from Obama Food-o-rama blog (here in Google Blogger)
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday morning November 30, 2010 passed sweeping legislation that
could profoundly alter America's food safety scenario, the $1.4 billion FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. The vote, after months of debate and changes, was 73-25, with all "nays" coming from the GOP. President Obama issued a statement form the White House, lauding the move.
"We are one step closer to having critically important new tools to protect our nation’s food supply and keep consumers safe," President Obama said. "I urge the House – which has previously passed legislation demonstrating its strong commitment to making our food supply safer – to act quickly on this critical bill, and I applaud the work that was done to ensure its broad bipartisan passage in the Senate."
The House passed a far more comprehensive version of the legislation in July of 2009, and members must now approve the Senate version before the President can sign it into law. That could be a problem, as a coalition of food industry groups continue to protest an easing of FDA regulations for smaller farmers and processors.
S510 is the first overhaul of the federal food safety regulatory system in over seven decades,and is a prevention-focused bill that will boost the FDA's inspection mandate, give it mandatory recall authority, and require food facilities to put food safety plans in place. It will also regulate imported foods. Until recently, the bill had wide bipartisan support, but the addition of the Tester Amendment, introduced by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), which eases FDA regulations for "small, local food processors and producers" had caused much controversy, and was modified on the way to inclusion in the legislation. It now includes FDA oversight on Farm Sales to Wholesale establishments. Read it here.
Many of those issues were ironed out with much behind-the-scenes work over the Thanksgiving holiday, as Senate staffers worked busily to make changes and regain support. After today's vote, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), one of the sponsors of the bill, thanked the long-suffering staffers for their work.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also issued a statement today lauding the Senate action.
“As a co-chair of President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group, I commend the Senate on today’s passage of the food safety bill," Sec. Vilsack said. "There is no more fundamental function of government than protecting consumers from harm, which is why food safety is one of USDA’s top priorities."
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Bradley Manning - WIKILeaks source - his Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" thumb drive (Yahoo excerpt)
"How the Pentagon Hopes to Prevent More Embarrassment" - Nov. 29 online article from Atlantic Monthly
http://news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20101129/cm_atlantic/howthepentagonhopestopreventmorewikileaksembarrassments5961_1
How Were the Files Leaked? The Guardian's David Leigh explains that the cables arrived at his newspaper on an "innocuous-looking memory stick," whose 1.6 gigabytes of text files contained 251,287 dispatches. The leaker is suspected to be Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old soldier, who reportedly confessed to stealing the info while he was downrange. "It was childishly easy," Leigh writes, noting Bradley bragged, "I would come in with music on a CD-RW labelled with something like 'Lady Gaga' … erase the music … then write a compressed split file. No one suspected a thing ... [I] had unprecedented access to classified networks 14 hours a day 7 days a week for 8+ months."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20101129/cm_atlantic/howthepentagonhopestopreventmorewikileaksembarrassments5961_1
How Were the Files Leaked? The Guardian's David Leigh explains that the cables arrived at his newspaper on an "innocuous-looking memory stick," whose 1.6 gigabytes of text files contained 251,287 dispatches. The leaker is suspected to be Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old soldier, who reportedly confessed to stealing the info while he was downrange. "It was childishly easy," Leigh writes, noting Bradley bragged, "I would come in with music on a CD-RW labelled with something like 'Lady Gaga' … erase the music … then write a compressed split file. No one suspected a thing ... [I] had unprecedented access to classified networks 14 hours a day 7 days a week for 8+ months."
Today is the 175th Birthday of Samuel Clemens (he died in 1910): Autobiography is only now released to public
from Writer's Almanac (G. Keillor list serv from Minnesota Public Radio) -- Nov. 30 installment
It's the birthday of the man who said: 'Writing is the easiest thing in the world. ... Just try it sometime. I sit up with a pipe in my mouth and a board on my knees and I scribble away.' That's American writer Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen names Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Sergeant Fathom, Rambler, and W. Epaminondas Adrastus Blab. But his most famous pen name of them all, and the one we know him by today: Mark Twain. He was born on this day 175 years ago in a log cabin in Florida, Missouri (1835).
He worked as a journalist and then published his first book, a short-story collection called "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (1867). But it was a nonfiction book based on his travels through Europe and the Middle East that first made him famous. That book, The Innocents Abroad, published in 1869, sold 100,000 copies within two years. It remained his best-selling book while he was alive, outselling classics like Tom Sawyer, Pudd'nhead Wilson, and even Huckleberry Finn, a book that Hemingway famously said that all modern American literature comes from. Hemingway stated, 'There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.'
Mark Twain loved the story of Joan of Arc, and he hated the writings of Jane Austen. He once said that every time he read Pride and Prejudice,he wanted to dig up Austen and 'beat her over the skull with her own shin bone.' He was famously cantankerous and famously witty, he's sometimes referred to as 'America's first stand-up comic.' He especially loved cutting down people he thought were pretentious or haughty. Once, he was visiting a then-famous artist friend of his in London, a painter. He stepped out of the cold wet London air and into the artist's studio, and hunkered down closely over some newly painted potential masterpieces to get a good look at them. His painter friend came in yelling at him: 'For the love of God! Be careful, Clemens! Apparently you don't realize that the paint is still fresh.' Twain shot back: 'No need to be concerned; I have my gloves on.'
But despite his famous cleverness and marked skepticism, he was surprisingly gullible when it came to shady investments and far-fetched get-rich-quick plans. He lost his money investing in a number of inventions related to steam engines, health food supplements, men's suspenders that were supposed to adjust themselves, and in a way of printing illustrations using chalk that was called 'Koalatype.'
He skipped out on a chance to invest in Alexander Graham Bell's newly patented invention -- the telephone. But he did throw $300,000 of his money -- earnings from his books and his wife's inheritance -- at a typesetting machine. The whole thing failed, and 10 years after he published Huck Finn,he went broke and had to declare bankruptcy.
He was 60 years old, a beloved best-selling author and in deep debt, and so he went on a reading tour around the world to make some money and pay his creditors. Along the way, he met Gandhi and Freud. His friends and fans wrote letters but didn't know where to mail them, so addressed them in ways like 'Mark Twain, Somewhere in the World.' He often got the letters and wrote back. To one addressed 'Mark Twain, God Knows Where,' Twain replied to the sender: 'He did.' People would sometimes write his name on an envelope and mail it to the White House, where Teddy Roosevelt's staff would obligingly forward it along to the famous author.
Around the time he was 70, he got serious about writing his autobiography. He'd made a few tries at it over the years, but it wasn't until then that he settled on a new approach and worked consistently at it. His new approach was to dictate his autobiography, which he felt would allow him to speak with a 'whole frank mind.' He hired a stenographer. Rather than giving a traditional, chronological account of his life, he decided to go with a structure he described like this: 'Start it at no particular time of your life; wander at your free will all over your life; talk only about the thing which interests you for the moment; drop it the moment its interest threatens to pale.'
He called it a 'complete and purposed jumble' and also a 'combined autobiography and diary.' And he also said that with that form he'd created 'one of the most memorable literary inventions of the ages ... it ranks with the steam engine, the printing press & the electric telegraph.' He said, 'I'm the only person who has ever found the right way to build an autobiography.'
He left 5,000 pages of unedited memoir, and decreed that it could not be published until he had been dead for 100 years, when he'd be 'unaware, and indifferent.' He died in 1910 and the first volume of his autobiography was published just this month. It reached the No. 2 spot on the New York Times best-seller list weeks before it was released.
There are two more volumes of autobiography, which will be released in the next five years. The autobiography and Mark Twain's other works are being edited by a team of six scholars at the Mark Twain Archives, housed at the Bancroft Library on the UC Berkeley campus. The archives contain hundreds of unfinished manuscripts by Twain, as well as 50 of his notebooks, books from his library, which he scrawled handwritten notes into, and thousands and thousands of personal letters.
Mark Twain wrote in his autobiography:
It was during my first year's apprenticeship in the Courier office that I did a thing which I have been trying to regret for fifty-five years. It was a summer afternoon and just the kind of weather that a boy prizes for river excursions and other frolics, but I was a prisoner. The others were all gone holidaying. I was alone and sad. I had committed a crime of some sort and this was the punishment. I must lose my holiday, and spend the afternoon in solitude besides. I had the printing-office all to myself, there in the third story. I had one comfort, and it was a generous one while it lasted. It was the half of a long and broad watermelon, fresh and red and ripe. I gouged it out with a knife, and I found accommodation for the whole of it in my person -- though it did crowd me until the juice ran out of my ears. There remained then the shell, the hollow shell. It was big enough to do duty as a cradle. I didn't want to waste it, and I couldn't think of anything to do with it which could afford entertainment. I was sitting at the open window which looked out upon the sidewalk of the main street three stories below, when it occurred to me to drop it on somebody's head. I doubted the judiciousness of this, and I had some compunctions about it too, because so much of the resulting entertainment would fall to my share and so little to the other person. But I thought I would chance it.
I watched out of the window for the right person to come along -- the safe person -- but he didn't come. Every time there was a candidate he or she turned out to be an unsafe one, and I had to restrain myself. But at last I saw the right one coming.
(From Autobiography of Mark Twain, edited by The Mark Twain Project of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, published by UC Press, 2010.)
It's the birthday of the man who said: 'Writing is the easiest thing in the world. ... Just try it sometime. I sit up with a pipe in my mouth and a board on my knees and I scribble away.' That's American writer Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen names Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Sergeant Fathom, Rambler, and W. Epaminondas Adrastus Blab. But his most famous pen name of them all, and the one we know him by today: Mark Twain. He was born on this day 175 years ago in a log cabin in Florida, Missouri (1835).
He worked as a journalist and then published his first book, a short-story collection called "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (1867). But it was a nonfiction book based on his travels through Europe and the Middle East that first made him famous. That book, The Innocents Abroad, published in 1869, sold 100,000 copies within two years. It remained his best-selling book while he was alive, outselling classics like Tom Sawyer, Pudd'nhead Wilson, and even Huckleberry Finn, a book that Hemingway famously said that all modern American literature comes from. Hemingway stated, 'There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.'
Mark Twain loved the story of Joan of Arc, and he hated the writings of Jane Austen. He once said that every time he read Pride and Prejudice,he wanted to dig up Austen and 'beat her over the skull with her own shin bone.' He was famously cantankerous and famously witty, he's sometimes referred to as 'America's first stand-up comic.' He especially loved cutting down people he thought were pretentious or haughty. Once, he was visiting a then-famous artist friend of his in London, a painter. He stepped out of the cold wet London air and into the artist's studio, and hunkered down closely over some newly painted potential masterpieces to get a good look at them. His painter friend came in yelling at him: 'For the love of God! Be careful, Clemens! Apparently you don't realize that the paint is still fresh.' Twain shot back: 'No need to be concerned; I have my gloves on.'
But despite his famous cleverness and marked skepticism, he was surprisingly gullible when it came to shady investments and far-fetched get-rich-quick plans. He lost his money investing in a number of inventions related to steam engines, health food supplements, men's suspenders that were supposed to adjust themselves, and in a way of printing illustrations using chalk that was called 'Koalatype.'
He skipped out on a chance to invest in Alexander Graham Bell's newly patented invention -- the telephone. But he did throw $300,000 of his money -- earnings from his books and his wife's inheritance -- at a typesetting machine. The whole thing failed, and 10 years after he published Huck Finn,he went broke and had to declare bankruptcy.
He was 60 years old, a beloved best-selling author and in deep debt, and so he went on a reading tour around the world to make some money and pay his creditors. Along the way, he met Gandhi and Freud. His friends and fans wrote letters but didn't know where to mail them, so addressed them in ways like 'Mark Twain, Somewhere in the World.' He often got the letters and wrote back. To one addressed 'Mark Twain, God Knows Where,' Twain replied to the sender: 'He did.' People would sometimes write his name on an envelope and mail it to the White House, where Teddy Roosevelt's staff would obligingly forward it along to the famous author.
Around the time he was 70, he got serious about writing his autobiography. He'd made a few tries at it over the years, but it wasn't until then that he settled on a new approach and worked consistently at it. His new approach was to dictate his autobiography, which he felt would allow him to speak with a 'whole frank mind.' He hired a stenographer. Rather than giving a traditional, chronological account of his life, he decided to go with a structure he described like this: 'Start it at no particular time of your life; wander at your free will all over your life; talk only about the thing which interests you for the moment; drop it the moment its interest threatens to pale.'
He called it a 'complete and purposed jumble' and also a 'combined autobiography and diary.' And he also said that with that form he'd created 'one of the most memorable literary inventions of the ages ... it ranks with the steam engine, the printing press & the electric telegraph.' He said, 'I'm the only person who has ever found the right way to build an autobiography.'
He left 5,000 pages of unedited memoir, and decreed that it could not be published until he had been dead for 100 years, when he'd be 'unaware, and indifferent.' He died in 1910 and the first volume of his autobiography was published just this month. It reached the No. 2 spot on the New York Times best-seller list weeks before it was released.
There are two more volumes of autobiography, which will be released in the next five years. The autobiography and Mark Twain's other works are being edited by a team of six scholars at the Mark Twain Archives, housed at the Bancroft Library on the UC Berkeley campus. The archives contain hundreds of unfinished manuscripts by Twain, as well as 50 of his notebooks, books from his library, which he scrawled handwritten notes into, and thousands and thousands of personal letters.
Mark Twain wrote in his autobiography:
It was during my first year's apprenticeship in the Courier office that I did a thing which I have been trying to regret for fifty-five years. It was a summer afternoon and just the kind of weather that a boy prizes for river excursions and other frolics, but I was a prisoner. The others were all gone holidaying. I was alone and sad. I had committed a crime of some sort and this was the punishment. I must lose my holiday, and spend the afternoon in solitude besides. I had the printing-office all to myself, there in the third story. I had one comfort, and it was a generous one while it lasted. It was the half of a long and broad watermelon, fresh and red and ripe. I gouged it out with a knife, and I found accommodation for the whole of it in my person -- though it did crowd me until the juice ran out of my ears. There remained then the shell, the hollow shell. It was big enough to do duty as a cradle. I didn't want to waste it, and I couldn't think of anything to do with it which could afford entertainment. I was sitting at the open window which looked out upon the sidewalk of the main street three stories below, when it occurred to me to drop it on somebody's head. I doubted the judiciousness of this, and I had some compunctions about it too, because so much of the resulting entertainment would fall to my share and so little to the other person. But I thought I would chance it.
I watched out of the window for the right person to come along -- the safe person -- but he didn't come. Every time there was a candidate he or she turned out to be an unsafe one, and I had to restrain myself. But at last I saw the right one coming.
(From Autobiography of Mark Twain, edited by The Mark Twain Project of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, published by UC Press, 2010.)
Monday, November 29, 2010
President Bush interviewed by FACEBOOK Founder Zuckerberg (Wash. Post coverage)
www.washingtonpost.com/ online summarization of YouTube segment
"A lot of times when you're the president, your hand is forced," said Bush, speaking of his decision-making during the financial crisis at the end of his term in 2008. "You gotta make a call."
"What you're saying rings true," said Zuckerberg, who opted to wear his trademark hoodie for the hour-long conversation with the former leader of the free world. "Whether it seems like there's a choice to other people or not, it often doesn't seem like there's a choice [to you]."
Zuckerberg likened the president's unpopularity to his own maligned decisions, which he said were made with the goal of helping people "connect in all of these different ways" and, presumably, play Farmville.
This event was the first time that a former president had been interviewed live on Facebook. The occasion was the promotion of the president's new memoir, Decision Points.
Aside from a few anecdotes (Russia's then-president Vladmir Putin dissed Bush's dog; Bush once used his favorite Bush impersonator to confuse one of his brothers), the author stayed on message:
"I'm an iPad person," he said. "I hope that you buy my book in hard copy and electronically."
Also: "I got 'Decision Points' on my iPod."
Also: Zuckerberg has "got a lot of people paying attention. And I'm trying to sell books."
The president. who infamously referred to the World Wide Web as "The Internets" on two separate occasions. managed to refrain from misusing the "I" word in this interview. When asked which technology he regularly used, however, he responded: "I use the Facebook."
"A lot of times when you're the president, your hand is forced," said Bush, speaking of his decision-making during the financial crisis at the end of his term in 2008. "You gotta make a call."
"What you're saying rings true," said Zuckerberg, who opted to wear his trademark hoodie for the hour-long conversation with the former leader of the free world. "Whether it seems like there's a choice to other people or not, it often doesn't seem like there's a choice [to you]."
Zuckerberg likened the president's unpopularity to his own maligned decisions, which he said were made with the goal of helping people "connect in all of these different ways" and, presumably, play Farmville.
This event was the first time that a former president had been interviewed live on Facebook. The occasion was the promotion of the president's new memoir, Decision Points.
Aside from a few anecdotes (Russia's then-president Vladmir Putin dissed Bush's dog; Bush once used his favorite Bush impersonator to confuse one of his brothers), the author stayed on message:
"I'm an iPad person," he said. "I hope that you buy my book in hard copy and electronically."
Also: "I got 'Decision Points' on my iPod."
Also: Zuckerberg has "got a lot of people paying attention. And I'm trying to sell books."
The president. who infamously referred to the World Wide Web as "The Internets" on two separate occasions. managed to refrain from misusing the "I" word in this interview. When asked which technology he regularly used, however, he responded: "I use the Facebook."
PNC Christmas Index rises (Partridges, Pear Trees, Gold rings, more) - 12 Days of Christmas carol lyrics
from ABC News online article :
In the unlikely event that your Christmas list this year includes every item mentioned in "The Twelve Days of Christmas," be prepared to pay nearly $100,000.
Trying to buy the 364 items repeated in all the song's verses — from 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree — would cost $96,824, an increase of 10.8 percent over last year, according to the annual Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management. So you might want to try for one of everything. That would cost only $23,439, or 9.2 percent more than last year.
The 27th annual holiday index has historically mirrored the national Consumer Price Index, but not this year. The PNC Christmas Price Index grew 9.2 percent from last year, compared with just a 1.1 percent increase in the much broader Consumer Price Index.
Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, said that's because the whimsical holiday price index looks at a much smaller group of goods and services. Even within the index itself, there are some goods that have seen small increases and others that have seen larger ones, he said.
Also, gold prices are high — which pushed the cost of five gold rings up 30 percent to $649.95 — as was the cost of hiring entertainers. Not to mention the birds.
