You know on second thought....I don't really believe in the concept of gravity, that the earth is round, or that E=mc(squared). I haven't seen Sir Isaac Newton's, Einstein's or any of the early philosophers' actual writings where they determined these things to be true. I've only seen it written about in textbooks and other sources (don't know that I've ever read it in the NYT)....and not even reproductions of the writings at that! Just narratives on the subjects. ;-))

God love ya, Evelyn. You are a great sport and you're the only one sticking your neck out here with opinions like those. I truly admire that (even if I don't agree with you). :-D

Now...now...it's only Drool you know. We're not at the UN. I take it all with great humor,and I never take offense no matter how many "shoes" come my way..., LOL. Actually, don't get me started on the concept of religion and believing or not believing things to be true. ;-)) Believe me, I won't;-) But you better stay on topic .....I got knuckles rapped a few months ago... To a happier subject.. Loved "State of Play". Thanks for recommending. Thanks also to Working Title, Tim Bevins and Eric Fellner. Edge of seat movie. Russell Crowe...what a star! Never duplicates a role. Helen Mirren steals every scene she's in. Poor Ben Affleck, he did his best, but he was out of the league on this one; didn't think he made a credible Congressman. I'm off to make a yummy Pacific salmon dinner, have some wine Oh, that's what I made for Easter (poached in Cab Blanc)..though really I was "fished-out" after Lent. Went well with Vouvray.

LOL, Evelyn. Did you wear a blue dress for Easter? ;-) (Dorine), You know on second thought....I don't really believe in the concept of gravity, that the earth is round, or that E=mc(squared). I haven't seen Sir Isaac Newton's, Einstein's or any of the early philosophers' actual writings where they determined these things to be true. I've only seen it written about in textbooks and other sources (don't know that I've ever read it in the NYT)....and not even reproductions of the writings at that! Just narratives on the subjects. ROTF, Dorine! My kind of gal! Add believing in the Theory of Evolution to that list. ;-) And to add that History text books are written by the winners, there is a lot of one sided approach to history that is taught in schools, shame on them.

(Evelyn) Now...now...it's only Drool you know. We're not at the UN. No, it is not Drool. I don't know why you persist in thinking it is.

We-el it's a message topic in bold letters on the Drool screen,(not a separate website like the other listed "offerings", nor listed by Terry on the Spring conferences, hosted by a revered Drool member;-) with only Drool members posting.... Soooo, ergo, a Drool topic.......to me;-) (I don't speak for anyone else.) *evelyn wearing her favorite blue dress*;-)

Given that I am host of Drool, what I say is the answer. This is fact, not opinion. This is not Drool. I do not know why this is such a problem for you to comprehend or maybe I do. End of discussion.

End of discussion. Okey, dokey...:-))).. makes no diff to me. *I* did not initiate the discussion

*I* did not initiate the discussion Again, not factual.

Well, ironically Evelyn did agree with you at one point when she refused to post here before....because she didn't go outside of Drool, IIRC. I'm glad to have her participation at whatever she calls it, even if she pushes my buttons. ;-)) Evelyn, I'm giving you a new nickname....Timex. ;-D (I think I'd like to use that for my next pet's name, but people might think I treat it poorly and it keeps hanging on.) (Moon) Add believing in the Theory of Evolution to that list. ;-) *slaps forehead* Of course! How could I forget that. LOL.

(Dorine) because she didn't go outside of Drool LOL! Thanks for reminding me of her frequent response when asked to take a comment to Mad World: "donn't go outside of Drool" So, she did recognize it as not Drool. ;-)

Oh you girls...LOL. Pile it on! My error: Mad World is *on* the Drool page. You flatter me for requesting my presence on this topic; I thought you would want the conservative viewpoint. You know....Fair and Balanced???? However, pivotal question comes to mind: Does one have to be a member of ( Drool Darlin') to post on Mad World? Replete with password etc. A simple yes or no will suffice.... And if no...why doesn't Terry have it with the Politics agenda??? I see Karen posts there. I don't see Dorine, however.

Pile it on? I was defending you! :-D I think I may have been to the Politics one to browse a long time ago, when I was seeing what else was on Spring. People talk in it?

(Evelyn) Mad World is *on* the Drool page. Correction: a link is on the Drool page, as there is to amazon.com, the Jennifer Ehle website, and many others, none of which I would also call "Drool." (Dorine) I think I may have been to the Politics one to browse a long time ago, when I was seeing what else was on Spring. Didn't you choose News because the content was going to be eclectic and not just politics?

Yes, I did.

People talk in it? Yeah...you'll love it. They all think like you do;-) Thank you for "defending" me, ole sparring pardner....i do v. well as a solo, me thinks. (Karen)Correction: a link is on the Drool page, as there is to amazon.com, the Jennifer Ehle website, and many others, none of which I would also call "Drool." i acknowledged that...those are websites, not posting topics. But pl. answer my question: Yes or no on posting on Mad World: does one have to be a Drool Darlin'? Ecleclectic and not just politics? eclectic is right...anything from salmon for dinner (how was it BTW?), to Michelle's shoes... to derivatives!! Reminds me of the Ramble Board on Pemberley.com. Moon, do you still post there? Hey, beats culling for Durham restaurants on Google any day;-D Back to Little Dorrit. This series must have cost a bomb to film. All those locations. See ya' tomorrow.

(Evelyn) i do v. well as a solo, me thinks. Okee dokee. :-) Salmon dinner, v. good. With Trader Joe's Garlic Aioli Mustard I made into a sauce and a side of (Trader Joes!) Garlic Basil Linguini and a New Zealand Savignon Blanc. Yum! I forgot about that Pemberley place. I used to go there for a while a number of years ago. Question: Does anyone know how or if it's possible to capture/copy images online that are in Adobe Flash? There have some pics I wanted to post here last night and other topics at other times, but right clicking didn't work. I didn't want to post the link to the site as I didn't need to point out all the pics, just a few.

New Zealand Savignon Blanc. Yum! Oh purrrfect...I've had that, mobetta than Vouvray. Oh for Trader Joe's.

Moon, do you still post there? No. It's a great site Pemberley, but I prefer my good friends here.:-)

Evelyn) i do v. well as a solo, me thinks. Okee dokee. :-) But I do appreciate it. Might have to call on you some time for support...911! Ya' never know around here...;-) LOL XXX Bwah!

Pulitzer's are out. I bolded a few things that have come up as discussion topics or somewhere...in the Drool/Mad World vicinity. ;-)) Papers win Pulitzers for bringing down gov, mayor By DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Writer � 26 mins ago NEW YORK � Two newspapers hit hard by a historic downturn won Pulitzer Prizes on Monday for exposing sex scandals that brought down a governor and a big-city mayor, in what was hailed as a victory for old-fashioned watchdog journalism at a time when the industry's very survival is in question. The New York Times received five Pulitzers in all, including one for being the first to report that then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer was a client of a high-priced call girl ring � a discovery that led to his resignation. The Detroit Free Press won for obtaining a cache of steamy text messages that destroyed then-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's political career. Three Pulitzers were awarded for coverage of Barack Obama's historic election. But in a surprising turn, not one prize was handed out for the other big story of 2008 � the financial meltdown. Some suggested it could be a criticism of the press for not sounding enough of a warning before the crisis. "If I had to guess, I feel like there is going to be some reluctance to give prizes for after-the-fact reporting no matter how good it is, period," said Dean Starkman, managing editor of Columbia Journalism Review's The Audit, which focuses on the business press. The awards were announced after one of the most depressing years ever for the newspaper industry, with layoffs, bankruptcies and closings brought on by the recession and an exodus of readers and advertisers to the Internet. Many of Monday's winners were among the hardest hit; in fact, one of the winners, a reporter in Arizona, was laid off a few months ago. "These are tough times for America's newspapers, but amid the gloomy talk, the newspaper winners and the finalists are heartening examples of the high-quality journalism that can be found in all parts of the United States," said Sig Gissler, administrator of the prizes. "It's quite notable that the watchdog function of journalism is underscored in this year's awards. The watchdog still barks, and the watchdog still bites." Despite a rule change that allowed online-only news organizations to compete for Pulitzers this year for the first time, none of the 65 entries won any prizes. However, the Pulitzer Board said online content played a role in several of the winning entries. [Ed. note - I wish they'd elaborated on exactly how that content played a role] In a measure of how bad things have gotten, the Detroit paper less than a month ago cut back home delivery to three days a week. Similarly, the Metro staff that broke the Spitzer story at The New York Times has since been cut back, and Metro was eliminated as a standalone section and folded into the main news part of the paper six days a week. The Las Vegas Sun won the Pulitzer for public service for exposing a high death rate among construction workers on the Las Vegas Strip. Alexandra Berzon described how the rush to build quickly and at highly congested work sites led to deadly shortcuts. Her work led to changes in workplace conditions. "The fact that this series stopped people from dying on Las Vegas Strip construction projects is the most important part of what we did," said Managing Editor Michael J. Kelley. The Free Press was honored in the local reporting category for helping to expose an extramarital affair between the mayor and his chief aide. Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to perjury, lost his office and served 99 days in jail after the text messages made it clear he had lied under oath in denying the affair while testifying in a lawsuit. The judges also awarded a second Pulitzer in local reporting, honoring the East Valley Tribune of Mesa, Ariz., for revealing how a sheriff's focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigations of other crimes. Paul Giblin, one of the reporters who wrote the prize-winning series, was laid off in January. "It is kind of sad," Giblin said. "I wish I was still at the Tribune. I'd have a party with them right now." The only multiple winner besides The New York Times was the St. Petersburg Times. It was honored for national reporting for fact-checking what the candidates said during the 2008 White House campaign, and for feature writing for Lane DeGregory's story on a neglected girl who was unable to talk or feed herself. The presidential race also figured in the Pulitzer awarded in commentary: Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post was honored for his columns on Obama's run for the White House. The prize for editorial cartooning went to Steve Breen of The San Diego Union-Tribune, which was sold last month to a private equity firm after its advertising plunged and employees were forced to take unpaid furloughs. No Pulitzers were awarded for coverage of the biggest financial crisis since the Depression, even though five finalists � including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times � were recognized for their coverage of some aspect of the meltdown. Among them was Times columnist Paul Krugman, who was commended for his "prophetic columns" on the economic perils. In addition to winning in the breaking-news category for the Spitzer scandal, The New York Times collected Pulitzers for international reporting for its coverage of deepening U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan; for criticism, for Holland Cotter's art reviews; for feature photography, for Damon Winter's coverage of Obama's campaign; and for investigative reporting to David Barstow, for revealing how the networks used military commentators who had ties to the Pentagon or defense contractors. The five Pulitzers won by the Times are the second-highest total in the newspaper's history; it received seven in 2002, in large part for its coverage of the 9/11 attacks. The prize for explanatory reporting went to the Los Angeles Times for its coverage of the cost and effectiveness of efforts to fight wildfires across the West. In the breaking news photography category, Patrick Farrell of The Miami Herald won for his images of the humanitarian disaster that unfolded in Haiti after Hurricane Ike. "I'm walking on Cloud Nine. I'm overwhelmed, I'm humbled � it's such a huge honor," exulted Farrell, 49. But noting the cutbacks that have swept the Herald, he said: "This is the last week for a few of our colleagues. I would prefer not to have won this in this climate, but I'm just grateful." Mark Mahoney of 32,000-circulation Post-Star in Glens Falls, N.Y., received the Pulitzer in editorial writing for his pieces on government secrecy and the public's right to know. "If I'm going to win, I'm glad it's for that," Mahoney said. "I think this indicates that we really are making a difference." The Pulitzers are the most prestigious awards in journalism and are given out annually by Columbia University on the recommendation of a 19-person board. Each award carries a $10,000 prize except for the public service award, which is a gold medal. ___ On the Net: http://www.pulitzer.org http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090420/ap_on_re_us/pulitzers;_ylt=An7bo6brJ0RwM9HaC.0dynqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJibzhkb2RrBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNDIwL3B1bGl0emVycwRjcG9zAzcEcG9zAzE0BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3BhcGVyc3dpbnB1bA--

