All Global News on One Page

Are you a seeker or a finder? This is a very important question. If you are on a spiritual path, have you found what you are looking for? Or are you still searching? If you are doing a spiritual practice, are you doing it to reach a goal or are you doing it just because you think it’s a good thing to be doing? Or are you doing spiritual practice from another position altogether–the position of being a finder? Being a finder means you are one of those rare individuals who has unequivocally found what they are looking for, and are now doing spiritual practice only because they want to continue to develop.
People who do spiritual practice but who are not yet enlightened tend to divide their lives between the “spiritual” part and the unspiritual part. When they are engaged with spiritual practice and spend time in the company of others who share their faith or conviction in the reality of Spirit, that’s the spiritual part. All the rest is the unspiritual part. People who are enlightened, on the other hand, see all of life as an unending spiritual adventure with no holes or gaps where Spirit is not present. What you see is what you get. It is really only the capacity to see and directly experience the life we are living with greater and greater depth and more and more perspective that liberates our awareness and awakens our consciousness of Spirit’s all-pervasive presence.
If you are a sincere seeker, then it’s important that your spiritual practice be imbued with a life-and-death commitment to your own liberation here and now. The short-term goal must be to get to the other side of existential doubt. You want to free your soul from both the ego’s suffocating self-concern and the outdated and spiritually unenlightened values of our modern and postmodern culture. First and foremost, you need to do whatever it takes to free yourself. Why? So you will finally be available to participate, consciously and wholeheartedly, in the greatest gift you’ve been given…which is the life you’re already living right now.
If you are no longer a seeker but one who boldly claims to be a finder, then that means you no longer have any doubt about who you really are and why you are here on this Earth. In your own direct discovery of and awakening to Spirit’s true face, existential doubt has died a sudden and irrevocable death, liberating an infectious confidence rooted deep in your soul. A true finder may or may not continue to do spiritual practice. If he or she does, it is motivated, as I said, by the desire to continue to develop and evolve. Indeed in the new evolutionary spirituality, making the noble effort to catalyze our own individual and collective higher development is recognized to be the very raison d’tre of the human experience at the leading edge. But as finders we’re no longer doing practice in order to experience a spiritual epiphany that will convince us of something we don’t already know. Now we’re making the effort to evolve because we’re in love with life and are committed to unlocking its higher potentials through our own development.
When we realize that the process of life is Spirit in action, then ideally we would aspire for our entire lives to become an unceasing manifestation of its multidimensional nature. Even more importantly, we would expect our actions to embody its most significant qualities. That means we would be expressing freedom and creativity in and through the way that we live the gift of life. And this would occur both as the spontaneous expression of a liberated heart and mind and as the practice of evolutionarily enlightened living.
I became a spiritual teacher twenty-four years ago, after I found what I was looking for. Up until that point I had been an ardent meditator. The practice of meditation, for me, was the means to an end: I wanted to become an enlightened person, whatever that was going to mean. I took my practice very seriously. I also exercised vigorously every day. I was careful about what I ate. I sought out and cultivated friendships with others who shared my passion for Spirit. And, typical of my generation, I looked to the East to find illumination rather than to the West. Like so many others, I traveled to India. When I arrived, almost immediately I felt like I was home. This was because I entered into a shared cultural context where the inner quest was accepted as being a lofty and valid endeavor. I no longer felt like such an outsider. After two and half years, I met my last teacher and he liberated my soul when he uttered ten simple words: “You don’t have to make any effort to be free.” Upon hearing this, I made the transition from seeker to finder.
I have spent almost the last quarter century struggling with the question of how to take people with me on the greatest journey that there is: from seeker to finder to co-creator of Heaven on Earth. The first step is straightforward–to become a finder all any one of us ever has to do is let go of the fears and desires of the ego, absolutely and unconditionally. It obviously goes without saying that this is easier said than done. Freedom is letting go and letting go is freedom. In truth, it doesn’t take effort. It only requires you to love God or Spirit more than you love yourself.
Creating Heaven on Earth is another matter altogether. It requires enormous effort and a long-term commitment that means forever. It also requires practice, because all truly great creative accomplishments require endless practice. So how much practice are we actually doing to ensure our own development? How deeply have we realized the importance our own higher evolution has, if we desperately want the world to change for the better? These are important and relevant questions for serious people who are committed to change.
After so many years, what have I come up with as the magic remedy for both letting go and creating Heaven on Earth? Well, that’s simple …we have to do it all! What does that really mean? We have to endeavor to take on and embrace every aspect of the human condition, individually and together, and insist that evolution happens. This approach has been called “integral practice.” Integral, in this case, means taking on our whole being, in all its many dimensions.
We can either approach the whole endeavor of practice from the “outside-in” or from the “inside-out.” Outside-in means we intellectually understand and appreciate the multi-dimensional complexity of our selves, and we aspire to engage with and develop as many parts of ourselves as possible because we have recognized that it makes good sense to do so. The inside-out approach is one in which we have already spiritually awakened, at least to some degree, to the perennial mystical truth that all is One. And from the direct cognizance of that Oneness, we endeavor to align and develop the many different dimensions of our own being. My approach is from the inside-out.
So what does a life of spiritual practice, a life in which Spirit is being truly lived, look like? If we are committed to creating Heaven on Earth, we need to pray or meditate every single day so deeply and earnestly that each and every time the result is freedom from fear and existential doubt. The goal is ultimately to get to that point in our own spiritual development where we no longer need prayer or meditation to know what the Truth is.
The highest form of spiritual practice, for those of us who aspire to create Heaven on Earth, is our relationships with one another. That means being willing to sacrifice anything and everything so that the intersubjective world of our shared culture becomes the stage on which the spiritual reality of who we really are, beyond our separate egos, comes to the fore. Think about it: If Spirit always comes before self, then the self that we are will always manifest as Spirit first. What could be more important than this if we want to change our world?
Another very important dimension of spiritual practice is the cultivation of what I call spiritual self-respect. That is because spiritual self-respect is ego-transcendence. We must do whatever we need to do to respect ourselves so that we can respect each other. It’s more important to respect yourself than to “love yourself.” In a spiritually awakened context, respect for self always means respect for God or Spirit. Respect for that which is higher is transformative because it instantly ennobles and dignifies our separate personalities. That’s very different from having to love your ego in order to feel comfortable being who you are.
If you respect yourself, you’re going to make the extra effort to take care of yourself. How you look from the outside is always an expression of what you believe in. Evolved and enlightened saints and sages from all traditions have already told us that the path to God is one defined by self-discipline, self-control, humility, and unshakeable commitment. Because of your rare degree of spiritual inspiration, physically you will radiate beauty, and emotionally you will vibrate with open-hearted self-confidence. This will be as a result of your own ceaseless efforts and submission to your own true heart’s longing.
Finally, and most importantly, because of our commitment to going all the way and putting all of this into practice, we will simultaneously create and reap the heavenly rewards. The life we have chosen to live and our relationships will become an ecstatic cauldron of creative ferment. Because Spirit is both freedom and creativity, our own empowering realization of spiritual freedom will give rise to an unusual capacity for creative engagement. The truth of God will emerge again and again and again through our own ongoing love affair with the possible.
To see more by Andrew Cohen, visit www.andrewcohen.org.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

By Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine
www.calbuzz.com
Amid the still unanswered questions about Meg Whitman and l’affaire Nicky is why neither eMeg nor her husband, Griff Harsh, ever signed the employment eligibility document for their former housekeeper, as required by law.
Much attention has focused since the story broke on why Whitman-Harsh failed to pursue questions about the immigration status of their former maid, Nicky Diaz, after receiving a 2003 letter from the Social Security Administration noting a discrepancy with her social security number.
However, their handling of the legal form they were required to complete at the time they first hired Diaz, three years earlier, suggests even greater negligence in their exercise of due diligence, or lack of same, in employing her.
Under the terms of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers are required to complete and retain an I-9, formally known as an Employment Eligibility Verification Form, in order to “verify the identity and employment authorization of each person” they hire, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services bureau.
Part one of the form is to be filled out by the employee, and includes her name and address, plus signature attesting to her citizenship or legal immigration status.
Part two is to be filled out by the employer, who is required to record the title, number, issuing authority and expiration date of several identification documents provided by the employee, after personally examining them to establish to their satisfaction that the person is eligible to work in the U.S.
The employer also is required to record the date the employee began work and to sign, under penalty of perjury, a statement “that the above-listed documents appear to be genuine…and that, to the best of my knowledge the employee is authorized to work in the United States.”
When the Whitman campaign last week released a photocopy of the I-9 form for Diaz, the employee section was completely filled out – including Diaz’s signature falsely attesting to her legal eligibility to work. However, the employer section was not: details of the driver’s license presented by Diaz were recorded (in whose handwriting is unclear) but those of the Social Security card she was using were not. Also missing was the start date for her employment and a signature attesting that either Ms Whitman or Dr. Harsh, a neurosurgeon, had examined the documents and believed them to be in order.
Gregory Siskind, founder of Siskind-Susser, one of the largest immigration law firms in the country, examined the documents at the request of Talking Points Memo:
Looking at this, it is very unusual to see the documents that nothing is signed, there’s no dating on it — so there’s no indication that anyone actually looked at the documents,. That’s what the whole point is of the certification, that an employer is supposed to say I looked at these documents, they appear to be genuine.
Siskind elaborated on the matter on his Immigration Law and Policy blog.
Because the form is not signed or dated by the employer, it is far from clear that the employer even examined the documents presented. Keep in mind that Abercrombie & Fitch got a $1 million fine this week for violations of just this sort.
Incidentally, even if Whitman’s nanny agency handled the I-9, that doesn’t let her off the hook for violations in completing the form. The nanny agency was not the employer – just the agent and so Whitman and her husband are still liable for employer violations.
There appear to be paperwork violations. There could also be liability for “knowingly” employing someone illegally if the facts show that despite the presentation of a bogus social security card, the employer had independent knowledge or “constructive” knowledge that a worker was out of status. Certainly the fact that the I-9 was never signed by the employer means that the defense of saying that you looked at the documents presented and they appeared valid is not going to be readily available.
At her press conference last week, eMeg was asked why she hadn’t signed the Diaz documents. She replied, a) “I don’t know whether we signed them or not” and b) that she didn’t know “whether we were required to or not.”
In that regard, we recommend the profile by our old friend Howard Mintz, who offers a fairer and fuller portrait of Allred from the seasoned perspective of a long-time legal eagle reporter.
The 69-year-old Allred’s tactics may make legal purists cringe, and she’s been called every name in the book — from “disgusting” by the wife of actor Rob Lowe, whom she sued on behalf of a former nanny claiming sexual harassment, to “shrill feminist attorney” in a depiction on “The Simpsons.”
But, as Whitman has discovered, Allred is a formidable foe. And despite the fact that her cases often make her clients instant celebrities of their own and force her targets to write fat checks to settle, she does tend to represent the underdog, such as the aggrieved mistress, the harassed woman in the workplace or, in this week’s case, an illegal immigrant housekeeper named Nicandra Diaz Santillan.
“You may love her, you may hate her, but she gets your attention,” said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola University law professor. “She stirs the pot.”
More of today’s post at www.calbuzz.com

