The Blotter: Giuliani's Mistress Used N.Y. Police as Taxi Service

The Blotter: Giuliani's Mistress Used N.Y. Police as Taxi Service: "Well before it was publicly known he was seeing her, then-married New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani provided a police driver and city car for his mistress Judith Nathan, former senior city officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com. 'She used the PD as her personal taxi service,' said one former city official who worked for Giuliani. New York papers reported in 2000 that the city had provided a security detail for Nathan, who became Giuliani's third wife after his divorce from Donna Hanover, who also had her own police security detail at the same time."

Remaking the Readical Right Uisng MakeUp

Politics, Political News, Campaign 2008 - Politico.com: "Bush aides plan 2008 makeover By: MIKE ALLEN and JIM VANDEHEI | 12/03/2007 07:26 PM Humbled by defeats, Bush team seeks incremental changes to health care, new incentives for energy production."

'Gay question' general linked to Clinton - Kenneth P. Vogel - Politico.com: "The retired general who asked about gays and lesbians serving in the military at the CNN/YouTube Republican debate on Wednesday is a co-chairman of Hillary Rodham Clinton's National Military Veterans group. Retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr was named a co-chairman of the group this month, according to a campaign press release. He was also active in John F. Kerry's 2004 campaign for president. Kerr asked candidates “why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.” After the debate, former Education Secretary Bill Bennett said on a CNN panel that he was being told Kerr was involved with the Democratic presidential campaign of Clinton, a New York senator. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who moderated the debate and the panel, said that if that was the case, CNN should have identified Kerr as such. See Also * GOP candidates turn fire on each other * Wilder cools on Obama * Giuliani billed obscure agencies for trips David Bohrman, a CNN senior vice president and executive producer of the debate, later said: 'We regret this and apologize to the Republican candidates. We never would have used the general's question had we known that he was connected to any presidential candidate."

'Intelligence genes' reveal their complexity - being-human - 29 November 2007 - New Scientist

'Intelligence genes' reveal their complexity - being-human - 29 November 2007 - New Scientist: "Something as subtle and complex as intelligence was never going to be pinned on just a handful of genes, as a huge trawl across the human genome seems to confirm. Although it did turn up hundreds of genes that make a contribution, their individual effects are so small that for the most part they are barely detectable. This does not mean, however, that intelligence is not inherited. The research, led by Robert Plomin of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, identified six genes that were strongly associated with high or low intelligence, but even the most powerful of these accounted for just 0.4 per cent of the variation in intelligence between individuals. The six together accounted for about 1 per cent of the variation in intelligence. Dozens of previous studies on twins and adopted children have established that about half of the variation in intelligence is down to environment, ..."

Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Report: Victoria's Secret Uses Overworked Bangladeshi Workers to Build Angel Bras

Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Report: Victoria's Secret Uses Overworked Bangladeshi Workers to Build Angel Bras: "PROJECT SWEATSHOP Klum, Bangladeshi worker (Photo: Getty Images) With all the shiny angel supermodels prancing around in thongs and pillow talk of curve-enhancing bras, lingerie giant Victoria's Secret seems pretty innocuous. Well, except for the fact that it's produced by Bangladeshi workers in Jordan who are subjected to totally harsh conditions that don't sound remotely sensual. Sure, we know a lot of the crap we buy is assembled by compromised foreign workers, and yet we buy it because that's what America is all about. Or something. But there's something rather sad about reports in WWD today that sewers at D.K. Garments, a subcontractor for Victoria's Secret, were 'slapped and beaten, not paid their full overtime pay and labored from 7 a.m. to as late as 10 p.m., seven days a week with one day off every three or four months.' News that the factory owner is now threatening to starve striking workers makes us want to switch to Hanes. Admittedly, it's also worth converting because most of Victoria's Secret stuff is so synthetic it makes delicate ladybits itch! Fellows, when you shop for Christmas this year, remember: fire ant crotch and labor abuses are not sexy in the slightest."

Giuliani billed obscure agencies for trips - Ben Smith - Politico.com

Giuliani billed obscure agencies for trips - Ben Smith - Politico.com: "The documents, obtained by Politico under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, show that the mayoral costs had nothing to do with the functions of the little-known city offices that defrayed his tabs, including agencies responsible for regulating loft apartments, aiding the disabled and providing lawyers for indigent defendants. At the time, the mayor’s office refused to explain the accounting to city auditors, citing “security.” The Hamptons visits resulted in hotel, gas and other costs for Giuliani’s New York Police Department security detail. Giuliani’s relationship with Nathan is old news now, and Giuliani regularly asks voters on the campaign trail to forgive his 'mistakes.' See Also * DNC cancels L.A. debate * Post-Lott GOP leadership comes into focus * Are the Republicans ready for YouTube? It’s also impossible to know whether the purpose of all the Hamptons trips was to see Nathan. A Giuliani spokeswoman declined to discuss any aspect of this story, which was explained in detail to her earlier "

Skin Patch May Replace Traditional Injections - TFOT

Skin Patch May Replace Traditional Injections - TFOT: "HP and Crospon have developed a skin patch which uses microneedles that barely penetrate the skin. The microneedles can replace conventional injections and deliver drugs through the skin without causing any pain. The skin patch technology also enables delivery of several drugs by one patch and the control of dosage and of administration time for each drug. It has the potential to be safer and more efficient than injections."

Cartoons

Talented guy!

'Supermouse' bred to beat cancer

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Supermouse' bred to beat cancer: "Last Updated: Wednesday, 28 November 2007, 10:48 GMT E-mail this to a friend Printable version 'Supermouse' bred to beat cancer Mouse Mice appeared immune to cancer Mice carrying a gene which appears to make them invulnerable to cancer may hold the key to safer and more effective treatments for humans. The new breed, created with a more active 'Par-4' gene, did not develop tumours, and even lived longer, said the journal Cancer Research. University of Kentucky researchers said a human cancer treatment was possible. Cancer Research UK said that more research would be needed to prove it didn't just work in mice. We are thinking of this as a holistic approach that not only would get rid of the tumour, but not harm the organism as a whole Dr Vivek Rangnekar University of Kentucky Par-4 was originally discovered in the early 1990s working inside human prostate cancers, and is believed to have a role in 'programmed cell death', the body's own system for rooting out and destroying damaged or faulty cells. The Kentucky team used an existing mouse breed known to be more vulnerable to cancers to test whether Par-4 could be used to fight them. They introduced the gene to mouse eggs, and it was active in both the resulting pups - and their own offspring.

The mice with active Par-4 did not develop cancers, and lived slightly longer than those without the gene.

Dr Vivek Rangnekar, who led the research, said that the gene offered a potential way, unlike most other cancer treatments, of destroying cancer cells without harming normal cells.

"When a cancer patient goes to the clinic, they undergo chemotherapy or radiation and there are potential side effects associated with these treatments.

"We are thinking of this as a holistic approach that not only would get rid of the tumour, but not harm the organism as a whole."

Clonimg your Mules

Pharyngula: "Why inbreed when you can clone! It's all the rage among mule racing enthusiasts. Don Jacklin, president of the American Mule Racing Association, almost single-handedly funded cloning research at the University of Idaho of his champion mule line. Cloning champion horses has been made into a very lucrative business in France. Cryozootech turns a large profit cloning gelded or aged horses so that their clones can be used for breeding.

If I had 300 grand I could clone (my Arabian) Rebel. It will be really interesting to see what happens to these animals as they age. The mules are reported to be healthy and competitive racers but concerns over telomere length have yet to be addressed."

100 Notable Books of the Year - 2007 - New York Times

100 Notable Books of the Year - 2007 - New York Times: "

Fiction & Poetry

THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER. By Tom Perrotta. (St. Martin’s, $24.95.) In this new novel by the author of “Little Children,” a sex-ed teacher faces off against a church bent on ridding her town of “moral decay.”

