ever try on your wife's underwear?"
Posted by: Right Winger | April 30, 2008 11:09 AM
Tim McGraw cracks up the crowd with his Faith Hill impression.
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 11:09 AM
Tug McGraw must be spinning in his grave.
Posted by: methinks | April 30, 2008 11:10 AM
Just one drop behind the ear will render even the toughest music critic completely immobile for up to 24 hours.
Choose either the 24 oz. bottle or convenient signet ring atomizer.
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 11:12 AM
Posted by: b | April 30, 2008 11:13 AM
Nice, td! (As was the first one.)
"Well," says Tim McGraw, "it originally started as a refreshing beverage, but it was just one of those happy accidents that the still was contaminated..."
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 11:15 AM
Don't hate me because I'm redundant
Posted by: Magnolia | April 30, 2008 11:24 AM
He's got style, he's got grace, you want to punch him in the face.
Posted by: sjcpeach | April 30, 2008 11:26 AM
I'm too sexy for my scent.
Posted by: Em | April 30, 2008 11:28 AM
Inaudible pap asking a question.
Inaudible pap asking the question again.
TM -- "Yes, that's right it's TIM. It's McGraw by TIM McGraw, not Phil."
Posted by: WDC 21113 | April 30, 2008 11:38 AM
Posted by: Magnolia | April 30, 2008 11:46 AM
Wow the back of my neck is on fire. This stuff stings... but in a good way.
Posted by: McLean VA | April 30, 2008 11:50 AM
McGraw by Tim McGraw: When you want that shiny new cowboy smell.
BTW - I hate when "celebs" name fragrence after themselves. If they want to sell the whole "smell like me and score babes" thing, they should be required to wear it - or be sent to Guantanamo as an enemy of the people.
Posted by: ex cap | April 30, 2008 11:53 AM
Tim McGraw unveils the latest in Rodeosexual fashion.
Posted by: M Street | April 30, 2008 11:58 AM
Gary Busey says "If you put that cologne on me, I'm going to pull your endocrine system out of your body and make a pack out of it."
Posted by: M Street | April 30, 2008 12:00 PM
Tim McGraw: #1 hater of matte fabric, #1 fan of vogueing
Posted by: Magnolia | April 30, 2008 12:01 PM
Country Music don't stink of horsehit no more
Posted by: Burt (UK) | April 30, 2008 12:01 PM
The scent just makes me want to...to...sing (cue violins).
Posted by: sunnydaze | April 30, 2008 12:02 PM
M Street -- bravo for the Gary Busey tie-in. Hysterical!
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 12:03 PM
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 12:07 PM
Mr. and Mrs. McGraw should never have left Timmy alone in the room with the photographer.
Posted by: epony | April 30, 2008 12:07 PM
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 12:08 PM
Upon first reading the title, I thought it was in reference to Dr. PHIL McGraw jumping in to the Miley Cyrus photos fray a la Britney's breakdown.
So imagine my horror when I began reading about a new perfume! I didn't realize it was about TIM McGraw until the middle of the second paragraph.
I think I need to go lay down until I'm over the disturbing mental images that Dr. Phil and a "celebrity fragrance" just conjured up!
Posted by: Jess | April 30, 2008 12:08 PM
Fragrance to be followed shortly by a line of faux-tanning products, called "Keep Your Hands Off My Man Tan"
Posted by: WDC | April 30, 2008 12:10 PM
Hark! I hear the last of my self respect galloping off to buy new fragrance McGraw by Tim McGraw at a finer Wal-mart location.
Posted by: L8yf8 | April 30, 2008 12:15 PM
Miley Ray Cyrus has nothing on me!
Posted by: pockets | April 30, 2008 12:16 PM
Posted by: ckf | April 30, 2008 12:18 PM
I know we're all here to talk about my new perfume otherwise known as the man's manscent, but I think we need a sing-a-long: "Two eyes and ears...one mouth and nose, head and shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes."
Posted by: PC | April 30, 2008 12:18 PM
Save a pony, ride a cowboy fragrance.
Posted by: jes | April 30, 2008 12:19 PM
I call it "Eau de Sharkskin. And be sure to look for my new line of man products including McGraw McEyebrowWax, McGraw McManicure, and McGraw HatPolisher".
Posted by: jelo | April 30, 2008 12:30 PM
I was Playgirl's Sexiest Man of the Year in 1997, and I still got it ... b*tch
Posted by: o.l. | April 30, 2008 12:30 PM
McGraw smells like a heady, frisky sugar rush of urban dance-pop come-ons in which Timmy finally gets into the hip-hop groove.
Posted by: DCJ | April 30, 2008 12:36 PM
"I feel pretty, Oh, so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright! And I pity Any guy who isn't me tonight!"
Posted by: CJB | April 30, 2008 12:51 PM
Be sure to bend at the knees when you lift the magnum of McGraw cologne -- I pulled my neck lifting this one onto the podium.
Posted by: PSA from Tim | April 30, 2008 12:52 PM
McGraw makes you "Walk Like A Man." "How bad do you want it?" Girls will scream "Put Your Lovin' On Me" and that is okay by you because "I Like It, I Love It, I Want Some More Of It." Let me tell you... "It Doesn't Get Any Countrier Than This"
Posted by: Ohyouknow | April 30, 2008 12:57 PM
TV commercial: "just a dab of Tim McGraw behind your ear, you will hear David Beckhem's voice."
Posted by: WDC | April 30, 2008 1:01 PM
Oh, I do declare! Just one whiff of my scent will be enough to cure anyone sufferin' from those terrible, pesky, no-good vapors. But what do I know, I'm just a li'l old southern girl.
Posted by: PGM | April 30, 2008 1:04 PM
Also in the news: A Tim Mcgraw branded, limited-edition run of spicy jalepeno Fritos at Walmart! Now we know where all the leftover Frito flavoring went!! Muy Caliente!
Posted by: Sigh | April 30, 2008 1:09 PM
In his best Scarlet O'Hara accent. "I do declare, just a lil dab and I feel like a boy of 15 again."
McGraw by Tim McGraw saving the environment, one bottle is all you and future generations will ever need.
McGraw by Tim McGraw a ten gallon bottle for your ten gallon man.
Posted by: petal these are the best I could muster | April 30, 2008 1:10 PM
Oh, and I want to vote for td.
Posted by: Sigh | April 30, 2008 1:12 PM
All of my votes go to yumdonuts. Brilliant!!
Posted by: jaybbub | April 30, 2008 1:12 PM
Free Prince Albert ring with every purchase.
Posted by: possum | April 30, 2008 1:23 PM
I'm too sexy for my hat...
Posted by: still | April 30, 2008 1:24 PM
McGraw by Mcgraw: now available in economy size.
Posted by: still | April 30, 2008 1:27 PM
The fragrance completes the look.
Posted by: lydacole | April 30, 2008 1:32 PM
"We call it 'McGraw' because marketing said 'Tough Ass' just wouldn't sell."
Posted by: lydacole | April 30, 2008 1:33 PM
Baby, take off your coat...(real slow) Baby, take off your shoes...(here, Ill take your shoes) Baby, take off your dress Yes, yes, yes You can leave your hat on You can leave your hat on You can leave your hat on
Posted by: Sasquatch, channeling Randy Newman | April 30, 2008 1:33 PM
"Now hoooooold on thar, Baba Looey! I'll do the "thinnin'" around here, and doooon't you forget e-it!"
Posted by: Sasquatch, channeling Quick Draw McGraw | April 30, 2008 1:35 PM
Now where did I leave my bong...errr...Kabonger?
Posted by: Sasquatch, channeling El Kabong | April 30, 2008 1:37 PM
Sasquatch, I thought Joe Cocker sang "You Can Leave Your Hat On", or do you just prefer Randy Newman's voice?
Posted by: methinks | April 30, 2008 1:38 PM
'Cause I can feel you breathe It's washing over me Suddenly I'm melting into you There's nothing left to prove Baby all we need is just to be Caught up in the touch The slow and steady rush Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be I can feel you breathe Just breathe
Posted by: Sasquatch, channeling Faith Hill | April 30, 2008 1:39 PM
McGraw, but get your own. Because you shouldn't touch another woman's man's package.
Posted by: RAF | April 30, 2008 1:41 PM
McGraw cologne: a little goes a long way (towards making you look like a jacka$$).
Posted by: still | April 30, 2008 1:42 PM
Methinks, both Joe Cocker and Tom Jones have covered "You Can Leave Your Hat On." Both versions (the Tom Jones version was used in the Full Monty)are much better known and liked than Randy Newman's original. During his live performances, Randy Newman often berates himself for performing the original in a lower key.
Randy Newman is one of the very few singer-songwriters from the late 20th century whose work will endure.
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 30, 2008 1:42 PM
Yes, I farted. People line up and pay big bucks to sniff my farts.
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 30, 2008 1:44 PM
Tim McGraw finishes doing the sprinkler to I'm too Sexy for my Scent
Posted by: bigdog | April 30, 2008 1:44 PM
"People line up and pay big bucks to sniff my farts." --Sasquatch
And I imagine they must smell better than McGraw by Tim McGraw.
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 1:49 PM
Tim McGraw appeared embarrassed as he explained to the press that his new product, McGRAW, was a sunless tanner and not a cologne.
Posted by: s-bomb | April 30, 2008 1:51 PM
It was my CAPTION for McGraw.
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 30, 2008 1:52 PM
Caution: Do not apply to recently waxed skin.
Posted by: possum | April 30, 2008 1:52 PM
"Does the bottle make my but look big?"
Posted by: EricS | April 30, 2008 1:52 PM
"Does this cologne make you want to grab my b@lls."
Posted by: Littlestar | April 30, 2008 1:52 PM
Sorry, Sasquatch, I got a little confused there. Hee hee. Whoops. . . .
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 1:54 PM
MCgraw Cologne, Smell like you were dyin', er . . . Live like you were smellin uh . . . die like you were livin? Just buy the damn stuff . . . Is that Faith I hear
Posted by: Bigdog | April 30, 2008 1:54 PM
Gosh, another chink in my pop cultural education filled in today. I didn't know that Randy Newman wrote that song. I didn't know who wrote it, but it makes sense now. Thanks, Sasquatch.
Posted by: methinks | April 30, 2008 1:54 PM
This is way funnier than Booby Kennedy day. You guys are demented, and I mean that as a compliment. I have to stop reading now, not only because I have work to do but also because my neighbors in the office are starting to whisper about me cackling to myself.
Posted by: new england | April 30, 2008 1:58 PM
Fine print: Free with every purchase of the supersized McGraw, one vinyl cowboy hat and a McGraw Man Bag cologne tote. Also, look for the new line of McGraw stain-resistant, wrinkle free suits coming soon to a Sears near you. So you, too, can look and smell McGrawlicious!
Posted by: rachelt | April 30, 2008 2:02 PM
A preening Tim McGraw says, "Colin Firth ain't got squat on me."
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 30, 2008 2:11 PM
"McGraw," the first in a new line of fragrances inspired by country singers.
"Keith": Toby's new fragrance combines the manly scent of testosterone with a bitter undercurrent of bile.
"Parton": Smell just like Dolly with this intoxicating blend of silicone and hairspray.
"Nelson": The cologne that gives you the smell of Willie's tour bus, evoking burning cannabis with a hint of shredded tax forms.
Posted by: Porter | April 30, 2008 2:16 PM
And we have a new contender--well done, Porter!
Posted by: still | April 30, 2008 2:18 PM
DCJ and Petal make me laugh with these:
McGraw smells like a heady, frisky sugar rush of urban dance-pop come-ons in which Timmy finally gets into the hip-hop groove. --DCJ
McGraw by Tim McGraw a ten gallon bottle for your ten gallon man. --Petal
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 2:23 PM
It's called 'McGraw'. It's illegal in 9 countries because it's made with bits of real McGraw, so you know it's good... You know, they've done studies- 60 percent of the time it works, EVERYTIME
Posted by: AnchormanFan | April 30, 2008 2:25 PM
"A little dab and I'll do ya." McGraw, the raw scent of rampant sex and reeking stupidity.
Posted by: Scandibaby | April 30, 2008 2:32 PM
McGraw: Just a put little between your cheek and gums and a whole lot behind your ears.
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | April 30, 2008 2:34 PM
"McGraw: Just a put little between your cheek..."
Which cheek are we talkin' 'bout here, Snarky??
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 30, 2008 2:41 PM
"Hmmm, is that my career I hear going somewhere?"
Posted by: murt | April 30, 2008 2:48 PM
Porter's mention of Willie Nelson reminds me that it's his 75th birthday today.
I can't get there from here, but there's fine video on Youtube of him performing his song "Superman" with Snoop Dogg.
Posted by: byoolin | April 30, 2008 2:53 PM
Posted by: Get it Rig, HT | April 30, 2008 3:01 PM
McGraw by Tim McGraw helps keep real men in touch with their feminine side.
Posted by: Mimi | April 30, 2008 3:05 PM
Yes, I know it's Leibovitz. Didn't feel like making the correction. Thanks, Get it Rig,Ht.
Posted by: methinks | April 30, 2008 3:15 PM
McGraw by Tim McGraw. Now you too can smell just like my pits. Whooee, take whiff of this.
Posted by: omni | April 30, 2008 3:18 PM
You probably think it's BOBBY Kennedy, too, don'tcha?
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 30, 2008 3:22 PM
Tim McGraw gets a whiff of his own cologne and starts acting out the lyrics to "Dontcha wish your girlfriend was hot like me."
Posted by: still | April 30, 2008 3:37 PM
With a moniker like "Sasquatch" I'm surprised you ain't never heard of "Skoal", "Copenhagen" or any of those other fine chews baseball players seem to like.
OK...I'm dating myself. Yes, I am old enough to remember when chewing tobacco AND cigarettes were advertised on the TV.
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | April 30, 2008 3:37 PM
Yo fatty, carm down & try this here McGraw.
Posted by: jes | April 30, 2008 3:50 PM
"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard..."
Posted by: Osteph | April 30, 2008 3:53 PM
Do you have to get yourself drunk before you can take advantage of yourself?
Seriously, Old fart Sasquatch also fondly (But don't ask me to fondle you) recalls hearing the theme from The Magnificent Seven on Marolboro commercials.
Posted by: Old Fart Sasquatch | April 30, 2008 3:58 PM
McGraw by Tim McGraw: Warning use of this product may cause Faith Hill to come slap your girlfriend while screaming "keep your hands off your man wearing my man's scent"
Posted by: sjcpeach | April 30, 2008 4:02 PM
Tim McGraw poses by his cologne and we wonder - what was Faith Hill worried about?
Posted by: fan-tastic | April 30, 2008 4:05 PM
Mcgraw ur doing good at ur job keep working every one loves it and loves u. U do what u got to do. evry one is just hating on ur smell.
Posted by: M Street | April 30, 2008 4:11 PM
Tim McGraw launches his new fragrance, Brokeback Mountain Spirit, and announces he's left Faith Hill for Carson Kressley.
Posted by: MacBeth | April 30, 2008 4:13 PM
I also want to vote for M Street. (S)he's Tim's #1 fan, ready to take out any haterz.
Posted by: Sigh | April 30, 2008 4:24 PM
Even McGraw could hear the sound of Hank Williams turning in his grave.
Posted by: kvs | April 30, 2008 4:33 PM
Sasquatch, I remember those cigarette commercials -- the problem is, they're mixed in my memory with George Carlin's riff on them.
* Taste me, taste me, c'mon and taste me * Winston tastes good like a cigarette should
Perhaps Tim McGraw would do well to mine that era of advertising now for his cologne?! Never mind, bad idea.
Posted by: td | April 30, 2008 4:34 PM
Yo fatty, carm down & try this here McGraw.
Posted by: jes | April 30, 2008 3:50 PM ***********
Posted by: methinks | April 30, 2008 4:35 PM
McGraw: It's a fragrance and an engine oil additive.
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | April 30, 2008 5:34 PM
"Ah made them call it after me so's Ah wuddn't fergit the name of it", admitted Tim McGraw at the coming out party for his huge hat, er, um, new scent.
Posted by: Curmudgeon | April 30, 2008 5:35 PM
Can you smell what The Graw is stewing in!
Posted by: WoW | April 30, 2008 5:51 PM
Thanks fan-tastic - that was the best laugh I've had all day. My own pitiful submission is
McGraw - smells just like ... (wait for it) ... money.
Posted by: BeachGirl | April 30, 2008 7:12 PM
We marsupials just rub our scent glands around, but I guess this is just about as good.
Posted by: possum | April 30, 2008 7:17 PM
oh DAMN! someone upstream already got the caption that immediately came to my head: "I'm too sexy for my hat"
Posted by: plamar1031 | May 1, 2008 11:35 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
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Washingtonpost.com blogger Liz Kelly dishes on the latest happenings in entertainment, celebrity, and Hollywood news.
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S. Korean Principles Vs. Hunger in North
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SEOUL -- This spring on the Korean Peninsula, human rights are on a collision course with hunger.
South Korea's new president, Lee Myung-bak, is asking tough questions about human rights abuses in North Korea -- questions that were all but ignored by his predecessors Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.
But he is learning that high-minded principles can quickly run amok if your neighbor is an irritable Stalinist state on the brink of a food disaster.
Amid worsening shortages that the U.N. World Food Program says may soon become a catastrophe, Lee's government has yet to dispatch large shipments of free food and fertilizer that over the past decade have become an essential crutch for North Korea's crippled economy, helping millions to avoid famine.
"The delay in shipping food and fertilizer could end up hurting the average North Korean," said Kim Am-soo, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a government-financed think tank in Seoul. "It is a very delicate situation, and tension has increased on both sides of the border."
North Korea was barely an issue late last year when Lee won the presidency by a wide margin. Only 3 percent of people polled before the election named their northern neighbor as a primary concern.
Voters then were overwhelmingly focused on reviving South Korea's economy and increasing their own income. North Korea had backed away from nuclear confrontation and cooled its heated rhetoric, and it was disabling its main nuclear reactor.
Lee, a former mayor of Seoul and a self-made multimillionaire, promised that he would turbocharge the economy with pro-business policies. As a secondary promise, he said he would condition assistance to North Korea on economic and political reform.
When Lee took office in late February, Western diplomats generally predicted he would not make substantial changes in his predecessors' accommodating relationship with the North.
But he quickly changed the rules. At the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, South Korea voted for a resolution expressing concern over the lack of freedoms in the North, after years of abstaining or otherwise avoiding the issue.
Lee gave new marching orders to the South's Ministry of Unification -- the primary institutional legacy of presidents Kim and Roh and their efforts to increase trade, cultural and family exchanges with the North. From here forward, it would explicitly press for improvements in the human rights of North Koreans.
The orders delighted human rights groups in South Korea, which had felt ignored and received little government funding under Lee's predecessors.
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SEOUL -- This spring on the Korean Peninsula, human rights are on a collision course with hunger.
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U.S. Role Deepens in Sadr City
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BAGHDAD, April 29 -- A four-hour battle Tuesday between U.S. soldiers and Shiite militiamen left at least 28 Iraqis dead in the capital's Sadr City neighborhood, making it one of the bloodiest days in a month of sustained street fighting.
The clashes underscored how deeply U.S. forces have been drawn into heavy combat in the huge Shiite district since Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki unexpectedly launched an offensive in southern Iraq last month against Shiite militias, primarily the Mahdi Army of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Until Maliki's push into the southern city of Basra, U.S. troops were not intensely engaged in Sadr City, a Baghdad neighborhood of roughly 3 million people that was among the most treacherous areas for U.S. forces early in the war.
But the southern offensive set off a violent chain reaction that spread quickly to Shiite sectors of the capital and has severely strained the cease-fire Sadr imposed on his followers in August and recently reaffirmed. U.S. troops, fighting at times Tuesday on foot and backed by air support, are now engaged in the kind of urban battle within Sadr's stronghold reminiscent of the first years of the war.
More than 500 people have been killed and 2,100 injured in Sadr City since fighting erupted there again in late March, according to lawmakers loyal to Sadr. Residents of Sadr City said Tuesday's death toll was at least 50. The U.S. military said it has killed more than 200 fighters in the past month in the area, where it says militiamen have fired 600 rockets and mortars at U.S. and Iraqi targets.
The conflict has pitted Sadr, who leads Iraq's largest militia and one of the most popular Shiite political organizations, against Shiite-led government forces and the U.S. troops backing them. The impoverished Sadr City district has been sealed off by U.S. and Iraqi forces from the rest of the city.
"Sadr City right now is like a city of ghosts," said Abu Haider al-Bahadili, 43, a Mahdi Army fighter who spoke by telephone from Sadr City as spasms of gunfire rang out nearby. "It has turned from a city into a field of battle."
A delegation of leaders from the Sadrist movement is scheduled to meet with Maliki in coming days to try to negotiate an end to the violence, but both sides have indicated they are far from a settlement. Maliki is demanding that Sadr disband the militia, a step seen as unlikely.
The battle Tuesday erupted as U.S. forces tried to evacuate a soldier injured by small-arms fire about 9:30 a.m., according to the U.S. military. During the evacuation, the troops were attacked with roadside bombs, as well as rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire from houses, storefronts, alleyways and rooftops, said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a U.S. military spokesman.
Six U.S. soldiers were wounded, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening. The U.S. military said two soldiers were killed in separate incidents in northwest Baghdad on Tuesday evening, one by small-arms fire and the other by a roadside bomb.
In the Sadr City clash, the U.S. soldiers responded by firing rockets armed with high-explosive, 200-pound warheads, killing 28 fighters, Stover said. In a separate incident in Sadr City, a fixed-wing aircraft dropped a bomb at 5:15 p.m. that killed two fighters firing mortars at a joint U.S.-Iraqi outpost, the U.S. military said.
But Sadr City residents gave a very different accounting of the fighting. They said at least 50 people were killed and 130 injured, many of them women and children.
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BAGHDAD, April 29 -- A four-hour battle Tuesday between U.S. soldiers and Shiite militiamen left at least 28 Iraqis dead in the capital's Sadr City neighborhood, making it one of the bloodiest days in a month of sustained street fighting.
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If You Don't Show Up, Everybody Talks About You
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In the Loop, of course, wholeheartedly agrees, despite attending most of the last 20 dinners. Therefore we must distance ourselves and repudiate remarks at the dinner Saturday by late-night talk show host Craig Ferguson and condemn a follow-up dig yesterday by President Bush.
Ferguson recently passed his citizenship test despite a Scottish brogue that -- abetted by an ancient sound system -- was at times impenetrable Saturday. (Good thing it's a written exam.) But everyone heard him loud and clear when he hit The Gray Lady for not showing up.
"I just want to make sure I get this right: They felt that this event undercuts the credibility of the press," Ferguson said. "It's funny, you see, I thought that Jayson Blair and Judy Miller took care of that." And then: "Shut the hell up, New York Times, you sanctimonious, whining jerks!"
Then yesterday, at a Rose Garden news conference, President Bush took another pop at the Times. After Bush called on Times White House reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg, she said: "I'm still waiting for my exclusive at the ranch," referring to ABC News White House reporter Martha Raddatz's private interview with Bush in Crawford.
"I'm at a loss for words," Bush said. "If only you'd have been at the White House correspondents' dinner, I would have invited you. [Laughter.] Anyway, please, go ahead."
We should note that several publications have debated for years about whether to continue going to the dinner, a fundraiser for the nonprofit White House Correspondents' Association, which gives journalism scholarships and awards to kids and coordinates press-White House issues, such as transportation, seating in the press room and such.
Also at yesterday's news conference, Bush, speaking with precise enunciation, said, "We're in a long struggle, as I've told you many a time, against these jihadists."
Jihadists? No, no. That word is no longer to be used, according to an Associated Press report we cited last week. Various government agencies -- including the departments of State and Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center -- are telling their people not to describe Islamist extremists in those terms because, among other things, it might give those people a veneer of religious credibility.
Buzz around town is that Hussein Haqqani, a longtime critic of former Pakistani president and Bush buddy Pervez Musharraf, is in line to become Pakistan's ambassador to the United States. Haqqani, a confidant of assassinated former president Benazir Bhutto, is teaching at Boston University and awaiting approval from Washington to take over.
The Dotted Lines Form Here
Petition drives are the rage these days. A group of people believe that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who'll be leaving in less than nine months, should be forced to resign sooner. They recently put up Web site -- http://www.condimustgo.com-- to gather signatures for the proposition that: "America will not stand for a Secretary of State who approved torture and then misled Congress. We call on the Presidential candidates to ask Secretary of State Rice to resign." They say they have 69,750 signatures.
Also, some Georgetown University students have put up a Web petition urging that former undersecretary of defense and best-selling author Douglas Feith be retained after his two-year teaching stint ends next month. They say they have 66 signatures.
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The New York Times has been taking hits of late for its new policy of boycotting the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. The Times apparently has decided that the media-politician chumminess is unseemly and maybe even borderline unethical.
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Rhee Gets Say Over Teacher Transfers
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Some parents say they are upset because the agreement counters statements Rhee made at hearings this year that teachers would transfer with students to ensure a smoother transition at the receiving schools.
Parents at the hearings asked Rhee, " 'Is it possible for the students to have the teachers from the old school to ease them into their transition?' The response was, 'Oh, sure. We can take care of that,' " said Nicola Turner, who has twins in first grade at Stevens Elementary School in Northwest Washington, which is slated to close.
But at a meeting last week, Turner said, Rhee told parents that the teacher transfer was not automatic and that teachers would have to interview for positions at the receiving schools.
"It's important to me that the teachers transition with the students," Turner said. The students are being disrupted enough "going into unfamiliar surroundings," she said.
Rhee's spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said in a statement that it would be impossible for all teachers at the closing schools to relocate to the receiving schools. The agreement "directly points out the fact that teachers won't automatically lose their jobs but in fact will have the opportunity to seek opportunities at receiving schools and/or transfer to other schools in the school system," she said.
In a two-page agreement signed April 18 by Rhee and George Parker, union president, teachers at the 23 schools would be identified as "excessed," subjecting them to an involuntarily placement at any school in the system. The agreement says the teachers have the "first right of interview" for vacancies at the receiving schools.
Two officers of the union assert that the agreement strips the teachers of contract rights that require the school system to give first preference to positions at the receiving schools to those teachers with the most seniority from the closing schools. The senior teachers, they said, have the right to "bump" less-experienced teachers. The remaining teachers would be placed in the "excess" pool and required to apply for vacancies at other schools.
Union members are at odds over whether Parker had the right to sign the agreement without approval from the board. John Tatum, the union's parliamentarian, said its constitution authorizes Parker to represent the union on such matters. But the officers disagree.
Parker "has got to be stopped; he's giving away the store," said Nathan Saunders, the union's general vice president. "This will affect the union forever and a day."
The dispute is the latest battle roiling the leadership of the 4,200-member union. On Friday, Saunders filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court charging Parker with violating his free-speech rights by introducing a policy banning anyone other than Parker from speaking publicly on behalf of the union.
Parker said he signed the agreement with Rhee because there are loopholes in the contract that could hurt teachers at the 23 schools. Parker disagreed with Saunders's interpretation of the contract, saying it allows the system to declare teachers at closing schools as excessed with no guarantee that they would follow their students. He said seniority does not apply to teachers at buildings where the entire staff is being given that status.
"The way our contract is written, an excessed teacher is guaranteed a placement, but it doesn't tell you where" the teacher will be placed, Parker said. The agreement, he said, gives the unassigned teachers priority in applying for jobs at the receiving schools.
However, "you can't say that no other teacher could interview for those jobs," Parker said. "You'd be discriminating against excessed teachers from other schools."
Rhee had offered buyouts to 700 teachers from 50 schools slated for closure or academic overhaul, but only 289 applied, Hobson said. Some union officials said they are concerned that Rhee might use the agreement to get rid of teachers from those schools.
Candi Peterson, a trustee in the union, said union leaders learned of the agreement last week -- six days after it had been signed. She said officers directed Saunders to send a letter to Rhee demanding that teachers at the closed schools be guaranteed jobs. She said she fears that some teachers who are not hired through the interview process would be let go if not placed sometime in the fall.
Older teachers are concerned that "when they go for an interview, they won't get picked up [because principals] will get two younger teachers for their salaries," said Peterson, a special education service provider at four schools.
"It looks like [Parker] sold us out," she said.
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D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has signed a controversial agreement with the president of the Washington Teachers' Union giving her the right to reassign all teachers at 23 schools slated to be closed with no guarantee that they would move to the schools where their students are to be...
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This Place Gives Me the Jitters
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In the picturesque but long-past-quaint university town of Charlottesville, there are so many places to get a decent espresso drink today that the first draft of this brief review of favorite C'ville coffee bars actually contained no periods or commas. Or pauses of any kind, really.
And . . . sorry. I have now switched to decaf.
But even in this final draft, take note that there is still no more than one mention of a Starbucks. The famous franchise does have five outlets here in the home of the University of Virginia, amid the low foothills of the Blue Ridge and the long shadow of Thomas Jefferson. But they are all, except for maybe one, just plain outdone by the locals.
Charlottesville today has more restaurants per capita than any city in Virginia, or possibly France, and is home to the kind of insanely committed foodies who post photos on their blogs of (I'm not kidding) handwritten estimates of opening dates that the owners have taped to the doors of restaurants that are still under construction. And who then discuss it online for days.
Some say it's the university's presence that makes espresso, steamed milk, neighborhood flavor and -- most important -- free wireless Web access such valued commodities. This is an intriguing theory.
· THE MUDHOUSE (213 W. Main St., 434-984-MUDD)
Must . . . not . . . sit . . . on . . . sofa. Too late. I am here for the rest of the afternoon, if not the decade.
Also here for a spell, in Mudhouse's cozy, often crowded space at the west end of Charlottesville's ever-bustling downtown pedestrian mall, are more than a few young people with really interesting hair or pierced what-have-yous, plus at least seven laptops and a table of tweedy professor-looking guys. Around the sofa in the front window are my wife and friends, fresh from a SynergyDance class at the nearby Studio 206. With the class being part dance and part meditation, the drink order translates into an equal proportion of high-octane caffeine and green-colored, healthy-looking smoothie thingies.
So Mudhouse has arguably the most diverse clientele and one of the best locations of all of C'ville's coffee bars. Opened way back in '95 after the owners tired of espressing themselves from a cart out on the freezing mall, the place toyed for a while with being a restaurant, says operations director Dan Pabst. But the line for sandwiches interfered with what they did best, which was all things coffee. So they scaled back on food -- though this does not mean you should miss Mudhouse's weekly Cupcake Fridays -- and Mudhouse is usually ranked among the city's top three or four coffee bars, just like . . .
· CAFE CUBANO (112 W. Main St., 434-971-8743)
Sharing one of the best locations in town (Mudhouse is just across the mall, less than a block away), Cafe Cubano is more definitively a restaurant, with a full menu of breakfasts and Cuban and other sandwiches, plus it's open late.
It also seems more definitively cool, inasmuch as a clearly non-hip guy like me always feels more as if I'm missing something amid the deco decor at Cafe Cubano than at, say, Mudhouse. In any case, the coffee -- especially the eponymous drink, with or without leche -- is as good as it is anywhere, prepared either with great enthusiasm or disdain. (With baristas, whose job involves a lot of whacking and banging things and loud sounds that can be mistaken for screams, it is often hard to tell.)
· SHENANDOAH JOE (945 Preston Ave., 434-295-4563)
Located next to a charity secondhand store in an ever-changing shopping-center district not far from downtown, Shenandoah Joe is not just a state-of-the-art coffee bar. What distinguishes it from the others -- besides the fact that more than half of the enormous, high-ceilinged space is an active, humming roastery with at least 30 types of beans stacked on shelves and counters -- is that the baristas know everything about the beans that made the coffee they're making into your personal drink and are happy to discuss any part of the process with you. (In fact, Joe's gives you three choices of beans just for espresso drinks.)
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In the picturesque but long-past-quaint university town of Charlottesville, there are many places to get a decent caffeinated pick-me-up.
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Emptying the Breadbasket
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At Stephen Fleishman's busy Bethesda shop, the era of the 95-cent bagel is coming to an end.
Breaking the dollar barrier "scares me," said the Bronx-born owner of Bethesda Bagels. But with 100-pound bags of North Dakota flour now above $50 -- more than double what they were a few months ago -- he sees no alternative to a hefty increase in the price of his signature product, a bagel made by hand in the back of the store.
"I've never seen anything like this in 20 years," he said. "It's a nightmare."
Fleishman and his customers are hardly alone. Across America, turmoil in the world wheat markets has sent prices of bread, pasta, noodles, pizza, pastry and bagels skittering upward, bringing protests from consumers.
But underlying this food inflation are changes that are transforming U.S. agriculture and making a return to the long era of cheap wheat products doubtful at best.
Half a continent away, in the North Dakota country that grows the high-quality wheats used in Fleishman's bagels, many farmers are cutting back on growing wheat in favor of more profitable, less disease-prone corn and soybeans for ethanol refineries and Asian consumers.
"Wheat was king once," said David Braaten, whose Norwegian immigrant grandparents built their Kindred, N.D., farm around wheat a century ago. "Now I just don't want to grow it. It's not a consistent crop."
In the 1980s, more than half the farm's acres were wheat. This year only one in 10 will be, and 40 percent will go to soybeans. Braaten and other farmers are considering investing in a $180 million plant to turn the beans into animal feed and cooking oil, both now in strong demand in China. And to stress his hopes for ethanol, his business card shows a sketch of a fuel pump.
Across the Red River and farther north, in Euclid, Minn., Don Strickler, 63, describes wheat as "a necessary evil." Most years, he explained, farmers lose money on it. Still, it provides conservation benefits and can block diseases in soybeans and sugar beets when rotated with those crops.
Wheat's fall from favor, little noticed when it was cheap, has been long coming. Though still an iconic symbol of American abundance -- engraved on currency and praised in song -- the nation's amber waves of wheat have been increasingly shoved aside by other crops. The "breadbasket of the world," which had alleviated hunger and famine since World War I, now generally supplies only a quarter of world wheat exports.
U.S. farmers are expected to plant about 64 million acres of wheat this year, down from a high of 88 million in 1981. In Kansas, wheat acreage has declined by a third since the mid-1980s, and nationwide, there is now less wheat in grain bins than at any time since World War II -- only about enough to supply the world for four days. This occurs as developing countries with some of the poorest populations are rapidly increasing their wheat imports.
Driving south from Grand Forks, N.D., on a freezing spring day, a motorist travels through a landscape that looks like a scene from the movie "Fargo." Mile after mile, fence posts rise from the snowy fields on each side of the ruler-straight highway. It looks like classic wheat country. But come summer, much of it will turn green from corn and beans.
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At Stephen Fleishman's busy Bethesda shop, the era of the 95-cent bagel is coming to an end.
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The Dollar's Down. But We're Not Out.
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PARIS For Americans living in Europe, like my husband and me, watching the U.S. dollar slide into the vale of no value has been a bit like gaining weight: At first, when you notice those additional pounds, you tell yourself it's only temporary. Then you begin to hope that some small measures -- cutting out carbohydrates, switching to skim -- might suffice. Just so, we expatriates are all clutching at little ways to save a dollar here or $20 there.
Small luxuries are the first thing to go. In our family, with a great feeling of sacrifice, we first stopped ordering mineral water in restaurants, saving as much as 4 euros an outing! This turns out to be everyone's first stratagem, and it doesn't make a dent. Then we calculated that cutting out one restaurant meal would save around $200 a week, or $800 a month! This was a shock -- could we really be spending so much on eating out? Yes! And we're not talking about fancy restaurants, just the bistro at the corner when there's nothing in the house or the quick lunch a couple of times a week. It emerged that we were spending much more than $200 a week on restaurants, in fact. Who cared, when the euro was 80 cents?
But those days are a distant memory now. With the exchange rate around $1.60 to the euro, Americans who live abroad but are paid in dollars are having a rough time, to put it mildly, absorbing what can amount to a pay cut of 50 percent. Tourists, meanwhile, reel in shock to find that a half-dozen of their eagerly anticipated croissants may cost them $50. I'm not exaggerating. Farmed salmon steak in my Paris market costs $23 a pound -- it would be half that in San Francisco -- and the newspaper is $4 a day. Everything costs double what it did just four years ago. For retirees or students on fixed dollar incomes, the terrible exchange rate often means drastic life changes -- moving to a cheaper quarter or a smaller apartment, or even going back to the States, which for people ensconced in their lives here is the last resort, and sometimes not even an option.
A certain amount of painful self-awareness becomes part of the economizing process. Eating out is an area everybody I've talked to is cutting back on, but it's part of the point of French life, so giving it up hurts. Like us, other families are doing more entertaining at home. Gone is the impulse purchase of cepes or expensive terrines of foie gras. Someone advises us with perfect seriousness that drinking wine is cheaper than drinking Coke, but that doesn't help us since we do that anyway. Another friend recommends buying a phalaenopsis orchid plant that lasts months instead of spending 20 euros a week on cut flowers. A recent letter to the newspaper advises selling your car if you have one (we don't), and frequenting cafes that offer newspapers that you can read while you sip your cafe au lait. "And stand up at the counter," someone reminds us. "Two euros cheaper than sitting down." But of course, that misses the point of being in a cafe, hanging out, people-watching, writing your novel. . . .
Even the smallest measure induces a feeling of virtue, though it doesn't affect the big expenses of rent, tuition, transportation, utilities and medical care. I think of stopping our subscription to Le Figaro, but not to the International Herald Tribune, without which we'd be lost. Cooperatives for exchanging the New Yorker have sprung up. I pass on my Times Literary Supplements and New York Reviews of Books to my friend Eric in Germany. Every day's mail brings offers of new and cheaper combined Internet/phone/cable TV services -- there's Alice, and Orange, and Neuf -- so it occurred to me that we were spending too much on separate hookups and should avail ourselves of one of these. But the heart sinks, quails, before the effort of dealing with all the French bureaucracy involved, the wait, the malfunctions and the small print, wherein (I rationalize) I'm sure to find that in some way the cost will rise to its present levels in a few months -- just like in the States. I hope to find some easier way to cut corners.
One of them is likely to be fewer trips to California. Good-bye to our days in business class, which now could cost around $7,000 to San Francisco. Hello to hours spent online, seeking desperate itineraries via Heathrow or Frankfurt, and to anxious assessments of frequent flyer programs, though no airline wants to make it easy for us to cash in our thousands of miles.
I can imagine what you're thinking, reading this. Almost all we Americans living over here are struck by the lack of sympathy we get from people back home, beginning with Congress, which builds in subtle forms of punishment for the fun of living the European life, such as making expatriates pay taxes in both countries and refusing us Medicare. Paradoxically, we expats never feel more American than when we're over here in Europe, where we're suffused with patriotism and passionate concern for our country. But here is where we live, and no one likes to be uprooted -- or, more especially, to uproot their kids. And many who work in specialized fields here would have trouble finding jobs back home, where things have moved on without them. My husband, a professor of medicine, is retired from the University of California and works on world health issues for organizations based in Paris. I'm the trailing wife -- no hardship, since a novelist can work anywhere. And one of our kids is married to a Frenchman here and has produced three little Français, so we have lots of reasons to stay, even apart from the safer streets and wonderful trains.
When Americans back home discuss expatriates, I always seem to detect a note of unexpressed malice, which suggests that, at some level, some people in the States seem to feel that those living in France or Italy or England (but not in, say, Poland) are getting away with something, and if they have to pay a premium for their self-indulgence, tant pis, too bad for them. The attitude seems to be: We have to live here, why should you get out of it?
The corollary of that attitude is, of course, that Americans must unconsciously believe that there are better places to live than the United States. But this is the Great Unsayable. Conversely, there's a certain new spirit of camaraderie in the Parisian expatriate community, a sense of beleaguered fellow-feeling, though many temporary residents and people with other options have already thrown in the towel and left for the States -- or Mexico. One friend is checking out Puerto Vallarta as I write.
What's revealing is how far people will go to stay in Europe, how much reduction in lifestyle they'll accept and still resist relocating. The criteria on which Money magazine bases its annual selection of the best place to live in America ("economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do and a real sense of community" -- last year it was Middleton, Wis.) still characterize European life, at least in the minds of people who've been expatriates for decades and have more or less forgotten what life in the States is like anyhow.
We may be reduced to choucroute and cassoulet, but c'est la vie. We're still in Paris. It could be worse.
Diane Johnson's novels include "Le Divorce," "Le Mariage" and the forthcoming "Lulu in Marrakech."
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PARIS For Americans living in Europe, like my husband and me, watching the U.S. dollar slide into the vale of no value has been a bit like gaining weight: At first, when you notice those additional pounds, you tell yourself it's only temporary. Then you begin to hope that some small measures -- c...
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White Ignorance, Wright's Narcissism
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I was not present at the National Press Club when the Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke on Monday, but I have read the full text of his remarks--and I can recognize an egomaniac, black or white, when I read one. For Wright to say that an attack on him is an attack on the entire black church is utterly ridiculous, and it plays in the mainstream white press only because so many white journalists--and I mean both liberal and conservative journalists--are so ignorant about African-American religion that they think of it as a monolith. Wright represents the "black church" in the same sense that Rod Parsley, John McCain's wacko spiritual adviser, represents the "white church."
I don't know which white commentators have been stupider about Wright. On the right, many are gleeful about Wright's emergence and try to tie Obama to his every utterance. On the left, a number of liberal members of the punditocracy, oozing patronizing superiority, have tried to portray Wright as a misunderstood member of a black church rooted in a historic tradition of resistance to slavery and discrimination. Tell it to Martin Luther King, whose steps and philosophy Wright isn't fit to walk in or claim.
Any white person who ever sat in pews in black churches in the South during the civil rights movement, or anyone who has, more recently, taken the trouble to hear the weekly sermons at the Reverend Calvin Butts's Abyssinian Baptist Church or at Mother Zion in Harlem, has heard the voices of black pastors who speak to common dreams rather than grievances. There are many black ministers across the nation, for example, who have attacked the notion that the U.S government in particular, and white people in general, are responsible for spreading AIDS in the black community. They have spoken about drug use, and about black men who are ashamed of their homosexuality and have unprotected sex on the "down low," as vectors of AIDS. We're not hearing about those black ministers, because Wright, and his connection with Obama, are the whole story. We're also not hearing about black churches, in the plural, because the white press doesn't have a long list of black ministers in its collective Rolodex.
But the story is no longer about Wright's old comments in sermons. Wright's publicity offensive over the weekend ensures that Obama will no longer be able to tread a careful path of disagreeing with his former pastor while refusing to renounce his past personal attachment. For Obama, now, it's a no-win situation. He cannot deny his old attachment to a man who, whatever his gifts and liabilities, is overwhelmed by anger and egotism, nor can he continue to act as if the Wright issue is, or ever will be, relegated to a distant past.
On Wright's part, what is clearly playing out is an Oedipal drama in reverse. In his National Press Club address, Wright said he told Obama that if he were to be elected president, "On November 5, I'm coming after you." Well, if Wright had planned to torpedo Obama's chances, he couldn't have been more effective than he was this weekend. Obama's message, so potent early on, was that the nation is ready to transcend race. Wright's message is, "Not yet, sonny. And maybe not ever, if I have anything to say about it." He is Moses saying to Joshua, "I'm not going to see the Promised Land, and you aren't either."
As an atheist, I would also like to point out that all of the pontificating from white pundits about the role of religion in the black community ignores the fact that religion was also, at one time, used by blacks to keep other blacks subservient and to placate white supremacists. (See W.E.B. DuBois, whose views about the Reverend Wright I would give up my fixed mortgage rate to hear.) Wright is being taken seriously, by blacks and whites, precisely because he is a representative of religion. And that's a tragedy. If he were a black political scientist, he would never have made the front page in the first place. He would never have been invited to address the National Press Club. I can't offer a better example of the unfitness of religion to serve as a guide to public policy. In concluding her On Faith comments week, Lisa Miller observes that Wright is "not what Obama now most needs him to be--and that is a politician." I would argue that the need for a pastor to be a politician is precisely what is wrong with involving faith in our political campaigns.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Experience This!
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Theresâs a lot of talk in this election about experience. Whose is more valuable, who has more of it, who has the right type? Right now, voters who prize experience are voting more for Clinton on the Democratic side while Republicans are said to be excited about the prospect of comparing John McCainâs experience to either Democratic hopeful.
These debates tend to overlook one point: the kind of experience that will make the greatest difference in the future has little to do with policy or politics. The presidential experience that is most needed is experience understanding the conditions and attitudes of humiliated and angry people.
In Iraq? Yes. Whatever military success may occur, a political solution must go along with it. But which candidate really understands the divided and angry people of Iraq? Who has the experience to know that whatâs needed is a process of citizen reconciliation, a program of community building, the goal of creating law and literacy block by block?
And not just in Iraq. Grinding poverty consumes two thirds of the human family, creating a giant tinderbox of humiliation and explosive anger. These battered billions represent the greatest threat to our future safety and economic stability. Which candidate has a realistic view of what the United States can do about that?
We need a president who understands failed communities and rudderless people at home as well. Where? Try Chicago.
Last weekend, Chicago set a new record: 37 shootings in one weekend that left 7 people dead. After the carnage, the police chief reminded citizens that crime tends to increase âwhen the temperature rises.â Have we come to the point in our own country where we blame desperate, callous, and violent killing on the weather?
Mayor Richard Daley decided to send in a surge of his own. He called in off-duty officers to create a dramatic show of force in high crime neighborhoods. Then he approved arming and training the cityâs 13, 500 police officers with more powerful weapons including M4 carbinesâthe assault rifles used by Marines and capable of firing 950 rounds a minuteâin order to match the firepower of the street gangs that are terrorizing neighborhoods. Surge, heavy armor, shock and awe. Sound familiar?
But the mayor understands the enormity of the challenge: changing the attitudes and behaviors of people who no longer care about lifeâtheir own or anyone elseâs. âI don't know why people think you're going to end something with a lot of police...â Mayor Daley remarked. âYou have to have a combination of prevention and intervention and yes, yes, enforcement, but they all go hand-in-hand."
Some read this news and jump to assign blame. Democrats look to failures of government while Republicans look to failures of individual responsibility. Who in their right mind doesnât think both are right? Shame on all of us if we reduce the terror facing communities around the world to a debate between free marketeers and social engineers. We need a leader who gets the role of leading people toward hope and reconciliation; toward practical solutions and visionary possibilities.
Which presidential candidate could lead an American surge of âprevention and interventionâ capable of combating the rise in rural poverty, the carnage in urban America, the divide between rich and poor? Which would listen to those who have lost hope? Which would be able to match listening with support, structure, and high expectations?
Weâve all been obsessed with Barack Obamaâs comments about âbitterâ Americans. Bitter? You bet there are a lot of bitter people in this country and a whole lot more around the world too. What we should be talking about is not whether theyâre clinging to guns and religion, but what it takes to enable them to change and in turn to change the communities in which they live. Which presidential candidate has the experience to do that?
Iâm not sure. Obama has worked in the neighborhoods of Chicago close to the challenges of the urban poor. Clinton has worked on behalf of women and children around the world. And just last week, McCain pledged a kind of new war on poverty to address the increasing declines in the health, the job prospects, and the life spans of Americaâs destitute.
But which one has a real feel for what this will take? Who understands best the inner lives of people who are desperate? Who has seen the cold stares of eyes still open but no longer seeing; of bodies still in motion but no longer capable of touch; of spirits crushed and no longer able to love? Who knows them?
The kids in Chicago donât make headlines unless they kill each other. But the real debate in this election is who understands them - and their counterparts around the world - while they live. On that question rests not only the future of our country, but also the future of our planet.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Napping to Feed the Brain
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Sleeping during the day isn't just for babies and the elderly. The brain food napping provides can be of use at all ages. Slipping into slumber for a few minutes can improve productivity at work and enhance creativity.
Book World Contributing Editor Dennis Drabelle, was online Tuesday, April 29, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the importance of napping during the day.
Dennis Drabelle: Welcome to a discussion on napping (and sleep questions generally, if you wish). I hope everybody stays awake. I also want to remind you that I'm not a doctor, so I will probably have to say something like "Go talk to your doctor about this" from time to time. I'm just a guy who has developed a keen interest in sleep--largely, I think, because I suffer from insomnia--and looked into the science and literature of sleep. An informed amateur, if you will.
Alexandria, Va: I get bad headaches (not quite migraines, but close) about once a month. The only thing that "cures" them is a nap. Do you know anything about naps/sleep and how they relieve headaches?
Dennis Drabelle: This question sounds pretty medical, so I will only say that, for me, getting too little sleep causes headaches. Napping doesn't always cure them, but sometimes it helps. I think in those cases it's just a question of catching up on the sleep we've lost.
Bethesda, Md: Question comes to mind, what constitutes a good length of a nap?
Dennis Drabelle: This is a tough one. The best I can do is repeat something from this morning's article--that 90 minutes is about the outer limit for most people. After that, you run the risk of intruding upon the sleep you get later that night. Sara Mednick would recommend the full 90 minutes, I think, because she wants people to go through all phases of sleep in the course of the nap, but 90 minutes isn't always practical, especially of course in the workplace. Otherwise, I think each person should experiment. One mystery to me is why a 20-minute nap (my usual) leaves me feeling refreshed when I wake up on some days, but feeling like I've just been hit by a train on other days. There is a lot that scientists--and we layfolk, too--still have to learn about napping.
Beaver Island, Mich.: I've never been able to take a nap. In my mind there is just something about it that is "not productive" when there is just so much to do. How can I tell myself to stop and take a short nap?
Dennis Drabelle: This is a stumbling block for many people, but the way around it is to remember that napping should increase your productivity. In other words, it's an investment. It wrongheaded, I would argue, to think that putting your money into a good stock (if there is such a thing these days) ties up that money. But that's the very nature of investing. You do something with your money (or yourself) that takes it out of circulation in order to achieve a greater good down the line: an increase in your money or an increase in your ability to be productive and think clearly and creatively. I hope that helps.
Cleveland: I'm a bad napper. It takes me too long to fall asleep. To get in a nap, I'd likely need 10-15 minutes just to fall asleep. Not very practical. (I'm not stressed, I just don't pass out as soon as my head hits a pillow, like some people.) Is napping still recommended for someone like me, who doesn't take to it naturally?
Dennis Drabelle: It's a shame, but I know what you mean. Unless I have exercised and eaten lunch, I have trouble napping, too. I imagine that I would fall asleep eventually, but I agree with you, 15 minutes is too long as a precursor to sleep. Maybe the way to shorten the time, though, is to do what I do -- take some exercise and or a meal first.
DC: Two months into my consulting job, I was offered full-time employment and I happily accepted. On my first day as a full-time staffer, I woke with this year's horrible flu. For two weeks, I went to work, tried not to pass out in meetings and napped often under my desk (it's very comfortable; thank goodness I have my own office). Now that I'm healthy, I much prefer to spend my lunch break (when I can swing one) on the treadmill (sitting all day is incredibly tiring). While I love napping, for me they are more of a decadent treat (unless I'm sick) than an energizer. Makes me wonder if our need for naps would be mitigated by getting a good night's sleep. I'm very strict with myself about mine; even a good nap isn't the same as a solid night's rest.
Dennis Drabelle: Sara Mednick, the goddess of napping, believes they are right for everybody. I'm not sure I would go that far (and the younger me was pretty dismissive of napping), but more and more studies seem to show good effects and correlations from napping. If you prefer not to, that's obviously your choice, but I would try to keep an open mind and watch and see if more studies come along showing more good effects.
Gaithersburg, Md: Why does it take Americans to figure things out last? Napping is known world wide to be beneficial, but Americans on the productivity band wagon don't get it. Why?
Dennis Drabelle: I think the Protestant ethic is partly responsible, along with a dash of Puritanism. Napping has traditionally been viewed as unproductive, self-indulgent, the habit of losers. And there is a vulnerability to being asleep that some of us don't much appreciate, especially in a workplace context. The mind-set seems to be changing, though. It just takes time and a steady stream of scientific studies to hammer the truth home.
can't stay awake: I certainly agree napping is beneficial, even necessary. I work at a computer all day and if I'm sitting quietly at the computer, I tend to doze off in the afternoon. I can be asleep and dreaming sitting upright at my computer for only two or three minutes before I hear someone nearby and snap out of it. Guess that means I'm sleep deprived? Or just bored? No way will our office officially sanction naps though, so I guess I'll have to keep getting two minute naps in when necessary.
Dennis Drabelle: From what you say, you may not be sleep-deprived or bored, but perfectly normal. Remember Churchill's dictum from my article--that the human system just ain't built to last 16 straight hours without a respite of unconsciousness? That seems more and more like what is (or should be) the norm, and the practice of limiting sleep to eight nightly hours only is looking like an industrial-era aberration.
I'm writing this operating on about four hrs' sleep last night and five hrs' on Sunday night...the result of a teething toddler. A nap sounds wonderful -- but impossible at my work. Is there any way to rest my brain without actually falling asleep? Turn off the lights and meditate for 5 minutes?
Dennis Drabelle: Meditation is certainly worth a try. At the sleep conference I mentioned in the piece, even that stalwart among napsters, Dr. Mednick, admitted, "There is a lot to be said for meditation."
Silver Spring, Md: For years I have been napping to relieve fatigue from Lyme Disease. One of my favorite methods is Yoga Nidra. Can you give any insights to what it is?
Dennis Drabelle: Sorry, but I have never heard of yoga nigra.
Granada, Spain: Just a comment about the Spanish siesta system. I've noticed that the Spanish system of working in the morning, eating a big meal at 2PM, napping, and then working a bit more in the evening works well for me. In the US, I've always found my coffee wears off about 2, and the afternoon has never been too productive for me. The Spanish system counteracts this problem perfectly.
Dennis Drabelle: I once spent a month in Barcelona and couldn't adjust to the Spanish system. My friend and I would get hungry in the early evening and want to go out for a meal. We would wait and wait and show up at the restaurant at 8--and be the only customers, not just then but for the next hour or so. Finally, as we would be leaving at 9:30 or 10, spaniards would start showing up. The problem, though,is that as Spaniards began not going home for siesta and not using it to nap, they weren't cutting back on their zesty love for night life. The result (this is purely anecdotal, but several friends who were there say the same thing) is that by age 40 a lot of partying Spaniards look like wrecks.
Boston: How would you control what kind of dreams you have when napping? i don't want the people in their cubicles to be disturbed by anything i do when I'm dreaming. (I tend to smack things around sometimes.)
Dennis Drabelle: This is a case where you should probably talk to someone. Preferably a doctor who knows something about sleep. There are people who do wild and crazy things while asleep (I met a man the other night who has to wear gloves of some sort lest he clout his wife in bed), and it may take medication to control this. Your situation doesn't sound that bad, but it might be worth looking into.
Alexandria, Cameron ES, Mr. Miles 5th grade class: How does sleeping during the middle of the day help the brain and productivity? Is it the same for 11 year olds?
Dennis Drabelle: The help comes from giving your brain a rest, the same as you would a muscle after using it to exercise for a while. Rest is a refreshing process that, according to studies, helps us come out of it fired up to be more productive and creative than we were in our fatigued state beforehand. There is no reason to think 11 year-olds wouldn't profit from naps, though I have to admit I never took naps at that age.
L'enfant Terrible: Would you mind sending an email to my boss? He just doesn't understand that... taking naps... is a good.......-SNORE
Dennis Drabelle: Show your boss my article and tell him to get with it!
Southern Maryland: I'm all for napping, but I work in DC five days a week and have to get up at 5:30 am to get a commuter bus; my work day is 13 hours long and am fortunate to catch a few winks on the bus ride. However, on weekends in the midst of running errands, yard work, trips to the vet, grocery shopping and everything else, I try to take a nap mid-afternoon. I have a black sleep mask and I get into comfy clothes, turn on the answering machine and slip under the covers for at least an hour or two. When I wake up I'm energized and rearing to finish my endless chores. I highly recommend naps to anyone and if somebody says you're lazy, tell them 'It's my house, I'll do whatever I want inside it.'
Dennis Drabelle: The point you make is a good one. One of the reasons why so many Americans report not sleeping enough is that their workday is extended by a few hours thanks to a long commute. In other words, sleeping too little is in part a function of the way we live now. I myself hate commuting and have always tried to live fairly close to my workplace, but I realize that's not possible or desirable for everyone. So doing what this person does--napping whenever possible--may be the best solution.
Tours, France: If I nap during the day, I can't sleep well during the night.
Dennis Drabelle: Try taking a short one--just 15 minute or so--and see what happens. In my own case, I nap in bed on my back, a position I never assume at night. By and by, I snore in that position, and my snores wake me up, usually after about 15 minutes.
How long should the midday nap be and is this nap counted with the eight-hour sleep per night or should you still strive for eight hours sleep each night plus the midday nap. I am a 69-year-old retired female who is pretty active around my home during the day. I walk four miles (approx one hour) each day and take care of the indoor and outdoor chores around the house. Sometimes I do feel like a nap and have done so around 2 o'clock waking around 4 o'clock. Dolores
Dennis Drabelle: You sound very dutiful about this, as if someone has assigned you eight hours of sleep a night and you don't want to come in over or under that figure. The amount of sleep that people need varies considerably. Some can get by quite well on six hours, some need eleven. So you should find out what you need by experimenting. Same with the length of your naps. Again, 90 minutes seems to be about as much as most people can spend napping without robbing themselves of sleep that night. But I would listen more to my mind and body than to some preconceived notion that you must have 8 hours per day.
Anonymous: Generally, diabetics are encouraged to skip siesta. Is there any significance as far as medically concerned? If not, can they dose off for 45 minutes or so.
Dennis Drabelle: I've never heard that about diabetics, but this is one of those medical ponds into which I'd better not set foot. Ask your doctor.
Alexandria, Cameron ES, Mr. Miles 5th grade class: How does this study apply to kids between the ages of 7 and 18. Nap time stops sometime during kindergarden. If kids between these ages were allowed to sleep for 60 to 90 minutes a day, would their productivity and test scores improve?
Dennis Drabelle: So far as I know, there have been no studies singling out kids of this age and the effects of napping. I wonder if it isn't a moot point, though. I have never know a kid of that age who napped on anywhere near a regular basis. What has been shown by several studies is that kids in mid to later teenage years have a different daily biological clock than older people, such that making them start classes earlier than about 9 a.m. is not advisable. I've read that several school districts have changed their schedules accordingly.
WV Commuter: I commute to DC on the train, and generally get a decent nap in the morning (5:30-7:15am) and again in the evening (5:15-7pm). The train's motion rocks me right to sleep, even if I try to stay awake. Without those naps I have a hard time making it through the day and evening without snapping at someone. In my younger days, before our move to the DC area, I used to go out to my car at lunch time and take a nap on an almost daily basis. I locked the doors, cracked the windows, and turned the radio on low. I usually slept for 45 minutes and woke up feeling great - usually right before the alarm rang. It can be done either way!
Dennis Drabelle: Yes, I find train-riding to be napalicious! Not so much with plane rides, though.
nodding off in DC: I find I nap during the afternoon even if I don't want to - like it's just programmed in me or I'm narcoleptic or something. Does this sound healthy or worrisome? (BTW if I go out in the sun during the day, I definitely nod off soon after.) Thanks!
Dennis Drabelle: It does sound like narcolepsy. I would mention it to your doctor.
Dennis Drabelle: Thanks for some excellent questions. I enjoyed--and learned from--this very much.
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Book World Contributing Editor Dennis Drabelle discusses the importance of incorporating naps into our daily routines.
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For Chinese, a Shift in Mood, From Hospitable to Hostile
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In a country where airport security is unfailingly polite and efficient, the guard's stiff attitude spoke volumes.
Just weeks ago, most Chinese were welcoming foreigners as Olympic guests and partners in the country's meteoric economic development. But as the country enters the final 100 days before the Olympic Games in Beijing, the mood has changed. Many Chinese have begun to regard foreigners as adversaries interfering in domestic affairs or, at worst, bigots unwilling to accept China's emergence as a great power.
The Olympic torch left China only a month ago on what was billed as "a journey of harmony." Instead, the torch became a moving target for protesters worldwide. The focus of most demonstrations was China's crackdown against the Tibetans who rioted March 14 in Lhasa. Other protesters criticized China's role in the Darfur conflict. By the time the torch was paraded Sunday in Seoul, poor treatment of North Korean refugees was added to Beijing's list of sins.
The government's reaction to the unexpected avalanche of criticism was shrill. It described the protesters as "separatist elements" and asserted that they were seeking the breakup of the country, perhaps as part of a conspiracy. It railed at foreign media coverage, accusing reporters and editors of unspecified "ulterior motives."
The coordinated campaign was framed in an us-and-them mode, sharply at odds with the spirit of the Olympics, whose slogan is "One World, One Dream." The party's official newspaper, People's Daily, ran an editorial Wednesday suggesting Chinese should be confident enough in their own greatness to rise above the criticism. The headline was a Chinese aphorism that means roughly: "A gentleman does not worry about the dogs yapping at his heels."
The circle-the-wagons approach found a ready audience in China. A recent survey by a Beijing polling group found that more than 80 percent of those questioned believed Western news media were conveying a biased image of China abroad.
"The Chinese people do not like outsiders to make comments on China's domestic affairs," said Victor Yuan, who runs the polling group, Horizon. "They think it's their business, not your business."
A farmer near the northeastern city of Changchun echoed that sentiment not long ago. After seeking attention for a dispute over land that had been confiscated from her and others, she suddenly decided against talking with a foreign reporter. "I'm pretty patriotic," she explained.
Meanwhile, a fervidly nationalistic campaign flared online, as Internet users suggested that foreigners were bigoted against China and that Western businesses should be boycotted. Demonstrators gathered in front of stores run by Carrefour, the French superstore chain, in several cities around the country.
Carrefour received special criticism because Chinese bloggers spread reports that its owners had donated money to India-based Tibetan exile groups run by the Dalai Lama. The firm's headquarters in Paris denied that was true, but the bloggers paid no heed.
Chinese Internet censors, who control what people say online, did nothing to dampen the fervor. And police, who prevent most demonstrations, blocked protesters from reaching the French Embassy in Beijing but otherwise allowed the outraged youths to vent their fury.
A Chinese woman working for The Washington Post was pushed around at one such demonstration by young Chinese men who suggested she should be careful about working with a foreign publication. An American man who showed up at another Carrefour store for some shopping was roughed up as well, perhaps on the mistaken assumption he was French.
In recent days, Chinese authorities have sought to pull back the nationalist tide. Editorials in the controlled press suggested to youths that carrying out their assigned tasks is the best way to demonstrate patriotism. Internet censors started blocking items with the word Carrefour.
Yuan said his poll findings do not suggest that the current troubles over Tibet and the torch will last long enough to generate an unfriendly atmosphere during the Olympics. Similarly nationalistic protests against Japan two years ago have long since faded from the screen, he noted.
"Maybe during the Games Chinese spectators will boo the French teams, but they will not overreact," he said.
Behind the public mood, however, has come a simultaneous tightening of security that officials say is likely to last until after the Games. It, too, has contributed to the change in atmosphere.
Olympic security has been threatened by a variety of anti-government groups, officials say, including Tibetans, the Xinjiang region's Uighur separatists and foreign human rights campaigners. As a result, the number of police deployed in Beijing's streets has grown visibly. People's Armed Police forces guarding embassies and other diplomatic compounds have been reinforced by Public Security Bureau personnel who can be seen lounging and smoking in their white cars and minivans.
Foreign residents of the capital report that police have started checking their identification cards and passports with greater regularity, in some cases visiting homes and offices to do so. According to Chinese law, foreigners should always have their passports with them, but the rule has been allowed to lapse in recent years as the number of foreigners working here increased.
Some of the many foreigners working on multiple-entry business visas -- instead of the requisite work visas -- have found they cannot get a renewal until the fall, forcing them to leave the country and lose their jobs.
The Foreign Ministry declared it has made no changes in visa rules and seeks to facilitate travel to China. But travel agents in Hong Kong, backed up by chambers of commerce there, said multiple-entry business visas have been suspended and more documentation is required for short-stay business visas, which previously were granted on demand at the border between Hong Kong and Guangdong province.
Hong Kong itself has tightened visa rules, seeking to limit entry to foreigners who might be planning to stage protests when the torch returns to Chinese soil later this week.
But perhaps nowhere is the new mood more palpable than in Tibet, a premier tourist destination that has been closed off to foreigners since March 14. As a result of the ban, most foreign journalists have been barred from covering the torch relay through Tibet, including plans for a photogenic climb up Mount Everest. Nine foreign newspapers and broadcasters have been allowed in to cover part of the relay, but only for 10 days in a carefully shepherded trip.
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BEIJING, April 28 -- At an airport in northeast China, a young security guard recently spotted a foreign airline passenger with shaving cream in his carry-on bag. "No," he said sternly, wagging his finger like a cross schoolteacher. "No, no, no."
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Administration Has Two Weeks to Make Polar Bear Decision
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A federal judge in California has ordered the Bush administration to decide by May 15 whether the polar bear deserves protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The decision, issued late Monday by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, requires the Interior Department to reach a conclusion on whether climate change is pushing polar bears toward extinction. The agency proposed adding polar bears to its list in December 2006 because higher temperatures are shrinking the sea ice they depend on for survival, but officials have delayed a final decision on the matter for months.
After Interior missed its own Jan. 9 deadline, three environmental advocacy groups -- the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace -- sued Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and the Fish and Wildlife Service in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
In a recent filing in the case, Kempthorne proposed making a final decision by June 30. But the judge rejected that timetable, writing: "Defendants offer no specific facts that would justify the existing delay, much less further delay. To allow Defendants more time would violate the mandated listing deadlines under the [act] and congressional intent that time is of the essence in listing threatened species."
"Today's decision is a huge victory for the polar bear," said Kassie Siegel, director of the climate program at the Center for Biological Diversity, who was the lead author of the 2005 petition that prompted Interior to consider listing the species. "By May 15th the polar bear should receive the protections it deserves under the Endangered Species Act, which is the first step toward saving the polar bear and the entire Arctic ecosystem from global warming."
Interior Department spokesman Shane Wolfe said in a statement: "We have received the court's decision and are reviewing it. We will evaluate the legal options and will decide the appropriate course of action."
The final ruling on the polar bear's status could have far-reaching implications for the nation's climate policy. Several Republicans, including President Bush and Sen. James M. Inhofe (Okla.), the ranking GOP member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, have argued that environmental groups are trying to list the polar bear as threatened or endangered in order to force a federal limit on greenhouse gas emissions.
"It's unfortunate that the debate has become more about timelines than actual science," said Inhofe spokesman Matthew Dempsey. "What has become clear . . . is that listing the polar bear as a threatened species is not about protecting the polar bear but rather advancing a particular political agenda."
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A federal judge in California has ordered the Bush administration to decide by May 15 whether the polar bear deserves protection under the Endangered Species Act.
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High Court Upholds Indiana Law On Voter ID
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The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that states may require voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, opening the way for wider adoption of a measure that Republicans say combats fraud and Democrats say discourages voting among the elderly and the poor.
The court ruled 6 to 3 that the requirements enacted by Indiana's legislature were not enough of a burden to violate the Constitution. Because the law, which requires specific government-issued identification such as driver's licenses or passports, is generally regarded as the nation's strictest such measure, the ruling bodes well for other states that require photo ID and for states that are considering doing so.
The widely awaited election-year case, Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, was the most sharply partisan voting rights issue the court has considered since Bush v. Gore decided the 2000 presidential election.
But the divisive nature of the 2000 decision was diminished yesterday, as the usually liberal Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the main opinion and said the state law is a reasonable reaction to the threat of voter fraud.
"The application of the statute to the vast majority of Indiana voters is amply justified by the valid interest in protecting the integrity and reliability of the electoral process," he wrote. His opinion was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who is normally on the right, and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who is often considered a swing vote.
The opinion left open the possibility that voters who had proof that they were adversely affected by such laws could petition the courts, but made it clear that it would be difficult for them to prevail.
Three conservative justices -- Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. -- agreed with the outcome but would have closed the door more tightly against future challenges.
Three liberal justices -- David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer -- dissented.
"Indiana's 'Voter ID Law' threatens to impose nontrivial burdens on the voting right of tens of thousands of the state's citizens and a significant percentage of those individuals are likely to be deterred from voting," wrote Souter, whose opinion was joined by Ginsburg. Breyer filed a separate dissent.
Requiring a photo identification strikes many supporters of the law as common sense, because using it to gain entry to government buildings and airport gates has become so routine. States with Republican-majority legislatures that are adopting such requirements say they are doing so as a way to combat voter fraud and protect the integrity of elections.
But Democrats and civil rights groups say that millions of Americans lack the type of identification that Indiana requires, and that such laws discourage or even disenfranchise people who are least likely to have driver's licenses or passports: the poor, the elderly, the disabled and urban dwellers.
When the law was upheld by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, the dissenting Democratic-appointed judge called it a "not-too-thinly veiled attempt" to discourage voters who skew Democratic.
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The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that states may require voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, opening the way for wider adoption of a measure that Republicans say combats fraud and Democrats say discourages voting among the elderly and the poor.
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Ask the MisFits - washingtonpost.com
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He's a veteran reporter, digging up the latest fitness news. She's an irreverent columnist with a knack for getting people off the couch and into the gym. Together, they're here to handle your worst work-out dilemmas and exercise questions.
Vicky Hallett and Howard Schneider are the MisFits, The Post's fitness writers. Vicky was online Tuesday, April 29 to take questions.
Vicky Hallett: First, the bad news: Howard isn't hanging out with us today (he's off looking at colleges with his son, the beatbox champion of Maryland). But the good news is that Paul, our producer, has promised to make snarky comments in his place. So, get ready for that.
Also, Paul and I and a bunch of other media types are gearing up for the Capital Challenge tomorrow morning, a three-mile race that attracts the likes of people way more important than us -- including a bunch of senators, congressfolk, assorted commissioners and chairman and even the judge whose jury I sat on last year. So next week, we can dish on their running styles and speeds.
And more good news: it's free cone day at Ben & Jerry's. As this is the fitness chat, not the nutrition chat, I feel like it's okay to mention that. But no Chubby Hubby until we're done chatting, okay?
excessive yawning: Bit of a scare at the end of your answer to the question about yawning in today's paper. Excessive yawning might really be a sign of something dangerous? I don't yawn when I exercise, but I sometimes get bouts of yawning where I yawn several times a minute for half an hour or so, sometimes while just sitting at my desk, or doing light housework. I yawn a lot in meetings too and I almost never see anyone else yawn. Am I chronically sleep deprived or should I be worried about brain hemorrhage???
Vicky Hallett: Who's not a doctor? Me. So I'm not going to diagnose you with anything over this chat. But everybody yawns! And that includes not just humans, but all vertebrates. It's usually not something to freak out about.
Also, while we're on the subject, I'd like to note one other odd thing Robert Provine told me about yawning: certain antidepressants stimulate yawns that induce orgasm. Who knew?
Boston: Last week an individual posted this: "You did part of your Cherry Blossom training on a treadmill. Sorry for sounding elitist, but your finishing time (9:35 mile pace) hardly supports your point that the treadmill is effective for road racing. Yes, you finished the race, but you didn't race it."
I am running my first race (an 8k) in a matter of weeks and this kind of comment really depresses me. I started running six months ago and my health has improved (cholesterol, blood pressure down) and I really enjoy running. I have gotten a bit into it and have posted before asking about heart rate, footwear and increasing speed and endurance. But this kind of comment (yes, it was elitist) makes me want to just go back to my couch.
So just a comment or two:
Telling someone who ran a half marathon at a pace under 10 min/mile that they are not really racing or running does a disservice to all of us who are beginning runners, who have limited time for training, who are older, are just trying to lose weight, or are just not that into running every race to win it. I consider doing 5 miles at that pace pretty challenging (yes, even on a treadmill), but I guess I'm not a real runner, so I should just stay home...
I get that the person was posting to argue that treadmill running does not adequately prepare you for a road race, but why make a post putting other people down? My goal is to run a half marathon a year from now and if I can do it at under a 10 minute a mile pace I will cross that finish line incredibly proud of myself.
Vicky Hallett: Good for you Boston! The trend in running today is all kinds of people (of all ages, shapes, sizes) are getting welcomed into the fold. I mean, they even let me and Howard run in races -- although perhaps they should rethink that. Anyway, that's a pretty cool thing.
Don't let people like this discourage you. The rest of us will be rooting for you when you do that half marathon next year!!
Eastern N.C.: Recent reports are focusing on a less than 35-inch waist for females as goal -- preventing heart disease, etc.
Here's a basic question: Where are we supposed to be measuring? Here's why I ask: I've begun working out with a trainer and he measured my "waist" at two-finger widths down from my navel, but that's not what I would consider my natural waistline. It's where I have some post-baby weight/fat hanging around for sure, but I wouldn't consider that my waist.
What do you think? Where the optimal place to measure? Thanks.
Vicky Hallett: According to WebMD, you're right. He should have measured around your belly button:
But as the problem you're trying to combat is abdominal fat, which is associated with all kinds of nastiness, I don't think it's such a bad thing to keep an eye on that post-baby weight. Don't you want to lose that anyway?
Alexandria, Va.: If you had a month to get rid of your underarm flab (flabby tricep), what would you do and how often? I've been doing dips, pull ups, tricep kickbacks, overhead extensions and it's still there! (I realize this may take longer than a month but I'm in a wedding Memorial Day weekend and would prefer to have less underarm flab!)
Vicky Hallett: You're on your way to majorly strengthening your arms, but let's review the rule about spot reduction. Oh yeah, it can't be done! Seriously, arm exercises are well and good, but to lose weight (even if it's just in one annoying place), you have to think about the overall picture. Your best bet: A combined program of cardio, total body resistance training and cutting calories.
Baltimore: What are the best first steps between couch potato and being a physically fit 50-year-old?
Vicky Hallett: A lot of people say the first step (pardon the pun), is walking. It's free, you can do it almost anywhere, and you already now how to do it (we hope).
And lucky you, the weather is on your side...So, no excuses.
If you're in Baltimore, I recommend taking a stroll on the Jones Falls Trail -- it's that new hiking/biking path that's being built to go from Mount Washington all the way to the Inner Harbor. For now, you can only really trek from Penn Station up through Druid Hill Park to Woodberry. But it's lovely!
Cardio: Hey Misfits, based off of the column's question on sweating -- I have noticed that some really fit people lifting weights sweat a lot. I don't sweat when I lift weights -- does that have anything to do with how hard or intensely you're working out? Does it have anything to do with fitness level? I have heard that more fit people sweat quicker than less-fit people. Also, is a heart rate monitor a good investment? What would be some benefit to purchasing one? Any recommendation for a model? Thanks!
Vicky Hallett: I'm actually looking more into sweating for an upcoming column, so I'll probably have a better answer for you in a week or so. But until then, I can tell you that sweating is dependent on the person who's doing it. Some people just sweat more! And it also depends on what clothing a person is wearing. Sweats, for instance, are aptly named, because if you have them on instead of light wicking fabrics, you're more likely to get soaked.
And yes, it does have something to do with fitness level because if you're out of shape, stuff is more difficult. Your body is less efficient in its movements, and it's likely you're working harder.
And even more yes, a heart rate monitor can be a great investment, especially if you're confused as to hard how you're working (and how hard you should be working). Howard's really the heart rate monitor shopper, so I'd bug him for his tips next week.
Weekend fitness: My friend from college is going to be in town this weekend and both of us have been working out to lose weight and tone down this past month. We were hoping to continue our regiment together this weekend by taking some interesting fitness class together on Saturday or Sunday morning. Any suggestions?
Vicky Hallett: Well, Dance is the Answer is still underway, so you can go to some dance classes for free -- and save your cash for other D.C. adventures. Saturday morning, you could sample adult beginning hip hop at the Dance Place (danceplace.org) or adult modern at Jane Franklin Dance (janefranklin.com).
In Express today, I blurbed the new Pure Barre DVD, but you can get ballet toning live at B.Fit (bfitdc.com). And there's always Primal Fitness (primal-fitness.com) if you want to sample Parkour.
Any chatters have a favorite weekend class?
Long Island, N.Y.: Hey! Why is it that on the elliptical I really feel my legs working, but I don't feel my arms working at all?
Vicky Hallett: I'm guessing that's because you're, um, not using them. Our legs tend to be a lot stronger than our arms, so they usually take over the heavy lifting when you're on the elliptical. But if you think about it while you're on the machine, you can make your arms handle more of the load.
One "game" (sorry -- I'm a dork) you can play is to focus on each limb in turn. So pull hard with your right arm, then your left, then power through with your right leg followed by your left leg.
I get that the person was posting to argue that treadmill running does not adequately prepare you for a road race, but why make a post putting other people down?: Here we go. I wasn't putting anyone down. I was challenging Vicki's statement that a treadmill adequately prepares you for a "race." Sorry for the truth, but 9:35/mile is not racing. And if my statement depresses you and makes you want to go back to the couch, that says something more about you than me.
washingtonpost.com: Christine Clark would beg to differ.
Vicky Hallett: And I think you're still missing the point that not everyone who runs a "race" is looking to beat everyone else. A lot of us are just in it to challenge ourselves (and maybe Howard, too).
McLean, Va.: The "real runners" who feel the need to bash treadmill running really make me laugh. Yes I understand that running outside is better than running on a treadmill. But treadmill running comes in very handy at times. Sometimes weather can keep people inside, sometimes people only have time when it is dark outside, sometimes it is good to be able to keep your pace at a certain one, sometimes it is good to get less pounding on your legs, ... If you are exercising then you are doing good for yourself so don't listen to people who put down your treadmill miles. I have run half marathons in under 1:45, 10Ks in under 45 minutes, and 5 Ks in 21 minutes and done at least half my training on treadmills for all of these. As they say, just do it.
Vicky Hallett: Well said, my friend.
Washington, D.C.: Do you have a good men's walking shoe (or store) you can recommend? Something with some cushioning on the bottom.
I've started walking to an from the Metro (about 1.25 miles each way) and my work shoes are getting worn out. Plus, I feel like walking would be easier with more appropriate shoes.
Maybe I should just get a pair of black sneakers....
Vicky Hallett: I had an editor who was famous for his black sneakers (Hi Marc!), but you might want something a little more appropriate for the office (I say, while wearing running shoes...).
Have you looked into Merrell? (Merrell.com)
Their Men's World Council might fit the bill:
You can find tons of stuff like that at The Walking Company (there's one in Georgetown and a bunch in the 'burbs) and Comfort One Shoes (which are everywhere in the area).
Virginia: Hey Vicky and Howard,
I took the plunge and joined a gym. I am feeling more energetic and not so jiggly these days!
my question is about personal training. I got the free session offered with membership. I'd like to try a few more, but the sessions are expensive and I don't know if they are worth it. What are the pros and cons?
Vicky Hallett: Pros: Expert advice, someone telling you what to do (so you don't have to think so hard about it), motivation not to slack off between sessions ('cause you don't want to be embarrassed the next time you meet up) and getting pushed to do more than you would on your own.
Cons: the price (but that's a biggie).
In an ideal world, I think everyone would have personal training. But for many people, it's just not affordable and they're able to get good enough results on their own.
There is a middle ground though if you're looking to get guidance and save some cash: Just meet up with a trainer once a month instead of every week. It's like a check up, and you can get some new exercises and advice on your form.
Madison, WI: Ooh, thanks for the tip-off on free cone day. I would've missed it! Now I know where I'm going after the gym...
Vicky Hallett: Best day of the year, right? And incentive to work a little bit harder at the gym tomorrow...
Walking shoes: The man who asked the question should do what women have always done -- wear comfy shoes for your commute and keep a pair of work shoes (or ten) at work.
Vicky Hallett: Another option for our new walker. Maybe you can start an office-wide trend?
Is it okay to perform resistance training with weights on consecutive days if working different muscle groups? For instance, I'll do one day of upper body, shoulders focus, and come back the next day for lower body. I do abs and cardio every day. Am I risking injury?
Vicky Hallett: Sounds like what you're doing is technically fine, but are you ever giving yourself a day off? A lot of pros exercise fairly intensely every day, but us mortals don't have to. It's important to be active, but overdoing it can be a recipe for burnout (or yep, even injury).
Moving to a higher weight: I finally found a weight training circuit that I really like, where I don't get bored and stay warm the whole time. I've been doing it for about a month now with 3-pound free weights for my arms. The thing is, I think I'm ready to move up to the next step, because the 3 pound weights are getting too easy. However, the next step, 5-pound weights, are just impossible to me! I can barely do five reps, let alone the 20 I can do on the 3 pounders. Any suggestions? Is it okay to move up to the 5 pounders and do fewer reps while building back up to the 20? Or is it better to stick to more reps at a lower weight?
It's kind of a pride thing, unfortunately. I feel really dinky in the gym struggling and giving up after 5 reps when I using these puny things. At least if I do 20 weights with a dinkier weight I look more impressive.
washingtonpost.com: If you want to get stronger, go up in weight. Any fellow gym-goers who are impressed by 3-pound sets should be flummoxed at 5, even with few reps.
Vicky Hallett: Paul's right. You're never going to make progress if you don't challenge yourself! And dinky shminky -- everyone at the gym has to start somewhere. Your puny is someone else's massive. Maybe you need a T-shirt saying that?
sweating: I've read that bodies can become more attuned to changes in body temperature as they become more fit. This has been the case for me -- I sweat a whole lot more (exercising or just in August) now than I did before I started running seriously.
Vicky Hallett: Fascinating! So I guess we should avoid marathoners in August, huh?
Baltimore: Not a question, just a comment on what weight training has done for me. I'm a middle-aged female recreational bicyclist, and every spring, I would have to retrain my legs after not cycling much in the winter. This winter, I joined a gym, and I do weight training twice a week for both arms and legs. Now that the warm weather is here and I'm bicycling outdoors again, I see a huge difference in my leg strength and my ability to cycle up hills.
Vicky Hallett: That's the feel good story of the day! I think we should celebrate -- possibly with ice cream? Thanks for coming by today, and sorry I couldn't get to everything. Remember, you can also send your burning questions to misfits@washpost.com.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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He's a veteran reporter, digging up the latest fitness news. She's an irreverent columnist with a knack for getting people off the couch and into the gym. Together, they're here to handle your worst work-out dilemmas and exercise questions.
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Bell was online Tuesday, April 29 at 11:30 a.m. ET to discuss the film and his observations about steroid use.
"Bigger, Stronger, Faster," which screened earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, opens in New York and L.A. on May 30, and in Washington D.C. and other select cities on June 6.
Detroit, Mich: Hi Chris! What inspired you to do this documentary, did it have anything to do with your brothers?
Chris Bell: Absolutely. My two brothers were using steroids at the time that I started the documentary. I grew up in a culture of Hulk Hogan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, were the heroes of the time. My brothers and I found out all our heroes took the steroids, so the question for me was, do you follow your heroes or do you follow the rules?
Potomac, Md.: Do you think America will ever be able to come back from the "bigger stronger faster mentality?" For example, what is going to make people want to be smaller, weaker, slower even if it's a positive change?
Chris Bell: I see us moving in a profressive direction, I don't see us actually going backwards. I don't think being weaker is the answer either. I think it's about finding a balance where we can exist in a healthy manner without feeling like we need to be the best.
I think there's a lot of prsssur on kids today to excel and be number one, whether it's academics or sports or business or war. We're basically always chasing that bigger goal. We just need to put things in perspective. In my film I wanted to open the lines of communication about steroids so we could talk about it in an intellectual manner.