Follow Phil Trounstine on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/ptrounstine

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Bahia, Brazil
Powered by progressive, neoconservative capital and soft power techniques Green Party candidate Marina Silva sent shock waves through Brazil’s male dominated political culture by winning 19 million votes in Sunday’s presidential election. She didn’t make the cut for the runoff presidential vote but she could become a power broker now that the influential Folha is reporting that her party is supporting neoconservative former Sao Paulo governor Jose Serra over president Lula’s former chief-of-staff, Dilma Rousseff.
A staunch anti-abortion advocate and self proclaimed Afro-Brazilian, Marina was environment minister and a member of the Workers Party before leaving her post and defecting to the Greens in 2008. With help from evangelical anti-abortion groups- some of which, like the Assemblies of God, are headquartered in the United States- and others on Brazil’s religious right she took away enough votes from Dilma- who supports a woman’s right to choose- to keep her old nemesis under the 50 percent required for a first round victory.
The finesse of Marina’s photogenic, feminine image, enhanced by her use of natural cosmetics and natural fiber fashions, appealed to Brazilian female voters who are looking for the face of the future Brazil. And in a society where women have a tough time gaining equal rights, they want it to be a woman. Marina’s vice presidential running mate- and major Green Party financial backer- is the former head of a globalist natural cosmetics firm based in Brazil.
The political reality, however, is that the equity of Marina’s personal brand was created over time by the media assets of president Lula’s Workers Party. Her defection in 2008 has driven more votes and more money to the Greens than anyone in the party’s checkered 24-year old history. It was a natural fit for the often divisive, bourgeois Greens, who argue over doctrine like french intellectuals. They welcomed the land reform activist from the Amazon as a populist voice and anointed her as their a rockstar presidential candidate, even putting her on the cover of the Rolling Stone.
More important to the future of Brazil, however, is the Green Party’s ambiguous position on whether their concept of direct democracy supports the constitutionally guaranteed social contract featuring obligatory voting, or if the popular vote should be devolved into being just a matter of personal choice, a globalist idea du jour often bandied about at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Because Brazil’s political landscape is so male dominated womens issues like abortion and prosecution of dead beat dads don’t make it into the tightly controlled format of presidential debates. And Dilma, who was tortured and imprisoned for three years by Brazil’s US-backed military junta, was too focused campaigning on hard power issues like the economy and fending off the negative campaign tactics of Marina and Serra to raise the soft power question of whether the Greens want to make the popular vote a optional matter of personal choice instead of the constitutional obligation that it is. And this question needs to be addressed now.
With new presidential debates in the offing and the media ratcheting up the intensity of its campaign coverage Dilma has an opportunity to soften her image and project the female political voice Brazilian women want to elect. But in a nation that is addicted to the drama of daily telenovelas Marina is staying in the spotlight, holding off her personal endorsement of Serra for at least two weeks, creating tension and raising questions about her own political opportunism. Having been burned by Marina’s defection after investing so much political capital in her, Lula is about as much inclined to meet with her as he was to meet with Bill Gates in Davos, a sit down that never took place.
Considering that Serra’s campaign leadership was unable to craft a winning strategy in league with former Obama consultant Ravi Singh it remains to be seen whether they can mobilize Marina’s scattershot Green coalition of 19 million environmentalists, landless workers and anti-abortion activists in their effort to defeat Dilma. And with the Greens endorsing Serra and carrying all this political baggage the question how long the party’s new crop of financiers- who like to package their neoconservative values in a sustainable green wrapper- stay on board could become problematic, leaving Marina with the classic Andy Warhol celebrity half-life.
What is perfectly clear though is that all these male dominated political forces seek to untrack the successful economic program of president Lula, which has made Brazil a net creditor economy and uses strong government institutions to maintain the social contract and regulate the same free market behaviors that triggered the economic crisis in the United States.
Brazil is poised to provide women with financial assistance and educational opportunities to grow beyond their traditional role and play a more vital role in the nation building process. With the nation’s social and economic model hanging in the balance voters will decide whether its trick or treat on October 31st, the dia das Bruxas.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Plaisir is the French word for pleasure, and not to be corny, but that’s exactly what you will get from visiting a very chic, European-style bakery which I’ve discovered two blocks west of La Cienega on the north side at 8613 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. At the recent Taste of Beverly Hills event, owners Daniel Salva and chef/partner Philippe Dray had a small stand there and the moment I tasted a few of their flavorful cream puffs I knew that I would be making a visit to the store, which is just below my twice-weekly destination at Trader Joe’s. This is one of the most stunning retail spaces I’ve seen in a long time, a jewel-box, uber-modern and technologically advanced (by Void Design), with magical lamps, brushed stainless steel tiles, large flat-screen monitors (silent, thank god), colorful iPod stations, copper globe lighting and photomurals. Outside of the store itself are caf tables for leisurely dining on a nice day.
Chef/Partner Philiipe Dray offers colorful, delicious mini-cream puffs in many flavors.
But it is those cream puffs which are the main draw for me, a guy who has despised the cupcake craze since it began a decade ago. A modern take on a classic French dessert, the mini puffs are stacked high on a Dr. Seuss-inspired tri-level cake platter in a glass showcase. Oh my — think pink, orange, green and other colors, amply sprinkled, in a variety of flavors from peach and mint to vanilla and chocolate. I know you will do exactly what I did: eat a half-dozen of the mini puffs in the store, explore some of the other delicacies, then ask for a box of a dozen ‘assorted’ to enjoy in solitude of your kitchen or bedroom later that evening. (That is, if they get home unscathed. I was tempted to burrow open the box on the way home, but resisted.)
Pastry Case displays many of the sweet and savory pastries.
But having seen this exquisite store, I was compelled to return later in the week for some other savory delicacies. There are croissant sandwiches and quiches (spinach, Lorraine, salmon) and I sat outside in the sunlight drinking a big cup of delicious coffee and consumed a Spinach Strawberry Salad with goat cheese while my lovely companion had her Caesar Salad with chicken, hearts of palm, and carrots.
Chef Philippe pointed out to me, for my next visit, the Sweet Crepes with Supreme Nutella, in combination with banana, strawberries or jam, topped with a snowfall of sugar or whipped cream. My friend spotted a diner eating an aromatic Belgian Waffle, piled high with fresh fruit and organic maple syrup and a scoop of home-made ice cream … and made me promise to bring her back for that.
Plaisir is open from 8 am to 8 pm Tuesday through Thursday, and to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday; on Sunday, they are open from 9 am to 5pm. I am told they are available for birthday parties and such, and also do catering, with dessert and sandwich platters. Go to their website, www.plaisir-la.com for more stuff.
Subscribe to Jay Weston’s Restaurant Newsletter ($70 for 12 monthly issues) by emailing him at jayweston@sbcglobal.net

Follow Jay Weston on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/jaywestonsbcglo

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

The international community’s historic commitment to slash worldwide poverty in half by 2015 — known collectively as the Millennium Development Goals — has resulted in real advances: Primary school enrollment is up, new cases of preventable diseases are down, and millions of people have climbed out of extreme poverty. Yet even with these steps forward, far more can and must be done to achieve meaningful and sustained progress in every corner of the globe. World leaders, for example, have not fully embraced one of the most powerful engines of economic growth at their disposal — youth employment.
It’s time to do so.
To rebuild and grow, a country needs jobs, economic investments, and a younger generation hopeful about their prospects and able to lead renewal in their communities. You simply cannot make the transition away from poverty toward a new future when huge numbers of individuals, particularly youth, are marginalized as they are today.
The current youth employment crisis, in fact, poses an immediate threat not only to the global economy but to the well-being and security of all citizens.
Even before the worldwide financial crisis added 7 to 9 million youth to the unemployment lines, more than 100 million of this younger generation were without jobs or livelihoods. Thirty percent of young people in North Africa and close to 40 percent in some Middle East countries can’t find work. Contrast this with an 18 percent unemployment rate for youth in the United States and you see the enormity of the problem.
In Pakistan alone, 36 million jobs will be needed in the next decade to address rising youth unemployment in that volatile country. Moreover, an estimated 150 million young people who are working can’t climb out of poverty due to low wages, dead-end jobs, and slumping economies.
The result: A staggering number of youth are growing up without hope — disengaged from society, frustrated by limited prospects, and ill-equipped to contribute to their communities.
Reversing these conditions will demonstrate dramatic returns on investments. Time and again, I have witnessed the remarkable progress that can be made when young people have the skills and opportunities to get a decent job and become productive citizens. When fully engaged and employed, this larger than ever youthful generation — 1.3 billion between the ages of 15 and 24 — can be a powerful force for change, offering us an historic dividend to be realized through revitalized economies, vibrant communities, and sustained peace for generations to come.
The social and economic impact of not making those investments, on the other hand, is devastating. The combined costs of youth unemployment in the Middle East alone are estimated to reach $25 billion a year — or 2.3 percent of the region’s GDP.
A decent job not only makes it possible for a young person to support his or her family. It makes it far more likely that members of that family will have adequate food, shelter, and the chance to attend school. Employment also offers tangible alternatives to more destructive pursuits. A job training program in an impoverished violence-prone area in southern Philippines, for example, is teaching former youth combatants who were engaged in the local insurgency how to build houses, engage in organic farming, and repair cars. They have become part of the solution to renewal, not the barriers.
“We used to hold and play with guns,” says one young ex-soldier. “Now we’re holding hammers.”
Such transformations ensure hope and prosperity can reach even the toughest neighborhoods.
Time is running out to effectively address this growing crisis of disengaged and disempowered youth. But I’m heartened by recent international development efforts.
Collaborations among governments, businesses, and civic and social organizations — which support the Millennium Development Goals — have successfully reduced preventable diseases, raised elementary school attendance and helped close the gender gap.
Can we now mobilize new alliances to dramatically expand livelihood and other economic opportunities for youth worldwide? Our future depends upon it.
Institutions like the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank are expanding their investments in youth employment programs and sharing effective strategies and proven programs with the broader community. Global companies are stepping up to the plate to increase and strengthen youth-focused job training and employment opportunities.
All of us have a role to play. The International Youth Foundation is among leading civic organizations helping to prepare today’s youth to enter the workplace. This week, IYF, together with its worldwide network of 175 partner organizations in nearly 80 countries — is launching a global campaign to raise $155 million by 2012 to expand those employment opportunities. Each one of us needs to take a similarly ambitious stand for the future.
Today, I issue an urgent call to governments, corporations, civil society groups, and individuals to join this global campaign to expand investments in jobs for youth. With some 1.3 billion young people standing on the threshold of adulthood — we have no time to lose.
In 2015, world leaders will report how close we came to creating a world free of extreme poverty and disease. Will there be joyous celebrations of promises kept or deepening regrets about historic opportunities missed?
With expanded investments and responsible and accountable leadership, we can realize a world where peace and prosperity thrive. Central to that progress must be a fully engaged and productive younger generation. Even in these troubled times, young people offer our greatest hope for the future.
After a distinguished career with the United Nations and the Finnish Foreign Ministry, Martti Ahtisaari was elected President of the Republic of Finland in 1994. In December 2008 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. After leaving office, he founded Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), a non-governmental organization to continue his legacy in helping the international community promote preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and post-conflict statebuilding. Today President Ahtisaari is Chairman of the Board of CMI.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

