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For a presidential candidate that claims race is meaningless when it comes to his candidacy, GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain sure takes great delight in rubbing race in the faces of his white conservative backers every chance he gets. He opened his speech at the recent Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous words, “I have a Dream.” Later, in an interview Cain flatly said, “I label myself: American black conservative.” But if race doesn’t matter to him then why did he insert “black” in between “American” and “conservative.”
But Cain’s not so subtle way of playing the race card is meant to denounce civil rights leaders, black Democrats and, of course, President Obama, for allegedly tacitly or overtly playing on race to score political points, pander to black voters, and cower Democrats into backing tax and spend, expanded government programs, tougher civil rights laws, and affirmative action. Cain loudly declares that this smacks of the new

For all its merits, a recent front page story in the New York Times on the killing of a mental-health counselor by a schizophrenic illustrated once again that the press is more likely to publish or air a piece on mental illness that depicts tragedy rather than vindication, survival or triumph.
The piece, bearing the headline, “A Schizophrenic, a Slain Worker, Troubling Questions,” offered a primer on the repercussions of deinstitutionalization and cost-cutting that have decimated mental-health budgets across this country, even in a liberal bastion like Massachusetts, where the murder occurred.
The writer, Deborah Sontag, took a balanced look at all of this. Never did she suggest that the mentally ill are prone to violence. In fact, she pointed out correctly that such violence rarely occurs though certain factors make it more likely — such as substance abuse, failure to take medication and past violence.
As someone who was once diagnosed with schizophrenia and who has never been violent, I appreciated Sontag’s thoughtful article, which more than anything else suggested that “the system had failed both the suspect and the victim.”
Still, I wonder why it took the murder of Stephanie Moulton to warrant a front-page story on mental

The Daily ShowTags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
In the wake of the now-famous televised showdown between Jon Stewart and Chris Wallace Sunday morning there’s lots of chatter from pundits on both the left and right that Stewart, as Wallace charged, is dodging his true role as a ‘journalist.’ To paraphrase Stewart from the interview, anyone who believes this ridiculous assertion is “insane.”
I’m not exactly sure where all the confusion lies. Stewart was a stand-up comic for years and now has a comedy show. On “Comedy Central.” And like many a legendary humorist before him — Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Mort Sahl, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce to name a few — his material consists of politics, politicians and American culture. You will never see anything on The Daily Show, Stewart’s nightly program, that is delivered with a serious

When a colleague and I want to vent but don’t want to admit we’re complaining, we call it “marveling.”
So please let me marvel for a moment at five disappointing first dates after more than two years of hibernation as a young(ish) widow. They included well-intentioned fix-ups with an egocentric artist, a producer of a sleazy reality show and a crunchy stay-at-home dad, and ranged from the merely awkward to the downright offensive.
“I know I’m smart, attractive and successful,” one well-groomed suitor told me. “It’s just hard to find someone who meets my standards.”
Seems to me these men, aged 46 to 57, could use a few pointers, and after two happy decades away from the dating game, I have the fresh perspective required to enlighten them. Here are some lessons from true forays into the uncomfortable world of meeting for that very first drink.
Don’t tell me your therapist calls you “a catch.” Let me decide for myself.
Don’t disparage your ex-wife within five minutes of introducing yourself.
Don’t tell me she was abused by her father

Iconic is a wildly overused word, but the cover photo of Born to Run — Bruce Springsteen grinning and leaning on Clarence Clemons’ broad shoulder — is a powerful and memorable picture, one that meets the standard for iconic rock n’ roll images. And its status is rooted in the beautiful story that picture tells.
You’ve got this enormously talented, giant black man — literally “The Big Man” — saxophone between pursed lips, essentially supporting Springsteen. The look on Bruce’s face is honest and authentic, a genuine moment captured in a photo

