Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Russia To Help NATO Build Anti-Missile Network
Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post reports that Russia has agreed to cooperate with NATO on erecting a US-planned anti-missile network in Europe protecting the continent against possible ballistic missile attacks from Iran or elsewhere. The anti-missile coverage would be anchored by a US land- and sea-based deployment, reconfigured by Obama from earlier plans devised under the Bush administration. The new idea would be to link individual national missile defenses into the US network and place them all under a NATO command and control center with authority to respond to an attack. 'We see Russia as a partner, not an adversary,' says President Obama, hailing the NATO-Russian accord. President Dmitri Medvedev warned that Russia's cooperation must be 'a full-fledged strategic partnership between Russia and NATO' and not just a nod in Moscow's direction to spare Russian feelings while Europe tends to its own defenses in tandem with the United States."
wOw?s Question of the Week: If you were no longer married, would you marry or partner with a younger man?
Join Candice Bergen, Joan Ganz Cooney and Mary Wells in the conversation
Question of the Week | 11/10/2010 12:00 am
Candice Bergen: Okay. First, it’s about time THAT sexist taboo was done away with. Once it was addressed, it disintegrated fairly quickly. That said, if I were not so extremely old and happily married, I might partner with a younger guy — with the understanding that it would end badly … for me. And with the understanding that as I aged and withered and fattened, my anxiety would also increase. It wouldn’t be a relationship for sissies.
Source: http://www.wowowow.com/pov/question-week-candice-bergen-mary-wells-joan-ganz-cooney-marry-partner-younger-man-i-am-number-four-alex-ettyfer-510314
White House Summit: Bipartisan Breakthrough Or Bust?
Political junkies will be watching the White House closely this morning, as President Obama sits down with Congressional leaders for their first "summit" since Republicans did so well in the midterm elections.
The 800-Pound Mama Grizzly Problem
Sarah Palin's search traffic, since the start of 2010, is roughly 16 times that of Mitt Romney, 14 times that of Newt Gingrich, 38 times that of Mike Huckabee, and 87 times that of Mr. Pawlenty. (It is about six times greater than these other four candidates combined.)
Source: http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/the-800-pound-mama-grizzly-problem/
Ugly Betty's Michael L. Brea Allegedly Murders Mom With Sword
UPDATE: Michael L. Brea has been charged with 2nd degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to TMZ. Arraignment is scheduled for later today.
'Ugly Betty' and 'Step Up 3D' actor Michael L. Brea allegedly butchered his mother to death with a sword as he chased her around his Brooklyn, New York apartment while reciting biblical passages in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
Reportedly, neighbors called NYPD when they heard bloodcurdling screams coming from Brea's apartment. "I hear the brother chasing her [his mother] through the house and he's just saying a bunch of [Bible] passages like, 'Repent, Repent, Repent,'" neighbor Gregory Clare told local WPIX, a local television news outlet. "I heard him chasing her through the house and I hear a loud scream and so I have my father call the cops, call 911."
When police arrived at murder scene, they found Yannick, the small-time actor's 55-year-old World Trade Center survivor mother, in a blood-splattered bathroom, decapitated and in a kneeling position, her body had been mutilated by multiple stabbings. Investigators describe the residence as pure bloody gore.
Brea was found sitting on a bed with the three-foot ceremonial sword he had removed only one day before without permission from a Masonic lodge after a meeting. The 31-year-old low level mason was still spouting gibberish and talking about repentance when police tasered, then removed him from the apartment on a stretcher. Brea, who is a twin, Haitian-American and who also starred in a campaign for the energy drink Full Throttle was taken to nearby Kings County Hospital for psychiatric observation.
Brea's cousin John who stood outside the apartment building as police took his relative away told the New York Daily News that his aunt was a very loving and hard working caregiver.
A stunned ex-girlfriend described Brea as a martial arts aficionado who never displayed any signs whatsoever of mental imbalance or violence. She told the New York Daily News, "Michael had the whole world in his hands. This is a shock."
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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/11/23/ugly-bettys-michael-l-brea-allegedly-murders-mom-with-sword/
CAROLINE KENNEDY CAROLYN MALONEY CARTE GOODWIN CASH FOR CLUNKERS
Liz Smith: Anonymous Writer Rattles Hollywood's Cage
More from our Liz: Cher: ‘I would have married him’ ? Kaye Ballard promises ‘From Broadway With Love’ with Donna McKechnie and Lilianne Montevecchi ? ‘Encores!’ presents ‘Bells Are Ringing’
Liz Smith | 11/19/2010 12:00 am
"TAKE AGENTS. You could say a whole bunch of invidious mucilage about them, if you were feeling like moving back to Des Moines. They never pick up a check for one thing ? Or network executives. Oh, sure, they look like a bunch of milquetoasts, but in private, you never saw such a bunch of raptors ? Studio heads? They make the network suits look like the Dalai Lama ? their bite is almost fatal."