I hope the Pulitzer Prize for the NYT translates into better ad revenew. That's where the $$$ is apparently, and it's tanking. Among them was Times columnist Paul Krugman, who was commended for his "prophetic columns" on the economic perils. I hope it's not too "prophetic"; he don't like Timmy's plan, and that's all we have to hang on to. I also saw that Jon Meacham's book on John Adams won; a great read, I've given it for graduation gifts (whether they ever read it , one wonders) Thanks.

Ron Paul: Legalize Marijuana and Reduce Crime Rep. Ron Paul declares that the federal war on drugs is a failure and legalizing marijuana would reduce the prison population and in effect the crime rate. �I think we should look at the federal drug war, and I would say the federal drug war has failed so we should reject it,� the Texas Republican, who ran for president last year, told CNN. �When I talk about changing the law, I want to go back to a constitutional approach to a problem like this, and that is through the states. �Up until 1937 there wasn�t even a law against marijuana, and at that time they just passed a law to tax it. So we�ve had an experience in this country where we didn�t have all these laws, but it was regulated by the states. "Alcohol is legalized by the federal government but it�s regulated by state laws.� Paul said he is particularly disturbed by the federal government�s efforts to override state laws allowing some people to legally obtain medicinal marijuana, as has happened in California. �They�ll pass a law that says that sick people can use it. So people who are dying with AIDS or cancer are getting benefit from marijuana. Then the federal government comes in and says we don�t care about the state law, and they just override it and put people into prison for this. �We have over 500,000 people that never committed a violent crime in prison for drug use, and there are mandatory jail sentences under these conditions. "This makes no sense. It�s so expensive, and it hasn�t achieved anything.� Paul included other drugs in the discussion when he said: �We�re creating a monstrous legal problem costing hundreds of billions of dollars and putting people in prison who should be treated as sick people. They shouldn�t be treated as criminals. �The problems we have is because the price for these drugs is about a thousand times greater than it would be� if they were legal and regulated. �We�ve created most of the problems for ourselves,� he added, �and these drug wars are a consequence of our policies.� Newsmax Ron Paul was satirized in Sacha Cohen "Bruno" film. Look it up on Youtube, very funny.

�The problems we have is because the price for these drugs is about a thousand times greater than it would be� if they were legal and regulated. Aren't jail sentences for the *dealers*, not the recreational user; which I agree should not be criminalized. Absurd.

(Evelyn) I hope the Pulitzer Prize for the NYT translates into better ad revenew. Missing a winkie? Has absolutely no connection to ad revenue. Only #'s....numbers of subscribers if not how many papers sold overall. Just like magazines. They base ad rates on forcasting a certain number of subscriptions. And TV bases ad rates on # of viewers. Web sites sell ads based on page views. Quality and awards aren't variables. It's all dependent on the number of people who use your product in some capacity.

(Evelyn) Aren't jail sentences for the *dealers*, not the recreational user In NY, you can go to jail for years, simply for possession of a relatively miniscule amount.....the Rockefeller laws. I think I mentioned in passing here they are looking to repeal them this year. No idea what drug laws are in other states.

I'm watching it play out and not sure if it's even on the national news at all, but I'm giving a heads up about the following: Jane Harman, Alberto Gonzales, illegal wiretapping, AIPAC. If nothing comes of it, so be it. If it becomes something, don't say you never heard there is a connection between all of them. Though this is all I'm mentioning for now. Want to know more, Google. :-)

It's all dependent on the number of people who use your product in some capacity. I know that....that's why they are practically giving away magazine subscriptions to increase the readership for ads.

(Me) It's all dependent on the number of people who use your product in some capacity. (Evelyn) I know that....that's why they are practically giving away magazine subscriptions to increase the readership for ads. But no one's picking up a newspaper or magazine because of awards. It's content and even more specifically, how fast they can get that content. In the case of papers, the decline is attributed to readers going online for news because it's updated faster/more frequently. They say the older demographic is the one sticking with print while all the other demos get the majority of their news/information online. Re magazines, speaking for myself, I have let all my subscriptions go because I wasn't keeping up with them anymore, it was expensive...and can read them online should I choose, where I tend to get most of my info anyway. In that respect, I'm in line with my age demographic. I do still get my NYT weekend subscription, though I mostly wonder why as I read little of the print ediition and not a lot online. I guess because I can take the NYT Magazine with me and read it over several days on buses and trains.

I've also stopped my mag sub. and the one for the Wash Post. I also read online. Going green. Bad news, I read that Borders might close. To celebrate Earth Day, I just bought a beautiful red handbag made from vegan leather. Waving to Livi~~~~

I can't take my desktop on planes or anyplace I have to wait...thus I subscribe. So are you into Kindle from amazon?

No, no Kindle for me yet. I have a work blackberry now, so I sometimes read the news and check email on it on short hops around, or waiting in the train station to go home. I forgot, I do still get Vanity Fair. I do like to take that mag on trains, though since they're so heavy, I rip them apart and take bits at a time. I do also read the free daily newspapers if I can find one. They aren't very big. Yeah, I read a while ago that Borders either was headed for or had filed bankruptcy. Or maybe they were looking for a buyer in lieu of bankruptcy if possible.

The Freddie Mac CFO was a neighbor of yours, Moon? When I saw the news this a.m., it only said Fairfax county, but I heard Vienna on the news a little while ago and one article said Hunter Mill estates. Now, this item has the makings of a potential thriller movie a la The Intl.

I heard Reston and Fairfax this morning, but I thought of you also, Moon.

There's a movie in here somewhere as well. State of Play 2? ;-) Pelosi Said She Knew Harman Was Wiretapped By Edward Epstein, CQ Staff Wed Apr 22, 1:40 pm ET Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that she was first informed in a confidential briefing a few years ago that Rep. Jane Harman had been recorded by spy agencies, but that she couldn't tell Harman or anyone else about it. Pelosi said the briefing from intelligence agencies was usual practice in the Capitol, where top congressional leaders are always told when a member of Congress pops up during the course of secret investigations. Pelosi wouldn't comment on the substance of the briefing about Harman. "I was not in a position to raise it with Jane Harman. All they said was that she was wiretapped," said Pelosi, who said she couldn't remember if the secret briefing took place in 2005 or 2006. "When you are briefed on something it isn't your role to share it with anybody else," said Pelosi, who served on the Intelligence Committee for a decade until she entered the House Democratic leadership about six years ago. "Even if I wanted to share it with her I would not have had the liberty to share it with her," she added at a roundtable sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. Congressional Quarterly reported April 19 that National Security Agency eavesdroppers heard Harman agreeing in 2005 to an appeal from a suspected Israeli agent to intervene in an effort to reduce espionage-related charges lodged against two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, Washington's most powerful pro-Israel organization. The New York Times published a similar front-page story Monday, adding that Harman was told in the conversation that Haim Saban, a wealthy Democratic donor, would threaten to withhold political contributions to Nancy Pelosi, also a California Democrat, unless Harman was tapped to head the House Intelligence panel. CQ confirmed that account in its "SpyTalk" blog Wednesday. Harman has launched a media offensive to dispute the sources' accounts, and has written to the Justice Department demanding that it release all transcripts of any recorded conversations. And Pelosi said the threat of a cutoff in donations never happened. "Haim Saban has been a friend of mine for many years," she said, adding that their friendship and political partnership persisted even though they disagreed on some issues, such as the war in Iraq. "Many, many of Jane's friends talked to me about her being named chair, but never in a threatening way," Pelosi added. The speaker defended Harman. "I have great confidence in Jane Harman. She is a patriotic American," she said. Since Pelosi named Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, as Intelligence chairman after Democrats took back the House in 2006, accounts have differed as to why Harman didn't get the post she sought. Some said it was because Pelosi and Harman differed on Iraq. Others said the two Californians had never been close. And now the latest reports raise the spectre of financial pressure on Pelosi. The speaker said none were true and that the real reason was much more mundane. Pelosi said Democratic caucus rules provide that a member can be the party's top-ranking Intelligence member for two terms. Harman had reached that limit when Democrats won the 2006 election, she said. "The only reason Jane was not chosen is because she already had two terms. It had nothing to do with wiretaps or Iraq," she said. On another topic, Pelosi reiterated her support for a "truth commission" to look into interrogation techniques used in the George W. Bush administration against suspected terrorists, but said those investigated by the panel should not get blanket immunity from possible prosecution. On Tuesday, President Obama said some officials who developed the policy for harsh interrogation could face prosecutions. "My thinking has long been that we should have a truth commission. But I think we should be more selective in granting immunity," she said. Pelosi said she supports the House Judiciary Committee looking into the interrogation issue. Some Democrats in Congress have called for impeachment proceedings against Jay Bybee, a federal appeals court judge in California, who as a Bush administration official was an author of the so-called "torture memos." Pelosi said before she decides whether to support an impeachment probe she wants more information. "It's important to get the facts from his confirmation hearings," Pelosi said, referring to President Bush's nomination of Bybee to the federal bench. Before that, Bybee had served in the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, where the memos authorizing tough interrogation techniques were written. "But I do think that the legal opinions issued by the Office of Legal Counsel did not serve our country well or represent its values," Pelosi added. http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/politics3100474;_ylt=Am81vRQ5eXPcJFBlwiAdfbCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJoOTRpcmFiBGFzc2V0A2NxLzIwMDkwNDIyL3BvbGl0aWNzMzEwMDQ3NARjcG9zAzkEcG9zAzE3BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3BlbG9zaXNhaWRzaA--

Perhaps a fashion show Livia shouldn't have missed. ;-) http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2009/04/22/2009-04-22_ratinfested_yards_site_stirs_catcalls.html

LOL, Dorine, too bad Livi didn't think of it first. ;-) Yes, he lived in Vienna, not far from me. I do wonder why he did it? In Miami, my neighbors were the sports guys. Heat, Marlins, Dolphins. Once, I was behind OJ in my local supermarket line, creeped me out. He tried to be friendly too.