AFTER DARK. By Haruki Murakami. Translated by Jay Rubin. (Knopf, $22.95.) A tale of two sisters, one awake all night, one asleep for months.

THE BAD GIRL. By Mario Vargas Llosa. Translated by Edith Grossman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25.) This suspenseful novel transforms “Madame Bovary” into a vibrant exploration of the urban mores of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.

BEARING THE BODY. By Ehud Havazelet. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $24.) In this daring first novel, a man travels to California after his brother is killed in what may have been a drug transaction.

THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT HEAVEN BEARS. By Dinaw Mengestu. (Riverhead, $22.95.) A first novel about an Ethiopian exile in Washington, D.C., evokes loss, hope, memory and the solace of friendship.

BRIDGE OF SIGHS. By Richard Russo. (Knopf, $26.95.) In his first novel since “Empire Falls,” Russo writes of a small town in New York riven by class differences and racial hatred.

THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO. By Junot Díaz. (Riverhead, $24.95.) A nerdy Dominican-American yearns to write and fall in love.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. By André Aciman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $23.) Aciman’s novel of love, desire, time and memory describes a passionate affair between two young men in Italy.

CHEATING AT CANASTA. By William Trevor. (Viking, $24.95.) Trevor’s dark, worldly short stories linger in the mind long after they’re finished.

THE COLLECTED POEMS, 1956-1998. By Zbigniew Herbert. Translated by Alissa Valles. (Ecco/HarperCollins, $34.95.) Herbert’s poetry echoes the quiet insubordination of his public life.

DANCING TO “ALMENDRA.” By Mayra Montero. Translated by Edith Grossman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25.) Fact and fiction rub together in this rhythmic story of a reporter on the trail of the Mafia, set mainly in 1950s Cuba.

EXIT GHOST. By Philip Roth. (Houghton Mifflin, $26.) In his latest novel Roth brings back Nathan Zuckerman, a protagonist whom we have known since his potent youth and who now must face his inevitable decline.

FALLING MAN. By Don DeLillo. (Scribner, $26.) Through the story of a lawyer and his estranged wife, DeLillo resurrects the world as it was on 9/11, in all its mortal dread, high anxiety and mass confusion.

FELLOW TRAVELERS. By Thomas Mallon. (Pantheon, $25.) In Mallon’s seventh novel, a State Department official navigates the anti-gay purges of the McCarthy era.

A FREE LIFE. By Ha Jin. (Pantheon, $26.) The Chinese-born author spins a tale of bravery and nobility in an American system built on risk and mutual exploitation.

THE GATHERING. By Anne Enright. (Black Cat/Grove/Atlantic, paper, $14.) An Irishwoman searches for clues to what set her brother on the path to suicide.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. By J. K. Rowling. (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, $34.99.) Rowling ties up all the loose ends in this conclusion to her grand wizarding saga.

HOUSE LIGHTS. By Leah Hager Cohen. (Norton, $24.95.) The heroine of Cohen’s third novel abandons her tarnished parents for the seductions of her grand-mother’s life in theater.

HOUSE OF MEETINGS. By Martin Amis. (Knopf, $23.) A Russian World War II veteran posthumously acquaints his stepdaughter with his grim past of rape and violence.

IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN. By Hisham Matar. (Dial, $22.) The boy narrator of this novel, set in Libya in 1979, learns about the convoluted roots of betrayal in a totalitarian society.

THE INDIAN CLERK. By David Leavitt. (Bloomsbury, $24.95.) Leavitt explores the intricate relationship between the Cambridge mathematician G. H. Hardy and a poor, self-taught genius from Madras, stranded in England during World War I.

KNOTS. By Nuruddin Farah. (Riverhead, $25.95.) After 20 years, a Somali woman returns home to Mogadishu from Canada, intent on reclaiming a family house from a warlord.

LATER, AT THE BAR: A Novel in Stories. By Rebecca Barry. (Simon & Schuster, $22.) The small-town regulars at Lucy’s Tavern carry their loneliness in “rough and beautiful” ways.

LET THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ERASE YOUR NAME. By Vendela Vida. (Ecco/HarperCollins, $23.95.) A young woman searches for the truth about her parentage amid the snow and ice of Lapland in this bleakly comic yet sad tale of a child’s futile struggle to be loved.

LIKE YOU’D UNDERSTAND, ANYWAY: Stories. By Jim Shepard. (Knopf, $23.) Shepard’s surprising tales feature such diverse characters as a Parisian executioner, a woman in space and two Nazi scientists searching for the yeti.

MAN GONE DOWN. By Michael Thomas. (Black Cat/Grove/Atlantic, paper, $14.) This first novel explores the fragmented personal histories behind four desperate days in a black writer’s life.

MATRIMONY. By Joshua Henkin. (Pantheon, $23.95.) Henkin follows a couple from college to their mid-30s, through crises of love and mortality.

THE MAYTREES. By Annie Dillard. (HarperCollins, $24.95.) A married couple find their way back to each other under unusual circumstances.

THE MINISTRY OF SPECIAL CASES. By Nathan Englander. (Knopf, $25.) A Jewish family is caught up in Argentina’s “Dirty War.”

MOTHERS AND SONS: Stories. By Colm Toibin. (Scribner, $24.) In this collection by the author of “The Master,” families are not so much reassuring and warm as they are settings for secrets, suspicion and missed connections.

NEXT LIFE. By Rae Armantrout. (Wesleyan University, $22.95.) Poetry that conveys the invention, the wit and the force of mind that contests all assumptions.

ON CHESIL BEACH. By Ian McEwan. (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, $22.) Consisting largely of a single sex scene played out on a couple’s wedding night, this seeming novel of manners is as much a horror story as any McEwan has written.

OUT STEALING HORSES. By Per Petterson. Translated by Anne Born. (Graywolf Press, $22.) In this short yet spacious Norwegian novel, an Oslo professional hopes to cure his loneliness with a plunge into solitude.

THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST. By Mohsin Hamid. (Harcourt, $22.) Hamid’s chilling second novel is narrated by a Pakistani who tells his life story to an unnamed American after the attacks of 9/11.

REMAINDER. By Tom McCarthy. (Vintage, paper, $13.95.) In this debut, a Londoner emerges from a coma and seeks to reassure himself of the genuineness of his existence.

THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES. By Roberto Bolaño. Translated by Natasha Wimmer. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.) A craftily autobiographical novel about a band of literary guerrillas.

SELECTED POEMS. By Derek Walcott. Edited by Edward Baugh. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25.) The Nobel Prize winner Walcott, who was born on St. Lucia, is a long-serving poet of exile, caught between two races and two worlds.

THE SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ. By Dalia Sofer. (Ecco/HarperCollins, $24.95.) In this powerful first novel, the father of a prosperous Jewish family in Tehran is arrested shortly after the Iranian revolution.

SHORTCOMINGS. By Adrian Tomine. (Drawn & Quarterly, $19.95.) The Asian-American characters in this meticulously observed comic-book novella explicitly address the way in which they handle being in a minority.

SUNSTROKE: And Other Stories. By Tessa Hadley. (Picador, paper, $13.) These resonant tales encapsulate moments of hope and humiliation in a kind of shorthand of different lives lived.

THEN WE CAME TO THE END. By Joshua Ferris. (Little, Brown, $23.99.) Layoff notices fly in Ferris’s acidly funny first novel, set in a white-collar office in the wake of the dot-com debacle.

THROW LIKE A GIRL: Stories. By Jean Thompson. (Simon & Schuster, paper, $13.) The women here are smart and strong but drawn to losers.

TIME AND MATERIALS: Poems, 1997-2005. By Robert Hass. (Ecco/Harper-Collins, $22.95.) What Hass, a former poet laureate, has lost in Californian ease he has gained in stern self-restraint.

TREE OF SMOKE. By Denis Johnson. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.) The author of “Jesus’ Son” offers a soulful novel about the travails of a large cast of characters during the Vietnam War.