Those are snippets from a two-page "Letter From Anonymous" printed in the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter. The subhead says: "A Top Town Exec Unloads His/Her Inner ...
Monday, November 29, 2010
Congress votes to delay pay cut to doctors
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to postpone for one month a hefty cut in payments to doctors who participate in the U.S. Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled won final U.S. congressional passage on Monday. 
Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/Reuters/PoliticsNews/~3/qGht9iCLWVg/idUSTRE6AS5OO20101129
Poll: Most favor gays serving openly
As opponents of the military?s Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell policy prepare a final push for repeal during Congress?s lame duck session, polling shows that they?ve got the wind of public opinion at their backs.
Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/29/5545014-poll-most-favor-gays-serving-openly-
U.S.-South Korea Military Exercises Go on Despite North's Threat
By Mark Berman Opposing Views
Joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises continued in the Yellow Sea Monday despite North Korean warnings. However, live fire drills on the island of Yeonpyeong, which the North bombed last week, were postponed. The Associated Press reports:
Source: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/u-s-south-korea-military-exercises-go-on-despite-north-s-threat
Pirate Party's North American Debut
adonoman writes "A 25-year-old Winnipeg businessman is the first Pirate Party of Canada candidate to run for federal election. At the same time, the US and UK pirate parties have put out an open letter to Anonymous requesting that they cease Operation Payback's DDOS attacks and focus on taking a legal route to fix intellectual property law."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Palin says Iowa book signing stop not political
Hundreds turned out for a Sarah Palin book signing in Iowa, an event the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate insisted was not for political purposes.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40399670/ns/politics-more_politics/
Jeter's Predictable Predicament
Assessing the value of Derek Jeter, now that the beloved player is negotiating his next contract.
Source: http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/jeters-predictable-predicament/
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Bras give energy efficiency a sexy boost in Italy
by Ashley Braun.
For Italian ladies wanting to shrink their waste and support their busts, Italian lingerie company Intimissimi is offering to pay them to rack up environmental cred by recycling their old bras. Until the end of November, women can exchange worn-out over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders for three euros (four dollars) of credit toward a new bra. The program is like Cash for Clunkers, but sexier. (And hopefully less clunky for the planet.)
Once the bras are done padding women’s busts, they’ll go on to pad the walls of their pads as soundproof insulating panels. Energy efficiency and bra recycling? Sounds like the perfect fit, and a tad more comfy than the rice-growing or reusable chopstick-holding bras out there.
So far, this risqué program hasn’t made Intimissimi look like a boob either: “Since the program started on Oct. 18, 30 to 40 percent percent of all bras sold in Intimissimi stores have involved the trade-in bonus.”
Take a peek at the Italian commercial advertising the deal, which I’m sure has the, ahem, breast intentions:
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Related Links:
Ask Umbra on Black Friday, giving thanks, and buying nothing
The messy side of energy efficiency: finance
6 ways to solve the ‘renter’s dilemma’ for home energy
Source: http://feeds.grist.org/click.phdo?i=f5c74d3fb9ee13a6ae261c406dc55752
Turkey can be climate friendly; spinach, not so much [AUDIO]
by Grist.
With Thanksgiving approaching and Christmas just around the corner, we here at the Climate Desk thought it would be a good time to take a hard look at how our food system is affecting the climate, and how climate change might impact the future of food. What we found was a lot more complicated than we imagined. Counterintuitive even. Would you ever have guessed, for example, that spinach is as bad for the planet as beef? It all depends on how you measure, of course, but one of our guests, geophysicist Gidon Eshel, says it might be. Or that global warming might actually be good for agriculture? NASA agronomist Cynthia Rosenzweig says that, at least in the short term, that’ll be the case. We also spoke with bestselling author Anna Lappé, agricultural analyst Philip Thorton, and Tara Oresick, the manager of Farm Sanctuary, an animal rights organization that conducts an annual adopt-a-turkey drive every Thanksgiving.