"There's no doubt that our feathered friends in general make up a good portion of the increase,"
In the unlikely event that your Christmas list this year includes every item mentioned in "The Twelve Days of Christmas," be prepared to pay nearly $100,000.
Trying to buy the 364 items repeated in all the song's verses — from 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree — would cost $96,824, an increase of 10.8 percent over last year, according to the annual Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management. So you might want to try for one of everything. That would cost only $23,439, or 9.2 percent more than last year.
The 27th annual holiday index has historically mirrored the national Consumer Price Index, but not this year. The PNC Christmas Price Index grew 9.2 percent from last year, compared with just a 1.1 percent increase in the much broader Consumer Price Index.
Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, said that's because the whimsical holiday price index looks at a much smaller group of goods and services. Even within the index itself, there are some goods that have seen small increases and others that have seen larger ones, he said.
Also, gold prices are high — which pushed the cost of five gold rings up 30 percent to $649.95 — as was the cost of hiring entertainers. Not to mention the birds.
"There's no doubt that our feathered friends in general make up a good portion of the increase,"
Today is C.S. Lewis' birthday
Nov. 29 is the birthday of the writer who said: 'When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.' That's C.S. Lewis, born in Belfast (1898), the author of the seven-volume children's series The Chronicles of Narnia, which begins with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), the story of four children sent away from London because of wartime air raids. He also said, 'Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.'
As a teenager, he went off to boarding school in England. He hated it there. He said that English accents sounded to him like the 'voices of demons.' Worst of all was the landscape; he first looked at it and in that moment, he said, 'conceived a hatred for England which took many years to heal.' Also, he felt that his favorite poet, W.B. Yeats, -- 'an author exactly after [his] own heart' -- was totally underappreciated in England. He wrote to a friend: 'Perhaps his appeal is purely Irish -- if so, then thank the gods that I am Irish.' But despite all his disdain and contempt for England, he chose to live and teach at Oxford University for almost 30 years -- while acquainting himself with other Irish people living in England as much as possible.
Besides fairy tales and children's classics, he wrote theological books, including The Screwtape Letters (1942), a novel in which a demon writes to his nephew; and The Great Divorce (1945), where residents of hell take a bus ride to heaven, and Mere Christianity (1952), based on talks he gave on the BBC during World War II.
C.S. Lewis said, 'Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.'
As a teenager, he went off to boarding school in England. He hated it there. He said that English accents sounded to him like the 'voices of demons.' Worst of all was the landscape; he first looked at it and in that moment, he said, 'conceived a hatred for England which took many years to heal.' Also, he felt that his favorite poet, W.B. Yeats, -- 'an author exactly after [his] own heart' -- was totally underappreciated in England. He wrote to a friend: 'Perhaps his appeal is purely Irish -- if so, then thank the gods that I am Irish.' But despite all his disdain and contempt for England, he chose to live and teach at Oxford University for almost 30 years -- while acquainting himself with other Irish people living in England as much as possible.
Besides fairy tales and children's classics, he wrote theological books, including The Screwtape Letters (1942), a novel in which a demon writes to his nephew; and The Great Divorce (1945), where residents of hell take a bus ride to heaven, and Mere Christianity (1952), based on talks he gave on the BBC during World War II.
C.S. Lewis said, 'Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.'
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A $65M musical: Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (Broadway) -- NY TIMES Article coverage
www.nytimes.com/ (Nov. 29 online edition)
[H]undreds of people – most of them adults – who snaked along West 42nd Street for nearly a full city block as they waited to enter the Foxwoods Theater for “Spider-Man,” which opened Sunday night. Ms. Cardace had bought their third-row seats this fall for her grandson Logan’s birthday on Nov. 7; those tickets, like many held by Spidey-goers for the first performance, were originally for the first preview that was scheduled for Nov. 14, which was delayed until Sunday night because more work was needed on the show.
“We’ve been waiting for what feels like a very long time, so we’re extra-excited, aren’t we?” Ms. Cardace asked her grandson Logan, who nodded enthusiastically.
A bit down the line was Billy Jackson, also 8, and his father, Scott, who had rearranged their trip from Cincinnati after the Nov. 14 performances was canceled; instead, they made a Thanksgiving outing to New York and caught the holiday parade and other attractions, though “Spider-Man” remained the climatic moment of the trip.
“He’s one of my favorite characters in the movies,” Billy said. Asked what he was looking forward to most, he said, “That it’s going to be good like the movies. And I’d like to see some flying.”
For costume bragging rights, no one could probably compete with 4-year-old Chris Canales, who wore a “Spider-Man” t-shirt, sweatshirt, and hat, and said that he had a Spidey undershirt and underwear on, too. He came from Dix Hills, N.Y., with his godparents Bryan and Divina Salamone, who were also showing off some Spidey red for the musical, for which they’d also purchased tickets several months ago.
“We told Chris that Spider-Man had gotten a little sick,” Mr. Salamone said, accounting for the production delays, “but now he’s better and ready to fight the bad guys.”
[H]undreds of people – most of them adults – who snaked along West 42nd Street for nearly a full city block as they waited to enter the Foxwoods Theater for “Spider-Man,” which opened Sunday night. Ms. Cardace had bought their third-row seats this fall for her grandson Logan’s birthday on Nov. 7; those tickets, like many held by Spidey-goers for the first performance, were originally for the first preview that was scheduled for Nov. 14, which was delayed until Sunday night because more work was needed on the show.
“We’ve been waiting for what feels like a very long time, so we’re extra-excited, aren’t we?” Ms. Cardace asked her grandson Logan, who nodded enthusiastically.
A bit down the line was Billy Jackson, also 8, and his father, Scott, who had rearranged their trip from Cincinnati after the Nov. 14 performances was canceled; instead, they made a Thanksgiving outing to New York and caught the holiday parade and other attractions, though “Spider-Man” remained the climatic moment of the trip.
“He’s one of my favorite characters in the movies,” Billy said. Asked what he was looking forward to most, he said, “That it’s going to be good like the movies. And I’d like to see some flying.”
For costume bragging rights, no one could probably compete with 4-year-old Chris Canales, who wore a “Spider-Man” t-shirt, sweatshirt, and hat, and said that he had a Spidey undershirt and underwear on, too. He came from Dix Hills, N.Y., with his godparents Bryan and Divina Salamone, who were also showing off some Spidey red for the musical, for which they’d also purchased tickets several months ago.
“We told Chris that Spider-Man had gotten a little sick,” Mr. Salamone said, accounting for the production delays, “but now he’s better and ready to fight the bad guys.”
Missing Michigan boys : Andrew, Alexander, Tanner Skelton (AMBER ALERT) - Morenci, MI
http://www.detnews.com/article/20101128/METRO/11280318/1409/Church-filled-in-vigil-for-missing-Morenci-boys-
A task force of law enforcement agencies that include the Morenci police, FBI, the Lenawee and Fulton County, Ohio, sheriff's departments and the Michigan State Police, is looking for the boys, ages 9, 7, and 5, who were reported missing Friday. Investigators completed a search today at Harrison Lake State Park in northwest Ohio, about 10 miles south of Morenci, but turned up no clues, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Department.
Police issued an "Amber Alert" for the boys Friday, after their father, John Skelton, 39, said he turned the boys over to a woman named Joann Taylor, asking her to take them to the boys' mother. Skelton then attempted suicide by hanging.
After he failed, he contacted an acquaintance who took him to an Ohio hospital. Now, three days later, police say they cannot find Taylor or even confirm her existence, raising tension in the community as it frantically searches for the boys.
Roxann Skelton, John Skelton's mother, said from her Florida home she's hopeful. "My heart doesn't lie to me," she said. "My heart tells me they're OK." She said she has not talked with her son since the episode began.
Groups of law enforcement and volunteers Sunday also searched the woods around Morenci trying to find any sign of the lost boys.
When asked if Skelton was a suspect in the boys' disappearance, Weeks said, "we need to keep our eyes wide open."
Skelton, who lives in Morenci, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit and just north of the Ohio state line, is separated from their mother but had been keeping his sons.
A task force of law enforcement agencies that include the Morenci police, FBI, the Lenawee and Fulton County, Ohio, sheriff's departments and the Michigan State Police, is looking for the boys, ages 9, 7, and 5, who were reported missing Friday. Investigators completed a search today at Harrison Lake State Park in northwest Ohio, about 10 miles south of Morenci, but turned up no clues, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Department.
Police issued an "Amber Alert" for the boys Friday, after their father, John Skelton, 39, said he turned the boys over to a woman named Joann Taylor, asking her to take them to the boys' mother. Skelton then attempted suicide by hanging.
After he failed, he contacted an acquaintance who took him to an Ohio hospital. Now, three days later, police say they cannot find Taylor or even confirm her existence, raising tension in the community as it frantically searches for the boys.
Roxann Skelton, John Skelton's mother, said from her Florida home she's hopeful. "My heart doesn't lie to me," she said. "My heart tells me they're OK." She said she has not talked with her son since the episode began.
Groups of law enforcement and volunteers Sunday also searched the woods around Morenci trying to find any sign of the lost boys.
When asked if Skelton was a suspect in the boys' disappearance, Weeks said, "we need to keep our eyes wide open."
Skelton, who lives in Morenci, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit and just north of the Ohio state line, is separated from their mother but had been keeping his sons.
Thrive: What makes people happy? new book by Dan Buettner (NPR interview today)
HAPPINESS IN THE "Blue Zones" :
What makes us happy? It's not wealth, youth, beauty, or intelligence, says Dan Buettner. In fact, most of us have the keys within our grasp. Circling the globe to study the world's happiest populations, Buettner has spotted several common principles that can unlock the doors to true contentment with our lives.
Working with leading researchers, Buettner identifies the happiest region on each of four continents. He explores why these populations say they are happier than anyone else, and what they can teach the rest of us about finding contentment. His conclusions debunk some commonly believed myths: Are people who have children happier than those who don't? Not necessarily—in Western societies, parenthood actually makes the happiness level drop. Is gender equality a factor? Are the world's happiest places to be found on tropical islands with beautiful beaches? You may be surprised at what Buettner's research indicates.
Unraveling the story of each "hotspot" like a good mystery, Buettner reveals how he discovered each location and then travels to meet folks who embody each particular brand of happiness. He introduces content, thriving people in Denmark, in Singapore, in northeastern Mexico, and in a composite "happiest place in America." In addition, he interviews economists, psychologists, sociologists, politicians, writers, and other experts to get at what contributes to each region's happiness.
Buettner's findings result in a credible, cross-cultural formula and a practical plan to help us stack the deck for happiness and get more satisfaction out of life. According to Buettner's advisory team, the average person can control about forty percent of his or her individual happiness by optimizing life choices. These aren't unreasonable demands on a person's lifestyle, and they often require only slight changes. They fall into three categories that make up the way we live our lives: the food we eat, the way we exercise, and the social networks we foster. It's all about nourishing the body and the spirit. Heeding the secrets of the world's happiness all-stars can help us make the right choices to find more contentment in our own lives and learn how to thrive.
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: National Geographic; 1st edition (October 19, 2010)
What makes us happy? It's not wealth, youth, beauty, or intelligence, says Dan Buettner. In fact, most of us have the keys within our grasp. Circling the globe to study the world's happiest populations, Buettner has spotted several common principles that can unlock the doors to true contentment with our lives.
Working with leading researchers, Buettner identifies the happiest region on each of four continents. He explores why these populations say they are happier than anyone else, and what they can teach the rest of us about finding contentment. His conclusions debunk some commonly believed myths: Are people who have children happier than those who don't? Not necessarily—in Western societies, parenthood actually makes the happiness level drop. Is gender equality a factor? Are the world's happiest places to be found on tropical islands with beautiful beaches? You may be surprised at what Buettner's research indicates.
Unraveling the story of each "hotspot" like a good mystery, Buettner reveals how he discovered each location and then travels to meet folks who embody each particular brand of happiness. He introduces content, thriving people in Denmark, in Singapore, in northeastern Mexico, and in a composite "happiest place in America." In addition, he interviews economists, psychologists, sociologists, politicians, writers, and other experts to get at what contributes to each region's happiness.
Buettner's findings result in a credible, cross-cultural formula and a practical plan to help us stack the deck for happiness and get more satisfaction out of life. According to Buettner's advisory team, the average person can control about forty percent of his or her individual happiness by optimizing life choices. These aren't unreasonable demands on a person's lifestyle, and they often require only slight changes. They fall into three categories that make up the way we live our lives: the food we eat, the way we exercise, and the social networks we foster. It's all about nourishing the body and the spirit. Heeding the secrets of the world's happiness all-stars can help us make the right choices to find more contentment in our own lives and learn how to thrive.
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: National Geographic; 1st edition (October 19, 2010)
Friday, November 26, 2010
Two year anniversary -- since 26/11 attacks of 2008 -- Mumbaikars killed in terrorist attack (Pakistan terrorists)
from BBC WORLD NEWS dot-com:
26 November 2010
Mourners are commemorating the day with prayers and marches
India is marking two years since gunmen launched co-ordinated attacks in the western city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing 166 people. Commandoes marched through the streets of south Mumbai and Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram laid a wreath at a police memorial in the city. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged "to redouble efforts to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice".
Mourners are expected to commemorate the day with prayers and peace marches. The 60-hour siege targeted luxury hotels, the main railway station and a Jewish cultural centre. Meanwhile, India has rebuked Pakistan for not pressing ahead with charges against the alleged masterminds.
Security is tight across Mumbai with anti-terrorist police among those deployed, Joint Police Commissioner Rajnish Seth said. "The main purpose is to pay homage to the martyrs and to reassure the people that they are safe and secure," Mr Seth told Bloomberg news agency.
Newly formed crack commando teams and police forces participated in the march which began at the Oberoi Trident Hotel, one of the sites of the attacks.
State of the art weaponry and vehicles, which the Mumbai police have acquired since the attacks, were displayed at the parade.
Watched by family members of many of those killed in the attacks, Mr Chidambaram laid a wreath at the martyrs' memorial and observed a minute's silence.
India wants Pakistan to press on with prosecutions against seven alleged masterminds In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a statement pledging to punish the attackers.
"On this day of remembrance, we salute the courage, unity and the resolve of ordinary Mumbaikars [residents of Mumbai] and the brave and selfless action of our men in uniform during the attack," PM Singh said in a statement.
"It is this spirit and strength of character of the Indian people that will defeat such forces that seek to threaten our social fabric and way of life.
"We will never succumb to the designs of our enemies," he said. On the city's Chowpatty Beach, police officers are due to unveil a memorial to Tukaram Ombale, a constable killed during the attack.
Although tourism declined in the wake of the attacks, tour operators say visitors are returning to Mumbai in record numbers.
On his trip to India earlier in November, US President Barack Obama visited the city and stayed in one of the luxury hotels targeted by the gunmen, Taj Palace Hotel - now fully restored.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said the American people stood in solidarity with the people of India and would honour those who lost their lives.
Nine of the gunmen were killed during battles with security forces as the siege wore on.
The sole survivor, Pakistani citizen Mohammed Ajmal Qasab, was condemned to death by a Mumbai court in May. Seven others, who are allegedly linked to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, have been charged in Pakistan but have not gone on trial.
In a statement, India's ministry of external affairs said that despite reassurances by Pakistan "substantive and verifiable progress has not been made on bringing all the perpetrators and masterminds of the heinous attacks to justice".
26 November 2010
Mourners are commemorating the day with prayers and marches
India is marking two years since gunmen launched co-ordinated attacks in the western city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing 166 people. Commandoes marched through the streets of south Mumbai and Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram laid a wreath at a police memorial in the city. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged "to redouble efforts to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice".
Mourners are expected to commemorate the day with prayers and peace marches. The 60-hour siege targeted luxury hotels, the main railway station and a Jewish cultural centre. Meanwhile, India has rebuked Pakistan for not pressing ahead with charges against the alleged masterminds.
Security is tight across Mumbai with anti-terrorist police among those deployed, Joint Police Commissioner Rajnish Seth said. "The main purpose is to pay homage to the martyrs and to reassure the people that they are safe and secure," Mr Seth told Bloomberg news agency.
Newly formed crack commando teams and police forces participated in the march which began at the Oberoi Trident Hotel, one of the sites of the attacks.
State of the art weaponry and vehicles, which the Mumbai police have acquired since the attacks, were displayed at the parade.
Watched by family members of many of those killed in the attacks, Mr Chidambaram laid a wreath at the martyrs' memorial and observed a minute's silence.
India wants Pakistan to press on with prosecutions against seven alleged masterminds In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a statement pledging to punish the attackers.
"On this day of remembrance, we salute the courage, unity and the resolve of ordinary Mumbaikars [residents of Mumbai] and the brave and selfless action of our men in uniform during the attack," PM Singh said in a statement.
"It is this spirit and strength of character of the Indian people that will defeat such forces that seek to threaten our social fabric and way of life.
"We will never succumb to the designs of our enemies," he said. On the city's Chowpatty Beach, police officers are due to unveil a memorial to Tukaram Ombale, a constable killed during the attack.
Although tourism declined in the wake of the attacks, tour operators say visitors are returning to Mumbai in record numbers.
On his trip to India earlier in November, US President Barack Obama visited the city and stayed in one of the luxury hotels targeted by the gunmen, Taj Palace Hotel - now fully restored.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said the American people stood in solidarity with the people of India and would honour those who lost their lives.
Nine of the gunmen were killed during battles with security forces as the siege wore on.
The sole survivor, Pakistani citizen Mohammed Ajmal Qasab, was condemned to death by a Mumbai court in May. Seven others, who are allegedly linked to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, have been charged in Pakistan but have not gone on trial.
In a statement, India's ministry of external affairs said that despite reassurances by Pakistan "substantive and verifiable progress has not been made on bringing all the perpetrators and masterminds of the heinous attacks to justice".
19 1/2 Foot Douglas Fir for Blue Room, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC (First Lady receives it today)
from OBAMA Food-o-rama (blog here at Google Blogger)
This afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama will continue one of the most charming White House holiday traditions, when she receives the Official White House Christmas Tree in a brief ceremony under the North Portico. The grand, 19 ½ foot Douglas Fir will arrive on the traditional green and red carriage, which is driven by a costumed coachman, and drawn by a jingle-bell bridled horse as Christmas tunes are played.
