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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701223.html
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Benefit for Ranchers Was Created to Help GOP Candidate
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If not for a tight Senate race in South Dakota in 2002, there might have been no Livestock Compensation Program.
In August 2002, 12 weeks before the election, aides to the Republican candidate, then-Rep. John Thune, were worried about the political fallout from a speech made by President Bush during a visit to Mount Rushmore, with Thune in attendance. The president had pointedly refused to promise ranchers new large-scale federal drought relief, suggesting instead that Congress consider shifting some funds from a recently enacted farm bill.
The president's tough line undercut Thune's message that a GOP senator could get more done for the state during a Republican administration than could the Democratic incumbent, Tim Johnson.
Afterward, hundreds of disgruntled ranchers who had attended the president's speech headed for a Democratic rally in nearby Rapid City, where Johnson and Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), then Senate minority leader, lambasted the administration for letting South Dakota ranchers down.
"It was a stunning political blunder," said Bob Martin, Johnson's communications director. "The president basically said, 'Bootstrap it, boys.' "
In Washington, the White House political affairs office, then directed by Ken Mehlman, recognized the importance of the drought-relief issue to the Thune race. That spurred an effort in the administration to come up with a way to help the embattled Republican candidate, according to a former senior official at the Department of Agriculture.
In his speech in South Dakota, the president said he opposed drought relief that would add to the federal budget deficit. So White House and USDA officials came up with the idea of tapping a special fund derived from annual customs receipts, the former official said. The fund, dating to 1935, is known as Section 32. The secretary of agriculture can use it to help farmers without consulting Congress.
On Sept. 12, Thune weighed in with a letter to the USDA suggesting the use of the fund.
One week later, then-Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman summoned reporters to the USDA's broadcast center and, with Thune and several other Republican lawmakers at her side, announced the creation of the Livestock Compensation Program, using $750 million from the special fund.
The ceremony, which was not attended by any Democrats, had the aura of a campaign event.
Veneman credited Thune with the "very creative suggestion" of using Section 32. After saying the USDA had "worked closely with the congressman," Veneman explained the program and introduced Thune for remarks.
During a campaign swing through South Dakota four days later, Thune thanked the White House for finding a way to help ranchers "that didn't take an act of Congress."
South Dakota ranchers received $50 million of the first $750 million the USDA set aside for the program.
It did not save Thune. He lost to Johnson by 524 votes and had to wait two more years to enter the Senate. In 2004, after a campaign that focused more on abortion than drought, Thune defeated Daschle.
Asked about the livestock program, Thune's office said last week, "Then-Congressman Thune supported this program because it was a responsible approach to helping South Dakota's farmers and ranchers, who were suffering from a devastating drought."
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If not for a tight Senate race in South Dakota in 2002, there might have been no Livestock Compensation Program.
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Pregnancy Centers Found to Give False Information on Abortion
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Federally funded "pregnancy resource centers" are incorrectly telling women that abortion results in an increased risk of breast cancer, infertility and deep psychological trauma, a minority congressional report charged yesterday.
The report said that 20 of 23 federally funded centers contacted by staff investigators requesting information about an unintended pregnancy were told false or misleading information about the potential risks of an abortion.
The pregnancy resource centers, which are often affiliated with antiabortion religious groups, have received about $30 million in federal money since 2001, according to the report, requested by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.). The report concluded that the exaggerations "may be effective in frightening pregnant teenagers and women and discouraging abortion. But it denies the teenagers and women vital health information, prevents them from making an informed decision, and is not an accepted public health practice."
A spokeswoman for one of the two large networks of pregnancy resource centers, Sterling-based Care Net, said that the report is "a routine attack on us that's nothing new."
Care Net's Molly Ford said the centers criticized by Waxman received federal grants for abstinence-only programs they conduct, but not for pregnancy counseling. "The funds are kept entirely separate," she said.
Ford said, however, that she agrees with pregnancy counselors who tell women that abortion may increase the risk of breast cancer, infertility and a condition described by antiabortion groups as "post-abortion syndrome."
"We have many studies that show significant medical problems associated with abortion," she said.
Those studies are at odds with mainstream medical opinion. An expert panel of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), for instance, concluded in 2003 that an "abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer." The experts said their conclusion was "well established" by the evidence.
The report, from the Democratic staff of the House Government Reform Committee, found that counselors at eight of the centers told callers that abortion substantially increases the risk of breast cancer. Some counselors also said the psychological effects of abortion are severe and long-lasting, while research generally has found that severe stress reactions are no more common after an abortion than after giving birth.
President Bush has been an advocate for pregnancy resource centers and for abstinence-only sex education. Few of the pregnancy resource centers -- formerly called crisis pregnancy centers -- received any federal funding before 2001. Care Net's Ford said there are now about 2,000 centers in the United States and Canada.
Waxman has been a critic of many Bush administration women's health programs, including a 2002 reference on an NCI Web site suggesting that there was serious debate about whether abortion increases the risk of breast cancer. As a result, the NCI brought together experts to review existing data and came up with its conclusion that no abortion-breast cancer association exists. The statement was later deleted from the NCI Web site.
Last year, Waxman initiated a study of a government Web site intended to help parents and teenagers make "smart choices" about sexual activity. A team of medical experts who reviewed the Web site said it included inaccurate or misleading information that could alienate some families or prompt riskier behavior.
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Federally funded "pregnancy resource centers" are incorrectly telling women that abortion results in an increased risk of breast cancer, infertility and deep psychological trauma, a minority congressional report charged yesterday.
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Iran, U.S. Allied in Protecting Artifacts
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CHICAGO -- Iran and the United States make an unlikely pair these days, dueling over nuclear plans and radical Islam. Yet lawyers for the feuding governments are on the same side here in a dispute over thousands of ancient Persian artifacts held by a Chicago museum.
Their opponent is a lawyer trying to collect Iranian cash for survivors of a bloody Jerusalem suicide bombing.
In a case that raises issues of victims' rights and cultural heritage, Rhode Island lawyer David J. Strachman aims to seize and sell Iranian property -- including thousands of 2,500-year-old clay artifacts known as the Persepolis tablets -- and channel the profits to victims of the 1997 terrorist attack.
State Department lawyers and a Washington attorney for Iran contended last week in Chicago's federal courthouse that the priceless Iranian property is protected from seizure by the sovereign immunity doctrine. Art and archeology experts speak in much more personal terms.
"There's absolutely no justification for this. It's a bizarre, almost surreal kind of thing," said Gil Stein, director of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, which has studied the unbaked clay tablets on loan from Iran since the 1930s. "The Iranians are understandably furious about this. You'd have to imagine how we would feel if we loaned the Liberty Bell to Russia and a Russian court put it up for auction."
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki described the case on June 30 as an "indecent cultural move by the United States." He said if federal courts approved the sale, Iran could make retaliatory legal claims against the United States for supporting the 1953 coup in Tehran and backing Iraq during the deadly 1980s Iran-Iraq war.
Ten days later, Iran dispatched Washington lawyer Thomas Corcoran to Chicago after years of refusing to participate in the original terrorism case or the Chicago artifacts litigation.
"Things were looking bad for the Iranians," Corcoran said. "Iran asked me to note an appearance to assert Iran's immunities."
The events that led to the courthouse began Sept. 4, 1997, when three suicide bombers detonated their explosives in the crowded Ben Yehuda marketplace. Five Israelis died, and more than 100 people were wounded, including a number of foreign tourists. The Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, took responsibility for the attack.
Six years later in Washington, U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina ruled that a group of bombing victims and surviving relatives could claim $423.5 million in damages from Iran as a sponsor of Hamas. The award included $300 million in punitive damages.
The question for Strachman and other lawyers was how to collect. They located a home in Lubbock, Tex., that the late shah had purchased for his son. They navigated its sale for $400,000 and focused on Iranian art and artifacts held by museums in Illinois, Massachusetts and Michigan.
The Oriental Institute and its holdings from Persepolis, the capital of ancient Persia, became a primary target.
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CHICAGO -- Iran and the United States make an unlikely pair these days, dueling over nuclear plans and radical Islam. Yet lawyers for the feuding governments are on the same side here in a dispute over thousands of ancient Persian artifacts held by a Chicago museum.
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But Seriously, Folks
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Smoking an illegal substance, Kinky Friedman heads for the Flying Saucer.
Kinky -- nobody calls him Friedman -- is a comic country singer, mystery novelist and Texas humorist. The illegal substance is a fat, stinky Cuban cigar. The Flying Saucer is the Fort Worth bar where Kinky is about to deliver a speech in his campaign for governor.
But first he removes the cigar from his mouth and reveals the wisdom that his old friend, country icon Willie Nelson, imparted when Kinky began his campaign: "No pedophile jokes till after the election."
So far, Kinky has followed that advice, and it has served him well. The pols and the pundits said he was a clown who could never collect the 45,540 signatures necessary to get on the November ballot as an independent candidate. But Kinky showed them: He got 137,154 certified signatures.
He ambles down the sunny street, wearing his trademark outfit: black cowboy hat, black shirt, black leather vest, bluejeans and black cowboy boots. Those duds, along with the Frank Zappa facial hair and the Groucho Marx cigar, make Kinky look like the bad guy in a bad western. They also make him instantly recognizable all over Texas.
"Kinky!" yells a guy who recognizes him from across the street. He gives a thumbs-up sign. "I'm votin' for you!"
"May the God of your choice bless you," Kinky replies.
When Kinky steps into the Flying Saucer, the crowd erupts in cheers. The place is packed, with several hundred people sitting at tables and others filling the aisles. Nearly everybody is drinking beer, which is good preparation for any political speech, particularly one of Kinky's.
"Well, folks, it looks like the election is getting more and more interesting," he says. "The other three candidates seem to have humor bypasses. If you're a politically correct person, you should vote for one of them. You have to be politically correct to be a politician, and the three of them are. Me, I'm a compassionate redneck."
The crowd cheers, and the man President Bush once called "a Texas legend" launches into his stump speech, a zippy combination of Borscht Belt humor and populist politics.
"As you know, I'm 61 years old, which is too young for Medicare and too old for women to care," he says. "But I care about Texas and I want to fix what's wrong with it. We are probably the richest state in the country, but we got potholes in the roads, we can't pay our teachers, we can't provide health insurance for our kids and they're trying to sell off the state parks!"
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FORT WORTH Smoking an illegal substance, Kinky Friedman heads for the Flying Saucer. Kinky Friedman is just a part -- one-quarter, to be exact -- of what Texas Monthly recently called "The Weirdest Governor's Race of All Time." Kinky squats down to pat his two little pit bulls, Valerie and... "I......
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Chatological Humor* (UPDATED 7.21.06)
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DAILY UPDATES: 7.19.06 | 7.20.06 | 7.21.06
Gene Weingarten's controversial humor column, Below the Beltway , appears every Sunday in The Washington Post Magazine. He aspires to someday become a National Treasure, but is currently more of a National Gag Novelty Item, like rubber dog poo.
He is online, at any rate, each Tuesday, to take your questions and abuse.
Sorry, there is no poll this week due to a COLOSSAL SOFTWARE FAILURE, abetted by HUMAN ERROR in the field of Information Technology. We profoundly regret having wasted the time of the many of you who already submitted your votes and vow to PUNISH those responsible. This message was WRITTEN by Gene Weingarten, and the RANDOM capitalizations reflect HIS extreme frustration and EMBARRASSMENT and PISSED-OFFFEDNESS at the lamentable state of affairs. Thank you.
Weingarten is the author of "The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death" and co-author of "I'm with Stupid," with feminist scholar Gina Barreca. "Below the Beltway" is now syndicated nationally by The Washington Post Writers Group .
New to Chatological Humor? Read the FAQ .
I am particularly cheesed off this morning because we have no poll. We DID have a poll, about poetry, and you had voted in large numbers -- overwhelmingly incorrectly, of course. The results would have afforded me an opportunity to lecture you obnoxiously about the subtleties of epigrammatic doggerel. Alas, Post IT professionals appear to have temporarily mislaid their competence, and all votes were lost. To the dismay of Chatwoman and me, this error occurred once yesterday, and again today, so we finally just trashed the whole thing. I care about your time (and mine) and am both sorry and embarrassed. Hoping to achieve a small, appropriate measure of retribution for all of us, I have composed the following bit of epigrammatic doggerel to commemorate this occasion:
Put out a poll in which
In other news mildly embarrassing to newspapers, we find that in America today it is suddenly okay to publish the S-word, in all its intact glory. That is because it was uttered by none other than the president of the United States, into a mike he didn't know was there ( Bush's Bull Session , Post July 18 ). This is something that happens periodically in American print journalism: The Elizabethan gentility that we practice is breached not because we decide the American public is mature enough to read actual commonplace human discourse delivered the way people actually speak, but because some supposedly dignified newsmaker says it in a public forum. We are like kids who must receive permission from our elders. (Our official stance is that we must demonstrate that we had no CHOICE but to use this horrible, offensive, vulgar word that everyone over 12 routinely utilizes, because it became news. They MADE us do it! )
It's a gosh-darn, gee-whiz delight every time it happens, isn't it? Not too long ago The Post actually published the F-bomb ( Cheney Dismisses Critic With Obscenity , Post, June 25, 2004 ) when it was uttered by Cheney on the Senate floor. But my favorite example of this was this photo of Vice President Rockefeller, gamely returning a salute from a hostile crowd in Binghamton, N.Y., in the 1970s. This ran on page one of the New York bleepin' Times!
Thanks to Judi Chamberlain for sharing all this excellent statuary from around the world, and to Phyllis Reinhard, who pointed us to this story, which contains two delightful names: One, the aptonymic cop who found the skeleton, and the other, well, "Candy Haas."
DOVER, Del. (AP) - A decomposed body was found Monday stuffed inside a plastic bin in the home of an elderly woman that was condemned after being overrun with more than 100 cats, authorities said. The body was inside the box in the home for about a year, according to police.
Police believe the remains are those of 84-year-old Mary Haas. They issued a warrant charging her two daughters, Pamela Haas, 48, and Candy Haas, 43, with abuse of a corpse and conspiracy. The women turned themselves in to police Tuesday afternoon and were arraigned at Magistrate Court.
Dover Police Capt. Lester Boney said the body was found four days after police condemned the residence, which was home to more than 100 cats and three dogs... The residence, which neighbors said reeked of animal feces, had long been the talk of the neighborhood.
Also, thanks to Jason Meyers who found this wonderful sentence in the Detroit Free Press, in a story is about an eatery seeking to transfer its liquor license so they could move to a new location:
"In denying the license transfer, City Council members expressed concern that Hooters -- whose name could be interpreted to refer to a portion of the female anatomy, despite the big-eyed owl on its signs -- did not fit the image city planners hope to project with a redesigned Big Beaver corridor."
Also, thanks to Dr. Andrea Bonior for correcting an error by a poster from last week's chat. Dr. Bonior is a clinical psychologist and the relationships counselor for The Express, the Washington Post free Metro daily. She is a consummate professional whose work is greatly respected AND a total hottie babe, judging from her column photo. She writes:
"As a psychologist I have to point out that the terminology used in the discussions of the 'wannabe pedophile' Lewis Carroll is inaccurate. By definition, pedophilia is the sexual attraction to children -- it does not mean that it must be acted on to warrant that label or diagnosis. It merely must cause problems in the thought-possessor's daily functioning (which, you might argue, if indeed he or she is desperately fighting the good fight against the urges, then that could certainly create difficulties socially, occupationally, emotionally, etc.) So, yes, assuming the posted stuff about his urges is true, Lewis Carroll WAS a pedophile. If he succeeded in not laying a hand on children, then it's a MOLESTER that he was not."
Okay, the comic pick of the week is Sunday's Opus . Runner Up Sunday's Doonesbury . Honorable is Friday's Speed Bump .
Can anyone explain Friday's B.C. ? Can anyone point out the EGREGIOUS error in Friday's Close to Home ?
Okay, let's go. I'm ticked off. I hope it doesn't show in my answers.
Washington, D.C.: "lacerating, fire-hose diarrhea"
Oh my goodness Gene, that was the best mental image I have ever received from reading one of your columns. I thank you for that and for letting me indulge in rampant immaturity.
washingtonpost.com: Did You Ever Wonder, 'What If...?' , ( Post Magazine, July 16 )
Gene Weingarten: You're very welcome, I am sure.
GOOD NEWS!: Gene's off his MEDICINE. This DISCUSSION should rock!
Gene Weingarten: Yes, I was a little upset. Usually I write the intro moments before the chat begins, after answering as many questions in advance. This time I wrote it first, right after learning of the screwup, because I wanted to use my anger. That's an acting term I learned from my friend Rachel. Use your anger. Use your exhaustion, boredom, etc. These things are not bad. They are tools.
Just wondering: If you have time to write about how pissed off you are about the horrible, no good, very bad human error in IT, how come you don't have time to get your comic picks and intro in early enough for us to read them before the chat?
Gene Weingarten: Possibly next week. This is a valid request.
Totally Grossedo, UT: I moved here from California a few months ago. Yesterday, while driving on the freeway, yellow steam started coming out of all of the vents. I tried to turn off the A/C, but it wouldn't stop. I made it to a local garage. When I picked up my car this morning, they said the A/C drain was clogged and the wires had gotten wet. It was clogged with DEAD SPIDERS! The yellow steam was spider body parts blowing ALL OVER ME! YEWWWW! I knew there were spiders living in the motor compartment when I was in California, but I didn't know they could clog the A/C. I've now washed my hair six times.
Gene Weingarten: In my column a week ago, I revealed that we eat a pound of spider eggs a year.
West Wing, undisclosed location: Please tell us it was Liz who messed up the poll, and the punishment involves some sort of bare bottom spanking. Not that we readers are perverts or anything: this is strictly in the interest of maintaining order within your discussion.
washingtonpost.com: NOT FOR POSTING. MERELY EVIDENCE OF THE RELATIVE DEPRAVITY OF YOUR ADORING FANS.
Gene Weingarten: Oops, I accidently hit the Enter button.
McPherson Square, Washington, D.C.: I'm being sold off in a charity bachelorette auction in two weeks. Any tips or suggestions on how I can drive up my sale price?
Gene Weingarten: Wear fishnet stockings and those shoes that come to a sharp point at the toe.
Close to Home: Dude's clearly not going to reach home in time to beat the throw.
Gene Weingarten: Nope. This is good, I swear it. A very interesting answer.
Close to Home: Who coached that catcher how to throw to second. He doesn't need to step away from the plate to throw. What is he doing so far away from the plate?
Lost in Hawaii, Literally: For those who wondered: yes, I really was serious when I mentioned I did not understand the "no soap, radio" joke. No one had even done this prank on me. I have heard references through the years, once goggled it only to find a list of jokes I did not understand, and when you mentioned it, I finally had to ask: what is so funny about it. Now I understand. But, yes, you did a great job with the joke and you really did have me going.
Well, back to work, but first, a little roo roo.
Gene Weingarten: Yeah, thanks for writing back. I was pretty sure you were serious. It was my favorite part of last week's chat.
Baltimore, Md.: Gene: I presume you have seen, many times now, the notorious "open mic" comment by President Bush. Leaving aside the fact that the man talks with his mouth full -- and leaving aside his use of the most common scatalogical term in English -- I was struck by the utter simplemindedness of what he was saying to Tony Blair: "Get Syria to tell Hezbollah to stop this SH-- and it'll all be over."
Can a 60-year-old man who has twice been elected president of the United States think the world really works that simply? And what must his poor father be thinking when he sees that clip?
Gene Weingarten: Actually, I disagree with you. Complex geopolitics, when filtered up to the top, often boils down to "Get xxx to stop doing xxxxx." And I like that Bush and Blair are comfortable enough with each other to talk like that. This quote is probably the first mildly positive thing I have seen from Bush in about three years.
Palookaville: "...EGREGIOUS error in Friday's Close to Home..."
Gene Weingarten: Correct. In the history of baseball, to my knowledge, there has NEVER been a lefty catcher. Now, can anyone tell me why?
This is my favorite question to test how knowledgable anyone is about baseball. Even the catcher for the Nats didn't get it right; we asked.
Re: "Drank the Kool-Aid": Please, please, can people stop using this as a metaphor for every stupid everyday instance of conformity? For the love of God, people, if you know where the expression comes from, you should be able to see how tasteless and horrific it is. If you don't know where it comes from, look it up, because you sound like an insensitive idiot using it for every damn situation (or, say, I dunno, hypothetically, in a cartoon).
Gene Weingarten: Yeah, it's pretty horrific. If you don't know what it means, Google "Jim Jones" and Guyana.
Final irony: It wasn't even Kool Aid. It was something called Flav-R Aid.
Female Sha, ME: Gene --
Question for you, based on a recent exercise class event. I had run run run to get there, and hadn't had time to go to the bathroom before. Well, we start doing some squats (pretty quick ones, up-down-up-down, following the music). All of a sudden, I start farting -- not a big, musical one, but little ones on every squat, perfectly in time with the music. The only way to make them stop would have been to stand up, but that would also have attracted attention, which was precisely what I didn't want. So I just kept going and prayed that they stopped and no one noticed.
Now, I should note that I have never, ever had any kind of bathroom shame. It would just never occur to me to stop peeing if someone else is there, hover, or flush with my foot -- as a matter of fact, I had never even HEARD of those things before I started reading this chat (thanks for the info, btw -- certainly explained some things). But here, I was absolutely mortified -- wanted to sink into the floor (now, of course, it's hysterical, but at the time, boy, it was like suddenly finding yourself back in 3rd grade). So my question for you is, why? If I don't have bathroom shame, why the sudden attack of fart shame?
Gene Weingarten: I am only publishing this to demonstrate, clearly and convincingly, that this chat is journalistically fearless. We will not let considerations of decency and maturity derail us from a dispassionate exploration of important psychological truths.
In bodily functions, context is everything. One is supposed to pass gas in a bathroom. I know women try to deny this, but it is true. The reason you were embarrassed is that it was embarrassing; but do not worry -- it is unlikely the other women in the class will henceforth refer to you, among themselves, as Tootles.
Re; B.C. : I assume that there was mild humor in the notion that the son either wore the father's shirt or the father dressed the son that day for school.
Gene Weingarten: Is that the whole joke? That is terrible.
Vienna, Va.: How does The Post approach using words that are somewhat inflammatory, but appropriate, versus using a synonym? In other words, would they let you use "boner" to describe a mistake or insist on a different word? Remember when a City Council member used the word "niggardly" a few years back, and there was a major hue and cry because of it? Would The Post let you use that word or insist you use "cheap" or "thrifty" instead?
Gene Weingarten: Before the flap, sure. Not now, because the word has this gigantic, ridiculous history.
We're also not allowed to refer to Hymietown, Mont. anymore.
Okay, I made that up.
Pittsburgh, PA: What's the opposite of an aptonym? I wondered about this when I read about a boy named Trout who drowned. (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06178/701408-85.stm)
Gene Weingarten: An inaptonym, obviously.
Fairfax, Va.: With everything thats going on in the world, don't you think it's time for more Islamic cartoons?
Gene Weingarten: It occurred to me the other day, and I immediately shared it with Dave Barry, that "Cartoons of Mohammed" would be a great name for a rock band.
Yourstru., LY: "In the history of baseball, to my knowledge, there has NEVER been a lefty catcher. Now, can anyone tell me why?"
Because they don't make left-handed catcher's mitts!
Com, MA: Would you and PtheP please tell me which of the following is correct: July 2006 or July, 2006? I have seen it written both ways on official looking documents (diplomas, certificates, business letters, etc.), but that comma doesn't look right. This is irritating me.
Gene Weingarten: No comma, right Pat?
OMG WTF: Dude, Gene, I'm drunk right now. Don't worry, I'm totally submitting this Monday night. Anyway, our country and this world terrify me. I come look at WaPo.com when I get home from the bar, 'cause I'm a total dork, but I just see these headlines and it sucks. Everything is scary and crazy and tsunamis and global warning and missiles and rockets and killing and anti-stem-cell-that-could-help-my-nephew and racism and sexism and OMG, tell me something hopeful. Is there any chance for this world?
Gene Weingarten: You write well, drunk. That's got to count for SOMETHING, right?
New Raz, OR: Dear Gene,
For my 15th birthday, my parents game me an electric razor and I have been using one ever since. Now I am 27 and my latest razor has finally kicked the bucket. I have never used anything other then an electric, but all of my guy friends say that a regular razor is much closer and less irritating. So three weeks ago, I buy the Schick Quatro...and it is TERRIBLE.
My question is, am I doing something wrong? I know that I am supposed to shave with the grain (i.e. from sidburns down, from chinline down) but it is very painful under my chin and leaves little bumps. Also, it isn't even a remotely close shave. Not nearly as close as my electric. And do I need to use aftershave? I don't want all that goop on my face if I don't have to have it there.
I wish that I had that father/son experience where he stands behind his son in the bathroom mirror and teaches him how to shave, but alas, I never got that. (I should tell my dad that's why I'm gay. Ha!) I would ask my guy friends these questions, but I am a grown man and a grown man doesn't ask another grown man for shaving lessons. So I ask you, in all of your wisdom and all of my anonymity.
Gene Weingarten: Stick with an electric. I believe men's faces come in two kinds: Faces that need a blade, and faces that need an electric. I never was happy with an electric. I became pizzaneck.
Close to Home: There have been left handed catchers, and I've actually been one. The reason you usually don't see them is it is harder for a left handed catcher to throw around a bare runner going to first on a bunt. Yet, since we don't have to turn as much as right handed catchers, we can learn to compensate for that.
Gene Weingarten: Er, I hate to contradict a guy who has done it, but, nosir, it would be EASIER to throw behind a runner going to first. He is running outside the baseline.
Arlington, Va.: I am the only one who thinks W's mic was not turned on by accident, but rather that some low-level tech person figured it would be really funny to turn it on and see what would happen?
Also this totally unrelated bit -- did you see the article in yesterday's Style section about the British gardening guru named Flowerdew?
Gene Weingarten: Yeah, it never explained whether that was a madeup name, which I suspect it was.
I once wrote an interview that was obviously made up. The person I was talking to was May Dupnaim. Many people did not get it.
Suitland, Md.: Hi! I'm a black woman who recently had a cashier in Waldorf go out of her way to avoid touching my hand when she took my money and gave me my change. She didn't do this with any other customers, so I doubt that she's a germophobe. This was extremely funny to me because she kept fumbling and dropping things, which then forced herself to interact with me even longer. Was this truly funny? Have you ever been a victim of racism/anti-Semitism and found it humorous?
On a related note, I've found that left-handed people are usually funny. Since I'm a lefty, is this prejudice on my part?
Um, poop, panty lines, love of dogs, a 27-year-old who hearts you.
Gene Weingarten: I like your attitude. It's like mine.
When someone shows that sort of prejudice, it is he or she who becomes the ridiculous character, the object of amusement and joyfult contempt.
We have a neighbor who is a major jerkface. Everyone hates him, because he is a mean-spirited, petty, busybody tattletale -- the sort of person who will call the police if a neighbor leaves his garbage pail in the front of the house an hour longer than one is supposed to. Most people avoid this guy, or glower at him. I laugh out loud every time I pass him. MUCH more effective.
I don't notice anti-semitism. Seriously. I cannot recall a single time I felt I was patronized because I am Jewish, and I look pretty darn Jewish. I just don't notice it, I suppose, because it is just such a ridiculous way to deal with people.
Frustration: Does your purview include the crossword? Sunday's puzzle contained a clue of "hint." The word they were looking for? Infer. Of all the people you'd expect to be word weenies, crossword puzzle creators would be high on the list.
Gene Weingarten: Oh. My. God.
Was this the puzzle in the ... Wapo Mag?
Providence, R.I.: I would guess that lefty catchers are so few because most batters are righty, and a lefty catcher would have to throw through the batters box if a runner was stealing second.
Another guess: my grandfather played semi-pro ball in the '20s, and was a lefty pitcher. He had to catch as a righty because the team did not have a left-handed catcher's mitt.
Gene Weingarten: Nope. Why do you think there are no lefty catchers mitts? Because there are no lefty catchers? But why is that?
Falls Church, Va.: Gene, one of my colleauges is having a colonoscopy tomorrow. Nothing's wrong, this is just routine maintenance. Needless to say, all of us male coworkers find this hugely amusing, especially the massive clean-out he has to undertake tonight. The female coworkers, by contrast, are uniformly sympathetic to the poor schlemazel, and they think we are gross and insensitive for finding this situation humorous. Who's right?
Gene Weingarten: You both are. Women can't help being better humans.
In the Crouch: There are actually at least two catchers in major league farm systems who are left handed. One is in the Nationals farm system, I believe. Get Svrluga or Sheinen on the horn!
Gene Weingarten: I don't believe it.
Tribute, MS: Please explain how you met your wife in your best Spillane type prose.
Gene Weingarten: I am better at Chandler. This is adapted from something I once wrote in a book. When I wrote it, I was thinking about my wife:
She was the kind of dame who gets your attention if you're the kind of man who doesn't know the difference between ecru and puce, if you get my drift. She was brainy but not mouthy. She walked fast but fine, like a woman who knows how a woman is supposed to walk but doesn't give a damn. Not that she walked like a man. A goat can't impersonate a fish.
This was back when you called a dame a skirt, and for good reason, which is there wasn't much of it. What little there was was doing its best not to draw attention to itself. You don't put Venetian blinds on a Rembrandt.
Did she know what she was doing to me? Does a cat know what it's doing to a mouse that's lying there, half dead but liking it? Yeah, mice like the kill. They say they don't but they do.
Yuckville: Is it just a schtick, or is there an actual rationale behind you introducing a female as being accomplished and a total hottie babe? If I were ever mentioned by anyone I'd prefer that they sidestep the superficial dept. The gender/age/looks thing is so inescapable - from interactions w/ strangers to VIPs introducing you to an audience. I just want to be anonymous, and, if known, by things that I actually have contributed to.
Gene Weingarten: I did it because her pic adorns her column, and it has crossed the mind of every single hetero male reading that column. Also, I happen to know she doesn't mind.
washingtonpost.com: Can we keep talking about left-handed catchers, because I, for one, am really enjoying it.
Gene Weingarten: Glad to oblige, Lizzie. Does NO ONE know?
Manitowoc, Wis.: In fact, the article mentioned that there had been generations of Flowerdews in that part of England. The British have all the interesting names -- I've never met a Gotobed in the U.S.
Gene Weingarten: Ooop, really? Then, I retract. A very good aptonym.
Brisbane, Australia: The anti-abortion website you linked to in your July 12 update reminded me of a web page I ran across about a year ago. The page basically consisted of a young woman's lengthy diatribe against the fascist corporate pigs in Amerika and how there were no depths to which they wouldn't sink. The main point of reference in her screed turned out to be one of the funniest articles that I've ever read in the Onion. The last paragraph alone is worth the price of admission.
Anonymous: Runners typically steal third not second. It's much easier. The runner takes advantage of being in the pitcher's blind spot. Also, the pitcher, not the catcher, should be the one throwing the ball. The catcher would only throw the ball in the rare situtation that he had dropped it.
Gene Weingarten: This is completely idiotic and incorrect.
Washington, D.C.: Really Gene? You like the pointy shoes? Have you seen the Wizard of Oz? And have you seen a woman's foot after wearing them for a couple of years? My sister has a garden spade instead of a foot, and she's only 30.
Gene Weingarten: I do not like the pointy shoes or the fishnet. But it will allow bidders to expect they might get lucky.
Have a heart: C'mon, Gene. Everyone makes mistakes. Things happen. After I-don't-know-how-many years of flawless polling, you're going to malign the whole IT department for a little glitch?
Incidentally, I'm not an IT professional myself. But I do think it's wise to treat them nicely, because they can take revenge on you in ways you can't imagine. Not to mention the fact that you should just be nice to people in general, and be a little forgiving, for goodness sake!
I am over it now.
Drank the cyanide-laced cool-aid: Umm, isn't this a bad metaphor because the people who drank the cool-aid are dead?
Gene Weingarten: It is not a great metaphor, true. But it was the ultimate act of group-hypnosis, basically. (Though, as I recall, many drank the drink at the point of a gun.)
Lack of Leftys, IL: Ask Yahoo:
Why are there no left-handed catchers in Major League Baseball?
If you're a student of baseball, then you know that the catcher has many different duties: choosing pitches and signalling them to the pitcher; catching pitches; fielding pop-ups and bunts; tagging runners at the plate; and finally, perhaps the most difficult task, throwing runners out when they attempt to steal second or third base.
The very best catchers in the Major Leagues rarely throw out even half of the runners that attempt stolen bases. A slow delivery from the pitcher, an off-speed pitch, a pitch in the dirt, or, of course, a speedy runner -- any of these complications can make retiring a runner a difficult proposition.
So, you ask, how does being left-handed interfere with throwing out baserunners? It has to do with the fact that most batters are right-handed and therefore stand in the batter's box on the left side of home plate. A left-handed catcher would need to throw through that batter's box or move over and throw directly over the plate -- added problems that would hinder even the most talented athlete.
Since most baseball coaches, from Little League to the Majors, are aware of the inherent difficulties of left-handed catching, they undoubtedly encourage talented southpaws to find other positions on the diamond -- outfield, first base, or even pitcher, where left-handedness is largely viewed as a competitive advantage.
So, there you have it. The subtleties of handedness when it comes to being a baseball catcher. Other positions where left-handedness is all but unheard of: third base and shortstop.
Lefty catchers are rare, but that's not to say that no left-handers have ever played the position. According to sites we found by searching on "left-handed catchers," both Mike Squires and Dale Long moved over from their regular positions and played multiple games at catcher.
Perhaps most interesting was our discovery that the game's greatest player, Babe Ruth, was a left-handed catcher. At the National Sports Gallery, we learned that a young Babe caught left-handed, despite the lack of equipment. In his own words:
"We had no catcher's mitt built for left handers, of course. We were lucky to have any kind of mitt. I'd used the regular catcher's mitt on my left hand, received the throw from the pitcher, take off the glove and throw it back to him left handed. When I had to throw to a base, trying to catch a runner, I'd toss the glove away, grab the ball with my left hand and heave it with everything I had."
Gene Weingarten: This is it, though it doesn't emphasize the real reason. With a righty at the plate and a runner on second, the runner will almost always just be able to steal third in a trot. The catcher simply could not throw to third in time, around the batter.
Lefties: A left-handed catcher would have a hard time throwing stealing runners out at second as most batters are righties. But it would be damn-near impossible to throw somebody out at THIRD.
Gene Weingarten: Yes, this came in first, and it is the right answer. It's all about third base.
Pat the Perfect, ME: "July 2006" vs. "July, 2006":
It's just a question of style, i.e., an arbitrary decision made so that the publication will do it consistently one way or the other. Most news publications, including The Post, omit the comma. If you do use the comma, though, you need to use TWO commas if you're putting the phrase in the middle of a sentence: "The July, 2006, meeting," just as you would for "the Boring, Md., resident."
Speaking of boring, is this the best thing you could find to ask me? Doesn't anyone want to know if I'M wearing pants?
Gene Weingarten: I'll open this up for general consideration.
Oprah: So Oprah is denying that she and her friend Gail are gay. My immediate thought--who cares? Even if she were--really, why does it matter? When Ellen and Rosie came out a few years ago I felt the same way. Don't get me wrong--I fully support gay marriage, etc. I just don't understand why such statements are deemed newsworthy.
Gene Weingarten: Lizzie, as the expert on celebs, do you want to explain?
As a Lyme Disease survivor (recently off all those antibiotics after 18 months) I can say that you accurately described what happens when you are on hardcore antibiotics (as I was) and missed your dosage of mega-acidophilus. You don't want to know the pain.
Gene Weingarten: Um, I don't recall opining on this subject.
We discovered a whole new form of poop shame recently. We were on vacation in Poland, and were waiting at a train station when my sweetie decided that he needed to poop. So he went and sought out the bathroom, which we already knew was likely to cost him money (most public bathrooms do). What we didn't expect was that he would encounter there a menu, with varying prices depending on which services you intended to use. The menu was all in Polish, which we don't speak, but he was quickly able to decipher the men's menu based on the fact that there were three items, and, as he says, there are only three things a man is likely to do in a bathroom: poop, pee, and wash his hands. So, essentially, he had to announce ahead of time to the toilet-tender that he wanted to poop. (And then talk about pressure to perform! When you've paid good money to poop, you want to make sure you get your money's worth!) Sure enough, when he went back to the bathroom, the toilets were in one direction, and the urinals in the other. This led to some interesting speculation. What if you didn't have enough money for a toilet--could you just poop in the urinal? If you were low on cash, would you have to sacrifice the hand-washing? Isn't a toilet really a "buy a poop, get a pee for free" bargain? Might they want to consider charging by the kilo? The possibilities are endless...but in any case, I imagine it would have been a very difficult spot for someone with severe poop shame.
Gene Weingarten: Best post of the day, by far. It needs no commentary by me.
Northern Virginia: Hi Gene. A question: a young former employee is scheduled for leave, returning for four weeks after six months in Afghanistan. During his absence, I've been keeping an eye on his girlfriend, taking her to lunch every so often, listening to her talk about the struggle of being coupled with an infantryman. He has confided in me via email that he plans on volunteering for duty in Iraq. He has not told the GF this. What she does know is he is planning on proposing while home. She has told me that she assumes he is not planning on reenlisting. He's already signed up. Do I warn her? Having been an army wife, I know the pain of separation coupled with fear. She has told me she could not take it. I have advised him to tell her before busting out the ring, but I think he plans to do the opposite, which is why I am tempted to stick my nose where it clearly does not belong. I've reminded her that I managed happy marriage to a lifer who has taken his training and turned it into a wonderful post-military career. We've been together 27 years now. What do I do?
"Hi Gene." And you're always talking about peoples bathroom habits!
Gene Weingarten: You do NOTHING.
This is not a close call. This is none of your business.
washingtonpost.com: Re: Oprah. I don't think her denial is as huge as the alternative possibility, but the headline "Oprah Denies She's Gay" certainly gave me pause and although I won't run out and buy O Magazine to read further about her relationship with Gayle, I bet you many will... thereby lining Oprah's pockets. Which, in the final analysis, is only fair. Better her pockets than the tabloids', I guess.
Harrisburg, Pa.: Re: Close to Home
42 is a retired number for every team.
Gene Weingarten: Haha. Actually, it is a retired number for every team, because of Jackie Robinson. And this is a terrible, terrible injustice. Current players are grandfathered in, but all 42s will have their number retired when they retire.
Consider: Mariano Rivera is 42.
THEY'D RETIRE HIM ANYWAY. NOW IT'S DILUTED.
Response to Female Sha, ME: I can do one better which will help dissapate your fart shame:
Being on a college ladies' water polo team, we had "dry land" calesthenics in the wee hours of the morning for strength training. A dreaded exercise consisted of doing pull-ups, but of course being women, our coach allowed us to partner up. One girl would be doing her pull-ups, while the partner would stand behind, holding up the pull-upper's ankles for balance and reduced weight.
One morning, as I was approaching the end of my pull-up set, my torso quaking from the exercises we had done, I farted in my poor partner's face. Oh, the indignity!! Of course, the whole team, save a girl on the end, heard the fart, resulting in everybody bursting out in laughter and simultaneously dropping from their pull-up bars.
My coach was utterly speechless.
The girl on the end, still doing pull-ups, shouted, "What just happened?"
Gene Weingarten: Think what we'd be missing in this chat if you had to sign your name to your posts.
Fusi, ON: I use both electric and bladed razors depending on my needs since they have different advantages/disadvantages. I can tell the poster to get himself a Mach3 or a Fusion. I've tried the Quattro and had the same experience as the poster. It cut up my face. I couldn't figure out why until I examined the razor. There are two small wires that hold the 4 blades in place. I believe these are what causes the irritation with the Quattro. I have not experienced these problems with Gillete products.
Does Pat Wear Pants?: Not interested.
Isn't this common knowledge anyway?
Gene Weingarten: Well, EYE certainly know.
Central Virginia: Dang! I never get my comments posted, but I am always able to humbly participate in your noble chat endeavor by taking the weekly poll. But today, on the day that I have a noon meeting and can't even read the chat in real time, there is not a poll posted.
P.S. I'm already liking Agnes way more than Pajama Diaries (which admittedly isn't saying a whole lot). I peeked at the last week or so of Agnes strips and find it kind of cute and sassy. Did you read the on-line chat about Pajama Diaries where the author said that she had to quit looking at your chat? I felt bad for her, but not enough to want PD to remain on the comics pages.
Gene Weingarten: Oh, Lord. No, I didn't see that.
Now I feel even worse than I did at the start of the chat. That is the worst part of doing what I do, and the only way I can not be crippled by it is to persuade myself that nothing I write has any weight or any ability to injure.
Gene Weingarten: I will probably be punished in a very appropriate way. I hope to have a comic strip (done with my son) out in a year or so. I promise I will be thickskinned to savagery.
Virginia Square, Arlington, Va.: After my office mate read this to me and I stopped laughing, I knew it was too good not to share with you and the Chatological community.
From Volume 59, Number 4, July/August 2006 edition of Archaeology magazine in the "From the Trenches" section:
"Speaking of icons, it seems the most recent examination of King Tut has resolved one of the questions that has been burning on the minds of Tut aficionados for years, namely: where is his penis? It was present when he was discovered in 1922, but a 1968 X-ray study of Tut's mummy failed to turn it up, leading to speculation it was stolen. Never fear, says Zahi Hawass, Tut's member is no longer MIA. It was found lying loose in the sand the body was resting on, detached from Tut, but still intact."
Who knew it was a burning issue...
Gene Weingarten: Thank you for sharing this.
Just wondering. There's a really large construction project across the street that I watch at lunch. In do doing, I ignore all hot chicks, preferring to watch the work.
Should I slit my wrists now for being past it?
Gene Weingarten: It's not a good sign.
It has occurred to me that you can chart a man's life by the joy he receives evacuating and having sex. The lines cross somewhere. That's a bad moment. I am not there yet, but if I ever reach it, well, let's say I will make sure my will is in order.
Since I share your opinion on extravagant weddings, I'm pretty sure you're going to agree with me on another point and I need some help. My partner and I just bought a house, and we plan to have a housewarming when some renovations are done, and my partner wants to create a gift registry for this housewarming. I think this is beyond tacky, but she insists that it's perfectly fine because we can't get married, so we won't be doing that sort of registry. Still, I think it's tacky. What say you, Gene?
Gene Weingarten: Tacky tacky tacky tacky.
Of course, I think wedding registries are tacky, too.
Boston, Mass.: Gene Weingarten: Yes, this came in first, and it is the right answer. It's all about third base.
Oh the questions that COULD have answered.
Gene Weingarten: Yes, thank you.
San Francisco, Calif.: Hi Gene, have you seen these photos of President Bush and German leader Merkel? It's certainly another odd interaction with world leaders at the G8 by Bush, would you agree?
Gene Weingarten: I can't watch this and not laugh.
Cabin John, Md.: I know you're pissed off by the "colossal software failure", but I just want to make sure you put the blame where it belongs: If it hadn't been for the disatrous overextension of the Post's IT resources caused by Bush's Iraq and other misadventures, your problem undoubtedly would have been prevented and/or fixed.
Gene Weingarten: Thank you. Yes, it is Bush's fault.
Poolesville, Md.: After 17 years in our family, my in-laws' dog, Pepper, passed away a week ago (I just found out yesterday), and I find myself shocked at the intensity of the grief I'm feeling. This wasn't my dog, I am not what you'd call a dog person, and yet, I don't seem to be able to stop crying about it. I have known my husband and his family for 12 years, so for as long as we have had a shared history, Pepper has been there, and I just cannot imagine our life without her. My biggest regret is that I never got to submit her picture for your book. She really was quite the lady.
Gene Weingarten: You are not really grieving for Pepper, at least not entirely. A child grieves entirely for a dead dog. With humans, it is more complex; you are grieving over mortality. A dog's life is a human life in microcosm.
I will be explaining this better in the Old Dogs book.
Why it matters if Oprah is gay: Caveat one: I am a gay woman.
Caveat two: I personally could not care less if Oprah is gay. I have no opinion about her except that her taste in books is saccharine.
One reason why people care about this is because being gay makes you a member of an invisible, but discriminated against, minority. The more gay people who are out, the more visible they become and thus the harder it becomes to discriminate (the thinking being that you're less likely to make life harder for someone you know .)
Gene Weingarten: Makes sense. There is a very very famous and well-liked baseball player whom I strongly suspect is gay. I really would like him to come out, because I think that would do more to eliminate descrimination against gays than just about any other single event I can think of.
In early April, I discovered a small, pea-sized lump in the middle of my shin, right next to the shinbone. Since then it has grown to be about an inch long, a half-inch wide, and fairly solid. It hurts a little when I push on it. The wait time to see my doctor is practically MONTHS unless I'm dying. Should I call and tell them I'm dying?
Gene Weingarten: Pain is a good sign, actually. But, yes, I think you need to tell them that you are worried it is cancer. That should get you in. They HATE malpractice suits.
Poll Ire: Okay, we have hit the very first time I am actually mad at you. Your IT people didn't lose the poll results on purpose, and they felt no joy in having it fail a second time. They feel bad and they are stressed enough as it is. Users who slam them in public, even in cutesy double dactyls, go on the -presidential curse] list.
Immor, AL: "The Elizabethan gentility that we practice"....
Elizabethan gentility? Crikey. If there were a period known for leaning towards the bawdy, it would be the Elizabethan. Shakespeare is full of colourful ways of swearing, innuendo, references to body parts and bodily functions, and scenes designed to pander towards the love of violence amongst the "groundlings" they let into plays. And he's very typical of his age. It's also the beginnings of the age of adventure, with lots of privateers after Spanish gold, and much buckling of swash. A lot of people wrongly assume that people who wear corsets and big neck ruffs must have been uptight. I think it just gave them a sense of humour.
Gene Weingarten: You're right. I meant Victorian.
Kensington, Md.: Boy are you P.O.'d. Wow. Anyhoots, it is my humble opinion that the comic survey is some sort of cruel joke. How else can you explain the choice of the three strips presented by the folks responsible for the best comic section in the country? They're all horrible. Move Dilbert from Business or Doonesbury from C3 if you have a space to fill! Run Sherman's Lagoon daily. Anything but one of those three. Hopefully that space is Classic Peanuts.
Gene Weingarten: Are you referring to Pajama Diaries, Watch Your Head, and Agnes?
PJ was bad. I liked Watch Your Head. And I love Agnes. Watch Agnes for a while. The characters are excellent.
Call It a Rant, OK: Maybe it's the heat (104 where I am). Maybe it's because it feels like the whole world is falling apart. All I know is that my very large issues with George Bush have, all of a sudden, been replaced with irritability over seemingly minor peccadillos. To wit: (Twit?)
- On a global stage, why does he need to chew like a toddler?
- Why does a Yale graduate hold up his end of a conversation like this, "Gotta go to the airport. Get on a plane. Gotta get home."
- Is it really that difficult to learn the names of world leaders? Middle-schoolers and arguably dimmer-witted television anchormen do it every day.
- Why does he walk with his arms held out from his sides, like he's got a six-shooter on each hip?
- I was stunned, but very happy, when Bush created monument-status protection for a unique Hawaiian archipelago. He did this after Jean-Michel Cousteau came to the White House and showed him a documentary about the area. All very good. But evidently this is what it took for Bush to grasp the issues there. Is it really to much to ask to want a president with an innate curiosity about the world?
Yes, we know we have an "average Joe" as president. He takes pride in that. But I don't want an average Joe in the White House. I don't want to feel like I can toss back a beer with the president. I want somebody who's smarter than I am. I've forgiven people a lot of things if they're smart (within reason). What I can't forgive is a wasted opportunity by somebody who refuses to engage himself.
Of course, this isn't funny. So no need to post. But I have to admit I'm feeling a little bit better. Thanks for the Gene Therapy!
Gene Weingarten: Gene Therapy. I like that.
These are all good observations. The one I have made before is the last one: I don't want to be smarter than the president of the United States. That makes me very upset.
Just wanted to say that I've been buying a lot of paint lately, and your son is worlds more professional, helpful and intelligent than those other two young knuckleheads who work with him. They make me want to stick a paint stirrer in my eye. But Dan is great.
Just thought you should know.
Gene Weingarten: Hahaha. I think there are rotating knuckleheads, so this doesn't malign anyone specific.
Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: Gene, if its any consolation, the poll was (insert Bushism for not very good).
Gene Weingarten: That poll was GREAT.
My wife and I have been invited to a birthday party in Riga, Latvia. Although we've never met anybody involved in the party (we were invited by the daughter of the man whose birthday it is, an email friend we've never actually met), we've decided to go, and we leave Thursday. At the party, would it be rude to ask to use the host's computer so I can follow baseball scores and trades?
Gene Weingarten: Yes, but I'd do it, too. I have a warm spot for Latvia. They published my Hypo book. The Latvian edition is a prized possession of mine.
Springfield, Va.: For the guy who said that there are two lefty catchers in the minors, one of whom is on a Nationals affiliate, you are wrong. The only halfway lefty catcher in the National's farm system is Robert Sandora who plays for the Single A Savannah Sand Gnats. He bats left, but throws right, therefore not combatting the problem of not being able to throw runners out.
Gene Weingarten: So he is not a lefty catcher! A lot of catchers bat lefty. That don't mean nothing. Jorge Posada is a switch hitter.
Defending Bluto, OK: Liz seems to think there are are timeless, universal rules of fashion, for example "Flat-front pants good, pleats bad."
I remember in college a girlfriend insisting that, while the styles of her middle-school years, which she and the culture had thankfully grown out of, were horrific, the current styles were timeless and would never, ever appear laughable. I begged to differ. This was in 1983. I think I've been proved correct.
So Liz thinks pleated pants are always and forever wrong, huh? That the "What Not to Wear" folks have discovered unalterable rules for good taste. And that pleats=slob is one of them. Hmmm. I suppose she thinks this fellow's a loser.
And I'm sure she wouldn't look twice at this bozo .
Yah, those pleats look terrible! What a couple of wankers those guys are!
washingtonpost.com: Cary Grant must have resorted to pleats during his LSD experimentation years. And as for Gregory Peck, who is a fine example of a good looking man... those pants do nothing for him.
And, as for your argument, it would be as if this photo of Barbra Streisand argued for the appropriateness of the white 'fro.
Gene Weingarten: Wait a minute. I like that look on Babs. Or maybe that's Liz's point, eh? On Babs, it looks good?
re: the baseball player coming out: I don't think you're right (unfortunately). Remember way back when Magic Johnson announced he was HIV positive? Lots of little kids assumed that meant he was gay and were very disappointed.
Gene Weingarten: Oh, it would be hard on him, at least for a while. But it would make a whole bunch of knee-jerk bigots think about this. Because they love this guy.
Expat from C'ville: What foreign languages have you studied? What languages do you think are the funniest? I'm trying to learn Danish, and it's not going well. It doesn't help that when I listen to my "Teach Yourself Danish" CD that I start laughing. I mean, don't these people ever listen to themselves? They sound ridiculous!
On the other had, my European keyboard has special keys to do this: ¿, and this: ¿, and this: ¿.
Gene Weingarten: I read and speak moderately good espanol. Maybe third-grade level.
German is the funniest language. I bet there is a word in german that translates to "the-thing-that-lifts-the-rubber-flap-in-the-tank after-you-push-the-thing-that makes-the-toilet-go-flush-after-pooping. Then there would be a separate word that takes all of that and adds "manufacturer of" at the end.
Bush-Merkel: This is Bush's frat boy side showing itself. I read a while back that in the past he always enjoyed coming up behind an acquaintance and putting him in a headlock. Too bad Merkel's security detail wasn't there to react instinctively.
Gene Weingarten: But this was .... the chancellor of Germany! And a woman! I mean, wow. I half expected him to follow up with a noogie.
Washington, D.C.: Yesterday my best friend (who turned 30 the day before, in a grand irony most women will understand) went to a new gynecologist to switch off the pill because, as happens to many women, she thought it was lowering her libido.
She is getting married in two months, fyi, and tells the doc this.
He then proceeds to try to TALK HER OUT of a new method of birth control, warning her not to be "selfish" or "too career driven" and saying she should have kids now before it's too late. (She has no known fertility problems, nor did he diagnose any.) My friend was stunned into silence, and called me after the appointment freaking out.
I think she just ran into a religious zealot posing as a doctor. That is, he may have the medical degree, but his real job is to preach. I advised my friend to write a letter to her insurance carrier (and CC the doc) explaining that she would like to see a new doctor without being charged for an out-of-plan visit.
What do you think she should do?
washingtonpost.com: Was it, perchance, a Georgetown hospital GYN?
Gene Weingarten: I'll let you girls hash it out.
washingtonpost.com: No, I did not mean that Babs looks good that way. Sheesh.
Ellicott City, Md.: So I was driving sunday morning listening to Washington Post Radio. Someone named Liz was on, no last name given doing celebrity chatting, was that this chat's Liz?
washingtonpost.com: Indeed. Every Sunday morning at 10:10 a.m. Gene can't get enough of it.
Gene Weingarten: She's the Man.
Burning Question: I have a medical question for you, if you don't mind.
I'm starting to feel the beginning of a urinary tract infection. I've had enough of these over the years to know what they feel like, and this is definetly one. My mother says to drink lots of cranberry juice. So, as I'm drinking my juice, I wonder if this folklore medicine has any truth to it.
If it doesn't clear up in the next couple of days, I'll go to the doctor anyway. I was just hoping to nip this in the bud, so to speak.
Gene Weingarten: I believe I once actually read the results of a study that confirmed cran did help a UTI. Knocked me on my arse.
New York, N.Y.: Jon Stewart pointed out last night that considering the universe of things the President COULD have said into the microphone, we got fairly lucky.
Tammy, Tammy: I've always wanted to have a job writing sympathy cards. Here is my first foray:
A figure stands before a small lump of dirt in the backyard with the caption, "Sorry your dog died." Open the card, and the same character is pictured, but the perspective is zoomed out so you can see a larger lump of dirt next to the small one. Caption, "At least your grandmother will have some company."
Gene Weingarten: I like it.
Fart Sha, ME: I came down with a cold a few months after being diagnosed as diabetic. I got some sugar-free cough drops. In the fine print it says "Excessive consumption may have a mild laxative effect". Well, I had several during a long meeting. A few hours later my guts were distended beyond anything I have experienced before or since. It was like someone had inflated me with a tire pump. I realized things were not going to get better quietly. So, I walked 100' past cubicles with my butt cheeks pressed tightly together, drove the five miles home, walked up three flights of stairs, and finally made it to my bathroom. I was in there for three hours. The funniest part was watching my cats watch me. They kept tilting their heads from one side to the other then delicately sniffing the air. The look of disgust that followed would start me laughing which bring on another round of farts. The noise fascinated them.
Gene Weingarten: Really, people, we aren't getting enough flatulence humor this week.
I wrote in last week about the election speech in which you suggested that a non-Jewish girl tell teenage boys that they should "eat their hearts out" because, at that moment, she was unavailable to them. And you said that because this was addressed to the boys, and not the girls, that this statement was funny and not offensive.
Could you explain why this statement is not also addressed to Jewish girls? Isn't she saying to every Jewish girl in the audience, "I'm prettier than you?" How is that funny?
Gene Weingarten: Why is it saying that?????
You think because Jewish boys have a thing for shiksas it means they find Jewish girls unattractive? That sure don't describe me, at that age. And I had shiksa lust BAD.
re: left handed catchers: If The Flash were left-handed, he would make a GREAT catcher!
Gene Weingarten: Well, sure, because he could just RUN the ball to third.
Gay Baseball Player: Gene, have you noticed the phenomenon when a famous man is considered a sex symbol by women, other men, even his colleagues, will deride him as gay? I've seen it happen with Duran Duran, Tom Cruise, Jeff Gordon, and Jeff Garcia. Is this just jealousy? Or are men biologically programmed to react this way to other men with matinee-idol looks? I do know that biologically, women's taste in male appearances can vary based on the time of their cycles.
Gene Weingarten: I think it's a joke. I am constantly assuring my wife that every man she finds attractive is probably gay.
Silver Spring, Md.: "The wait time to see my doctor is practically MONTHS unless I'm dying."
This person needs a new doctor. There is no primary care physician or first-contact dermatologist worth this wait.
Sexism/Racism?: There is a commercial for car insurance on TV lately that bothers me. It starts with a white woman in a car apparently stopped in the middle of the street to put on lipstick. She is rear-ended. Her insurance agent magically appears in the seat next to her and she asks "Am I covered?". Next, a black woman is driving while listening to the lottery results on the radio. As each number that is called matches her lottery ticket, her driving gets more reckless. She runs over cones, almost hits a gardener, and runs into a truck full of mulch. Her insurance agent magically appears in the seat next to her and she asks "Am I covered?". A number of things about this commercial bother me.
1 - Both drivers are women even though the insurance companies own actuaries would tell them men are involved in more accidents than women. Both are made to look extremely foolish.
2 - In the first case the driver who rear-ended the woman is at fault. He should be asking if he is covered.
3 - Both insurance agents are male (perhaps taking care of the little woman?)
4 - The white woman has a white insurance agent. The black woman has a black insurance agent. I can just imagine the thought process behind that choice.
Am I too sensative or is this commercial really offensive?
Gene Weingarten: If you are describing it correctly, it sounds pretty bad.
New York, N.Y.: Your perspective on the propriety of the headbut also depends on your nationality .
Gene Weingarten: This is very nice.
Silver Spring, Md.: I must bring your attention to this very important scientific discovery.
Gene Weingarten: This, too, is excellent.
Clifton, Va. 2: Umm, I really, really think the Kool-aid reference is to the Merry Pranksters (Ken Kesey, et al.) in Tom Wolfe's Electric Kool-aid Acid Test. Drinking the spiked Kool-aid demonstrated, you were either on the bus or off the bus....
Gene Weingarten: Nope. The reference is to becoming part of a cult. That's the only way it can be read.
OB/GYN horror stories: Yep - similar thing happened to me. I was told by mine (older female) that I was wasting my life as I wasn't married and pregnant yet. I was 27. And as it was right after the "exam", I was still butt naked in that horrible gown. Proceeded to lecture on a lot of other items too. Your friend's doctor was WAY out of line and she needs to get thee to another doctor quickly as possible. Just because they have a lovely degree does not mean they are right for you.
Gene Weingarten: Many women are agreeing with this. Ms. Washingtonpost.com, too.
re: preaching gynos: Hey! Don't assume because Georgetown is a Catholic University and Catholic hospital, they dispense morality along with medical advice. I go to a Georgetown hospital gynocologist who writes my prescriptions (for everything) without question.
BTW, preaching gynos would be an excellent band, I'm sure.
Gene Weingarten: Agreed, on the name.
Cranberry Juice: However, most cranberry juice is sweetened, which actually adds fuel to the flames. You need 100 percent pure, unsweetened juice and lots of it. God bless you if you can get it down, but it works.
Gene Weingarten: A public service announcement.
Hey, Nerdo Times Two: Many chats ago I noted that the drive-thru window in a "Pearls Before Swine" was on the passenger side rather than the driver side of a killer whale's car. Your response? "Whatever, nerdo."
Now you are pointing out that a left-handed catcher on a totally stylized baseball field is an unforgivable error in "Close to Home"? Whatever, nerdo times two.
Gene Weingarten: Liz, you are not sposta be submitting questions on your own.
Baseball and culture: "Gene Weingarten: So he is not a lefty catcher! A lot of catchers bat lefty. That don't mean nothing. Jorge Posada is a switch hitter. "
You said you wanted the gay player to come out of the closet on his own!
Chesterfield, Va.: Bob Dylan song about Israel .
Gene Weingarten: Yeah. Not Dylan's best. Too direct. Not poetry.
Charlotte, N.C.: Will wonders never cease?
Gene Weingarten: "Never," right, Pat? They seem to mean the same thing, except the first carries more of a sense of wonder, as it were, which is the point of the expression.
UTI city: I've had tons of these. The good news is that they were almost always caused by sex. The bad news is that, while cranberry juice will ease the pain a bit, it has no power to actually cure the bacteria that ails you. Go get some Cipro.
Po, LL: Would it be too much to ask to tell those of us that did take the poll why we were wrong? I suspect I may have been right.
Gene Weingarten: I hope to do the poll another time. So we will try again. A lot of you love one of the poems that is very bad. Very few of you saw the value in the very best of them.
Baseball: Some years ago I was out with a group of friends and a guy asked my best friend if she was a switch hitter. She replied "No, I've never even been up to bat."
I've always loved that answer.
