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@@5041341 <h> Romney and Ryan say they 'll preserve the program , but experts say their proposal is still a gamble . <p> WASHINGTON -- While Mitt Romney and Paul D. Ryan are campaigning on a promise to " preserve and protect " Medicare , their proposal to revamp the popular government health insurance program would be the plan 's biggest gamble since it was created nearly half a century ago . <p> The members of the Republican presidential ticket argue that giving seniors vouchers to shop for a private insurance plan would spark competition among health insurers , holding down costs and ensuring the long-term viability of Medicare . <p> But several previous experiments with privatizing Medicare insurance coverage have ended up raising costs to taxpayers . And on the other side , there is little evidence that moving millions of elderly and disabled patients into commercial health plans will protect their coverage or tame the nation 's skyrocketing healthcare tab . <p> " Doubling down on private insurers is a risky proposition , " said University of North Carolina health policy professor Jonathan Oberlander , a leading Medicare historian . " Medicare has lost money on private plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the campaign debate has focused on one element of the Medicare puzzle : President Obama 's effort to reduce Medicare spending by about $716 billion over the next decade as part of his healthcare overhaul . Romney , accusing Obama of " raiding " the program , says he would restore that money . Ryan , who once proposed the same cuts , now says he agrees with his running mate . <p> By restoring the spending that was cut , Romney and Ryan would open a large deficit in Medicare , pushing the program 's main trust fund into the red in just four years , rather than 12 under Obama 's plan . The former Massachusetts governor has n't said how he would address that . <p> The sniping over those cuts , however , obscures bigger questions about what Medicare will look like for the roughly 50 million elderly and disabled Americans who rely on it . <p> In the face of unsustainable costs , Obama is pursuing a Medicare strategy , enacted in his 2010 healthcare law , that relies heavily on federal administration of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their quality and efficiency . That is designed to preserve the program largely in its current form . <p> Romney , Ryan and other Republicans say that approach wo n't work . <p> " The future of Medicare should be marked by competition , choice , and by innovation , rather than bureaucracy , stagnation and bankruptcy , " Romney said last fall when he unveiled his Medicare plan . " Tomorrow 's seniors should have the freedom to choose what their health coverage looks like . " <p> If Romney and Ryan are wrong , however , seniors would end up paying much more for medical coverage . The Congressional Budget Office , a nonpartisan federal agency , estimates that Ryan 's latest plan -- which closely parallels Romney 's -- would increase the average cost for a senior entering the program in 2030 by as much as $2,200 a year . <p> To be sure , there is no guarantee Obama 's strategy will preserve Medicare . Previous efforts to squeeze payments to medical providers have a mixed record . The government 's own actuaries suggest the deep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals and doctors out of business . <p> Under the president 's plan , Medicare 's main trust fund is still projected to begin running in the red in 2024 as baby boomers flood the program and their medical bills outpace the payroll taxes that finance benefits . This year , the trustees overseeing Medicare urged lawmakers to act " as soon as possible " to shore up the program 's finances . <p> Republicans have long tried to enlist insurance companies to do this , by replacing Medicare 's current structure of standardized benefits and premiums . <p> In a privatized system , individual insurance companies could offer varied benefits and premiums as they compete to attract seniors . <p> Seniors , in turn , would use a voucher with a value linked to the cost of available insurance plans . Seniors who want a more expensive plan would have to pay the difference . <p> Romney and Ryan , while providing little detail about their plan , say they would preserve the current Medicare program as an option -- although the voucher would not necessarily cover the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 10 years , allowing all Americans now 55 or older to get into the current system . <p> Critically , many premium support plans , including Ryan 's , limit how quickly the value of the voucher would increase over time . That means that if insurance premiums rise more quickly than the value of the voucher , seniors -- and not the federal government -- would have to pay more . That would ensure Medicare spending

@@5041441 <h> Gov. vows to fight any stadium fees <p> MINNEAPOLIS -- Gov . Mark Dayton criticized the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday for considering extra fees on season-ticket holders as a way to help cover the team 's share of a new $975 million stadium , but the team 's owners point out that option was a key part of the deal . <p> The Democratic governor and Vikings management were allies during the long path to approving a plan for a new , publicly subsidized stadium that was approved by lawmakers this year . But in a letter to team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf , Dayton said he strongly opposed " shifting any part of the team 's responsibility for those costs onto Minnesota Vikings fans . This Private Contribution is your responsibility , not theirs . " <p> The team quickly responded with a statement saying permission to sell so-called stadium builder 's licenses was a " key component " of legislation that was " vetted by the Legislature , testified to by Vikings and state of Minnesota negotiators " and signed by the governor . <h> Seifert : Dayton Already Approved PSLs <p> Gov . Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sloppy political maneuver with some major holes -- chiefly that the stadium legislation he signed gave the team the OK to sell PSLs , Kevin Seifert writes . Blog <p> Many NFL teams that built new stadiums in recent years have relied on such fees , also called personal seat licenses , that usually are a one-time charge on top of the cost of a season ticket . The Star Tribune reported this week that the Vikings had raised the prospect in a survey recently emailed to season-ticket holders . <p> The stadium deal struck earlier this year among the state , Minneapolis and the Vikings requires the team to pay slightly more than half of the nearly billion-dollar price tag . <p> During a meeting Tuesday night in Rochester , Vikings vice president Lester Bagley said no decision had been made but confirmed that surveys were sent to sponsors , ticket holders and suite holders " to try to gauge their feelings about this , " the Post-Bulletin reported . The meeting was held to discuss the stadium 's design and construction , but Bagley was asked about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill , which Dayton signed into law in May , does include language that allows " stadium builder 's licenses , " but the Vikings would face a significant hurdle if they try to levy such a fee . Any such arrangement must be approved by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority , a five-member panel created to oversee stadium construction and operations . <p> That panel includes three members appointed by Dayton and two by Minneapolis Mayor R.T . Rybak . A spokesman said Tuesday that Rybak agrees with Dayton and is " one thousand percent opposed " to seat licenses . <p> The state and the city of Minneapolis together are contributing $498 million to stadium construction , with the Vikings paying the rest . Other sources the team could tap for revenue include a loan from the NFL , stadium naming rights and corporate sponsorships . <p> " We now have a pretty clear statement from the governor , " said Michelle Kelm-Helgen , chairwoman of the commission and a Dayton appointee . " The Vikings are only conducting a survey that includes a question about seat licenses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been very little discussion about it between the authority and the team . I personally ca n't imagine how we would move ahead on this issue without a lot of public input , given the depth of concern we 're hearing . " <p> Kelm-Helgen is a former Dayton administration staffer who represented him in stadium talks at the Capitol . She said the subject of personal seat licenses was marginal to those negotiations ; she also said she did n't recall Dayton raising objections before his letter . <p> " It was never a major source of contention one way or another , " she said . Republican state Sen. Julie Rosen , a lead negotiator for the state , added that " everyone involved knew the deal included seat licenses . There was testimony about it in the committees . " <p> But Dayton wrote in his letter that if the authority does n't block any seat license plan , he would go back to the Legislature in January and urge that its authority to approve them be rescinded . <p> " <p> The project 's strong support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because they believed the Vikings are also their team . If a new stadium were to betray that trust , it would be better that it not be built . <p> " -- Minnesota Gov . Mark Dayton , in letter to Vikings <p> Jonathan Norman , a Milwaukee-based sports marketing executive , said seat license plans from different NFL teams have varied , with fees ranging from a few thousand dollars to as much as $50,000 . <p> " It 's all about what the market will bear in a particular city , " Norman said . " If you 're the Vikings , you 're not going to be able to charge as much as the New York Giants . " <p> Teams in other professional leagues have used the same model , including the Minnesota Twins with a small portion of Target Field 's seats . A frequent perk of buying a seat license is that the holder can claim the seat for anything else held at the venue , from other sporting events to concerts . <p> Dayton wrote to the Wilfs that seat license @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vikings fans . <p> " I said this new stadium would be a ' People 's Stadium , ' not a ' Rich People 's Stadium , ' " he wrote . <p> The team is hoping the new stadium , to be built at the current Metrodome site , will be ready for the start of the 2016 season . <p> Larry Spooner , a warehouse supervisor from suburban Minneapolis , became the public face of Vikings fans during the stadium push at the Capitol . Always dressed in purple and gold , Spooner testified at numerous legislative hearings and held frequent vigils outside the Capitol in support of the team 's bid . <p> Spooner , who has owned two season tickets for 16 years , is opposed to seat licenses . <p> " We do n't know the details yet , but I 'm adamantly against it , " Spooner said . " It clearly is set up for people who have a lot more money than

@@5041541 teacher in the suburbs of Chicago . He began writing the Friendly Atheist blog in 2006 . His latest book is called The Young Atheist 's Survival Guide . <p> TheG <p> It would have been good to add one of my favorite lines ( I forget the movie ) , " God bless America ... and no place else ! " <p> Annlumax <p> America has been blessed for too long and looks like he is shifting his blessings elsewhere . Those who do not know how to count their blessings would have the blessings taken away . <p> Luke Allport-Cohoon <p> lol it is n't like any god is actually blessing the US <p> Al <p> Maybe not . Since nothing is blessing US , then the people of US must have been blessing themselves from the misfortune of others . Since you are so sure that there is no god who blessed US , how about compensating those whom blessings have been taken

@@5041641 <h> EDGE OF THE BLADE Lyrics - Journey <p> You 've been tryin ' , very hard Now this time you 've gone too far Your performance perfect In every way--perfect ! I hear rumors all around Contracts and lawyers And champagne downtown Tell me what you think You want me to do I 've been always fair with you Turning on me After all we 've been through You want trouble then that 's just the way it will be <p> You 're caught up in the power A blue magical maze Now the circle is broken In a spellbinding rage Better see if you

@@5041741 <h> Clear view into glass : Researchers have analysed the atomic structure of amorphous silica <p> A model of two-dimensional glass : Measurements made by the Max Planck researchers in Berlin prove that disordered silica forms a structure in which not only hexagonal shapes , but also pentagonal and heptagonal ones are often created . The more the ring size deviates from the hexagon , which is the only shape found in crystalline silica , the rarer the structural elements become . Credit : Markus Heyde/Fritz Haber Institute of the MPG <p> We can look through glass , but what glass itself looks like on the inside has so far remained a mystery - at least as far as the precise position of the atoms is concerned . Scientists at the Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin are now the first to have imaged the network of silicon and oxygen atoms - the main components of glass - in a silica film . They used two methods that image individual atoms in surfaces to analyse the glass film , which is a mere two atomic layers thick . Being able to see the atomic structure enabled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicist William H. Zachariasen predicted back in 1932 . Moreover , in further studies , the researchers observed the transition from a crystalline to a disordered - scientists call it amorphous - two-dimensional structure . Their findings could assist the semiconductor industry , for example , to produce amorphous silica in a more controlled way , and should also facilitate the search for new , more powerful catalysts . <p> The semiconductor industry likes to have complete control over its production - and it can now work with one unknown less . Studies of glass undertaken by researchers in the group headed by Markus Heyde and Hans-Joachim Freund at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society have now provided several insights into the atomic structure of an important raw material used in the chip industry , which uses amorphous silica as an insulator in every transistor . " Previously , we knew nothing about what happens here , " says Markus Heyde . " It is generally quite astonishing how little is known about glass , which is so important in nature , in our daily life and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now ascertain the precise structure of this material class , it could assist not least the semiconductor industry to improve the processing of amorphous silica . <p> However , the findings could also be useful in the search for new , powerful catalysts , which reduce the energy required for a chemical reaction , steer it in the desired direction or even make it possible at all . Disordered silica often serves as the substrate of the actual catalyst and affects its properties ; one additional good reason to find out more about the substrate material . And that is exactly what the researchers in Berlin have done . <p> The first chance to check an 80-year-old proposal for the structure <p> " This is the first time we have been able to directly observe which characteristic elements the structure possesses and which patterns occur in it , " says Markus Heyde . According to the observations , silicon and oxygen atoms take their turns in the individual silica layers and form a network of rings that lie next to each other like soap bubbles floating on water , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with rectangular rings with only four atoms through to those with nine or more atoms . Hexagonal rings are the most frequent , and the rings become all the rarer the further the number of their atoms deviates from six . William H. Zachariasen had already proposed such a structure for amorphous silica 80 years ago . This structure has each silicon atom in a plane surrounded by three oxygen atoms , just like in crystalline silica . However , crystalline silica forms a regular honeycomb structure that is composed solely of hexagons in a plane . <p> Late confirmation of a proposed structure : William Zachariasen already published his idea on how the atoms are arranged in a two-dimensional crystalline and amorphous network 80 years ago ( a , d ) . Measurements with a scanning tunnelling microscope now confirm his suggestion ( b , c and e , f ) . Depending on the contrast chosen , the silicon atoms ( b , e ) or oxygen atoms ( c , f ) can be seen in the Figures , which show a section measuring 3.5 by 2.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colour in the lower part of the images . Credit : Markus Heyde/Fritz Haber Institute of the MPG <p> It had so far not been possible to check the structure proposed by William Zachariasen , as X-ray diffraction , the method of choice to determine the structure of materials , can not be used in glasses and in amorphous materials in general - at least , not for determining the precise positions of the atoms . The Berlin-based researchers succeeded in doing just this with a trick ; however , they designed a two-dimensional model of a glass . In an ultrahigh vacuum chamber they produced just two atomic layers of silica on a substrate of the precious metal ruthenium , which they had earlier coated with an oxygen layer . <p> The completely planar structure allows the scientists to look at the structure <p> " Depending on how we change the temperature during the sample preparation , and how much silicon and oxygen we release in the vacuum , we obtain an amorphous or a crystalline structure , or even a mixture of both , " explains Leonid Lichtenstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . This allowed the researchers to produce silica surfaces which are so smooth that even the glass mirrors of the best telescopes in the world , which are polished to an extremely high level of precision , would look like hilly the Rocky Mountains by comparison . <p> " The structure of the two-dimensional glass provides us with important information about the structure of a three-dimensional glass , " says Markus Heyde . This is primarily due to the fact that the completely planar glass film allows researchers to view its very own structure for the first time . In planar surfaces the positions of the individual atoms can be determined , even if the structure is amorphous . <p> In a preliminary study , the scientists scanned amorphous silica with a scanning tunnelling microscope , which tells them where the oxygen atoms are located . This already revealed the irregular meshes of the network which William Zachariasen proposed as the structure of glass . In two further studies , the researchers also scanned the surfaces of their samples with a non-contact atomic force microscope which can also detect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all atomic positions in the two-dimensional glass . <p> The order disintegrates : During the transition from a crystalline to an amorphous silica structure , rings with five and seven atoms appear first , elements with a larger deviation from the hexagonal rings of the crystalline structure can be found only deeper in the disordered region . Credit : Markus Heyde/Fritz Haber Institute of the MPG <p> Knowing the glass structure helps to develop catalysts <p> The scientists also investigated the transition between an amorphous and a crystalline silica film . " We determined that , apart from the hexagons , it is mainly pentagonal and heptagonal shapes that occur at the boundary initially - i.e. the most similar rings , " says Markus Heyde . The further they moved their microscope 's gaze from the crystalline to the amorphous region , the more the ring sizes deviated from the crystalline hexagonal structure . <p> Now that the researchers have a crystal-clear view of each individual atom in an amorphous silica film , they want to investigate how the different structural elements behave when foreign atoms or molecules end up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rings of a specific size ? " We are interested in this question because such absorption processes are important for heterogeneous catalysis , " explains Hans-Joachim Freund , director at the Fritz Haber Institute . The researchers also want to answer this question in order to clarify whether their two-dimensional silica is also suitable as a model substance for a catalyst substrate which is actually in use ; its two atomic layers form a network of connected cages with openings of different widths , which could serve as a type of atomic sieve . It is also possible that different elements can be stored selectively in these cage-like structures . <p> conduction band splitting under spin/orbit coupling Nov 13 , 2012 Hi , Does anyone have an intuitive idea of why it is always the valence bands split under spin/orbit coupling , but not conduction band ? ( or a much smaller splitting than valence UCSF study suggests a possible that it is preparing to support the

@@5041841 <p> I knew that Hitchens is an equal-opportunity hater , but I had no idea that he believes Juanita . That was a stunner . Another shocker was placement of national honor before national security in his indictment of Hillary 's recent attempt to re-write her positions on Iraq . Honor , never mind national honor , just seems like one of those quaint notions that 's so out of style these days , and yet Hitchens here gives it at least equal importance with security . <p> I was just about to express sympathy for Hitchens , who is obviously having trouble supporting any of the presidential candidates ( of either party ) . Then I realized that I 'm in the same position , and I do n't get to write hilariously scathing columns out of it . <p> She has a friend that testifies that Broderick told her the day it supposedly happened that Bill Clinton raped her . I saw her , the friend , interviewed on television testifying to this . Of course , both the friend and Broderick could be lying , but contemporaneous corroboration is usually considered a big deal . This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , " Bill Clinton raped me some years ago . " <p> Yeah , let 's rehash the old hyperbole and falsehoods from the rabid right wingers back in the Clinton years . <p> Sounds like a blast . Someone dust off Ken Starr . <p> How about if we find a better reason to oppose Hillary ? The " anti-oligarchy " vote . All Americans who do n't believe our Presidency should be passed back and forth between two power families for 28 years or more , raise your hands ! <p> AlphaLiberal said ... " Yeah , let 's rehash the old hyperbole and falsehoods from the rabid right wingers back in the Clinton years . ... How about if we find a better reason to oppose Hillary ? ... Can we get bipartisan support for this basic concept ? " <p> Hard to imagine President Hillary Clinton would allow President Bill Clinton 's problems with sex to get back into the Oval Office . <p> While I do expect a lot of questionable things from the Clintons , I think that Meade has this right - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least in the White House . Remember , she would be the one this time to whom the Secret Service , White House security , et al . ultimately report , not him . <p> Harsh Pencil said ... Why is Juanita Broderick unbelievable ? She has a friend that testifies ... I saw her , the friend , interviewed on television testifying to this . " <p> And that boys and girls is the issue in a nutshell . Testified on TV ? Did n't you mean " appeared on TV " and just put it out there . I did n't see where she was cross examined on TV by a defense counsel . I did n't see you reference the rape charges against Bill Clinton ( ohhh ? there were n't any ? ) Just curious how that works . He raped her supposedly and she goes public and a friend steps up and says " yeah .. what she said " and bingo . <p> You guys are loonies who are now and forever chasing the Clintons . You must throw up pea soup and your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clintons for everything from your EDS to your being late to the line where they passed out brains . Moreover it is that consuming hatred , that ability to have any crap shoveled down your throat and you gulp it like pablum , that is dividing this country . <p> if Hillary is elected and that is a far better chance than the apes you have running on the right hand side of science and religion , you will remount all the crap into your little cap pistols and fire away endlessly . <p> What would it take to break this cheap little spell and make us wake up and inquire what on earth we are doing when we make the Clinton family drama -- yet again -- a central part of our own politics ? <p> Obviously Hitchens misses the central issue of the Clinton cult of Personality . The 90 's were good times , relative peace , booming prosperity and Islamic terrorism was still in it 's ' nuisance stage ' . Bill was generally loved though out the world ( except in Serbia , Iraq and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended ) . The 90 's were good times and whether its deserved or not , Clinton gets credit for it , goes with the territory . <p> Simply put it boils down to the fact that the expectations for the social mores of a President are pretty low on the list of qualifications . Do n't get me wrong , no one wants a complete cad in the office but lying about your namesake and having a hubby who ca n't keep his schlong in his pants for 5 minutes in the presence of a semi-attractive female I do n't think rank as candidacy killers . <p> My biggest beef with Bill Clinton was his kick the can foreign policy which essentially turned a blind eye to North Korea , Iran , Islamic terrorism , talking tough with Saddam but doing nothing , ( Africa was a disaster on his watch too hdhouse ) although to most people none of that matters until there 's a smoking crater somewhere in the USA . <p> So yeah Hitchens , to a lot of people , Clinton lied but not as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved us and the economy was good and the budget was balanced and there was n't a housing crisis and the dollar was on top . So while people may not like Clinton , they remember the Clinton years were good ones for the most part and think they might be able to re-live those time vicariously through the Hillary ! <p> AlphaLiberal said ... Yeah , let 's rehash the old hyperbole and falsehoods from the rabid right wingers back in the Clinton years . <p> but Christopher Hitchens is not a rabid right winger . If Hillary is elected President , Bill Clinton will essentially be back in the Oval Office--remember he and Hill at two for the price of one . Of course this time there will be no sex in the Oval Office . Not enough of a reason to give the Clintons another term or two . <p> hdhouse said Moreover it is that consuming hatred , that ability to have any crap shoveled down your throat and you gulp it like pablum , that is dividing this country . <p> and then : if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the apes you have running on the right hand side of science and religion , you will remount all the crap into your little cap pistols and fire away endlessly . <p> funny how your " go to " commentators all seem to be hacks like hitchens <p> Easy one , since they have absolutely no new ideas , and the ideas they do have are universally unpopular , they have no choice but to focus like lasers on classic pseudo-scandals like the Lincoln Bedroom . Of course the press corps never told you 2/3 of the visitors gave no money at all ! , or the fact 72 of the visitors were sleepovers with Chelsea . Nor is it acceptable to detail visitors in the Bush White House . That 's a waste of taxpayer money , and really none of our business . <p> My point was not to rehash the issue of whether Bill or Broderick was lying . It was Joan , apparently a Hillary support , who implied that Hitchens must be a nut because he believed Broderick . I just wanted to correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying to such an extent that anyone who believes her is a nut . So again , I was n't bringing the evidence in Broderick 's favor in order to attack Bill or Hillary , but to defend Hitchens . <p> hd- Nobody is blaming the Clintons for our problems . I think people generally agree that life was relatively good in the 90s . I 'm not sure where you get the ED/tardiness thing from . Projecting ? <p> I think the Clintons are being blamed for problems of their own doing . The Lincoln bedroom stuff , the women problem , the calculated lying . These are not our problems but theirs . I think the arguement is that the Clinton 's should not be re-elected on the grounds that they 're terrible people . As individuals . Maybe that 's not convincing , but no need to go crazy-go-nuts on us . <p> I knew that Hitchens is an equal-opportunity hater , but I had no idea that he believes Juanita . <p> Juanita was describing an incident that happened 20 years previously -- she could well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really happened as well . <p> The problem Clinton 's accusers had was that even the staunchest feminist would have delighted had Bill wanted to jump her bones -- he was the anti-Packwood . Therefore they all would have given Bill the benefit of the doubt on consent . <p> Wow , I actually agree totally with alphaliberal so I raise my hand . If we are going to indulge our dynastic tendencies we can certainly do better than choosing between the offspring of Jethro Bodine or Miss Hathaway . Of course the only surviving descendant of Thomas Jefferson is Lionel who is currently running a string of drycleaners in Vegas . <p> Bill Clinton has eight years experience in the top slot . He 's been there . <p> Firstly : we are not electing Bill as President . Even though if Hillary wins , he will tag along like Cousin Eddie to accompany Hillary on her " Griswold 's take the White House " adventure part deux . <p> Secondly : Yea ... just look where all that experience got us when the build up to AQ attacking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was watching something else . <p> Why is n't the article called A case against Hillary rather than The case ? <p> Well , because this is just one of many cases that can be made against Hillary . I prefer the one where she is a socialists who plans to spend and tax us into oblivion to accomplish her goal of " taking things away from you for the common good " . NO thanks . I 'll just keep my hard earned things . <p> I also prefer the one that points out that the Clinton 's are classic sociopaths . Just what we need one narcissistic sociopath and the other with delusions of grandeur on a mission both back in control of our lives . <p> George Washington of course did not leave any heirs of his body . The descendants of James Monroe and James Madison have also died out . The last politically viable relative of JKF is currently giving a reach around to Hugo Chavez . Amy Carter is currently building houses for the Sandinistas so she is way too busy . The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lineal descendant of Andrew Jackson . Unfortunately that would be Britney Spears . <p> Juanita was describing an incident that happened 20 years previously -- she could well have goofed up some details , or wondered if it really happened as well . <p> I do n't get that sentence ... are you saying Juanita herself may be unsure if she was raped ? Please explain ; I am probably misreading . <p> The problem Clinton 's accusers had was that even the staunchest feminist would have delighted had Bill wanted to jump her bones -- he was the anti-Packwood . Therefore they all would have given Bill the benefit of the doubt on consent . <p> A feminist who sides with Bill over his accusers is likely a Leftist first , and a feminist second . And a lousy one at that . <p> I think it would be understandable--and proper-- to withhold judgement against Bill , if there were n't such a string of credible accusers in his wake . But there are , and feminists should have withdrawn their support from the Clintons long ago . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter who would seriously consider voting for Hillary if only she were able to convincingly demonstrate to me that she would 1 ) never again enable sexual harassment and 2 ) be a trustworthy commander-in-chief . But to do that I think she 'd have to seek some sort of professional help . I earnestly hope she does . <p> knoxwhirled said ... .. " to withhold judgement against Bill , if there were n't such a string of credible accusers in his wake . But there are , and feminists should have withdrawn their support from the Clintons long ago . " <p> and these people would be who ? just a short list of credible people would be helpful .. not a lot of detail ... just some names . <p> and to your concluding sentence - how about a sentence like " all americans should have pulled the rug on bush the first time he lied " ... but i wo n't write such a sentence ... do n't tell others what to do or think . suggest away . support with facts away . thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jackson for spiritual counseling following his string of hummers from Ms. L ? Given the Rev 's sexual exploits , I would love to have been a fly on the wall as they shared their experiences . <p> Betsey Wright is an American political consultant who worked more than a decade for Bill Clinton in Arkansas . She was Chief of Staff to Governor Clinton for seven years . In the 1990s , she was Senior Director of The Wexler Group . <p> In 1990 , Wright was elected chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas and was hired as its Executive Director . <p> While serving as a 1992 fellow at Harvard University 's Kennedy School of Government , Wright led a seminar of " High Tech Politics . " She resigned to return to Arkansas to join the Clinton presidential campaign . <p> Among her previous positions , Wright was Executive Director of the National Women 's Education Fund in Washington , DC . While there , she designed , organized and conducted training programs throughout the country for women candidates , campaign managers , and officeholders . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the gutter . Lay your facts out with a credible link -- or let me guess , you do n't have a link and this is yet another Clinton smoke and mirrors " scandal " where there is no evidence . <p> Before their marriage in October 1975 , Hillary entered into intense discussions with friends on the question of whether a woman could establish her own strong identity and an independent life within a marriage . Her model , she told friend Ann Henry , was Eleanor Roosevelt . Having just finished a biography of the famous first lady , Henry replied with a note of caution : " That 's right , but Eleanor never found her voice until that marriage was over -- until she did n't care about the marriage . " <p> hdlouse said ... You guys are loonies who are now and forever chasing the Clintons . You must throw up pea soup and your little heads must spin around . <p> Ah , thank you Mr. Louse . I just thought my dislike for Mrs. Clinton was based on her lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . I did not realize it was because my head was spinning . <p> This is the typical Clinton strategy at work . Insult , demean , and demonize critics of Saint Hillary . Refer to people as lunatics and opponents as apes . <p> Nothing like intelligent , cogent , and logical debate ; something foreign to people like you Mr. Louse . Now I know why your mother named you Stupid Putz . <p> hdlouse said ... and these people would be who ? just a short list of credible people would be helpful .. not a lot of detail ... just some names . <p> Mr. Putz , When you are not throwing around demeaning childish insults around , you are demanding proof of everything . So , I demand proof that all people who do not support and/or criticize the Clintons are lunatics , dumb , trite , apes , or any of the other school yard names you have spewed and bandied about . <p> Please , Mr. Putz , show some proof , you know real proof- Mydd , KOS , and DU do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social science journals to back up your clams ? Have there been any empirical studies to provide evidence ? <p> Mr. Putz , you are a hater . You are so consumed by your hatred of moderate and conservative people- not ideas- but people that you have lost all sense of reality . You are a sick individual . This is an form of intervention and I would really like to help you . Please , Mr. Putz , for your own sake , seek professional help . There are some very good drugs for people like you . Over time , with analysis and medication , you may be able to join the world of normal , sane people . <p> I do n't get that sentence ... are you saying Juanita herself may be unsure if she was raped ? Please explain ; I am probably misreading . <p> When I wrote that I could n't understand why she would have written and signed an affidavit saying Bill never assaulted her , unless her memory was fuzzy . After reviewing what happened , I now think she lied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught in the Clinton meat grinder again . <p> Hitchens makes you want to choose a side ; Cohen makes you want to go back to sleep . Perhaps that was Cohen 's intent : to lull us into believing Obama was an unknown quantity while Hillary is steady as she goes . <p> My point was not to rehash the issue of whether Bill or Broderick was lying . It was Joan , apparently a Hillary support , who implied that Hitchens must be a nut because he believed Broderick . <p> I 'm not a Hillary supporter . I was just surprised that someone as skeptical as Hitchens , who has written entire books about God not existing and how we 're all dupes to believe otherwise , believes Juanita Broderick and the rest of the Clinton accusers . <p> How does saying I was surprised imply that Hitchens is crazy ? One can be pleasantly surprised , you know . <p> Actually , there is a need . The hatred against the Clintons demonstrated in the 1990s and continuing to this day was based on fallacies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the religious hypocrites of the right . <p> Remember Jerry Falwell and others saying Clinton was running cocaine into the country ? <p> Or what you guys subjected Vince Foster 's poor family to ? <p> On and on it went . The great Whitewater scandal which amounted to nothing having to do with the Clintons . The salacious Starr Chamber report . <p> From the right wing comes a steady stream of hate and lies . And it 's picking up again . <p> You have the gall to say this : " the calculated lying " while Bush and Cheney and Rove ( " Dems made Bush invade Iraq " ) have broken the record books for lying , and not about harmless blow jobs . <p> So , yeah , fuck you guys . You deserve all the shame and defeat you have coming . <p> BTW , I , and many liberals , did not like the Clintons . If the right wing had not constantly been on the attack trying to drive them from the White House , you would have seen a traditional Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying haters of the right helped Clinton hold his party base together , even as he delivered more on YOUR agenda than ours . <p> Uh oh--I feel the vapors coming on : going to agree with alpha liberal re the nature of President Clinton 's policies . He was much more centrist than I suspect his wife would be and he had the good sense to make Robert Rubin treasury secretary rather than Robert Reich . <p> Madawaskan : First the obligatory " I am not a genocide supporter ... " But I think it is indeed situations like Rwanda , and Darfur , that really highlight the limits of American power--I ca n't see putting US troops into those regions ; meaningful intervention looks like a pretty tough task on the ground . So while I deplore genocide I also appreciate the realpolitik issues , and am glad we did not involve ourselves . ( Somalia provides an interesting study in intervention ) <p> Alpha- I did n't vote for Bush in 04 and I would n't vote for him now if he was running . Please cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can read you , your support for Sen Clinton can be summed up as , " Nuh-uh . It 's not true . Or if it is true , at least it 's not as bad as Bush . " It 's as though you want to support Sen Clinton just to stick it to the GOP . Out of spite . <p> What kinda of stupidity leads someone to believe that Bill told Hillary to go out and lie for him ? <p> You are , flatly stated , what is evil and wrong with politics in this country . You want to believe what you want to believe so bad that you have zero perspective . Your fact check is Rush and Wiki . Your sense of history is so distorted by blind hatred and probably fear that you ca n't and wo n't think straight . <p> Remember the movie Mississippi Burning ? when gene hackman goes to that little social club over the barber shop and grabs the guy by the balls and then stares down the deputy ? when the deputy was scared shitless and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a nickel hand game where you rolled them into a hole . <p> Um , well , you , hdlouse . You are a sick puppy . Only a sick puppy would defend this dysfunctional couple . Only a sick puppy would believe that Bill did not ask Hillary to go out and lie for him ; she has been doing it during his whole political career . The only stupidity here are those who believe otherwise . What do you hang your evidence on ? Bill Clinton is a serial adulterer . Bill Clinton is a liar . Bill Clinton would ask his wife to lie for him . <p> The only evil in this debate on politics is you and your ilk . You people are deranged . You are so blinded by your love for the Left and hatred of anything else that you have lost all perspective . There is only one opinion , and it is yours . You people are dangerous . <p> You insult those who disagree with you , but like a true Liberal progressive , when you are insulted back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insults . You can dish it out but can not take it . But that is part of the platform is n't it . That is the creed of the Liberal progressive ; demonize , marginalize , demean , and insult . Is that because you are

@@5041941 <p> If the notion that we are merely living through the aftereffects of a mere " recession " that ended in 2009 sounds somewhat ridiculous , that 's because it is . If we were being honest with ourselves , we would call this a depression . That would certainly better convey both the severity of our problems , and the fact that those problems have no evident solutions . <p> The American economy currently has both a short-term problem and a long-term problem . The short-term problem is that the economy is depressed ; it is growing more slowly than the population , with the result that per capita income is declining . The high rate of un- and underemployment is a factor , but is itself the product of other factors , having mainly to do with the reluctance of over-indebted consumers ( over-indebted in major part because of loss of equity in their houses , the major source of household wealth ) to spend , the reluctance of the impaired banking industry to make risky loans , and the reluctance of businesses to invest and to hire , which is due in part to weak consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's economic future . <p> The roots of this catastrophic situations lie primarily , I think , in the incompetent economic management of the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve . The persistence of the depression , however , is due in part at least to surprising failures of the Obama administration -- poor leadership , poor management , the sponsorship of incomprehensibly complex health care and financial regulation laws that have created widespread uncertainty that has discouraged consumption and investment , and the inability to explain the nature of the economy 's problems to the general public . These failures caused the stimulus enacted in February 2009 to be botched in both in its design and its administration , resulting in the discrediting of deficit spending as a response to depression . <p> So what can be done now ? Probably nothing . Anything that involves spending , such as a new stimulus program , would come too late to be effective . Measures that would not involve spending , such as devaluing the currency ( which the Federal Reserve could do by buying a great many bonds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our exports and hence production and hence employment and reduce imports ( which would further help domestic production ) , but they are too risky given the interdependence of our economy and the economies of the rest of the world . Europe is staggering and would be hurt by our devaluing , and our banks and other financial institutions are heavily involved in those European economies . <p> The long-term problem should be easier to solve . The problem is not the federal budget deficit per se , huge as it is . The public debt of the United States , which is what the federal government owes to persons who have lent money to the government ( mainly purchasers of Treasury securities ) , and thus excludes debt incurred to finance entitlements and discretionary spending , is currently $9.7 trillion , with 46 percent of it owned by foreign governments and other foreigners . Although $9.7 trillion is big even for the United States , we can roll it over more or less effortlessly and at very low interest rates , at least at present and in the immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debt but its growth . In the seven years between 2000 and 2007 ( the last year before the financial crisis that triggered the current depression ) , the public debt grew in real ( that is , inflation-adjusted ) terms by 56 percent , the consequence of reckless spending and tax cuts by the Bush administration . Between 2007 and 2012 ( the debt in fiscal 2012 , which ends September 30 of next year , is of course an estimated number ) , a shorter period , the nation 's public debt will have grown by another 134 percent . The annual increase from 2009 to 2010 and the ( estimated ) annual increase from 2010 to 2011 are both 17 percent , and the estimated increase for 2012 is 18 percent . These annual rates of growth vastly exceed the rate of the nation 's economic growth even in prosperous times , and if they continue will bankrupt the federal government . <p> Unfortunately , even when the economy recovers , and tax revenues increase , the federal deficit will continue to rise because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security and , because of the health-reform law , Medicaid . Leaving politics to one side , the increase in Social Security costs can easily be controlled , by a combination of raising the age of eligibility , revising the formula for calculating cost of living adjustments , and means testing -- limiting eligibility to persons who do not have substantial other income . Medicare costs are more difficult to control , but not impossible . Medicare too can be means-tested -- there is no reason to subsidize the medical costs of affluent people . Copayments and deductibles can be increased to make people think harder about whether they want expensive treatments of marginal efficacy . Medicare can be transformed , as proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan , from a government- administered heath care program to a subsidy program to enable non-affluent persons to buy private health insurance . And medical research can be refocused on finding cures for medical conditions such as blindness and dementia , which require protracted , expensive care because they create severe disability in the elderly without killing quickly . <p> Efforts to curb increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of which are as enormous as they are unjustified , notably the deduction for mortgage interest . Half the adult population , moreover , pays no income tax . Everyone with an income should pay income tax equal to a modest percentage of his income . <p> So the deficit , politics aside , should be manageable . But it 's worth pointing out that anything that takes money out of the economy , such as reducing federal spending or increasing federal taxes , will exacerbate the current depression . Consumers will have less money to spend , and this will discourage employers from hiring . So the reforms that I have been discussing should be phased in gradually over a period of years . <p> But it 's not clear that we have enough years . Suppose that the economy recovers by the end of 2012 , and in 2013 and subsequent years grows at a 4 percent annual rate . ( The long-term growth rate is about 3 percent , but growth is usually more rapid when it starts from a low level . ) The public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent a year , but suppose it grows at 7 percent a year . Then the already very large federal deficit will continue to grow , and indeed , to compound : At a 7 percent annual growth rate , our public debt in 2012 , estimated at $12.4 trillion , will grow by 40 percent in five years if none of the reforms designed to limit that growth are implemented before the end of that period . Yet if they are implemented while the economy is still struggling , the result may actually be to increase the deficit by driving tax revenues down ( because incomes will be depressed ) despite the elimination of loopholes , and by increasing transfer payments to the unemployed and others hard hit by the economic crisis . <p> The result is a quandary . I do n't see a way out of it . I hope others do . Richard A. Posner is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School . <p> Posner acknowledges that the immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the only effective answer to that problem would be stimulus spending , but dismisses that solution saying only that stimulus would come " too late . " <p> More stimulus spending may be a poltical impossibility--it has likely been rendered such by the Obama administration 's stumbling passivity and refusal to advocate for this needed action--but Posner 's rejection of stimulus spending does n't seem be based on any political calculations but instead on some unnamed intrinsic property of stimulus spending that means that even if the president and Congress were fully on board with the need to spend , spen ... view full comment <p> Posner acknowledges that the immediate problem is lack of consumer demand and acknowledges as well that the only effective answer to that problem would be stimulus spending , but dismisses that solution saying only that stimulus would come " too late . " <p> More stimulus spending may be a poltical impossibility--it has likely been rendered such by the Obama administration 's stumbling passivity and refusal to advocate for this needed action--but Posner 's rejection of stimulus spending does n't seem be based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property of stimulus spending that means that even if the president and Congress were fully on board with the need to spend , spend , spend , such spending would come too late to do any good . Why ? Posner does n't explain . <p> Posner 's essay has the virtue of acknowledging that we 're in deep shit and that none of his suggestions are likely to help us out of the muck , but like his colleauges in this symposium he seems to find it easier to talk about tinkering with the long term fiscal plan than to talk about what to do about the deep hole we 're in right now . <p> 08/23/2011 - 12:33am EDT Sophia <p> Look , so we 're in deep s*** . <p> Why on earth ca n't we begin by reversing the Bush Administration 's ghastly mistakes ? Unless of course they intended to crash the economy - but that 's another story . <p> Allow the tax cuts to expire . They have n't created jobs , they 've hurt the economy and caused the deficit to skyrocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't afford predatory housing loans , what on earth is so terrible about renting , if over the long run it 's actually not as expensive as " owning " , which really means , having a mortgage that might be worth more than the property ? And paying interest for decades ? Work , right now , to help stop the bleeding in the housing market and st ... view full comment <p> Look , so we 're in deep s*** . <p> Why on earth ca n't we begin by reversing the Bush Administration 's ghastly mistakes ? Unless of course they intended to crash the economy - but that 's another story . <p> Allow the tax cuts to expire . They have n't created jobs , they 've hurt the economy and caused the deficit to skyrocket . Same with the avaricious hunt for borrowers who could n't afford predatory housing loans , what on earth is so terrible about renting , if over the long run it 's actually not as expensive as " owning " , which really means , having a mortgage that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest for decades ? Work , right now , to help stop the bleeding in the housing market and stabilize it if possible . I do n't know why the Obama administration has n't led better in that area . But , better late than never maybe ? <p> And end the wars . We are spending absolute fortunes doing what ? There is no money to create a better life for people , animals and environment because we are busy bombing people with no end in sight . We ca n't figure out something better to do ? <p> Also , let 's think about the whole consumer economy idea , and about automation , and about profitability vs what makes people and the planet healthy and productive and hopefully , even happy . We 've stripped work of its meaning , increasing corporate profits and " productivity " have come at too high a price if they 've taken work away from people , and we no longer seem to value and reward excellent work , craftsmanship , art . <p> How much plastic throwaway stuff are we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaitless <p> SHORT TERM PROBLEMS ARE EASIER TO FIX THAN LONG TERM PROBLEMS . <p> In fact , that 's why they become long-term . <p> Take the environment . This is the biggest long-term problem we have , because if seas rise and temperatures warm a few degrees C , many places become uninhabitable and our way of life comes to a halt . Carter tried to lead the way to efficiency and reducing our dependence on foreign oil but this was almost completely reversed by Reagan . <p> Or health care . It took us a century to get a piece of paper that universalizes health care to nearly all Americans ( at least in theory ) from the halls of Congress to the president 's desk . And the additional problem of our health care spending bubble goes un ... view full comment <p> SHORT TERM PROBLEMS ARE EASIER TO FIX THAN LONG TERM PROBLEMS . <p> In fact , that 's why they become long-term . <p> Take the environment . This is the biggest long-term problem we have , because if seas rise and temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and our way of life comes to a halt . Carter tried to lead the way to efficiency and reducing our dependence on foreign oil but this was almost completely reversed by Reagan . <p> Or health care . It took us a century to get a piece of paper that universalizes health care to nearly all Americans ( at least in theory ) from the halls of Congress to the president 's desk . And the additional problem of our health care spending bubble goes unfixed for now , since that 's a result of the complexity of our system . And on top of that , we have among the worst obesity rates in the world , a factor that vastly increases the rates of completely preventable and expensive chronic diseases . <p> Education ? We only articulated national guidelines within the last 15 years and are now working on a common national curriculum ( though there are a couple of holdouts ) . Our tertiary education system still is the best because of a long lead-time advantage in funding but seems to be choking from lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a secondary school student will go to college ( or even do well on standardized tests ) is the median income of the school district , which suggests that de facto socioeconomic segregation rules our basic avenue for social advancement and equality . <p> Those are the kind of problems that are long-term and difficult to solve , both from a research/theoretical point of view and from a political/practical point of view . <p> The problem that Richard Posner says is nigh insoluble has historical precedent . In fact , it has recent historical precedent in Japan . But let 's forget that for a second . Take a look at the unemployment rate from 1932 to 1936 . Tell me that did n't go down from 23.2% to 16.9% , or a decrease of 6.3% . Then assure me that the New Deal did n't work again . I thought so . We have to reduce unemployment and increase demand so as to get the economy humming . That will help us slow the increase in our debt . But somehow the public investments we have been avoiding for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are higher and there are n't gobs of unemployed people desperate for a job ? Go back to school and take macroeconomics . Preferably not at the University of Chicago . Then let me know whether it makes sense to assume that since a second stimulus ( that is exclusively weighted towards infrastructure , job creation , and things with high Keynesian multipliers--not tax cuts ) wo n't solve our problems through 2055 , we should just throw up our hands and pretend that nothing can be done about our short-term economic problem , which is somehow more difficult to fix than the long-term ones that have bedevilled us for decades , even though this short-term problem is only about 3 years old ( 10 if you include the Bush bubble ) . <p> 08/23/2011 - 1:58am EDT ironyroad <p> Is n't the ACA , the health care reform law that Posener seems to dislike as a complex distraction , in fact one of the principal efforts to get a grip on health care expenditure over time ? <p> Is n't the ACA , the health care reform law that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact one of the principal efforts to get a grip on health care expenditure over time ? <p> 08/23/2011 - 5:40am EDT roidubouloi <p> Frankly , this is ridiculous . Posner is a charlatan who has a small vocabulary of economic terms and then pretends to be an economist . <p> The answer to deficits is higher taxation . When the Federal government spends , it issues money . To avoid inflation , it reabsorbs most of that through either taxation or borrowing . Either way , the same amount of money is withdrawn from circulation . It is not that case , as Posner claims , that taxation withdraws spending power but borrowing does not . It is government spending that commands a share of resources , not government financing of its spending . <p> This means that we can eliminate deficits by taxing sufficiently . The only reason we do not is political , ... view full comment <p> Frankly , this is ridiculous . Posner is a charlatan who has a small vocabulary of economic terms and then pretends to be an economist . <p> The answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spends , it issues money . To avoid inflation , it reabsorbs most of that through either taxation or borrowing . Either way , the same amount of money is withdrawn from circulation . It is not that case , as Posner claims , that taxation withdraws spending power but borrowing does not . It is government spending that commands a share of resources , not government financing of its spending . <p> This means that we can eliminate deficits by taxing sufficiently . The only reason we do not is political , that our supply-side wackos , beginning with Reagan and , to no surprise , cheered on by such as University of Chicago reactionaries like Posner , have made taxation taboo , although it is essential for a healthy society . <p> We see this at work in Posner 's claim that everyone , regardless of income , should pay some income tax . This is an entirely political claim reflecting Posner 's reactionary ideas of political and economic justice . It has nothing whatever to do with economics , one way or the other , with this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the least adverse impact on consumption spending , then you levy them on those with surpluses they do not spend , the very people whose national income surplus is the opposite side of the government deficit . That means , the wealthiest , those with the highest incomes , not " everyone , " regardless of income . We need very much more progressive taxation in this country in order to sustain demand as it is the skewness of income distribution -- the very object and result of supply-side insanity -- that has rendered demand fragile and unsustainable . Undoing the depredations of Bush requires not just letting his tax cuts expire , but moving further in the other direction , lowering middle class taxes and increasing them sharply at the highest level . <p> The answer to the Great Recession is sharply higher government spending , until all productive resources in this country are fully employed . There are successful economies with much higher percentages of government spending than ours . We may have to head there , or not . Perhaps once we have returned to full employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to sustain the level of government spending and do n't want to . Or perhaps we will have decided that we prefer more public goods to private . Using what Ronnie Reagan Ultra-Galactic Ouiji Board does Posner conclude that government spending is too late ? Given that we are headed to a chronic high rate of unemployment and declining per capita GDP , too late for what ? <p> To sharply increased government spending and a much more progressive Federal tax system , add one more element , higher inflation . Do n't soak up all the dollars printed for government spending . Leave more out there to increase inflation to closer to 5% . The inflation will deflate the value of outstanding debt , both government and consumer and facilitate recovery . Consider it a means of recouping some of the Bush high-end tax cuts that we should never have permitted in the first place . <p> The thing that is so objectionable about Posner , today and every day , is that his writings are politics , his right-wing politics , masquerading as economics . <p> <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk pool and makes it more affordable . " This is crazy . I can not begin to count the ways . <p> As for the Krugman piece that you linked , the chart shows clearly the relationship between unemployment and investment . Since investment , being smaller as GDP share than consumption , can not directly account for higher employment , the investment must be correlated with higher consumption in the ratio of nearly 2:1 consumption to investment . This is a nice back of the envelope demonstration that consumption demand drives investment . The way out is increased demand . The way to increased demand is for the only actor that can autonomously generate demand , the Federal government , to do so . SPEND MONEY ! <p> Since investment now is above the curve on the chart , it makes complete nonsense of the claim that Fear of Obama , Uncertainty , Whatever , is depressing investment , the point that Krugman makes . The short response is that everything the right claims about the economy is a self-serving ( as in serving the rich ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> First smart article in a while . <p> Why not talk about the responsible parties for this Depression ? The neocon zionist war machine that has lied to us and caused the wars in Iraq and elsewhere in the ME , costing us thousands of lives and over $2trillion . <p> The crooks on Wall Street , the very same funders of the neocon zionists and the ilk of AIPAC . <p> They have taken the entire country for a ride and with the help of Greenspan and Shlomo Bernanke , have orchestrated the biggest ponzi scheme in the history . <p> If we want to get out of this depression , first thing we need to do is to punish those that are responsible and send the bills to the financiers of those that are responsible . <p> First smart article in a while . Why not talk about the responsible parties for this Depression ? The neocon zionist war machine that has lied to us and caused the wars in Iraq and elsewhere in the ME , costing us thousands of lives and over $2trillion . The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the neocon zionists and the ilk of AIPAC . They have taken the entire country for a ride and with the help of Greenspan and Shlomo Bernanke , have orchestrated the biggest ponzi scheme in the history . If we want to get out of this depression , first thing we need to do is to punish those that are responsible and send the bills to the financiers of those that are responsible . <p> 08/23/2011 - 6:31am EDT mjhollerich@stthomas.edu <p> To his loophole list Posner should have put in first place the tax deductibility of employer-provided health care plans . Some weeks ago the New York Times featured an article listing " tax expenditures " , as they are called , and deductible health care premiums topped the list by a wide margin , well ahead of no. 2 , the home mortgage interest deduction ( try getting THAT one cancelled , and watch the real estate industry scramble its lobbying forces ) . <p> I hereby apologize to John McCain , who first mentioned this item in the 2008 presidential campaign . He was right , it now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To his loophole list Posner should have put in first place the tax deductibility of employer-provided health care plans . Some weeks ago the New York Times featured an article listing " tax expenditures " , as they are called , and deductible health care premiums topped the list by a wide margin , well ahead of no. 2 , the home mortgage interest deduction ( try getting THAT one cancelled , and watch the real estate industry scramble its lobbying forces ) . <p> I hereby apologize to John McCain , who first mentioned this item in the 2008 presidential campaign . He was right , it now seems , to propose that it be cancelled . <p> 08/23/2011 - 6:39am EDT drofnats1 <p> Roi is right on with respect to much of Posner 's analysis ( like the hoary uncertainty argument ) .. However , Posner 's overall analysis is correct-- Bush and the Repubs created what is now really a Depression-- but BHO and the Blue-Dog Dems have made an inadequate and inept attempt to solve it . All give up hgope of doing anything about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only hope is for Progressive policies and Keynesian economics--- and the only near term hope for vthat is that bthe economic crisis be more ob , and Blue-Dog Dems.vious . ... Hope that comes sooner ( for Xmas ) , than later ( for Easter ) . By Xmas , there is stiill time for Progressives to really challenge Repubs , BHO , and Blue- ... view full comment <p> Roi is right on with respect to much of Posner 's analysis ( like the hoary uncertainty argument ) .. However , Posner 's overall analysis is correct-- Bush and the Repubs created what is now really a Depression-- but BHO and the Blue-Dog Dems have made an inadequate and inept attempt to solve it . All give up hgope of doing anything about it . <p> I agree the hope is small , but the only hope is for Progressive policies and Keynesian economics--- and the only near term hope for vthat is that bthe economic crisis be more ob , and Blue-Dog Dems.vious . ... Hope that comes sooner ( for Xmas ) , than later ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for Progressives to really challenge Repubs , BHO , and Blue-Dog-type Dems . <p> 08/23/2011 - 6:49am EDT rayward <p> Yesterday 's installments in this series , by economists , took a narrow , one subject view ( e.g. , social security reform ) , whereas Posner , the lawyer and jurist , gives us the entire tool kit , rejecting many with little or no discussion other than his opinion they wo n't work or are not politically feasible . I suppose that 's the difference between the economist , who must convince his peers , and the jurist , who does n't . Of course , it is n't surprising that Posner , he being of the Chicago school , would conclude that nothing can save us from doom since it is mostly his intellectual comrades ( the freshwater types as PK calls them ) who got us into this mess . But Posner 's intellectual blinders should ... view full comment <p> Yesterday 's installments in this series , by economists , took a narrow , one subject view ( e.g. , social security reform ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us the entire tool kit , rejecting many with little or no discussion other than his opinion they wo n't work or are not politically feasible . I suppose that 's the difference between the economist , who must convince his peers , and the jurist , who does n't . Of course , it is n't surprising that Posner , he being of the Chicago school , would conclude that nothing can save us from doom since it is mostly his intellectual comrades ( the freshwater types as PK calls them ) who got us into this mess . But Posner 's intellectual blinders should not hide his good ideas , starting with Medicare . Means testing does not have to end Medicare . Indeed , I 'm convinced that America will not tolerate widespread poverty among the elderly , the motivation for the adoption of social security and Medicare in the first place . Indeed , I can make a persuasive case that means testing Medicare , by more equitably spreading the cost of health care , would actually increase the likelihood of the adoption of a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's essay reveals a double irony : the first , while it 's Obama ( actually , his advisor ) who is credited with the unhelpful expression of not letting a crisis go to waste , it is Posner and his intellectual comrades who are using this crisis to promote their longstanding battle to end social welfare programs ; and the second , while Posner and his intellectual comrades have the upper hand today in the public policy debate as the result of the crisis of their making , it is unmasking the stark contrast between the two Americas , the vast majority who derive little benefit but bear most of the burdens and the very few who derive most of the benefits but bear little of the burden , making the eventual outcome far different from what Posner and his intellectual comrades hope for and expect . <p> 08/23/2011 - 7:09am EDT roidubouloi <p> Until we can get single-payer , like every other civilized country , I am all for means-testing Medicare . An upper income tax by another name . And until we can have truly progressive taxation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too . In fact , we should means test it , period , or take it back through progressive taxation . <p> These will not , however , come close to solving the deficit and have zero to do with getting us out of the Great Recession . <p> So far , every columnist that TNR has posted on the subject of what can be done about he current crisis has answered , " Nothing , let 's talk about something else . " Then we get a lot of half-baked and flat out backwards economics on the s ... view full comment <p> Until we can get single-payer , like every other civilized country , I am all for means-testing Medicare . An upper income tax by another name . And until we can have truly progressive taxation in this country , I am for means-testing social security too . In fact , we should means test it , period , or take it back through progressive taxation . <p> These will not , however , come close to solving the deficit and have zero to do with getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , every columnist that TNR has posted on the subject of what can be done about he current crisis has answered , " Nothing , let 's talk about something else . " Then we get a lot of half-baked and flat out backwards economics on the subjects that they prefer to talk about , the deficit , the excuse to do nothing , and long-term productivity , the other excuse to do nothing . <p> 08/23/2011 - 7:20am EDT Mikelawyr22 <p> Posner is simply wrong . We are in a depression because tens of millions of high-paying jobs have left forever . The people who had those jobs ca n't practice medicine or write software code . They can only take low-paying service jobs . Remember -- by definition , half of Americans have below-average intelligence . <p> This is a tectonic change . We compensated initially by sending the spouse out to work , then by running ourselves into debt . We have run out of things to do . Either we share the wealth or we settle into being a nation with a small elite class served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Posner is simply wrong . We are in a depression because tens of millions of high-paying jobs have left forever . The people who had those jobs ca n't practice medicine or write software code . They can only take low-paying service jobs . Remember -- by definition , half of Americans have below-average intelligence . <p> This is a tectonic change . We compensated initially by sending the spouse out to work , then by running ourselves into debt . We have run out of things to do . Either we share the wealth or we settle into being a nation with a small elite class served by a vast army of low-paid service workers . <p> 08/23/2011 - 8:22am EDT DaveyD <p> " Either we share the wealth or we settle into being a nation with a small elite class served by a vast army of low-paid service workers . " <p> You 've just described Republican nirvana ! <p> " Either we share the wealth or we settle into being a nation with a small elite class served by a vast army of low-paid service workers . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 08/23/2011 - 8:28am EDT tmmats <p> Cross posted from another column : <p> This series of articles displays the complete tone deafness in TNR 's guest columnists . <p> TNR 's symposium , of which this article is derived , looks like it was sponsored by some right-wing or perhaps a libertarian publication . If this is what passes for the DC-centric progressive/liberal viewpoint then all criticism of the DC elite " progressives " , including the president , are fully justified . Either that or TNR is part and parcel of the ruling right-wing oligarchy or completely tone deaf and has zero credibility as a progressive publication . <p> Cross posted from another column : <p> This series of articles displays the complete tone deafness in TNR 's guest columnists . <p> TNR 's symposium , of which this article is derived , looks like it was sponsored by some right-wing or perhaps a libertarian publication . If this is what passes for the DC-centric progressive/liberal viewpoint then all criticism of the DC elite " progressives " , including the president , are fully justified . Either that or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or completely tone deaf and has zero credibility as a progressive publication . <p> 08/23/2011 - 8:32am EDT DaveyD <p> I was sort of with this guy Posner until he recommended the Paul Ryan plan for " saving " Medicare . No one who supports that idea should be a contributor to TNR . <p> And note that in Posner 's suggestions for putting Social Security on a sound footing , he makes no mention of the most obvious solution : eliminating the cap on the amount of income subject to the Social Security tax and applying the tax to all forms of income . If that were done , the overall Social Security tax rate could be reduced . It would be a huge tax cut for the middle class . But , hey , who gives a damn about them ? <p> I was sort of with this guy Posner until he recommended the Paul Ryan plan for " saving " Medicare . No one who supports that idea should be a contributor to TNR . <p> And note that in Posner 's suggestions for putting Social Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most obvious solution : eliminating the cap on the amount of income subject to the Social Security tax and applying the tax to all forms of income . If that were done , the overall Social Security tax rate could be reduced . It would be a huge tax cut for the middle class . But , hey , who gives a damn about them ? <p> 08/23/2011 - 9:05am EDT Dausuul <p> " So far , every columnist that TNR has posted on the subject of what can be done about he current crisis has answered , " Nothing , let 's talk about something else . " Then we get a lot of half-baked and flat out backwards economics on the subjects that they prefer to talk about , the deficit , the excuse to do nothing , and long-term productivity , the other excuse to do nothing . " <p> Roiduboi nails it here . The problem here is the economy sucks . So far , all the people posting are dodging that topic to propose solutions to other stuff--the deficit , mostly , which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy and let the Bush tax cuts go to their long-delayed grave . ( Yes , there woul ... view full comment <p> " So far , every columnist that TNR has posted on the subject of what can be done about he current crisis has answered , " Nothing , let 's talk about something else . " Then we get a lot of half-baked and flat out backwards economics on the subjects that they prefer to talk about , the deficit , the excuse to do nothing , and long-term productivity , the other excuse to do nothing . " <p> Roiduboi nails it here . The problem here is the economy sucks . So far , all the people posting are dodging that topic to propose solutions to other stuff--the deficit , mostly , which would be largely eliminated in the medium term if we fixed the economy and let the Bush tax cuts go to their long-delayed grave . ( Yes , there would still be a long-term issue , but that can be tackled , y'know , over the long term . ) <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fix the economy . Number one is a big dose of Keynesian stimulus , which is the proposal of most economists . Number two is tax cuts , spending cuts , and deregulation , which is the proposal of the Republican Party ( and most economists who do n't work for a Republican think tank believe it will be disastrous ) . <p> If anybody has a credible number three , or a clever new way to achieve number one , or at least a reliable way to stave off number two , I 'd love to hear it . But I 'm getting tired of articles that talk past the problem . <p> 08/23/2011 - 9:09am EDT Dausuul <p> P.S. When I say " all the people posting , " I mean the folks writing these articles . By contrast , most of the people posting comments have their eye on the ball . Perhaps TNR should outsource this series to its own comment section . <p> P.S. When I say " all the people posting , " I mean the folks writing these articles . By contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ball . Perhaps TNR should outsource this series to its own comment section . <p> 08/23/2011 - 10:00am EDT Nusholtz <p> More than 50% do n't pay taxes ? How can this be ? Well , under the Bush Tax Cuts , a married couple can make $86,703 of capital gains and dividends and be at a zero tax . Of course , a wage earner family will be taxed at close to 18% , but they probably did not vote for Bush and , therefore , must be punished . <p> More than 50% do n't pay taxes ? How can this be ? Well , under the Bush Tax Cuts , a married couple can make $86,703 of capital gains and dividends and be at a zero tax . Of course , a wage earner family will be taxed at close to 18% , but they probably did not vote for Bush and , therefore , must be punished . <p> 08/23/2011 - 10:08am EDT WandreyCer <p> Roi expertly destroys and tnmats is completely right - this piece is mostly right wing nonsense , " uncertainty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> I understand that TNR gives voice to all sides of a debate , but that 's not what this is . Posner is a great - if predictable - legal mind , but a not an economist . Who needs more ideology ? We can go to the Washington Post or some other rag for right wing dogma . Why offer it here ? <p> IF TNR ca n't muster up the guts to stop pretending that right wing dogma is a viable economic argument , then who will ? If the last twenty years are n't a perfect example of what utter bull it all is , then what the heck will it take already ? <p> Roi expertly destroys and tnmats is completely right - this piece is mostly right wing nonsense , " uncertainty and shared sacrifice " , my a** . Since when ? <p> I understand that TNR gives voice to all sides of a debate , but that 's not what this is . Posner is a great - if predictable - legal mind , but a not an economist . Who needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or some other rag for right wing dogma . Why offer it here ? <p> IF TNR ca n't muster up the guts to stop pretending that right wing dogma is a viable economic argument , then who will ? If the last twenty years are n't a perfect example of what utter bull it all is , then what the heck will it take already ? <p> 08/23/2011 - 10:35am EDT K2K <p> Posner gets this part absolutely correct : " ... The roots of this catastrophic situations lie primarily , I think , in the incompetent economic management of the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve . The persistence of the depression , however , is due in part at least to surprising failures of the Obama administration -- poor leadership , poor management , the sponsorship of incomprehensibly complex health care and financial regulation laws that have created widespread uncertainty that has discouraged consumption and investment , and the inability to explain the nature of the economy 's problems to the general public . These failures caused the stimulus enacted in February 2009 to be botched i @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correct : " ... The roots of this catastrophic situations lie primarily , I think , in the incompetent economic management of the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve . The persistence of the depression , however , is due in part at least to surprising failures of the Obama administration -- poor leadership , poor management , the sponsorship of incomprehensibly complex health care and financial regulation laws that have created widespread uncertainty that has discouraged consumption and investment , and the inability to explain the nature of the economy 's problems to the general public . These failures caused the stimulus enacted in February 2009 to be botched in both in its design and its administration , resulting in the discrediting of deficit spending as a response to depression . ... " <p> as does Sophia 08/23/2011 - 1:33am EDT especiallythe part about housing . No one listened to Sheila Bair about housing in 2007 , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , until after she retired in 2011 . <p> BTW , in the space of four days , Bank of America changed their APR on cash advances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanation , and , since both mailers followed the Fed 's announcement they would keep interest rates low/near zero for two years , I think BoA is crazy . Too bad , I was considering a cash advance to buy a refrigertor , vacuum cleaner , garage door and hire a handyman so I can rent ( much easier to rent than sell ) , instead of using savings that are yielding 3.6% . The rental income would pay off the cash advance very quickly . <p> we truly are screwed when BoA decides 18.99% represents an APR based on today 's Prime Rate . <p> 08/23/2011 - 11:02am EDT drofnats1 <p> Once ggain . Those who understand Keynesian economics ( the only kind that fit the available data ) agree on the sources of the problem-- and the economic solutions . What you all refuse to consider is how to implement effective soulutions -- As opposed to maybe BHO can get a billion in unemployment insurance for 100 billion in tax cuts for thje wealthy . <p> Answer : that ai n't gon na happen until you elect those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keynesian policies . That ai n't gon na happen until you replace some Repubs , Blue Dog dems and BHO . You all agree that ai n't gon na happen unless something you do nt want to even think about happens-- a yet-more-obvious economic crisis . ... view full comment <p> Once ggain . Those who understand Keynesian economics ( the only kind that fit the available data ) agree on the sources of the problem-- and the economic solutions . What you all refuse to consider is how to implement effective soulutions -- As opposed to maybe BHO can get a billion in unemployment insurance for 100 billion in tax cuts for thje wealthy . <p> Answer : that ai n't gon na happen until you elect those who understand and are will ing to advocate and mplement Keynesian policies . That ai n't gon na happen until you replace some Repubs , Blue Dog dems and BHO . You all agree that ai n't gon na happen unless something you do nt want to even think about happens-- a yet-more-obvious economic crisis . And gfuess vwhat-- that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in all likelyhood , his defeat . With unemployment 9.5-12% or more a year hence , Michelle , Rick , or Sarah will look good compared to BHO .. no matter that their policies would make it worse . If BHO could beat those whackos , so could a Progressive challenger . Probably easier . <p> 08/23/2011 - 12:14pm EDT BEANSPOUT <p> Mikelawyr22 gets it right , except for the fact that nothing Posner has said is wrong . Posner is 100% right ; he said it in his two books published around 2008 , and he 's still right . I would feel much more comfortable that America would weather this Depression without still more pain inflicted upon us by naifs , and evil courtiers , if he were President . Posner for President 2012 ! ! ! <p> We are in an epochal change , the Digital Revolution . It is fully equivalent to the Industrial Revolution . Many jobs in buggy-whips are being lost right now . We 'll all figure it out eventually . Those who got rich on the rackets of yesteryear ( many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpunis ... view full comment <p> Mikelawyr22 gets it right , except for the fact that nothing Posner has said is wrong . Posner is 100% right ; he said it in his two books published around 2008 , and he 's still right . I would feel much more comfortable that America would weather this Depression without still more pain inflicted upon us by naifs , and evil courtiers , if he were President . Posner for President 2012 ! ! ! <p> We are in an epochal change , the Digital Revolution . It is fully equivalent to the Industrial Revolution . Many jobs in buggy-whips are being lost right now . We 'll all figure it out eventually . Those who got rich on the rackets of yesteryear ( many fraudulent and technically illegal , particularly in finance , yet unpunished due to lack of enforcement ) will seek to stow their wealth . That is where the unemployed will go . Hoarding in T bills has to be discouraged . That 's why interest rates are set by the Fed at next to zero . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . We will all make our own answers and it will fall to future historians and writers to summarize for us what we all just did . <p> 08/23/2011 - 12:31pm EDT ErikS <p> This is the beginning of an important discussion . We 're fooling ourselves if we think we 've only just had a recession and are in danger of a second one . It 's worse than that , as Posner states . But there are other solutions as well . Cap and Trade could go a long way toward saving us from the brink we 're on of a disaster far worse than an economic depression , and generate much-needed revenue . Eliminating the cap on social security payroll taxes for wealthy people would solve the Social Security deficit . Eliminating ALL the Bush tax cuts would have a profound positive impact on the economy . Though I have to say I disagree with some of Posner 's proposals ; the working poor should not have to pay ... view full comment <p> This is the beginning of an important discussion . We 're fooling ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are in danger of a second one . It 's worse than that , as Posner states . But there are other solutions as well . Cap and Trade could go a long way toward saving us from the brink we 're on of a disaster far worse than an economic depression , and generate much-needed revenue . Eliminating the cap on social security payroll taxes for wealthy people would solve the Social Security deficit . Eliminating ALL the Bush tax cuts would have a profound positive impact on the economy . Though I have to say I disagree with some of Posner 's proposals ; the working poor should not have to pay income taxes on wages that keep them under the poverty level , for example . <p> But my greatest hopes and worst fears are political : a 2012 mandate throwing out the Republican scoundrels is certainly our best hope . And my worst fear is of a Republican president after 2012 throwing all of us off the cliff and burning the house down . <p> 08/23/2011 - 1:06pm EDT JakeH <p> I do n't think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this magazine , talks of " depression , " and essentially cricizes Obama from the left ( i.e. , stimulus is good ; he 's was n't good enough ) -- can be characterized as a " right-wing " " University of Chicago whacko . " He 's not part of that crowd , intellectually anyway . He was n't really part of that crowd even before his Keynesian heresy . <p> But .... <p> I agree that he does n't explain why short-term stimulus now would come " too late . " I understand why it 's politically impossible , but I do n't understand why it 's not even theoretically possible , and Posner does n't explain . <p> I do n't think that Posner -- who famously embraced Keynesianism in the pages of this magazine , talks of " depression , " and essentially cricizes Obama from the left ( i.e. , stimulus is good ; he 's was n't good enough ) -- can be characterized as a " right-wing " " University of Chicago whacko . " He 's not part of that crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that crowd even before his Keynesian heresy . <p> But .... <p> I agree that he does n't explain why short-term stimulus now would come " too late . " I understand why it 's politically impossible , but I do n't understand why it 's not even theoretically possible , and Posner does n't explain . <p> I agree that he slips a non-economic judgment about fairness of taxation -- everyone should pay some federal income taxes -- into his argument without elaboration . <p> I agree that his invocation of businesses ' fear of the complexity of the health care reform act is unpersuasive , but that was was n't the main point of his explanation for the continued depressed economy . He focused on the usual suspects that liberals focus on . <p> I agree that his invocation of the Ryan plan is unfortunate , but I do n't read him to endorse the the effect of Ryan 's specific proposal -- denying care to those who ca n't afford it . Posner focuses on " entitlement reform , " but in a way that amounts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , tax the wealthy to pay for it , but withhold the benefit because they do n't need it . <p> 08/23/2011 - 1:22pm EDT roidubouloi <p> The whole of it makes no sense to me . Wrong problem . Wrong solutions to the wrong problem . Misconceptions abounding . Confusion between political and economic claims . And no attempt to justify any of it . <p> The whole of it makes no sense to me . Wrong problem . Wrong solutions to the wrong problem . Misconceptions abounding . Confusion between political and economic claims . And no attempt to justify any of it . <p> 08/23/2011 - 1:51pm EDT waroberts <p> " Everyone with an income should pay income tax equal to a modest percentage of his income . " Even persons ( families ) whose income is under the poverty level ? The Judge is repeating the same tired old tea party refrain . Low income persons are paying a greater portion of their income in highly regressive sale and payroll taxes than persons with higher incomes that pay income tax . It 's the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the income tax . <p> " Everyone with an income should pay income tax equal to a modest percentage of his income . " Even persons ( families ) whose income is under the poverty level ? The Judge is repeating the same tired old tea party refrain . Low income persons are paying a greater portion of their income in highly regressive sale and payroll taxes than persons with higher incomes that pay income tax . It 's the total tax rate that should be fair and progressive , not just the income tax . <p> 08/23/2011 - 3:14pm EDT ballston <p> Roid : Why do you say every civilized country has single payer ? Japan does n't , Germany does n't , ditto for Switzerland , the Netherlands and others . They have universal coverage , but not single payer . <p> Roid : Why do you say every civilized country has single payer ? Japan does n't , Germany does n't , ditto for Switzerland , the Netherlands and others . They have universal coverage , but not single payer . <p> 08/23/2011 - 3:57pm EDT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As I have written in numerous comments on the subject , it does n't actually matter who writes the check . What matters is that there is a monopsonistic buyer determining the cost in relation to clinical conditions although various aspects can be de-centralized . This exists in the Netherlands and wiki says this about Germany : <p> " Since 1976 the government has convened an annual commission , composed of representatives of business , labor , physicians , hospitals , and insurance and pharmaceutical industries. 72 The commission takes into account government policies and makes recommendations to regional associations with respect to overall expenditure targets . In 1986 ex ... view full comment <p> I 'm being too loose , ballston . As I have written in numerous comments on the subject , it does n't actually matter who writes the check . What matters is that there is a monopsonistic buyer determining the cost in relation to clinical conditions although various aspects can be de-centralized . This exists in the Netherlands and wiki says this about Germany : <p> " Since 1976 the government has convened an annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians , hospitals , and insurance and pharmaceutical industries. 72 The commission takes into account government policies and makes recommendations to regional associations with respect to overall expenditure targets . In 1986 expenditure caps were implemented and were tied to the age of the local population as well as the overall wage increases . Although reimbursement of providers is on a fee-for-service basis the amount to be reimbursed for each service is determined retrospectively to ensure that spending targets are not exceeded . " <p> Of Japan it says this : <p> The health care system in Japan provides healthcare services , including screening examinations , prenatal care and infectious disease control , with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70% . Payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health care insurance system that provides relative equality of access , with fees set by a government committee . <p> Of Switzerland : <p> Swiss are required to purchase basic health insurance , which covers a range of treatments detailed in the Federal Act . It is therefore the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Insurers are required to offer this basic insurance to everyone , regardless of age or medical condition . They are not allowed to make a profit off this basic insurance , but can on supplemental plans. 1 . . . <p> The insured person has full freedom of choice among the recognised healthcare providers competent to treat their condition ( in his region ) on the understanding that the costs are covered by the insurance up to the level of the official tariff . There is freedom of choice when selecting an insurance company ( provided it is an officially registered caisse-maladie or a private insurance company authorised by the Federal Act ) to which one pays a premium , usually on a monthly basis . The list of officially-approved insurance companies can be obtained from the cantonal authority . <p> <p> They all share the feature of a monopsonistic buyer , the government , regulating costs -- prices and compensated utilization -- directly although there are a variety of administrative structures and different aspects may be centralized or decentralized . <p> I should be more careful about using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in all these systems , the price and the compensated utilization are determined by government , not by the market and not by the healthcare providers . <p> 08/23/2011 - 4:07pm EDT rewiredhog <p> Finally , a TNR contributor who is actually calling the Great Recession what it really is : another Great Depression . <p> Finally , a TNR contributor who is actually calling the Great Recession what it really is : another Great Depression . <p> 08/23/2011 - 4:36pm EDT drofnats1 <p> Actually ballston , roid is correct . Single payer equates to monopoly buyer . And the government is the major stakeholder in each case you cite . You are really arguing a distinction without a real difference . Like not calling it calling taxes , but rather revenue enhancers . <p> Actually ballston , roid is correct . Single payer equates to monopoly buyer . And the government is the major stakeholder in each case you cite . You are really arguing a distinction without a real difference . Like not calling it calling taxes , but rather revenue enhancers . <p> 08/23/2011 - 4:54pm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Posner 's overall statement of the problem is correct . Like Jake and you , I agree that Posner 's economic solutions are a conceptual mess . Among other things , it 's never too late for a stimulus ( Example:Our entry into WWII eas indeed 12 years after 1929 ) . But do nt you agree that BHO 's economic plan has been a conceptual and policy mess ? Inadequate stimulus touted as just right , major emphasis for over a year on debt reduction in the middle of a recession/depression , weak job proposals , etc . You eager to wait another 9 years for an effective Keynesian stimulus ? <p> roid . Like JakeH , I think that Posner 's overall statement of the problem is correct . Like Jake and you , I agree that Posner 's economic solutions are a conceptual mess . Among other things , it 's never too late for a stimulus ( Example:Our entry into WWII eas indeed 12 years after 1929 ) . But do nt you agree that BHO 's economic plan has been a conceptual and policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasis for over a year on debt reduction in the middle of a recession/depression , weak job proposals , etc . You eager to wait another 9 years for an effective Keynesian stimulus ? <p> 08/23/2011 - 5:12pm EDT Tgossard <p> Whatever Posner 's arguments may amount to ( I happen to think his argument about our long-term problems with indebtedness is right on ) , I 'm glad somebody is using the D-word . I do think we are in a bona-fide depression , with different features than the Great Depression which is strangling job growth . We 'll be in the same situation or worse a year from now and indefinitely . Strangely enough , most people have n't got the message that paying off personal credit debt should be first priority , forgetting actual saving until that debt is paid off . It 's going to take the better part of this decade to pull out of the economic slump we 're in . In my book that 's a depression with a capital ' D. ' <p> Whatever Posner 's arguments may amount to ( I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indebtedness is right on ) , I 'm glad somebody is using the D-word . I do think we are in a bona-fide depression , with different features than the Great Depression which is strangling job growth . We 'll be in the same situation or worse a year from now and indefinitely . Strangely enough , most people have n't got the message that paying off personal credit debt should be first priority , forgetting actual saving until that debt is paid off . It 's going to take the better part of this decade to pull out of the economic slump we 're in . In my book that 's a depression with a capital ' D. ' <p> 08/23/2011 - 5:16pm EDT Tgossard <p> I meant forsaking not " forgetting . " <p> I meant forsaking not " forgetting . " <p> 08/23/2011 - 6:16pm EDT Sophia <p> Agree with the above comments on taxing the poor . Seriously , I wonder if the well-to-do including professors , so forth , understand that poor people are REALLY POOR and that every penny counts ? Plus as pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fixing the tax situation would definitely be a step in the right direction . A starving artist or minimum wage worker , a cab driver , Walmart clerk should n't have to pay more income taxes than General Electric . <p> I do agree though with means-testing benefit and safety net programs , perhaps all could receive benefits but the more wealthy could contribute a bit more and receive a bit less ? <p> Agree with the above comments on taxing the poor . Seriously , I wonder if the well-to-do including professors , so forth , understand that poor people are REALLY POOR and that every penny counts ? Plus as pointed out above , we 're already regressively taxed . <p> Fixing the tax situation would definitely be a step in the right direction . A starving artist or minimum wage worker , a cab driver , Walmart clerk should n't have to pay more income taxes than General Electric . <p> I do agree though with means-testing benefit and safety net programs , perhaps all could receive benefits but the more wealthy could contribute a bit more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know that I would say that Obama 's policies have been a conceptual mess as much that they have been marked by excessive timidity . The right general direction for the most part , but so compromised as to be marginally effective at best . <p> The stimulus was both too small and freighted with very inefficient tax cuts making the whole less than 1/3 or even 1/4 what it should have been . <p> The re-regulation of finance was wholly inadequate , failing to address the greatest threat , off-balance sheet leverage . <p> The finance bail-out did not hold shareholders , bondholders , and management to account , something I argued for vociferously at the time . In contrast , GM 's shareholders were wiped out a ... view full comment <p> drof , I do n't know that I would say that Obama 's policies have been a conceptual mess as much that they have been marked by excessive timidity . The right general direction for the most part , but so compromised as to be marginally effective at best . <p> The stimulus was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making the whole less than 1/3 or even 1/4 what it should have been . <p> The re-regulation of finance was wholly inadequate , failing to address the greatest threat , off-balance sheet leverage . <p> The finance bail-out did not hold shareholders , bondholders , and management to account , something I argued for vociferously at the time . In contrast , GM 's shareholders were wiped out and the bondholders were hit hard . <p> The ACA is a Rube Goldberg contraption . <p> Spending cuts not once but twice ( or is it three times ) when what we need are spending increases . <p> Renewing the Bush tax cuts . <p> The debt ceiling debacle . <p> In each case , the things Obama said he wanted to do were correct , but he did n't do them , and I do n't think he fought for them . wkwami would say he got the best possible deal under the circumstances . Leaving that aside , the sum of it is very much too little . His greatest political failure , in my opinion , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deficit is our greatest problem . That alone in my estimation severely limited what he could then achieve and has given the Republicans a club with which to beat him and us . <p> Do I see an alternative to Obama ? No . I do n't , despite my enormous disappointment . <p> 08/23/2011 - 7:46pm EDT skahn <p> I agree with rewiredhog . I have been saying we are in the Second Great Depression for at least a year . I am not happy to be correct . <p> Dauusul says , " Perhaps TNR should outsource this series to its own comment section . " <p> There is no doubt about it . The comment posters for TNR are the most intelligent , perceptive , and sensible people in the universe . Let 's impeach the President , Congress , and the SCOTUS and appoint the TNR comment posters to run the country ( if not the world , or perhaps the Solar System , or why think small , the galaxy ) ? <p> The brilliance shining from my monitor at this moment is overwhelming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before I am struck blind . Let me know when the coup ... view full comment <p> I agree with rewiredhog . I have been saying we are in the Second Great Depression for at least a year . I am not happy to be correct . <p> Dauusul says , " Perhaps TNR should outsource this series to its own comment section . " <p> There is no doubt about it . The comment posters for TNR are the most intelligent , perceptive , and sensible people in the universe . Let 's impeach the President , Congress , and the SCOTUS and appoint the TNR comment posters to run the country ( if not the world , or perhaps the Solar System , or why think small , the galaxy ) ? <p> The brilliance shining from my monitor at this moment is overwhelming , and I am going to shut down my computer before I am struck blind . Let me know when the coup has taken place , and what my position in the new regime will be . All hail ... us ! <p> 08/23/2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresh content here . Judge Posner has provided a well thought out piece . Not as good in reporting or organization as some of Judis or Scrieber 's work , but clear , direct and bloggy . <p> Judge Posner is closer to the truth than most folks aknowledge right now . If we are not in Depression Economics , we are close . <p> My argument is that there is something we can do , and should do , to get the economy rolling . I view the current problem in America as high wages &; benefits . These are fueling a lot of the problems with Exports from China to Federal &; State defeciets . High wages spread across the economy and lead to inefficiencies when these folks began to spend this mon ... view full comment <p> Good to see some original fresh content here . Judge Posner has provided a well thought out piece . Not as good in reporting or organization as some of Judis or Scrieber 's work , but clear , direct and bloggy . <p> Judge Posner is closer to the truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in Depression Economics , we are close . <p> My argument is that there is something we can do , and should do , to get the economy rolling . I view the current problem in America as high wages &; benefits . These are fueling a lot of the problems with Exports from China to Federal &; State defeciets . High wages spread across the economy and lead to inefficiencies when these folks began to spend this money . <p> My proposal is to start a reduction in the wages and benefits of Public Workers . By reducing direct wages by 10-15% , and reducing benefits by 20-25% , the government is freeing up money for other uses . It provides a cover to industry and acadamia to lower their employment costs . It would cut off a lot of discretionary spending , but most likely would effect the inefficient areas of the economy more than the necessary housing , utilities and base food markets . There is a risk of deflation , and politically it is not popular . But it could be the jolt the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of support for cutting wages of public workers , and union contracts are always coming up . Balancing white collar and represented pay cuts are possible and would restore a little sympathy for government workers . <p> Something can be done . <p> 08/23/2011 - 8:51pm EDT roidubouloi <p> Yeah , well , something can be done , but cutting labor income is n't it . That is the neo-Classical claim , that unemployment is due to wages being too high and it is drop-dead wrong . First , a major drag on the economy is the overhang of consumer debt , mortgage and credit card . Reducing labor income goes backwards because it inflates the value of the debt rather than deflates it which is what we need . Second , the neo-Classical notion that labor is just like any other good -- drop the price and consumption goes up -- is wrong because it fails to account for the fact that these goods are also the spenders that drive most of the economy . Take money out of their pockets and demand , already weak , ... view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done , but cutting labor income is n't it . That is the neo-Classical claim , that unemployment is due to wages being too high and it is drop-dead wrong . First , a major drag on the economy is the overhang of consumer debt , mortgage and credit card . Reducing labor income goes backwards because it inflates the value of the debt rather than deflates it which is what we need . Second , the neo-Classical notion that labor is just like any other good -- drop the price and consumption goes up -- is wrong because it fails to account for the fact that these goods are also the spenders that drive most of the economy . Take money out of their pockets and demand , already weak , crashes . <p> Sorry , CRS , but this is 19th century ( and University of Chicago ) economics and it is a total failure . We have evidence of this right now in our own economy . Profits are very high despite the slow economy . Since we are not in a boom , operating above normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share of output is abnormally low . According to you , this should be sparking a resurgence , but nothing of the kind is happening . That 's because you have it backwards . The extra money in the pockets of the investing class that is not about to invest it in the absence of demand only makes things worse . <p> We can either pass out money to labor or have the government spend it to get the economy going . While we are at it , we should encourage inflation to deflate the debt and the cash hoard of corporations , encouraging them to spend it before it gets to be worth a lot less . <p> Which is also why Judge Posner is much further from the truth than you might imagine . He is not wrong to say this is a depression , but he has not a clue what that implies for economic policy . <p> Next . <p> 08/23/2011 - 8:55pm EDT NR143296 <p> Roid- <p> Fwiw , I agree with every word of your last post . As much as it pains me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge by someone who could persuade me that they could bring the narrative back to where it should be . <p> Regarding Posner 's contention that we are in a " depression " rather than a " recession , " is n't that , at best , irrelevant to a serious analysis of how we should address our economic distress , and , at worst , irresponsible ? If the notion that we are in another Depression were to gain currency , would n't that have a profoundly deleterious effect on any potential recovery ? <p> Dhurtado <p> Roid- <p> Fwiw , I agree with every word of your last post . As much as it pains me to say it , I would seriously consider a primary challenge by someone who could persuade me that they could bring the narrative back to where it should be . <p> Regarding Posner 's contention that we are in a " depression " rather than a " recession , " is n't that , at best , irrelevant to a serious analysis of how we should address our economic distress , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are in another Depression were to gain currency , would n't that have a profoundly deleterious effect on any potential recovery ? <p> Dhurtado <p> 08/23/2011 - 9:46pm EDT ironyroad <p> That 's right , CRS , the one thing the economy really needs now is even more people with suddenly less disposable income to create demand . Perhaps the reason it would n't be " politically popular " is that the stores and businesses and enterprises in which the affected public sector workers spend their money are n't stupid ? Those salaries are the income of those stores and businesses and enterprises , and they know it . <p> That 's right , CRS , the one thing the economy really needs now is even more people with suddenly less disposable income to create demand . Perhaps the reason it would n't be " politically popular " is that the stores and businesses and enterprises in which the affected public sector workers spend their money are n't stupid ? Those salaries are the income of those stores and businesses and enterprises , and they know it . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a primary challenge , Dhurtado , but I think it would just be a setback . When the party picks a candidate , it really is for two runs . With all the disappointments , changing horses in midstream is really for the extreme emergencies . <p> I agree with you that the nomenclature is irrelevant to the solutions as they are the same in either case . But perhaps the recognition of something much more serious than a normal recession would serve to galvanize a sense of urgency that seems to be lacking . It could have a negative effect on confidence , I suppose , but given that we are in a sort of stable , low equilibrium , I doubt it . Now , however , we are out of the realm of economic ... view full comment <p> I understand the appeal of a primary challenge , Dhurtado , but I think it would just be a setback . When the party picks a candidate , it really is for two runs . With all the disappointments , changing horses in midstream is really for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nomenclature is irrelevant to the solutions as they are the same in either case . But perhaps the recognition of something much more serious than a normal recession would serve to galvanize a sense of urgency that seems to be lacking . It could have a negative effect on confidence , I suppose , but given that we are in a sort of stable , low equilibrium , I doubt it . Now , however , we are out of the realm of economics and politics and into crowd psychology , about which I know not much . <p> 08/23/2011 - 10:44pm EDT drofnats1 <p> Roi . Your comments are well considered . However , consider re-electing BHO . At best-- he wins re-election . His coattails are now nil . He will not bring in Progressives to the House or Senate . He is not capable of dealing with intractable opposition . If a yet-more severe economic crisis does not happen before his election , it will soon after . And he and the Repubs and Blue Dogs will do next to nothing so long as BHO is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession .. while occasionally talking small strimulus . That is at best economically incoherent . I too like BHO . I supported him since 2008 . He is bright and articulate . But he has the wrong personality and policies for t ... view full comment <p> Roi . Your comments are well considered . However , consider re-electing BHO . At best-- he wins re-election . His coattails are now nil . He will not bring in Progressives to the House or Senate . He is not capable of dealing with intractable opposition . If a yet-more severe economic crisis does not happen before his election , it will soon after . And he and the Repubs and Blue Dogs will do next to nothing so long as BHO is President . <p> BHO advocates debt reduction measures in a recession .. while occasionally talking small strimulus . That is at best economically incoherent . I too like BHO . I supported him since 2008 . He is bright and articulate . But he has the wrong personality and policies for the crisis of his times . <p> 08/24/2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right , roi , about a primary challenge . You will note that I set the bar fairly high for my willingness to consider it . <p> I know not much about either economics or mass psychology , but I would think that the latter is part of the former . It surprises me that there is so little discussion these days of the role psychology plays in driving or suppressing consumption/demand . In fact , putting money in consumers ' hands is only half the story of a Keynesian stimulus is n't it ? Is n't the other half the consumer confidence that is created when the government injects money into the economy while announcing that it will stimulate the economy ? Is n't that at least in part what ... view full comment <p> I think you are probably right , roi , about a primary challenge . You will note that I set the bar fairly high for my willingness to consider it . <p> I know not much about either economics or mass psychology , but I would think that the latter is part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion these days of the role psychology plays in driving or suppressing consumption/demand . In fact , putting money in consumers ' hands is only half the story of a Keynesian stimulus is n't it ? Is n't the other half the consumer confidence that is created when the government injects money into the economy while announcing that it will stimulate the economy ? Is n't that at least in part what drives consumers to spend the additional money rather than save it ? <p> Since they 've gotten into power we 've been treated to the appalling spectacle of the House passing the Ryan budget , the Tea Party , secessionists , anti-science freaks , Governors ( who are popular in national polls yet ) leading MASS PRAYER RALLIES to pray for rain ... for heaven 's sake - and of course playing chicken with the debt ceiling which has made the rest of world think we are nuts . <p> Since they 've gotten into power we 've been treated to the appalling spectacle of the House passing the Ryan budget , the Tea Party , secessionists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls yet ) leading MASS PRAYER RALLIES to pray for rain ... for heaven 's sake - and of course playing chicken with the debt ceiling which has made the rest of world think we are nuts . <p> Obviously this has affected the economy . <p> In fact , I 'd say in order to improve our national lot in life , at some point somebody has to confront this religious stuff . I never would have imagined that evangelicals would obtain any nationally significant numbers yet alone use their belief system to gain political power . <p> But since they have , we should start rethinking the taxation of these churches . They are really making political speech and political policy while at the same time threatening to drive us back to the Middle Ages . <p> Alas this would then apply to all churches , synagogues , temples , mosques but so what . Religion and other forms of magical thinking are not helping matters especially when it comes to the environment but also , in many cases , basic human rights . Much of what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only bad for business it 's bad for everybody . And in fact - religion IS a business . <p> Beyond that , a core Constitutional principle is impacted when religious groups become political groups . We have no problem discussing " Islamism , " the Right is horrified at the idea of Shari'a law ; well , what are they doing , stripping women of our rights , the planet of any protection , seriously claiming that evolution is of the same educational value as " creationism " ? <p> This is threatening us on many levels , including economics - so the quickest solution would be to simply call it out and call it what it is : political power and money masquerading as private religious belief . <p> We can agree or disagree on whether single payer is the right term for this , but it 's a viable model which according to Krugman " relies on private insurance companies , using a combination of regulation and subsidies to ensure that everyone is covered . " He also says " the Massachusetts health reform more or less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " basically , it 's a plan to Swissify America , using regulation and subsidies to ensure universal coverage . " <p> We can agree or disagree on whether single payer is the right term for this , but it 's a viable model which according to Krugman " relies on private insurance companies , using a combination of regulation and subsidies to ensure that everyone is covered . " He also says " the Massachusetts health reform more or less follows the Swiss model .... " As for Obamacare , " basically , it 's a plan to Swissify America , using regulation and subsidies to ensure universal coverage . " <p> 08/24/2011 - 8:16am EDT roidubouloi <p> drof , <p> I do consider Obama to have turned out to be the wrong person in the wrong place . Not the personality type we needed , although perhaps he would have been had we not hit an economic crisis . But then , he also might not have been elected . In any case , I am hugely disappointed . <p> My problem with going in another direction is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a friend of mine was despairing . I said she should not worry , the Republicans would over-reach and be thrown out . The only question , said I , was how much damage they would do before that happened . In my wildest imagination , I never dreamt of the extent of the damage that Bush II would do . I am , quite frankly , terrifie ... view full comment <p> drof , <p> I do consider Obama to have turned out to be the wrong person in the wrong place . Not the personality type we needed , although perhaps he would have been had we not hit an economic crisis . But then , he also might not have been elected . In any case , I am hugely disappointed . <p> My problem with going in another direction is this : When Bush II stole his way into office , a friend of mine was despairing . I said she should not worry , the Republicans would over-reach and be thrown out . The only question , said I , was how much damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagination , I never dreamt of the extent of the damage that Bush II would do . I am , quite frankly , terrified of the damage another round of Republican governance would do to the country . We are wealthy and resilient , but not divinely blessed as some would have it . I am not sure how much we can take before there is a downward spiral from which we will not recover in a lifetime , which means perhaps not at all . <p> I think we are moving faster and faster toward a society that consists of a handful of ber-wealthy , a curtilage of an upper-middle class , and a vast number of struggling people , the former middle class , with few prospects . At the same time , our democracy is being , or is already , hollowed out by the power of money , a simulacrum of democracy . We are becoming a banana republic . I do n't know that the answer is for things to get as bad as possible , by electing Republicans , before they get better . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances are still the best by virtue of incumbency and his personal popularity . Even if he ends up being nothing more than the boy with his finger in the dike , the alternative could be much , much worse . <p> 08/24/2011 - 8:20am EDT roidubouloi <p> Universal coverage is a different issue , ballston . If we can not control costs , then universal coverage will only break the bank faster . My understanding of Obamacare is that that is exactly what it is designed to do , give everyone coverage and threaten to break the bank so quickly that the alternatives are either to eliminate healthcare for vast numbers of people or force us to adopt some type of direct government control of costs . The Swiss have that . I do n't see that Massachusetts does because that is considered verboten in America . Mass my have a similar formal structure , but without the key element , it is not going to rein in costs . <p> Universal coverage is a different issue , ballston . If we can not control costs , then universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Obamacare is that that is exactly what it is designed to do , give everyone coverage and threaten to break the bank so quickly that the alternatives are either to eliminate healthcare for vast numbers of people or force us to adopt some type of direct government control of costs . The Swiss have that . I do n't see that Massachusetts does because that is considered verboten in America . Mass my have a similar formal structure , but without the key element , it is not going to rein in costs . <p> 08/24/2011 - 8:24am EDT roidubouloi <p> Keynes himself sort of threw up his hands at the mass psychology part , Dhurtado , just labeling it " animal spirits " and leaving it at that . A real Keynesian stimulus tries to minimizing savings by direct employment of resources rather than passing out money . This is indeed a good part of why the Obama stimulus was inadequate , not only too small , but loaded up with un-Keynesian tax cuts courtesy of the wacko right-wing . Then , of course , having done its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right complains that it failed . Actually , it succeeded in stopping a free-fall , but it was not enough to kick a robust recovery . <p> Keynes himself sort of threw up his hands at the mass psychology part , Dhurtado , just labeling it " animal spirits " and leaving it at that . A real Keynesian stimulus tries to minimizing savings by direct employment of resources rather than passing out money . This is indeed a good part of why the Obama stimulus was inadequate , not only too small , but loaded up with un-Keynesian tax cuts courtesy of the wacko right-wing . Then , of course , having done its best to render the stimulus far too small , the right complains that it failed . Actually , it succeeded in stopping a free-fall , but it was not enough to kick a robust recovery . <p> 08/24/2011 - 8:54am EDT NR143296 <p> Hmmm ... roid . I have not read Keynes ' works , but it has always been my impression that Keynes regarded " animal spirits , " i.e. , psycholody , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not something that he simply brushed aside . Am I wrong ? And while it is certainly preferable for a stimulus to involve the government itself as both a consumer and an investor , rather than direct payments to consumers , the operative principle is still that money reaches the hands of consumers ( by means of their being employed ) , which in turn stimulates demand . Certainly psychology ( confidence , if you will ) , plays a large role in determining the extent to which consumers save or spend the new income . <p> Hmmm ... roid . I have not read Keynes ' works , but it has always been my impression that Keynes regarded " animal spirits , " i.e. , psycholody , to be integral to his theories , and that it was not something that he simply brushed aside . Am I wrong ? And while it is certainly preferable for a stimulus to involve the government itself as both a consumer and an investor , rather than direct payments to consumers , the operative principle is still that money reaches the hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which in turn stimulates demand . Certainly psychology ( confidence , if you will ) , plays a large role in determining the extent to which consumers save or spend the new income . <p> Dhurtado <p> 08/24/2011 - 9:05am EDT roidubouloi <p> Oh , he thought it was very important , he just did n't know what to say about it . So , he just gave it the label " animal spirits " and moved on to talk about other things . <p> Yes , increasing employment increases both confidence and spending . If people see the economy rising , they are less afraid to spend the money they have . It is a virtuous cycle , the opposite of the one that leads to depression . This is why it is referred to as " stimulus . " I think this is , however , poor language , as it assumes that the government spending has to disappear as soon as possible , that it is supposed to " stimulate " the economy and quick go away . But if we have idle resources , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment <p> Oh , he thought it was very important , he just did n't know what to say about it . So , he just gave it the label " animal spirits " and moved on to talk about other things . <p> Yes , increasing employment increases both confidence and spending . If people see the economy rising , they are less afraid to spend the money they have . It is a virtuous cycle , the opposite of the one that leads to depression . This is why it is referred to as " stimulus . " I think this is , however , poor language , as it assumes that the government spending has to disappear as soon as possible , that it is supposed to " stimulate " the economy and quick go away . But if we have idle resources , there is every good reason to put them to work building and doing things from which society benefits , for as long as unemployment remains above its full-employment level . As the gap between capacity and output shrinks and pressure for private spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want more private goods and fewer public goods . The whole supply side notion that there is some arbitrary line of too much in the way of public goods and