The tree will be on display in the Blue Room throughout the holiday season. It was grown on the Crystal Spring Tree Farm, owned by the Botek family in Leighton, Pennsylvania. This is the second time the White House Christmas Tree has come from the farm; the first time was in 2006. White House officials visited Crystal Spring late in September to select the Blue Room tree and other trees, after a different Botek family tree became grand national champion at this year's Christmas Tree Growers Convention held in Winston-Salem, NC. Crystal Spring is only the fifth farm in the nation to ever repeat the honor of providing the Official White House Christmas tree. Last year's farmers, Eric and Gloria Sundback, provided the White House with a record-breaking four different trees. Crystal Spring was founded in 1964 by husband and wife team Francis and Margaret Botek on a one-time dairy farm, and also included a grocery store. It now has 200 growing acres, and propagates about 15 varieties of evergreen trees..
Dec. 1: Holiday decoration theme and Toys for Tots drive
The First Lady will formally unveil the White House holiday theme and decorations on Wednesday, December 1st. Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses will present the 2010 White House Gingerbread House, and Mrs. Obama will welcome the military families who organize the Anacostia Branch of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drive in the East Room. After Mrs. Obama makes remarks, the military families will visit several creative stations where they will learn how to make holiday ornaments, cards and treats.
This afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama will continue one of the most charming White House holiday traditions, when she receives the Official White House Christmas Tree in a brief ceremony under the North Portico. The grand, 19 ½ foot Douglas Fir will arrive on the traditional green and red carriage, which is driven by a costumed coachman, and drawn by a jingle-bell bridled horse as Christmas tunes are played.
The tree will be on display in the Blue Room throughout the holiday season. It was grown on the Crystal Spring Tree Farm, owned by the Botek family in Leighton, Pennsylvania. This is the second time the White House Christmas Tree has come from the farm; the first time was in 2006. White House officials visited Crystal Spring late in September to select the Blue Room tree and other trees, after a different Botek family tree became grand national champion at this year's Christmas Tree Growers Convention held in Winston-Salem, NC. Crystal Spring is only the fifth farm in the nation to ever repeat the honor of providing the Official White House Christmas tree. Last year's farmers, Eric and Gloria Sundback, provided the White House with a record-breaking four different trees. Crystal Spring was founded in 1964 by husband and wife team Francis and Margaret Botek on a one-time dairy farm, and also included a grocery store. It now has 200 growing acres, and propagates about 15 varieties of evergreen trees..
Dec. 1: Holiday decoration theme and Toys for Tots drive
The First Lady will formally unveil the White House holiday theme and decorations on Wednesday, December 1st. Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses will present the 2010 White House Gingerbread House, and Mrs. Obama will welcome the military families who organize the Anacostia Branch of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drive in the East Room. After Mrs. Obama makes remarks, the military families will visit several creative stations where they will learn how to make holiday ornaments, cards and treats.
"Civility Covenant" - Jim Wallis op-ed - godspolitics.com/
"Fed up with lack of political civility"
By: Jim Wallis
November 25, 2010 06:06 AM EST posted at POLITICO dot-com
Civility just might be getting sexy. As a preacher, it’s not often I get to declare something sexy. But I’ll make an exception for civility.
This spring, more than 100 religious leaders from across the political spectrum joined together to sign a “Civility Covenant.” We pledged to demonstrate in our own discourse and churches a better way to hold a discussion.
During the heat of the midterms, a group of 130 former legislators from both sides of the aisle issued a warning to candidates that the tone of their campaigns could undermine their ability to work effectively together as legislators.
Eight in 10 Americans believe that the lack of civil discourse among our political leaders is a serious problem, according to recent polling by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). More people agree on that fact than on what religion President Barack Obama is.
It’s little wonder that people are fed up. With more than $2 billion spent on the midterms, much of that on ugly and nasty ads, it’s hard not to think about how else that money could have been used.
New Hampshire’s Union Leader took on exactly that task. The newspaper calculated that with the money spent on trying to win just one Senate seat, a $555 check could have been sent to every unemployed resident in their state. Most other states spent far more. How many months could all the money spent in California have sustained unemployed workers?
The PRRI poll also pointed out that only one in five Americans believe national political leaders work well together to overcome differences to get things done.
This is where the disconnect is so great. What I thought was most significant is, if you dig into the numbers more, you find that most people see themselves as doing exactly what their leaders fail to do every day—getting along even with people they differ with politically.
At Sojourners, we ran a “Truth and Civility Election Watch” during the fall to introduce some accountability as to what was being said and how it was being said. We found that those fed up with all the attack ads is a sizable and growing constituency
Eight in 10 Americans who attend church or belong to a religious community believe that the people in their congregation work well to overcome differences. Christians disagree a lot. Differences range from deep matters of theology to the color of the sanctuary carpet.
But, a clear value in the early Christian Church was unity and overcoming division. The Apostle Paul used the image of a body, in which a diverse group of people had different talents and roles, but how important it was that they all work together.
Tough times often bring together people to overcome their differences and find solutions to difficult problems. This is happening across the country in families, communities and congregations.
But there is the alternate reality that tough times can lead people to find scapegoats and turn away from their neighbors in fear. The cable TV and talk radio hosts are doing their best to encourage that. Even though they dominate the 24/7 news cycle, we can’t let them win.
This doesn’t mean that politicians should leave their principles behind, or stop fighting for what they believe in. “None of us shrank from partisan debates while in Congress or from the partisan contests getting there,” the former members of Congress wrote in their letter, “During our time in Congress, partisans on the other side may have been our opponents on some bills and our adversaries on some issues. They were not, however, the enemy.”
Martin Luther King Jr. fought passionately and successfully for deeply held moral beliefs against stiff opposition. But, you never heard the kind of poisonous language and demonization of “the other side” as is so common from our politicians and pundits today.
Legislators are likely to be sorely tempted to take the easy road of demonizing the other side and making outrageous accusations to win a partisan fight or get themselves another cable TV interview. Republicans need a better purpose than to make Obama a one-term president; and Democrats need to be committed to more than just reelecting the president.
I believe there are a lot of people ready to listen to and follow those who are ready to go past the partisan surface and go to the roots of our most serious problems. There is a constituency ready to respond to political leaders who do what so many of the rest of us have to do every day -- put aside our differences and get things done.
As religious leaders, we said to one another and to the country, “We pledge that when we disagree, we will do so respectfully… and recognizing in humility that in our limited, human opinions, ‘we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror.’”
From freshman legislators to the long-term veterans please, don’t sacrifice your principles but use your leadership to make civility sexy. It just might be what we need to get stuff done.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values and chief executive officer of Sojourners. He blogs at http://www.godspolitics.com/.
By: Jim Wallis
November 25, 2010 06:06 AM EST posted at POLITICO dot-com
Civility just might be getting sexy. As a preacher, it’s not often I get to declare something sexy. But I’ll make an exception for civility.
This spring, more than 100 religious leaders from across the political spectrum joined together to sign a “Civility Covenant.” We pledged to demonstrate in our own discourse and churches a better way to hold a discussion.
During the heat of the midterms, a group of 130 former legislators from both sides of the aisle issued a warning to candidates that the tone of their campaigns could undermine their ability to work effectively together as legislators.
Eight in 10 Americans believe that the lack of civil discourse among our political leaders is a serious problem, according to recent polling by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). More people agree on that fact than on what religion President Barack Obama is.
It’s little wonder that people are fed up. With more than $2 billion spent on the midterms, much of that on ugly and nasty ads, it’s hard not to think about how else that money could have been used.
New Hampshire’s Union Leader took on exactly that task. The newspaper calculated that with the money spent on trying to win just one Senate seat, a $555 check could have been sent to every unemployed resident in their state. Most other states spent far more. How many months could all the money spent in California have sustained unemployed workers?
The PRRI poll also pointed out that only one in five Americans believe national political leaders work well together to overcome differences to get things done.
This is where the disconnect is so great. What I thought was most significant is, if you dig into the numbers more, you find that most people see themselves as doing exactly what their leaders fail to do every day—getting along even with people they differ with politically.
At Sojourners, we ran a “Truth and Civility Election Watch” during the fall to introduce some accountability as to what was being said and how it was being said. We found that those fed up with all the attack ads is a sizable and growing constituency
Eight in 10 Americans who attend church or belong to a religious community believe that the people in their congregation work well to overcome differences. Christians disagree a lot. Differences range from deep matters of theology to the color of the sanctuary carpet.
But, a clear value in the early Christian Church was unity and overcoming division. The Apostle Paul used the image of a body, in which a diverse group of people had different talents and roles, but how important it was that they all work together.
Tough times often bring together people to overcome their differences and find solutions to difficult problems. This is happening across the country in families, communities and congregations.
But there is the alternate reality that tough times can lead people to find scapegoats and turn away from their neighbors in fear. The cable TV and talk radio hosts are doing their best to encourage that. Even though they dominate the 24/7 news cycle, we can’t let them win.
This doesn’t mean that politicians should leave their principles behind, or stop fighting for what they believe in. “None of us shrank from partisan debates while in Congress or from the partisan contests getting there,” the former members of Congress wrote in their letter, “During our time in Congress, partisans on the other side may have been our opponents on some bills and our adversaries on some issues. They were not, however, the enemy.”
Martin Luther King Jr. fought passionately and successfully for deeply held moral beliefs against stiff opposition. But, you never heard the kind of poisonous language and demonization of “the other side” as is so common from our politicians and pundits today.
Legislators are likely to be sorely tempted to take the easy road of demonizing the other side and making outrageous accusations to win a partisan fight or get themselves another cable TV interview. Republicans need a better purpose than to make Obama a one-term president; and Democrats need to be committed to more than just reelecting the president.
I believe there are a lot of people ready to listen to and follow those who are ready to go past the partisan surface and go to the roots of our most serious problems. There is a constituency ready to respond to political leaders who do what so many of the rest of us have to do every day -- put aside our differences and get things done.
As religious leaders, we said to one another and to the country, “We pledge that when we disagree, we will do so respectfully… and recognizing in humility that in our limited, human opinions, ‘we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror.’”
From freshman legislators to the long-term veterans please, don’t sacrifice your principles but use your leadership to make civility sexy. It just might be what we need to get stuff done.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values and chief executive officer of Sojourners. He blogs at http://www.godspolitics.com/.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Two Pies for Thanksgiving Table ("Dorothy" Letterman of Indianapolis)
from CBS Late Night talk show (Nov. 24, 2010 episode):
David Letterman reads a list of past pies his mom has baked for Thanksgiving :
1993: (only one pie in 1993): Orange Pumpkin Pie w/ whipped cream and hickory nuts
1994: Pumpkin and Two Cherry Pies
1995: Pumpkin and Cherry
1996: Cherry and Hickory Nut
1997: Cherry and Coconut Butterscotch Pecan
1998: Pumpkin and Rhubarb
1999: Pumpkin and Red Raspberry Chiffon
2000: Pumpkin and Apple
2001: Pumpkin and Lemon Chiffon
2002: Pumpkin and Raspberry
2003: Apple and Pecan
2004: Pumpkin and Chocolate Chiffon
2005: Pumpkin and blueberry
2006: Pumpkin and Apple
2007: NO PIES ---- WRITERS' STRIKE
2008: Peanut Butter Pie and Pecan
2009: Pumpkin and Raspberry
Let's say hello to Mom. Via the magic of satellite, we find Dave's mom in her friendly familiar kitchen. Dave makes some chat with mom as they talk about the unseasonably warm weather in the Midwest. Today was nearly 20 degrees warmer than the norm. Does she believe in the climate change? "Not really" says Mom.
Dave says Mom likes to spend Thanksgiving morning picking up hitchhikers. "Is it hitchhikers and drifters or just hitchhikers, Mom?" Mom says, "Just hitchhikers." Mom as the transmitter, Dave as the receiver . . . Dave goes into a trance as he attempts to glean the pie information his mother is telepathically sending. Is mom also in a trance? "Yes" she responds.
Dave: "The first pie . . . is it pumpkin?"
Mom: "Not this year."
Dave: "Cherry?"
Mom: "Yes, a cherry pie"
Dave then asks if the second pie is a nut? No.
A fruit pie? No.
Huh? What could it be?
The second pie this year is a Sugar Cream pie.
Ta da!!
And what does mom plan to do now? "I'm headed out to the airport for a couple of inappropriate pat downs."
David Letterman reads a list of past pies his mom has baked for Thanksgiving :
1993: (only one pie in 1993): Orange Pumpkin Pie w/ whipped cream and hickory nuts
1994: Pumpkin and Two Cherry Pies
1995: Pumpkin and Cherry
1996: Cherry and Hickory Nut
1997: Cherry and Coconut Butterscotch Pecan
1998: Pumpkin and Rhubarb
1999: Pumpkin and Red Raspberry Chiffon
2000: Pumpkin and Apple
2001: Pumpkin and Lemon Chiffon
2002: Pumpkin and Raspberry
2003: Apple and Pecan
2004: Pumpkin and Chocolate Chiffon
2005: Pumpkin and blueberry
2006: Pumpkin and Apple
2007: NO PIES ---- WRITERS' STRIKE
2008: Peanut Butter Pie and Pecan
2009: Pumpkin and Raspberry
Let's say hello to Mom. Via the magic of satellite, we find Dave's mom in her friendly familiar kitchen. Dave makes some chat with mom as they talk about the unseasonably warm weather in the Midwest. Today was nearly 20 degrees warmer than the norm. Does she believe in the climate change? "Not really" says Mom.
Dave says Mom likes to spend Thanksgiving morning picking up hitchhikers. "Is it hitchhikers and drifters or just hitchhikers, Mom?" Mom says, "Just hitchhikers." Mom as the transmitter, Dave as the receiver . . . Dave goes into a trance as he attempts to glean the pie information his mother is telepathically sending. Is mom also in a trance? "Yes" she responds.
Dave: "The first pie . . . is it pumpkin?"
Mom: "Not this year."
Dave: "Cherry?"
Mom: "Yes, a cherry pie"
Dave then asks if the second pie is a nut? No.
A fruit pie? No.
Huh? What could it be?
The second pie this year is a Sugar Cream pie.
Ta da!!
And what does mom plan to do now? "I'm headed out to the airport for a couple of inappropriate pat downs."
New Government to be formed (Iraq) -- Prime Minister al-Maliki - 30-day deadline
posted at AP Wire News -- morning of Nov. 25
Iraq's prime minister appealed to the country's warring political factions for unity after formally accepting on Thursday a request by the president to form the next government, part of a deal to end an eight-month deadlock over who would lead the country the next four years.
The long-awaited request from President Jalal Talabani sets in motion a 30-day timeline to accomplish the daunting task of finding a team that includes all of Iraq's rival factions and will oversee the country during the departure of American troops.
"I know and you know well that the responsibility I am undertaking is not an easy task especially in the current circumstances that our country is passing through," al-Maliki said.
The new government is expected to include all the major factions, including the Kurds, Shiite political parties aligned with Iran and a Sunni-backed bloc that believes it should have been the one leading the next government.
Many of the politicians were in the room with al-Maliki and Talabani when the announcement was made in a show of unity that belies the country's often divisive politics.
Al-Maliki, a contentious figure in Iraqi politics who rose from obscurity to lead the government in 2006, called upon Iraqis and fellow politicians — many who view him with distrust and animosity — to support him in the task ahead.
"I call upon the great Iraqi people in all its sects, religions and ethnicities and I call upon my brothers the politicians to work to overcome all differences and to put these differences behind us," said the prime minister designate.
In an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James F. Jeffrey said al-Maliki has "a long to-do list" over the next 30 days in selecting a broadly supported Cabinet that must be approved by a majority in parliament.
"He's in a strong position," Jeffery said. "But it isn't over until it's over, and it's essentially 325 members of the parliament that have the final say."
Both Jeffery and Gen. Lloyd Austin, top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said they expected democracy to prevail in Iraq despite doubt some may have about its survival.
"You will hear episodes of, witness episodes of people having doubt about the future in terms of democracy," Austin said. "By the same token, you'll witness a number of people who feel good about the prospects of democracy. It's what people want it will mature as time goes along."
Al-Maliki will have to find substantial roles for all of those factions or risk having them leave his government, a possibly destabilizing blow for Iraq's still fragile democracy that is struggling to overcome years of violence and economic sanctions.
The president's request Thursday was largely a formality, coming after Talabani was elected on Nov. 11 and at the time publicly asked al-Maliki to form the next government. Talabani then had 15 days in which to formally extend the offer, giving al-Maliki some extra time to work out the details.
The announcement underscores what has been a stunning comeback for al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition came in second in the March 7 election to the Sunni-backed bloc led by former prime minister Ayad Allawi. But neither bloc gained the 163-seat majority necessary to govern, which translated into an intensive period of political jockeying.
As the political discussions dragged on, so did violence, raising concerns that insurgents were trying to exploit the political vacuum to bring about more sectarian warfare.
Allawi and his Iraqiya coalition were never able to gather enough support from Iraq's political parties, which are still defined largely by their sectarian allegiances.
Although Allawi himself is a Shiite, his largely Sunni coalition was viewed with suspicion by many in Iraq's political scene who still harbor deep resentment over the Sunni-dominant government that ruled Iraq under Saddam Hussein and worry about Sunnis returning to power.
That left al-Maliki, who in the end managed to pull together support from fellow Shiite political parties and the Kurds that propelled him toward a second term.
Under a power-sharing deal designed to include all the political factions, Iraqiya got the parliament speaker's post, the Kurds and Talabani were awarded the presidency and al-Maliki returned to the prime minister's office.
One of the most closely-watched developments will be what posts al-Maliki gives to Iraqiya. If the Sunni population believes it is blocked out of key posts and effectively kept from a meaningful role in government, it could risk a return to the sectarian violence that once ripped Iraq apart.
Allawi, who did not attend the meeting, was to be given the head of a still to be formed council that would have ambiguous powers over major government decisions.
But Allawi has not publicly accepted the post, which was pushed by the Americans as a way to include him in the government and serve as a check on al-Maliki's powers. Already there are conflicting opinions from al-Maliki and Allawi supporters over just how much power the council will have.
Al-Maliki will also have to weigh what role to give to followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The Shiite cleric's support for al-Maliki in early October was a result of pressure from neighboring Iran and is considered a key turning point in sending al-Maliki back to the prime minister's office.
But the Sadrists' anti-American stance, ties to Iran and their disturbing history as one of the major players in the country's sectarian violence, poses challenges about what cabinet posts to give them.
Al-Maliki asked the political blocs vying for top positions such as minister of oil and foreign affairs in the next government to put forward well-qualified candidates able to take on the tough challenges facing Iraq.
