Our Prejudices, Ourselves

John Fulbrook III

By HARVEY FIERSTEIN

Published: April 13, 2007

AMERICA is watching Don Imus’s self-immolation in a state of shock and awe. And I’m watching America with wry amusement.

Since I’m a second-class citizen — a gay man — my seats for the ballgame of American discourse are way back in the bleachers. I don’t have to wait long for a shock jock or stand-up comedian to slip up with hateful epithets aimed at me and mine. Hate speak against homosexuals is as commonplace as spam. It’s daily traffic for those who profess themselves to be regular Joes, men of God, public servants who live off my tax dollars, as well as any number of celebrities. continue...

Pope's New Book Criticizes Capitalism

Pope's New Book Criticizes Capitalism

By NICOLE WINFIELD

The Associated Press
Friday, April 13, 2007; 4:31 PM

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI offers a personal meditation on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in his first book as pontiff, criticizing the "cruelty" of capitalism's exploitation of the poor but also decrying the absence of God in Marxism.

In "Jesus of Nazareth," released Friday, Benedict touches on themes that have begun to emerge in his 2-year-old papacy: the spiritual weaknesses of modern materialistic life, in which people seem to think they can do without God. continue...

Divisive Scholar Draws Parallels Between Islam and Democracy

Ramadan Says Tensions Are Rooted in History, Not Incompatibility

By Pamela Constable

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 11, 2007; Page B06

Tariq Ramadan has a huge following in Europe but a controversial profile in the United States. The Islamic scholar has been barred from entering the country since 2004, when he was denied a visa he needed to accept a professorship at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Yesterday, however, students at Georgetown University heard and questioned the influential Egyptian-born writer as he gave the first of three public lectures to be delivered on the campus by satellite video hookup from London. For 90 minutes, he appeared on a large screen in Gaston Hall, seated and wearing a sports jacket and open shirt, with Big Ben in the background. continue...

Room For Three?

By John Zogby,
President and CEO,
Zogby International,
Campaigns and Elections Magazine

It’s a question I get everywhere—whenever I do speeches, make an appearance or do an interview: What are the chances of a new third party? One of my pat responses is that there’s always a centrist political party waiting to be formed. Generally, there’s a group of unaffiliated voters concerned that both political parties may go too far to the fringes. These are people who voted for Ross Perot and find the “maverick” John McCain appealing.

The 2004 election was an anomaly. Seldom has this country been so polarized. Add to this that the election promised to be very close between President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry, leaving little room for a third-party choice. Close elections don’t breed a high confidence level for voting third-party. In 2004, the swing voter declined in number. But we’re now right back to where we were in the 1990s and right back to the era of Ross Perot, where a third party could in fact make its way again.

But there’s an interesting twist. The likely third-party voter has shifted to the far right. We did a lengthy interactive survey of 9,612 voters nationwide, from Feb. 16 to 19, and asked how satisfied they were with the current choices for president.

By and large, 58 percent said they are very or somewhat satisfied. But 37 percent said they are somewhat or very dissatisfied. Particularly noteworthy is that 45 percent of independents and 47 percent of Republicans are somewhat or very dissatisfied. Only 21 percent of Democrats feel this way. So it’s looking to me right now like the Democrats are pleased with their candidates. continue...

Tribeca Film Festival-How to Tribeca for Free

You don't need a ticket to everything! Not only do we show movies, we’re also committed to giving back to the community that hosts us every year by offering these free events. See the list below and keep checking back for updates.

Free Premieres Spider-Man
In addition to the U.S. premiere in Queens, the Tribeca Film Festival will also present, with Columbia Pictures, free, simultaneous screenings in NYC’s other four boroughs. Stay tuned to this website to find out how you can get tickets. »Get the Details

Tribeca Drive-In
Catch cinema under the stars at the Tribeca Drive-In, the Festival's classic outdoor screening series, returning to the World Financial Center Plaza. This free public event will entertain families and movie lovers of all ages.
»Get All the Details

Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair
Kids rule the streets of Tribeca for a full day of family-friendly films and fun activities. Saturday, May 5.
»More Info

Sports Saturday - Get Your Head in the Game!
Also on May 5th, enjoy a full day of sports flicks, stars and more at Sports Saturday, part of the ESPN Sports Film Festival. Right down the street from the Family Festival!
»Find Out More

Daily Video and Festival Coverage
During the Festival, check this website daily for up-to-the minute coverage and new videos posted every day.
»See Some of Our Videos

Film Technology Workshops
These free workshops give filmmakers the nitty-gritty on everything they need to know about science and technology of filmmaking.
»Get Dates and Times

Art Awards Sponsored by
Every year, world-renowned artists create works we present as awards to winning filmmakers at the Festival. Their contributions will be honored with a special exhibit, free and open to the public.
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11am-6pm Tuesday, April 14th - Sunday, May 6th. »Visit Gallery Vietnam

continue...

Jeffrey Sachs is wrong once again: rising population isn't going to destroy the planet

Those who remember his Russian debacle are cynical about his plans to solve poverty in Africa
Published: 13 April 2007

The BBC's Reith Lectures are not known for their humorous content, but the opening words of the 2007 series had me rocking with laughter. Professor Jeffrey D Sachs told his audience that "It is with profound humility that I speak to you". Jeffrey Sachs is a man with many positive attributes, but humility is certainly not one of them.

