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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/31/AR2006083100783.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2006090219id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/31/AR2006083100783.html
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Stolen 'Scream' Painting Recovered After 2-Year Search
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LONDON, Aug. 31 -- "The Scream" and another masterpiece by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch were recovered by police in Norway on Thursday, two years after the paintings were ripped off a wall of an Oslo museum by two armed men in black ski masks.
"For two years and nine days we have been hunting systematically for these pictures and now we've found them," Iver Stensrud, who headed the police investigation, said at a news conference in Oslo. "It is a happy day for us in the police, for the owners of the paintings, and not least for the public, which will soon be able to once again admire the paintings."
"The Scream" is one of the most familiar images in Western art. Its open-mouthed, head-clutching howl of angst has been reproduced and parodied on every manner of poster, T-shirt and inflatable sculpture.
The other painting recovered Thursday was "Madonna," a portrait of a bare-breasted woman under a red halo, which Munch painted as part of a series with "The Scream" in 1893-94.
Art experts have speculated that the two paintings together are worth $100 million or more. Both are a source of enormous national pride in Norway.
Police did not say where or how the paintings were found, but Stensrud said the damage to the stolen works was "much less than what one could have expected."
Officials at the Munch Museum in Oslo had worried that the paintings had been damaged when the robbers, who threatened a guard at gunpoint in front of terrified tourists, removed them from the wall and carried them out the door like a couple of footballs.
Police said no reward or ransom for the works had been paid. They said no new arrests had been made and the two gunmen still have not been captured.
Three men were convicted in May on charges related to the robbery. Bjoern Hoen, 37, was sentenced to seven years for planning the heist; Petter Tharaldsen, 34, received eight years for driving the getaway car; and Petter Rosenvinge, 38, was sentenced to four years for supplying the Audi station wagon that the thieves used for their getaway. Three other suspects were acquitted.
Hoen and Tharaldsen were also ordered to pay about $122 million in compensation to the city of Oslo to cover the loss of the paintings. Stensrud said the convicted men had not assisted in the operation to recover the masterpieces.
Munch, who lived from 1863 to 1944, painted several versions of "The Scream," the inspiration for which he said came one night as he walked just after sunset.
"I felt a tinge of melancholy," he later recalled. "Suddenly the sky became a bloody red. . . . I stood there, trembling with fright. And I felt a loud, unending scream piercing nature."
The August 2004 theft was the second time in a decade that a version of Munch's most famous work had been stolen. In 1994, on the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, thieves broke into the National Gallery in Oslo and stole another rendering of the work.
The robbers were arrested three weeks later during a sting operation after they demanded a $1 million ransom.
Among stolen artworks still missing, the Associated Press reported, are three Rembrandts, a Vermeer, a Manet and five Degas drawings taken from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 and a Cezanne stolen from England's Ashmolean Museum in 1999.
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LONDON, Aug. 31 -- "The Scream" and another masterpiece by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch were recovered by police in Norway on Thursday, two years after the paintings were ripped off a wall of an Oslo museum by two armed men in black ski masks.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/24/AR2006082401147.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2006090219id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/24/AR2006082401147.html
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What Went Wrong?
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The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission
By Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton
Almost five years ago, 19 terrorists hijacked four airplanes and changed the course of history. Any doubt that the threat to commercial aviation had receded was shattered just weeks ago when an alleged plot to blow up 10 planes over the Atlantic reminded us how vulnerable we still are to such massive attacks. Just as we underestimated al-Qaeda then, we risk repeating the same mistake now. Al-Qaeda today is frequently described as if it is in retreat: a broken and beaten organization, incapable of mounting further attacks on its own, that has devolved operational authority either to its various affiliates and associates or to organically produced, homegrown terrorist entities. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, al-Qaeda is on the march. It has regrouped and reorganized from the setbacks meted out by the United States, its allies and partners shortly after 9/11 -- above all, the loss of al-Qaeda's sanctuary in Afghanistan -- and is marshalling its forces to continue the war that Osama bin Laden declared against America 10 years ago with his then mostly ignored fatwa.
In this respect, al-Qaeda is functioning exactly as its founders envisioned it: as both an inspiration and an organization, simultaneously summoning a broad universe of like-minded extremists to violence while still providing guidance and assistance for more spectacular types of terrorist operations. On the one hand, it remains true to its name: the Arabic word for a "base of operation" or "foundation," from which a worldwide Islamist revolution can be waged by inspiring radicalized Muslims to join the movement's holy fight. On the other, al-Qaeda continues to exercise its core operational and command-and-control capabilities: directing and implementing terrorist attacks, including perhaps the thwarted airline bombings, the 7/7 suicide bombings that occurred in London last July and the foiled 2004 plot to stage simultaneous suicide attacks on economic targets in lower Manhattan, Newark, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
To comprehend al-Qaeda's extraordinary resiliency and stubborn capacity for renewal and regeneration, one has to understand its early history and especially the powerful personalities of the two men responsible for its emergence and evolution: bin Laden and his deputy cum mentor, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
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Search Washington, DC area books events, reviews and bookstores from the Washington Post. Features DC, Virginia and Maryland entertainment listings for bookstores and books events. Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/print/bookworld today.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/08/25/DI2006082500878.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2006090219id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/08/25/DI2006082500878.html
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Tell Me About It
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Appearing every Wednesday and Friday in The Washington Post Style section and in Sunday Source, Tell Me About It offers readers advice based on the experiences of someone who's been there -- really recently. Carolyn Hax is a 30-something repatriated New Englander with a liberal arts degree and a lot of opinions and that's about it, really, when you get right down to it. Oh, and the shoes. A lot of shoes.
Sunday's Column: So I definitely identify with the untreated depressed girlfriend described in Sunday's column. I have a similar problem and I know it's getting worse -- but I just can't work up the motivation to call for help. Sometimes I will get these guilty feelings because I know I should be seeking help. But I can never take that next step. I just don't feel like dealing with this, with exploring what's going on, with having someone examine my life and potentially be critical of it. But I'm afraid of what will happen if I wait too long.
I just don't know how to get out of this cycle.
Carolyn Hax: Do you have a number handy? Can you make the call right now? Or do you have to do some research first?
I really believe that, if you think about it, you'd choose a little criticism (which you aren't likeky to get, by the way) over feeling bad all the time. And yet you're tacitly saying you prefer to feel bad all the time.
As for the criticism, that's not what therapists do. You'll be the one examining your life, with a guide. PLease make the call(s).
Carolyn Hax: Speaking of criticism--still on dial-up today. Sorry. I'm trying.
I entertain quite frequently in my home. Guests often bring wine as a hostess gift. For the most part, it is inexpensive and of a quality I do not care to drink, serve or regift. It has accumulated to quite a stash in my basement. What can I do to relieve myself of it discreetly? The local food banks won't take it off my hands.
Carolyn Hax: That is a really interesting question. Anyone? (If any of it is mine, you can give it back--I'll think it's funny.)
Hippiechick in Pennsylvania: Help! I'm sad and depressed, I just left DSW emptyhanded.
Carolyn Hax: It's okay. Now you can spend twice as much next time.
Washington, D.C.: Dear Carolyn, I'm a 35-year old male. Frequently, when I make the acquaintance of an attractive woman (at work, at a social event, etc.), within three-to-five minutes of commencing the conversation she will invariably interject a blatant non sequitur about her boyfriend. Since I'm simply engaging in pleasant small talk, I find this habit both mystifying and annoying. What do you think this is all about?
Carolyn Hax: One of two things, unless it's both: She has a huge ego, or she's been hit on so many times she's built in a defense mechanism (of which it's possible she's not even aware). Either way, unless the small talk is unprecedentedly pleasant, it just means it's time to move along.
For the person with the wine: Make sangria at your next party. It works very well with inexpensive wine and your guests will love it.
Re: the first post: I'm in a similar situation, sort of. I should make that call too but for me it's more about what if counseling doesn't work. Then what? The rational part of me says you never know until you try, but the back of my brain is saying the devil you know.... I don't want to fail at this I guess.
Carolyn Hax: If counseling "doesn't work," you find another counselor. It's not like aspirin. Obviously if you're on your 14th therapist this formula won't apply, but I really think responsible treatment of depression includes more than one health provider anyway (unless your one is really thorough)--since there are a range of sources that can involve life issues, brain chemistry, prescription drugs you might be taking, other physical ailments ... so think of it as a process of tracking down your better mood, not going to someone's office to pick it up.
Wine ?: Give it to a local art gallery. The wine they serve at openings is usually pretty cheap.
Carolyn Hax: Right, and bonus points if it's an organization that's barely scraping by--a nonprofit arts group or something. Thanks. Great idea.
New York, N.Y.: Hi Carolyn!
Thanks for doing this chat during your vacation. I really hope you can answer this question.
I have friends coming in from out of town this weekend. They want to take my gf and me out to dinner. My girlfriend has met them before but she dislikes eating with them because they insist on saying a very elaborate grace (including a solo "I thank God for..." by each participant). She is an atheist.
I really don't mind if she doesn't come, but these are dear family friends whom I don't see often, and who actually really like her. I was thinking that she could accompany me to the restaurant just to say hi/give regrets and make some excuse before exiting.
Do you think this is too obvious? Should she just not come altogether and send regrets via me?
Carolyn Hax: Couldn't she just say, "I'm grateful for ..." during her solo? Assuming she would otherwise want to be there, if it weren't for the grace?
Certainly there's nothing wrong with her not being there. "I'm sorry, X won't be joining us tonight, but she sends her best." That works for all but the most egregious social absences (a bride who stands up her groom would have to do a little better, I think). And you could also do what you suggest--or have them over for cocktails before dinner or something. But it seems like a lot of maneuvering for soemthing that could be solved by counting quietly to 100. (or 4,000.)
I am curious to what you think. What is the acceptable number of sexual partners a woman should have by the time she is 35? My boyfriend has been badgering me for a number, and I lied and said 10 thinking that is a low number and he went ballistic, questioning my virtue, etc. I sometimes feel like I am some whore, and I most certainly am not, but the funny thing is, he has been with at least 50 woman!
I know double standards are evil, but they still exist, even amongst well-educated and well-bred individuals (we both have MBAs).
Is it a hopeless situation? Is there an acceptable number a boyfriend would allow? I can't believe I am having this conversation but this is not the first time a guy has question my morals solely by how many partners I have had! IS the clock turning back to the '50s?
Carolyn Hax: The acceptable number of partners is:
He is the hopeless situation. Get out and be grateful he made it so easy. Jerk.
But then, you lied to him, and you used "well-bred" with a straight face, so the clock isn't going back to the 50s without your help.
Own your life. Some guys won't like it. Tough.
re: boyfriend name dropping: What does the 35-year-old experience when he has strikes up a conversation with the unattractive women? Maybe he should give them a try.
Carolyn Hax: Nice in theory, but if it's something he has to "try," it goes in the don't-do-me-any-favors-please bin.
Grace for an atheist: "I thank god for the freedom to choose to be an atheist."
That should knock them out!! (Can I come?)
Carolyn Hax: (Bring cheap wine.)
Mr. Non Sequitur: She's just trying to save you the embarrassment of getting shot down if you should hit on her.
(Actually, she's trying to save herself having to deal with the awkwardness and hostility that often results when a woman rejects a man's advances, but I told you the other reason because I'm trying to save myself having to deal with the awkwardness and hostility that results when you let slip to a man that the world is not All About Him.)
Carolyn Hax: Now now. No need to get hostile about it.
Washington, D.C.: How do you decide which questions to answer? I wrote to your chat last week. I was desperate and suicidal about my problem. You chose not to take my question. Fortunately for me, between the time I submitted my question and your chat, I got in touch with a health care professional. However, not everyone who is desperate and writes to you will contact a health care professional. Certainly, you can't take all questions. But being an advice columnist invites pleas for help from those who might be in dire condition. I am disappointed you chose not to address my question, especially given the questions you did answer. But I understand you get a lot of questions and it's your choice about which ones to answer. Does the impact of your not addressing questions from those who are desperate concern you?
Carolyn Hax: Of course it does. It haunts me. That's why I take care to point out at every opportunity that I don't even see all the questions I receive during these sessions. I read many questions during the chat as I make my choices, but even then, when I sit down to read the outtakes after the live session is over, it takes me another two hours or so to get through them, sometimes more.
That said, there are times I do see a serious question and choose not to answer it. My reasons change depending on the the question, but the two main ones are that the question is clearly out of my depth--I am not a trained/licensed counselor--or that I've already answered a lot of serious questions and I don't want to give the impression that this forum is the place for serious questions. I do take some, yes, on subjects where I feel comfortable, to get people thinking and also to (I hope) prepare people to act on their own when something serious happens to them.
But I can't be counted on to be anyone's last line of defense--I'm not trained for it, and I'm not accessible enough for it. Yes, sometimes people will see me that way, so all I can do is try to discourage them from seeing me that way and then lose sleep at night.
I'm relieved, and encouraged, that you called for help. Thanks for writing in.
re: The Number: As a male, I can understand Arlington's point. And your advice about dropping the jerk is fine, however, you would be shocked Carolyn to really hear the male point of view on sexual histories of women! I am talking, law school, pro-choice, Democrat voting, "well bred" guys who harbor such unbending double standards. Many, maybe even most do, from my empirical evidence.
I think this issue deserves more insight instead of "he's a jerk." Trust me, as enlightened as I think I am about women, if my wife slept with me on the first date, or had as many sexual partners as me I would not be married to her!
Carolyn Hax: Guess what. It doesn't deserve any more insight.
Mentioning the boyfriend: Wouldn't it be strange NOT to mention the boyfriend? I mean, if you're talking about something you did over the weekend, or any number of things, it's only natural to mention your SO in the conversation. It's a major part of your life. It doesn't have to mean she was expecting to be hit on.
Carolyn Hax: He said it was a non sequitur. So maybe the answer is to be smoother about mentioning the boyfriend.
Suprising nerve hit on this one.
For Washington, D.C.: I promise to stop name-dropping my boyfriend if you tell me how to tell the difference, within the first two or three conversational exchanges, between men who are just trying to have a polite conversation, and men who are going to interpret any polite response as a sign of my interest in them and then accuse me of leading them on when I reject their advances.
I can't tell the difference until it's too late, so I name-drop my boyfriend as a pre-emptive strike. I don't really enjoy doing this, so if you have any better ideas I'd love to hear them.
Or you could just do what feels right, and if you get yelled at for it, just say, "I'm sorry you saw it that way. I saw it as friendly conversation." Essentially, it's standing up for yourself, which is no fun, but neither is a preemptive strike.
Ms. Parenthetical: Wasn't someone else's point that the world wasn't all about her?
Oh god, here we go again, "Mars!" "No, Venus!" You're a slut! No your a manslut!
People please, why can't we all just drink some cheap wine and get along!
Carolyn Hax: If we do it at DSW, we've got the whole chat covered. Thanks.
Response to the Number: What makes you so sure your wife told you her real number!?
Carolyn Hax: I'm weeping with glee.
Double This!: "if my wife slept with me on the first date, or had as many sexual partners as me I would not be married to her!"
I'm a guy and this guy is a pig.
Carolyn Hax: The other guy says you're just trying to get [some].
Rockville, Md.: My husband and I don't have any fun anymore. We've been together for eight years and have three young kids so we never go out anymore. This doesn't seem to bother my husband but it really bothers me. There is no laughter, light hearted banter or just plain fun. I've mentioned it to him and he just says we're busy (meaning, he's busy with his job and the kids and too tired after that to do much more). I know, I know, I could go out and do my own thing but I don't think that will make me happy. I want to be happy again with him. We don't have a lot of babysitter options and no money for a nanny so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated for putting the fun back in our marriage.
Carolyn Hax: You didn't say NO babysitter options, right? So arrange, somehow, for you and he to have a weekly date night--just tell him you need t and you;re doing it. Go tired. Go broke. Go remind yourselves that there used to be two of you, before you forget or stop caring.
It's not going to work miracles, because you've got little kids pulling you to them and away from each other, it just happens that way--but if you give it time I think it will work.
Re: The Number: When you're having a serious conversation about sexual histories, isn't the point to put out there what sort of health issues you may have dealt with or be dealing with? Disclose if you've been exposed (and for heaven's sake, everyone who's been active even once has been exposed to something, unless they were sleeping with a virgin), and leave the rest on the cuting room floor. Why should a number matter?
I'd dump anyone who asked me (I'm a woman), and anyone I asked should feel justified in dumping me. If you can't behave like an adult, then don't swim in the adult pool.
been-around just really pissed me off.)
Carolyn Hax: Your long parenthetical explains exactly why numbers (other than 0, or 177 if you;re claiming to have slept only with virgins) aren't even useful for health discussions. Though I would modify it to, "and for heaven's sake, everyone who's been active even once has RISKED EXPOSURE to something, unless they were sleeping with a virgin."
The point of sexual-history sharing--not numbers--is to get to know the person's values, attitude toward sex, attitude toward the opposite sex, comfort with him- or herself, comfort with choices, wisdom gleaned from mistakes, wisdom gleaned from successes, and other incredibly valuable stuff.
Sometimes, the valuable stuff comes in the form of a tipoff to a morally repulsive double-standard, which is always nice to know about a person before you get too invested.
RE: double standard: UGH! Of all double standards, this one is the worst!
Carolyn, are there any double standards that swing our (female) way??
Carolyn Hax: Are you kidding? How about: Women who don't want to work outside the home are nurturers, and men who don't want to work outside the home are lazy bloodsuckers. It's almost as pervasive, but provokes far less outrage.
Washington, D.C.: Any advice on wedding planning when the groom's mother wants to invite about 400 people and not contribute financially toward the wedding? Bride's side, who is paying for the wedding, has invited about 85.
Carolyn Hax: Groom goes back to mother and says, we can only invite 85. (Or whatever number Bride and Groom deem appropriate--if Groom's family is bigger you don't want to exclude arbitrarily just to be "fair."
Groom, btw, does not blame this on Bride. He presents it as his decision, in an effort to avoid bankrupting his in-laws-to-be.
RE: Rockville, no babysitting options: Gee, I'll bet the nice family next door feels the same way you do about getting out without the kids every once in a while... why not watch their kids twice a month and they watch yours twice a month so everyone gets a chance to be an adult for a few shining moments?
Carolyn Hax: For people who don't know other families, here's your incentive. Thanks.
Re: Women and small talk: I made an acquaintance over the course of several industry conventions (we kept running into each other) and assumed my engagement and wedding rings precluded my having to drop a mention of my husband. Till one coffee break when we were chatting about movies and I said "we" saw X. My acquaintance responded "Who's we?" Once I said I meant my husband and me, everything changed -- he started stammering on and on about his latest developments on Match.com and then said he had to go to check his e-mail because he was expecting an important message, etc. I just thought he was a friendly work contact, but I guess I SHOULD have made some "discreet" comment about my husband. I suppose I will from now on.
Just thought I'd share the flip side.
Carolyn Hax: Why "should" you have, though? It was one awkward moment. Surely it's not our burden to anticipate and prevent every possible one of those.
Re: Double standards: How about: some women expect to be treated as professional and economic equals, yet still believe in the mating rituals of old (i.e. the guy always pays) and the right to alimony on divorce. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
Carolyn Hax: Of course not. But youre right, thanks.
Counting the numbers: I think if a guy is too obsessed about how many partners who've had, it's a sign that he may be a very jealous person. As in, being jealous or suspicious of when you've given no reason for him to doubt you. Take it as a warning sign. Relationships like this are complete misery!
Carolyn Hax: Not to mention, often, dangerous. Thanks.
RE: Rockville: It might be a good idea to join a class together (a dance class at your Rec center, or a pottery class) Or anything else that is scheduled.
Date nights are nice in theory, but to often they devolve into the same ol same ol - and then before you know it your back where you're started.
Having a scheduled event makes it harder to skip - and gives you a fun way to start the evening (most classes are an hour or so - so you'd have time for dinner before or after!)
Carolyn Hax: This will sound contrary for the sake of being contrary, but I swear it isn't--sometimes the class can become drudgy and same-old, too. But I agree with the basic point--watch for ruts. Thanks.
Washington, D.C.: Today's column really scared the hell out of me. I'm single and 28, and I'm terrified to get married because of men like that. I wish I could say it's just a guy here and there but I hear a lot of my female married (and now-divorced) friends complaining about the same thing. But not even that scares me the most. With infidelity statistics on the rise (I've read many experts think the percentages are probably higher because people don't like to admit dishonesty even in anonymous surveys) and columnists like Maureen Dowd constantly reminding us that the more powerful and educated a woman is the less likely she is to get married and have children I feel like I'm doomed to a life of misery. Don't get me wrong. I don't feel the "need" to get married which is why I think many women get into bad marriages in the first place. But eventually I'd like to marry and start a family. I'm not ashamed to admit that. But if my only options are playing mommy to my children AND husband (who may cheat on me with a secretary anyway) or being rejected because I'm too independent I'd rather stay single and childless forever.
If all this is true then feminism was a cruel joke on all of us. Or am I way off base here?
Carolyn Hax: You're way off base on the generalizations. Yes, some men are content to leave the kids and housework to women. Yes, some high-powered women are lonely. Yes, some men cheat.
But some aren't, and some aren't, and some don't.
Judge individuals, as you think, judge and mate as an individual, and you'll probably be fine. Or not, but, that just happens sometimes.
You can also get beyond the generalizations in your specific examples. If you hear "a lot" of your friends complaining about this, then that also means some of your friends aren't complaining about this. Talk to them about it--I'll fall over senseless if they don't have an opinion about it.
Actually, I might fall over senseless anyway. Sounds like fun.
You can also ask your angry friends if, in hindsight, they had any indication their partnerships wouldn't be equal. Bet there will be interesting answers there, too.
Anonymous: I'm a suspicious girl, I lie about previous relationships, make things up, just to see how stable he is... but he says I'm the unstable one, lying like I do.
Not depressed, just overwhelmed and exhausted: Sometimes think I should see a therapist for some recent issues in my life, but then I think that's just one more thing I would have to add to an already packed and stressful schedule
Carolyn Hax: Have you tried thinking of the thing you'd drop so you could see a therapist, then dropping the thing, then not seeing a therapist (at least not right away)?
Obviously if these recent issues demand your attention you shouldn't fight them off with a scheduling trick, but since you;d have to clear space for the appointment anyway, and since it's a common trap to be overcommitted to overcommittedness, it might be an exercise worth attempting.
Washington, D.C.: How do I give my boyfriend more assurance that I am committed to this relationship? We are not yet ready for marriage no matter how much we talk about it, there are several issues that we need to work out and he knows this, and we are actually working on them. So short of moving in with him, which is what i think he wants but he has known from the beginning that I do not want to live with anyone before marriage, how do I convince him that I'm serious?
Carolyn Hax: You don't, you don't, you don't. All you can do is be in the relationship to the extent you want to be, and show him the affection you feel, and not yield to pressure. The rest is his obstacle to get over.
Sorry to be out of the blue, but do advice columnists ever have conventions or conferences? One time I walked into a hotel and found myself in the midst of a funeral directors' conference. Anyway. Do advice columnists have some sort of professional network thing?
Carolyn Hax: If they do, they have the good sense not to invite me.
Disheartening chat: The numbers thing.
I think the pro-choice, Democratic lawyer has said about the worst thing he could about his wife. I am sorry but there is no way I would want to be married to a man who would determine marriage based on my holding out for a second date or having fewer partners than him. Ugh.
You would give up your WIFE, the woman you love most, were she to have too many partners? I hope she sees this chat and arrives home tonight with divorce papers.
Carolyn Hax: At first I was worried about overreacting, but I've got a slow burn on, too. He called her a piece of meat. It is really horrible.
Chicago: I work for a firm that does research for other companies. This can be anything from sifting through documents in a public library to following someone (essentially spying) who might be lying about a disability to defraud an insurance company.
The boss is a very old-fashioned man who believes in giving the library-type jobs to women and the gumshoe-type jobs to men. This bothers me, as the gumshoe-type jobs are the more interesting and a better way to advance in your career.
The odd thing is, all the other women in the office talk about what a fine gentleman he is for not wanting women to be in any danger. How can I get both the boss and my female co-workers to realize that he's not doing us any favors?
Carolyn Hax: Have you said to the boss yet that you want the gumshoe job, you're more interested in that kind of work, you want your career to take that direction, and you're comfortable with the risk?
I have a party tomorrow and we used an Internet invitation service... right now we have 23 people who have opened our e-card and have not RSVP. I am co-hosting and I want to take their names out of the invite (they won't be able to get details of the party and will be informed they were removed) My co-host thinks this is disinviting, I think they did not RSVP, therefore they are not attending. What is the proper thing to do? Thanks!
Carolyn Hax: The proper thing is to assume they aren't coming, not to e-slap their wrists. I can see why you're tempted, though. We're in the midst of an RSVP crime wave.
What do you think about a couple getting married before they are financially stable? My boyfriend and I are very happy together and have been for several years. But we both have debt--mine worse than his. Mine is worse than his and I am in pretty bad shape financially. However, it evens out because I make a lot more money than he does. We want to get married despite the money problems. But is this is just a bad idea?
Carolyn Hax: It's a bad idea if you haven't stopped over-spending, gotten on a payment plan, turned your credit rating around. Both of you should be at a point where you're both handling your finances, and lives, and selves, responsibly. That's actually true regardless of debt.
Santa Fe, N.M.: How much is too much to ask of a wedding guest? Destination wedding, short notice, very expensive (for my budget), and a bad time at work. Can I graciously bow out or do I grin and charge it? Couple has offered travel vouchers to the deserving (I qualify, but feel weird accepting).
Carolyn Hax: Graciously bow out. "No" is only a two-letter word. (And a person who tears into you for saying no isn't your problem, I swear.)
Carolyn Hax: You -qualify- for a -voucher-? I need a little keyboard-size pillow.
RE: Rockville: "It might be a good idea to join a class together (a dance class at your Rec center, or a pottery class) Or anything else that is scheduled" Geez, Carolyn. This was a good idea. Why shoot it down? Taking a class together was one of the only fun things my ex and I ever did together over the course of a miserable 9 year marriage. Don't be so quick to dismiss
Carolyn Hax: I wasn't dismissing it, I was just noting that it can get old, too, so don't go scheduled-date crazy. Nothing more sinister than that.
Re: Wine: Drink it. Price does NOT equal quality or taste. The wine was a gift. Nothing is lost if you try it and don't like it. You never know, you may find a nice inexpensive wine you like.
Carolyn Hax: A lottery in a bottle! Or a blottery in a lottle, if you get a bit carried away.
Speaking of--bye. Thanks for stopping in, and type to you next week.
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Hey, Don't Say They Didn't Warn You . . .
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Okay, you've been warned. Now we can proceed to the article at hand, which is about warning labels.
They're everywhere. Warning labels appear on toothpaste tubes, music CDs, restaurant menus, dog leashes, rented movies, bottles of water, bottles of champagne, bottles of bubble bath and biology textbooks.
Warning labels inform Americans that cigarettes are unhealthy, that coffee is hot, that sleeping pills can cause drowsiness, that Tide laundry detergent is not a good food source, that baking dishes get hot in the oven, that bottles of seltzer "may spray or fizz while opening" and that it is not a good idea to eat the toner used in laser printers.
These days, new inventions beget new warning labels. Many cars feature a computer that displays a map showing how to get from where you are to where you're going. It includes this warning:
"Watching this screen while vehicle is in motion can lead to a serious accident."
In the United States, some warning labels are mandated by federal or state law. Others are voluntarily affixed by businesses hoping to educate the public -- or avoid lawsuits. And one warning label -- a sticker saying "Warning: This House Protected by Electronic Alarm System" -- is sold for 50 cents to homeowners too cheap to shell out for a real electronic alarm system.
Warning labels frequently incite legal and political battles. The Senate is currently considering a bill, already passed by the House, that would prevent states from mandating food warning labels that the federal government doesn't require. The debate inspired one environmental group, which opposed the bill, to give every House member a bottle of Pepto-Bismol with a fake warning label that read: "H.R. 4167 side effects may include vomiting, diarrhea, birth defects, cancer and worse."
In Cobb County, Ga., the school board voted to stick warning labels in biology books: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered." Parents opposed to the stickers sued to remove them, and won. The school board appealed, and the case is still pending.
Meanwhile, a federal court judge recently dismissed a lawsuit by a vegetarian group demanding that milk sold in the District of Columbia carry a label warning that it might harm the lactose-intolerant.
This warning label thing has gone too far, says Robert B. Dorigo Jones. "I've got a fishing lure with three big hooks and a warning label that says, 'Harmful if swallowed,' " he grumbles.
Dorigo Jones is the author of the forthcoming book "Remove Child Before Folding: The 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever." The book's title derives from a warning label on a baby stroller.
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WARNING: Do not read this newspaper while driving a motor vehicle, operating machinery or piloting an aircraft. Do not read newspaper over an open flame. Do not hold newspaper close to face while smoking a cigar the size of a billy club. Do not use newspaper as a flotation device. Newspaper may......
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South Asian Music's Booming Beat Drives A Mogul in the Making
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Raakin Iqbal walked into his Woodbridge office and flipped on six lights, each darkened to a specific calibration to create what he calls his "European cafe theme." Surrounded by how-to-get-rich books and a black leather couch, Iqbal swiveled from his desk to his glass-and-marble coffee table and began working the cellphone.
"Hi, is this Chai Desai? This is Raakin from Huqa Entertainment," he said, speaking to a concert organizer out West. "Were you able to receive my e-mail about the Bombay Rockers? I can lower the price down from $10,000 to $8,000 if you book them."
Raakin Iqbal is 17, a clothing store employee, high school newspaper editor and up-and-coming mogul. His office is his bedroom in his parents' Prince William County home, and next to the entrepreneurial accouterments are a few youth basketball league trophies.
Iqbal is getting in on the ground floor of the nation's South Asian entertainment scene as it matures with a booming immigrant audience. Half Pakistani, half Indian and born in the United States, Iqbal is trying to position himself in the industry as a promoter -- an indispensable middleman who connects overseas music groups with concert organizers in this country and abroad. A rising senior at Woodbridge Senior High School, Iqbal finds himself at that precise moment when the South Asian music business is big enough nationwide to make money but also small enough that a high school student can elbow his way in and become a mini-player.
Without enough Pakistani and Indian bands to pack stadiums or widespread coverage on local cable television or radio, the South Asian music industry in the United States is still fragmented and grass-roots enough that entrepreneurs of all ages have emerged in immigrant-dominated areas. In Prince William, for instance, where Iqbal's parents moved in the 1990s -- his dad is a software designer, his mom is a bank loan officer -- Urdu is second only to Spanish as the school system's most-spoken foreign language.
Indians, meanwhile, have become the largest Asian ethnic group in the Washington area, surpassing Chinese, Koreans and other Asian groups that haven't been growing nearly as fast.
So at the moment, Iqbal's company, consisting only of Iqbal, is trying to land its first major deal: a contract with Bombay Rockers, a Danish rhythm-and-blues male duo who sing in English, Hindi and Punjabi. He hopes to become one of the band's handful of promoters when it tours the United States in November.
"Because the scene is developing and it's in its infancy, there's every opportunity to get in now. And maybe five years later, Raakin will become quite a big player," said Steve Hogan, the Bombay Rockers' live music agent, who said he will decide about giving Iqbal the business in another few weeks. "So far, he's definitely full of confidence, and if he talks the right talk and if everything checks out right, there's a good chance we'll do a show with him."
In the Washington area, the South Asian music scene is largely concentrated in Northern Virginia, with top Bollywood acts performing about five times a year at venues including the Patriot Center at George Mason University. Those attract between 5,000 and 10,000 people -- mostly Indians and Pakistanis. Smaller acts tour about twice a month at local high schools and community college campuses and lure about 1,500 people, according to concert organizers.
Nationwide, such metropolitan areas as Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Atlanta have more concerts featuring Indian or Pakistani acts than Washington.
Despite his age, Iqbal is not just a wannabe with lofty talk. He's a precocious upstart who, in the past year or so, has been steadily building his company and working for local promoters to learn the business. He already has a pending contract to set up the Web site for a local television production company co-owned by Sarah Hasan, a freelance correspondent for Bridges TV, a lifestyle network for American Muslims. Iqbal met Hasan while she was covering a South Asian concert this spring.
Huqa Entertainment, though, hasn't yet made money. But it has given him contacts. Iqbal has designed the Web site for a new Pakistan-based band, Gammak, and helped the organizer of a concert at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium sell tickets at malls for a show featuring Strings, a popular Pakistani rock group.
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For the Books, Nationals Face History Questions
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Over the final month of the season, Washington Nationals left fielder Alfonso Soriano will almost certainly hit at least two more home runs. When he does, he'll establish a franchise record -- most homers in a season. The moment will be dutifully noted by the media: Last night, Soriano set a club record with his 45th home run, eclipsing the mark set by Vladimir Guerrero in 2000. Yet Guerrero, a slugging outfielder, never played a game in the District.
He was a Montreal Expo -- a hero in Quebec, an afterthought in the U.S. capital. Rather, the white seats that dot the upper deck at RFK Stadium commemorate the gargantuan blasts of Frank Howard, who hit 48 homers in 1969 -- as a Washington Senator. Does the record Soriano is pursuing belong, then, to Howard, who launched more homers than anyone ever wearing a uniform emblazoned with the word "Washington"?
The Nationals -- trying to establish a foothold in the District, scheduled to move into a new stadium in 2008 -- must sort through their split history. As they prepare for the future, they are asking: What is our past?
"I, myself, would not know what position to take," said Seymour Siwoff, president of Elias Sports Bureau Inc., Major League Baseball's official statistician. "Am I really a brand-new franchise? Do I have a heritage in my new city? If it flatters me, I have a heritage, and I'll use it. If not, maybe not. . . . There's not really a right answer."
Or, as Nationals President Stan Kasten put it, "There's not really a wrong answer."
Soriano's pursuit is the first indication that the Nationals have something to grapple with in the coming months and years. They are a franchise that began in Montreal in 1969 but two years ago wound up in Washington, a city that was deserted by two versions of the Senators -- first for Minnesota, then for Texas. In a sport that values history more than any other, do the Nationals embrace Guerrero, who never played here, or Howard, who never played for their franchise? The questions are simple, the answers complicated. Who belongs to us? To whom do we belong? And how do we honor all of it?
Kasten's wish is that the discussion will be fun, not contentious. "I love debates like this," he said. Yet, as Siwoff said, "There is a romance to baseball." And romance can breed the strongest of emotions.
"There's no feeling, there's no emotion regarding the Expos in Washington," said Phil Wood, a Washington native, sports radio host and an expert in the District's baseball history. "The identity of the Expos is gone. You start fresh."
Just wipe out the Expos? They were, after all, a major league team from 1969 to 2004, one with a story all its own. Their heroes -- from Coco Laboy to Rusty Staub to Tim Raines to Guerrero -- can't just disappear, can they?
"It drives me crazy," said Henry Thomas, grandson of the legendary Walter Johnson, perhaps the greatest player ever to don a Washington uniform. "I just think it's silly to even talk about it, that so-and-so has set a franchise record, and they're breaking the record of some Expo."
Yet Kasten and his front-office staff are talking about it. The new stadium could potentially include nods to a hodgepodge of groups -- the Senators, the Expos, the Homestead Grays, who dominated the Negro leagues.
"History, in baseball, is important," Kasten said. "But I'm always going to keep my focus on the current product and what my current customers are interested in."
Both Kasten and Mark Lerner, son of the club's principal owner Theodore N. Lerner, emphasized that no decision has been made. But last night, the younger Lerner, a Washington native, said it was appropriate that the team recognize the District's baseball heritage.
"We want to emphasize the teams that played here, the players who played here," Lerner said. "But there's so many avenues to go, so many ways you could do it. We'll have some decisions to make."
This isn't the first time Washington baseball has grappled with such issues. When the original Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins in 1961, they were immediately replaced in the District by an expansion team, also called the Senators.
The Twins, though, arrived in Minnesota with no history from which to draw. So they took the Senators' marks. Johnson, who won 417 games for the Senators, instantly became the most accomplished pitcher in the history of the Twins -- even though he never pitched for Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the new Senators -- equipped with an entirely different front-office staff and roster of players -- also wanted a sense of history. So they, too, used the old Senators' records. The two franchises quarreled over the rights to the numbers for four or five seasons until Joe Cronin, the president of the American League, stepped in, awarding the Washington franchise the use of the records of the franchise that had left the District. The Twins had to start over . . . that is, until the new Senators up and moved to Texas after the 1971 season.
"When they moved, we pretty much picked up the old records again," said Tom Mee, the Twins' director of public relations back then.
To this day, the Twins' Record & Information Book -- the team's version of the annual media guide -- has a section labeled: "Franchise Records (1901-2005)." It notes that Rod Carew had the highest batting average for a single season of any Twin (.388 in 1977), a mark that beat out Goose Goslin's sterling 1928 season, in which he hit .379 -- for the Senators. The Twins even paid homage to Johnson, the Hall of Famer who played in Washington from 1907 to '27, by giving away bobblehead dolls of the "Big Train" in 2004.
And what about the Texas Rangers? By the same thought process, the expansion Senators -- who played in Washington from 1961 to '71 -- should be represented similarly in the Rangers' media guide. And they are, albeit in a two-page section entitled "The Rangers Before Texas" that lists each player who wore a Senators' uniform during those years; it also contains a brief history of records for that team.
"We don't use the term 'franchise records,' " said Gregg Elkin, the Rangers' senior director of baseball media relations. So in the "Records" section of the guide, there are no references to anything that happened before 1972, even though Howard's 48 homers in 1969 -- one mark Soriano is chasing in Washington -- would be third on the franchise's single-season list, nestled behind Alex Rodriguez, who hit 57 in 2002 and 52 in 2001.
Siwoff, baseball's statistician, said it is the prerogative of each club to choose which history to honor, which records to claim as its own. MLB officials said the general practice has been for records to remain with their franchises even if the franchises relocate. The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants, for instance, moved to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively, in 1958. Both clubs took their records with them.
Still, it's an inconsistent policy. In 1954, the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles. But in their media guide, the Orioles have no mention of Browns' greats such as George Sisler, a Hall of Fame first baseman. Time, according to the Orioles, began in 1954. The Browns' records have evaporated.
"The records are there," said Jim Gates, the library director at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. "It's up to each team how to use them, and it's basically a public relations decision."
Other sports, too, are riddled with inconsistent standards. When owner Robert Irsay infamously loaded moving vans to take the National Football League's Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis for the 1984 season, he carted the records with him. Because Irsay did so, when Petyon Manning tossed his 33rd touchdown pass of the 2000 season, he was credited with breaking the record Johnny Unitas set for the Colts in 1959 -- in Baltimore.
Unitas never played in Indianapolis, never lived in Indianapolis. He defined pro football in Baltimore . He once had a conversation with Kevin Byrne, now a senior vice president for the Baltimore Ravens, on the topic. "I'm not an Indianapolis Colt," Byrne recalled Unitas saying. "They don't break any of my records over there. I have all my records."
But when Art Modell returned pro football to Baltimore in 1996 -- moving his Cleveland Browns east -- he brought none of the history. Not the name. Not the uniforms. Not the records. Paul Tagliabue, then the commissioner of the NFL, advised Modell that because the move was so controversial, because Clevelanders were so devastated, he would be best served to allow the Browns' records to stay in Ohio.
Modell's team became the Ravens and started its history from scratch. To this day, the Ravens have no mention of their attachment to the Browns in any of their official literature, only a section on the history of pro football in Baltimore -- an homage to the Colts. Cleveland landed an expansion franchise that began play in 1999. Yet the new Browns inherited the history of their predecessors, claiming as their own greats such as Jim Brown and Ozzie Newsome, even though Newsome left when the Browns became the Ravens. He now serves as the general manager in Baltimore, working for the franchise for which he played, a franchise that doesn't acknowledge the records he set.
Kasten, has dealt with these issues previously, when he was the president of the Atlanta Braves beginning in the late 1980s. The Braves have as multitiered a history as any team in baseball, beginning as the Boston Red Caps in 1876, becoming the Boston Braves in 1912, moving to Milwaukee in 1953, then on to Atlanta in 1966. When Kasten was developing the team's new ballpark, Turner Field, in the mid-1990s, he wanted to make sure the franchise's itinerant history was well-represented. So in a section of the park commemorating the past hang three World Series banners -- one from Boston in 1914, one from Milwaukee in 1957, and one from Atlanta in 1995.
"That was convenient," Kasten said. "It was a nice, neat way to recognize all three chapters."
There are some odd honorees, too. Eddie Mathews, the great Braves third baseman, has his number retired and his image on Turner Field's outfield wall -- though he played just one of his 17 seasons in Atlanta. Warren Spahn, perhaps the best left-hander of all time, never pitched in Atlanta, yet his number is retired by the franchise.
The message from MLB: To each his own. "Baseball," Siwoff said, "has the right to determine its own records."
The Nationals, therefore, have the right to determine their own history. They have, to this point, done their best to acknowledge it all. When the team moved from Montreal for the 2005 season, club officials consulted with Elias on the best course to take. The result: Three history sections in the media guide -- one outlining the records for baseball in Washington, including both versions of the Senators; one on franchise records, dating from the Expos' first year of 1969 and including the Nationals; and one Nationals-only section, which, in this year's guide, includes only marks set in 2005, their first year here.
Yet, the Expos' retired numbers -- 8 for Gary Carter, 10 for both Andre Dawson and Staub, 30 for Raines -- remain retired only in Montreal, where there is no longer major league baseball. The numbers 8 and 10 are worn by current Nationals Marlon Anderson and Brandon Harper.
As for what will be done going forward, that remains an open question. Kasten joked, "There's no question Walter Johnson was one of the greatest players in history -- the history of the Minnesota Twins." Thomas, Johnson's grandson, said he would like to see statues of both Johnson and Josh Gibson, the legendary catcher for the Grays, outside the new park. Even short of that, he and others believe the Nationals -- formerly the Expos, playing in the home city of the Senators and the Grays -- must in some way acknowledge Washington's baseball past.
"It's incredibly important," Thomas said. "There's so much history there, why you wouldn't want to do that, I just can't even imagine."
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Full coverage of Congress, including the House of Represenatives and the U.S. Senate. The Washington Post and washingtonpost.com provide analysis of Capitol Hill.
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Lockheed Wins Contract to Build NASA's New Spaceship
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Lockheed Martin Corp. won a multibillion-dollar contract yesterday to build a vehicle to replace NASA's space shuttles, put a human on the moon for the first time since 1972 and be the precursor to a manned spaceship to Mars.
The award marks NASA's most concrete step to fulfill President Bush's two-year-old, $230 billion promise that the space agency would return astronauts to the moon and restore excitement about space exploration. NASA has planned to replace the shuttles since the mid-1980s and has spent almost $5 billion to do so -- with little success so far.
"It's just thrilling, for all of us," said Skip Hatfield, NASA's project manager. The vehicle, known as Orion, is the embodiment of the "very future of human space flight," he said.
Orion will look somewhat like the three-man Apollo command module but will carry as many as six astronauts. Like the shuttle, Orion will be able to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station.
Orion is expected to make its first manned flight by 2014, four years after NASA's three operating shuttles are retired. NASA said it hopes for a moon landing by 2020.
Unlike the shuttle, which lands like an airplane on a runway, Orion will descend with the aid of a parachute to landings in the ocean or on land. NASA plans to build two of the vehicles, one for manned flight and the other for unmanned. After judging how often the spaceships can be reused, the agency will decide how many more to buy, Hatfield said.
"We're just tickled, honored to be chosen," said John Karas, Lockheed's vice president for space exploration. The program could eventually be worth nearly $8 billion to the company, which is headquartered in Bethesda.
The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has already questioned NASA's approach to Orion. The space agency says it is taking a conservative approach, relying on the familiar Apollo design and proven spacecraft technology.
It was a somewhat unexpected win for Lockheed, the Pentagon's largest contractor. The other competitor, Northrop Grumman, was considered the front-runner because along with its subcontractor, Boeing Co., it has been involved with all of the country's manned space programs. Lockheed also has had a long history with NASA, though not entirely positive, and not predominantly with manned vehicles.
The company builds the shuttle's external fuel tank and, in a joint venture with Boeing known as the United Space Alliance, took over day-to-day management of the shuttle program in 1996. But it was blamed for the 1999 disappearance of the Mars Climate Orbiter, which vanished into space or burned up in the Mars atmosphere after Lockheed engineers incorrectly programmed it using English rather than metric units. When the Genesis space capsule crashed in 2004, NASA said it was because of errors in designs prepared by the company.
Lockheed's earlier effort to build a shuttle replacement -- the X-33 "space plane" -- was canceled in 2001 after it ran into technological and cost problems.
"I was surprised. I thought that NASA would want to put a new face on this program," said Marco A. Caceres, senior analyst and director of space studies for the Teal Group, a research firm. "Lockheed had a chance with the X-33 program."
The contractor's past performance was taken into consideration, said Hatfield, but NASA also focused on how the companies performed during the first phase of the competition. Lockheed "had the answers to where we wanted to go," he said.
Orion will include an escape system that can quickly blast the crew away from the Aries rocket if problems develop. Since the Orion will sit on top of the rocket, there will be less risk to the crew should there be an explosion or debris from the launch vehicle, problems that destroyed two of the shuttles.
The escape system will be built by Dulles-based Orbital Sciences Corp. The company stands to make $450 million to $500 million over the next 12 years on the program.
"One of the goals of this whole system was to improve crew safety by orders of magnitude," said Barron Beneski, a company spokesman.
Staff writer Marc Kaufman contributed to this report.
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Lockheed Martin Corp. won a multibillion-dollar contract yesterday to build a vehicle to replace NASA's space shuttles, put a human on the moon for the first time since 1972 and be the precursor to a manned spaceship to Mars.
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Coming To Video Games: Live Ads
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Game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. announced yesterday that it has inked deals with two ad companies that will stream live advertising into its games.
Players of the latest version of EA's Need for Speed see the same billboard ads on the side of the virtual roads whenever they play the street-racing game. But with live ads streamed via the Internet in the next version of the game, players could see different ads every time they turn the game on.
In-game advertising company Massive Inc., which was acquired by Microsoft Corp. this year, will be streaming ads into Xbox 360 and PC versions of that game, along with up to three other EA titles, which were not announced.
"Some areas naturally support the advertising," said Chip Lange, EA's vice president of online commerce. "If you drive around an urban environment and there's no advertising, the space feels naked -- and if the advertising is dated, the game feels old."
The privately held IGA Worldwide Inc. will stream advertising into EA's coming futuristic war game, Battlefield 2142, scheduled for release later this year. That company will also provide advertising in two other coming EA games, which were not announced yesterday.
No terms were disclosed, and Lange said neither advertising company has lined up ads for the coming games.
Lange would not say how much business in-game advertising represents for EA, the world's largest game publisher. But Nielsen Entertainment, which tracks movies, videos and music, has estimated that in-game advertising was a $75 million market in the United States last year and will grow to $1 billion by 2010.
Some players find such advertising objectionable -- after all, many games for the Xbox 360 cost $60 apiece. But many game fans say they like the ads because they contribute to the illusion of a realistic urban or sports-arena environment. Generally, publishers have avoided putting advertising in fantasy titles or other types of games where a billboard advertisement would seem out of place.
Lange said that, eventually, such advertising could lead to live, in-game product placement -- where cars or other products are put into games to coincide with an advertiser's marketing campaign. But that's a possibility that's still far down the road, he said.
"We've taken our time getting to here," he said. "We're beginning the learning process, as is the industry."
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Interior Chief Kempthorne Tours Arctic Wildlife Refuge
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KAKTOVIK, Alaska, Aug. 31 -- Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne made his first visit Thursday to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, center of a 25-year battle over whether to tap vast oil reserves under a coastal plain along the Beaufort Sea.
Kempthorne was to meet with tribal leaders and with officials in the refuge's only village before concluding a three-day tour of Alaska's North Slope that also included checking out the early warning system for detecting a deadly bird flu virus and examining a corroded pipeline that has shut down half the area's oil production.
His flight from Deadhorse, 120 miles to the west, had been turn backed earlier when a heavy fog prevented his chartered twin-engine turboprop from landing. The weather cleared later and Kempthorne continued with his schedule.
Kempthorne, a former Idaho governor and Republican senator who was confirmed as interior secretary in May, supports oil drilling in a 1.5 million-acre area of the 19 million-acre refuge and voted for it when he was in the Senate.
"There's a [wildlife] reserve there," he said before the aborted flight. "But we've seen so many different areas where we can responsibly recover resources and do it while meeting the highest environmental standards. I think it's also important to see it."
Environmentalists look at the refuge as North America's Serengeti -- inhabited by 45 species of land and marine mammals including polar, grizzly and black bears as well as musk oxen and caribous. Millions of migratory birds also use the refuge's coastal plain.
Under it is what geologists say is the nation's largest untapped oil reserve, variously estimated at between 5.6 billion and 16 billion barrels.
Kempthorne was accompanied on his North Slope tour by senior Interior officials and several of the department's regional officials, based in Anchorage.
On Wednesday, Kempthorne toured a Prudhoe Bay oil complex operated by BP PLC, including a visit to the stretch of BP pipeline where severe pipe corrosion caused Prudhoe oil production to shut down in early August.
Half the pipeline system has since been restored, bypassing a section where corrosion caused a 270,000-gallon spill in March. But the other half remains out of commission as BP engineers try to determine if part of it can be used temporarily.
BP said it is replacing the 16 miles of pipe next year.
Kempthorne, earlier on his trip, visited ConocoPhillips' Alpine oil fields, the newest on the North Slope.
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KAKTOVIK, Alaska, Aug. 31 -- Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne made his first visit Thursday to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, center of a 25-year battle over whether to tap vast oil reserves under a coastal plain along the Beaufort Sea.
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Medical Practices Blend Health and Faith
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Sandwiched between a swimming pool store and a spice shop on Lee Highway in Fairfax, the Tepeyac Family Center looks like any other suburban doctor's office. But it isn't.
The practice combines "the best of modern medicine with the healing presence of Jesus Christ," a brochure at the reception desk announces. An image of the Madonna greets every patient. Doctors, nurses and staff members gather to pray each day before the first appointments.
The center is one of a small but growing number of practices around the country that tailor the care they provide to the religious beliefs of their doctors, shunning birth-control and morning-after pills, IUDs and other contraceptive devices, sterilizations, and abortions, as well as in vitro fertilization. Instead, doctors offer "natural family planning" -- teaching couples to monitor a woman's temperature and other bodily signals to time intercourse.
Proponents say the practices allow doctors to avoid conflicts with patients who want services the practitioners find objectionable, as well as to provide care that conforms with many patients' own values. The approach, they say, provides an alternative to mainstream medicine's reliance on drugs and devices that, they argue, carry side effects and negatively affect couples' relationships.
"I want to practice my faith," said John T. Bruchalski, the obstetrician-gynecologist who started Tepeyac. "I'm not interested in pushing it on other people. But this allows me to practice medicine without having to do something that I wouldn't see as positive or healthy."
Critics, however, worry that the practices are segregating medicine along religious lines and may be providing inadequate care by failing to fully inform patients about their options. The critics are especially alarmed about the consequences in poor or rural areas with few alternatives.
"Welcome to the era of balkanized medicine," said R. Alta Charo, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "We've had this for years with religious hospitals. What's happening now is it's drifting down to the level of individual practitioners and small group practices. It essentially creates a parallel world of medicine."
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has no formal position on such practices, but its officials say the approach can offer a way for religious doctors to work and serve religious patients as long as they are upfront about their limitations.
"If women know before selecting them, then it's quite a legitimate thing to do and might meet the needs of many women and doctors," said Anita L. Nelson of the University of California at Los Angeles, speaking for the organization. "But if you hang out your shingle that says 'All-purpose OB-GYN' and don't offer certain services, that's false advertising."
The phenomenon is another manifestation of the tensions arising between religion and medicine with the rise of religious expression in the United States and medical advances that create moral dilemmas for some. Natural family planning, or NFP, practices are seen as a way of sidestepping confrontations over abortion, the morning-after pill and other types of care that some religious health workers refuse to provide, asserting a "right of conscience."
"This is a way that some of us have found to practice medicine that is consistent with our beliefs," said Kathleen M. Raviele of the Catholic Medical Association, which, along with groups such as the American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, promotes natural family planning.
"It's definitely a new trend, and it's a refreshing trend," said Theresa Notare of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has workers in at least half its dioceses trying to enlist more doctors to open such practices. "This is a trend that we should be excited to see grow."
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Sandwiched between a swimming pool store and a spice shop on Lee Highway in Fairfax, the Tepeyac Family Center looks like any other suburban doctor's office. But it isn't.
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Color of Money Book Club
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Michelle writes that this is a trusted guidebook for the many financial dilemmas we often face.
Read Michelle's past Color of Money columns .
Michelle Singletary: Good day everyone. Hope all is well. Looks like we've got quite a few questions already so let's get started.
Lanham, Md. (the land of pleasant living): Michelle,
I was really feeling your column on school fund-raising. I give the money directly to the school. These fund-raising schemes don't teach children anything. No parent would allow their child to conduct door-to-door sales in these troubled times. So it falls to the parent to shill these expensively-cheap items to co-workers & friends who are adverse to refusing because they know they will be hitting you up for the same stuff in a few weeks.
And all the selling you do results in the bulk of the $$ going to the fund-raising company and pennies actually going to the school. ARRRRGH!!!!
Michelle Singletary: While I'm waiting for my guest to answer some questions about the book club selection I thought I start off with a response to my recent column on fundraising. Got quite a bit of mail on that one.
I so agree with Lanham.
This is off-topic from the book club discussion, but just a note to say thanks for your statements about school fundraisers. I shudder when I think about the fundraising I did when I was in school 20 to 30 years ago. (All those magazine subscriptions that my kindly neighbors bought just to help me out.) Even when it's for a purpose, it's still "pushing products."
washingtonpost.com: School Fundraising? Phooey! , Aug. 27.
Michelle Singletary: So far my side is winning!
North Bethesda, Md.: Just wanted to share a bit about starting to save early in life.
When I started working after college, I maxed out my 401(k) contribution every year. Today, I figured out that if I continue to max out my contributions (assuming no salary changes) and the current balance plus new investments make 8% per year on average AND then when I retire (planning on age 57) I move the funds to a safer investment making only 6% per year on average, I could take out just over $18,000 per MONTH and the funds would not expire until I turn 90 (assuming I'm still alive). And that doesn't include Social Security or work pension etc.
Man, what a benefit from painless savings. Never saw the money hit my bank account so it didn't hurt to save.
Michelle Singletary: Great point. I say follow the example of ants. Store up now for when the winter months.
West Coast: Hi Michelle, I just got married, and my husband (I love saying that!) and I are in our late 20s. We don't plan to have kids for at least five years, and we're both in a very fortunate financial situation -- great jobs and no debt other than a very small mortgage on our home. Here's the thing... most financial guides I've read say that you should spend about 1/3 of your income on housing. We currently spend about 10 percent on housing. We've got the opportunity to buy a recreation property that we absolutely love. It's a cabin with some land in the mountains that we visit (for camping, fishing, cross-country skiing, hiking) every chance we get. If we were to buy this property, we'd be putting between 25 and 30 percent of our income into our house and vacation house combined. Our parents say we should just keep socking away our money into retirement and savings. It does feels like we're awfully young to own a vacation home. But we've done the math, reviewed our budget and believe it's reasonable. Is this for some reason riskier than, say, selling our house and buying a bigger primary residence? We're satisfied with our modest house and don't really want to "upgrade" to anything bigger. Should we heed our parents' advice and just keep feeding our income into retirement and savings?
Michelle Singletary: I think you know your financial situation better than your parents. Sounds like you've done the math are comfortable with the results. Thank your parents for their loving advice and do what you want with your money with your new husband!
Washington, D.C.: Future hubby and I both own houses in D.C., neither of which is big enough for us to raise a family in, so we are looking to purchase one together in the near future...rather than sell my house, we've discussed renting it but...I'm scared. Not that I intend to be a bad landlord but I have this fear that I'll have some tenant living for free in my house because of what I've heard are overly friendly D.C. tenant laws. What are your thoughts?
Mary Randolph: Becoming a landlord can be a scary prospect. But you can avoid most problems--and make a profit--if you educate yourself about legal requirements and smart business practices. You do need to know about state and local laws, and you need to follow the procedures they set out carefully. For example, if you have to give a tenant 30 days' notice before raising rent, you'll want to be sure to create a paper trail and follow the time limit exactly.
To get an idea of what your responsibilities would be, take a look at Every Landlord's Legal Guide, by Marcia Stewart (Nolo).
Severna Park, Md.: Hi Michelle - I got such a kick out of your article about school fundraising, boy do I agree. My children are older now (high school and college), but let me tell you it doesn't get better. When my oldest was a senior in high school, he went to pick up his gown and couldn't even though it had been paid for, because he hadn't "voluntarily" raised enough money. I had to write a $200 check so he could participate in graduation activities. Now, I only buy girl scout cookies (just cause I love thin mints, though). Love your columns!
Michelle Singletary: Thanks. And I love thin mints too...too bad they help in spreading my hips :)
Anonymous: You should mention Meansfordreams.org for people who want money to go to specific projects at school. And it is local to D.C. schools
The requests are put in by teachers so the materials are things they really want. Although I thought it was crazy for a DC school to sign on for a Algebra project without providing the expensive calculators and software the kids need.
Michelle Singletary: Good tip. Thanks!
Arlington, Va.: Arlington's HB Woodlawn school limits itself to a "no sweat" fundraiser--requesting a $60 (maybe more now) donation. I was happy to give more to make up for parents who couldn't give as much or any. No candy, wrapping paper, oranges, magazines, ya-hoo!!!
Michelle Singletary: I love that idea!
Love Sunday's column-- I've moved from a job with a lot of moms to a job with no moms, and am suffering "pizza kit withdrawal." But here's my non-pizza question...