@@5042041 <h> Do you find the quick settings menu on the Nexus 7 annoying ? <p> Android 4.2 is great but what they did to notifications for the 7 inch tablet size is very annoying . <p> It is now beyond irritating to now constantly pull down quick settings when I wanted the notification pane instead . Pulling down from the left side for notifications and right side for quick settings makes sense for 10 inch tablets but on a 7 inch that is mostly held in portrait and lacks horizontal length when compared to their landscape 10 " counterparts , it is totally impractical in actual use . <p> For tablets this size it would 've made more sense for them to use the double swipe/2 finger swipe to get to quick settings , similar to the way it functions on 4.2 phones for these very reasons. ? <h> Re : Do you find the quick settings menu on the Nexus 7 annoying ? <p> My biggest problem is we 're not able to customize it . Settings and Auto Rotate were fine how they were before ( in the notification shade ) . The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth widgets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; I do n't know why they could n't just put a percentage in the statusbar . <p> Really the only new thing that 's useful to me is the brightness widget . I 'd rather go back to the 4.1 notifications and keep using Widgetsoid in the notification shade . <h> Re : Do you find the quick settings menu on the Nexus 7 annoying ? <p> Originally Posted by dominicanpapi4u <p> For the notifications slide on the left side and for setting on the right.it easy <p> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums <p> Well of course the motion is easy , but when I pull my notifications down , it 's usually with my thumb on the right hand side because that 's where I 'm holding it . It 's about muscle memory at this point , and 9 times out of 10 I 'm

@@5042141 <p> Your answer will be published for anyone to see and rate . Your answer will not be displayed immediately . If you 'd like to get expert points and benefit from positive ratings , please create a new account or login into an existing account below . <p> Your name or nickname : <p> If you 'd like to create a new account or access your existing account , put in your password here : <p> Your answer : <p> Check spelling <p> FAQS.ORG reserves the right to edit your answer as to improve its clarity . By submitting your answer you authorize FAQS.ORG to publish your answer on the WWW without any restrictions . You agree to hold harmless and indemnify FAQS.ORG against any claims , costs , or damages resulting from publishing your answer . <p> FAQS.ORG makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of the posts . Each post is the personal opinion of the poster . These posts are not intended to substitute for medical , tax , legal , investment , accounting , or other professional advice . FAQS.ORG does not endorse any opinion

@@5042241 <h> Investing in the Next Generation of Leaders <p> We believe in the power of capable , passionate , and empowered leaders , and throughout our history have made investments to identify new leaders and build leadership capacity within our program areas of interest . Despite these efforts , this is an area where much work can be done . <p> Moving forward , the Packard Foundation plans to explore how best to bring leaders of color into the field by identifying model leadership programs that are replicable and effective , and to work with key partners in seeding these efforts within our areas of interest . One such effort is a partnership with the Community Foundation for Monterey County to identify ,

@@5042341 <p> Do n't ignore your feelings . What you are feeling is normal . Write down your thoughts and feelings in a private journal . If you find they are impacting your life in negative ways , seek professional counseling . <p> Eat healthy meals . Drink water throughout the day . Exercise in the fresh air . Get regular sleep . Do something that will make you laugh or smile each day . You ca n't make life-giving decisions when you let your body suffer . <p> Communicate . Let your spouse know exactly how you feel and the consequences of the betrayal . If you do n't think you can verbally express all that you need to say , write a letter expressing your thoughts and feelings . Do n't hold anything back . Get it all out . <p> It is natural to be wary and cautious , but try not to push others away from you because your spouse has betrayed you . Just because one person violated your trust , does n't mean others will . Otherwise , you could become an angry , bitter , suspicious individual . <p> If you 've decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make a decision to trust again . Your spouse will need to show an understanding of what you have felt and experienced , and needs to prove that he/she is truly sorry , willing to change offending behaviors , and working on earning your trust once again . Your marriage ca n't be sustained if there is no trust between the two of you . <p> This is n't easy , but carrying anger and hostility in your heart is as physically and emotionally draining as carrying large , heavy buckets of water on your shoulders all day . Not being willing to let go of the hurt , or deciding to hold a grudge and not forgive , truly hurts you more than it hurts your spouse . <p> If the betrayal was so hurtful , that , after giving it some time and thought , you 've decided to divorce , then it is important that you spend some time reflecting on the situation . Be honest in asking yourself questions about what you could have done or possibly should have done differently . However , do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be betrayed . <p> Recognize that it is ok , even necessary , to go through the process of grief over the loss of trust and the sense of being betrayed . Mourning these losses will help you bring closure to this painful time

@@5042441 <h> Men <h> Women <p> For two weeks at the French Open , Rafael Nadal looked unbeatable , his mastery of clay confirmed again . Yet as Nadal climbed into the stands on Monday for a raucous celebration and an awkward hug with Lakers forward Pau Gasol , the clay-court season ended , as did Nadal 's sizable edge over his opposition . <p> Even then , it seemed as if he could sense the landscape shifting , from red to green to blue . As Nadal heads into the grass-court season and the hardcourt one beyond that , it would be foolish to think he will not contend for a title in every tournament . But he must also contend with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and others under conditions that are more favorable to them . <p> " I won four titles already this year in my favorite court . That 's clay , " Nadal said , as if his audience needed a reminder . " I do n't have that chance to play in my favorite court the rest of the season . That 's the calendar . " <p> Last year , Nadal won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trophy and headed off into the rest of the season . He did not win another tournament . It 's not that he played poorly , even if there were some rough patches in Montreal , Cincinnati and Shanghai . But Nadal still made the final at Wimbledon and at the United States Open , where he lost to Djokovic both times . <p> The questions now , since Nadal 's triumph at the French is the closest thing in tennis to a given , is whether he is playing at a level higher than in 2011 and whether that will carry over as the season chugs along . Nadal maintained he is playing better than he did last season , even on his favorite surface . <p> His rivalry with Djokovic should be central to the narrative of the rest of the season , although Federer remains a threat . Nadal has played in the last five Grand Slam finals , but lost three of them to Djokovic and won only at the French , albeit twice . <p> " You have to find your moments , " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect every time . I going to try to keep having chances to win , produce chances to win . I produced a lot of chances to win last year , but I lost almost every one . " <p> That was why Monday was so important , and less for the record at Roland Garros and more for Nadal 's own psyche . When rain delayed the final overnight , Nadal later admitted he felt nervous , anxious , and he read the same comic book three times before he fell asleep . <p> In his news conference , Nadal called his latest contest with Djokovic a " very complex final . " Nadal said as he listened to Spain 's national anthem , he thought about what it felt like to lose the final match of three consecutive Grand Slams , thought about how , as he gets older , " you give more value to these precious moments . " <p> Nadal , in response to a question about his superiority on clay , said fear had always driven him . He said his mental makeup , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was most central to his clay success . <p> But there is another side to that , and it seemed evident at both the United States Open and the Australian Open that Djokovic had dented Nadal 's confidence . <p> On Monday , as he held the silver French Open trophy in front of him , Nadal read the names of the champions who came before . He looked as assured as ever . And in his rivalry with Djokovic , where matches are won or lost by the slimmest margins , that last sliver of confidence can make the difference . He even sounded different than he had before . <p> " I ca n't deny this was probably my best season on clay , " Nadal said . <p> Downstairs from where Nadal spoke , his uncle and coach , Toni Nadal , said his nephew was unlucky to be born in the same era as Federer and Djokovic , two champions in their own right . The three of them have won 28 of the last 29 Grand Slam titles . <p> For years , Nadal staged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now with Djokovic . Nadal has 11 Grand Slam singles titles to show for it , but Toni Nadal seemed to say that in another era , his nephew would have won far more . <p> Nadal did not necessarily agree with that assessment . He said he felt lucky and unlucky all at once . The players , he said again , must pick their moments , give themselves a chance . <p> Near the end of Nadal 's news conference , he was asked if he knew that Borg retired at 26 , the same age Nadal turned last week . He shook his head and took questions in Spanish , then left the grounds and the red clay upon which he has lost only once in his career . The grass at Wimbledon awaited . <p> " Is impossible the future , no ? " he said . <h> A version of this article appeared in print on June 13 , 2012 , on page B 15 of the New York edition with the headline : For

@@5042541 <p> After hearing saxophonist Ernie Watts ' CD To The Point - Live At The Jazz Bakey , it 's easy to imagine that he possesses superhuman talents similar to those held by members of the fictional Fantastic Four . He breathes fire , can cool with ice , whip up a storm , and shape his sax sound in ways otherworldly . This is a powerful , yet sensitive , technically Herculean , yet human , complex yet elegantly beautiful player ? no , a marvel . <p> Soloing as an intro to the bop classic " Hot House , " a complex line laid over Cole Porter 's " What Is This Thing Called Love ? , " Watts tells you right up front that he taps into an energy and spirit that is universal and highly charged , while never allowing his awesome technique to saturate creativity . Dig the faster than light arpeggiated riffs that give the illusion of multiphonics . Awesome . <p> For years , Watts was the first call for reeds in the Hollywood studios , and after a decades long stint with Doc Severinsen and Johnny Carson 's Tonight Show orchestra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solo performer and as a featured member of bassist Charlie Haden 's group . Here he 's backed by a trio of Hollywood 's , and the world 's , best ? pianist David Witham ( for years musical director for guitarist George Benson ) , bassist Bob Lett ( of trumpeter Jack Sheldon 's Orchestra ) and drummer Bob Leatherbarrow . This group has performed together for over 20 years ? and it shows . The energy level is never let up . <p> Watts ' sensitivity and emotional control are spectacular on his own composition , " Season Of Change . " There is a uniqueness about his sound ? vocal , lyric at all speeds , clean , classical . He brings the listener into his sound and solo creations . With such a colossus at the helm , the crew steps up beautifully . Witham 's solos on this selection and elsewhere are tasteful , Lett also vocalises his solos and Leatherbarrow 's time and touch are pure grace . <p> " For Michael , " a Watts and Leatherbarrow original dedicated to the late saxophonist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Like Brecker , Watts fears no area on the instrument 's range and wrings out tones across the range of the horn . Picking up on Watts , Witham 's solo flows expressively . <p> In an interlude between selections , Watts modestly tells those lucky to be at the Jazz Bakery gig that the title tune is a culmination , a moment of truth , wherein a musician 's entire investment of time in their instrument is put right on the line . It is truth incarnate . And the truth here is that Watts , although he humbly states " I can not be John Coltrane , " is not only at the top of his game , but the top of the game . He approaches the doorstep to the saxophone pantheon with giant steps . <p> " Road Shoes , " a Watts original blues , aptly demonstrates that the composer can get down to root business and blow appropriately funky with the best of them . Witham 's tasteful comping , Bob Leatherbarrow 's drive and fills , and able support from Bruce Lett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " displays an almost Ellingtonian melodic line that Watts covers beautifully , lyrically and vocally . Watts knows his saxophone roots oh so well . You hear shades of the great alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges , as well as Coltrane in Watts ' beautifully classic , seductive sound . <p> David Witham 's pulsing vamp sends off " Reaching Up . " Watts takes the lead and indeed reaches up improvisationally . <p> The energy level across this CD is fever pitch . Watts and crew are indeed a Fantastic Four . The level of musicianship , improvisational skill and interplay among teammates is supreme . The recording and balance is excellent for a live session , so kudos to producer Tim Pinch as well . To The Point is an outstanding effort . And , yes , Ernie ,

@@5042641 <p> View full size Israel Leal / AP Men stand on top of a marine fender that was ripped from a dock after Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Mahahual , near Chetumal , Mexico , overnight Wednesday . <p> MIAMI ( AP ) -- An Atlantic hurricane season that got an early start is likely to stay busy and may produce a few more storms than originally predicted , U.S. forecasters said Thursday . The updated forecast for the season that runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 says there are dueling weather conditions that could also tamp down activity later in the six-month stretch . <p> A total of 12 to 17 tropical storms were expected to form through the season overall , with as many as five to eight hurricanes , forecasters said . Two to three of those could become major hurricanes , which have top winds of 111 mph or higher . So far this year there have been four tropical storms and two hurricanes . One of those -- Ernesto -- made landfall late Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane on Mexico 's Caribbean coast near its border with Belize . <p> In May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with four to eight strengthening into hurricanes . A normal Atlantic season produces 12 named storms , six hurricanes and three major hurricanes , based on a 30-year average , NOAA said . The 2011 hurricane season , one of the busiest on record with 19 named storms , produced Irene , one of the costliest storms in U.S. history . <p> Forecasters said warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures and wind patterns that favor storm formation mean chances are higher for an above-normal season , while the expected development of the El Nino pattern over the Pacific may suppress storms later in the season 's peak period . <p> The storm-feeding atmospheric and marine conditions are linked to an ongoing period of high activity for Atlantic hurricanes that began in 1995 , said Gerry Bell , the lead seasonal forecaster at NOAA 's Climate Prediction Center . <p> Early-season activity in the deep tropics off Africa 's coast , which produced Ernesto and Tropical Storm Florence early this month , also generally indicates a more active season , Bell said . " Conditions are more conducive right now , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as expected , " Bell said . <p> The weather phenomenon known as El Nino , which is expected to form this month or in September , warms Pacific waters near the equator and increases wind shear over the Atlantic , tearing storms apart . The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season runs from August through October . <p> " In May , we were uncertain about El Nino 's development and impact . Now we have a high confidence that El Nino will develop this month or next , but also that its influence will be delayed until later in the season , " Bell said . <p> The Atlantic hurricane season got off to an earlier-than-official start this year when Tropical Storm Alberto formed May 19 off the South Carolina coast . Forecasters name tropical storms when their top winds reach 39 mph ; hurricanes have winds of at least 74 mph . <p> No major hurricane has made a U.S. landfall in the last six years , since Hurricane Wilma cut across Florida in 2005 . This August marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew 's catastrophic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> Laura Furgione , acting director of NOAA 's National Weather Service , warned U.S. coastal residents not to be complacent about the risks of a hurricane striking their homes . Andrew was the first storm of a slow season that produced just six storms . <p> Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm as it drenched the Yucatan Peninsula , where it caused little damage . The storm spun into the southern Gulf of Mexico , crossing waters dotted with oil rigs operated by Mexico 's state oil company , and was expected Thursday to bring torrential rains

@@5042741 <h> Euclid 's proof that there are infinitely many primes <p> by John on February 13 , 2010 <p> Paul Erd ? s had this notion that God kept a book of the best proofs . Erd ? s called God 's book simply " the book . " Springer recently published Proofs from THE BOOK , a collection of elegant proofs that the authors suppose might be in God 's book . <p> For many mathematicians , the first proof that comes to mind as a candidate for a proof in the book is Euclid 's proof that there are infinitely many primes . The proof is so short and simple that it can almost be written within the 140-character limit of Twitter . I give the proof in my AlgebraFact Twitter account as follows . <p> There are infinitely many primes . Proof : If not , multiply all primes together and add 1 . Now you 've got a new prime . <p> Several people pointed out that I was a little too terse . If N is the supposed product of all primes + 1 , N itself does n't have to be a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is a new prime . The smallest prime factor of N must be a prime not on the list . Either way " you 've got a new prime , " but the proof above leaves out some important details . <p> Here 's an example . Suppose we believed the only primes were 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 11 , and 13 . Let N = 2*3*5*7*11*13 + 1 = 30031 . Now N can not be divisible by 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 11 , or 13 because there is a remainder of 1 when dividing N by any of these numbers . Maybe N is a new prime , or maybe N is composite but N has a prime factor not on our list . The latter turns out to be the case : 30031 = 59*509 . <p> If you can find a better summary of Euclid 's proof in 140 characters or less , please leave it in the

@@5042841 <p> " Follow Me Back Into The Sun " ( originally by The Rescues ) is Side Project 's first single . Wanting to show the versatility of a cappella they offer two different mixes of the song . Enjoy the power of the full mixed version or

@@5042941 E-mail : <p> Invalid E-mail address <h> Sending your article <h> Your article has been sent . <p> Only a week before the election for Massachusetts governor in 2002 , Democratic candidate Shannon O'Brien launched a television ad in which a laid-off steelworker accused Mitt Romney , O'Brien 's Republican opponent , of firing laborers at a Kansas City steel mill , leaving them without health insurance and destroying their families . <p> Eight years earlier , Senator Edward M. Kennedy deployed a similar attack -- with devastating effectiveness -- in a campaign against Romney , the wealthy founder of private equity firm Bain Capital . <p> But this time , Romney had a strong rebuttal , one that would become a bedrock of his political career for the next decade : He said he was not responsible for the struggles of the worker and his colleagues because he had left Bain Capital in February 1999 , two years before the Bain-owned steel mill went bankrupt . <p> It was a response echoed again and again in televised interviews Friday , as Romney did not budge from his position . " I had no role whatsoever in the management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told CBS . <p> The 2002 gubernatorial campaign , which Romney won , marked a major pivot in the narrative about his tenure at Bain Capital . From that time on , Romney , now the presumptive GOP nominee for president , began to describe Feb. 11 , 1999 -- the day he was named chief executive of the Salt Lake City Olympics organizing committee -- as the date on which he abdicated all control over Bain Capital and its business operations . <p> But until his run for governor -- and even before that campaign was underway in earnest , when he needed to prove sustained connections to Massachusetts in order to ward off a ballot challenge -- Romney had characterized his departure from Bain Capital more as a " leave of absence " in which he would be a " part-timer , " and not as an absolute separation from the thriving business he built and solely owned . <p> It was not until 2002 that Romney finalized a severance agreement with Bain , a 10-year deal with undisclosed terms that was retroactive to 1999 . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , appear to challenge his campaign 's assertion in a recent financial disclosure that Romney had " retired " from Bain in 1999 and " since February 11 , 1999 , Mr. Romney has not had any active role with any Bain Capital entity and has not been involved in the operations of any Bain Capital entity in any way . " <p> Financial disclosure forms Romney filed in Massachusetts indicate he earned at least $100,000 as a Bain " executive " in 2001 and 2002 , separate from investment earnings . <p> In addition , Bloomberg news service reported Friday , Romney is named as one of two managing members of Bain Capital Investors LLC in annual reports filed in Massachusetts as late as 2002 , " adding a new corporate entity to a growing number of Bain-related investments and funds that list the Republican presidential candidate as controlling the company three years after he said he left it . " <p> On the day after Romney took over the Winter Olympics , the Boston Herald reported that " Romney said he will stay on as a part-timer with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " <p> On July 19 , 1999 , a news release about the resignation of two Bain Capital managing directors describes Romney as CEO and " currently on a part-time leave of absence to head the Salt Lake City Olympic Committee . " <p> Romney is quoted in the release from Regan Communications of Boston as saying , " While we will miss them , we wish them well and look forward to working with them as they build their firm , " language that suggests he was still involved in Bain personnel matters . <p> A Harvard Business School bulletin from October 1999 reported that " Romney is currently on leave as CEO of Bain Capital " and not that he had " retired " from Bain . In a November 2000 interview with the Globe , Romney 's wife , Ann , said he had been forced to lessen , but not end entirely , his involvement with Bain Capital . <p> It was not until August 2001 that Romney announced he would not return to full-time management of Bain Capital at the conclusion of the Olympics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he left off , just as he had after two previous leaves of absence -- one from 1991 to 1992 to save Bain and Company from near-bankruptcy and another from late 1993 to 1994 to run for US Senate . <p> " When I left my employer in Massachusetts in February of 1999 to accept the Olympic assignment , " Romney testified before the state Ballot Law Commission on June 17 , 2002 , " I left on the basis of a leave of absence , indicating that I , by virtue of that title , would return at the end of the Olympics to my employment at Bain Capital , but subsequently decided not to do so and entered into a departure agreement with my former partners . " <p> Romney also testified that " there were a number of social trips and business trips that brought him back to Massachusetts , board meetings " while he was running the Olympics . He added that he remained on the boards of several companies , including the Lifelike Co. , in which Bain Capital held a stake until 2001 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney 's work in the private sector continued unbroken while he ran the Olympics . <p> " He succeeded in that three-year period in restoring confidence in the Olympic Games , closing that disastrous deficit and staging one of the most successful Olympic Games ever to occur on US soil , " said Peter L. Ebb from Ropes &; Gray . <p> " Now while all that was going on , very much in the public eye , what happened to his private and public ties to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ? And the answer is they continued unabated just as they had . " <p> The Romney campaign declined to comment on the record about whether the business trips and board meetings were related to Bain Capital obligations . <p> During this campaign , Romney 's team has not wavered from its position that he had no involvement with Bain Capital after Feb. 11 , 1999 . The firm has backed him , despite submitting Securities and that name Romney as " sole stockholder , chairman of the board , chief executive officer , and president " long after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mr. Romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 , " Bain Capital said in a statement Thursday . " Accordingly , Mr. Romney was reported in various capacities on SEC filings during this period . " <p> Other news outlets have reported material that supports the claims of Romney and Bain Capital . <p> Last week , FactCheck.org re-published part of an Associated Press story from April 1999 , two months after Romney took the Olympic job , which reported he had little time for anything else . Even celebrations of his wife 's 50th birthday and the couple 's 30th wedding anniversary reportedly had to be canceled . The AP also quoted a Romney friend , Bob White , as saying " Right now , he 's doing two , maybe three fulltime jobs , " running the Olympics . <p> As an elite competitor might log endless time in weight and film rooms , Romney put in 112-hour weeks at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Games , the AP reported . <p> Fortune magazine reported Thursday that it had obtained confidential offering documents Bain Capital gave to prospective investors in 2000 , ahead of the launch of its seventh private equity fund . <p> The prospectus lists " certain investment professionals responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the Brookside and Sankaty funds , which are affiliated funds of Fund VII . " <p> Fortune noted that Romney

@@5043041 <h> Related Articles <p> Las Vegas , NV ( KTNV ) -- Locals here in the Valley did their part to honor veterans by attending the annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Las Vegas . <p> Thousands of people showed up Sunday morning to honor the veterans who have served our country and put their life on the line for our freedom . Marching down 4th Street several groups , including members from the High School Jr . ROTC , walked with heads held high , bands played patriotic songs , and even Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts walked side by side to thank veterans . <p> Other organizations that work as support groups for many returning from war also made their way down the road . Meanwhile younger generations waved flags and learned what it means to respect and honor service men and women . <p> " It was something that I was n't taught in school , and I 'm kind of looking back now and wondering why I was n't taught that , and I 'm glad that he 's getting it , and I 'm glad there 's a lot more exposure going around for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her day to watch her son march in the parade . He is a member of his high school 's JROTC . <p> There were also several veterans here this weekend from around the country who have come to meet old friends . They say Las Vegas is the perfect meeting place to catch up and remember the soldiers who never

@@5043141 <h> Latest Blog Posts <p> Last week , OSTP Director John P. Holdren joined USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah in launching the Higher Education Solutions Network ( HESN ) -- a groundbreaking partnership between USAID and seven top universities that is designed to harness the ingenuity of faculty and students to help solve global development challenges . <p> The research ship , called Sikuliaq , which means " young sea ice " in the language of northern Alaska 's Inupiat people , is bound for ice-breaking adventures in the Arctic . Video courtesy of Val Ihde and the University of Alaska , Fairbanks . <p> Today two American chemists , Robert J. Lefkowitz of Duke University and Brian K. Kobilka of Stanford University , were awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry . OSTP is pleased to congratulate these exceptional scientists and celebrate their high achievement . <p> Last week , Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and 12 other international leaders officially launched the Equal Futures Partnership , a new multilateral initiative to break down barriers to women 's political participation and economic opportunity . <p> OSTP proudly congratulates American physicist David J. Wineland , of the National Institute of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Commerce , who today earned the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics . <p> Envision an easy-to-use software package that lets a building owner perform virtual energy audits at a fraction of the cost of in-person audits , so real savings are calculated instantly , building upgrades launched sooner , and construction jobs created faster.These are the kinds of advances that are on display today at the White House as more than 150 of America 's entrepreneurs , software developers , energy experts , and policy makers come together for an Energy Datapalooza . <h> US IGNITE <p> On June 14 , 2012 , the President signed an Executive Order to make broadband construction along Federal roadways and properties up to 90 percent cheaper and more efficient . Additionally , the White House announced that nearly 100 partners -- including cities , national research institutions , and industry supporters -- have formed a new public-private partnership called " US Ignite . " The US Ignite Partnership will create a new wave of services that take advantage of state-of-the-art broadband networks running up to 100 times faster than today 's Internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2012 , OSTP released a comprehensive report detailing the use of prizes and competitions by agencies to spur innovation and solve grand challenges . Those efforts have expanded in recent months under the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 , which granted all Federal agencies authority to conduct prize competitions to spur innovation , solve tough problems , and advance their core missions . <h> WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE FAIR <p> On February 7th , 2012 , President Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science , technology , engineering and math ( STEM ) competitions from across the country . The President announced key steps the Administration and its partners are taking to help more students excel in

@@5043241 <h> The Docket Blog <p> States intending to vote in the U.N . General Assembly ( UNGA ) in favor of granting non-member " state " observer status to " Palestine " are showing a stunning disregard for international law and the troubling ramifications of such a move -- which would extend far beyond the Israeli-Palestinian arena . At the moment , the " Palestinian entity , " although it lays claim to the entire West Bank , East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip , consists only of limited autonomy in Continue Reading ... <p> Hamas terrorists are not only launching hundreds of Rockets at Israeli civilians , they are using Palestinian children as human shields . The Palestinian terrorists intentionally set up a launch site for their Fajr 5 rockets next to a children 's playground in Gaza . As you can clearly see from the picture above provided by the Israel Defense Forces ( IDF ) , the launch site for their terrorist rockets is half a block away from a place of worship , a playground , and numerous other civilian targe Continue Reading ... <p> If the past is any guide , increased conflict in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , frivolous accusations of Israeli war crimes , and perhaps even complaints to the International Criminal Court . Before the outcry even has a chance to build , it 's important to remember how the Law of Armed Conflict ( LOAC ) actually applies to Gaza . The fundamental aim of LOAC is to prevent unnecessary casualties and destruction within the context of military conflict . In p Continue Reading ... <p> The situation in the Middle East is quickly escalating . Israel continues to be targeted by terrorists , with nearly 300 rockets fired into Israel from Gaza in the past few days . The latest casualties : 3 Israeli citizens killed when one of the rockets slammed into their apartment building . A young child was also critically wounded . Now , an even more troubling development . Late today , two rockets struck near Tel Aviv , deep inside Israel . Until now , the rocket fire had been confined to the border Continue Reading ... <p> There are reports that the FBI notified Attorney General Eric Holder months ago that former CIA Director David Petraeus ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petraeus has now admitted - his involvement in an extramarital affair . Holder never told the President . The White House says it first became aware of the Petraeus investigation and affair last Wednesday - the day after the election . The President accepted Petraeus ' resignation two days later . Here 's the ques Continue Reading ... <p> All eyes are on the Middle East - and the United Nations . Israel is under attack . In recent days , Syria launched mortar attacks into Israel 's Golan Heights . Israel was forced to respond , scoring direct hits on the Syrian artillery positions . And in the south , Israel continues to be the target of violence from Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip - rocket fire that 's been underway for days . In fact , more than 124 rockets have struck Israel in the past three days . Israel 's Defense Minister E Continue Reading ... <p> A historic war memorial known as the Mojave Desert Cross was returned to its rightful place in a fitting Veterans Day ceremony at Sunrise Rock . The nearly 80-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade-long legal battle as the ACLU sought to have it removed from what was then federal land . The case went all the way to the Supreme Court , and the high Court overturned a lower court ruling which had held the cross unconstitutional . Earlier this year , a settlement was reached tr Continue Reading ... <p> On November 11th of each year , we pause to reflect on the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces . Our nation 's veterans - many of whom have given their lives in defense of our freedoms - to protect our constitutional rights . On this Veterans Day , it seems a bit different , though . The nation has just been through a bruising election . The country remains strongly divided on numerous issues . And , America remains at war - men and women continue to serve and are placed Continue Reading ... <p> The ACLJ 's international affiliate , the European Centre for Law and Justice ( ECLJ ) , was given the opportunity to make a submission in defense of Israel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Fact-Finding Mission on Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory . The ECLJ took issue with the fact-finding mission 's basis that Israel is an " occupying " force , noting that the UNHRC has come under considerable criticism , including f Continue Reading ... <p> " This election is over , but our principles endure . " - Gov . Mitt Romney , conceding 2012 presidential election In the wake of the reelection of President Barack Obama , many conservatives are understandably discouraged . It is natural to feel momentarily defeated when a setback occurs . However , conservatives must remember that we fight for specific principles not because they are politically expedient , but because we believe those principles provide people with the greatest opport Continue Reading ... <h> SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES <p> Yes ! Please keep me updated with informative emails from ACLJ <h> About ACLJ - The American Center for Law and Justice <p> Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow , the ACLJ focuses on constitutional and human rights law worldwide . Based in Washington , D.C. , with affiliated offices in Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zimbabwe , the ACLJ is pro-life and dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable , God-given rights for all people . The ACLJ engages legal , legislative , and cultural issues by implementing an effective strategy of advocacy , education , and litigation that includes representing clients before the

@@5043341 <h> Questions from the TV show , " Lie to Me " <p> The show " Lie to Me " has once more demonstrated the power of television and the media . I say that because I have seen this several times before . Let me explain . When the movie Silence of the Lambs came out and later several TV shows about " criminal profiling " followed , suddenly my university students all seemed to want to be " criminal profilers . " This in spite of the fact that most good investigators do their own " criminal analysis " ( read profiling ) without the need of a full time profiler . The emails I received also echoed interest in profiling from as far away as Australia and Turkey , to the tune of about several dozen per week . <p> Later when the CSI TV series came out , profiling was no longer in vogue and my students wanted to be Crime Scene Investigators . Once again they did n't realize that in most police departments you do n't actually want to be the Crime Scene Investigator ( trust me - it is dirty , smelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you want to do is be the detective . Here too emails soon followed and still do , mirroring this media driven desire to become a criminalist . <h> Find Local : <p> So it was not surprising to me when the show " Lie to Me " gained popularity and the emails started to flow to me via my website asking me all sort of questions about the show ; where you could get a job like that , the honesty of the claims they were making , and whether or not you really could tell if people were lying as they claim . <p> Having seen the first two shows , I can see why people are so interested and fascinated by the show and how nonverbals can be used to detect deception . <p> After fielding many questions by email and via Twitter , it is time to set the record straight here in my Psychology Today Blog where I can reach the most people all at once . <p> Before I do so , I have to say , the questions are all fair and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not reality and reality is often much different than the hundreds of hours of fictional pulp we have been fed . So here are the questions I am most often asked and my answer to each : <p> Question : Is it true that you can detect deception as easily as they demonstrate on the show ? <p> Answer : No ! Nooo ! Nooooo ! It is not that easy . In fact detecting deception is very difficult . As Paul Ekman , the dean of deception research since the 1980s ( and who is the consultant to the show ) has demonstrated , over and over , along with other researchers : we humans are no better than chance , 50-50 at detecting deception . You might as well toss a coin and call heads or tails . <p> Question : What about the so called " Wizards " who are better than chance at detecting deception ? <p> Answer : Studies on the so called " Wizards " ( poor choice of name as it suggests a bit of black magic to what should be science based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few of us ( I have heard everything from less than 1% of the population to less than 30 out of 14,000 tested ) rise well above chance ( 68% ) at detecting deception . <p> That is all fine and good , but most of us do n't carry a Wizard with us to help us sort things out when we need them the most . While it is interesting that there are " Wizards " out there , in practical terms it is no more than a curiosity . There are over 17,000 individual police departments in the US and there are tens of thousands of interviews being conducted at any one moment ; you can no more count on having one of these " Wizards " there to help you than you can count on a polygraph examination during a traffic stop wherever that may be . There are n't that many and it 's not cost effective . <p> And so when I hear students who want to be tested to be a Wizard , or email me to take the " Wizard test " ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what for ? To me that 's like taking an IQ test to see how you score . Now what ? <p> I remind students and those that email me that while these so called " Wizards " have been tested in laboratory settings , police work is not so neat and clean . Over 95% of all police interviews are done on the street : car stops , in doorways ( domestic situations ) , in the presence of others , in noisy dangerous environments under limited or poor lighting conditions . That is much different than in a quiet laboratory without distractions where you can concentrate fully . <p> Question : What about culture ? <p> Answer : Good question , the show " Lie to Me " does n't appear to take into account culture or its significance in discerning deception , but then a lot of research into deception does n't either . For example , African Americans and many people from Latin America are taught to look down or away when confronted by authority figures ( parents , elders , police ) as a sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions a week about looking down or away as a sign of deception . It is not indicative of deception even though many people believe that it is . In fact , in my experience and that of some researchers , pathological liars actually engage in more eye contact , not less . <p> And it is not just TV . I have talked to researchers in the area of nonverbals who are not familiar with cultural influences in detecting deception because they base their research in the laboratory . For instance , the nose crinkle is often performed as a sign of disgust . And yet , as I explained to one major researcher , you have to be careful because in the Caribbean , especially in Cuba , Puerto Rico , Dominican Republic , even in Miami now , the nose crinkle is used to say , " How may I help you ? Or What do you want ? , " and it has nothing to do with disgust . The researcher had never heard of this behavior and yet when I asked Puerto Rican students in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his astonishment . <p> Question : What about contempt , that seems to be a good indicator of deception , right ? <p> Answer : Wrong . There is no single indicator of deception , and contempt is not , I repeat , not an indicator of deception . As I stated in What Every Body is Saying and reiterated in my latest book " Clues to Deceit , " quoting from my friend and nonverbal researcher Dr. Mark Frank , there is no " Pinocchio Effect , " no single behavior indicative of deception . " But on the show , " they say , " contempt is shown definitively as a sign of deception . " The answer is still no ! <p> The truth about contempt is that criminals and guilty people often show signs of contempt when being interviewed . However , just walk through a neighborhood you do n't belong in as a police officer and you will see over and over again signs of contempt , even from the innocent . Contempt is displayed not because they have guilty knowledge or committed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you as an officer or what you represent . <p> In Latin America you see contempt from the honest person who is of high status but is being questioned by someone deemed by them of lower status or of lesser education or social ranking . I have also seen contempt from the pathologically narcissistic as they react to questions from those they deem below them , which is just about everybody in their eyes . So I would caution anyone to claim or proclaim they can tell someone is lying just from displays of contempt , that is just absolute unsubstantiated rubbish . <p> Question : What about facial cues and micro-expressions , are n't they reliable indicators of deception ? <p> Answer : No , and they never have been ! They are accurate indicators of sentiments and feelings and of psychological discomfort leaking out , but not necessarily of deception . Many times when we see these facial cues or fast ( tachy-expressions is probably more accurate as they are not so much small : micro as they are fast : tachy ) expressions they are indicative of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is causing that . Obviously if they react to certain questions only with indicators of discomfort then the interviewer needs to explore why . But one can never assume to know that these behaviors are manifestations of deception . In one case , I have previously written about , a woman showed multiple micro-expressions during the interview , but it was because of her concern about her car getting a parking ticket because the parking meter was running out , not because she was lying . Here the expressions were

@@5043441 <h> Who is in the news ? Dr. Harry Arvanis <p> Dr. Harry Arvanis has been given the Denny Jacobs Public Servant Award by the city of East Moline . <p> Arvanis , a graduate of United Township High School , was a teacher at United Township for 37 years . He coached football and wrestling for more than 20 years . He currently is on the UT school board . <p> He also has served on the East Moline Park Board for many years and was involved in the creation of the Empire Park playground area . <p> Arvanis has run the program servicing the adult softball leagues and added the girls ASA teams to the program . In addition , he has umpired in

@@5043541 <h> Amazon 's Hans Zimmer Store <h> Music <h> Photos <h> Biography <p> If you have been to the cinema or watched a DVD in the last 20 years , it 's likely you have heard a Hans Zimmer track . Born in Germany in 1957 , the keyboard player and writer began his career in the early 1980 's electronic bands Ultravox and The Buggles , and with an Italian new wave band Krisma , playing on their third album Cathode Mama . <p> This is one of my favorite CD 's because of it 's variety and simplicity in the nostalgia . However , the song that really stands out on this CD is Carole King 's " Now and Forever . " It 's a great song abotu friendships and those special bonds we have with certain people in our lives . <p> Billy Joel contributes an old jazz number that is so smooth you can butter toast with it ! Art Garfunkel adds his oldie to bring to mind the classy romantic moments between couples from days past . <p> Hans Zimmer 's score for the film is also included and shows his musical genius @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full of variety yet all have a thread of nostalgia woven through each song . <p> The strength in this CD is through the finely chosen songs . Even with the omission of Madonna 's " This used to be My Playground , " this soundtrack album still is n't lost without it . It 's found its own way into my CD collection and will stay there . <p> Wow ... sometimes you listen to a soundtrack and half of the songs are n't even in the movie itself . This is not the case with this CD . Every song is from the movie , which , in essence , is what a soundtrack should be . The only bad part is that the CD does n't have Madonna 's song , " This Used to Be My Playground . " <p> I am not sure if the previous reviewers are still looking for the above-mentioned song , but you can definitely find it on Madonna 's ballad album , " Something to Remember . " It has the beloved , " This Used To Be .. " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " from the 80s film " At Close Range " with

@@5043641 <h> Source <h> Abstract <h> OBJECTIVES : <p> The hampered ability to cry in patients with Sjgren 's syndrome may affect their ways of dealing with emotions . The aim of this study was to examine differences in emotion processing and regulation between people with and without Sjgren 's syndrome and correlations of emotion processing and regulation with mental well-being . <h> RESULTS : <p> Criteria for clinical alexithymia applied to 22% of the patients and 12% of the control participants ; patients had significantly more difficulty identifying feelings than control participants . No other significant differences in emotion processing and emotion regulation were found . In patients , the emotion processing styles affect intensity and alexithymia ( 0.32&lt;r&lt;0.51 ) and the emotion regulation strategy suppression of emotions ( r=0.13 ) significantly correlated with worse mental well-being , which is about similar to control participants . <h> CONCLUSIONS : <p> Processing and regulating emotions in patients with Sjgren 's syndrome does not deviate from normal with one exception : a relatively large number of patients is alexithymic . As in the general population , in patients with Sjgren 's syndrome the more intense and deficient processing and regulation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicates that , except for selected patients , processing and regulation of emotions is not a key therapeutic

@@5043741 <h> Near-average temps next few days <p> COLD START : Most of the area is below freezing . With a NW/W wind 5-10mph it drops the wind chill to the low 20s and upper teens . <p> NEAR-AVERAGE TEMPS : The average high today in Lubbock is 64 , which is our forecast for the afternoon . A beautiful blue sky , wind S 5-15mph . Sunset tonight 5:45 p.m . <p> We 'll see a few areas with a brief freeze tonight , mainly north and west of Lubbock . It might even drop below freezing breifly around Lubbock . Some more clouds will move this way tomorrow and Friday , a mostly sunny sky still ... high near 66 tomorrow , 62 on Friday . <p> A weak front will work across the Panhandle tomorrow then across most of our area Friday . It really is n't much of a temperature difference , just a subtle wind shift and a slight drop in the temp Friday . <p> PLAYOFF FOOTBALLL : For the high school games both tomorrow and Friday evenings you can expect a 7p temp in the mid to lower 50s falling into the 40s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday games across West Texas . <p> WEEKEND : It 'll turn a little warmer , 60s and 70s across the area . Also models show a little more mid-level moisture moving this way , meaning just a few more clouds moving in from the west . There are n't any significant signs of rain any time soon . A few model runs have shown some rain in the region by next Monday , mainly east of our area . We 'll watch this but for now expect a dry pattern for the next week . <p> An early look ahead to Thanksgiving looks quiet across Texas , New Mexico and Oklahoma . There might be a little rain over Deep South Texas . Keep in mind this is long-range data , which will likely change a bit before next Thursday . <p> Have a great Wednesday . Rudy will

@@5043841 <h> Trending Now <h> Discover Yahoo ! With Your Friends <h> YOUR FRIENDS ' ACTIVITY <h> Movie buzz more likely to spread by word-of-mouth than social networks <p> By Brent Lang Reuters -- Tue , Oct 2 , 2012 8:32 PM EDT <p> LOS ANGELES ( TheWrap.com ) - In an increasingly interconnected world , people still favor good old fashioned word-of-mouth to Twitter and Facebook to share their thoughts about upcoming movies , according to a new study on social media buzz by Ipsos MediaCT 's Motion Picture Group . <p> Surprisingly , those who do use the internet to vent or rave about movies tend to be those over 25 years old , not the younger set who grew up with an iPad or iPhone in their mitts . <p> To come up with its numbers , the research company surveyed 1,200 people nationwide between the ages of 13 to 49 . Those surveyed were evenly divided by men and women . Of those , only 12 percent prefer communicating with family online , while 24 percent prefer interacting with friends that way . <p> " We are living in a digital world , but it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president of Ipsos ' worldwide motion picture group , told the audience at TheGrill conference at the London West Hollywood presented by TheWrap . <p> " It 's not like the quality of movies has changed much , " he added . " Bad movies drop on their second weekend , but good movies do n't stay around any longer than they did in ' 80s . In fact they drop faster than when the way to spread mouth was the old fashioned face-to-face . " <p> Moreover , even in an age where microblogging and Facebook " liking " are the rage , people are more likely to read or reply to comments online than they are to post something themselves or to share content or links with others . Some 75 percent of people read through posts at least a few times a week , 61 percent reply to comments and 58 percent comment on someone else 's posts . <p> " Most people do n't post if they do n't feel strongly , " Bruzzese told the audience at TheGrill . <p> Less than half post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news or politics . <p> When it comes to buzz , there are three varieties , Bruzzese said . The first is dubbed " discovery " and centers on people who want to know about upcoming movies as early as possible and rarely change their opinion . <p> The second is christened " commentary " and encompasses all of the talk leading up to a release and the people it influences ; the third is called " planning " and involves those people who only buy tickets if other people they know are going to catch a film . <p> The good news for worried movie marketers determined to stifle bad buzz is that those who take to Twitter or Facebook primarily are motivated to post about a movie they 're excited to see or enjoy - not to warn people about an impending turkey . Eighty-five percent of people post when they are excited about something . <p> But lots of online chatter is not the major thing influencing ticket-buying . The team at Ipsos found that 71 percent of people were most likely to catch a flick if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were prompted to hit the cinema after having someone recommend a movie . <p> Least influential were the amount of posts about a movie , which motivated 39 percent of people , and the number of positive comments online , which motivated 37 percent . <p> " Only a small percent , 10 percent , post when they really do n't like something , " he said at TheGrill . <p> When it comes to movie buzz , it 's little surprise that those driving the conversation tend to be habitual moviegoers , which Ipsos defines as people who see more than six movies a year . Moviegoers tend to watch trailers for movies ( 43 percent compared to 35 percent of non-moviegoers ) and the post about content ( 37 percent compared to 31 percent ) several times a week or more . <p> Moving beyond buzz building and into content consumption , the study found that people are still watching shows and movies on their televisions than they are relying on mobile devices . Fifty eight percent of people said they are likely to watch programs on televisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> Only 18 percent were likely to use a smartphone , while 11 percent were likely to use a tablet . <p> umm of course as most of us would trust people we speak with rather than some random bodies just texting babble . Socail media is suspect at best as there are plenty of fakes out there , individuals and corporations alike ..... I trust little I read or see on the internet and buy nothing from it . <p> Perhaps , but when was the last time a movie came out worth buzzing about ? Movietrailers ? are you kidding me ... and I thought most movies were a waste of time ... an advertisement about a movie ? seriously ? is n't that kind of like

@@5043941 <p> What did you do last weekend ? Sleep in ; watch cartoons ? How about brainstorming new ideas to make the world a better place ? That 's what student leaders in DC , Colorado , and LA just did ... <p> They spent this weekend brainstorming , collaborating , creating and laughing with other high school students from around town . What they learned was that while they are hard at work in their own high schools : combating apathy , working through bureaucratic red tape and celebrating the little successes ; they are not alone . <p> There is a network of people in their cities working on the same obstacles and finding effective solutions . This sense of shared responsibility was palpable throughout the day and felt invigorating and inspiring . <p> As an educator , I 've had plenty of moments where I 've " gotten the chills " from watching a student created video , seeing students in action sorting through trash on a locker clean out day , or hearing a particularly passionate student leader rally her fellow students at an action team meeting . <p> For me , I became an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every day , I get the opportunity to help build a movement that will save the polar bears , motivate us to listen to one another and create a community of passionate , like-minded individuals who work to create justice for human and non-human species with every fiber of our being . <p> We got one step closer to that community when the student leaders at each of these trainings " got together " to share their creative visions . <p> Yes , it was 2:15 pm in DC , time for lunch in Colorado and only 11:15 am in LA . But through the use of a bit of technology , we used our modern day super hero powers and teleported into cyber space . <p> Each training group flexed their musical muscles to develop region specific raps that showed off a bit of regional flare . DC was chillin ' , Colorado used a trash can and recycle bin to create a groovy beat , and LA showed a bit of synchronicity . <p> We got the solar heat that we can beat Making our energy a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the climate 's fly That 's why we 're helping out with 1Sky <p> Climate needs , earth needs , water climate need to make it more green Knowing how to do it without a lot of bling And learning how to carry on effective meetings To be a green Earth , we got ta act now If we want change , it has to happen now <p> Colorado Rap It 's the C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O Blowing up with ACE , do n't you know . We 're doing something great for the environment LA &; DC are also trying it . <p> Colorado seems straight out of a dream . With mountain streams so fresh and so clean ( so clean , so clean , so clean ) . <p> We have a smart grid city . Because the Earth is really pretty . <p> If you reduce , recycle , and reuse . You wo n't get those wasting blues . <p> In Colorado , we like our snow . So , to climate change , WE SAY NO ! <p> SoCal Rap Here in the LA with our diversity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LA ! <p> We recycle a ton in a year We 're scared species will disappear We have beaches , mountains , and deserts here <h> Tags : <p> We are ACE Alumni who are continuing our environmental efforts post high school . We 'll be blogging about a range of eco-friendly topics . Check back soon for more posts ! <h> Comments <p> http : //www.solarhotusa.com solar heating <p> Solar Water Heaters in fact help in multiple ways and continue to serve their purpose for well over 30 years after they are installed . On the maintenance front as well , Solar Water Heating Systems run at top efficiency and

@@5044041 <p> I think roboticus nailed the biggest one . You 're doing two things in that one line that are killers to performance . <p> The first , which is probably the smaller one , is shelling out . The fact that you 're forking a second process ( overhead ) and execing something else ( reinitialising the C library , parsing parameters , etc. , more overhead ) , well , that 's a lot of overhead . Especially for things that Perl can do internally nearly as quickly , but without the overhead . <p> The second , and larger , problem is that this subprocess is scanning your 2-million-record file from the beginning each time . That is , it opens the file ( overhead ) , and then reads each record one at a time , looking at each byte for record-ending text ( the n character ) , counting them up to find the specific record you need . <p> The minor issue is the way you get rid of leading/ending spaces ( see this stackoverflow question though I 'm sure we 've covered it here , too ) . <p> As for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad . Say 500 bytes per line on average , that 's 1GB . Perl adds some overhead , but if you were to load each record into an array , you 're looking at less than 1.25GB of RAM , which is fairly minor for most ( but definitely not all ) systems . It 'd be a bit of a strain on many systems , but not beyond the realm of reason , especially if it can save you 20+ minutes of processing time ( I 'm hesitant to say how much you will actually save , but I 'm guessing more than that ) . <p> If you 're actually on a system where this is an issue , even Tie : : File can save a ton of time just because it will cache file offsets for records so you 'll only scan through the file a handful of times . <p> Hope that helps . <p> Comment on Re : Need help to fine tune perl script to make it faster ( currently taking more than 30 minutes ) <p> Dear ALL , many thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use a perl one-liner effectively within this script to achieve the result instead of using unix " sed " command ? im very new to perl scripting , thanks for all your help .. <p> I do n't see how that would work . You 're proposing fixing a performance issue caused by fork/exec/re-reading a large file from the beginning on each iteration , by doing exactly the same thing but with a virtual machine added in the middle instead of optimised C code ? This is n't a perl-specific question you 're asking , it 's fairly generic . The proposed solutions ( e.g. , Tie : : File ) include some perl-specific suggestions , and some that are n't ( read the file into memory as a list/array - you can do that in C++ with the STL fairly easily , and Java should make it pretty simple , too ) , but the general issue is language-agnostic . <p> Instead , if you read it all into memory , you can use likely just a line to duplicate . Without testing or even compiling : <p> Assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of your time . Note that there are better/faster ways to do this , but this will get you most of the benefit for the least amount of effort . Many of those better ways are actually embedded in Tie : : File , IIRC ( reading only as many lines as is currently needed , continuing from where you left off , maybe you do n't need to read the entire file , this may also allow the OS to continue reading the file in the background to fill up your input buffers while you go do other work , that type of thing ) . <p> Thank you so much for your genuine help and time ! Appreciate much ! This piece of code you have suggested ( without using Tie : : File ) , works perfectly fine . now the whole processing takes only a second . I have heard always perl is very fast , now saw its performance . thanks again for making me a PERL fan too : - ) <p> And if the data do not fit in memory and Tie : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data from readsource into an array tied to BerkeleyDB : : Recno . That way the data are on disk

@@5044141 <p> WATERTOWN , Mass. -- ( BUSINESS WIRE ) --FORMA Therapeutics today announced the appointment of Peter Wirth , former Executive Vice President , Legal and Corporate Development , Chief Risk Officer and Corporate Secretary of Genzyme , as Chairman of the Board of Directors . Mr. Wirth will replace Alexis Borisy

@@5044241 <p> Is the independent vote overrated ? In our latest installment looking at the exit polls from last week 's presidential election , here 's something you might not have known : Romney actually won the independent vote , 50%-45% . So now twice in the last three elections -- in 2004 and 2012 -- the winner has lost the indie vote . What does this mean ? Well , party ID appears to matter much more : In 2004 , it was even ; in 2008 , it was D+7 ; and last week , it was D+6 . Also , many polls have different ways of deciding who is an " independent " ; some pollsters include " lean Dems and lean GOPers " in their independent number which lately has given the indie number a GOP skew . If you move the leaners into their own parties , then you get a more pure indie subgroup ( and you also realize how really small of a subgroup it is ) . <p> The day before the election Mark Halperin could n't understand how President Obama could possibly be ahead in so many swing states while losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class that 2010 " independents turned against Obama . " One could cite pundit after pundit who believed in the supremacy of independents . More Halperin on Morning Joe , in a quote blasted all over Breitbart and Drudge : <p> Even in the Michigan Q poll that shows the President leading substantially , he 's losing independents . That is the strongest argument the Romney campaign will make against all these polls that show the president up . Which is , you may be oversampling Democrats in some of these polls . If Romney 's winning independents in Ohio they think he 's gon na win . <p> Wrong . More Democratic leaning independents are proud to call themselves Democrats under the leadership of President Obama . Republicans want to be independent because the Republican brand ranks slightly below gangrene in favorability . In 2010 , their independents turned out and ours did n't . This year , more of ours preferred to be called Democrat . No oversampling , just pride . <p> Nate Silver began his work here at Daily Kos . So did Sam Wang . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jed Lewison and David Nir provide some of the best political analysis in the business . Our polling is at the very top of accuracy . The number crunching of folks like dreaminonempty and MattTX provide some of the most thorough in depth electoral analysis you can find . And our guy called the election dead on . You never once heard any of that ridiculous " it 's a toss up " garbage coming from these pages . Time after time after time , we prove ourselves concise , accurate , truthful and prescient . On issue after issue , election after election , our reality has a consistent bias towards being the truth . <p> It might come as a shock to " very serious people " that I ask why it is the media pundits get so much exposure despite being consistently wrong ( or far behind ) about everything . Obviously , because we are just Cheeto-eating basement dwellers , we do n't deserve the spotlight . While we can not expect to get anything close to the exposure of a Mark Halperin or a Dick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " . A tag like " reform " alone is probably not meaningful . <p> In fact I want to see more diaries based on more in depth thought of issues rather than the many knee jerk reactions to corporate media story du jour . If we want to drive the narrative we have to stop taking so many cues from them . <p> make triple figures for spouting off nonsense . They have no desire to give respect to rabble like Daily Kos . They are income brackets and elite housing so they could n't care less about how ordinary people live . <p> the site does look pretty damn screwball when we rec up crap like this . or get all caught up in personal drama narratives , like the nephew bullshit . <p> with stuff like that being elevated to prominence , we have to expect to not be taken seriously . <p> so make up your minds , mang. you want to be like a newspaper/media ? act like one . but when the rec list , being subject to the whims of member recs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diaries , and nonsense , it hardly commands respect . <p> Please do n't dominate the rap , Jack , if you got nothin ' new to say - Grateful Dead <p> national newspapers ' websites are filled with nonsense about how COMRADE OBUMMER HAS A MUSLIM RING or whatever , and that does n't stop them from getting respect . <p> I think trained journalists are perfectly capable of drawing a distinction between front-page posters backed by the editors of Daily Kos and random people writing diaries , regardless of how many recs those diaries have . <p> The reason they refuse to draw that distinction has everything to do with the way sites like Daily Kos threaten their hegemony over journalism . It must infuriate them that we can do journalism better than they can despite having ( for the most part ) less experience and no formal training . <p> I 'm a biologist and so can not resist ! Remoras do not suck the blood of their host ; they use the host fish as transport and feed off leftovers from its kills , and sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the class osteichthyes , or the boney fish group . <p> On the other hand , a lamprey is from a far more ancient group of fishes , the agnatha . These do not have paired fins or a boney skeleton like modern fishes , but they do suck the blood of their host . <p> Remoras and their hosts host share a commensalistic relationship , wherein one species benefits but has a neutral impact on its host , whereas lampreys are parasitic of their hosts . <p> Therefore , the political class is like unto a lamprey if you are going for bloodsucking , or like a remora if eating feces is your preferred analogy . <p> fifty years ago i was smelt dipping in Lake Huron , I reached into my net and pulled out a lamprey . That was not a particularly pleasant moment , but became something i would occasionally remember , like , for instance , now . <p> ... sin that pays its way can travel freely , and without a passport , whereas Virtue , if a pauper is stopped at all frontiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minutes " Sunday that Americans are turning into a collection of historical illiterates . We have an entire political party who will not submit to fact-checking and is on the record of being able to " make reality . " No wonder we are such historical illiterates when the Republicans and Fox News consistently rewrite . <p> And it feels like I 'm livin'in the wasteland of the free Iris DeMent , 1996 <p> that the past is nearly useless to them , and of little interest to them . <p> Not only that - but the only history that most Americans know is a history that is White America-friendly ( and White Conquistador/Conqueror friendly ) . <p> PBS has contributed to the problem recently , with special series such as Niall Ferguson , which made scores of outrageous claims , such as that the North American model was " superior " to the South American of European Colonization . Wondering how the people of South America feel about that argument ? Ferguson did not even mention the genocide against American Indians that lasted for 300 years , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other American genocide/atrocities committed against millions of Africans shipped to the U.S. Where does Ferguson acknowledge the contributions of the African slaves to north america , or the debt that is owed to them ? Ferguson makes it clear that , in his view , the genocides against the American Indians and the African slaves were completely justified from the standpoint of his " history . " <p> PBS also ran a lengthy " historical " program about the Russian occupation of Poland in 1939/1940 - in this program , the Soviet Union received all the blame for the suffering of the Polish people during that time - - but the program did this blaming by letting Hitler and the Nazis completely off the hook ! Not only that ( they included a one sentence gloss about the Nazi invasion of Poland ) , but they even suggested that the Nazi expansion eastward was , in effect , necessary because the Nazis felt threatened by Stalin . So this is the kind of pseudo-history that has been propounded by PBS in the past few years . <p> In this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Channel finally took a break from its non-stop alligator wrestling and mud hand catfish grabbing to present an informative program about Rockefeller , Carnegie , Vanderbilt , Ford , and Morgan . It has been so ridiculous to surf the History Channel only to come across programming that has only the most extremely tangential and historically non-relevant material 99% of the time . <p> This weekend , " Lincoln " opens nationwide . It is based from a Pulitzer Prize-winning text , " Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln " , which has been massaged into a script by Tony Kushner and will star Daniel Day-Lewis . In short , Oscar bait . <p> Schoolhouse Rock did a pretty good job of presenting the extant view of history as entertainment -- just try reciting the Preamble without resorting to the song . ( " Elbow Room " , the celebration and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage . " -- Lucille Ball <p> and wishing he could have a comeback at MSNBC , even as a guest , or substitute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long break , too . I think Rachel should take at least a month off for R &R,; and when she comes back , she should not have to carry the entire load as she has done . <p> I would nominate Chris Hayes as a colleague who she could hand off 20 minute segments to , each night . I 'm not sure how many years anyone could stand the heat of being responsible for 60 minutes 5 days/week in prime time . <p> ... so many of the very same " serious " and " respected " pundits and analysts whose take on things had proven to be completely useless and wrong ... <p> ... to see them -- still on TV and in the papers the very next day -- being asked to provide their " serious " and " respected " analysis and take on why their previous analysis and take on things had proven so completely useless and wrong . <p> And there they are , all puffed up and superior , shamelessly oblivious to the bitter irony of that . <p> No , actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage . " -- Lucille Ball <p> at TPM should have gotten a Pulitzer for uncovering the US Attorney 's mess and driving the coverage and narrative on that slimy mess . <p> And if there were justice , Charlie Pierce at Esquire deserves tons of kudos for his political commentary throughout this campaign . <p> And what can you possibly say about Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes insights and commentary ... stellar , insightful and lightyears above Dancin ' Dave and Dick Morris and any of the morons at FOX . <p> When the good old boys get together and keep inviting John McCain and Morris and Peggy Noonan to represent THEIR views , but continue to bar Pierce , Marshall , Kos , Maddow , Hayes , et al because they are " too librul " it is easy to see how progressive viewpoints get smothered . <p> Will be interesting to see if the media has the kind of " come to reality " moments the GOP cleary is facing . <p> Rachel , Chris , MHP and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been made on bringing liberal viewpoints and analysis more into the mainstream of punditry . I expect that after this election that trend will continue . <p> In the last two years , MSNBC has added Mr. Sharpton 's show at 6 p.m. and four round-table talk shows , two on weekday afternoons and two on weekend mornings . Mr. Griffin said he wanted to add more political programming on the weekends , replacing hours of prison documentaries that earn solid ratings but muddy the channel 's identity . <p> Several MSNBC employees , who spoke about programming plans on the condition of anonymity , said the most likely candidate for a new show was the Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein , a frequent substitute for Ms. Maddow . Mr. Klein may start with a weekend time slot , but these people said the 8 p.m. weekday time slot held by Mr. Schultz was also a possibility . <p> Back in the early 1970s there were serious concerns that American media was in the hands of only about 75 media outlets . <p> Now , with consolidation , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of most of American media . <p> ACTION : Sign up for action alerts , donate money at this good organization called freepress dot net : http : //www.freepress.net/ <p> Freepress.net is a project of Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund . Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund do not support or oppose any candidate for public office . We are nonpartisan organizations advocating for universal and affordable Internet access , diverse media ownership , vibrant public media and quality journalism . <p> stiff delivery , and at breakneck speed . When he gets on with Rachel , he talks even faster , and the two of them start to see who can talk fastest while remaining intelligible . <p> One can not really imagine Klein slowing down and talking like Walter Cronkite or Dan Rather - maybe in a few decades , but not this year . He has had his moments now and then , filled in ok for Rachel , give him credit . <p> But he does not have the TV attractiveness factor , to put it mildly and gently . Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he 's no looker either . But I could stand to watch James half an hour each day , and I do n't know if there is anything Ezra can really do to sharpen up - maybe grow his hair longer , a beard and big bushy mustache to give him some coverage where needed . <p> most people do n't find him physically adorable - they just do n't - and a lot have the opposite reaction . <p> Adorable as a person , maybe . Admirable , definitely . We need him , but just not on TV . <p> Hell , Ed looks ten times as good as EK - Ed 's not beautiful , but appeals to a lot of working class people , and he projects strength and info for the common people . <p> God love all the many up-and-coming millennials on MSNBC , and there seem to be dozens of them . Ezra is just one out of many . Krystal 's show has three good panelists , herself included , and Chris Hayes has proven that he has got what Rachel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has really grown up this year , while Ezra is still doing what Ezra did a year ago , little changed . You 've got a great many other millennials on MSNBC as guests , too . <p> for NBC News . David Gregory just has to be replaced , as do most of the standard crew of talking heads they have over their . If I hear once more about the Team of Rivals , . <p> And it feels like I 'm livin'in the wasteland of the free Iris DeMent , 1996 <p> The truth is that MSNBC had a ready-made audience , and a lot of ready-made talent - all the network had to do was bring them together . <p> CNN had plenty of opportunity to grab the progressive audience , but they completely muffed it , and did the worst possible thing by trying to take right wing audience from Fox , instead . <p> A classic moment from CNN 's Erin Burnett was her personal commentary , shaming the French People for having the ridiculous idea of putting more people to work by having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shameful those French people are , how lazy , that they only want to work 35 hours per week , she said , and then chuckled to herself at the pathetic fools . <p> MSNBC still broadcasts a lot of terrible " prison " programming , and some awful weekend content . When will they wake up and realize that there are a lot of other progressives that can do quality programming ? <p> It would be incredibly foolish to keep Rev Al while firing Ed Schultz . The two of them produce a lot of overlapping programming , but they both proved their worth in an election year . Both programs could be cut to half an hour , but neither should be cut . Hard to understand why they broadcast Hardball at 5 and 7 pm , so close together . The midnight rebroadcasts are incredibly helpful to those who work late . <p> Chris Hayes has shown that he deserves a program , and he could handle half an hour on weekdays . A lot of the MSNBC afternoon programming tends to drift semi-aimlessly . Every one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell is very good , but her delivery is so dry - maybe she could do the same number of minutes , but interspersed with other programming . Krystal is good , but her foursome team is so predictable , and they do n't do a good job of presenting the Democratic viewpoint . ME Cupp dominates the proceedings - what 's the point of putting a right winger on with 3 nice liberals who let her set the tone for every discussion ? Send Cupp somewhere else , even as a guest commentator or panelist . <p> Ezra Klein puts up some interesting ( and not so interesting ) graphs , some of which are not comprehensibly designed for average viewers . <p> Ezra talks way too fast most of the time , and in a medium that values attractiveness , he can be a little hard on the eyes . He needs a complete makeover , but even that would n't make him eye-catching . <p> Ezra also goes into flights of fancy , seemingly enchanted by his own brilliance . It is " nerds on steroids " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Chris Hayes and the two of them can quickly turn into a spectacle of two geeks trying to out-geek each other , and not giving a damn about the viewing audience , except insofar as they can impress their brilliance on the befuddled viewers . <p> Sorry , but Ezra has a face for radio , not for TV . I appreciate him , and he 's done some great work , but his visual presentation is distracting in a negative way . Glad that Ezra is having so much success at the Washington Post , though ! We need him in print media , and he could do well on radio , perhaps . <p> it does n't take 4 hours a day to figure out what is on this site , what is valid , etc . <p> Much of what appears here is not exactly ready for prime time . <p> I believe that if we had an edited digest that was always well done and easy to follow ( like TPM and Buzzflash and Raw Story ) we would get more respect for those parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a free-form website that allows everything from recipes to gardening advice to photo essays of animals and pretty scenery ..... why should such a website even be on the reading list of the political class ? <p> Test it for yourself . Ask a friend or relative to visit Daily Kos . Ask them to time themselves . How long does it take them to find and absorb political news that they can use ? <p> It 's been awhile since I 've seen the stats ( pre-version 4 , I believe ) , but most visitors only read front page articles , and never browse the individual diaries . <p> The analysts that brooklynbadboy highlights are nearly all front pagers , or are often promoted to front page . The bathwater that you cite are the diaries that receive far less attention . <p> Speaking for myself , I scroll through the front page articles first , and then read the diaries as time permits . The same analogy applies to a newspaper--do n't most people review the front page before they turn to other stories ? ( Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ etc . ) <p> The first thing a lot of people see on the right hand side is the Community Spotlight . I have n't clicked on a single one of those diaries in the past three months . They all look like kossacks talking to each other about trivial things , and some even feature " woozels " and " puppies " in their titles . It looks amateurish . I would drop it entirely , or put it on a linked page that does n't draw much attention . <p> The " Recommended " Diaries should be right up at the top , where it used to be . <p> And there should be a longer list of " Recommended Diaries " such as 20 . <p> The Diaries page should have the featured stories more strongly featured - putting the " recent diaries " on the right side of the Diaries page , so that Recommended Diaries take up the bulk of the Diaries page . <p> been on the spotlight a few times and I have never spoken about pooties .. There is a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles and has some feel good and heartfelt thoughts . <p> It is not that easy to get on the spotlight and it is what it says ... community .... I have seen articles regarding cancer and patriotism and other significant heart felt human interest stories . The community spotlight in many ways allows readers to escape the hard hitting political writing and know diarists and approach to activism in do it ! Be part of helping us build a veteran community online . United Veterans of America <p> and effort to navigate the culture here . And by culture I mean all the clever witticisms and terms that have been built over time and with the participation of many . <p> You also have to add in the level of discourse and vocabulary and snark which is far too advanced for the regular reader . There are lots of popular culture snippets and obscure literary and scientific addenda and factsy stuff and arguments and parsing and criticisms and micro arguments that tend to hone otherwise cogent premises . <p> I submit that they do respect us . They read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . I ca n't think of a finite instance at the moment , but I have seen it . That is not to say that they will give us any attribution , but they read here and tell it out there . Knowing that is enough at the moment . <p> there 's simply a refusal to believe that a vantage point positioned as a marginal minority -- progressive Democrats -- could have a monopoly on political truth . <p> But we 've been right more times than I care to count . About the dangers of deregulation . About the budget havoc wreaked by the Bush tax cuts . About the moral bankruptcy and strategic boneheadedness of the invasion of Iraq . About the perfidy of every single cabinet member in the Bush administration . About the horrific implications of Bush 's crony appointments -- the effect of their appointments in banking oversight , disaster relief management , and on and on . <p> ... but if you 're making a high-six or seven-figure salary , and your employer is a multinational conglomerate , and you live your entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partly responsible ... well , it 's like that old quote : nothing constrains a man 's inability to understand something like being paid not to understand it . <p> Nothing requires a greater effort of thought than arguments to justify the rule of non-thought. -- Milan Kundera <p> discussion at dkos about whether we should bail out AIG . It went on for days in several different diaries , discussing the need for the large risk insurance and re-insurance that AIG provides , credit default swaps , the precariously stacked global market , the bail-outs of the brokerage firms , and of course , the effect on the deficit . This occurred in fall 2008 . <p> I do n't recall that sort of conversation happening anywhere else . There were a few good articles in print media . But a conversation ? No . Everyone just lined up pro or against . <p> Even now , except for Game Change and a documentary or two , AIG has never been discussed so the average American understands how close to the cliff we were and can decide for himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of folks here suggested then ) . <p> And here we are . Has anything changed ? Or are pundits from CNBC to PBS to Fox just creating a whole lot of fury , signifying nothing ? <p> I definitely understand the need to vent and rant on occasion , and do n't hold that against anyone . <p> But , yes , so much of the language here does indeed come across as completely gratuitous -- like people trying to sound like part of the Kool Kids Klub . It reminds me of nothing so much as the freshman I would see year after year in college who would suddenly all take up smoking in order to seem " mature " and " sophisticated . " <p> I also have refrained from sharing links to diaries here for that very reason . Although my mom has become an ardent Obama fan after years of voting Republican , I 'm not going to send her some of the things here . <p> I am always disappointed by the foul language here . I never use profanity when speaking or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public forum . To me it only demonstrates a writers lack of vocabulary , and respect for the reader . <p> situation perfectly . We are a threat to the punditocracy 's status and position . The more we prove that they know less than those who are not given their exalted position by the corporate media the more precarious their position gets . We will never have their respect . However we will have the last laugh , as most of them are dependent on types of media that are increasingly becoming irrelevant . <p> If there is no accountability for those who authorized torture , we can no longer say that we are a nation of laws , not men . <p> How about ignoring them . Do n't click on the website , do n't bring traffic to their website , certainly let the sponsors if they spew on TV you are NOT buying products supporting these gas bags . Stop commenting on them . IGNORE . They never were relevant , and they never will be . Who cares how much $$ they make . IGNORE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling firms , I have calculated the average error and the average statistical bias in the margin it reported between President Obama and Mitt Romney , as compared against the actual results nationally or in one state . <p> For instance , a polling firm that had Mr. Obama ahead by two points in Colorado -- a state that Mr. Obama actually won by about five points -- would have had a three-point error for that state . It also would have had a three-point statistical bias toward Republicans there . <p> There are still some states that are counting , so the numbers might change a smidge , but basically the accuracy came down to how much pollster 's had a republican bias , and interestingly , PPP had a fairly large R bias of 1.6% . So , as more numbers come in , its likely that PPP will look slightly worse . <p> " Empty vessels make the loudest sound , they have the least wit and are the greatest blabbers " Plato <p> Nate compared the last 3 weeks of polling to the actual results . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing outfits ( e.g. , Rasmussen and Gallup ) who shift their numbers in the last week to game their accuracy score . The key is , he does it for everybody . <p> That could partially explain why almost everybody had a R bias in his analysis , cause Obama really did increase his polling in the last few weeks . But again , no single outfit 's error was hurt or helped by this , since all were evaluated in the same way . <p> " Empty vessels make the loudest sound , they have the least wit and are the greatest blabbers " Plato <p> Daily Kos will get respect when it actually implements a real 50-state strategy instead of a 29-state strategy only spotlighting a hand-picked crop of candidates that meets some sort of arbitrary ( and not weighted ) " purity " test . <p> Also kos missed the boat on Joe Donnelly and Heidi Heitkamp and the media remembers his Jon Tester temper tantrum . <p> You see , when Daily Kos can point to results that it made happen , then it shall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserve recognition for being able to say what was really happening . <p> of others becoming too blue dogish . Kos got burned out on urging money for those folks , and decided we should pick our spots to elect mostly the more progressive candidates . <p> Not sure how much that really influences the MSM . Primarily we do n't get respect because the Very Serious People are idiots . Daily Kos is n't Huffpo or a straight news organization . But then look at Politico or Newsmax , they get more respect than Daily Kos , even though their content tends to be quite slanted . <p> down pat . If all we are talking about is how DK understands what happened than the Beltway media , then DK ought to get its due respect from them as being more accurate than them . <p> But I want DK to have more influence . I wanted us to be within striking distance of the House , and despite evidence of a Democratic wave elsewhere , we are still more than 10 seats short of retaking the House . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the only sites where you can come and actually hear from Democrats in Alabama or Mississippi . There 's a lot of crowd-sourced political intelligence here - you just need to know how to filter . <p> And , this is also heretical , but we need to do two things simultaneously . We need to build the party everywhere even in red states ( 50 state strategy ) and we need to remember that this 2012 presidential election was won largely by careful , realistic targeting of a few states . They are actually two separate activities . The presidential campaign had to focus on swing states and they did a damn fine job of it . The rest of us need to focus on building the party and presenting an alternative even in the heart of redstate america . ( And the rest of us need to ruthlessly purge corrupt democrats especially in deep-blue places like the laws of nature , but by our institutions , great is our sin . " Charles Darwin <p> better democrats . We have limited resources . We are not wealthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we direct those limited resources as best as we can . Who did NBC help get elected ? Or CBS ? Or the Washington Post ? Our national media , except for Fox does not campaign for causes . Maybe that is why we misunderstand Fox . The media tradition that Rupert Murdoch comes out of is the highly partisan Australian newspaper tradition . Where they not only take stands but lead public movements . Murdoch led the same kind of effort in the UK with those newspapers . American media ( newspapers ) used to do this to . But radio and TV were off limits to this kind of thing . And as fewer Americans read newspapers the support for campaigning newspapers dwindled . <p> We campaign . We are partisan . And we are not required to support every Democrat . Only the ones where we can do the most good . <p> Murdoch could care less if Fox News makes a profit . That is not the point . Fox is a campaigning media outlet . Now what they campaign for is evil but nonetheless it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And when it comes to advocacy , the management here has ( correctly ) decided that we are better off focusing on making more of an impact in fewer races , looking at progressive Dems , rather than just support every Dem who 's in a close race . We especially wo n't support anti-choice Dems like Donnelly ; let other people fund him . <p> have been a narrative that netroots helped Donnelly on his surge after Mourdock said what he said . <p> But yes , Donnelly 's anti-choice views are troubling . On the balance , he is more pro-labor than Bayh was or Lugar . Perhaps in that one ares , he can be asked to help push back against the anti-union forces that need to be soundly defeated . <p> Other people could ( and did ) fund him . Part of what we learned after 2006 and 2008 was that it was n't worth placing effort into electing people who would n't have our back on key issues ; given limited resources , we were going to focus on our potential allies and progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a progressive netroots advocates progressive policies , and , in furtherance of that mission , concentrates its support activities among Democrats who are ideologically in sync with those desired policies . <p> When we support an Elizabeth Warren , we are saying , " THIS is what Democrats stand for . This is why ( even outside of Massachusetts ) you should be pulling the lever for DEMOCRATS . " <p> It 's a branding thing . <p> Imagine attaching that message to Joe Donnelly ? " THIS is what Democrats stand for . This is why ( even outside of Indiana ) you should be pulling the lever for DEMOCRATS . " <p> No . <p> When we as a community help to promote the Elizabeth Warren 's , we are also helping the Joe Donnelly 's , simply by promoting the brand to which they 've attached themselves to . <p> You do n't get the Fords elected by promoting the Pintos . You got to sell the Mustang . ( The Pinto will get dragged across the line in the draft . ) <p> " And this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " on the budget that snatches defeat from the jaws of victory . " - Krugman <p> Other sites and organizations generally do the real activism . This site is by no means a powerhouse of change even if it is a widely visited and generally well liked site . Nor do I think it actually wants to be . Nor do I think kos wants to be . I think almost everyone involved are glad to be using the site as the progressive Democrat version of Blogger or tumblr or whatever it is the hip kids are using nowadays . <p> No one should be under any illusion that it was DKos wot won it or even anything close to that . It played its part . A small part . <p> and george will and krauthammer and rendell , and i 'm guessing lieberman starting next year- why would they need daily kos ? the political class does n't mix with the rabble , and would prefer that the rabble not try to mix with it . <p> would have called out Tom Tancredo as a chickenhawk for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time he was supporting it as a young Republican ( just like Romney ) . When you tell actually inconvenient truths on TV , they tend not to call you back . <p> That is why almost all cable news is bullshit because they discussion never really gets to the truth like it did on MSNBC when Markos spoke the true to Tancredo . BTW , whatever has happened to Tancredo after he walked off that interview ? Is he selling used cars somewhere because you never see him on TV anymore . Looks like he did n't have what it took to be a Republican Chickenhawk like Romney , or Newt Gingrich , or any other host of Republican hawks who declined . <p> And it feels like I 'm livin'in the wasteland of the free Iris DeMent , 1996 <p> Second , they rely on people 's short memories to perpetuate their careers . Today 's George Will column talks about how Romney 's defeat was long foreshadowed . This is the same George Will who two weeks ago predicted a Romney landslide . I believe he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to VA , FL , and OH , he also had Romney winning states such as PA , WI , and MN . <p> And he gets paid a hell of lot of money for such " insight . " <p> They 're the equivalent of famous TV chefs . The chef at your favorite local restaurant is 1,000 times better than assclowns like Rachael Ray and Emeril Lagasse . But they 're famous for being famous and will continue to be famous because of that . <p> was a renowned chef in New Orleans long before he became a celebrity and he is no assclown . His cuisine was delicious . He became a celebrity because he was a great chef , not the other way around . Rachel Ray is a " cook " not a " chef " and says it often . <p> " Southern nights have you ever felt a southern night ? " Allen Toussaint Remember the Gulf of Mexico <p> well ... actually , just means journalists are not very good at their so-called jobs . There is a reason I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being presented and I know commenters will push back is appropriate . <p> becomes known We may not collect the news originally , but this site does a great job presenting what 's out there in terms of knowledge ( and speculation that is usually labelled as such - which is fine ) . <p> We 're like Nate Silver is to polling aggregation . Therefore , this is where I go for news . <p> ... are n't going to respect DK . I listened a bit to post-election analysis and it was all about " what President Obama needs to do is ... " . Not one pundit offered much in what the losing side needed to do including supposedly lib-leaners such as Dee Dee Meyers . <p> They will never acknowledge that a site they consider fringe offers better insight . They are scared of Republican backlash so they will continue to concern troll the Democratic Party . <p> " There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt . Doubt separates people . It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; it is a sword that kills . " .. Buddha <p> do independent " analysis " . Folks like Halperin , do independent " stenography " . The issue is they pretend it is analysis , and are in just as much a bubble as conservatives . Here , Front Pagers disagree often on major policy issues , which makes for a more robust discussion . In Washington , the so-called journalists rarely disagree or have the ideas questioned . Ca n't rock that boat ... otherwise you may lose access . Which to me is the root cause . <p> Access . You guys are n't fighting for it . Therefore , you are not worried about appeasing the people that allow you to pay your bills . <p> get the exposure , but we 'll never get the paychecks . And that , I think is the answer to your question . Market logic says that these very serious people deserve the exposure because they are " professionals " , after all they make the big bucks . And folks who make big bucks are by market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market logic , but that 's a different diary ) . <p> Because folks at daily kos do it for a scant fraction of what the commercial media pays these so-called pundit experts , the commercial media is never going to take seriously anyone who offers his or her expertise for nothing , or a nominal salary . <p> The fact that some of the very excellent data diving and writing came from folks who were n't even on the payroll ( hi MattTX ) only serves to baffle them . " Amateurs " ca n't get things right . The <p> Words can sometimes , in moments of grace , attain the quality of deeds . --Elie Wiesel <p> which have gone through the roof lately ... I shudder to think what the traffic on here would be if we had all this and mainstream respect too ! <p> Let ' em snicker and snark if they want to . The proof of the pudding is in the eating and ours is tasting quite good lately . Victories at every level , and our accuracy on the 2012 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from our highest recommended diarists , and from our alumnus and crossover-hit superstar Nate Silver ) was just excellent , highly commendable . <p> because pundits were far more silly-season than many FP'ers at the DK . <p> But the comment threads . And some of the diaries . Oi vey , it may be hard for some casual visitors to weed out what 's what ? Thus maybe it 's hard for some to take this site seriously . Just a thought . Based mainly on comments from friends who no longer participate here . <p> Thus said , I would n't really change much ( with a few minor exceptions ) . <p> and high barriers for disbarment , the conversations , commentary , and analysis are always going to contain some crazy stuff . Some of the crazy is clearly malicious ( right wing trolls ) , but most of the crazy is simply ... crazy . <p> DKos is and always has been , imo , open source democracy at its finest . I 'm torn by BBB 's desire for DKos to get the acknowledgement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping things a bit tight and " in the family " , so to speak . It 's kinda like that great rock band you discovered , and though you want the band to get superstar famous , you still want to feel like the band is your own because you discovered them first . Does that make sense ? <p> " Mitt who ? That 's an odd name . Like an oven mitt , you mean ? Oh , yeah , I 've got one of those . Used it at the Atlas Society BBQ last summer when I was flipping ribs . " <p> we are respected . Think about it . Not only does MSM refer to this site either for or against but look who joins and posts wanting our help . We deliver best we can . The membership has Barack Obama , Elizabeth Warren , Al Frankin , Alan Grayson , Barbara Lee , ..... and others . I would say that is a great deal of respect no matter what one thinks . <p> We raise money . We are all over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground and back to the site reporting . Netroots Nation ... and really Grass Roots . Some people just do n't acknowledge how influential this site is . Pretty darn telling when candidates want our opinions . Again , do it ! Be part of helping us build a veteran community online . United Veterans of America <p> Long before I registered here , I used to visit and read the front page and once in a while a diary . But I rarely read any comments . The default comment setting was SHRINK ( or its equivalent in those days ) , so I usually only saw the subject line . <p> outside of the " liberal blogosphere " is when they 're looking for examples of lefties who hate Obama . They pick the one or two whinging diaries out of 1000 and say " Here ! Look ! The left hates Obama too ! " even when it 's only a handful of perennially-dissatisfied individuals . <p> If ever big dollops of schadenfreude were justified it would be from the Democratic side post election day . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right and then weeks of media complicity in a false election narrative , the rewards go to those who kept their heads on , studied the smart numbers , and were n't at all surprised that Obama won as big as he did . <p> And one of those rewards is knowing we were right , they were wrong . Not just about the presidential election , but about who America is and what it wants . <p> IMO , schadenfreude is a perfectly civil response when of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues . " Theodore Roosevelt . <p> What you and those below you are saying is that the Trad Med uses us to support whatever bullshit hypothesis they have cooked up . Because we are so open source you can always find one or two posters that will support whatever crap they want to write . <p> that 's one thing , if it 's someone who never or almost never gets rec 'd and gets excited ... why not ? <p> IMO a bigger threat is diaries that get rec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that made it up the list to the top claiming Romney paid zero taxes since ' 96 . The diarist HRd anyone who questioned and still people kept up the recs . <p> In the end the diarist 's tip jar had at least 80 HRs and over 300 recs and people did n't even stop to question why ? Why would there be so many HRs ? Could there be more to it than wish fulfillment ? The diary said something that people wanted to be true , it was n't supported by facts . This one <p> " The scientific nature of the ordinary man is to go on out and do the best you can . " John Prine <p> You are assuming the political class would be attracted to people who get things right . <p> Your assumption would be wrong . <p> If you are intoxicated on your own narcissism &; ignorance , &; the media establishment is likewise intoxicated on your narcissism &; ignorance , what the hell use do you have for Nate Silver &; Markos Moulitsas ? <p> You seem to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unhinged buffoons is a wrong they want to right . <p> If you read anything in the mainstream media and than click comments you usually get unrestrained right wing bile . Probably because there is next to no moderation on most of those sites . I do not blame them for not replying to the comments they get with little to no quality control . <p> " Independent " voters are too heterogeneous to really read . I am an independent , but I also consider myself progressive on a lot of issues . Regardless , I will never align with a specific party nor will I relinquish or compromise my right to evaluate every race and every candidate on his/her own merits , not party affiliation . <p> As an independent , I , as a pro-choice , pro-marriage-equality , pro-science , anti-war , pro-voting Keynesian , get lumped into " independents " with tea partiers who feel that the GOP is n't conservative enough for them anymore since George Bush went on a drunken spending spree . With that much ideological variance , it is nearly impossible to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " will vote as a group . <p> the Brightest " that I learned is , the money and success goes to the people who tell you what you want to hear . The people with the knowledge , facts and figures , and analysis skills stay in the basement . We love you guys , but better get a dehumidifier . <p> Organizing and changing has never been a mainstream activity . The day we are part of the mainstream is the day I leave TDK . Grassroots democracy is not about institutional acceptance . It 's about agitation for change and improvement against those interests that are just as happy keeping things the way they are . It 's progress , it 's the future , and it 's the American way . But it 's never popular with the comfortable class . <p> Some people are intolerant , and I CA N'T STAND people like that . -- Tom Lehrer <p> Yes I used to watch Fox , I wrote a Diary about it http : //www.dailykos.com/ ... O'Reilly constantly referred to D/Kos as the looney lefties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come over and have a peek , and I 've never looked back . I think D/Kos has gained plenty of credibility over the last 4 years . A lot of the writing here is first class , and opinions here are not presented as facts . Polling , well since Kos dumped the clowns that were being used a few years ago , D/Kos has the most accurate polls in the country . I 'll stand corrected if I 'm wrong on this , but I believe I am indeed right on this . To the Beltway and their brethren , ignore D/kos at your own peril . I think they are starting to understand this . <p> Well , actually I heard Jon Stewart making fun of Bill O'Reilly about DailyKos , and so I came over to look . And read the funniest thing I had ever seen on the internet : Hunter 's Please Bill O Reilly Have Mercy . <p> I still love that diary . And it 's fun to see the old-timers in the comments . <p> I am not part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I am in the process of publishing a book about ways that we can improve our political and economic institutions . As part of this I offer my readers , if I should ever have any , a comparison between Daily Kos , Paul Krugman 's blog , the blog of Thomas Burke of Swarthmore , and a blog called New Economic Perspectives . These four blogs serve different purposes and have different pros and cons . I discuss them as possible models for implementing blogs that will serve a variety of public purposes . Daily Kos could well serve as a national model for a key system that would turn our political discourse in a positive direction . A few changes here and there , a wise selection of a support staff to enforce the rules , and it could change our national discussions from personalities to purposes . In other words Daily Kos , slightly altered , could help the nation get things done . <p> I am not saying that Daily Kos has not served an important purpose so far . It has , and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am primarily speaking about its design as a gateway system for purposeful communications among millions of people . <p> It is a good thing , and I have enjoyed watching it evolve over the years . Whoever guided this evolution was applying Evolution by Cogitation , not Evolution by Natural Selection . Evolution by Cogitation has several defining characteristics , and among the most important are four eternal questions that any efficient process must answer : Where do we stand ? How did we get here ? Where do we want to go ? How do we get there from here ? Life at Daily Kos , from my standpoint as a systems designer , has been engrossing as these questions have been , and are being , answered . <p> The media is fundamentally about selling commercial space and doing what is necessary to make profit . <p> Repeat as often as needed for this to sink in . <p> Write it on the blackboard a hundred times . <p> The only thing that gets respect in this world is big money that is tied into promoting consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that climate change is not a media-genic issue ? It is because the cure is to look at reduced consumerism and resource consumption . That goes totally against the whole reason for the existence of the media . <p> Anything that might go against the interests of what funds media can not get respect in that arena . <p> What does it take to get this across ? <p> hope that the idiots who have no constructive and creative solutions but only look to tear down will not win the day . <p> I do n't worry what the punditz 's and the Vewwy Sewious Peepul think ... they were caught flat-footed this time . Daily Kos is more valuable than a lot of sites because it is reality-based . A lot of the MSM is what you might call spin-based , which means they have a slant when they 're pretending they do n't . That 's dangerous territory . At least here , we are honest and open that we are progressive . <p> The political reality is against them . DK wo n't get any respect until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to everyone that fair is foul and foul is fair ; for foul is useful and fair is not . Avarice and usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still . --John Maynard Keynes <p> ... the Beltway mind . They have a suffocatingly narrow view of events that is self-reinforcing . In that regard , they act much like the Romney campaign team that , apparently , truly believed that the vast majority of public polls were skewed . <p> Idiots , all . <p> Listening to Halperin blather on in that clip is the perfect example of the shallow thinking that permeates the Beltway pundit class . It does n't even occur to him that both things can be true : <p> 1 . Romney was winning voters who self-identify as " independents . " <p> and <p> 2 . Romney was losing because there were more Democrats and independents voting for Obama than Republicans and independents voting for Romney . <p> In Halperin 's tiny , little mind , there were 42% Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! ) and 16% independents . And since Mitt was winning more independents , Mitt had to be winning ! Because , of course , the polls were skewed too Democratic ! <p> Just look how ignorant , shallow , stupid and divorced from reality that thinking is . <p> Halperin , Todd and the rest of them are about as deep as a puddle of spit . <p> How on earth Mark Halprin and the Politico hacks get so much attention for essentially reciting what they last read on their buddies ' twitter feed is a mystery . When it comes to objective political analysis , I 'll take Dworkin , Kos , and Josh Marshall anytime . <p> One of the diaries here recently highlighted the reactions of some of the far righties during the election . One fellow , DuJan , took it upon himself to watch msnbc for everyone else that day , because he was planning to gloat . <p> He made petty insults ( some were actually clever ) about the personalitiies , he re-interpreted information - for example , Romney 's not writing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bag , while all the talk about voter suppression and potential fraud was setting us up for an excuse if we lost . <p> Everyone else thanked him for his sacrifice in watching msnbc . <p> And ... in many ways it did not feel different from what we do here . Like calling Romney a dick ( and I think he is ) . Emotionally , at least , the left and the right will feel the same . <p> Of course , our information was accurate in the end , but many people do n't or ca n't see that . They just see the emotional stuff , which is much easier to read . <p> and do n't vote . Politics literally does n't register on their mental map . Indies who do vote and are politically engaged usually lean one way or another , but whether out of vanity or dissatisfaction refuse to official align themselves with a party . <p> Personally , while I can see how people too far to the right of the GOP or left of the Democratic party might not want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indies . Most are clearly leaners , so why not just pick a side and fall in with it . You can always vote for the . <p> " Liberty without virtue would be no blessing to us " - Benjamin Rush , 1777 <p> Why ? Amateurs . Do n't get paid a dime , and whup the paid journalists and paid chatters every single time , on breadth of knowledge , diversity , prudence of forecasts , boots on the ground , fingers in the community , and general talent . <p> They hate us . We 'll range/ and the machinery for change/ and it 's here they got the spiritual thirst . --Leonard Cohen <p> any honest and objective analysis can point to this community as a beacon of reality , one which also encourages vigorous debates , even dissent , but which in the final outcome , continues to show the way to the truth , the reality . And reality and the facts will always result in earned respect , in the " opinion of the facts " . <p> democrats apply reasoning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply " brute " force . <p> You 'll behave , and write , professionally . You 'll hire a couple of good copy writers , ones who can instinctively spot subject-verb disagreement , to check front-page articles . You 'll set a different example for other authors on the site . <p> It is n't enough to be right . Gutter language makes it easy to dismiss an otherwise persuasive or challenging argument . <p> if they respect me ? Chuck Todd is a hack , who trots out his silly board to chart out different ' paths to the WH ' every four years , trying to make flailing candidates like McCain or Romney seem relevant even when they 've been losing the entire race . <p> Mark Halperin is even more useless , but also emblematic of a plethora of pundits who never have anything meaningful to add to any conversation , but only parrot talking points they 've been handed . They do n't do any real research or analysis , never actually dig into the background of any numbers they 've been handed , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own meanings and proclaim them ' truth ' . <p> Sadly , as long as ' news ' continues to be viewed as ' infotainment ' in most media empires , we 'll be stuck with this sort of nonsense . <p> MSNBC is partisan . Fox is Partisan . CNN is even partisan in a subtler way . Not to mention the Very Serious Pundits mentioned above . DKos is a wealth of information that happens to also feature " feel-good " pieces and pootie diaries at times . There is nothing like it . <p> Stay fired up : now is the time to focus on downticket change ! #Forward <p> In fact , among the Very Serious People , being right is a serious faux pas . <p> Perhaps that 's because it involves actually paying attention to facts and the real world , doing math , instead of rehashing the conventional wisdom . Being right means contradicting the Very Serious People all too often , and they do n't like that . <p> " No special skill , no standard attitude , no technology , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely replace thought itself . " <p> of the Democratic Party ? This is NOT a center-right nation , no matter how much they try to slide the center over rightwards . And Daily Kos is NOT a liberal-fringe group . We are Mainstream Liberal ... or Progressive . But if you are waiting and holding your breath for Traditional Media to recognize that fact ... plus the fact that WE INFLUENCE PEOPLE 'S OPINIONS , AND PEOPLE 'S VOTES , AND ELECTIONS , you 'll explode your own head . To recognize our contributions and total Force would be to jeopardize their own elite status in the village and their overblown vision of themselves as opinion-makers . <p> We are the new Opinion-Makers , the new Movers &; Shakers . We are at the Gates , hell , we 've climbed the gates and are inside , doing what we do brilliantly .... influencing opinions , influencing the policy-makers . We are a Fucking Force . <p> But in multiple comments on Texas ' prospects , I informed the diarist and readers that Texas ' turnout was trending towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform worse than they did in 2008 . <p> I , for one , have no problem being led by a 3500 year old Pharaoh who was trained by space aliens on a distant star . <p> " Respect " ? Consider : the clowns of the Mainstream Media Village seem to " respect " people like Paul Ryan and John McCain ; people who have a reputation for " straight talk " while delivering an elite-friendly message . While the list of people they have very much disrespected include Bill Clinton , Barack Obama , and pretty much every other liberal and Democratic leader . So why is it we are craving their respect anyway ? <p> Fuck ' em . O Lord , let our political enemies continue to ignore all facts that are inconvenient to them , and all purveyors of such facts , so that they may remain ignorant and deluded and easy to defeat , amen . <p> I 'd hazard a guess that Kos would n't want their respect under those circumstances . Would any of the rest of us ? Unless the respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpose .... Oh . heh . <p> are n't we the punk rockers to the msm corporate rock ? is n't the point of daily kos and other lefty blogs to provide an alternative to msm ? Why should we even look for acceptance when we do n't respect them or what drivel they spew ? Until and unless we 're able to deconstruct the media consolidation that has taken over this country , they 're never going to be into us . <p> " Let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation .... It 's how we are as Americans ... It 's how this country was built " - Michelle Obama <p> We made a huge difference this time around . Look at all the progressives now in Washington . That was us . Look at Nat Silver 's success . That was us . Look at how much money and time we gave . That was us . Need I say : ELIZABETH WARREN ? ! ? ! That was soooooooo us . <p> If the problem is with talking heads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join that crowd ? Let them come to us . Let them join us and have their blinders removed . Let them see what we can do ... what THEY can do , which is MUCH MUCH more than what the talking heads and pundits do . <p> And if the time does come when we have that so-called " respect , " let it be on OUR terms not on anyone else 's in mainstream media ( which has failed us . ) <p> Nothing looks or feels as important as the old order just before it falls into decline and disfavor because it rejected the future . The most powerful and efficient steam locomotives were designed and built just a few years before diesels rose to prominence and banished them from the scene . IBM once ruled the computer world . TV/cable/networks are hollowed-out structures ; they are inflexible , dogmatic , doomed . As are magazines and newspapers -- all media entrenched in the 20th century way of communicating from a central core , expensively financed , with heirarchies and formal channels and proscribed ways of doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no match for the rapid universal connections of the internet world , no match in any way . They are using torches to see with and horses to move themselves . Once they fall , it will take a long long time for the internet to be reduced to the same ossified operations they are , simply because no one yet alive has figured out how to master or tame the web . <p> Get respect , because they feed the corporate media 's demand for ' horserace ' journalism , because if a political race is n't ' neck and neck ' and ca n't be talked about like a sports game that has viewers on the edge of their seats , the media does n't fucking care . <p> Daily Kos analysts have called the elections for what they are . In 2008 and 2012 , they were overwhelming Democratic wins , by and large . In 2010 , it was a Republican backlash that we saw coming . <p> If the corporate media ca n't have a bunch of wankers on TV , endlessly circle-jerking each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Independent Voters " and other bullshit that most low-information voters associate with bipartisanship or some other quaff ... yeah . <p> Maybe after the Kossacks effectively call 2014 , 2016 , and 2018 , maybe by 2020 the hacktastic media might get a damn clue . <p> The only one in the media who told the facts at 8pm was KO , the show was well thought out and look what happened to him . Although Dbag Scarredass still has a Morning Smoe Show . Also I believe Markos is still banned from MSNBC , I would wear that as a badge of honor ! ! ! So with all do respect BBB Fuck Them All ! ! ! ! <p> Look , DK has some good stuff , but take a gander over on that right hand column , and truth be told not everything on the front page is stellar . DK is ok , and a lot of times there are links to current events , and even some great writing , but other times it 's just so much poo flinging . I read people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- but that 's an odd example to use . " Independents are closet partisans " began appearing in the political science literature around the late ' 70s , and is now in every introductory American politics textbook . <p> legitimacy from the political class . The answer is that it never will . After all , very few progressives appear on Sunday shows while scores of conservatives and conservative Democrats are booked on these shows week after week . <p> and it is precisely why I do not watch any of the establishment scoundrel-pundits - even the ones on MSNBC . I might just as well watch Trump beshit himself with his idiocy . Andrea Mitchell , in particular , is an embarrassment . <p> decided to call itself the " Independent Republican " Party . Brand loyalty had its limits when Nixon tanked . Maybe something similar is happening today , nationwide , under the fig leaf of the " independent " label . <p> The civil rights , gay rights and women 's movements , designed to allow others to reach for power previously grasped only by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outlines of 21st century America have emerged . -- Paul West of LA Times <p> There are plenty of people who pay attention to Daily Kos . They respect Daily Kos . Among politicians , there are people like Alan Grayson , Bernie Sanders , Darcy Burner , Al Franken , and so on who have written diaries here . Or they have quoted stories from Daily Kos . Or they have interns and assistants that follow DKos . Early in his career , President Obama was actually a member here . <p> Maybe you 're looking at pundits ( the talking heads who appear on TV or write for newspapers or magazines ) . Well , what about Rachel Maddow or Ed Schultz or Jon Stewart ? I ca n't count the number of times that I 've seen a story on their shows that I heard about 24 hours earlier right here . I know they 're paying attention to DKos . Even people like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter mention Daily Kos once in a while ( in a negative way , of course , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) . <p> And Nate Silver , the political-prediction golden boy of the 2012 election , because he called all 50 states correctly ( or was it 49 of 50 ? ) . He works for the NY Times now . But he started out on Daily Kos . <p> -- <p> On the other question ( about Independent voters ) : <p> I think some pundits assumed that some people are Democrats , some are Republicans , and some are Independents ( in between ) and that the percentages are mostly fixed . People do n't change their affiliation lightly . <p> But what happened in 2012 is that some ( former ) Independents switched to calling themselves Democrats . And some ( former ) Republicans switched to Independent . Republicans switched because the Republican primary campaign rhetoric was so repugnant -- to women , to Hispanics , to LGBT people , to educated people who believe in science , to non-rich people , and to others , that they did n't want to be associated with the Republican brand . <p> -- <p> Two things happened : <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the Republicans said , " No no no , there are n't that many Democrats in the country . We must unskew the polls based on what we saw in 2010 or 2006 or 2004 . " So they adjusted the polls to fit their mistaken world-view of how they thought the electorate 's demographics might be in 2012. 2 . At the same time some ( former ) Republicans started to identify as Independents . However , these people were still planning to vote for Romney . The Republicans said , " Yes yes yes ! We 're winning the independent vote ! That gives us the election ! Because the independent voters decide the election . " They did n't realize that the number of Republicans was going down . <p> -- <p> I think there were several other factors that helped Obama beat Romney . <p> ? There are evangelical Christians who believe that Mormons are n't real Christians . ? There are libertarians who were pissed off that Ron Paul did n't get to speak at the RNC and voted for what 's his name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd love to vote for the Republican guy , but he was just too rich and too unsympathetic . ? Romney made a lot of flubs and said impolitic things ( like the 47% comment or " corporations are people my friend " or the donuts-from-7-11 or plastic garbage bag raincoats at a NASCAR race or trees being the right size in Michigan or learning to say " yall " and eating grits in the south or any number of any other things ) . He could n't open his mouth without screwing things up . ? Obama had a good Get-Out-The-Vote organization . Romney had " orca , " a smart-phone application that was n't tested and , in retrospect , was pathetically inadequate . <p> And that 's my opinion . <p> But the angle said to them , " Do not be Alfred . A sailor has been born to you " <p> This is what Charlie Rose laughed about when referring to a negative review on some gasp blog . Apparently he believes only his chattering class of TV personalities , like Halperin , and regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " legitimate " view points and analysis . to him , everyone else is just an ignorant fool to be scoffed out . But now that they 've been exposed for the meme spinners that caused GOP supporters to falsely believe Romney would win , people should laugh at anything those in the glass towers say with a hearty " consider the source . " <p> anytime - as The Place to use for the portal to all of the very best in FACTS &; INFORMATION anywhere on the Internet . <p> There is more , and better , writing here than any site dedicated to , as it 's core mission , American Progressive Politics . The only place I ever find writing about current breaking issues that comes close is Rolling Stone and Matt Taibbi - and he 's just one guy . <p> This community numbers in the ( 10s ? 100s ? ) of thousands of active users now , after ( can you believe it ? ) an official 10th Anniversary banner this summer ( I loved that , fyi ) , an entire decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long after some old-paradigm Press outlets which ruled in the era of print information pass into the ether , DailyKos will remain . Truly , as long as our 1st Amendment remains in effect , and our national Government remains a democratic Republic - this clubhouse should stand the test of time . #OrangeTerritory is suitably mete to the challenges for Citizens in the 21st century , to find and discuss the information regarding the questions of the day for our national Congress and President . <p> amongst my conservative friends who shun being associated with the likes of Rick Santorum , Michelle Bachmann , Christine O'Donnell , and Sharon Angle . They 're still as conservative as ever , and most voted for Romney , but " Independent " has less stigma to them than Republican nowadays . <p> " My number one priority is making sure president Obama 's a one-term president . " Mitch McConnell <p> A bunch of soft-spoken yuppies with pretensions to intellect and profound distaste for the moral/ideological aspects of politics that sits around muttering about how important it is for all the VSPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone will hate . <p> To those who say the New Deal did n't work : WWII was also government spending <p> Do n't mean to be elevating this to an inappropriately higher level , but .... <p> I 've met great people here since , wot , 2004 , the vast majority of whom I 'll never meet in person . I 've shared and ( mostly ) been witness to great ideas . I 've kept my sanity in the darkest days of the GWB administration . I 've seen great directions forged and acted on . I 've been inspired to do a number of grassroots things . I 've seen great acts of humanity and kindness form in front of my eyes . <p> Maybe I 'm being just a bit chuffed after last Tuesday to appreciate your point with sufficient focus , but as I type here , I do n't need affirmation from any political class . I think we 're pretty classy and complete on our own . <p> I do n't need a riff-raff questioning whether this diary or that has denigrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( no particular slam intended , could be anyone ) adding some " did Daily Kos get it right today ? ! ? " drama that we 'd all wring our hands over . I do n't need highly impassioned diaries challenged for their threat to some presumed cred-line . <p> Maybe it 's just how I roll , but as it relates to Daily Kos , I do n't mind being part of an outsider institution . Not at all , sir . To your point specifically , we know what we know ( sometimes forged through arduous debate , painstaking cross-poll analysis , etc. ) , and I do n't mind at all living in the confidence that across our spectrum of differences we 're all unified in ... well as laureate Ray Davies would say it better than I ever could <p> I 've just got to be free And it wo n't be long ' cos we 're right And they are wrong We 've got to get out of this world somehow We 've got to be free we 've got to be free now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Chuck Todd who I still like a lot btw ) can choose to sign onto that anytime they choose . I 'm pretty comfortable living it in this community until then , if that day ever comes . <p> For several election cycles . Just to give you the mindset of some of us , as I 'd talked to others who felt like I did , for many of us it was because we had bought the argument that both parties were really the same . <p> So we treated the decision of who to vote for in presidential elections as an evaluation of the individual candidates--which one seemed smarter , more likely to do the right things for whatever we considered the most important issues , the biggest problems . I voted for John Anderson in my first election as a voter , in 1980 . Other years I sometimes voted for a Dem and other times a Rep. <p> It was n't until Bush was in office after Clinton 's two terms that it hit me that , hey ! It really WAS making a difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one thing after the next that horrified me . He soured me so badly on Republicans that I decided that I would never vote for one again . So I voted for Kerry but still did n't change my voter registration and remained an Independent , even though I 'd decided I was voting a straight Democratic ticket from that point on . <p> I actually liked being an Independent , as it gave me a feeling of autonomy , so I would n't have changed my registration until I discovered that I could n't vote in the 2008 primary because I did n't have a party affiliation . So I finally joined the Democratic Party at that point , even though I was already firmly in the Dem camp for two election cycles while an " Independent . " <p> Still voted straight Democratic tho . Switched over in 08 on the last day so I could vote for Obama in the PA primary . Frankly , it was such a pain in the ass to find that obscure state office , I would n't change it back if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't get respect from the media , but that I think boils down to the fact that they are being paid whereas we are not . If they gave us too much credibility , then they would call into question why they are even being paid , especially in many cases because their writing and research are so inferior to what appears here . So it benefits them to look down their noses at Daily Kos . <p> On the other hand , we have many politicians and candidates and notables post here , who DO seem to have quite a bit of respect for DKos . Now if only the president would read some of the front-paged and recommended diaries and take what they say to heart ! <p> But , the mainstream media has a money-guzzling advertising monster to feed . And that process goes a lot smoother for the media when politicians believe there are millions of low-information , non-partisans just waiting to be mobilized by the right ad buy . <p> This place has some good stuff , but lots of inaccurate/misleading diaries like recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put on the Recommended List . That is why this place does n't get more respect . A lot of bad info