Washington, D.C.: Had tickets to see your film in Dallas at the AFI festival so I'm glad to see it's coming here. Will it ever be sold as a DVD?
Chris Bell: The film will be released by Magonolia on May 30 in theaters, and the DVD will be out most likely in August or September. It will also feature over an hour of deleted scenes and director's commentary, and some really neat secrets in those DVD extras as well.
Washington, D.C.: Just curious - but have you targeted this film towards college or high school athletes as a means of showing them the negative effects of steroid use in athletics? If so, how has the film and its message been received?
Chris Bell: The film isn't to show the negative effects of steroids to kids. The film is exploring the truth about steroids. I think a lot of times in society we tend to tell kids that things will kill them or destroy them without knowing the facts. The fact of the matter with steroids is we don't have enough information so therefore we can't even tell kids the truth about it. We need more research done.
On top of that, we have shown the film to a large group of high school kids. And the response was they all basically thanked us for not preaching to them and telling them the truth. I think it w as a very positive response. The kids felt like they understood why people were using steroids and what was going on with their own beds. And I think it's good for kids to know they should accept themselves for who they are.
Rockville, Md.: I noticed on imdb that it says you wrote for "WWF." What was that job like?
Chris Bell: Basically the job of a WWE writers is to work with talent to help them develop their on-camera personas and what they are going to actually say on each individual show. So I got to work with guys like the Rock and John Cena. It wes a great experience. It helped me as a documentary filmmaker, just being able to work with other talent and other people, like subjects for a documentary.
Washington, D.C.: Do you think that recent major sports records and achievements hold less weight than those of the past because of the possibility that performance enhancing drugs were involved?
Chris Bell: I get asked that a lot. My answer to it is that if the leagues and the sports organizations were not doing the proper testing and not having the proper policies we can't really prove what happened back then. What we could do right now is start with better testing and move forward from there. We could enforce these policies and basically label these athletes as rule breakers or cheaters, if you want to call them that, and those records would definitely hold less weight.
But if we were negligent in the past about what happened, we can't really put an asterisk next to their name. The other interesting thing is the fans are just as responsible as players and ownres. As fans, we feed that. We want to see more. That really feeds the athletes to go out and perform at a higher level.
Washington, D.C.: In 1984 I remember returning to school for 11th grade and the football players in my grade went from merely athletic to having immense biceps and chests, plus the boasted ability of benchpressing 200, 300 and more lbs. It was as if overnight the core group of five or six players physically transformed into different people when they left junior varsity. I could not imagine someone gaining 40 or 50 lbs of muscle over the summer without steroids and when some started going bald in senior year, we couldn't stop speculating. Have you heard similar stories?
Chris Bell: Yes, absolutely. I think we hear stories like that all the time. Those are the red flags that should go up for parents, to know what the physucal limits of their children are, to know if they're using steroids. We should be able to recognize that.
I should say at that time also, that's when kids are growing the most. When you start lifting weight, there definitely is a large increase in muscle strength because you're on natural steroids. Your body is producing so much testosterone at that point. It's something to watch out for, but there are gains achievable when you're in high school, for sure.
Washington, D.C.: May I ask what happened to your brothers? Are they still using steroids?
Chris Bell: My brothers basically are doing really well. My younger brother went off steroids and had another child, so they had their second kid. My older brother went to rehab to fix a lot of his other addiction problems and he is doing very well right now. I think the film for him is very therapeutic. As far as whether they are using steroids now, I don't really know and I don't really ask them.
It's a personal decision for them. I think we've exhausted that question in my film and in my family.
Washington, D.C.: Do you have any other film or documentary projects on the horizon?
Chris Bell: Yes, I just signed with the Endeavor Agency and we have been working on a couple of different projects, nothing really set in stone. I am looking at both narrative and documentary films. I feel both kinds of media carry a lot of weight as long as you're interjecting your own personal views into it. I want to do films that are very socially relevant and I want to do stuff with a comedic twist to it. We're working on a couple of topics, things on obesity. Things that are fun and explore a lot of the similar themes as "Bigger, Stronger, Faster."
Roseland, N.J.: Does your film explore issues related to the illegality of steroids? By which I mean, there are a lot of things you can do that are "bad" for you that you can do easily because they are legal, but the illegality of the drug adds a necessary level of deceit and subterfuge a person might not otherwise engage in.
Chris Bell: Yes, actually that's a very intelligent question. One of the questions we pose in the movie is why is it okay to get botox and liposuction? And in more similar cases, I could go under the knife, go under heavy anesthestia, have a doctor take a scalpel and cut open my bicep and place silicone in there to make my biceps bigger. But if I want to take a hormone that's made in your body naturally and inject that so I look better and feel better about myself, and is known to be relatively safe for adult males, I could go to jail for that.
We explore that in detail in the film.
Chris Bell: I feel that this is a very important film. I think everyone from teenagers to athletes to parents, coaches, teachers, trainers should all go see "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" because we are a definitely a country afflicted by a body image crisis. And we definitely have a steroids issue in our culture. But the film explores a bigger issue going on in America about lying and cheating, so I think it's important for everyone to see the film.
Thanks for all your questions. I will be touring with the film, so check your local papers. I would love to answer any questions in person. We look forward to seeing you at the theaters on May 30 and in D.C. on June 6.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Chris Bell, director of the documentary "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" -- which examines the use of steroids in America -- will discuss the film Tuesday, April 29 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
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The War Over the War
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More coverage of The War Over the War | War Over the War discussion transcripts
DeYoung, author of " Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell," is senior diplomatic correspondent and an associate editor of The Washington Post.
Karen DeYoung: Good morning/afternoon all. Ready to roll.
Peaks Island, Maine: To what extent do you believe U.S. troops are fighting on the side of one Iran-friendly Shiite faction against another Iran-friendly Shiite faction?
To the extent this is the case, for how long do you believe a President McCain would have the congressional support necessary to get to his goal, i.e. a relatively stable, reasonably democratic, U.S.-friendly, Iraqi state that would be an ally of the U.S. in the "war on terror"?
Karen DeYoung: This has become the big question in Iraq since al-Qaeda capabilities have been "degraded," in military speak, Sunnis have signed up for Sons of Iraq, and the battle among Shiite groups for dominance has been well and truly launched with the U.S. in the middle. Prime Minister Maliki represents Dawa, a political group without a militia. The Badr Brigade of the Supreme Council has renamed itself the Badr Organization and says it's no longer in the militia business. Fadhila has little clout beyond the South.
Although all these militias and others can be reactive at any time, the Sadrists are the only ones really fighting at the moment. The situation is confused because Sadr has said the cease-fire is in place, the Americans insist they're only fighting renegade Sadrist "special groups," and yet there is a whole lot of fighting going on between U.S./Iraqi forces and Sadrists in Baghdad's Sadr City. Americans say they are trying to separate the "good" Sadrists from the "bad," but even if one believes that such separation exists, the military presence in Sadr City is irritating a whole lot of people and presumably blurring the lines between good and bad. Sadr himself is playing a dangerous game, holding out the possibility of a return to a major political roll. At this point I think no one knows which was Sadr is going to move.
To your second point, Congress is certainly conscious of the difference between the war on terror and civil war in Iraq. The administration has tried to blur that difference by emphasizing Iran's participation in a battle I think would exist whether the Iranians were helping or not. Sorry for such a long answer; there are a lot of questions on this subject today.
Fairfax, Va.: Since the most recent Petraeus testimony things seem to have taken a turn for the worse with the "surge." Is that accurate, or is the progress attributed to the surge still on track toward victory in Iraq?
Karen DeYoung: The military feels it's still making a lot of progress against al-Qaeda and insurgents who were the original targets of the surge. The inter-Shiite violence is something that seems immune to the surge and depends largely on political accommodation and how the majority Shiites divvy up power and resources, and whether they decide they'd rather be a government than a kleptocracy backed by militias.
Princeton, N.J.: Ms. DeYoung, what the happened in Basra? First we get reports of a major defeat of the Iraqi government forces, then we are told there was a cease-fire negotiated in Iran(!). Now we are told the Iraqi government has won a great victory -- "a defining moment."
Did they Iraqi Army drive out the Mahdi,? If so, did they capture or arrest them? What of the other two major militias, Badr and Fadhila? Does Fadhila still control the oil area? Have conditions improved in Basra? Is there less corruption? Can a woman walk on the street in Western garb without a male relative? Is there a functioning police force?
Karen DeYoung: I think it was more of a draw, followed by a cease-fire, than a major defeat for Iraqi forces. On the plus side, the Maliki government managed the logistics of getting a lot of troops down there quickly and a good number of those troops actually fought fairly well. On the minus side, many in the Iraqi military--where there are residual loyalties to various Shiite leaders--decided not to fight or to go over to the other side. Maliki subsequently replaced senior officers and fired a bunch of people. The government seems to recognize that it needs to win a lot of hearts and minds there very quickly during this relatively calm interim and is budgeting a bunch of money for Basra reconstruction and development. The question is whether the money actually gets there and can be spent effectively.
Richmond, Va.: Now that Moqtada al-Sadr has determined that it is better to stop internecine fighting and just concentrate on getting the foreign troops out, does that mean he has the ability to influence groups other than his own for this common purpose? How will such a directive change the dynamics of the war? And will there be a huge increase in American casualties?
Karen DeYoung: As per my previous answer, fighting seems pretty intense in Sadr City in recent days, including today. As with Basra, the Maliki government says it's about to spend a lot of money there making people happy and weaning them away from militia influence, but so far it has been rough going. They sent a bunch of garbage trucks in the other day as a show of good faith, but the trucks got shot at and had to pull back out. Among the many unknowns is how much power Sadr actually has over the fighters, and whether he has a long-term strategy to work within the political system. Getting the Americans out is popular in his constituency.
San Clemente, Calif.: Holy cow! you've usually got about three or four answers up by now, where is everybody?
Are we starting to do the very thing we have been trying to avoid for five years -- street-to-street, house-to-house combat in the most densely populated area of Iraq? Can we really avoid the type of civilian slaughter that could just refuel Iraqi nationalism and the insurgency?
Karen DeYoung: San Clemente -- there are lots of questions here, I'm just trying to type a bit more carefully than my usual rapid fire. The street-by-street fighting in Sadr City is a problem. The Americans sent a Bradley tank or two in there yesterday, which managed to blow up some things and drive back the militia front lines, but we all know the difficulties of fighting trained guerrillas in their own neighborhoods with big conventional weapons.
South Holland, Ill.: Why isn't the state of Israel held under the same oversight as the other nations in the Middle East regarding nuclear technology and the right to possess it? If there is to be some kind of peace in the Middle East, then nations seeking military superiority should have to deal as equals. Israel should be required to declare all its nuclear programs, just like every other nation in the Middle East. Should America support Israel in this endeavor (nuclear technology) when our national interest is at stake?
Karen DeYoung: There's always a chicken-and-egg quality to questions about nuclear weapons. Those who want them and don't have them in the Middle East say they need them because Israel has weapons. Israel (while not publicly admitting it has them) feels it has to have them because it's surrounded by hostile states. The past six decades of U.S. governments have made the defense of Israel a priority.
Crestwood, N.Y.: Methinks there's a strong touch of MacArthur in Petraeus, and that once a Democrat gets elected in November he will resign and start the process of launching his political career, premised of course on the fiction that we were winning the war under his leadership, but the surrenderists in the Democratic Party pulled the troops out prematurely. A sort of "Rambo 2009." What's your prediction? I don't see how he stays, or how he can be allowed to stay.
Karen DeYoung: Maybe a touch of MacArthur in terms of his influence on political strategy, but the personalities are very different. It will be fascinating to see how he shifts gears from focusing on Iraq to the entire region and two different wars. Resign? I don't have a clue. If a Democrat is elected, it will be a long four years during which a lot of things could change in the region, and he would have to keep himself in the public eye. Rather than whether he would resign, I think the question will be whether a Democrat in the White House would seek to replace him early on. Regardless of what the military hierarchy thinks of him, that has all kinds of ramifications for White House-military relations.
Winnipeg, Canada: Do the numbers still support the thesis that violence is down since the surge? I seem to have read about a lot of violence in the past few weeks, but I'm not sure how that would play out numerically. What would a long-term trend line look like?
Karen DeYoung: Haven't checked out the trend lines recently. It has been down steadily since late last fall, and trending up slightly in March. I would assume, just judging by news reports, that they're still up a bit but nowhere near where they were last year, and it's too early to say they're trending back up.
Washington: The Christian Science Monitor reported today that the Taliban are expanding operations and attacks well north of their previous strongholds.
Are we beginning to lose the war in Afghanistan? Do we have the resources (military, diplomatic, political) to turn things around?
Karen DeYoung: The Taliban are expanding north and west from their southern Afghan strongholds ... we and others have reported this. The new U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide, is in Washington this week with some interesting analysis of how things are going and in which direction they need to go. The fact that the administration is listening to him carefully and nodding is, I think, indicative of a desire to make some changes in what remains a difficult situation.
Helena, Mont.: How much of the PowerPoint presentation on Syria would pass objective muster, and how much is just more of the "mobile bacteria-warfare-producing labs" that we were given prior to the Iraq war?
Karen DeYoung: I have to refer you to my Post colleague, Robin Wright, who has been covering that situation while I've been Iraq-ing for the past several weeks.
Ocala, Fla.: McClatchy newspapers are reporting on the influence of Revolutionary Guards Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani in Iraq. He seems to be the latest in a long line of bogeymen for the administration, somebody to focus as the source of our troubles in Iraq. If only we eliminate Saddam, or the latest head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, or al-Sadr, or the next guy, all the ducks will line up. Is there nobody in the Pentagon with a more profound understanding of the complexities in Iraq?
Karen DeYoung: Suleimani is definitely the evildoer of the moment -- the administration believes he is involved directly in training and directing of Sadrist "special groups," and that he had direct role in arranging the Basra cease-fire. I actually think there are a lot of people around the Pentagon and elsewhere who either understand the complexities or at least realize all is far more complex than it seems. That doesn't mean, however, that they've figured out what to do about it.
Anonymous: By saying she would "obliterate" Iran, a nation of 75 million people, if they attacked Israel, who is Hillary hoping to get on her side?
Karen DeYoung: I guess she thinks her position is more likely to garner voter support than the opposite.
Re: Badr's militias: Have the Badr militias been disbanded, or have they just been reclassified as "security forces"? It's wishful thinking on my part that we would get some straight answers from the administration, but how much of the changing security situation and tactical progress has been a result of name-changing?
Karen DeYoung: A good question that I don't really know the answer to. I know that's what U.S. officials now say. We need to do some reporting on it.
Chandler, Ariz.: How much does the new United States embassy in Baghdad look like another Baathist compound to Iraqis?
Karen DeYoung: First of all, few Iraqis have actually seen it as it's inside the Green Zone. It doesn't really look like the many Baathist Saddam palaces (except in size -- it's bigger), which usually have columns and decorative domes with blue tiles. It's a big, dusty compound with a lot of square, ochre-colored buildings spread through it, and a high wall around it. Not much charm to it.
Washington: There's a debate? I though that -- given the approval numbers, the state of our economy and the state of our military -- the universal consensus was that spending $170 billion a year in Iraq was a waste. These resources are much needed in our economy. Why are we still building infrastructure in Iraq, when our country us so desperate for hospitals, schools, bridges, combined sewer overflow and transit infrastructure? Do we really have to wait till January for this nightmare to be over?
Karen DeYoung: The administration's argument is that we're no longer building physical infrastructure in Iraq. All those bridges and roads and big buildings -- some of which still exist, some of which never got finished -- were budgeted out of the original $21 billion or so reconstruction money that has now been spent, and the Iraqi capital budget is supposed to fund them now. But it's a bit of a shell game, because U.S. is still distributing money in other ways, through USAID programs, Commanders Emergency Response and other programs.
San Clemente, Calif.: Would the replacement of Gen. Petraeus by a Democratic president really be the breathtaking move many in the media are making it out to be? President Bush has gotten rid of any number military leaders who dared to offer advice that didn't fit into his plans. There has been at most a little tut-tutting, and not much more.
Karen DeYoung: I think some would argue that he stuck by some commanders longer than he should have. What I'm saying is that either of the Democratic candidates would have a dicey initial time with the military. Although many in uniform are unhappy about Iraq/Afghanistan, they are very institutional people, and any new president likely would have to at least go through the motions of seeking their advice before making abrupt decisions.
Alexandria, Va.: Has there been any talk about Petraeus as McCain's running mate?
Karen DeYoung: I haven't heard that.
Freising, Germany: Inspired by The Washington Post's Global Food Crisis Series and by Wilfred Thesiger's famous book, I was wondering how Iraq's Marsh Arab's have fared in the years following Saddam Hussein's regime.
National Geographic wrote in 2007 that reflooded soils were releasing toxins from military ordnance, and that land mines are littered throughout the marshes. Also, agricultural practices in 2007 were still ancient, and vast areas of the marshes could not be sustained unless new agricultural methods were adopted.
Have you been able to visit the Marshes or spoken with anyone who has been there? Presumably, Iraq imports most of it's foodstuffs, but is there any indication that the marshes ceventually ould contribute food for the rest of Iraq?
Karen DeYoung: Haven't been there. There were early reconstruction programs to reflood some of the marshes and re-establish that way of life. I don't think they ever produced food on an industrial scale, but honestly I don't know what's going on there now.
Phoenix: Karen, I remember being in Jordan during the mid- to late-'90s. It seemed many of my colleagues there had sons and daughters who competed for university entrance slots in Iraq, especially to study computer science. Now I see a country where even the capitol city lacks essential services like electricity and water. We have replaced a ruthless dictator with an apparently unsolvable set of contradictions. We speak of diminishing sectarian violence and proof of progress, then in the next breath talk about an Iraqi reconciliation government -- even though we know full well the diminishing sectarian violence is because the country is entrenched into essentially cleansed sectarian enclaves down to the neighborhood level.
When the administration talks about what the end of the Iraq war may look like, how does it view what happens after the combat troops are withdrawn? What happens to the Iraqis? Given Iraq's position in the Middle East, and the lines all sides are drawing in the dirt, doesn't the real Iraq war begin, not end, when U.S. troops withdraw? Is there a Bremer in the background, working on this now?
Karen DeYoung: You've posed the $64,000 question that I think is a big one now for Pentagon planners: What happens when U.S. troops leave -- regardless of when that is? The timing obviously has some bearing on the answer, and the administration is trying with little success so far to get services up and running and get the Iraqi government to function on its own so that the dike doesn't collapse when the American thumb is pulled out. Some say certain levels of function and peace must be established before it can even be imagined. There are others who argue that the government never is going to function -- and ethnic fighting is only going to increase -- until the Americans leave and they have to do it on their own.
Mount Rainier, Md.: Karen, a different sort of Iraq question: Given that the Democrats seem to have no spine in dealing with the war, how do we ordinary citizens stop this fools errand? Can we reasonably hope the next election will send an even clearer message then 2006, or should we expect to continue to be ignored?
Karen DeYoung: As several lawmakers commented during recent Iraq hearings, the only power Congress ever has had or will have over the war is the power of the purse. Unless and until a majority is willing to exercise it differently than up to now, the current president and his successor will decide. That's why we have both presidential and congressional elections.
Seattle: I think the removal of Petraeus will depend on his response to any Democratic president's request to draw down troops. If he refuses, ala MacArthur, expect him to get canned hard, like MacArthur. If he complies, he shouldn't get fired.
Karen DeYoung: He certainly would give his advice. But don't see much chance that he would refuse an order from his commander in chief. That's one of the differences with MacArthur.
Williamsburg, Va.: No Iraq articles, but several Obama/Rev. Wright articles "above-the-fold" on washingtonpost.com. Small links to "Four U.S. Troops Killed -- Iraqi Official Assassinated" below-the-fold" in small print, along with "Shame on Miley? Of Course" in large print. No wonder the American public has lost focus on Iraq.
Karen DeYoung: Another chicken-and-egg. Do we write less about Iraq because people are more interested in other things at the moment, or vice versa? We actuallyare writing as much about Iraq as ever, and there are days when it dominates the front page, but you're correct that there certainly are days -- when important things happen there -- that it doesn't.
Karen DeYoung: Time's up for another week. Thanks for the good questions. Keep reading -- and keep asking.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join Washington Post associate editor Karen DeYoung to discuss the latest developments in Southern Iraq and the debate in Washington among government, military and intelligence officials about what course to follow in Iraq.
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Can You Trust Your Travel Guidebook?
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Kohnstamm, former Lonely Planet guidebook writer, were online Tuesday, April 29, at Noon ET with Washington Post Travel editor K.C. Summers, to discuss the book and the controversy it has ignited in the travel blogosophere.
Kohnstamm holds an MA in Latin American Studies from Stanford University and has contributed to over a dozen guidebooks and a variety of magazines, Web sites and newspapers. He lives in his hometown, Seattle, and is at work on his second book.
K.C. Summers: Greetings, everyone, and welcome to the Post Travel chat, Part Deux. We've gotten a lot of comments from readers about our piece this week on the Kohnstamm guidebook flap -- the link is above -- and we're happy to have him here today to talk about the dirty underbelly of travel writing, and his perspective as a freelance guidebook contributor. (Let's try to keep the waitress questions to a minimum.) Are our trusted guidebooks not what we thought they were? Let's get right to it.
Sebastopol, Calif.: Given that you write from your "imagination" about places you "never visited," how do we know that anything, such as the juicy anecdote about the waittress and her friendly table service, in your new book is true? Probably the answer is that we don't. Does this -- should this -- matter?
Thomas Kohnstamm: My book is about the unvarnished truth. If you read the book you will see that I am as candid as I can possibly be about a number of things. I have pretty much laid myself bare. So, yes, I do turn a critical eye on what I see as the behind-the-scenes reality of guidebook writing - including the fact that there are shortcomings in the on-the-ground research. I also take a hard look at myself, my former life in Manhattan, contemporary travel etc. As for the anecdote in my book, I have the email of said waitress and still trade friendly emails with her from time to time. I think that if you read my book, you will see that it is actually a self-deprecating, honest story and not the braggadocio and bloviation that some (who have never read the book) have alleged.
Mad in D.C.: So I'm never buying another Lonely Planet Guide again -- unless you give me a good reason why I should trust the other guides.
Thomas Kohnstamm: My point in my book is not that guidebooks are without value, only that much of the information that makes it into guidebooks is arbitrary and subjective. They are not to be used as an infallible guide and are not the Bible (as some claim). Guidebooks have tried to commodify independent travel, which is inherently independent, unpredictable and subject to all sorts of variation. However, guidebooks are still useful tools and I use Lonely Planet myself. You should never rely on travel info (whether in a guidebook or on-line) 100%. The information is primarily all recommendations and, just like, say, restaurant reviews in DC, sometimes they get it right and sometimes you're bound to disagree.
Freising, Germany: Do you perceive a difference in quality or trustworthiness between established and prosperous travel writers like Bill Bryson, Michael Palin or Paul Theroux, and someone who would answer the job advertisement on the randomhouse.com Web site for your book? Is this a matter of doing a circus act, performing sleights of hand and hoping not to be caught, until you can make a name for yourself?
Thomas Kohnstamm: Comparing travel literature to guidebook writing is comparing apples and oranges. My book is about my experience on my first assignment as a guidebook writer. That has little to do with the likes of Bryson, Palin or Theroux.
Oakland, Calif.: Do you think that you've been scapegoated by Lonely Planet, given a few years back they created most of their online content via a team of desk researchers not from on-the-road authors?
Thomas Kohnstamm: They clearly want to marginalize and discredit me. I'll leave it at that.
I'm not a travel writer. How would I go about making hotels think that I'm a travel writer, in order to get special treatment?
K.C. Summers: Btw, we get calls from hotels, airlines and restaurants all the time about bogus travel writers claiming to work for the Post. They have a pretty good radar for sniffing out fakes.
Thomas Kohnstamm: I wouldn't advise that for a number of reasons.
Washington, D.C.: Thomas -- I worked with travel writers for more than 10 years. So what's the real harm in offering free air tickets, rooms, meals, tours to big travel media players? If the gratis site is worth it to visitors, it should gain your coverage. Likewise, many worthy attractions are regularly left out of major destination travel pieces -- for no apparent reason, I will add. In today's economy and low pay for writers, it's only logical to accept freebies while stating "I may not cover you." Any PR should accept this and communicate this policy to his destination partners.
K.C. Summers: I'll let Thomas give his take on this, but let me just say that taking freebies is a BIG conflict of interest for any kind of reviewer. I know many writers say they can't be bought and that their reviews aren't influenced by free stays, but we all know that there's a subtle sense of obligation that goes along with getting treated. And even if you do maintain your objectivity, there's the *appearance* of a conflict of interest, which is just as bad, because that makes you lose credibility with your readers.
Thomas Kohnstamm: The loss of objectivity or perceived loss of objectivity is a real issue. The financial squeeze on writers is a real issue too (this is our livelihood, not just a hobby after all). It is a dilemma that I try to examine in my book. I am not sure how to properly reconcile those two issues and do not speak for travel journalism in general, only to my personal experience as a guidebook writer.
Frequent Traveler: Hi, guys. Thomas, do you use LP guides to get around? Or do you think they're bogus?
Thomas Kohnstamm: Right in the introduction of my book I say that I almost always use a guidebook and find that they are invariably worth their price and weight in my pack. They are not bogus, but they are not the singular way to approach a destination either. I argue that guidebooks are not to be used as a paint-by-the-numbers approach to travel. They serve their purpose as a tool to assist with travel... I tend to prefer Lonely Planet to other brands although I sometimes use others.
Anonymous: I represent a state travel organization and am truly amazed by the amount of "freebies" that travel journalists ask for. Having come from more of a hard news background, I am truly amazed they even call themselves "journalists" -- there is no shame.
How do we weed out those who are just in the business for the freebies? It's obviously not by cutting back on their fees. And certainly readers benefit from the non-biased coverage of those who don't take freebies.
K.C. Summers: Well, it seems like an easy answer: Stop offering free trips! As a travel journalist for over 20 years, I'm still constantly amazed at the number of free trips, flights, cruises, etc., that we get offered every week. I have to assume that the travel industry feels that this system works for them and that they get their money's worth from the publications and writers who accept these trips. It's the readers who suffer. Perhaps the industry could at least police this a little better -- e.g., ask for clips to make sure the writer is up to some kind of standard.
Washington DC: Do you think the guidebook is becoming anachronistic in today's wireless world? Not only can you do so much research online before you travel, but I know that when I'm traveling in developed countries, I just use the Internet on mobile devices to look up whatever I may need (maps, hours of museums, etc) when I need it.
Thomas Kohnstamm: There is a big difference between travel in the developed world and the developing world. There isn't a lot of on-line info to cover more remote destinations. I am sure that in the near future there will be greater access to phone coverage, mobile wireless and on-line travel material in developing areas... but, for the time being, I think that the paper guidebook - with all of its inherent flaws - is alive and well.
Alexandria, Va.: Hi, K.C. How do you know, when you're dealing with travel writers, whether they're telling the truth? How do you know they're not making it all up?
K.C. Summers: We do everything we can to determine that. First, we have a stable of trusted freelancers that we know well and use often. Second, all our freelancers sign a contract that states that they've paid for their trips themselves, don't stand to benefit from the piece, etc. I don't think many other publications demand this of their freelancers -- as far as I know, many just have a don't ask, don't tell policy, or look the other way. Yes, I suppose people could just lie on the contract, but short of ordering lie detector tests, that's about all we can do.
Downtown Cubicle: Thanks for the chat. I also wanted to thank Thomas for finally putting in print what I've long suspected: that you can't trust what you read in those books. have many other travel writers agreed with you?
Thomas Kohnstamm: Many have agreed (most in private, but a few publicly), many haven't. From what I've experienced it is very much a "don't ask, don't tell" policy in guidebooks. That assertion is corroborated in a recent article about my book in the Huffington Post. Again, and just to clarify to others, I am not speaking about newspaper travel journalism, only to my experience in the world of guidebooks.
New York, N.Y.: Hi Thomas,
Why do you think there has been such a fervent global response to this? What has the feedback been like so far from people that have actually read the book?
Thomas Kohnstamm: As for the fervent response, I think that there was a lot of hyperbole, speculation and self-righteous indignation before anyone had actually read the book. I believe that there was also some interest in a book with a different take on what many have come to view as a tired genre.
When the controversy kicked off I was getting a lot of hate mail (even death threats) from people who had never even seen the book - let alone read it. Now that people are actually reading the book, I am getting a lot of supportive emails and messages. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and I've heard from readers in Hawaii, Florida, Georgia, California, all over and the book really seems to be resonating with them.
Washington, D.C.: So which guidebooks do you look to when you travel? It seems each of them have their strengths and weaknesses, but it seems silly to carry around multiple guides when you're packing light.
K.C. Summers: I like a lot of choices when I travel, but I also pack really light. So I rip out (or photocopy) the pages that I want, so that eliminates a lot of extraneous stuff. I also print out a lot of stuff from online and bring it in a folder. I really like LP and Rough Guides and, for getting in the mood, Insight guides for their photography and history. Also, Frommer's is handy for their editor's picks and generally seems pretty up-to-date.
Thomas Kohnstamm: I have used all of the following: LP, Rough Guides, Moon and Footprint. They all have their pluses and minuses. LP has the best maps by far and is good for quick referencing. Sometimes I like to just tear out the map and stroll around. Rough Guides and Moon are really good for background, while Footprint is good for longer budget trips.
Washington, D.C.: Mr. Kohnstamm, I assume you only worked on the 2005 Brazil book and not the earlier editions? Just a comment... I lived in Bahia in 2003, and while I didn't see a ton of Americans there, I could always count on finding them in the same spots, carrying around their Lonely Planet books. I think LP has a huge influence on Americans who travel to countries like Brazil, where there just isn't the volume of guidebooks available as there is for big European destinations.
Thomas Kohnstamm: One of the things that I discuss in my book is the impact of travelers following a single guidebook so closely along a tourist trail - particularly in a developing place like NE Brazil. At points, I struggled with what to include or not to include, particularly when it came to smaller towns that would be irrevocably changed after being written into the tourist trail. That is one of the main reasons that I advocate that travelers take a looser, more open-minded approach for the use of guidebooks.
Slacker in Alexandria: KC, do you think many of your writers take freebies? And even if they do know you're coming, what's the big deal? What's the worse that can happen? I'll still use the Lonely Planet guides, if anything just for the maps (did Thomas have anything to do with those?).
K.C. Summers: Well, the big deal is that if they know we're coming they give us special treatment. We prefer to travel anonymously whenever possible, so that we can accurately report to our readers what a place is really like -- not just when they know there's someone "important" there. Same reason our food critic, Tom Sietsema, goes out in disguise and under a fake name.
I don't think any of our writers take freebies. See earlier response regarding the contract they have to sign. All our writers are certainly well aware of our policies regarding free trips and if we find out otherwise, they're history.
Manhattan: You've been a big topic in our office, Thomas, so I was happy to see this forum pop up on a google search. Sounds like you hate New York City, and I admit it can be pretty hairy. But how do cities in the US measure up to other spots worldwide? Where have you visited?
Thomas Kohnstamm: I actually love NYC and miss living there. But, as you know, the city can get on top of you at times. In order to make a clean break with NYC, I had to sever some emotional ties with it. The book depicts those moments, but my overall feeling towards New York is really positive.
There are a number of cities that I really like: Rio, Barcelona, Montreal, SF, Vancouver, Paris, London, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Sao Paulo, Calcutta, Mexico City... am not a huge fan of Caracas, but it still has its charms. I think that most cities have something good going for them, otherwise there wouldn't be so many people living there.
Anonymous: K.C., how do you respond to that question in the story online, about why you put your staff's photo out there if you want to remain incognito?
K.C. Summers: Oh gosh, as much as I'd like to think that our chat is that influential and far-reaching, I don't think anyone would ever recognize us from that thumbnail photo! Certainly no one's ever recognized me. I can tell by the way I'm treated. Like when I'm leaving, when I pay with my Post credit card -- suddenly they get all excited and snap to attention. But then it's too late....
Arlington, Va.: I think guidebooks can be a valuable resource, but they are just part of a good travel arsenal. I typically read the guidebook's history sections which usually include a good quick background of my destination. And things like "getting around" are usually of same value as well. But I have never really used them for restaurant or hotel listing. Sometimes if I have narrowed down my hotel choices to a few I will look to see what the guides as well as tripadvisor.com have to say and use that aggregate knowledge to help me decide. I think people should have a realistic view of what a guidebook is and can really tell you. Do guidebook writers actually stay in all of those hotels? Probably not, so they can't really share a first hand, real life experience. Is it possible for a writer to eat in all of those restaurants more than once? Reviews can be useful, but I tend to take them all with a grain of salt.
Thomas Kohnstamm: I think that you are right on point. Nice to see a little perspective out there. Following up on-line can help with the process, but there is nothing better than actually talking to locals when you are in a foreign place.
A desk in Dupont: What you say sort of seems obvious. I have always felt sorry for travelers who need to see it in LP before they will stay or eat in a place. I appreciate the maps, the bus routes (which I confirm) and a few highlights along the way. Everything else changes too fast anyway. If you are afraid to do a little exploring on your own, you shouldn't be travelling on your own. Go on a tour.
Thomas Kohnstamm: I agree. The guidebook is still a useful tool, but independent travel should be more independent.
Bowie, Md.: Thomas -- given your negativity towards guide books, what's your opinion/take about sites like TripAdvisor.com, where reviews and opinions are submitted (I know, for the most part), by everyday people?
Thomas Kohnstamm: I don't know if "negativity" does justice to my feelings about guidebooks. I am just trying to be realistic about their scope. On-line materials can be very useful too, but have inherent flaws. There are a lot of shillers and thinly disguised promotional materials on those sites. Travel is always an adventure, so no single source will be your oracle.
New York, N.Y.: I would love to see what would happen if all travel pubs banned freebies: most of them would cease to exist. As a freelancer, I've been offered $300 to write stories which incurred $400 worth of expenses, with no expense budget of course, or $5,000 to write a guidebook which would take three months' work. How can publishers expect to both have ethics and pay these absurdly low rates?
Thomas Kohnstamm: That is the reality that many of us face. I think that there is a lot of turnover in the industry as guidebook writing is imagined to be a glamor job and therefore has a huge potential labor pool. Many people last for a couple of projects, lose a bunch of money and move on -- only to be replaced by another wide-eyed inexperienced writer willing to work for the byline (at least for a project or two, until the same thing happens to them). That's not to say that there aren't still pros in the industry who are able to forge a lasting career, but they often have family money, a wealthy spouse, a flexible side job or some other creative way to make ends meet. Again, the issue of freebies is tricky, but it is something that can and should be openly discussed rather than simply pretending like it doesn't exist. I personally think that it would be best if guidebook writers received royalties on their guidebooks, but I also understand that with so many books and so many updaters, it would be an administrative nightmare.
Thomas Kohnstamm: Thank you to all who wrote in today. It was a pleasure. If I didn't get a chance to answer your questions, please contact me through my website at www.thomaskohnstamm.com and I will do my best to get back to you.
K.C. Summers: Folks, I'm afraid we're out of time. Thanks for all the good questions, and sorry if we didn't get to yours. Thanks very much to Thomas Kohnstamm for participating today. We'll see everyone back here next Monday at 2pm for our regular chat with the Post Flight Crew.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.
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What's Cooking With Kim O'Donnel
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A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly known as Peter Kump's New York Cooking School), Kim spends much of her time in front of the stove or with her nose in a cookbook.
For daily dispatches from Kim's kitchen, check out her blog, A Mighty Appetite. You may catch up on previous transcripts with the What's Cooking archive page.
Kim O'Donnel: Hey folks, do you believe May is almost here? I had a great eating adventure in Los Angeles last week. I bet many of you are thinking how to fete Mom next weekend, and I hope to offer some suggestions in the coming days. What's on your mind these days? Has anyone been reading about the Farm Bil or what's happening to the price of rice oveseas (and ensuing shortages)? Let's hear what's on the burners, front, back and center.
Silver Spring, MD: Hi Kim -
I'm delighted you made it to Hermosa Beach and Martha's! While it is not haute cuisine, it is a wonderful neighborhood place to have a lovely, sunny breakfast on a lazy morning. This type of breakfast place is all throughout the south bay and is part of what makes it a great place to live. I'm so glad you had fun in LA - so many people don't enjoy visiting. I think it is key to be there with a local, or at the very least, solicit suggestions for where to go and what to do.
Kim O'Donnel: KL, I loved the neighborhood feel of Martha's, and I agree, the reason why my trip was so fruitful is because we had tips from local folks.
The husband and I will be married 20 years on Tuesday! We're planning a tour of France in the Fall so I'm thinking of making a French-themed dinner for him. Any ideas? Wolfgang Puck has a shrimp dish with a mustard sauce that I'm considering but I am open to anything.
Kim O'Donnel: congratulations!! Way to go, vienna. Ever make a souffle? This would be theatrical and fun to serve for a romantic supper. Here's a link to my how-to video/recipe that might be fun to try. For dessert, what about a tarte aux citrons (lemon tart)? Let's hear what other Francophiles have to say.
Omaha, Neb.: Hope a "cleaning" question is okay. I have some silicon muffin tins that I love (easy removal of baked goods!) The problem: I can't seem to get them clean. Since the first time I used them, they feel coated and somewhat greasy. I'm pretty sure the 'pan' instructions said to use cooking spray, but am wondering if I misread them. Is there hope for cleaning these pans, or are they just permanently gross?
Kim O'Donnel: It is certainly okay, Omaha. Have you thought of giving the "tins" a white vinegar wash? White vin tends to de-grease almost anything in the kitchen. I know my silpat (silicone baking mat) tends to feel coated as well, so I sympathize.
Terp in the Kitchen: Kim, I'm going to attempt my first risotto this week. I'm comfortable with the whole idea of stir, add, stir, absorb... question is about flavor - I have it in my head that putting a parmesean rind in there somewhere would add flavor (have read it does for soups?)...would this work? If so, when would I add it?
Kim O'Donnel: Hey Terp, if you wan to add the rind, why not add it to the stock that you plan to use for the risotto? No doubt this will flavor stock but will stay out of the risotto itself. For seasonings, you'll start with lots of finely chopped onion, so fine almost like baby food...although here's a twist on that idea, using leeks and green garlic. I love lemon zest in my risotto just before serving, and a smidge of fresh herbs is nice too.
Austin, TX: Hi Kim! Today is my birthday and I decided to celebrate by making the chocolate Guinness cake you had blogged about last year. What a fantastic cake! However I found that I wanted a bit more punch to it; could you suggest an additional ingredient for more zing? Thank you!
Kim O'Donnel: Happy Birthday! I would suggest maybe some cinnamon and/or cardamom, but it might get lost against the intensity of Guinness...You could try a little espresso powder, that might be nice.
Springfield, MA: Hello Kim. Any ideas on a way to use beautiful orange and yellow peppers as a side dish - possibly to salmon. Other than using the peppers in fajitas and salads I have no ideas. Believe a friend of my mom's used to stuff them with corn or rice? Thanks for any ideas. Thanks for your chats, too.
Kim O'Donnel: Stuffed peppers are indeed lovely, Springfield. Other ideas that come to mind: roast'em, and serve with goat cheese or feta, a sprinkling of pine nuts and fresh oregano. You can roast, then puree peppers, as a lovely soup by itself or puree with a can of drained white beans for a super fab dip for crackers. Let's hear what others might do...
Bread crumbs:: I bought a box of pankeo bread crumbs and would like to try it with fish. Do I need to flour and egg wash the fillets first or just pat the crumbs onto the fish? I'd like to avoid a too heavy feel.
Kim O'Donnel: You can brush the fish with oil first, then try rolling in the crumbs. Only thing to keep in mind, though, is that panko are generally coarser and may not stick as readily as finer crumbs.
Food and relationships: Re your blog today. People are taking this way too seriously. You'd really not date someone because they eat different things? Seems really narrow-minded to me to reject someone just because they like to eat steak. And in case you're wondering, I'm a no meat/no fish/no poultry vegetarian.
Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for your comments; I think it's a fascinating thread because food is so very personal. For me, it makes no difference whether or not my partner eats meat, but I will say this: I would have a real problem becoming committed to someone who eats fast food as a rule rather than an exception.
Washington, D.C. : Hello, Kim,
My question is about substituting water or veggie broth for chicken broth. A vegetarian house-guest loves soups and most of mine have a chicken-stock base. I know that using anything else will alter the taste, so I wonder if it's a wiser choice to go with tasteless water, or with a different taste altogether like vegetable broth or mushroom broth? Or should I get a vegetarian non-chicken broth? Thanks in advance!
Kim O'Donnel: What about making your own veggie stock? It takes less than 30 minutes to simmer up a pot of leeks, parsley, garlic and onions, and you'd be amping up the flavor of your soups much more than water, for sure.
Risotto: I made your green garlic leek risotto last week and thought it was fabulous -- the lemon zest definitely adds the right touch. Are there any other springtime risotto recipes you recommend? I'm thinking asparagus, but feel like it would need something else.
Kim O'Donnel: Asparagus would def. be grand, and you can pair it up with mushrooms. Have you ever played with morels? Whatever you choose, do the veggie saute separately, then add to the cooked rice.
Panko: With panko, I find it easier to first coat with flour, then whatever liquid you're using, and then the panko. It sticks better that way.
Kim O'Donnel: Cool. Thanks for chiming in.
Pepper Confit: For the chatter who needs pepper ideas, I like to saute slices of pepper with chopped onion in olive oil. 10 min for crunchy, to 30 min for more caramelized and sweet. You can add whatever other spices you like, I like fennel seeds myself. And after it's cooked, you can add feta cheese to the warm mix so it gets all gooey and delicious. I also like to serve the mix on toast, topped with a poached egg for an easy meal. The possibilities are really endless...
Kim O'Donnel: Yes! I love the idea of fennel seeds with peppers --and yes of course, peppers and eggs make a sublime combo.
Austin, too: Dear reader and Kim,
I've made the truly wonderful Guinness cake twice. The first time I used Young's Double Chocolate Stout. My son, the chocolate freak, swears it was better than the second version, with the Guinness.
Kim O'Donnel: Great to know! I love it when you experiment on your own...
Peppers: Right now I'd stuff them with a mix of rice, wild rice, cheese, spices, any grains, raisins...
When it's hot I'd dice them and put them in a balsalmic vinegerette wiht some onions, olivies, for a salad side
Kim O'Donnel: More yummy applications for peppers...
Arlington, Va. S: The food price issue accross the world is shocking (it's probably more accurate to say affordability issue). There are far too many variables for my non-economist mind to grasp.
I have noticed more people complaining about the costs of food. I'm a vegetarian and read with some interested the back and forth comments on some of your blogs debating the economics of different diets. Personally, I cook a lot from scratch and never really pay much attention to price changes/differences until it gets very large. I make my own bread (6? 8? loaves from a 5 lb bag) and with other ingredients it's still probably less than $1 a loaf. Even with the increase in rice prices, lentils/rice/onion (Mujadara) is a bargain, as are many of the other dishes I make. I think the biggest bargain saver for me is not that I eat vegetarian, but that I scratch cook most everything and hunt for seasonal produce. Since I like Italian cheeses, I probably blow the same amount of money on cheese that some others might on meat.
And on that note, is the price of meat spiking? Grass raised may not, but most cattle (90 percent?) in this country are raised on grain if I remember correctly.
Kim O'Donnel: Thanks so much for your thoughts, Arlington. I agree with you, the fact that you're taking the DYI route is the reason your food bills are lower than those of who buy prepared, processed and frozen food. But time is money too, and so it's all about what works for each person depending on schedules, priorities, family size. The cost of beef is spiking (don't have figures at this very second) and yes, the cost of grain has a lot to do with that.
Risotto Follow-Up: Thanks, Kim, for answering so quickly.
I have to admit, I'm using boxed stock (low sodium to be able to control). Funny you should mention "baby food," becaused I have a 9-month-old and that's the primary reason for using the stock. Just don't have the capacity to make it 'and' the risotto (and stew her apricots -- yum!).
So I'm thinking ix-nay on the ind-ray this time, and save it for when I can make stock?
Kim O'Donnel: Oh yes, save that rind and make soup later! You can freeze it, too.
Arlington, Va.: Cream of tartar -- where can I find it? This weekend, I went to Whole Foods, Giant, Safeway, and Shoppers Food Warehouse. I spent over ten minutes in each store's baking aisles to find the darn thing. Is this a special order item, or am I just not seeing it?
Kim O'Donnel: Weird. Try Penzey's over at Falls Church.
Canning books: Kim, I've gotten inspired to start a garden and do some canning after reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I'm planning on some tomatoes for sauce and cucumbers for pickling. I have 3 dozen canning jars from my husband's grandmother and I'm wondering if you could recommend any books on canning. Thanks!
Kim O'Donnel: It's not a canning book, per se, but Greg Atkinson, a chef in Washington state, covers a lot of canning in his "West Coast Cooking." I also have the Blue Ball book which you can order,worth having for the basics on food safety, using equipment, etc.
Veggie Stock and Soup: To the reader cooking for a vegetarian houseguest: I am vegetarian and whether I use a veggie stock, or water, to sub for chicken stock depends on the soup. For hearty, thick concoctions like bean soups or like stews, I usually use water. There is enough going on that I do not miss the extra layer of flavor (or sodium). For a broth-based dish (e.g., tortellini in brodo) or a lighter soup in which the broth flavor is important, you probably would want to use a veggie broth/stock complementary to the ingredients in the soup. Mushroom stock is not always complementary -- and can be very overpowering, in my experience.
Your friend will appreciate you, either way.
Kim O'Donnel: Great tips, thanks much Atlanta! I'm with you, sometimes I use water, sometimes I use stock, depending on what's simmering that day.
Collards: Made collards last night for the first time on my own. I followed a vegetarian recipe that seemed pretty good and was reviewed well on the Web site from which I got it. We liked them, but found them a bit bland. We talked about kicking them up with some hot sauce -- and hubby did that for the second serving, which he thought helped. Wondering what other ways we might make this better -- more flavorful, not necessarily hot/spicy.
What I did: saute 1 small onion with 3 large cloves garlic in a butter/olive oil combo (not a lot). Added 1 tsp red pepper flakes (actually a "zesty" spice blend that mostly featured red pepper flakes but was what we had on hand). Added the chopped, cleaned greens, 12 oz. veg broth and about 1 c water. Simmered +/- 40 minutes, then added a can of stewed tomatoes.
Just looking for some ways to brighten this up, give it some better flavor, so we can work collards, kale and the like into our veg routine a bit more, especially as they become locally available.
Kim O'Donnel: Going forward, I might add fresh chopped chiles of choice for the heat you were missing.. Lots of folks love vinegar with their greens, and it may also be a matter of giving them enough salt. Soy sauce is a nice alternative to regular old salt.
Arlington, Va. S: To the pepper person -- a recipe for Italian Pepperonata should be the thing you're looking for. It's a stew of colored peppers with chopped tomatoes and sliced onions, salt/pepper, maybe vinegar, maybe parsley, and depending on the region, potatoes. Quite tasty and easy to make, though it takes 30 or 40 minutes of cooking time (you don't need to watch it much). It freezes well and can also be useds as a sauce for penne pasta or polenta.
Most Italian cookbooks should have a recipe for it.
Kim O'Donnel: Sounds about right, Arlington!
River City: I saute peppers with garlic, olive oil and smashed anchovies and serve over fetticini.
Kim O'Donnel: Oh, yes, anchovies with peppers is a lovely idea!
Veggie Stock: For the person with the veggie houseguest: Wolfgang Puck's stocks are wonderful, and this avowed carnivore actually prefers the vegetable stock to chicken stock for my soups. It's super rich, flavorful, and works well in soups (i'm eating some split pea that I made with it this week!)
Kim O'Donnel: Here's a vote for a store-bought brand of veggie stock...
Cleaning a burned pot in D.C.: Hello! Yesterday I spaced out and forgot I'd left the wooden steamer on top of a Revere-ware pot in order to steam broccoli. When I remembered, the steamer and the broccoli were both charcoal, the water in the pot was long-gone, and the pot itself was pretty yucky. So far, steel wool isn't enough to get the pot clean although maybe if I use an entire box I'll get there. Do you have any advice? I feel so lucky not to have burned down the house, but I would like to rescue this pot if possible. Thank you!
Kim O'Donnel: Oh, that stinks. Sorry, dear. Have you tried a baking soda soak yet? Who else has an idea for burnt pots?
Cream of Tartar: Does the poster understand that it comes in a very small jar stored with the herbs and spices? I just wonder if s/he was looking in the section with flour, sugar, and other large-package baking items. Someone just starting to bake and to look for this sort of thing might not expect to find it with the herbs. I'd be stunned if four mainstream groceries really didn't have it. Possible, but I just pose the question, as your chats attract and welcome people of all cooking experiences and levels --this might be a "newbie" question that seems obvious once you know the answer, but isn't obvious at all on its own.
Kim O'Donnel: Good points you offer.
Veggie stock: When I don't have homemade handy, I use Rapunzel vegetarian bullion cubes, unsalted. They provide just enough flavor, no strange color or weird boxed taste. I get them at Whole Foods.
Kim O'Donnel: Great to know, I've wondered about this brand.
Washington, D.C.: Re Panko crumbs -- I use them all the time without any flour. I mix in a small bowl some turmeric, garam masala, Mrs. Dash spicy no salt season and some olive oil to make a paste. I brush it on the fish then sprinkle on the Panko crumbs and press into the fish with a fork and do the other side. I bake in an oven they stick and the fish is quite tasty. By the way, I use whole wheat Panko bread crumbs which are very good.
Kim O'Donnel: Excellent! Thanks for your first-hand panko-crusted report...
Shaw, D.C.: For the pepper eater:
I like to make a Mexican-style stuffed pepper with a lightly sauteed combo of corn/onion/jalapeno/touch of sour cream filling. I usually char and remove the skins of the peppers before baking and then cover with a good salsa verde (green) or salsa roja (red) and a bit of cheese.
I also like to make a "salad" by cutting in half a head of romaine, endive, and/or radicchio, drizzling with oil and then wilting them on the grill. Peppers cut in large pieces or rings can also be grilled until tender. Cut the veggies to bite size, add some cherry tomatoes, cucumber etc. and dress with a fresh balsamic or red wine vinaigrette. Yummy!
Kim O'Donnel: Great stuff, Shaw. Thanks for checkingn in. And local romaine will be here very soon...
burned pot: Barkeeper's Friend is good at getting off burned on food. It's safe for pots and the environment.
Kim O'Donnel: Ah, excellent...and here are a few more ideas...
For the burned pot in D.C.: I seem to recall a remedy where you fill the pot with warm water and sprinkle in borax or baking soda. I think the borax would work better, it contains oxygen which would react with the carbon on the pot.
Baking-soda soak: Is that a paste I apply to the burned area of the pot and allow to dry? Or something to do over heat? Thanks for any details!
And thanks for the sympathy over the burned pot, broccoli and steamer.
Kim O'Donnel: I've done it with a paste, let it sit for a while, then scrub like hell, then rinse. It may or may not work depending on how intense the burn is. Hope one of these methods helps...
Pepper person: Thanks so much for all the ideas!
Kim O'Donnel: And thanks for the feedback on all the rest! Great to catch up and hear what's happening in your worlds. There are many leftover questions in the queue, so I hope to post some in the blog space this week. Take good care.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Calling all foodies! Join us Tuesdays at noon for What's Cooking, our Live Online culinary hour with Kim O'Donnel.
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Station Break - washingtonpost.com
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The bold and the beautiful. The good, the bad and the ugly. We're talking about what's on TV, on the radio or in the popular culture. Join the conversation, on "Station Break."
Farhi was online Tuesday, April 29, at 1 p.m. ET.
Farhi is a reporter in The Post's Style section, writing about media and popular culture. He's been watching TV and listening to the radio since "The Monkees" were in first run and Adam West was a star. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Los Angeles, Farhi had brief stints in the movie business (as an usher at the Picwood Theater), and in the auto industry (rental-car lot guy) before devoting himself fulltime to word processing. His car has 15 radio pre-sets and his cable system has 500 channels. He vows to use all of them for good instead of evil.
Paul Farhi: Greetings, all, and thanks for stopping by. A big show today, as they say EVERY night on EVERY talk show (not that my boast is any more meaningful than their's)...One more thought on a thread we picked up last time--that is, why one's musical taste is hardwired about the time one hits the teen years: I'm guessing it has something to do with the intensity of those years, the friendships made, the life-lessons learned (if any), the first-time experiences of every goshdarn thing. Music kind of cements those experiences and vice versa, I think. Why, this one time...well, suffice to say, "Knights in White Satin" was playing. All this is, of course, reinforced by one's peer group (the metal heads, the country types, the jazz and classical geeks were and still are identifiable teen types). You tend to listen to what your friends are listening to at that age, just as you watch what your friends watch on TV. Are we surprised that Facebook has taken off so fast? Shouldn't be. It's kind of the same herd/social behavior at work. Of course, music is far more diverse than social networking web sites. Anyway, this choice, formed early, tends to stick with you over the years. Hence, the ever-shifting time frames of "classic rock" and "oldies" on radio. (Demographically speaking "classic" rock is now, what, about 1989?)...Well, just another theory for the bonfire.
Let's go to the phones...
Arlington, Va.: Hey Paul -- What do you think of the new Mike O'Meara show? One thing is for sure; the meanness has been toned down quite a bit. I guess that confirms what we thought all along -- it was Geronimo that was responsible for the Bile-drenched tone of the show. And I say good riddance. How about you?
Paul Farhi: Yes, it's kinder/gentler, but goshdarn, I miss that old bile-spewer Geronimo. The show had more, um, spunk (cut to clip of Lou Grant saying, "I hate spunk!") with Don in the chair. I'll repeat what I said last time: Give Mike O. some time to ease into the lead; he's a really fine broadcaster and superb comic talent. But I really do miss the "edge" that Don had.
Tyson's, Va.: How have the ratings been for "The Mike O'Meara" show? Did he keep the audience from the "Don and Mike Show?" Is it too early to tell?
I liked Don & Mike together a lot, but I enjoy the tweaked format (and more Buzz Burbank) that the Mike O'Meara Show has.
Paul Farhi: To each his/her own. And yes, it's a little early on ratings for the new show.
Bethesda, Md.: I don't get the Visa ad where the couple is hurrying to get into the movie theater. Is it some strange theater where they actually lock the doors when the movie starts? Also doesn't everyone know they show twenty minutes of ads and trailers before the movie starts anyway?
Paul Farhi: Never thought of that. And as noted before, the logical flaw in the whole series is that using your credit card is not really faster than cash (stand on line some time and watch). But I'd say even without that obvious flaw (and the flaw in the movie ad), I love 'em. They're absolute eye candy--movement! color! busy-ness everywhere! They're a huge production number every time out. The Broadway/musical fan in me can't tear his/our eyes away.
MoCo: Paul -- I recently switched to FIOS, the production of the Nats on MASN seems to be horrible. Was wondering if this is a FIOS issue or if their non-HD production in general is bad.
Paul Farhi: I've heard things several ways on this--that FIOS is better/worse than the ol' Comcast pic. And is it possible that MASN is to blame, one way or the other? I don't know. Let me know if you do....
Bac, ON: They ought to run back-to-back the ad where the dog goes nuts for the bacon-flavored snack with the ad where the girl brings the bacon chalupa into the singles bar.
Paul Farhi: I've said this before, and I believe it is scientifically accurate: Ain't a person, or a dog, been born that doesn't love him/her/itself some bacon.
Demographically speaking "classic" rock is now, what, about 1989?: No, no! Don't say that! I graduated from college in '89, so it just cannot be. Classic Rock is any rock music that came out before the 80's.
Paul Farhi: Technically, maybe. But you see that shadow creeping up on you? Uh huh. That's the radio industry, telling you you're middle aged (been there, hope to stay).
Washington, D.C. area : Maybe, just for fun, this discussion won't focus solely on incorrect weather reports. If you can look outside and see it is raining, do you need someone else to confirm that for you?
Instead, how about the poor grammer, non news or constant commercials on TV and radio in this area?
Paul Farhi: Given the way the mainstream media (newspaper, radio, tv) is going these days, the mainstream media person in me would say: There aren't enough ads!...Well, I've never understood why any listener would sit through six, seven minutes of ads without hitting the button. Somewhat less true on TV, maybe. As for poor grammer, whachu talkin' 'bout?
Chantilly, Va.: Hi Paul, as an older guy (47), I'm pleased to see oldies sort of back on the D.C. airwaves.
What are your thoughts on Big 100 (100.3) vs Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel (105.9)? Is there room for both?
Paul Farhi: As an older guy (see previous postings), I hope there's room for both. But Scott Shannon sounds like a mean drunk to me. Couldn't 105.9 hire someone from around here, instead of voice-tracking in Shannon? Yes, I know he developed the format, or something or other, but he's just a turn off for me...
Specifics from MoCo?:"Nats on MASN seems to be horrible. Was wondering if this is a FIOS issue or if their non-HD production in general is bad." Hmmm...could you be a touch more specific? If you mean, is Ray Knight as bad on Comcast, he sure is. Or, maybe you meant something else?
Paul Farhi: I thought he/she meant the transmission quality was poor. No?...Come in, MoCo....
They're absolute eye candy: They really are. I love the one with the break dancers. And the one in the fast food place. Fun to watch!
Paul Farhi: yes, the first flight of those ads (gotta be on YouTube, I'm sure), which includes the fast-food one and the toy-factory one that ran around Christmas, are just great. But maybe it's hard to keep coming up with great stuff. The movie theater one IS a half-step down...
I Can't Stand Bacon!: Never liked the taste. And, I always think it's funny how fast-food restaurants like Taco Bell and Wendy's decide, "Say, you know what'd make this better -- slap a hunk of bacon on it!"
Paul Farhi: I was always appalled by the bacon-with-two-beef-patties-plus-cheese trend that started a few years ago. Surely, they should advertise those with some fine print reading: "This will kill you. We guarantee it. Enjoy it now. But you will die before your time. Thank you."
"Instead, how about the poor grammer...in this area": Grammar. (Unless you mean poor Kelsey Grammer.) I'm just saying.
Paul Farhi: Well, he/she didn't say "poor spelling."
MASN: MASN's production quality is terrible. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I"m watching a game from the 60s or 70s in terms of the quality of the color, etc. And it's not my TV, 42-inch flatscreen HD. Next time you are watching flip to ESPN on Sunday nights, the difference in picture quality is stunning.
Paul Farhi: Have to say, I noticed this on opening night. MASN: Kinda muddy (was the pre-game even in HD? I'm not sure--if not, comment withdrawn). ESPN: Sharp and clear.
Richmond, Va.: I'm not getting all the exicitment about John Adams. Paul Giamatti is wimpy rather than a leader, Jefferson is played as brooding rather than a Reniassance Man, and the actor playing George Washington thinks his whole body was wooden, not just his teeth. I thought everyone thought it was brilliant, but was happy to see that others (Variety, N.Y. Times) agree with me, especially re: Paul Giametti's weak work. I'm grossly underwhelmed, and the quality of the story decreases with each episode. I fear I won't last through the series.
Paul Farhi: I've got the whole thing saved up to watch on On Demand, so I can't make an intelligent (or even my usual) response yet. But shout outs for going against the grain re: Giamatti...And we hope your house is still in one piece, Richmond, after those tornados yesterday...
Clifton, Va.: Verizon FIOS has unlimited bandwidth for its TV channels unlike cable and satellite. Its HDTV is uncompressed unlike its competitors.
Sound on all channels is better as is the picture. I have a Sony professional SXRD projector like the ones they use in some movie theaters and a home theater setup that cost me $500k so I can tell the difference. Projector is approx 4000x200 pixels compared to 1080P which is 1920X1080.
Paul Farhi: I have no idea what all that means, but I think you're saying "It looks and sounds real purty." As I said, I've heard this both ways (Fios good/Fios bad).
RE: Oldies: The other day the missus and I went to the grand opening of a medical facility (it was work, okay?) and the "Oldies" station was doing a live remote. Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" was playing.
In the words of Lenny and/or Carl: "Why don't they make some NEW oldies?"
Paul Farhi: Hahahaha! That's fab! All together now (let's sing it in the waiting room): "One pill makes you larger, and another pills makes you small..." As for new oldies, I'm reminded here of George Carlin's deejay routine from the 1970s: "Hey, kids, here's a song that's moving up fast. And when I say fast, it hit the charts this morning. It was No. 1 at noon. And now it's a Golden Oldie!"
Hamilton, Va.: The other night when Johnny and Ray were wearing, respectively, lime green and gold sportcoats I was sort of glad I don't have HD.
That looked like something from the '70s.
Paul Farhi: Aye. Remember the grapefruit-colored blazers they wore on "Monday Night Football"? Actually, I think they still do.
Fairfax, Va.: What do you think about the Miley Cyrus story? Do you think she was persuaded into doing that picture by Annie Liebovitz or Vanity Fair?
Paul Farhi: Yes, she was. But a pox on all concerned. The whole Miley family was on the set and saw and approved the poses and pics. And what's Annie L.'s deal? Why is she always talking people into these absurd poses and pics? She must have some sort of Svengali-like powers over her subjects...
Arlington, Va.: Paul, ever since yesterday I've had "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" stuck in my head. Help!
Paul Farhi: No help necessary. I love the song (and all of "Guys and Dolls")! Go with that particular flow, Arlington. And while you're at it, try humming, "If I Were a Bell..."
Richmond, Va. -- John Adams followup: Thanks, sounds like some areas south and east of here were hit pretty hard. Hopefully we can help those folks quickly.
Forgot to add: Laura Linney IS amazing. She's just limited by the fact that the script mostly calls for her to respond to Giametti's character.
Paul Farhi: I am perpetually amazed by Laura Linney. Has she ever been bad in anything? She's like Meryl Streep Lite. Diet Meryl Streep. A poor man's Meryl Streep. Oh, heck...she's just darn good all the time.
Are you planning to catch "Iron Man"? The trailer looks pretty cool, but there is something bothering me. Did you or anybody you hung out with watch an Iron Man carton or read Iron Man comics when you were a kid? I knew no one who did - so who is this movie being targeted at? I mean, EVERYONE watched "Speed Racer."
Also, let's face it - IM couldn't beat out Aquaman or The Wonder Twins for membership in the Justice League; that is one lame superhero.
Paul Farhi: Yeah, but we've got a Speed Racer show coming out. And every other comic-book superhero has been made into a film (except Flash, who was my alltime fave), so we're getting down to the nubbins (as the Junkies would say)...
Gaithersburg, Md.: Your chat came up on the Big O and Dukes show, they were very flattered.
I've been a listener of them and the Junkies for a long time. While I still like the Junkies, I'm finding the tone of the show more and more negative. So many times you hear one of them take pride in not giving to charity or making fun of people who can't afford food, etc... I know it's schtick, and I assume they don't really feel that way (after all, one was raised by a minister), but it does come off really nasty sometimes.
Paul Farhi: Yeah, sometimes I wince at that, too, but it keeps it interesting. Something I also don't dig (that both the Junks and Big O and Dukes do): Calling anything unusual or effeminate "gay" or "homo." I KNOW that's the way people talk and I know it doesn't mean they're haters. But it sure sounds that way. Clean it up, boys...
$500K home theater!: What more is there to say?
Paul Farhi: I thought that was a typo, but what's the typo? Is he saying $500 (naw) or $5k (more likely). Because it ain't $500,000....
RE: the bacon-with-two-beef-patties-plus-cheese trend : You make a good point, but it's even worse now. BK offers stuff like a triple omelet stacker -THREE layers of egg, cheese and bacon. That's not a breakfast sandwich, that's an al-Qaeda plot.
Paul Farhi: Hahahaha. Those sneaky, grease- and cholesterol-wielding terrorists!
Long commercial breaks:106.7 seems to suffer from this -- I can usually get through two songs on another station without missing anything. Not sure how that's supposed to be good for revenue.
Paul Farhi: Yep. I'm reaching for the buttons as soon as the spots roll...
"Say, you know what'd make this better -- slap a hunk of bacon on it!" : This is actually true. To make any dish better, all you have to do is add bacon. I know it's true, because they said so on Top Chef a few weeks ago.
Gaithersburg, Md.: I'm really enjoying the PBS series "Carrier." Very eye-opening documentary.
Paul Farhi: Gotta catch that. It's in my wheelhouse, if not my TiVo...
The whole Miley family was on the set and saw and approved the poses and pics.: THAT is the critical point, which should end any further discussion. The STAGE PARENTS wanted the racy photos to improve their daughter's Q-rating, air play and intrigue. Let's not blame the photographer, but the ambitious parents who put fame above dignity.
Paul Farhi: No, let's blame the photog, too, who has regularly courted controversy (not even saying that that's entirely a bad thing). But I disagree here: Could Miley really want MORE fame and money? Not sure what the family's motivation was beyond certifying Miley's mega-status by sitting for a truly artistic photographer (and Liebovitz truly is an artist, despite her flaws), but I doubt they're really after more fame and fortune. There's no more to be had!
FiOS in PWC, VA: FiOS has not started carrying MASN HD yet. However, the picture quality on their HD games when viewed in SD is much better than the quality of their SD-produced games.
I can only compare to DirecTV, but the overall picture quality, both SD & HD on FiOS is somewhat better. Now if they'll only deliver on the 100+ HD channels they've promised by the end of the year....
Paul Farhi: Ah. This, if true, would explain everything. Not fair to compare a standard-def pic to an HD pic. If Fios isn't passing on the Nats in HD yet (and let's hope they get around to it soon), then I understand the so-so pic quality.
Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: You wrote: "All together now (let's sing it in the waiting room): "One pill makes you larger, and another pill makes you small...""
Actually, it's "One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small..."
Do you know the part about Ahuka, the Swooping Caterpillar?
washingtonpost.com: See for yourself (YouTube)
Paul Farhi: Dang! I am famous in my family for screwing up lyrics (and not too good on the tune, either)...
Warrenton Va.: A couple of months ago I was watching Channel 4 before the start of the Today show and realized that nearly everything they report about whether it's the news, sports weather or traffic (esp weather and traffic) outside of the DC border is totally skewed to PG and Montgomery County. Don't they or their advertisers realize that there just might be other life in the metro universe (with money to spend)? Even Fox does a better job!
Paul Farhi: Never noticed that. Anyone else seen it?
Annie Leibowitz: Hey! Leave Annie (a local woman) alone. She is an artist and Mr. and Mrs Cyrus (yeesh! what an image)could have said "no."
They crave the attention and exposure for themselves and their teenage daughter. They got what they asked for.
Paul Farhi: Yes, I'm sure they do. But any celebrity who agrees to pose for a magazine retains virtually complete control over the process. I once lost a magazine assignment because the celebrity and the magazine couldn't agree on the photographer. Even though Annie is the biggest thing in photography, I have no doubt that she talked the Cyruses (Cyrii?) into doing something that they now regret. I'm not feeling sorry for the family, mind you, I'm just sayin'...
I have to ask: Do you remember the Speed racer predecessor cartoon 8TH MAN? 8TH Man was very cool. He flew, he morphed, he fought, and when he ran out of energy, he smoked an energy cigarette he kept behind his belt buckle. I kid you not. Try that for a cool remake, Hollywood!
Paul Farhi: Yes! Take me back to childhood, why doncha? Also, how about Gigantor? Another in a string of terribly animated, badly dubbed early- to mid-60s Japanese TV cartoons. Utter crap.
The Cyrus family's motivation?: Paul: That's obvious. She's a big star among the tween set but they'll outgrow her soon. Time to move on to the older set and to do that, you've got to get edgy. Look at people like Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff. They made a marketing decision that backfired, especially when Disney got mad. Nothing like turning your 15-year old into a commodity.
Paul Farhi: But she's 15. She's got several more years as a tween icon, for sure. And there are smoother ways to make the transition to adult star than a racy photo spread. I mean, can't she get drunk in public and get arrested like all the other starlets?
$500 K: I totally believe that the guy meant $500,000. The sad part is that he spent that much money when he seems to understand the subject so little. FIOS is uncompressed HD? Yeah, right.
I don't mind people who drop serious money into this stuff, but how can someone spend that much on stuff they don't understand?
Paul Farhi: Is it even possible to spend that kind of loot on a home system? And even if it is, would it really be perceptibly different than, say, a $75,000 system (or whatever)? Or is the whole point of spending $500,000 on your home stereo to TELL people you spent $500k on your home stereo?
Houston, TX: Iron Man could not have been in the Justice League. He's Marvel and the League is DC Comics.
Paul Farhi: Useful correction. Thanks, Houston.
Washington D.C.: Just picking up on the earlier thread of when you stop picking up on old music. I used to listen to a lot of punk, but now, have branched out to a lot of Indie, and some Pop. I know if the 16 old me met the 26 year old me, he would probably call me a sell out.
Paul Farhi: And what would the 26-year-old you say to the 16-year-old you? A) I've grown and evolved in ways you could never have understood; B) You/I was/were so limited back then; C) Was there a tear in the time-space continuum? Because how the heck am I able to meet myself from 10 years ago?
I love Gigantor!: Gigantor, Gigantor, Gigantor.
Gigantor the space aged robot,
He is at your command.
Gigantor the space aged robot,
His power is in your hand.
Bigger than big, taller than tall,
Quicker than quick, stronger than strong.
Ready to fight for right, against wrong.
Paul Farhi: Let me amend my earlier comment. Not just utter crap. FUN utter crap. Thank you.
Miley : Let's all hope she doesn't end up like Britney.
Paul Farhi: Roger that. But the odds are against it. Seems like very few young people who achieve that sort of fame ever live "normally" again, unless they stay famous, which means they don't have to (live "normally"). Exhibit A: Britney. Exhibits B-through-Z: Michael Jackson.
Arlington, VA: Is Friday Night Lights ever coming back? Are they waiting for football season?
washingtonpost.com: I LOVE Friday Night Lights - Elizabeth (producer). They worked out a deal with Direct TV so it will be back - first Direct TV only, then on NBC.
Paul Farhi: What she said.
Miley's Minutes: (Assume Hubie Brown's voice):
"Okay, you're Billy Ray Cyrus. You had 1 & 1/2 hits 20 years ago. Your career sank lower than the bottom of your mullet. Your daughter is gonna be 18 in a couple years, and you need to branch out her appeal beyond tweenagers if you want to keep this gravy train going. What can you do to begin moving her towards "edgy"?"
Paul Farhi: I dunno. Maybe. But Billy Ray, et al, are now so fabulously rich. Are they really THAT low to go exploiting their daughter THAT way? I dunno. Maybe I'm not cynical enough.
Miley Cyrus: I agree with you that Annie L shouldn't be let off the hook so easily. I could care less what she persuades Demi Moore or John Lennon to do, but a 15 year old? That's a line to steer well clear of.
Also, the Vanity Fair editor needs a trip to the woodshed.
Washington DC: Burger King, bacon and young guys: Burger King fought its way out of flatlined sales by realizing that 80% of fast food is consumed by about 20% of the people who buy fast food--i.e., young guys. That's why the ginormous breakfast sandwiches and weird, creepy King-based ads. All for the 18-30 male demo.
Paul Farhi: Also correct. Explains the extreme genius of Carl's Jr.'s ad agency, which a few years ago paid some ridiculous amount of money to Paris Hilton to get her to put on a skimpy bathing suit and soap up a Bentley in an ad. "Controversy" ensued. And 10 billion young men downloaded the video.
If I were a bell: I think I prefer "Suddenly I'll Know." Chemistry? Yeah, chemistry.
Paul Farhi: Not a bad choice, no (though I think it's called just "I'll Know").
Arlington, Va.: Paul, ever since yesterday I've had "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" stuck in my head. Help!: Oh, great. Now I've got the Don Henley version stuck in my head. Thanks a lot.
washingtonpost.com: Would you like the song stuck in your head, too? Click here!!! (YouTube)
Paul Farhi: Evil. But effective.
John Adams: Paul, like you I haven't seen it yet but I am having trouble envisioning Giamatti in this role. I keep imagining him channeling his "Sideways" character - trying to hit Ben Franklin with a golf ball, stealing money from Dolly Madison's cedar chest,etc.
Paul Farhi: My first reaction to that casting decision, too. Btw, wasn't "Sideways" the "Juno" of its day--vastly over-praised and thoroughly underserving?
MASN, HD: Have MASN on Direct TV, picture quality is fine in HD when available. SD quality sux. 40 O's and 40 Nats HD broadcasts scheduled this year including away games. Other sports channels (YES, NESN, NYSportsnet etc) broadcast all available games in HD. Wassamatta, can't afford the equipment? second rate teams get a second rate broadcast?
Paul Farhi: Well, they've GOT the equipment (as 40 games indicates). Not sure why every game isn't HD. We've come to expect it; anything less is going to invite a good bit of fan grumbling.
New Oldies: I like 105.9 because it has a larger playlist than the old Oldies 100. If I heard "Dancing in the Moonlight" one more time . . .
Paul Farhi: Yes, I'm hearing stuff on 105.9 that 100.3 hasn't played in years and years. Glad to hear it.
Paul Farhi: Folks, I'd love to stay and reminisce about episode in which Gigantor defeats the Monolith, but I've got to return to the 21st century, unfortunately. Tell you what: We'll do this again in two weeks. It will be our special post-Cinco de Mayo/Spring Fling Party. C'mon down then. Till then, regards to all!....Paul.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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The bold and the beautiful. The good, the bad and the ugly. We're talking about what's on TV, on the radio or in the popular culture. Join the conversation, on 'Station Break.'
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K Street - washingtonpost.com
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A list of Birnbaum's columns can be found here.
Submit your question or comment now.
Jeffrey Birnbaum: Hello everyone. Today I wrote my column about an effort on to lobby in favor of earmarks, which is a switch. Mostly voters have heard only bad things about those homestate projects. But lobbyists who make their living getting earmarks are pushing back and lobbying so they can, well, lobby. What do you think of that? Please write in and let me know. In the meantime, let's get started.
Arlington, VA: Yet another person was sentenced in the aftermath of the Abramoff affair which leads me to wonder if there is anything new about Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed passing money along the chain. If what they did was actually perfectly legal, do you think you can write an article about money laundering for fun and profit?
washingtonpost.com: Full Coverage: Jack Abramoff Lobbying Scandal
Jeffrey Birnbaum: Interesting suggestion for a story. Versions of it have already been done, and will continue to be done, by the way. At the moment, I am unaware of any legal problems that either Norquist of Reed face.
Washington: So will that Post Office you wrote about last week be passed into law?
washingtonpost.com: Maybe Just Name the Building's Lobby After Her?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: You are referring to my column last week in which I talked about an effort to name a Texas Post Office after a lobbyist for a financial services company. That didn't happen in large part because, in the Senate at least, Post Offices these days are named mostly for people who are recently deceased, often soldiers in Iraq--fallen heroes in other words. The women in question here did not fit that description. In any case, that effort has been sidelined for now. If the legislation to name the office after a lobbyist reemerges, I will write about it immediately. Stay tuned.
Old Town, Va.: There's so much more paperwork that lobbyists have. I wonder if some people will just stop filing because of it.
Jeffrey Birnbaum: I doubt it. There are much harsher penalties for not complying with the lobbying laws--to go along with the extra paperwork. Some people who question whether they need to file at all might decide not to file given the extra burden. But anyone who really should file probably will do so, no matter how much time it takes.
Washington, D.C.: My state has two retiring congressmen. Do you know the rules about whether they can take their unspent campaign funds with them? They seem to think they can. That money goes a long way in Alabama.
Jeffrey Birnbaum: They can't take the money personally but they can keep it as a political action committee. That means they can dispense the money for political purposes if they want to. Many former lawmakers do. In any case, the congressmen cannot make themselves richer. What I do not know is if they can give the leftover money to charity. Does anyone out there know?
District: Why don't you write that John McCain has all these lobbyists running his campaign and complains about special interests at the same time?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: I have and so have other publications. A lot of the top people in McCain's campaign have been lobbyists. Charlie Black, for instance, took a leave from his lobbying firm, BKSH & Associates, to help lead McCain's campaign. And he's not alone. I am sure that the Democratic nominee will hammer away at this point come the general election, especially if that nominee is Obama who has kept his distance from lobbyists for the most part (though, of course, not completely). It ought to be quite a shooting match on that issue.
Wilmington, Del.: I keep hearing John McCain complain about earmarks. What's so wrong with them anyway? I'd sure like to get more here.
Jeffrey Birnbaum: As I laid out in my column today, there's a lot of disagreement about whether earmarks are the best way to allocate federal funds. The argument of the paper I wrote about today is that earmarking is much preferable to letting government officials hand out the money. Government officials, you won't be surprised to read, think otherwise. But that is the debate. Who should hand out the taxpayers money? Elected officials or executive branch officials. You decide. Please write in and tell me what you think.
Is the Kirk Kerkorian play for Ford an opening shot in the race to buy some good old American brands at fire sale prices ?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: Yes, I think that's part of it. The Las Vegas-based mogul also has shown a longtime interest in car companies, so this merely extends that interest to a new prey.
Anonymous: Do you think the President offered much remedy for the souring economy at his press conference today ? He did acknowledge the reality though and that suggests bad numbers news tomorrow -- right ?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: The president and the government have done a lot to try to reverse the declining economy lately. This week the rebate checks begin to arrive in taxpayers' accounts. The Federal Reserve Board is widely expected to cut interest rates again this week. And several efforts are being considered in Congress to help the slumping housing market. Is that enough? I will leave that to you. Today he tried to make sure people knew that he was aware that their economic well-being is not so good and to try to put the blame for the situation on Democrats. He has a point here and there. Certainly the Democratic led Congress has not opened oil drilling as much as Bush would like, for example. But the president is always blamed for a bad economy, no matter what he says. So I would give the president and e for effort, but it probably won't work.
New York: OK, I'll write in that the idea of a Congressman deciding how to spend funds, say in areas of science, is preposterous when compared with the legitimacy of governmental agencies.
Jeffrey Birnbaum: There, one side heard from on the issue of earmarks and who should decide where federal money goes. Anyone agree? Disagree?
New York: Perhaps the biggest lobbying campaign in the new Administration will concern healthcare. Should the American voters be "reminded" by the Post that McCain has never in his adult life had any other kind of healthcare for himself than the "big government socialism" kind? Or should the McCain campaign be able to continue to decide how the stories in the Post, and elsewhere, are worded and framed?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: Much to McCain's chagrin, he does not get to frame Post stories, or stories in any other major publication for that matter. Your point about his own healthcare is worth noting, but that fact does not seem to have moved him to embrace such a system for the U.S.
Frederick: All this stuff about the Democratic race! Won't a Democrat win the presidential election no matter who it is?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: Chances are, at the moment, that you are right. Given how unpopular the war in Iraq is and how weak is the U.S. economy, it's probably a decent bet that a Democrat will take the White House. But politics is too volatile to know such things for sure. That's why it's so important to keep a close watch on these things. The outcome is never assured but it is always important.
Long Beach, Calif.: If mercenary third-party lobbying were illegal, we would still have earmarks. Remember Dan Rostenkowski's ability to pave the midwest in favors? But even old criminal 'Rosty - the biggest spender of them all- was nowhere near as bad as today
Why can't we require lobbyists to work for a SINGLE client as a W2 employee?
I know you're going to tell us that lobbyists will always be with us - like crime... but can you cite a single legality that would prevent this adjustment of the cancer on our government?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: I don't think the government can tell anybody who they can or cannot work for.
Washington: I read about the energy companies fighting over natural gas. What difference does that make and is that really such a big fight?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: It's an interesting and noteworthy fight, but probably not important in the scheme of things. The bigger question is why energy costs are so high and how can we get them down, I think. The fight between natural gas and other forms of energy is just one sidelight to that larger policy question.
Fairfax, Va.: What's the most powerful lobby? Out here we have the headquarters of the National Rifle Association, which must be one of them.
Jeffrey Birnbaum: I would say that the NRA is one of Washington's most powerful lobbies. There are lots of others, too. The AARP, for one. We'll see how powerful is the health care lobby, which could well be in the middle of a storm next year, as an earlier correspondent suggested.
Richmond, Va.: This is considered tobacco country. Is that an issue in Congress any more?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: Tobacco is not as much on the front burner, so to speak, as it once was. But there are still efforts to put cigarettes under the authority of the Food and Drug Administration. I'm not sure the idea will succeed this year, but that one isn't going away.
Harrisburg: So what's your bet? Will Hillary beat Obama in Indiana?
Jeffrey Birnbaum: She may, narrowly, but I think it's too close to call. Surely, Rev. Wright's high profile reappearance has done nothing to help Obama in that privotal state. Indiana and North Carolina hold their primaries a week from today, by the way. North Carolina looks like it is safely Obama country. But Indiana is a real close race. Bragging rights go to the winner in that state.
DC: Why has lobbying grown so much? You ran a chart that showed lobbying was up again last year. Will it happen again this year, and why?
washingtonpost.com: Chart: Always With Us
Jeffrey Birnbaum: The chart you are referring to ran with my column last week and can also be found on opensecrets.org. Lobbying continues to grow because so much money is at stake for so many interests in Washington and the cost of paying for a lobbying campaign is small compared to the amount that is at stake.
Baltimore: You wrote once about the patent bill. I thought it was supposed to pass but it still hasn't. Do you know what happened to it?
washingtonpost.com: Immunity Plan for Banks Loses Backer
Jeffrey Birnbaum: The holdup is in the Senate. Last I heard Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) had some problems with part of that bill and until he came to an agreement with Democrats, the bill would stay stalled. Aides I spoke to were not optimistic that the legislation could be revived, but my guess is it's too early to count it out. There's still time to negotiate.
Jeffrey Birnbaum: Thanks so much for all the comments and questions. Let's do it again in a couple weeks!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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K Street columnist Jeffrey Birnbaum discusses lobbying and politics.
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GM Will Cut SUV, Pickup Output
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The move will force layoffs of about 3,500 GM workers at three plants in the United States and one in Canada. Michigan will be hit particularly hard, with 1,900 job losses in Flint and Pontiac. The other layoffs will be at factories in Janesville, Wis., and Oshowa, Ontario.
GM plans to cut North American production capacity for 2008 by about 88,000 pickups and 50,000 SUVs. GM executives acknowledged they were reacting to a shift in consumer tastes in two areas the company has long dominated and that were once the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. market.
Across the industry, first quarter sales of SUVs were down 26 percent, and full-size pickups were down 15 percent from a year earlier, according to GM figures.
"With rising fuel prices, a softening economy, and a downward trend on current and future market demand for full-size trucks, a significant adjustment was needed to align our production with market realities," said Troy Clarke, GM's president for North America. "This is a difficult move, but we remain committed to retaining and growing our leadership position in the full-size truck market."
Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association, said consumers are growing more interested in crossover vehicles instead of SUVs or trucks. Crossovers incorporate some design features of SUVs, but they are smaller and lighter and drive more like cars.
"They simply are more practical for the typical lifestyle of the buyer," Taylor said. "The truck-based products have capacity for real off-road uses, but very few people are jumping boulders in Sedona. They are typically facing nothing more than traveling on snow down a gravel road in a rural area."
Many crossovers, Taylor said, have four-wheel drive, giving drivers all the traction and power they would need for such conditions. Another advantage of crossovers over SUVs is that they are "easier to get into a standard [parking] spot at McDonald's or the mall," he said.
GM officials noted that sales of its Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia crossovers were strong. However, the automaker faces stiff competition in the category from Toyota's RAV-4, Honda's CR-V and Ford's Escape. GM's announcement said "the company is continuing to explore options to increase car and crossover production, but there are no changes to car production at this time."