I stepped down from a platform a couple of hours ago at the Humane Society of Missouri headquarters in St. Louis to announce the results of The Humane Society of the United States’ latest investigative report — “Missouri’s Dirty Dozen.” This painstakingly documented report synthesizes information gleaned from state and federal inspection reports, including enforcement records, animal care violations, and photographs, and reveals shocking abuses and mistreatment of dogs at the state’s largest puppy mills. You can read the entire 27-page report here (PDF), or look at a summary of the report (PDF).
HSUS researchers identified these Dirty Dozen puppy mills and eight “dishonorable mentions.” Some of the violations described in kennel inspection reports include:
Thin-coated breeds shivering in temperatures as low as 9 degrees; others found trying to lick frozen water in their bowls or break it with their paws.
Sick or dying puppies who had not been treated by a vet.
Dogs with open, oozing or bleeding wounds that went untreated by a vet.
A proposed program of veterinary care by one operator who intended to dispose of unwanted dogs “by clubbing the dogs.”
The HSUSOne of the “Dirty Dozen,” this puppy mill has a history of problems.
Many of the puppy mills have racked up more than 50 federal or state animal welfare violations over the last few years, yet remain licensed. One from the Dirty Dozen list remains both federally and state licensed, despite having more than 500 pages of Animal Welfare Act violations and enforcement records on file with the USDA. A kennel operator on the dishonorable mentions list had her license revoked by the USDA for repeatedly violating the Animal Welfare Act, yet she remains state-licensed and continues to sell puppies over the Internet.
None of this should be surprising. In May the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General issued a scathing report about the lax enforcement of the federal law. Three reports by Missouri state auditors confirm that the state inspections program has been plagued by gaps through the years. And earlier this year, the Better Business Bureau offices of Kansas City, Springfield, and St. Louis issued a damning report revealing a mass of consumer complaints about dogs bred at Missouri mills.
If voters approve Prop B, we can turn this situation around. Conditions leading to distress and suffering in dogs, such as painful wire flooring, lack of proper veterinary care, overcrowded cages, and scant protection from the elements, will be more clearly and consistently addressed under the law. Prop B will stop mills from keeping more than 50 intact dogs used for breeding, and this will help because it is the large-scale puppy mills that cause the greatest problem for dogs.
Opponents of Prop B have lots to say, but it’s so much claptrap. Their coalition talks about an end to animal agriculture, even though the only species mentioned in Prop B is the domesticated dog. And they say that The HSUS and its coalition partners in Missouri, the biggest pet-advocacy organizations in the United States, want to eliminate pets — a laughable and absurd comment. This same coalition of naysayers fought against the 1998 ballot initiative to outlaw cockfighting and they made the same far-fetched claims then that they are making now. No one is trying, or has tried to eliminated hunting or livestock agriculture, and it’s just nonsense talk from the Farm Bureau and other entities that should know better.
Yesterday The HSUS and our coalition partners launched the first TV ad urging Missourians to vote YES! on Prop B. This ad will help broadcast the images of puppy mill cruelty to millions across the state. Any amount you might be able to contribute to help it air would be much appreciated.
This post originally appeared on Pacelle’s blog, A Humane Nation. Paid for by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs / YES! on Prop B, Judy Peil, Treasurer.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

For nearly five years, as the courts debated the method by which California would execute those on death row, the state has managed to survive without capital punishment.
It appeared last week that streak would come to an end, as California prepared to execute Albert Brown.
Brown, 56, is condemned to die for raping and strangling 15-year-old Susan Jordan, who disappeared while walking to school in Riverside in 1980.
Though Brown has received a temporary stay, it seems to be only a matter of time before California is back in the execution business.
The death penalty is arguably the most emotional and least judiciously applied public policy we possess. No other issue comes to mind where public support is driven almost solely by how an individual feels.
The emotion around this issue is so great that Attorney General Jerry Brown, a longtime opponent of capital punishment, assured California voters that he would not allow his personal beliefs to prohibit him from carrying out the law if he is elected governor.
The death penalty is an issue where emotion is more important than facts.
It is more expensive than life without the possibility of parole, there is no credible data to suggest that it saves lives, chances are that inmates on death row will die of natural causes before lethal injection and it has an error percentage, regardless of how low it is, that remains too high for any developed nation.
Ambitious and irresponsible politicians will contend that we must do away with the so-called frivolous appeals process. That too is an emotional petition; and if it were administered, would make capital punishment even more barbaric.
Because the death penalty is most often debated on the terrain of emotion those of us in opposition are erroneously portrayed as caring more for the perpetrator than the victim’s family. What can any rational human say in defense of the crime of which Albert Brown has been convicted?
Moreover, there is nothing anyone can say or do that will heal the gaping hole that victim’s families must courageously seek to close.
Every public policy is vulnerable if it is to be debated at the margins. I know of no responsible death penalty opponent who wants those who have committed such gruesome crimes to be released.
Is Albert Brown the reason we should maintain a policy that is ineffectual at best? Or should the death penalty be measured by its cost and any potential error percentage above zero that should be unacceptable for the state?
According to a report released by the ACLU, California taxpayers pay at least $117 million annually at the post-conviction level seeking execution of those on death row, translating to $175,000 per inmate per year. The ACLU report estimates the execution of all inmates currently on death row or waiting for them to die naturally — which for most is the case — will cost California an estimated $4 billion.
I don’t mourn for Albert Brown, but I am saddened for a state that leads the nation in so many areas, but remains blinded by emotion as it advocates for a policy that simply does not work.
The fact is we already ostensibly have life without parole. We are just maintaining the cost of the death penalty, while executing a few, to maintain the illusion.
We don’t need further debates on the efficacy of lethal injection; the death penalty as a policy needs to simply be eliminated.
As I have stated before, the death penalty is driven by what former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan defined as “irrational exuberance.” Just as Greenspan used the term as a warning against overvalued stocks, I would argue that the importance placed on death penalty policy is also overvalued.
The thirst for revenge blinds us to certain realities. Those who are poor, who cannot afford adequate legal representation, people of color as well as those who suffer from mental illness or mental retardation, comprise the majority of those who receive the death penalty.
That is not justice despite what ambitious politicians claim.
Life without the possibility of parole saves precious taxpayer money while removing emotion from the public policy equation.
Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. He is the author of Strip Mall Patriotism: Moral Reflections of the Iraq War. E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or visit his Web site byronspeaks.com.

Follow Byron Williams on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/byronspeaks

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

This week is a tale of stellar debuts and hit-and-miss follow-ups. Fistful of Mercy — Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison, and Joseph Arthur’s supergroup offering — reinvents vocal harmony groups and Bruno Mars kicks pop music in the ass. Meanwhile, KT Tunstall takes a chance with some space-age folk, David Archuleta plays it way too safe with some forgettable pop, and Biggie’s widow, Faith Evans, can’t seem to move the needle past 1997.
WATCH: Check out this week’s must-play pick: Fistful of Mercy.
PLAY: Fistful of Mercy, “As I Call You Down”
Although Dhani Harrison has drawn some Traveling Wilburys analogies, Fistful of Mercy couldn’t be further from daddy George’s late ’80s side project — aside from the same mutual admiration. Harrison, Ben Harper, and Joseph Arthur are much more interested in exploring internal, ethereal matters. They are the second coming of Crosby, Stills & Nash, singing about the fear and the need to stand by one another. It’s journeymen’s music. It’s also music without a strong hook, but it does have an indelible sense of purpose. Like the name implies, mercy can be hard. These songs make it easier.
WATCH Fistful of Mercy’s single “Fistful of Mercy.”
SKIP: David Archuleta, “The Other Side of Down”
At age 19, little David Archuleta is growing up fast, but he’s afraid to take any risks. “The Other Side of Down” is throughly professional, polished, and forgettable. Maybe things will get more interesting when Archuleta hits drinking age.
WATCH the music video for David Archuleta’s single “Something ‘Bout Love.”
PLAY: Bruno Mars, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans”
If Bruno Mars can kick the white bag and stay out of jail, he might be our next great pop hero. “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” takes 60 years of American songwriting traditions — from New York street-corner doo-wop and California surf sounds to Southern soul, piano bar ballads, and Brill Building pop — and turns them inside out. The dude knows his musical history. And he knows how to smash it. The only place now for Bruno Mars to go is up. Let’s hope he keeps his feet planted firmly on the ground.
WATCH the music video for Bruno Mars’ single “Just the Way You Are.”
SKIP: Faith Evans, “Something About Faith”
Faith Evans is a survivor if nothing else. Actually, that may be everything. The widow of the late Notorious B.I.G. has been kicking out platinum and gold albums ever since Biggie’s ’97 murder. This time out, she packs the studio with friends like Snoop Dogg, Redman, Raekwon, and Keyshia Cole. Evans deserves good friends, and she deserves more hits. Still, her fans deserve a better album. “Something About Faith” sounds like a bunch of ’90s smooth jazz outtakes and Hallmark card auditions. It’s a meandering, misguided mess from a woman you want to see win.
WATCH the music video for Faith Evans’ single “Gone Already.”
PLAY: KT Tunstall, “Tiger Suit”
KT Tunstall makes music the old-fashioned way: with an acoustic guitar, hard-won lyrics, and her clothes on. On her third outing, she manages to wrap her acoustic soul in an electronica skin without her songs getting lost, as they did on 2007′s “Drastic Fantastic.” The techno on “Tiger Suit” is just below the surface, leaving Tunstall’s poetry and her Scottish soul shimmering at the top. Play it loud, just like she does.
WATCH the music video for KT Tunstall’s single “(Still a) Weirdo.”