@@5044341 <p> Mark Eric Henderson Jr . saw his opportunity to escape from the Woodbury motel room where he and seven other people were being held hostage early Friday , and he took it . <p> When the gunman who had been tormenting the group told Henderson to go to the window to see if any police were outside , Henderson took his chance and made a beeline for the door . The kidnapper opened fire at him in response but missed . As Henderson bolted out the door toward them , Woodbury police opened fire and cut him down . <p> The 19-year-old St. Paul man died later that day at Regions Hospital in St. Paul . <p> " He tried to get out to save his life , " said his mother , Tawana Henderson . " When he opened the hotel door to run out , the police opened fire and killed him . " <p> The man responsible for the nearly four-hour standoff with police at the Red Rood Inn near Valley Creek Road -- Demetrius S. Ballinger , 25 , of North St. Paul -- is being held in the Washington County jail . He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping , police said . <p> Henderson 's relatives expressed grief Saturday over their loss and anger at police for killing one of the hostages they had come to save . <p> " In a hostage situation , you do n't just open fire , " his mother said as she stood on her front lawn in St. Paul . She said she had yet to hear the details from authorities , but shared what she had been told by others who were in the motel room . Her story does n't contradict the account that officials have given of the shooting . <p> According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension , three Woodbury police officers responded to a 911 call at the Red Roof Inn , 1806 Wooddale Drive , at 1:10 a.m . Friday . When they arrived at the room , the officers encountered a man who pointed a handgun at them . They retreated and requested additional assistance , according to the BCA . <p> Officers then heard a gunshot as the door opened and a man , later identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came toward them . " Officers said they believed that Henderson had a weapon and reported that he did n't comply with their commands , at which point they fired on him . No weapon was recovered from Henderson . <p> ' Get on your knees now ! ' <p> Farris Nazzal , a 29-year-old musician staying at the motel , said he was awakened by stomping outside on the walkway , then shouted commands : " ' Get on your knees now ! Get on your knees now ! Freeze ! Freeze ! Freeze ! ' " <p> Nazzal said he heard six or seven gunshots and saw a man lying on the balcony with six or seven officers around him . " ' You got me ! You got me ! ' " the man was shouting at police . " He was yelling , and he was in pain , " Nazzal added . <p> The Washington County SWAT team arrived a short time after . Authorities later determined that Ballinger had fired his weapon from inside the motel room . He surrendered just before 5 a.m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to the charges he 's expected to face Tuesday , Ballinger was being held on old charges related to criminal property damage and disorderly conduct , officials said . <p> The three Woodbury police officers who fired their weapons are on standard paid administrative leave . They are officer Anthony Ofstead , an 11-year veteran ; officer Stacey Krech , who 's been with the department for five years , and officer Natalie Martin , who 's been with the department for two years . <p> Ballinger and Henderson had a mutual acquaintance , Henderson 's mother said . While Ballinger had come to her house before , she said , she never let him in because she had heard that he carried a gun . <p> Chaotic scene at motel <p> On Friday , she said Ballinger picked up her son about 11 p.m. and also picked up others to go to a party at the motel . The last she heard from her son was when he texted her to let her know that they had arrived at the motel . Later , an acquaintance called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later still , someone who was at the party told Henderson 's mother what had happened . <p> Several of the people at the party knew each other from the Boys Totem Town residential correctional facility in St. Paul , Henderson 's mother said she was told . <p> She was told that when one of the young women at the party did n't want to talk to Ballinger , he " flipped out , " pulled a gun and demanded that everyone empty their pockets , including their cellphones and wallets . One of the women had called police , which prompted Ballinger to threaten to kill them . The women were forced to undress and pile into the room 's bathtub where they were beaten and sexually assaulted by Ballinger , and the men were told to lie on the floor , she said she was told . <p> When Ballinger ordered her son at gunpoint to go to the window and see if police were outside , Henderson made his bid to escape , his mother said . <p> His father , Mark Henderson Sr. , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his son but three . " If suspects do n't have a gun , are n't they trained not to shoot ? " he asked . <p> ' Very hurt right now ' <p> Mark Henderson attended Humboldt High School in St. Paul and had been doing factory work through a temp service . <p> His mother said he liked football and loved to dance . <p> Mark was her oldest son . She has two girls and one other son , 18 . <p> The younger boy " looked up to him very much , " she said . " He 's very hurt right now . " <p> Henderson was due to become a father himself next month , with a baby boy expected to be named Mark Eric Henderson III . <p> " I 'm still in disbelief , thinking my son will come walking up the street , " Tawana Henderson said . " If I never

@@5044441 <h> What ? Am I going to have to vote for Romney after all ? <p> " Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the G.D.P . in Israel ? Eight percent , " Romney said . " You spend eight percent of G.D.P . on health care . You 're a pretty healthy nation . We spend 18 percent of our G.D.P . on health care , 10 percentage points more . That gap , that 10 percent cost , compare that with the size of our military -- our military which is 4 percent , 4 percent . Our gap with Israel is 10 points of G.D.P . We have to find ways -- not just to provide health care to more people , but to find ways to fund and manage our health care costs . <p> Things are going to be weird if conservatives start saying that they were always in favor of socialized medicine . <p> Maybe we on the left have been approaching this all wrong . Perhaps if the left started denying global warming , denouncing abortion rights , calling for a constitutional amendment against gay marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their tune on all of those issues .... <p> As one of your northern neighbours , I wish to offer our fine friends in the United States the option of becoming a Canadian Territory ( you 'd be in good company with the Yukon , the Northwest Territory and Nunavut ) with all of its benefits , rights and responsibilities , and the potential to become a Canadian Province in due course . Provincehood is achieved by : <p> 1 . Producing beer that is n't categorized as " soda pop " . 2 . Adopting hockey ( ice hockey , but it 's always just " hockey " ) as the number one sport . 3 . Learning how to correctly use " Eh " in all of its nuances . 4 . Also " Tabernac ! " if you 're travelling in Quebec . 5 . Spelling the British way , with words like " armour " , " centre " and " travelling " . 6 . Paying higher taxes in exchange for not worrying the fuck about how you 'll pay for the Emergency visit while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Understanding that our Head of State is different from our Head of Government , and that you vote in a party and not a leader . And also Canadians generally hold a dim view of open religiosity in government , which we equate with " dingbats. " 8 . Adopting a nasty attitude towards the Eastern provinces if you 're in the West , and a studied disdain and disregard for Western provinces if you 're in the East . <p> This offer remains open until the next solar eclipse . However , at no time is this offer open to the part of your fine nation known as " Jesusland " , except to those people within who really , really want to Get The Fuck Out . <p> At his Jerusalem fundraiser last night , for example , the Republican candidate spent quite a bit of time praising the Israeli health care system , which covers more of the nation 's population than we do , while spending less as a percentage of GDP . Romney may not have thought this one through -- Israel has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care policy he was praising in Israel is the same kind of policy he routinely condemns . <p> I 'm afraid the truth is quite scary . Romney did n't really think this through . Neither he nor his staff considered that a top marginal income tax rate of 48% on income over $125,000 supports socialized medicine in Israel . Romney does n't think . Specifically , his brain seems to be incapable of see connection between social policies and economic policies . <p> I become more and more convinced that Romney harbors simplistic viewpoints , and that even those viewpoints are forbidden to interact with each other , or with reality . <p> silomowbray , I think the San Francisco Peninsula qualifies on the most important points , those being beer , hockey , a disdain for the Eastern provinces ( everything east of the Bay ) , and that complicated one -- something about paying lots of taxes and not worrying about how health care is paid for . <p> " Culture makes all the difference , " Mr. Romney said . " And as I come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accomplishments of the people of this nation , I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things . " <p> " As you come here and you see the G.D.P . per capita , for instance , in Israel which is about $21,000 , and compare that with the G.D.P . per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority , which is more like $10,000 per capita , you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality , " he said . <p> Okay , so that statement is racist in a way , based on Romney thinking the Jewish culture is superior to Palestinian culture . <p> Israel 's GDP per capita was $31,000 in 2011 and Palestinians ' per capita GDP was just $1,500 . Romney at no point mentioned that the Palestinian territories have for decades been occupied without sovereign control , where residents face significant restrictions on movement and employment . <p> Coverage on The Maddow Blog of Romney 's comments on healthcare in Israel : <p> At his Jerusalem fundraiser last night , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Israeli health care system , which covers more of the nation 's population than we do , while spending less as a percentage of GDP . <p> Why do Americans feel that covering a large percentage of citizens is a measure of quality in the system , but covering 100 per cent of citizens is unacceptable ? <p> I 'm afraid the truth is quite scary . Romney did n't really think this through . Neither he nor his staff considered that a top marginal income tax rate of 48% on income over $125,000 supports socialized medicine in Israel . Romney does n't think . Specifically , his brain seems to be incapable of see connection between social policies and economic policies . <p> I become more and more convinced that Romney harbors simplistic viewpoints , and that even those viewpoints are forbidden to interact with each other , or with reality . <p> I am overwhelmingly impressed with the hand of providence , whenever it chooses to apply itself , and also the greatness of the human spirit , and how individuals who reach for greatness and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could only be done by a species created in the image of God . <p> So even if you interpret this generously not to mean that Palestinians are not the same species as Jews , he 's pretty blatantly saying that success is a sign of god 's good grace . <p> Which I guess is a pretty comforting thought if you have Mitt Romney 's bank account . <p> I recognize the hand of providence in selecting this place . I 'm told in a Sunday school class I attended -- I think my son Tagg was teaching the class . He 's not here . I look around to see . Of course he 's not here . He was in London . He taught a class in which he was describing the concern on the part of some of the Jews that left Egypt to come to the promised land , that in the promised land was down the River Nile , that would provide the essential water they had enjoyed in Egypt . They came here recognizing that they must be relied upon , themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sky . And this therefore represented a sign of faith and a show of faith to come here . That this is a people that has long recognized the purpose in this place and in their lives that is greater than themselves and their own particular interests , but a purpose of accomplishment and caring and building and serving . <p> Mitt attended mormon Sunday school to hear his son Tagg teach about the mythical exodus from Egypt , god providing rain , demonstrations of foolishness being interpreted as signs of faith , and how all of us should recognize the purpose of Israel as playing a part in mormon theology . <p> Mitt also seems to have forgotten where Tagg was at the moment . Early Alzheimer 's anyone ? <p> Mitt uses a tele-prompter , right ? If so , why ca n't he put together a coherent sentence ? Consider this one , " I noted that part of my interest when I used to be in the world of business is I would travel to different countries was to understand why there were such enormous disparities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would have thought that " business " would be in favor or universal heath care for practical reasons , like removing any competitive advantage or cost of production advantage/disadvantage that would impact them . I would have thought that GM might like to have healthcare removed from their retirees retirement plans . If the cost is spread out in some kind of equitable way at least . Same would seem to go with the small employer as well . <p> Is it really a free market issue , the right of some people to make money a lot of money out of the " health care industry " ? It looks like it is about money and not health care for people to me . <p> I think mr . Romney is suffering from the effects of Cognitive dissonance of being a religionist . Believing many things that are not true about reality but trying to exist in reality . It seems a very common affliction of politicians . <p> I would have thought that " business " would be in favor or universal heath care for practical reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage/disadvantage that would impact them . I would have thought that GM might like to have healthcare removed from their retirees retirement plans . <p> that is absolutely why its been an issue at all recently . Regular people have been fed up with this shit for decades but it was n't a major component of political campaigning until the last couple of years . It became a political platform issue once some industries started getting angry about how much money was being wasted . We are seeing a big fight between industries trying to take from each other , and the insurance industry has the most to lose in this fight so they are going at it much harder than the rest . <p> I think mr . Romney is suffering from the effects of Cognitive dissonance of being a religionist . Believing many things that are not true about reality but trying to exist in reality . It seems a very common affliction of politicians . <p> Yep . Brain damage via religion . <p> Note that phrases like " the hand of God " roll easily off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even a consistent version of himself , let alone workable policies . <p> Universal healthcare insurance paid through federal public revenue ( la Canada ) should make both individuals and employers happy . <p> It should make individuals happy because everyone would be covered . There is great peace of mind in that . <p> It should make employers happy because , rather than have payroll taxes bear the full burden , it would share the burden with other federal revenue sources , including the largest one , individual income tax . <p> And as an added bonus , it has proven to be less expensive wherever it 's been implemented . <p> Not being from the USA I ca n't vote for your president . I do n't like a lot about Obama ( mostly his overseas decisions ) but he is the lesser of two evils . Will there- could there EVER be a viable 2rd option ... . ? <p> Universal healthcare insurance paid through federal public revenue ( la Canada ) should make both individuals and employers happy . <p> It should make individuals happy because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind in that . <p> It should make employers happy because , rather than have payroll taxes bear the full burden , it would share the burden with other federal revenue sources , including the largest one , individual income tax . <p> And as an added bonus , it has proven to be less expensive wherever it 's been implemented . <p> Yeah , but then rich people might have to pay slightly higher taxes , and we ca n't have that . They 're job-creators , you see . <p> My last comment was sarcastic . This one is sincere . I 've been to Germany twice . Germany has a pretty high tax rate on the most wealthy . And yet when I was there there were no shortage of rich people driving their Lambourghinis around Berlin . Apparently it 's possible to have progressive taxation without driving the super-rich into penury . <p> Apparently it 's possible to have progressive taxation without driving the super-rich into penury . <p> And even if you do , then the formerly rich get to take advantage of the joys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand Republicans correctly , means a life of idle pleasure and no worries forever . <p> It is so obvious ... I am amazed nobody comments on it .... Mitt will say ANYTHING ... anything at all ... at any given moment .... if he feels it will make points . There appears to be no core to him . There is ( cliche ) no " there " there . Question : why does he want this so badly ? What are we missing ? Finally , if he is so hot to get a war started in Iran , I want to see the Fab Five Little Mittens on the front lines . Not proselytizing ! Grunting . <p> My last comment was sarcastic . This one is sincere . I 've been to Germany twice . Germany has a pretty high tax rate on the most wealthy . And yet when I was there there were no shortage of rich people driving their Lambourghinis around Berlin . Apparently it 's possible to have progressive taxation without driving the super-rich into penury . <p> well to be perfectly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either in Switzerland or in Monaco : -p <p> Is it possible Romney does n't know the details of how the Israeli health care system works ? He 's just spouting off talking points with numbers feed to him by staffers . Based on his other gaffes , ignorance seems to be a common characteristic of the group . <p> And need not wait too long to find something to abate this wave of positive feeling for Romney . As I 'm sure you all know , he managed to insult Palestinians with his inept comparison of the Israel GDP to the Palestinian GDP . He , and his team , appear to be ill informed about that situation as well . First , he had the wrong numbers for both country 's GDP ( Israel is quite a bit higher than he cited , the PA quite a bit lower ) . Then he showed a complete lack of sensitivity to the situation by siting " culture " as the distinctive difference between them . The implication , I suppose , is that Israel 's Westernized culture is superior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposed from the homes again and again . Never mind that Palestinians have been the targets of the Israeli war machine for decades . Never mind that the border with a major trading partner , Israel , is largely sealed . Never mind that other potential trading partners , e.g the US , are n't going out of their way to help their economy . <p> Not being from the USA I ca n't vote for your president . I do n't like a lot about Obama ( mostly his overseas decisions ) but he is the lesser of two evils . Will there- could there EVER be a viable 2rd option ... . ? <p> Well , the bastard 's spending all his time in Israel talking up war . He even has to drag health into it : " We 're spending 18% of GDP on health , and only 4% on the military -- boo hoo hoo ! " Who 's spending 18% on health ? Not the government . The US medical system has been in decline since the 1960s when the goddamned insurers were buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world 's most expensive healthcare systems , but on the whole far from the best . Even in the 1960s the professional liability insurance on surgeons was ridiculous , thanks to the " sue ' em for anything " culture , so the health insurance industry is n't entirely to blame . One thing the government is to blame for is that they allow these drug cartels to do as they please . Why do the same drugs cost many times as much in the USA as in Europe ? We obviously do n't fine them enough for anticompetitive practices and price gouging/fixing . Even though drugs are cheaper in Europe , the EU courts still found Bayer and others guilty of running a cartel and fined them a few billion dollars . If you 're stupid enough to believe what the drug companies and insurance companies claim , you 'll be stuck with unnecessary high costs . <p> Why do the same drugs cost many times as much in the USA as in Europe ? <p> Actually generic drugs are cheaper in the US . It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortages constantly . So the US could actually stand to both increase and decrease drug prices . Need more regulation , in short . <p> @Robro#46 : Yes , our politicians revel in ignorance . What scares me about Romney is that he 's doing nothing but talking up war -- and it 's obvious to me that he wants Israel to start a war . It could be that he 's just playing the redneck fools back home who 'd love another gung-ho warmonger president , but either way he 's proven himself an undesirable president -- he 's either a fool , a condescending liar or both . I 'm rather disappointed that the Israeli politicians have n't told him he 's an idiot and they do n't care for warmongers . In the previous 2 Iraq wars an awful lot of effort went into keeping Israel out of the wars , even when Israel was being hit by the scud rockets . <p> I was wondering how American commentators handled the opening ceremony of the Olympics where the British actually celebrated inventing universal health care aka " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> I was n't aware of the White Horse thing . It does seem to explain this manic behavior . Thanks . It would be fun if PZ were to poll us asking us to choose the wackiest religion . Hmm .... Scientology ? LDS ? RC ? All of the above ? Forget it . <p> madscientist -- If that 24% is just the DoD budget , does n't it exclude some other items such as the part of the DoE budget that goes to defense research and development , the State Department budget that goes to arming " allies , " and so forth ? I read that was the case years ago and assume they still shuffle " defense " budget into a lot of buckets . <p> Apparently Romney also called Jerusalem the capital of Israel . Ummm , what ? Is that some weird Mormon thing or is it simple geography fail ? <p> Israel moved the capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem several years ago . The US was one of the first , if not the first , country to move our embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Democrats ) in Congress . <p> Unconditional support for Israel has been a Republican party thing for years , egged on by American fundamentalist preachers . The whole point of the Iraq war ( besides profiteering ) was to eliminate a threat to Israel . <p> Has anyone ever asked Romney straight out if he believes in a literal Book of Mormon ? If so , he has to believe some those Exodusing Hebrews hung a left at the mouth of the Nile and rowed across the Atlantic to found an ironworking civilzation in upstate fucking New York , and their decendants are the Native Americans . <p> I was once in a band with a guy who believed the WWF was a real sport , and we would n't let him drive the truck because we knew he had no critical thinking skills . Now I 'm going to have a President of the United States who thinks a guy who put a couple of rocks in a hat could translate " reformed Egyptian " ( whatever the fuck that is ) into English ? <p> Apparently Romney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ? Is that some weird Mormon thing or is it simple geography fail ? <p> Acceptence of reality actually -- and the wishes of most of the Jewish people internationally and especially in Israel itself where he was giving the talk . To insult the Israelis by denying their right to have their capital and most sacred city as they choose would have been far worse I reckon . <p> @63 . Alethea H. " Crocoduck " Dundee : <p> OK , it 's more complicated than I thought . But still , most countries of the world do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel 's capital . <p> About a metric shit tonne of Muslims dictatorships and Islamic theocracies refuse to recognise Israel 's existence at all . And are constantly threatening and actually attempting to wipe it off the map . By force . Perhaps by nuclear WMDs if they can get them . <p> Meanwhile , since they 've been unable ( yet ) to exterminate Israel militarily they try to ignore and isolate Israel diplomatically , launch economic boycotts and blockades and keep it out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves to say Israel often referring to it as the " Zionist entity " / " crusdaer state " / " Lesser Satan " ( the USA being the greater one . ) <p> You do realise that right ? <p> Do you think the people refusing to recognise Israel along with Jerusalem as its official capital have the right to exist at all deserve to have your support or belong on the right side of history or reality ? <p> Would you rather Romney ( or whoever else ) ignored the wishes of the people in the land he was aguest of and , btw. , would you prefer Jerusalem be divided still like Berlin was in the Cold War ? <p> The whole point of the Iraq war ( besides profiteering ) was to eliminate a threat to Israel . <p> That 's a very dubious and extraordinary conspiracy theory claim indeed . <p> Historically I think its clear that the main reason for the 2003 Iraq war was to stop Saddam Hussein aquiring WMDs which Saddam was bluffing that he had and which almost everybody *at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include : <p> - Saddam 's attempts to assassinate the former president Bush'es father , <p> - the utter and miserable failure of the UN sanctions to topple the regime or effectively guarantee it posed no regional or global menace , ( whilst starving and hurting worst the most vulnerable Iraqis . ) <p> - Bush II 's personal idealistic religious and political ideas and his mistaken thought that the Iraqi people would behave better than they did and be grateful to be liberated from Saddam 's tyranny rather than looting their land and truning to terrorists and sectarian Jihadist warriors . <p> - And , not least , Saddam 's refusal to flee safely into exile with his family avoiding the need for war which the Iraqi dictator was given the opportunity to do . <p> IOW , Saddam Hussein needs to take as least as much blame for the war as Bush II does . Israel had very little if anything to do with it . <p> Blaming everything wrong in the world on " Teh Joooz ! " is a conspiracy theory you seem to be coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do realize that the whole WMD thing was based on extremely incompentent intelligence , and that the US invasion caused as much death as Saddam did ? That everyone expected Saddam to have WMD is their pathetic failure at intelligence . <p> @earwig#55 : The US Federal Budget is available from the US Treasury , the Government Printing Office ( GPO ) , and even the White House ( that 's . gov , not . com ) . I could n't find any pie charts for easy reference from the government sites , but other sites provide such summaries , for example http : //www.usfederalbudget.us . While I ca n't vouch for the accuracy of the non-government websites , that one I mentioned has a 2012 and 2013 chart which is consistent with the published data . Romney 's " 4% " looks like the percentage of the budget allocated to education . Note those figures are not relative to GDP though . Romney 's claim of 4% of GDP on the military is about right ( actually it 's closer to 5% ) , but Romney 's claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no matter how you look at it . <p> Has the House UneAmerican Activity Committee been alerted to Mitt Romney ? What about the DHS ? ? <p> This actually reminds me of something I saw on Youtube recently . I was watching one of Jackie Mason 's video-rants ( his channel is TheUltimateJew and it 's over-the-top right-wing lunacy ) . In several videos , he goes on and on about Obamacare and how it 's going to be the end of freedom in America and within a year of its implementation , the US will officially be regarded as a socialist dictatorship by the rest of the world and every other outrageous Obama-delusion you can name . <p> However , he had another video about his recent trip to Israel . He just could n't get enough of their health care system . It worked so well , and they saved so much money for better care and it was so easy to get care and no one had to worry about going bankrupt because their kid got sick . <p> When someone pointed out this curious dicotomy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Israel has a population of eight million . Big difference . " <p> So the difference between a great health care system and one that is as bad as the Holocaust ( his words ) is ... how many people there are to cover ? So all that screaming about socialism and tyranny and death panels is merely because a critical mass has been surpassed ? <p> And I 've actually seen a few other conservative blow-hards try to pass off this same argument : well , ( country with better socialized health care system ) is differet cause there 's not as many people there ! " <p> What 's weird is the signs I usually see at those rallies say stuff like : " Obamacare gunna kill yer grannee ! " , " Obama is the AnteeChrisst ! " or " Obama=Hitler " . <p> Oddly enough , I never see anything along the lines of " Obamacare wont ' wurk cause thurs to many people to kover ! " <p> I think the difference that Mr. Mason either does n't know or does n't want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense of comradery and when one of their Israeli brothers is sick , they all want to help . Here in America , after several decades of the Gospel of Ayn Rand , the conservatives say " He 's sick ; fuck ' em . Besides , that 's the best way to help him . We 're not like those democrates who want to make him dependant on medical attention ! " <p> However , he had another video about his recent trip to Israel . He just could n't get enough of their health care system . It worked so well , and they saved so much money for better care and it was so easy to get care and no one had to worry about going bankrupt because their kid got sick . <p> When someone pointed out this curious dicotomy . His response was ( and I quote ) : " Israel has a population of eight million . Big difference . " <p> That 's textbook " American exceptionalism " . What it boils down to is the insistence that in the U.S. everything works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have an excellent track record , and just because an alternate approach has been a miserable failure everywhere it 's been tried , that does n't mean that the second policy wo n't obviously be better in the U.S. Because the U.S. is exceptional -- we 're an entirely different universe , inhabited by entirely different people , so that patterns of psychology , sociology , biology , economics , and even freaking physics must be presumed to operate entirely differently in the U.S. <p> ( For instance : in most of the world , " anti-Semitism " refers to anti-Jewish prejudice and/or discrimination . In the U.S. , " anti-Semitism " refers to failure to sufficiently support the extreme right wing of Israeli politics . So most Americans who are ethnically and/or religiously Jewish are anti-Semitic , but the Christians who support the militant Israeli right wing as a means of bringing about the Apocalypse and the genocide of all Jewish people who do n't convert to Christianity are not anti-Semitic . As long as they 're in the U.S. ; as soon as you cross a border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally . ) <p> I was wondering how American commentators handled the opening ceremony of the Olympics where the British actually celebrated inventing universal health care aka " socialised medicine " . How was that explained away ? <p> for an example of right-wing media dealing with this , see here ( with bonus anti-chinese racism ) <p> I was wondering how American commentators handled the opening ceremony of the Olympics where the British actually celebrated inventing universal health care aka " socialised medicine " . How was that explained away ? <p> Is that the bit that NBC simply did n't show , claiming it was not interesting for an American audience ? <p> Historically I think its clear that the main reason for the 2003 Iraq war was to stop Saddam Hussein aquiring WMDs which Saddam was bluffing that he had and which almost everybody *at the time* expected him to be hiding . <p> Hah . " Almost everybody " in the US media , because they were too stupid to listen to the UN weapons inspectors . The rest of the world did not expect WMDs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions to topple the regime <p> That was never their point . Never . <p> or effectively guarantee it posed no regional or global menace <p> Huh ? We can discuss the relative contributions of the sanctions and the no-fly zone ... but ... Iraq posed no regional or global menace between 1991 and 2003 . What , if anything , makes you think otherwise ? ? ? <p> timberwoof , Personally I think San Fransisco should be allowed to join the EU . In fact , bring all of California . <p> -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- In regard to Iraq , there is a shitload of history revisionism going on to retroactively justify the policies of Bush Jr . And western support to the Baath party goes back to the early 1960s , a fact we are supposed to forget . After 1991 : " we have always been at war with Eastasia " -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Synfandel , Word ! -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- After Iraq was kicked out of Kuwait the depleted military forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posed to Texas in 1980*. ( *This almost-neolithic country was supposed to threaten USA which is the excuse used by Reagan to fund terrorists who press-ganged farmers into joining ) <p> The whole point of the Iraq war ( besides profiteering ) was to eliminate a threat to Israel . <p> That 's a very dubious and extraordinary conspiracy theory claim indeed . <p> Historically I think its clear that the main reason for the 2003 Iraq war was to stop Saddam Hussein aquiring WMDs which Saddam was bluffing that he had and which almost everybody *at the time* expected him to be hiding . <p> That is a complete fabrication . The intelligence community and the UN inspectors found no evidende Saddam was hiding WMDs . The only people who were convinced he was -- or claimed to be convinced he was -- were people like Cheney , Rumsfeld , and Wolfowitz . If they really thought he was hiding them , why did they present falsified intelligence -- the aluminum tubes , the mobile weapons labs , the uranium from Africa -- to Congress and the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN sanctions to topple the regime or effectively guarantee it posed no regional or global menace , ( whilst starving and hurting worst the most vulnerable Iraqis . ) <p> The UN sanctions were n't intended to topple the regime , they were intended to stop Saddam from getting WMDs or rebuilding his military . And they worked . The UN inspectors confirmed they worked right before Bush told them to leave so he could stop bombing . <p> Blaming everything wrong in the world on " Teh Joooz ! " is a conspiracy theory you seem to be coming uncomfortably close to there , truthspeaker . <p> That is not what I 'm doing at all . I 'm blaming the Iraq war on the Israel lobby in the United States , which certainly does not include every Jewish American -- far from it . If you do n't understand that AIPAC is one of the most powerful lobbies in the United States and that it calls the shots foreign policy for most Republicans and many Democrats , then you have n't been paying attention . <p> @StevoR FIFY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was based on extremely incompentent intelligence , and that the US invasion caused as much death as Saddam did ? That everyone expected Saddam to have WMD is their pathetic failure at intelligence . <p> Yes . Okay . We know now that Saddam was bluffing . <p> He still deserves at least half the blame for the war which should n't be overlooked . <p> I suppose it 's possible they really were that incompetent that they believed their own predictions . But then we should blame them for being incompetent , and for ignoring the State Department 's warnings about what would happen after an invasion . <p> If Bush II knew now what he did nt know at the time then in terms of death toll , destruction , negative impacts and consequences , well I 'm sure we would n't have gone in . <p> But he still deserves blame for ignoring all the warnings about the death tool , destruction , and negative consequences of an invasion , all of which were in the State Department report describing the likely outcomes of an invasion . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wolfowitz et al . <p> " Blaming everything wrong in the world on " Teh Joooz ! " is a conspiracy theory you seem to be coming uncomfortably close to there , truthspeaker. " -StevoR That is not what I 'm doing at all . I 'm blaming the Iraq war on the Israel lobby in the United States . <p> Really ? Funny that what you first wrote in comment #61 was : <p> The whole point of the Iraq war ( besides profiteering ) was to eliminate a threat to Israel . <p> Which means you are claiming that : <p> 1 . The whole point of " the " Iraq war ( presumably referring to the 2003 one rather than , say , all the other wars Iraq was involved in historically such as its war with Iran and its war with Britain and its wars with Israel aimed at exterminating the Jewish state. ) was to eliminate a threat to Israel . <p> Which ignores all the evidence to the contrary about why the war occurred such as the whole WMD threat and what Saddam was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have Bush I murdered and that Bush II believed God told him to do it . <p> Nope , you 're claiming that instead it was all the fault of the Joooz I 'm sorry , the " Israel lobby " because , sheesh , using the demonised Israelis as a fig leaf for anti-Semitism is so totally unheard of ai n't it ? <p> Oh &; 2 . You 're also contradicting yourself by claiming the liberation of Iraq was done was done for the sake of nebulous " profiteering " as well / instead . <p> A rather Conspiracy theory improbable and extraordinary claim that is n't backed up by , oh I du n no , the comments on the record at thetiem and the fact that a whole coalition of nations including Australia &; England were assembled in agreement to " profiteer " from a war . <p> You really think that 's likely -- an international political conspiracy on that scale ? Then go prove it . With the required extraordinary evidence rather than just " Corporations being all corporation-y " type talk . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they are , they were n't the ones making the decisions to go to war here . " Darth Cheney " for all the hyperbole is n't really a sith lord . Halliburton and some others behaved disgustingly unethically and exploited a bad situation for their ends but they did n't create it . <p> If you do n't understand that AIPAC is one of the most powerful lobbies in the United States and that it calls the shots foreign policy for most Republicans and many Democrats , then you have n't been paying attention . <p> Guess you were n't paying attention during the last four years or so then when Obama has repeatedly snubbed Israel 's democratically elected PM Bibi Netanyahu in favour of cosying up to the Jihadists on the " Arab Stret " such as in his Cairo speech back when , if I recall rght , Eygptian dictator Hosni Mubarack was still in charge ? ! <p> Yes , AIPAC is *one* lobby group with some political influence . Arab petro-dollars and the weight of all the Muslim dictatorships and theocracies at the UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Plenty of lobby groups out ther AIPAC is one of them . And why not ? Why should n't Israel have a lobby group just as the Arabs do ? <p> Ever thought you might be , oh , I du n no , ju-uust a bit based in your views here ? <p> I 'll admit I lean a bit more towards the philo-Semitic side of the debate rather than its opposite myself . <p> I 'm not alleging a " conspiracy " , I 'm alleging that various nation-states did what nation-states have done throughout history -- start a war so the friends of the people in government could get rich at the expense of taxpayers . <p> Dick Cheney used to head Halliburton and still had a financial stake in it . Is it really so inconceivable that Dick Cheney helped start a war to make money for Halliburton ? It 's not exactly unheard of in the United States . <p> Which ignores all the evidence to the contrary about why the war occurred such as the whole WMD threat <p> There was no WMD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . I can believe you are still trying to peddle these lies in 2012 , for fuck 's sake . We knew in 2003 that there was no WMD threat . <p> I 'm not alleging a " conspiracy " , I 'm alleging that various nation-states did what nation-states have done throughout history -- start a war so the friends of the people in government could get rich at the expense of taxpayers . <p> Dick Cheney used to head Halliburton and still had a financial stake in it . Is it really so inconceivable that Dick Cheney helped start a war to make money for Halliburton ? It 's not exactly unheard of in the United States . <p> Which ignores all the evidence to the contrary about why the war occurred such as the whole WMD threat <p> There was no WMD threat , and this was public knowledge at the time . I can believe you are still trying to peddle these lies in 2012 , for fuck 's sake . We knew in 2003 that there was no WMD threat . <p> Guess you were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then when Obama has repeatedly snubbed Israel 's democratically elected PM Bibi Netanyahu in favour of cosying up to the Jihadists on the " Arab Stret " such as in his Cairo speech back when , if I recall rght , Eygptian dictator Hosni Mubarack was still in charge ? ! <p> And that 's one reason AIPAC is n't happy with Obama . <p> The reason he " snubbed " Netanyahu is because Netanyahu , while paying lip-service to a two-state solution , is obviously trying to expand settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem . <p> I see StevoR is still trying to justify his paranoid bigotry , but does n't have the evidence for it . He still ca n't come up with a reasonable scenario where it ends up with him being forced to convert to Islam and live under Sharia law . Thinking it can happen is paranoia , as it is n't reasonable . He needs to shut the fuck up after apologizing to those who follow Islam who are n't jihadists , which is almost all of them . <p> Em . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare system is collapsing . Whatever public healthcare is available is indeed available to all -- but hospitals are understaffed , staff is under-payed and overworked ( we had a giant doctor 's strike this year -- and you know how bad it has to get for friggin ' doctors to strike ) , entire regions of the country do n't have access to nearby healthcare , and the Health Ministry recently informed the Prime Minister that the health system is couple billion ( ! ! ! ) dollars short of the budget it needs to provide standard medical care as defined by law to the people of the country . <p> We do have public healthcare , and amazing , dedicated medical professionals who are doing their best to help anyone who needs care

@@5044541 <p> The Academy of American Poets has been impacted by the recent storm on the east coast . While we continue to deliver on our programming and are working from our office in lower Manhattan , we remain without

@@5044641 <p> US States Nicknames Questions and Answers about the nicknames for the 50 states <p> Custom Search <p> Check your US States nicknames knowledge . Do you know all the nicknames of all the states in the union ? If you do n't know the answer to the

@@5044741 to be absolutely taken by it , on the grimmest of tenterhooks for the next volume . <p> New father Charlie Brooker has caught himself shouting at the machines in his life , given the matter careful consideration , and decided that it 's OK -- more than OK , really . For Brooker , the future will involve lots of shouting at machines . Makes me wonder if there is n't something to be said for designing machines that understand why you 're shouting at them . <p> I used to play vertical-scrolling shoot-em-ups in which a blizzard of angry pixels swirled around the screen like a synchronised galaxy impersonating a flock of starlings , accompanied by a melodic soundtrack of pops and whistles apparently performed by an orchestra of frenzied Bop-It machines . But at least then you could press pause . Now I find it hard to cope with seeing a banner ad slowly fading from red to green while the The One Show 's on in the background , which is why over the past few weeks I 've ratcheted down my engagement with anything not made of wood . There 's a baby to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down . <p> Because the alternative is to surround myself with technology designed specifically for shouting at . And that 's the more uplifting feature of the horrible future I pictured for this baby I 'm talking about , the baby I vowed to never mention in print because to do so would instantly mark me out as a prick : in the future , we 'll have specially designed anguish-venting machines -- unfeeling robots wearing bewildered faces for older people to scream into like adult babies , just to let out all the stress caused by constant exposure to yappering , feverish stimuli . Tomorrow will consist of flashing lights and off-the-shelf digital punchbags , consumed by a generation better equipped to deal with it than me , which wo n't matter because by then I will have withdrawn entirely from the digital

@@5044841 <h> Is The " Volcker Rule " More Than A Marketing Slogan ? <p> At the broadest level , Thursday 's announcement from the White House was encouraging -- for the first time , the president endorsed potential new constraints on the scale and scope of our largest banks , and said he was ready for " a fight " . After a long tough argument , Paul Volcker appeared to have finally persuaded President Obama that the unconditional bailouts of 2008-2009 planted the seeds for another major economic crisis . <p> But how deep does this conversion go ? On the " deep " side is the signal implicit in the fact that Volcker stood behind the president while Tim Geithner was further from the podium than any Treasury Secretary in living memory . Where you stand at major White House announcements is never an accident . <p> Increasingly , however , there are very real indications that the conversion is either superficial ( on the economic side of the White House ) or entirely a marketing ploy ( on the political side ) . Here are the five top reasons to worry . <p> Secretary Geithner 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lehrer NewsHour , is in direct contradiction to what the president said . At first , it seemed that Geithner was just off-message . Now it is more likely that he is ( still ) the message . <p> The White House background briefing on Thursday morning gave listeners the strong impression that these new proposals would freeze the size of our largest banks " as is " . Again , this is strongly at odds with what the president said and seemed -- at the time -- to indicate insufficient preparation and message drift . But who is really drifting now , the aides or the president ? <p> At the heart of the substance of the " Volcker Rule , " if the idea is literally to freeze the banks at or close to their current size , this makes no sense at all . Why would anyone regard twenty years of reckless expansion , a massive global crisis , and the most generous bailout in recorded history as the recipe for creating " right " sized banks ? There is absolutely no evidence , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought anything other than huge social costs -- in terms of direct financial rescues , the fiscal stimulus needed to prevent another Great Depression , and millions of lost jobs . On reflection , perhaps the president really still does n't get this . <p> Since Thursday , the White House has gone all out for the reconfirmation of Ben Bernanke , whereas gently backing away from him -- or at least not being so enthusiastic -- would have sent a clearer signal that the president is truly prepared to be tough on big banks and their supporters . Unless Bernanke unexpectedly changes his stripes , his reappointment at this time gives up a major hostage to fortune -- and to those Democrats and Republicans opposing serious financial reform . <p> As the White House begins to campaign for the November midterms , how will they answer the question : What exactly did they " change " relative to what any other potential administration would have done in the face of a financial crisis ? How will they counter anyone who claims , citing Rahm Emanuel , that : " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " No answer is yet in sight . <p> The Geithner strategy of being overly nice to the mega-banks was not good economics and has proven impossible to sell politically -- the popular hostility to his approach is just common sense prevailing over technical mumbo jumbo . <p> But selling incoherent mush with a mixed message and cross-eyed messengers could be even worse . <h> 101 Responses to Is The " Volcker Rule " More Than A Marketing Slogan ? <p> I always wonder if we 've become so cynical nowadays because society and humans are more evil than say in FDR 's era , or because of books , public education , and the internet we 're just less naive and therefor we see the evils that have been in society all along . My father is in his eighties , born before the beginning of the depression . I imagine he would say a little of both . <p> Still it 's sad either way when you ca n't take a man by his word . And sadder still when more times than not it proves that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China I thought it was SO SAD how even family members do n't trust each other over there after the cultural revolution and they would even turn over their own family members to communist officials if they went against party doctrine . That mistrust lasts even today in China 2010 , and probably into the foreseeable future . Now I 'm back in the good ol ' USA and wonder when will we be able to trust the members of Congress who sell out our country for their own individual benefit , even as the country slowly spins down the toilet . I imagine that will be decades IF EVER AGAIN . <p> Well if you 're reading this Mr. Congressman or Mr. Senator , I hope you enjoy every single penny of graft you take to cheat American 's trust -- every SINGLE penny -- because you will eventually burn in Hell for it . <p> Just as with the debates in Congress around the time that Paulson went down on his knee to Speaker Pelosi , all politicians have one eye on the polls and especially the Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from watching the trajectory the Dow Jones Industrials . <p> How could anyone support Bernanke for FED Chairman when he does n't know that any and all contracts can and sometimes should be renegotiated . He claims that the 100% pay out to the holders of CDS in the AIG failure was not a matter of choice but rather a matter of contact . Through the backdoor he and Geithner funneled money to foreign banks and the likes of Goldman Sachs for the sole purpose of saving these corporations . <p> None of the CDS holders would have received 100% if AIG had failed . Starting with that premise , the FED and Paulson 's treasury could have easily negotiated less than 100% pay out , by simply explaining that the taxpayer was not going to provide funding for a 100% bailout . <p> The CDS 's did not include a clause that required the FED and Treasury to pay nor were they a party to the CDS . Thus , there was no legal obligation for the Treasury and the FED to pay the CDS ' . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all to well the contracting parties often renegotiate in order to receive some part of the " benefit of the bargain " particularly when the entire contract is in peril of default . All contracts are in peril when one party can not perform , particularly when there is no money to pay the contract . <p> But Bernanke hides and claims that his hands were tied . How amazing is that ? Not amazing at all when the fix is in . <p> What was going on at the NY FED under Geithner , did he not understand his role as regulator ? From our limited knowledge of the AIG bailout it appears as though he thought that his role was " Big Boy " facilitator . Was he merely facilitating a taxpayer bailout for the benefit of the " Big Boys " at the determent of the taxpayer ? Absent full disclosure we will never know . <p> Neither , Bernanke nor Geithner are competent to hold their positions . Both should be fired . <p> The President 's announcement last Thursday called for a change of Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis . Two points stand out : - The change , as articulated by the President , was very substantial and very much at odds with the previously pursued strategy . - The change was very sudden ; there had been no indications that there were serious debates within the Administration , whose official views on the financial reform remained consistent over the past year . <p> I can only think of three possible explanations to that sudden major change of course : <p> 1 . The President had been too absorbed with the health care reform and foreign policy issues . He never really focused on the financial reform and completely delegated that task to Geithner , Summers , and Bernanke . Once Volcker got President 's ear , Obama quickly understood Volcker 's argument and got behind it . Such a scenario would imply that Obama did not understand the seriousness of the financial aspects of the crisis and was very detached from what was going in America 's economy . Obama is too smart for this scenario to be true . <p> 2 . There were internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind firmly closed doors . Even if some people from outside the Administration were invited to these debates , they were under very strict instructions not to divulge even a hint of what was going on . In this scenario the Obama Administration is even more secretive than the Cheney Administration , which did have leaks , and is both able and willing to keep major policy debates completely closed from the public . Call me naive , but I want to believe this scenario is not true either . <p> 3 . The Thursday announcement is a knee-jerk political reaction to the Massachusetts election . The President finally got proof that the policy of protecting economic interest of mega banks does not lead to improvement of the real economy and leaves the electorate deeply resentful . The President then decided to go with a message provided by Volcker , which he expected to resonate much better with the voters . That message had been ready and waiting for months , so picking it up was quick and easy . In this scenario , the President 's decision is purely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enlightenment about the causes and lessons of the crisis . It is not that the President " finally got it " -- he just sided with it because political facts on the ground changed . ( And what do you do when facts change ? : - ) ) Therefore , the key question is to whom the President will delegate working out operational details of his new position ( it can still very well be given to Summers and Geithner ) . Furthermore , this aspect financial reform will remain political in nature . We just have to hope that polls will be showing the Volcker rule is gaining popularity in states that will matter for the November elections . <p> Making banks shed their prop trading is not going to make them small enough to fail . Giving Goldman the label of investment bank as opposed to bank holding company does not make it any less of a hazard . <p> I do not think it is cynical to expect something more than a rally cry ( " getting our money back " -- what does he think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an actual plan to make all major financial institutions small enough to fail . But that 's not the kind of thing you can produce overnight in response to an election . <p> I believe part of the cynicism we see today in the general population is the result of the elites having their way for too long at the general populations expense . <p> The devaluation of our currency continues unabated , cheered on by the same social elites who felt it an admirable goal to allow those who should not even qualify for a credit card to qualify for a home mortgage . <p> As wages for those who still work stagnate and government tax revenue plummets we are treated to endless reams of literature from academia ( social elites ) on the need for more credit ( debt and impoverishment ) which is of course the PROBLEM not the solution . <p> These palette cleansers are , in turn , picked up and with pinky fingers extended , tasted by the other social elites ( the political class and media ) and a muffled call to action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bipartisan commission to reduce the federal budget , is but the latest tired old " tactic " of presenting the illusion of the elite politicians actually caring to do something . <p> Run for your lives ... hide your silverware ... LOL . <p> So , their admission is simply this , we , the Congress Critters YOU have elected to tax and spend can not control ourselves ... we just can not leave any small morsel at the buffet table . YOU probably should have just elected an 18 member " bipartisan " commission to run the financial affairs of the nation . <p> To which I reply ... your fired ... AND I want clawback from your pension and benefits for everything you have stolen from me , my children and their children . <p> And this has been going on forever as Mencken observed ; <p> " The government I live under has been my enemy all my active life . When it has not been engaged in silencing me it has been engaged in robbing me . So far as I can recall I have never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on my dignity and an attack on my security . " HL Mencken <p> Maybe it is not about financial reform at all , but just making things not be about health care reform . He needs to change the topic . <p> I kind of think that if he actually had a coherent plan , he would have brought it with him to the podium . That is what a leader would have done to prevent uncertainty from riling the markets . But Obama never really escaped his campaign . <p> Welcome to the real world Mr Johnson . Yes , Volcker was just a prop . There was never any doubt in my mind about that . <p> First of all , there is no honor in Washington DC so you might just as well get that out of your mind . <p> I never doubted Bernakes reconfirmation . And I never took Obama 's latest speechifying about " fighting for the little guy " and taking on the banksters as anything more than the propagandist tripe it is . <p> The simple truth is Bernake and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who will decide whether Bernake has a job or not , but all of Bernake 's peer group made a ton of money on the way up and then they made even more money on the way down . All at the expense of the American middle class . <p> This is working for them Mr Johnson . They will change NOTHING . Because this is working so very well for them . <p> We will never be able to prevent the government from trying to bail out Goldman or JP Morgan or even Citi . <p> What we need is a law that would specify the process for how government support to financial institutions must be approved , something that can not be solved by a dramatic posture ( think of Hank Paulson falling on his knees before Nancy Pelosi ) and something that will use the inescapable slowness of our legislative process . <p> For example , a law could require that in order for the government to commit any money to a financial institution not taken over by a regulatory agency , the following decisions must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee has to approve such motion - Then the House has to vote for it - Then the Senate Banking Committee has to approve it - Then the Senate has to vote it All sequential steps , not simultaneous . Only then we wo n't be held hostage by Wall Stree again . <p> Here are a couple of other facts about CDS that will really get you steamed . First , the 100% payoff Goldman and the others received was not a return of their investment . CDS are a highly leveraged bet , so they probably paid about 2.5%-3.5% of what they were ultimately paid . They would have had massive profits even if they 'd been paid 25 cents on the dollar ! The 100% payout was incomprehensibly obscene . Geithner was either ignorant of how CDS work , or he 's the biggest crook to ever hold a public office . <p> Geithner 's next screw-up is that he did n't insist that AIG claim the assets that were being covered by the insurance , which they had every right to do . For example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totaled , your insurance company has the right to the car once they 've paid you off . They can then sell it for salvage value to mitigate their loss . The same holds true with CDS . The taxpayers ' bill probably could have been cut in half , at least , if AIG had simply forced the counterparties to deliver the insured mortgage-backed securities in exchange for the payoff on the CDS . Indeed , because the counterparties never actually owned what they were insuring in the first place , they would have had to have gone into the market to buy the insured assets , and that in and of itself would have increased the value of the assets . AIG could have then sold the assets in the market and recouped a lot of the loss . <p> I differ with you on where the blame for this belongs , however . The CDS debacle was Geithner 's baby . <p> As Obama tries to give some direction to the junk drawer called the Democratic party he has only one effective tool to keep the lesser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does he have anything other than a populist attack on the bankers in his toolbox ? If he does n't start barnstorming with a tent meeting road show that whips the bankers mercilessly than I see little reason for hope . <p> mr. johnson , mcmia is right . &; either u know more about whats going on than us or u are part of the lie . these people operate above the rest of society &; they think we are lower forms of life that are war fodder . this is not democracy . <p> I think you point out the underlying problem in CDS ' . It begs the question ... Should anyone be allowed to insure something they do not own ? This is particularly the case with a CDS when you can then short the company you have protection on , drive the company under and reap big rewards . <p> I think that your point about Geithner being to blame is well taken , but I add ... Does not Bernanke as Chairman approve such actions or does the NY FED act on it own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bankruptcy Reform Act included some goodies for derivatives holders ( CDS ) which give them some preferences over other creditors . These changes written by the industry need to be changed by Congress to prevent further harm . <p> Bottom line appears to be that the Administration and Congress have sided with Wall Street over Main Street . While that is not unusual , what is unusual is that more and more of the people on Main Street have figured it out . <p> When the median family income in around $50,000 + , and the cost of living has outstripped your ability to pay for it , you are looking for better pay and a lower cost of living . As far as you can see into the future , neither is on the horizon . <p> Many on Main Street see trillions in FED support not to mention billions in Treasury support all going towards the obscene pay out of $145 Billion in bonuses . Meanwhile , Main Street knows they will be liable for the tax bill . <p> Finally , some are calling for a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at eliminating middle class benefits like Social Security and Medicare . Not trillions in wars and Bush tax cuts , and not trillions in Wall Street subsidies . Amazing <p> We will know soon enough -- if Obama means it , he will already have a team of advisors working out the details and meeting almost continuously with the Congressional staff of the persons in Congress most likely to be sponsors or strong backers of legislation . There will also soon be supporting statements by members of the Obama administration talking up early proposals . If not -- pffffft . <p> To Simon 's point : Timmy ! is going to do everything he can to protect the banks , as will Larry . The hope is the President 's remarks serve as some sort of palliative that will mollify public anger . That 'll be a serious mis-read . <p> Paul Volcker is a giant . Sadly , he may be the exemplar of a generation that truly loved this country . The generation coming up behind him now serving our Republic is significant only for its headlong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neither the dedication to the United States , as the embodiment of humanity 's deepest longings , nor the sense of obligation expected of stewards sworn to uphold the Constitution . They fail on so many levels . President Obama is ill served by these people . <p> Adding a bit to Pat Fleck 's comments . Gregory Zuckerman 's book , The Greatest Trade Ever , presents a lot of evidence that some banks created and sold very poor CDO 's in order to sell insurance on the CDO 's to John Paulson and others . Zuckerman accuses Deutsche Bank , in particular , of this practice and DB certainly was hit hard with losses . That would have been double up of losses . Write off the CDO and pay out the insurance . DB started to layoff the insurance though according to Zuckerman . Had the " re-insurer 's " failed DB would still owe the settlement . They were that convinced that their models foreclosed risk until late in the game . <p> The other argument is that this was done to boost current earnings and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time by people doing long term irrational things for short term rationality is that they will have cashed out and be gone by the time the boomerang returns . Others simply believed that they had created riskless products . The greatest skill in a grift is knowing the blow off . What would you do in the mindset of a big bank that had the foresight to buy this insurance other than fight to be paid off ? If I had not been paid off , given that I would have had huge profits from retention of the deposits , I would have gone for involuntary petitions in bankruptcy of AIG and screamed the fact that I had all the required petitioners to do so . First , of course , I would have made sure I had incontestable right and title to the deposits and that the deposit squeeze could choke no more money out of AIG . That is what the people owed CDS protection did in real world terms anyway . The FED academics caved before more drastic measures were required . Greatest poker play ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing up to Paulson 's ideology about Lehman would have been an excellent way to force payouts on AIG . A very workable strategy if all you care about is collecting your receivable . That was the legal duty of people like Blankfein . Academics seem very easy to lean on . <p> As I speculated earlier , it is all ' empty ' . I do not believe this Admin will bring any serious changes . Axelrod is ' fooling ' Americans when he wants to give the ' spin ' that Washington DC loves ' canning of officials ' . That is not the case , it is holding people ' accountable ' and Obama Admin is refusing that . <p> Rumsfled 's resignation was talked for years in Washington DC and Democrats also demanded that . Bush continued with him for years even after knowing that it was political liability . Looking back , Washington DC was not wrong , Bush should have fired him long back . <p> Point is -- Obama Admin is wrong supporting folks like Bernanke , Geithner and Summers . Until they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Everything is all ' show ' only . <p> When Simon says ' Unless Bernanke unexpectedly changes his stripes ... ' ; one should read what James Fallows says about Chief Justice John Roberts : <p> " The head of the nation 's judicial branch was purposefully deceptive during his " umpire " testimony . Or he had no idea what his words meant . Or he has had a complete change of philosophy and temperament while in his mid-50s . Those are the logical possibilities . None of them is too encouraging about the basic soundness of our governing institutions . " <p> This is what is likely to happen with Bernanke . He is already fighting Ron Paul Fed Audit . So when time comes , these guys will be not allow any meaningful financial reforms . <p> In short -- Obama is incapable of rooting out ' corruption ' of American System . Question is will Tea Party folks join Netroots/Left to oppose Bernanke . For example , John McCain is ambivalent about Bernanke . <p> I think this is likely just a populist kabuki thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If that 's true , the real question that should be examined , instead of wasting energy on carping about things , is this : <p> Is there some actual , tangible , realistic political / economic reality that is apparent to Obama and his people , that is detering them from real banking reform ? <p> Could there actually be something out there that they realize that most of us do n't ? Do the banks and the other looters *actually* have power enough to blast the Dem party out of the water if their survival is threatened ? <p> If there is , what would that be , what would it look like , how would it be played out ? <p> We 're all assuming mundane reasons for inaction , but is it possible there 's an understandable tangible reason for inaction and kabuki politics ? <p> The problem has ALWAYS been Party A is voted out and Party B takes their place ... rinse repeat ad nauseum . <p> There 's not a dimes worth of difference between most of them ... some inside try ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or B ) have never shown any inclination toward fiscal restraint long term probably because of the escalation of promises required to get elected ... which will all be broken at some point anyways due to our inability to live within our means ... whether it 's Pills for Seniors or Shovel Ready Government Debt Bombs no one seems to see the folly of it . <p> I think Obama reflects the internal Democratic Party coalition on banking : liberal talk , conservative action . I have no idea what he will do when conservative action fails for a second time , but so far this is only liberal talk . <p> Another poll showed 52% not knowing who that Times man of the year was . If it really would be running at 90% the reform process would already be underway . <p> Look , some 5000 protesters at the annual bankers meeting in Chicago , a few busloads along the Mcmansions of the bonus banksters , hardly count . <p> The fin. crisis story is really too complicated for most people to study and follow . What we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eloquently discuss a difficult topic . Luckily , we elected such a person ( remember that speech about complicated race relations ? It 's being used a.o. in Japan for students to learn English ) . ..... ( silence ) ....... What is going on ? ..... I do not hear this ' tragically charismatic ' former presidential candidate speak eloquently about the crisis , its root causes and the transformative changes necessary . <p> Obviously " My hands were tied . I need to uphold the contracts in full . " from the government is BS . If the government truly believed such principles , the unionized auto works would receive 100% of their contracted pensions after the auto industry bailout . <p> RA , We already know the rationale : If we are n't nice to bankers , the banks will stop lending , and that will collapse our economy , making us all poor . Ergo , we must allow Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon earn as much as they want for themselves and their friends , distasteful as that is , because by doing that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . We are spending a big chunk of our GDP on FIRE ( maybe 8% ) , which is devoted to efficiently allocating the approximately 15% of our GDP devoted to investment . This is clearly horribly inefficient , and FIRE needs to shrink quite significantly . <p> 2 . Leaders in FIRE and politics have joined into s single community that takes care of each other . It 's not just check-book corruption , it 's a revolving door and cultural ties . <p> 3 . Large numbers of our voting population gained significant wealth through an unsustainable inflation of asset prices well in excess of GDP growth over the last quarter century or more . This group includes the now politically dominant baby boomers , and they are accustomed to using the political process to accommodate their goals . <p> kabuki -- right . and behind the show , a reassuring wink to the bankers . that 's how i see it . as for causing some stock market dips , those guys can make money from that too , and some poor fools who take the show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understands that the world financial system will not withstand the end of big bank holding company shares and especially debt . <p> Here is what Gregory Zuckerman writes on the penultimate page of his book " The Greatest Trade Ever " . <p> By early 2009 . " Paulson ordered his traders to begin purchasing the debt of troubled companies , securities backed by home and commercial mortgages , shares of banks and other investments .... It was a slow accumulation and well below the radar screen , but by August he owned a huge cache of anbout $ 20 billion of these investments . " <p> Paulson understands if he is killed everyone is killed . I wonder what the face value of all the debt he bought is . Might it be $80 billion ? What is the cash flow if he simply runs the debt out to maturity and drops seized collateral in special entities to generate rents for the most part ? He could be looking at better than $ 4 billion in run off cash flow every year . All told more than that with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The point is that the big banks no matter what is done to them still must survive or else . Obama knows this as well as any person understanding basic facxts of life . What you do has consequences . What you inherit has consequences . Gnashing of the teeth by seekers of their brand of personal good must live within those parameters . This is a fact Americans do not seem to understand very well . <p> Perhaps to reform its healthcare system America must first redefine its relationship with the oligarchs in the financial system . The pushback is coming from political activism and freedom of expression in the blogosphere . <p> In spite of everything else , it seems like after Mass. the voters are still in control of who calls the shots . The question is who controls the voters ? Especially after decision by pro-fat-cat corporate members of the SC . Can voters in effect override that decision ? Does it all boil down to who controls TV ? How can TV be controlled without fat cat corporate money ? <p> Any anti banking/finance moves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downside hits . To think the administration could have castrated GOP populism over the last year and is going to embrace it now is to suppose they are fools . Yes politics can turn quickly but to give up so much ground is sort of nuts . <p> One has to assume they did it because they believe the reestablishment of the banking and financial sectors is the best and perhaps only way to avoid disaster . <p> Who among us does n't foresee disaster if the financial markets collapse again . They do and we do . We perhaps have faith that the nation will be far better off if there is a sense of fairness and justice and shared pain and sacrifice as we change course . Still it is in the back of my mind and in many minds is the threat that in worse times authoritarians may acend . I am sure such is in the back of some minds in the West Wing . Another reason to keep up with extend and pretend . <p> The financial story is obfuscated . It is not complex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What we need are elected officials who are n't owned by the kleptocrats , as both legacy parties are , including the President . <p> Careful with the Kool-Aid . The House has been working away at a financial reform bill for months , as has the Senate . Both chambers are close to completing their task . Then all of a sudden a brand new proposal leaps out of the Executive Branch . Where has Obama been for the last several months ? Why did n't he make some substantive contribution to the process during the discussions in the respective Committees ? One answer -- Senator-elect Brown . Obama really should try to control this urge to shoot from the hip . His aim is way off and he merely muddles the process and destabilizes the market <p> This notion that keeping the stock market high is necessary for the health of the economy is unfounded . We are probably at least 30% over-banked , and removing the 30% of the banking system with the worst moral hazard would be very beneficial for us in the long run . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominant shareholder in the problem banks , and could have directed bank reform from the inside and outside , and could have been in control ( temporarily ) of banking activities . <p> That would have eliminated the fear of the banks not lending , which they have n't been doing much of , anyway . <p> Obama shied away from that . Timidity and the routine explanantions may well be what 's at work . My question is , could there be something else less obvious . <p> Why do most people not know who Time 's man of the year Bernanke is ? Why do most people not know about the powers of the FED ? Why do most people not realize that the *investment* space for their long term pension funds has been taken over by microsecond computer traders and gamblers and speculators and ' innovative ' products ? Why do so many people still their savings at the big bonus banksters ? Why were there only 5000 people protesting in Chicago ? And on and on ? <p> + Lambert : " What we need are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as both legacy parties are , .. " <p> Do you see that happen in the near future ? And now last week 's supreme court ruling ( unlimited campaign funding from corporations as ' free speech ' ) . Another 3rd party run ? Why wait for honest elected officials ? ( sorry for the many questions ) <p> Ted , well said . Trust is 100% absent in politics and commerce ... Congress , courts are bought and sold by the corporate interests and their lobbyists . As we say in Canada , the Bay Street interests ( our Wall Street ) have no allegiance to any country but their own . <p> Come on , this is based on people responding . There is nothing scientific about this . All it ( usually ) takes is PR agencies for the financial sector organizing a little call-in . This could mean that banks are getting nervous about B 's confirmation . <p> Actually , Bernanke has been acting on his own with respect to the easy availability of funds from the Fed window , which has resulted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payoff of the CDS out of TARP was Geithner all the way . <p> Re your other comment about buying CDS without having an insurable interest -- what would be called having a naked position -- I believe someone should be able to do that , BUT , as you must do when shorting a stock , they should also have to borrow the shorted security so it can be ultimately be delivered . This ensures that you can never have a larger short position out there than the total amount of the shorted security . This is where things really went off the rails with CDS . There was vastly more insurance ( CDS ) sold on the underlying securities than the securities themselves , which created an enormous liability for the CDS sellers , like AIG . This was obviously a recipe for disaster . <p> I posted this on my blog back in March . What a tragedy that we still have to be talking about all of this 10 months later ! <p> Riddle me this : why is it that for years and years businesspeople @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken , " but as soon as the government steps in to financially back a company , they 're all of a sudden saying that we have to " protect the sanctity of contracts ? " I guess we can all afford to take the high road when we do n't have to pay the bill . <p> When companies do n't have unlimited funds at their disposal , it 's amazing how creative and cooperative they can be with each other in renegotiating their obligations . If AIG had told its counterparties that they could either have their insurance premiums back or get nothing in a bankruptcy , would n't those counterparties have been willing to work something out ? Instead , the government raced in with billions of dollars and made good on 40-to-one bets . Goodbye $170 billion of taxpayer money . How smart was that ? <p> Businesses restructure deals and renegotiate contracts with employees , vendors , customers , and business partners all the time . The likes of Goldman Sachs are probably laughing their asses off at how nave the government was for making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn how to do business the way businesses do , then maybe it should n't be rushing into the corporate sector with billions of dollars in taxpayer money . <p> From my perspective the Geithner-Bernanke gang and their deputies are engaged in financial terrorism . " Do what we say or we will crash the markets " -- which Bernanke can certainly do . These two should be put in prison as traitors . <p> Where were the majority of voters in Mass. getting their information ? Were they watching the MSM ? <p> I do n't think so . I think the majority were reading the blogs . <p> On the Question of who controls the voters , or more correctly where do voters get their information , sounds like the blogs are winning . Could this mean the greedy fat cats are going to try and shut down the blogs ? I 'd keep my eyes open to this possibility . <p> I was seriously browsing through The House of Morgan : An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance by Ron Chernow and could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The beauty of Chernow 's work is that it has no axe to grind since it was completed in 1990 . It ca n't be accused of slanting any position to favor some political or economic bias 20 years later . The same predisposition and the same arrogance plays out decade after decade as the next generation fails to see the confidence game being orchestrated . <p> It occurs to me that concentrating on banking and financial institutions of sanctioned priviledge , we miss the entire showboat of what is being financed . Davidoff has come out with a compelling revies of Private Equity and the big " Deal " involving both Governmment and Finance in during the past 35 or so years . With all the blocked up focus upon the size and shape of the banksters , how is it that we never look critically at the foundation of the Hustler economy itself ? Private Equity has had a great deal to do with the financials and the aggressive LBOs have scavenged the economy hand in hand with the derivative temples of worship and unaccountable excess . It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a merry go round with the monkey and a ring when we should be explaining to the public what they should be yelling at Obama to do . Or maybe we will all just sit tight and let it all play out ... AGAIN like the Morgan Dynasty . <p> Words mean nothing . Actions and deeds define the mettle of an individual , a leadership , and a nation . If Obama is serious then sometime soon , some committee or commission will dig into the sewage and toxic waste that is the entire derivatives market . <p> Either we abide and honor our own laws , and codes , and that thing we call the Constitution , or we do n't . Produce origination papers on the bundled bundles of subprime mortgages , determine who actually owns what , and account for those assets accordingly . When that process is undertaken -- the entire house of cards the that is the derivative , innovated products markets collapses , exposed as very complex PONZI SCHEMES ! ! ! The captured government provides extraordinary largess , and turns a blind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- Amerika has shapeshifted into a kleptocracy , and a select few predatorclass oligarchs and olympians own and control 60% of the wealth and resources and all of the government . The people have no voice , and absolutely zero representation . The predatorclass and predatorclass oligarchs own and control the government . They do not care about us . Call Wall Streets bluff . Raise it . Do n't imagine you can brute the fiction that this " den of vipers and thieves " is somehow or in someway exceptional or brilliant . I beg to differ , -- and do n't tell me there are not better more hardworking , diligent , honest , and brilliant candidates capable of managing smaller , tightly regulated , much more restricted financial institutions . Crimes were and are being committed ; -- fraud , taxevasion , insidertrading , predatory or discriminatory lending , PONZI SCHEMES , and worse ... <p> Finance is critical and necessary . Noone argues that . But a crime is a crime , and either we live in a nation of laws , and crimes are prosecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't then in practical application -- the are no laws , and in a nation where there are no laws , -- there are no laws for anyone predatorclass biiaaatches ! ! <p> Whenever the Wonk-in-Charge , Geithner , speaks to anyone about anything , my eyes glaze over . First , I think that he either does n't get , or , more likely , does n't agree with ( or like ) Volcker . Volker is antithetical to his and Bernanke 's ( and , needless to say , Summers ' ) views on appropriate economic curative measures . One gets the serious feeling that once again , the President is acting politically to try to earn points with the populace completely and unequivocally disenchanted with big finance , but , as is his habit on all matters of actual policy , he is turning matters of financial reform to Congress and his own economic team , and seems to be unable to be direct and certain in his public statements or the potential guidance they might provide . The upcoming speech Wednesday evening should be interesting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If his rhetoric on Wednesday is all political polemic , we can almost be guaranteed that he is once again wont to steer a clear course and provide the necessary leadership to do what must be done . The fact of his endorsement of Bernanke really is scary , since it would virtually guarantee a continuation of the negative reform momentum on Capitol Hill , and mean that essentially nothing will be done , but only talked about in order to improve the President 's polling numbers presently in the toilet . <p> I am highly skeptical that he will go anywhere near the toughness necessary to drive reform where it must go . <p> Oops , one last thing I forgot to mention . On This Week , I believe that it was Matthew Dowd ( Republican hard liner ) who cited the stock market drop at the end of last week as being indicative of the danger of the President 's plan to tame big finance . He thought that the message was clear , tha such moves would chill the markets and halt recovery . Needless to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of now are very highly manipulated , and the drop strongly indicates that the President 's proposals are spon on . That 's the message . They 'll have to find something else to manipulate , but then with the SCOTUS decision last week , that should be easier than ever . I am certain that lobbyists are preparing their threats as I write . Either you go along with the finance industry ( oligarchs ) , or we will kill your upcoming campaign . <p> The solution proposed by MrM and others would be a disaster- For example , a law could require that in order for the government to commit any money to a financial institution not taken over by a regulatory agency , the following decisions must be made : - First , the House Financial Services Committee has to approve such motion - Then the House has to vote for it - Then the Senate Banking Committee has to approve it - Then the Senate has to vote it All sequential steps , not simultaneous . Only then we wo n't be held hostage by Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as seen with great detsructive power . This is akin to wataching a burning house and then consulting the entire neighbourhood what their recollection was , who was in the area etc. rather than putting it out . Ironically I suspect if Hank Paulson had managed to get the TARP through speedily and cricially extract a major quid pro quo from the banks much of the subsequent damage could have been mitigated . Instead Congressional hearings stalled the proces in full view of the markets . OK you could have closed them but no one did.It has taken a major shot across the bows from Volcker to bring off the blinkers and self-delusion that passes for policy . The Europeans incidenatlly will continue to make an elaborate meal of regulation at the G20 . Leadership was urgently required- provided by the astute Dr.Volcker and now needs acute and determined follow up , not self serving brick-bats from the banks and toadying financial press ( with a few notable exceptions ) <p> " Paul Volcker appeared to have finally persuaded President Obama that the unconditional bailouts of 2008-2009 planted the seeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " conditional bail-out " instead ? Has anyone considered that NO BAIL-OUTS would have worked miracles AND AUTOMATICALLY reduced those banks to exactly the " right size " ? ? ? And all for free ! <p> Carol , The tea-baggers , the liberals , the ' independents ' , traditional conservatives , my mom , your dad , the neighbor down the street , know utter corruption when they see it . They can give us the ' we know better than you smile , ' the politician finger point ' , the ' searching for the best lie pose ' ( Timmy and Bernanke ) , etc. but all of us know it 's B.S. <p> Obama has proven his empty suit'ness . If he would have let Volcker make the speech , maybe he could convince me . <p> " Produce origination papers on the bundled bundles of subprime mortgages , determine who actually owns what , and account for those assets accordingly . " <p> Exactly . Commodity futures serve a purpose , but financial derivitves ? We know what " purpose " they 've served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been used in some court cases and shows what a sham this whole thing is . Tie these looting scumbags in knots and let decent people keep their houses . <p> The Tischman/ Blackrock abandonment of Stuytown on the Lower East Side today illustrates interconnectedness that might only be cured by time and would not be particularly helped by breaking up the bank holding companies . <p> Tishman and Blackrock put up $250 million out of equity financing of various stripes totaling $1.9 bn The rest of the purchase price of $5.4 bn was one way or another securitized and sold all over the world with apparently Fannie and Freddie being the big holders . <p> Problems like Stuytown will become more urgent in 2010 than breaking up TBTF 's . <p> Tishman/ Blackrock handed off their holding , undoubtedly nonrecourse and held by a tightly worked special entity . <p> This one will be Fannie and Freddie ' job . They will need to force the creditors into a viable venture . In short , all the creditors will now own Stuytown as an equity interest . It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> Events move on in a credit collapse and do not wait on endless discussions about solutions . <p> Wachovia took the first mortgage interest for $3 bn and securitized it . So this problem is off their balance sheet and I would hope non recourse too . That would probably be double non recourse . Equity interest nonrecourse at Stuytown and nonrecourse to Wachovia NA . <p> This deal might well be the poster child to illustrate the insanity of securitization and the pyramiding of debt layers . <p> In the meantime , Stuytown must operate seamlessly for the 25,000 people that live there . <p> I think it indicates an undisciplined White House and that the message was relatively hasty and that not all the cabinet is on board . And since details where not articulated , which is the modus operandi of this administration , some ( Treasury ) will fill the void . <p> Notwithstanding : " Given that the tax credit appears to account for a good deal of the improvement in the housing market , " Paul Dales , domestic economist for Capital Economics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're becoming increasingly concerned that the housing recovery will falter once it is removed . " <p> From reading here , I thought the tax credit was ineffective for stabilizing the housing market ? <p> The counterparties DID deliver the underlying cdos in exchange for cancelling the CDS . <p> The 100c meme is confusing on that point . <p> For example SOC gen owned CDOS insured by CDS from AIG . As the CDOS lost value the CDS went in the money and AIG needed to post collateral . In a perfect world SOC Gen was flat . <p> If the Fed paid 100c on the AIG CDS , SOC gen would be ahead of the game , since Soc Gen would have been gifted the CDOs had they recived 100c on the CDS . <p> The objective of the plan , I think , was to keep SOC Gen flat . To accomplish this SOC Gen sold the CDOs to Maiden Lane at market in exchange for terminating the CDS and keeping the collateral posted to date . <p> The result is that technically SOc gen posted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now terminated CDS . Net result to SOc Gen=0 . <p> The loss on the AIG CDS remains at AIG . Maiden Lane assumes the risk on the CDOS it purchased at market on settlement date . <p> Was this the right thing to do ? I have n't decided yet , but I think the details of the transaction are widely misunderstood and no one at Treas/Fed or AIG has made any effort to clarify and rebut the 100c charge . <p> Since the losses on the CDS are booked at AIG and since AIG is effectively owned by the govt , it seems that the govt has absorbed the losses on the CDS . This is the consensus view . <p> In the event the govt loses on the ultimate disposition of AIG , then the govt will have de facto paid off the CDS counterparties . <p> Until then , the way the transaction was structured , AIG has technically absorbed the losses . In the event AIG is sold with no loss the govt , then AIG shareholders paid for the CDS losses . <p> Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollar devaluation while Treasury Undersecretary . Is Obama reaching the point that finally requires further devaluation ? Is there any other choice ? <p> Volcker also began the " save the financial system " paradigm for socializing corporate gambling losses with bailouts of big S &Ls; in the 80 ? s . Greenspan and Bernanke learned everything they know about bailouts at the Master 's knee . <p> For over a century , the USA have lived on the rest of the world , spent the money they did not have , used credit , borrowing the other 's money that they could not pay back , wasted money and the world 's minerals on useless gadgets . Meanwhile , the inhabitants of the emerging countries were starving , worked like slaves for a few cents and were deprived of their mineral resources . <p> History wants things to be balanced in the long run : established empires train armies to murder abroad all the foreign peoples whose mineral resources they coveit . But empires always collapse when they get too big and new empires , their former slaves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too big in their turn . China used to be an empire a few millenaries ago , then China collapsed . So did the Roman empire and nowadays it is the turn of the American empire to collapse while China is emerging again to be the new empire for a few decades or centuries before collapsing again . It is a cycle . <p> All these attempts such as " Volcker 's rules " are like redecorating the concert hall in the Titanic . The USA -Titanic is sinking . Like the governing crew of too big a boat , the last three or four American presidents were too self-confident and did not move until it was too late . It is too late . <p> For the USA and all the western " developed " countries , the best things our governments should do for us are to organize collective swimming lessons and teach us how to survive in caverns . It is the ordinary historical cycle for empires <p> Add to the historical cycle a new element : our developing global consciousness , with posters of Planet Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awareness . When we see a peasant family attacked by a killer drone , viscerally we identify with those people on the ground . It is a biological issue and runs deeper than any political alignment . How will this change the shape of things ? <p> Ella , I may be well out of date , but I thought an ' insurable interest ' was an essential component of an insurance contract ? This because it is your possible loss of your asset that is being insured ? Otherwise you are insuring someone else 's insurable interest ? You may be able to set me straight ? <p> Here are some of Charlie 's questions to Summers ( starting at 10:18 on the webcast video ) : - All the talk is about the Volcker Rule . Is the president , is Larry Summers , is Tim Geithner , is Paul Volcker on the same page ? And what is that page ? Help us understand exactly what to expect . - And where is Too Big To Fail ? - Why did it take this administration so long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? - Are you satisfied with what the banking industry has done in Washington with respect to financial reform ? Or are they spending a lot of money lobbying that puts financial reform in jeopardy ? - You have said , " We were there for the banks . They need to be there for us and for the country . " What did you mean ? What do they need to do ? - There is also the administration 's decision , that the president has talked about , to try to get some of the TARP money back . How much do you think you can get back ? - Are we likely to see in the public discourse and the politics of 2010 , with midterm elections , a kind of populist attack against Wall Street and financial institutions ? - What is the biggest misperception about the president and his attitude about the economy and the way it works ? - Tell us how you think this new global order is shaping up , especially since emerging countries are leading the recovery . <h> On Sale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national debate that will only get more heated in the years ahead .