(Moon) I do wonder why he did it? If it wasn't for personal reasons (nonwork related), then something is about to be disclosed about Freddie Mac. Maybe a little embezzlement on top of all the normal, everyday greed. Or it wasn't suicide but murder? Like I said, a movie. ;-)

then something is about to be disclosed about Freddie Mac. That was my first thought.

Speaking of Amazon Kindle....yeah, I'll be running right out to get one. Amazon's Kindle 2 Retails for Nearly Double Its Cost * By Patricia Resende, newsfactor.com - Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:37PM EDT http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nf/20090422/tc_nf/66123

Waving to Evelyn, Berlusconi is a genius: Italy earthquake town L'Aquila to host G8 summit: Berlusconi http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6153912.ece I'm so happy! Such a good call! The G8 protesters are stumped, they don't know what to do now. Heehee.

Just a little more of that non-lying updated 1:46 p.m. EDT, Fri October 5, 2007 Bush: 'This government does not torture' WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Friday defended his administration's methods of interrogating terrorism suspects, insisting, "This government does not torture people." [Ed. note - Um, yes, yes it seems we did.] [snip] Bush said his administration sticks to "U.S. law and our international obligations." [Ed note - Um, no, it seems we didn't] http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/05/bush.torture/index.html

From indieWire: The Collison of Politics, Celebrity and the Media: Barry Levinson Goes To �PoliWood� by Peter Knegt �In the most simplistic way, it�s really about the collison of politics, celebrity and the media,� Barry Levinson told indieWIRE about his new documentary �PoliWood,� premiering next Friday night as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. �Basically, how they collide and how they feed off one another. That�s the theme of the piece.� More specifically, the piece uses interviews with a variety of high-profile celebrities and political figures (from Anne Hathaway to Ellen Burstyn to Sting), exploring the influence Hollywood has over today�s political process. Levinson is attempting to exemplify the exceedingly thin line between politician and actor, and news and entertainment. �I think it�s interesting to watch, and it can pose a lot of questions,� Levinson said of the film in an interview earlier this week at the SoHo Grand Hotel in New York City. �Or you might just enjoy it on a level of watching all of these people navigate these channels for ninety minutes.� The film came together a few weeks before the Democratic National Convention. �There was no preconceived notion of exactly what it was going to be about,� Levinson recalled of the film�s origins. �It was simply to follow the events as they unfolded and see where that went, and then allow the piece to begin to direct itself in a way. I didn�t want to impose any ideas upon it intially. I wanted to let it breathe on its own and then see what happens. And then I began to see how these things begin to intersect with one another.� Documentary was not always something Levinson has aspired to take on. �It just came up,� he said. �I�ve always been interested in politics, I�ve always been interested in entertainment, and I�ve always been interested in the media.� Levinson has exemplfied this in much of his narrative work, from �Wag The Dog,� about a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer who join efforts to fabricate a war in order to cover-up a presidential sex scandal, to �Man of the Year,� which folows a comedian who decides to run for president, and a computerized voting machine malfunction gets him elected. �With this film I could see what it was really like,� Levinson said in respect to his previous work.� How absurd does it, in fact, become?� What it has become, it seems, is that everything has been turned into entertainment. �That has become the rule,� Levinson explained. �Why politics has to be entertaining, I don�t know. But it has to be, because its on television all the time. So therefore, there�s an upside/downside to that, naturally. We will frivolize a lot of very important issues and we will find a way to distract from the main issues. Because sometimes a distraction is more entertaining than the real issue. So what we do is constantly move away from what�s sometimes the essentials, onto the non-essentials. Because the non-essentials are more interesting to us. You watch it happen constantly. I mean you can watch recently and see how much time has been spent on Obama shaking hand with Chavez. Was he shaking hands with him? Was he smiling? Should he have been smiling? Does that show weakness? I mean, look how much time we spent on a visual of that. That has no relevance to anything. It�s nonsense. We�ve taken these silly things that may e entertaining and made it an essential. That�s frightening.� What Levinson also finds frightening is the political division in America, where issues that should never fall into the left/right, Democrat/Republican divide, do. �I mean, the idea that education or arts in the schools has become a political issue seems insane,� he argued. �It�s like, what, we�re opposed to music programs in school? Does that have to do with being a Republican or a Democrat? We are facing a potential catastrophe in terms of our environmental issues, and it becomes a left or right issue? I always say to someone who says that no one has really confirmed that there�s global warming: �Well, guess what, what happens if there really isn�t global warming? What would be the downside? We cleaned up the environment for no reason? Oh my god! How can that be political? It became that because it�s much more entertaining.�� For �Poliwood,� the biggest challenge for Levinson was a different kind of division. �The challenge is to bring all these elements together and have some cohesiveness, without imposing too much on the piece,� he explained. �I want it to be free and loose with people meandering into things and talking about stuff. There�s a casualness about it. But at the same time, it can�t be so casual and so meandering that it�s all over the place. So you have to be able to give it a little more coherence, without ultimately beginning to bend it one way or another.� An interesting footnote to the film came a few weeks ago, when Kal Penn - best known as an actor on televison series �House� and in movies like �Harold and Kumar� and �The Namesake� - quit Hollywood to take a job at the Obama White House as Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. He�s certainly not the first celebrity turned politician, but the most recent to personify the collison at the heart of Levinson�s documentary. �I mean, look, there�s a lot of people in the entertainment business that have political aspirations and there�s nothing wrong with that,� Levinson said when asked to comment on Penn. �At the end of the day, no matter what field you�re in, sometimes you�re a concerned citizen. Sometimes you can work within the government and you think that�s a way to be helpful, then I think that�s great.� �Poliwood� screens Friday, May 1, 6:00 pm at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Following the screening, MSNBC political analyst Lawrence O�Donnell will lead a discussion about this convergence of politics and Hollywood with Levinson and actors Josh Lucas, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tim Daly, Lynn Whitfield, Tony Goldwyn, Robert Davi and Matthew Modine, who all appear in the film. http://www.indiewire.com/article/the_collison_of_politics_celebrity_and_the_media_barry_levinson_on_his_poli/pem

I know some people won't bother to click on the link for whatever reason, but watching the Dublin FF interview, with its mention of Abba, reminded me of this Daily Show piece on "Socialism in Sweden." Benny is interviewed in part 2, but you should watch both. They are a riot. http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=225113&title=The-Stockholm-Syndrome http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=225126&title=The-Stockholm-Syndrome-Pt.-2

Monday, April 27, 2009 Karl Rove, conservative Republicans, and Susan Collins opposed money spent on pandemic preparedness by John Aravosis (DC) on 4/27/2009 10:01:00 AM Now that we're in the middle of a public health emergency, the media might want to be asking the Republicans some questions about this: When House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey, the Wisconsin Democrat who has long championed investment in pandemic preparation, included roughly $900 million for that purpose in this year's emergency stimulus bill, he was ridiculed by conservative operatives and congressional Republicans.... [T]he arguments former White House political czar Karl Rove advanced in February to frame opposition to the stimulus package Obey crafted in the House.... Rove specifically complained that Obey's proposal included "$462 million for the Centers for Disease Control, and $900 million for pandemic flu preparations." Who helped lead the charge against emergency disease preparedness in the Senate? None other than Maine Republican Susan Collins, who Joe has always argued is a conservative in moderate's clothing: Famously, Maine Senator Susan Collins, the supposedly moderate Republican who demanded cuts in health care spending in exchange for her support of a watered-down version of the stimulus, fumed about the pandemic funding: "Does it belong in this bill? Should we have $870 million in this bill No, we should not." Even now, Collins continues to use her official website to highlight the fact that she led the fight to strip the pandemic preparedness money out of the Senate's version of the stimulus measure. This part is especially bad: Obey and other advocates for the spending argued, correctly, that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse -- with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.

From AOL news: No Saudi Women Allowed on Television, in Print The same Saudi Arabian clerics who two months ago said it was okay for men to marry 10-year-old girls are now trying to ban ALL women from appearing in print and TV media. In a letter to new Information Minister Abdul Aziz al-Khoja the clerics called images of women in popular newspapers and magazines "obscene," and decried music and dancing on television. Images of women on television, said the clerics, are "a sign of growing 'deviant thought,'" whatever that means. The letter said the country was trying to "westernize" Saudi women by "reducing their rights to a question of removing veils, wearing makeup and mixing with men ... There is no doubt that this is religiously impermissible." We wonder what images the media will use to replace the ones of women. Is there a long waiting list of male models in Saudi Arabia waiting to get their big break? Saudi women lack a variety of basic rights, including the ability to drive cars. And even Arab women who come to the U.S. find it difficult to take advantage of their relaxed rights. In Dearborn, Mich., which has the largest Arab-American population in the U.S., many worry about whether they're following the lifestyle of a good Muslim woman by going out unaccompanied by a male or listening to the radio. There may be hope in sight. Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz earlier this month appointed the first woman to a ministerial post. And Arab females both here and in the Middle East are starting to have a say in what goes on in their culture -- on blogs. Some, like blogger Saudi Eve, are even as bold as to write about romance and religion. A whole list of others, some in English and other in Arabic, can be found here: http://saudiblogs.blogspot.com/

Another reason my DH is proud to be Italian: Cruise ship fends off pirate attack with gunfire An Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people on board fended off a pirate attack far off the coast of Somalia when its Israeli private security forces exchanged fire with the bandits. A great story. Read it here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_on_re_eu/piracy

Interestingly, their private security was Israeli.