Related Links:
Grist readers and staff share their renegade Thanksgiving plans
Giving thanks—to turkeys, without flinching [VIDEO]
Latest exposé shows the egg industry’s problems are widespread and systematic
Source: http://feeds.grist.org/click.phdo?i=7739215b919b9c7aeb0ec1442005f19d
Obama Gets 12 Stitches After Basketball Injury
The White House says President Obama has received 12 stitches in his lip after being hit during a pickup basketball game. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says the president was inadvertently struck by someone's elbow Friday.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2010/11/26/131611563/obama-gets-12-stitches-after-basketball-injury?ft=1&f=1014
Issa Seeks to Expand His Mandate
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) "is planning to vastly expand scrutiny of the Obama administration by seeking new subpoena powers for dozens of federal agency watchdogs in hopes of using their investigations and his own in an aggressive push to cut spending and shrink the government," the New York Times reports.
"It is a far broader policy mandate than was embraced by predecessors in both parties, who viewed their role as chief Congressional inquisitor of the executive administration."
His big targets: "40 billion a year in fraud or waste in Medicare; tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the government-controlled mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; $8.5 billion in losses by the Postal Service in the last fiscal year; tens of millions of dollars spent on redundant programs within federal agencies or squandered through corrupt contracting procedures."
"It is a far broader policy mandate than was embraced by predecessors in both parties, who viewed their role as chief Congressional inquisitor of the executive administration."
His big targets: "40 billion a year in fraud or waste in Medicare; tens of billions of dollars in subsidies to the government-controlled mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; $8.5 billion in losses by the Postal Service in the last fiscal year; tens of millions of dollars spent on redundant programs within federal agencies or squandered through corrupt contracting procedures."
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/CGSdpFIiLYs/issa_seeks_to_expand_his_mandate.html
CAROLINE KENNEDY CAROLYN MALONEY CARTE GOODWIN CASH FOR CLUNKERS
Quote of the Day
"I think the later that decision is made the better. There's no reason to jump out early, you'd be blowing through money and you'd have a target on your back."
-- Mike Huckabee, in an interview with the Arizona Republic, on announcing a presidential bid.
-- Mike Huckabee, in an interview with the Arizona Republic, on announcing a presidential bid.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/tByK6XxnSEc/quote_of_the_day.html
BUSH ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS BUSINESS 2.0 MAGAZINE BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Saturday, November 27, 2010
TSA Scanning: America, Assume the Position!
Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
A couple Saturdays ago, on my normal biking route, I pulled out of the street briefly and began to continue my journey. But as I began to pull back on the pavement, two of New York City's finest pull up and commenced the annoying procedure of ticketing me for riding on the sidewalk.
I pedaled less than 25 feet on the sidewalk, and I'm sure there were many other more serious crimes likely being committed within a two block radius at that time. But one of the officers basically explained to me that my action fit the pattern and my appearance (I was wearing black sweats) fit the profile of criminals in the area.
I thought it was ridiculous, and didn't realize I should be wearing a tuxedo for a morning bike ride, but what could I do other than let the cops run my license for warrants that I've never had, take the $25 citation, and resolve to fight it albeit on principle?
So when I hear that people are just as frustrated about having to submit to scanning and even pat-downs from the Transportation Security Administration, it makes me laugh.
Apparently, mainstream America seems to have a problem with what black folks have endured in this country since police forces have existed. For years, we've had to submit to pat downs, shake downs and beat downs from government agencies not in airports, but in our own communities, in our cars and even in our homes.
So the sweet irony tickles me to hear conservatives bitch and moan about their freedoms being intruded upon in an attempt to thwart terrorism, when they have no problem with it when it's done to us by the city or state police. I'm telling you I love seeing these squares, who have never once understood or cared what it's like to be racially profiled, get the business from Five-Oh.
They either kept their mouths closed or defended racial profiling, but when the baton is aimed at their anuses, now it's a problem. My God, it'll be worth it to hang out at airports this holiday season to laugh your a** off at these pricks who just a few years ago all but insisted that anyone who isn't white be subjected to a forearm-deep cavity search.
Now, I get just as frustrated as the next guy over the hassle of taking my shoes off as I go through security, putting my belongings into a bin as it goes through an x-ray machine, then, of course, getting my stuff together, and putting my shoes back on to make an O.J. Simpson dash to my gate in time to make a flight.
However, I do realize that screening is a necessary process in order to keep insidious types off of airplanes, just the same way I realize that cops patrolling a beat looking for actual criminals keeps the streets safe. Do I agree with pat downs, boob grabbing or crotch pulling by TSA screeners? No, that sucks and I wouldn't want it anymore than anyone else.