Besides high gas prices and a shift toward smaller products, Taylor said full-size pickup sales have been hurt by a slowdown in the construction industry. Home building has slowed in many parts of the country due to a falloff in the real estate market following the subprime mortgage mess.
U.S. automakers have faced particularly tough times of late. GM has been especially hard-hit, with its first-quarter sales falling 11 percent in the United States.
The company will announce its first-quarter financial results tomorrow. Rival Ford surprised industry observers last week by reporting a $100 million first-quarter profit.
GM shares closed yesterday at $21.94, up 56 cents.
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With gas prices soaring and consumers increasingly pinched for cash, General Motors said yesterday that it is facing "market realities" and slashing production for full-size pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles.
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Newest Targets Are in Place for the Redskins
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As they ate breakfast together yesterday before their first news conference at Redskins Park, wide receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, and tight end Fred Davis discussed their plans to contribute to the Washington Redskins. The team's top selections in the NFL draft, they see plenty of opportunity in the version of the West Coast offense that Coach Jim Zorn plans to run.
"We're all coming in together," said Kelly during one of three news conferences. "We were all kind of the guy at our universities, now we're all kind of pups again, and we know where we stand. We know we have to come in here and compete and push each other. We're going to push each other to get better. Definitely."
After trading their first-round pick -- No. 21 overall -- to the Atlanta Falcons on the first day of the two-day draft, the Redskins used their three second-round picks, including two acquired in the deal with Atlanta, to choose the players who already are considered key members of a receiving corps that needed an infusion of talent to accomplish what Zorn has in mind. The coaching staff will begin to unveil Zorn's offense in the minicamp that begins Friday.
The Redskins are about to open up things offensively, and Thomas, Davis and Kelly could provide Zorn with intriguing options.
"It gives us a tremendous amount of flexibility," Zorn said of the Redskins' move to bolster the receiving corps through the draft. "It gives us depth, and if we do have somebody that gets nicked up, we won't lose anything with the firepower that we can put on the field.
"I'm excited about the ability to change personnel groups, that's what I think I'm most excited about, because that's what aids this particular style of offense -- personnel groups and changing them. We'll be able to utilize certain guys for certain situations. And then the height that these two receivers have, to get them down in the red zone and to have them go up for the ball and compete against a shorter corner will be a real advantage."
Having failed to package their top pick for the veteran receiver they were seeking (Washington was rebuffed in its attempts to acquire Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals and Anquan Boldin of the Arizona Cardinals), the Redskins turned to the draft in an attempt to acquire a bigger target for developing quarterback Jason Campbell.
Thomas, who had a breakout year last season at Michigan State, was Washington's first pick at No. 34 overall and is 6 feet 2, 215 pounds. With the No. 48 pick, the Redskins took Davis (6-4, 248) from Southern Cal. And with their final selection in the second round, Washington drafted Kelly (6-4, 218), a standout at Oklahoma, at No. 51 overall.
Both Thomas and Kelly will start out at the "Z receiver," or flanker position, behind starter Santana Moss, Zorn said. Generally, the Z receiver is the fastest and most physical receiver in an offense.
After the Redskins used their first pick on Thomas, he received a congratulatory text message on his cellphone from Kelly. They had become friends after initially meeting at the combine and roomed together while visiting NFL teams. When the Redskins took Kelly, the text messaging resumed.
"That was real great for me," said Thomas, the first player to meet with the media yesterday. "You see a lot of dynamic [players] coming off the board [to the Redskins], it really puts more fire [into] an offense that already has a lot of fuel. I think we're going to be rolling. I think it's going to be a good situation for everybody."
Despite Washington's focus in the draft, wide receivers Moss and Antwaan Randle El are on firm footing as the starters, the Redskins said. But Moss and Randle El each are 5-10, so Thomas and Kelly could bring another dimension to the passing game. "With my size, I can fight for the ball," Thomas said. "I can use my body and go up at the highest point, box out defensive backs, linebackers. Going across the middle, I can take some shots and keep on ticking."
On the final day teams could watch workouts before the draft last week, a large Redskins contingent that included Campbell traveled to Oklahoma to attend Kelly's private workout for team personnel. After catching passes from Campbell and briefly meeting with team officials, Kelly told "family, friends and everybody I figured I was going to end up a Washington Redskin."
Although Kelly, like Thomas, is a tall receiver, Kelly lacks Thomas's speed. Kelly slid down several draft boards because of his disappointing performances in the 40-yard dash (he posted times as high as 4.69 seconds in recent workouts) and questions about his maturity, and some teams voiced concerns about Kelly's knees, too. Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, said he received favorable reports about Kelly from a Sooners coach. Kelly preferred to look forward.
"That's old news," Kelly said. "That's Oklahoma. This is Washington. . . . With the new offense that coach is bringing in, it's going to be a lot playmakers out there. Hopefully, me and Devin can learn from Santana and Antwaan."
Davis will begin behind tight end Chris Cooley, who went to the Pro Bowl after last season. But if Davis performs as expected, he could be busy as well, coaches said.
"There are plans for him," wide receivers coach Stan Hixon said. "We'll have some two tight-end sets. We'll have two tight ends, two wideouts and one back. We want to be in a situation where we can be very versatile, and utilizing talent in multiple formations. Obviously, Cooley is a Pro Bowler and he's going to be the guy. We can fill Fred in there as we go."
Davis, who won the Mackey Award as college football's top tight end last season, said he is eager to see what happens next for the Redskins' top three picks. "It's going to be a learning experience first, there's a lot to learn, but there's a lot of possibilities, too," he said. "I guess we're about to find out."
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Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Fred Davis are welcomed to Redskins Park, where they see plenty of opportunity in the West Coast offense that Coach Jim Zorn plans to run.
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City Officials Are Criticized At Meeting on Violent Crime
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Debra Seals-Craven stood before hundreds of people at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center last night and demanded an apology from D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.
Her son Melvin R. Seals, 30, was found dead early Saturday at Morse Street and Montello Avenue NE. He had been shot 17 times, she said.
"Mayor Fenty, I'm very angry with you," Seals-Craven said as the mayor sat with his head in his hands. "No one contacted me to say, 'I'm sorry.' "
Seals-Craven was not the only grieving mother among the 400 people who gathered in Northeast Washington to talk about the recent spike in violent crime in the city, including the slayings of four men over the weekend.
Several times during the 90-minute meeting, women rose to vent their frustrations about what they considered the slow progress in finding their children's killers and to demand answers from city leaders. Fenty (D), D.C. Council members Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) and Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large), and Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes were seated at a table in the middle of the gym, with residents around them.
The event, broadcast on WPGC (95.5 FM), was difficult for Fenty. How mayors deal with a spike in crime is often seen as a test of their leadership.
Fenty and Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier responded to the violence over the weekend by deploying 1,200 officers, nearly three times the norm.
Seals-Craven said she wanted Fenty to do everything in his power to catch her son's killer, and she told the mayor that the city needs more cameras to assist police in that task.
"What's the difference in the price to put a camera up to catch someone speeding and putting a camera up to catch a killer?" she asked Fenty.
"Ms. Seals, I personally do want to apologize to you," said Fenty, who later delivered his condolences in person.
He said the District will soon tie more than 4,000 city-owned cameras on streets, in schools and in public housing complexes into a network that the police department will be able to access. He also highlighted last year's high homicide closure rate and said it wasn't fair to characterize violent crime as increasing in the city.
Fenty said his focus on fixing schools, building recreation centers and funding job-training programs for at-risk youths would help prevent killings.
Melvin Seals participated in a program sponsored by the city's Department of Employment Services. He graduated from a transitional employment program and was placed in the city's Public Works Department, said Tony Lewis, who taught a life-skills class Seals attended.
"He was a great guy, and he wanted to change his life," Lewis said after offering sympathy to Seals-Craven.
Fenty's answers did not please everyone in the audience.
David Bowers, head of No Murders D.C., asked Fenty whether he would commit money to recommendations made by the Comprehensive Homicide Elimination Strategy Task Force, which was created by the D.C. Council in December 2006. The task force will probably deliver its recommendations to the mayor in June, Bowers said.
Fenty said more meetings and studies were not the answer.
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Debra Seals-Craven stood before hundreds of people at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center last night and demanded an apology from D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.
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Pr. George's Chief Backs Proposal for Equalized Spending, Better Teacher Training
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The Forum for Education and Democracy, a think tank based in Ohio, released the report last week to mark the 25th anniversary of the publication of "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform." That federal study launched an era of efforts to improve public schools.
The new report, "Democracy at Risk: The Need for a New Federal Policy in Education," seeks to jump-start a similar movement. It warns that U.S. students, particularly those who are poor, black or Hispanic, have fallen behind those of other nations in reading, science, math and problem-solving skills.
Solutions, the report says, include equalizing spending on schools in wealthy and poor areas, bolstering teacher training and pay, supporting research and working harder to engage communities. As it unveiled the report in Washington, the think tank was joined by Prince George's Superintendent John E. Deasy; Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee; and Peter McWalters, commissioner of Rhode Island schools.
Deasy said the report "lays out a clarion call for a new federal role in education." If nothing is done, he said, "we're going to condemn whole groups of youth to a substandard practice."
It is unclear where the $29 billion would be found. That amount is nearly half the U.S. Education Department's annual discretionary spending of $59.2 billion.
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A new report endorsed by the Prince George's County school superintendent and other education leaders describes federal education policy as "inconsistent and shortsighted" and proposes school improvement measures that would cost $29 billion.
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What Does a President Really Do All Day?
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If you had to put together the Help Wanted ad for the position of chief executive, what would you write? Something like: "CEO needed to supervise 3 million employees. Must be at least 35, native-born, willing to work at home. Spectacular public failures likely."
The presidency is the most famous job in America (with all due respect to Oprah), and probably the hardest. The country is currently trying to fill the position. We have three applicants still in the running. What we don't tend to do, despite obsessive attention to this contest, is talk much about what the job entails. We talk instead about hot-button issues, the latest gaffe, the new sound bite, the polls, the electoral map. Presidential campaigns glancingly deal with the institution of the presidency while focusing on the more urgent issue of winning.
The closest thing we've seen to a job description on the campaign trail has been the 3 a.m. phone call ad, a caricature of the president as the national guardian, and one that still doesn't quite tell you what a president does during working hours.
"There's endless months of debating about this job and almost no public discussion of what the job is," Robert Caro, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer now working on his fourth volume about Lyndon Johnson, told me last week. "There's no other job like it. I'm sitting here watching Lyndon Johnson grapple simultaneously with riots in the streets, budget problems in Congress, are the Chinese going to come into Vietnam, what's going wrong with the model cities program, how are we going to get the funding for Head Start, what's Bobby Kennedy doing today, how are we going to blunt what he's saying?"
Such a job requires an enormously flexible mind. It can be overwhelming. Presidents can get lost in the weeds. Johnson wound up poring over bombing charts from Vietnam. Jimmy Carter was so detail-obsessed he reportedly personally approved requests to use the White House tennis court. Roger Porter, who teaches about the American presidency at Harvard, says that Carter also got enmeshed in the parking assignments at the Department of Interior, as well as the crucial issue of federal cotton-dust standards.
Theodore Roosevelt, for one, believed in the idea of a strenuous presidency, assigning to himself the right to take any action not expressly prohibited by the Constitution. "I did not usurp power, but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power," he wrote in his autobiography. In a lovely turn of phrase, he argued that a president shouldn't "content himself with the negative merit of keeping his talents undamaged in a napkin."
What he didn't know at the time was that, compared to what the Executive Office of the President would someday become, his White House wasn't much more than a fruit stand.
Consider how TR became president. He served as vice president under William McKinley. When McKinley was shot by an assassin in Buffalo, N.Y., Roosevelt traveled there and was told that McKinley was -- Roosevelt's phrase -- "practically out of danger." So what did TR do as the president lay wounded? He went on vacation with his family.
He traveled to the Adirondacks, and embarked on "a long tramp through the forest." He climbed a mountain. Someone finally tracked him down in the wilderness and told him that the president's condition had worsened. Roosevelt made an intrepid all-night journey through the darkness on muddy roads to return to civilization. Now, you could buy TR's story that his vacation was meant to reassure the anxious public that the president wasn't in danger. But perhaps it just shows how low the stakes were, compared to today -- how the vice president wasn't really that critical a figure in national government in 1901 even when the president had bullet holes in him.
Keep in mind that early presidents had essentially no staff at all and would either recruit a family member to help out in the day-to-day operations or pay someone out of their own pocket. In 1857, the Congress finally appropriated money for the president to hire a secretary.
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A simple and deceptively tricky question: What does a president do?
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Outlook: A Presidential Job Description
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"A simple and deceptively tricky question: What does a president do? If you had to put together the Help Wanted ad for the position of chief executive, what would you write? Something like: 'CEO needed to supervise 3 million employees. Must be at least 35, native-born, willing to work at home. Spectacular public failures likely.' ... 'There's endless months of debating about this job, and almost no public discussion of what the job is,' Robert Caro, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer now working on his fourth volume about Lyndon Johnson, told me last week."
Washington Post reporter and achenblogger Joel Achenbach was online Monday, April 28 at 3 p.m. ET to discuss his Outlook article about the schedules, duties and decisions the eventual winner of this year's presidential race will face.
Archive: Transcripts of discussions with Outlook article authors
I am in New Jersey and just wandered into this here chat auditorium and will get to your questions forthwith.
Seattle: My 16-year-old son says the answer is "run up massive deficits in my name." Which, given that he's only known incompetents since 2000, is probably the most accurate answer. But what do they lie to us about doing? That's the question...
Joel Achenbach: Have you pointed out to your son that he will probably wind up as some kind of dot-com nanotech tycoon and should stop whining?
Montgomery, Ala.: Great article, Joel -- thank you. Have any recent presidents included alcohol consumption in their daily ritual to help cope with the tremendous strain of the job and relieve stress? Is it a coincidence that two recent teetotalers -- Carter and Bush II -- weren't very successful?
Joel Achenbach: Clinton also didn't drink -- allergic. That's why Hillary knocks 'em back, to show that she's a different Clinton.
I think presidents have various tricks for coping with stress, and the current one is an exercise nut, really into the mountain bike. Carter, you recall, was a jogger, which led to the infamous slumping jogger photo. Clinton, I'm told, was overwhelmed by a too tightly packed schedule and they finally realized that he needed large blocks of unstructured time in the afternoon. As for how he relieved his stress ... next question...
Seattle: Interesting article, but how do you test the candidates' readiness? How do you test a candidate's mental and physical stamina in such an environment without making the campaigning even more inane and hectic?
Joel Achenbach: There's an argument that a campaign, with its insanity, its helter-skelter quality and endlessness and exhaustiveness (is that word?), is a proxy for a presidency. I don't think so. Every single person I interviewed for this piece made the point, in one way or another, that the presidency is different from any other job. And obviously different from being a U.S. senator.
Rockville, Md.: "Worst of all is when a president makes a bad decision -- and sticks with it." True, but a president sticking to a good decision when criticized by others is a hero. How do you tell the difference? If the choice is a good path and a bad path, it is easy -- but what do you do when the decision is for something bad or something much worse? What if events in Iraq were not the worst path? How do you evaluate that situation? One type mistake is to have bad data and think it good; another type is to have good data and think it bad.
Joel Achenbach: Notice how I decided not to litigate the entire Iraq question in the article. In case no one noticed, the article barely scratched the surface of the topic. It's worth a book, or two books, but I had about 50 inches and a few days to report and write it. That said, I think David Frum makes an interesting point, about presidents overreacting to the perceived failures of their predecessors. Frum (who worked for Bush) suggests that he tried too hard to be decisive and resolute -- and one might suspect strongly that history will judge him very harshly for many of the decisions involving Iraq.
Los Angeles: Having just read your story on "What does the President do all day ?" I'm struck by one of the most ignored points that could be discussed in the media: Whom do these candidates plan to surround themselves with? We all know the job's far bigger than the person who'll win it, so why then does "inexperience" (in that office) count as a talking point? Surely it must be more important to discuss the trends shown by whom the candidates have already shown they've surrounded themselves with, the judgment implied in choosing the best and steadiest of the best. That takes a particular wisdom and maturity, and convinces me that the "inexperienced" candidate, Obama, has the "old soul" needed to make the best choices.
Joel Achenbach: Great question. Should be a story. How many of Clinton I's White House staff would be in the Clinton II White House? Who is Obama's alter ego, who would have his ear? (Austan Goolsbee?) Would McCain really rely on counsel from Norman Podhoretz?
Boca Raton, Fla.: At least now we can look back and see how all the presidents have defined the job and performed it. George Washington didn't have any precedent for his presidency; what do you think he would say about the role of the president, and what qualifications would he value highest in a candidate for the office?
Joel Achenbach: Washington believed that someone had to be above the fray, and he'd be disappointed to see that presidents today are foremost political animals who lead a party. He'd be shocked by the partisanship. There weren't really parties in his day, though they were incipient with Jefferson and Hamilton, especially in his second term. George Washington did have one qualification in addition to eight years running the Continental Army: He was the most respected person in the country by far, the only man people plausibly could rally around. And it helped that he'd personally seen a lot of the country and, for example, grasped the significance of the trans-Appalachian West.
Fairfax, Va.: Where's the balance between a person who puts the needs of the country ahead of him or herself, and the self-promoting narcissist who actually will bother to run for president?
Joel Achenbach: Anyone who runs for president has to have ambition and drive at a level that always will have a whiff of narcissism (or maybe something more along the lines of megalomania), but I think there are also genuine public servants who realize they can do the job and the time is right and they have support from friends and allies.
McLean, Va.: Who determines a president's schedule? It seems that these people must be tremendously powerful, as they determine who meets with the president.
Joel Achenbach: Ultimately that's another decision the president has to make: he or she has to say yes or no on countless items, including should he (yes, no) meet with X, Y, Z. But I'm pretty sure the schedule is a committee job, even if there's titularly a scheduler (you also have the advance team, and of course the chief of staff, etc., who sign off on such things).
Concord, Mass.: How does a president make an informed and useful decision about unusual threats that fall outside of war and poverty? I am thinking of global warming as an example. This problem will require some out-of-the-box thinking that will challenge the country's way of life, its preconceptions, even its sovereignty. How do we know if a candidate can sort through the options, choose a non-politically expedient one and make it stick?
Joel Achenbach: We need presidents who are quick studies, judicious, not prone to being surrounded by yes-persons, someone who can be comfortable outside the bubble, outside the echo chamber. A president has to be smart. Must listen. Must ask good questions. I think showing resolve and clear direction are important, so long as a president retains some ability to doubt his or her judgment and remain flexible when plans do not survive contact with reality.
Annandale, Va.: Thanks, Joel, for your timely attention to an issue that warrants a whole series. Fascinating to read how the executive has expanded from a staff of one to a staff of 3,000. That sounds bloated even to a big-government Democrat like me. Was it driven by the tech revolution and the expansion of the economy?
Joel Achenbach: The Great Depression, and then World War II. Periodically presidents make a big show of cutting the "White House staff" (Clinton in '93), but often they're just eliminating some of the agencies that are within the umbrella of the Executive Office of the President but aren't part of the smaller (currently about 400 staffers) White House Office.
Seattle: Isn't the question something of a blank slate? A president does what they feel needs to be done; what they actually do flows from that. Bill Clinton was a policy wonk and was expected to get involved; Bush isn't. Shouldn't the question focus more on how they plan to use their time specifically?
Joel Achenbach: The premise of the story is that we focus so much on how candidates campaign, on strategies, polls, electoral college maps, etc., that we ought to remember that this is a job someone is essentially applying for -- and I noticed, by the way, that Howard Dean said (according to a news report I heard on the radio) that the Democratic superdelegates should vote for the candidate who is "most electable." That really jumped out at me, because arguably they should vote for the person who would make the best president. But maybe that's naive -- it's moot if you don't get the W in November, Dean probably would answer.
I assumed when I wrote the story that my various expert sources would talk a lot about public powers of persuasion being crucial in a presidency. Oddly enough, they de-emphasized that and focused more on just the day-to-day decisiveness and ability to work through complicated issues.
Massachusetts: In the past, rather than qualifications, we have focused on disqualifications. The list is rather vague and unwritten, but which of the following would still be considered a deal-breaker: marital infidelity and/or divorce, previous illegal drug use, prescription use of mood altering (anti-depression for instance) drugs, employment (knowingly or unknowingly) of an illegal immigrant, a non-Christian faith (including atheism, agnosticism or non-monotheistic faith), homosexuality or bisexuality, polyamory, white-collar criminal conviction or violent crime conviction? Are there any other surefire candidacy killers? I just want to know how far I can go and remain viable.
Joel Achenbach: This question is from Teddy, isn't it.
I would say if you'd done all those things on your list you may be in a jam.
Voters are probably able to 'work around" certain issues (such as past infidelity) but a deal-breaker would be anything in recent months/years that made voters feel that the person was either fundamentally dishonest or just somehow too repulsive to be tolerated. Like, for example, claiming that "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da " was the best Beatles song. Deal-breaker.
Massachusetts:"And it helped that he'd personally seen a lot of the country and, for example, grasped the significance of the trans-Appalachian West." Gee, if only somebody had written a book about those experiences [place plug here].
Joel Achenbach: It wouldn't sell, trust me.
Re: Readiness: I agree that campaign are no proxy for the real thing, especially given that the level of activity a campaigner undertakes is largely voluntary, at their own pace, and scrutinized at a different level than the real thing (ironically, the real thing is more about the big picture than the small things). So, the question still remains to be answered: How do you test readiness?
Joel Achenbach: Good question, and I don't know the answer other than: You look for examples in the person's life where he or she had to handle a very difficult task with skill and verve and decisiveness.
Oslo, Norway: I am wondering how the president combines the tasks of simply running the government and initiating new policy or introducing reforms. I am sure any president could fill his term just administering the government. (Could that end up making the speaker of the house a de facto prime minister?) How does the relationship between the president and the Congress work on government reform? How separating is the separation of powers in that regard? After all, the Congress has to pass it, but the president must sign it, so I suppose the teamwork has to be there to some extent.
Joel Achenbach: Great question from Norway, and something I should have mentioned in the story: The presidency since FDR has been more of an initiator of legislation. As someone put it to me, he went from being the batter to being the pitcher. Do Norwegians understand that metaphor?
Fairfax, Va.: We often hear about the importance of executive experience (haven't elected a senator since JFK, etc.), but how different are the daily interactions for a president, senator and governor? They all have staffs they rely on; governors and the president also have administrative officials and department heads, but how much oversight and/or interaction is there?
Joel Achenbach: Governors always claim that their executive experience gives them an edge over senators, but note the highly varying competence of the recent rash of governors who served as president. LBJ was a great administrator in many ways, having been not just a senator but the Senate Majority Leader. I haven't really answered your question, but that's because it's kind of a tough one.
Joel Achenbach: And I need coffee.
Restin' in Reston, Va.: Joel, is there a job or position that you think would best prepare someone to be an effective president of the United States? Speaker of the House? Homemaker? Tightrope Walker/Trapeze Artist? CEO? Theoretical Physicist? X-Games Athlete? Auctioneer?
Joel Achenbach: College president. A great college president has to juggle all kinds of relationships -- with the faculty (usually he/she is a faculty member), the administration (provost, deans, etc.), the students, and of course the alums who give the money.
But then, I'm biased, because I'm currently at Princeton where the president went on to become governor and then U.S. president (Wilson).
Richardson, Texas: Do you feel Jimmy Carter might be an exceptional president if he became commander-in-chief tomorrow? For years, I've felt he was too inexperienced when he took office after only one term as governor of Georgia. Now, with the ability to look back at his mistakes, I believe Carter could be a fine president -- except, of course, for his age. In contrast, it seems many Americans are frustrated by George Bush's inability to recognize or admit his mistakes.
Joel Achenbach: Now there's a challenging job for a campaign strategist -- getting to 270 with the gentleman from Plains, Ga. I don't think so.
Law Library: Well, the court always could start enforcing the nondelegation doctrine and strip power from all these administrative agencies. I really need to get back to studying Constitutional law.
Joel Achenbach: Acquaint us with the nondelegation doctrine -- is that the business in the Constitution about all powers not expressly given to the central government being reserved for the states? The part everyone ignores?
Columbia, Md.: Mr. Achenbach, Thanks for taking my question. As the elected president will surround himself with staff members and cabinet secretaries in the tight daily schedule you described in the article, how much time in a day do you think is left to the president for critical thinking and making decisions?
Joel Achenbach: I think it was Leon Panetta who told me that the gravest risk for a president is that he'll lose his humanity -- and by that he meant that the president could become cut off from, isolated from, the people he serves.
About decision-making: I think there are countless people who chew through the options (staffers, cabinet members, congresspersons, factions, pundits, etc.) and it is the president's job to be the toggle, the switch, the go/no-go -- what Bush, in his memorably goofy phrase, called The Decider. He's the tiebreaker. There are always powerful people, allies, staffers, who want a different result. The president's grave responsibility to make that call -- and that's why it's a really, really important job that you don't want to give to someone with oatmeal for brains.
Washington: Wouldn't you agree that just the experience of going through a campaign and running your campaign for two years is experience enough to be president?
Joel Achenbach: But maybe I'm setting a high standard.
My friend David Von Drehle had a really nice piece in Time on the importance of experience and he also touched on the "decisiveness" issue. And he made the point that there's no experience that parallels being president.
Herndon, Va.: Mr. A: As usual, a great article by you. Current contenders for chief executive should look on the bright side -- viewing "John Adams" on HBO was a good reminder that in those days, even being president couldn't keep all your teeth from falling out, nor prevent death from diseases which are curable easily today.
Joel Achenbach: Plus John Adams had to move to Washington in 1800 when there weren't any decent coffee shops.
Honolulu: Given the enormity of stress, pressure and public flogging that comes with the job of president, why would anyone want the job? What drives people to apply for this office? Power? Just seems crazy to me.
Joel Achenbach: That's another story, on ambition and presidential personality, and the rats in the belly. I don't think it's crazy, necessarily, but you see how badly you have to want it. The person who wants it most usually wins it -- which is why Hillary still has a chance, albeit a slim one.
Southwest Washington: Which of the candidates do you think has demonstrated the best decision-making skills? The worst?
Joel Achenbach: Now that's the important question. And that's also a follow-up article, potentially. I haven't done enough reporting to weigh in on that.
St. Simons Island, Ga.: A professor, at Duke, I believe, has written a book (with periodic updates) on the temperaments of the presidents, and ranked them, with Franklin Roosevelt (among others) ranked in the top tier. The top tier shared one very important trait, which is that they loved the job. Biographies of Roosevelt confirm his total pleasure in being the president and being with others (Churchill most significantly) who shared this trait.
By contrast (a whopping contrast), Bush doesn't seem to much enjoy the job, or the people who have similar responsibilities. Other than his ill-fated friendship with Putin, I can't think of any other world leader with whom Bush has developed a close relationship. Maybe it's because, as with his job, he doesn't like them.
Joel Achenbach: Interesting point. I'm not sure Lincoln was savoring every minute of the gig, though. But you're probably correct, that there's some correlation between presidential joy and effervescence and effectiveness as a leader. Look at Nixon -- he probably loved parts of the job but he got caught up in his paranoid view of the world and everything gradually turn rancid around him.
Massachusetts: This was a great article, and deserves a Pulitzer Prize. I hear they give those out at The Post like peewee league soccer participation trophies, right?
Joel Achenbach: Dang straight. I want the Gold Medal.
On Presidents and Relaxation: Carter also tried fishing as relaxation, until a killer rabbit with great huge, white fangs tried to enter his boat and he had to whack it with an oar. I think he switched to pinochle shortly thereafter.
Joel Achenbach: Pinochle is more dangerous than you realize, though. Risks always are underreported.
Waldorf, Md.: Other Presidential deal-breakers are pets. If someone has a dog or cat, fine -- but if Sen. Obama kept hermit crabs or Sen. McCain had an iguana, deal-breaker, no?
washingtonpost.com: "Senator John McCain, perhaps the most colorful character in the early race, certainly has the most colorful menagerie. The McCain family shelters four cats, three dogs -- two mini-Dobermans and a springer spaniel -- three parakeets, two snakes, one rabbit, one turtle, one hamster, one mouse, one iguana, one gecko and 13 fish. In summer 2000, the family also cared for one orphan jackrabbit and one iguana egg (courtesy of the McCain iguana, Henrietta)." ( infoplease, Feb. 4, 2000)
Joel Achenbach: I think McCain should avoid having, say, a "death adder" as a pet, or any scorpions.
Joel Achenbach: I gotta scram. ... Thanks for all the great questions. Tune in to the Achenblog for more discussion on what presidents do (amid the digressions, of course). Cheers.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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How 'Dallas' Won the Cold War
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Let us now pause in somber tribute to the 30th anniversary of a momentous -- and shockingly unremembered -- turning point in the long twilight struggle between communism and capitalism. An event every bit as important as the Nixon-Khrushchev Kitchen Debate, Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down this Wall" speech and Yakov Smirnoff's defection to the West.
We write, of course, about the debut of "Dallas," the 13-year soap opera that shook the world.
Yes, April 1978 was the first time our nation turned its lonely eyes to Southfork Ranch, the winningly diabolical genius of J.R. Ewing (as played by Larry Hagman) and Victoria Principal's high-waisted pantsuits. It was the booze-and-sex-soaked caricature of free enterprise and executive lifestyles that proved irresistible not just to stagflation-weary Americans but viewers from France to the Soviet Union to Ceausescu's Romania.
"Dallas" wasn't simply a television show. It was an atmosphere-altering cultural force. Lasting nearly as long as recovering alcoholic Larry Hagman's second liver, it helped define the 1980s as a glorious "decade of greed," ushering in an era in which capitalism became cool, even though weighted with manifold moral quandaries. Beginning with the famous "Who Shot J.R.?" cliffhanger at the end of Season Two, "Dallas" was either the highest or second-highest rated show in the United States for a half-decade, showing up in Abba songs and Ozzy Osbourne videos, spinning off the mega-hit "Knots Landing" and inspiring such book-length academic analysis as French academic Florence Dupont's "Homère et 'Dallas': Introduction à une Critique Anthropologique."
After a long hip parade of unironic countercultural icons such as Luke of "Cool Hand Luke" and Randle Patrick McMurphy of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Dallas" created a new archetype of the anti-hero we loved to hate and hated to love: an establishment tycoon who's always controlling politicians, cheating on his boozy wife and scheming against his own stubbornly loyal family. But no matter how evil various translators tried to make J.R. and his milieu ("Dallas, you merciless universe!" ran the French lyrics added to the wordless theme song), viewers in the nearly 100 countries that gobbled up the show, including in the Warsaw Pact nations, came to believe that they, too, deserved cars as big as boats and a swimming pool the size of a small mansion.
Joseph Stalin is said to have screened the 1940 movie "The Grapes of Wrath" in the Soviet Union to showcase the depredations of life under capitalism. Russian audiences watched the final scenes of the Okies' westward trek aboard overladen, broken-down jalopies -- and marveled that in the United States, even poor people had cars. "Dallas" functioned similarly.
"I think we were directly or indirectly responsible for the fall of the [Soviet] empire," Hagman told the Associated Press a decade ago. "They would see the wealthy Ewings and say, 'Hey, we don't have all this stuff.' I think it was good old-fashioned greed that got them to question their authority."
In Romania, "Dallas" was the last Western show allowed during the nightmare 1980s because President Nicolae Ceausescu was persuaded that it was sufficiently anti-capitalistic. By the time he changed his mind, it was already too late -- he had paid for the full run in precious hard currency. Meanwhile, the show provided a luxuriant alternative to a communism that was forcing people to wait more than a decade to buy the most rattletrap Romanian car.
After the dictator and his wife were shot on Christmas Eve 1989, the pilot episode of "Dallas" -- with a previously censored sex scene edited back in -- was one of the first foreign shows broadcast on the liberated Romanian TV. Over the next few years, Hagman became a ubiquitous pitchman in the country for firms such as the Russian petroleum company Lukoil ("The Choice of a True Texan").
To this day, you can visit an ersatz "SouthForkscu" ranch in the nowheresville Romanian town of Slobozia (yes, that's its real name). Or simply visit the original set in Plano, Tex., which draws around as many visitors as the former Texas School Book Depository in Dallas's Dealey Plaza, where Lee Harvey Oswald hid to shoot President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
The impact of "Dallas" on people's worldviews reminds us that the "vulgar" popular culture that left-wing highbrows and right-wing cultural conservatives love to hate is every bit as important as chin-stroking politics in fomenting real social change. Whether it's the junkie-rock band Velvet Underground inspiring anti-communist dissidents in Prague, or the movie "Titanic" inspiring subversive haircut styles in Taliban Afghanistan (the theocrats' Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice regularly rounded up would-be Leonardo DiCaprios), throwaway cultural products influence far-flung cultures in ways that are impossible to predict or control, even (or especially) by the artists themselves.
That lesson is more relevant than ever in an increasingly globalized world in which movies, music and more cross borders with impunity -- and the free West engages the semi-free East, whether in China or Iran. For all the talk of boycotts and bombs, if the United States is interested in spreading American values and institutions, a little TV-land may go a lot further than armored personnel carriers.
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Let us now pause in somber tribute to the 30th anniversary of a momentous -- and shockingly unremembered -- turning point in the long twilight struggle between communism and capitalism. An event every bit as important as the Nixon-Khrushchev Kitchen Debate, Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down this Wall"...
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Uranium Under the Sand, Anger Above
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In the dusty town of Agadez, at the gateway to the Sahara in northern Niger, Mohamed Abdou used to sell ornate jewelry made by nomadic Tuareg silversmiths squatting over tiny fires. His mud-brick shop, across the road from a 16th-century mosque, once employed 18 jewelers and brought in enough money for the tall, turbaned merchant to support his wife and baby, mother, nine younger siblings, aunt, two uncles and six cousins -- an excellent living in the world's fourth-poorest country. But that was before the fight over Niger's vast deposits of uranium crippled commerce in Agadez and turned the surrounding desert into a combat zone.
Mining operations in Niger threaten the existence of the Tuareg people, who have inhabited Niger's uranium-rich northern desert since the 10th century, and who are now fighting to preserve their nomadic lifestyle and to share in the new wealth.
This battle has erupted in a dangerous neighborhood. To the north, Libya and Algeria continue to act as breeding grounds for al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. Ethnic violence has wracked Chad and Sudan to the east.
U.S. military officials say that stabilizing impoverished Muslim countries such as Niger is the best way to prevent them from becoming havens for terrorists. And if there is a lesson to be learned from recent experience in Afghanistan, it is that war and poverty create opportunities for terrorists to take hold.
Two-thirds desert and 99 percent Muslim, Niger has long suffered the effects of grinding poverty, ethnic tension and regional rivalry, but soaring demand for uranium lit the powder keg. The price of uranium, which is used to fuel nuclear power plants, has skyrocketed from $9 to $75 per pound during the past decade, briefly hitting $135 last June. Niger plans to more than double its output over the next several years, and companies from Australia, Canada, China, India and France are scrambling to stake claims to the deposits, which are considered among the world's largest.
Like gold, diamonds, rubber and oil elsewhere in Africa, uranium has triggered chaos and violence, with young Tuaregs taking up arms and forming the Niger Movement for Justice in February 2007 to demand some control over uranium mining and the riches that come from it. They are challenging the government's position that nomads have no legal right to the land they have occupied for centuries -- or to the resources found on it. And they are demanding the health care, education and economic opportunities that the Niger government promised in a 1995 peace accord that ended an earlier Tuareg rebellion.
Last summer, Niger's government dispatched 4,000 troops to quash the latest Tuareg uprising in the country's vast northern expanses. Since then, any vestige of prosperity there has vanished. "My shop is closed now. I cannot sell a single ring. I live at the bottom of the economy," 31-year-old Abdou wrote in an e-mail from Agadez, which until a year ago was a commercial hub for nomads trading camels for grain and tourists flying in from Europe for desert sightseeing expeditions. "I live the life of a caged pigeon," Abdou continued. "Everything is blocked off, and the military do not let us leave our houses after 7 p.m. There are no cars or motorcycles here anymore. The children no longer go to school because they are so frightened."
During the past year, Tuareg rebels have killed more than 50 soldiers in the Niger army, which has retaliated by killing at least as many Tuareg rebel fighters and civilians. Dozens more have been imprisoned without trial, raped or terrorized, and herds of Tuareg livestock have been slaughtered, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch in December.
And the situation is getting worse. Incensed by Tuareg guerrilla attacks, soldiers last month launched a new wave of violence, according to Amnesty International. In one case, they cut off a man's ears and set his head on fire before stabbing him to death.
The Tuareg, known as the "Blue Men of the Desert" because of the indigo dye in their veils and turbans that rubs off on their skin, are an insular people who practice a moderate form of Islam and speak their own language, based on an ancient Libyan alphabet. For centuries, these nomads prospered from their trans-Saharan caravan trade. But now most of them struggle to survive -- herding camels and livestock and moving camp as often as once a week in search of pasture made scarce by drought and desertification.
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AGADEZ, Niger Most Americans have heard of Niger only because that's where the CIA dispatched former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV to find out whether Saddam Hussein had tried to buy yellowcake uranium. But Niger's precious resource, just a footnote to the Iraq war, is the cause of monumental...
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008042719id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042502781.html
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Try 'Pakistan First'
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2008042719
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"The basic failure in priorities" in Bush's war on terrorism lies "in the fact that our monthly investment in Iraq is $10 billion a month and $2 billion a month in Afghanistan," writes David Abshire, a GOP elder statesman, in "A Call to Greatness," a new book intended to set the agenda for the next presidency. When a Republican White House loses a seasoned foreign policy thinker such as Abshire on a key issue, it has big problems.
So does the solution that is being pushed. A major shift in resources into Afghanistan may not significantly help in that battle in the near term. Decisions on drawing down forces in Iraq should be based on conditions there -- as Gen. David Petraeus argued to Congress this month -- and not on campaign-fostered illusions that troop numbers and money alone can turn the tide against terrorists in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Bush's decision last week to put Petraeus in charge of the Pentagon's Central Command and thus of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan will intensify this Iraq vs. Afghanistan argument on Capitol Hill. Critics see the Petraeus promotion as a Bush ploy to keep Iraq the "central front" in the war on terrorism and to continue to shirk the war in Afghanistan .
That sells Petraeus short and ignores the reality that the war in Afghanistan will not be won or lost in Afghanistan alone. It must also be won inside Pakistan, where things go from bad to worse for U.S. policy, which has been a set of forlorn wishes that seem to boomerang.
President Pervez Musharraf, after a breathtaking exercise in compulsively and systematically destroying his own rule, sits by silently while a civilian-led, democratically elected government takes charge in Islamabad and narrows U.S. options.
The new regime is cutting back even on Musharraf's already feeble efforts to curb the movements of al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other Islamic extremist forces that operate in Afghanistan from sanctuaries in the remote tribal frontier regions of Pakistan known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Officials in Islamabad hint that flights over FATA by U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles based in Afghanistan may soon be forbidden. These Predator missions gather intelligence and strike enemy targets with precision. Their loss would be a major setback for the United States.
Equally alarming are reports that the government is shelving counterinsurgency efforts in the tribal areas in favor of dealing with Islamic militancy "through dialogue and development." Last week, this shift produced a new truce with Taliban forces in FATA and the announced release of Sufi Mohammad, the founder of an outlawed jihadist movement that fights in Afghanistan.
During his Washington visit, Petraeus struck me as grimly realistic about the trade-offs involved in pursuing the two-front war he soon will command. The need for more troops on the Afghan front is clear. The opportunity to use them for decisive victory is clouded. It is unlikely to exist as long as Pakistan offers sanctuary to al-Qaeda and its allies. Pakistan's political evolution is in fact a more important immediate factor than shifting U.S. resources from Iraq.
Obama asserted last summer that as president he would strike at terrorists in Pakistan if the Pakistani government would not act on intelligence he considered sound. Increasingly it looks as though, if elected, he will get the chance to do just that -- but he would then be acting against a duly elected civilian government, not the unpopular Musharraf.
The promotion of Petraeus is also a strong vote of confidence by Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the view that U.S. forces must urgently fight and win the counterinsurgency wars of the Middle East and Central Asia rather than concentrate resources on future conventional wars. A set of remarkably candid speeches by Gates on the internal struggle at the Pentagon on that issue have clearly put him in the Petraeus "fight-win" camp. They suggest that I understated Gates's commitment when I wrote about the differences within the Pentagon two weeks ago.
Pakistan, with its two dozen nuclear weapons, popular and official support for Kashmiri and Taliban terrorism, and political instability, is ultimately a greater threat to world peace than Afghanistan and Iraq combined. That is the unavoidable reality that campaign promises should not obscure.
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Two words that should be the basis of of the Democrats' terrorism strategy.
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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/pomfretschina/2008/04/china_tibet_dalai_lama_talks.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008042719id_/http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/pomfretschina/2008/04/china_tibet_dalai_lama_talks.html
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Chinese Respond to Pressure, But Will the Dalai Lama?
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2008042719
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Wow, I was just out for a day and there has been so much lies, misinformation, distortion of Tibetan history, current situation, Dalai Lama, PRC policies, history of Tibet under the CCP, Xinhua propaganda from Chinese (apologists) posters whose knowledge on Tibet, current situation and history seems limited at best yet gives an impression that they are some kind of expert defending the PRC's policies.
Some of the arguments are insult to our American readers' intelligence.
Zephon, I urge you not to spread lies and distortion. One point I took the time to exlpain about funding sources of the Tibetan struggle, you continue to repeat about CIA funding. I thought you agreed not to tell lies again. So keep to your words. If it is, I have no problem admitting but its not true. It's transparent and check the sourc. There is US govt funding to aid Tibetan refugees in India similar to other refugees. This is in a couple of million dollars unlike the billions that eg. Palestinian receives from Western countries alone not including the billions from the Arab countries.
I will respond to Huang, who seems to have some understanding but I would still urge Huang to study more about Tibet objectively as some of your information is quite disappointing that you know so little about Tibet and Tibetans.
First, Huang, Tibetan names unlike Chinese, Korean etc are not each syllable as it's not character based, so it's never KheChok or Khe Chok. It's Khechok, like Michael. You won't dissect it to Mi Chael. So let me tackle your first premise about your point that somehow there is some ethnic commonness between Han and Tibetan races as it's similar to Guangdong dialect Southern Chinese to Northern Mandarin Chinese.
BTW, there is no Tibetan word or distinction between Han or Chinese. It's called 'gyame' in Tibetan as Tibetans are called 'bodpa' and Indians are called 'gyakar'.
So this new terminology called 'Tung Go' is something created in the last 100 years by Sun Yat Tsen and has no historical basis.
In terms of the Tibetan and Chinese (if you will Han), they are more different than Chinese to Korea and Japan.
Tibetan written and spoken languages are completely different. Writing system is based on Indian Sanskrit which is alphabet based instead of Character based. The native Tibetan religion is Bon shamanistic and the new religion of Buddhism came from India based on Indian Buddhism instead of Chinese Buddhism. The people migration to this land over 20,000 year ago is also believed to be central asia and not east asia.
Tibet had a great civilization with great monuments like Potala, unique architecture, with literally hundreds of different dialects and I argue just as many as in China but the basic writing, way of life, belief system are same.
So Tibet cannot be lumped together with these 56 minorities as a lot them are tribal ethnic based and not a nation with long history of civilization. That's why the Tibetan studies program is in every major universities in the world with Phd programes with many scholars because of its richness, diversity and depth. Therefore, China is proving it difficult to assimilate Tibetans unlike most of its minorities. It's analogy to Germany occupying France and trying to assimilate all to Germans.
The most rediculous argument I heard is somehow compare China to the US and compare the minorities between the two countries. That is truly insult to the intelligence of lack of American, Chinese and Tibetan histories, the current reality and laws.
I don't know the age of these Chinese posters. I imagine less than 30 with very strong Nationalism, a bit of Han Chauvinism and lack of critical thinking. Sorry for the harsh words.
Chinese communist party's constitution is based on Soviet's, with respect to minority laws and history. Although, some of the minority laws changed in early 80s where national unity and stability is considered more important.
The reality is that the Chinese constitution is not practiced as the policy contiues to be homogenization of entire China into one Han culture/language.
America is a land of immigrants where people came here on their own due to problems in their respective homelands and to seek better lives economically and politically. This is the American dream and the melting pot where you don't bring your old customs and problems. You are starting a new country and of course you speak English and assimilate.
With Tibet, Tibetans are the indeginous people that was invaded by China and trying to assimilate in this 21st century where colonism, imperialism, cultural annilation are 100 years old and passe.
Absolutely what happened to the North American native population was a crime against humanity but that was over 100 years ago when injustices like this happened all around the world by the European imperialistic empires. No one can admit it's happening now.
Also one could argue that Tibet had a civilization with its own writing system and deep cultural, philosiphical traditions that extended to China, Nepal, Mongolia, Russia so of course it's much harder to assimilate but without Tibet (once completed assimilated to Han culture), Tibetan culture and spiritual tradition will not survive outside as the exile community is so small.
In terms of historical facts are as follows :
1) Prior to Moa's army occupation in 1951, there were less than half a dozen Chinese in all of Tibet. How can you govern Tibet with that many people.
2) The 13th Dalai Lama kicked out the remaining Manchu emperor's representative, 'Amban' around 1914's and declared complete independence.
3) It is true that the Tibetan government don't have complete control over most of the Kham and Amdo provinces as they were governed by tribal chiefs and warlords much like Afghanistan.
4) Tibet had its own currency, stamps, passport and even measurements. They didn't pay a dime to the Chinese emperors and infact the emperors became the patron of the Tibetan buddhism.
5) Tibetan govt had its own army, although quite weak who were trained by and supplied by British India. Tibetan govt sought military support from Chinese, Manchu, Mongols, British India, White Russians and even Nepal. Quite sad as the national priority is spiritual matters which did produced remarkable scholars and geniuses. Infact one scholar told me that per capita Tibetan written literature/philosphy is the most in the old world but neglected greatly in the governing of its own affairs, military, foreign affairs etc.
So even Moa recognized the special status of Tibet and signed the 17 point agreement that doesn't exist with any other provinces.
All of the Xinhau's and CCP fabricated history old Tibet being serfs/slaves, CIA funding, Nazi connection, current so-called violence and even Human rights are all red herring and do not help solve this current problem.
However I will quickly add some reality:
Serf/Slave: Tibet was feudal but not as oppressive as the Chinese feudalism. They are many reasons of it being not as oppressive for later discussions.
Nazi connection. Check the source and there is no shread of evidence. Heinrich Harrer was found to be member of SS only in early 1990s. He was exonerated by Jewish Nazi hunter, Simon Wisenthal as he was in Tibet during the Nazi atrocities
Current violence in Lhasa riot - I feel sad for the dozen innocent victims but there is no evidence of intentional killing by the protestors as they are accident as most were hiding in the buildings that were burned. Yet prior to the riot, the monks protested peacefully for 4 days from March10 to 14 and they were brutally cracked down. There are pictures of Chinese military using live ammunition and 140 Tibetan were killed intentionally by the Chinese force all over Tibet where there were over 50 protests. Lhasa was only one. This was not a small group and don't dismiss it. The discontent and grievances are real and felt by majority of the Tibetans.
CIA funding - I have already explained as there was funding in the 60's but relatively small.
One great thing about the Tibetan position is completely transparent that you can read and study. As you know you can't say that with China. Chairman Hu Jintao hasn't given one interview yet and don't know much about him. Forget about the previous leaders even the current is not known in this 21st century.
Look at Dalai Lama, his life in-exile of 50 years of exemplary records is completely open with thousands of teachings, interviews, writings, speeches and accessible etc and yet can't find one scandal. He is as real as you can find any individual. Back to my original post, why so much hatred from the Chinese. I am still waiting for some feedback?
Someone mentioned about CIA instigated the 1959 uprising. Not true. It was a people uprising just as the recent uprising.
CIA didn't get involve until later. Yes Dalai Lama's brother was one of the leaders but he is also the one who started talking directly with the Deng Xiopeng and Central govt in late 70's on Tibet. His wife was a Chinese and daughter of a high ranking revolutionary General. Deng said except Independence everything else can be discussed and negotiated. That's why the middle-way proposal by Dalai lama but unfortunately Tianneman Square happened and the talks stalled without any agreements.
Anymore events to shed a light that I will gladly respond. Don't get fixated on the history quagmire.
If you wanted to solve this problem, look at Dalai Lama and read the middle-way approach which should be acceptable to both. If you want to incite lies, hatred, propaganda, then it's waste of everyone's time. thanks
(sorry for the typo and spelling mistakes as these were written on the fly without spell check)
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Pomfret's China features China expert John Pomfret as he deciphers what's behind the latest news from China.
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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/2008/04/competing_visions_for_iraq_cle.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008042719id_/http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/2008/04/competing_visions_for_iraq_cle.html
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PostGlobal on washingtonpost.com
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2008042719
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âWe¹re going to build a city to rival Dubai,â says governor Assad Abu Galal as he unrolls sheaths of architectural plans in his offices on the outskirts of the southern Iraqi city of Najaf. The 64-year old former exile, who usually cultivates an air of quiet, grandfatherly detachment, becomes suddenly animated as he traces the lines of new roads, housing projects, tourist complexes, and five-star hotels.
The centerpiece of his plan is the renovation and expansion of the Imam Ali Shrine, the golden-domed tomb that houses the body of the Prophet Mohammedâs grandson and draws millions of pilgrims each year. In one of Galalâs blueprints, a large swath of the old city has been cleared away to make way for shopping boutiques, underground parking and a sweeping piazza.
The proposed new shrine complex in Najaf, Iraq.
Sure, his audacity is surprising; heâs dreaming up schemes so out of touch with the realities of this dust-blown Iraqi city, where pools of sewage collect in the streets and there are only a few hours of electricity a day. But what struck me even more about the governorâs vision was that it represents a transformation in how the world of Iraqi Shiâa Islam sees itself.
Najaf and its neighboring city of Karbala have long been important Shiâa holy cities, but both were brutally repressed under Saddam Husseinâs rule. As the citiesâ influence waned, the fulcrum of the Shiâite world shifted to Iran and took on, at least in the eyes of neighboring Arab states, the secretive, subversive air of the Iranian theocratic state. (For more on the Sunni-Shiâa divide, see this earlier blog post on the Shiâite ritual of Ashura.)
Saddamâs fall led many to fear that Iraq might ultimately become an Iranian proxy state. Although Tehran certainly exerts a powerful grip on the various Shiâa parties that now dominate Iraqi politics, itâs by no means an uncomplicated relationship. The countryâs supreme spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has rejected Iranian-style theocratic rule and insists he should have no role in Iraqâs politics.
This is far from being anything like a separation of church and state ¬ Sistaniâs fatwas and spiritual advice extend from the courts of law to the education system,¬ but it has suggested a different, Iraqi path. The radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has also found Iraqi nationalism and Shariâa law to be a potent rallying cry among the poor in his various battles with coalition forces and the central government (although he regularly dabbles in politics.]
Iran remains the dominant power in the region. The U.S. believes that Iran continues to support al-Sadr, the Shiâite coalition in the government, and the reconstruction projects of the Marjiya, the quartet of ayatollahs that rule the Shiâite faithful in Iraq. Galal says that any new building work in Najaf will require significant Iranian involvement and funding. But Galalâs vision for his city, as you can see, embodies a set of qualities quite different from those usually associated with Iran. It is open, expansive, and incorporates a touch of Disneyland with an otherwise imperial façade. The plans are only in their initial stages, and will require years and billions of dollars to implement. But Galal believes Najaf will ultimately become the capital of the Shiâite world.
"We want Najaf to be an international city, to which tourists and pilgrims will travel from all around the world," Galal said. ³Iran can be our partner in that, but it is ultimately Iraqis who will shape our cityâs look and its direction.â
Incidentally, his master plan for the city is being drawn up by a British design firm, which previously designed the slightly less exotic new town of Milton Keynes in the UK.
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Islam's Advance on PostGlobal; blog of politics and current events on washingtonpost.com. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/
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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/energywire/2008/04/games_oil_prices_play.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008042719id_/http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/energywire/2008/04/games_oil_prices_play.html
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PostGlobal at washingtonpost.com
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2008042719
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The article you quote about Canadian Oil shales requiring a Gas Price of 2.50 was written some 4 or 5 years back.
In the mean time the US dollar has more than halved in value. So at the current value of the US dollar the cost gas has to be is 5.00 US dollars
Sorry to burst your bubble.
Also the price factor is not so much the price of gas but the price of oil per barrel. As we all know Oil per barrel is now 115 US Dollars and rising but in all that time the value of the US dollar is dropping as it is continuing to do. So the net effect is zero.
It is the differentiation between the net cost of producing oil from conventional wells versus the cost extracting oil from shales or sands.
The major problem is the water cost. How are you going to get enough water to Canada to extract the oil without turning the breadbasket of the USA and Canada into a Dust Bowl?
It is simple supply and demand. As you use more water to extract the Oil from Oil shales and sands the price of water rises. People need water to drink, water to farm, water for other industries, water to stop and prevent forest fires. You also have the massive question of where you are going to put all the polluted water?
While the cost of water now, means oil per barrel prices of 150 US dollars (assuming the US dollar does not continue to depreciate) make Oil shales a viable option the minute you start using such vast amounts of water, the cost of water goes up thus making it not 150 US dollars for break even but 170 US dollars for break even and as you raise production the price of water which is a finite resource already at maximum use rises exponetialy.
It has been noted by many Oil producers that the total energy cost of extracting Oil from Oil shales and Sands using current technology is so close to the total energy value of the oil extracted that there logical reason to do it.
Some people have noted that several people closely connected to the current White House administration have billions of dollars stuck in Canadian oil shales from the last great oil crisis in the 1970s. It is why nobody with an ounce of sense is investing in Oil Shales or Sands.
While we appear to have reached peak oil in Saudi Arabia, this is not the case in Russia, Iran or Venezuela and there are sill vast reserves in the Caspian sea. The only problem is the current White House administration has pi**ed off most of those suppliers. China and japan have just discovered gigantic field between them but I am guessing they will keep that to themselves.
Those are are all supply problems
The Europeans realised decades ago that the solution was demand side and started high taxes on gas and inefficient engines to change their economies. With the average European vehicle using a third of what the average US driver does and better their public transport infrastructure, they just are not feeling the pinch as hard as the USA.
The solutions are demand side not supply side.
The USA is still stuck in the Cheap Oil Trap. Just like Br'er Rabbit stuck to the Tar baby.
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A debate with Steve Mufson on how energy prices are moving money, nations, and lives.
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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2008/04/another_way_of_living.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008042719id_/http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2008/04/another_way_of_living.html
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Another Way of Living
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2008042719
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While many Christians have long celebrated Easter, this year Orthodox Easter takes place on Sunday, April 27 â much later than normally, as a result of ancient calendar calculations and regulations requiring the prior celebration of the Jewish Passover, in accordance with their traditional interpretation of scriptural record. Thus, at midnight on Saturday April 26, the night that is said to be brighter than any sunlit day, some 300 million Orthodox Christians will crowd churches to hear the words: âCome, receive the light!â Throughout the world, entire congregations, previously waiting in darkness and anticipation, will light up in splendor and peopleâs faces will shine with joy and hope. All of them will chant the familiar hymn of triumph: âChrist is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and granting life to those in the tombs.â For Orthodox faithful, Easter is the feast of feasts. As one Orthodox Easter hymn says, the feast of the Resurrection proposes âanother way of seeingâ and âanother way of living.â Yet, the secret of that new life is already foreshadowed in the previous day, when the Orthodox Church recalls the harsh reality of the Cross.
Faced with the seeming inevitability and impasse of global suffering, it is so easy to be cynical; it is tempting to dismiss issues like climate change or global conflict or world hunger, criticizing those who transform these into political flags or else who transmit messages of love. Yet, while people have become insensitive to sermons about the gloom and doom of our world, the reality of evil transcends any act of war or terrorism and every expression of violence or suffering. These are but symptoms of a deeper reality, which is overcome on the Cross on Good Friday [or Holy and Great Friday, as Orthodox Christians prefer to call it] through the radical power of forgiveness, tolerance, and compassion.
The truth is that the Gospel message is as simple as it is radical. We are called to stand for love where there is hatred, to preach compassion where there is injustice, and to insist on dialogue where there is division. This at least, as we have been assured, is how people should recognize that those who call themselves Christians. (John 13.35) In fact, however, as uncomplicated as this may sound, it is a much harder Gospel to live by. It is far easier to proclaim a Gospel of power and might. It seems far less challenging to be dismissive of efforts to sustain conversation among unlikely partners from radically different religious or cultural backgrounds (even among the great monotheistic traditions, such as Christians, Muslims, and Jews) and conservation of natural resources (whether fundamental to our survival as human beings, or responsive to developing nations that experience poverty or hunger, or else supportive of our lifestyles). It is certainly far less intrusive in our personal lives to resist changes to our habits. People have far too much at stake.
Hoping for change invites challenge in our worldview and lifestyle. But how willing are we to pay a price for our selfish consumption, our wasteful pollution, and our prideful discrimination, both racial and religious? When will we stop and be silent long enough to notice the direct impact of our way of life on the poor among us and on the poor of the world? Do we even recognize the wounds we have wrought upon the flesh of our brother and sister, as well as upon the body of the world? Is it that difficult to discern the arrogance of our behavior, conveniently and complacently overlooking the damage that results from our silence or ignorance?
When Orthodox Christians recall the Resurrection, they are not primarily concerned intellectually with how that miracle actually took place. In fact, they think less of an empty grave and more of an open tomb, which remains an open invitation to those who believe. The miracle of Resurrection calls for an openness to confess the reality of the darkness within us and around us, admitting our role and responsibility in refusing to eradicate the suffering in our world. Then, when we stand honestly before the reality of our evil â in earnest recognition and prayerful confession of the hurt we inflict upon our neighbor within society and within the global community, and the abuse with we treat the earthâs resources â at that very moment of realization are we also able to perceive the hope and light of the Resurrection. Only then are we able to apprehend the relationship between the Resurrection and the presence of war, racism, global warming and terrorism in our world. For then, we shall also be able to discern the light of the Resurrection in our hearts and in our world.
This is why for forty days after the bright night of that Easter vigil, Orthodox Christians will continue to greet one another with the words: âChrist is Risen! Truly, He is Risen!â
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomewïª is the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians. He is author of the new book "Encountering the Mystery."
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A conversation on religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042300815.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008042719id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042300815.html
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A Song to Trilliums
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2008042719
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One minute the emerging hostas are three-inch horns, the next they are pumped up like a newly minted butterfly. This is the nature of late April. Blink and you miss it.
One plant not to be missed is the trillium, now in full glory on the woodland floor. A fleeting wildflower, the trillium is big on threes, hence its name. Most of its parts form botanical trios: three leaves, three sepals, three petals. Look hard enough and you will find three stigma surrounded by, all right, six anthers.
As with other wildflowers of the moment -- slipper orchids and Virginia bluebells, for example -- the trillium holds a mystique in our part of the world. It was an important herb for American Indians and colonists and signified the arrival of spring. The classic Trillium grandiflorum is also called the large-flowered wake-robin because it would emerge as the robins flocked. Jeanne Frett, a research horticulturist and trillium expert, finds her own threesome (of words) to describe trilliums: "Magical, ethereal, coveted."
I met Frett last week at the Mount Cuba Center, where she and other horticulturists grow and study native flora at the 650-acre estate of the late Pamela du Pont Copeland north of Wilmington, Del.
"Everyone knows what a trillium is, but not many people have them in their gardens," she said. Copeland had an abiding interest in trilliums and made sure her shaded garden was full of these spring beauties. The deciduous forests of the eastern United States are the most trillium-rich habitat in the world. Of the 48 known species worldwide, 35 are North American. Copeland and her staff amassed an impressive 24 species at Mount Cuba. You can see them for yourself this weekend, when the center holds its annual open house.
There are two essential trillium experiences. The first is to discover an established natural stand in the woods. I know of a streamside glade near Staunton, Va., sprinkled with hundreds of wake-robins. As the flowers age, they turn from creamy white to pink to lavender, so the effect is of a kaleidoscope. The other is as a lone specimen in the garden -- lone, because trilliums are expensive: Ethically propagated plants are about $20 a pop because they are seed grown and take two seasons to germinate and five to seven years to reach blooming size.
"Some are sold as 'nursery grown,' " Frett said. That sounds ethical, but the plants have been potted from wild collected rhizomes. "You have to be careful about the terminology," she said. " 'Nursery propagated' is what you want." And trilliums for sale on eBay probably haven't been raised lovingly from seed sown in 2001.
The experience at Mount Cuba suggests how, with time, patience and some TLC (money, too), you can amass enough trilliums in a garden setting to suggest the beauty of a decades-old natural colony. The horticulturists grew 1,000 large-flowered wake-robins to blooming size from seed collected, with permission, from wild populations in Virginia.
It helps, of course, that the woods at Mount Cuba provide perfect trillium conditions: clay enriched with leaf mold and the high, dappled shade provided by the tall canopy of mature tulip poplars.
Walking this woods path with gardener Gregg Tepper, I stop to consider the aptly named little trillium, just six inches tall or so and with delicate, wavy-edged flowers that start white but age to rose. "It's been very easy, very successful," he said.
"This is another easy one to divide," he said, pointing to the twisted trillium, named for the way its maroon petals corkscrew. The sepals behind them are green but with a maroon base and the slightest fine edge, again in maroon, that rewards the close observer.
Nearby, a double-flowered bloodroot is in full bloom, as are the Virginia bluebells.
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Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland home and garden news/headlines, including build/fix and furnishing/design, garden/patio tips. Resources and coupons for homes and gardens, DC, MD, VA contacts. Guides for organizing, cleaning, planting and caring.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/04/26/ST2008042602333.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008042719id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/04/26/ST2008042602333.html
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The New Economics of Hunger
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2008042719
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The globe's worst food crisis in a generation emerged as a blip on the big boards and computer screens of America's great grain exchanges. At first, it seemed like little more than a bout of bad weather.
In Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City, traders watched from the pits early last summer as wheat prices spiked amid mediocre harvests in the United States and Europe and signs of prolonged drought in Australia. But within a few weeks, the traders discerned an ominous snowball effect -- one that would eventually bring down a prime minister in Haiti, make more children in Mauritania go to bed hungry, even cause American executives at Sam's Club to restrict sales of large bags of rice.
As prices rose, major grain producers including Argentina and Ukraine, battling inflation caused in part by soaring oil bills, were moving to bar exports on a range of crops to control costs at home. It meant less supply on world markets even as global demand entered a fundamentally new phase. Already, corn prices had been climbing for months on the back of booming government-subsidized ethanol programs. Soybeans were facing pressure from surging demand in China. But as supplies in the pipelines of global trade shrank, prices for corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, rice and other grains began shooting through the roof.
At the same time, food was becoming the new gold. Investors fleeing Wall Street's mortgage-related strife plowed hundreds of millions of dollars into grain futures, driving prices up even more. By Christmas, a global panic was building. With fewer places to turn, and tempted by the weaker dollar, nations staged a run on the American wheat harvest.
Foreign buyers, who typically seek to purchase one or two months' supply of wheat at a time, suddenly began to stockpile. They put in orders on U.S. grain exchanges two to three times larger than normal as food riots began to erupt worldwide. This led major domestic U.S. mills to jump into the fray with their own massive orders, fearing that there would soon be no wheat left at any price.
"Japan, the Philippines, [South] Korea, Taiwan -- they all came in with huge orders, and no matter how high prices go, they keep on buying," said Jeff Voge, chairman of the Kansas City Board of Trade and also an independent trader. Grains have surged so high, he said, that some traders are walking off the floor for weeks at a time, unable to handle the stress.
"We have never seen anything like this before," Voge said. "Prices are going up more in one day than they have during entire years in the past. But no matter the price, there always seems to be a buyer. . . . This isn't just any commodity. It is food, and people need to eat."
The food price shock now roiling world markets is destabilizing governments, igniting street riots and threatening to send a new wave of hunger rippling through the world's poorest nations. It is outpacing even the Soviet grain emergency of 1972-75, when world food prices rose 78 percent. By comparison, from the beginning of 2005 to early 2008, prices leapt 80 percent, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. Much of the increase is being absorbed by middle men -- distributors, processors, even governments -- but consumers worldwide are still feeling the pinch.
The convergence of events has thrown world food supply and demand out of whack and snowballed into civil turmoil. After hungry mobs and violent riots beset Port-au-Prince, Haitian Prime Minister Jacques-Ãdouard Alexis was forced to step down this month. At least 14 countries have been racked by food-related violence. In Malaysia, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is struggling for political survival after a March rebuke from voters furious over food prices. In Bangladesh, more than 20,000 factory workers protesting food prices rampaged through the streets two weeks ago, injuring at least 50 people.
To quell unrest, countries including Indonesia are digging deep to boost food subsidies. The U.N. World Food Program has warned of an alarming surge in hunger in areas as far-flung as North Korea and West Africa. The crisis, it fears, will plunge more than 100 million of the world's poorest people deeper into poverty, forced to spend more and more of their income on skyrocketing food bills.
"This crisis could result in a cascade of others . . . and become a multidimensional problem affecting economic growth, social progress and even political security around the world," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
Prices for some crops -- such as wheat -- have already begun to descend off their highs. As farmers rush to plant more wheat now that profit prospects have climbed, analysts predict that prices may come down as much as 30 percent in the coming months. But that would still leave a year-over-year price hike of 45 percent. Few believe prices will go back to where they were in early 2006, suggesting that the world must cope with a new reality of more expensive food.
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The globe's worst food crisis in a generation emerged as a blip on the big boards and computer screens of America's great grain exchanges. At first, it seemed like little more than a bout of bad weather.
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Global Food Prices and Africa's Economic Famine
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Video: On the Margins in Mauritania
Anthony Faiola: Welcome to the chat and thanks for coming. We're talking about The Post's Global Food Crisis series this morning. This is an important subject. I'll answer your questions as best I can, so fire away.
Manassas, Va.: The advantages in technology supposedly should allow the world's population to be fed amply. However, countries around the world are becoming more protectionist with their agricultural products through subsidies and higher tariffs, arguing that's the only way to protect their own food needs. Don't you think that type of policy makes the problem worse by giving less incentive to produce, causing even higher prices? I think this is a totally political problem.
Anthony Faiola: You're right, there are some troubling factors at play here. For one, productivity in agriculture is flagging after many years of solid increases. It seems subsidies have robbed some of the incentive to pushing for higher crop yields.
Rockville, Md.: Food shortages used to be regular events in history -- and not that many years ago. The "green revolution" eased the problem, but population always tries to stay ahead of the problem. But to be selfish, is it better for the U.S. to have something to sell for oil? We may be one of the last five exporting countries. How much can we grow our exports? At what cost to the environment? If great, what can we do to have both a big harvest and be kind to the environment?
Anthony Faiola: All very good questions. Again, one of the problems we're facing is that the "green revolution" actually is slipping away, with crop growth slowing considerably. It does benefit the U.S. to be a net exporter, but as you've noticed, food prices at home have gone up too.
Munich, Germany: I often had heard the criticism that subsidized farming in Europe and the the U.S. had pushed world prices of wheat, for instance, to such low levels that small farmers in third-world countries no longer could complete with imported goods. While not alleviating the current crisis, and while it's perhaps not applicable to arid countries like Mauritania, do you think that there's merit in letting small farmers in countries like Sri Lanka and Haiti gain income and viability from higher food prices? Won't slightly higher prices be an inducement for small, third-world farmers to start farming again?
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for joining us from Munich. The big problem here is that small farmers often don't benefit from higher food prices. Most subsistence farmers only can grow a portion of their food needs, and consume everything they grow, and don't benefit from higher prices at market. Even slightly larger-scale farmers are facing soaring costs for seeds, fertilizers, etc., that tend to cancel out potential gains.
Hampton, Va.: Food crisis? Crisis? In America? You're out of your gourd. They're rationing specific kinds of rice -- you only can buy four 50-pound bags. Uhhh ... if you need five 50-pound bags, starvation is not in your near future. Isn't this a manufactured issue in America?
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for the skepticism. You are right, this isn't a crisis in America. But if you look just to our south, Haiti's government has been destabilized; 100 million in Africa are slipping deeper into hunger; riots have broken out in more than 14 countries. So in a global context, this is indeed a crisis.
Arlington, Va.: Thanks to you and the Post for this important series. I appreciate your including opportunities to donate to help, but money only addresses the symptoms, not the root causes of the problems. Will the series address any of the hard issues we Americans should face regarding how our consumption uses too many resources? For example, yesterday's article noted an increase in demand because of grain being fed to livestock in Asia, but what about the high percent of meat we eat in the U.S.? What about the impacts we have with big homes, gas guzzling cars, etc.? I say this not to point the finger at others, but because the series really is thought-provoking for me regarding how each of us lives.
Anthony Faiola: Many thanks for your comments. Glad to know the stories engaged you. There are three more to come, and I think they will continue to address many of the issues you raise here. Thanks.
Arlington, Mass,: To what degree is the use of food crops for biofuel (corn for ethanol and oil crops for biodiesel) responsible for the shortage of supply and the rise in prices?
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for the good question. One of the big problems is crop substitution. As corn prices increased because of biofuel demand, some farmers shifted production from consumption crops such as wheat, soy beans, etc., to capitalize on the high prices for corn. It has helped link prices for these grains together, one reason they are shooting up at the same time.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Good morning, Mr Faiola. To my modest understanding, there are conjunctural and structural reasons for such high global food prices. On the structural level, don't you think that the "clash of civilizations" issue ( as Samuel Huntington stressed) is the fundamental problem: namely, a fierce conflict between the Islamic community and the West? Don't you think that very short-term negotiations between both parties could contribute to reduce world oil prices, and as a consequence world food prices?
On the conjunctural level, serious public sector reform, as well reform within nongovernmental organizations and international institutions' branches should take place. There are local and international bureaucracies in those poorest countries (in Africa and in Haiti) that represents an obstacle for any constructive change or productive results in the struggle against hunger. Should such actions not take place, we may run out of time; the recent appointment of a new prime minister in Haiti (Ericq Pierre), although a good move, may be useless to prevent further violent riots in this country and elsewhere.
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for joining in from Haiti. You raise some complex issues here, and thanks for that. We do know that rising oil prices absolutely have contributed to the food shock. If those prices eased, clearly it would ease some the pressures on food.
Washington: Thank you for doing this story -- it is so troubling. Your reporting is right on. I served in Mauritania as a Peace Corps Volunteer a few years ago, and I could see the writing on the wall then. With so much dependence on food imports, these people always have lived on the edge, and now they are starting to fall off of it. Lots of people are going to die of starvation. It is so sad.
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for the kind words. And yes, you're right, they never had it easy in Mauritania -- but this is a new and troubling phase. It is very sad indeed.
Norfolk, Va.: Isn't American food aid to Africa partly to blame? After all, if African farmers have to compete with free American grain, they're screwed. So they don't grow crops, and perpetuate the cycle of famine. It sounds callous, but shouldn't we stop sending planeloads of American rice to Africa? Wouldn't it be more effective to spend the money improving their infrastructure? Of course, American farmers, fat on government subsidies, wouldn't like that at all...
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for the smart question Norfolk. There is a somewhat belated push in Africa now to try to do that.
Baltimore: There seem to be several factors causing the problem -- drought, high oil prices, and biofuels. What can an individual do to assist those in need of food.
Anthony Faiola: Thank you for joining us Baltimore. You will notice several links with our stories online that may be of some help, including one for the U.N. World Food Program, which is in the middle of launching a major effort to help those suffering from the food price shock.
Vienna, Va.: I had no idea this was even going on until very recently. Thank you for discussing this issue. My question is, what can we do? I recently sent a large check (well, large for my family -- I'm no Bill Gates) to Doctors Without Borders. Are there other groups that are helping with the crisis? Is there anything Americans can do beyond sending money? Thank you.
Anthony Faiola: Thanks Vienna -- please see above answer.
Washington: The US has decreased the amount of farmland meant to grow grain for food and increased the amount meant for conversion to biofuels. Also, it takes about 20 tons of grain to produce 1 ton of beef -- 19 tons lost that could be used to feed human beings. Is it that food prices have increased mainly because of exporting countries increasing tariffs? What is the level of impact from other factors, like biofuel production and increased demand in rich nations for meat?
Anthony Faiola: There is a cluster of problems causing this as well, including factors we can control, like biofuel production, and factors we can't, like bad weather. But food prices are not increasing because of higher import tariffs -- that is just a response by net-food importer countries to pre-existing high prices. The bigger problem is that export countries are banning or limiting the sale of grain abroad, and often hiking export taxes.
Washington: Given that it's all based on oil, why doesn't the president release some of the 700 million barrels of oil in the strategic petroleum reserve? That's an 80-day supply for all U.S. needs. Isn't this an emergency? Get real, W.
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for the comment -- here it is for all to see.
Washington: If the U.S. would drop subsidies for corn-based ethanol, by what percent would world corn prices drop?
Anthony Faiola: That is the $64 million question. The best answer I can give you is that it would probably drop by a lot.
Ashland, Mo.: To what extent are high food prices the result of a speculative bubble in the futures market? Is it time to seriously consider that the futures market is something that only makes sense in a theoretical world where human greed can be ignored by assuming rational behavior?
Anthony Faiola: This has been a topic of hot debate. Farmers have claimed that investors are distorting prices by pumping hundreds of millions into grain futures, but others have insisted the role of this new flow of investment cash is actually playing only a small role.
Cape Town, South Africa: Africa should be the breadbasket of the world. Look at the Nile Delta! Instead of donating food, which is used for political leverage by the receiving nation's politicians, or money, which is siphoned off and stolen by greedy and corrupt African politician, why don't the donor countries provide African nations with farming implements, seeds, fertilizer and -- most important -- training and education in the field of agriculture?
Anthony Faiola: Great point, Cape Town. As I said earlier, there is a push now to try to improve production in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Should it have come much earlier? Yes.
New Baltimore, Mich.: Has this shortage caused any countries to reconsider tariffs (usually the counterpart to subsidized crops)? For instance, doesn't the U.S. put high tariffs on Brazilian sugar, which in turn makes corn-based ethanol competitive, which causes it to be diverted for biofuels rather than used as food or feed?
Anthony Faiola: Good question. There is in fact a strong debate now raging in Europe between those who feel subsidies should be abandoned, and those who feel they are more important than ever to ensuring domestic food supplies. It is hard to say who will win. This is an emotional question.
Virginia: Wherever there is a food crisis, what can the respective governments do to alleviate that problem so that the populations do not starve?
Anthony Faiola: Some nations in Africa are reaching out for help from the United Nation's World Food Program, but also taking domestic measures. There is talk now, for instance, of issuing something akin to food stamps for the poorest people. They are also pushing to increase agricultural production at home.
Washington: The World Bank spent the 1980s and 1990s talking about "getting prices right." The idea was that producer prices had to be high enough to send the signal to farmers and other agricultural producers to increase their production. The implication was that increased prices (which were not co-opted by marketing boards) ultimately would lead to increased supplies. From reading the press for the past few weeks, I don't get any sense that there has been any boon to farmers, or that supplies will increase given time to re-establish the economic equilibrium that will bring prices back down. What's going on here? Are increased prices good news in some sense, or is this another indictment of World Bank policy from the past 15 years?
Anthony Faiola: Very good comments here.
Burbank, Calif.: I find one of the most important statistics that few understand is that, of all the people who have existed over the past 2,000 years, half of them are alive today. Isn't it really a daunting task to provide food and sustenance for this historically large population?
Anthony Faiola: Yes; but if food production levels had kept increasing (they no longer are) and new competition hadn't emerged from biofuels, you might be able to make the argument that the world may have been able to cope, or at least cope better.
Burke, Va.: Negotiating with the Middle East to lower oil prices might help -- for a time -- but what happens when the oil runs out? We need renewable alternatives that don't jack up food prices and are economically feasible, and we need them fast! It should be noted that countries without ready access to birth control and without options for women beyond childbearing and rearing as careers tend to be poorer, by far. High populations correlate with high poverty and hunger, simple as that -- and it's far, far kinder to ease poverty and hunger by limiting births than it is to see the population self-limit by increased deaths from famine, disease and warfare to control resources.
And not just abroad -- each child born here consumes more resources than several children born in poorer nations, so our choices in childbearing do have an effect on whether someone else's children will grow up or will die young, too. It's not PC to say that -- it's somehow okay to criticize people for driving unnecessary Hummers or living in McMansions, but it's not okay to question a far more potent and dangerous choice for the environment and for world resource consumption, the choice to have more than two children per couple. Understandable -- no one wants to tell someone their child shouldn't exist -- but the hard facts are that the more parents choose large families in the first world, the more parents have to watch their children slowly wither and painfully die in the third world. Shouldn't their children have a right to life, too?
Anthony Faiola: These kinds of thoughts on overpopulation have come in other questions too. Let me share them with you all.
Falls Church, Va.: What specific incident caused rice prices to skyrocket?
Anthony Faiola: There was not one specific incident. It's a combination of effects, including bad weather, a greater competition for food from rising demand in China and the biofuels industry, and others. The first part of our series, which ran Sunday, goes into that. Let me get that link for you.
Anthony Faiola: Here is the promised link...
University Park, Md.: Some argue that while multiple factors have contributed to the current food crisis (high fuel prices, drought, growing demand, corn for ethanol, etc.), in the final analysis trade barriers, subsidies and other forms of market interference are responsible for this staggering grain price inflation. Without these past and present distortions, we are told, markets would have adjusted to increased demand and other pressures -- at worst, we would have seen moderate increases in food prices. What do you think?
Anthony Faiola: I agree to a great extent. We lay out that theory in Part 1 of our series. See link above.
Burke, Va.: "Given that it's all based on oil, why doesn't the president release some of the 700 million barrels of oil in the strategic petroleum reserve? That's an 80-day supply for all U.S. needs. Isn't this an emergency?" So what do we do when the 80 days are up and the 700 million barrels of oil are gone, leaving us even more dependent on the Middle East for our oil addiction? What happens when all the oil runs out? Shouldn't we be focusing our efforts on renewable energy sources that don't jack up food prices and are economically feasible? Our civilization will desperately need them, quite soon. And that will be a global emergency that will make this one -- bad as it is -- pale in comparison.
Anthony Faiola: Big questions, and suggestions, for all to see.
Adana, Turkey: I hope you may discuss this according to developed and developing countries other than Africa. If possible, please use Turkey and the U.S. as examples.
Anthony Faiola: Thanks for joining us from Turkey. We picked Africa because it is the part of the world most heavily hit by food prices. But you are right, there are many other places in the world, including developed nations, where consumers are feeling the pinch. The Post will examine that specifically in the final part of this five-part series, which will run on Thursday. Please look for it.
Anonymous: From an article this morning: "The price gap should converge when futures contracts expire and deliveries are settled. Instead, the average premium for Chicago Board of Trade wheat has quadrupled in two years to 40 cents a bushel, compared with 10 cents the prior five years." Does this mean that speculation -- not supply and demand -- is driving up costs? Are these futures contracts leveraged by investors similar to to the leveraging that contributed to the collapse of investment bank Bear Stearns?
Anthony Faiola: I don't think there's any doubt that there is some level of speculation going on, but I also do not think it is the main factor driving up prices -- although it certainly would not be helping.
Woodbridge, Va.: You know, the suffering of these people makes me feel almost guilty for having a job. What is an individual supposed to do?
Anthony Faiola: Woodbridge, thanks for your kind response. You can check The Post's Web site when you click on today's story and find a list of several organizations helping the world's poor cope with higher food prices.
Miami: American farmers are to blame for African famine? That's insane. First of all, Zimbabwe was the bread basket of Africa until Mugabe threw out or killed the white farmers and gave their land to his cronies, who looted the farms but don't know a damn thing about growing crops. So even Zimbabwe is a net importer of food now, and the average life expectancy is in the 30s. That's America's fault? Corrupt, criminal regimes in Africa -- the same ones who control the distribution of our food aid! -- are the ones to blame, and we should not rescue them. That will just guarantee we get more Mugabes.
Anthony Faiola: No doubt there are domestic reasons behind rising food prices; Zimbabwe, as you point out, is a total basket case with runaway inflation. What we're saying is that new pressures on the food market -- including, but not limited to, U.S. farmers growing corn for biofuels -- have driven prices up worldwide.
Alexandria, Va.: The 500-pound gorillas are China and India, with their rapidly expanding middle classes. As incomes increase, the first thing families typically do is increase their levels of protein consumption. Meat requires large levels of feed grains. This trend will continue regardless of our biofuels policy, as long as emerging markets continue to create strong demand.
Anthony Faiola: Good observation, Virginia. Posted for all to see.
tiwaridwijendra: People now don't want to work in the remote crop fields -- that's why most of the nations are facing food crisis. Rapid urbanization, population increases and corruption in the administrative system are some of the reasons there is such a crisis in African and third-world countries. Those suffering in these countries will have to come forward themselves to fight these evil forces. Above all, population control is must for every country, but not the Chinese way. Something new has to come forth -- a new formula is required to control it. By stopping child birth, we will stop the life cycle of human race. One needs to think about this. The problem in Mauritania is going to continue for a long time, because this country is being eaten by desert.
Anthony Faiola: We've heard these kinds of thoughts all morning. Here's more...
Baltimore: We're the fattest country on the planet. Any chance we can run out of food here?
And on that note of dark humor, we'll sign off for now.
Thanks to all for joining today.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Now, This Is Campaign Fatigue
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After nearly six months on the road, sleeping in hotels, herding an unruly press corps onto buses, and boarding and emptying out charter planes from Medford, Ore., to Mecklenburg County, N.C., Jen Psaki on Friday faced reality.
With seemingly no end to the Democratic campaign in sight, Sen. Barack Obama's traveling press aide went to the Chicago apartment she has seen a dozen times since December, put her belongings into storage and let her lease lapse. She is now officially homeless.
"This race gives new meaning to that phrase 'marathon, not a sprint,' but these last few months have been more like sprinting through a marathon," said Psaki, who saw no reason to keep paying rent after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's win in Pennsylvania. "Nobody expected it to go this long."
If the American people are growing weary of the protracted Democratic nomination fight, they've got nothing on the candidates, their staffs or their staffs' families. A campaign that has stretched more than a year has now reached virtually every state, has seen babies born and staffers married, and has now begun to heat up again.
Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli, Clinton's director of Hispanic communications, arrived in San Antonio on Feb. 15 to ramp up outreach to Latinos in Texas. Two days later, her long-awaited adoption papers came through and she became a mother, working out of an adviser's home with an infant in her lap.
Between the two, the campaigns have logged more than 2,000 meal stops, from Yum Yum Donuts in Baldwin Park, Calif., to the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach -- with pit stops at 15 7-Elevens from North Las Vegas to Raymond, N.H.
The Clinton campaign has sent out 1,572 news releases since the beginning of the campaign in 2007, the Obama campaign 454.
"Sometimes, yes, of course," Obama acknowledged Tuesday, when asked whether he was exhausted.
It's starting to show. "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" Obama snapped at a reporter who sought to interrupt his breakfast with a policy question last week in Pennsylvania. Pressed during the Philadelphia debate on her claim to have faced sniper fire in Bosnia, Clinton shrugged off a question from voter Tom Rooney. "I will either try to get more sleep, Tom, or, you know, have somebody that, you know, is there, as a reminder to me," she said.