But ministry posts have in the past been a way to stack the government with supporters of various factions and in such an unwieldy government including all the rival groups, bureaucratic gridlock and indecision seems inevitable.
Iraq's prime minister appealed to the country's warring political factions for unity after formally accepting on Thursday a request by the president to form the next government, part of a deal to end an eight-month deadlock over who would lead the country the next four years.
The long-awaited request from President Jalal Talabani sets in motion a 30-day timeline to accomplish the daunting task of finding a team that includes all of Iraq's rival factions and will oversee the country during the departure of American troops.
"I know and you know well that the responsibility I am undertaking is not an easy task especially in the current circumstances that our country is passing through," al-Maliki said.
The new government is expected to include all the major factions, including the Kurds, Shiite political parties aligned with Iran and a Sunni-backed bloc that believes it should have been the one leading the next government.
Many of the politicians were in the room with al-Maliki and Talabani when the announcement was made in a show of unity that belies the country's often divisive politics.
Al-Maliki, a contentious figure in Iraqi politics who rose from obscurity to lead the government in 2006, called upon Iraqis and fellow politicians — many who view him with distrust and animosity — to support him in the task ahead.
"I call upon the great Iraqi people in all its sects, religions and ethnicities and I call upon my brothers the politicians to work to overcome all differences and to put these differences behind us," said the prime minister designate.
In an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James F. Jeffrey said al-Maliki has "a long to-do list" over the next 30 days in selecting a broadly supported Cabinet that must be approved by a majority in parliament.
"He's in a strong position," Jeffery said. "But it isn't over until it's over, and it's essentially 325 members of the parliament that have the final say."
Both Jeffery and Gen. Lloyd Austin, top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said they expected democracy to prevail in Iraq despite doubt some may have about its survival.
"You will hear episodes of, witness episodes of people having doubt about the future in terms of democracy," Austin said. "By the same token, you'll witness a number of people who feel good about the prospects of democracy. It's what people want it will mature as time goes along."
Al-Maliki will have to find substantial roles for all of those factions or risk having them leave his government, a possibly destabilizing blow for Iraq's still fragile democracy that is struggling to overcome years of violence and economic sanctions.
The president's request Thursday was largely a formality, coming after Talabani was elected on Nov. 11 and at the time publicly asked al-Maliki to form the next government. Talabani then had 15 days in which to formally extend the offer, giving al-Maliki some extra time to work out the details.
The announcement underscores what has been a stunning comeback for al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition came in second in the March 7 election to the Sunni-backed bloc led by former prime minister Ayad Allawi. But neither bloc gained the 163-seat majority necessary to govern, which translated into an intensive period of political jockeying.
As the political discussions dragged on, so did violence, raising concerns that insurgents were trying to exploit the political vacuum to bring about more sectarian warfare.
Allawi and his Iraqiya coalition were never able to gather enough support from Iraq's political parties, which are still defined largely by their sectarian allegiances.
Although Allawi himself is a Shiite, his largely Sunni coalition was viewed with suspicion by many in Iraq's political scene who still harbor deep resentment over the Sunni-dominant government that ruled Iraq under Saddam Hussein and worry about Sunnis returning to power.
That left al-Maliki, who in the end managed to pull together support from fellow Shiite political parties and the Kurds that propelled him toward a second term.
Under a power-sharing deal designed to include all the political factions, Iraqiya got the parliament speaker's post, the Kurds and Talabani were awarded the presidency and al-Maliki returned to the prime minister's office.
One of the most closely-watched developments will be what posts al-Maliki gives to Iraqiya. If the Sunni population believes it is blocked out of key posts and effectively kept from a meaningful role in government, it could risk a return to the sectarian violence that once ripped Iraq apart.
Allawi, who did not attend the meeting, was to be given the head of a still to be formed council that would have ambiguous powers over major government decisions.
But Allawi has not publicly accepted the post, which was pushed by the Americans as a way to include him in the government and serve as a check on al-Maliki's powers. Already there are conflicting opinions from al-Maliki and Allawi supporters over just how much power the council will have.
Al-Maliki will also have to weigh what role to give to followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The Shiite cleric's support for al-Maliki in early October was a result of pressure from neighboring Iran and is considered a key turning point in sending al-Maliki back to the prime minister's office.
But the Sadrists' anti-American stance, ties to Iran and their disturbing history as one of the major players in the country's sectarian violence, poses challenges about what cabinet posts to give them.
Al-Maliki asked the political blocs vying for top positions such as minister of oil and foreign affairs in the next government to put forward well-qualified candidates able to take on the tough challenges facing Iraq.
But ministry posts have in the past been a way to stack the government with supporters of various factions and in such an unwieldy government including all the rival groups, bureaucratic gridlock and indecision seems inevitable.
Barbara Kingsolver (writing for 2007) plus Mark Twain (writing for 1905)
from Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac (Minnesota Public Radio program/list serv):
On November 30, 1905, Thanksgiving Day, Mark Twain turned 70. He wrote: 'Every year every person in America concentrates all his thought upon one thing, the cataloguing of his reasons for being thankful to the Deity for the blessings conferred upon him and upon the human race during the expiring twelve months. This is well and as it should be; but it is too one-sided. No one ever seems to think of the Deity's side of it; apparently no one concerns himself to inquire how much or how little He has had to be thankful for during the same period; apparently no one has had good feeling enough to wish He might have a Thanksgiving day too. There is nothing right about this. Do you suppose everything has gone to His satisfaction during the year? Do you believe He is as sweepingly thankful as our nation is going to be, as indicated by the enthusiasms which will appear in the papers on the 30th of this month from the pens of the distinguished persons appointed to phrase its thankfulness on that day?'
In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007), Barbara Kingsolver wrote: 'Turkeys have walked wild on this continent since the last ice age, whereas Old Europe was quite turkeyless. (That fact alone scored them nearly enough votes to become our national bird, but in the end, I guess, looks do matter.) Corn pudding may be the oldest New World comfort food; pumpkins and cranberries, too, are exclusively ours. It's all American, the right stuff at the right time. To this tasty assembly add a cohort of female relatives sharing work and gossip in the kitchen, kids flopped on the living room floor watching behemoth cartoon characters float down a New York thoroughfare on TV, and men out in the yard pretending they still have the upper-body strength for lateral passes, and this is a perfect American day. If we need a better excuse to focus a whole day on preparing one meal, eating it, then groaning about it with smiles on our faces, just add a dash of humility and hallelujah. Praise the harvest. We made it through one more turn of the seasons.'
On November 30, 1905, Thanksgiving Day, Mark Twain turned 70. He wrote: 'Every year every person in America concentrates all his thought upon one thing, the cataloguing of his reasons for being thankful to the Deity for the blessings conferred upon him and upon the human race during the expiring twelve months. This is well and as it should be; but it is too one-sided. No one ever seems to think of the Deity's side of it; apparently no one concerns himself to inquire how much or how little He has had to be thankful for during the same period; apparently no one has had good feeling enough to wish He might have a Thanksgiving day too. There is nothing right about this. Do you suppose everything has gone to His satisfaction during the year? Do you believe He is as sweepingly thankful as our nation is going to be, as indicated by the enthusiasms which will appear in the papers on the 30th of this month from the pens of the distinguished persons appointed to phrase its thankfulness on that day?'
In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007), Barbara Kingsolver wrote: 'Turkeys have walked wild on this continent since the last ice age, whereas Old Europe was quite turkeyless. (That fact alone scored them nearly enough votes to become our national bird, but in the end, I guess, looks do matter.) Corn pudding may be the oldest New World comfort food; pumpkins and cranberries, too, are exclusively ours. It's all American, the right stuff at the right time. To this tasty assembly add a cohort of female relatives sharing work and gossip in the kitchen, kids flopped on the living room floor watching behemoth cartoon characters float down a New York thoroughfare on TV, and men out in the yard pretending they still have the upper-body strength for lateral passes, and this is a perfect American day. If we need a better excuse to focus a whole day on preparing one meal, eating it, then groaning about it with smiles on our faces, just add a dash of humility and hallelujah. Praise the harvest. We made it through one more turn of the seasons.'
NASA to delay final flight of Shuttle Discovery (Nov. date shifted to Dec. 17)
www.nasa.gov/
Discovery's Launch No Earlier Than Dec. 17
Wednesday, 24 Nov. 2010 04:07:40 PM EST
NASA managers have targeted space shuttle Discovery's launch for no earlier than Dec. 17. Shuttle managers determined more tests and analysis are needed before proceeding with the STS-133 mission. The launch status meeting planned for Monday, Nov. 29, has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
The Program Requirements Control Board reviewed on Wednesday repairs and engineering evaluations associated with cracks on two 21-foot-long, U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, on the shuttle's external tank. Managers decided the analysis and tests required to launch Discovery safely are not complete. The work will continue through next week.
The next status review by the PRCB will be Thursday, Dec. 2. If managers clear Discovery for launch on Dec. 17, the preferred time is about 8:51 p.m. EST.
Discovery's Launch No Earlier Than Dec. 17
Wednesday, 24 Nov. 2010 04:07:40 PM EST
NASA managers have targeted space shuttle Discovery's launch for no earlier than Dec. 17. Shuttle managers determined more tests and analysis are needed before proceeding with the STS-133 mission. The launch status meeting planned for Monday, Nov. 29, has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
The Program Requirements Control Board reviewed on Wednesday repairs and engineering evaluations associated with cracks on two 21-foot-long, U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, on the shuttle's external tank. Managers decided the analysis and tests required to launch Discovery safely are not complete. The work will continue through next week.
The next status review by the PRCB will be Thursday, Dec. 2. If managers clear Discovery for launch on Dec. 17, the preferred time is about 8:51 p.m. EST.
Thanksgiving Food line -- Martha's Table (Washington, D.C.) volunteers (Pres. & First Lady/First Daughters/First Grandmother)
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/11/obama-family-marks-thanksgiving-with.html
In what is now an Obama Family Tradition, the President, First Lady, Malia, Sasha, and First Grandmother Marian Robinson visited Washington, DC's social services agency Martha's Table this afternoon to perform special holiday community service, for the second year in a row.
The First Family, dressed casually, took up positions behind four stainless steel tables in the main room, to fill and hand out hundreds of bags of Thanksgiving food to local residents in need.
President Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng and her husband, Konrad Ng, and their two daughters, Suhaila and Savita, also helped with distributions; the Ngs are visiting the Obamas for the Thanksgiving holiday, which will be spent at home at the White House.
A line of families, many with small children, snaked along the tables piled with food, picking up goods as they moved forward. First they met Malia by the bags of fresh raw green beans; then the First Lady by bananas and other fruit; then Sasha with boxes of pudding mix; then the President, who handed out bags bulging with turkeys and other holiday foodstuffs. Mrs. Robinson was the last sop on the Obama production line, and in charge of pie dispersal.
Martha's Table is a 30-year-old non-profit that helps poor children, youth and families, and the organization noted that their holiday food donations came from the community and private sources. The Thanksgiving baskets were filled with fresh produce donated from the community; turkeys were donated by Poor Roberts Charities, Little Flower Church and the PAX neighborhood association; fresh produce from Philadelphia Regional Produce; and homemade pies were made by Sheila Whitney and volunteers from the National Cathedral Church; the food was placed in reusable bags donated and decorated by the River School.
In what is now an Obama Family Tradition, the President, First Lady, Malia, Sasha, and First Grandmother Marian Robinson visited Washington, DC's social services agency Martha's Table this afternoon to perform special holiday community service, for the second year in a row.
The First Family, dressed casually, took up positions behind four stainless steel tables in the main room, to fill and hand out hundreds of bags of Thanksgiving food to local residents in need.
President Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng and her husband, Konrad Ng, and their two daughters, Suhaila and Savita, also helped with distributions; the Ngs are visiting the Obamas for the Thanksgiving holiday, which will be spent at home at the White House.
A line of families, many with small children, snaked along the tables piled with food, picking up goods as they moved forward. First they met Malia by the bags of fresh raw green beans; then the First Lady by bananas and other fruit; then Sasha with boxes of pudding mix; then the President, who handed out bags bulging with turkeys and other holiday foodstuffs. Mrs. Robinson was the last sop on the Obama production line, and in charge of pie dispersal.
Martha's Table is a 30-year-old non-profit that helps poor children, youth and families, and the organization noted that their holiday food donations came from the community and private sources. The Thanksgiving baskets were filled with fresh produce donated from the community; turkeys were donated by Poor Roberts Charities, Little Flower Church and the PAX neighborhood association; fresh produce from Philadelphia Regional Produce; and homemade pies were made by Sheila Whitney and volunteers from the National Cathedral Church; the food was placed in reusable bags donated and decorated by the River School.
Valerie Sudol - on the first Thanksgiving and what it teaches 21st Century Americans (Obama era)
[D]raw strength from the original Thanksgiving, which celebrated triumphant survival over terrible hardship!
Too many of us have suffered reversals of fortune in the latest round of economic turmoil and seen jobs, homes and savings go up in smoke or down the drain. The new world order of terrorism alerts, uncivil politics, and diminished expectations can weigh heavily on the soul. But not today.
Today let's celebrate endurance and remember that the best things in life aren't things. Today let's remember that, as the Roman philosopher Seneca once wrote, "Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart."
We tend to romanticize the tale of Pilgrim settlers and American natives, raising toasts to good fellowship at a groaning board in the New World wilderness. But the Pilgrims of history weren't as we picture them in their Sunday best of frock coats, buckled shoes and frilled bonnets, apple-cheeked and prosperous.
They had set out in 1620 on a perilous venture from which there was no turning back. By spring of the following year, the original band of 102 Pilgrim pioneers had been reduced by illness and hardship to 56, according to Jean Craighead George in her book The First Thanksgiving. Surrounded by the land's native people, whose intent they could not know, they buried their dead by night so the tribes wouldn't realize how quickly their numbers were dwindling.
The Pilgrims' salvation, George says, was a member of the Wampanoag nation named Squanto who took pity on these pale strangers and taught them to live on this new land. He schooled them in which plants were poisonous and which beneficial, taught them how to tap maple sap for syrup, how to hunt and how to fish. These were lessons on which their very lives depended.
When the harvest of 1621 was fruitful, it was natural that the ragged settlers and their native benefactors should gather in a feast of New World plenty - lobster and goose, turkey and venison, duck and pumpkin, fruit and corn. These Pilgrims, sorely tested, gave thanks for a hard-won survival and the help of friends.
I don't believe they could have counted their blessings without thinking of the trials just endured, the terrors of their strange new land and the loss of their dearest comrades. They lived bravely in the face of danger and found reason to be grateful -- and there is perhaps their greatest legacy, a thought to keep.
As the Pilgrims learned, this land is a place to be prized and held dear. That we are here at all by birth or choice on this most American of holidays is by itself a boon. Today, in a vast modern nation, we live in a favored land, confident of its ability to provide.
This is no hard place made only of rock and snow, harsh sands and scarce water or unforgiving, infertile soil. We are blessed by our geography in a land temperate, fertile and generous and today enjoy the fruits of farm fields, orchards, bogs and pastures that are the envy of impoverished places around the world.
Let's be grateful for all the hands that toiled to prepare our annual harvest feast! That includes not just the cooks, basting the turkey and baking the pies, but the unseen many that raked the cranberries, raised the corn, dug the potatoes and picked the apples.
This humble work deserves our praise and the kindness of Mother Nature, our thanks, now as ever.
Like the Pilgrims, we make our way with stubborn effort despite our losses. Outside our doors, peril and uncertainty still haunt us.
But in our homes, among family and friends, warm and fed, we shelter our own small worlds made of love and laughter. Could anything be more important than the bonds we form in the lives we live? It is these and not our possessions that make us rich.
If the cold winds blow and the fears of the future batter at the windows, today let's shut them out and think of all we have, not what we feel is lacking. Chances are courage will see us through -- it's what the real Pilgrims brought to the table.
Too many of us have suffered reversals of fortune in the latest round of economic turmoil and seen jobs, homes and savings go up in smoke or down the drain. The new world order of terrorism alerts, uncivil politics, and diminished expectations can weigh heavily on the soul. But not today.
Today let's celebrate endurance and remember that the best things in life aren't things. Today let's remember that, as the Roman philosopher Seneca once wrote, "Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart."
We tend to romanticize the tale of Pilgrim settlers and American natives, raising toasts to good fellowship at a groaning board in the New World wilderness. But the Pilgrims of history weren't as we picture them in their Sunday best of frock coats, buckled shoes and frilled bonnets, apple-cheeked and prosperous.
They had set out in 1620 on a perilous venture from which there was no turning back. By spring of the following year, the original band of 102 Pilgrim pioneers had been reduced by illness and hardship to 56, according to Jean Craighead George in her book The First Thanksgiving. Surrounded by the land's native people, whose intent they could not know, they buried their dead by night so the tribes wouldn't realize how quickly their numbers were dwindling.
The Pilgrims' salvation, George says, was a member of the Wampanoag nation named Squanto who took pity on these pale strangers and taught them to live on this new land. He schooled them in which plants were poisonous and which beneficial, taught them how to tap maple sap for syrup, how to hunt and how to fish. These were lessons on which their very lives depended.
When the harvest of 1621 was fruitful, it was natural that the ragged settlers and their native benefactors should gather in a feast of New World plenty - lobster and goose, turkey and venison, duck and pumpkin, fruit and corn. These Pilgrims, sorely tested, gave thanks for a hard-won survival and the help of friends.
I don't believe they could have counted their blessings without thinking of the trials just endured, the terrors of their strange new land and the loss of their dearest comrades. They lived bravely in the face of danger and found reason to be grateful -- and there is perhaps their greatest legacy, a thought to keep.
As the Pilgrims learned, this land is a place to be prized and held dear. That we are here at all by birth or choice on this most American of holidays is by itself a boon. Today, in a vast modern nation, we live in a favored land, confident of its ability to provide.
This is no hard place made only of rock and snow, harsh sands and scarce water or unforgiving, infertile soil. We are blessed by our geography in a land temperate, fertile and generous and today enjoy the fruits of farm fields, orchards, bogs and pastures that are the envy of impoverished places around the world.
Let's be grateful for all the hands that toiled to prepare our annual harvest feast! That includes not just the cooks, basting the turkey and baking the pies, but the unseen many that raked the cranberries, raised the corn, dug the potatoes and picked the apples.
This humble work deserves our praise and the kindness of Mother Nature, our thanks, now as ever.
Like the Pilgrims, we make our way with stubborn effort despite our losses. Outside our doors, peril and uncertainty still haunt us.