But why is it not okay for those who feel they couldn't be a threat because they are "regular Americans" as Sarah Palin put it, but it is okay for those of us who wouldn't be considered a "regular American" if we were caught in Beverly Hills unless we were making a delivery or tending a garden?
Look the point is, you can't have it both ways. If you don't want to be profiled, then get rid of profiling for everyone -- not just people who you think are safe travelers.
The plotters of 9/11 were men who set a new standard in how people would be looked at as they went through airport security and in doing so, fed America's typical knee-jerk fears. But the same people had no problem with a Harvard graduate, University of Michigan Ph.D., and assistant professor at University of California-Berkeley sending explosives through the mail simply because the man who turned out to be the "Unabomber" did not fit the profile.
Maybe America ought to take a minute to reassess who is dangerous and who isn't.
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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/11/24/tsa-scanning-america-assume-the-position/
Black Friday
It's a slow political news day, so you might want to check out the amazing deals Amazon has today.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/58tHDOuKJjw/black_friday.html
CAMPAIGN FINANCE CAMPBELL BROWN: ELECTION CENTER CANADA CANDY CROWLEY
No. 3: Thomas Friedman
Thomas Friedman is an environmentalist, now. When he's not jetting around the world on the literally unlimited expense account his money-bleeding newspaper provides him, pondering KFC billboards he spots outside the windows of gleaming office towers in Delhi -- or when he's not lounging beside the pool at his absurd home -- the second-most-influential business thinker in the country is worrying about carbon emissions. Which is, I freely admit, a nice change of pace from back when he was telling the world that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would lead to a glorious new dawn of freedom/democracy/whiskey/iPods/Old Navy in the Middle East as a whole.
Source: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2010/11/24/hack_list_3/index.html
DEBBIE HALVORSON DEBBIE STABENOW DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ DECISIONS AND VERDICTS
Bipartisanship elusive in post-election Washington
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Polls show Americans want bipartisanship from the new balance of power in Washington, but so far there is little indication that President Barack Obama and resurgent Republicans will work much together. 
Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/Reuters/PoliticsNews/~3/ST5f5ZZvf4o/idUSTRE6AN40N20101124
Pirate Party's North American Debut
adonoman writes "A 25-year-old Winnipeg businessman is the first Pirate Party of Canada candidate to run for federal election. At the same time, the US and UK pirate parties have put out an open letter to Anonymous requesting that they cease Operation Payback's DDOS attacks and focus on taking a legal route to fix intellectual property law."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Bishop Eddie Long Update: Trial Date Now Set for Next Summer
Filed under: News
Attorneys in the DeKalb County courtroom gathered for both sides to determine the status of the case. A tentative trial date has been set for July 11, 2011. There will be mediation before that time, set to take place in February.
Anthony Flagg, Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris, and Spenser LaGrande are arguing that Bishop Long used his influence over them to coerce them into sexual relationships. They claim that the relationships took place during their teen years, and that inappropriate contact occurred during some of their trips together. Long's church, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, hasn't argued for Long's innocence or guilt. Instead, they've simply acknowledged that Long did share hotel rooms with some of the young men and that they did take trips together.
Long's case is further complicated by the fact that he has preached against homosexuality for a very long time. In fact, his anti-gay marriage campaign was one of the cornerstones of his ministry. The black community's response to Bishop Long's allegations has been mixed, with some people supporting him and some arguing that he is a hypocrite. To date, Long has not specifically stated that he is completely innocent. A consistent denial of the stories being told by the young men would put Long in an awkward spot if it is proven that he did indeed have an extramarital affair with any of the men in his church.
Long's allegations of hypocrisy are also quite telling in light of the some other things going on around the country. Pastor Cedric Miller of New Jersey was found to have had a four-way affair with his wife and male assistant after condemning his congregation for using Facebook. Bishop Steven Arnold in Little Rock, Arkansas was asked to resign after it was revealed that he'd had an affair with the wife of a young man he was mentoring. It seems that 2010 has become the year of exposing corrupt pastors in African American churches, so perhaps this represents a new day in the black church community.
While we don't know what's going on in every church across America, we do know that what's been unearthed is probably the tip of the iceberg. Many of us in the African American community know of the pastor who sleeps with a slew of young women, young men or even young children in the church. I am an advocate of the New York City campaign against terrorism, which says "If you see something, say something." So, rather than sitting idly by as some of our spiritual leaders engage in egregious abuses of power, it's important that we open our mouths.