Yeah....the mayor didn't know. I'm sure there's a bridge someone can sell me. Apparently the White House, for all their computer savvy, has never heard of Photoshop. :-((((( I'm so glad I wasn't anywhere near there to see it. I'd probably have freaked. Those poor people down there. Planes Create 'Total Panic' in Manhattan By SARA KUGLER,AP posted: 1 HOUR 1 MINUTE AGO http://news.aol.com/article/low-flying-planes-create-total-panic/447862?icid=webmail|wbml-aol|dl3|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Flow-flying-planes-create-total-panic%2F447862

That was in bad taste. Thanks, Dorine! So Mari, PA now has a new Democratic senator?

He's pulling a Lieberman, but is doing it ahead of time rather than look like the sore loser Lieberman was. At least he's leaping all the way across the aisle rather than sitting on the philosophical middle (Independent), not that I'd necessarily have a problem with that. But he was going to lose the Repub primary big, from the way it was looking.

Analysis: Specter defection shrinks GOP's reach By CHARLES BABINGTON � 29 minutes ago WASHINGTON (AP) � With Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democrats, the Republican Party is in serious danger of being viewed as strictly Southern and solidly conservative, an identity that might take years to overcome. Specter's move, which rocked Congress and the political world Tuesday, is the latest blow to Republicans, especially in the Northeast where the GOP has been reduced to a scant presence in the House and a dwindling influence in the Senate. But his defection has symbolic and immediate ramifications for the GOP nationwide. While Barack Obama was cruising to the White House last fall, Republicans were losing long-held Senate seats in Alaska, New Mexico, North Carolina and Virginia. A moderate Republican lost his seat in Oregon, and the same seems almost certain to happen when Minnesota's long recount is settled. In the House, Republicans have suffered deep losses in the last two elections, especially in the Northeast. Congressional Republicans' base is shrinking, leaving them with strongholds only in the South and parts of the mountain West. With the departure of each centrist, including Pennsylvania's Specter, the party also appears more firmly right-of-center. For the foreseeable future, that is a recipe for continued minority status in Congress and for uphill bids for the presidency. "By the process of subtraction, the Republican Party is getting more conservative," said Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker. "They are losing disaffected people. Obama's candidacy put that into overdrive." In the 1980s and early 1990s, the nation's political realignment favored the GOP. Voters in many of the 11 former Confederate states ousted Democrats by the dozens, no longer accepting the old odd-bedfellows alliance of Southern conservatives and more dominant Northern liberals. With the Northeast still home to many GOP centrists, or "Rockefeller Republicans," the realignment pinched Democrats hard. In more recent years, however, the tide has reversed. Moderate-to-liberal voters in the Northeast and Pacific West felt increasingly at odds with the national Republican Party, and they began electing more Democrats to local and federal posts. The result is a shrinking and increasingly right-leaning GOP. Specter said Tuesday, "the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right." "I've found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy," he said. Still reeling from their 2008 losses, Republican leaders now have new problems to confront.

(Dorine)He's pulling a Lieberman, but is doing it ahead of time rather than look like the sore loser Lieberman was. At least he's leaping all the way across the aisle rather than sitting on the philosophical middle (Independent), not that I'd necessarily have a problem with that. That's not fair (am I shocked??;-) Joe Liberman does caucus with the Dems.

(Dorine) He's pulling a Lieberman, but is doing it ahead of time rather than look like the sore loser Lieberman was. But what guarantees are there that he'll win a Dem primary? Could be a deal was made that he'll run unopposed on the Dem slate. At least he's leaping all the way across the aisle rather than sitting on the philosophical middle (Independent) He says it is philosophical, but is it? How "at odds" has he been in the past, oh, eight years with the Admin?

(Karen).. "at odds" has he been in the past, oh, eight years with the Admin? His last election wasn't exactly a landslide...lots of Republican $$$$$ went into his coffer to make it. Anyway, at 79 he should hang it up; let a young'un take over.

Look's like this journalist was looking into a crystal ball... " You did beat Pat Toomey in a primary back in 2004, by a mere two points, but I doubt that would happen again, if only because so many moderate Pennsylvanians in recent years have left the GOP and signed up with the Democrats. Hundreds of thousands have switched teams. Those were your people; in 2010, they won�t be eligible to participate in the primary and help you survive another blood feud." " And some liberals are probably still ticked about the way you questioned Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings in 1991 (although today�s 35-year-old Democratic voter probably couldn�t care less about that episode, since said voter was only in high school at the time)." "But if you really want to win another six-year term in 2010, keep your title as Pennsylvania�s senior senator, and hike that tenure percentage to 42 at the age of 86, you�ve got to weigh the obvious benefits of renouncing your troubled affiliation with the GOP. Think opportunistically, just as you did way back in �65, when you left the Democrats because you saw the opening to run for Philadelphia D.A. as a Republican. " LOL. He does seem to be a little opportunistic chameleon. And will be 86 at the end of his next term as senator! http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/americandebate/40957872.html

I've generally been lukewarm on Spector, agreeing with him on a number of things, disagreeing on others. Am sure I voted for him at some point when I lived in PA. When he was DA of Philly, maybe. He is a moderate, and I think he honestly believes the R party has become too radical right. BTW, Evelyn, he went to U OK (before moving on to U of P). My son just texted me that they have 4 "probable" cases of swine flu at UD. They are waiting for CDC confirmation, and are setting up add'l health clinics. The 4 kids appear to have "mild" symptoms and will recover, thank God.

(Karen) Could be a deal was made that he'll run unopposed on the Dem slate. Appears so. http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/labor/pa-gov-rendell-promised-specter-hed-be-unopposed-in-dem-primary/#comments (Evelyn) Look's like this journalist was looking into a crystal ball... I only skimmed through that article initially....that print was practically microscopic...that's painful to try to read! ;-) Did he also mention whether his crystal ball said that perhaps it was because he's been trailing Toomey by double digits for weeks and was most assuredly going to lose the Rep primary unless there was a massive turnaround? Which probably wasn't going to happen, due to in part, what he says above about voters switching parties themselves. Was going to post other links to stories here, but I think all the recent ones are about Specter and are interesting on their own and together. Just go here: http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/

His last election wasn't exactly a landslide...lots of Republican $$$$$ went into his coffer to make it. *cough* Lieberman *cough*

What's the difference between this and any other flu? (Suppose I need to read up more on it) More easily transmitted? I never understood the West Nile Virus stuff, too. I'm guessing Swine Flu is not carried by birds or mosquitos, eliminating the need to be sprayed on with chemicals like we were for West Nile (here anyway).

Was just listening to the news and they said the biggest diff is that there's no vaccine for this one. They did point out that thousands of people die here each year from regular old flu.

(Mari)I've generally been lukewarm on Spector, agreeing with him on a number of things, disagreeing on others. "Ditto" I'm a moderate, so generally I liked him, (esp on Anita Hill;-) But still think he's too old to run again. His last election wasn't exactly a landslide...lots of Republican $$$$$ went into his coffer to make it. (Dorine)*cough* Lieberman *cough* LOL...Including my piddling pesos.

That's kind of what I'm wondering. Is it just an "off-season" flu that happens to have no vaccine? I'm curious if this just transmits faster, because otherwise, I don't see the reason this would be big news. There was something really odd and seemingly quite virulent going around in Jan, a bunch of people I know got it as well as people they worked with, but it wasn't in the news and it didn't appear to be a flu. Literally virtually everyone I've ever known has gotten sick after getting the flu shot (which is why I don't and haven't gotten the flu anyway). I know a lot of people who don't get the flu shot and don't get sick either for whatever reason. It's all pretty random I think.

Sweet! Photoshop would've been a tad cheaper. Apr 29, 2009 9:11 am US/Eastern FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic Threatened Federal Sanctions Against NYPD, Secret Service, FBI & Mayor's Office If Secret Ever Got Out Furious Obama Apologizes: "It Will Never Happen Again" CBS News Interactive: Sept. 11 And Since Reporting Marcia Kramer NEW YORK (CBS) ― A furious President Barack Obama ordered an internal review of Monday's low-flying photo op over the Statue of Liberty. CBS 2 HD has discovered the feds will have plenty to question. Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public. In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration's James Johnston said the agency was aware of "the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes" in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor's office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out. What are your feelings on federal officials demanding the NYC flyover be kept secret by the NYPD and the mayor's office? "To say that it should not be made public knowing that it might scare people it's just confounding," Sen. Charles Schumer said. "It's what gives Washington and government a bad name. It's sheer stupidity." The flyover -- apparently ordered by the White House Office of Military Affairs so it would have souvenir photos of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background -- had President Obama seeing red. He ordered a probe and apologized. "It was a mistake. It will never happen again," President Obama said. The cost of the frivolous flight was about $60,000 an hour and that was just for Air Force One. That doesn't include the cost of the two F-16s that came along. The flight by the VC-25, a modified Boeing Co. 747, and two F-16 fighter jets cost $328,835, Air Force spokeswoman Vicki Stein said. That includes $300,658 for the larger plane, which flew a three-hour mission, and about $28,178 for the F-16 jets, which flew 1.8 hours each, Stein said in an e-mailed statement. The NYPD was so upset about the demand for secrecy that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly vowed never to follow such a directive again and he accused the feds of inciting fears of a 9/11 replay. "Did it show an insensitivity to the psychic wounds New York City has after 9/11? Absolutely. No questions about it. It was quite insensitive," Kelly said. The mayoral aide who neglected to tell Mayor Michael Bloomberg about it was reprimanded. http://wcbstv.com/topstories/air.force.one.2.996457.html

(Mari) He is a moderate, and I think he honestly believes the R party has become too radical right. Saw a clip of his announcement yesterday and the opportunism is quite evident in this shocking statement:I am not prepared to have my 29-year record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate--not prepared to have that record decided by that jury, the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.The mayoral aide who neglected to tell Mayor Michael Bloomberg about it was reprimanded. LOL! The guy was keeping it a secret, as required. ;-)

(Karen)the opportunism is quite evident in this shocking statement Hey, at 117 years old, I guess he figures he's beyond having to BS, LOL! What I meant by my earlier statement is that his 30-year record in the Senate shows genuine and clear differences with where the R Party has been headed. Yes, his switch is opportunistic--so what? It's not inconsistent with his record, so I have no problem with it. PA lost over 200,000 registered Republicans to the Dems during the last election--most of them from the moderate Philly suburbs. That group is Specter's bread and butter. If those moderates are no longer in the Party, then he has no shot at winning a Republican primary. Plus Michael Steele threatened to cut off Party campaign funds after Spector voted for the stimulus bill. Wow.