But in our homes, among family and friends, warm and fed, we shelter our own small worlds made of love and laughter. Could anything be more important than the bonds we form in the lives we live? It is these and not our possessions that make us rich.
If the cold winds blow and the fears of the future batter at the windows, today let's shut them out and think of all we have, not what we feel is lacking. Chances are courage will see us through -- it's what the real Pilgrims brought to the table.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools (Michelle Obama food policy initiative)
During an afternoon visit to Riverside Elementary School in Miami, Florida, on Monday, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign, a major new initiative for her childhood obesity crusade.
In an effort to boost the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables for children who participate in the National School Lunch program, Mrs. Obama has brought together a grassroots coalition of public and private groups to raise $15 million to place 6,000 specially designed, child-sized salad bars into school cafeterias across the US over the next three years. Riverside, located in the Little Havana neighborhood, received America's very first Let's Move! salad bar. As Mrs. Obama made her announcement, teachers and school administrators, state and local officials, and a huge pool of media crowded the windowless cafeteria, which featured a huge handmade banner: Riverside welcomes Mrs. Obama!
from Obama Food-o-rama (blog here at Google Blogger): http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/11/michelle-obama-unveils-campaign-to-get.html
In an effort to boost the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables for children who participate in the National School Lunch program, Mrs. Obama has brought together a grassroots coalition of public and private groups to raise $15 million to place 6,000 specially designed, child-sized salad bars into school cafeterias across the US over the next three years. Riverside, located in the Little Havana neighborhood, received America's very first Let's Move! salad bar. As Mrs. Obama made her announcement, teachers and school administrators, state and local officials, and a huge pool of media crowded the windowless cafeteria, which featured a huge handmade banner: Riverside welcomes Mrs. Obama!
from Obama Food-o-rama (blog here at Google Blogger): http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/11/michelle-obama-unveils-campaign-to-get.html
Across war divide -- how are Koreans facing prospect of hostility?
from www.csmonitor.com/ online posted story (Monday Nov. 23 online edition)
North and South Korea clash across tense border
South Korean archer Yun Ok-hee took gold in the women’s individual competition as the conflict was unfolding. Despite the tensions, Yun shook hands with North Korean bronze medalist Kwon Un-sil at the awards ceremony.
Yun told Korea’s Yonhap News Agency that South and North Korean athletes are on good terms when it came to the sport of archery. “Whatever is happening back home is between the two governments and that doesn't affect us at all,” Yun explained.
This mentality seems to permeate beyond the sphere of sports in Korea.
Merely 75 miles from this afternoon’s skirmish, office workers packed into bars as night fell and high schoolers cracked jokes on the subway. Perhaps the only thing out of the ordinary was the endless replays of the artillery explosions on television. Though even this coverage was replaced by the regularly scheduled dramas and crime shows as the night pushed on.
The only ones that seemed shaken by this afternoon’s events were South Korea’s young men. Military service is compulsory for men between 20 and 30 years of age, and conscripted soldiers are afforded no extra protections compared to career soldiers.
Dong Wook-kim, a soldier in the South Korean Army, told the BBC, “My military camp is located on the front line with North Korea. I have to go back to my camp tomorrow so I am quite worried and anxious about this crisis.”
North and South Korea clash across tense border
South Korean archer Yun Ok-hee took gold in the women’s individual competition as the conflict was unfolding. Despite the tensions, Yun shook hands with North Korean bronze medalist Kwon Un-sil at the awards ceremony.
Yun told Korea’s Yonhap News Agency that South and North Korean athletes are on good terms when it came to the sport of archery. “Whatever is happening back home is between the two governments and that doesn't affect us at all,” Yun explained.
This mentality seems to permeate beyond the sphere of sports in Korea.
Merely 75 miles from this afternoon’s skirmish, office workers packed into bars as night fell and high schoolers cracked jokes on the subway. Perhaps the only thing out of the ordinary was the endless replays of the artillery explosions on television. Though even this coverage was replaced by the regularly scheduled dramas and crime shows as the night pushed on.
The only ones that seemed shaken by this afternoon’s events were South Korea’s young men. Military service is compulsory for men between 20 and 30 years of age, and conscripted soldiers are afforded no extra protections compared to career soldiers.
Dong Wook-kim, a soldier in the South Korean Army, told the BBC, “My military camp is located on the front line with North Korea. I have to go back to my camp tomorrow so I am quite worried and anxious about this crisis.”
To Give Thanks, To Express Appreciation, To Share our Bounty. . .
www.whitehouse.gov/ Proclamation (Thanksgiving Day 2010: Nov. 25)
A beloved American tradition, Thanksgiving Day offers us the opportunity to focus our thoughts on the grace that has been extended to our people and our country. This spirit brought together the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe -- who had been living and thriving around Plymouth, Massachusetts for thousands of years -- in an autumn harvest feast centuries ago. This Thanksgiving Day, we reflect on the compassion and contributions of Native Americans, whose skill in agriculture helped the early colonists survive, and whose rich culture continues to add to our Nation's heritage. We also pause our normal pursuits on this day and join in a spirit of fellowship and gratitude for the year's bounties and blessings.
Thanksgiving Day is a time each year, dating back to our founding, when we lay aside the troubles and disagreements of the day and bow our heads in humble recognition of the providence bestowed upon our Nation. Amidst the uncertainty of a fledgling experiment in democracy, President George Washington declared the first Thanksgiving in America, recounting the blessings of tranquility, union, and plenty that shined upon our young country. In the dark days of the Civil War when the fate of our Union was in doubt, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a Thanksgiving Day, calling for "the Almighty hand" to heal and restore our Nation.
In confronting the challenges of our day, we must draw strength from the resolve of previous generations who faced their own struggles and take comfort in knowing a brighter day has always dawned on our great land. As we stand at the close of one year and look to the promise of the next, we lift up our hearts in gratitude to God for our many blessings, for one another, and for our Nation. This Thanksgiving Day, we remember that the freedoms and security we enjoy as Americans are protected by the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. These patriots are willing to lay down their lives in our defense, and they and their families deserve our profound gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
This harvest season, we are also reminded of those experiencing the pangs of hunger or the hardship of economic insecurity. Let us return the kindness and generosity we have seen throughout the year by helping our fellow citizens weather the storms of our day.
As Americans gather for the time-honored Thanksgiving Day meal, let us rejoice in the abundance that graces our tables, in the simple gifts that mark our days, in the loved ones who enrich our lives, and in the gifts of a gracious God. Let us recall that our forebears met their challenges with hope and an unfailing spirit, and let us resolve to do the same.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2010, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to come together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others.
A beloved American tradition, Thanksgiving Day offers us the opportunity to focus our thoughts on the grace that has been extended to our people and our country. This spirit brought together the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe -- who had been living and thriving around Plymouth, Massachusetts for thousands of years -- in an autumn harvest feast centuries ago. This Thanksgiving Day, we reflect on the compassion and contributions of Native Americans, whose skill in agriculture helped the early colonists survive, and whose rich culture continues to add to our Nation's heritage. We also pause our normal pursuits on this day and join in a spirit of fellowship and gratitude for the year's bounties and blessings.
Thanksgiving Day is a time each year, dating back to our founding, when we lay aside the troubles and disagreements of the day and bow our heads in humble recognition of the providence bestowed upon our Nation. Amidst the uncertainty of a fledgling experiment in democracy, President George Washington declared the first Thanksgiving in America, recounting the blessings of tranquility, union, and plenty that shined upon our young country. In the dark days of the Civil War when the fate of our Union was in doubt, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a Thanksgiving Day, calling for "the Almighty hand" to heal and restore our Nation.
In confronting the challenges of our day, we must draw strength from the resolve of previous generations who faced their own struggles and take comfort in knowing a brighter day has always dawned on our great land. As we stand at the close of one year and look to the promise of the next, we lift up our hearts in gratitude to God for our many blessings, for one another, and for our Nation. This Thanksgiving Day, we remember that the freedoms and security we enjoy as Americans are protected by the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. These patriots are willing to lay down their lives in our defense, and they and their families deserve our profound gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
This harvest season, we are also reminded of those experiencing the pangs of hunger or the hardship of economic insecurity. Let us return the kindness and generosity we have seen throughout the year by helping our fellow citizens weather the storms of our day.
As Americans gather for the time-honored Thanksgiving Day meal, let us rejoice in the abundance that graces our tables, in the simple gifts that mark our days, in the loved ones who enrich our lives, and in the gifts of a gracious God. Let us recall that our forebears met their challenges with hope and an unfailing spirit, and let us resolve to do the same.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2010, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to come together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Two sailors, 14 wounded, 60 buildings ablaze (news from S. Korean island under attack)
from Washingtonpost dot-com (Nov. 23)
North Korea launched a massive artillery barrage on a South Korean island Tuesday, killing two South Korean marines, wounding at least 14 others and setting more than 60 buildings ablaze in the most serious confrontation since the North's sinking of a South Korean submarine in March.
South Korea immediately responded with its own artillery barrage and put its fighter jets on high alert, bringing the two sides - which technically have remained in a state of war since the Korean armistice in 1953 - close to the brink of a major conflagration.
South Korea called the shelling of the civilian-inhabited island of Yeonpyeong, which lies near the disputed maritime border separating North and South Korea, a breach of the 57-year-old armistice that halted the Korean War without a peace agreement.
The North fired an estimated 200 artillery shells onto the island, and the South returned fire with about 80 shells from its own howitzers. The attack began just after 2:30 p.m.
News reports said the 1,000 or so residents of the island escaped to bunkers while the shelling continued. Television footage showed several plumes of black smoke rising from the island.
North Korea launched a massive artillery barrage on a South Korean island Tuesday, killing two South Korean marines, wounding at least 14 others and setting more than 60 buildings ablaze in the most serious confrontation since the North's sinking of a South Korean submarine in March.
South Korea immediately responded with its own artillery barrage and put its fighter jets on high alert, bringing the two sides - which technically have remained in a state of war since the Korean armistice in 1953 - close to the brink of a major conflagration.
South Korea called the shelling of the civilian-inhabited island of Yeonpyeong, which lies near the disputed maritime border separating North and South Korea, a breach of the 57-year-old armistice that halted the Korean War without a peace agreement.
The North fired an estimated 200 artillery shells onto the island, and the South returned fire with about 80 shells from its own howitzers. The attack began just after 2:30 p.m.
News reports said the 1,000 or so residents of the island escaped to bunkers while the shelling continued. Television footage showed several plumes of black smoke rising from the island.
Community Ecumenical Service (Protestant mainline denominations) - Nov. 23
7 p.m. Holy Trinity (ELCA) Lutheran Church -- Niles, Michigan
Participating churches include Presbyterians, UCC, others // a collection of canned goods is also announced
Participating churches include Presbyterians, UCC, others // a collection of canned goods is also announced
President Obama and VP Biden visit transmission plant in Kokomo, IN (Nov. 23)
The president and vice president are scheduled to visit Chrysler Group LLC's Indiana Transmission Plant II and make brief remarks after greeting workers. Chrysler is investing $300 million to modernize and install new tooling at plants in Kokomo.
The White House says Kokomo has been devastated by plant closings and layoffs in recent years, but that administration efforts such as the economic stimulus and its restructuring of the auto industry are helping the city turn around.
Obama last visited Kokomo during the 2008 presidential campaign.
The White House says Kokomo has been devastated by plant closings and layoffs in recent years, but that administration efforts such as the economic stimulus and its restructuring of the auto industry are helping the city turn around.
Obama last visited Kokomo during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Last Friday in April 2011 -- a day in the history of the British monarch
posted at NPR dot-org News -- AP source
Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry April 29 in Westminster Abbey, the historic London church where Princess Diana's funeral was held. Royal officials said Tuesday that the couple chose the venue for its beauty, intimacy and historic royal connections, and the date because they wanted a spring wedding. It also the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena, whose name Middleton shares - though that is a coincidence.
Prince William and Kate Middleton decided against celebrating their nuptials at St. Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents were married in 1981.
The government said the day, a Friday, would be a public holiday.
Prince William's private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, said the couple chose the 1,000-year-old abbey in central London because despite its size - it holds 2,200 people - it has a sense of intimacy. "Even at the altar, it seems like a parish church," he said.
It also has centuries of royal history. William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her mother both married at the abbey, where British kings and queens are crowned. William and Kate decided against celebrating their nuptials at St. Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents married in 1981.
The palace said the royal family and the Middletons would cover the costs of the nuptials, apart from security. There have been grumbles about the propriety of holding a lavish royal bash in the midst of economic austerity. "All parties involved in the wedding, not least Prince William and Miss Middleton, want to ensure that a balance is struck between an enjoyable day and the current economic situation," Lowther-Pinkerton said.
He said the guest list had not been finalized, but that "we will have a full church." He said William and Kate were playing "a very active role" in planning the day.
"We know that the world will be watching on the 29th of April, and the couple are very, very keen indeed that the spectacle should be a classic example of what Britain does best," he said.
"The couple are completely over the moon," Lowther-Pinkerton added. "They are on cloud nine."
Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that the wedding day would be a public holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland's government was also expected to announce a public holiday.
"The wedding of Kate and William will be a happy and momentous occasion. We want to mark the day as one of national celebration, a public holiday will ensure the most people possible will have a chance to celebrate on the day," Cameron said in a statement.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry April 29 in Westminster Abbey, the historic London church where Princess Diana's funeral was held. Royal officials said Tuesday that the couple chose the venue for its beauty, intimacy and historic royal connections, and the date because they wanted a spring wedding. It also the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena, whose name Middleton shares - though that is a coincidence.
Prince William and Kate Middleton decided against celebrating their nuptials at St. Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents were married in 1981.
The government said the day, a Friday, would be a public holiday.
Prince William's private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, said the couple chose the 1,000-year-old abbey in central London because despite its size - it holds 2,200 people - it has a sense of intimacy. "Even at the altar, it seems like a parish church," he said.
It also has centuries of royal history. William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her mother both married at the abbey, where British kings and queens are crowned. William and Kate decided against celebrating their nuptials at St. Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents married in 1981.
The palace said the royal family and the Middletons would cover the costs of the nuptials, apart from security. There have been grumbles about the propriety of holding a lavish royal bash in the midst of economic austerity. "All parties involved in the wedding, not least Prince William and Miss Middleton, want to ensure that a balance is struck between an enjoyable day and the current economic situation," Lowther-Pinkerton said.
He said the guest list had not been finalized, but that "we will have a full church." He said William and Kate were playing "a very active role" in planning the day.
"We know that the world will be watching on the 29th of April, and the couple are very, very keen indeed that the spectacle should be a classic example of what Britain does best," he said.
"The couple are completely over the moon," Lowther-Pinkerton added. "They are on cloud nine."
Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that the wedding day would be a public holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland's government was also expected to announce a public holiday.
"The wedding of Kate and William will be a happy and momentous occasion. We want to mark the day as one of national celebration, a public holiday will ensure the most people possible will have a chance to celebrate on the day," Cameron said in a statement.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Record set for HARRY POTTER franchise -- opening days of HP and DH, Part I
Harry Potter has cast his biggest box-office spell yet with a franchise record $125.1 million domestically over opening weekend.
In terms of revenue, that puts Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 ahead of the series' best previous debut of $102.7 million for 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But factoring in today's higher admission prices, the latest movie had roughly the same size audience as the franchise's best previous draws — Goblet of Fire and 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which launched the series. Deathly Hallows and those two earlier movies each sold around 16 million tickets in their first weekend. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 landed at No. 6 on the domestic revenue chart for biggest opening weekends, a list headed by 2008's The Dark Knight with $158.4 million. It also was this year's second-biggest debut, behind Iron Man 2, which is No. 5 on the all-time chart with $128.1 million.
With $61.2 million Friday, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 had the fifth-biggest opening day ever.
The series finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, comes out in July.
Based on J.K. Rowling's seven novels about the young wizard, the Harry Potter franchise so far has taken in more than $5.5 billion worldwide.
In terms of revenue, that puts Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 ahead of the series' best previous debut of $102.7 million for 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But factoring in today's higher admission prices, the latest movie had roughly the same size audience as the franchise's best previous draws — Goblet of Fire and 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which launched the series. Deathly Hallows and those two earlier movies each sold around 16 million tickets in their first weekend. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 landed at No. 6 on the domestic revenue chart for biggest opening weekends, a list headed by 2008's The Dark Knight with $158.4 million. It also was this year's second-biggest debut, behind Iron Man 2, which is No. 5 on the all-time chart with $128.1 million.
With $61.2 million Friday, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 had the fifth-biggest opening day ever.
The series finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, comes out in July.
Based on J.K. Rowling's seven novels about the young wizard, the Harry Potter franchise so far has taken in more than $5.5 billion worldwide.
Debbie Stabenow - officially announced Nov. 19 ahead of January assignment
from OBAMA Food-o-rama blog here at Google Blogger -- Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) will chair the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for the 112th Congress, it was announced Friday. She picks up the gavel when lawmakers return to session in January, 2011, and is only the second woman to ever serve as chair. Stabenow is taking over because current chair Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) was defeated in the Nov. 2 midterm elections.
Stabenow is touting her new position as a big win for the state of Michigan, which has a diverse agriculture economy with about $71.3 billion in activity annually, and about a quarter of the workforce employed in the agricultural sector. Senate Ag is critically involved with child nutrition issues and federal feeding programs; Lincoln wrote the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010, the $4.5 billion reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which passed by unanimous consent in August (the House has not yet taken up its version of the bill). The committee also deals with all other agriculture and conservation legislation.
As lawmakers head for potentially contentious debates over the 2012 Farm Bill, Stabenow will be dealing with major issues. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as we begin writing a new farm bill that once again recognizes the importance of America’s agricultural economy and rural communities," Stabenow said in a statement about her new position, issued on Friday.
Stabenow has been a staunch advocate for what the USDA terms "specialty crops," otherwise known as fruits and vegetables, and she is well schooled on all ag issues, from meat through grains. She has a strong interest in biofuels, something that's being promoted by the Obama administration both for alternative energy and boosting the economy. "Not only does agriculture create jobs and feed our families across America, but it is also helping us develop new fuels and energy sources," Stabenow said.
Past experience: Stabenow served on the Agriculture committees in the Michigan legislature, and in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was instrumental in achieving the addition of a new fruit and vegetable title to the Act.