I should be selling my house today. What a relief, since I've been paying a mortgage plus renting an apartment all summer. My plan was to put the money in a money-market account and buy a condo or house next year. But I'm really enjoying apartment life (no lawns to mow!). So I'm trying to get a handle on what the financial consequences would be if I didn't buy another house right away. What pitfalls should I be aware of?
Tamara Traeder: I don't know all the details of your situation, but the primary financial risks you face are (i) getting a low return on the money you receive for your house, and (ii)losing your mortgage interest rate tax deduction. Money market returns will probably not be as good as your investment in real estate, depending on the market you are in (even in this bumpy real estate market). However, you may be doing a very smart thing if you are "resting" for a bit from the market, as it seems to be cooling a bit, and you might be able to reinvest at more reasonable prices. But I'd recommend looking for a more reasonable returns--if you want to be ultra-safe, check out some CDs at banks in your area--you'll probably find something better than a money market rate. As to your mortgage interest deduction (assuming you had a mortgage), how it affects you depends on your income--if you are not making a lot of income right now, obviously the deduction will not make that much difference to you.
Rockville, Md.: When is the Washington Post going to hire someone to handle these same issues, but without their entire religious views and down-home homilies on display, time after time?
Without your tired argument of, "But I like her!" and "People read her." You haven't presented us with a choice.
I want someone who delivers the information without airing how she bills her children, how glorious her life is and how naughty! people are for not choosing her path of marriage (conveniently overlooking same-sex couples who are not permitted to wed).
Michelle Singletary: Ah, what would a Color of Money chat be without someone complaining that I'm doing my job.
But I welcome all feedback. I have given financial advice to folks who choose to live together AND my life isn't so great right now. Got cramps like you wouldn't believe.
Washington, D.C.: Add me to your ever-increasing "Amens" after going thru 1 fundraiser after another for my kids. However, there IS one I enjoy, that is the Penguin "Bookstore" that schools set up for "back-to-school day," you can get books for both kids and yourself, mostly paperbacks, and everyone wins.
Michelle Singletary: Consider yourself added.
Washington, D.C. : I just wanted to endorse NoLo's Every LandLord's Legal Guide -- unfortunately I found it too late to save me from a nightmare tenant, but with the advice from the book I was able to evict him and get wonderful new tenants into the apartment. The book comes with a CD-ROM with every form a propective landlord could possibly need ranging from lease templates to eviciton notices...
Michelle Singletary: I trust this unsolicited endorsement isn't coming from Nolo :)
Worland, Wyo.: The additional thing about fundraising in rural towns -- you can't register complaints without getting known as a "non-supporter of tradition," even if you would rather donate the money directly to the schools. It's kind of like saying you can't be supporting the troops if you don't agree we should be in the current war with Iraq.
I just had to sign a document for school saying I understood my kid would be fundraising and working potential advertisers because he's now working on the school's yearbook. I'd sure like to change the situation, but as a senior, my kid would literally die of embarrassment if I were to make a stink at this late stage. So if I'm silent I perpetuate the problem but here you can't do things anonymously.
Michelle Singletary: So sorry. I am planning to write a follow up with fundraising alternatives. Perhaps you can forward the column anonymously.
Rockville, Md.: Ms. Randolph, there are many personal finance books dealing with relationship and marriage issues, and most have one thing in common -- they're primarily directed at women.
But a spate of Web sites have sprung up recently complaining that finanicially entangling personal relationships (marriage or not-quite) hold little value for men. They make the points:
1. Despite non-sexist language, most family law courts regard a man as an equal partner in a marriage only to the extent of his tangible, measurable contributions, like income, housework or childcare, where women are assumed equal partners no matter what
2. Pre-nuptual agreements are routinely nullified, almost always in the woman's favor
3. Any women living in a man's house can get him thrown out of it (while maintaining the responsibilities of ownership) through a restraining order just by claiming fear of him without any evidence
And we haven't even started on the imbalance caused by the presense of children (even if they're not his).
From a legal-financial standpoint, is marriage only of benefit to women; and if not, what can a man do to balance the outcome of a divorce?
Mary Randolph: The issues surrounding marriage and divorce are very complicated, but those websites you mention make some questionable points.
I don't think it's accurate to say that prenuptial agreements are "routinely" nullified, for example. Judges throw them out only if one party was unfairly taken advantage of, but that has to be proved. And courts do not automatically issue restraining orders "without evidence." (And looking at society as a whole, there's plenty of evidence, as I'm sure you're aware, of violence agaisnt women by husbands and boyfriends.)
Marriage is generally agreed to be of great benefit to both men and women. (Married men live longer, for example.) And from a financial standpoint, most women do poorly after a divorce compared to their ex-spouses--so maybe men don't need to worry so much about "balancing" the financial outcome of divorce.
Falls Church, Va. : i LOVE www.meansfordreams.org - the "grant requests" on there bring tears to my eyes. i wish i could fund every project.
College-Bound Parents:: Hi. I love your column. Thank you for talking about school fundraising. Our schools do now direct appeal only. Thank goodness. A child fundraising in our neighborhood was killed a few years ago when he knocked on the door of a stranger who turned out to be a sexual predator.
I am writing about college costs. Our daughter will qualify for merit aid, and we have some savings for her college costs (including in a 529). But she wants to attend a private college, and we will have to contribute from our household expenses in order to make her dream come true. Do you know of good formulas, or good guides we could read, to advise us on how to figure out the "right" amount? We want her to attend a good school but we have other children and we don't want to eat lentils for four years.
Michelle Singletary: You might want to try "Paying for College Without Going Broke"
See if there is a new edition to include recent law changes concerning 529 plans, which I wrote about recently.
Charlottesville, Va.: Grad school straight-out-of pocket, which would leave me with just enough to get by, or student loan to pay for school and save what I can now to pay off big chunk later? If I do the loan, I know myself well enough that I will not have saved enough to pay off entire thing after school ends. But if I pay it up front now and suffer poorhood, I will graduate without debt.
Michelle Singletary: Debt free is a good path.
Me I would try to suffer poorhood. Wish I could show you the dozens and dozens of e-mails I get from folks loaded down with grad-school loans and are burden because their pay isn't helping them make a dent in the loans.
Fairfax, Va.: Hi. I believe you are the one that has been warning us not to live together until we are married. I have been living with my fiance for several years and my name is not on the mortgage or deed. We are breaking up and you guessed....I am leaving with nothing. Virginia doesn't acknowledge Common Law Marriage and frowns upon palimony. I wish I would have heeded that advice a lot sooner.
You have access to the internet. There are many newspapers on the internet. Many of them have finance folks. Go read one of them.
Feel free to tell the Washington Post what you're doing and why.
But me, I like her.
Michelle Singletary: Yup, free country.
P.S. Like me or not my goal is to get folks talking about all these issues in a way most don't. I've been told by many --those who agree with me and other who don't -- that the columns have at least started discussions about a topic -- money -- that many people don't talk about.
That's my job and I'm proud of it.
Washington, D.C.: I had a perfectly good 30-year mtg with a low LOW rate and payment and I let my father (who needed money because he had been laid off) push me into getting an interest-only optional payment loan (and taking out cash to help him, which I know/knew is wrong because my mantra has always been, money does not help money problems!!). Well, as you know, this loan sucks. This is the first time in 36 years I have ever let anyone "guilt" me into doing something with my money and it has hurt me (emotionally and...) financially as I can make the payments (and I always pay more than enough to cover principal and interest so that I don't end up adding to the loan amount) even if my rate hits the highest point allowed under my loan terms (THANK GOD!), but I can't refinance or sell the house until 2009 without taking a hit! (36-month prepayment penalty) I guess the way to look at it is I have more interest to deduct on my taxes? I dunno. Not really a question, just wanted to vent. Thanks.
Tamara Traeder: I feel your pain, I really do. Money and family can be very sticky, and it is so easy to get into situations that you know (even at the time) are not good for you financially. Too bad we can't take a tax deduction for "life lessons learned." And don't feel alone in this, we have all done things in the name of helping out people we care about (and wanted to kick ourselves later). Good for you for staying on top of the mortgage terms--you are clearly poised to make the situation better as much as soon as you can. Lesson learned, now you can stop beating yourself up.
Michelle Singletary: I so agree. Don't kick yourself too much. You did what you thought was right at the time. It hurts now but as Tamara said we all live and learn (yes, even me). I used to give and make decisions like that.
Oh and folks notice a VERY important lesson in this story...prepayment penalty. Avoid at all costs.
Silver Spring, Md.: Michelle, I love your columns and chats. Please don't change. If people don't like your slant on things then they can read something else.
Michelle Singletary: Thank you so much.
And don't get me wrong. A columnist is only as good as those who disagree. It means I raised some tempertures. I love that. Also means I made you think.
So seriously I may get a little bruised by the folks who don't like what I write or how I write (I do have feelings) but it's part of the job when you pen your opinion. You are going to get hits.
Washington, D.C.: Thanks for doing these chats. Not a question, just a comment: Nice updated photo of you!
Michelle Singletary: ooh. I like it too. TV One hired a stylist to help me with the second season of my televison show, "Singletary Says," which debuts next month folks.
Really I'm so homey on my own. Hate shopping or getting my hair did so I just throw anything together. Anyway, stylist shot this doing a taping and I was just getting tired of people who finally meet me in person saying, "Oh my goodness, you look sooooooooo much better in person."
Fairfax, Va.: I'm not sure if this is more of a question for you or Bob Bruss. But I hope that by writing to both of you, I'll get an answer from one of you.
I have sole title to my condo as a single woman. My boyfriend is considering a new job which would require relocation. This new job would require some travel back here, at least one week a month, so we're considering keeping the condo. Is there a way to consider the mortgage on the condo and the condo fee as tax deductions or business expenses?
Before you say "get married" we cannot do so for another year, otherwise he loses his retirement benefits to which he is entitled from his ex-wife.
Tamara Traeder: Your safest bet in retaining the deductions is to rent the condo to a third party, and have your beau stay elsewhere if he needs to travel to that area. That way you can treat the condo as your rental property/business, and deduct all of the expenses related to it (for instance, the insurance, repairs and condo fees). If he stayed at a hotel, presumably his travel expenses would be deductible business expenses.
Your other choice is to keep the condo as your second home, and so long as it is a far enough distance from your first one, you can deduct the mortgage interest (but not other expenses).
Worland, Wyo.: I'll be on the lookout for your next column, Michelle, the one that promotes allowing for "alternative" fundraising efforts -- like giving the money in weekly or monthly increments directly to the school, sort of like church tithing. And, thanks for suggesting that I mail it to the school district, anonymously. My kid will appreciate my taking this less-invasive measure to get my point across.
Michelle Singletary: I completely understand. I embrass my oldest, 11 now, just by standing next to her sometimes.
RE: Charlottsville & Grad School: I had money for grad school out of pocket, but decided to save that money and use it towards a house when I got out, then take out the money for school on loans (a cheap, public school). I am SO GLAD I did!
1. I got to buy a house - which I never could have done w/o the $$ for a downpayment.
2. I am only paying 2% on my school loans, whereas I'm paying 6% on my house - if I had had to do that 6% on the extra if I hadn't had a downpayment I would nto ahve been able to afford to buy.
3. My house has increased in value more than I even owe in school loans
4. My employer pays my school loans, so I've never had to make a payment - $$ I would not have received if I had paid out of pocket.
SO, where I agree that normally debt free is the way to go, for this I disagree with Michelle b/c saving for a downpayment is really hard to do.
Michelle Singletary: Different situation (since your employer is paying for school) but interesting point.
I still say don't take on debt if you don't have to.
Silver Spring, Md: My husband and I need wills. Our "estate" such as it is, is not complicated and all of our major assets are already arranged so that the surviving spouse gets them. We don't have kids yet. My husband is himself a lawyer, but not for that kind of law, and he would prefer to see a lawyer for this rather than doing our own. I wonder if the fee might be less if we drafted wills on our own and just had a lawyer look over them, or if we should bother.
Mary Randolph: You sound like good candidates for making your own simple wills, without paying an estate planning lawyer to draw them up for you. Because your major assets are already owned in a way that the survivor would inherit them, you could use your will just to handle the "leftover" property and name an executor (the person who will wrap up your affairs when the time comes).
You can get help with a reputable do-it-yourself product, such as Quicken WillMaker Plus. Then, if you have questions or want some extra assurance, you could have a lawyer look over your documents.
While you're at it, you should each make medical directives (also called living wills), which let you set out your wishes for end-of-life medical treatment in case someday you are unable to communicate your wishes. These documents are especially important for young people (we all remember the tragic situation of Terri Schiavo), who can live for a long time after an unexpected accident or illness. It's very unlikely that the document will ever be needed--but it's a very good idea to have it, just in case. Quicken WillMaker lets you make this document as well as a will.
Philadelphia, Pa.: Ms. Singletary, You mentioned on C-Span's In Depth,(a teriffic interview) your trip to South Africa where you wrote a report for the Post on how African women create and maintain businesses. Is it available to the public? How can I get a copy of that report? Thanks, Irma
Michelle Singletary: Oh my. So sorry. Those articles aren't available. I wrote them as part of a fellowship and actually I traveled to West Africa where I went to various villages and towns (away from cities) and interviewed African women who had started mico-businesses. Wonderful assignment.
I went to South Africa to cover the first free elections. Also wonderful assignment and it made me appreciate my responsibility to vote in EVERY election here.
The one who got loans instead of paying for grad school..: And just as a follow up, I knew the money was for a down payment for a house, so it was completely off limits until I needed it.
Arlington, Va.: We're pulling together a letter of instruction for the executor of our estate, in case that really big event (death) is round the bend. Should we have a full set of everything specifically for him---ss cards, birth certificates, back tax returns (how many years), etc. all in one place? Should he get everything now or should these documents be kept in our home?
Mary Randolph: What a good idea! You're going to make things much easier for your executor. Putting everything in one place is the way to go. Keep the documents--you'll no doubt want to add to the pile--but make sure your executor knows where they are and can get to them quickly when the time comes.
For prompts on what to include and what you can leave out, take a look at Get It Together: Organize Your Records So Your Family Won't Have To, by Melanie Cullen (Nolo). It's designed exactly for the task you're taking on.
The "Common Law" Marriage myth: In the few states that do allow formation of CL marriages, readers should know it's a lot more complicated than just living together or having kids together.
The poster who noted she had a "fiance", for instance, wouldn't meet the legal definition of a CL marriage in any state that allows its formation.
At a bare bottom minimum, a couple must -agree that they are now married/husband and wife- and hold themselves out to others as such. Sharing a last name and filing joint tax returns would also help establish proof of the marriage. Referring to someone as your boyfriend-girlfriend-fiance-fiancee automatically puts you out of the game.
Va. Suburbs: Our daughter (21) thinks she must buy a car. Which is better --taking out a $3,000 loan (we'd have to co-sign) to cover the diff between what she has and what she needs or borrowing the money directly from us (we'd charge her less interest). She thinks she needs to build a credit history.
Michelle Singletary: First, don't co-sign. Nix that. I say that even though I had asked my grandmother to co-sign on a car for me when I first got out of college. She flatly refused and then have me an hour-long lecture on the dangers of co-signing.
So I caught public transportation until I could buy or rather borrow for a car on my own. So let her wait it out. And it doesn't take long to build a credit history.
I say let her do this all on her own, including saving up the downpayment she needs. Maybe not now but she may appreciate the financial lesson later. I did.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Michelle. I love your chats. To the Washington DC person who wants to rent their home in DC--can I please offer advise? Make sure you register your house with DCRA as well as get a business license. This is a little known secret in D.C., but you are REQUIRED by D.C. law to do this. I just found out two months ago after six years of renting my home. This is not widely publicized. Also, I recommend that she use a management company to handle the rental, she have a clause in her lease stating that she can evict the tenant for non-payment, she has the right to secure her home within 30 days notice to the tenant and last, she consider receiving her funds through automatic credit to her bank account versus check. DC is tricky but if you use the right avenue (experienced) agents and a good lawyer in DC she will do just fine. I have a D.C. real estate lawyer that I just love. If she needs his information I can get in contact with you and you can put us in contact.
Michelle Singletary: I'll pass this along.
I've just started working again as a self-employed consultant (in addition to my full time job). I've already checked, and I won't owe the IRS estimated quarterly payments, thank goodness. Since the company I'm working for is not paying my federal taxes as if I were an employee, I'm worried about being hit with a large amount to pay in April. (Last time I did consulting like this, I got hit bad.) Any suggestions on how much of the money I should set aside for taxes? I was thinking somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2. Any guidelines on how much I should expect to pay and therefore save now? (I'm doing this work essentially to pay off credit card debt, so anything I earn that is not saved would go towards that.) Thanks!!
Tamara Traeder: You can estimate how much tax you'll owe (on the consulting gig income alone) by calculating how much you expect to earn as a consultant this year, then multiplying it by the tax percentages (federal and state) that apply to you. Add another 12% of your consulting income for "self-employment taxes" (Social Security and Medicare) that you have to pay on your own behalf if self-employed. (I'm also assuming that you are having the correct amount withheld from your paychecks at your full time job.)
Crofton, Md.: I live in a condo near my current office. I have an opportunity to work on a project in our Herndon office, and would rather not commute everyday.
I could rent in Herndon for about what I could rent out my condo for, theoretically balancing the two out. But would the rental income be taxable, even if it goes straight out again as my Herndon rent cost?
Mary Randolph: Income you receive from renting out your condo would be taxable. You might have deductible expenses that would reduce the tax bite, but you can't avoid it altogether.
Chicago, Ill.: Those school fundraising things are a HUGE pet peeve of mine, especially since I'm a single person with no kids. I figure I donate enough money to the schools through my property taxes. The solicitations have eased up a lot since I've switched jobs and there are many fewer women in my current office....
My question, however, is about a credit card I applied for. I am an American Aadvantage member and they send me all their marketing e-mails, which contain an ad for the Miles Rewards card. I applied online for the card since I'm about to buy a lot of furniture, and if I can get miles while I'm buying, so much the better. A few weeks later I got a form letter in the mail saying they could not approve the card because they could not verify the information in my application!! What gives??? Why didn't they call or write me to verify the information? I am so annoyed.
Tamara Traeder: Something smells a little fishy. There may be a screwup up at the credit card company, but there could also be something odd popping up in your credit report (or someone might have tried to use your identity, so the card company has mixed information). Either way, check with the card company, and I'd recommend getting copies of your credit report from all three credit agencies--Equifax, Experian and TransUnion--and make sure all of the info on them is correct.
Rockville, Md.: A few years ago when I was in the midst of book sales, car washes, wrapping paper, silent auctions etc I came upon a Dave Barry column that really made me laugh. He suggested that schools' financial problems could be solved by a single fundraiser. Let parents buy out of science fair. The sky's the limit on the amount you could charge.
Michelle Singletary: Oh that is funny!
Washington, D.C.: Michelle, I get so tired of people like Rockville, MD whinning about you....If they don't like your chat then DON'T PARTICIPATE!!! Just that simple. You are helping many of us!!
Michelle Singletary: You are so sweet. Thank you.
Washington, D.C.: I have been married a month and just finished Your Money and Your man book, great items in there.
My husband and I are trying to figure out how to afford a home in this area. We make a pretty good combined income but it seems that a two-bedroom residence of any type is just out of our reach. A basic mortgage payment would be a lot more than what we pay for a great sized, great location apartment we are in now. If we rent for another year, what are we really missing out on? are there other ways we can invest our money than real estate to get us some security for the future?
Michelle Singletary: First thanks for buying my book. I'm so happy it helped.
Second, take your time if you don't have the money to buy right now. But try to buy eventually if you can. Until then, you're right to think about other ways to help your money grow. Perhaps you might want to meet with a financial adviser who can help you with a plan to make your money grow responsibility. I always like well-balanced mutual funds.
Minneapolis, Minn.: I read your article a couple weeks ago about paying off a debt. I have a small ($100) debt that went to a collection agency...from what I gather a bill went missing when I moved four years ago and I never paid it. Anywho. I want to pay this debt and asked the credit agency to put in writing that they would accurately report the date of the debt to be 2002, not 2006, and was told that they won't put anything in writing, that they wouldn't guarantee that, and that what I was asking them to do was commit fraud. Did I misunderstand the article? What should have I asked them? I'd like to pay the bill, but I am concerned that this will come back to bite me on the you-know-where. Help!
washingtonpost.com: 'Fessing Up and Settling Up , Aug. 3, 2006
Mary Randolph: You have the right to dispute items you believe are incorrect in your credit file. The agency can give you a form; after your fill it out and send it to the agency, it is supposed to investigate and get back to you within 30 days. You can then file a brief statement with the agency, explaining your side of the story. The bureau must include it with any reort that includes the information you're disputing.
Michelle Singletary: And the company was dead wrong. If you are paying on an old debt they are not supposed to change the information in a way that makes it look like new activity on your credit report. If they do, they are wrong. So before you pay the debt get recent copies of your credit report with the last date of activity to prove it was 2002. Then pay the debt. If your payment is reflected in a way that changes that 2002 complain to the credit bureaus using the copy of your credit report you get.
Washington, D.C.: "Money market returns will probably not be as good as your investment in real estate, depending on the market you are in (even in this bumpy real estate market)."
On what are you basing this assersion? We just had the largest short-term rise in real estate prices ever recorded in this country (at least in certain areas).
Don't you think that investing in real estate right now has such a significant possible downside that it would be more prudent to invest elsewhere (even money market funds)?
Tamara Traeder: Long term, I think that real estate is a great investment. If you are looking for spectacular short-term turnarounds that we have seen in recent years, that may be harder to come by, and I personally wouldn't do it.
Auughh on co-signing for a car!: How about telling the daughter to pay cash like Michelle's grandmother would have?! And why do you need to build a credit record? To buy a house, right? Not if you have a mortgage company that uses real, hard-working manual underwriters who use more than the FICO score.
Michelle Singletary: Like this. But Big Mama did borrow for cars. But she paid them off in about half the time. After all she was living on like nothing. But she took that nothing and stayed as debt free as she could. So paid her cars off early and paid off her home before she retired raising five grandchilren with a husband who had a drinking problem.
And your other point is well taken. The 21-year-old should be so worried about her credir right now. The lesson she can get is saving up for what she can afford, even if she has to borrow for the car. By the way there are some great used car deals in which she could find a great older used car and pay cash for it.
Michelle Singletary: Oh my, where has the time gone. Thanks again to Mary and Tamara from Nolo. Remember this chat was overall about the great book Nolo put out and which was the Color of Money Book Club selection for August "Your Little Legal Companion: Helpful Advice for Life's Big Events."
Thanks again to all who participated today. And sorry to those whose questions we didn't get to in time.
Oh and Rockville, I have no idea who you have been reading but I have NEVER presented my children with a bill for their upbringing. I chose to have my kids so I pay for everything -- and plan to pay fully for their college education with no requirement for repayment other than they get good grades, stay out of trouble, be good human beings and rub my feet when I get too old to do it myself.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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With Campaigning, a Preview
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NASHVILLE, Aug. 30 -- Sandwiching politics between anniversary commemorations for the two pivotal events of his tenure, President Bush campaigned Wednesday on behalf of two Republican candidates facing unexpectedly strong Democratic opposition in Southern border states dominated in recent years by the GOP.
A day after visiting New Orleans to mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Bush flew to Little Rock to appear at a closed-door fundraiser for former congressman Asa Hutchinson, who is trailing state Attorney General Mike Beebee in his bid to become Arkansas governor. After little more than three hours on the ground, Bush moved on to Nashville to help Bob Corker collect funds for his contest against Democrat Harold Ford Jr. for Tennessee's open Senate seat.
Appearing before a friendly crowd of about 500 GOP partisans at a downtown Nashville hotel, Bush previewed some of the themes he will strike at an address Thursday in Salt Lake City at the American Legion's national convention.
Terrorism and Iraq loom large in the coming midterm elections, and the GOP majorities in both chambers of Congress are at risk. In many of the most competitive races, Republicans are still hoping the public trusts them more to defeat terrorism, and Bush highlighted the issues on behalf of Corker, who is bidding to fill the seat of retiring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.
Bush offered an impassioned defense of his Iraq policy, linking the war to the battle against terrorists and once again rejecting the growing clamor from Democrats -- and some Republicans -- to begin setting a timetable for withdrawing the more than 130,000 U.S. troops. While acknowledging that many Americans are troubled by the violence in Iraq, he said "amazing progress" is being made and said defeating the insurgency in Iraq is essential to preventing terrorists from coming to America.
If America left Iraq "before the job is done," he said, it would be a "major defeat" for the United States and would create a "terrorist state in the heart of the Middle East."
The Tennessee Senate race is shaping up as one of the most interesting this year, with Ford mounting a fierce effort to become the first African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the Senate from the South. Tennessee is a conservative state, and political analysts here say Bush's popularity has not fallen as steeply as it has in other states.
But Ford has been making inroads by stressing moderate positions on social and fiscal issues. He has supported the war in Iraq but told the Nashville Tennessean this week that he does not share a "stay the course" philosophy with the president.
On Corker's campaign Web site, he says: "We must complete our mission in Iraq, supporting the new emerging democratic government until Iraqi forces are prepared to defend their country."
The GOP believes its chances of holding on to the seat improved after Corker's victory in this month's primary over two more conservative candidates, although the Ford campaign released a poll last week suggesting it had a small lead. Other independent analysts are skeptical of those numbers.
John G. Geer, a political scientist at Vanderbilt University who specializes in campaign advertising, said Ford is trying to "turn the race into a referendum on the president, and some of Corker's moves have played into this," including Wednesday night's fundraiser.
But Geer said he doubts the fundraiser will hurt Corker too much, especially since GOP officials said they collected more than $1.5 million for the campaign and for the Tennessee GOP.
Just the fact that the race appears to be so close is bad news for the Republicans, according to Geer and other analysts. A switch of six seats would give the Democrats control of the Senate for the first time since 2002.
"Democrats are going to have a good year in the Senate," said Jennifer Duffy, who tracks Senate races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "Tennessee is the firewall between a Democratic majority and a Republican majority. If this state goes Democratic, it would likely mean the Democrats will be in the majority."
Political researcher Zachary A. Goldfarb contributed to this report.
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NASHVILLE, Aug. 30 -- Sandwiching politics between anniversary commemorations for the two pivotal events of his tenure, President Bush campaigned Wednesday on behalf of two Republican candidates facing unexpectedly strong Democratic opposition in Southern border states dominated in recent years by...
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Retail Sales Surge
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U.S. consumer spending rose 0.8 percent in July, the Commerce Department reported. It was the biggest monthly increase since January and was up from a 0.4 percent increase in June.
The Commerce Department report also showed that incomes rose 0.5 percent in July after a 0.6 increase the previous month. Incomes were up 7.1 percent from a year ago.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said U.S. productivity is likely to grow strongly for "some time."
Bernanke said it's "reasonable" that productivity will rise "at something like" the level from 1995 to 2000, during which it averaged about 2.5 percent a year.
The falling price of computing power has spurred advances in biotechnology and other fields and broadened the availability of goods and services, he said.
Ghosn Upbeat on Alliance Talks
Carlos Ghosn, chief executive officer of Renault and Nissan, said talks on a possible alliance with General Motors were going better than he expected and that he would review progress in September. The automakers will present the results of their talks by mid-October as planned, Ghosn said.
Prodded by Kirk Kerkorian, GM's fourth-largest shareholder, chief executive Rick Wagoner began talks with Ghosn in July.
Collins & Aikman, a Southfield, Mich., maker of automotive carpeting and plastic parts, said it plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within six months and is already negotiating with potential buyers.
The company would cancel its shares and convert secured debt into stock under an exit plan filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit.
Chrysler will replace its employee-price discounts with six-year, no-interest loans to help clear out 2006 cars and trucks, according to Alan Helfman, a dealer in Houston. He said the automaker's dealers were told that the financing would be offered until Sept. 30 and would be limited to people with "very good" credit ratings. Chrysler declined to comment.
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U.S. consumer spending rose 0.8 percent in July, the Commerce Department reported. It was the biggest monthly increase since January and was up from a 0.4 percent increase in June.
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College Football
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Before you tailgate, read The Washington Post's
for a look at local teams, conference predictions and more.
Eric Prisbell: Welcome to our kickoff chat. After spending the summer at AAU tournaments, I have scrubbed off the slime and am now itching for the college season. Sixteen games tonight, and plenty of good ones Saturday. Marc, our new Maryland beat writer, will be making his debut today (as soon as his computer cooperates), so be nice Mountaineer fans. (I'm still trying to download "Truckin' Thru the BCS" onto my iPod.) I see plenty of questions from feisty fans, so let's start it up.
Richmond, Va.: After a disappointing year last year, what chances do you see of Michigan making any type of run towards a championship or BCS bowl? They've got a brutal schedule, but I think they've got a chance in all of their games (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa). Thanks!
Marc Carig: I can see a bounce back year for Michigan even with a tough schedule. They are loaded on the offensive side of the ball and Mike Hart is healthy again. His absence hurt them most last year.
Eric Prisbell: Michigan should be better, if only because Mike Hart is healthy, as Marc said, and players are reportedly leaner. Mich. fans are still feeling plenty of anxiety heading into this season (at least that's the idea I get from all the Mich. fans in my office). Michigan can beat ND, even in South Bend. Remember, Michigan was the only team to hold ND to 17 points last season.
Fear the Turtle, Md.: I know it's a long shot but, what do you think the chances are that the Terps upset West Virginia in Morgantown on a Thursday night?
Marc Carig: Sure, it's a long shot. But it's important to note that while I think a lot of people have a general idea of what West Virginia is going to be this year, that rule doesn't apply to the Terps. They are a bit of a wild card in that respect. The key to an upset will be whether the Terps truly have the improved team speed on defense that The Fridge has been talking about during camp. If that's the case, the upset chances aren't bad. Of course, because of the soft start on the schedule, the WV game is the first time we'll really see what the Terps bring this year.
Eric Prisbell: A long shot is that the Terps will win. A long shot also is that Marc will find a hotel room in Morgantown that night.
I expect the game to be closer than most people think, but a win against the Terps is the only thing standing in the way of WV heading into the Louisville game on Nov. 2 undefeated. Prediction: WV wins and Dan Steinberg has plenty to blog about.
Former Buckeye, Md.: What are the key things that may keep Ohio State from living up to its preseason ranking? Do you think they can win a national championship? GO BUCKS!
Marc Carig: That defense may be talented... but it is young, especially in the secondary. To keep that No. 1 ranking, the Bucks will need to avoid that slip up loss, which is easier said than done when nine of 11 guys on the defensive side of the ball are still getting used to playing at real game speed.
Eric Prisbell: I agonized for a while over a BCS title game prediction because this season is so wide open. I believe what I believed Jan. 5, 2006: Ohio State-Notre Dame rematch in Arizona.
But I see both teams with one loss each. The schedules are just too difficult. As for the Buckeyes, I expect Garrett Wolfe to run circles around an inexperienced OSU defense Saturday, but it won't be enough for Northern Illinois. For me, the defense is the biggest question for OSU. But everyone has a question mark, or 10, this season.
Merced, Calif.: Who wins -- Fresno State or Nevada on Friday?
Eric Prisbell: Tough game for Fresno, even though it's home. The Bulldogs can play with anyone in the country. Don't think so? Check out that USC game I attended last year. But they have struggled, and at times mightily, against WAC programs. So with Oregon on deck in a week, Fresno could be looking to that game. I don't think Pat Hill will allow his kids to do so this season, not after dropping the final four games last season. An important year for Fresno; Fresno wins.
Marc Carig: OK, full disclosure. I'm a Nevada graduate. Now, for my answer: Fresno State wins this game. Bulldog Stadium is a difficult environment for any team, perhaps the toughest venue in all of mid-majordom. ... The Wolf Pack (note: two words, not one like the Wolfpack of NC State) gets off to notoriously slow starts. Take for instance last year, when the Pack looked awful in losses against Washington State and Colorado State. Besides, the 'Dogs want revenge for last year's upset in Reno.
Columbia, S.C.: It's game day, finally. Posting early. What do you think of the Gamecocks this season?
Eric Prisbell: Spurrier will have his work cut out for him if he hopes for a more successful year this season. He pulled off five consecutive SEC victories in his first season, which was quite a feat. The game circled already is Nov. 11, his return to Gainesville. But watch out for tonight. Sylvester Croom's Mississippi State team returns 19 starters and the game is in unattractive Starkville. I'll tune in tonight to watch one man: Sidney Rice. This guy should be the next great receiver in the country, if last year was any indication.
Marc Carig: A lot of people underestimated SC last year, and the team took advantage. I don't see that happening this year.
Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii is opening its football season at Alabama in front of 93,000 Alabama fans... all seats sold out. Hawaii's Warriors have a pretty good air attack, and even beat Alabama a few years ago. Still, it's a big stretch for coach June Jones' offense... what do you think?
Eric Prisbell: Good question. It's a fascinating game. Jones has an offense that should be able to score against pretty much anybody. I'm looking forward to see if Colt Brennan, the Hawaii QB and one of nine offensive starters back, has improved. If Bama's defense is nearly as good as last year, this should be interesting. Watch how the new game clock rules impact this matchup. I believe Jones has suggested that the new rules would take away two TDs a game from his offense. I'll keep track of this score while I'm stuck in the rain in Morgantown this weekend.
Marc Carig: Hawaii never travels well. I don't think people realize the logistical nightmare that these guys endure this year. That said, Colt Brennan is the real deal and he has plenty of talent to work with at WR. And Jerry Glanville is making inroads as a DC.
Los Angeles, Calif.: Do you think Cal has a legitimate shot at a BCS bowl with an untested quarterback?
Marc Carig: Cal's defense is so stacked that it's hard to count them out. Yes, quarterback play could be their undoing. Nate Longshore is back but he's way short on game experience. However, the Bears have an awesome duo in Forsett and Lynch to take the pressure off the passing game. And Tedford seems to have a knack for helping QBs overachieve. Spreading the field a bit more this year won't hurt either.
Eric Prisbell: They do because Cal is strong everywhere else. Even with Tedford on the sideline, I'd worry about the quarterback play. I covered Cal-USC last season and there was no drama. The Cal quarterback play was awful. Longshore is now back and healthy, so we'll find out soon enough, Saturday against the Vols. I like Cal a lot, but it's hard to go out on a limb for a team that has such strong concerns under center.
Herndon, Va.: It's great to have you two gurus back to answer all questions and resolve all arguments. Before the myriad of e-mails complaining "local -- complete name of school," isn't getting enough coverage, what chance do you think my alma mater, Nebraska, has to at least win the Big 12 North? I think a possible trip to the Big 12 championship game is the most that can be hoped for in this season.
Eric Prisbell: Since you bring up Nebraska, I'm planning a trip out to the Midwest later on to see them, so they are on our radar. The Big 12 North might be just a tad bit better than last season, which is not saying much. Nebraska should win that division, although the Iowa State game could be tough on the road. I believe Taylor is one of only four returning QBs in the conference. The game against USC on the 16th is the one I am looking forward to. I think the Huskers might be able to play with SC this season. Beat them? Not so sure. But it's worth a serious look.
Marc Carig: Yeah, Colorado could be better this year, as they made perhaps the best coaching hire in the country last year. But they won't be THAT much better, and the North should belong to the Huskers.
Washington, D.C.: How much did losing QB Rhett Bomar hurt Oklahoma this year? Also, what is your prediction for the Red River Shootout against Texas?
Eric Prisbell: It hurts and it knocks them out of national title consideration. But, let's remember, Bomar was not exactly Brady Quinn back there.
Red River: Adrian Peterson's day again, just like a couple year ago.
Marc Carig: I wonder about the hangover effect that this whole thing could have. These high profile events typically linger, especially when they result in the loss of such a key player.
Arlington, Va.: Some services have Penn State listed as a top 20 team. It is great to see JoPa rebound, but I feel like they are in for a really tough season after having graduated a number of key players. Am I missing something?
Eric Prisbell: I think Penn State is in for a tougher season that last year, but not necessarily a tough season. Playing at Notre Dame and Ohio State is a pretty brutal way to start a season in September. Derrick Williams should be a headliner this season. I'd have Penn State around 15th nationally - strong, dangerous. But not like last season.
Marc Carig: Michael Robinson was the catalyst. Even if his replacement Anthony Morelli shines, he won't scare defenses the way Robinson did.
Damascus, Md.: Who do you think is the key for Maryland to have a successful year? I'd say if Hollenbach cuts down on turnovers, there's no reason not to think the Terps can shock people.
Marc Carig: I think that's dead on. Sam really is the key to the whole thing, and I think Friedgen is well aware of that fact. He really challenged Hollenbach throughout camp and the QB has responded. He already looks more comfortable and has cut down on mental mistakes that doomed him last year. I watched a couple of those games on tape a few weeks ago, and I'm still shocked at how many bad mistakes Hollenbach made. A bunch of guys make the same kind of mistakes, but it seemed like Sam led the nation in paying a big price for those miscues (interceptions returned for touchdowns, momentum killing fumbles, etc.) It was almost freakish.
Eric Prisbell: The O-line play should be much improved, another key.
Silver Spring, Md.: Is Mike Wise an idiot? In his column today he chides Maryland fans for yelling "traitor" at ESPN Zone last year when Antonio Logan-El chose Penn State over Maryland. He failed to mention that the kid strung Maryland along after he made the decision, invited the MD coaching staff (Gloria Friedgen showed up) and then held the press conference in Maryland's backyard. His own coach said it was an embarrassment and it spawned an outcry from several people on a national scale pointing to how the recruiting situation has gotten out of control. He then suggests a home-and-home against Penn State as a way for Maryland to ensure we don't lose recruits to them. Of course, he failed to mention that it is JoePa who doesn't want that, not Maryland. Is Wise just another columnist who sits behind his desk making judgments without actually researching what he writes about? Hopefully you guys can give him the message about what the real deal is instead of making PSU somehow look great and Maryland look bad.
Eric Prisbell: Press conferences given to recruits -- football and hoops -- are completely out of control. In hoops, they are often orchestrated by shoe companies. In football, they are broadcast nationwide on ESPN News with the kids sometimes playing games by pulling out multiple hats. It is out of control. And it will probably get worse.
As for the beef with Wise, e-mail him directly.
I am not saying whether I agree or disagree with him -- I know the top, top teams want no business playing tough road games, for the most part -- but I will say that Maryland fans seem awfully sensitive when it comes to any story that mentions both the Terps and Penn State. This goes back to other stories, and by various media outlets. I enjoy the passion, though, and respect your opinion.
Marc Carig: One thing I learned quickly is that you Terps fans are passionate, something I must admit I truly never realized during my time on the other coast. I think it's always good to e-mail the individual (Wise) with your beef.
Columbia, Md.: Yo P'bell, welcome back. Shout out to the new kid on the block, "Wolf P" Carig.
Who can derail Auburn on the SEC this season? And for a bonus question -- does Phil Fulmer put his house on the market at the end of this season?
Eric Prisbell: Auburn should be the king of the SEC. Schedule is in their favor.
I don't think Fulmer will have to put his house up for sale after the season (Cutcliffe back should help Ainge at quarterback).
But if Fulmer does need to sell it, Schlabach might buy it. That dude lives in SEC country.
Marc Carig: Even last year, Auburn looked as if they were going to own this season. They should be fine in the SEC.
And no, Phil should be fine.
PS: Thanks for the shout. This season is gonna be fun.
I am a big Steve Spurrier fan. I loved the way he would run up the score on opponents and gloat afterwards when he coached the Florida Gators. I was overjoyed when he became the coach of my beloved Redskins. Unfortunately, things didn't work out. But now he's back in a more suitable element -- the college game. My dilemma is that I have tickets to the Redskins' preseason game tonight. But heavy and steady rain is expected. Should I brave the elements at Fedex Field or watch my favorite college coach take on Mississippi State tonight on ESPN? Also, what type of season do you expect from the Gamecocks in '06?
P.S. -- I will follow your advice on whether I should go to Fedex Field or not.
Eric Prisbell: It is not only a preseason game tonight, it is the fourth preseason game. It means nothing. It would be tough to miss an SEC game, I think.
Marc Carig: Dude, eighth-string 'Skins or an SEC tilt? I think you've got an easy call there.
WVU alum: "Maryland fans are passionate."
I've never heard such a positive synonym for "thin-skinned"...
Eric Prisbell: That's actually a rather nice way for a WV fan to insult someone. I expected worse from WV fans.
Marc Carig: I'm waiting for a Terps response...
Peter, Pumkin Eater: Look for Akron to hang close or even beat Penn State. Their quarterback, Luke Getsy is as good a quarterback as you'll find in NCAA (he almost beat out Tyler Palko for the starting job at Pitt before he transferred).
Marc Carig: You know, I listened to some of the Penn State guys paying the typical respects, yakking about how they can't overlook Akron. But what caught my attention was that they looked like they actually meant what they were saying.
Eric Prisbell: I think the Northern Illinois game against Ohio State will be more interesting on Saturday. Just a hunch.
Herndon, Va.: Nebraska in the "Midwest"? Please gentlemen, the Midwest stops at the Missouri River -- Nebraska, Kansas, and the Dakotas are in the Great Plains!
Eric Prisbell: Not so sure. The Great Midwest is everything between the Dakotas, Western Kansas, Oklahoma and Ohio. You're talking about the Midwest, not the Great Midwest. When I go to Nebraska to see Callahan's offense, I'll be headed to the Great Midwest via Southwest air.
Marc Carig: Geez, when did Carmen Sandiego come in here?
20th and Pennsylvania, NW: Hey Guys, welcome back, thank you very much for doing these chats.
To pick up on a theme from last year I spent a little time during the off season examining the distance from the Post's office at 1150 15th St., NW, and "local" schools that play Division I football, who may or may not be favored by coverage in The Post (distances computed using Microsoft MapPoint North America 2004). The list isn't all-inclusive and I did include schools from the I-AA, A-10 Conference, mainly because I attended one as an undergraduate and one for graduate school, and you never cover either of them.
Georgetown-2 miles; Maryland-10 miles; Towson-54 miles; Delaware-96 miles; Virginia-116 miles; James Madison-131 miles; Villanova-138 miles; William and Mary-153 miles (by the way, very cheap shots by Wise this morning, I hope that column is stapled to the Tribe's bulletin board); Rutgers-197 miles; West Virginia-204 miles; Penn State-210 miles; Duke-259 miles; NC State-262 miles; Virginia Tech-270 miles; and North Carolina-272 miles.
So, why do the Hokies get all the press despite being 270 miles away, further than 13 schools? I'm sure there are many alumni, parents, students and supporters of these schools in your readership area who would love to read some coverage. Given your subscription trends I'd think you're looking to increase your readership, not just rely on surveys of your current readers for what they want.
Just for grins here are some more local interest schools distances from your front door: Binghamton (for Tony)-310 miles; Ohio State (for "Land Grant" Downie, I wonder how they ended up #1 in your poll?)-404 miles; Boston College-436 miles; Michigan-510 miles; Clemson-533 miles; Michigan State-585 miles; Georgia-595 miles; Notre Dame-608 miles; Georgia Tech-637 miles; and Northwestern (for Michael Wilbon)-708 miles.
Thanks for being good sports. Have a great season.
Eric Prisbell: (C'mon. Stop posting the mileage. It may differ from what I put on my expense form, man.)
Seriously, though, why stop there? Let's Mapquest the distance between the Post office and every D-1 team, every D 1-AA team, Jerry Palm's house and the Corn Palace in South Dakota. And let's publish the entire list, for grins.
Arlington, Va.: What's the definitive scoop on Notre Dame? Can they live up to the preseason hype?
Eric Prisbell: Ambrose Wooden is a key. You can only get so much faster in the offseason. But if ND's secondary is even a little better than last season, the offense will outscore just about everyone. Notre Dame needs to come through the first four games with a 3-1 record.
Marc Carig: No doubt they can live up to the hype. But USC will be scary at the end of the season, when they've had 11 games to figure out the whole backfield situation.
West Virginia Alum: Eric, what are your thoughts on the WVU-Marshall game? On paper, it's no contest but the instate rivalry aspect makes this game intriguing.
Stay dry. Don't burn anything.
Eric Prisbell: Steinberg is obsessed with the couches, not me.
Good, strong rivalry to open up. Some allegations of student spies flying in the offseason. I like it. I see WV running all over 'em.
Marc Carig: The Mountaineers are just too fast, though the whole spy thing makes it that much more fun.
Baltimore, Md.: Welcome back! First things first ... can we keep the "my college in Bumscreek, N.J. is not getting coverage from the Post" rants to a minimum? The Post is a still a local paper and will cover the Maryland and Virginia teams first and foremost (if they're successful or have a meaningful season).
Now, back to important business. What are the Hokies' prospects this season? I feel like the Hokies are at their best when the national spotlight is low (see 2004 ACC champs with Bryan Randall). I think VT and Clemson (if they don't beat themselves) can sneak up and challenge Florida State and Miami this year.
Eric Prisbell: I agree with you about V-Tech and Clemson, which makes the Oct. 26 matchup at Lane all the more interesting.
FSU alum across from the WashPost: Florida State vs. Miami, predictions for Monday night's marquee matchup and season predictions for both teams please?
Eric Prisbell: Flip a coin.
Marc Carig: With all the distractions with the Canes lately, I'll take FSU.
Alexandria, Va.: Does a win over a Div. I-AA team count toward the official bowl-eligibility record?
And I might as well get this annual rant over with:
Virginia Tech as a "Washington Area Team"? Seeing as how it took me 3 1/2 hrs to drive to Roanoke, Va., which is closer to D.C. than Blacksburg, I for one DON'T THINK SO. The number of (C)hokie alumni moving to this area not withstanding.
Eric Prisbell: If Maryland has a victory over William & Mike Wise as one of its six victories, it will be bowl eligible.
I think 11 of 12 Big 12 teams scheduled 1-AA teams.
Marc Carig: I think it does now that all the teams are playing 12 games. That rule used to be more complicated when the number of games varied.
Vienna, Va.: Thanks guys for doing this; it's such a great time of year! This year seems so wide-open, even for an 'SC grad like me it's exciting. Here's my question of the day: at the end of the year, what team that has a realistic shot at a BCS bowl or even the BCS championship would be most surprising? Cal? West Virginia? Louisville? Iowa? Clemson? Everyone figures on Texas, Ohio State, 'SC, Notre Dame and of course maybe the return of traditional powerhouses like Miami. But what do you think is the "new" story line? Just don't say the boys in baby blue who play across town from USC ...
Eric Prisbell: It wouldn't surprise me if any of those teams make a BCS game.
The story line this year is that it is so wide open. Last year, we did not know who would be on top in the often unpredictable BCS rankings, but we knew who SHOULD be on top - USC and Texas. This season, come Oct. 15 when the BCS poll comes out, we won't know who will be on top and we won't even know who SHOULD be on top.
The Big East could prove to be THE storyline this season, for better or worse.
Marc Carig: From your list, I'd say Iowa just because it seems that they get overshadowed a lot by the others in their conference.
Silver Spring, Md.: Hey guys! What do you think of John Bunting's chances at North Carolina? He's not under as much pressure as the ugly guy at N.C. State, but this is supposed to be the best team he's fielded since coming to Carolina six years ago. Do you think the Heels will finally have a shot at a decent bowl game?
Eric Prisbell: Some pressure. The opener against Rutgers could be a make-or-break bowl playoff for both teams.
Marc Carig: Good chance... especially because they seem steady enough.
Cav-land, Ohio: How will the loss of Ron Prince affect Virginia, and do you think he'll succeed at Kansas State?
Eric Prisbell: I expect Virginia to be in the middle of the pack in the ACC.
I'm worried that the mapquest dude will measure the distance from my living room to Prince's desk at Kansas State.
Marc Carig: I tend to agree with Eric, though I think the slip has more to do with the loss of some established players, not the loss of a coordinator.
20009: How good a shot does USC have to be in the title game again?
I hope they roll this season, because "John David Booty" is such a fun name to say and hear.
John David Booty..John David Booty..heh-heh
Eric Prisbell: The Arizona game could be tough, but for the most part USC has its most difficult games at home.
Marc Carig: The Pac-10 schedule is full of potential problems for SC. The conference has more parity than it has in recent recent years. While they may still win 'em all, I don't think they'll roll.
Fairfax, Va.: At this time next year, will I not be laughed off the planet if I say that Rutgers will challenge for tops in the Big East? Any chance of that happening this year?
Eric Prisbell: Probably not this year, but it's a program on the rise. I went to Rutgers and never thought I would write that sentence.
Marc Carig: Rutgers is better, yet still a full step below challenging for a title.
Arlington, Va.: What are the new clock rules you mentioned in the Hawaii question? I'm just tuning in to this season's hype.
I don't know why, the Gators are going to take it all anyway...
Eric Prisbell: The game clock will now start when a kicker connects with the football on kickoffs, not when a player catches the ball downfield. And after a change of possession, the clock will now start when officials give the "ready for play" signal, not when the ball is snapped. The changes are expected to cut as many as 15 offensive plays from games. Fewer plays means fewer opportunities for the best offenses, which in turn could mean more upsets. Penn State Coach Joe Paterno said it is "going to create some problems." Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti went further, saying, "As a coach, I'm appalled at the rule changes. They are major and very severe and will change the game as we know it."
Columbia, Md.: So, what about my LSU Tigers this year? Predictions?
Eric Prisbell: I'll be covering LSU-Auburn, so I'll have a better read then. I'm still not sold on the quarterback position.
Marc Carig: Terrapins practice is calling. ... That was fun, and thanks for the warm welcome and good questions. PS: I'm new here, so If anybody has a good recommendation on where I can watch the alma mater play Fresno State on Friday night, hit me with an email!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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An Emmy Winner at 25 -- What Next? 'Swashbuckling With Helen Mirren'
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Good thing Georgetown Day's Class of '99 won't have its 10-year reunion for a few more years. Imagine the angst, with everyone gnashing their teeth over the classmate who just won an Emmy -- at age 25.
The dark-haired, bespectacled kid standing just behind Jon Stewart on Sunday's live broadcast as the crew from "The Daily Show" accepted the comedy-writing award was Bethesda native Sam Means . "I'm the new guy there," he told us, sleepily, after taking the red-eye from L.A. to NYC yesterday, his new trophy looking mighty big in his tiny city apartment.
The younger son of a two-lawyer couple, Means graduated from Dartmouth in 2003 before decamping to Cambridge for a master's in philosophy that led, naturally, to a career in comedy writing. He penned satirical news stories for the Onion ("Kerry's Face Droops With Joy Over Latest Polls"; "Tiny Dog Suffocates in Louis Vuitton Bag") and sold some cartoons to the New Yorker (most recently, one with a pregnant woman whose T-shirt says, "Ask Me About My Massive Weight Gain.") He joined Comedy Central's fake-news show in January.
Sunday night "was all a little overwhelming," he said. "Everyone else was talking to everyone. I just sat at the table with my Emmy and looked around the room." The highlight of his night was "fake swashbuckling with Helen Mirren " when he and another writer collided with the actress on the press room threshold. "And [porn star] Ron Jeremy winked at me. Not so much a highlight as incredibly creepy."
Then came the odd sensation of walking through airports brandishing an Emmy, the only way he could figure to get it home. "They don't let you bring a bottle of water onto a plane, but they let you bring a huge, sharp brass object." On the plane, "I sort of had it nervously clenched between my sneakers on the floor. I was mortified. But I wasn't about to check my first Emmy."
Weight Loss Without the Wait: Katie Couric Gets Slim, Fast
dropped 20 pounds the easy way: airbrushing. A CBS promotional photo of the incoming "Evening News" anchor, taken in May, was altered to whittle her face, neck, waist and hips in the September issue of Watch magazine, distributed to affiliate stations and American Airlines. "I liked the first picture better because there's more of me to love," Couric good-naturedly told the New York Daily News. CBS was "surprised and disappointed" by the retouched photo and blamed the magazine staff for the sexist nip and tuck. (They didn't airbrush
It's unethical to tamper with news photographs, but publicity shots are frequently enhanced -- and this was a beauty, costing hundreds of dollars. "That was a lot of work," says Joe Elbert , The Post's top photo editor. "The face wasn't what impressed me -- what impressed me was the work on the suit. It's a frumpy suit. Now it's tailored."
And no -- you can't get the same look with one of those new "thinning" cameras. "By the way the lens is designed, it's basically like a funhouse mirror," he said. "Those will make you thin but look like you have a horse face." We'll take that as a nay.
· Cross-promoting : Jessica Simpson and John Mayer have coupled up. The pop star and the guitar-strumming "Your Body Is a Wonderland" singer are an item, People and Us Weekly magazines breathlessly reported yesterday. "They've only gotten together a handful of times over the last few weeks," a "Mayer source" told Us Weekly. "But yes, they've made out." Details! No response from Mayer's rep; Simpson's flack offered only a cagey, "I don't comment on Jess's private life." The fact that both singers have new albums to promote is entirely coincidental.
· Expecting: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and USC basketball player Brynn Cameron are expecting a baby boy in November. Her father, Stan Cameron , told the Associated Press yesterday that the Heisman Trophy winner, 23, and his daughter, 20, broke up last year but remained friendly (obviously). They have no plans to wed. "Brynn does not want to get married," he said. "She wants to finish school and let Matt do his thing and then figure it out."
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Good thing Georgetown Day's Class of '99 won't have its 10-year reunion for a few more years. Imagine the angst, with everyone gnashing their teeth over the classmate who just won an Emmy -- at age 25. Katie Couric dropped 20 pounds the easy way: airbrushing. A CBS promotional photo of the...
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Karaoke, the Universal Language
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One in a series on how Washingtonians
By day, Adalid Saavedra paves roads. His sweat runs and drips in the suffocating outdoor oven of a hot Washington summer.
By night, he's cool. He is Mexican balladeer Alejandro Fernandez. He steps in front of the crowd, grips the mike and croons in velvety Spanish Craaaaazzy as violins soar. They call me crazy because I talk to the birds .
The crowd is low-key. For a few minutes, it is his. Until the next karaoke act.
It's Friday night at Las Americas, a small restaurant in Falls Church where karaoke in Spanish is on the menu six nights a week. Outside is a strip mall on the edge of the city's immigrant community, far from the Bolivian foothills where Saavedra grew up -- where everyone in Saavedra's family, he would say later, is a singer.
Just as Saavedra and others brave of voice and full of abandon are tonight.
In the Washington suburbs, where this Salvadoran-Mexican restaurant sits next to a Vietnamese deli, karaoke transcends borders. At hole-in-the-wall cafes and crowded bars, song lists come in Filipino and Korean and Spanish and Chinese, allowing laymen of all tongues to unleash their inner singers.
Some things are universal no matter the language: A few singers have voices smooth as silk; others are abysmal. Songs are steeped in memory and distance. And many are about heartbreak.
Alan Reyes sat with his brother in the back of Las Americas, at a table topped with a tiny vase of pastel carnations. The room was half-full of customers, mostly men and a few dates, slicing heaping plates of grilled meat and shaking salt into Mexican beers.
He was not -- not -- taking the microphone, no matter what. "It scares me," said Reyes, fortyish and stocky, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans.
The brothers, partners in a Lorton construction firm, preferred watching the two young women hosting. The women -- one bubbly, one aloof, both in heels and denim -- sang when patrons did not.
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One in a series on how Washingtonians spend their summer.
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Police Chiefs Cite Youths in Crime Rise, Call for More Federal Funds
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Cincinnati had a 30-year high in homicides last year. Philadelphia recorded the city's most killings in 10 years. And Orlando logged its most slayings ever.
Violent crime is rising in many communities across the country, including the Washington area, and police chiefs and mayors from about 50 cities and counties gathered in the District yesterday to discuss, and vent about, the trend.
"We are here to say, America, we have a problem," Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton told the group. "We need to refocus on this gathering storm of crime."
Crime is at a "tipping point" in America, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which organized the National Violent Crime Summit.
"We are turning the country over to our young people, and they are killing each other," said Dean Esserman, police chief of Providence, R.I., where robberies have increased. "Violence has become gratuitous. Where is the moral outrage?"
One after another, participants recited grim statistics.
In Washington, Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey declared a crime emergency last month after the city had 11 homicides in 13 days, on top of a 15 percent increase in robberies.
Suburban Washington has been struggling with some of the same trends. Robbery hit an all-time high in Montgomery County last year and is up 10 percent this year. Crime has dipped this year in Prince George's County, but last year the county logged a record number of homicides.
In Alexandria, robberies are up 24 percent, and in Fairfax County they jumped by 25 percent.
Across the country, crime has slowed significantly since the crack cocaine wars of the 1990s, which brought an explosion of slayings and violence. But in the past 18 months, officials say, they have seen gunplay, robberies and other violence returning to the streets.
Last year, about 16,000 people were slain across the nation.
The killings are fueled by everything from methamphetamines in Las Vegas to gangs in Sacramento, Calif., officials said.
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In Bolivia, New Setbacks To a Leader's Lofty Vision
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BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 30 -- Intensifying labor strife, political infighting and budgetary pressures are threatening to chip away at the domestic support of Bolivian President Evo Morales, who took office in January promising to nationalize the natural gas industry and to achieve social equality for the country's indigenous majority.
During his first months in office, Morales announced a series of sweeping reforms that have helped make him one of the most popular presidents in modern Bolivian history and heightened expectations in a country eager to shed its label as South America's poorest. In May, he donned a hard hat and announced that all foreign energy companies had to surrender operational control to the state's energy company. This month, he celebrated the creation of a newly elected assembly to rewrite the country's constitution, a key demand of indigenous supporters who view Morales, of Aymara Indian heritage, as an advocate.
But days after that celebration, the government quietly issued a statement announcing the temporary suspension of the "full effect" of the nationalization program because of a lack of funds. On Monday, the president of the state energy company resigned after being accused of violating the nationalization decree by exporting oil through a Brazilian firm. A day later, members of the Constituent Assembly suspended voting amid tense debate over charges that Morales and his supporters were trying to manipulate the assembly to circumvent Congress and the courts.
Before he was elected president, Morales was the leader of a coca growers' union and was known for leading public demonstrations, including some that helped topple two presidents between 2003 and 2005. But this week, Morales found himself on the receiving end of the same sort of social and labor protests that he used to organize.