@@5044941 <h> 1 . Why Carmelo Anthony Is Now At His Best <p> Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images Surrounded by veterans who 've been around the block , Melo is off to his best start as a pro . <p> They chose him over Mike D'Antoni . They chose him over Jeremy Lin . They chose to remake the roster to fit the parts as snugly as possible around Carmelo Anthony , no matter whom they discarded or offended with their ruthlessness along the way . <p> And you already have to say , early as it is , that the New York Knicks chose wisely . <p> For all he purportedly lacks as a leader , Anthony has spent the first month of the season reminding everyone that he remains blessed with the sort of build-around-me scoring talent that can be matched by very few in this game . Put the proper role-playing pieces in place -- surround him with fast thinkers and blame-takers -- and Year 10 Melo still looks like the sort of player , for a franchise going on 40 years since its last parade , worth whatever it takes to get him . No matter what sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package . <p> The mix around Melo has to be right , just right , to talk seriously about his team in the championship conversation , but the Knicks just might have pulled it off . I ca n't sit here and say that I saw this coming in September , or even October , but I 've been quickly sold on the idea that the Knicks have indeed assembled a more convincing version of the 2008-09 Denver Nuggets , who rank as the only squad Anthony managed to drag beyond the first round of the playoffs . <p> What the Knicks have done , when you really look at it , is borrow from the Nuggets ' template and two more blueprints that took things a step further and delivered the ultimate prize . There are echoes , too , of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks and the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in New York 's locker room , with Jason Kidd brought in to be Anthony 's new Chauncey Billups ... and with Kidd and Tyson Chandler reunited to help navigate for Melo as they did for Dirk Nowitzki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , most of all , defensive-minded veteran know-how that lets Anthony focus on what he does better than any Knick since Bernard King . <p> On Team USA , Anthony is n't asked to lead or set examples . All he has to do is score that thing and heed the wise men all around him . The ultimate judgment on these Knicks wo n't come until Amar'e Stoudemire comes back and we see how he handles the unavoidable move to a sixth-man role most doubt he can accept , but the rising hype around the Knicks stems from more than a mere flying 8-2 start . It emanates from the growing realization that the Knicks ' overhaul actually has narrowed Melo 's responsibilities and accentuated his gifts . <p> One afternoon at the London Olympics , Anthony tried to leave the impression that he could tune out all of the post-Linsanity negativity shoveled his way , insisting to ESPN.com : " I do n't really deal with haters . I 'm tired of ' em . It is what it is . " But for the bulk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different , better-than-ever Melo for the coming season . He was the one who happily volunteered memories of Beijing in 2008 and what a meaningful springboard that was for him just a few months before the Nuggets traded for Billups . <p> Asked just the other night about his own time working as a sixth man in London in support of LeBron James , Kobe Bryant , Kevin Durant and Chris Paul , specifically the theory that six weeks in their company forced him to work toward changing his reputation , Melo acknowledged : " If you do n't come back a better player after spending time with those guys , something is wrong . " <p> Yet Kidd showed up in Gotham taking nothing for granted . He 's the first person I know to toss out the increasingly popular parallels between the Knicks of today and the Mavs of 2010-11 and has made it a priority , in concert with Chandler and coach Mike Woodson , to keep challenging Anthony to make the extra pass , trust his teammates more when swarmed and stay more plugged in defensively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go-to lines , according to one practice-floor spy , is needling Anthony about how they got Nowitzki to play D in Dallas and how embarrassed they 'd be for No. 7 if he does n't keep up . <p> " To me , he 's the best player in the league right now , " Chandler said Wednesday night of Anthony , conveniently forgetting how well he knows LeBron 's game to build up his guy . <p> Although he was somewhat resistant to likening the Knicks ' one-star construction to the Mavs ' approach two seasons ago -- " I hate to compare anything , but there 's definitely similarities , " Chandler said -- New York would appear to have a point or two in its favor that the 2011 champions lacked . Steve Novak and J.R . Smith give the Knicks two elite shooters off their bench , irrespective of what happens with Stoudemire and eventual returnee Iman Shumpert . Woodson , sporting that sparkling regular-season mark of 26-8 since replacing D'Antoni , likewise has no shortage of bigs on that bench for those inevitable situations when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be flanked by more size . The presence of Raymond Felton , furthermore , should help Kidd , 39 , stay fresher than he was in Dallas , where the workload was immense for a player at this stage of his career . <p> And best of all ? <p> The rest of the East , do n't forget , is a mess for the most part . <p> Chicago , Indiana , Atlanta and obviously Orlando are all on the decline , whether through injuries or rebuilding , compared to where they were last season . The Boston Celtics give the distinct impression that they 're going to need the whole regular season , if it 's even still possible , to resemble the team that so troubled Miami last spring . The reality is that the Knicks ' conference , unlike what the aforementioned Mavs had to navigate in the annually unforgiving West , offers a real opportunity to snag a top-two seed and potentially avoid the Heat until the conference finals . <p> For now , though , only this much is certain : Lin wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ descend upon Toyota Center for a reunion Friday night , nor will their old coach when the Los Angeles Lakers hit Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13 . The Knicks made few friends on the journey from D'Antoni to Woodson , from Lin to Felton , from Lin to Felton and Kidd after the future Hall of Famer made that contentious U-turn by moving to Manhattan instead of staying in Dallas . But the teasing view from where they sit now , as long as the vets ' health holds up , has been too absorbing to stop and think much about sorrys . <p> " I have no complaints , " Anthony said . " What our front office did this offseason , acquiring those guys we did , I have no complaints about that . " <h> 2 . Western Conference <p> The Clippers have to be as thankful as any team in the West on this holiday weekend . <p> Back-to-back losses at home in early November to Golden State and Cleveland could have subjected coach Vinny Del Negro -- who happens to be one of seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract -- to some Mike Brown-style immediate heat had the Clips failed to respond quickly . <p> The response they mustered was a six-game winning streak , bookended by home and away games over the same San Antonio team that swept the Clippers in the playoffs , with a home win over Miami thrown in as well . The streak did n't end until Wednesday night , when the Clippers took Oklahoma City to overtime before losing 117-111 . <p> Early pressure on the coach , as well as the organization at large with Chris Paul bound for free agency at season 's end , was thus eased emphatically . <p> Things can change fast in this league , as we 've all come to learn , but the Clippers can take further heart from the latest , loudest rumbles in circulation suggesting that Paul is growing more comfortable by the day in L.A. Which have only strengthened the notion that the Clippers are on course to re-signing him for the long term . <p> Who said November games are meaningless in the NBA ? <p> Some numbers of note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scoring a collegiate-record 138 points Tuesday for Division III Grinnell , Jack Taylor took a shot every 20 seconds . By comparison , Wilt Chamberlain took a shot every 46 seconds in his famous 100-point game in 1962 , while Kobe Bryant took one every 73 seconds in his 81-point game against Toronto in 2006 . <p> 55 : For all of the questions raised about the lack of punch in the Thunder 's starting lineup beyond Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook , two scorers out of five might be enough in this case . Through 12 games , Oklahoma City has outscored its opponents by a league-leading 55 points in the first quarter this season . <p> 3 : All three times he 's served as an interim coach in the NBA , Bernie Bickerstaff has posted a winning record , which is a league first according to the Elias Sports Bureau . Bickerstaff went 4-1 this month as the Lakers ' interim coach between Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni , following up successful fill-in stints in Denver ( 20-12 in 1994-95 ) and Washington ( 22-13 in 1996-97 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past 11 coaches have won in their team debut , including Mike D'Antoni after L.A. 's 95-90 victory Tuesday over Brooklyn . The exception : Brown last season . <p> 63 : The all-time record for points scored on Thanksgiving is the 63 produced by Mr. Chamberlain in 1964 for the San Francisco Warriors , along with 32 rebounds , in a 128-117 loss at Philadelphia . 2012 marked the first Thanksgiving in an 82-game season with no NBA games since 2007-08 . <p> Big man Eddy Curry , waived by San Antonio and Dallas already this season , was pursued hard by Foshan of the Chinese Basketball Association to team with former Minnesota and Sacramento swingman Rashad McCants . But Curry declined the Chinese interest in hopes of landing another NBA job , prompting Foshan to sign Shavlik Randolph . Shavlik Randolph . ... Point guard Gal Mekel , who unexpectedly emerged in October as a player on Utah 's radar , has signed with Maccabi Haifa in his native Israel . He is expected to return to the States next summer to try to make an NBA roster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by former Sixers general manager Brad Greenberg and owned by American businessman Jeff Rosen , who finances a TV show ( " Inside Israeli Basketball " ) that airs on various American sports networks and shows plenty of Haifa highlights if you want to do some Mekel scouting . ... The Division III school that gave us 138-point sensation Jack Taylor earlier this week has only one known NBA connection . Grinnell graduate Norm Sonju went on to be the front-office chief and a founding executive of the Dallas Mavericks after a GM stint with my beloved Buffalo Braves . <h> 3 . One-On-One ... To Five <p> A : Yes . There was a real possibility for me to stay in Russia , but the reason I came back to Russia ( to play for CSKA Moscow last season ) was because of the lockout . That was the only reason . I never really thought about staying in Russia , even though I felt great because it was home . Everything was so comfortable . But the NBA is a different stage . You always want to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Where does the bronze medal from last summer 's Olympics rank for you in your career ? <p> A : This was an unbelievable experience . My previous two Olympics , Sydney and Beijing , ( were ) unsuccessful . So I was really looking forward to this one . It might be my last Olympics , so I 'm very happy that we got a bronze medal . <p> Q : A lot of people out there think that the year in Russia made you a more complete player than you were when we last saw you . Do you agree with that ? Are you a better player now , at 31 , than you were in Utah ? <p> A : It 's not my call . I ca n't really say . When I was younger I was probably faster and reacting better , but not ... I do n't want to say ( I was ) less intelligent but less experienced . I would say that I 'm looking at the game differently now . <p> Q : How good is this team when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know . Our goal is the playoffs . I hope we can make it . <p> Q : What do you think about the changes FIBA is making to the international calendar ? Think we 'll ever get to the point where the NBA takes breaks during the season like they do in soccer so players can join up with their national teams and play qualifying games during the ( NBA 's ) regular season ? <p> A : To be honest , I do n't know . Unfortunately I 'm not going to make it ( long enough ) for when these changes get in . You want me to play until I 'm 40 years old ? I do n't think so . <h> 4 . D-League Preview <p> A dozen things you need to know about Season No. 12 of the NBA D-League , which opens Friday in what is universally recognized as the most athletic ( and most scouted ) league outside of the NBA itself : <p> 1 . The D-League has reached the point where all but five of its franchises have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-League franchises are NBA-owned : Austin ( San Antonio Spurs ) , Canton ( Cleveland Cavaliers ) , Los Angeles ( L.A. Lakers ) , Tulsa ( Oklahoma City Thunder ) and Santa Cruz ( Golden State Warriors ) . Five more are so-called " hybrid " franchises , where the NBA club splits the operating cost with the local D-League owners : Erie ( New York Knicks ) , Idaho ( Portland Trail Blazers ) , Maine ( Boston Celtics ) , Rio Grande Valley ( Houston Rockets ) and Springfield ( Brooklyn Nets ) . The Texas Legends , meanwhile , are owned and operated by a group Mavericks personnel chief Donnie Nelson heads separately from the Mavs themselves . And then there are five independent franchises that serve as affiliates for multiple NBA teams : Bakersfield , Fort Wayne , Iowa , Reno and Sioux Falls . <p> 2 . D-League rosters feature eight players on assignment from their NBA teams : Sacramento 's Tyler Honeycutt ( Reno Bighorns ) , Boston 's Kris Joseph ( Maine Red Claws ) , Houston 's Scott Machado ( Rio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Tulsa ) , Boston 's Fab Melo ( Maine ) , Denver 's Quincy Miller ( Iowa Energy ) , Houston 's Donatas Motiejunas ( Rio Grande ) and Oklahoma City 's Daniel Orton ( Tulsa ) . No. 16 overall pick Royce White thus far has resisted Houston 's attempts to send him to the D-League to get more playing time -- one of the factors contributing to White 's impasse with the Rockets -- but the new labor agreement that ended last season 's lockout allows players in the first three years of their NBA careers to be sent to the D-League an unlimited number of times . The previous labor deal only allowed players to be assigned to the D-League three times in their first two NBA seasons . <p> 3 . There already have been two NBA call-ups for D-League players not on assignment . Orton is indeed on assignment in Tulsa now , but he initially got cut in training camp by the Thunder and did n't actually make their roster until he was promoted from the 66ers after the James Harden trade opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swingman James Anderson from Rio Grande Valley after Spurs regulars Kawhi Leonard ( quad ) and Stephen Jackson ( finger ) suffered injuries . Last season saw a record 43 D-League players combine to earn 60 call-ups and earn more than $11 million in NBA salaries . <p> 5 . One of the better stories in the league this season is 11-year NBA veteran Troy Hudson , who is trying to reignite his career after battling various injuries for the past few seasons and will do so as the starting point guard in Sioux Falls . Chances are there will be other NBA vets who surface as the season progresses , as seen in 2011-12 with the likes of Antoine Walker , Ricky Davis and Greg Ostertag trying to launch comebacks in the D-League , now that the D-League draft process is complete and they might be able to exert a bit more control in terms of where they wind up . <p> 6 . Reggie Theus ( Los Angeles ) and Paul Mokeski ( Reno ) are former NBA players you know who hold D-League coaching jobs . Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first Mexican-born head coach in the NBA family . Yet another pioneer is Tulsa 's Darko Rajakovic , with the Serbian named as the first European-born head coach under the NBA 's umbrella . Among returning coaches , Nick Nurse is back in charge of Rio Grande Valley after spending the summer as an assistant with Great Britain at the London Olympics . <p> 7 . Salaries remain flat : $25,500 , $19,000 and $13,000 for the league 's three player classifications . Which means D-League players are virtually playing for free -- and a modest per diem on the road of $40 compared to $120 in the NBA -- although they do receive housing and insurance benefits . It was also brought to my attention this week that the D-League quietly does have a per-team salary cap of $178,000 ... with a dollar-for-dollar luxury tax , just like in the NBA , for teams that go over that amount . <p> 8 . Foreign teams that want to pull players out of the D-League must pay $40,000 , $45,000 or $50,000 , depending on the player 's classification , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Something to look forward to : Perhaps this will be the first season that an NBA team sends a top-shelf veteran down to its D-League affiliate for a Major League Baseball-style rehab assignment . Imagine , for example , Minnesota sending Ricky Rubio to Sioux Falls for a game or two to test his knee in game conditions . That option was n't available to NBA teams in the previous labor agreement and will be seized upon one of these days . <p> 10 . The D-League will continue to employ international goaltending rules that allow players to knock the ball away immediately after it touches the rim . Another one of last season 's innovations -- three-minute overtime periods -- also remains in place . Yet there is one notable on-court change : D-League franchises are now permitted to sell jersey sponsorships . And four of the league 's 16 teams have taken advantage of the new provision : Erie ( LECOM ) , Rio Grande Valley ( Lone Star National Bank ) , Springfield ( MGM Springfield ) and Texas ( Chocotow Casino Resorts ) . <p> 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the champions and the teams with the next five best records advancing to the playoffs . Canton , Erie , Fort Wayne , Maine and Springfield comprise the Eastern Conference . Austin , Iowa , Rio Grande Valley , Sioux Falls , Texas and Tulsa form the Central Conference . And Bakersfield , Los Angeles , Idaho , Reno and Santa Cruz are in the West . Also still in effect is the pick-your-opponent format for the first round of the postseason , which allows the three conference winners ( in record order ) to choose their first-round foe from the teams ranked Nos. 4-8 . The two remaining teams meet in the other first-round series . <p> 12 . The annual NBA D-League Showcase returns to Reno in January for 16 games in four days in front of executives and scouts from NBA teams . Every team will play two games at the Showcase in addition to its standard 24 home games and 24 road games . The D-League All-Star Game , meanwhile , will be played in Houston in mid-February as part of the NBA 's All-Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal with CBS Sports Network to broadcast 12 regular-season games and the D-League playoffs , as well as a partnership announced this week with any user who violates our terms of use , including removing all content posted by that user . <h> 5 . Eastern Conference <p> Eric Gordon got a max offer in free agency last season despite being limited to nine games in New Orleans thanks to knee issues . Ditto for Brook Lopez even after a broken foot and subsequent ankle sprain limited the Brooklyn center to five games in 2011-12 . <p> It thus seems reasonable to infer that Sixers center Andrew Bynum , whether he returns in January or if ongoing knee woes wipe out his entire 2012-13 season , still should do just fine in free agency in July , given that big men with his ability are so rare . <p> I 'm less sure than I was , though , after consulting with a few executives around the league . A quick Thanksgiving survey of five teams conveyed undeniable concern about Bynum 's long-term health after ESPN.com 's story last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One exec , as I did initially , noted last summer 's deals for Gordon and Lopez and predicted that Bynum likely could count on a max offer , whether it 's from Philly or another team . <p> " We , " said the GM in question , " are a desperate league . " <p> A couple of others , however , cautioned that Bynum 's healthy history is too worrisome -- too Greg Oden-like -- to apply the same Gordon-and-Lopez logic . Especially because he 's had trouble with both knees . <p> " Maybe a one- or two-year ( max offer ) , " one of the dissenting execs said . " Do n't forget that you wo n't be able to get insurance coverage on his knees . " <p> Really , really tough spot for the Sixers . They struck me in August as the unsung winners of the four-team Dwight Howard blockbuster -- having not only acquired an All-Star center but also because they helped to get Howard out of the East -- but could be just months away now from a make-or-break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ durable enough to make use of his franchise player gifts . <p> Although Bynum appeared in 60 of the Lakers ' 66 games last season , that was only the second time in an eight-season career that he made it to the 60-game mark . The Sixers have to hope that outside interest in Bynum is modest . Or that Bynum , with his New Jersey roots , wants to stay and might be willing to reward Philly 's faith in trading for him by taking some sort of discount . Either way , it 's hard to see this being anything other than an agonizing July for them . <p> Some numbers of note in the East this week : <p> 11 : Paul George sank a club-record nine 3-pointers in Indiana 's OT win Wednesday over New Orleans , surpassing Reggie Miller 's single-game club record , but the struggling Roy Hibbert arguably trumped George with 11 blocked shots , to go with 10 points and 11 rebounds , in recording a triple-double . Hibbert is the first Pacer with a points/rebounds/blocks triple-double since Jermaine O'Neal in January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run of 774 consecutive games for the Pacers without a triple-double , which , according to Elias , ranks as the third-longest such drought in league history . <p> 3 : Three of Wednesday night 's four overtime games were contested in the East : Indiana outlasting New Orleans , Miami edging Milwaukee and Atlanta breaking winless Washington 's hearts when Martell Webster 's apparent game-winning bucket at the buzzer was waved off . The Elias Sports Bureau reports that it was only the fifth day in league history to feature four OT games . We 've yet to be treated to a day with five . <p> 3 : Charlotte 's Ramon Sessions has three 20-point games this season after totaling four for the whole 2011-12 season . <p> 4 : Carmelo Anthony is just the fifth Knick -- and the first since Patrick Ewing in 1990-91 -- to be averaging at least 24.0 points and 7.0 rebounds through the season 's first 10 games . Willis Reed and Willie Naulls are the only other Knicks to achieve that . <p> The Bulls , as of Monday , became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've been restricted to a roster of 13 until now after the offseason decision to use the non-taxpayer midlevel exception to sign Kirk Hinrich and the bi-annual exception to sign Marco Belinelli , leaving Chicago with a hard salary cap of $74,307,000 . The Bulls ' payroll sits just $758,602 below that hard cap , but the pro-rated minimum on a one-year deal for players with two or more years of service time has finally dropped below that figure , enabling Chicago to add another player if it wishes . ... With Danny Granger sidelined by knee trouble , Indiana looked into the possibility of signing shooting guard Rashad McCants before the 28-year-old went to China . ( See Box 2 . ) . . . The Wizards had to absorb a bit of a cash hit when they waived Jannero Pargo to make roster room for Shaun Livingston , with Pargo 's contract guaranteed for $300,000 this season . <h> 6 . Quiet Time <p> Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty Images <p> The Clippers ' fine start has kept speculation about the futures of coach Vinny Del Negro and star guard Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <h> 7 . Marc 's Quote <p> " I was extremely aware of it . I was watching it when Brandon Roy and Greg Oden had those injuries . I felt bad for ' em when it all happened . I was excited to try to bring some change . I knew about their team and I was excited about what I could bring to the table . " <p> Lillard <p> Blazers rookie Damian Lillard , when asked how much he knew about all of the curse talk in Portland when it comes to top draftees in Rip City , which started long before the fates suffered by Oden and 2006 Rookie of the Year Roy thanks to the misfortunes endured by Sam Bowie and Bill Walton . <p> By now , though , Lillard is surprising no one with his awareness , maturity and quiet but unmistakable confidence . Expectations ramped up after his spectacular play in summer league -- rising higher than what is typically forecast for a No. 6 pick who happened to play at Weber State -- but Lillard enters Friday night 's highly anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team-best 5.8 assists through 11 games . <p> Lillard is slightly behind LaMarcus Aldridge ( 20.3 ppg ) and Nicolas Batum ( 20.1 ) when it comes to offensive output , but he has a shot to be the first rookie to lead the Blazers in scoring since Sidney Wicks averaged 24.5 points in 1971-72 . No rookie has led them in assists since Kelvin Ransey averaged 6.9 dimes in 1980-81 . And no rookie has led Portland in both categories since Geoff Petrie did it in the Blazers ' inaugural season in 1970-71 . ( The same Petrie , incidentally , whose light-on-playmaking Sacramento Kings decided to pass on Lillard in June and use the No. 5 pick on a forward : Thomas Robinson . ) <p> For more on Roy , who will have to miss his first scheduled date as a Rose Garden visitor after he was forced Monday to undergo his seventh knee surgery , read this fine piece from longtime Roy expert Jason Quick of The Oregonian newspaper . <h> 8 . Giving Thanks <p> Q : If not Miami , the NBA parade will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legit rise of the Clippers doubles the odds that the NBA Finals rep from the increasingly hard-to-handicap West will be coming out of Staples Center in June , because I do think that the Lakers will now spend the rest of the season playing their way into contention like we all expected . But who really knows ? OKC , San Antonio , Memphis and the two L.A. teams ... they 're all going to look worthy of a Finals berth in the next few months , depending on the day . <h> 9 . Chatter Box <h> Marc Stein , NBA <p> The L.A. Lakers , Memphis , New York , Miami ... Marc Stein touches on all those teams and how they 've started the season in this ESPN Radio visit with Chuck Wilson . <h> 10 . Corner 3 <p> Three quick slams and dunks from the deepest recesses of Weekend Dimedom : <p> Irving <p> 1 . Hate to say it , but I 'm officially worried about Kyrie Irving . The Cavs and their fans have to be freaked out , too , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although some of Irving 's injuries clearly have been of the freak-nature variety , reaching for the panic button is an inescapable instinct when you stack up everything that 's happened to the 20-year-old since he was limited to 11 games as a freshman at Duke because of a foot problem . Cleveland seemed so blessed to be able to draft a hope-generating franchise player like Irving so soon after LeBron James ' defection to Miami , but as a pro he 's already had to deal with a concussion , shoulder issues and a broken hand suffered when he slammed it in frustration against a padded wall after a summertime Cavs practice in Las Vegas . Ca n't help it : Officially worried . <p> 2 . Following up on last week 's discussion about the big changes FIBA is making to the international basketball calendar , there are some undeniable positives here . The name change of the quadrennial world championship -- which will henceforth be known as basketball 's World Cup -- and delaying the tournament cycle one year ( starting in 2019 ) to get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cup make infinite sense . But the benefits of returning to a soccer-style qualifying process for FIBA 's World Cup are pretty much limited to the notion that every basketball country in the world will soon be hosting home games that matter with greater regularity . The big problem with soccer-style scheduling , again , is that NBA players and coaches essentially have been ruled out of the qualifying process for a tournament that FIBA hopes someday will be looked at with the reverence the Olympics hold . As a result , for Team USA and numerous other nations , there almost certainly will have to be two separate national teams starting in 2017 : One that gets you into the World Cup and the one with NBA stars that actually plays for the trophy . That 's a dynamic soccer does n't have to deal with , not only because soccer world 's governing body ( FIFA ) builds numerous international breaks into every calendar year but also because Planet Futbol -- unlike the basketball universe -- does n't have one league that is worlds better than every other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . I know this makes little sense coming from a soccer-lover as devout as I am , but I 'm glad there continues to be resistance at the NBA level to advertising on game jerseys . I fully concede that I 'm contradicting myself all over the place here , but I 'm just being honest . Soccer jerseys , like those worn by Sporting KC in MLS or West Brom 's blank shirts in the Premiership from a few seasons back , look completely wrong to me without a shirt sponsor . And I 'm strangely fine with the billboard-y jerseys seen in basketball leagues all over the world as well the handful of D-League teams ( as covered in Box 4 ) that have been cleared to try out jersey ads this season . Yet I remain a serial purist who ca n't help clinging to the notion that the historically unsullied fabric of NBA jerseys should remain as pristine as possible . ' Cause it just feels right . <p> PS -- Among the many things I 'm thankful for this week is your clearance to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

@@5045041 automatically upgrade to a full year for $79 . <h> Formats <h> Book Description <p> Release Date : March 3 , 2009 Series : Sunset Books <p> Everything a griller wants to know in the most complete grilling technique book ever : Five keys to grilling great steak The right way with baby back ribs What to do when flare-ups happen The way to smoke a turkey Five secrets for perfect fish every time Simple ways to check for doneness Getting great results with your smoker The way to handle foods that stick Working burger magic every time Over 1,000 step-by-step photos More than 160 delicious new recipes Dozens of rubs , sauces , marinades , and more What is Weber 's Way to Grill ? Well , first of all , it is not just one way to grill . It is not about absolute right and wrong when it comes to issues like gas versus charcoal , direct versus indirect heat , or grilling with the lid on or off . Webers Way to Grill includes and embraces any way to grill so long as it works . And what works best is paying attention to culinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and paying attention . Thats the point of Weber 's Way to Grill . That 's why this book includes so many how-to photographs and explanatory captions and detailed recipes . The emphasis here is on paying close attention . Its about learning how and why certain ways work well , so that you can move beyond the limits of winging it . Great taste lies in the details . Just pay attention and enjoy a new level of grilling success . <p> Everything a griller wants to know in the most complete grilling technique book ever : Five keys to grilling great steak The right way with baby back ribs What to do when flare-ups happen The way to smoke a turkey Five secrets for perfect fish every time Simple ways to check for doneness Getting great results with your smoker The way to handle foods that stick Working burger magic every time Over 1,000 step-by-step photos More than 160 delicious new recipes Dozens of rubs , sauces , marinades , and more What is Weber 's Way to Grill ? Well , first of all , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about absolute right and wrong when it comes to issues like gas versus charcoal , direct versus indirect heat , or grilling with the lid on or off . Webers Way to Grill includes and embraces any way to grill so long as it works . And what works best is paying attention to culinary details . There is a big difference between winging it and paying attention . Thats the point of Weber 's Way to Grill . That 's why this book includes so many how-to photographs and explanatory captions and detailed recipes . The emphasis here is on paying close attention . Its about learning how and why certain ways work well , so that you can move beyond the limits of winging it . Great taste lies in the details . Just pay Pre-order both items " , " Pre-order all three items " <h> Editorial Reviews <h> About the Author <p> Jamie Purviance graduated from Stanford University and the Culinary Institute of America before launching his career as a food writer for major magazines and newspapers such as Bon Apptit , Better Homes &; Gardens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the Los Angeles Times . He is the author of several best-selling cookbooks , including Weber 's Real GrillingT and Weber 's Charcoal GrillingT . Purviance is certified by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and serves as a judge for the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest , in addition to other major competitions . He has also appeared on several national television shows including Today , The Early Show , Good Morning America , Fox &; Friends , and the Oprah Winfrey Show -- as well as PBS , CNN , the History Channel , and the Food Network . <h> More About the Author <p> Jamie Purviance graduated from Stanford University and the Culinary Institute of America ( with high honors ) before earning a reputation as one of America 's top grilling experts . He is the author of several cookbooks , with millions of copies sold , and his articles have appeared in numerous publications , such as Bon Appetit , Better Homes and Gardens , Cooking Light , Eating Well , Town &; Country , and the Los Angeles Times . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Grill , " was a finalist for a James Beard Award , and two of his cookbooks have been New York Times best sellers . Purviance teaches grilling at schools and resorts all over America and has appeared on many national television shows : Today , The Early Show , Good Morning America , and the Oprah Winfrey Show--as well as on PBS , CNN , and the Food Network . <p> This book includes all of the basics of grilling with charcoal or gas , complete with lots of pictures so you can see exactly how to set up the grill for the type of food you will be grilling and what the coals should look like . How to use the vents , how to use a rotisserie , and needed tools and equipment . <p> The very best part of this book is the recipes . It does include the classics like pulled pork , burgers , steaks and ribs but also has a lot of great recipes with ethnic flavors . Kofta in Pita Pockets with Cucumber and Tomato Salad , Lamb Meatball Pitas with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Bean Sauce , Thai Shrimp with Watermelon Salsa , Shrimp Po'Boys with Creole Remoulade , Vietnamese Shrimp Pops with Peanut Sauce , Baja Fish Wraps with Chipoltle-Lime Slaw , Tandoori Chicken Breasts with Mango-Mint Chutney , Chicken Involtini ; chicken breast rolled with prosciutto and basil . <p> Not feeling ethnic , how about Hickory Smoked Turkey with Bourbon Gravy ? There is a Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Breast with Herb Stuffing that uses a great " braided " technique for the bacon that completely encases the turkey breast . Soda-Brined Pork Loin with Cherry-Chipoltle Glaze . Hard Cider Simmered Brats with Apples and Onions . <p> I could go on and on and have not even touched on the fruits , vegetables and grilled bread . There are many great burger recipes for beef , lamb and turkey . Each recipe and technique is very well illustrated with pictures . They have recipes using planks , smoking papers and even a cast iron skillet on the grill . 40 beef recipes 22 pork recipes 27 poultry 35 for seafood 27 vegetable 10 fruit 21 rubs 20 marinades 14 sauces <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be sacrilege , but Way To Grill is quite possibly better than the Big Book . And I do n't say that lightly . <p> Way to grill gives you everything you could possibly need to take your grill beyond burgers and hot dogs . The recipes are relatively easy to make , and almost always call for common items . But more importantly , there 's some emphasis on technique . In all likelihood , this is as close as you 're going to get to learning how to grill , without standing next to someone who will teach you . <p> The book itself is well made , and like the other Weber books , has excellent pictures and very comprehensive instructions . <p> As all true grilling afficiandos know , this is the fifth book that Jamie Purviance and the Weber folks have produced that is chock full of recipies and grilling tips to maximize the quality of what we cook on the grill . The first four , " Weber 's Art of the Grill " , , " Weber 's Big Book of Grilling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are all in print , are reasonably priced and are avalable here at Amazon.com . IMHO , all belong on the cookbook shelf because of the quality of the recipies , as well as the simplicity of preparing them . <p> So , why buy this book ? There are several reasons : <p> RECIPIES Nomatter what else is in a cookbook , if the recipies are n't capable of producing goodies that excite the palate , are overly complex or overly time consuming , the book is of questionable value . " Way to Grill " is full of flavorful , simple recipies which address nearly every conceivable type of food , including veggies and desserts . There are also recipies for rubs and sauces which experienced grillers know lie at the heart of flavorful foods . <p> DETAILED " HOW TO DO ITS " <p> Want to know how to butterfly a flank steak or a boneless leg of lamb ? Want to know how to do various meat rollups just bursting with flavorful fillings ? Under the heading of " Way to ... " , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rotisserie a Chicken " , " Way to Bone a Prime Rib Roast " , " Way to Pickle Onions " , " Way to Dry Brine a Turkey " , etc . The detailed photos and texts accompanying these " Way to ... " entries are hugely informative , and , IMHO , are worth the purchase of the book for themselves alone . But , as noted , there are all those fantastic recipies . <p> MANAGING FIRES <p> Grilling is different from indoor cooking , because the griller is working with live fire . Jamie has covered every detail of managing the fire from start to finish , with necessary focus on the safety aspects of fire , fuels , etc . <p> ORGANIZATION <p> It is obvious that a lot of thought and effort went into the organization and layout of this book . Recipies and other information are easy to find and clearly expressed . <p> It should be noted that all of the previous Purviance/Weber books have played to rave reviews . if you check the reviews here on Amazon.com , you will see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for good reason . Anyone , from a novice to the most experienced grillers , can produce consistantly excellent meals from the recipies contained in this book , and the others in the series as well . <p> In his preface , Jamie notes how his grilling techniques have evolved over time . I suspect that is true for many of us who " fire up " year round . But some prospective buyers of this book may be considering a first foray into grilling or barbecueing . For those folks , my advice is to take the plunge ; start with something simple , like a burger . One bite and self confidence soars . <p> For more experienced folks , get the book for the " Way to ... " stuff , as well as the recipies . <p> Because I grill year round , even in our harsh Northern Michigan winters ( I did ribs for my visiting sons a couple of weeks ago when the temp was in low single digits and snow was heavy ) , our home tends to be a popular gathering place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the grill flavor . I know this from experience , and I am just as confident that folks who buy and use " Way to Grill " will experience the deep

@@5045141 <h> Reconquest and Religious Purification <p> Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand 's 1492 conquest of Granada marked the end of the Christians ' centuries-long battle to wrest control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims and the acceleration of their religious purification of Spain . Based in part on her belief that Jews , Muslims , and other nonbelievers had to be converted to Christianity , the Queen sanctioned the Spanish Inquisition and , by 1499 , began a program of forced baptisms among the Muslim population . Within three years , all Muslims in Granada who had not converted to Christianity were ordered out of the city , just as the Jews had been in 1492 . These religious purification policies would have long-lasting consequences not only for non-Christians in Spain but also for the indigenous people of the Americas . <p> After Columbus returned from the New World , Isabella claimed the indigenous people as her subjects and ordered that they , too , be converted to Christianity . Pope Alexander VI supported the queen by declaring the lands that Columbus discovered to be the lawful property of Spain , thereby sanctioning Spanish efforts to colonize the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as Spanish conquistadors subdued the indigenous populations , wave after wave of Catholic missionaries flooded the Americas to carry out Spain 's mandate . Unfortunately for the Spanish , the people of the New World had their own deeply held beliefs . <p> The conversion of the Indians to Christianity was stated to be the principal aim of the Spanish conquerors , but we have hidden the fact that it is only through threats of being taken captive or killed that the Indians have been brought to embrace the faith and swear obedience to the king . - Bartolom de Las Casas <h> New World Spirituality before Contact <p> In the New World , where life revolved mainly around the cycles of planting , cultivating , and harvesting crops , people worshipped many gods , often in the form of agricultural gods representing powerful aspects of nature . Among the more universal deities were rain , sun , and moon gods , the earth mother , and gods of the dead , although important plants or animals were also worshipped , such as the maize god of the Mexicas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Caribbean , had complex hierarchical religious , political and social systems . They honored two primary deities : a supreme god or creator , Ycahu , the lord of cassava and the sea ; and a fertility goddess , Atabey , the goddess of fresh water . Lesser deities , including the spirits of ancestors , were believed to live in trees , rocks , and elsewhere . Through hallucinogenic trances during religious ceremonies , the Tanos communicated with the gods , represented by both human and animal forms , to ask for protection and help with the harvest . <p> Religion touched on almost every aspect of the lives of people in the New World , many of whom worshipped at shrines and holy places and built huge temples and pyramids where religious rituals were conducted . The Mexicas in Mesoamerica , one of the most powerful cultures in 1492 , had deities for every profession and for all common foods , and their priests served at least 200 major deities . Average Mexicas would have had little in their homes except sleeping mats , a hearth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . <p> Many cultures , including the Mayas and the Incas , considered their rulers divine and tended to regard their ancestors ( particularly the founders of their political dynasties ) as sacred . The Mayas also believed their rulers could communicate with the underworld , while the Incas were a theocratic monarchy , with the emperor both secular and divine and responsible for all legislative , judicial , executive , and religious power throughout the empire . Although the Mexicas did not worship their emperor as a god , they believed his power was mandated by the gods . <p> Like many civilizations around the world , New World people believed in various forms of life after death and were often buried with items they might need in that afterlife . The Incas ' belief that a person could not enter the afterlife unless their body was kept intact led them to mummify their rulers and care for them as if they were still alive . <p> Incan , Mayan , and Mexica priests performed ritual human and animal sacrifices that took place during religious ceremonies , although the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or on special occasions . These sacrifices were performed to honor the gods , thank the gods for a good harvest , and maintain cosmic order . As the Mexica empire expanded in the second half of the fifteenth century , Mexica priests increasingly conducted human sacrifice to provide life force to Huitzilopochtli , their sun god ; they also sacrificed victims to the god of springtime and vegetation , Xipe Totec . <p> While the spiritual belief systems of the people in the New World were similar to those held by many other societies around the world , the Spaniards considered the people pagans . And the conquistadors , colonists , and priests arriving in the New World from Spain believed they had been commanded by god and country to convince all non-believers to share their faith . <h> Catholicism Meets the New World <p> Spain 's leaders , along with prominent theologians and priests , believed that only the Catholic Church could unify all of the wide-ranging and diverse aspects the New World cultures and represented the best hope Spain had to pacify the indigenous peoples . But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced the colossal challenge of making Christians out of large numbers of people who were not prepared to give up their long-held beliefs . Franciscan , Dominican , and Augustinian friars established churches and schools , conducted mass baptisms , and worked to recruit and educate a native class of priests to spread the Catholic doctrine . In some cases , they required the indigenous people to move into new communities , called doctrinas , supervised by the friars . <p> Frustrated by the local populations ' reluctance to accept Christianity , some priests tore down native temples and burned their spiritual artifacts . Most notably , in 1562 , Franciscan friar Diego de Landa burned five thousand Mayan religious images and at least twenty-seven hieroglyphic rolls . Landa went on to stage his own inquisition , in which he tortured over four thousand Indians , 158 of them to death . <p> Within a few decades it became very clear that they the priests had not been able to fully eradicate - and how could they - indigenous religious beliefs . And how did they handle the situation ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that had been created in Spain to police the behavior of converted Jews was used in the Americas to deal with indigenous peoples , to police their religious behavior. - Mara Elena Martnez , author of Genealogical Fictions <p> Spanish zeal eventually enabled Catholicism to make great inroads into the New World . But in the process , New World Catholicism evolved into a religion that integrated aspects of indigenous beliefs into Catholic teachings and that adapted Christian concepts , images , and saints to local traditions . <p> Examine the historical importance of the Lady of Guadalupe to New World Catholicism . <p> Throughout history , Christianity has incorporated aspects of the preexisting beliefs of the native populations whenever it was implanted in new lands , and in the Americas , the fusing of European and indigenous traditions was a defining feature of New World Catholicism . This fusing can be seen in the story of " Our Lady of Guadalupe , " in which Mary , the mother of Jesus , and the Mexica fertility goddess , Tonantzin , appear to have merged . Many colonial religious images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of religious beliefs . For example , in an early 18th-century painting called " The Virgin Mary of Potos , " Mary has literally become part of the mountain of Potos , giving it her face and arms . The Incas believed mountains were home to goddesses like Pachamama , the Andean earth mother goddess , and yet the goddess in the painting is crowned by God the Father and Jesus Christ and worshipped by Spanish royalty and the Catholic pope . The painting can be viewed as a work of art that reflects the birth of new religious culture , one that integrated aspects of pre-Hispanic indigenous religiosity into Catholicism and adapted some Christian beliefs and images to local traditions . <p> " If by chance they the Spanish make you worship what they worship , which are some painted sheets the Bible . . . do not obey . Instead . . . when you can not resist any longer , go through the motions when you are before them , but on the side do n't forget our ceremonies . - Manco Inca , ruler of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Catholicism was also influenced by African spirituality . Although Spain required all African slaves convert to Christianity , some were able to keep alive certain of their beliefs and practices , especially those pertaining to their ancestors and deities . In Cuba , for example , the religion that people of African ancestry practiced was heavily influenced by West African gods ; over time it evolved into a type of folk Catholicism that blended European , African , and indigenous traditions . Variations of this religion are still practiced in Cuba and , thanks to Cuban immigrants , also in parts of the United States . African spiritual traditions also influenced Catholic religious practices and beliefs in other parts of Spanish America , including Puerto Rico , the Dominican Republic , Venezuela , Nicaragua , Panama , Mexico , Colombia , Peru , and Argentina . <h> Religion in Modern Latin America <p> Today , evidence of the blending of European , indigenous , and African religious traditions can be found throughout Latin America . In Cuzco , Peru , on the same streets where the Incas once carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parade with statues of Catholic saints . The procession to celebrate the holy day of Corpus Christi has become a Christian revision of ancient Incan processions celebrating their kings . People play the same instruments and dance the same steps as their ancestors , but today they carry pictures of Jesus and Mary rather than mummies . <p> In the Cathedral of Cuzco , built by the Spanish on the very spot where Incan rulers constructed the great plaza they considered the center of the universe , hangs Marcos Zapata 's 1753 painting of Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper . The painting is similar to European depictions of the event , except here the disciples feast on guinea pig and Inca chichi beer , foods reserved for special celebrations in the Andes . <p> In Guatemala , people still offer incense to their Mayan gods on the steps of local churches , celebrate Christian and Mayan festival days , and place Mayan altars in the middle of Catholic churches to honor their ancestors , the shamans , and the midwives . In small towns , Catholic masses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ languages of the people , as are masses in Peruvian villages where people speak Quechua , the language of the Incas . <p> Aspects of Yoruba and other West African religions continue to influence the spirituality of Cubans and other peoples of the Caribbean , where it is not unusual to find that the terms " saint " and " orisha " ( a term associated with Yoruba deities or spirits ) are used interchangeably . <p> In the end , Queen Isabella 's goal of converting the Spanish New World to Christianity succeeded , but in a form she could never have envisioned . <p> Sharon M. Hannon is the author of two non-fiction books , Women Explorers ( Pomegranate Communications , 2007 ) and Punks : A Guide to an American Subcultures ( Greenwood Press , 2010 ) , and a contributing writer to The Library of Congress World War II Companion ( Simon &; Schuster , 2007 ) . She has written and produced content for several KCET Web sites including World War II Behind Closed Doors and

@@5045241 <p> Much has been said about how creativity works , its secrets , its origins , and what we can do to optimize ourselves for it . In this excerpt from his fantastic 1991 lecture , John Cleese offers a recipe for creativity , delivered with his signature blend of cultural insight and comedic genius . Specifically , Cleese outlines " the 5 factors that you can arrange to make your lives more creative " : <p> The lecture is worth a watch in its entirety , below , if only to get a full grasp of Cleese 's model for creativity as the interplay of two modes of operating -- open , where we take a wide-angle , abstract view of the problem and allow the mind to ponder possible solutions , and closed , where we zoom in on implementing a specific solution with narrow precision . Along the way , Cleese explores the traps and travails of the two modes and of letting their osmosis get out of balance . <p> A few more quotable nuggets of insight excerpted below the video . <p> Creativity is not a talent . It is a way of operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when pondering a problem -- but ! -- once we come up with a solution , we must then switch to the closed mode to implement it . Because once we 've made a decision , we are efficient only if we go through with it decisively , undistracted by doubts about its correctness . <p> Cleese goes on to caution against a trap in this duality , one particularly hazardous in politics : <p> To be at our most efficient , we need to be able to switch backwards and forward between the two modes . But -- here 's the problem -- we too often get stuck in the closed mode . Under the pressures which are all too familiar to us , we tend to maintain tunnel vision at times when we really need to step back and contemplate the wider view . <p> This is particularly true , for example , of politicians . The main complaint about them from their nonpolitical colleagues is that they 've become so addicted to the adrenaline that they get from reacting to events on an hour-by-hour basis that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems in the open mode . <p> Cleese concludes with a beautiful articulation of the premise and promise of his recipe for creativity : <p> This is the extraordinary thing about creativity : If just you keep your mind resting against the subject in a friendly but persistent way , sooner or later you will get a

@@5045341 <p> 2 . Take note of the value , DYLDINSERTLIBRARIES 3 . Proceed to step 8 if you got the following error message : <p> " The domain/default pair of ( **38;5639;TOOLONG , LSEnvironment ) does not exist " <p> If you do n't get that error message , well , time to head to F-Secure for your fix . If you 're clean so far , you can move on to step eight : <p> 8 . Run the following command in Terminal : <p> defaults read / . MacOSX/environment DYLDINSERTLIBRARIES <p> 9 . Take note of the result . Your system is already clean of this variant if you got an error message similar to the following : <p> " The domain/default pair of ( **30;5679;TOOLONG , DYLDINSERTLIBRARIES ) does not exist " <p> In other words : " does not exist " means you 've got a healthy rig . Anything else , just keep following F-Secure 's instructions to vanquish the intruder . And even if you get the all clear for now , do n't wait on downloading the security update that patches the Java vulnerability

@@5045441 <p> Reporters continue to buy that old " blind trust " ruse . It 's <p> Join our email list : <h> Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email . <p> Mitt Romney is not only one of the wealthiest presidential candidates in history , his finances are by far the most opaque . In April , the Washington Post reported that Romney " has taken advantage of an obscure exception in federal ethics laws to avoid disclosing the nature and extent of his holdings . " <p> By offering a limited description of his assets , Romney has made it difficult to know precisely where his money is invested , whether it is offshore or in controversial companies , or whether those holdings could affect his policies or present any conflicts of interest . <p> This is no accident . From what we do know , Romney has -- or has recently had -- some highly controversial investments in his extensive portfolio . <p> The New York Times reported that Romney was invested in China 's state-owned gas company and a Chinese bank , even as he was calling out China 's " unfair " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " also invested in derivative securities linked to the Japanese stock market and to an index that includes stocks in every major country except the United States . It invested in a derivative that would profit if the dollar fell against a group of foreign currencies , " according to the Times . <p> While he calls Russia our " number one geostrategic foe , " he also invested in the politically influential Russian state oil company , Gazprom . Gazprom is one of Russia 's " national champion " companies , which are expected not only to turn a profit but also to advance the country 's national interests . It has long been seen as Vladimir Putin 's " premier instrument of power , " according to Foreign Affairs . <p> Andrew Kaczynski at Buzzfeed reported that while " Romney has often used Chinese piracy and intellectual property theft as an issue while attacking President Obama on China , " he had invested in " Youku , a Chinese version of YouTube " that " became a haven for downloading illegal American content . " He also invested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Chinese electronics company that , according to the Boston Globe , " is being sued by Microsoft Corp . for selling computers with pirated versions of its Windows and Office software . " <p> A Bain Capital fund in which Romney was invested also stood to gain from Chinese political suppression . According to the New York Times , Bain " purchased the video surveillance division of a Chinese company that claims to be the largest supplier to the government 's Safe Cities program , a highly advanced monitoring system that allows the authorities to watch over university campuses , hospitals , mosques and movie theaters from centralized command posts . " The firm 's " previous projects have included an emergency command center in Tibet that ' provides a solid foundation for the maintenance of social stability and the protection of people 's peaceful life , ' " according to the company 's website . <p> These investments are contradictory to many of Romney 's stated values , and should be politically damaging -- along with the shadowy network of " investment entities " in offshore tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race . That 's because the campaign has answered each and every question about these shady deals with the same response : that Mitt and Ann Romney 's fortunes are in independently administered blind trusts , and they have no clue whatsoever where their loot is invested , much less any influence over how their portfolios are managed . It 's an answer that , by and large , the political press has accepted . <p> But here is the problem : Mitt and Ann Romney do not have blind trusts , and this fact is not in dispute . It was reported last year by the very same mainstream political media that now blithely accepts the Romney-Ryan campaign 's claims that the candidate is not responsible

@@5045541 <p> Think of the narrative point of view as the perspective from which the story is told . Ask : What is the voice the author has adopted for the story-- the work 's narrator , speaker , or persona ? Just as a writer creates characters , she also creates a narrator for the story , so the writer speaks to us through the narrator , rather than directly as in an essay . <h> Four possibilities : <p> First Person - Narrator uses I and we rather than he , she , they . Most often the narrator is a protagonist or one of the major characters . Sometimes the narrator may be an observer and a participant in the story . Examples : The Yellow Wallpaper , Nineteen Fifty-five <p> Third Person Limited Omniscient - Narrator focuses on thoughts , feelings and actions of a single major character Examples : A Jury of Her Peers , Paul 's Case , Barn Burning , The Jilting of Granny Weatherall <p> Third Person Dramatic or Objective - Like a camera , the narrator reports only what can be seen and heard ; no thoughts of characters are given @ @ @

@@5045641 <p> SWEET For those who love the genre as much as I , and even for you who might normally turn your noses up at another boy-meets-girl ( or in this case doesn't-meet-girl ) tale , A Kind Of Love Story makes for a highly enjoyable entry in this Fall 2012 theater season . Steven Stanley -- StageSceneLA <p> SWEET Nevertheless , the play certainly wins us over with pure charm -- because of the buildup , the ultimate romance is entirely affecting . Paul Birchall -- Stage and Cinema <p> About the Author : We do n't " review " shows here at the Lemon , rather we " review " reviews by gathering them from a variety of local review sites around the internet , judging them to be positive or negative , then forming an aggregate score that we call a LEMONMETER RATING , showing how well that show has been reviewed in total .

@@5045741 membership will automatically upgrade to a full year for $79 . <h> Book Description <p> Publication Date : October 13 , 2009 <p> A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene , The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war , memory , imagination , and the redemptive power of storytelling . <p> The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company : Jimmy Cross , Henry Dobbins , Rat Kiley , Mitchell Sanders , Norman Bowker , Kiowa , and the character Tim O'Brien , who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three . <p> Taught everywhere ? from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing ? it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction , war and peace , courage and fear and longing . <p> A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene , The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of storytelling . <p> The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company : Jimmy Cross , Henry Dobbins , Rat Kiley , Mitchell Sanders , Norman Bowker , Kiowa , and the character Tim O'Brien , who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three . <p> Taught everywhere ? from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing ? it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction , war and peace , courage and fear and longing . <h> Editorial Reviews <h> Amazon.com Review <p> " They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die . Grief , terror , love , longing--these were intangibles , but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity , they had tangible weight . They carried shameful memories . They carried the common secret of cowardice .... Men killed , and died , because they were embarrassed not to . " <p> A finalist for both the 1990 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but definitive line of demarcation between Tim O'Brien 's earlier works about Vietnam , the memoir If I Die in a Combat Zone and the fictional Going After Cacciato , and this sly , almost hallucinatory book that is neither memoir nor novel nor collection of short stories but rather an artful combination of all three . Vietnam is still O'Brien 's theme , but in this book he seems less interested in the war itself than in the myriad different perspectives from which he depicts it . Whereas Going After Cacciato played with reality , The Things They Carried plays with truth . The narrator of most of these stories is " Tim " ; yet O'Brien freely admits that many of the events he chronicles in this collection never really happened . He never killed a man as " Tim " does in " The Man I Killed , " and unlike Tim in " Ambush , " he has no daughter named Kathleen . But just because a thing never happened does n't make it any less true . In " On the Rainy River , " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving north , to the Canadian border where he spends six days in a deserted lodge in the company of an old man named Elroy while he wrestles with the choice between dodging the draft or going to war . The real Tim O'Brien never drove north , never found himself in a fishing boat 20 yards off the Canadian shore with a decision to make . The real Tim O'Brien quietly boarded the bus to Sioux Falls and was inducted into the United States Army . But the truth of " On the Rainy River " lies not in facts but in the genuineness of the experience it depicts : both Tims went to a war they did n't believe in ; both considered themselves cowards for doing so . Every story in The Things They Carried speaks another truth that Tim O'Brien learned in Vietnam ; it is this blurred line between truth and reality , fact and fiction text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title . <h> From Publishers Weekly <p> Weapons and good-luck charms carried by U.S. soldiers in Vietnam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interminable legacy . " O'Brien 's meditations--on war and memory , on darkness and light--suffuse the entire work with a kind of poetic form , making for a highly original , fully realized novel , " refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title . <h> More About the Author <p> TIM O'BRIEN received the 1979 National Book Award in fiction for Going After Cacciato . His other works include the acclaimed novels The Things They Carried and July , July . In the Lake of the Woods received the James Fenimore Cooper Prize from the Society of American Historians and was named the best novel of 1994 by Time . O'Brien lives in Austin , Texas . <p> Tim O'Brien 's " The Things They Carried " is a book that transcends the genre of war fiction . Actually , it transcends the genre of fiction in general . Although labeled " a work of fiction " on the title page , the book really combines aspects of memoir , novel , and short story collection . I think you could use Audre Lorde 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The first-person narrator of this book ( named , like the author , Tim O'Brien ) is a writer and combat veteran of the Vietnam War . The book actually deals with events before and after the war , in addition to depicting the war itself ; the time span covers more than 30 years in the lives of O'Brien and his fellow soldiers . <p> " The Things They Carried " is an intensely " writerly " text . By that I mean that O'Brien and his characters often reflect directly on the activities of storytelling and writing . As a reader , I got the sense that I was being invited into the very process by which the book was created . This is an extraordinary technique , and O'Brien pulls it off brilliantly . <p> This being a war story , there are some truly disturbing , graphic , and violent scenes . But there are also scenes that are haunting , funny , surreal , or ironic . O'Brien depicts a memorable group of soldiers : the guilt-wracked Lieut . Cross ; Kiowa , a Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playful Azar ; and more . <p> While this book is a complete and cohesive work of art , many of its component stories could stand alone as independent pieces of literature ( in fact , I first encountered the title story in an anthology ) . But however you classify it , I consider " The Things They Carried " to be a profoundly moving masterpiece . <p> I was first introduced to this book as part of a U.S. &; Vietnam History course in college . The other novel the course required was The Quiet American by Graham Greene . Tim O'Brien 's book is every bit as good as Greene 's , and all the more timely . <p> As a former soldier , and a veteran of Desert Storm , whose father avoided the draft during the Vietnam War , the book taught me that no matter what other people say about the war , no matter what I learn , I can never make any value judgements on an individual level . I was not there , and for better or worse , I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book , which I often use in teaching my creative writing class . I share the story-chapter , " Style " every year with my students . I also find the book essential to learn about the nature of fiction , which O'Brien challenges with every page of this book . <p> For anyone looking for a book to read on the Vietnam experience , this book makes my short list every time . Not only of " Vietnam " books , but of any book worth reading . This book is simply essential . <p> I was born in 1969 . I missed Vietnam . The war was over and I never knew about it . For an event that had such significance in American history , it was as though it had never happened . <p> When I was in High School and we studied American History , our class always ended with WWII . We never discussed " modern " events -- the 60s , the Vietnam War , the Civil Rights movement . <p> When I got to college , I made a point of taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gained a textbook introduction to the Vietnam war -- I never had a true sense of what the horror was , why people protested , why it was such an important historical event . My generation has never faced a war in which we were drafted to fight . <p> And then I read " The Things they Carried " ... <p> This book was/is an education for me . Visceral , haunting , provoking , gripping -- the stories Tim O'Brien tells rip into you . He puts you on the front line facing the man you just killed -- on the Canadian border deciding that you are n't brave enough to escape to Canada to avoid the draft -- back in Vietnam watching your best buddy slowly sink into a field of mud as sniper fire rains all around you -- back at home with no sense of purpose surrounded by people who do n't know how to welcome you home . <p> This book is the best education on Vietnam this literal child of the 60s ever received . <p> If , like me , you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this book and you will ... <p> I taught this book in my ( all girls ) high school Contemporary Authors class a few years ago ( 11-12 ) and will be teaching it again beginning next week . One of the most surprising and unexpected results of the novel for me was the number of fathers