Stabenow is touting her new position as a big win for the state of Michigan, which has a diverse agriculture economy with about $71.3 billion in activity annually, and about a quarter of the workforce employed in the agricultural sector. Senate Ag is critically involved with child nutrition issues and federal feeding programs; Lincoln wrote the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010, the $4.5 billion reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which passed by unanimous consent in August (the House has not yet taken up its version of the bill). The committee also deals with all other agriculture and conservation legislation.
As lawmakers head for potentially contentious debates over the 2012 Farm Bill, Stabenow will be dealing with major issues. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as we begin writing a new farm bill that once again recognizes the importance of America’s agricultural economy and rural communities," Stabenow said in a statement about her new position, issued on Friday.
Stabenow has been a staunch advocate for what the USDA terms "specialty crops," otherwise known as fruits and vegetables, and she is well schooled on all ag issues, from meat through grains. She has a strong interest in biofuels, something that's being promoted by the Obama administration both for alternative energy and boosting the economy. "Not only does agriculture create jobs and feed our families across America, but it is also helping us develop new fuels and energy sources," Stabenow said.
Past experience: Stabenow served on the Agriculture committees in the Michigan legislature, and in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was instrumental in achieving the addition of a new fruit and vegetable title to the Act.
Admiral Mike Mullen - Sunday news-politics show statement
posted at NY TIMES dot-com (Sunday Nov. 21, 2010) The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday a report that North Korea is stepping up its nuclear program is more evidence of the country's belligerent behavior.
An American nuclear scientist who recently visited North Korea says he was taken to a small industrial-scale uranium enrichment facility and told that low-enriched uranium was being produced for a new reactor.
Adm. Mike Mullen, the top U.S. military officer, said such activities would violate U.N. security resolutions and agreements by North Korea over its nuclear program.
"From my perspective, it's North Korea continuing on a path which is destabilizing for the region. It confirms or validates the concern we've had for years about their enriching uranium, which they've denied routinely," he said. "They are a country that routinely we are unable to believe that they would do what they say."
Noting the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March, which killed 46 sailors and has been blamed on North Korea, Mullen said: "All of this is consistent with belligerent behavior, the kind of instability-creation in a part of the world that is very dangerous."
An American nuclear scientist who recently visited North Korea says he was taken to a small industrial-scale uranium enrichment facility and told that low-enriched uranium was being produced for a new reactor.
Adm. Mike Mullen, the top U.S. military officer, said such activities would violate U.N. security resolutions and agreements by North Korea over its nuclear program.
"From my perspective, it's North Korea continuing on a path which is destabilizing for the region. It confirms or validates the concern we've had for years about their enriching uranium, which they've denied routinely," he said. "They are a country that routinely we are unable to believe that they would do what they say."
Noting the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March, which killed 46 sailors and has been blamed on North Korea, Mullen said: "All of this is consistent with belligerent behavior, the kind of instability-creation in a part of the world that is very dangerous."
Friday, November 19, 2010
Robert Draper - Interviewer (NY Times Magazine) - about S. Palin's inner circle
“I am,” Sarah Palin told me the next day when I asked her if she was already weighing a run for president. “I’m engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here.” Palin went on to say that there weren’t meaningful differences in policy among the field of G.O.P. hopefuls “but that in fact there’s more to the presidency than that” and that her decision would involve evaluating whether she could bring unique qualities to the table.
“Yes, the organization would have to change,” Palin said during an hourlong phone conversation. “I’d have to bring in more people — more people who are trustworthy,” she clarified. Palin said that her experience as John McCain’s running mate was for the most part “amazing, wonderful, do it again in a heartbeat.” But she added, “What Todd and I learned was that the view inside the bus was much better than underneath it, and we knew we got thrown under it by certain aides who weren’t principled” and that “the experience taught us, yes, to be on guard and be very discerning about who we can and can’t trust in the political arena.”
She went on: “I know that a hurdle I would have to cross, that some other potential candidates wouldn’t have to cross right out of the chute, is proving my record. That’s the most frustrating thing for me — the warped and perverted description of my record and what I’ve accomplished over the last two decades. It’s been much more perplexing to me than where the lamestream media has wanted to go about my personal life. And other candidates haven’t faced these criticisms the way I have.”
I asked her if by avoiding the national press, she didn’t bear at least some responsibility for the way the public viewed her. “I’m on television nearly every single day with reporters,” she shot back. “Now granted, that’s mainly through my job at Fox News, and I’m very proud to be associated with them, but I’m not avoiding anything or anybody. I’m on Facebook and Twitter. I’m out there. I want to talk about my record, though.” Palin was referring to “getting in there and cleaning up corruption, taking on the oil companies and the good old boys in the party, things like the natural-gas pipeline” and “getting things out of the government’s hands, like the state-owned dairy creamery in Alaska.” Asked if she believed in 2008 that these accomplishments made her at least as qualified as Barack Obama to be president, her response was immediate: “Absolutely. If I had any doubt in my ability or administrative experience that would’ve been put to good use in a McCain administration, then I never would have accepted the nomination.”
Palin told me that because of the media’s unfairness toward her, “I fear for our democracy.” She cited a recent Anchorage Daily News article that commented on her casual manner of dress at a rally for Joe Miller, as well as a Politico headline that used the word “drama” for an item about Representative Michele Bachmann’s quest for a Republican leadership position. Palin viewed these references as sexist — but also, she said, as “distractions.” Purposefully distracting, I asked, or just simplistic? “How can it be simplistic?” she scoffed. “They’re the elite,” she said sarcastically of news organizations. “They know much more than I know and other people like me! So, no. They know just what they’re doing.”
Sarah Palin’s withering regard for the media co-exists with the fact that Sarah Palin is a media sensation. Throughout this year’s midterm cycle, no one commanded as much free time on the air as Palin, who of course wasn’t running for office herself. Her mere presence or nonpresence at various campaign events — or the distance that wary Republican candidates kept from her — routinely eclipsed whatever else took place at the events themselves. Concurrently, Palin’s denunciations of the Obama White House via Twitter garnered substantial attention not because the opinions were especially novel but because they were expressed with the brashness of a wily headline-grabber. All of this in addition to the fact that Palin, a former journalism major and sportscaster, happens to be a member of the media herself: a salaried Fox News contributor, the star of her own television series and a best-selling author whose second book, America by Heart, will be released by HarperCollins this week with a first printing of 1 million copies and her pick of promotional slots offered up by her adversaries in the press.
Almost everything about Palin is fresh, including her wounds. “She gives as good as she gets,” says the admiring former Republican strategist Mary Matalin. “But I don’t know her well enough to know if she’s developed the thick skin you need to be endlessly resilient, the way Reagan could take things for decades and let them roll off his back.” Like many Republicans, Palin hails Reagan as her political guiding light. But she has yet to channel the Gipper’s soothing sunniness, instead she seems haloed in static electricity — “a walking wedge issue,” as one leading conservative commentator recently described her. The road to a presidential candidacy traditionally involves a carefully sequenced gathering of tribes and marking of territory. Palin has ignored this playbook. Her only-dead-fish-go-with-the-flow improvisatory ethic is certifiably anti-Beltway and confers on Palin an aura of authenticity. It is also erratic and short on self-discipline, reminding us that Sarah Palin’s ascendency is recent and she remains a work in progress — all the while casting a very long shadow over the Republican Party, shaped like a question mark.
One afternoon in June 2009, Gov. Sarah Palin was sitting in the Washington office of her friend Fred Malek, whom she met through McCain during the 2008 campaign. She was listening to the former White House aide to Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford map out logical next steps to her political career. Focus on amassing a good record as governor, he advised her. Run for a second term. Develop some policy expertise. Do some extensive overseas travel. Generate some good will by campaigning for fellow Republicans.
Malek told me that he could tell that this wasn’t what Palin wanted to hear. Here’s the problem, she replied impatiently: I’ve got a long commute from my house to my office. I don’t have the funds to pay for my family to travel with me, and the state won’t pay for it, either. I can’t afford to have security at my home — anybody can come up to my door, and they do. Under the laws of Alaska, anybody can file suit or an ethics charge against me, and I have to defend it on my own. I’m going into debt.
Nothing in her former world as a small-town mayor and the governor of a sparsely populated state prepared Palin for the perverse celebrity that would engulf her after being selected as McCain’s vice-presidential candidate. For better and for worse, she was now a household name, beloved or ridiculed by strangers all across America. The caricature of Palin as a vapid, winking, press-averse clotheshorse proved irresistible to late-night entertainers. Less well known was the Palin who agitated for more access to the media (other than Katie Couric), who was seen more than once passed out on her hotel bed half-buried in briefing books and index cards and whose thriftiness when it came to her wardrobe was so obvious that one senior strategist clucked of the Palins, “These people shop at Dillards!”
The advisers who strenuously advocated for McCain to select Palin seemed as unprepared for her as they would later claim she was for the national stage. They had planned on deploying Palin like a conventional vice-presidential candidate — fund-raisers, secondary markets — but otherwise stowing her away for heavy debate prep. Instead, “because she was a much bigger draw at rallies than McCain himself,” a former adviser says, the budget for her side of the campaign “quadrupled from what they’d anticipated; the amount of personnel had to be ratcheted up, and dealing with the Palin phenomenon came to consume much of [senior strategist Steve] Schmidt’s time.” Adoring fans screamed “Sarah! Sarah!” and wept as she greeted them on rope lines, but away from the crowds she felt increasingly isolated from her Alaska clan and distrustful of the staff members who would soon be anonymously criticizing her in the media. During Palin’s debate prep sessions in Philadelphia, Senator Joe Lieberman was summoned to offer support to the overwhelmed and demoralized candidate. “Schmidt says to me, ‘You’ve got something in common with her that we don’t have: you’re both religious,’ ” Lieberman told me. “He actually said, ‘Why don’t you go in and pray with her? She was on the phone yesterday with [former Gov. Kay Orr of Nebraska], and they’d prayed at the end, and it seemed to make her feel better. ’ ” - - more in Nov. 21 issue of NY TIMES MAGAZINE
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/magazine/21palin-t.html?_r=1&nl=us&emc=politicsemailemb2&pagewanted=all
“Yes, the organization would have to change,” Palin said during an hourlong phone conversation. “I’d have to bring in more people — more people who are trustworthy,” she clarified. Palin said that her experience as John McCain’s running mate was for the most part “amazing, wonderful, do it again in a heartbeat.” But she added, “What Todd and I learned was that the view inside the bus was much better than underneath it, and we knew we got thrown under it by certain aides who weren’t principled” and that “the experience taught us, yes, to be on guard and be very discerning about who we can and can’t trust in the political arena.”
She went on: “I know that a hurdle I would have to cross, that some other potential candidates wouldn’t have to cross right out of the chute, is proving my record. That’s the most frustrating thing for me — the warped and perverted description of my record and what I’ve accomplished over the last two decades. It’s been much more perplexing to me than where the lamestream media has wanted to go about my personal life. And other candidates haven’t faced these criticisms the way I have.”
I asked her if by avoiding the national press, she didn’t bear at least some responsibility for the way the public viewed her. “I’m on television nearly every single day with reporters,” she shot back. “Now granted, that’s mainly through my job at Fox News, and I’m very proud to be associated with them, but I’m not avoiding anything or anybody. I’m on Facebook and Twitter. I’m out there. I want to talk about my record, though.” Palin was referring to “getting in there and cleaning up corruption, taking on the oil companies and the good old boys in the party, things like the natural-gas pipeline” and “getting things out of the government’s hands, like the state-owned dairy creamery in Alaska.” Asked if she believed in 2008 that these accomplishments made her at least as qualified as Barack Obama to be president, her response was immediate: “Absolutely. If I had any doubt in my ability or administrative experience that would’ve been put to good use in a McCain administration, then I never would have accepted the nomination.”
Palin told me that because of the media’s unfairness toward her, “I fear for our democracy.” She cited a recent Anchorage Daily News article that commented on her casual manner of dress at a rally for Joe Miller, as well as a Politico headline that used the word “drama” for an item about Representative Michele Bachmann’s quest for a Republican leadership position. Palin viewed these references as sexist — but also, she said, as “distractions.” Purposefully distracting, I asked, or just simplistic? “How can it be simplistic?” she scoffed. “They’re the elite,” she said sarcastically of news organizations. “They know much more than I know and other people like me! So, no. They know just what they’re doing.”
Sarah Palin’s withering regard for the media co-exists with the fact that Sarah Palin is a media sensation. Throughout this year’s midterm cycle, no one commanded as much free time on the air as Palin, who of course wasn’t running for office herself. Her mere presence or nonpresence at various campaign events — or the distance that wary Republican candidates kept from her — routinely eclipsed whatever else took place at the events themselves. Concurrently, Palin’s denunciations of the Obama White House via Twitter garnered substantial attention not because the opinions were especially novel but because they were expressed with the brashness of a wily headline-grabber. All of this in addition to the fact that Palin, a former journalism major and sportscaster, happens to be a member of the media herself: a salaried Fox News contributor, the star of her own television series and a best-selling author whose second book, America by Heart, will be released by HarperCollins this week with a first printing of 1 million copies and her pick of promotional slots offered up by her adversaries in the press.
Almost everything about Palin is fresh, including her wounds. “She gives as good as she gets,” says the admiring former Republican strategist Mary Matalin. “But I don’t know her well enough to know if she’s developed the thick skin you need to be endlessly resilient, the way Reagan could take things for decades and let them roll off his back.” Like many Republicans, Palin hails Reagan as her political guiding light. But she has yet to channel the Gipper’s soothing sunniness, instead she seems haloed in static electricity — “a walking wedge issue,” as one leading conservative commentator recently described her. The road to a presidential candidacy traditionally involves a carefully sequenced gathering of tribes and marking of territory. Palin has ignored this playbook. Her only-dead-fish-go-with-the-flow improvisatory ethic is certifiably anti-Beltway and confers on Palin an aura of authenticity. It is also erratic and short on self-discipline, reminding us that Sarah Palin’s ascendency is recent and she remains a work in progress — all the while casting a very long shadow over the Republican Party, shaped like a question mark.
One afternoon in June 2009, Gov. Sarah Palin was sitting in the Washington office of her friend Fred Malek, whom she met through McCain during the 2008 campaign. She was listening to the former White House aide to Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford map out logical next steps to her political career. Focus on amassing a good record as governor, he advised her. Run for a second term. Develop some policy expertise. Do some extensive overseas travel. Generate some good will by campaigning for fellow Republicans.
Malek told me that he could tell that this wasn’t what Palin wanted to hear. Here’s the problem, she replied impatiently: I’ve got a long commute from my house to my office. I don’t have the funds to pay for my family to travel with me, and the state won’t pay for it, either. I can’t afford to have security at my home — anybody can come up to my door, and they do. Under the laws of Alaska, anybody can file suit or an ethics charge against me, and I have to defend it on my own. I’m going into debt.
Nothing in her former world as a small-town mayor and the governor of a sparsely populated state prepared Palin for the perverse celebrity that would engulf her after being selected as McCain’s vice-presidential candidate. For better and for worse, she was now a household name, beloved or ridiculed by strangers all across America. The caricature of Palin as a vapid, winking, press-averse clotheshorse proved irresistible to late-night entertainers. Less well known was the Palin who agitated for more access to the media (other than Katie Couric), who was seen more than once passed out on her hotel bed half-buried in briefing books and index cards and whose thriftiness when it came to her wardrobe was so obvious that one senior strategist clucked of the Palins, “These people shop at Dillards!”
The advisers who strenuously advocated for McCain to select Palin seemed as unprepared for her as they would later claim she was for the national stage. They had planned on deploying Palin like a conventional vice-presidential candidate — fund-raisers, secondary markets — but otherwise stowing her away for heavy debate prep. Instead, “because she was a much bigger draw at rallies than McCain himself,” a former adviser says, the budget for her side of the campaign “quadrupled from what they’d anticipated; the amount of personnel had to be ratcheted up, and dealing with the Palin phenomenon came to consume much of [senior strategist Steve] Schmidt’s time.” Adoring fans screamed “Sarah! Sarah!” and wept as she greeted them on rope lines, but away from the crowds she felt increasingly isolated from her Alaska clan and distrustful of the staff members who would soon be anonymously criticizing her in the media. During Palin’s debate prep sessions in Philadelphia, Senator Joe Lieberman was summoned to offer support to the overwhelmed and demoralized candidate. “Schmidt says to me, ‘You’ve got something in common with her that we don’t have: you’re both religious,’ ” Lieberman told me. “He actually said, ‘Why don’t you go in and pray with her? She was on the phone yesterday with [former Gov. Kay Orr of Nebraska], and they’d prayed at the end, and it seemed to make her feel better. ’ ” - - more in Nov. 21 issue of NY TIMES MAGAZINE
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/magazine/21palin-t.html?_r=1&nl=us&emc=politicsemailemb2&pagewanted=all
Food Safety Bill to get a vote -- NPR coverage & Blog entry
www.npr.org/
Just about the time you're tucking into your Thanksgiving leftovers, the Senate will get around to a final vote on the food safety bill. But the move to schedule it certainly came at a cost.
After a year of delays and a few days of intense negotiations this week, Senate Democrats struck deals on most of the issues that were tying things up — a plastics ban got dropped, a small farm exemption got smaller. But by Thursday night in the Capitol, it was all about negotiating with the lone hold-out, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). Coburn had threatened to hold up the food safety bill to get a vote to ban spending on lawmaker's pet projects, a.k.a. an "earmarks" ban. And eventually, he got that assurance.
Coburn said in a statement this week: “The greatest national security threat facing our nation today is our national debt and a Congress that refuses to acknowledge the depth of our challenges. Earmarks are not only wasteful but are terrible distraction for both parties. The sooner we get rid of earmarks the sooner we can go to work on the difficult task of getting our budget under control." Earmarks are largely a symbolic battle — they comprise less that one percent of the budget — but it's a battle Democrats have thus far been reluctant to engage in. From a public relations standpoint, it's a sticky one.
After several attempts to offer Coburn other compromises, and despite taking him to task in press releases and repeatedly on the Senate floor for stalling the bill, Democratic leaders ultimately felt they had not choice but to give in. Here's what bill sponsor Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) said: “Senators often talk about the importance of addressing so-called 'kitchen table' issues – the practical, everyday concerns of working Americans. Well, food safety is literally a 'kitchen table' issue. And it couldn’t be more urgent or absurdly overdue. It is shocking to think that the last comprehensive overhaul of America’s food safety system was in 1938 – more than 7 decades ago."