"The honeymoon that this government has had with the social movements is starting to come to an end," said Gonzalo Chávez, an economist and political analyst at the Bolivian Catholic University in La Paz. "The movements are now asking for results, such as more employment and better income distribution. It is causing some problems for the government, but Morales still has very strong support -- his popularity rating is at about 70 percent, according to the most recent polls, which is enormous support for a president in Bolivia. So I think he still has a lot of room to maneuver to avoid serious conflicts."
But the pressure is building quickly. Teachers this week began a strike to protest plans to make indigenous languages compulsory. Bus drivers launched a two-day walkout to protest one plan that would require drivers to re-register and another that would increase fines for traffic violations. Postal workers continued a week-long strike aimed at securing the resignation of a top official, and public health workers took to the streets to demand the reinstatement of several officials fired recently over corruption allegations.
Near the border with Argentina, a group of Guarani Indians briefly turned off a natural gas pipeline that supplies Argentina to protest that country's recent hike in customs and border-crossing fees.
Strikes and protests are nothing new here. But Morales's policies have underscored the long-standing divisions in Bolivia that are at the heart of the most recent controversies.
The Constituent Assembly was set up to eliminate the inequalities suffered over the years by the indigenous population. Given its importance, Morales and his supporters have pushed for the power of the assembly to supersede that of Congress and the judiciary. But opposition members have balked, saying they fear that the president could use the assembly to significantly weaken the branches of government he doesn't control.
Meanwhile, the government has blamed its bitter relationship with the opposition for the delays in the nationalization program, which Morales said in May would probably take six months. When the president of Bolivia's state-run energy company resigned this week, he labeled accusations that he violated the nationalization program "an attack by the oligarchy and the reactionary right wing."
Critics of the program, however, said the problems faced by the energy company prove that the government is not prepared to take over the sector.
The delay in the nationalization program "was a recognition that they may have bitten off more than they could chew," said Carlos Alberto López, a former vice minister of energy who is now an energy industry consultant based in La Paz. "This had been, pretty much, the main campaign measure they had proposed, and all of a sudden they realize that they can't go forward as they had expected."
Last week, the Bolivian Senate -- which is controlled by a narrow majority of members opposed to Morales -- voted to censure Energy Minister Andrés Soliz, forcing him to offer a letter of resignation. Morales rejected the resignation and reiterated that the nationalization program would proceed once emergency financing became available.
"This vote is a shameful act against our national dignity by a group of sellouts," Morales said in a televised speech last week, according to the Associated Press. "The nationalization and industrialization of our natural resources will not stop."
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Study Finds Health Care Good Value Despite Costs
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The dramatic increase in health-care spending in the United States since 1960 is a major reason that Americans are living longer, making the world's most expensive health-care system a good value despite its high costs, according to an academic study being released today.
The study notes that a baby born in 2000 can expect to live for 76.9 years, compared with 69.9 years for a newborn in 1960. While some of the gain is because of declines in rates of smoking and fatal accidents, it is reasonable to attribute at least half of it to more and better health care, said Harvard University economist David M. Cutler, the study's lead author.
"If you want to evaluate whether we're spending too much, you have to know what we're getting for it," Cutler said in a telephone interview. "And when you look at what we're getting for it, the return actually looks to be pretty high. . . . The presumption that most people have is that it's obvious that we're spending way too much."
The conclusions of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, run counter to the arguments by analysts who question whether health-care costs should consume 16 percent of the nation's economic output. Such critics point out that in longevity and infant mortality, the United States ranks below other countries that spend far less.
All sides agree the United States spends more on health care than any other country does -- more than twice as much per person as Britain and Japan, for instance, and nearly 30 percent more than second-ranking Monaco, according to the World Health Organization.
And the amount has risen steadily. Annual medical spending in the nation stood at more than $6,000 per person in 2005, up from about $700 per person in 1960, the researchers said. To Cutler and fellow researchers Allison B. Rosen and Sandeep Vijan of the University of Michigan Health System, that is a good thing.
They examined the relationship between changes in life expectancy and increases in medical costs over a 40-year period, and attempted to screen out the influence of factors such as declines in smoking and changes in homicide and accident rates, things that had little to do with medical advances. The study did not consider quality of life.
From 1960 to 2000, the increased spending on health care at birth meant that each year of added life expectancy cost an average of $19,900, the study found. The gains were much more expensive for older people, with the average cost per additional year of life about $84,500 for a 65-year-old.
Big reasons for the increase in longevity were the reduction in infant mortality and the toll of heart disease. Both are at least partly attributable to medical advances, such as better drugs and more effective surgical procedures in the case of heart disease, Cutler said. While some drugs and procedures are prescribed when they are of little benefit, overall, they improve health and longevity, he said.
"On net, it's actually been a very good deal," Cutler said. "It's very clear that we don't need to spend every penny we do spend. What's also clear is that there's a lot of stuff that is worth it."
But we are wasting a lot of it, said Gerard Anderson, director of the Center for Hospital Finance and Management at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. Despite spending more than any other country, the United States ranks 31st in longevity, behind such countries as Australia, Canada and Malta. It ranks 40th in the probability that a child will die before age 5, with nations such as Estonia, Portugal and Slovenia doing better.
"The United States is very bad in value for dollar, in terms of the health-care dollar," Anderson said.
Anderson said the health-care system is expensive partly because it focuses too much on treating illness rather than on preventive care. And Americans pay more for drugs, procedures and doctors than do residents of many other nations.
"The reason why we're spending so much isn't that we're getting more services," he said. "The reason is we're paying much higher prices for the same services that other countries get."
Joseph P. Newhouse, a professor of health policy and medicine at Harvard, said the U.S. health-care system can both have benefited from big increases in expenditures over decades and yet also have a problem with wasteful spending at any given moment.
"It's hard for people to get their minds around both of those concepts at the same time," he said. "The natural instinct is to say, 'Don't talk to me about paying more until you can get rid of the waste and bad stuff.' "
Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.
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The dramatic increase in health-care spending in the United States since 1960 is a major reason that Americans are living longer, making the world's most expensive health-care system a good value despite its high costs, according to an academic study being released today.
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Battling a Virus and Disbelief
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JANDI MERIAH, Indonesia -- Dowes Ginting, the most wanted man on Sumatra island, lay dying. He had abandoned the hospital where he had seen his relatives succumb one after another, and he had fled deep into the mountains, trying to outrun the black magic he feared had marked him next. For four nights, witnesses recalled, a witch doctor hovered over him in a small clapboard home, resisting the evil spell.
Ginting, a wiry 32-year-old, had watched disease burn through his family over the previous two weeks, killing six and sickening two others, including himself. International health experts grew increasingly concerned when laboratory tests confirmed they were sickened by bird flu, the largest cluster of the disease ever recorded. But Dowes feared medical treatment more than he did the flu. And so he ran, potentially exposing villagers across the province to the highly lethal virus.
In the end, the outbreak in May did not presage the start of a worldwide epidemic. But the enormous difficulties that Indonesian and international disease specialists confronted in investigating the outbreak and protecting against its spread raised fundamental questions about whether bird flu could be contained if it mutated into a form more easily spread among people.
"If this were a strain with sustainable transmission from human to human, I can't imagine how many people would have died, how many lives would have been lost," said Surya Dharma, chief of communicable disease control in North Sumatra province.
Officials from the World Health Organization, drawing on sophisticated computer modeling of a theoretical bird flu outbreak in Southeast Asia, have suggested that a pandemic could be thwarted through a rapid containment effort in the affected area, including the right mix of drugs, quarantines and other social controls. To succeed, the antiviral drug Tamiflu would have to be distributed to 90 percent of the targeted population, roughly defined as those within at least a three-mile radius of each case. The drug would have to be administered within 21 days from the "timely detection" of the initial case of an epidemic strain. Residents would have to stay home, limit contact with others and take the medicine as prescribed.
In the case of the North Sumatra cluster, almost none of this happened, according to extensive interviews with health officers, family members and villagers in several areas of the province. The underlying problem was that most family members and many villagers were convinced that black magic, not flu, was to blame.
"How can you ever get people to cooperate if they don't even believe you?" Dharma said.
Scientists are still working to determine how bird flu is transmitted to and between humans. More than 200 people worldwide have contracted the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus since 2004. Most of the cases have resulted from direct or close contact with infected live or uncooked poultry, or with surfaces contaminated with secretions and excretions from infected birds.
Health investigators have concluded that the eight-person cluster in Sumatra began with Ginting's older sister, who fell ill in late April. They suspect she was infected with bird flu from live chickens sold in a market where she peddled oranges, limes and chili peppers, or from contaminated poultry droppings in manure used in her garden. She died and was buried before any samples were taken to confirm bird flu.
Several days after she became sick, the extended family gathered in the village of Kubu Sembilang for a feast of roast pig and chicken curry to celebrate the annual harvest festival. That night, many of the relatives slept in the same small room with the sister, who had developed a serious cough. By the time she died, a sister, a brother, two sons, a niece and a nephew had become ill. Flu specialists said the final victim, Dowes Ginting, in turn likely caught the virus from his infected son.
Health experts have concluded this was the first time the bird flu virus was passed from one person to another and then on to a third person.
"None of us thought it was bird flu. We thought it was black magic," said Anestia Tarigan, the wife of the youngest Ginting brother, Jones, the only victim to survive. "Everyone in the family was getting sick and no one else was. Someone had put a spell on our family. Black magic is very common in our place."
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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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In early August Human Rights Watch issued a 49-page report, "Fatal Strikes: Israel's Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon," charging Israel with war crimes in its conduct of the war in Lebanon. Many of the Lebanese civilian casualties could not be explained by Hezbollah soldiers' hiding among civilians, Human Rights Watch charged. Although Hezbollah fighters did hide among civilians, the rights group discovered that in about two dozen instances, involving about a third of the civilian deaths, there had been no Hezbollah presence at the time of the attacks and the targets had little or no military value.
The report was based on the same methodology that Human Rights Watch has used for more than 20 years in situations in which many witnesses have an incentive to lie: face-to-face probing and on-site inspections -- in this case in Beirut and southern Lebanon.
The critics of reports on this subject -- Amnesty International made similar charges -- have been ferocious. They have not merely deployed the common defense of accusing the accusers of getting the facts wrong. They have gone much further and accused the accusers of bad intent. For example: NGO Monitor, echoing other critics, claims that "central in the strategy" of Amnesty International is "to delegitimize Israel."
But the real vitriol has been reserved for Human Rights Watch and its executive director, Kenneth Roth. Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel has called Roth "loathsome." An editorial in the New York Sun accused Roth of "de-legitimization of Judaism" because his group condemned Israel's strategy as "an eye for an eye." Rabbi Aryeh Spero in Human Events Online referred to Roth as a "human rights impostor," and likened him to "Nazis and Communists." On Sunday, the Jerusalem Post published an op-ed by NGO Monitor's Gerald Steinberg titled "Ken Roth's Blood Libel."
Is it possible that some of the witnesses lied? Sure it is. It's even possible, though it's something of a stretch, that many of the witnesses deliberately misled Human Rights Watch researchers. But it simply will not do to "rebut" a detailed report such as the group produced by accusing Human Rights Watch or its executive director, whose father fled Nazi Germany, of anti-Semitism (or other bad motives) and let it go at that. Indeed, the critics barely mention, much less discuss, the 24 incidents described in the report. Generally they merely assert the undisputed fact that Hezbollah did often hide among civilians. Steinberg broadly asserts, without citing any actual evidence: "When the details were examined by NGO Monitor's research staff, or Prof. Alan Dershowitz of Harvard University, the claims have often been shown to be false or unverifiable." Often? Where? When? He does not say.
No one expected the Anti-Defamation League and others to applaud the Human Rights Watch report, but one is entitled to expect something more serious by way of a response. "You're biased" is not a rebuttal.
At least some of the report's critics seem to believe that Israel should be exempted from the rules of war. Thus, Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League, who has accused Human Rights Watch of "immorality at the highest level," says: "The moral issue, the human rights issue that overrides everything else in this conflict is that if Hezbollah, Syria and Iran don't understand that they will pay an overwhelming price for these rocket attacks on Israel, then eventually these rockets will be armed with chemical weapons and the warheads with nuclear weapons. In other words, the Holocaust would be in the works."
In other words, if the "overwhelming price" Israel causes the enemy to pay is indiscriminate under the rules of war, Israel must do it anyway. And Human Rights Watch is worse than naive to expect otherwise.
I don't think Foxman and NGO Monitor and others who want selective exemption of Israel from the rules of war have faced the implications of getting what they wish for, such as: Who will decide when the law can be ignored? And: If the law is mowed down, where will we find refuge when the devil turns on us?
America's security has not been enhanced by its violation of human rights principles, from Abu Ghraib to Guantanamo Bay. Israel's strength lies not only in its might but in its moral principle, which it should not abandon, even in a time of war.
The writer, a lawyer in New York, is a member of the board of Human Rights Watch and a regular columnist for the Forward, a national Jewish newspaper.
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No one expected Israeli interests to applaud the Human Rights Watch report criticizing Israel's actions in Lebanon, but one is entitled to expect something more serious by way of a response. "You're biased" is not a rebuttal.
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Devaluing Labor
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Labor Day is almost upon us, and like some of my fellow graybeards, I can, if I concentrate, actually remember what it was that this holiday once celebrated. Something about America being the land of broadly shared prosperity. Something about America being the first nation in human history that had a middle-class majority, where parents had every reason to think their children would fare even better than they had.
The young may be understandably incredulous, but the Great Compression, as economists call it, was the single most important social fact in our country in the decades after World War II. From 1947 through 1973, American productivity rose by a whopping 104 percent, and median family income rose by the very same 104 percent. More Americans bought homes and new cars and sent their kids to college than ever before. In ways more difficult to quantify, the mass prosperity fostered a generosity of spirit: The civil rights revolution and the Marshall Plan both emanated from an America in which most people were imbued with a sense of economic security.
That America is as dead as the dodo. Ours is the age of the Great Upward Redistribution. The median hourly wage for Americans has declined by 2 percent since 2003, though productivity has been rising handsomely. Last year, according to figures released just yesterday by the Census Bureau, wages for men declined by 1.8 percent and for women by 1.3 percent.
As a remarkable story by Steven Greenhouse and David Leonhardt in Monday's New York Times makes abundantly clear, wages and salaries now make up the lowest share of gross domestic product since 1947, when the government began measuring such things. Corporate profits, by contrast, have risen to their highest share of the GDP since the mid-'60s -- a gain that has come chiefly at the expense of American workers.
Don't take my word for it. According to a report by Goldman Sachs economists, "the most important contributor to higher profit margins over the past five years has been a decline in labor's share of national income."
As the Times story notes, the share of GDP going to profits is also at near-record highs in Western Europe and Japan.
Clearly, globalization has weakened the power of workers and begun to erode the egalitarian policies of the New Deal and social democracy that characterized the advanced industrial world in the second half of the 20th century.
For those who profit from this redistribution, there's something comforting in being able to attribute this shift to the vast, impersonal forces of globalization. The stagnant incomes of most Americans can be depicted as the inevitable outcome of events over which we have no control, like the shifting of tectonic plates.
Problem is, the declining power of the American workforce antedates the integration of China and India into the global labor pool by several decades. Since 1973 productivity gains have outpaced median family income by 3 to 1. Clearly, the war of American employers on unions, which began around that time, is also substantially responsible for the decoupling of increased corporate revenue from employees' paychecks.
But finger a corporation for exploiting its workers and you're trafficking in class warfare. Of late a number of my fellow pundits have charged that Democratic politicians concerned about the further expansion of Wal-Mart are simply pandering to unions. Wal-Mart offers low prices and jobs to economically depressed communities, they argue. What's wrong with that?
Were that all that Wal-Mart did, of course, the answer would be "nothing." But as business writer Barry Lynn demonstrated in a brilliant essay in the July issue of Harper's, Wal-Mart also exploits its position as the biggest retailer in human history -- 20 percent of all retail transactions in the United States take place at Wal-Marts, Lynn wrote -- to drive down wages and benefits all across the economy. The living standards of supermarket workers have been diminished in the process, but Wal-Mart's reach extends into manufacturing and shipping as well. Thousands of workers have been let go at Kraft, Lynn shows, due to the economies that Wal-Mart forced on the company. Of Wal-Mart's 10 top suppliers in 1994, four have filed bankruptcies.
For the bottom 90 percent of the American workforce, work just doesn't pay, or provide security, as it used to.
Devaluing labor is the very essence of our economy. I know that airlines are a particularly embattled industry, but my eye was recently caught by a story on Mesaba Airlines, an affiliate of Northwest, where the starting annual salary for pilots is $21,000 a year, and where the company is seeking a pay cut of 19 percent. Maybe Mesaba's plan is to have its pilots hit up passengers for tips.
Labor Day is almost upon us. What a joke.
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Devaluing labor is the very essence of our economy during the age of the Great Upward Redistribution. Happy Labor Day.
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Israel Rebuffs U.N. on Blockade
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JERUSALEM, Aug. 30 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday he would not lift Israel's six-week-old blockade of Lebanon despite appeals from visiting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan that he do so to help the country's government and economy recover from a devastating war.
In a news conference here following a meeting between the two men, Olmert said Israel would restrict passage to Lebanon by land, sea and air until a multinational peacekeeping force arrived in southern Lebanon and the remaining terms of a U.N.-brokered cease-fire were fulfilled.
The prime minister, suffering politically at home for his handling of the war, is concerned the Shiite militia Hezbollah could replenish its arsenal if the blockade is lifted too early. But Annan, who on Tuesday called the blockade "a humiliation" for Lebanon, suggested lifting it would help consolidate a cease-fire that has been tested by both sides since taking hold just over two weeks ago.
"It is important not only because of the economic effect it is having on the country, but it is also important to strengthen the democratic government of Lebanon, with which Israel has repeatedly said it had no problems," Annan said. Annan's visit to the region was designed to give momentum to efforts to implement the cease-fire resolution that ended 33 days of war. An estimated 1,200 Lebanese were killed in the fighting, most of them civilians, while 117 Israeli soldiers and 41 civilians died in combat and from Hezbollah rocket fire.
But the multinational force at the heart of the agreement has been slow in deploying across a region of southern Lebanon that stretches from the Litani River to the Israeli border, a strip roughly 18 miles wide. Annan sought here, as well as in Lebanon during his visit there the previous day, to focus international attention on the war's aftermath at a precarious moment for the truce.
During his stop here, Annan informed Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz that Israel has violated the terms of the cease-fire far more often than Hezbollah, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The secretary general drew on reports compiled by U.N. monitors that cite Israel for roughly 64 violations, which include overflights, resupplying forces and attacks on Hezbollah positions. Hezbollah has broken the truce four times, according to the reports. Nonetheless, Annan said, his meetings with Israeli and Lebanese officials indicated that both sides appeared committed to maintaining the truce.
After morning meetings in Jerusalem, Annan traveled to the West Bank city of Ramallah to meet with Palestinian leaders as violence in the Gaza Strip mounted. Israeli forces are continuing a military operation inside Gaza that began after Palestinian gunmen, including members of the governing Hamas movement's military wing, captured an Israeli soldier in a June 25 cross-border raid.
Palestinian health officials said eight Palestinians, most of them armed, were killed in a morning missile strike and gun battles later in the Shijaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza City. At least 14 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza over the past two days, most of them members of armed factions.
The Israeli military also announced the discovery of a 165-yard tunnel from Gaza into Israel near the Karni crossing, the main passage for goods to and from Gaza. Military officials said the tunnel was to be used in an attack on the crossing, which Israel has kept closed for much of the year, citing security concerns. Annan, following his meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, called on Israel to keep the Gaza crossings open.
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JERUSALEM, Aug. 30 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday he would not lift Israel's six-week-old blockade of Lebanon despite appeals from visiting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan that he do so to help the country's government and economy recover from a devastating war.
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Iran Enriching More Uranium
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Iranian nuclear specialists have begun enriching a new batch of uranium in an apparent act of defiance just days ahead of a U.N. Security Council deadline for Tehran to stop such work or face the prospect of economic sanctions, officials in Washington and European capitals who have been monitoring Iran's efforts said yesterday.
Inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency plan to formally disclose the new enrichment work, as well as additional Iranian nuclear advances, in a report due out tomorrow, according to the officials, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The officials stressed that the Iranians are working at a slow pace with small quantities of uranium, and that they are enriching the material to an extremely low level that could not be used for nuclear weapons. Still, it is unlikely that the Iranians will stop the work in time to meet the Security Council's deadline.
For three years, Iran and the United States have publicly sparred over a nuclear program that Tehran says it built to produce energy but which the Bush administration believes is a cover for nuclear weapons work. IAEA inspectors have been trying, without success, to determine the true nature of the program, which Iran kept secret for 18 years.
Last month, the Security Council ordered Iran to shutter its nuclear facilities by Aug. 31 and cooperate with inspectors or face consequences. If Iran complied, U.S. officials said they were prepared to join talks on Iran's nuclear program and the possibility of future cooperation. But, yesterday, senior Bush administration officials said they are determined to impose sanctions against the Tehran government if it fails to comply, even though Russia and other nations seem reluctant to participate.
"We've seen no indication that Iran intends to comply with the U.N. Security Council's condition of suspending its nuclear program," Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns, the administration's lead diplomat on the Iran issue, said in an interview. "Should it not comply by Thursday, and should the IAEA report confirm Iran's continued efforts to enrich uranium, the U.S. will move to begin sanctions discussion at the United Nations, and we expect a sanctions resolution to be passed," he said.
Despite comments over the weekend from senior Russian officials that it is too early for sanctions, Burns said the administration would press for the commitments that it believes Moscow and others made when they passed the deadline resolution in July.
Burns said he will meet his European, Chinese and Russian counterparts next week in Berlin, and that he expects sanctions to be in place by the end of September.
But other officials seemed less certain that the Bush administration could persuade the U.N. Security Council to approve or even enforce sanctions against one of the world's major oil exporters.
"We might take another shot at a resolution that puts sanctions forward. The exact nature of that and whether it will require additional steps or not, you know, we'll just have to wait and see," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said yesterday. John R. Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, also indicated that the administration may work outside the council.
European officials appeared less eager to discuss sanctions and were arranging to meet later this week in Europe with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani. The Iranians put forth what they said was a new proposal last week, and said they are eager for talks with the United States and its allies but will not comply with the resolution as a precondition for those discussions.
At the United Nations, Britain's ambassador said that the Iran situation will not come up for discussion again until mid-September. In France, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said he hopes sanctions can be averted.
"But Iran has less than a week to comply with the resolution. We shall make the most of the remaining time to have more detailed discussions regarding its response," he told reporters.
Privately, two senior administration officials said that if Russia or China balked at sanctions now, the United States would push a backup plan to restrict Iran's nuclear industry, freeze the assets of key members of the Tehran government, and prevent them from traveling abroad. The measures would be imposed collectively by the European Union and possibly Japan. Some hoped that the IAEA report would encourage nations to work harder on the Iran issue.
"A tough report puts the focus back on Iran, which has broken rules and has failed to cooperate, and takes it away from this perception that the U.S. is just bullying Iran," said George Perkovich, vice president at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "An IAEA report that calls it like it is makes it hard for countries to walk away from the issue because it will be clear that it isn't getting better."
Several times since international pressure began to build against Iran's nuclear program in 2003, Tehran has rushed to complete small projects immediately ahead of deadlines, calculating that technical achievements would give it a tactical advantage during negotiations.
Officials familiar with the inspectors' summer findings said they will report that Iran has produced several kilograms of low-enriched uranium and as much as 145 tons of converted uranium in the past year. Iran's two main nuclear facilities, the IAEA's most heavily monitored in the world, are outfitted with dozens of cameras pointed at every piece of equipment and barrel that contains uranium.
Inspectors continue to visit certain sites as well, but Iran ended voluntary cooperation with the agency several months ago and has threatened to end it entirely if the Security Council imposes sanctions.
Much of what is known by U.S. intelligence about Iran's nuclear program comes from the inspectors. Current intelligence assessments predict that Iran could have a nuclear weapon within a decade if it vastly improves its capabilities.
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Iranian nuclear specialists have begun enriching a new batch of uranium in an apparent act of defiance just days ahead of a U.N. Security Council deadline for Tehran to stop such work or face the prospect of economic sanctions, officials in Washington and European capitals who have been monitoring...
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Nicotine Up Sharply In Many Cigarettes
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The amount of nicotine in most cigarettes rose an average of almost 10 percent from 1998 to 2004, with brands most popular with young people and minorities registering the biggest increases and highest nicotine content, according to a new study.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and while no one has studied the effect of the increases on smokers, the higher levels theoretically could make new smokers more easily addicted and make it harder for established smokers to quit.
The trend was discovered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which requires that tobacco companies measure the nicotine content of cigarettes each year and report the results.
As measured using a method that mimics actual smoking, the nicotine delivered per cigarette -- the "yield" -- rose 9.9 percent from 1998 to 2004 -- from 1.72 milligrams to 1.89. The total nicotine content increased an average of 16.6 percent in that period, and the amount of nicotine per gram of tobacco increased 11.3 percent.
The study, reported by the Boston Globe, found that 92 of 116 brands tested had higher nicotine yields in 2004 than in 1998, and 52 had increases of more than 10 percent.
Boxes of Doral lights, a low-tar brand made by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., had the biggest increase in yield, 36 percent. Some of this may have been the result of an increase in the total amount of tobacco put in that brand's cigarettes, one expert said.
The nicotine in Marlboro products, preferred by two-thirds of high school smokers, increased 12 percent. Kool lights increased 30 percent. Two-thirds of African American smokers use menthol brands.
Not only did most brands have more nicotine in 2004, the number of brands with very high nicotine yields also rose.
In 1998, Newport 100s and unfiltered Camels were tied for highest nicotine yield at 2.9 milligrams. In 2004, Newport had risen to 3.2 milligrams, and five brands measured 3 milligrams or higher.
"The reports are stunning," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "What's critical is the consistency of the increase, which leads to the conclusion that it has to have been conscious and deliberate."
"People need to be aware of this," said Sally Fogerty, Massachusetts's associate commissioner for community health. "If a person is trying to quit and is having a hard time, it's not just them. There is an increasing percentage of nicotine that they are ingesting, and that may make it more difficult."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also focused on the potential behavioral consequences of the finding.
"We know nicotine is addictive, so if the amount of nicotine in cigarettes is increasing, it could make it even harder for the 70 percent of smokers who want to quit and the more than 40 percent who try to quit every year," Corinne Husten, acting director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said in an e-mail message.
No spokesman for a tobacco company would speak on the record about the Massachusetts findings yesterday.
One company official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that while the nicotine content measured by smoking machines can vary by up to 6 percent between individual cigarettes of the same brand, "we don't know" whether an entire brand's production could differ that much from year to year.
But in a 1,653-page opinion released two weeks ago in a landmark suit against the major tobacco companies by the federal government and several anti-smoking organizations, the judge found that cigarette makers adjusted nicotine levels with great care.
"Using the knowledge produced by that research, defendants have designed their cigarettes to precisely control nicotine delivery levels and provide doses of nicotine sufficient to create and sustain addiction," wrote U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler.
The ruling enjoined the companies from misinforming the public about tobacco's hazards. The companies are uncertain what that means and cited the ruling yesterday as the chief reason for their silence. Reynolds and Lorillard Tobacco Co. have also temporarily shut down their Web sites.
Reginald V. Fant, a clinical pharmacologist and nicotine expert at Pinney Associates, a consulting firm in Bethesda, said increasing nicotine content by 10 percent "would not be expected" to change how much a person smokes but could affect his ability to quit.
"We know that physiologically the changes in the nicotine receptors in the brain are related to the amount of nicotine consumed," he said.
Neal Benowitz, a physician and pharmacologist at the University of California at San Francisco, said, "I don't think we know what the consequences are for the population in terms of addictive behavior and how hard it is for people to quit."
Myers said the Massachusetts findings are evidence that tobacco products should be more strictly regulated.
"The only way the companies were able to secretly increase nicotine levels without anyone knowing about it is because no federal agency regulates tobacco products," he said.
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The amount of nicotine in most cigarettes rose an average of almost 10 percent from 1998 to 2004, with brands most popular with young people and minorities registering the biggest increases and highest nicotine content, according to a new study.
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A Computer Game for Real-Life Crises
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Just over a year ago, Joe Barlow, a paramedic in Illinois, spent a week testing a computer game called Incident Commander, a training simulator that gives players a lead role in managing crisis situations such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
Days later, he used his virtual experience in a real-life situation: the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He was put in charge of an 800-bed hospital in Baton Rouge, La., and found that many of the decisions he made there stemmed from what he learned by playing the game.
Yesterday, on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, game developer BreakAway Games Ltd. released the final version of Incident Commander free of charge to municipal emergency departments, part of an agreement with the Justice Department, which invested $350,000 in game development.
BreakAway Games put in the remaining $1.5 million toward the development.
Most cities do not have the budget for real-world emergency exercises, said BreakAway Games founder Douglas Whatley.
"Most municipalities are manned by only a handful of policemen, and a major incident only happens every few decades," he said. "There's just not enough money for training."
The game tutors players in how to build a budget and start a commissary under U.S government guidelines. The training could help prevent a repeat of the administrative fiascos after Katrina, Whatley said.
Barlow, who is now the emergency medical services coordinator and director of the Hancock County, Ill., ambulance service, agrees. Though he went to Baton Rouge trained as a paramedic, his time spent playing the game helped him look at the situation as an administrator.
His first professional instinct was to start patching people up, he said. But the game had trained him in a different set of priorities -- such as the importance of acquiring resources and setting up lines of communication.
"It gave me an understanding of the broader picture, how to manage resources to get the job done," he said in an interview yesterday. For example, Barlow said that at the Baton Rouge site, he might not have realized he needed to get triage tags for classifying patients had he not played the game.
Video games have become a common tool for simulation training exercises in fields such as emergency response and military combat.
The U.S. military uses America's Army, a free online game with more than 6 million registered users, as a recruiting tool. And with clients such as the Naval War College, BreakAway Games has developed other simulation games that recreate combat scenarios and teach troops how to look for ambush tactics used in the Middle East.
Incident Commander is not for sale commercially, though Whatley said that a public version of the game might become available.
"The scenarios really are engaging," he said. "I'd hate to say 'fun.' "
Cities interested in obtaining a free copy of the game can find more information athttp://www.incidentcommander.net.
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Just over a year ago, Joe Barlow, a paramedic in Illinois, spent a week testing a computer game called Incident Commander, a training simulator that gives players a lead role in managing crisis situations such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
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Tomlinson Cited For Abuses at Broadcast Board
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A year-long State Department investigation has found that the chairman of the agency that oversees Voice of America and other government broadcasting operations improperly used his office, putting a friend on the payroll and running a "horse-racing operation" with government resources.
The report, released yesterday, marks the second time in less than a year that an internal investigation has found evidence of rules violations by Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
In November, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting inspector general found that Tomlinson had made improper hires, had tried to tamper with PBS's TV programming and appeared to show political favoritism in selecting CPB's president while he was chairman, Tomlinson resigned his CPB post that same month.
The new allegations against Tomlinson, 62, stem from his chairmanship of the BBG, which oversees the federal government's array of international broadcasting services, including VOA, Radio and TV Marti in Cuba and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Tomlinson defended his performance as BBG chairman, saying, "I believe it will become clear that this [inspector general] investigation was inspired by partisan divisions."
Although the Broadcasting Board of Governors and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are unrelated entities, Tomlinson's alleged violations overlapped both federal agencies. He conducted CPB work and "personal matters" while working for the Broadcasting Board, and directed BBG employees to do the same, the State Department's investigation found. Investigators said he received compensation from both the BBG and CPB for the same days worked on 14 occasions, but did not specify an amount.
The investigation also found that Tomlinson -- a former Reader's Digest editor and longtime Republican ally of White House political adviser Karl Rove -- helped hire a friend as a BBG contractor without the knowledge of other board or staff members. The friend -- whose name was withheld from a public summary of the investigation but whom Tomlinson identified as retired VOA employee Les Daniels -- received nearly $245,000 for unspecified services over a two-year period. Tomlinson signed the invoices for these payments even though there was no documentation that the work had been completed, investigators said.
That accusation is similar to one made last year by CPB's inspector general, who found that Tomlinson employed contractors without documentation, including a still-mysterious Indiana man who was paid to monitor the number of conservative and liberal guests who appeared on PBS talk shows.
The most sensational complaint against Tomlinson might be that he used government resources to support his stable of thoroughbred racehorses, potentially violating federal embezzlement laws. Tomlinson has had a lifelong interest in breeding and racing horses. Upon his retirement from Reader's Digest in 1996, he began to devote himself to raising horses at his ranch, Springbrook Farm, near Middleburg.
The investigation determined that Tomlinson used his office for his thoroughbred activities, but the summary offers no details.
The State Department said it turned its report over to the Department of Justice, which has declined to bring criminal charges against Tomlinson. The allegation involving the contractor, however, is pending in DOJ's civil division.
Tomlinson, who is attending a conference in Berlin, said via e-mail yesterday that he made "diligent efforts" to bill each board for the work he did. "It is well known and accepted by all," Tomlinson wrote, "that because of the importance of what I was doing in the war on terror that I would be working more than 130 days a year," which is the statutory maximum.
He also wrote that he devoted an average of one e-mail and 2 1/2 minutes a day at the office to his horse operations. "In retrospect," he wrote, "I should have been more careful in this regard."
The inspector general's report was made public by three Democratic members of Congress: Reps. Howard Berman and Tom Lantos, both of California, and Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. The three legislators requested the investigation last year after being contacted by an anonymous BBG employee.
The lawmakers called for Tomlinson's removal yesterday and urged President Bush in a letter to "take all necessary steps to restore the integrity of the Broadcasting Board of Governors."
A White House spokeswoman, Emily Lawrimore, said Bush continues to support Tomlinson's pending renomination as BBG chairman. She had no further comment.
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Parsing the Riddles of Bob Dylan's 'Modern Times'
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Don't bother obsessing over the title of Bob Dylan's marvelous if mysterious new album, "Modern Times." Yes, it's an intriguing choice of words from a man who's a bit of an anachronism. And yes, it's the same title of the old Charlie Chaplin movie about one man's struggle to adapt to an industrialized world.
But decoding the message is a waste of time, what with so many other, more puzzling matters at hand.
For instance, what in the world is Dylan doing riffing on Alicia Keys in the opener, "Thunder on the Mountain"? Is the craggy folk singer and bluesman actually lusting after the young R&B starlet? Is she a metaphor for something or somebody else? Does Dylan have Keys's wondrous song "Fallin' " on his iPod Shuffle? (And does he even own an iPod? One moment, he's railing in a Rolling Stone interview against the quality of modern recordings; the next he's starring in an iTunes commercial on network TV.)
"I was thinking about Alicia Keys, couldn't help from crying / When she was born in Hell's Kitchen, I was living down the line," Dylan croaks on the rollicking, Chuck Berry-style blues number. "I'm wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be / I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee."
All aboard the mystery train!
Later in the song, Dylan is less cryptic: "I want some real good woman to do just what I say / Everybody got to wonder what's the matter with this cruel world today."
It's the couplet's latter sentiment that drives "Modern Times," a brooding, introspective album on which Dylan ruminates on regret, faith, romance, chaos, morality and mortality. Not necessarily in that order, and not always in the most direct way possible. But, then, it wouldn't be a Bob Dylan album if it had more epiphanic moments than enigmatic ones, would it?
"I woke up this morning, butter and eggs in my bed / I ain't got enough room to even raise my head," he sings in "The Levee's Gonna Break." Ostensibly, the jump-blues song is about love; but it may also be a nod to Hurricane Katrina, with Dylan observing, with a certain sense of detachment: "Some people on the road carrying everything they own."
More plainly (and more comfortingly, too), in the elegiac "When the Deal Goes Down," he sings: "We live and we die / We know not why / But I'll be with you when the deal goes down."
Dylan is an oracle in whose words people search for The Truth. That's been the case since the 1960s, when he was the precocious kid who managed to revolutionize popular music if not the culture itself; it remains so now that he's actually seen a few things and has, over the past decade, rediscovered his ability to articulate his observations in an artful, meaningful way.
No surprise, then, that Columbia Records is positioning "Modern Times" as the final installment in the great trilogy that began with 1997's "Time Out of Mind" and continued with 2001's "Love and Theft." (Dylan himself has said that it's more like the first installment of a new trilogy. But he's funny like that.)
Recorded with Dylan's freewheeling touring band and produced by "Jack Frost" (one of Bob Zimmerman's other pseudonyms), "Modern Times" lacks the musical sweep of its immediate predecessors. The modest, low-key arrangements -- which tend toward western swing, shuffling blues, Tin Pan Alley pop and atmospheric folk -- are neither epic nor groundbreaking, though they serve Dylan's ragged voice well, surrounding him with a palpable rawness.
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Don't bother obsessing over the title of Bob Dylan's marvelous if mysterious new album, "Modern Times." Yes, it's an intriguing choice of words from a man who's a bit of an anachronism. And yes, it's the same title of the old Charlie Chaplin movie about one man's struggle to adapt to an...
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At Wilson Bridge, Out With the Old
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The builders of a new Woodrow Wilson Bridge aimed their full focus on constructing a second span yesterday, hours after the demolition of part of the old bridge capped a milestone-filled spring and summer.
Workers immediately began clearing the fallen steel beams and other debris that crashed to the ground early yesterday morning when powerful explosives were detonated and a half-mile section of the old bridge crumbled.
But despite a series of firecracker-like charges that shook the Alexandria night, about 80 feet of steel girders stayed riveted in place. Workers will use blowtorches to take them down in the coming weeks, project officials said. The rusted metal that was demolished will be trucked away in the coming days and weeks and sold as salvage, project officials said.
Once those tasks are completed, the old piers will be pulled apart, and crews will begin driving piles to form the base of a new bridge. The parts of the bridge that sit over the Potomac River will stay in place as a staging ground for the remaining construction before eventually being torn apart and removed.
The opening of the bridge's second span, planned for summer 2008, will mark the next major improvement in the $2.4 billion project.
"There are going to be some incremental impacts from now forward," project spokesman John Undeland said. "The next big event will be the opening of the second [span] in '08."
Yesterday morning's demolition ended a landmark-laden four-month stretch for the 11-year project. In May, the first new span was dedicated in a grand gala that featured dozens of local, state and federal officials. In June, traffic on the outer loop of the Capital Beltway crossed the bridge for the first time. In July, inner loop traffic was rerouted onto the new bridge, and the old one closed for good.
About 60 percent of construction is done, Undeland said. Aside from the new bridges, the project includes upgrading several interchanges in Virginia and Maryland to increase capacity on the Beltway and to accommodate the additional bridge lanes. Most of those projects will be finished by the time the second span opens. But improvements to the Route 1 interchange is not set to be completed until the middle of 2009, and the Telegraph Road interchange will not be finished until late 2011.
Yesterday's detonation about 12:30 a.m. was one of the most dramatic moments to date. Officials promoted the event widely and provided a stage on South Washington Street and other viewpoints for observers, who turned out in the hundreds to watch the spectacle. Alexandria police closed South Washington Street for 20 minutes to accommodate the throngs.
"We wanted to recognize the patience and pain of the public in waiting for the new bridge to open," Undeland said before the blast. "Also, we wanted to make sure everyone on the planet knew about it, so they didn't hear a big boom and wonder what else it could be."
Authorities took precautions to keep cars and thrill-seekers out of the area, even diverting air traffic about the time of the detonation. State police stopped Beltway traffic for about 30 minutes before and after the blast, and Alexandria police sealed off a 500-foot perimeter around the bridge to ensure that people stayed out of harm's way.
But spectators still managed to sneak into a nearby cemetery, and clearing them from the premises caused a 15-minute delay in the detonation.
The demolition was delayed further when cars crossing the bridge from the Maryland side stopped dead on the span to snap photos and try -- unsuccessfully -- to catch a view of the blast. About 25 drivers had to be shooed from the roadway, where some stubbornly tried to stay, said Marcelino Romero, the project's incident management coordinator.
"The troopers actually had to threaten some of them, that either they move or they take a ride in the police vehicle," Romero said.
Once the cars were cleared, the cameras turned to Daniel G. Ruefly, 53, of Accokeek, who was chosen as the person who had suffered the most at the hands of the old Wilson Bridge. He was given the honor of ceremonially pushing a detonator, a 100-year-old antique plunger and box resembling something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
The act was purely for show because Ruefly was not permitted to detonate explosives. The real detonator was set off by a contractor about 20 seconds after Ruefly pushed the plunger.
"It's a very controlled event, and the folks who are doing it are in charge, and they want to be completely in charge," Undeland said.
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The builders of a new Woodrow Wilson Bridge aimed their full focus on constructing a second span yesterday, hours after the demolition of part of the old bridge capped a milestone-filled spring and summer.
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Taking the Cause to the Big Screen
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David N. Bossie earned a reputation as a relentless sleuth -- or right-wing hit man, depending on one's political persuasion -- during his years as a high-profile Republican congressional investigator and conservative activist.
Through the 1990s, Bossie spent much of his time assembling caches of documents to push his admittedly ideological agenda. He was a ready promoter of stories about President Bill Clinton's sexual and ethical lapses, proved and otherwise.
Bossie was fired as an investigator for the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee after overseeing the release of recordings of Hillary Rodham Clinton's phone conversations with Whitewater figure Webster L. Hubbell. The tapes were edited to create the impression that Clinton was involved in billing irregularities at the Arkansas law firm where she and Hubbell worked.
No longer content to merely unearth documents, Bossie, president of Citizens United, a conservative advocacy group, has turned to documentary-style films to push his causes. His latest contribution to the national political debate is "Border War," a film he co-produced that makes the case for a serious crackdown on illegal immigration.
The movie, which makes its national premiere in Los Angeles tomorrow, in Washington on Sept. 13 and on DVD in October, tells the story of illegal immigration -- with Bossie's unmistakable point of view. "It shows what illegal immigration means to your average person," he said.
"Border War" does not portray illegal immigrants as economically desperate people who break the law by sneaking across the border then often go on to renew the American dream with their thrift, enterprise and hustle while filling back-breaking jobs that few citizens want.
Instead, the film makes the case for tougher border enforcement by focusing on the most unsettling aspects of the nation's huge illegal immigration problem: the cold-hearted coyotes who guide illegal migrants across the border, sometimes abandoning them in the desert at the first sign of trouble. The illegal immigrants who proposition and even molest young girls in safe houses. Violent criminals who cross the border with impunity. And immigration activists who believe the border has no legitimacy to begin with, because much of the southwestern United States was Mexican territory more than 150 years ago.
"We never really crossed the border," one says. "The border crossed us."
The documentary, shot over six months, weaves this tale by following the lives of five people who embody different aspects of the difficult issue: the widow of a Los Angles County deputy sheriff killed by an illegal immigrant; an open border advocate who helps immigrants making the perilous trek into the United States; a Latina whose father helped smuggle illegal immigrants into the country but now voluntarily patrols the border with the Minutemen; an undercover Border Patrol agent; and Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), a leading advocate of cracking down on illegal immigration.
"It is an exciting way to educate people about issues," Bossie said of his film. "I love any new form of communication to deliver a political message."
Bossie, who has no formal film training, calls himself an accidental moviemaker. In the years after leaving his congressional post, he wrote or co-wrote three books: one slamming former vice president Al Gore, another attacking Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and third making a case for how President Clinton's foreign policy set the table for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
When Michael Moore's 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" proved to be a hit that rallied partisans on the left against President Bush, Bossie said he was surprised and then got on the phone looking for someone to craft a right-wing response. When he got no answer, he reached into Citizens United's deep pockets, put up about $1 million and hired Hollywood stalwarts Lionel Chetwynd, Kevin Knoblock and Ted Steinberg to help him make "Celsius 41.11."
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David N. Bossie earned a reputation as a relentless sleuth -- or right-wing hit man, depending on one's political persuasion -- during his years as a high-profile Republican congressional investigator and conservative activist.
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Schumer Has Seen the Future, and It's Democratic
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Some see the glass as half empty, others as half full. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) sees it as overflowing.
Briefing reporters yesterday on Democrats' prospects in the midterm elections, Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, had trouble thinking of a single race Republicans will win.
How about Nevada, where Democrat Jack Carter trails Sen. John Ensign (R) by 21 points?
"Jack Carter has done a very good job. . . . Nevada is moving up on our radar screen . . . We are getting more and more enthusiastic about Nevada."
And Arizona, where a poll found Sen. Jon Kyl (R) 18 points ahead of Democrat Jim Pederson?
"We're feeling better and better. . . . Our candidate Jim Pederson is running a great race. . . . The public seems to like what he says."
Or Virginia, where no conventional poll has found Democrat James Webb leading Sen. George Allen (R)?
"We think we have a good chance of winning in Virginia. . . . We regard it as a very, very good chance of a Democratic pickup."
Those who handicap Senate races say the Democrats could gain four or five seats -- just short of the six needed to gain control of the chamber. But the irrepressible Schumer, whose position requires a certain amount of cheerleading, yesterday outlined a November conquest in which Democrats pick up nine seats. "We're doing amazingly well and better than we ever thought," he pronounced.
To judge from Schumer's presentation, the Democrats will achieve this extraordinary triumph by employing an extended series of mixed metaphors. Schumer himself may have set a record in that department yesterday as he painted the electoral landscape:
"This administration is shrugging its shoulders. . . . It's like 'The Wizard of Oz' -- it showed the man behind the screen. . . . You know which way the winds are blowing. . . . There have been very few bumps in the road. . . . The wind continues to stay at our backs. . . . The idea that there should be no check and balance, no congressional oversight, just isn't flying. They want to try to bring back the 2004 playbook. . . . They're trying to find a new rabbit to pull out of the hat, but so far they've gone back to the old chestnuts."
Chestnuts? In the same hat with rabbits? With the wind at their back on a bumpy road?
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Some see the glass as half empty, others as half full. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) sees it as overflowing.
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SAT Records Biggest Score Dip in 31 Years
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The first national results from the revamped SAT show the biggest annual drop in reading scores in 31 years and a significant edge for female students over males on the new writing section of the test, the College Board reported yesterday.
The report on SAT scores for the high school Class of 2006 illuminated how the introduction of the writing section -- including a much-dreaded essay question -- and revisions to the mathematics and reading sections have changed an assessment tool still used for admissions by most colleges and universities.
The College Board said the average score on the test's critical reading section was down five points and the average math section score was down two points, for a joint score of 1021, the lowest since 2002. The reading decline was the largest since a nine-point drop in 1975 on what was then known as the verbal section.
Average scores for public and private school students in Maryland, Virginia and the District also declined. Maryland had the largest drop, eight points in reading and six in math. As a possible factor, state officials cited a large jump in test participation among Baltimore students who had not completed a rigorous high school curriculum. Officials noted that SAT scores are nearly always higher in more affluent areas, and that participation rates can affect scores.
On the new writing section, the average score nationwide was 497, for a new total average of 1518 out of a possible 2400 points. That benchmark will help students, guidance counselors and college admissions officers nationwide gauge results for a test that previously had a perfect score of 1600 -- 800 for verbal and 800 for math.
The average writing score for females was 502, 11 points ahead of males, at 491. Female students generally do worse on math tests but better on writing tests, and the new section helped reduce the usual male lead on the overall average SAT score from 42 points to 26.
College Board officials blamed the national drop in scores on a parallel decline in the number of students taking the test more than once. Repeat test-taking, they said, can boost scores as much as 30 points combined for reading and math.
Officials also said they were concerned that students are taking fewer composition and grammar courses. They noted that reading scores have stagnated during the past 30 years.
But they rejected the view of many students, counselors and test-prep teachers that lower scores were the result of fatigue from the longer test. At 3 hours and 45 minutes, the SAT can last more than four hours with breaks.
"I am not suggesting that students aren't tired after the test," Wayne Camara, College Board vice president for research and analysis, said at a news conference in Washington, "but our data show conclusively that student performance does not trail off at the end of the test."
Anita Kinney, a Catholic University freshman who was one of nearly 1.5 million high school seniors who took the new SAT, said it was ridiculous to discount exhaustion. "The test is four hours long. Enough said," she said. "The members of the College Board obviously have not sat down and taken the new SAT."
David Hawkins, director of public policy for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said many counselors are lobbying for more breaks in the test, or for administering the SAT in smaller chunks over two days. The College Board, a nonprofit based in New York that sponsors the SAT and other tests, said it is studying those requests.
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The first national results from the revamped SAT show the biggest annual drop in reading scores in 31 years and a significant edge for female students over males on the new writing section of the test, the College Board reported yesterday.
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Churches Reach Out To Mayoral Candidates
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The president of the Missionary Baptist Ministers Conference of Washington decided this summer for the first time in the century-old group's history to take a partisan political stand, announcing his endorsement of a mayoral candidate.
The city's largest interfaith group says it has more volunteers registering people to vote than it has had in 15 years.
In June, religious leaders held a conference to pull together a common agenda for the city's future.
Such preelection organizing has been ratcheted up in the city's religious community in an effort to regain something it once had in abundance: political clout.
After years of feeling ignored on issues including parking near churches, the closing of D.C. General Hospital and the construction of a new baseball stadium, faith leaders say they want their voices back.
But even as religion becomes a bigger player in national politics, D.C. ministers, former city officials and religious activists say the opposite has been true in the nation's capital, where the majority of houses of worship are black churches. The trend is striking in a city that during the 1970s picked a minister to be its first representative to Congress and elected two ministers to its first city council.
But today, mayoral candidates skip key church-organized rallies. Ministers say it's easier to get a building permit for a bar than for a church. And a mayoral candidate recently told the Rev. Anthony Motley, president of the Council of Churches of Greater Washington, that same-sex marriage "isn't a church issue."
Explanations for the trend vary: Houses of worship and their voting congregations are moving to the suburbs, advocacy groups are maturing and there is a perceived cultural clash between clergy and Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D).
"What it boils down to is when the budgets are being considered for the city, when the big decisions are being made, the faith community, for the most part, isn't part of that discussion," Motley said.
The Ministers Conference, led by the Rev. Louis B. Jones II, was one of the few groups that stayed out of partisan politics -- until this summer, when Jones put his name behind mayoral candidate Linda W. Cropp, chairman of the D.C. Council.
Historically, D.C. politics were shaped by towering religious figures, including the Rev. Walter Fauntroy, 10-time D.C. representative in Congress; the Rev. Jerry Moore, city council member from 1969 to 1984; and Bishop Walter "Sweet Daddy" McCollough, whose political blessing was coveted into the 1980s. Around election time, politicians and thousands of McCollough's followers would wait until the middle of the night at his Pentecostal United House of Prayer for All People to hear him read his endorsement list.
Candidates sought the endorsements of prominent clergy -- particularly Baptist leaders -- and looked to be on an informal but important survey called the Clergy 100 list, organized by city ministers.
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The president of the Missionary Baptist Ministers Conference of Washington decided this summer for the first time in the century-old group's history to take a partisan political stand, announcing his endorsement of a mayoral candidate.
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Slowly Sidling To Iraq's Exit
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By Election Day, how many Republican candidates will have come out against the Iraq war or distanced themselves from the administration's policies?
August 2006 will be remembered as a watershed in the politics of Iraq. It is the month in which a majority of Americans told pollsters that the struggle for Iraq was not connected to the larger war on terrorism. They thus renounced a proposition the administration has pushed relentlessly since it began making the case four years ago to invade Iraq.
That poll finding, from a New York Times-CBS News survey, came to life on the campaign trail when Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.), one of the most articulate supporters of the war, announced last Thursday that he favored a time frame for withdrawing troops.
Shays is in a tough race for reelection against Democrat Diane Farrell, who has made opposition to the war a central issue. After his 14th trip to Iraq, Shays announced that "the only way we are able to encourage some political will on the part of Iraqis is to have a timeline for troop withdrawal."
In July Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) returned from Iraq with an equally grim view. Americans, he said, lacked "strategic control" of the streets of Baghdad, and he called for a "limited troop withdrawal -- to send the Iraqis a message." Just the month before, Gutknecht had told his fellow House members that "now is not the time to go wobbly" on Iraq.
Nearly as significant as the new support for troop withdrawals is the effort of many Republicans to criticize President Bush without taking a firm stand on when the troops should come home.
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), facing a challenge from Democrat Patrick Murphy, an Iraq war veteran, took a page from former president Bill Clinton's playbook by triangulating between Murphy and the president. A Fitzpatrick mailing sent earlier this month said that Fitzpatrick favored a "better, smarter plan in Iraq" that "says NO to both extremes: No to President Bush's 'stay the course' strategy . . . and no to Patrick Murphy's 'cut and run' approach."
Notice: A Republican is suggesting that Bush's Iraq policy is extreme. That would not have happened in 2004.
Other Republicans have taken their distance from the president more subtly. In May Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), facing a difficult rematch against Democrat Lois Murphy, called on Congress "to step up and be more assertive in assessing the level of progress" in Iraq. He added: "The Iraqi government needs to know that American patience and support are not blank checks that Iraqi politicians can cash with American lives and tax dollars."
And judging from the Web sites of other Republicans in close races, many would prefer to make the Iraq issue disappear between now and November.
Consider the campaign Web site of Rep. Mike Sodrel (R-Ind.), who faces a serious opponent in Democrat Baron Hill, a former House member. On the "Issues" portion of his campaign site, Sodrel is proud to describe his stands on border security, gas prices and energy, tax relief, creating jobs, veterans, health care, supporting small business, and agriculture. As of yesterday evening, there was no entry for Iraq on the site, though he does discuss the issue on his House Web site.
All this Republican uneasiness underscores the importance of the New York Times-CBS poll showing that 51 percent of those surveyed found no link between the war in Iraq and the broader war on terrorism, an increase of 10 percentage points since June. A majority now rejects the administration's core foreign policy argument.
The cracking of Republican solidarity in support of Bush on Iraq has short-term implications for November's elections and long-term implications for whether the administration can sustain its policies.
With a growing number of Republicans now echoing Democratic criticisms of the war, Republican strategists will have a harder time making the election a referendum on whether the United States should "cut and run" from Iraq, the administration's typical characterization of the Democrats' view.
And even the war's strongest supporters are offering increasingly critical assessments of past decisions. Last Tuesday Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) recited a litany of past administration statements -- "stuff happens, mission accomplished, last throes, a few dead-enders" -- as indications that "we had not told the American people how tough and difficult this task would be." On Friday McCain reiterated his loyalty to the Iraq mission, but he had already made his point.
The Republicans' restiveness suggests that Bush may not be able to stick with his current Iraq policy through Election Day. Even if he does, he will come under heavy pressure from his own party after Nov. 7 to pursue a demonstrably more effective strategy -- or to begin pulling American forces out.
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By Election Day, how many Republican candidates will have come out against the Iraq war or distanced themselves from the administration's policies?
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'Home. This Was Home.'
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NEW ORLEANS If you haven't been here, you can't really understand what happened to this city one year ago. Both words and pictures are inadequate; no elegy is poignant enough, no lens able to capture the full breadth and depth. Spike Lee's film "When the Levees Broke" probably comes closest, but even after four hours you feel the movie has just sketched the outlines.
As the inevitable anniversary commemorations take place, the people of New Orleans can point to the progress they're making toward recovery, house by house, block by block. An occasional visitor like me, though, is struck by how much of the city remains in ruins, and is saddened by how much of it seems gone forever.
It's not really fair to look at the year-old mounds of filthy, sodden debris and just slam the city government for not having an effective reconstruction plan. Mayor Ray Nagin may have been shooting from the lip when he pointed out that Manhattan still has a "hole in the ground" five years after Sept. 11, but he was telling the truth. You don't fix a whole city in a year.
And there is an emergent renewal plan. It's just not something people are ready to talk honestly about.
Last year, with most of the city still underwater, George W. Bush stood in Jackson Square and promised to rebuild New Orleans. He could have made good on that promise -- this is the United States of America, after all, and we undertake to rebuild entire countries (Afghanistan, Iraq) and even continents (Europe after World War II). The White House says it has earmarked $110 billion for Gulf Coast reconstruction, but less than half that money has been spent. Even assuming New Orleans gets its fair share, that's not enough to ever put this city back together again.
Call me cynical, but I didn't really expect this administration to come up with serious Marshall Plan money to rebuild a poor, mostly black city that was already in decline before Hurricane Katrina and the Army Corps of Engineers administered the coup de grace. (They still toss in a lot of French words down here.)
So, as everyone understands but no one wants to plainly acknowledge, New Orleans will become a smaller, whiter city. The Big Easy once was home to more than 600,000 people and had around 450,000 residents as Katrina approached. Now the population is under 200,000. A major city has become minor.
The Lower Ninth Ward -- poor, black, utterly devastated and cursed with precarious geography -- will never be the same. Some hard-hit white areas, such as parts of Lakeview, also may have to be written off. But for a variety of reasons, including the remorseless logic of the marketplace, black New Orleans will lose more. For-sale signs abound throughout the city, and as its infrastructure gets put back together, some parts of town will even experience a real estate boom. But a flooded cottage in the right neighborhood might be worth good money to a developer, while the same cottage in the wrong neighborhood isn't worth what it would cost to haul the debris away.
The Lower Ninth hasn't changed much in the past year. Some houses that were washed into the middle of the street have been demolished and removed, but block after block lies untouched. Electric wires dangle menacingly, but there's no danger, because there's no power. In the worst-hit sectors there are no people, just wrecked houses and heaps of debris. What became perhaps the most-photographed piece of post-Katrina graffiti -- the word "Baghdad" marking a smashed house on Reynes Street -- is still there. On an abandoned two-story brick house up the street, someone has spray-painted a simple truth: "HOME. THIS WAS HOME."
What broke my heart was a drive through Holy Cross, the slightly elevated strip of the Lower Ninth that was battered by the flood but not destroyed. It, too, looked almost exactly the way it did a year ago. Some families had returned; there were a few FEMA trailers, but not many. A house being rehabbed as a demonstration project by the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans had a fresh coat of pink paint and obviously was undergoing major repairs, but the rest of that block was a mess. And the next block, and the next, and the next.