Follow Shawn Amos on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/PopNewsWire

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

A few months ago, I appeared on Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now to discuss the Colorado U.S. Senate race. During that appearance, I reiterated what I had been saying on AM760 in the weeks leading up to the Democratic primary: namely, that Democrats risked losing the Senate seat if Bennet was their nominee because Republicans would be able to run a left-right campaign against him. Specifically, I said they would be able to use his shady Wall Street/Denver Public Schools deal to flank him on the populist left.
Now, in the final stretch of the campaign, they are doing just that in a new statewide television ad:
With Denver Public Schools both the biggest school district in Colorado and my own personal school district, I extensively reported on the original story behind these allegations. You can see examples of that coverage in the AM760 podcast archives, or here and here. In short, this is far more than a political campaign-season story – this is a story that quite literally threatens the education of my soon-to-be-born first son.
Which, of course, is why this Republican ad is so predictably powerful. Regardless of whether you are a hard-core Democrat or a partisan Republican, and regardless of the fact that this ad comes from an insipid 527 group, the substance in these charges is very important and has very serious real-world consequences outside the realm of political junkies and the politics-as-sport crowd (for partisan Democratic denialists, see Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Gretchen Morgenson’s expose on the DPS/Wall Street deal here if somehow you don’t believe this is a hugely substantive issue).*
Obviously, I am not excited at the prospect of Senator Ken Buck, nor am I advocating voters support Buck over Bennet. But I am saying that this was entirely predictable – and that this is exactly what the Democratic Party gets when it uses its top-down Beltway and Colorado Establishments to crush progressive primary challengers.
Remember – that’s exactly what happened here in Colorado. The White House and the D.C. Democratic Establishment lined up for Bennet and against former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, despite Bennet’s shady record as DPS chief and despite his troubling ties to the financial interests who made big money off his DPS deal. That support was the whole difference in the primary, as Romanoff narrowly lost, despite being hugely outspent and outgunned by the national Democratic Party. Had the party stayed out, he likely would have prevailed – and Democrats would have a Senate nominee here who wouldn’t be susceptible to a devastating left-and-right attack on his record.
Certainly, any Democratic nominee would have been hit from the hard right on issues like taxes, spending and regulation. But because of Bennet’s record and his connections to the Wall Street faction of his party, he is now – clearly – wide open to being attacked from both his right and his left, thus allowing the Republicans to portray themselves as the true economic populists.
That leaves progressives in Colorado mostly with bad news, but also with a sliver of good news.
First, the bad news: Because of Bennet’s record, Republicans will be able to pretend to be protect-the-little-guy populists when in reality they are anything but. Yes, the idea of Ken Buck as some sort of anti-Wall Street populist is laughable to those who are watching this race closely. But for a casually interested independent voter (ie. the majority of voters in this election), the image may seem perfectly credible in comparison to Bennet and his record.
Now, the tiny sliver of good news: When Republicans embrace a progressive-themed criticism of a Democratic politician – even if that criticism is entirely motivated out of opportunism and unprincipled hackery, it provides bipartisan credibility to the underlying questions being raised. To put it in Colorado 2010 election terms, when the national Republican Party says we should be worried about Michael Bennet’s DPS/Wall Street deal and about his too-close-connections to Wall Street, the Republican Party is effectively validating the overall progressive critique of DPS-like Wall Street schemes and politicians’ penchant for being too close to financial industry interests.
This, then, helps create political capital for progressive policy changes – for instance, perhaps for bipartisan state legislation to ban municipalities and school districts from putting taxpayers into the hands of Wall Street’s predatory lenders. Or, perhaps for stronger campaign finance laws that prevent politicians from raising cash from the industries they do favors for.
Sure, you can call this pie-in-the-sky thinking. But I’m under no illusions – I’m not stupid enough to think Republicans are serious in their criticism of Wall Street. I am, however, far-sighted enough to see that the parameters of the public policy debate matter. When Republicans validate progressive themes, no matter what the GOP’s motivation, that helps legitimize those themes for the long haul.
That this may hurt the Democratic Senate nominee in Colorado was predictable. Maybe the “We Know Better Than Voters” Democratic Establishment both in Colorado and Washington, D.C. will take that under advisement in a future election.
* NOTE: Be on the lookout for Bennet sycophants to insist that Buck is parroting attacks from Romanoff – the preposterous assumption, of course, being that Romanoff is somehow responsible for the DPS/Wall Street story, not Bennet’s actions and/or the New York Times Business Section. This assumption is more than silly – it posits that the Republican Party has no opposition research staff and therefore wouldn’t have found this story on its own. The assumption is also grotesquely anti-democratic – it suggests that Democratic primaries shouldn’t be an informed debate about candidates’ public records, and that negative parts of candidates’ public records should be withheld from primary voters for the sake of party unity.

Follow David Sirota on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/davidsirota

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

While three baseball managers – the Brewers’ Ken Macha, the Pirates’ John Russell, and the Mets’ Jerry Manual – all were let go by their clubs a day after the conclusion of the regular season, the biggest noise, as always, came out of New York, where the Mets announced that not only were they declining to pick up Manuel’s option for next season, but were also “relieving” Omar Minaya of his duties as General Manager. Meaning that the Mets are headed back to the proverbial drawing board, executive-wise, to try and figure out how, in four excruciatingly long short years, they’ve gone from a 2006 team that came within a single base hit of going to the World Series to a 2010 team whose biggest “hit” all season was closer Francisco Rodriguez’ right hook to the face of his baby mama’s father outside the clubhouse after a game at Citi Field back in August.
Excruciating certainly was the operant word at the club’s press conference yesterday, as team owner/CEO Fred Wilpon and son-of-owner/COO Jeff Wilpon squirmed their way through questions about everything from the underwhelming on-field performances of the too-many players signed to too-long contracts by Minaya to the off-field performances of the Wilpon’s financial portfolios as hijacked by friend turned felon Bernie Madoff.
Precisely where the Wilpons and the Mets go from here – here being a middling ballclub with some bona fide good players (David Wright, Angel Pagan, Mike Pelfrey), some promising young ones (Ike Davis, Josh Thole, Jonathan Niese), some expensive washouts (Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo), and a host of injury-plagued and/or question-marked athletes (Johan Santana, Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes) – certainly remains to be seen. Whoever is hired as General Manager, and whoever that person, in turn, hires as manager, will certainly have their work cut out for them. As a self-made millionaire who made his fortune as a real estate developer, Fred Wilpon would be the first to tell you that neither Rome nor pennant contenders were built in a day.
There was a lot of talk from both Wilpons yesterday about the need to change the “culture” of the organization – which is all well and good, expect that the perception you got from hearing them talk about it was that they didn’t seem to think that said culture had much to do with them themselves. “Those who don’t remember the past are doomed to repeat it,” said Jeff. “Of course there will be changes in how we do everything.”
Long-suffering Met fans (I know; an oxymoron) may take Jeff Wilpon at his word. But since he brought up remembering the past, it seems only fair to remember 2007. That year, before the Mets came home for their final homestand during the last week of the regular season, team ownership took it upon themselves to install extra seating behind home plate for the anticipated upcoming playoffs. The Wilpons did this even though their team’s lead over the Phillies had shrunk from seven games ahead with 17 left to play to two games ahead with seven left to play, and absolutely nothing was certain. We all know how that one went, of course: the Mets dropped six of their last seven and lost the division championship on the final day of the season, finishing one of the great swoon songs in MLB history. And all week long, as their fortunes dwindled, those empty extra seats spoke volumes.
One might have expected the Mets to learn something from that display of arrogance, but now let’s remember 2008: With the team again back in Queens for another year-ending homestand, ownership decided this time to commemorate what was going to be the final regular season game played at headed-for-the-wrecking-ball Shea Stadium by having an Old Timers Day- styled salute – after the game. Why after the game rather than before, as is usually customary? Well, even though the Mets had once again blown a late-season first place lead over the Phillies, they were all but assured a wild card slot. Naturally, the Wilpons assumed, the last game of the regular season wouldn’t really be the last game played at Shea. This way, they’d salute the old ballpark while also celebrating their playoff berth. We all know how that one went, too: the Mets lost three of their last five games and went down to a crushing late-inning defeat the last day of the season while the Brewers won their last game and walked off with the wild card.
Had they held the ceremonies before the game, the players on the 2008 team might have gotten some much-needed inspiration from seeing the likes of Tom Seaver, Darryl Strawberry, Mike Pizza and other past heroes proudly wearing their Mets uniforms – and maybe they would have won that last ballgame and made it into the postseason. But, again, a sense of arrogance, and entitlement, had clearly gone into the planning, and the Shea Stadium celebration turned into a veritable funeral, with bad vibes all around.
Yes, Jeff Wilpon, it’s great that you can paraphrase Winston Churchill, who famously said that “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” And, had your team’s ownership also kept in mind the sage words of Yogi Berra, who once famously said that “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” perhaps recent Mets history might read a bit differently. Change the culture? Fine. But this time, you might want to consider starting at the top.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