TWENTY GRAND: And Other Tales of Love and Money. By Rebecca Curtis. (Harper Perennial, paper, $13.95.) In this debut collection, a crisp, blunt tone propels stories both surreal and realistic.

VARIETIES OF DISTURBANCE: Stories. By Lydia Davis. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, paper, $13.) Dispensing with straight narrative, Davis microscopically examines language and thought.

THE VIEW FROM CASTLE ROCK: Stories. By Alice Munro. (Knopf, $25.95.) This collection offers unusually explicit reflections of Munro’s life.

WHAT IS THE WHAT. The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng: A Novel. By Dave Eggers. (McSweeney’s, $26.) The horrors, injustices and follies in this novel are based on the experiences of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan.

WINTERTON BLUE. By Trezza Azzopardi. (Grove, $24.) An unhappy young woman meets an even unhappier drifter.

THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION. By Michael Chabon. (HarperCollins, $26.95.) Cops, thugs, schemers, rabbis, chess fanatics and obsessives of every stripe populate this screwball, hard-boiled murder mystery set in an imagined Jewish settlement in Alaska.

Nonfiction

AGENT ZIGZAG: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal. By Ben Macintyre. (Harmony, $25.95.) The exploits of Eddie Chapman, a British criminal who became a double agent in World War II.

ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE: A Life. By Hugh Brogan. (Yale University, $35.) Brogan’s combative biography takes issue with Tocqueville’s misgivings about democracy.

ALICE: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, From White House Princess to Washington Power Broker. By Stacy A. Cordery. (Viking, $32.95.) A biography of Theodore Roosevelt’s shrewd, tart-tongued older daughter.

AMERICAN CREATION: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic. By Joseph J. Ellis. (Knopf, $26.95.) This history explores an underappreciated point: that this country was constructed to foster arguments, not to settle them.

THE ARGUMENT: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics. By Matt Bai. (Penguin Press, $25.95.) An exhaustive account of the Democrats’ transformative efforts, by a political reporter for The New York Times Magazine.

ARSENALS OF FOLLY: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race. By Richard Rhodes. (Knopf, $28.95.) This artful history focuses on the events leading up to the pivotal 1986 Reykjavik summit meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev.

THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER: Who Killed the Bishop? By Francisco Goldman. (Grove, $25.) The novelist returns to Guatemala, a major inspiration for his fiction, to try to solve the real-life killing of a Roman Catholic bishop.

BROTHER, I’M DYING. By Edwidge Danticat. (Knopf, $23.95.) Danticat’s cleareyed prose and unflinching adherence to the facts conceal an undercurrent of melancholy in this memoir of her Haitian family.

CIRCLING MY MOTHER. By Mary Gordon. (Pantheon, $24.) Gordon’s deeply personal memoir focuses on the engaged and lively Catholicism of her mother, a glamorous career woman who was also an alcoholic with a body afflicted by polio.

CLEOPATRA’S NOSE: 39 Varieties of Desire. By Judith Thurman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) These surgically analytic essays of cultural criticism showcase themes of loss, hunger and motherhood.

CULTURAL AMNESIA: Necessary Memories From History and the Arts. By Clive James. (Norton, $35.) Essays on 20th-century luminaries by one of Britain’s leading public intellectuals.

THE DAY OF BATTLE: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. Volume Two of the Liberation Trilogy. By Rick Atkinson. (Holt, $35.) A celebration of the American experience in these campaigns.

THE DIANA CHRONICLES. By Tina Brown. (Doubleday, $27.50.) The former New Yorker editor details the sordid domestic drama that pitted the Princess of Wales against Britain’s royal family.

THE DISCOVERY OF FRANCE: A Historical Geography From the Revolution to the First World War. By Graham Robb. (Norton, $27.95.) Robb presents France as a group of diverse regions, each with its own long history, intricate belief systems and singular customs.

DOWN THE NILE: Alone in a Fisherman’s Skiff. By Rosemary Mahoney. (Little, Brown, $23.99.) Mahoney juxtaposes her solo rowing journey with encounters with the Egyptians she met.

DRIVEN OUT: The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans. By Jean Pfaelzer. (Random House, $27.95.) How the Chinese were brutalized and demonized in the 19th-century American West — and how they fought back.

DUE CONSIDERATIONS: Essays and Criticism. By John Updike. (Knopf, $40.) Updike’s first nonfiction collection in eight years displays breathtaking scope as well as the author’s seeming inability to write badly.

EASTER EVERYWHERE: A Memoir. By Darcey Steinke. (Bloomsbury, $24.95.) A minister’s daughter confronts her own spiritual rootlessness.

EDITH WHARTON. By Hermione Lee. (Knopf, $35.) This meticulous biography shows Wharton’s significance as a designer, decorator, gardener and traveler, as well as a writer.

THE FATHER OF ALL THINGS: A Marine, His Son, and the Legacy of Vietnam. By Tom Bissell. (Pantheon, $25.) Bissell mixes rigorous narrative accounts of the war and emotionally powerful scenes of the distress it brought his own family.

THE FLORIST’S DAUGHTER. By Patricia Hampl. (Harcourt, $24.) In her fifth and most powerful memoir, Hampl looks hard at her relationship to her Midwestern roots as her mother lies dying in the hospital.

FORESKIN’S LAMENT: A Memoir. By Shalom Auslander. (Riverhead, $24.95.) With scathing humor and bitter irony, Auslander wrestles with his Jewish Orthodox roots.

GOMORRAH: A Personal Journey Into the Violent International Empire of Naples’ Organized Crime System. By Roberto Saviano. Translated by Virginia Jewiss. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25.) This powerful work of reportage started a national conversation in Italy when it was published there last year.

THE HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT: With a Little Help From Irving, Cole, and a Crew of About Fifty. By Wilfrid Sheed. (Random House, $29.95.) A rich homage to Gershwin, Berlin and other masters of the swinging jazz song.

HOW DOCTORS THINK. By Jerome Groopman. (Houghton Mifflin, $26.) Groopman takes a tough-minded look at the ways in which doctors and patients interact, and at the profound problems facing modern medicine.

HOW TO READ THE BIBLE: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now. By James L. Kugel. (Free Press, $35.) In this tour through the Jewish scriptures (i.e., the Old Testament, more or less), a former professor of Hebrew seeks to reclaim the Bible from the literalists and the skeptics.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS YOU HAVEN’T READ. By Pierre Bayard. Translated by Jeffrey Mehlman. (Bloomsbury, $19.95.) A French literature professor wants to assuage our guilt over the ways we actually read and discuss books.

IMPERIAL LIFE IN THE EMERALD CITY: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone. By Rajiv Chandrasekaran. (Knopf, $25.95.) The author, a Washington Post journalist, catalogs the arrogance and ineptitude that marked America’s governance of Iraq.

THE INVISIBLE CURE: Africa, the West, and the Fight Against AIDS. By Helen Epstein. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26.) Rigorous reporting unearths new findings among the old issues.

LEGACY OF ASHES: The History of the CIA. By Tim Weiner. (Doubleday, $27.95.) A comprehensive chronicle of the American intelligence agency, from the days of the Iron Curtain to Iraq, by a reporter for The New York Times.

LENI: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl. By Steven Bach. (Knopf, $30.) How Hitler’s favorite director made “Triumph of the Will” and convinced posterity that she didn’t know what the Nazis were up to.

LEONARD WOOLF: A Biography. By Victoria Glendinning. (Free Press, $30.) Glendinning shows Virginia Woolf’s accomplished husband as passionate, reserved and, above all, stoical.

A LIFE OF PICASSO: The Triumphant Years, 1917-1932. By John Richardson. (Knopf, $40.) The third, penultimate installment in Richardson’s biography spans a dauntingly complicated time in Picasso’s life and in European history.

LITTLE HEATHENS: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression. By Mildred Armstrong Kalish. (Bantam, $22.) Kalish’s soaring love for her childhood memories saturates this memoir, which coaxes the reader into joy, wonder and even envy.