Those homeowners who have resources will rebuild and get on with their lives. Those who have no resources will not rebuild, and their neighborhoods will be lost. Those poor black people we saw stranded on roofs and trapped in the Superdome will get on with their lives, too. They'll just have to live those lives somewhere else.
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NEW ORLEANS If you haven't been here, you can't really understand what happened to this city one year ago. Both words and pictures are inadequate; no elegy is poignant enough, no lens able to capture the full breadth and depth. Spike Lee's film "When the Levees Broke" probably comes closest, but...
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New Orleans Honors Its Dead
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NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 29 -- Church bells pealed at 9:38 a.m. here Tuesday, the moment floodwaters breached the city's levees a year ago, as the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina cast a funereal pall over this half-empty city.
On his 13th trip to the Gulf Coast since the storm, President Bush joined residents in commemorating the losses with a particularly New Orleans flavor. Local dignitaries, emergency workers and politicians wended their way from the Convention Center to the Louisiana Superdome in a traditional jazz funeral procession, while during a remembrance Mass attended by Bush at the St. Louis Cathedral a clarinetist poured out a soulful version of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee."
At the Seventeenth Street Canal in the Lakeview area, where one of the most disastrous of flood-control failures occurred, a crowd of about 130 people gathered. Names of the local dead were read aloud, and a rose was thrown into the canal's water for each one. The flowers floated away in the waters, now calm.
At least for the day, it seemed that the bitter politics that have attended much of the aftermath of Katrina receded a bit. Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes told the president and other worshipers that good will have come out of the hurricane if the city can construct a better public school system, overcome racial and ethnic divisions, and eliminate an unfair health-care system. "God will have helped us to achieve a greater good," Hughes said.
Bush again accepted responsibility for the botched federal response to Katrina. "The hurricane . . . brought terrible scenes that we never thought we would see in America," Bush told a friendly audience gathered at Warren Easton Senior High School. "Citizens drowned in their attics, desperate mothers crying out on national TV for food and water, a breakdown of law and order, and a government at all levels that fell short of its responsibilities."
The White House carefully chose the scenes it wanted to highlight on this, the anniversary of one of Bush's biggest political embarrassments. Warren Easton is the city's oldest public high school and, like others, shut down after the city flooded. It has reformulated itself as a charter school, with greater leeway to set its own rules and have its own board.
In anticipation of the president's visit, school employees scrambled to complete work on plumbing and electricity, according to the principal, Alexina Medley, and the entire first floor remained gutted. Still, Warren Easton will reopen next week a year ahead of schedule, with about 800 students expected to attend, about a third fewer than before.
New Orleans has seen a flowering of such charter schools in the past year, and Bush hailed the trend, a small example of his more conservative policies taking root in the aftermath of Katrina. He also pledged scholarships for poor children to attend the city's parochial schools. "It's good for New Orleans to have competing school systems," Bush said.
After speaking at the school, Bush traveled by motorcade through the shattered Ninth Ward, and he stopped at the home of legendary singer Fats Domino, whose house was damaged by the storm. Bush presented Domino with a National Medal of Arts to replace the one the musician had lost in the storm.
Before getting on the plane to leave, Bush received a New Orleans Saints jersey from rookie running back Reggie Bush.
Elsewhere in the city, signs and T-shirts served as banners for rebuilding rallying cries. One woman waved an American flag and held a sign that read "Hold the Corps Accountable!" T-shirts read "Lakeview Lives!" and "Make Levees Not War."
"It's been a horrible year," said Carol Etter, 49, a business consultant who came out to the canal. Her T-shirt read, "Hurricane Recovery is a Marathon Not A Sprint." "When you measure progress by the fact that there's trash in the neighbor's yard -- that means they're gutting -- then it's been an awful year. It'll never be the same," Etter said.
Suzanne Kling, 36, a homemaker from the neighborhood, was wearing a T-shirt that read, "Lakeview -- If you build it, they will come." She said she is moving back to the neighborhood in a few months and believes that, of the 16 homes on the block, four others will be occupied by returning families by the end of the year.
The other 11 families, she hopes, will follow. "We're pioneers," she said, casting a gaze toward the nearly vacant blocks of homes.
Meanwhile, the jazz funeral procession moved from the Superdome to the Treme neighborhood, starting first with spirituals such as "The Old Rugged Cross" and "When I Lay My Burdens Down."
As the parade moved along, passersby jumped in behind to march, glide-step and shimmy to the music. In other cities, people might have considered them strange and crossed to the other side; in New Orleans, people jumped in behind and started moving to the music as if it were the most natural possible reaction.
By the end of the parade, the music growing increasingly joyous, a crowd of about 200 people followed, blacks and whites together. "We're burying . . . Katrina," said Okyeame Haley, 37, a lawyer who had joined in.
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NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 29 -- Church bells pealed at 9:38 a.m. here Tuesday, the moment floodwaters breached the city's levees a year ago, as the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina cast a funereal pall over this half-empty city.
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Rumsfeld Assails Critics of War Policy
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Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld warned yesterday that "moral and intellectual confusion" over the Iraq war and the broader anti-terrorism effort could sap American willpower and divide the country, and he urged renewed resolve to confront extremists waging "a new type of fascism."
Drawing parallels to efforts by some nations to appease Adolf Hitler before World War II, Rumsfeld said it would be "folly" for the United States to ignore the rising dangers posed by a new enemy that he called "serious, lethal and relentless."
In a pointed attack on the news media and critics of President Bush's war and national security policies, Rumsfeld declared: "Any kind of moral and intellectual confusion about who and what is right or wrong can severely weaken the ability of free societies to persevere."
Rumsfeld spoke at the American Legion's national convention in Salt Lake City as part of a coordinated defense of Bush leading up to the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Reviving images of the president's response to the strike on the World Trade Center in New York, Rumsfeld said, "He remains the same man who stood atop the rubble of Lower Manhattan, with a bullhorn, vowing to fight back."
With polls showing that a majority of Americans believe it was a mistake for the United States to invade Iraq and with many Democrats calling for a deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops, Rumsfeld called the Iraq war the "epicenter" of the struggle against terrorism. Last week, Bush said that setting a timetable for a troop withdrawal would embolden the enemy and cause chaos in Iraq and throughout the region.
Congressional Democrats angrily responded to Rumsfeld's remarks. "There is no confusion among military experts, bipartisan members of Congress and the overwhelming majority of the American people about the need to change course in Iraq," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). "The only person confused about how to best protect this country is Don Rumsfeld, which is why he must go."
Jack Reed (D-R.I.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he took exception to what he considered the implication that critics of the administration's military policies are unpatriotic. He noted that there are "scores of patriotic Americans of both parties who are highly critical" of Rumsfeld's handling of the Defense Department.
Rumsfeld obliquely acknowledged mistakes and setbacks in Iraq, quoting the French statesman Georges Clemenceau as calling all wars "a series of catastrophes that results in victory." Moreover, in a reference to recent charges of war crimes against U.S. troops in Iraq, Rumsfeld said that "in every army, there are occasionally bad actors -- the ones who dominate the headlines today -- who don't live up to the standards of their oath and of our country."
Rumsfeld stressed that it is misguided for Americans to fall into self-blame and to "return to the destructive view that America -- not the enemy -- is the real source of the world's trouble." He blamed the U.S. media for spreading "myths and distortions . . . about our troops and about our country."
He said a database search of U.S. newspapers produced 10 times as many mentions of a soldier punished for misconduct at Abu Ghraib prison than of Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, a Medal of Honor recipient.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, addressing the same audience later, sounded similar themes. "The dream of some, that we could avoid this conflict, that we did not have to take sides in this battle in the Middle East, that dream was demolished on September the 11th," Rice said.
Rice said in a radio interview that "we cannot fall prey to pessimism about how this will all come out," adding that "the really devastating problem for the world would be if America loses its will."
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Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld warned yesterday that "moral and intellectual confusion" over the Iraq war and the broader anti-terrorism effort could sap American willpower and divide the country, and he urged renewed resolve to confront extremists waging "a new type of fascism."
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Gonzales in Iraq to Push 'Rule of Law'
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met with Iraq's deputy prime minister in Baghdad in a visit he said was to promote "the rule of law."
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office announced that 50 gunmen loyal to firebrand anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had been killed in clashes in the southern city of Diwaniyah with the Iraqi army, which lost 23 troops.
Diwaniyah was calm Tuesday, residents and officials said, but an explosion at an oil pipeline south of the city killed at least 27 people. The cause was unclear, but police said people had been siphoning oil, which can cause accidental explosions.
In Baghdad, police said they found the bodies of 24 people who had apparently been tortured and shot before being dumped in two locations.
Eleven of the bullet-riddled corpses, their hands and legs bound, were found near a school in the Shiite dominated Maalif neighborhood in southern Baghdad, police said.
The bodies of another 13 people, believed to have been aged between 25 and 35, were found dumped behind a Shiite mosque in the Turath neighborhood in western Baghdad. All were handcuffed, showed signs of torture and had been shot in the head, said police 1st Lt. Maitham Abdul-Razaq.
After meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, Gonzales, an architect of America's heavily criticized prisoner of war policy, told reporters that his visit was meant to help "promote the rule of law and also help promote security in this great country."
"There are great ambitions for this country. Those ambitions cannot be realized without security, and that will be very, very important."
He reiterated the "commitment of the United States government in helping you achieve your dreams for this country."
Monday's fighting in Diwaniyah was some of the worst in recent months between the Iraqi army and Shiite militiamen loyal to al-Sadr. At least 10 civilians were killed before the cease-fire was reached.
"Life is back to normal, the shops are open and Iraqi police and soldiers are deployed everywhere in Diwaniyah," said police Lt. Raid Jabir, contacted by telephone.
Leaders of the tribes to which the dead combatants belonged held reconciliation talks Tuesday to prevent retaliatory attacks, Jabir said.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met with Iraq's deputy prime minister in Baghdad in a visit he said was to promote "the rule of law."
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Fractured Funny Bone
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Amid much honking and squealing from the Great American Hype Machine, two magazines debuted this month -- Cracked and Hallmark -- and if anybody in America ends up subscribing to both of them, I'd like to meet that person.
No. Strike that. On second thought, I do not want to meet that person.
Cracked, to be published every other month, is not technically a new magazine. It's a resurrected and revised version of the formerly deceased humor magazine widely known as the poor man's version of Mad. Hallmark, also a bimonthly, is a new mag from the folks who give us all those heartwarming greeting cards and TV specials. Let's look at them one at a time:
Born in 1958, Cracked was nearly pulseless when Monty Sarhan bought it in 2005. Sarhan promptly killed the magazine, then hired a team to re-create it with himself as CEO and editor in chief.
Who is Sarhan? He's a lawyer specializing in "mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and transactional intellectual property," according to Cracked's news release, and he earned his law degree at Duke University, where he "spent a semester studying asset secularization of entertainment-related revenue streams."
Which is, no doubt, the perfect preparation for editing the new, postmodern humor magazine.
"Comedy magazines are often born from times of crisis -- war, corruption, economic and political travails, social upheaval and questioning," Sarhan writes in Cracked's first issue. "Comedy and humor emerge to provide social commentary and clarity in the face of cultural and political challenges."
Gee, isn't he a high-minded fellow? And what kind of "social commentary and clarity" does Cracked provide in the face of our cultural and political challenges?
Well, there's a feature called "Vehicular Homicide Is the New Black," which notes that Laura Bush, Matthew Broderick and Vince Neil have all been involved in fatal car crashes. And there's a list of "Things Ann Coulter Screams During Sex." And there's the "[Nasty word] Hall of Fame," a compendium of celebrities, including Tom Cruise, David Hasselhoff and Bono, whom Cracked finds obnoxious.
And there's a little ditty called "Mexican Boys: Surprisingly Expensive," in which writer Jay Pinkerton recounts his unsuccessful (and, I hope, fictitious) attempts to purchase little Mexican lads from their parents for 300 pesos.
Are you chuckling yet? Me neither.
On page 57, Cracked stops providing this scintillating comedy and becomes a magazine about comedy. There are interviews with the creators of "South Park" and with comedians Rob Corddry and Ed Helms of "The Daily Show."
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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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NCAA, NBA Could Team on Amateur Reform
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NCAA President Myles Brand left open the possibility yesterday that college sports' governing body for the first time is willing to work with both the NBA and shoe companies to improve amateur basketball, which has come under increasing criticism this year.
In remarks made at Hampton University, Brand said, "Maybe working together with the NBA and lots of others -- USA Basketball, the [Amateur Athletic Union], the National Federation of High Schools -- and including key elements such as the shoe companies working all together, is there something we can do to help improve that pre-collegiate environment?"
Many high school and college coaches have long called for representatives from all levels of the basketball world to move toward reforming amateur basketball, which critics say exposes teenagers to many tempting outside influences while doing little to prepare them for life outside of athletics. Comments by Brand and NBA Commissioner David Stern, who this year said the NBA would consider becoming involved in helping secondary schools to better prepare their athletes academically, are seen by some basketball sources as a significant move in the right direction.
Brand said he and Stern discussed the issue at a summit last year in Chicago and that another meeting is planned next month. Sonny Vaccaro, who over the past 25 years has directed basketball grass-roots efforts at Nike, Adidas and now Reebok, welcomes open discussion.
"I beg for an opportunity like this, to talk to the people that Mr. Brand is talking to, to get together in a room and eliminate the politics to work this out," Vaccaro said. "When that happens, it will make my life complete in this game. I would welcome it. If everyone can make peace and make this work with the kids involved, then I feel that my cycle would have been completed. This would be a great way to walk away. We can make this work."
The announcement by Brand comes during a year-long series in The Washington Post on the more controversial aspects of player development. The series included pieces on how foreign players arrive in the United States, prep schools with powerful teams but questionable academic credentials, the financial inducements used by AAU teams to recruit players as young as 9 and how one 16-year-old player and his family have been changed by the AAU experience.
In the past, the NCAA has had little control over youth basketball, specifically high-profile summer league events that are run and funded by shoe companies beyond the oversight of any educational entities. For the most talented teenage players, the importance of summer league basketball has made the traditional high school basketball season almost irrelevant. One of the nation's best high school players, sophomore Renardo Sidney from California, has made his reputation strictly by playing in high-profile summer league events and said he does not feel he necessarily needs high school basketball to achieve his goal of playing in the NBA.
Last year, the NBA decided players must be 19 years old and one year out of high school before entering the draft, thus prohibiting players from going directly from high school to the pros. The intent was that players would spend at least a year in college before turning professional, but this summer, a handful of the top high school seniors were contemplating playing overseas for a year instead of attending college. That way, they could sign lucrative shoe contracts and earn paychecks rather than spending a year under the auspices of the NCAA, which prevents athletes from being compensated for their performances.
"It's one of the most recalcitrant and difficult problems we now face in all of college sports, in part because the NCAA has no control over what happens before college by definition," Brand said. Having student-athletes not capable of making the grade "makes it difficult for the coach and it makes it difficult for the young people who are being recruited, too. They are not always getting the straight information."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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NCAA President Myles Brand leaves open the possibility that college sports' governing body is willing to work with the NBA and shoe companies to improve amateur basketball.
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Saunders: Critics Are Missing The Point
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After yesterday's practice at Redskins Park, associate head coach Al Saunders spoke at length about his philosophy and approach, acknowledging the mounting frustration of a fan base that anticipates much from his offense but over three exhibition games has seen virtually nothing. Saunders spoke for more than 45 minutes, but his hundreds of words could be boiled down to two: Trust me.
The frustration is not limited to fans. In the visitors' locker room at Gillette Stadium, wide receiver David Patten dressed following Washington's 41-0 loss to the New England Patriots on Saturday night and voiced a sentiment similar to that of fellow players and even Saunders himself: The Redskins' offense may appear to be struggling, but it hasn't in the three games used any of the dynamic offensive formations and schemes it uses every day in practice.
"We'll get there," Saunders said. "I know what the end product is going to look like. We've had success over the years. We know what we do works. In preseason, it's not the end result of what you do. It's the daily progress of each individual in their techniques and their fundamentals. Sure we had some guys that probably didn't play at the level we would have liked. They know that and they know what they need to do to improve."
Saunders brought up 2002, Steve Spurrier's first year in Washington, when the Redskins went 4-1 in the preseason and averaged 33 points in those games -- only to go 7-9 in the regular season. "The last team here that went 0-4 was 1982, and their next 32 games after that, their record was 28-4," Saunders said. "So I'd like to look at the idea that preseason might not equate with success during the season. We're heading down the right path."
The result, Saunders acknowledged yesterday, is a schizophrenic football team, one that is difficult to assess and that, before the curtain opens on the regular season, requires patience. There is the Redskins team that hasn't won a football game this preseason, has been outscored 87-17 over three games and hasn't seen its high-priced regulars register a point, Saunders says, and then there is the offense he commands in practice, the high-octane, precision machine with the speed routes and mismatches, the offense that impressed Joe Gibbs so much when Saunders was in Kansas City that Gibbs brought it to Washington.
In practice, Saunders said, the real Redskins offense is being installed, fine-tuned for the Sept. 11 opener at FedEx Field against the Minnesota Vikings. But although the gap between what occurs behind the closed doors of the practice field and the dismal offensive output the Redskins have produced in three games doesn't bother Saunders, there is concern among some players of a potential danger: In keeping so much of the regular season game plan hidden from game-speed situations, the Redskins lack basic success that would allow them to build confidence for executing a new offense against regular season opponents.
"We haven't seen anything that we want to see. There's a level of frustration from that standpoint. Forget the win-loss thing. It's a matter of having some success, and we haven't seen that," Patten said of the first-team offense. "You're not seeing the plays during the game we're used to seeing in practice. But you do want to see it happen in a game and we haven't gotten to that point yet. The bottom line is, what team is really showing their cards? Forget about that. That excuse is over and done with. It's time for us to do something we can feel good about, so we can say, 'We made this happen, and we made that happen.' But we're not even doing our strengths. Right now, we're struggling."
While the starters for other teams, particularly the quarterbacks, have produced above-average preseason numbers, the Redskins have not produced. But they admittedly have hidden much of their star power. Chris Cooley, the tight end who caught 71 passes last year, has three catches in three games. Signature plays that made Santana Moss a star last season, such as the wide receiver screen, have not been attempted this preseason.
"It's not about showing things as much as it is developing a foundation in what we want to accomplish. The preseason games are another practice, but they're in a game environment where the speed of the game is quicker," Saunders said. "You're playing against different personnel, but I wouldn't be truthful if I didn't say I'd like to score every time we had the football. I'd like every pass to be complete, but that's not going to happen."
After being widely ignored in the slot this preseason, Antwaan Randle El, the big offseason free agent pickup, was given more responsibility against the Patriots. He still has not lined up to return punts, but he caught a fourth-down pass from Mark Brunell and also showed his versatility, taking a slot reverse for the first time.
"Antwaan Randle El is another great example," Saunders said. "In the preseason, we haven't done things specifically to get him the ball, and have him do the things he's capable of doing, but he sure does it all in practice."
Saunders said he was not concerned with the idea that a group of players largely unfamiliar with his offense might need more game-speed repetitions.
"I've been in this offense a long time and I know it works in game speed if you've got the right guys to do it, so I don't have any problems about that," Saunders said. "I know that we have to be very sharp when we play Minnesota. In the practice environment, we try to create as much stress as we can to put them in those situations, and we'll see what happens when we open the season. We've had too much success in this offense, in San Diego, St. Louis, Kansas City over the past 26 years to not be confident of this process."
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Although the offense may appear to be struggling, associate head coach Al Saunders tells critics that the team is on the right path and the end product will work.
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Japan Orders Apple to Probe Laptops
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TOKYO -- Japanese authorities reported Tuesday the first case of an Apple laptop catching fire in Japan and ordered the U.S. company to investigate the trouble involving the faulty Sony batteries and report back within a week.
A laptop made by Apple Computer Inc. overheated and caught fire in April, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The user sustained minor burns after the the iBook G4 computer caught fire, according to Apple spokeswoman Michiko Matsumoto, who confirmed the case.
Last week, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company told its customers to return 1.8 million batteries worldwide that could cause their laptops to overheat and catch fire _ just 10 days after Dell Inc. recalled 4.1 million faulty laptop batteries for the same reason. It was the largest recall involving electronics in the history of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
In both cases, the problematic lithium-ion batteries were made by Sony Energy Devices Corp., a subsidiary of Sony Corp. based in Japan.
Apple has received nine reports in the United States of the lithium-ion batteries battery packs overheating, including two consumers who received minor burns after handling overheated computers. Apple has also received reports of minor property damage, but no serious injuries have been reported.
Japan's trade ministry ordered Apple's Japan branch to report on its findings and measures to prevent future troubles by Sept. 5 or it could face a fine of up to 300,000 yen ($2,570) under Japan's consumer safety laws.
Sony and Dell also have been ordered to report on their findings after the recall was announced by the ministry.
Last week, ministry officials reported that batteries in Dell laptops imported to Japan caught fire in at least two separate instances in October and June. No one was injured in those incidents, but the fires destroyed the machines.
Battery packs contain cells of rolled up metal strips. Sony has said that during production, crimping the rolls left tiny shards of metal loose in the cells, and some of those shards can cause batteries to short-circuit, or in extreme cases, catch fire.
Apple's Matsumoto declined to say the number of batteries the recall involves in Japan and how many have been recalled. A call to an Apple corporate spokesman in Cupertino, Calif., was not immediately returned early Tuesday.
The trade ministry has also instructed other Japanese electronic makers to check the safety of their laptop batteries.
Dell has already recalled batteries from affected models in Japan. Batteries powering Sony's Vaio laptops don't have the same problems, according to the Tokyo-based manufacturer.
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TOKYO -- Japanese authorities reported Tuesday the first case of an Apple laptop catching fire in Japan and ordered the U.S. company to investigate the trouble involving the faulty Sony batteries and report back within a week.
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Militant Kurds Warn of Wreaking Havoc
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ANTALYA, Turkey -- After a rash of bombings, an extremist Kurdish militant group warned Tuesday that "the fear of death will reign everywhere in Turkey" and it urged tourists to avoid travel to the country.
Tourism is a critical industry in Turkey, with foreign tourists bringing in $13.9 billion last year. But many people sunbathing and partying on the Mediterranean coast say they aren't changing their plans.
Travel agents said that there were no significant cancellations after one bomb killed three people in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya and a previous blast injured 21 people, including 10 British tourists, in the seaside town of Marmaris.
"We were concerned," said Bob Bougie, 43, of Calgary, Canada, as he strolled along the yacht harbor in Antalya. But "I feel as if we left we are abandoning the Turkish people. We're not running that's for sure."
The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a small militant group, took responsibility for the blasts and vowed in a message on its Web site to turn "Turkey into hell."
The past few months have seen a surge in violent attacks in the overwhelmingly Kurdish southeast of Turkey that have left dozens of soldiers and guerrillas dead. That has led to a tougher Turkish crackdown in the region, the massing of Turkish tanks and artillery along the Iraqi border and threats to attack the main guerrilla bases in northern Iraq.
The bombings also come as Turkey is increasingly pressuring Washington to take measures against the guerrillas in northern Iraq and Ankara has threatened to take unilateral action if Washington keeps stalling.
On Tuesday, the United States appointed former Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston as a special envoy for countering the main guerrilla group, the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK.
"Gen. Ralston will have responsibility for coordinating U.S. engagement with the government of Turkey and the government of Iraq to eliminate the terrorist threat of the PKK and other terrorist groups operating in northern Iraq and across the Turkey-Iraq border," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Those actions may have helped push the militants to redirect their attacks.
"Maybe this new tactic is born out of desperation," said Jeremy Binnie, an analyst with Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center in London.
"They are launching raids from Iraq and the Turkish military has been relatively successful in containing the violence," he said. "To some extent they are trying to internationalize the conflict when they are not having much of an impact on Turkey."
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ANTALYA, Turkey -- After a rash of bombings, an extremist Kurdish militant group warned Tuesday that "the fear of death will reign everywhere in Turkey" and it urged tourists to avoid travel to the country.
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Why Does It Still Hurt, Doc?
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They regularly visit doctors' offices complaining of baffling combinations of symptoms for which no medical cause can be found: chest pain one month, gynecologic problems the next, followed by headaches or crushing fatigue.
Hospital staff privately refer to them as "crocks" -- people who repeatedly show up in emergency rooms demanding expensive, exhaustive tests to unearth the elusive cause of their numerous symptoms. Reassurance that their tests don't show anything amiss has the opposite effect, convincing these patients that physicians haven't looked hard enough -- or don't believe them.
While everyone at some point experiences symptoms for which no cause is found, patients who have what is known as somatization disorder suffer from a host of disabling problems. Most are women who develop the lifelong disorder during adolescence.
It's impossible to accurately determine how many patients have somatization disorder, although the problem "probably occurs on a continuum and accounts for many, many doctor visits," said Lesley Allen, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Between 0.2 and 2 percent of Americans have sufficient symptoms to fit psychiatry's strict definition of somatization disorder, but Allen and other experts say the problem, which frustrates patients and their doctors, frequently goes undiagnosed. To further complicate matters, about 40 percent of these patients also suffer from a related disorder, hypochondria -- a persistent, irrational fear of serious illness.
Fearful of being dismissed as crazy or fakers, patients typically shun mental health practitioners and spend years bouncing from doctor to doctor, undergoing expensive diagnostic workups and even surgery to alleviate their pain. One study found that patients with the disorder incur medical expenses that are six to 14 times higher than the national average.
Now Allen and her colleagues, and researchers at Michigan State University, appear to have demonstrated an effective treatment for somatization: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches patients practical skills to help manage their symptoms. Both teams last month published randomized, controlled studies showing that CBT coupled with supportive counseling, relaxation techniques, moderate exercise and in some cases antidepressants diminished the severity of their symptoms.
The patients' ability to function, as measured by the number of stairs they could climb and the distance they could walk, was improved, and they reported being less troubled by 40 symptoms, including headaches, nausea, joint pain and difficulty swallowing.
"It's not a cure," said Allen, whose study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, appears in the July 24 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Allen and her colleagues recruited 84 patients between 18 and 70 years of age who had been diagnosed with somatization disorder. Half received 10 weekly sessions of cognitive treatment while the rest did not. Fifteen months after they started treatment, all patients were evaluated by researchers who did not know which ones had received CBT.
Forty percent of the 17-member CBT group were deemed "very much improved" or "much improved" using a widely accepted rating scale, compared with 5 percent, or two members, of the control group.
In the Michigan State study -- published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine -- 100 patients treated for a year with cognitive therapy and antidepressants were nearly twice as likely to show improvement in their level of functioning and decreased use of medical services as a similar number who did not receive therapy.
Norman Jensen, an emeritus professor of internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin and an expert in treating such patients, called Allen's study "very important and very encouraging" because it is one of the first to demonstrate that cognitive therapy works for patients whose disorder has been considered largely untreatable.
Dealing with such patients "is a pain in the butt for doctors," said Jensen, who treats them. "Many people suffer enormously from it, and their doctors waste millions of health care dollars" in futile attempts to diagnose their problems.
"These people alienate themselves from friends and family with their discussion of their constant symptoms," Jensen added. "They tend to be very lonely and isolated."
These patients, Jensen and other experts say, are much more focused on their bodies than other people and much less able to ignore or accept what others regard as normal aches and pains. One theory, so far unproven, is that their nervous systems are hypersensitive.
Fairfax psychiatrist Thomas N. Wise, editor of the journal Psychosomatics, said primary care doctors typically see these patients. "Psychiatrists rarely see these folks because they're so focused on a medical explanation," said Wise, a professor of psychiatry at the Georgetown and Johns Hopkins medical schools. But, he added, it's important for doctors who can't pinpoint a physical cause not to assume one doesn't exist or that the pain isn't real.
Composer George Gershwin, Wise recalled, was told by a phalanx of New York's most eminent doctors that his splitting headaches were the product of his neuroses. In fact, they were caused by a malignant brain tumor that killed the 38-year-old composer in 1937.
Arthur Barsky, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and expert on medically unexplained symptoms, said he considers cognitive therapy essential.
"I focus on the way people think about their symptoms and try to decrease their hyper-vigilance," said Barsky, who has published studies of both somatization and hypochondria. He teaches patients to stop scrutinizing how fast their heart is beating, for example, to quit touching their neck to see if a lymph node is swollen, and to avoid searching the Internet for clues to their symptoms.
Barsky advises patients to substitute those preoccupations with a pleasurable or distracting activity. Patients who succeed tell him that they are still aware of the physical problem -- that lump in their throat, for example -- but tend not to think about it and consider it less bothersome.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is aimed at reducing specific symptoms by challenging the dysfunctional, irrational thoughts that helped create and perpetuate them. Among the thoughts commonly expressed by somatizing patients: "This is never going to go away" and "I'm never going to be able the live the life I want," said New Jersey's Allen. Treatment involves exploring and then changing those thoughts, which in turn ameliorate symptoms.
Most experts say that many patients with unexplained symptoms have histories of childhood physical or sexual abuse or other trauma, but it is not clear whether these are related.
"Childhood experiences are presumably important," Barsky said, "but there are no good data" about their effect.
Another goal, Allen said, is to explore the "secondary gain" patients derive from illness -- the unconscious benefit that accrues from being a patient.
"A lot of people adopt the sick role," she said, and receive more attention from their husbands or other family members when they are in pain.
Allen and others say that a major obstacle in treatment is patients' singular lack of insight into their own problems.
"It's a big struggle in treatment," Allen said. "When you ask, 'What are you thinking? What are you feeling?' the answer tends to be, 'I don't know.' "
One danger such patients face, said Fairfax's Wise, is the natural inclination of doctors to order tests, prescribe medicines and perform procedures out of a fear of missing a serious medical problem. Such interventions, he warned, carry their own risks.
Jensen said he vividly remembers one such patient, whom he treated for 28 years. She was referred to him by a surgeon who had refused to operate on her for abdominal pain because he couldn't find an organic cause.
Jensen said he began seeing the woman every month or two for 20 minutes but ordered tests sparingly and only if he suspected something new was wrong -- an approach first outlined by a psychiatrist in a New England Journal of Medicine article in 1986. Mostly, he said, he listened carefully and provided brief reassurance.
"She felt like we had a partnership, and we developed a certain personal fondness for each other," Jensen recalled. "She trusted that I wouldn't overlook or over-treat her."
But once when Jensen was on vacation, the woman went to an emergency room complaining of chest pain, one of her frequent symptoms. A physician unfamiliar with her history discovered a partially blocked artery and, assuming this was causing her pain, performed a cardiac catheterization.
During the procedure, the woman suffered a heart attack. She developed heart failure as a result and was dead within the year. She complained of chest pain until the day she died. ·
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They regularly visit doctors' offices complaining of baffling combinations of symptoms for which no medical cause can be found: chest pain one month, gynecologic problems the next, followed by headaches or crushing fatigue. These patients, Jensen and other experts say, are much more focused on......
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Permit Issues Plague New Charter School
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About 20 Prince George's students who had planned to attend one of the county's three new charter schools were told over the weekend they must start classes at their neighborhood public school instead, as the county's first experience with privately run, publicly funded schooling got off to an uncertain start.
The students, who had planned to attend Excel Academy, will join classes in progress at other schools because the administrators failed to get county approval to house as many pupils as they had hoped in their converted office building in Beltsville.
Of three new charter schools launched this year in Prince George's, only Turning Point Academy started on time, at the beginning of last week. Potomac Charter School launched three days later.
At Excel Academy, which opened yesterday, administrators had signed up 370 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. After struggling to find space this summer, administrators were told by county inspectors last week that the former office building they had leased could accommodate only 285 students and 15 staff members.
That meant winnowing enrollment by more than 80 students, of whom about 60 then decided to attend other schools. Parents of the others still had hoped to enroll their children at Excel and were angered when told Saturday that there was no space for them, school administrators said. Students who remained at Excel were selected to attend on a first-come, first-served basis.
"It just doesn't seem reasonable to us that you would not allow all the children who registered to attend, while we finish the last little bit of construction we need to do," said Iris T. Metts, the former Prince George's schools chief whose company is consulting for the academy.
Metts, who resigned as head of schools in 2003 after four stormy years, is president and chief executive of A+ Choice Solutions Inc., a private company that advises charter schools in several states, including all three new schools in Prince George's.
More than 20 charter schools have opened in Maryland since state law was changed to allow for them in 2003. Parents who choose the schools, which are publicly funded but privately run, say they can offer more innovative and individualized education because they are freed from bureaucratic red tape.
Advocates for charters acknowledge, however, that the schools often experience rough starts, as private groups work to find classroom space, hire teachers and organize curriculum in short timeframes.
But charter proponents say that code inspectors should make exceptions to rules that don't directly affect students' health and safety.
"Socrates taught students under a tree," said Joni Berman, president of the Maryland Charter School Network. "He wasn't hit with all kinds of zoning laws -- and kids learned."
Metts said she has not been able to figure out how county inspectors decided only 300 people could fit in the building and what exactly Excel could do to expand. As office space, the county allowed more than 1,000 workers in the same building.
Jim Keary, a spokesman for the county, said the permitting issues had to do with hallway width and the number of bathrooms. He said the school still has work to do to convert its temporary permit to a permanent one. County workers have "been working day and night to ensure the school was able to open," he said.
John White, spokesman for the school system, said teachers at local schools will make sure students who had planned to attend the academy transition smoothly to their unexpected classrooms. And he said the school system stands ready to help the charter school.
"It's just a matter of working out the details when you're creating something from scratch," he said.
Meanwhile, parent interest in the school has not waned. Deborah Talley, who moved to the Beltsville area recently, stopped by the school on its first day yesterday to see whether she might want to send her third- and fifth-graders there.
Talley, who home-schools her children, said she was impressed with what she saw -- and added her name to a waiting list.
"When I went in, the teachers were on the money with supervising the children," she said. "We're willing to wait."
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Hare Krishna Coming of Age
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What became of the Hare Krishna devotees whose saffron robes and chanting once graced many a street corner? In the Washington area, they wound up in well-heeled Potomac, an appropriately mainstream location for a movement that has been transformed over its 40 years.
In the mid-1960s, when the movement began on Manhattan's Lower East Side, a Hare Krishna service would have been filled with robe-wearing, twentysomething Caucasian converts, who likely lived at the temple or on an ashram.
Today, the typical worshiper is an Indian American who lives in mainstream America and shows up weekly for services, in khakis and with a kid wearing an NBA tank top along with his tilak (the sacred stripe that Hare Krishnas display between their eyebrows, symbolizing the footprint of God).
At dusk on a recent Sunday, devotees filed into the simple, one-room Hare Krishna temple for worship.
In no time, the service went from zero to 60, with amped-up clay drums whipping up the spirit. Worshipers danced ecstatically in the chairless room, leaping into the air and dropping to the floor and lying prostrate at individually inspired moments. This first part of the service is called kirtan , and it involves the meditative heart of the Hare Krishna faith: chanting. Worshipers sing and chant in Sanskrit and Bengali, a practice they believe helps them attain a higher consciousness and, thus, love of God.
During the kirtan, three priests on a small altar tended to the practice that sets Hare Krishna apart within broader Hinduism: intense deity worship. The priests are part of a team that lavishes attention on three statues all day, changing the statues' clothes and adorning them with fresh garlands of flowers. The statues represent different incarnations of Krishna, a scriptural figure whom Hare Krishnas consider God.
As the drums and harmonium rocked on, the priests circled the bejeweled brown, gold and white-faced statutes with incense and presented them with gifts of water and orange-yellow flower garlands and peacock feathers.
Soon the room was quiet and people took seats on cushions on the floor for a 30-minute lecture about the nature of happiness and worship.
"This relation between servant and served is the most congenial form of intimacy," said the acting temple president, Anuttama Dasa. As he spoke, a woman spotted an ant scurrying across the floor, scooped it up with her sari and carried it outside.
In another building on the grounds of what used to be a summer camp, young boys practiced for a play commemorating the 40th anniversary of Hare Krishna. It was in 1966 when the Hindu revival movement began, taking the ancient practice of worshipping Krishna exclusively through chanting and turning it into an organized faith system.
In the four decades since Indian guru Srila Prabhupada arrived in New York City to begin spreading the Krishna lifestyle, the movement has changed in many ways.
Most notable among the changes are the Indian American faces -- 90 percent of worshipers at the Potomac temple, compared with 50 percent in 1980 and 20 percent in 1970s, Dasa said. This is attributable partially to recent Indian immigration to the United States, he said.
After starting the movement in the West, Prabhupada took it back to India, where today there are hundreds of thousands of Hare Krishna devotees.
Another aspect of today's Hare Krishna is that, for the first time, it is multigenerational.
The first, zealous twentysomethings are now in their sixties, and at the Potomac temple, you see their children and even a few grandchildren.
And after the service, they all spread out across the lawn for a vegetarian feast. Soon, the drums began to play.
· To watch a video presentation about the Hare Krishna temple and its service, visithttp://www.washingtonpost.com/religion.
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What became of the Hare Krishna devotees whose saffron robes and chanting once graced many a street corner? In the Washington area, they wound up in well-heeled Potomac, an appropriately mainstream location for a movement that has been transformed over its 40 years.
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Work-Life Balance
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Galinsky was live at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28 to answer your questions about what companies are doing and can do to help employees strike a balance in their lives.
A transcript of the discussion follows:
Ellen Galinsky: Good Morning! I am delighted to be participating in the Washington Post's Live Chat on Work Life Balance. We have been working on these issues since the early 1980s and have lots of studies and practical experiences. I welcome your questions.
Washington, D.C.: What is the latest trend in the provision of family-friendly benefits in the workplace? Specifically, I am wondering what companies are doing to support families with young children, including options related to parental leave, flexible hours, support for day care expenses, etc. I was surprised to learn that the federal government has NO paid parental leave benefit.
Ellen Galinsky: We conduct a study of employers with 50 or more employees every few years.
We found that small businesses are helping to drive changes in the structure of work, offering employees more opportunities for workplace flexibility, while large employers are providing more benefits that have direct costs. The 2005 study also finds that employers have largely maintained or increased the overall work life assistance they provide to employees, with cutbacks primarily requiring employees to pay a larger share of disability, health care or retirement benefit costs.
For example: 34% of companies let some employees change their starting and quitting times on a daily basis, 7@ provide on-site child care, 45% let employees pay for child care with pre-tax dollars, and only 3% provide vouchers to help employees pay for child care.
You are right. The government doesn't provide a paid parental leave, though they do provide disability leave for mothers. Only 7% of companies provide any pay beyond disability leave for mothers.
Reston, Va.: Professional part-time work still seems to be awfully hard to find, yet that would be the best solution for many families struggling to balance work with child-rearing or caring for an aging parent. Part-time care is also very difficult to arrange. What can we do to encourage policymakers and companies to create work that works for all involved? They could get quality work from smart people and pay far less in benefits, which seems like it would work for all involved.
Ellen Galinsky: I agree that professional part time work is hard to find. In fact, 61% of employees feel that people who work part-time are not paid a comparable salary as if they had the same job full time.
I think that is changing. Companies are beginning to see the talent loss, especially in the mothers of young children. I also think that elder care is going to provide a tipping point-with 35% of employees--men and women--providing elder care.
My advice for negotiating a professional part-time job is to do it on a trial basis. Come up with a plan that would work for the employer and for you and have clear ways to measure its effectiveness and ask to try it out for awhile. Then the company will see, as you say, that they will get quality work from smart people, pay pro-rated benefits, and the employees can have the fit between their life on and off the job.
Washington, D.C.: I teach Family Law at a local law school. This is the question I get the most from the young women: being a lawyer, can I truly have it all? Your answer...
This may be a surprising answer. We have found that the most people who do best at managing work and family life are what we call dual-centric. They don't put work first all of the time, but they prioritize their work and their family lives.
Yes, there are daily tradeoffs that each person has to make. And it is important for your students to ask themselves if they are comfortable with the tradeoffs they are making and if not, try to make a change.
In the long run, however, having a rewarding life at home is good for work life and having a rewarding life at work is good for home life.
There is an organization based in Philadelphia, Flex-Time Lawyers, that is working to make the law more family friendly. Have your students check them out.
Anonymous: Do you have any recommendations on how to convince a manager (usually male or someone without child care responsibilities) that performing a "good" job is not based solely on how many hours you put in? Also, that work-life balance means different things to different people?
Ellen Galinsky: Meet with your manager and ask to have metrics to judge your performance. In other words, help you boss see that hours don't equal performance.
Change is hard and in the industrial age, productivity and commitment were seen as "face time." So you need to replace that measurement in your manager's mind with another way to assess your performance. Then if you deliver, you will hopefully have a convert.
Washington, D.C.: I missed the ABC's World News with Charles Gibson, when Ellen Galinsky appeared in the "A Closer Look" segment, commenting on the August 22 Forbes opinion piece entitled "Don't Marry Career Women." I would like to hear FWI position on this article.
Ellen Galinsky: If you actually read the studies quoted in the Forbes article, they did not say what the opinion piece said at all. What the studies found is that marital happiness DEPENDS.
It depends on how the husband and wife feel about women working.
It depends on whether the wife feels her husband is doing a fair share of the family work.
It depends on whether the couple has people around them who support their marriage.
Because it was a misreading of the studies and caused some an outcry, Steve Forbes apologized and withdrew the opinion piece.
What I said (and we found this in a study we did of women who earn more than men) is that there are a lot of men who appreciate the women earning money, especially in this time of economic uncertainty. Family incomes has really only remained stable because women have joined the workforce.
In fact, more than two-thirds of men in the workforce who are married have wives who are working!
washingtonpost.com: Leslie Morgan Steiner's Guest Blog on the Forbes.com Package
Arlington, Va.: I found Amy Joyce's column in the Business section of the Washington Post yesterday to be really, really frightening. What's the smartest way to plan for maternity/paternity leave? Do you really have to tap out your savings in order to recover from childbirth and begin parenthood? What are some creative ways to manage maternity/paternity leave?
Ellen Galinsky: It is great that Amy Joyce is making people aware of the situation in the US (so unlike most other countries in the world).
If parents made it clear to policy makers that solutions are need for this issue, financially, there would be change.
Given today's realities, how can you best plan?
1) See if your company provides disability leave--some portion of your salary for the period of pregnancy and childbirth disability, usually lasting for 6 to 8 weeks after childbirth. Almost half of companies provide this and it is required in five states.
2) See if your company is one of the companies that provides some pay beyond disability.
3) Can you use paid vacation days or sick days?
4) Does your company have a leave bank where other employees can contribute paid time off to other companies. This is more common in the public sector than the private sector.
5) Start saving as early as possible and monitor costs.
6) Press your legislators for change.
washingtonpost.com: Amy Joyce's Too Often, Family Leave Leaves Much To Be Desired
I'm a brand new first-time dad of 4 months. So far fatherhood has been a blast. My wife and I are taking the financial hit with her staying home with our son for the first few years; it is pretty tough. This leads me to a question:
With election season approaching, what questions should I ask of the candidates, and what actions can they promise to to take, to make my family life a little bit easier?
Ellen Galinsky: Great question. Our studies do show that new dads are a lot more involved in being fathers than fathers in the past were.
Ask your legislators if they can come up with creative solutions for helping families manage leaves.
There is paid leave, but there are also other ideas..such as a fund where people borrow against future earnings to pay these costs.
Also companies are coming up with creative ideas to maintain their involvement with women who stay home for a time. Some companies provide a three to five year leave, but invite people in for training, connect them to a work mentor, perhaps have them cover for people on vacation so they work one or two weeks a year, help them with getting back up to speed if and when they want to returns.
We need to rethink of careers..not just as a ladder, but as offering times to step on and off, for childbirth, perhaps for the teen years, for elder care, etc.
We are in a time of transition and companies and policy makers need to rethink the way that work is organized so that it works better for families and for employers.
Washington, D.C.: "Family incomes has really only remained stable because women have joined the workforce."
Isn't this really a "chicken or egg" question? Hasn't the competition from women workers had a depressive effect on men's incomes?
Ellen Galinsky: A bigger issue that that women are now more likely to have a four year degree or more than men--among employees under 50, 32 percent of women and 23 percent of men have a four year degree or more.
It does vary among people in different ethnic groups and with different family incomes..but the overall finding is very important.
That is an issue that is very worrisome and one that needs to be addressed. Education is the biggest predictor of income.
Washington, D.C.: Could you generalize, either by industry (ex. healthcare) or locality (ex. Northeast) of where the most headway is being made in making work-life balance a priority? Who are the leaders in this field? Thank you.
Ellen Galinsky: Interesting, high tech companies, financial services, and accounting firms are currently more likely to make work life a priority than other industries. Perhaps that is because they understand the importance of making the idea of "people first" more of a reality than rhetoric.
Philadelphia: Provided that most families in this country requires either two incomes (i.e. both parents working) or, in the case of a single parent household, work two jobs... doesn't this contribute to children raising themselves, children being unaccountable, and make them at risk to delinquency and the like?
Ellen Galinsky: Again, perhaps surprisingly, children on average have more time with their employed parents than the children of employed parents did 25 years ago. That is because mothers are spending the same amount of time that mothers did in the past, but fathers are spending more time.
Furthermore, families are more likely to value family life than families in the recent past did.
This is not to say that families aren't multi-tasking more when they are with their children.
Also, the quality of non-parental care for children is pretty uneven..studies show.
And the time between 3 and 6 is the time when a lot of delinquency takes place.
In communities where they have invested in having good quality child care and good quality after-school programs...and in companies that provide employees with real workplace flexibility without career jeopardy for using that flexibility, children can do fine.
It is up to us whether we want to create communities and workplaces that make work "work" for employers, families and children.
But I do think we will pay a price if we don't--in the citizens and workers of the next generation.
Eastchester, NY: In terms of long work hours - you suggested talking to the manager about performance metrics that are not based on "face time". In my experience (and perhaps it is just my industry) the managers have very little say in this. We often are expected to work long hours, and on weekends, because of customer crises, or overly ambitious development deadlines set by executives much further up the chain. I don't see this improving. There are very few women in software development, and I think this is part of the reason. Any ideas on how to deal with this?
Ellen Galinsky: It has been said that companies don't see the light unless they feel the heat.
Is there any problems in your industry that can be tied to long work hours or overtime? Turnover? Performance? Loss of key talent? Mistake rates? Inefficiencies? Absenteeism?
If you can make a business case to top management, I would suggest the following time-limited experiment, with the sanction of management.
1) Create a work team that gives itself the assignment of maintaining or improving productivity while increasing workplace flexibility.
2) Have the group brainstorm as many solutions it can.
3) Select one or more of the solutions to try for a limited period of time.
4) Create metrics to go along with this experiments--metrics in turns of productivity.
5) Try out this new plan for a limited time.
In my experience, this team approach to improving work and to improving family or personal life yields benefits for both the company and the employer. I have seen in work in numerous industries, including software development.
Silver Spring, Md.: I've found that single people often get neglected when it comes to benefiting from work-life balance policies in the office. Are there any trends showing that employers are starting to value a single employee's desire to have a life outside of work just as much as that of a mother or father with young kids?
Ellen Galinsky: It is very important that work life issues not been seen as those only of the so-called traditional family. Most good companies that get involved in these issues don't ask why employees need flexibility or who the employees are (single, married, with or without kids or elder care).
When work life issues began to surface in the '80's, they were seen as issues related mainly to women with children. Happily that is changing..to concern men and women and employees at all stages of their life cycle.
In your company, it is important to make it clear that all employees will benefit if they can have a good life off the job as well as on the job.
Re: Follow-up: Can you explain this concept of "dual-centric" a little more? So, the person values home and family? How does that practically work?
Ellen Galinsky: We were doing a study of the top 100 men and top 100 women in 10 multi-national corporations. We asked two questions: How often the employees put work ahead of their personal or family life, and in a separate question, how often the employees put their personal or family life ahead of their work. We expected most of these top executives to be work-centric--to prioritize work.
We found that 61% of the executives were work-centric. But we also found that 32% were dual centric. They answered the same answer to both questions (very often/very often or often/often, etc.).
We were surprised and didn't even know what to call this group. But when we looked further, we found that these dual-centric employees (the name we ended up with) were:
* more successful at work -- they had risen higher
* rated themselves more successfully in their family lives
* were more likely to take their vacations, worked five few hours a week
* were less stressed and took better care of themselves.
We are now doing another study to better understand people who are dual-centric.
But it does seem that putting all of one's eggs in the work basket isn't as good for us as having more than one thing in life that we really care about.
We also found, in another study, that people who take vacations do better at work.
Washington, D.C.: With four children, ages 5 and under, and my husband and I both professionals with full time jobs, I find myself wondering too often when employers will wake up and recognize that flexibility breeds productivity as well as loyalty from employees. What does it take for that realization, and will I be out of the work force (25 years or so) before it occurs? Is there anything professional employees can do to hasten the arrival of that day?
Ellen Galinsky: Take a look at our web site (www.familiesandwork.org)under When Work Works. You will see that we have data on how flexibility is a key ingredient of an effective workplace (with hard data to show that effective workplaces have employees who are more engaged in their work, more satisfied with their jobs, in better mental health, and more likely to stay on the job). There are also tips for employees to get more flexibility, and case studies of companies that are using flexibility as a business tool to benefit the company and its employees.
Also check out the web site for Corporate Voices for Working Families. They have productivity data on flexibility from more than two dozen companies as well.
Ashburn, Va.: What can be done to encourage companies to hire more part-time or job share workers in management and executive level positions?
Many women I know, with college and masters-level educations, want the intellectual challenge without having to be at the office 40-60 hours a week. And in this part of the DC metro area, many of us spend at least two hours commuting to the good jobs.
Do you see solutions for our future options?
Ellen Galinsky: As I have said, we are moving from an industrial economy to an information/service economy...and as in any transition, assumptions and realities don't align.
But that is changing. For example, when Working Mother magazine publishes its best 100 list every fall, the unsolicited applicants for jobs spike in the winning companies. And I talk to many start-up companies that want to place people in part-time or job sharing management jobs.
Change is slow, but it is happening. The best way to bring about change in your company, as I have said, is to make a business case for an experiment that you test.
Chantilly, Va.: I've found the secret of a (somewhat) stress-free life when it comes to balancing my work/home life. I discovered that work is that: work. It's not meant to be fun (although if you have fun, more power to you) nor is it meant to be a friend-generating endeavor (although it does help if you have friends at work). Work is meant to put money in your pocket so you can live your non-work life.
Once I discovered this secret and made the appropriate moves at work to reduce the amount of stress I was bringing home, my home life improved 10-fold. Although I was making the same salary (one that allows my wife to stay home), I no longer travel, work regular hours and have a five mile commute to earn a living. I very rarely bring home work to finish up and hardly every complain about work at home. I have successfully separated the two and found that it provides me and my family a relaxing lifestyle.
Being a realist, I also understand that not all people are able to live their lives like this due to a longer commute, different business challenges, etc. I only want to share what I've found to be successful for my situation. Maybe it will work as well for others.
Ellen Galinsky: Good suggestion. Perhaps other people could share what they have found works in creating less stressed lives.
Ellen Galinsky: Thank you all so much for participating in this chat. I hope to come back to talk with you soon.
In the meantime, our web site has all of our studies available, as well as tips, and examples of companies that are striving to create new ways to make work "work." Please go to http://www.familiesandwork.org/ and check out When Work Works.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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The McCain Makeover
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Does veteran Republican rebel John McCain really mean all those nice things he's saying about George W. Bush?
Glenn Frankel , whose story about the uncomfortable transformation of Sen. McCain of Arizona appeared in yesterday's Washington Post Magazine , will be online today to field questions and comments.
Glenn Frankel is a Magazine staff writer.
Glenn Frankel: Hi folks. We've got lots of good questions coming in, so let's get started.
Fountain Valley, Calif: I'm a Democrat that voted for McCain in the crossover primary in California in 2000. I think the straight-talk express got derailed somewhere. I really think his hawkish views on Iraq will be his Waterloo. His only thing he ways now is "more troops". I don't think more troops can solve this situation. People are so fed up with Iraq that, unless the situation materially changes in the next year, the only candidate with a chance in a national election will be one that gets us OUT of that hellhole. Your thoughts?
Glenn Frankel: You've raised one of the fundamental issues Sen. McCain wll have to deal with as the electoral season progresses. He's on record as saying the US would need more troops in Iraq to conduct a successful counterinsurgency strategy. At the same time, he told me he's well aware that the American public is fed up with the lack of progress in Iraq and that it simply isn't feasible politically to send in more troops. I think McCain is counting on two things: 1) that even before the election President Bush will have begun drawing down the number of US troops, thus taking a bit of the sting out of the issue; 2) that even many voters who disagree with McCain on this will feel that his military background and expertise make him the best choice to extricate us from the quagmire. His opponents, of course, will seek to tie him to the policy and question his ability to get us out.
Columbus, Ohio: Six years ago I actually registered republican to vote for McCain in the primary. At one time I thought he might an unwinnable candidate, but no longer. He has really set himself up for "flip flop" attacks which were hugely damaging to Kerry. And there is the incredible picture of McCain hugging Bush with his eyes closed which could be titled "groveling", which I would plaster all over huge billboards if I were running things for the dems in 2008. I think these 2 things alone could punture the McCain aura. What do you think?
Glenn Frankel: It's the $64 question. At a time when every other Republican candidate----including those running for Congress in Ohio---are running away from the president, McCain has been running toward him. In nailing down the Republican base, will McCain alienate voters like yourself---independents and Democrats---who found his maverick qualities so appealing in 2000?
USA: I just read your piece and thought it was quite good. 2 things though:
1. Bob Kerrey is not one of the war's most "vocal critics". During his time on the 9/11 commission, he made interviews supporting the decision to invade. A "vocal critic" of the war is somebody like Byrd.
2. You didn't write enough about how Kerry tried to get him to be vice president. The stuff with Warren Beatty, the lobbying by other Senators. Just curious, but did he talk about the faxes he received urging him to join up?
Glenn Frankel: Those are both very good points. Bob Kerrey has become considerably more vocally anti-war in recent times, but you're right that he was in favor early on, as were most senators. As for the vice presidential flurry, I simpl'y didn't have enough space to do it justice. McCain and his staff insist he told John Kerry from the start that this was a non-starter---McCain said he was, after all, a conservative Republican. But it was a long courtship, at least on Kerry's part, and it buffed McCain's credentials with Democrats and independents, even while it caused more mistrust among the GOP party faithful.
Spartanburg, SC: I don't understand how the media still calls McCain the frontrunner. Rudy Giuliani is ahead of him in the polls, is rated as the most acceptable nominee, leads in Iowa, and has leapfrogged McCain among social conservatives who admire his strong leadership qualities. McCain may be winning the Bush consultants, but Rudy is winning more of the Bush voters.
Where does Rudy figure in all this?
Glenn Frankel: Giuliani is definitely a strong potential challenger to McCain because he occupies much of the same political ground and has great name i.d. Until recently, he wasn't laying the groundwork---hiring staff, targeting donors, etc.---in a way that led analysts to believe he was serious about running, but many now believe he is. Here's the question: when social conservatives come to grips with Giuliani's positions on abortion (he's pro-choice) and gay rights, will they still be intrigued?
Alexandria, Va.: How is McCAin's health? I keep hearing cancer whispers.
Glenn Frankel: Good question. He says he's had no recurrence of the melanoma after his 2000 surgery. He certainly looks fit and hearty. He turns 70 tomorrow and, if elected, would be 72 on Inauguration Day---the oldest person ever elected to a first term. Some of the younger candidates will try to present themselves as lively, fresh and energetic--to draw a contrast at least by implication. But I spent some serious time trailing McCain, and he's a lively and energetic character himself.
Alexandria, Va: The main reason, I, as a Republican voter oppose McCain as my party's Presidential nominee is because he is, like Bill Clinton & Richard Nixon before him, an obsessive egotist and self-promoter who has to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral.
A McCain administration might very well end with the President having high personal approval ratings, but there is no doubt that the Republican party would be in the same shambles that the Democratic party was at the end of Clinton's, as McCain would undoubtedly repeatedly betray his party's principles for the sake of poll ratings, as did Bill from Little Rock.
It is bad enough that my own and every American's right to free speech has been restricted because of John McCain's personal guilt over his dealings with Charles Keating, the damage he could do in the White House to feed his own need for self-aggrandization cannot be imagined.
Glenn Frankel: You've summed up in a nutshell a large part of the conservative Republican case against McCain. For the uninitiated, let me explain that your last paragraph refers to the McCain-Feingold bill, which sought to limit or eliminate the role of "soft money" from corporations, trade unions and law firms in political campaigns. Its critics contend it restricts free speech (although the Supreme Court upheld it) and it is one of the prime reasons why many Republican-oriented interest groups like the NRA and the Christian Coalition oppose McCain.
Levittown NY: Will McCain's despicable "joke" about Chelsea Clinton
continue to be suppressed? His simultaneous insults to Bill
and Hillary Clinton, and to Janet Reno, are almost
understandable from a man of his character, but the father
of a daughter ridiculing the physical appearance of a child, is
Glenn Frankel: Suppressed? I've read many many McCain pieces from the 2000 election and beyond, and many of them discussed the joke. It hurt McCain because it fed into a view that he was thoughtless and crude. But the difference between this one and Sen. George Allen's macaca controversy is that McCain apologized early and often and made no excuses.
Arlington, Va: I accept the conventional wisdom, illustrated in your well-done article, that McCain must reinvent himself (and perhaps mask his true self) to win over the base that is so important in primary voting. But aren't there increasing signs of a split between the authoritarian "create our own reality" and libertarian "reality-based" wings of the Republican party? Is there any danger that by praising Bush too much, McCain will lose support in primaries from the anti-Iraq war Republicans who are increasingly concerned about the lack of competent administration in foreign and domestic endeavors? (Even Mort Zuckeran mentioned the disastrous handling of the post-"Mission Accomplished" phase of the Iraq war on Saturday's McLaughlin Group show.) You know, there actually are plenty of Republicans who quietly are dismayed at what Bush-Cheney-Rove have done to their party and to the country. In primaries, they may be looking for a strong alternative, not an heir, to Bush. By linking himself so strongly to Bush, doesn't McCain risk signalling that he disdains the concerns of competency-seeking, old school Republicans?