UTIs: Do UTIs go away on their own? If I suspect I have one, I'm running to the doc for those antibiotics. I hate Hate HATE UTIs and want them to be gone as soon as possible.
Gene Weingarten: Yes, actually, that would be my advice, too.
Arlington, VA: Liz (sorry, Gene) -
I have to defend Georgetown OB/GYN practice -- they actually were pushing me into birth control after the birth of my first child (admittedly at age 30).
I also know a number of women who get the same lecture at age 30, no matter who they go see.
washingtonpost.com: Wasn't my experience. Apologies for stereotyping the entire dept., tho.
Gene Weingarten: Okay, okay. I feel like Dr. Phil.
UTI Help: The person with the UTI should try cranberry juice plus Uristat - it's an OTC that turns the agony into a faint tickle. Seriously. It's a miracle drug for people who often get UTIs.
Pittsburgh, Pa.: By the way, I was in D.C. over the past weekend. I lived in the area about 10 years ago, and every time I go back, the traffic is worse. This time, it was beyond awful, no matter what time of day I was on the road. Jeez! How do you stand it? My solution was to take the Metro any chance I could.
Gene Weingarten: Try going crosstown in Manhattan.
Believe me, our traffic is NOTHING.
Gay Player: Can you give us a team, at least? Assuming it isn't Piazza...
Gene Weingarten: No. Not fair. Besides, it is just a guess.
RE: Gay catcher: I've heard all the same rumors you have about the gay baseball player, and I'm curious why you think this has NOT come out to the general public? It's not so much a secret, but it's still a secret overall. Why do you think that is?
And as a second point of discussion, a couple years ago a gay magazine threatened to "out" him on their own, without his approval. They eventually declined. What would be THEIR purpose in outing him?
Gene Weingarten: Their purpose would be the same reason I would hope he'd do it on his own.
And I think we are talking about a different guy.
Pat the Perfect, ME: Right, the expression is "Will wonders never cease?" As in "Won't wonders ever cease?" It's not that different in meaning from "Will wonders ever cease" but that doesn't happen to be the expression.
-- Entirely Nude in Md.
Gene Weingarten: I just HAVE to end on this one. Thanks, Pat.
Okay, I'll be updating this week, but... NO CHAT NEXT WEEK. It's not my fault. A shortage of producers. Sorry.
Gene Weingarten: Thanks to Karen Cumming, who lifted this from a Washington Post chat:
Considering the subject of today's chat, how could you have missed this?
"Sweat-gland secretions themselves don't smell bad. But when bacteria (which also smell just fine) that are immersed in the sweat (they thrive in moist environments) dine on the fat- and protein-filled apocrine secretions, they produce foul-smelling excretions of their own.
Which is to say: The scent we know as B.O. is basically . . . bacteria passing gas."
Gene Weingarten: And thanks to William Jones, who seems to have a LOT of time on his hands:
Monday, in Howard Kurtz' chat, the following comment and Howard's response appear:
Ellicott City, Md.: How many words per minute can you type? You, by far, answer more questions in a single hour chat than any other chat host at The Washington Post. Keep it up.
Howard Kurtz: One of my many hidden talents.
When I took the text of the chat, pasted it into a Word document, and removed all of the text submitted by the commenters, I got about 3 ½ pages of text. Using Word's word count feature on the text yielded a total word count of 1,697, organized into 39 paragraphs.
Performing exactly the same steps on your chat today, and removing both the commenters' submissions and Liz', gave me 9 ½ pages of text, and a total word count of 3,078 organized into 158 paragraphs. So you had almost twice the words and more than three times the number of paragraphs.
Gene Weingarten: Howie Kurtz waaaay outstrips me in terms of multitasking AND speed. I beat him here through illusion and simulacra: I spend hours before the chat answering early questions.
I worked with a friend who had grown up in Lebanon. He didn't know the Jim Jones story and so was confused about the meaning of "drink the Kool-Aid." When I explained it to him, he told me of the story that he had thought of when he heard the expression.
There was a king where the well in the kingdom had been poisoned. Everyone who drank from the well became insane. Finally, when only the king and his most trusted adviser remained sane, they decided to drink from the well. That way, the could once again lead the people.
As it turns out, I think this story captures the meaning of the expression even better.
Gene Weingarten: Very good! Deep, as it were.
Washington, D.C.: Are you or are you not prepared to write a limerick or a Higgledy-piggledy poem about some news event that is in the paper today?
Gene Weingarten: Thoughts Upon Geo W. Bush's Back-Kneading of the German Chancellor
Higgledy PiggledyClueless George DoubleyewGreets the world leaders withFrat-boy cachet.
Dacto-teutonicallyRaising the issue thatSomething about this guyRubs the wrong way.
From a lefty: "In the history of baseball, to my knowledge, there has NEVER been a lefty catcher."
As in most things, your knowledge is minimal on this question. Here's a list of MLB's left-handed catchers, with number of games played (source -- Baseball Fever forum):
Gene Weingarten: Thank you. Seldom is the expression "the exception proving the rule" more apt.
Okay, there were a few. But most of these were pre-1910, and most were for just a few games. Obviously, there is a big, honking reason why there are so few lefty catchers. And we explained the reason.
I just learned that Don Mattingly, who is left handed, played third base in two games one year. If you know anything about baseball, you know it is basically IMPOSSIBLE to play third if you are a lefty.
Every exception is a wild a curious anomaly, obviously.
Pittsburgh, Pa.: I have been planning my parent's 50th wedding anniversary party and the guest list has increased quite a bit due to the fact that several folks we thought wouldn't be able to attend have decided to attend. While this has been a wonderful thing for my parents, it has strained the budget a bit for me. Anyway, my husband and I were planning a trip to Toronto, which he suggested that we cancel because this party is getting "out of control" in terms of the cost (and the fact that we would return home only three days before having to depart for the party -- which is out of state). I did see his point, but on further reflection, realized that I'M the one paying for the party (and my brother), not him, since these obviously aren't his parents. No way should he have to bear any significant expense in paying for the event.
Then today, he told me that, in essence, if I take complete responsibility for taking care of our daughter while he works on a grant for the next week, he will give me $5K toward the party. I was headed out the door to go to work, otherwise I would have smacked him in the head. He probably thinks he's helping me financially, but I thought his comment was so out of line I'm sitting here still shaking mad.
So, I think a trip to the woodshed is due when he gets home tonight. I would stand on the corner with a paper cup and beg for change before I took money from him to pay for this party.
Am I right to be so angry?
Gene Weingarten: Yes, you are right to be angry.
Frankly, I also don't quite understand the topology of your relationship; a marriage shouldn't be a transaction. You don't exactly seem to relate to each other as husband and wife.
In a related observation, I never quite understand separate bank accounts, in a marriage. Isn't a marriage about sharing everything? The rib and I have never had separate accounts, because it would just be silly.
19th & Kst, N.W., Washington, D.C.: About a year or so ago, someone wrote in saying that people in D.C. are entirely too impatient (true). They gave an example of someone behind them at a stop light who honked their horn just a few seconds after the light turned green. The person who wrote in said that those few seconds have no impact on people getting through the light and that folks should be more patient. I'm curious as to what you think about this. I think it is imperative that the car in the front of the line -- at the green light -- should think of those behind them, I do. I think that those precious few seconds trickle down the line of cars and that a car that should have been able to get through the light was now rejected that possibility and has to wait again, slowing down traffic even more. If I'm at the front of the line, I look at the lights that are perpendicular to my light to gauge as to when my light will be turning green and accelerate accordingly, hopefully allowing as many cars to get through as possible. Anyway, just wanted to let that person know that those few seconds matter to me. And yes, I may just be trying to justify my own impatience.
Gene Weingarten: I am totally with you. When the guy at the light fails to move in the first two seconds, he is consigning people a few cars back to the dreaded moment of either missing the light or having to roar through a changing light and risking a head-on. When I am at the light, I make sure I move the second it turns green.
I actually think honking is the DUTY of the car directly behind the guy who is asleep at the wheel. If he really doesn't know the light has changed, he might be screwing everyone. (I have seen such a situation, where the only one who makes it through the light was the guy who was asleep, roused into attention by the honking behind him. And this explains why I am an atheist. No just God could allow such a thing.)
University-land, USA: Gene, would you mind expanding on your comments from last week about Ann Coulter: "As far as plagiarism, if you are referring to the link below, that is total nonsense. A ridiculous cheap shot. These things are not plagiarism."
I watched the video you linked, and if any of my students (I'm a college prof) submit papers with a string of sentences that nearly match someone else's writing, they are summoned into my office for a chat (I use freeware provided by UVA to search for similarities).
I certainly don't think it's worth getting worked up about Ann Coulter, but in my view that's plagiarism. What's the difference?
(If it matters, I teach engineering, and these are lab reports.)
Gene Weingarten: Yeah, take a look at this video. What they are talking about are a few throwaway, boring sentences. These are not significant observations or proprietary information. It would be as though I copied this from an encylopedia: "Cairo is a city of 3.2 million, a thriving metropolis on the Nile." I mean, who cares? It's just information, not really the significant intellectual property of anyone.
washingtonpost.com: Shameless (MSNBC via YouTube)
Northern Virginia: Thought you'd get a kick out of this (yes, it is sad to pick on those who may have mental difficulties, but still). Rarely is a headline quite so...visual.
Gene Weingarten: It's just a perfect headline.
Gene Weingarten: This just in --
I wanted to let the person with the bump on her leg to know that it sounds like the beginning of erythema nodosum, which is an inflammation in the legs. It starts off as one small bump in the shin area, but then it spreads and the bumps get bigger and will eventually hurt on their own. It's caused by anything from a reaction to a medication (including birth control) to a disease or virus to stress and fatigue. Or, as my doctors put it, "really, anything can cause it." She'll probably be sent to a dermatologist, and be put through a few tests. The good news is that the treatment is relatively easy- a few super-strength advils and some steriod cream. Now, I am not a doctor or anything like that, but i've had erythema three times in the last seven years, and no one knows why! And, the first time I let it get so bad that when I finally went to the derm, he took a picture of my legs so he could show his med students what an 'advanced case' looks like! Cool, huh?
Gene Weingarten: And thanks to Eric Benson from Arlington, who submitted this link, as a definitive and axhaustive discussion of lefty catchers:
It's interesting, but I do not buy its conclusion that the reason there have been VIRTUALLY NO lefty catchers EVER is simply the result of myth. That just flat-out makes no sense. If you read the article carefully, the only explanation he doesn't refute convincingly is the real one: The throw to third.
Virginia: We don't need no stinkin producers!
No, but seriously, of all the chats, how the hell does YOURS get cancelled for lack of producers? You get the most submissions, don't you?
Oh, and why can't you tell us how many posts you get? Last week at least two people said how many Qs were submitted...
Gene Weingarten: I'm not sure if this is still considered confidential information or not. If you're reading this in the update, then Liz has permitted it. My chat gets between 500 and 900 posts per hour.
washingtonpost.com: Watch for Gene turning up in a different venue on Tuesday.
Minneapolis, Minn.: "I did it because her pic adorns her column, and it has crossed the mind of every single hetero male reading that column. Also, I happen to know she doesn't mind."
As a woman, I mind even if she doesn't. Should I have to worry about putting up my picture and every male deeming a hottie or not. Shame!
Gene Weingarten: Okay, now wait a minute. Wait just one cotton-pickin' minute. Let's deal with the issues here. Just how hot ARE you? And what are you wearing?
Hahahahahaha. Okay, now, seriously, I think you are mis-framing the issue.
Dr. Bonior is not some private woman whose photo is on her Web site. She is public, a subject of public debate. She is a professional relationships counselor in a newspaper, who advises people about their love lives. She included this picture with her columns, and she is very sexy looking. This is funny. Or, at least, interesting. I don't think it is demeaning to her, or other professional women, to point this out.
I think I made it clear I was respecting her professionally. I was quoting her as an authority on a complex psychological issue. The rest was a joke.
Clarksburg, Md.: Runners usually steal third because of catcher indifference, that's because the runner on second is already in scoring position and the catcher does not want to chance a bad throw.
Gene Weingarten: Have you ever actually watched a baseball game? I thought not.
UTI Veteran: Pee after sex. I haven't had one since my gyn told me to try that.
Gene Weingarten: Are you listening, ladies? Pee after sex. Reading between the lines, I would add that if you are married or in a long term relationship, you should also have sex more often with your guy, who really loves you even if he doesn't show it all the time.
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Summer Company's 'Il Trovatore' Is Something to Sing About
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The Summer Opera Theatre Company's production of Verdi's "Il Trovatore," which received its first performance on Sunday afternoon at Catholic University, is startlingly good -- far better, on almost every level, than stagings I've seen at the Kennedy Center and even at New York's Metropolitan Opera.
Why does this trim, no-frills rendition, cast mostly with relative unknowns, work so well when "Trovatore" has so often spelled doom for bigger stars and much richer and more powerful troupes? (Joseph Volpe, until recently the Met's general manager and hardly a man known for false modesty, candidly admits in his new autobiography that the company hasn't offered a decent performance in years.) I think the success has to do with Summer Opera's demonstrated seriousness of purpose in devoting a full four weeks to intensive rehearsals before allowing the results to be seen. With very rare exceptions, our grander companies don't (indeed, can't ) do that -- and certainly not for "Il Trovatore."
Ever since the Marx Brothers sent up "Trovatore" in "A Night at the Opera" more than 70 years ago, it has been generally acknowledged that the libretto is among the most profoundly illogical theatrical confections this side of "Il Guarany." And yet the emotions it taps into -- honor, jealousy, lust for revenge, willingness to die for somebody one loves -- are genuine and profound, even if their representations in this opera are indeed a little loopy.
Take the final duet between Manrico and Azucena. While most of us will never know exactly what it is like to be the adopted son of a witch's daughter who mistakenly threw her own child to a flaming death, it is far easier to understand nostalgic memories of the places where we grew up, especially when they are shared with somebody we love. And so "Ai nostri monti" ("Home to Our Mountains") works every time, because beneath whatever silliness we find in the surface plot there is a suffusion of deep, welling and universal feeling.
Summer Opera played to the deeper Verdi: There was hardly a cymbal crash throughout the afternoon that didn't seem part of a long-meditated and carefully shaped totality. H. Teri Murai's conducting was taut and fierce, and his small but well-drilled orchestra responded reflexively to his direction. Soprano Fabiana Bravo, a Catholic University alumna, sang with a healthy, florid lyricism and intensity as Leonora. Baritone Grant Youngblood, a late substitute for Jason Stearns as Count di Luna, grew stronger and stronger as the afternoon wore on; his rendition of "Il balen" was brilliantly expressive both musically and dramatically.
Benjamin Warschawski, who sang the tenor role of Manrico, has the ringing high notes for "Di quella pira," one of opera's all-time showpieces. But I was even more impressed by the aching tenderness he brought to softer passages such as "Ah si, ben mio" and "Amor, sublime amor," which gave the character a human dimension that is too rarely explored. Patrice Houston has an unusually light mezzo-soprano voice; whatever her Azucena may have lacked in the way of plummy tone was mostly made up for by agility of phrasing. Soprano Monica Szabo made a bright, ebullient Ines, while Kwang-Kyu Lee sang the role of Ferrando with dignity and lithe grace.
But it was the combination of all the singers, both working together and (quite understandably) trying to outdo one another, that gave the afternoon its freshness and excitement. The staging, by Leland P. Kimball III, was simple and all-purpose but evocative and effective, with scenic designs by Lewis Folden and lighting by Donald Edmund Thomas.
Summer Opera is facing some difficult times. For 28 years, it has operated debt-free. But now, despite a sold-out audience that filled Catholic University's pocket-size Hartke Theatre, it has come to the end of its cash reserves; Deanne M. Giarraputo, the troupe's executive director, insists that the company will not be run on a deficit. I hope Summer Opera will find the wherewithal to carry on. In the meantime, this "Trovatore" is not to be missed.
Il Trovatore will be repeated Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon. Tickets are still available for Wednesday night, ranging from $40 to $63. Call 202-526-1669 or visit http://www.summeropera.org .
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Who Are You Calling Fat?
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Some doctors call it "the other f-word" -- a problem they see on a daily basis but many are reluctant to address: kids who are too fat.
The issue is not new, but experts say it has acquired greater urgency as obesity has ballooned in the past 25 years, accompanied by sharp increases in diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, conditions that used to be largely the province of those middle-aged or older. In 1980, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7 percent of children and 5 percent of teenagers were overweight; today the figures hover around 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
Doctors at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, where 38 percent of patients are obese, say that in recent years they have treated a 9-year-old who suffered a heart attack, a child with a body mass index of 52 (a 5-foot-6 adult with a BMI of 52 would weigh 322 pounds) and several others so dangerously fat that they underwent gastric bypass surgery.
So why are many doctors reluctant to mention an obvious problem?
The reasons are many, experts say: fear of alienating a family or hurting a child; uncertainty about what weight loss approaches have the best outcomes -- or work at all; accelerating time pressures coupled with the requirement that doctors cover an increasing number of topics in a visit; and an insurance system that often does not reimburse doctors for follow-up visits to treat obesity alone. Many pediatricians also say they have no place to refer children who need more intensive help managing their weight.
Locally, that will change in September when Children's is scheduled to open a multidisciplinary pediatric obesity clinic for children between 2 and 18. The clinic, which will feature individual and group treatments for children and their families, will include a nutritionist, a cardiologist, an endocrinologist and a personal trainer. "We're hoping to create a home for overweight and obese children," said Nazrat Mirza, the Children's obesity specialist who will direct the clinic.
"Many doctors don't feel comfortable or competent talking about obesity," Mirza said. Because pediatricians typically schedule patients every 10 to 15 minutes and are expected to cover a multitude of topics including immunizations and safety issues, "they think, 'Do I want to open that Pandora's box' " by mentioning a child's weight?
Often, she said, the decision is no -- particularly if a parent is overweight, as is often the case. Some who have broached the subject, Mirza said, have complained that "it doesn't seem to make a difference, kids just keep gaining weight, so why are we wasting our time?" And many doctors are unsure about which approaches are likely to work best with kids.
To help physicians address the problem, Children's has held classes designed to help doctors and nurses communicate with parents, advising them to open the discussion by showing them where a child falls on the growth charts and calculating the child's BMI.
Even the terminology used to describe children's weight problems is prompting debate, as doctors draw up new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of obesity under the aegis of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
For several years the CDC has recommended that clinicians classify children who are overweight -- above the 85th percentile on growth charts that track height, weight and age -- as at "risk of overweight."
Those above the 95th percentile are called overweight -- rather than obese -- to avoid stigmatizing them.
Reginald Washington, a pediatric cardiologist in Denver who is co-chairman of the AAP's task force on obesity, said the CDC's "warm and fuzzy" labels obscure the health crisis personified by the children who are routinely referred to him for treatment of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
"I think until people realize they have to change, they won't," Washington said, adding that one reason childhood obesity "is so out of control is that no one wants to talk about it."
Washington said he has been accused by parents of callousness or an inability to understand the problem when he tells them their children need to lose weight -- criticisms he rejects. Many parents, he added, are too fat themselves and are unwilling to make changes to help their children lose weight.
"There's a lot of denial," Washington said, adding that parents have told him they can't buy healthier foods because their children refuse to eat them, or they don't want to remove the TV set from a child's bedroom because he or she will get into trouble doing other things.
But other experts say that labeling kids overweight and obese may prove more harmful by making them feel there is little they can change. It is easy, they warn, to oversimplify a complex problem that may involve cultural differences, poverty and psychological factors.
"The issue is not as simple as telling people to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and move more," said adolescent medicine specialist Adekemi Oguntala, who co-directs an obesity treatment program at Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, Calif., that is grappling with problems similar to its District counterpart. In some cases, she said, families don't have access to fresh produce, are resistant to making changes that involve the entire family, or eat cheap, high-calorie foods because they are accessible or affordable.
And, Oguntala said, even someone who is highly motivated and has struggled with weight knows how difficult the problem can be.
In some cases, cultural differences in attitudes toward overweight can play an important role, said Children's Mirza. "The majority of parents don't know their child is overweight, and some parents get very upset" if they are told their child is too heavy.
"They say, 'I was big as a kid,' or that their child has a hormonal problem," she said. In some cultures, Mirza added, chubbiness is seen as a sign of health and people talk about "that poor skinny thing."
A recent study of 194 Latina mothers in California, presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, found that 44 percent had children who were overweight by age 3, but three-quarters thought their children were of normal weight.
Sometimes ignorance is a factor.
"Most people are not that knowledgeable," said Kelly Sinclair, a clinical nutritionist at Children's. "They think their diet is healthy -- that low-fat Pop Tarts are healthy or Goldfish crackers are because they're not potato chips. Some people count candy in the shape of fruit as a fruit."
Nathaniel Beers, medical director of Children's general pediatric clinic, said he takes a straightforward approach with families whose children are overweight or obese. First he calculates a child's BMI, then he asks parents and the child if "this is something they want to work on."
"Most people are willing to think about it," he said. Even those who haven't been successful controlling their own weight are often eager to help their child "because they don't want him or her going through what they've been through." It's important not to alienate parents by blaming them, he added.
"As pediatricians, we try to help get a dialogue going and to leave the door open," Beers said. Although he counts a few successes among his patients, Beers added, "it's a huge uphill battle." ·
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Some doctors call it "the other f-word" -- a problem they see on a daily basis but many are reluctant to address: kids who are too fat. Even the terminology used to describe children's weight problems is prompting debate, as doctors draw up new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of...
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Newport, R.I.: Where Summering Is a Sport
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By Newport's lofty standards, my fantasy seemed modest.
After all, this Rhode Island seaside enclave -- where tobacco heiress Doris Duke once kept a pair of Arabian camels in her antiques-filled home -- is a destination for highbrow folly. One favorite pastime for locals is repairing to the polo field for a sip of bubbly and a peek at a match. Newporters and tourists alike favor the mansion known as Astors' Beechwood, where actors posing as the kin of mogul John Jacob Astor greet visitors as if they were guests of the family. And in the evening, the scene shifts to the Spiced Pear, dining spot of the moment, for a cut of Kobe beef, a taste of tandoori venison or a nibble of sake-poached pear.
All I wanted to do was sail.
At first, yacht watching -- spectacular in these parts -- was thrill enough. In a slow drive last month along Newport Harbor, all sorts of nautical eye candy was on display. Stately schooners with walnut and brass interiors. Grand, custom-made yachts in full-masted majesty. Elegant classic 12-Meters, including the celebrated Weatherly and Intrepid, both winners of the coveted America's Cup.
That meander took me through Newport's small, boutique-packed downtown and then south along Ocean Drive, which hugs a pristine stretch of Atlantic coastline. Finally came a chug up Castle Hill and its grab-the-camera panorama of Narragansett Bay, whose water was regal blue and its islands lush and emerald green. But it was the fleet of Shields sailboats -- compact 30-foot racing craft jockeying for position at the start of a competition -- that caught my attention.
A chap dressed in slacks and Topsiders apparently noticed my excitement. He turned out to be Bob Milligan, veteran of many a sailing race and owner of Astors' Beechwood. "Maneuvering one of those boats is much more of a pain than it seems," he said. "Better to take it all in from a pretty perch up here."
The warning came too late. I could already hear sails flapping overhead and feel the wind at my back. For once, transforming a flight of fancy into reality would be simple enough.
Or so I thought. Sail Newport, known for honing locals' nautical skills, assured me that as part of a two-hour course, I could get out on the water with an instructor. (Complete novices like me need about 12 hours of supervision before sailing solo.) In two days, I would have my appointment with a boat.
That left just enough time to hit the high points of this city, about 35 miles southeast of Providence. With just over 28,000 inhabitants -- a mix of seamen and women working at the Newport Naval Station, landed New Englanders, service workers in the city's tourist industry and students at Salve Regina University -- spread over nine square miles, it's small enough to explore with ease.
First stop: the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Bellevue Avenue, Newport's toniest street. The shingle-style building was constructed in 1880 as the Newport Casino, a clubhouse for summering aristocrats; today, an array of finely manicured grass courts still gives the place a rarefied look. Once these were hallowed grounds, the domain of the racquet set. These days, anyone with a standard-issue Wilson racquet, $35 and a set of tennis whites can bat at balls here for an hour.
The Hall of Fame is a sprawl of plaques and displays -- including historic photographs, a gamut of tennis fashions and other memorabilia -- paying homage to its 200 or so inductees. The exhibits tell memorable tales from the annals of tennis, including the 16-year rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The tense finale between Australian Evonne Goolagong and American Billie Jean King at the 1974 U.S. Open (King won). 1975's brilliantly orchestrated four-set faceoff between Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon, which made Ashe the first African American to win that exalted singles competition.
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Find Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland travel information, including web fares, Washington DC tours, beach/ski guide, international and United States destinations. Featuring Mid-Atlantic travel, airport information, traffic/weather updates
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Israeli Offensive Widens
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Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy , was online Monday, July 17, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the widening conflict between Israel and its neighbors in the Middle East.
Eisenstadt is co-author of The Last Arab-Israeli Battlefield? Implications of an Israeli Withdrawal from Lebanon .
Williamsburg, Va.: What are the implications of an international peacekeeping force in Lebanon? Do you think putting American and British forces in Hezbollah territory would further inflame tensions between Islamists and the West?
Michael Eisenstadt: I strongly doubt that this idea of a peacekeeping force will gain traction. The US couldn't get international support for many allies to send troops to one war zone--Iraq--so I doubt the UN and the UK (who are the main proponents of such an idea at present)will get many countries to volunteer contingents to serve in a war zone in Lebanon. Plus, experience shows that the consent of all parties is necessary for peacekeeping forces to succeed. Israel, for one, will strongly object to a foreign peacekeeping force which they believe will only provide a screen behind which Hezbollah will be able to continue their activities, and which will constrain their freedom to respond to Hezbollah provocations. The ideal solution would be for Lebanon to deploy their Army to the South (as called for in UN Security Council Resolutions 425 and 1559). But there seems to be little will in Lebanon for that, and Hezbollah will object to this. In the absence of these kind of measures, Israel seems to be taking steps to create a 'cordon sanitaire' in South Lebanon just north of the international border. They are destroying former Hezbollah border posts and will probably establish rules of engagement that allow them to open fire on any armed individual that approaches the border, in order to prevent a repeat of last weeks events, as well as the series of Hezbollah attacks across the border that have occurred since Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000.
Eugene, Ore.: Good Morning Mr.Eisenstadt. Do you think that that Iran spurred Hezbollah to provoke Israel in order to remind the United States, the Arab League and the international Muslim community that Iran is the keystone to Middle East stability?
Michael Eisenstadt: Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah has been promising in public for some time now to take Israeli hostages so that Hezbollah could swap them for three Lebanese security prisoners still in Israeli jails. The capture of the Israel soldier several weeks ago by Hamas in Gaza, provided an excellent opportunity for Hezbollah to pursue its own objectives in a way that would enable it to burnish its credentials in the Arab world (by not only demanding the return of the Lebanese prisoners, but also the return of some 9,500 Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails).
Iran also stood to benefit by the timing of this event. And while we lack firm evidence at this time to say what Iran's role may or may not have been in the Hezbollah attack, we know enough about how Hezbollah operates, and the nature of the relationship between Hezbollah and the regime in Tehran, to have good reason to believe that Hezbollah would not have taken such a risky step without the blessing and approval of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i. I would also add that the timing of this incident is perfect from Tehran's point of view, because this incident has shifted attention from Iran's nuclear program, which was to be a major issue on the agenda at the G8 summit, to crisis management related to the Lebanon crisis. If I was a betting man, I would bet that Iran did have a role here. And of course, Iran is the source of nearly all of the 10,000-13,000 rockets that Hezbollah owns, and which it has been launching into Israel. Iran supplied these missiles to Hezbollah because it sees this group, and these missiles in Lebanon, as part of its military capabilities vis-a-vis Israel.
Boston, Ma.: Considering Israel's military strength is much greater, what is Hezbollah's primary motivation in this conflict?
Michael Eisenstadt: The simple answer is that Hezbollah is a radical, extremist organization, that is committed to the destruction of Israel.
Many people thought that after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000, Hezbollah would use the enhanced prestige it derived from being able to take credit for having driven Israel out of Lebanon to become a conventional political party, and it would focus on domestic politics and building up the influence of Lebanon's Shiite community.
Instead, Hezbollah has continued to remain deeply involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict--in part because they thought that after pushing Israel out of Lebanon, anything is possible. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah even gave a speech at about that time in which he likened Israel to a fragile spiderweb that could easily be destroyed. I don't know if he really believes this, but this is the line he publicly annunciated.
Shortly after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, the second Palestinian "intifada" broke out--which derived its inspiration, in part, from the "Lebanese model" of "armed resistance" that, many Palestinians believed, might lead to an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza, without the need for negotiations. During the intifada, Hezbollah emerged as the main external support for Palestinian extremist groups engaged in terrorist violence against Israel (including the Fatah-linked Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, as well as--though to a lesser extent--Islamist groups such as Hamas). They created a special unit within their security apparatus--Unit 1800--to aid Palestinians engaged in terrorism, by providing funding, direction, weapons, and bomb-building instructions.
So it really comes down to their extremist ideology and belief system--which seeks Israel's destruction, their belief that Israel's strength is built on a very fragile foundation--Israel's extreme sensitivity to casualties, and their solid relationship with Iran, which provides them with the confidence to take risks and ignore demands coming from many Lebanese and the international community, that Hezbollah disarm.
washingtonpost.com: Thank you all for joining us today.
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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Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, discusses the widening conflict between Israel and its neighbors in the Middle East.
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Critiquing the Press
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Howard Kurtz has been The Washington Post's media reporter since 1990. He is also the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and the author of "Media Circus," "Hot Air," "Spin Cycle" and "The Fortune Tellers: Inside Wall Street's Game of Money, Media and Manipulation." Kurtz talks about the press and the stories of the day in "Media Backtalk."
Howard Kurtz was online Monday, July 17, at 12 noon. ET to discuss the press and his latest columns.
Read today's Media Notes: Bravo Dishes The Dirt on The Daily News (Post, July 17, 2006)
Philly, Pa.: Howard...it amazes me that the media call the left side of the blogosphere angry when it is the right side of the blogosphere that is constantly calling anyone who disagrees with them "traitors and unpatriotic." A perfect example was after the NYT travel section published pictures of Rumsfeld's and Cheney's vacation homes. The pictures were printed with both men's approval and their security details' approvals, but the right-wing blogs went ballistic and called for the blogs to seek out the addresses, phone #'s and directions to NYT reporters' homes. This was a ridiculous reaction to a puff piece that had no security risks for the men involved. This continues to baffle me that the right-wing blogs are taken seriously. Is it for false balance? When will you stop having these people on your show b/c that gives them credibility that they don't deserve.
Howard Kurtz: Seems to me there is considerable anger on both sides. I wrote about the non-scandal fomented by some conservative bloggers about the NYT running a photo of Rummy's weekend place on Maryland's Eastern Shore and how this was some terrible security violation. When the Pentagon confirmed that the Defense secretary had given his permission for the picture, some of the righty bloggers backed off and some didn't.
Houston, Texas: In yesterday's New York Times, Anne Kornblut seriously misrepresented a speech by Hillary Clinton ("Clinton, in Arkansas, Says Democrats Are 'Wasting Time'"). In her speech, Clinton attacked the priorities of Congress, saying that the Republican leadership was wasting time, ignoring serious issues in order to fire up their base with hot-button issues like gay marriage. Kornblut presented the speech as if Clinton was attacking Democrats on these grounds.
How do these misrepresentations occur, and what do you think would be an appropriate way for the New York Times to deal with them?
Howard Kurtz: I've just looked at the post on the liberal Atrios Web site and it does seem to me that Senator Clinton was talking about the Republicans.
Here's what Anne Kornblut wrote in the NYT:
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, returning to her red-state ties, chastised Democrats Saturday for taking on issues that arouse conservatives and turn out Republican voters rather than finding consensus on mainstream subjects.
Without mentioning specific subjects like gay marriage, Mrs. Clinton said: "We do things that are controversial. We do things that try to inflame their base."
"We are wasting time," the senator told a group of Democratic women here, on part of a two-day swing through a state that could provide an alternate hub to New York if she starts a national political campaign.
And here's what Hillary said in her speech:
You have to ask yourself, we have all these problems, and we have solutions sitting out there, why can't we move in the right direction? And it really comes down to a difference in values and philosophy. You know the nine women Democratic Senators, anybody see us on Larry King's show? We put out what we call our Checklist for Change. I don't know about you, but I am a list maker. I guess it's like a part of the DNA for women. I make lists about lists. And so we were talking one day and saying, you know, we as individuals, we have all of this legislation, we can't get it on the floor of the Senate. We can't get a vote on it because the Republican majority wants to vote on other things. So we pulled all our best ideas together. Wouldn't this be a good agenda for America: safeguard America's pensions; good jobs for Americans; make college affordable for all; protect America and our military families; prepare for future disasters; make America energy independent; make small business and healthcare affordable, invest in life saving science; and protect our air, land, and water. You know, Blanche Lincoln has a bill to make healthcare affordable for small business, I have a bill I was talking to you about with respect to energy independence, we have legislation sitting in the Senate to address these problems. But with the Republican majority, that's not their priority. So we do other things, we do things that are controversial, we do things that try to inflame their base so that they can turn people out and vote for their candidates. I think we are wasting time, we are wasting lives, we need to get back to making America work again, in a bipartisan, nonpartisan way."
Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.: Mr. Kurtz,
With your resources, it would be great to see who were the idiots who said that taking Baghdad would lead to peace in the Middle East. There had to be some of them out there.
Feel free to dig up those quotes.
Howard Kurtz: I take it you feel the invasion of Iraq led to the current violence between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah.
The invasion may or may not have exacerbated things, but you'll recall that Israel has been fighting with these groups for many, many years--in some ways since 1948.
Rochester, N.Y.: How come you never have liberal media critics like Eric Boehlert and Bob Somerby on your show Reliable Sources? Is it because their substantive points about media bias wouldn't generate the ratings that John Hinderaker's foaming-at-the-mouth about "treason" routine does?
Howard Kurtz: Eric Boehlert has been on several times. I guess you missed those shows.
Fairfax, Va.: I asked a friend in Canada the other day if the Canadian press and media treat problems in the Middle East in the same manner as the U.S. press and media. His response was interesting and informative. "While we don't condone what is happening, we equally keep perspective on the issue and remain focused as well on other top stories. In the US, it seems your networks (in particular-CNN) will play the story for days and days until it is dead...overkill..boredom ... While I admit they have the first handle on stories, and the best coverage, they have no clue when to end it."
Howard Kurtz: I'm usually a big critic of cable news overkill, but given the magnitude of the fighting in the Middle East right now and the considerable stakes and danger of an even wider war, I think the heavy coverage is warranted. Would you rather they be obsessing about some missing woman?
New Hampshire: Hi Howard and thanks for taking my question.
By now, perhaps you have seen and heard the president cursing with his mouth full of a buttered roll while talking to Tony Blair in St. Petersburg. While I do realize he is human and therefore neither perfect or infallible, I am deeply embarrassed. Do you think he and his administration will get involved in a real solution for the Middle East? I think the much touted "roadmap" just got bombed to smithereens.
Howard Kurtz: It's surprising that Bush wasn't more careful about the possibility of an open mike. I don't know what the administration will do, but most likely the president will not get involved in a public way unless he thinks the U.S. has a reasonable chance at brokering a cease-fire. And yes, I think the so-called road map, which was going nowhere anyway, has been blown to smithereens. It probably became a dead letter when the Palestinians elected a Hamas government that will not recognize Israel's right to exist.
Fort Wayne, Ind.: In light of ongoing world events this question has absolutely zero relevance - but I'll ask it anyway. If, say, NBC tonight were to air the president's, er, "plainspoken" remarks about Syrian assistance in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, would the network be fined by the FCC for indecency?
Howard Kurtz: Well, the fine for using the S-word is as much as $325,000 per instance.
Scotch Plains, N.J.: Shame on Bravo !
Since when does the only newspaper convicted by a federal jury of race discrimination (Hardy et al vs. New York Daily News Inc.) in 1987 deserve absolution via a documentary?
Granted that historic court battle occurred nearly 20 years ago when the Tribune Company owned the News; but Mort Zuckerman showed his true colors when he fired every black male reporter in the editorial department the day he purchased the tabloid in bankruptcy.
Zuckerman didn't buy the News to uphold any press freedom---rather he bought a pulpit from which (like Murdock) he could protect his friends, assail those people he doesn't like and kick hell out of anyone who dares criticize Israel.
Bravo can glamorize Zuckerman's paper all it wants---but a lie cannot live forever. There are still folks around who know the truth about the sordid history of the New York Daily News.
Howard Kurtz: I don't quite get how the events of 20 years ago, before Mort Zuckerman owned the paper, means that Bravo shouldn't do a documentary on the New York Daily News. And while owners buy newspapers for two reasons--to make money and have influence--I have not seen any evidence that Zuckerman has used the paper to protect his friends or whack his enemies.
Washington, D.C.: What can't we ever make progress in the Middle East? There has been conflict between Israel and various groups and countries for decades now. We spend more and more money and lives, and get less and less stability. Wouldn't it just be cheaper to invade wholesale and install governments friendly to us in all the Muslim countries of the Middle East?
Howard Kurtz: "Install governments friendly to us"? How do you propose we accomplish that without many tens of thousands of American casualties, and how do we explain those actions to the rest of the world? It would make Iraq look like a cakewalk.
Ballston, Va.: Let me try and understand - when GWB does his town hall meetings with an audience that is prescreened and preselected, many in the press question the sincerity of the entire affair. But when Katie Couric barnstorms across the country trying to get 'the real story' about why nobody watches the network news anymore, and gathers her information from predetermined and preselected audiences, this is somehow different than W? Both are playing to their desired bases, while trying to convince the public that they're not playing favorites and truly want a dialogue with a broad cross-section of the country. Nonsense. The press should be consistent about how it reports stuff like this. If this practice contrived in one instance, it can't be sincere in another.
Howard Kurtz: Um, one is president and one is a journalist just going out to talk to some folks? I don't think the press should have been barred from Couric's sessions, but nor do I think it's a big deal.
Mount Rainier, Md.: Is there any connection between Steiger leaving the Wall Street Journal and the fracas the editorial board has caused with its reporting staff? (You know, the ones who actually write about reality) The editorials' conspiratorial take on the our supposedly treasonous press, intended to focus on the NYT, definitely rebounded onto their own reporters and news editors, who thought the financial tracking story was worth writing about. Of course, the GOP-owned board disagreed (never mind how appalled classic conservatives would have been at the SWIFT program...). So how many more defections might we see at the WSJ?
Howard Kurtz: My sense is that Paul Steiger has planned to leave for some time, and as the top newsroom editor, I doubt he'd allow himself to be driven off by one caustic editorial.
Martinsville, Va.: Do you anticipate, as NBC has said, that Katie Couric's move to the CBS Evening News will increase the amount of attention paid to the three nightly broadcasts and thereby reverse the trend of declining ratings over the past thirty years?
Howard Kurtz: For a few weeks, certainly. I don't know if it will have a lasting impact beyond then on the total size of the audience, given the many reasons for the long-term decline.
Bush's Freudian slip: I have to disagree with the earlier poster--sometimes it's nice to get a break from all the limp-wristed diplospeak. Or has Sen. McCain have exclusive rights to "plain talk"?
Will it help to get this comment posted if I accuse you of bias?
Howard Kurtz: I don't know, give it a try.
Weatherford, Texas: Haven't read your article yet. Usually catch you on CNN. My only statement is that without the press the American people would be at the mercy of whoever is in office and the truth would never come out. Keep reporting even if you P-ss some people off. After all, that's life.
Good Luck in the future.
Howard Kurtz: Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Washington, D.C.: Broder and Balz, in their front page Sunday Post article, referred to the way Team Bush used the fear engendered by the 9-11 tragedy to solidify Republican one-party control as "skillful." Such admiration for tactics that were often deceptive, misleading and downright dishonest seems inappropriate for a paper of The Post's stature, not to mention indicative of pro-Bush bias. Any comment?
Howard Kurtz: I don't know how you conclude that the article expressed "admiration" for the Bush administration's tactics. To say that the administration's tactics were "skillful" in helping Republicans win elections in 2002 and 2004 is a judgment about effectiveness, not a value judgment. You could say that Jack Abramoff was "skillful" in using his clients' money to leverage his influence with Congress and the White House; that doesn't mean you approve of what he did.
Newt Gingrich is now going around saying we're in World War III. This is yet another example of the misuse of the word "war" by the Bush administration, their supporters in the talking head world and much, if not all, of the media. The events in the Middle East, even the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, are not war, because they do not specifically involve one or more countries facing off against other countries. A war needs an official declaration and some end result that would cause the war to come to an end. If you misuse the word, then you get a president and administration that can attack its opponents for "not standing behind its leaders during a war" and an administration that can expand its powers beyond the limits of the Constitution because "we're at war." I'd love for the media to begin to take stand against the use of the word "war" to describe our current circumstance, but I'm not holding my breath.
Howard Kurtz: Newt's "World War III" formulation on Meet the Press yesterday may have been over the top, but if what's going on now in the Middle East isn't war, it's a reasonable imitation of it. The world seems to be moving away from the era when one nation-state would officially declare war on another. The war on terror, to take one example, is against shadowy groups like al-Qaeda, not particular countries. And by the way, Ehud Olmert did say he regarded the initial attack by Hezbollah as an "act of war." So I think that word can no longer be reserved only for declared military conflicts between countries.
Given the level of violence in in an increasingly theocratic Iraq, and the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah taking its toll on Lebanese civilians, wouldn't it be a good time for the major media to take stock of exactly who said what in the run-up to the American invasion of Iraq in 2003?
I ask because many of the people who flogged the Iraq war--are now advocating an air war against Iran. Isn't an examination of how the analyses of various members of the Commentariat pan out a good starting point for evaluating their credibility, especially for those who advocate carrying the fight to Iran or Syria?
Howard Kurtz: I'm certainly not against that, but some of those quotes have been cited many, many times, especially Dick Cheney's "we will be greeted as liberators."
Washington, D.C.: What do you make of the anthrax scare at the NYT (where someone sent a powder in an envelope along with a copy of the editorial defending the leak of the article about tracking financial transactions)?
Specifically, are you concerned that the rhetoric against the Times and other media outlets, on blogs, talk shows, and even from Members of Congress, has heated up so much? It seems almost commonplace now to hear allegations of treason and calls for death hurled against reporters and editors. Does this concern you at all?
Howard Kurtz: Who knows why some nut sends white powder to a newsroom?
Hillary's comments: Actually, when Sen. Clinton says "I think we are wasting time," I think she is talking about the Democrats, and the more direct criticism is certainly directed to her own party. She complains that the Republican leadership blocks the proposals of the nine female Democratic Senators, but her primary criticism is that instead of working to advance this mainstream agenda in spite of the leadership, the Democratic party as a whole prefers to concentrate on a controversial agenda that will not appeal to middle America, and that drives historically Democratic voters to choose Republicans (as my family tends to).
Howard Kurtz: Well, I wasn't there. But I didn't get that impression from looking at the speech excerpt.
More on "war": "The war on terror, to take one example, is against shadowy groups like al-Qaeda, not particular countries. And by the way, Ehud Olmert did say he regarded the initial attack by Hezbollah as an "act of war." So I think that word can no longer be reserved only for declared military conflicts between countries."
So do you think anyone will ever "win" the war on terror? If al-Qaeda goes away, someone else will step forward and the "war" continues. And if the "word can no longer be reserved only for declared military conflicts between countries," how do we keep the president can assuming warrantless wiretap power forever? This isn't a matter of semantics but a deliberate use of language to enable the Administration to control the rules of debate and change the way our government operates.
Howard Kurtz: Do I think we will ever completely and totally wipe out terrorism in all its forma? Bush got hammered for saying this a couple of years ago, but the answer is probably not--especially when you consider all the regional terror, guerilla and separatist groups involved in India and Pakistan, Spain, Afghanistan and many other countries.
Washington, D.C.: I understand that you try to get points of view from all over the political spectrum but some of your favorite commentators, the Powerline guys and Hugh Hewitt, seem to genuinely believe that the Times, and The Post, are on the side of the terrorists. Is that a credible opinion? If its not, then why do you have them on your CNN show all the time?
Howard Kurtz: I leave it to readers and viewers as to whether such opinions are credible. And it is my practice, in my articles, blog and television show, to seek balanced opinions from different sides. You might see folks from National Review or Power Line on one side, but you will see Arianna or Josh Marshall or Kos on the other.
Harrisburg, Pa.: "Seems to me there is considerable anger on both sides". Well, yes, there is.
But only one side seems to be consistently calling for the death of the people with whom they disagree (see the Coulter quote you cited this morning).
Only one side consistently uses terms like 'treason' and 'traitor' and claim that their political enemies are on the side of the terrorists.
Have you really not noticed this? If you have, doesn't it bother you?
Howard Kurtz: Anyone who reads me knows that I am well aware of the fierce anti-press views out there, including those who say journalists should be tried for treason. But I am not going to pretend those views don't exist, whether or not I agree with them. People should be aware of them and form their own judgments.
Jersey City, N.J.: Hi Howard
I noticed that Richard Engel of NBC managed to get an interview with the Lebanese PM over the weekend, and realized that this isn't the first 'get' that he's managed. Without disparaging other Mideast reporters like Nic Robinson or Christiane, it seems to me that Engel is really doing yeoman work over in the Mideast. I'm just curious as to whether his colleagues feel the same way.
And no, I have absolutely no connection to NBC.
Howard Kurtz: I believe that CNN was the first to interview the Lebanese prime minister, but leaving that aside: Engel, who recently became Beirut bureau chief, has spent more time in Iraq than any other journalist. He has been there since the war began, and his experience shows.
Avon Park, Fla.: Why was Rita Cosby's show canceled on MSNBC and what is she going to do now? That was the only change on MSNBC. Her ratings couldn't have been that much worse than the other primetime shows on that network.
Howard Kurtz: The new head of MSNBC, Dan Abrams, decided to shift Rita Cosby to an investigative role and drop her nightly show.
Washington, D.C.: Please don't fall for that "Isrealis and Arabs have been fighting for decades" excuse for what's going on today!!! Bush Sr. and Clinton put a lot of effort (and competence) into making change in the Middle East, and a lot of progress was made. The current Administration let it deteriorate for the past five years for reasons I won't speculate. This is the result. It was not preordained. People need to be held responsible (and there are a lot of people who acted and failed to act to get us where we are).
Howard Kurtz: It is certainly fair to observe that President Bush has been less personally engaged in Middle East diplomacy than any other recent president. But that doesn't automatically mean that another outbreak of violence between Israel, the Palestinians and Hezbollah can be "blamed" on him. After all, President Clinton was more deeply involved in Mideast peacemaking efforts than any president since Jimmy Carter, and yet the second Palestinian intifada erupted on his watch.
Ellicott City, Md.: How many words per minute can you type? You, by far, answer more questions in a single hour chat than any other chat host at The Washington Post. Keep it up.
Howard Kurtz: One of my many hidden talents.
Out there: "And it is my practice, in my articles, blog and television show, to seek balanced opinions from different sides.:
Isn't balance opinion part of the problem with the press? Doesn't it lead to things like The Washington Post saying that Democrats took money from Abramahoff?
I think you should strive for accuracy and less balance. Accuracy is not saying "left and right blogs are angry." Accuracy is saying "left blogs use vulgarity" and right wing blogs call for the hanging of the Supreme Court justices" These things do not balance each other out.
Howard Kurtz: Then you want advocacy, not journalism. I don't believe in false equivalency. If partisans on the left OR right do something outrageous, I call them on it. All opinions, of course, aren't equal, or we'd have to give equal space to the Flat Earth Society. But I am never going to please the strong partisans on either side because I am not in the advocacy business.
Washington, D.C.: Will newspapers print Bush's remarks unedited, as they should?
Howard Kurtz: S---, I don't know. I'll report on that tomorrow. The Post did famously print the F-word when Dick Cheney told Pat Leahy to perform an unnatural act on himself, but I don't know what the decision will be on this one.
Boston, Mass.: Why do your colleagues in The Washington Post newsroom insist on framing the corruption of today's politics as a bipartisan issue? The scandals on the Republican side are vast and involve every element of the GOP machine, including politicians, lobbyists, think tanks and party organizations from the local to the national level--a completely different scale and number from the Democratic side.
The Post does a great job on reporting all the scandals, Republican and Democratic, but seems unwilling to draw conclusions from that coverage (such as "95% of the officials under investigation are Republican").
Howard Kurtz: I don't think there's any question that most of the scandals in the current season have involved Republicans -- no, I'm not forgetting William Jefferson -- and I think the Post's coverage has reflected that. Lots of trees have been killed to fill our column inches on Tom DeLay and Duke Cunningham, for example.
Philly, Pa: Howard, come on..."Seems to me there is considerable anger on both sides."
Are you serious? What lefty blogs or pundits have called for the hunting of reporters? What lefty blogs or pundits have called for the gassing of those they disagree with (Melanie Sloan), or the firing squad (Coulter)? There is definitely a difference!
Howard Kurtz: If you got the email I get, you'd know that passions run high on both sides. I don't know of any liberals who have suggested that journalists be executed, but many are plenty angry at media coverage of Bush, Iraq, you name it.
Thanks for the chat, folks.
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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The Fighters and the Freeloaders
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Before things can turn a corner in the Middle East, we need the diplomatic equivalent of electric-shock therapy. We may need $100 oil to jolt the Europeans and the Chinese. We may need the Russians to be told that they can forget joining the World Trade Organization. And we're going to need something dramatic to reward India, whose response to terrorism last week was exemplary.
The India-Israel comparison is startling. Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorists shower rockets on Northern Israel and carry out a raid that inflicts eight deaths and two abductions. Israel justifiably responds by bombing the headquarters of the Hezbollah leader, but it also rains fire on Beirut's airport, roads and apartment towers, destroying the props of a new and hopeful Lebanon.
Almost everybody understands that failed states are good for terrorists. With their bitter experience of the Palestinian territories and the Lebanon of old, Israelis ought to grasp that better than anyone. But their leaders seem determined to re-create a failed state to their north. They complain that the Lebanese government has failed to rein in Hezbollah terrorists, then destroy the infrastructure that provides that same Lebanese government with its only chance of functioning.
Now consider India. Coordinated bombings in Bombay commuter trains kill 182 people and wound hundreds. On the same day a grenade attack at a bus station in Kashmir injures at least six tourists. The Indians announce that a new incarnation of a Kashmir independence group called Lashkar-e-Taiba is the main suspect in the Bombay attacks. Just as Hezbollah is part of Lebanon's ruling coalition, the group operates openly in Pakistan and is said to be backed by the country's intelligence services.
India's response? No reprisals, no bombings. No threat to cut off diplomatic communications with Pakistan and no massing of troops on the India-Pakistan border. Instead, the Indians tell Pakistan that a forthcoming meeting of foreign ministers must be postponed. And they seek support from the Bush administration and the United Nations to get Pakistan to clamp down on the terrorists.
They certainly had better get that support. Israel's iron-fist approach is partly a poor bet: a gamble that bombing will smash the terrorists' structures, even though they are more likely in practice to smash civilian ones, radicalizing the Arab world and undermining the moderates who seek peace with modernity. But to be fair to Israel, its military offensive also reflects the absence of a viable diplomatic option. There already is a U.N. resolution calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed, but the big powers show no interest in applying the muscle to make disarmament happen.
So the challenge in the Middle East and beyond is to show that diplomacy can function. In the wake of the Bombay attacks, Pakistan is a good place to start: China, a traditional Pakistani ally, should join with the United States in telling Pakistan to close down its jihad network. Until now, of course, China has regarded India-Pakistan tensions as a strategic plus. But it needs to update its worldview. Trade and investment between China and India are growing, and China depends on imported oil. War in India, or the emboldening of Pakistani jihadists with links to the Middle East, is not in its interest.
But Pakistan is only a beginning. On every major security challenge, from North Korea's missiles to Iran's uranium enrichment, diplomacy is undermined by Chinese, Russian and sometimes Western European foot-dragging. These powers are happy to criticize unilateralism and belligerence at every turn. But when there's a chance to make diplomacy work, they call for U.S. leadership and hide behind the curtains.
There's a direct causal link between this freeloading irresponsibility and Israel's bombardment of Lebanon. The Chinese and Russians ensure every day that diplomacy is limp, and then they sound surprised when Israel chooses the military option.
Western Europeans lament the fact that the Bush administration, its energies sapped by the Iraq war, has not shown much appetite for the shuttle diplomacy that brokered the last Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire in 1996. But if France and others had not undermined sanctions on Iraq in the late 1990s, the case for the military alternative would have been weaker -- and the war might not have happened.
Even today, many of these freeloaders see mayhem in Iraq as America's problem. You'd think that chaos in a major oil exporter, with the potential to seed extremism all over the Middle East, would alarm all responsible governments. But the freeloaders think it's a joke. Pressed over the weekend about democracy in Russia, Vladimir Putin quipped that he didn't want a democracy like Iraq's.
It's going to take something drastic to change this mind-set. But until it changes, diplomacy will be weak; there will be more wars and more radicalization of extremists. I'm not sure what that mind-set changer ought to be. But maybe it's going to take $100 oil to shock the Chinese and the reluctant Europeans into seeing that Islamic extremism does hurt them. And maybe it's going to be necessary to block Russia's quest for membership in the World Trade Organization, which Putin pressed aggressively last week. Why should the Russians expect the benefits of international trade if they won't contribute to the security that underpins it?
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Chinese, Russian and Western European foot-dragging is undermining diplomacy on every major security challenge we face, from North Korea to Iran to the Middle East.
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Live from Syria
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Sami Moubayed , PostGlobal panelist, Syrian political analyst, journalist and author was online Monday, July 17 at noon ET to answer questions on Hezbollah, Hamas, Israel's offensive in Lebanon, and the role of Syria and Iran in the unfolding crisis.
The general tone in the Arab World today is the following: the war has errupted. It is no longer important if Nasrallah was guilty or if Hizbullah miscalculated. That is now history. Its now: either one is with Hizbullah or with Israel. There is no third way and neutrality is unacceptable in the Arab and Muslim World. Do you think this is fair and correct?
2005 Truman Scholar, Stanford Graduate, Harvard Law School Student, Danville, CA: If you disagree with Israel's actions in southern Lebanon, what do you think would have been an appropriate Israeli response to the kidnapping of its soldiers by Hezbollah based in Southern Lebanon?
I disagree with Israel's actions in the South for a variety of reasons. Why is Hizbullah in South Lebanon to start out with? The Sheba Farms are of little importance to Israe and Tel Aviv knows this? Why doesn't it withdraw from them--then use the argument in its own favor to call for a disarming of Hizbullah? It would make it more difficult for the Lebanese group to keep its arms if there were no Israelis in Sheba.
Now what it should have done to avoid this war was the following: trade off the prisoners, as Nasrallah had wanted. Shimon Perez did it in 1985 and Ariel Sharon did it in 2004. It never cost or embarassed the Israelis, because it is seen as very brave in the Israeli Street to sacrifice for the fate, or bodies, of Israeli soldiers and to bring every Israeli soldier back home. The biggest answer to what might happen is repeating the case of air force officer Ron Arad, who was arrested when he parachuted into Lebanon in 1986. Amal, the party that took him, demanded a high price. Isreal refused to pay, and Arad disappeared. What Israel now has done is put high danger on losing its two soldiers in Lebanonn and the one in Gaza, in addition to the rest of those who would be killed in battle. Meaning: Israel did not enter the war to free the soldiers. It entered the war to destroy Nasrallah and Hizbullah.
Brooklyn, New York: Hi Sami-
What are the leaders in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia thinking about what's happening in Lebanon? Why aren't they calling for a summit with Syria, Iran and Lebanon?
The leaders in these three countries are on opposite ends with Syria and Iran vis-a-vis Lebanon. Saudi Arabia, which is the patron of the Harriri family, does not want its influence in Syria or Lebanon to be replaced by that of Iran. The Iranians are even proposing to step in and rebuild what was destroyed by war over the past week. This same step was done by Saudi Arabia after the civil war in 1990. Egypt and Jordan are in-tune with Saudi because they don't want the Iranian brand of revolutionary Islam, since it threatens their own regimes. They are too weak to stand up to it at home, because they have no credibility as Arab nationalist regimes since they are both bound to Israel by peace deals. So basically, they don't sit and talk because they cannot afford to even think of Iran as calling the shots in Lebanon. It is a reality they must digest.
Williamsburg, Va.: Do you think an international peacekeeping force that included British and American forces would further ignite problems between Islamists and the West? I want to see this conflict come to a resolution but I fear that American and UK troops are so controversial that they might increase the amount of conflict, not decrease it.
Peacekeeping forces from the USA are a bad idea in the Muslim World. Great Britain, until events got out of hand recently in Basra, were more friendly to the Muslims and Arabs. But on the whole, a UN peacekeeping force, or a peacekeeping force organized by the Arab League, is much more effective for the Islamic World. This is something debated by the Arab League when it was founded in 1945 but it never materialized. That was a pity and it should see the light today.
What is life like in Syria today? What do you discuss over dinner?
Sami Moubayed: Life in Damascus is very tense. For six days now we have discussed nothing but Lebanon. Lebanon is not a normal Arab country to Syria. Relations surpass those with Iraq or Jordan, for example. Every single family has relatives in Lebanon. All of the Syrians have been frequently to Lebanon, lived there, or worked there. The mood is sad--very sad, that a country so dear and so close should fall apart in a matter of days. We woke up on July 12 and Lebanon was in pieces. Regardless of who is responsible for the war the mood in Syria today is: its either one is with Israel, or with Lebanon and Hizbullah. This has united Syrian society on some aspects. Everyone is sad if Lebanon suffers more, but due to popular pan-Arab sentiment and Arab nationalism, they would also be greatly saddened if Hizbullah is defeated.
Washington, DC: Hello Mr. Moubayed: The Syrian ambassador to the US has
often said that the Bush administration is often quick to
point fingers of blame at Syria. He has mentioned that
singling out one country isn't the answer - that we must look
at the bigger picture. Do you agree with this? Is it fair to
Of course it is not a solution to single out Syria. I totally agree with Ambassador Mustapha. There is always a reason for Syria's action, and they cannot be understood unless one looks at the greater picture of what other countries in the region (Iran, Israel, Lebanon) have done.
Sami Moubayed: Of course it is not a solution to single out Syria. I totally agree with Ambassador Mustapha. There is always a reason for Syria's action, and they cannot be understood unless one looks at the greater picture of what other countries in the region (Iran, Israel, Lebanon) have done.
What can we do to help Lebanon?
The United States needs to get Israel to stop the war. The war is destructive. It has ruined Lebanon. The USA must convince Israel to a cease-fire, and to sit down in indirect negotiations to free the Israeli prisoners in exchange for a freeing of Lebanese prisoners. This is the only way. War was not needed to free prisoners. The same kidnapping took place in 1985 and was solved by diplomacy. Again in 2000, and it was solved by diplomacy. Why shouldn't diplomacy work out now? The reason is that Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert needs his war medals. Its that simple.
Tel Aviv, Israel: Dear Mr. Moubayed
Isn't it about time for your president to make the critical decision to abandon Hezbollah in order to enter into serious negotiations with Israel?
Furthermore, don't you think that a confrontation with Israel may result in a total military defeat by Syria?
I personally don't think, after all that is happening in this part of the world, to live in peace and total harmony. This is a big lie we all forced ourselves to believe. I am not being rude, but I am being realistic. I personally would not mind living in peace with Israel, but my views are not shared by others in the Arab and Islamic World. The Syrians believe that peace is not a high priority on their agenda, especially with what is happening in lebanon. So in response to your question about abandoning Hizbullah and talking peace: thats on nobody's agenda. On the contrary, moderation forces counter-moderation and extremism forces counter-extremism. It is not in Hizbullahs' interest to conduct peace, because it would cease to exist, nor is it in the interest of Hamas, because it would no longer be able to fight Israel.
There is a conviction in the Arab World and I agree with it, that peace with the current leaders of Israel is impossible. The atrocities in Palestine and now Lebanon have killed whatever current chances of peace there was. Sharon could have signed peace in his final hours--he had the war history and the legitimacy to do so, but this has faded with Olmert.
Less impressive credentials; Tulsa, OK: You mentioned in your opening remarks that "There is no third way and neutrality is unacceptable in the Arab and Muslim World". What about the Saudi, Jordanian, and Egyptian response? I would call it nuanced, at minimum.