LONG WAY GONE: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. By Ishmael Beah. (Sarah Crichton/-Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $22.) A former child warrior gives literary voice to the violence and killings he both witnessed and perpetrated during the Sierra Leone civil war.

THE NINE: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. By Jeffrey Toobin. (Doubleday, $27.95.) An erudite outsider’s account of the cloistered court’s inner workings.

THE ORDEAL OF ELIZABETH MARSH: A Woman in World History. By Linda Colley. (Pantheon, $27.50.) Colley tracks the “compulsively itinerant” Marsh across the 18th century and several continents.

PORTRAIT OF A PRIESTESS: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece. By Joan Breton Connelly. (Princeton University, $39.50.) A scholar finds that religion meant power for Greek women.

RALPH ELLISON: A Biography. By Arnold Rampersad. (Knopf, $35.) Ellison was seemingly cursed by his failure to follow up “Invisible Man.”

THE REST IS NOISE: Listening to the Twentieth Century. By Alex Ross. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $30.) In his own feat of orchestration, The New Yorker’s music critic presents a history of the last century as refracted through its classical music.

SCHULZ AND PEANUTS: A Biography. By David Michaelis. (Harper/ Harper-Collins, $34.95.) Actual “Peanuts” cartoons movingly illustrate this portrait of the strip’s creator, presented here as a profoundly lonely and unhappy man.

SERVICE INCLUDED: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter. By Phoebe Damrosch. (Morrow, $24.95.) A memoir about waiting tables at the acclaimed Manhattan restaurant Per Se.

SOLDIER’S HEART: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point. By Elizabeth D. Samet. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $23.) A civilian teacher at the Military Academy offers a significant perspective on a crucial social and political force: honor.

STANLEY: The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer. By Tim Jeal. (Yale University, $38.) Of the many biographies of Henry Morton Stanley, Jeal’s, which profits from his access to an immense new trove of material, is the most complete and readable.

THE STILLBORN GOD: Religion, Politics, and the Modern West. By Mark Lilla. (Knopf, $26.) With nuance and complexity, Lilla examines how we managed to separate, in a fashion, church and state.

THOMAS HARDY. By Claire Tomalin. (Penguin Press, $35.) Tomalin presents Hardy as a fascinating case study in mid-Victorian literary sociology.

TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN: The Audacious Life and Times of Denys Finch Hatton. By Sara Wheeler. (Random House, $27.95.) The story of the man immortalized in “Out of Africa.”

TWO LIVES: Gertrude and Alice. By Janet Malcolm. (Yale University, $25.) Sharp criticism meets playful, absorbing biography in this study of Stein and Toklas.

THE WHISPERERS: Private Life in Stalin’s Russia. By Orlando Figes. (Metropolitan, $35.) An extraordinary look at the gulag’s impact on desperate individuals and families struggling to survive.

THE YEARS OF EXTERMINATION: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945. By Saul Friedländer. (HarperCollins, $39.95.) Individual testimony and broader events are skillfully interwoven.

"

Author Lashes Out At Romney's Explanation Of Anti-Muslim Rant - Politics on The Huffington Post

Author Lashes Out At Romney's Explanation Of Anti-Muslim Rant - Politics on The Huffington Post: "The author of a much-discussed op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor -- which charged that former Gov. Mitt Romney said he would likely not appoint a Muslim-American to his presidential cabinet - says Romney's explanation for the comment is a flat out lie. Mansoor Ijaz, a prominent Islamic businessman, told the Huffington Post that Romney's comments were made in reference to possible cabinet appointments and not, as the former governor has since claimed, in the context of combating Islamic extremism. 'This guy is lying now to the American people,' said Ijaz. 'He probably never imagined someone would come out and write a piece the way I did. And I think he made a serious mistake in judgment in trying to disown what he said.' In an oped on Tuesday titled 'A Muslim Belongs in the White House,' Ijaz wrote of a private campaign event he attended in which Romney claimed he could not see how appointing a Muslim to his cabinet could be 'justified' considering the group's demographics in America. Pressed to explain his statement later in the day, Romney said it had been taken out of context.

"His question was did I need to have a Muslim in my Cabinet to be able to confront radical Jihad and would it be important to have a Muslim in my Cabinet," said Romney. "And I said, 'No, I don't think that you have to have a Muslim in the Cabinet to be able to take on radical Jihad anymore than during the Second World War we needed to have a Japanese-American to understand the threat that was coming from Japan or something of that nature.' I just rejected that argument..."

Reached by phone, Ijaz scoffed at such an interpretation of what transpired.

"I can tell you," he said, "that Romney's push back, meaning his statement about the Japanese is all bullshit. He never talked about the Japanese at that point. Everything he said today is simply trying to reconfigure this item, which is he doesn't feel there is a need to put people of Islamic faith into his cabinet."

Moreover, he added, this is not the first time the Massachusetts Republican has made off-the-cuff remarks that Muslims have found insensitive. Indeed, as reported by Talking Points Memo, Romney rejected the idea of appointing a Muslim to a high-ranking White House position at an earlier and, again, private campaign stop.

Irma Aguirre, the former finance director for the Nevada Republican Party, told the Huffington Post about her experience at a Romney fundraiser roughly two months ago:

"I was curious to listen to Romney, I was very impressed by him and I'm kind of undecided about whom to support. Well, at one point, they opened questions to the audience and a gentleman who was with me... raised his hand and posed a question. 'Being that Muslims do not really trust America's leaders, do you think it would be prudent, or would you consider having a Muslim in your cabinet as an adviser to lend credibility to the administration? His response was 'probably not' or 'most likely not.'"

According to Aguirre, Romney pivoted from the question into a discussion on the dangers jihadism posed to America.

"I was shocked and disgusted," she recounted. I felt like "he was assuming that all Muslims were jihadists. And later, I just kind of looked at a friend of mine who is a huge Mitt Romney supporter, she asked me, 'Isn't he great?' and I said, 'absolutely not.'"

Romney's campaign did not respond by time of publication.

Paul Abrams: Rove: "Congress Pushed Bush to War in Iraq Prematurely" - Politics on The Huffington Post

Paul Abrams: Rove: "Congress Pushed Bush to War in Iraq Prematurely" - Politics on The Huffington Post: "You are not going to believe this, well, actually you will... According to Karl Rove (on Charlie Rose), the Bush Administration did not want Congress to vote on the Iraq War resolution in the fall of 2002, because they thought it should not be done within the context of an election. Rove, you see, did not think the war vote should be 'political'."

HOw many Fire Hydrants Does Fed Way Have?

Southeast King County News | Blaze shows fire risk in rural areas | Seattle Times Newspaper: "Blaze shows fire risk in rural areas By Lauren Vane Times Southeast Bureau
The nearest fire hydrant was a half mile away a

Blaze shows fire risk in rural areas

By Lauren Vane

Times Southeast Bureau

CHRIS JOSEPH TAYLOR / THE SEATTLE TIMES

"The nearest fire hydrant was a half mile away and to fight the blaze, firefighters laid 1,000 feet of hose to reach out to the main road, where fire trucks ferried in water......The neighborhood, a slice of county land on Southeast 286th Street near Kent and Auburn, has no fire hydrants. The nearest one is a half mile away. To fight the blaze, firefighters laid 1,000 feet of yellow hose to reach out to the main road, where fire trucks ferried in water. ............

In parts of unincorporated Southeast King County where fire hydrants are scarce, firefighters tailor how they respond to fires. Residents live with the risks. ............King County and individual cities have their own rules on the number of fire hydrants required in residential and commercial areas. Code requirements vary, depending on when the homes were built and how rural the area is, said Bill Mudd, lead fire-protection engineer for the King County Fire Marshal division.

Running Free?