Dorine, you asked what's different about this flu. From Rear Adm. Anne Schuchat, CDC's interim science and public health deputy direct, speaking to the Senate Homeland Security Committee: She said the strain is particularly worrisome because "it's a virus that hasn't been around before. The general population doesn't have immunity from it." People have various levels of protection against other more common types of flu because they are exposed to it over time, and that protection accumulates. She suggested that some older people might have more resistance to this particular strain than younger people because its traits might resemble outbreaks of decades ago.

Thanks, Mari. That does make sense.

(Mari) They did point out that thousands of people die here each year from regular old flu. I know. They're acting like there's a Typhoid Maria epidemic or similar.

That's why I keep asking why this is so special. WHO has up'd their pandemic scale to 5, the highest it could go. And apparently it had never been at 4 til they raised it yesterday or the day before. Mubarek ordered all the pigs slaughtered in Egypt (how biblical!) to prevent the spread, but I wondered how he knew they had anything to spread. The farmers all ganged up and stopped the govt trucks coming to get the animals and turned them away saying they were poor and uneducated and they were coming to take all they had to make a living. The trucks were turned away last I read. Not sure how many farms that happened on. What an incredible waste of food. I had how people kill animals senselessly without blinking. I could see if this is Ebola or similar, but only one person in the US has died so far.

David Broder in the WASHINGTON POST Specter the Defector An opportunistic move by one of the most opportunistic politicians of modern times. But I haven't signed on the WP. Anybody else have it?

Sorry

Specter the Defector By David S. Broder Thursday, April 30, 2009 It's been more than four decades since Arlen Specter, senator from Pennsylvania, earned the nickname "Specter the Defector." With his decision this week to leave the Republican Party, he confirmed that it is indeed an accurate description of his political character. I was a kid reporter for the New York Times back in 1965, when Specter's flip-flopping first attracted attention, and the report I filed recounts the circumstances that led to his unflattering nickname. Specter, then a Democrat, had been an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, and he harbored an ambition to run against his lackluster boss, James Crumlish. The Democratic bosses of Philadelphia were not encouraging Specter because, as one of them told me, "We don't want another young Tom Dewey," the reform-minded New York prosecutor who launched himself into the governorship and two presidential nominations by sending a string of prominent officeholders of both parties off to jail. So Specter, with the encouragement of such prominent Pennsylvania Republicans as Sen. Hugh Scott and Gov. William Scranton, said he would run against Crumlish on the GOP ticket. To hedge his bets, and to help himself gain Democratic votes, he waited until he won the race to change his party registration. Over the decades since, Specter has become one of the senior Republican senators and the best Republican vote-getter in Pennsylvania. But his frequent defections from GOP orthodoxy, not just on abortion but also on labor issues, taxes and spending, have made him vulnerable to challenge in the state's Republican primary. Former representative Pat Toomey, a right-wing ideologue, came close to upsetting Specter in the 2004 primary, and next year, Toomey looked to be a better-than-even-money bet to knock off the incumbent. On one level, Specter's decision is symptomatic of the narrowing of the GOP spectrum, a sign of the increasing dominance of that shrunken party by its most conservative, Southern-accented members. There are no Republican House members left in New England. A traditionally Republican House seat in Upstate New York has flipped to the Democrats, and both coasts, the Southwest and the upper Midwest are increasingly voting for Democrats. That is why Republicans have lost their majority and their veto power over legislation in the House and why they may soon lose the ability to filibuster and delay Democratic measures in the Senate, after Specter's switch and once Al Franken finally claims the Minnesota seat. But much as Specter's decision reflects an increasingly serious weakness in the Republican Party, there is no escaping the fact that it is also an opportunistic move by one of the most opportunistic politicians of modern times. The one consistency in the history of Arlen Specter has been his willingness to do whatever will best protect and advance the career of Arlen Specter. In 2004, when some in the GOP caucus challenged his elevation to the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Specter assured them that he would not use the post to block any of President Bush's Supreme Court nominees. And despite his sometimes liberal record, he voted for both Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. Just a few weeks ago, when he was still calculating how he might survive a Republican primary against Toomey, he announced that -- despite his friendship with labor -- he would not support the so-called card check legislation that is the No. 1 priority of the unions. This is the man who now has the strongest claim upon the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania. Specter has been welcomed to the Democratic Party by President Obama and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, the most influential Democrat in Harrisburg. That makes it unlikely that Specter will face any serious challenge in next year's Senate primary. And, if his health holds up, he will be a strong favorite against Toomey in the November election. So, once again, Specter is likely to reap political rewards from his maneuvering. But the Democrats should be open-eyed about what they are gaining from his return to his original political home. Specter's history shouts the lesson that he will stick with you only as long as it serves his own interests -- and not a day longer. davidbroder@washpost.com Nice guy, huh?

(Evelyn) Nice guy, huh? Specter, I'm guessing you mean.

Nice guy, huh? When did he ever give that appearance? Certainly not when he was questioning Anita Hill? The one consistency in the history of Arlen Specter has been his willingness to do whatever will best protect and advance the career of Arlen Specter. I think the Pa Dems should run their own candidate and show this slimeball the door. He's shown he has no principles. Enough is enough. The world does not revolve around Arlen Specter.

(Karen)I think the Pa Dems should run their own candidate They certainly won't get any opposition from the Repubs in Pa...they're a dying breed up there.

A politician who's an opportunist? Shocking!;-)

Didn't realize today was the anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. I had to LOL at this exchange between John Cole, the NYT ombudsman and the Public Editor. Potato - Potatoe? http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=20658

This "manufacturered" news stuff has got to stop. All to fill the airways of a 24-hr news cycle. From the AP: Swine flu may be less potent than first feared The swine flu outbreak that has alarmed the world for a week now appears less ominous, with the virus showing little staying power in the hardest-hit cities and scientists suggesting it lacks the genetic fortitude of past killer bugs. President Barack Obama even voiced hope Friday that it may turn out to be no more harmful than the average seasonal flu. In New York City, which has the most confirmed swine flu cases in the U.S. with 49, swine flu has not spread far beyond cases linked to one Catholic school. In Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak, very few relatives of flu victims seem to have caught it. A flu expert said he sees no reason to believe the virus is particularly lethal. And a federal scientist said the germ's genetic makeup lacks some traits seen in the deadly 1918 flu pandemic strain and the more recent killer bird flu. Still, it was too soon to be certain what the swine flu virus will do. Experts say the only wise course is to prepare for the worst. But in a world that's been rattled by the specter of a global pandemic, glimmers of hope were more than welcome Friday. "It may turn out that H1N1 runs its course like ordinary flus, in which case we will have prepared and we won't need all these preparations," Obama said, using the flu's scientific name. The president stressed the government was still taking the virus very seriously, adding that even if this round turns out to be mild, the bug could return in a deadlier form during the next flu season. New York officials said after a week of monitoring the disease that the city's outbreak gives little sign of spreading beyond a few pockets or getting more dangerous. All but two of the city's confirmed cases so far involve people associated with the high school where the local outbreak began and where several students had recently returned from Mexico. More than 1,000 students, parents and faculty there reported flu symptoms over just a few days last month. But since then, only a handful of new infections have been reported � only eight students since last Sunday. Almost everyone who became ill before then are either recovering or already well. The school, which was closed this past week, is scheduled to reopen Monday. No new confirmed cases were identified in the city on Friday, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the outbreak in New York had so far proved to be "a relatively minor annoyance." In Mexico, where swine flu has killed at least 15 people and the confirmed case count has surpassed 300, the health secretary said few of the relatives of 86 suspected swine flu patients had caught the virus. Only four of the 219 relatives surveyed turned up as probable cases. As recently as Wednesday, Mexican authorities said there were 168 suspected swine flu deaths in the country and almost 2,500 suspected cases. The officials have stopped updating that number and say those totals may have even been inflated. Mexico shut down all but essential government services and private businesses Friday, the start of a five-day shutdown that includes a holiday weekend. Authorities there will use the break to determine whether emergency measures can be eased. In the Mexican capital, there were no reports of deaths overnight � the first time that has happened since the emergency was declared a week ago, said Mayor Marcelo Ebrard. "This isn't to say we are lowering our guard or we think we no longer have problems," Ebrard said. "But we're moving in the right direction." The U.S. case count rose to 155 on Friday, based on federal and state counts, although state laboratory operators believe the number is higher because they are not testing all suspected cases. Worldwide, the total confirmed cases neared 600, although that number is also believed to be much larger. Besides the U.S. and Mexico, the virus has been detected in Canada, New Zealand, China, Israel and eight European nations. There were still plenty of signs Friday of worldwide concern. China decided to suspend flights from Mexico to Shanghai because of a case of swine flu confirmed in a flight from Mexico, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. And in Hong Kong, hundreds of hotel guests and workers were quarantined after a tourist from Mexico tested positive for swine flu, Asia's first confirmed case. Evoking the 2003 SARS outbreak, workers in protective suits and masks wiped down tables, floors and windows. Guests at the hotel waved to photographers from their windows. Scientists looking closely at the H1N1 virus itself have found some encouraging news, said Nancy Cox, flu chief at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its genetic makeup doesn't show specific traits that showed up in the 1918 pandemic virus, which killed about 40 million to 50 million people worldwide. "However, we know that there is a great deal that we do not understand about the virulence of the 1918 virus or other influenza viruses" that caused serious illnesses, Cox said. "So we are continuing to learn." She told The Associated Press that the swine flu virus also lacked genetic traits associated with the virulence of the bird flu virus, which grabbed headlines a few years ago and has killed 250 people, mostly in Asia. Researchers will get a better idea of how dangerous this virus is over the next week to 10 days, said Peter Palese, a leading flu researcher with Mount Sinai Medical School in New York. So far in the United States, he said, the virus appears to look and behave like the garden-variety flus that strike every winter. "There is no real reason to believe this is a more serious strain," he said. Palese said many adults probably have immune systems primed to handle the virus because it is so similar to another common flu strain. As for why the illness has predominantly affected children and teenagers in New York, Palese said older people probably have more antibodies from exposure to similar types of flu that help them fight off infection. "The virus is so close," he said. In the United States, most of the people with swine flu have been treated at home. Only nine people are known to have ended up in the hospital, though officials suspect there are more. In Mexico, officials have voiced optimism for two days that the worst may be over. But Dr. Scott F. Dowell of the CDC said it's hard to know whether the outbreak is easing up in Mexico. "They're still seeing plenty of cases," Dowell said. He said outbreaks in any given area might be relatively brief, so that they may seem to be ending in some areas that had a lot of illness a few weeks ago. But cases are occurring elsewhere, and national numbers in Mexico are not abating, he said. A top Mexican medical officer questioned the World Health Organization's handling of the early signs of the swine flu scare, suggesting Thursday that a regional arm of the WHO had taken too long to notify WHO headquarters of about a unusually late rash of flu cases in Mexico. The regional agency, however, provided a timeline to the AP suggesting it was Mexico that failed to respond to its request to alert other nations to the first hints of the outbreak. The Mexican official, chief epidemiologist Dr. Miguel Angel Lezana, backtracked Friday, telling Radio Formula: "There was no delay by the Mexican authorities, nor was there any by the World Health Organization." In the U.S., Obama said efforts were focused on identifying people who have the flu, getting medical help to the right places and providing clear advice to state and local officials and the public. The president also said the U.S. government is working to produce a vaccine down the road, developing clear guidelines for school closings and trying to ensure businesses cooperate with workers who run out of sick leave. He pointed out that regular seasonal flus kill about 36,000 people in the United States in an average year and send 200,000 to the hospital. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu Personally, I preferred Stephen Colbert's report on the outbreak of donkey flu. ;-)