These three countries are being neutral indeed. Actually, they are being anti-Hizbullah and this endangers them in front of thier own public opinion. Lets now forget the Saudi Arabia has a disgruntled Shiite population that is already a headache to Riyadh. When I mean no room for neutrality, I refer to that of popular Arab sentiment. What Israel is doing is making a legendary hero of Hasan Nasrallah, unmatched in popularity by anyone since Gamal Abdul-Nasser.
Tulsa, OK: If Israel released prisoners, wouldn't it just embolden Hezbollah and Hamas to kidnap more soldiers in the future? Doesn't Israel have some moral authority to not only defend themselves, but prevent future attacks by these groups by making a bold statement?
Yes this would encourage them to kidnap more troops. But lets use this argument. If Israel withdraws from the Sheba Farms, and releases all prisoners from its jails who are from Lebanon, would Hizbullah still be able to kidnap Israel troops?
DETROIT,MICHIGAN: Do you think that Hezbollah would release the two Isreali soldiers as a condition for a cease fire?
Sami Moubayed: The first step has to be done by Israel. But if Israel does it then of course, Hizbullah cannot but release the two soldiers.
Rockville, MD: Can Syria be pulled into the fight? Occupied?
That question should be presented to Israel. It is the one that is accusing Syria of being behind this entire mess. This, of course, is not true. But if Syria is attacked or provoked, it will be pulled into combat. Of course, its a matter of good faith, honor, and national pride.
Athens, Greece: If this conflict continues at the pace that it is now, what are the chances of Syrian involvement? I Syria up to the task of fighting Israel?
Syria would only get involved if Israel attacks. We will not sit back and watch our country being insulted or attacked. In the Middle East nothing is impossible.
Anonymous: What is the impact of Nasrallah's TV broadcasts in the region? Do they reach a wide audience and prove inspirational or are they limited in reach?
They are very popular in the Arab and Islamic World. True. he is highly charismatic and a very gifted orator. He starts out in calm tone, explains things logically, then gets worked up in his own rhetoric and works up masses in the process. No Arab or Muslim has been more popular since Gamal Abdul-Nasser in the 1950s. Yesterday's speech by Nasrallah was disappointing, however, because he was obviously exhausted and lacked the fire in his voice.
Baltimore, MD: You posed the question: But lets use this argument. If Israel withdraws from the Sheba Farms, and releases all prisoners from its jails who are from Lebanon, would Hizbullah still be able to kidnap Israel troops?
THE ANSWER IS YES!!! Hizbullah is committed to destroying the Jewish state. They have admitted this to be true. A unilateral withdrawal by Israel would not prevent further strikes. How can you legitimately and credibly say that this act would singlehandedly alter Hizbullah's mission from destroying the Jewish State?
If israel is no longer in the South, Lebanon and the international community would not let Hizbullah operate. Its not about what Hizbullah operates, its about logistics of operation once the Israelis leave and restore prisoners.
Patra, Greece: Syria has legitimate claims with regard to Israel. By this I mean the Golan Heights. Israel has steadfastly refused to negotiate their return. Is the current fighting in Lebanon related to this? Are there other legitimate claims that Lebanon has against Israel that need to be publicized in the west so that people can understand what Hezbollah's resistance is all about?
No this fighting is about Lebanon. It is not about the Golan. Its about Hizbullah and Israel wanting to use the soldier issue as a reason to destroy Hizbullah. The Golan is purely a Syrian issue and Israel is not interested in giving it back.
Fairfax, Virginia: How many Hezbollah fighters are there and why doesn't Israel just invade and eliminate them and their rockets rather than bombing Lebanese cities and killing innocents?
Hizbullah is the largest political party among the Shiites of Lebanon, who in turn are 40% of the country's 3.7 million. I would say that it has 1 million members but not all of them are armed or trained. Israel can only destroy Hizbullah if it invades. But if it does invade, it would be dragged into an unbelievable swamp, especially in the suburbs of Beirut, where 500,000 Shiites are located. It would lose a street war with Hizbullah. That is why it cannot invade. Meaning, it stands back at Square One. It cannnot defeat Hizbullah by missiles, nor can it defeat them by invasion.
Sami Moubayed: Hizbullah is the largest political party among the Shiites of Lebanon, who in turn are 40% of the country's 3.7 million. I would say that it has 1 million members but not all of them are armed or trained. Israel can only destroy Hizbullah if it invades. But if it does invade, it would be dragged into an unbelievable swamp, especially in the suburbs of Beirut, where 500,000 Shiites are located. It would lose a street war with Hizbullah. That is why it cannot invade. Meaning, it stands back at Square One. It cannnot defeat Hizbullah by missiles, nor can it defeat them by invasion.
Bala Cynwyd, PA: Do you think Iran or Syria had any knowledge ahead of time of Hezbollah's intent to capture Israeli soldiers? If so, do you think they're pleased about about how events have unfolded since?
Iran might have known about it but not Syria. Hizbullah since 2000 has outgrown Syrian patronage. in fact, it is Syria that needed Hizbullah in Lebanon after the Syrian Army left Lebanon last year and not the other way around. Hizbullah confers with the Syrians in some issues, coordinates with them on others, but it does not take orders, or money or arms, from Damascus. It needed Syria greatly back in the 1990s, when in post-war Lebanon, all armed groups were being disarmed but that is not the case since the mid-1990s.
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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Sami Moubayed, PostGlobal panelist, Syrian political analyst, journalist and author answers questions on Hezbollah, Hamas, Israel's offensive in Lebanon, and the role of Syria and Iran in the unfolding crisis.
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Transcript: Full Text of Bush's Private Exchange at G-8 Summit
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President Bush was caught on an open microphone talking with other leaders at the Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg as they ate lunch before adjourning on Monday. At times the television camera was on Bush, at times it was panning the room. Some of the exchange was hard to hear over the clinking of plates and pouring of drinks. Here's a transcript by The Washington Post:
Someone, probably an aide, asks Bush something, evidently whether he wants prepared closing remarks for the end of the summit:
Bush: No. Just gonna make it up. I'm not going to talk too damn long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long.
The camera is focused elsewhere and it is not clear whom Bush is talking to, but possibly Chinese President Hu Jintao, a guest at the summit.
Bush : Gotta go home. Got something to do tonight. Go to the airport, get on the airplane and go home. How about you? Where are you going? Home?
Bush : This is your neighborhood. It doesn't take you long to get home. How long does it take you to get home?
Bush : "Eight hours? Me too. Russia's a big country and you're a big country."
At this point, the president seems to bring someone else into the conversation.
Bush : It takes him eight hours to fly home.
He turns his attention to a server.
Bush : No, Diet Coke, Diet Coke.
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Bleak Chic to Future Perfect
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Syd Mead presents a strangely cheery demeanor for a guy who dreamed up the cinematic imagery for the collapse of civilization.
The legendary illustrator says happily, for instance, that science fiction is simply "reality ahead of schedule." This from the same mind that created the settings for the iconic 1982 sci-fi film "Blade Runner" -- a brilliant, disturbing vision of Los Angeles in 2019 that garnered him a reputation as Hollywood's most potent "visual conceptualizer."
By then, Mead had made his mark in the movies, designing the V'ger spaceship for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979). He would go on to define the electronic netherworld of "Tron" (1982) and design the Sulaco spacecraft for "Aliens" (1986), the Leonov ship in "2010" (1984) and the mask-making machine for this year's "Mission: Impossible III." He also updated the motorcycles for the video game Tron 2.0.
But nothing he's done has caught the popular imagination quite like "Blade Runner," with its spectacular flying patrol cars and societal decay. With the film's 25th anniversary next year and a director's cut due for release, Mead's futuristic perspective is on camera anew.
A documentary, "Visual Futurist: The Art and Life of Syd Mead," will debut in Los Angeles next Sunday. In it, the bespectacled guy at the drawing table is seen as a genius at fantasy. But how does the artist see himself?
"I think I'm disturbingly rational," Mead says in an interview. Or, make that "carefully crazy."
Mead, who turns 73 Tuesday, flew in from Pasadena, Calif., for a White House reception Monday for the National Design Award winners. The jury had a special commendation for Mead, honoring his influence on how others design for the future.
Richard Koshalek, president of Mead's alma mater, Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, calls him "a major force" who anticipated the challenges of creating humane environments amid global urbanization and increasingly complex technologies.
Mead's role in the movies is pure art. He paints meticulous scenarios that bring scripts to life and provide the basis for prop and set construction. The visions are rooted in industrial design, as befits a graduate of the Valhalla of automobile design -- early in his career, Mead designed concept cars for Ford Motor Co. He left Detroit after developing "an uneasy feeling I was going to spend my life doing bumpers and trim."
He turned to illustrating corporate brochures. Wild, onion-shaped vehicles painted for a 1960s publication advertising U.S. Steel eventually caught the attention of John Dykstra, a special-effects wizard for "Star Wars" who introduced Mead to the movie business.
Mead traces his imagination to things he sees "in his dreams." Illustrated books, such as "Oblagon: Concepts of Syd Mead," show helmeted creatures watching over a mega-city far below. Armored trucks clump across a moonscape on robotic legs, moving like steel elephants. Fantasy weapons are sketched with stunning precision. The scale is inevitably larger-than-life, the light eerie, the silence deafening.
The scenes are bizarre, but the inspiration is rooted in real-world research into how things work.
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Bravo Dishes The Dirt on The Daily News
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George Rush, a New York Daily News gossip columnist, describes one of the benefits of his job:
"Occasionally you can squeeze the genitalia of powerful people and make them yell or threaten to sue you, and that's kind of a kick."
Kerry Burke, a News reporter, spills the secret of how he gets people to talk: "There are times I've gone to doors and started kicking them, and either that door is gonna give or the person on the other side is gonna answer, because I need that quote."
Tabloid journalism is an art unto itself, a rock-'em, sock-'em, go-for-the-jugular enterprise that conjures up the get-me-rewrite days of newspapering. And these comments in "Tabloid Wars," a six-part Bravo series on the Daily News that debuts next Monday, capture much of the flavor.
With the media's reputation at record lows, reporters are unlikely protagonists these days. They are more often in the spotlight for fabrication or plagiarism, for protecting unnamed sources in tangled scandals, or for publishing classified information that the administration says undermines the war on terror. But the bulk of reporting in this country is local reporting on matters closest to people's lives -- violent crime is a staple, especially in New York -- and that is Bravo's focus.
The reality series, taped last summer, manages to convey a gritty street feel, though the tight-shot emphasis on crime and celebrities misses much of what a newspaper does, such as reporting on schools, subway problems and City Council meetings.
"It's a 'Law and Order'-type show," says Frances Berwick, Bravo's executive vice president. "You're totally into the characters who are doing their job." The network greenlighted the series after looking at an initial tape of interviews with News staffers, Berwick says. "We felt like we were looking into something cloaked in secrecy and a bit of glamour."
The biggest surprise, says Ted Skillman, an executive producer, was the passion of reporters whom he expected to be cynical: "You see Kerry Burke, who'll go all night long until he drops because he wants to get the story, whether it's celebrity fluff or a triple homicide."
While the series makes much of the News's rivalry with the New York Post, it doesn't deal with the business aspects, such as the evaporation of the 229,000-circulation lead that Mort Zuckerman's News had over Rupert Murdoch's Post five years ago. The News now sells 708,000 copies a day compared with 673,000 for the Post.
Newspapers have a checkered history in film and television portrayals. From the poker-playing Chicago characters of "The Front Page" to the gruff city editor of "Lou Grant" and the hero-detectives of "All the President's Men," journalists have often been cast as lovable rogues or dogged crusaders. But "Absence of Malice," the 1981 film in which Sally Field's character sleeps with sources and concocts a bogus story with prosecutors, ushered in an era in which newspaper types were depicted as unethical sensation-seekers. The Bravo series is more in the mold of Ron Howard's film "The Paper," which was filled with swaggering cop reporters and foulmouthed broads -- but it has the additional virtue of being true.
The first episode of "Tabloid Wars" features Burke knocking on doors after an attack in Howard Beach, Queens, that may have been racially motivated, and later chasing a tip that Robert De Niro's nanny stole from him. Rush is seen cozying up to Victoria Gotti at a party.
Taut editing makes it appear that the reporters are always on the go, always up against nerve-racking deadlines. And the News staffers are hammy enough to strike the proper tough-guy pose as cameras trail them around the city.
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George Rush, a New York Daily News gossip columnist, describes one of the benefits of his job: Washington Post columnist Michael Kinsley had successful brain surgery last week in an effort to reduce the symptoms of his Parkinson's disease. New Republic reporter Eve Fairbanks wrote an amusing...
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Adu Unharmed in Car Accident Following Saturday's Game
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D.C. United's Freddy Adu was uninjured in an auto accident late Saturday night near RFK Stadium after the club's match against the Columbus Crew.
According to team officials, Adu's mother and D.C. police reports, the 17-year-old forward-midfielder was driving north on Interstate 295 in the District around 10:30 p.m. when he tried to avoid a man who had dashed from his car after a collision with another car.
VIDEO | D.C. United Signs Emilio
"Adu swerved to avoid the guy running across 295," said D.C. Police spokesman Joe Gentile. Adu's BMW 330i hit a median, then was struck from behind.
"He's fine, he's totally healthy," United spokesman Doug Hicks said. "The car had quite a bit of damage."
Adu's mother, Emelia, said she was in her own vehicle about five cars behind her son when the accident took place. Police were waving drivers around the scene when she said she recognized her son standing on the side of the roadway.
Adu did not receive medical attention at the scene of the accident, but "was complaining of headaches on the drive home" to Rockville, Emelia said.
She took him to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Montgomery County, where he was examined briefly, given pain medication and released, she said.
"We didn't get home until about 3 a.m.," she added.
The driver of the car that hit Adu's vehicle was treated at George Washington University Hospital and released, Gentile said. The driver's name was not released.
Gentile said an investigation into the incident was continuing.
Adu received the BMW last summer as part of an endorsement deal with a local dealership.
Through Hicks, Adu said he did not want to discuss the accident with the media at this time. The team has the day off today and will resume workouts tomorrow morning.
Adu has started 17 of United's 19 games, is sixth on the team in minutes played and tied for first in assists with six. He played 82 minutes during the 3-2 victory over the Crew, a win that stretched United's unbeaten streak to 13 and improved its MLS-best overall record to 13-1-5.
Yesterday, Adu was well enough to attend a team function at Dave & Buster's restaurant and entertainment center at White Flint Mall in Bethesda, where he signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans for several hours. However, his mom had to drop him off and pick him up.
Staff writer Mary Beth Sheridan contributed to this report.
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D.C. United's Freddy Adu is involved in a car accident Saturday night following United's victory over the Columbus Crew, but Adu was uninjured.
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For Roddick, It's Good to Be Home
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On the heels of a miserable showing at Wimbledon, Andy Roddick launches into the task of rehabilitating his ranking and reputation as one of the world's top tennis players this week, returning to his favorite surface and home country for the RCA Championships in Indianapolis.
The former world No. 1 tumbled out of the top 10 for the first time since 2002 after his third-round loss to Britain's Andy Murray at Wimbledon. He arrives at Indianapolis as the 11th-ranked player and second-best American, having been overtaken by sixth-ranked James Blake, the tournament's top seed.
The RCA Championships also mark the start of the 2006 U.S. Open Series, which links a six-week stretch of 10 North American hard-court tournaments with a goal of boosting interest in the game by making it easier for fans to follow through consistent TV coverage and raising the profile of tournaments by offering players financial incentives to compete.
Washington's Legg Mason Tennis Classic, July 31-Aug. 6, is among the series' participants and beneficiaries, boasting its most compelling lineup in years. The 48-player field includes Andre Agassi, who will retire in September; Roddick and Blake, last year's finalists; Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and Russia's Marat Safin.
Competitors in the U.S. Open Series collect points based on their performance at each event. The men's and women's series champion each receives $1 million, and the top three finishers are eligible for bonus prize money at the U.S. Open that could hike their payout at Flushing Meadows, N.Y., to $2.2 million.
New this year is the use of instant replay on all stadium court matches and a system of player challenges. Fans will be able to follow the resolution of disputed calls on video scoreboards. Each player will receive two challenges per set. If a player's challenge is upheld, he'll keep the same number of challenges. If he incorrectly disputes a call, however, he loses a challenge. The system, which relies on the Hawk-Eye technology featured on TV broadcasts, will make its Grand Slam debut at this year's U.S. Open.
Women's action in the U.S. Open Series gets under way July 24 in Stanford, Calif. Former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport pulled out Saturday after anticipating a return to competition after suffering a back injury in March.
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Andy Roddick will have to negotiate one of the most compelling Legg Mason fields in years if he wants to defend his championship.
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Phish-Hooked
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Rob Newland is a pro at dodging spam e-mails and suspicious pop-up windows as he surfs the Web. But he lets his guard down when he is checking friends' profiles and clicking through blog posts on the social networking Web site MySpace.
"I'm there to meet new people, so I follow random messages and links," the 24-year-old D.C. bartender said. "It seems harmless."
Internet thieves are banking that the millions of users who log on to social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook and Friendster, are just as trusting, leaving them vulnerable to financial fraud and identity theft. As viewership skyrockets, growing by 50 percent in the past year, according to Nielsen-NetRatings, such sites are becoming vulnerable places for scams. The combination of young users and a culture that encourages sharing personal details presents opportunities for increasingly sophisticated methods to lure information.
The FBI last month warned MySpace users of a phony bulletin post urging people to click on a link to "check out old school pictures." A virus seeking financial information recently invaded Orkut, Google's social networking site. Early last month, unsolicited instant messages attempted to lure MySpace users into divulging account information, and about a dozen other sites that spoof the MySpace log-in page have been discovered.
Because people reveal so many intimate details on the sites, scammers "can look at those profiles and use that information to better hone their attack," said Ron Teixeira, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. Scammers can craft phony messages that appear to come from friends to trick people into revealing more personal data, such as credit card or cellphone numbers.
Such come-ons are called "spear phishing," Teixeira said. "Social networking sites are a potential haven for spear phishers."
Newland became a victim of one of those attacks after a spear phisher posted a phony link on a MySpace bulletin, which directed all of his 89 friends to a fake site, MySpase.com, asking for their user names and passwords.
"We all fell for it," he said. "I was lucky enough to catch it."
Phishing attacks have traditionally taken the form of spam e-mails that appear to come from legitimate sites such as eBay, PayPal or banks, often duping consumers into giving up account numbers or passwords.
"There's an implied state of trust on social networking sites. You're generally talking to people you know or want to know, so you're more vulnerable," said Alfred Huger, senior director of engineering for Symantec. Phishers started targeting instant messenger users about two years ago, he said, but meeting sites are "the new frontier for ripping people off."
MySpace, which has more than 75 million users and was the country's most-visited Web site last week, according to Hitwise, has been the largest target so far. But security experts expect to start seeing attacks aimed at other social networking sites, such as Facebook and Friendster, as well as blog-hosting sites including LiveJournal and Xanga.
"It's probably happening now and we just don't know about it," Teixeira said. "It's foolish to think it's only occurring on MySpace."
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Rob Newland is a pro at dodging spam e-mails and suspicious pop-up windows as he surfs the Web. But he lets his guard down when he is checking friends' profiles and clicking through blog posts on the social networking Web site MySpace.
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Alzheimer's May Be Tied To High Blood Sugar
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People with elevated blood sugar levels may have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, researchers reported yesterday at an international conference.
Scientists already have linked Type 2 diabetes with Alzheimer's, which afflicts 4.5 million Americans.
But researchers from Stockholm's Karolinska Institute said the link to Alzheimer's disease may take hold earlier, in people who have higher-than-normal blood sugar levels but not in the diabetic range -- a condition known as pre-diabetes.
Pre-diabetes affects 41 million Americans between the ages of 40 and 74, according to the American Diabetes Association, while diabetes has been diagnosed in 14.6 million Americans.
The Karolinska researchers presented their nine-year study of more than 1,100 people on the opening day of the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Madrid.
Alzheimer's disease robs the brain of its memory and processing skills. The number of victims is expected to grow fourfold by the middle of the century as the population ages and baby boomers reach retirement, according to the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association.
Studies still to come at the Madrid meeting, attended by about 5,000 people, will explore a connection between heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, as well as the effectiveness of some current medicines.
Scientists will also report on new kinds of medical imaging tests that can spot defects in the brain and track the illness as it advances. The techniques also can detect the brain's reaction to treatment.
Alzheimer's disease still can only be diagnosed with certainty with an autopsy.
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Get Washington DC,Virginia,Maryland and national news. Get the latest/breaking news,featuring national security,science and courts. Read news headlines from the nation and from The Washington Post. Visit www.washingtonpost.com/nation today.
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Pr. William Schools Chief Faces Doubts on Leadership
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Jean Smith desperately urged Prince William County's new superintendent to speak to the PTA at her children's Woodbridge elementary school in the spring. He declined to respond, so she became curious. Who exactly is Steven L. Walts? She came across a Web site devoted to the detail-obsessed community from his previous school district in Greece, N.Y.
"WE Need HELP in PWC!" she posted in early April on http://www.greeceschools.com . "Before marching into battle, are there any effective strategies for dealing with this man?"
As Walts marks his first year as Prince William County school superintendent this month -- the first new chief in nearly two decades -- he is stoking a mix of concerns among parents and school officials over his leadership.
Although many in the community admire his efforts to make the school system more competitive with its Northern Virginia counterparts, some are growing nervous that he is not as accessible as his folksy predecessor, the late Edward L. Kelly, who held the job for 18 years. They also worry that Walts may be importing a management style that has created several costly legal problems in Greece.
"As soon as we got him as a superintendent, I started getting e-mails from Greece saying, 'I'm glad it's you and not us anymore,' " said Christy Sullivan, a director with the Prince William Education Association who meets with Walts regularly during the academic year. "He's an elusive superintendent. If someone has a grievance, he doesn't hear it. He gives it to someone else."
In an interview, Walts said that he is intimately involved with the system's affairs large and small and points out that he has visited each of the county's schools -- many of them more than once.
But some Prince William school principals report that they do not have much access to the superintendent. He's eliminated the monthly meetings they had with his predecessor. Parents at some schools say that Walts does not personally engage them when controversial and often emotional issues hit their schools.
At the same time, however, Walts has generated support for several of his academic initiatives that are being implemented this fall and in coming years: expanding all-day kindergarten, launching the prestigious International Baccalaureate curriculum at several elementary schools, offering PSAT tests at no cost for sophomores.
But recently, Walts's leadership has suffered vocal criticism stemming from his decision to demote a popular high school principal in Woodbridge before she said she had been fully evaluated.
After the School Board agreed to the demotion, Prince William residents became wary when the principal brought forward an age discrimination complaint. Numerous teachers in Greece, a small community near Rochester, N.Y., had filed similar complaints. The Woodbridge principal, Dorothy McCabe, 60, and her attorney, Steven D. Stone, are preparing an age discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Stone said.
During Walts's last years in Greece, more than a dozen school district employees filed such complaints with the EEOC, alleging that Walts's administration -- which included a human resources director he brought with him to Prince William -- discriminated against them based on age or disability. The EEOC ruled in favor of the employees in five of the cases.
The Greece school system and its insurance agency are being forced to pay about $449,000 in legal fees and out-of-court settlements to three teachers in connection to the EEOC complaints, according to Ken Walsh, president of the Greece Board of Education.
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Jean Smith desperately urged Prince William County's new superintendent to speak to the PTA at her children's Woodbridge elementary school in the spring. He declined to respond, so she became curious. Who exactly is Steven L. Walts? She came across a Web site devoted to the detail-obsessed community...
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Marching as to War
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Porcelain figurines are perched on the mantelpiece behind Mikey Weinstein. Guests are seated on chintz couches in front of him. It's a nice crowd at a polite fundraising party.
But Mikey -- his friends, his enemies, even complete strangers call him "Mikey" -- has had it with nice.
"We've created this foundation to be a weapon. We're going to lay down a withering field of fire and leave sucking chest wounds," he says, glaring through the floor-to-ceiling windows of an Arlington high-rise at a panoramic view of Washington.
Weinstein, 51, was once a White House lawyer who defended the Reagan administration during the Iran-contra investigation. Three generations of his family -- his father, himself, both of his sons and a daughter-in-law -- have gone to U.S. military academies.
Now he's declaring war against what, for him, is an improbable enemy: the defense establishment. He is suing the Air Force in federal court, demanding a permanent injunction against alleged religious favoritism and proselytizing in the service. He has also formed a nonprofit organization, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, to combat what he sees as a concerted effort by evangelical Christian organizations to treat the armed forces as a mission field, ripe for conversions.
Weinstein's head is big and bald, like a cannonball mounted on his short, powerful frame. He keeps a powerful stereo in the garage of his home in Albuquerque and listens to heavy metal at full volume. The incongruity of his sheepish first name is exceeded only by the incongruity of a middle-aged corporate lawyer quoting Meat Loaf, Mudvayne and Marilyn Manson.
Yet one of his favorite lines these days -- right up there with "sucking chest wounds" -- comes from the Officers' Christian Fellowship, a private organization with 14,000 active-duty members on more than 200 U.S. military bases around the world. In its mission statement, the OCF says its goal is "a spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform, empowered by the Holy Spirit."
Ambassadors for Christ in uniform . According to the OCF's executive director, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Bruce Fister, it means that "the people around a military leader ought to see the characteristics of Christ in that leader." It is a national tradition reflected in "hundreds of writings and proclamations issued down through the ages by American leaders who claim divine protection for our nation, place our nation's trust in God and claim God as our source of strength."
Ambassadors for Christ in uniform. To Weinstein, who is both a Jew and a member of a military family, it is an abomination. It "evokes the Crusades." He says he can't believe that generals talk like this when the United States is fighting a global war on terror and trying to win hearts and minds in Muslim countries.
He starts to get riled up -- waving his arms, quoting the Constitution, saying "the Christian right wants people to think that separation of church and state is a myth, like Bigfoot." And then he pauses, something he does not do often.
"Let me make it clear. I would shed my last drop of blood to defend their right to hold that biblical worldview. They are absolutely entitled to believe that Anne Frank is burning in hell along with Dr. Seuss, Gandhi and Einstein," he says. "But I will not accept my government telling me who are the children of the greater God and who are the children of the lesser God. That's the difference. I will not defend -- I will fight them tooth and nail, and lay down a withering field of fire and leave sucking chest wounds -- if they engage the machinery of the state, which is what they're doing."
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Porcelain figurines are perched on the mantelpiece behind Mikey Weinstein. Guests are seated on chintz couches in front of him. It's a nice crowd at a polite fundraising party. To Weinstein, it's also personal, and has been from the start: July 29, 2004. Fellow members of the Air Force Academy's......
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A Medical Crisis of Conscience
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In Chicago, an ambulance driver refused to transport a patient for an abortion. In California, fertility specialists rebuffed a gay woman seeking artificial insemination. In Texas, a pharmacist turned away a rape victim seeking the morning-after pill.
Around the United States, health workers and patients are clashing when providers balk at giving care that they feel violates their beliefs, sparking an intense, complex and often bitter debate over religious freedom vs. patients' rights.
Legal and political battles have followed. Patients are suing and filing complaints after being spurned. Workers are charging religious discrimination after being disciplined or fired. Congress and more than a dozen states are considering laws to compel workers to provide care -- or, conversely, to shield them from punishment.
Proponents of a "right of conscience" for health workers argue that there is nothing more American than protecting citizens from being forced to violate their moral and religious values. Patient advocates and others point to a deep tradition in medicine of healers having an ethical and professional responsibility to put patients first.
The issue is driven by the rise in religious expression and its political prominence in the United States, and by medicine's push into controversial new areas. And it is likely to intensify as doctors start using embryonic stem cells to treat disease, as more states legalize physician-assisted suicide and as other wrenching issues emerge.
"What constitutes an ethical right of conscience in medicine, and what are the limits?" asked Nancy Berlinger of the Hastings Center, a bioethics think tank. "This keeps getting harder and harder for us."
For Debra Shipley, her duties as a nurse began to conflict with her Christian faith when the county health clinic where she worked near Memphis required she dispense the morning-after pill.
"I felt like my religious liberties were being violated," said Shipley, 49, of Atoka, Tenn. "I could not live with myself if it did it. I answer to God first and foremost."
But Paige Gerson, 37, of Leawood, Kan., believes doctors and nurses should never let their personal values interfere with patient care. Her doctor refused to give her the morning-after pill, citing religious objections.
"I was incredibly angry and just scared to death," Gerson said. "I think it's absolutely wrong to impose your religious beliefs on someone else."
The debate over the right of conscience in health care is far from new. After the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, many states passed laws protecting doctors and nurses who did not want to perform abortions. Oregon's 1994 legalization of physician-assisted suicide lets doctors and nurses decline to participate.
The clash resurfaced with antiabortion pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for the morning-after pill. But recent interviews with dozens of health-care workers, patients, advocates, ethicists, legal experts and religious and medical authorities make it clear that the issue is far broader. Many health-care workers are asserting a right of conscience in many settings.
"This issue is the San Andreas Fault of our culture," said Gene Rudd of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. "How we decide this is going to have a long-lasting impact on our society."
Some anesthesiologists refuse to assist in sterilization procedures. Respiratory therapists sometimes object to removing ventilators from terminally ill patients. Gynecologists around the country may decline to prescribe birth control pills. Some doctors reject requests for Viagra from unmarried men.
The conscience debate has a flip side: Some health workers chafe at requests to take extraordinary measures for terminally ill patients or object to Catholic hospitals' bans on abortions, sterilizations and the morning-after pill.
The issue has become acute for some religious workers, especially devout Christians, for whom the concept of "conscience" plays a particularly prominent role. One development after another has challenged their values: treatments using fetal tissue; physician-assisted suicide; the RU-486 abortion pill; the morning-after pill; fertility clinics discarding thousands of excess embryos; and now a looming wave of therapies derived from embryonic stem cells.
"Medicine today is being asked to do all sorts of things that are in conflict with its fundamental healing traditions," said William B. Hurlbut of Stanford University, a member of the President's Council on Bioethics.
The controversy is part of the larger struggle over religion's place in society, mirroring in some ways the fight over teaching alternatives to evolution in schools.
"What the conscience debate, the euthanasia debate, the stem cell debate and the evolution debate all have in common is this collision between a religiously inspired view of life and state regulation," said John C. Green of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, a nonprofit research center.
The issue of refusals in medicine has mostly percolated quietly. Many conflicts are settled informally. Some health-care workers avoid or transfer out of jobs that present moral quandaries. When a conflict arises, co-workers typically step in. Patients often never know it happened.
But confrontations do occur when, for example, hospitals or clinics are unable or unwilling to accommodate a worker's objections. Or an employee refuses to refer patients elsewhere, or is on duty alone or gets drafted to fill in for someone else. Problems sometimes arise after a worker undergoes a religious awakening.
In response, hospitals and other facilities, along with medical groups including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, are crafting policies to defuse potentially explosive run-ins. Lawyers, ethicists and advocates are sparring over how to balance the conflicting rights.
"Freedom of conscience has been central to our political notions since even before the United States existed," said Loren Lomasky, a philosophy professor at the University of Virginia. "People should not be forced into doing things that they find morally odious."
Lomasky and others liken religious objections to abortion, sterilization, and euthanasia to conscientious objections to the Vietnam War and the recent refusal of anesthesiologists in California to participate in executions.
"Why is it that some people would have no compunction in forcing a doctor to participate in an abortion, but if it's painful death by lethal injection, they suddenly find religion?" asked Lynn D. Wardle of Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School.
Some argue that health workers should not even be required to refer patients elsewhere for care they find objectionable.
"Think about slavery," said physician William Toffler of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. "I am a blacksmith and a slave owner asks me to repair the shackles of a slave. Should I have to say, 'I can't do it but there's a blacksmith down the road who will?' "
Others say that professional responsibility trumps personal belief.
"As soon as you become a licensed professional, you take on certain obligations to act like a professional, which means your patients come first," said R. Alta Charo, a bioethicist and lawyer at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "You are not supposed to use your professional status as a vehicle for cultural conquest."
Religious objections can be dangerous in emergencies and when health workers refuse to refer patients or inform them about other options, especially in poor or rural areas where there are fewer options.
"It's a very disturbing trend," said Lourdes Rivera of the National Health Law Program, a nonprofit patient advocacy group.
Doctors, nurses and other health-care workers who cannot find a way to fulfill their responsibilities should chose other professions, some say.
"If your religious orientation is such that you can't discharge your professional responsibilities, then you shouldn't take on those responsibilities in the first place," said Ken Kipnis, a philosophy professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "You should find other work."
Others are less sure where to draw the line.
"The bottom line is, this is a vexed question," said John A. Robertson of the University of Texas School of Law. "There's not some clear way through this thicket yet."
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In Chicago, an ambulance driver refused to transport a patient for an abortion. In California, fertility specialists rebuffed a gay woman seeking artificial insemination. In Texas, a pharmacist turned away a rape victim seeking the morning-after pill.
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Policy Rewrite Reveals Rift in Administration
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Three days of congressional testimony this week by senior Bush administration officials about U.S. treatment of detainees in the war on terrorism have made clear that the administration remains deeply divided on the issue and unsure how to replace a key policy that the Supreme Court declared illegal two weeks ago.
Interagency divisions normally kept hidden from public view have been on unusual display as officials from the Justice Department and the Pentagon have offered starkly different accounts of the administration's reaction to the court's opinion, baffling members of Congress and other interested parties about U.S. intentions.
The testimony has shown that the Justice Department -- which had insisted on the legality of the existing policy -- is eager to sharply limit the impact of the Supreme Court's decision, while military lawyers and some other Pentagon officials are celebrating it as a vindication of their long-held concerns about U.S. detainee policy.
The conflicting testimony followed Tuesday's announcement of a Pentagon policy to follow Geneva Conventions requirements granting basic human and legal protections to all terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. Several members of Congress said they had been told that the dispute will not be resolved for some time.
At issue is how to repair the hole blown in administration policy by the Supreme Court's double-barreled June 29 critique of orders signed by Bush in 2001 and 2002. The Bush orders held that terrorism suspects are not subject to the protections of an international treaty governing wartime detentions because they are not part of a regular army. They also established a system of military tribunals to assess detainees' guilt and mete out punishments.
The court held that, contrary to Bush's orders, the government must heed the demands of a 56-year-old international treaty, Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, that detainees "shall in all circumstances be treated humanely" and without "outrages upon personal dignity" such as humiliating and degrading treatment -- even though the suspects are not regular soldiers and may routinely mistreat their own captured soldiers. It also said the military tribunals, as formulated by the Pentagon under White House guidance, were illegal.
Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John W. Warner (R-Va.), who yesterday opened a series of congressional hearings meant to produce new legislation on the issue, said at the outset that "the eyes of the world are upon us, and we must set the standards."
But Warner added that National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley and White House legal counsel Harriet Miers told him recently that "there were some honest differences . . . as to approach within the administration," and no uniform position will be reached before next week.
The dispute now being waged over detainee treatment is the latest flowering of tensions that have persisted for more than three years, as officials from different departments have tried to reconcile a long history of U.S. support for humane treatment of detainees with pressures to use extraordinary means to acquire intelligence from suspected terrorists who might pose large risks to civilians.
Some of the administration's more conservative appointees, including Steven G. Bradbury, the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel's acting chief, have been openly scornful of the Supreme Court's opinion, and suggested writing new legislation that would narrowly construe U.S. detainee treatment obligations and clearly exempt U.S. personnel from criminal liability if they violate Common Article 3.
Other officials, including top military lawyers at the Defense Department who testified at Warner's hearing yesterday and policymakers at the State Department, have solidly backed the Supreme Court's decision that previous administration legal reasoning on the issue -- supported by Chief Justice John G. Roberts while serving on an appellate court in a June 2005 opinion -- was "erroneous."
"I do agree with the reinforcement of the message that Common Article 3 is a baseline standard. And I would say that, at least in the United States Army -- and I'm confident in the other services -- we've been training to that standard and living to that standard since the beginning of our Army, and we continue to do so," said Major Gen. Scott C. Black, judge advocate general of the Army.
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Three days of congressional testimony this week by senior Bush administration officials about U.S. treatment of detainees in the war on terrorism have made clear that the administration remains deeply divided on the issue and unsure how to replace a key policy that the Supreme Court declared illegal...
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World Opinion: International Reaction to the Turmoil Middle East
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Morley has previously blogged about the events that led up to the capture (The Hostage and the Picnic) of an Israeli soldier by Hamas militants and the reaction of Israeli and Arab media (Israel's Hostage Crisis Sparks Both Joy, Anger).
Jefferson Morley: Welcome everybody, our discussion will get underway shortly.
Comments and questions that come with links to relevant commentary will get preferential treatment.
Fairfax, Va.: Many well know commentators and pundit are arguing strongly that the U.S. must place itself in some kind of mediator role in the current growing conflict. Do you agree with this premise and if you do why or why not?
Jefferson Morley: If there is going to be a mediator, it has to be the United States. There is no other country capable of playing the role. But the alignment of U.S. and Israeli policy now means that the United States cannot play that role.
Washington, D.C.: What was the Post thinking with all those pro-Israel op-ed pieces this morning? Might we hear from somebody who thinks, rightly or wrongly, that Israel has become a rogue state and should be stopped? Or is this not permitted anymore?
Jefferson Morley: I don't know what they were thinking. The Post editorial page has traditionally been pro-Israel.
The Post did run a piece from Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh the other day which represented the Hamas government's position.
Quebec, Canada: Now that Israel has been betrayed by giving land for peace, will they refuse to do it in the future?
Jefferson Morley: Israeli commentators say that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's "convergence" plan for withdrawing from parts of the West Bank and annexing others is in deep freeze now.
But I doubt that the basic idea of "land for peace" is off the Israeli political agenda forever.
Elk Grove, Calif.: Can the Israelis accomplish there stated goals without military action against Syria as well? If the Israelis take military action against Syria will that increase or decrease U.S. ability to pressure Syria over helping Iraqi insurgents?
More broadly, is deposing the regime in Damascus worth the cost?
Jefferson Morley: A correspondent for The Times of London correspondent had this to say about that:
"Israel does not seem to be thinking about an exit strategy. I think Israel's calculation is that this is a sufficiently large crisis to prompt the international community to step in and get tough with Syria for its support of Hezbollah and to make the Lebanese Government accountable for actions that take place within its borders."
He went on: "I think we can expect a day or two more of the Israeli bombardment of Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon. . . Despite pressure from hawkish elements in the Israeli military establishment, there is no plan at present to take military action against Syria."
washingtonpost.com: Briefing: Israel's reasons for its armed retaliation, (Times of London, July 13)
Princeton, N.J.: 1. Will this invasion destabilize Lebanon? Is this what Israel wants? 2. If Lebanon reverts to civil war, will Syria invade again?
Jefferson Morley: It has already destabilized Lebanon. Losing your airport, your cell phone networks, 18 bridges, and at least 61 civilians will do that
The question is how lasting the political damage will be. The longer the Israeli attacks go on, the harder it will be for Lebanon to consolidate its democracy--and it was having a hard time consolidating even before this.
I don't think Israel wants to attack Syria or vice versa. Israel fears that an Islamist regime might replace the current secular government (so does the United States). Syria fears Israel's superior military.
Its premature to talk about a Lebanese civil war.
Chappell, N.C.: What is the deal with the Lebanese air defense system and Air Force? Are they non-existent or have they chosen not to engage the Israeli Air Force? It seems the Israelis have complete Air Superiority over Lebanon and can strike at will.
Jefferson Morley: The Israelis have complete control of the skies over Lebanon. The Lebanese military is staying out of the fight for reasons of self-preservation.
Anonymous: Hey Jefferson, Just how popular do you think Hezbollah has been in Lebanon? I can't get a firm read on whether they are a real part of the larger Lebanese government or some corrupting outside influence. What do you think?
Jefferson Morley: Hezbollah, the Party of God, is the dominant political party of the Shiite community in Lebanon. Nobody knows what percentage of the country is Shiite. Best estimates run between 30 and 40 percent. Outside of that community, Hezbollah has allies, but not many supporters.
Hezbollah also has 11 members of parliament (I think, let me check that figure) and two cabinet ministers in the current government.
So they are not an outside force by any means. The fact that they are a militia as well as a political party is what bother other Lebanese political forces. But the other political parties have no way to compel Hezbollah to disarm.
Arlington, Va.: Who all are the interested parties in the Lebanon conflict? Is Iran definitely a supporter of Hezbollah, or is this just rumor? Also, is there any truth to the rumors that there are Iranian troops involved in the fighting in Lebanon? Syria always has maintained influence in Lebanon, but is it a supporter of Hezbollah? If not, what is its role in the current conflict?
Jefferson Morley: Those are some good basic questions, Arlington.
Iran is definitely a supporter of Hezbollah. The group was founded in 1982 with Iranian help. Secretary General Nasrallah studied in Iran.
I know of no credible reports that Iranian troops are involved in the fighting in Lebanon.
Syria is a supporter of Hezbollah and vice versa. But when Lebanese public opinion turned on Syria during last year's so-called Cedar Revolution, Hezbollah distanced itself from Syria in favor of "independence" and deflected international demands that it disarm by forging alliances with a Christian leader Michael Aoun.
Falls Church, Va.: Where is Israeli public opinion on the Lebanon crisis? Do Israelis support Israel's military action there? Has any major Israeli party denounced it?
Jefferson Morley: Israel public opinion seems supportive of the attack.
I think the view of Alan Abbey, founding editor of YNet News, perhaps the most popular Israeli news site, is representative when he says Israel should " Crush them [meaning Hezbollah] and then make a serious effort at crushing their handlers.
But dissenting voices are not uncommon.
Former former minister Shlomo Ben-Ami told Radio Netherlands that Israel should agree to a prisoner exchange.
Shlomo Ben Ami calls for a prisoner exchange
Abbey: Hizbullah and Hamas play their hole cards
Washington, D.C.: Though Hezbollah attacked first, they did attack an Israeli military target. Isn't Israel's response to inflict a response on civilians borderline terrorism? Both sides here appear to have lost any sign of order.
Jefferson Morley: So far most news reports give very comparable figures on civilian casualties. Here are current figures by reputable news sources.
Civilian deaths from Israeli attacks in Lebanon: "at least 61" (Washington Post)
Lebanese civilians wounded: 110 (The Independent, London)
Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli attacks: 1 (NaharNet, Beirut)
Israel civilians killed by Hezbollah rockets: 1 (YNet News, Israel)
Israel civilians wounded by Hezbollah rockets: 27, 2 "moderately" 25 "lightly" (Jerusalem Post)
Buffalo, N.Y.: We hear that Hezbollah is supported by Iran, but how much do they act on Iran's behalf? Would Hezbollah need Iranian permission to cross Israeli borders, as they did last week?
Jefferson Morley: Hezbollah and Iran share political goals.
I doubt that Hezbollah needed Iranian "permission" to mount its attack on Israel that killed eight soldiers and captured two more.
I do not doubt that Hezbollah consulted with its Iranian allies about the military operation, along the lines of "We're thinking about doing this? What do you think?"
Arlington, Va.: Submitting early - some of us need to work.
The statements made by most European governments and the EU in the past day or so have largely focused on what they see as Israel's overly harsh and provocative reactions, with little or no mention of the missile attacks, border attacks, and capture of Israeli soldiers. Do these one sided and biased government statements demonstrate the inherent anti-Semitic attitude found in most of Europe?
Jefferson Morley: No. Anti-Semitic political forces in Europe have no ability to influence to government statements. The Europeans issuing the statements are not anti-Semitic.
These demonstrate European sympathy, and especially French, sympathy for Lebanon.
The biggest area of agreement between France and the United States in recent years was that Hezbollah should disarm. The French believe that the Israeli attack will make that goal harder to achieve.
Washington, D.C.: I know that no matter how the Post reports on this news, many people will accuse the paper of bias. I suppose I'm one of them.
I was very disappointed with the Post's focus on the soldier captured in Gaza. Endless photos were published, and his family has been quoted by the Post many times. The Post in my opinion went a little overboard in trying to create a sympathetic readership.
At the same time, the Israelis were killing scores of civilians, innocent children, families and the like. The Post sometimes published their names, but never photos and backgrounds like it did for the soldier.
The Post's devotion of so much press to one soldier, and then briefly mentioning scores of killed civilians, in my opinion was obviously biased.
Does the Post have a board or group that is tasked with trying to present neutral stories? And if so, I'd be curious to know the make up of this group?
Jefferson Morley: A couple of thoughts.
The Post is always criticized in this regard. I think the Post tries to present all sides. That's why the editorial page, to its credit I think, ran the piece by Palestinian prime minister the other day.
On the news side, I don't believe anyone on the news side was "trying to create sympathetic readership" about Gilad Shalit, the captured soldier.
I do agree that Western news organizations tend to treat Israeli civilian casualties as more newsworthy than Palestinian civilian casualties.
Monroe, Mich.: What is the likelihood the Israeli prisoners of war will be transferred to Iran? What would be the implications of this transfer?
Jefferson Morley: I don't think its very likely. Hezbollah is confident of its ability hide and and hold the prisoners in Lebanon.
Silver Spring, Md.: What would be a best-case or worst-case scenario with this conflict? Do the recent military actions by Israel and Hezbollah have the potential to escalate into a full-scale, extended war?
Jefferson Morley: The Daily Telegraph in London today presented five options for Israel. Obviously, Israel does not hold all the cards in the conflict but the list captures the most likely possible outcomes.
1) Israel ceases attacks soon;
2) negotiates a prisoner exchange;
3) negotiates "red lines" to deter future attacks;
4) reoccupies south Lebanon and Gaza
I think a prisoner exchange is the most likely outcome but not before weeks, not months, of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. That is probably the best case scenario. Worse case: regional war.
washingtonpost.com: The five options open to Israel, (Daily Telegraph, July 14)
Monroe, Mich.: Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers and subsequent demands for a prisoner exchange should have been expected. For decades, Israeli has held Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners in jails, often without charge, and has been accountable to no one. The U.S. refusal to undertake an even-handed approach when dealing with Israel means that Arab countries/entities are forced to take radical approaches to right what they perceived as Israeli wrongs. Until the U.S. holds Israel accountable for its heavy-handed and often belligerent foreign policy, we will continue to see operations such as those conducted by Hamas and Hezbollah.
Thanks for your comment. Your viewpoint is prevalent in the Arab media.
Bloomsburg, Pa.: Has the USA not given every nation the cover it needs to invade another country with its Iraq gambit? Why should we expect less of any nation which perceives a threat from across its border? Israel-Lebanon, Israel-Gaza, India-Pakistan, China-Taiwan, North Korea and whomever. We have just begun to see the Bush Doctrine internationalized. It is silly for the administration to encourage Israel on one hand and expect 'restraint of harm to civilians' on the other after what we have done.
Jefferson Morley: Israel resorted to a policy of pre-emptive, if not preventive war, in Lebanon in the early 1980s. So they, at least, did not get their policy from Bush.
Toronto, Canada: It is become increasingly clear that Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran are acting in concert with respect to these acts of war against Israel? Hezbollah and Hamas's manifestos are clearly anti-Semitic and genocidal and nature and Hezbollah, in particular has violated Israeli territory numerous times since Israel vacated Southern Lebanon. Why isn't the world community, other than the U.S., Australia and Canada, calling the true culprits of this outbreak to task and why is Israel forced to implement Security Council Resolution 1559 to protect its own citizenry?
Jefferson Morley: The world community isn't bringing the true culprits to task because there is no agreement about who the true culprits are.
The U.S. Israel and Australia blame Hezbollah. Most of the Arab world sees Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers as legitimate retaliation for Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past month that killed dozens of civilians.
I have not seen Israel defends its actions in Lebanon as an effort to enforce U.N. resolution 1559.
New York, N.Y.: Although here in the States we seem to say that Pres. Bush has lost credibility and influence in the world (Dana Milbank recently called our government a "rotting administration") But, in the end, be it NK, Iran, or the Middle East - every country seems to engage the US in seeking our help to pressure one side or the other.
Our we not still the number one game in town as far as money, power, and influence?
But it is worth noting that the U.S. ability to influence these events seems very constrained. The U.S. has not been able to forge a unified position on North Korea, for example.
Toronto, Canada: If Sharon hadn't had a stroke and was the Prime Minister instead of Olmert, do you think a prisoner exchange as a pragmatic solution to this crisis would be more likely?
I think Sharon would have reacted the same way Olmert did.
There are indications that the Israelis are open to a deal for a deal with the Palestinians to obtain Shalit's release. They are much less willing to negotiate with Hezbollah.
Berkeley, Calif.: Israel and US have been discussing and toying with the idea of Bombing Iranian Nuclear facilities. US has been suggesting that Israel can go ahead and strike these facilities with full support from the US.
The Israeli rhetoric seems to be aimed at Syria and Iran as much as Hezbollah. They have even mentioned Iran's nukes in their official statements.
Will the current crisis give the Israeli's the the pretext they need to so?
Right now, they are different issues. I would be very surprised if Israeli struck Iran's nuclear facilities in the context of this crisis.
That's not to say that this crisis does not make an Israeli or U.S. military strike on those facilities more likely in the long run. It probably does.
Ann Arbor, Mich.: With the United States' overwhelming support of Israel, why has Hezbollah not attacked U.S. targets since the Marine Barracks attack in the early 1980s?
Jefferson Morley: Hezbollah knows there's no political advantage in striking out at American targets.
Ann Arbor, Mich.: Why does the U.S. media assert that the Israeli soldiers have been kidnapped, when they have in fact been captured? There is always an adjective double-standard when it concerns Israel. Palestinians are labeled Islamic terrorists, Palestinian militants, or Islamic fundamentalists. Israelis are labeled Jewish hardliners or Jewish extremists. The negative attributes given to Palestinians influence the way they are perceived in America. Why the double-standard in U.S. media outlets?
Jefferson Morley: Today's Post story says the soldiers were "abducted" and describes them as "captives." In my column, I used the term "captured" because it seems more true to the context. To forcibly apprehend uniformed soldiers in a conflict zone seems more like a capture than a kidnapping to me.
When Hezbollah lured an Israeli businessman to Beirut on the pretext of a shady deal and captured him, well, that was kidnapping.
Madison, Wisc.: "I have not seen Israel defends its actions in Lebanon as an effort to enforce U.N. resolution 1559. "
Maybe you should read the newspapers?
In response to UN complaints about its actions in Lebanon, "Olmert said he will cooperate with U.N. envoys to the Middle East "only in case their aim is to return the kidnapped Israeli soldiers and implementing 1559 fully.""
Jefferson Morley: Thanks for the link.
It shows Israel is saying its wants the United Nations to implement 1559.
It is not saying that its actions are the implementation of a U.N. resolution.
Chelmsford, Mass.: It is interesting that Israel is always at fault in your mind (and the anti-Semitic European governments) no matter who launches an attack.
Lebanon launched the attack against civilian targets in Israel as a diversion for the capture of the soldiers.
This is an act of war and Israel has every right to respond.
Jefferson Morley: I didn't say that Israel is always at fault.
I don't see a factual basis for describing European governments as "anti-Semitic."
Washington, D.C.: Faced with questionable prospects for upcoming mid-term elections the occupation of Iraq was launched, effectively rallying everyone around the President and washing clean the negative feelings about his performance to that point in time. With Republicans facing even more negative predictions for the next mid-term elections, do you think the President and Rove will use the current Middle East violence spiral to justify U.S. intervention thereby turning around the Party's political prospects? And, if so what can the Democrats do about it?
Jefferson Morley: I think that the Republicans will use the current situation to justify U.S. intervention in Iraq but I don't think its a strong rallying point a la Sept. 11.
The impression of widening war in chaos in the Middle East may also serve to undermine the administration's claims that it has checked the spread of terrorism and advanced the cause of democracy in the region.
This, I suspect, will be one of the Democrats' line of counterattack.
Rockville, Md.: It is so rare that the Post gives any attention to an Israeli terrorist death that the one case it did raises attention. Israel has been under continued missile fire from Gaza, which it evacuated and turned over to a nascent Palestinian state, for months, but the media are presenting the story of overreaction to one kidnapping rather than continued assaults. More than 200,000 Israeli are sleeping in shelters due to these attacks. The Post balance on the news pages has definitely been against Israel.
Jefferson Morley: Like I said the Post is going to be criticized regardless.
You correct that Israel has been under continuous missile fire from Gaza since the Israeli's left. The Post has paid less attention to these attacks because they have been ineffectual, at least compared to Israeli actions in the same time frame.
The Palestinian missiles have not killed a single Israeli this year. In the same periods scores of civilians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli attacks.
The same proportions hold in the Lebanese theater.
Hezbollah missiles killed one civilian and wounded up to 20 more. Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed 61 civilians and wounded up to 170.
These are figures appear in the Israeli press which presumably is not biased against Israel.
Jefferson Morley: Thanks for all the questions. We have gone a half an hour past our allotted time.
I'm sorry I couldn't get to them all.
If you want to subscribe to the World Opinion Roundup via email, send a message to jeff.morley@wpni.com and put "Subscribe" in the message line.
The Roundup comes out three times a week. Your address will not be used for any other purpose.
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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A Price Inflamed By Fear
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Add this to the costs of political instability and violence around the world: The price of crude oil hit a record yesterday, topping $76 a barrel.
Oil prices rose as fighting spread in Lebanon, the standoff continued over Iran's nuclear program and a Nigerian newspaper reported that explosions had rocked two pipelines in the West African nation. Although supplies of oil were virtually unaffected, traders and analysts said anxiety about political violence and tension around the world had once again driven up the "political premium" for oil.
"The oil price has really become a Richter scale for geopolitical turbulence and upheaval," said Daniel Yergin, the head of Cambridge Energy Research Associates. "The market's fundamentals are actually getting a little better, but fear and uncertainty is mounting over Iran, the Middle East and Nigeria."
The record oil price -- benchmark crude for August delivery closed at $76.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange -- set an ominous backdrop to the meeting of the Group of Eight major industrialized nations set to take place this weekend in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. "This is a market in which fear is very strong, and it certainly is a stark message to the G-8 meeting in St. Petersburg, which was planning to discuss energy security," Yergin said. "Right now, oil prices are reflecting a lot of energy insecurity."
Anxiety gripped other markets, too. U.S. stocks, already plagued by worries about interest rates and some disappointing second-quarter earnings reports, fell steeply on news of Israel's military offensive in Lebanon and record oil prices. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 166.89 points, or 1.5 percent, to close at 10,846.29, its second day of triple-digit declines. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell 16.31 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 1242.29. The Nasdaq composite index dropped 36.13, or 1.73 percent, to finish at 2054.11.
Gold futures, often a haven in turbulent times, rose $3.10 an ounce to close at $654.40 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Major markets in Asia and Europe were also down about 1 percent or more.
In oil markets, the causes of the price increase were virtually all political and psychological as traders fretted that Israel's conflict with Lebanon could provoke wider fighting or unrest in the Middle East, where 31 percent of the world's oil is produced and where 62 percent of proved reserves lie.
Adam E. Sieminski, chief energy economist at Deutsche Bank AG, explained that one way to calculate the political premium would be to multiply the odds of a supply cutoff by an estimate of its effect. So if the chances of military action against Iran or of a supply cut there are even modest, given the huge impact such events would have on oil prices, then worries about Iran alone could account for $10 to $15 a barrel in the current world price of crude.
Sieminski said oil traders could also add $5 for possible hurricanes, $5 for risks in Nigeria (where militant groups have attacked pipelines and cut oil output by more than half a million barrels a day), and $5 for other risks.
"Supply and demand are not the only things people look at," Sieminski said.
Altogether, the political premium could make up a third of the price of crude oil. That premium translates into about 60 cents a gallon at the gasoline pump. And it's a source of political controversy, because even though the reasons for the high price may be psychological, real money is still transferred into the hands of oil-producing countries and companies.
Gas prices posted yesterday by AAA were $2.96 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, up 6 cents in the past month and 64 cents from a year ago, according to the auto club.
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Comics: Meet the Artist
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Tobin and Libenson were online on Friday, July 14, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss "The Pajama Diaries" and the art of cartooning
Suzanne Tobin: Greetings, comics fans and welcome to another edition of "Comics: Meet the Artist." Today our guest is Terri Libenson, creator of "The Pajama Diaries," which is winding up its eight-week trial run this week in The Post. Terri is joining us from her home studio outside Cleveland. Welcome, Terri, and thanks for joining us Live Online.
Terri Libenson: I'm really happy to be here. I appreciate this opportunity. And thanks to The Washington Post for giving my strip a test run.
Olney: It seems like many of the new strips are targeted to a specific demographic, be it racial (Boondocks) or career-oriented (On the Fastrack). What would you say your strip's demographic is?
Terri Libenson: I'd like my strip to appeal to as many folks as possible, but I'd particularly like to connect with working moms like me and stay-at-home moms whom I admire immensely.
I really try to write from the heart, so sometimes whatever comes out comes out, and hopefully most people will just find it funny.
Capitol Hill: Do your children provide you with any of your gags? And do they get a bigger allowance those weeks?
Terri Libenson: My children are a great source of inspiration. I just hope they don't come after me with all their therapy bills someday.
By the way, usually their antics are just starting points -- I tend to deviate from reality a bit. I also try to skew most of the kid-based jokes toward the mom's vantage point.
Albany, N.Y.: Hi, Terri: Congratulations on getting your strip syndicated. How many newspapers have to carry a comic to make it profitable for the syndicates?
Terri Libenson: Thanks so much. I think it depends on either the size or amount of papers. The larger the paper, the more it pays, but if you have enough smaller papers, that pays off, too.
I'm just getting started, so I'm still learning.
Philadelphia, Pa.: Did you draw cartoons in school? Was there a metamorphis that led to the Pajama characters and, if so, what was it?
Terri Libenson: I love this question. There was, in fact, a metamorphosis that led to the creation of the characters.
I tend to base my ideas from life. Back in school, I came up with a quirky strip about four college characters, which ran every week for a while in our student newspaper (I still love that strip, by the way).
Then years later, I had a weekly strip syndicated with King Features about a newly married couple, based on my husband and myself.
After the birth of our kids, The Pajama Diaries became a sort of natural extention of that weekly cartoon. And speaking of metamorphoses, The Pajama Diaries characters will grow older through the years and evolve. So I'm sure you can count on even more changes (sooo looking forward to the puberty years).
edgewater, md.: Everyone who has ever been a mom can relate to this very funny strip. I cut it out to send to my kids and friends.
You must be a mom, right?
Terri Libenson: I am a mom, a waitress, a nurse, a caterer, a storyteller, a chauffeur, and a coach all rolled into one. Oops -- I think I just gave away a comic strip idea.
Seriously, I have two girls, just like the characters in the strip. And a very understanding husband.
And I am so glad you relate to it. I really do want it to connect with other moms.
Centreville: What do you think of the whole stay-at-home vs. working outside the home debate? It seems that, from the harried mom in your strip, you don't believe in the "supermom" who can "have it all".
Terri Libenson: I think I've done just about everything on the work front. Before kids, I worked full-time. After maternity leave from my first child, I worked part-time. After my second, I was fortunate enough to land a part-time contract with my company. Now I have two jobs (not including raising the kiddos)...I work on the strip full-time and work for the the other company part-time, both from home. So I'd say I have a good vantage point. My opinion: I looove working from home, but I do miss having an extra weekday or two with the kids.
As far as the supermom who can have it all...you're right. I like to disassemble that whole notion. But I do believe that a parent can try their best and that's good enough. I'm trying not to be too preachy in the strip, but the superwoman idea is something that the 'perfectionist" character does struggle with.
Del Ray: What's your educational background? Did you go to art school?
Terri Libenson: I went to Washington University in St. Louis, which is a wonderful liberal arts school with a great fine arts department. I majored in Illustration, with a particular fondness for cartoon illustration, and I minored in art history (in which I have forgotten almost everything I learned).
Washington, D.C.: Weingarten's chat, which provides weekly analysis of the comics (inter alia), has been quite hostile toward your strip ever since it first appeared in the WaPo. Have you been aware of the comments, and have you changed your strategy/style at all in consideration of them?
Terri Libenson: I started reading his chat, and had to stop, frankly. Most of the criticism wasn't constructive, just mean-spirited. I'm definitely willing to listen to constructive criticism, though, especially since my strip is new.
One thing I remember...a woman in his chat thought my strip was hostile toward stay-at-home moms. That surprised me, because I actually feel the opposite way. But even an 8-week test run (as nice a time span as it is) can't really show an overview of all the side characters and history. But I am now making a conscious effort to really show an even more positive view of stay-at-home mothers. Something I took away with.