Clinton and Obama aides insist that the candidates are holding up remarkably well. Clinton gulps down hot peppers to keep illness at bay. Obama took a day off last week to see his daughters off to school.
But there is no way to completely hide how punishing the campaign has been. Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has pared back his schedule, taken the time to grill ribs for reporters at his Sedona, Ariz., ranch and carefully picked the venues for his public appearances. His would-be Democratic opponents have no such luxuries.
"Not surprisingly, I think, you have the tiredness setting in, with people doing the exact same assignment they've been doing for a year, day in and day out," said an Obama campaign adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, since other campaign aides would attest only to how spry they are all feeling these days.
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Clinton Intensifies Ground Work in Ind.
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"We spend a lot of time trying to find new people and get them plugged in," said Clinton regional field director Pete Hackeman.
That has not always been the case. As it continues to refine its tactics, the Clinton campaign is devoting far more energy to on-the-ground efforts in Indiana than it did in many of the early states she lost to Sen. Barack Obama, who deployed scores of young staffers to unlikely places and profited from the power of grass-roots organizing.
Driven by strategy and necessity as the New York Democrat's advertising budget runs low, the Clinton campaign has opened 28 offices in Indiana, where she faces another critical test on May 6. With 72 delegates at stake in Indiana, the Clinton family has made more than 50 stops in the state already, far more than Obama and his wife, Michelle.
"They've gotten religion in terms of on-the-streets activism and the importance of it," said South Bend Mayor Steve Luecke, an Obama supporter, of the Clintons. "They're working the streets a lot harder, and to their credit. It will help with her campaign in the final vote total here."
Clinton learned the hard way when the candidate who marketed herself as the inevitable nominee failed to knock Obama out of the race in its early stages.
The campaign erred, some strategists acknowledged, in assuming that name recognition, television advertisements and endorsements would be enough to put away Obama.
"A lot of those assumptions have been put aside, and that puts us in a more aggressive posture," said Indiana state director Robby Mook, who led the victorious Clinton effort in Ohio, where the dueling ground organizations neared parity. "It's a whole new ballgame."
The two campaigns each have four paid workers and an array of volunteers in South Bend, the heart of a region rich in Democratic votes about 90 miles from Obama's home turf of Chicago. The area features a diverse electorate that propelled a Democratic upset in 2006 when Rep. Joe Donnelly won Indiana's 2nd District over incumbent Republican Chris Chocola.
Obama carries key advantages in the state -- most notably his familiarity to voters in northwestern Indiana who receive Chicago television signals. Supporters are driving across the border by the carload to knock on doors for the freshman senator, who hopes to make up for his April 22 loss in Pennsylvania with wins here and in North Carolina.
Clinton, boosted in Ohio and Pennsylvania by support from popular governors, is tapping networks of Democratic activists loyal to Sen. Evan Bayh, the state's best-known Democrat and, briefly, a presidential candidate. Beyond introducing Clinton at rallies, Bayh has traveled the state on his own to build a small army of supporters.
"It was not a hard sell. He said, 'Here's why. This is her skill set,' " recalled Butch Morgan, the St. Joseph County party chairman, who received a call from Bayh, the two-term senator and former governor. "He is the most respected and successful Democrat we have had in Indiana for a long, long time."
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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- At Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's headquarters here the other day, the campaign staff was brainstorming about ways to reach beyond the voters who appear on traditional Democratic Party lists. Did anyone know fathers able to distribute flyers at Little League practice? When do the...
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Clinton Tries a Different Debate Debate
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By Perry Bacon Jr. SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Sen. Barack Obama says he's done debating, but he's facing a double team effort to force him into another one-on-one session with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The New York senator again challenged him to a debate in Indiana, but with a new twist: no moderators.
"Just the two of us going for 90 minutes asking and answering questions," Clinton said to a crowd of several thousand at a rally held at a minor-league baseball stadium here. "We'll set whatever rules seem fair."
Speaking of voters in Indiana and around the country, she said "they would love seeing that kind of debate and discussion, remember that's what happened during the Lincoln-Douglas debates.... I think that would be good for the Democratic Party, it would be good for our democracy and it would be great for Indiana."
Just before Clinton issues her challenge, Obama ruled out more debates in a taped interview with Fox News that will air Sunday.
"We've had 21 and so what we've said we're two weeks, two big states we want to make sure we're talking to as many folks as possible on the ground taking questions from voters," Obama said. "We're not going to have debates between now and Indiana."
Obama was also pressed on the debate issue by former president Bill Clinton. Appearing in North Bend, a small town in Oregon, the former president said, while laying out his wife's proposals, "I wish that we could have debates on all this."
"Hillary has proposed that Oregon should have two debates, one on the issues generally and one on you, on rural life in America today and what should be done," Bill Clinton said, according to ABC News. "And if you agree you oughta make your feelings known, either on her Web site or some other way."
The Clintons have repeatedly called for debates in North Carolina and Indiana, which vote on May 6 and in Oregon, which holds a primary on May 20.
Obama and his supporters criticized the questions in a debate earlier this month in Philadelphia and last fall the Illinois senator indicated he thought there were too many debates and forums. Clinton considers detailed discussions of policy a strength and more debates offer more chances for her to try to change the dynamics of a race that she trails.
Both candidates have arguments on their sides in the debate debate. Clinton aides note more than 10 million viewers tuned into the debate in Philadelphia and only a handful of the sessions have featured only Obama and Clinton without the half-dozen other Democratic contenders who have now left the race.
"If we debate, American viewers will come," Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams wrote in an open letter to Obama campaign manager David Plouffe as she demanded more debates. "Senator Obama himself suggested the last debate in Philadelphia did not provide enough opportunity to talk about issues that 'matter to the American people.'"
Obama has repeatedly noted that the vast number of debates has offered little new information, particularly since the two Democrats share similar policy views.
Whether Democratic voters would enjoy a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate is an open question. In the famous Illinois senate race of 1858, the pair held seven sessions in which one candidate spoke for an hour, the other then spoke for an hour and half, and then the first candidate was given 30 minutes to rebut his opponent.
Perhaps aware of the television era, Williams proposed in her letter that each candidate would speak in two-minute segments.
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Can there be timeout on all this ? The election is not about Obama and his associates. Surely there are real substantial issues that need to be addressed like the rising cost of fuels,alternative energy sources, global food crisis, housing crisis, banking crisis, pension crisis, tax rebates,world peace, global warming and climate change, desertification,pollution,ozone layer,agriculture, poverty,hunger, empty food shelves in Africa etc etc etc. Barak is just living the American dream. What is wrong with that? Why do we like broken dreams more than fulfilled dreams/ Let the dream live on. Hope is a good thing there is nothing wrong with hope. Peace to all and goodwill to all men . Errol Smythe.
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 5:33 PM
I believe Hillary loves America and always has. I cannot say that about some of the other's family. This is what I am looking for. A proud American. If they do not like it why don't they go to another country and see how far they get sounding off. They won't last long in most of the other countries.
Posted by: sinceretexan | April 28, 2008 7:51 PM
When we think of the candidates for the Democratic Party, I found it a little amusing and disturbing at where some have positioned their Lane County headquarters. Here is how our local free weekly paper, Eugene Weekly, described their locations. "It's not just candidates coming through town for a quick speech anymore; the presidential campaigns have come to Eugene and they're setting up shop. Just across from Kinko's on Willamette lies Barack Obama's new headquarters. And Springfield is the home for Hillary Clinton's newly opened local campaign office for Lane County, located across the street from Club 1444 (a "gentlemen's club"), a 60-day loan shop and a panaderia on Main Street. Clinton's office is one of six offices statewide. The white painted square cinderblock building at 1441 Main boasts in its front window a series of red, white and blue yard signs and white poster board signs drawn with markers emblazed with slogans such as "Honk for Hillary." The building shares a parking lot with Goodfella Lounge and the EZ Boy Mattress factory. Along that section of Main Street are aging trailer parks, cheap motels and little used lots encircled by barbed wire-topped chain link fencing...."
This might explain why she has the so called "blue collar" support. It does make me wonder if Bill picked out the location:-} Here is a link to the story http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2008/04/24/news2.html
I hope that it will get some to pause and to think of the two of these candidates on the more obscure issues. For myself I ask, "Why would a women that is running to be the 1st "women" POTUS have her county headquarters in such a location? Living in this area I know of much more suitable locations that would not stare at the belittling of women by being next to a strip club."
I am a 40ish mixed ethnical background, blonde hair blue eyes woman, guess who has my vote!
Posted by: Caryle~ | April 28, 2008 1:11 PM
If Sen. Clinton were sincere, she would concede that the reasons for the no-moderators is because Sen. Obama is rightly concerned about getting unfairly mugged like he did in the ABC Philly debate.
She ate it up, so no more debates/no free media is her dessert. Obama's running out the clock, that's the bottom line, and running out the clock means, don't give your opponent opportunities to score points.
Posted by: gbooksdc | April 28, 2008 8:57 AM
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK Hillary can manage anything including education rather than someone with title of professor.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TO THE PERSON WHO WROTE THE ABOVE MESSAGE!
Kindly remember Mr Ayres the terrorist bomber is a professor.
You should not put Obama in his class he is only his friend.
Posted by: Evista | April 28, 2008 8:21 AM
In case no one has noticed, the Pastor closed the deal last night.
Hillary will be nominated, because she believes we are ALL AMERICANS.
But the Pastor that mentored Obama says we are DIFFERENT. He maybe right too, I know I am not like Ayres or Rezko or Farakhan or Michelle Obama. Good Lord imagine these people in charge of the White House.
Hillary is light years ahead of Obama in policies and brains. It is sad that those who don't like her are so full of hate they must be really sad people.
I don't think Obama is fit or able to be the President, but I don't hate him. I just wish he would go back to Illinois and sort out the Chicago killings and show us he can do something.
Posted by: Evista | April 28, 2008 8:15 AM
N E O C O N S
C L I N T O N
Bill Kristol, Charles Krauthammer, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Buchanan, Joe Lieberman, Rubert Murdoch, Dick Cheney, Carl Rove.......
William (Bill) Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard and prime pusher of invading Iraq re: Hillary Clinton:
"I like to be on Hillary's side"
"She is a good candidate"
"I am with her. I am with her"
Posted by: FOX NEWS | April 27, 2008 11:56 PM
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK Hillary has 35 years of experience doing anything presidential
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK Hillary can fix an economy on the verge of collapse when she cant manage a presidential campaign or pay the vendors she has promised money to.
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK Hillary can provide health care when all her attempts in the past have failed
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK Hillary can get America out of two wars better than Obama when she already wants to annihilate Iran
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK Hillary can manage anything including education rather than someone with title of professor.
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK If you think Hillary's so called 8 years of experience at the right hand of Bill ( apart from when dodging sniper fire, hosting tea parties with dignitaries and other leaders wives or when Monica was in the oval office) will make her a better leader than a man who graduated top of his class at Harvard when Hillary couldn't even pass the bar exam.
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT IF YOU THINK That trying something new is a better idea than staying with the same old lying cheating and stealing that has accompanied the previous Clinton presidency
And lastly jack smith the idiot I do believe republicans are voting for Hillary because they think McCain will eat her in the general.
Whoops one last thing jack idiot smith Your are an idiot And please get a new slogan its starting to sound kinda idiotic you idiot
Posted by: kempy76 | April 27, 2008 10:21 PM
JACK SMITH KING OF THE IDIOTS
Posted by: KEMPY76 | April 27, 2008 10:07 PM
....................HILLARY VOTED FOR THE WAR
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 8:31 PM
The DNC didn't want my vote in the the primary...they sure as hell not getting it in November....I only hope every democrat in Michigan and Florida feels the same.
Posted by: lucygirl1 | April 27, 2008 7:40 PM
Weekend Development on Obama Watch
* Obama is scared of debates..
* Obama calls his supporters Chablis drinking limosine liberals, so every group has a title ( better than bitter and clinging to guns and religion )
* Obama pushed MLK under the train by comparing King's speeches to Rev Wright's speeches as similar.
* Obama thrashed a bunch of high school kids in basketball, not caring for their feelings, just because he cannot bowl
* Obama insulted the marines by wearing a USMC T shirt. Has he ever served anywhere, even ROTC. Even Bush has certificates to prove he served
* Obama insults his liberal supporters and moveon.org by appearing on FOX
All these just for the weekend.
Posted by: vs | April 27, 2008 7:23 PM
Someone ask: "Why should Obama waste valuable campaign time with a mud-slinger like Clinton?"
Do you prefer he hang out with Wright?
Posted by: Billw | April 27, 2008 7:08 PM
Obama snores and farts, note.
Posted by: Jake leg | April 27, 2008 6:55 PM
To Shirley and anybody else gullible enough to buy her gossip, follow this link and get your stories straight: http://www.snopes.com/politics/clintons/landlord.asp Long story short, no rent by the Secret Service and these attacks and fairytales don't meet the needs of informing people. If Obama feels that there is no need to debate because he fears the repetition of the infantile questions from the last round, this is his solution. He himself has pointed out that the two candidates hold very similar votes. If he believes that, then he should also realize that this is the very reason to have such a debate. The voters need to understand that there are differences, what those differences are, and that this is not a flip of a coin decision. In the mean time, attacking one and other here on this post and writing horrid things about either of the candidates (particularly making them out as truths when they are bold faced LIES) is getting none of us any closer to our goals. I won't vote for Obama because: 1) He is too young for this office - almost all of our presidents under the age of 50 have had affairs or sex scandals 2) He does not have enough legislative experience at the national level, including house committees and issues 3) He does not have enough prior work history working for the people of this country outside of the inner cities 4) He does not have the ability to express himself well in a debate or conversation and seems able to do so only when not interrupted or during his sermons 5) He switches manners when expressing himself to different audiences, much as Oprah Winfrey does - not content, but delivery. The blacker the audience, the blacker the presentation delivery. This is insulting considering he was not raised in a black american household (so it's learned acting) and it is down right patronizing to his listeners 6) He is insulting in his dismissal of "non-believers" as being people in boxes beyond his reach who refuse to learn or grow or accept anything new while clinging to those things that they do know 7) He does not have a history of building political bridges; his history is of voting the party line - he is a lemming and a red herring and is being used by the DNC to get the black vote away from the GOP 8) His response to an attack on our allies is to make his displeasure known; he's already given them the "Advance to Go" if elected 9) Nobody in this country knows what kind of a leader this man will turn out to be because he has never been solely responsible for the final word in any city or state and often votes "present" on the difficult issues 10) Somebody has to counterbalance the unthinking acceptance of something new as better by the inexperienced youth, the militant middleage crazies, and the unthinking loyalist black vote
Posted by: Kimberly | April 27, 2008 6:45 PM
Enough is enough. I am tired of debates. we have had enough of them. Please candidates just go out there and talk to the voters in the states with upcoming primaries.
Posted by: sigmund fraud | April 27, 2008 5:25 PM
Maggie... Did you go to church today?
Posted by: A Christian | April 27, 2008 5:12 PM
If you want to add another name to Obama Hatim El Hady,he was the head of Kindhearts charity that the fbi closed because he was giving money to the terriost I read this in the IL.Tribune the other day so now you have him Will Ayers ,Wright, Louis Farrakhan.About the debates there was 21 but only 4 between the two of them
Posted by: maggie | April 27, 2008 4:56 PM
MRS Clinton says: 'I think that would be good for the Democratic Party'
I am sure that is her reason, not the free television time, or the fact that if Senator Obama is involved she will be seen by more people than the pathetic liar can draw herself. If she has any interest in the good of the party she would exit, and though too late to do so gracefully, at least she would be gone.
Posted by: james d granata | April 27, 2008 4:54 PM
I would rather learn if there is any thing to the claims about Sen Clinton's abuse of Arkansas state troopers than spend 45+ more minutes watching tired old guilt through association charges being pitched at Obama by Clinton. Scandal is more "fun" than watching McCarthy look alike re-runs.
Most of all I would like to hear what the candidates are actually doing about our loss of jobs and reduced hours. The last time one of them promised lots of new jobs, nothing happened except maybe fewer jobs.
Posted by: Unemployed Old White Guy | April 27, 2008 4:34 PM
A person who didn't care about fairness or rules could take an unmoderated debate and keep the other person on the defensive. I wouldn't trust Hillary in a debate like this for anything. Obama has shown himself to have more honor in matters like these. He wouldn't say; "Why did you lie about snipers, Hillary?" Just as an aside, the Lincoln-Douglas debates weren't actually debates at all; but, a series of 45 minute speeches. I have a feeling Hillary wouldn't like to go against Obama speech against speech. And why did Lincoln and Douglas have so many debates, Hillary? Because there was no TV--that was the only way to get their messages out. More people have seen Obama and Clinton on TV in one debate than saw Lincoln and Douglas in their entire careers.
Posted by: Sueb2 | April 27, 2008 4:24 PM
In the words of DC SOooooo
"Congressman Clyburn calls Bill Clinton a racist. Has he ever commented on Michelle Obama or Rev Wright. CLYBURN ,CRYBABY, and his ilk needs to CHILL OUT. IT is racism when 92 % vote by color...
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 3:30 PM"
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 3:49 PM
Congressman Clyburn calls Bill Clinton a racist. Has he ever commented on Michelle Obama or Rev Wright. CLYBURN ,CRYBABY, and his ilk needs to CHILL OUT. IT is racism when 92 % vote by color...
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 3:30 PM
Senator Clinton asks the question: "Why can't he (Senator Obama) close the deal?" We should all be asking her why SHE hasn't closed the deal! She claimed it would all be over and she'd be the candidate after Iowa!
Senator Clinton talks about her "experience". However, it should be noted that while describing that experience, her detailed account (on numerous occasions) about running across a tarmac under sniper fire in Bosnia wasn't "experience", it was a blatant lie. It was a lie that she told over and over again--even after she was caught on video! Once the video was unveiled, she lied some more, and when that didn't work, she claimed she was tired; she claimed she misspoke. Tell me what happens if she's tired and misspeaks when she answers the phone at 3:00 a.m.?
She talks about how Senator Obama is an elitist who demeans us. Lying to the American people and then laughing and shrugging her shoulders when caught in the headlights of a video and expecting that it wouldn't make any difference to the American people demeans us all. President Clinton did the same thing while he was President--he lied to us with incredible ease--but he's a good guy, right? He can lie all he wants as long as he's charming and knows how to crack a joke.
There are over 4000 soldiers who are DEAD! They've been slaughtered. They are never coming home. Senator Clinton voted for us to go to that war and didn't have the guts to admit that she was wrong.
Barack Obama voted NO to the war. Period.
Senator Clinton talks about how she gets the work done and all Senator Obama does is use words. Where's all this work she claims to be doing and how's she communicating all of that to us? What significant work did she do in 35 years? How did she do it? Surely not with words! And if her Washington experience is the answer, then tell me why our country is a complete mess when we've been voting for and relying on "experienced Washington leaders" for years?
Senator Clinton's "experience" has taught her how to twist the truth and manipulate our thoughts and hopes, to fill us with fear, and to use ridicule to humiliate her opponent at every possible opportunity. What kind of person does these things so easily and so willingly, all in an effort to win? It reminds me of the people who cheat and then claim they've won.
The media brings up the Rev. Wright business over and over again. How many people in the media who bombard their cable television audiences with sound bites and who write their vicious commentaries, and how many Americans after hearing this stuff over and over again, took the time to watch the Bill Moyers' interview with Rev. Wright? For all those of us who did watch it, we now know that we've been subjected to a blitz of horrible lies and manipulation with respect to Rev. Wright since "day one". I can't believe the amount of hatred and vitriol that is spewed by our wonderful "Christian" American people against Barack Obama because of his minister. How many of these righteous people have taken the time to listen to any of Rev. Wright's sermons or have bothered to research the good work his church has been doing?
Do you really think Senator Clinton goes out bowling and chugs down boilermakers at the local bar? Or cleans her shotgun and goes out shooting ducks for recreation? The Clintons have 109 million American Dollars! They did their best to keep that from the American public for months and months and months. Maybe they were worried that we might think they were elitist!
The saddest thing of all is that we are so jaded and so used to being lied to, that for some of us it's easier to lower our standards or just give up and accept the ugly status quo. For some of us, it is too hard to believe that there could be a new, brilliant, strong, and better way to get things right for our beloved country. Americans are intelligent enough and love this country enough to work together--both parties, all people from every walk of life--to put an end to the things that are slowly destroying it. If we elect Senator Obama, we'll finally have a solid chance to make our country stronger and better than ever before. We're in desperate trouble. I hope with all my heart we don't lose this chance for real change.
I urge everyone to read Senator Obama's books, to listen to his speeches, to read and listen to the accounts of people who have worked with him, who know him, and have already witnessed his potential to become a remarkable leader. Among his many gifts are strength, humility, keen intelligence, patience, an unwillingness to play the dirty games of which his opponents are so adept; his deep love of America.
Senator Obama isn't perfect and he never claimed to be. He has told us that if he becomes our president, his cabinet will be comprised of honest intelligent people who won't be afraid to point out if they disagree with him. He has told us that he wants us to know what's going on, to have a real voice in how our country moves forward.
I guess if he doesn't get the candidacy that he has by most standards already won, it will be because he should have learned to lie.
Posted by: di | April 27, 2008 3:00 PM
Senator Clinton asks the question: "Why can't he (Senator Obama) close the deal?" We should all be asking her why SHE hasn't closed the deal! She claimed it would all be over and she'd be the candidate after Iowa!
Senator Clinton talks about her "experience". However, it should be noted that while describing that experience, her detailed account (on numerous occasions) about running across a tarmac under sniper fire in Bosnia wasn't "experience", it was a blatant lie. It was a lie that she told over and over again--even after she was caught on video! Once the video was unveiled, she lied some more, and when that didn't work, she claimed she was tired; she claimed she misspoke. Tell me what happens if she's tired and misspeaks when she answers the phone at 3:00 a.m.?
She talks about how Senator Obama is an elitist who demeans us. Lying to the American people and then laughing and shrugging her shoulders when caught in the headlights of a video and expecting that it wouldn't make any difference to the American people demeans us all. President Clinton did the same thing while he was President--he lied to us with incredible ease--but he's a good guy, right? He can lie all he wants as long as he's charming and knows how to crack a joke.
There are over 4000 soldiers who are DEAD! They've been slaughtered. They are never coming home. Senator Clinton voted for us to go to that war and didn't have the guts to admit that she was wrong.
Barack Obama voted NO to the war. Period.
Senator Clinton talks about how she gets the work done and all Senator Obama does is use words. Where's all this work she claims to be doing and how's she communicating all of that to us? What significant work did she do in 35 years? How did she do it? Surely not with words! And if her Washington experience is the answer, then tell me why our country is a complete mess when we've been voting for and relying on "experienced Washington leaders" for years?
Senator Clinton's "experience" has taught her how to twist the truth and manipulate our thoughts and hopes, to fill us with fear, and to use ridicule to humiliate her opponent at every possible opportunity. What kind of person does these things so easily and so willingly, all in an effort to win? It reminds me of the people who cheat and then claim they've won.
The media brings up the Rev. Wright business over and over again. How many people in the media who bombard their cable television audiences with sound bites and who write their vicious commentaries, and how many Americans after hearing this stuff over and over again, took the time to watch the Bill Moyers' interview with Rev. Wright? For all those of us who did watch it, we now know that we've been subjected to a blitz of horrible lies and manipulation with respect to Rev. Wright since "day one". I can't believe the amount of hatred and vitriol that is spewed by our wonderful "Christian" American people against Barack Obama because of his minister. How many of these righteous people have taken the time to listen to any of Rev. Wright's sermons or have bothered to research the good work his church has been doing?
Do you really think Senator Clinton goes out bowling and chugs down boilermakers at the local bar? Or cleans her shotgun and goes out shooting ducks for recreation? The Clintons have 109 million American Dollars! They did their best to keep that from the American public for months and months and months. Maybe they were worried that we might think they were elitist!
The saddest thing of all is that we are so jaded and so used to being lied to, that for some of us it's easier to lower our standards or just give up and accept the ugly status quo. For some of us, it is too hard to believe that there could be a new, brilliant, strong, and better way to get things right for our beloved country. Americans are intelligent enough and love this country enough to work together--both parties, all people from every walk of life--to put an end to the things that are slowly destroying it. If we elect Senator Obama, we'll finally have a solid chance to make our country stronger and better than ever before. We're in desperate trouble. I hope with all my heart we don't lose this chance for real change.
I urge everyone to read Senator Obama's books, to listen to his speeches, to read and listen to the accounts of people who have worked with him, who know him, and have already witnessed his potential to become a remarkable leader. Among his many gifts are strength, humility, keen intelligence, patience, an unwillingness to play the dirty games of which his opponents are so adept; his deep love of America.
Senator Obama isn't perfect and he never claimed to be. He has told us that if he becomes our president, his cabinet will be comprised of honest intelligent people who won't be afraid to point out if they disagree with him. He has told us that he wants us to know what's going on, to have a real voice in how our country moves forward.
I guess if he doesn't get the candidacy that he has by most standards already won, it will be because he should have learned to lie.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 2:59 PM
"Just what we need ... a wimpy President that can't stand up to an opponent or answer hard questions in a debate. We've already seen him storm out of one press conference in Texas when asked questions he didn't like."
He doesn't have what it takes to lead the United States, either stand-up wise or moral-wise. The Wright issue broke on March 13, and in the only primary since then he lost by 10%. Then in the last debate, he came up short. His confidence and ratings have fallen, and had his relationship with Wright been known at the outset the overall voting results would be different today. His not wanting to debate doesn't speak well at all for his fortitude. His chickens are coming to roost.
Posted by: Billw | April 27, 2008 2:47 PM
....................HILLARY VOTED FOR THE WAR
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 2:43 PM
Our culture encourages men to respect women. Obama is doing exactly that and Hillary knows this but would rather exploit it to her advantage.
If Obama debated McCain it would be a different story.
Posted by: xxx | April 27, 2008 1:49 PM
There are those who want our next president to be a good debater.
There are those who want our next president to be tough and a good fighter
I can think of many scummy lawyers who are good debaters.
I can think of many bullies who are tough and good fighters
I want the next president to be intelligent, thoughtful, honest, and decent.
Posted by: + | April 27, 2008 1:38 PM
Obama is afraid to debate! So what? Why should he have to?
After all, he has the Dean-Pelosi-Reid cabal working for him.
The thin veneer of charisma seems to be holding up for almost half of the Democratic voters, and Clinton only has support of almost half of the Democratic supporters.
[[@justada55 what does "Bring it on..." mean]]
Posted by: old91A10 | April 27, 2008 1:32 PM
Oh this is productive, well the faith & inspiration I gained supporting Obama has been pretty much destroyed by Hillary Clinton. It is clear there is no point she should continue this race. Virtually no difference on issues, no path to nomination with the small exception - make Obama unelectable. I never thought I'd live to see the day a fellow Democrat would say that a Republican is more qualified to be President than a fellow frontrunner Democrat - I keep hearing her say that and it became clear that her sole motivation is to destroy Obama - and its not about the issues, its about what exactly? People interpret Obama trying to keep his eye on the goal of unifying our party and not getting dragged into the gutter - since when is Obama's wearing a flagpin a more important issue than 4000+ dead in Iraq? Truth is I dont trust Hillary. She lied to all of us. It wasnt once, or twice. It was calculated and repeated with the clear intent to decieve us all - did you see her remorseless apology? And you STILL support her? What does that say about US? Are we seriously even considering putting an IMPEACHED President, as America's first, First Gentleman? Seriously, Im a Democratic and I can clearly see that firestorm on the horizon, on that alone I cant support her. This needs to end now Indiana. I understand the importance of having a glass ceiling broken, you can do better - find someone with an ounce of decency that wont put herself ahead of our party and our country. If she is half as intelligent as she thinks she is, she should step down. For her to go kicking and screaming will destroy whatever remains of her career in politics.
Posted by: WithOpenEyes | April 27, 2008 1:31 PM
As an Obama supporter, I would not mind another debate. But what are Democrats debating after 21 debates?!?!
Hillary-supporters are quick to use words like "empty suit", "weak", and "elitist" against Obama because they saw it on TV, or read it on the Internet or heard it on the radio.
What is being lost in these debates are important issues facing the nation. This is clearly evident from the last debate in Philly. Just ask anyone a Hillary supporter or an Obama supporter, what were the positions and policies discussed at that debate?
No one can remember. The only thing people recalled is Obama's "poor debate performance" because nearly 60% that debate focused on responses to questions about wearing flag pins, Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Bosnia sniper fire, and "bitter-comments".
Obama should spend time campaigning in Indiana and North Carolina, meeting and discussing issues/solutions with electorate, not Hillary.
Posted by: AJ | April 27, 2008 1:20 PM
"Every time the scummy neocon media and low life Hillary piss me off and unfairly insult Obama I make another $100 donation to Obama's campaign"
You must be very rich
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 1:13 PM
Actually, I think Obama would do very well against Hillary, one to one, if there were no moderators. She would continue to come across as sharp, cunning, and false, and divisive; and he would keep coming off as presidential, intelligent, thoughtful, and decent.
on the other hand, why give her the free publicity where she could keep mentioning her web-site and asking for donations, as she did twice in the last debate (has the woman no shame...or is it just funny?)
Posted by: Debra Ann | April 27, 2008 1:09 PM
Just keep on what you are doing Barack. Stay on the high road, no matter how the Clintons try to pull you down to their level. Clinton and McCain have coopted the CHANGE theme, but they don't understand what it means to the American people. The CHANGE we need is to end this polarization and get back to the cooperation it takes to move ahead. The BUSH/CLINTON/BUSH years have been a downward spiral into a paralyzed government that gets absolutely NOTHING done. For 20 years...no healthcare reform, no energy program, no lasting peace initiatives, war,war,war, etc., etc. It's time to move on and get busy. OBAMA is the leader we need.
Posted by: Joyce | April 27, 2008 1:04 PM
Just what we need ... a wimpy President that can't even stand up to an opponent or answer hard questions in a debate. It just reinforces what a disaster Obama would be if trying to deal with tough issues as President, let alone handle a press conference or a negotiation with an opponent. We've already seen him storm out of one press conference in Texas when he was asked questions he didn't like. Clinton's ad in PA is right on -- "If you can't stand the HEAT, then get out of the kitchen." It's time for Obama and his supporters to admit that he can't handle the job of being President.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 12:40 PM
The debates have proved that Hillary knows her stuff better than any other candidate. A true one on one debate would give Hillary an even better chance to show that she is the superior candidate (opps, did I say a race word?). And there would be a window where the media attack dogs would be (at least for a short time) whould be held at bay.
Let's face facts, if Obama were white with his second-rate Health Care Plan? Heck, black voters wouldn't give him a second look. . . . . . But,
LET HILLARY SAY THAT SHE IS THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAS THE BEST EXPERIENCE -- THEN SHE'S PLAYING THE RACE CARD.
If the media didn't work so hard at stirring up hatred, it would be a breath of fresh air. . . . . . . Personally, I think Obama woulld make a great Vice-President, and in eight years would be well seasoned to be a great President.
Posted by: Coldcomfort | April 27, 2008 12:22 PM
Bring it on Blacky, Im revved up. Cage match and I'll put you back in your place, back 50 years. To hell with televised debates. Keep on talking to the people. "Go Obama, and may God Bless".
Posted by: justada55 | April 27, 2008 12:14 PM
Every time the scummy neocon media and low life Hillary piss me off and unfairly insult Obama I make another $100 donation to Obama's campaign. I urge all his supporters to do the same, no matter what the amount.
All voters should watch Rev. Wright on Bill Moyers and see how disgusting the media and Hillary have been on this issue:
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 12:13 PM
Have you ever heard anything so infantile as the below post. Probably an American Parent whom sends their kids to die in a winless war, while they are sitting home home watching Jerry Springer. You no, the show that shows the mentality of all Americans. I wouldn't fight a women while she is on male hormone Therapy. Most men crawl from there wives when the heat is on. Admit it, she is a loser and very desperate and dangerous.
Maybe Obama can ask Michelle to fight for him.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 12:07 PM
Hillarrhea never shuts up. I hate to think of four more years of listening to her scratchy voice railing against her enemies, real imagined, embellished or exaggerated. Four more years of Rudolph the liar waving his finger in people's faces. Shut her up now. She is poison to the Democratic Party. She is polarizing and can not win the general election. She has dredged up racism and attacked anybody that says anything different than what she is saying.Look at the way the Clinton camp attacked Bill Richardson. It is not just a rebuttal of what people say that oppose her. They try to personally destroy people. She has no place in government.
Posted by: majorteddy | April 27, 2008 11:58 AM
Of course, Obama does not want to debate Hillary. She outsmarts him every time. When are Democrats going to realize this guy is an empty suit. Get out of your Obama-induced coma. Frankly, he hasn't one any big state. How could he be viable in November. If he were a woman, the race would be over. He'd be laughed off the stage.
Posted by: Political Watchdog | April 27, 2008 11:55 AM
No one to bring reality or reason in the door. She lies, demagogues, slanders; he responds. She is offended, hurt and wounded. Black man, white woman. Who wouldn't want to get into that room with a power-crazy, nutcase woman whose war room is ready to spin you into being an abusive, dangerous person? After that? Fifty bullets?
Posted by: rusty 3 | April 27, 2008 11:41 AM
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 11:10 AM
Pleassssssse. NO. MORE. HILLARY. She lost the nomination legally and morally. There is no need for Barack to debate someone who is out of the race but won't concede it.
Posted by: AC | April 27, 2008 11:08 AM
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 11:06 AM
Did you watch the link I posted? I am curious what you think. How does a woman like you side with a woman whose husband is a rapist? It is true you know and Hillary had a lot to do with covering it up and threatning the woman to keep quiet. From the interview I believe she felt her life was in danger. This are the people you support.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 11:03 AM
We have had 8 years of Bush and Cheney who refused to face tough questions. They have acted as if they are above having to answer to the American people.
Obama is doing the same.
Bush and Cheney felt they didn't have to count the votes and told Gore to just quit.
Obama is doing the same.
Bush and Cheney have refused access to their records and emails.
Obama has done the same with his Illinois records.
Obama may claim to be about change in Washington but the evidence tells a different story.
Posted by: Chrissy | April 27, 2008 10:59 AM
If guilt by association concerns you you may want to look at this.
quote Questions about Obama's intimate associations and advisors are important. Obama chose to make these intimate relationships with the kooky and the corrupt like Wright, Ayres and Rezko. He needs to justify them.
If he can't be trusted to make good choices in his business and personal advisors how can he be trusted to choose the people to execute our priorties as a nation fairly?
Obama has been able to give vague general answers and has not been challenged. There has been no follow-up when he has made gaffes in debates.
A strong candidate would not be backing down.
Posted by: Chrissy | April 27, 2008 10:33 AM
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 10:54 AM
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 10:51 AM
After the Stephanopoulops hatchet job Obama should categorically refuse to debate any more. He is now the front runner -- poor bitter Hillary just keeps baiting him, but he alone makes the decisions now.
Posted by: bodo | April 27, 2008 10:45 AM
Both candidates are now so badley damaged and thier suporters so embitterd that neither will be able to defeat Mcain in November.
We Dems need to find a third candidate who can unite the party. Others have said it here and I will add my post to it,
Al Gore needs to step in and end this. He is the only one now who can defeat the Republican machine and restore sanity to our politics, economy and enviroment.
Posted by: a working man | April 27, 2008 10:37 AM
Questions about Obama's intimate associations and advisors are important. Obama chose to make these intimate relationships with the kooky and the corrupt like Wright, Ayres and Rezko. He needs to justify them.
If he can't be trusted to make good choices in his business and personal advisors how can he be trusted to choose the people to execute our priorties as a nation fairly?
Obama has been able to give vague general answers and has not been challenged. There has been no follow-up when he has made gaffes in debates.
A strong candidate would not be backing down.
Posted by: Chrissy | April 27, 2008 10:33 AM
I am an Obama supporter! If Hillary gets the nomination for the Democrats. I will vote for her! If Obama wins the nomination will you vote for Obama? That's what a real Democrat will do? Forget about race and vote Democrat!!!!!
Posted by: An American | April 26, 2008 9:12 PM _______________________________________
While I do share your sentiments, simply because I am tired of republican control of the White House, heck, I'd vote for Winnie the Poo over John McCain.
However, because of the Rove'esque manner in which she is running her campaign. I fear that many African Americans, if not most who support Obama, will vote for here, and will simply not vote at all. Which would GIVE the presidency to McCain in November.
These debates have been damaging to the Democratic Party. If Bill and Hillary need a soap box to do their race and fear baiting, then they should do so without the aid of the media (debate).
I am a long time African American democrat, and I am deeply concerned at how what should be an exciting, hostoric time in our party, has decended into a juke joint bar fight. It doesn't matter who started what, one of these candidates needs to take a strong stand against the bitterness.
I think they should both agree NOT to have any more debates and both agree to speak on their individual qualifications and ideas to their own benefit as opposed cat fighting.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 10:01 AM
....................HILLARY VOTED FOR THE WAR
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 9:55 AM
Hillary Clinton had a chance to turn the last ABC "debate" to a discussion of the issues, but did she? No. Instead, she gleefully helped Georgie and Charlie rehash the rumors and guilt by association accusations against Obama. No, Hillary. I don't think you know what the word debate means any more than the network personalities that serve up crap to improve their ratings.
Posted by: Joyce | April 27, 2008 9:54 AM
Obama has not performed well even with the help of the really poor quality of the questions and moderators who have tried to help Obama and avoid the hard questions. There have been no tough questions about Obama's voting record and his absenteeism on votes and his subcommittee. There have been no questions about his lack of transparency with regards to his Illinois records. There have been no questions about what he accomplished in Illinois. There have been no questions about how he calls himself the "Change" candidate when he changed nothing for the better in Chicago - not crime, not housing and not educational achievement nor poverty levels.
Hillary is much smarter than the moderators and better able to get beyond the banal and boring type of debates from someone like Russert or Campbell Brown. Obama can't face a real debate.
Posted by: Chrissy | April 27, 2008 9:53 AM
It's always my contention not to argue with a b$tch.
Whether you win or loss, you just don't feel good afterwards.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 9:51 AM
If actions , not words, are the main value of a politician than all undecided yet states and individual voters should act, like in following: The primary in Illinois on Super Tuesday should be the best model of how to vote for Indiana residence and states of other incoming primaries. Illinois is both -the state of biological birth and home state for Clinton and the birth state for the political career of Obama. Hillary Clinton used Illinois very often during Clinton's presidency to build here her models. For example, Chicago Public School system, where more than one third of graduates were not able to read English, was build here by her, like the dream model of urban education. Chicago Public School was in much better shape at the point of its educational quality before the start of this "great educational experiment" of Hillary Clinton. The same happened with City Colleges of Chicago, etc., etc. For example, Oprah's "break up" with Hillary Clinton and her active support for Obama are essentially connected with the fact that Oprah is located in Chicago, Illinois, and was able to see by her own eyes without media interference what exactly Mrs. Clinton had been doing in Chicago for years of Clinton's presidency. In short, Illinois is the best-informed state of the entire country when it is necessary to choose between Obama and Mrs. Clinton on the basis of their real achievements. Illinois voted on Super Tuesday of 2/5/08 for Obama with more than 30% gap. So, all less informed states and all undecided voters of Indiana and North Carolina and/or other states of incoming primaries should trust the opinion of the most informed state-Illinois and cast their votes following the model of the state of Illinois and its primary of 2/5/08. If in doubt, follow the advice and suggestions of the most informed entity. Isn't it the smartest approach?
Posted by: aepelbaum | April 27, 2008 9:50 AM
If you want an indicator of the quality and executive ability they have you have only to look at their campaigns. Hillary doesn't have the ability to run a lemonade stand much less the country.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 9:37 AM
What does move them (the S D's) is the quality of the candidates, that is where Hillary shot herself in the foot. She has come across like such trash she lost a lot of support. She has no one to blame but herself.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 9:34 AM
Almost all the discussions on here are actually moot. No matter what either of them say, or say about each other doesn't matter. The only audience they are preaching to now are super delegates. They know both of them and all this BS or smoke and mirrors doesn't fool them.
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 9:31 AM
Hi Indy! I don't feel that Obama is scared! They've had twenty debates already. I really feel that Hillary is really desparate right now. I was a Hillary supporter until I've seen just how negative that she can be. Countless times he has been blamed for something that Rev. Wright has said and He has said countless times that he is a christian and he is still questioned on his faith Simply, I am tired of hearing her mouth!!! I think that town hall meetings will be important for Obama and Clinton to have so that the people can speak to each of them one on one.
Posted by: dmexcelsior | April 27, 2008 9:20 AM
"Isn't this quite unusual - a candidate for the highest, most powerful office in the world, the President of the United States of America, and he doesn't have the moxy to stand up to moderators asking him why he doesn't like to wear a flag pin, or why he didn't put his hand over his heart at the J. J. dinner in Iowa, or where he goes to church, or how long he has known Rezko, or Auchi, or Ayers or Ayer's wife, Dohrn, or why he let Emil Jones put his (Barack's) name on bills that belonged to other legislators, to "enhance his political resume," or questions about where he was born, or where he went to school, and who his friends, neighbors, room mates, class mates, teachers were while in college?"
You think these are the important questions? The last set is especially touching. Bring back Joe McCarthy!
You're not more interested how are we going to get out of Iraq, help homeowners in trouble, universal healthcare, making college affordable etc etc etc?
No wonder we ended up with Bush for eight years. We have an electorate that votes based on who they want to have a beer with or their daughter to date rather than who will best govern the nation.
Posted by: hmpierson | April 27, 2008 9:13 AM
Almost two years of watching them and 30 years of watching Hillary, most people have an idea who they are. What good is watching them argue about a bunch of ideas that may never happen anyway. All they do in those things and say what ever they think people want to hear. Hillary is a no good lire we already know that so where do you go from there. Nothing new to hear but more lies.
Qriginal quote below "Being able to see the candidates interact without interference would reveal a lot more about the candidates and their ability to think on their feet, how they interact with opposition, what they really care about and not what the corporate media care about. It is the only type of debate that can reveal the real person and not the facade they put on. That is why Obama is afraid of it. Behind the facade and the image the real Obama would be seen."
Posted by: Chrissy | April 27, 2008 8:50 AM
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 9:09 AM
I guess the OBama supporters who are now calling HRC a liar, a thief,a Witch, the B word, and giving absolutely no credit to the Clinton years, will later try to convince us that their candidate will "bring us all" together as a party and reach across the political lines.
But if your candidate losses the election you will blame Hillary? Good luck with that.
Posted by: David M | April 27, 2008 9:07 AM
Sounds like a great idea to me. No moderators, no one but your opponent. Now you can ask them the real issues questions you want to. Does anyone understand why Obama would be scared to debate Clinton? Indiana wants to know.
Posted by: Indy | April 27, 2008 9:01 AM
Not at all I have posted the youtube link on here several times myself. Facts are facts.
"Anybody offended by Colbert King's 04/26 Wash Post article trying to link Farrakhan to Clinton?
A pro-Obama black journalist fills column space for RACE-BAITING to damage the Clinton brand, leveraging their long history of supportive ties to black leaders. If you approve of these racist tactics, you can send a donation to the North Carolina Republicans' fund for running its Rev. Wright ad at:
If the Wash Post wants to use race-baiting politics against Clinton, well, there's already a party playing those games. NC Republicans will welcome your donations to so they can engage in the same divisive tactics that pro-Obama media outlets have been using against the Clintons to benefit Obama at no cost to him.
If you do make a donation, you can send an email to the Washington post, informing them of your disapproval of the King article and your donation for the Wright ad to: opinions@washingtonpost.com
If you want to send anonymous email, you can do so from: http://www.gilc.org/speech/anonymous/remailer.html
FIGHT BACK AGAINST MEDIA BIASING ELECTIONS WITH FALSE REPORTING AND UNETHICAL JOURNALISM!
Posted by: Fight Back Against Biased Election Coverage | April 27, 2008 8:44 AM
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 8:59 AM
This is to the person that wrote that Obama is the racist candidate. 90% of blacks support him. Pure and Simple, Hillary is a Liar and Bill is a cheat!!!!!
Posted by: dmexcelsior | April 27, 2008 8:50 AM
Being able to see the candidates interact without interference would reveal a lot more about the candidates and their ability to think on their feet, how they interact with opposition, what they really care about and not what the corporate media care about. It is the only type of debate that can reveal the real person and not the facade they put on. That is why Obama is afraid of it. Behind the facade and the image the real Obama would be seen.
Posted by: Chrissy | April 27, 2008 8:50 AM
Anybody offended by Colbert King's 04/26 Wash Post article trying to link Farrakhan to Clinton?
A pro-Obama black journalist fills column space for RACE-BAITING to damage the Clinton brand, leveraging their long history of supportive ties to black leaders. If you approve of these racist tactics, you can send a donation to the North Carolina Republicans' fund for running its Rev. Wright ad at:
If the Wash Post wants to use race-baiting politics against Clinton, well, there's already a party playing those games. NC Republicans will welcome your donations to so they can engage in the same divisive tactics that pro-Obama media outlets have been using against the Clintons to benefit Obama at no cost to him.
If you do make a donation, you can send an email to the Washington post, informing them of your disapproval of the King article and your donation for the Wright ad to: opinions@washingtonpost.com
If you want to send anonymous email, you can do so from: http://www.gilc.org/speech/anonymous/remailer.html
FIGHT BACK AGAINST MEDIA BIASING ELECTIONS WITH FALSE REPORTING AND UNETHICAL JOURNALISM!
Posted by: Fight Back Against Biased Election Coverage | April 27, 2008 8:44 AM
t is being said on good authority that the powerful rightwing Jewish Lobby including [AIPAC] American Israel Public Affairs Committee is vexed, frustrated and displeased with Barack Obama's ... /> ---------------------------------- I was wondering when Obama's supporters start blaming the Jews. Here they are now... BTW, according to the polls the Jewish voters in PA split about 53 to 47% for Clinton. Black voters 92 to 8% for Obama. Interesting....
Posted by: The voter | April 27, 2008 8:39 AM
Well, Obama is the racist candidate. 90 % of blacks support him. Pure and Simple
Posted by: vs | April 27, 2008 8:28 AM
Anybody offended by Colbert King's 04/26 Wash Post article trying to link Farrakhan to Clinton? A pro-Obama black journalist fills column space to use RACE-BAITING to damage the Clinton leveraging their long history of supportive ties to black leaders. If you approve of those racist tactics, you can send a donation to the North Carolina Republicans' fund for running its Rev. Wright ad at:
The Wash Post wants to use race-baiting politics against Clinton, well, there's already a party playing those games. NC Republicans will welcome your donations to so they can engage in the same race-baiting tactics that pro-Obama media outlets have been doing to the Clintons, to benefit Obama at no cost to him.
If you do make a donation, you can send an email to the Washington post, informing them about your disapproval of the King article and your donation for the Wright ad to: opinions@washingtonpost.com
If you want to send anonymous email, you can do so at: http://www.gilc.org/speech/anonymous/remailer.html
FIGHT BACK AGAINST MEDIA BIASING ELECTIONS WITH FALSE & UNETHICAL JOURNALISM!
Posted by: Fight Back Against Biased Media | April 27, 2008 8:03 AM
All the time Hillary Clinton talks about having another "debate" is time she escapes having to explain just how she would enforce the mandate of her health care plan and how she would pay for those new programs that she keeps promising.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama is on the trail, listening to the questions that Indiana folks pose and doing his best to answer them.
Posted by: Old White Guy | April 27, 2008 8:00 AM
DON'T DO IT OBAMA!!! sTAY STRONG!!! Hillary why don't you just focus on the issues???? Or better yet, why don't you and Bill just go away!!!
Posted by: ForObama08 | April 27, 2008 7:58 AM
Please no more debates! Talk to us about the issues we care about.
If you must debate, please debate the fraud case Clinton vs Peter Paul.
Posted by: DollAnn | April 27, 2008 7:49 AM
Hillary is like Winston Churchill.
Posted by: Hillary is a lion. Obama is a mouse. | April 26, 2008 6:56 PM
She is? Well why didn't you say so? That changes everything, Go Churchillary!
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 7:47 AM
Obama is unelectable. Here in Massachusetts he will be trounced by McCain. This is Hillary country. Even Sen. Kerry is getting nervous about his reelection. See how quiet he has been lately after super tuesday
Posted by: vs | April 27, 2008 7:46 AM
I've come to really despise the Clintons and regret supporting them, defending them and allowing myself to be lied to and used by them in the 90s. However, I like the idea. I wouldn't spend any more time talking to Hillary Clinton than I had to either, but I hope Obama and McCain will do something similar in the general.
Posted by: aleks | April 27, 2008 7:32 AM
What arrogance !! Obama thinks he is an incumbent refusing to debate. Hillary should get the fake SNL Obama and debate. Hey, maybe a good skit for next week's SNL. Real Hillary and Fake Obama debating :-)
Posted by: vs | April 27, 2008 7:18 AM
The last debate in Pennsylvania showed that Obama was weak and lightweight. Obama said he had 21 debates. But in 20 out 21, the mediators had been giving Obama a by. This one-on-one debate proposed by Clinton is the opportunity for him to prove himself that he is not weak and lightweight. Don't be afraid, Obama is a big boy now.
Yeah, Obama go on, have the one-on-one debate. Don' whine on mediators asking you tough questions. We want to see what you have. We want to see if we are electing a weak, lightweight, or a strong, heavy weight to represent American on the world stage.
Don't hide behind those earlier delegates. Don't hide behind those rules. Being a president means there is no timeline, no deadline, no soft lines from the media, no rules when you are dealing with foreign leader on the world stage. WE JUST WANT TO SEE IF YOU HAVE IT TO BE A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, OR NOT.
Go take the chellenge! Or, you are afraid, Mr. Obama.
Posted by: GY | April 27, 2008 5:59 AM
Hill needs free air time because her campaign hasn't been able to raise enough money to compete with Obama. Forget it. You'll have to do it on your own.
MSNBC----go to comments and scroll down to list of 47 suspicious deaths of people closely associated with the Clintons. How many unusual suicides can one couple know? And why would 12 young healthy men die who also just happened to be Clinton personal body guards? Here's the link: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/25/947650.aspx#comments
Posted by: karela | April 27, 2008 4:26 AM
It's simple: Look at the evidence:
From: "Head of State http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/04/garin-on-negative-campaigning.html
"Clinton, Obama, and Negative Campaigning Just as there is a "Fog of War", the "Fog of Campaigning" can also breed short (and at times false) memories.
Geoff Garin, the replacement on the Clinton team for Mark Penn, claims in today's WP that there has been "one campaign...that has been mean-spirited" and "unfair" and that it is "not ours".
Garin, who seems to be a genuine and decent professional who has been dropped to the helm of a listing ship, attempts to right it not by changing the direction of the boat, but by trying to reverse reality.
Clinton at the Jefferson-Jackson Day Speech:
"I'm not interested in attacking my opponents, I'm interested in attacking the problems of America. And I believe we should be turning up the heat on the Republicans -- they deserve all the heat we can give them."
New York Times: "Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, which is now attacking Senator Barack Obama on a daily basis." [New York Times, 11/30/07] NBC's First Read:
MSNBC: "Another day, another Clinton campaign knock on Obama." [First Read, 11/29/07]
December 2007 (leading to the January 6 Iowa primary, including the notorious use of an essay that he wrote in Kindergarten):
Chicago Tribune: "This Clinton Attack On Obama Could Boomerang." "The Clinton people are citing a kindergarten essay by Obama as evidence against him in a presidential campaign. Good thing he was born before widespread pre-natal ultrasounds. Who knows how they might've used that against him? Clinton's people have thrown similar jabs before at Obama but it hasn't fazed him. So their seems to be a little more fury behind the punches as now that Obama's may have taken the lead in Iowa according to the Des Moines Register's most recent poll." [Chicago Tribune, The Swamp, 12/3/07]
Washington Post: "Losing Ground In Iowa, Clinton Assails Obama." "With a new poll showing her losing ground in the Iowa caucus race, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) mounted a new, more aggressive attack against Sen. Barack Obama." [Washington Post, 12/3/07]
New York Daily News: "Hillary Clinton Attack On Barack Obama Comes After She Loses Iowa Lead." "Hours after a new poll showed her falling behind for the first time in Iowa, Hillary Clinton launched a blistering personal broadside on rival Barack Obama." [New York Daily News, 12/3/07]
New York Times: "An Attack, From the Candidate's Mouth" [New York Times, 12/2/07]
New York Times: "Battered by Poll, Clinton Hits Back" [New York Times, 12/2/07]
Clinton Release: "In kindergarten, Senator Obama wrote an essay titled 'I Want to Become President. 'Iis Darmawan, 63, Senator Obama's kindergarten teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President,' the teacher said." [AP, 1/25/07]
And what did the voters think?
Which Candidate is the most negative? Hillary Clinton 21% John Edwards 9% Dennis Kucinich 9% Barack Obama 8% Joe Biden 3% Mike Gravel 3% Christopher Dodd 3% Bill Richardson 3% None/Not sure 43% Source: The Iowa Poll [Des Moines Register, 12/2/07]
What about after Iowa? She surely must have changed her tactics then...
After Iowa Loss, Clinton Ramps Up Attacks: January 06, 2008
AP: "Hillary Clinton Comes Out Swinging, Politeness Lost Along With Iowa Caucuses" [AP, 1/6/08]
Los Angeles Times: "Clinton lets arrows fly at Obama"..."Staggered by her third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, the New York senator was the aggressor throughout a 90-minute session" [LA Times, 1/6/08] Washington Post: "Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton tried repeatedly to knock Sen. Barack Obama off his footing during a high-stakes debate here on Saturday night" [Washington Post, 1/6/08]
AP: "Clinton criticizes Obama in NH mailer" [AP, 1/5/08]
Newsday: "Clinton sharpens attack on Obama" [Newsday, 1/5/08]
Reuters: "Obama under attack ahead of New Hampshire debates" [Reuters, 1/5/08]
Newsday: "After weeks of playing nice in Iowa, the Clinton camp sharpened their elbows when the campaign went wheels-down in New Hampshire, readying TV ads targeting Obama that were expected to focus on health care and his legislative record." [Newsday, 1/4/08]
Washington Post: But she and her aides also signaled their intention to now ratchet up the race, aggressively countering Obama in the five days ahead. She is also now planning to draw even sharper distinctions between herself and Obama on the question of change, after watching voters who wanted a new direction select her main rival for the nomination on Thursday night. [Washington Post, 1/4/08]
Well...that must have been just a momentary reaction to January's surprising defeat. She surely didn't continue that strategy...
The State: "Clinton camp hits Obama -- Attacks 'painful' for black voters. Many in state offended by criticism of Obama, remarks about King" [1/12/08]
New York Times: "Clinton's Campaign Sees Value In Keeping Former President In Attack Mode" [1/25/08]
Greenville News: Ex-Democratic Official Criticizes Clintons' Attacks On Obama [1/23/08]
First Read: "Clinton Justifies War Vote, Hits Obama" [1/13/08]
Politico: "Hillary Clinton attacks Barack Obama" [1/13/08]
Perhaps it became more substantive and dignified in February:
Feb 25, 2008 2008 Presidential Election
Clinton Circulates Pic of Obama in Somali Garb: Report: For some, Barack Obama's "Hussein" middle name has been something worth picking on. For others, it has been pushing the unsubstantiated rumor (debunked by Snopes) that Obama is or was a "radical Muslim." But this - this is truly low. ..Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams said, "If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed."
CNN: "Clinton Sharpens Attacks On Obama" [CNN, 2/14/08]
Concord Monitor: "Clinton Attack Still Riles Some" [2/4/08]
Guardian Unlimited: "Clinton Goes On Attack As Obama Closes Gap" [2/3/08]
The Politico, Ben Smith, March 2:
"A weird moment of TV, partially captured in the clip above. Clinton denies she thinks Obama's a Muslim, but her denial seems something other than ironclad, and the interviewer goes back at her on the question...
"You said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not...a Muslim. You don't believe that he's...," Kroft said.
"No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know," she said."
MSNBC: April 14: Clinton Attacks Obama On Air
Sun-Sentinal: April 22: Clinton attacks, Obama hopes
And what of recent words of Mr. Garin himself?
From the April 20 Meet the Press:
MR. AXELROD: ...Did you not put a negative ad on this weekend in Philadelphia? The--100 percent negative ad attacking Senator Obama?
MR. GARIN: No. I don't believe we did.
MR. AXELROD: Yeah, you did. Go back and check with your people, and it was, it's an ad on lobbying, and it's circulating...
MR. GARIN: It's not. It, it ends up, I believe, with...
MR. AXELROD: No, no, it's 100 percent negative ad, Geoff. Go back and ask your people. I understand you're new in the campaign, and I love you, man, you're a good friend of mine. I know you to be a good, positive person.
MR. AXELROD: But I think that there's some vestiges of the old regime still in place.
MR. GARIN: Well, look, when, when, when... (Garin never answers this question--Axelrod later in broadcast: "The--well, first of all, that's what's in your negative ad that you didn't know about in Philadelphia.")
Note: This of course leaves self-inflicted attacks (i.e. sniper fire) aside. Incidentally, while I have known people to err when they are tired (for example to say "sniker" instead of "sniper"), I have never seen anyone invent and repeat an entire episode that did not occur as a result of exhaustion--although, of course, this commonly does occur when people are completely asleep.
Hendrik Hertzberg, in this weeks "Campaign Trail" (New Yorker) has noted the tragic and inevitable game here, whereby Obama, who has tried to run a different type of campaign--explicitly principled and positive--has been drawn into defense by the incessant attack. This attempt to now flip and revise history in this very fundamental manner is something that we have seen in our recent Presidential past--and is something that should give us pause.
From: Head of State: http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/04/garin-on-negative-campaigning.html
Posted by: Robert Hewson | April 27, 2008 4:14 AM
Thanks, gbenga! Give us more!
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 4:05 AM
Also have spent pleasant evenings at Holiday Inn Express. But not with Hank!
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:59 AM
Hillary Clinton's current ads seek to portray her as the tough leader who is ready on Day One to handle crises. Borrowing from a line made famous by Harry Truman, the tag line trumpets, "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen." The sub-text, of course, is that she will dish out a full plate of heat and if Obama can't respond on her gutter level, he can't handle heat.ï¾
The truth is almost exactly the opposite. Hillary is nasty, but she is not tough. In fact, Hillary is a classic whiner. She and Bill whine about everything that doesn't go well for them. Unlike Harry Truman, who also said, "the buck stops here," she and Bill accept responsibility for nothing and blame others, especially the media, when things go wrong or their deceptions are exposed.ï¾
Hillary and Bill whine about Democratic Party activists, young voters, running as a female, the media in general, the media catching her fabricating her history (bringing peace to Ireland, opposing NAFTA, facing sniper fire in Bosnia, etc.), the appeal of hope, Obama's eloquence, money, donors, Democratic Party rules. Last week, Hillary blamed the "activist base" of the Democratic Party -- and MoveOn, in particular -- for many of her electoral defeats, claiming, without a shred of evidence, that activists had "flooded" state caucuses and "intimidated" her supporters. Rather than accept responsibility for her campaign's well-documented failure adequately to plan for the caucus states, and despite her repeated claim she is the candidate "ready on Day One," she attacked core Democratic Party supporters. Rather than take responsibility for her inability to inspire the activist base with her ideas, she whined about their support of a more thoughtful, inspirational candidate. Candidates normally celebrate high levels of voter activism in the primaries, knowing these activists will work for the party's nominee in the general election, but Hillary is willing to burn the peasants in order to win the village for herself. ï¾ Hillary and Bill whine about young voters. Last week, Bill said in Pennsylvania that young voters are easily fooled and older voters are wiser -- too wise to be fooled by Obama's inspiring rhetoric. Of course, he forgot to mention that the most well-educated voters -- young and old -- heavily favor Obama over Hillary. Most candidates, and both political parties, yearn for support from young voters because young voters represent not just the present, but also the future. And, certainly if young voters were supporting Hillary, she wouldn't be whining about them. But since she is not very good at inspiring young voters, she chooses to whine about them. Thankfully, she has not yet proposed raising the voting age to 60, but that could be next. ï¾ Hillary whines about being a female candidate, as though it's harder to be female in America than black. Said Hillary, "It's hard. It's hard being a woman out there." [Add some tears and the picture is complete] Her surrogate, Geraldine Ferraro, even made the wholly implausible claim that the only reason Obama was succeeding was his race -- a claim Hillary never repudiated. Of course, at the same time the Clintons whine about misogyny, they argue to super-delegates that Obama is not electable because he is black and that, as a woman, she is the electable candidate. Neither Bill nor Hill can explain why all the white male Democratic Presidential candidates are out of the race. Could it be that Obama has demonstrated qualities to voters that the others lacked? Could it be that Obama has come from more than 20 points behind in just a few months because he offers qualities, such as hope and honesty, which voters, by large pluralities, think Hillary lacks? ï¾ Hillary frequently whines about the media not being "fair." This is an old Clinton complaint, going back to her stone-walling about Travelgate, Whitewater and the revelations of Bill's many sexual shenanigans. How unfair of the press to remember that she supported NAFTA, falsely claimed to have been a key negotiator in peace talks in Ireland, and lied about her Bosnia trip. ï¾ Caught dead-on lying about being under "sniper fire" as she landed in Bosnia -- when absolutely no danger existed -- she claimed she simply had "misspoke" [seven times?], then claimed she was tired by "lack of sleep," then Bill chimed in to attack the media for even covering the story. This was all taking place as she asserted her competence to answer that mythical 3 am phone call. So if we believe the Clintons, her "lack of sleep" caused her to fabricate a story about landing in Bosnia into hostile sniper fire and risking her life like a seasoned military veteran, but this fabrication should be disregarded because, despite her history of sleep deprivation, if a crisis occurs at 3 am, we can trust her to be awake and alert and respond truthfully and with good judgment. With leadership like this, we'll all be awake at night. ï¾ Hillary whines about Obama's inspiration and eloquence. Hillary whines about the very nature of hope. Despite the Clintons' history of playing the Hope Card (we all remember Bill's 1992 campaign biopic, "The Man from Hope"), when the other guy is offering it, all of a sudden, hope is suspicious. In fact, it is downright delusional. "I could stand up here and say, let's get everyone together, let's get unified and the sky will open, the light will come down, celestial choirs will be singing, and the world will be perfect," she said in mock sarcasm of Obama's message of conciliation and hope. ï¾ Hillary whines about the fact Obama has engaged more donors and raised more money than she. Of course, she didn't think it was unfair in 2007 when she had twice as much money as any other candidate. But as soon as she fell behind, Little Miss $100+ million War Chest was whining about being outspent. But isn't the ability to inspire donors and raise money part of being a successful presidential candidate? Isn't that a measure of electability, not something to be disdained? ï¾ ï¾ Hillary now is whining about Florida and Michigan, piously claiming that failing to seat delegates from those states would be fundamentally undemocratic. But when the Democratic National Committee's rules panel declared Florida's accelerated primary date was not permitted under party rules, all of Hillary's 12 representatives on the 30 member rules panel voted for Florida's full disenfranchisement, which, under party rules, applied to Michigan, as well. In October 2007, when she was far and away the Democratic front-runner, Hillary told a New Hampshire public radio audience, "It's clear this election [Michigan] is not going to count for anything." Oh, the sting of hypocrisy, but rather than accept responsibility for the obvious -- that she supported the very rule she now attacks -- she plays the "poor me" card and digs the Democratic Party into a deeper hole. ï¾ Do we want a whiner to be President? Commander-in-Chief? Do we want to live through more chapters in the never-ending, but never-changing, Clinton Drama of Blame, Attack and Half-Truths? Or do we prefer a president who has demonstrated candor, who is willing to treat voters like adults, who takes responsibility for his behavior and offers thoughtful commentary on serious issues -- as Obama did with his former pastor? Do we want a president who behaves like a mature adult or someone whose emotional intelligence is on the level of a spoiled, whiny teenager?
ï¾ ï¾ More in Politics...
Posted by: Gbenga | April 27, 2008 3:58 AM
HLS, class of '87, cum laude. Also B.A.,1965, M.A., 1967, Ph.D. 1973. University of Nebraska. All cum laude. In case you're interested.
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:42 AM
I apologize. I forgot that Hank was ashamed of his handicap.
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:31 AM
Hey, Hank, you stupid jerk! You insulted me! Yes, I graduated [or more properly was graduated] from Harvard Law School. You apparently didn't. Big deal. You accused me of damaging Obama's campaign. I asked why. You didn't respond. SO ANSWER, YOU FREAKING WEASEL!
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:25 AM
"Isn't this quite unusual - a candidate for the highest, most powerful office in the world, the President of the United States of America, and he doesn't have the moxy to stand up to moderators asking him why he doesn't like to wear a flag pin, or why he didn't put his hand over his heart at the J. J. dinner in Iowa, or where he goes to church, or how long he has known Rezko, or Auchi, or Ayers or Ayer's wife, Dohrn,"
Yup. Nobody asked Bill Clinton those quest ions. Or Hillary. You got a point, other than the obvious one on the top of your head, Dumbo? Can you really fly, with those floppy ears?.
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:19 AM
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 3:18 AM
How have I done damage to Obama on this thread? Please respond.
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:16 AM
Why would I try to impress you, Hank? That's not my preference, anyway!
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:09 AM
Well, I slept in a Holiday Inn Express last night but I guess you want me to percieve you as an eltist. I am impressed, does that make you feel better"
Well, actually, Hank, I don't give a good rat's arse where you slept last night. I' m not trying to impress you' I'm stating facts. If you want to take the facts to mean you are a stupid peon, then you are. That's not what I meant, and I didn't mean to give offense. I also don't want to alter the facts. I graduated from Harvard Law School. Documented. Look it up. I don't know about you, and don't care to bother. Because it doesn't matter. To me, anyway.
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 3:03 AM
Now, then, Hank. Calmly: what post were you referring to?
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 2:47 AM
"I hope you get some help for yourself, I really do, good-luck."
Hey, you stupid jerk, hank whatever! I asked an honest question, and got the usual response from the usual moron! It's clear YOU never wasted your money on Harvard. Or third grade.
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 2:43 AM
"Hankwhatever: looking back through the thread for the post you're referring to? What is it? [Hope it's not mine...]..."
I hope you get some help for yourself, I really do, good-luck.
Posted by: Hank Whatever | April 27, 2008 2:31 AM
Hankwhatever: looking back through the thread for the post you're referring to? What is it? [Hope it's not mine...]
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 2:27 AM
How many times do people have to hear the same things from the same two people? Everyone knows what they stand for and who their friends are and who is more truthful. There is no need for anymore debates. If I see Hillary on TV one more time I will puke, the woman literally makes me sick to my stomach. Please Hillary go back to New York and take your pathetic expresident with you.
Posted by: Scott | April 27, 2008 2:27 AM
If you think Hillary Clinton has more experience because she was married to the impeached president...
You Are An Idiot! :-) I'm a database administrator, but my wife has zero experience being a DBA.
If you think the Republicans want Obama as the liberal candidate...
You Are An Idiot! :-) You see we think that McCain will have an easier time defeating Hill.
If you think Hillary is married to the president that led the greatest economic expansion and prosperity in American History...
You Are An Idiot! :-) Her last name is Clinton not Reagan.
If you think either Hillary (or Obama) will be better at managing the war effort than McCain...
You Are An Idiot! :-) The cowardly behavior of the last liberal in office resulted in 9-11
If you think Hillary will be a better environmentalist...
You Are An Idiot! :-) Have you seen what vehicles the Clintons own?
If you think the Clintons made higher education affordable...
You Are An Idiot! :-) I'll send you the bills I get for my sons education, then tell me it's affordable.
If you think Impeached President Bill Clinton is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
You Are An Idiot! :-) He was a disgrace to the office and everything it stands for.
If you think Hillary isn't a liar...
You Are An Idiot! :-) Just ask the little girl from the airport in Bosnia.
Posted by: dafv | April 27, 2008 2:21 AM
man you people need to get a grip!! the diatribes on both sides are off the hook.
All these manifestos make me dizzy. Everyone needs to take a chill pill!!
This so called debate would be 90 minutes of Hillary showing us the three faces of eve! get over it and go vote...
Posted by: mlanthier | April 27, 2008 2:17 AM
VOTE CLINTON! You'll get more than you ever dreamed of!
SEE the recreation of the famous Bill & Monica Cigar Act, recreated live for your enjoyment!
SEE Hillary such up to Rupert Murdoch!
SEE Hillary totally blow Universal Health Coverage!
SEE Hillary vote to invade Iraq!
SEE Hillary opine that we should bomb Iran!
SEE Hillary suck up to Richard Scaife Mellon!
SEE Hillary such up to George Stephanopoulous!
SEE Hillary suck up to everybody there is to suck up to!
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 2:15 AM
I think if you are a Harvard Grad, alot of money was wasted on your education.
Everything you think you got added up to what, an impeachment based on an affair which demonstrated a zealotry yet to come ? A very bad land deal which cost him his license to practice ? Again, that is not Senator Clinton.
In the meanwhile, Abramoff is probably still talking his head off in jail like a manic without meds. I do think alot of people will do anything they can so they avoid prosecution through a democratic takeover.
So, I see the same play, lots of intimidation by people who are really afraid of the dark and already hearing footsteps. Some people just don't flinch but hey, goons get paid to do what they do and not exclusive to any one club.
You could not do more damage to Obama on this thread, why is that ?
Posted by: Hank Whatever | April 27, 2008 2:13 AM
I think if you are a Harvard Grad, alot of money was wasted on your education.
Everything you think you got added up to what, an impeachment based on an affair which demonstrated a zealotry yet to come ? A very bad land deal which cost him his license to practice ? Again, that is not Senator Clinton.
In the meanwhile, Abramoff is probably still talking his head off in jail like a manic without meds. I do think alot of people will do anything they can so they avoid prosecution through a democratic takeover.
So, I see the same play, lots of intimidation by people who are really afraid of the dark and already hearing footsteps. Some people just don't flinch but hey, goons get paid to do what they do and not exclusive to any one club.
You could not do more damage to Obama on this thread, why is that ?
Posted by: Hank Whatever | April 27, 2008 2:10 AM
N E O C O N S
C L I N T O N
William Kristol, Charles Krauthammer, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Buchanan, Joe Lieberman, Rubert Murdoch, Dick Cheney, Carl Rove.......
war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war!
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 2:09 AM
For me, Hillary seems like some nightmare, twilight-zone Hoody Doodyesque grinning terminator that just won't die...but just keeps on attacking.
Posted by: Carmen | April 27, 2008 2:06 AM
After 21 debates, neither candidate can really add anything genuinely informative for voters. Clinton is just trying to maneuver Obama into another no-win "gotcha" situation in what has become the political version of a reality TV Show (with the same absence of any authenticity whatsoever). I could go the rest of my life with no more Clinton debates with ANYONE and be perfectly happy. Anyone who hasn't already heard the salient points of both candidates' positions is either dead or living under a rock, and regurgitating the obvious over and over again does not make for an informative campaign.
Yes, she's better at debating than Obama and she also knows that if Obama responds to her in kind, it will be perceived by her working class white base as an egregious example of a black man attacking a white woman (even if only verbally). She has mastered the GOP's "Southern Strategy" almost perfectly (the only thing she's done perfectly in this campaign); she knows all those code words and actions and subliminal visual images that provoke racial responses without ever explicitly mentioning race at all.
And as others have pointed out, a debate means free media coverage that she can't afford. And why can't she afford media coverage? She began the campaign with a huge war chest (in excess of $100 million) and the backing of the entire Democratic establishment. She's frittered all that away, 70 of her major donors walked away and started donating to Obama, she's tapped out all her other big-check donors, she's behind in the delegate count (an insurmountable deficit unless she wins out the next 9 elections with an average of 65% of the vote, which she has never achieved, not even in NY or AR). In short, she needs all the free publicity she can get, publicity that will either make her look better or Obama look worse, and a debate gives her that opportunity.
I don't blame her for trying and I don't blame Obama for saying, "enough is enough". God knows, a lot of us voters have been saying that for awhile now.
Posted by: windrider | April 27, 2008 2:05 AM
"So question, how many handlers does Obama have right now ? Oops I seem to be typing to bots, sorry."
Well, he doesn't have Bill or the other guy the Colombians paid to lobby for them. You want to post to bots, that's your problem. You want to post FOR bots, that's still your problem! What's Hillary got going for her? Former First Lady. Whoopie! Sort of Senator, thanks to Giuliani's cancer? Whee! Other experience? Union buster for Wal-Mart? Shots and beers with the boys at the Union Hall? $400k [her half share of the payoff from Colombia to Bill for lobbying for the Fair Trade agreement with Colombia, which she "opposed"]?
Hillary got lots of 'splainin' to do. She won't do it. She has NO relevant experience; NO temperament that enables her to be the one answering the 3 am phone call [even ol' Bill says she's 60 and forgets things, and she says she lied about Bosnia, becaise she was "sleep deprived."
This is who you want with her finger on the trigger? Especially after she pledged to "obliterate" Iran?
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 1:50 AM
you are very correct tom.
it is the CLINTONS, and not hillary.
because.. they come as a 4 PERSON PACKAGE
1) hillary, the negative ugly woman herself
2) slick willy, the red faced ADULTERER
3) the elitist snob chelsea
and.... if you act NOW..
4) the SCHIZOPHRENIC DELUSIONAL "SNIPERS FIRED AT ME" HILLARY (personality #2) at NO CHARGE!!!!
YES! IF YOU ACT NOW.. WHY SETTLE FOR JUST ONE CLINTON.. WHEN YOU CAN GET....
---- ALL 4 CLINTONS BAGGAGE FOR FREE ----
Posted by: BOB | April 27, 2008 1:42 AM
Have you noticed how often the above posts, and the original article, talk about "The Clintons," rather than Hillary? Instructive, hmm?
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 1:33 AM
"The Democrats lost both Houses of Congress because of Clintons' irresponsibility during his reign! Bill was sleeping his way in with 19-yr-old interns, while Hillary was fighting and scaring away D- senators and house reps. Geez!" ----------------- What kind of leadership is that? We dont want to lose Congress again under another Clinton!
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 1:31 AM
....................HILLARY VOTED FOR THE WAR
Posted by: | April 27, 2008 1:31 AM
"Even after the DNC and EvEN after the election in november.. hillary will still be challenging for debates and telling people she is still running..."
Posted by: tom | April 27, 2008 1:29 AM
Hillary should just pack her bags instead of doing a debate. We have already heard enough. She had the past 4 months to do all the debates she wanted. Please spare the American people of the hardship of listening to her whine and tell lies. Hillary is no Lincoln and she is no Douglas. Nobody other than herself is interested in getting into a war of dirty talk with her.
Posted by: George Pollard | April 27, 2008 1:25 AM
So question, how many handlers does Obama have right now ? Oops I seem to be typing to bots, sorry.
Posted by: Hank Whatever | April 27, 2008 1:25 AM
Fox; Ms Clinton, please tell us why you are most qualified.
Hillary; Why that's easy. Because I am a war hero.
Fox; You were in the war?
Hillary; What rock have *you* been hiding under. I'm a WAR HERO. Want me to spell that for you?
Fox; Okay, describe your heroics.
Hillary; That's easy. First of all, I was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War 2, after I single handedly shot down 5 German dive bombers from a bunker in Normandy.
Fox; B-b-but.. Normandy happened 3 years *BEFORE* you were even *BORN*.
Hillary; I can't explain it either. All I know is the facts speak for themselves. And then during the Civil War I was a high ranking Captain and led a battalion ...
Fox; Excuse me. But what *facts"
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Studies on Chemical In Plastics Questioned
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Despite more than 100 published studies by government scientists and university laboratories that have raised health concerns about a chemical compound that is central to the multibillion-dollar plastics industry, the Food and Drug Administration has deemed it safe largely because of two studies, both funded by an industry trade group.
The agency says it has relied on research backed by the American Plastics Council because it had input on its design, monitored its progress and reviewed the raw data.
The compound, bisphenol A (BPA), has been linked to breast and prostate cancer, behavioral disorders and reproductive health problems in laboratory animals.
As evidence mounts about the risks of using BPA in baby bottles and other products, some experts and industry critics contend that chemical manufacturers have exerted influence over federal regulators to keep a possibly unsafe product on the market.
Congressional Democrats have begun investigating any industry influence in regulating BPA.
"Tobacco figured this out, and essentially it's the same model," said David Michaels, who was a federal regulator in the Clinton administration. "If you fight the science, you're able to postpone regulation and victim compensation, as well. As in this case, eventually the science becomes overwhelming. But if you can get five or 10 years of avoiding pollution control or production of chemicals, you've greatly increased your product."
Mitchell Cheeseman, deputy director of the FDA's office of food additive safety, said the agency is not biased toward industry.
"The fact is, it's industry's responsibility to demonstrate the safety of their products," he said. "The fact that industry generated data to support the safety I don't think is an unusual thing."
The FDA's position on the compound was called into question earlier this month when a National Institutes of Health panel issued a draft report linking BPA to health concerns. Since then, Canadian regulators have banned BPA in baby products, and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has introduced a bill to prohibit some uses of the compound. Ten states, including California and Maryland, are weighing their own restrictions.
U.S. manufacturers produce 7 billion pounds of BPA annually, and business worldwide has been growing about 4 percent a year, driven by rising demand in Asia. A U.S. government ban on BPA would affect thousands of businesses and perhaps billions of dollars in profit for its largest manufacturers.
As part of his investigation, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wants to examine the role played by the Weinberg Group, a Washington firm that employs scientists, lawyers and public relations specialists to defend products from legal and regulatory action. The firm has worked on Agent Orange, tobacco and Teflon, among other products linked to health hazards, and congressional investigators say it was hired by Sunoco, a BPA manufacturer.
Dingell has asked the Weinberg Group for all records related to its work in connection with BPA, including studies it has funded and payments made to experts. He cited a letter written by a company vice president in 2003 as Weinberg managed opposition in a long-running regulatory battle over a compound in Teflon. The strategy would be to discourage "governmental agencies, the plaintiffs' bar and misguided environmental groups from pursuing this matter any further," the letter said.
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Bollywood No Longer A Dream Too Far for India's Lower Castes
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MUMBAI -- With a résumé listing his acting gigs in rural folk theater and a handful of slightly out-of-focus head shots, Birendra Paswan arrived in this crowded city from his rural village in Bihar, one of India's poorest states, and asked, "Where's Bollywood?"
Paswan, 33, is a Dalit, a member of India's most ostracized caste. Dalits are often cobblers, street sweepers and toilet cleaners, but they are rarely actors in the world's largest film industry. Still, as he stood that day beneath towering billboards showing Hindi film stars hawking expensive watches and cars, Paswan decided Bollywood was for him.
"Part of me felt: 'How can I stand in this glamorous world? I don't have the right manners or surname,' " said Paswan, a talkative man with large almond-shaped eyes. "But I wanted to make it so badly in the Hindi movies."
It is not easy for Indians to shake loose the cages of caste, a 3,000-year-old pecking order in which professions and social status are inherited like eye color or height. But Bollywood, like Mumbai itself, is a place where young Indians are increasingly finding opportunities to reinvent themselves.
Today, a trickle of actors, dancers and screenwriters from India's lower and middle castes are trying to break into a formerly impenetrable star system, full of actors from Bollywood royalty and other insiders hailing from high-caste families. New drama schools are training Indians from all castes. And Bollywood is starting to tackle more serious plots that could potentially star low-caste actors.
"Will you get more attention if you have the right surname and are part of an entrenched star family? Of course," said Anupama Chopra, a film critic and author of several best-selling books on Bollywood. "But there is increasing space now for a booming Bollywood film industry, and there's a feeling that if you are talented enough, well, maybe you will get noticed, no matter what your family ties are."
Across India, Dalits and members of other low castes are struggling to gain access to quality education and better-paying jobs. The economy is booming, and Indians of low caste -- often identifiable by their surnames, birthplaces or parents' status -- want to share in the wealth, or at least the opportunity.
Some aspiring actors from low castes say their confidence is growing. There is more social mobility than ever before, they say, and Bollywood is experiencing its share of change.
"It's something new in the air for young people in some parts of India," said Trisha Karmakar, 24, a member of a lower caste who moved to Mumbai from the poor, densely populated state of Uttar Pradesh. "It's a feeling that at least there's a small chance for lower castes and not just for the star kids who have their godfathers and always get the callbacks."
Karmakar, speaking one recent day in a neighborhood of acting and dance schools, beauty parlors and pawnshops, said she has yet to land a role. But she said she is close to breaking into TV soap operas.
"Even if the chance is tiny, we are here, and we are dreaming big Bollywood dreams," she said. "We are no longer just desperate beggars, ragpickers and rickshaw pullers. Now we are desperate to be dancers, singers and melodramatic lead actresses."
Going to the air-conditioned cinema is a popular national pastime without parallel in this country, especially for low-caste laborers who work under India's unforgiving sun -- in construction, in farming, as cow herders and as fruit vendors. For Indians, most of whom subsist on less than $2 a day, the masala mixes of drama and dance are the ultimate escape.
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MUMBAI -- With a résumé listing his acting gigs in rural folk theater and a handful of slightly out-of-focus head shots, Birendra Paswan arrived in this crowded city from his rural village in Bihar, one of India's poorest states, and asked, "Where's Bollywood?"
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Never Deviating From the Draft Board
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Everybody's always wondered what would happen if you put Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato in a room without any adult supervision. Now we know.
With three picks on Day 1 of the NFL draft -- all of them prime second-round selections, the kind of choices that NFL teams expect to turn into standout starting players -- the Redskins selected three receivers. That's right, three, all of whom have the same primary function -- catching the football. Two of them have virtually identical skills -- both are big wide receivers who did poorly in recent combines and fell out of the first round, but not out of the Redskins' hearts. So, a team that already has household-name receivers Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El and Chris Cooley, now also has Devin Thomas of Michigan State, tight end Fred Davis of USC and Malcolm Kelly of Oklahoma.
How did something so bizarre, so off-the-wall, so outside NFL norms and so unlikely to succeed come to pass?
Since February, Snyder, the Redskins' owner with boundless energy, and Cerrato, his personnel guru and perennial sidekick, have spent 12, 14 or 16 hours a day grading college players and creating their draft board, waiting for this day. Along with their rookie coach Jim Zorn, they have invested not only enormous time and sacrifice in this process, but tons of personal capital. "The board" has become the internal testimony to their credibility, their value to the Redskins, their right to take the team under their complete control without the presence of any football legends in the room, like Joe Gibbs, Marty Schottenheimer or even Steve Spurrier.
"We didn't sit in that room all those hours to make a board to come to the [draft] day and go all over the place and ignore it," Cerrato said at the evening's end. "We've always followed the board. In the past, when we've made mistakes, it's because [we] didn't go by 'take the best players, not fill a need.' Take the best guy on the board."
Even if, time after time, the players whom the "board" decreed were all receivers? Even if the Redskins ended up with a roster that will require a new NFL rule -- a sixth eligible receiver -- or a radical innovation -- two balls in play at once.
Zorn is going to institute the West Coast offense that uses many sets, often in rapid sequence, with two-tight-end packages replaced by multiple wideout formations. Still, the expression on the new coach's face as Cerrato explained the Redskins' unique decision-making process was, shall we say, a bit strained. "Both Vinny and Dan have discipline in their approach," said Zorn, "and they stuck to it."