There was a kind of snarky piece in the Metro paper today about the flu (swine and other animal named) that I wanted to see if I could find online to post here. I, too, thought the reaction seemed so over the top compared to what was happening. It's why I kept asking what was supposed to be so special about this, like it was the second coming of the plague. Hillary's a busy, busy bee. Her Rival Now Her Boss, Clinton Settles Into New Role By MARK LANDLER Published: May 1, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/world/02clinton.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Buffett dispenses gloom at Berkshire fest Reuters By Jonathan Stempel And Lilla Zuill Sat May 2, 5:07 pm ET OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) – Warren Buffett told a record crowd at a somber annual meeting of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc that first-quarter operating profit fell and the company's book value declined 6 percent, as the recession hurt many of the company's businesses and investments. Operating profit fell about 12 percent from a year earlier to $1.7 billion, as most of Berkshire's businesses were "basically down," Buffett told an estimated 35,000 people at the meeting in downtown Omaha. The decline in book value results in part from falling stock prices and higher losses on derivatives contracts, and comes on top of a 9.6 percent decline last year, the biggest drop since Buffett began running the company in 1965. Buffett acknowledged that Berkshire will probably lose money on derivatives tied to the credit quality of junk bonds, though he still expects to make money on a much larger and longer-term derivatives bet that stock prices will rise. Berkshire's cash stake fell to about $22.7 billion on March 31 from $25.5 billion at year end, Buffett said. Berkshire expects to report results on May 8. The outlook punctuated a meeting that had a decidedly more serious and somber tone from years past as many investors expressed worries about the economy, Berkshire's investments, and how long the 78-year-old Buffett plans to stay on the job. Half the questions were pre-screened by journalists, providing a tougher and more substantive dialogue with Buffett and his 85-year-old vice chairman, Charlie Munger. Berkshire's stock has fallen 39 percent since December 2007, but Buffett said no stock buybacks are planned because Berkshire's share price is not "demonstrably below" the company's intrinsic value. Profit fell 62 percent last year. Buffett offered a gloomy forecast for parts of the economy and Berkshire itself, saying some units are laying off workers as managers "look at the reality of the current situation." He also said massive federal efforts to stimulate activity could pay off, at a possible cost of higher inflation. "It has been a very extraordinary year," Buffett said. "When the American public pulls back the way they have, the government does need to step in.... It is the right thing to do, but it won't be a free ride." DERIVATIVES Buffett said housing prices have yet to stabilize broadly, that retailers may be under pressure for a "considerable period of time," and that he would not buy most U.S. newspaper companies "at any price." He also said that in insurance, which comprises about half of Berkshire's operations, the earnings power "was not as good last year as normal" and "won't be as good this year." Buffett had transformed Berkshire from a failing textile maker into a company with close to 80 businesses that sell such things as Geico car insurance, paint, ice cream and underwear. Buffett is often considered the world's greatest investor, but recent missteps have prompted speculation the world's second-richest person has lost his touch. Berkshire still has three internal candidates to replace him as chief executive, including one the board could appoint immediately if the occasion arose. Buffett said the four candidates to replace him as chief investment officer failed in 2008 to outperform the Standard & Poor's 500, which fell 38 percent that year. But he said the candidates' performance has been "modestly to significantly better than average" over 10 years, and that he was confident they could repeat that in the next 10 years. Marc Rabinov, a shareholder from Melbourne, Australia, who said he was attending his 13th meeting, called succession a "big problem." But he added: "They are very good at being able to assess character, and that's the most important thing about who replaces him." Much of the worry about Berkshire has focused on Buffett's use of derivatives in making long-term bets on the direction of stocks and junk bonds, and which have so far resulted in billions of dollars of paper losses. While Buffett still expects the contracts tied to equity stock indexes to make money, he said "we have run into far more bankruptcies in the last year than is normal." He said he now expects the contracts tied to credit defaults, which mature between 2009 and 2013, will show a loss before investment income, and perhaps after as well. Buffett distinguishes his derivatives from others, given that he collects billions of dollars of premiums upfront to invest and posts little collateral. He called other derivatives "a danger to the system. There is no question about that." CONFIDENCE IN BANKS Buffett expressed confidence in Wells Fargo & Co, one of Berkshire's biggest investments, saying it has "by far the best competitive position" of any large U.S. bank. He noted that Wells Fargo shares fell below $9 earlier this year, and that at that price, "If I had (to) put all of my net worth into stock, that would be the stock." The bank's shares closed Friday at $19.61. Buffett added that if he wanted to turn Berkshire into a bank holding company, "I would love to buy all of US Bancorp, or I would love to buy all of Wells." He also defended Berkshire's roughly 20 percent stake in Moody's Corp, and said the credit rating agency "made a huge mistake" but was not alone in failing to foresee the housing and credit crisis. He also said "the rating agency business is probably still a good business." Buffett also said Berkshire can weather its recent loss of its "triple-A" credit ratings from Moody's and Fitch ratings. "The 'triple-A' is not going to be material to Berkshire," he said, "but it still irritates me." While declining to name candidates to replace him as chief executive officer and chief investment officer, Buffett said "it would be impossible" to replace Ajit Jain, who runs much of his insurance businesses and whom investors believe is a CEO contender. "We won't find a substitute for him," Buffett said. Buffett also said that while Berkshire is less nimble than when it was smaller, "our sustainable competitive advantage is we have a culture and business model that people would find very, very difficult to copy." Munger added that "the stupidity in the management practices of the rest of the corporate world" will likely benefit Berkshire in the future. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Lilla Zuill, editing by Vicki Allen) http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090502/bs_nm/us_berkshire

Tsk, tsk on Silvio. Berlusconi's wife wants divorce: reports AFP by Ljubomir Milasin Ljubomir Milasin – 1 hr 14 mins ago ROME (AFP) – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's long-suffering wife Veronica Lario is to seek a divorce after running out of patience with his roving eye, newspapers reported on Sunday. The 72-year-old Berlusconi himself refused to comment on the details of the reports but acknowledged that he was going through a "painful" period in his private life after nearly 30 years of marriage. A government source later stressed that Berlusconi had not been asked to react to "a concrete event, such as divorce papers". "Veronica's choice: Farewell Silvio," said the frontpage headline of La Stampa while the rival la Repubblica led with the headline: "I've decided, I want a divorce," with both papers quoting close friends. The two papers both said that Lario had contacted a divorce lawyer and given instructions to proceed towards a separation as quickly as possible. Italian news agency ANSA later echoed the reports. The reports said she had been particularly infuriated by her husband's decision to attend an 18th birthday party in Naples last week for the blonde daughter of one of his business associates even though he never went to any of his own children's coming-of-age parties. "My marriage is over. I can't stay with someone who cavorts with minors," Lario was quoted as saying by one of her friends. "I read in the papers about how he has been hanging around a minor -- because he must have known her before she was 18 -- and how she called him 'Papa' and about their meetings in Rome and Milan. "This is no longer acceptable. How can I stay with such a man," she was quoted as saying in La Stampa. The reports come only three days after Lario wrote an open letter to newspapers saying that her husband's well-known penchant for pretty women was a source of "suffering". "I want it to be clear that I and my children are the victims and not accomplices in this situation. We must put up with it and that makes us suffer," she wrote in a letter splashed across the Italian press. The letter, the second such public outburst from Veronica, dealt mainly with Berlusconi's choice of candidates from his People of Freedom party to stand in European Union elections set for June. Some are reportedly pretty young women with no political experience, including a television actress and a former Miss Italy candidate. Berlusconi had reacted to the letter by saying his wife should not believe the "left-wing press" but he acknowledged on Sunday that his marriage was going through a rocky period. "This is a painful personal episode which should remain private and it does not seem to me to be right to be talking about it," he told the Italian media. Opposition reaction was swift and blunt. Said Mario Adinolfi, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party's ruling council: "Let's leave the hypocrisy behind and say it clearly: Berlusconi's divorce is a political issue and an opportunity for the PD. "The person who knows him best says 'he's not right' or 'he is cavorting with minors'. "Can you imagine (US President Barack) Obama hit with such a blow by Michelle, or (French counterpart Nicolas) Sarkozy suffering in the same way from Carla Bruni, without any public and political debate?" The couple married in 1980 and have three children, all in their 20s. The 52-year-old Lario is a former stage actress who is 20 years Berlusconi's junior and his second wife. The pair, who are rarely seen in public together, have long had a tempestuous relationship. In January 2007, Berlusconi issued a public apology to Lario after she learned through the press of his verbal dalliance with a pretty young lawmaker. "Please forgive me, and take this public testimony... as an act of love, one among many," he said after Lario wrote an open letter to the daily La Repubblica demanding he show contrition. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090503/ts_afp/italypoliticsberlusconipeople_20090503200706

I too feel strongly about this and sincerely hope some good comes out of Joanna's meeting with Gordon and that he hasn't given a load of the Government spin. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8036036.stm

I have great respect for the Gurkhus who have always fought bravely in the British army...but why does that brigade want to settle in the UK? Political asylum?