@@5045841 <h> Covert Action in Chile 1963-1973 . <p> Staff Report of the Select Committee To Study Governmental Operations With Respect to Intelligence Activities <p> UNITED STATES SENATE <p> December 18 , 1975 <p> Printed for the use of the Select Committee To Study Governmental Operations With Respect to Intelligence Activities <p> U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 63-372 <p> Washington : 1975 <p> Note : Since the December 4 , 1975 hearing the Select Committee has , in the course of its continuing investigation received new information which supplements the following sections of the Staff Report on Covert Action in Chile : Section III.A.4 , the Role of Multinational Corporations ; Section IV.B.1.e , Intelligence Estimates and Covert Action ; and Section IV.C , Congressional Oversight . All pertinent information on the above will be reflected in the Select Committee 's Final Report to the Senate . <p> The statements of facts contained in this report are true to the best of the Committee staff 's ability to determine them . The report and any judgement expressed in it are tentative . Several areas are merely touched on ; investigation in these areas is continuing . The purpose of the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Chile to enable the Committee to hold public hearings . <p> This report is based on an extensive review of documents of the Central Intelligence Agency , the Department of State and Defense , and the National Security Council ; and on testimony by officials and former officials . With few exceptions , names of Chileans and of Chilean institutions have been omitted in order to avoid revealing intelligence sources and methods and to limit needless harm to individual Chileans who cooperated with the Central Intelligence Agency . The report does , however , convey an accurate picture of the scope , purposes and magnitude of United States covert action in Chile . <p> Covert United States involvement in Chile in the decade between 1963 and 1973 was extensive and continuous . The Central Intelligence Agency spent three million dollars in an effort to influence the outcome of the 1964 Chilean presidential elections . Eight million dollars was spent , covertly , in the three years between 1970 and the military coup in September 1973 , with over three million dollars expended in fiscal year 1972 alone . ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neat box around what was " covert action " . The range of clandestine activities undertaken by the CIA includes covert action , clandestine intelligence collection , liaison with local police and intelligence services , and counterintelligence . The distinctions among the types of activities are mirrored in organizational arrangements , both at Headquarters and in the field . Yet it is not always so easy to distinguish the effects of various activities . If the CIA provides financial support to a political party , this is called " covert action " ; if the Agency develops a paid " asset " in the party for the purpose of information gathering , the project is " clandestine intelligence collection . " <p> The goal of covert action is political impact . At the same time secret relationships developed for the clandestine collection of intelligence may also have political effects , even though no attempt is made by American officials to manipulate the relationships for short-run political gain . For example , in Chile between 1970 and 1973 , CIA and American military attache contacts with the Chilean military for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication with the group most likely to take power from President Salvador Allende . <p> What did covert CIA money buy in Chile ? It financed activities covering a broad spectrum , from simple propaganda manipulation of the press to large-scale support for Chilean political parties , from public opinion polls to direct attempts to foment a military coup . The scope of " normal " activities of the CIA Station in Santiago included placement of Station-dictated material in the Chilean media through propaganda assets , direct support of publications , and efforts to oppose communist and left-wing influence in student , peasant and labor organizations . <p> In addition to these " routine " activities , the CIA Station in Santiago was several times called upon to undertake large , specific projects . <p> When senior officials in Washington perceived special dangers , or opportunities , in Chile , special CIA projects were developed , often as part of a larger package of U.S. actions . For instance , the CIA spent over three million dollars in an election program in 1964 . <p> Half a decade later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this time at the express request of President Nixon and under the injunction not to inform the Departments of State or Defense or the Ambassador of the project . Nor was the 40 Committee ( 2 ) ever informed . The CIA attempted , directly , to foment a military coup in Chile . It passed three weapons to a group of Chilean officers who plotted a coup . Beginning with the kidnaping of Chilean Army Commander-in-Chief Rene Schneider . However , those guns were returned . The group which staged the abortive kidnap of Schneider , which resulted in his death , apparently was not the same as the group which received CIA weapons . ( 3 ) <p> When the coup attempt failed and Allende was inaugurated President , the CIA was authorized by the 40 Committee to fund groups in opposition to Allende in Chile . The effort was massive . Eight million dollars was spent in the three years between the 1970 election and the military coup in September 1973 . Money was furnished to media organizations , to opposition political parties and , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations have been made about U.S. covert activities in Chile during 1970-73 . Several of these are false ; others are half true . In most instances , the response to the allegations mus be qualified : <p> Was the United States DIRECTLY involved , covertly , in the 1973 coup in Chile ? The Committee has found no evidence that it was . However , the United States sought in 1970 to foment a military coup in Chile ; after 1970 it adopted a policy both overt and covert , of opposition to Allende ; and it remained in intelligence contact with the Chilean military , including officers who were participating in coup plotting . <p> Did the U.S. provide covert support to striking truck-owners or other strikers during 1971-73 ? The 40 Committee did not approve any such support . However , the U.S. passed money to private sector groups which supported the strikers . And in at least one case , a small amount of CIA money was passed to the strikers by a private sector organization , contrary to CIA ground rules . Did the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> The CIA gave support in 1970 to one group whose tacticts became more violent over time . Through 1971 that group received small sums of American money through third parties for specific purpose . And it is possible that money was passed to these groups on the extreme right from CIA-supported opposition political parties . <p> The pattern of United States covert action in Chile is striking but not unique . It arose in the context not only of American foreign policy , but also of covert U.S. involvement in other countries within and outside Latin America . The scale of CIA involvement in Chile was unusual but by no means unprecedented . <p> B. Issues . <p> The Chilean case raises most of the issues connected with covert action as an instrument of American foreign policy . It consisted of long , frequently heavy involvement in Chilean politics : it involved the gamut of covert action methods , save only covert military operations ; and it revealed a variety of different authorization procedures , with different implications for oversight and control . As one case of U.S. covert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their own sake ; rather they are intended to serve as bases for formulating recommendations for the future . <p> The basic questions are easily stated : <p> ( 1 ) Why did the United States mount such an extensive covert action program in Chile ? Why was that program continued and then expanded in the early 1970 's ? <p> ( 2 ) How was this major covert action program authorized and directed ? What roles were played by the President , the 40 Committee , the CIA , the Ambassadors and the Congress ? ( 3 ) Did U.S. policy-makers take into account the judgements of the intelligence analysts on Chile when they formulated and approved U.S. covert operations ? Does the Chilean experience illustrate an inherent conflict between the role of the Director of Central Intelligence as a producer of intelligence and his role a manager of covert operations ? <p> ( 4 ) Did the perceived threat in Chile justify the level of U.S. response ? What was the effect of such large concentrated programs of covert political action in Chile ? What were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationships which developed between the intelligence agencies and American based multinational corporations ? <p> C. Historical Background to Recent United States-Chilean Relations . <p> 1 . Chilean Politics and Society : an Overview . <p> Chile has historically attracted far more interest in Latin America and , more recently , throughout the world , than its remote geographic position and scant eleven-million population would at first suggest . <p> Chile 's history has been one of remarkable continuity in civilian , democratic rule . From independence in 1818 until the military coup d'etat of September 1973 , Chile underwent only three brief interruptions of its democratic tradition . &gt;From 1932 until the overthrow of Allende in 1973 , constitutional rule in Chile was unbroken . <p> Chile defies simplistic North American stereotypes of Latin America . With more than two-thirds of its population living in cities , and a 1970 per capita GNP of $760 , Chile is one of the most urbanized and industrialized countries in Latin America . Nearly all of the Chilean population is literate . Chile has an advanced social welfare program , although its activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participation began to be exerted in the early 1960 's . Chileans are a largely integrated mixture of indigeneous American with European immigrant stock . Until September 1973 , Chileans brokered their demands in a bicameral parliament through a multi-party system and through a broad array of economic , trade union , and , more recently , managerial and professional associations . <p> 2 . U.S. Policy Toward Chile . <p> The history of United States policy toward Chile followed the patterns of United States diplomatic and economic interests in the hemisphere . In the same year that the United States recognized Chilean independence , 1823 , it also proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine . This unilateral policy pronouncement of the United States was directed as a warning toward rival European powers not to interfere in the internal political affairs of this hemisphere . <p> The U. S. reaction to Fidel Castro 's rise to power suggested that while the Monroe Doctrine had been abandoned , the principles which prompted it were still alive . Castro 's presence spurred a new United States hemispheric policy with special significance for Chile - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policymakers either at the end of the Eisenhower Administration or at the beginning of the Kennedy Administration that something had to be done about the alarming threat that Castro was seen to represent to the stability of the hemisphere . <p> The U.S. reaction to the new hemispheric danger - communist revolution - evolved into a dual policy response . Widespread malnutrition , illiteracy , hopeless housing conditions and hunger for the vast majority of Latin Americans who were poor ; these were seen as communism 's allies . Consequently , the U.S. undertook loans to national development programs and supported civilian reformist regimes , all with an eye to preventing the appearance of another Fidel Castro in our hemisphere . <p> But there was another component in U.S. policy toward Latin America . Counterinsurgency techniques were developed to combat urban or rural guerrilla insurgencies often encouraged or supported by Castro 's regime . Development could not cure overnight the social ills which were seen as the breeding ground of communism . New loans for Latin American countries ' internal national development programs would take time to bear fruit . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vicious circle plaguing the logic of the Alliance for Progress soon became apparent . In order to eliminate the short-term danger of communist subversion , it was often seen as necessary to support Latin American armed forces , yet frequently it was those same armed forces who were helping to freeze the status quo which the Alliance sought to alter . <p> Of all the countries in the hemisphere , Chile was chosen to become the showcase for the new Alliance for Progress . Chile had the extensive bureaucratic infrastructure to plan and administer a national development program ; moreover , its history of popular support for Socialist , Communist and other leftist parties was perceived in Washington as flirtation with communism . In the years between 1962 and 1969 , Chile received well over a billion dollars in direct , overt United States aid , loans and grants both included . Chile received more aid per capita than any country in the hemisphere . Between 1964 and 1970 , $200 to $300 million in short-term lines of credit was continuously available to Chile from private American banks . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The 1970 elections marked the fourth time Salvador Allende had been presidential candidate of the Chilean left . His personality and his program were familiar to Chilean voters . His platform was similar in all three elections : efforts to redistribute income and reshape the Chilean economy , beginning with the nationalization of major industries , especially the copper companies ; greatly expand agrarian reform ; and expanded relations with socialist and communist countries . <p> Allende was one of four candidates in the 1958 elections . His principal oponents were Jorge Alessandri , a conservative , and Eduardo Frei , the candidate of the newly formed Christian Democratic Party , which contended against the traditionally centrist Radical Party . Allende 's coalition was an uneasy alliance , composed principally of the Socialist and Communist Parties , labeled the Popular Action Front ( FRAP ) . Allende himself , a self-avowed Marxist , was considered a moderate within his Socialist Party , which ranged from the extreme left to moderate social democrats . The Socialists , however , were more militant than the pro- Soviet , bureaucratic -though highly organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alessandri in the 1958 election by less than three percent of the vote . Neither candidate received a majority , and the Chilean Congress voted Alessandri into office . If Allende had received the votes which went to a leftist priest -who received 3.3 percent of the votes- he would have won the election . <p> The Alessandri government lost popularity during its tenure . Dissatisfaction with it was registered in the 1961 congresional and 1963 municipal elections . The FRAP parties made significant gains , and the Christian Democratic Party steadily increased its share of the electorate until , in the 1963 elections , it became the largest single party . <p> The 1964 election shaped up as a three-way race . Frei was once again the Christian Democratic candidate , and the parties of the left one again selected Allende as their standard-bearer . The governing coalition , the Democratic Front , chose Radical Julio Duran as their candidate . Due in part to an adverse election result in a March 1964 by-election in a previously conservative province , the Democratic Front collapsed . The Conservative and Liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threw their support to Frei , leaving Duran as the standard- bearer of only the Radical Party . <p> After Frei 's decisive majority victory , in which he received 57 percent of the vote , he began to implement what he called a " revolution in liberty " . That included agrarian , tax , and housing reform . To deal with the American copper companies , Frei proposed " Chileanization " , by which the state would purchase majority ownership in order to exercise control and stimulate output . <p> Frei 's reforms , while impressive , fell far short of what he had promised . Lacking a majority in Congress , he was caught between the FRAP parties , which demanded extreme measures , and the rightists , who withheld support from Frei in order to force a compromise on the agrarian reform issue . Like its predecessor , the Frei government lost popularity during its tenure ; the Christian Democrats ' portion of the vote in congressional elections fell from 43 percent in 1965 to 31 percent in 1969 . During the Frei years the internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1968 defection of the Party 's left-wing elements . <p> Frei 's relations with the United States were cordial , although he pursued an independent foreign policy . His government established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union immediately after taking power and in 1969 reestablished trade relations with Cuba . <p> This study is primarily concerned with what is labeled " covert action " by the United States government . Covert action projects are considered a distinct category and are authorized and managed accordingly . But it is important to bear in mind what the category excludes as well as what it includes . The Committee 's purpose is to evaluate the intent and effect of clandestine American activities in Chile . Some secret activities by the United States not labeled " covert action " may have important political impacts and should be considered . <p> The CIA conducts several kinds of clandestine activity in foreign countries : clandestine collection of positive foreign intelligence : counterintelligence ( or liaison with local services ) ; and covert action . Those different activities are handled somewhat differently in Washington ; they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field . Yet all three kinds of projects may have effects on foreign politics . All three rely on the establishment of clandestine relationships with foreign nationals . <p> In the clandestine collection of intelligence , the purpose of the relationship is the gathering of information . A CIA officer establishes a relationship with a foreign " asset " -paid or unpaid- in a party or government institution in order to find out what is going on inside that party or institution . There is typically no attempt made by the CIA officer to influence the actions of the " asset " . Yet even that kind of covert relationship may have political significance . Witness the maintenance of CIA 's and military attaches ' contacts with the Chilean military after the inauguration of Salvador Allende : although the purpose was information-gathering , the United States maintained links to the group most likely to overthrow the new president . To do so was to walk a tightrope ; the distinction between collecting information and exercising influence was inherently hard to maintain . Since the Chilean military perceived its actions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. government , those possibilities for exercising influence scarcely would have had to be consciously manipulated . <p> Liaison relationships with local police or intelligence services pose a similar issue . The CIA established such relationships in Chile with the primary purpose of securing assistance in gathering intelligence on external targets . But the link also provided the Station with information on internal subversives and opposition elements within Chile . That raised the difficulty of ensuring that American officials did not stray into influencing the actions of Chileans with whom they were in contact . And it meant that the CIA was identified , to some degree , with the internal activities of Chilean police and intelligence services , whether or not the U.S. government supported those actions . That became a matter for great concern in 1973 with the advent of the Pinochet regime . <p> The purpose of this case study is to describe and assess the range of covert U.S. activities which influenced the course of political events in Chile . Most of the discussion which follows is limited to activities labeled and run as " covert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it excludes other clandestine activities with possible political effects . <p> B. Covert Action in Chile : Techniques . <p> Even if the set of activities labeled " covert action " does not include all clandestine American efforts with possible political effects , that set is nonetheless broad . U.S. covert action in Chile encompassed a range of techniques and affected a wide variety of Chilean institutions . It included projects which were regarded as the framework necessary for covert operations , as well as major efforts called forth by special circumstances . The following paragraphs will give a flavor of that range . <p> 1 . Propaganda <p> The most extensive covert action activity in Chile was propaganda . It was relatively cheap . In Chile , it continued at a low level during " normal " times , then was cranked up to meet particular threats or to counter particular dangers . <p> The most common form of a propaganda project is simply the development of " assets " in media organizations who can place articles or be asked to write them . The Agency provided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of propaganda were desired . For example , one CIA project in Chile supported from one to five media assets during the seven years it operated ( 1965-1971 ) . Most of those assets worked for a major Santiago daily which was the key to CIA propaganda efforts . Those assets wrote articles or editorials favorable to U.S. interests in the world ( for example , criticizing the Soviet Union in the wake of the Czechoslovakian invasion ) ; suppressed news items harmful to the United States ( for instance about Vietnam ) ; and authored articles critical of Chilean leftists . <p> The covert propaganda efforts in Chile also included " black " propaganda -material falsely purporting to be the product of a particular individual or group . In the 1970 election , for instance , the CIA used " black " propaganda to sow discord between the Communists and the Socialists and between the national labor confederation and the Chilean Communist Party . <p> In some cases , the form of propaganda was still more direct . The Station financed Chilean groups who erected wall posters , passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and engaged in other street activities . Most often these activities formed part of larger projects intended to influence the outcomes of Chilean elections ( see below ) , but in at least one instance the activities took place in the absence of an election campaign . <p> Of thirty-odd covert action projects undertaken by Chile by the CIA between 1961 and 1974 , approximately a half dozen had propaganda as their principal activity . Propaganda was an important subsidiary element of many others , particularly election projects . ( See TABLE I ) . Press placements were attractive because each placement might produce a multiplier effect , being picked up and replayed by media oulets other than the one in which it originally came out . <p> 2 . Support for Media <p> In addition to buying propaganda piecemeal , the Station often purchased it wholesale by subsidizing Chilean media organizations friendly to the United States . Doing so was propaganda writ large . Instead of placing individual items , the CIA supported -or even founded- friendly media outlets which might not have existed in the absence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Station subsidized wire services , magazines written for intellectual circles , and a right-wing weekly newspaper . According to the testimony of former officials , support for the newspaper was terminated because it became so inflexibly rightist as to alienate responsible conservatives . <p> By far , the largest -and probably the most significant- instance of support for a media organization was the money provided to El Mercurio , the major Santiago daily , under pressure during the Allende regime . The support grew out of an existing propaganda project . In 1971 the Station judged that El Mercurio , the most important opposition publication , could not survive pressure from the Allende government , including intervention in the newsprint market and the withdrawal of government advertising . The 40 Committee authorized $700,000 for El Mercurio on September 9 , 1971 , and added another $965,000 to that authorization on April 11 , 1972 . A CIA project renewal memorandum concluded that El Mercurio and other media outlets supported by the Agency had played an important role in setting the stage for the September 11 , 1973 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Influence in Chilean Institutions and Groups <p> Through its covert activities in Chile , the U.S. government sought to influence the actions of a wide variety of institutions and groups in Chilean society . The specific intent of those activities ran the gamut from attempting to influence directly the making of government policy to trying to counter communist or leftist influence among organized groups in the society . That most of these projects included a propaganda component is obvious . <p> From 1964 through 1968 , the CIA developed contacts within the Chilean Socialist Party and at the Cabinet level of the Chilean government . <p> Projects aimed at organizade groups in Chilean society had more diffuse purposes than efforts aimed at government institutions . But the aim was similar : influencing the direction of political events in Chile . <p> Projects were directed , for example , toward : <p> Wresting control of Chilean university student organizations from the communists ; <p> Supporting a women 's group active in Chilean political and intellectual life ; <p> Exploiting a civic action front group to combat communist influence within cultural and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chilean Elections <p> Covert American activity was a factor in almost every major election in Chile in the decade between 1963 and 1973 . In several instances the United States intervention was massive . <p> The 1964 presidential election was the most prominent example of a large- scale election project . The Central Intelligence Agency spent more than $2.6 million in support of the election of the Christian Democratic candidate , in part to prevent the accession to the presidency of Marxist Salvador Allende . More than half of the Christian Democratic candidate 's campaign was financed by the United States , although he was not informed of this assistance . In addition , the Station furnished support to an array of pro-Christian Democratic student , women 's , professional and peasant groups . Two other political parties were funded as well in an attempt to spread the vote . <p> In Washington , an inter-agency election committee was established , composed of State Department , White House and CIA officials . That committee was paralleled by a group in the embassy in Santiago . No special task force was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reinforced . The Station assisted the Christian Democrats in running an American-style campaign , which included polling , voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives , in addition to covert propaganda . <p> The United States was also involved in the 1970 presidential campaign . That effort , however , was smaller and did not include support for any specific candidate . It was directed more at preventing Allende 's election than at insuring another candidate 's victory . <p> Nor have U.S. involvement been limited to presidential campaigns . In the 1965 Chilean congressional elections , for instance , the Station was authorized by the 303 Committee to spend up to $175,000 . Covert support was provided to a number of candidates selected by the Ambassador and Station . A CIA election memorandum suggested that the project did have some impact , including the elimination of a number of FRAP ( leftist coalition ) candidates who might otherwise have won congressional seats . <p> 5 . Support for Chilean Political Parties <p> Most covert American support to Chilean political parties was furnished as part of specific efforts to influence election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsidies to parties for more general purposes , when elections were not imminent . Most such support was furnished during the Allende years , 1970-1973 , when the U.S. government judged that without its support parties of the center and right might not survive either as opposition elements or as contestants in elections several years away . <p> In a sequence of decisions in 1971 through 1973 , the 40 Committee authorized nearly $4 million for opposition political parties in Chile . Most of this money went to the Christian Democratic Party ( PDC ) , but a substantial portion was earmarked for the National Party ( PN ) , a conservative grouping more stridently opposed to the Allende government than was the PDC . An effort was also made to split the ruling Popular Unity coalition by inducing elements to break away . <p> The funding of political parties on a large scale in 1970-73 was not , however , without antecedents , albeit more modest in scale . In 1962 the Special Group ( predecessor to the 40 Committee ) authorized several hundred thousand dollars for an effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections . Small authorizations were made , in 1963 and 1967 , for support to moderate elements within the Radical Party . <p> 6 . Support for Private Sector Organizations <p> As part of its program of support for opposition elements during the Allende government , the CIA provided money to several trade organizations of the Chilean private sector . In September 1972 , for instance , the 40 Committee authorized $24,000 in emergency support for an anti-Allende businessmen 's organization . At that time , supporting other private sector organizations was considered but rejected because of the fear that those organizations might be involved in anti-government strikes . <p> The 40 Committee authorized $100,000 for private sector organizations in October 1972 , as part of the March 1973 election project . According to the CIA , that money was spent only on election activities , such as voter registration drives and get-out-the-vote drives . In August 1973 , the Committee authorized support for private sector groups , but with disbursement contingent on the agreement of the Ambassador and State Department . That agreement was not forthcoming . <p> 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States covert efforts to affect the course of Chilean politics reached a peak in 1970 : the CIA was directed to undertake an effort to promote a military coup in Chile to prevent the accession to power of Salvador Allende . That attempt , the so-called " Track II " , is the subject of a separate Committee report and will be discussed in section III below . A brief summary here will demonstrate the extreme in American covert intervention in Chilean politics . <p> On September 15 , 1970 -after Allende finished first in the election but before the Chilean Congress had chosen between him and the runner-up , Alessandri ( 4 ) , -President Nixon met with Richard Helms , the Director of Central Intelligence , Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger and Attorney General John Mitchell . Helms was directed to prevent Allende from taking power . This effort was to be conducted without the knowledge of the Departments of State and Defense or the Ambassador . Track II was never discussed at a 40 Committee meeting . <p> It quickly became apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup was the only way to prevent Allende 's accession to power . To achieve that end , the CIA established contact with several groups of military plotters and eventually passed three weapons and tear gas to one group . The weapons were subsequently returned , apparently unused . The CIA knew that the plans of all groups of plotters began with the abduction of the constitutionalist Chief of Staff of the Chilean Army , General Rene Schneider . The Committee has received conflicting testimony about the extent of CIA/White House communication and of White House officials ' awareness of specific coup plans , but there is no doubt that the U.S. government sought a military coup in Chile . <p> On October 22 , one group of plotters attempted to kidnap Schneider . Schneider resisted , was shot , and subsequently died . The CIA had been in touch with that group of plotters but a week earlier had withdrawn its support for the group 's specific plans . <p> The coup plotting collapsed and Allende was inaugurated President . After his election , the CIA and U.S. military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of collecting intelligence . Whether those contacts strayed into encouraging the Chilean military to move against Allende ; or whether the Chilean military -having been goadedtoward a coup during Track II- took encouragement to act against the President from those contacts even though U.S. officials did not intend to provide it : these are major questions which are inherent in U.S. covert activities in the period of the Allende government . <p> C. Covert Action and Multinational Corporations . <p> In addition to providing information and cover to the CIA , multinational corporations also participated in covert attempts to influence Chilean politics . The following is a brief description of the CIA 's relationship with one such corporation in Chile in the period 1963-1973 -International Telephone and Telegraph , Inc . ( ITT ) . Not only is ITT the most prominent and public example , but a great deal of information has been developed on the CIA/ITT relationship . This summary is based on new information provided to this Committee and on material previously made public by the Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign , representatives of multinational corporations approached the CIA with a proposal to provide campaign funds to the Christian Democratic Party . The CIA decision not to accept such funds , as well as other CIA contacts with multinational corporations during that campaign , are fully described in Part III . <p> 2. 1970 Chilean Elections : Phase I <p> In 1970 , the U.S. government and several multinational corporations were linked in opposition to the candidacy and later the presidency of Salvador Allende . This CIA-multinational corporation connection can be divided into two phases . Phase I comprised actions taken by either the CIA or U.S.-based multinational companies at a time when it was official U.S. policy not to support , even covertly , any candidate or party in Chile . During this phase the Agency was , however , authorized to engage in a covert " spoiling " operation designed to defeat Salvador Allende . Phase II encompassed the relationship between intelligence agencies and multinational corporations after the September 1970 general election . During Phase II , the U.S. government opposed Allende and supported opposition elements . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort . <p> A number of multinational corporations were apprehensive about the possibility that Allende would be elected President of Chile . Allende 's public announcements indicated his intention , if elected , to nationalize basic industries and to bring under Chilean ownership service industries such as the national telephone company , which was at that time a subsidiary of ITT . <p> In 1964 Allende had been defeated , and it was widely known both in Chile and among American multinational corporations with significant interests in Chile that his opponents had been supported by the United States government . John McCone , a former CIA Director and a member of ITT 's Board of Directors in 1970 , knew of the significant American government involvement in 1964 and of the offer of assistance made at that time by American companies . Agency documents indicate that McCone informed Harold Geneen , ITT 's Board Chairman , of these facts . <p> In 1970 leaders of American multinational corporations with substantial interests in Chile , together with other American citizens concerned about what might happen to Chile in the event of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make their views known . <p> In July 1970 , a CIA representative in Santiago met with representatives of ITT and , in a discussion of the upcoming election , indicated that Alessandri could use financial assistance . The Station suggested the name of an individual who could be used as a secure channel for getting these funds to the Alessandri campaign . <p> Shortly thereafter John McCone telephoned CIA Director Richard Helms . As a result of this call , a meeting was arranged between the Chairman of the Board of ITT and the Chief of the Western Hemisphere Division of the CIA . Geneen offered to make available to the CIA a substantial amount of money to be used in support of the Alessandri campaign . In subsequent meetings ITT offered to make $1 million available to the CIA . The CIA rejected the offer . The memorandum indicated further that CIA 's advice was sought with respect to an individual who might serve as a conduit of ITT funds to the Alessandri campaign . <p> The CIA confirmed that the individual in question was a reliable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . A second channel of funds from ITT to a political party opposing Allende , the National Party , was developed following CIA advice as to a secure funding mechanism utilizing two CIA assets in Chile . These assets were also receiving Agency funds in connection with the " spoiling " operation . <p> During the period prior to the September election , ITT representatives met frequently with CIA representatives both in Chile and in the United States and CIA advised ITT as to ways in which it might safely channel funds both to the Alessandri campaign and to the National Party . CIA was kept informed of the extent and the mechanism of the funding . Eventually at least $350,000 was passed by ITT to this campaign . A roughly equal amount was passed by other U.S. companies ; the CIA learned of this funding but did not assist in it . <p> 3 . Following the 1970 Chilean Elections : Phase II <p> Following the September 4 elections , the United States government adopted a policy of economic pressure direct against Chile and in this connection sought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Specifically , the State Department was directed by the 40 Committee to contact American businesses having interests in Chile to see if they could be induced to take actions in accord with the American government 's policy of economic pressure on Chile . On September 29 , the Chief of the Western Hemisphere Division of the CIA met with a representative of ITT . The CIA official sought to have ITT involved in a more active way in Chile . According to CIA documents , ITT took note of the CIA presentation on economic warfare but did not actively respond to it . <p> One institution in Chile which was used in a general anti-Allende effort was the newspaper chain EL MERCURIO . Both the United States government and ITT were funneling money into the hands of individuals associated with the paper . That funding continued after Allende was in office . <p> A great deal of testimony has been taken on the above matters , initially before the Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations . The degree of cooperation between the CIA and ITT in the period prior to the September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government was NOT supporting particular candidates or parties , even covertly , was the CIA authorized to act on its own in advising or assisting ITT in its covert financial support of the Alessandri campaign ? <p> This section outlines the major programs of covert action undertaken by the United States in Chile , period by period . In every instance , covert action was an instrument of United States foreign policy , decided upon at the highest levels of the government . Each subsection to follow sets forth that policy context . Without it , it is impossible to understand the covert actions which were undertaken . After a discussion of policy , each subsection elaborates the covert action tactics employed in each case . Finally , the effect of each major program is assessed . <p> The section begins with the first major United States covert action in Chile -the 1964 presidential elections . <p> A. The 1964 Presidential Election . <p> 1 . United States Policy <p> The United States was involved on a massive scale in the 1964 presidential election in Chile . The Special Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the election of a Socialist or Communist candidate . A total of nearly four million dollars was spent on some fifteen covert action projects , ranging from organizing slum dwellers to passing funds to political parties . <p> The goal , broadly , was to prevent or minimize the influence of Chilean Communists or Marxists in the government that would emerge from the 1964 election . Consequently , the U.S , sought the most effective way of opposing FRAP ( Popular Action Front ) , an alliance of Chilean Socialists , Communists , and several miniscule non-Marxist parties of the left which backed the candidacy of Salvador Allende . Specifically , the policy called for support of the Christian Democratic Party , the Democratic Front ( a coalition of rightist parties ) , and a variety of anti-communist propaganda and organizing activities . <p> The groundwork for the election was laid early in 1961 by establishing operational relationships with key political parties and by creating propaganda and organizational mechanisms capable of influencing key sectors of the population . Projects that had been conducted since the 1950 's among peasants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media provided a basis for much of the pre-election covert action . <p> The main problem facing the United States two years before the election was the selection of a party and/or candidate to support against the leftist alliance . The CIA presented two papers to the Special Group on April 2 , 1962 . One of these papers proposed support for the Christian Democratic Party , while the other recommended support of the Radical Party , a group to the right of the Christian Democrats . The Special Group approved both proposals . Although this strategy appears to have begun as an effort to hedge bets and support two candidates for President , it evolved into a strategy designed to support the Christian Democratic candidate . <p> On August 27 , 1962 , the Special Group approved the use of a third-country funding channel and authorized $180,000 in fiscal year 1969 for the Chilean Christian Democrats . The Kennedy Administration had preferred a center-right government in Chile , consisting of the Radicals on the right and the Christian Democrats in the center . However , political events in Chile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included the Radical Party- precluded such a coalition . <p> Consequently , throughout 1963 , the United States funded both the Christian Democrats and the right-wing coalition , the Democratic Front . <p> After a by-election defeat in May 1964 destroyed the Democratic Front , the U.S. threw its support fully behind the Christian Democratic candidate . However , CIA funds continued to subsidize the Radical Party candidate in order to enhance the Christian Democrats ' image as a moderate progressive party being attacked from the right as well as the left . <p> 2 . Covert Action Techniques <p> Covert action during the 1964 campaign was composed of two major elements . One was direct financial support of the Christian Democratic campaign . The CIA underwrote slightly more than half of the total cost of that campaign . After debate , the Special Group decided not to inform the Christian Democratic candidate , Eduardo Frei , of American covert support of his campaign . A number of intermediaries were therefore mobilized to pass the money to the Christian Democrats . <p> In addition to the subsidies for the Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radical Party and to private citizens ' groups . In addition to support for political parties , the CIA mounted a massive anti-communist propaganda campaign . Extensive use was made of the press , radio , films , pamphlets , posters , leaflets , direct mailings , paper streamers , and wall painting . It was a " scare campaign , " which relied heavily on images of Soviet tanks and Cuban firing squads and was directed especially to women . Hundreds of thousands of copies of the anti-communist pastoral letter of Pope Pius XI were distributed by Christian Democratic organizations . They carried the designation , " printed privately by citizens without political affiliation , in order more broadly to disseminate its content . " " Disinformation " and " black propaganda " -material which purported to originate from another source , such as the Chilean Communist Party- were used as well . <p> The propaganda campaign was enormous . During the first week of intensive propaganda activity ( the third week of June 1964 ) , a CIA-funded propaganda group produced twenty radio spots per day in Santiago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time daily on three Santiago stations and 24 provincial outlets ; thousands of cartoons , and much paid press advertising . By the end of June , the group produced 24 daily newscasts in Santiago and the provinces , 26 weekly " commentary " programs , and distributed 3,000 posters daily . The CIA regards the anti-communist scare campaign as the most effective activity undertaken by the U.S. on behalf of the Christian Democratic candidate . <p> The propaganda campaign was conducted internationally as well , and articles from abroad were " replayed " in Chile . Chilean newspapers reported : an endorsement of Frei by the sister of a Latin American leader , a public letter from a former president in exile in the U.S. , a " message from the women of Venezuela . " and dire warnings about an Allende victory from various figures in military governments in Latin America . <p> The CIA ran political action operations independent of the Christian Democrats ' campaign in a number of important voter blocks , including slum dwellers , peasants , organized labor and dissident Socialists . Support was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their efforts to achieve positions of influence in the party hierarchy , and to prevent the party from throwing its support behind Allende . <p> 3 . U.S. Government Organization for the 1964 Chilean Election <p> To manage the election effort , an electoral committee was established in Washington , consisting of the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs , Thomas Mann ; the Western Hemisphere Division Chief of the CIA , Desmond Fitzgerald ; Ralph Dungan and McGeorge Bundy from the White House ; and the Chief of the Western Hemi sphere Division Branch Four , the branch that has jurisdiction over Chile . This group was in close touch with the State Department Office of Bolivian and Chilean Affairs . In Santiago there was a parallel Election Committee that coordinated U.S. efforts . It included the Deputy Chief of Mission , the CIA Chief of Station , and the heads of the Political and Economic Sections , as well as the Ambassador . The Election Committee in Washington coordinated lines to higher authority and to the field and other agencies . No special task force was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased by only three officers . <p> 4 . Role of Multinational Corporations <p> A group of American businessmen in Chile offered to provide one and a half million dollars to be administered and disbursed covertly by the U.S. Government to prevent Allende from winning the 1964 presidential election . This offer went to the 303 Committee ( the name of the Special Group after June 1964 ) which decided not to accept the offer . It decided that offers from American business could not be accepted , that they were neither a secure way nor an honorable way of doing business . This decision was a declaration of policy which set the precedent for refusing to accept such collaboration between CIA and private business . However , CIA money represented as private money , was passed to the Christian Democrats through a private businessman . <p> 5 . Role of the Chilean Military <p> On July 19 , 1964 , the Chilean Defense Council , which is the equivalent of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff , went to President Alessandri to propose a coup d'etat if Allende won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Station , who told the Chilean Defense Council through an intermediary that the United States was absolutely opposed to a coup . On July 20 , the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy was approached by a Chilean Air Force general who threatened a coup if Allende won . The DCM reproached him for proposing a coup d'etat and there was no further mention of it . Earlier , the CIA learned that the Radical candidate for election , several other Chileans , and an ex-politician from another Latin American country had met on June 2 to organize a rightist group called the Legion of Liberty . They said this group would stage a coup d'etat if Allende won , or if Frei won and sought a coalition government with the Communist Party . Two of the Chileans at the meeting reported that some military officers wanted to stage a coup d'etat before the election if the United States Government would promise to support it . Those approaches were rebuffed by the CIA . <p> 6 . Effects of Covert Action <p> A CIA study concludes that U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1964 election , instead of merely a plurality . What U.S. Government documents do not make clear is why it was necessary to assure a majority , instead of accepting the victory a plurality would have assured . CIA assistance enabled the Christian Democratic Party to establish an extensive organization at the neighborhood and village level . That may have lent grassroots support for reformist efforts that the Frei government undertook over the next several years . <p> Some of the propaganda and polling mechanisms developed for use in 1964 were used repeatedly thereafter , in local and congressional campaigns , during the 1970 presidential campaign , and throughout the 1970-1973 Allende presidency . Allegations of CIA involvement in the campaign , and press allegations of CIA funding of the International Development Foundation contributed to the U.S. reluctance in 1970 to undertake another massive pre-election effort . <p> B. Covert Action : 1964-1969 . <p> During the years between the election of Christian Democratic President Eduardo Frei in 1964 and the presidential election campaign of 1970 the CIA conducted a variety of covert activities in Chile . Operating within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to strengthen groups which supported President Frei and opposed Marxist influences . <p> The CIA spent a total of almost $2 million on covert action in Chile during this period , of which one-fourth was covered by 40 Committee authorizations for specific major political action efforts . The CIA conducted twenty covert action projects in Chile during these years . <p> 1 . Covert Action Methods <p> In February 1965 the 303 Committee approved $175,000 for a short-term political action project to provide covert support to selected candidates in the March 1965 congressional elections in Chile . According to the CIA , twenty-two candidates were selected by the Station and the Ambassador ; nine were ejected . The operation helped defeat up to 13 FRAP candidates who would otherwise have won congressional seats . <p> Another election effort was authorized in July 1968 , in preparation for the March 1969 congressional election . The 40 Committee authorized $350,000 for this effort , with the objective of strengthening moderate political forces before the 1970 presidential election . The program consisted of providing financial support to candidates , supporting a splinter Socialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialist party , propaganda activities , and assisting independent groups . The CIA regarded the election effort as successful in meeting its limited objective ; ten of the twelve candidates selected for support won their races , including one very unexpected victory . The support provided to the dissident socialist group deprived the Socialist Party of a minimum of seven congressional seats . <p> The 303 Committee also approved $30,000 in 1967 to strengthen the right wing of the Radical Party . <p> A number of other political actions not requiring 303 Committee approval were conducted . The project to increase the effectiveness and appeal of the Christian Democratic Party and to subsidize the party during the 1964 elections continued into late 1965 or 1966 , as did a project to influence key members of the Socialist Party toward orthodox European socialism and away from communism . During this period , the CIA dealt with a Chilean official at the cabinet level , though with scant result . <p> Covert action efforts were conducted during this period to influence the political development of various sectors of Chilean society . One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian Democratic support among peasants and slum dwellers , continued to help train and organize " anti-communists " in these and other sectors until public exposure of CIA funding in 1967 forced its termination . A project to compete organizationally with the Marxists among the urban poor of Santiago was initiated shortly after the 1964 election , and was terminated in mid-1969 because the principal agent was unwilling to prejudice the independent posture of the organization by using it on a large scale to deliver votes in the 1969 and 1970 presidential elections . In the mid-1960 's , the CIA supported an anti-communist women 's group active in Chilean political and intellectual life . <p> Two projects worked within organized labor in Chile . One , which began during the 1964 election period , was a labor action project to combat the communist-dominated Central Unica de Trabajadores Chilenos ( CUTCh ) and to support democratic labor groups . Another project was conducted in the Catholic labor field . <p> Various CIA projects during this period supported media efforts . One , begun in the early 1950 's , operated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 1964 election effort , supported anti-communist propaganda activities through wall posters attributed to fictitious groups , leaflet campaigns , and public heckling . <p> A third project supported a right-wing weekly newspaper , which was an instrument of the anti-Allende campaign during and for a time after the 1970 election campaign . Another project funded an asset who produced regular radio political commentary shows attacking the political parties on the left and supporting CIA se1ected candidates . After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia , this asset organized a march on the Soviet Embassy which led to major police action and mass media coverage . Other assets funded under this project placed CIA-inspired editorials almost daily in El Mercurio , Chile 's major newspaper and , after 1968 , exerted substantial control over the content of that paper 's international news section . <p> The CIA also maintained covert liaison relations with Chile 's internal security and intelligence services , civilian and military . The primary purpose of these arrangements was to enable the Chilean services to assist CIA in information collection about foreign targets . A subsidiary purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat posed by communists and other groups of the far left within Chile . <p> 2 . Effects Of Covert Action <p> The CIA 's evaluations of the 1965 and 1969 election projects suggest that those efforts were relatively successful in achieving their immediate goals . On the other hand , the labor and " community development " projects were deemed rather unsuccessful in countering the growth of strong leftist sentiment and organization among workers , peasants and slum dwellers . For instance , neither of the labor projects was able to find a nucleus of legitimate Chilean labor leaders to compete effectively with the communist-dominated CUTCh . <p> The propaganda projects probably had a substantial cumulative effect over these years , both in helping to polarize public opinion concerning the nature of the threat posed by communists and other leftists , and in maintaining an extensive propaganda capability . Propaganda mechanisms developed during the 1960 's were ready to be used in the 1970 election campaign . At the same time , however , in a country where nationalism , " economic independence " and " anti-imperialism " claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and other parties of the center and right were linked to the CIA may have played a part in undercutting popular support for them . <p> C. The 1970 Election : a " Spoiling " Campaign . <p> 1 . United States Policy and Covert Action <p> Early in 1969 , President Nixon announced a new policy toward Latin America , labelled by him " Action for Progress . " It was to replace the Alliance for Progress which the President characterized as paternalistic and unrealistic . Instead , the United States was to seek " mature partnership " with Latin American countries , emphasizing trade and not aid . The reformist trappings of the Alliance were to be dropped ; the United States announced itself prepared to deal with foreign governments pragmatically . <p> The United States program of covert action in the 1970 Chilean elections reflected this less activist stance . Nevertheless , that covert involvement was substantial . In March 1970 , the 40 Committee decided that the United States should not support any single candidate in the election but should instead wage " spoiling " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marxist candidate , Salvador Allende . In all , the CIA spent from $800,000 to $1,000,000 on covert action to affect the outcome of the 1970 Presidential election . Of this amount about half was for major efforts approved by the 40 Committee . By CIA estimates , the Cubans provided about $350,000 to Allende 's campaign , with the Soviets adding an additional , undetermined amount . The large-scale propaganda campaign which was undertaken by the U.S. was similar to that of 1964 : an Allende victory was equated with violence and repression . <p> 2 . Policy Decisions <p> Discussions within the United States Government about the 1970 elections began in the wake of the March 1969 Chilean congressional elections . The CIA 's involvement in those elections was regarded by Washington as relatively successful , even though the Christian Democrats ' portion of the vote fell from 43 per cent in 1965 to 31 per cent in 1969 . In June 1968 the 40 Committee had authorized $350,000 for that effort , of which $200,000 actually was spent . Ten of the twelve CIA-supported candidates were elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee meeting on April 17 , 1969 . It was suggested that something be done , and the CIA representative noted that an election operation would not be effective unless it were started early . But no action was taken at that time . <p> The 1970 Presidential race quickly turned into a three-way contest . The conservative National Party , buoyed by the 1969 congressional election results , supported 74-year-old , ex-President Jorge Alessandri . Radomiro Tomic became the Christian Democratic nominee . Tomic , to the left of President Frei , was unhappy about campaigning on the Frei government 's record and at one point made overtures to the Marxist left . Salvador Allende was once again the candidate of the left , this time formed into a Popular Unity coalition which inchided both Marxist and non-Marxist parties . Allende 's platform included nationalization of the copper mines , accelerated agrarian reform , socialization of major sectors of the economy , wage increases , and improved relations with socialist and communist countries . <p> In December 1969 , the Embassy and Station in Santiago forwarded a proposal for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdrawn because of the State Department 's qualms about whether or not the United States should become involved at all . The CIA felt it was not in a position to support Tomic actively because ambassadorial " ground rules " of the previous few years had prevented the CIA from dealing with the Christian Democrats . The Agency believed that Alessandri , the apparent front runner , needed more than money ; he needed help in managing his campaign . <p> On March 25 , 1970 the 40 Committee approved a joint Embassy/CIA proposal recommending that " spoiling " operations -propaganda and other activities- be undertaken by the CIA in an effort to prevent an election victory by Allende . Direct support was not furnished to either of his opponents . This first authorization was for $135,000 , with the possibility of more later . On June 18 , 1970 , the Ambassador , Edward Korry , submitted a two-phase proposal to the Department of State and the CIA for review . The first phase involved an increase in support for the anti-Allende campaign . The second was a $500,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a vote between the candidates finishing first and second . In response to State Department reluctance , the Ambassador responded by querying : if Allende were to gain power , how would the U.S. respond to those who asked what actions it had taken to prevent it ? <p> On June 27 , the 40 Committee approved the increase in funding for the anti-Allende " spoiling " operation by $300,000 . State Department officials at the meeting voted " yes " only relunctantly . They spoke against the contingency plan , and a decision on it was deferred pending the results of the September 4 election . <p> CIA officials met several times with officials from ITT during July . The CIA turned down ITT 's proposal to make funds available for CIA transmission to Alessandri but did provide the company advice on how to pass money to Alessandri . Some $350,000 of ITT money was passed to Alessandri during the campaign -$250,000 to his campaign and $100,000 to the National Party . About another $350,000 came from other U.S. businesses . According to CIA documents , the Station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in funding the Alessandri campaign , but not that the Station was aiding ITT in passing money to the National Party . <p> The 40 Committee met again on August 7 but did not give further consideration to supporting either Alessandri or Tomic . As the anti-Allende campaign in Chile intensified , senior policy makers turned to the issue of U.S. policy in the event of an Allende victory . A study done in response to National Security Study Memorandum 97 was approved by the Interdepartmental Group ( IG ) on August 18 . The approved paper ( 5 ) set forth four options , one in the form of a covert annex . The consensus of the Interdepartmental Group favored maintaining minimal relations with Allende , but the Senior Review <p> Group deferred decision until after the elections . Similarly , a paper with alternatives was circulated to 40 Committee members on August 13 , but no action resulted . <p> 3 . " Spoiling " Operations <p> The " spoiling " operations had two objectives : ( 1 ) undermining communist efforts to bring about a coalition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1970 ; and ( 2 ) strengthening non-Marxist political leaders and forces in Chile to order to develop an effective alternative to the Popular Unity coalition in preparation for the 1970 presidential election . <p> In working toward these objectives , the CIA made use of half-a-dozen covert action projects . Those projects were focused into an intensive propaganda campaign which made use of virtually all media within Chile and which placed and replayed items in the interna- tional press as well . Propaganda placements were achieved through subsidizing right-wing women 's and " civic action " groups . A " scare campaign , " using many of the same themes as the 1964 presidential election program , equated an Allende victory with violence and Stalinist repression . Unlike 1964 , however , the 1970 operation did not involve extensive public opinion polling , grass-roots organizing , or " community development " efforts , nor , as mentioned , direct funding of any candidate . <p> In addition to the massive propaganda campaign , the CIA 's effort prior to the election included political action aimed at splintering the non-Marxist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could deliver to the Popular Unity coalition 's candidate . Also , " black propaganda " -material purporting to be the product of another group- was used in 1970 to sow dissent between Communists and Socialists , and between the national labor confederation and the Chilean Community Party . <p> The CIA 's propaganda operation for the 1970 elections made use of mechanisms that had been developed earlier . One mechanism had been used extensively by the CIA during the March 1969 congressional elections . During the 1970 campaign it produced hundreds of thousands of high-quality printed pieces , ranging from posters and leaflets to picture books , and carried out an extensive propaganda program through many radio and press outlets . Other propaganda mechanisms that were in place prior to the 1970 campaign included an editorial support group that provided political features , editorials , and news articles for radio and press placement ; a service for placing anti-commimist press and radio items ; and three different news services . <p> There was a wide variety of propaganda products : a newsletter mailed to approximately two thousand journalists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ booklet showing what life would be like if Allende won the presidential election ; translation and distribution of chronicles of opposition to the Soviet regime ; poster distribution and sign-painting teams . The sign-painting teams had instructions to paint the slogan " su paredon " ( your wall ) on 2,000 walls , evoking an image of communist firing squads . The " scare campaign " ( campaa de terror ) exploited the violence of the invasion of Czechoslovakia with large photographs of Prague and of tanks in downtown Santiago . Other posters resembling those used in 1964 , portrayed Cuban political prisoners before the firing squad , and warned that an Allende victory would mean the end of religion and family life in Chile . <p> Still another project funded individual press assets . One , who produced regular radio commentary shows on a nationwide hookup , had been CIA funded since 1965 and continued to wage propaganda for CIA during the Allende presidency . Other assets , all employees of El Mercurio , enabled the Station to generate more than one editorial per day based on CIA guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its editorials were read throughout the country on various national radio networks . Moreover , El Mercurio was one of the most influential Latin American newspapers , particularly in business circles abroad . A project which placed anti-communist press and radio items was reported in 1970 to reach an audience of well over five million listeners . <p> The CIA funded only one political group during the 1970 campaign , in an effort to reduce the number of Radical Party votes for Allende . <p> 4 . Effects <p> The covert action " spoiling " efforts by the United States during the 1970 campaign did not succeed : Allende won a plurality in the September 4 election . Neverteless , the " spoiling " campaign had several important effects . <p> First , the " scare campaign " contributed to the political polarization and financial panic of the period . Themes developed during the campaign were exploited even more intensely during the weeks following September 4 , in an effort to cause enough financial panic and political instability to goad President Frei or the Chilean military into action . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign became so visible that their usefulness was limited thereafter . Several of them left Chile . When Allende took office , little was left of the CIA-funded propaganda apparatus . Nevertheless , there remained a nucleus sufficient to permit a vocal anti-Allende opposition to function effectively even before the new President was inaugurated . <p> On September 4 , 1970 , Allende won a plurality in Chile 's presidential election , Since no candidate had received a majority of the popular vote , the Chilean Constitution required that a joint session of its Congress decide between the first-and second-place finishers . The date set for the congressional session was October 24 , 1970 . <p> The reaction in Washington to Allende 's plurality victory was immediate . The 40 Committee met on September 8 and 14 to discuss what action should be taken prior to the October 24 congressional vote . On September 15 , President Nixon informed CIA Director Richard Helms that an Allende regime in Chile would not be acceptable to the United States and instructed the CIA to ploy a direct role in organizing a military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Presidency . <p> Following the September 14 meeting of the 40 Committee and President Nixon 's September 15 instruction to the CIA , U.S. Government efforts to prevent Allende from assuming office proceeded on two tracks ( 7 ) . Track I comprised all covert activities approved by the 40 Committee , including political , economic and propaganda activities . These activities were designed to induce Allende 's opponents in Chile to prevent his assumption of power , either through political or military means . Track II activities in Chile were undertaken in response to President Nixon 's September 15 order and were directed toward actively promoting and encouraging the Chilean military to move against Allende . <p> 1 . Track I <p> A. POLITICAL ACTION <p> Initially both the 40 Committee and the CIA fastened on the so-called Frei re-election gambit as a means of preventing Allende 's assumption of office . This gambit , which was considered a constitutional solution to the Allende problem , consisted of inducing enough congressional votes to elect Alessandri over Allende with the understanding that Alessandri would immediately resign , thus paving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legally become a candidate . At the September 14 meeting of the 40 Committee , the Frei gam-bit was discussed , and the Committee authorized a contingency fund of $250,000 for covert support of projects which Frei or his associates deemed important . The funds were to be handled by Ambassador Korry and used if it appeared that they would be needed by the moderate faction of the Christian Deniocratic Party to swing congressional votes to Alessandri . The only proposal for the funds which was discussed was an attempt to bribe Chilean Congressmen to vote for Alessandri . That quickly was seen to be unworkable , and the $250,000 was never spent . <p> CIA 's Track I aimed at bringing about conditions in which the Frei gambit could take place . To do this , the CIA , at the direction of the 40 Committee , mobilized on interlocking political action , economic , and propaganda campaign . As part of its political action program , the CIA attempted indirectly to induce President Frei at least to consent to the gambit or , better yet assist in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion and views he valued -in combination with certain propaganda activities- represented the only hope of converting Frei . In Europe and Latin America , influential members of the Christian Democratic movement and the Catholic Church were prompted either to visit or contact Frei . In spite of these efforts , Frei refused to interfere with the constitutional process , and the re-election gambit died . <p> B. PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN <p> On September 14 , the 40 Committee agreed that a propaganda campaign should be undertaken by the CIA to focus on the damage that would befall Chile under an Allende government . The campaign was to include support for the Frei re-election gambit . According to a CIA memorandum , the campaign sought to create concerns about Chile 's future if Allende were elected by the Congress ; the propaganda was designed to influence Frei , the Chilean elite , and the Chilean military . <p> The propaganda campaign included several components . Predictions of economic collapse under Allende were replayed in CIA-generated articles in European and Latin American newspapers . In response to criticisms of El Mercurio by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources , orchestrated cables of support and protest from foreign newspapers , a protest statement from an international press association , and world press coverage of the association 's protest . In addition , journalists -agents and otherwise- traveled to Chile for on-the-scene reporting . By September 28 , the CIA had agents who were journalists from ten different countries in or en route to Chile . This group was supplemented by eight more journalists from five countries under the direction of high-level agents who were , for the most part , in managerial capacities in the media field . <p> Second , the CIA relied upon its own resources to generate anti-Allende propaganda in Chile . These efforts included : support for an underground press ; placement of individual news items through agents ; financing a small newspaper ; indirect subsidy of Patria y Libertad a group fervently opposed to Allende , and its radio programs , political advertisements and political rallies ; and the direct mailing of foreign news articles to Frei , his wife , selected leaders , and the Chilean domestic press . <p> Third , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. journalists , at their request . One Time cover story was considered particularly noteworthy . According to CIA documents , the Time correspondent in Chile apparently had accepted Allende 's protestations of moderation and constitutionality at face value . Briefings requested by Time and provided by the CIA in Washington resulted in a change in the basic thrust of the Time story on Allende 's September 4 victory and in the timing of that story . <p> A few statistics convey the magnitude of the CIA 's propaganda campaign mounted during the six-week interim period in the Latin American and European media . According to the CIA , partial returns showed that 726 articles , broadcasts , editorials , and similar items directlv resulted from Agency activity . The Agency had no way to measure the scope of the multiplier effect -i.e. , how much its " induced " news focused media interest on the Chilean issues and stimulated additional coverage- but concluded that its contribution was both substantial and significant . <p> C. ECONOMIC PRESSURES <p> On September 29 , 1970 , the 40 Committee met . It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events and was dead . The " second-best option " -the cabinet resigning and being replaced with a military cabinet- was also deemed dead . The point was then made that there would probably be no military action unless economic pressures could be brought to bear on Chile . It was agreed that an attempt would be made to have American business take steps in line with the U.S. government 's desire for inimediate economic action . <p> The economic offensive against Chile , undertaken as a part of Track I , was intended to demonstrate the foreign economic reaction to Allende 's accession to power , as well as to preview the future consequences of his regime . Generally , the 40 Committee approved cutting off all credits , pressuring firms to curtail investment in Chile and approaching other nations to cooperate in this venture . <p> These actions of the 40 Committee , and the establishment of an interagency working group to coordinate overt economic activities towards Chile ( composed of the CIA 's Western Hemisphere Division Chief and representatives from State , the NSC , and Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial panic ensued . However , U.S. efforts to generate an economic crisis did not have the desired impact on the October 24 vote , nor did they stimulate a military intervention to prevent Allende 's accession . <p> 2 . Track II <p> As previously noted , U.S. efforts to prevent Aliende 's assumption of office operated on two tracks between September 4 and October 24 . Track II was initiated by President Nixon on September 15 when he instructed the CIA to play a direct role in organizing a military coup d'etat in Chile . The Agency was to take this action without coordination with the Departments of State or Defense and without informing the U.S. Ambassador . While coup possibilities in general and other means of seeking to prevent Allende 's accession to power were explored by the 40 Committee throughout this period , the 40 Committee never discussed this direct CIA role . In practice , the Agency was to report , both for informational and approval purposes , to the White House . <p> Between October 5 and October 20 1970 , the CIA made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials in Chile . Those Chileans who were inclined to stage a coup were given assurances of strong support at the highest levels of the U.S. Government both before and after a coup . <p> Tracks I and II did , in fact , move together in the month after September 15 . Ambassador Korry , who was formally excluded from Track II , was authorized to encourage a military coup , provided Frei concurred in that solution . At the 40 Committee meeting on September 14 , he and other " appropriate members of the Embassy mission " were authorized to intensify their contacts with Chilean military officers to assess their willingness to support the " Frei gambit . " The Ambassador was also authorized to make his contacts in the Chilean military aware that if Allende were seated , the military could expect no further military assistance ( MAP ) from the United States . Later , Korry was authorized to inform the Chilean military that all MAP and military sales were being held in abeyance pending the outcome of the congressional election on October 24 . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidenced by instructions to Ambassador Korry during this period , was not that Track II was coup-oriented and Track I was not . Both had this objective in mind . There were two differences between the two tracks : Track I was contingent on at least the acquiescence of Frei ; and the CIA 's Track II direct contacts with the Chilean military , and its active promotion and support for a coup , were to be known only to a small group of individuals in the White House and the CIA . <p> Despite these efforts , Track II proved to be no more successful than Track I in preventing Allende 's assumption of office . Although certain elements within the Chilean army were actively involved in coup plotting , the plans of the dissident Chileans never got off the ground . A rather disorganized coup attempt did begin on October 22 , but aborted following the shooting of General Schneider . <p> On October 24 , 1970 , Salvador Allende was confirmed as President by Chilean Congress . On November 3 , he was inaugurated . U.S. efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of office had failed . <p> E. Covert Action During the Allende Years , 1970-1973 <p> 1 . United States Policy and Covert Action <p> In his 1971 State of the World Message , released February 25 , 1971 , President Nixon announced : " We are prepared to have the kind of relationship with the Chilean government that it is prepared to have with us . " This public articulation of American policy followed internal discussions during the NSSM 97 exercise . Charles Meyer , Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs , elaborated that " correct but minimal " line in his 1973 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations : <p> Mr. MEYER . The policy of the Government , Mr. Chairman , was that there would be no intervention in the political affairs of Chile . We were consistent in that we financed no candidates , no political parties before or September 8 , or September 4 ... The policy of the United States was that Chile 's problem was a Chilean problem , to be settled by Chile . As the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with governments as they are . " ( Multinational Corporations and United States Foreign Policy , Hearing before the Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations of the Committee on Foreign Relations , United States Senate , Ninety Third Congress Washington : GPO , 1973 Part 1 , p. 402 ) . <p> Yet public pronouncements not withstanding , after Allende 's inauguration the 40 Committee approved a total of over seven million dollars in covert support to opposition groups in Chile . That money also funded and extensive anti-Allende propaganda campaign . Of the total authorized by the 40 Committee , over six million dollars was spent during the Allende presidency and $84,000 was expended shortly thereafter for commitments made before the coup . The total amount spent on covert action in Chile during 1970-73 was approximately $7 million , including project funds not requiring 40 Committee approval . <p> Broadly speaking , U.S. policy sought to maximise pressures on the Allende government to prevent its conso1idation and limit its ability to implement policies contrary to U.S. and hemispheric interests . That objective was stated clearly in National Security Decision Memorandum ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments were encouraged to adopt similar policies , and the U.S increased efforts to maintain close relations with friendly military leaders in the hemisphere . The " cool but correct " overt posture denied the Allende government a handy foreign enemy to use as a domestic and international rallying point . At the same time , covert action was one reflection of the concerns felt in Washington : the desire to frustrate Allende 's experiment in the Western Hemisphere and thus limit its attractiveness as a model ; the fear that a Chile under Allende might harbor subversives from other Latin American countries ; and the determination to sustain the principles of compensation for U.S. firms nationalized by the Allende government . <p> Henry Kissinger outlined several of these concerns in a background briefing to the press on September 16 , 1970 , in the wake of Allende 's election plurality : <p> Now it is fairly easy for one to predict that if Allende wins , there is a good chance that he will establish over a period of years some sort of communist government . In that case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast which has not a traditional relationship and impact on Latin America , but in a major Latin American country you would have a Communist government , joining , for example , Argentina , which is already deeply divided , along a long frontier ; joining Peru , which has already been heading in directions that have been difficult to deal with , and joining Bolivia , which has also gone in a more leftist , anti-U.S . direction , even without any of these developments . <p> So I do n't think we should delude ourselves that an Allende takeover in Chile would not present massive problems for us , and for democratic forces and for pro-U.S. forces in Latin America , and indeed to the whole Western Hemisphere . What would happen to the Western Hemisphere Defense Board , or to the Organization of America States , and so forth , in extremely problematical ... It is one of those situations which is not too happu for American interests ( Multinational Corporations and United States Foreign Policy , Hearings before the Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations of the Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Washington : GPO , 1973 , Part2 , pp. 542-3 ) <p> As the discussion of National Intelligence Estimate in Section IV of this paper makes clear the more extreme fears about tbe effects of Allende 's election were ill-founded ; there never was a significant threat of a Soviet military presence ; the " export " of Allende 's revolution was limited , and its value as a model more restricted still ; and Allende was little more hospitable to activist exiles from other Latin American countries than his predecesor has been . Nevertheless , those fears , often exagerated , appear to have activated officials in Washington . <p> The " cool but correct " public posture and extensive clandestine activities formed two-thirds of a triad of official actions . The third was economic pressure , both overt and covert , intended to exacerbate the difficulties felt by Chile 's economy . The United States cut off economic aid , denied credits , and made efforts -partially successful- to enlist the cooperation of international financial institutions and private firms in tightening the economic " squeeze " on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the economic measures taken by opposition groups within Chile , particularly the crippling strikes in the mining and transportation sectors . Forinstance the combined effect of foreign credit squeeze and domestic copper strikes on Chile 's foreign exchange position was devastating . Throughout the Allende years , the U.S. maintained close contact with the Chilean armed forces , both through the CIA and through U.S. military attachs . The basic purpose of these contacts was the gathering of intelligence , to detect any inclination within the Chilean armed forces to intervene . But U.S. officials also were instructed to seek influence within the Chilean military and to be generally supportive of its activities without appearing to promise U.S. support for military efforts which might be premature . For instance , in November 1971 , the Station was instructed to put the U.S. government in a position to take future advantage of either a political or a military solution to the Chilean dilemma , depending on developments within the country and the latter 's impact on the military themselves . <p> There is no hard evidence of direct U.S. assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Rather the United States - by its previous actions during Track II , its existing general posture of opposition to Allende , and the nature of its contacts with the Chilean military- probably gave the impression that it would not look with disfavor on a military coup . And U.S. officials in the years before 1973 may not always have succeeded in walking the thin line between monitoring indigenous coup plotting and actually stimulating it . <p> 2 . Techniques of Covert Action <p> A. SUPPORT FOR OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES <p> More than half of the 40 Committee-approved funds supported the opposition political parties : the Christian Democratic Party ( PDC ) , the National Party ( PN ) , and several splinter groups . Nearly half-a- million dollars was channeled to splinter groups during the Allende years . Early in 1971 CIA funds enabled the PDC and PN to purchase their own radio stations and newspapers . All opposition parties were passed money prior to the April 1971 municipal elections and a congressional by-election in July . In November 1971 funds were approved to strengthen the PDC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to induce a breakup of the UP coalition . CIA funds supported the opposition parties in three by-elections in 1972 , and in the March 1973 congressional election . Money provided to political parties not only supported opposition candidates in the various elections , but enabled the parties to maintain an anti-government campaign throughout the Allende years , urging citizens to demonstrate their opposition in a variety of ways . <p> Throughout the Allende years , the CIA worked to forge a united opposition . The significance of this effort can be gauged by noting that the two main elements opposing the Popular Unity government were the National Party , which was conservative , and the reformist Christian Democratic Party , many of whose members had supported the major policies of the new government . <p> B. PROPAGANDA AND SUPPORT FOR OPPOSITION MEDIA <p> Besides funding political parties , the 40 Committee approved large amounts to sustain opposition media and thus to maintain a hard-hitting propaganda campaign . The CIA spent $1.5 million in support of El Mercurio , the country 's largest newspaper and the most important channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts played a significant role in setting the stage for the military coup of September 11 , 1973 . <p> The 40 Committee approvals in 1971 and early 1972 for subsidizing El Mercurio were based on reports that the Chi1ean government was trying to close the El Mercurio chain . In fact , the press remained free throughout the Allende period , despite attempts to harass and financially damage opposition media . The alarming field reports on which the 40 Committee decisions were based are at some variance with intelligence community analyses . For example , an August 1971 National Intelligence Estimate -nine months after Allende took power- maintained that the government was attempting to dominate the press but commented that El Mercurio had managed to retain its independence . Yet one month later the 40 Committee voted $700,000 to keep El Mercurio afloat . And CIA documents in 1973 acknowledge that El Mercurio and , to a 1esser extent , the papers belonging to opposition political parties , were the only publications under pressure from the government . <p> The freedom of the press issue was the single most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among the books and pamphlets produced by the major opposition research organization was one which appeared in October 1972 at the time of the Inter-American Press Association ( IAPA ) meeting in Santiago . As in the 1970 period , the IAPA listed Chile as a country in which freedom of the press was threatened . <p> The CIA 's major propaganda project funded a wide range of propaganda activities . It produced several magazines with national circulations and a large number of books and special studies . It developed material for placement in the El Mercurio chain ( amounting to a total daily circulation of over 300,000 ) ; opposition party newspapers ; two weekly newspapers ; all radio stations controlled by opposition parties ; and on several regular television shows on three channels . El Mercurio was a major propaganda channel during 1970-73 , as it had been during the l970 elections and pre-inaugura tion period . The CIA also funded progressively a greater portion -over 75 percent in 1973- of an opposition research organization . A steady flow of economic and technical material went to opposition parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by opposition parliamentarians were actually drafted by personnel of the research organization . <p> C. SUPPORT FOR PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS <p> The Committee has taken testimony that 40 Committee-approved funds were used to help maintain and strengthen the democratic opposition in Chile . It has been stressed that CIA had nothing to do with the truck owners ' strike and the disorders that led to the coup . The question of CIA support to Chilean private sector groups is a matter of considerable concern because of the violent tactics used by several of these groups in their efforts to bring about military intervention . <p> The issue of whether to support private groups was debated within the Embassy and the 40 Committee throughout late 1972 and 1973 . In September 1972 , the 40 Committee authorized $24,000 for " emergency support " of a powerful bussinesmen 's organization , but decided against financial support to other private sector organizations because of their possible involvement in anti-government strikes . In October 1972 , the Committee approved $100,000 for three private sector organizations -the bussinesmen 's organization , associations of large and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a $1.5 million approval for support to opposition groups . According to CIA testimony , this limited financial support to the private sector was confined to specific activities in support of the opposition electoral campaign , such as voter registration drives and a get-out-the-vote campaign . <p> After the March 1973 elections , in which opposition forces failed to achieve the two thirds majority in the Senate that might have permitted them to impeach Allende and hold new elections , the U.S. Government re-assessed its objectives . There seemed little likelihood of a successful military coup , but there did appear to be a possibility that increasing unrest in the entire country might induce the military to re-enter the Allende government in order to restore order . Various proposals for supporting private sector groups were examined in the context , but the Ambassador and the Department of State remained opposed to any such support because of the increasingly high level of tension in Chile , and because the groups were known to hope for military intervention . <p> Nevertheless , on August 20 , the 40 Committee approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector groups , with passage of the funds contingent on the concurrence of the Ambassador , Nathaniel Davis , and the Department of State . None of these funds were passed to private sector groups before the military coup three weeks later . While these deliberations were taking place , the CIA Station asked Headquarters to take soundings to determire whether maximum support could he provided to the opposition , including groups like the truck owners . The Ambassador agreed that these soundings should be taken , but opposed a specific proposal for $25,000 , of support to the strikers . There was a CIA recommendation for support to the truck owners , but it is unclear whether or not that proposal came before the 40 Committee . On August 25 -16 days before the coup- Headquarters advised the Station that soundings were being taken , but the CIA Station 's proposal was never approved . <p> The pattern of U.S. deliberations suggests a careful distinction between supporting the opposition parties and funding private sector groups trying to bring about a military coup . However , given turbulent conditions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the various militant trade associations ( gremios ) and paramilitary groups prone to terrorism and violent disruption were many . The CIA was aware that links between these groups and the political parties made clear distinctions difficult . <p> The most prominent of the right-wing paramilitary groups was Patria y Libertad ( Fatherland and Liberty ) , which formed following Allende 's Septamber 4 election , during so-called Track II . The CIA provided Patria y Libertad with $38,000 through a third party during the Track II period , in an effort to create tension and a possible pretext for intervention by the Chilean militarv . After Allende took office , the CIA occasionally provided the group small sums through third parties for demonstrations or specific propaganda activity . Those disbursements , about seven thousand dollars in total , ended in 1971 . It is possible that CIA funds given to political parties reached Patria y Libertad and a similar group , the Rolando Matus Brigade , given the close ties between the parties and these organizations . <p> Throughout the Allende presidency , Patria y Libertad was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , calling for resistance to government measures , and urging insurrection in the armed forces . Its tactics came to parallel those of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left ( MIR ) at the opposite end of the political spectrum . Patria y Libertad forces marched at opposition rallies dressed in full riot gear . During the October 1972 national truckers ' strike , Patria y Libertad was reported to strew " miguelitos " ( three-pronged steel tacks ) on highways in order to help bring the country 's transportation system to a halt . On July 13 , 1973 , Patria y Libertad placed a statement in a Santiago newspaper claiming responsibilitv for an abortive coup on June 29 , and on July 17 , Patria y Libertad leader Roberto Thieme announced that his groups would unleash a total armed offensive to overthrow the government . <p> With regard to the truckers ' strike , two facts are undisputed . First , the 40 Committee did not approve any funds to be given directly to the strikers . Second , all observers agree that the two lengthy strikes ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 11 coup ) could not have been maintained on the basis of union funds , It remains unclear whether or to what extent CIA funds passed to opposition parties may have been siphoned off to support strikes . It is clear that anti-government strikers were actively supported by several of the private sector groups which received CIA funds . There were extensive links between these private sector organizations and the groups which coordinated and implemented the strikes . In November 1972 the CIA learned that one private sector group had passed $2,800 directly to strikers , contrary to the Agency 's ground rules . The CIA rebuked the group but nevertheless passed it additional money the next month . <p> 3 . United States Economic Policies Toward Chile : 1970-1973 <p> A. COVERT ACTION AND ECONOMIC PRESSURE <p> The policy response of the U. S. Government to the Allende regime consisted of an interweaving of diplomatic , covert , military , and economic strands . Economic pressure exorted by the United States formed an important part of the mix . It is impossible to understand the effect of covert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> B. CHILEAN ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE <p> The demise of the brief Allende experiment in 1970-73 came as the cumulative result of many factors -external and internal . The academic debate as to whether the external or the internal factors weighed more heavely is endless . This is not the place to repeat it . A brief description of the Chilean economy will suffice to suggest the probable effect on Chile of U.S. economic actions and the possible interactions between economic and political factors in causing Allende 's downfall . <p> Chile 's export-oriented economy remained , in 1970 , dependent for foreign exchange earnings on a single product -copper- much as it had depended on nitrate in the 19th century . However , the Allende Administration consciously adopted a policy of beginning to diversify Chile 's trade by expanding ties with Great Britain , the rest of the Western European countries , and Japan , and by initiating minor trade agreements with the Eastern Bloc countries . <p> Nevertheless , Chilean economic dependence on the United States remained a significant factor during the period of the Allende government . In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $1.1 billion , out of an estimated total foreign investment of $1.672 billion . U.S. and foreign corporations played a large part in almost all of the critical areas of the Chilean economy . Furthermore , United States corporations controlled the production of 80 percent of Chile 's copper , which in 1970 accounted for four-fifths of Chile 's foreign exchange earnings . Hence , the Allende government faced a situation in which decisions of foreign corporations had significant ramifications throughout the Chilean economy . <p> Chile had accumulated a large foreign debt during the Frei government , much of it contracted with international and private banks . Chile was able , through the Paris Club , to re-negotiate $800 million in debts to foreign governments and medium-term debt to major U.S. banks in early 1972 . It also obtained in 1972 some $600 million in credits and loans from socialist bloc countries and Western sources ; however , a study done by the Inter-American Committee on the Alliance for Progress , concluded that these credits were " tied to specific development projects and could be used only gradually " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign trading patterns , in 1970 Chile continued to depend on the import of essential replacement parts from United States firms . The availability of short-term United States commercial credits dropped from around $300 million during the Frei years to around $30 million in 1972 . The drop , a result of combined economic and political factors , seriously affected the Allende government 's ability to purchase replacement parts and machinery for the most critical sectors of the economy : copper , steel , electricity , petroleum , and transport . <p> By late 1972 , the Chilean Ministry of the Economy estimated that almost one-third of the diesel trucks at Chuquicamata Copper Mine , 30 percent of the privately owned city buses , 21 percent of all taxis , and 33 percent of state-owned buses in Chile could not operate because of the lack of spare parts or tires . In overall terms , the value of United States machinery and transport equipment exported to Chile by U.S. firms declined from $152.6 million in 1970 to $110 million in 1971 . <p> United States foreign economic policy toward Allende @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. government , and coordinated by interagency task forces . The policy was clearly framed during the Track II period . Richard Helm 's notes from his September 15 , 1970 , meeting with President Nixon , the meeting which initiated Track II , contain the indication : " Make the economy scream " . A week later Ambassador Korry reported telling Frei , through his Defense Minister , that " not a nut or bolt would be allowed to reach Chile under Allende " . <p> While the Chilean economy was vulnerable to U.S. pressures over a period of a few years , it was not in the short run . That judgement was clearly made by intelligence analysts in the government , but its implications seem not to have affected policy-making in September and October of 1970 . A February 1971 Intelligence Memorandum noted that Chile was not immediately vulnerable to investment , trade or monetary sanctions imposed by the United States . In fact , the imposition of sanctions , while it would hurt Chile eventually , was seen to carry one possible short-run benefit -it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars debt to the United States . <p> The policy of economic pressure -articulated in NSDM 93 of November 1970- was to be implemented through several means . All new bilateral foreign assistance was to be stopped , although disbursements would continue under loans made previously . The U.S. would use its predominant position in international financial institutions to dry up the flow of new multilateral credit or other financial assistance . To the extent possible , financial assistance or guarantees to U.S. private investment in Chile would be ended , and U.S. businesses would be made aware of the government 's concern and its restrictive policies . <p> The bare figures tell the story . U.S. bilateral aid , $35 million in 1969 , was $1.5 million in 1971 . ( See Table II . ) U.S. Export-Import Bank credits , which had totalled $234 million in 1967 and $29 million in 1969 , dropped to zero in 1971 . Loans from the multilateral Interamerican Development Bank ( IDB ) , in which the U.S. held what amounted to a veto , had totalled $46 million in 1970 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A.I.D . figures ) . The only new IDB loans made to Chile during the Allende period were two small loans to Chilean universities made in January 1971 ( 8 ) . Similarly , the World Bank made no new loans to Chile between 1970 and 1973 . However , the International Monetary Fund extended Chile approximately $90 million during 1971 and 1972 to assist with foreign exchange difficulties . <p> ( 3 ) U.S. contributions to I.O 's included above ; therefore U.S. aid and international aid should not be added together . <p> Source : U.S. Overseas Loans and Grants , Obligations and Loan Authorizations , July 1 , 1945 to June 30 , 1974 , pp. 39 , 175 . Prepared by Statistics and Reports Division , Office of Financial Management , Agency for International Development . <p> Reactions to events in Chile accounted for much of the momentum in the United States Government for the development of a policy on expropriation . In what came to be known as the Allende Doctrine , Chile proposed to deduct a calculation of " excess profits " ( over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from any compensation paid to nationalized firms in the copper sector . By this calculations , U.S. copper companies were in fact told they owed money . The reaction of the U.S. Government was strong . In January 1972 , President Nixon announced that , when confronted with such situations , the U.S. would cut off bilateral aid and " withhold its support from loans under consideration in multilateral development banks . " <p> While the State Department , the CIA , and the Department of Commerce all participated in the United States economic policy toward Chile , a central point in the execution of this policy was the Department of the Treasury . The Department instructs U.S. representatives on multilateral lending institutions . In the IDB , for instance , the U.S. controlled 40 percent of the votes , sufficient to veto any " soft " IDB loans . Loan proposals submitted to the IDB were held under study , never coming up for a vote by the IDB Board . Whether U.S. actions , and those of multilateral institutions , were motivated by political interests or economic judgements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet definitely settled . However , it seems clear from the pattern of U.S. economic actions and from the nature of debates within the Executive Branch that American economic policy was driven more by political opposition to an Allende regime than by purely technical judgements about Chile 's finances . <p> The posture of the Export-Import Bank , a United States public institution , reflected the tone of U.S. economic policy toward Chile during the Allende period . In the fall of 1970 , the Bank dropped Chile 's credit rating from " B " , the second category , to " D " , the last category . Insofar as the rating contributed to similar evaluations by private U.S. banks , corporations , and international private investors , it aggravated Chile 's problem of attracting and retaining needed capital inflow through private foreign investment . In mid-August 1971 the Bank decided that a $21 million credit for Boeing passenger jets would be deferred pending a resolution of the controversy over compensation for nationalized U.S. copper companies . That Bank decision came one month after the nationalization and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Boeing decision had been first announced in May , BEFORE the nationalization occurred . <p> The United States linked the question of indemnization for U.S. copper companies with Chile 's multilateral foreign debt . That foreign debt , an inheritance from the obligations incurred by the Alessandri and Frei governments , was the second highest foreign debt per capita of any country in the world . Yet , in the 1972 and 1973 Paris Club foreign debt negotiations with Chile 's principal foreign creditor nations , the United States alone refused to consider rescheduling Chile 's foreign payments until there was movement toward indemnization for the U.S. copper companies . The United States also exerted pressure on each of the other foreign creditor nations not to renegotiate Chile 's foreign debt as a group . <p> 4 . U. S. Relations with the Chilean Military <p> United States relations with the Chilean military during 1970-1973 must be viewed against the backdrop not only of the tradition of close cooperation between the American and the Chilean military services and the continuing intelligence collection efforts , but also in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup . Track II marked a break in the nature of relations between U.S. officials and the Chilean military . <p> Close personal and professional cooperation between Chilean and U.S. officers was a tradition of long standing . The American military presence in Chile was substantial , consisting both of military attaches , the Embassy , and members of the Military Group who provided training and assistance to the Chilean armed services . In the late 1960s the Military Group numbered over fifty ; by the Allende period , it was reduced to a dozen or so , for reasons which had primarily to do with U.S. budget- cutting . <p> A. PRE-TRACK II <p> In July 1969 the CIA Station in Santiago requested and received Headquarters approval for a covert program to establish intelligence assets in the Chilean armed services for the purpose of monitoring coup plotting . The program lasted for four years ; it involved assets drawn from all the three branches of the Chilean military and included command-level officers , field- and company-grade officers , retired general staff officers and enlisted men . From 1969 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objective of monitoring and reporting coup-oriented activity within the Chilean military . <p> During August , September and October of 1969 , it became increasingly clear from the agents ' reports that the growing dissatisfaction and unrest within the armed forces was leading to an unstable military situation . These events culminated in the abortive military revolt of October 1969 -the " Tacnazo " , named after the city where it occurred , Tacna . How close the amauterish " Tacnazo " came to success was a lesson to remember , particularly in light of the upcoming Presidential election of 1970 and the strong possibility that Salvador Allende would emerge victoriuos . <p> B. TRACK II <p> The Track II covert action effort to organize a military coup to deny Allende the Presidency caught the Santiago Station unprepared . Its two assets in the Chilean military were not in a position to spark a coup . To accomplish the mission directed by Washington , the Station had to use a U.S. military attache and other hastily developed contacts with the two main coup plotting groups in the Chilean military . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also relayed the Station 's advice about mechanics and timing , and passed on indications of U.S. Government support following a successful coup . With the death of Schneider , the plotters ' effort collapsed in disarray , leaving the Station with only its initial assets in the military . It took the Station another ten months to rebuild a network of agents among the cautious Chilean military . <p> As part of its attempt to induce the Chilean military to intervene before the October 24 congressional vote , the United States had threatened to cut off military aid if the military refused to act . That was accompanied by a promise of support in the aftermath of a coup . However , military assistance was not cut off at the time of Allende 's confirmation ( see Table III ) . Military sales jumped sharply from 1972 to 1973 and even more sharply from 1973 to 1974 after the coup ( see Table IV ) . Training of Chilean military personnel in Panama also rose during the Allende years ( see Table V ) <p> C. 1970-1973 <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its network of contacts and remained close to Chilean military officers in order to monitor developments within the armed forces . For their part , Chilean officers who were aware that the United States once had sought a coup to prevent Allende from becoming president must have been sensitive to indications of continuing U.S. support for a coup . <p> By September 1971 a new network of agents was in place and the Station was receiving almost daily reports of new coup plotting . The Station and Headquarters began to explore ways to use this network . At the same time , and in parallel , the Station and Headquarters discussed a " deception operation " designed to alert Chilean officers to real or purported Cuban involvement in the Chilean army . Throughout the fall of 1971 the Station and Headquarters carried on a dialogue about both the general question of what to do with the intelligence network and the objectives of the specific operation . <p> TABLE III. -MILITARY ASSISTANCE ( 1 ) <p> Fiscal Year <p> Programed <p> Delivered <p> 1966 <p> $8,806,000 <p> $8,366,000 <p> 1967 <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1969 <p> 734,000 <p> 2,662,000 <p> 1970 <p> 852,000 <p> 1,966,000 <p> 1971 <p> 698,000 <p> 1,033,000 <p> 1972 <p> 870,000 <p> 2,227,000 <p> 1973 <p> 941,000 <p> 918,000 <p> 1974 <p> 912,000 <p> 619,000 <p> ( 1 ) Figures are from a Department of Defense response to a Senate Select Committee document request and are unclassified . <p> TABLE IV. -MILITARY SALES ( 1 ) <p> Fiscal Year <p> Orders <p> Delivered <p> 1966 <p> $1,057,000 <p> $1,490,000 <p> 1967 <p> 2,559,000 <p> 1,690,000 <p> 1968 <p> 4,077,000 <p> 2,100,000 <p> 1969 <p> 1,676,000 <p> 2,147,000 <p> 1970 <p> 7,503,000 <p> 9,145,000 <p> 1971 <p> 2,886,000 <p> 2,958,000 <p> 1972 <p> 6.238,000 <p> 4,583,000 <p> 1973 <p> 14,972,000 <p> 2,242,000 <p> 1974 <p> 76,120,000 <p> 4,860,000 <p> ( 1 ) Figures are from a Department of Defense response to a Senate Select Committee document request and are unclassified . <p> TABLE V.- TRAINING IN PANAMA ( 1 ) <p> Fiscal Year <p> Number of people <p> 1966 <p> 68 <p> 1967 <p> 57 <p> 1968 <p> 169 <p> 1969 <p> 107 <p> 1970 <p> 181 <p> 1971 <p> 146 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> 268 <p> ( 1 ) Figures are from a Department of Defense response to a Senate Select Committee document request and are unclassified . <p> The Station proposed , in September , to provide information -some of it fabricated by the CIA- which would convince senior Chilean Army officers that the Carabineros ' Investigations unit , with the approval of Allende was acting in concert with Cuban intelligence ( DGI ) to gather intelligence prejudicial to the Army high command . It was hoped that the ettort would arouse the military against Allende 's involvement with the Cubans , inducing the armed services to press the government to alter its orientation and to move against it if necessary . A month later CIA Headquarters suggested that the deception operation be shelved , in favor of passing " verifiable " information to the leader of the coup group which Headquarters and the Station perceived as having the highest probability of success . <p> After a further Station request , Headquarters agreed to the operation with the objective of educating senior Chilean officers and keeping them on alert . In December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was passed to a Chilean officer outside Chile . The CIA did not receive any subsequent reports on the effect if any , this " information " had on the Chilean military . While the initial conception of the operation had included a series of such passages , no further packets were passed . <p> The Station/Headquarters dialogue over the use of the intelligence network paralleled the discussion of the deception operation . In November the Station suggested that the ultimate objective of the military penetration program was a military coup . Headquarters responded by rejecting that formulation of the objective , cautioning that the CIA did not have 40 Committee approval to become involved in a coup . However , Headquarters acknowledged the difficulty of drawing a firm line between monitoring coup plotting and becoming involved in it . It also realized that the U.S. government 's desire to be in clandestine contract with military plotters , for whatever purpose , might well imply to them U.S. support for their future plans . <p> During I970-73 , the Station collected operational intelligence necessary in the event of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed protection , key government installations which need to be taken over , and government contingency plans which would be used in case of a military uprising . According to the CIA the data was collected only against the contingency of future Headquarters requests and was never passed to the Chilean military . <p> The intelligence network continued to report throughout 1972 and 1973 on coup plotting activities . During 1972 the Station continued to monitor the group which might mount a successful coup , and it spent a significantly greater amount of time and effort penetrating this group than it had on previous groups . This group had originally come to the Station 's attention in October 1971 . By January 1972 the Station had successfully penetrated it and was in contact through an intermediary with its leader . <p> During late 1971 and early 1972 , the CIA adopted a more active stance vis a vis its military penetration program , including a short-lived effort to subsidize a small anti-government news pamphlet directed at the armed services , its compilation of arrest lists and other operational data , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plotting reached two peak periods , one in the last week of June 1973 and the other during the end of August and the first two weeks in September . It is clear the CIA received intelligence reports on the coup planning of the group which carried out the successful September 11 coup throughout the months of July , August , and September 1973 . <p> The CIA 's information-gathering efforts with regard to the Chilean military included activity which went beyond the mere collection of information . More generally , those efforts must be viewed in the context of United States opposition , overt and covert , to the Allende government . They put the United States Government in contact with those Chileans who sought a military alternative to the Allende presidency . <p> F. Post-1973 <p> 1 . Chile Since the Coup <p> Following the September 11 , 1973 , coup , the military Junta , led by General Augusto Pinochet , moved quickly to consolidate its newly acquired power . Political parties were banned , Congress was put in indefinite recess , press censorship was instituted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime were jailed , and elections were put off indefinitely . <p> The prospects for the revival of democracy in Chile have improved little over the last two years . A 1975 National Intelligence Estimate stated that the Chilean armed forces were determined to oversee a prolonged political moratorium and to revamp the Chilean political system . The NIE stated that the Junta had established tight , authoritarian controls over political life in Chile which generally continued in effect . It had outlawed Marxist parties in Chile as well as other parties which had comprised Allende 's coalition . In addition , the Christian Democratic and National parties had been placed in involuntary recess . These two parties were forbidden from engaging in political activity and restricted to purely housekeeping functions . <p> In addition , charges concerning the violation of human rights in Chile continue to be directed at the Junta . Most recently , a United Nations report on Chile charged that " torture centers " are being operated in Santiago and other parts of the country . The lengthy docu ment , issued October 14 , 1975 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questioned " by metbods amounting to torture . " The Pinochet government had originally offered full cooperation to the U.N . group , including complete freedom of movement in Chile . However , six days before the group 's arrival in Santiago the government reversed itself and notified the group that the visit was cancelled . <p> 2 . CIA Post-coup Activities in Chile <p> The covert action budget for Chile was cut back sharply after the coup and all the anti-Allende projects except for one , a major propaganda project , were terminated . Covert activities in Chile following the coup were either continuations or adaptations of earlier projects , rather than major new initiatives . <p> The goal of covert action immediately following the coup was to assist the Junta in gaining a more positive image , both at home and abroad , and to maintain access to the command levels of the Chilean government . Another goal , achieved in part through work done at the opposition research organization before the coup , was to help the new government organize and implement new policies . Project files @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial overall economic plan which has served as the basis for the Junta 's most important economic decisions . <p> With regard to the continuing propaganda project , a number of activities , including the production of books , a mailing effort , a military collection program , and the media coordination effort were terminated . However , access to certain Chilean media outlets was retained in order to enable the CIA Station in Santiago to help build Chilean public support for the new government as well as to influence the direction of the government , through pressures exerted by the mass media . These media outlets attempted to present the Junta in the most positive light for the Chilean public and to assist foreign journalists in Chile to obtain facts about the local situation . Further , two CIA collaborators assisted the Junta in preparing a White Book of the Change of Government in Chile . The White Book published by the Junta shortly after the coup , was written to justify the overthrow of Allende . It was distributed widely both in Washington and in other foreign capitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations with the Chilean government 's security and intelligence forces , relations which had been disrupted during the Allende period . Concern was expressed within the CIA that liaison with such organizations would lay the Agency open to charges of aiding political repression ; officials acknowledged that , while most of CIA 's support to the various Chilean forces would be designed to assist them in controlling subversion from abroad , the support could be adaptable to the control of internal subversion as well . However , the CIA made it clear to the Chileans at the outset that no CIA support would be provided for use in internal political repression . Furthermore , the CIA attempted to influence the Junta to maintain the norms the Junta had set in its " Instructious for Handling of Detainees " which closely followed the standards on human rights set by the 1949 Geneva Convention . <p> Throughout its history , the 40 Committee and its directs predecessors- the 303 Committee and the Special Group- have had one overriding purpose : to exercise political control over covert operations abroad . The 40 Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whether or not it would accomplish these aims , and in general whether or not it would be " proper " and in the American interest . Minutes and summaries of 40 Committee meetings on Chile indicate that , by and large , these considerations were discussed and occasionally debated by 40 Committee members . <p> In addition to exercising political control , the 40 Committee has been responsible for framing covert operations in such a way that they could later be " disavowed " or " plausibly denied " by the United States government- or at least by the President . In the case of Chile , of course , this proved to be an impossible task . Not only was CIA involvement in Chile " blown " , but in September 1974 , President Ford publicly acknowledged at a press conference U.S. covert involvement in Chile . <p> Before covert action proposals are presented to the Director for submission to the 40 Committee , an internal CIA intruction states that they should be coordinated with the Department of State and that , ordinarily , concurrence by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " and " ordinarily " were underscored for an important reason- major covert action proposals are not always coordinated among the various agencies . Nor , for that matter , are they always discussed and/or approved by the 40 Committee . The Chile case demonstrates that in at least one instance , the so-called Track II activity , the President instructed the CIA not to inform nor coordinate this activity with the Departments of State or Defense or the ambassador in the field . Nor was the 40 Committee ever informed . <p> Not all covert activities are approved by the 40 Committee . Projects not deemed politically risky or involving large sums of money can be approved within the CIA . By CIA statistics , only about one-fourth of all covert action projects are considered by the 40 Committee . The Committee has not been able to determine what percentage of covert action projects conducted by the CIA in Chile were approved within the CIA or required 40 Committee authorization . Despite this fact , the Committee has found evidence of projects not considered by the 40 Committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to imply that the CIA undertook activities in Chile behind the back of the 40 Committee or without its approval . The Agency was simply following the authorization procedures for covert projects that then existed . These same procedures exist today . <p> There have been numerous criticisms of 40 Committee procedures , some of which follow : <p> The criteria by which covert operations are brought before the 40 Committee appear to be fuzzy . The real degree of accountability for covert actions remains to be determined . <p> There is a basic conflict between sufficient consultation to insure accountability and sound decisions on the one hand , and secure operations on the other . The risk of inadequate consultation may be aggravated by the more informal procedure of telephone clearances , which has been used by the 40 Committee for the last few years . <p> The review of covert actions by the 40 Committee does not appear to be searching or thorough . There still appears to be a serious risk that operations will end only when they come to grief . <p> 2. 40 Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Committee met on 23 separate occasions between March 1970 and October 1973 to authorize funds for covert activities in Chile ( 9 ) . During this period , the Committee authorized a total of $8.8 million for CIA covert activities in Chile . Of this amount , $6.5 million was spent . <p> The range of CIA activities in Chile approved by the 40 Committee included " spoiling " operations against Allende prior to the September 4th election , assistance to Chilean political parties , a contingency fund for Ambassador Korry 's use to influence the October 24 congressional vote , purchase of a Chilean radio station to be used as a political opposition instrument against Allende , assistance to specific political candidates , emergency aid to keep the Santiago paper , El Mercurio , afloat , and support for an anti-Allende businessmen 's association . <p> 3 . Policy Splits Within the 40 Committee <p> Unanimity was not a hallmark of 40 Committee meetings on Chile , at least during the period April 1969 to October 1970 . Stated simply , the State Department was generally skeptical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CIA , the U.S. Ambassador to Chile , the Defense Department , and the White House favored intervention . <p> The question of whether anything should be done with regard to the September 1970 presidential election in Chile was first raised at a meeting of the 303 Committee on April 15 , 1969 . It was not until December 1969 , however , that a joint Embassy-CIA proposal for a campaign directed against Allende was submitted to the Committee . At this December meeting , two State Department officials questioned the need for U.S. involvement in the election . One State official commented that an Allende victory would not be the same as a Communist victory . The U.S. Ambassador to Chile , Edward Korry , who had been recalled for consultation , disagreed . He stated that operationally one must treat an Allende victory as the same thing as a Communist victory . Korry went on to state that , in his view , an Allende government would be worse thana Castro government . <p> On March 25 , 1970 , the 40 Committee approved a " spoiling operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Again , however , the State Department , represented by Under Secretary of State U. Alexis Johnson , indicated that the Department remained lukewarm to any involvement in the election anf informed the 40 Committee that the Department would be quite cool to a more positive approach . <p> One further example of policy disagreement within the 40 Committee was evidenced in a summary of a September 29 , 1970 , 40 Committee meeting . This meeting occurred a little more than three weeks after Allende had won his plurality victory on September 4 . The question of applying economic pressure to Chile was raised , with the hope that this pressure would create the conditions which would lead to a military coup . After a run-through of possible economic pressures that could be brought to bear in Chile , provided by the CIA 's Deputy Director for Plans Thomas Karamessines , Under Secretary of State Johnson noted that to swerve from 40 Committee-type action to economic warfare was tantamount to a change in foreign policy . Despite this concern , the 40 Committee did decide to increase economic pressures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this turn of events . Assistant Secretary of State Charles Meyer remarked that should Allende be confirmed , the U.S. could place the burden on Allende for all that he did , and , after all , he would not be around forever . This view was not accepted by the CIA . Director Helms remarked at the meeting that Allende 's Marxist pronouncements should be taken at face value while Karamessines added that a hands-off policy in Chile at this time would be read as the U.S. throwing in the sponge . As evidenced by later 40 Committee authorizations , the sponge was not thrown in . <p> B. Intelligence Estimates and Covert Action . <p> The intelligence community produces several kinds of assessments for policy makers . Of these , the most important are National Intelligence Estimates ( NIEs ) - joint , agreed assessment of foreign politics and capabilities- produced by the U.S. intelligence community . This section , based on a review of NIEs and other intelligence memoranda ( 10 ) regarding Chile written during 1969-1973 , will trace the intelligence community 's best estimates of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NIEs are approved by the United States Intelligence Board ( USIB ) ; dissenting agencies can register footnotes . Prior to 1973 , a formal Board of National Estimates supervised the production of drafts by a special Office of National Estimates . In 1973 , that structure was replaced by a system of National Intelligence Officers ( NIOs ) , senior analysts drawn from the CIA and other intelligence agencies . <p> There have been persistent criticisms of NIEs and many of these remain with the new structure : the documents are least-common-denominator compromises and this are of little value to policy makers ; they are oriented toward short-range predictions rather than long-run assessments . Another criticism deals not with the NIEs themselves but with their use or abuse . It is charged that policy makers ignore NIEs or consult them only when estimates confirm their pre-existing policy preferences . <p> 1 . The Chile Estimates <p> Between 1969 and 1973 , five Chile NIEs were produced , one in each year . In addition , several Intelligence Memoranda and Intelligence Notes relating to Chile were prepared by CIA and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration , as predicted by the intelligence community , follow . <p> A. CHILE UNDER ALLENDE <p> A July 1970 Chile NIE , prepared a little over a month before the September election , raised the question of what an Allende victory would mean to Chile and the United States . The NIE occasioned considerable disagreement within the Washington community . The disagreement reflected a division between the Department of State on one side and the U.S. Ambassador and the CIA Station on the other . The latter position was that an Allende victory would mean the gradual imposition of a classic Marxist-Leninist regime in Chile . This position was reflected , with some qualifying remarks , in the NIE . <p> The 1970 NIE stated , in strong terms , that an Allende administration would proceed as rapidly as possible toward the establishment of a Marxist-Socialist state . It would be a Chilean version of a Soviet-style East European Communist state . The intelligence community predicted that although democracy was likely to survive in Chile over the next two or three years , Allende could take Chile a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his administration . To do this , however , he would have to surmount some very important obstacles , such as Chile 's security forces , the Christian Democratic Party , some elements of organized labor , the Congress , and the Catholic Church . The NIE noted that Allende undoubtedly expected progress on basic bread and butter issues which would afford him an apportunity to secure control of the Congress in the 1973 election and thereby enable him to impose a socialist state of the Marxist variety by the va pacfica ( " peaceful road " ) . <p> The next NIE issued on Chile , in August 1971 , was less shrill on the threat which Allende represented to Chilean democracy . He had been in office nine months . The NIE stated that the consolidation of Marxist political leadership in Chile was not inevitable and that Allende had a long , hard way to go to achieve this . The NIE warned , however , that although Allende would almost certainly prefer to adhere to constitutional means , he was likely to be impelled to use political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power . Up to that point , the NIE observed , Allende had taken great care to observe constitutional forms and was enjoying considerable popularity in Chile . <p> The next NIE came out in June 1972 . The prospects for the continuation of democracy in Chile appeared to be better than at any time since Allende 's inauguration . The NIE stated that the traditional political system in Chile continued to demonstrate remarkable resiliency . Legislative , student , and trade union elections continued to take place in normal fashion , with pro-govenment forces accepting the results when they were adverse . The NIE noted that the Christian Democratic Party and the National Party had used their combined control of both Houses of Congress to stall government iniciatives and to pass legislation designed to curtail Allende 's powers . In addition , the opposition news media had been able to resist government intimidation and persisted in denouncing the government . The NIE concluded that the most likely course of events in Chile for the next year or so would be moves by Allende toward showing the pace of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gains he had already made . <p> One final NIE on Chile was issued prior to Allende 's overthrow in September 1973 . That NIE focused on the prospects for the consolidation of power by Allende 's regime . It concluded that at that juncture a political standoff seemed to be the most likely course of events in Chile . The NIE stated that Allende had not consolidated the power of his Marxist regime ; the bulk of low-income Chileans believed that he had improved their conditions and represented their interests ; and the growth in support for his coalition reflected his political ability as well as the popularity of his measures . The NIE did warn , however , that the growing polarization of the Chilean society was wearing away the Chilean predilection for political compromise . Nevertheless , the analysts predicted that there was only an outside chance that the military would move to force Allende from office . <p> B. U.S.-CHILEAN RELATIONS <p> Almost two years before Allende was elected , the intelligence community predicted that future U.S.-Chilean relations would be under repeated strains , regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1969 NIE stated that whoever succeeded Frei in the presidency was likely to continue to stress Chilean independence , to be less cooperative with the U.S. than Frei had been , and to explore somewhat broader relations with communist countries . This NIE noted that were Allende to win , his administration would almost certainly take steps aimed at moving Chile away from the U.S. The NIE also observed that steps toward either govenment participation in or outright nationalization of U.S. copper holdings in Chile were inevitable . <p> A 1970 NIE , issued one month before Allende 's September victory , was quite pessimistic about future U.S.-Chilean relations . It stated that if Allende were to win the election , he would almost certainly take harsh measures against U.S. business interests in Chile and challende U.S. policies in the hemisphere . The NIE cited several foreign policy problems an Allende regime would pose for the U.S. , including recognition of Cuba , possible withdrawal from the OAS , the deterioration of relations with Argentina , and anti-U.S . votes in the United Nations . The NIE predicted , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States over the next two years . <p> A 1971 NIE , issued ten months into Allende 's term in office , stated that U.S.-Chilean relations were dominated by the problems of nationalization , although Allende himself seemed to wish to avoid a confrontation . A 1972 Chile NIE noted that Allende , to date , had sought to avoid irreparable damage to his relations with Washington . Although the major problem concerning U.S.-Chilean relations continued to be that of compensation for the nationalization of U.S. companies , the 1972 NIE stated that Allende had taken pains to publicly stress his desire for amicable relations . A 1973 NIE concluded that Allende had kept lines open to Washington on possible Chilean compensation for expropriated U.S. copper companies . <p> C. ALLENDE 'S RELATIONS WITH SOCIALIST COUNTRIES <p> The 1969 Chile NIE predicted that any new administration would explore somewhat broader relations with communist and socialist countries . The NIE noted that Allende , in particular , would take such steps but that even he would be deterred from moving too far in this direction due to a Chilean nationalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Moscow or Havana as to Washington . Allende did , over the years , expand Chile 's relations with socialist and communist countries . However , Allende was , as a 1971 NIE stated , careful not to subordinate Chilean interests to any communist or socialist poweror to break existing ties with non-communist nations on whom he continued to rely for aid . Chile NIEs in 1971 and 1972 emphasized that Allende was charting an independent , nationalistic course , both within the hemisphere and internationally . Allende was , in short , committed to a policy of non-alignment . <p> D. ALLENDE 'S TIES WITH CUBA <p> The 1970 NIE on Chile predicted that Allende would recognize Cuba . He did so , shortly after he was inaugurated . However , the pattern of Chilean-Cuban relations was described in a 1971 NIE as one of ideological distance and closer economic ties . The NIE stated that despite Allende 's long-standing personal relationship with Castro , he had refrained from excessive overtures to him . A 1972 NIE noted that Havana had been circumspect about trying to use Chile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> E. SOVIET INFLUENCE IN CHILE <p> Concern about the expansion of Soviet influence in Chile under Allende and the possible establishment of a major Soviet military presence was expressed in 1970 . A 1971 NIE predicted that although the Soviet Union would continue to cultivate channels of influence into Allende 's government through the Chilean Communist Party , it would probably be unsure of its ability to make a decisive impact on key issues given Allende 's desire for an independent posture . The same NIE noted that neither Allende nor the Chilean military establishment would probably tolerate a permanent Soviet military presence in Chile . A 1972 Chile NIE focused on the Soviet attitude to the Allende regime and noted that Soviet overtures to Allende had thus far been characterized by caution and restraint . This was , in part , due to Soviet reluctance to antagonize the U.S. and , more importantly , a Soviet desire to avoid with Allende the type of open-ended commitment for aid that they had entered into with Castro . A 1972 Intelligence . Note , prepared by the State Department , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December visit to the USSR , reflected Moscow 's decision to continue a cautious policy toward Chile and to avoid a major open-ended commitment of aid to Allende . According to the Intelligence Note , the Soviets apparently advised Allende to negotiate his differences with the U.S. <p> F. CHILE AS A BASE FOR LATIN AMERICAN SUBVERSION <p> Prior to Allende 's election , concern was expressed about Chilean subversion in other countries . An Intelligence Memorandum , prepared by the CIA and issued shortly after Allende 's September 4 plurality victory , stated that Chile had long been a relatively open country for extreme leftists and would become even more so under Allende . The Memorandum noted , however , that Allende would be cautious in providing assistance to extremists for fear of provoking a military reaction in his own country . The Memorandum went on to observe that the degree to which revolutionary groups would be allowed to use Chile as a base of operations would be limited to some extent by the orthodox Communist Party in Chile which opposed violence-prone groups . A State Department Intelligence Note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to some earlier indications that Allende might provide clandestine assistance to neighboring insurgency movements , evidence to date suggested that he had been sensitive to the concerns of neighboring governments and had sought to avoid action which would strain bilateral relations . The Intelligence Note stated that Chile had warned Argentine and Mexican expatriates that they could reside in Chile only if they did not engage in political activities and that some of the more politically active Brazilian exiles had been encouraged to depart Chile . The Note concluded by predicting that it was unlikely that Allende would provide financial support or training to facilitate the export of insurgency . A 1972 NIE stated that Allende had gone to great lengths to convince his Latin American neighbors that he did not share Castro 's revolutionary goals ; although some revolutionaries in Chile had received arms and funds from extremists in Allende 's political coalition , this had probably nnot occurred at his behest . <p> G. THREAT ASSESSMENT <p> The most direct statement concerning the threat an Allende regime would pose to the United States was contained in a CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election victory . The Memorandum summarized the views of the Interdepartmental Group for Inter-American Affairs , which prepared the response to National Security Study Memorandum 97 . The Group , made up of officials representing CIA , State , Defense , and the White House , concluded that the United States had no vital interests within Chile , the world military balance of power would not be significantly altered by an Allende regime , and an Allende victory in Chile would not pose any likely threat to the peace of the region . The Group noted , however , that an Allende victory would threaten hemispheric cohesion and would represent a psychological setback to the U.S. as well as a definite advance for the Marxist idea . <p> 2 . Estimates and Covert Action <p> As a result of this look at the Chile estimates , a number of comments can be made concerning them and their relation to decisions about covert action : <p> ( a ) Despite the view expressed by the Interdepartmental Group , and reported in a CIA Intelligence Memorandum , that the U.S. had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Executive Branch to intervene in that nation 's internal political and economic affairs , before the election , between it and the congressional vote and during Allende 's tenure in office . <p> It appears that the Chile NIEs were either , at best , selectively used or , at worst , disregarded by policy makers when the time came to make decisions regarding U.S. covert involvement in Chile . 40 Committee decisions regarding Chile reflected greater concern about the internal and international consequences of an Allende government than was reflected in the intelligence estimates . At the same time as the Chile NIEs were becoming less shrill , the 40 Committee authorized greater amounts of money for covert operations in Chile . The amounts authorized by the 40 Committee rose from $1.5 million in 1970 to $3.6 million in 1971 , $2.5 million in 1972 , and , during the first eight months of 1973 , $1.2 million . Covert action decisions were not , in short , entirely consistent with intelligence estimates . <p> ( b ) As noted , NIEs are designed to provide economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such , they are vulnerable to being interpreted by policymakers to support whatever conclusions the policymakers wish to draw from them . The estimates do , however , serve to narrow the range of uncertainty about future events in Chile , and thus narrow the range of justifiable U.S. policies . But a range remained . <p> For example , a 1971 estimate stated that , on the one hand , Allende was moving skillfully and confidently toward his declared goal of building a revolutionary nationalistic , socialist society on Marxist principles , but , on the other hand , the consolidation of the Marxist political leadership in Chile was not inevitable , and Allende had a long , hard way to go to achieve this . As a further example , a 1973 NIE which addressed the possibility of enhanced Soviet influence in Chile stated that the Soviets were interested both in increasing their influence in South America and in Allende 's successful coalition of leftists parties as a model for a Marxist revolution through election . Yet , the estimate went on to say that the Soviets did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reluctant to antagonize the U.S. <p> ( c ) The Committee has determined that the analysts responsible for drawing up the Chile NIEs were not privy to information concerning covert operations approved by the 40 Committee and being implemented in Chile by the CIA operators . The explanation for this is CIA compartmentation . Analysts and operators often exist in separate worlds . Information available to the Operations Directorate is not always available to the Intelligence Directorate . As a result , those who were responsible for preparing NIEs on Chile appear not to have had access to certain information which could have added to , or substantially revised , their assessments and predictions . That flaw was telling . It meant , for example , that the 1972 assessment of the durability of opposition sectors was written without knowledge of covert American funding of precisely those sectors . Thus , there was no estimate of whether those sectors would survive absent U.S. money . <p> Congressional Oversight . <p> With regard to covert action in Chile between April 1964 and December 1974 , CIA 's consultation with its Congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ function- was inadequate . The CIA did not volunteer detailed information ; Congress most often did not seek it . <p> Beginning in 1973 , numerous public allegations were made concerning activities undertaken by the CIA in Chile . In response , Congress began to assume greater control in the exercise of its oversight function- which it had badly neglected in the past- both in the number and depth of consultations with the Central Intelligence Agency . Prior to 1973 there were twenty meetings between Congressional committees and the CIA regarding Chile ; these meetings were held with the House and Senate Armed Services and Appropriation Committees in their Intelligence Subcommittees . From March 1973 to December 1974 there were thirteen meetings held not only with these Committees , but also before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations and the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Inter-American Affairs . <p> Based on CIA records , there was a total of fifty-three CIA Congressional briefings on Chile between 1964 and 1974 . At thirty-one of these meetings , there was some discussion of covert action ; special releases of funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After January 1973 these briefings were concerned with past CIA covert activity . From information currently in the possession of the Committee and public sources , severaltentative conclusions emerge : on several important occasions the CIA did not report on covert action until quite long after the fact ; and in one case- Track II- it omitted discussion of an important , closely held operation , but one whose outcome reverberated on the foreign policy of the United States and carried implications for domestic affairs as well . <p> Of the thirty-three covert action projects undertaken in Chile with 40 Committee approval during the period 1963-1974 , Congress was briefed in some fashion on eight ( 11 ) . Presumbly the twenty-five others were undertaken without Congressional consultation . These twenty-five projects included : the $1.2 million authorization in 1971 , half of which was spent to purchase radio stations and newspapers while the other half went to support municipal candidates and anti-Allende political parties ; and the additional expenditure of $815,000 in late 1971 to provide support to opposition parties . <p> Of the total of over thirteen million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Chile between 1963 and 1974 , Congress received some kind of briefing ( sometime before , sometimes after the fact ) on projects totaling about 7.1 million dollars . Further , Congressional oversight committees were not consulted about projects which were not reviewed by the full 40 Committee . One of these was the Track II attempt to foment a military coup in 1970 . The other- a later CIA project involving contacts with Chilean military officers- was an intelligence collection project and thus did not come before the 40 Committee , even though inthis instance the political importance of the project was clear . <p> V. Preliminary Conclusions . <p> Underlying all discussion of American interference in the internal affairs of Chile is the basic question of why the United States initially mounted such an extensive covert action program in Chile -and why it continued , and even expanded , in the early 1970s . <p> Covert action has been a key element of U.S. foreign policy toward Chile . The link between covert action and foreign policy was obvious throughout the decade between 1964 and 1974 . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via the Alliance for Progress and overt foreign aid was buttressed via covert support for the election of the candidate of the Christian Democratic party , a candidate and a party for which the Alliance seemed tailor made . During 1970 the U.S. Government tried , covertly , to prevent Allende from becoming President of Chile . When that failed , covert support to his opposition formed one of a triad of official actions : covert aid to opposition forces , " cool but correct " diplomatic posture , and economic pressure . From support of what the United States considered to be democratic and progressive forces in Chile we had moved finally to advocating and encouraging the overthrow of a democratically elected government . <p> A. Covert Action and U.S. Foreign Policy . <p> In 1964 , the United States became massively involved in covert activity in Chile . This involvement was seen by U.S. policy-makers as consistent with overall American foreign policy and the goals of the Alliance for Progress . The election of a moderate left candidate in Chile was a cornerstone of U.S. policy toward Latin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1964 election project was intended to be a one-time intervention in support of a good cause . It is clear that the scale of the involvement generated commitmments and expectations on both sides . For the United States , it created assets and channels of funding which could be used again . For the Chilean groups receiving CIA funds , that funding became an expectation , counted upon . Thus , when opposition to Allende became the primary objective of covert action in 1970 , the structure for covert action developed through covert assistance to political parties in 1964 was well established . <p> A fundamental question raised by the pattern of U.S. covert activities persits : Did the threat to vital U.S. national security interests posed by the Presidency of Salvador Allende justify the several major covert attempts to prevent his accession to power ? Three American Presidents and their senior advisors evidently thought so . <p> One rationale for covert intervention in Chilean politics was spelled out by Henry Kissinger in his background briefing to the press on September 16 , 1970 , the day after Nixon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory would be irreversible within Chile , might affect neighboring nations and would pose " massive problems " for the U.S. in Latin America : <p> I have yet to meet somebody who firmly believes that if Allende wins , there is likely to be another free election in Chile ... Now it is fairly easy for one to predict that if Allende wins , there is a good chance that he will establish over a period of years some sort of communist government . In that case , we would have one not on an island off the coast ( Cuba ) which has not a traditional relationship and impact on Latin America , but in a major Latin American country you would have a communist government , joining , for example , Argentine ... Peru ... and Bolivia ... So I do n't think we should delude ourselves on an Allende takeover and Chile would not present massive problems for us , and for democratic forces and for pro-U.S. forces in Latin America , and indeed to the whole Western Hemisphere . <p> Another rationale for U.S. involvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-ranking official who testified before the Committee . He spoke of Chile 's position in a worldwide strategic chess game in 1970 . In this analogy , Portugal might be a bishop , Chile a couple of pawns , perhaps more . In the worldwide strategic chess game , one a position was lost , a series of consequences followed . U.S. enemies would proceed to exploit the new opportunity , and our ability to cope with the challenge would be limited by any American loss . <p> B. Executive Command and Control of Major Covert Action . <p> In pursuing the Chilean chess game , particularly the efforts to prevent Allende 's accession to power or his maintaining power once elected , Executive command and control of major covert action was tight and well directed . Procedures within the CIA for controlling the programs were well defined and the procedures made Station officials accountable to their supervisors in Washington . Unilateral actions on the part of the Station were virtually impossible . <p> But the central issue of command and control is Accountability : procedures for insuring that covert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and foreign policy officials of the Executive Branch and to the Congress . <p> The record of covert activities in Chile suggests that , although established executive processes of authorization and control were generally adhered to , there were - and remain - genuine shortcomings to these processes : <p> Decisions about WHICH covert action projects are submitted to the 40 Committee were and are made within the CIA on the basis of the Agency 's determination of the political sensitivity of a project . <p> The form in which covert action projects were cleared with Ambassadors and other State Department officials varied . It depended -and still depends- on how interested Ambassadors are and how forthcoming their Station Chiefs are . <p> Once major projects are approved by the 40 Committee , they often continue without searching re-examination by the Committee . The Agency conducts annual reviews of on-going projects , but the 40 Committee does not undertake a review unless a project is recommended for renewal , or there is some important change in content or amount . <p> There is also the problem of controlling clandestine projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human intelligence is not the subject of 40 Committee review . But those projects may be just as politically sensitive as a " covert action " ; witness U.S. contacts with the Chilean military during 1970-73 . Similarly , for security reasons , ambassadors generally know CIA assets only by general description , not by name . That practice may be acceptable , provided the description is detailed enough to inform the ambassador of the risk posed by the development of a particular asset and to allow the ambassador to decide whether or not that asset should be used . <p> There remains the question of the dangers which arise when the very mechanisms established by the Executive Branch for insuring internal accountability are circumvented or frustrated . <p> By Presidential instruction , Track II was to be operated without informing the U.S. Ambassador in Santiago , the State Department , or any 40 Committee member save Henry Kissinger . The President and his senior advisors thus denied themselves the Government 's major sources of counsel about Chilean politics . And the Ambassador in Santiago was left in the position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a project of which he was not informed . <p> The danger was greater still . Whatever the truth about communication between the CIA and the White House after October 15 , 1970 -an issue which is the subject of conflicting testimony- all participants agreed that Track II constituted a broad mandate to the CIA . The Agency was given to believe it had virtual carte blanche authority ; moreover , it felt under extreme pressure to prevent Allende from coming to power , by military coup if necessary . It was given little guidance about what subsequent clearances it needed to obtain from the White House . Under these conditions , CIA consultation with the White House in advance of specific actions was less than meticulous . <p> C. The Role of the Congress . <p> In the hands of Congress rests the responsibility for insuring that the Executive Branch is held to full political accountability for covert activities . The record on Chile is mixed and muted by its incompleteness . <p> CIA records note a number of briefings of Congressional committees about covert action in Chile . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the level of detail of these briefings . Indeed , the record suggests that the briefings were often after the fact and incomplete . The situation improved after 1973 , apparently as Congressional committees became more persistent in the exercise of their oversight function . Furthermore , Sec. 662 of the Foreign Assistance Act should make it impossible for major projects to be operated without the appropriate Congressional committees being informed . <p> The record leaves unanswered a number of questions . These pertain both to how forthcoming the Agency was and how interested and persistent the Congressional committees were . Were members of Congress , for instance , given the opportunity to object to specific projects before the projects were implemented ? Did they want to ? There is also an issue of jurisdiction . CIA and State Department officials have taken the position that they are authorized to reveal Agency operations only to the appropriate oversight committees . <p> D. Intelligence Judgements and Covert Operations . <p> A review of the intelligence judgements on Chile offered by U.S. analysts during the critical period from 1970-1973 has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy-makers formulated and approved U.S. covert operations . This examination of the relevant intelligence estimates and memoranda has established that the judgements of the analysts suggested caution and restraint while the political imperatives demanded action . <p> Even within the Central Intelligence Agency , processes for bringing considered judgements of intelligence analysts to bear on proposed covert actions were haphazard -and generally ineffective . This situation has improved ; covert action proposals now regularly come before the Deputy Director for Intelligence and the appropriate National Intelligence Officer ; but the operators still are separated from the intelligence analysts , those whose exclusive business it is to understand and predict foreign politics . For instance , the analysts who drafted the government 's most prestigious intelligence analyses -NIEs- may not even have known of U.S. covert actions in Chile . <p> The Chilean experience does suggest that the Committee give serious consideration to the possibility that lodging the responsibility for national estimates AND conduct of operational activities with the same person -the Director of Central Intelligence- creates an inherent conflict of interest and judgement . <p> E. Effects of Major Covert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as complex as several mounted by the United States in Chile are unlikely to remain covert . In Chile in 1964 , there was simply too much unexplained money , too many leaflets , too many broadcasts . That the United States was involved in the election has been taken for granted in Latin America for many years . <p> The involvement in 1964 created a presumption in Chile and elsewhere in Latin America that the United States Government would again be involved in 1970 . This made secrecy still harder to maintain , even though the CIA involvement was much smaller in 1970 than it had been in 1964 . <p> When covert actions in Chile became public knowledge , the costs were obvious . The United States was seen , by its covert actions , to have contradicted not only its official declarations but its treaty commitments and principles of long standing . At the same time it was proclaiming a " low profile " in Latin American relations , the U.S. Government was seeking to foment a coup in Chile . <p> The costs of major covert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there may be costs to pay even if the operations could remain secret for long periods of time . Some of these costs may accrue even within the calculus of covert operations : successes may turn to failures . Several officials from whom the Committee took testimony suggested that the poor showing of the Chilean Christian Democrats in 1970 was , in some part , attributable to previous American covert support . Of course there were many causes of that poor showing , but in 1964 the PDC had been spared the need of developing some of its own grass roots organizations . The CIA did much of that for it . In 1970 , with less CIA activity on behalf of the Christian Democratic Party , the PDC faltered . <p> Of course , the more important costs , even of covert actions which remain secret , are those to American ideals of relations among nations and of constitutional government . In the case of Chile , some of those costs were far from abstract : witness the involvement of United States military officers in the Track II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also long-term effects of covert actions . Many of those may be adverse . They touch American as well as foreign institutions . The Chilean institutions that the United States most favored may have been discredited within their own societies by the fact of their covert support . In Latin America particularly , even the suspicion of CIA support may be the kiss of death . It would be the final irony of a decade of covert action in Chile if that action destroyed the credibility of the Chilean Christian Democrats . <p> The effects on American institutions are less obvious but no less important . U.S. private and governmental institutions with overt , legitimate purposes of their own may have been discredited by the pervasiveness of covert action . Even if particular institutions were not involved in covert action , they may have been corrupted in the perception of Latin Americans because of the pervasiveness of clandestine U.S. activity . <p> In the end , the whole of U.S. policy making may be affected . The availability of an " extra " means may alter officials ' assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may postpone the day when outmoded policies are abandoned and new ones adopted . Arguably , the 1964 election project was part of a " progressive " approach to Chile . The project was justified , if perhaps not actually sustained , by the desire to elect democratic reformers . By 1970 , covert action had become completely defensive in character : to prevent the election of Allende . The United States professed a " low profile " but at the same time acted covertly to ensure that the Chilean elections came out right , " low profile " notwithstanding . <p> A special case for concern is the relationship between intelligence agencies and multinational corporations . <p> In 1970 , U.S. Government policy prohibited covert CIA support to a single party or candidate . At the same time , the CIA provided advice to an American-based multinational corporation on how to furnish just such direct support . That raised all of the dangers of exposure , and eliminated many of the safeguards and controls normally present in exclusively CIA covert operations . There was the appearance of an improperly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director John McCone used contacts and information gained while at the CIA to advise a corporation on whose Board of Directors he sat . This appearance was heightened because the contacts between the Agency and the corporation in 1970 extended to discussing and even planning corporate intervention in the Chilean electoral process . <p> The problem of cooperation is exacerbated when a cooperating company -such as ITT- is called to give testimony before an appropriate Congressional Committee . The Agency may then be confronted with the question of whether to come forward to set the record straight when it believes that testimony given on behalf of a cooperating company is untrue . The situation is difficult , for in coming forward the Agency may reveal sensitive sources and methods by which it learned the facts or may make public the existence of ongoing covert operations . <p> This report does no attempt to offer a final judgement on the political propriety , the morality , or even the effectiveness of American covert activity in Chile . Did the threat posed by an Allende presidency justify covert American involvement in Chile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foment a military coup to deny Allende the presidency ? In 1970 , the U.S. sought to foster a military coup in Chile to prevent Allende 's accession to power ; yet after 1970 the government -according to the testimony of its officials- did not engage in coup plotting . Was 1970 a mistake , an aberration ? Or was the threat posed to the national security interests of the United States so grave that the government was remiss in not seeking his downfall directly during 1970-73 ? What responsibility does the United States bear for the cruelty and political suppression that have become the hallmark of the present regime in Chile ? <p> On these questions Committee members may differ . So may American citizens . Yet the Committee 's mandate is less to judge the past than to recommend for the future . Moving from past cases to future guidelines , what is important to note is that covert action has been perceived as middle ground between diplomatic representation and the overt use of military force . In the case of Chile , that middle ground may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action , it should be resorted to only to counter severe threats to the national security of the United States . It is far from clear that that was the case in Chile . <p> March 1 Congressional elections reflect an increase in support for the National Party and a resulting loss in Christian Democratic strength . <p> April 15 At a meeting of the 303 Committee the question is raised as to whether anything should be done with regard to the September 1970 Presidential election in Chile . The CIA representative pointed out that an election operation would not be effective unless an early enough start was made . <p> 1969 --Continued <p> October 21 Army units stationed at Tacna , Chile , revolt , ostensibly for the purposes of dramatizing the military 's demand for higher pay . The revolt , engineered by General Roberto Viaux , is widely interpreted as an abortive coup . <p> June The possibility of an Allende victory in Chile is raised at an ITT Board of Directors meeting . John McCone , former CIA Director , and , at the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , subsequently holds a number of conversations regarding Chile with Richard Helms , the current CIA Director . <p> July 16 John McCone arranges for William Broe ( CIA ) to talk with Harold Geneen ( ITT ) . Broe tells Geneen that CIA can not disburse ITT funds but promises to advise ITT on how to channel its own funds . ITT later passes $350,000 to the Alessandri campaign through an intermediary . <p> August 18 National Security Study Memorandum ( NSSM ) 97 is reviewed by the Interdepartmental Group ; the Group considers options ranging from efforts to forge amicable relations with Allende to opposition to him . <p> September 4 Salvador Allende wins 36.3 percent of the vote in the Presidential election . Final outcome is dependent on October 24 vote in Congress between Allende and the runner-up , Jorge Alessandri , who received 35.3 percent of the vote . Allende 's margin of victory was 39,000 votes out of a total of 3,000,000 votes cast in the election . <p> September 8 , 14 40 Committee discusses Chilean situation . The Committee approves $250,000 for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote . <p> September 9 Harold Geneen , ITT 's Chief Executive Officer , tells John McCone at an ITT Board of Directors meeting in New York that he is prepared to put up as much as $1 million for the purpose of assisting any government plan designed to form a coalition in the Chilean Congress to stop Allende . McCone agrees to communicate this proposal to high Washington officials and meets several days later with Henry Kissinger and Richard Helms . McCone does not receive a response from either man . <p> September 15 President Nixon instructs CIA Director Helms to prevent Allende 's accession to office . The CIA is to play a direct role in organizing a military coup d'etat . This involvement comes to be known as Track II . <p> September 16 At on off-the-record White House press briefing , Henry Kissinger warns that the election of Allende would be irreversible , might affect neighboring nations , and would pose " massive problems " for the U.S. and Latin America . <p> September 29 A CIA official , at the instruction of Richard Helms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposes a plan to accelerate economic disorder in Chile . ITT rejects the proposal . <p> 1970 --Continued <p> October CIA contacts Chilean military conspirators ; following a White House meeting , CIA attempts to defuse plot by retired General Viaux , but still to generate maximum pressure to overthrow Allende by coup ; CIA provides tear gas grenades and three submachine guns to conspirators . <p> October 14 40 Committee approves $60,000 for Ambassdor Korry 's proposal to purchase a radio station . The money is never spent . <p> October 22 After two unsuccessful abduction attempts on October 19 and 20 , a third attempt to kidnap Chilean Army General Rene Schneider results in his being fatally shot . <p> October 24 The Chilean Congress votes 153 to 35 in favor of Allende over Alessandri . <p> November 3 Allende is formally inaugurated President of Chile . <p> November 13 40 Committee approves $25,000 for support of Christian Democratic candidates . <p> November 19 40 Committee approves $725,000 for a covert action program in Chile . Approval is later superseded by January 28 , 1971 , authorization . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state control of the large mines and authorizing expropriation of all foreign firms working them . <p> 1971 <p> January 28 40 Committee approves $1,240,000 for the purchase of radio stations and newspapers and to support municipal candidates and other political activities of anti- Allende parties . <p> February 25 In his annual State of the World message , President Nixon states , " We are prepared to have the kind of relationship with the Chilean government that it is prepared to have with us " . <p> July 6 40 Committee approves $150,000 for support of opposition candidates in a Chilean by-election . <p> July 11 In a joint session of the Chilean Congress , a constitutional amendment is unanimously approved permitting the nationalization of the copper industry . The amendment provides for compensation to copper companies within 30 years at not less than 3 percent interest . <p> August 11 The Export-Import Bank denies a Chilean request for $21 million in loans and loan guarantees needed to purchase three jets for the national LAN-Chile airline . <p> September 9 40 Committee approves $700,000 for support to the major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allende announces that " excess profits " will be deducted from compensation to be paid to nationalized copper companies . <p> 1971- Continued <p> September 29 The Chilean government assumes operation of the Chilean telephone company ( CHITELCO ) . ITT had owned 70 percent interest in the company since 1930 . <p> September 29 Nathaniel Davis replaces Edward Korry as U.S. Ambassador to Chile . <p> October ITT submits to White House an 18-points plan designed to assure that Allende " does not get through the crucial next six months " . The ITT proposal is rejected . <p> November 5 40 Committee approves $815,000 support to opposition parties and to induce a split in the Popular Unity coalition . <p> December 1 The Christian Democratic and National Parties organize the " March of the Empty Pots " by women to protest food shortages . <p> December 15 40 Committee approves $160,000 to support two opposition candidates in January 1972 by-elections . <p> 1972 <p> January 19 President Nixon issues a statement to clarify U.S. policy toward foreign expropriation of American interests . The President states that the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and effective " . The President warns that should compensation not be reasonable , new bilateral economic aid to the expropriating country might be terminated and the U.S. would withhold its support from loans under consideration in multilateral development banks . <p> April 11 40 Committee approves $965,000 for additional support to El Mercurio . <p> April 24 40 Committee approves $50,000 for an effort to splinter the Popular Unity coalition . <p> May 12 President Allende submits a constitutional amendment to the Chilean Congress for the expropriation of ITT 's holdings in the Chilean telephone company . <p> June 16 40 Committee approves $46,500 to support a candidate in a Chilean by-election . <p> August 21 Allende declares a state of emergency in Santiago province after violence grows out of a one-day strike by most of the capital 's shopkeepers . <p> September 21 40 Committee approves $24,000 to support an anti- Allende businessmen 's organization . <p> October 10 The Confederation of Truck Owners calls a nation- wide strike . <p> October 26 40 Committee approves $1,427,666 to support opposition political parties and private sector organizations in anticipation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the General Assembly of the United Nations , President Allende charges that Chile has been the " victim of serious aggression " and adds , " we have felt the effects of a large-scale external pressure against us " . <p> 1973 <p> February 12 40 Committee approves $200,000 to support opposition political parties in the Congressional elections . <p> March 4 In the Congressional elections , Allende 's Popular Unity coalition wins 43.4 percent of the vote . <p> March 22 Talks between the U.S. and Chile on political and financial problems end in an impasse . <p> 1973 --Continued <p> June 5 Chile suspends its foreign shipments of copper as miners ' strikes continue . <p> June 20 Thousands physicians , teachers , and students go on strike to protest Allende 's handling of the 63-day copper workers ' strike . <p> June 21 Gunfire , bombings , and fighting erupt as government opponents and supporters carry out a massive strike . The opposition newspaper , EL MERCURIO , is closed by court order for six days following a government charge that it had incited subversion . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . <p> June 29 Rebel forces seize control of the downtown area of Santiago and attack the Defense Ministry and the Presidential Palace before troops loyal to the government surround them and force them to surrender . This is the first military attempt to overthrow an elected Chilean government in 42 years . <p> July 26 Truck owners throughout Chile go on strike . <p> August 2 The owners of more than 110,000 buses and taxis go on strike . <p> August 20 40 Committee approves $1 million to support opposition political parties and private sector organizations . This money is not spent . <p> August 23 General Carlos Prats Gonzalez resigns as Allende 's Defense Minister and Army Commander . General Pinochet Ugarte is named Army Commander on August 24 . Prats ' resignation is interpreted as a severe blow to Allende . <p> August 27 Chile 's shop owners call another anti-government strike . <p> September 4 An estimated 100,000 supporters of Allende 's government march in the streets of Santiago to celebrate the third anniversary of his election . The Confederation of Professional Employees begins an indefinite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government of Salvador Allende . Allende dies during the takeover , reportedly by suicide . <p> September 13 The new military government names Army Commander Pinochet President and dissolves Congress . <p> September- October The Junta declares all Marxist political parties October illegal and places all other parties in indefinite recess . Press censorship is established , as are detention facilities for opponents of the new regime . Thousands of casualties are reported , including summary executions . <p> October 15 40 Committee approves $34,000 for an anti-Allende radio station and travel costs of pro-Junta spokesmen . <p> 1974 <p> June 24 40 Committee approves $50,000 for political commitments made to the Christian Democratic Party before the coup . <p> September 16 President Ford acknowledges covert operations in Chile . <p> October 25 The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the O.A.S . reports " grievous violations of human rights " in Chile . <p> December 30 U.S. military aid is cut off . <p> 1975 <p> June 20 Pinochet declares there " will be no elections in Chile during my lifetime nor in the lifetime of my successor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N . Commission on Human Rights to enter the country . <p> October 7 The U.N . Commission on Human Rights reports " with profound disgust " the use of torture as a matter of policy and other serious violations of human rights in Chile . <p> Portions of the above chronology of events in Chile were extracted from chronologies prepared by the Congressional Research Service ( " Chile , 1960-70 : A Chronology " ; " Chile Since the Election of Salvador Allende : A Chronology ; " Developments in Chile , March 1973 to the Overthrow of the Allende Government " ) and from material contained in the June 21 , 1973 , report of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations entitled " ITT and Chile " . <p> 1 . Moreover , the bare figures are more likely to understate than to exagerate the extent of U.S. covert action . In the years before the 1973 coup , especially , CIA dollars could be channeled through the Chilean black market where the unofficial exchange rate into Chilean ESCUDOS often reached five times the official rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level body of the Executive Branch whose mandate is to review proposed major covert actions . The Committee has existed in similar form since the 1950 's under a variety of names : 5412 Panel , Special Group ( until 1964 ) , 303 Committee ( to 1969 ) , and 40 Committee ( since 1969 ) . Currently chaired by the President 's Assistant for National Security Affairs , the Committee includes the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs , The Deputy Secretary of Defense , the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and the Director of Central Intelligence . <p> 7 . The terms Track I and Track II were known only to CIA and White House officials who were knowledgeable about the President 's September 15 order to the CIA . <p> 8 . As with bilateral aid , disbursements were continued under previous commitments . $54 million was disbursed between December 1970 and December 1972 . ( IDB figures ) <p> 9 . The use of the term " 40 Committee meetings " must not be taken in a literal sense . At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet frequently to discuss and approve , as well as review , U.S. covert activities . However , within a relatively short period of time , these formal meetings of the 40 Committee were replaced by less frequent meetings and a system of telephone clearances . Today the 40 Committee rarely meets . Covert action proposals , prepared by the DCI , are distributed to the various 40 Committee principals and approvals or disapprovals are obtained over the phone by the 40 Committee Special Group officer , a CIA officer on loan to the NSC staff . <p> 10 . These include Intelligence Memoranda produced by the CIA 's Office of Current Intelligence ( OCI ) and Intelligence Notes produced by the State Department 's Bureau of Intelligence and Research ( INR ) . <p> 11 . Under section 622 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1974 , the Director of Central Intelligence is requiered to notify six Congressional oversight committees of every 40 Committee approval once the President has issued a finding that the project is necessary for the national security of the United States . <p> This site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Internet sites should not be construed as