Did they ever. Right over the cliff. The process all started so innocently. When the Redskins' first-round pick came up -- the 21st overall selection -- the board told them what to do. If they could, they should trade down with the Atlanta Falcons so that they could turn that one first-round pick into two second-round picks. That way, they would have the best chance to vindicate their judgment that, as Cerrato said, "the strength of this draft is in the second and third rounds." With 30 seconds left on the clock, the deal was completed -- the Redskins' picks in the first, third and fifth round for two of the Falcons second-round picks and a fourth-rounder.
Then the NFL's demons started playing their tricks. The Redskins now had the 34th, 48th and 51st selections in the draft. And, ever since their season ended, the Redskins' own evaluation of their needs was that a big wide receiver was their greatest void. Snyder may have held this view most strongly, but all agreed. Attempts to trade for Cincinnati's controversial wide out Chad Johnson had failed, quite publicly, with the Bengals discussing how they'd turned down the Washington deals while the Redskins kept mum about their frustrations.
When the 34th pick arrived, everybody in the room was elated. The receiver who was highest on their board, Thomas, was still available. "An outstanding deal for us," said Cerrato. "The guys we had on our board as our choices at 21 were [almost all] still there at 34."
"I'm very excited," said Zorn, who volunteered that he'd never been in an NFL draft room before. "That 10 minutes between picks goes fast. Whew!" he said. "The whole process was quite interesting, to say the least."
But it got far more interesting in a hurry. The Redskins have plenty of needs. Ever heard of "linemen," the guys who win championships? Even as Thomas was being picked, Zorn joked that offensive line coach Joe Bugel "kept walking in and out." However, with every pick, the players that the Redskins ranked highest at other positions disappeared. But all the receivers that they had scored far up on their board were still there. Were the gods playing tricks? Could they really be correct while everybody else in the NFL was wrong to leave such great talents untouched? As an added twist, receivers are notorious for being the most difficult of all players to project into the NFL.
When the 48th overall pick arrived, Davis stood far higher on the Washington board than any other player. Would Cerrato and Snyder trust their judgment, or their hubris, and dare to take two pass-catchers on the first day? So, the 247-pound Davis was picked -- much to his surprise. How much contact had the Redskins had with him before the draft? "They asked for my phone number. That's about all. I was kind of surprised," Davis said.
But the plot, already thick, was about to get absolutely fascinating. Just minutes later, the 51st pick rolled around and, once again, the Redskins' almighty board -- so different, obviously, from almost every other NFL board -- was screaming "Kelly," the 219-pound wide receiver whose poor times recently in the 40-yard dash had driven away other teams. Zorn was asked if he could have imagined any scenario in which the Redskins would draft two receivers on the first day. He shook his head and said, "I couldn't have predicted that scenario."
What will the Redskins do today when they have six more picks, including the 96th and 103rd overall? "Take the best guy on the board," Cerrato said. All those hours. All that credibility. All the criticism that he and Snyder have taken. He knows their precious board -- the creation that can vindicate them -- will get second-guessed, too.
But give the man credit. Cerrato realizes that he and Snyder have taken the football "book" on how to draft and ripped it to shreds. At the end of another marathon day -- what is this, almost 100 in a row -- Cerrato gave a little self-deprecating smile.
"But," he said of those choices today, "I don't think it will be a receiver."
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Everybody's always wondered what would happen if you put Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato in a room without any adult supervision. Now we know.
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Star Power Lights Up Correspondents' Dinner
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Leave it to Bush to shake up an event that, after 93 years, has become as traditional, perhaps even formulaic, in its trappings as a recipe: Start with Hollywood glamour. Add heaping spoonfuls of bona fide Beltway celebrity, and stir. Top with the president of the United States. Place in an overly warm hotel ballroom for several hours, then serve.
Last night's festivities, held at the Washington Hilton, made clear that the see-and-be-seen ethos of the event has overtaken its original purpose: to give awards. Oh, there were still honors bestowed. Paul Shukovsky, Tracy Johnson and Daniel Lathrop of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shared the Edgar A. Poe Award; Deb Riechmann of the Associated Press and CNN's Ed Henry won the Merriman Smith Award; and Alexis Simendinger of National Journal earned the Aldo Beckman Award.
Still, the awards were completely upstaged by a night full of only-in-Washington moments.
Was that the reigning Miss America (Kirsten Haglund) sitting a few tables away from Mark Penn, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's embattled campaign guru, who was just a few hundred feet away from rapper-producer Will.I.Am, who created the pro-Barack Obama YouTube hit video "Yes We Can," who stood not too far from Meghan McCain, Sen. John McCain's daughter?
Yes, yes, yes -- and yes.
Bush made note of this himself, surveying what he called "an interesting crowd," and pointing out "Pamela Anderson and Mitt Romney in one room. . . . Is that a sign of the apocalypse?"
A day full of gala events began with a garden brunch hosted by media maven Tammy Haddad, with Rosario Dawson, Tim Daly, Chris Matthews and Terence McAuliffe in attendance. Then followed various parties before the dinner.
The Newsweek party, inside the Hilton, was the hit of the night, with a dizzying parade of politicos and stars. The purpose was to gawk and mingle -- and gawk some more. It took fluency with Sunday morning news shows and familiarity with US Weekly to fully appreciate the scene. Actors Kal Penn, of the new "Harold and Kumar" movie, and Aaron Eckhart held court at one end of the room ("I've been campaigning for Obama," Penn said), while former secretary of state Colin L. Powell and Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, deflected talk of the protracted Clinton-Obama primary fight.
Uber-celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, so very far away from California, turned heads, in part because he wasn't in a tuxedo. "I'm wearing Diesel," he said. Asked to comment on men's fashion in Washington, Hilton only glared. Oh, for a thought bubble at that moment.
Martha Stewart, a small camera in hand, toured the room. Why the camera? "I'll be blogging on the Martha blog," Stewart said. "You should check it out."
Out in the lobby, gawkers shrieked when Ashlee Simpson, wispy enough to dispel any pregnancy rumors, made an entrance.
As in years past, official Washington fretted over the night for weeks, consumed by details such as who is invited to which after-party (Bloomberg News held its oh-so-exclusive soiree at the Costa Rican Embassy, while writer Christopher Hitchens and former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers co-hosted Vanity Fair's very VIP event), which stars are attending, and whether Stephen Colbert would be headlining again.
As for the last, not a chance, not after his appearance two years ago, when Colbert, appearing as his conservative alter ego, drew nervous laughs as he chastised the audience. "I have nothing but contempt for those people," Colbert said of the media.
Instead, the more mild-mannered Craig Ferguson, of CBS's "The Late Late Show," was this night's main act, going on after Bush. The Scottish comedian, newly naturalized, was warmly received, particularly for his description of the "feud" between Fox News's Bill O'Reilly and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. "What I see is sexual tension," Ferguson quipped.
But it was Bush who received the night's loudest laughter, as he poked fun at Clinton and Obama's absence ("Senator Clinton couldn't get into the building because of sniper fire, and Senator Obama is at church"), and who received a rousing ovation as he and the Marine Band finished.
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The lasting image of President Bush at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner may be this: bouncing slightly off-beat with a gleeful smile on his face and a baton in his hand last night as he conducted "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band through a medley of patriotic songs.
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Schoolyard Face-Offs Blamed on Facebook Taunts
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So Alan Goodwin, the principal, took the unusual step of asking parents to monitor their children's postings on the social networking site. He did this in a posting to the school's e-mail list, which is a forum as addictive to some Whitman parents as Facebook has become to their children.
"I am becoming increasingly frustrated by negative incidents at school that arise from students harassing other students on Facebook," Goodwin wrote April 18.
Teens are conducting an increasing share of their social lives electronically, via text-messaging, e-mail and social networking sites such as Facebook. Threats, harassment and bullying have followed them online. Although such behavior is not new, research suggests that it is expanding rapidly, and educators and lawmakers seem resolved to pay closer attention to the words students exchange online while off campus.
Over the winter, a freshman at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring became the target of a Facebook group devoted to enumerating the reasons why other students hated him.
Recently, a sophomore at Whitman referenced a sex act between two girls next to the photograph of a freshman she wanted to provoke. "I think it went back and forth online for about a day," said the victim's older sister, who requested anonymity to avoid further harassment. "On day two, the girl said, 'Let's do this in person.' "
The other fight at Whitman -- a school better known for superior SAT scores -- was also typical schoolyard fare, students said, prompted when a male student boasted on Facebook that he could beat up a larger classmate.
Educators, long accustomed to ignoring fights when they happen off campus, are being forced to reconsider.
"Kids communicate, good, bad or indifferently, over Facebook a lot," said Patricia O'Neill (Bethesda-Chevy Chase), a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education who has a daughter at Whitman. "Until an actual incident arises at school, it's below our radar screen."
Goodwin, discussing the incidents by e-mail, said that what struck him about the fights was that the students involved "had not been involved in such things before and we could have prevented [the fights], I think, if we had known."
It might be the first case in the Washington region of school officials publicly linking a fight to words exchanged on Facebook. Rival MySpace, which many students regard as more juvenile, has been linked by authorities to gang posturing and fights. In 2006, the principal of Annapolis High School identified MySpace as the possible source of a conflict that culminated in a series of fights on campus and a shootout at a suburban mall.
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Twice this month, students at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda have used their fists to settle disputes that arose on Facebook.
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Jason Gerbsman and his wife, Lauren, began thinking about buying a home just as the housing market began to slump two years ago. The couple, who were renting an apartment in the District, had saved a "substantial" amount for a down payment. But they wondered whether real estate was the best way to invest the money they had saved since college.
The question prompted Gerbsman, a financial consultant, to create a series of spreadsheets forecasting how the money would perform in diversified stocks or in other financial vehicles. The couple struggled with the question for more than six months, concluding that stocks would likely bring a bigger profit over the long term.
"You want to make sure you are getting the best for your money," said Gerbsman, 31.
Still, the Gerbsmans opted to set aside financial considerations to buy a two-bedroom townhouse in Alexandria. "We decided to look at it less as an investment in monetary terms, and more as an investment in social and family terms," said Gerbsman. "We're looking at this as a long-term investment, not a flip."
But the couple has hedged their bet. They did not throw all of their money into the townhouse. "We were not looking to lock up our entire savings in a piece of property. Then, of course, we were going to be obsessed in the dollars and cents of it," said Gerbsman.
The housing slump has home buyers wondering whether real estate -- traditionally a person's largest investment -- is the best way to lock up their money over the long term. Some are wondering whether the stock market may be a better place to park their cash. Both investment types endure boom and bust cycles, soaring during periods of overvaluation, then slumping when they slip out of favor.
Investors fall in and out of love with either real estate or stocks depending on the cycle, financial planners say. "The stock market was the place to be in '98, '99, especially technology stocks," said Peggy Cabaniss, former chairman of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. "Then you see this huge collapse and people say, 'I am never going to go into stocks again. I am going to go into real estate, where it's safe.' "
Now, with home prices falling and property sometimes taking months to sell, some people are running away from real estate again. "It was the dot-com bust, now we have the subprime bust," said Ken Winans, president of investment and management research firm Winans International.
A home bought in 1978 appreciated an average 5.3 percent a year through 2007, while the Standard and Poor's 500-stock index delivered a 9.9 percent return during the same period, according to figures from the National Association of Realtors.
But some economists see it as an impossible choice: Do you follow the example of real estate mogul Donald Trump or billionaire stock market investor Warren Buffett? The answer, they say, is that neither model is right for everyone. "Warren Buffett owns real estate, and I am sure Donald Trump owns stock," said Winans. "The point is there is no one best investment. The people who are successful in the long term usually diversify into both camps."
Financial planners argue that any investment strategy should include real estate and stocks. Real estate can be an important ingredient of a homeowner's retirement plan, for example, said Leslie E. Linfield, founder of the Institute for Financial Literacy. Once a home is paid off, a retiree can either live there with low living expenses or sell it and downsize, she said.
"A home should be a part of everyone's retirement planning," said Linfield.
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Jason Gerbsman and his wife, Lauren, began thinking about buying a home just as the housing market began to slump two years ago. The couple, who were renting an apartment in the District, had saved a "substantial" amount for a down payment. But they wondered whether real estate was the best way t...
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Post Politics Hour - washingtonpost.com
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Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.
Washington Post national political reporter Shailagh Murray was online Monday, April 28 at 11 a.m. ET.
Get the latest campaign news live on washingtonpost.com's The Trail, or subscribe to the daily Post Politics Podcast.
Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts
Ann Arbor, Mich.: Apparently the number of Democrats registered to vote is going up sharply. Are pollsters taking this into account in their polls on the presidential race?
washingtonpost.com: Democrats Registering In Record Numbers (Post, April 28)
Shailagh Murray: Good morning everyone. I had breakfast with Rev. Wright so I'm running a little late ... be interested in hearing your thoughts on his big media tour.
You refer to my colleague Eli's excellent story this morning. The registration surge is just one of the many challenges pollsters face this year, and the bigger the scale, the tougher it must be. Probably explains the massive flux of the national polls -- surely people aren't changing their minds to the tune of 10 or 15 points per week.
Vienna, Va.: Is there any chance that whoever loses the Democratic nomination would think of running as an independent candidate?
Shailagh Murray: I don't think so -- I've never heard that talk from either camp. If nothing else, there isn't enough time at this point.
Fairfax, Va.: What significance do you see in the fact that a sizable minority took the time out to vote against John McCain in the Pennsylvania primary?
Shailagh Murray: Wasn't that interesting? More telling in some ways than the Democratic outcome, if you ask me.
Gas Prices: Okay, I get that everyone is upset that they have to pay more at the pump. Who could have guessed a finite resource found primarily in unstable parts of the world would increase in cost? But what exactly is the plan Democrats offer to solve this? Wouldn't a windfall profit tax just lead oil companies to increase the price at the pump to make up for lost profits? Investing in alternative energies costs a lot of money (and time) and likely would come from an increase in the gas tax, which would cause prices to go up, too. So I'm a bit confused about all this talk.
Shailagh Murray: We were just talking about this issue in our Monday morning politics meeting. No issue is more badly battered by pandering than energy, in part because of the central conflict at the heart of the debate -- lowering costs vs. fighting global warming. You can't have it both ways, and this is a conversation that none of the candidates seem interesting in having at the moment.
Richmond, Va.: Was Howard Dean setting the stage for the superdelegates to take the election away fro Obama and give it to Clinton with his comments of a "tie" this past weekend?
washingtonpost.com: Dean says either Clinton or Obama must drop out in June (AP, April 28)
Shailagh Murray: I'm assuming he was trying to be fair, but I think a lot of people were left with that impression. Although so many Democrats are mad at Dean right now, especially over the Florida and Michigan debacle, that I'm not sure it matters.
Arlington, Va.: How can your newspaper do a whole story on Reverend Wright's theology and whether it's controversial and without quoting from his sermons? Why aren't they asking the range of black ministers quoted whether they agree that America deserved Sept. 11, or that the government created the AIDS virus as a tool of black genocide?
Shailagh Murray: What we are experiencing right now is a category five case of culture clash. The question is where it all leads -- into the snake pit or into some form of enlightenment.
Arlington, Va.: I don't think the political dynamic in either North Carolina or Indiana favors Hillary like it did in Pennsylvania. The people she appeals to (middle-class, small town, ethnic voters) either don't exist in great numbers or are Republicans. There's no big labor union vote in North Carolina, and Indiana Democrats tend to be demographically/geographically urban. What do you think?
Shailagh Murray: I agree with that. One thing I have learned this year, bouncing from primary to primary, is how distinct each state is, in its way. Pennsylvania and Indiana, for instance, look almost identical on paper, but the Obama events feel totally different. And Obama is obviously a lot more comfortable in Indiana, probably because he is at heart a Midwesterner. And don't forget that Indiana is an open primary -- which alone sets it apart from Pennsylvania.
Why is Wright such a big deal?: I almost took time to watch Moyers, but then asked myself "why would I care?"
Shailagh Murray: Interesting. Did you care when the story broke?
Richmond, Va.: I've noticed lots of commentary out there saying Rev. Wright is hurting Obama by being out there, when the standard operating procedure is to go low and hope it blows over. It never has been Obama's style to just let something blow over, as he usually confronts it and puts it out there -- as seen by his speech in Philadelphia. It may hurt him in the short term, but in the long run, could he say that he's not hiding from controversial issues like conventional candidates?
Shailagh Murray: I expect he'll probably address this today, although the campaign folks I've spoken with aren't sure what to make of this media tour, or where it might lead.
Re: Issue Pandering: I would suggest that trade has taken a far worse battered by pandering, if only because neither of the Democrats actually is anti-trade. But, yeah, there's a lot of pandering going on, especially with the extremely misguided "gas tax holiday." I'm not sure if I agree with your premise that we can't both have lower energy costs and combat global warming. Care to explain a little more?
Shailagh Murray: You are right (I keep typing "wright") -- trade does rival energy, especially among Democrats.
My other point was that developing new energy technologies is not just a matter of time, it is extremely costly and may lead to other problems. Like this biofuels morass that we see developing. It's just not cheap to make houses and factories and jets and SUVs more energy efficient.
Rev. Wright: I have to say, I am really sick of hearing about Rev. Wright's comment that "we got what we deserved" on Sept. 11, because that is not what he said. The expression he used suggests that our country's actions have come back to haunt us. Now, I have heard a lot of people suggest and admit that we were attacked on Sept. 11 because of our foreign policy. In fact, I heard Bill Maher say it just a month ago on MSNBC. My own mother said as much on the very morning of the attacks. But all these people are white, so I gather, much less threatening. Can you please address this incredibly obvious double standard? If it was not because of our country's actions, then why were we attacked on Sept. 11?
Shailagh Murray: A lot of frustration this morning from people who think Wright's comments are being misrepresented...
Washington: Chris Rock, in his recent Washington appearance, had the most insightful comment about Rev. Wright I have ever heard: "They say he hates white people. I say, show me a 75-year-old black man who doesn't hate white people." I know Sen. Obama cringes at that, but Rev. Wright is of a generation that served in the military (he was a Marine) only to find it got him the back of the bus and no service at a Woolworth lunch counter. I would bet that the bitterness of African Americans who were adults during the era of segregation is both wide and deep -- and I'm a 60-year-old white guy.
Shailagh Murray: Leave it to Chris Rock to bring clarity to controversy, while we media types choke over ever word. But I must say I am somewhat amazed by the professed shock at what goes on inside black churches, as if it's somehow a revelation that folks still have some grievances about race in this country.
Grand Rapids, Minn.: We have become big fans of Rev. Wright -- he says it the way it is! People forget he is a veteran, and knows how the black people have been treated for years and years. Many Americans don't want to hear about it! I find it interesting that Obama is always presented as black and no longer presented as even being half white! Both Wright and Obama are very intelligent men, and I think some Americans might have a hard time with that and consider them to be uppity?
Shailagh Murray: The Rev. Wright fan club is open for business.
Richmond, Va.: From a lot of people who "think" Rev. Wright's comments are being misrepresented: Did he actually say that America got what it deserved? And why isn't John McCain getting tarred with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, who actually said those things?
Shailagh Murray: Another take on today's big speech...
Did I care?: Not really, and I'm not an Obama supporter. I go to church. I went to Catholic schools. I studied in Oklahoma and regularly went to Southern Baptist services and Wednesday night Bible reading with my friends. I've heard a lot of preachers say silly and stupid things. I also go to Temple pretty regularly, but luckily I'm there for Bat and Bar Mitzvah's so I don't get to hear the social and political condemnations!
Shailagh Murray: Thanks for writing. Lots of good comments on this, I will keep posting them.
Silver Spring, Md.: Is it possible that Rev. Wright is on this tour because he feels slighted by Sen. Obama, or because he wants to promote his new book?
Shailagh Murray: Like all successful preachers, Rev. Wright is a proud man. My take on this media tour is that he got fed up with the media coverage and decided to set the record straight, but you can tell he's frustrated with Obama for not pushing back more forcefully.
Patterson, N.Y.: I watched most of Rev. Wright's speech to the Detroit NAACP on CNN last night and was very impressed by his ability to touch on so many different areas, from musical traditions to right-brain vs. left-brain learning styles to linguistics in a extemporaneous manner while quoting scholarly research at the same time. His defense of ebonics was (for me) the weakest of his arguments, trying to create an equivalence between regional accents and a pidginization of English. His ability to model the divergent Eurocentric and Afrocentric musical styles was both impressive and humorous. Certainly we have slandered this man greatly by trying to define him by a few sound bites that do not do justice at all to the complexity of his intelligence and work.
Charleston, S.C.: Hi Shailagh. The Rev. Wright controversy is changing -- he has argued in the past two days that he is a victim of the media, and that they misrepresented his views with the endless playing of sound bites. Not only that, but he is arguing that they are caricaturing the black church. If this sticks, it ultimately will help Obama be seen as the insurgent force that stuck by a misrepresented man the media tried to railroad. If not, the renewed prominence of Rev. Wright will damage Obama. Which way do you see it playing out?
Shailagh Murray: I have no idea which way this is going to turn. And judging from the emails and conversations I've had with others this morning, both colleagues and campaign types, neither does anyone else. Frankly I think a lot of it depends on whether McCain and Clinton seize on Wright's recent appearances, along with the tenor of the television coverage.
St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Shailagh -- thank you for taking my question and for chatting with us. Does that fact that Sen. McCain has had access to his wife's private jet for free undercut the widely reported view that his campaign was limping along, broke and on life support, followed by his amazing rise from the ashes to where he is now -- essentially tied with both the Democrats? Will we see more scrutiny of his campaign finances and practices, or will Obama/Wright continue to suck up all the oxygen?
Shailagh Murray: This is driving Democrats crazy right now, but just wait. Once the primary battle is over, Sen. McCain will get his fair share of scrutiny.
Dryden, N.Y.: I have a quick factual question. How much did the needle actually shift after last week's Pennsylvania primary? Have there been any new superdelegate announcements? Thank you for this great source of information.
Shailagh Murray: Not clear. The latest Newsweek poll showed Obama losing ground, but I thought the 19-point spread from the previous week was crazy anyway. There's been a smattering of new superdelegate commitments, with Obama picking up more than Clinton, but it wasn't a deluge. The fact that Obama was always expected to lose PA probably reduced the impact when he actually did.
Folks, I gotta bolt, but thanks for lots of great questions and observations, and I hope to hear from you again in a couple of weeks. Cheers,.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Washington Post national political reporter Shailagh Murray discusses the latest buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.
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NFL Draft Analysis
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Mark writes the NFL Insider blog, and is the author of the new book War Without Death: A Year of Extreme Competition in Pro Football's NFC East.
Mark Maske: Hey, everyone, I hope you had a good draft weekend. Let's get right to it.
Fairfax, Va.: How can anyone, even Mel Kiper Jr., say whether a team did well or not this soon after the 2008 draft? Won't we know for sure a few years down the road?
And what do you think of Long now being the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL without ever taking a snap?
Mark Maske: No one can say for sure which players will end up being good and which won't. You have the injury factor. You have plain luck. But it is fair to evaluate whether a team drafted a player too high or got a steal, based on the player's generally accepted value on draft day. That's the only way in which these draft evaluations and draft grades are fair. For example, Joe Flacco might end up being a very good quarterback in Baltimore, and in hindsight using the 18th pick in the draft on him might have been well worth it for the Ravens. But to me, they didn't have to use the 18th pick to get him or another quarterback of comparable draft-day value, so I grade them down for that.
Charlottesville, Va.: What are your thoughts on Colt's transition to the NFL? His motion is better then Vince Young's.
Mark Maske: It's really hard to say. I just don't know how much of what Colt Brennan did in college translates to the NFL, given the offensive system in which he was playing at Hawaii. I'd say it's a real long shot for him to have much NFL staying power, even as a backup.
Naples, Fla.: I like the common sense approach Coach Zorn is using to prepare for the season. I don't understand taking the second big wide receiver. How good/bad were the next three defensive ends selected right after Washington's second pick?
Mark Maske: I really like both Calais Campbell and Quentin Groves as pass rushers, and they're two of the guys that you're talking about. I don't understand taking two wide receivers like that, either. To me, the thing to do would have been to stay put at No. 21 in the first round and get your defensive end by taking Phillip Merling, knowing you'll get one of the wide receivers in the second round because none of them had been taken at that point. I'm not saying the Redskins had a bad draft. I don't think that at all. I just think it could have been better with one fewer wide receiver and one more defensive end up top.
Virginia Beach, Va.: With the Keebler Elves at WR injured as much as the O-line, two big WRs make sense to me. But a pass catching TE and another dwarf nickel back? Aren't we planning on starting the season without an OLB and CB due to injuries? Should we have addressed those needs?
Mark Maske: You can't address every need. The tight end pick doesn't bother me, even with Chris Cooley on the roster. Fred Davis is a good prospect and should help. I just think two wide receivers was one too many and the Redskns passed on a very good defensive end, in Merling, who would have made a difference on their team.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Can you explain what caused Erin Henderson to fall from a projected 3 or 4 round pick to a free agent?
Mark Maske: No, I can't. I really don't know. I had sensed he was falling from the third-round grade that he got from the draft advisory board when he decided to enter the draft. But I thought that meant falling to the fourth round, not out of the draft entirely. Maybe injury issues were a concern.
Falls Church, Va.: More surprising: Colt Brennan to the Redskins or Andre Woodson to the Giants? I thought both teams already had their long-term QB situations secure, ie Campbell/Collins and Manning/Carr.
Mark Maske: I would call Brennan more surprising. Woodson has some physical tools and some skills that seem to translate better to the NFL game. I'd call him a better prospect. I don't fault a team for using a late-round pick on a quarterback with some promise, even with its quarterback situation settled. You never know when you might need a guy.
New York, NY: Am I the only one that thinks the drafting of Georgia Tech punter Durant Brooks was a fantastic pick for the Redskins? With Frost being so inconsistent getting a punter who could potentially be a pro-bowler within a year or so in the 6th round seems like a steal. It's good to see the Redskins are still investing blue chip talent in the Special Teams and could pay dividends in those close field position battle games that so often happen.
Mark Maske: That's a pick you can make when you actually retain a full slate of draft picks. I, too, think that's a pretty good move.
Seems that every year, Dallas has a top ranked draft. Yet, they haven't won a playoff game since the middle of the Clinton administration. What's their problem?
Mark Maske: The problem isn't a lack of talent. This was another very good draft for the Cowboys. Getting both Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins really upgrades two positions of need for them.
Warren, Mich.: Isn't the draft something in the retentive world of the NFL? In a league that regulates if shirts are tucked in, the color of tape and coaches that watch more videotape in a day than normal people watch television in a week, the draft appears. The first round is always repletes with bigtime busts and horrible flameouts. How do you rate the Packer draft? After a 13-3 season still going with quantity over quality. Eschewing a first round pick! Shades of George Allen!
Mark Maske: I liked the Jordy Nelson pick in the second round. He's a guy that a lot of teams liked more and more the closer we got to the draft. I didn't understand the Brian Brohm pick. Yes, he was worth the 56th overall pick in the draft. But aren't you undermining the young quarterback that you already have, Aaron Rodgers, by using a second-round pick on a quarterback before Rodgers even gets to start a game?
Baltimore: The Redskins aren't considering trading next year's draft picks for Jason Taylor, are they? They ignored their porous defensive line except for one late-round project. I'm terrified they'll give away a sure top 10 pick for an aging defender just because they're desperate, like they did with TJ Duckett.
Mark Maske: There's a big difference between Jason Taylor and T.J. Duckett. Jason Taylor was the defensive player of the year two seasons ago and he's still very, very good. He might be on the down side of his career, but he's still a top pass rusher and he still should have some very good seasons left. I'm not saying I think it would be a good move for anyone to give up a first-round draft pick for him, but it's not in the T.J. Duckett category.
Taneytown, Md.: Your analysis of the Ravens' decision makes no sense to me. It doesn't matter how many rounds passed after the Flacco pick before another QB was picked. If the Ravens decided Flacco was their guy, AND they thought a team with a pick before 26 was going to take him, then I understand; but if no team in front of them was interested in Flacco, then I agree that trading up to 18 was a bad move. Did Ozzie think someone was going to pull the trigger?
Mark Maske: Most people had Flacco, Brian Brohm and Chad Henne rated as very comparable prospects. All three were still available. All three weren't going to be gone by the 26th pick. Two of the three weren't going to be gone by the 26th pick. Obviously the Ravens thought someone was going to trade ahead of them and take Flacco. But to me, you shouldn't care. You shouldn't flinch. You should stay put and, if Flacco is gone, take Brohm. To me, in terms of their values on draft day, Flacco wasn't that much better of a prospect than Brohm to merit trading up to use the 18th pick on him. That's all I'm saying. It may turn out that Flacco becomes a very good quarterback and is well worth the 18th pick. But the chances are just as good that Brohm will develop into the better quarterback of the two. We don't know the answer to that. What we do know is that, in terms of their values on draft day, Flacco's worth as a prospect wasn't so much greater than Brohm's worth to justify the trade up.
Arlington, VA: So let me get this straight. According to Jason LaCanfora of the Post, the Redskins dumped Brandon Lloyd because he was unproductive, clashed with coaches, training staff and other players.
So they replace him with a guy who, after running 4.7s in his Pro Day workout, says this:
"Certain people have tried to hold me down, and they know who they are. I wouldn't say the whole OU coaching staff, but certain people, I would say that."
Your Washington Redskins, ladies and gentlemen!
Mark Maske: Malcolm Kelly is a talented player. He was a productive receiver in college. Despite the things you bring up about his pro day, I think he was worth a pick in the middle of the second round. I just don't think the Redskins needed to get both him and Devin Thomas.
DC: A lot of people seemed to mock the Skins picking a punter. Did NFL executives?
Seems to me there's a case to be made for picking a specialist with a 90 percent chance of starting for you over a position player with a 10 percent chance of even making the team.
Mark Maske: No, I think most people around the league view that as a justified pick in the sixth round, especially for a team that had the number of picks the Redskins did.
Hartford, Conn.: Hi Mark. As a Patriots fan, did this draft make them stronger next year, or are they heading for an 8-8 or 9-7 season. The Pats have seemed very good at balancing talent and cap room.
Mark Maske: They did address cornerback and linebacker, which they absolutely had to do. I don't know that I think Jerod Mayo was worth the 10th pick, but he's a good player and he'll help them. They certainly haven't replaced Asante Samuel, and for that reason I think they're not as good as they were last season. But they're still plenty good, and against that easy schedule, I have a tough time seeing them winning fewer than 12 games next season.
Washington, D.C.: Who do you think will be starting at WR with Moss and Randle EL?
Mark Maske: I would think Devin Thomas would end up being in the top three. But it's very, very early to be worrying about that.
Atlanta: Which of these does not belong with the others?: Michigan. Virginia. BOSTON COLLEGE. Arkansas. Louisiana State. Ohio State. Southern Cal. Tennessee.
Last time I checked, in the NFL you don't get bonus yards on 3rd and goal for your quality as a "spokesmodel." Ridiculous.
Mark Maske: There are some very strong anti-Matt Ryan sentiments out there, obviously. I'm torn on that one. I know the guy threw 19 interceptions last season in college, and the game only gets faster and more complex at the next level. But I happen to be a guy who thinks that if you don't have a franchise quarterback and you have a chance to get someone who could be one, you have to do it. I think the Falcons made the right move. They simply could not go into next season entrusting their quarterback job to Chris Redman and Joey Harrington.
Sacramento, Calif.: The way I saw how this draft unfolded for the Skins was that the offense was pretty much taken care of and that there is good balance between young, in their prime and older players on that side of the ball. As for the defense, I'm hoping that is can remain stable for one more year before and influx of players, via both free agency and the draft, is conducted. What do you think?
Mark Maske: I think your analysis is correct. I just don't know if the defense will be able to do its part. There are some holes there that haven't been filled.
Herndon, Va.: Mr. M: Do you see any big losers or winners in the NFC East? I thought the Giants did well for what they had to use, but am surprised they didn't make a deal with Shockey.
Mark Maske: I thought the Cowboys, as I said before, were big winners. I agree with you about the Giants. They did well for what they had. Getting Kenny Phillips with the final pick of the first round was very fortunate. Mario Manningham in the third round is a risk, but he has the potential to help. I didn't think the Eagles particularly helped themselves. The Redskins did help themselves, although I think they could have helped themselves even more.
Mclean, Va.: Mark: I think you have to consider the salary cap when evaluating the draft and that makes me think the Redskins had a dumb draft. They now have six guys (Cooley, Moss, Randle El, and the three top draft picks) who all basically play pass-catcher. They're never going to get more than four of them on the field in most cases and they're all going to make a lot of money. That means you're taking money that could be used to help other parts of the roster (LB, DE) to pay guys to be backups. That's dumb, it's something the 'Skins have done consistently under Dan Snyder and it will come back to bite them again.
Mark Maske: Yes and no. The contracts given to drafted rookies depends on their draft slots, not the positions they play. A wide receiver taken with the 34th pick is going to get the same contract that a defensive end taken with the 34th pick would get. The differences in money will come with their second contracts. But that's years down the line and the circumstances of your team might have changed by then. I know what you're saying about how much money you're pouring into certain positions. But rookies, in terms of the cap, are relatively cheap, particularly from the second round on, so I don't know that this really applies to what the Redskins have done.
Falls Church, Va.: After I heard about Malcolm Kelly blaming the OU staff for his poor 40 times, I said: "that young man will be a Redskin." Perfect Dan Snyder player.
Mark Maske: I don't have a problem with drafting Malcolm Kelly, other than the fact that they also drafted Devin Thomas in the same round.
Baltimore: Laughing at Atlanta for taking Matt Ryan, leaving Joe Flacco to us. Ryan is a third-round talent at best. More importantly, the ultimate Wonder Bread quarterback has to go play for a fan base that loved Michael Vick. The Falcons already had Joey Harrington -- wasn't once enough?
Mark Maske: You can dislike the Matt Ryan pick. But don't go overboard. He has first-round talent. You might not think he has the talent to be a top-five pick, but he is a very good quarterback prospect.
Mark Maske: I'm going to run, folks. Thanks for your questions and I'll be talking to you soon.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Washington Post columnist and NFL Insider blogger Mark Maske Mark Maske takes your questions about how teams fared in the NFL Draft.
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Critiquing the Press
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Washington: What did you think of the Post's article this morning about new/young teachers with racy or silly MySpace and Facebook pages? I was surprised to see individuals identified by name in the article -- I'm not sure adding the names and naming their employers gave me any additional insight, but it very well may cause the teacher's to fear for their jobs.
washingtonpost.com: When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web (Post, April 28)
Howard Kurtz: I thought about whether I would have named any of the teachers involved. But the paper did interview those who were cited and gave them a chance to respond. None of them sounded terribly concerned. You can't really do a story like that without examples. Maybe the piece will prompt other teachers to be more cautious about Facebook and MySpace and save them from future trouble.
Baltimore: Howard - Last week we heard and read constant distress in the media about the fact that 65 percent of white voters voted for Hillary in Pennsylvania. There was nonstop hand-wringing about the fact that this showed a severe racial divide and proved underlying racism. But there was none of the same concern -- and bare mention -- of the fact that 92 percent of blacks voted against a white candidate. Double standard in the media?
Howard Kurtz: I must not be reading the same accounts. None of the many pieces I saw blamed the voting patterns on racism (though there was the perfectly legitimate discussion on whether race is a minor factor that is hurting Obama). Instead, the focus is very much on why Barack Obama is having trouble winning white working-class voters (hence today's Newsweek cover on "Obama's Bubba Gap"). I've seen a couple of references to Hillary failing to hold Obama's black vote below 90 percent.
Alexandria, Va.: So, what was Craig Ferguson's best line at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday?
washingtonpost.com: Star Power Lights Up Correspondents' Dinner (Post, April 27)
Howard Kurtz: Maybe the alleged sexual tension in the slugfest between O'Reilly and Olbermann?
The popular vote myth: Howard: Why have most media people bought the Clinton contention that the popular vote has some relevance in the current process? There are simple points of fact that show this to be not only foolish, but deceptive -- yet the media play along. Let me put you to the test: What was the margin of victory in the popular vote in Iowa? Your answer shows the true value of trying to use popular vote as a benchmark.
Howard Kurtz: I beg to differ: I don't think most media people have bought the line that the popular vote matters. Obviously, we've reported that this is the latest argument being made by the Hillary forces, and that it would be a talking point for her if she were to overtake Obama in popular votes. But it's all about delegates, delegates, delegates. Anything else is a sideshow.
San Diego: Hey, Howie -- what's your opinion on how the media handled the situation with the North Carolina GOP's ad against whatever-that-Democrat's name was (though it really was against Obama)? Do you think the media has a responsibility to not just give free air time to some of this stuff? I agree the ad had initial news value, but did the nets have to play it over and over again? What about when the story became not the ad itself, but whether the North Carolina GOP used the media to get it to play an ad it never intended to air? Thanks!
washingtonpost.com: North Carolina GOP leadership divided over ad (AP, April 24)
Howard Kurtz: I think television falls into the trap again and again of providing free airtime to commercials that either aren't being aired, or araired in a minor way. (This is what originally happened, by the way, with the Swift Boat ads.) That North Carolina ad was a legitimate story because McCain had criticized the state party for making it, and there's nothing wrong with showing a few seconds initially to illustrate the story, but it was played on cable over and over -- basically a zillion-dollar gift to the state Republican Party.
Changing the Equation?: Joan Didion once described the presidential campaign as a closed system staged by the candidates for the news media -- one in which the media judged the candidate by how well he or she manipulated them, and in which the electorate were bystanders. In this election, do you think the rise of the Internet and so-called "people-powered politics" has changed this equation at all?
Howard Kurtz: Sure -- look at all the YouTube moments that have attracted millions of eyeballs, regardless of what the big networks and newspapers and magazines do. Look at Obama's use of the Internet. Look at the role of Facebook. And bloggers never have been more successful at influencing the dialogue. If it ever was a closed system -- remember, for all the media's power, people get to make up their own minds and vote -- it's a lot more porous today, and I think that's a healthy thing.
Helena, Mont.: Why do you quote Rich Lowry on the Democratic nominating process? Rich Lowry is a conservative, a Republican -- he has no voice in what Democrats do. Once the nominating process is over, then Rich Lowry can have an opinion on the Democratic nominee. At most, he is a concern troll.
Howard Kurtz: I have this revolutionary idea: I quote both conservatives and liberals on both the Democratic and Republican contests. I'm just as interested in what Frank Rich is saying about McCain as I am in what Rich Lowry is saying about Obama and Bill Kristol this morning is saying about Hillary. Even if you're a partisan of one side or the other, it's useful -- not to mention enlightening -- to know what the other side, fairly or unfairly, is saying.
Military Wife: Now we all know that most of the "military analysts" employed by cable and network news during the run-up to the war really were contractors for the Pentagon (message force-multipliers) and viewers were the targeted population. Folks who have experience in and around the military spotted that a mile away. It seems the last people to get concerned about the situation are the TV execs -- after all, when you're getting the ratings with all that dramatic martial music and high-tech graphics and cool stuff blowing up (video supplied by the Pentagon) who cares if thousands of service members die? It's not gonna be their kids, right? Now we are going into an election in which the issues that most concern voters are the war and the economy. I say good luck sorting that out. Are there, in your opinion, any areas that the mainstream media covers more poorly than war and economics?
Howard Kurtz: I don't agree that the MSM cover war and economics poorly, but I do think their coverage of this important issue has been pathetic. I covered the controversy stemming from the New York Times story on "Reliable Sources" the past two weeks; yesterday I had Don Rumsfeld's former Pentagon spokesman and a retired colonel who was a military analyst for NBC. If there has been any coverage of this on CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC or Fox, I've missed it. The story makes the networks look bad -- and their response, by and large, has been to ignore it.
Minneapolis: I'm worried that we are getting to the point where things become newsworthy or have a specific effect just because the media says it is so. For example, in this morning's "First Read" Chuck Todd says that Rev. Wright's media tour is hurting Obama and "hurting him badly." Now, this eventually may be true, but there is absolutely no way to know that at this point. If the vote in North Carolina tightens up significantly and Obama loses Indiana by a larger margin than the polls would indicate now, then yes, it has hurt him; until then, it's pure speculation. Of course, if Todd and others sit on MSNBC, etc., and keep repeating that it is hurting Obama, won't voters eventually be persuaded that there must be something bad about what Wright is doing?
Howard Kurtz: Actually, there is a way to know that. In a Newsweek poll out yesterday, 41 percent of registered voters said their opinion of Obama had declined because of Jeremiah Wright. Today on cable, all the political chatter is about Wright's appearance this morning at the National Press Club. It undoubtedly will be on the evening news and in tomorrow's papers. That's another day when Obama's campaign message is being overshadowed by his former pastor -- and that is not helpful at this stage of the game.
Hell's Kitchen, N.Y.: Regarding the New York Times story about McCain using his wife's plane for campaign purposes: What took so long? I mean, his press coterie have been following him around like needy puppies for months, as commonly repeated reports about McCain "flying coach" floated around. Why didn't they report on it at the time it was happening?
washingtonpost.com: McCain Frequently Used Wife's Jet for Little Cost (New York Times, April 27)
Howard Kurtz: My calculated guess is that journalists didn't know about it. The Times had to go through financial records to establish not just that McCain was flying on a jet owned by an affiliate of his wife's company, but that what his campaign was paying for such travel was well below what it would cost you or I to rent a corporate plane. You can't run such a story based on a hunch.
Rockville, Md.: I think that you missed the mark with your response in last week's chat regarding the Pentagon's program. The officers who appeared as military analysts were career military -- I expected them to represent the views of the career military, not the political appointees who run the Pentagon. I expected the military analysts to channel the views of those currently-serving officers who cannot speak out directly because of honor and duty. I was most disturbed by the cheerleader aspect of the analysts with respect to the Pentagon leadership. These analysts were serving as the mouthpiece for the spoon-fed propaganda of the civilian political leadership, not the career officers who can't speak out.
Howard Kurtz: Well, they weren't all serving as mouthpieces for the Pentagon, but too many were. Some were soliciting the talking points they should use. I talked to one retired colonel, Bill Cowan of Fox News, who said that when he dared criticize the Iraq war effort in 2005, he was kicked out of the analysts group and never invited to another briefing, never got another phone call or e-mail. That ought to tell you something about how the program operated. The Pentagon, by the way, suspended the program late Friday, successfully burying the news.
Alexandria, Va.: Did Bush use any Iraq-based jokes this year? His previous "search for the WMD" skit was a hoot, so did he tell any legless or armless soldier jokes? I'm sure that his assembled media enablers would find such a routine hilarious, just as they all laughed at his WMD sketch, so could you tell us just how much fun everyone had?
Howard Kurtz: I can't, because I didn't go to the dinner. So I'm sitting here looking at photos of some of my journalistic brethren with Pamela Anderson.
Chicago: "I'm just as interested in what Frank Rich is saying about McCain as I am in what Rich Lowry is saying about Obama and Bill Kristol this morning is saying about Hillary." The point is that in your column today, you quoted four conservative columnists on the Democratic race, and no liberals.
Howard Kurtz: Some days I quote mostly liberals. It all evens out. Anyone who reads the column regularly knows I include as many viewpoints as possible.
Easton, Mass.: Thanks for taking my question. I often hear two different -- and conflicting -- explanations from reporters for their decisions about what to cover and when, decisions that have a huge impact on how presidential races unfold: first, that there will be time for covering some things later on, but second, that they can only report on what is happening as it happens (older speeches, gaffes, etc., are no longer "news" -- and thus only fit for a line or two in the occasional analytical piece).
For example, when asked why many of McCain's recent decisions, mistakes and policies aren't being given much scrutiny, reporters -- like Shailagh Murray in today's Politics Chat -- say "just wait, once the primary is over, Sen. McCain will get his fair share of scrutiny." Yet I would be shocked if Sen. McCain's Sunni-Shia confusion, for example, will get the same kind of intense coverage in September as it would if he actually had said in it September, rather than when all media eyes were trained on the Democrats. Doesn't this kind of "we'll get to it later" yet "we can only cover what's happening right now" thinking mean very distorted coverage? What do you think the media can do to fix this problem?
Howard Kurtz: We don't have unlimited resources, but I think we need to be covering McCain as vigorously now as in the fall. I mean, it's not like he's laying on a beach somewhere -- he's out there campaigning. One pet peeve of mine is when reporters don't cover an issue because the candidates are avoiding it, thus allowing them to set the agenda. I thought the New York Times had a smart piece yesterday on how all three candidates would worsen the federal deficit -- McCain primarily through tax cuts, Obama and Clinton primary through new spending. It's hardly shocking the campaigns don't want to talk about this, but journalists need to hold them accountable.
Teachers on Facebook: Howard, I like that young teachers have revealing Internet pages. From what I can tell (in my mid-30s), it would not occur to many younger people to hide any aspect of their lives. They will post thoughts and pictures about volunteering as readily as items about hard partying. I'm seeing it as a sort of innocence, and exploiting it for knowledge about them. Since I don't have a Victorian mindset, I'm not appalled by evidence that a young teacher might have lovers or know how to enjoy a party. I'm much more interested to see if they've joined groups like "Academic Integrity is for Losers," or NAMBLA. These people are making initial background checks convenient and free!
Howard Kurtz: Well, I understand the fun aspect of it. The problem is, an employer or potential employer may not be so understanding. In a related development, as the ombudsman wrote yesterday, The Post canned a copy aide who posted a drunk picture of himself on a sports blog that carried obscene, sexist and racist comments.
Re: Wright: In terms of "guilt-by-association" politics, do you think the reason the Wright controversy has "stuck" is because of the video? The stuff about McCain and Hagee just hasn't had anything close to this kind of attention, and now Tom Hayden has written a piece in The Nation about Clinton working for a law firm (which had at least two communist partners) that defended mainly Black Panthers and communists, but no one seems to be picking up on it. I mean, what is scarier to Middle America than communists? You'd think the media would be lapping it up! My thought is that it is the video that makes a difference.
Howard Kurtz: In the television age, the video is huge -- but equally important is Barack Obama's close association with Jeremiah Wright for two decades. I mean, this is the man who presided over his wedding and baptized his daughters. That puts him in a different category than some pastor who happens to offer an endorsement of a candidate (though I think McCain absolutely should be held accountable for the John Hagee endorsement, as he accepted it even as he tried to distance himself from Hagee). Also, the fact that Obama, while criticizing some of Wright's sermons, has said he could no more disown him than he could his grandmother naturally has some voters wondering about the extent of the pastor's influence on him.
Seattle: Recently you had an item in one of your columns about ESPN spiking a couple of interviews with Obama. Was this justified, or do you feel that the ESPN president's political views (McCain contributor) were a major factor in the decision?
Howard Kurtz: I have no way of knowing, but I thought it was a missed opportunity. At the very least, the hosts could have asked about his basketball prowess.
New York: Tough question: You are in a sit down with some respected former member of the Democratic Party -- let's say Sen. Sam Nunn or Sen. Dennis DeConcini -- and they say: "Sen. Obama is electrifying in speeches, but he achieved nothing at the state or national levels, and he has no new ideas except the phrase 'change.' I can't see, if he were white, that he would have been given a prominent spot at the convention, nor be an contender today." Is this a racist statement? Do you play up that angle? What if Jesse Helms said the same thing to you?
Howard Kurtz: Simple: I would report it and let readers decide. In my view you can make references to a candidate's race without being racist, but depending on the way the comments are worded -- see Ferraro, Geraldine -- some people are going to be offended.
Re: Changing the Equation?: While the Internet has changed how the candidates and their campaigns have done in the actual election, doesn't Elizabeth Edwards's editorial in the New York Times underline that the media hasn't changed its coverage from a meta-analysis of the campaigns' media strategy to actual analysis of the campaigns' policies?
washingtonpost.com: Bowling 1, Health Care 0 (New York Times, April 27)
Howard Kurtz: We should be careful about painting with too broad a brush, but Elizabeth Edwards made some good points. I've said many times that the media were so fixated on a Hillary-Obama race that they gave short shrift to Biden, Dodd, Richardson and to a lesser extent Edwards. They justified this by saying these candidates (except for Edwards in Iowa) were way behind in the polls -- but without media oxygen, of course, it's very difficult for them to break through. Sometimes, as in the case of Mike Huckabee, a long-shot candidate can rise without much media coverage, but that's relatively unusual. Keep in mind that much of the MSM stopped covering McCain, too, after his financial and staffing meltdown.
Centreville, Va.: Could it be said that the New York Times makes a rather large assumption without content analysis when it suggests that many generals were just unloading Pentagon talking points? CBS's expert Col. Jeff McCausland, who is quoted in the Times piece -- did anyone sit and read his interviews on CBS to see if he was a mouthpiece? What if he merely stated his opinion that things could be going better? And is it really shocking to see an anti-Pentagon piece from the paper with the publisher who makes commencement speeches about stupid wars?
Howard Kurtz: Having watched these analysts on TV for five years now, I think it's fair to say that most of them were cheerleaders for the war effort. It's fair to debate whether that was their honest view -- they are, after all, career military men -- or whether they were manipulated by the Pentagon or influenced by military contracts. It's telling, in fact, that when a half-dozen generals publicly broke with Rumsfeld in 2006, none of them were TV pundits.
Minneapolis: Sure, there's a distinction between the Obama-Wright and McCain-Hagee relationships -- but it's also true that McCain actively courted Hagee's endorsement and held an event with him to announce it. It's not as if Hagee endorsed McCain out of the blue without McCain's knowledge. It has to count against McCain that he sought out Hagee, doesn't it?
Howard Kurtz: No question about it.
Supporting Easton, Ma.: Here's another instance where McCain appears to get special treatment from the media: Like Bush, John McCain apparently likes to run around slapping the "al-Qaeda" label on everyone we're fighting in Iraq, even though it's completely false to describe them that way. Why won't journalists call him on this when he does it? Is this brand of bald-faced propagandizing by the "straight-shootin' Maverick" just going to be allowed to slide (or get explained away as nothing), like every other "misstatement" he makes?
Howard Kurtz: New York Times, April 19 (and yes, there should be more):
As he campaigns with the weight of a deeply unpopular war on his shoulders, Sen. John McCain of Arizona frequently uses the shorthand ''al-Qaeda'' to describe the enemy in Iraq in pressing to stay the course in the war there.
''Al-Qaeda is on the run, but they're not defeated'' is his standard line on how things are going in Iraq. When chiding the Democrats for wanting to withdraw troops, he has been known to warn that ''al-Qaeda will then have won.'' In an attack this winter on Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the Democratic front-runner, Sen. McCain went further, warning that if American forces withdrew, al-Qaeda would be ''taking a country.''
Critics say that in framing the war that way at rallies or in sound bites, Sen. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is oversimplifying the hydra-headed nature of the insurgency in Iraq in a way that exploits the emotions that have been aroused by the name ''al-Qaeda'' since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Delmar, N.Y.: Hi Mr. Kurtz. I have been reading your daily columns and watching "Reliable Sources" for some time, and while I don't always agree with you, I have no doubt that you try to be fair. Late last week Rush Limbaugh implied that he would like to see riots at the Democratic Convention in Denver, and that this would help the GOP. Why was there little mention of this other than on Keith Olbermann's "worst person" segment? Is it that it is no surprise -- and therefore not newsworthy -- when Mr. Limbaugh makes outrageous comments? Why is there no political penalty for Republican candidates who go on his show?
Howard Kurtz: I think most people took it as a spoof. He said, to the tune of "White Christmas," that he was "dreaming" of such riots:
"Now, I am not inspiring or inciting riots. I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming of riots in Denver."
As for Republican candidates on his show, Limbaugh almost never has guests, beyond an occasional Bush or Cheney phone call. As one of McCain's biggest critics during the primaries, he certainly hasn't had the Arizona senator.
Re: Wright: Howard, have you watched any of Wright's "offending" sermons in their entirety, or read the transcripts -- or any of his other sermons, for that matter? Yes or no?
Howard Kurtz: Yes. Several times.
Fairfax, Va.: Most journalists do not seem to have any expertise in a particular field, such as economics, so that they would be able to pin down the candidates when they propose various plans they have for turning the economy around. Neither do they have expertise in the history of race in politics in America, so that they could put what is happening now with Wright into perspective. How did things come to this point when most journalists seem to be hacks repeating White House talking points or shilling for one party or another? Where is the factual reporting and ability to put things in perspective that would help educate the electorate so we could make informed decisions at election time?
Howard Kurtz: I respectfully will dissent from the view that most reporters are hacks and shills. The press, it turns out, has plenty of experts on economics, race, war and other issues. These, of course, tend not to be campaign or White House correspondents, who -- given the nature of their jobs -- have to be generalists. But there is more to coverage than the reporter on the bus or at the White House briefing.
Arlington, Va.: The Madison Capital Times today abandoned the dead tree product, turned off the presses and put all of its 17,000 circulation online. Is that the future of newspapers, or a last-ditch gamble to save a great Midwest liberal voice in an area of entrenched conservatism? Will other newspapers be watching this, and if so, what will they be watching for? What are the new economic metrics for online newspapers? You don't give investment advice, but do you think that the economics of online newspapering works?
Howard Kurtz: At the moment, the online economics don't work for newspapers. Many of them, including The Washington Post, are garnering more revenue from their Web sites, which in an era of declining circulation is where the action is. But Internet revenue doesn't come close to supporting the large staffs of The Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, etc., or even the staff required for a medium-sized metropolitan daily to cover its area. Sure, we could turn into a Web site and throw up some stories, columns and blogs, but for newspapers to carry out their mission, they need the size to do the kind of detailed reporting that no one else even attempts. Look at The Post's haul of Pulitzers this month, for the Walter Reed expose, the Cheney series, the Blackwater shootings in Iraq. You can't do that kind of journalism with a small Web staff.
Fairfax County, Va.: During the long primary season I have enjoyed many regional newspapers and TV stations online. To me, live editorial board conference with Obama by the Indianapolis Star -- now available on their Web site in streaming video -- is head-and-shoulders above the rest, including any national media source. It provided a million times more information than any debate. I assume they will do the same with Sen. Clinton.
This is the kind of in-depth content the Internet can and should make possible. As a separate feature, the Star also has thought of a brilliant online moneymaker, with the ability to click on news photos and buy framed or unframed copies. Who wouldn't want to buy (on impulse) a fun or uplifting photo of their candidate or team? Amazing to me to see such new-tech creativity from Gannett. What do you think of it? I felt like I finally saw a rosier future for newspapers.
washingtonpost.com: Obama's opening statement to editorial board (Indianapolis Star, Aug. 25)
Howard Kurtz: Some very good ideas. And I'm sure the rest of us will be copying them soon.
Thanks for the chat, folks.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Date Lab: So Easy A Monkey Could Do It
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Sandy Fernandez: Hey there! Thanks for joining Date Lab editors Beth Chang and Sandy M. Fernandez for this chat. There's been a lot of chatter about this weekend's monkey date, and of course we're happy to answer any questions you may have about Date Lab in general, so let's get started.
Washington, D.C.: So the monkey is quite a matchmaker. Was the monkey given a pre-screened group of candidates? (I.e., so that someone looking for a middle-aged mate wouldn't be matched up with a 22 year-old?)
Beth Chang: Beth here. Thanks for joining my first Date Blab. We narrowed the field only a bit for the monkey, by age range and state. We brought Armani photos of five men and five women.
Arlington, Va.: One thing I've always wondered about -- do you try to match couples based on what you think will be the best match, or based on what you think will produce the best article?
Sandy Fernandez: We try for the best matches, which we also think make the best articles. After all, two people who don't have ANYTHING in common won't have much to say to each other. The folks who seem like they should get along are more interesting.
Chicago: Are you going to do more random matches?
I'm not sure if you need to hire the monkey, but it might actually work better to match people up randomly. If sparks fly, great. If they're not a great match, at least they won't have been matched up because of some random similarity a reporter noticed on their applications! I think the idea that they've been matched up for a reason raises the daters' expectations and makes it more likely they'll disappoint each other.
I suppose it'd only make sense to group people by age range before matching them up, of course.
So, where will you go from here?
Sandy Fernandez: It's interesting about the random matches: Our assumption had been that having something in common on paper would make people more likely to hit it off. Apparently we were wrong! And it's not totally surprising: Anyone who's dated knows about that "on paper" doesn't necessarily mean anything. So we have a whole line-up of guest matchers planned, just to see if the monkey's lightening will strike twice.
Tysons Corener: It seems the monkey did a great job. Maybe you should keep Armani on staff or trying other animals? I bet D.C.'s resident animal celebrity, Tai Shan, would be willing to help.
Sandy Fernandez: The idea was to literally test the "a monkey could do it" hypothesis. And, um, yeah, the monkey could do it. I hope I'm not speaking out of turn, but I think we might have even approached other monkeys at some point, too.
Washington, D.C.: Do couples that stay together for awhile ever check back in with you? Send thank you notes?
Sandy Fernandez: We actually check in with our growing list of former daters every once in a while--both those that had successful matches and those that didn't. Turns out some have ended up dating OTHER Date Labbers from other weeks, just like reality TV stars or something.
Easton, Md.: Your "monkey" stunt brings to mind the elephant prognosticator used by the late, great Glenn Brenner to pick NFL games. Each week Glenn would ask a celebrity guest to pick each week's winning teams, with the winner receiving a donation to his or her favorite charity. One year the winner was a 90 year old cloistered nun! But far and away the best was his use of a trained elephant. He put the helmets of the 2 teams side by side, and the elephant would indicate his choice with his trunk. Well, the elephant completely overwhelmed the opposition, and Glenn contributed the winnings to an elephant charity. Truly we don't give animals the credit they deserve!
Beth Chang: I loved Glenn Brenner! Armani has done some football picks himself, and I believe he'll be doing more in the future.
Annapolis, Md.: I think this is the first one ever that wasn't like "for some utterly trivial reason I can't be bothered to call this person again because it might take 5 minutes away from my oh-so-important life"
Sandy Fernandez: I think that might be a wee bit harsh. The truth is, people tend to bond through repeated contact: Seeing each other at work, having the same group of friends. The fact that any of these people form enough of a connection to become friends or start dating feels pretty amazing to me.
Ballston, Va.: Is Armani available to pick VP running mates?
Sandy Fernandez: Ha ha! He does seem to have the touch, right? As humiliating as it sort of is ...
Gaithersburg, Md.: Seeing as how this was one of the more successful Date Lab dates, it really goes to show you never can tell how things will work out! My hubby and I are exhibit A of this, since we seemed to have nothing in common when we started dating and people were amazed when we became engaged. Seventeen years and 4 children later, we wouldn't chance a minute.
But I do have a question. Dunno if it's appropriate, but I've always wondered what percent of Date Lab dates make it into The Magazine? I'm asking because a friend and I wound up sitting near what seemed to be a Date Lab date where the couple were literally screaming obscenities at each other, but have yet to see that one in print. Not that we blame you for not printing it, if that's what we overheard.
Sandy Fernandez: Ooooh, do tell more! What were they saying? What did they look like? We publish most of our dates. And we would never kill one for having too much drama. So really, who were these people?
Anonymous: Kudos! Fantastic video!.....Armani in action....I loved it!... Forget the DC panda bears. Amani's a rock star!
Beth Chang: I have to say I'm not much of a monkey person, but even I found Armani rather enchanting.
Woodbridge, Va.: I know the magazine must go to print pretty early. Do you have a more recent update on the couple from this weekend? Have they gone out again, and if so, how did it go?
Sandy Fernandez: We do go to print a few weeks ahead, and unfortunately I haven't gotten an update since. I did hear that Matt was very, very quiet when told about the monkey, though he swore he found it funny. And to be fair, the writer thought he was a pretty quiet guy altogether.
Sandy Fernandez: About the "you never can tell" thing--because Matt and Ginger's types were so different from, well, Matt & Ginger, I really did not have high hopes for them as a couple. I wouldn't have put them together. So maybe overthinking is bad for matching.
Beth Chang: To Gaithersburg: My husband and I, too, are very different; no one ever would have matched us up. But we've been married 18 years (mostly to his credit, for putting up with me). Surprise matches, and the ones you're sure will work out but don't, are what make Date Lab so much fun ...
Self Absorbed or Humble: Some of the candidates seem to love themselves and the attention they get from Date Lab. Others seem like they are very skeptical about the whole situation. Do these people volunteer themselves, or are they volunteered by family/friends?
Sandy Fernandez: We only accept questionnaires from the Daters themselves. We email them directly and they have to sign a legal release. No one gets dragooned into it--though I do think a few have second thoughts along the way.
Penn Quarter: What percentage of people who submit an application to Date Lab get chosen to participate? How long does it take to get contacted back and set up on the date?
Sandy Fernandez: It varies widely. Some people get contacted right away, because something they wrote reminded us of another questionnaire we have on hand. Others may wait months, because we don't think we have anyone quite right. Of course, after Monkeygate, maybe we'll just go for it!
A Monkey can do it: a lot better than the people have been doing. I wonder where is the logic in some of these matches. I read the weekly column and I have also e-mailed and just shake my head as to what made you think these two people were matches. What criteria do you use other than sex and age?
Beth Chang: Keep in mind that there's a three-page questionnaire that folks have filled out and be assured that we've seen something in there that indicates to us that these folks could be a match: jobs, backgrounds, hobbies or interests, senses of humor, love of dogs... joking.
Alexandria, Va.: why can't you guys do a summary follow-up column (even just one-sentence on each) for us so we know what happened with all the couples since their column ran? It would be nice to know if that first couple ever got married, whether the second date ones progressed, etc. Hearing nothing after getting all the details is a real bummer.
Sandy Fernandez: We are planning to do a story about Date Lab in the near future that will report back on what's happened with some of our couples. Even if they never saw each other again, some of them have fun follow-ups.
Silver Spring, Md.: I have to agree with Annapolis. I feel I see many people in Date Lab who give their date a 4, but then they never connect again. I think 4 out of 5 isn't bad!! When you ask the daters to rate the date, do you find that some people have a vastly different take on what their "4" means as opposed to the other party's "4"?
Sandy Fernandez: We go back to many, many people and say, "Um, you said you found your date totally unattractive and borderline offensive, yet with a 5 being defined as 'We ran away to Vegas last night,' you gave the date a 4. Can you explain that?" It's a little frustrating, but understandable.
Frederick, Maryland: I got a charge out of this week's Date Lab results. But the column in general makes me wonder about the people who participate. Some--a lot, actually--have the most arbitrary standards for what they find attractive and unattractive. Do these people -want- to meet others, or are they waiting for the day when you can create your own android to your specifications?
Sandy Fernandez: I think we have to remember that this is a blind date. With absolutely no history to go on, people grasp for what they have, which is pretty shallow: Looks, food knowledge. The very same person who dismisses a blind date because he's not a big reader might feel differently about some other non-reader that they got to know over a period of time. I mean, there's a reason blind dates aren't known for their high success rate (whether we're setting them up or not).
Washington, D.C.: As a former date labber, please more random matches! My date was largely doomed because of the fact we were in the same field and had nothing else in common. He may have been a nice guy, but it was a painful couple of hours, at least for me. I do admit it is hard, most of my friends who are happy in their relationships are compatible for reasons that may not be detectable via a questionnaire.
Beth Chang: Sorry to hear you had a bum date. And it is a challenge to match up folks based on a questionnaire! Any suggestions out there for different questions we could include that you think might help indicate compatiblity?
Western NY: It's interesting how the date labbers never seem to list qualities that I think of right off the bat...integrity, quiet strength, healthy optimism coupled with practical expectations and preparation, blah blah blah.
You know, the dry stuff.
Sandy Fernandez: I think some people have trouble listing really what they want. They may not know. Or they may be filling the questionnaire out on a lark. But you know, as a matcher, I can't match up integrity, and can only go on what people tell me about their own optimism or quiet strength. Now ask me for a brunette firefighter, and that I can do.
Central Virginia: Have there been any other Date Labs where both people scored the date a 5? I think in order to truly compare Armani's matches with those of other, he needs to make several more. (I'm rooting for him).
Beth Chang: At least one recent one comes to mind. Anwar and Ayesha ...
Baltimore: God, I hope they get married. What a great "how we met" story.
Arlington, Va.: I have a question about attractiveness. Does Date Lab ever not pair people up because they think the guy or the girl carries themselves in a slovenly or unattractive manner. I know online dating some men are very specific about "no fatties" and women might not want to date a balding man.
I'm just wondering how a general preference for "beautiful people" plays in the mix.
Sandy Fernandez: We're all susceptible to beauty, including the Date Lab editors. And I will tell you that I'd rather not send out anyone--male or female--if I think it's just a set-up to get bashed. But I have been surprised at how often weight comes up for men. And, conversely, how much women notice height. Again: It's a blind date. It's superficial by definition.
How do you do it: What are the criteria used for deciding who should be matched. How many men and how many women do you have in the kitty to choose from? What makes you decide these two are matches? What are the first things you look at? Have you ever had former people take a second shot?
Beth Chang: We have more men than women, so guys please get your applications in! Everyone who makes matches does it differently, which is part of what makes it interesting...
Farragut: A 5 is defined as 'We ran away to Vegas last night,'?! What are 1-4 defined as?
Sandy Fernandez: It's pretty loose, but we sometimes give folks guidelines to avoid grade inflation. Each writer makes them up, but 1 is something along the lines of, "I'd rather eat dirt than see that person again," 3 might be "It was ok, but between her and my favorite TV show, I'd probably stay home" and etc on up.
McLean, VA: Are you planning on having the GEICO Caveman as a guest matchmaker?
So easy a caveman can do it?
Beth Chang: Great idea. Maybe he'll be interested now that the sitcom is in trouble... Keep his profile up.
Arlington, Va.: Have you considered launching a mini "Match"-type site and letting daters choose from profiles of other would-be date lab entrants? Maybe give daters a chance at directing their own fate?
Sandy Fernandez: Nah--that would take away the total randomness that is Date Lab. Besides, there are plenty of online dating sites for those who want to use them. Many of our Daters do both, actually.
Questions for the questionaire:: Maybe you could ask, "On a scale of 1-5, how arrogant are you?" You all seem to draw the most arrogant people as would-be daters! And I can't think of a bigger turn-off!!
Sandy Fernandez: We have thought about asking people if they're picky. But are people really aware of how picky they are? Isn't that like asking someone if they were popular in high school? Everyone says they weren't, but someone had to be, right?
Arlington, Va.: Have any of the Date Labbers married? If so, have you all received any wedding invites?
Beth Chang: I believe one couple got engaged...
re: attractiveness & weight: From your response I'm now thinking that women who are larger-sized should be disencouraged from applying because Date Lab men won't want to meet them. And I'm not even talking the dangerously obese just anyone over a size 9.
Sandy Fernandez: I think you're being a little reductive about what people find attaractive. We've had men who say they like a larger lady. We've sent them out. As I recall, the last time the woman was the one who wasn't feelin' it.
Baltimore: You all are taking a lot of heat here. I don't think Date Lab is supposed to be the same thing as a dating service. It's supposed to be a funny thing to read in the front of the magazine that doesn't mean anything. Kind of like Weingarten in the back of the magazine.
Sandy Fernandez: You know, I do find it touching that people are so romantic. Even from a column in a newspaper--a date set up by strangers for strangers, with little real chance of success, let's face it--they expect and even demand real love. And you know, the amazing thing is sometimes it happens. And sometimes, as into each dating life, a little rain must fall.
Alexandria, Va.: Have you had any daters pull out because they've found True Love elsewhere before you got around to matching them up?
Beth Chang: Yes, that happens. Some are bummed and quite curious about who we finally found for them. But if they're serious about their new relationship, they ask to be removed from the database.
Sandy Fernandez: Hey, folks, it's hit that target hour, so we have to run. But remember to look us up every Sunday in the magazine, and if you want to apply to Date Lab, go to http://datelab.washpost.com/. Thanks!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Talk About Travel - washingtonpost.com
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Got a travel-related question, comment, suspicion, warning, gripe, sad tale or happy ending? The Post Travel Section Flight Crew is at your service.
On the itinerary this week: the African safari of your dreams; a weekend jaunt to Nashville; and learning to kite surf in the Florida Keys. Also: see this week's specials: a first-ever Monday Rave on the Travel Log blog - let us know if you plan to spend some of your tax rebate on travel. And, tomorrow there's a chat with the infamous travel guide author we wrote about in yesterday's paper
All other travel topics are open as well. If you have insights, ideas or information to add to the discussion, just press the call button above your seat and we'll get to you as soon as we can. Different members of the Crew will rotate through the captain's chair every week, but the one constant is you, our valued passengers.
We know you have a choice in online travel forums, and speaking for the entire Flight Crew, we want to thank you for flying with us.
Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.
You may also browse an archive of previous live travel discussions. For daily dispatches, check out Travel Log, the Travel section's new blog.
Cindy Loose: Welcome to the travel chat, with Cindy Loose as your chat host today. Among the others standing by on this side of the Web: K.C. Summers, John Deiner, Carol Sottili, Andrea Sachs, Scott Vogel and Christina Talcott. First, this just in: American Airlines just announced it will begin charging travelers with domestic economy class tickets $25 each way to check a second bag. (Exceptions include very frequent flyers with gold or higher status, active duty military and those paying full-fare). JetBlue meanwhile slipped a notice of a similar fee into its quarterly report to shareholders. They presumably will tell travelers at some point. (I'm awaiting the details.) American was the last holdout among the six so-called "legacy" carriers. Bottom line: You can still check a second bag free on Southwest so long as both bags don't weigh more than 50 pounds. Otherwise, either lighten up or be prepared to pay. Today seems a good day to solicit your packing suggestions, with the goal of avoiding the $50 roundtrip fee for checking a second bag. I'll name a best suggestion and the person making it should email their address to loosec@washpost.com and I'll send a Moab Music Festival cap and CD. Meanwhile, questions and comments of all sorts being taken. Let's roll....
Hluhluwe Article: Christina, I loved your article on Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. I did a lot of research before we went to South Africa last July and we chose H-I as one of our destinations because it was described in more than one guidebook as arguably the best public game reserve in the country (yes, even better than Kruger).
I'd just like to emphasize what you alluded to in the article and in the "Details" section--Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is an excellent safari choice for those traveling on a budget. There's a wide range of accommodations and game viewing options. We stayed in the tented camps at Mpila and they were just as nice as the tented camp we had stayed in earlier at a private game reserve. Also, the game drives are a good value but you can also drive yourself through the entire park during the daylight hours and see game on your own. We had giraffes walking across the road in front of us and lots of other animals near the sides of the road as if they were waiting for their pictures to be taken!
Thanks again for bringing all these great memories back.
washingtonpost.com: In the Hluhluwe Reserve, the Game Was Afoot -- and So Were We (Post Travel Section, April 27)
Christina Talcott: Thanks so much! As you can imagine, writing the story let me relive my own adventure, and I'm glad you enjoyed H-I as much as I did. You're right about the budget and self-guided parts of the visit. Also, my trip to Hluhluwe, and then a half-day trip to another KZN park called Weenan a week later when I was staying in Ladysmith, felt oddly similar to American National Parks, at least in terms of amenities, ease of access and safety. Of course, there's no mistaking you're in Africa, from the young boys doing Zulu dances for money at the park gate to the kudu biltong in the gift shop, not to mention the huge animals wandering around. Just curious: Were you there with locals who had a car, or did you rent a car and drive yourself? Did you find it intimidating?
Austin, Tex.: We are headed to Atlanta at the end of this week on a combination of Continental and Delta flights. With all the recent cancellations should we expect any problems?
Cindy Loose: I don't foresee another fiasco right now like the one that haunted American recently, but like Boy Scouts, always be prepared. In this case that would mean knowing what alternative flights there are if you do miss your connection. And take along the phone numbers for both airlines so that if you must stand in line to make alternative flight plans, you can also be trying to do the same thing by phone.
Washington, D.C.: I like to travel to London for pleasure about once a year. In the past few years, I've pretty easily found round trip flights for $400-550 but I've been looking recently and flights are all well over $800! Am I missing something here? Thanks for your help.
Carol Sottili: There have been some good sales to London over the past month or two, with round-trip fares of about $550 round trip. I featured United's fare sale in What's the Deal? Sunday - $569 round trip for travel through May 15. But the sales are for spring travel. If you're getting a summer fare of $800, including taxes, that's great. Jet fuel is expensive. Airlines are trying to make money. And travel in summer has always been expensive.
Silver Spring, Md.: Hi Crew -
we're off to NYC in late June and I'm hoping that you or a chatter might have a suggestion for a reasonably-priced family-friendly hotel - preferably a suite. We want to be in Manhattan, but any neighborhood is ok.
washingtonpost.com: We'll Take Manhattan -- for Less than $200 a Night (Post Travel Section, May 7, 2006)
The Monday Rant: New York Hotel Rates (Travel Log blog, March 24)
Scott Vogel: By all means check the links above for some good ideas on mid-priced properties. I wanted to add that I recently had a good stay at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, which sounds like far until you consider at the Path train to Manhattan is literally at the hotel's doorstep. You can often find great bargains for this place at Priceline and Hotwire; also the rooms are spacious and the hotel has a nice indoor pool. I found that traveling with a 7-year-old made me want to get away from the Manhattan rat race for a while. Also be sure and check www.nycvisit.com, which offers suggestions based on a quiz designed to discover "what kind of New Yorker you are."
Alexandria, Va.: Good afternoon. Are there ever any bargains between here and Boise, Idaho? I need to be there on July 4th and still have not booked the flight. Should I just give up and click on "book the flight?"
Cindy Loose: Fares skyrocket on holidays. Unless you can play with the dates and go a littler earlier or later, you'll probably have to suck it up.
Harrisburg, Pa.: I've never had to check a second bag going TO anywhere, but have had to do so coming BACK (too many souvenirs/gifts for friends and family).
On domestic business trips, when I collect tons of stuff from the convention exhibit hall, I pack it all into a FedEx or UPS shipping box and send it to myself at the cheapest rate possible (which usually takes 2-3 days and costs less than $25).
Unfortunately, this doesn't work on international trips, where I end up having to buy an extra (albeit cheap) suitcase for all the souvenirs/gifts.
Cindy Loose: Good idea; thanks. Let's see what the competition has to offer.
Washington, D.C.: In your safari guide, you said that "truly adventurous types can rent a car and drive through the national parks themselves." Perhaps self-guided visits to other parks in the area are more demanding, but our trip to Kruger Park in South Africa three years ago was no more complicated than a trip to Yosemite or Yellowstone. On our first foreign trip outside of Europe, we flew to Johannesburg, rented a car, drove an easy five hours to Kruger, and spent four days driving through the park, where we saw elephants, giraffes, water buffalo, hippos, monkeys, zebras, rhinos, and various types of deer and birds. Without a guide, we had to constantly scan the horizon, but it made it more satisfying when we spied an elephant in the distance. (We also cheated by stopping next to clusters of other cars and asking what they were looking at.) Just like in U.S. national parks, we stopped at the entrance, paid our fee, and got a map. The roads were as smooth and as well-marked as in U.S. parks. Just like in the U.S. parks, we stayed in comfortable, modern accommodations that we had reserved in advance by calling a central reservation number; they averaged about $70 a night. (On the outside, they looked like African huts, but on the inside, they were equivalent to a Motel 6.) Just like in the U.S., the camps had cafeterias (with mediocre but filling food) and gift shops (with overpriced knick-knacks). On the days we wanted to join one of the guided tours, whether on foot or in off-road vehicles that could go where our compact car couldn't, we just signed up the night before and paid the fee of around $20 per person. And because almost everyone spoke English, the trip was less difficult than going to Spain, for example. It wasn't luxurious, like the private camps, nor as close to the ground as camping, but for unadventuresome people who want a no-frills, inexpensive, and self-paced safari, Kruger is an easy place to start.
washingtonpost.com: African Safari Special (Post Travel Section, April 27)
Christina Talcott: That's funny you mention the U.S. National Parks - I, too, felt like I could almost be in Shenandoah or Yellowstone. I'd love to visit Kruger sometime when I'm not trying to see a whole country in 2.5 weeks, though I can't imagine going to South Africa and not spending time in Cape Town or Durban, and exploring Johannesburg some more. I hope that people might realize that going on safari doesn't have to be a sell-the-farm kind of expensive trip. As long as you can get to South Africa, the rest of it can be pretty reasonable.
Silver Spring, Md.: Good Afternoon,
I'm trying to help out my sister and brother-in-law. They are going on their first kid-free vacation in 4 years. They are doing a long weekend in West Palm Beach, Fla. They get in Thursday afternoon and have full days there on Friday and Saturday and a half day Sunday. I suggested that they do the 2 hour drive to Miami and check out South Beach. But I didn't really know what else to tell them. I know they would also love to do an airboat tour or something like that. Any helpful hints?
washingtonpost.com: Palm Beach for the Rest of Us (Post Travel Section, Nov. 18, 2007)
John Deiner: Hey, Silver. The attached story gives lots of suggestions for a low-key, low-budget trip to the area, and South Beach is a good idea (is it really two hours? That seems long to me). I'd also consider Lauderdale, whose pulse has really picked up in recent years; don't forget the Riverwalk area as well. If they gamble, there's a Hard Rock casino off of I-95, and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens on Biscayne Bay is fantastic -- a great thing to see on a kids-free weekend. Any other ideas out there?
Washington, D.C.: I would like to go to San Miguel de Allende this summer. I'm afraid I lost the article the Post ran a few months back and can't locate it on line. Can you help me? Also, any new thoughts? I'm thinking about a 5 day trip (not including travel time).
washingtonpost.com: Most recent San Miguel story I found was about 2 years ago - Mexico's True Colors (Post Travel Section, Jan 22, 2006)
Scott Vogel: Please see the above story from a few years back, and some more recent information in our Q&A column below.
Burbank, Calif.: I discovered to my surprise that, after missing connection due to my US Air flight arriving late, that US Air only offered to pay for half the price of the overnight hotel. I know they are nickel and diming us, charging $5 for aisle and window seats, $7 for meals, $50 for overweight luggage, etc. But when it now costs $75 for an overnight hotel when it is their fault, when may we customers finally say: This is ridiculous. Time to switch airlines.
Carol Sottili: I'm guessing that your connection was late due to weather. Here's what US Airways' has to say about what they'll do for you. I don't think it is the only airline that has become stingier. In the event of a delay or cancellation, overnight accommodations will be arranged by US Airways at their expense for customers at connecting points whose flights are delayed or canceled because of circumstances within US Airways' control for whom no alternate transportation is available. Overnight accommodations will not be provided for customers whose flights are delayed or canceled due to circumstances beyond US Airways' control such as Air Traffic Control or weather.
washingtonpost.com: Finding a Muse in Mexico (Post Travel Section, Dec. 16, 2007)
Scott Vogel: here it is.
S.W. D.C.: Any advice for someone thinking about going into the travel business (haven't decided in what capacity)? I've done a lot of international travel and I'm thinking about a mid-life career shift. Although I'm having second thoughts about travel writing after reading yesterday's Post article by Michael Shapiro...
washingtonpost.com: Can You Trust Your Travel Guidebook? (Post Travel Section, April 27) - and don't miss the chat tomorrow with Thomas Kohnstamm himself...
KC Summers: Hi SW. I'm all for mid-life career shifts. But your question's pretty broad. Before you do any research, you should narrow down which aspect of the industry you want to join -- do you want to be a travel agent? guide? journalist? PR person? If you decide you want to write, begin by studying the publications you admire and familiarize yourself with the kinds of stories they accept and the sorts of approaches they like to take. Then submit away. As for the Thomas Kohnstamm flap, I think it's instructive on a lot of levels, but remember, you can set your own course. For those who didn't see our story about the rogue guidebook writer, here's a link. And as Elizabeth reminds, don't miss his chat right here tomorrow at noon. Get your questions ready!
Silver Spring, Md.: I want to thank Cindy Loose for her story on Nashville. Like Cindy, I am not a fan of country music. But my parents, who live outside Chicago, are huge fans.
So, you've convinced me, to book some flights on Southwest -- my family from Midway Airport and myself from BWI -- and join my parents for a little reunion. We'll watch some country music together, and perhaps they'll join me for a nice meal or two, and perhaps a trip to a play or the art museum. My question for Cindy is how far in advance do you think I need to book thinks like tickets for the Grand Ole Opry and other spots. We're going to go to Nashville at the end of May. Again, thanks for the story. I laughed a lot but it also got me off my duff to arrange a trip that I'm sure my parents will love.
washingtonpost.com: A Nashville Mash-Up: Opry, Seabiscuit and Monet (Post Travel Section, April 27)
Cindy Loose: Thanks. I'd book tickets for what's in town asap. The Grand Ole Opry has tons of seats but popular acts do sell out. The Bluebird Cafe is extremely small and sells out quickly. Shows at the Ryman and the symphony--depends on whose playing. Those are the only attractions you have to really worry about sell outs.
Washington, D.C.: Hi. Thank you for your expert advice - particularly Co-Go! I am hoping you can help me with this question.
I bought 2 plane tickets to San Francisco for Memorial Day weekend - one for me and one for my partner. Now that we are no longer together, I want to cancel the ticket completely or get the ticket transferred to my name for use at a different time. Is that possible?
Cindy Loose: Depends on the airline, but if you paid for the ticket with your credit card, you might be able to pay a change fee and get a voucher for whatever remains.
Airline phone numbers: What should I say when I call the airlines to try to get re-routed? First ask to be put on another flight on the same airline, or start with other airlines? Does each airline have specific partner airlines that they work with, or can I just pick one?
Cindy Loose: They will want to put you on their own next available flight. If they can't do that, or the next available is a long time away, they might consider putting you on another carrier if you ask. However, whether they are partners or not they end up paying each other for taking each other's passengers, so I don't really think it matters which alternative carrier you suggest. The alternative carrier won't always work, but its worth a try is the carrier doesn't have a seat of its own to offer.
question re: blog: I think I read in the blog that one of the authors of the African safaris is still paying it off... doesn't the Washington Post pay for your flights and accommodations? Albeit under the radar, so the management where you're staying doesn't know you're writing about them? I'm shocked if you have to pay for your travel yourself!
KC Summers: Don't be too shocked: It's a hard travel world out there. We pay expenses for our staff writers and a handful of valued, tested, trusted freelancers whom we give assignments to, but everyone else who pitches to us pays for their trips themselves. After we publish their articles they're then free to pitch them elsewhere so they can at least recoup some of their expenses that way.
Bethesda, Md.: Hi Flight Crew,
I'm trying to plan a trip for the end of May (Wed-Sunday after Memorial Day Weekend) for two guys in their early thirties -- mostly looking to relax, don't need any special amenities like golf or spa. I am hoping to find an all-inclusive package. Right now we are thinking about Aruba, the Bahamas, or Puerto Rico. Do you have any recommendations about which area would be best? Thank you!
washingtonpost.com: Critters? Cuisine? Casinos? Pick Your Perfect Isle (Post Travel Section, March 4, 2007)
Andrea Sachs: The cheapest packages are usually for the Bahamas (check, for example, Apple Vacations or Fare Deals), and you will have no problem finding loads of activities -- or slothful beach time -- on any of the main Bahamian islands. Aruba might be more expensive and tougher to find a deal, though it is a beautiful island with stellar beaches. I, however, am very fond of Puerto Rico, because there is so much to see and do there, from rain forest hikes to evening kayaking adventures to the incredible beaches of Vieques. You can find some good air and land packages there.