What is drama?
I spent two years and several thousand dollars in grad school (and NYC housing) adjusting the answer to that question. I came to something like: Drama (and comedy) is active risk and choice, people doing things of consequence to an end, character in vigorous crisis questing for balance.
But what honed my personal definition is this: the epic converging on the every day. That’s what great theater exposes — the simple secrets and routine dreams shocked by change, the small beauties and furies of normalcy caught in the extraordinary, the stupid motives and surprising humanity of us all, our biggest ideas in our smallest stations and likewise.
Epic x Every Day = Drama.
Great theater asks the most “normal” of us: what would you do in crisis?
(As a result, plays that leave me untouched are the ones too sugary, too small, or too trivial to bother asking myself that key question.)
We see this Every Day Epic, well, every day. “History making” moments outpouring from news outlets constantly — Prop 8, soldiers dying, abuses, injustices, cutting edge science, outbreaks of violence or viruses, incredible achievement (today is the 90th anniversary of the 19th amendment) or shocking loss. But the reason why these newsworthy moments are moments (and not drama) is because of how little we usually know and see of the every day elements of these people’s lives. The quiet thoughts, the daily cares, the contrast of menial and grand. What separates news from drama is precisely and experientially personal.
Like last year’s grand, terrifying, beautiful, and Pulitzer Winning Ruined by Lynn Nottage, about the intimacy and loyalty of a band of women in war-torn Congo, which offers us an every day that is shredded with gunfire, sexual violence, and greed. The epic horror of war saturates women just trying to stay alive, to do business, to care for each other. It is in the personal and often funny details of her characters and their triumphs over every day horror that made me understand and love them. It is not my every day, but it could be. That’s some mighty humanity on display. If it’s playing near you, go see it.
Photo by Joan Marcus
In complimentary contrast, Athol Fugard’s Coming Home at Berkeley Rep last season put the global threat of AIDS in the small shack and humble hands of a young mother, her brilliant son, and her quirky suitor. Theirs is a “small” life, but one that expands the intimacy of this real and world-wide ravishment.
Ruined finds the every day in the epic; Coming Home finds the epic in the every day. “Based on a true story” plays like Tony-Winning Red (about artist Mark Rothko) do this too — by presenting the every day genius and crisis of storied figures. For every theatrical dose of the larger-than-life, we need regular life and vice versa.
Every day elements help us connect to the big ideas to our regular lives, and big themes help us see the grandness and diversity of the human experience.
Some plays create this balance with theatricality (adding grandiosity with poetry, magical realism, surprising structure or design), some plays find their epic in historical context, and some plays reveal their mass in a single moment of great humanity. And some plays just hand ourselves back to ourselves. But I don’t need those plays like I need the heartbreaking (and heart-building) stuff. Whether tragedy or satire, new plays or classics, give me big ideas, big drama, big wit, big perspective. This world is too fickle and too busy for anything else.
In a world where shocking corruption, violence, and injustice meet stunning generosity, future-making discovery, and a rebellious hope we need a theater that gives us new ideas, not just a good time (and yes it can be one and the same). The experience of fresh understanding lasts longer than a laugh (and yes it can be one and the same). Great theater can wrap us in the wild wonder of the now — a world where epic and every day are constant and often times shockingly identical.

Follow Lauren Gunderson on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/LalaTellsAStory

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Click.
” — and if you’ve never heard a dachshund singing Dylan before, you’re in for a real treat! Mike?”
“That’s one amazing dog, Dahlia — thanks! Well, it’s that time of year again, Tim — time for playoff baseball, when everything can be riding on a single pitch or a swing of the bat.”
“Absolutely true, Mike. And we’ve got Margot standing by with a certain skipper of a certain playoff-bound team, and I’ll bet he knows all about post-season excitement. So how’re our guys going to do, Margot?”
“Thanks, Tim — that’s exactly what I’m about to ask this gentleman right next to me. How’s it going, Skip?”
“We’re feeling pretty good, Margot. We’re ready. We had a couple of rocky patches earlier in the season, but we came through ‘em OK, and right now we’re in pretty good shape.”
“The post-season is almost like a season of its own, isn’t it?”
“Definitely. You’ve got your regular season, and then you’ve got your post-season — it’s almost like a season of its own.”
“Exactly! And then there’s the format — best-of-five, then best-of-seven. A short series like that — what can happen in a short series, Skip?”
“Anything can happen in a short series, Margot.”
“Does that make things very predictable?”
“Just the opposite, Margot — it makes things very unpredictable.”
“Which is why I’m sure you’re warning your guys about over-confidence.”
“Absolutely. A short series like this, you never know what’s going to happen. You’ve got to be ready for anything, but you never want to be over-confident.”
“Have you seen good teams go down in the playoffs?”
“I’ve seen plenty of good teams go down in the playoffs, Margot.”
“I’ll bet it leaves you with a feeling.”
“An empty feeling, Margot.”
“That’s what I figured. Of course, those folks in the other dugout will have something to say about how it goes, won’t they?”
“No question. That’s a really good team over there, and he’s got ‘em playing some really smart baseball.”
“Are they hungry?”
“They’re really hungry, Margot. A young team like that, never been to the playoffs before — they’re definitely hungry.”
“But your guys are hungry, too, aren’t they?”
“Oh, our guys are always hungry. A veteran team like ours, they know how precious this time of year is.”
“It’s almost like a season of its own.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly. So what’ll it come down to?”
“It’ll come down to pitching, Margot. You can’t beat ‘em if they score more runs than you do.”
“Spoken like a true veteran!”
“Well, it’s what I tell our guys before every game — ‘You can’t beat ‘em if they score more runs than we do.’”
“And where do they take that?”
“They take it to heart, Margot. They definitely take it to heart.”
“And their belts?”
“They tighten ‘em a notch. Sometimes a couple of notches — it depends.”
“On how hungry they are?”
“And how big their belts are.”
“Got it.”
“It all depends.”
“Got it.”
“You know, it’s almost like a season of its — ”
Click.
# # #
Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist. You can write to him at rickhoro@execpc.com.

Follow Rick Horowitz on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/Rick_Horowitz

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Corporate America has a bad habit. It tolerates, perpetuates and systemically ignores bad behavior by keeping problem employees around far longer than they should. Organizations are then left with disease within the ranks, festering there to infect the business and derail results. I came to this realization while in the midst of writing the performance management section of an employee handbook for a client when our attorney pointed out how illogical a process it was. Until then, the client had employed a fairly standard model commonly used to manage problem employees “out” that is often referred to as “30, 60, 90.”
It went something like this:
Step 1: Communicate conditions of poor performance with the employee
Counsel, document and advise the employee of the next 30 day follow-up.
Step 2: Conduct first 30 day follow-up
At 30 days, if performance has not improved, place employee on written warning and advise him/her that there will be another 30 day follow up.
Step 3: Conduct 60 day follow up
At 60 days, if performance has not improved place the employee on final warning and advise him/her that there will be another 30 day follow up.
Step 4: Conduct 90 day follow up
If performance has not improved, terminate employment, effective immediately.
The point is that if an individual’s performance is going to improve, it shouldn’t take a full quarter to find out. It’s a waste of resources, misuse of time and certain to cause a loss in productivity.
Alternatively, the system can be structured differently to give companies the information they need about an employee’s ability to turn it around sooner, rather than later. It could go something like this.
Step 1: Be explicitly clear about what the organizational expectations are.
Step 2: Be even clearer that the company has no intention of tolerating behaviors, conduct or breaches should they surface at any time down the road.
Step 3: Then, if an employee does violate company policy, inform him or her of the problem ONCE, and explain why it is in fact a problem. This is the warning and his/her chance to fix it. Make sure the employee knows that if it happens again, his or her employment with the company is over.
Step 4: And you wait. Hopefully they “get it” and don’t want to lose their jobs, and the company never has to revisit the issue again, or watch them languish further through a laborious and inefficient process. The “problem” is eliminated and the company is clean of the people who bog the business down. It’s quite straightforward actually. If we treat employees like children, we increase our chances that running a business will feel more like running a daycare center.
One thing to keep in mind however, is that if there is a legitimate performance issue that requires an employee to learn and master skills that he or she does not currently possess, this is not a behavioral problem. In this case, if there is a chance that development, or lack thereof, is the underlying cause, then it’s better to coach and train then to threaten with disciplinary action. This gives both the organization and employee an opportunity to decide together whether the objectives of the job can be met. If it turns out not to be the right place for the employee, both parties can mutually agree to make a change.

Follow Donna Flagg on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/donnaflagg

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Perhaps it takes a newspaper outside our tempest-in-a-teapot country to point out the obvious to us: we won’t get any climate or energy legislation passed if we don’t elect people who believe it’s a problem. And there are plenty of unbelieving candidates out there right now, the London Guardian reported, according to a new report released by ThinkProgress, a project of the Center for American Progress. Originally, the study noted that almost all Republican Senate candidates did not believe in climate change or didn’t think it was a problem. But that was before Delaware Senate candidate Mike Castle was defeated by a Tea Partyer in a recent Republican primary. Now, none of them do. And the fossil fuel industry is influencing this election with its moneypot to ensure that none of these are even tempted to enact any legislation that reduces fossil fuel use.
The implications are staggering for our economy, given the predictions of big gains by Republicans this November. Why? New York Times columnist Tom Friedman did a great job of laying it all out. China’s leaders, who are mostly trained engineers and scientists, recognize not just the climate but health savings of reducing fossil fuel use. Indeed, the annual health savings from fossil fuel pollution alone for the European Union was recently estimated at $43 billion if it simply increased its 2021 emissions reduction target by 10%, and it would be considerably more if the health problems from climate change — spread of infectious disease, floods, storms, etc — were included. Imagine what the health savings would be for China, which suffers from rampant pollution, much of it caused by fossil fuel burning. Apparently, some Chinese leaders do. Basically, the best policy for addressing climate change is increasing energy efficiency and switching to clean energy production to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, we’re doing relatively little of either, and it shows on the international chess board, where China is charging full steam ahead on conserving energy and starting to dominate the global clean energy manufacturing market. And other countries are scampering behind them.
We’re being outcompeted, big time. China has a million people employed in the clean energy manufacturing sector alone, with a government that supports companies with land grants and excellent loans. China also insists on making local governments and the top polluters accountable for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as the country continues its economic growth sprint. Investment capital is flowing out of the US and in to China, as businessmen see the Chinese government rev the clean energy economic engine there. All this is being noticed by US employers and employees alike. A broad US coalition of 27 businesses, thinktanks, worker unions, and citizen organizations recently called on the federal government to pass a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), which sets a minimum percentage of electricity generated from clean energy that power utilities must buy. Without it, our clean energy sector is shrinking, as China’s grows. So are our future opportunities for jobs and economic growth. How many jobs? For Indiana alone, where unemployment hovers around 10%, clean energy policies could have created over 100,000 jobs. The Senate has responded with a proposal to create a mere 15% RES by 2021.
What to do? As our free online book Cool the Earth, Save the Economy notes, vote for candidates who 1) recognize the need to switch from fossil fuels to clean energy and increased energy efficiency, and 2) who will create meaningful legislation to do so. The US military is already starting the switch to clean energy, recognizing that it saves money, energy, and, most importantly, human lives. That’s why Operation Free exists, a veterans organization that supports increasing our energy independence by increasing our clean energy production with a comprehensive climate bill. As former US Colonel Dan Nolan says, “This isn’t a Democrat issue. It’s not a Republican issue. It’s an American issue and we want to take a stand.”
So, if candidates don’t stand up for this American issue, then don’t vote them in — because it’s not just our health, our national security, or the devastating climatic consequences — it’s the economy, stupid. It’s a message worth spreading to all independent American voters.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