“A new dress doesn’t get you anywhere; it’s the life you’re living in the dress and the sort of life you had lived before, and what you will do in it later.” – Diana Vreeland
I love this quote from Diana Vreeland but what if… what if… a beautiful vintage dress could actually take you back in time?
That’s the situation that faces Bianca Turetsky’s heroine in her delightful debut novel for young readers, The Time-Traveling Fashionista, which is chock-full of time-travel, adventure, friendship and loads of gorgeous vintage fashion.
This amazing new series promises to keep young fashionistas spellbound as they join seventh-grader Louise Lambert on her time-traveling adventures, which will continue with the release of the second book of the series in April 2012.
So I’m especially pleased that, although hard at work, Bianca Turetsky took the time to chat with Zuburbia about her vintage clothing collection, about how this book is inspiring young girls around the world to be excited about vintage clothes, and about mom-daughter relationships.
When I was growing up, I can remember devouring the Nancy Drew series and I love that today’s young ladies can now read about the adventures of a young vintage fashionista. What inspired you to create Louise Lambert and take her on her vintage clothing adventures?
Ooh, I was such a huge Nancy Drew fan too! Thank you for that comparison!! The idea came to me about 5 years ago after visiting this amazing vintage shop in New Haven CT, called Fashionista Vintage and

“It’s an uncomfortable fact that sending a message of solidarity with our NATO allies is more important than sending a message to President Obama.”
It’s tempting to cut off funds immediately for President Obama’s ill-conceived Libya offensive. But it’s not the right course. For the sake of our allies, Congress needs to be patient in using the power of the purse to correct Obama’s misadventure.
The policy is indeed a mess. Even if the ongoing air attacks chased Muammar Gaddafi from power, he might be replaced by a radical Islamist

PLAY > SKIP: New Music for the Week of June 21, 2011
First, let’s please have another moment of silence for the mighty Clarence Clemons, who left the E Street Band for the last time. He held the promise and power of rock ‘n’ roll in his mighty saxophone wail. Rest in peace, Big Man.
Now, raise your lighter for Jill Scott, Bon Iver, and Jim Lauderdale — three unlucky musical traveling companions who play well together. As for “Weird Al” and Night Ranger? Aren’t you suffering enough?
MUST-PLAY PICK OF THE WEEK: Jim Lauderdale’s live performance of his new single “Cruel Wind and Rain”
PLAY: Jill Scott, The Light Of The Sun
It’s been a long four years since Jill Scott’s last album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds,

So I’ve spent a huge amount of time in the past year trying to get clarity about how my son processes the world. He’s a very intense, sensitive child, but also very outgoing and gregarious, which can be a confusing combo. He’s fine/He’s not fine/He’s fine/He’s not fine, all day long. The total upside-down-ness of our lives in the past two years made it much harder to be able to see him

President Obama got a good laugh from his liberal audience at the nationally televised meeting of his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. At least all those who joined in the laughter there had jobs.
“Shovel-ready was not as…

[Drafted with Joe Uehlein]
Throughout history artists have joined forces with political movements to battle injustice and demand a better and more beautiful world. Picasso’s “Guernica” captured the horrors of the German bombing of civilians in 1937. “Solidarity Forever,” “We Shall Overcome,” and “Give Peace a Chance” expressed the optimism and power of the labor, civil rights, and peace movements. Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” embodied the utopian fervor of the French

As higher education becomes more expensive than it has ever been and the job market for recent graduates remains tougher than it has ever been I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the number of Americans viewing college as a worthwhile investment is lower than it’s ever been, down to 63% last year from 80% in 2008. Multi-millionaire Peter Thiel is among the ever-growing college skeptics, recently offering a $100,000 anti-scholarship to graduating high school seniors with the caveat that the funds not be used to attend college.
All of this raises an interesting question. Why does our country and our government insist on placing such an emphasis on, and investing so many resources in, validating the notion that all American students should be steered towards college, even those who may not have the motivation or capabilities necessary to succeed there? Instead of pouring countless resources into efforts to make every student college ready, couldn’t many of those resources be put to better use? Namely by preparing American students for the one skill set the majority of them are guaranteed to need, and in which their success or failure will ultimately have the biggest long-term impact on taxpayers? I’m referring to parenting education and