To that end, the bill would give the Food and Drug Administration more authority to recall tainted foods and increase inspections, as well as put new produce safety requirements in place. But even if the Senate passes the bill before the end of the year, it would still need House approval to become law. And, it may have lost some key support in the produce sector by carving out exemptions for small farmers to appease the local food movement.
Just about the time you're tucking into your Thanksgiving leftovers, the Senate will get around to a final vote on the food safety bill. But the move to schedule it certainly came at a cost.
After a year of delays and a few days of intense negotiations this week, Senate Democrats struck deals on most of the issues that were tying things up — a plastics ban got dropped, a small farm exemption got smaller. But by Thursday night in the Capitol, it was all about negotiating with the lone hold-out, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). Coburn had threatened to hold up the food safety bill to get a vote to ban spending on lawmaker's pet projects, a.k.a. an "earmarks" ban. And eventually, he got that assurance.
Coburn said in a statement this week: “The greatest national security threat facing our nation today is our national debt and a Congress that refuses to acknowledge the depth of our challenges. Earmarks are not only wasteful but are terrible distraction for both parties. The sooner we get rid of earmarks the sooner we can go to work on the difficult task of getting our budget under control." Earmarks are largely a symbolic battle — they comprise less that one percent of the budget — but it's a battle Democrats have thus far been reluctant to engage in. From a public relations standpoint, it's a sticky one.
After several attempts to offer Coburn other compromises, and despite taking him to task in press releases and repeatedly on the Senate floor for stalling the bill, Democratic leaders ultimately felt they had not choice but to give in. Here's what bill sponsor Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) said: “Senators often talk about the importance of addressing so-called 'kitchen table' issues – the practical, everyday concerns of working Americans. Well, food safety is literally a 'kitchen table' issue. And it couldn’t be more urgent or absurdly overdue. It is shocking to think that the last comprehensive overhaul of America’s food safety system was in 1938 – more than 7 decades ago."
To that end, the bill would give the Food and Drug Administration more authority to recall tainted foods and increase inspections, as well as put new produce safety requirements in place. But even if the Senate passes the bill before the end of the year, it would still need House approval to become law. And, it may have lost some key support in the produce sector by carving out exemptions for small farmers to appease the local food movement.
Palin sequel to "Going Rogue" -- early excerpts -- tells all re: grandson's birth
posted REVIEW at WASHINGTONPOST dot-com -- Roxanne Roberts & Amy Argetsinger
Take a Sarah Palin stump speech, expand it to 272 pages, and you've pretty much summed up "America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag." Palin's latest tome officially comes out next Tuesday, but we snagged one of the copies that went rogue. . .
Palin's pet peeve? Talentless wannabes: "Did you ever wonder where the producers of 'American Idol' come up with the seemingly endless supply of people who can't sing but are deluded enough to get up in front of a national television audience and screech out a song anyway? ... These self-esteem-enhanced but talent-deprived performers eventually learn the truth." But she loves Dancing with the Stars and says Bristol joined "to challenge herself in a new, fun way."
She revives the Dan Quayle-"Murphy Brown" debate about unwed mothers: Although her daughter got pregnant outside of marriage, she paid a price and tries to help others girls with her abstinence message. "Given the choice of role models between Bristol and Murphy Brown, I choose Bristol."
She likes the "subversive moral messages" in the movies Juno,Knocked Up, and The Forty-Year-Old Virgin: "A European movie might have had Juno get her abortion in the opening scene and then spend the next hour and fifteen minutes smoking cigarettes and pondering the meaning of life. It would have been depressing and boring."
No love lost for Bristol's ex, Levi Johnston, or reporters: "The lies told about our family on national television were outrageous. ... More than once, I thought, "How could this we worth it? Let's just go back to Wasilla and stop feeding the media beast." Obviously, she didn't.
Unlike the baby daddy, she spent the day in the delivery room when grandson Tripp was born: "Because the new father wasn't there until the end of Bristol's labor, I helped deliver Tripp."
She's very proud of "beautiful, strong" Bristol: "She went to college. And worked full time. And took care of a needy, colicky baby ... She worked as hard as any young single mother could possibly work." (Before DWTS, Bristol worked as a medical assistant in a dermatologist's office and enrolled in business classes at community college -- but told People magazine it was "nearly impossible" to do both.)
She gave up chocolate for a year to prove she could do it: "I believe this feeling of accomplishment is what everyone is created to crave."
She bagged a caribou in the Alaskan tundra this fall: "I eat, therefore I hunt!" she writes. "I often explain that the meat we eat is wrapped in fur instead of the cellophane that customers purchase in grocery stores."
Take a Sarah Palin stump speech, expand it to 272 pages, and you've pretty much summed up "America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag." Palin's latest tome officially comes out next Tuesday, but we snagged one of the copies that went rogue. . .
Palin's pet peeve? Talentless wannabes: "Did you ever wonder where the producers of 'American Idol' come up with the seemingly endless supply of people who can't sing but are deluded enough to get up in front of a national television audience and screech out a song anyway? ... These self-esteem-enhanced but talent-deprived performers eventually learn the truth." But she loves Dancing with the Stars and says Bristol joined "to challenge herself in a new, fun way."
She revives the Dan Quayle-"Murphy Brown" debate about unwed mothers: Although her daughter got pregnant outside of marriage, she paid a price and tries to help others girls with her abstinence message. "Given the choice of role models between Bristol and Murphy Brown, I choose Bristol."
She likes the "subversive moral messages" in the movies Juno,Knocked Up, and The Forty-Year-Old Virgin: "A European movie might have had Juno get her abortion in the opening scene and then spend the next hour and fifteen minutes smoking cigarettes and pondering the meaning of life. It would have been depressing and boring."
No love lost for Bristol's ex, Levi Johnston, or reporters: "The lies told about our family on national television were outrageous. ... More than once, I thought, "How could this we worth it? Let's just go back to Wasilla and stop feeding the media beast." Obviously, she didn't.
Unlike the baby daddy, she spent the day in the delivery room when grandson Tripp was born: "Because the new father wasn't there until the end of Bristol's labor, I helped deliver Tripp."
She's very proud of "beautiful, strong" Bristol: "She went to college. And worked full time. And took care of a needy, colicky baby ... She worked as hard as any young single mother could possibly work." (Before DWTS, Bristol worked as a medical assistant in a dermatologist's office and enrolled in business classes at community college -- but told People magazine it was "nearly impossible" to do both.)
She gave up chocolate for a year to prove she could do it: "I believe this feeling of accomplishment is what everyone is created to crave."
She bagged a caribou in the Alaskan tundra this fall: "I eat, therefore I hunt!" she writes. "I often explain that the meat we eat is wrapped in fur instead of the cellophane that customers purchase in grocery stores."
Tony Scott (NY Times) reviews "HP & Deathly Hallows" - sad and grim
Excerpt from NY TIMES dot-com posted review Nov. 19 -- http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/movies/19harry.html?hpw=&pagewanted=all
For most of this film Voldemort’s forces are very much in the ascendant. The production design is dense with visual allusions to 20th-century totalitarianism, while the battered and dispersed good guys carry some of the romance of guerrilla resistance, taking to the countryside and living rough as they search for weak spots in their enemy’s strategy. They also pop into nonmagical neighborhoods of London, visits that add a jolt of realism to this fantasy. The brilliant composer Alexandre Desplat has constructed a haunting, spooky sonic atmosphere with only an occasional splash of youthful whimsy.
Not that Deathly Hallows is grim, exactly. But it is, to an unusual and somewhat risky degree, sadder and slower than the earlier films. It is also much less of a showcase (or bank vault, as the case may be) for the middle and senior generations of British actors. Many of the familiar faces show up — including Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix LeStrange, and, of course, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape — but they move along after a scene or two. So do the two notable newcomers, Bill Nighy as a government official and Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood, a wondrously eccentric underground journalist and father to the ethereal (and in this movie, briefly glimpsed) Luna (Evanna Lynch).
The movie, in other words, belongs solidly to Mr. Radcliffe, Mr. Grint and Ms. Watson, who have grown into nimble actors, capable of nuances of feeling that would do their elders proud. One of the great pleasures of this penultimate “Potter” movie is the anticipation of stellar post-“Potter” careers for all three of them.
While there is still one more film to go (Part 2 is scheduled for release in July), this one manages to be both a steppingstone and a reasonably satisfying experience in its own right. Some plot elements are handled with busy, “DaVinci Code”-like mumbo jumbo as the three friends must hunt down not only a bunch of horcruxes, but also the mysterious objects alluded to in the title. The deathly hallows at least provide the occasion for a lovely animated sequence, much as the inevitable preliminary battle scenes allow for episodes of explosive wand work. Even though it ends in the middle, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 finds notes of anxious suspense and grave emotion to send its characters, and its fans, into the last round. The sorrow you experience may well be a premonition of the imminent end of a long and, for the most part, delightful relationship.
For most of this film Voldemort’s forces are very much in the ascendant. The production design is dense with visual allusions to 20th-century totalitarianism, while the battered and dispersed good guys carry some of the romance of guerrilla resistance, taking to the countryside and living rough as they search for weak spots in their enemy’s strategy. They also pop into nonmagical neighborhoods of London, visits that add a jolt of realism to this fantasy. The brilliant composer Alexandre Desplat has constructed a haunting, spooky sonic atmosphere with only an occasional splash of youthful whimsy.
Not that Deathly Hallows is grim, exactly. But it is, to an unusual and somewhat risky degree, sadder and slower than the earlier films. It is also much less of a showcase (or bank vault, as the case may be) for the middle and senior generations of British actors. Many of the familiar faces show up — including Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix LeStrange, and, of course, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape — but they move along after a scene or two. So do the two notable newcomers, Bill Nighy as a government official and Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood, a wondrously eccentric underground journalist and father to the ethereal (and in this movie, briefly glimpsed) Luna (Evanna Lynch).
The movie, in other words, belongs solidly to Mr. Radcliffe, Mr. Grint and Ms. Watson, who have grown into nimble actors, capable of nuances of feeling that would do their elders proud. One of the great pleasures of this penultimate “Potter” movie is the anticipation of stellar post-“Potter” careers for all three of them.
While there is still one more film to go (Part 2 is scheduled for release in July), this one manages to be both a steppingstone and a reasonably satisfying experience in its own right. Some plot elements are handled with busy, “DaVinci Code”-like mumbo jumbo as the three friends must hunt down not only a bunch of horcruxes, but also the mysterious objects alluded to in the title. The deathly hallows at least provide the occasion for a lovely animated sequence, much as the inevitable preliminary battle scenes allow for episodes of explosive wand work. Even though it ends in the middle, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 finds notes of anxious suspense and grave emotion to send its characters, and its fans, into the last round. The sorrow you experience may well be a premonition of the imminent end of a long and, for the most part, delightful relationship.
Cost of 2010 "Turkey Dinner" -- grocery prices are up only 1.3 percent from 2009
from MLive dot-com -- Grand Rapids Press AP coverage of Michigan stores
The cost of this traditional meal for 10 will average $43.47, a 56-cent price increase from last year's $42.91, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
One reason the price has gone up only 1.3 percent is because turkeys cost less than they did last year, says the group.
A 16-pound turkey cost $17.66, a 99-cent drop from $18.65, according to the bureau's informal price survey that is based on prices gathered from volunteer shoppers across the nation.
Shoppers can find lower prices on frozen turkeys than the national average of $1.10 per pound at local grocery stores.
Turkeys are selling for 49 cents a pound with a $20 purchase at Spartan Stores' Family Fare and D&W Fresh Market stores. Meijer is offering $9 off a hen turkey and $16 off of a tom with a $20 purchase.
Locking in prices in February, a few months earlier than usual, helped the Byron Township grocer reduce its turkey costs by one-third.
"Frozen turkey prices are up over last year but not as much as the cost," said Hartline, adding that the grocer passed along those savings to its wholesale customers who are independent grocers.
The retailer is also holding down its fresh turkey prices to 98 cents a pound, the same as last year, to highlight its newly introduced Spartan Fresh Selection brand.
Whole frozen turkeys sold for an average of $1.57 a pound at stores in September, up 7.7 percent from a year earlier and the highest level since at least 1980, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
"This year, supply and demand have come into play," said Hartline. "There's not a lot of turkeys on the market."
The cost of this traditional meal for 10 will average $43.47, a 56-cent price increase from last year's $42.91, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
One reason the price has gone up only 1.3 percent is because turkeys cost less than they did last year, says the group.
A 16-pound turkey cost $17.66, a 99-cent drop from $18.65, according to the bureau's informal price survey that is based on prices gathered from volunteer shoppers across the nation.
Shoppers can find lower prices on frozen turkeys than the national average of $1.10 per pound at local grocery stores.
Turkeys are selling for 49 cents a pound with a $20 purchase at Spartan Stores' Family Fare and D&W Fresh Market stores. Meijer is offering $9 off a hen turkey and $16 off of a tom with a $20 purchase.
Locking in prices in February, a few months earlier than usual, helped the Byron Township grocer reduce its turkey costs by one-third.
"Frozen turkey prices are up over last year but not as much as the cost," said Hartline, adding that the grocer passed along those savings to its wholesale customers who are independent grocers.
The retailer is also holding down its fresh turkey prices to 98 cents a pound, the same as last year, to highlight its newly introduced Spartan Fresh Selection brand.
Whole frozen turkeys sold for an average of $1.57 a pound at stores in September, up 7.7 percent from a year earlier and the highest level since at least 1980, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
"This year, supply and demand have come into play," said Hartline. "There's not a lot of turkeys on the market."
Happy Birthday -- Vice President Biden turns 68!
from Obama Food-o-rama
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/11/obama-goes-sweet-on-biden.html
posted at Google Blogger site Thursday, November 18, 2010
Happy Birthday Joe: Obama Goes Sweet On Biden;
President Obama wished Vice President Joe Biden an early "Happy Birthday" on Wednesday, as they finished their weekly lunch in the Private Dining Room. The Veep turns 68 on November 20th, and he was presented with a mini chocolate cake.
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2010/11/obama-goes-sweet-on-biden.html
posted at Google Blogger site Thursday, November 18, 2010
Happy Birthday Joe: Obama Goes Sweet On Biden;
President Obama wished Vice President Joe Biden an early "Happy Birthday" on Wednesday, as they finished their weekly lunch in the Private Dining Room. The Veep turns 68 on November 20th, and he was presented with a mini chocolate cake.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Coverage of Bush Library Complex (13th Presidential Library) - Dallas Star-Telegram story
With a toss of a dirt-filled shovel, former President George W. Bush on Tuesday kicked off work on his presidential complex. "The speeches are over," he said. "It is time to shovel dirt."
Bush was joined by his wife, Laura, and about 3,000 friends and acquaintances to formally begin the process of building his presidential center, which includes a library, museum and policy institute. "This is the beginning of a process," he said. "It’s the continuation of a journey that began over a decade ago."
Bush's library will be the nation’s 13th official presidential library, the first built in the 21st Century, and the third in Texas. The other two in Texas are the George H.W. Bush library at Texas A&M University in College Station and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library at the University of Texas in Austin.
Construction begins immediately on the privately funded, 226,565-square-foot complex on a 23-acre tract of land on the eastern edge of the Southern Methodist University campus, about five miles from downtown Dallas.
The Texas-style presidential complex, expected to cost more than $300 million, will include a library, museum and policy institute. Bush said about 160,000 donors made sure the project was paid for before the groundbreaking ever began.
The complex designed by New York architect Robert A.M. Stern and landscaped by Michael Van Valkenburgh, will feature a three-story building with a life-sized Oval Office that opens up to a Texas Rose Garden overlooking the Dallas skyline.
There will be a Freedom Plaza, a Freedom Hall, exhibits, a restaurant, classrooms, research rooms, offices, seminar rooms, an auditorium and a presidential suite. Inside, about 80 terabytes of digital information, including 200 million e-mails, along with more than 43,000 artifacts from the Bush administration, will be stored or displayed.
The George W. Bush Institute will be housed here and a 15-acre urban park will surround the complex.
As a tribute to Texas, most materials for the complex will be obtained from within 500 miles of Dallas; the exterior's red brick and Texas limestone are meant to blend in with SMU's red brick buildings. Outside, bluebonnets and wildflowers will be part of the landscaping that will include a tall grass prairie, wildflower meadow, savanna woodland, wet prairie and flood-plain forest.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/11/16/2636186/former-president-bush-kicks-off.html#ixzz15dqWSd4M
Bush was joined by his wife, Laura, and about 3,000 friends and acquaintances to formally begin the process of building his presidential center, which includes a library, museum and policy institute. "This is the beginning of a process," he said. "It’s the continuation of a journey that began over a decade ago."
Bush's library will be the nation’s 13th official presidential library, the first built in the 21st Century, and the third in Texas. The other two in Texas are the George H.W. Bush library at Texas A&M University in College Station and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library at the University of Texas in Austin.
Construction begins immediately on the privately funded, 226,565-square-foot complex on a 23-acre tract of land on the eastern edge of the Southern Methodist University campus, about five miles from downtown Dallas.
The Texas-style presidential complex, expected to cost more than $300 million, will include a library, museum and policy institute. Bush said about 160,000 donors made sure the project was paid for before the groundbreaking ever began.
The complex designed by New York architect Robert A.M. Stern and landscaped by Michael Van Valkenburgh, will feature a three-story building with a life-sized Oval Office that opens up to a Texas Rose Garden overlooking the Dallas skyline.
There will be a Freedom Plaza, a Freedom Hall, exhibits, a restaurant, classrooms, research rooms, offices, seminar rooms, an auditorium and a presidential suite. Inside, about 80 terabytes of digital information, including 200 million e-mails, along with more than 43,000 artifacts from the Bush administration, will be stored or displayed.
The George W. Bush Institute will be housed here and a 15-acre urban park will surround the complex.
As a tribute to Texas, most materials for the complex will be obtained from within 500 miles of Dallas; the exterior's red brick and Texas limestone are meant to blend in with SMU's red brick buildings. Outside, bluebonnets and wildflowers will be part of the landscaping that will include a tall grass prairie, wildflower meadow, savanna woodland, wet prairie and flood-plain forest.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/11/16/2636186/former-president-bush-kicks-off.html#ixzz15dqWSd4M
Congressman Upton (6th District - MI) - future / moderate credentials
from www. mlive. com
Upton, a 24-year veteran of the House, has been a popular topic recently for right-of-center pundits like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who are questioning his conservative credentials.