You heard of phanton limb syndrome – where amputees feel pain in a limb that is not there.
Now a new condition is spreading across the country — PPVS — Phantom Phone Vibration Syndrome. Millions of people are reporting symptoms of feeling a buzz in their pockets, purses and jackets where no such vibration occurred.
It seems that since the brain is anticipating a vibration from calls and text messages, it interprets the slightest friction as a phone vibration. Many people are feeling this buzz even when their phone is not next to them!
The medical experts are confounded on how to treach PPVS. Dr. Todd Singham of the Ontario Medical Center has seen many cases popping up – perhaps because of his proximity to the headquaters of RIM/Blackberry. Dr. Singham has tried several approaches to treat the condition including applying electric acupuncture to different parts of the body with a specially-designed needle. He wanted to desensitize the skin to such misinterpretations, but it has not worked yet.
There is now talk of a telethon starring Jesse Eisenberg to raise money for the PPVS Foundation and direct research money to this growing problem.
There are of course people who enjoy a good vibration now and then – but that requires some control as to where on the body you feel the buzz.
Are you experiencing Phantom Phone Vibration Syndrome? What do you suggest for a treatment?

Follow Jack Hidary on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/jackhidary

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

This is a joint post with Julie Walz.
Last month, the Indian Express reported that India might not accept aid from the United Kingdom after April 2011. India has been the largest single recipient of British aid, receiving more than 800m (about $1.25b) since 2008. This announcement is perhaps symbolic of the fine line that India is walking between being a “developed” and “developing” country. It is the eleventh largest economy in the world, growing 8-9% annually. But it is also home to one-third of the world’s poor — there are more poor people in India than in all of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nonetheless, over the past decade, India has quietly transitioned to a donor country, emerging on the world stage as a significant provider of development assistance. In the mid-1980s, India was the world’s largest recipient of foreign aid. Today, foreign aid is less than 0.3% of GDP. Seven years ago, India announced that it would only accept bilateral development assistance from five countries — Germany, Japan, Russia, the UK, and the United States — in addition to the EU. Now it appears that the list is dwindling. India also declined international assistance after both the 2004 tsunami and the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir.
Although there are no consolidated figures on the total foreign assistance that India provides, the estimates are rising. India allocated approximately $547 million to aid-related activities in 2008. It is now the fifth largest donor to Afghanistan, with commitments over $1 billion since 2001, and is increasingly seeking out new recipients — India’s aid to Africa has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 22% over the past ten years. India’s aid programs are increasingly including countries outside the immediate neighborhood of Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nepal.
These changes seem to reflect fresh attention to aid as an instrument of foreign policy. India’s flagship aid initiative has been the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), which provides training and education to scholars and leaders from developing countries. There are more than 40,000 alumni of the ITEC program around the world; the hope is they have a friendly disposition to India that will be reflected in policies and bilateral relationships. However, India is no longer containing itself to “soft power” influences. Driven by competition with China and its own unprecedented growth, India has begun to focus not only on diplomatic influence, but also on oil reserves and markets for goods, especially in Africa. During the April 2008 India-Africa Forum Summit, India pledged $500 million in concessional credit facilities to eight resource rich West-African nations.
Some observers argue that India would do best not to completely abandon its “soft power” approach. Much of India’s success in its relations with the developing world has been built through its traditional aid program and a shared colonial history with countries in Africa and elsewhere. India should think twice before sacrificing this goodwill for mineral or other resources.
More problematically, like China, India lacks an official definition of what counts as development assistance. No official records of aid disbursements are kept, either by the Ministry of External Affairs or the Ministry of Finance. Aid flows through various channels and various agencies in an ad hoc manner. And India has yet to join the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which would require better record keeping and compliance with international standard definitions. India’s foreign aid program will likely be more successful if it engages with other donors, provides clear and transparent records of its activities, and participates as a full-fledged member of the global aid system, including joining the OECD-DAC. Public information and records will not only allow India to receive due credit as an emerging player, but will also facilitate cooperation with other donors. If India’s goal is to be recognized as a significant donor, it must start acting like one.

Follow Vijaya Ramachandran on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/vijramachandran

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

In this economic climate, the only part of me that’s allowed a new Fall wardrobe is my fingertips. What my hands will be wearing this season:
Glam camo
I am in love with these military-inspired shades of khaki, camel and moss. And from the looks of things on the runways, so is damn near every designer on the planet.
From left: 1. Khaki Brun by Chanel, a muddy brown creme that premiered at New York Fashion Week. 2. Edyta by Zoya, a forest green sparkling with gold, olive and grey glitter. 3. Jane by Rescue Beauty Lounge, a pale beige with subtle pink and gold shimmer. 4. Sew Psyched, an olive drab creme by Essie.
Deep purple
Purple cosmetics are a huge hit this season — but on the face these shades make me look like a zombie prostitute. Purple on the nails is infinitely more wearable.
1. Purple Passion by Milani, a violet frost. 2. Spinning Out of Control a deep blurple by Misa. 3. Marrow, a dusty plum by Butter London. 4. Just a Little Dangerous from Sephora by OPI, a bold purple loaded with bright pink shimmer.
Red, red, and more red
Red nails are always in style, but this season’s shades are especially rich, velvety and vibrant — as good an excuse as any to buy several new bottles of polish.
1. Scarab is a dark ruby by Illamasqua. 2. Karina by Zoya is a glittery crimson red. 3. Saucy Polish by Brit brand Eyeko is a deeply pigmented red creme. Opaque in one coat! 4. Riveter Rouge by China Glaze, from the Vintage Vixen collection. It’s a shimmery rust red with fine silver glitter.
Nail Noir
Deep, inky, and nearly black — the perfect antidote to summer’s neons.
1. First Class Ticket by China Glaze, a dark purple with blue shimmer. 2. Blue Dahlia is a blackish blue creme, much darker than the image shows. From Estée Lauder. 3. Little Brown Dress by Essie, a deep espresso brown. A classic Fall color. 4. Ready to Royal by Color Club, a vampy eggplant creme.
Click to images to see how the polish looks on the nails! Khaki Brun not pictured.

Follow Pandora Young on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/PandoraYoung

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

The most recent food security report from the USDA depicts hunger as a challenge so significant that it can only be solved if government, corporations and community organizations work together. And with many families struggling in this difficult economy, we see an opportunity and a responsibility as the country’s largest grocer to apply our unique business strengths to address the growing problem of hunger.
We’re committed to providing long-term solutions in the hope of reaching a day where no one in America has to go hungry. Through our Foundation and our company efforts, we have committed $2 billion to hunger relief through 2015. Why? Because we feel no one should have to go to bed hungry or wake up wondering where they will get their next meal.
At Walmart, we’re using our business strengths–expertise in transportation, logistics and operations–to ensure food banks are operating in a way that will give them positive returns. For example, our distribution associates have audited local food banks to show the facilities how to rack and store food more effectively, giving the food banks more capacity and space in their crowded operations. We’ve also given more than 100 refrigerated trucks to food banks–helping them transport fresh, nutritious food safely from our store shelves to families in need.
We hope you’ll think about your expertise as well and how you could lend a hand to help hunger in America. Are you computer savvy? Are you a writer or in marketing? Think about taking those skills and helping the hunger nonprofits in your community–they are serving more people and could use your help.
We’ve met with the people fighting on the front lines to end hunger–food bank employees and directors–and we know the need is great. There is no better time for Americans to band together around an issue that can be solved–feeding our children, seniors and families who are going hungry.
At Walmart, we ask ourselves daily how we can be strategic and do more. And we’re asking our customers to do the same. Through our website, http://walmart.com/fightinghunger, our customers, associates and neighbors can find ways to volunteer and learn more about how to help. We’re calling on you to help and we’re holding ourselves accountable to do the same. Together we can solve the issue of hunger.
Sincerely,
Margaret McKenna
President, Walmart Foundation

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

In early 2009 the St. Joseph Mahiga Primary and Secondary School in rural Kenya requested help for a small sports facility and community center. Fast forward 18 months and, thanks to the gamechangers sports micro-venture fund*, they are now home to the Mahiga Rainwater Court. The structure is Kenya’s first net positive structure supplying water to the nearby community and will soon generate enough energy to run the village high school.
More than a game
Thanks to the insight and vision of Joseph and Samson Mutongu, a simple basketball court has morphed into a community center, multi-purpose sports facility and the rainwater catchment system for hundreds of children that attend schools located on the campus. The collaborative design process led by Architecture for Humanity design fellow Greg Elsner, who worked in partnership with the Nobelity Project and the entire community. It early discussions water was the major issue facing the region, as it was barely surviving due to a three year drought.
Project Instigators Joseph and Samson Mutongu
Collaborative Building
Greg and the team lived in the village for a year as the building took shape and eventually as it broke ground. Built with local labor the building acts as a economic anchor training community members and giving them financial support as they develop new skills.
The design is a full-court basketball court with an integrated rainwater collection and UV purification system with solar panels for the water system and night lighting in areas without electricity. The full-court configuration has a 4,850 sq ft playing surface covered by metal roof and guttered to collect an estimated 90,000 liters of water per year. The building incorporates 30,000 liters of rainwater storage, with UV purification.
Between the enclosed storage tank/equipment areas, a small stage faces the court, with a permanent, hard-wall backing designed as a movie projection screen. The structure is designed to serve multiple functions for the school, providing a sport facility, purified drinking water, a covered performance space for local music and theater, an outdoor/covered classroom and dining area. It will also provide the area’s only community meeting space, a covered farmer’s market and more.
The Rainwater Court can transform this community, and is a key component of the new Mahiga Hope High School. The local community has two primary schools with approximately 400 students each. With all boys and girls admitted to the schools without tuition charges, there is an even mix of boys and girls. Education in the area currently ends at 8th grade.
Local contractor smile on completion of areas largest catchment facility
Mahiga Hope High School, a partnership between The Nobelity Project, the Kenyan Regional Education District, and the people of Mahiga now provides a full 12-year High School education for every child. In the video, filmed by Nobelity Project co-founder Turk Pipkin, you can get a sense of the collaborative nature of the project and how a holistic response can positively impact an entire community.
No Ego, No Logo
This structure was designed and built with the community, it is important that the community has full ownership of the building. This is the main reason we do not put logos on buildings. At the end of the construction phase the original community team came together and named the building ‘The House of Water’ for the Village of Mahiga. Alas ‘House of Rain’ didn’t make the cut.
Hundreds turn out for the finest game in Kenya
and then the heavens opened
This weekend saw the opening of the court. Over 1000 people came out and the party went on for hours. Pro teams came and played the court, local tournaments saw crowds swarm the facility, over 2,500 books were stacked in the new library and OLPC computers filled the computer room.
The next morning, as if someone heard the good news, the heavens opened up and it started to pour with rain. Over 12,000 liters of fresh water was collected in the first hour giving the village its first taste of clean water in years.
Project Designer Greg Elsner welcomes rain to Mahiga
Special thanks to the village of Mahiga, Nike Social Innovation, Nobelity Project, Greg Elsner, Cristina Tapper, Willie Nelson, Boslika Building Contractors, Dick Clark Architecture, Mazingira & Engineering Consultants and others for their support and dedication.
*There are still ten $25K grants available to upgrade, repair and build sports for social change facilities. Interested? Apply for a grant from the gamechangers sports micro-venture fund