Local News | UW apologizes to marathoners over charity tiff | Seattle Times Newspaper: "University of Washington officials apologized Monday to runners in the Seattle Marathon who mistakenly believed that part of their race fee would go toward charity. UW Medicine spokeswoman Tina Mankowski said comments made by race announcers and promotion surrounding the Sunday event may have created a mistaken impression. She wanted to make it clear that only money given in addition to race fees — which cost up to $120 — goes to the UW Medical Center Patient & Family Housing Fund. The UW also is the primary event sponsor."

This story confuses me. Like many of the faculty I feel we should be doing a lot more of this sort of fund raising. There are many runs for charity and I had assumed that such runs did raise funds. If not why is the charity .. whether is it UW Medicine or the Heart Association. associated with the event? Esp. shocking is the claim that this event resulted in a net loss to the UW of nearly 100,000.

It is interesting that the Times says, "As well as providing medical staff for the event, the UW this year paid $125,000 to help put on the race. That goes up to $155,000 by 2009. In 2006, the UW paid $110,000 toward marathon costs. With the money the UW received back to help patients, it resulted in a net loss of $98,000." The event brought in about $1,000,000. If the UW is the principle sponsor, then I guess this means the runner's fees totaled $890,000 at $120/runner. This seems high, were there really almost 7500 runners????

What is the legality here and where did the 100 K come from? It is it even legal for the UW to donate its funds in this way? Are all runs conducted on a net loss basis?

Do I smell smoke in the campaign or it this all media hype for their news hours?

The Carville-Matalin Joke Is on Us | The New York Observer: "For the love of God, please stop enabling them. “Only 39 days until the Iowa caucuses,” Tim Russert gravely intoned over the dramatic John Williams “Meet the Press” score. “The Democratic race: too close to call. The Republican race: too close to call. Which issues, policies, strategies will resonate?” If Mr. Russert really wanted a thoughtful and provocative discussion of that subject, then why did he—yet again—hand over half of his show to James Carville and Mary Matalin, two of the four panelists whose punditry monopolized Sunday’s one-hour broadcast?"

Gingrich Predicts Obama in Iowa: "Gingrich Predicts Obama in Iowa Email Share November 27, 2007 9:03 AM ABC News' Ed O'Keefe Reports: Newt Gingrich predicts Barack Obama will win the hotly contested vote in Iowa, saying the junior Senator from Illinois will motivate more energized supported than the former First Lady. 'My guess is Senator Obama's going to win Iowa and that he's going to win it by a surprising margin,' the former Speaker of the House told ABC News' Diane Sawyer on 'Good Morning America'. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE. And catch up on all the latest in politics in The Note."

TWO DONUTS, ONE HOLE PLEASE,

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan: "'A headline last Sunday about a Muslim man and an Orthodox Jewish woman who are partners in two Dunkin’ Donuts stores described their religions incorrectly. The two faiths worship the same God — not different ones,' - The New York Times, November 25."

Translated version of http://www.lemonde.fr/

Translated version of http://www.lemonde.fr/: "The exchange rate has 'exceeded the limits of the bearable,' he says about using reported by the online edition of Der Spiegel magazine. Même si les commandes sont élevées et vont battre des records cette année, il faut s'attendre 'à des pertes énormes' en raison des effets de changes. 'Nous devons revoir notre modèle industriel. Tel qu'il est, il n'est plus assez résistant' , affirme M. Even if orders are high and will break records this year, it is to be expected 'huge losses' because of the effects of changes. 'We have to rethink our industrial model. As it is most quite resilient, 'says Enders. 'Il s'agit de mesures radicales' , ajoute-t-il, indiquant que tous les postes de dépenses devaient être passés en revue, 'sans tabou' . Enders. 'These are drastic measures,' he added, indicating that all the items of expenditure should be reviewed, 'not taboo'. L'imminence d'un plan 'Power 8 plus' se confirme. The imminence of a 'Power 8 plus' has been confirmed. En effet, la première mouture, qui prévoyait 10 000 suppressions d'emplois d'ici à 2010, ne suffit plus. Indeed,"

True Belief?

The False Conservative: "Who would respond to criticism from the Club for Growth by calling the conservative, free-market campaign organization the 'Club for Greed'? That sounds like Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards, all Democrats preaching the class struggle. In fact, the rejoinder comes from Mike Huckabee, who has broken out of the pack of second-tier Republican presidential candidates to become a serious contender -- definitely in Iowa and perhaps nationally. Huckabee is campaigning as a conservative, but serious Republicans know that he is a high-tax, protectionist advocate of big government and a strong hand in the Oval Office directing the lives of Americans. Until now, they did not bother to expose the former governor of Arkansas as a false conservative because he seemed an underfunded, unknown nuisance candidate. Now that he has pulled even with Mitt Romney for the Iowa caucuses and might make more progress, the beleaguered Republican Party has a frightening problem. The rise of evangelical Christians as the force that blasted the GOP out of minority status during the past generation always contained an inherent danger: What if these new Republican acolytes supported not merely a conventional conservative but one of their own? That has happened with Huckabee, a former Baptist minister educated at Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist demonstrates that individual mice of highly inbred strains are not isogenic and suggests other CNVs may be segregating within C57BL/6J as well as other carefully maintained inbred strains."

The Trivialization of the Election

Nothing ever changes. The first rivalry of the Presidency, between Jefferson and Adams, did not revolve not upon the great theme of monarchism vs. democracy. These two awesome leaders traded insults, decrying the others lack of commitment to democracy or civil government. Of course neither Jefferson nor Adams believed this bullshit and history has

Stumping for wife, Clinton can help, or hurt, anybody | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register: "Bill Clinton's shadow over the 2008 nominating race creates potential pitfalls for his wife and for her opponents. Hillary Clinton risks being seen as something other than her own candidate, while her opponents risk offending Iowa Democrats who revere the former president. Advertisement 'I think it's going to come down to: Do you really want Bill Clinton back in the White House?' said Donna Brazile, who ran Democrat Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign."

Exclusive: Obama in Iowa: Gloves Off!: "'I think the fact of the matter is that Sen. Clinton is claiming basically the entire eight years of the Clinton presidency as her own, except for the stuff that didn't work out, in which case she says she has nothing to do with it,' Obama said, and added, referring to his relationship with his wife, Michelle, 'There is no doubt that Bill Clinton had faith in her and consulted with her on issues, in the same way that I would consult with Michelle, if there were issues,' Obama said. 'On the other had, I don't think Michelle would claim that she is the best qualified person to be a United States Senator by virtue of me talking to her on occasion about the work I've done.' With this line of attack, Obama is openly calling Clinton out on one of the basic arguments of her candidacy and her career -- that her experience at Bill Clinton's side in the White House and before, make her the most qualified person in the race. Obama continues to paint himself as the most 'authentic' candidate whose real life experiences distinguish him from his democratic rivals. He claims that his experience living abroad, traveling the world, witnessing poverty and even facing racism as a black man has given him a perspective that some of America's best presidents have also possessed."

Thompson Charges Fox News Is Biased Against His Campaign - Politics on The Huffington Post: "This is important because Fox News has picked their candidate (Rudy), are influential in a certain segment of the populace, and will use their influence to push a candidate rather than impartially report on the various campaigns. Personally, I won't be voting for Fred Thompson, Rudy or an Republican, but it is bad when a media group such as Murdoch's attempts to influence an election and call themselves 'fair and balanced' as if they were a real news outlet. I realize that the Chris Wallace show is not a news show per se, but overall they do seem to have a 'thing' for Rudy."

The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia

The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia: "Short of Money, G.O.P. Is Enlisting Rich Candidates By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ 4 minutes ago Republican Party officials say they are recruiting wealthy candidates who can spend millions of their own money to finance their Congressional races."

Annapolis: Romney being an ahole

Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World: "Romney: Palestinians haven't taken necessary steps for peace Republican presidential candidate slams summit's timing, says Israel mustn't be forced into steps which would weaken its negotiating hand. Egypt's envoy to US: We need deal in '08 Says if negotiations take too long, 'questions will be asked about the commitment to a two-state solution.' Deep rifts still remain ahead of summit Livni and Qurei discuss joint declaration; Bush: Conference will signal int'l support for peace talks."