With today heralding the official arrival of summer, I’m thinking about those great movies that reflect the heat, transition and sheer release of the season in exciting, unexpected ways.
Yet when I did a Google search of top summer movies to inspire me, I actually found a lot of less-than-stellar movies being served up — among them, Meatballs (1979), One Crazy Summer (1986), Summer School (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988), and more recently, 50 First Dates (2004).
I know I googled “best summer-themed movies” but I think what I got was “any summer-themed movie.”
Just because you go on vacation in summer doesn’t mean your brain has to — at least not completely. And there are in fact plenty of smart, first-rate films that summon up the season just as well as the time wasters listed above. You just have to dig a little deeper than that first Google search.
So for those who want a little extra quality in their summer fare, here comes a varied but rewarding list of 10 hot movies sure to keep you cool and content through August.
Rear Window (1954) — After breaking his leg on the job, photojournalist Jeff Jeffries (James Stewart) must pass the sweltering New York summer looking out his apartment window — into his neighbors’ windows — and his natural nosiness causes him to study a battling couple across the

Meet Letha, a woman of Indian descent who wants help with her uneven skin tone and acne breakouts. Using simple and effective application techniques, makeup artist Eve Pearl will show you how to balance an uneven complexion to create a clear, fresh look.
Step 1: Moisturizer
Begin all makeup applications by priming and moisturizing your skin. For oily skin or any sort of shine on the nose and forehead, follow-up with an anti-shine gel to provide a matte surface on the skin.
Step 2: Foundation
Apply a dual cream foundation to the primed skin with a foundation brush. Begin by applying the darker of the two foundations on the cheeks, nose, and

“A little light pushes away a lot of darkness.” –The Talmud
Two thousand two hundred years ago, Ptolemy, King of Egypt, forced 70 rabbis (at knife point) to translate the text of the Torah into Greek, creating a document that would come to be known as the Septuagint. This work would eventually comprise the “Old” section of the Bible with which we are all familiar. While he succeeded in the extraction of a highly diluted version of the most sacred text of the Jews, he did not manage to procure the methodology that is required to make any sense of it, thus dooming countless translations and many generations to an inherently erroneous, faulty and dermal level of comprehension.
Karl Heinrich Graf and Julius Wellhausen are the two main architects of Biblical “source” criticism, best known for what would later be termed the Documentary Hypothesis: the idea that the text of the Torah is a redacted patchwork of ancient myths and folklore penned by numerous authors. Peering in from the outside, they crafted the hypothesis on five main pillars, one of which suggested that duplicative and repetitious words and passages were evidence of multiple

Where are the anti-tax activists when you need them?
They should be protesting outside of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, denouncing the agency for failing to take action. And they should be applauding a new legislative proposal by Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Right now, Wall Street speculators are imposing an enormous tax on consumers and the overall economy.
Where are the anti-tax activists?
There’s no question that illegal, collusive activity is far too frequent in energy markets. But the much bigger problem is legal speculation.
Wall Street speculation in oil and energy markets is jacking up the price of oil, and thereby siphoning money from the pockets and pocketbooks of

If you are looking for a theologically erudite discussion of the nature of God, the Divine attributes of creation, revelation, and redemption — then this book will disappoint you.
But if you are concerned with asking and answering the question, “How can one approach the question of God in an honest and authentic manner?” then this is the book to read.
Jacob Needleman, emeritus Professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State and prolific author of such insightful books as, “Why Can’t We be Good?”, and “The Heart of Philosophy”, is a truly wise individual. Wise in the sense indicated by Ben Zoma, who, in the Jewish sayings of the fathers asks the question: “Who is wise?” and answers, “Not one who has amassed a great deal of book learning, but one who can learn from everything and everyone.”
As we read his latest and most intimate and self-revealing book, “What is God?”, Needleman traces his search for knowledge of God by taking us on a biographical and intellectual journey, from his early childhood discussions with his father, to significant contact with deeply wise individuals, to his many interchanges with his students and colleagues over the years, and finally, to the present day. This book details an inner journey searching, not necessarily for concepts or borrowed definitions of God, but rather, for a genuine idea, an idea that is transformative and vital.
Everything that Needleman integrates into his philosophy is dedicated to the task of answering, what for him has become the essential question, What is God?
One soon learns as one reads the book that the search requires certain qualities in the seeker in order to get at what are the truly essential