Glenn Frankel: Well put. All I would add is that on his recent campaign trip to Ohio on behalf of Republican candidates, McCain tried to put a bit more distance between himself and the administration on Iraq. He's always been critical of the way the war was conducted---not enough troops, the premature dismantling of the Iraqi army, etc.---and now he's emphasizing all of that again.
Dallas, Tex: Thanks for opening the door for discussion about 2008.
QUESTION: Would you express your political viewpoint about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flying to Utah in a few days with President Bush where she will speak at the American Legion Convention? Added to her dynamic speech at the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this year in North Carolina, any possible chance she is being groomed for higher office?
Glenn Frankel: She's said she's not running, and most analysts take her at her word. Still, she's a political celebrity and potentially a bright star for the Republicans, so it's not surprising they want to showcase her. And if someday she decides she wants to run for senator from California and perhaps for vice president this time around?
New York NY: I read as much of your McCain article as I could stand. I am so tired of being force fed all this #%#&%$# about McCain the maverick - what's so maverick about supporting this hopeless war and wanting to extend it?? What's so maverick about thinking women shouldn't have the right to make their own reproductive choices? I know he has endless appeal to armchair warrior boys who feel like they almost went to war beside him (though of course they didn't)but war should not be our future. If nothing else tells us we shouldn't let him anywhere near the presidency his syncophantic embrace of Bush (a failure in every direction) should let us know.
Glenn Frankel: Just like the respondent above hammered McCain's flaws from a conservative Republican viewpoint, you've done the same from the other end of the political spectrum. Which still leaves he question: what do the folks in the middle---the ones who tend to decide close elections---really think?
Tyler, Tex: I do not know any Republicans who support John McCain. The Republican Blog survey has him at the bottom of the list. The push by the MSM will not get him nominated.
Glenn Frankel: If you have some time and money, take a flight to Ohio, Michigan, Virginia or Florida. All I can tell you is I met a lot of bona fide Republicans in all four states who think McCain is the cat's meow.
Alexandria, Va: Not so much a question as an observation: Less than three months from the election, Republicans are likely to lose the House. They may well hang on to the Senate by a thread, but face the prospect of defending twice as many Senate seats as the Democrats in 2008.
In other words, if come next year Republicans have lost one house of Congress -- and have an uphill slog to retain the other in 2008 -- that only strengthens McCain's chances, because he's the most electable of all the GOP candidates. Facing the loss of Congress and the White House may focus some of the McCain skeptics' minds about the perils of opposition....
Glenn Frankel: Interesting observation. His supporters say that one of McCain's strengths has been his ability to work with Democrats across the aisle.
Arlington, Va: As you asked questions about McCain, did no one say they were concerned about him in control at the White House? Did no one raise concerns of his perpetual erraticism?
Glenn Frankel: I'm not sure what you mean by erraticism, but my piece touched upon his temper and tendency not to suffer those he deems fools. People who know him told me he's mellowed a bit over the years, but he's still got an edge---and wants to have one. During one of our interviews, he bristled a bit when I compared him to Eisenhower, the president as father figure. McCain much prefers being likened to Teddy Roosevelt, the president as activist.
Austin, Tex: How many cases can you think of where a party nominated its presidential candidate because of "electibility," even when another candidate might have been more to the liking of the party's base? (I think some people would mention Kerry.)
Of the cases you can think of, how many times did that candidate win the election?
Glenn Frankel: You're stretching my limited political knowledge well beyond its breaking point! Although 1976 was a year that defies all conventional wisdom, didn't Democrats nominate Jimmy Carter despite his problems with the traditional party faithful? And Bill Clinton in 1992? Notice both those examples come from the other party. Republicans, as I suggested in my article, tend to nominate the "next person"---i.e. the one who has tilled the fields and positioned himself/herself as next in line (like Bob Dole in 1996). McCain is working hard to be that person.
Boston Mass: Does John McCain really believe he will succeed in cutting his conscience to fit the fashion of the gatekeepers for the party nomination, but then be free of them during the election and as president?
Glenn Frankel: He would never ever put it that way, and would probably disagree with at least part of my article's analysis. He told me he was essentially a conservative Republican with an independent mind, and he denied he was twisting or contorting his own positions to fit a mold. Others may see it differently.
RE: Free speech: Could you possibly further explain how limitting the overwhelming power of special interest groups in our democratic process limits free speech? I don't know the details of this issues, so I am really quite confused. In my opinion, free speech means that my elected officials listen to the power of my vote equal to everyone else's when they make their decisions in Washington - not the interests of the nra, planned parenthood, the christian coalition, moveon.org, or anyone else who financed their campaign. Personally, I feel that that sort of funding SEVERELY limits my free speech, as it relates to my elected officials hearing my voice through the clutter. But perhaps there is another issue on the table here? Am I missing something? Is there a serious reason why people think this is a free speech issue? Something beyond the ability of $$$ to influence the volume at which they can speak?
Glenn Frankel: You've put your finger on a true hot button issue. I'm no authority on this subject---and as a journalist am simply trying to sum up the arguments rather than take sides. But as I understand it, McCain's critics argue that expressing support for candidates or issues by buying air time to deliever political messages is a form of speech and should not be hindered or regulated. On another level, some argue that the ban on "soft money" to political parties has only caused wealthy donors to adopt other means to influence elections.
Just a note about Giuliani: If Rudy gets the GOP nod, and gets elected, he'll make the Bush look like Hedda Hopper when it comes to secrecy. I agree with many of Giuliani's views, and admire him for his work after 9/11, but as mayor he was a control freak who crossed the line into bullying on several occasions, and I'd be deeply concerned with having him in the White House. His strength and weakness is his solid confidence that what he's doing is right, and that could lead to a lot of danger on a national scale. I disagree with McCain, but he seems like a reasonable person, open to criticism, and I'd rather have him leading the country than someone inflexible.
Glenn Frankel: Another perspective on Rudi v. McCain, should they both decide to run.
Redwood City, Calif: Conventional wisdom in the Democratic 2008 nomination is that there will be a contest between Hillary Clinton and the "anti-Hillary". Given McCain's similar domination of the Republican field, I'm surprised that I haven't heard the same formulation there. Is there a reason that hasn't happened? It seems logical that if opponents want to defeat McCain, they would eventually coalesce on an opponent who is anti-immigration, a strong social conservative across the whole range of hot-button issues, and maybe a campaign finance opponent as well.
Glenn Frankel: All of which may happen sometime over the next year or so. What I can tell you is that many of McCain's people are very happy to have a large and expanding field of GOP candidates and hopefuls. They figure all of those folks will compete for part of the pie, while McCain holds onto his own larger piece. But many analysts expect that an aletrnate candidate---younger, fresher and, perhaps, more to the right than McCain---will emerge to challenge him.
Woodbridge Va: How do you think the 06 midterms will impact McCain's chances in 08? Will conservatives be more comforatble with McCain as president if they feel he is balanced by a strongly conservative Congress or will a Democrat takeover cause them to fear Clinton like triangulation by a McCain White House?
Glenn Frankel: I could be wrong (and probably am!) but I believe presidential politics has its own dynamic and imperatives, and that the question of who is controlling Congress after the November election won't have a big impact on the GOP nominating process. But that's a good question to address to Dan Balz, David Broder, John Harris or someone else from our political team.
Conway, Ark.: Seems to me the myth of Saint McCain has been brought into being by a fawning press corps. Let's take their handling of his credentials on "campaign finance." He his line that he "would beat Al Gore like a drum" on camapign ethics was unquestioned by the press. Gore used the wrong phone to call donors; McCain was guilty of influence peddling and accepting a bribe to try to sway a federal regulator. Of course, in the horse race reporting we get out of the press, they both become "a past ethics brouhaha" but of course the two are nowhere near equivalent.
Instead of simply figuring out if McCain can "win," maybe a more productive story would have been to delve into the line of crap McCain has been peddling all along. In that regard, I see no makeover whatsoever.
Glenn Frankel: Another viewpoint. Just for the record, McCain was never charged with, let alone found guilty of, accepting a bribe. But he's conceded that he showed poor judgement in the Charles Keating case in helping Keating, a large campaign donor, get a hearing with federal regulators at a time when Keating's savings & loan empire was collapsing. McCain himself wrote a detailed account on his own missteps in his memoir, "Worth the Fighting For."
Arlington, Va: I think one of the strengths of McCain is that he's not a fundamentalist religious nut like Bush and most of the rest of the Republican leadership. Does his kissing up to Falwell have a potential to really harm him with the mainstream while it might be necessary for him to win the nomination?
Glenn Frankel: I'm not sure it harms him much on the road to the nomination, but it could hurt him in the general election when independents and Democrats hold more sway.
Richmond, Va: So, if McCain remains healthy in 2008, do the Democrats have anyone who can stop him from being elected President? He has one advantage in that he can change his policy slant somewhat to satisfy the Republican base, and still retain his basic public image as an independent and a maverick because this image is already so well established on top of his unassailable war hero credentials.
The public also has an intuitive trust of McCain, unlike, for instance, the case with Hillary Clinton or Al Gore. If one of the latter tries to change his or her political slant or image, the public will see this as manipulative and phony, because there is already a fundamental public distrust associated with these two. Does all this make sense? Thank you.
Glenn Frankel: It makes plenty of sense---and I think McCain's backers are counting on it working out just as you suggest.
Cedar Glen, Calif: It's hard to believe McCain isn't honestly committed to his principles, and yet how can a man of principle call Jerry Falwell -- who claimed 9/11 (or was it Hurricane Katrina?) was God's punishment for America's toleration of homosexuality -- a friend?
More importantly, where does McCain stand on Iran? Will he support Bush in a unilateral attack on Iran to which all the generals (except in the Air Force) are opposed?
If he isn't sunk by his own fear of making a mistake, McCain would seem to have everything going for him in 20088, except perhaps his age. I think Americans have seen the drawbacks of having a single party in power, so if the Dems win both houses of Congress this year, there'll be some logic to keeping the Presidency Republican. If the Dems DON'T win Congress, then just being Republican is probably not going to doom a Presidential candidate.
Glenn Frankel: Another perspective on Falwell, etc. On Iran, McCain has argued that the US needs to pursue the issue in an aggressively diplomatic way, especially putting pressure on Russia and China to present a united front in the Security Council with the other permanent members, the US, Britain and France. On this he sounds a lot like Condoleeza Rice. He's also said he agrees with Pres. Bush in not taking the military option off the table.
Roseland NJ: I know this is an odd question, but the whole John Kerry thing seemed odd to me. Could John McCain ever be someone's vice-president? He doesn't seem suited to it. He seems like he wants to be driving the car; he'd get testy and cranky in the backseat.
Glenn Frankel: Good point! When he's asked about the vice presidency, he tends to joke about how he has already spent five years locked in a cell, tortured and kept in the dark as a prisoner of war, and wouldn't want to repeat the experience as vice president.
French-Tunisians Await: Actually, Glenn, a full-blown Post Magazine "macaca" cover story is about the only thing the Post hasn't done to celebrate the Insulted Democratic Opposition Researcher. Can we expect one?
Glenn Frankel: I'm guessing you think we've overdone it. Don't worry---the magazine's lead time is too long to publish such a piece before November.
Re: "the folks in the middle": "Which still leaves he question: what do the folks in the middle---the ones who tend to decide close elections---really think?"
Perhaps, as Dan Froomkin observed in his Friday online blog/column, there really AREN'T any "folks in the middle" anymore -- that Bush and his administration have become so polarizing, that most voters are lining up on one side or the other, either pro-Bush or anti-Bush (or at least, pro- and anti-Bush policies).
If this observation is correct (and I think there's a lot of traction to it), then perhaps what you're seeing on the road and here today reflects the mood of the voting public -- "McCain as heir" is viewed through the same prism as Bush himself, and there IS no middle ground...
Glenn Frankel: That's a very good point. Could it be outmoded to believe that a candidate must be able to attract swing voters in a eneral election? Does the new campaign model consist of energizing out your base through hard-line positions while finding ways to suppress the vote from your opponent's base? That seems to be the lesson of the 2004 contest. But I suspect McCain is planning to use a different strategy that capitalizes on his prior strength among independents and moderates from both camps---if there are any left.
Indianapolis, Ind: I notice McCain's Republican critics refer people to everything about McCain except his voting record (which ranks among the MOST conservative) and they ignore President Bush's support for many of McCain's positions. In the case of immigration this enables them to focus their criticism on McCain instead of the President. What's your opinion on why or how these contradictions are ignored within the GOP?
Glenn Frankel: There are times when McCain seems to be the whipping boy for the right. But these days it seems like they're atacking Bush with more fervor as well.
Glenn Frankel: That's it for today, folks. Thanks for the lively questions on a hot August Monday. Also, for those interested, I'll be talking more about the article on Washington Post Radio during the Magazine Hour, which begins at 2 pm., 1500 AM and 107.7 FM.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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Glenn Frankel fields questions and comments about his story on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
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Shopping for Support Down the Wrong Aisle
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Once upon a time, smart Democrats defended globalization, open trade and the companies that thrive within this system. They were wary of tethering themselves to an anti-trade labor movement that represents a dwindling fraction of the electorate. They understood the danger in bashing corporations: Voters don't hate corporations, because many of them work for one.
Then dot-bombs and Enron punctured corporate America's prestige, and Democrats bolted. Rather than hammer legitimately on real instances of corporate malfeasance -- accounting scandals, out-of-control executive compensation and the like -- Democrats swallowed the whole anti-corporate playbook.
To see the difference between then and now, just look at the Clintons. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hillary Clinton sat on Wal-Mart's board; and when Sam Walton died in 1992, Bill Clinton lauded him as "a wonderful family man and one of the greatest citizens in the history of the state of Arkansas.'' Campaigning in the New Hampshire primary that year, Bill Clinton came proudly to the rescue of a local company called American Brush Co. by helping it become a Wal-Mart supplier.
Times change. Last year Hillary Clinton returned a campaign contribution from Wal-Mart, even though she had no compunction in banking a check from Jerry Springer. The nation's most successful retailer, which has seized the opportunities created by globalization to boost the buying power of ordinary Americans, is now seen as too toxic to touch. But a trash-talking TV host is acceptable.
Clinton is not alone in this. The stiff-necked Joe Lieberman, who holds fast to his principles on the Iraq war, recently abandoned his centrist economic credentials by appearing at an anti-Wal-Mart rally. No matter that Lieberman once served as chairman of the business-friendly Democratic Leadership Council. Now he proclaims his determination "to wake up Wal-Mart and say, 'Treat your workers fairly.' "
After Lieberman, a senator from Connecticut, stepped down as chairman of the DLC, he was succeeded by Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Well, Bayh recently showed up at an anti-Wal-Mart rally, too, as has Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who is the current DLC chairman. The Wake Up Wal-Mart campaign bus, which is trundling across the country on a 35-day tour, ensnares prominent Democrats in almost every state it passes through. Harry Reid, the Democrats' Senate leader, appeared at an anti-Wal-Mart event on Saturday, and Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Bill Richardson popped up at earlier stops. When the campaign bus reaches Washington state on Labor Day, both Washington's Democratic senators are expected to greet it.
How can supposedly centrist Democrats defend this betrayal of their principles? Some claim that their beliefs are consistent, but that the company has changed: The Wal-Mart of the early 1990s mainly bought American, whereas today's irresponsible monster buys cheap stuff from China. But this argument merely illustrates how far Democrats have come. Since when did the party's centrists believe that trading with China is evil? It was the Clinton administration that brought China into the World Trade Organization.
Other Democrats reaffirm their centrist credentials while calling upon Wal-Mart to pay workers more. "We are not here today because we are anti-business," Bayh asserted in Iowa recently as he demonstrated against Wal-Mart -- a contention that the retailer's shareholders, who have spent millions defending their brand against Wake-Up Wal-Mart, may have a hard time swallowing. But the idea that Wal-Mart pays below-market wages is false. Otherwise nobody would work there.
Hillary Clinton and Sen. John Kerry have attacked Wal-Mart for offering health coverage to too few workers. But Kerry's former economic adviser, Jason Furman of New York University, concluded in a paper last year that Wal-Mart's health benefits are about as generous as those of comparable employers. Moreover, Clinton and Kerry know perfectly well that market pressures limit the health coverage that companies can provide. After all, both senators have proposed expansions in government health provision precisely on the premise that the private sector can't pay for all of it.
The truth is that none of these Democrats can resist dumb economic populism. Even though we are not in a recession, and even though the presidential primaries are more than a year away, the DLC crowd is pandering shamelessly to the left of the party -- perhaps in the knowledge that the grocery workers union, which launched the anti-Wal-Mart campaign, is strong in the key state of Iowa.
For a party that needs the votes of Wal-Mart's customers, this is a questionable strategy. But there is more than politics at stake. According to a paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research by Jerry Hausman and Ephraim Leibtag, neither of whom received funding from Wal-Mart, big-box stores led by Wal-Mart reduce families' food bills by one-fourth. Because Wal-Mart's price-cutting also has a big impact on the non-food stuff it peddles, it saves U.S. consumers upward of $200 billion a year, making it a larger booster of family welfare than the federal government's $33 billion food-stamp program.
How can centrist Democrats respond to that? By beating up Wal-Mart and forcing it to focus on public relations rather than opening new stores, Democrats are harming the poor Americans they claim to speak for.
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Watch Out For Voting Day Bugs
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For many years election officials have kept the machinery of American democracy running in the face of sometimes overwhelming difficulties. But this November's elections will pose unprecedented challenges to them.
For many jurisdictions, the 2006 elections will see the first large-scale use of electronic voting systems. Many organizations have learned the hard way that deployment and use of new technologies on a large scale virtually guarantee big surprises and unintended consequences: sudden system crashes, corrupted data or painfully slow systems. The usual remedies are to develop, test and evaluate small-scale prototypes before committing to organization-wide upgrades in technology, and to keep both old and new systems running for a while so that failures in the new system do not paralyze operations.
Unfortunately, faced with the deadlines for deploying enhanced voting systems that were set by the Help America Vote Act of 2002, most electoral jurisdictions have been unable to follow this prudent path. That's why we believe it will be essential this year that jurisdictions have backup and contingency plans that anticipate a wide range of possible failures in their electronic voting systems, including those that occur in the middle of the voting process on Election Day (or days).
The outcome of the November elections seems likely to be very close. Depending on the results of a few races, control of the House or Senate -- or both -- may be at stake, which is likely to lead to close scrutiny of how those elections are carried out. If major problems arise with unproven technology and new election procedures, the political heat will be high indeed.
What problems might crop up on Election Day? Software or hardware problems could render a significant number of voting machines inoperable when they are first turned on. An unexpected sequence of voting inputs on touch screens might cause machines to lock up. Or the cards that voters use to activate voting machines to accept their votes might not work properly. Or voting machines might be inadvertently loaded with the ballot for a neighboring precinct.
Jurisdictions need to come up with contingency plans for such November problems, if they haven't done so already. One possible example: Make preparations to fall back to paper ballots if necessary.
Other problems might include machines that appear to work but then yield an erroneous electronic vote count. Systems could lose votes because they continue to accept them after their memories are full, or because they have incorrectly reset themselves in the middle of the day as voters are attempting to vote.
In such cases, applicable backup technologies such as paper trails, which provide an independent, permanent record of activity on a voting machine, might already be in place. But paper trails themselves have potential problems (such as jammed printers) and voters might be confused by the introduction of an unfamiliar element into the election whose purpose and role will not be clear to many voters.
For any given jurisdiction, the likelihood of a specific problem is low. But with 9,500 jurisdictions in the United States it's likely that problems will occur in some of them. Indeed, many of the problems described above have actually happened in one jurisdiction or another. We don't mean to suggest there will be widespread failures of electronic voting systems. But in this election year, the challenges facing election officials and the nation are formidable. Prudence and reasonable contingency planning should rule at this moment of truth for electronic voting, as election officials across the land work to retain public confidence in the face of new challenges.
Dick Thornburgh is a former Republican governor of Pennsylvania. Richard Celeste is a former Democratic governor of Ohio. They chaired a recent study by the National Academies' National Research Council on electronic voting.
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For many years election officials have kept the machinery of American democracy running in the face of sometimes overwhelming difficulties. But this November's elections will pose unprecedented challenges to them.
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Iraqi Troops Battle Shiite Militiamen In Southern City
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BAGHDAD, Aug. 28 -- With American combat aircraft providing cover, U.S.-backed Iraqi troops battled radical Shiite militiamen Monday in the southern city of Diwaniyah in one of the first major clashes between the two forces. At least 20 Iraqi soldiers and eight civilians were killed, a U.S. military official said, citing initial reports. Seventy people were injured.
Also, a suicide bombing in Baghdad killed 15 and injured 35, capping one of the bloodiest 24 hours in Iraq in recent weeks.
The more-than-12-hour battle in Shiite Muslim-dominated Diwaniyah, about 100 miles south of Baghdad, illustrates the growing strength and confidence of the Mahdi Army militia of anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who is increasingly challenging the authority of the Iraqi government and, by extension, the United States.
Some Iraqi soldiers were captured and beheaded, Iraqi army officials said. As of late Monday, it was unclear how many militiamen had died.
Nine U.S. soldiers also were killed over the weekend in and around Baghdad, the U.S. military said Monday, making it one of the most lethal weekends for American troops in recent months. Seven U.S. soldiers were killed by roadside bomb attacks and one by gunfire on Sunday, while another soldier was killed by a roadside bomb on Saturday.
On Sunday, gunmen and bombers killed at least 69 people, the deadliest of the attacks taking place outside Baghdad, in northern cities.
Meanwhile, new allegations of indiscriminate killings by U.S. troops surfaced Monday. Relatives and neighbors of seven civilians shot dead during a gun battle in a Baghdad neighborhood on Sunday said U.S. soldiers had stepped out of their vehicles and randomly fired at their car.
"The soldiers decided to kill everyone on the streets, and my mother was one of them," Mohammed Sabah al-Dulaimi, 19, an engineering student said in a telephone interview. "They were angry. There's no other reason for killing. They took revenge."
Dulaimi's mother, Suad Jodah Yaseen, was returning from work in a company car, which stopped some distance away from the scene where a roadside bomb had struck a U.S. military vehicle, according to her brother, Hadi Jodah Yaseen, 50.
"But random shooting by American soldiers hit her in the head and the chest, and one bullet pierced her chest and came out of the back," Yaseen said.
Lt. Col Barry Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed that seven civilians were killed Sunday in Ghazaliyah, a volatile western Baghdad neighborhood where U.S. forces have bolstered their efforts to tame sectarian violence. But he said the civilians were caught in the crossfire of a gun battle between U.S. troops and insurgents.
Johnson said that insurgents opened fire on American troops with grenade launchers and guns after the roadside bomb detonated and that U.S. forces returned fire.
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BAGHDAD, Aug. 28 -- With American combat aircraft providing cover, U.S.-backed Iraqi troops battled radical Shiite militiamen Monday in the southern city of Diwaniyah in one of the first major clashes between the two forces. At least 20 Iraqi soldiers and eight civilians were killed, a U.S....
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Homicide Charges Rare in Iraq War
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The majority of U.S. service members charged in the unlawful deaths of Iraqi civilians have been acquitted, found guilty of relatively minor offenses or given administrative punishments without trials, according to a Washington Post review of concluded military cases. Charges against some of the troops were dropped completely.
Though experts estimate that thousands of Iraqi civilians have died at the hands of U.S. forces, only 39 service members were formally accused in connection with the deaths of 20 Iraqis from 2003 to early this year. Twenty-six of the 39 troops were initially charged with murder, negligent homicide or manslaughter; 12 of them ultimately served prison time for any offense.
Some military officials and analysts say the small numbers reflect the caution and professionalism exercised by U.S. forces on an urban battlefield where it is often difficult to distinguish combatants from civilians. Others argue the statistics illustrate commanders' reluctance to investigate and hold troops accountable when they take the lives of civilians.
"I think there are a number of cases that never make it to the reporting stage, and in some that do make it to the reporting stage, there has been a reluctance to pursue them vigorously," said Gary D. Solis, a law professor at Georgetown University and a former Marine prosecutor. "There have been fewer prosecutions in Iraq than one might expect."
"But we should not forget that so many of our soldiers and Marines are performing not only honorably, but heroically, in very difficult circumstances," he added. "Their contributions should not be tarnished by the acts of a very, very few."
Top military officers, military lawyers, experts and troops say the number of homicide cases prosecuted probably represents only a small portion of the incidents in which Iraqi citizens were killed under questionable circumstances. Officials also say privately that some cases have not been investigated thoroughly because there has been a tendency to consider Iraqi civilian deaths an unintended consequence of combat operations.
"I think there were many other engagements that should have been investigated, definitely," said an Army major who served in Iraq in 2004, speaking anonymously because he fears retribution. "But no one wanted to look at them or report them higher. . . . It was just the way things worked."
Others contend, however, that civilian deaths are inevitable in war and that the close combat environment in Iraq frequently puts civilians in the line of U.S. and insurgent fire.
The cases highlight the sometimes fine line between a criminal allegation and the bloodshed that is a part of war. Spec. Nathan Lynn, a Pennsylvania National Guardsman, shot and killed a man in the darkness of a Ramadi neighborhood in February. Lynn said he considered the man a threat and believes he did nothing wrong.
The man was not armed, and Lynn was charged with voluntary manslaughter. But a military investigator agreed that Lynn acted properly in a difficult situation, and the charges were dropped.
"I was extremely surprised when I was charged because it was clear the shooting fell within the guidelines of my rules of engagement," Lynn said. "This is a war. It's not a police action."
A Look at the Numbers
The Post undertook the review after allegations surfaced in recent months that U.S. forces had killed significant numbers of civilians in places such as Haditha, Hamdaniya and Mahmudiyah, with many of the victims women and children. The review included the military justice system's disposition of incidents that occurred from June 2003 to February 2006. It did not include cases from Afghanistan.
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The President and His Critics Mark Anniversary Along Coast
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BILOXI, Miss., Aug. 28 -- A year after Hurricane Katrina devastated Mississippi and Louisiana, President Bush and Democratic leaders are converging on the Gulf Coast this week to commemorate the losses while continuing the political argument over the federal response to the country's largest natural disaster.
Arriving Monday in this seaside city for the first stop of a two-day visit that later took him to New Orleans, Bush paid homage to the grit of ordinary Mississippians in their efforts to rebuild their communities and promised that his administration will not neglect them as memories of the storm fade.
"One year doesn't mean that we'll forget," Bush said after lunching on fried shrimp and gumbo with community and state leaders at the small Ole Biloxi Schooner restaurant. "Now is the time to renew our commitment to let the people down here know that we will stay involved and help the people of Mississippi rebuild their lives."
In returning to scenes of one of his administration's biggest political embarrassments, Bush visited a city that remains a shell of its former self. Much of the debris has been removed and casinos are starting to sprout along Biloxi's waterfront, but empty lots abound, thousands of displaced people continue to live in trailers, and federal money is only beginning to trickle down to individuals and businesses, according to local leaders.
Democratic lawmakers and liberal advocacy groups flocked to the Gulf Coast in Bush's wake to offer their own, vastly more critical assessments of how well Bush and the federal government have performed in rebuilding communities swamped by Katrina.
In an interview, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast is going "not very well," and asserted that federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration are botching the delivery of federal funds to individuals and small enterprises. "Yes, the recovery is underway," she said. "It is still painfully slow. We have unnecessarily lost so much because the system is overburdened."
Landrieu has been joined by Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) for parts of what she has termed a "Hope and Recovery" tour for the region.
Another prominent Democrat, Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), inspected damaged sections of New Orleans along with other lawmakers on Monday, and predicted that Americans will be "very surprised to know this recovery is way, way behind what their expectations would have been."
The administration's halting initial response to Katrina, especially in Louisiana, was a political debacle that even some Bush supporters believe still burdens the White House. Mindful of the symbolism of the one-year hurricane anniversary, White House aides have been distributing fact sheets and statistics suggesting progress, including the more than $110 billion of federal money that has been set aside by Congress for Gulf Coast assistance and reconstruction.
Less than half of that has actually been spent, however, and local officials in Mississippi and Louisiana have been complaining about red tape slowing the flow of funds for housing and small businesses.
Tommy Longo, the mayor of Waveland, another hard-hit town on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, said he does not blame Bush for the delay and is unsure who is at fault.
"I don't think the money is held up in Washington -- it is held up somewhere in between," said Longo, as he awaited Bush's appearance in Biloxi.
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Blogging Under The Radar
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The fragile cease-fire still holds, but for wary Lebanese and Israelis the barrage of noise continues -- in cyberspace. By provoking a trade in words, the 33-day war in Lebanon didn't just wreak death and destruction. It also helped knock down a wall of silence.
"I think it's the start of something. In a way, it's a revolution," said Mustapha Hamoui, the blogger behind Beirut Spring. "Communication is never bad. It's better to tell someone, 'I hate you.' Then you have to ask, 'Why do you hate?' Then you have to have a conversation."
The Lebanese government forbids its citizens contact with Israelis. But keeping a lid on the Internet is a bit like trying to shovel sand with a sieve. And in the midst of war, scouring online for views from the other side has been one way for Lebanese and Israelis to alleviate the terrible sense of the impotence of standing by as their countries bled. Thousands of people, often posting in English, seem compelled to try to make some sense of the chaos -- or, through personal narratives, to help debunk stereotypes and misperceptions.
"Bloggers from both sides of the border . . . have been providing live updates, commenting on one another's blogs and sometimes linking to posts by bloggers on the other side of the border," wrote Lisa Goldman, a Canadian-Israeli blogger and journalist, on her site On the Face six days into the war. "Will this turn out to be the first time that residents of 'enemy' countries engaged in an ongoing conversation while missiles were falling?"
The war, paradoxically, provided the common ground, and blogging -- a roughly three-year-old medium unavailable in previous conflicts -- offered the space for it.
"After more than four weeks (seasoned with a couple of short home leaves of a few hours each), my dear man is back home!!!" wrote Anat El Hashahar, a 34-year-old mother of two and the blogger behind Israeli Mom, which she started last month soon after her husband was called up to his reserve post in the Israel Defense Forces. "He surprised us this morning and just showed up at the door, looking extremely tired, his face covered with stubble, but very very happy to see us," she wrote of her husband's return to their home in Pardes Hana, northern Israel.
"Hey, wanna try something funny?" answered Jean Souc, a Lebanese 25-year-old who works for the Red Cross in Paris. "let's test his military reflexes. tell him you are speaking with a lebanese on the computer! make sure you empty his rifle from bullets before, if you love your screen. [smiley face] After you tell him that, you will experience fist-hand [sic] military reflexes. he'll need time to loose them [sic]."
Souc and El Hashahar are new friends. Eager to seek a Lebanese and Arab perspective, El Hashahar had actively sought out and commented on Lebanese sites, generating a regular correspondence with several people from Australia to Iran, and enough trust with Souc and another Lebanese man to invite them to visit her and her family in Israel, she said in a phone interview from Pardes Hana.
"It's been very refreshing for me to talk to them," said El Hashahar, which means "toward the dawn" in Hebrew. "I wasn't that familiar with Lebanese people, their history or politics."
For his part, Souc surfed only the Lebanese blogosphere "to get an idea about street opinion" when the conflict erupted. But, he said in an e-mail, he was "hit by the intense presence of Israeli people commenting on those Lebanese blogs." With that in mind, he started his own space, The Middle East Exception, inviting Israelis to comment on how they perceived Lebanese.
It generated a thread of 92 comments, with 32 Israelis offering long responses that veer from accusatory to apologetic. At their suggestion, Souc invited Lebanese to post on how they perceived Israelis.
"Actually before this, the Israeli society was a big question mark for me," Souc said in an e-mail. "This blog helped me assert a little bit more the idea that all the fuss and all the propaganda in the Middle East are really plain lies when it comes to the 'historical animosity,' or 'the bad Jews' or 'the deadly Arabs.' "
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The fragile cease-fire still holds, but for wary Lebanese and Israelis the barrage of noise continues -- in cyberspace. By provoking a trade in words, the 33-day war in Lebanon didn't just wreak death and destruction. It also helped knock down a wall of silence.
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In Mexico, the Cardinal and the 'Crazies'
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MEXICO CITY -- It was an intrusion onto sacred ground.
At the height of Catholic Mass in the baroque Metropolitan Cathedral, a man interrupted the service by brandishing a political protest sign at the country's most respected religious figure. Outside, demonstrators chanted, "Norberto Rivera, hell awaits you."
Rivera, a cardinal, oversees the world's largest archdiocese here in Mexico City, the center of religious life in a country where nine in 10 people are Catholic. He had been considered a leading contender to succeed Pope John Paul II after the pontiff's death last year.
But Rivera is now immersed in a nasty political tussle that illuminates the hair-trigger sensitivity here about mixing religion and politics.
On one side, supporters of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the populist presidential candidate who is challenging the results of the July 2 election, accuse Rivera of siding with the apparent winner, Felipe Calderón. On the other side, Rivera calls protesters who have disrupted Mass at the cathedral "crazies," and other Catholic leaders condemn López Obrador supporters for placing the image of Mexico's most revered saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe, on political posters.
"The mix of religion and politics is always explosive in Mexico," said historian Enrique Krauze, who has dubbed López Obrador a "tropical messiah" because, Krauze says, he tries to use religion to further his political appeal.
Rivera has shown no reluctance to blend the spiritual and the secular, either. Last month, he said the church could mediate the post-electoral crisis.
Two weeks later, he called on Mexican Catholics to respect a decision by a special elections court rejecting López Obrador's request for a full recount and ordering a recount of only 9 percent of polling places. Rivera's statement echoed the position of Calderón, who supported the court's decision, and countered the stance of López Obrador, who lambasted the ruling and continued to demand a full recount. The court is expected to issue a ruling Monday on the electoral challenges.
López Obrador's supporters were outraged by the cardinal's comments. Small groups of demonstrators have stormed into the cathedral during Mass twice in the past month. In the Zocalo, Mexico City's downtown square, where thousands of López Obrador backers have been camping in tents for nearly a month, Rivera's name is uttered derisively.
"He's getting into politics," Alejandro Hernández said, while movie credits scrolled across a television screen in his tent. "The church is for God, not for politics."
Rivera declined to be interviewed. A spokesman, who would not give his name, said, "The cardinal has decided not to give interviews, with the object of not polarizing the situation with his comments."
López Obrador's supporters have interpreted Rivera's remarks as improper intrusions into the political world. Mexican law prohibits religious leaders from direct involvement in politics. But the tension also has roots in history.
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MEXICO CITY -- It was an intrusion onto sacred ground.
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Unlocking Fingerprints
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The technology has been the stuff of movies for years: A secret agent runs his fingertip and an encrypted ID card over a pair of sensors. There's a match, and the door swings open.
In the coming months, a wave of government initiatives could start making such high-tech methods of identification commonplace -- beginning with the replacement this fall of federal employee IDs. Similar cards are planned for transportation workers, first responders and visitors to the United States.
Packed with biometric data such as fingerprints and containing a computer chip with room to expand the amount of information stored, the new IDs represent a potential boon to technology companies eyeing an estimated $8 billion in identity-related contracts. Firms such as BearingPoint Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp. have set up showcase identity labs, pulling technology from different companies into turnkey operations. Hundreds of smaller companies, down to manufacturers of plastic cards, are vying for part of the market.
The biggest business opportunity still looms: Driver's licenses, which are due for a retooling under new federal laws.
"When you're talking about credentialing the federal workforce and contractors, you're talking about maybe 10 million people. When you're talking first responders, you're at 20, 30 or 40 million people," said Thomas Greco, a vice president at Herndon-based Cybertrust Inc. "But when you're talking credentialing all registered drivers in the United States, you're up to hundreds of millions of people. Nobody is losing sight of that."
In an era of chronic concern over terrorism and anxiety over immigration, the business of determining who is who has become increasingly urgent. But it is not without controversy. Americans have long resisted the idea of a national ID card, for example. The growing sophistication of computer databases and networks has heightened privacy concerns -- as have data breaches, from the theft or loss of government computers to AOL's online posting of 36 million keyword searches conducted by hundreds of thousands of subscribers. If the pool of government programs using the new identity technology gets large enough and the amount of information collected gets detailed enough, "there will be a lot of pressure for these programs to converge," creating a de facto national identity system, said Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Use of a new government standard may prompt the private sector to follow. The banking, retailing and health-care industries are monitoring the federal initiatives, ready to apply stricter identity standards when dealing with their employees and customers. In an online world, the technology could also be used to establish that two people who never meet in person really are who they say they are.
Federal agencies are supposed to begin issuing their new ID cards in October, complying with a 2004 Bush administration directive requiring more stringent methods for tracking who gets access to federal facilities.
The new cards must meet a rigorous federal standard that details -- down to the size of the typeface -- what the new cards look like and how they are used. At a minimum, the IDs will require fingerprints and possibly retinal scans or other forms of biometric identification, depending on the agency. The cards are also likely to incorporate magnetic strips, personal identification numbers and digital photos, as well as holograms and watermarks to deter forgery. Before employees and contractors can get their new credentials, they will have to submit to a thorough background check, if they have not already.
By employing multiple methods of checking identity, officials hope to make it as difficult as possible for someone other than a card's owner to use it. Ultimately, the cards will determine not just who gets into buildings but also who receives access to computer applications and files.
Because the information needed to verify an individual's identity won't take up much space on the computer chip in each card, plenty more can be added. An employee's skills, work hours, medical history and job evaluations, for example, could all be included -- much to the dismay of civil liberties advocates.
Already, other federal programs are borrowing from the new standard for government workers. A program to issue credentials to all transportation workers to monitor who has access to air and seaports, for instance, will subject those workers to much the same process as federal employees.
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The technology has been the stuff of movies for years: A secret agent runs his fingertip and an encrypted ID card over a pair of sensors. There's a match, and the door swings open.
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Sometimes on Television, Dreams Really Do Come True
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Underdogs had their day at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, televised live last night from Los Angeles. NBC, currently the network equivalent of the Hindenburg, won five of the golden statuettes, giving it a second-place finish to Emmy champ HBO, which won eight.
HBO's "Elizabeth I" was chosen best miniseries, and Helen Mirren, the acclaimed actress who merely has to put on a puffy wig to win an Emmy, won for best acting in a miniseries for handily handling the title role. In what could be called a surprise, Fox's drama "24," about a day in the life of a globe-shaking crisis, was named best drama series over such competition as HBO's "The Sopranos," which had returned for an abbreviated season.
Kiefer Sutherland, who acknowledged his actor-father, Donald, sitting in the audience, was named best actor in a series for saving the world each year on "24." NBC, meanwhile, took home the prize for best comedy series, an American adaptation of the British sitcom "The Office," originally created by and starring Ricky Gervais, who was acknowledged from the stage and sat cheering in the audience.
There was a lot of cheer in the air at the Emmy this year -- even if, as always, there were too many awards and the program entered its third hour at glacial speed -- thanks to Conan O'Brien, hosting the show for this second time and star of NBC's unfailingly funny "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," the most irreverent and outrageous of the midnightly network comedies. O'Brien not only delivered a cracklingly good monologue (Mel Gibson has a new series, he said, on the al-Jazeera network) but even sang and danced through a production number.
The song was "We Got Trouble," adapted from Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" so as to refer to a certain collapsing TV network whose first letter is "N" rather than the original subject, a pool table's arrival in a small Iowa town at the turn of another century.
Among the richly deserved and overdue awards were those given to Jeremy Piven, who plays Ari, the sharply dressed shark of an agent, in HBO's unique docu-comedy series "Entourage," about a young pop star and his cadre of hangers-on; and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won best actress in a comedy for her new CBS sitcom, "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
The actress mocked the "curse" that supposedly haunts alumni of "Seinfeld," the most successful and acclaimed sitcom ever. Members of its cast have not been able to develop hit shows of their own -- not like they need the money.
Reflecting a new reality of television, an Emmy was given to something that the professional writers and actors assembled consider The Enemy -- reality and competition TV shows. It even sounded like there were scattered boos from the house when the producers of CBS's "The Amazing Race" overran the stage to accept their fourth Emmy for best show of that genre.
Otherwise, CBS didn't exactly crush the competition. In the night's first award, Megan Mullally was named best supporting actress in a comedy for her work on NBC's now-departed "Will & Grace," and Alan Alda was chosen best supporting actor in a drama for his guest-starring gig on the also extinct "West Wing," an NBC drama set in the White House.
NBC freshman comedy "My Name is Earl" won Emmys for writing and direction, and NBC also scored when Mariska Hargitay was named best actress for her role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," one of producer Dick Wolf's variations on the original "Law & Order" theme.
The program included a touching tribute to Dick Clark, who was introduced -- already seated at a podium -- by Simon Cowell. Clark's speech was somewhat slurred, the result of a stroke suffered last year, but he looked alert and determined. Less emotional was a tribute to producer Aaron Spelling, who died recently and whose family members are now reportedly fighting over his fortune.
At least the Spelling salute was an excuse to reunite the original three "Charlie's Angels" on the Emmy stage, although in at least two out of three cases, time and plastic surgery appeared to have taken their toll.
In a running gag, comic Bob Newhart was locked in a glass booth with, O'Brien said, only three hours' worth of oxygen -- so that if the show ran even one minute over, the veteran star would expire. But in fact, Newhart was released early to join O'Brien onstage and present the best comedy prize to "The Office." One of the producers said he and O'Brien had started off together and both hoped to end up in positions like the ones they hold now.
As Cowell had said earlier of Dick Clark: "Everybody should be so lucky to have their dreams come true."
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Underdogs had their day at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, televised live last night from Los Angeles. NBC, currently the network equivalent of the Hindenburg, won five of the golden statuettes, giving it a second-place finish to Emmy champ HBO, which won eight.
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The McCain Makeover
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IT'S FEBRUARY 15, 2000, a pivotal moment in the race for the Republican nomination for president, and at the televised candidates' debate in Columbia, S.C., temperatures are rising.
John McCain, fresh off an upset victory in the New Hampshire primary, has run into a buzz saw of negative advertising about his record and rumor-mongering about his personal life, and he blames his main opponent, George W. Bush.
"You should be ashamed," a tight-lipped McCain scolds Bush.
Bush has his own beef: McCain's ads have likened Bush's character to that of Bill Clinton. "You can disagree with me on issues, John, but do not question -- do not question my trustworthiness."
". . . You're putting out stuff that is unbelievable, George, and it's got to stop," McCain retorts. ". . . This is probably the nastiest campaign that people have seen in a long time."
". . . Listen, you're playing the victim here," Bush shoots back. "Wait a minute, remember who called who untrustworthy."
Six years later, Bush is president and McCain is preparing for another run for the White House. He's in Michigan on a Friday afternoon at the start of a long weekend of raising money for local Republican candidates and laying the groundwork for 2008. And everywhere he goes, he's got only good things to say about George W. Bush.
He praises Bush's steadfastness on the war in Iraq and says he's especially proud of Bush's support for the Senate's immigration bill. "I think the president has shown a lot of courage on this issue," he tells a crowd of activists at Kent County GOP headquarters in Grand Rapids, many of whom seem a lot less certain on the matter.
So, what's changed since 2000? someone in the audience asks McCain.
"My personality has improved significantly," quips the senator from Arizona. "I took a Dale Carnegie course."
Then, more seriously: "I think it's very clear that then-Gov. Bush had the support of the Republican establishment. He worked hard for it, and he gained it, and he deserved it." Leaving little doubt that McCain would like to accomplish the same thing himself this time around.
He's no longer offering himself as the alternative to Bush. Now he's positioned himself as Bush's heir, a turnaround that makes some people, including McCain sometimes, more than a little uncomfortable.
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Sen. John McCain is no longer offering himself as the alternative to George W. Bush. Now he's positioned himself as Bush's heir, a turnaround that makes some people, including McCain sometimes, more than a little uncomfortable.
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Housing Crisis Goes Suburban
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Grunwald reports that the nation's affordable housing crisis is deepening, and not just for inner-city families on welfare. The problem has climbed the income ladder and moved to the suburbs, where service workers cram their families into overcrowded apartments, college graduates have to crash with their parents, and firefighters, police officers and teachers can't afford to live in the communities they serve.
Michael Grunwald: Hi there. Housing is clearly a topic close to many of your hearts, and I'm looking forward to your questions. I've never understood why this is considered such an unsexy issue; I mean, everyone has to pay for housing. But I guess it's at least a bit sexier than the Army Corps of Engineers, so maybe I'm moving up in the world.
Before I start, I want to thank everyone who emailed me--more than 100 already--but especially the guy who wrote that if I knew anything about housing I would stop whining about snob zoning and start writing about the D.C. height restriction. Funny you should mention that! We'll post my height restriction screed as well.
Great Article!: Michael, I loved the article. This topic is near and dear to my heart. The problem, in my opinion, is the gross vs. take home number. The take home pay is the only number that SHOULD matter in the mortgage determination equation. My husband and I have a very significant amount taken out just for 401K and we sock even more away for savings. Our "monthly income" number is far lower than our "salaries" would indicate but mortgage companies dont see it that way. So people like us get approved for 3-6 times our income and that is just crazy!
I have always thought that people (not taking debt into account) should get approved for about twice what they make. So -- a couple makes $120,000 a year -- great -- they can get a loan for around $240k. Is this currently happening? NO WAY. Do people want to live like this? Probably not.
Thank you for highlighting this issue. No matter how much a person makes -- a house payment that eats up 40-60 percent of take home pay is going to hurt.
Michael Grunwald: Thanks for your kind words. It's near and dear to my heart, too. And you're right that lenders got extremely loose with their cash during the housing boom; a lot of lower-income families with risky mortgages could find themselves in a world of hurt in the not-too-distant future.
But I don't think that's "the problem." In general, the Owns are doing OK; it's the Own-Nots who are getting hosed. The problem is the mismatch between the demand for and the supply of affordable housing near jobs. And there's evidence that a big part of that is
Michael Grunwald: the restrictions that communities place on high-density development--by requiring one-acre lots or two-car garages, or screening out multi-family or affordable developments.
washingtonpost.com: D.C.'s Fear of Heights ( Post, July 2 )
Washington, D.C.: Your "ballooning budget" comment is grossly oversimplified. In the deep housing assistance category, the Housing Choice Voucher program budget has grown substantially (for good policy reasons, I believe), but since 2001, the public housing program has lost approximately $1 billion 2007 dollars. The Operating Fund budget (that supports public housing operating subsidies) is scheduled to be funded at 75 percent of what public housing apartment complexes are eligible to receive and need to operate.
Michael Grunwald: I was referring to the overall federal budget, not the housing budget. My point was that government spending has skyrocketed, while government spending on housing has remained essentially flat.
Wheaton, Md.: Now that housing prices are coming down, is it expected that those who currently can't afford houses will soon be able?
Michael Grunwald: This is an excellent question. No one knows exactly how far housing prices will come down, but most of the experts I talked to think the gap between incomes and prices--and between supply and demand--is so vast that even a crash won't entirely fix it. For one thing, the price slump is already slowing down new development, which means reduced supply. And look at the numbers for Fairfax County: The median home price would have to be cut almost in half for it to be "affordable" (less than 30 percent of income) for a household with the median income.
Hyattsville, Md.: I once read a study that showed that the amount of tax relief provided to property owners completely and totally dwarfed all federal, state and local assistance to those in need of housing assistance. In my opinion, one of the biggest helps to affordable housing would be to eliminate the mortgage deduction on second homes. Eliminating the deduction on first homes would also help, but seems politically unfeasible.
Michael Grunwald: This is absolutely true, and it's a point worth repeating: The federal government already subsidizes middle-income and even upper-income homeowners through the mortgage interest deduction as well as property tax deductions. This is a public policy choice the nation has made--it's one reason homeownership rates are near 70 percent--and it's undoubtedly stimulated the production of housing. (Often in sprawlville--but that's a different screed.) But eliminating the mortgage deduction--even for second homes--wouldn't make housing more affordable by itself.
Washington, D.C.: I'm glad you brought up the aversion to higher density housing. I believe our long commutes and profligate fuel consumption are strongly related to desire of virtually everyone to have a single family home in the suburbs and oppose multifamily housing.
Isn't the emphasis of homeowning generally a problem. I know many people laud it, but if people where more likely to rent, wouldn't they feel less obligated to maintain a home 50 miles away from their job. Isn't it time to begin phasing out the home mortgage interest deduction?
Michael Grunwald: Many questions about the home mortgage deduction. I would point out that there's a reason home ownership is considered part of the American dream--stability, a sense of personal ownership, etc. Remember, rental housing has become extraordinarily expensive as well. I think that many commuters would be happy to rent near their jobs if they could afford it--and I think it would be easier for them to afford it if those communities weren't snob-zoning them out to the exurbs and beyond.
McLean Gardens, Washington, D.C.: Your article drove home the point that, in the very near future, the only people who will be able to live near cities are either the very rich (who can afford to buy houses) or the very poor (who will benefit from low-income housing created). But what about the people like me: not rich enough to buy, but too "rich" to qualify for low-income housing. It seems like we are the people who will be lost in the shuffle.
Michael Grunwald: This is another good point, and it's the reason I suggested that politicians might discover the issue someday. If it's any consolation to you--and it certainly isn't to the poor--low-income housing isn't an entitlement, so three-quarters of the families who are poor enough to qualify don't get it.
Arlington, Va.: The Alliance for Housing Solutions, Arlington, Va., will be releasing a report based on review of affordable housing programs around the country. One of the report's recommendations stresses the need to engage major employers in meeting the affordable housing crisis. Did you talk with any employers about their stake and interest in meeting the crisis?
Michael Grunwald: I did talk to a few employers, and they emphasized that affordable housing is a big part of competitiveness: it's hard for them to attract employees if there's no place for them to live, and it's hard for communities to attract employers if there's no place for their employees to live.
Arlington, Va.: Thanks for pointing out snob zoning, that's a great term for it! I think the biggest obstacle to affordable housing is the existing homeowners. I can't wait for the Vienna Metro West development to start up. What people seem to forget about existing homeowners is that due to the increase in prices, if someone bought a house more than five years ago, they are sitting on the equivalent of a guaranteed lottery ticket. Tough to generate sympathy when view that way.
Michael Grunwald: Well, that lottery ticket wasn't guaranteed when they bought it. But I do think that zoning restrictions and other NIMBYish rules designed to protect property values of existing homeowners at the expense of newcomers are often tough to defend. I mean, why exactly shouldn't there be high-density development near the Tenleytown metro? To preserve the rural character of the neighborhood?
Arlington, Va.: I'm 28 years old, unmarried, and on a single income of $43K per year. I have no debt, I have good credit, and I'd categorize myself as white-collar middle-class.
I presently rent ($1100 for a studio apartment), because if I chose to buy a home/condo/townhouse, the absolute most I could afford is the upper $100s. That said, is it a total pipedream to hope that, in the D.C. region, someone with my demographics will EVER be able to afford to buy a home?
Because from my vantage point, the answer is a resounding no --unless I changed careers and got 6-digit salary (minimum), or unless I got married to someone who has a 6-digit salary, or unless the housing market faced an unfathomable and unspeakable recession. I seriously doubt I'd qualify for any kind of housing assistance, because I'm technically not low-income (I never thought I'd have to classify $43K as low-income), so I'm left to my own devices if I ever wanted to buy.
So I ask again, is it possible that someone with my demographics will EVER be able to afford to buy a home in the D.C. region?
Michael Grunwald: Hmm. I'm not a mortgage lender, so I'm not sure. The situation in Fairfax shows that some counties are willing to subsidize some moderate-income workers--especially if they're firefighters, teachers, police officers, etc.
You may have to do what I'm about to do, and marry up.
San Diego, Calif.: When we look at the affordable housing crisis and wonder why it occurred, you might look at developers' profits over the last five years. They have skyrocketed! While I don't deny anyone profits, I am tired of "zoning regulation barriers" being cited as the main impediment to affordable housing production.
Michael Grunwald: But why shouldn't developers make profits? That's why they're building homes. And those zoning barriers tend to inflate their profits; when there's an artificial restriction on supply, prices go up. It's just like the piece I did on the D.C. height restriction; the developers who already have 12-story office buildings love it, because they can jack up their rents, knowing that no one can build anything bigger. Again, it's incumbent protection.
McLean, Va.: The affordability of planned Vienna West housing is open to discussion. I haven't seen any data on projected prices. I can tell you that the existing condos close to the station are priced at $400K and up -- hardly affordable.
Michael Grunwald: First of all, the Metrowest developer will be required to reserve some affordable units. But more importantly--and this is the point I've been trying somewhat ineffectually to make clear--it's OK if rich people get those apartments near the subway. By expanding the supply of housing with access to employment, MetroWest will ripple (maybe only a little bit; it's impossible to quantify yet) throughout the entire housing market. Maybe the public affairs officer who's commuting from Winchester won't be able to afford MetroWest, but perhaps someone in Herndon will, and maybe someone from Warrenton will move into the Herndon home, and then the public affairs officer will move to Warrenton, and everyone will be a bit better off.
Washington, D.C.: I see your point about the height restriction but that's what I love about Washington. It's so unique when compared with Chicago or New York. Do you think there is some sort of compromise?
Well, actually, yes. Personally, I'm not big on any height restriction, but you could certainly keep it in place near the Mall and waive it everywhere else. Or you could relax the height restriction to, say, 20 stories. Or you could even force developers to include affordable units (or, more efficiently, contribute to an affordable housing trust fund) in exchange for exemptions from the height limits.
Austin, Tex.: There are vast swathes of the country where it's still possible to buy a perfectly respectable home for, say, $150,000-$175,000. Most of Texas is that way (although not, unfortunately, my city).
How is the housing downturn likely to affect all those places. Am I right to assume that since they didn't experience the huge increases in home values, they're not likely to suffer much?
Michael Grunwald: This is another excellent point that I tried to make in the article, but probably could have emphasized more: The affordability crisis isn't everywhere. It's in metropolitan areas, and mostly in coastal states. I think you're right to assume that the housing downturn won't affect the other areas as much, since the housing upturn didn't affect them as much.
Laurel, Md.: I remember talking to a housing activist at my church who said that one of the big barriers to affordable housing is the credit rating of those who would buy it. If your rating only supports a 9 percent mortgage, you can't buy the same house as someone who can get 6 percent. So poorer people (who usually have worse ratings) actually pay MORE to buy than others do.
Michael Grunwald: I'm sympathetic to people with credit problems, but I don't think that's one of the major causes of the current affordability crunch. As one of the earlier questioners pointed out, banks have been more lenient than ever about extending credit to previously marginal homebuyers.
washingtonpost.com: The Housing Crisis Goes Suburban ( Post, Aug. 27 )
Arlington, Va.: I may be too dumb or just not get it, but how will cutting the mortgage interest deduction make housing more affordable? It would make my current mortgage more harder to pay as I'd have less income to use for it.
Michael Grunwald: Yes, that's what I said.
I think the questioner was suggesting that it would ease the problem if the money the Treasury would save from eliminating the deduction on second homes was used for rental assistance. That is at least plausible.
Washington, D.C.: I understand your point about the ripple effect, but as a renter in the U Street area, I am really not seeing that happen. What I am seeing is, a person moves out of their old apartment for a place in the Ellington. The building owner of the old apartment renovates and doubles (or triples) the rent, because they know that someone out there will be willing to pay it, and the result is a seemingly never-ending escalation.
Michael Grunwald: I live in your neighborhood, and I see your point. Our area is just about finished transforming from cheap to expensive--partly because it's an amazing location, with tremendous access to jobs and transit. There is unfortunately a limited supply of housing that fits that description--thanks, Mr. Height Restriction! But the ripples will still be felt in other neighborhoods.
Glenmont, Md.: The current new house prices within Montgomery county (averaging over 600k) aren't affordable to most people who live there. So, how are they being bought and how likely are the owners to end up in foreclosure?
Michael Grunwald: Well, presumably someone's buying them. I wouldn't say they're any more likely than anyone else to end up in foreclosure. But you're certainly right that with more risky mortgages out there, we might be seeing more foreclosures, depending on the market, interest rates, etc.
Bremo Bluff, Va.: Are prices for condos dropping in coastal Florida?
Michael Grunwald: As a matter of fact, they are. The construction boom there has been completely insane. But unless coastal Florida ends up underwater--which is completely possible--there's always going to be a lot of demand for those condos. The baby boomers have to retire somewhere, and Florida is a lot nicer than Cleveland or Buffalo in the winter. (Or, for different reasons, Havana or Port au Prince all year long.)
I just wrote a book about Florida, so this is a topic close to my heart. Maybe we can put up a link...
San Diego Calif.: My national nonprofit organization teaches developers and affordable housing advocates how to frame the message about affordable housing so the "snob zoning" factor you cited is overcome by logic. What do you think of our mission, and will you come to our conference next month?
Michael Grunwald: Send me an email!
Arlington, Va.: Did you check any SRO's in the Northern Virginia area? Anything that could act a model for other locations?
Michael Grunwald: Many SRO's have been zoned out of existence--partly because many of them used to be lousy. But the Fairfax Housing Authority actually has 20 SRO's for day laborers in its office building!
Washington, D.C.: The Post has been AWOL on affordable housing issues for so long that it was great to see an article with such prominent placement. Unfortunately, the "McMansion" pictured, the $90,000 income qualification, and even the family depicted distort the tremendous need for Federal housing assistance, the type of home typically involved, and the typical recipients of aid. Are you planning more inquiry into these issues that will provide a more balanced picture?
Michael Grunwald: Thanks, I think. The point of the photo was that the only way to shoehorn affordable housing into some of these fancy neighborhoods is to disguise it as the gargantuan fuel-hogging McMansions that some suburbanites seem to demand.
I think the main point that only one out of four families eligible for aid receives it is germane to your point, don't you?
L'Enfant Plaza: For the height restriction -- it is based on the height of the Capitol building -- the idea it should dominate the skyline. So either you keep it in certain parts of the city or get rid of it completely. The 20-story idea is the worst of both worlds -- restrictions that limit occupancy at choice locations and changes the character of the city.