I have always believed political asylum to be their reason for wanting to settle in the UK. I can accept the Government doesn't want to 'open the flood gates' but these guys fought alongside the UK army risking their lives for the UK. The Government have allowed asylum to less worthy cases.

(Sue) I have always believed political asylum to be their reason for wanting to settle in the UK. I can find absolutely nothing to this effect. The word asylum enters into discussions only because the case goes before the "Immigration and Asylum Board." From my gleanings, the basis of this movement has to do with your nationalized benefits (health care, etc.), which they want (and most would consider they've earned) but that the rules were changed, making it impossible for most Ghurkas (and there aren't many anymore) to meet. The courts overturned that law, but the government has yet to act on it. There seems to be widespread support for honoring the Ghurkas' history and sacrifice, so I would imagine there will be a satisfactory result. Read that Ghurkas protected Harry in Afghanistan just recently.

(Sue) I have always believed political asylum to be their reason for wanting to settle in the UK. I can find absolutely nothing to this effect. The word asylum enters into discussions only because the case goes before the "Immigration and Asylum Board." My bad then. I just believe these guys have fought for the UK (my country) and shouldn't be so easily sidelined as seems to be the case with the present government!

I don't no much about Ghurkas, but as long as they are not Muslim.... ;-) I do know about Berlusconi, and his always absent "actress" wife, the one who wrecked his first marriage. His wife is never seen in public with him, has never acted as his "First Lady" either. She's just a gold digger who wants a divorce. It has been a complete set up that incident in Naples. Good news is that the Italian people are on his side.

(Sue) My bad then. I just believe these guys have fought for the UK (my country) and shouldn't be so easily sidelined as seems to be the case with the present government! No argument from me. They've been a valued and valorous part of your army for such a long time. Surely, the idiot argument that it would create some sort of precedent for other foreign nationals who have been members of the military is silly. Had they been from a Commonwealth country, the 20 year service rule wouldn't have applied at all. Your courts have thrown out the requirement. But the issue is not that they are being persecuted in Nepal.

.... umm...to my knowledge

Just posting this to save it for future comments I hope to get back to. There's a number of things posted in the last couple of weeks I wanted to comment on, but been putting it off for various reasons. Health groups offer $2 trillion in cost savings AP By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writers Sun May 10, 9:00 pm ET WASHINGTON � President Barack Obama's plan to provide medical insurance for all Americans took a big step toward becoming reality Sunday after leaders of the health care industry offered $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years to help pay for the program. Hospitals, insurance companies, drug makers and doctors planned to tell Obama on Monday they'll voluntarily slow their rate increases in coming years in a move that government economists say would create breathing room to help provide health insurance to an estimated 50 million Americans who now go without it. With this move, Obama picks up key private-sector allies that fought former President Bill Clinton's effort to overhaul health care. Although the offer from the industry groups doesn't resolve thorny details of a new health care system, it does offer the prospect of freeing a large chunk of money to help pay for coverage. And it puts the private-sector groups in a good position to influence the bill Congress is writing. Six major groups plan to deliver a letter to Obama and pledge to cut the growth rate for health care by 1.5 percentage points each year, senior administration officials said Sunday. They spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to sketch the offer before full details are revealed at a White House event scheduled for Monday. Obama has offered an outline for overhauling the health care system, and he wants Congress to work out the details and pass legislation this year. His plan would build on the current system in which employers, government and individuals share responsibility for paying the cost and care is delivered privately. The government would play a stronger role by subsidizing coverage for many more people and spelling out stronger consumer protections. "We cannot continue down the same dangerous road we've been traveling for so many years, with costs that are out of control, because reform is not a luxury that can be postponed, but a necessity that cannot wait," Obama said in prepared remarks the White House released Sunday. "That is why these groups are voluntarily coming together to make an unprecedented commitment." The industry groups are trying to get on the administration bandwagon for expanded coverage now in the hope they can steer Congress away from legislation that would restrict their profitability in future years. Insurers, for example, want to avoid the creation of a government health plan that would directly compete with them to enroll middle-class workers and their families. Drug makers worry that in the future, new medications might have to pass a cost-benefit test before they can win approval. And hospitals and doctors are concerned the government could dictate what they get paid to care for any patient, not only the elderly and the poor. Obama has courted industry and provider groups, inviting their representatives to the White House. There's a sense among some of the groups that now may be the best time to act before public opinion, fueled by anger over costs, turns against them. It's unclear whether the proposed savings will prove decisive in pushing a health care overhaul through Congress. There's no detail on how the savings pledge would be enforced. And, critically, the promised savings in private health care costs would accrue to society as a whole, not just the federal government. That's a crucial distinction because specific federal savings are needed to help pay for the cost of expanding coverage. Indeed, costs have emerged as the most serious obstacle to Obama's plan. The estimated federal costs range from $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years, and so far Obama has only spelled out how to get about half of that. Administration officials would not say Sunday how much they think Obama's plan will ultimately cost, but they indicated they were confident it can be paid for. A reduction of 1.5 percentage points a year in the rate of increase in costs may not sound like much, but administration officials said it amounts to slowing the current 7 percent annual increase in costs by about one-fifth. That's significant when health care spending keeps running far ahead of inflation year after year. They estimated, for instance, that five years from now, such private cost curbs could save a family of four an average of $2,500 a year in health care costs. Administration officials said they didn't expect all the saving strategies to be announced Monday, nor did they have access to specifics on how the groups reached their estimates and analysis. But the initial reaction was positive. "While serious questions remain about the details, AARP believes the agreement of providers to slow the skyrocketing cost of health care is critical for the health reform we are all working toward," said John Rother, policy director for the seniors' lobby. "Reducing the skyrocketing cost of health care is the only way to create a health care system that works for all Americans; after all, what good is access to a system that we can't afford?" Ron Pollack, director of Families USA, a liberal group that supports coverage for all, said the health insurance industry came up with the target of a 1.5-percentage-point reduction. Karen Ignagni, president of the insurers trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans, took the idea to other major interest groups, said Pollack, who was familiar with the talks among the industry groups. "If these cost savings are truly achievable, this may be the most significant development on the road to health care reform," said Pollack. "It would cut costs for families and businesses and enable subsidies to be offered so everyone has access to quality, affordable health care." The groups include the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Service Employees International Union, the California Hospital Association and the Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents facilities in four states. Obama's plan envisions that people would be able to keep the coverage they now have. Those working for big companies probably would not see major changes. But the self-employed and those working for small businesses would be able to get coverage through a new kind of insurance purchasing pool. Called an "exchange," the pool would offer stable rates and predictable benefits. Plans in the exchange wouldn't be able to deny coverage to those who are sick and would have to follow other new consumer protection rules. Lawmakers in Congress are generally following Obama's outline, but the Senate plan is likely to go further by requiring all Americans to carry health insurance, much as states now require motorists to carry auto coverage. Democrats hope to get legislation to the floor this summer. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090511/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_health_overhaul_savings;_ylt=AoqbZY2SRhlNwnqGWkRbfgis0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJzcW01cmJoBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNTExL3VzX2hlYWx0aF9vdmVyaGF1bF9zYXZpbmdzBGNwb3MDNgRwb3MDMTMEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDaGVhbHRoZ3JvdXBz