All the while, it must be remembered that not every pastor is corrupt or sexually irresponsible. Also, most of us make mistakes or bad choices in our lives and pastors are no different. While our human short-comings can't be used as excuses for socially-deviant behavior, we can't write off the good works of seasoned pastors just because their flaws are exposed. I will always be convinced that Bishop Eddie Long has done some good things for others in his life, and that is why so many people still support him. But even if he turns out to be a good man who made some bad decisions, he must be held accountable like the rest of us. Perhaps he will get his day in court and his congregation will get the truth that they deserve, but deep down, I sincerely doubt it.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/11/22/bishop-eddie-long-has-his-first-day-in-court/
Recount Ordered in Minnesota Race
The Associated Press reports that Minnesota's canvassing board is ordering a recount in the state's closely contested gubernatorial race between Mark Dayton (D) and Tom Emmer (R).
Certified vote counts show Dayton with a less than 9,000-vote lead, which is within the half point margin needed to force a recount under state law. The recount will start Monday and finish by mid-December; the new governor is to take office on Jan. 3.
Certified vote counts show Dayton with a less than 9,000-vote lead, which is within the half point margin needed to force a recount under state law. The recount will start Monday and finish by mid-December; the new governor is to take office on Jan. 3.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/RHSECQvchvc/recount_ordered_in_minnesota_race.html
Sunday, November 21, 2010
US May Disable All Car Phones, Says Trans. Secretary
gambit3 writes "The US government may require cars to include scrambling tech that would disable mobile-phone use by drivers, and perhaps passengers. 'I think it will be done,' US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said on Wednesday morning. 'I think the technology is there and I think you're going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones.' LaHood is on a self-described 'rampage' against distracted driving, and if making it impossible to use a mobile phone while in a car can save lives, he's all for it."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Cholera Crisis: Disease Confirmed in Haitian Capital
The coming weeks will be the toughest for Haiti since the January earthquake devastated the island-nation.
Cholera has been confirmed in a 3-year-old Port-au-Prince boy suffering from severe dehydration, vomiting and diarrhea -- the crippling and potentially fatal effects of the disease that has killed more than 500 people since the outbreak hit six weeks ago.
The spread of cholera to Haiti's capital means that millions of homeless people are now at risk for catching and spreading the disease.
Think for a second.
The magnitude of the international crisis boggles the mind if this already vulnerable population falls prey to the disease by the thousands.
The floods triggered by Hurricane Tomas could exasperate the disease, which is spread by consuming tainted water.
About 8,000 cholera patients are in hospitals now around the country. Health officials believe there are 30 cases in Port-au-Prince, even though only one case is confirmed.
If the disease does spread to significant numbers of the population, it will be interesting to see how the international community pitches in to help.
Lots of nations, including the United States, made big pledges of billions of dollars in reconstruction aid for Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, but delays in distributing the aid have left the Haitian people in peril.
Let's hope that the heroic actions of health professionals on the ground are enough to avert a crisis. After seeing how international countries failed to deliver on their promises before, I hope they aren't put to the test again.
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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/11/09/cholera-crisis-disease-confirmed-in-haitian-capital/
Monica Bill Barnes: What's So Funny About Dance?
Monica Bill Barnes: What's So Funny About Dance?Choreographer Monica Bill Barnes, described by Deborah Jowitt of The Village Voice as "one of the wittiest young choreographers around", joins Jacob's Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Maura Keefe to discuss dance making and humor. Topics include the role of empathy, sincerity and failure in Barnes' work and responses to the Christopher Hitchens Vanity Fair article 'Why Women Aren't Funny'.
EXCERPT from PillowTalk: What's So Funny About Dance? Recorded July 29, 2010.
PillowTalks feature world-renowned choreographers, dancers, authors, filmmakers, historians, and critics in live hour-long moderated discussions of the cultural forces shaping the field of dance. Curated by Jacob's Pillow Director of Preservation Norton Owen and moderated by Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residence, PillowTalks use dance as a prism to explore the world at large.
For more info on Jacob's Pillow please visit www.jacobspillow.org
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Location: Becket, MA, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow Dance
Program and discussion: http://fora.tv/2010/07/29/Monica_Bill_Barnes_Whats_So_Funny_About_Dance
Source: http://fora.tv/2010/07/29/Monica_Bill_Barnes_Whats_So_Funny_About_Dance
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