Michael Grunwald: It is not based on the Capitol building! A common myth.
Homeowner Blues: For most of my career I have been a preschool teacher -- not the best paying field out there even with a Master's degree. It took years to save for a condo and in 2004 and I had to move out of my beloved U Street neighborhood to afford a home where I felt safe and could move up to a one-bedroom and landed in Alexandria which is nice, but not D.C. I can't tell you how depressing it is to me to know that I am stuck in a condo for as long as I live in this area as a single home owner. I may never be able to sell at enough of a profit to upgrade to a SFH unless I move completely out of the area.
Is there any hope of seeing a downturn in prices enough to help out middle class purchasers, or at least new programs created to help those who find themselves in similar positions?
Michael Grunwald: Many questions like this. I am very sympathetic, and I applaud your desire to live in the city, as well as your work as a teacher. I guess we have to acknowledge that there's no entitlement to live wherever we want; I'd like the penthouse of the Trump Tower, but it's occupied by someone with more money. From a public policy perspective, everyone can't get what they want--especially if what we want is a single-family home on an acre lot--but it would be nice if there were more affordable places to live within striking distance of jobs and transit.
Arlington, Va.: What can affordable housing advocates do -- locally and nationally -- to get this issue on the radar screen for the 2008 election?
Michael Grunwald: This is the last one I'll have time for. The answer is: I don't know! I would think that housing would have power as a middle-class economic security issue, even more so than health care or gas prices. But it hasn't in the past. I stumbled into the housing issue as an entry-level reporter covering the night shift in Boston, when I decided I should try to write about something aside from gangbangers getting shot, and it occurred to me that at night people tended to be in their homes. I thought it was fascinating. But many people don't seem to agree. There aren't too many housing reporters at newspapers anymore. (I just ran into Howie Kurtz, a former housing reporter, in the men's room; he said he read every word!) But just because something isn't sexy today doesn't mean someone couldn't make it sexy tomorrow. Those numbers I mentioned are pretty stark: One out of every three Americans now has "unaffordable" housing. Surely they could be persuaded to care?
Michael Grunwald: Thanks for all your terrific questions; I'm sorry there were so many I didn't get to.
And, as always: Hi Mom! Hi Dad!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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In Game World, Cheaters Proudly Prosper
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For every video game, there's a Steve Graves.
Graves is a self-described "professional cheater." Today's games are anything but easy, the 24-year-old will tell you. And to get through the intricate, challenging, mind-numbing levels of "City of Heroes" and "The Godfather," two games he's currently stuck on, he needs help.
"I cheat on all the games I play," Graves says proudly.
Here's the ugly, sometimes dirty, often-overlooked truth in games: Everyone cheats. In many instances, cheating is built into the game. It's a multimillion-dollar industry, legally sanctioned. Well, at least most of it.
You can flip through magazines such as Tips & Tricks, which boasts of its "Cheat Code Blowout!" Or buy 150-page strategy guides, the Cliffs Notes of gamers, which last year drew $67 million in sales, according to the NPD Group. Or log on to MyCheats.com, a Wikipedia for the gaming set, the latest in the growing crop of sites that promote cheating in games.
"A thing worth having is a thing worth cheating for," W.C. Fields once said. Never mind Sophocles' approach: "I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating." When it comes to games, all bets are off.
"This is what I tell people all the time, and I'm actually pretty adamant about it: I don't play games to necessarily play the game," Graves says. "I play it for the story line. I play it for the mechanics. I play it for the graphics. I don't want to get stuck coming around the same corner 50 times. I'd rather get past it and see what the next story development is."
Graves is a network engineer by day and a hard-core gamer by night, clocking an average of four hours in front of his PC or his Xbox in his Alexandria home.
Remember "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, (Select) Start"? If you grew up playing the shoot-'em-up game "Contra" on your Nintendo Entertainment System, chances are that cheat is forever frozen in your brain. GameFaqs.com, one of the most popular game-cheating sites, recently listed it atop its "top 10 most memorable cheats" in gaming history.
Says Jeff Veasey, an editor at GameFaqs: "I hate to admit it, but cheating is a part of playing games."
But what constitutes cheating? Is cheating less objectionable when you don't have to pay for it? As in, looking up a code on the Internet, where it's free, versus dropping$16.99 for a copy of the strategy guide for "Madden NFL 2007"? When roaming the online "World of Warcraft," is cheating warranted so long as the only one affected is you? For example, buying weapons on eBay instead of earning them in the game?
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This is your source for news on personal technology. Find info and reviews on the newest technology that affects your life. Read our latest features on new tech gadgets.
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Away From the War Zone, An Attacker Lurks
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The English writer Minette Walters's new novel, a study of rape and its consequences, begins in the hell of today's Baghdad. Citing a Human Rights Watch report, Walters tells us that attacks on women have risen sharply amid the anarchy of war. The victims, she says, can be either Western women snatched off the street or Muslim women attacked in their homes. Her heroine, 36-year-old Reuters correspondent Connie Burns, is investigating a series of attacks when she is herself kidnapped, held in a cellar for three days and subjected to abuse and humiliation. When she is freed, she refuses to discuss what was done to her and hurries to England to put the horror behind her -- but that, of course, is not so easy.
Although Burns was blindfolded throughout her ordeal, she is sure she knows who attacked her and why. He's a soldier of fortune named Keith MacKenzie whom she first encountered two years earlier in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in the aftermath of the civil war there. He was notorious for his brutality, and she suspected him of involvement in a series of rapes and murders. It was after she noticed him in Baghdad, working for a private security firm, that she was seized.
Using an assumed name, Burns rents an isolated house on the Dorset coast, only to learn that MacKenzie has left Baghdad and is believed to be in England. The probability that he is coming to menace her again is basic to the book -- she, her friends and family, and the reader all fear his arrival. In a reasonable world, Burns would have done a better job of protecting herself. But this is a thriller, and she is very brave or very reckless, depending on how you see it, and either way she's pretty much a sitting duck.
While we await the inevitable confrontation, Burns becomes deeply involved in the lives of several of her new neighbors. She makes friends with a difficult woman named Jess, whose family was killed in an accident some years earlier. She also meets Madeleine, whose mother owns the house she's renting. Madeleine and Jess hate each other. Jess insists that Madeleine has abused her aging mother, and maybe tried to kill her, and Madeleine accuses Jess of being crazy and a stalker. Moreover, Madeleine once stole a man from Jess, and there are other issues between their families that go back two generations. The author lives in Dorset, and this may well be an accurate portrait of life there, but these family histories grow tedious. If they have a point, it is that the sadism and violence in Baghdad prove to have counterparts in Dorset, but that is not a huge surprise.
As the Dorset story unfolds, glimpses of Burns's journal remind us of her Baghdad ordeal. We learn that she was kept in a cage, that dogs were used to terrify her and that "every shameful thing" she was forced to do was videotaped. She agonizes over her submission: "Is life worth living when you've had to beg for it? How do you function without self-esteem?" When Burns learns that her parents in London are receiving mysterious phone calls, it's clear that her tormentor is drawing near. When the showdown finally comes, Burns acquits herself well, perhaps too well. The horror of her ordeal is persuasive, the ease of her redemption is less so. Walters provides a happy ending but not really a convincing one.
Some of today's best young writers are moving the crime novel in the direction of the social novel, examining individual crimes against a background of larger injustice. The novels of Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos and Richard Price are examples, and they are joined by a number of female writers who have often focused on the ugly reality of sex crimes. Karin Slaughter has offered angry portrayals of rape and child abuse in her native Georgia. Mo Hayder examined the notorious mass rape by Japanese soldiers in 1937 in her recent "The Devil of Nanking." A few years ago, Joyce Carol Oates published "Rape: A Love Story," which suggested that if the police and courts can't provide justice to a woman, vigilante action is the answer.
"The Devil's Feather" moves in this direction, but tentatively. Its strongest scenes offer searing realism: rape and murder in Sierra Leone and Iraq, and flashbacks to Burns's family losing its Zimbabwe farm to thugs supported by the Mugabe regime. Those episodes have urgency and bite, and I wish she'd done more with them and less with small-town gossip and family feuds in Dorset. Walters is a talented writer, but she seems to be writing two novels in "The Devil's Feather," and only one of them grabbed me.
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THE DEVIL'S FEATHER By Minette Walters Knopf. 349 pp. $24
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Few Places Left for Industrial Business
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Finding space in the District to do dirty jobs is getting harder and harder these days.
The boom in office, housing and retail development that started in the late 1990s has pushed developers to pay ever-higher prices for land where used-car lots, tire shops and cement plants once were, according to a study by the District's Office of Planning.
That's leaving a shortage of space for light industrial work as land is rezoned for development that produces higher rents.
The industrial sites provide the kind of necessary but unglamorous services needed to run a city, including places to park Metrobuses, sort and recycle trash, repair cars, and sell auto parts.
"This place is gone," Destin St. Charles said, wrench in hand, as he repaired a car at his shop near New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road NE, where development is encroaching. "That's it. There's no space in D.C. for businesses like us."
The study identified 2,390 industrially zoned acres in various areas of the District, including neighborhoods along Metro's Red Line near the Rhode Island Avenue, Fort Totten, Brookland and Takoma stops; the area north of Union Station known as NoMa; New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road NE; and near the site of the new baseball stadium in Southeast.
City planners say land values around the new stadium, for example, have spiked from $6 a square foot for industrial property to as much as $50 a foot and in some cases around $100.
The study found that only 5 percent of the District's 43,850 acres is zoned for industrial-type uses. San Francisco, a city of comparable size and one that has a sizable white-collar economy much like the District's, has 13 percent of its land in industrial use, the Office of Planning said.
"We've lost many square feet over the last five to 10 years to economic development," said Ellen M. McCarthy, director of the Office of Planning.
About 450 acres of industrially zoned land are facing development pressures or have already been redeveloped for new, more upscale buildings. That includes the rezoning of 242 acres around the new baseball stadium near the Anacostia River. And little new land is being zoned for industrial uses.
District agencies and the private sector are expected to need about 100 acres of industrial-type land in the coming years, according to the study. But some developers say that there is decreasing demand for such space in the District and that businesses are instead expanding such operations in the suburbs.
Planners suggest adjusting zoning laws to make some areas strictly industrial or having office, retail and industrial businesses co-exist in some areas. Some of the recommendations are expected to be incorporated in the District's comprehensive plan, which is being revised.
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Finding space in the District to do dirty jobs is getting harder and harder these days.
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Celebrated FBI Agent Will Retire Haunted by Those Who Got Away
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Time is running out for FBI agent Brad Garrett, who helped solve the Starbucks slayings in the Georgetown area, helped persuade sniper Lee Boyd Malvo to confess and flew to Pakistan to help nab the man who gunned down two CIA workers outside the agency's headquarters in McLean.
One of the most renowned agents to work in the FBI's Washington field office, he will retire Thursday after 16 years in Washington and 21 years in all -- regretfully, he said, before he can solve some of his most famous cases. The mandatory retirement age is 57. He is 58, finishing up a one-year extension approved by the FBI director.
In recent weeks, Garrett has hardly acted like a guy winding things down. Even now, he holds out a measure of hope, conducting interviews, checking criminal records -- and hopping on a plane recently to track a possible lead in the slaying of Chandra Levy.
Besides the Levy killing, Garrett has his sights on solving the case of a Vietnamese woman and her 2 1/2 -year-old son slain in Fairfax County in 1995, possibly the victims of Asian organized crime. And the 1999 execution-style slaying in McLean of an Iraqi woman, her son and her husband, who was working on a food-for-oil deal with Iraq.
"It causes me a lot of anxiety," Garrett said. "Not that somebody else can't solve these cases. Of course they can. Cases become sort of part of you, and these kind of cases tend to do that more so because they are investigated for so many years."
Prone to dressing in black, Garrett looks more like a music mogul than an FBI agent. But beyond the hip, calm exterior is a former probation officer with a doctorate in criminology who has gained gushing admiration from co-workers and police detectives -- and even the grudging approval of some criminals he has caught.
"He's accomplished, confident, he's a very patient interviewer," said FBI agent Chuck Knowles. "He makes that connection with people, and they want to tell him their secrets."
Ronald H. Chavarro, Garrett's FBI supervisor, added: "He's empathetic, he's nonjudgmental, he's approachable. . . . They don't come any better than him.
"He had no interest in going into management; he's had no interest but investigating cases," Chavarro added. "That's been his passion."
Co-workers said that fervor has helped Garrett chalk up one confession after another, including that of Mir Aimal Kasi, a Pakistani who methodically fired an assault rifle into the car windows of CIA workers in 1993.
To coax that admission, Garrett and other agents first had to find Kasi, an odyssey that stretched across continents and 4 1/2 years.
On June 15, 1997, Garrett and three other FBI agents tracked Kasi to a seedy hotel in Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border. At 4 a.m., the FBI agents stood in the hall as an informant knocked on the door to wake Kasi for morning prayer. Words were exchanged in Urdu. Kasi unlocked the door, and the agents tackled him.
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Time is running out for FBI agent Brad Garrett, who helped solve the Starbucks slayings in the Georgetown area, helped persuade sniper Lee Boyd Malvo to confess and flew to Pakistan to help nab the man who gunned down two CIA workers outside the agency's headquarters in McLean.
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Gibbs Unhappy With All Phases
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A day after the Washington Redskins' 41-0 demolition at the hands of the New England Patriots, Coach Joe Gibbs seemed to have reassessed his winless football team, a self-searching exercise that simultaneously tempered his praise of the Patriots and challenged his players.
Gibbs spoke in generalities about the Redskins' daily operation, from analyzing the practice schedule to his frustration with the special teams units, which for the second consecutive week suffered significant breakdowns (including a blocked field goal). Gibbs was specific in his disappointment with the punting game. Usually publicly optimistic about players, Gibbs did not offer even a tepid defense of punter Derrick Frost, whose struggles were highlighted Saturday night by a 23-yard punt in the second quarter.
According to league sources, contact has been made between the Redskins and player agents for the purpose of possibly bringing in competition for Frost for Thursday night's exhibition finale against the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Field.
"Derrick needs to be more consistent. I noted that. He knows that and needs to work hard on that," Gibbs said. "Up until this point, you've been alternating guys. I think we need to do a job analyzing that whole situation. So I think that's something we need to look at. Certainly we need a smoother performance, a more consistent performance out of him."
The Redskins are 0-3 in a preseason that, barring a reversal of tradition, effectively ended Saturday night for the starters. Most NFL coaches do not risk injuries to their starting players in a final preseason game. Gibbs declined to estimate how much his starters will play Thursday night. In last year's exhibition finale at Baltimore, Gibbs's regulars played half of the first quarter.
After the Redskins' 27-14 loss to the New York Jets nine days ago, many Redskins players and coaches said they looked forward to playing the Patriots as a true marker of progress. The first-team starters would play against New England's best players for a larger part of the game than either of the two previous exhibition games. In addition, they said, the third preseason game was the most important because it was generally the last time starters would take significant snaps before the regular season begins.
On Saturday, both offensively and defensively, the Patriots' starters dominated the Redskins' regulars. Tight end Ben Watson caught eight passes for 97 yards, virtually all inside the hash marks without being physically challenged by Redskins safeties Adam Archuleta and Sean Taylor. Gibbs watched as his first-team offensive line was confused by stunts that led to two sacks by Patriots linebackers and a third by defensive lineman Ty Warren. The Patriots did not punt with their first team on the field. Four Patriots players caught passes of at least 20 yards, and quarterback Tom Brady sat relatively comfortably in the pocket.
"From a Redskins standpoint, the first thing for us to do is give a thumbs-up to New England," Gibbs said Saturday. "I think they have a heck of a football team and played very well tonight and you have to give them a lot of credit and so we do that."
But yesterday, Gibbs suggested that the Patriots' success was more attributable to the Redskins' breakdowns.
"Offensively, we were not productive. We kind of felt like it was more us and our operation there than necessarily what New England was doing," Gibbs said.
"When you look at that film the other night, there were things we should have gotten done that would have helped us have a chance to be in that game and we didn't get it done," he said. "I don't think they did anything outlandish. They were pretty straight up. They played extremely well. Their quarterback played great, and so I look at it as that's where we should be."
The Redskins were the last team to open camp, and early in camp were less physical than in recent years. Gibbs relaxed the atmosphere as something of a reward to the players who attended the offseason workouts in high numbers.
"Our players have to say to themselves, just like I have to say to myself, 'What can I do to help the football team?' Certainly when you look at it right now, the offense, the defense, the special teams are not playing the way you want to play, and that starts with me," Gibbs said. "So getting something like this, and I'll tell our players, each of our players have to ask, 'What can I do?' Are they where they were last year at this time? Are they conditioning-wise, play-wise, mentally, are they where they should be?"
But the approach to date hasn't produced the kind of results Gibbs has sought. The Redskins have been outscored, 87-17, in three games. Their first-team offense has not produced a point, while in three games the largely first-team defense has given up 46, including 27 against the Patriots.
"We have been basically game-planning one day a week for our opponents. Obviously, I could have changed that. We could have done a lot earlier in the week. I think that I could have made [different] decisions on each practice, how we go about it, how hard to practice, how easy, whether we have pads or whether we don't," Gibbs said. "So I think it starts with me. I need to do the job of analyzing myself. We're in a tough situation having lost three games the way we did. And so hopefully as we evaluate the team it will be the same for each player."
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Usually publicly optimistic about players, Coach Joe Gibbs does not offer even a tepid defense of punter Derrick Frost and may bring in competition for Frost.
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Pollution in the Water, Lawsuits in the Air
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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Every time the rain comes down, muddy water laden with phosphorus, arsenic and other contaminants flows into the Illinois River from chicken farms nearby and just across the border in Arkansas.
The inflow of nutrients has begun to change the river and the reservoir it feeds, Tenkiller Ferry Lake. At times the water is clogged with fish-killing algae, occasionally emitting a foul odor that affects the drinking water and undercuts the area's attraction as a tourist destination.
"This river used to be crystal clear," recalled Ed Brocksmith, a member of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission. "Phosphorus is the problem here."
Frustrated that nearly four years of talks failed to produce a solution, Oklahoma is now suing eight firms -- including Arkansas giant Tyson Foods Inc. -- on the grounds that the chicken waste applied to crops near the river contains hazardous chemicals that are damaging the ecosystem and jeopardizing the region's tourist industry.
"They're not fertilizing, they're dumping," said Drew Edmondson, an Oklahoma lawyer who filed the suit last year. "My concern is for the environment. My concern is for the lake and the river, which I'm watching being degraded before my eyes, literally."
Across the country, states and localities are suing polluters outside their jurisdiction, and sometimes each other, in efforts to curb air and water contamination that respects no borders. They say they are forced to act because Congress and the Bush administration have failed to crack down on everything from storm water runoff to dumping of invasive aquatic species.
In some cases, there is little in the way of federal law or regulation. This is the case with the factory farms in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The administration is still sorting through which regulations apply to poultry, dairy and hog farmers, and existing rules don't apply to those who buy the waste for fertilizer. And some lawmakers, such as Rep. Ralph M. Hall (R-Tex.), are lobbying to permanently exempt these industries from even minimal federal oversight.
Other times the administration has blessed activities in one state that another state opposes: Virginia -- over Kentucky's objections -- plans to allow a strip mining company to discharge more than a billion gallons of briny water into a river just eight miles from where it flows into Kentucky.
In others instances, the Bush administration has declined to take action, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's decision not to regulate ballast water from freighters that release invasive species into waterways.
Joel A. Mintz, an environmental law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Miami, said he has noticed an increase in such cases. "The [state attorneys general] have gotten aggressive in the last couple of years," Mintz said. "It's a little hotter now."
EPA spokeswoman Jessica Emond said the agency works hard to monitor all pollution.
"EPA is committed to protecting public health and the environment by coordinating closely with its 10 regional offices to implement environmental laws at the state and regional levels," she said. "In addition, EPA solicits and takes into consideration comments submitted by state and local governments when developing national rules and regulations."
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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Every time the rain comes down, muddy water laden with phosphorus, arsenic and other contaminants flows into the Illinois River from chicken farms nearby and just across the border in Arkansas.
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Present Scholars, Future Leaders
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"I can easily see tomorrow's Cabinet members, elected representatives, nonprofit directors -- even presidents," the former secretary of state said.
Madeleine K. Albright is talking about the 2006 Truman scholars -- a group of 75 young men and women she believes are destined for success.
Each has been nominated by his or her university, and each passed a tough selection process to be chosen by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, a government agency of which Albright is the president. But this is an agency like no other. Its sole aim is to pick out people with potential to become leaders -- then provide support to help them realize their aspirations.
Next year the agency will mark 30 years of choosing talent, and its earliest alumni are reaching positions of power. Among them are governors, judges, U.S. attorneys and renowned academics.
Albright said the foundation "serves as a gateway for America's public service leaders" and "does a remarkable job of identifying future change agents."
Saul Garlick, one of this year's scholars, is working toward a master's degree in American foreign policy and international economics at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University in the District. At 22, he has already founded a nonprofit organization, the Student Movement for Real Change, which has raised money for schools in South Africa and for a water pipeline in Kenya. It was the kind of initiative that got him noticed by the foundation. As a scholar, he was given funding for graduate school and placed in an internship that he just completed in the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs.
Like Albright, Garlick thinks his peers are going to achieve great things. "All the scholars think they would like to change the world," he said. "They will each try to do it in different ways. I see some becoming secretaries of state, an ambassador or two, someone in the top echelons of academia, others will write a book."
Garlick said there is a joke among scholars that when you are asked in the interview if you would like to be an elected official, you should always say yes. "They are not looking for someone who wants to change lives through being a teacher. They want someone who wants to change education policy," he said.
Two of the alumni have become leaders in the agency itself. Fred Slabach describes his role as executive secretary as a "dream job," while his deputy, Tara Yglesias, is also a past scholar.
"Congress created the foundation as the sole memorial to the 33rd president," Slabach said. "They were thinking of Harry Truman. He never received a college degree, and his family and associates say he lamented that and spent a lot of time after the White House encouraging people to go into public service."
After Truman's death in 1972, friends merged the two ideas -- aiding education and helping people into public service -- and the foundation was born. To ensure the program had the very best, it had to "become a highly selective process," Slabach said.
The foundation was established with a $30 million initial endowment from Congress. Through investing in government securities and gaining particularly high interest in the 1980s (when the interest exceeded the costs), the endowment has grown to $55 million. Interest revenue is about $3 million a year, and expenses are also about $3 million a year.
Scholars are eligible for up to $30,000 for graduate school, are placed in internships in the federal government or nonprofit organizations for up to one year, and are given support on how to move into leadership positions.
Some are already reaching those heights. Among the alumni are Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), who was in the first class of Truman scholars in 1977, George Stephanopoulos, the ABC journalist who was a top adviser to President Bill Clinton, and Bill Mercer, U.S. attorney for the district of Montana.
Napolitano said the program provided her "tangible encouragement to enter public service."
Slabach said he hopes today's scholars will go even further. "We have a chief executive officer of a state. Why not one day a chief executive officer of the nation?"
Garlick and his peers certainly have the ambition. He says he wants to be a senator and eventually "lead this nation from the highest offices in the country."
Being chosen by the agency, he added, "changed every Truman scholar's life."
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S. Dakota Becomes Abortion Focal Point
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Kayla Brandt had an abortion three years ago and instantly hated having done it. Now, hoping to stop other women from making the same choice, she is a public advocate for the most severe abortion ban in the nation.
"I don't want anyone to feel what I did," Brandt says.
Maria Bell is a Sioux Falls obstetrician-gynecologist who also joined the political fray for the first time, but on the opposite side. Appalled by the attempt to shut the state's only abortion clinic, she says she would not be able to live with herself unless she worked to overturn the law.
"To think passing a law will stop abortion is incredibly naive," Bell said.
South Dakota is the unlikely home of this year's most intense duel over abortion, a Nov. 7 referendum to decide the future of HB 1215, a measure that would institute a broad ban on the procedure. No exceptions would be allowed for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest -- abortion would be permitted only when the mother's life is in jeopardy.
Partisans across the nation are delivering money and tactical advice on an issue that has divided residents of the state. South Dakota's fight could be a harbinger of political battles across the country should the Supreme Court strike down Roe v. Wade , the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
"This has become the focal point in the country for the choice debate," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which is channeling cash into the campaign. "The stakes are very high, especially for us to win in November and again say America is pro-choice, America doesn't think politicians should be involved in these private decisions, and enough is enough."
A fresh poll suggests voters are inclined to oppose the law as too severe. In a late-July sounding, opponents of the ban held an eight-point lead, with 14 percent undecided.
"There's going to be a lot of money spent," said state Rep. Roger W. Hunt (R), the ban's chief sponsor, urging voters to defend the unborn. Pointing to the vivid statewide conversation over HB 1215, formally known as the Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act, he said, "There are a lot of people who have gotten very political because of HB 1215."
People such as Brandt, a 29-year-old financial auditor, who described a period of quiet misery after an abortion about three years ago. When the doctor finished, Brandt said, she felt an emptiness that led to a long year of grief.
Later, she decided to speak out, hoping to create what she called a "haven" for women and children in South Dakota by outlawing abortion. Her smiling face now appears on the letterhead of VoteYesForLife.com, the umbrella group mobilizing support for the ban.
"I was in a relationship and panicked and got scared and ashamed, and thought an abortion was the means to fix my mistake," said Brandt, who came to see herself as a "mother who was sadly stripped of her child."
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Death of Pakistani Rebel Triggers Violent Protests
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QUETTA, Pakistan, Aug. 27 -- Mobs burned shops, banks and buses in a second day of rioting over the killing of a top tribal chief by Pakistani troops, raising fears that a decades-old conflict in the country's volatile southwest could widen.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told Pakistani television that Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's death Saturday was "the darkest chapter in Pakistan's history."
Police arrested 450 people for rioting, but the violence spread from Baluchistan province into neighboring Sindh province, where ethnic Baluchis burned tires in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi.
Political leaders and analysts feared the killing of Bugti, an urbane former interior minister who led a decades-long violent campaign for greater rights for ethnic Baluch tribespeople, could influence more young Pakistanis to take up militancy.
Pakistani authorities accused Bugti, 79, of ordering attacks on vital government infrastructure to win more royalties for natural gas, oil and coal extracted from Pakistan's most impoverished region, Baluchistan.
Talaat Masood, a former army general, described Bugti's death as a "great tragedy" that will further divide ordinary Pakistanis from the military, led by Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who has allied his government with Washington over strong opposition from many Pakistanis.
"It is very dangerous when we are already fighting (al-Qaida) terrorists in Pakistan to bring about another reason for radicalizing the youth," Masood said.
Anti-government sentiment reached fever pitch on Quetta's streets. "The government has killed the Baluch leader. We will take revenge," said Ghulam Mohiuddin, a 27-year-old Quetta student.
In northern Quetta, nine policemen suffered wounds in a clash with dozens of protesters, some firing pistols, who tried to loot a bank and several shops, police said. A bomb blast damaged a government building and arsonists set fire to a telephone exchange in Kalat, a town 155 miles south of Quetta, police said.
Quetta Police Chief Suleman Sayed said early Sunday that a round-the-clock curfew had been imposed. But Pakistan's Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani and Quetta's mayor refuted the statement. An alliance of four Baluch nationalist groups announced 15 days of mourning for Bugti's death and vowed to continue protests throughout the region.
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Road Treep!
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My role in the family is to take well-conceived vacation plans and complicate them. Someone in every family has to be the acknowledged enforcer of the laws of entropy. Over the years I have had a gift for turning even the most sublime vacation into an ordeal. Thus almost from the moment we arrived at de Gaulle for a vacation in Paris, I began dreaming of leaving Paris behind and going on a road trip.
I wanted to see castles and vineyards and tiny French villages with cobbled streets barely wide enough for a tank. (For many American males of a certain age, old European streets are inevitably associated with tanks, from watching TV shows like "Combat.") But I didn't know if a road trip would be plausible in France -- a real road trip, the kind that's impulsive, unplanned and potentially calamitous. The authentic American road trip is improvisational. It's not just a means of getting from point A to point B, because point B is often an unknown. A road trip should have something of the feel of a jailbreak. Often it is organized merely around a cardinal point on the compass, i.e., "Let's go south." Many a person has wound up in Key West, for example, simply because it's the end of the road.
The United States has the infrastructure to support such spontaneity. You can pull off the highway, grab chow, spend the night, hit the road again. These freeway-exit retail villages have no character, of course, and at 3 in the morning it is impossible to recall if you're in a Comfort Inn or a Motel 6 or a Red Roof Hampton Courtyard AmeriSuites by Ramada. But it doesn't matter. The great virtue of these places is the ease with which they can be departed.
Could that style of travel be transposed onto the continent of Europe, with its fetishization of mom-and-pop hotels and its little country inns and its presumption that travel should have some stickiness to it, some odd textures and quirks and eccentricities that don't lend themselves to drive-by tourism?
Obviously a person can, with some forethought, drive just about anywhere in France or elsewhere in Europe, because there are cars, there are highways, there are gas stations, etc. This is not like parachuting into Siberia and trying to use a hand ax to build a raft to float down the Lena.
But you don't hear of many Americans doing European road trips, because they prefer to travel by rail. Indeed, you'd think they were required to, that it was a law laid down at the same time as the Magna Carta, violation of which will result in a hearing before a tribunal in The Hague.
My colleagues and friends warned me that renting a car and driving in France would be problematic, and the travel guides frown at the idea. They pointed out that the cars can be expensive and tiny, and that gas is so precious it is sold by the liter, as though it were wine. Lodging could be iffy since, at the end of July and early August, everyone in Europe goes on holiday. "There are stories of people sleeping in their cars along the highway," a veteran Paris correspondent warned me. I could picture my wife and me and our three kids trying to sleep in some two-cylinder Fiat, the kind of car that looks like it ought to be driven by Stuart Little.
My wife, moreover, is the kind of person who does not believe that travel requires compulsive motion. She had carefully planned our trip to Paris, and considered it sufficiently reckless that we were crossing the Atlantic without first learning French. She packed a library of books about Paris and not one broached the rest of France. We were ensconced in a house about a block from the Eiffel Tower, which sparkled every night on the hour, visible from the bedroom windows. A road trip would surely be a fiasco. We'd get lost and wind up in Morocco. We'd drive off a cliff. Worst of all, we'd be immersed in uncertainties and unknowns.
I responded to these concerns as any husband on vacation would, with calculated indecision and paralysis, and for two solid weeks we enjoyed the Paris life and filled up on baguettes and took in museums, until finally one Friday night I could take no more, and got online and booked a car for the very next morning.
There is some skepticism in the Eiffel house about whether we are actually going. But we are. It is imperative to nip in the bud any incipient revolt that might nix the excursion.
I do something extremely smart, if I may say so: I pick a destination, the Loire Valley, and search online for rooms in that vicinity. I pick the Loire because it has castles and is only a couple of hours away and it sounds like an authentic destination (more so than "Let's go south"). I search in Orleans and Angers and finally find two rooms in a hotel in Tours. It's a Comfort Hotel. Yes, the Comfort Inn! Same chain!
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What's Wright About Wichita
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Here's how good Frank Lloyd Wright was: His Allen-Lambe House looks spectacular, even in the dark, illuminated only by the beams of bug-splattered automobile headlights.
Here's how mellow Wichita is: Residents blissfully walk their dogs in a genteel old neighborhood, not the least bit disturbed that a Wright fanatic is clambering around the exterior of this dun-colored brick house, scaling an embankment to peer over a garden wall, shimmying through a hedge, pressing her nose against leaded-glass windows and generally behaving like a bungling burglar.
Buoyed by the beauty of Wright's exterior -- and the lack of arresting officers -- our only viable decision was to make Wichita an overnight stop on a recent cross-country drive and plead for an early-morning tour.
The road trip gods were smiling. The next morning, my husband and I had the good fortune to draw architect Howard Ellington as our guide. "Wright considered this house among his best," Ellington told us. It was built for newspaper owner Henry J. Allen and his wife, Elsie. Perhaps it's just a coincidence that Allen was elected governor of Kansas in 1918, the same year the house was completed.
This is the last of Wright's "prairie houses," more proximate to an actual prairie than the others (most were built in Illinois). After driving across the Kansas plains, it's easy to see their echo in this house's strong horizontal lines. There's a visible Japanese influence in the curved roofline, too; Wright was simultaneously working on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. The architect "did his best design work under personal duress," Ellington explained, telling us that Wright created the Allen house in the period after his mistress and children were murdered.
Entering the L-shape home, a guest has no inkling of what's in store beyond the modest, low-slung vestibule. The floor plan is "much like a symphony," Ellington claimed, leading us in, revealing the design melody, then ending with a big crescendo. In this case, the space opens up to reveal a living room and a dining room that flow directly outdoors to embrace a sunken garden. The lines between interior and exterior are blurred by a terrace that transitions to become living room flooring, and by brick interior walls with gilding on all the horizontal mortar (one of only two Wright homes with this feature).
Views outside to the garden and decorative pool are through a bank of glass doors, framed with leaded art glass. Ellington pointed out the living room's characteristic hipped ceiling and lighting concealed behind mulberry-paper screens. Along with built-in furnishings, the house is blessed with 23 pieces of original Wright furniture.
The architect also included modern conveniences: a central vacuuming unit, an alarm system and gas fireplace logs (the house is still supplied by two different gas companies because Allen was averse to offending either advertiser).
Upstairs, the library houses a fine art-glass light, a Wright design that references the hipped roof. The master bedroom is surprisingly small and spartan, while Elsie Allen's boudoir seems to have garnered all the attention, with a bay window and fireplace that reveals the gilded brickwork in its pristine, golden glory -- ironically, protected until recently by a bit of remodeling Wright would have despised.
A light-flooded gallery runs the length of the second floor, offering vistas on the garden below. But perhaps the most astonishing elements are the home's two bathrooms, set in towering shafts that Ellington termed the "nostrils of the house." Windows high atop the walls act like chimneys, venting hot air. But even here, nearly out of sight, Wright applied leaded-glass design touches.
The tour includes a dressing room displaying the Allen daughter's fashionable (for the time) designer clothing. Her flapper-era outfits are a reminder that Wright was creating in a completely different context than we view him today. As are the surrounding homes, which seem hopelessly quaint, despite being about the same age as the Allen-Lambe House -- another detail I neglected to notice in my night-prowler adventures.
The Allen-Lambe House is at 255 N. Roosevelt St. in Wichita, with tours by appointment only; 10-day advance notice required. Admission is $10 per person with a group of five or more; otherwise, it's $50 total. Details and reservations: 316-687-1027, http://home.onemain.com/~allenlam/index.html.
Can't get a tour? Check out the replica of the Allen-Lambe House at "Kansas in Miniature" at Exploration Place (300 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, 316-263- 3373).
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The last of Frank Lloyd Wright's "prairie houses," Witchita's Allen-Lambe House looks spectacular, even in the dark, illuminated only by the beams of bug-splattered automobile headlights.
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Negotiations Preceded Attack On Convoy of Fleeing Lebanese
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KEFRAYA, Lebanon -- Darkness had descended on the Bekaa Valley when the long convoy of cars snaked up a gentle slope toward Kefraya. In better times, the little town was celebrated for its wine. But to the Lebanese fleeing the war that night, it was a way station on the road to safety.
A dry boom rang out without warning shortly before 10 p.m., and the second car in the convoy exploded in flames, witnesses recounted. In the blackness, no one understood at first. People alighted from their cars to see what was the matter. The buzz of an Israeli drone was heard overhead -- some recalled hearing two drones -- and the awful realization settled over the travelers that they were under attack.
"I could never have imagined that there could be an attack on this convoy of 3,000 civilians, men, women and children," said Karamallah Daher, who was driving to Beirut that night with his 80-year-old mother, Neifeh.
But the attack was underway, just at the entrance to this little community 40 miles southwest of Beirut. Before it was over about 15 minutes later, a half-dozen missiles had been fired and seven people were killed, including a retreating Lebanese soldier, a Red Cross volunteer and five other civilians, and 36 people had been wounded, according to Red Cross and government officials.
The attack on the convoy, during the height of fighting on Aug. 11, was one of the least understood and most tragic chapters of the 33-day war between Hezbollah and Israel. For reasons still under dispute, a column of hundreds of cars carrying Lebanese troops and panic-stricken civilians from the border town of Marjayoun came under a sustained Israeli missile attack more than 30 miles north of the battle zone along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier.
"Really, it's a mystery," said Marjayoun's mayor, Fuad Hamra, who was in the convoy but came out unharmed. "Why the Israelis did it, really? I don't know."
The Israeli military issued a statement early the next morning saying the column was attacked because of suspicions -- which the military later acknowledged were baseless -- that the cars were smuggling arms for Hezbollah fighters. In the same statement, the military said it had received a request for safe passage for the convoy from the United Nations but that it had been turned down.
Milos Stugar, spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, said that the request was granted. His statement was confirmed Wednesday by Gen. Alain Pelligrini, the UNIFIL commander, who said: "We had a green light."
In a written response to questions from The Washington Post, the Israeli military put responsibility for the killings on UNIFIL, saying U.N. officials ignored Israeli orders to prevent the column from moving.
The military, formally called the Israel Defense Forces, "suspected that the vehicles were either returning from a weapons delivery to Hezbollah terrorists in the south or were fleeing from IDF forces with their weapons," the statement added. It did not address the questions of what led the Israeli military to believe the cars were carrying weapons or how, if a request for safe passage had come from the United Nations, the Israeli military could believe it was seeing a Hezbollah convoy.
Israeli forces entered Marjayoun without opposition before dawn on Aug. 10, eager to demonstrate they controlled a swath of Lebanese land. It was familiar. The town, a Christian community six miles north of the Galilee panhandle, was headquarters for the Israeli-sponsored South Lebanon Army during Israel's 18-year occupation of the border zone that ended six years ago.
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KEFRAYA, Lebanon -- Darkness had descended on the Bekaa Valley when the long convoy of cars snaked up a gentle slope toward Kefraya. In better times, the little town was celebrated for its wine. But to the Lebanese fleeing the war that night, it was a way station on the road to safety. Israeli......
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It's Up to You, President Chirac
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A mutual friend warns of the obvious: An open letter to the French president -- even a president who has been an acquaintance for 30 years -- risks drawing resentment as its main response. But time is short and the decision you face is huge. So here goes.
The European Union's foreign ministers meet in Brussels tomorrow, and you have told several world leaders that you will make a final decision by then on whether to provide enough troops and leadership to make the new military stabilization force for southern Lebanon credible and effective. It is vital for Europe, for the Middle East and for France that you commit to doing just that.
Monsieur le president, any American making that suggestion must be humble. After all, the United States will not put any of its troops into the force, largely for the same reasons that you give in private for backing away from your initial, assertive indications about France's leadership role in this crisis.
A French-led force would be a particular target for car-bombers and other assassins from Syria and its client Lebanese guerrilla organization, Hezbollah, you are said to believe. Your determined efforts to eliminate Syria's control over Lebanon, to pursue the Syrian officials who assassinated your friend, former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, and to deny Iran a nuclear weapon -- to say nothing of the extraordinary but merited public rebukes you have aimed at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government -- lend weight to your concerns.
And the watering down of command arrangements in the U.N. resolution that created the new force did nothing to help you overcome the immediate strong doubts of your own Defense Ministry about the wisdom of a Lebanon operation. This is, of course, deja vu for you: Your first crisis on taking office in 1995 involved making sure French troops were not endangered by the inept and ineffective U.N. command in Bosnia. Your forceful calls for change in the Bosnia operation sparked a new dynamic for ending that butchery.
But those experiences are all reasons why France, and Europe, are essential to making sure this cease-fire in Lebanon does not become just a pause for rearming for an even bloodier round that will widen into a regional conflict reaching into Iran the next time.
The five-week border conflict has created a small strategic opening for avoiding that wider war. Israel -- now led by a lawyer, not a general -- has attached a new importance to the Lebanese government's controlling its own territory, to U.N. resolutions in general and to international peacekeeping forces for the region. And Europe has been more willing to fix responsibility for the crisis on those who are determined to destroy Israel on any pretext available.
One of the biggest losers in the Israeli-Hezbollah smash-up is the concept of "land for peace" and the Arab-Israeli negotiating process. Withdrawals from occupied Arab territory under any conditions are now seen by Israelis as bringing more insecurity, not peace with neighbors. Stabilizing Lebanon by containing Hezbollah militarily is essential to any hope of returning world attention to the Palestinian cause, and to any eventual introduction of peacekeeping forces to separate Israelis and Palestinians.
France vetoed use of the NATO rapid-reaction force in Lebanon, for reasons you outlined in your July 26 interview in Le Monde. Lucid and coherent, those reasons also impose a burden on Europe to develop an effective alternative security doctrine and presence for its interests in a Middle East volcano that is now on a short fuse.
As France hesitated in recent days, Italy has stepped forward to offer to command and put 3,000 troops into the new 15,000-strong force. Prime Minister Romano Prodi has turned out, to President Bush's delighted surprise, to show strong and consistent leadership in foreign affairs. Bravissimo, Romano.
But significant participation by France, which has always claimed a special role with Lebanon and Syria as well as global political and military responsibilities, is vital to the U.N. force, as Secretary General Kofi Annan said to you this week. He's right on that.
Finally, I confess a personal interest: Americans who have long argued that France and Europe have a constructive, important role to play in global affairs -- including in the Middle East -- have a huge stake in your decision. That proposition is, to say the least, not obvious to all Americans. Failure to seize and use this dangerous opportunity in Lebanon that France helped forge would sink such hopes for as far ahead as I can see.
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Dear President Chirac, A mutual friend warns of the obvious: An open letter to the French president -- even a president who has been an acquaintance for 30 years -- risks drawing resentment as its main response. But time is short and the decision you face is huge. So here goes.
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New Method Makes Embryo-Safe Stem Cells
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Scientists have for the first time grown colonies of prized human embryonic stem cells using a technique that does not require the destruction of embryos, an advance that could significantly reshape the ethical and political debates that have long entangled the research.
The new work, described in today's issue of the journal Nature, shows that even a single cell plucked from an early human embryo can be coaxed to divide repeatedly in a laboratory dish and grow into a colony of stem cells, coveted for their potential to mend failing organs.
VIDEO | A California biotech firm says it's found a way to develop new stem cells -- and potential treatments for devastating illnesses -- without destroying human embryos.
It is already common for fertility doctors to remove a single cell from a days-old embryo before transferring that embryo into a woman's womb -- part of a test to screen out embryos bearing genetic defects. Although the safety of the cell-removal process is still under study, there is no evidence that the procedure puts embryos at significant risk or that babies born from such "biopsied" embryos are abnormal in any way.
If scientists were to grow stem cell colonies from some of the single cells already being removed for genetic testing, scientists said, they could vastly increase the number of colonies for research without putting any embryos at added risk. Until now, researchers have isolated stem cells only from older embryos, which are inevitably destroyed in the process.
"I hope this will solve the political impasse and allow scientists to move on," said Robert Lanza, who led the research at Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) in Worcester, Mass.
Several experts said they, too, hope that Congress and President Bush will accept the approach as worthy of funding with taxpayer money, a source of support off-limits to research that harms embryos.
"You can honestly say this cell line is from an embryo that was in no way harmed or destroyed," said Ronald M. Green, director of Dartmouth College's Ethics Institute and chief of an ethics panel that ACT convened to assess the experiment before it was done.
But early reactions from others suggest it will not be that simple. Bush offered little encouragement yesterday and, if anything, raised the bar higher, suggesting he would not be comfortable unless embryos were not involved at all.
"Any use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical concerns," said a statement released by the White House. ". . . The President is hopeful that with time scientists can find ways of deriving cells like those now derived from human embryos but without the need for using embryos."
Lanza and his team started eight months ago with 16 embryos donated by fertility clinic patients. Each embryo consisted of about eight cells. The researchers took not just one cell from each, but as many as they could get -- destroying some of the embryos and ending up with 91 cells.
Kept in their own dishes with special nutrients, 53 of the cells began to divide and two formed robust colonies of what appear to be, by all tests, embryonic stem cells. ACT scientists have since turned some of the cells into blood vessels, retinal (eye) cells and other potentially useful tissues.
The process is inefficient, Lanza acknowledged -- and would probably be even more so if researchers were limited to taking just one cell per embryo. Moreover, the colonies were grown in mixtures containing animal ingredients, which can leave human stem cells too contaminated for use in medical therapies. The team is now developing non-animal nutrients.
But some experts raised more daunting concerns. Several questioned whether using an embryo's single biopsied cell for stem cell cultivation before doing the genetic testing -- a kind of testing that always destroys the cell, so it cannot be done first -- might put that cell at risk of dying before the crucial gene test is done.
Others expressed concern that the single cell removed from an eight-cell embryo might, under certain conditions, itself be capable of becoming an embryo and eventually a baby. If so, the destruction of the cell might violate the president's insistence that scientists not take what some consider a life to save a life.
Experiments have shown that some mammals can develop from a single cell taken from a four-cell embryo. But several scientists yesterday said no mammal has ever been grown from a single cell taken from an eight-cell embryo -- a more advanced stage of development in which each cell has already become somewhat specialized.
Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he is concerned that such a feat may nonetheless be possible. The new work, he said, "raises more ethical questions than it answers."
James F. Battey, chief of the stem cells task force at the National Institutes of Health, said that if a scientist were to apply for grant money to conduct studies like Lanza's, the agency would ask for a legal opinion from the general counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Two issues would have to be considered. The first is whether the work would violate a 10-year-old rider on HHS appropriations that precludes the use of agency funding for research "in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."
Battey asked: "Where is the bar going to be set? I really don't know, but it's not a scientific call. It's a legal call."
The second question is whether the work violates Bush's ban on federal funding of research on any embryonic stem cells created after Aug. 9, 2001 -- a ban based on the presumption, true at the time, that all such research would require the destruction of embryos.
"Here it's a different derivation process, so it's unclear to me where the president's policy stands," Battey said.
John Gearhart, a stem cell researcher at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, said he was hopeful that Lanza's approach would prove fruitful. But he was frustrated, he said, by the fact that Bush's order and the congressional appropriations rider continue to keep federal researchers from a more immediately promising resource: embryos slated for destruction at fertility clinics.
"You have to remember that all this talk of protecting embryos is being done against the background of the routine throwing away of embryos" at clinics, Gearhart said.
Last month, Bush vetoed legislation that would have allowed federally funded scientists to study discarded embryos.
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Scientists have for the first time grown colonies of prized human embryonic stem cells using a technique that does not require the destruction of embryos, an advance that could significantly reshape the ethical and political debates that have long entangled the research.
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Bush's New Iraq Argument: It Could Be Worse
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Of all the words that President Bush used at his news conference this week to defend his policies in Iraq, the one that did not pass his lips was "progress."
For three years, the president tried to reassure Americans that more progress was being made in Iraq than they realized. But with Iraq either in civil war or on the brink of it, Bush dropped the unseen-progress argument in favor of the contention that things could be even worse.
The shifting rhetoric reflected a broader pessimism that has reached into even some of the most optimistic corners of the administration -- a sense that the Iraq venture has taken a dark turn and will not be resolved anytime soon. Bush advisers once believed that if they met certain benchmarks, such as building a constitutional democracy and training a new Iraqi army, the war would be won. Now they believe they have more or less met those goals, yet the war rages on.
While still committed to the venture, officials have privately told friends and associates outside government that they have grown discouraged in recent months. Even the death of al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq proved not to be the turning point they expected, they have told associates, and other developments have been relentlessly dispiriting, with fewer signs of hope.
Bush acknowledged this week that he has been discouraged as well. "Frustrated?" he asked. "Sometimes I'm frustrated. Rarely surprised. Sometimes I'm happy. This is -- but war is not a time of joy. These aren't joyous times. These are challenging times and they're difficult times and they're straining the psyche of our country."
Presidential counselor Dan Bartlett said Bush and his advisers still believe progress is being made and the war will be won. "No question about it, the last three months have been much more challenging," he said. "Are we always going to be pleased with the pace? No. There are days that are frustrating. But is the overall direction going the right way? . . . The answer to that is yes."
The tone represents a striking change from what critics considered an overly rosy portrayal of Iraq, and the latest stage in a year-long evolution in message.
With sectarian violence flaring into some of the worst bloodshed since the March 2003 invasion, the White House felt the need to connect with the anxiety in the American public. "Most of the people rightly are concerned about the security situation, as is the president," Bartlett said.
But with crucial midterm elections just 2 1/2 months away, Bush and his team are trying to turn the public debate away from whether the Iraq invasion has worked out to what would happen if U.S. troops were withdrawn, as some Democrats advocate. The necessity of not failing, Bush advisers believe, is now a more compelling argument than the likelihood of success.
Using such terms as "havoc" at Monday's news conference, Bush made no effort to suggest the situation in Iraq is improving. Instead, he argued: "If you think it's bad now, imagine what Iraq would look like if the United States leaves before this government can defend itself."
Christopher F. Gelpi, a Duke University scholar whose research on public opinion in wartime has been influential in the White House, said Bush has little choice.
"He looks foolish and not credible if he says, 'We're making progress in Iraq,' " Gelpi said. "I think he probably would like to make that argument, but because that's not credible given the facts on the ground, this is the fallback. . . . If the only thing you can say is 'Yes, it's bad, but it could be worse,' that really is a last-ditch argument."
As recently as two weeks ago, Bush was still making the case that things in Iraq are better than they seem. The new Iraqi government "has shown remarkable progress on the political front," he said on Aug. 7, calling its mere existence "quite a remarkable achievement."
The White House and the Republican National Committee regularly send e-mails to supporters and journalists highlighting positive developments. In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, an article by U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad argued that a shift in security operations in Baghdad has shown "positive results" and said that "this initial progress should give Iraqis, as well as Americans, hope about the future."
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said on a radio show this week that violence is largely limited to four of 18 provinces and that "the government now is starting to get its legs under it."
But Bush has been ruminating on the different nature of Iraq and the battle with Islamic radicals and how hard it is to define victory. "Veterans of World War II and Korea will tell you we were able to measure progress based upon miles gained or based upon tanks destroyed, or however people measured war in those days," he said in a speech last week. "This is different . . . and it's hard on the American people, and I understand that."
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a strong supporter of the war, suggested this week that the Bush team has only itself to blame for setting unrealistic expectations.
"One of the biggest mistakes we made was underestimating the size of the task and the sacrifices that would be required," McCain said. " 'Stuff happens,' 'mission accomplished,' 'last throes,' 'a few dead-enders.' I'm just more familiar with those statements than anyone else because it grieves me so much that we had not told the American people how tough and difficult this task would be."
Such statements, he said, have "contributed enormously to the frustration that Americans feel today because they were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach." Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) offered a similar assessment. "I think we undersold how hard the war would be," he told reporters this week. "I think we oversold how easy it would be to create democracy. I think we missed by a mile how much it would cost to rebuild Iraq."
Through much of the war, Bush and his advisers focused on meeting benchmarks laid out for rebuilding Iraq -- writing a new constitution, electing a new parliament, bringing disaffected Sunnis into the government and training Iraqi troops. As long as those benchmarks were met, the president had tangible events to point to as evidence of progress.
But the last step in that original timetable, election of a permanent parliament last December, has come and gone with no end to the violence. When Bush mentioned that election at his news conference, he depicted it not as progress but a sign that Iraqis want progress. "It's an indication about the desire for people to live in a free society," he said.
Bush used to mention the number of Iraqi troops trained as another barometer to watch, suggesting that once a new army is in place, it could defend its country. Yet 294,000 Iraqi troops have been trained, just shy of the goal of 325,000, and no U.S. official expects to turn over the war entirely to them anytime soon.
Instead, Bush has publicly emphasized how much his administration is changing tactics to deal with the evolving threats in Iraq, and he has privately reached out for advice about further steps to take. He had lunch at the Pentagon last week with four Middle East experts to solicit ideas about how to stabilize Iraq.
"I would say he was deeply concerned about how many lives are being lost, both American and Iraqi, and how much this is costing the American taxpayer," said Eric Davis, a Rutgers University professor who was among those invited, who urged Bush to launch a New Deal-style economic program in Iraq. "He would like to see progress sooner rather than later."
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Washington Post coverage of the American occupation of Iraq, the country's path to democracy and tensions between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
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Rice Orders Difficult Posts Filled First
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The State Department plans to implement sweeping changes in the way foreign service officers bid for new assignments in an effort to more quickly fill vacancies in Iraq and the growing number of dangerous hardship posts in the Middle East.
The new rules were outlined in a cable sent last week by Foreign Service Director General George M. Staples to department personnel that cited "increasing international turmoil." They are intended to shake up the State Department culture so that overseas service becomes more frequent and more focused on global hot spots.
The changes come as the number of overseas positions that prohibit accompanying children -- and sometimes spouses -- has increased from 200 in 2001 to more than 800 today. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who ordered the new approach, has already begun shifting personnel from Europe to the Middle East and Asia.
More than 200 foreign service officers are required each year in Iraq, and already 1,000 of the roughly 11,000 foreign service officers have voluntarily served there. The number of foreign service officers needed in Iraq will grow as Rice pushes forward with a plan to establish provincial reconstruction teams across the country.
Under the plan, which will take effect almost immediately, hardship posts will be filled before bidding can begin on more attractive assignments. Private side deals that lock up plum assignments will be discouraged, and the practice of allowing junior officers to take more senior slots that have gone unfilled will be minimized.
The State Department hopes that by eliminating handshake deals for posts in safer, more attractive cities, it can direct its top talent to places where their missions are more central to U.S. policy.
Moreover, employees headed for hardship posts will no longer be able to meet the requirement by bidding for the most attractive cities in the hardship category, such as Cape Town, Bangkok or Istanbul. The State Department also wants to reduce the number of consecutive years a foreign service officer serves in the United States, from six years to five.
It is "important that we emphasize the 'foreign' part of Foreign Service, and that means getting more of our employees overseas, where our highest-priority vacancies are located," wrote Staples, who oversees human resources at the department. "While domestic service will remain an essential part of career development, most foreign service personnel should expect to spend the bulk of their careers abroad."
State Department officials denied that the changes are required because they are having trouble filling slots in Iraq, noting that 97 percent of the "unaccompanied" posts are currently filled. Earlier this year, the State Department boosted the pay allowances for both hardship and danger in Iraq and Afghanistan to the highest levels ever, effectively resulting in a 70 percent bonus above base salary.
One senior State Department official acknowledged that Rice and her top aides have discussed the possibility of "directed assignments" if needs are not met. Hardship posts have become "harder to fill," and "there is a real resolve to that we do whatever is needed to fill these positions," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the topic.
The changes have stirred concern among foreign service officers. Some suggested that the pressure of Iraq -- where diplomats work under extremely difficult conditions -- is resulting in an imbalance of priorities, minimizing the value of diplomatic efforts in other parts of the world in the eyes of Rice and her top aides. Others are concerned that previous work in places such as Bosnia earlier in their careers seems to be worth little now.
Many foreign service officers tackle difficult assignments when they begin at the State Department but prefer to work in Washington later in their careers, especially if they have older children or need to care for elderly parents.
Staples was on vacation and not available for comment this week. The State Department made available two officials to discuss Staples's cable on the condition that their names not be used.
One of the officials said that "these are major changes we have implemented" that will result in important changes in the foreign service culture. "When we sign up, we have to declare we are worldwide available."
The American Foreign Service Association, which represents foreign service officers, issued its own cable to employees, saying it would reluctantly accept a number of the proposals but raised questions about some details.
"There is a lot of support for the secretary's desire to align her resources with her priorities," J. Anthony Holmes, AFSA's president, said in an interview. But he said AFSA wants to minimize unintended consequences from a new policy that could penalize people who have already devoted long service to the United States under difficult conditions.
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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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'Shiite Giant' Extends Its Reach
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KUFA, Iraq -- Pumping their fists in the air, the men and boys inside the colonnaded mosque shouted their loyalty to Shiite Muslim leader Moqtada al-Sadr. "Hasten the coming of the Mahdi!" thousands chanted in the baking sun of the open-air mosque, summoning the central religious figure of Sadr's movement. "And curse his enemies!"
Booming loudspeakers outside the mosque echoed the devotion of Sadr's followers converging for Friday prayers last month in Kufa, the cleric's spiritual base outside the Shiite holy city of Najaf. "Moqtada! Moqtada!" martial male voices intoned over the loudspeakers in rhythmic cadence with the footsteps of the gathering worshipers. "Even the child in the mother's cradle cries: 'Moqtada! Moqtada!' "
Sadr's followers answer as one when his movement calls them, and his organization of social, religious, political and military programs -- as well as the young clerics, politicians and fighters around him -- has become the most pivotal force in Iraq after the United States.
Millions of Sadr's supporters turned out in December elections to give his movement the largest bloc in parliament, which in turn put him in control of four government ministries. Thousands of male followers abandoned their homes and jobs when a bomb destroyed a Shiite shrine in Samarra on Feb. 22, rallying at Sadr headquarters on a night and day of retaliatory bloodletting that plunged Iraq into sectarian war.
While opposition to the U.S. military presence in Iraq remains one of its core tenets, the Sadr movement's militia, called the Mahdi Army, took heavy casualties in two military uprisings against better-armed, better-trained U.S. forces in 2004. Today, according to Sadr leaders and outside analysts, the movement is husbanding its strength and waiting for American troops to go.
Sadr "clearly is the most potent political figure, and the most popular one," in Iraq, said Joost Hiltermann, Middle East project director for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. "Unless directly provoked, Sadrists will lay low, because they know the Americans' time in Iraq is coming to an end," he said. "Why would they risk another major loss of fighters if it's not necessary? Americans in their eyes are already defeated -- they're going to leave."
In the plainly furnished front room of his simple house in Najaf, one of Sadr's top aides agreed.
"The first time the Sadr trend fought them, it was forced on us," said Riyadh al-Nouri, a brother-in-law of Sadr's, reflecting the movement's belief that American military and civilian leaders provoked the confrontations with the cleric's followers in 2004. "We had no choice. Sayyid Moqtada didn't want to fight," Nouri said, using a religious honorific for Sadr. "This time, it might be the people who are mad and upset who would do this again. But as of now, in terms of orders from the Sadr trend, it doesn't call for these things."