@@5045941 <h> " I think you still love me , but we ca n't escape the fact that I 'm not enough for you . I knew this was going to happen . So I 'm not blaming you for falling in love with another woman . I 'm not angry , either . I should be , but I 'm not . I just feel pain . A lot of pain . I thought I could imagine

@@5046041 <p> With a better understanding of the bankruptcy process , your fresh financial start will be much more smooth and stress-free . Here are some pointers regarding the things that would hurt you and help you if are going to be filing a bankruptcy petition . <p> DO NOT transfer , sell or give away any of your assets , if at all possible . If you have to , keep careful records of details of the transfer , and be prepared to explain why it was reasonable . For example , if you have to sell a car to help pay for living expenses , this is reasonable , as long as you sell the car for fair market value ( as opposed to gifting it to a friend , for example ) . As another example , if you have a habit of making regular donations to charity , this is fine as well , particularly if also have a habit of keeping supporting documentation . <p> DO NOT pay back some creditors and not the others who are similarly situated . Court wants all creditors who are in the same boat to be treated the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creditor , the court may ask you to pay the same amount of money to other creditors as well . This gets particularly complicated ( and bothersome to the court ) if you repay creditors who are your friends or relatives shortly before the petition is filed . <p> DO NOT close bank accounts , if possible . This raises a red flag and prompts some additional questions regarding why you closed the accounts and what you did with the money . <p> DO keep copies of all of your recent statements , particularly if they are related to assets that you wish to keep , such as mortgage bills and lease agreements . When the bankruptcy case is filed , often the banks stop sending statements to debtors so that it does n't seem like they are pressuring debtors to pay . While this may be a relief , what if you actually want to continue making payments on the loan , for example , for the mortgage on your home ? What if you actually want to receive a reminder of when the payment is due , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customer service ? While the lender should resume sending statements if you so request , do n't put yourself in a situation where you incur extra charges and extra hassle because you are missing information about your account . In addition , it 's important to have recent statements on hand because the court may want to verify what your loan balances were at the time of the filing of the case , or the terms of your agreements . <p> DO keep clear records of all of your income in the year before the bankruptcy petition may be filed . This encompasses income from all sources , such as wages , business income , rental income , child support , alimony and other regular contributions to your household by others , royalties , social security and disability payments , and so on . First of all , all sources of income have to be disclosed when you file the case and second , sometimes the trustee wants additional details about your income sources . If you are married and are filing the case alone , you also have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's income since the court wants to have a complete picture regarding your household 's finances . <p> DO keep records of all of your creditors ' ( and potential creditors ' ) names , addresses , account numbers or any other identifying information . In order for creditors to stop trying to collect from you , they need to be notified of your bankruptcy , so it 's important to list anybody who you think may have a claim against you . Be sure to list all of the collection agents , all of your personal loans , as well as medical bills which you are not able to pay . Run a credit report , if necessary . If somebody may bring a claim against you but has not yet , list them in any case ( for notice purpose only ) to be on the safe side . If you are not sure of the amount , estimate or list a potential creditor for " notice only . " Most frequently , this is an issue with medical bills . Let 's just say you had surgery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which portion of the bill insurance will pay for . If you may be potentially responsible for part of the bill , even if you have not received final accounting from the hospital yet , disclose the hospital in the petition . <p> DO decide what you would like to do with respect to each of your properties , long-term contracts and leases . You will have to provide something called " Statement of Intention " in a Chapter 7 case , and a proposed plan in a Chapter 13 . Your attorney will help you by discussing your budget and by calculating how your case will be different depending on which assets or contracts are kept . While you may change your " Statement of Intention " and the Chapter 13 plan after the case is filed , it introduces additional hassle , additional opportunity for creditors to object , and possibly additional legal and administrative fees . With respect to long-term contracts and leases especially , you absolutely have to decide what to do with them within a certain limited time period after the case is filed . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or assume such leases or contracts , then by default , they will be rejected . After all , if you are filing a bankruptcy case , the court does not want you to be stuck with any extra liability . The idea is to let you emerge from bankruptcy as financially free as possible . <p> These are the major issues that come up . Your attorney will be able to advise you if your local trustee or judges have a tendency to zoom in on specific questions or issues . <h> About the Author <p> Victoria Maydanik is an experienced consumer bankruptcy attorney serving Silicon Valley and San Francisco . For more information about Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy , or to ask Victoria a specific question about the subject

@@5046141 <h> WOMEN 'S HOCKEY : Back And Forth Game Ends In Tie <p> For The Heights <p> Published : Monday , November 5 , 2012 <p> Updated : Monday , November 5 , 2012 01:11 <p> Graham Beck / Heights Editor <p> Captain Blake Bolden fired in her first two goals of the season to keep the No. 8 Boston College women 's hockey team ( 3-3-1 , 2-2-1 Hockey East ) in the game , as they drew to a 5-5 final score against its in-town rivals , the No. 3 Boston University Terriers ( 7-2-1 , 3-1-1 Hockey East ) . The game , played on Saturday afternoon at Kelley Rink , the game was the second of a two-game set with BU last week -- the first was a 7-1 win for the Eagles on Wednesday . <p> Head coach Katie King Crowley said that she did not change anything from the previous matchup . " When you win like we did on Wednesday -- it was a fun game for our kids -- we were hoping that they would feed off of that energy , " Crowley said . " We just talked about having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistakes , sometimes the opposition ends up capitalizing on them , so we have to learn to not make those little mistakes anymore . " <p> The Eagles got off to a quick start on Saturday , with a Kate Leary goal less than two minutes into play . Meagan Mangene grabbed the assist , after Leary bagged up her shot on the rebound . <p> However , BU fought back , however , and Louise Warren scored two goals in quick succession . For her first , Warren traveled all the way behind the net and swung around with a quick shot . Warren netted her second from mid-range when she found herself open in the middle of the slot . Warren would end the night with three goals , acquiring her first career hat trick . <p> The Eagles had more in their tank , though , as Bolden netted her first score of the game and of the season . After taking shot after shot from distance , Bolden glided toward the goal with less than a minute left in the first period and tallied thean equalizer. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . <p> Bolden struck again at the beginning of the second period with a long-range effort to give BC a 3-2 lead . <p> Once again , BU responded , and Isabel Menard leveled the score at 3-3 at the end of the second period . <p> Reminiscent of the first period , BC grabbed a quick first goal at the beginning of the third , as Alex Carpenter charged down the left flank and drove the puck into the back of the net , but then BU responded with two more goals of its own . Shannon Stoneburgh and Warren both swept in from close range to find the back of the net , putting the Terriers up 5-4 with less than 13 minutes left to play . <p> Around four minutes later , freshman Lexi Bender seized an open shot after a long stretch of BC possession and forced the game into overtime with a goal to make it 5-5 . <p> Neither team managed to find the back of the net in that extra five-minute period , and the game ended with an even score . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ score that goal . At that time , we shortened the bench quite a bit , and were trying to get kids out there that were going to find a way to score a goal , " Crowley said . " We were n't able to do it , but we had some nice chances and made some nice plays . " <p> Crowley was happy with her team 's performance on the day . <p> " Yeah , you always want to win , so I 'm not completely satisfied , " Crowley said . " But I think our kids worked hard and did the things we asked them to do for the most part . You 're playing against the No. 3 team in the country , so we knew it was going to be a battle , and I was happy with the way the kids came out . " <p> BC ended the game with more than double the shots that BU had , and forced 38 saves from Terriers goalkeeper Kerrin Sperry . <p> " Now we are done with BU for a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 'll be able to see them in the Beanpot . It was definitely a good series to feed off of , and definitely to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server . <p> The Eagles are looking to bounce back from their loss to Notre Dame last weekend with a win against Virginia Tech . The Hokies need to win the last two games of their season in order to reach a bowl game . Boston College needs to win the last two games of its

@@5046241 <h> Sushi Chefs-do they have to be Japanese ? <p> Do Sushi chefs have to be Japanese ? Lau on chowhound had a lengthy post related to Yuba restaurant . He began with his skepticism about Chinese chefs making sushi ( I believe he is Chinese ) yet concludes that Yuba defied this concern . <p> IN that thread , Silverjay suggested that the result was a sort of " Pied au Cochon " style of sushi , the notable Montreal restaurant that serves delicious , but extremely rich and oppulent food with a surfeit of fois gras included in many of the dishes . He intimated that the result is not restrained and subtle and as the " yuba " name suggests since " yuba " is a Kyoto style dish . Kyoto cuisine is noted for it 's elegance and refinement . So if this is in fact a divergence from Japanese cuisine-is it the amalgamation of Japanese training ( the Chefs trained in Japanese restaurants ) with American sensibilities along with Chinese culture ? <p> I have some thoughts of my own . Some people judge food by the feeling it conveys . This feeling reflects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . It also reflects the artistry and precision of the culture . The Japanese culture has an enormously precise component that feels elegant without being compulsive ; movement is economical , precise and almost meditative . There is an enormous visual aesthetic and some of it is related to their historical religious roots in the Zen tradition as well as Shinto traditions . I believe you can actually feel the difference when an attentive mindful chef makes sushi . I had dinner at Arubaya Kinosuke with a Japanese friend a few years back . WE both commented that sushi made by non-Japanese does n't feel right . He was surprised that I recognized that , but it was important to him . <p> So if I want Kyoto style cuisine , I want the cultural feeling . IT 's the same when I go to Pied au Cochon-I really enjoy the rich opulence of the Quebecois tradition of Martin Picard and his Quebecois chefs . If I go to an Italian owned and manned sandwich shop in Boston 's Little Italy , there is something almost magical about the tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sandwich and even in the bread itself . <p> Japanese is perhaps the most " persnickity " of these cultural affects . You ca n't just reproduce it by adding the right ingredients . You have to have the movements of a Japanese chef which seems to require enormous training . In the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi , it became apparent that the training process is extensive and demanding . The apprentices literally spend years learning just how to prepare rice-I believe they said 10 years . They would even massage the octopuses to soften their meat before they cooked them . This produces an incredibly satisfying result that actually , for me , imparts a sense of peacefulness and elegance . This is not somehow conveyed when I eat Chinese , Korean or Vietnamese made sushi . <p> I remember going to a small noodle shop in Tokyo once . It was totally amazing and there was this sense of care that went into the food preparation . It was not a nervous kind of intensity , but rather a relaxed sense of precision that went into that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a great place for respecting tradition . In fact , some of the best fusion comes out of highly skilled professionals who are adept in their own tradition . Hence , when , for example , Eric Rippert at Le Bernardin puts an Asian spin on his cuisine , there 's something quite decent , though I must say I prefer his French style dishes . Or when Nobu Matsuhisa combines Japanese and Peruvian , it 's quite nice . <h> Updated on Nov 5 , 2012 <h> 237 Replies <p> At least in Japan , you can barely find a woman preparing sushi , let alone a non-Japanese person . The rumor is that a woman 's hands are too warm ... there are other chauvinistic aspects too , but I do n't really care who makes my sushi . I KNOW that most of the " sushi " places in NYC are n't run by Japanese people , and the staff originate anywhere from China , South Korea , the Dominican Republic ... sure you have Japanese sushi chefs at many establishments , and I believe those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also good to practice language skills ) , but if I have the craving , who knows " who " I 'll find . <p> Good points . Chauvinism does seem to be a bad trait of many cultures , as I think you might be suggesting . I do notice that my enjoyment level is quite different with a great sushi chef , and I have yet to experience one who is not Japanese . But your experience may be different . I had some wonderfully crafted sushi by a Korean sushi chef . It just was n't the same somehow . I did n't know he was Korean when I went into the restaurant . But after eating some of the sushi , it did n't feel as good . But as you may be pointing out , it was n't a " bad " experience . It just was n't optimal for me . <p> My question in that thread had nothing to do with challenging the assertion that non-Japanese can not be sushi chefs . My wife is Japanese and I lived in Tokyo for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversing in Japanese with a chef as an anecdote to homesickness . <p> I 'm a hardcore Japanophile but the first to admit that there are many cultures with rich , very particular culinary sensibilities that take time and experience to learn . I do n't know about 10 years just to learn to make rice , but for anyone cooking any cuisine I would hope they went through some experience that rightfully prepared them to serve the cuisine- whether through apprenticeship , study , travel , experience , etc . I 'm sure like anything , there will be some people that just get it better than others . It really helps to have spent time in Japan because the unique sensibilities there , while shared in spirit by other countries ( seasonality , freshness , aesthetics , etc. ) the application is quite different ....... And honestly , I 'm so over the whole Jiro Dreams of Sushi thing . There are a ton of great sushi restaurants and chefs in Japan . There are plenty of people who do n't think he is the best or ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ........... Also , the restaurant you are referring to in NYC is Aburiya Kinnosuke . Did not realize that they have ever served sushi . Usually consider it a robataya/izakaya . <p> Yes , ofcourse . It just so happened that the conversation came up at that restaurant . Thanks for sharing your views . And thanks for the correcction on the spelling . I think you make excellent points about the need to enjoy many cultures . Also , Jiro is an extreme example , as you point out , and certainly not for everyone . <p> I agree they do nt have to be from the same place that the cuisine comes from , but the chefs you point out spent time in their respective countries of reference and studied the food of the country . The typical non-Japanese sushi chef I 've encountered has come no closer to studying Japan than watching Pokemon cartoons . The standard roll of 8 different fish with 4 kinds of sauces is off putting to me . Give me one piece of nigiri with an immaculate piece of fresh fish . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favors in such a simple dish when it 's done right . So few get it right because honestly I do n't think they ever tasted it . Anyone can learn a craft . It takes time and dedication to do it well . Your basic neighborhood sushi place probably does n't have someone who has had the proper training . That said , one of my favorite sushi chefs is Korean . Probably helps that he grew up in Japan though . <p> The sushi I get at Safeway in San Francisco ( made , or at least assembled , before my eyes ) is better than the worst sushi I 've had in Japan but not as good as the best : it 's about the quality of an average railroad station sushi place . The people making it are not visually of Japanese ancestry , and they do n't do the picky little things like make sure the rice grains are all aligned in the same direction , but it 's a quick to-go lunch . <p> I think a lot of the fussiness - women ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to make rice - are chauvanism and a search for exclusivity , After all , if anybody can do it it 's not special and you could n't charge the big bucks or mega-yen . <p> I studied an ancient Japanese marshal art called Kyudo for a number of years . The master was one of the top bow makers in Japan . His apprentices had to study for years and years . There was n't the slightest bit of exclusivity or haughtiness or arrogance in his being . This was merely a humble obeiscence to tradition of how to train properly . My experience with Japanese culture was that there may be a compontent that is all about a continual sense of striving for improvement to try to continue towards mastery . It 's not just in the Japanese culture ; many high level performers , golfer , musician , whatever-tends to continue to train and improve . Tiger Woods had a teacher that he continued to study with at the height of his career . Vijay Singh has trainers as well . <p> In Asian culture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tasks as an inroad into the more complex functions for any particular art . For example , Chinese caligraphy artists are required to master a single stroke for ages before going on to more complex drawings . I think artists in the west had similar trainings in years past . It 's about mastering the simple to accomplish the complex . I think this component of Japanese culture is quite admirable and is important in why the food culture of Japan is so compelling . I do n't think this is about exclusivity alone . Perhaps there is some of that too with some people . <p> i do n't think race has anything to do with it ; i DO think the culture , training , methods and sensibilities ( as well as the rigorous protocol ) required of aspiring sushi chefs in japan is difficult or impossible to replace . <p> that said , i also love " foreign " sushi for what it is. it 's kind of like i love american chinese food : it IS N'T chinese ! but it IS good , in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have you ... each culture has taken sushi , which is japanese in origin ( sort of ... edozushi , which is what we today think of as " sushi " , is japanese ... the true history of " sushi " is long and convoluted and actually originates somewhere in SE asia , but that 's a whole ' nother conversation ... ) and transformed it into a " new breed " of food , if you will . <p> pizza in japan is not american pizza , which is not italian pizza , but it 's its own thing , which can also be good as long as one accepts it for what it is . <p> so , i think to be a good or great sushi chef , IF true japanese sushi is the goal , it 's necessary to have trained in japan , and have spent extensive time there immersed in the culture . i absolutely think to be racially japanese or not is beyond irrelevant . <p> So , an American ( or , for that matter , a Japanese-American ) who trained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did n't actually train in the country of Japan ? <p> Would a French chef who trained under Daniel and Ripert but never set foot in France be inherently any less of a French chef than one who did ? Nonsense . You might as well say they have to be a Pisces , or between 5 ' 7 " and 6 ' 1 " , or have blue eyes . <p> I think you make an interesting point . Yuba , as i mentioned in the original post seems to defy the point we are making-that a western chef can be trained in Japanese cooking-but the result may not have the same cultural feel as the chef himself . I have definately experienced at top end restaurants the sous chef not being as good as the original including Ripert 's restaurant . Japanese culture has a very unique sensibility which in food is quite amazing , and it usually does n't , thought it could-transfer to non-Japanese chef 's in my experience . Something does transfer from any great chef , but it misses a certain cultural approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and technical expertise might suffice for sgordon 's rudimentary palate , but it might be lacking for a connoisseur . As I have mentioned elsewhere on this site , well-intentioned chefs who try to incorporate Japanese ingredients or cooking techniques , or other experiments in this fusion , to their **25;4598;TOOLONG sensibilities oftentimes lack those nuances and I often find those flaws quite stark . However , it is exciting when a chef hits that balance , but I find it rare . More often , I have found that Japanese chefs who delve into western techniques/ingredients more successful . It seems more likely because they have a fuller understanding of both culinary approaches and their nuances . Perhaps in the next decade or so some of the western chefs will find ways to strike that balance with more experience and learning about Japanese cuisine ( or whatever fusion they 're working on ) . <p> Excellent points . The previous chef at Atellier Robluchon in New York was Japanese and had an incredible mastery of French cooking . That was one of hte most delightful restaurants in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awesome chef , is not always so spot on when he adds a Japanese or Chinese touch to his cuisine . <p> ONe other point-I always noticed that on the original Top Chef show , the western chefs did not acquit themselves well against Japanese chefs . Rarely did the American chef defeat the Japanese chef . The difference showed up in a sense of grace and elegance as well . I was very disapointed when the show ended to be replaced by the American version . It just was n't quite as fund to watch . I felt like I was watching marshal art masters on the Japanese show . On the American show , I felt like I was watching good cooks , but not people in control of the beauty and elegance of the entire environment around the food . Morimoto is on the American show , and he is definately an excellent chef and a delight to watch in that tradition . <p> Iron Chef Japan was a bunch of shit . I used to watch it first run in Japan . I enjoyed it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a Japanese show that played to Japanese sensibilities . I would n't take anything away from it more than the spectacle of it . <p> I tended to think that the Japanese chefs produced more elegant and beautiful dishes that seemed more appealing at least visually . Also the chefs seemed to have more mastery . The Japanese chefs did almost always win , and I am sure you are correct about Japanese sensibilities-the judges were all Japanese . I did try an American who won-Ron Siegel . He was the chef at Masa in San Francisco . He won on a lobster dinner against the Japanese counterpart . His restaurant Masa was one of the best in San Francisco , in my view . I preferred his food to Gary Danko , and amazing restaurant there . He trained at Daniel and French Laundry . Oddly though Masa was started by a Japanese chef originally , decades before Ron Siegel was the chef , he did n't have any Japanese training . So I loved the show , and despite it seeming a bit unfair to westerners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My recollection from watching in Japanese was that the dishes tasted closer to Japanese sensibilities and comments from the judges reflected this . I do n't recall the elegance and beauty being an issue . This was ten plus years ago . I know that the translations in English were n't faithful to the original and were simplified and done for effect rather than accuracy . Anyway , the show was deliberately camp and probably offers more cultural insight than culinary . <p> Translations can be challenging in terms of conveying cultural sensitivities . It 's interesting what you say about the show . It was n't my impression , but perhaps you are right . It was definitely " campy " from a western perspective . I had assumed that it was somehow not so much so from a Japanese perspective , but your post suggests that it 's campy in Japan as well . The Chairman sure embodied " camp " . But the food was incredibly beautiful and I always came away wishing I could try the work of the chefs showcased . I do often feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> Of the 300 or so episodes of the original Iron Chef series , only about 30 had Western chefs . I did some quick math and it seems that the Western challengers won about 11 or so of their matches , and two went to a draw . That 's about even with challengers in general , regardless where they 're from - the Iron chefs tend to win about 2/3rds of their battles . So the winning percentage was n't actually any higher vs . Western chefs than Japanese ones . <p> Just sayin ' if the Western chefs got " railed " - well , so did every other challenger . <p> His type of thinking is endemic in the US , but especially NYC- " My little corner of the world has everything , why do you need to go elsewhere ? " . <p> I do n't think the Ripert/ Boulud example is very applicable in this case . There 's a deeply embedded French culinary tradition here in the U.S. French techniques and nomenclature are often in de facto usage and there are local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were Japanese ones here and if , at some point , Japanese cuisine reaches the same level of cultural penetration that French has . <p> Is there really any doubt that spending quality time in the country will make you a better chef for that cuisine ? Some of the most acclaimed Italian and French restaurants outside of those respective countries are in Japan and it is well-known that those Japanese chefs spend time in those countries training . Japan has a history of this sort of study abroad through immersion , going back to the late 19th century when , as part of the government policy , they sent young Naval officers , engineers , educators , many other civil service people abroad to learn foreign methodologies , techniques , etc. to bring back to the mother country . This is probably what accounts for the higher level of acumen of Western sensibilities and perhaps , more success with fusion . <p> One thing I might challenge Japan on is the level of reciprocity it offers with respect to hosting foreign culinary students . I do n't know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or private opportunities . I do n't know for sure , just suspect that . <p> If you want the best sushi in my area , you oddly skip the Asian-owned places , and go with two small places in strip malls . Each is owned by white guys ( though one of them is married to a Japanese woman , and her family helps out ) who spent several years living and learning in Japan and who still shut down for 2-3 weeks in the off season to go back to Japan for a refresher on proper technique . <p> Japanese trained , and they continue to get training and recognize the need for training . That seems to be a part of the notion of kyokuro . Seems to suggest that there is a need for Japanese cultural infusion and training . <p> Do sushi chefs have to be Japanese ? I should n't think so , any more than hamburger cooks need to be trained in Hamburg . <p> As a diner on a limited budget , I 'd love to be able to experience the sublime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " workaday " sushi can be very satisfying . Even buffet sushi can be quite satisfactory . With that in mind , most of the sushi chefs in my experience seem to be Mexican . <p> Hamburger is basically an American dish and may have originated in America , so the chef , in your analogy , should be an American . Yet a satisfying delicious hamburger requires far less skill than satisfying delicious sushi . My wife , born overseas , makes great hamburgers . My son can too . None of us would feel comfortable making great , or even respectable sushi . <p> One additional point , Wayne . You do need to spend a bit to be able to experience certain aspects of the food world . A " budget " diner can experience great things-but not certain types of " haute " cuisine , notably French , gourmet level Italian , Spanish , etc. or high level Japanese including Sushi , Kaiseki , or others . Even high level Chinese food , which can be had in New York , is extremely costly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abalone , sharks fin , fresh lobster . Farbeit from me to say that you are not experiencing great dining , though . It 's just that you may be missing something . Are you missing much ? I do n't know . While I am very happy having had great dining experiences in my lifetime , " budget " sushi , for example , has great merits : it benefits from having a good and reasonably fresh piece of fish on fair quality rice with the delightful puncutation of the sweet and saltiness of soy sauce and a smattering of wasabi , albeit the synthetic kind made mostly of horseradish . That 's not too shabby of an experience . It 's much much better than much that " budget " dining has to offer . <p> On the other hand , when you can experience the perfect temperature and texture and taste of a great piece of sushi accompanied by the exact correct balance of saltiness and sweetness from some sort of soy sauce that tastes so much better than the commercial stuff , along with real wasabi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so you know which sushi to dip or not to dip . And that the rice has an amazing texture and sense of consistency . It 's pretty amazing stuff and very very satisfying . I usually come away feeling pretty great from that . I find it amazing that a meal actually can make you feel so good . <p> If you are inclinded , save up some dough and give it a try . Go to Kuruma Sushi or any of the other great places in New York . Sit at the sushi counter , not at a table . Let the chef direct the meal . Go in and try only PART of a meal , so you do n't have to break the bank . If you do , please let us all know if it was worth it , would you ? Make sure the chef is Japanese , by the way-even if it 's theoretically possible for there to be a great non-Japanese sushi chef . Why not go with the odds ? <p> In Japan , truly great sushi can be experienced for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a whole is not afraid to whip up a bowl of chirashi or any of several other forms for daily meals , sometimes with the help of easily-available plastic sushi molds ( look on eBay for " sushi maker " ) . <p> I know this is n't exactly an answer to the original post , but for my taste and budget , " everyday sushi " and even " homemade sushi " are more in line with my budget and my ability to appreciate superior sushi ( I 'm old and jaded and everyone says my taste buds were burnt out long ago ) . <p> There 's a Japanese TV drama called Shota No Sushi from the mid 1990s ( that was a TV port of a manga by the same name ) , where the lead character 's master told him that the essence to greatness in sushi boils down to kokoro , not technique . Loosely , this means " heart " , but for those more in tune to Chinese and Japanese culture , it means a lot more .... where it includes things like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all steps possible ultimately for the consideration of taste , quality , texture , and delighting the customer in the end . The Chinese equivalent to this would be ? ? ? ? , or the degree of which you put in your best effort and consideration ( of the customer/person tasting your food ) to maximize the end result and striving to do better and maintain quality . To some it 's not about the end result , but the path to it . Ono Jiro is in a way a very extreme example .... but this approach to work ethic or way of thinking is not really new to many older generation Japanese ( or Chinese and Taiwanese ) . <p> Anthony Bourdain in his worship of Ono Jiro in No Reservations:Tokyo , said the difference between really really good sushi and run of the mill is ingredient , technique , and timing . But , that 's all really a subset of the approach to work ethic and kokoro . Someone can be trained in Japan , but without the core ethic , one can still source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean they will churn out a product with love , passion , and care . Kind of like a Chinese noodle chef doing fresh hand pulled noodles .... he might stretch it out and make thwacking sounds to impress onlookers , but the noodle might come out with the wrong texture and taste . Same principle if someone tosses pizza dough , making one think it 's going to be an excellent Neapolitan , but it ends up being .... Safeway or frozen fare quality . <p> So if you have the right approach and embody that part of the culture , with training and execution in the right direction , you do n't have to be Japanese to succeed . But it just so happens that the best are . And it just so happens that some Japanese chefs have found the perfect marriage of incorporating kaiseki elements into French , earning them well deserved Michelin stars . <p> Kokuro is such an important issue in food . That quality of cooking with " heart " or xin in Chinese , is also completely possible in the Western traditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe with a food expert . We both had the same favorite restaurant ; a restaurant in Italy called Aimo e Nadia . The key ; they cooked with love . I think this considering kokuro adds a very wonderful dimension to food that can elevate our life experience . <p> Sure , and that 's why people like Bourdain try to squeeze in a visit to someone 's home in foreign countries to get a taste of home cooked love . In some ways one tastes not just the love , but the good intentions ( reflected in their cooking and the way they communicate with you to really make you feel at home ) , the local vibes and flavors . There 's a term for this in Japanese and Chinese as well which is a basic interpretation of this feeling , that 's also reflected in Japanese approach to hospitality ( omotenashi , which is a separate topic altogether ) . <p> I wonder if people think that the " feel " and " heart " of food makes a big difference ? Or is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to detail and precision ? For me the precise elegance of the food matters greatly . The visual aesthetic and balance is extremely important . So for example , in my view , a three course meal at Guy Savoy in Paris has much more balance than a 20 course meal at , say , French Laundry . Both are exquisitely prepared with amazing skill , elegance , visual beauty , but I always feel a food hangover at French Laundry . Guy Savoy does offer their version of the multi course prix fixe as well ( at least in Las Vegas ) , but the old fashioned French style three course meal is really a delight . There is more sense of balance , whereas the multi course meal has the feeling of eating a pyrotechnic display . <p> Maybe Eto and Silverjay can explain this better from a Japanese perspective , but there 's a term in Chinese called ? ? ? ( ren qing wei in Mandarin , or yun tsing mei in Cantonese ) which in Japanese I believe is called ? ? ? ? ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . This is probably getting too philosophical , but worth mentioning anyway . <p> This is in essence a part of the culture where one can " taste " the personal touches imparted from someone , whether it be a process , the best of intentions , sincerity , which then gets reflected in the approach to ingredients , execution , precision , and the service , in order to delight the customer having the food and bringing that experience to another level . It is somewhat analogous to being treated like family , that you feel the warmth and love of the chef 's personal touches ( or the restaurant 's ) , but more importantly , this entire act ( or series of acts ) moves you in such a way that it really touches your heart . <p> How one is moved by such actions , of course varies . It could mean a chef secretly reading your mind and delighting you with a surprise that you have n't had in ages , or cooking you something that reminds you of home or your childhood , suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling from afar and never had it before , that while is considered peasant food , but yet prepares in such a way that it is uber delicious , or just going all out above and beyond . <p> The term ? ? ? gets thrown around a lot in Hong Kong food and drink media , even down to the dai pai dongs and blue collar street food level . To those people , the food tastes better when there 's ? ? ? , usually when the owners of small food businesses drum up chit chat with regular customers ... and it turns into an episode of Cheers , casual neighborhood vibe where people come together in a community , almost like family . Now in terms of western culture , European cuisine , I have no idea how this translates , but surely there are bonds formed of all sorts between diners and local restaurants/chefs , similarly to how one would see for example Bourdain 's episode of No Reservation Naples , in Cetera , where chefs feel important to know the people who supply ingredients ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closing the relationships gaps . <p> I 've never heard the term ninjoumi before . To be perfectly honest , I 'm not really all that concerned with the esoteric mystical essence of it all . I more enjoy being impressed with craft . And anyway , a lot of dining in Japan is done in restaurants with open kitchens and often intimate surroundings or at a counter in front of the chef(s) . So the personal touches and spot relationship you have or the relationship you may build over time , are sort of built into the dining experience . I rather like this as opposed to the chefs out back in a kitchen rather anonymously behind swinging doors . But it 's not like I chit-chat with the chefs every time . <p> It was interesting to read recently in , I think in New York magazine , that many high end restaurants in New York use shortcut code lingo between front of house and kitchen to let them know about whether a patron was a high roller or a regular or a super regular or a picky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is obviously in an effort to provide better service . But there 's something oft-putting about being reduced to a code word . <p> Thanks , that 's my experience as well . So the range of posts : Some people have had acceptable sushi prepared by non-Japanese chefs , many have preferred Japanese chefs . Yuba has Chinese chefs that seem to do a great job , but the food perhaps diverges from Japanese culture in some ways , but has a wonderful quality nonetheless . Someone had Korean chef made sushi that was good . Someone felt that the chef should be at least trained well in Japan , regardless of whether they were Japanese or not . Others felt that there is something not so desirable about a certain kind of exclusivity or preciousness applied to sushi of a particular type . Some people felt that offerings at Safeway and other more affordable versions of sushi were quite sufficient . Others talked of an almost spiritual aspect of food preparation . Very nice dialogue . Thanks . <p> You could get passable sushi made by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it does make a considerable difference in taste and qualify , for many of the reasons stated earlier in this thread . <p> I recently ate at one of the highly rated sushi places in Denver and all the chefs at the counter were non-Japanese . I would say 90% of the sushi being prepared were rolls , rolls with peppers , rolls with cooked/raw fish , rolls with mayo and teri sauce , even rolls with strawberrys . Not at all traditional , and frankly , how much training does it take to create some fusion type sushi roll out of the blue , just some imagination . It did n't appeal to me at all . <p> That being said , some of the dishes from the kitchen had a very Japanese flavor and I was very impressed with the hot and cold dishes . However , the nigiri served was just ok , the raw fish was n't the best quality and the rice left quite a bit to be desired , but I figured for a mountain state , this was probably the best one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely not . <p> There 's an okay sushi place in Denver called Sushi Den , IF you get the Japanese owner as your chef-which due to it 's popularity is not a certainty . The chef gets his fish regularly from his brother who has a fish market in Fukuoku Japan , if I understand correctly . If that 's the place you went to , then you got the wrong chefs . The sushi I had there last time I was in Denver was quite good ; clean , fresh , well prepared-the toro was disapointing however , naturally . It 's hard to get good toro . <p> Sushi Den was our other option that evening . Where we did eat and for the price we paid , the food was alright , about what I expected for Denver quality wise . I definitely was n't anticipating anything close to what we 've had in LA or NY , so it was n't a great disappointment . We 'll give Sushi Den a try on our next visit , it sounds promising . <p> It defies basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one sort of food or another can ONLY be performed at the highest level by people from a specific country or ethnic/cultural background . With the right training and some talent , any skill can be learned . Despite a whole lot of often-touted fluff and silliness to the contrary , there 's no mysticism in food prep . <p> Sushi prep is analogous to American football . Do you absolutely have to be American to be a great football player ? Of course not . But the training infrastructure and cultural importance of football are both much greater in America than anywhere else , so it should n't be a surprise that the best football players are nearly always American . <p> Then there is also the psychological element of eating sushi : <p> Does the simple matter of truly believing that the sushi in front of you was prepared by a Japanese master who trained for decades actually help you as an eater enjoy the sushi more ? I 'd say probably it does in many cases . <p> How would naming great sushi places prove my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being born on one patch of soil that forever dooms you to be unfit to mix rice and fish in a pleasing and skillful manner . At the same time , I freely admit that Japanese sushi chefs have some real and major advantages when it comes to learning the skill at a high level , and I admit that most of the best sushi chefs will be Japanese because of those advantages . <p> Buy into the mysticism of food prep if you like . Understand that others find it silly . I 'm sorry if it offends you that I find it silly , and you 're welcome to try to convince me of its merits ( though in honesty you 'll have an uphill battle at best ) . As a decent cook myself , I 've found no use for and no truth in that kind of philosophy of cooking . Such is life . <p> If you can name an example of a great western chefs who can cook sushi , that would be convincing as to your point that " anyone can learn a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather difficult to learn ; a visual aesthetic based on actual celebration of imperfection and impermanence ; a sense of attentiveness that is free from thinking and hence is graceful and precise ; a sense of balance ; and other components that are considered a elements of Japanese culture . These are not " skills " but are fundamental attitudes . Many of these attitudes are embedded in mystical traditions of Japan , namely Shinto and Zen . Fundamental attitudes can not be learned in school easily . <p> It seems to me that you 're kind of conflating two points . One - the less pertinent one - is whether a foreigner can ever develop a true and deep understanding of another culture without being part of that culture . To that I 'd say yes , but it 's quite difficult . And some cultures may be more difficult than others . I may get into trouble for saying this , but while Japanese culture is typically described as very polite and friendly , it is also often described as more insular than some cultures . But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort is indeed considerable ) , a deep understanding can be reached . <p> The other , more relevant point is about whether a deep and thorough understanding of a culture is necessary to excel at cooking a cuisine of that culture . To that , I 'd say ... not quite . To excel at cooking a cuisine , a deep and thorough understanding of that cuisine is necessary , which does entail an understanding of its cultural importance and the values the cuisine is based off of . But that 's still not quite the same thing . There 's a lot that goes into making great sushi , but all that 's still comparably finite . There 's a lot about Japan you do n't need to know to make great nagiri , just as there 's a lot about Spain you do n't need to know to make a killer paella . <p> I 'm hesitant to name non-Japanese chefs making good sushi for two reasons . For one , I do n't think my argument really hinges on the strength of any individual examples - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether or not any actually have , and this is self-evident from nothing more than an understanding of the process of cooking ( albeit at a very high level ) . For another , I 'm concerned that anyone I name will just be held up to ridicule to support the conclusion you 've already made . And I 'm not really super into that . <p> That said , and going from nothing more than reputation ( I have not had the honor of dining at his restaurant ) , I 'll toss Tyson Cole 's name out there . Yes , he does include some fusion in his menu , as well as quite a few options beyond sushi . But by nearly all accounts , he also does traditional sushi very well . <p> I bring him up as much to segue into another point as to actually toss out a name . I suspect that if you ate at Uchi ( cole 's restaurant ) , you probably would n't get the same feel as you do from a traditional sushi restaurant with a Japanese chef @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff are unable to skillfully recreate that feel and that food . Instead , it might be because people ( Americans anyway ) expect traditional sushi from Japanese chefs but are skeptical of traditional sushi from Westerners . A skilled Westerner making sushi , or almost any Eastern cuisine , really , is expected to Westernize his menu . The skepticism of Western sushi chefs evident in this thread can form a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy , where the best way for a black , white , or Latino chef well trained in classical sushi technique to build a successful restaurant is take their considerable skills and direct them towards a non-traditional approach to the cuisine they 've studied and love . <p> I 'll add that high among my personal favorite local sushi joints is a small , cheap , fusion spot run by Koreans . The rice is blood-warm and just a bit over-vinegared by Japanese standards ; Americanized sauces are used at times ; the nori is not top quality ; the pieces ( most of em rolls ) are just a bit bigger than the norm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's the thing - I live inland , and these guys just do n't have ready access to the highest quality of fish and other supplies , much less the ability to sell such expensive ingredients to the locals at a profit . And given those constraints , their sushi demonstrates a high degree of skill - an understanding of how to pick the best from what good but not mind-blowing ingredients are available and make them well balanced and as satisfying as they can be . They do n't make top-quality traditional Japanese sushi . But they know how to work with fish and rice . <p> The point - not every sushi chef is trying and failing to make great traditional sushi due to lack of training or understanding . Some are making the best of their area 's limitations , customer base , and supply chain and very skillfully making a product that 's satisfying in its own right within these limitations . <p> Yeah , Silverjay , but what if one is dead-set on ordering Monster Truck Rolls made with seven kinds of raw fish rendered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sri-hot-cha-cha Sauce , which are then battered and deepfried to a hearty crunch ? In that case , I 'd say it would help if the chefs are NOT Japanese . &lt;&lt;end of nightmare&gt;&gt; <p> Very good points . The challenge may be that culture is not a set of facts and figures alone . It is also the subliminal attitudes and views of a society that are difficult to articulate . They show up in the food . <p> " The challenge may be that culture is not a set of facts and figures alone . It is also the subliminal attitudes and views of a society that are difficult to articulate . " I do n't disagree . But I consider that part of the difficulty of understanding another culture . If all you had to do to deeply understand another culture was read a lot , it would n't be that hard . Still , I do n't think these underlying and difficult-to-articulate and generally unspoken attitudes and values are completely untranslatable to someone from outside said culture . They 're just difficult to pick up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> I think that football is quite apt . There are so many quarterbacks who receive the tremendous training that the American football system affords . Yet only a select few can actually learn the skill of an NFL quarterback . Hence , your statement that ANY SKILL CAN BE learned is defied by your own analogy . Not any skill can be learned such as the skill of an NFL quarterback . A certain talent or inclination must exist at some sort of extreme level . In the case of sushi , that inclination may very well be cultural . In the Japanese culture is a deep rooted sense of " mysticism " related to the shinto and Zen Buddhist traditions and includes a cultural attentiveness to elegance , mindfulness , and an array of spiritual compenents . I and others do n't consider this silly . <p> " Hence , your statement that ANY SKILL CAN BE learned is defied by your own analogy . " Only if you ignore the first half of the sentence you quoted . That ' talent ' bit . Do you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That even if other countries adopted football as their most popular sport and developed their native talent and pushed their best natural athletes toward football , still only Americans would be the best players in the world ? <p> I tend to agree with you as well . There is no mysticism or genetic determinism involved here . What is involved is having access to the culinary resources and being enveloped in a centuries-old culinary culture that reveres just about anything from the seas . Being able to understand that culture ( i.e. , the rules and resources around the traditional foodways , along with the language and social mores ) gives the natives of that culture a distinct advantage . Unfortunately , as Silverjay stated earlier upthread , access for foreigners to partake in such high-level training is likely closed off by its gatekeepers . And it 's most likely that those gatekeepers who attempt to maintain the sanctity of their craft/trade within a brotherhood of like-minded folks , tend to make their justifications in the form of genetic or " essentialist " claims : women 's hands are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditions , etc . <p> I do n't think the football analogy is so apt . Sumo is probably a better analogy . Decades ago , I 'm sure sumo represented a " pure " , unique tradition , seeped within a deeply embedded Japanese culture that would n't be penetrated by non-Japanese . Fast forward to today where there are top level sumo wrestlers from eastern Europe and Mongolia . This development may have come at the cost of alienating the hardcore traditionalists , but for these athlete 's , they have demonstrated a deep reverence toward the sport of sumo and its cultural roots and have been able to be accepted in the sumo world because of that . The sushi world may not be that far behind . <p> I 'll also add that soccer is probably a better analogy . For a country like the USA which excels in worldwide sports generally , why has n't it produce more than a small handful of world-class players ? More than its middling popularity , it probably has to do with the resources available to developing homegrown soccer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can pay your local talent the league minimum and get " good enough " or you can pay to bring in the real talent from abroad to really fill those seats . <p> Finally , I 'll add this from an old post . Making sushi is n't just cutting up fish and making rice and putting the two together . There 's an entire world of fish/seafood varieties that a sushi chef needs to or should be knowledgeable about . It must take years just to become familiar with a large percentage of them . http : **34;4625;TOOLONG <p> There are itamae and then there are rollers . The vast majority of ' sushi chefs ' are nothing more than rollers . It does n't take a lot of skill to learn to make Monster Truck Rolls . OTOH , it takes a lot of time and , I do n't know , passion , maybe , to learn all things fish . Japanese tend to have a cultural head start . It 's not an insurmountable head start , certainly , but I 've never had a decent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a non-Japanese sushi chef . <p> In Israel they have started or are starting a sushi training course for young people who have recently finished army service . The idea is that sushi is very popular in Israel , the country does n't like giving work visas , so why not train more Israelis ? <p> I have no clue how long this course will be or who 's teaching the classes , but I think as sushi becomes more generically popular there 's a growing market for mediocre sushi . Every now and then people are happy to spend more on high qaulity/taught in Japan sushi - but more so want ' decent mediocre ' sushi that 's not so expensive . <p> just food for thought , and this is directed at no one in particular . but if i were to say something like " only white guys can do such and such . " i would be in alot of trouble for saying that . certainly , growing up in a particular culture and eating the food would give you an advantage in preparing authentic/traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get the hang of it , and i beleive pretty much anyone can learn pretty much anything . <p> The discussion is clearly focused on Japanese from a cultural perspective , not a racial issue of Asian vs . Caucasian . And if cooking were so easy to do well , we would n't need a forum like this to discuss how to separate good from average and bad restaurants . <p> The general consensus is that you do n't have to be Japanese to makes sushi . You need proper training and incidentally the chefs that are most likely to have the proper training are Japanese . As I observed before , I do n't think the majority of non-Japanese sushi preparers ( wo n't use the term chef ) have been trained by anyone who knew how to make sushi . Imagine you knew nothing about Italian food . You read about it and pick up Italian cookbooks . You begin to cook what you think is Italian food . Will it be true ? Maybe tasty , but more likely a facsimile of italian cooking because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the original . Then open a restaurant and serve people who are just as unfamiliar with Italian food as you . Olive Garden . it packs people in . I 'm always flabbergasted to see how many people pack into OGs in NYC . Compare the food to something like Babbo where the chef was trained in Italy . American born but italian trained . Not even remotely the same . Does n't mean that OG is n't a booming business and probably makes more money that Batali , but it does n't make food that is really Italian . But for the masses who are happy with it , it 's fine . But every now and then someone who has only experienced OG eats at a place like Babbo and the scales fall from their eyes . Now s/he knows the difference . I 'm sure you are a very good cook . But does that mean you can pick up any cuisine in an afternoon and be starting that evening serving paying customers ? I certainly ca n't . The problem with your basic sushi place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job training . I recall a wall street journal article about how many non-Japanese sushi preparers are trained ( or not ) . If you 're happy in the OG world of sushi , stay there . If you ever discover the difference , it becomes much more expensive to eat . <p> Very good points in your post . A lot of people think that they can learn Italian , Japanese or any other cuisine without appropriate training . As you say , there is lots of " OG " sushi . But there 's also some very skillful chefs who are making sushi without the deep levels of training . So for example , in MOntreal , there 's a Korean sushi chef who has some very good skills as a chef . The food does n't have the refinement of a great sushi chef , but it is good food . A little better than OG , and not very traditional . <p> You do NOT have to be Japanese to make good sushi of course . There is n't a genetic component to it . That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the good sushi chefs are mostly Japanese . So to further carry cowboyardee 's analogy . You do n't have to an American to be a good American football player , but vast majority of the good football players are indeed Americans . <p> Like you said , sushi training in Japan typically take about 10 years or more . That is very standard . Jiro , of course , is the top of the top and demands ever more . In US , most sushi chefs are trained in 1-2 years and sometime much shorter . <p> Most importantly the level/intensity of the training is different . As you can tell in the firm ( Jiro ) that a very important part of sushi is in fact the procurement of the seafoods themselves . Knowing what fish to get and not fish not to get early in the morning .... etc . The rice is a huge part of the sushi preparation , which I feel many sushi joints in the US do not care . <p> The fortunate and unfortunate of sushi is that it gains enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an explosion of sushi restaurants in the US , which also allowed many people opening sushi restaurants without proper training . <p> One of the testimonials for the sushi course came from a Japanese sushi chef ( I do n't know if he was an American born Japanese ) . The owner of the school is Japanese and owns a sushi restaurant . He was the only one on the testimonial charts to be hired by the schools owner in his suchi restaurant . IN other words , a sushi school devoted to training westerners the skills of sushi making seemed to have preferred to hire Japanese students . Probably not genetic based , but it 's certainly interesting . <p> In theory I think if a person has the critical palate , is forever patient , set high standards , recieved proper training and is creative by nature then he/she can be a very good sushi maker . <p> In reality , such a person is hard to find . Years of sush-eating in this country helps to solidify my now very biased view : I 'd rather eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . When I can not find such a place , I will eat Korean-made sushi instead . Next will be Chinese and southeastern-asian , in that order . By the way , I follow the same order of preference when I shop for groceries . What does that tell ? But I think it 's less a racial view than testimonial to the differences among the cultures - the more careful and exact people in a culture do things , the better chances what they do end up having good quality , especially when it comes to making sushi . <p> Maybe this applies to Ramen chefs as well . A post in " serious eats " seemed to have done a thorough comparison of ramen shops in New York . The top 4 were Japanese owned . Momofuku , came in at a respectable 5th and was Korean owned . SO perhaps there is a cultural advantage for Ramen makers . But ramen originally comes from China and has become it 's own Japanese stylised version , that is now coming to the states . <p> For the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to experience that subtle , elegant , precise , and masterfully created Japanese style sushi , you do have to go to a Japanese sushi chef . <p> This is n't to say that there are n't any non-Japanese sushi chefs who were trained extensively in that style and are capable of producing it consistently . But sushi has become big business , and everyone and their mother have discovered that there 's good money to be made in it , and here in Southern California , you are probably 4 or 5 times more likely to be served sushi made by a non-Japanese sushi chef than Japanese . Some of them have decent skills and good palates , but I find that their sushi often reflects a palate informed by some other cuisine than Japanese , and the texture and seasoning of the rice as well as the treatment of the fish is more heavy handed than it would be were it prepared by a skilled Japanese sushi chef . <p> On the other hand , if you 're looking for rock n ' roll sushi , i.e. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and big portions , which some might say is not sushi at all , then a Japanese-run place , statistically speaking , is probably not where you want to go . <p> I quite agree , though of course theoretically it does n't have to be so . SUre , you could have a great non-Japanese sushi chef . Certainly , there might be a kind of " new " non-Japanese sushi cuisine that arises and has it 's own unique and wonderful character . But for us " traditionalists " who can actually feel-not just taste-the difference , I think the old style will be predominanantly serviced by Japanese chefs because of the inherent cultural aspect of food . The non-technical aspects of Japanese culture , including an aesthetic based on Zen and Shinto and native values will be hard to teach , I am guessing . People who actually study Japanese culture are well aware of these connections . <p> I think that to become sufficiently steeped in Japanese culture is extremely challenging , and insofar as the food is so reflective of very high and unusual and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be too many great sushi chefs in the old style . <p> This is something that occurred to me walking home from the store today . I hope people take this as it 's intended - which is just a thought/wondering - and not as any kind of statement of fact , belief or opinion . <p> It occurred to me that perhaps the difference is not innate in Japanese culture vs other cultures , but rather is a matter of persistent values . <p> I agree with the posts stating that Japanese society places a high value on precision , attention to detail , obsessive perfectionism , ritual , the list goes on . It 's pretty " conventional " in terms of how people view Japan and the Japanese . It occurred to me that such beliefs certainly are n't unique to the Land of the Rising Sun , BUT that Japan may indeed be unique in how it has continued to value such things in modern times . In the West , it was ( not too very long ago ) the norm to go through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a patissier , or a butcher .... a carpenter , a mason , a painter , a fisherman , the list goes on and on . You trained for years , often in unforgiving circumstances , in your craft . You learned it from the most basic of basics on up , you were drilled endlessly . You lived , slept , ate , breathed and wholly existed in the service of your art . Today , such artisanship is experiencing a revival in the West ; cheeses , beers , ice creams , meats , pastas ( and also in non-food areas , like woodworking , furniture-making , stonework , etc ) - so we do , even today , acknowledge to superior quality that specialization and grueling , laser-focused training can provide . <p> This is the relationship Japanese-trained sushi chefs have with sushi . Perhaps then the difference lies not necessarily in Japanese culture , per se , but rather in that artisanship never had its social valuation eroded the same way in Japan as it did in ( I 'll use my own country as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appreciate a Rainbow Roll or other non-traditional sushi as much as the next person ; I just appreciate it for what it is , which is a tasty product of cultural fusion that emerged from the sushi tradition . I do n't think one ( non-traditional vs traditional ) sushi devalues the other , and I think both come in a variety of degrees of excellence ( or not-excellence , as the case may be ) . But , I do still think that for traditional sushi ( and perhaps even non-traditional , in that learning the foundation may improve the ability of a chef to build and innovate upon it ) , Japanese TRAINING remains the best in the world . <p> i did n't say japanese do n't DO fusion , simply that tradition and traditional methodology are revered and practiced. you can as easily find california rolls and spam nigiri in japan as you can find top-flight traditional sushi . i sincerely doubt , though , that you 'd find a top-flight traditional sushiya serving said california roll . it 's not that innovation is n't appreciated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a different category of thing from the traditional . <p> I just posted a discussion about Japanese Food and Meditation . I know it 's a bit boring for most of you , but it was born of our discussions here . If you are not too tired- http : **34;4661;TOOLONG <p> There is a place in Phoenix around 51st avenue and Union Hills called " M " . One of the sushi chefs there is caucasian . Chris was required to train for several years under the head chef and had to earn his spot behind the bar . His creations blew me away . I am a traditionalist , but this has me doubting myself . <p> Does sushi making rely more on cultural insight than making other genres of food to the highest standards ? That is , is it more important that a great sushi chef be of Japanese culture than that one who wants to make great barbecue be of Southern US culture , or an aspiring cook of Dim Sum be of Chinese culture ? <p> And if you believe that sushi has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cook ( I suspect you do , but I do n't want to put words in your mouth ) , what is it about sushi specifically that makes it more reliant on those factors than other cuisines ? Different aesthetic expectations rule over sushi than barbecue or dim sum , but are other cuisines truly less bound by their own set of aesthetics or cultural philosophies ? <p> Most people have forgotten what desserts were for ( keeping you warm overnight ) . they still make good ones . A proper train-bento is n't the same without being consumed on/nearby a train ... But the RACE of the persn making it ? ayiyi. never . <p> I would encourage people to see Tempopo ( a great movie ) and Ramen Girl ( not so hot , but interesting nonetheless ) . In the latter , there is a scene where the western girl , played by Brittany Murphy is meeting with her teacher 's mom and giving her a lesson about how to make good food . She said something like " put your tears into each bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the young woman-took the lesson as one to him . There 's a very different sensibility that in part is about a certain attentive-or mindful-approach to preparing and eating food that is much more a part of Japanese culture than other cultures . So it 's not an aesthetic alone , but there 's a feeling imparted by a culture that values attentiveness , feeling , balance . The precision of the knife cutting , the elegance and beauty of the presentation all go into the utlimate feeling that the food imparts . <p> That is not saying that " food is more important to Japanese than others " . It is saying that attentiveness-paying attention to one 's activity with a mindful non-distractedness-is a very important part of Japanese culture . In the west , it is as much a key cultural value or training that is central to the culture . <p> It is racism , not just perceived . You are judging someone 's predilection for or ability at something by their racial heritage . That 's the very definition if racism . <p> If someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.good lobster roll , and then a bunch of people chimed in to say , " well , every good one I 've had was made by a white person , so I guess so ... " it probably would n't be so well recieved ... <p> Exactly - I do believe that there may be a correlation to the Japanese style of training ( that may be difficult to access outside of Japan ) and good sushi , but that 's completely different . What that ultimately means is that people born in Japan or heavily Japanese communities will have greater opportunity and access to train in the Japanese system . <p> Also , while I have had good sushi made by people who are Japanese - I have had terrible sushi made by people who are Japanese . Does n't mean any more or less than either having sushi from a chef who 's having an off night , or a poorly trained chef . <p> I think what you way is quite reasonable . In addition , I htink that Japanese will have a sense of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the west might not share . In the comedy Tempopo , it's-perhaps tongue in cheek-when the woman asks the truck driver to be her " ramen sensei " -teacher of ramen . <p> While I think the ultimate answer to the question is " quality training that is more likely to be found in Japan/under a Japanese chef " - I think another part of the issue is " To get good sushi do the other clientele need to be Japanese ? Does the owner of the restaurant need to be Japanese ? " <p> Some of the worst sushi I 've ever had has come from Japanese sushi chefs . Both places have owners/management that are not Japanese and serve a generic Western clientele . The chefs may have not been trained in Japan , they may have - and then ended up in establishments abroad that do n't have the interest for high quality sushi or a client base that demands it . <p> They can if they can appreciate the culture in a deep way . Olive Garden customers might like garlic and tomatoes-but that does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> My wife ( Chinese ) ate some ramen the other day prepared by a Chinese owned ramen restaurant ( her cousin ) . She liked it but said- " does n't taste Japanese-it tastes like Chinese soup " . So to understand cooking that has a deep cultural rooting , you have to go beyond your own culture . Italian or Japanese . <p> &lt;My wife ( Chinese ) ate some ramen the other day prepared by a Chinese owned ramen restaurant ( her cousin ) . She liked it but said- " does n't taste Japanese-it tastes like Chinese soup " &gt; <p> Yes , there is difference between Chinese noodle and Japanese Ramen . Point being , that ramen was originated from China , just like Zen was originated from China . If Japanese can learn Ramen and Zen from the Chinese , then there is no reason why non-Japanese can not learn . <p> He studied for 6 months at a Japanese ramen-ya . So ofcourse anyone can learn . But the feel and quality and authenticity and cultural context is another issue . Some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't . <p> " White people " IS a race . Japanese is not a race . However , if a particular dish were only prepared well by black chefs in one 's experience , it would not be racist to say so . I doubt if only white people can make good lobster rolls , so I do n't see the point of your post . However , many people I have known have had their best sushi experiences from Japanese chefs . <p> It is one thing to say " Asian students have high math scores " or " Black unemployment rate has been very high " These are accurate descriptions and are important for addressing social issues , such as single mom status is a larger social problem among blacks . <p> It is an entirely different thing to change these facts into " High SAT scores can only be achieved by Asians " or " Poor people must be black " ... etc . <p> Look , it is one thing to say that " The only good sushi meals I had were prepared by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say " Good sushi can only be prepared by a Japanese " <p> What fascinates me about this is all the people who insist that it takes a Japanese to " get " sushi - but I guess they personally do n't have to be Japanese to truly " get " sushi when they eat it ? One could argue that - by their argument - to understand it on a deeper level would require the same years of zen-like study , a lifetime of immersion in Japanese culture , under a Japanese master , etc ... <p> Which means that since probably 90% ( 100% ? ) of the posters in this thread are n't Japanese themselves , their opinions on what makes for good sushi are without any merit themselves . <p> I think it takes a sensitivity to someone else 's culture . For example , if you are trying to appreciate French food , you explore the restaurants that Parisians think is good French food , rather than an Americanized French restaurant . Then you begin to appreciate the Parisian aesthetic instead of applying your own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . That might cause you to come to appreciate a restaurant like Guy Savoy as more representative of French aesthetic than , for example , French Laundry . Most " eaters " think that if they like it , it must be good . It may be , but not necessarily as good Italian/Japanese/French cuisine . Likewise , if , as some of the responders here think , there is n't such a thing as a Japanese aesthetic-then they are probably not really that credible in opining about sushi . So probably some of the people do n't " get " sushi who think that they do . They might " get " good quality fish , but to " get " any cuisine requires leaving your own prejudices behind and really trying to understand something beyond one 's own limited experiences . <p> Do I think Japanese from Japan has an advantage in making sushi ? Sure . They are born and raised in that culture , so they are one step ahead , but I also think it is true for so many other things as well . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential to learn to make sushi -- especially if he/she is willing to adapt the culture and skill . <p> Let 's use your earlier example . Zen was originated in China ( no , not India ) . Yet , earlier Japanese tried to learn Zen from their Chinese counterpart . The most famous of all is Master Eisai ( ? ? ) who went to China twice and studied for four years under his teacher ? ? ? ? at Tiantai to become a Zen master . Did Eisai need to be Chinese to become a Zen master ? Apparently , he was considered a respectful Zen master not just by the Japanese , but by the Chinese . <p> I do n't know if sushi really takes a great deal of Zen . I doubt it . First of all , most sushi chefs are not Zen masters . Second , even if it does have tiny Zen influence , I am sure people can adopt the culture just like Eisai was able to understand Zen from his Chinese teacher . Unless , you think that making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ master like Eisai . <p> Cha'an was brought to China by the first patriarch who is considered the founder of Cha'an/Zen ( same word different languages ) . He came from India , it is commonly believed . <p> As for your other points , if someone like Eisai or Dogen Zenji , the two main people who brought Zen to Japan , studied sushi making with that level of alacrity , then I am sure they could make good sushi . But there is a cultural sense in Japan , where Zen is actually well integrated into the natural cultural experience that is somewhat unavoidable . I studied a Japanese marshal art which was sometimes referred to as " ritzu zaizen " or " standing zazen " . The Japenese students actually got it very quickly and easily-a little better and quicker than us westerners . I think this traditional cultural connection with Zen makes that so . <p> I think Eisai 's training or Dogen Zenji 's training was quite phenomenal and beyond sushi . That does n't diminish in any way that making sushi can be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is incorrect . Two things to consider . First , Bodhidharma 's record is shaky . Second , he did not BRING Ch'an/Zen to China . At best , he founded Zen in China . Zen took its form by combination of Mahayana and Taoism ( and some other Chinese philosophies ) . There was never Zen in India . He could not bring what was not there . <p> &lt;The Japenese students actually got it very quickly and easily-a little better and quicker than us westerners&gt; <p> I wrote " Do I think Japanese from Japan has an advantage in making sushi ? Sure . They are born and raised in that culture ..... " <p> Having an advantage is not the same as having exclusive right . Just because Japanese have a starting advantage in making sushi , it does not mean non-Japanese can not make sushi . This is true for any cuisines really . Do you not think this is the same for say making Chinese Dim Sum as cowboyardee has pointed out ? I bet you that there are more non-Japanese who can make sushi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one claims sushi is easy , and I think the problem of sushi in the West is that you can become a sushi chef in the West with a 1-6 month course of training , whereas in Japan , you do n't become a sushi chef without a 10-year training ( at least 5 ) . That huge difference in demand and training makes a big impact . <p> Zen did come from India . Zen is just a monikor for a Buddhist school . It is a common useage . Zen-a certain type of meditative practice , DID exists and came from India . In Japan , it is commonly referred to as Sotoshu or Rinzaishu . The term " Zen " comes from the term Dhyana which was an important Buddhist meditative practice in ancient India . Zen , and other Buddhist shools did become influenced and adopt certain Taoist practices , as you said . I am not sure what your argument is , but Bodhidharma , and Indian monk FOUNDED Zen as you said . That seems to suggest that Zen came from India . Zen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Mahayana is a form of Buddhism , and as you say , Zen is a form of Mahayana . Mahayana TOO originated in India . <p> While I disagree with what you said about Zen originating in China , I agree with your points about . 1 . Training period on sushi-10 years vs. 6 months-very important . 2 . Japanese do n't have exclusive abitlity to become sushi chefs ; anyone can become one . 3 . Japanese have an advantage . 4 . HOWEVER : It 's not just training-but it 's a cultural heritage that makes a big component of hte difference . That heritage can be learned , or at least appreciated . SO training CAN work , but not necessarily . <p> No , Zen is not from India . Without the Taoism aspect , there is no Zen . Zen is not from India . What the Indian monks bought was Mahayana ( or in Chinese : ? ? ? ? or in Japanese ? ? ? ? ) . This in turn merged with local Chinese Taoism and created Zen . <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which got absorbed . It was the philosophical aspects of Taoism . <p> &lt; The term " Zen " comes from the term Dhyana&gt; <p> That does not mean it is from India . Dhyana is simply a practice skill . It is not an entire philosophy . The Chinese named its new philosophy , Zen/Ch'an , based on an Indian word , but it does not change its origin . Sushi ( ? ? ; ? ) the word(s) are based on Chinese , but sushi , by its own right is no longer Chinese . Ginsu knives have a Japanese-like name too , but they are not made in Japan . <p> &lt;Bodhidharma , and Indian monk FOUNDED Zen as you said&gt; <p> He may have , but it is questionable . And even if he had , it was after he arrived to China and communicated and exchanged with local Taoists . So Zen was not created in India . It was founded in China . <p> " Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism and originated in China during the 6th century as Chn . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the web . No serious scholar would say that Zen does not come from China , nor would they say that Zen does not come from India . It 's like saying you do n't come from your mom and dad . <p> &lt;You need to get your Buddhist education from something beyond the web&gt; <p> I have read books about Zen history , but I can not post the books , can I ? Internet is just a easy way for you to see . Seriously , objectively speaking , what makes you think that you are correct ? You happened to read some ancient India Zen texts which I am not aware of ? <p> &lt;nor would they say that Zen does not come from India . &gt; <p> But it is n't . Here is why it is not . There is no Zen texts from India . Name one , if you think you can of a famous Zen book written in India . There is no Zen masters from India -- except for Bodhidharma , and he really came to China as a Mahayana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe ) started to teach Zen . The problem is that he probably did not teach Zen , but Mahayana . Chinese have a habit to credit one 's ancestors or teachers for things which did not happen . For example , Bodhidharma was said to be an martial art expert according to folklore , but no creditable history texts mentioned this . Bodhidharma was also said to cross the Yangzi River by standing and floating on a stem of reed . <p> No , it is n't . It is more like saying that " Sushi is not from China " or that " Fortune cookies are not from China " . Sushi the words are from China/Chinese . The current sushi have a very fine and weak link to the original Chinese origin , but they are so different and they taste different . <p> Buddhism in all it 's forms takes on local permutations that give it new flavors . But the commonly held wisdom is that it is still Buddhism , which comes from India . Tibetan Buddhism looks very different from Indian Buddhism , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as Cha'an was influenced by Taoism . But the key tenets of many of the forms of Buddhism are the same or similar and all have an important emphasis on practicing " Dhyana " whether you call it CHa'an , Zen , or Samten . There are other aspects in common as well . They are also marked by certain approaches to understanding impermanence and suffering . There will be Buddhist schools that develop in the U.S. They will still be born from Chinese , Japanese/Zen/Shingon or others , Tibetan traditions which were all arisen from Indian Buddhism . Zen did not spontaneously arise in China . It arose because Buddhism came to China , and then to Japan where it became known as Zen . The connection between sushi and china is much more distant than the connection between Zen and India . The taste of Zen is different than the taste of Indian Buddhism-you are correct . Indians eat curry , Japanese eat fish , rice and pickles . That is n't enough . It 's not sushi . <p> But you do understand about fortune cookies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fortune cookies were first made here in the US by a Chinese immigrant . Yet , Chinese in China have never eaten these cookies until maybe ten years back . Even though Fortune cookies were made by a Chinese and were using Asian style flour ... etc ( like Japanese ) , its origin is considered to be USA . <p> Another example is California roll . In my definition , California roll 's origin is US , not Japan -- even though you could argue that California roll would not have spontaneously raise in US -- which is true . <p> So you are saying that people have to be Japanese to either appreciate sushi or to have a valid opinion about sushi ? I am pretty sure that I disagree with that , however , I do recognize that my own opinion is limited greatly by that my sushi experience is limited by the fact that I have only been eating sushi in Japan and North America for about 20 years , and have a long way to go to understand it well . <p> I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black belt in Tong Soo Do and he is not Korean . Making great sushi involves having a source of #1 grade seafood and the knowledge of how to prep it . Does a Chef have to be French to excel at French cuisine ? I think not . <p> It 's more than just knowledge and a source . It 's having a certain ability to move skillfully , gracefully , and undistractedly in the process of making the sushi and to have a sense of the beauty and aesthetic of the process . I suspect Chuck Norris underwent an immense amount of training to gain the " feel " and movement necessary to be skilled in Tong Soo Do as well . It probably took years . <p> only african americans can truly make fried chicken . only white americans can truly make mac and cheese and truly appreciate boxed wine . only a european can make excellent beer . the only people who can cook mexican food are mexican . only a proffessional driver can safely drive . only a professional athlete can truly understand sport . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ japanese sushi makers is proof that you must be japanese to excel at making sushi . but im sorry , thats correlation not causation . you are turning this into voodoo instead of science . any talented chef could learn to make sushi as well as anyone else makes sushi . sure they would need to be trained . they would need alot of training . im not saying every master chef CAN make sushi , im saying any master chef COULD learn to make sushi . <p> and further more , if you have to be so immersed in japanese culture to make quality sushi , then im guessing none of us non japanese could even appreciate sushi . <p> A lot of people CAN read James Joyce 's " Ulysses " and enjoy it without reading the volumes of source material and concordances . But if you make the extra effort , you can appreciate it on many different levels . It 's the difference between some guy in a grocery store putting sliced fish on rice and another guy practicing the same thing for ten years . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of appreciation can be obtained by really delving into the source material . In the case of sushi , some of the background material might include more than just studying books . <p> She looks like an amazing chef . There is a video of her preparing a kaiseki . She studied in Japan and a Ryokan for several years after training at a Japanese restaurant in L.A. I would love to hear her views on the advantages of being from the Japanese culture to become a great Japanese chef . Here is the video : http : //vimeo.com/45859524 <p> I agree with your examples , but I take a very different interpretation . The enjoyment of sushi is not subject to binary categories of " authentic " and " inauthentic " . I learned ( and often continue to relearn ) that , if you impose your expectations about one kind of food ( high-end traditional sushi ) onto another kind of food ( cheap Americanized sushi ) , then that is how to have a disappointing meal . <p> Even American sushi has variance , between the East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't value haute cuisine as highly . Let me point out that the first word of " Sukiyabashi Jiro " literally translates as " Bridge to the House of Refined Taste " . So do n't for an instant be deluded that this one film has not in some ways ended up distorting Japanese culture through its hyperspecialized subject , inasmuch as it has informed and educated the world about sushi . I speak out of the experience of my own " disappointing " dinners . <p> As for training , I will add that , observing the chefs at Sushi Yasuda , they really do stand and move differently ; if you watch carefully , their stance and arm movements bear similarities to Japanese performance and martial arts . These are learned movements that help them prepare sushi quickly and precisely . I have never seen this in other sushi restaurants , including ones with Japanese chefs . <p> I could go on ( relating to Japanese Michelin stars , Japanese ' own interest in authenticity , business and economic constraints , Thomas Keller 's view on refinement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more ) but it 's lunchtime . Let us be thankful for what 's on our plates . <p> Good points . But a few words for " authenticity " . By really engaging a culture in the most authentic way , there are some amazing discoveries about their cuisine and even , perhaps , the health benefits of the food . So for example , when I eat at a great American/French restaurant , such as Per Se , I get a bit of a food hangover . When I eat in Paris at Guy Savoy or Tallevante , I do n't . There is a sense of balance and proper mixing of food that goes into precisely cooked authentic French food . It goes into the wine pairing as well . <p> LIkewise , Italians do n't put cheese on seafood . Is it health related , or about highlighting the freshness of the fish ? Whichever , it 's an incredible revelation to actually paritcipate in an authentic approach and learn what the cusine form is trying to say . <p> Well I think I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem to be describing is traditional food , food that comes from a lineage and has a strong sense of heritage . But that is only one kind of authenticity , because in our increasingly interconnected and multicultural world , the traditional ways are harder to access and for many people harder to relate with . That 's just how it is , for better or worse . <p> So my question to you is : if you went to Per Se and talk about it in terms of " hangover " , have you really engaged , authentically , with American culture , on its own terms , i.e. making a conscious choice not to hold it against French values and standards ? <p> That 's a really great question-very insightful and generous . And your idea of " not holding against French values and standards " is excellent . Your approach to authenticity is very compelling . I think I have addressed SOME aspects of American culture on its own terms , but probably not all . <p> I think American food culture has many great things-adaptability , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility , willingness to evolve , openness to other cultures , a can-do attitude , a sense of the democratization of food . But it might lack certain things as well ; lack of balance , lack of restraint , some lack of subtlety , overconfidence at times , and sometimes an unwillingness to allow the taste of the natural agreements to come through with more simplicity and less elaboration . Perhaps it does n't appreciate hierarchy as well , and in fact may have an almost knee jerk reaction against it . <p> My appreciation of French food was for it 's sense of balance , subtlety , and willingness to allow the food to be more simple and less overpowering . But I think French food has it 's weaknesses-too much adherence to rules , a bit of angry snobbishness , too much inflexibility . <p> I love Per Se enormously as an almost kind of fusion restaruant , I would n't go too often ( assuming I could afford to ) . Balance is the missing element . <p> So these food hangovers only come when having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like french at Per Se , or maybe even a more fitting example , the kaiseki menu that 's currently being offered at Next ? <p> or is it that you 're just less likely to find that balance you seek , when the menu is inspired or even fusion rather than authentic ? Have you ever found it ? Hangovers from Benu , Saison , Coi , etc ? ( if you 've visited ) <p> sorry for the loaded question , I 'm not trying to interrogate .. just curious . <p> I do n't mind fusion . I do n't get food hangovers unless there 's a lack of balance with too much food . For me. for example , a Steak house where I have been too tempted by all the sides and appetizers , often results in a bit of a hangover . Part of it is the lack of balance in the menu , the other part is my own lack of balance in ordering and eating . <p> But fusion is often executed without an actual deep understanding of the target cuisine . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some asian flavors , without the real texture of the target cuisine . In Asian cuisine it might be sesame oil , ginger , soy sauce , rice wine , mirin , dashi . American Chinese food is a kind of strange fusion , and I and many of our Chinese family and friends find it a bit overwhelming and unkind to our stomachs . <p> Have n't tried Saison or Benu yet . In SF I used to go to Masa when Siegel was there . It 's a bit fusion-y in culture at that time , but it was great . Danko and 5th were great , and I never got the " food hangover " thing . I am not that expert in SF area , though . Sorry . <p> " -adaptability , creativity , willingness to explore , a sense of unlimited possibility , willingness to evolve , openness to other cultures , a can-do attitude , a sense of the democratization of food " arrgh ! it sounds like you 're describing JAPAN . <p> If you look closely , Japan actually adapts more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , religion , philosophy , it heavily adapted from China in the ancient time , and heavily mimics the West in modern times . Think of it objectively , Americans have greater influence in Japanese daily diet , than Japanese on American . Look at the kitchen knives , Santoku knife was invented in Japan as a way to combine Japanese nakiri with the Western Chef 's knife . Look at all the cookware in modern Japanese kitchens including frying pan , saute pan , ... etc . They are nothing like the cookware Japanese use 100 years ago . Listen to Japanese songs , a good portion of modern Japanese songs have English lyrics . You do n't find this in US songs . Look at hair styles , look at clothing ... <p> Japan has certainly adopted some American foods and what not . But I 'd hardly call the U.S. an " influence " on Japanese daily diet . Japanese basically think food in the U.S. is lousy and usually generalize our cuisine into a few common stereotypical items . Except for well-traveled individuals with some on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japanese even consider that there is a proper dining culture in the U.S ... other than big portions . <p> I too have not had the experience that Japanese are so interested in American food . They do n't like it . I was close with a Japanese Marshal Arts master who lived here . It was quite impossible to introduce him to American cuisine , no matter how well prepared . <p> Since moving to Japan , I 've been cooking a lot of " American " food , and almost all the Japanese people I cook for really love it . They 're really interested in American food , wishing they could cook something like it more often , but many feel it could be a chore to learn , or assemble the ingredients . Things like casseroles , mac and cheese , BBQ , avocado dip , banana pudding , brownies , pot roasts , alfredo sauce pasta , buffalo style chicken wings , chips and salsa , burgers , and so on ) . I know a lot of Japanese folks who have returned from living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they also share with me that they miss a lot of American foods , and the one thing we all seem to agree on is American steaks ... those thick steakhouse steaks . While Japanese premium beef is great , it 's not something one can eat a lot of with all that fat . A few tasty pieces is fine , but that big ol ' American steak is something we all seem to covet . Well , that and Honey Nut Cheerios . <p> The problem in your statement is that I have no idea what you mean by " American " food . And that " we " Japanese do n't like it . I like it , and so do a great majority of people I know in Japan . Granted , none of us are martial arts masters ( at least that I know ) , so maybe our opinions are n't quite as significant . <p> While I tend to agree that Japanese are adept at adopting and adapting culinary techniques from around the world , they 're also great at adapting their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original subject ) . Sushi is n't the same as it was 60 years ago in Japan . Also , much of the everyday cuisine has also been shaped by necessity and availability . Besides so many local variations on Japanese cuisine ( some unrecognizable from far flung parts of Japan ) , many aspects have been shaped in the post-war period . While rice was scarce , millet and wheat flour imported from the US were abundant . Because of this , we probably would n't have seen the growth of dishes like okonomiyaki or takoyaki , or even greater production of udon . <p> Also , to address all this talk about Zen and Confucianism in culinary practices in Japan , I wonder whether these eastern philosophies are waning in the professional kitchen . The reason is that nowhere else in Japanese organizations will one find young leaders in their 20s or 30s as you find in some of the most respected new restaurants in Tokyo . In a professional/corporate world dominated by unquestioned obedience to elders and a current lack of fresh ideas and entrepreneurship , justified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 21st century , it seems to be breaking down in the kitchen , where new ideas and entrepreneurship are flourishing . <p> I actually spoke to a Japanese chef this week in North America who makes decent sushi . His movements , his sense of purpose , his care for the food and the customer and his desire for a high level of perfection are very much about the Zen/Confucian heritage embedded in Japanese culture . There was a North American born Asian working for him as a sushi chef in training , and it was clear that there was much less attentiveness to everything , including the customer . I asked him , " Do you think a North American can become a great sushi chef " . " Sure , but I have not yet seen one . " <p> As for Zen and Confucian attitudes breaking down in the kitchen- sure-I suspect you are right . But Zen is more embedded than just the ideas . There are actually deeper aspects that seem to be embedded in Japanese culture . And not just in great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . But it shows up nonetheless . It shows up as not just a blind adherence , but as a sense of respect for elders and even a respect for mastery and even for politeness and kindness . I met a Japanese girl in " grunge " style clothes yesterday in America . She was extremely respectful of her own cultural heritage-it was not about some sort of blind resentment or adherence to about " unquestioned obedience " to use your term . The Japanese system of respect still is quite strong because of how deeply embedded it is culturally . It has some very good aspects that have not yet gone away . <p> In the movie Tempopo , there is some poking fun of the corporate aspect of blind obedience , and it is portrayed in a somewhat unflattering light , as you point out . And at the same time the heroine of the movie , Tempopo , begs a truck driver to be her master and teach her how to make ramen . She recognized the importance of the humbleness of being a student and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been tongue in cheek , but it is a big aspect of the culture . Notably , producing the great ramen was not about discovering a new techinque-it was about going to many different experts and learning the tradition perfectly-boiling the pork bones first , not letting the boil go too long or strong , adding a chicken , how long to let the dough sit or rest , how many times to kneed the dough , how to stand to best understand the customer 's experience , how to cut the scallions the exact right way . This is Japanese culture and quite closely related with Zen tradition . Mastery as a means to creativity is how I would describe it . <p> I guess Jacques Pepin would be pretty much epitomize the Zen of the kitchen then . What you describe sounds like the French apprentice system . The movie is called Tampopo , by the way . And it was a parody of the American spaghetti western . <p> True enough that Zen/Confucianism is deeply embedded in Japanese culture , but many of the traditions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealing themselves as contradictory in the 21st century . The kind that allow corporate cover-ups and lack of corporate transparency ( e.g. , Olympus , Fukushima Daiichi ) , media controlled by corporate interests , the general lack of a meritocracy , and an political landscape where outside challengers are routinely shut out . All justified by an embedded sense that the more " enlightened " elders are leading the way to a better future ( i.e. , a real SNAFU ) . My point is that the only industry that has been able to break away from the antiquated ways that Japanese corporate culture tends to work is the food industry . One could argue that there have been more advancements in the culinary world in Japan since the bubble burst than in the electronics industry , and that is most likely due to breaking from the old ways of doing things . Still , yeah , there 's a certain Zen to the ways people in Japan go about learning things . As a coach/instructor for a sports team , the stark difference in the ways western expats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I guess that 's as close to a martial arts master as I get . <p> Tampopo-thanks for the spell check-was also a parody of Japanese society , not just spaghetti westerns , though there was a pretty funny scene about eating spaghetti . <p> I am sure that corporate pig-headedness can exist in all cultures . I am sure that similar problems exist in U.S. or Chinese companies as well and I would not attribute it to a Confucian reverence for elders , which was probably not what you were doing . <p> The French apprentice tradition has similarities , but my son was a chef under one of the famous French chefs . It 's quite different in most aspects . I think the Japanese version of it is much more wholesome and decent than many of the French apprentice training situations . <p> Being an apprentice in a Japanese restaurant or in any endeavor , can mean enduring bullying , intimidation , verbal abuse , and corporal punishment . This is an endemic underlying part of Japanese culture . It 's much more substantial and widespread than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact geared toward not reporting such abuse and therefore it perpetuates itself . If you live there long enough , there will some things that will simply make you sick and wonder why no one does anything about it . <p> THat goes for any where you live . I have lived in Quebec for example , one of the most racist and corrupt areas in North America with high levels of angry people who are quite willing to express anger and rudeness . I have lived in New York where you have to give pay-offs to the garage attendant so that they give you your car in a reasonable amount of time and park it in a more favorable location for doing that . I have lived in California where the government is going bankrupt and there 's levels of arrogance that is unprecedented . I can go on and on . <p> I do n't have first-hand experience in a restaurant in Japan , so I take your word for it . But I was trained by Japanese , and never found them to be abusive . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the food community in New York , the French chefs have a certain notoriety for abusiveness . The Japanese chefs perhaps do n't . <p> Some of the Japanese chefs in NY do have that abusive reputation . And there are Japanese businessmen who run their own businesses here that are fucking crazy abusive as well . We 've had legal run-ins with them and did n't look the other way and pursued it through the authorities . <p> Most of the Japanese restaurants in NY are run by corporations that rotate people through various shops and have a certain amount of turnover they must contend with . More prevalent in Japan are owner/chef operations , where this type of behavior occurs . Happens in NY as well at these same type of operations . <p> That would be neo-Confucianism , not Zen . A class structure is the core teaching of Confucianism . <p> &lt; how to cut the scallions the exact right way . This is Japanese culture and quite closely related with Zen tradition . &gt; <p> Rules and regulations again is more inline of Confucianism than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oneself . Confuscianism focuses on classes , structures , family relationship ... , and a very very important aspect : Propriety or Etiquette ( ? ) <p> With respect , you do n't seem to read what people actually write , but interpret in your own liking . <p> Chowrin 's statement was dead on when he said : " " -adaptability , creativity , willingness to explore , a sense of unlimited possibility , willingness to evolve , openness to other cultures , a can-do attitude , a sense of the democratization of food " arrgh ! it sounds like you 're describing JAPAN . " <p> Adaptability , creativity , willingness to explore ... etc all describe Japanese very well . Does it describe Japanese adaptation of American or French is a finer point . The general point stands <p> Zen is about respect . Freedom is not some hippy-ish ideal of freedom , which is what you are describing . Freedom comes from intense rigor , and studying Zen is extremely regorous and based upon rules , etiquette and propriety . I suggest you study the moon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book if you insist on studying the finger . <p> Japanese most certainly do like our prime beef and Japan is where a whole lot of it ends up . Are there significant numbers of American style steak houses in Japan ? <p> On a side note : I have a relative who was an executive in the petroleum industry who lived in Japan for several years managing the construction of refineries many years ago . Of all the countries they lived in , my aunt said Japan was her favorite . She loved the culture and said the Japanese people were extremely proper and gracious and always put the concerns of others before their own . 30 years later they built a gorgeous 10,000 sq ft home in the mainline ( PA ) and every room , of which there were many , contained items they brought back from Japan . <p> In New York City , over 7% of the restaurants are Japanese . 5% or so are French or continental . <p> In Tokyo , 1.5% of the restaurants are American . 7% of the restaurants are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it might be a lower number since the Japanese do have a lot of their own steakhouses ) . <p> If those statistics suggest anything , it seems as though the American preference for Japanese food is much larger than the reverse . <p> That 's a good question as to whether it included Korean or Chinese places that serve sushi , though in New york City proper , I do n't remember that there were a bunch of those . The stats came from Tripadvisor which has some pretty complete lists , though perhaps not perfectly complete or perfectly accurate either . There are 531 restaurants that are either Japanese or Sushi , of which 33 of the sushi places are not listed as Japanese ( I do n't know what that might mean ) . And you may be correct that this does nothing for my argument-but that 's not certain . This may very well support the argument . <p> While incomplete , it is probably still pretty representative and bears some semblance to the actual totals and categorizations . I too do n't trust the reviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might get overstated if Americans , nostalgic for American Food , tend ot use the site more , which is Silverjay 's contention . This would make the percentage much lower if many Japanese restaurants are not included . However , there are 22000 restaurants mentioned in Tokyo vs. 7000 for New York , so something is working . <p> I did n't see an English link . And I am not sure which of the several " perfection of wisdom " sutras this is . I think you are under teh impression that there 's just one sutra called perfection of wisdom . I believe there are quite a few . <p> Your right . One of the biggest groups of statisticians are meteorologists working with super computers and how often are they right ? ? ? ? ? My point is there are so many variables that taking stats from a few sites is hardly a scientific approach . It could takes weeks or even months of research and math to come even reasonably close to a realistic number . Just the difference in the % of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and their eating preferences living in America could be a huge variable that would have to be investigated . <p> Daily may be too much of an exaggeration as an accurate description , but there are certainly a good numbers of McDonald , KFC , Starbuck ... etc in Japan . So a good numbers of people are eating these foods . I do agree that they do n't think of American foods as fine as the French foods for example , but it does not mean American foods have less of an impact . Heck , we Americans do not think of Japanese cars as good as German cars , but there is no question that we are more affected by Japanese cars than German cars . <p> Let 's take one step back . The original point I was making is that Japanese actually adapt foreign foods more so than Americans do . <p> For example , in Japan , you can find a good deal number of Raman shops , which many of my Japanese friends considered as kind of Chinese foods . <p> Japanese in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more readily than most other countries . Japanese drink more beer and wine , than we American drink sake . Japanese listen to more American songs , than we listen to Japanese songs , Japanese watch more of American baseball or basketball than we watch Japanese sumo or judo .... etc . I believe that was Chowrin and my point . <p> I personally think fastfood et al , are more a story about successful business than actual culinary influence . Those places exist as little islands in the mass cultural spectrum and the Japanese culinary universe . <p> Yes , I agree on Japan 's penchant for importing , adopting , or assimilating aspects of other culture . It has been well covered here by you all . At the same time , Japan maintains a reputation for innovation and ingenuity as well . It 's an interesting dichotomy . <p> &lt;Yes , I agree on Japan 's penchant for importing , adopting , or assimilating aspects of other culture . It has been well covered here by you all . At the same time , Japan maintains a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not just Japan , is becoming highly porous . You can find many if not most types of cuisine in Berlin , Tokyo , Paris , New York , London , etc . The Japanese , it seems , are highly likely to Japanify a cuisine . So " ramen " seems much more Japanese at this point than Chinese . IN fact , the ramen places coming to New York are not emulating Chinese " lamien " but are emulating Japanese ramen . Tempura does n't look like anything you can get in Portugal . The French pastries you get in Tokyo have a very different an unique quality . In fact , there is a Japanese born French style pastry chef in Paris and one in Montreal and their pastries have a very unique and even Japanese style to them . <p> That is the point Chowrin and I were making . Japanese adapt foreign foods . That is the definition of adaption . In reverse , just because California roll is not like any sushi in Japan , it does not change the fact that California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that being said , the statement of ' " ramen " seems much more Japanese at this point than Chinese ' is inaccurate . <p> The reason that it is inaccurate is because there was n't Japanese version to begin with . If there was a Japanese version , then you can say the fusion product is more Japanese or more like Chinese , like a child looks more like the father or the mother . However , because there was n't a Japanese version , then it can not be " more Japanese " . <p> &lt;Tempura does n't look like anything you can get in Portugal&gt; <p> Same point as above . These points support Chowrin 's view that <p> * " -adaptability , creativity , willingness to explore , a sense of unlimited possibility , willingness to evolve , openness to other cultures , a can-do attitude , a sense of the democratization of food " arrgh ! it sounds like you 're describing JAPAN. * <p> It is difficult for us to understand what you are trying to communicate . What is your position anyway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adaptability , creativity , willingness to explore .... than Americans ? If not , then I truly do not know what you are debating . it seems that you are disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing . <p> I am saying that the Japanese are not quite as interested in adapting their food from other cultures as you seem to suggest . Having KFC and McDonalds notwithstanding , the Japanese are very much about their own cultural food heritage and when they do import , they are more likely to transform their imports into their own style . If you go to a " yakiniku " restaurant , it has a very interesting Japanese style , not Korean , despite it 's roots in Korea . IN fact , I urge you to try the Yakiniku places in New York if you have a chance . You will see . <p> The " Chinese " ramen had become very Japanified . I do n't agree with you that " ramen " is Chinese any more . My cousin owns a ramen restaurant in Philadelphie , he is Chinese , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . He tells me that he would like to add more chicken in his mother 's style , but feels compelled to stick to the ramen approach . Ramen is a Japanified version of what was once Chinese . New York pizza is New York pizza . It has it 's own incredible heritage that has departed from it 's Italian roots , of say , Neapolitan pizza with it 's strict adherence ( in some quarters ) to using tomatoes from San Marzano , double 0 flour from Italy , mozarella di bufala from Italy , etc . Japanese may call it Chinese food , but it 's style has become totally Japanese . In Cuba , if your pedigree is that you have 1/32 Chinese blood , you are strangely considered Chinese . Likewise , there 's very little Chinese blood left in ramen . They do n't say " ni hao " when you walk into Ippudo in NY . They say " irashai " . <p> &lt;they are more likely to transform their imports into their own style&gt; <p> That is the definition of adoption . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I know , but that does not mean Americans did not ADOPT pizza . If it did not invent , then it adopted -- even it was changed later . If Japanese did not invent ramen , then it adopted ramen . Like I said , it was n't so long ago that Japanese themselves call Ramen as Chinese noodle . So it is their views that Ramen is Chinese or adopted from China . <p> &lt;I am saying that the Japanese are not quite as interested in adapting their food&gt; <p> So let 's get the record straight . Are you saying that Japanese did NOT adopt ramen from China ( or some other countries ) , but rather invented it ? A yes or no answer will do . <p> &lt;Likewise , there 's very little Chinese blood left in ramen. &gt; <p> Frankly , I have no idea what that really means . The concept of noodle ? Very Chinese . The concept of the ramen broth ? Chinese . The concept of using fatty belly pork ? Chinese . The concept of putting an egg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onion on noodle ? Chinese .... etc .. etc <p> What part of it seems to you that " there is very little Chinese blood left ramen " ? Let 's count component by component . Which components in Japanese ramen ( which I do n't disagree has a Japanese take ) are very non-Chinese . Let 's count them : <p> I suppose the use of seaweed is more Japanese than Chinese . What else ? Some Ramen use Miso -- which is Japanese , but not all Ramen use Miso .... , and Chinese already was using Chinese bean paste - which probably encouraged Japanese to use miso . <p> I say if you look at this topic very objectively and focusing on the question , then you will find that Japanese ramen is about 80-90% component-wise similar to Chinese noodle . Does it mean the 10-20% change is not significant ? Of course not . 10-20% is still significant , just like California roll is a noticeable change from traditional sushi . No one disagree this , I do n't . However , it is inaccurate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramen . " <p> &lt;In Cuba , if your pedigree is that you have 1/32 Chinese blood , &gt; <p> Yes , but that is precisely why you are undermining your own ramen position . I can scientifically and technically show you that this so called Chinese only has 1/32th of his gene chromosomes from a Chinese : percentage by percentage , components by components , and this is not the case for ramen . At the end of the day , this is not the largest point . The larger point Chowrin and I were making is that Japanese have great willingness to adapt foreign culture along with other characteristics . It does not really matter if ramen is 90% Chinese or if ramen is 70% Chinese . It was adopted . <p> &lt;They say " irashai " . &gt; <p> Is that really a support argument ? Then the fact that most Korean restaurants in US say " Welcome " in English means what ? Look , you know this , and I know this . This is not even a valid argument . <p> I think there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level vs an influence on a general population level . For example , the French cuisine has a greater and more respected influence on Japanese modern cuisine than American foods -- especially for elite cuisines , but I think American foods penetrate deeper in the the common Japanese population . This is not just happening in Japan , but also so many other countries too , like Korea , China , India . <p> The successes of McDonald and Starbuck have much to do with their marketing as you have stated , but marketing is meaningless if people do n't accept it . At the end , influence can be measured by effects on daily life . Let 's take iPhone and Andriod as our example . I am not a phone guy , but I was told that Android is just as powerful and more flexible than iPhone , and the success of iPhone is largely due to its very successful marketing strategy . At the end of day , many more people use iPhone than Android . This means , in true effect , iPhone affects our society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be said about American foods vs French foods in Japan . <p> Mario Batali maybe a better chef than Rachel Ray , but Rachel Ray likely to have a greater influence on the general population than Mario Batali . <p> I disagree . People there enjoy and patronize a few American fast food chains and eat corn on the cob , etc . That speaks to acceptance , availability , embracing of some American foods . Those are just blips on the culinary landscape . I do n't think if you spent any significant amount of time there you would come away with the impression that Japan is significantly influenced by America with regards to food- in either fine foods or everyday foods or in home meals . Burger King bailed from Japan and Wendy 's downsized . Starbucks battles heavily with Dotour and plenty of other local competitors and made their mark more for the non-smoking policy and pleasant interiors . It 's not a rosy picture of embracing what 's American . There are more Chinese restaurants than McDonald 's and KFC combined , but those two American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , quick eating . <p> All things considered , Chinese is by far the largest foreign influence on everyday Japanese cuisine . Maybe that and whoever you want to award the introduction of bread to . Beyond these , maybe French or Portuguese or whoever you want to assign as influential from the Meiji Era . These days , Italian is starting to get really popular though . Korean has an influence as well . I would put American after these . But way after . <p> In that case , ask yourself this . Was your question asking me about being in Japan , similar to I asked you about being in Lanzhou ? If so , how do you feel about that question ? No need to reply to me , just yourself . <p> By the way , the Great Treatise on the Perfection of WIsdom is an Indian Sutra . And the story you are referring to about pointing at the moon and Hui Neng , the 6th patriarch comes from a different source , not from the Perfection of Wisdom . But you like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do . And you like to point your fingers . <p> As for food , I think authentic Japanese food is quite compelling in part because of it 's Zen heritage . <p> Not at all , it seems to me that you are arguing every single tiny little point you can find instead of looking at the bigger pictures . You are not just arguing with me . <p> &lt; And the story you are referring to about pointing at the moon and Hui Neng , the 6th patriarch comes from a different source&gt; <p> Similar stories were told many times before in different circumstances . For one , I am telling you this story now , so this is another time -- if someone is recording this . This is why I originally and accurately wrote " This story is repeated and listed multiple times ... " . <p> Yes , the one which Hui Neng said is from a different text because he said it at a different time . Yet , the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom has mentioned this . I can quote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just do n't see the point . Like I said , if you read exactly what I wrote .... <p> Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom , Chapter ( ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ) . I quoted the EXACT passage . I feel like I have to hold your hand and guide you every single step . It should not be this difficult to read and understand on your own . <p> The story of Hui Neng was from a different source , not the parable about the finger and the moon . And this quote refutes your earlier contention that there are no Zen texts from India . <p> You should do more research before making pronouncements about something you have done little more than read a book about , such as Zen . The words are not the moon . At least get the words right . <p> You do n't even think you are argumentative , but you are . You do n't think you are insulting , but you are . " It would not be this difficult to search on your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a great scholar who can read sutras in Japanese as you are . I read them in English . Sorry . I am surprised with all your erudition that you did n't know that this was an Indian sutra . <p> Yes , I said so too from the very beginning . I specially wrote that too . I said the same story was told many times , and then I quote a different source . A bit confusing maybe , but I did say it was told many times before , and then quote a different source . Do n't worry so much who said the story , but the teaching of the story . <p> &lt;The words are not the moon . &gt; <p> I know . Zen is not Moon . I never said that the characters of Zen and Moon are the same . However , the moon in the story does represent the truth and enlightment <p> &lt;you do n't even think you are argumentative , but you are . You do n't think you are insulting , but you are . " It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " . &gt; <p> But here is the thing , if you did the search , then you know I quoted the passage correctly . So obviously you did not do the search . So here was my take , and correct me if I am wrong . If you were into knowing the truth , then the first thing you would have done is that you would search the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom and see if my passage was there -- and it is , and you wo n't have written what you wrote . You wrote your earlier reply because you did not do a search on the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom , but realized that it is an Indian sutra . This is why I said , it should not be that difficult to do the search on your own as in searching my passage in the text . <p> As for argumentative , that really depends . You see . I am talking for the larger points . The story and the meaning about the finger and the moon . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the finer points like if the story was told by Hui Neng vs your teacher vs your neighbor . Does the teaching and the meaning of this story changes because it was told by Hui Neng or another person ? No , it should not . The meaning and the teaching is the same . <p> &lt;I am not a great scholar who can read sutras in Japanese as you are&gt; <p> They are no in Japanese . They are in Chinese . <p> &lt;ou did n't know that this was an Indian sutra. &gt; <p> I do know it is an Indian sutra translated into Chinese . I have read it . I know . <p> Actually , I did not do a search until I realized that you were referring to a different Prajnaparamita ( perfection of wisdom ) sutra than the one that I spent 30 years chanting . But perhaps you can send me translation of the one you read in CHinese . But as you probably know , since you are so erudite , the Japanese use the formal Chinese in certain contexts . I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ANd you are wrong-I do n't rely on getting my information from the internet-I have been studying for decades . I did n't just do a wiki-search on Zen , as you have seemed to do which led you to the erroneous conclusion that Zen DID N'T come from India because you took the finger for the moon . <p> As for food , you should stick to it . Japanese food is far better when appreciated , rather than read about . I suggest you do that instead of using your internet for sparring . <p> You think Zen scholars think that Zen is not Buddhism ? I do n't think you know very much about Zen . But I am impressed that you can read Chinese . Perhaps you can translate the small sections about the finger and the moon so the rest of the readers can appreciate it . <p> No I was not implying that I know more about Japanese food . I must have missed your question about Chinese noodles , sorry . <p> You are putting words in my mouth . I will say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but you do not read any of them . Zen is part of a branch of Buddhism , but Zen was not found in India . Buddhism is . <p> For your own sake , read this time . Quantum mechanics is part of physics , but quantum mechanics was founded in the 17th century in Western Europe , while physic is probably 600 BC or earlier in Greece . Zen is part of Buddhism , but it was founded at a later time and at a different location : China . Your assertion is like saying Quantum Mechanics was founded in Greece in 600 BC because the original physics was founded there . <p> &lt;I do n't think you know very much about Zen . &gt; <p> Based on what ? Based on the fact that I said Zen is founded in China -- which I am right . <p> &lt;Ramen comes from Japan . &gt; <p> Japanese Ramen is founded in Japan -- I did not deny this . You again do not seem to comprehend what other people are saying . I said Japanese Ramen is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . It really is n't this difficult to understand these logics . California roll is invented in US , but the concept of making a California roll sushi is adopted from Japan . <p> Yes , I asked for the TRANSLATION of the one you read in Chinese . I am still amazed that you can read that kind of classical Chinese . Wow . Please translate that little blurb you sent on the Finger and the Moon Mr. Classical Chinese expert so we can all enjoy it . <p> Perhaps you should eat more Japanese food and really get beyond so much internet based erudition . Japanese food is really amazing in many ways . For example , when you make a dashi with nothing more than bonito and kombu , and it comes out with such a pleasant result it 's almost magical . <p> &lt; I am still amazed that you can read that kind of classical Chinese . Wow . Please translate that little blurb you sent on the Finger and the Moon Mr. Classical Chinese expert so we can all enjoy it . &gt; <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged me several times on different personal levels , and each time you look more foolish than last . Really ? Mocking and taunting by calling me Mr. Classical Chinese expert ? First , you challenge me if I know Zen . I think most readers can already tell I know some . Then , you challenge me about visiting Japan -- which I have . Now , you challenge me if I can read Classical Chinese . <p> Yes , as a matter of fact , I can read classical Chinese . I was trained and can read some ancient Chinese texts , including Four Books , Tao Te Ching , and others . Granted that , classical Chinese is a bit of general term , because there are many different levels . The more ancient , the more difficult . For ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ... <p> Not only I can translate the general meaning . I can translate words for words , phrase by phrase . <p> ? ? ? ? ? ? As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moon ? ? ? ? To show that ( those ) who is ( are ) confused ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The confused person looked at the finger , but not the moon ? ? ? ? : This person spoke this ( following ) statement : ? ? ? ? ? " I use my finger to point to the moon ? ? ? ? so that you can know it ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Why do you look at the finger , but do not watch the moon ? ? ? ? ? As if this ? ? ? ? Words can get to the truth , ? ? ? ? but truth itself is not in words " <p> Now words for words translation <p> ? As if ? A person ? use ? finger ( this one is noun ) ? to point ( this one is verb ) ? moon <p> &lt;Perhaps you should eat more Japanese food and really get beyond so much internet based erudition&gt; <p> I should eat more , but you should try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frankly more than you do . <p> Off point , but I wanted to correct your observation that many more people use iPhone than Android . Its actually the other way around . Android phones as a class far outsell iPhone . If you want to compare by single model , iPhone to Samsung Galaxy , that 's a different matter . Now back to your original programming ... <p> We are lucky to have two of the best Japanese/Sushi restaurants in the entire country here in Austin , Uchi and Uchiko . Tyson Cole is the owner and runs the kitchen at UCHI , while top chef winner Paul Qui ran the kitchen at uchiko until recently . Both restaurants focus heavily on sushi/sashimi ( although non traditional ) , and tyson cole won the James beard award for best chef SW in 2011 , while Paul Qui won best chef southwest this year . I htink that proves that non japanese people can make some pretty damn good japanese food/sushi . <p> I actually prefer uchiko to uchi , but that may change now that Paul Qui has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month though ( just sent a resume off so wish me luck : P ) My first experience at Uchi was a real eye opener for me , it exceeded expectations 10 fold , and I had very high expectations . <p> You should definitely add Austin to your food destinations though , the food scene here is amazing right now , and as a BBQ aficionado you have to make the pilgrimage to Franklins here in town as well ! <p> I look forward to Austin food trip . I will definately try sushi there . But I am really wanting to try the great Mexican delights-I heard that one of the greatest chefs from Mexico runs a food truck . Is that true ? <p> If there is a super famous Mexican chef running a food truck here it does not come to mind , but Ive only been in Austin for about a year so I definitely have a lot to discover . There are some AMAZING trucks here though , so it wouldnt suprise me . The aforementioned Paul Qui has three trucks here in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this thread redefines " going off on a tangent . " Really , the origins of shoyu and ramen ? That cracks me up , while acknowledging that the conversation is healthy and interesting . Do the chefs have to be Japanese ? For me yes if I want to experience Japanese style nigiri , omakase service , sashimi or chirashi . I just wont order from the Chinese or Korean places because its typically nowhere near as good . Its a simple preference for the food , and not rooted in any traditions , food origins or racism . I am not so snobbish that I snicker at the folks thinking the ultra pink tuna or that $15 monstrosity of a roll is outstanding . Good for them . Its just not for me . <p> But no if I am ordering maki rolls as an alternative to standard take out fare . I might even enjoy the brown rice concoctions prepared by a chef of Spanish speaking descent . Albeit rarely . <p> I think many people share that sentiment and the practical and financial reality for most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want an alternative to a turkey sandwich or a chicken caesar wrap . : ) <p> I really think it is that simple . The only cultural difference might be that the Japanese seem to take more pride in what they serve , while others seem to be more interested in running a business . And that is fine too . Cant blame a guy for trying to make a buck . <p> I like your post a lot . I have eaten the big orange rolls at airports when i want something healthier than a burger . The fish is not well cut , is a little bit older than I would like . Here 's my attempt at a poem : <p> Healthier to eat some fresh fish on some rice , Than to ruin my health with french fries-not so nice <p> I am very fortunate to know legendary Japanese Chef Matt Ito , owner of Fuji Restaurant in South Jersey . He was of the first Sushi chefs in the Tri-State area ( early 70 's ) and folks driving Bentley 's &; Rolls with NY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his restaurant . He told me he avoided the Philadelphia Fish market ( 20 minutes away ) and traveled 2 plus hours EVERY day to NY and was first in line for the best / freshest seafood money could buy . Back then , a serious language barrier prevented non Japanese chefs from training under such masters . Over the years though , the language barrier has been broken and many , many non Japanese chefs have trained under the guidance of masters and I think its an insult to say they are inferior to their Japanese counterparts . As I stated before , if one has the proper training &; the willingness to go the extra mile to obtain the best / freshest ingredients available one does not have to be Japanese to serve up world class Japanese cuisine . I also think its quite unfair to compare Japanese cuisine restaurants that cater to budget conscience diners to high end Japanese restaurants REGARDLESS of the nationality of the Chef . Its like comparing the corner white box takeout Chinese joint to an inner city China Town restaurant with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Ito agree with you that he 's not Japanese ? Where is he a " legend " , I would like to read up on his background if you do n't mind before I go there . <p> I did find one magazine review of the restaurant which was quite favorable . However , Sasha Isenberg , the famous sushi expert called Matt 's sushi uninteresting . I am not making any conclusion , but you have brought up someone who was raised in some sort of Japanese culture and used that as an example . I think you might want to come up with a better example . <p> The China Town example is a bit questionable ; I have Chinese friends who live on Bowery , near Canal . They are Chinese foodies from Guangdon . They do n't think too highly of many Chinese restaurants in China Town-especially not the 30 year old ones . Perhaps you can suggest a good one that you know of in China Town ( I assume you mean New York ? ) . <p> My cousin ( Chinese from Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year that is very old , but quite different . I will try to do a review on Chowhound one day . <p> Nobody said he was n't Japanese . My point was that one of his secrets was spending 4 hrs on the road every day to get the best ingredients money could buy , which a chef does not have to be Japanese to do . As for Isenberg , Ito forgot more than Isenberg will ever know about preparing sushi . Being wealthy enough to travel the globe eating sushi , being able to write books and having the connections &; $$$$ to get them published does not make someone an expert on anything . Al Gore really does believe he invented the internet ! ! ! If he could find a publisher who was just as arrogant &; ignorant as he is who would publish a book proclaiming Gore created the internet better than 1/4 of the US population would believe it . Does that make it true ? I think not ! <p> As far as the internet goes , many pioneers in their respective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their work often predates the internet and they know little or anything about computers . The Grandmaster I study under is a 65 yr old 9th degree black belt ( Highest Korean black belt ) and has only a few hits on the internet . Many of the Martial Arts Studio owners in the Mid Atlantic region who have pages of internet hits were his former STUDENTS &; I do not know of anyone in the martial arts community who would even think about engaging the Grandmaster in a street fight . <p> As for the China town comparison , my point is that many people try to compare apples to oranges and then come to profound conclusions that are meaningless . The same is true for Sushi restaurants . How in gods name can one compare a chain that has Mexicans preparing sushi to a pro whether the pro be Japanese or not . <p> As I said in the previous post , the language barriers are largely gone and many non Japanese chefs have trained under the same masters as their Japanese counterparts and I have not read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> Celebrity French Chef Georges Perrier ( Owner/Chef LeBec-Fin ) has trained many non " French " Chefs over the years who went on to be world class chefs specializing in French cuisine and I fail to see why the same is not true with non " Japanese " chefs with Sushi . <p> In closing , I will not be the least bit offended if you do not respond to this post as I clearly do not have the time to dedicate to this subject as you apparently do . <p> Folks , we 'd ask that you please try to stick to food related topics . Zen and how it affects food is okay , but the history of Zen philosophy and zen and martial arts are all getting really far afield for Chowhound . Please just let those tangents go . <p> This is why CHOW needs an unsubscribe function for threads ! Once a thread has devolved into arguing about Zen 's origins and political potshots with debunked myths about former Vice Presidents , things have gone to the dogs .... <p> Your right about drifting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former VP 's internet claim being a debunked myth , I saw him say it &; discuss it at length . My point as it related to a food critic who gave a very accomplished &; highly respected Japanese chef a mediocre review is that anyone can claim to be an expert at anything and with enough financial resources and influence publish a few books and develop a following which often then expands exponentially . <p> Last night I was at a new Sushi place in downtown San Diego . The owner is Korean as are the chef 's , but after having the sushi and sashimi on a number of occasions , getting to know the owner and the chefs , I 've been very impressed . I know the reputation that most Korean run sushi places get , and this is quite the opposite . <p> Anyway , two guys walk in . The first question , " is the Chef Japanese ? " the hostess tells them they are not , ( though they do n't ask to find out that many of them have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Japanese chefs if that matters ) . <p> They walk over to the bar look around for about 30 seconds and leave . I was really hoping that they might sit , or at least that I would know what it was that made them decide against staying . I suspect there decision was made once they heard that it was not a Japanese run establishment - I may have done the same thing before having the food here . <p> I 've been to Urasawa and other " top " level spots around so-cal , and I 'm still pleased by the quality and experience everything I eat here . I would have loved to get their thoughts . <p> Very interesting . First , they did n't give it a chance at all , since they , like many of us-not all- on this thread , have yet to experience much great sushi from non-Japanese . <p> Second-that they walked into a restaurant without checking it out and researching it first surprises me quite a bit . <p> I had Korean made sushi-it was well made , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elaborate and strage quality to it . My Korean friends have encouraged me to go back to that place for their " omakase " which I will at some point . <p> THere is a famous Japanese restauraunt run by an American chef in Boston I just heard about called O-Ya . Has anyone tried it ? It is ranked as one of the best restaurants in U.S. <p> Also , has anyone tried Naoe in Miami , Florida ? Chef is Kevin Cory , I think he is part American and also of Japanese decent . I think he trained with great chefs in Japan at a ryokan by his Japanese uncle chef and by a chef skilled in kaiseki in Kyoto . <p> I almost wanted to chase after them and ask what it was that made them decide against it . <p> A good friend of mine , who I actually visited Urasawa with ( he 's been twice ) has also gone to O-YA , his assessment was that it was very , very good - but far from the traditional experience , and not on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviews , though they serve mostly nigiri and sashimi - it seems to be very contemporary style , the sauces and accouterments are much beyond what you would traditionaly find even at Masa and the like . <p> Urasawa sounds amazing . I visit L.A. so rarely-would I want to go for a Korean chef 's sushi ? I would not be optimistic vs. the intense training that was sought out by Ursawa 's chef ; perhaps you can persuade me otherwise . He too trained with a kaiseki master in Kyoto . <p> I 've heard that Urasawa 's former sous chef is Korean , who ended up afterwards at a gig at the French Laundry and either the person who replaced him , or before him was Urasawa 's brother in law . Likewise Masa Takayama in NY 's Masa restaurant had at least one Korean sous chef , who also branched out on his own . <p> Then there 's Sawa Sushi in Sunnyvale ... very controversial in some cases due to his approach and style yet gets high marks in Opinated About Dining and his blogger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , apparently born and perhaps raised/spent a lot of time in Japan , and if he really wanted to , he could produce kappo ryori/kaiseki/hybrid sushi as good as 15 East , Urawasa , Masa , and the hybrid kappo sushi places in Taipei .... but instead he takes super high end ingredients and turns it into a sashimi and oversaucefest ... thick cuts of excess instead of traditional balance and finesse . In some ways that helped him survive and thrive . Tradtionalists might not stand that style , but there 's a segment of the market that worships him . Previously he worked with some of the more well known Japanese sushi chefs in the 1980s in San Francisco Bay Area . <p> For a true sushi fan , who appreciates everything about the experience , it 's absolutely worth a visit . Even if I ever make it back , I think my first visit will be the most memorable ... if you 're interested : http : **34;4697;TOOLONG <p> now if we 're just speaking of the sushi quality - yes , it 's still the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrepancy between Urasawa and the second best I 've had ( still a Japanese place <p> ) <p> My point with the Korean restaurant is that there is a stigma , that while sometimes warranted , in this case was not . Many believe that all Korean run places are simply about pumping out low quality rolls for AYCE and the like . What I 've found here is an owner that is committed to providing quality sushi , and Chefs who are skilled at their craft and while it 's not the best I 've ever had - it ' has always been enjoyable and