STIMULUS WATCH: Early road aid leaves out neediest AP By MATT APUZZO and BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE, Associated Press Writers 10 mins ago WASHINGTON � Counties suffering the most from job losses stand to receive the least help from President Barack Obama's plan to spend billions of stimulus dollars on roads and bridges, an Associated Press analysis has found. Although the intent of the money is to put people back to work, AP's review of more than 5,500 planned transportation projects nationwide reveals that states are planning to spend the stimulus in communities where jobless rates are already lower. One result among many: Elk County, Pa., isn't receiving any road money despite its 13.8 percent unemployment rate. Yet the military and college community of Riley County, Kan., with its 3.4 percent unemployment, will benefit from about $56 million to build a highway, improve an intersection and restore a historic farmhouse. Altogether, the government is set to spend 50 percent more per person in areas with the lowest unemployment than it will in communities with the highest. The AP reviewed $18.9 billion in projects, the most complete picture available of where states plan to spend the first wave of highway money. The projects account for about half of the $38 billion set aside for states and local governments to spend on roads, bridges and infrastructure in the stimulus plan. The very promise that Obama made, to spend money quickly and create jobs, is locking out many struggling communities needing those jobs. The money goes to projects ready to start. But many struggling communities don't have projects waiting on a shelf. They couldn't afford the millions of dollars for preparation and plans that often is required. "It's not fair," said Martin Schuller, the borough manager in the Elk County seat of Ridgway, who commiserates about the inequity in highway aid with colleagues in nearby towns. "It's a joke because we're not going to get it, because we don't have any projects ready to go." The early trend seen in the AP analysis runs counter to expectations raised by Obama, that road and infrastructure money from the historic $787 billion stimulus plan would create jobs in areas most devastated by layoffs and plant closings. Transportation money, he said, would mean paychecks for "folks looking for work" and "folks who want to work." "That's the core of my plan, putting people to work doing the work that America needs done," Obama said in a Feb. 11 speech promoting transportation spending as a way to expand employment. Also, Congress required states to use some of the highway money for projects in economically distressed areas, but didn't impose sanctions if they didn't. States can lose money, however, if they don't spend fast enough. The AP examined the earliest projects announced nationwide, the ones most likely to break ground and create jobs first. More projects are continually being announced, and some areas that received little or no help so far may benefit later. The Obama administration could also encourage states to change their plans. To determine whether there was a disparity in where the money would go, the AP divided the nation's counties into four groups by unemployment levels. The analysis found that, no matter how the early money is measured, communities suffering most fare the worst: _High-unemployment counties, those in the top quarter of jobless rates, are allotted about 16 percent of the money, compared with about 20 percent for areas least affected by joblessness. _In low-unemployment counties nationwide, those in the bottom quarter of jobless rates, the federal government is spending about $89 a person compared with $59 a person in the worst-hit areas. _In counties with the largest populations, the government is spending about $69 a person in areas with the lowest unemployment and $40 a person in places with the greatest job need. The analysis also found that counties with the highest unemployment are most likely to have been passed over completely in the early spending. Among them: Wheeler County, Ore.; Steuben County, Ind.; Macon County, Ga.; and Crowley County, Colo. Many others are getting minimal help in this round: Vermillion County, Ind.; Lapeer County, Mich.; Presidio County, Texas; Tallahatchi County, Miss. Those counties still will benefit from job creation elsewhere in their states, said Lana Hurdle, a Transportation official overseeing the agency's stimulus money. "Even if you have to drive to it, it's better than no job," Hurdle said. Joel Szabat, who also oversees the stimulus for the Transportation Department, said the agency presses states to build projects in struggling areas but does not normally consider how much money is going to each county. Presented with AP's findings, he said: "I will be going back to ask our folks to do this kind of analysis, the overall amount for the projects." "Our goal, and I think it is a goal that will be achieved, is that you will see that a fair share of this money will go to these areas," Szabat said. Obama's plan sends $38 billion to states and local governments for roads, bridges, transit and other infrastructure, about 5 percent of the overall program that also includes money for, among other things, schools, community development, technology, worker training and tax breaks. All counties will receive some stimulus relief eventually. But the haste voiced by the White House is not reflected in the flow of highway money so far. "We cannot wait," Vice President Joe Biden said last week when announcing a $30 million transit project in his hometown of Wilmington, Del., where the 7.7 percent unemployment rate remains below the national average. "We're spending a lot of time and money. Why? It's about ... jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. That's why we cannot wait." Yet residents of Perry County, Tenn., will have to wait. County Mayor John Carroll said he's disappointed his community, which suffers from 25.4 percent unemployment, won't receive a dime any time soon for its road needs. "It's pretty easy to draw a connection between the high unemployment rate and the lack of any four-lane highways," he said. Federal auditors acknowledge they can't yet track the transportation money that is leaving Washington and there is no single list of the thousands of projects planned in each state. For its analysis, the AP used lists of projects approved through March by the Transportation Department and collected lists of stimulus projects that have been announced in 49 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Federal officials have approved 2,800 projects. The remaining projects on the AP list represent the states' official plans for the money. Only Virginia, which has not announced its plan, is not included. As the number of projects grows, places like Elk County, Pa., could still be left out because they could not afford the upfront costs needed to put proposals in the pipeline. "It's all based on this 'shovel readiness,'" said Elk County Commissioner Daniel Freeburg. "That's been our stumbling block." Elk County surely could use jobs. The once thriving north central Pennsylvania county is home to metal factories that equip the nation's auto industry. Layoffs are mounting. Freeburg is pinning hopes on getting future stimulus money, such as for energy conservation programs, that will create jobs and rekindle the local metal and lumber industries. In promoting his plan, Obama went to hard-hit communities such as Elkhart, Ind., and Peoria, Ill., and promised the jobs would come. "Now, I know that some of you might be thinking, 'Well that all sounds good, but when are we going to see any of that here in Elkhart?'" Obama said. "'What does all that mean for our families and our community?' Those are exactly the kind of questions you should be asking of your president and your government." Obama kept his promise to Elkhart, which so far is expected to receive $13.7 million, and Peoria, which should receive at least $10.6 million. But other, similar counties have not been so lucky. For now, laid-off workers in Elk County, Pa., question why they've missed out, while money flows to more prosperous places. "Why are they helping them?" asked Wendy Cameron, 50, of Saint Marys, Pa., who lost her job in a metal factory last year. She doesn't have health insurance and would gladly take road work. "They're not in need. We are. "What are these people going to do? Is everybody going to go on welfare? I've never been on welfare. I don't want to be on welfare." ___ Associated Press writer Cal Woodward contributed to this report. ___ On the Net: Interactive tracking stimulus money on a map: http://tinyurl.com/orulga http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090511/ap_on_re_us/us_stimulus_left_out;_ylt=AkrDh0jyoPCN9EzffV8imK0XIr0F;_ylu=X3oDMTJuazhrZDBrBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNTExL3VzX3N0aW11bHVzX2xlZnRfb3V0BGNwb3MDMwRwb3MDMwRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA3N0aW11bHVzd2F0Yw--

Loved how the Kansas congressman said that Fort Leavenworth (the max security military prison on US govt land) wasn't equipped to handle them. *rolling eyes* I don't see how he even has a say on a military prison. Maybe the fort itself should be closed down entirely. I know of many states that have had military installations closed down and would welcome the biz. Senate votes to block funds for Guantanamo closure By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer � 20 mins ago WASHINGTON � In a major rebuke to President Barack Obama, the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to block the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States and denied the administration the millions it sought to close the prison. The 90-6 Senate vote � paired with similar House action last week � was a clear sign to Obama that he faces a tough fight getting the Democratic-controlled Congress to agree with his plans to shut down the detention center and move the 240 detainees. The vote came as FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress that bringing Guantanamo detainees to the United States could pose a number of risks, even if they were kept in maximum-security prisons. Mueller's testimony to a House panel put him at odds with the president and undercut the administration's arguments for shuttering the facility. "The concerns we have about individuals who may support terrorism being in the United States run from concerns about providing financing, radicalizing others," Mueller said, as well as "the potential for individuals undertaking attacks in the United States." Last month, Obama asked for $80 million for the Pentagon and the Justice Department to close the facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by January. In the eyes of the world, the prison has come to exemplify harsh U.S. anti-terror tactics and detention without trial for almost all of its inmates, most of whom were captured in Afghanistan. The administration put its Democratic allies in a difficult spot by requesting the Guantanamo closure money before developing a plan for what to do with its detainees. Obama is scheduled to give a major address Thursday outlining in more detail his plans for Guantanamo, but it's already clear that many in Congress have little appetite for bringing detainees to U.S. soil, even if the inmates would be held in maximum-security prisons. In recent weeks, Republicans have called for keeping Guantanamo open, saying abuses at the facility are a thing of the past and describing it as a state-of-the-art prison that's nicer than some U.S. prisons. And they warn that terrorists who can't be convicted might be set free in the United States. "The American people don't want these men walking the streets of America's neighborhoods," Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday. "The American people don't want these detainees held at a military base or federal prison in their backyard, either." In another development Wednesday, a federal judge said the United States can continue to hold some prisoners at Guantanamo indefinitely without any charges. Obama's new Pentagon policy chief, Michele Flournoy, said it's unrealistic to think that no detainees will come to the United States, and that the government can't ask allies to take detainees while refusing to take on the same burden. "When we are asking allies to do their fair share in dealing with this challenge we need to do our fair share," Flournoy told reporters. Obama ally Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., pointed out that not a single prisoner has ever escaped from a federal "supermax" prison and that 347 convicted terrorists are already being held in U.S. prisons. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, among the few Republicans joining former GOP presidential nominee John McCain of Arizona in calling for Guantanamo to be closed, scoffed at the idea that the government can't find a way to hold Guantanamo prisoners in the United States. Graham noted that 400,000 German and Japanese prisoners were held during World War II. "The idea that we cannot find a place to securely house 250-plus detainees within the United States is not rational. We have done this before," Graham said. "But it is my belief that you need a plan before you close Gitmo." While allies such as Durbin have cast the development as a delay of only a few months, other Democrats have made it plain they don't want any of Guantanamo's detainees sent to the United States to stand trial or serve prison sentences. Despite the setback, some Democrats said Obama should not be underestimated. "The president's very capable of putting together a plan that I think will win the approval of a majority of members of Congress," said moderate Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson. "I can't imagine that he won't."

I know of many states that have had military installations closed down and would welcome the biz. I doubt it. No body wants them.NIMBY. Maybe yours. Think Schumer is going to take them in Camp (now Fort) Drum? Why doesn't Durbin take them at Fort Sheridan? ...they have 90 acres to build a supermax prison there. That's a kiss of death for a politician's addition to his/her re-election resume.

Senate votes to block funds for Guantanamo closure There's a word for these people that begins with a P, that I shall not use, but does apply IMO.

I doubt it. The fort itself. Besides, why spend the money to build when you already have a facility. Wasteful spending. Fort Sheridan was closed. Most of the land was sold to developers and is probably some of the most valuable RE owned by the military. Sort of like Presidio land. It is contiguous to Highland Park, highly affluent area and along the lakefront. Glenview Naval Air Station was also closed and is now almost a new town in and of itself, called The Glen.

Or Alcatraz...I hear the view is terrific. Actually, I say give 'em a green card and a one-way ticket to San Francisco;-)

This kind of sums it up for me on the prisoner subject. And brings up some of the same subjects and questions I have. I forgot about that Supermax prison in CO, but I did remember all the famous criminals there. World's Dumbest Talking Point Gets Traction by Cenk Uygur Wed May 20, 2009 at 01:25:36 PM PDT For weeks now, Republicans have been talking about how we can't bring Guantanamo detainees to the US as if we'd be bringing them in for a picnic. They have pretended that bringing them to the US is the same thing as releasing them out in the middle of Kansas or Oklahoma (or right by Ground Zero as the dumbass Peter King suggested). We've talked about this on our show from time to time to mock them mercilessly, but I didn't bother writing about it because who would be dumb enough to believe this inane talking point? Well, now we have our answer. Almost the entire Senate. They just voted 90-6 to say that the Obama administration cannot have the funds they need to close Gitmo and bring the detainees for trial here in the US. Rep. King was outraged at the idea that the people who carried out 9/11 would be tried near Ground Zero. Where the hell else would they be tried? That's where the crime happened. That's how our system works. Where are we supposed to try them - on Mars? Well, the Bush administration came up with the novel idea of turning our military base at Guantanamo Bay into a legal version of Mars. And since it's been ongoing for almost eight years now, everybody seems to find that a credible solution. But that's crazy. The United States cannot create a legal black hole where we put anyone we don't like and hold them there indefinitely. That was the whole problem with the Bush administration and Gitmo in the first place. ...... So, let's get to the main and most obvious point here - bringing detainees to America does not mean we release them in America. The people who planned and carried out the first World Trade Center bombing are now in the United States! Everyone, panic! Oh no, that's right, they're locked up in a Supermax prison in Colorado, from which they will never emerge. Problem solved. Why is that so hard to understand? FBI Director Robert Mueller testified today in Congress that if they are even held in a prison in the US, they could radicalize the other prisoners. Here are some of the other prisoners at the Supermax in Colorado - the Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols, World Trade Center bombers Ramzi Yousef and the Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, the Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph. Who are the Gitmo detainees going to radicalize, the Unabomber? This is absurd. If we're going to try people for crimes they have committed against the United States, of course we have to try them in the United States. We have plenty of prisons that are completely secure and that they have absolutely no chance of breaking out of and that they can spend the rest of their lives in. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/5/20/733714/-Worlds-Dumbest-Talking-Point-Gets-Traction

This kind of sums it up for me on the prisoner subject. And brings up some of the same subjects and questions I have. Sorry, I dont read Daily Kos articles...