Md.: I can't imagine going ANYWHERE that requires 50 pounds of luggage. First of all, places outside the U.S DO have laundromats. Second, get over the idea that you can only wear each item once. And only pack things you KNOW you will wear. Don't pack a ballgown just on the offchance you'll get invited to some event where you might need it. If that happens, then thank the credit card gods and shell out for one on the spot. And think double duty. Normally I never wear my running shoes for anything except running, but when I'm on vacation, I use them for other activities. Offer to exchange your (now finished) reading material with another traveler at your resort. have nicer souvenirs (wool blankets from Scotland, etc). shipped home. Yes, you spend money. Pay now or pay later (baggage fees, chiropractor, etc.)
Cindy Loose: I agree that 50 pounds should be about enough to go just about anywhere.
Anonymous: I fear the new charges for checked luggage will increase the existing practice of passengers to take larger and larger bags onto the aircraft as "carry-on" bags. I see little attempt to restrict what is carried on. I realize many people (including one person working on this chat at times) make a habit of carrying on all of their travel gear. Planes are not made with enough overhead bin space for all that is being carried on board now. Those who patiently wait for their rows to be called to board (many do not) may find the bins filled. This also helps explain why it can take so long to get everyone and their bags out of the plane. The U.S. carrier restrictions are not the strictest I have found, however. On TAM Brazilian Airlines, flights going to neighboring countries have a limit of 20kg TOTAL per person for checked luggage.
Cindy Loose: I too worry about more and more people bringing more and more on board. Not only does it make it hard to find space for those who aren't hogging the bin,but then it takes forever to get people on and off the plane.
$25 for extra bag...: I really don't mind the extra fee at all. I don't! They'd just add it to the fares if what they really need is more revenue, so WHATEVER.
What I really DO mind is that this is just one more incentive for people to overwhelm the available carry-on space, which is already at a tragic level. Why not add the fees to CARRY-ON bags instead, and try to get more people to check and thus make the boarding/deplaning process much more efficient?
Cindy Loose: Hey, I like that idea, except there probably won't be a big problem if airlines simply enforced the rules they have.
Kingstowne, Va.: A few packing suggestions:
(1) Use soft-sided luggage, preferably without wheels. While you lose the convenience of rolling the bag around, you gain the ability to cram more stuff in because the bag will be more flexible (and because you don't lose space for the wheels and handle mechanism). You can more easily squeeze a soft-sided bag into different shapes (and into the bag-size gauges used by some airlines).
(2) Do laundry when you travel and bring fewer clothes as a result. This especially applies if you're on a cruise ship, since you can have them pick it up and return it the next day.
(3) The "bundle method" for packing works great and avoids creasing clothes. Essentially, you start with a laundry bag and you put your underwear in there. Then you wrap your other clothes into a bundle around the laundry bag. It's a much more efficient use of space than stacking or rolling clothes.
(4) Don't bring products that can readily be bought at your destination for a small price (toothpaste, for example), unless you know you're unlikely to find the right type.
(5) Check out http://www.onebag.com, which is full of great advice on how to travel light (and has a diagram of "bundle packing").
(6) Finally, remember the old adage repeated by years of male college students who don't like to do laundry... you can wear your underwear four times (the normal way, backwards, inside-out, and inside-out and backwards).
KC Summers: All together now: Ewwwww. Folks, let's take a chat poll. Anyone else out there use this system?? PS -- As the queen of packing light, I thank you for the tips. Will check out that site.
State College, Pa.: I'm heading down to Florida in September and will be spending 3 days at Universal. I'm looking for a place to stay that is nearby? Any recommendations? Are the onsite hotels worth the price - an extra $100+ a night? Love the chats!
John Deiner: Hey, SC. We did a big section on low-budget Florida hotel options a couple of years ago, and several of them were near Universal. But "a couple of years ago" and "budget" could mean things are vastly different now. In September, though, you should be able to get any number of big-name chain hotels for a reasonable amount of money (read: under $100), and if they come with breakfast, even better (most do these days). The onsite hotels at Universal are beauts, though, and you can't beat the convenience factor (they're linked to the parks by a canal/boat system). If you want/need the splurge, I'd say they're worth it. Personally, I'd rather save the hundreds of bucks and stay off-campus.
Washington, D.C.: Are flights around July 4 usually more expensive? Or is Independence Day more of a driving holiday?
Andrea Sachs: July 4 is a heavy driving holiday, but flights also skyrocket. Check for last-minute fares though, or be flexible with your travel dates (say, leave two days before or the morning of, and return the night of or two days later).
D.C.: Hey all, I've just booked my first ever grown-up-planned-by-me vacation to Easton over the Memorial Day week (Sunday to Wednesday). Definitely going to hit the restaurants you wrote about in your eat in Easton guide, and going to the fine art fair (strawberry shortcake! I'm in!). Is there anything else I shouldn't miss (especially of the stress relief variety)? And do you have any Memorial Day-weekend travel tips? Thanks!
Christina Talcott: Sounds like a great trip! I'd highly recommend driving a little farther down Route 50 to Cambridge and the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which I went biking in a few weeks back and really liked. You can also go kayaking or canoeing there, either with a guide or without; bike and boat rentals are listed with the story (link below). If that doesn't sound stress-relieving to you, you could check out a spa in nearby St. Michael's (we had a story about the Inn at Perry Cabin in December) or at the Hyatt in Cambridge. If sports or spas don't float your boat, can you tell us what you would find most relaxing?
washingtonpost.com: Birding in Blackwater from a Bike's-Eye View (Post Travel Section, April 20)
Christina Talcott: For the Easton-bound traveler.
Baltimore, Md.: Hi Flight Crew! I was hoping you might be able to share your thoughts on travel to Lebanon right now. Friends of mine are getting married there in September and I really don't want to miss the wedding, but now that I'm the mother of a 2 year old, I'm not so sure I should (or want to) be taking a risk traveling to a country which may or may not be safe for Americans. I have looked at both the US and UK Travel Dept. warnings and they aren't too good but I'm not sure if they are "overcautious." What would you all do if faced with this dilemma? Thanks so much for your insight!
Cindy Loose: The U.S. and U.K. governments are somewhat cautious and tell everything bad that can happen, which can scare you about traveling to a place that's similar to D.C. or N.Y. However, they don't advise against travel to that many countries, as they do in the case of Lebanon. Howls of protest will follow, I predict, and I understand. Odds are you could go to Lebanon and return safely, just as you could probably drive drunk and not crash the first time. However, it's not something I as a parent would do simply to see a wedding.
Hluhluwe Article (Again): In answer to your question, Christina, we rented a car for the two weeks we were in South Africa and drove ourselves all over KwaZulu Natal. We are used to driving on the left, so that wasn't a problem. We found the roads to generally be in good condition (except for potholes, which were often marked with warning signs). We were very aware of animals and people on the sides of the roads and we never drove after dark. It was not the easiest place in the world to drive, but because we'd done a lot of research on driving conditions in South Africa before we left and had a good map, we weren't "intimidated" either.
Christina Talcott: Thanks for writing back, and kudos on doing all that research! Sometimes it can make a world of difference.
Bethesda: No question, just a report. I just got back from a week in Puerto Rico and was very pleasantly surprised. I had been to a number of Caribbean islands before (plus many places around the world) and had nice but overall disappointing experiences mostly due to areas outside the resorts being rundown, poverty, lack of infrastructure, poor people etc. I am an independent traveler who enjoys discovering places on my own without being hoarded by "tourist chasers" and enjoy getting to know local people and culture. Puerto Rico fit the bill very nicely, with nice beaches, friendly people, lots of culture, paved and marked roads, diversity of the island, and overall easy to get-in and out. I really liked having the conveniences of the US (no immigration lines, US dollar, 800 numbers work etc.) yet feeling of being in another country (local foods, all signs in Spanish, great music, Spanish architecture, etc.) It felt like I went to Europe without flying long and paying through the nose (my flight was $215 round-trip thanks to USAir promotion). I also drove to a rain forest and some fishing villages, also found empty and pristine beaches on a Saturday, not to mention overall feeling safe walking/driving around as a woman. I highly recommend it and I can't wait to go back!
Andrea Sachs: Thanks for the report. And to the guys looking for a tropical vacation --- does this help with your decision (minus the single woman comment).
Driving in Kruger: Note that the roads close at dusk. If you are not staying in the park, you need to leave by then. If you are staying at one of the enclosed park lodge areas, you still cannot drive on the roads on your own at night but need to take one of the guided tours. Still, seeing two lions stroll by as you sit on benches in the back of a large pick-up truck is something to remember.
Christina Talcott: You're right about the park closing unless you're staying in the park; thanks for pointing that out.
New York, N.Y.: Have you seen Int'l Herald Tribune's 4-part series on environmental catastrophe in China? There are currently more deaths due to cancer caused by environmental pollution in China than from any other cause.
Shouldn't your travel section warn potential China travelers about this huge problem they face before they buy tix for the Olympics? Or are you trying to help the travel industry by ignoring dire health threats?
washingtonpost.com: China: Choking on Growth (International Herald Tribune)
Cindy Loose: I never thought of myself as a p.r. machine for the travel industry. Aside from that: We haven't written much at all about the Olympics in China, except to warn that everything is incredibly expensive and beware of agents online selling fake tickets. The sports section is the section attending, and they'll also cover most of the pre-Olympics coverage. Moreover, the A section of the paper has covered China's pollution nightmares quite extensively---it would be impossible to be reading much and not know about pollution in China. However, that said, I'd doubt you'd contact cancer due to pollution in China during a weeklong visit.
Africa: a group I used about 10 years ago for African travel is Guerba . . . lower end escorted tour (chores are divided among the group, for example), but a lot of fun. I was the only American on the trip (and I was living in England when I booked it), so it may not be as known here.
Christina Talcott: I'm not familiar with Guerba, but I'll throw this out there. Sounds like a good, low-cost way to go on a safari.
Bethesda: I am not a frequent traveler. What is the cheapest time of year to travel to Spain? In particular, I'd like to take my husband to see an FC Barcelona Futbol match... but I have no clue where to even get started in planning.
Cindy Loose: The cheapest time is when all the children are in school. Once that summer break hits, forget decent airfares. That said, I don't know the futbol schedule, but for the best weather, I'd make my trip as close as possible to either end of summer, without actually going in summer.
Getting around at JFK: Hi crew,
Flying into Terminal 8 from DCA on Wed. afternoon going to Terminal 4 for an 8:00 overseas flight.
Concerned more about the return, flying into Terminal 4 on a Mon. nite at 8:35, having to catch the last AA flight to DCA at 10:30 in Term. 8.
What is the quickest way to Terminal 8 from Term. 4 in JFK?
As for packing, I find rolling clothes, packing socks in shoes, and packing 2 tops for every 1 bottom works wonders!
Andrea Sachs: For JFK, the AirTrain Inter-Terminal Connection is the quickest way to travel. See http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/ken_transportation.html for a map.
Oviedo, Fla.: Re: Jersey City Hyatt - I agree this is the best choice for NYC but have some other ideas. BTW - the indoor pool is tiny and no big deal. The hotel restaurant with huge windows overlooking the water and Manhattan is great, esp. at nite. great crab cakes, as good as in Baltimore, my hometown. Eat after dark and face the view - sweet.
The hotel provided free shuttle van service to Statue of Liberty Park when I was there. a way cool way to see this - also to the jumping off point for Ellis Island. These perks were easy and fun and free and made our trip - perfect for the poster's kid.
Scott Vogel: Hmm, sorry I didn't get a chance to try the crab cakes, but the restaurant's view is equally fantastic in the morning, when the hotel offers an extensive brunch and where I found they aren't too fussy about kids paying.
Clearwater Beach, Fla.: Thanks for these chats.
We went to Clearwater Beach couple of years back and really enjoyed the low waves, firm sand and real blue water, etc. Two questions - I can't seem to find any deals to go there and what other beaches on the East Coast are similar to Clearwater Beach - low/no waves for the first 20 feet, firm sand, etc. Thanks again.
John Deiner: Hmmm. As far as deals go, I'd suggest downloading Southwest's Ding fares to see if Tampa ever pops up. I've seen it there before. And check the fares to Fort Myers and Orlando as well . . . it's a longer drive but the savings can be considerable. As far as that surf you're looking for, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic are, for sure, totally different animals. Can't think of anything too similar on this side of the coast, but perhaps the Florida Keys? Bahia Honda State Park is on Big Pine Key and has the sort of beach/surf you describe. Anyone out there with a suggestion?
NYC Bound Family: A reasonably priced suited in Manhattan in June is a fantasy. My sister lives in NYC and we visit quite a bit. Her apartment is small and our family of four often stays in a hotel. We have done the Jersey City hotels and yes they are honestly steps from the PATH trains. Also it is very easy to visit the Statue of Liberty from these hotels.
We have also stayed in the Weehawken area and taken the ferries over to Manhattan. Most of the hotels have shuttles to the ferries even if they are not walking distance. Even staying in Jersey suites are pricey but we have been able to get hotels with indoor pools.
Scott Vogel: I have to agree with you: this is not the year to be looking for cheap accommodations in Manhattan. It's not even the year to be looking for reasonable accommodations in Manhattan.
Washington, D.C.: Regarding the West Palm Beach question, I am actually planning a trip there next month. I have been going there on vacation since I was little, so I have a good amount of experience.
I suggest trying to see the sea turtles nesting at night. They nest along the beaches in the summer months starting after dark. I usually try to go down to the beach around 10-11 pm, and in June have had great luck seeing as many as 3-4 turtles in one 30 minute span. There is a lot of nesting that goes on at McArthur Beach State Park. I am not sure if it is open to the public after dark, but there are other beach access options too.
For brunch, you might want to suggest checking out Charley's Crab in Palm Beach or Sailfish Marina on Singer Island. The former is fancier and the latter is more laid back.
I have heard great things about the Breakers Hotel complex. I plan to check it out soon.
If they like fishing, there is a fun fishing boat that leaves from Singer Island...Blue Heron fishing tours (or something like that). They are a lot of fun...even for people that don't regularly fish.
In general though, the beaches are so beautiful...so you can't go too wrong.
As far as South Beach goes, I am planning a 2 night trip there from Palm Beach. It usually does take me 2 hours to drive...but I go from the north side of Palm Beach. I find it best to get a hotel in South Beach and really experience the fun. Mangoes!!!
I hope this is helpful. Enjoy.
John Deiner: Hey, DC. The Breakers is ultra-snooty, but our reporter booked a spa treatment there and had a great time pretending to fit in. But, man, what great ideas here, and thanks for the clarification on the driving time.
Re: Palm Beach: If you like farmer's markets, there is a great farmer's market in downtown Palm Beach on Saturday mornings, I recommend you rent bikes from where you re staying, bike to the market, and simply enjoy the local foods/breakfast and meeting locals. It is right next to the Ponce de Leon park, and is a great way to get tips on what to do next.
John Deiner: Oh, good stuff. And ya can't beat the biking in an area that's primarily flat. Thanks!
Chapel Hill, N.C.: I was so sad to miss the "wet story" chat last week! As far as I know, part of mine ended up on national television in the Philippines... here it is, if there's still room for it this week:
My brother and I were traveling by boat to a remote tourist site. The seas were a bit rough, and as we climbed out I took a wrong step and ended up falling into the water. All but one shoulder were DRENCHED, leaving an obvious water line on my green shirt. We laughed about it with our boat guys and continued on our way... after we came out of the site, we met up with a TV crew which included a former Miss Universe contestant (apparently a household name, judging from our Filipino friend's stunned reaction). She was filming a segment for a nationally broadcast show on local monkey conservation and asked if she could interview us. So we perched with her on a low-lying tree branch (me in my visibly wet shirt and still squelching in my sandals) and tried to think up intelligent things to say about macaque conservation, a topic about which neither of us had ever THOUGHT until that moment. Apparently it aired a few days later on a show called "100% Pinoy" -- a very appropriate name, as such a story could only happen in the Philippines!
Andrea Sachs: Well, it is another soggy Monday, so your story is absolutely fitting. Thanks for posting it.
Adams Morgan, D.C.: What are the five or so closest spa resorts to D.C.? I need a getaway for a few nights but would rather spend my money on facials, not fuel.
KC Summers: Hi AM. We're lucky in DC to have some world-class spas within a few hours' drive. Here are a few of the closest: * Nemacolin Woodlands, in Farmington, Pa., 183 miles. * The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., about 250 miles (4 1/2 hours). * The Homestead, Hot Springs, Va., 210 miles (about 4 hours). * Keswick Hall, outside Charlottesville, Va., about 116 miles (about 2 hours). * Lansdowne Resort, outside Leesburg, Va., about an hour. Anyone else have faves to recommend?
We are leaving next week for a wedding in Lima. We are going to take advantage of visiting Peru to see Machu Picchu (of course) and parts of the southern coast.
I'd welcome any other must-sees in that country, but want to ask an airline question.
We're going to fly from Lima to Cuzco, near Machu Picchu. Airfare on Lan, the main airline, is about $350 per person. Airfare on Star Peru, however, is $200 per person.
Have you heard of Star Peru? How do you check out a foreign airline you've never heard of? Also, are we taking a chance, since Star Peru only has one or two flights on that route per day, while Lan has about eight?
By the way, Gary Lee's article on Arequipa five or six years ago put Peru on my mental map... and yet, we're not going to Arequipa. Perhaps that is a bad mistake...
washingtonpost.com: Peru travel stories (Travel Section archive on washingtonpost.com)
Cindy Loose: Being concerned about airlines in developing countries is a very wise concern. Airlines in Latin America have six times more fatal accidents than those in North America. The stats are even worse in Africa. I don't have a perfect answer, but one place to start is with the association of international airlines. The association sets some safety standards and doesn't admit, or kicks out, airlines that don't meet those standards. They don't run "bad airlines" but list those that have met their standards at: http://www.iata.org/ps/certification/iosa/registry.htm Secondly, the EU list isn't anywhere near complete but it lists foreign airlines that want to fly to Europe but are banned from doing so because of their safety problems. If you find an airline on the banned list at ec.europe.en/transport/air-ban/list-en.htm, don't take it. If it's not on the list, though, it might just mean it's never applied to fly to Europe. The FAA doesn't investigate individual overseas airlines, but does study whether or not a country has adequate oversight of its air services. Peru gets a one, meaning they're okay. Among those getting a 2, which is not okay: Belize, Paraguay, Philippines, Uruguay, Honduras, Haiti, Serbia, and a number in Africa and Asia. Go to www.faa.gov/passengers/international-travel
Washington, D.C.: I planned my wedding for November on Grand Bahama Island. The only problem is NO airline flies there directly. Do you know why this is? Is any airline planning this service? When do you think would be a good time for guests to purchase their airfare (coming from NY/DC)?
Carol Sottili: You're right - no nonstop flights from the Washington region to Freeport. And I don't know of any plans to start this service. United, US Airways and American have the most convenient connections, with flights taking four-six hours each way, including connecting times. From LaGuardia, US Airways has a nonstop returning from Freeport, but you connect going down. As for fares, I think you should start scouring Web sites in search of sales and alert your guests when one hits. Some Web sites will send email alerts on sales, but most don't include foreign destinations. I think Orbitz's Deal Detector may include foreign cities. Keep an eye out on the airline Web sites, and on such sites as www.travelzoo.com and www.independenttraveler.com.
Washington, D.C.: Can you recommend a good Vermont inn or b and b? Thanks.
washingtonpost.com: Vermont Travel Stories (Travel Section archive on washingtonpost.com)
Christina Talcott: Where are you going in Vermont? Last summer I went to Middlebury and stayed in a lovely place right in the middle of town called Inn on the Green (www.innonthegreen.com). The best part, IMO, was the tray of coffee, juice, fruit and fresh-baked pastries from Otter Creek Bakery that they'd deliver to your door. For places other than Middlebury, check out our collection of Vermont stories on the link below, or search bbonline.com and bnbfinder.com for more recommendations.
D.C.: I just booked a ticket for next February from National to Ixtapa, Mexico. We leave DCA at 6:00 a.m. and have 32 minutes to catch our connecting flight in Houston. Should I be nervous at what little time we have to connect?
Andrea Sachs: Well, not to freak you out, but yes that is tight, especially if your DCA flight is delayed. Is it too late to change the connection? If it is, research later flight times to Ixtapa, so you can be prepared if you miss your original flight.
Packing Light: Avoiding not only a second bag, but a first: When I went to Paris last spring for five days, I only took a backpack. And not one of those "backpacking-in-Europe" backpacks, but one a student would use in school. I brought disposable toiletries and ready to be thrown out underwear and socks so I didn't have to bring them back home; didn't bring books but rather magazines I could leave behind; and rewore my shirts and sweater. It was wonderful, although I don't think the airline staff believed that was all I had!
KC Summers: I'm with you! And here's a great magazine tip I learned from my colleague Andrea: If you take a few minutes to tear out all the pages that are only ads, you won't believe how much lighter the mags will be!
Gaithersburg, Md.: State Dept Warnings: no protest here. Actually, I'll back you up on it. The people who do that analytical work are very focused and serious. They also totally "get" that they're overcautious on general warnings (the ones you find in "country-specific information"). If a country or region is on the actual "travel warning" list, really, take it seriously. As you say, people go to and come home safely from those places, but, you know, sometimes they don't (and not just for the random reasons one can experience even in downtown DC in broad daylight).
Cindy Loose: Thanks for the back up. It's one thing to get scared reading about the street crime in a given city, and the State Dept. lists all hazards. But it's quite another thing for a country to land on a do not travel list---there aren't that many of them.
Airfares and Airlines: I once had a US Air flight from Phoenix to Charlotte that was delayed due to mechanical reasons. Just about all of us who had connections missed them. I was actually surprised when they had already arranged us with flights for the following morning as well as hotels.
This made the time to go through rather easier, but they didn't rebook passengers on other airlines if possible.
Many were upset because they had left their stuff in checked bags so they didn't have clothing or makeup.
For any traveler who is looking to book around the holiday weekend times... If you are traveling across country $400 will be a good deal unless Southwest flies there and they have one of those $99 web sales for the summer. The best time to look for these fares will be between Tuesday and Thursday with usually the best fares on Wednesday night.
How to do Kruger National Park: The self-drive option in KNP is wonderful as your posters have said. But adjacent to KNP and connected to it, with no fences, are lots of private game reserves. They are luxurious and take their customers out at night, and they are in radio contact with their own and other reserves' drivers, so you get to see really wonderful things, like lions hunting, leopards in trees, and so on. I recommend two or three days of self-driving in KNP and one or 2 days at one of the private game reserves to get the best of all possible worlds. Yes, those private ones are pricey, but you've just paid more than $1,000 to get there and you're probably not going back soon, so do it.
Christina Talcott: Thanks for the advice. A colleague lent me a DVD from a park he visited outside Kruger where they were rehabilitating animals and people could pet the cheetahs and other critters. So incredible!
Dupont Circle: Can you or any of the chatters help shed some light on train travel in Italy? Is it best to purchase a ticket online before I get to Italy, or is it better to buy the ticket there? I will have a few days in Milan before the train travel commences. Thanks for the help. Love these sessions.
Cindy Loose: I don't know of any advantage to waiting if you know for sure when you need to take the train. Does anyone else know an advantage about which I'm unaware? Trains do sell out, so buying in advance seems advisable unless your timing is uncertain.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Greetings. My boyfriend and I, along w/one other friend, are going to Figuera Da Foz, Portugal Oct 11-25. We're trying to figure out whether to buy tix now (to Lisbon) ($800 out of BWI and $740 DCA), or if they will drop between now and then. We're also open to flying to Madrid if it's a great deal cheaper and taking the train. Any thoughts/advice?
Carol Sottili: That sounds about right for fall travel. You might save a couple of bucks by going through Madrid, but not enough to make that plan worth the time. Look at fares to Lisbon out of Boston on Azores Express (www.azores-express.com), and look on Iberia's Web site at fares to Madrid, just for comparison's sake.
Arlington, Va.: how dirty do your clothes, including underwear, really get? Obviously if you are in a tropical climate things will get a bit wet, but you can hang them up to dry. I don't get why people think wearing the same underwear for a couple of days is such a gross idea. And if you are visiting a cool climate you can get away with rotating all your clothes without having to wash them. Most people stay in places where they can take a shower to get themselves clean. So how dirty do your undies get during the course of a day? Unless your hygiene is really awful I don't see why this is a big deal to people. Unless you are rolling around in mud every day it's just not necessary to take lots of clothing with you. Or you can always have your laundry done. Personally when I am traveling the last thing I want to do is waste my time sitting in a laundromat. But if your hotel has reasonable laundry service (usually they don't) or there is a full service, by the kilo laundry nearby to drop things off that also works well. I spent way more money on laundry in Siem Reap than I really wanted to because I just used to hotel laundry service, but I got a week or 10 days worth done for about $30 I think and ultimately I decided it was worth it to me not to have to hassle with it another way.
KC Summers: Okay, one vote for re-using dirty underwear. I have to say, aside from the grossness factor (and if I have to explain why, you're probably beyond hope), underwear just doesn't take up that much room in a suitcase! Especially if you follow our time-honored tip of packing old, hole-y underwear and then throwing it away as you go. It's the big stuff like jeans and shoes that you should be re-wearing.
Washington, D.C.: Anyone been to Dia de los Muertos festivities in/around Oaxaca, Mexico? Thinking of going this year. Apparently it's about a week of festivities leading up to the big day/days. Just wondering how many days someone might want to dedicate to the holiday versus time spent seeing other towns/sights in the region... it's kind of neat to travel to big festivals but it's also nice to see things the way they are when there's not a massive festival underway.
Andrea Sachs: I have always wanted to go to Day of the Dead! I think that festival is an amazing way to be part of a culture and tradition, and you can travel to different towns and experience their celebrations as well. I say do it, then return if you want to see Mexico the more common way.
NYC Hotels: For the person seeking family hotels...
I got a really good deal at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway (near Macys) around Christmas b/c I found a lower rate on hotels.com. Radisson not only matched it, but also gave a 25% discount. Wound up being $141/ night including all taxes/fees.
Scott Vogel: Maybe there's hope for Manhattan after all?
On driving in South Africa: I was the writer who went to Kruger. We got a decent road atlas and, like the other safari-goer, didn't have any trouble driving (my wife's job was to say "stay left!" every time I made a turn). We went from the Johannesburg airport to Kruger and back, flew to Cape Town, and then drove around the countryside near Cape Town. We did avoid driving in cities and made sure to be off the roads by dark. In fact, the only car related difficulty was that I forgot which rental agency I had reserved with. Fortunately the Jo-burg airport only has five or six car rental companies, so that only cost us 10 minutes and a few strange looks.
Christina Talcott: Haha, I love that saying "stay left!" was your wife's job! Whenever I took the wheel, Abby did the same thing, all the while gripping the dashboard. Glad to hear you managed it well, despite forgetting where the rental place was.
Arlington, Va.: I'm flying into Stockholm this summer and am horrified by the hotel prices. It seems that even a hostel would cost $100 for two adults - and that is without all the extras like bedding. We've been considering two options: 1. Waiting and going to a hotel placement agency once we arrive and seeing if we can get a place at a pension or a last minute cheap hotel price or - 2. Leaving Stockholm and spending the night in a cheaper city - Uppsala perhaps? Do you all have any advice about whether it is worth it to stay in Stockholm? And if so, how to do it cheaply. Thanks!
Cindy Loose: Sweden overall is a pricey place, which is why we don't cover it as often as we'd like. Any advice from you guys?
20 year travel industry veteran with hotel and tour operator background, now travel agent and industry consultant. I have seen many people who love to travel but do not really understand the way things work in the travel industry. There are a lot of unknowns to the public, and a lot of secrets on the way things work, pricing, rooms allocation, plane seats, tour arrangements etc. Plus, you always rely on other people to deliver on what they promised and it becomes extremely challenging to make up for it when someone drops the ball (and believe me it happens often, no matter how high end the hotel or operation may be). You really have to be passionate about this to make it happen and keep going without getting frustrated. Also, there are ton of people who make a big deal of small things and you have to make up for it as well. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but I have been in the industry long enough to see that people who "love to travel" are not always that fond of working it. I agree with the writer that you need to first get into it from one end and see if you like it. Even working at a hotel at a basic capacity can give you an idea of what it is like, and the nice thing is, once you understand how it works, you can jump to something else. You really really have to be passionate about it though, that is all I can say...
KC Summers: Great advice from an industry insider. Thanks much for sharing.
Bermuda: Regarding 50 pounds being more than enough: Not everyone is traveling simply for leisure vacations. Many many many people visit family (and friends) abroad and bring gifts and clothes to their countries of origin or bring back items that are quite expensive outside of the States. In Bermuda where everything is imported, people find it cheaper to buy a whole range of items in the States and bring them back in their suitcases or check large items as luggage.
Cindy Loose: True, but I'm guessing that with the new charges, folks are going to find that it's cheaper to mail stuff than to check it.
Re: Onsite hotels at Universal: One of the biggest things, in my opinion, that makes them worth it, is that you get unlimited FastPass privileges at the rides with your room key. If I remember correctly, the regular Universal FastPass that you can purchase at the park only allows you one "line-cut" per ride, while that's unlimited for Universal hotel guests. It's a great perk, especially since those parks close fairly early.
John Deiner: WHAT?!?? Okay, that's a good -- nay, great -- thing to know. Some of the lines in that place are ridiculously long. But the entire fam gets the privilege? Can four people use it to cut to the front? If so, it very well could be worth it.
Takoma, D.C.: "I can't imagine going ANYWHERE that requires 50 pounds of luggage" - comments like this are so annoying. Really? You can't imagine being a person with a health problem that requires you to cart around equipment? Or traveling with camping gear? Or humanitarian supplies? Or any other kind of gear that takes up space and weight? Ok, so you personally don't take trips that require 50 pounds of luggage. How about sparing two or three seconds of brain power to consider that not everyone has the same circumstances or the same reasons for traveling?
Cindy Loose: Okay, we're listening.
Packing: This has been mentioned dozens of times in previous chats, but it bears repeating: monochrome! I wear black, gray and white when I travel - that way I can take 2 pairs of shoes (dressy and casual/walking) and they match everything. And that way, too, you can mix and match to your heart's content: Shirts work with whatever pants/shorts/skirts/shoes I packed - easy!
KC Summers: You're so right. I always have a black base -- the only variable is my tops. That way I just don't have to think about it.
Oviedo, Fla.: re: hotels near Universal - for a splurge try the Marriott Grande Lakes or next door Ritz, esp. if you seek golf or tennis or spa. They are very close to Universal. Almost as close as Hampton Inn Florida Mall. All would require a car to make best use of your time.
If you have a car take a morning at Bok Sanctuary bell tower and garden. A pretty spot about an hour south of the theme parks. A dreamlike world of historic plants, trees and carillon with a daily concert. Best photo backdrop in Fla.
John Deiner: Thanks, Oviedo . . . for that matter, they could try Disney World hotels as well, as the drive isn't that far between the two.
Native New Jerseyan: I haven't stayed at the Hyatt Jersey City, but have stayed twice at the Doubletree Jersey City, which is about 2 blocks south of the Newport PATH station. (Not near the Doubletree). Great beds, great view, parking lot adjacent to building, but no experience with eating there, though. I've also stayed at the Marriott Courtyard adjacent to the Newport PATH -- I expected (and think I paid for) a room with separate LR/tv area and got a king room. No view, and at the overpriced buffet the dining room manager watched us like a hawk, since I paid $4 for a bowl of oatmeal, and he was afraid I'd eat a muffin, too. If you want to stay in the city, I've heard the Apple Core hotels (mentioned on one of the Post articles, I think) are convenient and a pretty good deal. But the view of the Manhattan skyline is spectacular -- and when it's time to leave on Sunday, you take the PATH to your car, drive about ½ a mile to the Turnpike connector and avoid the mosh pit that forms around the tunnels on the Manhattan side.
Scott Vogel: I can second this recommendation for the Doubletree. It too is a good value and often available at discounts through Priceline, Hotwire, etc., although as you point out, it's a bit more a walk, which is a consideration you'll want to keep in mind if you have very small children.
Philadelphia: When it's not business travel, I pack everything in a carry-on - and it's a backpack that fits under the seat in front of me, too. My tricks are to wear my thickest clothes (the one pair of jeans I'll have along, the one sweater/fleece/sweatshirt I'll want over a tee-shirt that I'll use to sleep in the rest of the time, and a jacket with zip pockets that hold my wallet, phone, and camera), and then in the bag I'll have a thin pair of slightly nicer pants, a skirt, thin running socks instead of my usual thicker ones, underwear, and hiking/climbing shirts that are base layer shirts, so they're extra thin and can be crumpled into any sort of shape and not be very wrinkled. The backpack's a normal-sized one I got in the U.K. one time - 20 liters that expands to 30 - and is smaller than many of the laptop/briefcase combos I see being dragged on. None of the clothes were expensive, they can be mixed up, and even with them in the bag there's room for toiletries, my laptop, reading material, and a sandwich or two.
It just takes patience, practice, and being practical - even with the little I take I often end up not wearing everything once on a trip, even if I'm gone for a week. I realize not everyone can, or will want, to get down to just a backpack, but even if you don't, using thin clothes that are originally designed as some sort of athletic gear will really cut down on both weight and space. And they no longer scream "weekend warrior" - you can get stuff that looks completely "normal."
Cindy Loose: Travel gear places also sell some swell lightweight stuff, and clothing that doesn't wrinkle, and fast dry clothing.
old adage repeated by years of male college students who don't like to do laundry... you can wear your underwear four times : Hmmmm. I've known many male college students who didn't smell very good. Perhaps this explains it.
KC Summers: Although I have to admit, it is rather ingenious of them.
Md.: it isn't just the roads that close at dusk. Many of the camp sites/lodges close their gates and dusk and you had better make sure you're back in by then.
I've camped in Africa - while most times you are perfectly safe and will never have any trouble, it isn't like you can just call "AAA" if you have a flat or car trouble. And like it or not, there are many folks that get riled at simply seeing an American passport. I was once yelled at for 30 minutes by a customs agent in Botswana for no other reason than I put an American passport in front of him. South Africa is one thing, but there are many places on the continent where you reallyreallyreally should use guided tours or at the very least a local guide.
Christina Talcott: Thanks for your note. I'm sorry you had such trouble with your passport! I've heard lots of stories about shady/angry border guards in West Africa from former Peace Corps volunteers, but I don't know anything about traveling in Botswana. That said, I think it really pays to do research and talk to people before striking out on ANY trip, but especially a place without the kind of tourism history that, say, Europe has. And it does make a HUGH difference to visit a place with someone who knows the area.
Houston, Tex.: My travel agent friend told me that it is cheaper to buy train tickets in person in Italy. Online there are a ton more fees.
Cindy Loose: Ah--can anyone out there confirm?
Arlington, Va.: any idea if these second bag fees will be added to international flights any time soon?
Carol Sottili: Some airlines, including Delta and US Airways, are already assessing the fee on international flights. If it works for them, others will follow.
Anonymous: Italy train tickets: buy a ticket AND what's called a seat reservation IN PERSON in Italy. Not online.
Cindy Loose: Thank you anonymous, who doesn't tell how he/she knows about buying train tickets in Italy, but seems very confident and sure, so I'd go with that.
Favorite Spas: If you'd like a little chocolate thrown in with your spa treatments, I'd recommend the Hershey Hotel and Spa. I would not, however, recommend going in the summer because I hear that, even at the prices the Hershey Hotel charges, it's overrun with kids. We went mid-week in the late fall and it was wonderful!
KC Summers: Oh thanks, I meant to include them -- they have a very nice spa, up to and including chocolate baths!
Washington, D.C.: Maybe I'm just a light packer, but I've never traveled anywhere that I needed to check a second bag. That includes going to NYC for a week on business and only taking my smaller sized bag and a purse. I pack clothes that coordinate well, and that I can wear more than once. By coordinate, I mean everything. I don't want to pack black shoes AND brown shoes, so I only pack outfits that will go with one or the other color. I do not take much of jewelry - I will wear one casual pair of earrings that go with everything, and pack one dressy pair only if I already know I'm going to need it. I tend to pack more shirts, but wear the same pants or skirts over and over. If I'm going to need to dress up one night, I take a dressy top, and pair it with pants or a skirt that can be dressed down as well. With shoes, I never take more than 2 pairs. If I can get away with a single pair, that's even better. Enough underwear for 3 days and I wash them overnight in the sink if it's a longer trip. I look over the list of what's in the hotel and don't pack anything that will be in the room - blowdryer, shampoo, soap, etc. If it's supposed to be in the room and it's not, I ask for it. And, I always wear the same outfit on the journey to and from, with my sneakers. But my best
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Post travel editors and writers field questions and comments. On the itinerary this week: the African safari of your dreams; a weekend jaunt to Nashville; and learning to kite-surf in the Florida Keys.
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Science: Mars Discovery
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Marc Kaufman: Good afternoon. We're talking today about Mars, water, and whether some new images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show the remains of two hot springs that once ran on the Martian surface. I first saw the images at a NASA astrobiology conference earlier in the month -- and some similar ones taken of dry hot springs on Earth -- and they were quite strikingly similar. I fear the images do not hold up as well on a computer or newspaper scale, but hopefully they make a point. On to your questions...
Newbury Park, Calif.: Could it be that the scientist that are studying the surface of Mars, are just "seeing things" in their quest to find something? Or is it a real finding?
And how did the water that once existed in Mars, disapeared?... Was it by evaporation or was it by going underground?... And it could be found as ice?
Marc Kaufman: These are veteran researchers who identified these possible old hot springs, and so I think their findings are significant. That doesn't mean they're correct, and that they'll hold up to further scientific scrutiny. But that's how science progresses -- data, information and theories are put forward and other react. The research has been submitted for publication in a professional journal, and if it's accepted, that will speed the review process. But the images were presented at a major NASA conference, and that means some pretty knowledgeable people thought there was something to it.
As for the mystery of water on Mars, it's pretty well accepted now that liquid water did indeed exist at some point on the surface of Mars. Some believe both liquid and frozen water still exists beneath the surface, and we know that frozen water is found at the poles. But there is no consensus about where the "missing" water -- if it is indeed missing -- might have gone.
Torrance, Calif.: Is this new discovery indicative of life possibilities on Mars?
Marc Kaufman: I think it can be considered a tantalizing but quite preliminary finding that conditions for life may have existed on Mars in the past. Hot springs are well known on Earth as breeding grounds for microbial and other life, and the researchers are working on the assumption that the same could be true on Mars. So there are a number of big "ifs" here. If it actually was a hot spring, then that would be significant. And if hot springs on Mars function as they do on Earth, that would increase the likelihood that they once held life. But the big "if," of course, is that life would have had to form and evolve on Mars to begin with.
Taylor, Mich.: If this true about the hot springs area, would this not be a logical place to send another rover to investigate or a possible manned mission, if and when we have the technology to go to Mars?
Marc Kaufman: Not only manned missions, but robot and rover missions as well. The two researchers, Carlton Allen and Dorothy Oehler of NASA's Johnson Space Center, believe that if these two are former hot springs, then Mars probably has others -- and maybe many others. (Earth has something like 50,000.) The site where these were located is a dusty one, and might be less than optimal for landings. In addition, spectrometers on the orbiter have not found evidence at the site of the kind of minerals that would be expected around a hot springs. So before NASA were to select a site like this one, or others with apparent hots springs, they would have to find out a lot more about mineralology, geology and the like.
Reston, Va.: Is there any possibility that those mounds we're seeing are evidence of ancient Martian groundhogs?
Also, if they actually were hot springs and we can get them restarted, think of the potential impact on the space tourism industry. Who wouldn't love to go for a dip in some nice Martian hot springs and a relaxing steam bath?
Some people may rather go there than West Virgina. And people do go to Iceland for such things, and the landscape's not that much different, is it?
Hope you enjoyed the Science Humor injection and keep up the good work, Marc. This is great stuff, and a very noteworthy discovery.
Marc Kaufman: A LOL posting for me, and hopefully for you folks as well.
M Street NW, Washington, D.C.: I appreciate that the discovery of extremophiles on Earth has given scientists hope of discovering evidence of life in similar environments on Mars. However, to the extent that the research into extremophiles indicates that these organisms adapted from less harsh environments to fulfill ecological niches, isn't expecting to find extremophiles in similarly harsh environments on Mars misplaced?
Shouldn't the search for life on Mars focus on the most conducive environment for organisms to initially arise?
Marc Kaufman: Interesting point. As I understand it, the research on extremophiles on Earth is driven by 1/the remarkable fact of their survival and 2/what they tell us about the ability of life to survive in environments that scientists did not believe was possible. In that sense, studying extremophiles here is a way to expand our vision when it comes to other planets. If extremophiles here can adapt to life under enormous pressure on the deep ocean floor, near seemingly poisonous underwater vents, and in environments will little or no water, that opens the possibility of equally improbable adaptations on other planets. Scientists wouldn't be looking for the same extremophiles, but for different ones and for extremophiles in general.
Wilmington, N.C.: Can they go in and get a sample of the soil to see if there was water at one time?
Marc Kaufman: NASA is planning a Mars sample return mission for the later part of the next decade. If these and other mounds do indeed turn out to be remnants of hot springs, they would be very attractive targets. And they would be going not just to see if there had been water, but if there had been some form of life as well. Hot springs bring up minerals from below the surface, and minerals are good for preserving fossils. That makes the springs potentially even more attractive to scientists.
Huntington Beach, Calif.: I see the numerous small mounds, which I am assuming are the "springs" in question, however, the large mound looks a lot like a volcano. Is this in a volcanic region? The magazine articles don't specify.
Marc Kaufman: I believe this is not considered a volcanic region. The larger image from the Martian surface actually contained another larger mound or mountain that looked quite a bit like a volcano. But the researchers said they had not been able to determine what it actually was.
Wadsworth, Ohio: what do spectrographic analyses of the hydrothermal deposits reveal about the underlying strata?
Marc Kaufman: The specific area contains a lot of dust, and it appears that is masking what lies on and below the surface. Until that is somehow corrected, or similar mounds are found in less dusty areas, researchers won't be able to make any definitive statements about whether they really were hot springs.
Germantown, Md.: Do you think there may be a change of extraterrestrial life elsewhere?
Marc Kaufman: I presume you mean a "chance" of extraterrestrial life....
I don't have an opinion of my own, but I spent several days recently at an astrobiology conference (sponsored by NASA,) and I found it fascinating. There's much research going on now into the most basic questions--such as "what is life?" "are there other Earths in other solar systems"? and "how can signs of life on distant planets be detected?" -- and many scientists are making real progress. Some of the best scientists in the field believe it's likely that life exists elsewhere, and given the numbers that makes some sense. There are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, and some 100 billion other galaxies in the observable universe. Since we now know that many of those stars have planets circling them, it seems increasingly likely that some have conditions that could support some form of life.
Los Angeles: When scientists state they are looking for "life" on Mars, do they mean intelligent life, or any form of life? Have there been any indications that there could be microorganisms on Mars or if it such as found, does that count towards what scientists are looking for?
Marc Kaufman: Until fairly recently, scientists and others searching for extraterrestrial life tended to be looking for "intelligent" life. That has changed, and the search now is far more for microbial or simple life forms. But the SETI Institute still runs a program that sends out powerful radio waves in the hope that some intelligent life forms will receive them and respond.
Houston: As if its not bad enough we've DESTROYED this planet and pretty close to destroying ourselves. We've decided to scope out another. It's nice to look but maybe thats the reason its still beautiful...WE'RE NOT THERE.
Marc Kaufman: I've heard more than once that it would be dangerous for humans to actually go to Mars because we would most likely harm it. Given the shape of the Earth, I understand the concern. On the other hand, returning a Mars sample to Earth could pose an as-yet-unknown risk to earthlings, too. I recall the same debate occurred before Apollo landed on the moon, but it seems that the moon remains okay and we're no worse off for the returned moon rocks, either.
Washington DC: Great article - again - Marc...
BUT it would be nice if washingtonpost.com would include the photo(s) discussed in the article WITH the article. I see it's shown here with the chat, but it's a bit more helpful when with the article itself.
Question is: The rovers have a fairly short distance they can really travel... so not knowing the details of the Martian landscape, how far is this formation from where the rovers are today?
washingtonpost.com: The photos are associated with the explanatory graphic that is attached to the story - but here's an easy link: Comparing Martian Mounds to Springs
Marc Kaufman: It's actually relatively close -- about 100 kilometers, I believe. That, however, is way too far for the rover to travel.
As for your point about including the photo with the article online, I checked and it is there, thought under a seperate headline of "Comparing Martian Mounds to Springs."
Washington, D.C.: If Darwinian theory (natural selection and random mutations) adequately explains the emergence of life and origin of new species, then the Phoenix Mission set to land on the martial north pole next month and later NASA and ESA life-probing missions such as the Mars Astrobiology Lab, should discover life on Mars or show that there once was life on Mars perhaps billions of years ago when liquid water may have covered portions of Mars. But if Darwinian natural selection is not the explanation for origins of life, then these spacecraft will not discover indicia of past or present life near or at hot springs or anywhere else on Mars. Do scientists agree that these life-probing spacecraft are up-or-down litmus tests for Darwin's theory? Doesn't Darwinian theory need to be empirically verifiable to count as a scientific theory of emergence or origins as opposed to someone's hunch?
Marc Kaufman: Your question points to a fascinating aspect of the astrobiology field -- that it actually does include subjects ranging from the origins of life to evolution to the long-debated question of whether we're alone in the universe. Regarding Darwinian evolution, I don't think a handful (or even a lot) of missions to Mars or elsewhere would necessarily tell us much. If some form of life is found, it raises the question of whether it has, or will, evolve. But if life forms are not found, that doesn't mean 1/they never existed on Mars 2/they don't exist elsewhere on the planet or the universe and 3/that evolution has not created the world we live in. There's an often-repeated scientific maxim that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Richmond, Va.: What do you think is the significance of today's announcement that Mars is buying Wrigley?
Marc Kaufman: I think discovery of the "Mounds" put the deal over the top.
Las Vegas, Nev.: I wonder how many people realize the value of space exploration each and everytime we launch be it to the moon or just a satallite orbiting earth..the benefits we gain both medically & electronically..its a wonderful advancement I hope you keep going..with space exploration...we need it. and I for one believe in intelligent life far from earth somewhere...they are out there.
Marc Kaufman: The U. S. has long enjoyed space supremacy in virtually every way, but I recently read a well-researched report by a private space-information company that concluded that we are losing our edge. And this is happening at a time when many other nations are stepping up their efforts in space.
Chico, Calif.: Is there any way to estimate how long the springs have been dry?
Marc Kaufman: I'm told the area has been dry for tens of millions of years. Sounds like a long time, but that is actually considered quite recent in planetary terms.
Many thanks for your good questions.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Washington Post science writer Marc Kaufman was online to discuss the discovery of what scientists believe may have been hot springs on the planet Mars.
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Prosecute the Mortgage Sharks
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"Simply put, that process was broken," Paulson said.
To protect consumers from predatory lending and deceptive disclosure practices, Paulson proposed the creation of a federal Mortgage Origination Commission that would establish minimum standards for loan officers. It would also evaluate, rate and report on each state's efforts to license and regulate these mortgage salespeople.
But based on my investigation of one mortgage operation, which has continued to arrange loans despite state sanctions, what's needed is more criminal prosecution, not another commission with little power. After all, we're talking about loan officers responsible for explaining mortgage products, some of which have complicated terms and high fees, the types of products that have led this nation into its current economic mudslide.
You may better understand the problems with the mortgage-processing system by looking at CashFlow Strategies, formerly called Financial Independence Group, which was run by Georgia-based businessman Frederick C. Lee Jr. This case highlights how state- and nationally regulated financial institutions can fail to verify that borrowers are working with licensed loan officers.
Lee has been banned from arranging loans in Maryland and Georgia because neither he nor his companies were licensed for such activity. And yet, in violation of those orders, people working for Lee have continued to arrange mortgage loans that for many borrowers are inappropriate, according to sources and company documents. Equally disturbing is that these borrowers are paying fees on these loans that many consumer advocacy groups would call predatory.
Several Maryland homeowners acknowledged that they gave personal information to people working for CashFlow in order to get their loan applications processed. Some said they knew the loan originators used to work for Financial Independence; others said they were unaware. Candice Thompson, whose business card says she's a CashFlow marketing representative, assured one Maryland loan applicant that she was licensed and that the company was free of any legal troubles.
"Yes, I am licensed and no the company isn't under investigation," she wrote in a text message.
Thompson is not licensed as a loan officer in Maryland, according to state officials. The company is under investigation.
In a subsequent text, Thompson said she didn't have to be licensed in Maryland because she worked for Home Savings of America, which is based in Little Falls, Minn.
"we r federally chartered we don't have 2 follow state guidelines!" Thompson wrote.
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When Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson released the government's blueprint for overhauling the nation's financial regulatory structure, he promised to direct more attention toward the front-line people who arrange mortgage loans.
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Rob Pegoraro - Help File
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AMicrosoft's MSN Music store has been dying a slow death since the arrival of the company's Zune player in 2006. Last week, it officially moved to pull the plug by announcing an Aug. 31 shutdown of the store's "digital rights management" (DRM) system.
After then, MSN Music downloads will only work on computers already authorized to play them. To fix that, you need to extract your purchase from Microsoft's DRM: Burn those downloads to audio CDs, pop the freshly burned discs back into the computer, and re-copy the songs to the machine in an unlocked format, such as MP3. You will lose a little audio quality, but that can't be helped here.
Microsoft didn't spell this out in its confusing e-mail sent to MSN Music customers. This message said the company wanted to ensure a "seamless experience with the music you've downloaded" -- but if you try to play those files on a new PC after Aug. 31, you will experience not a seam so much as an abyss.
The e-mail did not detail the burn-and-re-copy routine noted above, giving only a vague reminder to "back up and secure your music by burning your purchased songs and playlists to CD."
Relatively few people shopped at MSN Music (though after giving the store a fairly positive review in 2004, I'm obliged to issue this warning). But the lesson applies to anyone buying "DRMed" music: These locks can get welded shut.
You're best off not buying music with DRM at all. Many online stores, such as iTunes and Zune Marketplace, now offer much of their catalogues without these restrictions, and Amazon's MP3 store ( http://amazon.com/mp3) doesn't carry any songs with DRM.
Rob Pegoraro attempts to untangle computing conundrums and errant electronics each week. Send questions to The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 orrobp@washpost.com. Turn to Thursday's Business section or visit washingtonpost.com anytime for his Fast Forward column.
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Q Should I do anything extra to back up the songs I bought from MSN Music? Microsoft's e-mail last week said my purchases would still work.
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Chico, Nats Struggling To Get the Job Done
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Nationals Park is hosting a job fair. The company providing employment opportunities, the Washington Nationals, badly needs a starting pitcher and a closer. Matt Chico currently holds the first title, but his superiors are analyzing his performance and might be willing to consider worthy applicants. Chad Cordero is applying for the latter job, but the bosses simply don't know if he possesses the skill set to handle it.
All this after last night's 7-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs, a game in which Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano tossed seven shutout innings and the Nationals stranded 10 runners. Zambrano's performance, not to mention five RBI from the combination of Derrek Lee and Aramis RamÃrez, meant the legions of Cubs fans who remained in the crowd of 35,188 for the last out went home quite happy, worried about none of the issues the Nationals have.
Start with Chico. He gave up five runs in the first two innings. His line: four innings, eight hits, five runs, all earned. His record is now 0-5, his ERA 6.68. He may need to reapply to keep his own job.
"We don't know," Manager Manny Acta said when asked how long he could stick with Chico. "We don't know yet. It's five more months of baseball. I'm not saying I might stick the whole season [with him] if he continues to pitch like this. It's only been a month. If we were going to take a month on guys that are struggling here, then there would be a lot of guys out of here by now."
Acta pointed out that he didn't receive the pointed questions he fielded about Chico on April 11, the night he spun eight innings of one-run ball against the Atlanta Braves. The reason the questioning changed: Chico's performance. In his three subsequent starts, he hasn't completed more than five innings, and has posted a 12.46 ERA.
"I've got to take a step back," Chico said.
Last night, according to catcher Johnny Estrada, Chico simply didn't have command of his fastball. The first three Cubs reached base, including Lee with an RBI single. Mark DeRosa put the Cubs up 3-0 with a two-run single in the first, and when Lee hit a two-run double in the second, the game was all but over.
Chico pointed out that the Cubs weren't crushing balls to the gaps. "I got the groundballs that I needed," he said, "but they were just out of the reach of everybody." Still, he knows he is not executing his pitches properly.
"I think [I'm] going up there, getting hit and getting right back on the mound and missing my spot, and I'm getting a little upset," Chico said. "Then I'm throwing the ball right over the plate. It keeps happening, and I keep doing it. I've got to settle down and think about what I'm doing."
All this comes at a time when the other Nationals starters -- John Lannan, who starts today's series finale against the Cubs, Tim Redding, Shawn Hill and Odalis Pérez -- have combined for an ERA of 3.66. So where does Chico fit now?
"Whatever happens is going to happen," he said. "I can't really worry about that."
Earlier in the month, right-hander Jason Bergmann -- whose repertoire is more dangerous than Chico's -- was demoted to Class AAA Columbus after two shaky starts and a bad relief appearance left him with a 11.68 ERA. Yet he is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA after two starts in Columbus.
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Nationals Park is hosting a job fair. The company providing employment opportunities, the Washington Nationals, badly needs a starting pitcher and a closer. Matt Chico currently holds the first title, but his superiors are analyzing his performance and might be willing to consider worthy applicants....
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This Time We Mean It: The Youth Vote Matters
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Election after election, when all the obvious story lines are exhausted, the media tend to turn to an oldie but goody: "Will this be the race where young people finally start voting?" Youth vote advocates insist that young people are more dialed in than ever this year, while political hacks who have been in the business for decades roll their eyes at the notion.
Given that, The Fix recognizes the danger in making the following statement: The youth vote will matter in 2008. A look back over the last few months shows a massive increase in youth (people ages 18 through 29) voting; the number of young people voting quadrupled in Tennessee and tripled in states such as Iowa, Missouri and Texas, according to a new study by Harvard University's Institute of Politics.
The report goes on to say that the growth in young people's participation in the electoral process is not a "one-time phenomenon" but, rather, represents a "civic reawakening of a new generation."
That conclusion is affirmed by polling conducted by MTV and CBS News -- survey data that provide a detailed and nuanced analysis of the burgeoning 18-to-29 vote.
Some of the results from the polls will surprise no one.
Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) leads Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) 48 percent to 37 in a Democratic primary matchup. In general-election trial heats, both Clinton and Obama best Sen. John McCain (Ariz.). Obama leads McCain 52 percent to 39 percent, while Clinton holds 51 percent to 41 percent.
While none of those hypothetical results turns conventional wisdom on its head (younger voters tend to favor Democrats, and Obama has spent considerable time in the campaign courting young voters), the issues that the MTV-CBS poll unearthed as most important to young voters might flip the script, at least a bit.
The economy was by far the most important issue to the group -- a noteworthy development that suggests the concerns of young voters are not so different from the worries of the older electorate.
Twenty-two percent of the MTV-CBS sample named the economy as the top issue facing their generation, more than double the proportion who said the same in June 2007.
Much of the unrest among young people about the state of the economy may have to do with their declining job prospects. In the poll, just 3 percent said the job prospects for their age group were "excellent," while a whopping 67 percent called their chances of getting a job either "fair" (42 percent) or "poor" (25 percent).
While about half of the poll's sample said politicians were paying the "right amount" of attention to the economy, 29 percent said those same politicians were devoting enough time to talking about jobs for young people.
The poll also contained heartening news for the mainstream media. More than 7 in 10 respondents said "a lot" of their information about politics comes from either newspapers or television news; 15 percent said they get most of their information about politics from blogs -- Fix readers, unite! -- while 12 percent said they get "a lot" of political information from "late night talk and comedy shows."
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Follow 2008 Elections & Campaigns at washingtonpost.com.
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Police to Step Up Patrols After Violence
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D.C. police are planning a citywide increase in patrols after a night of apparently unrelated shootings left four dead and as many as eight wounded in neighborhoods across the city, officials said yesterday.
After the spate of shootings and killings that broke out late Friday and early Saturday, three more people were shot last night, police said. One of them was wounded about a block from a police station.
"This is definitely a major spike" in violence, Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes said, referring specifically to the overnight shootings. She spoke by phone shortly after concluding three emergency conference calls with the department's command staff hastily convened by Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier. The violence took place late Friday and early yesterday.
"We're not just going to be using every officer to patrol, like we've already been doing. We're going to start pulling from administrative positions, too," Groomes said.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) later joined Lanier at a news conference to decry the latest violence and promise additional action. The city has had 50 homicides this year, the same number as at this point last year. But in recent weeks, violence has been increasing, with 18 killings in April alone. Officials are concerned that violence, which typically spikes in late summer, is escalating early.
Particularly "frustrating," Groomes said, was the fact that one of the homicides -- a 2 a.m. shooting at Morse Street and Montello Avenue NE -- was the eighth slaying in the city's 5th Police District since April 14 and took place despite a major recent effort to boost police presence in the area.
"We had police patrolling just a block away when the shots rang out," Groomes said.
Officers found a 30-year-old man lying dead on Morse Street in front of the Joseph H. Cole Fitness Center, police said.
The Trinidad neighborhood around Morse and Montello was gripped by the crack epidemic during the 1980s and early 1990s, becoming one of the most dangerous in the city. However, residents who stood watching police question youths near the site of the shooting said Trinidad has since become more quiet. The community has a neighborhood watch, and residents recently started a garden club.
"It's not a hellhole. The crime comes and goes over time," said Michelle Gandy, who has lived in the area for 16 years. The biggest problems, she and others said, are caused by people who come from outside the area.
"But the police can't do anything about that," one resident said.
Fenty and Lanier had their news conference in Trinidad, where they were joined by D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5).
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D.C. police are planning a citywide increase in patrols after a night of apparently unrelated shootings left four dead and as many as eight wounded in neighborhoods across the city, officials said yesterday.
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Derwood Residents Rally Against Highway
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At the edge of their neighborhood's fallen woods, residents of Montgomery County's Derwood community rallied yesterday against construction of the intercounty connector, saying there was still time to stop the long-debated six-lane highway.
Many of them wearing forest-green T-shirts reading "A Wake for MoCo," they hoisted placards as they spoke out, marched and took aim at Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), whom they blamed for allowing the $2.4 billion highway project to proceed.
They called their event O'Malley's March, invoking the name of the governor's onetime Celtic rock band, and used the theme of an Irish wake. A bagpiper played, and a crowd of 80 people looked somberly upon a swath of cut-down trees, not far from backyard grills and suburban decks.
The site has been slated to become part of the highway.
"We're all stuck paying mortgages in what was a beautiful place," said Connie McKenna, president of the Shady Grove Woods Homeowners Association, which organized the event. "We trusted our government to look out for us. . . . They failed us here on Briardale Road."
More than 12,000 homes, McKenna said, are within 500 meters of the 18.8-mile project. She and other critics say the project will cause environmental damage without relieving traffic. "This highway is going through established communities. It's not a bike path. It's like I-95. It's like the New Jersey Turnpike," she said.
State officials say the roadway, which extends to the Laurel area in Prince George's County, will ease east-west traffic congestion beyond the Capital Beltway. It is scheduled to open in segments, starting in 2010. A federal court recently ruled in favor of the highway, but an appeal is pending.
The state has spent $300 million to plan and design the toll road and buy land for it, and has awarded $1 billion in contracts, officials have said.
Derwood is one of the first areas to be substantially affected by the project, and residents there invited people from other communities to get an early glimpse of what the project will bring. Fellow homeowners came from Olney and Washington Grove, from around Georgia Avenue, from near Colesville Road.
Paul Sevier, 56, said he lost three-quarters of an acre of his Rockville area yard to the highway, and he held a sign to let others know what was at stake in his neighborhood: "1,223 Trees. Sycamore Acres."
Sevier and many others said few officials have heeded concerns about harm to air quality and considered how that will affect children growing up in the shadow of the highway. "I just don't think that's being listened to," he said.
Derwood residents said it made all the difference to see the project as a physical reality rather than a diagram. "I think seeing the actual trees being taken out was a wake-up call that it was real," said Keith Fournier, 32, who lives in Shady Grove Woods.
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At the edge of their neighborhood's fallen woods, residents of Montgomery County's Derwood community rallied yesterday against construction of the intercounty connector, saying there was still time to stop the long-debated six-lane highway.
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A Day After Offer to Meet, China Assails Dalai Lama
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"The behavior of the Dalai clique has seriously violated fundamental teaching and commandments of Buddhism, undermined the normal order of Tibetan Buddhism and ruined its reputation," the Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper reported.
China Daily, the official English-language newspaper, published an interview with Lahlu Tsewang Dorje, a Tibetan who fought on the Dalai Lama's side in a failed 1959 uprising, according to the paper, and later became a top political adviser to the Chinese Tibetan authorities. "I think the Dalai clique is our enemy and we should fight until the end," he was quoted as saying.
The tone of the articles raised questions about China's seriousness in preparing for negotiations with the Dalai Lama over restoring stability to Tibet, which has essentially been under government lockdown since deadly rioting in Lhasa, its capital, on March 14.
Rather than stepping back from its hammering of the "Dalai clique" for instigating the violence in an attempt to split the country and sabotage this summer's Olympic Games, China continued to hit hard. "The Lhasa March 14 incident is another ugly performance meticulously plotted by the Dalai clique to seek Tibet independence," said the Tibet Daily, another Communist Party newspaper.
The Chinese government has been under intense international pressure to begin talks with the Dalai Lama, who is honored in the West as a man of peace and who denies advocating violence or trying to divide the country or jeopardize the Beijing Games. Global leaders are facing growing calls to boycott the Games' opening ceremony on Aug. 8 if Beijing refuses.
The two sides have met off and on for decades, most recently last summer, without making progress on key issues, including whether the Dalai Lama can ever return to Tibet and what a new Tibetan autonomous region within China would look like. The Chinese government said Friday it would meet with an envoy of the Dalai Lama and determine whether conditions were ripe to begin talks.
The official New China News Agency reported Saturday that the United States, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the head of the European Commission had all praised China's offer to meet.
"It's too early to tell if the meeting will produce results or is just for PR purposes in advance of the Olympics," said Mary Beth Markey of the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet.
In its formal response Friday to China's offer, the Dalai Lama's government in exile, in Dharmsala, India, stressed that China's personal attacks had to stop before meaningful dialogue could begin. On Saturday, spokesman Thubten Samphel said, "This continuing vilification of His Holiness does not resolve the issue" of bringing peace and stability to Tibetan regions.
"The Chinese authorities are really wasting their time and effort in terms of changing Tibetans' attitude toward the Dalai Lama," he added.
The attacks on the Dalai Lama "can be seen as pre-negotiation tactics designed in part to bolster domestic nationalism and at the same time to weaken his position in any future talks," Robbie Barnett, a Tibet scholar at Columbia University, told Reuters news service.
The news of possible talks sparked some debate in Chinese online discussion forums.
"This shows the government is soft," one person wrote. "It sends a very clear signal to the outside world that if you have power overseas, then you can come to China to mastermind a riot."
Another person said the move was simple pragmatism: "Now we have to stabilize the situation. After the Olympics, no one will care about the Dalai Lama."
Researcher Liu Liu contributed to this report.
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BEIJING, April 26 -- Less than 24 hours after China offered to meet with an envoy of the Dalai Lama, state-controlled news media on Saturday kept up their campaign of denunciations of the Tibetan spiritual leader.
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Lessons From Dayton for Iraq
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SARAJEVO -- Twelve years ago, the guns in Bosnia fell silent after a war that killed at least 100,000 people and left more than 2 million homeless. Since then, the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement has often been suggested as a model for other peace efforts in countries with deep ethnic or religious differences. Bosnia's "federalism" structure has been cited, especially by Sen. Joe Biden and former Council on Foreign Relations president Les Gelb, as a possible model for Iraq.
But the world has more or less turned its back on Bosnia itself. I returned to see how things were going. What I found has relevance to many other areas, including Iraq.
The core objective. Grade: A+
There were more than 30 failed cease-fires before Dayton. Our primary goal was to end the war -- once and for all. Twelve years later, that objective has been fully achieved, at a cost of zero American and NATO lives.
We were concerned with the presence in Bosnia of a little-known group of Islamist extremists who would later become infamous as al-Qaeda. In the Dayton Agreement, we required their removal and gave NATO the right to attack them. Without Dayton, al-Qaeda would probably have planned the Sept. 11 attacks from Bosnia, not Afghanistan.
Because of arguments within NATO, Dayton left a single country with three armies. This was obviously untenable. But thanks to a tenacious follow-up effort, there is now a single command structure and a single state army, built along NATO lines, where once there were three warring factions. A work in progress, but the progress here is real.
As we negotiated, it was widely predicted that the Serb and Muslim-Croat entities would remain physically divided and that the country would be partitioned. NATO expected its troops to patrol a demilitarized separation line, as in Korea. None of this happened. You can drive without interference from one end of Bosnia to the other, and the once ubiquitous checkpoints are gone.
There is a single currency and plenty of commercial transactions between ethnic groups. Trouble is, corruption is deeply embedded in both parts of Bosnia, with many politicians masquerading as nationalists in order to maintain control of state-owned enterprises.
Bosnia, like its Balkan neighbors, has no viable future except as a member of the European Union. Since the failure of the reform package offered by the "high representative," Lord Paddy Ashdown, nothing had moved -- until this month, when the Bosnians approved a limited police reform agreement. This clears the way for Bosnia to sign a Stabilization and Association Agreement, a significant step toward E.U. membership. This is the best political news in a long time.
Until April 2006, slow but steady progress had been made. Ashdown, who held the powerful international overseer position established by Dayton, was pushing reform. He produced a constitutional reform package that would have strengthened the state's central institutions while leaving plenty of power in the hands of the entities. But Ashdown fell two votes short of the needed two-thirds majority in the National Assembly when Haris Silajdzic, the wartime Muslim prime minister who had returned to power as one of the three presidents of Bosnia, opposed the package, claiming it would strengthen the Serbs. Since that setback, there has been no significant political progress. The president of the Serb portion of Bosnia, Milorad Dodik, supported Ashdown's plan, but then he turned away from reform, looking to Belgrade and Moscow for support. He now seeks to weaken or paralyze the central government at almost every turn. The interaction between Silajdzic and Dodik has been poisonous, with the Muslim talking about abolishing the two entities and the Serb threatening to declare his entity's independence if Silajdzic persists. Both men know that neither of their positions is allowed under Dayton, and pursuing such retrogressive policies could gravely destabilize the Balkans. (This is, it should be remembered, what the war was about.)
Follow-up. International Community: C- United States: C+Russia: F
Many people I talked to made the same point: Political progress started to decline when it became clear that Bosnia was not a priority for the Bush administration. Washington must remember that without strong American leadership, the gains in Bosnia could still disappear. The decision to replace NATO with a smaller European Union military force was a terrible mistake, apparently dictated by then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. A weak successor to Ashdown further undermined reform, thus emboldening opportunistic politicians to play the ethnic card again. The new high representative, Miroslav Lajcak from Slovakia, is a skilled diplomat, but he is not getting enough backing from Brussels, and almost everything he does is opposed by the Russians, who are trying to undermine the agreement they helped negotiate.
There is one passport, a sharing of ambassadorships among ethnic groups and, more or less, a single foreign policy. The last foreign minister was Serbian, and he has been followed by a Bosnian Jew.
No agreement is worth much if it is not vigorously implemented and enforced. Political arrangements must reflect historical and ethnic realities. A unitary state with a strong central government may work in France or Japan, but not in Bosnia -- nor, I believe, in such places as (to choose from many) Iraq, Afghanistan or Sudan. There (as in the United States, Germany and India), power must be shared between the central government and the states or provinces. The United States must recognize this in Iraq.
Richard Holbrooke, chief architect of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, writes a monthly column for The Post.
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The chief architect of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement grades its success and sees applications of its policies in Iraq.
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To the Arctic on Two Wings and a Prayer
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Reasonable Not Hateful: Thanks for your responses.
I appreciate your opinions, and we'll just let it rest here (or after your response.)
There are many statements you assume of me (and I can't speak for CoWalker) that are simply untrue. I can't begin to understand--I just have to imagine-- that there really is matter and anti-matter, or that time slows and we get thinner with velocity, or that the visible universe is just about 5% of what is "out there." These are things that are just too big for my mind, so I'll never claim that I have to "believe" only what I see, nor would I suggest everyone believe only what I believe--that's too small of a worldview.
However; Before you comment on entropy, or natural selection, I would suggest you learn more about them. The answers to your questions are out there and very available, but you have to have a willingness to learn about them. There are many good sources out there, and very many people who are experts who are willing to share their knowledge. It's up to us and our curiosity and our willingness to learn about them.
There is very very much in our observable world that is NOT common sense. Most often the ways that nature works are NOT intuitive. You have a misinformed approach--which, by the way, is one of the reasons you'll see atheists on panels like "On Faith," an international site that represents some of the more contemporary thoughts on faith through all spectrums. I ask myself: What information is getting to the world on panels like "On Faith?"
I believe that the very fate of this country will rest on the avoidance of damage done by misinformation. I've seen nothing but misinformation come from our most respected governmental office over the last 8 years, often framed in the "blessings" of the gods. I think my child will suffer because someone will be misinformed, when better and more logical and reasonable knowledge is available. I see him in the twin towers building as a victim of a religious zealot. I am willing to fight for the life of my child and those I love or care about. So in a way, for those willing to dialogue, I'm willing to go to bat for our future.
"Who the created the creator" is of paramount importance, and a very difficult theological question for a believer, and one that if ignored, would lead me personally (if I were still a believer) to the conclusion that I was willing to allow self-delusion into my belief. And it is a question I'd let you work out for yourself. And if it doesn't concern you: "so be it" as you said earlier. But, consider this: your argument to me about "intelligence" necessitates at least considering this question. It's next on your flow of logic--it's the next question to be answered.
And no, I don't think I'm some smarter being than someone who believes, I too am on a search for knowledge. However, there's many ways to approach it, and I might suggest some ways are better than others, it's up to us to figure that out.
As far as wanting everything to be perfect in this world, bring it on! I'm all for it.
As far as wanting to know all the answers about this world now: yep, I'd love to know as much as is knowable, given my little brain. That's a lot different than accepting the fact that we hardly know anything, but you're much more likely to hear that from an atheist than a theist. A theist "knows."
"Reasonable" is a good title, and I don't consider discussion a personal attack. It does become a bit personal when articles like this one generate completely untrue allegations regarding "absolute certainty." That's unfair, untrue, and will generate a response.
Signing off for now, Jeff
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Guest Blog Post: The Architecture of Belief
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CHUCK COLSN & his Armageddon Lovers, John HAgee, Mike Huckabee's et al, are SHMUCKS!:
April 24, 2008 9:39 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 09:39
Anonymous: http://v/i/s/i/t/{J}***{O}***{Z}***{E}***{V}***{Z} @ dot US.///////////,
Hark Momma Poppo Monsa mono's; WE are âJOKTANâian--Eberu/Race & We have/Higher--I.Q.âs: Not like Ye âPELEGâianâs Race! SHhaaame on any Human having "Jealousy" for some Man-Made, Never ECLATi made, Pre-Apocalyptic Religion via Human Worshippers, participents etc..!
Ye ALL will be Absorbed via the Radiance of Fire of LOVE! It is The Prophecy! Ye cannot Escape âITâ (Creator of O.U.R. "Lux/Photon, is Neither a He/Him or a She/Her, but rather JUSTly for aanother Eschatological HOLY-TiME(via Temerature, not Clock, in Miracle/imortal) via an âITâ , being "ITSELF", in and of Us all (Animates & Inanimate Things of "IT"s Stuffs)!
"I" consent, buy Only For a TiME. "IT" is TiME!"
Ye are O.U.R. PRiSONER(s) on SPACE-SHiP Earth! Until
Ye reach âi.Q. Maximum,â thence ye will Truly be Freed by Us! IT is the Promise! We are Cometh To
"MAGNiFY THE LAW" & Make "IT" Honorable!"
The LAWS OF "IT"s NAture is O.U.R. Holy Cosmic "CLAUSES" that Ariseth out of ITSELF via the UNIVERSE which is O.U.R. genuine/ORIGIN innate "CONSTITUTION!"
"MODERN MORALiTY (Dynamic Religio(n))is Superior to Biblical Morality!" (Static Religio(n's). Note The TRUE (opposite of MYTH) "Singularity" in Genuine Religion is now Cometh as Prophecied, promised "US" & as O.U.R. Inheretence & many more Good Tidings Guranteed US! Soo,
Good Riddence To ALL "iMPORTED" & Competing 'Old Time religion(s) in Sweet AMERiCA, that tends to Sour Us!!
Good Bye MECCA! Good Bye JERUSALEM! Good Bye VATICAN/CANTURBERY! Good Bye NEPAL/TIBET! Good Bye ARMISTAR/DELi! Good Bye HELLENICS! Good Bye CAVE/DESERT//JUNGLE/ISLAND âBiO-MENTALiTY!â AND say instead,
"HELLO , MODERN MORALiTY & APOCALYPTIC NATiON Ye Sweet sweet, Made in U.S.A., The 3-American -Made NEW-AGE of Religion.! Not imported! so SAY
1) Hello "MORMON" By Joseph SMiTH ,pbuh et al.
2) Hello "TRANS{F.i.N.i.T.Y}" by Harry THERiAULT ,pbuh and
3) Hello "A SCRiBE IN MiRiCLES" by Helen SCHUCMAN ,pbuh et al. That's All for now folks!
Please Visit Us from Time To Time. Thanka/o!
Eeeeee Haaaaa! "WE ARE immortal MiRACLE in Motion!" "We are From The Creator of The Holy "FiAT-LUX" a Not-Jealous & Thus Fearless, HOLY-NO-MAN, aka SOURCE-ONE, aka EPONYMOUS-E-C-L-A-T + "i" = LiFE/PHOTONS , A "New Song",
arising from the Old & via O.U.R. Holy Cosmic Made, "Oceanic-Mega-Plume-WOMB", in Miracle, never Born-in-SiN?/Curseth? but, Pre-Baptised and Pre-Confirmed (never Eucharist et al Pre-Apocalyptic Rituals) already ,by the "Fire Of L.O.V.E.".
Note: We are Beggot (O.U.R. SOLOAR SYSTEM aka si{STAR} SYSTEM) via Holy Cosmic Made Momma/Poppa NEBULA! And
Momma/Poppa Holy NEBULA is in Turn Begot By the Holy holy holy iNViSiBLE-Energy" aka Dark 'E' & "Dark Matter" that Coalesced "ITSELF" (Eclat + "i") , aka "IT" (never is the Creator of Lux/Photo, a MAN aka a "MAVORiTE", nor is the Maker of Lux/Flash a HER aka a "SPORADE")
April 24, 2008 9:21 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 09:21
Anonymous: http:/v/i/s/i/t/{J}-{O} {Z}-{E} {V}-{Z} @ dot US///////////, aka âJOKTANâian--Eberu/Race--have/Higher--I.Q.âs: Not like Ye âPELEGâianâs Race! SHhaaame!
Ye ALL will be Absorbed via the Radiance of Fire of LOVE! It is The Prophecy! Ye cannot Escape âITâ (Creator of O.U.R. "Lux/Photon, is Neither a He/Him or a She/Her, but rather JUSTly for aanother Eschatological HOLY-TiME(via Temerature, not Clock, in Miracle/imortal) via an âITâ , being "ITSELF", in and of Us all (Animates & Inanimate Things of "IT"s Stuffs)!
"I" consent, buy Only For a TiME. "IT" is TiME!"
Ye are O.U.R. PRiSONER(s) on SPACE-SHiP Earth! Until
Ye reach âi.Q. Maximum,â thence ye will Truly be Freed by Us! IT is the Promise! We are Cometh To
"MAGNiFY THE LAW" & Make "IT" Honorable!"
The LAWS OF "IT"s NAture is O.U.R. Holy Cosmic "CLAUSES" that Ariseth out of ITSELF via the UNIVERSE which is O.U.R. genuine/ORIGIN innate "CONSTITUTION!"
"MODERN MORALiTY (Dynamic Religio(n))is Superior to Biblical Morality!" (Static Religio(n's). Note The TRUE (opposite of MYTH) "Singularity" in Genuine Religion is now Cometh as Prophecied, promised "US" & as O.U.R. Inheretence & many more Good Tidings Guranteed US! Soo,
Good Riddence To ALL "iMPORTED" & Competing 'Old Time religion(s) in Sweet AMERiCA, that tends to Sour Us!!
Good Bye MECCA! Good Bye JERUSALEM! Good Bye VATICAN/CANTURBERY! Good Bye NEPAL/TIBET! Good Bye ARMISTAR/DELi! Good Bye HELLENICS! Good Bye CAVE/DESERT//JUNGLE/ISLAND âBiO-MENTALiTY!â AND say instead,
"HELLO , MODERN MORALiTY & APOCALYPTIC NATiON Ye Sweet sweet, Made in U.S.A., The 3-American -Made NEW-AGE of Religion.! Not imported! so SAY
1) Hello "MORMON" By Joseph SMiTH ,pbuh et al.
2) Hello "TRANS{F.i.N.i.T.Y}" by Harry THERiAULT ,pbuh and
3) Hello "A SCRiBE IN MiRiCLES" by Helen SCHUCMAN ,pbuh et al. That's All for now folks!
Please Visit Us from Time To Time. Thanka/o!
Eeeeee Haaaaa! "WE ARE immortal MiRACLE in Motion!" "We are From The Creator of The Holy "FiAT-LUX" a Not-Jealous & Thus Fearless, HOLY-NO-MAN, aka SOURCE-ONE, aka EPONYMOUS-E-C-L-A-T + "i" = LiFE/PHOTONS , A "New Song",
arising from the Old & via O.U.R. Holy Cosmic Made, "Oceanic-Mega-Plume-WOMB", in Miracle, never Born-in-SiN?/Curseth? but, Pre-Baptised and Pre-Confirmed (never Eucharist et al Pre-Apocalyptic Rituals) already ,by the "Fire Of L.O.V.E.".
Note: We are Beggot (O.U.R. SOLOAR SYSTEM aka si{STAR} SYSTEM) via Holy Cosmic Made Momma/Poppa NEBULA! And
Momma/Poppa Holy NEBULA is in Turn Begot By the Holy holy holy iNViSiBLE-Energy" aka Dark 'E' & "Dark Matter" that Coalesced "ITSELF" (Eclat + "i") , aka "IT" (never is the Creator of Lux/Photo, a MAN aka a "MAVORiTE", nor is the Maker of Lux/Flash a HER aka a "SPORADE")
April 24, 2008 8:57 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 08:57
Anonymous: http://v/i/s/i/t/{J}-{O} {Z}-{E} {V}-{Z} @ dot US///////////, aka âJOKTANâian--Eberu/Race--have/Higher--I.Q.âs: Not like Ye âPELEGâianâs Race! SHhaaame!
Ye ALL will be Absorbed via the Radiance of Fire of LOVE! It is The Prophecy! Ye cannot Escape âITâ (Neither a He/Him or a She/Her, justly only an âITâ in and of Us all!
Ye are O.U.R. PRiSONER(s) on SPACE-SHiP Earth! Until
Ye reach âi.Q. Maximum,â thence ye will Truly be Freed by Us! IT is the Promise!
. Good Riddence To ALL "iMPORTED" & Competing 'Old Time religion(s) in Sweet AMERiCA, that tends to Sour Us!!
Good Bye MECCA! Good Bye JERUSALEM! Good Bye VATICAN/CANTURBERY! Good Bye NEPAL/TIBET! Good Bye ARMISTAR/DELi! Good Bye HELLENICS! Good Bye CAVE/DESERT//JUNGLE/ISLAND âBiO-MENTALiTY!â AND say instead,
"HELLO , MODERN MORALiTY & APOCALYPTIC NATiON Ye Sweet sweet, Made in U.S.A., The 3-American -Made NEW-AGE of Religion.! Not imported! so SAY
1) Hello "MORMON" By Joseph SMiTH ,pbuh et al.
2) Hello "TRANS{F.i.N.i.T.Y}" by Harry THERiAULT ,pbuh and
3) Hello "A SCRiBE IN MiRiCLES" by Helen SCHUCMAN ,pbuh et al. That's All for now folks!
Please Visit Us from Time To Time. Thanka/o!
Eeeeee Haaaaa! "WE ARE immortal MiRACLE in Motion!" "We are From The Creator of The Holy "FiAT-LUX" a Not-Jealous & Thus Fearless, HOLY-NO-MAN, aka SOURCE-ONE, aka EPONYMOUS-E-C-L-A-T + "i" = LiFE/PHOTONS , A "New Song",
arising from the Old & via O.U.R. Holy Cosmic Made, "Oceanic-Mega-Plume-WOMB", in Miracle, never Born-in-SiN?/Curseth? but, Pre-Baptised and Pre-Confirmed (never Eucharist et al Pre-Apocalyptic Rituals) already ,by the "Fire Of L.O.V.E.".
Note: We are Beggot (O.U.R. SOLOAR SYSTEM aka si{STAR} SYSTEM) via Holy Cosmic Made Momma/Poppa NEBULA! And
Momma/Poppa Holy NEBULA is in Turn Begot By the Holy holy holy iNViSiBLE-Energy" aka Dark 'E' & "Dark Matter" that Coalesced "ITSELF" (Eclat + "i") , aka "IT" (never is the Creator of Lux/Photo, a MAN aka a "MAVORiTE", nor is the Maker of Lux/Flash a HER aka a "SPORADE")
April 24, 2008 8:43 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 08:43
From: Comrades, Vanguards, Inheritors Of O.U.R. Holy Cosmic Space Ship Momma/Poppa Earth: http:/v/i/s/i/t/{J}-{O} {Z}-{E} {V}-{Z} @ dot US///////////, aka âJOKTANâian--Eberu/Race--have/Higher--I.Q.âs: Not like Ye âPELEGâianâs Race! SHhaaame!
Ye ALL will be Absorbed via the Radiance of Fire of LOVE! It is The Prophecy! Ye cannot Escape âITâ (Neither a He/Him or a She/Her, justly only an âITâ in and of Us all!
Ye are O.U.R. PRiSONER(s) on SPACE-SHiP Earth! Until
Ye reach âi.Q. Maximum,â thence ye will Truly be Freed by Us! IT is the Promise!
. Good Riddence To ALL "iMPORTED" & Competing 'Old Time religion(s) in Sweet AMERiCA, that tends to Sour Us!!
Good Bye MECCA! Good Bye JERUSALEM! Good Bye VATICAN/CANTURBERY! Good Bye NEPAL/TIBET! Good Bye ARMISTAR/DELi! Good Bye HELLENICS! Good Bye CAVE/DESERT//JUNGLE/ISLAND âBiO-MENTALiTY!â AND say instead,
"HELLO , MODERN MORALiTY & APOCALYPTIC NATiON Ye Sweet sweet, Made in U.S.A., The 3-American -Made NEW-AGE of Religion.! Not imported! so SAY
1) Hello "MORMON" By Joseph SMiTH ,pbuh et al.
2) Hello "TRANS{F.i.N.i.T.Y}" by Harry THERiAULT ,pbuh and
3) Hello "A SCRiBE IN MiRiCLES" by Helen SCHUCMAN ,pbuh et al. That's All for now folks!
Please Visit Us from Time To Time. Thanka/o!