Kensington, MD: The Pajama Diaries is a wonderful addition to the Post's comic pages. As a working mother and parent of young children, I can identify readily with many of the situations illustrated in the Pajama Diaries. I hope it sticks around!!!
Terri Libenson: Thanks, I hope so, too.
Gaithersburg: Hi, I understand you do (or did) greeting cards. I'm a greeting card junkie, and just wondered if I might have seen your work? Was it with Hallmark?
Terri Libenson: I work for American Greetings here in Cleveland. I write humorous cards and I used to have a card line called "Skitch." It's still filtered into some of AG's humorous lines. I no longer illustrate, though. Now I primarily write.
St. Petersburg, FL: Hi. Your strip certainly seems to stir up a lot of emotion and opinion, at least on Gene Weingarten's chat, but it's all theoretical to me, as it's not available online and my local paper doesn't carry it. Are you going to make it available electronically so the rest of us can love it or hate it?
Terri Libenson: Thanks for asking this.
A Pajama Diaries website is at top of my to-do list. The launch of Pajama Diaries was moved up from my original starting date in May to March, which left little wiggle room in my schedule to create a site.
However, my computer nerd husband and I are planning on setting up at least a rudimentary one soon - hopefully before our 6-year-old hits puberty. I do think it's important to have a website with archives which will help readers get more acquainted with the strip's background/characters.
Shepherd Park DC: No question. Just want to say that we (my hubby and I) love your strip. Hubby is usually so busy that he doesn't read the comics... However, he has made it a point each day since your strip began its test run to read yours!
Terri Libenson: Thanks so much. I can identify with hubby -- even I don't have time to read my own comic.
Technicali, TE: What materials do you use to draw your strip? Do you do it all by hand or do you used some computer aids?
Terri Libenson: I draw and ink my cartoons by hand using various Micron pens, then I border, add text (I can't stand my handwriting), and color/shade in Photoshop.
Detroit: Thanks for taking my question. As a female cartoonist (quite a rare breed), I wonder who your role models were as you were beginning in the field? Is there anyone that you sought out for advice or as a mentor?
Terri Libenson: My taste in role models runs the gamut. As a young adult, I loved Lynda Barry (could've subconciously inspired the diary format). As a young child, I loved Charles Schultz. These days, my family and friends do most of the inspiring.
Well, that and Comedy Central.
In school, I formed a cartoon independent study with a talented St. Louis artist who helped me along. I also had great art teachers growing up.
philadelphia, pa: I absolutely love the Pajama Diaries...it makes me laugh out loud at the trials and tribultions of raising 2 kids. I always look forward to reading it!!!!
Terri Libenson: Wow, thanks! And I love Philly -- half my family lives there. Maybe I can swing by your place.
Mount Rainier: If one were to believe all the dire predictions on the future (or lack thereof) of the newspaper industry, it seems you haven't exactly chosen a career in a growth sector. What's your "fallback" career?
Terri Libenson: I still work part-time as a humorous greeting card writer, which I enjoy as well. If that doesn't pan out, I'll start looking for a new McJob.
Clinton, Md.: Describe your typical work day. How far ahead of publication do you have to submit your strip?
Terri Libenson: I tend to work in large chunks of time. So I'll write for days, then draw and ink everything at once, then focus on the coloring/shading for a while. I like to get into a mode, basically.
I have to submit dailies about 5 weeks ahead and Sundays about 8 weeks ahead. I'm still reeling from all the deadlines.
Foggy Bottom: What's the worst deadline nightmare you've ever had?
Terri Libenson: Nothing specific, but sometimes just unexpected daily events happen that can distract me from getting a strip done.
For instance, we're currently selling our house, so once in a while I have stop and clean for an hour in order for a couple to walk through. But so far, no emergencies...yet.
K Street: I saw in your biography on the King Features Web site that you were a fan of Archie comic books as a kid. Which character did you prefer: Veronica or Bettie?
Terri Libenson: They were actually my brother's comic books, which I stole and added new dialog to (and sometimes altered the wardrobes). I preferred Betty, because, really, I'm a good girl at heart.
I must say I am really surprise that you aren't a stay-at-home mom because it seems like your strip often zings working moms. It's odd because I can't say specifically what bothers me, but I just feel a bit "icky" after reading the strip. (i.e. this week's strip about hiring the part-time sitter. It read that only at one's wit end is a sitter allowable.)
But I'm still reading because there is a lot material that's neither stay-at-home or working mother related.
Terri Libenson: Sorry about the ickiness. Not intentional. Actually, I'm not trying to "zing" working moms, I'm trying to make it relatable to working moms. But I appreciate your reading it regardless.
Ballston, VA: Hi. I'm Wash U '97. What year did you graduate?
Terri Libenson: Hi! I'm a '92 grad. Go -- what the heck was our team name again?
Great to hear from a fellow alum.
Washington D.C.: Ms. Tobin - Are you weeding out the critical questions/comments in this chat? The uncritical fawning that's being posted can hardly be representative of the total that's being received.
Suzanne Tobin: You're right. I will not post rude e-mails. I will post ones (like the one from Washington, D.C.) that are critical without being unkind. Would you have a guest in your home and then allow your child to tell that guest that they "suck" or are "lame" and "dull"? I certainly wouldn't. I agree with Miss Manners that one can be critical without being rude. So when readers send negative comments about a guest's work without disparaging their character, I will post them. If you didn't read the disclaimer at the end of each discussion page, allow me to quote it for you: "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." There's enough sophomoric negativity on the Internet. I don't need to add to it.
For the record, there have been 8 posts critical of "Pajama Diaries" that I have not posted. As I mention in every chat, we welcome reader feedback through our comics hotline at 202-334-4775, e-mail (comics@washpost.com) and snail mail, Comics Feedback, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071.
Suzanne Tobin: Thanks, Terri, for taking the time to play nice with our readers. I wish you the best of luck with the strip.
Terri Libenson: Thanks so much, Suzanne, and everyone who participated --this was really enjoyable (whew, I feel like I just ran a marathon).
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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'South Park' Plug Goes a Little Haywire
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Viacom suits want to promote the upcoming DVD of the creators' favorite 10 episodes to coincide with the 10th anniversary of "South Park." Viacom wants to make sure it sells like gangbusters.
So Viacom's Comedy Central cable network schedules "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker to plug the 10th anniversary and DVD before a couple hundred TV critics and reporters at Summer TV Press Tour 2006 here on Thursday.
Only, Stone and Parker are still angry that Comedy Central in May yanked a repeat of the "Trapped in the Closet" episode lampooning Scientology and its most famous member, Tom Cruise.
At the time they were told it was being pulled because suits at Viacom, which also owns Paramount, thought it could turn people off Cruise and his upcoming Paramount flick "Mission: Impossible 3." (Turns out Tom was quite capable of doing that all by himself without Matt and Trey's help.)
Fortunately, what with "M:I3" come and gone, the episode is no longer such a corporate issue. So, the day before Stone and Parker appear at the press tour, Viacom announces through trade paper Variety that Comedy Central finally will rerun the "Trapped" episode next week.
Quel coincidence! And no, there is no way to be too cynical when covering the super-vertically-integrated entertainment industry.
"First of all, we can't take any questions about Tom Cruise or Scientology or 'South Park,' " Stone cracked right off the bat at the Q&A.
"How much did you wrestle with the Scientology episode?" was the first question.
"Since that pertains to 'South Park' we can't answer," Stone responded.
Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox, who was also up on stage, told the reporters the episode was pulled so that they could instead air an episode paying tribute to Chef, played by Isaac Hayes.
(Hayes, who is a Scientologist, quit the show on which he had not been much of a presence the past five years, in May. He said he was quitting because Matt and Trey were disrespectful of religion and spirituality. Did I mention that the episode had already aired multiple times?)
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PASADENA, Calif., July 13 Viacom suits want to promote the upcoming DVD of the creators' favorite 10 episodes to coincide with the 10th anniversary of "South Park." Viacom wants to make sure it sells like gangbusters.
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Nigerian-Born Center Has Traded Travel for Travail
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His three-year, three-continent basketball odyssey still lacks a firm destination, and Kene Obi sometimes resembles a man stuck sprinting on a treadmill. No matter how hard he tries, he goes nowhere.
In his first nine months in the United States, the 7-foot-2, 18-year-old Nigerian with NBA dreams has worked exhaustively to assimilate. He has improved his English during a semester at Edison High School in Fairfax County. He bought an iPod and, on teammates' advice, loaded it with almost the entire discography of rappers Tupac and DMX.
Obi's basketball development has impressed even the coaches who orchestrated it. The center has learned to channel anger into aggressiveness. He's an improved rebounder and intimidating shot-blocker. On offense, he bellows when he wants the ball, then charges toward the basket.
So much progress, and yet the general circumstances of Obi's life -- detailed in an article in The Washington Post in January -- remain essentially the same as when he arrived here in October. He still waits for clearance to play his first high school basketball game. He still considers transferring to a handful of Washington area private schools. He still copes with the same uncertainty that has long ruled his life.
"I never know what will happen," Obi said after a summer league game last weekend. "I can't do anything, so I just keep waiting and waiting."
Obi's long journey to Virginia -- through Senegal, France and Belgium -- taught him patience, and he tries hard not to dwell on the logistics of his future. He leaves the complicated details of his basketball life in the hands of his closest supporters: Ugo Udezue, a Nigerian-born NBA agent who helped Obi reach the United States; Melvin Coles, Obi's guardian and the owner of several American Basketball Association teams; and Franklin McMillan, Edison's varsity basketball coach.
The Virginia High School League considers Obi ineligible to play for Edison next season because it believes Obi's foreign transcripts indicate he's already spent four years taking the equivalent of high school classes.
Obi's supporters plan to appeal that decision with the help of a Richmond lawyer later this summer. They contend Obi actually missed a year of high school because of a "hardship out of his control," McMillan said. Obi spent most of 2004 and 2005 training with a basketball team in France, and he could not attend classes there because no local school taught in English, Obi said. He will present that argument to the VHSL executive council, probably in August.
Until then, Obi's summer will continue to revolve around basketball. He has furthered his reputation as a tantalizing prospect while playing for Edison's summer league team (which does not have to follow VHSL eligibility rules) and various Amateur Athletic Union programs over the last two months.
Obi attracted attention from college and professional scouts because of his prototypical NBA body even before he reached the United States, and he's continued to sculpt his physique. Weightlifting has defined his chest and biceps. Running has fortified his legs. He now weighs almost 270 pounds -- about 30 more than he did in October -- and stays in games for stretches of 10 or 15 minutes before requesting a break. He participates in summer agility drills with the Edison football team, improving his footwork and coordination.
His greatest basketball flaw is also his best personal asset. He's friendly and easygoing, a disposition that coaches have worked hard to change. Obi tends to compliment his opponents easily, sometimes marveling at their dunks in pregame layup drills. He lacks the nastiness necessary to be a fierce defensive stopper, so his own coach now works to provoke him.
Before Edison played in a tournament at a team summer camp in late June, McMillan chided and berated Obi for his timidity. Obi, in turn, demanded the ball. He averaged about 12 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks during the 10-game tournament. "I realized I was going to have to get him mad every time," McMillan said. "When he gets mean, nobody can stop him."
Said Coles, with whom Obi lives in Alexandria: "Obi doesn't have to score a basket in his whole life to be successful. He was built to be a defensive master. Only a few people in the world have his sort of potential."
Coaches and scouts believe Obi possesses attributes unique even amongst 7-footers. He has a soft shooting touch and makes more than 60 percent of his free throws. Tough passes sometimes slip out of his hands, but he's improved his hand-eye coordination by playing catch with a tennis ball. "I will try anything to get better," Obi said.
One afternoon in June, McMillan walked to his mailbox at Edison and grabbed two letters addressed to Obi, one from Clemson and the other from the University of Connecticut. It had become something of a daily routine for McMillan, managing the recruitment of a player who -- at that time -- had never played in an officiated game in the United States. "Everybody wants to know about Obi," McMillan said, and he's talked about the Nigerian with coaches from a handful of schools, including Tulsa, Georgetown, Old Dominion and Virginia.
Even though most elite basketball players visit -- and sometimes select -- a college before their senior season, Obi has hardly considered that process. Colleges will continue to pursue Obi even if he never plays in high school, but Obi and his mentors believe a full senior season is crucial in his development.
If the VHSL denies his appeal, he may well have to worry about selecting another high school before he considers colleges. He had never watched NCAA basketball until last season, and he still lacks a firm understanding of the college basketball hierarchy. He has played summer league games on Georgetown's campus and enjoyed it, so that school is his current favorite.
When Obi plays for Edison's summer team, he enjoys the same quasi-celebrity status he earned in school hallways during spring semester. Most people recognize him, and strangers approach him because they are intrigued by his height and his accent. The attention sometimes overwhelms him. He jokes that he has too many fans.
And too few close friends.
Obi's Edison teammates regard him, respectfully, as something of a loner. They enjoy spending time with him at practice -- he's funny and goofy, they said -- but they rarely see him on weekends. Because Obi enrolled at Edison from outside of the district, he lives 20 minutes away from most of his teammates. He has yet to obtain his driver's license. "He can't get over here, so he kind of does his own thing," Edison rising junior Chad Rogers said.
When Edison's entire team went to camp last month, Obi often napped instead of playing video games with his teammates. Every Edison player shared a room with a teammate except for Obi. His height necessitated two beds, pushed together in a room of his own.
Solitude fits Obi, he said, and he rarely feels lonely in Virginia. Since he moved away from his family's apartment in the Nigerian city of Enugu in 2001, Obi has never felt so at home as he does now, living with Coles and his family. It's a quiet neighborhood, but he's developed strategies for staving off boredom.
He likes to take walks "just to leave the house," and his favorite destination is a Marshalls less than a mile away. He likes to spend a few hours wandering the aisles and browsing the bargain racks. It's a good way to pass the time, with only one persistent drawback.
He rarely finds anything that fits him.
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Despite Kene Obi's progress, the Nigerian-born center still waits for clearance to play his first high school basketball game, still considers transferring and still copes with the same uncertainty that has long rule his life.
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Agassi Set to Wish Washington Farewell
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There was a time when Andre Agassi couldn't figure out why he kept coming back to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
In 1995, when Agassi won his third of five Legg Mason championships (the others were in 1990, 1991, 1998 and 1999), the court was 118 degrees and the eight-time Grand Slam champion became nauseous. He threw up in a courtside flowerpot before beating Stefan Edberg, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, in the final.
When the match was over, Agassi told The Washington Post: "I haven't experienced this kind of heat. It's crazy. I don't know why I keep coming back."
But Agassi kept coming back and when this year's Legg Mason Tennis Classic begins on July 29, Agassi will make one final appearance.
In June, Agassi, who has played the Washington tournament 16 times, announced his retirement after the U.S. Open, which starts late next month. The Legg Mason is one of 10 U.S. Open Series events played in the United States and Canada, all of which lead up to the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
"Andre just has the unique ability to raise an event to the highest level," Legg Mason tournament director Jeff Newman said. "Without question it will be a special occasion -- it's a complement to a great player field. Andre will be the icing on the cake."
Tournament chairman Donald Dell said it makes sense for Agassi to select the Legg Mason as one of his lead-ups to his final Grand Slam event.
"When you are a player and you win a tournament several times, you get a good feeling, you get comfortable with the crowds, the fans. He feels very comfortable in the environment," Dell said.
Not only has Agassi found success in tournament play but he is popular among the tournament's spectators. Dell remembers one year, in 1999, when Agassi and Pete Sampras were both slated to play the Legg Mason. Even though Sampras was the world's top-ranked player, Agassi, who was then ranked third, was the more popular of the two.
"The phone calls were five to one for Agassi," Dell said.
Eager fans made inquiries to find the precise day Agassi would be playing -- he was, after all, the player they all wanted to see.
Seven years later not much has changed. Agassi will be the favorite, among fans, to win the tournament. Not only does Agassi hold a record five Legg Mason titles, but the 36-year-old Las Vegas native has endeared himself to fans on and off the court. His signature post-match kisses to the fans were accompanied by tears in his eyes after his final Wimbledon match, which he lost, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4, to Rafael Nadal in the third round. Off the court, his charitable foundation has raised more than $60 million to help underprivileged children.
"He's a showman," Dell said. "He's a very intellectual, articulate guy and he really has a relationship with the crowd."
Should Agassi reach the semifinals or the final of the tournament, Dell estimates that 90 percent of the fans will be calling Agassi's name.
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Andre Agassi will make one final appearance in Washington when this year's Legg Mason Tennis Classic begins on July 29.
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GAO Finds Pentagon Erratic In Wielding Secrecy Stamp
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The Government Accountability Office has criticized the Defense Department for sloppy management of its security classification system, including the marking as "Confidential or Secret" material that Pentagon officials acknowledged was unclassified information.
The GAO said in a report June 30 that one of the major questions raised by its study was "whether all of the information marked as classified met established criteria for classification." The GAO also found "inconsistent treatment of similar information within the same document."
The GAO reviewed only a "nonprobability sample" of 111 classified Defense Department documents from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. To understand how minute the sample is, the GAO reported that in the five fiscal years between 2000 and 2004, the Pentagon was responsible for 66.8 million new classified records. That is about 13.4 million a year.
The GAO report, which was sent to Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), chairman of the subcommittee on national security of the Government Reform Committee, and disclosed on the Secrecy News Web site of Steven Aftergood, concluded that "a lack of oversight and inconsistent implementation of DOD's information security program are increasing the risk of misclassification."
The report was issued at a time when the Bush administration is criticizing newspapers for publishing classified information, and when two nongovernment civilians, who were lobbyists for a pro-Israeli organization, are being prosecuted under the 85-year-old Espionage Act for receiving and retransmitting material they got from a Pentagon official involving national defense secrets.
"One reason why classification is an unreliable guide as to what should or should not be published by the press is that classification policy is implemented erratically by the government," Aftergood wrote on his Web site.
Of the 111 classified documents reviewed, the GAO questioned classification determinations of 29, about one out of every four. A majority of those questioned "pertained to whether all of the information marked as classified met established criteria for classification."
Pentagon officials agreed that in five documents "the information was unclassified and in a sixth document the information should be downgraded."
In a broader administrative criticism, the GAO found that 92 of the 111 documents had some marking error, such as failure to include declassification instructions or the source of the classification as required.
In 2004, there were 1,059 senior Defense Department officials designated to possess "original classification authority," but more than 1.8 million defense employees who were authorized to classify papers "derivatively," meaning the incorporation of already classified information into a new document by paraphrasing or repetition.
The report also comments on a broader problem: that the government as a whole has no common security classification standard and no penalties for overclassification, underclassification or failure to declassify.
It notes, for example, that although different agencies have authority to classify material, there are conflicting markings in some agencies for annotating with an "R" whether a record is to be released or declassified or retained and kept classified. "One of the agencies uses a 'D' to denote 'deny automatic declassification' and an 'R' to denote release," the report says. "While the other agency uses a 'D' to denote 'declassify' and an 'R' to denote 'retain.' "
The report also said that even though the president, Congress and the public are given figures estimating how many Defense Department documents are classified each year, such estimates are "unreliable" because Pentagon agencies use different assumptions "about what should be included."
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Iraq Given Control of Province
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BAGHDAD, July 13 -- The Iraqi government assumed full military control of a province Thursday for the first time since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, but a spate of bombings and assassinations underscored the persistent policing challenges in most of the country.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attended a ceremony in the southern province of Muthanna to formalize the handover from British-led troops to Iraqi forces. Muthanna, one of Iraq's 18 provinces, has been relatively peaceful throughout the conflict, but Maliki warned that insurgents might stage attacks to mar the transfer.
"Terrorists who want to disrupt the handover of security and the success of the national unity government will not spare any effort to sabotage this step," Maliki said in the provincial capital of Samawa, according to news services.
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., issued a joint statement calling the handover "a milestone in the successful development of Iraq's capability to govern and protect itself as a sovereign and democratic nation."
Violence flared again in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities Thursday, leaving at least 32 people dead as sectarian violence continued this week. In one incident, a bomb tethered to a bicycle exploded outside the city council office in Abi Saida, a town about 60 miles north of Baghdad, killing four people and wounding three, said Lt. Adnan Lefta of the Muqdadiyah police major crimes unit.
In the predominantly Shiite Muslim slum of Sadr City in Baghdad, a car bomb blew up near a gas station, killing seven people and injuring 16, according to Interior Ministry officials.
The coach of the national wrestling team, Mohammed Karim Abid Sahib, was killed when gunmen attempted to abduct him and one of his wrestlers near a sports center in the northern part of Baghdad, the Associated Press reported. The wrestler escaped.
Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadir Muhammed Jassim acknowledged that violence had "really escalated lately in Baghdad" and that Shiite and Sunni Arab extremists were responsible. He said daily reports of the civilian death toll indicated that Sunnis and Shiites were dying in "almost equal numbers" in attacks "faster than we can take action to stop it."
Car bomb attacks targeting police patrols killed nine people, including four policemen, and wounded 13 in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Apache Longbow helicopter crashed in Yusufiyah, an insurgent stronghold southwest of Baghdad, but the two pilots escaped unharmed and returned to duty, the U.S. military said. The cause of the crash was under investigation, a military spokesman said.
Also Thursday, the U.S. military said a Navy sailor was killed the previous day in fighting in the western province of Anbar. The military did not release the name of the sailor, who was part of the 9th Naval Construction Regiment, pending notification of relatives.
Special correspondents Saad al-Izzi in Baghdad and Hassan Shammari in Baqubah contributed to this report.
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BAGHDAD, July 13 -- The Iraqi government assumed full military control of a province Thursday for the first time since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, but a spate of bombings and assassinations underscored the persistent policing challenges in most of the country.
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FDA Clears Once-a-Day AIDS Drug
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The world's first single-pill, once-a-day AIDS treatment was approved yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration -- a medication that experts say will make it easier for infected people to keep the virus under control.
Developed in an unusual cooperative venture by the makers of two rival drugs, the new combination pill, called Atripla, marks a milestone in the treatment of AIDS. While patients used to take 10 or more pills a day, they will now be able to control their disease with one medication.
"This is a landmark for those suffering with HIV and AIDS," said acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach. People will be more likely to take a single pill consistently than several of them, he said, and "compliance with therapy is as important as the therapy itself for a successful outcome."
Deputy FDA Commissioner Murray Lumpkin, who runs the agency's international and special programs, called approval of Atripla a major achievement. "A single, fixed-dose pill has long been seen as the holy grail of AIDS treatment," he said.
The combination pill will not only keep patients healthier, officials said, but also help slow the development of community-wide resistance to AIDS drugs. If patients do not take the drugs regularly, the human immunodeficiency virus has a better chance of mutating into new forms of AIDS that are not affected by the available medications, first in individual patients and later in others.
At a news conference yesterday, unusual in announcing a new drug approval, the agency officials said the combination pill will first be available in the United States, but the need is greatest in poor nations where AIDS treatment is often unavailable or inadequate. The sometimes confusing directions involved with taking many pills a day -- some on a full stomach and some on an empty one -- has kept effectiveness rates low.
"We know that an HIV-AIDS patient needs to take 95 percent of his or her pills or they won't work," said John C. Martin, chief executive of Gilead Sciences Inc., one of the companies in the Atripla project. "So the fewer pills a patient needs to take, the better the outcome."
Martin said creating the combination pill was difficult, with five failed formulations before the successful one was created. "This is not simply a matter of putting together the three drugs," he said. "They have to be put together in a way that each reacts as it does when it's alone, and that can get complicated."
The new drug will combine the two most prescribed AIDS medications -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Sustiva and Gilead's Truvada, which is itself a two-drug combination. Gilead officials said Atripla will cost about $1,100 a month, which is equal to the current cost of taking Sustiva and Truvada. The drug's price in poor nations hit hard by AIDS will be set by Merck and Co., which markets Sustiva under the name Stocrin in developing countries.
Gilead spokesman James Loduca said the company will produce a salmon-colored pill for U.S. distribution and a white pill for sale abroad -- suggesting they will be priced quite differently. The drug will be manufactured in Canada.
Von Eschenbach said the FDA wants to encourage other companies to join forces in developing new drugs. The computer industry learned long ago to cooperate in creating new products, he said, and drugmakers are just beginning to move to that model.
The pharmaceutical industry has been under substantial pressure to simplify AIDS-treatment regimens in particular, and companies have been combining medicines for several years. But until the joint venture that created Atripla was formed, a once-a-day pill proved elusive -- for reasons more commercial than scientific.
The FDA said Atripla will be considered for use in 15 developing countries, many of them in Africa, under President Bush's 2003 initiative to combat AIDS. The five-year, $15 billion program aims to treat at least 2 million infected people.
Many of the AIDS drugs used in the program have patent protection but are made in generic versions by companies abroad -- for sale exclusively in poor nations -- with the approval of the patent-holding company. Several Indian companies in particular are active now in making AIDS drugs, including three-drug combinations, but none has yet produced a once-a-day pill.
There are as many as 40 million people worldwide with HIV or AIDS, and more than a million in the United States. About 40,000 new U.S. cases are reported annually.
The FDA has approved 28 products in the United States to treat HIV infection -- most of them as high-priority applications. The Atripla application was approved after a review of only three months, but FDA officials said the agency worked with the manufacturers for several years before the application was submitted.
FDA approved Sustiva in 1998 and the two Gilead drugs -- Viread and Emtriva -- in 2001 and 2003. Their safety and effectiveness in combination were established in a 48-week clinical study with 244 infected adults. In that trial, 80 percent of the people experienced a significant reduction in their virus levels and a substantial increase in the number of healthy cells that fight against infection.
Combination drugs -- or drug "cocktails" -- are especially useful in treating HIV and AIDS because, used regularly, they can keep the fast-evolving virus from mutating into new, hard-to-treat variations. While Atripla will reduce the number of anti-retroviral pills a patient needs to take, officials said, additional medications to boost the immune system and protect against other infections will often be needed.
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The world's first single-pill, once-a-day AIDS treatment was approved yesterday by the Food and Drug Administration -- a medication that experts say will make it easier for infected people to keep the virus under control.
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Upper Grades, Lower Reading Skills
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Teaching reading has long been considered the job of primary grade teachers. But some educators are calling for more attention to be paid to the reading needs of middle and high school students, many of whom are struggling to master this critical skill.
The Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based education policy research and advocacy group, estimates that as many as 6 million middle and high school students can't read at acceptable levels. It's an issue for students well above the bottom of the class. A report released in March that looked at the reading skills of college-bound students who took the ACT college entrance exam found that only 51 percent were prepared for college-level reading.
"That is what is the most startling and troubling," said Cyndie Schmeiser, ACT's senior vice president of research and development. "The literacy problem affects all groups -- not exactly in the same ways, but it's affecting all groups regardless of gender, income or race."
Though struggling students might be able to read words on paper, experts said, they lack the ability to explain or analyze what the words mean.
In the past two years, at least a half-dozen major education associations have released reports on adolescent literacy, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of State Boards of Education. State and national test scores also paint a troubling picture of the reading skills of older students.
In Maryland, 33 percent of incoming high school freshmen will need extra help in reading, according to results from the 2006 Maryland School Assessments released last month. In Virginia, 24 percent of last year's freshmen needed additional support. And according to 2005 test results in D.C. public schools, 71 percent of middle and high school students needed special help with reading.
The National Governors Association has offered states grants to develop programs targeted at older students. And school systems faced with significant numbers of middle and high school students unable to read well enough to keep up with their peers already have begun investing more dollars into programs to aid students.
Starting this fall, educators in Montgomery County will spend $1.2 million to place reading coaches at its 25 high school campuses -- more than tripling the number the system had last year. In Anne Arundel, officials will launch a course targeted at high school students who have difficulty reading. In Virginia, state education officials have formed a task force that will examine, among other issues, why so many of its high school students are struggling to read. Fairfax County schools already offer special courses for high school students who have difficulty reading.
Last year, the Bush administration launched the Striving Readers program, a $24.8 million effort that targets middle and high school readers. In the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, the administration hopes to almost triple the program's funding to $70.3 million. But educators said that is a drop in the bucket compared with the nearly $5 billion the federal government has spent to help younger kids read since 2002.
"This assumption that students master all the reading skills they need by the end of third grade just doesn't fly," said Beth Cady, spokeswoman for the International Reading Association.
Educators said older students struggle for many reasons.
The U.S. school population has rapidly diversified over the past few decades. The number of students who are learning English has more than doubled, from 2.03 million in 1989-90 to 5.01 million in 2003-04, according to the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs. A decade ago, students who were learning English made up 6.1 percent of the student population in Montgomery; today, the figure is almost 10 percent.
But it's not just immigrants. A breakdown of test scores in Maryland, for example, shows that black students, those enrolled in special education and those who come from poor families are most likely to lack strong reading skills.
Educators said it's difficult to pin down one cause. Bad teaching, chaotic home lives, low expectations for some students, cultural bias, the fact that older students simply don't read enough -- all have been faulted.
And student attitude can be a factor.
"By late elementary school, kids who are struggling readers have developed strategies to avoid reading," said Sylvia Edwards, a reading specialist with the Maryland State Department of Education. "They are under the radar, scraping by."
Even in such affluent, high-achieving counties as Montgomery, one in five kids reaches high school reading at a basic level. When broken down by race, the numbers are even more startling, with 42.1 percent of black students and 47.8 percent of Hispanic students reading at only a basic level when they reach high school.
In Fairfax, about 15 percent of students who entered high school last year had difficulty reading. But among black students, 32 percent were not reading well; among Hispanic students, 33 percent were struggling.
Timothy Shanahan, president of the International Reading Association and a professor of urban education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said many school systems stop emphasizing formal reading instruction once children leave primary grades. "It's not like a polio vaccine -- a couple of shots when you're a little kid and then you're done," he said.
And often, if older kids are having difficulty reading, their middle and high school teachers lack the training to intervene. "It's a lot easier in grade school to talk about learning to read, but if you're talking about it when you get to high school, then you're acknowledging that we've somehow slipped up," said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and a former governor of West Virginia.
Shanahan and others said the key to helping older students is less about the mechanics of reading -- phonics and such -- than about the nuances of reading, that is, teaching students how to understand and explain what they read.
Patricia O'Neill, who represents Bethesda and Chevy Chase on the Montgomery school board, said she fears that if more isn't done to help kids catch up, they will not be able to graduate from high school, noting that statewide tests that students must now take to receive their diplomas include significant amounts of reading and writing.
Wise and others said that unless more is done, school systems will be forced to spend millions on remediation programs. And efforts to close the achievement gap between black and Hispanic students and their white and Asian counterparts could be stymied.
"The focus of state and federal efforts has been on the early grades, and it needs to start there," Wise said. "K-3 is necessary for building a strong foundation, but I wouldn't be much of a carpenter if I build a foundation but not the rest of the house."
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Teaching reading has long been considered the job of primary grade teachers. But some educators are calling for more attention to be paid to the reading needs of middle and high school students, many of whom are struggling to master this critical skill.
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Top Cyber Security Post Still Unfilled After a Year
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One year after the Department of Homeland Security created a high-level post for coordinating U.S. government efforts to deal with attacks on the nation's critical technological infrastructure, the agency still has not identified a candidate for the job.
On July 13, 2005, as frustration with the Bush administration's cyber security policy grew on Capitol Hill and Congress appeared poised to force its hand, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced the new assistant-secretary job opening.
Critics say the yearlong vacancy is further evidence that the administration is no better prepared for responding to a major cyber attack than it was for dealing with Hurricane Katrina, leaving vulnerable the information systems that support large portions of the national economy, from telecommunications networks to power grids to chemical manufacturing and transportation systems.
"What this tells me is that ... [Chertoff] still hasn't made this a priority ... to push forward and find whoever would be the best fit," said Paul Kurtz, a former cyber security advisor in the early Bush administration and now a chief lobbyist for software and hardware security companies.
"Having a senior person at DHS... is not going to stop a major cyber attack on our critical infrastructures," Kurtz said, "but [it] will definitely help us develop an infrastructure that can withstand serious attacks and recover quickly."
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a co-author of the bill that would have forced the department to create the position last year, did not mince words: "I think DHS is pathetic and incompetent. It's a complete mystery what's happening over there."
But a DHS official assured critics that the agency is "in the final stretch" of approving a candidate.
"We are hopeful we'll be able to announce in the not-too-distant future an individual we think would be able to continue the work we've been doing," said George W. Foresman, undersecretary for preparedness.
Around the time of the agency's inception in early 2003, the Bush administration released the "National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace," a detailed roadmap for securing the nation's most critical information networks and for crafting a disaster-recovery and response plan in case of a major cyber attack or other massive malfunction.
The far-reaching plan led many in the high-tech community to hope that DHS would establish a cyber security post with influence over the department's policy and spending priorities. But when administration officials relegated it to a lower hierarchical rung -- one without daily access to DHS top decision-makers -- nearly two years of bureaucratic turf wars ensued. Three different cyber security officials resigned, two of them complaining publicly of their lack of authority.
James Lewis, director of technology and public policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the administration had already adopted the position that cyber initiatives would siphon funds away from physical security for high-value potential terrorist targets.
The high-level post "was forced on them by Capitol Hill," Lewis said. "Left to their own devices, the White House wouldn't have created the position."
"A department that has failed [for a year] to find an assistant secretary, even by Washington standards ... has to be some kind of record," said Roger Cressey, former chief of staff of the president's critical infrastructure advisory board, which was dissolved in 2003 just before the formation of the Homeland Security Department.
Foresman maintained that the department is not sitting still: "We've looked at candidates who had solid backgrounds in telecommunications and in cyber security, but we have found a lesser number of candidates who had a great background in both areas."
One candidate for the post -- Guy Copeland, vice president for information infrastructure at El Segundo, Calif.-based Computer Sciences Corp. -- said he was among nearly a dozen similarly qualified industry experts he knew of who were approached. He said he declined for personal and financial reasons, but noted that others were apparently knocked out of the running for political or professional considerations.
Copeland said he hopes DHS can find a worthy candidate soon -- someone who has the clout within industry and government "who can not only go to [Congress] and argue for the resources ... but also someone who can help organize the [post-attack] response from various industry sectors," he said.
John McCarthy, director of the critical infrastructure program at the George Mason University School of Law, agreed and related that just a few months after the administration released its cyber plan in 2003, one of his graduate students submitted a dissertation containing detailed maps zeroing in on key points in the Internet infrastructure that -- if targeted by terrorists -- could wreak a cascading series of outages capable of bringing major U.S. industries to a screeching halt.
Government officials suggested that the dissertation be classified, but ultimately the student simply agreed not to publish the details, according to McCarthy, who said he was also approached about the vacant DHS post but eventually was passed over.
"E-commerce is now the vehicle for delivering a wealth of private sector and government services," McCarthy said. "But cyber is now also the vehicle of choice for the bad guys to deliver and organize their services."
Security experts say many of the computers that operate critical infrastructure -- known as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks -- are increasingly being connected to Microsoft Windows systems and to the Internet to offer public utilities a cost-effective way to manage their far-flung assets. But that exposure also makes power, water, sewage and other such systems dangerously vulnerable to online attack, said Alan Paller, director of research for the SANS Institute, a computer security training group based in Bethesda.
"Hackers have discovered that owners of SCADA systems are very sensitive and that they can make money by threatening to do damage," Paller said, adding that he is aware of at least two incidents just this year in which attackers broke into and threatened to disrupt utility operations unless the owners paid a ransom demand.
Foresman defended the agency's progress, noting that DHS recently conducted simulation exercises with IT companies to determine how government and industry could better collaborate to "build better layers of resilience" into critical systems.
But McCarthy said he believes it is a question of when -- not if -- a major portion of the U.S. economy comes under a targeted cyber attack, and that the nation desperately needs the technical and social leadership in place to deal with it when the time comes.
"I believe that as we as a society and economy move towards a greater reliance on these vulnerable communications networks, that those who would wish us harm will find ways to target those infrastructures in ways we haven't thought about yet, and that's going to present a major challenge for whoever is picked for that position."
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One year after the Department of Homeland Security created a high-level post for coordinating the U.S. government's efforts to combat and recover from attacks against the nation's critical technological infrastructure, the agency still has not identified a candidate for the job.
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Summer Vacation of Our Discontent
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Can our kids afford to take summer vacation? Right now, about 50 million children are on summer vacation across the United States. Many are discovering new interests at summer camp, playing ball at the Y, or traveling with Mom and Dad. But millions of others are loitering in parking lots and shopping malls, cruising iffy websites, and slouching toward academic disaster. For this second group, it's time to take a fresh look at the traditional summer break.
Summer vacation once made good sense -- back when we lived in a brawn-based economy, academic achievement mattered less, an absence of air conditioning or modern hygiene turned crowded schools into health risks, and children had moms who were home every day.
Historian Kenneth Gold has noted that summer vacation, as we know it, was an invention of the mid-19th-century belief that "too much schooling impaired a child's and a teacher's health." Community leaders fretted that summer was a "period of epidemics, and most fruitful of diseases generally," and sought to keep children at home or send them to the countryside.
In that era, the nation's first professional educators believed that too much schooling would exhaust both teacher and student. They thought that placid summers under parental supervision would be more beneficial than time spent in humid, crowded schools.
Today, things have changed. We know that, for today's children, knowledge and academic skills will be critical to their future success and happiness. In many communities, children are safer in well-run schools than they are at home alone.
Other advanced nations don't provide an American-style summer vacation. Most industrialized nations offer no more than seven consecutive weeks of vacation. Meanwhile, American school districts offer up to thirteen.
In a long-gone world of plentiful manufacturing jobs and self-contained economies, such comparisons mattered less. Today, however, our children will find themselves competing with peers from Europe, India, and China for lucrative and rewarding brain-based jobs.
Summer vacation can also be a massive inconvenience for today's middle-class families. In the 1960s, reports the Population Resource Center, more than 60% of families consisted of a father working out of the house, a stay-at-home mother, and multiple children. Now, as U.S. Census data show, two-thirds of American children live in households where two parents work or with a single working parent, meaning no one is home to supervise children during the summer. For these families, summer vacation can be more an obstacle than a break. Parents must find ways to occupy their children's time and to monitor their socializing and web usage from work.
The Urban Institute reports that, at most, just 30% of school-aged children in families with an employed primary caretaker are cared for by a parent during the summer. The Urban Institute study also notes that forty-one percent of working families with school-age children pay for child care during the summer, typically spending about 8% of their summertime earnings. Meanwhile, expensive school facilities, computers, texts, and transportation sit idle.
But the biggest problem with summer vacation today may be its impact on the academic achievement of low-income kids. In scores of studies, researchers¿including scholars at places like the Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning and the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory -- have reported that these students lose significant academic ground in the summertime, while their more advantaged peers -- those more likely to read and attend pricey summer camps -- do not.
This has been a big factor in aggravating the "achievement gap" for urban and minority children. Programs with extended school years have had much success in boosting the achievement of these kids. The widely praised KIPP Academies, for instance, have employed a lengthened school year and a mandatory 3-4 week summer school session to boost achievement among their predominantly minority and urban students.
Today, "modified-calendar" schools exist in 46 states but enroll barely two million kids -- about 5% of all K-12 students. Why aren't more schools offering an extended academic calendar?
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Can our kids afford to take summer vacation?
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PostGlobal: Who's to Blame for Gaza, Lebanon?
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Yossi Melman is a senior commentator for the Israeli daily Haaretz. He specializes in intelligence, security, terrorism and strategic issues. An author of seven books on these topics he is now writing (with Meir Javedanfar ) a book on Iran's President and his desire for nuclear weapons to be published next spring in the U.S.
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist. He was born in Jerusalem in 1955. He is the director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University in Ramallah, and he is the founder and general director of AmmanNet, the Arab world's first Internet radio station.
After fifty years of fighting, Palestinians and Israelis seem to have finally found the one thing that can really get the other side really angry. This became crystal clear this week as Israelis went brezerq because of their inability to return their captured soldier and ordinary Palestinians felt completely helpless to stop the crimes of war in the form of collective punishments that Israel has meted against them. Palestinians and Israelis have more polarized this past two weeks than at any time that I can recall.
Talk to an average well educated Israeli or a like minded Palestinian (this writer included) and you will get entirely opposite points of view, narrated passionately. What is it that makes each side blinded to understand the other? Why are we unable to have any empathy for the other?
One of the answers to this dilemma must be in attitudes to individualism versus collectivism. Israelis like many in the west give priority to the individual over the collective. At times this laudable defense of the individual, goes too far, and becomes an obsession. No logical explanation can defend the Israeli attacks in Gaza that has cost tens of Palestinian lives, cost the Israelis a public relations black eye and in the end unlikely to bring about the return of the captured Israeli.
Palestinians on the other hand while not as vulnerable regarding individual rights have a strong collective feeling that makes very angry when they are targeted as a group, as a collective. When thousands of Palestinians who were caught outside the Gaza strip when the present cycle began feel that preventing all of them to return is a form of a collective punishment and therefore drives Palestinians crazy. Blowing up bridges, powder plants, preventing the entire Palestinian civil servants from being paid, angers Palestinians who seem in that a violation of the large family, community, tribe the nation. As if saying that Palestinians would be willing to accept violations of individuals but when they are punished as a collective, they are unable to accept that as legitimate.
Yossi Melman: Thanks for having me here. I am looking forward for the debate with Daoud. I have a great respect for him as a journalist and commentator.
What we see today are two separated developments which are linked. The events in Gaza which are going on for nearly three weeks are a matter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They can and should be resolved by a dialogue and negotiations which will require concessions non both sides. While the incident in Lebanon is a very clear and simple one. The Hezbollah which is an armed militia operating within a sovereign state attacked today Israeli positions and kidnapped the soldiers. But doing so hey violated an UN sponsored agreement of a cease fire. In general what we in Israel witness is he more our government is ready to make concessions - withdrawal from Gaza and a few years ago from Lebanon Israel; is subjected to attacks by militants which refuse to recognize its right to exit as both the Hamas and Hezboallah maintain
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Isn't, after the agreement between Hamas and the PA president, the Hamas armed wing effectively controlled by Syria? Is Hamas still one organisation or only nominally so, and isn't Syria attacking Israel on two fronts now through its proxy armies?
Yossi Melman: Hamas is not fully controlled by Syria. Hamas is divided between its much more radical leadership based in Syria led by Haled Mashal and its more moderate leaders operating in Gaza and the West Bank and led BY Premier Ismail Haniye. Syria has a certain influence on Hezbollah less now than when the Syrian army was positioned in Lebanon. But the Iranians are those who pulling the strings of Hezbollah. Yet one has to be honest to face the reality that Hez. is basically a Lebanese group whose aims are local and regional. If it comes to a conflict between its Shiite-Iranian interests and ideology and its local Lebanese oe I believe they will adhere to their Iranian ones.
Daoud Kuttab: I am not sure of the allegiance of Hezbollah to Iran more than to Lebanon. Remember that Nassrallah had recently made alliance with a maronite Christian party. they are interested in Lebanese issues and first and foremost the return of their prisoners, Samir Quntar has been in an Israeli prison for over 20 years
New Hampshire: Good afternoon gentleman. I have asked this question repeatedly during Post chats since the beginning of this crisis to no avail, and am deeply grateful for your participation today. Perhaps I will get a response.
First let me say that I hope that the Israeli soldier is returned unharmed. My hope has always been for a just and lasting peace for the people of Palestine and Israel.
Israel mounted a military attack on Gaza on Tuesday the 27th. They reportedly bombed 2 or 3 bridges and hit the power station, effectively cutting off entry and exit to the strip of land that is 'home' to a million impoverished people. I am sickened, though, by the breathtaking disproportionality of this use of overwhelming force and destruction. The Palestinians are already living in squalor with little access to water, fuel, medications, food, jobs or hope. There has been scant coverage in the US press about the events that led to this situation; the bombing of the civilians on the beach, the recent killing of many Palestinians including children, and the imprisonment of hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children.
The democratically elected Hamas had at last decided to recognize Israel, and at that very critical moment-- missiles start flying and tanks roll in. Does the Israeli government really want peace? Why is the US government so disengaged? Secretary Rice was in Pakistan at the time and never bothered to intervene at all in this crisis. This administration refused to talk to Mr. Arafat and he died imprisoned. We joined with many and cut off aid to Palestine when they elected Hamas, yet Mr. Olmert was a welcomed guest at the White House. We have hamstrung Mr. Abbas and against all odds, he still managed to negotiate with an angry opposition party.
Do we want peace? Is this not a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention to do this to an occupied people? Isn't this the very definition of collective punishment?
Daoud Kuttab: the Geneva conventions where written up exactly to prevent what we are seeing today collective punishment against innocent civilians
Yossi Melman: Yes Israel -its people and government - does want peace. Israel does recognize the right of the Palestinian to exist and have a state of their own. Israel over the last years is in a process of withdrawing from Lebanon, recently from Gaza and declared its intention to leave most of the West bank. Yet Hamas refuses to accept the right of Israel to exist, launched an attack against an Israeli position within Israel 4th of June borders which are internationally recognized and accepted while Hezbollah a fundamentalist organization which is calling for the creation of theocracy in Lebanon and takes order from Teheran attacked this morning an Israeli army position within Israel's recognized borders. So for God's sake who is here the aggressor> the very basic problem of our conflict is that there are elements in the Palestinian and Arab societies which call for the annihilation of Israel. Once this is overcome I believe that tactical and territorial questions can and will be solved. Peoples on both sides wish to live in peace but some leaders, I am afraid perefr notions such as history and ideology and religion to peaceful existence.
Jerusalem Israel : For Daoud Kuttab. As a Christian Arab you have witnessed the constant campaign of intimidation by Palestinians which has led to for instance, a town like Bethlehem which once had a large Christian majority now having a frightened intimidated Christian minority. Why don't you have the courage to find fault with the radical Islamic elements instead of , doing what you always automatically do, blame Israel?
Daoud Kuttab: thanks for the question but the major burden of all Palestinians Muslim or Christian is the occupation and its effects on our society, life, land and future. Sure the numbers of Palestinians is dwindling but in any conflict this happens, for Palestinian Christians the opportunities to leave are greater. I am not denying that in the lawlessness that we have these days many weak Palestinians (meaning without political military or financial power) get step on including by fellow Palestinians, Palestinian Christians have suffered, in this case, but for the most part the nationalist leadership as well as the Islamists have been very careful not to allow discrimination and intimidation, nevertheless some do happen
Kat I, Brooklyn, NY: I've always found the sound byte of "the Palestinians must recognize Israel's right to exist" to be confusing. Shouldn't it be the other way around? There have been far more Palestinian civilian deaths, and they're the ones whose basic human and civil rights have been severely limited, living in what is essentially an apartheid country, homes bulldozed, bridges destroyed, roads cut off, limited access to water, to energy, to schooling and jobs. How is this not glaring hypocrisy? Last time I checked, it was the Israeli army that was responsible for the deaths of UN workers, cameramen, and peace activists like Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall. While I realize there is blame to go around on both sides, I think Israel is the most egregiously offensive in this awful situation. What are both of your thoughts on this idea, that ultimately it comes down to Israel recognizing the Palestinians right to exist?
Yossi Melman: Israel did recognize the right of the Palestinian people to exist many times. Israeli governments including the current one have accepted the solution of two states for two peoples. It is the current Palestinian government led by Hamas which refuses the recognize the right of Israel to exist. Hamas' charter which was drafted in 1987-8 which is still binding and guiding the organization denies the right of Israel to exist. Yet I am in favor of a negotiated solution with anyone including Hamas who is ready to start talking.
Daoud Kuttab: I hate to have the charter discussion restarted. Hamas and Fatah and the other factions have agreed (although not widely reported) on the prisoners document which calls for creating a Palestinian state in the 67 borders and not to attack Israelis beyond the green line. I think this is a great agreement if adopted and included in a cease fire treaty could be the beginnings of serious discussions for peace
The Israeli invasion of Gaza has gotten relatively uncritical media coverage here in the US, although within Israel there seems to be some very skeptical analysis. What effect, in your views, does such uncritical acceptance of Israeli policies have on the overall dynamics of the Arab-Israeli peace process and the American role within it?
Yossi Melman: I would draft the q differently with your permission: why the USA government and most of its people and the EU and Japan doing it? my a. is because this time they think that Israel is the victim. When Israel started to make concessions - withdrawing from Gaza its positions and towns inside its June 1967 borders not the occupied West bank are attacks. can you understand the Palestinian -Hamas logic. they have been demanding for nearly 40 years the withdrawal of Israel from their land and when Israel is doing it they response with attacks?
Daoud Kuttab: We have a problem in both sides are claiming victimhood. The real victims are those who are injured, killed and are in jail whether they be Israelis or Palestinians
Wheaton, MD: When Israel gave Gaza to the terrorists almost a year ago, what did they expect to happen? Anyone should have seen this coming.
Yossi Melman: I am not sure you are right. occupation remains a problem for the Israeli society. Jewish settlements are not contributing to our security. The Army can defend Israel without civilians living on Palestinian's lands.
Daoud Kuttab: when the Israelis withdrew from Gaza they wanted the Palestinians and the world to declare that the occupation in Gaza is over. this never happened even by the US. Occupation continued although in different ways mostly in controlling the borders and preventing money to be paid to civil servants because of a democratically elected government
Milan, Italy: It appears Israel doesn't respond properly to terrorism. Israel's soft responses seem to only encourage more attacks. What will it take for Israel to seriously deal with Islamic terrorists?
Yossi Melman: I disagree with you. Using unlimited force will only create brutal responses. one has to know the wisdom of limitations and restraint
Daoud Kuttab: I am not sure what you consider to be soft responses. Take the following, blowing up the electric plant, besieging Gaza placing 1.5 million in a big prison, refusing to allow 5,000 Palestinians caught outside from returning home( 5 died from exhaustion). killing over 50 people mostly civilians, including children and two entire families.
NH: Thank you for taking my question.
I just became aware of the kidnapping of 2 IDF soldiers along the Israel/Lebanon border and the subsequent declaration by Mr. Olmert that this is "act of war". 5 bridges have been bombed and a power plant heavily damaged. People are already dead. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end to any hope of peace in the region? I am heartsick.
Daoud Kuttab: I hope not, although I am not sure that we had peace until this capture of the soldiers happened. The US, which is the major peace broker in the region has been absent these past two weeks, maybe this will wake them up and get them much more involved to put a stop to this madness
Rochester, MN: Just Today 7 Palestinian Children were killed by Israeli attack. I do not see a single US newspaper highlighting that. When this kind of media coverage will end? From my 5 years stay in USA I know Americans are good people ( more so than where I am from) . If they knew all the facts and stories, US policy in middle east would have been much different.
Daoud Kuttab: The US media and the US government have done little to help the situation even though they gave and continue to give unlimited support to Israel. Even an Israeli politician has asked that the US send an envoy. I would agree with that call, because the US is the only party that can make some sense, if they choose to, with Israelis
Yossi Melman: I disagree with Daoud. The US media is doing generally a fine job. The solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are well known and surprisingly agreed by most people on both sides. The matter is how get out of the vicious circle of violence, sit down and talk business. This can't be done by the media only by leaders who have the backing of the people and really care about the suffering of their folks.
Washington, D.C.: Mr. Kuttab, Prime Minister Haniyeh wrote in the Washington Post, just yesterday, that core 1948 issues must be negotiated. How does that reflect Hamas' recognition of the State of Israel's right to exist? At best it seems to allow for individual Israelis right to live in a Palestinian state that encompasses all of pre-1948 Palestine.
Daoud Kuttab: a real settlement begins with each side declaring what it wants, dreams and desires and then what it is willing to accept. Olmert is saying the same things when he says we dreamt of Judea and Samaria and Gaza but the reality is different, haniyeh is saying we need to negotiate about the core of the problem if we want a serious core solution.
Yossi Melman: Daoud. I too hate to discuss the past and be led into sentimental and historical arguments which will lead us nowhere. But you know better than me hat the refusal of HAMAS TO ACCEPT Israel's right to exist and its perception of the territory between the sea and the river as a holy land sits in the heart of he conflict. it takes the conflict back to square one when the PLO o the 50s and 60 did the same. Hamas is a divided organization and can't make a decision for a breakthrough of he current deadlock. And as for the prisoner's document members of Hamas have now second thought about it.
Daoud Kuttab: I just think Israelis spend more time and give more weight to words than even those Palestinians who write them. I prefer to judge people by their actions., When Hamas declared a unilateral cease fire for 18 months they were up to their words
Hyattsville, MD: I've heard the argument that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are all about "security for Israel", and I have to say, this makes absolutely no sense to me. Can anyone explain how planting Israeli settlements on Palestinian land contributes to anyone's "security"? (I've been to some of these settlements and they are mostly just weekend homes, if anyone ever goes there at all except for the ubiquitous Israeli military.) Isn't this just about Israeli expansionism? Why should Americans be taxed to pay for this, anyway?
Daoud Kuttab: security happens when people make peace with their neighbours, Mr. Sharon and now Olmert have finally realised that the settlements are a burden to the Isreali army but this doesn't mean that they were ever legal
Seattle, WA: Given the grotesque events that the world has witnessed with kidnappings over the past several years (beheadings, mutilated bodies dragged through the street, etc.), can anyone really argue with the idea that a kidnapping used as a terrorist tactic really is an act of war, and that a blistering response in order to force the freeing of the captive is perfectly justified? It is high time that such kidnapping tactics be stopped in their tracks.
Daoud Kuttab: absolutely not. This is the kind of statements that make me angry and gives the impression that there is only military solutions to the conflicts of the world including in Palestine. The GENEVA CONVENTIONS were drawn up exactly to prevent this problem of armies taking excessive power against civilians to punish or revenge acts by individuals or certain groups
Yossi Melman: Sure. Kidnapping is a crime according to all international laws and conventions. I agree on this one with Daoud.
Washington, DC: At the start of both Israeli military operations (in Gaza and Lebanon), they bombed bridges and powerplants. Bridges serve a clear military purpose by limiting transit. What military purpose does blowing up power plants serve? Is it not designed to intimidate and harass the civilian population? Thanks.
Daoud Kuttab: interesting anecdote. The power plant was privately built and owned and was insured by a special US government insurance that is to cover acts of war and terror. So the US tax payers will be repaying mr. said khoury the owner of this plan $58 million dollars.
another anecdote, Palestinians in Ramallah have begun a campaign to collect candles and send them via red cross to Gaza
Yossi Melman: It was wrong to bomb he power plant and frankly was an expression showing the frustration of the Israeli government when it was faced with the news about the Hamas attack and kidnapping of the soldier. I am against collective punishment.
Lyon, France: Is it right to say the Israeli withdrawal from gaza was a mistake? Had Israel stayed, one soldier would not have been kidnapped and three others would still be alive.
Daoud Kuttab: It was wrong because it was unilateral and not part of an agreement. But when you leave an occupied area and keep its citizens as hostage whether in real prisons as in the 10,000 or in large prisons as in the status of the palestinians in gaza who are besieged and unable to get money to pay civil servants, then that is wrong
Yossi Melman: Isn't is a bit strange to hear a Palestinian thinker saying that an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was wrong. After all this has been the strongest Palestinian argument for nearly 40 years. I said already before that occupation is bad for Israeli society not only for the occupied Palestinians. It would have been better if the withdrawal would have been coordinated with he Palestinian authorities but still its better to withdraw than not. Israel can defend itself by its army without Jewish settlements sitting like a thorn in the midst of Palestinian communities.
Arlington, VA: Submitting early because of a meeting.
It appears that Khaled Mashaal, who resides in Syria, and not the elected leaders of Hamas, is calling the shots concerning the captured Israeli soldier. Who is Mashaal and why is he more powerful than the leadership elected by the Palestinian people?
Daoud Kuttab: It is not clear that he is calling all the shots, he is the head of the political bureau of Hamas (remember natenyahu tried to poison him in amman but king hussein forced the Israelis to give the anti dote and to release sheikh ahmad yasin.
Yossi Melman: He is indeed calling the shouts. And this is exactly the problem. Hamas' unclear and divided position is a kind of deja vu. It takes us back to 40 years to the stupid game played by the PLO we do accept Israel we don't.
Cambridge, MA: Mr. Kuttab and Mr. Melman,
If the Palestinians met Israel's demands to release Shalit and stop firing rockets, would that lead Israel to end its operations in Gaza? Conversely, if Israel met the Palestinians' demands to release a large number (1000?) of prisoners, would that lead the Palestinians to end rocket attacks on Israel?
Daoud Kuttab: The rocket attacks actually could be stopped immediately if the Israelis accept the offer of the Palestinian Prime minister who offered a cease fire by both sides
Montvale, NJ: How much pressure will Israel place on Syria in this crisis? They give sanctuary to Mashaal, the Hamas leader believed responsible for the kidnapping of Shalit in Gaza, and they're long time supporters of Hezbollah who is responsible for the kidnapping of the 2 soldiers today. Shouldn't military pressure be applied to Syria since they have the most leverage over these groups?
Daoud Kuttab: I am surprised about how people continue to believe that everything can be resolved militarily. Israel is holding Palestinian, Lebanese and other Arab prisoners. More killings and invasions will not bring soldiers back. even Israelis know that, the problem now is pride. Israeli army hates to lose or appear weak and they want to always reestablish what they call deterrence. As the father of Shalit said, I don't want deterrence made on the account of my son. One more issue, the Israelis insist that negotiations will lead to more kidnappings. Well the case in Lebanon shows that even without negotiations kidnapping might and do occur. The key is in admitting that prisoners Israeli is holding are as dear to their loved ones and the Israeli prisoners held by Arabs
Saint Paul, MN: With the current escalation of violence on both sides, what are the chances that Hamas and Olmert can restore a cease-fire? Is this escalation a response to Olmert taking over the reins? What response should the current Administration be supplying to that end?
Yossi Melman: Interesting question. Yes it is still possible that Hamas and Olmert will sit and talk. this should be a desirable target. I agree that the Hamas attack on Israel is also attest and a challenge to see how the newly elected Premier is responding, whether he is a strong an determined leader like A. Sharon or a weak one.
Philadelphia, PA: Why was GAZA not returned to Egypt when the 1979 peace treaty was signed? Didn't Egypt control that area from 1948 - 1967? Is it that Israel saw value in maintaining control or did Egypt refuse to take control?
Yossi Melman: Because Egypt didn't want it back
Potomac, MD: Iran is recognized as the world's most active state
sponsor of terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran
donates about 200 million dollars every year to
Islamic Jihad, HAMAS, Hezbollah, and insurgent groups
in Iraq. Just today Hezbollah militants captured two
Israeli soldiers. This isn't the first time this has
happened. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has consistently said
he wants Israel wiped off the map and he will try and
use these groups (Hamas and others) to accomplish his goal. What is your take on this dilemma?
Yossi Melman: Yes. Iran is causing a lot of problems to the stability of the region and to the world peace. It would have been better for the Palestinians themselves not to rely on Iran.
Rockville, Maryland: Your discussion sees quite reasoned and positive. Many who comment in the USA (and Europe) are angry and unforgiving. Will it be better to let local negotiators settle the problems and keep the foreigners out?
Daoud Kuttab: Easier said than done, ours is a conflict that was born in the world community whether you begin with the mcmahoun letters and balfour declaration (both from Britain both promising Palestine to opposite sides) through the general assembly's birth certificate to Israel to the billions of dollars in military and civilian aid. the international community has a responsibility and they need to be involved to stop this madness
Munich, Germany: I've never been part of a joint Israeli-Palestinian online session. I think that it's a great idea to air ideas.
That said, how do you gentlemen envision a way forward under the present circumstances? Do the short-term and long-term goals of the two sides of the conflict vary so widely that a consensus is unlikely?
Yossi Melman: Thanks. Had it been between me and Daoud I believe the conflict would have been resolved many many years ago. My recipe is:
Hamas has to recognize Israel. A negotiation must start between the two sides. A cease fire, a complete one has to be called. Israel should release Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has to release Gilad Shalit our kidnapped soldier.
The international community USA included of course should sponsor and intervene in the discussion which must be aiming at the creation of two states living in peace side by side with a free movement of people and good.
Yossi Melman: I wish I can be optimistic but I'm afraid the current circumstances lead me to estimate that we will see more bloodshed from both sides and only in the not very soon future the two sides after exhausting themselves will decide to talk to each other along the lines which all of us know are the only ones which can bring peace and stability to his bleeding region. So I wonder why not now if the magical solution is not that magical and is known to all of us?