@@5046341 <h> Apple TV : How to change the name of your computer as shown on Apple TV <h> Summary <p> Use these steps to change the name of your iTunes library as it appears under Computers on the main menu of Apple TV ( 2nd generation ) , or as a source for syncing or streaming data on your Apple TV ( 1st generation ) . <p> In the field labeled " Shared Name , " enter the name you would like to appear . <p> Click OK . <p> Note : If you want to change the name of your Apple TV ( 2nd generation ) , select Settings &gt; General &gt; Name on your Apple TV . For Apple TV ( 1st generation ) , double-click the name in

@@5046441 <p> I went to the mirror this morning I looked in the mirror instead The first thing to come into focus The first thing to come into focus Was a face wrapped all around my head <p> There 's something sticking out of the middle I guess it 's my nose , I suppose I just do n't recognize those eyes All these years I 've been watching from the other side <p> Uh oh , here I go thinking them crazy thoughts again Who is that there ? You mean I been walking around in that all these years ? What 's it all about ? Where 's it all at ? I do n't want to get heavy but uh , what am I doing here ? <p> My lip has a dark spot upon it My teeth look like plastic in chips And there on my chin I discover And there on my chin I discover One lonely red and arrogant zit <p> I went about my business this morning You got to get out of bed and make that bread But try as I may to get away I wo n't forget what I seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen in the mirror today I wo n't forget what I seen in the mirror today <p> I seen my eyes , I seen my nose I seen my lips , my teeth My , my gums , I seen my gums I looked all the way down my throat I looked at my ears , I looked real hard at my ears I looked at my hair , I think I 'm going

@@5046541 <h> Related Topics <p> Sarah Quigg 's agriculture class at Ephrata High School recently had an opportunity to learn the basics of sheep husbandry . <p> Quigg said several animal sciences students participated on an animal crew when two very pregnant ewes arrived at the agriculture sciences building Feb. 21 . <p> It was n't long until two heads became a lot more . The first set of three lambs was born early on the morning of Feb. 23 , Quigg said , and a second trio arrived Feb. 24 . <p> Quigg said the owner of the lambs , local farmer Joann Zimmerman , had several ewes that were pregnant and brought what was believed to be the pair closest to giving birth . <p> The students ' first order of business was learning how to care for the newborn lambs . The class quickly learned a hard lesson in life when a ewe accidentally smothered one of the newborns during the weekend . <p> " The animal crew have special responsibilities to care for the sheep , " Quigg said . <p> She said her 14-student class learned the basics of taking TPR -- temperature , pulse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quigg said the husbandry lesson also crossed over to the life skills class when 10 students came for a visit . <p> " We also had a student do a video segment on the project for our school 's morning announcements , " Quigg said . <p> The lesson played an important part in the academics of two of her sophomore students . <p> " This is part of a graduation project for both Emily Pfeiffer and Laura Pastrana , " Quigg said . " Our students can choose to complete their graduation projects any time they are at the high school , so these girls have decided to get them out of the way early . " <p> Before the ag lesson could even begin , Pastrana and Pfeiffer received a civics lesson . <p> Quigg explained that the zoning of the school grounds prohibits the raising of livestock without a special exception . <p> " We had to go to the Ephrata Borough safety committee and explain what we wanted to do , " Pastrana said . <p> Pastrana said that once she explained the educational goals of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permission for the sheep project to proceed . <p> Pfeiffer said the project was a learning experience . She said she learned to give the animals shots , practiced with different restraints and docked tails . <p> The process of docking a tail usually involves wrapping a band around the base of the tail to cut off the blood supply . After a few days , the tail dies and falls off . <p> Quigg said that although docking has a cosmetic effect , the process also minimizes disease and infection . <p> " This is a hands-on lesson , " she said . <p> In addition to the lambs , Quigg 's animal sciences class has raised piglets and broiler chickens in the past . <p> Quigg 's students clearly bonded with the lambs , giving them names including Duke , Norman and Billy Goat . <p> On Friday , just prior to the sheep shipping back to their home farm , the class observed one final lesson -- a shearing demonstration . <p> The shearing was necessary because the two ewes became uncomfortable with the unseasonably warm weather @ @ @

@@5046641 <h> Share this page with social media websites <p> Use the following links to share this page through common social media websites . Use screen reader reading keys , as the Tab key may not work for all links . To share this page with a social media service not listed here , select the " Share " link to open a frame that lists additional options . In the input field , type search text to filter results . Use the down arrow key to read the list , as the Tab key does not work . <h> Find Regulated Child Care Near You <p> Before putting your child in someone else 's care , always use txchildcaresearch.org to find regulated care near you and find out how it complies with state standards . <p> Your choice of child care has a huge affect on your child . While it ca n't replace a parent 's love and attention , quality child care can help your child develop language skills , social skills , and self-esteem . So , do n't be in the dark about child care . Find out the facts before entrusting your child to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> Unregulated child care may be convenient and affordable but it leaves you and your child in the dark . Unregulated care means no inspections , no training , no one enforcing basic health and safety standards , and no record for you to check . Do n't be in the dark about child care . Find regulated child care and check its inspection record at txchildcaresearch.org . Day care centers and homes are regulated by the Child Care Licensing ( CCL ) division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services ( DFPS ) . CCL sets minimum standards and rules to ensure the health and safety of children in day care , and issues a license , a registration , or a listing to various types of day care operations . Some types of child care are inspected regularly and others only if there is a complaint . Find out about the types of care , minimum standards , and other rules on the Information for Parents section of the Child Care Licensing website . <h> Looking for Day Care <p> Find the Right Fit for your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thrive . Consider the caregiver 's education , experience , and training , as well as the size of the group and setting . <p> Research your options . Learn about licensed and registered child care at txchildcaresearch.org . There you will find the results of CCL inspections and details about the operation . Ask friends , family , and other parents if they can recommend child caregivers . How would you feel to be there all day ? <p> Check them out in person . Once you narrow your list , visit each child care operation while children are there . See what activities are done , how the caregiver interacts with children , and how the children like it there . Take your child to visit the center or home . Read the results of the last inspection at txchildcaresearch.org to see if they comply with minimum standards . <p> Meet the caregiver or director . Discuss your concerns and make sure you are happy with their answers . Return unannounced for a second look . <h> Stay Involved in Your Child 's Care <p> Keep talking with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ menus . Ask how your child is behaving , getting along with others , making progress , and if your child is having difficulty adjusting . <p> Keep talking to your children . Ask them how the day went , what they did , who they saw , or if anything special happened . If your child does n't want to go back - find out why and follow up with the caregiver . <p> Report your concerns . Report anything that may affect a child 's health or safety as soon as possible . <p> Report child abuse or neglect or illegal day care to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 . The hotline is open all day , every day of the year . For emergencies call 9-1-1 or your local police . The law protects people who make reports in good faith from legal liability . <p> If you have more general concerns , call your local CCL office or our statewide child-care information line at 1-800-862-5252 . Local offices are listed at Local Child Care Licensing Offices . <p> How would you feel to be there @ @ @

@@5046741 <p> As humans , we have a long history of working in groups : families , local geographic communities , work teams . Today online technologies allow us to connect broadly using networks of all kinds . We might think of these forms as a range of deep ( defined , focused groups ) and broad ( diverse , connecting and multi-domained networks ) . The question is , how do we keep these two forms usefully knitted together ? What are the online and offline implications ? Let 's explore the place of the " social artist " and the " transversal " in the context of teaching and learning online . Actually , more ambitiously , how are we changing our field of teaching and training particularly through our use of online environments ? Of learning ? <p> In the past month , I 've been participating in one of the MOOCs , #Change11 ( http : //change.mooc.ca/ ) . I was the facilitator for week 8 ( http : **27;4767;TOOLONG ) and my topic was very related to what I want to talk about today . So I want to thank and acknowledge them as thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both helped me clarify my thinking and show me the " sweet spots . " THANK YOU ! For an amazing recap , see the work of Valerie here : http : //bit.ly/sD3A0V and a few others http : **35;4796;TOOLONG ... My starting assumption is pretty obvious . We ca n't handle the volume offered to us on the net alone . We ca n't tap into the richness of networks alone . We ca n't be all things to all people as teachers and learners working in isolation . And , in an era where we can connect widely , and across a lot of diversity , it is worth paying attention to HOW we teach and learn . It seemed to me that we need some attention on our behaviors as learners and teachers , some reflection on the informal roles we take on as we manifest our participation online and offline . So the MOOC was a playground . What I did in my MOOC11 week was a bit different than the previous weeks where the host facilitator posted an article and the group discussed it ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , to be honest , I have been on the road a lot these last months and just did n't prepare a piece of writing . So I looked into the implicit invitation of the MOOC 11 title , Change11 : Education , Learning and Technology . For teachers and learners , this is about experiencing the change and BEING the change . That rang a bell for me . Slap on top of that my recent interest in the roles of social artist and transversalist , I was beginning to find my hook for today 's talk . Now I do realize I bit off a huge chunk and that what I do here today with you may be more of a passing , overdosed blur . I 'll confess , I do n't do keynotes about things I 'm totally clear and certain about . This is a rather selfish opportunity for me to learn with and from you . There is something amazing about speaking half baked ideas out to a room of 300 people ( plus followers online via video and Twitter ) that forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is this edge of knowing , learning and improvisation . Bliss . So here we go ... ( at this point , the person following the Twitter stream gave the feedback that one Tweet wanted me to just " Get on with it . " Wise words . Thank you , back channel . <p> So what did I learn in Change11 that informed today 's tight rope performance ? What happened with this simple , opening conversation about the experience of BEING change ( with few slides , lots of whiteboards and a rather unintelligible set of artifacts for anyone who was n't there ... see here:http : **30;4833;TOOLONG ... ) ? We explored practices which help activate ourselves and those around us . How bringing our full selves to teaching and learning changes things . We benefit from ACTIVATING potential in ourselves to learn , do , engage , PRACTICE ! <p> Pile on top of this fundamental need to ACTIVATE is the need for , for lack of a better word , COPING . And hopefully MORE than just coping , but productively working this tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blossoming of social media . We can belong to groups and networks in a dizzying profusion . Face it , multimembership is making it harder than anytime in the past 10 years to form and nurture these groups we 're apt to design into our learning architectures because everyone already belongs to SO MANY . Technology has changed what it means to be together and now we have this breadth of opportunity to connect . What is happening to depth ? What is the fundamental need for depth in a learning contexts ? As we are ( constantly ) reinventing our practices and our worlds nudged very strongly by this tension . So what do we do ? <p> HOW do we do this ? What are our options ? I 'd say this is another area of abundance and one that is expanding before my eyes as I continue to explore the field of connecting and activating in learning and working . What I want to share today is n't just about online . It is online and offline . It reaches across all modalities you might want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference of French and Italian free and open source software folks ( fOSSa ) , doing a similar talk as I 'm doing with you today ( http : **34;4865;TOOLONG ... I was this strange bird , a non-coder , talking about communities and networks . They were mostly talking about code and the politics of open source . I struggled to fit in initially and thought " boy , this is going to be a long three days and can I skip out after my talk ? " Uh oh . Instead , I started taking sketchnotes of the other talks . ( see http : **35;4901;TOOLONG ... At first it was just so I could make sense of the talks . It was a lot of geek to me . Pretty soon , however , people started looking over my shoulder . I took quick snaps of the sketches and tweeted and tagged them and others in the room ( and outside the room ) started commenting and retweeting . When the next break came up , I was no longer the odd duck in the corner ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to connect with earlier in the day . What happened ? A few things . I made an offering . People found the offering valuable . The offering was a bit unique in a flow of words and ppt files -- or should I say OPEN OFFICE files . It was visual . It helped bridge some of our linguistic and domain gaps . By the end of the three days , the organizers decided their 2012 conference would include visual practice ( they are going to do a backwards look at their history and I suggested a visual history wall ) , and maybe just might include me . Mmmm , another trip to France ai n't bad . More importantly , I now have a network of very smart FOSSA coders , journalists , philosophers and what not as part of my network . All for a few scratches of pen on paper . From an offer . A gift . Please note ! <p> This is about connecting . Connection . Whether we are using a visual path , or widely networked tools like Twitter and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framing for education he calls " connectivism " which resonates with this call for connection . <p> Connect beyond the classroom . During and after courses . Use the technology at hand with more intention around connecting and finding the balance between depth and breadth . <p> This changes the moment . Changes the learning . Changes us . Dare we think , aspire , believe that we can also change the field . More on that in a bit , but hold on to the idea that we are revolutionaries for positive change in the learning world by believing and acting on the power of activation and intention through connection . Yes , powerful stuff . ( At this point , I shouted " Occupy Education " in the name of all you who have been shouting this out in rooms and online spaces around the world for the past months ! ) <p> But wait ! Is there a problem , Houston ? Yup . One reason is the proliferation of ideas around the use of " communities " " teams " and related approaches . We value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but often we try and " build a learning " community and we get , what ? Empty forums , grudging posts , and at best , ephemeral connection . Is it because learning with and from each other is not a good approach or that we actually can improve our practices ? I believe it is the latter and today I 'd like to share is some design and practice thinking around this idea of connecting . Connecting meaningfully . We 'll look at some connective technologies ( because , that is after all , part of the theme of our gathering at conVerge ) , connective roles , and connective practices . My theory and what I 've observed in practice is that when we ramp up our awareness and use of these approaches , things work better . In a way , a bit of a revolution . Revolution through self awareness and a sensitivity towards design . <p> But wait . This is not a protest . Let 's not say " everything connected all the time . " The goal here is USEFUL connection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrowed this post from the Occupy movement , let 's borrow some of the connecting practices from them as well . And maybe look at them through a variety of perspectives -- because they can become misunderstood or caricatures .. http : **35;4938;TOOLONG ... <p> Now , I took a bit of a diversion in the presentation and talked about the Occupy handsignals and engaged the group in using them . Here is the gist of what I said : Hand signals are not new , nor are they the invention of the Occupy movement In fact , many of them come from the deaf community . What is significant in their use in the movement is to create a means for participation in a way that scales across the context of occupying parks . Chanting and yelling is one way , but if there are no microphones or amplification allowed in parks ( more on that later ) , a crowd yelling soon drowns out the conversation . Other noise might drown out the talk . Hand signals give people a way to respond and to impact the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use your hands to signal me and signal each other . Let 's look at the basics . Hands up , wiggling indicates agreement . ( In the deaf community , it also means applause , I believe ) . If you hear something you agree with , wave those piggies. https : **29;4975;TOOLONG <p> Hands down indicates disagreement or a request to stop . Yes , you can disagree with me . And yes , I want to hear why because a lot of what I 'm going to talk about today is my own emergent thinking and processing . Those of you who know me know I 'm not so interested in spouting about the certain , but exploring and giving voice to what I 'm learning and what may be emergent in a practice or field . <p> Hands crossed indicates blocking . This comes from the practice of using consensus in the Occupy movement . We do n't have to come to any kind of consensus today , but if something is really troubling you , try it out . If you are way in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me out , folks . <p> The triangle is to address a point of process . If we were in a fully workshop setting , this might be useful . But again , sometimes some of this is extraneous . So the hint is , use what is USEFUL . OK , are you with me so far ? Up twinkle fingers for yes , down for no . <p> http : **35;5006;TOOLONG ... Now that we have a little feedback loop process in place , lets start right where we are now . I shared the story of how I was able to gain much more out of a F2F conference through sketchnoting and sharing . My question to you is how are you making the most of your time at conVerge ? How about you extroverts ? Raise your hands Easy , right ? Maybe . Introverts , raise your hands -- invisibly . Maybe a bit tougher for you ? Valerie Maltoni , aka " conversation agent " posted recently 30 times for connecting at conferences . If you had binoculars , you could read that list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naturally , some of us just need a little reminder and some of us have to learn how to do this . So we 're going to " do this " a bit together now . Think of it as " yoga for your conferencce connecting muscles . <p> Just for a taste from that pile of text , here are a few examples from Valeria . <p> Here is my offer . Take any old piece of paper you can find , grab your pen and draw a picture -- a stick picture -- of how you are or plan to meaningfully connect with someone else here conVerge . This is not an art contest . Just a no-text way of expressing of one way you have or will connect with someone else here . I 'll give you 90 seconds to draw . Then we 'll do a 30 second swap meet . You turn to someone , swap your pictures . Guess , discuss , laugh , whatever . Then you will take the image you received and swap it with someone new . Let 's see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realize the usefulness of simple practices . One of them is the power of the debrief . Take a minute to chat w/ your neighbors about our swap meet . What did you learn ? What did you notice about the process ? . Let 's hear a few from the audience now . And if we can we can watch the tweet stream for feedback . What did we learn about connecting w/ each other in terms of process ? Content ? Invitation ? Hand signals ? <p> So we 've already explored several in-room mechanisms to communicate and connect . Yes , communication is a primary means of connection . They are examples of both connective technologies ( albeit non-digital ) , roles ( mostly mine so far ) and practices . My next offer to you today is to explore the trio of technology , roles and practices as vectors for literally changing our field . Changing teaching and learning , no matter how , no matter who , no matter where . Now , I know this is neither complete nor a panacea , but opens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are exploring here in a larger context of people and processes . And to give us agency for this transformation . <p> I 'm going to start with technology , which is both easy and hard . It is easy , because we can point to a tool and say " hey , Twitter is good for ... X " " Moodle is fab for .... Y " -- Shout it out . More specifically , technology gives us the means to connect with each other across time and space , across domain and practice . <p> The proliferation of internet based tools has expanded what it means to " be together " with others for learning , work and pleasure . How do we decide when to focus on the individual , the group or the wider network ? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each ? How does our choice inform our selection of tools and methods ? And what about all the gray area " in between " each of these ? <p> I do n't know if you have seen the stunning global choirs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face , of over 2000 singers from around the globe . It is stunning . Let 's take a look ( if I can get the technology to work ! ) http : //www.youtube.com/watch ? v=D7o7Brlba ... The devil of this is that we have these oddly unreasonable expectations that technology a ) simply works and b ) works the same for all of us and c ) if we just have the right widget , we are set . Eric and his choir had the right widgets , but clearly something much more . <p> Let 's explore then a typical path of bringing technology to teaching and learning . Learning happens through a series of activities that people do alone and with each other . What comes to mind when you think about this . For many of us , the first thing we do is list the tools , not the activities . If we flip and start with the activities , we might actually do a better job matching tools and tool practices with those activities . And that assumes we are actually THINKING about and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation about activity with his conversation prism . http : **31;5043;TOOLONG <p> In research for the book " Digital Habitats : stewarding technology for communities " ( Wenger , White and Smith ) we looked at a variety of communities of practice and noticed 9 general patterns of activities that characterized what we called a community 's orientation . Most had a mix , but some activity orientations were more prominent in every case . Image : Wenger , White and Smith , 2009 Meetings -- in person or online gatherings with an agenda ( i.e. monthly topic calls ) Projects -- interrelated tasks with specific outcomes or products ( i.e. Identifying a new practice and refining it . ) Access to expertise -- learning from experienced practitioners ( i.e. access to subject matter experts ) Relationship -- getting to know each other ( i.e. the annual potluck dinner ! ) Context -- private , internally-focused or serving an organization , or the wider world ( i.e. what is kept within the community , what is shared with the wider world ) Community cultivation -- Recruiting , orienting and supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 're the new person was invited in and met others ? ) Individual participation -- enabling members to craft their own experience of the community ( i.e. access material when and how you want it . ) Content -- a focus on capturing and publishing what the community learns and knows ( i.e. a newsletter , publishing an article , etc . ) Open ended conversation -- conversations that continue to rise and fall over time without a specific goal ( i.e. listserv or web forum , Twitter , etc . ) <p> In visually mapping these orientations , we could begin to explore the process , technology and planning dimensions of a community . Example : KM4Dev ( http : //www.km4dev.org ) is a global network of practitioners interested in knowledge management and knowledge sharing in international development . Over 1500 members are subscribed to the email list which had it 's origins in July 2000 . It is both a well established but loosely bounded network that interacts primarily online , with once a year meetings that a small subset attend . <p> Now , lets also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face it , some are more connective than others . A learning management system which segregates classes and cohorts , which manages data for the purpose of measuring progress and recording grades has less technological connective tissue than Facebook , Google+ or Twitter . Some may say they are less chaotic than FB or Twitter which seems to show a pattern Some tools are designed for control . What I 've noticed is the more controlled the technology , the less connective potential . The more rigid the roles and the higher the expectation for strong connections . There is also value in openness , diversity , and weak or light ties . Take this slide as me mucking about with this idea , rather than any sort of definitive analysis . But consider for a moment . How do the tools you use support openness ? Connection ? Focus ? Control ? Scaling of participation to larger numbers ? This latter facet is critical in places where , for example , Universities demand far outstrips what it can supply . We need to design with a range of tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , this means giving up control . One of the most important things I 've learned from the OpenEducation or " Open Ed " community is the power of letting go , of making things open . The challenge is how our institutions can scale as fast as these open initiatives which treat most institutional boundaries as irrelevant . Heck , we need to start with being simply conscious and attentive TO design ! <p> Let 's look at the role of Twitter again in the Occupy context and the use of hashtags . You can view at the highest " Occupy " tag whch shows no geographic focus ( i.e. " Occupy Melbourne " ) This connects people around the movement in one way . It also shows opportunity for more specific connection by following people posting with the hashtag or conversation that emerge from within the tag stream . <p> Or you can search on an " Occupynamespace " such as " OccupySeattle " By looking across and vertically , you can get a different lens on what is being Tweeted about Occupy . Twitter aggregates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people you follow , some representation of your network(s) . It can also aggregate via hashtag which lets us connect across topic , or " domain " as we call it from a communities of practice perspective . It is both aggregation by topic and curation by the people in the network who care about something . It allows us to filter in different ways and make sense of the flow of information in ways we might not alone . This is a technology that supports connection , breadth , diversity and scaling of numbers of participants . <p> Twitter is not the only way to aggregate . Occupy Melbourne brings together information for local activistm . The aggregation and curation of content is another form of technologically mediated connective tissue . There are some sessions here around curation tools and practices . There are really cool technologies with APIs , application programming interfaces that allow people to mix , match and mash up content across sites . Aggregation can both show us breadth and depth . But neither Twitter nor other aggregating technologies do a great job at depth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tweets . To get relationship depth , you hop and skip across many iterations of 140 charactures . Slow , thoughtful conversations on Twitter are a challenge for most of us . Comments on blogs may move us further along the continuum to depth . Sitting around a slow meal or a glass of tea in small groups takes us deeper . We need all of these to learn , to make meaning . <p> APIs , http : //cc.fullcirc.com/ Thinkupapp.ca Other tools , like the topic focused pages Tony Karrer has engineered with a combination of technological and human curation , have more boundaries which may reduce and refine content , but also lose some of the wider perspective . Both are useful . Which approach to aggregation and curation are you taking when you want your learners to connect to the fountain ( or firehose ) of information availabile in their learning domain ? <p> Occupy Caf is interested in the process issues around Occupy and has been a source of inspiration to me , along with the writings of Tom Atlee. http : //post.ly/4DYn3 His posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and look at the emergent set of ideas and practices that can inform teaching and learning . <p> All of these technologies reflect a dynamic that is expresssed in one of my fundamental design thingies ( I do n't know what to call this . " ) Technology is designed for a group , but experienced by individuals sitting behind screens of all sizes . We create the experience for ourselves , and we create a sense of how others are experiencing the same thing in our own heads . I imagine ( or not ) your body language or tone as I read your tweet . <p> http : **35;5076;TOOLONG ... Nieman Journalism Lab on Nov 21 talked about Occupy as an " interface " , quoting from the Atlantic " A Guide to the Occupy Wall Street API , Or Why the Nerdiest Way to Think About OWS is so useful . " This gave me another lens to think about these challenges of how we connect online . <p> http : **34;5113;TOOLONG ... I f you are like me , you might not actually know what an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ geek-wannabes ! <p> http : **35;5149;TOOLONG ... This is a visual example of what an API can do -- pull in images from Flickr and assemble them into a tree . <p> Here are some examples of " gets " and " posts " ( from the geeky API language ) from the Atlantic Article <p> A few more ... <p> And a few more . You get the drift , right ? <p> We can consider the specific things we take on to support useful connection . This might be " roles . " By roles , I mean we are consciously doing something and often others know or have asked us to do so . It is deliberate . Sometimes it is informal , other times formal . But most important , it is conscious ! <p> What are our connecting roles ? <p> Or is it conneTIVE ? I 'm still not sure about this language ... ; - ) <p> Here are some of the needs that have show up for me in my work . What they DO N'T cover is the management side of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> This is ho they translate into some of the roles I 've noticed . They include : facilitators , community leaders , network weavers and technology stewards . Plus a few more . Community leaders are a more familiar role , helping defined groups achieve specific goals over a period of time . " Helping " may mean creating conditions , supporting the emergence of relationships or individual and/or group identity , managing , etc . Network weavers are a new role ( See the work of June Holley et al at http : **30;5186;TOOLONG ) -- " people who facilitate new connections and increase the quality of those connections . " In between community leaders and network weavers are technology stewards . Independent thinkers is my effort to usefully embrace diversity , disagreement and in general , civil constructive criticism and thinking . Moderators are more like housekeeping in my mind , but others use the term as facilitator or community manager . The newest is a term I borrowed ... Social Artist . <p> http : **35;5218;TOOLONG ... What I 'm NOT talking about is spam marketing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current technologies . I 'm also not focusing on broadcast or one way communications . These ideas CAN apply to marketing , but it is a form of marketing that values authentic interaction , muti way listening and generalized reciprocity . <p> In the MOOC experience I mentioned , I also talked about the Social Artist . http : **35;5255;TOOLONG ... amplifies on a post I had written earlier for the #Change11 MOOC http : **35;5292;TOOLONG ... which gives some good background . There are two definitions , on from Etienne Wenger and one from Jean Houston . Wenger 's is in relationship to learning ( a social artist is a person " enabling social learning spaces " ) , Houston 's is broader but the resonate with each other . Valerie did an AMAZING recap of the week here : http : //bit.ly/sD3A0V watch it -- fabulous ! Here are a few more blog posts from the Change11 week on Social Artistry . See also the twitter hashtag #socialartist http : **35;5329;TOOLONG ... http : **35;5366;TOOLONG ... http : **35;5403;TOOLONG ... https : **34;5440;TOOLONG ... http : **35;5476;TOOLONG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ **35;5587;TOOLONG ... http : **35;5624;TOOLONG ... ( added Nov 10 ) http : **35;5661;TOOLONG ... http : **35;5698;TOOLONG ... http : **35;5735;TOOLONG ... ( should I have talked about network weavers ? See http : **35;5772;TOOLONG ... ) Finding social artists everywhere http : **25;5809;TOOLONG ? p=686 http : **35;5836;TOOLONG ... The Queen Has No Clothes http : **35;5873;TOOLONG ... but see also http : **35;5910;TOOLONG ... " We will try a Technology for Learning Forum ( T4L-Forum ) to develop the pedagogy necessary , working with enthusiasts , wannabes and even perhaps skeptics , but always asking " where is the learning in this " . " http : **35;5947;TOOLONG ... ( Added Nov9 ) https : **34;5984;TOOLONG ... ( added Nov 9 ) http : **35;6020;TOOLONG ... ( added Nov 10 and wonderfully funny and spot on ! ) http : **35;6057;TOOLONG ... ( added Nov 10 ) https : **34;6094;TOOLONG ... / ( added Nov 10 ) https : **34;6130;TOOLONG ... / ( added Nov 10 ) https : **34;6166;TOOLONG ... ( added nov 10 ) Image Credit : https : **28;6202;TOOLONG ? fbid= ... <p> http @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p=474 This is a brief mention of Wenger 's approach to social artistry . <p> One of the social artist practices that has been most significant in my work are the little things . <p> http : **35;6269;TOOLONG ... Howard Zinn , 2004 While it may not be institutionally practical , attitude plays a terrific role in our success as educators . Apathy is a virus . As is " waiting for the perfect . " <p> Little things , though , often get lost in big institutions . So we are the agents of change to keep those practices alive . <p> Just think of the power of saying thank you ! <p> When in doubt , keep it simple . And simple to me came down to another fundamental element of human interaction . Invitation ! The act of inviting others into engagement with you and with each other , into engagement to think , do , learn , create , debate , play . <p> http : //ds106.us/ Jim Groom 's course on digital storytelling is an amazing ongoing example of the power of little things <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check is a process being used in the Occupy movement . If we think about technologies as mechanism that enable users to do specific actions , Mic Check is a technology . These are participatory gestures . Or social gestures . We do these online too . Think about a thumbs up in Facebook , a smiley in a chat , or a quick video cam to show how we feel as well as TELLING how we feel . <p> Now , let 's look at Mic Check beyond the hype of some of the videos we are seeing online and in the media . Mic check is used at face to face gatherings where no electronic amplification is allowed . People have to listen and relay . This generates a network effect rippling across the crowd . It also asks the speaker to be clear and brief . No wasting of words . It scales too , if you have enough time ! <p> OK , on to the next role . Tech steward . Ten years ago , when someone wanted to set up a set of tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IT . Install Lotus notes . " Give me a SharePoint set up . " And that was that . Communities rarely had control of their online environments . There was a gulf between designers and users . Unless of course , they were coders . Now we have access to a wide variety of tools , some of which are technically difficult to set up , and others that are available at a click of the button . Who is paying attention to these tools ? Tech stewardship goes far beyond the traditional IT tech support . It is tech with a community attitude , attention to how to adapt a tool to a community 's quirks and practices . It is about seeing and representing the community perspective first . Photo credit : http : **35;6380;TOOLONG ... <p> Technology stewardship is not a solo gig , but by , of and for the community . It is about that balance between control and emergence , between " self-organizing " and " organizing on behalf of others . " It balances the wisdom of the group , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roles and practices . How do we put it together ? Design is a good starting point . But let me say , design is just ONE part . We ca n't leave out the DOING . The practices . <p> Sometimes we have to step outside of traditional elearning design boxes . In fact , I 'd say we most OFTEN need to do this . <p> http : **35;6417;TOOLONG ... I have a lot of faith in Safe Fail design . See Dave Snowden 's post http : **35;6454;TOOLONG ... <p> Often we are designing just for our students , for some curriculum requirement or even ourselves . We might consider instead of designing across bits and bobs . Across stakeholder group . We need to pay at least a little attention to the transversal. transverse /trans ? v ? rs/ Adjective:Situated or extending across something : " a transverse beam " . http : **35;6491;TOOLONG ... <p> Let 's break this down a bit . When designing , managing and facilitating online communities and networks , we have to be able to work from at least three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , community leaders and facilitators with their attention to process and relationships , and finally , the members with attention to what creates enough value to make participation worth their time and attention . <p> The first perspective in institutional settings is the institutions . The boss . We need to design with their needs in mind , but not ONLY their needs . <p> Teacher and instructors , as facilitators and ( along with learners ) as community leaders are both key in making things happen in a community or network . Typically the facilitators have a clearly defined role , often supported in some way by their organization . Community leaders , on the other hand , are most often volunteers . Both play vital roles in a community and often they share a similar perspective . ( However , when you go to a more detailed level of analysis , I 'd split these apart ! ) Facilitators and leaders are task focused and thus value role and task definition . What should I be doing ? How ? By when . Sometimes this means training and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . One thing that is often missing for them is feedback on how they are doing and what value they are adding . This is critical for sustainability . <p> Finally , but most importantly , we have the member/learner perspective . There is no community without the members . No class without the students . No network . Today people can participate in so many communities that their level of engagement is spread thin . So the most important question we have to ask -- and keep asking -- is the purpose of our community valuable and relevant to members ? Are the activities worth the time and attention it takes members to participate ? Once we have achieved relevance for them , what kind of engagement is needed to help the community fulfill its potential ? Each of these perspectives are critical . Sometimes they may be shared and sometimes contradictory . Sponsors may want members to do something they have no interest in doing . Facilitators may feel unappreciated by both sponsors and members . By being able to step back and consider each perspective , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forefront and minimize the disconnects . <p> http : **35;6528;TOOLONG ... This transversal pattern is also present in business today . <p> There are many forms that include this perspective on connecting . The MOOC form mentioned earlier . Communities of practice . Connecting diverse domains , open education , project based learning as well as many others . If you look at your teaching and learning practices , which are connective ? <p> Sometimes I think we are too modest in our aims in great teaching and learning online . We can do more . Check out Don 's wise words . <p> Don Tapscott 's engagement strategies for new Open Cities collaborative . The man is on a mission , with clarity and audacious goals . What is our clarity ? What are our audacious goals ? How are we changing not only ourselves , our courses , our institutions , but the ENTIRE FIELD ? <p> 30 ideas on connecting at conferences from Valeria Maltoni 1 . write down at least three take aways for each session you attend -- there 's a lot of experience hiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with your seat neighbors -- more knowledge you can tap there 3. choose to provide constructive feedback to all -- your conference experience depends on your outlook 4. spend some time w/sponsors &; learn about their products or services -- you never know when information will come in handy 5. demo products , talk to brand reps about the services -- can you learn something about how to position a product better ? 6. remember that thinking can be more powerful than doing -- you might discover you 've been rushing to the wrong activities 7. ask specific questions of speakers , &; keep the open ended ones for networking -- you 're responsible of your own take aways , after all 8. use the information you researched ahead of time on attendees/topic -- as a foundation to build upon 9. be open to new ideas or new points of view -- it 's actually more instructive and fun when people do n't do or say what you expect them to 10. document what you learn to share with your team --others w/brimming plates end up covering for you . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's contagious -- really , we just saw that in the opening keynote , be fascinating , and the world will smile upon you 12. tweet less if this means you listen more -- can you really absorb information and learn while you 're tweeting ? 13. share connections w/ other attendees . Meet new people by introducing people , while you shift the focus away from you . 14. pay attention to non verbals -- during breaks , as well as the sessions , you can learn a lot just by observing 15. observe what people gravitate towards and make a note of it for your business --where 's the energy in the room ? What 's captivating ? 16. p rovide feedback to conf organizers . Will people have nice time ? How does pgm need to flow ? 17. participate to sessions actively -- body language is also participation . Focusing on your computer is hard on speakers &; others in room 18. be willing to challenge your own thinking -- suspend your judgment , think possibility , or like Ben Zander , how fascinating 19. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good sessions are concurrent . Take advantage of the luxury of sharing notes . 20. meet the speakers during breaks . Speakers are the least courted people at breaks , no idea why , even at big events 21. make note of any follow up activities &; follow through . Closing the gap between promises made &; promises kept builds a solid reputation 22. seek out the new &; stimulating -- ... mix it up a little and you open new paths 23. bring your offline voice to conversations -- people may/not read your blog , follow you on Twitter , etc . Just talk to them and take it from there ? 24. give yourself time with each new person you meet . Pace yourself/get to know more people . F2F is more precious than contact details . 25. volunteer to fill in for a speaker on a panel/session , it might be your lucky day if your expertise matches &; organizers know about it 26. help out at the bookstore --provide some relief to conference organizers &; meet more people at the book stand or store 27. partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thank them after the session -- associating yourself the event and being 28. laugh with people -- for a reason , of course , otherwise it looks creepy . They say laughter is the shortest distance between people 29. remember people 's names with their faces . Who did I remember ? Those who made eye contact . 30. celebrate the success of others .. Those are perfect opportunities to recognize the work of others , which is supremely connective ( I edited for brevity ... nw ) http : //bit.ly/uAzcSA <p> 1 . write down at least three take aways for each session you attend -- there 's a lot of experience hiding in the obvious 2. grab your seat early and engage with your seat neighbors -- more knowledge you can tap there 3. choose to provide constructive feedback to all -- your conference experience depends on your outlook 4. spend some time w/sponsors &; learn about their products or services 5. demo products , talk to brand reps about the services -- can you learn something about how to position a product better ? 6. remember that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discover you 've been rushing to the wrong activities 7. ask specific questions of speakers , &; keep the open ended ones for networking -- you 're responsible of your own take-aways , after all <p> 30 Second Swap Meet <p> Debrief ! <p> Technological connective tissue . <p> Tech + Social : Technology has fundamentally changed how we can be together <p> API ( A pplication P rogramming I nterface ) A language and message format used by an application program to communicate with the operating system or some other control program such as a database management system ( DBMS ) or communications protocol . APIs are implemented by writing function calls in the program , which provide the linkage to the required subroutine for execution . Thus , an API implies that some program module is available in the computer to perform the operation or that it must be linked into the existing program to perform the tasks . http : **34;6565;TOOLONG ... <p> &quot; knowing how to use who you are as a vehicle for opening spaces for learning . It 's about being able to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of learning and performance ... space for becoming learning citizens " -- Etienne Wenger &quot; . . . the art of enhancing human capacities in the light of social complexity . It seeks to bring new ways of thinking , being and doing to social challenges in the world . ... Social Artists are leaders in many fields who bring the same order of passion and skill that an artist brings to his or her art form , to the canvas of our social reality . - Jean Houston <p> Network Weavers : ... noticing and connecting <p> Closing Triangles <p> Howard Zinn <p> Thank You ! <p> Invite ! <p> " One useful rule of thumb is to use network maps more for raising questions than for answering them " ( Hoppe and Reinelt 2009 ) <p> What the % &*#; is a technology steward ? http : **35;6601;TOOLONG ... <p> http : **35;6638;TOOLONG ... " Technology stewards are people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs , and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

@@5046841 <p> NEW YORK ? Research in Motion CEO Thorsten Heins is very tall , and on a recent August day seemed also tired , possibly sick and most definitely hungry , as eWEEK sat between him and a very delayed delivered lunch . But Heins and other high-level RIM employees have been tirelessly engaging with the press , working to keep the BlackBerry brand and trickled details of the upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform and smartphones in the news ? it has been suggested that RIM could fold before it reaches BB10 's now twice-delayed launch date ? so he ignored his waiting sandwich and patiently answered our questions about where RIM went wrong and what it 's now doing right , whether the Ontario-based company is open to licensing BlackBerry 10 to other smartphone makers , if it would sell off a portion of its company , if RIM has addressed the lousiness of past BlackBerry touchscreens and what exactly we can hope for in 2013 . The BlackBerry experience was once so addictive it earned the smartphones a special nickname . Can RIM get us hooked again ? <p> Prev <p> 1 of 11 <p> Next <p> Pause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " When ' bring your own device ' started ? the consumerization of enterprise ? it made us lose some market share . When the consumer hit the enterprise with BYOB ... there was the thought , ' They 're going to go back to corporate liable , it 's not secure enough . ' " <p> Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade , beginning with Knowledge Management , Field Force Automation and eCRM , and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine . She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University , and in her spare time obsesses about food . Her first book , The Gastronomy of

@@5046941 <p> 1 . COORDINATED ATTACKS IN IRAQ LEAVE 26 DEAD In another wave of bombings across Iraq on Sunday , insurgents left at least 26 people dead . The attacks were " the latest instance in which insurgents coordinated attacks in multiple cities in a single day " in attempts to " rekindle widespread sectarian conflict . " The deadliest attack on Sunday came in Taji , a former al Qaeda stronghold north of Baghdad , where three explosive-rigged cars went off within minutes of each other . Although overall violence in Iraq has dropped since the height of bloodshed , Iraqi forces have been unable to stop the almost daily attacks that continue to claim lives . Associated Press **40;27;TOOLONG ... <p> 2 . FORMER NEW YORK TIMES PUBLISHER DIES Arthur Ochs Sulzberger , the former publisher , chairman , and chief executive of The New York Times and its parent company , died Saturday at his home in Southampton , N.Y . He was 86 . Sulzberger 's tenure at the paper " reached across 34 years , from the heyday of postwar America to the twilight of the 20th century , from the era of hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , " Clyde Haberman writes in the Times . It was 1963 when Sulzberger became publisher of the newspaper , which has been controlled by his family since his grandfather Adolph S. Ochs purchased it in 1896 . In 1992 , Sulzberger named his son publisher , and in 1997 , stepped down as chairman , too . By then , " the enterprise had been transformed . The Times was now national in scope , distributed from coast to coast , and it had become the heart of a diversified multi-billion-dollar media operation that came to encompass newspapers , magazines , television , and radio stations and online ventures . " New York Times **40;69;TOOLONG ... <p> 3 . POLICE ID MAN WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE ON FOX The man who committed suicide after a car chase in Phoenix that was aired live on Fox News was identified as 33-year-old Jordon Romero . He had stolen a car at gunpoint , and was then pursued by police before he abandoned the car and began making a run for it . Romero was wanted for violating his parole on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his rap sheet , said police . Fox News ' Shepard Smith apologized for airing the suicide after the network came under fire for not cutting away from the footage fast enough . Associated Press **40;111;TOOLONG ... <p> 4 . U.S. SOLDIER DIES IN AFGHAN INSIDER ATTACK An apparent insider attack in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday left one U.S. service member dead , as well as a civilian contractor with NATO and at least two Afghan soldiers . In recent months , there has been a steady increase in the number of attacks by Afghan army and police against American and NATO troops . Some of the attacks have been perpetrated by insurgents disguised as Afghan forces . CBS News **40;153;TOOLONG ... <p> 5 . NFL REFEREES APPROVE EIGHT-YEAR CONTRACT With a 112-5 vote on Saturday , NFL referees ended their dispute with the league and approved an eight-year contract , before hustling off to get back to work in time for Sunday football games . The vote ended a labor spat that created three weeks of increasingly chaotic games run by replacement officials who drew widespread criticism for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... <p> 6 . CHRISTIE : DEBATE WILL TURN RACE UPSIDE DOWN New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie appeared on CBS ' Face the Nation on Sunday and talked up Mitt Romney 's chances at the first presidential debate , which will take place on Oct. 3 . " This whole race is going to be turned upside down come Thursday morning , " he said , praising the Republican presidential nominee 's performance in the primary debates , and saying the debates will give the former Massachusetts governor the chance to speak without being " filtered " or " spun " by Romney 's critics . Politico **40;237;TOOLONG ... <p> 7 . FIGHTING RAGES IN SYRIAN CITY OF ALEPPO Syrian government forces and rebels continued to clash in the city of Aleppo . An opposition activist told CNN that rebel forces had liberated at least four neighborhoods from the grips of President Bashar al-Assad 's regime . The government countered that claim , saying that " the armed forces on Saturday continued to target hideouts and gatherings of terrorists in Aleppo city and its countryside , killing and injuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ **40;279;TOOLONG ... <p> 8 . POPE 'S FORMER BUTLER GOES ON TRIAL The trial against Pope Benedict XVI 's former butler Paolo Gabriele got underway on Saturday . Gabriele is accused of using his access to the Pope to steal papers he wanted to use to expose Vatican corruption . Gabriele told investigators he had seen " evil and corruption everywhere in the Church " and was trying to act in the spiritual leader 's best interest because he was " not sufficiently informed . " Gabriele suffered a blow in the first day of the trial when judges refused to admit evidence from the Church 's investigation . Instead , trial evidence will rely solely on the Vatican 's investigation . Reuters **40;321;TOOLONG ... <p> 9 . LOS ANGELES ' CARMAGEDDON II SEEMS PRETTY TAME Los Angeles ' Carmageddon II seemed to be getting off to a smooth start on Sunday , as construction crews worked to tear down a portion of Mulhulland Drive , along Interstate 405 , as part of $1 billion project to add a new carpool lane . The original Carmageddon tok place last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation 's busiest freeways . The demolition this time around seems to be on schedule with the roadway expected to reopen Monday morning . NBC News **40;363;TOOLONG ... <p> 10 . ANNE HATHAWAY MARRIES LONGTIME BEAU The Devil Wears Prada and Princess Diaries actress Anne Hathaway married her boyfriend of four years , Adam Shulman , on Saturday in Big Sur , Calif . The couple , who have been together for

@@5047041 <p> I have the following code passing a dataView variable to a function and I am getting the following warning : " Variable ' cl ' is passed by reference before it has been assigned a value

@@5047141 <h> After securing the Vatican 's most sacred document , Father Maxi must appeal to the highest source possible ... the great Queen Spider ! <h> Comments <h> About the Episode <p> Red Hot Catholic Love Episode Air Date : A sexual abuse scandal involving priests hits South Park and is taken all the way to the Vatican . While the boys try to understand why anyone would want to put something up their butts , Cartman comes

@@5047241 <p> Last night , I discussed with Neil Cavuto the need to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and to heed the will of the American people . I believe that extending these tax cuts and drastically cutting federal spending are essential to reviving our economy and averting the looming fiscal crisis imposed by our country 's exploding deficits and debt . <h> Responses to " Extending Tax Cuts and Heeding the Will of the American People " <p> ( will not be published ) ( required ) Or used for any reason , no permission given for any use . " Last night , I discussed the need to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and to heed the will of the American people . I believe that extending these tax cuts and drastically cutting federal spending are essential to reviving our economy and averting the looming fiscal crisis imposed by our country 's exploding deficits and debt . " During the decade these tax cuts were implemented and used , our economy slowly , but surely , has brought us to the situation we currently find ourselves in . Since the mid 90s until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress , and for 8 of those years controlled the White House . So why exactly should THAT group be allowed to ' try ' it again ? With regards to the extension of the tax cuts , that were passed using reconcilliation , tieing votes cast by the vice president and a kick back to the senator from Nebraska for his vote , there is talk of extending a tax cut to the top 2% because they represent " small business ' " . The most important question here is to define the term ' small business ' ? It has a meaning as it is now being presented . <p> Mail ( will not be published ) ( required ) No authorization for the use of my email address . Please do n't send any of your information , ever . Your or your article states that you want to continue the tax cuts that were passed using reconcilliation and a bribe to the senator from Nebraska to pass , and which were not legally allowed by LAW . My question to you may seem rather simple , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SMALL BUSINESS ? This may seem silly to anyone reading this , but there are those making statements that allowing the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 to expire ( as was passed , that legal thing ) , keep referencing tax cuts to the small businesses . And I would like for them to explain to everyone their definition of ' small business ' . In using this definition , please be certain to explain how partnerships and S-corps ( those companies like Bectel and the Koch brothers ) are a part of this definition . We all need to hear the honest definition . So Scott , or whoever writes these webpage things , please be sure to inclue . <p> Extending the Bush tax cuts will raise the national debt by trillions of dollars . This is n't sound conservative fiscal policy . I am against welfare abuse , but we can not penalise the poorest and neediest Americans by continuing to cut the taxes of those who can well afford to pay more -- the millionaires and billionaires . What 's your proposal to pay for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't grow even bigger ? <p> I totally agree with you and glad you are representing us in Congress . We need to have more a Regan philophsy low taxes , smaller government and we really need a corporate income tax since ours is the hightest in the world . We need to keep the Bush Tax Cuts in permanently , to help this economy grow . I hope you are helping Jim Demint in getting more conservative candidates elected , not make believe conservatives ( like Mike Castle in Deleware ) . Thanks and God Bless America . <p> You say all the right things in this clip . I agree 100% . However 3 years ago , I wrote to you when Republicans held the house about federal spending becoming out of hand and the interest payments on the national debt increasing at an alarming rate and I never got a response . Now I know I am but one constituent and that you are but one member of the Republican party , but when Republicans did control the house , they lost sight of what it meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatism . If and when the Republicans regain control of the house , I implore you to remember and spread these ideals of fiscal conservatism and not just make it a convenient attack of the Dems . <p> You had mentioned before about a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget . If you ask me , I think that is a great idead . After proving Congress can limit spending and act as trustees of our hard earned tax dollars , then you raise taxes for 3-5 years using the extra government income solely to pay down the national debt , followed by a reduction in taxes . As a result , you have smaller interest payments and thus create greater future cash flow for education , defense , etc . But first all of Congress must prove any new tax

@@5047341 <h> Fischer : ' There Will be Blood ' and ' Civil Unrest ' if Obama Loses <p> Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Thursday , 11/1/2012 11:34 am <p> On yesterday 's radio program , Bryan Fischer expounded on a tweet he sent out the other day predicting that there would be organized " flash mobs " who would loot and riot if Mitt Romney wins the election . Fischer based this theory on reports of looting in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy , saying such looting " is just a preview of what 's going to happen if President Obama loses the election " and warning that "

@@5047441 <p> The Deadly Nightshade . All-female rock group releasing their first album since the 1970s , titled " Never Never Gon na Stop . " 8 p.m. $17 advance , $20 at the door . Institute for the Musical Arts , Goshen. ima.org <p> Taste of Greece . 11th annual event will feature traditional Greek fare such as souvlaki , gyros and lamb shank as well as a special fish dinner on Friday . Friday and Saturday , Oct. 19 and 20 , from 11 a.m. -9 p.m. and Sunday , Oct. 21 , from 11 a.m. -4 p.m . Free . The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Luke 's Pappas Fellowship Hall , 400 Prospect St. , East Longmeadow <p> Monday <p> Rodney Crowell . Singer-songwriter known for his long solo career , as well as his work writing and playing with Emmylou Harris . 7 p.m. $25-$30 . Iron Horse Music Hall , Northampton . iheg.com <p> What are you

@@5047541 <p> Enter To Win A Pair of VIP Tickets To See Cypress Hill Live in Miami Tonight ! <p> Cypress Hill is in the city and we have one pair of VIP tickets to giveaway ! With opening support from Action Bronson &; Miami 's own AMAYDAY ! , I 'm sure this is going to be one hell of a show ! The VIP Tickets include entry to the show , of course , plus a meet &; greet with Cypress Hill themselves ! <p> How do you enter ? Follow the steps below ... <p> - Enter your first and last name + email in the c-section - Leave a comment with your Twitter username - Tweet : I entered to win a pair of tickets to see @cypresshill in Miami via @aoutrageous <p> Winner will be chosen by random at

@@5047741 <h> Terrell Owens <h> A Timeline of Terrell Owens ' Antics <p> Wide receiver Terrell Owens has made his mark in the NFL as one of history 's greatest receivers , but his impact on the league has n't always been on a positive note . About Football has put together this timeline featuring some of Owens ' more infamous antics during his NFL career . <p> 2000 - During an October contest in Dallas , Owens celebrated scoring a touchdown by running to midfield of Texas Stadium and posing on the star logo of the Cowboys . He later repeated his actions following another TD and was blindsided by the Cowboys ' George Teague . <p> 2001 - After blowing a 19-point lead in Chicago and losing in overtime , the disgruntled receiver accused head coach Steve Mariucci of protecting good friend Dick Jauron , head coach of the Bears <p> 2002 - In an October contest on Monday Night Football in Seattle , Owens pulled a ' Sharpie ' marker out of his sock after catching a TD pass . He then proceeded to autograph the ball and hand it to his financial adviser sitting in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CB he had just beaten on the play . <p> 2002 - After scoring a touchdown in a December contest with the Green Bay Packers , Owens celebrated with a pair of Pom-Poms borrowed from a 49ers cheerleader . <p> 2003 - Following a bumpy season that included several sideline tirades by Owens , he and the team decided to part ways . <p> 2004 - Owens ? agent failed to meet a free agency deadline in March , making him ineligible to become a free agent . Because they retained his rights , the 49ers then traded him to the Baltimore Ravens , but Owens refused to report to his new team . He expressed his desire to play in Philadelphia , and filed a grievance , claiming he should be granted free agency . After a series of negotiations , a deal was worked out between the three teams which sent Owens to Philadelphia where he signed a seven-year , $49 million deal against the advice of the players ? union . <p> 2004 - In an interview with Playboy magazine , Owens hinted that ex-teammate Jeff Garcia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2004 - In a November contest with the Baltimore Ravens , after scoring a touchdown , Owens openly mocked Ray Lewis by performing the middle linebacker ? s trademark celebration dance . <p> 2004 - In a Monday Night contest later that month , Owens appeared in a controversial skit to kick off the network ? s presentation of the game which resulted in an FCC investigation . <p> 2005 - Owens hired agent Drew Rosenhaus in April and announced he was not happy with his contract . He also tells CNBC that , despite making $7.5 million in 2004 , he needs a new contract to ? feed his family. ? . <p> 2005 - After hinting that he might hold out of training camp , Owens shows up with a bad attitude , refusing to acknowledge the media or speak to his teammates . After a confrontation with head coach Andy Reid , he was suspended for one week . <p> 2005 - During an interview with ESPN 's Graham Bensinger on November 3 , Owens took shots at the Eagles franchise for not publicly recognizing his 100th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed a " lack of class " . He also suggested the Eagles would be better off with Packers QB Brett Favre instead of Donovan McNabb . <p> 2005 - On November 4 , Owens issued a half-hearted apology through the media , but failed to deliver comments regarding Donovan McNabb , which head coach Andy Reid insisted he include . <p> 2005 - Owens was suspended November 5 by the Eagles for the club 's contest against the Washington Redskins on November 6 . <p> 2005 - On November 7 , Owens ' suspension was stretched to four games , and head coach Andy Reid added that Owens would not play for the remainder of the season . <p> 2006 - On March 14 , the Eagles cut Owens just one day before he was due a $5 million roster bonus . <p> 2006 - On July 5 , Owens released a tell-all book revealing his side of the story associated with his time in Philadelphia . <p> 2006 - On July 13 , Owens claimed he was misquoted in his autobiography . Owens blamed the use of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Super Bowl XXXIX on his co-author . <p> 2006 - On August 3 , Owens missed the first of 14 consecutive days of practice because of a hamstring problem despite an MRI two days later revealing no major problems . After returning to practice for several days , Owens claimed he re-aggravated the injury because his coaches pushed him back to the playing field too soon . This time he did n't return to practice until August 29 . <p> 2006 - On August 10 , while still out with an injured hamstring , Owens drew attention to himself by wearing the silver and blue uniform of Lance Armstrong 's Discovery Channel pro cycling team while riding a stationary bicycle on the sidelines . <p> 2006 - On September 26 , Owens was taken by ambulance to Baylor University Medical Center for what was thought to be a suicide attempt . The following day , Owens denied trying to kill himself , claiming a mixture of pain pills and supplements caused him to be " out of it " when talking to emergency respondents <p> 2006 - On October 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . After being chastised for showing up late for practice ( he later explained he was in the bathroom ) , Owens and Haley tangled during a meeting later in the day . <p> 2006 - On December 16 , in a victory over the Atlanta Falcons

@@5047841 <h> The Song Republican Conservatives Seem to Be Singing <p> Several polls show former Senator Rick Santorum ahead of former Massachusetts Gov . Mitt Romney in Romney 's home former home state of Michigan . Conservatives seem to be continuing to look for the perfect anti-Romney

@@5047941 <h> Middle-earth comes to the West Coast this Fall ! Introducing The Lord of the Rings : In Concert . <p> 2011-10-12 <p> Glendale , AZ <p> Jobing.com Arena <p> 2011-10-13 <p> San Diego , CA <p> Valley View Casino Center <p> 2011-10-14 <p> Las Vegas , NV <p> The Orleans Arena <p> 2011-10-15 <p> Anaheim , CA <p> Honda Center <p> 2011-10-18 <p> Portland , OR <p> Rose Garden Arena <p> 2011-10-19 <p> Seattle , WA <p> Key Arena <p> 2011-10-21 <p> Fresno , CA <p> Save Mart Center <p> 2011-10-22 <p> Oakland , CA <p> Oracle Arena <p> 2011-10-23 <p> Sacramento , CA <p> Power Balance Pavilion <h> News <h> The Return of the King in 2012 <p> The Two Towers concerts were a tremendous success ! Stay tuned for The Return of the King in 2012 . Performance and on-sale dates to be announced soon . Please sign up for the newsletter above to remain updated . <h> FOTR Live at Radio City Music Hall <h> Reviews <p> " The music of Middle Earth soared through misty climes and clanked and rattled through Hadean depths at Radio City Music Hall . . . the three-batallion musical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in Lucerne that specializes in film music . Radio City Music Hall has a long history of engineering such large-scale spectacles , and the enhanced acoustics were scrupulously calibrated to capture the ear without denying the eye . " <h> -- Stephen Holden , The New York Times <p> " The movie remains as majestic as ever was -- but watching it with a crowd who knew every beat ( and some of whom were dressed as their favorite elves or wizards ) , applauded at every major character introduction and minor cameo and knew when to laugh and then shut up was a hoot and a half . . . it was a terrific night at the theater. " <h> -- Entertainment Weekly.com <p> " All told , this was , as Bilbo would say , ' a night to remember ' . Within the cavernous confines at Radio City Music Hall , the music to The Lord of the Rings , took on a life of its own , conjuring a performance of The Fellowship of the Ring that was visceral . " <h> -- DauntlessMedia.net <p> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever watch another film without a whole orchestra performing live . The whole experience was indeed mesmerizing . To be wholly enveloped in the true meaning of what a great

@@5048041 <p> When the morning-stars - There can be little doubt that angelic beings are intended here , though some have thought that the stars literally are referred to , and that they seemed to unite in a chorus of praise when another world was added to their number . The Vulgate renders ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? hote egene ? the ? nai astra - " when the stars were made : " the Chaldee , " the stars of the zephyr , " or " morning " - ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . The comparison of a prince , a monarch , or an angel , with a star , is not uncommon ; compare the notes at Isaiah 14 . The expression " the morning-stars " is used on account of the beauty of the principal star which , at certain seasons of the year , leads on the morning . It is applied naturally to those angelic beings that are of distinguished glory and rank in heaven . That it refers to the angels , seems to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to correspond with the phrase " sons of God " in the other member of the verse . <p> Sang together - United in a grand chorus or concert of praise . It was usual to celebrate the laying of a cornerstone , or the completion of an edifice , by rejoicing ; see Zechariah 4:7 ; Ezra 3:10 . <p> And all the sons of God - Angels - called the sons of God from their resemblance to him , or their being created by him . <p> Shouted for joy - That is , they joined in praise for so glorious a work as the creation of a new world . They saw that it was an event which was fitted to honor God . It was a new manifestation of his goodness and power ; it was an enlargement of his empire ; it was an exhibition of benevolence that claimed their gratitude . The expression in this verse is one of uncommon , perhaps of unequalled beauty . The time referred to is at the close of the creation of the earth , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and not of the stars . At that period , it is clear that other worlds had been made , and that there were holy beings then in existence who were of such a rank as appropriately to be called " morning-stars " and " sons of God . " It is a fair inference therefore , that the " whole " of the universe was not made at once , and that the earth is one of the last of the worlds which have been called into being . <p> No one can demonstrate that the work of creation may not now be going on in some remote part of the universe , nor that God may not yet form many more worlds to be the monuments of his wisdom and goodness , and to give occasion for augmented praise . Who can tell but that this process may be carried on forever , and that new worlds and systems may continue to start into being , and there be continually new displays of this inexhaustible goodness and wisdom of the Creator ? When this world was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angels . It was a beautiful world . All was pure , and lovely , and holy . Man was made like his God , and everything was full of love . Surveying the beautiful scene , as the world arose under the plastic hand of the Almighty - its hills , and vales , and trees , and flowers , and animals , there was occasion for songs and rejoicings in heaven . Could the angels have foreseen , as perhaps they did , what was to occur here , there was also occasion for songs of praise such as would exist in the creation of no other world . This was to be the world of redeeming love ; this the world where the Son of God was to become incarnate and die for sinners ; this the world where an immense host was to be redeemed to praise God in a song unknown to the angels - the song of redemption , in the sweet notes which shall ascend from the lips of those who shall have been ransomed from death by the great work of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This must refer to some intelligent beings who existed before the creation of the visible heavens and earth : and it is supposed that this and the following clause refer to the same beings ; that by the sons of God , and the morning stars , the angelic host is meant ; as they are supposed to be first , though perhaps not chief , in the order of creation . For the latter clause the Chaldee has , " All the troops of angels . " Perhaps their creation may be the term heavens , Genesis 1:1 : " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . " These witnessed the progress of the creation ; and , when God had finished his work , celebrated his wisdom and power in the highest strains . <p> When the morning stars sang together , .... Either all the stars in a literal sense ; for though , strictly speaking , there is but one morning star , yet all may be called so , because early created in the morning of the world ; and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is observed by some , that the nearer the morning the brighter they shine : and these in their way sing the praises of God , and set forth the glory of his perfections , and occasion songs of praise in men ; see Psalm 148:3 . Or figuratively , either angels , as most interpret them , comparable to stars for their glory , purity , and light , for their constancy , permanency , and numbers : or good men , particularly ministers of the word , and angels of the churches ; who are stars in Christ 's right hand , Revelation 1:20 ; but the principal morning star is Christ himself , Revelation 22:16 ; <p> and all the sons of God shouted for joy ; which are usually understood of angels also , so the Targum ; who are the sons of God , not by birth , as Christ , nor by adoption , as saints ; but by creation , as Adam , Luke 3:38 . And because they bear some likeness to God , as holy spirits , and honour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character of sons of God , as distinct from the children of men , given to professors of religion , obtained before the times of Job ; see Genesis 6:2 ; and who might be said to sing together , and shout for joy , when they met for social worship ; see Job 1:6 ; and especially when any fresh discoveries were made to them of the Messiah , and salvation by him . Thus Abraham , one of these sons of God , saw Christ 's day and was glad , and shouted for joy , John 8:56 . For these words are not necessarily to be restrained to the laying of the foundation and cornerstone of the earth , as our version directs ; though indeed the angels then might be present , being created as soon as the heavens were , and with the stars , as Capellus on this place observes ; and rejoiced , when the foundations of the earth were laid , on beholding such a display of the power , wisdom , and goodness of God therein ; and which may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the laying of the foundation of any building of note ; see Ezra 3:10 ; for it may be repeated from Job 38:4 ; " where wast thou when the morning stars " , &c.; and so may refer to any rejoicing , whether of angels or men , before the times of Job , at which he was not present . <p> 38:7 Stars - The angels , who may well be called morning - stars , because of their excellent lustre and glory . Sons of God - The angels called the sons of God , because they had their whole being from him , and because they were made partakers of his Divine and glorious image . Shouted - Rejoiced in and blessed God for his works , whereby he intimates , that they neither did advise or any way assist him , nor dislike or censure any of his works , as Job had presumed to do . <p> 7 . So at the founding of Zerubbabel 's temple ( Ezr 3:10-13 ) . So hereafter at the completion of the Church , the temple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its foundation ( Lu 2:13 , 14 ) . <p> morning stars-especially beautiful . The creation morn is appropriately associated with these , it being the commencement of this world 's day . The stars are figuratively said to sing God 's praises , as in Ps 19:1 ; 148:3 . They are symbols of the angels , bearing the same relation to our earth , as angels do to us . Therefore they answer to " sons of God , " or angels , in the parallel . See on 549Job 25:5 . <p> 38:4-11 For the humbling of Job , God here shows him his ignorance , even concerning the earth and the sea . As we can not find fault with God 's work , so we need not fear concerning it . The works of his providence , as well as the work of creation , never can be broken ; and the work of redemption is no less firm , of which Christ himself is both the Foundation and the Corner-stone . The church stands as firm as the earth . <p> Genesis 1:16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day and the lesser light to govern the night . He also made the stars . Job 1:6 One day the angels came to present