Eeeeee Haaaaa! "WE ARE immortal MiRACLE in Motion!" "We are From The Creator of The Holy "FiAT-LUIX" a Not-Jealous & Thus Fearless, HOLY-NO-MAN, aka SOURCE-ONE, aka EPONYMOUS-E-C-L-A-T + "i" = LiFE/PHOTONS , A "New Song",
arising from the Old & via O.U.R. Holy Cosmic Made, "Oceanic-Mega-Plume-WOMB", in Miracle, never Born-in-SiN?/Curseth? but, Pre-Baptised and Pre-Confirmed (never Eucharist et al Pre-Apocalyptic Rituals) already ,by the "Fire Of L.O.V.E.".
Note: We are Beggot (O.U.R. SOLOAR SYSTEM aka si{STAR} SYSTEM) via Holy Cosmic Made Momma/Poppa NEBULA! And
Momma/Poppa Holy NEBULA is in Turn Begot By the Holy holy holy iNViSiBLE-Energy" aka Dark 'E' & "Dark Matter" that Coalesced "ITSELF" (Eclat + "i") , aka "IT" (never is the Creator of Lux/Photo, a MAN aka a "MAVORiTE", nor is the Maker of Lux/Flash a HER aka a "SPORADE")
April 24, 2008 8:41 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 08:41
ARMAGEDDON Lover(s) CHUCKY-BOY COLSON, Wordmerchant Mike Huckabee, Big Mouth John Ha: http:///{E}-{C}-{L}-{A}-{T}-{A}-{R}-{i}-{A}-{N}///, aka âJOKTANâian--Eberu/Race--have/Higher--I.Q.âs: Not Ye âPELEGâianâs!
Ye ALL will be Absorbed via the Radiance of Fire of LOVE! It is The Prophecy! Ye cannot Escape âITâ (Neither a He/Him or a She/Her, justly only an âITâ in and of Us all!
Ye are O.U.R. PRiSONER(s) on SPACE-SHiP Earth! Until
Ye reach âi.Q. Maximum,â thence ye will Truly be Freed by Us! IT is the Promise!
. Good Riddence To ALL "iMPORTED" & Competing 'Old Time religion(s) in Sweet AMERiCA, that tends to Sour Us!!
Good Bye MECCA! Good Bye JERUSALEM! Good Bye VATICAN/CANTURBERY! Good Bye NEPAL/TIBET! Good Bye ARMISTAR/DELi! Good Bye HELLENICS! Good Bye CAVE/DESERT//JUNGLE/ISLAND âBiO-MENTALiTY!â AND say instead,
"HELLO , MODERN MORALiTY & APOCALYPTIC NATiON Ye Sweet sweet, Made in U.S.A., The 3-American -Made NEW-AGE of Religion.! Not imported! so SAY
1) Hello "MORMON" By Joseph SMiTH ,pbuh et al.
2) Hello "TRANS{F.i.N.i.T.Y}" by Harry THERiAULT ,pbuh and
3) Hello "A SCRiBE IN MiRiCLES" by Helen SCHUCMAN ,pbuh et al. That's All for now folks!
Please Visit Us from Time To Time. Thanka/o!
April 24, 2008 8:15 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 08:15
April 24, 2008 8:11 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 08:11
CHUCKY-BOY COLSON, John HAGEE, Mike HUCKABEE et the Likes are Dangerous Idiot Savants! : (â¦(⦠__ __
April 24, 2008 8:10 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 24, 2008 08:10
CHUCK-BOY Colson, John Hagee, Mike Huckabee are Satans! aka S.H.M.U.K.S.!: {E}-{C}-{L}-{A}-{T
April 24, 2008 7:55 AM
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2008/04/the_greening_of_passover_ecole.html
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The Greening of Passover (Eco-Leavening)
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For thousands of years, the Passover Seder has focused solely on the liberation of the Jewish people -- whether anciently from Pharaoh or in liberations since. But beginning with the Freedom Seder in 1969, in the new atmosphere of an America in which Jews did not fear oppression from the state or from other communities, many Jews have seen that the liberation of other peoples echoes elements of that ancient struggle for liberation from Pharaoh.
So in this past generation there have emerged Haggadot â the text of the Telling that guides the Passover Seder âthat have celebrated the struggles for freedom of Black America, of Israelis and Palestinians striving for a peace that would liberate them both, of the mothers of the "disappeared" in Argentina and the victims of U.S.-encouraged death squads in Central America, and of women striving to liberate themselves from patriarchy.
This year, two calls for freedom have especially resounded across the Internet as Jews have prepared for Passover: the outcry of Tibetans bereft of their sacred land and leadership by a modern Empire, and the outcry of the earth itself and many of its peoples, suffering from an flood of suffocating gases that are bringing on a global climate crisis.
On behalf of Tibet, Rodger Kamenetz, author of "The Jew in the Lotus" that chronicled the unprecedented meeting of the Dalai Lama with a dozen rabbis and Jewish teachers in 1997, has proposed placing a symbol on the Seder table that authentically echoes the nonviolent resistance of Tibetans themselves:
Tibetans, he explains, are forbidden to have photos of the Dalai Lama in Tibet. The Chinese government confiscates them. So the Tibetans took to hanging empty picture frames. The Chinese police confiscated them as well.
So Kamenetz suggested placing an empty picture frame beside the Seder plate on which traditionally rest matzah, bitter herbs, and other symbols of the ancient Exodus -- and taking time to consider the current oppression in Tibet.
Besides echoing the action of Tibetans, this symbol is wonderfully "Buddhist" and wonderfully "Jewish" in spirit. As the teaching goes, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." The empty frame can remind us that holiness cannot be confined to a single space or person. The Holy of Holies in the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem amazed the Roman Empire because in it was no statue of a god â only empty space, the wind, the breath of life, the Spirit.
So in that sense, the empty picture frame is more deeply free than the photograph was. It is more deeply a challenge to every Pharaoh, every Caesar, every Empire.
Which brings us to the wounding of our earth. Big Coal, Big Oil, and their governmental allies have in their arrogant, imperial power â like the Drug Lords of heroin or tobacco -- addicted us to overuse of fossil fuels. As Pharaoh's arrogance toward human beings brought the earth itself to rebellion -- what we call the "plagues" â so we are suffering plagues today at the hands of these modern "pharaohs." Where the biblical plagues included the rivers becoming undrinkable, frogs and locusts swarming beyond all previous history, a hailstorm bringing unprecedented disaster â today we face unheard-of droughts, insects and diseases moving into new territories, ice caps melting, seacoasts rising.
If in our generation we were to broaden Passover to celebrate its earthiness, we would be renewing some of its most ancient meanings â even before the Exodus. For close reading of the Bible (especially Lev 23: 4-8 and Num. 28: 16-17)) makes clear that there were originally two earthy festivals at the full moon of spring:
⢠One was the shepherds' festival involving the sacrificial broiling of newborn lambs and a shepherds' skipping, stumbling dance called "pesach â skip-over" that imitates the skipping, stumbling newborn lambs.
⢠The other was the farmers' festival of the spring barley harvest, celebrated by baking the simplest, most primordial of all breads, the unleavened matzah of flour, water, fire â scouring out all yeast, all rising from their homes.
And these two spring festivals themselves were baked, broiled, in the intense heat of a social transformation â their symbols and practices preserved but transformed -- turned into marking a new festival of the birth of the people itself.
Says God against all history and logic, Israel is "My firstborn."
⢠And the story brings moments of birthing to bear: The first liberators, long before Moses, are two midwives who refuse to obey Pharaoh's command to murder newborn Israelite boy-babies.
⢠The people are taught to smear blood around the doorways of their houses, to come forth from them as from a blood-smeared womb to their new birthing.
⢠And it is God's own Self Who does the skip-over pesach dance of lambs and shepherds, skipping over the houses of these newborn Israelites while striking dead the firstborn of the society that had enslaved them. (The Bible reminds us that when tyrannical rulers bring ruin on their own country, it is not only they but the poorest, the weakest, who suffer.)
As today we seek to move beyond the plagues of climate crisis, to bring a new birth of freedom to our wounded earth, we can act in many spheres against the pharaohs that enslave us. Some are within us. We can clear out from our homes not only the physical leavening that swells our bread, but also the spiritual swelling of our own egos. Is the climate-wounding over-use of coal-fired electricity "eco-leavening" for us, to be cleared out and replaced by wind-stirred electricity? Which chemicals for the spring cleaning are eco-leavening, to be replaced by agents that are biodegradable? Is our own addiction to the over-use of oil, coal, gasoline, a kind of swollen leavening?
How did tradition turn the bread of the poor -- matzah -- into the bread of liberation? How do we turn the moment of darkness into a moment of joyful liberation and community?
If we see in Passover a teaching toward the liberation of all human beings and all earth from top-down exploitation by Pharaohs in every generation -- can Christians and Muslims and other religious and spiritual communities join in new kinds of Passover action-celebration?
As the Seder begins, we dip green sprigs of parsley and mint into the salt water of earth's primordial ocean. Can the Seder celebrants not only bless them in words â but vow to protect them? Can these greens inspire efforts during the rest of Passover to work for earth-healing change by letter-writing and phone calls to legislators, political candidates, and newspapers? Can the celebrants agree to demand improvements in the Warner-Lieberman Climate bill, which should be coming up for congressional votes after Passover? Can the recitation of our generation's plagues, alongside the traditional ten, rouse us to action?
Beyond the conventional home and community Sedarim, could we do Speakout⨠Street Seders for the Earth at some key public places that have become the palaces of Pharaoh -- like EPA regional headquarters and Exxon-Mobil offices? One possible time might be late afternoon on Tuesday of Pesach itself, April 22 -- the third day of Passover, especially appropriate since it is also Earth Day.
All this is in our hands. According to an ancient legend, God would not break the birthing-waters of the Red Sea until one activist, a tribal community organizer, leaped into the waters till they reached his nose; not till he was on the verge of drowning did the waters break open. Just so for us today. The Passover Haggadah itself teaches that in every generation, all humanity must free ourselves from the Pharaohs of our epoch. Not only during the week of Passover, but in the months and years that follow: We who are on the verge of the drowning of our earth, we who hear the drumbeat of the Pharaoh's army chariots behind us -- can we free ourselves, leap forward into action?
It is not only from specific Pharaohs of top-down, centralized, unaccountable power that we need to free ourselves, but also from the Pharaoh of habit, the constriction of mind and heart that has taken Passover as a narrowly Jewish moment. From these Jewish roots, can we grow a new spring of universal fruitfulness?
Rabbi Arthur Waskow is director of The Shalom Center www.shalomctr.org and the author of the Freedom Seder (1969), the Shalom Seder (1984), the Seder of the Children of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah (1997), and Seasons of Our Joy, among many other works on Jewish practice and public policy.
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A conversation on religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/
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PostGlobal at washingtonpost.com
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Do not delete & then Plagerize please!:
HARK! The Holy No-Man sayth ,
"I" Do the thing, Hence "I" hath POWER, Else If "I" do not the Thing, Then "I" + "i" will never havth POWER!" "I" + "i" = PHOTONS/LiFE in TRANS{FiNiTY}(ye Reality)!
EXAMPLE: Meaning NO ONE NATiON, On Space Ship Earth T-O-D-A-Y, under G-D, nor Any one Corporation, under Banks, nor Any one Individual or entity's shall Own the "FOSSiL FUELS" under their Ground wherever located on GAiA! Like The MOON , MARS etc.. Belongs to US-ALL , thus ALL Commodities too. includes, not all, but certain Strategic Metal & Precious Metals to "Space-Forth" & "Future-Bound" with also. So
The Prophecy, like a Handwriting on the Holy Mental Wall, is TELLUSng Today, that "OIL" shall be the 1st Global Commodity Grab, via the Possession & enforcement of the blesseth "LEAGUE OF NATiONS" for All HUE{MATES} kinds to enjoy conservatively! And
Never via "The G-D Players" likes Mr. MOSZEUS, whom hath acted for the CHOMESH/AMON! Or Mr. Alexander The Great Or Pharoah/OSiris or JESZEUS as the SON of O.U.R Holy ECLATi or Mr. MUHAMAD-ZEUS or Mr. MAZDA-ZEUS nor Mr. VYASA-ZEUS or M. GUATAMA-ZEUS, GURU-ZEUS et al!
iMPORTANT: "SOURCE-ONE is LORD!" "SOURCE-ONE" is ECLAT! "SOURCE-ONE" is CREATOR/MAKER of O.U.R. Holy Cosmic Fiat-LUX!
This is the real âHALLUYAâ not hell! So Sing a âNEW-SONGâ (AQUARiUS-AGE for another 26,000 MEMETICal Years of Miracles) thatâs âITSELFâ is Come-th From O.U.R. OLD-SONGs (PISCES-AGE of 26,000 Years Past)) as Foretold all & Promiseth US-ALL, as Inheritance!
Because WE appeared befor the BIBLE(s);
WE {ECLAT}-I-{ONâs}, not biblically âChosenâ, are COME already to Save Ye & Thee & Thou & Thy! Holy Holy is âITââs Name! (ECLATi is never a He nor a She, rather âITâis being âITSELFâ in and of Us All! All the animate & inanimates things & Stuff, WE are Together Forever With SOURCE-ONE!
BEHOLD! History is O.U.R. real Jury! The LAWS of the creator (a non Jealous & thus fearless one) is the âCLAUSESâ of âITâs own CONSTiTUTION which = O.U.R. Holy Cosmic UNIVERSE, for All TiME (via Temperature. Not Clock or Space-time)! So,
âITâ is Eponymous ECLAT + âiâ = LiFE/PHOTONS Miracle via the SYNERGETICAL awareness of US.
âThe youth of humanity all around our planet are intuitively revolting from all sovereignties and political ideologies.
Our little Spaceship Earth is only eight thousand miles in diameter, which is almost a negligible dimension in the great vastness of space. . . . Spaceship Earth was so extraordinarily well invented and designed that to our knowledge humans have been on board it for two million years not even knowing that they were on board a ship.
Synergy means behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the behavior of their parts taken seperately.
Unity is plural and, at minimum, is two. The explicable requires the inexplicable. Experience requires the nonexperienceable. The obvious requires the mystical.
Synergy is the only word in our language that means behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the separately observed behaviors of any of the systemâs separate parts or any subassembly of the systemâs parts.
There is nothing in the chemistry of a toenail that predicts the existence of a human being. Universe is synergetic. Life is synergetic.
- Said By O.U.R. Prophet, of many, and {ECLAT}-i-{ON} Brethren , Mr. BUCKMISNSTER FULLER!
"Behold: "The Religion Of Everything" is Arrived, before "The Science of Every thing" since 1969-1998!
*J **O ***Z ****E *****V ******Z dot Us
">>>>">http://./>>>> THANK-YOU Ohâ Oh , Holy NO-MAN, O.U.R. Lord, for Sing unto-US a NEW-SONG, in these AQUARiUS-AGE again!"
: ...~~~~~o.... -----___ .~~~~....(. â¦)...............\ ~~~~~:..............)={|)...) HELLO EARTHLiNGS! .~~~~....(⦠).......___./ ...~~~~~o-------- :
WE hath now Majestically "MAGMA-percolated" And again will Miraculously "PLASMA-triculate!"
In Fact, WE {ECLAT}-i-{ON'} PELEG-Eberu-Salam-Race, know that WE was never "ABRAHAMiC" nor "VEDiC" to begin with!
We was never Created thus We Shall never be destroyed!
Please Check Ye Bibles, Check Ye Scriptures, Check Ye SURAs, Check Ye STANZA's etc..!
. : ~~~~o ---- ..~~~~(â¥) \ ~~~~ .)={|}..) YA YA! ..~~~~(.â¥) / ~~~~o ---- :
Soon Soon , very soon Ye ALL will be consumed by the Holy Cosmic Fire Of Love!
Good News! There hath NO such thing as Hell! NO Brimstones ether! WE Justly , Only for a TiME (via Temperature) is enjoying Eternity thatâs âSimplyâ Avoiding Loneliness in and of Us all!
âThings should be made as âSimpleâ as Possible. But not any âSimpler.â
--- Said By O.U.R. Prophet, receiver & Giver of O.U.R. âQUANTUM ENTANGLEMENTâ and âRELATiViTYâ Philosophyâs , 1st "JOKTAN-i-ON" Brethren of Many, of the promised Apocalyptic AQUARiUS-AGE, His Hon. ALBERT EiNSTEiN! (pbuh et al)! So,
Huggs-n-Kiss's to all the 'Brights" n "Stars!
< ?: +)/ Ummmm Ummm Ya!!
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A debate with Steve Mufson on how energy prices are moving money, nations, and lives.
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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/2008/04/honor_killings_jordan.html
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PostGlobal on washingtonpost.com
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Lina Nabil was writing glossy features for a Middle Eastern womenâs magazine when she found the story that changed her life. In the 1980s, while she was working on an investigative report on the situations of Jordanâs imprisoned women, she was shown a cell in the Central Jail in the capital of Amman. It was packed with women in their early to late teens.
âI asked, what had these girls done?â recalled Lina. âI was told they were being held for their own protection because their families had tried to kill them. Some of them had been there for years. Others were released and later murdered. I knew this was a story I had to tell, whatever the consequences.â
Honor killings, in which women are murdered for tarnishing their familyâs honor, are prevalent throughout the Middle East. In Jordan they account for one-third of all violent deaths, on the order of twenty-five a year. Although they are illegal, the murders are prosecuted leniently in a country where tribal custom and Islamic teachings often hold sway in the courts.
Itâs a practice that dates back through the ages, but whatâs new about honor killings in Jordan is that women like Lina have started talking about them. Her series of articles about the women in prison, published in the late 1980s in a leading Arabic-language newspaper, attracted a storm of controversy, including a number of death threats. âThe subject was a taboo when I started writing about it. At first people were in a state of denial; then they accused me of being un-Jordanian, a whore, an enemy of religion,â she said. âBut slowly the truth emerged.â
As Lina discovered, the motivations for the killings vary. Most common, in a culture that prizes a womanâs virginity, is an accusation of sex before marriage, although Lina estimates that in 90% of the cases the victims are virgins.
âIn the small communities where honor killings often take place, a rumor that a woman was seen talking to another man is enough to ruin the familyâs reputation in the eyes of society,â she said.
Other cases involve rape, often by a member of the family. In the story Lina recounts at the start of the video, the 17-year-girl was raped by a cousin from a nearby farm. After her familyâs first attempt to kill her failed, she was taken into police custody. Thatâs where Lina first met her, during a visit from the girlâs father and son.
âI left the room for a moment with the supervisor, and the next thing we heard was a gunshot, and she was lying on the floor in a pool of blood,â said Lina. âThe father and son who did this thought they were upholding the familyâs honor, that they were doing the right things according to their customs and their religion.â
As Lina has strived to make clear, honor killings have nothing to do with Islam. âNowhere in the Koran does it tell you kill women like this. In fact itâs just the opposite: it says that men and women should be treated equally,â she said.
Since her first article ran almost 20 years ago, Lina has dedicated herself to changing these perceptions. Along with women like Rana Husseini, another journalist who has publicized honor killings, and the Jordan Womenâs Union, an education center and shelter for abused women, they have broken down the silence that has surrounded the issue.
But there has been no real reduction in honor killings. To achieve that, Lina believes, the law courts must start prosecuting as murderers the men who kill their female family members. Currently, under Article 98 of the Jordanian Penal Code, a man can claim âmitigating circumstancesâ, and receive a light custodial sentence, Lina said.
âIn every murder Iâve investigated, the woman was held to be responsible for the crimes committed against her, even though she was actually the victim,â said Lina, âWhat we want is equality before the law. Then we will see change.â
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Islam's Advance on PostGlobal; blog of politics and current events on washingtonpost.com. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/
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Decisive Win Can't Forestall A Daunting Task
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Clinton's path to the nomination remains extraordinarily treacherous even after the victory in Pennsylvania. Her margin was decisive, but even some of her most loyal supporters privately expressed doubts last night that she can prevail in the long battle against Obama.
The senator from Illinois still leads in the number of pledged delegates and the popular vote. He is almost certain to hold the delegate lead and will probably maintain the popular-vote advantage when the primaries end in early June. Perhaps more important, Clinton's campaign is nearly broke, whereas Obama has an enormous amount of money in the bank to throw into the next two contests and beyond.
But for the second time in seven weeks, first in the Texas and Ohio primaries and now in Pennsylvania, Obama did not deliver a decisive blow against Clinton when he had an opportunity to bring the race to an end, despite heavily outspending her and waging an aggressive and negative campaign in the final days. His advisers had hoped to hold Clinton's victory margin to mid-single digits and appeared to have fallen short of that goal.
"He broke every spending record in this state trying to knock us out of this race," Clinton told her supporters in Philadelphia last night. "Well, the people of Pennsylvania had other ideas."
Obama's loss in Pennsylvania raised anew questions about his ability to win the big industrial states that will be critical to the Democrats' hopes of winning back the White House in November. In the coming days, Clinton's camp will try to play on those doubts with uncommitted superdelegates -- who have been moving toward Obama over the past two months -- urging them to remain neutral until the primaries are over.
Geoff Garin, Clinton's co-chief strategist, called Pennsylvania a potential turning point in the Democratic race. "Senator Obama had every opportunity to go out and make his case and show he could win an industrial state," he said. "The fact that Hillary not just held her own but gained strength at the end gives us real momentum going into Indiana and North Carolina."
David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, said the loss was expected and did little to change the trajectory of a nomination battle that continues to favor his candidate.
"Some states are stronger for our opponent," he said. "Some are stronger for us. We assumed she had an edge there [in Pennsylvania] and we would try to keep it as close as we could. You have to be clear-eyed about that. We have two contests coming up in two weeks. We'll see where the race is after that. . . . The structure of the delegate contest will not be changed appreciably, and that's the most important factor in the race."
By those calculations, Clinton faces an almost insurmountable hurdle. Going into Pennsylvania, Obama had 1,415 pledged delegates to Clinton's 1,251, according to the Associated Press. She led among superdelegates, 258 to 233, but that margin has been shrinking steadily over the past two months. Her victory may prevent a wholesale shift to Obama in the next few weeks, but her task remains daunting.
Obama's team expects to recoup any loss of delegates in Pennsylvania with the results in North Carolina and Indiana. After those, six contests will remain, and the chances of Clinton's winning enough of the remaining delegates to overtake Obama appears out of the question. Even her hope of taking a lead in the popular vote appears out of reach, given that Michigan and Florida will not be counted in the calculations because they violated Democratic Party rules in holding their primaries early.
"We don't think this is just going to be about some numerical metric," Garin said. "When we get to those days after June 3rd, we think the real choice is who's proven themselves to be the best candidate."
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Pennsylvania Democrats threw a much-needed lifeline to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton last night, offering a fresh incentive to keep pursuing her dimming hopes of winning the party's presidential nomination and turning the May 6 primaries in Indiana and North Carolina into critical showdowns against...
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'Margin': On the Border Of Being Over the Edge
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Hooray for the yap-o-sphere, which has once again served up a word we can use and overuse till it has lost all meaning.
In discussions of Iraq, we witnessed a bacchanalia of terms like "benchmark" and "road map." "Comeback" made a comeback and was applied with such wanton indiscretion that everyone was a little embarrassed for it.
Now we have "margin," which has been so abused in the six-week-long run-up to the Pennsylvania primary that it began suffering from diminishing marginal returns.
Last night, Hillary Clinton's "margin" was at the center of every discussion. After the TV people knew Clinton had won, but before they knew by how much, all they could do was what they'd been doing for- ev-er -- sit around and speculate about Clinton's margins. (Which sounds kind of inappropriate.)
"The margin is" the "essential issue," said Keith Olbermann, before turning to Tom Brokaw.
"A lot of her issues will depend, of course, on her margin," said Brokaw, before turning to Andrea Mitchell.
"Now they've got to prove the margin because they are out of money," said Mitchell.
At one point, an alert appeared: "NOW AWAITING FINAL MARGIN OF VICTORY."
How does this work? How do certain words acquire such synergy? (We imagine the producers whispering "margin, margin," into the ear buds of the on-air talent, competing to see who will say it the most.)
In sewing, the margin is a precise measure. Make the seam three-eighths of an inch from the edge of the fabric. There's no space in the sartorial margin to negotiate.
There's no such precision in political chatter. Leading up to yesterday's Pennsylvania primary, nearly everyone agreed that Hillary Clinton needed to win the state by a certain margin to continue -- but no one could agree on the size of that margin. Her winning margin might need to be five points, or it might need to be 20. Meanwhile, before the polls closed, Clinton hedged her bets.
"I don't think the margin matters," she told an interviewer. "I think a win is a win."
Right. If only it were so easy. In this, the Democratic race that's gone on and on and on -- testing the nation's margin of endurance -- the word "margin" has become yet another tool in the game of expectations-setting.
She "will need a huge margin in Pennsylvania," a Barack Obama campaign memo declared yesterday, without specifying just what a "huge margin" might mean.
What's in a margin? The Oxford English Dictionary has a surprisingly long entry on the word in its cramped pages (lots of text, comparatively narrow margins), with one instance going all the way back to 1391. That reference is to phrase from Chaucer: "The names of the steeres ben writen in the Margyn of the riet," which could have modern-day political implications for those of us fluent in Middle English. But the upshot is that a "margin" is often defined as a zone alongside the outer boundary of a surface. It can serve as a buffer of sorts, which is precisely what Clinton was looking for.
It can also serve as a buffer in the other direction. Recently, an Obama supporter who serves as a county commissioner in the Scranton area -- where Clinton is immensely popular -- suggested that Obama would be doing well as long as he lost the area by no more than a certain margin. A loss of under 30 points would be a "big victory," the supporter predicted.
The truth, according to the talking heads, is that a win is not really a win -- not without the proper margin. (Maybe the word "win" is also losing its meaning.) Winning by a few extra points in Pennsylvania would be of marginal utility to Clinton in terms of gaining delegates, but could mean everything in terms of winning over superdelegates. Little wonder pundits have spent nearly two months feverishly trying to predict Clinton's margin, like venture capitalists trying to calculate the potential profit margin on a newfangled invention that might or might not be worth the investment.
The polls had been of little help. Back in March, Clinton was as much as 20 points ahead, but at that point Obama had made little investment in the state. More recently, Clinton's lead had narrowed to as little as three or six points, but when you're talking such small numbers, you have to worry about the margin of error.
As the night went on, the folks on CNN used the word "margin" five times in two minutes. The talking heads also embraced the phrase "close the deal," as in, How come Obama couldn't?
Over on Fox, Chris Wallace had on one of those all-important uncommitted superdelegates, Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.). Miller explained that the night's events hadn't helped him make a decision. (Oy vey, come on people!) He wasn't so interested in how Pennsylvanians voted, he said; he was waiting for guidance from North Carolinians, whose primary is May 6.
"Looking at the margin victory that Senator Clinton will have tonight . . . you don't really care?" Wallace asked.
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Get style news headlines from The Washington Post, including entertainment news, comics, horoscopes, crossword, TV, Dear Abby. arts/theater, Sunday Source and weekend section. Washington Post columnists, movie/book reviews, Carolyn Hax, Tom Shales.
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Obama's Gloves Are Off -- And May Need to Stay Off
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's victory yesterday in Pennsylvania has only accentuated the quandary that Obama faces: Stay negative and he risks undermining the premise of his candidacy. Stay aloof and he underscores Clinton's argument that he will not be able to beat a "Republican attack machine" sure to greet him this summer.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe indicated last night which of those options they would take. "We've done a lot of counterpunching. We've been swift and effective," he said. "For Democrats judging how we're going to perform as the nominee, we have been relentless."
Obama himself took up the cudgel after Clinton delivered a victory speech in Philadelphia devoid of attack lines. Without naming Clinton, he suggested in Evansville, Ind., that she is a captive to the oil, pharmaceutical and insurance lobbies, that she "says and does whatever it takes to win the next election," and that she exploits division for political gain.
"In the end, this election is still our best chance to solve the problems we've been talking about for decades -- as one nation, as one people," Obama said.
But the candidate who rocketed to stardom as the embodiment of a new kind of politics -- hopeful, positive and inspiring -- saw his image tarnished in the bruising fight for Pennsylvania. Provoked by Clinton's repeated references to his remarks about the state's voters and her charges that he is an "elitist," Obama struck back in the closing days of the campaign.
"It's a real danger for Obama, and if you look at these recent ads, the messages they're delivering in all these conference calls, it's a far cry from last fall," when the theme of hope emerged amid calls for a more negative tone, said Democratic consultant Steve Elmendorf, a Clinton supporter.
Republican strategist John Feehery put it less charitably: "That's the danger of running as holier-than-thou. You have a lot farther to fall."
Late last year, with the Iowa caucuses looming and Clinton maintaining huge leads in national polling, Obama donors and advisers pressured the campaign to begin drawing sharper distinctions with the senator from New York. Its response was to stay positive, but to out-organize Clinton, especially in caucus states where the organizational acumen of senior Obama aides could be put to best use.
The strategy helped Obama build what is still likely to be an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates, total states won and popular votes, while his message filled arenas, inspired artists and energized young voters. But that was not enough yesterday to win over the working-class core of the Democratic Party.
In early exit polls, Clinton was carrying white voters by 24 percentage points, union households by 18 points, and voters without college degrees by 16 points -- all that, according to the Clinton campaign, "after the Obama campaign's 'go-for-broke' Pennsylvania strategy, after their avalanche of negative ads, negative mailers and negative attacks against Sen. Clinton, after their record-breaking spending in the state."
If Obama's image was coarsened in Pennsylvania, the next round of primaries may do it even more damage. But Obama advisers say the campaign is in a far different place than it was last fall. The senator from Illinois is much better known nationally, with an image that will not be easily recast -- either by his opponents or his own tactics.
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Unable once again to score a knockout, Sen. Barack Obama is likely to make his new negative tone even more negative -- with a sharp eye on trying to end the Democratic presidential nomination fight after the May 6 primaries in Indiana and North Carolina.
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With New Cash, Clinton Moves to A New Venue
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More than $10 million flowed into Clinton's nearly empty campaign accounts after the results of Pennsylvania's Democratic primary were announced Tuesday night, her aides said. That amount represented half of what she raised in all of March.
"You know, we were up late, but it sure was worth waiting for," Clinton told several hundred supporters standing in 80-degree heat here. "I'm going to be here for the next two weeks, doing everything I can to help Hoosiers understand that I will be there for you and you can count on me."
Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) continues to hold a substantial lead over Clinton in the Democratic delegate count, despite estimates that show her with a net gain of 12 delegates from Pennsylvania. He hopes on May 6 to make up for the delegates and popular votes he lost Tuesday by winning big in North Carolina and by scratching out a victory in what is expected to be a highly competitive race in Indiana.
Underscoring the importance of Indiana and its 72 pledged delegates, Obama flew on Tuesday night from Philadelphia straight to Evansville to rally 7,400 supporters at a basketball arena. He flew home to Chicago overnight, then jetted back to New Albany, Ind., on Wednesday morning for a town hall meeting.
At both events, Obama told voters that the stakes are high and that Indiana's balloting could prove pivotal. Although he has said he expects the marathon Democratic campaign to stretch into June, his staff reminded reporters that an Obama win here would leave Clinton with virtually no chance to catch him in the delegate count.
"Now it's up to you, Indiana," Obama told the cheering crowd in Evansville. "You can decide whether we're going to travel the same worn path, or whether we chart a new course that offers real hope for the future."
After a string of months in which Obama decisively outraised and outspent Clinton, the campaign of the senator from New York has been fielding questions about whether she would have enough money to press on through the next two weeks. Early in the year, Clinton had lent her campaign $5 million to keep it afloat.
The campaign recently took the drastic step of turning the home page of Clinton's Web site into a contribution page that urges potential donors to "Keep the momentum going!"
"This should put to rest once and for all the question of whether Hillary Clinton will have the resources to compete," said Hassan Nemazee, a co-chair of her fundraising effort. "I can definitively state she will have the resources to compete in all the events through June 3."
Clinton, trying to persuade superdelegates to commit to her their votes at the Democratic National Convention in late August, added a new line to her stump speech. She told the crowd: "I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anybody else. I am proud of that, because it's a very close race."
In making that assertion, Clinton included votes cast in Michigan, where her name was on the ballot but Obama's was not. She also estimated caucus participation and included votes cast in Florida, where no Democrat campaigned. Before the voting began in either state, the Democratic National Committee had announced that the results would not count because the states had moved their primaries up in violation of party rules.
Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, rejected the Clinton team's contention: "It's very clear the superdelegates aren't going to have much tolerance for that."
Obama was equally dismissive when questioned by a reporter, saying, "We have simply been playing by the rules throughout this process. We think that if, at the end, we end up having won twice as many states and having the most votes, then we should end up being the nominee."
Amid the increasing negativity of tone in the contest, supporters on both sides said they remain committed -- in some cases, more committed than ever. Lee Buchanan, a New Albany attorney, said the Pennsylvania result could be deflating to some Obama supporters, but "it just makes me want to work harder to help him win."
In Indianapolis, retiree Dave Starker, a Clinton backer, said, "The mathematics are against her, but things could change over the next month. I think there's an outside chance."
Murray reported from the Obama campaign. Staff writer Matthew Mosk in Washington contributed to this report.
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INDIANAPOLIS. April 23 -- Coming off a convincing win in Pennsylvania, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton recorded her best fundraising day of the campaign, and she will need the money for what is being framed as a do-or-die contest in Indiana two weeks from now.
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Iraqi Women Take On Roles Of Dead or Missing Husbands
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It was a comforting possession for a woman who had lost her home, her husband and, last weekend, a room in a dilapidated building she shared with 27 squatter families, most headed by women.
The mother of four fought mightily to stay in the sparse, two-story building in the Zayouna neighborhood of Baghdad that once belonged to Hussein's Baath Party, but soldiers forced her out.
Iraq's government is intent on proving it can enforce the law. But in its determination to rid the party building of its squatters, the women say, the government has plunged them deeper into homelessness and may have pushed others toward violence.
Thousands of Iraqi women have in recent years embraced new roles as violence has claimed their men. For Abadi, 43, the turning point came when she accepted the powerful assault rifle from friends concerned about her welfare.
"Before the invasion -- never," said Abadi, who oscillated between rage and sadness during three interviews. Speaking about the army, she waggled her finger. Speaking about her son in college, she looked dismal. Speaking about her old house, she began to weep.
Times have changed, she said. "The women now take on the responsibilities of men and women."
Nearly 1 million women in Iraq are widows or divorcees, or their husbands are missing, according to Samira al-Mosawi, a Shiite member of parliament who heads the women's affairs committee. She said the number, an estimate reached by several government agencies, includes women who became widows during Iraq's war with Iran in the 1980s.
Mosawi said approximately 86,000 widows are receiving about $40 a month from the government. Aid organizations and government agencies are unable to help more widows because of a lack of funds and the challenges of doing social work in volatile neighborhoods.
"Frankly speaking, there's not much attention paid to the social issues in the country," Mosawi said in an interview. "Attention goes to security and defense."
Before U.S. troops strode into Baghdad in the spring of 2003, Abadi worked as a seamstress to complement the earnings of her husband, who worked at a government factory.
She was optimistic during the days after the invasion. Her impressions of Americans, shaped largely by a news story she saw on television, gave her hope. The story was about an hours-long effort to rescue a cat stuck in a sewage pipe.
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BAGHDAD, April 22 -- Sabriyah Hilal Abadi began sleeping with a loaded AK-47 by her bed shortly after the war began.
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Iraq's Neighbors Noncommittal on Aiding Government
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described the meeting of the Iraq neighbors conference, along with Monday's meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain, as a "very good couple of days for Iraq being reintegrated into the Arab neighborhood."
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said he sensed "a new mood in the Arab world," which has largely ostracized Iraq because of its close ties to Iran, whose government is overseen by Shiite clerics. Both Zebari and Rice contrasted the Kuwait meeting with two prior sessions of the neighbors group in the last year, in which the Sunni Arab states were sharply critical of Iraq's Shiite-led government.
"Iraq is a different place than it was" when the first neighbors meeting was held in Egypt last May, Rice said in a speech to the conference of foreign ministers. The Bush administration established the neighbors mechanism, which also includes representatives of the Group of Eight highly industrialized nations and China, to try to build international support for the Iraqi government.
"The decision of this conference to express its intent to hold its next meeting in Baghdad," Rice told reporters, "is yet another sign that things are moving forward." Arab ministers balked at plans to hold the second conference, last November, in the Iraqi capital, which they felt was unsafe. That meeting took place in Istanbul.
At the previous meetings, attention focused on whether Rice would meet with her Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Although they had a brief discussion at the first neighbors conference and shook hands at the second, a U.S. official said their exchange Tuesday was limited to hellos as they passed by each other. In a clear reference to the United States during his speech to the Kuwait conference, Mottaki blamed "foreign interference" for most of Iraq's problems.
Arab leaders, in their speeches, credited Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with some progress in reconciling Iraq's sectarian groups. Several noted the military offensive Maliki launched last month against Shiite militias in the southern city of Basra.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, whose words are closely attended by other Arab states, also cited "foreign interference" in Iraq but clearly had Iran's alleged arming of the Shiite militias in mind. Still, he said, "the Saudi kingdom views Iraq as an authentic part of the Arab and Islamic nation."
Despite U.S. and Iraqi hopes, however, Saud made no mention of opening a Saudi embassy or forgiving Iraq's massive debt. A Saudi delegation visited Baghdad last year to scout embassy property, but there has been no follow-up.
Saudi Arabia holds one of the largest portions of Iraq's remaining $67 billion in outstanding debt, much of it owed to the Persian Gulf states from the time of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The Saudis had pledged a year ago to forgive 80 percent of the more than $15 billion that Iraq owes the kingdom. The United States, Europe and Russia have written off most of the money owned them by Iraq.
No Arab state has diplomatic representation in Iraq, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the only head of government from the region to visit Baghdad since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The Bush administration has pushed its regional allies to provide diplomatic and economic support for Iraq to counter Iranian influence.
Kuwait's foreign minister said Sunday that his country is looking to open an embassy in Baghdad for the first time since Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait in 1990. The king of Bahrain told President Bush during a recent visit that his country would also send an ambassador. Neither set a date. The rest, Zebari said in an interview Monday, are "waiting for the big brother, which is Saudi Arabia."
Maliki, in a speech to the conference, said he found it troubling that the Arabs had not made good on previous pledges. "This is an initiative we expected some time ago, but it did not materialize," he said. While Arab states cited security in Baghdad, "Western countries have kept their diplomatic missions in Baghdad and did not give any security pretexts," Maliki said.
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KUWAIT CITY, April 22 -- Iraq's neighbors failed on Tuesday to commit themselves to any immediate strengthening of diplomatic or economic support for the Baghdad government, but agreed to hold their next gathering, six months from now, in the Iraqi capital.
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It's Over, for Now
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The Tampa Bay Lightning pierced his and the franchise's heart in 2003, exposing overpaid and under-performing skaters who made Leonsis eventually back up the truck and start over.
Last night, when the NHL's greatest player and his young and old linemates could not hold off a Philadelphia team full of gumption and grit in an amplified Verizon Center, Leonsis was in a much different place.
Let's not sugarcoat the end. The finality crushed more than 18,000 on hand instantly. The moment Joffrey Lupul's putback 6 minutes 6 seconds into the extra period slid past Cristobal Huet and catapulted Philly over Washington, a hush of disbelief went over the building.
Looking back, this was not a night to see how far they could go. The evening a Game 7 came to Verizon Center, this was the night to see how far they have come -- the night to see a blueprint for bedlam, how an owner stuck to his stingy plan to gradually refurbish the Capitals and how it paid off amid the noise and applause at the end of a seven-game struggle that ended with the Flyers going to the second round.
"We are very young," Alexander Semin said through a Russian interpreter. "Everything was done -- the management did everything possible -- for the rebuild to be over."
On the night his team found its way into the Stanley Cup playoffs, after a season-ending run that was as grueling as it was galvanizing, Leonsis blew kisses from his suite to the fans, the red-clad legions who read the principal owner's blog with skepticism, his annual letters to ticket holders promising a good future but guaranteeing nothing in the present.
For three years and counting, he never once said, "Wait till next year," and falsely sold hope like so many literally in-the-red owners do in American sports. "Wait" became a complete sentence, no matter how much it might cost Leonsis at the gate, in television revenue and red-mesh jersey sales.
"I don't believe in quick fixes," said Leonsis, who once did, giving too much money and having too much belief in Jaromir Jagr, Robert Lang and the ability to buy a Stanley Cup. "I tried that one before. . . . So there are no quick fixes."
Rich men, especially the in-crowd of the Internet generation -- and, Leonsis, the former vice chairman of America Online, was certainly that -- are used to getting what they want when they want it, patience be damned. But he checked himself, time and again, ensuring the rebuild and not impulsively falling for the idea of a reload, the way Daniel Snyder often did with his football team.
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Although the finality crushed the more than 18,000 on hand instantly, Game 7 was not a night to see how far the Capitals could go, but to see how far they have already come.
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In OT, Caps Are Blindsided
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Philadelphia Flyers right wing Joffrey Lupul flipped a rebound past goaltender Cristobal Huet on the power play at 6 minutes 6 seconds of overtime to beat the Capitals, 3-2, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals had rallied from a series deficit of three games to one and dominated the third period of Game 7 at sold-out Verizon Center, but were unable to squeeze one of their 16 shots in the final 20 minutes past Flyers goalie Martin Biron. It came back to haunt them in overtime.
Defenseman Tom Poti was whistled for tripping R.J. Umberger at 4:15 of the extra session. Then, just as Poti was about to return to the ice, Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen fired a shot from the point. Huet made the original save, but the rebound kicked out to Lupul, who had slipped loose of defenseman Milan Jurcina in front. Huet looked the wrong way momentarily after losing track of the rebound.
"I thought it went the other way," Huet said. "They got a good bounce at the right time. It's definitely frustrating. But I think we played hard and we battled. But we couldn't find the back of the net before them."
Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Poti's penalty: "He tripped him. You can't deny he didn't trip them."
Boudreau then added, "I just told them they gave me the best year of my life, and I thanked them."
With a flick of Lupul's wrist, the Capitals' amazing run was over, their comeback from last place in the NHL, their near rally from a 3-1 deficit in this series, was done.
While it might have been Huet's last game in a Capitals jersey -- he is an unrestricted free agent this summer and likely will be coveted by many teams -- the status of the Capitals' other netminder no longer appears to be in doubt.
Longtime Capital Olie Kolzig, who lost his job to Huet last month, removed his nameplate from his locker stall after the game. Kolzig, 38, declined to speak to reporters, but his gesture spoke volumes about his future in Washington, and with the organization that drafted him in 1989.
But as the door may be closing on Kolzig's tenure here, it's just beginning for a young and exciting Capitals team that appears to be built for long-term success.
"It's disappointing, it's devastating," forward Brooks Laich said. "I don't know what to say. I think we're all kind of stunned right now."
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Only 20 teams in NHL history have rallied from such a deficit to win a seven-game playoff series. Last night, the Washington Capitals' bid to become No. 21 came up just short.
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Food Crisis Is Depicted As 'Silent Tsunami'
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LONDON, April 22 -- More than 100 million people are being driven deeper into poverty by a "silent tsunami" of sharply rising food prices, which have sparked riots around the world and threaten U.N.-backed feeding programs for 20 million children, the top U.N. food official said Tuesday.
"This is the new face of hunger -- the millions of people who were not in the urgent hunger category six months ago but now are," Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Program (WFP), said at a London news conference. "The world's misery index is rising."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, hosting Sheeran and other private and government experts at his 10 Downing Street offices, said the growing food crisis has pushed prices to their highest levels since 1945 and rivals the current global financial turmoil as a threat to world stability.
"Hunger is a moral challenge to each one of us as global citizens, but it is also a threat to the political and economic stability of poor nations around the world," Brown said, adding that 25,000 people a day are dying of conditions linked to hunger.
"With one child dying every five seconds from hunger-related causes, the time to act is now," Brown said, pledging $60 million in emergency aid to help the WFP feed the poor in Africa and Asia, where in some nations the prices of many food staples have doubled in the past six months.
Brown said the "vast" food crisis was threatening to reverse years of progress to create stronger middle classes around the world and lift millions of people out of poverty.
Prices for basic food supplies such as rice, wheat and corn have skyrocketed in recent months, driven by a complex set of factors including sharply rising fuel prices, droughts in key food-producing countries, ballooning demand in emerging nations such as China and India, and the diversion of some crops to produce biofuels.
Sheeran noted that the United States, which she said provides half of the world's food assistance, has pledged $200 million in emergency food aid and that Congress was considering an additional appropriation.
Holding up the kind of plastic cup that the WFP uses to feed millions of children, Sheeran told reporters that the price of a metric ton of rice in parts of Asia had risen from $460 to $1,000 in less than two months.
"People are simply being priced out of food markets," she said.
The WFP has budgeted $2.9 billion this year -- all from donor nations -- to conduct its feeding programs around the world, including large efforts in Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and other nations that could not otherwise feed themselves.
Sheeran said soaring prices mean that the WFP needs an additional $755 million to meet its needs. That "food gap" jumped from $500 million just two months ago as prices keep rising, she said.
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World news headlines from the Washington Post,including international news and opinion from Africa,North/South America,Asia,Europe and Middle East. Features include world weather,news in Spanish,interactive maps,daily Yomiuri and Iraq coverage.
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Fuel Costs Squeeze U.S. Airlines
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Faced with skyrocketing fuel bills, major U.S. airlines have announced nearly $1 billion in losses for the first three months of the year, a financial toll that is forcing carriers to slash flight schedules, cut jobs, add passenger fees and even seek potential merger partners.
UAL, parent of United Airlines, yesterday became the latest company to reveal the pain of rising fuel prices, reporting a loss of $537 million in the first quarter.
"It was obviously a very difficult and challenging quarter for us and the industry," United's chief executive, Glenn F. Tilton, told reporters and analysts during a conference call. United, which has a major hub at Dulles International Airport, made a profit of $403 million in 2007.
There has been a run of such announcements. AMR, parent of American Airlines, last week posted a $328 million first-quarter loss, and Continental Airlines announced it lost $80 million. AirTran Airways yesterday said it lost $34.8 million, and JetBlue Airways reported an $8 million loss. Four carriers -- Frontier, ATA, Aloha and Skybus -- have sought bankruptcy protection in recent weeks, in part because they could not cope with fuel costs, analysts said.
Airline stocks fell sharply on yesterday's news. Shares of UAL plunged 36.8 percent, to $13.55. Delta Air Lines dropped 17 percent, to $6.80, and AMR declined more than 14 percent, to $7.02.
Delta and Northwest Airlines announced a merger deal last week that executives said would help them better weather high fuel prices. Both carriers are expected to report substantial first-quarter losses at conference calls today.
All told, with jet fuel prices more than twice as high as they were in January 2007, major carriers are expected to easily exceed $1 billion in losses for the quarter, analysts said.
Although fuel bills are a major headache, they are hardly the industry's only challenge. New international agreements are expected to spur more competition between U.S. carriers and overseas rivals. A weakening dollar may start hurting demand for lucrative transatlantic flights. And regulators appear to be taking a tougher stance on carriers' compliance with safety mandates, forcing them to undertake costly and time-consuming reviews of their records and planes.
"They have just barely managed to work their way back to some semblance of profitability, and this will probably turn the cycle back around in the other direction," said Dawna Rhoades, the associate dean of the school of business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.
Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive, told reporters in Washington yesterday that airlines would have to raise ticket prices 10 to 15 percent to just break even.
"We're in uncharted waters," said Northwest's chief executive, Douglas M. Steenland.
Executives at several airlines are talking about combining operations. United is often mentioned as a potential partner with Continental or even US Airways. American could go after Continental or Alaska Airlines. Many analysts have said that, in the next year, there may be as few as three or four major network carriers, down from the six today.
Saying that fuel costs make the case for mergers "more compelling," United's Tilton said consolidation is a "necessary step" for profitability.
In the meantime, Tilton and others have announced cost-cutting moves and increases in fees.
American Airlines, for example, has announced hiring freezes, flight reductions and the accelerated retirement of its gas-guzzling fleet of MD-80 jets. But even those steps are probably not enough to offset fuel prices, executives said.
"Based on where we sit today, we are nowhere near recovering from . . . this extraordinary increase in fuel price," American's chief executive, Gerard Arpey, told analysts in a conference call last week.
Yesterday, United executives said they were going to cut about 1,100 management and front-line jobs and boost the number of planes they are grounding, selling or returning to leasing companies. By year's end, executives expect to ground about 30 of the carrier's 460 planes.
The carrier also plans to further reduce domestic flying by 9 percent by year's end. That means United will be offering 14 percent fewer seats to domestic passengers by December than it did in late 2006.
Executives said United is going to trim spending by $400 million and is examining potential fee increases to boost revenue. The carrier took the lead among major airlines when it announced in February that passengers would have to pay a $25 one-way charge to check a second bag. In recent days, United also boosted the fee it charges passengers to change itineraries from $100 to $150.
Among the other fees under consideration would be to charge passengers to select seats during booking. US Airways announced last week that it would charge many passengers at least $5 to chose window and aisle seats in the front of many of its planes.
"You know, frankly, you can imagine that if we have a fee, we are evaluating raising it," said John P. Tague, an executive vice president and the chief revenue officer at United. "And, in most cases, we've determined, in this environment, it's appropriate."
Staff researcher Richard Drezen contributed to this report.
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Faced with skyrocketing fuel bills, major U.S. airlines have announced nearly $1 billion in losses for the first three months of the year, a financial toll that is forcing carriers to slash flight schedules, cut jobs, add passenger fees and even seek potential merger partners.
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Montgomery Aims to Make Green Homes Mandatory
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The measure, meant to reduce energy consumption by 15 to 30 percent, is part of a far-reaching environmental initiative. It includes property tax credits for residents who switch to renewable energy, a requirement that residents disclose utility costs when they sell a home and a plan to get county officials to trade in their government-issued sport-utility vehicles.
"We are attacking literally every source of greenhouse gas that exists and ensuring that our county and our citizens use less energy," said council member Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda), lead sponsor of the measures and an energy lawyer.
Developers in the Washington region have been voluntarily building homes with energy-efficient appliances and heating and cooling systems. But Montgomery officials said the county would become the first in the country to require that new single-family homes and townhouses meet Energy Star standards created by the Environmental Protection Agency to encourage the use of energy-efficient windows, tightly sealed structures and effective insulation. Oregon, a Dallas suburb and Gaithersburg have similar programs.
Other jurisdictions in the region have tackled pieces of Montgomery's energy package, but none has taken on so many issues at once. Arlington County fuels its diesel vehicles with biodiesel, almost 10 percent of Fairfax County's employees participate in a telecommuting program and Howard County provides tax credits to homeowners who install solar or geothermal heating systems.
"Montgomery County is definitely on the leading edge," said Stuart Freudberg, director of environmental programs for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
A spokesman for County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) said he is "fully supportive" and intends to sign the seven-bill package.
Homes that meet the EPA standards would use 15 to 30 percent less energy than those built under Montgomery's current guidelines, county analysts say. To comply, homes would have to be certified through an independent review; builders who do not comply would be fined an amount to be determined through regulations.
Depending on the size of the home, analysts and developers estimate that construction costs would increase $2,000 to $20,000. For an $800,000 home -- the average price for new residential construction -- Berliner said that an additional $10,000 would increase the overall cost by about 1.25 percent.
In a compromise designed to win support from his colleagues, Berliner agreed yesterday to delay the home-building requirements, which were to take effect in January, for one year. He also offered what he called an "off ramp," allowing the council to choose an alternative if a working group appointed by Leggett comes up with a less costly plan that offers comparable results.
Although they voted in favor of the measure, which was approved unanimously, council members Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty) and George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) expressed concern about piling costs on the development industry after the council doubled taxes on home builders last year, and about passing those costs on to residents.
Raquel Montenegro, a lobbyist for the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association, said her members "are not opposed to better building; we're opposed to imposing a mandate that the market is unwilling to pay for."
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New homes built in Montgomery County would have to meet federal energy efficiency standards under innovative legislation approved yesterday by the County Council over the objections of builders who said that the mandate would drive up costs for consumers.
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NFL Completes Deal With Former Patriots Video Assistant
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The NFL has completed an agreement with former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh. The deal provides legal protection for Walsh. In return, Walsh is to turn over materials to the league by May 8 and is to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on May 13 in New York. Walsh has hinted to media organizations that he has information relevant to the league's investigation of the videotaping scandal involving the Patriots. Walsh's D.C.-based attorney, Michael N. Levy of McKee Nelson, just released a written statement in which he says: "Today, Mr. Walsh and the National Football League reached an agreement under which the NFL will provide legal indemnification and a release of claims against Mr. Walsh relating to his employment by the Patriots and the Patriots' videotaping operations. "I am pleased that we now have an agreement that provides Mr. Walsh with appropriate legal protections. Mr. Walsh is looking forward to providing the NFL with the materials he has and telling the NFL what he knows. "The agreement provides that, on or before May 8, 2008, Mr. Walsh will provide the NFL with any documents he may have, including videotapes, that relate to allegations of videotaping of Patriots opponents and that he will make himself reasonably available for an interview with the NFL soon thereafter. The agreement further provides that Mr. Walsh must make himself available for an interview with the NFL prior to conducting any such interview with any third-party inquirers, including the media. Accordingly, Mr. Walsh will not be making any statements at this time." The NFL also released a statement. It says: "An agreement has been completed between the NFL and Matt Walsh that will allow Mr. Walsh, a former videotape operator with the New England Patriots, to share with the NFL information about activities occurring during his employment with the club from 1997-2003. "Commissioner Goodell will meet with Mr. Walsh in the commissioner's office on Tuesday, May 13, the earliest date that Mr. Walsh, who lives in Hawaii, will be available on the east coast. "The agreement also requires Mr. Walsh to return any tapes and other items in his possession that belong to the Patriots. In return, the NFL and the Patriots have promised not to sue Mr. Walsh. They also will indemnify him for any expenses, including legal fees that he incurs in connection with the interview. "Commissioner Goodell determined last September that the Patriots had violated league rules by videotaping opposing coaches' defensive signals during Patriots games throughout Bill Belichick's tenure as head coach. Coach Belichick admitted to his use of the taping practice on a regular basis as a result of what he said was his misinterpretation of the rule. Commissioner Goodell imposed substantial discipline on Coach Belichick and the club as a result of that practice. The interview with Mr. Walsh will seek to determine whether he has any new information about that videotaping practice or other possible violations of league rules. "Following the meeting with Mr. Walsh on May 13, there will be a news media briefing later that day in New York that will be attended by Commissioner Goodell (specific time and location to be provided at a later date)."
By Mark Maske | April 23, 2008; 12:37 PM ET | Category: League , Patriots Previous: League, M. Walsh Nearing Deal | Next: Rams Can't Sign Their Pick Before Draft
Posted by: Yawn | April 23, 2008 2:35 PM
Right. This nimrod can afford an attorney from McKee Nelson.
Posted by: Spectator2 | April 23, 2008 3:05 PM
Good. Finally the cheaters will get the full light of day that they deserve!
Posted by: PatsRCheaters | April 23, 2008 3:07 PM
If its substantiated that coach Belichick cheated in addition to what has been revealed already, he should be barred from coaching in the NFL for life. Afterall, this is what happened to Pete Rose, true? Cheating or gambling should not be tolerated period in any professional sport!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Chuck | April 23, 2008 4:04 PM
Since videotaping of football action or coaching does not involve any illegalities (only league rules), what else was this clown videotaping that has necessitated these legal guarantees?
Posted by: kratt52 | April 23, 2008 4:05 PM
And if one chooses not to, then expect more stories about people like Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Barry Bonds & Mark McGwire, referees in the NBA, etc. Cheating and lying have become acceptable, in both sports and society in general. It's become pervasive across the board. It's difficult to find something on the up & up anymore.
I'm not sure what Walsh has got, but why would anyone turn over "anything" to Goodell? We've already seen what he does with evidence. Shouldn't there be some oversight of Goodell? Isn't he the guy whose "investigation" said that's all there is, and then we later find out how long Bellichick has actually been doing this.
He can talk to Walsh all day long if he wants to, but he's really missing the "clandestine/covert operations" boat, that has been going on wherever Bellichick and Ernie Adams (with video crew) have been. The video crew gets the "necessary" raw footage and compiles, assembles and catalogues for the Ernie Adams Memorial Database. Adams studies and commits the "stuff" to memory (he's really good at the memory thing) for game day use.
Game day finds Adams, binoculars in hand, headset w/mic around his ears, up in the stands relaying "stuff" down to the field. Sound like a CIA operation? It pretty much would have to be, and with only two people who REALLY know what's going on . . . . Bellichick and Adams. The Doug Fluti "helmet comments" story pretty much confirms it (even though Fluti now denies it . . . I would too).
If Goodell really wants to get to the bottom of this issue, he needs to hire a competent (cause he's not), neutral third-party investigator. (I know it sounds familiar, but how many baseball players finally came clean?)
This third-party type needs to seriously investigate the "covert" Ernie Adams . . . he's the key. At the very least, the investigator should be able to tell Bob Kraft what Ernie Adams' job description is.
Posted by: Deepthroat | April 23, 2008 4:17 PM
Posted by: joe the patriot fan | April 23, 2008 4:46 PM
Let's hear from all the Boston fan$ now. Calling him oringal names like Rat-face Walsh...hey, Tom Brady, ever hear about protection?
Posted by: Iamasofaking | April 23, 2008 5:16 PM
If the Pats did tape the Rams Super Bowl walk through, when they were three TD underdogs but somehow miraculously shut out the "greatest show on turf" for the first half when the Rams did script their first 30-50 plays each game back then; then the lying cheat win at all costs Bellicheck should get a room with Pete Rose and Barry Bonds. But if he doesn't have anything like that this is a waste of time. I also don't trust Goodell to tell us the truth about what this guy has. Not when the offending team is owned by his largest non alcoholic beverage sponsor, Kraft Foods.
Posted by: baltomoreon | April 23, 2008 5:16 PM
Walsh can afford the lawyer since the league is going to pay him. Walsh's problem is that he's probably the source for the Herald's article that the Pats taped the walk through, and the Patriots have threatened to sue the Herald for libel/slander. So you can imagine that Walsh might get caught up in that lawsuit.
Posted by: ah | April 23, 2008 5:23 PM
No, Robert Kraft who owns the Patriots has nothing to do with the ownership or history of Kraft Foods.
Kraft's money comes through a paper goods company his wife's family owned. He built that up, got into real estate, bought the old Foxboro Stadium and track when it went into bankruptcy from the Sullivans. The Sullivans had organized their holdings to give Foxboro (then Sullivan) Stadium a very favorabel and unbreakable lease, so when a subsequent owner of the Patriots, Mr. Ortwein, wanted to move them to St Louis, he basically could not with out buying out the lease. Kraft said, instead of you buying me out, let me buy you out for $150 million, then a record price. Ortwein did the deal, and Kraft got a team with Parcells and Bledsoe already signed, I think.
Posted by: jon | April 23, 2008 5:30 PM
"The agreement further provides that Mr. Walsh must make himself available for an interview with the NFL prior to conducting any such interview with any third-party inquirers, including the media."
The only real protection against an NFL cover-up is Walsh's ability to talk to 60 minutes, whoever, AFTER speaking with Goodell. Does he have legal protection from the league for those interviews?
Posted by: Flizzo | April 23, 2008 5:33 PM
Get over it. THe Pats are the cream of the league. Bellicheck will survive all the polical machinations.The commissiner is an empty windbag
Posted by: terry martin | April 23, 2008 6:36 PM
To I-am-so-faking-it: Get your epithets right. My name isn't Mat-face -- it's Matt the Ratt...
Posted by: Matt the Ratt | April 23, 2008 6:51 PM
"Get over it. THe Pats are the cream of the league"
Second place is just first loser.
Posted by: Go Giants | April 23, 2008 6:53 PM
The money from the fine that billy bellycheck pays should go to ted johnson,a real hero,not some fat dude with a hoody forceing concussed players to play.I never heard of billy haveing a history as a warrior on the field,but his cheating has made him a legend not his warrior status which he does not have.I can be a genious to if i have the questions before the exam.
Posted by: geronimo | April 23, 2008 7:03 PM
Strip the titles. Ban all involved or the NFL Commiss has no, ZERO credibility.
Legalities or not. Rules or not. They knew they were cheating...
Not even close to 'playing' football, or coaching for that matter. Even the players suck for not doing something. How can they look themselves in the mirror and be proud of their accomplishments.
"Cream of the NFL?" yeah, sour cream.
Posted by: Skins Fan | April 23, 2008 7:47 PM
Posted by: Deepthroat | April 24, 2008 9:22 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
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Read about trades, news and exclusive analysis of the NFL. Visit blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider.
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Svrluga covers the Nationals beat for The Post and writes the Nationals Journal blog for washingtonpost.com. He's also the author of "National Pastime: Sports, Politics, and the Return of Baseball to Washington, D.C."
Barry Svrluga: Hello, folks. Would like to say I'm coming to you live from Nationals Park, but media parking's not open yet (I know, Stan, take Metro) so I'm sitting here at home and will scoot to the ballpark as soon as we're done chatting.
A beautiful night for baseball, no? And at least the Nationals were able to board their plane last night not in complete misery. Chad Cordero is having his appointment with Dr. James Andrews right now, so if I get an update by the end of the chat, I'll let you know. If not, check back on Nationals Journal later in the day.
Bethesda, Md.: Barry, thanks for the great coverage, as always. With another AAA strong start last night, what is your predicted ETA for Balester landing in the Nats' rotation?
Barry Svrluga: Thank you, Bethesda.
Collin Balester gave up three runs in six innings last night for Class AAA Columbus. He's now 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 20-1/3 innings, allowing only 20 base runners in that time.
When will the organization's top pitching prospect arrive? Hard to say. Say Shawn Hill goes down in his next start. Would the Nationals turn right to Balester, or to, say, lefty Mike O'Connor, who is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA? And remember, Jason Bergmann is down there as well.
I believe we will see Balester this year. But I also believe that once he arrives, he'll be here to stay. I don't think he'll come in a stop-gap situation.
Can you remind everyone out there who is calling for Manny and Bowden's heads that the play this season is supposed to be bad. This team is not supposed to compete until 2010 at the EARLIEST. Could you remind them that the expectations to lose 120 games last year were not far fetched and that this team could easily lose 100 games this year AND IT WOULD BE FOLLOWING THE PLAN.
This is the plan that ownership has set in place. This is a good plan that could very will bring us division titles, playoff appearances, all star players, and world series rings.
Could you remind them of these things, tell them that if they don't like the team on the field to let it be. They don't have to go to games (and most don't) they don't have to buy season tickets (and clearly they're not) and they can ignore the team completely until they turn it all around. They're welcome to hop back on the bandwagon in a few years when the team can make a run (as I shamelessly did with the Caps this year and the Wizards in 2005).
But please could you ask them to stop calling for people to be hired or fired because that's what derails a fragile process like rebuilding and makes all of these hard years a waste. If they don't like watching a team lose every once in a while (or more often sometimes) then tell them to play Playstation and hit the reset button at every loss, or worse, to watch the Yankees and Red Sox.
Barry Svrluga: Greetings, Blacksburg. (But are you sure you're not Stan? You sound like Stan (other than the "don't buy tickets" part.)
I understand where you're coming from, Blacksburg, and yes, you have some reasonable points. This team wasn't built to contend for a division title.
However, I also understand the concern. Some top officials -- GM Jim Bowden included -- believed this team could win more than it lost if things fell into place. Well, not only have things not fallen into place (injuries to Pena, Dukes, Cordero, Hill, Young, Lo Duca), but they've turned the other way.
I don't think even the number of losses is what has most people concerned. Rather, it's the style of them. Too many bone-headed plays in the field and on the bases.
Fire people? Doubtful. But it's worth noting how and why this team is losing games.
Washington, D.C.: The Caps are out of the playoffs. The Wizards are as close to out as you can be after two games and they are on an off day. The NFL Draft is days away. Chad Johnson is still not a Redskin. The weather is beautiful. The Nats are coming off a win. The Mets are rolling into town with the best pitcher walking the planet. Please tell me attendance will not be a topic tomorrow.
Barry Svrluga: Can make no such promises, my friend. But I would say this: I'd be shocked if there weren't healthy crowds starting tonight through the weekend. The Mets and Cubs are both excellent draws.
(by way of) Minneapolis: Any word on Nick's socks?
Barry Svrluga: Oh, yes, Mpls, I did ask him.
Johnson had always worn his socks high since his days in the Yankee organization. When I asked him why he changed, he said he could never find pants before that didn't bother him when he pulled them all the way down. They grabbed him around his knees and just didn't feel right.
Now, he's found some pants that fit right. However, it drives his mother crazy. She prefers the old-school, high-socked look.
Fairfax, Va.: Detwiller only threw .2 innings today, do you know what happend??
Barry Svrluga: I do not, but will find out.
Washington, D.C.: It's no secret the team had been looking to deal Cordero. How much blame should be placed on Bowden for asking for too much, perhaps being too patient, and ultimately getting nothing?
Barry Svrluga: I don't know that Bowden could have been expected to envision Cordero's current arm problems. None of us saw that coming. However, as I've said a million times before, I always thought there was a fundamental problem with the Nationals dealing Cordero. They were selling him as a closer, and thus wanted a return that you'd get for a closer. Other clubs were buying a setup man, and wouldn't give up a closer's cost for that.
Does Bowden "ask for the moon," as people always say? Yes he does, and he does not apologize for it even as he knows it opens him up for criticism. But I don't think folks should pretend he should've seen Cordero's injury problems on the horizon.
Harpers Ferry, W.V.: It's getting to be painful to watch the Nats. You almost have to hope the opposing pitcher walks runners in or throws a wild pitch because the Nats sure aren't going to knock them in. Is this the worst offensive major league team you've ever witnessed?
Barry Svrluga: For 20 games? I don't think so. Last year's start was pretty darn bad. Nook Logan? Yikes. And during the skid in August 2005, the Nationals couldn't do anything, either.
This is going to sound weird -- something I'm not afraid of -- but they really miss Paul Lo Duca, who at least could move runners over, etc. And Wily Mo Pena was called up too quickly. He needed more time. I think last night's game shows that Willie Harris might have been OK in left given what they're getting from WMP right now.
In terms of the offense, I still think it's early. In terms of the overall play, I think it needs to improve -- and fast.
When you ask Nick Johnson about his pants does he express any sort of surprise, or have any reaction that you or a reader/fan noticed something so trivial? (And by trivial, I mean no disrespect!!) I would think it would amuse him and flatter him a bit at the same time.
Barry Svrluga: I am here merely to amuse and flatter Nick, believe me.
No, I'm around these guys enough that I'm supposed to notice that stuff, like when Zimmerman wears his socks high for day games, etc. I actually can't believe it took me 20 games to ask him about it.
And yes, he smiled when I asked.
Nats lifer: Barry - Two questions about Manny:
- Is part of his attitude a carryover from being a minor league manager - focused on teaching and not enough on winning?
- I read in one of the posts that he was chewing out Belliard for something. I watch a fair amount of the games on TV and I've never seen him doing anything but sitting quietly next to St. Clair. What level of interaction (and when) does he have with his players?
Thanks for all you do.
Barry Svrluga: 1. While Acta has a solid base of teaching from his days as a minor league manager, I don't think his teach-first attitude now is a result of that. As he said in today's paper, considering what the Nationals are trying to do, he wants to develop his younger players -- Lannan, in this case -- so that they can be part of a winning team in the future. He has bought into the plan that the front office sold him on the way in.
2. I did not see him chewing out Belliard. However, I did hear that he raised his voice in the dugout once on the road trip, really getting into it. This is unusual for him. As he says, he doesn't think him throwing bats or chairs or anything is going to help his team win games. He has lots of interaction with his players during batting practice and when they're taking infield, often chatting guys up and having them chat back.
Virginia: What do you make of Felipe's surge in attitude and performance? Will it last?
Barry Svrluga: The first part is easy: He seems to be seizing an opportunity and actually showing some of his talent. The second part: Nearly impossible to say.
What's surprised me more is that Ronnie Belliard played so poorly out of the gate. I really thought he was a rock in spring training, but he hasn't hit (.214) nor played well in the field. I think he will be a better bench player than Lopez, however.
Washington, D.C.: What do you think are the odds that Cashman might become the next GM for the Nats given the latest brouhaha by Yankees ownership? I am not a fan of Bowden's strategy of building the team by acquiring (talented) cast-offs of questionable character from other teams, and would like to see a guy with local roots (Georgetown Prep and Catholic University) get a shot here.
Barry Svrluga: This has been a topic of conversation since the fall of 2004, when baseball returned to Washington. If you asked Jim Bowden in spring 2005 whether he would be the GM of the Nationals in spring 2008, I doubt he could have honestly answered, "Yes."
That said, Cashman is currently employed. Bowden is, too, and he has a fantastic relationship with Mark Lerner, son of managing general partner Ted. If I'm a betting man, I bet Bowden outlasts a lot of people in the Nationals organization.
Washington, D.C.: Assuming that Perez and Redding will be gone by the time of the Nationals' future Glory Years, which member of this year's rotation would you rate as most likely to still be here and pitching in the World Series circa 2011: Bergmann, Chico, Hill, or Lannan? Or none of the above?
Barry Svrluga: Well, I'll go with the flavor of the last 24 hours -- John Lannan. But I think this is solid analysis. Remember, I love Shawn Hill's stuff, but history doesn't tell us he's going to be healthy for the next three years. I agree with Acta that Chico is gritty and can mentally withstand getting his brains beat in, but he has not been able to consistently command the ball, and it leads to too many disastrous starts. Bergmann's in the minors now not because of ability but because of a mental inability to get out of his own way.
That leaves Lannan, whose teammates like the way he is not fazed by things. He's developing this back-door slider that he's using to right-handers, and last night threw far fewer curveballs than he did against the Mets, a night when his fastball command wasn't as good. What does this tell you? He can adjust to what he has on a given night, and he's tough. At 23, there's a lot to like there.
I thought the comment made by another team's scout you mentioned in the Journal about Zimmerman was spot on. The Nats have put the burden on him of being this team's star and 'face of the franchise' and he's not ready to be a star yet. Not a knock, just fact. They should just let the guy develop without having to carry that baggage around.
Hindsight being 20-20, do you think the Nats would make the LoDuca/Milledge trade again if they had to do it all over again? I am sorry, but LoDuca ain't as good as Schneider. Maybe Milledge will turn out to be worth it alone, but I am not sure.
Barry Svrluga: Remember, Lo Duca was a free agent, Milledge was the trade. And yes, after 20 games, I believe the Nationals would make the trade again because of Milledge's long-term potential. Has he made some ridiculously bad plays thus far? No question. Would some teammates like him to show up a bit earlier and perhaps with a bit more focus? Yes. But he turned 23 earlier this month, and he clearly is talented. The trade was about the future, not about the first 20 games of this season.
(A scout did tell me about Schneider, "He's good on that club. He can be a good player on a good team, but he can't be a good player on a bad team, because then you're asking him to do too much." See Chavez, Endy.)
Zimmerman: I'm going to write more about him in coming days. We'll see if that two-run double last night gets him going.
Silver Spring, Md.: Do you think Austin Kearns is coming out of his slump?
Barry Svrluga: Hard to say. When I asked him how he felt the other day, he said, "I've felt worse. I feel like I have a chance." And he has shown some signs of driving the ball. But the days of thinking he's going to hit 30 homers should be long gone. Does he believe he should produce more than he is right now, or more than he did last year (16 HRs, 74 RBI)? Yep. But history doesn't show us that he's a 30-100 guy, and next year, he makes $9 million.
Richmond, Va.: I read in the NY paper that some felt the Mets were "showing up" Willie Randolph when the Mets' top brass schmoozed with Manny for a lengthy period of time during the Mets BP. Is there anything to this story?
Barry Svrluga: Sure there is. I wrote about it last year. Manny Acta has a very good relationship with lots of the Mets front office folks, from GM Omar Minaya (who brought him over from Montreal) to Jeff Wilpon to assistant GM Tony Bernazard. Bernazard, in particular, is a huge fan of Acta, and he spent lots of time hanging out with Acta near the batting cage and even in the visiting manager's office.
Acta, of course, is very friendly and outgoing and is very appreciative of all the people that helped get him where he is today. But for Randolph, it was awkward last year, because the Mets were collapsing and it played out publicly like the front office preferred the guy who left them rather than the guy they had. With that backdrop, I know the New York writers noticed it last week -- and I believe David Lennon of Newsday bounced it off Randolph, who admitted he was not pleased with the fraternization.
Am I wrong to think 3B Coach Tim Tolman should be replaced? How many more runs does he need to cost the team before this happens?
Barry Svrluga: There were two runners thrown out at the plate the other night. The first one was with two outs in the first inning against Tim Hudson. You gotta put the pressure on the fielder to make that play, and in this case, Jeff Francoeur made it.
But the second one falls on Tolman, and he knows it. He tossed and turned about it. There was only one out and the ball was in the short outfield. Yunel Escobar (a budding star) picked it up and threw out the runner at the plate at a time when the Nationals trailed, I believe, 6-0.
I believe Tolman is being watched.
Kensington, Md.: Good afternoon -- thank you for your time and insight. Given the pitching ups and downs over time, is anyone starting to question St. Claire's abilities?
To anyone who hasn't taken the tour of Nationals Park, it is well worth it. Sitting in the dugout and pitching in the bullpen are highlights!
Barry Svrluga: Oh my goodness, are you kidding? No. No one is questioning St. Claire. Given what he's had to work with, a scout said to me -- I believe four days ago -- "You know who the MVP of that team is? Randy St. Claire. And I've told my bosses that."
Navy Yard: There is no reason the Nats could not go out and get some decent veterans to make this team watchable. The Lerners are just too cheap to do it. The '05 Nats weren't great but they were watchable. Serviceable ballplayers like Guillen, Castilla, Loiza and Carrasco....to name a few....were added to make the team competitive. Why not bring in some players like that while the young players develop in the farm system? The Lerners have an obligation to put a competitive team on the field. Especially in light of the $600 million gift stadium they got from D.C.
Barry Svrluga: This is obviously a popular view held by many. Let me go the other way, just to play devil's advocate: The Lerners said from Day One that they would build the scouting and farm systems first, bring up major league players through their own system, and then fill in with free agents and trades when the club could compete for a title.
Now, if they don't follow through on that last part -- if they don't sign their own young stars (hello, Ryan Zimmerman) and they don't go out and pursue specific needs when they arise (I would think they'll have to go get middle infielders, because the ones they have in the minors are a long way away) -- then there should be hell to pay.
And to your point: There is a risk of alienating potential fans by rolling out a product that is unwatchable. The problem: No one with the organization though this year's product would be unwatchable.
Blacksburg, Va.: Do you have any word on how the organization feels about Lenny Harris's job so far? I love Lenny, but being a major league hitting coach with no previous experience at the position might put him a little over his head. Do people in the front office feel that way? If so are there any decent options out there right now?
Barry Svrluga: This is a fascinating question, and one about which I wrote in the gamer that ran in Tuesday's paper. Harris was thrust into a position last year with which he was unfamiliar. He had been a roving infield instructor in the Nationals' minor league system for just a few months and was only 18 months removed from his own playing career. Some other reporters and I had a wide-ranging interview with Harris the other day about his role as the hitting coach during a slump. He takes a very rah-rah, mental approach to hitting, an approach he had to have as one of the best pinch-hitters ever in the game. But whether that approach is translating into adjustments by the players who are slumping is something everyone in the organization is watching.
Ashburn, Va.: The Caps seem to have had a Plan similar to the Nats (get younger, build from within, etc). But they seem farther into said Plan, and have begun delivering positive results.
How would you compare the two approaches, and where each one stands?
Barry Svrluga: I do think their plans are similar, and yes, the Caps are further along. But there's one major difference: The Capitals drafted either the best or second-best player in the NHL and built their franchise around him. The Nationals have Ryan Zimmerman, a nice player, but he is nowhere close to being the best or second-best player in the league right now.
Remember, there were dark times for the Capitals before they won a division title, even since they drafted Ovechkin. And if Carolina could have beaten Florida in the last game of the regular season, the Caps building plan would have continued without a playoff run.
The Nats are at least two years behind the Caps right now, I'd say.
Columbus, Clippers:13 games and 46 ABs later, stats for B. Boone: .261/.327/.348/.675
Is he done with his 'experiment'? What to do with my The Boones jersey?
Barry Svrluga: He has taken a few days off but I'm told intends to return to the Clippers. How long he'll stay is anyone's guess, though. He said in spring training that he considers himself a major league player, but right now there just aren't enough major league jobs for him. At 6-15, they're going to bring up a 39-year-old second baseman to solve problems? Doubt it.
Lenny Harris: "I believe Tolman is being watched."
Psst. Barry. Do you know if I'm being watched?
Barry Svrluga: Yes. You too.
Burke, Va. : Barry, could you compare/contract the mood in the clubhouse during this year's lousy start vs. last year's lousy start? Looser/tighter, more optimistic or more pessimistic, etc.
Barry Svrluga: That's a great question, and a really hard one to answer. I can say that Acta's attitude was very similar in both situations. Of all the people who were upset then or are upset now, he was and is the most upbeat.
I think this one might be tougher to take for some guys, though, because the expectations last year were to be exactly this bad. This year's expectations were to improve on a better-than-expected 2007. Someone told me yesterday that some of the veteran players are starting to speak up more in this clubhouse. I'm going to look into that and see who, what, when and why.
Ames, Iowa: Any recent updates on Cordero yet?
Barry Svrluga: Not yet. Appointment was at 1:30 p.m. They'll likely circulate a report internally before they tell us. Watch for an update on Nationals Journal.
Bethesda, Md.: I get the whole "plan" idea, but shouldn't your manager be trying to squeeze wins out of the club, rather than being comfortable losing with the perspective that it's all part of the plan? It seems to me that a manager so ok with losing may not be able to turn it around when it becomes winning time. I mean, it's still a competitive sport, right? Can't the fans reasonably expect all of the players and coaches to want to win every game?
Barry Svrluga: This is the fine line Acta walks. He tried to explain it the other day by saying, "Don't get me wrong. I want to win every game." But he also keeps it in perspective.
It's an interesting point. There are managers whose guts are eaten alive because they can't stand losing even one game, even when their team is clearly overmatched, as Acta's has been at times over the last couple years. Acta doesn't believe that would be a good approach for him or his young players.
But it's an interesting psychological debate.
Section 111 (Formerly 223 @ RFK): Barry-
So when can we expect to see Collin Balester? After one more bad Matt Chico start (although we're rooting for Cheeks)? Balester is 1-1 (4 games started), 2.66 ERA, .178 OPP AVG and 19 K in 20.1 IP. He throws heat and mixes in a plus change and decent curve. Can't wait to see another Nats home grown stud pitcher reach the majors. Thanks.
Barry Svrluga: Ah, Section 111, you speak the language of scouts. ("Plus change.")
Answered above. But yes, I would say that Chico will be kept under a close watch even though Acta is really quite a supporter of him. But at some point, if they think a Balester is ready for the next step, they won't hesitate to move him, nor will they be hesitant to move a Jordan Zimmermann from Class A Potomac, where he is off to a superb start.
Arlington, Va.: What do you think of Hanley Ramirez for Zimmerman and Milledge? This way we are solid up the middle with Ramirez, Lopez and Flores?
Barry Svrluga: If I'm Jim Bowden, I love it (though I don't know that "Lopez" and "solid up the middle" really go together).
This is not a knock on Zimmerman or Milledge. But Hanley Ramirez may be the best player in the National League. I'm not kidding. He is going to be a force for the next 10 years and maybe more. Just absolutely scalds the ball, and his defense is improving as well.
Marlins would never do that deal. They have Cameron Maybin to play center (a position for which Milledge may be ill-suited, anyway) and tons of corner outfielders. Everyone in the NL East likes Zimmerman. But everyone in baseball LOVES Hanley.
Re: Cheap Lerners: Every chat there is at least one post that refers to the Lerners as cheap. Barry, what evidence is there to support that charge? Not signing "serviceable" free agents as a stopgap? The 2005 team drew because it was the first year and they got incredibly (and I mean incredible in its true sense) hot at the beginning of the season. Not because MLB opened its treasury vault to sign Guillen and Vinnie. Two Buck Chuck Wine is cheap, not the Lerners.
Barry Svrluga: I think the evidence, as it is, to this point came first from foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal last year as the Lerners were adjusting to becoming major league owners. They have very strict policies on how they run their businesses -- be they malls or baseball teams -- and that rubbed baseball people the wrong way. They want their employees to get the best price for services, don't want to use FedEx if the postal service is just as efficient, and took the District to arbitration over some small stuff that included who should pay for uniforms at the new ballpark.
What happens, I think, is that the two areas get confused. The baseball strategy for the Lerners and the Nationals has been to build from within (I've written that like eight million times) and not sign free agents, even ones like Livan Hernandez, etc., until they're really ready to win. But when people hear about penny-pinching in other areas, they believe it will translate over to the field as well. Only time will tell whether the club will increase payroll as it says it will.
Worst Nats Team Ever?: Hi Barry, love the chats!
Just wondering where you would rank this year's squad relative to other years in the Nats short history.
I'd vote for this year being the worst. On paper, maybe we upgraded slightly from last year but we aren't close performance-wise to the team's play in the last half of last season. Whatever chemistry we had seems gone -- it certainly doesn't feel like we're building much of anything right now.
Now, the team from the first half '05 . . . man, those were the days!
Barry Svrluga: Easy now. While I'm not going to dismiss the poor start to the season as just a fluke, I'm also not going to draw conclusions about the 2008 team without some more evidence. Remember, last year's team was 9-25 and looked horrendous -- and then played .500 ball the rest of the way. This year's team would have to go 3-10 to get to 9-25 (an accomplishment they obviously could achieve), but I still believe this year's team is better.
Alexandria, Va.: Wily Mo is crying? Good.
Maybe it's empathy -- because I have to cry when I watch him hit. He cannot tell the difference between a ball and a strike.
Has any suggested Lasik to him? Or perhaps not swinging at every pitch like he's trying to hit it to Kuala Lumpur?
Barry Svrluga: Yes, lots of people have suggested lots of things to Pena from the time he was in the minors. The Nationals' strategy this year was actually going to be somewhat hands-off, just let him go out and get 500 at-bats and see what he did with them, see if exposure to everything on a consistent basis would allow him to figure it out. His injury in spring training slowed that, but at the time, it seemed okay for the club because they'd at least get to find out about Elijah Dukes. But then Dukes injured himself on Opening Night, and the team wasn't able to find out about either of them for the first two weeks. Then the team struggled offensively and called up Pena before he was ready.
So that leaves you with a hulking left fielder crying because he's 3 for 30 with 10 Ks. Ouch.
(I bet he's back in the lineup tonight against the left-handed Santana.)
Nats Fan In KC: The plan, "The Plan," "Stan's Plan" - however you phrase it is still equals losing. As we get deeper into the Plan and I get deeper into a depression over this team I am starting to wonder if such a drastic plan was a wise choice. DC is a fickle place with lots of people who are not from the area. Plus the team had no roots in the area at all to begin with. Build-A-Bears, Playgrounds, and a shiny new park are not going to get people to invest in this team... Tell me I am being too gloomy and that there is hope somewhere up ahead. PLEASE!