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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India Searches for Answers in Debris of Blasts
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BOMBAY, July 12 -- In the house of B.P. Keshriwal on Tuesday evening, the TV set suddenly began to display images of twisted metal and bloodied bodies. Keshriwal watched anxiously. "For a long time it did not sink in," he recalled. "It was so terrible."
Then, as he began to grasp the enormity of what had happened -- coordinated bomb blasts tearing apart rush-hour commuter trains along a single rail corridor -- he had a very troubling thought: His nephew, Vasant Torka, usually rode that line home, right at this time.
He dialed Torka's cellphone. No response. "We couldn't get through . . . and we felt such enormous panic," the elegantly dressed man said Wednesday, twisting a large diamond ring around his finger.
For the next two hours, with television announcing an ever-rising death toll, Keshriwal, 64, rushed to and from seven different hospitals. But at each there was no sign of his nephew, whose wife and two young children waited anxiously at home.
Finally, in the emergency room of a private hospital, crowded with police and fast-working doctors, he found Torka -- alive.
The 48-year-old was being treated for serious head injuries, a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs that ruptured his lungs. He had been making his regular ride home when the fourth of the seven bombs exploded in a first-class train compartment near the suburb of Mahim.
All over this city of 16 million people, families like these gathered outside hospital emergency rooms Wednesday, a day after the explosions. Some grieved as they claimed the bodies of loved ones; others rejoiced as they located missing members of their families.
Authorities on Wednesday raised the death toll to 183, with more than 700 people wounded. But by midday the city, India's financial and commercial capital, was fast returning to normal. Trains were running again on the stricken line and were almost as crowded as before the bombings.
Police said they were investigating whether the radical Pakistan-based Islamic group Lashkar-e-Taiba, blamed for other terrorist bombings in India, played a role in the attacks. But officials said that they had nothing conclusive. The group has been banned by the Pakistani government, but many analysts say it continues to operate under different names.
"We have some clues and an investigation is underway," said P.S. Pasricha, director general of police of Maharashtra state. Bombay, also known as Mumbai, is the state capital.
In New Delhi, Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna repeated an Indian demand that Pakistan crack down on Islamic radicals. "We would urge Pakistan to take urgent steps to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on the territory under its control and act resolutely against individuals and groups who are responsible for terrorists' violence," Sarna said.
He was responding to comments by Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri in Washington on Tuesday that solving the two countries' dispute over the divided region of Kashmir was the best way of tackling extremism in South Asia.
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BOMBAY, July 12 -- In the house of B.P. Keshriwal on Tuesday evening, the TV set suddenly began to display images of twisted metal and bloodied bodies. Keshriwal watched anxiously. "For a long time it did not sink in," he recalled. "It was so terrible."
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Council Approves Sale to Developer
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The D.C. Council approved a plan yesterday to sell a portion of city land for a new baseball stadium to a private developer who has promised to build a mix of parking garages, shops, condos and a hotel.
At its final meeting before summer recess, the council approved the resolution without debate, giving a rare easy stadium victory to Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D). The mayor has said that the mixed-use development will help create a vibrant entertainment district near the ballpark, reaping significant tax revenue that the city can put toward other needs.
"We're really pleased that we got such a strong endorsement," said Vince Morris, spokesman for Williams. "We're moving ahead with it. It's good for the city and the team."
But the plan has been criticized by representatives of Theodore N. Lerner, incoming owner of the Washington Nationals. They have said that the project could delay the stadium's planned opening in Southeast Washington in April 2008.
D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi echoed those concerns in testimony before the council last week. Lerner representatives and Gandhi's office declined to comment yesterday.
In a statement last week, incoming team president Stan Kasten said: "There are neither firm developer or financing commitments, nor feasibility studies. The plan does not even guarantee the city cash payment of the full value of the development rights. . . . We do not think the city should support such a speculative development."
Under the city's plan, the land abutting the stadium to the north along South Capitol Street and N Street SE will be transferred to developer Herb Miller, president of Western Development, for $61 million.
Miller has proposed building 925 parking spots in two parking structures that go one level underground and four stories aboveground. The garages would be surrounded by retail shops on the first floor and condominiums that would make the total height of the structure 13 stories. A hotel, possibly in the Aloft chain, franchised by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., would be added near N and First streets.
An additional 300 parking spaces, built separately by contractors working for the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, would be located at the southern end of the stadium site.
Williams said the development done by Miller -- who developed Potomac Mills Mall and Gallery Place near Verizon Center -- will help the city capitalize on the $611 million in public money that is financing the stadium project. Morris dismissed the criticism from the Lerner group yesterday.
"Herb Miller has a great track record in Washington," Morris said. "One of the reasons the mayor feels confident is that the mayor has been to developments Herb has done, and he's always come through. The pressure is on his shoulders to get it done, but it's not a stretch to see, because he's a very accomplished developer."
District government officials said Miller must break ground by September to complete the garages and portions of the development in time for the Nationals' opening day in 2008.
The rest of the development could take an additional year, but construction would not take place on game days, and the unfinished portion of the structures would be shrouded by curtain walls, Miller said.
Miller, who has said that the California Public Employees' Retirement System will finance the $300 million tab for the complex, said yesterday that he is "finalizing paperwork" on his financing plan.
He added that he intends to produce the first $5 million or $6 million in September to start excavation of the land, and the bulk of the financing would come by Dec. 1.
"They have legitimate concerns that we have to answer," Miller said of the Lerner group. "Do we have the money? Can we get it done on time? Will they have enough parking? The answer is yes to all of those. They are business people and want to see reality out of a plan. We can satisfy that."
The Lerners had lobbied the city to adopt a backup plan that would call for two above-ground parking structures, without additional development. But the city's Zoning Commission rejected that idea.
Now, government officials said, a new backup plan would be to pave over some of the land to create temporary surface-level parking that would give Miller more time to finish, if necessary.
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The D.C. Council approved a plan yesterday to sell a portion of city land for a new baseball stadium to a private developer who has promised to build a mix of parking garages, shops, condos and a hotel.
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Balducci's Reconsiders Store in Penn Quarter
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The gourmet grocer Balducci's is once again thinking about opening a store in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Northwest Washington after city officials agreed to increase financial incentives for the deal and area residents prodded the company with e-mails.
Co-chief executive Peter Krieger said the chain expects to make a final decision within two months. The store had been slated to open this summer near Verizon Center. But company executives backed out in April, saying they wanted to concentrate on existing stores rather than open new ones.
"We are reinvestigating the project," Krieger said. "The demographics of that area are potentially in line with what Balducci's customers represent."
The District is also sweetening the deal. The city originally offered to waive the store's real estate taxes for 10 years and the sales taxes on its construction materials, said James Duncan, regional vice president of JPI, the Texas-based developer handling the project. That offer still stands, and District officials said they were negotiating additional incentives, though they declined to give specifics.
Downtown Washington has seen a residential boom in recent years, particularly in the bustling Penn Quarter area. Yet grocery stores remain scarce. There is a Giant Food on Eighth Street NW between O and P streets and a new Safeway planned for Fifth and K streets NW, but residents say those locations are difficult to reach without driving.
Duncan said a traditional supermarket would not fit into Balducci's proposed 21,000-square-foot location on Seventh Street NW between D and E. Instead, he sought an upscale grocer to cater to the area's well-off residents.
Susan Linsky, a special assistant to the deputy mayor for economic development, said several other national grocery chains are interested in the space. If the Balducci's deal falls through again, she said, the city hopes to have a new deal completed by spring. Balducci's still holds the lease for the site.
"There's too many people who moved downtown who thought there would be a grocer there," she said.
Meanwhile, residents have waged their own Save Balducci's campaign and flooded the chain with e-mails, said Jo-Ann Neuhaus, executive director of the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association, who helped lead the effort. She called the market one of the "missing pieces" of the area.
Duncan said he was shocked when the grocer pulled out of the deal three months ago. He met with Balducci's executives again last month but was hesitant to predict any future moves.
"While we would certainly welcome them back . . . you just can't guess which way they're going to go," he said.
Balducci's is owned by Bear Stearns Merchant Banking, which in 2004 bought the chain, part of the Sutton Place Group, for $50 million. It operates four stores in the Washington area.
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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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Jeffries Still Weighing His Free Agency Options
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NBA free agents can sign contracts today, but it appears that restricted free agent Jared Jeffries is not on the verge of inking a new deal, either with the Washington Wizards or another team.
The four-year veteran, who swung between the guard and forward positions last season, has received interest from a handful of teams, but is still weighing his options, according to his agent, Andy Miller.
Also, the league announced yesterday that the salary cap for next season will be $53.135 million.
Should Jeffries sign an offer sheet with another team, the Wizards would have seven days to match. President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld and Coach Eddie Jordan have said they would like to retain Jeffries, who averaged 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 77 games last season while typically defending the opponent's best offensive player.
Jeffries could play next season under the one-year qualifying offer extended to him by the Wizards (around $2.8 million) and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
A league source refuted a rumor floated in Tuesday's Racine (Wis.) Journal-Times that said the Wizards were open to trading Jeffries or guard Antonio Daniels to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Jamaal Magloire. Milwaukee General Manager Larry Harris has said he has no interest in a deal that would send Magloire to Washington for center Etan Thomas.
In the summer of 2004, Harris signed Thomas to a six-year, $38 million offer sheet that was matched by the Wizards. The Bucks are looking to trade Magloire, who is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $8.3 million this season, in order to create a larger role for last year's No. 1 overall pick, Andrew Bogut.
Meantime, guard Gilbert Arenas touched on several subjects, including his team's offseason plans, yesterday at Verizon Center. Arenas has been preparing for the upcoming training camp with the U.S. men's national team in Las Vegas.
Wizards forward Antawn Jamison will also be among 23 candidates trying out for the national team, which will compete in the world championships later this summer and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"Everyone in the Eastern Conference is getting better and we need to, too," Arenas said. "Teams are getting older and we're one of those young teams trying to pick up a few spots. I think we're going to."
Arenas also addressed concerns that he may consider leaving Washington when his contract expires following the 2008-09 season if the team hasn't moved closer to being a championship contender.
"This is where I want to be, truthfully," he said. "I just don't want to see myself in a position like Allen Iverson or Kevin Garnett where you're making so much money, they can't bring anyone else in. I don't want to be in that position. I want to be in a position like Dwyane Wade where I can win a championship."
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Wizards forward Jared Jeffries, a restricted free agent, does not appear ready to sign a contract on the first day of free agency Wednesday.
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A Matter Of Value Instead Of Profit
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As the WNBA prepares to play its All-Star Game tonight, the biggest accomplishment the 10-year-old league can celebrate is that it's still around -- thanks largely to its financial angel and chief advocate, the NBA.
Average WNBA attendance is down from the league's first season in 1997, television ratings are sluggish and most of its 14 teams still lose money, requiring annual infusions of $12 million or so from the NBA.
While NBA Commissioner David Stern says the league is on track to turn a small profit next year, he also emphasizes that the WNBA's value as an ambassador that draws new fans -- especially women -- to the sport is worth the financial losses it has incurred over its first decade.
"We have a good strategic reason to support the WNBA, which is the growth of viewership and fans for basketball," Stern said.
Stern points to the recent NBA playoffs, which had a double-digit increase in the number of women ages 18 to 34 who watched on television compared with last year.
And Stern lists other reasons for the WNBA to exist: "There's compelling logic . . . to have 20 dates [in an NBA arena] in the summertime, to have additional programming for your regional sports network and to have goodwill ambassadors in the community promoting the sport of basketball among boys and girls and fans of all ages."
Sports industry experts said the league likely will always be an adjunct to the NBA, and although recent television ratings are abysmal, its potential warrants modest expectations.
"They simply cannot attract the eyeballs to watch the games on television," said Marc S. Ganis, president of SportsCorp Ltd., a Chicago-based sports marketing firm.
The league's 13 games on ESPN2 last summer averaged an anemic 0.26 rating. While its games on national network ABC were higher at 0.7, the WNBA has a long way to go as a credible television draw. The league is hoping a spike in its 2005 playoffs augers well for this season and the potential for bigger television contracts in the future.
The WNBA's television ratings are higher than the National Hockey League's cable ratings and Major League Soccer's TV audience. WNBA games in 2005 had broad coverage if not audiences, airing throughout the world in 31 languages with 68 TV partners.
Professional sports teams cannot thrive without hefty television contracts that bring big sponsors and national buzz. Ticket sales and local sponsorship can help cover the team's expenses, but the path to real profitability lies in the multimillion-dollar television rights deals, which the WNBA does not enjoy.
"If you think this is going to be the NBA or get men's college basketball ratings or baseball ratings, that's not going to happen," said Len DeLuca, senior vice president for programming and acquisitions at ESPN, which along with parent ABC carries some WNBA games. "But it's a good niche and it has to be done at a realistic scale."
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Although most WNBA are losing money, the league's value as an ambassador that draws new fans to the sport is worth the financial losses it has incurred over its first decade.
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United's Friendly vs. Celtic Is Born of Respect, Passion
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D.C. United's preparation for tonight's meeting with Celtic FC began eight months ago, on a chilly November night in Scotland, when three United regulars ventured into Glasgow's East End to experience one of the best rivalries in the world.
Brian Carroll, Santino Quaranta and Ben Olsen were traveling with the U.S. national team when they joined several coaches and teammates as spectators at a Scottish League Cup game between Celtic and Rangers. U.S. teammate Claudio Reyna, who has played for Rangers, left his American friends to sit with the segregated section of visiting Rangers fans and avoid any possibility of trouble. Carroll found himself mobbed by Celtic supporters after the team scored. "They just thought that I was a Celtic fan and kept jumping all over me," he said.
Another U.S. teammate, DaMarcus Beasley, befriended several particularly enthusiastic fans and attempted to join in on the songs. Quaranta saved his ticket from the event; he said he'll keep it for the rest of his life.
"That game was something I've never seen before," Quaranta said. "It was absolutely insane."
The atmosphere tonight promises a few differences. Celtic Park is widely known as "Paradise"; RFK Stadium has been called many things, but "Paradise" is not on that list. Celtic defender Adam Virgo told the club's Web site he hoped the weather would be "perfect" this week; mid-July in Washington has been called many things, but "perfect" is not on that list.
But tonight offers yet another chance for United to burnish its reputation against a storied European club. United has a 14-5-3 record in such international friendlies and was competitive last summer in a 2-1 loss to England's Chelsea at FedEx Field. And players have expressed their enthusiasm for the game, with defender Bobby Boswell lobbying to play "90-plus" minutes despite a nagging knee injury.
"It's a test for us, to see where we stand," he said. "You know, that's where we want to be. We want to be playing the best of the best."
United Coach Peter Nowak said much the same, pointing out that a competitive performance is necessary both to continue to lure European clubs to the District and to maintain the form that has led to United's 12-game unbeaten streak.
"Of course the result matters," he said. "It's a very important game to our franchise, and we have to treat this game with a lot of respect."
Still, the lineup United trots out tonight will have some notable absences. Goalkeeper Troy Perkins, who leads Major League Soccer in goals against average, is likely to receive his first breather of the season, clearing the way for former starter Nick Rimando. Leading scorer Jaime Moreno has been in Los Angeles for the ESPY Awards and won't play tonight. Nowak said he hopes to use virtually the entire 27-player roster.
Celtic, which is on its second international trip of the preseason, will also experiment. The team signed five players and lost several stars during a busy offseason. Its World Cup contingent-- goalkeeper Artur Boruc and forward Maciej Zurawski of Poland and midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura of Japan -- were not expected to make the trip to America.
But the club's famously loyal fans in the stands tonight will probably number in the thousands. The Washington D.C. Celtic Supporters Club -- one of at least 77 in North America -- was scheduled to kick off its pregame festivities last night, and fans will begin congregating in Capitol Hill bars at noon.
They will be joined by Celtic supporters from Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Canada, according to Callum Murray, president of the D.C. group. And several United players said they share that excitement.
"It's Celtic," forward Alecko Eskandarian said by way of explanation. "For me personally, just being a huge soccer fan, it's going to be an absolute honor to play against them and see what I can do against one of the top clubs in the world."
United Notes: Forward Jamil Walker, who traveled to Glasgow for a tryout with Celtic in 2004, said he will return from a pelvic injury tonight. . . .
Former U-Mass. forward Yuri Morales, who played most recently in Denmark, is auditioning with United this week.
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Wednesday's friendly against Celtic FC gives United the chance to burnish its reputation against a storied European club.
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House Passes Bill to Restrict Internet Poker
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The House easily approved a bill yesterday to curb online poker games, sports betting and other Internet-based wagering that gained infamy as a central focus of a major lobbying scandal.
The 317-to-93 vote came nearly six years to the day after a similar measure went down to surprise defeat. At the time, unknown to its conservative supporters, the bill was derailed by lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the office of then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, on behalf of the disgraced lobbyist's gambling clients.
"This is the opportunity to expunge a smear on this House done by many lobbyists," Abramoff included, said Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte (R-Va.), one of the legislation's chief sponsors. "Now is the time to set the record straight."
The bill that was passed yesterday seeks to restrain the booming but difficult-to-regulate Internet gambling business. Proponents of the crackdown said the industry, which is mostly based overseas, provides a front for money laundering, some of it by drug sellers and terrorist groups, while preying on children and gambling addicts. Americans bet an estimated $6 billion per year online, accounting for half the worldwide market, according to analysis by the Congressional Research Service.
Critics said the bill overreaches and would be difficult to enforce. At its heart are two provisions. One would update the 1961 Wire Act, which bars gambling entities from using wire-based communications for transmitting bets, to include the Internet. The other aims at cutting off the money flow from players to Internet gambling sites by barring the use of electronic payments, such as credit-card transactions.
The biggest losers could be the estimated 23 million Americans who play poker over the Internet. "This bill would needlessly make outlaws of the millions of adult Americans who enjoy online poker, and is the latest example of how our representatives in Congress are ignoring real issues facing our country," warned the grass-roots Poker Players Alliance, in an alert to its more than 25,000 members.
The alliance urged Congress to regulate and tax online poker, rather than effectively ban it, as the House bill would. An economic analysis by the group showed that the federal tax revenue could reach $3.3 billion annually, while states could collect $1 billion more. "We hope that this analysis will give a fresh perspective for U.S. senators about the benefits of regulation," said Michael Bolcerek, president of the alliance.
Some Senate Republicans, in particular Jon Kyl of Arizona, have promoted similar measures and may revive their efforts now that the House has acted. The bill carves out exemptions for horse and dog racing, online lotteries and other games, including fantasy sports leagues, that are legal within state boundaries.
Abramoff's efforts in 2000 to kill the House bill have been under scrutiny in the federal government's ongoing corruption investigation. In March this year, Tony C. Rudy, a former senior DeLay aide, pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracy. Rudy admitted to helping Abramoff scuttle the bill as part of a series of acts he performed in exchange for a stream of gifts, including luxury trips, golf fees, restaurant meals, entertainment, use of sports arena skyboxes and cash payments to his wife's political consulting firm.
Among other things, Rudy e-mailed Abramoff internal congressional communications and advice helpful to defeating the legislation, The Washington Post reported last year. Months later, Rudy was hired as a lobbyist by Abramoff.
DeLay, who ranked third in the Republican House leadership at the time, voted against the bill, saying that it had unacceptable loopholes to placate regional lawmakers, such as exemptions for horse racing. Two months before he voted against the bill, DeLay, his wife, two aides and two lobbyists took a lavish $70,000 golf trip to Scotland, paid for by Abramoff clients who opposed the bill. DeLay denies any connection between the trip and the vote.
An Abramoff ally in the earlier fight, the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition, has appeared on Capitol Hill this year to again oppose the bill. In 2000, gambling opponents such as Sheldon and Ralph Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition, were enlisted as part of Abramoff's $2 million pro-gambling campaign.
Sheldon said last year that he could not remember receiving money from Abramoff's client and that he was unaware that Abramoff was involved in the campaign to defeat the bill. A spokesman for Reed, now a candidate for lieutenant governor of Georgia, said that he and his associates were unaware that any money they received had come from gambling activities.
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The House easily approved a bill yesterday to curb online poker games, sports betting and other Internet-based wagering that gained infamy as a central focus of a major lobbying scandal.
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In Wisconsin, Bush Touts a Candidate -- and His Own Tax Cuts
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MILWAUKEE, July 11 -- President Bush headlined a $1,000-a-plate dinner for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green on Tuesday night, in the hope of giving a boost to the four-term congressman locked in a tight race against Gov. Jim Doyle (D).
Bush, wagering that his fundraising prowess among the GOP faithful will outweigh his unpopularity among Wisconsin's voters, endorsed Green and offered a spirited defense of his positions on issues including education, tax cuts and the war in Iraq.
Bush described Green, a strong supporter, as a kindred spirit.
"I know a little something about being a governor and a chief executive officer of government," Bush said. "You need someone who knows how to set an agenda. You need someone who knows how to achieve an agenda. You need someone who gets results without worrying about public opinion polls."
Although Doyle has been perceived as one of the most vulnerable Democratic governors, a recent poll of voters by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center showed him leading Green, 49 percent to 36 percent. Even so, the race is considered up for grabs because of the softness of support on both sides and the large number of undecided voters.
The same poll found Bush's approval rating in the state at 37 percent. The president narrowly lost Wisconsin in 2000 and 2004.
Before coming to the fundraiser, Bush toured the Port Washington, Wis., plant of the Allen-Edmonds Shoe Corp., a family-owned company that he said has remained competitive and has prospered in part because of his tax-cutting policies. Company officials gave Bush a pair of red, white and blue wingtips, which he briefly donned during the tour.
Bush said at the dinner that as governor, Green would pursue similar economic policies.
"We need a governor who will cut taxes in Wisconsin," Bush said. "Mark Green is that governor."
Bush also repeated his call for medical liability reform, a proposal of his that has been stuck in Congress. At the fundraiser, though, it was a popular topic.
"The current climate has made it very difficult for us to practice in this state," said Sridhar Vasudevan, a member of the Wisconsin Medical Society. "Many physicians are leaving Wisconsin, when it used to be a magnet for physicians."
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Full coverage of the White House and Bush administration from The Washington Post and washingtonpost.com, including a guide to the members of President George W. Bush's Cabinet.
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Putin Critics Convene as G-8 Nears
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MOSCOW, July 11 -- A coalition of opposition figures from across the political spectrum gathered at a Moscow hotel Tuesday to lambaste President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin warned foreign diplomats not to attend the event -- a caution that was ignored.
The "Other Russia" conference was held before this weekend's summit of leaders of the major Western industrial powers and Russia in St. Petersburg.
"What we want is leaders to stop treating Putin like he's a democrat," said Garry Kasparov, the former chess master and one of the organizers of the meeting.
Participants said they hoped to spotlight what they described as the growing authoritarianism of the Kremlin and official intolerance for any kind of dissent. But they doubted that anyone in the West would act on their concerns.
"I think the mere fact that the meeting is being held is already a result, but I don't expect anything more," said Sergey Kovalev, a longtime dissident who was freed from a Soviet prison by then-President Mikhail Gorbachev and became a member of parliament in the 1990s. "I don't think the conference will change the attitude of Western leaders because they are bought and sold even easier than Eastern leaders."
In the run-up to the meeting, one of Putin's key aides, Igor Shuvalov, told the Financial Times Deutschland, "If high officials take part, we will view this as an unfriendly gesture."
Daniel Fried, U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, attended the meeting, as did ambassadors from Canada and Britain.
"Let's put it this way: If Russian officials attended a summit organized by the Democrats . . . the American opposition, we wouldn't regard it as anything other than doing their job," Fried told the Associated Press.
When British Ambassador Tony Brenton addressed the conference, his speech was interrupted by a man shouting "Glory to the Empire!" The man was hustled out of the meeting and pummeled by young activists from the National Bolshevik Party, a radical nationalist group that the Kremlin labels fascist. The presence of the party led some opposition politicians and human rights activists to boycott the meeting. The conference was partly underwritten by the National Endowment for Democracy, a private, federally funded organization that promotes democracy world-wide.
"Our main hope is that it will help promote Russian civil society," said Carl Gershman, the endowment's president.
Asked about the controversial presence of National Bolsheviks leader Eduard Limonov, Gershman said, "The overwhelming majority of people here are people with long-standing democratic credentials and if they can be here, that's the best guideline I can follow."
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MOSCOW, July 11 -- A coalition of opposition figures from across the political spectrum gathered at a Moscow hotel Tuesday to lambaste President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin warned foreign diplomats not to attend the event -- a caution that was ignored.
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Bomb Attacks in Bombay Kill at Least 142
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NEW DELHI, July 11 -- At least seven powerful bombs detonated in commuter trains and stations during the Tuesday evening rush hour in Bombay, India's commercial capital, killing at least 142 people and wounding close to 350. Authorities called the explosions a coordinated terror attack.
In pouring monsoon rain, rescue workers helped dazed and bleeding survivors from rail cars that were left mangled by the quick succession of blasts, television images showed. Luggage and other debris littered the platforms; doors were blown off.
VIDEO | Seven Blasts Hit Bombay Trains
There was no immediate assertion of responsibility for the attacks, which appeared to focus on first-class carriages. Authorities have blamed previous terrorist strikes in Bombay on indigenous Muslim groups motivated by sectarian hatred.
"This is a painful incident. I see this as a part of a larger conspiracy," Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, said on New Delhi Television channel. "The blasts occurred between 6 and 6:30 p.m. when the local trains are running at their busiest." Bombay, also called Mumbai, is the capital of Maharashtra.
The city's commuter rail system is one of the most heavily patronized in the world, carrying about 6 million people a day. The explosions, all along a single rail corridor in a western sector of the port city, caught passengers at very close quarters.
"It was a deafening sound and before anybody could realize anything the roof of the train was ripped apart," Mukund Thakur, who was traveling to the northern suburb of Andheri, told the Reuters news agency. "People were thrown outside. I saw limbs strewn around me."
Santosh Patil, a railway laborer, told the agency that "we collected scattered limbs with our own hands and put them in bundles and sent them to hospital." He was interviewed carrying a mangled body on a stretcher into a hospital.
The blasts came hours after a series of grenade attacks killed five Indian tourists and injured more than 30 other people in Srinagar, capital of the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. Muslim insurgents have been fighting Indian authority there, seeking union with Pakistan, a Muslim-majority country.
India's rail systems and airports were put on high alert after the explosions in Bombay. Phone lines to Bombay from New Delhi, the Indian capital, were jammed.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called an emergency meeting Tuesday with his national security advisers to discuss the attacks.
"The series of blasts in Mumbai and in Kashmir are a shocking and cowardly attempt to spread fear and terror among all citizens. I condemn these shameful acts and I reiterate our commitment to fighting terror in all its forms," the prime minister said in a statement read by Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
Patil said that any possible links between the two attacks would be investigated.
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NEW DELHI, July 11 -- At least seven powerful bombs detonated in commuter trains and stations during the Tuesday evening rush hour in Bombay, India's commercial capital, killing at least 142 people and wounding close to 350. Authorities called the explosions a coordinated terror attack.
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IRS Building May Take Months to Reopen
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The Internal Revenue Service headquarters will remain at least partially closed until January while department officials attempt to repair tens of millions of dollars in damage wrought by last month's storms, the IRS announced yesterday.
The full extent of the damage to the building at 1111 Constitution Ave. NW is still being assessed, said John Dalrymple, IRS deputy commissioner for operations support. Three million gallons of water flooded parts of the building's basement and sub-basement during the deluge, ruining air-conditioning equipment and much of the electrical system as well as furniture, flooring and walls.
The main reason it is taking so long to get the building functioning again is that replacement equipment has to be ordered, said Bart Bush, an administrator with the public buildings division of the General Services Administration.
About 2,400 IRS employees usually work in the building, including top officials such as IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson, tax attorneys, law enforcement agents and administrative staff. The headquarters does not process tax claims.
"Taxpayers should not feel this transition at all," Dalrymple said. "I don't have any indication that any of our operational activities should be impacted. All audits, all collection activities, all tax processes should go on as normal."
All IRS employees whose work is considered critical returned to work by the end of last week, Dalrymple said, and all headquarters employees should be working within the next few days. More than 800 will work out of leased offices at Crystal Plaza in Arlington, while others will report to the IRS's 12 satellite offices in the D.C. region. Many employees have been working from home since the June 25 storm, and some will continue to do so until they are allowed back into the Constitution Avenue building.
"Clearly, we had people who were out of the office for a week or two weeks or three weeks, but the critical work was identified," Dalrymple said. "Our continuity of operations plans worked quite well."
Employees said the transition proceeded relatively smoothly, although some have faced communication difficulties stemming from having people from one division scattered among different offices.
Most people cannot access their IRS e-mail accounts from home, and employees cannot work from home on projects governed by confidentiality rules stipulating that they be viewed only from secure computers in an IRS office. Many employees working from home were issued IRS computers that contain taxpayers' personal information in encrypted form.
Dalrymple said that the department's headquarters housed only limited computer equipment, all of which was recovered within the first day after the building flooded. Important IRS file storage backup drives have been moved to its New Carrollton office, he said.
As heavy rains began last month, deep wells called moats that make the building's windows inaccessible from the sidewalk filled with water. Water pressure broke windows on the building's lower floors, and more water poured in through the entrance from the building's parking garage. Initial assessments indicated that repairs to the building would take a month or less, but water pumps were unable to clear standing water before it caused extensive damage, Bush said.
Bush added that the estimated repair cost could change significantly as officials continue to assess the damage. If some equipment can be repaired rather than replaced, employees could return to the building much sooner than January, officials said.
Once the assessment is finished and repair work begins, staff members are expected to move back into the building in waves over the next several months.
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Get Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia news. Includes news headlines from The Washington Post. Get info/values for Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia homes. Features schools, crime, government, traffic, lottery, religion, obituaries.
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Ballet School Founder With an Eye for Talent
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Mary Day, co-founder of the Washington School of Ballet, one of the nation's finest training grounds for classical dancers, and the grande dame of Washington ballet for six decades, died of complications from heart disease yesterday at her home in Washington. She was 96.
Her school's performances of "The Nutcracker," starting in 1961 at DAR Constitution Hall, became a Washington holiday tradition for three generations of dancers and vast audiences. She also created the internationally recognized Washington Ballet company.
Day identified and developed so much world-class talent at the ballet school that her former students dance in virtually every sizable company in the nation. Among the alumni are Kevin McKenzie, artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre; Amanda McKerrow, the first American to win a gold medal in a Moscow International Ballet Competition; and Virginia Johnson, a former principal at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Day danced, too, but her main talent was as a teacher who could spot an improperly pointed toe or overly arched spine, dismissing applicants to her company with a glance at their photographs.
"She is famous for those eyes," a 1993 Washington Post Magazine profile said. "Not because they are big and dark and planted under high, penciled-in brows. Not because she can focus them with an intensity so ferocious that former pupil Shirley MacLaine told her she 'could frighten a Cossack' with her stare. Not because they rarely offer clues as to what this most private of women is thinking. Because they have always been able to see things nobody else's could see."
She saw that Washington, her home town, could become the nursery, elementary and graduate school for the lean, long-stemmed and lively artists who, in adulthood, could wow worldwide audiences. She taught thousands over the years, not just pre-professional dancers, but also daughters of presidents, future architects and attorneys and actresses.
"We know that not all of them are going to be professional dancers," Day said. "All we ask is that they have the ability to learn."
A native of Foggy Bottom, she corralled her playmates into her first shows when she was a schoolgirl. Day began her formal ballet training at age 11. She studied in New York and Europe, but her most influential schooling came from former Anna Pavlova company dancer Lisa Gardiner.
She taught ballet individually until 1944, when she and Gardiner began the Washington School of Ballet, instructing anyone older than 6. By partnering with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Cathedral, various chorales and even the D.C. recreation department, she plugged away at her goal of turning the provincial nation's capital into a center for arts in general and dance specifically.
Day brought world-famous dancers to the District and found ways to promote and showcase their performances, even as she built local support for her school. She became the sole director of the school in 1958, when Gardiner died.
In the early years, the lithe, dark-haired impresario would descend from her apartment above the ballet school on Wisconsin Avenue NW and dance in the dark, creating the steps that would guide her students the next day. As the daughter of a seamstress, she knew how to handle a needle and thread, and alone in her sitting room, she would put finishing touches on ballet costumes.
Nothing escaped her eagle eye, friends and colleagues said, especially regarding the "Nutcracker" performances, which became so financially successful that they supported her other enterprises.
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Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia obituaries, appreciations and death notices.
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Police Chief Declares D.C. Crime Emergency
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D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey reacted yesterday to a recent surge in homicides by declaring a "crime emergency," a move that gives him the freedom to quickly adjust officers' schedules and restrict their days off.
Thirteen people have been killed since July 1 in the District, and police are being pressured to take action by residents at community meetings and vigils to honor the dead. The victims included a popular store owner slain at closing time, a community activist killed in a park and a British citizen whose throat was slit in Georgetown.
"You can't make sense of it because it doesn't make any sense," Ramsey said of the slayings, which have occurred in all four quadrants of the city. "Thirteen people is simply unacceptable by anyone's standards. We have to do something right now."
The declaration came on the same day that Ramsey transferred a police official who was accused of making a racially insensitive remark at a community meeting Monday night in Georgetown. Ramsey temporarily reassigned Inspector Andy Solberg, who urged residents to report suspicious activity and said, "This is not a racial thing to say that black people are unusual in Georgetown."
Ramsey had declared three previous crime emergencies since becoming chief in 1998, the most recent in December after four people were killed in six hours. The declaration gives him the power to quickly shift the department's 3,800 officers to areas and times they are needed most. He can change schedules without giving officers 14 days' notice, as required under the union contract. Ramsey said he will increase patrols in hard-hit neighborhoods and put nonuniformed officers on the streets to help provide the increased coverage.
Ten men, two women and a 16-year-old youth have been killed in the city since July 1. The most recent killing occurred at 1:25 a.m. yesterday in the 3600 block of 22nd Street SE, where Laquanda Johnson, 24, was found fatally shot. A suspect was arrested about 12 hours later in Suitland.
Despite the recent uptick in violence, the number of people killed this year is the same as at this point in 2005: 94. But the number of robberies is up 14 percent, and Ramsey and other commanders are concerned that more holdups will turn deadly.
"Robbery is a very dangerous crime," Ramsey said. "You are literally one movement away from it being a homicide."
Police have linked robbery and homicide in the slaying early Sunday of Alan Senitt, 27, a British citizen who was caught by surprise while walking a friend home along a tree-lined street in Georgetown. Senitt's throat was slashed and his friend was nearly raped, police said. Four suspects are in custody -- including a woman who allegedly drove the getaway car and a 15-year-old who authorities want to prosecute as an adult. Senitt had been working in Washington with a political action committee set up for former Virginia governor Mark R. Warner (D).
Two of the suspects in Senitt's killing -- Christopher Piper, 25, and Jeffrey Rice, 22 -- had criminal records. Piper was paroled this year after a prison term for armed robbery and a drug charge. Rice was released in May after serving time for a drug offense and probation violation. Authorities said the two are suspects in at least two robberies that took place in Georgetown in the weeks before Senitt's attack.
About 400 people crowded into a church in Georgetown on Monday night to discuss the Senitt killing. Solberg, the commander of the 2nd Police District, was addressing that forum when he made his remarks about race. Senitt was white, and the suspects in the case are black.
When he made the comment, Solberg was telling the crowd to report suspicious-looking people to police when they see them in the neighborhood. He talked about the suspects in the Senitt killing and described one as a "chubby, stocky guy" and one as a 15-year-old. He said at 2 a.m. they "are going to stand out" in the area.
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Get Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia news. Includes news headlines from The Washington Post. Get info/values for Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia homes. Features schools, crime, government, traffic, lottery, religion, obituaries.
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Pinking Shears at 20 Paces
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Bravo's "Project Runway," which begins its third season tonight, has recruited the most insufferable contestant ever to appear on reality television. For a show fueled by manic fashion design challenges, the biting bons mots of judges and, most important, the bloviating histrionics of its players, this is tantalizing news.
Once again, aspiring designers are competing for a chance to present a collection during New York fashion week and win $100,000 in seed money. Malan Breton, 33, who was chosen for the show's second season but turned down the offer, has been invited back, undoubtedly because of his ability to sound condescending just uttering the word "hello."
Breton was born in Taiwan and, according to his biography, has been a professional model, done television voice-overs, danced with Paula Abdul and will direct a series of 13 short films to be released in 2008. One wonders when he manages to find time to stitch up a frock, but he says he has been designing since he was 11.
Breton dresses in formal suits and wears his dark hair slicked back. He has the sleepy eyes of Macaulay Culkin and a self-conscious accent that sounds like a mix of Madonna, Martin Bashir and the Geico gecko.
The first challenge for the 15 contestants has them ripping apart their "Project Runway" apartment in New York for materials to create the garment that best represents their aesthetic point of view. They have 15 minutes to collect as much of the sheets, curtains, mattress ticking and shredded upholstery as possible.
"I was irritated that the materials we'd have to use would be bed sheeting," Breton sneers. "I myself prefer better-quality fabrics." Here one wonders whether Breton has ever actually seen "Project Runway." As a regular viewer, he'd know he was lucky the judges weren't forcing him to make a dress out of goat cheese. For a goat.
Eager to grab the best scraps, his competitors dash into the apartment and begin feverishly collecting material.
Sniffs Breton: "It was sort of irritating to see how inappropriate people would act." Does he not realize he's on reality TV -- a parallel universe of depravity where adults will eat sour-smelling slop for fame and cash prizes? If the gods of reality and ratings are wise, Breton will have a long, irritating run on the show.
With its first season, "Project Runway" became a guilty pleasure within the fashion industry. The challenges were absurd -- make a dress from foliage! candy! the clothes off your back! But they still were fundamentally about the process of making clothes. The guest judges included a smart mix of fashion insiders, and the critiques were entertaining and pithy.
Season 3 keeps that successful formula. In the premiere, handbag designer Kate Spade sits in with judges Michael Kors and Elle fashion director Nina Garcia, as well as model and host Heidi Klum. Designer Kors spouts his usual colorful commentary, saying at one point, "She looks like she's wearing her granny's underpants!" Garcia continues to be exasperated by the participants' overworked designs. And Tim Gunn, head of the fashion department at Parsons the New School of Design, serves as consultant and consigliere for the contestants with his mantra, "Make it work."
As the show matures, the competitors arrive with more impressive résumés and more clearly defined aesthetics. No one is likely to fail utterly. The drama now resides in the interaction among the players. The number of camera-ready eccentrics has increased.
Season 1 introduced viewers to Wendy Pepper, whose shift into braying self-confidence made one cheer when another contestant surreptitiously drew graffitti on a photo of her daughter. The grade-school prank sent Pepper into a spasmodic meltdown about the desecration of her child's image when in fact it seemed like reasonable payback for her weeks of egomaniacal behavior.
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Search Washington, DC area TV schedules and reviews from the Washington Post. Features DC, Virginia and Maryland entertainment listings for television programs. Visit http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/partners/zipcode.asp?partner_id=wpc today.
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State Dept. Probes Computer Attacks
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Hackers in China broke into the State Department's computer system in Washington and overseas in search of information, passwords and other data, the department said yesterday. The bureau that deals with China and North Korea was hit particularly hard, although the system penetrated contained unclassified information, U.S. officials said.
"The department did detect anomalies in network traffic, and we feel it prudent to take measures to ensure our system's integrity," said deputy spokesman Tom Casey. "I can confirm this is not a virus. The department is continuing an investigation into the incident."
The break-in represented a "concerted effort" from hackers in East Asia to penetrate the State Department and seize data, a senior official said. But no large-scale thefts have yet been detected.
The United States is not certain whether the hackers were government or individuals, although computer traffic in China is heavily controlled and monitored by the government and can be censored. China is also a leading suspect in a computer break-ins at the Pentagon and a variety of government agencies last year.
The break-in occurred in late June, a senior U.S. official said. State Department information security staff members detected strange activity and took immediate steps to prevent the system from being further compromised, he said. Internet access throughout the department and some of its foreign bureaus was limited for at least two days, officials added.
The department did not lose a substantial amount of information as a result of the hacker break-in, an official said. "We've maintained our system's integrity, he added.
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Hackers in China broke into the State Department's computer system in Washington and overseas in search of information, passwords and other data, the department said yesterday. The bureau that deals with China and North Korea was hit particularly hard, although the system penetrated contained...
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In Colorado, a Deal On Immigration Bills
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DENVER, July 11 -- Ending a bitterly divisive special session of the legislature, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens (R) cut a deal with Democratic leaders on a package of bills to deny some state services to illegal immigrants and to punish employers who hire them.
But the compromise late Monday brought angry criticism of the governor from some of his GOP allies because it did not include a key Republican goal: a tough referendum on illegal immigration on the November ballot.
Owens had called the special session specifically to reverse a ruling last month by the state Supreme Court that removed the proposed referendum from the ballot. In the end, though, the governor agreed with Democratic leaders of the legislature to deal with the red-hot political issue through legislation rather than a ballot issue.
In passing its crackdown on illegal immigration,Colorado is following the national trend in which state legislatures are taking the initiative on an issue that used to be considered a matter for the federal government.
More than 60 bills dealing with undocumented immigrants have been approved in 27 states this year, according to a tally last week by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The states have been moved to act in large part because "we seem to have a Congress in gridlock on the issue," said Ann Morse, who tracks immigration matters for the group. "State legislators feel if they don't act, nobody will."
Congressional leaders have identified illegal immigration as a key concern in the current session, but it now appears unlikely that any bill will emerge from Congress before the November elections.
Colorado is the home of Rep. Tom Tancredo, the Republican who has become a national leader for groups that want to increase border enforcement and deport illegal immigrants. The cause has won support from conservative Republicans here and from some Democrats, including Richard D. Lamm, who served three terms as governor.
A group headed by Lamm and senior Republicans got more than 50,000 signatures this spring to put a strict measure against illegal immigration on the November ballot. But the state Supreme Court ruled that the initiative's wording did not meet legal standards.
"The Republicans really wanted a ballot referendum in November," noted Terry Snyder, a Denver political consultant who works with Democrats. "They thought that would get all the anti-immigration people out to the polls. That's why Owens called the special session in the first place."
But Democrats, with control of both houses of the legislature, said from the start that they wanted to avoid a divisive ballot proposal.
The key measure approved Monday would deny illegal immigrants unemployment checks, grants to pay energy bills, professional or business licenses, and some public medical care. An undocumented resident who applies for such benefits would face a fine.
For anyone younger than 18, the bill allows state services and services generally provided by local governments, such as soup kitchens.
Under federal law, many governmental services -- including education, police and emergency health care -- must be provided equally to all. This has been an obstacle in several state legislatures that sought this year to cut services to illegal immigrants; the Colorado bill authorizes all state services mandated by federal law.
A second law passed Monday requires employers in the state to certify that each new hire is a legal resident. Under intense lobbying from businesses, the wording was softened so that employers can be sanctioned only if they show "reckless disregard" about an employee's background.
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DENVER, July 11 -- Ending a bitterly divisive special session of the legislature, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens (R) cut a deal with Democratic leaders on a package of bills to deny some state services to illegal immigrants and to punish employers who hire them.
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GOP Senator Criticizes Appeals Court Nominee
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A key Senate Republican clashed yesterday with President Bush's pick for a federal appeals court, taking aim at the nominee's past support for harsh interrogation methods at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
At a Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) said that Pentagon General Counsel William J. Haynes II had pushed for the tactics over the objections of top uniformed military lawyers who considered the policy process a "sham."
The result, Graham told reporters after the hearing, was "legal confusion" that contributed to the scandal at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison -- and the attendant courts-martial and other career damage for those held responsible.
Noting that the U.S. commander in Iraq during Abu Ghraib, Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, has seen his career stall, Graham said, "The question is whether enough things went wrong on [Haynes's] watch that he needs to be held accountable."
With Democrats united against Haynes, Graham's position is crucial because without his support Haynes could have a hard time getting out of the Judiciary Committee, which has 10 Republicans and nine Democrats. Graham is also one of the Senate "Gang of 14" that has agreed to oppose filibusters of judicial nominees except in "extraordinary circumstances."
While conservatives have accused Graham of waging a "silent filibuster" against the nominee, Graham insisted yesterday that "I'm not holding up any nomination."
In a lengthy opening statement, Haynes, 48, portrayed the Pentagon general counsel's role as similar to that of a large company's in-house lawyer. He was responsible for identifying legal issues but not making policy, he said.
He began exploring the legality of harsher interrogation methods in the fall of 2002, Haynes said, after interrogators at Guantanamo reported that they were unable to crack a key al-Qaeda suspect, Mohamed al-Khatani, using conventional methods.
"I struggled over that question," Haynes noted, adding that he ultimately recommended against most of the proposed harsher tactics, while signing off on seven.
Haynes addressed the development of a memo that suggested it would be legal to subject some al-Qaeda prisoners to "cruel, inhumane or degrading" treatment. Responding to charges that he essentially collaborated with Justice Department lawyers on the memo, then ran roughshod over military lawyers who objected, Haynes acknowledged that there had been "spirited discussions" at the Pentagon but that everyone received a fair hearing.
But Graham said that the military lawyers "went ballistic" when they saw the "torture memo," believing that it contradicted established military practices and could put soldiers who followed it in legal jeopardy.
When Haynes responded by creating a "working group" to discuss the issues, the lawyers considered it a "sham," Graham noted, because "all of their concerns -- none of it made it into the final product."
The clash between Graham, who is a reserve Air Force lawyer, and Haynes showed how much the political climate has changed in the past two years.
Haynes cleared the committee in 2004, before the Abu Ghraib scandal broke, with Graham's support, but his nomination was not approved by the full Senate before the end of the first Bush term. The president renominated him last year for the Richmond-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.
Now the administration is facing a tough legislative battle to rebuild its legal approach to terrorism policies after the Supreme Court rejected its proposed military commissions on June 29.
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A key Senate Republican clashed yesterday with President Bush's pick for a federal appeals court, taking aim at the nominee's past support for harsh interrogation methods at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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World Cup 2006
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2006071019
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Post Coverage: World Cup 2006
After 40 days and 40 nights, it's time for the final online chat from Deutschland.
Jason is somewhere over the Atlantic as we speak, I am heading home tomorrow and Camille is off on a Euro adventure soon.
Steven Goff: Unfortunately, we will have to excuse Camille from this chat -- her computer hard drive blew up into a billion little bytes.
Arlington, Va.: Zidane gets the Golden Ball award after that show of poor sportsmanship? How do I explain that to my 6-year-old? Also, Cannavaro led Italy's defense in giving up only an own goal (vs U.S.) and a penalty kick (to Zidane) but comes in 2nd? Have the figure skating judges moved to soccer?
The voting is left to the media (gag!), which explains a lot. Actually, many votes are turned in before the final is even played. Same travesty occurred in 2002, when Kahn won out over Ronaldo. This time, many Italian players split the votes (Buffon, Cannavaro, Pirlo), leaving Zidane (the only legit French candidate heading into the final) to win it.
Justice Was Served:: Hi Steven and Camille. Thanks for this last World Cup chat. Great WaPo coverage of the event. Nicely done!
Italy deserved to win. They got jobbed on that PK early in the game and again on the supposed 'offside' call. That's a two goal difference right there. Yet they didn't panic and buried their PK's to win it all. Bravo.
Steven Goff: Very well stated, on all accounts.
Baltimore, Md.: Will this World Cup be remembered for Zidane's spearing, or Italy's unbelievable defensive effort? Thank you.
Washington, D.C.: Steve, when do you get back to DC to continue your outstanding United coverage? In time for the game against Celtic?
I'm hoping you can get an answer from Freddy about who he plans to play for in 2010!
Steven Goff: Sorry, gotta sleep on Wednesday and catch up on my "Entourage" and "Deadwood" watching.
I'll be at RFK on Saturday.
Freddy will play for the USA, I'm sure (if he's good enough come 2009/10).
Fredericksburg, Va.: Here's the million dollar question: If the officials used the stadium replays to see what Zidane had done to Materazzi, then did these guys unwittingly just introduce instant replay to soccer? What would/should be FIFA's reaction be?
Steven Goff: FIFA said today that replay was not a factor, that the fourth official saw the incident and relayed the info to the referee. That's what they said. The coaches seemed to contradict that last night.
Washington, D.C.: As a lifelong soccer player and fan, I was really turned off by all the diving in the World Cup. Why don't they institute a post-game review of suspect fouls (dives) and suspend and fine players judged to have cheated in this way?
The diving and whining really detracted from the matches and disrupted the flow.
We'll see how FIFA responds in the coming months/years...
Reston, Va.: Steve and/or Camille,
Any inkling of what was said to set Zidane off?
My theory was a transfer to the New York Red Bulls was suggested.
Steven Goff: Actually, Zidane had already been sold to the Red Bulls. Djorkaeff told him how wonderful it is in the Meadowlands, so Zidane celebrated with a head butt.
Lots of stories going around about what precipitated the attack -- Materazzi grabbed Zidane in the nipple, called him a "terrorist", insulted his mother...
Bottom line: You can't react that way. Zidane should have known better than to spear the guy in front of TV cameras.
Alexandria, Va.: I'm a soccer fan, and enjoyed the Cup, but I'm ashamed to say I really don't watch it other than every four years. After seeing this Cup, I'd like to try to change that. Are the games of the top European leagues available on local cable?
There are two TV networks devoted exclusively to international soccer: Fox Soccer Channel and Golf TV. Both are available on digital cable and via satellite.
You'll be able to see English league matches live, as well as many others.
Spotsylvania, Va.: I finished 2nd in the Washington Post's fantasy challenge. Shouldn't I at least get a t-shirt or something?
Steven Goff: You WILL get nothing and you WILL like it.
Arlington, Va.: There have been some complaints about the relative lack of goals scored at this World Cup and suggestions how to fix the so-called problem. I think the lack of goals is partly because the lesser sides have improved and are not far behind the soccer powers. For example, look at the good showings of Australia against Italy and Trinidad and Tobago against England. Twenty years ago, these may have been blow-outs. This has to be good for the game.
Steven Goff: That is certainly a factor -- smaller nations are catching up, in large part because they are sending players to the big leagues in Europe. It doesn't mean T&T is going to make the semifinals, but it does mean more competitive matches.
Rockville, Md.: Have you seen any replays showing the arc of Pirlo's corner kick that led to Materazzi's goal? I've heard some people comment that it actually crossed over the touch line.
Steven Goff: Had not heard that.
Detroit, Mich.: Any word on the overnight TV Ratings for the Final?- I would love to see all of our favorite sports columnists eat their words about how soccer isn't popular in the U.S.
Like everyone else, I am puzzled by Zidane
Steven Goff: I haven't seen the overnight ratings for the final, but in general, ESPN/ABC and Univision have gotten good numbers.
World Cup has a TV following in the U.S.; MLS, at the moment, not so much.
Alexandria, Va.: Thanks for being there to provide the multi-faceted coverage of what was a wonderful month-long tournament from Germany.
Focusing on the USA's performance in the first round, and considering your observations of the second round knock-out matches, in what areas or ways does the U.S. Soccer program need to improve, or alter its approach, if it is to attain the success of the countries that consistently reach the last eight, four, and finals of such a demanding competition?
Steven Goff: Thanks for the kind words!
Wow, do we have a week? USA soccer is still decades behind most soccer powerhouses. Most importantly, they need to develop players in a professional environment at a young age -- whether it's in MLS or in Europe, or both. At the moment, the USA can "compete" with almost anyone, but until the sophistication of play and the depth of talent improves, American soccer will not beat almost anyone on a regular basis.
Rockville, Md.: Who do you think are the most likely candidates to coach the USMNT in 2010?
Steven Goff: We'll start with Bruce Arena since he still is the coach. However, if he does not return, the candidates are aplenty. My hunch is that they would go after a foreign coach. The USSF would love to hire Klinsmann, but Germany is pushing hard to retain him. Beyond that, it could be anyone who is willing to work for $1 million per year or so (that rules out a lot of big names).
Hamburg, Germany: No questions, just want to say 'thanks' for the fantastic coverage. I loved reading your German adventures and will miss them. Greet the D.C. area from me, as I lived there for many years.
You may miss reading about our adventures, but I will miss Hamburg -- what a great city.
Durango, Co lo.: Home of the NCAA II 2005 Champions Ft. Lewis Skyhawks.
Americans don't win on the world stage because we play soccer in the 'burbs with uniforms and shin guards at the age of 6. Until we let the kids play on their own and kick the heck out of each other, which will allow the toughest to move on and up, we will always be lucky even to make it to the round-robins.
San Diego, Calif.: Steve, Camille, great reporting from Germany the past month. My question is what positives can the US take for being the only team that did not lose to Italy? Can Arena look at the draw playing with 9 men as a major accomplishment since Italy went on to win?
Steven Goff: Thanks for the kind words.
Certainly makes the U.S. effort look a little bit better, doesn't it?
That was a very strange game (red cards, McBride's bloody face, disallowed goal, etc), so not really fair to judge either team based on that result.
Hagerstown, Md.: Watching the finals, the best comparison I can see is if the 7th game of the NBA playoffs were tied after overtime, they played one-on-one to decide the championship. No wonder soccer is not a major sport in the U..S
Steven Goff: Apples and oranges. Very different sports. Certainly a flaw of soccer, ending with PK's.
Soccer is not a major sport in the U.S. for many reasons. That's not one of 'em.
Glen Ellyn, Ill.: "Bottom line: You can't react that way. Zidane should have known better than to spear the guy in front of TV cameras."
Of course ZZ deserved to be sent off, but are you implying that replay was used, which is not supposed to happen?
Steven Goff: No, the coaches implied replay was used. FIFA said it wasn't.
Again, bottom line: Zidane embarrassed himself and his team, and, perhaps, affected the outcome of the match.
Morgantown, W. Va.: If what was said to Zidane was indeed a racist taunt, as has been rumored, what will FIFA's reaction be?
Steven Goff: Awfully hard to prove a racial taunt was used.
Not hard to prove that Zidane smashed the guy.
Alexandria, Va.: Why the penalty kicks to decide a World Champion? It is obvious that Italy's only chance in the end was to go to Penalty kicks and was purely chance.
Why not change the format? Keep the overtime's two-15 minute periods. Then if no one wins, have a non-clocked period until someone scores. No breaks. If you can not go on, sit down on the field. No additional subs. It will be a game of attrition which would much better determine a true winner.
Steven Goff: If they don't go to penalty kicks, trust me, NO ONE will score on their own. Players get tired, everyone turns cautious...just won't decide anything. Unfortunately, PKs are the only way.
Washington, D.C.: I'm as straight as an arrow but I think the MLS or US soccer should use the shot of McBride when he was shirtless (changing into a clean jersey) with his bloody face as a poster or something for publicity.
What is the most memorable moment you will take away from this World Cup. What team do you think was the most disappointing and which team do you see as having the most potential for 2010?
Steven Goff: Most memorable moments...the German team and fan enthusiasm; the ARG-MEX round-of-16 match; the USA-ITALY red-card fest; pulling into a train station after a match at 4:30 am and seeing the sun come up (it's never dark here); watching Camille eat many Nuremberg sausages; walking the East Side Gallery in Berlin (longest existing stretch of the Wall); Italy's near-perfection throughout the tournament; and seeing my wife and son at the championship game.
Normal, Ill.: One of the pains of the World Cup ending is that for the USMNT we have to wait 4 years for another high level competition (maybe three 2-3 years, if you include the qualification to the World Cup, which isn't that competitive). In Europe, qualification for Euro 2008 begins this September, with several matches between quality teams. E.g., this September there will be matches between France-Italy; Russia-Croatia; Germany-Ireland. In South American they similarly have the Copa.
The simple fact is the CONCACAF Gold Cup doesn't match up to this kind of competitiveness, and nor does the Confederations Cup. Is there any chance that the North American teams will ever regularly participate in the Copa America, to give more frequent high-level competitive play for the USMNT, which hopefully might earn it a bit more respect, and give it more experience for the World Cup?
Steven Goff: The USSF is considering accepting an invitation to play in Copa America in Venezuela next summer.
Problem: Gold Cup is scheduled around the same time and the U.S. team is obligated to participate.
It is possible that they play in both events. Of course, MLS teams with national team players won't be too thrilled about losing players for perhaps six weeks.
Vienna: What were your favorite German cities?
How does the German national team look for 2010? They played very well, considering how young they are.
Steven Goff: Favorite German cities: Berlin and Hamburg tied for first, followed by Nuremberg. I made it to eight venues overall.(I did not attend any matches in Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne or Frankfurt.)
Germany looks good for 2010 with so many good young players, but first they have to worry about Euro 2008.
Miami, Fla.: I watched the World Cup in High Def and it makes a huge difference. They should broadcast MLS in HD and I think more people will watch it.
Steven Goff: Sounds good to me! Mr. Garber?
Berlin, Germany : As an American living in Germany, I must say I was quite ashamed of the behavior of the U.S. team. All the warlike analogies, aggressive off the field behavior, whining about losses. We certainly did not put our best foot forward here.
Steven Goff: Eddie Johnson's war analogy was rather inappropriate, wasn't it? He then had an opportunity to explain himself, and instead dug a deeper hole.
As for on the field, they didn't play well and then found a lot of convenient excuses. So it goes when you under perform.
Washington, D.C.: What do you think are some of the factors that led to Ronaldinho having such a poor performance in the World Cup?
Steven Goff: He seemed to be playing too deep in midfield and was more effective when positioned with Ronaldo as a withdrawn forward.
He never got into a rhythm and seemed frustrated by Brazil's tactics.
Washington, D.C.: Penalty kicks? Penalty kicks? That is like ending the Ryder Cup with five guys putting five footers. They should liberalize the substitution rules and play until they drop. PK's involve so little skill and so much luck. That is no way to decide the biggest sporting event in the world. What a joke. What an anti-climax.
Steven Goff: Certainly a fair argument.
Washington, D.C.: Last match pretty much summed up soccer for me. Low scoring, low excitement, and the match turns on some guy faked a fall.
You cannot hurt anyone with a head butt to the stomach.
Steven Goff: Did you watch the replays of that attack? Pretty violent.
McLean, Va.: Ending the World Cup on PK's is almost like ending a Super bowl in OT on a field goal. Wait that could happen. Hate that it comes down to PK's but unless they have replays its the only way.
Steven Goff: Replays, as in replay the game, I assume.
That will never happen in a World Cup final.
Andrew (Washington, DC): I spent this weekend taking a soccer coaching course and the instructor said that he thinks that Arena is gone as U.S. head coach and that Juergen Klinsmann will be the next U.S. coach because there is no way that Germany will allow him to live in SoCal and still coach the German team. Any truth to this in your opinion?
Steven Goff: Klinsmann proved that, by reaching the semifinals, his home address did not matter. The German federation seems to have eased its stance on his living situation. The question is: Does Klinsmann want to stay with Germany? Or does he want a new challenge? My hunch is that he would like to try to win Euro 2008 and, perhaps, continue on with Germany for World Cup in 2010. Family is very important to him, however, and he may decide that the high pressure of coaching his native country and traveling to Europe from California regularly is too much.
Williamsburg, Va.: All great questions so far, to match the great coverage you guys gave. How about a dumb question? The U.S. TV coverage (ABC/ESPN) was horrible, except for the Harkes team. It's been commented upon ad nauseam. I actually watched the final on Univision to escape Balboa (I cannot speak Spanish). The coverage on US TV has not improved since 1994 World Cup. Do these guys have a crazy fanatical following from the non soccer loving crowd who only follow soccer every 4 years? How else can you explain 'Celo not getting fired after 1 game?
Steven Goff: You would have to ask the ESPN/ABC executives that question. Obviously, they were okay with Balboa's work. I did not see or hear the U.S. broadcasts so I really can't comment on them, although many fans have told me that my man JP Dellacamara and John Harkes were very good.
Head butt: And D.C., it was to his sternum, not his stomach - could have caused some serious damage given the force behind the strike.
Normal, Ill.: Jason, I believe, wrote a piece on the Post blog saying that there are rumors that South Africa might loose the 2010 World Cup, presumably due to lack of preparedness. Have you heard such rumors as well? Is there any chance that this could actually happen?
Steven Goff: There's been speculation about it, but at the moment, South Africa is the host. They've got a lot of work to do -- stadiums, trains, hotels, etc. One idea being weighed is putting all four teams at one venue for their first-round group, thus cutting back on travel and logistics for teams, media, fans, etc.
We'll see how much progress is made in the coming years...
Hanover, Md.: Great coverage, hope you and family had a good time.
Question: How did the rest of the world (as put out by other media) view the U.S. performance? Was the U.S. perceived as outclassed or just insufficiently creative to really put themselves in a position to win? Any thoughts appreciated...