@@5048141 <p> Explore the data from the UN-Water global survey on water resources management <p> This interactive , simple but powerful tool allows to explore the data from the global survey on the status of the application of integrated approaches to water resources management , produced for Rio+20 . It allows to create maps , histograms and bar charts , and compare questions in scatterplots . Try it now ! <p> UN-Water at the World Water Week in Stockholm : Videos and photos now available <p> UN-Water was actively involved in the World Water Week in Stockholm from 26 to 31 August 2012 with a series of activities and events . Videos of selected events realized by UNW-DPC are now available on our Activity Information System AIS+ . View on the AIS+ <p> Just released : new UN-Water Status Report for Rio+20 <p> On the occasion of the Water Day @ Rio+20 , UN-Water released its Status Report on the Application of Integrated Approaches to Water Resource Management . Based on surveys of over 130 countries , it analyses global efforts to improve water management . Read more Download the report in PDF <p> 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN-Water and UNESCO unveiled the new website for the International Year of Water Cooperation and World Water Day 2013 . The site features a contest open to all , to come up with a slogan for the international year , with the author of the successful entry winning a trip to Paris for the 2013 Kick Off Event . Visit the Website <p> 1 <p> 2 <p> 3 <p> 4 <p> Post-2015 development agenda : Contribute now to the formulation of targets and indicators for water and sanitation <p> Posted : 14 Nov 2012 <p> An online consultation is open until 28 November 2012 on the JMP platform to collect comments , feedback and suggestions in response to the consolidated targets and indicators document resulting from previous public consultations and the work of 4 working groups created to address i ) drinking-water , ii ) sanitation , iii ) hygiene and iv ) equity and non-discrimination ( cross-cutting , aiming to introduce the human rights principles into the work of the other three working groups ) . The consolidated document will be the basis for extensive technical discussions during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hague on 3-5 December 2012 , and inputs received through the online consultation will be brought to the attention of the meeting . <p> 2011 has been a fruitful year , with a series of important initiatives , especially in preparation of the Rio+20 Summit in June 2012 . The Annual Report presents UN-Water 's achievements in 2011 as well as important activities and products . The Annual Report highlights in particular UN-Water 's accomplishments in building synergies and joint efforts amongst its Members and with its Partners as a way to support Member States in their efforts towards achieving internationally agreed goals for water and sanitation . <p> In the margins of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly , UN-Water organizes a High-Level Roundtable on Water , Peace and Security together with the European Union and the United States . The Roundtable is intended to increase political will and catalyze action around water and security issues . It will be followed by a separate Expert Panel on Water Security hosted by UN-Water to provide input to the development of an Analytical Brief on Water Security that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United NationsOffice to supportthe International Decade ' Water for Life ' 2005-2015/UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication ( UNW-DPAC ) have launched the online UN Documentation Centre on Water and Sanitation ( UNDCWS ) . The centre has been developed by UNW-DPAC with the support of the Municipality of Zaragoza in Spain and provides access to water and sanitation related publications produced by the United Nations system . <p> Produced by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication ( UNW-DPAC ) , this review brings you every two months the latest publications produced by United Nations agencies and programmes on issues related to water and sanitation . <p> The United Nations World Water Development Report ( WWDR ) will revise its scope and improve its format in order to provide a more reader-friendly publication that matches the needs of the broad readership . Future editions will be annual and thematic , and will be in the order of 100 pages . The first edition of the new WWDR is expected in 2014 and will focus on the theme " Water and Energy " , which will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . This strategic decision is based on the recommendations of the Advisory Group on UN-Water Publications and builds on the findings of a global survey carried out in 2011/2012 . <p> In July 2010 , the Nations General Assembly created UN Women , the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women . In February 2012 , UN-Women became a member of UN-Water . Ms Lashmi Puri , UN Women 's Deputy Executive Director talks about

@@5048241 <p> Prayed for an angel To come in the night And shine some sweet light on me Found only strangers Then you came to me Just when I 'd given up , you gave me love

@@5048341 sections , track comment threads you 're interested in , and more . <p> Jamie Hector as Marlo Stanfield on The Wire ( HBO ) <p> Given the show 's commitment to realism , it 's no surprise that The Wire did not resort to the standard " 555 " trick that has , according to Wikipedia , been used in film and TV since the 1950s or ' 60s . When drug kingpin Marlo Stanfield gave corrupt layer Maurice Levy his phone number , for instance , he provided what sounded like some real Baltimore-area digits . <p> And now , more than four years after the series finale , calling that number will get you a recording of Marlo delivering his most famous lines : <p> The audio recording you reach is not particularly high-quality , and it 's not clear who is behind this little bit of fan service . In the comments on YouTube , the creator of the video above says that dialing the number did not always lead a caller to the Marlo recording . But it 's another testament to the show 's staying power , of course , that people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ( Via The Daily What . ) <p> Update : Justin Newman , who manages technical operations for the Baltimore-Washington Telephone Company ( BWTel ) emailed me this morning to say that he had set up the Marlo Stanfield recording . He provides all the

@@5048441 <p> Thanks to Joshua Keating , posting over at Foreign Policy , we learn what Romney really , truly thinks of his current hosts ( h/t Atrios ) : <p> England sic is just a small island . Its roads and houses are small . With few exceptions , it does n't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy . And if it had n't been separated from the continent by water , it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler 's ambitions . Yet only two lifetimes ago , Britain ruled the largest and wealthiest empire in the history of humankind . Britain controlled a quarter of the earth 's land and a quarter of the earth 's population . <p> That 's from his increasingly ironically titled book , No Apology . <p> Well , ( a ) : <p> Suck . On . This . Mr. Mitt : <p> Top that with some steroidally swollen MacMansion in Malibu La Jolla , you unctuous , climbing , nouveau slime-doggy* <p> And ( b ) : Mitt should n't worry about apologizing for America to foreigners ; if what we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 'll have a months-long ( at least ) backlog of personal sorries to deliver by next Tuesday . <p> This entry was posted on Thursday , July 26th , 2012 at 3:36 pm and is responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed . Both comments and pings are currently closed . <p> This is pure genius from the Mittster 's campaign : Mitt goes overseas and trashes America 's reputation ; the Obama Administration then comes out and says something like " Hey Europe , all Americans are n't this idiotic " ; the Romney campaign goes ballistic over how " there you go again " Obama is apologizing for America when Mitt knows America is too exceptional to ever apologize for , even when he tactlessly insults a foreign nation he 's visiting . Brilliant ! Fox News will be all over it ! <p> Sweet Jesus , somoebody wan na remind Romney of a little thing called the Blitz , where London was bombed almost nightly ? Right , that mightly Channel was all that kept the Nazi 's from marching into Picadilly . Never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Man , I 'm getting all indignant on the Brit 's behalf ! <p> Well , given that modern wingtards talk a lot about Adam Smith , but have clearly never bothered to crack open the tomes , it 's not surprising that they do n't know of the British contribution to the study of economics . <p> Well , if you want to be really detailed , the Scottish contribution , but hey , UK 1701 and all that rot . <p> Well , given that modern wingtards talk a lot about Adam Smith , but have clearly never bothered to crack open the tomes , it 's not surprising that they do n't know of the British contribution to the study of economics . <p> Well , if you want to be really detailed , the Scottish contribution , but hey , UK 1701 and all that rot . <p> Given that the 13 North American colonies departed from the Empire , through violence , in the latter half of the 18th century , before the Empire reached its zenith , it would appear that some did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . <p> Still , the Rmoneytron 's brilliant public relations coup today in the UK was clearly forseen by him two years ago . <p> @ Feebog : I fully expect Bishop Romney to make some form of offensive statement that will make the religious crazies there erupt in even more craziness . Also , Netanyahu and Adelson might not have a problem with the posthumous baptism of Holocaust victims and other Jews , but other people feel very strongly about the issue . <p> Top that with some steroidally swollen MacMansion in Malibu , you unctuous , climbing , nouveau slime-doggy <p> If you read contemporary accounts -- especially Jonathan Swift 's -- there 's some funny stuff written about the spiralling cost of Blenheim Palace , because a grateful nation basically gave it to John Churchill without setting a limit on the total bill . It 's a monument to a pretty huge ego ; of Vanburgh 's great houses , Castle Howard 's much prettier . <p> Now everyone knows how us Bay Staters feel about that asshole . He started shit talking us half way through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Republican buddies . It only took Londoners one day to figure it out . <p> The narrative of Mitt Romney as a clueless and out of touch elitist businessman with no skills at handling the most important topics that would face a president is no stereotype ; it is reality . Romney has already destroyed his only major foreign trip as presidential candidate , deeply and cruelly insulting our closest allies in the entire world with a thoughtless and baseless remark . An election of Romney to the White House could very well lead us into another conflict with England , because why would he tone down his arrogant rhetoric when he truly does n't think he 's said anything wrong ? Romney is a bumbling and dangerous neophyte on the world stage . <p> Yet only two lifetimes ago , Britain ruled the largest and wealthiest empire in the history of humankind . Britain controlled a quarter of the earth 's land and a quarter of the earth 's population <p> I have to assume this was to set up a bit about how their superior culture/institutions allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . We should , obviously , emulate this ( by having low low taxes on rich people ) and since we 're already awesomer ... well ... great country or Greatest Country ? Amirite ? <p> The Geiger counter of Olympo-mania is going to go zoink ! off the scale ! People are coming from around the world , and they 're seeing us , and they 're seeing the greatest country on Earth , are n't they ? There are some people who are coming from around the world who do n't yet know about all the preparations we 've done to get London ready in the last seven years . I hear there 's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we 're ready . Are we ready ? ( crowd goes wild ) <p> I retract the secret service code name Clark Griswald rumor . The problem is that any possible comparison to any comparable bumblers that I can think of runs into the " but they have human qualities " problem . <p> " At Downing Street : ' Looking out through No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know before you " look out of the backside of 10 Downing Street " , as Mitt Romney did on Thursday . <p> Firstly , in Britain , " backside " means " ass " . As in the part of the body . Secondly , " 10 Downing Street " is often used in political reporting as a synonym for a press spokesman for the prime minister , in the same way as " the White House " can say things or have opinions . <p> @ the Conster : There are far more Obama than Romney stickers on the cars I 've seen in northern NH at least . Here in VT I am waiting patiently for my Republican neighbors to put a Romney sign up as they 've done for every other GOP candidate in the past but so far nothing . Other Republicans around here are still stubbornly clinging to their Ron Paul lawn signs ; I have a hunch these people probably wo n't be won over by Ann Romney 's dancing horse . <p> These are n't gaffes , they 're put-downs , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of going to a city hosting the Olympic games without weighing in critically . <p> That 's why he went there . So he could bring up his role in managing the Olympics . I think he , his campaign advisors and pundits are wrong about the importance of his managing an Olympics anyway . They 've so over-sold it that it now seems almost comical . Too , they 're RIGHT about London versus Salt Lake City . It WAS easier in Salt Lake City . <p> in a way romney is right . forget that he is a politician , just think about how england was able to conquer the world by being bigger scumbags than anyone else . no one wants to admit it , and romney is being flamed for alluding to it , but on a scumbag to scumbag level , romney is trying to relate . <p> speaking of , i was trying to read some science articles . man you can really tell that science journalism is the autistic redheaded stepchild of the recognized university discipline panoply . its like how the church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the noble ranks . <p> seriously , with science journalism in the utterly incapable hands of smallpeter principled stewardship , is there any doubt why the forces of ignorance , superstition , and organized chicanery rule our public policy anywhere scientific understanding might provide a needed bulwark ? <p> I 'm wondering how our intrepid US press is coping with Mitt giving them the cold shoulder while watching the UK press properly rip Mitt to shreds in just one day that they couldn't/would n't do in over a year . <p> These are n't gaffes , they 're put-downs , and Romney does this constantly . <p> He does n't realize how his put downs are annihilating the minuscule Q rating he already had . <p> I 'm convinced the AI can not help it , his staff is slowly going insane , knowing that the are part of a team that is losing and the nomination is n't actually his yet . He 's still presumptive at this point . <p> I 'd be surprised if he had anyone on his team who was that critical of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a man that surrounds himself with advisers who give him advice he does n't want to hear . He 's shown himself to be the guy who surrounds himself with people who think like he does and will say " YES " when he wants them to say yes . <p> They probably really do think he 's doing an awesome job . I 'll bet they have properly tweaked poll numbers based on their projections for turnout that prove he 's scoring big points everywhere he goes and that Obama 's campaign team is being left in the dust . <p> Shh ! We have secretly replaced the Republican nominee with a robot made of sand and ground glass . Let 's see whether the American electorate can tell the difference ! -- - Tag : Romney 's worse than Sarah Palin . <p> " My fellow Americans . As a young boy , I dreamed of being a baseball ; but tonight I say , we must move forward , not backward ; upward , not forward ; and always twirling , twirling , twirling towards freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white trash ex-Massachusetts fucktards who are tribally Republican . The northern tier of New England is way more independent -- they appreciate the services they get and are into community , and are n't angry haters as a rule . I do n't think anyone in New England who was awake during Romney 's tenure in Massachusetts could name a single reason to cheer for him . <p> The US surrogates have been saying that foreign press coverage does n't matter , which is rich , considering that the intent was clearly to show Rmoney looking comfortable alongside foreign leaders , and the travelling US press has been shut out . As others have said , let 's see whether the US press shies away from acts of journalism . <p> White House Spokesman Jay Carney said , " In keeping with our special relationship , the president also made it clear that he has the utmost confidence in our close friend and ally , the United Kingdom , as they finalize preparations to host the London Olympics . " <p> I keep reading this as a quote from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ) which makes it doubleplus amusing . Also , what is it with Republicans naming their sons with one-syllable common nouns that start with T ? <p> @ NonyNony : Your point is well taken , but they do capable of realizing when optics are bad , explaining Rafalca 's hooves sticking out from under that double-decker , looking much like when Dorothy and her house dropped in on the wicked witch <p> @ Roger Moore : The British gave us common law , including judges to interpret the law and juries to determine guilt or innocence . The latter , despite many shortcomings , is a vital ( and much underappreciated ) bulwark against tyranny , especially when jurors know and exercise their powers . -- - Tag : Romney 's worse than Sarah Palin . <p> " We attempted to reach Mr. Romney 's campaign managers for their comments on their candidate 's first day abroad . However , the person who answered the phone was inebriated to the point of incoherence , and from what we could gather from his slurred remarks , he was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that point . " <p> Well , the Channel was what kept the Nazis out of London -- after the BEF was sent reeling into Dunkirk , the Wehrmacht were the undisputed masters of Europe . They 'd broken the French and British armies combined . If there had been a land connection between the UK and Europe , they 'd have been all over it . <p> Of course , it was n't JUST the Channel -- it was the ships and aircraft protecting it . They fought and died to ensure the Germans could n't control that stretch of water , and if Germany had been a bit smarter , they might well have lost . <p> Much as I loathe the bastard , I 'd have to rate Romney 's comment " And if it had n't been separated from the continent by water , it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler 's ambitions " as accurate . <p> Much as I loathe the bastard , I 'd have to rate Romney 's comment " And if it had n't been separated from the continent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Hitler 's ambitions " as accurate . <p> Nah . It 's counterfactual horseshit . If Britain had been a continental power it would have had ( a ) a wholly different history and ( b ) even if you could somehow have created a distinctly British lump on the western edge of the continent it would have had a very different military than the one that confronted Hitler in France in 1940 . Who knows when/whether anything like the military engagement that took place in reality could have occurred if Germany faced two France-scale land armies on its western front . <p> If my dog were a dove it could fly . But that ai n't the point , in n it ? <p> I rate Mitt 's remark as obtuse -- and incapable of being either accurate or inaccurate . <p> @ schrodinger 's cat : It gives me pause to think that McCain may well have had actual reasons for picking Palin -- given what he had to choose from . More than that , actually , it scares silly to think that this is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dave and Boris put up with daily from British comedians , journalists , and their opponents ( all three of which can be far more savage than their American counterparts , barring all the ' the president is near ' stuff ) weak shit like Romney 's been putting up is going to get knocked down pretty fast . Especially when it comes from an ignorant colonial chav like Romney . <p> If you want to see how robust British insulting gets compare the daily show to mock the week or some of the other news comedy shows . <p> @ slightlypeeved : Archaeologist here . you are wrong . The channel , as such , really only gained the prominence it has now in the modern era after Britain lost its continental holdings . Southern England was pretty much constantly in contact with Brittany and Nord pas de Calais/Belgium to the point that THEY WERE THE SAME COUNTRY into the early modern period and show few if any material cultural distinctions . <p> Northern and western Britain are a different story . To all intents , northern and western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the modern era ( and if you ask the Scots , the Welsh

@@5048541 <h> Here In Front of Me lyrics <h> Passafire Here In Front of Me lyrics <p> Sun shines down on the mountain side Lonely cloud that blocks the light Shadow cast on the face of the range In the shape of a burning flame <p> If there 's a sign please let me know It 's got me feeling uncomfortable Incidence is a terrible thing When it 's actually happening I ... is it actually happening I ... right here in front of me Lyrics from : http : **35;39705;TOOLONG ... Never seen something like this before Buy supplies got ta look for more There 's no still frame this is life No film left behind these eyes Edging closer towards the place I know Fog on the panes of the cold window Footprints fade in the falling

@@5048641 <h> Vettel 's third place finish in Abu Dhabi may prove to be critical <p> ABU DHABI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) -- Should Sebastian Vettel clinch a third consecutive drivers ' championship this season , he may look back on his third-place finish in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as a key moment in his topsy-turvy season . <p> The race Sunday was won by 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen . But it was the 25-year-old German 's fearless drive through the field after starting dead last that had fans on the edge of their seats for most of the day . The podium finish meant the Red Bull driver kept the lead in the drivers ' championship , only dropping three points to rival Fernando Alonso of Ferrari , who finished second . <p> Vettel leads the drivers ' championship with 255 points , followed by Alonso at 245 and Raikkonen at 198 . <p> Red Bull , which failed to clinch the constructors ' championship in Abu Dhabi , still leads with 422 points , followed by Ferrari on 340 and McLaren 318 . <p> It was n't Vettel 's prettiest race of the season - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sign when he miscalculated the speed of a car in front , and sideswiped Ferrari 's Felipe Massa on his way up the order . He also had plenty of help , with the safety car being deployed twice during a race that featured at least a half-dozen crashes and collisions . <p> But he also showed why he is the points leader , pulling off a daring pass to get past McLaren 's Jenson Button for third place with just three laps remaining . <p> " Yes , it 's hard enough to find your way once through the field , but we did it twice today , " Vettel said . " Quite difficult with some guys , little easier with other guys . But the most important thing was that the pace was there and we were in a very strong position . <p> " It was a big chance to lose out a lot today , but we did n't lose anything , so I 'm very happy . The guys are pushing 100 percent , " he said . " I feel very happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my best for them . I think we have two more races ahead of us ; we 're in the best possible position , so I think we 're looking forward to the next race - a new grand prix , a new challenge . " <p> Team principal Christian Horner praised Vettel for bouncing back after being penalized Saturday when his car stopped at the end of qualifying . Race stewards ruled he had insufficient fuel to be tested as required by the FIA . <p> " After the problems of yesterday , it was a remarkable comeback from Sebastian to finish on the podium , " Horner said . " He drove an unbelievable race today and his final move on Jenson was quite exceptional . To go from pit lane to podium was something we could only dream of before the race . " <p> Even McLaren 's Lewis Hamilton , who had secured the pole and led the race until a fuel pump problem forced him to retire after 20 laps , had to concede Vettel 's finish was hard to believe . <p> " Incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said . " That was a bit lucky . " <p> Raikkonen , who returned to F1 after rally driving for a year , had a great start that allowed him to overtake Red Bull 's Mark Webber at the start to move into second . He took the lead when Hamilton retired and drove a mistake-free race to earn his first win since the 2009 Belgium Grand Prix . <p> " I 'm very happy for the team and myself , but mainly for the team , " said Raikkonen , who earned Lotus ' first win since three-time world champion Aryton Senna won a race in 1987 . " It 's been a hard season for the team . Hopefully , this gives us more belief , not just for those are doing the work but those who run the team . " <p> The race featured plenty of fireworks - the most dramatic came when Nico Rosberg ran into HRT 's Narain Karthikeyan , who had broken quickly after his steering malfunctioned , flew over his car and crashed into a wall . Neither driver was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two incidents , colliding with Williams ' Pastor Maldonado and then crashing out when he hit Romain Grosjean of Lotus , who had stalled after crashing into Sauber 's Sergio Perez . <p> Raikkonen 's win and Vettel 's podium finish ensure the title race will go down to the wire . It could be decided Nov. 18 at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin , Texas , if Vettel wins and Alonso finishes fifth or worse . It would be an amazing comeback for Vettel , who trailed Alonso by 44 points after the German GP . While Vettel has won four of the last five races , Alonso lost ground when he failed to finish in Belgium and Japan . <p> Still , Ferrari put on a brave face after Sunday 's race - insisting it remained firmly in the hunt despite racing with a car that it has admitted is much slower than the Red Bulls . <p> " It 's true that with Sebastian last , there was an opportunity to reduce the gap more significantly , " Alonso said . " But it 's equally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen us lose points in this grand prix . ... Let 's hope we can put in a good result in an important country like the United States . Tonight I go to sleep thinking the glass is half full ,

@@5048741 <p> It 's a cozy Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum 's house . Their house is decorated with Christmas ornaments , wreaths , stockings , mistletoe and in the center of it all , a majestic Christmas tree . As the Stahlbaum 's prepare for their annual Christmas party , their children , Fritz and Clara , wait anxiously for their family and friends to arrive . When the guests finally appear , the party picks up with dancing and celebration . A mysterious guest arrives dressed in dark clothing , nearly frightening Fritz , but not Clara . Clara knows he is Godfather Drosselmeyer , the toymaker . His surprise arrival is warmly accepted and all the children dance and carry on with laughter . The celebration is interrupted again when Drosselmeyer reveals to the children that he has brought them gifts . The girls receive beautiful china dolls and the boys receive bugles . Fritz is given a beautiful drum , but Clara is given the best gift of all , the Nutcracker . Fritz grows jealous , snatches the Nutcracker from Clara and plays a game of toss with the other boys . It is n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Drosselmeyer fixes it with a handkerchief . Drosselmeyer 's nephew offers Clara a small make-shift bed under the Christmas tree for her injured Nutcracker . <p> The party grows late and the children become sleepy . Everyone generously thanks the Stahlbaum 's before they leave . As Clara 's family retires to bed , she checks on her Nutcracker one last time and ends up falling asleep under the Christmas tree with the Nutcracker in her arms . <p> At the stroke of midnight Clara wakes up to a frightening scene . The house , the tree and the toys seem to be getting larger . Is she shrinking ? Out of nowhere large mice dressed in army uniforms , lead by the Mouse King , begin to circle the room while the toys and Christmas tree come to life . Clara 's Nutcracker groups the soldier toys into battle formation and fights the mouse army . The Mouse King traps the Nutcracker in the corner , but the Nutcracker ca n't overcome the Mouse King 's strength . Clara makes a desperate move to save her Nutcracker from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She hits him directly in the head ! The Nutcracker is able to overcome the stunned Mouse King and claims victory . The mice army quickly carries away their King . <p> Clara falls onto the Nutcracker 's bed , over-whelmed by the moment . As angels and delightful music hover over their heads , the bed turns into a magical sleigh , floating higher and higher . The Nutcracker is transformed into a human prince ( who looks strikingly similar to Drosselmeyer 's nephew ) . He gets on Clara 's sleigh and drives through a

@@5048841 <h> Breaking Bracelets With Zayn <p> Harry eyed the boy who was sitting beside him , a smirk playing on his lips . " Why are you wearing the sex bracelets ? " <p> Four pairs of eyes directed their attentions to the curly-haired boy , looking really tired . They had just finished an early morning interview and they were in their van , on their way back to the hotel . <p> " The bracelets , " Harry said and flicked the bracelets with his fingers . <p> " You mean , the jelly bracelets , " Zayn chuckled . <p> " Yeah , also known as sex bracelets , " Harry moved his hands actively in front of him as he explained . <p> " I 've no idea what you 're talking about , " Zayn shrugged and turned his head to the side to look at the scenery through the window . <p> " I 've heard of them , " Louis grinned . " It 's like you have to do something according to the colour that you 're wearing , right ? " <p> " Yeah , kind of , " Harry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like if someone breaks one of Zayn 's bracelets , Zayn will have to let that person do what he or she wants according to what the colour says , to him . " <p> " Ooh ... sounds fun , " Louis said , eyeing Zayn 's hand as well . " I 've to get some for El . " <p> " They 're just bracelets , " Zayn stated and elbowed Harry in the ribs , " I do n't believe you anyway . " <p> " But that 's how it works , " Harry bit his upper lip and sent a smirk Zayn 's way . <p> " There 's everything but sex about jelly bracelets , " Zayn laughed along with Liam and Niall . <p> " I can show you . " Harry poked his tongue at his three friends and pulled his blackberry from his pocket , instantly opening a browser and connecting to Google . Typing ' Jelly Bracelets Meaning ' in the search bar , Harry waited for the page to load before handing Zayn the phone . " See @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . I mean , if you want to have sex with someone , you can just go do it anytime . You do n't need bracelets or any other things , " Liam rolled his eyes and sent another text message to his mom . <p> " No , you guys are stupid , " Harry sulked and turned to look outside . " And you 're no fun . " <p> " These are some nice colours you have here , " Harry bit his lips and eyed the colourful bracelets again ; there were a dozen , two of each colour . <p> " Yellow means ... " Harry reached forward to pluck one of the bracelets but Zayn pulled his hand out of Harry 's reach . <p> " I do n't wan na know what it means , " Zayn shook his head negatively and hid his hand behind his back . " I do n't wan na play sex games with you . " <p> Harry pouted and crossed his hands on his knees before laying his head on them . Those bracelets were intriguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would find it hot if one of his friends wore it , the curly head found it somewhat attractive . Taking a deep breath , Harry closed his eyes and thought to himself ; by hook or by crook , he wanted to snap at least one of them . <p> " Looks like someone wants to screw his best friend but does n't know how to . And now , using the excuse of the sex bracelet , he ' gon na get his way , " Liam tried not to laughed at his statement . <p> " Lea'me alone , " Harry groaned , his voiced muffled in his hands . <p> " Hey curly , what 's yellow ? " Louis asked , shaking Harry 's shoulder . <p> " Nuh-huh , I 'm not telling anyone , " Harry laughed as he sat up straight again , wriggling his eyebrows . " It 's more fun when the wearer does n't know what 's waiting for him . " <p> Zayn rolled his eyes and twirled his fingers around Harry 's curls . " You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " <p> " We 'll see , " Harry smirked . <p> " And I thought you were into Larry Stylinson , " Liam raised his knuckle near his mouth and giggled . " But you 're going all Zarry here . " <p> " What ? " Harry coughed , almost spitting his water , before capping the bottle . <p> " I ca n't believe you just said that , " Niall said through a mouthful of doughnut . " He 's your friend , best friend , bandmate . " <p> " Why is everyone getting me wrong ? I was just saying , " Harry shrugged . <p> " It 's the effect of the sex bracelets , " Louis laughed . <p> " Leave him alone , " Zayn shook his head and wrapped his arm around Harry 's shoulder . <p> " Thank you . " Harry tilted his head to the side and smiled at Zayn , glancing at the hand that was around his shoulder . After making sure that Zayn was not paying attention , Harry raised his hand and hooked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one . " Oops . " <p> " Why did you do that ? " Zayn asked and slapped the back of Harry 's head . <p> " What does he have to do ? " Louis asked excitedly . <p> " Nothing , I do n't have to do anything , " Zayn sighed and retrieved his hand from around the younger boy . " Why did you do that ? " <p> " I 'm not doing anything sexual with you , " Zayn stated and crossed his arms over his chest . <p> " Who said anything about sex ? Yellow is just a hug , " Harry grinned and pulled off his best puppy face ; the one that no one can ever resist . " Wo n't you hug me ? " <p> " Fine but no more , " Zayn warned . <p> " No more , " Harry said with a huge grin and crossed his fingers behind his back . <p> Zayn nodded and pulled Harry into a tight hug . That was nothing new ; Harry always got homesick and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ okay . However that one was nothing like I'm-missing-home kind of hug , resulting in Zayn quickly pulling away when he felt the younger boy 's fingers rubbing the skin at the back of his neck . He glared at Harry who smiled sheepishly as though nothing happened and shook his head ; Harry could be so unpredictable sometimes . Zayn sighed happily when the van came to a halt and Paul ushered them out of the vehicle , handing them each a marker . <p> " There are a few girls waiting ; sign a few stuffs and take some pictures but be quick , " Paul instructed and they were joined by a group of security . " Make sure to be extra careful , you know how crazy the fans get . " <p> The boys made their way to the huge crowd of screaming girls who were waiting outside , in the cold , just to get a glimpse of the boys . Niall took the lead as they made their way to the girls and chatted with them , stopping for a few snaps before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five boys walked to the elevator , closely followed by Paul . <p> " Just making sure you get to your rooms safely , " Paul stated and nodded with a grin . <p> " Hope you did n't get any of your bracelets broken by the fans , " Harry whispered into Zayn 's ear . " That would be a waste . " <p> " They 're fine , " Zayn kicked Harry 's arm and let out a laugh . " Do n't

@@5048941 <p> Humans have walked the Earth for 190,000 years , a mere blip in Earth 's 4.5-billion-year history . A lot has happened in that time . Earth formed and oxygen levels rose in the foundational years of the Precambrian . The productive Paleozoic era gave rise to hard-shelled organisms , vertebrates , amphibians , and reptiles . Dinosaurs ruled the Earth in the mighty Mesozoic . And 64 million years after dinosaurs went extinct , modern humans emerged in the Cenozoic era . The planet has

@@5049041 <h> Windows <h> Mac <p> Cut the Birds is a fun , easy to play , unique action 3D game where you have to slash different kinds of 3D birds before they smash into your screen and crack it . Check out how fast your eyes and fingers can go and how far you can advance in stopping the aggressive birds . <p> In this game you have to help a cute little green animal switch off some kind of " evil " mechanism . The " power off switch " is hidden somewhere in high towers . On your way to the target you need to avoid a lot of strange robots that guard the tower . That sounds all like a normal jump and run game . What makes this game different is that you walk arond the tower which is revolving on the screen . <h> iPhone <p> The best Mahjong game . Game Features : 1 . As many as 81 kinds of points-type ; A variety of point combinations 2 . Super robot opponents , it is diamond cut diamond when you play with them . 3 . Chinese style arts , simple and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jigsaw puzzle ! You 'll use pixel blocks to fit cute pixel graphs . Some blocks can fit several positions and some may fit only one position . It will bring you new game experience . HOW TO PLAY Cute pixel graphs are split to blocks which ... <p> Ad free version with all features unlocked . ? ? ? ? ? Do n't miss this one ! Kind game , completely made of plasticine with charming music and cute birdies felt in love with each other ca n't leave you apathetic . <p> Fruit Window is a four-in-a-row board game with a cute and fruity twist . Make a stack of oranges and apples on your window . Win by lining up four of the same kind together . With changing , colorful view from the window and cute sounds , Fruit Window ... <p> Let 's Eat Sweets is a fast-paced arcade game featuring a cute little girl , who is obsessed about all kinds of candy . Tilt and rotate your device to lead the girl to victory in this swift candy eating marathon . Tasty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-in-a-row board game with a cute and fruity twist . Make a wall of oranges and apples in your garden . Win by lining up four of the same kind together . With changing view of the colorful garden and cute sounds , Fruit Wall is a ... <p> This app is a simple tap action game and the theme is kind of traditional Japan food entertainment specific in summer ! * What is the NagasiSomen ? * It makes a little water way with using a bamboo that cut out half . Then , people lead noodle with ... <p> Cute little mushrooms need your help ! It 's a new kind of simulation game that 's leaving you with the utmost delightful experience . ? Meet dancing mushrooms , they are the cutest thing you 'll ever see . Play music and harvest mushrooms to become rock ... <p> " Call of Acorn : Squirrel Ops " is a puzzle game , the goal is to help the squirrel get acorn by using kinds of items Storyline : Pan is a cute squirrel , and he lives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground of cheese and even ... <p> ? ? ? Now all levels are FREE to play ! Do n't miss the great deal ! ? ? Do you love penguins ? Then you got to love this fun puzzle game with cute penguins in costumes , representing all kinds of characters from your daily life : such as Lisa Simpson ... <p> This is a physics puzzle game and it 's very very interesting , challenging and puzzling . In game , you control a very cute sprite . There are two kinds of elements , one kind of element can be destroyed by tapping it with your finger , another can not ... <p> The game is based on four games . Each game has it own story . Let us follow the chef to complete this exciting and amusing trip now ! In order to become a better chef , he decided to go far away from home . He wants to go different kinds of farms to ... <p> The game is based on four games . Each game has it own story . Let us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now ! In order to become a better chef , he decided to go far away from home . He wants to go different kinds of farms to ... <p> The birds are attacking ... your iPhone 's screen in 3D ! Swipe to cut the attacking birds or they crack your screen in seconds ! Cut the Birds is an action 3D game where you have to slash different kinds of 3D birds before they smash into your ... <p> " Fruit Seize " is cute shooting game , suitable for all ages crowd . it has 70+ funny stage and many kinds of enemies ..... After winning the game , add three Interesting stage . 3 different character : apple , plum and watermelon with different ... <p> A special romantic treat for fans of the chart topping Stardoll game Cut It ! Available in a heart shaped Valentine Edition that will have you asking for more ! The amazingly fun Cut It Valentine Edition lets you battle all kinds of sweet looking ... <p> Slice jewels by your finger . Earn as much money you can by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game where you have to slash different kinds of jewels before they fall out of your screen . Be aware of bombs ! <p> New type drum rhythm game . Anyone can easily enjoy . Anyone can easily enjoy . come down the music note . Please beat the drum on either side of the screen is located . 5 kinds of original music . Cute girl character . Please kick bad guys . <p> Laser Nodes In this game you have to drag the nodes , which are connected by lasers , into the correct position so that the laser cuts through all the blue circles . This soon gets addictive . Level 6 was the first one that kinda stumped someone . <p> The birds are attacking ... your phone 's screen ! Swipe to cut the attacking birds or they crack your screen in seconds ! Cut the Birds is an action game where you have to slash different kinds of birds before they smash into your screen and crack it . <p> Pop-Pop Puzzle is simple and addictive puzzle game for you and your kids . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touch group of the same icons . Many cute icons will greets you . Enjoy it now . Features : - Various kinds of cute game icons . <p> Pop-Pop Puzzle is simple and addictive puzzle game for you and your kids . This is very easy play and fun game . Just touch group of the same icons . Many cute icons will greets you . Enjoy it now .

@@5049141 <h> Jury finds in favor of Gallup <p> The Union file photo Former Family Court Mediator Emily Gallup , center with sign , won her case against Nevada County Superior Court Friday , after a jury ruled she was wrongfully terminated . <h> Related Media <p> SACRAMENTO -- A Sacramento County jury found in former Family Court mediator Emily Gallup 's favor in all aspects of her whistle-blowing lawsuit against Nevada County Superior Court Friday morning . <p> The jury awarded Gallup $313,206 in damages . <p> " I think Nevada County totally , totally harmed her , and I think she did n't get nearly enough in compensation , " said juror Irene Melendez following the verdict . <p> The jury was asked to determine whether Gallup was fired in retaliation for whistle-blowing , or because of a pattern of undermining her supervisor that culminated in an act of egregious misconduct -- taking pages of notes from her supervisor 's diary that contained confidential case information . <p> Gallup 's suit against Nevada County Superior Court alleged she was wrongfully terminated after blowing the whistle on the court 's failure to follow state laws . <p> According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago because she would not stop asking questions and challenging the system . <p> Gallup 's concerns included a dispute over whether criminal records could be accessed in some cases ; the time allowed for mediation ; reviewing of the court files ; collateral contacts ; separate mediation in domestic violence cases ; and whether then-Family Court Judge Julie McManus exerted undue influence in custody cases by referencing a photo of a child who committed suicide . <p> " I 'm grateful my name has been cleared , that I 'm not a thief or an unethical mediator , " Gallup said after the verdict . <p> " Those awful accusations have been exposed for what they were . As hard as this has been , I 'm not sorry for what I did . I 'm glad I blew the whistle because people were being hurt ... I think the court should be ashamed it treated employees the way it did , and that employees have treated clients the way they did . " <p> The jury found that Gallup had reasonable cause to believe there had been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had disclosed that belief to her supervisors . <p> They also found that her attempts to disclose that belief had resulted in an adverse action -- being fired -- and that retaliation was the motive for her firing . <p> They found that the court did not have a valid reason to terminate her , and that she was caused substantial harm because of being fired . <p> Gallup 's attorneys had sought to prove that Gallup was entitled to nearly $475,000 in financial damages for lost wages , adding that it was up to them to decide the extent of damages for emotional distress . <p> The jury awarded her $168,206 in past losses , but only $105,000 for future losses . They awarded her $40,000 for past non-economic damages and emotional distress , and nothing for future emotional distress . <p> " We have to note the matter is not final until all appeals are exhausted , so further comment would be inappropriate at this time . " <p> Metroka said , however , that it was too soon to know if an appeal will be filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered Gallup to be the victim of an unfair and biased investigation process . <p> " A grievance is supposed to be investigated fairly , without any bias , " said juror Debi Mitchell . " This was not a fair and impartial investigation ... I 'm glad we got to show that their behavior was wrong . I hope they can change the way they treat employees and create a better work environment . " <p> " I felt there was some harm , but there was culpability on both sides , " said juror Marc Cambridge . <p> " We weighed both sides , and the court had the power . The feeling by most of us was that the situation was escalated by the court . They took it beyond where they needed to be . " <p> The court 's attorneys had sought to convince the jury that Gallup had not proven that any of her concerns rose to the level of violations of the law . That issue did not appear to have been a consideration for the jurors interviewed , however . <p> Metroka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no evidence presented to indicate that the court had at any time violated laws or rules of court in conducting Family Court services . " <p> Jurors also found that Gallup did not take the journal and disclose its contents to others . <p> There will be a hearing on Oct. 19 for Nevada County Superior Court to plead an equitable defense , that Gallup was not entitled to a financial remedy because she acted unethically . <p> But Gallup attorney M. Catherine Jones said it was not likely they would prevail because the jury did not make that finding . <p> Gallup said her fight is far from over . <p> " I still think there are major problems in Nevada County 's mediation department , " she said . " The Family Court judge ( Scott Thomsen ) is very good , but he has little oversight of the mediation department -- nobody has oversight . I 'm not going to feel I 'm done with this project until there is some kind of outside oversight ...

@@5049241 <h> O Brother , get up or at least wake up ! <p> River Falls police had to separate two screaming brothers and jail them for domestic disorderly conduct in their Church Street apartment Sunday evening , Nov. 4 . The one brother , age 27 , was sleeping on the living room couch . His 21-year-old brother asked him to give him and his girlfriend a ride to ShopKo . The older brother agreed but then went right back to sleep . The other brother , expecting the ride , did n't like that . <p> River Falls police had to separate two screaming brothers and jail them for domestic disorderly conduct in their Church Street apartment Sunday evening , Nov. 4 . The one brother , age 27 , was sleeping on the living room couch . His 21-year-old brother asked him to give him and his girlfriend a ride to ShopKo . The older brother agreed but then went right back to sleep . The other brother , expecting the ride , did n't like that . <p> He allegedly lifted and tipped the couch until his slumbering older brother was rolled to the floor . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The brother who was rolled off simply moved on and found a futon . Soon he fell back to sleep . <p> The other brother returned , saw that his older brother had found a new place to sack out , and allegedly did with the futon what he 'd done with the couch . <p> This again upended his sleeping brother and resulted in the futon 's transfer to his room . <p> The second sleep disruption woke and angered the older brother . The two brothers began screaming at such a high decibel level that when officers arrived they could n't distinguish the words . <p> A third brother , the youngest , age 19 , was washing dishes when the flare-up began . He was n't arrested . The three brothers had been living together in their third-floor apartment for two months . <p> There was apparently no physical violence between the two screaming brothers . The case goes to the Pierce County district attorney . <p> River Falls police also : <p> --Arrested a 25-year-old Hudson woman for disorderly conduct for allegedly fighting with another woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m . Sunday , Nov. 4 . The two had already been kicked out of the bar when officers arrived . The alleged victim said she 'd been tackled , had her hair pulled and was punched . The Hudson woman apparently was mad that the other woman was dancing in the bar with her boyfriend . <p> --Arrested a 26-year-old River Falls man for disorderly conduct in the 100 block of East Elm Street around 2 a.m . Saturday , Nov. 3 . The man allegedly snatched the purse from the mother of his child when he saw her downtown . He said he wanted back $100 that he gave her earlier . He was also upset to see the woman at the bars instead of at home with her two young children . The purse and its contents were recovered . A UW-River Falls police officer first caught the suspect on East Cascade Avenue . <p> --Cited two UWRF male students within a five-minute span after 2 a.m. last Thursday , Nov. 1 , for public urination at Treasures From the Heart , corner of Main and Walnut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doorway ; the other was urinating against the wall in the half-alley behind the store . Both were given $114 fines . <p> --Cited another UWRF male student last Wednesday night , Oct. 31 , for underage drinking after he allegedly walked up to a parked police squad car at 650 Sycamore St. , unzipped , and began urinating . The 18-year-old explained to the officer that he was told to pee where he did and that he 'd been drinking beer at the Sycamore Street address . He was given a $177 underage drinking citation . <p> --Investigated a burglary to a young woman 's apartment at 1029 S. State last week . The intruder allegedly stole $200 worth of underwear and bras . The woman said a similar incident occurred in September . There were no signs of forced entry to the apartment . <p> There 's more . Find it in Police Beat in

@@5049341 <h> Help Solve an Open Murder Case , Part 2 <p> Your help unlocking the mystery of two encrypted notes could solve a 1999 murder . <p> Update : This story has generated an outpouring of responses . To accommodate the continuing interest in this case , we have established a page ( http : //forms.fbi.gov/code ) where the public can offer their comments and theories about the coded messages . <p> On June 30 , 1999 , sheriff 's officers in St. Louis , Missouri discovered the body of 41-year-old Ricky McCormick . He had been murdered and dumped in a field . The only clues regarding the homicide were two encrypted notes found in the victim 's pants pockets . <p> Despite extensive work by our Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit ( CRRU ) , as well as help from the American Cryptogram Association , the meanings of those two coded notes remain a mystery to this day , and Ricky McCormick 's murderer has yet to face justice . <p> " We are really good at what we do , " said CRRU chief Dan Olson , " but we could use some help with this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encrypted notes are one of CRRU 's top unsolved cases . " Breaking the code , " said Olson , " could reveal the victim 's whereabouts before his death and could lead to the solution of a homicide . Not every cipher we get arrives at our door under those circumstances . " <p> To move the case forward , examiners need another sample of murder-victim Ricky McCormick 's coded system -- or a similar one -- that might offer context to the mystery notes or allow comparisons to be made . <p> The more than 30 lines of coded material use a maddening variety of letters , numbers , dashes , and parentheses . McCormick was a high school dropout , but he was able to read and write and was said to be " street smart . " According to members of his family , McCormick had used such encrypted notes since he was a boy , but apparently no one in his family knows how to decipher the codes , and it 's unknown whether anyone besides McCormick could translate his secret language . Investigators believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three days before his death . <p> Breaking any code involves four basic steps : <p> 1 . determining the language used ; 2. determining the system used ; 3. reconstructing the key ; and 4. reconstructing the plaintext . <p> Consider this cipher : Nffu nf bu uif qbsl bu oppo . <p> Now apply the four steps : 1 . Determining the language allows you to compare the cipher text to the suspected language . Our cryptanalysts usually start with English . <p> 3 . Reconstructing the key : This step answers the question of how the code maker changed the letters . In our example , every character shifted one letter to the right in the alphabet . <p> 4 . Reconstructing the plaintext : By applying the key from the previous step , you now have a solution : Meet me at the park at noon . <p> Over the years , a number of CRRU 's examiners -- who are experts at breaking codes -- have puzzled over the McCormick notes and applied a variety of analytical techniques to tease out an answer . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " Olson noted . Our cryptanalysts have several plausible theories about the notes , but so far , there has been no solution . <p> To move the case forward , examiners need another sample of McCormick 's coded system -- or a similar one -- that might offer context to the mystery notes or allow valuable comparisons to be made . Or , short of new evidence , Olson said , " Maybe someone with a fresh set of eyes might come up with a brilliant new idea . " <p> That 's where the public comes in . The FBI has always relied on tips and other assistance from the public to solve crimes , and although breaking a code may represent a special circumstance , your help could aid the investigation . Take a look at McCormick 's two notes . If you have an idea how to break the code , have seen similar codes , or have any information about the Ricky McCormick case , send them to us online

@@5049441 <h> For Test Takers <h> Teaching : More Than a Job <h> Why Teach ? <p> Perhaps you 're wondering what type of career you can pursue that will be both meaningful and progressive . Or maybe you are already working , but have been yearning for a change to a more inspiring and satisfying line of work . <p> Teaching offers an opportunity for you to affect the world by informing , enlightening and guiding young minds . Teaching is also a career filled with growth potential . If you enjoy helping students grow in knowledge and understanding , then teaching may be right for you . <p> See how teaching has changed the lives of these Teacher of the Year recipients and why they consider teaching to be more than just a job . Click on a teacher 's name to watch his or her video . <h> How to Become a Teacher <p> First , determine the necessary steps for obtaining teacher licensure and certification in your

@@5049541 <h> Share via e-mail <p> A mere four weeks ago , the Patriots suffered a last-minute loss in Seattle . That day , the Jets crushed the Colts , 35-9 ; the Dolphins beat the Rams , 17-14 ; and the Bills beat the Cardinals , 19-16 . <p> When New England returned from the West Coast , every team in the AFC East was 3-3 . <p> Not only was it the first time since NFL realignment in 2002 that all four teams in a division were tied as late as Week 6 , it gave the other teams in the AFC East , namely the Bills and Dolphins , who had finished third and fourth in the division each of the previous three years , hope they might unseat the Patriots from their lofty perch . <p> At the time , Miami rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill said his team was " in a good spot . . . I think it 's in our hands now . It 's all on us if we want to go out and make a run at this thing or not . " <p> Buffalo 's Ryan Fitzpatrick felt similarly . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , and we have 10 games to go . We have a real shot at this thing , " he said . " We have to come out and play . " <p> Rex Ryan said , " It goes through New England . . . I think the team that can stay consistent , stay the course , hopefully that 's us . " <p> Given all of his Super Bowl proclamations , few would confuse the Jets coach with Nostradamus . <p> But in this case , that statement to New England media members in the days before his Jets traveled to Foxborough seems darn prescient . There has been a team that 's achieved some consistency , but it is n't New York . <p> For as flawed as the Patriots have been , as teams begin preparations for Week 11 games , they have once again taken control of the AFC East , building a two-game lead on the Dolphins . <p> Since Oct. 14 , New England is 3-0 while Miami is 1-2 and New York and Buffalo are 0-3 . <p> There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be lost , but those teams that felt their fate was in their hands are quickly losing their grip on a potential division title . <p> The Patriots have n't beaten a team with a winning record during their three-game streak , but they dominated the Rams in London and did just enough to squeak out home wins against the Jets and Buffalo . <p> Miami beat the Jets at home coming off its bye , lost a close game on the road to the Colts , and were embarrassed by the Titans Sunday . Buffalo also lost at home to Tennessee , as well as in Houston and New England . <p> After scoring 26 points against the Patriots , the Jets have scored just 16 in losses to Miami and Seattle . <p> The road from here is not easy for New England . Andrew Luck and the Colts come calling Sunday , then a short week to prepare for the rematch with the Jets on Thanksgiving night , followed by their first meeting with the Dolphins in Miami . <p> Houston and San Francisco , a combined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patriots close out the season in Jacksonville and at home with the Dolphins . <p> Assuming the Patriots win their fourth straight division title and ninth in 10 years , who could they face in the postseason ? <p> If the playoffs started tomorrow the Patriots would be the third seed and AFC West-leading Denver the fourth by virtue of New England 's head-to-head win , since both are 6-3 . <p> Houston ( 8-1 ) would be the No. 1 seed with Baltimore ( 7-2 ) second . The wild-card teams would be Indianapolis ( 6-3 ) and Pittsburgh ( 6-3 ) . <p> That means the Patriots would host the Steelers in the wild-card round . Pittsburgh is a team New England has had mixed results against in recent years , losing in Pittsburgh last year and winning there in 2010 . <p> Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , who left Monday night 's 16-13 victory over the Chiefs with a right shoulder injury , has not lit up the Patriots in terms of yardage , but he has been effective , with 12 touchdowns against three picks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranked a more-than-respectable 11th in total offense , but the unit does n't have to do too much : Pittsburgh leads the league in total defense , is tops in pass defense ( allowing a paltry 174 yards per game ) , and fourth against the run ( 88.6 ) . <p> Pittsburgh is also the only team in the current AFC playoff

@@5049641 <p> All we can say for our leaders is that they reflect well on our tolerance for human imperfection <p> As we once again approach our national natal day , there is much cause for celebration . Here in the home of the free and the land of the brave , the country where the president has survived the transformation of 10 oral encounters into an impeachment proceeding , we made it through all of last year and we 're still here . <p> And behaving rather well , it seems to me . Speaking on behalf of most of us , the majority of the polity , the general run of folks , Bubba ' n ' them , I 'd like to express my admiration for almost all of us . We have kept our heads while our putative leaders were losing theirs . <p> We were way cool through the entire l'Affaire Lewinksy , telling pollsters month after month that even though we did n't approve of the president 's conduct , we really thought it was none of our business . Or Mr. Starr 's . Or the House Judiciary Committee 's . Etc . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have known that the chief Justice of the United States gets his fashion sense from Gilbert and Sullivan ? <p> And we showed a great deal of maturity , it seems to me , on a matter of graver moment : the hopelessly complicated affair in Kosovo . In a situation where nothing was perfectly clear , where there were no good options -- only a choice of bad ones -- and where the one we chose produced horrendous consequences , we resisted every temptation to pretend that it was an easy moral choice or to celebrate the unhappy result as a " victory . " <p> Good on us . <p> On the other hand , all we can say for our leaders is that they reflect well on our tolerance for human imperfection . From a president who could n't keep it zipped to a majority whip who thinks that teaching evolution drives teens to violence , we have got some lulus in office , have n't we ? <p> What a country . The president got caught diddling an intern , and it cost Newt Gingirch his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress thinks that the Ten Commandments will work as gun control . <p> As the sun shines upon our fair nation ( rather strongly , what with global warming in the works ) , I would like to make my annual salute to the sheer wonderfulness of us all . <p> I am always amazed by the number of people who really do n't like us . Quite a large percentage of our preachers seem to think that we have become worse than Sodom and Gomorrah -- such a sink of sinners and backsliders that we 're all hell-bound without a hope . Of course , they have been telling us that for over 200 years now . <p> Some political right-wingers have thrown up their hands and declared that it is time to " withdraw " so they wo n't be infected by the " majority culture . " That would be nice , but then they said they did n't really mean it . <p> Here in the majority culture , where crime is down , along with teen pregnancy , abortions , unemployment , welfare rolls and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even be accused of being dumb and happy . Fat -- OK , we 're fat . <p> As what we used to worry about improves , there seems to be a net increase in the number of Jeremiahs around to tell us how terrible things are . They remind me of Vera Carp of " Tuna " fame , who used to say , " You will act like a Christian , or I will slap the snot out of you . " <p> As for dumb , our kids are now doing slightly better on standardized tests . This is not to say we have lost our famous national habit of cheerful ignorance -- the latest polls show that 92.6 percent of us believe that Chad is a men 's cologne . <p> The awful truth is that Americans are still a noticeably nice bunch . On the whole , rather a sweet and well-intentioned set of people . <p> Of course , there are those who really , really do n't like bourgeois Americans , and who are sickened by the annual summer sight of lots of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at civic fandangles like the Varmint , Critter and Pest Fest . May age bring them more tolerance , and in the meantime , they can try smearing chocolate on their naked bodies and see if it gets them a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts . <p> I say it 's a great nation -- we 've got musical groups with names like Throbbing Gristle , and we 've got groups out to censor the libraries for suspected perversion in fairy tales . We 've got young people with purple hair and tattoos and safety pins in their belly buttons , and we 've got barbershop quartets specializing in " Sweet Adeline . " We 've got bikers wearing their leathers roaring up and down the highways and the Amish still in buggies . We 've still got cowboys , and we 've still got Indians , some of whom who are getting very rich from casino gambling . <p> A revolting number of non-Indians are also getting rich , which means they can take up philanthropy . David Sedaris suggests an appropriate menu of philanthropy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Annual Headache Drive and the Polo Injury Wing at the local hospital . <p> From sea to shining sea , as we repair to our beaches , mountains and backyards , there to burn many dead cows , I think we can afford a little pride and a little fondness -- not

@@5049741 <p> Here 's what will happen : You and up to five of your family members will get to your reserved spot at the event , where a photographer will be waiting . You 'll all meet the President of the United States , and we 'll take the picture to prove it . <p> What is it with the Obama campaign and these games of chance ? What this ( and those other drawings like the one with Sarah Jessica Parker ) all amount to are raffles . Most jurisdictions regulate raffles . Is the campaign in compliance with these - why do I doubt it ? <p> Very true . Watch out for the next fundraising gimmick , " Buy MegaMillions Tickets For Barack , " in which if you win , you get to keep a tenth of it -- after all , you did n't win jackpot by yourself , someone else did . ( Refer all legal questions to the Supreme Court , which has decided that the " Obama Event Registry " is applicable as a " tax " . ) <p> So they need to remind their constituents to comb their hair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really . By the way , I 'm deeply offended that they would discriminate against us proudly bald men ( and women ) . <p> A holiday card picture with Obama ? Not only is that extremely tacky ( as per usual with from a man who seems to think everything revolves around him ) , but this is just stupid . Unless you happen to send out Haloween cards for some odd reason , holiday cards wo n't be sent out until after the election . Wo n't do Obama any good . Plus , do you really want send out a holiday card with him if he loses ? <p> The next idea is a raffle for Democratic candidates who chip in some of their fundraising to cover the shortfall in the President 's coffers . The

@@5049841 <h> " That we can never know , " answered the wolf angrily . " That 's for the future . But what we can know is the importance of what we owe to the present . Here and now , and nowhere else . For nothing else exists , except in our minds . What we owe to ourselves , and to those we 're bound to . And we can at

@@5049941 <h> Formats <h> Book Description <p> Release Date : September 8 , 1976 <p> This collection of Susan Polis Schutz ? s poetry combines readers ' favorites from her first three volumes with many new poems to create yet another testament to Schutz ? s ability to translate sensitive feelings into words that people can appreciate and relate to . Illustrated by Stephen Schutz , this book is an eloquent reflection on love , friendship , society , nature , creativity , and women ? s empowerment . <p> This collection of Susan Polis Schutz ? s poetry combines readers ' favorites from her first three volumes with many new poems to create yet another testament to Schutz ? s ability to translate sensitive feelings into words that people can appreciate and relate to . Illustrated by Stephen Schutz , this book is an eloquent reflection on love , friendship , society , nature , creativity , and women ? s empowerment . <h> Editorial Reviews <h> About the Author <p> SUSAN POLIS SCHUTZ grew up in the small country town of Peekskill , New York . In 1969 , she and her husband , acclaimed artist Dr. Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for each other and their desire to be together at all times prompted them to begin silk-screening posters of Susan ? s poetry and Stephen ? s artwork . From this union of their talents and love , SPS Studios was born . Today , Susan is the author of eleven bestselling poetry books , and her poems have been published on millions of greeting cards . Whether she is writing about her feelings on motherhood , her love for Stephen , her fondness for nature , or her thoughts on life , her heartfelt words are the ones people look

@@5050041 <h> Texans 13 , Bears 6 <h> Texans Left Standing in Showdown of Defenses <h> By BEN STRAUSS <h> Published : November 12 , 2012 <p> CHICAGO -- The rain started to fall long before kickoff and did not stop . The Soldier Field turf turned muddy , the wind gusted , and the usually bright lights of the lakefront skyline were muted through the mist . <h> N.F.L. <p> The Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans each came into Sunday night as a 7-1 team built on defense . They played a defensive game in defensive conditions , and over four sloppy , soggy and hard-hitting quarters , the Bears lost their quarterback , Jay Cutler , and the Texans ' Arian Foster proved why he may be the N.F.L. 's best running back as Houston emerged with a 13-6 win . <p> " At our stadium , we 're not used to all this , " the former Bear Danieal Manning , who had an interception and forced fumble , said of the rain . " The thing is we got heads up early . I said bring all the seven-stud cleats you can bring and let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's game -- with the Texans , one of the A.F.C. 's top teams , taking on the Bears , one of the N.F.C. 's best -- was billed as a Super Bowl preview . Adding to the anticipation was that it was the first time since 2007 that teams with one or fewer losses had met this late in the season . <p> The Texans boasted the league 's third-ranked defense , and the Bears were the N.F.L. leader in turnovers forced . Neither defense disappointed , but the Texans were just that much better . <p> The conditions quickly combined with opportunistic defenses to turn the marquee matchup into a grind-it-out game . A slippery ball and defenders flying all over the field led to six first-half turnovers . Kellen Davis fumbled on the Bears ' first play from scrimmage and Michael Bush fumbled to end their second drive . Cutler threw two first-half interceptions , and Texans quarterback Matt Schaub matched him . During one stretch in the first half , four consecutive possessions ended in turnovers . <p> Cutler never got the chance to atone for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Late in the first half , a scrambling Cutler was leveled on a helmet-to-helmet hit by linebacker Tim Dobbins . Cutler was flagged on the play for a forward pass across the line of scrimmage , and Dobbins was penalized for hitting Cutler above the shoulders . Cutler finished the drive but did not return for the second half . He finished the game 7 for 14 for 40 yards and 2 interceptions . <p> " Whatever the symptoms are for a concussion , that 's what he had , " Bears Coach Lovie Smith said . " I try not to be Dr. Smith . " <p> Foster was the game 's lone offensive star , piling up 102 yards on 29 carries . The Texans ' zone blocking schemes and misdirection runs opened holes against an aggressive Chicago defense that preaches getting all 11 players to the ball . <p> " It was just one of those games you knew you 're not going to have great yards per carry average , " Foster said . " It 's going to be one of those that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back for your team , and Coach Kubiak trusted me and the offensive line to get it done when it 's crunch time . " <p> Foster scored the game 's only touchdown , making a diving catch on an out route for a 2-yard score . It capped a second-quarter drive of seven plays and 66 yards , one of the game 's few sustained offensive possessions . Schaub was 14 for 26 for only 95 yards to go along with the touchdown and two interceptions . <p> Little changed for the Chicago offense with the backup Jason Campbell taking over for Cutler . Robbie Gould kicked field goals of 51 and 24 yards but missed a 48-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter that would have cut the Texans ' lead to 10-9 . Shayne Graham added his second field goal of the game a few minutes later to stretch the Texans ' lead to 13-6 , and the Bears never threatened again . <p> " It 's tough when you sit on the sidelines , " Campbell said . " It 's not like we were playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both teams talked this week of proving themselves and earning the mantle of " Super Bowl contender . " For the Texans , it was their first prime-time test since a 42-24 loss in Week 6 to the Packers at home on Sunday night . Against the Bears , they passed the test , using the time-tested formula of running the ball and playing sound defense . <p> The Bears ' lone loss of the season was also to Green Bay , a 23-10 defeat on a Thursday night in Week 2 at Lambeau Field , where Cutler threw four interceptions . The Bears had reeled off six straight wins , but none against a team with a winning record . <p> Super Bowl fever gripped Chicago , as the Bears ' defense racked up turnovers and scored touchdowns at a record-setting rate during their winning streak -- even as questions remained about a shaky offense . <p> As the Bears , soaked and beaten , trudged off the field Sunday night , those questions became more apparent , but remained unanswered . <p> . <p> The Bears ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 23-10 defeat in Week 2 at Lambeau Field , where Cutler threw four interceptions . The Bears had reeled off six straight wins , but none against a team with a winning record . <p> Super Bowl fever gripped Chicago , as the Bears ' defense racked up turnovers and scored touchdowns at a record-setting rate during their winning streak -- even as questions remained about a shaky offense . <p> As the Bears , soaked and beaten , trudged off the field Sunday night , became more apparent , but remained unanswered . <h> A version of this article appeared in print on November 12 , 2012 , on page D 4 of the New York edition with the

@@5050141 <h> Cities of Opportunity 2012 <h> Looking to the future of 27 cities at the center of the world economy <p> In this fifth edition of Cities of Opportunity , PwC and the Partnership for New York City again examine the current social and economic performance of the world 's leading cities . We also add a

@@5050241 <h> 6 things to keep in mind for choosing medical care plans <h> Published : Tuesday , November 13 , 2012 at 16:44 PM . <p> The national debate over health-care reform aside , one thing remains the same this season . It 's open enrollment for employees who depend on their workplace-sponsored health plans . <p> Between now and December , offices full of American workers will be making the elections that determine how much they 'll cough up for insurance every month for the next year . Today 's decisions also determine the amount of cash they 'll lay out for doctor and hospital visits , prescription drugs and other medical services . <p> Among the factors upping your monthly premium is the growth in U.S. health-care spending . <p> While not growing as fast as in recent years , that number is expected to jump more than 7 percent in 2013 , according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report this year . <p> As a result the average worker is likely to pay an extra $181 in premiums , reports Aon Hewitt , an employee benefits consultant . That does n't include the extra $229 they 're expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out-of-pocket costs . <p> The upside ? Experts say you can minimize the toll health insurance will take on your wallet by paying attention this open enrollment season . <p> 6 things to keep in mind : <p> Read the description <p> The Affordable Care Act now requires insurance companies to provide an " easy to understand " summary of each insurance plan available to you . <p> So it makes sense this year to pay attention and not simply elect the same benefits as you 've had in the past . <p> The summaries are also supposed to be similar for each insurance carrier . That should make it easier for you and a spouse to compare offerings . <p> Same old , same old ? <p> Do n't count on it . You ca n't assume that choosing the same level or electing to simply continue benefits will mean nothing changes . Check to see whether premiums , copayments or prescription prices will increase . You 'll want to make sure your doctor is still in the network , as well . <p> Consider time -- and money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's workers estimate they waste as much as $750 a year because of mistakes they made when signing up for insurance , according to Aflac 's 1012 Open Enrollment Study . <p> Think about what you paid for insurance last year and figure out whether a less expensive plan would have offered the same benefit . <p> Think outside the premium <p> It 's tempting to opt for lower up-front cost , but the lowest premiums are the ones that require larger payments when you actually need to see a doctor or go to a hospital . Typically , those are best for the young and fit . <p> People with a health condition or those who are aging or have a family history of medical problems might think twice , advises the N.C. Department of Insurance . <p> Be flexible , maybe <p> Fewer than half of the workers surveyed this year by Aflac took advantage of a flexible spending account . <p> Those accounts allow workers to put aside money -- up to $2,500 starting next year -- without paying taxes on the income . The dollars can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , is that you lose the cash if you do n't use it , so this works best for people with a concrete idea of what they 'll need to spend on health care in the next year . <p> Plan for the worst <p> Does the low premium and high deductible sound great ? <p> Ask yourself whether you would ever be able to come up with that much . <p> On the other hand , some benefits counselors suggest mulling over your chances of being laid off in this still-slow economy . <p> If you lose your job , a low premium will make it easier to keep medical benefits under COBRA , the federal law that requires laid-off workers to temporarily maintain coverage , All rights reserved . This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission . Links are encouraged . <p> The national debate over health-care reform aside , one thing remains the same this season . It 's open enrollment for employees who depend on their workplace-sponsored health plans . <p> Between now and December , offices full of American workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll cough up for insurance every month for the next year . Today 's decisions also determine the amount of cash they 'll lay out for doctor and hospital visits , prescription drugs and other medical services . <p> Among the factors upping your monthly premium is the growth in U.S. health-care spending . <p> While not growing as fast as in recent years , that number is expected to jump more than 7 percent in 2013 , according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report this year . <p> As a result the average worker is likely to pay an extra $181 in premiums , reports Aon Hewitt , an employee benefits consultant . That does n't include the extra $229 they 're expected to pay for copayments , coinsurance , deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs . <p> The upside ? Experts say you can minimize the toll health insurance will take on your wallet by paying attention this open enrollment season . <p> 6 things to keep in mind : <p> Read the description <p> The Affordable Care Act now requires insurance companies to provide an " easy to understand " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So it makes sense this year to pay attention and not simply elect the same benefits as you 've had in the past . <p> The summaries are also supposed to be similar for each insurance carrier . That should make it easier for you and a spouse to compare offerings . <p> Same old , same old ? <p> Do n't count on it . You ca n't assume that choosing the same level or electing to simply continue benefits will mean nothing changes . Check to see whether premiums , copayments or prescription prices will increase . You 'll want to make sure your doctor is still in the network , as well . <p> Consider time -- and money -- spent . <p> More than half of the country 's workers estimate they waste as much as $750 a year because of mistakes they made when signing up for insurance , according to Aflac 's 1012 Open Enrollment Study . <p> Think about what you paid for insurance last year and figure out whether a less expensive plan would have offered the same benefit . <p> Think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower up-front cost , but the lowest premiums are the ones that require larger payments when you actually need to see a doctor or go to a hospital . Typically , those are best for the young and fit . <p> People with a health condition or those who are aging or have a family history of medical problems might think twice , advises the N.C. Department of Insurance . <p> Be flexible , maybe <p> Fewer than half of the workers surveyed this year by Aflac took advantage of a flexible spending account . <p> Those accounts allow workers to put aside money -- up to $2,500 starting next year -- without paying taxes on the income . The dollars can then go toward out-of-pocket medical expenses . <p> The drawback , of course , is that you lose the cash if you do n't use it , so this works best for people with a concrete idea of what they 'll need to spend on health care in the next year . <p> Plan for the worst <p> Does the low premium and high deductible sound great ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come up with that much . <p> On the other hand , some benefits counselors suggest mulling over your chances of being laid off in this still-slow economy . <p> If you lose your job , a low premium will make it easier to keep medical benefits under COBRA , the federal law that requires laid-off workers to temporarily maintain coverage

@@5050341 <p> The slim , upright figure of the knight with his feet thrust forward in the stirrups is a counterpoint to the powerful curves and massive body of the horse in this accomplished sculpture . It is one of the finest of a group of such equestrian aquamanilia . The knight wears a helm surmounted by the remains of a crest , a mail shirt with long sleeves covering his hands , mail leggings covered by padded leg protection , and a surcoat decorated with chevrons . He wears prick spurs on his feet , and the fittings for his shield , now lost , can be seen on the left side . He holds the reins of the horse in his left hand , and the extended right hand likely held a lance ( or possibly a sword ) . The aquamanile is filled through the hinged top of the helm and the spout is formed by the horse 's forelock . The stylistic details of the armor are consistent

@@5050441 <p> Yahoo ! Education pored over employment projections through 2020 to determine what graduates with different degrees and educational backgrounds can expect from the job market over the next decade . <p> Keep reading for the degrees that rank highest in terms of employment opportunities through 2020. <h> #1 - Health Care Degrees <p> Love it or hate it , health care reform is creating many new , exciting positions in what is already the fastest growing sector of our economy . Factor in the aging population and demand for health care graduates has never been higher . <p> " We 're moving not only toward a white-collar economy , but toward a white-coat economy , " Derek Thompson wrote in " America 2020 : Healthcare Nation " , an article in The Atlantic magazine . <p> With hospitals looking to control costs , most of the white coats will be worn by people who assist doctors and not the doctors themselves . This means many new opportunities for nurses , medical assistants , and medical technicians . Find Nursing and Medical Assisting programs <p> As Thompson points out , the White House and U.S. Department of Labor expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other industry , with health care boasting three of the top five fastest growing jobs in the country . <h> #2 - Business Degrees <p> New technology has forever changed the way people live their lives - and how companies do business . It seems the only constant in the business world is change . Today 's business school students will help define the way business gets done in the next decade - and beyond . <p> Looking forward , the business sector 's biggest gains will be in management , scientific , and technical consulting services ... and that may be a big understatement ! The Department of Labor forecasts a " staggering " 83 percent rise in employment opportunities in this area . <h> #3 - Education Degrees <p> According to the Department of Labor , educational services is the second largest industry in the U.S. In fact , in 2008 there were about 13.5 million jobs in this industry . Population growth will fuel demand for jobs in this field through 2018 . <p> Education administrator might sound like an unlikely career to get showcased in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the numbers back it up . After all , a rapidly growing population means more students , and that means more opportunities for educators . <p> A 2010 report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce puts education behind only health care as a field facing the biggest shortage of qualified workers with degrees in 2018. <h> #4 - Technology Degrees <p> Those with technology-related degrees , like network administration , will benefit from their grasp of cutting-edge technologies that will fuel future advances in all sectors of the economy . <p> From tech hot spots like Silicon Valley and Seattle to regional centers of innovation in Texas , North Carolina , and around the country ... companies will be looking for qualified technology professionals to develop new technology products and

@@5050541 <p> JOLIET , Ill. -- The final juror to agree to convict Drew Peterson of murder in the death of his ex-wife says he " barely slept " one night during the proceedings because the same nagging questions kept popping into his head . <p> Even after joining fellow members of the panel by casting the last vote for guilty , Ron Supalo remains troubled by the prosecution 's reliance on hearsay , statements not based on a witness ' direct knowledge . <p> Peterson , the former suburban Chicago police officer , faces a maximum 60-year prison term after his first-degree murder conviction in the death of his third wife , Kathleen Savio . It was the first case in Illinois history to permit the use of hearsay evidence , based on a 2008 state law specifically tailored to Peterson 's case . <p> " I needed time to think it through , " Supalo , a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service , said in a telephone interview Friday evening . <p> Supalo said he believes the hearsay law might be unconstitutional , but he eventually realized his duty as a juror was only to assess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( the jurors ) were n't the U.S. Supreme Court , " he said . " Right or wrong , this was the hearsay law , and we had to use it in this case . " <p> Other jurors acknowledged that comments Stacy Peterson , Peterson 's fourth wife , made before her 2007 disappearance played the decisive role in convincing them to convict her husband of killing his ex-wife . <p> The prosecution 's strategy grew largely from a lack of physical evidence collected in the case after investigators initially deemed Savio 's 2004 death an accident . Prosecutors claimed the hearsay would allow Savio and Stacy Peterson -- who is presumed dead -- " to speak from their graves " through family and friends . <p> It worked . <p> Jury foreman Eduardo Saldana , 22 , said the women 's comments were " extremely critical " in deliberations and in his decision to convict Peterson . He said he was one of four jurors who initially had reservations given a lack of physical evidence tying the former police officer to Savio 's death . But Saldana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peterson 's pastor , the more compelling he found it . <p> But Supalo said he had some doubts about the credibility of Stacy Peterson 's statements to the Rev. Neil Schori . <p> During the trial , Schori testified that Stacy Peterson told him weeks before she went missing that her husband got up from bed and left the house about the time of Savio 's death and then returned to stuff women 's clothing in their washing machine . Peterson also coached his wife for hours on how to lie to police , Schori told jurors . <p> " When it was the 11 for guilty and just me holding out , I told them , You all believe Schori 's testimony is gospel because he is a man of God , " ' Supalo said . " They said , It is . ' And I said , No , it 's not ! " ' <p> Supalo also said he had difficulty coming to terms with convicting someone based on what others claimed someone else said . <p> " I 'm uncomfortable with the Illinois law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law . " They made the law just for Drew Peterson -- applied it to him retroactively . If there was no hearsay in his case -- Drew Peterson goes free . " <p> Defense lawyers have said the presentation of hearsay undercut Peterson 's constitutional rights because he could n't directly confront his accusers -- namely , his third and fourth wives . <p> They tried to discredit Stacy Peterson by having attorney Harry Smith testify that she asked him if she could squeeze more money out of Peterson in a divorce if she threatened to tell police he killed Savio . But Saldana and other jurors said Smith only ended up stressing that Stacy Peterson knew her husband had , in fact , murdered his ex-wife . <p> As he realized Smith was starting to hurt Peterson 's case , the defense attorney questioning him , Joel Brodsky , began shouting at Smith , accusing him of lying . <p> Juror Teresa Mathews , 49 , said Friday that Smith had nothing to gain by making up testimony . <p> " We believed he was a credible witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence cost Supalo some sleep , by Thursday afternoon , just before the verdict was read in court to gasps and tears , he 'd resolved several issues in his mind . Among them was accepting Schori 's and Smith 's testimony as credible , he said . <p> " It was the totality of the evidence that convinced me , " he said . <p> Peterson is to be sentenced Nov. 26 . <p> Neighbors found the 40-year-old 's body in the bathtub of her suburban Chicago home -- a gash on the back of her head . Investigators initially thought she drowned after slipping in the tub , but reopened the case after Stacy Peterson disappeared . <p> Peterson also is a suspect in that case , and Will County State 's Attorney James Glasgow said Thursday that charges could be forthcoming . <p> Peterson 's personality had seemed to loom large over the trial , at least to outsiders . <p> Before his 2009 arrest , the glib , cocky Peterson seemed to taunt authorities , joking on talk shows and even suggesting a " Win a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV movie starring Rob Lowe . <p> But jurors said Friday that Peterson 's

@@5050641 <h> Sign up for The Hacker News 's Daily Newsletter <p> Let 's forget the political mumbo jumbo and posturing going on between countries about the release of Julian Assange . It is time to approach this in a " Sho-Gun " switch-a-roo style and get this over with . <p> If not , we are going to be reading endless editorials and opinions about who is doing what , and what is doing who . Ugggh . <p> With the help of the Ecuadorian Administration and some well planned orchestration with the group Anonymous , we can do this . <p> Let 's let the Guy Fawkes mask slide us into victory with my new handy dandy plan that is sure to get the by now , haggard and worried Assange , into Ecuadorian freedom and fame . <p> It is simple really . We need a call to arms , a ready army of Anons that can be recruited at a moments notice to storm the embassy . Just stop for a minute and picture it . <p> Hundreds , no thousands , of masked Anons , wearing black , storming the embassy at night and throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask ( I am sure he has one ) and moving him out into the crowd . From there , have 5 or six of the same type/model cars and slip him into one and off to a private residence for later transport by private jet to freedom . <p> Really , it is more a ninja operation ...... if carefully planned and executed . <p> If it sounds far-fetched to you , let 's examine the facts . Let 's just face it . Britain would love to get rid of him . I mean , seriously , what stake do they have in this ? And , the taxpayers should be screaming at the cost of the police and security regarding this issue . At this point they are just babysitting and it is costing a fortune . <p> What about Sweden ? Oh please ..... get real . They should wake up and realize that they are being used like a dirty towel about to be thrown out . Stupid ass , trumped up , false charges about rape ; all in the name of a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TRUTH released by Wikileaks . Obama , take out your earphones , we are n't that stupid . <p> Speaking of stupid ; Sweden , you are stupid to believe you will gain anything , in the end , over this . The United States has a long history of use and abuse in political situations . What have we done for Viet Nam recently ? I could go on . <p> But , back to my plan . It could be now , or anytime in the future . Britain can turn a blind eye and get rid of him , as they would like to do . Ecuador could reap the benefits of hero status , and Sweden could get back to running their own country . <p> If anyone thinks that diplomatic meetings and negotiations are going to bring this to a favorable end , you are wrong . We need to give everyone a chance to get out of a bad situation , and get back to other politics and government spending . You know , the things Secure . Follow him @ Twitter LinkedIn Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get Julian Assange

@@5050741 <h> Why Magneto will kick all of them asses ! <p> Magneto , everyone knows him but let me just remind you that he has the power to manipulate metal . Many of you MyIGNers may be wondering why I say that Magneto would kick all of those superhero 's and villian 's and anyone who stands in his way 's asses . Before I continue I would like to point out that Magneto is not 100% a bad guy . As I said before , Magneto has the power to manipulate metal therefore all of us have iron in our bodies and iron is a metal thus Magneto can control us into doing whatever he wants eg. if we are planning shoot him with a bazooka then instead of stopping the bazooka bullet he can stop us from even lifting up the bazooka to aim at him etc . He has the helmet which stops Professor - X from entering into his mind and stops all sorts of telekinissis from affecting him . If someone somehow manages to remove the helmet from his head he would be able to get it back by just snapping his fingers as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now you see that what I am saying is completely true . <p> If you have found any superhero or villian that is real and not made up by you who can defeat Magneto then feel free to tell me in the comments below

@@5050841 <p> The following is the text of a statement issued by the Middle East Quartet ( United States , Russian Federation , European Union and United Nations ) , following their informal meeting at United Nations Headquarters on 22 September 2004 : <p> The Quartet met in New York today and strongly reaffirmed its 4 May statement . The situation on the ground for both Palestinians and Israelis remains extremely difficult and no significant progress has been achieved on the Road Map . <p> The Quartet notes with deep concern that genuine action is still needed so that an empowered Prime Minister and cabinet can fulfil the Palestinian Authority 's obligations under the Road Map , including an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism , and the dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and infrastructure . The Quartet noted in this regard the need for the Palestinian Authority to prepare for assumption of control over Gaza , in particular by reforming its security forces and re-establishing the rule of law . <p> The Quartet underscores its continued readiness to engage with an accountable and reformed Palestinian leadership , and strongly urges the Palestinian Authority to take steps now that contribute to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hoc Liaison Committee and Task Force on Palestinian Reform . The Quartet welcomes steps towards well prepared , free and fair , Palestinian municipal elections , and urges Israel and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate towards this goal . <p> The Quartet urges the Government of Israel to implement its obligations under the Road Map , including dismantling of settlement outposts erected since March 2001 , and to impose a settlement freeze , as called for by President Bush and in the Road Map . The lack of action in this regard is a cause for concern . They also call on the Government of Israel to take all possible steps now , consistent with Israel ' s legitimate security needs , to ease the humanitarian and economic plight of the Palestinian people . <p> The Quartet reaffirms the concerns expressed in its statement of 4 May with respect to the actual routing of the Israeli separation barrier and takes note of the ICJ advisory opinion on this subject . The Quartet urges positive action by the Government of Israel with respect to the route of the barrier and reiterates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could prejudge issues that can only be resolved through negotiations and agreement between the parties . <p> The Quartet reaffirms its encouragement for Prime Minister Sharon 's intention to withdraw from all Gaza settlements and parts of the West Bank and reiterates that withdrawal from Gaza should be full and complete and be undertaken in a manner consistent with the Road Map , as a step towards an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 , through direct negotiations between the sides leading to the goal of two States , Israel and a sovereign , independent , viable , democratic and territorially contiguous Palestine , living side by side in peace and security . The Quartet urges both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to coordinate closely preparation and implementation of the withdrawal initiative . <p> The Quartet expresses its deep appreciation and support for Egypt ' s efforts to help reform and rebuild Palestinian security services , to reach a comprehensive and lasting end to all violence , and to advance the goal of security , stability and prosperity in Gaza as withdrawal is implemented . <p> The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Palestinian Authority , the donor community and the World Bank , to engage constructively on economic aspects of Gaza and West Bank withdrawal . In this respect , the Quartet members reiterate their support for the World Bank Trust Fund and call on all donors to contribute to it . <p> The Quartet reaffirms its commitment to a just , comprehensive , and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict based upon resolutions 242 and 338 , and will remain engaged with all

@@5050941 <p> WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting president briefly Saturday while President Bush is anesthetized for a routine colonoscopy , White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday . <p> Bush is scheduled to have the medical procedure , expected to take about 2 1/2 hours , at the presidential retreat at Camp David , Maryland , Snow said . <p> Bush 's last colonoscopy was in June 2002 , and no abnormalities were found , Snow said . <p> The president 's doctor had recommended a repeat procedure in about five years . <p> The procedure will be supervised by Dr. Richard Tubb and conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland , Snow said . <p> A colonoscopy is the most sensitive test for colon cancer , rectal cancer and polyps , small clumps of cells that can become cancerous , according to the Mayo Clinic . Small polyps may be removed during the procedure . <p> Snow said that

@@5051041 <h> December 14 , 2007 <p> Missed the screening of Billy the Kid vs . Dracula last night ? Fed up with being the last to know about cool films and events at the Living Room Cinematheque ? Well , worry no more . <p> A simple way to keep up with screenings and events at the Living Room Cinematheque is to subscribe to our RSS feed . <p> RSS stands for " Really Simple Syndication " and allows you to keep informed of changes and additions on your favourite websites , blogs , etc . In order to use it you just need to add the RSS address to an RSS reader or " aggregator . " There are a variety of aggregators available on the Internet and some mail programs like Thunderbird can handle RSS feeds as well . Many web browsers will

@@5051141 <p> The Little Horse Who Thought He Was Human ? By Trinity R. Westfield Copyright 2012 Trinity R. Westfield All rights reserved . Smashwords Edition , License Notes This free ebook may be copied , distributed , reposted , reprinted and shared , provided it appears in its entirety without alteration and the reader is not charged to access it . ISBN : 978-0-9872424-4-0 ( ebook ) Cover image from http : //www.dragoart.com Also by Trinity R. Westfield , published at Smashwords.com Am I Too Old for Father Xmas ? The Little Cat Who Thought She Was Human The Little Dog Who Thought He Was Human Quotes : A life guide The Little Horse Who Thought He Was Human Once upon a time there was a little horse who thought he was human . His name was Comet . The little horse was owned by a young boy named Angus . Comet loved his home in his field , with his stable and all of his hay . All day long the little horse ran around the field and ate hay and oats . He was a very happy little horse . Angus talked to the little horse a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and I. So the little horse thought he was a human too . Comet always neighed to Angus when he wanted something . Comet thought he was talking like you and I do , and he did n't understand why sometimes Angus could n't understand him when he wanted something . He thought Angus should understand everything he said . * * * * One day Comet neighed to Angus , " Na-a-a-y , na-a-y . " " What do you want little horse ? " Angus asked . Comet neighed and nodded to Angus . Angus said , " Oh , you want some water . " " Yes , " Comet neighed to Angus , thinking he was talking like we do . So Angus gave Comet some water and the little horse neighed very happily . * * * * The next day Comet neighed to Angus , " Na-a-a-y , na-a-y , na-a-y . " " What do you want little horse ? " Angus asked . The little horse neighed and nodded to Angus . Angus said , " Oh , you want some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angus , thinking he was talking like a human . Then the little horse trotted to the middle of the field and galloped back to Angus . " Ohh , " Angus said . " You want some more hay . " " Yes , " Comet neighed happily , thinking he was talking like we do . So Angus patted Comet and gave him lots more hay and oats to eat , and the little horse was very happy . * * * * The next day Comet neighed to Angus again , " Na-a-a-y , na-a-y , p-ffff . " " What do you want Comet ? " Angus asked . The little horse neighed and nodded . Angus said , " Oh , you want some water . " " No , " Comet shook his head and neighed , thinking he was talking like a human . The little horse trotted away and then galloped back to Angus . " Oh , " Angus said . " You want some more oats . " " No , no , " the little horse neighed and shook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legs slightly and back down , then trotted around in a circle . " Ohhh , I know what you want now , " Angus said . " You want some exercise and play time . " " Yes , " Comet neighed happily . So Angus put Comet 's reigns on and they played and ran around all day long in the green field . Comet was very happy . * * * * The next day Comet neighed to Angus again , " Na-a-a-y , na-a-y , p-ffff , p-ffff . " " What do you want little horse ? " Angus asked . The little horse neighed and nodded . Angus said , " Oh , you want some oats . " " No , " Comet neighed , thinking he was talking like a human . The little horse trotted around in a circle and back to Angus . " Oh , " Angus said . " You want to play in the field . " " No , no , " the little horse neighed and shook his head . The little horse nudged Angus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in another circle . Comet then looked at the horse reigns on the fence , then nudged Angus on the arm with his nose again . " Ohhh , I know what you want now , " Angus said . " You want us to go for a ride . " " Yes , " Comet nodded and neighed happily . So Angus took Comet to his stable and put his saddle and reigns on . Angus and the little horse went for a long ride through the countryside and this made Comet feel very happy . * * * * The next day Comet neighed to Angus again , " Prrhhough , na-a-a-y , na-a-y . " " What do you want little horse ? " Angus asked . The little horse neighed and nodded . Angus said , " Oh , you want some water . " " No , " Comet neighed , thinking he was talking like a human . The little horse trotted away , then galloped back to Angus . " Ohh , " Angus said . " You want some more hay . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighed and shook his head . Comet nudged Angus on the arm with his nose . " Oh , I know , " Angus said . " You want me to go for a ride . " " No , no , no , " Comet neighed loudly and shook his head . The little horse lifted his two front legs and then put them back down again . " Ohhh , I know what you want now , " Angus said . " You want me to brush you . " " Yes , " Comet neighed happily and feeling very excited . So Angus picked up Comet 's big horse brush and brushed Comet all over his little horse body and his mane . The little horse loved being brushed and he was very happy . * * * * The next day Comet neighed quitely to Angus , " Na-a-a-y , na-a-a-y . " " What do you want little horse ? " Angus asked . Comet neighed softly to Angus again . " Oh , you want some water , " Angus said . " No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head slowly . Comet used his nose again to nudge Angus in the arm . " Oh , I know " Angus said . " You want some more oats . " " No , no , no , " Comet shook his head , then neighed and sighed quietly . The little horse looked over at his stable , then looked at Angus and nodded his head . Angus said quietly , " Ohhh , I know what you want now , you want to go to sleep . " " Yes , " Comet neighed and nodded wearily . So Angus took Comet to his stable and covered him up with his little horse blanket and whispered , " Good night little Comet . It 's time to go to sleep now . " And soon after that , Comet was sound asleep . The end ! * * * * About the Author Trinity R. Westfield is a certified Life Coach , trained in cognitive behaviours and metaphysics . This ebook is available at most leading ebook retailers . Other books by this author : Am I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thought He Was Human The Little Cat Who Thought She Was Human Quotes : A life guide Connect

@@5051241 <p> I 'd suggest not using document.write , since this will overwrite anything else in the page . -- Lee Taylor Oct 26 at 0:21 <p> 1 <p> @Lee Taylor : It will only overwrite the contents of the document when the document has already been closed , in this case it 's still open , so there is no problem when he

@@5051341 <h> Meta <p> When there is a culture of secrecy within a closed group , information generated in and by those individuals can be kept within the confines of the group . This behavior may lead to public harm if a closed group keeps secret information that negatively affects other individuals who are not group members . When a public harm is a possibility , the group must install transparency so as to prevent that harm . While complete transparency might be extremely difficult , there does need to be some concession to candor and accountability . Lawyers , like many other professional groups , are commonly thought of as a closed group . We , like those in other groups , must be vigilant to maintain some transparency . In doing so , we protect and uphold the integrity of our profession while preventing harm to our clients and other citizens . This need for transparency is best illustrated through examples . <p> An undeniably important example is the recent conviction of Jerry Sandusky on 45 of 48 sexual abuse charges . <p> The acts took place over many years -- an incredible span of time in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world of college football . Instead of helping the young victims of Sandusky 's abusive actions , those who witnessed or suspected this behavior chose to look away . Undeniably , many young boys suffered unimaginably from the abuse and testified to that effect . If the abuse suspicions had been reported to the proper authorities when they first were known within the closed group of the Penn State football department , some abuse would surely have been prevented . Former FBI Director Louis Freeh conducted an investigation and issued a report that was referred to in a Boston Herald article entitled " Report : Joe Paterno , Penn State officials staged 14 year cover-up . " <p> Another example of a traditionally closed group is police officers . The 2004 shooting and investigation of the killing of Michael Bell is a somber story that illustrates the harm that may result from a lack of transparency . Kenosha police shot 21-year-old , unarmed Bell , in his driveway . After the Kenosha police investigated the shooting in which their own officers were involved , the district attorney declined to press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family filed and prevailed in a federal lawsuit that settled for $1.75 million , and they continue to fight for changing the police department review process to include more transparency and greater accountability . <p> Review processes that present an alternative to the traditional internal investigation system employed by the Kenosha Police Department may be employed in more communities to afford more transparency . Bell 's father , Michael M. Bell , a retired United States Air Force pilot , puts forth a proposition that a " Chief Shield Review Board " should be installed in communities . This board , which he describes here , is an independent group composed of a few members of active or retired law enforcement who are appointed by an Attorney General . The members of this group would review firearms discharges that result in death or serious injury . <p> Critics of our profession complain that attorneys are investigated in secret and that lawyer regulators do not inform the public until charges have been filed . The state bar wo n't even tell the public a lawyer is in prison for defrauding clients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steal from clients and be investigated for years and go on to steal from more clients while an investigation is being conducted and the Office of Lawyer Regulation ( OLR ) wo n't warn the public . <p> More distressing is the growing outcry over the lawyer disciplinary process in Wisconsin , which has been discussed in the media due to its confidential investigation of grievances . See " State Examines Lawyer Conduct in Secret . " OLR grievances become public only when OLR files a complaint with the Supreme Court . Also distressing is the case of former Calumet County District Attorney Kenneth Kratz . OLR found nothing unethical about sexting complaints against him , but completely changed its mind after a public outcry . Mob rule ? <p> An example of how this should be done is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) . Unlike some lawyer regulatory offices , CFPB lets the complaining party see the response of the entity complained about . <p> I do n't agree that we should go this far , but an organization called HALT wants every complaint made to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be made public . I do believe there are circumstances in which the public is entitled to know of proceedings against a lawyer even before the filing of a formal complaint . When a lawyer is in prison for defrauding clients , should n't the public know about this even when OLR is slow on the draw about filing a complaint against him ? Should n't the same be true when numerous clients have complained about a lawyer stealing from estates or trust accounts ? <p> Attorney Michael F. Hupy is a Certified Civil Trial Specialist and Marquette University graduate . He focuses on injury law at his firm , Hupy and Abraham , S.C . , and supports many safety programs , including the Hupy and Abraham " Watch for Motorcycles " Awareness Program and other community organizations . In 2011 , the firm donated over $150,000 to more than 100 local organizations . <h> Comments <p> 2 Comments so far <p> Gary Werkheiser on September 18 , 2012 9:34 pm <p> Perhaps you should not refer to the Sandusky situation and Penn State without knowing the facts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike McQueary , whose varying statements call into question his testimony . <p> And the Freeh Report should not be relied upon for much of anything . Please read the review of the Freeh Report found here . As attorneys , you might find the lack of evidence appalling . http : **34;3482;TOOLONG <p> Closed groups should strive for transparency . If you are looking for a good example of the lack of transparency , look at the actions of the Penn State Board of Trustees since the Sandusky Grand Jury presentment last November . Now there is a closed group that needs more transparency . <p> I suggest you take the Freeh Report with a grain of salt . It has no legal or evidentiary value , as I point out in this blogpost. http : **35;3518;TOOLONG ... . Mr. Freeh ignored the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Laws that state child abuse investigations must be kept confidential . The e-mail evidence in the Freeh Report does not contain a single word about child abuse , nor is there any direct evidence that Joe Paterno was ever informed of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as was the case in 1998 -- could not be communicated to the Penn State BOT , in contravention to Louis Freeh 's assertion that PSU officials had a responsibility to report to the BOT . <p> I suggest that the Marquette Law School reconsider its assertion about PSU officials . <p> Despite considerable evidence within the Freeh Report and other evidence on the public record that Freeh did not include , it is more reasonable to conclude that the PA Department of Public Welfare failed to conduct a thorough investigation of the 1998 incident , resulting in the abuse of up to eight children in the immediate timeframe of that investigation . Please feel free to contact me for details . <p> We reserve the right not to publish comments based on such concerns as redundancy , incivility , untimeliness , poor writing , etc . All comments must include the first and