Follow Cameron Sinclair on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/casinclair

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Though on a day-to-day basis we talk about how best to stretch a can of chipotle chiles or how to make cookie-like scones, the sub-plot of our blog has everything to do with friendship.
We’ve known each other since 1997, when we met in 7th grade, in the middle school corridor. Since graduating college, moving back to New York, and starting this blog, we’ve been lucky enough to have those very same friends from 7th grade often at our table, eating our food and hanging out. For the most part, we catch up with our high school girls over elaborate potluck buffets. Of course, we’ve made friends outside this circle too, and we invite them over as well to share in our cooking. But unlike most non-New Yorkers living here, we haven’t had the experience of starting over in a new city, without the people we grew up with.
Our friend Rachel, whose father was the beloved dean of our middle school, recently moved to Chicago for love (as in her boyfriend, now husband). To New York, she left behind Cara’s older sister, Jill, and many other close high school girlfriends. To chronicle her social journey, Rachel has started the blog MWF Seeking BFF about the search for a best friend in her new city.
Though she seems to be doing amazingly fine on her own (both off-line and on), Rachel enlisted our help in planning an at-home friend gathering for some of the potential BFFs she’s met over the last few months whom she otherwise mainly sees one-on-one. We happily obliged, deciding to test our menu out on some new New York faces. We each invited two girlfriends from different circles and had Phoebe’s roommate Caitlyn do the same.
Since Rachel doesn’t think of herself as a practiced home cook, we did try to think of a meal that was stress-free, but we were more focused on what sort of menu would best facilitate the kind of easy bonding that we know we’d want at a dinner party with new friends. We landed on a pizza party.
The pizza party can be interpreted in one of two ways. If you’re feeling enterprising, and you have lots of oven space, it can be a make-your-own affair. This is also best if you have a fear of awkwardness: making the pizzas together gives you and your guests something to do–and then talk about–to break the ice.
But, since it was a hot night and we wanted to have the oven on as little as possible, we decided to customize the pizzas ahead of time. This actually works pretty well for a new friends party too. We figured Rachel might not be familiar with her guests’ dietary restrictions, and a make-your-own pizza party could potentially create chaos and/or reveal character flaws that Rachel might not yet want to see. There might be the girl who leaves the cheese off her pizza because of a new diet she’s trying, or someone who hogs all of the cheese and greedily snatches up pepperoni slices before anyone else has had a chance to include the ingredient on their pie. These things aren’t so deplorable. But after much thought, we would say it’s a safe bet to get to know new friends’ tastes and habits by seeing who goes for which flavor, rather than by judging them on how neatly they arrange onion slices.
Cara likes to make her own dough, but I’m usually in a hurry, and resort to the ever-awesome New York City solution: buy it from a pizza joint. The man behind the counter may look at you like you’re a little crazy. But then he’ll slap the ball around in some flour, toss it in a bag, and charge you $4.50.
That last little cut corner also make the make-your-own-pizza party incredibly easy for a fledgling cook, and has been part of the reason why since the original mention of this pizza party, I have heard of so many others cropping up around New York, bringing together faces new and old to eat up and get sauced.
–Phoebe Lapine of Big Girls, Small Kitchen
White Pizza with Ricotta, Sundried Tomato, and Scallion
Serves 3
Ingredients
1 ball pizza dough
1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
1/2 – 3/4 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
1/2lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
3 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup thinly sliced sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat the oven to 500F.
Spoon the ricotta over the pizza dough and spread with the back of your spoon. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the pizza. Arrange the fresh mozzarella, scallions, and sundried tomatoes on top. If using, dot the top of the pizza with small spoonfuls of tomato sauce.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust has browned and the cheese is bubbling and brown in spots. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt, hot pepper, and grated parm if you like. Rest for a minute or two, then cut into slices and serve.
Pepperoni & Shallot Pizza
Serves 3
Ingredients
1 ball pizza dough
3/4 – 1 cup pizza sauce
6 oz (3/4 cup) shredded whole milk mozzarella
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
6 oz pepperoni, thinly sliced
1/4lb fresh mozzarella (optional)
red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 500F.
Spoon the sauce over the pizza dough and spread with the back of your spoon. You want every inch to have some sauce, but not be overly saturated. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the pizza. Arrange the shallot and pepperoni slices over the top. Add some coarsely torn fresh mozzarella (if using).
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust has browned and the cheese is bubbling and brown in spots. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt and hot pepper or oregano if you like. Rest for a minute or two, then cut into slices and serve.

Follow Big Girls, Small Kitchen on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/BGSK

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Last week, I described the greatest purchase of my life …Rick Derringer’s 1958 tobacco sunburst Gibson Les Paul.
Working two jobs and saving money for over a year, I paid $650 on May 2nd, 1972, for a guitar now worth six figures…
Here’s the story of how Jeff Beck tried to intimidate me into selling it to him…
Poor Rick Derringer!
About 5 months after selling me his ‘back up’ 1958 Les Paul, someone on the guitar grapevine told me that Rick’s ‘main’ guitar, a 1959 cherry-sunburst Les Paul had been stolen. This was an all-too-common occurrence for rock stars on the road back then. Airlines, in particular, were notorious for “losing” or destroying guitars.
One afternoon, just before the holidays, my phone rang. It was Rick.
With a sort of tired, apologetic, voice-of-authority, he said, “Hey kid, look, I’m sorry, I really am, but, I’m gonna have to take that Les Paul back. But, I’m gonna give you $1,000 for it, just to make this a little easier for you.”
In a friendly but hard-edged way, I replied, “Rick, the guitar is mine. I paid cash for it.
I have the receipt. It’s not for sale.”
This clearly flummoxed Mr. Derringer.
“Huh!? I… uhhh… hmmm… I, uh… I’m gonna call you back.”
Six months later, Rick did call again… “Okay, listen, Binky, I’m going to give you $2,000. I gotta have that Les Paul back.”
“Rick, what can I tell ya, I feel bad, but, it’s not for sale and never will be.”
Then, a year later…
“Hey, Binky, it’s me, Rick Derringer. I’m willing to give you $5,000 for that guitar.”
“Rick, I’m really sorry, man… But, you can offer me $20,000, it’s still not for sale.”
Silence … and then, “You know what, kid … I sold it to the right guy! Enjoy the guitar, Binky.”
“I do every day, Rick. Thanks, man.”
By the late 1970s, several years later, the entire concept of “vintage” electric guitars had become, and remains, a major sub-culture amongst rock musicians and fans. And by now, after playing a few dozen gigs at CBGB and Max’s Kansas City and The Coventry Club using my Les Paul, it was fairly well known in collector’s circles that I owned the 1958 tobacco-sunburst that I’d bought off of Derringer in May of 1972.
One of the earliest vintage guitar brokers to the stars was a guy from California named Robb Lawrence. One day, I got a call from Robb, “Hey Binky, I’m in New York for a few days. I’m busy doing this coffee-table photo book. It’s going to be portraits of famous guitarists and their vintage Les Pauls. Jeff Beck’s in town and he doesn’t have an old Les Paul with him. Can I borrow yours for a photo-shoot?”
“Well, hell yeah, as long as I come with the guitar.”
“Uhhhh … Hmmm … Y’know, Jeff isn’t very friendly, I just don’t think that…”
I cut him off, “No me, no Les Paul, Robb!” I knew of Jeff’s reputation for crankiness. Too bad. Robb somewhat reluctantly agreed to my being included.
Two days later, the morning after a great show by Mr. Beck at Philharmonic Hall in support of his groundbreaking “Blow By Blow” album, I met Robb, who was sporting an entourage of three nondescript guys about my age, in front of the Navarro Hotel on the extremely posh Central Park South aka 59th St. Up we all went to Jeff Beck’s suite high above Central Park. Jeff opened the door, he was alone, and invited us in with all the warmth of a blizzard. He flopped down on the couch in the baroque living room portion of his temporary digs and asked, nice and surly, “So, where’s this guitar?”
Robb motioned me to open the case. Somewhat dazzled by the presence of one of my Ultra-Heros, I handed my Les Paul to Jeff Beck. Sitting on the edge of the couch now, he started playing fast lead guitar about 2/3 up the neck. Played it for about 60 seconds, unplugged.
He then slowly looked up at me with ice cold eyes and said, as menacingly as he could manage, “Y’know, mate, this looks an awful lot like the one that was stolen from me.” I had taken a seat in the armchair next to Jeff. I immediately stood up, and looking down at him, said, as coldly and emphatically as I could manage, “Yeah, well, Jeff, it isn’t!”
He laughed and said, “Okay okay, calm down, man. So how much do you want for it?”
I replied, “Jeff, are you under the impression that this guitar is for sale? Because it’s not. Not now, not ever.”
Jeff seemed to shoot a dirty little WTF? look at Robb.
Was something weird was going on?
Puzzled, and more than a bit put off, I decided to blow this popsicle stand. But first,