Barry Svrluga: You're not the first fan to take that approach, nor will you be the last. Believing in the plan requires faith in the people who are orchestrating it. I am here neither to endorse nor pooh-pooh that.
Barry Svrluga: Folks, you're the best. Thanks for stopping by. An 11-game homestand -- longest of the year -- awaits. I've got to jet to Nationals Park here right quick, leaving many unanswered questions.
Thanks again, and I'll talk to you next week from Nationals Park. See you out there, and enjoy the games.
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Advice for Pet Owners
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Do you have a problem pooch or crazy cat? Are you trying to pick the best pet for your family? Are you alarmed by news reports about tainted pet food and looking for better options?
Dr. Michael W. Fox can offer advice on these quandaries, and other issues related to the care and feeding of our furry friends (as well as those with feathers or scales). He is a veterinarian and the author of the syndicated column " Animal Doctor." He has written over 40 books, most recently "Dog Body, Dog Mind" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind," which take a holistic approach to pet care and communications. His book "Not Fit for a Dog! The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food" will be out soon.
Dr. Fox was online Wednesday, April 23 to take questions about pet care and behavior.
This discussion is one in a series of pet advice chats we'll be holding over the next several weeks. Please join us again Wednesday, April 30 at noon ET, when Karen "Doc" Halligan, a veterinarian and Animal Planet personality, will take questions. And check out washingtonpost.com's newpets section anytime!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: This is Michael Fox and I look forward to your questions---anything I can do for the animals---
washingtonpost.com: ADVISORY TO READERS: We realize there may be problems in the discussion page updating. Please try holding down the Control button and hitting Refresh on your individual computers. That should temporarily help. We are working on the problem.
Silver Spring, Md.: I have three wheaten terriers -- all fixed and all boys, ages almost 2, 3 and 6. They are crated overnight and whenever I go to let them out in the morning, the almost 2-year-old bites the leg and neck of the 3-year-old. This hurts the 3-year-old who cries out in pain. I've tried to let the two older dogs out first to stop this behavior, but he just waits until he is let out to bite him. What can I do to help?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Terriers will be terriers. you must devise some way to break this morning ritual as with a squeaky toy to distract/remotivate---or not crate them overnight. Most dogs sleep on the bed with their pack leaders!
What do you think about pet health insurance? Worth it, or not so much? Thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: I think it is a bad move when most policies do not cover diseases of a hereditary basis that are very common in purebreed dogs and cats. And some policies promote over-vaccination and over-medication in general.
McMechen, W.Va.: I have a Jack Russell/Boxer mix. He suffers from separation anxiety. He was put on a medication from his vet. After the second prescription was filled, I was told I had to make a behavioral consulting appointment, before I could get any more prescription. I refused. He's very much out of control. In fact, I feel bad telling you this, but I sent him to the animal shelter and when they put him on the internet, I fell apart, and I got him back.
Now, I purchased a prong trainer collar and he and I have a great time walking, he's not dragging me and that part is great. The problem is the separation anxiety. He's constantly bouncing off the walls. I don't leave him alone, he has a sitter when I'm at work. What can I get for the anxiety that is natural and won't harm him?
Thanks so much for your time.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Not an easy problem to solve! a companion dog may help. A rubber Kong stuffed with peanut butter and leaving the TV on can help many dogs with this malady of separation-anxiety. In some cases a few drops of pure lavender oil on a cotton tie around the dog's neck can be calming---also good for dogs who get overwrought in the car.
Washington, D.C.: I have two dogs and a non-profit salary, so even though I'd like to feed them only high-end all-organic, no-filler dog food, I can't afford it.
Of the "mainstream" dog food, what do you think is the best kind?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Check my website www.doctormwfox.org for my dog food recipe that you can make up yourself, save $$$ and have healthy dogs so fewer vet bills!
Washington, D.C. - please help my cat! : I have 2 cats (siblings, male and female) and the male is - to everyone except me - very aggressive and territorial. I've had them both 12 years, adopted them when they were weeks old. He hisses at visitors, swipes at them with his paw, and follows them around my house, like a monitor. The vet sedates him with gas every year we go for his exam and though they say it's painless and harmless, it seems wrong. But there's no other way to examine him. With me he's loving and sweet. I just want this great cat to be happy and loved by all for how great he is. Is he okay? Is this just his nature? Is there some underlying problem that needs attention?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Some cats become more aggressive because of hyperthyroidism so have your cat's thyroid function tested.
Some cats are naturally territorial and do not like strangers. so you have to live with it!
The sometimes calming cat pheromone Feliway may help and your vet can get the product as a spray or room-diffuser. Not cheap, but can work wonders in many but not all cases of aggressive cats and unsettled cat-groups.
Cat #2, 15 years old, died this weekend after having to live upstairs to keep the diet for his failing kidneys and accompanying medication away from Cat #1, 17 years old. Since being solo in the downstairs for the past few months, Cat #1 has regained weight.
The two cats weren't particularly fond of each other, but might have been in more proximity at night than we knew. They got into spats on a semi-regular basis.
Cat #1 has begun wandering around the house more, looking at the haunts of Cat #2. Are we attributing a reaction of missing a long-term partner to Cat #1 when in reality she's just trying to figure out where the heck Cat #2 is sleeping?
With a short exception of a few days where Cat #2 wandered off for a few days, the cats had never been apart.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Cats do mourn, and this emotional loss could aggravate senile dementia/dysphoria, as per my book CAT BODY, CAT MIND. Discuss with your vet a short course of treatment with valerian or Seligiline that can help cats with this disorder. All older cats benefit from a few drops of cod liver oil daily in their food---good for failing kidneys and arthritic joints.
Baltimore, Md.: I've tried numerous things to keep the free-running neighborhood cats out of my planting beds. Let's see, I've used Critter Ridder, orange peels, moth balls, bamboo skewers, black pepper, cedar mulch, and cayenne pepper. And still, they use my beds as litter boxes.
Is there anything you can suggest as a deterrent? Maybe a synthetic urine of a natural predator that I could apply?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Thin---and decorative---bamboo stakes can serve as an effective barrier. Alternatively a strip of chicken wire will deter most cats---they do not like to get there paws between the wires. Good under bird feeders too to keep cats at bay!
Arlington, Va.: My two Beagle/Spaniel mix dogs are now 8 1/2 years old. While they are on an organic diet, we have switched their dry and wet food to include more protein and less grain (on advice from our vet). Is this the correct approach, or should we use "Senior" food instead? Thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: The higher protein is fine if they have healthy kidneys.
Capitol Heights, Md.: Hello Dr. Fox, I have been waiting for a pet discussion for a while now. To feed bones or not to feed bones, that is the question? My husband (I'm guilty as well) has been given our dog Ginger, who is a Rott-Lab mix, bones from leftovers. My Mom freaked when I told her this and she said we had better stop doing that. She said it could hurt Ginger in the long run. Please tell me the rules about bones and dogs. Thank you.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: No bones of any kind except raw beef shank/soup marrow bones, at least 2 inches long, scaled to kill off surface bacteria.
Houston, Tex.: Hi Dr. Fox. We have two chocolate Labradors, Cocoa (2 yr old boy) and Mocha (1 yr old girl). The problem is that over the past couple of months they've both gotten the runs on two different occasions - his is usually worse than hers. His have gotten to the point of a little blood in the stool and we have to take him out practically every hour to use the bathroom. After hundreds of dollars in vet bills on both occasions, they can never find anything that's wrong with them. They give us antibiotics for them and change to a prescription dog food and that does the trick.
The only thing that they can come up with is that maybe they're stressed out. They go to daycare 2 to 4 days a week. There's actually a pet-cam there (yes, I know it's over-the-top) and they seem as happy as a lark playing there and none of the others dogs have been sick - I've asked.
Do you have any ideas why the diarrhea could be coming on?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Possibly stress-related Clostridia bacterial proliferation. Give your dogs a tablespoon of aloe vera gel plus probiotics or a couple of tablespoons of live, non-pasteurized yoghurt to help repopulate the intestinal flora.
Bully Cat: Dr. Fox, You are my hero. I have learned so much from your columns. We have three cats, ages 10 (female), 7 (male), 2 (female). All three were declawed by their previous humans. We adopted our youngest a year ago and spent about two months integrating her into our household (and then another two weeks trying to re-integrate). She is a tortie Siamese and all of our efforts were for naught. She continues to stalk, chase, and bully the resident cats. We started her on 2.5 mg of Prozac about a month ago in hopes it would help. It seems to help a tiny bit. She remains undeterred by time-outs or "NO!" I spend at least 20 minutes playing with her every night to tire her. Do you have any suggestions on what else we can do? She eats Wellness brand canned food and Innova Evo kibble. She wears a bell on her collar to alert the other cats of her whereabouts. Thanks.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Try spraying or room-diffuser delivery of FELIWAY, a cat pheromone available from your vet that can often help cats settle down amicably.
Washington, D.C.: My cat (approximately 6 Y.O.) will cry, heart-breaking loud cries -- often overnight, but also during the day. She had done this as long as I have had her (4 years -- she was a non-feral stray). She is in good health, friendly, social, and playful (though less as she has aged). The crying appears to have nothing to do with me or an obvious desire of hers. I worry that she is unhappy or stressed, and I also worry that the crying is disturbing my neighbors. I have been outside my building waiting at the bus stop and heard her crying. What can I do? I tried introducing a second cat as a companion but she hated him and only cried all the more and louder (my neighbors complained).
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Old cats act this way when they have senile dementia. If your cat is young, she may simply want to go out and be with other cats. Try adopting a kitten for her, since a young animal may be less of a threat than an adult.
My cockerpoo has some compulsive habits. He twirls around licks the stove or a door and then repeats. Or he will twirl around and then bite the edge of a table and then lick a lamb and repeats the entire process. We would like to stop him from doing this.
He does this for no apparent reason. My husband and I can both be in the room or one of us could get up from the couch or leave the room. It doesn't seem to make a difference.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Your dog has OCD---obsessive compulsive disorder. Try remotivating with a squeaky toy or shake a tin can full of keys. Engage the dog in games, fetch and chase, and tugs of war with an old sock. If this fails, Prozac may really help.
McLean, Va.: My rescue mutt has recently been diagnosed with early stage kidney problems. My vet has placed him on a renal diet and that's going well, however he still has bouts of nausea and grass eating. Should I be concerned or are there more obvious signs I should be aware of?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Give your dog up to one tablespoon daily of flax seed oil in the food or a teaspoon of fish oil that will help improve kidney function. Also give potassium supplements from the vet.
Brooklyn, N.Y.: I have two cats, male and female and they both use the same litter box. They're not the best of friends, but tolerate each other. However, the female doesn't go in the litter box, but on the newspaper around it. The male uses the litter box and never misses.
The female used to use the box, but hasn't done that in years. I suspect he's intimidating her somehow, I don't know. What can I do to get her to poop in the box?
If you can help I will be forever in your gratitude.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Get one or two more litter boxes and try different types of litter. Have your female cat checked for anal gland impaction and possible spinal arthritis. These problems often make cats reticent over using the litter box. Massage therapy, as per my book THE HEALING TOUCH FOR CATS ( New Market Press, NY) can work wonders on older cats with back and joint problems that are all too common. A few drops of fish oil daily in the food also helps arthritic cats.
Over-vaccination: Can you please tell me what is a normal duration between vaccinations of the most common vaccinations for both dogs and cats? I think my vet does them too often, but I'm not sure where to find the bottom line. Thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Annual vaccinations are a thing of the past. Except for some types of rabies vaccinations. Check my website www.doctormwfox.org for the latest protocols for dogs and cats. The 'core' vaccinations are good for at least 3 years.
Sugar Land, Tex.: My 12 year old Shepherd mix has a big walnut-shaped abscess (I think) on the side of the lip where the top and bottom lip meet. The doctor said she could not operate, but it is big, and often bleeds. Looks like it is her tongue hanging on the side. What should I do? I am so worried and she is old to have surgery. The vet suggested to put aloe vera on it.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Seek a second opinion---could be cancer or a foreign body like a grass seed awn. A biopsy should be taken, and a soft-tissue vet surgeon consulted.
Silver Spring, Md.: Hi Dr.,
We have two cats, male, 7 yrs old, brothers. They are both overweight, one slightly, the other extremely. We have gotten toys for them to play (and they do play with each other), and we have begun to really measure and restrict food. However I think the extremely overweight one still eats a lot of food, eating more than his fair share. Segregating the food for the respective cats is not really an option, because we live in a small apartment. Any suggestions on how to deal with this weight issue?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: High carbohydrate diets for cats---especially dry cat foods---cause obesity and diabetes. Cat 'diet' foods often cause hunger and suffering and possibly malnutrition, so give your cats some raw or lightly cooked meats and give 4-6 small meals daily.
Make Your Own Pet Food in Virginia: I have a 5 year old 15 lb. terrier mix. He had stomach issues when we first adopted him and after testing for serious issues, it was determined that he was allergic to something in his food. We changed dog food to Nature's Recipe Easy to Digest Chicken Barley & Rice, which he has been fine on ever since. But after all of last year's pet food problems I worry about buying dog food and have been seriously thinking about changing to making my own food for him, but I don't want to go back to the problems we had when he first came into our family. It was probably beef, corn or wheat that was the problem, as this is what is NOT in the new food that IS in the old food.
What would you suggest? Stick with what is working? I got the recipe off your website -- no corn, can do something besides beef, but what about the wheat germ? Is that a potential problem for my little guy's tummy? Can I leave it out or is there a substitute? THANK YOU!!!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Wheat, corn, dairy products, eggs and beef are the most common food-allergy ingredients for dogs. You do not always know what is in pet foods---so many 'byproducts'--- so I advise you make your own as per the recipe on my website www.doctormwfox.org.
Dr. Fox, a question about car sickness: I am dog sitting for a border collie/lab mix for the next six months while his owner goes overseas. He is a sweet dog, but he has severe car sickness. I believe it is due to motion because he does not seem to be anxious about the car at all. Just curls up and doses off. His owner says he has tried "everything". Can you recommend anything to try. We are planning a vacation that entails a 5 - 6 hour drive and we want to take him with us. Many thanks.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: A small piece of crystallized ginger some dogs will eat, or ginger in a capsule really helps settle the stomach if given 30 min before a car ride. Spray inside the car with lavender oil in water or soak a rag with a few drops of the oil to help calm the dog in transit.
Washington, D.C.: What do you think of Feline Pine for a Littermaid litter box? We are looking for a more natural litter than Tidy Cats, due to the health concerns from the clay dust. Any other recommendations? Thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: newspaper-based cat litter is good. Clay-based cat litters may contribute to bladder stones from cats licking off the mineral particles that cling on their paws.
East Lansing, Mich.: Hi Doctor,
We have a 14-year-old Bichon Frise who has been diagnosed with Cushing's disease. She constantly has to pee and is constantly hungry and thirsty. She also has body sores that scab up, but don't seem to fully heal.
Our vet told us that medication is expensive and iffy to manage the problems. Fortunately, we have a rug he visits with regularity for pit stops. But, we wonder if there is anything our midwestern vet doesn't know about that might be a good measure to better control her Cushing's.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: This is an all too common endocrine disease affecting the adrenal glands, often compounded by thyroid disease. For more details on endocrine-immune system disorders see my book DOG BODY, DOG MIND (The Lyons Press, Guilford CT). Your dog's deteriorating condition can be helped with various supplements/nutraceuticals aimed at boosting the immune system. A teaspoon of fish oil daily is a beginning.
Pittsburgh: You just wrote, "most policies do not cover diseases of a hereditary basis that are very common in purebreed dogs and cats."
Isn't the solution obvious? Mixed breed dogs and cats make superior pets -- hybrid vigor, I like to think of it -- yet it's harder to find good homes for them, so many are destroyed out of people's vanity need for pure-breeds.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: I agree totally!
Vienna, Va.: Dr. Fox - So happy to see you here!! Our mixed-breed corgi/Australian cattle mix is approaching 12 years old. She is quite arthritic in her hind legs. On vet's advice, had her on Rimodyl, which improved her condition. But we did not keep her on it long-term out of fear of reported kidney problems. We hate to see her suffer. Her whole personality is changed, probably due to pain. Please advise -- thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Try safer products---turmeric, fish oil, Cosequin, and massage therapy works miracles as per my book THE HEALING TOUCH FOR DOGS---and acupuncture can be effective.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Dr. Fox, I plan to get a dog in 1.5 years, when I retire. We also need a cat or two, since our last cat just died. Should we wait until after the dog comes before getting any cats? Does it matter?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Knowing cats and their territoriality, I would get an older, easy going dog first from the shelter.
Chicago, Ill.: I have a 6-year-old male cat who is on the heavy side.
After consulting with the vet, I stopped letting him "free feed" on dry food and he gets half a can of wet food in the morning, half a can in the evening. It's taken awhile, but he seems to have lost some weight, although still is not thin. Here's the problem: he acts hungry ALL THE TIME. He constantly follows me into the kitchen and yowls. If I were to let him, he'd eat until the point of throwing up. I joke that he's an emotional eater. How do I tell if he's legitimately hungry versus just craving food? My other cat gets the same amount of food and does not seem hungry between meals.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: There's canned food and there's canned food---quality of ingredients makes a big difference. Some cats can do well when transitioned onto mainly raw or lightly cooked foods. Check out YOUR CAT by Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins.
N.E. D.C.: I cannot keep my 2 cats off the kitchen counters. They go through the sink after I leave, knock over the trash/recycling bin. I am at my wits' end. I never leave anything out on the counter for them to get. But they are compulsive. Do you have any recommendations for changing this behavior? I can't close off the kitchen. Thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Get your cats a cat gym/condo or tree branch to climb somewhere in the house. it is part of their nature to get up on things and to look down on the world. Buy some mouse traps and set them to snap under a couple of sheets of newspaper laid over the counters. That should scare them off.
Bethesda: Love your column! I have two cats, sisters and littermates, age 13. When I first got them as kittens, they loved each other and would often curl up together to sleep, groom, etc. As they got older, they began to fight, slap at each other, and generally seem to dislike each other. They seem to just barely tolerate the other's presence but are VERY affectionate with my spouse and me.
Will they ever go back to being loving siblings? Why do you think they started to fight? There were no precipitating events that I can recall that led to this behavior change. It was just a gradual change.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: The most common endocrine disease in cats is hyperactive thyroid and that can cause changes in temperament, notably more irritable/aggressive. so have your vet check your cats out thoroughly.
Boston, Mass.: I wish you would give detailed advice on what cat owners should feed their cats if they are unable or unwilling to cook the food themselves (and you do not provide information on the amount of food to feed). I've read your web site and columns and the information provided is not detailed enough. You have said not to feed cats flip top cans but I do not know what that means. Should cats get canned food? If so what brands or ingredients should be included? Should cats eat dry food too? If so, what brands or ingredients. Your comments on pet diets frustrate me because you seem opposed to the standard diet but do not provide enough information for pet owners to know what diet choices would be best.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Get a copy of YOUR CAT by Dr Elizabeth Hodgkins, publ by St Martin's Press, NY. There are many new brands of good quality cat foods being marketed---look for organically certified if available.
We have a darling mixed breed, 3-year old, 65-pound dog who looks a bit like a border collie with curly hair. Problem is his weight. The vet says he's at least 10 pounds overweight, but my husband insists on feeding him dry food with beef broth and Parmesan cheese on top (twice a day). And a marrow bone every day! I maintain this is too much for an overweight dog. Your opinion?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Cut the carbs, give regular exercise, and transition onto a higher protein and vegetable-based diet including raw or lightly cooked meats, poultry, cottage cheese, eggs, sweet potato, and a little brown rice or barley. Three small meals a day can take off the hunger-edge.
Reston, Va.: Hi Dr. Fox,
Thanks for doing this chat - it's definitely a great thing.
I have a 7 year old mix (we jokingly say she's a beagle, German shepherd mix). Every now and again she seems to have a hard time breathing. She'll sort of start huffing in air and can't catch her breath normally. It never lasts very long and as soon as it's over she's back to looking happy and wagging her tail like nothing happened. Do you have any idea what this could be (doggie asthma)? There doesn't seem to be a "trigger" for when this happens and it happens so infrequently I forgot to ask our vet about it at our last visit.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Could be the equivalent of a reverse sneeze, and nothing to worry about. But if your dog starts to show poor exercise tolerance then a heart and lung check-up is called for.
Baltimore, Md.: Couldn't you break a cat's paw with a mouse trap? Even under newspaper. Seems awfully harsh to me. Just keep your counters clear - a good habit anyway - and let them walk where they want.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: No, the traps are safe---I should have added to lay them upside down for good measure. When I had cats I let them go everywhere, but some folks are more fussy, even to the pint of getting rid of their cats for getting up on counters and tables.
moving cat overseas: Dr. Fox,
Do you have any advice for pet owners moving overseas, as far as diet goes? We're moving our cat to Asia in a couple of months and I know I won't be able to find the diet food I've been buying at the vet here. I don't know what kind of food I'll be able to find there or whether worms are prevalent. He's an indoor cat only and will be indoors there too, but if the food quality is lower there, is there a chance he could get worms? Should I get medication here for worms to take with us, just in case? Thanks.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: My new book CAT BODY, CAT MIND, (publ The Lyons Press, Guilford CT) has info. on diet and home-prepared, balanced cat food you can make up yourself. yes, I would be very concerned about the quality of pet foods manufactured abroad---enough problems in the US!
Rockville, Md.: Dr. Fox, I lost my 16-year-old miniature poodle a couple of weeks ago, and the house is very empty. I'm thinking about kittens, because I think they fit better into my life just now, but I haven't ever had a cat. I'm thinking about getting two so they can keep each other company while I'm at work; do you think that's a good idea? Can you offer me any other advice? Thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Sorry about your loss---I know how it can hurt for months---yes, cats are very adaptable, and get along best if you adopt littermates, or mother and kitten/s.
Ft. Washington, Md.: My 12 year old cocker spaniel has developed cysts in several places on his body. His vet says they're harmless unless they burst but they seem to scab over and appear to bother him. What can we do about them?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Probably harmless sebaceous cysts. Your dog may improve in general skin condition with a teaspoon of cod liver oil in the food every day. Cockers often need more vit. A. Primrose oil is an alternative source of omega fatty acids, and give along with a vit. A supplement.
St. Louis, Mo.: My dog Millie, a 4 year old neutered Boxer mix, has started either hiding or saving her food (for later). She was rescued 2 years ago and when I first got her home food was definitely an issue with her. She'd eat it so fast I don't think she even chewed it. A few months ago I bought her a raised platform that seemed to slow her down. Now she only eats if I mix the dry food with wet, otherwise, she saves it and eats it throughout the day. She doesn't seem to mind of the other dog eats some of her food. Anything else I give her, a peanut butter filled Kong, a rawhide chew, she saves it or hides it for later. Is this just a quirk, or should I be concerned? Thanks
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Many dogs who have had a hard time earlier in life will cache food, hiding morsels under pillows, edges of carpets etc. Part of food-insecurity/prior hunger. Nothing to worry about.
Baltimore, Md.: What do you think of wheat cat litter? It has worked okay for us except for getting scattered around the litter box, but are there any problems I should look for?
Also, my cat watches me clean it (almost daily) and then uses it right away. Is that because she likes to use a clean litter box or because she can't stand to let it sit there clean?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Wheat cat litter may be risky for some cats who are allergic to wheat in their diets---more of a problem with dogs. Can even cause seizures in some dogs. But for most cats there should be no problem.
Burke, Va.: Dr. Fox, since you recommend that people own more than one dog, I thought I'd provide a different perspective. Four different times I brought home a foster dog (for a few weeks at a time). Initially, my dog welcomed the company, but after about a week or so, he became sad and mopey instead of his usual exuberant self. He never did anything mean to the other dog, but just wasn't himself. After the foster dog would leave, he would go back to normal. Just wanted to let you know that every dog is different, and that before getting a second dog, people should examine their dog's personality to determine if it's what -he- wants.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Very true!
Minneapolis, Minn.: I have a 2 year old rescue dachshund. Lovely boy but very fearful. Sometimes I can tell he's trembling and nervous because of a loud sound or anticipation of a loud sound. But sometimes it's completely indiscernible what's bothering him. What can I do?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Lots of TLC---even a gentle massage, and music helps calm dogs---Check out the new book THROUGH A DOG'S EAR by Joshua Leeds and Susan Wagner
Ferretville: I love my ferrets, but they are little heartbreakers. I have had several in my life, and all of them have gotten insulinoma or adrenal disease or some odd tumor/cancer thing. My oldest is 9, with adrenal disease, but still very much enjoying life. We've done surgeries, we've done medications, and in the end we just watch them get sicker and eventually euthanize them when we feel they are no longer enjoying a good quality of life.
Are we just bad ferret parents, do we have bad luck, or is there something wrong with the species? Our vet says he sees this kind of thing a lot in his ferrets, but can't give us any advice on how to prevent it.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: This is such a common problem with pet ferrets and it is related to their domesticity and living long lives. My educated guess is that high carbohydrate diets could play a role and that they would do better on raw foods.
Give your dogs a tablespoon of aloe vera gel plus probiotics (Houston, Tex.): Can I find this at the pet store?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Try local health store
Fairfax, Va.: I have a 9-year old female spayed Chihuahua, Gertie, who I adopted when she was 3. She was not socialized properly and has come a LONG way but still has "issues" - particularly when I take her to the vet. I cannot go back with her to the exam room as she is much more aggressive when I am present. They have to forcibly muzzle her because she is so vicious at the vet's. My vet has worked with me for years with Gertie and I am grateful.
However, we have a problem. Gertie has chronic ear infections that seem to be getting worse. I am unable to clean out her ears at all because she gets very vicious and bites me. I am unable to muzzle her myself. The most I can do is sneak up on her and squirt eardrops into her ear when she's not expecting it. We are going to a specialist tomorrow to explore the idea of surgery on her ears which my vet thinks is necessary to solve the problem.
Surgery seems like such a drastic solution to me. Besides the high cost, I am concerned with Gertie's recovery as a 9-year old dog. As well, is it possible to tell if she is in chronic pain or just whether the ear infection is annoying but not particularly painful?
Many thanks for your opinion.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Her aggression goes with the breed. Diet can play a big role in recovery from chronic ear and skin infections, as per my book DOG BODY, DOG MIND. The product Zymogen could work wonders if your dog has a fungal ear infection.
Nanjemoy, Md.: I have a 13 week old lab who loves to jump up and bite people. I know when this is coming but my guests do not and I'm afraid he will hurt someone. Especially my niece. Any advice on how to stop him? Thanks for your time.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Call in a behavioral consultant or sign up for obedience school training!
Hybrid Vigor: Unfortunately there are new studies out that don't bear out any health advantage for crossbred over purebred dogs. Mixed breeds can suffer from the health problems of both parent breeds. I'm not an advocate for either "side" but I think we need to be fair when evaluating health claims.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Really mixed breeds are healthier, but the 'designer' half-breeds can and do get the genetic disorders of both purebreed parent lines.
Bully Cat -- Part 2: Feliway doesn't work. We have them plugged in right now. Nobody seems calmer. I've read that we could spray a towel with Feliway and the rub the cat with the towel. Is that safe? The label says not to spray the cat directly, but nothing about using a towel.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: yes, Feliway does not always work. try rubbing with a towel sprayed with the product, or as per my old advice, put some of your own perfume or aftershave on each cat for a few days so they all smell the same. But avoid products that contain musk, notably from civet cats that can make housecats attack their owners!
Sort of different question: I have a 12 year old daughter who LOVES all animals. She will be Bat Mitzvahed in a year and would like to do a pet related project as part of that. Do you have any suggestions?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Volunteer in any way at the local animal shelter as an animal groomer/socializer, cage cleaner etc and have her learn how compassion in action extended to animals makes for a more humane community!My book THE BOUNDLESS CIRCLE: CARING FOR CREATURES AND CREATION ( Quest Books, Wheaton IL) will take her deeper into this important realm of human responsibility and reverence for all life.
Alexandria, Va.: My dog (about 7 years old, hound mix) started several months ago "stealing things" while I am on the phone. Whenever I talk on the phone (and it isn't associated with a ringing sound all the time) he walks all around taking papers off of tables, opening drawers, taking stuff off the bookshelf. What is this behavior about? He could be in a sound sleep and wake up to do this. It gets frustrating to chase him to get the things. Thanks!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Clearly your dog wants your attention, or is perhaps bored and bemused by you talking into what for him is thin air. perhaps he thinks you are insane! maybe less time on the phone, or take a break and put him on the phone so he feels part of the conversation.
Ruther Glen, Va.: This may seem a little bit of a strange question, but I've often wondered. My big, furry, approximately ten-year old mutt was neutered when I adopted him eight years ago. He is sweet and enthusiastic and loves to go riding in the car. The thing is, when he jumps into the back seat, he starts -- how do I put this? -- making whoopie (?) with blankets or backpacks or even books (!) if any of these happen to be on back seat with him. Sometimes, if we have sweaters or coats hanging over the driver's or passenger's seat, he gets a little love-sick with them, too, biting them and tearing them up also. Recently, I've begun to take the poor blankets and other items out of the back seat, but then he does a kind of phantom mating dance, playing around as though they're still there. What in the world does this mean? He doesn't do this otherwise. The car just seems to get him excited. Any thoughts?
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Excitement and objects suitable to clasp with the forelimbs can trigger sex-play. better that than ripping up such objects in pray-killing play!
I have a cat who is a year and a half old. She has taken up the habit of jumping onto the bathroom counter and drinking from the faucet. If we don't turn it on she cries until we do. Any suggestions for us? We usually give in to shut her up, but it's really getting annoying and we would like her to stop. Thanks for your advice.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Cats love water-games. Your water bill not withstanding, a short period in the early evening should be allowed, or buy a water-drip system for your cat from the pet store.
Arlington, Va.: Dr. Fox! We have been wondering why our 8 year old toy poodle seems to love licking doors, door frames, or wood furniture. She may do it a few times a day for a minute or so each time (and stops when we try to distract her), and we initially thought it was due to thirst, but now we're not so sure. Could you possibly enlighten us? Thanks so much!
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Could be OCD, but irritation from infected gums, tonsils, and digestive problems can cause such behavior too so a routine vet check up is called for
New York, N.Y.: Hi, Which is best: a harness or choke collar for a shih tzu? We have a 6 year old male and have used a choke collar on him. (half material/chain kind) He stops suddenly on walks and sometimes lunges after larger dogs. I am always afraid I will hurt his neck if I continue using the collar. He had a slipped disc in his neck last year. Should we switch to a harness? If so, what kind? thanks
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Choke collars can cause tracheal collapse. harness is best espec. for small dogs and all who pull hard on the leash.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Cats: Thank you for your columns and this chat. I learn so much from you.
I have had two cats die at age eight of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. They were not related by blood. I have two other cats now who were both rescued from the local shelter a year apart and one of them is also suspected of having this disease. He has a heart murmur. He is almost 5 years old. I am thinking that the odds of having 3 out of 4 cats with this disease unbelievable. My first two cats did not have any symptoms of this disease until it was too late. Do you think it something in the environment, pet food, vaccinations, or something like that that can cause this heart disease in animals? Thank you.
Dr. Michael W. Fox: Most likely the disease was related to dietary deficiencies, especially in Taurine. Look out for my new book NOT FIT FOR A DOG: THE TRUTH ABOUT MANUFACTURED DOG AND CAT FOOD, co-authored with two other vets, Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins and Prof. Marion E. Smart, due out this fall and published by Quill Driver Books, Sanger CA
Time out now --- I am signing off. Thanks for all your queries, and I regret not being a speed typist and unable to respond to you all. Thanks also to The Washington Post for hosting this event for our beloved animal companions.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Dr. Michael Fox, veterinarian and author of the syndicated column "Animal Doctor," takes questions about pet care and behavior.
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Free Range on Food
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A chat with the Food section staff is a chance for you to ask questions, offer suggestions and share information with other cooks and food lovers. It is a forum for discussion of food trends, ingredients, menus, gadgets and anything else food-related.
Each chat, we will focus on topics from the day's Food section. You can also read the transcripts of past chats. Do you have a question about a particular recipe or a food-related anecdote to share? The Food section staff goes Free Range on Food every Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET. Read about the staff of the Food section.
Joe: Why write haiku when
You can write pie-ku instead?
Welcome to today's chat. I realize that you come here with questions of your own, but I have so many questions for you, too. We'll look at it as give and take, OK?
1. How are rising food prices affecting you? What are you cutting back on? What are you still spending on? (And how do you justify it?) We're looking for creative ways people are making ends meet for an upcoming story. For example, anyone here group buying at Costco or joining together to be part of a CSA. (In theory, rising fuel costs should make local, organic food more competitive with grocery store stuff from around the world.)What are your tricks? Post your ideas here and if you're up for being interviewed, please send an email with a way to reach you to food@washpost.com.
2. Have you sent in your pie-ku yet? 17 syllables about pizza: unrhymed, 3 lines, 5-7-5.
3. Speaking of pizza, we're also looking for your favorite underappreciated yet very good pizza in the DC area, eat in or take out.
OK, enough of that: On with that chat -- did Walter's story get you drooling over a Smith Island cake? Want to replicate that $11.22 meal by Peter Smith? Did Jane Black make her salad-girl case?
For our favorite posts, we have giveaway books: "Breakfast in Bed" by Carol Frieberg and "Gluten Free and Easy" by Robyn Russell.
Breezewood, Pa.: The article about Peter Smith is my favorite Food Section story in ages. It combines useful tips with tasty recipes at a low cost. I learned several new tips reading about this chef. I also am thrifty but he outdoes me. (Though I can and do have a compost pile.)
How about featuring more problem-solving approaches in the Food Section? We all need to save money, eat healthfully and set out a delicious meal day after day.
Joe: Glad you liked it. We do feature problem-solving in our Chef on Call column every month, but the money-saving approach that Peter helped us with may indeed make a reappearance... Stay tuned.
Not Smith Island: Where can you get Smith Island Cake in D.C.?
Walter: There are no bakeries in Washington that make multi-layer Smith Island cakes. But they are available by mail: call Somerset County Tourism for a list of cake makers: 800-521-9189.
Salad girl: Jane, thank you so much for your story on salads!! I'm in the same boat as you and am lately obsessed with a salad I make that's very similar to your shrimp and mango recipe. I've also been using some canned tuna lately with spinach, white beans and avocado. I use my big mixing bowl (I love lettuces!) so I can toss it all together and happily sit on the couch with my huge non-wimpy salad in my lap. Thanks for giving salads their due!!
Jane Black: You are welcome. Tuna and white beans are a great combo, too.
Washington, D.C.: Thanks to Jane Black, for the excellent article on salads. I too find restaurants' salad offerings paltry and am determined to make more of the farmer's market vegetables with lots of salads this year. Would you please post the recipes for the pomegranate-hazelnut vinaigrette with shallots and the cumin vinaigrette you cited in your story? I want to break out of the oil-and-vinegar rut.
Jane Black: Glad you enjoyed it. I don't have my copy of Twist of the Wrist, where I got the cumin dressing from. I believe it was just a standard vinaigrette with toasted cumin powder and garlic. But here's the pomegranate-shallot dressing. It's from Sunday Suppers At Lucques by Suzanne Goin, a wonderful cookbook. The dressing is meant to go with a Persimmon Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Hazelnuts. At this time of year, you'll need to use store-bought pomegranate juice, rather than fresh squeezed juice.
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons fresh pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, combine chopped shallots, pomegranate juice, sherry and rice vinegars, and salt; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil.
Tofu: I would love some new ideas for tofu for my toddler, who likes it in miso soup, but not so much stir fried. I've run out of miso, and so I need a new way to serve up his tofu.
Jane Black: This is something I've been trying to figure out myself. I get sick of stir frying tofu but like the protein. Kim O'Donnel did an interesting blog post on how to grill tofu and there are lots of comments and suggestions from readers here.
Note that many have been brushed with curry pastes etc so it might be a little adventurous for a toddler but then, who knows? Chatters -- any other ideas?
Washington, D.C.: So, Joe, I asked Tom Sietsema about Mexico City restaurant recommendations, and said you were the person to talk to.... I'm headed there next month, am a very adventurous eater. Any suggestions?
Joe: Sure -- you're gonna love it. Get thee to:
El Bajio (the original) -- it's a cab ride from downtown, but well worth it for stunningly delicious food in a casual setting. Make sure to get the signature mole (with 30-plus ingredients) and the tacos de haiba (amazing layered-crab dish cooked in banana leaves).
El Califa in Condesa -- fabulous tacos (al pastor and others; I also loved the nopales salad, and the tacos with pork cutlet or ribeye steak cutlet).
Azul y Oro (on the beautiful UNAM campus): get whatever regional specialties they have on offer. (My favorite thing: relleno negro, but I think it was temporary.) It's an unassuming restaurant, but great.
Aguila y Sol and/or Pujol for fancier but really gorgeous cooking. Pujol is more adventurous.
That's just a start. Make sure to get some street food, too -- from vendors that have long lines...
cooking wine substitutes: Hi Rangers,
When recipes call for a bit of wine (red or white) could I use marsala or sherry as a substitute? And I recently bought wine vinegar, but I noticed recipes are asking for red wine vinegar. Will my Sun of Italy (Sopraffino) wine vinegar stand in?
Peter Smith: You can certainly substitute Marsala or Sherry however th flavor profile will be much different. Red and white wine have a bit more acid to lend to a dish were Shery and Marsala add more nutty floral notes.
As for vinegars, white wine vinegar tends to be a bit more acidic with a more mild flavor compared to red which is a bit less acidic and has a bit more of a flavor punch. With that said you can interchange them in recipes just remember the flavor profiles.
washingtonpost.com: Hi, chatters! We realize there may be problems in the discussion page updating as new questions are answered. Please try holding down the Control button and hitting Refresh on your individual computers. That should temporarily help. We are working on the problem.
If you do experience this, please send an e-mail to restaurants (at) washingtonpost.com to help us diagnose the problem. Thanks!
Brown rice alternatives: Hello! I'm looking for a high fiber grain that I can add to my meals. I was disappointed at the small increase from white to brown rice, so I'm looking at alternatives.
I'm leaning towards experimenting with barley and cracked wheat (bulgur). Any other suggestions?
Jane Black: Quinoa? I used to hate the stuff but I've really come around to it. Toast it then cook it and it's got a really lovely flavor.
Baffling beetroot: I picked beetroot two weeks ago, it's sitting in vinegar in the fridge. How long should it sit in vinegar before it is considered pickled?
Also, I cooked the leaves and stems of the beetroot, using Indian spices, as found in an internet search. Personally, I don't recommend it. It tasted like a sweetened version of spinach with ketchup. I love Indian food, but the beetroot didn't make it in my book.
Peter Smith: Sorry to hear about the beet tops, however the pickled beet roots, the time is determined by a few things, size of the beet, was it cooked or raw when it wentin. Also did you hot pickle or cold pickle. Two weeks for a hot pickle should be fine.
Joe: I have to add that the problem with the leaves/stems sounds like it might have been in the seasonings or approach, not the greens themselves...
Silver Spring, Md. Re: Sheet pans: All of my cookie sheets and sheet pans twist (I think the term is warp) in the oven. Is this warping common? What type of sheet pans can I buy that will not warp. The sheet pan ruined my quiche!
Bonnie: Hate that telltale "boing" that comes from a warping pan in the oven, don't you? Why do home cooks have to work with inferior equipment? What you'll be happy with is a commercial-quality, 18-gauge aluminum half-sheet pan (about 15 inches by 21 inches by 1 inch would work). You can buy them online, but it'd be cheaper to go to Best Equipment in Northeast D.C. (202-544-2525) and plunk down $5.95.
You heard that right. $5.95.
Washington, D.C.: What is the best way to store onions and potatoes (I know they are not to be stored together)? I have tried keeping onions in a drawer, but the last batch sprouted before I could use them. I hate wasting food.
Jane Black: You are right they should not be stored together. Not sure what the food science is but I believe one or the other releases gases that make them both spoil. Onions should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from the light and never in the refrigerator. Moisture makes them rot. (You can wrap a cut onion in foil and put it in the fridge for a few days, however.)
Potatoes should be stored in a paper or burlap bag in a cool, dark place. According to my research, bigger potatoes can store for up to 2 months. New potatoes last about a week.
Arlington, Va.: I'm having a dinner party tomorrow and need some advice on side dishes. The main course is Asian-Style Flank Steak (from epicurious.com). Any advice for a side dish or two that would pair well? Even better if they are make-ahead.
Jane Black: How about a refreshing Asian coleslaw? Of course, my recipes are at home but I make one with sliced red and green cabbage, thinly sliced red onions, grated carrots, sliced red peppers, grated ginger, sesame oil and a little rice wine vinegar and cilantro. Just toss it all together and let it sit overnight. The longer it sits, the better the flavors meld. For something simpler, why not stir fry bok choy in ginger and garlic?
NoVa. Salads: I've adapted this recipe from South Beach. Dressing is four ingredients (always on hand): Garlic - clove or two, olive oil, fresh ground pepper and lime juice. I then add ingredients as desired -- but it tastes best with a romaine, diced avocado, shredded cheese, cucumbers. Add grilled chicken or shrimp for a complete ( and filling ) meal. Its our Sunday after-boating staple. Here's to summer!!
Jane Black: Lime juice is so good; adds that little something special somehow. Thanks for the tip.
Washington, D.C.: Good afternoon. Would you please recommend a few foods/dishes/meals that don't need to be refrigerated? I usually exercise and shower at the gym in the morning and then walk to work, so anything that I take to the office will be unrefrigerated for at least 1.5 hours. I don't want to carry a cooler, don't trust those thermal bags (especially in D.C. summer) and would like to save a little money (I usually buy takeout). I would really appreciate any creative suggestions (not just nuts or bananas). Thanks!
Joe: You're fine keeping things at room temp (in the "temperature danger zone" of between 40 and 140) for under two hours, according to the food safety police. One of my favorite recipes in recent years was among Domenica Marchetti's great collection of room-temp dishes from last summer. It's a beautiful rice salad.
Champaign, Ill.: Hi! I have friends in town for a weekend long celebration this weekend. I am hosting a champagne/cocktails brunch on Sunday for about 20, but I will be up incredibly late with these friends Saturday night. I'm going to go mostly for stuff that requires little-to-no prep: cheese, pastries, fruit. But I'd love to have one or two things that are a little more substantial. I would need to be able to prepare them a day or two in advance and throw in the oven that morning. Any brilliant ideas?
Bonnie: Sounds like a strata, which can be assembled a day ahead, might qualify for brilliance here. This one's not quite as rich as that dish usually is: Baked Apple, Smoked Turkey and Cheddar Strata. Also this Confetti Vegetable Smish is a colorful, great little spread that upgrades any brunch buffet that planned on opening a container of Philly cream cheese. It can be made in advance, too.
Bonnie: If at first you don't succeed, strata recipe.
Silver Spring, Md.: For the tofu-challenged, Deborah Madison has a little cookbook called "I Can't Believe it's Tofu." Some of the recipes are high effort, but not all.
Jane Black: All hail Deborah Madison. (I've been waiting a year to make here morel and asparagus bread pudding recipe that I found last summer.) Good tip!
Tearful in Tenleytown: Except for cutting the recipe in half, I faithfully followed the directions for preparing the caramelized onions from last week. But instead of ending up with nicely browned, separated strands of onion, my mine collapsed into a indistinct mass more akin to onion confit--not at all like the appetizing photo that accompanied the recipe. What did I do wrong. Did I slice the onions too thinly?
Bonnie: Buck up! I bet they still tasted good. Gastronomer Andreas Viestad answered further questions by e-mail after the chat last week, and there was one similar to yours...his answer, in short, was that we did say slice the onions thinly, but then there's TOO thin, as you suggest. Try no more than 1/4-inch wide. Also worth revisiting: the amount of moisture vs. the size pan you used. More surface area will help the browning process.
Great articles, by the way! Love Smith Island Cake!
If you want this to be an official entry, though, you have to email to food@washpost.com with PIE-KU in the subject line, and include your full name, address and phone number for contact purposes. By April 30!
Upstate, N.Y.: Your article on salads got me thinking. I would like to make a big Vietnamese-style salad for the family. But one child is vegetarian and most of the Vietnamese dressings have fish sauce. For her portion, could miso (maybe thinned with a little water) sub for the fish sauce? That would give it the same umami effect, wouldn't it?
Peter Smith: There really is no substitute for the distinct flavor or smell of fish sauce. With that said your idea for thining down miso is a good one, I would suggest using a red miso and thinninig it with rice wine vinegar. The red miso will have a bit more depth than a white miso. You may also want to try fermented black bean paste.
Herndon, Va. Pizza, we like homemade! My daughter likes to help, and it gives the poor under utilized bread machine a sense of purpose. It's also a bit more economical. This might not be exactly what you asked for, but it works!
Bonnie: We hear you. We'll have several recipes in that upcoming pizza issue, too.
Texas: I have a couple of dessert recipes (namely, Pumpkin Crack and Gooey Bars) that call for using a dry yellow cake mix to form a crust or layer within the dessert. One day, I idly checked the ingredients as the dessert baked and was appalled at the long list of chemicals that go into boxed mixes. Do you have any ideas on how I can replicate a boxed yellow cake mix using my own non-chem ingredients for these otherwise heavenly desserts? I have done a search online without many results. I would happily share the recipes in exchange for the info -- that Pumpkin Crack will change your life (and your waistline)!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Joe: Do you just pour the dry mix into the center of the dessert? Can you send us the rec? Most recipes for make-your-own mixes call for flour, baking powder/soda, salt and in some cases butter or oil, but I think you'd want to leave out the fat to approximate what happens with a boxed mix.
For Tofu: The chatters looking for kid-friendly tofu recipes should check the Post's Recipe Finder for "Seared Tofu and Mushroom Saute." It calls for poaching the tofu first and is very tasty. I think a kid would like it altough I'm not a parent.
Jane Black: Here's the link.
Silver Spring, Md.: And make sure to rinse the heck out of the quinoa, or it tastes like soap. Coating has saponin in it.
Bonnie: Have you tried a brand called Ancient Harvest, sold at Whole Foods Market? Requires no rinsing.
Heavy weight pans: Memory: My mother made cookies to send to my father in WWII. She bought a cookie sheet at a catering supply store on 7th St NW. I still use the sheet, only now it's a heat diffuser in my oven.
Bonnie: Exactly right. Costs less, lasts longer.
Tofu for Toddler: Maybe blending silken tofu with fruit and milk or yogurt (soy or not) to make smoothies could shake up the tofu routine a bit?
Jane Black: I've never tried that. Is the silken tofu flavored (like soy milks?)? Would be good with vanilla, I bet.
Farmers Market, DC: Any suggestion of what to make with ramps and/or morels? I have both fresh from the farmers market and looking forward to trying them. Thanks!
Walter: Lucky you. I hunted for morels, in Rappahannock County foothills, for hours last weekend and found not a one. Most people in the hollows saute the morels in butter, briefly, and serve them on toast. As for ramps, they are great in scrambled eggs.
Lothian, Md.: Submitting very early as this didn't get in last week. Last night I tried David Hagedorn's method of cooking steak in a skillet (cold steak, cold skillet) -- my inch-thick strip steak was way too done for me. I know medium on my gas stove seems high, but would the pan have anything to do with it? I used my "Green Pan" since it can withstand high temperatures (and goes in the dishwasher -- important on weeknights!), but wondered if my cast iron or All-Clad stainless would have been better. Any suggestions other than reducing that first 15 minutes to 8-10? By the way, even with the fan on high, my house smelled like a steakhouse afterward -- wonderful!
Bonnie: Thanks for coming back at us, Lothian. David H says: "From the description, it sounds like the flame was too high. Turn down the heat. Cast-iron or all-clad is definitely better. You want a good, even conductor of heat. I've made steak that way a hundred times successfully."
Washington, D.C.: You have got be kidding! Nice idea of dinner for four under $12 but I am trying to see how I could feed a husband and two teenage boys and myself that meal and dessert and we would not all be starving and ready to eat the grass outside. My husband is still laughing. . . .
Peter Smith: I am sorry that you think that I am kidding..... The portions for the recipes are of an average size. If the portions are to small you might want to increase the amount of all of the ingredients. I did manage to feed 4 adults with what I made and no one was out in the back yard eating grass. The recipes are mearly a guide on how to put the dishes together so you can easily increase the amount of any of the components that you want.
College Park, Md.: I'm looking for a good steakhouse in the area for a group night out. Most of us are grad students, so the standing suggestion of the Prime Rib (as good as the menu looks) is out for financial reasons. Any suggestions in D.C./NoVa./Montgomery County?
Joe: Ray's the Steaks has great meat at lower prices. You do pay for it a tad in terms of convenience, since they don't take reservations so you have to send an emissary or prepare to wait. How big a group are you talking?
I took your suggestion of moving my banana bread recipe from the loaf pan to the bundt pan, since I kept getting soggy banana bread at the bottom middle. But the bundt pan cooked so quickly that it was dark brown in half the time. For a banana bread recipe that calls for 350 temp for 55 minutes in a loaf pan, what would that translate to in a bundt pan?? Also, what is the difference between bundt and tube pans?
Bonnie: Tube pans tend to be thinner and made of aluminum while a good bundt pan can be heavy-gauge steel/aluminum, sometimes coated inside.
If you make the banana bundt again, try reducing the temperature to 325 or 300, and bake for about the same amount of time, or 5 minutes less.
Arlington, Va.: I'm going to attempt my first angel food cake this weekend. I know that you're supposed to make sure there are no oils or grease in your mixing bowl or on the beater, but other than washing them thoroughly, is there an extra step I can take? I seem to recall reading once about wiping them down with white vinegar, but I'm afraid to use that if it'll leave a taste in the cake. Thanks for the advice!
Jane Touzalin: I've never had any trouble with just giving the bowl and beater a good hot wash. I'm assuming yours don't have layers of dried-on gunk! If they're relatively respectable, soap and water should take care of any oil residue that might prevent your egg whites from rising high.
Herndon, Va.: How I save money? Hmmm... well, for starters, I did NOT rejoin the CSA this year. We belonged to it last year, but the delivery prices went up and we got a lot of stuff that my family did not use, so we couldn't justify the price increase (sorry!). Instead, we have a veggie garden in the backyard (two in fact), where we have planted and will plant our own homegrown organic veggies. I'm also planning on walking with the kids (saving gas that way) to the local farmers market here in Herndon when it opens to get what we need. It's local and we can pick and choose that way. My shopping has also gotten more picky, and yes, we belong to both Sam's and Costco. We also can/freeze produce, make our own jams, pickles, and the like. Every little bit helps!
Now, I have a question: does anyone have any experience with PYO places in Loudoun county? We would like to try a few of them, but haven't yet. Thanks!
Jane Black: Hey, thanks! Love to talk to you more about this. Can you send contacts to food@washpost.com.
In return: Here is Loudon County's full list of pick-your-own farms.
Saving grocery money: I've rediscovered dried beans and lentils, cost just pennies. Also shop at Sam's Club for meats, portion and freeze (a whole filet for $8.99/lb., used a vacuum sealer bought for $49 at Tuesday Morning). This past weekend my husband and I planted rhubarb, tomatoes (three kinds), a couple of different kinds of lettuce, cabbage, beets, carrots and radishes, all started from seed. I have a herb garden and started a TON of basil. We will plant potatoes, squash and cucumbers this weekend. All this will feed the four of us all summer and everything is planted in five 4x6 raised beds, except the potatoes which are grown in a bin. Probably the only vegetables we will buy are corn and right now, local asparagus at the farm stand. Our initial investment (for the raised beds) was probably around $400. The seeds probably less than $20. And the joy of being outdoors working the soil this time of year -- priceless.
Jane Black: Fabulous. And again, can you mail contact details to food@washpost.com. I'd love to quote you. Thanks!
Silken Tofu: No, I don't think it is flavored, it just has a softer consistency (also called soft tofu). Kim O'Donnel has used it in pumpkin pies as an egg subsitute, if I remember correctly, but it can be savory as well.
Joe: It's also great in salad dressings...
Arlington, Va.: Lately, I've started paying closer attention to all of the specialty flours and grains available at Whole Foods and other grocery stores, things like buckwheat and teff flour, as well as quinoa and wheat berries.
I just browsed through a copy of Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich and noticed that she incorporates some of these ingredients into her recipes. The buckwheat butter cookies with cocoa nibs looked especially good.
Are there other good cookbooks to know about? Do you have favorite recipes for using some of these more "exotic" grains?
Bonnie: Check out Lorna Sass's "Whole Grains Every Day Every Way" (Clarkson Potter, 2006). 150 recipes, amaranth to wheat berries, as it were. Lots of good quick breads and cookies in it, too.
It must really be time for lunch: I read "Frank Sinatra" where it actually says "Flank Steak."
I'm off to find myself some protein.
Joe: If you were that hungry, wouldn't you be reading "flank steak" where it says "Frank Sinatra," instead of the other way around? I think maybe you need to go find yourself some tunes...
Salads for one: I'm going to make a shameless plug for the gluten-free book by telling you that I've recently turned to salads as my go-to gluten-free dinner option. My doctor told me I needed to try a year without gluten (I'm six months in) and salads a la Jane Black have been the one food that I haven't had to change too much. It makes me so sad not to be able to bring sandwiches for lunch, but I'm learning to make more exciting salads as a really good alternative and I've lost a few pounds in the process!
Jane Black: Glad you're having success. Any favorite combinations that make it to work?
Potatoes and Onions: The best way to store them is to put them in an old pair of Pantyhose, tie a not, and then put in another, and tie a not...etc, then hang them on a nail on the back of your pantry or garage door. They wont touch and they are simple to get out: Just cut off the bottom-most one!
Joe: Some of us don't have any old pairs of pantyhose lying around... at least not until Halloween, that is. But thanks!
Artichokes: A question for the food experts: I have cooked artichokes several times in different ways, but I always started by boiling/blanching. Last night I had a half bottle of chardonnay, so I tried trimming them, sectioning them so they'd cook faster, and braising with some onions and garlic in the wine, with a bit of stock. They turned out incredible bitter, so much so that I had to rinse them before I could eat them. Did they have some reaction with the wine, or were the artichokes bad to begin with? Thanks for your help.
Walter: I think, hold the wine. Nothing beats simply steaming the artichokes with a little lemon juice and drops of olive oil. And now is the time to boil the water. The other night, I found the most amazing, giant artichokes at Harris Teeter. They are the globe variety and easily, three times the size of a standard choke. Meaty, delicious, the best I have ever tasted and they are available until early June.
Mount Pleasant, D.C.: Joe -- you mentioned earlier this year that you were going to try your hand at cheesemaking (a la Barbara Kingsolver). Have you had any luck??? My mozzarellas have so far been a failure so I'd love to how yours have come...?
Joe: Hi, MP! You've got a good memory. I should remember not to mention anything that I'm not committed to, and guess what? I let my cheese interest falter after an initial obsession. The problem is that until we finally recently got a good milk supplier at the Dupont market, I had a hard time finding easy access to a premium farm-fresh milk product. But now that it's accessible, I MAY restart the experiments. I did not have much success, either...
Pumpkin stuff: Hello from Texas again. Here's the recipe, originally from The Sweet Potato Queens Financial Planner and Big A** Cookbook:
1 yellow/butter cake mix (Duncan Hines)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Mix together the pumpkin and milk in a medium bowl, then add the sugar, spices, and eggs. Mix well and pour into a greased 9 x 12 pan.
Crumble the cake mix on top of it.
Sprinkle the pecans on top of that, and pour the melted butter over the entire top.
Bake 50-60 minutes at 350. Cool to something close to room temperature.
For the topping, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, then fold in the Cool Whip. Smear this on top of the pumpkin. Sprinkle more pecans on top, if you have them.
Joe: That's my favorite cookbook title in some time! Thanks for the recipe. See the following post for an idea of a cake-mix sub.
Natural Cake Mix: Whole Foods carries some mixes with less chemicals. They have this recipe for cake mix on their Web site:
Replaces 1 box (16 to 18-ounces) yellow cake mix
1 cup unbleached organic white flour
1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups organic evaporated cane juice sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons softened organic salted butter
Ingredient Options: For a vegan version, replace the butter with natural palm oil shortening. Use all whole wheat or all white flour, if desired.
Place white and pastry flour in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar, baking powder and salt. Process until blended. Cut the butter into 4 or 5 chunks and add to the flour mixture. Pulse and process until the butter is completely incorporated. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Use within one month.
Bonnie: I'm voting chat winner for you. Listening, editor Joe?
Joe: I'm sorry, did you say something?
McLean, Va.: I am definitely going to try the stew. It looked intimidating at first but if you look at the steps it doesn't look so bad and I think learning the techniques will be helpful for coming up with variations.
I am also very interested in trying Smith Island Cake even though I don't usually like chocolate frosting. It looks very pretty!
McLean, Va.: Ray's the Classics in Silver Spring is pretty good, too. The food was very good and the prices seemed fairly reasonable to me, although I wasn't paying.
Joe: That caveat at the end might make all the difference in the world, though...
Washington, D.C.: We started using farro in salads. It's chewy, nutty and really good for you. Oh, it tastes good too.
Joe: I love me some farro. See two recipes here.
Cold-pan steak: Cast-iron or carbon steel?
Bonnie: David says cast-iron is good; a good quality, all-clad type, stainless saute pan is better (not nonstick).
Washington, D.C.: So, I hear that you can eat raw, thin sliced beets. Is this really true? I have some rather large ones from the farmer's market, something I should try? Seems like a potential waste of good beets.
Jane Black: You can indeed. I've seen raw beet and apple salads and I've also seen them used as garnish. I've never made this but a friend of mine swears by Nigella Lawson's raw beet salad. It's from her book, Forever Summer:
1 pound raw beetroot (the book actaully calls for 500 grams but that's about 1 pound)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 Tbsp mustard seeds, toasted
Peel the beets and grate finely either by hand or in a food processor. Add chopped dill, lemon juice and olive oil.
Toast mustard seeds on a small dry frying pan, until they start 'popping' - it'll take only few seconds, so don't go anywhere! Add mustard seeds to the salad, season with salt and garnish with plenty of parsley.
Arlington, Va.: Can you please be more specific about how to toast quinoa? I'd like to serve more of this, but my kids are not fond of it yet. Anything that will boost the flavor a bit will help. (I already use chicken broth when I cook it.)
Jane Black: Just toss it in a dry pan over medium heat for three to four minutes. Then cook according to directions in water or broth.
Rockville, Md.: The Smith Island cake reminded me of this great apricot torte I had at Omaha's Lithuanian Bakery. Would you happen to know if this is sold anywhere locally or do you know of a recipe? I'm sure it's very time consuming....
Also, where can I find more details on the pie-ku? I'm feeling inspired! Thanks.
Joe: I've seen Lithuanian Napoleonas recs online, but can't vouch for them. And pie-ku details are here.
RE: ready to eat the grass outside: The grass would be free, though, so you'd still be eating on a budget.
I liked the article because it gives you ideas on how to purchase on sale and use stuff you might already have on hand to make a good meal. I think that was the idea.
Formerly inspired by onions...:...and now perplexed by them. I wrote in last week about increasing the caramelized onion recipe. I tried it over the weekend and followed the recipe, and it understandably took a lot longer to cook, but it also, essentially, turned into mush. There was a TON of liquid, and as it turned brown, it also started breaking down. I ended up having to uncover and hit it with a much higher heat towards the end of the recipe, and I still ended up with a sort of sludge-like, but still flavorful, paste, with none of the lovely, separate onion-y strands. What gives?
Peter Smith: I did not see the recipe on caramelizing onions, but if you are going to increase the amount of onions you need to 1 increase the size of the pan giving you more surface area. 2 increase the heat and when you first put the onions in the pan dont' touch them for a minute to let the pan recoupe it's heat, then stir let sit stir let sit.
Ellicott City is local: But why can't I find Washington corn muffin and corn bread mixes (they're boxed in the same size boxes as Jiffy -- but far less sweet)? I do buy their self-raising flour. I stopped buying refrigerator biscuits in tubes and make my own from scratch.
Bonnie: Is the Chatham Mall near you? Giant consumer service line says its store there carries Washington brand corn mix in boxes, and the muffin mix is in a bag.
More on ramps: I like to braise them in a little bit of butter. Some recipes say to separate laves from bulbs because of different cooking times, but I like the different textures.
Walter: Ramps fried in bacon grease are popular in many country homes.
College Park, MD: This is the steakhouse guy again. The group size will be between 6 to 8. Does Ray's the Steaks accept groups that large?
Bonnie: yes. but your party may have to wait (if it has to wait) outside.
Joe: It's time to carefully transfer us from the pan to individual plates, slightly fanning us out before drizzling us with pan syrup. Because we're done!
Thanks for the great chat again this week. Hope we gave you some good ideas. Now for the book winners: The salad-eating gluten-free chatter will get, duh, "Gluten Free and Easy." The chatter who asked about food for a brunch will get, duh, "Breakfast in Bed" (although I don't think it's THAT kind of brunch, but still...)
Until next week, happy cooking, eating, reading and pie-ku composing.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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The experts of the Food Section answer questions, share secrets and discuss all things food-related.
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For Gwyneth Paltrow, Change is Afoot
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We've lambasted Gwyneth Paltrow here -- at pretty much every opportunity -- for her insouciance, her doofy baby-naming habit (Apple, Moses) her proclivity for sticking her foot in her mouth (comments about preferring to live in England where people are wittier). But, strive as we must to keep everything in our shallow comfort zone, today's focus on Gwynnie is all about looks, baby.
Like a couture butterfly emerging from a hippy-dippy chrysalis, recent snaps of Paltrow are heavy on va-va-voom. She's turned in her long, straight, parted-in-the-middle hair-did for a flouncier, bouncier shoulder-brushing hairdo. Where she once exuded a quiet, granola-fied class -- Ralph Lauren meets hemp -- now there's nothing subtle or soft about her look. And she's been rocking some may-jor heels lately, even at the risk of towering over "Iron Man" co-star Robert Downey Jr. (Who couldn't possibly look more junior next to the statuesque Paltrow).
And, yes, we all have a right to change. But we are equally entitled to judge. So -- is she pushing it or do we like the new, high fashion Gwynnie 2.0?
By Liz | April 23, 2008; 10:42 AM ET | Category: Fashion Previous: Morning Mix: Beyonce and Jay-Z Make Marriage Official | Next: Morning Mix: Star Jones Files for Divorce
Keep up with the latest Celebritology scoops with an easy-to-use widget.
If you have tips, ideas for stories or general suggestions, let us know.
Bet she goes to a New York podiatrist to fix her feet after wearing those heels instead of European one. Witty doesn't matter when you need help and don't want to be on a socialized medicine waiting list for 10 years.
Posted by: ep | April 23, 2008 10:58 AM
OK to be fair isn't she preggo in the pic on the left? Not quite the fair comparison but I agree she's making some big changes. Possibly as part of her re-entry to films or to be more specific, big budget films. S
he looks amazing in that pic on the right - who can walk in those heals! I kinda want her haircut! - but I think I prefer the calm, granola Gwen to vampy, teetering, giant Gwen.
Posted by: sjcpeach | April 23, 2008 11:04 AM
Also consider during that time period her father died and babies came. It's easier to maintain granola when you're busy simply living. I'm glad she seems to have emerged from her self-imposed exile though. I was starting to worry... Ok, no I wasn't but I was starting to wonder if she meant to never return to acting.
Posted by: PGM | April 23, 2008 11:12 AM
I still dislike her. Lipstick on a pig.
Posted by: Blech | April 23, 2008 11:14 AM
I wanted to vote for none of the Gwynnies, but that option wasn't available! If you look closely in the "recent snaps" link on the close up pixs of her shoes-the shoes don't fit her. The next pix will be one of Gwynnie in a wheelchair. Oh wait, we've already seen that one, in her brief visit to a hospital recently.
Posted by: bkh | April 23, 2008 11:18 AM
Those shoes are really scary. If I were wearing them (and famous) I'd be in tmz.com's gallery of "Falling Stars" in no time. (I'd link, but I would run afoul of the webblockers here.)
Posted by: RiverCityRoller | April 23, 2008 11:22 AM
I'll take Gwynnie either way, mainly because I completely agree with her anglophilia. If only I were a rich celeb who could actually afford to live in London. Sigh.
However, I do find her recent fashion obsession to wear too tall shoes and appear a giant kind of weird and unattractive.
Posted by: firedancerk8 | April 23, 2008 11:34 AM
RCR's right: Those shoes *are* really scary. But I also agree with Robert Downey, Jr., who's clearly thinking to himself, "Oh, yeah, in a minute, if I weren't already married to Mrs. byoolin."
Posted by: byoolin | April 23, 2008 11:34 AM
You asked if Gwyneth was preggo in the picture on the left. No, I don't think she was a bowl of spaghetti.
Moses was born in April 2006, so she could have been expecting with him when that picture was taken. But her hair did not look great, and the dress she chose was very frumpy -- too many layers and all in the wrong places. Blech.
Posted by: To sjcpeach | April 23, 2008 11:36 AM
I can't believe I am saying this, but I think the lace-up black shoes (in the link, not in the post) were used in Christian's runway show on Project Runway. His models said they were uncomf.
Posted by: akmitc | April 23, 2008 11:43 AM
My guess is that the movie is so bad they're making her dress like that to get some interest going. Like when a TV show gets bad and they try to distract us with T&A. I'm just sayin.
Posted by: Guess | April 23, 2008 11:44 AM
Posted by: every man within 8 miles of Guess' comment. | April 23, 2008 11:46 AM
High Fashion Gwyneth is a vast improvement but I'll to take a "wait and see" (" how Ironman does at the box office") attitude towards her. BTW, I love the shoes.
Posted by: Lisa1 | April 23, 2008 11:58 AM
ugh. hate the shoes. and don't care for her either...frumpy or (supposedly) high fashion.
Posted by: methinks | April 23, 2008 12:01 PM
That picture was a bad choice of the old G. Those shoes look dangerous and god forbid she should drop something or fall and noone else was around. She might topple over just trying to pick something up. Let's hope the new Gwynnie wears undergarments.
Posted by: | April 23, 2008 12:03 PM
Those shoes defy several laws of physics.
Posted by: LLL | April 23, 2008 12:13 PM
Gwyneth has absolutely NO sex appeal, so she just looks silly in that street-walker get-up (since when is "high fashion" what Julia Roberts wore in Pretty Woman?). Put her back in the hippie stuff or the pink princess frocks.
Posted by: atb | April 23, 2008 12:14 PM
Still not much of a fan of the insouciant Gwen and if Iron Man sucks I'm blaming her.
However, I have to say I adore those shoes (on the right), I think I have a pair with similar heels but those puppies are only for indoors like dinner parties and days at the office when I won't be leaving my desk much. As long as I didn't have to walk around DC in them.
Oh yeah and she looks good, it's always fun to do a change of style every now and then.
Posted by: petal | April 23, 2008 12:14 PM
Oooorrrr....she's having an affair? Isn't that one of the telltale signs, changing one's appearance?
Just tossin' it out there.
Once again Gwen Stefani could rock those heels but she looks like she's just trying too hard not to be hippie-Gwyneth.
Posted by: Bored @ work | April 23, 2008 12:17 PM
never liked her. still don't.
Posted by: no_bs4me | April 23, 2008 12:21 PM
I like her shoes in principle, mainly because it looks like you could kill someone with them. Perhaps she was there to assassinate a studio executive? Did she leave in shorter shoes than she arrived in?
On the other hand, I really like Robert Downey's shoes; they look very comfortable.
Posted by: CentrevilleMom | April 23, 2008 12:23 PM
The shoes on the right are a feat of engineering. As high as they are, there is a platform under the ball of the foot built into the shoe which makes them like walking in mere 4 inch heels not 6.
Posted by: jes | April 23, 2008 12:24 PM
I'm sure the new sexy Gwyneth was a suggestion of the studio producing Iron Man. It's all part of the marketing campaign to attract young men interested in comics. Whenever an actress has a new movie coming out she does a scantily clad layout in Vanity Fair, etc. or a story is leaked about a possible romance with her co-star. A lot of big budget movies have been bombing lately so major stars who were reluctant to "lower" themselves by doing press junkets are out in full force.
Posted by: Woodbridge | April 23, 2008 12:25 PM
Do we need to be worried about Centrevillemom after her 12:23 comment?
Posted by: jes | April 23, 2008 12:27 PM
maybe i'm not spending enough for shoes, but can those possibly be comfortable? do pricier shoes offer my comfort than, say, my 9 wests?
Posted by: wats | April 23, 2008 12:37 PM
Nah, I wouldn't worry too much -- I did say it was in principle. Very few actors and characters go for shoe-based weapons; in fact, I can't think of too many beyond Maxwell Smart and that guy from the first Austin Powers film. :)
Posted by: CentrevilleMom | April 23, 2008 12:40 PM
From a straight "Would I?" perspective, yes. I would. Her Shakespeare In Love sex scenes are some of my favorite mainstream-movie bootknocking sessions ever. I rather liked her old sleek end-of-the-1990s look, but once she ex-pat'd herself and then started pandering to the Brits, I got annoyed. Still, I'm looking forward to Iron Man (which I think is going to be fun), and if she's looking hot in it, all the better.
Posted by: 23112 | April 23, 2008 1:28 PM
In case you forgot, she's always been a high fashion gal.
She may pitch for Lauder and Lauren but that doesn't mean she's so mundane personally.
Posted by: RoseG | April 23, 2008 1:29 PM
Byoolin, did you just flash us some news? Mrs. Byoolin is married to Robert Downey Jr.???
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | April 23, 2008 2:02 PM
I liked the shoes yesterday and I still like em today.
I don't understand where the idea came from that changing one's appearance means that one is having an affair, or planning a divorce or some other giant life change. Lots of people change their look periodically to keep from getting too bored, or because their daily committments have changed or just because. I have done it in the past just to freshen up my life a little bit.
I am wondering why Mr. Downey Jr. is thinking about being married to Mrs. Byoolin?!? (Please refer to Byoolin's post at 11:34.) That's mightly open, um, minded of you Byoolin!
Posted by: sunnydaze | April 23, 2008 2:08 PM
Those shoes are bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
Obviously a package arrived at the Queen's doorstep that said "Deliver to anglophile Gwen" and they were delivered to the wrong one: Those shoes (all of them!) would look great on Gwen Stefani, not Miss Insouciance. Although she has been seen out and about with Madge, so she may be taking advice on how to reinvent herself.
And one more thing -- it's Ministry of Silly Walks, Gwen, not Ministry of Silly Shoes. If you are going to give a nod to you're wittier Brits, at least have the decency to perform some silly walks as well. Yours are just not up to snuff and entirely, dare I say it, American looking.
Posted by: rachelt | April 23, 2008 2:08 PM
I don't care how comfortable Gwynnie's shoes are. If I wore heels like that, it would take me less than two minutes to get them stuck in a sidewalk crack.
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | April 23, 2008 2:09 PM
I like Gwynneth! Both ways! Is there something wrong with me?
Posted by: h3 | April 23, 2008 2:10 PM
I wonder if Mrs. Byoo...er...Gwynnie and her shoes are available this weekend to come aerate my lawn.
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | April 23, 2008 2:12 PM
Mrs. byoolin is married to RD, Jr. only in the I-was-covering-my-own-behind sense of the word. (One doesn't want to be seen to be making googly-eyes at anyone other than one's own true one-and-only, after all.)
But if you want real news flash, Star Jones is giving Al Reynolds the ol' heave-ho, sez the Associated Press. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080423/ap_on_en_tv/people_star_jones
No word on whether the de-nuptials will be sponsored by The Demolition Contractors Association Of America.
Posted by: byoolin | April 23, 2008 2:15 PM
She kinda looks like Cate Blanchett in the photo on the right -- actually, well, kinda, um, hot. What's wrong with me?!
Posted by: td | April 23, 2008 2:17 PM
In a New York minute....if Robert Downey, Jr doesn't get there first.
Shouldn't cal Ripken been cast as iron Man?
Don't sweat the baseball reference, Liz.
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 23, 2008 2:18 PM
The new haircut looks wonderful. The soft curls and shoulder length are age-appropriate and complement her body as well as her eyes and cheekbones.
Gwyneth was due for a makeover. Her old hairstyle was a little-girl, Alice-in-Wonderland style that was not flattering. It elongated her face and shortened her body from shoulder to waist.
Posted by: Janey | April 23, 2008 2:19 PM
"I like Gwynneth! Both ways!" <--Hee hee, snort!
Posted by: td | April 23, 2008 2:20 PM
Silly Walks? In a skirt that short?
Let me get my camera.
Posted by: byoolin | April 23, 2008 2:22 PM
In a only sort of related comment there was an interesting article on NPR's website yesterday about how we should all be walking around barefoot because shoes make us walk funny. If I wore heels like Gwen's I'm sure I'd be walking funny.
Posted by: Stuck@Work | April 23, 2008 2:59 PM
Oh yeah, and high heels were created so people wouldn't step in dung.
Posted by: Stuck@Work | April 23, 2008 3:14 PM
Star Jones' pending divorce, while ripped from today's headlines, is not a news flash. However, it does illustrate yet another incidence where Hillary Rodham Clinton exercised some bad judgement. I'm sure that both Barack Obama and John McCain would say they never would have been caught dead at Star Jones' corporate-funded wedding, had they been invited.
Posted by: MoCoSnarky | April 23, 2008 3:17 PM
I take it that Her Insouciance was not in heels those times that she stepped in it.
Posted by: Oh yeah, and high heels were created so people wouldn't step in dung. | April 23, 2008 3:18 PM
So, Stuck, logically we can assume that stilts were invented in either D.C. or Hollywood, right?
Posted by: byoolin | April 23, 2008 3:27 PM
Byoolin asks: So, Stuck, logically we can assume that stilts were invented in either D.C. or Hollywood, right?
Stilts were invented in Hollywood.
Knee pads were invented in DC.
Posted by: Sasquatch | April 23, 2008 3:56 PM
I've always hated Gwen's clothes. Still do. Just saying, Robert Downey, Jr. sure looks great. Glad he isn't sporting the orange jumpsuit anymore.
Posted by: possum | April 23, 2008 4:31 PM
"Stilts were invented in Hollywood.
Knee pads were invented in DC." --------------
Cue the cymbal crash and Ed McMahon clip saying, "A-OHHHHHHH!" Good one, Sasquatch!
Posted by: td | April 23, 2008 4:51 PM
Feh. Looks like she's getting ready to work the horizontal pole. Hope RDJR brought plenty of singles.
Posted by: ex cap | April 23, 2008 4:59 PM
i hearby nominate sasquatch for comment of the week!
Posted by: melissamac1 | April 23, 2008 5:01 PM
I think I prefer the high-fashion, Gwen. Not a fan of the sky-high stilettos but I do like the haircut, the fresh looking makeup and the dress. Judging from the new look, I'm starting to think the rumors about her marriage not working may be true...
Posted by: plamar1031 | April 23, 2008 5:03 PM
Want economic security? Forget becoming a Detroit auto worker. Think, Hollywood podiatrist.
Posted by: _kt_ | April 23, 2008 9:25 PM
Ow! Those shows make my feet hurt just looking at them! How can she walk, no how can she *stand*, in shoes like that without falling over? I prefer granola Gwen, simply because it was different. I do like the new haircut, though.
Posted by: DC Cubefarm | April 24, 2008 11:16 AM
Those shoes are gorgeous. There's nothing wrong with a high heel as long as you can still strut!
Posted by: pook | April 24, 2008 6:08 PM
How tall is she? It is said that she recently joint the tall dating site ---Tallhub.com---, and her profile said that she is looking for a tall man who is much taller than her!!!!
Posted by: sarana | April 26, 2008 9:22 AM
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Washingtonpost.com blogger Liz Kelly dishes on the latest happenings in entertainment, celebrity, and Hollywood news.
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Comcast's Network Practices Need Scrutiny, FCC Chief Says
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin yesterday challenged several of Comcast's claims about how it operates its Internet network, taking his strongest stance yet against the cable operator.
Martin's comments came during a hearing held by the Senate Commerce Committee on the future of the Internet. Comcast is under investigation for allegedly delaying some Web traffic over its network.
Specifically, Martin said in his testimony that it appeared Comcast had singled out content for delay over its network, even when the network may not have been congested with overuse. He also said he doubted the company's statements that it would stop some of its practices by the end of the year.
"I believe that we should evaluate the practices with heightened scrutiny," Martin told lawmakers.
The FCC chairman, however, stopped short of asking Congress to act, arguing against passing new laws to enforce openness on the Web, a concept known as net neutrality. He said that the FCC had sufficient authority to enforce its four broad principles on broadband Internet management and that the agency should evaluate complaints on a case-by-case basis.
"I have consistently stated that the four principles are enforceable through the complaint process and adjudications," Martin said in a statement after the hearing. Martin has argued against a bill introduced by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) to enforce open-network rules. At the same time, he has not objected to clarifications that would enable the FCC to enforce its existing guidelines.
The FCC chairman's comment about Comcast indicated that the agency was moving toward taking action against the cable operator, said Roger Entner, a senior vice president at IAG Research.
Comcast was thrust into the debate over net neutrality after the public-interest group Free Press and a company called Vuze filed complaints that the cable company slowed the transfer of video and other Internet content by users of the file-sharing application BitTorrent.
"Right now, the agency's principles give the FCC a lot of leeway, which is what they want," Entner said.
But the agency's authority to enforce those principles is being debated.
Cable operators have said that the FCC doesn't have the power to enforce principles that broadly require unfettered Internet access for consumers. They said that their network management practices are reasonable and that the industry can police itself.
"None of the evidence suggests that any network provider manages their network for anti-competitive reasons. Rather, all of the evidence suggests that they do so to ensure all of their customers have the best possible Internet experience," said Kyle McSlarrow, head of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.
Some committee members said industry-backed solutions might not go far enough. Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) said yesterday that rulemaking would help codify the agency's power to enforce its policies.
Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, agreed that rules clarifying the FCC's role would be an important step. "That would give Kevin Martin an ironclad way to protect consumers and their right to the content of their choice," he said.
The entertainment industry, meanwhile, is divided on net neutrality. Yesterday's panel included Hollywood writers and actors who testified in favor of regulations that would prevent media companies and cable and telecommunications carriers from controlling content over the Internet networks.
"The Internet holds incredible potential to resurrect a vibrant industry of independent creators with free access to, and distribution of . . . content," Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West, said in his testimony yesterday.
But groups such as the Songwriters Guild of America have argued against net neutrality, saying a network without controls would effectively enable rampant piracy and copyright infringement.
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin yesterday challenged several of Comcast's claims about how it operates its Internet network, taking his strongest stance yet against the cable operator.
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In OT, Caps Are Blindsided
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Only 20 teams in NHL history have rallied from such a deficit to win a seven-game playoff series. Last night, the Washington Capitals' bid to become No. 21 came up just short.
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Joffrey Lupul flipped a rebound past goaltender Cristobal Huet on the power play at 6 minutes 6 seconds of overtime to beat the Capitals, 3-2, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals had rallied from a series deficit of three games to one and dominated the third period of Game 7 at sold-out Verizon Center, but were unable to squeeze one of their 16 shots in the final 20 minutes past Flyers goalie Martin Biron. It came back to haunt them in overtime.
Defenseman Tom Poti was whistled for tripping R.J. Umberger at 4:15 of the extra session. Then, just as Poti was about to return to the ice, Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen fired a shot from the point. Huet made the original save, but the rebound kicked out to Lupul, who had slipped loose of defenseman Milan Jurcina in front. Huet looked the wrong way momentarily after losing track of the rebound.
"I thought it went the other way," Huet said. "They got a good bounce at the right time. It's definitely frustrating. But I think we played hard and we battled. But we couldn't find the back of the net before them."
Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Poti's penalty: "He tripped him. You can't deny he didn't trip them."
Boudreau then added, "I just told them they gave me the best year of my life, and I thanked them."
With a flick of Lupul's wrist, the Capitals' amazing run was over, their comeback from last place in the NHL, their near rally from a 3-1 deficit in this series, was done.
While it might have been Huet's last game in a Capitals jersey -- he is an unrestricted free agent this summer and likely will be coveted by many teams -- the status of the Capitals' other netminder no longer appears to be in doubt.
Longtime Capital Olie Kolzig, who lost his job to Huet last month, removed his nameplate from his locker stall after the game. Kolzig, 38, declined to speak to reporters, but his gesture spoke volumes about his future in Washington, and with the organization that drafted him in 1989.
But as the door may be closing on Kolzig's tenure here, it's just beginning for a young and exciting Capitals team that appears to be built for long-term success.
"It's disappointing, it's devastating," forward Brooks Laich said. "I don't know what to say. I think we're all kind of stunned right now."
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Only 20 teams in NHL history have rallied from such a deficit to win a seven-game playoff series. Last night, the Washington Capitals' bid to become No. 21 came up just short.
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Redskins Are Pursuing C. Johnson
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Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis confirmed yesterday to ESPN and the Associated Press that his team turned down the Redskins' most recent offer: a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick for Johnson.
Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, said only: "We'll just leave it with what Marvin Lewis said. I really don't think there's anything to add to that."
The deal remains unlikely because the Bengals have refused to budge on their stance on Johnson's availability and would take an $8 million salary cap hit if he is traded before June. After the Redskins approached Cincinnati, Bengals owner Mike Brown reiterated he would not trade Johnson, who has publicly lashed out at team officials and teammates while trying to force a trade, said NFL executives who have spoken with Cincinnati.
Washington's pursuit of Johnson or another top wide receiver who might be dealt before the draft is expected to continue up until the Redskins make their first-round pick, the 21st overall, on Saturday. Acquiring Johnson has been the Redskins' No. 1 offseason objective and they are prepared to guarantee him about $21 million as part of a new contract, according to league sources.
Washington hopes to provide developing quarterback Jason Campbell with a bigger target as the team transitions to new coach Jim Zorn's version of the West Coast offense. As reported in January, owner Daniel Snyder and Cerrato told several of their head coaching candidates that they were seeking Johnson, who is 6 feet 1, 192 pounds, to be the primary target for Campbell.
Zorn, while meeting with reporters after the Redskins' pre-draft news conference at Redskins Park yesterday, was asked whether he could handle Johnson, who is among the league's most outspoken and animated players. "I really don't know Chad all that well and I haven't spoken to him, obviously," said Zorn, alluding to league rules that prohibit teams from contacting players under contract with other clubs.
"You'd really like to get to know a guy before you jump in. In this kind of situation, I don't know yet. You'd hate to comment or speculate on something that's really not there. . . . He's a great, great football player. No question about it."
Johnson, who is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, has been lobbying for a trade since the end of last season, when the Bengals finished 7-9. Although he no longer speaks to Cincinnati reporters, he has given interviews nationally and told ESPN last Wednesday: "I want to be traded before the draft, and if that doesn't happen, I want to be traded as soon as possible," Johnson said. "I don't intend on reporting to anything."
Johnson, 30, had a typically productive season in 2007, with 93 receptions for 1,440 yards and eight touchdowns. In seven seasons, he has caught 559 passes for 8,365 yards and 49 touchdowns.
Yesterday, Lewis was adamant about what Johnson should do.
"I've stated our case with Chad," Lewis said. "He has a contract through 2011. He's stated without an opportunity to go to a different team and a new contract, he wasn't going to play. I think he's a man of his word and says he's not going to play, so don't play."
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The Redskins continue to pursue trading their first-round pick for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson, sources say Tuesday.
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