Anyone deeply concerned about the current almost unprecedented real unemployment rate of more than 18% and about the ongoing jobless recovery must first focus on resuscitating our depleted manufacturing sector. Especially given the current political mood in Washington concerning new federal expenditures, this focus will necessarily require the Obama administration to seriously rethink its approach to trade, particularly toward China.
There are many economic imperatives behind this conclusion. At the same time, the ethical imperative for (again) having a robust manufacturing sector is central to our national

Earlier this month, 20 Greenpeace activists were arrested for trying to prevent Scotland’s Cairn Energy from its outrageous plan to drill for oil in the Arctic. Sickened by the risks the oil industry is ready to take with our planet, and greatly inspired by the dedication of my colleagues, late last week Greenpeace campaigner Ulvar Arnkvaern and I decided to become prisoners number 21 and 22.
For the act of boarding Cairn’s oil rig (or hanging off it in a pod for 4 days as was the case for 2 of our activists) some of my colleagues were held for nearly 2 weeks in Nuuk’s (Greenland’s capital) Institution Prison, before being deported. Their brave actions caused the oil company to delay its dangerous plans by 5 days.
In addition to demanding an end to dangerous deep water oil drilling in the pristine Arctic, my colleagues also arrived with the very reasonable request that Cairn make its spill response plan public.
A spill response plan is the document that an oil company must draw up explaining how it would clean up a spill. These plans are nearly always made public, but Cairn insists upon keeping this one secret claiming the Greenland authorities won’t allow its

Before my French beau most of my relationships have been with Brits — Rosbifs as the French like to call them. Solid decent chaps.
Dinner dates were usually a slap up at the local gastro pub. Dressing up was jeans and a strappy top.
When I met my French beau the rules of the game changed dramatically.
The first gift I received within a few weeks of meeting him were a pair of Jimmy Choos!
Then came the Hermes bracelet. They were like style calling

Bob Compton’s film, Two Million Minutes, explored how Indian students spend their time
The goal is education. We have 64 million students in it. India has about 320 million (ages 5 to 14). Bob Compton’s film, Two Million Minutes, observed that many students in India and China spend more time acquiring academic

As the world’s memory of apartheid receded, Desmond Tutu responded to a stream of invitations to speak around the world on the practical implications of ubuntu. An excerpt from a speech to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in 2001 follows.
We inhabit a universe that is characterized by diversity. There is not just one planet or one star; there are galaxies of all different sorts, a plethora of animal species, different kinds of plants, and different races and ethnic groups. God shows us, even with a human body, that it is made up of different organs performing different functions and that it is precisely that diversity that makes it an

It’s the little things that count with manners, including the proper way to eat bread and butter when dining in company. These tips will make you a pleasant and knowledgeable dining companion:
A basket with rolls, sliced breads, crackers, and/or breadsticks may be passed at the table, or a roll may already be on your bread plate.
As with all food at the table, bread baskets are always passed to the right. If you are the host, pass the basket to the right but first offer it to the person on your direct left so he or she does not have to wait until the basket goes all around the table. For larger groups, there should be more than one basket on the table.
If a basket is passed, take only one roll at a

By Susan Q. Stranahan, iWatch News
These are rocky days at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which finds itself under attack from the outside for decisions ranging from new reactor designs to safety issues that have languished for years, including the agency’s failure to get serious about fire hazards.Many issues laid bare since the Fukushima Daiichi disaster are anything but new. Critics have for years railed about regulators’ coziness with industry, relative inattention to safety concerns and minimizing of seemingly unlikely events — the same factors that have brought the Japanese nuclear industry to its knees.What’s different now is that some leaders within the tightly-knit community of U.S. overseers are openly expressing their concerns — including the chairman, Gregory