Steven Goff: Both -- outclassed and out manned in a very difficult group. Many Euro journalists I talked to before the Cup EXPECTED the Americans to advance based on their 2002 performance and the number of players competing in Europe.
An easier group, a better performance, maybe they get to the second round.
Arlington, Va.: Thanks so much for doing this Q and A. Why is there no talk of Ricardo (Portugal) as the best goalie in this tournament? He only allowed one goal in regular play (ignoring the third place game, where Portugal's hearts and minds, and starters, obviously weren't all there), and he saved three of the five PK's he faced while getting his hands on the other two. That's a better performance than Lehmann, and Buffon was no where near any of France's PKs.
Steven Goff: In my opinion, the three best keepers in the Cup overall, from start to finish, were Buffon, Lehmann and Ricardo, in that order.
Arlington, Va.: PK's to decide the World championship? That is a joke.
Steven Goff: got any other suggestions?
(besides learning how to spell Arlington!)
Fairfax Station, Va.: If Germany looks good in 2010 how does Spain look. We keep hoping.
Steven Goff: Spain has already announced it will lose in the second round in 2010.
Rockville, Md.: To all the people who hate penalty kicks:
A. Does scoring a fluke goal after 120 minutes of play, because both teams are completely exhausted,involve any more skill than a penalty shootout?
B. Does anyone in his or her right mind think that watching 22 exhausted people walk around the pitch for an extra hour or so makes for more excited viewing than a penalty kick shootout?
Burke, Va.: The BBC's reporting that the Zidane head butt was NOT on the stadium jumbotron--did the official who phoned in the call have a TV feed?
While Zidane's head butt was pretty inexcusable, did the Italian milk it any? After all they do have a reputation for diving! (See Italy/Australia for starters!)
Steven Goff: Zidane's head butt was not on the stadium video screen -- that's why the fans in attendance booed the Italians mercilessly the rest of the game, not knowing what Zidane had done to warrant the red card.
Sure, they milked it, but that was one blatant attack.
Springfield, Va.: Getting to Germany was relatively easy for a large number of fans from many counties. How many fans does FIFA expect to fly to South Africa in 2010?
Steven Goff: Same issue as 2002, when the Cup was in Korea and Japan and was difficult and expensive for Europeans and South Americans to attend.
As long as it's on TV in every country, FIFA is happy. Plus, you won't have the huge time difference issues as you did in 2002.
Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: Please hurry back soon to cover D.C. United. The stringer person who wrote the story about Saturday's game referred to them as The United...and a copy editor let it get published....ack!!!
Steven Goff: We'll work on that...
Thanks for the head's up!
Washington, D.C.: Bah. Someday a soccer critic will get some new lines. Low scoring? Low excitement? Yes, and American football is so much fun when it stops and starts every five minutes. These guys are making plays constantly. And goals are not what the game is all about -- it's the movement on the field, etc.
I'm not sure you are old enough to remember, but in the NASL they used to play "mini-games" in the playoffs to decide series tied at 1; [and] I'll tell you after watch[ing] the Cosmos lose one of those, after playing a full game and PK's in the first game (to the Vancouver Whitecaps), PK's are the best solution to the problem.
Steven Goff: Thanks for the reminder...
TV talking heads: Why are people all worked up --- TV announcers? I want them to tell me who has the ball and to whom he's passing it. O'Brien did a good job of that Everything else I just tune out. I thought Harkes name-dropped too much and I really don't care with whom he played at Sheffield or with which coach he visited on his many trips to Europe.
Steven Goff: More TV talk for y'all to consider...
Instead of PK's: One Web site I follow (FulhamUSA.com) had someone suggest alternating corner kicks (sort of like how American college football does OT).
Washington, D.C.: Okay, WHAT possessed the Italian player Gennaro Gattuso to lose his shorts in the post-game celebration? That photo on Yahoo Sports is one of the most amusing I have seen in years.....
Steven Goff: That was interesting, wasn't it?!
Not sure how it came about...
Washington, D.C.: Too bad you didn't make it to a match in Munich. The Allianz stadium is the best stadium I've ever seen a match in. All the stadiums were great (except for the lack of scoreboards), but,wow,that place is awesome.
Steven Goff: Indeed, I heard great things about Allianz (Jason and Camille both made it there during their travels.)
I loved Dortmund -- the stadium, not the city. Kaiserslautern had a great arena too. Hamburg and Gelsenkirchen stadiums were impressive, and Berlin's history couldn't be ignored.
Arlington, Va.: How difficult will it be for C. Ronaldo to shake his well-deserved reputation as a diving cheater? I was heartened to hear him jeered every time he touched the ball. Will any referee ever make a call in his favor again?
Steven Goff: After this World Cup, that reputation may never go away.
Ann Arbor, Mich.: Is there any chance of MLS changing its schedule to work around not just the World Cup, but the Gold Cup and Copa America? It seems that the best chance MLS has of really catching popular attention is to ride the interest in the U.S. national team, so I don't understand why the scheduling is so difficult....
Steven Goff: Yes, in the future, MLS will probably follow the international standard and not play in the summer. It could be a split schedule -- August to November, and February to May.
Arlington, Va.: Exhausted players. Every see a 3 or more OT game during the Stanley Cup playoffs? Let 'em play till they drop.
Steven Goff: Hockey has line changes every, what, 45 seconds? Soccer has three subs the entire game with no re-entry. Again, apples and oranges.
Silver Spring, Md.: In the Post Express last week, you published a letter from an angry U.S. soccer yuppie, complaining that no one liked Italy, and that in his fit of anger, he wasn't going to any Italian restaurants. Now that Italy is champion of the world, can you recommend some good Italian restaurants in the DC area? It sounds like angry U.S. soccer yuppies won't be there, so it may be a great atmosphere.
Steven Goff: That's some weird stuff, man.
Italy Offsides: Did you see the Italian's second goal as onsides? I don't know...I watched it several times and he looked clearly offsides to me. Not even all that close.
But a beautiful goal it was!!
Steven Goff: Indeed, a lovely play. Very tough call...
Mexico City, Mexico : What do you think of France's Zidane behavior during World Cupe final match?
Steven Goff: He did a very bad thing.
Steven Goff: That's it, friends.
Thanks for all your interest the last four weeks. Camille, Jason, soccer editor Jon DeNunzio (the mastermind behind our coverage) and I appreciate your contributions and feedback.
I will be back online for another chat late this month. In the meantime, feel free to reach me directly at goffs@washpost.com, and I'll try to respond as soon as possible.
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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France Reacts to Zidane's Red Card
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PARIS, July 10 -- French soccer captain Zinedine Zidane -- voted the World Cup's top player -- should have been reveling in a hero's welcome Monday afternoon.
Instead, he stood on a balcony overlooking a crowd of cheering fans at Paris's Place de la Concorde a day after a game that ended with not only disappointment but also disgrace.
One of France's few modern-day heroes and one of the greatest soccer players of his generation, Zidane -- in a startling show of rage in the 110th minute of Sunday's World Cup final -- transformed a night of patriotic pride into a morning of national shame and despair across France. Having announced his intention to retire from the sport after the tournament, his head butt of Italian defender Marco Materazzi resulted in a red card and thus likely was the final on-field act of his career.
"He lost his mind yesterday," said Christophe Lescouet, 54, who joined the estimated 10,000 people cheering the team as members appeared on the massive stone balconies of the luxury Hotel de Crillon. "It was ugly, but when someone insults you harshly, some people lose their mind. I am here to show him that I don't hold him responsible for our loss."
"The hardest thing is not to try to understand why Les Bleus lost a World Cup final match that was within reach," the French daily sports newspaper L'Equipe wrote, but "to explain to tens of millions of children around the world how you allowed yourself to head butt Marco Materazzi."
The incident was replayed dozens of times on French television: Zidane and Materazzi exchanging words, then Zidane suddenly turning and plowing his head into Materazzi's chest, knocking the Italian on his back.
"Why? Why? Why?" screamed a French announcer in anguish as he watched the replay of the incident that led to Zidane's ejection from the game, which Italy won in a penalty-kick shootout.
French fans speculate that the Italian player insulted Zidane's mother, the worst affront for a son in many parts of the world.
The French anti-racism advocacy group SOS Racism issued a statement alleging that "several very well informed sources from the world of football" said Materazzi called Zidane a "dirty terrorist." Zidane's parents are Algerian.
"It is absolutely not true. I didn't call him a terrorist. I don't know anything about that," Materazzi said when his team landed at an Italian military airfield on Monday. "What happened is what all the world saw live on TV."
Zidane has not said what provoked his reaction. His agent, Alain Migliaccio, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that Zidane told him the Italian "said something very serious to him, but he wouldn't tell me what."
Regardless of Zidane's reasons, a nation that had been lifted out of a year-long malaise by the unexpected success of its aging, ethnically mixed soccer team was plunged into new melancholy Monday trying to reconcile how its hero had fallen so low.
Laurent Languet and his 8-year-old son, Valentin, stood in the heat of the Place de la Concorde awaiting the team's arrival.
"He was so disappointed last night that he wouldn't talk to us," Languet said of his son, who wore a Zidane T-shirt. "Today he feels better, but I still haven't tried to explain to him what Zidane did. It's impossible to explain it to my son, but he understood that to show that much violence, the Italian player must have insulted him fiercely."
That was the excuse much of France offered up in its psychoanalysis of the player who won the World Cup's top player award and at the same time displayed a shocking moment of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Zidane, the 34-year-old son of Christian Algerian immigrants, grew up in a poor suburb of the southern French port city of Marseille. Some fans blamed his upbringing in La Castellane, a tough neighborhood, for his aggressive nature.
"Zidane will remain a great player," Ayoub Argoubi, a 17-year-old resident of the soccer star's boyhood community, told the French newspaper Le Monde. "He may have forgotten us, but his head butt is a leftover from Castellane."
Newspapers around the world were less forgiving.
"Zizou loses control," declared the front page of Beirut's French-language L'Orient-Le Jour, which went on to describe his behavior as shameful.
Zidane has a history of losing his temper under duress in important games. During the 1998 World Cup playoffs, he received a red card for stomping on a player from Saudi Arabia.
Coach Raymond Domenech canceled a parade that had been planned for the Champs-Elysees, where viewing stands and banners of red, white and blue had been prepared for a win-or-lose World Cup procession in advance of Friday's Bastille Day celebrations.
Instead, fans gathered at the Place de la Concorde, the spot where Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were publicly guillotined during the French Revolution.
After a lunch with French President Jacques Chirac, the team clambered off a bus at the front of the crowd, faces somber, looking more like they were bracing for a beheading than like they were being welcomed home.
Despite yells of support from the crowd, Zidane could barely face the gathering from the balcony where the team was standing. His face set in a grimace, he barely looked up, and he gave only a slight wave to the throng baking in the sun below.
Gael Solignac, a 30-year-old computer technician from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, watched from below.
"I was very disappointed with the way Zidane ended his career," Solignac said.
Expressing the sentiment of many French, he added, "First, people will talk about this unbelievable action, then what will remain is a great man, a great player who brought so much to French soccer and French society."
Researcher Corinne Gavard contributed to this report.
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French soccer captain Zinedine Zidane appears on a balcony overlooking a crowd of cheering fans at Paris's Place de la Concorde on Monday, a day after his startling show of rage may have cost France the World Cup championship.
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Jay-Z, Cristal and Sobriety
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WASHINGTON -- Jay-Z is PO'd.
The man many consider to be the world's most successful rapper has declared he has no more use for Cristal champagne, a brand he has enthusiastically invoked in countless best-selling songs. He is working to remove all references to it from his vast repertoire and plans to stop selling it in the clubs he owns.
Jay-Z got his rhymes in a twist when the maker of Cristal appeared to diss the rapper and his fellow revelers in hip-hop high life. In an interview with the Economist magazine, Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of Champagne Louis Roederer, implied that the blingosphere's appetite for the Cristal brand was less than desirable. He said with apparent resignation, "we can't forbid people from buying it."
No, but you can discourage them from doing so, and that's exactly what Jay-Z aims to do. He has suggested that a consumer boycott is in order.
Boycott. Now that's a word you don't hear so often these days. Hard for me to encounter it without thinking of Rosa Parks and brave Alabamans walking and carpooling their way to justice. But I suppose it applies just as well to millionaires whose sensibilities have been offended. A bottle of Cristal, it should be noted, can go for $300 or more. That's a lot of bus fare.
So that does it. No more bottles of this high-priced bubbly for me. The next time I'm at Plumm, the swank Manhattan nightspot, I'll tell the waiter to fill my flute with Dom P. Rose, a variety Jay-Z is experimenting with these days.
Seriously, though, I'm not mad at Jay-Z for expressing his displeasure. Just as with women and others who have taken offense at his sexist, misogynist lyrics, he has a right to be peeved by what he sees as disrespectful treatment. But there are far bigger alcohol-related problems among the urban population that helps keep his tunes at the top of the charts, and he would probably be quick to agree.
For instance, while Cristal seems hesitant to embrace young black consumers, the makers of malt liquor are more than eager to establish a relationship. They are among the alcohol manufacturers who target African-American youth, according to a new study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University. The analysis, an update of an earlier study, found that alcohol ads on radio and television and in magazines in 2003 and 2004 reached more African-American youth ages 12 to 20 than youth in general on a per capita basis.
The study says that the ads appeared on all of the 15 television programs most popular among African-American youth. That group was also targeted for 30 percent more magazine alcohol advertising than were youth in general during the period covered by the study. Alcohol is the drug most commonly used by both African-American youth and adults, a fact that cannot be blamed entirely on predatory advertisers. We also have to acknowledge the influence of the music that made Jay-Z famous. In a study of 1,000 popular songs from 1996 and 1997, for example, 47 percent of rap tunes mentioned alcohol, far more than songs from any other genre. Add those influences to the myriad billboards dotting urban communities and the adults staggering beneath them and you wind up with a significant problem. The CAMY study notes that the age-adjusted death rate from alcohol-induced causes for blacks is 10 percent higher than that for the general population.
Derryck Moore is a program manager for Turning Point, a Minneapolis agency that provides outreach services to adults struggling with alcohol abuse and other dependencies. Speaking for himself and not the agency, Moore suggested that the best way for concerned adults to combat these factors is to begin by speaking frankly to the young people in their lives.
"It all begins in the home," he said, "just being able to speak to them about the things they see and read, and informing them about the outcomes. Educating ourselves and communicating with one another should be a big part of a collaborative effort -- parents, schools, churches and community centers."
And rappers? "They play a big part in this," Moore said. "They should take responsibility too. Their ability to influence affects so many lives."
Can you imagine Jay-Z speaking out on alcohol abuse? One marketing strategist has called him "the E.F. Hutton of hip-hop." What we need is an E.F. Hutton of sobriety. Sure, it sounds like a crazy dream. I bet a naysayer or two said the same thing to Rosa Parks.
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WASHINGTON -- Jay-Z is PO'd. The man many consider to be the world's most successful rapper has declared he has no more use for Cristal champagne, a brand he has enthusiastically invoked in countless best-selling songs. He is working to remove all references to it from his vast repertoire and plans...
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A Dated Carbon Approach
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These days almost nobody asserts that global warming isn't happening. Instead, we are confronted with a new lie: that we can respond to climate change without taxing and regulating carbon.
The Bush administration -- and many Democrats, too -- promise technological salvation: hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol distilled from grass, solar power, windmills, whatever. It's more fun to call for whiz-bang technologies than regulations and taxes. But it's also dishonest.
We already have technologies to cut carbon. Hybrid cars have been around for years, but almost nobody drives them. Small cars have been on the market even more years, but they aren't consumer hits either. There are dozens of technologies to insulate buildings and design heating and cooling systems in efficient ways. The problem is we don't use them.
You can even cut carbon using no technology whatever. Mexico City has reduced its output of carbon dioxide by almost 55,000 tons a year by opening one efficient bus route; the key innovation here was the creation of two bus lanes. The new buses run on diesel -- not exactly a technological breakthrough. But because they are rapid and frequent, the buses have brought car use down and reduced emissions.
So what matters is not just the technologies we have but the incentives to deploy them. The average Western European uses half as much energy as the average American, and that's not because there's more technology in Europe. Rather, Europeans have embraced anti-carbon policies ranging from gas taxes to emissions caps, from an absence of extravagant mortgage subsidies that encourage super-size homes to congestion charges for drivers in London and Stockholm.
Because of Norway's carbon taxes, companies drilling for natural gas in the North Sea are starting to capture the carbon dioxide they release and inject it back under the sea floor. Because the United States lacks a carbon tax, natural gas drillers in this country have less incentive to do that. Meanwhile the Energy Department reports that there are plans to build 150 new coal-fired power plants in the United States, enough to generate power for 93 million homes. But because government hasn't created intelligent incentives, most of these new generators won't be fitted with technology to capture and store the carbon.
So incentives count. Technology frequently turns out to matter less than policy. But the technology salvationists are a determined bunch. Faced with clear evidence that we aren't deploying the technology we have, they insist that the solution is yet more technology. We need need need that next technological breakthrough, they scream. And until we get it, there's no point trying to do anything.
How do these fantasists suppose that we'll get the next breakthrough? Government spending on basic research is supposed to do the trick: "The Administration has dedicated $1.2 billion over five years to the research and development needed to get hydrogen cars into the showroom," declares a White House fact sheet. But that $240 million per year, or the $150 million a year that the administration wants to spend on advanced ethanol, is a laughably small sum. Private energy firms spend about $18 billion a year on researching new technology for extracting hydrocarbons.
If you want to get hydrogen cars into the showrooms, you can't put your faith in government alone; you need Exxon and Shell and Toyota and Ford to make hydrogen a priority. And what's going to drive these companies' choices? Obviously, taxes and regulatory incentives. If carbon is subject to taxes or caps, the energy companies and car companies will devote more of their vast research budgets to alternative fuels. But if carbon is not taxed, they will research new ways of using and extracting oil -- including getting it from sources that are awful for climate, such as tar sands .
Don't get me wrong. I'm not against government support for basic research into alternative fuels, just as I'm not against government funding of basic research into health sciences. But to convert the discoveries from the National Institutes of Health into usable medicines, you need a patent system that gives pharmaceutical companies incentives. And to convert government research on hydrogen into drivable cars, you need a carbon tax or carbon cap that creates the right incentives for the private sector.
It feels good to be for new technology rather than for nasty new taxes or regulations. But this is a false choice. If you want the new technology, you have to support the new tax or the new cap. Those who argue otherwise should ask themselves: Would we have rapid medical innovation if we didn't bother to protect intellectual property?
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These days almost nobody asserts that global warming isn't happening. Instead, we are confronted with a new lie: that we can respond to climate change without taxing and regulating carbon.
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Capital Charges Filed In Rape-Slaying Case
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BAGHDAD, July 10 -- Military authorities on Monday disclosed that they had filed capital charges of premeditated rape and murder against four of the five active-duty soldiers accused in an attack on an Iraqi family in March.
A 15-year-old Iraqi girl, who was allegedly raped, was killed along with her mother, father and younger sister in the attack in a village near Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad.
Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, Spec. James P. Barker and Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman are charged with rape, murder, housebreaking, arson and drinking alcohol against military rules, the U.S. military said in a statement. Another soldier, Pfc. Bryan L. Howard, was charged with premeditated murder, rape and obstruction of justice. The four soldiers could face the death penalty if convicted.
The fifth active-duty soldier, Sgt. Anthony W. Yribe, is charged with dereliction of duty and making a false statement for allegedly failing to report the incident. Yribe was not directly involved in the attack, U.S. military spokesmen in Baghdad said.
The incident is one of the gravest of a series being investigated by the U.S. military in which Americans are accused of killing Iraqi civilians.
"Again, these are alleged offenses," Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, told reporters. "They're presumed innocent until proven guilty."
A sixth man, Steven D. Green, a former private, was discharged from the military for a "personality disorder" after the Mahmudiyah killings but before fellow soldiers identified American soldiers as the alleged culprits, sparking the criminal investigation. Green pleaded not guilty last week in Louisville to federal charges of rape and murder.
A federal affidavit in Green's case and accounts given to The Washington Post by neighbors, an uncle of the 15-year-old, the local mayor and medical authorities allege that at least four of the soldiers came to the home of Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi after noticing her from their post at a U.S. Army checkpoint near her home.
The assailants allegedly shot and killed Abeer's father, mother and 7-year-old sister, then raped and killed Abeer in another room. Abeer's body and part of the room were set on fire, apparently in an attempt to conceal the crime, U.S. investigators and Iraqi officials said.
The federal affidavit alleges that Green fired all of the shots and was one of two soldiers who directly participated in the alleged rape.
In Chambersburg, Pa., a woman answering the telephone at a contact number listed for Spielman declined to identify herself directly but said Spielman was her son.
"We haven't been told anything. We haven't heard anything, and that's the truth," the woman said. Relatives had yet to be able to contact Spielman to hear from him directly, she said.
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BAGHDAD, July 10 -- Military authorities on Monday disclosed that they had filed capital charges of premeditated rape and murder against four of the five active-duty soldiers accused in an attack on an Iraqi family in March.
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2005 Compensation For Top-Earning Executives Grew With Stock Option Awards
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It was another banner year for the Washington area's highest-paid executives.
The median total compensation for the 100 highest-paid executives at local public companies rose 21.2 percent in 2005, to $6.4 million from $5.2 million the year before. While the median salary for that group increased 4 percent, bonuses climbed nearly 14 percent, the value of the typical stock option grant went up by more than 25 percent, and other forms of long-term compensation leapt by a third.
The Washington Post's annual ranking of local executive pay was topped by four chief executives who received more than $30 million each: SLM Corp.'s Thomas J. Fitzpatrick ($39.6 million); Capital One Financial Corp.'s Richard D. Fairbank ($31.6 million); United Therapeutics Corp.'s Martine A. Rothblatt ($31.1 million); and Sprint Nextel Corp.'s Gary D. Forsee ($30 million).
Just as options buoyed compensation for the top group, a decline in the awards dragged down results for others: The median total compensation package for the next 600 executives in the study fell by 3.9 percent to $642,543. Companies with executives in that group cited a variety of reasons for a fall-off in options, including failure to meet financial targets and concern about a new rule forcing companies to count the cost of stock options as an expense. The median is the midpoint in the sample.
Altogether, the more than 700 executives at 157 firms in The Post's study took home $467.5 million in salary and bonus. Their total compensation -- including options, perks and other items -- had a combined value of almost $1.4 billion, more than the budget of the D.C. public schools.
The average worker in the Washington area was making $50,000 in wages or salary as of May 2005, according to the most recent local snapshot from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For private-sector workers nationwide, total compensation rose an average of 2.9 percent last year.
The Post's survey, based on pay disclosures filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, includes salaries, bonuses, stock option grants, long-term awards of restricted stock and other items. It does not include the value of executive retirement plans. In the case of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are both behind in their annual SEC filings, executive compensation was calculated through other public disclosures. The value of stock option grants ultimately depends on future share prices. For consistent comparisons, the Post estimates the value using a standardized approach accepted by the SEC. (See accompanying articles.)
SLM's Fitzpatrick led the rankings with estimated total compensation of $39.6 million. Fitzpatrick was promoted last year to chief executive from chief operating officer of the student loan marketing firm and was awarded an estimated $31.4 million in stock options, assuming that the stock price increases 5 percent annually over the life of the options.
The company, also known as Sallie Mae, formerly operated under a government charter and has long been a generator of executive wealth. For example, in the Post's executive compensation survey for 2002, Fitzpatrick's predecessor as Sallie Mae chief executive, Albert L. Lord, ranked first and Fitzpatrick ranked second.
Sallie Mae's profit declined 27.8 percent last year, to $1.4 billion from $1.9 billion the year before. The company ranked 39th in total return to shareholders over the past five years and 44th in total return last year, among 107 Washington area companies in the compensation study that have been public for the past five years. Sallie Mae's total returns, which include stock appreciation and dividends reinvested, were 160.2 percent over five years and 4.9 percent last year.
Ranked second for the second year in a row was Fairbank, whose stock options at credit card issuer Capital One have routinely made him one of the region's most highly paid executives. Fairbank's estimated total compensation of $31.6 million last year paled beside the $105.5 million pay package that put him first in the 2001 rankings. Fairbank, chairman, president and chief executive of the company, takes no salary or bonus. His perks include a $65,000 allowance for professionals to help him manage his money.
Fairbank's 2005 total did not include the $249.3 million he reaped last year from cashing in older stock options, almost all of which were expiring.
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It was another banner year for the Washington area's highest-paid executives. First in cash compensation in 2005 was William L. Walton of Allied Capital Corp., with $5.8 million in salary and bonus. (See accompanying story.) He was followed by two Sprint Nextel executives: Timothy M. Donohue...
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Rather to Host 'Fearless' Show on HDNet
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Dan Rather is about to announce his comeback.
Three weeks after being let go by CBS, the former anchor has agreed to launch a program called "Dan Rather Presents" on HDNet, the high-definition channel owned by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban.
"We are excited about it," Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, said yesterday. He described the show as "an opportunity to do news in what I like to call 'fearless mode,' what Dan calls 'with guts.' Go out there and find the stories we think will have impact."
Rather, 74, plans to announce the new venture this week at the television critics' tour in Los Angeles. He moved to "60 Minutes" after relinquishing the anchor chair last year, but complained last month that CBS had not offered him a meaningful role during contract talks.
HDNet, available on the DirecTV and Dish satellite networks, reaches about 3 million homes, a small fraction of the audience for the broadcast networks. But Cuban said that as a premium network featuring news, sports and entertainment, it should be compared instead to such pay channels as HBO and Showtime. "Like HBO, we don't program for ratings, we program for happy subscribers," he said. "We think 'Dan Rather Reports' fulfills that goal and then some."
He added: "Traditional broadcast and cable news is all about numbers. Get a pretty face, pay for it in the upfront," the annual conference for advertisers. " 'How does MSNBC beat Fox?' The lead story is never the reporting or news itself."
HDNet plans to roll out the Rather program in October.
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Dan Rather is about to announce his comeback. Three weeks after being let go by CBS, the former anchor has agreed to launch a program called "Dan Rather Presents" on HDNet, the high-definition channel owned by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban.
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A Murky Picture, Developed And Enlarged
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"If you want, I can start the slide show now," Fred Reuss says.
Sure, you tell him. How often do you get to examine the raw materials of a work of fiction, clicked into life on the writer's laptop one by one?
Old chalet with balcony and overhanging eaves.
Man and woman sitting at a table: handsome, unsmiling, staring into a future that they cannot know.
This last photograph was taken in 1934, Reuss tells you, not long before the man sailed off to Shanghai, leaving the woman and the laughing girl behind. He is Max Mohr: a physician, minor German literary figure and Reuss's great-uncle. She is Mohr's wife, Kathe, and the girl is their daughter, Eva. Long drawn to their story -- and having discovered a trove of photos, letters and other documents about them -- Reuss set out to reimagine their lives.
The result was "Mohr: A Novel" -- an unusually close collaboration between fiction and fact.
The book is driven, on one level, by a psychological conundrum the documents cannot resolve. Mohr was Jewish, and for him to want to leave the encroaching darkness of Nazi Germany seems understandable enough. And yet: How could he possibly have left behind a beloved wife and daughter?
But Reuss chose to highlight a different level of question, as well. For he didn't just use that trove of photographs to inspire his storytelling -- he layered them into the novel itself. "Mohr" is constructed around a selection of almost 50 images through which the story flows.
Mostly it flows in straightforward, third-person narration, moving back and forth between Max in China and Kathe and Eva at home. But at times the voice changes, and Reuss considers those haunting images directly.
He's hoping his readers will be inspired, as he was, to puzzle out the links between photography and memory, between "truth" and the reconstructed past.
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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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Hard Work In the Big Easy
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The preparation advice seemed extreme, even for Third World travel.
Hepatitis A and B boosters. Tetanus shot. Face mask for airborne toxins. There'd be no groceries or drinkable tap water within five miles. All nearby homes would be unlivable by Western standards. All this for a trip to New Orleans?
Yes, the Big Easy has become a lot harder to visit, especially if, like a growing number of travelers, you're looking to volunteer in a city severely damaged and surprisingly unhealed since Hurricane Katrina's devastation last August. It's a city that even has its own version of refugee camps. Within hours of touching down, I found myself ladling out scrambled eggs to a long line of residents at a makeshift "cafe" under a tent set up by aging hippies to feed homeless locals.
Like many others, I had come to help, frustrated by the familiar litany of official inaction: FEMA foot-dragging, local government gridlock, even Red Cross scandals. But what don't make the headlines are the small yet significant actions of a clutch of volunteer organizations, and I was out to find a few to which I could contribute.
Even a cursory tour around New Orleans confirms the worst you've heard. The Lower Ninth Ward -- ground zero for the worst levee break -- is a virtually untouched, surreal landscape: splintered houses lying on cars, cars in trees, trees on houses, moldy rubble everywhere. In spring, seven months after the event, the entire area was silent -- no rumble of bulldozers, no excavators, no dump trucks.
In that bleak landscape, dozens of volunteer organizations have come to help -- getting people food, water or supplies or helping them reinhabit their homes and neighborhoods. They offer hope to locals and a blend of hard work, challenge and even adventure to volunteer vacationers.
During a 10-day trip here, I worked with two grass-roots nonprofit groups. The first, New York-based Emergency Communities, fed residents in the disaster zone of Arabi, a few miles east of the French Quarter (that site has since closed, although the group has operations in other areas in the same parish). The second, Common Ground Collective of New Orleans, helps homeowners in the impoverished Ninth Ward get back into their flood-destroyed homes and provides a variety of other services. Both are run on a shoestring and are fueled by a diverse and seemingly endless supply of volunteers.
"We started because there were no resources down here at all," said Sakura Kon?, a spokesman for Common Ground. "Now there are few resources for those most in need. That's where we can help."
Emergency Communities was founded as a direct result of Katrina by a group of self-described hippies who were adept at setting up large-scale outdoor kitchens at concerts, conventions and forest gatherings. They reasoned that they could apply that skill to disaster zones.
Says EC Executive Director Mark Weiner, "Alongside the physical destruction of a hurricane comes a loss of community. We try to re-create that sense of community and add a human touch to all our services -- whether it's providing a hot meal, a hot shower or a space where people can just hang out and chat."
After Katrina, EC was one of the first organizations to arrive on the Gulf Coast and start feeding people. The group receives food donations from charitable organizations and local producers, and now receives some funding from the United Way.
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New Orleans has become a lot harder to visit, especially if, like a growing number of travelers, you're looking to volunteer in a city so severely damaged and surprisingly unhealed.
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Outlook: Doctors Complicit in Torture
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Kansas City, Mo.: In the example of Al Qahtani, who was referenced by you as an example of torture supervised by medics, you fail to mention that he was the twentieth hijacker who after coercive questioning gave valuable information (When Lawyers Go To War; Heather McDonald; WSJ: July 7, 2006). The medics were used to monitor the techniques to ensure preservation of life and prevention of permanent impairment. The fact of the matter is, when it comes to discussing the horrible acts of atrocities committed by fanatic Islamic extremists, the real moral and ethical outrage is how one can ignore the pain and suffering of their victims but focus on the effort by our armed forces to obtain information to protect our country. If it were not for medics and physicians, many of these Islamic prisoners would be dead or maimed. Take away their contributions and the prisoners indeed would be much worse off than they are now. That examples can be found where questionable responses by medics and doctors occur is part of the chaos of war and will never completely be eliminated. No fault should be assigned to medical personnel when established guidelines are followed which have been given them by their superiors when the reason for war is of high moral validity. And to say that no moral validity exists in ridding the world of a group of terrorists who commit such horrible misdeeds as the Islamic terrorists is in itself a moral obscenity
Dr. Steven Miles: The Geneva Conventions do not distinguish according to the nature of the crime of the prisoner. We do not allow that distinction to apply with regard to treatment of our own prisoners.
"Oath Betrayed" contains a detailed discussion of the non-efficacy of coercive interrogation.
Spokane, Wash.: Isn't it especially odious that the U.S. is conducting this interrogations as well as these human rights and medical ethics violations in Cuba, a country we accuse of being a human rights abuser and torturer?
Dr. Steven Miles: The United States is having increasing difficulty appealing to human rights standards that we have set aside. When we recently appealed to these standards on behalf of a Chinese dissident, China told us that we were hypocritical to do so and Russia concurred.
Washington, D.C.: What do you think about the work of the ICRC in Guantanamo?
Dr. Steven Miles: The International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC is in a difficult situation, they get their access by promising the prison authorities that ICRC reports will not be public. This is different from Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch. The ICRC is not allowed private access to interview prisoners as of this date--until they are, the US cannot credibly speak of compliance with human rights treaties.
Arlington, Va.: I have long marveled at the remote statistical odds against all these "bad apples" "rouging" in such parallel ways in geographically disparate places (Cuba, Afghanistan and several sites in Iraq). The stories of physicians being routinely in the loop during our country's torture of those opposing our military incursions pretty much puts the final lie to the ridiculous notion that these actions were not sanctioned by the higher-ups. Why has our domestic(ated) media done such a nonexistent job of tracing all this stuff upward?
Dr. Steven Miles: When the Abu Ghraib prison investigation was announced in January 04, the US media and Congress was in an uproar over a wardrobe malfunction at a football game.
Washington, D.C.: Dr Miles- I was distressed to see the confusion engendered by your article and an erroneous headline. I decry the participation of many health care personnel (in your parlance, "clinicians") in these episodes, but there was no evidence presented that physicians (i.e. MDs) participated in any of this. Most readers - especially lay readers will not be able to make this distinction when the ambiguous terms "clinician" is employed, and The Post even headlines "doctors" on its second page. These are allied health care personnel that were involved; they do not take the Hippocratic oath, they are not licensed physicians, they have not attended medical school for 4 grueling years followed up by 3-7 years of truly demanding postgraduate training. In short, physicians, even in the military, have held the ethical line you and I support, and I am not surprised. I am dismayed, but not shocked, that individuals with a much lower commitment, fewer years of training, and less graduate education were compromised. As an MD, yourself I hope that your will work with the Post to address this misperception and casual editing that that indicts physicians unfairly. Physicians should not be confused with techs, corpsmen and other allied health care personnel.
Dr. Steven Miles: The various UN protocols, including the Principles of Medical Ethics Relevant to the role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians in the protection of Prisoners and Detainees Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman and Degrading Treatment, do not separate out physicians.
The book details the roles of several physicians including the psychiatrist in charge of the Behavioral Science Consultation Team at Abu Ghraib, the MDs who ordered forced feeding at Gitmo etc.
Fairfax, Va.: Is the culpability of medical personnel something new in America? If so, could it have similar origins as does the complicit behavior of those in the media who enable political leaders to do equally bad things by looking the other way or by actively participating in the perpetuation of misinformation?
Dr. Steven Miles: Although the US has a trouble history of collaborating with torturing regimes such as in El Salvador, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, South Vietnam, and Batista's Cuba, our own military treatment of POWs has set the standard since WWII.
It is particularly distressing to me to see the good reputation of military medicine tarnished by civilian leaders at the Dept of Justice and Defense and by Commanders when this reputation was entrusted to them for temporary safe keeping and stewardship. General Colin Powell warned of this as the administration embarked on this policy.
Alexandria, Va.: When I was growing up in the 50s I use to read about some of the tactics that Soviet doctors used to assist in the torture of prisoners, Andrei Shakarov as an example, sleep deprivation. I find it abhorrent that under this administration, we have resorted to such tactics.
Dr. Steven Miles: Yes, Soviet psychiatry invented a diagnostic term called sluggish schizophrenia which was used as a pretext for imprisoning dissidents and abusing them with medications and other abusive treatments.
Va.: What about the Cuba interrogators in North Vietnam's POW camps? Or the Cuba medical staff on South African POWS?
Dr. Steven Miles: The book reviews the sad fact that about 60% of torture victims report that medical professionals were involved in their abuse. This does not count the people who never see the doctor who falsifies a death certificate or those who do not see the physician who devised a torture device.
Thus, physicians from Cuba, East Germany, Japan, Germany, etc etc have participated in the abuse of prisoners.
This book is not about the treatment on the battlefield--it is about the treatment of disarmed captives. It was our horror at the treatment of US POWs that has lead us to support conventions like the the Geneva conventions. We should not join torturing countries in a race to the bottom.
Anonymous: Considering that Dr. Mengele's "research" was sponsored by BAYER, are there any corporate sponsors for any shady activities at Gitmo?
Dr. Steven Miles: I am unaware of any corporate sponsors for US activities in its prisons. I am also not aware of research such as bioweapons or ballistic wound treatment being conducted in US war on terror prisons and would be very surprised to see that it had occurred. I do not believe that it has.
On the other hand, private contractors have supplied US personnel with interrogation backgrounds to work at least in Iraq. I am not aware that any of them had medical backgrounds and thus did not address their role in "Oath Betrayed."
New Hampshire: Dr. Miles, thank you so very much for your important work and your adherence to ethics. I fear we are in danger of losing what is left of our national soul. I am a medical professional and cannot fathom how our brothers and sisters could have participated in these horrors. We all take an oath to do no harm. My feeling is that these atrocities have been perpetrated because of a flawed and deeply immoral leadership. If we had adhered to our laws and the treaties and conventions that we are signatory to, this would never have happened on this scale. Just last week, we learned that the military is recruiting gangs and neo- nazis and that they have already infiltrated the ranks; things may get far worse!
I was pleased at the SCOTUS decision with regard to Hamdan. Do you think the Republican controlled Congress and administration will act to reign in this "run amok" situation, or do you think we will have to wait until more balance is restored to the government via elections?
Dr. Steven Miles: I am not a pundit or a fortune teller however it is important to note that the US Supreme Court in Hamdan upheld the applicability of Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions at Gitmo and thus presumably to Iraq (where the US said the Geneva Convention applied) and to Afghanistan where the US said it did not apply for the same reasons as at Gitmo.
Article III contains the ban on torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and violation of this is a grave breech of the convention, by definition a war crime.
The US has also enacted something called the US War Crimes Act (look it up!) which says that US personnel who violate Geneva are committing a federal crime. Accountability will come by history, probably by selected subpoenas or indictments from the European human rights community. This will be necessary to restore the international rule of law in prisons.
Toronto Canada: Thanks for your excellent article.
Sami Al Laithy, an Egyptian academic, one of the 38 detainees who was determined not to have been an "enemy combatant" after all by his Combatant Status Review Tribunal, lost the use of his legs shortly after his arrival in Guantanamo. He says an angry guard threw him out of his hospital bed and jumped up and down on him, fracturing two of his vertebrae. DoD spokesmen say Al Laithy loss of the use of his legs was due to a (unspecified) pre-existing medical condition.
Many detainees were given their medical records when they were released. Do you happen to know whether Al Laithy was given his Guantanamo medical records? Do you happen to know whether he has made his records public and whether they back up his account of his loss of use of his legs?
Mahmoud Habib's medical records were analyzed by an expert, following his release. And he pointed to his frequent bouts of blood in his urine as a warning sign that Habib was being subjected to severe beatings. Are the DoD still giving released detainees their medical files? Or has the Habib analysis caused them to curtail this practice?
Thanks again for the excellent article.
Dr. Steven Miles: At this time, I cannot comment on the Laithy case. Lawyers seem to be having more luck getting medical records for some of the prisoners. It is important to note however that these medical records do not include the interrogation logs which detail the medical involvement in the course of the harsh interrogations. Also, it appears that the pre and post interrogation exams may in some instances be kept separate from the regular medical records. My book has an extensive discussion of missing data in some medical records and of medical records that become lost when investigators go looking for them.
Washington, D.C.: I haven't had a chance to read your article yet (but I will!) but noticed the online discussion. A while back I was tangentially involved in an effort by Brazilian human rights organizations to revoke licenses of doctors in that country who had participated in torture. Any thought of doing the same here?
I've also thought this would be an interesting angle to take with administration lawyers as well -- those who most egregiously ignored clear precedent in justifying torture.
Dr. Steven Miles: There have been a couple of instances, discussed in the book, where licenses have been suspended for physicians who collaborate with abuse.
California Medical Board was recently asked to sanction a physician who oversaw forced feeding at Guantanamo and used its discretion to decline to review the matter.
I entirely agree that the lawyers who wrote the policies, Yoo, Delahunty, Gonzales, Ashcroft, Beaver et al should be evaluated in the same way that clinicians are. This by the way would not include the equally off base Alan Dershowitz who does not hold a policy making position and is simply exercising his first amendment protected right to speak.
Washington, D.C.: RE: Kansas City, Mo: Almost any interrogator or intelligence professional will tell you that information obtained as the result of torture (or whatever euphemism you prefer) is inherently reliable. So your claim that the end justifies the means is not only morally bankrupt but factually false.
God bless you, Dr. Miles, for shining the spotlight on these abuses!
Dr. Steven Miles: I spend a great deal of time researching what is known about interrogational torture.
It gets bad information e.g. Saddam and Al Queda collaboration on bioweapons.
It results in sending our troops out on dangerous wild goose chases.
It enrages the populations against which it is directed.
It convinces opponents of the rightness of their cause and of the evil of their oppressors.
It endangers our own POWs and friends of democracy whose welfare we would support.
It does not produce usable evidence for trial.
Washington, D.C.: Do you have a feel for how most medical personnel in the army feel about what you've described? I know you said the vast majority act ethically, but do they feel like they're being tarred by the activities of the few who aren't?
Dr. Steven Miles: One of the saddest and most infuriating things about this is that this event has tarnished the reputation and traditions of US military medicine.
I have worked with our Armed Forces, most recently in tsunami wrecked Indonesia, also in the VA. Our soldiers are honorable and professional men and women. This policy framework was inherently corrupting, command accountability was wrecked, the damage to the abused, to the abusers, to our national reputation will be long lasting.
Silver Spring, Md.: I appreciated your article. In our society, as well as in the military, it is important for people who have some degree of influence, such as physicians, to stand up for what is right instead of just following orders. There are a lot of us who have no such influence who have a hard time trying to figure out what to do to stop the madness. A similar situation may be coming into the forefront regarding the death penalty in the US, where physicians may be able to effectively stop executions by refusing to attend. More power to them! And you!
Dr. Steven Miles: Thank you
Arlington, Va.: A Zogby survey a few months ago found that 85% of our military personnel in Iraq think they are there "retaliating for Saddam's role in 9/11". I have often imagined that the Pentagon encouraged this misconception in our soldiers to make it easier for them to dehumanize those who would rise up against them after we invaded their country. However, it's hard to believe that the president's Saddam-9/11 lie could be pulled very effectively on the highly educated (i.e., doctors). What other tactics do you think might have been used to help military physicians see Iraqis as sub-human and unworthy of basic human rights?
Dr. Steven Miles: A torturing society is one that is blighted by the politics of dehumanization. Though it is far outside the scope of my book, the attacks in NY, the Pentagon, in Nairobi, Madrid, Egypt, Bali, etc merit a vigorous international police response as has been used against the mob or the Medellin drug cartel. War will not solve this problem and in fact seems to be serving as a recruiting tool and as a training opportunity for terrorists of the future. A senior military office has recently called Abu Ghraib "Jihad University."
Tuscumbia, Mo.: Someday, perhaps sooner than you think, an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist will succeed in constructing a nuclear weapon located in the heart of one of our major cities. As our security measures continue to improve (recently demonstrated with the successful apprehension of terrorist cells in Florida and Canada) the real possibility exists that the terrorist(s) will be identified who knows where the nuclear device is located and when it is to be detonated. My question to you is do you believe that avoidance of coercive measures of questioning of the terrorist are required even at the risk of sacrificing thousands of innocent lives were the nuclear device to be exploded? Such scenarios, though perhaps less dramatic, occur on the battlefield regularly.
Dr. Steven Miles: This ticking time bomb scenario lies at the heart of the argument for torture. Serious intelligence agents do not put much credence in it.
It is vanishingly rare that an interrogator would know that one person has one piece of information that will pop out with a given level of torture and be instantly usable.
I have looked at the three ticking time bomb cases.
In one it was claimed that the torture of an Al Qaeda operative in the Philippines picked up a plot to blow up a bunch of trans-pacific commercial airliners. In fact the information was obtained from his laptop at arrest--torture added nothing.
In another, torture lead to false information about Iraq-Al Qaeda collaboration on bioweapons with disastrous policy consequences.
The Hamoodi case cited by Schlesinger and discussed in chapter 1 was also false.
A French general claimed successful use of interrogational torture in Algiers--his claim has not been validated. It is true that the use of torture alienated the population, mobilized the resistance. Any minor tactical advance was offset by a strategic failure.
Read the CIA Kubark and MBark reports for more. Citations in my book.
Tampa, Fla.: A Nov. 4, 2005, NY Times op-ed by Bloche and Marks points out that the "coercive" techniques used at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere after 9/11 are not interrogation techniques, but actually brainwashing techniques. This seems to explain why, according to the FBI, we have gained no actionable intelligence from their use. Leaving aside questions about legality, the techniques don't work in the first place!
So the physicians and other health-care personnel betraying their oaths are really trying to brainwash their victims.
If they want to torture people, they at least ought to know what they're doing. Adding incompetence to wanton cruelty doesn't advance our cause, but plays right into the hands of al Qaeda.
Dr. Steven Miles: The Fay report which looked at this process in Iraq pointed out that the interrogators in this system were by and large novices with little training.
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld in effect established a rump intelligence organization outside of standard Army doctrine in these interrogation centers and granted extraordinary powers to poorly trained interrogators who operated outside of a clear chain of command.
The amateurism and unprofessionalism of this system has deeply distressed many seasoned intelligence professionals and the FBI who have strenuously protested. Former CIA director and Admiral Stansfield Turner spoke for their distress when he called Dick Cheney our "Vice President of Torture."
The clinicians who became actively and passively complicit with this abusive system just went to work.
Toronto, Canada: Thanks for the excellent article. I have an additional question.
Bush administration spokesmen have been responding to the claims of abuse by military personnel by citing the "Manchester manual", and claiming it tells al Qaeda trainees to lie about being tortured.
So, I did a web search on the manual, and read the chapters about what to do in case of capture. I didn't find it advising readers to lie about being tortured. I did find it encouraging readers to do their utmost to report when they had been tortured.
In particular, it encouraged readers do their utmost to get a medical examination as soon as possible, prior to any interrogation, if possible, in order to help document that subsequent injuries were administered while in custody.
Isn't this advice the very opposite of what it would advise if it counseled readers to lie about torture? Wouldn't medical examinations prior to interrogation help their captors document that the captive wasn't tortured?
Dr. Steven Miles: I cannot comment on this document. The Army Surgeon General found that our safety system of pre and post interrogation exams was very often skipped.
Dr. Steven Miles: Thank you all for your questions.
The book is "Oath Betrayed: Torture, Complicity, and the Medical Profession" Random House. It is available through Amazon and at larger bookstores for $16-24.
For those of you who wish to become engaged on this matter, I suggest Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, ACLU (Obtaining documents), and the Center for Constitutional Rights, as well as various torture victim treatment centers.
I am signing off at 12:23
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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Washington Post staff writer Terence O'Hara was online to discuss the annual examination of compensation levels for area executives on Monday, July 10 at 2 p.m. ET .
Many Executives' Paychecks Swelled, No Matter How They Did
2005 Compensation For Top-Earning Executives Grew With Stock Option Awards
Determining Pay at Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae
Terence O'Hara: Hello. This is Terence (Terry) O'Hara, a local business reporter at The Post. This is an online discussion about how much money other people make, namely executives at Washington's largest companies. There's lots of questions in the que so let's get started. My colleague David Hilzenrath should be joining us soon.
Fairfax, Va.: After Enron and the other high profile corporate malfeasance in the last several years, has it had any effect locally to improve corporate governance and modify largely out of line executive compensation locally and nationally?
Terence O'Hara: Generally, according to various studies, the use of stock options and outsized pay packages declined after the stock market bubble popped in 2000. The use of options, especially, declined after the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley law. However, locally, pay packages, including options, appears to be on the rise. This may have something to do with performance. Overall, Washington's public companies, which are concentrated in the real estate, financial services, government contracting, hospitality and service industries, have performed very well in recent years. But that is a generalization. One can find plenty of examples of large pay packages that are divorced from performance.
With regards to corporate governance, my impression is that yes, generally, it has improved. There are more independent directors calling the shots on things like accounting policy, internal controls and executive pay. "Independent" is in often in the eye of the beholder, however.
Tampa, Fla.: Do any of the companies mentioned in your excellent series have INDEPENDENT compensation committees on their boards of directors?
Requiring this was bandied about when Sarbanes-Oxley was working its way through Congress. I recall the business community opposed this far more vehemently than it opposed requiring independent audit committees. As long as setting compensation is "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" we'll be stuck with CEOs getting pay awards having little to do with performance.
Also, stock option grants do not align the interests of the grantees with those of the shareholders. Dividends are the most obvious example. Paying dividends is great for shareholders, but bad for option holders. Option holders do not get dividends. They instead see the assets of the corporation reduced. The value of an option depends in large part on the value of the assets of the corporation. The less the value of the assets, the less the value of the options. This is why large cash dividends cause the value of stock options to drop, more so than the value of stock. So option holders actually have interests adverse to those of shareholders.
So if you want to align the interests of management with those of shareholders, don't use options!
Terence O'Hara: Of the hundred or so local public companies that I examined, all of them have compensation committees that are made up of independent directors. There's the concept of "interlocks," wherein one CEO sits on the compensation committee of another CEO's board, and vice versa. I saw none of that.
You make some good points about the usefulness of options in aligning the interests of management with shareholders. More companies these days are using restricted stock in lieu of options, though not all. The executives with the largest total compensation packages on our list are there because they had large option grants last year.
Washington, D.C.: You don't see too many women on this list. Compared to previous years when The Post has analyzed this data, has the number of women been about the same? more? less?
Terence O'Hara: We haven't done a scientific, historic study of the number of women in the highest-pad ranks. I've been doing this project for five years, and I would say that from memory the number of women among the highest paid has increased, if at all, only a little. The top ranks of public companies remain overwhelmingly male. And while you see more women in positions of leadership at public companies, cracking into the top ranks remains a very rare occurance. This year, however, you had some women come into some big money. Martine Rothblatt at United Therapeutics was granted options that made her total compensation package worth more than $31 million. And Joan Sweeney, the longtime executive at Allied Capital, was paid more than $4 million last year, most of it in cash.
Washington, D.C.: Before we start complaining about how much CEOs are paid; these guys add value to the company in contrast to people like Katie Couric that makes $15m a year. I wonder what value she adds...
Terence O'Hara: These sort of comparisons always fascinate me. There's the concept of the "key man" or the "superstar" system, wherein a very few individuals are considered so valuable that they can command virtually any compensation. You see this in sports and entertainment, especially, and in corporate suites, as well. I would argue that it can't be demonstrated that every CEO adds value to a company. I don't know enough about broadcast news economics to know if K. Couric is worth that much. Seems like a heck of a lot, but network television is a monster money maker.
Arlington, Va.: Why do you think that the executives at Fannie Mae who benefited financially from what we now know was 'creative' bookkeeping, are not taking the high ground and returning their ill-gotten gains? Greed? Sense of entitlement? It would seem to me that if what Dan Mudd says is true, that the culture of Fannie Mae has changed dramatically, why not show it?
Terence O'Hara: Fannie Mae argues that the executives respsonsible for the accounting problems are no longer with the company; specifically, former CFO Timothy Howard and former CEO Franklin Raines. Both of those men were paid tens of millions while they were at Fannie, and were given generous departure packages when they left. The Fannie story is far from over, however, and both the government and the company itself may seek some return of those monies. The question remains: Should compensation that is based on performance criteria such as earnings per share be returned if the earnings per share turned out to be false? Ultimately, that's up to each board of each company.
Silver Spring, Md.: How do you find out what stock options an executive has exercised? Is it in an FTC filing?
I am curious because the rank and file employees were "given" some stock options several years ago by our company - and our stock has never risen a penny over what we could exercise those options at. But I would love to know if the top bosses have been in the same boat with us on the options. (this is a fortune 500 company not a mom and pop)
Terence O'Hara: Option exercises are disclose (or should be) within two business days of the exercise, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, on what is known as a Form 4. Also, in the annual proxy statement, total option exercises for each senior executive are listed, including how much money they made on the exercise.
Sherman Oaks, Calif.: It seems that money itself is the most important indicator of increases in compensation. If you can afford to take good care of the company directors who decide your salary level, you are rewarded regardless of job performance. One hand washing the other often leaves both hands dirty.
Terence O'Hara: Indeed at many companies directors are paid a fair piece. I've seen directors fees rise above $100,000 for committee chairs. In addition, directors often have the opportunity for incentive pay, such as stock options. But it's not clear that the amount of money a director is paid is what drives huge pay packages. There's a variety of pressures on directors that cause executive pay to rise. Most convincing to me is the argument advanced by Lucien Bebchuk at Harvard: that there is no market to help directors arrive at a pay level for their senior managers, so they have no incentive or even ability to "drive a hard bargain" with a chief executive. There's always the soft pressures at work, I'm sure. I'm sure no director relishes the idea of negotiating a CEO's pay package, especially with someone who many directors view as a partner, not an adversary.
Bowie, Md.: Point about Katie Couric: The TV network makes money off of her based on how much companies are willing to pay for commercial slots, and for a long time, she's been America's sweetheart and able to pull in vieweres. CEO's though, make money based on how their companies perform (ie. options and bonuses) but their cash salary is based on their negotiated contracts from when they accepted the job. Two different things.
Washington, D.C.: Your list gives the top 100 cash and top 100 total compensation. Is there data available that extends past the Top 100?
Top 100 by Salary .
Top 100 by Compensation .
Terence O'Hara: Yes, there is, though we don't publish the information and don't make it available online. It's a huge database, going back four years, and has thousands of names.
Washington, D.C.: What is the average CFO salary for an experienced person in the D.C. area?
Terence O'Hara: That, I don't know. I had hoped to be able to do a separate analysis of pay by title, but time did not allow it. Send me an e-mail and I'll see what I can gin up for you in a day or two. oharat@wasphost.com.
Silver Spring, Md.: Color me cynical but I think this has been covered pretty accurately through the years by the "Dilbert" cartoon strip.
Terence O'Hara: Hasn't it, though?!
Anyomous: Seeing the salary of the featured telecom exec really made me shudder. Seems that if our company is floundering in any way, some of these guys could give it up to keep the ship sailing.
I am truly disgusted overall at how much money these men make. It would be nice to do a story at how much they give back to the community with their personal funds.
Terence O'Hara: I found only one example this of an executive voluntarily reducing his salary for the benefit of the company: Gary B. Smith, at telecom equipment maker Ciena. Such an action is not unheard of. Usually, however, they forgo some current compensation with the promise of greater reward down the road if the company's fortunes improve.
Boston, Mass.: My assumption is that dramatic cuts in the super-high end of the income tax brackets are largely spurring the rise in executive pay.
Another way of looking at it-- top executives are highly competent at and motivated toward accumulating money and power -- its a talent that makes them good at their jobs. Just about the only short-term brake on them increasing their share of the pie is taxes. As that brake has been lifted, one would expect executives to start pulling in more cash.
Long-term, employee and stockholder discontent and competitive failures may come into play, but the only immediate disincentive, I would think, are taxes. And those have been drastically cut for those getting more than $1 million per year, correct?
Terence O'Hara: I haven't seen any evidence that tax policy affects top executive pay whatsoever. It just affects the components of pay, not the total. Companies just find a way of getting around tax rules that seek to limit outsized pay packages. The tremendous increase in incentive pay (bonuses, options, etc.) is tied indirectly to a tax rule that imposed excise taxes on salaries over $1 million. And, routinely these days, comapnies offer "gross ups," special payments to make taxable benefits, in essence, tax free.
As to the broader issue of tax policy toward the wealthy, I'm no qualified to answer. But I'm not sure that a repeal of the estate tax, for instance, matters a whit what companies pay their executives. These guys are getting richer, regardless. Perhaps someone would be able to come up with a tax regime that would put a hard ceiling on executive pay, but I'm not sure it would be politically palatable for Congress to go monkeying around with that.
Washington, D.C.: Another very interesting fact. A lot of these CEO's and highly paid individuals don't have backgrounds that match their company's jobs. For example, I once surfed the Goldman Sachs Web site, and they profiled some of their hot investment bankers. Many of them graduated from college with cheesy degrees in Art History or psychology, nothing involving business or finance. Of course, most of them went to top schools and probably got their jobs from alumni connections, and of course, many probably went off to get their MBA's at Ivy leage schools afterwards, but it was fascinating to learn. I know of a friend who works for a pharma company who used to be a webmaster and is now President and CEO.
Terence O'Hara: All you art history majors, do not lose hope!
Terence O'Hara: Though the executive cup runneth over, our time runneth out. For any employee or shareholder who wants to know how much their public company bosses are paid (and why), I encourage you to look up said compensation with the SEC. Knowledge is power. 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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Washington Post staff writer Terence O'Hara will be online to discuss the annual examination of compensation levels for area executives.
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'Pirates,' Full to The Gunwales In Doubloons
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Steering clear of the doldrums in a sea of bad critical reviews, the Black Pearl set sail over the weekend with an eye-popping pile of box office booty.
Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" pulled aboard $55.5 million on Friday -- the highest single-day pillage ever -- and cleaned up over the weekend with an estimated $132 million in ticket sales, another all-time record.
Following in the wake of 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," the sequel finds that same band of swashbuckling rogues cruising the high seas, under the dark-eyed vigilance of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.
The film lashed to the mast the former opening-day record holder, "Star Wars: Episode II, Revenge of the Sith" ($50 million). "Spider-Man," cowering in the shadows of Keira Knightley's cheekbones, gave up its former opening weekend record of $114 million. ("Curse of the Black Pearl" raked in a mere $47 million on its opening weekend in July 2003.)
Asked about the $132 million weekend haul, producer Jerry Bruckheimer said he had expected something closer to the $77 million debut for "The Da Vinci Code."
"When people in the industry predicted these high numbers, I thought they were just trying to be mean," Bruckheimer told the Associated Press yesterday. "So no matter how good we did, if we did $100 million, we'd be failures. I didn't think we'd get near these numbers."
"I think it's just jaw-dropping," said Gitesh Pandya of the Web site Box Office Guru, who predicted high numbers -- but not this high. He attributed the film's success to female moviegoers. "They just love Johnny Depp in this role," Pandya said. "He has more sex appeal than most male action stars." Judging from the weekend's turnout, Pandya thinks the film could do as well as $1 billion domestically and $2 billion internationally.
Such success illustrates a harsh divide between the viewers who turned out in droves and the critics who were practically unanimous in panning the film. The New York Times called "Pirates" "a glistening, sushi-grade chunk of franchise entertainment," and Rolling Stone reduced it to a hollow hull of "briny cliches." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times found it as "forgettable as a bad day in the Disneyland parking lot" -- a scene as crowded as the lines at Washington area theaters on Friday.
Naysayers couldn't stop Bruckheimer's film from stealing nearly double the rest of the top 12 combined. "Critics are always going to pan a sequel," said Pandya. "It's obviously not as original, but it's one of those films that's critic-proof."
Opening to 4,133 theaters, the film raked in an average of $31,944 per screen.
Pandya recalled how at a midnight Manhattan screening on Thursday, fans were dressed as pirates. "I thought, wow, this could be like a 'Harry Potter' or a 'Star Wars' franchise."
Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, told the Associated Press that "maybe the only movie that has a chance to beat this record might be the next 'Pirates' movie."
The next in the series, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At the World's End," is just a dot on the horizon, set to release next year on Memorial Day weekend. In that film, according to its Web site, Sparrow is forced to "lead his crew off the edge of the map."
And, if their luck holds, the box office charts.
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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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In Tijuana, the Real 'Nacho Libre'
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It's Friday night in a small Tijuana arena, the kind of rickety Mexican structure that can make you misty for American building-and-safety codes, and in the ring before me, masked wrestlers are smacking and flipping and generally abusing one another for my viewing pleasure.
Whap! The great Hijo del Santo goes down. That's gotta hurt.
The crowd breaks into a sympathetic chant: "San-to! San-to!" I take a gulp of ice-cold Tecate, lean back in my wobbly folding chair (not unlike the ones occasionally slammed onto these wrestlers' substantial heads) and smile.
While many of my fellow Americans are watching Jack Black play an aspiring Mexican wrestler in "Nacho Libre," I've come south on this balmy summer evening for the real deal: authentic lucha libre -- roughly translated, "freestyle wrestling" -- the kind practiced by beefy men with such names as El Dyablo who sport menacing masks and, it should also be noted, demonstrate no fear of wearing tights.