"Until now, the Shiite giant has not begun to move. But if things come to a dead end," Nouri added, Shiite religious authorities "could take a decision to move him. It depends on them."
"Until now, they have patience," Nouri said.
The movement that Sadr now leads took shape in the seminaries of Najaf, a theological center of the Shiite world, as clerics in the second half of the 20th century sought to counter what were then growing secular and nationalist movements in the Arab world. Sadr's own work since the U.S.-led invasion builds upon the social and health programs for Shiite poor begun by his father, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, in the 1990s. Sadr's father died with two of his sons in 1999, in an assassination believed to have been ordered by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The Sadr movement's ultimate goal is a "united Islamic state," Bahaa al-Araji, a senior lawmaker in the Sadr political bloc, said in an interview. In Baghdad's Sadr City and other areas under Sadr's control, women uniformly cover their hair with scarves in the style of conservative Muslims. Islamic scholars operating with Sadr's office help arbitrate divorces, inheritances and other social matters in accordance with religious law. And fighters claiming to be part of Sadr's Mahdi Army -- named for a figure some Muslims believe will usher in an era of justice and true belief just before the end of time -- enforce a stringent Islamic code that includes the prohibition of alcohol and help enforce the orders of extrajudicial Islamic courts.
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Washington Post coverage of the American occupation of Iraq, the country's path to democracy and tensions between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
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Allen Calls Webb Aide, Apologizes For Remark
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Virginia Sen. George Allen apologized directly to S.R. Sidarth yesterday, telling the 20-year-old Democratic campaign staffer that he was sorry for offending him with remarks that have generated nationwide criticism for being racially insensitive.
Allen's telephone call to Sidarth was the first direct contact between the two since Allen (R) was caught by Sidarth's video camera calling him a "macaca" and welcoming the Fairfax native to "America and the real world of Virginia."
Sidarth said Allen told him that the apology was "from his heart."
"His main point was he was sorry he offended me," Sidarth, a fourth-year University of Virginia student, said in an interview later. "He realized how much he offended me from the comments I made in the media."
The call followed a series of public mea culpas , including one heard across the country Tuesday on a conservative radio talk show hosted by commentator Sean Hannity.
"I take full responsibility. I'm not offering any excuses because I said it, and no one else said it," a somber-sounding Allen told Hannity's audience of more than 12 million listeners. "It's a mistake. I apologize, and from my heart, I'm very, very sorry for it."
Allen also apologized Tuesday at the Greenspring Village retirement community in Springfield, saying "from the deepest part of my heart, I'm sorry and I will do better."
The term "macaca" refers to a genus of monkey and is considered an ethnic slur in some cultures. After Democratic challenger James Webb's campaign posted Sidarth's video on the Internet, the incident became national news and has left Allen on the defensive. The senator had issued a public apology and had said he was sorry at other recent events. Political observers said Allen appears to be trying to put the controversy behind him with more fervent expressions of regret.
But even as he did so, about 50 Democratic activists protested outside a Fairfax County fundraiser for Allen headlined by President Bush. As Bush arrived in Virginia last night, Democrats waved signs that included phrases such as "Hey, George, macaca is a bad word." About the same number of Allen supporters offered signs saying "We love George. We support you."
As the senator was apologizing, his campaign manager continued to blame Webb, the media and the senator's "leftist" foes for the controversy.
"It's great to have the president in Virginia, raising substantial amounts of money so we can fight off the scurrilous attacks by our opponent and his leftist allies," campaign manager Dick Wadhams said in an interview.
Last weekend, Wadhams sent a memo to GOP supporters in which he accused the media of creating a "feeding frenzy" over the incident and called it a "desperate attempt to revive a campaign that was fast-sinking -- the Webb campaign."
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Virginia Sen. George Allen apologized directly to S.R. Sidarth yesterday, telling the 20-year-old Democratic campaign staffer that he was sorry for offending him with remarks that have generated nationwide criticism for being racially insensitive.
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TSA to Maintain Its Ban on Liquids and Gels
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Two weeks after authorities banned passengers from carrying most gels and liquids on board airlines, the nation's top aviation security official yesterday said he did not have a timetable for scaling back the restrictions.
"The threat is not over," said Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. "This issue is not by any means over. . . . We're not going to feel a pressure on time."
Security officials said they were constantly adjusting and examining the list of items banned on Aug. 10 in response to a potential terror plot that British police said they had uncovered. Among the items that were banned from passengers' carry-on bags were bottled water, toothpaste and hair gel.
Hawley declined to discuss specifics of his plans to revisit the restrictions.
Security officials at the TSA said they would be surprised if the new rules were not still in place over Labor Day weekend, a heavy travel period for the airline industry.
In the days after hastily enacting the bans, authorities amended the restricted items, allowing passengers to bring medications, baby food and solid lipsticks on airplanes. The TSA also began requiring passengers to remove their shoes to be X-rayed.
Hawley said no changes would be made until authorities had finished studying the plot and other potential threats.
"That is a very high priority right now, analyzing what exactly they were going to do, what exactly was it, how would it work, how would we detect it, how would we stop it," Hawley said during a question-and-answer session with reporters from The Washington Post and Associated Press during a taping of C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program, which is scheduled to air at 10 a.m. Sunday. "As the course of investigation continues, and we learn more and we do more science on it, that is going to guide us to say, 'Yeah, we can make that change in the security regime.' "
In the first days after the new restrictions, analysts and aviation industry leaders worried that the bans could hurt the airlines because many travelers would not want to deal with the hassle of checking bags.
Airlines have reported that the number of checked bags has risen substantially since the restrictions were enacted but said there has not been a decline in ticket sales.
Worried that some business travel might decline after the busy summer season, airlines are closely tracking bookings for September and will be paying attention to trends as the late-year holiday travel season approaches, analysts said.
"The big airlines are monitoring this very closely," said Ray Neidl, an analyst with Calyon Securities Inc. "So far, people have adjusted. . . . Everybody, the traveling public, the airlines, the TSA, want to get rid of the unnecessary restrictions. But they are being very cautious."
John Meenan, the chief operating officer of the Air Transport Association, a trade group that represents U.S. carriers, said that he believes the restrictions will "continue to evolve."
"If the security situation permits, we would very much like to see the programs adjusted to accommodate passenger service," Meenan said.
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Washington,DC,Virginia,Maryland business headlines,stock portfolio,markets,economy,mutual funds,personal finance,Dow Jones,S&P 500,NASDAQ quotes,company research tools. Federal Reserve,Bernanke,Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Immigration Plan Gets a Boost
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Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will tour the Texas-Mexico border this morning with the conservative authors of a congressional immigration compromise, in what will be the clearest sign yet that the Bush administration is prepared to make major concessions to reach an immigration deal this year.
Chertoff's appearance with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) is "in no way meant to signal an endorsement" of their compromise, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said. But it was seen by supporters and opponents yesterday as a boost for the plan and a significant White House concession to conservatives.
Under the compromise, most of the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants would be allowed a chance to work in the country legally -- and possibly earn citizenship. But no guest-worker program would be made operational until stringent border-security measures are implemented, and illegal immigrants would have to report to privately run "Ellis Island" centers in Mexico to apply for legal work permits.
President Bush has maintained that a crackdown on the border could work only if new avenues toward legal work and citizenship were opened concurrently.
"The White House thinks we have a very interesting idea, and the president was very adamant about wanting to encourage my efforts," Pence said yesterday, after touring the border near San Diego. "Going to the border with Secretary Chertoff will help emphasize our seriousness about putting border security first."
With 15 scheduled legislative days left before Congress adjourns for the fall campaign, it is unclear whether any compromise stands a chance of passage. House leaders have spent the month staging "field hearings" on immigration. The hearings have raised sharp questions about guest-worker programs and have helped gird opposition to a Senate-passed bill, which includes such a program. Border security has moved to the forefront of Republican campaigns, from the frontier districts of Arizona to Upstate New York.
The Pence-Hutchison compromise has taken heat from conservatives, who say it would be exploited to allow a flood of illegal workers into the country and would still amount to amnesty for undocumented workers. And Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), a co-author of the Senate bill, said the plan's 17-year wait for full legalization and citizenship "fails the basic test of fairness."
But administration officials have ramped up efforts to win over conservatives as they push for an immigration deal this year. The Department of Homeland Security all but declared victory yesterday in its new policy of ending the "catch and release" program for illegal immigrants from nations other than Mexico. For years, such non-Mexican immigrants were released upon apprehension and told to report for deportation hearings. Few did.
The DHS said that in the second week of August, the Border Patrol apprehended 1,055 non-Mexican illegal immigrants and released seven of them. At this time last year, 34 percent of such migrants were detained. About 4,000 beds have been added to detention facilities this year. And with the support of newly deployed National Guardsmen, the authorities have caught 6,200 illegal immigrants since June 15. Seizures have included 130 vehicles, 31,000 pounds of marijuana, 1,500 pounds of cocaine and $11,000 worth of currency.
"There is a real deterrent effect to this policy," Chertoff told reporters in Washington, pointing to a 20,000 drop in the number of illegal immigrants caught crossing the southwest border between this summer and the same period last year. "Although we're not ready to declare victory -- we've got a lot more work to do -- it is encouraging."
By convincing conservatives that the government is serious about a border clampdown, administration officials hope to win some flexibility to negotiate a final legislative package that would include a guest-worker program. But the anti-illegal immigration firebrands who have driven the debate on the GOP side have shown no sign of budging.
Jim Gilchrist, a founder of the Minuteman Project, a citizens' border patrol, greeted news of Chertoff's appearance with Pence and Hutchison with a preemptive salvo. He called it "a staged public relations ploy by the White House to give the voting public the illusion that the administration is going to do something about border security."
The bipartisan coalition that passed the Senate's more lenient bill has also held together. The Pence-Hutchison plan "is just another distraction to try to kill the Senate-passed bill," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).
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Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2006 elections,campaigns,Democrats,Republicans,political cartoons,opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy,government tech,political analysis and reports.
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Viacom's Rationale: Cruise Is Risky Business
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LOS ANGELES -- In Hollywood, when a huge movie star and his studio break up, they almost always promise to remain friends forever. There is a fog of meaningless sweet nothings about how each wishes the other nothing but the best -- and often a suitcase of make-nice go-away money.
Then there is the Cruise crackup, which is remarkably and publicly nasty -- in a town where mortal enemies smile and air-kiss on the red carpet.
Graceless, shocking, offensive! That's how Cruise's agent, Rick Nicita of the powerhouse agency CAA, put it to the Los Angeles Times. Normally, agents do not even like being quoted in the Los Angeles Times, and when they are, they certainly don't call studio bosses names .
As anyone above the Earth's surface knows by now, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone announced via the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that his movie studio, Paramount Pictures, was severing its ties with Tom Cruise and his production company after 14 years and $2.5 billion in gross receipts.
"It's nothing to do with his acting ability, he's a terrific actor," the 83-year-old billionaire said. "But we don't think that someone who effectuates creative suicide and costs the company revenue should be on the lot."
Effectuated and costly suicide? Ouch.
The split was not completely unexpected. Tom Cruise costs a lot of money and Tom Cruise makes a lot of money. He is arguably still the reigning male action star in America. His last seven pictures each grossed more than $100 million at the domestic box office, but he reportedly takes home 20 percent of the ticket receipts. So reaching a financial impasse -- it is show business -- would be reasonable.
But why so public? Surely not just for the public's entertainment.
It was the way it was done that has Hollywood staring, slack-jawed. Peter Guber, chairman of Mandalay Entertainment Group and co-host of AMC's "Sunday Morning Shootout," says Redstone "is one very smart business person. He does nothing by accident. This is a very calculated decision."
Normally, Guber says, a parting of the ways between Cruise and studio would have been placed in Variety by Paramount chief Brad Grey "saying we were unable to come to satisfactory terms but we wish Tom well, blah, blah, blah, and Tom would have said how they'd shared this great relationship, blah, blah, blah."
You know the drill. But no, the split is announced by Redstone, who calls into question Cruise's sanity on the front page of the nation's premier financial newspaper -- while Cruise's production company is reportedly securing funding by Wall Street hedge funds.
"The methodology is the mystery," says Guber, who only half-kiddingly wondered whether there might be some secret da Vinci coded message in the way the parties uncoupled.
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LOS ANGELES -- In Hollywood, when a huge movie star and his studio break up, they almost always promise to remain friends forever. There is a fog of meaningless sweet nothings about how each wishes the other nothing but the best -- and often a suitcase of make-nice go-away money.
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Canyon Ranch Project On Hold
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A Tysons Corner developer is reevaluating plans for the $1 billion Canyon Ranch Living project in North Bethesda because of the slowdown in the real estate market and rapidly increasing construction costs, according to a letter received yesterday by buyers who have made deposits on the luxury condominiums.
The Penrose Group will evaluate the project for 30 days, during which time it will not accept additional sales contracts. The move comes as developers have been dealing with a sharp decline in the housing market, particularly for condos.
The Canyon Ranch project, where residents would live in a high-priced spa community on 53 acres near I-270 and Old Georgetown Road, includes plans for two 20-story towers with 434 condominiums ranging in price from $900,000 to $5 million. There are also 157 hotel rooms, 87 luxury rental apartments, and a 90,000-square-foot wellness center.
Canyon Ranch, a renowned spa with resort locations in Arizona and Massachusetts, has another community under construction in Miami Beach. The first of two phases is sold out, and the second is nearly 80 percent sold. A Canyon Ranch community in Chicago is also planned.
The decision to reevaluate the project and stop taking contracts was first disclosed yesterday morning in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Crescent Real Estate Equities Co., a Fort Worth firm that owns a 48 percent stake in Canyon Ranch.
Mark Gregg, the president of the Penrose Group, did not respond to requests for comment.
The letter to potential buyers from the developers of the North Bethesda project, read to The Post by a buyer who has made a deposit, made no mention of what was happening with existing deposits. It is not clear how many people have made deposits.
The letter said the project had more than $50 million in reservations, appearing to "outperform the marketplace." But the troubled real estate marketplace, increased construction costs and the need to secure additional government approvals "will require us to reexamine the project based on a new sales schedule and updated construction costs estimates," the letter said, adding that effort was "necessary so as not to compromise our standards or to force you to endure significant delays in the completion of your new home."
In a statement, Canyon Ranch said: "Canyon Ranch is pleased with the response from buyers in Bethesda to date," and went on to refer to the success of the Miami Beach project.
The reevaluation comes as abundant supply and slow sales of condos have prompted more than a few developers to rethink their plans. So far this year, at least 1,800 units in more than a half-dozen condo projects in the region have been abandoned as developers decided not to move forward with condo conversions, shifted from proposed condo complexes to rental apartments or cancelled projects altogether.
The Canyon Ranch project has proved difficult since the beginning.
The Penrose Group secured a partnership deal with Canyon Ranch, which calls for the spa company to receive an upfront payment and ongoing management fees to run the development. The land belongs to the Camalier family, which developed the Rock Spring office park in Bethesda, home to Marriott International Inc.
At one point, the deal fell apart, but an agreement was finally reached in late April.
Staff writer Tomoeh Murakami Tse contributed to this report.
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Washington,DC,Virginia,Maryland business headlines,stock portfolio,markets,economy,mutual funds,personal finance,Dow Jones,S&P 500,NASDAQ quotes,company research tools. Federal Reserve,Bernanke,Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Suspect Was Legend In Va. Tech Community
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BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 22 -- The escaped prisoner who led police on a manhunt after allegedly killing two people this week is a self-professed survivalist whose tales of spending nights in the dense woods around this college town were legendary at the university coffee shops where he had become a fixture.
But the people who served him lattes and challenged him to games of backgammon said William C. Morva, 24, though odd, had seemed to be a harmless young man, full of bluster and tall tales. They said they were surprised when he was arrested in an attempted robbery last year and shocked by the killings he allegedly committed starting Sunday.
"I was just floored. I couldn't believe it was him," said Erik Benoist, 20, a third-year student at Virginia Tech who works at Bollo's, a popular coffee shop.
"Everyone downtown knows Will. We all were subject to Will's conversations," Benoist said, recalling long diatribes about politics and religion. "I remember him talking about hunting deer with spears, but you never knew when he was just talking."
Morva was being held without bond at an undisclosed location on charges that he killed a hospital security guard during an escape from jail early Sunday morning. Authorities said Morva also fatally shot a sheriff's deputy from Virginia's Montgomery County along the popular Huckleberry Trail on Monday morning. Charges have not been filed in that killing.
The escape and ensuing manhunt shut down Virginia Tech on the first day of classes. Police officers told students to stay in their dorms, and faculty members were restricted to their offices for hours. Police found Morva hiding Monday afternoon in the woods in which he often talked about living.
"I told the cops he slept in the woods along the trail," said Meredith Hampton, 27, who works at Gillie's Vegetarian Restaurant near campus. "He was different -- living in a different world than everyone else was living in."
Andrew Mullin, 18, said his friend "was the kind of person that didn't like the government watching him. He didn't like government interference. He was much more of a natural person -- hunting, camping, doing stuff on his own."
Mullin said that "sometimes he'd be in a bad mood and it wouldn't lift, you couldn't cheer him up. He'd be really pretty angry and you'd steer clear. He would snap."
Morva "kind of floated in and out of town," Mullin said. "It seemed like he was carried by the wind."
Felicia Jackson, 38, who manages Bollo's and has known Morva since he was 16, said he seemed indifferent to the weather, wearing only a sport coat even on the coldest days.
"He would do things like walk between here and Radford on the back roads on a cold winter day," she said, describing a distance that could stretch for almost 20 miles. "He would be barefoot. I said, 'Will, you're crazy.' "
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BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 22 -- The escaped prisoner who led police on a manhunt after allegedly killing two people this week is a self-professed survivalist whose tales of spending nights in the dense woods around this college town were legendary at the university coffee shops where he had become a...
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For Red Bull, It's Here, There and Everywhere
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The drink claims to defy gravity. The company's sports business strategies try to defy convention. While sports marketing and the attachment of corporations to teams and events continues to grow at a significant pace, Red Bull has managed to stake its claim with a sense of rebellion.
Today, there are few gasps of disbelief when it comes to sports and corporate sponsorship. Fans have grown used to hearing the Sugar Bowl referred to as the Nokia Sugar Bowl. The halftime show must be preceded by a title presenter, and a 30-second ad during Super Bowl XL in February reportedly cost $2.5 million. David Gilliland's NASCAR stock car is covered by representations of larger-than-life M&Ms.
Seemingly on its own little island lies Red Bull. The company that produces the highly caffeinated energy drink of the same name has managed to push into the sports business world in a way that could be either just consistent with its corporate philosophy or a trend soon to be adopted by others.
Red Bull's approach lies in the ownership of teams and events rather than just the sponsorship of them; this gives the company not just exposure but also control. Founder Dietrich Mateschitz estimates spending $300 million, or about a third of his company's annual marketing expenditures, on sports sponsorships.
The most well known, and the costliest, are the two Formula One teams. In March, Mateschitz -- who is based in Austria -- bought the New York MetroStars of Major League Soccer and renamed them the New York Red Bulls.
In 2007, Mateschitz will expand that sports budget by starting a two-car NASCAR team not surprisingly named Team Red Bull. There also are the smaller events: Alpine skiing, BASE jumping, sailing, BMX freestyle dirt and skateboard vert.
David Carter, the executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute, said the energy drink industry has made strides in sports marketing, in part because the brands transcend their immediate demographic category. Red Bull has branded itself a lifestyle product and has aligned itself with the lifestyle associated with action or extreme sports and motorsports.
"Clearly, sports have become entertainment, and in many ways, Red Bull has become a lifestyle product linked to entertainment in its own right," Carter said. "Red Bull's brand is more robust than a lot of other brands in that category."
To date, Red Bull has relied on few conventions to brand its product, eschewing them in favor of letting the product develop a cult-like status through the underground. Despite the company's preference for hosting an event where people create their own human flying devices rather than a traditional magazine ad, Red Bull is still very interested in conquering the American beverage market. Sports, and specifically auto racing, has been its primary avenue. In the United States, entry into NASCAR is the next obvious step.
While Red Bull does not disclose its financial data, a primary sponsor of a single stock car averages about $15 million to $20 million annually. What makes the NASCAR project of interest is Red Bull's approach. Unlike most companies that elect to sponsor a car, Red Bull has chosen to own its teams, an uncommon decision in modern day NASCAR.
"They're really, in their own way, turning the NASCAR model on its ear," said Mike Bartelli, senior vice president for motorsports at Millsport. "It's not just the fact that they'll own the team as a sponsor, but their marketing approach is certainly going to be different."
Red Bull will have the 83 Car (there are 8.3 ounces in a can of Red Bull) driven by Brian Vickers, currently with Hendrick Motorsports. The second car, which may be aligned with another sponsor, is still to be determined.
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The Red Bull corporation, producers of the energy drink and owners of the MLS soccer team, has staked its place in a crowded marketplace with a unique, trail-blazing approach.
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EchoStar Loses Court Ruling On Some TV Transmissions
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Hundreds of thousands of Dish Network subscribers could lose access to shows on traditional television networks as early as today after a Supreme Court justice's decision yesterday that brings an end to lawsuits that have been tied up in court for more than eight years.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas yesterday let stand a May ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit that ordered EchoStar Communications Corp., the parent company of Dish Network, to stop transmitting network programming to 800,000 subscribers -- those who live in mostly rural areas too far to receive local stations with regular antennas.
The decision stemmed from lawsuits filed by News Corp.'s Fox Network and stations affiliated with the four major networks, all claiming that EchoStar has been illegally offering distant-network signals to customers who are capable of receiving television signals from nearby cities.
Rural customers who live within the reach of a local television broadcast are not eligible to receive network programming from a satellite TV company, which usually offers transmissions from stations in large cities, such as New York or Los Angeles.
For more than eight years, Englewood, Colo.-based EchoStar has been battling broadcast networks that say the satellite provider is illegally encroaching on their markets and taking a chunk out of their audiences. EchoStar has frequently settled with local stations to maintain its presence in rural markets.
This time, analysts said, the satellite company may be required to halt service to all subscribers who receive the network transmissions, even if the subscriptions are legal.
"It looks like the company is running out of legal options and it's going to have to take some drastic steps to appease customers who are losing access to these signals, whether it be lowering rates or helping them find access to other channels," said Thomas W. Eagan, an analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. in New York.
"The subscription television marketplace has become very saturated and people are looking to be compensated," he said. "This could send customers straight to DirecTV or cable."
The Supreme Court's decision was "not unexpected," according to a statement released by EchoStar.
"We have settled with hundreds of stations and station groups over the eight and a half years this case has been winding its way through the court system, and we continue to negotiate with the broadcasters who have not yet settled," the company said.
The ruling is a double victory for media mogul Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., which owns Fox and DirecTV Group Inc., the nation's largest satellite television company.
As the subscription television space becomes increasingly competitive, companies are going to become more aggressive in ensuring their edge in the market, said Matthew J. Harrigan, an analyst with Janco Partners in Colorado.
"You're going to see this continual jockeying of ethical positions," he said. "There's no reason to believe Murdoch is going to back off and this is one of the tactical maneuvers he had to work with."
The loss of 800,000 rural subscribers, about 6 percent of EchoStar's 12.5 million customers, could cost the company several million dollars in revenue, analysts said.
EchoStar reported a profit of about $169 million for the quarter ended June 30, down from about $856 million for the same quarter a year ago, which included a $593 million extraordinary gain. It added 195,000 subscribers from April to June.
The company's stock closed yesterday at $31.67 per share, down 27 cents, or 0.9 percent.
Satellite TV companies had explosive growth in the mid-1990s as they reached out to rural customers who did not have access to multi-channel programming.
"A decade ago, satellite TV was a boon to rural subscribers," said Craig E. Moffett, a senior analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. "Now that game has largely played out. The obvious beneficiary here is DirecTV."
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Continuing coverage of the Supreme Court nomination and confirmation process from The Washington Post.
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Kidnapped Journalists Appear on Videotape
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JERUSALEM, Aug. 23 -- Kidnappers released a videotape Wednesday of two Fox News journalists abducted nine days ago in the Gaza Strip, and in language that ominously echoed kidnappers in Iraq, they claimed offenses had been committed against Islam and demanded that the United States release all Muslims from its jails.
The video showed American reporter Steve Centanni, 60, and New Zealand cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, casually dressed and looking fit. The two men said they had received food, water and access to showers. "Our captors are treating us well," Centanni said.
"We are in fairly good condition," Centanni said. Addressing his family, he said: "We love you all and want to go home. Hope to see you soon."
A statement signed by a group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades demanded that all Muslims in American jails be released within 72 hours. It did not make any direct threat to harm the two journalists when the deadline passes, but it noted that "those who have been unjust will find out the consequences."
John Moody, a senior vice president with Fox News, said in a statement released Wednesday: "We're encouraged that our colleagues appear to be alive and well in the tape that was released today. We trust that the abductors understand they are responsible for Steve and Olaf's welfare and safe return. We ask for their immediate release."
"The United States strongly condemns the kidnapping of these independent journalists, who were in Gaza to tell the Palestinian story to the world," State Department spokeswoman Julie Reside said. "They should be released immediately and without condition. This kidnapping highlights the challenges and dangers to freedom of the press that journalists face every day as they seek to cover events in areas of conflict around the world."
More than a dozen journalists have been kidnapped in Gaza in the past year, but most have been released within hours.
"Usually, the kidnappers announce very quickly who they are and what they want. That was not true this time," said Gef Julliard, an editor at Reporters Without Borders, an organization to promote press freedom, speaking from Paris. "They may be emulating the groups in Iraq. We are worried this is a global trend."
The statement itself bore none of the hallmarks of past Palestinian demands. It did not seek the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the demands were aimed at the United States rather than at Israel. The rhetoric sought to portray the kidnapping as an act in a wider war between Islam and the United States.
"I have never heard of this group. It seems from the style and name and demands that it is an al-Qaeda style group," said Ziad Abu Amr, an independent member of the Palestinian legislature in Gaza and an author of books on radical Islam. "The journalists were kidnapped because they were Westerners. It is clear the demands are not geared at domestic issues."
The kidnapping of the journalists, who were seized at gunpoint in daylight near the center of Gaza City, has raised concerns about the ability of reporters to cover the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Western reporters received warnings Tuesday from their embassies and from journalists in Gaza to stay away.
"I think it has a potentially chilling effect on the ability of the news media to report on Gaza," said Joel Campagna, a Middle East expert at the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York.
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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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Bush Signs Order on Health Care
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MINNETONKA, Minn., Aug. 22 -- President Bush signed a measure Tuesday ordering federal agencies to do more to inform beneficiaries about the cost and quality of their health-care services, which federal officials hailed as a major step toward bringing greater efficiency to the nation's medical system.
The executive order requires four federal agencies that oversee large health-care programs to gather information about the quality and price of care, and to share that information with one another and with program beneficiaries.
The initiative underscores Bush's belief that the nation's health-care system would be more efficient if consumers could shop for the best care at the best price, administration officials say. "The fact is, if you have excellent information about quality, about service and about price, people make good decisions," Bush said during a roundtable here to discuss the initiative.
With the federal government paying for about 40 percent of the nation's spiraling health-care bill, administration officials said the order requiring federal agencies to develop and share information about the quality and price of care should help bring greater transparency to the business of medicine.
Under the order, the four agencies must establish programs to measure quality of care, a complicated and controversial task that officials said could take years. Beneficiaries must also be able to see the prices that the agencies pay for common medical procedures, to develop and identify practices that foster high-quality care, and, whenever possible, to use compatible computer systems and electronic health records to help track a recipient's medical care and condition. The changes must be underway by Jan. 1.
"If you have an ATM or a credit card, you can use it anywhere in the world and it works, because it's interoperable. Everybody competes but uses the same system, basically, to transact their affairs," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told reporters aboard Air Force One.
"Health care isn't like that. Roughly 85 percent of all health-care records are still paper. So a part of what we'll be talking about today is the interoperability of systems that manage health records."
The order signed by Bush also directs the federal government to identify practices that foster efficient medical care.
The affected agencies include the Defense Department, which oversees the military health-care system; the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid; the Office of Personnel Management, which is in charge of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which operates the VA health system.
During a roundtable with medical and business executives, Bush touted the executive order as well as other initiatives that he believes could harness market forces to slow the skyrocketing cost of medical care. Since 2000, the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage has increased by 73 percent. More than 45 million Americans lack health insurance.
In addition to his executive order, Bush said health savings accounts, which allow people to save tax-free money to pay for routine medical costs, while insuring only catastrophic expenses, would go a long way to making consumers more interested in the cost of their health care. He also promoted association health plans, which would allow small businesses to join across state lines to buy health insurance.
"I guess if I had to summarize how I view it, I would say there's a choice between having the government make decisions or consumers make decisions. I stand on the side of encouraging consumers," Bush said. ". . . Health-care policy ought to be aimed at bolstering the consumer, empowering individuals to be responsible for health-care decisions -- is kind of the crux about what we're talking about."
Staff writer Christopher Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
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MINNETONKA, Minn., Aug. 22 -- President Bush signed a measure Tuesday ordering federal agencies to do more to inform beneficiaries about the cost and quality of their health-care services, which federal officials hailed as a major step toward bringing greater efficiency to the nation's medical...
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Just a Few Extra Pounds Could Mean Fewer Years, Study Finds
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Bad news for all those baby boomers starting to pile on the pounds as they go through middle age: You don't have to be obese -- just a little overweight -- to increase your risk of dying prematurely, according to a large government study.
The 10-year study of more than 500,000 U.S. adults found that those who were just moderately overweight in their fifties were 20 percent to 40 percent more likely to die in the next decade. Another study involving more than 1 million Korean adults, also being published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, produced similar results.
The studies, both released yesterday, were aimed at helping resolve a long debate over whether the millions of Americans who are not obese but are nevertheless considered overweight are at significant risk.
"These findings are very important," said Michael F. Leitzmann of the National Cancer Institute, which led the U.S. study. "A substantial proportion of the population in the U.S. is overweight. So if overweight is related to premature death, that's very important to public health."
The findings are particularly relevant to the large number of baby boomers who are going through that critical period of middle age when people typically gain weight.
"What we need to do is try to encourage people to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight gain," Leitzmann said.
The findings were welcomed by public health and obesity experts as powerful new evidence that people should do whatever they can to maintain a healthy weight.
"The take-home message is that if you are not obese but just overweight, it's still a good idea to lose weight," said Thomas A. Wadden, president of the Obesity Society. "It's kind of a bummer, but maybe this will help motivate people that it's time to do something about their weight."
Skeptics, however, remain unconvinced, saying the analysis is flawed and will alarm people unnecessarily.
"I think they are just adding to the obesity hysteria," said Glenn A. Gaesser of the University of Virginia. "They are presenting the data in a way that paints overweight and obesity in the worst possible light. It's not as bad as they make it seem."
The number of Americans who are overweight has been increasing steadily in the United States. About two-thirds of Americans are now overweight, including about a third who are obese. Anyone with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, whereas a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese. (A 5-foot-10-inch adult who weighs between 174 and 208 pounds is considered overweight; above that is considered obese.)
Studies clearly show that obesity increases the risk for a host of ailments -- including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis -- and that obese people are more likely to die prematurely.
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Science news from The Washington Post. Read about the latest breakthroughs in technology, medicine and communications.
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D.C. Has All Its Teachers, But Some Lack Certificates
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D.C. school system officials have filled all teacher vacancies before the start of the school year, largely by retaining hundreds of uncertified teachers who were threatened early this year with dismissal.
The school system had 866 teacher vacancies because of dismissals and early retirements, yet it will begin school Monday with only 20 unfilled slots for part-time librarians. That is in sharp contrast with recent years, when the system was struggling to fill vacancies long after schools opened.
Officials said they filled more than half of this year's vacancies by rehiring 470 uncertified teachers who still need at least a year to complete requirements. The teachers must take up to four classes in their subject areas -- such as math, reading or special education -- and pass exams to receive certification.
Superintendent Clifford B. Janey allowed the uncertified teachers to apply for openings for which the system could not recruit teachers with full credentials after school officials acknowledged that it would be difficult to find more than 800 certified teachers over the summer.
In January, Janey moved to end the practice of allowing uncertified teachers to remain in classrooms by announcing that he would dismiss 1,100 of them. Some of those teachers obtained certification. Although Janey dismissed 370 others who would need more than a year's worth of courses, he acknowledged that the system could face a shortage of teachers if it did not include some uncertified teachers in the pool of applicants for vacancies.
The 470 uncertified teachers rehired are either taking or planning to take courses to obtain their credentials, said Tony Demasi, the school system's executive director of human resources.
"The teachers made an honest effort to move forward, and we didn't want to punish them," Demasi said. "When I got here in 2002, we didn't begin hiring new teachers until the third week in August. . . . We were not able to fill all the vacancies until several months into the school year."
Nathan Saunders, vice president of the Washington Teachers' Union, said school officials have worked with the organization to improve the recruiting situation. "We've got a good working relationship," he said. "Where problems have exposed themselves, we've been successful in resolving them expeditiously."
Still, Saunders added, "we're in a mode of cautious optimism." He said the union is asking all 4,400 members to notify him and other officials if they have not been assigned. "I'm personally . . . going to monitor the progress on issues on the first and second weeks of school."
School officials also have filled 32 principal vacancies, created by retirements and Janey's decision not to renew one-year contracts.
Two schools will have acting principals -- Barbara Childs at Cardozo Senior High in Northwest and Kyle Bacon at Drew Elementary in Northeast -- the same number as last year, said Nicole Wilds, the school system's director of recruitment.
School officials said they hired an uncertified teacher only when they were unable to find a certified one. "We always went to the certified pool first," said Erika L. Wesley, the system's licensure administrator. The schools hired the uncertified teachers when the certified teachers left in the pool did not match the positions.
Wesley added that principals decided whether the 470 uncertified teachers would be rehired for their previous positions.
Seventy uncertified teachers who were unable to find positions will go into a pool -- which includes 100 other candidates recruited from across the country -- from which the system will draw if teachers leave in September, Demasi said. Uncertified teachers will be removed from the pool if they are unable to find jobs in the system by the end of next month, Wilds said.
Wesley said her office is working closely with the uncertified teachers to ensure that they obtain their credentials by the June deadline.
Moreover, she said, her office is working with the union to provide workshops for teachers to help them pass the exam required for certification.
In June, the Board of Education ordered the system to close five underenrolled schools.
Demasi said the system has reassigned all 120 or so teachers from those schools. The majority of the teachers, he said, were transferred to the same schools as their students.
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D.C. school system officials have filled all teacher vacancies before the start of the school year, largely by retaining hundreds of uncertified teachers who were threatened early this year with dismissal.
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Sweet on Stockholm: Three Places to Dine
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The geography of Stockholm's inner city is the envy of any urban planner, especially one with a quantitative bent. A third of the Swedish capital's total area is dedicated to parks (there are 38), another third is water (57 bridges connect the city's 14 islands), and the final third is urbanized. With all of that open air, green space, easy pedestrian access and tranquil water, it's easy to work up an appetite. Here are three dining options that take full advantage of Stockholm's natural surroundings.
In early summer, when the sun essentially never sets in Stockholm, locals and visitors sit outside, enjoying their coffee and soaking up the sunshine that gets them through winter. There's no better place for this simple pleasure than the Cookbook Cafe, off Birger Jarlsgatan in Vasastaden, a district of Stockholm.
Just as England has its 4 o'clock tea time, Sweden has fika, a coffee-and-cake break that happens every afternoon at 3. Swedes take their fika seriously: It is classified with breakfast, lunch and dinner as one of the four meals of the day. Guests make their way to the Cookbook Cafe for the atmosphere -- at an outside table overlooking a park or inside among the stools, cushioned chairs and bookshelves -- and for some of the best cakes and sweets in the city.
Monica Eisenman and Lisa Eisenman Frisk -- co-owners, co-chefs and sisters -- infuse their menu with flavors from the world they've experienced, from Ethiopia to the United States to Japan, Spain, France and northern Sweden. Their food melds flavors and textures that suggest a friendly working relationship of ethnicities and nationalities.
Consider the chevre cheesecake med lingonkraem (cheesecake with goat's milk cheese and lingonberries), which comes from New York to Sweden via Paris. The American influence is pronounced in the Southern pecan pie and the applesauce cookies punctuated with lingonberries. Recipes for these treats and more appear in Eisenman and Frisk's first cookbook, "Two Sisters' Sweets."
Info: Birger Jarlsgatan 76, 011-46-8-2063-08; sandwiches and salads run $8 to $10.
The reservationist at Kungsholmen is very thorough. Call to book a table and she will tell you not only what time your dinner will begin but also what time it will end. "We can seat you at 6:45," she told me, then added with an air of and-now-the-bad-news, "but if you'd like to continue dining after 8:45, we can reseat you at the bar."
Fortunately, sitting at Kungsholmen's bar is not such a bad thing. In fact, the bar defines the restaurant's concept. Guests mix and match their own menu from six "bars"-- sushi, salad, soup, bread, bistro and grill. Each bar has an individual open kitchen outlining the dining space along two opposite sides. Earpieces, along with hand gestures and sharp looks firing across the room, help the cooks synch the timing of the orders. So, one guest's morel soup with port wine from the soup bar arrives at the same time as the other diner's pain de campagne with duck and foie gras from the bread bar across the way. It's like culinary choreography, assisted in part by the (mostly very tall) servers and runners who whisk the food from the bars to the tables.
Classic Swedish cuisine is called husmanskost, or plain-folks food, and features meat, potatoes and fish. But plain-folks food is not what you will find at Kungsholmen. Meat appears as Asian barbecue and veal kebab, potatoes are frites , and fish is ceviche, sashimi or blini with bleak roe.
Info: Norr Maelarstrand Kajplats 464, 011-46-8-505-244-50; entrees cost $23 to $35.
There are plenty of places to stop and eat as you stroll through the Kungliga Djurgarden, the king's former deer park and the best-preserved island in Stockholm. But only at the cafe at Rosendals Traedgard would you not be surprised if Pippi Longstocking pulled up a chair beside you.
At this tiny cafe near the center of the island, homemade breads and pastries are arranged smorgasbord-style (the word translates to sandwich-board or buffet-style table, set with many small dishes). Guests circle the table choosing delicacies as they go along. For something more substantial, a small but premium selection of sandwiches and salads is available from the cashier, who is handed the dishes through the window that opens into the kitchen behind her.
It's Alice Waters's dream come true: garden-to-table, in one door of the kitchen (from the garden) and out the other (to the guest). The cafe is surrounded by vegetable, flower and fruit gardens; guests wander through the gardens, witnessing the planting and harvesting, and smelling and seeing the ingredients before they arrive at the cafe. Gardeners pass the food to the cooks, who process it minimally and pass it to the cashier, who passes it to the diner. The visitor then passes back underneath the boughs of trees and greenery to find a seat at picnic tables arranged in the orchard under the outstretched branches of apple trees.
Save a seat for Pippi.
Info: Rosendalsterrassen 12, 011-46-8-545-812-70; cakes and pies from $5.
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Sample three dining options that take full advantage of Stockholm's natural surroundings.
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PBS Wide Angle: 'Turkey's Tigers'
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Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Welcome to The Washington Post's Web chat about the Wide Angle program, "Turkey's Tigers," which aired yesterday evening on PBS. Matthew O'Neill and I will be answering your questions on this film and the Wide Angle series. While you're online, please feel free to check out our Web site (http://www.pbs.org/wideangle), which includes the full transcript of our post-film interview with political cartoonist Salih Memecan as well as expanded context for the film.
Boulder, Colo.: How did you gain access to the people in the film? Did these guys see this film as a marketing tool or great PR for their businesses?
Mathew O'Neill: Mustafa Karaduman definitely saw this film as an opportunity to spread awareness of Tek-bir (the conservative fashion company). He is trying to expand across central Asia and in Europe (one son is in London hoping to open a store there). And the businessmen in Kayseri are hoping to raise the profile of their city - both around turkey and around the world.
Wilmington, Del.: I really enjoyed the film last night, but I was wondering why you didn't feature any Christian businessmen in Turkey as well. Isn't there a large Christian population there as well?
Mathew O'Neill: Although there are Christian communities in Turkey that have existed for centuries, more than 95% of the population is Muslim.
Mt. Lebanon, Pa.: Have your subjects the little tigers of the Middle East- attempted to work with "The Other Iraq?" Kurdistan? If so, what? Joint ventures? Reciprocal investment?
After all, the Kurds are going places. With the help of the West or without. It would be forward looking and progressive-minded to get on board with them.
Mathew O'Neill: Actually, just before we started filming in June, there was a biq "Iraq" business expo in the south eastern city of Diyarbakir - my understanding is that there is a lot of business back and forth over the border (legal and blackmarket). Erdogan Aslan (the Kayseri businessman from the film who runs the executive assistant training for women) actually has a contract with the Iraqi government to provide mattreses.
New York, N.Y.: I saw your film on Turkey last night. It was good to see something on the Islamic world that didn't show fanatics, just regular, religious people. But why were there no women CEOs profiled, just the model and the sales staff? Is that still largely a man's world or just for the religious Muslims?
Nina Chaudry: The employment rate among men in Kayseri is just as high as in Europe (74 percent). However, the employment rate of women is only 37 percent. Things did appear to be slowly changing. Many of the businessmen in Kayseri whose wives wore the head scarf and stayed at home had daughters whom they hoped would get involved in business - regardless of whether they wore the head scarf or not.
Goshen, N.Y.: Very Interesting program. Is this a very fragile balance, secular Turkey and the fundamentalist side of Turkey? Or was my view skewed, and perhaps the fundamentalist side of Islam is not actually as great a segment of the population as it appeared in the cities profiled by the film? And how are world events affecting this balance in Turkish society?
Nina Chaudry: While religious expression and piety may be on the rise in Turkey, fundamentalism in Turkey is still marginal, with experts saying it represents less than 5 percent of the population.
Reston, Va.: Thanks for the fascinating film on Turkey and business. I always think that business is a great way to keep a society stable -- be it that the people are employed or that the employers have an investment in a stable workforce. But how did the businessmen react to you as Americans (assuming that you are)? Did they discuss their thoughts about recent events -- Iraq, Iran, Israel/Lebanon -- with you? Do they see Americans as attacking Islam or are they more interested in the nation as a possible future business partner or market? Thank you.
Mathew O'Neill: To a person, the businessmen we met in Turkey were friendly with us and enthusiastic about the attention we were bringing to their businesses - professionally they all saw America as a potential market, a trading partner and a source of capital.
However, when American actions in Iraq were discussed (again, practically to a person) the businessmen expressed regret and trepidation. Teh feeling I got from most Turks I spoke with was that the war in Iraq had greatly dampened any enthusiasm they might have for the United States and the U.S. Government - but not their feelings about the American people. Traveling as an American journalist, I consistently felt welcome and safe.
As for Iran, Turkey really does serve as a bridge between East and West here. Around the same time we were filming with Foreign Minister Gul, he was shuttling between Tehran, Washington and Moscow - presumably discussing the nuclear issue in Iran.
We had finished filming before the Israel/Lebanon war began - so it wasn't a hot topic of discussion - but Turkey traditionally has closer ties with Israel than its middle eastern neighbors.
Washington, D.C.: How many Muslim women do not wear the head scarf and dress in a Western style fashion? And the women that do ... are they looked won upon? Do they marry, have families?
Mathew O'Neill: In Istanbul most women do not wear the head scarf. Since the founding of the Turkish republic after WWI, traditional religious attire has been discouraged by the gov't. "Uncovered" women are more common than "covered" women - and they fully participate in all aspects of Turkish life - especially in urban areas. Even in a conservative city like Kayseri from what I saw on the streets it would appear that only about half of the women wear the head scarf every time they go out in public. As you see in the film, the Mayor of Kayseri's daughter does not choose to wear a head scarf - and she is a successful small business owner and recently got married - even though her mother wears the head scarf and her father is a high-profile politician of a conservative party with Islamic roots.
New York, N.Y.: What do you think caused the relatively recent surge of Muslim fundamentalism in Turkey? Up until 5/6 years ago, there were virtually no "covered" women in major cities like Istanbul and Ankara. Where did this sudden piety come from?
Nina Chaudry: I wouldn't say that there is a rise in Muslim fundamentalism in Turkey, but a rise of piety. Even five or six years ago, there were covered women in the major cities, there are just more now -- as people have migrated from villages to cities looking for jobs.
Rockville, Md.: I have wondered how modern technology and business methods could be transferred to the Middle East. Perhaps Turkey can do this. What do you think? How many cultural barriers will prevent it? I expect a more developed Middle East would use its oil wealth for industry rather than sell it to others.
Mathew O'Neill: One of the reasons we were interested to make this film was because of the western business practices we saw being adopted by more traditional conservative businessmen in Kayseri. They are combining their pious lifestyle with modern business practices. In many Turkish companies western business practices have long been the norm. In Kayseri we saw a conservative community embracing modern business techniques.
Turkey is often referred to as a model for a successful democracy in the Muslim world - we were interested in focusing on these conservative businessmen because in a way they seemed to be a model of a successful market economy in the Muslim world. Unlike the oil rich states to its south, Turkey's economy is based on creation, not extraction. And the pious businessmen are finding personal, financial and political success as they embrace the global economy and modern business practices.
New York, N.Y.: Are blue jeans sold in Turkey and if so do women wear them?
Mathew O'Neill: Women absolutely wear blues jeans in Turkey - and in Istanbul jeans are as common as mini-skirts and halter tops (or head scarfs). The pious and the secular exist side by side.
Though Tekbir did not sell any denim outfits, I did see conservative clothing made completely from denim in both Kayseri and Istanbul.
Cleveland, Ohio: To be accurate, 99.8 percent of Turks are Muslim (some agnostic or atheist, for sure), 0.2 percent are Christians and Jews.
Harrisburg, Pa.: Have there been any strong religious objections voiced over these new fashions or are religious groups tolerate of them?
Nina Chaudry: Some people have criticized Tekbir for having women model his clothing and for exploiting his faith for the purpose of his business. Though Tekbir clearly has strong customer support that allows the company to expand.
Erie, Pa.: Did you have any scary moments while you were there? I haven't heard of any terrorist acts in Turkey for quite a while -- since that big one against the two synagogues a few years ago. Does there seem to be a noticeable radical Islamic group functioning there that we don't hear about?
Mathew O'Neill: The "scariest" moment might have been the excess of food and hospitality we were offered in every Turkish home (whether secular or pious, conservative or liberal).
Though some experts believe there are radical Islamic groups operating in Turkey - fundamentalist believers are a fringe element of the society.
Arlington, Va.: "Are blue jeans sold in Turkey"
What an ignorant statement. So if a person wears blue jeans and a tight tank, does that make them modern? One can wear that AND be a Muslim!
I continually get asked that question, as a Muslim, by very ignorant, biased people. With that said, I enjoyed your program.
Mathew O'Neill: I the think the jury is out on whether denim is the definition of modernism...
But seriously - better that people ask the question, than assume that Muslims don't wear blue jeans.
Short Hills, N.J.: Congratulations to both of you on a well-made program.
The dichotomy of a devoutly Muslim textile entrepreneur and a secular one was very interesting and tactfully handled.
I am a native of Turkey and seeing Kayseri, after 30 years, with its panorama of Mount Erciyes in the background was an added bonus for me.
Now that you've gotten a taste and a perspective of my beautiful native land and it's hospitable people, any other projects for your team involving Turkey?
Nina Chaudry: Thanks for your comment. There are only three more episodes of Wide Angle this season. We'll start up again next July and are always looking for human stories uncovering global issues throughout the world. Send us an email if you have any other story ideas for Turkey. We have nothing planned yet.
New York, N.Y.: I am a Muslim woman living in New York, and chose not to cover myself. The whole point behind the hijab/chadoor is to make yourself "unattractive" to the opposite sex; i.e., help men control their urges. Did the Tekbir owner ever address the fact that his line of clothing is actually very oxymoronic? It seems to me that trying to beautify women with his savvy clothes is contrary to his belief.
Mathew O'Neill: Philosophically Karaduman and Tekbir are full of contradictions - he believes that all women should be "covered" but at the same time is selling more form-fitting, stylish conservative clothing - and he is happy to sell outfits that work well with or without the veil - even designing an outfit that has a hood of sorts that can be taken down and replaced easily. And he will shake women's hands while most of his brothers will not (some strict interpretations of Islamic law say there cannot be direct physical contact between men and women). Tekbir's ambitions are a combination of compromises and contradictions - and right now its quite a lucrative combination.
Madison, Wisc.: I missed the first part of the program last night, so forgive me if this was discussed early on. Did the two business owners profiled (for Tekbir and the other one) know each other? Do they see each other as competition -- are there women who might shop at either store?
It was a fascinating program.
Nina Chaudry: The two owners do know each other, though they do not see each other as competition. They cater to a different clientele, selling very different clothing. Though I imagine some women would at least stop in both stores.
Munich, Germany: Did you get into any discussions regarding Turkey's admittance into the European Union?
I think that the European hardliners who intrinsically oppose a Turkish membership are in the minority. However, many Europeans are worried that the cost of bringing the majority of Turks to a European living standard will overwhelm the European Union.
What are the opinions of Turkish businessmen?
Mathew O'Neill: Strangely there was a lot of apathy. I assumed all the businessmen would be really gung-ho for EU membership. But given the "Lucy and the football" relationship it seems the EU and Turkey have, enthusiasm for EU membership in turkey is waning. And all the businessmen (conservative and secular, big and small) said the EU membership seemed so distant the process was not affecting their plans. Ipekyol is already in Europe - and many of the businessmen see central Asia and the middle east as important markets as well - generally they want to eliminate barriers to trade - but don't care if that comes from EU membership of other border deals.
Hackensack, N.J.: What were some of your most memorable experiences while researching and filming this program?
Mathew O'Neill: I will never forget the variety of the mosques in Istanbul and Kayseri. My only previous travel in the Middle East was in Kuwait and Iraq and I never had the opportunity to enjoy such stunning architecture.
If anyone is interested in asking more questions, please feel free to get in contact with me through DCTV or Wide Angle. www.dctvny.org or www.pbs.org/wideangle
Thanks so much for coming to the Washington Post today to chat with us.
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Open Cup match tonight, LA in town Saturday, college season commences this weekend...
Montgomery Village, Md.: Steve We went to see DCU last Saturday---hadn't been for a while. Good experience, but the team looked flat on offense and was outplayed by Colorado, at least in the first half. What's up with the lads? Also, the officiating was some of the most inconsistent I have ever seen. Finally, a few signs on the BW parkway/295 and then in the city directing folks to RFK might be very helpful. I think there may be dozens of Nats and DCU fans from the 'burbs still driving around in D.C. looking for RFK. Thanks
Steven Goff: Team is sluggish, and, as some of the players mentioned after the Colorado match, maybe a little fatigued, maybe a little complacent.
Saturday will be an interesting match: LA plays well at RFK, Landon might be stepping up his play and Santino is highly motivated to perform against his former team.
As for signs to RFK, ha! Good luck. Grab a map. Get a GPS. The city ain't going to help you.
Reading!: How about Reading with the huge comeback win in their first match in the Premiership! It will be fun to watch how they do, especially with a couple of Yanks on the club.
Steven Goff: What a debut, indeed. Two down, win 3-2. Good start for Convey, Hahnemann and Co. Always fun to monitor the newly promoted clubs.
Herndon, Va.: Here are my picks for the three players who have been the most pleasant surprises this year for MLS:
Andy Herron, Chicago Fire; Jonathan Bornstein, Chivas; Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas
Steven Goff: Bornstein might just be the rookie of the year. The Salt Lake rookie central midfielder is very good too. And Kenny Cooper has shown that he could have a future as a target forward on the national team.
Great Mills, Md.: What are your thoughts on DCU's new player, Donnet? Any word on when he might be available to play?
Steven Goff: He's not in game shape, so it's just as well he's had to wait for a work visa. Should be at least another week before he's eligible. I'd imagine we'll see him on the flank in the second half and, if he performs well and picks up the system, he'll get some starts.
Fairfax, Va.: Do you think clubs are doing a better job of containing Gomez, thus the recent poor showings by D.C. United?
Steven Goff: That's certainly part of it. Teams understand that the best way to disrupt United's attack is to pressure Gomez as soon as he touches the ball.
Toro Rojo de Nueva York: Given today's article on Red Bull owning two F1 teams, do they plan to stop at one MLS franchise or is there a possibility of several teams being named Red Bull?
Steven Goff: I would guess the N.Y. club will be their only MLS entry.
Herndon, Va.: Any idea of what the coaching staff thought of Stokes's performance in the last match?
Steven Goff: For a first league appearance in more than a year, they thought he did okay.
With United trailing at the half, however, he was the first option to remove in order to add an attacking player.
Little Rock, Ark.: Ready to forecast that 2010 US WC team?
Steven Goff: In the words of Peter Nowak, 10 players and a goalie.
Wayyyyyy too early to say.
You would think, however, that Beasley, Donovan, Convey, Onyewu, Dempsey, Howard, etc. would be in the mix.
Let's also see who emerges from the under-23 national team (Adu, etc.).
Detroit, Mich.: Why do so many Americans play in the EPL? Is it simply easier to get a work visa or clear other bureaucratic hurdles? Or is the style and pace of play easier to adapt to than say the German or Spanish leagues. Obviously language plays a factor too.
Steven Goff: Much easier transition -- language, culture, etc. It could also be argued that the physical nature of the English leagues -- and German too -- make it a better fit for American players.
Arlington, Va.: Once again the young, talented Hoosiers take it to the Terps. It'd be nice to see those two give it a go again at the end of the season.
Steven Goff: Exhibition game. I don't think the Terps are too upset about a 1-0 loss.
Maryland has a lot of lineup spots to fill, so they could have some trouble early in the season.
Arlington, Va.: Why did Quaranta struggle so much at D.C. but now he's scoring a goal every game for LA? How long until he gets injured again?
Steven Goff: Santino needed a change of scenery. He might become a star player for LA, he might get hurt again and continue to underachieve. Who knows...
Bottom line: It was in his, and the team's, best interests to make a move.
Baltimore, Md.: Does Peter Nowak sign a new contract w/ D.C. United or does he go to Chicago after they fire Sarachan at the end of the season?
Steven Goff: Nowak's contract is up at the end of the year. I'm sure he would like to stay and DCU management would like to keep him. A lot will depend on how DCU fares in the postseason. And, if he wins another championship, his name could emerge in the U.S. national team search. At the moment, he doesn't appear to be on the short list.
Montgomery Village, Md.: Hasn't Troy Perkins been one of the real pleasant surprises as well?
Steven Goff: Good point! Perkins, a reserve last year, has had an excellent season.
I-270, Exit 1: So D.C. trades an oft-injured, under-used forward to LA and he scores two goals in his first two matches. Was it a mental block or was Nowak just reluctant to put him in?
Steven Goff: Like I said earlier, Quaranta needed a change of scenery. Between his injuries and United being set in its rotation, he was not going to play much this year. And although Quaranta may turn into a productive player in LA, United was glad to dump his large salary.
Arlington, Va.: Is Eric Wynalda as insufferable in person as he is on TV?
Steven Goff: Eric is okay. Just very opinionated, inside and outside the broadcast booth.
National team coach: "At the moment, he (Nowak) doesn't appear to be on the short list."
Who's on the short list other than Klinsmann?
Steven Goff: Only Sunil Gulati knows, but he's clearly more interested in foreign candidates at the moment.
Rockville, Md.: Wouldn't U.S. players benefit from playing in leagues with a bit more flair, such as the Spanish league? It seems that our players are lacking the creativity that opens up defenses and the EPL and Bundesliga doesn't really teach that as well as other leagues.
Steven Goff: I'm not sure U.S. players have the technical ability to succeed in Spain. Tab Ramos made it there many years ago, but he was a unique player.
Man City: I have Claudio Reyna on my EPL fantasy team. Can you tell me exactly which weeks he will miss due to injury?
Steven Goff: What's a fantasy team?
Fairfax, Va.: What do you think the odds are of Dempsey moving overseas before he's out of contract in MLS? Is he really that valuable to the league that they'd keep him here until he goes for free?
Steven Goff: Dempsey needs to go to Europe -- now. Having said that, MLS is not going to essentially give him away for a small transfer fee. They won't sell him until they feel they can get fair-market value for him. Based on his age, his goal at the WC and his style of play, he is a commodity.
Section 204: I am amazed at the concatenation of sounds I am hearing at United games -- drums from Ghana and .... bagpipes? What's going on here, has Julliard been let out for the summer?
Steven Goff: A little livelier crowd than a Nats game, eh?
Alexandria, Va.: Are the Wizards moving to Philadelphia next year? If so, that would create another great regional rivalry for United.
Steven Goff: Sources have told me, as well as the K.C. Star, that the Wizards players have been informed of a likely move to Philly if a deal with a new K.C. ownership group cannot be finalized by early this fall.
A team in Philly, the city, is not a bad idea. A team in the distant Philly suburbs is a concern.
Washington, D.C.: So Quaranta goes to Los Angeles and starts lighting things up. This trade isn't going to come back and haunt D.C., will it?
Steven Goff: Man, imagine if Quaranta scores against United this weekend at RFK?
stuck in San Fran missing DCU: I grew up a DCU season ticket holder and moved out here a few years ago. Check the Post daily for my DCU fix. Any word on realistic time table for another Bay Area MLS squad? Also, is my loyalty in question if I might fear the future of the Red Bulls just a bit?
Steven Goff: The owners of the Oakland A's have expressed interest in a new MLS team in the Bay Area, but I would be surprised if it happened.
Red Bulls should be much better next year under Arena (and after they undergo a roster overhaul).
Baltimore, Md.: More of a comment then a question. I guess I consider myself to be one of those so-called "Eurosnobs," but this past weekend I attended my first D.C. United game against the Colorado Rapids, and was very impressed with the overall atmosphere as well as the quality of play. Based on this experience alone, I will be attending more D.C. United games in the foreseeable future. In your opinion how do other teams measure in comparison to D.C. United home games. Does any MLS team come close to matching what a home match at RFK can give a fan? Thank you and keep up the outstanding work.