On Fox News Sunday, Thompson Accuses Fox Of "Constant Mantra" Of Attacks - Politics on The Huffington Post

On Fox News Sunday, Thompson Accuses Fox Of "Constant Mantra" Of Attacks - Politics on The Huffington Post: "In a heated exchange this morning on Fox News Sunday, former Sen. Fred Thompson took host Chris Wallace to task for what he claims is a 'constant mantra' of attacks on Thompson from Fox News. Thompson reacted to two clips from Fox News contributors Charles Krauthammer and Fred Barnes sharply criticizing Thompson's candidacy. 'I don't know if Fox has been going after you,' Wallace said, defending his network's coverage. But Thompson insisted -- 'From day one, they said I got in too late --' only to have Wallace interrupt. 'Well, there are a lot of people besides Fox who said that.'"
Thompson Charges Fox News Is Biased Against His Campaign - Politics on The Huffington Post: "This is important because Fox News has picked their candidate (Rudy), are influential in a certain segment of the populace, and will use their influence to push a candidate rather than impartially report on the various campaigns. Personally, I won't be voting for Fred Thompson, Rudy or an Republican, but it is bad when a media group such as Murdoch's attempts to influence an election and call themselves 'fair and balanced' as if they were a real news outlet. I realize that the Chris Wallace show is not a news show per se, but overall they do seem to have a 'thing' for Rudy."

Japan's schools flunking at global level: symposium | The Japan Times Online

Japan's schools flunking at global level: symposium | The Japan Times Online: "The keynote speakers and panelists agreed that the Japanese education system, particularly universities, is in need of sweeping revamp to remain competitive on a global scale. The audience of some 300 heard daunting figures about the poor evaluation abroad of Japanese universities. For instance, the World University Rankings for 2006, issued by The Times Higher Education Supplement, the weekly education magazine published by an affiliate of The Times of London, shows that only three Japanese universities are in the top 100. They are Japan's top-notch national universities — University of Tokyo (ranked 19th), Kyoto University (29th) and Osaka University (70th). None of the country's venerable and highly prestigious private universities, including Keio and Waseda, made the top 100."

Bush Countdown VII: Nippon Goes Home

Last MSDF ship in Indian Ocean tour now home | The Japan Times Online: "Last MSDF ship in Indian Ocean tour now home Kyodo News Japan's nearly six years of logistic support for U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in the Indian Ocean formally ended Friday, as the last supply ship returned home in the wake of a political debate over whether Japan should resume the mission. News photo Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba reviews members of the Maritime Self-Defense Force as they stand at attention during a ceremony for the MSDF oiler Tokiwa at Harumi pier Friday in Tokyo after it returned from the Indian Ocean. AP PHOTO Some 140 crew members of the 8,150-ton Tokiwa were greeted by Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, lawmakers and the crew's families upon arrival at Tokyo's Harumi pier. The ship left Japan in July to provide fuel and supplies to coalition ships in the Indian Ocean. The mission ended at midnight Nov. 1 when the temporary law authorizing it expired."

The Japan Times Online -- National News, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More

The Japan Times Online -- National News, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More: "DPJ's Hatoyama backs Dalai Lama's Tibet plea In remarks expected to draw flak from China, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama voices support for a call by the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet currently visiting Japan, for greater autonomy for Tibet."

Bush Countdown V1: Bush Buddy Bashes Liberals

BBC NEWS | Europe | Kasparov seized by Russian police: "Kasparov seized by Russian police Russian police seize an opposition activist in Moscow 24-11-07 Clashes erupted when activists tried to break through police lines Russian police have detained opposition leader and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov. He and other critics of President Vladimir Putin were arrested as police broke up a rally in Moscow organised by Mr Kasparov's Other Russia coalition. Police moved in when protesters tried to march to the election commission, which had barred Other Russia candidates from next week's election. President Putin's supporters are widely expected to win the 2 December poll. Other Russia brings together a broad coalition of mainstream politicians, leftists and nationalists, all of whom are opposed to the Kremlin."

Bush Countdown V: Labor Party Wins Big in Australia

Labor Party Wins Big in Australia - World on The Huffington Post: "Saturday at the hands of the left-leaning opposition, whose leader has promised to immediately sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and withdraw Australia's combat troops from Iraq. Labor Party head Kevin Rudd's pledges on global warming and Iraq move Australia sharply away from policies that had made Howard one of President Bush's staunchest allies. Rudd has named global warming as his top priority, and his signing of the Kyoto Protocol will leave the U.S. as the only industrialized country not to have joined it. Rudd said he would withdraw Australia's 550 combat troops from Iraq, leaving twice that number in mostly security roles. Howard had said all the troops will stay as long as needed."

Labor sweeps to victory in Australia election: "Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd swept to power in Australian elections Saturday, ending an 11-year conservative era and promising major changes to policies on global warming and his country's role in the Iraq war. 'Today Australia has looked to the future,' Rudd said in a nationally televised victory speech, to wild cheers from supporters. 'Today the Australian people have decided that we as a nation will move forward ... to embrace the future together, to unite and write a new page in our nation's history.' The win marked a humiliating end to the career of outgoing Prime Minister John Howard, who became Australia's second-longest serving leader - and who had appeared almost unassailable as little as a year ago. Howard concedes defeat, may lose seat"

John Howard concedes defeat - Federal Election 2007 News - Federal Election 2007: "Mr Howard then appeared at Sydney's Wentworth Hotel to address Liberal Party faithful. 'My fellow Australians, a few moments ago I telephoned Mr Kevin Rudd and I congratulated him and the Australian Labor Party on an emphatic victory,'' Mr Howard told the crowd. Mr Howard said he harboured no ill will to Mr Rudd. 'I wish him well in the task that he will undertake,'' Mr Howard said. 'We bequeath to him a nation that is stronger and prouder.'' Mr Howard spoke of the economic prosperity Australia had enjoyed under the coalition. 'I've led a government that has taken this country from deep debt to strong prosperity,'' he said. 'I've led a government that has never shirked the difficult decisions. 'I've led a government that has reformed the Australian economy and left it the envy of the world.'' 'Can I say to all of you it has been an immense privilege every day of my life over the last 11 and half years to have been prime minister of this beautiful country,'' Mr Howard said."

View from Jarkarta

A loss in Bennelong would mark a mortifying end to Howard's political career, making him only the second prime minister to be dumped from the legislature. The first was the largely forgotten Stanley Bruce, in 1929.

McKew, a charismatic former television journalist recruited to oust the 68-year leader, declined to claim victory as the results rolled in, saying the count was still "on a knife edge."

"The result is not clear, but what a wonderful, wonderful campaign this has been," she told throngs of cheering supporters at her campaign headquarters. "Bennelong will never, ever be taken for granted again."

Formerly a safe area for Howard's Liberal Party, Bennelong has seen its loyalties gradually shift over the years as immigration and redistricting have changed the face of the electorate there.

Once a typical cross-section of Anglo-Saxon Australia, Bennelong is now a multicultural mix of Presbyterian churches, Indian supermarkets and Vietnamese noodle houses.

According to census bureau statistics, only 56 percent of Bennelong residents were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 71 percent. A language other than English is spoken in more than two-thirds of Bennelong homes.

Immigrants in Australia are generally Labor voters. Before the election, Howard was the only Liberal Party member to hold a district with that level of ethnic diversity.

At a community center in the leafy Bennelong suburb of Epping, Kenya-born Brendan Mudanya, 32, lined up with hundreds of voters outside a community center that usually serves as a meeting place for a South Korean tae kwon do academy, a Scottish highlands dancing club and an Indonesian church group.

Upset at Howard's steadfast support for the war in Iraq, Mudanya said his decision was more "a protest vote" against Howard's Liberal Party than an endorsement of Labor.