It's an easy trip. My wife, Leslie, and I drive 20 minutes from our home in San Diego until we spot a freeway sign that never fails to stoke my wanderlust: "Last USA Exit." Veering off, we park in a lot abutting the Mexican border and walk through a creaking turnstile into the other world that is Tijuana.
I know, I know, Tijuana has a bad reputation. The worst. Poverty. Drugs. Crime. Violence. You name it. It's all true. Just days before my visit, in fact, the heads -- and only the heads -- of three local police officers turned up in the Tijuana River. It's enough to make even the most intrepid traveler think twice.
But there's more to Tijuana than bad news. As I've discovered since moving to San Diego two years ago, the city offers plenty beyond the one street that most visitors see, Avenida Revolucion, with its bars, strip clubs and curio shops hawking knockoff "Finding Nemo" beach towels. The scene there, replete with drunken Americans posing for photos atop dejected donkeys painted to look like zebras, calls to mind the famous line attributed to former Mexican president Porfirio Díaz: "Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States."
Tonight, we take a cab 10 minutes to Carnitas Uruapan, dining on savory fried pork and steaming corn tortillas at a bright orange picnic table, serenaded by mariachis, without a striped donkey in sight. Then we stroll a few blocks to Palenque arena at the city's Hippodrome, where the wrestling extravaganza is scheduled to begin at 8:30.
Out front, in a sprawling dirt lot, a vendor sells corn on the cob from a steaming pot. A man stands before hundreds of colorful wrestling masks for sale, calling out, "Máscaras, máscaras." We buy our tickets at a small window -- $18 for two bleacher seats, with tonight's proceeds going to charity -- and head inside, savoring the scent of grilling, bacon-wrapped hot dogs. The dimly lit building, with its metal roof and sides, feels more like a tin barn than an arena. We climb a dozen steps and plop down on a long, narrow metal bench.
Radio placards line the ring; beer and brandy ads are plastered across the arena's walls. The wrestlers are nowhere to be seen, but the party is well underway. Around us, early arrivals are devouring mango slices doused with chili sauce. A boy in a gold wrestling mask nibbles awkwardly on cotton candy through a small mouth slit.
I don't see many fellow gringos. The crowd appears to be made up of hundreds of locals -- husbands and wives, groups of teenagers, fathers carrying masked toddlers. Down below, in a scene that would give an American property manager liability nightmares, two dozen kids have broken away from their parents and commandeered the wrestling ring, flopping on top of one another, swan-diving off the corner ropes, shouting and giggling. I love it.
Around 9 p.m., a bell rings, the kids take their seats and a man in a dark suit announces the first match. Four masked wrestlers (two tag teams) take the ring. As the crowd roars, the men take turns beating, bouncing and flipping one another. One guy pulls a classic Three Stoo- ges stunt and shoots two outstretched fingers at his opponent's eyeballs. It's a bold move. The crowd approves.
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Find Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland travel information, including web fares, Washington DC tours, beach/ski guide, international and United States destinations. Featuring Mid-Atlantic travel, airport information, traffic/weather updates
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Well-Paid Benefit Most As Economy Flourishes
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Wages are rising more than twice as fast for highly paid workers in the Washington area as they are for low-paid workers, an analysis of federal data by The Washington Post shows.
That means the spoils of the region's economic expansion are going disproportionately to workers who are already well-paid, widening a gap between rich and poor in a place where it is already wider than in most of the country.
Businesspeople cite shifts in the world economy that give educated workers leverage to negotiate for higher wages but make low-paid workers replaceable -- a disparity that is especially pronounced in a service economy like Washington's.
The region's economy is strong and businesses are expanding, hiring more software engineers, financial analysts, salespeople and other skilled workers, thus bidding up their pay. But companies are simultaneously finding ways to automate clerical tasks, move call centers to cheaper places and handle business online, weakening demand for less-skilled workers.
Consider Focuspoint Inc., a company in Manassas that sells recorded messages for companies to play when callers are on hold. Three years ago, two order clerks frantically juggled calls and faxes from several hundred clients placing orders. Now the company has 1,700 clients and is expanding its sales and other high-level staff but still has just those two clerks -- who now sit quietly overseeing Internet orders.
"Three years ago, we would have had to hire more people to handle all our new clients," said Joe Martin, a vice president. "Now, we rely on new technology to pick up that work."
Such innovations help explain why, from 2003 to 2005, the average wage for people in the lowest pay bracket, with salaries around $20,000, rose only 5.4 percent in the Washington region -- not enough to keep up with rising prices. For the jobs that pay around $60,000, salaries rose 12.4 percent, well ahead of the 6.8 percent inflation in that period.
Those numbers come from a Post analysis of federal data collected from employers. The disparity exists throughout the nation, but the gap between high- and low-paid workers is widening faster in Washington than in the country as a whole.
"I'm not the kind of person to say I'm not getting paid enough," said Kamal Quarles, 27, of Oxon Hill, who handles packages for a large shipping company -- a function that is rapidly becoming automated. He said he is earning 4 percent more than he did when he started four years ago. "The reality is my pay isn't rising, but everything else is."
In the highest wage bracket, where chief executives, lawyers and other professionals earn six figures, average wages rose 8.5 percent from 2003 to 2005. The increase in their incomes is probably even higher, because employees at that level also often get better benefits, partnership income, stock options or other compensation.
Nationwide, the wage gap is widening more slowly: The average wage for upper-middle-income jobs rose 5.8 percent, and low-wage jobs saw pay increases of 3.4 percent, from 2003 to 2005.
These figures are based on data from a twice-yearly survey, overseen by the U.S. Labor Department, of 200,000 employers across the United States. For this analysis, The Post divided the 2.7 million jobs in this region into five brackets based on the jobs' average pay, comparing changes in each bracket over two years. (See accompanying story for details.)
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Wages are rising more than twice as fast for highly paid workers in the Washington area as they are for low-paid workers, an analysis of federal data by The Washington Post shows.
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Investigations, Lawsuits Still Dogging 9/11 Lawyer
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Carla J. Martin's moment of infamy ended nearly as quickly as it began.
An obscure government lawyer, she had been a minor player in the most major of cases: the death penalty trial of Sept. 11, 2001, conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. But that all changed in an instant, when she violated a court order by sharing testimony with witnesses and coaching them about what to say.
Suddenly, the former flight attendant rocketed across TV screens and newspaper front pages, cast as the villain whose misconduct nearly derailed the prosecution's case. Berated by a federal judge, Martin, 51, walked out of an Alexandria courtroom with her head down -- and back into anonymity.
But even as her public profile has diminished, Martin's actions have spawned a wave of legal proceedings. Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia are exploring the possibility of criminal charges against her, and Pennsylvania's lawyer disciplinary board has begun an investigation, according to court documents and sources familiar with the case. Martin remains on paid leave from the Transportation Security Administration, which is also investigating her conduct. And seven family members of Sept. 11 victims have filed suit against her in the District.
The woman at the center of the storm is emotionally distraught, crying when she talks about the criminal investigation and feeling like a prisoner in her own apartment, Martin's mother said last week.
"She's not doing very well. It's terrible, devastating for her," said Jean Martin Lay, who believes that her daughter did nothing wrong. "She doesn't do much of anything but stay at home, as far as I know."
Martin declined to comment through her attorney, Roscoe C. Howard Jr., who said: "She is doing probably as well as can be expected for somebody who is trying to see what her fate will be. We're just waiting to see how the government decides to proceed."
A longtime government aviation lawyer, Martin had been a liaison between the Moussaoui prosecutors and witnesses expected to testify about airport security. Although those witnesses were crucial to the government's argument that Moussaoui deserved to die for his role in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, prosecutors said Martin's role was limited. She was merely a legal conduit who located files and arranged witness interviews and was never to be involved with legal strategy or litigating the case, they said.
Yet for reasons that remain a mystery, Martin e-mailed trial transcripts to seven witnesses and coached them on their testimony. In Alexandria, U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema had ruled that most witnesses could not attend or follow the trial and could not read transcripts to prevent them from altering their testimony to conform to what others had said.
An angry Brinkema halted the trial only a week after it had begun in March and accused Martin of "egregious errors" that undermined Moussaoui's constitutional rights. After an extraordinary hearing at which an agitated Martin declined to testify, the judge barred all seven witnesses from testifying -- effectively gutting the prosecution's argument for the execution of the only person convicted in an American courtroom in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Brinkema later allowed prosecutors to find new aviation witnesses not tainted by contact with Martin, and the trial resumed. Moussaoui was sentenced to life in prison in May. By that time, the criminal investigation of Martin was well underway, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.
The U.S. attorney's office in Alexandria, which prosecuted Moussaoui, has recused itself from the investigation, which is being led by a Philadelphia-based assistant U.S. attorney and two FBI agents.
Members of the Moussaoui prosecution team have been interviewed about their dealings with Martin, along with some of her Transportation Security Administration colleagues, according to law enforcement sources and lawyers familiar with the investigation. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing.
Prosecutors have indicated to Martin's attorneys that criminal charges are possible, sources said, but it remains unclear whether they would be filed in court. Among the charges being considered, sources said, is lying to a federal officer, a felony. Prosecutors have been questioning witnesses about an incident in which a member of the Moussaoui prosecution team, David J. Novak, sent a letter to Moussaoui's attorneys saying that aviation industry witnesses they were seeking would not meet with them.
After hearing testimony in March, Brinkema called the letter a "bald-faced lie." It was based on information from Martin, prosecutors said.
Martin has also been warned by Brinkema that she could be held in criminal or civil contempt of court for violating the court order. Either the judge or the Justice Department can initiate a criminal contempt investigation, but any such proceeding is considered unlikely before the criminal investigation is completed.
Martin has met with the Philadelphia prosecutors at least once to answer questions and has turned over documents and her laptop computer, according to court documents and lawyers familiar with the case. Martin's attorneys are trying to persuade the government not to file charges, sources said, and part of their strategy is to blame the Moussaoui criminal prosecutors for not telling Martin about the court order barring contact with witnesses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Crawley, who is leading the criminal investigation, said that because of the probe, "it would be inappropriate for me to say anything about that matter at this time." She declined to comment further.
Yolanda L. Clark, a spokeswoman for TSA, said that agency's investigation of Martin's conduct "is awaiting the conclusion of the criminal inquiry." Martin was a career Federal Aviation Administration lawyer who moved to the new TSA in 2002, largely because of her work on the case of the 1988 explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The salary for her job title at TSA, an attorney adviser, is as much as $120,000.
The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, through which Martin holds her law license, has also begun an investigation of Martin, according to law enforcement sources and a D.C. lawyer who filed an ethics complaint with the board about Martin's conduct in the Moussaoui case. The lawyer would not allow his name to be used, but he provided a copy of the complaint to The Washington Post. He said the board wrote him a letter saying his complaint was dismissed because the board had already initiated an investigation of Martin.
An official with the board did not return telephone calls.
Martin's attorneys have asked a federal judge in the District not to proceed with the civil suits against her until the criminal probe is completed. The suits, filed in U.S. District Court by seven people who lost relatives Sept. 11, argue that Martin "illegally coached witnesses and otherwise attempted to shade and alter evidence before the Moussaoui court" to help her "friends" in the airline industry avoid civil liability.
The seven Sept. 11 family members are among plaintiffs who have sued American Airlines, United Airlines and other defendants, alleging that they failed to prevent the attacks. Martin had been playing a role for TSA in that civil lawsuit that was similar to her role in the Moussaoui criminal case.
At a March court hearing in Alexandria, Brinkema speculated that Martin could have provided the testimony to the witnesses in the Moussaoui case out of "loyalty to the aviation industry." But the judge acknowledged that she didn't know what motivated Martin's actions and that they could have resulted from "overzealousness.''
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Carla J. Martin's moment of infamy ended nearly as quickly as it began.
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Death by Wikipedia: The Kenneth Lay Chronicles
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The surprise death of Kenneth L. Lay last week did more than throw a monkey wrench into the government's plans to jail and fine the Enron Corp. founder. It further exposed the critical weakness of Wikipedia that prevents it from becoming the go-to source for Internet knowledge that it ought to be.
A little background: Wikipedia is an open-format Internet encyclopedia available to just about anyone who wants to write and edit an article. It was launched in English in January 2001 and now has millions of articles in several languages. "Wikiwiki," by the way, is Hawaiian for "fast."
Unlike, say, the Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia has no formal peer review for its articles. They may be written by experts or insane crazy people. Or worse, insane crazy people with an agenda. And Internet access.
Lay's death on Wednesday illustrates the problem, as chronicled by the Reuters news service, which watched the Wikipedia article on Lay evolve with alarming speed and wildly inaccurate reporting.
News organizations began reporting Lay's death around 10 a.m. Wednesday. According to Reuters, by 10:06 a.m., Lay's Wikipedia entry said he had died "of an apparent suicide."
Two minutes later, the article was "updated" to say Lay had died "of an apparent heart attack or suicide." Within the same minute, a Wiki author backtracked, and the article said the cause of death was "yet to be determined."
Then the yahoos began weighing in.
At 10:11 a.m., the Lay article concluded, "The guilt of ruining so many lives finaly [sic] led him to his suicide." (Is it the speed with which flamers type that inevitably leads to typos? Or is it a political statement, a willful rebellion against the bourgeoisie strictures of so-called conventional spelling? Or are they just idiots? Discuss.)
Somehow, one minute later, actual news managed to elbow its way into Wikipedia: "According to Lay's pastor the cause was a 'massive coronary' heart attack."
But the sanity was short-lived. At 10:39 a.m., a self-styled medical expert opined: "Speculation as to the cause of the heart attack lead many people to believe it was due to the amount of stress put on him by the Enron trial."
Finally, by Wednesday afternoon, the Wikipedia entry about Lay said that he was pronounced dead at an Aspen, Colo., hospital and had died of a heart attack, citing news sources.
What does all of this tell us?
That Wikipedia's greatest strength is its greatest weakness.
If the statement that "history is written by the winners" is too gross, it does speak to an underlying truth: All definitive encyclopedia authorship comes with the point of view of its times. It is unavoidable. As august and reliable as the Britannica is, one need only look back to 19th-century versions to see its Anglo-centric viewpoint and curious study of others that treated foreigners (say, Africans) as anthropological subjects rather than human equals.
An encyclopedia written from many points of view should, in theory, help eliminate that flaw. Further, as well-girded in research as encyclopedia authors are, there are countless experts on thousands of topics that know more than the Wikipedia authors; every topic has its fetishists, and thank goodness. If the goal is the ultimate compilation of truth-tested facts, Wikipedia could be a powerful tool.
To wit, I offer this week's obligatory "Star Trek" reference. A recent story in another publication that I won't identify (coughcoughnewyorktimescough) reported the upcoming Christie's auction of "Trek" props and costumes. The head of the auction made a couple of Trekiana mistakes that even I caught, and I don't own a rubber Klingon prosthetic forehead. (As far as you know.)
But here's the dread fear with Wikipedia: It combines the global reach and authoritative bearing of an Internet encyclopedia with the worst elements of radicalized bloggers. You step into a blog, you know what you're getting. But if you search an encyclopedia, it's fair to expect something else. Actual facts, say. At its worst, Wikipedia is an active deception, a powerful piece of agitprop, not information.
Some Wikipedia articles contain warnings that concerns have been raised over accuracy. But that's not the same as offering fact-checked data.
I'm a fan of Wikipedia and Wiki notions, such as "citizen journalism." I just want them to be better.
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The surprise death of Kenneth L. Lay last week did more than throw a monkey wrench into the government's plans to jail and fine the Enron Corp. founder. It further exposed the critical weakness of Wikipedia that prevents it from becoming the go-to source for Internet knowledge that it ought to be.
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In YouTube Clips, a Political Edge
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It starts off like a typical negative ad, with swelling music and pictures of John McCain: "Flip-Flopper? Yes. Waffler? Yes."
But then the Internet spot takes a strange turn: "Eh, whatever. He should still be president," the graphics say. "John McCain 2008. He's Not Hillary."
This is one of the 60,000 videos added each day to YouTube.com, a shoot-it-yourself Web site that has exploded in popularity over the past year. And while many of the most widely viewed videos are merely intended to entertain or titillate -- rants, parodies, pet tricks, soccer brawls, singing, dancing and booty shaking -- company executives say politics is on the rise.
The site's sixth most popular group -- as measured by the number of people who click to subscribe -- is titled "Bush Sucks," with 2,018 members and 741 videos. Also near the top is "Nedheads," with 841 members signing on to a group created by activists backing Ned Lamont in his Democratic primary race against Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut.
While bloggers played a role in the last presidential election, most advertising and message delivery still comes from campaigns, political parties and interest groups with enough money to bankroll a television blitz. But the YouTube revolution -- which includes dozens of sites such as Google Video, Revver.com and Metacafe.com -- could turn that on its head.
If any teenager can put up a video for or against a candidate, and persuade other people to watch that video, the center of gravity could shift to masses of people with camcorders and passable computer skills. And if people increasingly distrust the mainstream media, they might be more receptive to messages created by ordinary folks.
"YouTube is a campaign game-changer, shifting the dynamics of how to reach voters and build intimate relationships," says Julie Supan, senior marketing director for the small, California-based firm, which by one measure now runs the 39th most popular Web site. "YouTube levels the playing field, allowing well-backed and less-known candidates to reach the same audience and share the same stage."
Even the seemingly simple act of posting footage of a politician's interview on "Meet the Press" or "The Daily Show" has a viral quality, because it can be seen by far more people than watched during a single broadcast.
The 18-month-old site, which makes its revenue from banner ads, is free for viewers and contributors. The company says 80 million videos are viewed every day. Each video, group or page is placed in easily searchable categories, and those who subscribe to the groups are automatically notified of new content.
The networks are just starting to awaken to the power of these citizen video sites. After feuding with YouTube for illegally showing a clip from "Saturday Night Live" earlier this year, NBC realized the power of such online promotion and recently struck a deal with the site to publicize its fall lineup. Hollywood studios are interested as well.
Contributors to YouTube seem to lean to the left. There are videos of verbal stumbles labeled "Stupid Bush" and "Bush Screwups," along with "President Bush Drunk," a bit on CBS's "Late Late Show" that slowed down a tape of the president so it appeared as if he were slurring his words. Another shows Bush, in his Texas days, extending his middle finger. (One positive video features a group called the Right Brothers singing "Bush Was Right.")
Any registered user can form a group, and the site includes one called "Support George Bush," which says, "Don't be afraid of your beliefs -- most campuses nationwide have a liberal bias anyway . . . as does the media." But it doesn't crack the top 100 in terms of membership, unlike "Bush Sucks," which is designed "for everyone who hates Bush and all his Republican cronies."
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It starts off like a typical negative ad, with swelling music and pictures of John McCain: "Flip-Flopper? Yes. Waffler? Yes."
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Long Haul to Acceptance
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The words were spoken 30 years ago, and yet they are as jarring as they were the day when Sharon Hanley arrived at the U.S. Naval Academy -- 17 years old and about to make history as one of the first female undergraduates.
"I don't like you here," she recalls an upperclassman telling her. "I don't like women at my school, and so I'm going to be on your butt every waking minute. . . . If my plan works, you're going to be long gone before I graduate. Is that clear?"
She remembers her shock and dismay, then her momentary confusion about how to answer. As a plebe, she was not allowed to object or comment.
"Yes, sir," was all she could say.
Now, on the 30th anniversary of the integration of women in the Naval Academy, Sharon Hanley Disher finds herself in history's view again, the first of the earliest female graduates to be followed to Annapolis by a daughter. She watched teary-eyed in the late June heat as her daughter and son, who are twins, stood solemnly in Navy whites for their swearing-in on the campus's tree-lined grounds.
They are part of an academy class that includes a record number of women -- 22.4 percent, compared with 6 percent in the beginning -- and comes together as the country is at war, with women serving on destroyers and in fighter planes.
But though much has improved since women first arrived -- and many female graduates express great loyalty to the storied 161-year-old institution -- a complex and sometimes troubling portrait of student life emerges from three recent studies sponsored by the Defense Department.
The most recent study found that in the 2004-05 school year, 59 percent of female midshipmen and 14 percent of men reported sexual harassment, defined as crude and offensive behavior, unwanted sexual attention or sexual coercion. Sexist behavior -- put-downs and offensive comments -- was reported by 93 percent of women and 50 percent of men.
What the academy experience is like for young women is coming into greater focus as Congress looks into the subject and as the quarterback on the academy's football team faces a court-martial trial starting tomorrow on a charge of raping a female midshipman.
All of this happens as three decades of gender integration are marked this month, with women recalling their unsettling early days in a college dedicated to the making of military men.
"The name of our game was survival," Disher said. The attitude was "boys will be boys and 'You're coming to an all-male school; what did you expect?' " At her home in Annapolis last week, Disher happened upon a C-SPAN broadcast of Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the academy's superintendent, testifying before Congress.
"Sexual harassment and misconduct and assault should not be tolerated in the Navy-Marine Corps," he said, "and I can assure you that they are not tolerated at your Naval Academy."
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The words were spoken 30 years ago, and yet they are as jarring as they were the day when Sharon Hanley arrived at the U.S. Naval Academy -- 17 years old and about to make history as one of the first female undergraduates.
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Deterrence is Not a Dirty Word
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North Korea's failed test launch of the long-range Taepo-Dong II missile on July 5 may show that North Korea is not yet able to strike the United States with ballistics, but Americans should not let down their guard just yet. This is unlikely to be the last North Korean attempt to launch such a missile and once their engineers figure out the problem, they will go back to the launching pad. No one knows how long this process will take, but it could be as little as a few months and North Korean engineers will want to save their jobs and more by fixing the problem quickly. This continued development of missiles should worry all Americans as over the past few years North Korea has acquired enough nuclear material to build a small arsenal of nuclear weapons and while they cannot yet miniaturize a nuclear warhead to fit on a long-range missile, they are clearly pursuing a system capable of holding American cities at risk of attack. Their success is only a matter of time unless Pyongyang can be convinced their course is futile.
Over the long run, how can Americans be sure that some future "test" missile won't be fitted with a nuclear weapon and targeted on a US city? The short answer is they can't. But through a straightforward policy of deterrence we can eliminate any thought in North Korean minds that they can attack the United States and survive. President Bush should declare that any offensive missile fired at the United States or its allies in the region from North Korea would be an act of war requiring a swift and massive response. Such a clear, strong statement would reassure our allies and remove the incentive for North Korea to pursue its missile programs. Moreover, attaching the same consequences to any sales of long-range missiles to hostile states would eliminate the profit motive for North Korea . This is what Kennedy did when Russia deployed missiles to Cuba, and what Truman, Eisenhower, and Reagan did during the height of the cold war. The result helped prevent the use of Soviet nuclear weapons during the cold war and deterred China from similar pursuits. But the current uneven and confused response by the United States has led to a weakening of deterrence in East Asia and has allowed the dangerous belief to take root in North Korean minds, that it can successfully pursue its aggressive strategy. Nothing could be more dangerous for stability in the region.
While the United States has moved to support additional sanctions by Japan and urged South Korea to penalize North Korea in response to the missile tests, this falls far short of the severe consequences that had been threatened before the launch. U.S. allies and adversaries alike have to know that Washington will not stand by and let hostile nations threaten global security. To date, North Korea has succeeded in developing a significant nuclear arsenal and in advancing its missile programs with only a minimum of economical and political consequences. This only encourages more provocative behavior in the future.
Such a stark recommendation may sound harsh and smack of the nuclear dangers that permeated the cold war -- a comparison the White House has rejected. But deterrence (and a lot of luck) prevented a nuclear conflict during the cold war and can help prevent unpredictable states from making the wrong decision. North Korea needs to be reminded that the US deterrent remains strong and President Bush needs to express just that in the strongest possible terms. Anything less invites North Korea to continue along its dangerous path.
Jon B. Wolfsthal is a fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions; accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in these publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.
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North Korea must be made to understand that any act of aggression will be met with a swift and massive response.
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Plot to Attack N.Y. Foiled
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A terrorist plot to attack transit tunnels under New York's Hudson River was broken up in its early planning stages, U.S. authorities said yesterday, with three suspects arrested overseas, including a Lebanese man the FBI said was an al-Qaeda follower.
FBI assistant director for New York Mark J. Mershon said investigators had disrupted the plot before the suspects could come to the United States and begin to gather intelligence and explosives for the attack. He said there was no threat now to the PATH commuter lines, which carry tens of thousands of people between New York and New Jersey each day.
VIDEO | The Washington Post's Dana Milbank comments on the government's reaction to the news about the terrorists' plans to attack the New York City transit system.
The FBI uncovered the alleged plot last summer and intercepted e-mails and chat-room postings on Web sites used to recruit Islamic terrorists. U.S. authorities turned in April to Lebanese officials for help in tracking one of the suspects, Assem Hammoud. The 31-year-old man, who the FBI said was the group's leader, was arrested in Beirut on April 27 and has confessed, officials said.
"This is a plot that would have involved martyrdom, explosives and certain of the tubes that connect New Jersey with Lower Manhattan," Mershon said. He called the threat "the real deal."
Hammoud was arrested before leaving for four months of training in Pakistan, and Lebanese investigators discovered details of a terrorist "project" on his computer that included a map "with a lot of details about New York," Lebanon's acting Interior Minister Ahmed Fatfat said in a telephone interview.
But authorities said there was no evidence that the plotters had taken any actions, such as buying explosives or sending money. They cast doubt on the feasibility of initial reports, which first appeared in the New York Daily News, that terrorists sought to flood Lower Manhattan and the Financial District by bombing tunnels.
There were conflicting assessments among U.S. counterterrorism officials about the significance of the alleged plot.
Two U.S. counterterrorism officials, speaking on the condition that their names and agencies not be identified because the FBI is the government's lead agency, discounted the ability of the conspirators to carry out an attack.
One said the alleged plot was "not as far along" as described and was "more aspirational in nature." The other described the threat as "jihadi bravado," adding "somebody talks about tunnels, it lights people up," but that there was little activity to back up the talk.
Speaking to reporters, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said, "It was never a concern that this would actually be executed. We were . . . all over this."
Authorities provided few details on two of the suspects who were arrested, declining to say where they had been apprehended. An FBI official said one was Canadian but was not being held in Canada. Mershon said officials had not planned to announce the arrests yesterday and criticized the leak to the media, saying it upset cooperation between the United States and six foreign governments assisting in the investigation.
Authorities said Hammoud, who also used the name Amir Andalousli, told investigators that he had planned the attacks for October or November and had sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
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A terrorist plot to attack transit tunnels under New York's Hudson River was broken up in its early planning stages, U.S. authorities said yesterday, with three suspects arrested overseas, including a Lebanese man the FBI said was an al-Qaeda follower.
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Personal Data Were Posted on Navy Web Site
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Personal records for every Navy and Marine Corps aviator or aircrew member who has logged flight hours in the past 20 years have been posted on a public Navy Web site for the past six months, compromising more than 100,000 Social Security numbers, the Navy Safety Center announced yesterday.
Investigators are working to determine how the records landed on the Navy Safety Center's Web site, which officials shut down Thursday after a member of the public reported finding the full names and Social Security numbers posted. Evelyn Odango, a spokeswoman for the safety center in Norfolk, said the list had been posted since December and appeared to be "inadvertent" and the result of "human error."
The security breach involving personal information is among several data losses involving the federal government in recent weeks, including the loss of records related to more than 26.5 million retirees and active-duty military personnel on a laptop that was stolen in May from a Veterans Affairs employee's home. The laptop was recovered last month.
The Government Accountability Office, the Agriculture Department, the Energy Department and the Internal Revenue Service all announced that they have had similar personal data compromised recently via Web site postings, Internet hackers and loss of electronic equipment. Two weeks ago, the Navy announced that personal information on 28,000 sailors and their family members was compromised when it appeared on a public Web site.
Odango said the Navy Safety Center list was discovered Thursday by someone not affiliated with the command, who then immediately reported it. She said the list includes all retired, active-duty and reservist personnel who have logged flight hours in the past two decades. The center is a command dedicated to improving the safety of Navy operations.
"That's the kind of information that is not supposed to be put on the Web site, and it was inadvertently posted," Odango said. "We don't have any proof that any of the information has been accessed or that it has been used illegally."
The information was included on 1,083 computer disks that were sent to all Navy and Marine Corps commands, Odango said, and Navy officials are working on recalling those disks.
Navy officials are encouraging anyone whose name could have been on the list to carefully monitor bank accounts, credit cards and other financial transactions to make sure the information is not being used fraudulently.
Those who might have been affected can contact the Navy Personnel Command call center at 866-827-5672 for more information. The call center should be active by the end of the weekend.
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News about the U.S. military from The Washington Post and washingtonpost.com. Full coverage of defense budgets, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and the Pentagon.
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Talks on Alliance Approved By GM
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George Fisher, the GM board's lead director, said in a statement that the board authorized GM to proceed with a plan to "weigh the benefits" of an alliance. Fisher said Wagoner would lead the discussions for GM but made clear that the final decision is in the board's hands. Fisher said directors would closely monitor the process to "assure that its outcome serves the best interests of all GM shareholders."
Investor Kirk Kerkorian, who holds a 9.9 percent stake in GM, first publicly broached the idea a week ago. His investment firm, Tracinda Corp., called the decision to open talks a "good first step" but again urged GM's board to form an independent board committee with its own legal and financial advisers to study the deal.
So far, details of a GM-Nissan-Renault alliance have been sketchy. Kerkorian and Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn have laid out a plan under which Nissan and Renault would take a combined 20 percent stake in GM for an investment of $3 billion. The action by GM's board potentially opens the way for Ghosn, who is widely credited with reviving Nissan early in the decade, to take a larger role in GM's restructuring. Some analysts wonder whether Kerkorian is trying to put a plan in motion that could eventually place Ghosn on the GM board, or even in the top job at the automaker.
Wagoner is probably puzzling over Kerkorian's end game, said David Kudla, chief investment strategist at Mainstay Capital Management in Grand Blanc, Mich. "It really puts a lot of pressure on Wagoner," he said. "Is Kerkorian really trying to put together an alliance that will take years to bear fruit? Or is he trying to get a real agent of change -- the icon of change in the automotive industry?"
Wagoner said in a statement that his team would enter into discussions with an "open mind -- eager to hear their ideas of how an alliance between our companies might work to our mutual benefit."
Earlier in the week, the boards at Nissan and Renault gave Ghosn authority to begin discussions with GM. Ghosn holds the titles of chief executive and president at both Nissan and Renault. The two automakers have been partners since 1999, when Renault purchased a stake in Nissan and dispatched Ghosn to Tokyo to rebuild Nissan's failing operations.
With the green light from GM's board, the discussions are headed into an exploratory stage. Both Nissan and GM said Wagoner and Ghosn have agreed to meet to discuss the deal. The Detroit News has reported that the meeting would take place Friday, but representatives at both companies have declined to specify a date.
Nissan yesterday issued a short statement, saying, "We look forward to starting the discussion process soon."
Analysts have questioned the rationale behind a link-up of the three companies. Nissan and GM have overlapping vehicle lineups in the United States, which seems to make them better suited to be rivals than partners. A similar problem exists in Europe, where GM and Renault are major players. GM has a corporate culture all its own, rooted in the automaker's long-held position as the world's No. 1 automaker.
But GM executives have been unable to halt an erosion of that position. The automaker has continued to lose market share in the United States, which is the biggest and most lucrative single auto market in the world.
Under Wagoner's direction, GM is undergoing a major overhaul of its troubled North American operations. The plan includes closing all or part of 12 manufacturing facilities and eliminating 30,000 jobs. GM is also cutting billions of dollars in costs and pushing hard to develop more appealing models. But the company has been challenged by investors and analysts who argue that bigger steps are needed to reverse GM's long-term decline.
Fisher said in the statement that the board continues to fully support GM's current North American turnaround strategy.
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General Motors Corp.'s board of directors yesterday agreed to open preliminary discussions with Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA on a three-way alliance, a move that turns up the pressure on GM Chairman Rick Wagoner.
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Newly Released Columbine Writings Reveal Killers' Mind-Set
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GOLDEN, Colo., July 6 -- "I hate you people for leaving me out of so many things," high school senior Eric Harris wrote of his classmates. "You had my phone #, and I asked you and all, but no, no no don't let that weird looking Eric kid come along. . . . I HATE PEOPLE and they better [bleeping] fear me."
Barely two weeks after he scrawled that entry in a journal, Harris and his classmate Dylan Klebold carried out the threat, killing 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in suburban Denver. The pair then killed themselves, ending the nation's deadliest school shooting.
The Jefferson County sheriff on Thursday released about 900 pages of documents seized from the killers' homes just after the shootings on April 20, 1999. The cache includes school papers and report cards, as well as anguished love letters, poems, drawings, to-do lists, journals and chat-line ramblings from the two teenagers.
Since the attack, more than 20,000 documents and videos have been made public, and some of the details released Thursday had been previously disclosed.
The documents depict intense levels of nihilism, anger and contempt for the boys' schoolmates. They also show that the pair closely tracked the provisions of state and federal gun laws to determine how they could acquire weapons.
The newly released papers suggest that the two seniors dropped several clues about their plans in advance. But they were not enough to prompt intervention.
Two months before the killings, Klebold wrote a short story for an English class depicting a man who kills nine high school students with automatic pistols. "I saw emanating from him power, complacence, closure, and godliness," the story ended. "I understood his actions."
The teacher, whose name is not given, wrote, "You are an excellent writer and storyteller, but I have some problems with this one."
The killers, who chose Adolf Hitler's birthday for their rampage, were preoccupied with guns, bombs, murder and the Nazis, their personal journals show. This obsession is also reflected in classroom papers.
The same year as his short story about the mass murderer, Klebold submitted an outline for a research paper titled "The Minds and Motives of Charles Manson and Other Serial Killers."
Harris, who collected newsletters from anti-gun-control groups, wrote a class paper noting that federal gun laws had "loopholes" that meant "criminals who want guns have a pretty good chance of getting them." In another essay, he wrote, "It is just as easy to bring a loaded gun to school as it is to bring a calculator."
School authorities said after the shooting that they had no reason to fear violence from Harris and Klebold. After warnings from neighbors, the county sheriff's office considered seeking a search warrant to look for weapons at the youths' homes shortly before the shootings, but it never acted.
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Bubbly Boycott? Oh Please, Jay-Z, Just Chill
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The rapper Jay-Z, who is now the president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, has called for a boycott of Cristal champagne, which sells in the neighborhood of $300 a bottle, because his feelings have been hurt.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is upset because Frederic Rouzaud, the managing director of the winery that makes Cristal, made some indelicate comments about his customers. While Jay-Z's indignation may indeed be righteous, his call to arms is akin to a millionaire calling for a boycott of Gulfstream jets. It's a little difficult for the average person -- happy with a $10 bottle of Prosecco -- to get too worked up. Such is the burden of tremendous wealth. The little people mock your pain.
Jay-Z's harrumphing began a couple weeks ago when the Economist published an article examining the prestigious cuvées from several champagne makers, including Louis Roederer, which produces Cristal. Amid the descriptions of the famous consumers of expensive bubbly -- Madonna likes Krug, James Bond drank Moet et Chandon's Dom Perignon -- was the fact that Cristal is the favorite among hip-hop swells. The magazine inquired as to whether the company felt it was a positive thing to have its champagne, originally created for czars, swigged like a bottle of Budweiser. Rouzaud replied: "That's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business."
In response to Rouzaud's public relations pratfall, Jay-Z, in a statement, unleashed a cry of "racist." A fighting word.
"I view his comments as racist and will no longer support any of his products through any of my various brands including the 40/40 Club nor in my personal life," Jay-Z said.
Rouzaud volleyed with a statement of love and affection for all forms of music, art and culture:
"A house like Louis Roederer would not have existed since 1776 without being totally open and tolerant to all forms of culture and art, including the most recent musical and fashion styles which -- like hip-hop -- keep us in touch with modernity."
In the middle are the hip-hop high rollers who have to decide whether to cross Jay-Z's virtual picket line or make do with a $225 bottle of Krug or a $475 bottle of Dom Perignon Rose, which Jay-Z has suggested is his new favorite insanely priced libation.
Without question, rappers have made Cristal a household name in the same way that Sarah Jessica Parker and "Sex and the City" made Manolo Blahnik into a brand with deep resonance even among those for whom $500 shoes are the equivalent of a month's rent. And for all of that free advertising, Jay-Z expected some good old-fashioned kowtowing.
But nothing is ever that simple when it comes to luxury brands -- or, for that matter, hip-hop.
As product endorsers, Jay-Z and many of the most visible imbibers of Cristal come with a lot of baggage. Hip-hop has created a generation of performers, producers and entrepreneurs who have the cash flow to buy Cristal by the case and designer clothes by the trunkload. But often, the money has been made by bragging in songs about drug-dealing, gunplay and the demeaning of women. The guys footing the bill for the fancy products talk about their hustler pasts with a proud swagger. Jay-Z, long before his Purple Label suit-wearing, Beyonce-dating, boycott-calling days, rapped about dealing drugs. Snoop Dogg boasts about living a pimp's life. Sean Combs sat at the defendant's table in a Manhattan courtroom in 2001 on bribery and illegal gun-possession charges. He was acquitted. And much of the Cristal featured in rap videos isn't sipped or savored, it's sprayed over the bodies of nearly naked women.
Luxury brands -- and mid-priced ones, as well -- have had a variety of responses to hip-hop's embrace. Timberland was famously not thrilled with the popularity of its boots among rappers and their fans. Other brands, such as Prada, have simply kept silent about their prominence in rap songs. Other companies have been proactive in choosing the performers with whom they'll form close relationships. In 1996, Louis Vuitton featured Grandmaster Flash in one of its advertisements. Just recently, Pharrell Williams collaborated on a line of Louis Vuitton sunglasses and created the soundtrack for one of its runway shows. Giorgio Armani hosted 50 Cent at a recent ready-to-wear show. Dolce & Gabbana outfitted Mary J. Blige for a concert tour. And brands from Gucci to Chanel have been inspired by hip-hop performers.
In matters of style and status, companies like to pick and choose, always seeking the right image and the upper hand. They like to siphon off what is good and leave behind the bad: the police blotters, subpoenas and arrest warrants. At least until such unpleasantness has faded from the headlines.
Even at Cristal, the reaction has been inconsistent. In 2001, the American importer of Cristal spoke to The Post in rapturous terms about its hip-hop customers, their songs and their videos. Instead of making moral or ethical judgments about customers, the company was busy authorizing the use of Cristal in movies and videos, including several by Jay-Z. The only concern was whether the brand retained its aura of exclusivity.
But it isn't all that surprising that in a moment of pique, Rouzaud might sound rude and ungrateful about self-proclaimed hustlers treating Cristal like bathtub gin. After all, the difference between an $80 bottle of champagne and a $300 bottle -- grapes and fermentation aside -- has a lot to do with image management. One could safely bet that Mr. Cristal wouldn't have been any less peeved if the rapper uncorking that cuvée was Eminem, a white rapper who is also familiar with the inside of a courtroom and has anger management issues.
Luxury companies spend a lot of time crafting an exclusive image, a process that offends a lot of people. Yet it is that built-in discrimination that draws the crowds.
Jay-Z might be justified in getting his feathers ruffled. He's a rich, influential, self-made man who has done yeoman's service in publicizing Cristal. A thank-you would be in order. But Jay-Z has already gotten something in return for his work. Hyping Cristal, which was first created in 1876 and will probably be just fine without Jay-Z's endorsement, allowed him to name-drop, to be grand, to flash his wealth, to brag.
Jay-Z isn't indebted to Cristal. But he owes everybody this much: Don't drop a bomb like "racist" when what you're dealing with is a skirmish over image.
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What do we want in a sequel? Just a little taste of the original or a triple serving piled high? "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" opts for the latter. This Disney movie isn't a follow-up to 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" so much as its empty-calorie clone.
Ah, but there is one crucial difference: Where the first movie crackled from the tension between Johnny Depp's edgy character and the Disney movie he was in, the sequel's a comparatively lifeless exercise.
As Jack Sparrow, a caddish pirate given to swishy body language and slurred speech, Depp was the original movie's hero and its most subversive element. In the first film, he exuded a vague gayness, seemed a tad too drunk and deeply lost in his "Spinal Tap"-style stagger and swagger. (Depp reportedly modeled his performance on Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew.) As you watched, you wondered, "Is this going to be too much, too weird?" Is he going to scare family audiences -- or lure them in? And how does a male Disney hero get away with that much eyeliner? This was the delicious undercurrent: a sexually ambiguous Sparrow, not just confounding fictional adversaries but sending titillating ripples of uncertainty through the rows of multiplex patrons.
But one sea chest of plunder later -- $305 million in domestic box office -- it was clear that Depp as Sparrow worked (and why a third "Pirates" is in the works). And that's why "Dead Man's Chest" yields a fiery display of special effects, and a lot of Depp, but nothing startlingly new. Disney has conscientiously recycled seemingly every element from the first film: Depp's woozy shtick, the ghoulish pirates he faces and the return of Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom. Even the 140-minute running time is about the same as its predecessor.
Depp is still the lovable rascal with frilly sleeves, scheming eyes and fey mien. Bending his wrists and pointing the heavily ringed fingers outward like an Alvin Ailey dancer, our central rogue flaps his arms with delicate flourish at every turn. Those featherless wings also pump back and forth as he runs from face-painted islanders who want to sacrifice him. Or they jut horizontally as he teeters (as always, infused with rum) to escape his enemies across the deck of his ship.
But the encore feels forced and hollow -- a repeat performance that's too self-consciously delivered to be charming anymore. There is one scene where Sparrow is captured by the aforementioned islanders and speaks to them in the sort of condescending nativespeak you'd expect to hear from Johnny Weissmuller in the old Tarzan movies. " A boogie snickle snickle ," Depp says with a herky-jerky swagger that seems labored and unnatural. He's too knowingly cute. It's as if he's become a holographic version of himself in the Disney theme park attraction that inspired the movie franchise in the first place.
Perhaps Depp is following the example of his muse Richards, whose band, the Rolling Stones, have themselves evolved from rock-and-roll's edgy, naughty boys to corporate-sponsored, image-manufactured caricatures of themselves. And when Richards joins the cast of the third "Pirates" movie, playing Sparrow's father, that circle will be complete.
In the first film, Depp felt like the mischievous outsider -- almost threatening to sabotage the pirate potboiler he was in -- but now he seems very much the fully sanctioned insider, preapproved to flounce and swirl through "Dead Man's Chest." He's no longer a bad boy. He's Mr. Adorable in glitter-rock beads.
Depp's role in the original served another function: He managed to distract moviegoers from a film cluttered with subplots and lengthy exposition; the movie was hardly this reviewer's tankard of rum, but Depp entertained, propelling it along.
Returning screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (collaborators whose credits include "Aladdin" and "Shrek") reproduced the same narrative anchors that marred the first film and, worse, render Knightley and Bloom's characters into comely carriers of subplot. Thus, Will Turner (Bloom) is dispatched to steal Sparrow's mystical compass, which is believed to lead to the chest containing the soul of Davy Jones. And Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) stows away as a man aboard Sparrow's ship to find fiance Will, who's presumed lost. When she becomes suddenly, instantly attracted to Sparrow, there seems to be no rhyme or reason except the obvious: The two most beautiful marquee names in the film clearly must kiss. It's the money shot.
In the major plot theme, it seems Sparrow owes a blood debt to the octopus-headed Jones (Bill Nighy), and if he reneges, he'll forever be Jones's deck slave. This story element at least engenders the movie's most entertaining feature: its CGI creations. The word "editing" may not be in director Gore Verbinski's lexicon (he directed the first "Pirates," "The Mexican" and "The Weather Man," among others) but he knows how to make barnacled monsters.
There is a creepy pleasure in the shipload of spectral, grotesque pirates who loom out of the depths to haunt Sparrow's scheming soul, especially the aforementioned Mr. Jones, whose facial tentacles have sucker-studded lives of their own. Or you can marvel and chuckle at the Terry Gilliam-like visual comedy as a clutch of Sparrow's shipmates -- trussed in a suspended net made of bone and hide -- swing their prison back and forth to traverse a deep chasm to safety. Just don't look for the collision of innocence and danger that made the first film so provocative. It has disappeared beneath the waves, headed straight for Davy Jones's locker.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (140 minutes, at area theaters) is rated PG-13 for intense adventure violence, including frightening images.
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New Blood on Defense Could Make Wizards a Cut Above
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When the Bulls get bigger and better by signing a player like Ben Wallace and trading for someone like P.J. Brown, the Wizards don't need to stand pat. They've reached the same first-round playoff plateau as Chicago in a conference where the Pistons are ready to be had and LeBron is in limbo at the moment.
The Wizards need to do what other genuine contenders do in the NBA offseason: hit back. They need to make a move. At 9:06 a.m. Monday, their fans should be speed-dialing the co-hosts of Miserable Suburban Guy radio, demanding that Antawn Jamison be dealt for Kenyon Martin. Or asking, without sarcasm in their voices, why Ernie Grunfeld cannot package Brendan Haywood, Etan Thomas, Andray Blatche and next year's first-rounder for Kevin Garnett.
This is grist for the offseason, something to chew on before a sensible upgrade can be made. It's fodder before a below-the-radar move is made, that cheap, simple acquisition to push the franchise toward the second round and beyond. But the Wizards might not even make that move.
At this moment, the Wizards' cheap, simple acquisition is the forthcoming hiring of a defensive coach. Or a consultant -- we're not sure yet. It could be a Scottie Pippen or Michael Cooper type. Or Jim Lynam, a confidant of Eddie Jordan's. If it's an old-timer who does not want to live out of a suitcase anymore, the Wizards might accommodate him by just having him work with the players during training camp and at home.
"Someone I can talk to about the defense, whether it's in training camp or during the season," Jordan said yesterday afternoon by telephone from Las Vegas, where he's working with the Wizards' summer league team. "Could be a young guy who was a former player and great defender or an old guy who's not coaching anywhere right now. We're still looking at the names."
Now, having suggested two months ago that the Wizards try to get better defensively by hiring such a coach, second-guessing that decision might appear disingenuous. But that was just one of several pointers for a team that needs so much more than someone telling Haywood, "Do not get dunked upon." The larger idea was to acquire players who do not get dunked upon.
Instead, a serene, almost weird calm has fallen over Verizon Center. The people who essentially brought you Caron Butler-for-Kwame Brown a year ago and took a step back in the postseason have a new slogan for 2006-07:
"We Like Our Deficient Team."
Some faulty executive decisions were made in Washington sports lately, starting with Stan Kasten keeping Jim Bowden and moving on to the Capitals letting Jeff Halpern, their emotional rock and captain, go to Dallas for a pittance. Bowden was a blown save away from a "Cold Pizza" analyst gig and he gets rewarded for cutting and pasting a last-place team together. Meanwhile, Halpern, the local boy who made good, is shipped off without sentiment -- and don't think a lot of season tickets didn't go with him.
But the Wizards seem to be saying that sometimes the best move is the move you don't make. Is no one else following this team alarmed? The Bulls are about to become the baddest team on the planet, a sincere challenger to Miami, and the Wizards are doing absolutely nothing!
Okay, they're trying to work out a deal to keep Jared Jeffries, a restricted free agent. Jeffries is the best defender on the Wizards, which is kind of like being the best soccer player in America or the most liberal guy in the Bush cabinet; it doesn't count for much.
But Jeffries is a link to the last two playoff seasons, and maybe there are worse things than standing pat in today's NBA. Grunfeld has been prescient before. At a time when the league was becoming less physical, he remade the Knicks into an athletic, Finals-worthy outfit. Maybe now he sees Big Ben and P.J. Brown on the floor at the same time and, rather than a strong defensive squad, he sees a Bulls team playing three-on-five offensively.
In a league of stop-and-pop gunners, the Wizards already are the Suns of the East. If getting into the lane and penetrating got Dwyane Wade a championship and Steve Nash a date in the conference finals, who's to say Gilbert Arenas's team can't take the next step?
As ornery as Martin sounds, does it make sense to take on five years and $71 million for a guy with a balky knee? Does it make sense to acquire the last player, after Kwame Brown, suspended by his team for the playoffs?
The problem, however, with not taking a chance is remembering how the Wizards finished last season, the layups given up in the final minutes of big games, the inability to stop the other team from sending them home. They don't need to make a major splash, but they need to dip their toe in the water this summer. If Jamison does not get some help defending forwards, they're going nowhere but one round and out again.
If the Wizards believe the acquisition of a defensive coach can fix that, that's naive.
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The Wizards need to do more than just hire a defensive assistant if they hope to keep pace in the Eastern Conference next season.
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Shake-Up, Competition Raise Doubts About EBay
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The San Jose-based company announced yesterday that Jeff Jordan, a longtime eBay executive and the dynamic heir apparent to current chief executive Meg Whitman, would leave the company to spend more time with his family. Jordan was president of PayPal Inc., the popular payment processing system owned by eBay.
At the same time, eBay said it would not accept Google Checkout -- the rival online payment system unveiled last week by Google Inc. -- on its site, angering many buyers and sellers who want alternatives to PayPal and who claim eBay is using its market share to squeeze out competitors.
The unlikely timing of Jordan's departure and the emergence of Checkout signaled turmoil for eBay, which in the first quarter this year got nearly a fourth of its $1.39 billion in revenue from fees collected through PayPal. The company's shares fell 5.3 percent to close at $26.85.
"It's curious that he's leaving at this time," said Avivah Litan, an analyst with Gartner Inc. "He infused the organization with that innovative spirit," but leaves at a time when eBay is starting to lag in that department, she said.
Jordan had a reputation for being ambitious, and with Whitman remaining at the helm, he probably decided to move on instead of waiting to move up, some analysts said.
Jordan, who joined eBay in 1999, will be replaced by Rajiv Dutta, who for the last year has served as chief financial officer, head of strategy and president of Skype, the Internet-base phone service eBay acquired last year. Alex Kazim, vice president of products for Skype, will assume Dutta's responsibilities as president of Skype.
Meanwhile, analysts viewed eBay's ban of Google Checkout as a defensive move against what could be formidable competition.
"In the short term, it's not competitive, but in the long term it is," Litan said, and "it would be disaster for them if they allowed Google Checkout to be used."
Google Checkout is limited to holding credit card information so that users can buy items on any participating Web site with a single click, but the company will probably expand its scope, which would encroach more on PayPal's business of serving individual merchants and buyers. Google is also offering the service at a lower rate, which means merchants would flock to it, Litan said.
Analysts from Lehman Bros. and Citigroup said eBay's future growth would probably be damaged by its Google rival, according to the Associated Press.
EBay spokeswoman Catherine England pointed out that the company accepts about 10 online payment systems in addition to PayPal but that it recognizes only those that have a proven track record of safety and reliability. Google Checkout is too new to have such a record, England said, so eBay yesterday posted an amended policy to note that the service does not qualify.
Ina Steiner, editor of the online auction newsletter AuctionBytes, said she fielded many similar complaints from buyers and sellers yesterday. "They are strongly against this eBay move," Steiner said. Merchants and buyers almost always favor having more payment options.
"In the long run, anything that facilitates payments would help eBay," Steiner said, "so it's strange they would do that."
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In Conn., Lieberman Defends Seat, War Stance
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HARTFORD, Conn., July 6 -- Shunned by many in his own party because of his vigorous support for the war in Iraq, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman clashed in a debate Thursday with a well-financed challenger who has roiled Connecticut politics and turned the Democratic primary into a national test of the antiwar movement.
In a hard-hitting 30-minute exchange about the war, Lieberman sought to portray his opponent, Ned Lamont, as a fringe candidate with little grasp of the military and geopolitical stakes in Iraq. Lamont assailed the incumbent for ignoring reports of rising violence and instability, and for cheering on President Bush "when he should have been asking the tough questions."
Lieberman defended the conflict as "a lot better, different" than a year ago. "They're on the way to building a free and independent Iraq," he asserted. "The question is, are we going to abandon them while they are making that progress?"
Lieberman headed into the night with vastly diminished party support after a nearly four-decade political career that included a turn as his party's 2000 vice presidential nominee. Earlier this week, he signaled that he will run as an independent this fall if he loses the Aug. 8 primary -- a possibility, according to recent polls. Lieberman's agreeing to debate Lamont on television was interpreted by some political analysts here as evidence that he is worried about the primary.
Connecticut, with its large pool of Democrats and independents, has become a focal point for the opposition to the war in Iraq. Just as Republicans are feeling heat throughout the country for supporting an increasingly unpopular war, Lieberman and moderate Republicans from the Northeast are finding that backing the president's Iraq policy can cost them substantial support within their traditional base.
Three House members from Connecticut -- Nancy L. Johnson, Christopher Shays and Rob Simmons -- are considered among the most endangered GOP incumbents on the ballot in November.
Lieberman, 64, a three-term senator, once was praised by party leaders for his independent thought and civility of spirit. But he has become a lightning rod for Democratic animosity because of his unflinching support for the war, and his rebuke last month of Senate Democrats' calls for either setting a deadline for withdrawing troops or reducing troop levels beginning later this year.
Lamont has relentlessly hammered Lieberman as a rubber stamp for the president's war policies. One well-circulated image of the Lamont campaign, featured on buttons and in a television ad, shows Bush embracing Lieberman after the 2005 State of the Union address and appearing to kiss him on the cheek.
Lieberman used his opening remarks in Thursday's hour-long debate to complain that Lamont "seems to be running against me based on my stand on one issue, Iraq, and he is distorting who I am and what I have done."
"Let me tell you some things that may surprise at least Ned but shouldn't," he added. "I know George Bush. I've worked against George Bush. I've even run against George Bush, but I'm not George Bush."
Lamont disputed Lieberman's charges that he has equivocated on the war and has avoided taking tough stands, at one point snapping, "You're the only person in Connecticut who's confused by my position on the war."
Although Lieberman accused Lamont of frequently altering his views, the challenger declared that the administration should "absolutely" set a deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq, a view shared by only a small number of Democrats in the Senate. "We have 135,000 of our bravest troops stuck in the middle of a bloody civil war," he said. "And I say that those who got us into this mess should be held accountable."
Lieberman and Lamont took turns lecturing each other. The veteran Democrat told Lamont, "When you're a senator, you've got to make decisions."
Lamont, recalling events that led to the invasion of Iraq, said: "President Bush rushed us into this war. He told us it would be easy, we'd be welcomed as liberators, that [we would find] weapons of mass destruction. And Senator Lieberman cheered on the president every step of the way."
Lieberman was asked by a panelist why he decided to make an issue of Lamont's personal wealth, which is being tapped to fuel his campaign. "We really don't know who this man is," Lieberman declared. "I don't have that kind of money. I have to work hard" to raise millions of dollars to campaign.
As for Lieberman's decision to run as an independent if he loses the primary, Lamont said: "If you're going to run as a Democrat, play by the rules. You can't have it both ways."
Lieberman cast his decision as a bid to save the seat for Democrats. "I believe this man can't be elected in November," the senator said of Lamont. "He's a single-issue candidate who is applying a litmus test to me."
Lieberman's decision to run as an independent if necessary has led some national party leaders to distance themselves. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) took the unusual step of declaring before the primary that she would not support him as an independent candidate this fall.
Some analysts believe Lieberman would be well-positioned to win a three-way race in the fall, if it comes to that, but that is a prospect Democrats in Connecticut and throughout the country are not relishing. Lieberman was booed while he walked in a Fourth of July parade this week -- even as Lamont, marching behind a float depicting the Lieberman-Bush "kiss," was cheered.
Lieberman broke into politics as a reformist who opposed the war in Vietnam, and he won a state Senate seat in New Haven in 1970 with the help of, among others, Bill Clinton, who was a student volunteer at Yale Law. Lieberman was elected state attorney general in 1982. He challenged and beat maverick Republican Sen. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. in 1988, and went on to make his mark in foreign policy.
He was one of the leaders in the fight for the Persian Gulf War resolution in January 1991, and after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he strongly backed Bush's terrorism fight in Afghanistan. That December, he joined nine members who signed a letter urging Bush to target Iraq next.
The primary battle offers a stark contrast between the two candidates: Lieberman, the stubbornly independent party veteran who denounced Clinton from the Senate floor during impeachment proceedings; and Lamont, the great-grandson of a J.P. Morgan chairman and a fresh face in Connecticut politics who is strongly critical of the war.
A major problem for Lieberman is timing. Turnout probably will be light for the primary, which would benefit Lamont and his highly motivated supporters, analysts said. Moreover, Lieberman would have to submit 7,500 signatures the day after the primary to qualify to appear on the November ballot as an independent.
Lamont served as a Greenwich selectman years ago but is a neophyte in a statewide race. Lieberman has tried to depict him as a pawn of the left, and in particular as a tool of his political nemesis Weicker, who helped to lure Lamont into the race. One Lieberman ad revives the image of a fat, lazy bear that the senator used to evoke Weicker in 1988. This time, the bear has a cub -- Lamont.
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HARTFORD, Conn., July 6 -- Shunned by many in his own party because of his vigorous support for the war in Iraq, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman clashed in a debate Thursday with a well-financed challenger who has roiled Connecticut politics and turned the Democratic primary into a national test of the...
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Ruling Keeps DeLay on Ballot
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A federal judge in Texas threw the political retirement of former House majority leader Tom DeLay into doubt yesterday, ruling that the Texas Republican Party must keep the indicted former congressman on the ballot for reelection this November.
For Democrats eager to seize control of the House this fall, the ruling was a significant victory. DeLay is under indictment on campaign finance charges in Texas and is under a cloud of scandal in Washington, and Democrats had hoped to wrest the conservative district from him. But DeLay seemed to thwart those designs in April, when he announced that he would resign from Congress and move his official residence to Alexandria from his suburban Houston district, making him ineligible to run for reelection.
Texas Democrats sued to keep him on the ballot, maintaining that state election laws say victors in a party primary must appear on the general election ballot unless they die or live outside the district on Election Day. They pointed out that DeLay still owns a Houston area home, where his wife, Christine, lives and where he still spends time.
In a strongly worded opinion, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks sided with the Democrats.
"There is no evidence that DeLay will still be living in Virginia tomorrow, let alone on November 7, 2006, the only day that matters under the Qualification Clause of the United States Constitution," wrote the judge, a Republican appointee. "DeLay was chosen as the Republican nominee by the voters in the Republican primary, and he is still eligible to be the party's nominee."
The decision concurred with Democrats -- and some Republicans -- who said DeLay waited to announce his retirement until after his contested primary this spring to ensure that the GOP detractors who had opposed him would not succeed him. By retiring after the primary, DeLay expected that the party nominee for the general election would be chosen by Republican precinct chairs in his district's four counties.
Texas Republican Party Chairman Tina J. Benkiser yesterday promised to appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, saying the ruling "effectively throws the federal election process into total chaos."
Dani DeLay Ferro, DeLay's daughter and his spokeswoman, said: "Tom DeLay looks forward to the correct decision being rendered by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. As a resident of Virginia, he cannot lawfully be on the ballot in November."
But Republicans are looking at the real possibility that the Democrats' seasoned nominee, former representative Nick Lampson, will be facing DeLay on the ballot. DeLay must decide whether he will campaign for the post he relinquished or almost certainly leave his party with one fewer seat in the House.
Reelection would bring its own problems. The House ethics committee announced in May that, had DeLay not announced his retirement, it would have launched an investigation into what it called "serious allegations" that he had participated in privately funded trips overseas. The Justice Department's sprawling corruption investigation stemming from the activities of former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff has yielded guilty pleas and the promise of cooperation from DeLay's former deputy chief of staff, Tony C. Rudy, and his former press secretary, Michael Scanlon.
In an interview last week, DeLay signaled that he anticipated the court's decision, saying, "I would accept the election if I was elected."
"It's just typical Democrats. When they can't win at the ballot box, they try to win in the courts," he said, but he added that he did not know whether he would campaign for what would be a 12th term.
DeLay also predicted that the Democrats' legal maneuvers would yield a severe backlash among voters.
Democrats were showing no such concerns yesterday. Four months before Election Day, Republicans in Texas's 22nd District find themselves with a nominee who has abandoned his district and does not want to run, said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Even if yesterday's ruling is overturned, GOP precinct chairs in the district's four counties will have precious little time to select a nominee from the nine prominent Republicans in the running. Lampson, with $1.8 million in the bank, continues to run hard.
"We learned two things this week: George Bush can't seem to get rid of Osama bin Laden, and Texas Republicans can't get rid of Tom DeLay," Emanuel said.