Steven Goff: Thanks for the comments, Baltimore.
The atmosphere at RFK is probably the best in MLS. When LA gets a big crowd in their new stadium, it's also quite passionate. Same with Chivas at Home Depot Center.
Many MLS stadiums, however, are like morgues during matches: K.C., Colorado, New England, New York. Much of it has to do with the fact that those teams play in enormous NFL stadiums. Colorado will get a medium-sized place of their own next year, joining LA, Dallas, Columbus and Chicago.
Atlanta, Ga.: Any idea what other cities may in the mix for an MLS expansion team? Any idea if Atlanta might be included? Thanks.
Steven Goff: Milwaukee, Seattle, Philly, Cleveland...
MLS has got to find a way to get a team in Seattle.
Falls Church, Va.: Is Toronto getting their own stadium or are they playing in the Skydome?
Steven Goff: New soccer stadium being built. Should be ready next year.
Silver Spring, Md.: What is former USWNT coach Tony DiCicco doing now? Is he ever considered for coaching jobs that come up in MLS?
Steven Goff: Not sure what Tony is doing.
No, not a candidate for MLS jobs.
Outside the beltway: I used to think that D.C. had a lot of depth at the forward. But no goals are coming from Jaime and Alecko, Walker is a 45-minute player, and Santino is gone. What are the options?
Several sources told me they were surprised DCU went after an outside midfielder, not a forward, when they went searching in South America.
Walker needs to start finishing his chances, or else DCU will have no serious threats off the bench.
Did Djorkaeff ever return to NY, and what was the reception?
Steven Goff: Yes, he is back.
With a new coach, all seems well at the moment.
Washington, D.C.: Does the Open Cup match tonight matter to either team? Or does it matter more to one team over the other (as in DCU is more concerned about peaking and being healthy for playoffs and Red Bulls has a lot to prove at every game)?
Is $100,000 for winning the Cup that much of an incentive?
Steven Goff: Yes, the match means a lot for both sides.
Arena has not won a game yet and he'd like nothing more than getting his first at RFK. The team in general needs to build some momentum to make a late-season run.
For United, Nowak takes every game seriously. Also consider DCU has not won this tournament in 10 years. And they certainly do not want to get eliminated at home by their fiercest rival.
Rockville, Md.: What was the response of the players/front office to John Harkes leaving to join the Red Bulls. On top of being their announcer wasn't he also like a talent evaluator or something like that? Are they happy for him since he's like an assistant under Arena or do they think he's a punk for leaving DCU for the Metrostars?
Steven Goff: John has always expressed an interest in coaching in MLS and, with his old mentor Arena in charge in NY, the move made sense.
Arlington, Va.: Where would a team play in Philly? The giant Eagles' stadium? Just what we need, another team playing on fake grass...FIFA can approve FieldTurf all they want, but it's still not a real substitute for natural grass.
Steven Goff: Until a new stadium is built, the team would perhaps play at Penn's Franklin Field. Villanova and the Eagles stadium have also been mentioned.
Falls Church, Va.: You see Arsenal taking the Prem title away from Chelsea this year? I don't see it happening unless Cesc Febragas is world class this year.
Steven Goff: It's Chelsea's year ... again.
Annandale dude: Sittin' on my couch watching the Chelsea v. Man City game right now.
How nice to have the day off.
Arlington, Va.: George Mason U.'s teams, especially the women's team, were national powerhouses throughout the eighties and nineties. In recent years they have dropped off the radar screen. Looking at their schedules, it seems that they play a weaker schedule than in the past. Is the university simply not supporting the teams the way it used to?
Steven Goff: Neither the men's nor the women's team is a national power anymore. In this year's CAA preseason polls, both are predicted to finish in the middle of the pack.
Honestly, I do not know whether the issue is university commitment, coaching or just a very long lull in program achievement.
Reston, Va.: USMNT coaching short list? Isn't that just a list of all tall lanky former players named Jurgen?
Steven Goff: Gulati would be foolish not to talk to other possible candidates, in case Klinsmann really is not interested. (I am just assuming Klinsmann is currently at the top of the list.)
The U.S. team might play one game this fall, so there's certainly no hurry to hire a full-time coach.
Re: DiCicco: Interesting question on DiCicco. Coaching men and women involve two entirely different motivational approaches. Anson Dorrance coached both UNC teams for a short while but has focused and been successful with the women's team. Clive Charles may have done both too, but the women's team has been more successful. I doubt a coach can successful make the cross-over without changing his/her approach.
Arlington, Va.: Will Nowak use the regulars tonight? It seems that in the past the USOC was more of a reserve team type of situation. Does Rimando get some playing time? How about some of the other young guys?
Steven Goff: I am assuming Rimando will start, as he did in the Open Cup round of 16 match against Columbus.
Gomez is very doubtful. Otherwise, most if not all the regulars will likely play.
Arlington, Va.: To me, Josh Gros seems to be the most well rounded player on D.C. United. He has good mobility, lots of stamina, crosses with either foot, good defense, and does not shy away from hard tackles. Any thoughts on him playing for the National Team or in Europe?
Steven Goff: Gros has a promising future. Great work ethic, speed, gets up and down the field, works at defense. His crossing needs improvement and he'll need to become more threatening with the ball around the penalty area. Nonetheless, I'm sure he'll get a look from the new national team coach and, perhaps someday, a Euro offer.
Burke, Va.: What is the story on Watford's Jay DaMerit? Where did he come from? He seems to be a regular starter but there is nothing on this guy? Sounds like a good story to me...
Steven Goff: Heck of a story. Little known player from Wisconsin, took a chance by going to England and trying to catch on with a club (ANY club) and eventually wound up with Watford, which earned promotion to the Premiership.
Perhaps a national team candidate next year?
From the current D.C. United roster, who do you think will end up in Europe over the next few years? And who on the current roster do you think will be in the mix for the 2010 U.S. World Cup team?
Steven Goff: Adu will be off to Europe, perhaps next year. Boswell is on the right path. Gros and Carroll could draw interest at some point. Perhaps Perkins...
As for 2010, hard to say. Too early. Boswell has potential, as does Carroll, Gros and maybe Eskandarian. Adu too.
Fairfax, Va.: Have you followed the progress of South Africa in hosting the 2010 World Cup? Is everything on track right now for them?
FIFA is keeping a close eye on South Africa's progress in terms of stadiums, trains, roads, security, hotels, etc.
Long way to go, it seems.
If FIFA pulls the plug and delays South Africa's hosting for four years, the U.S., England and Germany appear ready for 2010, if necessary.
West Lafayette, Ind.: Will Barcelona win the Champions League again this year?
Steven Goff: Tough to say. They're certainly one of the favorites. Chelsea, perhaps?
Falls Church, Va.: Any chance the U.S. national team setting up a national training ground on the East Coast? And what's your take on Arena calling the Home Depot Center a theme park?
Steven Goff: I think that was Arena's sarcastic take on all the events that take place at HDC -- X Games, concerts, etc.
The reality is, HDC must host a variety of events in order to make money.
Rockville, Md.: A lot has been made about D.C. United's "lack of success" in recent games, but I wonder how much of this is related to expectations that are unrealistically high? I mean, did anyone thin DC United would be THIS good at the beginning of the season? I went to their first game and when they were down 2-0 at halftime, I believe, I thought that it was going to be a long season, especially since their last game last year was that embarrassing 4-0 loss at home!
In other words, are expectations so high now that anything short of a "double" (US Open Cup championship and an MLS championship) would be considered disappointing?
P.S. I love Peter Nowak's comment during the telecast of the Real Madrid game. When they asked him if he was going to substitute liberally, as most "friendly" games, or if he would sub like it was a "real" MLS game, he said something like "This is Real Madrid, for Christ's sake!" I rolled off my chair laughing!
Steven Goff: Thanks for the comments.
I'll leave you with that.
As always, I appreciate everyone's contributions. Feel free to reach me anytime at goffs@washpost.com
We'll do it again in two weeks...
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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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U.S. Says Iran Proposal Falls Short
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WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration said Wednesday a proposal by Iran for nuclear negotiations falls short of U.N. demands that it cease uranium enrichment, and the U.S. began plotting unspecified "next moves" with other governments.
Those could include U.N. sanctions against Iran unless it reverses course and agrees to a verifiable halt to enrichment activities that can be central to making nuclear weapons.
The State Department, in a terse statement, acknowledged that Iran considered its proposal to be a serious one. "We will review it," the statement said in what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture to a government it regularly denounces as a sponsor of terror.
But the statement went on to say that Iran's response to a joint offer of U.S, and European trade and other benefits if the enrichment program was halted "falls short of the conditions set by the Security Council" _ full and verifiable suspension of all uranium-enrichment activity.
"We are consulting closely, including with other members of the Security Council, on next steps," it said. The United Nations has set a deadline of next Thursday for a formal reply by Tehran.
President Bush met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the White House and then discussed Iran's proposal in a telephone call with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
The call was initiated by Annan, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
The administration has cautioned Iran that it will seek sanctions in the Security Council if Tehran does not step enriching uranium.
Administration officials have refrained from outlining what punishment they might have in mind. It could include economic or political penalties, perhaps international curbs on trade.
Rice, meanwhile, telephoned Javier Solana, the senior European Union diplomat who oversees exchanges with Iran. No account of their conversation, nor of her meeting with the president, was provided.
By not rejecting Iran's proposal outright, the administration indicated there may be a basis for dealing with long-held concerns that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons, an allegation the Iranians deny.
"The diplomats are continuing to look at it," Perino said. "We're working with our allies."
France took a firm and quick stand. Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Iran must suspend uranium enrichment if it wants to return to negotiations.
Russia's foreign ministry, evidently ambivalent, said it would continue to seek a negotiated solution. And China appealed for dialogue, urging "constructive measures" by Iran and patience from the United States and its allies.
Iran met its self-imposed deadline Tuesday for responding to the U.S.-European offer, which includes the possibility of U.S. help for civilian nuclear programs _ but only if Iran stops uranium enrichment.
On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, the House Intelligence Committee issued a report that concluded Iran was a strategic threat and a country focused on developing nuclear weapons capability. It also linked Iran to Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups.
"Iran's support of radical Islamists with weapons and money demonstrates in real terms the danger it poses to America and our allies," said the committee's chairman, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich. He said Iran "will not be satisfied until it poses a threat to the entire world."
The report also said there are gaps in the ability of U.S. intelligence agencies to keep up with developments in Iran's nuclear program and suggested hiring more intelligence agents who speak Farsi.
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WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration said Wednesday a proposal by Iran for nuclear negotiations falls short of U.N. demands that it cease uranium enrichment, and the U.S. began plotting unspecified "next moves" with other governments.
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U.S. Seeks to Expand Data-Sharing
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The United States is seeking to expand a post-Sept. 11 data-sharing agreement with the European Union to enable the Department of Homeland Security to retain airline passenger data longer than a few years and to share the data more freely with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The agreement, which grew out of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 and took effect in March 2004, obliges all foreign carriers flying from Europe to the United States to share airline passenger data with Customs and Border Protection agents. The arrangement has raised concerns among privacy advocates and politicians in Europe over sovereignty and privacy issues.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesman, Jarrod Agen, said yesterday that the information, which includes passengers' names, addresses, credit card details, travel itineraries, and hotel and rental car information, was "essential . . . to identify potential terrorists that we don't already have on our watchlist." The information is part of a database called the Passenger Name Record.
The negotiations, which began several months ago, are part of an ongoing debate between the United States and the European Union over how much personal information can and should be exchanged to enhance security without violating privacy.
The European Court of Justice reviewed the original agreement and on May 30 struck it down, finding problems with the legal basis that the European Council of Ministers used in entering into the pact. The court gave Europe and the United States until Sept. 30 to renegotiate the deal. E.U. officials said that they were not inclined to alter its substance but that they would make its underpinnings conform to European law.
"To meet a relatively tight deadline, our view is we should keep the agreement as close as possible to the existing deal and leave any substantial changes to a later stage," said Anthony Gooch, a spokesman for the European Commission delegation to the United States. The agreement's terms provide for the pact to be revisited in 2007, he said.
When negotiating the initial agreement, the United States sought to hold Passenger Name Record data for 50 years. A compromise was reached at 3 1/2 years. Now, U.S. officials are hoping to persuade E.U. officials to bend a little more on data retention.
"When people are developing terror plots, sometimes it takes years to unfold," Agen said. "We wouldn't want five, six, seven years later to say we had that information but had to get rid of it."
The current agreement also puts restrictions on how data can be shared with other agencies. If, for instance, the Homeland Security Department learned that a suspected terrorist used a certain cellphone to purchase plane tickets, the agency wants to be able to share that phone number with the CIA, Agen said.
U.S. officials also initially wanted access to all 60 fields of data in passenger-reservation databases, such as religious identification and dietary preference. But E.U. officials objected, and a compromise of 34 fields was reached. The Homeland Security Department is not looking to expand the amount or type of passenger data shared, Agen said.
"There is a growing concern that European data is shared by default with the American government," said Simon Davies, director of the London-based Privacy International, an advocacy group. "That has become an issue of sovereign control with Europe. They say this is yet another attempt by the United States to wrestle control of European laws away from the Europeans, that this is yet another attempt to create a global center of gravity based in Washington, D.C."
E.U. officials are separately trying to negotiate an air passenger data-sharing agreement among their 25 member states. That proposal, which likely will be put before the European Council of Ministers by year's end, has "nothing to do" with the United States, said Friso Roscam Abbing, a spokesman for Franco Frattini, the European Commission's vice president for justice, freedom and security.
The proposal, which is still being refined, will not include sharing information about religion, health conditions or dietary requirements, Abbing said. "We are obliged to put forward proposals which ensure a respect for fundamental rights but which also makes sense for law enforcement authorities," he said.
He said the proposal dates to 2004.
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The United States is seeking to expand a post-Sept. 11 data-sharing agreement with the European Union to enable the Department of Homeland Security to retain airline passenger data longer than a few years and to share the data more freely with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
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Roadway Deaths Rise to Highest Level in 15 Years
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The number of people killed on U.S. roadways in 2005 climbed to the highest level in 15 years, an increase tied to rising deaths among motorcyclists and pedestrians, the federal government reported yesterday.
A total of 43,443 people died in traffic accidents last year, up 1.4 percent from the previous year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The agency said the motorcycle death toll rose for the eighth consecutive year. Last year, 4,553 motorcyclists died on the roadways, up 13 percent from the previous year. The agency said 4,881 pedestrians were killed last year, up 4.4 percent.
"The traffic environment is getting more dangerous," said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "People are driving a lot faster. We've lost momentum in reducing alcohol-impaired driving and unprotected road users, like pedestrians, and to some extent motorcyclists are going to suffer from that."
Lund said state governments need to adopt stricter helmet laws. Twenty states have mandatory helmet laws for motorcyclists. Most recently, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas have rolled back their helmet laws, a NHTSA spokesman said. Other states began removing helmet laws in the late 1970s after federal incentives to promote them ended. States that have repealed helmet laws have seen sharp rises in motorcycle deaths, the agency said.
Figures from the annual report also showed that the number of drivers killed, ages 16 to 20, fell 4.6 percent, to 3,374 in 2005. The agency also reported a decline in crash deaths of children younger than 16.
The fatality rate in 2005 was 1.47 per 100 million miles traveled. The rate takes into account the larger number of vehicles on U.S. roads and the greater number of miles traveled. In recent years, the agency has made steady progress in lowering the rate of roadway deaths. The rate dipped to its lowest level in 2004 at 1.45.
Acting Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino said in a statement that the government had "zero tolerance" for any roadway deaths and repeated calls for motorcyclists to wear helmets and for all drivers to buckle up and stay sober. The Transportation Department oversees NHTSA.
NHTSA said it has launched an investigation into the rising number of pedestrian deaths. The agency is providing $600 million over the next three years to help states develop safety programs for pedestrians.
Occupant deaths overall, which do not include motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians, declined 1.4 percent to 31,415 in 2005. But occupant deaths in rollover crashes increased by 226, or 2.1 percent, to 10,816. Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, pointed to the increase in fatalities as support for his call for the agency to impose stronger vehicle roof-crush standards. He said the current proposal is "woefully inadequate" because it is forecast to save 44 lives per year. Congress has mandated the agency impose a new roof-crush standard by 2008.
The agency said 2.7 million people were injured in motor vehicle crashes, a 3.2 percent decline from 2004.
Men are more likely to die on the roads. In 2005, the number of men who died jumped 781 to 30,224, while female deaths declined 298 to 13,089. The number of bicyclists killed rose by 57 to 784.
NHTSA collects crash statistics annually from around the country and Puerto Rico to produce the report, based on the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The full report and data organized by state and county level are available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/ .
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The number of people killed on U.S. roadways in 2005 climbed to the highest level in 15 years, an increase tied to rising deaths among motorcyclists and pedestrians, the federal government reported yesterday.
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Traded RB Says Nolan Doesn't Know What He's Doing
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Tailback Kevan Barlow, who was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the New York Jets over the weekend, assailed 49ers Coach Mike Nolan in a telephone interview with the Contra Costa Times. "Nolan just doesn't know what he's doing," Barlow told the newspaper. "He's a first-time head coach with too much power.... He walks around with a chip on his shoulder like he's a dictator, like he's Hitler. People are scared of him. If it ain't Nolan's way, it's the highway." Barlow softened his remarks in a subsequent interview, the paper reported. The running back said that Nolan has a solid relationship with only one 49ers player, second-year quarterback Alex Smith.
By Mark Maske | August 23, 2006; 12:52 PM ET | Category: 49ers Previous: Big Spenders Might Have to Change Their Ways... At Least Slightly | Next: Holdout Branch Hopeful of Resolution With Pats
Yeah well they actually won a game..ok in pre-season... but they actually WON.
Maybe the losers should swap the gatorade for a nice warm glass of shut-the-heck-up and get down to business. They can pose and bling after they've earned the right to it by winning games.
I'm a faithful, long suffering Niner fan and frankly, the complaints about a tough new coach sound like progress to me.
Posted by: Onestring | August 23, 2006 1:40 PM
Barlow shut up, you were a chump at Pitt & the 49ers...your lucky to be in the NFL..
Posted by: tom saunders | August 23, 2006 2:23 PM
Wait wait wait. Head coaches are...DEMANDING?! It's their way...or the HIGHWAY!? My God. Revelations coming at us left and right.
When your only good year is platooning with a by-then ancient Garrison Hearst, maybe you should listen to HitlerNolan. At least he might make your train run on time.
Posted by: P.K. | August 23, 2006 3:36 PM
Nolan is only coach b/c of his dad's fame. There was a Washington Post Magazine piece about him and how he was going to be a head coach and soon. Then he was a terrible D coordinator with the Washington. Yet somehow he managed to keep getting rehired. I hope he stays on with the Niners, because that means they will be bad for a long time.
Posted by: jacketpotato | August 23, 2006 3:47 PM
Wasn't Mike Nolan Baltimore's defensive coordinator when they won it all...with their defense?
Poor Kevan...doesn't like to be told what to do.
Posted by: Hooverball | August 23, 2006 3:48 PM
barlow was an east-west runner with the niners. nolan wanted a north-south runner. he has him in frank gore. barlow was also, frequently injured, and a complainer. there's no question that there's some talent there, but with his attitude, you're not getting a team player.
Posted by: johnnymack | August 23, 2006 3:53 PM
I think Marvin Lewis was the D-Coordinator for Baltimore when they won the SB.
Posted by: costov | August 23, 2006 4:06 PM
"I'm a faithful, long suffering Niner fan and frankly ..." Oh please, I hardly consider a team that was dominant in the 80s and 90s as having long suffering fans as a joke. Try being a Browns fan and then you can say long suffering.
Posted by: DudeWheresMyCar | August 23, 2006 4:49 PM
To Jacketpotato -- He was a great defensive coordinator with the Redskins. Norv Turner was a lousy head coach (a fact even Turner would agree with -- he is a good offensive coordinator) and the Redskins owner is a meddling idiot. Until last season, the Redskins hadn't made the playoffs since Nolan was defensive coordinator. Do some research before you speak.
Posted by: ohplease | August 30, 2006 1:43 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
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A Rite of Passage, A Slice of Tradition
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Last fall, Mary Totti started planning her daughter's elaborate 15th birthday celebration, or quinceañera (pronounced KEEN-say-ahn-YAY-ra), a cultural and religious rite of passage that is a momentous occasion for many Latin American families.
"Here you do a sweet 16," said Totti, who comes from Bolivia. "In our culture, a quinceañera is very important to us. It's a presentation to society. She is a princess that night."
With the help of friends and $7,000 she and her husband had saved, Totti, a Silver Spring resident and purchasing agent for a furniture store, targeted the big day, which was Aug. 12. She found a rental ballroom, party favors and just the right dress for her daughter, Nadia Salazar, who will be a sophomore this fall at Wheaton High School.
But then came the problem with the quinceañera cake.
To understand the importance of the cake, one must appreciate the importance of the quinceañera itself. As Totti put it, the birthday is a kind of coming out.
Traditionally, the birthday girl wears a formal gown, a jeweled tiara and her first pair of high heels. Like a bride, she is attended by a "court" of 14 friends -- seven boys and seven girls, in outfits that complement hers. The festivities include a church ceremony followed by a dinner, dancing and the cutting of a fancy cake.
In this country, it's estimated that 400,000 girls of Latin American ancestry turn 15 each year, and approximately 25 percent of them celebrate with a quinceañera, according to Will Cain, publisher of Quince Girl, a national magazine that covers fashion and party trends.
And with more than 576,000 Hispanics in the Washington area, according to the most recent Census Bureau figures, everything needed for a quinceañera is available at specialty stores in the region.
In Totti's case, she knew exactly the kind of cake she wanted for her daughter: a typical Bolivian quinceañera cake.
"I wanted a simple cake, with layers of white cake filled with dulce de leche [cooked sweetened condensed milk] and maybe chopped nuts, with a whipped-cream topping stiffened with sugar," she says. A doll dressed in a copy of the ivory-and gold-colored gown her daughter would wear would go on top.
Not any cake would do. "Most cakes in this country are really sweet and have too much frosting and filling of fruit or jam," she says.
So Totti and her daughter decided to fly in a baker friend from back home in La Paz to create the perfect cake. But in a twist of fate, three days before the party was to take place, the baker could not get a visa. The hunt for a last-minute substitute from a local bakery was on.
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Last fall, Mary Totti started planning her daughter's elaborate 15th birthday celebration, or quinceañera (pronounced KEEN-say-ahn-YAY-ra), a cultural and religious rite of passage that is a momentous occasion for many Latin American families.
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Freedom Rock
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washingtonpost.com: On 'Idlewild,' OutKast Duo Is Out of Sync and Out of Luck
washingtonpost.com: We are experiencing technical difficulties at the time. We hope to resolve them and be Freedom Rocking shortly.
J. Freedom du Lac: Freedom Rock FAQ for 8/23/06:
Were you at the Bob Dylan show? (Bob Dylan was here? When?!!!? No, I wasn't there.)
When are you going to print an apology for that negative review by Chris Richards? (Why should we? [And did I really answer a FAQ with a Q? Bad form, I know.] But seriously, no. Dunno why we would.)
Is Chris Richards deaf? (He might be by now, given all those people who have been yelling at him this week.)
Have you heard the new Dylan album? (Yes.)
And? (Review runs next week.)
AND? (Kevin Federline is the new Vanilla Ice.)
Why are you talking to yourself? (I remember, I remember when I lost my mind/There was something so pleasant about that place/Even your emotions had an echo in so much space. Does that make me crazy?)
In other, non-FAQ news: Kanye West is opening a few shows for the Stones on the never-ending Bigger Bang tour. So what happens when he gets booed? It could be a crushing blow, given the fragility of his outsize ego. And he WILL get booed. It's a ritual for acts on the Stones' undercard. I mean, if they'll boo Prince, Guns N Roses, The Pixies and Living Colour ...
So what else is up?
Silver Spring, Md.: Dude. How excited am I for the Justin Timberlake show? Very excited. I haven't heard the new single, though, because I hate the radio...do you know if there's somewhere online I can hear it?
J. Freedom du Lac: Is this your FAQ for the day? Loved that you answered your own question. You can, of course, hear SexyBack at Timberlake's MySpace page.
Stars may be blind: But Paris Hilton cannot sing. Am I right?
J. Freedom du Lac: She sings better than I do. But I'm not spending a truckload of money on my debut album, either.
Washington, D.C.: Hello Mr. du Lac - Admittedly, I don't spend much time listening to hip-hop. But after hearing all the hype over Gnarls Barkley, I stayed up late one night last week to watch them on Letterman. Can't say I was much impressed. I saw a crooner that thinks he's Smokey Robinson, a keyboardist that could be a refugee from Sparks, and the entire band wearing AC/DC's cast off wardrobe. This is the future of hip-hop? What am I missing?
J. Freedom du Lac: You're missing the recorded version of "Crazy." Hip-hop is, by and large, a much more successful studio medium than a live one. And based what I, too, have seen on TV, I don't think Gnarls Barkley's performances are going to change my mind about that. Though they do have a great wardrobe.
San Diego, Calif.: Okay, here's a question for everyone out there. Name your top 5 favorite songs of all time but - here's the kicker - they have to all be a different genre. Here's mine:
1. Trad., "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Traditional)
2. Nena, "99 Red Balloons" (Pop)
3. Johnny Cash, "Cocaine Blues" (eh, call it country I guess)
4. Bob Marley, "Zimbabwe" (Reggae)
5. The Misfits, "Braineaters" (Punk Rock)
J. Freedom du Lac: I was willing to put it out there last week when asked to name my five favorite guitarists, but I'm going to have to think about this -- and for more than the 2 minutes I'd get to spend on it here. Just as I've so far refused to answer the "name your 5 favorite albums/live shows/live albums/sitar solos/etc of all-time" posts, I'm going to punt. I'll really have to marinate on this one. But ask me again next week and I promise to have an answer ... two-fifths of which will be "What's Going On?" (soul) and "Like a Rolling Stone" (folk, which is cheating, but it gives me another slot for a rock song).
Freedom Knocks: JF: If you ever wrote a review or article that did not generate disbelief, outrage, invective or just plain hurt feelings would you wonder what you did wrong?? Love your writing and the reactions they generate!
J. Freedom du Lac: Nah. My mission isn't to provoke. I'm just trying to articulate my feelings about this album, that performance, etc. And besides, your post suggests that I'm some sort of haterade-chugging misanthrope when it comes to music. Not so. I love it when I find something worth gushing over. The latest Johnny Cash album, for instance. Or the Springsteen show.
Ann Arbor, Mich.: After reading your new review of the new Outkast LP, I decided I need a nickname like Antwan "Big Boi" Patton and Andre "Andre 3000" Benjamin. Problem is: I can't think of a good one and the ones my alcoholic father came up with only make me feel worse about myself.
J. Freedom du Lac: Personally, I prefer Johnny Vulture to Andre 3000. But yeah, you're right - the world would be a much better place if everybody had a good nickname. (Fortunately, I was sort of given one at birth by my hippie parents.) Why don't you go with, say, Spanky?
Seattle, Wash.: What did you think of the "Wheezing in the Wind" review of Bob Dylan's show in Frederick? I suppose a ballpark isn't the best place to see him, but still. I saw Dylan in a beautiful old theater here last year and was impressed, despite some croakiness in his voice. And he spoke not a word, didn't even introduce his great band.
J. Freedom du Lac: I thought it a fine review. The biggest criticism we're hearing is, more or less, that we shouldn't say/write that sort of thing about a legend. Of course we should, if said legend deserves it. I didn't give James Brown a pass when he played the 9:30 because I thought the show simply wasn't very good. It's not enough to just show up. People are paying good money for a performance, not to bask in the glow of a particular artists's past greatness. I mean, really. We were reviewing a show, not a career. And Chris Richards commented on that particular Dylan show, which he obviously didn't love.
Larry, Curly, MO: J Free,
I admire your eclectic taste in music. One second you are extolling the greatness of Raul Malo, and in the next breath, Gnarls Barkley.
What do you think of the hard times that have befallen Tower Records? What does it all mean to the music lover?
J. Freedom du Lac: Hey, I think I've driven through Larry, Curly, MO. It's in the boot heel, right? A stone's throw from Cape Girardeau.
Anyway, I think you have to have eclectic taste in music to do this job. Does that make me crazy?
The loss of Tower Records means much more for older music lovers than younger ones who tend to get their music (and their recommendations/exposure to new artists) online. Though lately, Tower sort of seemed like Just Another Music Chain. Now, if shops like Amoeba and Waterloo and Village Music were to go out of business, then I'd REALLY be bummed.
Arlington, Va.: So, Tower Records is bankrupt and up for sale. Back when I lived in NYC, my apartment was right around the corner from their Upper West Side store. Once when I was in there shopping I saw Lou Reed buying a whole bunch of CDs. They opened a checkout just for him so he wouldn't have to wait in line.
This was my coolest celebrity sighting, ever.
J. Freedom du Lac: That is pretty cool. Do you recall what he was buying? I've never had a great celeb sighting in a record store. Not even a kinda good one, save for the time I ran into the San Francisco Ballet's ex-conductor at the Tower near Fisherman's Wharf.
OutKast: The Lennon-McCartney of hip-hop, or merely the Brooks & Dunn of hip-hop?
Or maybe the Osama & Whitney of hip-hop?
J. Freedom du Lac: More like the Hall and Oates of the genre.
Five favorite: I'm sure I could change this every two minutes but off the top of my head:
1. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, Mingus Quartet(jazz)
2. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, anyone(Classical)
3. Grand Tour, George Jones (Country)
4. Paint It Black, Rolling Stones (Rock)
5. What's Goin' On, Marvin Gaye(Soul)
J. Freedom du Lac: This is a nice list, especially since you and I have the same soul pick. I'd put Satisfaction ahead of Paint It Black, though, for rock. But that's just me. Love the Mingus tune.
Oxford, Miss.: I like San Diego's question but "Braineaters" as favorite punk rock song?? Come on. If you want to make a case that the Misfits had better songs than, say Bad Brains, Black Flag, or the Dead Kennedys, you can (I guess), but "Braineaters" has got to be the single WORST Misfits song ever!
Some Kinda Hate, AstroZombies, Nike A Go Go, et al are clearly superior tunes. Braineaters is for elementary school zombie punks.
J. Freedom du Lac: Defend yourself, S.D.
More fun with lists!: Top 5 guitar players to be missing all or part of their fingers:
J. Freedom du Lac: Ronnie Lott! Oh, wait, you said guitarist. Interesting list. What about one-armed rock drummers? That's a one-man list, no?
Decatur, Ga.: I saw Bob Dylan earlier in the summer and my (were I to write one) review would parallel the one you ran (though I wouldn't have been so snide). Great band, great setlist, but THE MAN CAN'T SING ANYMORE. Not at all.
Fortunately, the opening act at the show was Merle Haggard, and Merle was fabulous.
J. Freedom du Lac: Love Merle.
Speaking of Dylan's singing, why is he going on about Alicia Keys on the new album's lead track, "Thunder on the Mountain"? Most surprising name-check on an album this year, by a wide margin.
Birmingham, Ala.: Why do you hate the Outkasts so much?
J. Freedom du Lac: I love OutKast. Just don't love the new album. Nor do I love you. You're not my type.
Alexandria, Va.: Is it true that Paris Hilton's album is far, far better than any reasonable person could ever have expected?
J. Freedom du Lac: No.
Atlanta, Ga.: Now that Outkast is no longer recording together, what's left for poor Ringo to do?
J. Freedom du Lac: Join the Morris Brown Marching Wolverwines? I hear they have an opening on the drumline.
Fan Diego: I'm surprised you let San Diego get away with such crappy faves for Reggae and Punk Rock, though I do like that his/her number 1 choice was Battle Hymn of the Republic. What a weirdo!
1. El Garbanzo by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (Punk Rock)
2. Help Me Scrape the Mucus off My Brain by Ween (Classical)
3. I Want To Marry A Lighthouse Keeper Lyrics By Eigen Erika (Dub)
5. Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) by Toby Keith (World Music)
J. Freedom du Lac: Now THIS is funny.
J. Freedom du Lac: This just in: AllMusicGuide gives Paris Hilton's album 4.5 stars out of 5.
Arlington, Va.: Just wanted to say I heard a little Sleater-Kinney not too long ago and am now obsessed with their music. This probably doesn't have anything to do with you and I'm late to the SK party but still....obsession.
J. Freedom du Lac: That's a good obsession. Better late than never.
Oxford, Miss.: Top Five Singers to be missing all or some of their vocal cords:
J. Freedom du Lac: What about that rapper The D.O.C. who recorded a "comeback" album after he basically lost his voice in a car wreck? Dude sounded like Froggy from Little Rascals. He should be on there, for sure. You can make Milli Vanilli 4a and 4b.
Silver Spring, Md.: Outkast out of sync.......my questions? ......Are u out of your mind?
Do you own a blazer with elbow pads and a pipe?
Do you like the radio?
What are you smoking in your pipe?
J. Freedom du Lac: Actually, yes. I'm wearing the blazer today. No smoking in The Post's newsroom, though, so my pipe is empty.
I listened to Aquemini again yesterday morning and realized that I'd sort of forgotten how geat that album is. That ain't gonna happen with "Idlewild."
Oxford, Miss.: Top five chatters today who have no idea what they're talking about:
J. Freedom du Lac: Subject to change, however. We've yet to hear from Arizona Bay.
Indianapolis, Ind.: Top 5's? ooh! Pick me! pick me!
No Feelings - Sex Pistols (punk)
Turangalila symphony - Olivier Messaien (classical)
Comme Il Faut - Ornette Coleman (free jazz)
Alo! Quien Nama? - Mon Rivera (plena)
J. Freedom du Lac: Another list. Now, please stand by while our network crashes for the next two minutes.
Go find us some good YouTube videos or something.
Bethesda, Md.: Word association game: Waterloo.
(b) ABBA's second album; or
I say (a). I'm digging "Out of the Woods."
J. Freedom du Lac: (d) Best music store in Texas.
washingtonpost.com: Please hold tight as we again address those technical issues, most likely caused by angry Bob Dylan and Outkast fans messing with the network.
Arizona Bay, Ariz.: See, unlike Outkast, when the almighty Tool puts out a new, experimental record it ROCKS!!!!
Sept 30, Verizon Center 20 rows back on the floor. Still wanna come?
J. Freedom du Lac: OutKast wasn't trying to ROCK. The group was trying to swing. (I think.) Didn't really work, though.
Floor seats? I'm not worthy. (And neither are my earplugs.)
Formerly of Austin, Tex.: Viva Waterloo Records! Free beer during in-store performances - how cool is that? My best music celebrity sighting: Alejandro Escovedo (twice). He used to work as a clerk there, but my sighting was in 2003 long after his clerking days.
J. Freedom du Lac: More music stores should serve free beer during in-stores. Everything sounds better with free beer. Well, except maybe James Blunt. I'd need whiskey for that one.
Silver Spring, Md.: In order for me to get a better understanding of your tastes, and where you're coming from (for my peace of mind); please rank Outkast's albums from your favorite to your least favorite. Am I correct that you never even heard them before Ms. Jackson - cause your review would lead me to that conclusion.
J. Freedom du Lac: You couldn't be more incorrect. I started buying OutKast's music when "Player's Ball" came out as a single.
Tampa, Fla.: I always try to communicate with Debby Harry with my mind but she never talks back to me.
Debby Harry is stuck up or somthing?
J. Freedom du Lac: Are you in prison or something? Has ths post been cleared by the warden?
Silver Spring, Md.: I think I'm more disappointed with your review of "Idlewild" than you are disappointed with the album. While Outkast continue to push the boundaries of what Hip-Hop is and can be, you say this is there weakest offering since - ATLiens? Art is a tricky subject because what is good to one person, may be horrible to another. But I just can't believe that you and I were listening to the same songs and album, based upon your statements.
"On "Hollywood Divorce," for instance, Benjamin croons the chorus like a bad Sinatra impersonator and winds up killing a song that features a great verse by the ascendant guest rapper Lil' Wayne."
- I love how Andre sung the hook, and you make know mention of his great verse. "...promise me you'll invest 3/4ths of it all, so your kid's kid's kids will have a little cheese". There was not a single lyric of this caliber on "The Love Below"!
Speaking of the song "The Mighty O" you say "Billed as the first track in six years to feature raps by both Big Boi and Andre, the "Minnie the Moocher"-cribbing tune falls flat."
- WHAT?! They spitting on that one! How did you come to your conclusion - do you even like Hip-Hop (not talking about Hip-POP, your Nelly's and Ying Yang Twins, etc.), do you appreciate lyricists?
"Too often, though, he scratches an experimentation itch and proffers half-baked ideas -- chief among them the CD's dark and meandering nine-minute finale. Then again, it's fully appropriate that OutKast's most disappointing album ends this way: The downer of a song is entitled "Bad Note." "
- The point I took from that song was "a bad note ain't a bad note, if it's a good note". Andre asks "are you in tune"? Well, in your case, I guess not. This song has Pink Floyd written all over it, another boundary pusher. How can you diss thoughtful artistic expression?
Overall, I thought your review was short-sighted and unappreciative. I do agree that they should have been together on more songs (why didn't Andre sing the "Morris Brown" hook?). But, I think you'll look back in 5, 10, maybe 20 years and say to yourself "what was I thinking". No Hip-Hop group has reached a wider audience. They are greatly respected in "backpack"/underground/purist/orthodox hip-hop circles, and by the mainstream also. You rarely, if ever, get both - and certainly not to this level of popularity. Idlewild is another classic from Outkast, in my opinion their best offering since "Aquemini".
J. Freedom du Lac: One person's counterpoint.
I actually think Andre has the least memorable verse on "Hollywood Divorce." I'm not feeling his delivery. And I hate the "hook." It sounds like a parody of a pop vocal.
Of course I like hip-hop and appreciate lyricists. We've already had this conversation before. (Don't think that I don't remember.) But the "Mighty 'O'" doesn't move me.
While "A Bad Note" may have Pink Floyd written all over it, that hardly qualifies it as a good track. Did we really need nine minutes of that nonsense to close out the album? (And by the way, why does said album include an entire Macy Gray song? What does THAT have to do with OutKast?)
Let me make this clear: I love OutKast. And I like some of this album. But overall, it's disappointing to me. I expect greatness from them, not aightness.
Funniest Celebrity Sighting.....: seeing Biz Markie standing in the customer service line like a regular slub in Best Buy up in his home town of Laurel.
J. Freedom du Lac: Nobody beats the Biz!
Severna Park, Md.: Fix your computer, dude.
J. Freedom du Lac: The network censors are trying to keep me down today. They must be "Idlewild" fans.
Cubicle Fever: Would it be appropriate to walk to the cubicle next to mine and smack the bejeezuz out of the girl who occupies it? She listens to the same Yahoo radio 80's station everyday, which cycles through the same 24 songs. I used to like most of the songs they played, but after four months of this, my hatred for Dee Lite and now Toto's "Rosanna" are driving me to do some unethical things.
J. Freedom du Lac: Ohmigod, do you sit near me? Because there's somebody in my office who apparently listens to the exact same station. Thankfully, I have plenty of music at my desk. Otherwise, I really would go crazy.
Debby Harry: No, Tampa, I'm not stuck up. I just think you're weird.
J. Freedom du Lac: Thanks, Deb. When'd you start spelling your name that way?
Tunisia, near the Biggest Tongue: Do you take it personally when Bush talks about people who hate Freedom?
J. Freedom du Lac: No, he has my back. (As well as my phone records.)
Washington, D.C.: Ok, I'll give it a shot:
Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley (Indie)
Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden (Metal)
Jeru - Miles Davis (Jazz)
Clandestino - Manu Chao (World/latin/etc)
Brass in Pocket - Pretenders (Rock)
J. Freedom du Lac: Another list.
Speaking of the Pretenders, Chris Richards (no, I'm not saying that he's a pretender -- I'm actually going somewhere this this) ... anyway, he doesn't like the Pretenders. I loaned him the box set, but he still doesn't get it. Hmmm - maybe he's a pretender, after all!
Your Two Cents: JF: Everyone else on the Post seems to have an opinion--what do YOU think of Tony Kornheiser's debut on MNF???
J. Freedom du Lac: He's no Dylan.
Like a Star: No review of Corinne Bailey Rae's sold-out shows?
J. Freedom du Lac: Sigh. I'd actually assigned one, but the reviewer got sick. Not of CBR, but of ... well, you don't need to know the reviewer's medical history. I didn't know this until I showed up for work on Monday. Too bad, as I caught part of the Birchmere show on Sunday. But I didn't take notes, and I didn't see the whole thing (yes, I actually missed part of a 45-minute set as she came out earlier than expected). I didn't feel it was fair to write a review at that point. We'll cover her when she comes back, which she most certainly will.
Arlington, Va.: Pretenders box set? Must be a pretty slim box....
J. Freedom du Lac: Chris, is that you? Shouldn't you be reviewing the new Dylan album or something?
Washington, D.C.: So, I see the Violent Femmes are coming to the 930 in a few weeks...worth going?
J. Freedom du Lac: I haven't seen that band since 1994, when they played a radio festival and were sort of blown off the stage by this incredible young breakdancing, beat-boxing, folk-singing weirdo named Beck. Can't vouch for them circa 2006.
"Groove Is In The Heart": The other night I stumbled across what I thought I remembered fondly from the early 90's.
J. Freedom du Lac: You must've been enchanted by Q-Tip's verse. A Tribe Called Quest is back, by the way. They're playing at Love next month, on the eve of the Virgin Festival.
Sterling, Va.: How come the Post didn't review Chris Isaak's ROCKIN' show at Wolf Trap Sunday????? And instead wasted space talking about Dylan's brokedown voice?
J. Freedom du Lac: Chris Isaak? Rockin? No way. (Though I do like that "Flying" song of his.) Did he have anything to say about the Paris Hilton video that rips of the Herb Ritts-directed "Wicked Game" vid?
Columbia, Md. - Top 5: 1. "Bakersfield" Dwight Yoakam/Buck Owens (Country/Zydeco)
2. " Lucy in the Sky(with Diamonds)" William Shatner (Celebrity Trippin')
3. "New Pollution" Beck (Pop)
4. "White Rabbit" Jefferson Airplane(Rock)
5. "Cheyenne" George Strait (Country)
J. Freedom du Lac: Another list. Love the Shatner pick.
New York, N.Y.: My parents were at the Dylan concert in Frederick, and while they are normally big fans, they walked out about 45 minutes into the concert because it was so bad.
J. Freedom du Lac: They can't do that to a legend!
(Did they get a refund?)
I realize that a reviewer is there to review the show and not bask in the legend but that's exactly what Richards seemed to want to do. He was upset because Dylan toyed with the arrangements and didn't interact with the audience. Justin Timeberlake is coming to the 930 and can probably deliver what Richards wanted. The criticisms of the vocal were valid points for a critic who hadn't seen or heard Dylan in 20 years but overdone and snide in the context of the sound of Dylan's voice since about 1997. Tom Waits is some kind of god and Dylan is cookie monster? I've been to many Dylan shows. The Frederick gig was fair to middling with two or three brilliant moments. Nothing as bad as Richards reviewed.
Celebrity Sighting - Dave Davies buying discs with his daughter at Virgin on the Sunset Strip.
J. Freedom du Lac: Actually, he never said the new arrangements were bad. He simply pointed out that the songs weren't easy to recognize thanks to the tweaked phrasing and melodies - not to mention the current state of Dylan's voice. You're right in noting that this isn't a new development. But so did Chris, who wrote: "It's not breaking news that Dylan's voice has withered over the course of his storied 65 years." Yet this was the element of the show that struck him the most. Again, he was there to review a performance, and he had a hard time digesting the vocal performance in particular. So he wrote as much.
Cube revisited: Is the girl listening to "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie right now? Because that's what I'm listening to.
J. Freedom du Lac: Not sure. All I can hear right now is Dylan singing "The Levee's Gonna Break."
Walking Out: Hey, we walked out after 45 minutes of a Prince arena show about 6 years ago. Bad sound, short-takes medley of the hits, and the last straw was the four words no one wants to hear:
J. Freedom du Lac: The four words no one wants to hear: "Ladies and Gentlemen, Najee"
William Shatner= New SVB: You heard it here first. You're gonna get LOTS of shout-outs for Bill's body of work.
J. Freedom du Lac: Somehow, I sort of doubt that.
Tribe: WHAT!??? Are you pulling our collective leg, J. Free? Tribe is NOT back together. You can't be serious.
I guess I shouldn't be SO shocked, seeing as Q-Tip's solo projects were never any good. Talk about a group that is so much greater than its individual parts.
J. Freedom du Lac: It's true, man. Check the rhime - not to mention the headlines. There's even word that they may work with OutKast on a mixtape. Can you imagine? The mere thought is making me dizzy.
3. Fancey- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
J. Freedom du Lac: And another.
Strange Moments in Radio History: Late 80s, the Allman Brothers were doing a radio interview in Charlotte NC. The DJ played Shatner's version of 'Lucy in the Sky(with Diamonds) and asked Greg what he thought of it. Greg was..confused.
J. Freedom du Lac: As he should have been.
Bob Dylan at 2nd Base..: Can you please link to the Thomas review of the Frederick concert(assuming it's not radioactive)?
J. Freedom du Lac: No, but we can link to CHRIS RICHARDS' review - at the end of which, you'll see a ton of negative comments about Chris. I swear, I was only responsible for a few of them.
washingtonpost.com: Dylan, Wheezin' In the Wind
Where will it end, Freeman?
J. Freedom du Lac: Reminds of that hilarious line in a front-page Wall Street Journal story about hip-hop street marketing teams. Don't remember the sentence exactly, but it went something like " ... Too $hort, OutKast, Boyz N Da Hood and a bunch of other artists whose names look like typos." Classic.
Marjatan jouluvirsi - Einojuhani Rautavaara (classical)
Pride (In the Name of Love) - U2 (rock?)
Robinson - Spitz (Japanese pop)
Dimanche a Bamako - Amadou & Mariam (afropop)
Redwing - Hem (folky pop)
What can I say? I like pop. Uh...and Finnish choir music.
J. Freedom du Lac: Huh.
Washington, D.C.: "This just in: AllMusicGuide gives Paris Hilton's album 4.5 stars out of 5"
Yes, but I believe the review was based solely on the cover photo. The reviewer couldn't bring himself to actually stick the CD into the CD player to listen to it.
J. Freedom du Lac: That sounds dirty.
Though maybe more scan'lous is the Blender cover pic. I felt like I needed to carry the magazine home in a brown paper bag.
Washington, D.C.: Is it true that Chris Richards had to have his blood cleaned back in the 70s?
J. Freedom du Lac: No, but he did suffer a concussion after falling out of a palm tree recently.
San Diego, Calif.: Oxford, MS - OF COURSE I have no idea what I'm talking about. If I did, washingtonpost.com would be paying me to host these chats instead of that Freedom guy.
But seriously - there's no need for anyone to make a case for any of the songs on their list. I was strictly talking about personal favorites. You don't have to defend subjective choices.
If I'd declared that "Braineaters" is the greatest punk song of all time, instead of just a personal favorite, I'd definitely deserve a kick to the head. I like it because it's simple and silly, which is what I tend to like as far as punk goes. Come on - "Brains for lunch, brains for breakfast, brains for brunch..." Is anyone else getting hungry?
J. Freedom du Lac: I am, strangely enough. You want to take over from here? Or should we just call it a day? I think we'll call it a day. Thanks for stopping by, everybody, and for sharing your lists. I'll post mine next week. We can also talk about the new Dylan album and whatever else is on your mind so long as it has nothing to do with four-fingered guitarists, William Shatner or Paris Hilton's lingere collection. Until then, my email address is richardsc at washpost dot com. Cheers.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online 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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On 'Idlewild,' OutKast Duo Is Out of Sync and Out of Luck
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By this, I don't mean OutKast itself -- even if the Atlanta hip-hop duo has been dogged by breakup rumors for most of this millennium, and deservedly so.
I mean the group's incredible streak of classic CDs, which now comes to an abrupt halt with the release of "Idlewild."
Tied to a film of the same name, the album is actually pretty good. But OutKast isn't supposed to do pretty good. It's supposed to do great , and anything that falls short is a failure.
Such is the standard Andre Benjamin (a.k.a. Andre 3000) and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton have set for themselves over the past dozen years, a period during which they've assembled one of hip-hop's greatest and deepest discographies. The catalogue culminated with a terrific trio of innovative albums, 1998's "Aquemini," 2000's "Stankonia" and 2003's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" -- the last of which was a commercial and critical smash that pulled off the rarest of doubles: Not only did it win the Grammy for album of the year, but it also finished atop the Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop critics' poll. ("Stankonia," too, topped Pazz and Jop, but it merely won the Grammy for rap album of the year.)
There will be no such plaudits for "Idlewild."
For all of its flashes of greatness -- the brassy marching-band rap of "Morris Brown," the psychedelic hip-hop flashback "Train," the Stevie Wonder-inspired acoustic blues number "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)" -- the staggeringly eclectic "Idlewild" includes too much filler and too many outright stink bombs to deserve a place alongside the best pop offerings of 2006, let alone "Aquemini," et al.
There's also no single track as electrifying as 2003's "Hey Ya!" -- a brilliant single that became so pervasive that its exhortation to "shake it like a Polaroid picture" wound up being quoted by CEOs on Wall Street.
In "Idlewild" the movie, which opens Friday, Andre and Big Boi star as Prohibition-era musicians fighting off gangsters who want to take control of their speakeasy. On the album, Big Boi stars as an inspired, scene-stealing rapper who remains keenly interested in his craft, while Andre co-stars as a distracted, somewhat indifferent rapper who would rather sing and dabble in retro styles, from ragtime to swing. "Hey, let's make a musical!" Benjamin sings.
It's a radically different notion of "old-school," Christina Aguilera's recent time warp notwithstanding. But it tends to come across as forced and awkward. On "Hollywood Divorce," for instance, Benjamin croons the chorus like a bad Sinatra impersonator and winds up killing a song that features a great verse by the ascendant guest rapper Lil' Wayne.
It would be an overstatement to say that Benjamin and Big Boi are fighting for control of OutKast, but it's clear that the creative schism that's always separated them has become something of a canyon.
Andre and Big Boi rarely work together anymore. Generally, they contribute their own songs -- or, in the case of "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," full separate discs.
No longer "two dope boys in a Cadillac," they've become a broken caravan: They rarely conduct interviews together, and they don't tour as OutKast. With Andre eschewing the road, Big Boi is left to go it alone -- as referenced on his P.M. Dawn-like track, "Train," with a sidekick noting that Big Boi will "hit the stage by himself and still rock."
It's to the point now that it's news when OutKast reunites for a song on its own album, as was the case with "Idlewild's" lukewarm first single, "Mighty 'O.' " Billed as the first track in six years to feature raps by both Big Boi and Andre, the "Minnie the Moocher"-cribbing tune falls flat.
A far more successful "Idlewild" collaboration is "Morris Brown," a dynamic hip-hop drum-line track that was produced by Benjamin and spotlights Big Boi's rapid-fire rhymes.
It's one of Andre's finest moments on the album, along with the funky "Idlewild Blue." Too often, though, he scratches an experimentation itch and proffers half-baked ideas -- chief among them the CD's dark and meandering nine-minute finale. Then again, it's fully appropriate that OutKast's most disappointing album ends this way: The downer of a song is entitled "Bad Note."
DOWNLOAD THESE : "Morris Brown," "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)," "Train"
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Lieberman Certified to Appear on Ballot
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HARTFORD, Conn. -- U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who relaunched his campaign as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, has enough valid voter signatures to secure a spot on the November ballot, the secretary of the state announced Wednesday.
Lieberman far exceeded the 7,500 signatures necessary to be certified as a third-party candidate, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz said.
His name will appear on the general election ballot under his newly created party, Connecticut for Lieberman. By creating the party, Lieberman secured a position higher on the ballot than he would have had as an independent.
"We are happy to have cleared this hurdle, so we can focus on bringing people together in Connecticut for a new politics of unity and purpose," said Dan Gerstein, Lieberman's campaign spokesman.
Lieberman lost the Aug. 8 Democratic primary to Ned Lamont, a Greenwich businessman who criticized Lieberman for his support of the Iraq war and perceived closeness to President Bush. Lamont's 10,000-vote victory was seen as a referendum on an unpopular war.
The day after the primary, Lieberman submitted petitions to create his own political party and appear on the ballot along with Lamont and Republican Alan Schlesinger.
Lieberman says he would still vote with Democrats if elected to a fourth term.
Lamont's campaign manager, Tom Swan, said he was "confident that our message of change will trump his stay-the-course message in November."
National Democrats came out in support of Lamont shortly after the election.
The United Auto Workers endorsed Lamont on Wednesday, a day after representatives of about other 20 union locals held a rally for Lieberman.
The UAW's political action committee offered Lamont $5,000 Wednesday, but the multimillionaire said he is not accepting PAC contributions. UAW regional director Bob Madore promised him 5,000 volunteers instead. The UAW has about 20,000 active and retired members in Connecticut.
Lieberman is accepting PAC contributions.
An American Research Group poll released Tuesday showed Lieberman and Lamont about even among likely voters, with Lieberman receiving 44 percent of the vote, Lamont 42 percent and Schlesinger 3 percent. Last week, a Quinnipiac University poll showed Lieberman leading Lamont by 12 percentage points among likely voters.
Liberman's new political party will appear on the ballot after the two major parties and several existing third parties that have run candidates in the past.
Green Party candidate Ralph A. Ferrucci and Concerned Citizens candidate Timothy A. Knibbs were both approved for the ballot Wednesday. Their parties must submit an official endorsement of their candidates by Sept. 13. Bysiewicz said signatures are still being verified for the Independent Party of Connecticut.
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HARTFORD, Conn. -- U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who relaunched his campaign as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, has enough valid voter signatures to secure a spot on the November ballot, the secretary of the state announced Wednesday.
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Sen. Clinton Delays AIDS Law's Renewal, Citing Cut in N.Y. Funds
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding up renewal of the primary federal law that battles HIV/AIDS, the 1990 Ryan White Act, causing a rift among activists on the subject and threatening approval of the legislation this year.
Clinton (D-N.Y.) said she opposes the measure because it would lower funding for her home state. But some AIDS groups also see broader political motives at work. Other states that would lose out include California, Florida and Illinois -- all places Clinton would need to win if she seeks the presidency. Her critics also note that many of the states that would receive higher funding under the new formula are rural and Southern, which tend to vote Republican.
Clinton was the sole vote against the Ryan White Act reauthorization bill that passed the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in May. Ever since, she and other senators have been negotiating to find a consensus that would allow the measure to pass by acclamation before Congress's scheduled adjournment at the end of September. But a compromise has not been found.
"With a bipartisan bill like this, and with time limited, we want to have something that would go through without objection," said Michael Mahaffey, spokesman for the health committee. But, he added, Clinton "objects to the bill in the form passed out of committee."
The senator's insistence on a different formula -- one closer to current law -- has angered several groups that represent AIDS and HIV patients who stand to get more money under the pending bill. Last week, Harry C. Alford, chief executive of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, wrote a letter to Clinton that said, "It is with sadness that I learn about your efforts to block" the law's reauthorization.
Alford said that people of color, particularly in the South, are contracting AIDS at a rapid pace and need more funding than was envisioned when the current formula was devised. "I must share with you the bewilderment of African Americans throughout the country who cannot understand why you are taking this stand against opening the door to more equitable funding that will chiefly benefit people of color," he wrote.
In response, Clinton wrote to Alford yesterday, saying she agrees that AIDS "has had a disproportionate impact on people of color" and "that our federal government can do more." But she said that the Ryan White measure as drafted "would have a devastating impact on New York" and "unfairly shift millions of dollars in funding away from New York and other states that have been hardest hit by the epidemic, jeopardizing their ability to provide vital care and treatment services."
The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act is named for an Indiana hemophiliac who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion and died of AIDS complications in 1990 at age 18. The now $2 billion-a-year effort has been regularly reauthorized and its funding allocations have often been a matter of contention.
This year's fight has pitted the states in which the AIDS epidemic began -- those with large cities that now have large populations of people with AIDS -- against smaller states in which the incidence of HIV infections, but not full-blown AIDS, has soared. The current law's formula is based on the number of patients with AIDS; the new funding formula would, in effect, distribute funding based on the number of patients with HIV or AIDS.
Support for any particular formula "depends where you sit," said Ernest Hopkins, director of federal affairs for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. From his vantage, he said, the bill in the Senate "is a problem."
Some of the largest AIDS organization side with Clinton. Gay Men's Health Crisis, for example, "fully supports Senator Clinton's position on the current bill," a spokeswoman said.
On the other hand, Christopher M. Hamlin, chaplain for an outpatient clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, favors the new formula. "The money needs to follow the virus," he said. "More funds need to be directed to the part of the community that has seen the numbers increase so much, especially rural communities."
Some critics see electoral motives behind Clinton's position. "If you look at the states she has to carry to become president -- California, New York, Illinois, Florida -- those would be the hardest hit if the formula were changed," said Charles Grant, founder of AbsoluteCare Medical Center Inc., the largest private HIV/AIDS medical center in Georgia.
Asked why Clinton might countenance lower funding for Southern and rural states, Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the nation's largest community-based HIV/AIDS medical provider, said, "I don't think she expects to carry the South."
But even those who disagree with her on the legislation think she will not hurt her standing with AIDS activists. "Senator Clinton overall has an excellent record on these issues. She's a reliable vote and her office is seen as a place to go to support AIDS issues," Weinstein said. On the funding formula, however, he said, "Senator Clinton's view seems very parochial; it looks to the past and not to the future."
A Clinton spokesman said that the senator cannot be said to be obstructing the legislation because it has not yet moved in the House. In the meantime, Clinton, whose fellow New York senator, Charles E. Schumer (D), also opposes the new formula, is awaiting more data about the potential impact of the measure and is continuing to search for a compromise, the spokesman added.
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