"I just felt the Liberal government wasn't honest," said Mudanya, who recently became an Australian citizen. "A lot of the leadership seemed quite arrogant, almost as if they took Australians for granted."

Wendy Wang, 40, a recent immigrant from Beijing who runs a cleaning service, said she voted for Labor because she wanted a fresher face in government.

"I want someone younger," said Wang.

Where is Goldy, Really?

HorsesAss.Org » About HA: David Goldstein, the outspoken accidental activist host of a Seattle , political blog, HorsesAss may be a covert Republican! . Goldstein claims to be bcak East for Turkey day, in Philadelphia, his hime town. BUT SJ News has found this incriminating new release photo from the White House.

The guy in the middle (NO .. not that one! the OTHER turkey, looks a lot like Goldstein How far is DC from Philly?)

Scribblings of the Metropolitician: Weblogs

Brown Merican Living in Korea: "Us.Yimg.Com P Rids 20060821 I Ra943272348 All I have to say is that if you need a security guard to stay in business and the Israeli embassy is pissed at you – I think you need to find a different theme for your restaurant."

No, they simply found Korean claims of being a "pure" race and the Koreans sitting in bars adorned with swastikas and cute cartoon representations of Adolf Hitler, to use their word, "interesting."

Hey – if that sounds weird or disturbing or you don't like seeing "Nazi" or "Korea" in the same sentence, it's not my fault; if the American Nazi Party is interested in "racial purity and Korean society", as well as the pictures of Korean bars with pictures of Hilter and the hakenkreuze, go ask them. I just find it interesting that they find Korea's notions of racial purity "interesting." Hey – it's not every day that one's site gets linked to from the Nazis, so I thought it worth another blog entry.

//Ron Sims TV: Blackman in China//: "BlackMan N China episode 22: The Shaolin Temple 11/02/06. Way back in the sixth grade when me and Shug became friends, we thought it would be cool to study kung fu in China. Who knew we would both actually end up living here. I always wanted to go to the Shaolin temple, and now my dream has been fulfilled."

Scribblings of the Metropolitician: Weblogs: "TALKING (INTELLIGENTLY) ABOUT RACE Talking about 'race' doesn't make you a racist, anymore than talking about Nazism makes you a Nazi. And so far, both on the side of the Asian Americans whom I labeled racist as well as the web site that leverages a clear apologist argument for ideologies of racist imperialism – the strategies have been striking similar. The #2 way to defend oneself from the most serious of accusations? Call me racist for simply pointing a clear pattern of thought, racist language, or actual racial slurs. Or even set up a straw man argument to defend oneself, as the owner of Occidentalism.org did: Spot The Racist I guess I'm supposed to be the person who is making unfounded assumptions based on appearance? Or the fact that the owner or Occidentalism.org is white? Well, I guess that's how the blog owner understands it, but none of what I said about his site seems to fall into a racist pattern of thinking. I didn't make any categorical assumptions, or try to falsely interpolate what this person I don't know might be thinking. I am responding to the vast reams of material published to the world wide web, materials that ostensibly represent the opinions of the sole writer on the blog, 'Matt.' As I clearly stated from the beginning, I consider his site racist (and sex"

Michael Medved Joins Discovery Institute as Senior Fellow (Discovery Blog)

Michael Medved Joins Discovery Institute as Senior Fellow (Discovery Blog): "Chapman saluted Medved “as the national radio host—make that ‘media host’—who is best able to understand science issues, including the current conflict over Darwinism and intelligent design. He’s very smart, quick and resourceful. Yet he also is respectful of those he disagrees with.” “Over the years, I’ve greatly appreciated Discovery’s scholarship and advocacy in many areas,” Medved commented. “We may not agree on every issue, but I often have been struck by how much our worldviews overlap. It has been my pleasure to have Discovery fellows on my show as guests, including Stephen Meyer, Jonathan Wells, and David Klinghoffer. Formalizing the relationship will, I’m sure, only deepen the feeling of collegiality I already have with my friends at Discovery. I look forward to working with Discovery on future projects.”"

The saddest thing about Medved is that he is bright and is authentic in his Judaism. He is too bright for me not to believe nthat he consociuosly is playing a role, endowsing thinga that are in ocnflict with Judaism's obligations to support truth and his own intellectual ability to be rational.

For one example, the DI is supposedly devoted to science of creation. If you go to their site, you will find pages of references to "peer reviewed" material supporting intelligently design. Being open minded , I looked through this list and low and behod there were a few that were actually pubished in peer reviewed jounrals ... as opposed to one sort or another of vanity press, conferenc eproceedings, or non-peer reviewed book (unless one consoders's the publisher's decsions as to what makes $$, a form of peer review).

So, here is a culled list of "real papers." For those without the biology skills, I can some them up ... some parts of biology area actually not yet fully understood, therefore there must be intelligent deign! Now THAT is impressive logic, worthy of Meved?.

CSC - Peer-Reviewed & Peer-Edited Scientific Publications Supporting the Theory of Intelligent Design (Annotated): "D. A. Axe, “Estimating the Prevalence of Protein Sequences Adopting Functional Enzyme Folds,” Journal of Molecular Biology, Vol. 341 (2004): 1295–1315."
W.-E. Lönnig & H. Saedler, “Chromosome Rearrangements and Transposable Elements,” Annual Review of Genetics, 36 (2002): 389-410.
M.J. Denton, J.C. Marshall & M. Legge, (2002) “The Protein Folds as Platonic Forms: New Support for the pre-Darwinian Conception of Evolution by Natural Law,” Journal of Theoretical Biology 219 (2002): 325-342.
D. A. Axe, “Extreme Functional Sensitivity to Conservative Amino Acid Changes on Enzyme Exteriors,” Journal of Molecular Biology, Vol. 301 (2000): 585-595.

Discovery Institute — Center for Science and Culture
1511 Third Ave., Suite 808 — Seattle, WA 98101
206-292-0401 phone — 206-682-5320 fax
email: cscinfo@discovery.org

Hillary's Nixonian Tactics Against Obama - HUMAN EVENTS

Hillary's Nixonian Tactics Against Obama - HUMAN EVENTS: "The item reported that a Clinton agent was spreading the word that the Clinton campaign had scandalous information about Obama but was not using it for purposes of party harmony. The nature of the alleged scandal was not revealed to the source of the item (a well known Democrat), who said he thought Clinton wanted to avoid a Clinton-Obama clash that would benefit a third candidate, presumably Edwards."

My Way News - N.H. Presidential Primary Set for Jan. 8: "By letting New Hampshire follow Iowa, Gardner left intact the traditional one-two-punch that the two states wield in presidential politics. On the Democratic side, keeping Iowa first is good news for Barack Obama and John Edwards, who are in a virtual tie with Hillary Rodham Clinton in the state but trails her in New Hampshire and elsewhere. ."

Lynn Sweet: Sweet scoop: Oprah to stump for Obama.

Lynn Sweet: Sweet scoop: Oprah to stump for Obama.: "MANCHESTER, N.H.—Oprah Winfrey is poised to campaign for White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in Iowa and New Hampshire, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. Obama made the disclosure while working a crowd at Central High School here, after delivering an education policy speech. A man, Ralph Hoagland, asked Obama—who was mingling and shaking hands-- if Oprah was going to stump for Obama in New Hampshire. “First she’s coming to Iowa,” Obama told Hoagland, who in 1963 was a co-founder of what is now the giant CVS pharmacy chain. “But we’ll talk about it. We’ll get her up here.” A woman piped up. “We need her here.” “Is she thinking of not coming up to New Hampshire?” Hoagland asked? Obama replied, “No, no no. We’re just doing it one state at a time.” During these mix and mingle events, it is common for reporters and photographers to follow Obama around as he works the room or a rope line and listen in as he chats. I caught up with Hoagland after his Obama encounter. He is a member of Obama’s Northeast Steering Group, which is heavily involved in fund-raising. He hopes to bundle together $100,000 for Obama, with some of his efforts targeted to a "

What Islam MIght Become?