The Washington Examiner has editorialized that the new chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee needs to be more conservative, claiming Upton’s votes siding with Democrats on a series of environmental bills, unemployment extension and the 2009 omnibus spending bill don’t match that profile.
And then there’s the firestorm over 2007 legislation that Upton co-sponsored with a California Democrat to ban incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent lights.
But Upton has been mounting his own full-court-press countering his critics. He has published a series of op-eds and position papers, and enlisted support from conservative writers like Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard.
Upton went straight to the source this week, sending a letter to House GOP leader John A. Boehner, of Ohio, to outline what Upton called his vision for “cutting spending, removing regulatory burden, restoring freedom, keeping government accountable through rigorous oversight and jobs."
Upton, a 24-year veteran of the House, has been a popular topic recently for right-of-center pundits like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who are questioning his conservative credentials.
The Washington Examiner has editorialized that the new chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee needs to be more conservative, claiming Upton’s votes siding with Democrats on a series of environmental bills, unemployment extension and the 2009 omnibus spending bill don’t match that profile.
And then there’s the firestorm over 2007 legislation that Upton co-sponsored with a California Democrat to ban incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent lights.
But Upton has been mounting his own full-court-press countering his critics. He has published a series of op-eds and position papers, and enlisted support from conservative writers like Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard.
Upton went straight to the source this week, sending a letter to House GOP leader John A. Boehner, of Ohio, to outline what Upton called his vision for “cutting spending, removing regulatory burden, restoring freedom, keeping government accountable through rigorous oversight and jobs."
Third Thursday in November annually - "Great American Smoke-out"
The local Fox TV (ch. 28 - Elkhart) was announcing the American Cancer Society event that encourages users to put aside their cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco and find help and a plan to Q-U-I-T today.
Good luck and best wishes with support to those reading this blog who are seeking help where you find it at this mid-November day!
Good luck and best wishes with support to those reading this blog who are seeking help where you find it at this mid-November day!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta -- honored today
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2010/1117/At-Pentagon-Medal-of-Honor-recipient-inducted-into-Hall-of-Heroes
Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta was inducted Wednesday into what military officials refer to as the Pentagon’s most sacred place: its Hall of Heroes.
With that ceremony, Giunta joins an intimate fraternity and will for the rest of his life be accorded privileges that America reserves for only its most revered service members.
It was in a packed Pentagon auditorium that top officers from throughout the military gathered Wednesday to pay tribute to the only living Medal of Honor recipient in a decade's-worth of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the 389 Medals of Honor awarded since World War II, only about one-third of the recipients have been able to receive them in person. Giunta received the award from President Obama Tuesday.
While it is crucial to remember the fallen, the nation also needs living heroes, says Defense Secretary Robert Gates, quoting the historian to the Roman legion: “In valor there is hope.”
Secretary Gates acknowledged, too, that the Medal of Honor places a heavy burden on its recepients by making them "a symbol of this hope.”
It was an emotional ceremony, with soldiers standing at attention discreetly wiping away tears. Gen. George Casey made a couple of well-received jokes in a bid to lighten things up.
He observed that Giunta’s family was close and tight-knit, “and that’s just what you have to be to get through Pentagon security,” a reference to the tedious process that awaits visitors who must pass through the building’s metal detectors and sensor-activated gates.
Casey also noted that Giunta, who has been lauded for his modesty in countless interviews, has also fared far better than he on the evening news, a reference to Casey’s time commanding the war in Iraq during its nadir.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh told the story of how Giunta enlisted after hearing an ad on a local radio station promising free T-shirts for those who came to speak with Army recruiters. “This is why we spend millions on marketing,” McHugh said. He promised Giunta and his wife free T-shirts should Giunta decide to stay in the military.
Even if he doesn’t, as a Medal of Honor recipient Giunta will spend a great deal of time on military posts for the rest of his life, as an honored guest at ceremonies and with a complimentary membership to any military club he cares to join. He will be able to wear his uniform even after he leaves the service, and he will have a reserved seat on Inauguration Day for as long as he lives. Any children he has will be guaranteed a spot at any of the nation’s service academies.
Giunta’s wife of 1 year, 10 days was by his side during the induction ceremony, as were his family and fellow soldiers from his platoon in Afghanistan, where his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” earned him the medal.
The family of the soldiers in his unit who were killed during his tour were there, too.
Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta was inducted Wednesday into what military officials refer to as the Pentagon’s most sacred place: its Hall of Heroes.
With that ceremony, Giunta joins an intimate fraternity and will for the rest of his life be accorded privileges that America reserves for only its most revered service members.
It was in a packed Pentagon auditorium that top officers from throughout the military gathered Wednesday to pay tribute to the only living Medal of Honor recipient in a decade's-worth of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the 389 Medals of Honor awarded since World War II, only about one-third of the recipients have been able to receive them in person. Giunta received the award from President Obama Tuesday.
While it is crucial to remember the fallen, the nation also needs living heroes, says Defense Secretary Robert Gates, quoting the historian to the Roman legion: “In valor there is hope.”
Secretary Gates acknowledged, too, that the Medal of Honor places a heavy burden on its recepients by making them "a symbol of this hope.”
It was an emotional ceremony, with soldiers standing at attention discreetly wiping away tears. Gen. George Casey made a couple of well-received jokes in a bid to lighten things up.
He observed that Giunta’s family was close and tight-knit, “and that’s just what you have to be to get through Pentagon security,” a reference to the tedious process that awaits visitors who must pass through the building’s metal detectors and sensor-activated gates.
Casey also noted that Giunta, who has been lauded for his modesty in countless interviews, has also fared far better than he on the evening news, a reference to Casey’s time commanding the war in Iraq during its nadir.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh told the story of how Giunta enlisted after hearing an ad on a local radio station promising free T-shirts for those who came to speak with Army recruiters. “This is why we spend millions on marketing,” McHugh said. He promised Giunta and his wife free T-shirts should Giunta decide to stay in the military.
Even if he doesn’t, as a Medal of Honor recipient Giunta will spend a great deal of time on military posts for the rest of his life, as an honored guest at ceremonies and with a complimentary membership to any military club he cares to join. He will be able to wear his uniform even after he leaves the service, and he will have a reserved seat on Inauguration Day for as long as he lives. Any children he has will be guaranteed a spot at any of the nation’s service academies.
Giunta’s wife of 1 year, 10 days was by his side during the induction ceremony, as were his family and fellow soldiers from his platoon in Afghanistan, where his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” earned him the medal.
The family of the soldiers in his unit who were killed during his tour were there, too.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Shooting a 500-pound boar running rampant -- State Representative S. Tyler
from Niles DAILY STAR (Nov. 15) -- http://www.nilesstar.com/2010/11/15/sorting-out-the-sporting-swine-issue/
Earlier this year, I helped sponsor legislation that took the first steps to address the feral swine problem in Michigan by allowing Michigan hunters, police officers and animal control officers to shoot these pigs on sight if found on private or public land.
The swine, which are often descendants of non-native wild boar, can not only cause crop damage, but also destroy native habitats and pose a risk to humans.
Shooting a 500-pound boar running wild through your crops is one problem; the next problem, however, gets a little stickier. Currently, we are tackling a larger issue — how these animals get into the wild in the first place, and whether or not they should be considered an invasive species and be illegal to own in Michigan.
Many of us can agree that these swine do not belong in the wild of Michigan, and can endanger other livestock and personal property. The swine, however, often come into the wild after digging their way out of swine hunting facilities.
As a legislator, it is my responsibility to keep these ranchers in mind, along with their jobs and the economy, before making hasty decisions with long-lasting consequences.
If the animals are ruled an invasive species by the department of natural resources, sporting swine ranch owners would be forced to kill off their animals. If this were to happen, many may go out of business during their prime season, lose their investments, and be unable to recoup those costs to repopulate even if given the opportunity to later.
There are compromises on the table which seem more thoughtful, and would create a regulatory system for these facilities that include tougher fencing standards, fees to operate the ranches, animal identification and a system of liabilities and penalties for those hunting facilities where swine escape and cause damage to the environment.
And although compromise is always good, to truly solve the feral swine problem, we need to be mindful of the costs of regulating this industry and careful that we are identifying the correct culprits.
Now that we’ve taken the first steps, I am considering all options in order to address this problem in a way that makes the bills and policies amenable to all parties by early next year.
I look forward to hearing your comments on these important issues. Please feel free to contact me by calling (888) 373-0078 or e-mailing sharontyler@house.mi.gov.
Earlier this year, I helped sponsor legislation that took the first steps to address the feral swine problem in Michigan by allowing Michigan hunters, police officers and animal control officers to shoot these pigs on sight if found on private or public land.
The swine, which are often descendants of non-native wild boar, can not only cause crop damage, but also destroy native habitats and pose a risk to humans.
Shooting a 500-pound boar running wild through your crops is one problem; the next problem, however, gets a little stickier. Currently, we are tackling a larger issue — how these animals get into the wild in the first place, and whether or not they should be considered an invasive species and be illegal to own in Michigan.
Many of us can agree that these swine do not belong in the wild of Michigan, and can endanger other livestock and personal property. The swine, however, often come into the wild after digging their way out of swine hunting facilities.
As a legislator, it is my responsibility to keep these ranchers in mind, along with their jobs and the economy, before making hasty decisions with long-lasting consequences.
If the animals are ruled an invasive species by the department of natural resources, sporting swine ranch owners would be forced to kill off their animals. If this were to happen, many may go out of business during their prime season, lose their investments, and be unable to recoup those costs to repopulate even if given the opportunity to later.
There are compromises on the table which seem more thoughtful, and would create a regulatory system for these facilities that include tougher fencing standards, fees to operate the ranches, animal identification and a system of liabilities and penalties for those hunting facilities where swine escape and cause damage to the environment.
And although compromise is always good, to truly solve the feral swine problem, we need to be mindful of the costs of regulating this industry and careful that we are identifying the correct culprits.
Now that we’ve taken the first steps, I am considering all options in order to address this problem in a way that makes the bills and policies amenable to all parties by early next year.
I look forward to hearing your comments on these important issues. Please feel free to contact me by calling (888) 373-0078 or e-mailing sharontyler@house.mi.gov.
Decoded: Hip-hop mogul ($450 million) sets out his side of his career
from ABC News dot-com coverage of Book release (Nov. 15, 2010):
Jay-Z is not your typical celebrity. His first book, Decoded, is not your typical celebrity memoir.
In it, Jay-Z (real name: Sean Carter, aliases: many) paints the portrait of his life by delving into his lyrics, unwrapping his metaphors and opening up his ideology. He reveals who he was before he sold 50 million albums, scored 10 Grammys and established himself as a fixture in Forbes (current net worth: $450 million) as well as music history. He also ruminates on politics, race, and what it means to be successful in America.
Ambitious man, ambitious book, ambitious marketing campaign: Jay-Z teamed up with the search engine Bing to create a scavenger hunt that "hid" all 305 pages of Decoded, which goes on sale today, in 200 locations pivotal in his life. The grand prize for a fan who "decodes" all the pages online: a lifetime pass that grants them free access to every single Jay-Z show on earth for the rest of their lives, and lets them bring a friend along for the ride.
But for any hip-hop fan, the ride contained in Decoded's pages is exhilarating enough. Below, some of Jay-Z's biggest revelations from his first tome:
On why hip-hop is controversial: Hip-hop has always been controversial, and for good reason. ... It leaves s**t rattling around in your head that won't make sense till the fifth or sixth time through. It challenges you. Which is the other reason hip-hop is controversial: People don't bother trying to get it. The problem isn't in the rap or the rapper or the culture. The problem is that so many people don't even know how to listen to the music.
On people who misread hip-hop: The art of rap is deceptive. It seems so straightforward and personal and real that people read it completely literally, as raw testimony or autobiography. And sometimes the words we use, n***a, b***h, motherf***er, and the violence of the images overwhelms some listeners. It's all white noise to them till they hear a b***h or a n***a and then they run off yelling "See!" and feel vindicated in their narrow conception of what the music is about.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/jay-zs-decoded-hip-hop-barack/story?id=12156033
Jay-Z is not your typical celebrity. His first book, Decoded, is not your typical celebrity memoir.
In it, Jay-Z (real name: Sean Carter, aliases: many) paints the portrait of his life by delving into his lyrics, unwrapping his metaphors and opening up his ideology. He reveals who he was before he sold 50 million albums, scored 10 Grammys and established himself as a fixture in Forbes (current net worth: $450 million) as well as music history. He also ruminates on politics, race, and what it means to be successful in America.
Ambitious man, ambitious book, ambitious marketing campaign: Jay-Z teamed up with the search engine Bing to create a scavenger hunt that "hid" all 305 pages of Decoded, which goes on sale today, in 200 locations pivotal in his life. The grand prize for a fan who "decodes" all the pages online: a lifetime pass that grants them free access to every single Jay-Z show on earth for the rest of their lives, and lets them bring a friend along for the ride.
But for any hip-hop fan, the ride contained in Decoded's pages is exhilarating enough. Below, some of Jay-Z's biggest revelations from his first tome:
On why hip-hop is controversial: Hip-hop has always been controversial, and for good reason. ... It leaves s**t rattling around in your head that won't make sense till the fifth or sixth time through. It challenges you. Which is the other reason hip-hop is controversial: People don't bother trying to get it. The problem isn't in the rap or the rapper or the culture. The problem is that so many people don't even know how to listen to the music.
On people who misread hip-hop: The art of rap is deceptive. It seems so straightforward and personal and real that people read it completely literally, as raw testimony or autobiography. And sometimes the words we use, n***a, b***h, motherf***er, and the violence of the images overwhelms some listeners. It's all white noise to them till they hear a b***h or a n***a and then they run off yelling "See!" and feel vindicated in their narrow conception of what the music is about.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/jay-zs-decoded-hip-hop-barack/story?id=12156033
Three million on the Hajj - Muslims on Pilgrimage to Mecca
NYTIMES dot-com article coverage by Sarah el Deeb (Associated Press) Nov. 15, 2010
MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia -- Nearly 3 million Muslims performing the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia climbed the rocky desert Mount Arafat on Monday, chanting that they have come to answer God's call. The white-robed pilgrims began their ascent at dawn, covering the Mountain of Mercy at Arafat in an endless sea of white as their chants of "Labyek Allah" - or "Here I am, God, answering your calling" - reverberated.
The climb is one of the cornerstones of the pilgrimage, which is required from every able-bodied Muslim at least once in his life. It is the site where Islam's Prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon, and Muslims believe on this day the doors of heaven open to answer prayers and grant forgiveness.
Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al Sheik, called on worshippers in a midday sermon to espouse moderation and said Islam would survive what he described as attempts to defame the faith.
"Islam will remain strong in the face of the vicious campaign that is attacking it," he said at the Namira mosque. "Muslims, the dearest thing you have is your religion and your belief. ... Be proud of your religion; don't ever be ashamed of identifying our religion."
As they began their climb from the tent-city in the valley, many of the pilgrims ascending Mount Arafat looked tired from a lack of sleep, having spent the entire night praying. Charities and vendors along the way handed out food and umbrellas to shield the climbers from the harsh sun.
One of the pilgrims, Wassim Ahmad, from Mumbai, India, said this was his first hajj and that he felt like a child reborn. "Today is like judgment day," said the 29-year-old. "We have come to pray to God. ... A new child has been born."
Alone and obviously on her first hajj, 46-year-old Egyptian Umm Sayed kept asking people for directions.
"There is nothing greater than feeling that you are going to meet God," she said. "The whole body shivers."
Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa are the three stops on the pilgrims' journey during the hajj, as worshippers trace the steps of Muhammad.
The hajj draws millions of worshippers each year, the sheer numbers a challenge in preventing stampedes at holy sites, fires in pilgrim encampments and the spread of disease.
This year Saudi authorities have taken new measures to improve crowd management, including opening a new light-rail system to transport pilgrims between the sites.
On Monday evening, the crowds head to the next stage of the pilgrimage in Muzdalifa, where they collect pebbles to use in the symbolic stoning of the devil the next day.
The first day of stoning also marks the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, meaning "Feast of Sacrifice," when Muslims around the world slaughter sheep and cattle in remembrance of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son. The stoning lasts three days until the end of hajj on Sunday.
MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia -- Nearly 3 million Muslims performing the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia climbed the rocky desert Mount Arafat on Monday, chanting that they have come to answer God's call. The white-robed pilgrims began their ascent at dawn, covering the Mountain of Mercy at Arafat in an endless sea of white as their chants of "Labyek Allah" - or "Here I am, God, answering your calling" - reverberated.
The climb is one of the cornerstones of the pilgrimage, which is required from every able-bodied Muslim at least once in his life. It is the site where Islam's Prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon, and Muslims believe on this day the doors of heaven open to answer prayers and grant forgiveness.
Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al Sheik, called on worshippers in a midday sermon to espouse moderation and said Islam would survive what he described as attempts to defame the faith.
"Islam will remain strong in the face of the vicious campaign that is attacking it," he said at the Namira mosque. "Muslims, the dearest thing you have is your religion and your belief. ... Be proud of your religion; don't ever be ashamed of identifying our religion."
As they began their climb from the tent-city in the valley, many of the pilgrims ascending Mount Arafat looked tired from a lack of sleep, having spent the entire night praying. Charities and vendors along the way handed out food and umbrellas to shield the climbers from the harsh sun.
One of the pilgrims, Wassim Ahmad, from Mumbai, India, said this was his first hajj and that he felt like a child reborn. "Today is like judgment day," said the 29-year-old. "We have come to pray to God. ... A new child has been born."
Alone and obviously on her first hajj, 46-year-old Egyptian Umm Sayed kept asking people for directions.
"There is nothing greater than feeling that you are going to meet God," she said. "The whole body shivers."
Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa are the three stops on the pilgrims' journey during the hajj, as worshippers trace the steps of Muhammad.
The hajj draws millions of worshippers each year, the sheer numbers a challenge in preventing stampedes at holy sites, fires in pilgrim encampments and the spread of disease.
This year Saudi authorities have taken new measures to improve crowd management, including opening a new light-rail system to transport pilgrims between the sites.
On Monday evening, the crowds head to the next stage of the pilgrimage in Muzdalifa, where they collect pebbles to use in the symbolic stoning of the devil the next day.
The first day of stoning also marks the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, meaning "Feast of Sacrifice," when Muslims around the world slaughter sheep and cattle in remembrance of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son. The stoning lasts three days until the end of hajj on Sunday.
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