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A federal judge in Texas threw the political retirement of former House majority leader Tom DeLay into doubt yesterday, ruling that the Texas Republican Party must keep the indicted former congressman on the ballot for reelection this November.
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Favoritism Trial Hurts Chicago Mayor
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CHICAGO, July 6 -- Mayor Richard M. Daley's former patronage chief broke the law by rigging city hiring decisions to reward loyal workers in Chicago's Democratic political machine, a federal jury concluded Thursday in a sharp blow to the five-term mayor.
In convicting Robert Sorich and three other onetime city officials, the jury rejected the defense claim that political favoritism in Chicago is hardly a crime. Instead, the 12 jurors agreed unanimously with prosecutors that Daley's aides cheated qualified workers and the taxpayers who paid their salaries.
"At bottom, this case was about a scam," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Shapiro told reporters after the verdict, pointing to fraudulent job interviews, doctored documents and a far-reaching coverup. "This jury saw through their 'business-as-usual' defense."
Federal officials have signaled that the City Hall corruption investigation is not over.
"Stay tuned," more than one prosecutor has said in recent weeks. Daley, repeatedly mentioned in the Sorich trial by defense lawyers, has been interviewed by prosecutors but has not been charged.
Daley, who met with President Bush here Thursday, said he accepted the verdict but was "saddened" for the defendants, whom he knows to be "hardworking." He said city structures are being reformed but declined to take questions.
Defense attorney Thomas A. Durkin called the verdict "absurd" and described the case as "a criminal prosecution with an eye to unseat Mayor Daley."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick M. Collins, who led the prosecution team, said afterward that it was no virtue that the defendants chose silence and trial rather than telling investigators what they know.
The verdict is the second major victory against political corruption in three months for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, recruited in 2001 to challenge the machine politics for which the city and state are infamous. In April, jurors in the same Chicago federal courthouse convicted former governor George Ryan (R) of steering business to his friends and cash to his family, then lying to federal agents. Ryan, best known for commuting the death sentences of all 167 inmates on death row, is to be sentenced next month.
The six-week prosecution of Sorich and three other men from Daley's South Side power base opened a window onto the type of maneuvering that has long greased Chicago politics.
Prosecutors showed how campaign workers -- whose party loyalty typically outweighed their job skills -- were rewarded with such city positions as building inspector, carpenter, tree trimmer and bricklayer.
Large numbers of applicants who were more qualified were often tested, interviewed and passed over in favor of workers chosen by Sorich, who headed Daley's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. This kept happening despite a consent decree that barred political hiring for all but about 900 city employees.
"The fix was in," Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Ruder told the jury. "It was not about merit. It was about politics. It was about clout. It was about who you knew and whose palm you greased."
To cover their tracks, witnesses testified, the defendants falsified documents and held conversations where they believed they would not be overheard. Sorich ordered the destruction of hundreds of computer files, while defendant John Sullivan, who worked in the Streets and Sanitation Department, lied to the FBI.
The jury convicted Sorich, whose father was an official photographer for Daley's father, of two counts of mail fraud and acquitted him of two others. Sullivan was found guilty of one count of lying to federal agents.
Timothy McCarthy, a Sorich aide, was convicted of two mail fraud counts; Patrick Slattery, who married one of Daley's personal secretaries, was found guilty of one mail fraud count.
During the trial, one supervisor testified that he told Sorich that a favored job candidate from the 14th Ward was an alcoholic and that "people could get hurt." He said Sorich replied, "Work it out."
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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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College Student Tracking Assailed
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Private colleges yesterday fired a rather noisy shot across the bow of an education proposal aimed at keeping closer tabs on institutions of higher learning through a new national database of student records.
"Is there some reason to reverse three decades of [privacy] policy and go down this Orwellian road?" asked Christopher B. Nelson, the president of St. John's College, during a conference call with reporters to call attention to a new survey on the subject.
The controversial concept of a national student "unit" tracking system has been floating around for about two years. It was given a boost last month when Education Secretary Margaret Spellings's Commission on the Future of Higher Education released a draft report endorsing such a plan.
The idea, proponents say, is not to invade the privacy of students, but to force colleges to be more accountable to the public by revealing such information as accurate enrollment figures and financial aid percentages, as well as graduation, transfer and dropout rates. The data would come from individual students, but their identities would be protected, supporters say.
Right now, the plan has no legs. The House included in its higher education bill a prohibition on such a plan; the Senate bill ignored it; and some powerful legislators oppose it. Nonetheless, private institutions are fretting that the Department of Education will find a way around Congress to implement it.
The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities yesterday released a survey reporting that 62 percent of the respondents oppose a federal data-collection effort, with 45 percent strongly against it.
Critics of the survey said that the questions were worded to elicit a negative response, and that the association did not tell participants that records would be confidential and would likely be encrypted, so that it would be virtually impossible to identify a student.
"They're scare-mongering," said Kati Haycock, director of the Education Trust, an independent advocacy group. Haycock is also a member of the higher education commission.
"I can't think of single con," she said. "The bottom line is that they are trying make this about student privacy, and it's about their own institutions' privacy."
Proponents, including the Education Department and some public higher education institutions, believe such a plan would provide a picture of how the nation's young people are being educated. They note that most states already keep such data, although there is no national archive. A spokesman said the Education Department will wait until the commission's final report is issued to comment.
Travis Reindl, director of policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, said that a tracking system would "offer the opportunity to answer questions that we can't answer right now about the types of students we have and how they are learning."
"Right now, when a student leaves school, we have no way of knowing whether they went to another institution or several institutions," he said. "We lose them along the way and lose the ability to know whether they graduated. This not just about accountability. This about helping institutions help students."
Still, private school administrators and others do not see it that way. They charge that far too much information about individuals could be collected and would follow them through their careers.
The United States Student Association views the proposal "as a massive invasion of student privacy," according to the group's legislative director, Rebecca Thompson.
"It's cradle-to-grave tracking," said Rolf Wegenke, president of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. "It can easily be connected to other databases and be connected to basic freedoms."
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Stem Cells Without Moral Corruption
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For the past few years many of the world's leading scientists have promoted so-called therapeutic cloning as the most promising way to produce clinically useful, genetically tailored, biologically versatile stem cells. That is why claims by a team of South Korean researchers -- one in 2004 that the first cloned human embryo had been produced, then another in 2005 that the process of producing embryonic stem cell lines from cloned embryos could be done routinely and efficiently -- were hailed as a watershed.
Hwang Woo Suk, the lead researcher, became an international celebrity. The best American scientists traveled to Seoul to observe his laboratory and study his techniques. Hwang called his work "holy, pure and genuine."
But then the world discovered that it was all a scandalous fraud. Last November, we learned that Hwang had used eggs procured from junior researchers in his own lab -- a violation of the Helsinki Declaration that governs medical research -- and then lied to cover it up. His partner, Roh Sung Il, paid "volunteers" for additional eggs and forced them to lie about it on their consent forms. Then, in a succession of astonishing revelations, it became clear that the published data had been fabricated. Apparently no cloned human embryos were ever produced; no embryonic stem cells were ever created.
Of course, some dismiss the South Korean fraud as the work of a few bad scientific apples and even cite such errant behavior as a reason for American researchers to create and destroy cloned embryos for themselves. Harvard University recently approved research cloning, and some states have set aside public money for such experiments. The scientific argument, made with great hype, remains the same: If you want useful stem cells, you need to create and destroy cloned human embryos.
But this is exactly the wrong lesson to draw from the South Korean scandal. Cloning will always be morally corrupt because it requires deliberately creating and destroying thousands (or millions) of human embryos. At the same time, the current effort in Congress to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research to include embryos left over in fertility clinics will never satisfy the scientists, because such stem cells will not give them the genetic control they want over the cells. The real lesson of the cloning scandal -- and the real opportunity now before us -- is to find a scientific alternative to research cloning, one that gives us the stem cells we desire without the ethical violations we abhor.
Hwang's violation involved the exploitation of women, who undergo a risky and unpleasant procedure -- first, ovarian hyperstimulation, then the insertion of a needle into their ovaries to procure the wanted oocytes -- with no medical benefit to themselves. In the attempt to produce a single cloned embryo, thousands of eggs were harvested and used as raw materials.
In South Korea, the buying and selling of eggs was done in the shadows, covered up by false documents and brazen lies. This would never happen in America, researchers assure us. But as time goes on, rather than calling research cloning itself into question, some will call the ethical limits into question: Why not pay women for their eggs? Why not induce poor women to profit by risking their health? Of course, no responsible doctor could advise his patient to undergo such a procedure. But perhaps we will simply "update" basic medical ethics as well, and decide that the "good of mankind" trumps the good of individual patients.
We have seen where this amoral logic leads us -- to shameful abuses of research subjects, which surely no one wants to repeat. But we have also seen, in the stem cell debate, how moral lines erode quickly -- from using only "spare" embryos left over in fertility clinics to creating human embryos solely for research to creating (or trying to create) cloned embryos solely for research. What will be next? Probably proposals for "fetal farming" -- the gestation of human embryos to later developmental stages, when potentially more useful stabilized stem cells can be obtained and organ primordia can be "harvested."
Over and over again, scientists and ethicists say: Here and no farther. And then they seek to go farther, in the name of "progress." Yet this moral challenge also presents us with a golden political opportunity. Last week the Senate agreed to consider three bioethics bills: one that would permit federal funding for research on embryos left over in fertility clinics, one that would prohibit fetal farming and one that would fund various alternative methods of producing genetically controlled, pluripotent stem cells -- just the kind of stem cells we would get from cloning, but without the embryo destruction.
The first of these bills is misguided and unnecessary, and those senators who have pledged to support it should reconsider and change course. For the first time, it would use taxpayer dollars to encourage the destruction of embryos, and it would do so without giving researchers the genetically customized cells they desire. The second and third bills, however, would enable our country to explore the potential of stem cells without violating human dignity or taking human life.
In the end, the lesson of the cloning scandal is not simply that specific research guidelines were violated; it is that human cloning, even for research, is so morally problematic that its practitioners will always be covering their tracks, especially as they try to meet the false expectations of miraculous progress that they have helped create. If cloning is really so important for research, then overturning the Bush administration policy to fund research on "spare" IVF embryos is not very useful. But because cloning is so morally problematic, we need to find another way forward.
Instead of engaging in fraud and coverup, or conducting experiments that violate the moral principles of many citizens, we should look to scientific creativity for an answer. Since the cloning fraud, many scientists -- such as Markus Grompe at Oregon Health & Science University and Rudolf Jaenisch at MIT -- have been doing just that. And others, such as Kevin Eggan at Harvard, may have found a technique, called "cell fusion," that would create new, versatile, genetically controlled stem cell lines by fusing existing stem cells and ordinary DNA. Scientists in Japan just announced that they may have found a way to do this without even needing an existing stem cell line.
In other words: all the benefits of research cloning without the ethical problems. Looking ahead, it is becoming increasingly likely that reprogramming adult cells to pluripotency, rather than destroying human embryos, will be the future of regenerative medicine. It offers both a more efficient and far more ethical way forward.
Of course, we should not pin all our hopes on any particular technique, which is why the bill co-sponsored by Sens. Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter (usually sharp opponents in the stem cell fight) would fund any creative proposal for advancing stem cell research without destroying nascent human life. Too often in this debate, science and ethics are regarded as being on a collision course. They need not be. For what could be more pro-science than relying upon scientific ingenuity to lead the way to stem cell advances without conducting unethical cloning experiments?
Robert P. George is McCormick professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University and a member of the President's Council on Bioethics. Eric Cohen is a fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and editor of the New Atlantis.
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Stem cell advances can come from scientific ingenuity, not unethical cloning experiments. Congress should insist on it.
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The Court Hands Congress an Opportunity
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Justice John Paul Stevens, author of the majority opinion in last week's historic decision on Guantanamo Bay detainee trials, was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1975 by President Gerald R. Ford. Had there been no Supreme Court decision ordering Richard M. Nixon to turn over the White House tapes that led to his own resignation, Ford would never have been in a position to appoint Stevens -- or anyone else -- to judicial office.
It was that first Supreme Court decision requiring Nixon to surrender the incriminating evidence of his complicity in the Watergate coverup that set the tone -- if not the precedent -- for the 5 to 3 decision Stevens wrote last week telling the president he could not try Osama bin Laden's former driver before a commission of military officers because Congress had passed no law authorizing such commissions or regulating such trials.
Once again the chief executive had to be reminded that he is not above the law. No more than the security threats Nixon invented to justify his rogue police state operations will the war on terrorism relieve the president of the burden imposed by the Constitution to "faithfully execute the laws." He can't just make them up to suit his convenience.
For anyone who was worried that the United States was in danger of losing its precious freedoms as it mobilized to combat the threat of Islamic terrorism, the Stevens opinion was the best possible Independence Day gift. The Supreme Court that helped install President Bush in the presidency when it cut off the recounting of Florida votes sent him a clear message that he must operate in ways that Congress and the Constitution permit.
I am delighted that Republican congressional leaders say they hope to turn the ruling to their advantage by engaging the Democrats in a lively debate about the president's counterterrorism strategy. That debate is long overdue. In the first reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks, Congress gave Bush broadly worded authority to protect the country and strike back at the terrorists. After that it paid little attention for the next four years to the way that authority was being used -- and how the administration assumed additional powers.
As Jane Mayer has detailed in the July 3 issue of the New Yorker, Vice President Cheney and his then-counsel, David Addington, saw the lax supervision from the Republican Congress as an invitation to reassert more and more power for the executive branch. One result has been the most widespread monitoring of phone calls and other communications, as well as travel and financial transactions, in our history. Other byproducts have been the lengthy detentions of suspects at Guantanamo Bay and other overseas locations, without formal charges or recourse to lawyers, and interrogation tactics bordering on torture.
It was only in the past year -- when the first anti-terrorism statute, the Patriot Act, came up for renewal and when newspapers disclosed some of the steps the administration had secretly taken -- that Congress began to raise questions about what was going on.
Now the court has plainly said to Congress and the administration, "You have to bring these proceedings under the law. We're not telling you what the law should be, but you have to have some rules that are written into statutes -- and conform to the standards the Constitution sets."
As Stevens put it, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the Guantanamo detainee, may be "a dangerous individual whose beliefs, if acted upon, would cause great harm and even death to innocent civilians . . . but in undertaking to try Hamdan and subject him to criminal prosecution, the executive is bound to comply with the rule of law that prevails in this jurisdiction."
There is no reason for Democrats in Congress to fear the coming debate. They need not feel embarrassed about affirming that Stevens's decision is correct and finding ways to legislate the needed rules for handling these detainees. Far from being defensive, Democrats could challenge the Republican majority to take the opportunity to examine all that Bush is doing -- or not doing -- to counter al-Qaeda and other threats to national security.
Congress is coming late to this task, but it is not too late to make our laws and our practices conform to the Constitution. And to remind this president that the law applies to him, too.
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The Supreme Court has given Congress the opportunity to remind this president that the law applies to him, too.
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A Driven President Faces a World of Crises
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From deteriorating security in Afghanistan and Somalia to mayhem in the Middle East, confrontation with Iran and eroding relations with Russia, the White House suddenly sees crisis in every direction.
North Korea's long-range missile test Tuesday, although unsuccessful, was another reminder of the bleak foreign policy landscape that faces President Bush even outside of Iraq. Few foreign policy experts foresee the reclusive Stalinist state giving up the nuclear weapons it appears to have acquired, making it another in a long list of world problems that threaten to cloud the closing years of the Bush administration, according to foreign policy experts in both parties.
"I am hard-pressed to think of any other moment in modern times where there have been so many challenges facing this country simultaneously," said Richard N. Haass, a former senior Bush administration official who heads the Council on Foreign Relations. "The danger is that Mr. Bush will hand over a White House to a successor that will face a far messier world, with far fewer resources left to cope with it."
White House officials emphatically reject such pessimism, and yesterday leading figures in both parties saw some diplomatic opportunity for the United States out of the missile failure. But the events on the Korean Peninsula underscored how the administration has lost the initiative it once possessed on foreign policy in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, leaving at risk the central Bush aspiration of democracy-building around the world.
They also showed how the huge commitment of resources and time on Iraq -- and the attendant falloff in international support for the United States -- has limited the administration's flexibility in handling new world crises. "This is a distracted government that has to take care of too many things at the same time and has been consumed by the war on Iraq," said Moisés NaÃm, editor of Foreign Policy magazine.
National security adviser Stephen J. Hadley said in an interview yesterday that such criticism is misplaced, adding that victory in Iraq is crucial to success in fighting terrorists and in creating a new democracy that could serve as a beacon to other Middle Eastern countries. "Is it a major investment? Yes," he said. "The stakes are high [in Iraq], but we think the rewards are commensurate to the effort, and the consequences of lack of success are sobering."
Hadley agreed that there are "a lot of issues in motion right now" on the international front. "In some sense, it was destined to be, because we have a president that wants to take on the big issues and see if he could solve them on his watch."
Even in the context of a post-Sept. 11, 2001, world, the array of tough, seemingly intractable foreign problems is spreading. Renewed violence has expanded to major cities throughout Afghanistan, as Afghan rebels adopt tactics of Iraqi insurgents and as President Hamid Karzai's popularity has plummeted. Iran is balking at demands to come clean or compromise on its nuclear program, despite new U.S. and European incentives. Palestinians launched longer-range missiles into Israel, while Israel has authorized its army to invade part of northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, an Islamist militia in Somalia seized control of the capital, Mogadishu. Mexico's future is uncertain after a close and disputed presidential election. And yesterday, the price of oil hit a new high of $75.19 a barrel.
Concern about such developments is cutting across the normal fault lines in American politics, with critiques being expressed by conservative realists such as Haass and liberal internationalists such as former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright. Albright said yesterday that the United States now faces the "perfect storm" in foreign policy. "The U.S. is not as unilateral as it is uni-dimensional," she said in an interview. "We have not been paying attention to a lot of these issues. . . . Afghanistan is out of control because not enough attention was paid to it."
Even neoconservative hawks who have been generally supportive of the administration on Iraq and other issues said they are worried about the direction of American foreign policy, and hope for a muscular response from the Bush administration toward the latest North Korean provocation.
"North Korea is firing missiles. Iran is going nuclear. Somalia is controlled by radical Islamists. Iraq isn't getting better, and Afghanistan is getting worse," said William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard and a leading conservative commentator. "I give the president a lot of credit for hanging tough on Iraq. But I am worried that it has made them too passive in confronting the other threats."
Senior administration officials said the United States is in a much stronger diplomatic position than it has been in the past in dealing with adversaries such as North Korea and Iran. On both fronts, the administration has engaged in much more aggressive multilateral diplomacy than it did in Bush's first term, and that effort could still bear fruit, they said.
Hadley predicted the results of aggressive diplomacy would be seen in the next few days with a strong condemnation of North Korea at the United Nations. "We saw this coming. We worked the diplomacy," he said. "North Korea went ahead, and in so doing didn't defy [only] us but defied the entire international community."
Some outside experts agreed that Tuesday's seven missile launches could help the administration make the case to China to work harder to rein in Pyongyang. "This has to have gotten China's attention," said Rep. Jane Harman (Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee. "What some may see as a series of setbacks, I see as a series of opportunities," she said.
Both Democrats and Republicans insisted that the United States can deal with multiple crises, but some questioned how effectively.
"Every situation makes it more difficult to deal with another," said Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser in the Carter administration. "It's like a juggler. You have to keep all the balls going. Any one of them that is out of trajectory threatens all the others."
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From deteriorating security in Afghanistan and Somalia to mayhem in the Middle East, confrontation with Iran and eroding relations with Russia, the White House suddenly sees crisis in every direction.
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U.S., Allies Seek Punitive Action Against N. Korea
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UNITED NATIONS, July 5 -- The United States and its allies on Wednesday sought to impose punitive measures on North Korea for launching a series of seven missiles on Tuesday, but emphasized that diplomatic measures with the communist nation should not be abandoned.
U.S., British and Japanese officials attempted to increase pressure on North Korea through the United Nations, presenting the Security Council with the draft of a legally binding resolution demanding that the North Korean government immediately cease the development, deployment, testing and proliferation of ballistic missiles. Separately, Japan imposed limited economic sanctions on the North, including a measure prohibiting its officials, ship crews and chartered flights from entering Japan.
While Bush administration officials condemned the test-firing of the missiles on Tuesday, they played down the missiles' military importance. The one with the longest range, believed capable of reaching Alaska and possibly the U.S. West Coast, failed less than a minute after launch and fell into the Sea of Japan.
President Bush appeared to temper his response Wednesday in comments after an Oval Office meeting with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. "One thing we have learned is that the rocket didn't stay up very long and tumbled into the sea, which doesn't, frankly, diminish my desire to solve this problem," he said.
"There are attempts to try to describe this almost in breathless, World War III terms," said White House press secretary Tony Snow. "This is not such a situation. This is a situation in which people are working with a regime in North Korea, trying to reason with a dictator, to step back from provocative activities."
[On Thursday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming for the first time that it had test-fired missiles, calling the launch successful and part of a "routine" military exercise that was "aimed at reinforcing our self-defense capabilities."]
North Korea's two main benefactors -- China and South Korea -- as well as Russia had a somewhat muted response to the missile tests.
"We hope that all the relevant sides can remain calm and restrained and do more things which are conducive to peace and stability," Liu Jianchao, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement.
China and Russia, two of the five countries on the Security Council with veto power, expressed concern that the imposition of punitive measures could derail efforts to restart stalled six-nation talks with North Korea to suspend its nuclear program. They said that it would be more appropriate to respond to North Korea's tests with a statement of concern from the president of the Security Council. Presidential statements carry less political force than a resolution because they are not legally binding.
Several observers warned that even if Beijing agreed to some form of censure, it would remain reluctant to impose tough economic sanctions out of fear that such measures could destabilize North Korea and spark a crisis on their shared border.
"I don't think China will take at this moment stronger political or economic action against North Korea," said Chu Shulong, a political science professor at Tsinghua University and expert in international security. "We Chinese believe basically, fundamentally it is not our problem, the missile launch problem. It's a problem between North Korea and the U.S., it's a problem between the DPRK and Japan, it might be a problem between North Korea and South Korea. But basically it's not a China problem." DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
The draft U.N. resolution, which was formally introduced by Japan, would also require states to prevent the transfer of money, material or technology that could "contribute" to Pyongyang's ballistic missile program or advance its capacity to develop nuclear explosives or other weapons of mass destruction. And it "strongly urges" North Korea to resume the six-party talks with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia.
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UNITED NATIONS, July 5 -- The United States and its allies on Wednesday sought to impose punitive measures on North Korea for launching a series of seven missiles on Tuesday, but emphasized that diplomatic measures with the communist nation should not be abandoned.
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Six-Party Talks -- and Half a Dozen Doughnuts
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When the going on the Korean Peninsula gets tough, the tough go on a doughnut run.
President Bush, making his first public remarks since North Korea test-fired seven missiles in open defiance of the United States, boarded his motorcade yesterday for an unannounced trip to a doughnut shop in Alexandria -- to talk about immigration.
"The president went to the Dunkin' Donuts," White House press secretary Tony Snow said in the first item of business at his daily news conference. A few of the reporters laughed, perhaps thinking Snow was joking about the trip to the land of French Crullers and Munchkins.
He wasn't. After interpreting every gesture of Saddam Hussein as a casus belli , a changed Bush administration is taking the opposite approach with Kim Jong Il. Officials were determined not to give the little man with the big missile the attention he craves.
In Foggy Bottom, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could have been channeling French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin when she spoke of "the wisdom of the six-party framework" and "a diplomatic infrastructure that can be used to resolve problems of this kind."
In New York, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton was saying things -- "We think we can proceed in a calm and strong and unanimous signal from the [Security] Council" -- that could make a neocon throw things at the television.
At the White House, Bush huddled with his National Security Council to talk about, er, Cuba. And Snow struck the tone of militant multilateralist. "It's been our policy all along," he lectured reporters, "that we do not act unilaterally." Further, he chided: "There are attempts to try to describe this almost in breathless World War III terms. This is not such a situation."
A few years ago, the administration was using breathless terms to describe Iraq. "We cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud," Bush said then. The president said sanctions and isolation had been a failure, while Vice President Cheney described the U.N. Security Council's procedures as "a prescription for perpetual disunity and obstructionism."
Now? The administration finds itself before the Security Council, working on sanctions and isolation for North Korea. Bush could have been reading Kofi Annan's speech when he spoke yesterday about "acting in concert," about how "we must work together," and about why "it is much more effective to have more than one nation dealing with North Korea."
Administration officials sounded less like a superpower's spokesmen than parents worried about a badly behaving child. All but ruling out corporal punishment, they searched for a remedy: Calling a timeout? Withdrawing privileges? Negotiating? Ignoring the bad behavior?
"It is really a matter of the region saying to North Korea that it has to change its behavior," Rice said.
"This kind of behavior is unacceptable," Bolton said.
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When the going on the Korean Peninsula gets tough, the tough go on a doughnut run.
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Ken Lay's Optimism Was Outpaced by Reality
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At one point during the recent Enron trial, prosecutors cross-examining Ken Lay asked the former chief executive how he could have allowed a friendly analyst to report that he was a net buyer of Enron stock at a time when, in fact, he was unloading more than half of his Enron shares.
"I suppose it depends on how you define 'net buyer,' " Lay replied, in a splendid display of Clintonian hair-splitting.
And from that moment, it became pretty clear to me who killed Enron.
It was Ken Lay himself.
Yes, Ken Lay, who engineered the merger of two obscure natural gas pipeline companies and magically transformed it into the seventh-largest public company in the United States.
Ken Lay, the self-made son of a Baptist preacher who put himself through college and graduate school and won the Horatio Alger Award set up by the champion of "positive thinking," Norman Vincent Peale.
Ken Lay, who leveraged his Washington experience and connections of the 1970s to make Enron a big winner from natural gas deregulation -- and then did it again with his campaign to launch the country on an unproven experiment in electric power deregulation.
Ken Lay, who carefully built a reputation as Mr. Houston, bringing the Astros downtown and spearheading countless civic, cultural and charitable causes.
Ken Lay, whose old-world charm and politeness earned him the extraordinary loyalty and affection of Enron employees -- the same loyal employees whose warnings about the company's financial problems he stubbornly ignored.
For many who knew him well, it was simply inconceivable that Ken Lay could have known about, let alone encouraged, the kind of financial shenanigans that led to the downfall of a company that was his life's work and the source of his power and fortune. But what they missed, and what a jury came to conclude, was that like many in corporate and public life, Lay had become a con man, unable to untangle truth from fiction.
The remarkable rise and tragic fall of Ken Lay is really a story about a man whose optimism was finally outrun by reality. Early on, he found he could succeed by putting the best face on things, stretching the truth, dismissing the doubts of naysayers. But in the end, those habits became his undoing.
The pattern began two years after the merger of Omaha's InterNorth Inc. and Houston Natural Gas Corp. in the mid-1980s, when newly formed Enron was in a financial bind because of a sharp drop in the price of natural gas. The company was able to avoid defaulting on its $4 billion in debt because of some fortuitous profit racked up by a small trading subsidiary in Valhalla, N.Y., which had decided to short the price of crude oil.
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At one point during the recent Enron trial, prosecutors cross-examining Ken Lay asked the former chief executive how he could have allowed a friendly analyst to report that he was a net buyer of Enron stock at a time when, in fact, he was unloading more than half of his Enron shares.
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Consultant Breached FBI's Computers
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A government consultant, using computer programs easily found on the Internet, managed to crack the FBI's classified computer system and gain the passwords of 38,000 employees, including that of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.
The break-ins, which occurred four times in 2004, gave the consultant access to records in the Witness Protection Program and details on counterespionage activity, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Washington. As a direct result, the bureau said it was forced to temporarily shut down its network and commit thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars to ensure no sensitive information was lost or misused.
The government does not allege that the consultant, Joseph Thomas Colon, intended to harm national security. But prosecutors said Colon's "curiosity hacks" nonetheless exposed sensitive information.
Colon, 28, an employee of BAE Systems who was assigned to the FBI field office in Springfield, Ill., said in court filings that he used the passwords and other information to bypass bureaucratic obstacles and better help the FBI install its new computer system. And he said agents in the Springfield office approved his actions.
The incident is only the latest in a long string of foul-ups, delays and embarrassments that have plagued the FBI as it tries to update its computer systems to better share tips and information. Its computer technology is frequently identified as one of the key obstacles to the bureau's attempt to sharpen its focus on intelligence and terrorism.
An FBI spokesman declined to discuss the specifics of the Colon case. But the spokesman, Paul E. Bresson, said the FBI has recently implemented a "comprehensive and proactive security program'' that includes layered access controls and threat and vulnerability assessments. Beginning last year, all FBI employees and contractors have had to undergo annual information security awareness training.
Colon pleaded guilty in March to four counts of intentionally accessing a computer while exceeding authorized access and obtaining information from any department of the United States. He could face up to 18 months in prison, according to the government's sentencing guidelines. He has lost his job with BAE Systems, and his top-secret clearance has also been revoked.
In court filings, the government also said Colon exceeded his authorized access during a stint in the Navy.
While documents in the case have not been sealed in federal court, the government and Colon entered into a confidentiality agreement, which is standard in cases involving secret or top-secret access, according to a government representative. Colon was scheduled for sentencing yesterday, but it was postponed until next week.
His attorney, Richard Winelander, declined to comment.
According to Colon's plea, he entered the system using the identity of an FBI special agent and used two computer hacking programs found on the Internet to get into one of the nation's most secret databases.
Colon used a program downloaded from the Internet to extract "hashes" -- user names, encrypted passwords and other information -- from the FBI's database. Then he used another program to "crack" the passwords by using dictionary-word comparisons, lists of common passwords and character substitutions to figure out the plain-text passwords. Both programs are widely available for free on the Internet.
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A government consultant, using computer programs easily found on the Internet, managed to crack the FBI's classified computer system and gain the passwords of 38,000 employees, including that of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.
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3 Accused In Theft Of Coke Secrets
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The FBI arrested three people in Atlanta yesterday on charges that they conspired to steal trade secrets from Coca-Cola Co. and sell the information for more than $1.5 million to PepsiCo Inc., federal law enforcement officials said.
The defendants, including one Coca-Cola employee, who worked as an administrative assistant in the company's Atlanta headquarters, contacted PepsiCo officials in May, who tipped off Coca-Cola officials, who then contacted the FBI, according to Atlanta U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, whose fierce rivalry in the soft-drink and food arena has provided case studies for generations of marketing students, worked together to help federal agents set up an undercover sting operation that led to yesterday's arrests.
A company surveillance camera caught Coca-Cola employee Joya Williams at her desk looking through files and "stuffing documents into bags," Nahmias and FBI officials said. Then in June, an undercover FBI agent met at the Atlanta airport with another of the defendants, handing him $30,000 in a yellow Girl Scout Cookie box in exchange for an Armani bag containing confidential Coca-Cola documents and a sample of a product the company was developing, officials said.
The FBI agent promised $45,000 more would be provided later, after the sample product had been tested. On June 27, an FBI agent offered to pay $1.5 million for additional documents and information, the officials said.
The three defendants, who were in jail last night pending an appearance before a judge this morning, were unavailable for comment.
Coca-Cola spokesman Ben Deutsch would not comment on the information the three suspects are alleged to have stolen except to say it did not contain the tightly guarded recipe for Coke. "The secret formula was not and is not at risk," he said.
The company released a memo that was sent by Coca-Cola's chairman and chief executive, E. Neville Isdell, sent to the company's 50,000 employees worldwide, detailing the arrests and saying the case has caused the company to reconsider security of trade secrets from the top down.
"As this is an ongoing criminal matter, we are limited in what we can communicate," Isdell said in the memo. "However, it should be noted that no personal employee information was ever at risk." The involvement in the alleged scheme by a Coca-Cola employee was "difficult for all of us to accept," he said, but it underscored the need to safeguard trade secrets.
"I would also like to express our sincere appreciation to PepsiCo for alerting us to this attack," he said.
Dave DeCecco, spokesman for Pepsi-Cola North America, said: "We only did what any responsible company would do. Competition can sometimes be fierce, but it also must be fair and legal."
Federal prosecutors said the alleged conspirator who made the airport exchange, whom they identified as Ibrahim Dimson of New York, sent an e-mail to an FBI undercover agent saying: "I have information that's all classified and extremely confidential, that only a handful of the top execs at my company have seen. I can even provide actual products and packaging of certain products."
The third alleged conspirator, identified by prosecutors as Edmund Duhaney of Decatur, Ga., opened a bank account with Dimson the day the FBI agent agreed to pay $1.5 million for additional information, the officials said.
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The FBI arrested three people in Atlanta yesterday on charges that they conspired to steal trade secrets from Coca-Cola Co. and sell the information for more than $1.5 million to PepsiCo Inc., federal law enforcement officials said.
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Johnny Cash's Failing Voice Sang a Strong Farewell
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Even in life, Johnny Cash dressed for death, favoring the funereal colors of a perpetual mourner. Hence his nickname, the Man in Black.
Death also lurked in the country great's catalogue; that was especially true during his final decade, when he resuscitated his flat-lined career by releasing four acclaimed albums under the guidance of iconoclastic rap and rock producer Rick Rubin. Shot through with messages of mortality and late-life repentance, the terrific "American Recordings" series was poignant and profound. It was also darkly comedic, in the case of the infamous 1994 murder ballad "Delia's Gone."
But no album in Cash's catalogue explores quietus quite like his latest CD, the posthumously released and positively extraordinary "American V: A Hundred Highways."
Recorded over the last months of Cash's life -- from 2002 until his death on Sept. 12, 2003, at the age of 71 -- the newest "American" album is essentially the sound of a man preparing to die.
Rather than a depressingly morbid recording, though, it's an elegiac song cycle on which Cash comes across like a man who is very much at peace with the inevitability that's hovering over him. He'd just like to share some of his wisdom and say farewell before he goes. God willing, of course, for Cash was nothing if not deeply spiritual in the last half of his life.
"Oh, Lord, help me to walk another mile, just one more mile," he prays on an album-opening cover of Larry Gatlin's "Help Me," over a finger-picked acoustic guitar. (The guitar, as with much of the rest of the CD's instrumentation, was added after Cash's death, as Rubin fleshed out the material with tasteful instrumental overdubs courtesy "American" series regulars Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench and Smokey Hormel, among others.)
"It should be a while before I see Doctor Death, so it would sure be nice if I could get my breath," Cash sings on the last song he wrote, the chilling "Like the 309." The chugging country-blues track is centered on one of Cash's other favorite lyrical concerns; but really, trains are just another vehicle through which he can explore his impending end. "Take me to the depot, put me to bed, blow an electric fan on my gnarly old head," Cash sings matter-of-factly in a weather-beaten voice. "Everybody take a look, see I'm doin' fine, then load my box on the 309."
Even cover songs that weren't originally about death are transformed into tracks about temporality and the afterlife.
Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds," for instance, is a breakup song long favored by Neil Young. But in Cash's old hands, it becomes a different kind of goodbye, particularly as he sings: "Well our good times are all gone, and I'm bound for moving on. I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way."
Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" is also about a broken relationship. But not so in the context of a posthumous Johnny Cash album, as he sings of being an imprisoned ghost, giving the old folk-pop hit considerable gravitas along the way. "You know that ghost is me, and I will never be set free as long as there's a ghost that you can't see," Cash sings.
Here, as in other spots throughout the album, he sounds like a shell of his former self, booming baritone reduced to a fragile whisper. He also sounds short of breath -- an issue he playfully addresses on "Like the 309," noting, "Asthma's coming down like the 309," before exhaling loudly.
Whereas a similar vocal degradation might render other artists unlistenable, it seems to work in Cash's favor on "American V," bringing even more intimacy and raw emotion to the source material. The result is arresting -- and not necessarily surprising. Even in his peak years, during the 1950s with Sun Records and the '60s and '70s with Columbia, Cash wasn't a technically superlative singer, what with imperfect pitch and limited range. But he became one of country music's -- heck, American music's -- greatest vocalists through his ability to convey honest emotion.
Cash was in poor health during the "American V" sessions, suffering from pneumonia, glaucoma and asthma, among other ailments (he died of complications from diabetes), so an engineer and guitarist were kept on call, to be summoned to the studio on days when Cash was feeling well enough to sing. And he apparently sang enough for a second farewell; though Rubin refers to "American V" as "Johnny's final statement," the producer is preparing another album for posthumous release.
Cash pressed on even after his wife, June Carter Cash, died May 15, 2003, following heart surgery. In fact, according to Rubin, recording became Cash's reason for being at that point, "the only thing he had to look forward to." And so the album includes a valentine to June: an elegant cover of Hugh Moffatt's "Rose of My Heart."
June was also the inspiration for an interpretation of Hank Williams's heartbreaking "On the Evening Train," but Cash somehow manages to avoid sounding completely disconsolate on the song, which is about a man tearfully sending his wife's long white casket away on a train.
Perhaps he simply knew he wasn't long for this world. On the liberation ballad "I'm Free From the Chain Gang Now," the final song of the farewell, Cash seems to be singing from the Great Beyond, in a voice that's strong and sturdy and, yes, completely full of life.
Download these : "Help Me," "Like the 309," "If You Could Read My Mind"
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Search Washington, DC area music events and venues from the Washington Post. Features DC, Virginia and Maryland entertainment listings for music news, events, reviews, clubs, and concerts. Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/eg/section/music/ today.
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Quiet Daring
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Torrents of rain sluiced through Washington 10 days ago, as Johnny Monis stood at the podium of the Marriott Wardman Park hotel to accept the award as the area's Rising Culinary Star of the Year. He made himself heard above the din of the 1,500 restaurant insiders, thanked his customers, his family, his girlfriend and his staff -- and then the shy young chef went home. "Too many people," he said.
Monis won the award from the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington for his 38-seat Dupont Circle restaurant, Komi, named for his favorite beach on the Aegean island of Chios, his family's homeland. And while the Rammy awards dinner gets bigger and brassier every year, Monis, 27, seems intent on cutting his own world down to a size and style that are allowing him to come into his own.
When Komi opened in 2004, it had 65 seats, and the moderately priced menu suggested an upscale pizzeria. The place, up a flight of metal stairs on 17th Street NW near Church Street, was open for lunch and dinner six days a week. Monis soon found that he did not have the time to maintain control over the quality of his food. And chefs like control.
Last winter, Monis took a chance. He closed Komi for several weeks, reduced the number of seats to 38 and chose to focus on high-end dining. Komi now offers only dinner, and only five days a week. On Friday and Saturday, only a prix fixe menu is available ($64, with wine, $104), and no walk-ins are accepted.
Any restaurateur knows that cutting seats and raising prices is not usually the wisest business model, but for Monis the risk has so far paid off. Only a few other Washington restaurateurs, such as Peter Pastan at the Italian-inspired Obelisk and John Cochran at the late, minimalist American restaurant Rupperts, have succeeded in forging the kind of European-style contract with diners in the way Monis has.
"We make a point of telling people that dinner will take two or three hours. It's their evening's entertainment, and they know their table will not be 'turned,' " Monis says. Diners put their trust in this chef's palate. "I'm not looking to fill in spots on the menu," says Monis. "People can make a steak at home, but how often will they take a whole fish, pack it in salt and roast it? I want them to have a new experience."
And they do. They may start with little crostini (toasts) topped with taramasalata , a Greek meze made from carp roe, and a dollop of truffled beet tsatsiki , the Greek dip otherwise made with cucumber and yogurt, or a selection of house-cured meats before moving on to a second course of homemade pappardelle noodles with a milk-roasted baby goat ragu and an entree of white tuna with speck (smoked proscuitto) and farro.
Monis's offerings may best be described as American Greco-Roman, a style he came upon naturally; he grew up working in the family restaurant, Alexandria's La Casa Pizzeria.
The path to Komi was short, but with many stops. Monis abandoned pre-med studies at James Madison University to study cooking at Johnson & Wales University's South Carolina campus but left before graduating to work under chef Michael Kramer at Charleston's renowned McGrady's Restaurant. By 22, he was working at Chef Geoff's in Northwest Washington. He opened Komi at 24. It took only a year for word to get around that something extraordinary was happening on 17th Street, and Monis soon had a band of loyal devotees.
He pays homage to his family's cooking style generously: "Everything had to be fresh and made from scratch. My parents were my most influential mentors. Ninety-nine percent of what I do is based in tradition. I don't put things together that don't belong together."
Komi's dishes seem simple, but that is a deception. With few components, there are no diversions to camouflage a weak element. For a chef, this is like operating without a net, so collecting the best raw materials possible is crucial. Monis uses four kinds of salt and five kinds of olive oil, and he has managed to find butter with 83 percent fat (versus the usual 80 percent) to impart an extra richness to sauces. He cures his own pancetta, mortadella, coppa, lardo, testa, pastrouma, speck, sausage, papsala and anchovies. All pastas are homemade, and no two doughs are the same.
Monis knows how to put ingredients together in a way that allows them to speak for themselves. He draws from his own history and updates it, for instance reworking the Greek taramasalata into something finer, using oil instead of potatoes or bread to pull the fish roe together. Another example: When he was a child, his grandmother fried doughnuts in olive oil and soaked them in honey and lemon. For the version he offers, Monis lightens the doughnuts by adding more yeast and proofing them longer and then heeds the culinary zeitgeist by serving them with warm chocolate and mascarpone cheese.
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Torrents of rain sluiced through Washington 10 days ago, as Johnny Monis stood at the podium of the Marriott Wardman Park hotel to accept the award as the area's Rising Culinary Star of the Year. He made himself heard above the din of the 1,500 restaurant insiders, thanked his customers, his...
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Movie Stars
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One of Patricia Neal's signal achievements was to say "Gort! Klaatu Barada Nikto!" with a straight face. With that line, her character tames a stalking alien robot in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," one of the best sci-fi films of the 1950s -- and she delivered it gravely.
Speaking in an out-of-this-world tongue wasn't the only oddity of Neal's career. She had an offbeat, wide-faced beauty that one critic aptly labeled "Appalachian" -- in certain early photos, she resembles the stoic young woman in the famous Depression-era photo by Dorothea Lange. Neal reached Hollywood in the late '40s, as the studio system was collapsing, and she had a stroke in 1965, while still in her thirties. The upshot is that a woman whom The Post's Richard Coe once called "our most undervalued major actress" ended up with about a third of the screen time logged by stars of a generation earlier. She made the most of her chances, though, winning an Oscar for her role in "Hud" (1963).
At the outset of his Patricia Neal: An Unquiet Life (Univ. of Kentucky, $35), Stephen Michael Shearer admits to being a friend of his subject's. She urged him to tell her story "warts and all," and he gives full play to her early off-screen work as a home-wrecker. ("In those days," she recalled. "I had no conscience.") As for her marriage to the British writer Roald Dahl, Shearer suggests that Dahl's vaunted role as a tough-love amateur therapist after Neal's stroke has been exaggerated; his prevailing attitude toward her seems to have been indifference.
But Neal's illness is also where Shearer's otherwise solid biography comes up short. What do doctors think caused that stroke? Did Neal change her lifestyle in order to forestall a recurrence? She has been raising money for medical research ever since, but her biographer is mysteriously reticent about her own condition.
When I recall "The Ed Sullivan Show," the performers that leap to mind are two middle-of-the-bill perennials, singer Sophie Tucker and ventriloquist Se?or Wences. Sullivan always introduced Tucker with her Homeric epithet, "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas," as if the world had once teemed with RHMs. The se?or's m.o. was to transform his hand into a puppet and throw his voice into the mouth of a bearded chap who "lived" inside a box. You weren't likely to find Tucker or Wences on any other TV show: They were Ed's people, and they joined the roll-call of acrobat troupes and choirs, boxers and comics, mezzo-sopranos and rock-and-rollers, magicians and ballet dancers, xylophonists and plate-spinners, plus the splashier acts -- Elvis Presley, the Supremes, the Rolling Stones -- that lent the show a kind of channel-surfing effect: You got a rapid-fire sense of the current entertainment spectrum without having to lift a finger.
James Maguire's smart Impresario: The Life and Times of Ed Sullivan (Billboard, $24.95) dwells on the disparity between the Broadway columnist's lust for the limelight and his ill-suitedness for same. Sullivan began cobbling together variety shows in the early 1930s to generate a kind of feedback loop: Performers on his shows gave him tidbits for his columns, and he mentioned them in print and brought them back for more shows. After bombing repeatedly in radio and the movies, Sullivan finally succeeded as an emcee on live TV, where his stiffness and bloopers endeared him to viewers and impressionists alike. One of the latter captured the show's something-for-everybody eclecticism in this riff: "Tonight on our rilly big show we have seven hundred and two Polish dentists who will be out here in a few moments doing their marvelous extractions." But far from resenting his imitators, Sullivan embraced them: Being mimicked was proof that he'd made it.
His extravaganza ran from 1948 to 1971, holding together a national audience that has since fractured. Maguire deplores the loss of Sullivan's big-tent approach to entertainment, but even he admits that each family member watching the show was likely to be "bored in turn." Was it really all that ennobling for Beatles fans to sit through torch songs by Sophie Tucker and antics by Se?or Wences before they got their reward?
Tom Santopietro's The Importance of Being Barbra (Thomas Dunne, $22.95) is not a biography of its subject but a book-length critique of Streisand's multifaceted career: singer, movie star, director and political activist. Not many celebrities warrant such extended scrutiny, but Barbra Streisand may be one of them, and Santopietro, who is described as having managed "more than two dozen Broadway shows," seems qualified for the job. Except for one thing -- his prose.
Santopietro can be shrewd about Streisand's work, sometimes to her detriment, as when he notes how her egotism helped spoil "The Prince of Tides," a film she starred in and directed. When the character played by Nick Nolte comes to grips with his upbringing in what should be his big scene, the camera focuses not on him but on the reaction of his shrink (Streisand). "The breakthrough is the patient's, not the doctor's," Santopietro notes, "but the viewer wouldn't know it."
Such insights, however, are all but lost in the presentation. Participles dangle by the hundreds. Hyperbole abounds. Clich?s pile up into whole edifices of boilerplate, as in this comment on the film "Hello Dolly": "On the plus side of the ledger, there is first-class musical support from soon-to-be Broadway legend Tommy Tune . . . and several individual scenes hit the bullseye." The Importance of Being Barbra shows the importance of being a writer.
Lee Server's Ava Gardner: "Love Is Nothing" (St. Martin's, $29.95) wore me out. It's not just that this biography of perhaps the most beautiful Hollywood star ever sprawls over 500 pages. Gardner was a tireless boozer, fornicator and brawler, and the account of her marriages, affairs, tantrums, sulks, seductions, confessions and generally erratic behavior soon becomes tedious. Especially as you watch Gardner make the same mistakes over and over -- such as agreeing to another reconciliation with her third husband, Frank Sinatra, despite overwhelming evidence that they were poison to each other. You get the sense of someone dancing on a treadmill.
A native of North Carolina tobacco country, Ava Gardner got to Hollywood via a photo in a New York shop window, which caught the eye of an MGM talent scout. The studio signed her up, put her through its in-house finishing school and then all but lost sight of her. It took another studio, Universal, to make her a star, in "The Killers" (1946), a film noir based loosely on a Hemingway story.
Carefully directed, Gardner could turn in an intelligent performance, but most of her 70-odd movies are slop. Off-camera, she gave off sparks of wit, as in her assessment of John Ford, who directed her in "Mogambo": "The meanest man on earth. Thoroughly evil. Adored him!" And she never failed to make an impression. What Server calls "her often desperate joie de vivre" inspired the one-woman riot played by Anita Ekberg in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita." But in the end Gardner epitomizes the empty-vessel syndrome that seems to afflict so many movie stars: Without a script or a director, the poor woman had no idea what to make of herself. ?
Dennis Drabelle is a contributing editor to Book World.
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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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Apartment Life Live
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Welcome to Apartment Life, an online discussion of the Washington area rental market, featuring Post columnist Sara Gebhardt.
In her monthly exchanges with the audience, Gebhardt discusses rental issues and lifestyle matters.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Check out our special feature: Think Smart: Apartment Hunting Made Easy.
Read Sara's latest Apartment Life column.
For more news and advice on issues facing apartment dwellers, visit our Rentals section.
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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Welcome to Apartment Life, an online discussion of the Washington area rental market. Post columnist Sara Gebhardt discusses rental issues and lifestyle matters.
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A Brush With Destruction
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For painter Sory Yager, 54, recovering from Hurricane Katrina's devastation meant moving beyond the haunting images of dead bodies, looking away from empty streets where houses once stood and getting back to the living -- and her watercolors.
"You can't just sit around and cry about it," Yager says.
Katrina destroyed all of Yager's art supplies, ruined her home and stole at least half her artwork: The storm blew away what was hanging in galleries, and left muddied and unsalvageable what was in her studio, where water rose to the ceiling. After some time away from the easel -- during which she was consumed with rebuilding her life -- the Bay St. Louis, Miss., artist returned to her watercolors in the spring at an art workshop in New Orleans.
Yager's "Complements," a watercolor abstract that she painted in an array of oranges and blues, appears today at the District's Foundry Gallery in "After the Storm," an exhibition featuring more than 30 works by 26 artists from the Mississippi Gulf Coast region.
The month-long showcase, a collection that includes paintings, photographs, wall hangings and pottery, chronicles the transformation and renaissance of a Mississippi art community ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Not so long ago, people strolled the streets of downtown Bay St. Louis, home to a Gulf Coast artists colony, Yager recalled during a phone conversation. Visitors would spend dreamy evenings listening to live music, dining on Southern cooking and relishing the artists and their works. But things are much quieter now. The businesses that had flourished in May 2005 were, by November, nonexistent. Slowly, the restaurants are reopening, Yager says, but the art galleries, jewelry and pottery shops have yet to return.
The Foundry exhibition is giving Yager and other artists the chance to display and sell new work they've created since the hurricane.
"After the Storm," which runs through July 30, is the second major juried exhibition in a series of shows arranged by ARTS-Hancock County Mississippi, an association representing more than 200 artists in Bay St. Louis, Waveland and other areas of Hancock County. The first major show, "Hearts of Art," was held in February at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, where most of the artwork was sold the first night, says Gwen Impson, president of the ARTS-Hancock group. Members' work is also on display in several galleries in St. Paul, Minn.
"To be able to create again after going through something as horrendous as this makes you feel alive again," says Impson, who has two prints in the Foundry show.
Says Foundry President Debra Naylor: "All of us have studios, all of us could empathize with the idea of losing that space."
Kathe Calhoun, 72, knows what losing everything feels like. The lively "second Saturdays" she once spent in downtown Bay St. Louis are now dominated by tussling on the phone with contractors and builders, scheduling and rescheduling work for completion of her new home. The old one was gutted and demolished last year. In the winds and waters of Katrina, 35 years of photographs, watercolors, acrylic paintings and art equipment disappeared, including the work she had in several area galleries.
"I'm just trying to do whatever I can do to maintain a living," Calhoun says. For eight months now, a 2-by-3-foot table in Calhoun's FEMA trailer has served as a place to eat, do ironing and paint.
It's not fun. The thoughtful days of an artist spent painting, visiting with friends, then painting some more into the night have turned into one frustration after another.
"Now it's trying to get up and figure out whether you'll have enough water to finish your shower," says Calhoun, who arrives Friday for the exhibition's opening reception. "It's rough."
Two of her paintings, the watercolor "Banana Bloom" and the acrylic "Stone Painting," are featured in the show.
All profits from the exhibition will go to the artists, Naylor says. With the support of grants received by ARTS-Hancock, Calhoun and other artists have been able to replace some of their supplies. But after getting $1,500, Calhoun hasn't come close to replacing everything she lost, which included a light box, work tables, easels and yards of silk, which she used as canvases.
Still, the inflections in her voice are hopeful. "Sometimes in life, I guess, you have to start over again," Calhoun says. "I guess this is my time."
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Complete Coverage on Hurricane Katrina and Rita including video, photos and blogs. Get up-to-date news on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, news from New Orleans and more.
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Elegy on Death
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Was there ever a time and place so vexed by death as millennial America? As news, as entertainment or as something in between, images of mortal catastrophe besiege us. In a sense, they hold us hostage, for mourn as we may the victims of tsunami or hurricane, or the hapless wedding guests blasted by a suicide's bomb, we can, at least at the moment, do nothing for them. We cannot put our arm around the widow's shoulder to share the burden of grief, or cover the face of the dead child and help bear him gently to the grave.
But what of the more immediate, personal death, the death in the family, the loss we can, indeed must, address directly? As Sandra M. Gilbert amply illustrates in her comprehensive new study of how death is encountered in the modern era, even then our natural urge to grieve may be stonewalled by silence.
"We live in a culture where grief is frequently experienced as at the least an embarrassment and sometimes even as a sort of illness," Gilbert writes, recalling the moment in 1991 when the surgeon who had "successfully" operated on her husband's prostate informed her of his subsequent death. A representative of the hospital's Office of Decedent Services handed her a Bereavement Packet. "Lacking traditional strategies for solace," she observes, "we're so dumbfounded by death that we'd rather leave the pain to professionals."
An emeritus literature professor at the University of California at Davis, Gilbert has a gift for shining a bright light into the cultural shadows. Her groundbreaking 1979 study of 19th-century female writers, "The Madwoman in the Attic" (co-authored with Susan Gubar), opened up the field of feminist literary criticism. She turned her attention to the universally relevant but deeply distressing topic of death after her husband died. The tension between the intimate, individual experience of grief and the vast public spectacles of death that have haunted the last, and bloodiest, century energize her long, erudite meditation.
"History makes death just as surely as death makes history," Gilbert reminds us. The disintegration of redemptive religious faith, the traumatic experience of global warfare, the medicalization of dying, the effects of film and video, and the evolution of burial customs have conspired, she argues, to undermine traditional communal avenues of mourning and compel the poet, now deprived of the consolations of traditional elegy and lament, to devise new terms of expression.
This study is an ambitious undertaking, one that may put the reader in mind of those manic late-night TV advertisements-- "But wait, there's more!" And anyone impatient with the insistent contrariety and self-referential tendencies of postmodern criticism will at times grow restless.
But Gilbert's wide-ranging approach turns up unexpected insights. Could the recent upwelling of interest in animal rights, for instance, which asserts animals' consciousness of suffering, represent a last-ditch effort to revive the belief that humans have eternal souls by bestowing them first on animals? Or consider the invention of the stethoscope. How profoundly altered was the doctor-patient relationship when the caregiver no longer needed to place head to chest to hear a heart beat?
But while "Death's Door" will be extremely useful to cultural analysts, it is above all a work of profound literary scholarship. Here are Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, their verses revealing and embodying "our literary culture's passage from a traditional Christian theology of 'expiration' to a modern, post-Christian (anti) theology of 'termination.' " Here Wallace Stevens tentatively proposes what he called a "mythology of modern death" in which death "is absolute and without memorial." And Sylvia Plath makes an extended appearance, emitting a "long hiss of distress" at the "great abeyance" of mortality.
Herself a poet, Gilbert never strays far from the specific. Her exploration begins by examining her own experience of her husband's death and her struggle to "signify my grief" before the censure of public squeamishness. It concludes by considering the ways that recent poets, in verses that document unflinchingly, sometimes almost unbearably, the physical details of death, have constructed "a defiant poetics of grief that insists on meticulously documenting loss and sorrow."
"Contemporary verse resists the repression of death as determinedly as the great modernists resisted the repression of sex," she finds. For what is left to us now but to bear witness? Web sites serve as digital funeral urns. Spontaneous shrines spring up at the sites of traffic accidents. In the "new order of industrialized violence," Gilbert writes, "only an act of witnessing . . . can constitute a properly elegiac tribute to the slaughtered multitudes."
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Rents Rise as Apartment Market Is Squeezed
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The apartment market in the Washington area has become one of the tightest in the country, and rents are rising briskly as some affluent residents decide to rent rather than buy in what they fear is an inflated real estate market.
The surge of well-to-do new renters is attracting developers, and at least 4,000 units that had been planned as condos will instead be leased as rentals over the next two years, according to a new analysis by Delta Associates, an Alexandria real estate information company.
Among the renters is Randell Rogers, 40, a systems engineer who earns $127,000 a year and recently sold a house. The housing-sale slowdown and sky-high prices have made him wary of buying again, and he is renting a two-bedroom townhouse in Herndon for $1,400 a month, about half of what he thinks he would pay each month if he bought a similar townhouse for about $450,000.
"It makes more sense to rent this year while values keep going down," Rogers said. "Even with the tax break, it doesn't make sense for me. It's just not reasonable to buy."
Other affluent families are doing the same. Laura Holliday, 33, and her husband, Jason, 34, both analysts for the federal government, tired of the chores associated with homeownership, the heavy mortgage payments and the hassle of commuting each day to the District from the Mount Vernon area of Alexandria. They sold their house in July 2005 and moved to a townhouse in the Clarendon area of Arlington, where they can commute to work by Metro and have more time to spend with their two young children.
"We probably won't rent forever," Holliday said, "but for now, we are definitely enjoying renting."
As they and others lease instead of buy, rents have risen 7 percent in the past year, according to a new analysis by Delta Associates. In suburban Maryland, rents for luxury high-rise apartments rose 11 percent.
About 6,500 additional renters leased units in the past year, up from about 4,400 in the previous year, according to Delta Associates. The Washington area has one of the lowest apartment vacancy rates in the nation, down to 1.7 from 2.4 percent a year ago, compared with a national average of 5.7 percent.
The rent increases are confounding industry expectations that rents would fall because of the huge number of new condominiums, many of which were sold to investors who have put them up for rent. Experts say prices would rise even faster without the additional condos.
Even so, rents are expected to rise 5 to 9 percent annually over the next few years, said economist Gregory H. Leisch, chief executive of Delta Associates.
More than a half-dozen projects have recently shifted from proposed condo complexes to rental apartments. Delta Associates projects about 2,000 units are being shifted or will remain as rentals this year, with another 2,000 going that route next year.
"Every large developer I know is working on a project that was expected to be condo -- and that they are now taking back to apartments," said Mark Coletta, regional partner of Fairfield Residential LLC, which is building about a dozen projects in the Washington area. "That's what everyone is doing."
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The apartment market in the Washington area has become one of the tightest in the country, and rents are rising briskly as some affluent residents decide to rent rather than buy in what they fear is an inflated real estate market.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/05/AR2006070501133.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2006070619id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/05/AR2006070501133.html
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Utilities Scramble to Keep Up
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2006070619
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Thousands of area residents emerging onto their leaf- and tree-strewed streets yesterday morning remained without electricity as power companies struggled with the damage from the latest in a two-week series of freak storms that has given the region its worst beating since Hurricane Isabel.
In the Prince George's County suburbs of Adelphi, Hyattsville and University Park, the Fourth of July holiday was transformed into a maelstrom of flying leaves and limbs so fierce that many residents thought they were experiencing a tornado.
National Weather Service officials said some areas were struck by microbursts -- violent spates of wind accelerating downward, striking ground and spreading in every direction, like a water balloon exploding on impact.
More than 80,000 people in the District, Maryland and Virginia lost electricity on the Fourth of July, and as of yesterday afternoon, about 22,100 were still waiting for the lights to come on. Some of those residents have lost power repeatedly in the spate of storms.
Yesterday, more thunderstorms snarled traffic on Capitol Hill and in Arlington and prompted a tornado warning in Southern Maryland.
Despite this week's rain, seepage at the Lake Needwood dam in North Rockville has stopped, and the water level is almost back to normal, officials said.
The state yesterday declared the dam unsafe and instructed park officials to drain the water to safe levels, monitor the dam during storms, retain an engineering team and update emergency plans. The rising water prompted the county to evacuate 1,400 people from nearby homes over the weekend.
In the meantime, power companies have struggled to deal with the difficult task of restoring electricity to thousands of residents.
"It's been a circus here. We're dealing with a train of storms that keeps rolling through every day," said Robert Dobkin, a spokesman for Pepco. "By the time we restore most of the people, another storm comes along and knocks us out."
Dominion Virginia Power said about 300,000 people in Northern Virginia lost power at some point in the past two weeks, compared with about 485,000 during Isabel in September 2003.
"Hurricane Isabel was a significant one-time hit," said David Botkins, a Dominion spokesman. "But these storms just came boom, boom, boom ."
Actually, the sound was pop, pop, pop, said Milton Campbell, who said that was the sound of huge tree branches in his Hyattsville neighborhood shattering Tuesday afternoon as the storm became terrifyingly violent.
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Get Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia news. Includes news headlines from The Washington Post. Get info/values for Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia homes. Features schools, crime, government, traffic, lottery, religion, obituaries.
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