I pulled a Bic pen outta my guitar case and sat down next to Mr. Beck on the couch and said, “Jeff, it would be an honor to have your autograph on the back of my Les Paul.”
Jeff, genuinely aghast, groaned, “My God, man, you can’t be serious. That would be sacrilege!” Everyone in the room made “How lame!” noises at my embarrassing ‘groupie’ move. Robb even said, “I’m sorry, Jeff.”
Ignoring everyone else, I said, in a cocky conspiratorial tone, “Dig in nice and deep with that pen, Jeff.”
He looked at me, and for the first time, actually connecting with me, broke into a huge grin, nodded, and said with his eyes, “Kid, you’re all right.” As requested, he dug in deep, signed the beat up back of my guitar, and handed it back to me. I stood up, put the Les Paul back in its case, latched it up, and turned to Jeff Beck and said, “It’s been a real pleasure meeting you. I have been a huge fan of your playing since the Yardbirds and I thought you were just great last night, too.” Jeff thanked me, “Cheers, mate.”
Still feeling annoyed that something was off about the whole situation, I walked out of the suite to the elevator without saying goodbye to anyone else.
About six months later, out of the blue, perhaps as a peace offering (and one I definitely appreciated), Robb sent me a color slide of Jeff Beck, sitting on that couch, playing my Les Paul. It permanently resides in the case with the guitar. In fact, Robb’s truly excellent and definitive two-volume book, “The Legacy Of The Les Paul”, which took decades to complete, features a full page photo of Jeff Beck with my guitar on page 251 of Volume One. My name is even in the caption! Thank you very much, Robb!
On August 12, 2009, Les Paul, the man, finally left for Heaven at the age of 94. Most of us know his name because of Jimmy Page or Slash or Billy Gibbons or a 100 other famous and semi-famous guitarists who have sworn by Gibson Les Pauls for the last few decades. The true Rolls-Royce of electric guitars.
But, the fact is, not a single song on your iPod’s play-list would sound remotely the way it does without Les Paul, the man, not just the guitar. Les Paul INVENTED the solid-body electric guitar. Les Paul INVENTED multi-track recording. Les Paul INVENTED reverb and echo. Les Paul INVENTED variable speed recording. Les Paul INVENTED mixing. Basically, a man of monolithic musical importance.
Two great quirky little stories about Les Paul stand out for me and exemplify the man’s intuitive genius…
When he was a teenager, back in the late 1920s, Lester was sitting in his living room playing an acoustic guitar. He suddenly had a flash, walked over to his parents’ Victrola, yanked the arm off and rammed the needle into the face of his guitar, and started playing through the machine’s big horn (like the one that dog is sitting next to in the old RCA logo). Was that the literal beginning of electric guitars?
And, as far back as the 1940′s, the way Les Paul would know he had mixed a track properly was through the following methodology: He’d have the studio engineers hook up the recording console directly to his car’s radio in the parking lot. He’d go out and sit in the driver’s seat and listen to the playback of the mix coming through the radio, and would then go back and tinker with it until it sounded right… in… his… car!
In the 1980′s, I had the great fortune to catch Les Paul performing a few times at a club called Fat Tuesday’s here in New York. He performed there every Monday, and later at a place called Iridium, for almost 30 years.
His playing was simply ridiculous. In his 70′s and 80′s he could just destroy virtually every rock player you’ve ever heard. Inhumanly fast and creative, with a totally wacky sense of humor. The closest any rock guitarist has ever been able to come is maybe my aforementioned hero, Jeff Beck, on a really good night.
On one of my visits to Fat Tuesday’s, I took along my 1958 Les Paul for The Man to autograph. After his set, I knocked on the door of his dressing room. I heard Les call out, “Come in.” He was sitting in this dark little room with an old guy his age, obviously a close friend. I apologized for the intrusion and told Mr. Paul that I was hoping he’d be willing to autograph my Les Paul.
“Sure thing, my friend. Let’s see it.” he answered.
When I took it out of the case, he said, eyes gone wide, “I can’t autograph that. It’s a real one!”
Les Paul called my guitar “a real one.” I treasure that phrase coming from the man himself.
I took out a pen and, just like his prize pupil, Mr. Beck, he semi-reluctantly, semi-delightedly, dug in on the back, “To Binky / Keep Pickin’ / Les Paul.”
The last time I saw Les Paul perform, I took my Dear Departed Dad. After the show, as Les was standing by the bar having a club soda, my father walked up to Mr. Paul and said, “My son tells me you’re responsible for an amazing amount of technological advances in guitar design and recording techniques. That’s all well and good, but, Les, I want to thank you for the music.”
And, as they shook hands, both those old coots got tears in their eyes… and I’ve got chills just typing that.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Yes, it’s true, I am Christine O’Donnell, and so are you if you watch her new campaign commercial below. (Please watch the commercial before reading further — it will be 30 seconds of your life well spent.)
Her commercial opens with the line: “I’m not a witch.” You don’t have to be a political expert to realize that if your campaign commercial begins with the statement: “I’m not a witch,” your campaign is in trouble. This goes way beyond other famous political denials like Bill Clinton’s: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” or Richard Nixon’s: “I’m not a crook.” This is special, she is denying being a supernatural being in the race for the US Senate. Priceless.
At end of her commercial, she creepily says: “I am you.” Which to be honest, sounds a little witchy. Is this a spell? If her witchcraft works and I become her, am I now running for the US Senate? And she is now me? Does she have to go to New Jersey on Sunday to have dinner with my Mom?
I’m not sure, but after watching this commercial, one thing is certain: I have a new found appreciation for the intelligence of Sarah Palin.
Clearly, Christine O’Donnell’s campaign is a wreck — so in an effort to make it more interesting between now and Election Day, here are my suggestions for Christine:
Make a new campaign commercial declaring: “I’m Christine O’Donnell, I’m not a witch, but I am zombie.” Zombies are clearly cooler than witches. They’re in tons of movies and in popular books like my friend Max Brooks “World War Z.” Or better yet, claim to be a vampire. They are the rage. Get one of kids from the “Twilight” movies in your ad. Team Christine will be born!
Make a new commercial where you commit to being a witch. You can dress all witchy with a hat, broom, green face paint and threaten people with witchy stuff like: “Vote for me or spend eternity as a frog.” Or maybe promise to cast a spell on the economy that will create jobs. I would actually consider voting for you if you could do that!
Accuse your opponent of being a werewolf. Why not? People lie in political campaigns all the time so why not accuse your Democratic opponent Chris Coons of being a werewolf. Then he has to go on TV and say: “Hi, I’m Chris Coons and I’m not a werewolf.” How cool with that be?!
But despite her denial and the fact there is no credible evidence, I think she is a witch. That is why I’m starting the “witchers” movement inspired by “the birthers.” Why should the truth get in the way? It hasn’t stopped Christine O’Donnell.

Follow Dean Obeidallah on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/Deanofcomedy

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Don’t be surprised if the Brooklyn (by way of Israel) duo of Hank & Cupcakes cut through to the mainstream shortly after you read this. With their high energy, unique sultry pop-rock-dance sound, and quirky moniker, they’ve got all the tools to propel them to pop rock stations all over.
The musicians, who will only cop to their real names off camera — if that, are touring regularly to promote their recently released self-titled EP. Their tour includes a benefit concert with Deluka and more at The Studio at Webster Hall on Oct. 15. For full dates, check out their website.
I met up with the sweet on and offstage couple fittingly at an Upper West Side CRUMBS Bake Shop (yes, they have cupcakes), and asked them about their music, their name, their debut full-length album in the works, and where they see themselves in the pop landscape.
Interview:
Hank & Cupcakes’ “Pleasure Town” Video:

Follow Jon Chattman on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/realjonchattman

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Sometimes life’s sweetest things take the longest to achieve. For me, becoming a mother involved years of clinical help and round after round of in vitro fertilization. Yesterday, at the age of 85 and 32 years after the birth of Louise Brown, the first test tube baby, Dr. Robert Edwards, who with his colleague Patrick Steptoe pioneered in vitro fertilization, was finally awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
But even though Edwards had to wait such a long time for this recognition, I wish he and Steptoe, who died in 1988, could know that, like Elijah’s cup of wine at the Seder table, I’ve set aside a slice of birthday cake for them at each of my three daughters’ birthday celebrations. I don’t pretend that I see ghostly bite marks, but I want always to remember that if not for them, if not for their twenty years of work to achieve that first birth, the first of more than four million, there’d be no cake. So a sacrificial slice of banana cake with chocolate butter cream for Edwards and a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop it for Steptoe seems like the least this thankful mama (although neither Swedish nor part of a prestigious committee) can do.
In reading about today’s award, I wanted specifics, wondering what took so long. Did somebody hypothesize that the human being conceived in a test-tube would, at age 32, develop strange characteristics or a debilitating illness? Then seeing photos of a beaming Louise Brown holding her own (naturally conceived) son, had they concluded that IVF seems not just safe, but prize worthy? I mean, Brown is the picture of health and happiness. She beams! Had the committee considered Edwards and Steptoe on and off over the past 32 years but dismissed their medical contribution as either too flimsy or too controversial for formal recognition? Did they worry that the ability to create embryos in a dish and human beings involving a potential multitude of genetic contributors too loaded and potentially dangerous to celebrate? Doesn’t the current Nobel committee know that the prize is named after a chemist who developed dynamite?
So this is what I found. The prize was awarded specifically “for the development of in vitro fertilization.” It shies away from mentioning stem cell research which, of course, the ability to create embryos in a dish fuels (but, again, another piece of cake a la mode goes out to that incredible scientific development).
And in the medicine prize committee’s own words, “(Edwards’) achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition afflicting a large proportion of humanity, including more than 10 percent of all couples worldwide. Approximately 4 million individuals have been born thanks to IVF. Today, Robert Edwards’ vision is a reality and brings joy to infertile people all over the world.”
Amen.
As for Edwards having to wait so long for recognition, Francoise Shenfield, an infertility expert with the European Society of Human Reproduction, said, “It’s a shame Britain hasn’t recognized him in a more explicit fashion.” I mean, if Elton John got a knighthood, and despite the fact my kids loved, loved, loved The Lion King, shouldn’t the guy who made their lives possible get one, too?
In an interview with The Times of London in 2003, Edwards said he was “not terribly bothered” about not getting a knighthood.
“I’m a very left-wing socialist and I won’t shed a tear. But if you can organize a Nobel, please go ahead,” he joked.
So, today, Edwards’ joke became a reality, even if his contribution altered the natural course of the circle of life. Take that, Sir Elton John!

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com