Shortly after 9/11, while GW Bush still seemed to be be a born-again leader, he talked importantly abut ways the US could work with and encourage the grwoth of tolernat and moderate Islam. Some good things were said about broadening the US multiethnic umbrllla and fostering an alternative to there tradional xenophobia of Islam.

If I do not destroy my Latin, sic transit sprese , thus passes hope. Whatever was in the Bush mindset passed on in the form of a silly PR effort and the need he seems to have to demonize others. Still ... is there hope? Can Islam become a tolerating part of a multiethnic society? India has been the not so happy home of just such an effort. This column describes good things happening in the effoprt by Muslims to adpat their culture to a multi ethnic Indian society.

Oh yeh .. this story is very much related to the next story about "people of color."


HindustanTimes.com: "Daud Sharifa Khanam is constructing a mosque for women. Zafar Sareshwala is the pioneer of Islamic finance in India. Ijlal Shamsi believes he is a better Muslim today because he studied in the US. And an Islamic school in Mumbai teaches its students: “Twinkle, twinkle little star, Allah made you what you are.” Hindustan Times catches up with a community in transition, with Muslims who are proud of being Muslims, and do not hesitate to go back their religion to get ahead in life, make money, get educated and change their lot. They are The New Muslims."

Indians are most affluent and best educated in Silicon Valley- Hindustan Times

Some People of Color Are White?

This story has two messages. The first is that immigration is wonderful for everyine ... the uS, the immigrants. Hiow much richer we all are ebcause of immigration. I would even argue this is true if some of these folks decide to return to their himeland. Unlike previous generations of immigrants Indians, Chinese and yes Israelis have good homelands to return to. But look what they bring home! The best f American society, our tradition of opportunity. How better to build a peaceful world?

The other message ought to alos be happy. The term "people of color" should be abandonded. The term victimizes the melanotic without recognizing the great aspect of our society to do EXACTLY what the term deinie. Carribeans, Indian, do well here. So do Koreans and, I would bet, soon we will all admire the success of Ethiopian Americans. The emssage os that lack of suv=ccess due to skin color, due to racial prejudice is far overblown. The term vctimizeds hiapsanics and blacks.

The term demonizes "white" folks. The term belongs in the Index Pronibitorum with Nigger, Kike, and H9nkey.




Indians are most affluent and best educated in Silicon Valley- Hindustan Times: "Indians in Santa Clara County, home of the Silicon Valley, have the highest median household income, own the most valuable homes, and are the best educated, according to a latest Census report. The report provides a snapshot of Santa Clara County, one of the only two counties in the country, shows that Indians have median income of $116,240, which is about 44 per cent above the county's median of about $81,000, said the San Jose Mercury News. The report profiled the four largest immigrant communities -- Indians, Mexicans, Chinese and Vietnamese. It found that although three-quarters of the Indian population was born abroad, they own the most valuable home of about median home price of $860,000, compared with the county's price of $743,000. More than four in five Indian adults have at least a bachelors' degree and Indians are most likely to be white-collar professionals, with about 80 per cent engaged in management, professional and related occupations. Kailash Joshi, a prominent Indian entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, told the Mercury News that he believes Indians flourish in the US not just because of their commitment to education, but because their native country prepared them for America's ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity, and its aggressive market economy."

WHY PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE GREATER ART fORM

Michael Khundiashvili: "Painter Michael Khundiashvili is a recipient of National and International Portrait Competitions Awards and Honors and a Graduate of the acclaimed Academy for Fine Arts in Tbilisi Georgia. His works are in private and public Collections throughout the Russia, Canada, Israel, Georgia, USA and has been featured in several national publications.

Since 1987 he is a member of the association of Arts in the Soviet Union. In 1995 he immigrated to Israel and become a member of the Israeli painters and sculptors association.

A Master of Fine Arts, he has a strong belief in the Eternal Values offered to the artists by the Renaissance, which are:
Love and Respect for God's Creation, Appreciation of it's Harmony and Beauty without alterations.
Necessity of study for the Knowledge of the Human Anatomy, Perspective, Composition, Painting and
Drawing Methods. A Must of the Drawing Skill, based on that Knowledge.

The foundation of his painting philosophy is the pursuit of superb draftsmanship skills to ensure the integrity of the painting. Equally important is the creation of a dynamic and unified composition that invites the viewer in for closer inspection. Each painting is carefully thought out and a drawing is submitted for approval before the canvas is built.

"I feel profoundly blessed and grateful to God for the gift of painting, the ability to express my visions, filings and fantasies on canvas, to share it with others, and the opportunity to pursue a career I dearly love." - Michael Khundiashvili."

Jews sans frontieresAnd Some Claim This is Antisemitism, tsk tsk

Jews sans frontieres: "
To: Mishcon de Reya Summit House 12 Red Lion Square London WC1R 4QD 17 November 2007

Dear Sirs We are in receipt of your email of 13.11.07, written on behalf of The Caledonian Operating Company Limited. We have indeed alleged to the general public, and customers at the Edinburgh Caledonian Hotel, that this city-centre hotel is Israeli-owned.

The Israeli authorities have announced that they are going to demolish Fasayil Primary School in the Jordan Valley on November 29th, a little school which many people in Edinburgh have contributed to. We see no reason why Israelis should be allowed to build a property portfolio anywhere while they are demolishing property across Palestine, indeed demolishing Palestine.

The acquisition of the Caledonian Hotel by an Israeli consortium was anticipated in the Scotsman of August 9th this year. The full completion of the sale was widely reported in the specialist hotel industry press the following day (10.08.07) and the Edinburgh Evening News confirmed the sale with a piece beginning, “The sale of one of the Capital's most prestigious hotels has been completed...[to]... a consortium of Israeli investors...”(11.08.07). Six days later Caterer and Hotelkeeper again confirmed that the new owners were Israeli (16.08.07).

So you can see that we are surprised by your assertion that your “client The Caledonian Operating Company Limited...which is the owner of The Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh Hotel...has no Israeli shareholders.” This claim appears three months after the uncontested reports of an Israeli purchase of the hotel, and follows our first day of protest outside the Hotel.

You claim in your letter to us that labelling the hotel as Israeli-owned (“the type of allegations as circulated in your leaflets”) is “incredibly damaging to the hotel and its business.” We concede that this is so, and are, therefore, doubly perplexed as to why your client felt no inclination over a period of three months to clean up its image by responding to the string of press stories asserting such Israeli ownership.

You can see our problem. When the Israeli authorities lie so brazenly about their crimes, even about the murder of British citizens such as Tom Hurndall and James Millar, and as the image of the Israeli brand sinks so low in the eyes of the public, it is obvious that Israeli businessmen have an interest in concealing their ownership of businesses that could fall within the ambit of the growing boycott movement.

Our scepticism is reinforced by the knowledge that one of your own company’s senior partners is a Zionist fanatic, Anthony Julius, a ludicrous labeller of opponents of Israeli crimes as ‘anti-Semites’. He is an exponent of a vile political creed whose advocates planned and executed the ethnic cleansing of most of Palestine, and are spreading their apartheid system throughout all the areas they have conquered. This being so, you must expect our Campaign to view your letter with deep mistrust. Since we are committed to universal human rights, we are compelled to see your racist Senior Partner as untrustworthy, and as casting a baleful shadow on your company as a whole.

Should we hear that even one of the journalists who reported the original story admits that their reporting was inaccurate and untrue, and that they will issue the necessary corrections to the effect that The Caledonian Operating Company Limited is not Israeli-owned, we will promptly reconsider our position. In the meantime we will proceed on the basis of the information which is unchallenged in the public domain and regret that we cannot yet comply with your
demands.

Yours faithfully

Scottish Palestine Solidarity CampaignI love the idea that for it to be known or believed that the owner of a hotel is Israeli is "incredibly damaging." I wonder if whoever wrote the letter from Mishcon de Reya ran it by Anthony Julius before sending it out."