This can be seen in his new book, The End of Poverty, which might well have been subtitled "My plan to save the world". It has an introduction by Bono, which, as one reviewer pointed out, is appropriate: the economist as rock star meets the rock star as economist. Such an alliance must surely have titillated the BBC. I suppose it will also have been aware of MTV's series The Diary of Angelina Jolie and Dr Jeffrey Sachs in Africa. Alas, Angelina was not among Sachs' audience at the Royal Society, an audience he described (with all humility) as "a unique gathering of leaders of action and thought" - but Geri Halliwell showed up, which was nice. continue...

The spectre of Saigon looms over Baghdad

Published: 13 April 2007

The exact death toll had still to be established last night, but the symbolic significance of the attack was instantly clear. A suicide bomber had successfully penetrated the fortified "green zone" in Baghdad and blown himself up inside the cafeteria of the Iraqi parliament. Three MPs were among the eight or more dead; at least 30 people were injured.

For several weeks now, the US military authorities have argued that an upsurge in violence was only to be expected as the new "surge" tactics started to bite. The enemy, they reasoned, would fight ever more desperately until it was finally overcome. The possibility that there might be a different explanation - that the "surge" might simply not be having the desired effect - was not entertained, at least in public pronouncements.

Yesterday's bombing constitutes a direct challenge to the US strategy in Iraq. The last time bombers successfully penetrated the "green zone" was in October 2004. Since then, the only violence had been at the outermost edges; its formidable security had held. That someone was able to pass through the security checks yesterday with explosives sufficient to inflict so much death and destruction means that the "green zone" can no longer be considered impregnable. continue...

Krispy Kreme shrugs off obesity fears to make comeback

By Stephen Foley in New York
Published: 13 April 2007

Krispy Kremes "are to other doughnuts what angels are to men". This superlative - in The New York Times, on the 1996 opening of the first Manhattan outlet for the historic Southern American doughnut chain - was the first of a torrent.

From a sleepy North Carolina company with a handful of outlets, Krispy Kreme suddenly became a cult sensation. Every celebrity wanted to be seen munching these light, fluffy snacks: Rosie O'Donnell had a doughnut machine installed on the set of her television show; Bill Clinton ordered boxes in to the White House.

By 2003, when the smell of freshly baked Krispy Kremes first wafted across London, from a kiosk in Harrods, the company was a global sensation, with a sensational share-price record to match. Only something was about to go very, very wrong.

Last night, when the company released its latest financial results to Wall Street, it was braving a conference call with analysts for the first time in almost three years. In the interim, the company has confessed to a string of underhand tactics that inflated earnings, admitted that large chunks of its previously reported profits were illusory, and shut down one in four of its outlets. continue...

Evolution not finally proven, says Pope

By Melissa Eddy in Berlin
Published: 13 April 2007

Benedict XVI, in his first extended reflections on evolution published as pope, says that Charles Darwin's theory cannot be finally proven and that science has unnecessarily narrowed humanity's view of creation - but stopped short of endorsing intelligent design.

InCreation and Evolution, published on Wednesday in German, the Pope praised progress gained by science, but cautioned that evolution raises philosophical questions science alone cannot answer.

"The question is not to either make a decision for a creationism that fundamentally excludes science, or for an evolutionary theory that covers over its own gaps and does not want to see the questions that reach beyond the methodological possibilities of natural science," the Pope said. Rather, scientific and philosophical reason must work together, he said, in a way that does not exclude faith.

His predecessor, John Paul II, said in 1996 that Darwin's theories on evolution were sound, as long as they took into account that creation was the work of God. continue...

Wolfowitz says sorry for helping partner's career

By Andrew Buncombe
Published: 13 April 2007

Paul Wolfowitz, fighting off calls for his resignation as president of the World Bank, has apologised for helping his girlfriend get transferred to a high-paying job outside the institution.

"With hindsight I wish I had trusted my original instincts and kept myself out of the negotiations," he said yesterday. "I made a mistake, for which I am sorry."

Mr Wolfowitz, a former US deputy Defence Secretary and one of the leading architects of the invasion of Iraq, helped his girlfriend of five years, Shaha Riza, get transferred to a high-paying job at the State Department. His involvement brought accusations of favouritism and calls for him to stand down.

The World Bank Group Staff Association said in a statement: "The president must acknowledge that his conduct has compromised the integrity and effectiveness of the World Bank Group and has destroyed the staff's trust in his leadership. He must act honourably and resign."

Mr Wolfowitz, selected as World Bank president by the Bush administration two years ago, has been a controversial appointment. At the time he took over, a poll suggested 90 per cent of employees were opposed to him taking the job.

Mr Wolfowitz said that after a meeting with the bank's board he had agreed to establish a panel to decide whether his behaviour was inappropriate. "I proposed to the board that they establish some mechanism to judge whether the agreement reached was a reasonable outcome," he said. "I will accept any remedies they propose." continue...

Price war drives down the cost of transatlantic flights

By Simon Calder, Travel Editor
Published: 13 April 2007

They may be cheap. But don't expect them to be cheerful. The new era of inexpensive transatlantic flights may prove to be an endurance test for the passengers who will flock to them. Out-of-the way airports, endless transit bus journeys; all the irritations that come with bargain basement European air travel will be replicated in spades in the US. But that is unlikely to stop anyone.

This morning tickets go on sale for a service that seeks to emulate the Skytrain creation of the late Sir Freddie Laker. Thirty years ago, his airline's service between Gatwick and New York JFK transformed long-haul air travel, by offering fares way below prevailing levels. Yesterday Canadian Zoom Airlines promised "a revolution in low-cost transatlantic air travel". From 21 June it will fly daily on the same route, with fares starting at £229 return. continue...

Teachers blame 'Life on Mars' for rise of homophobia in schools

By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Published: 13 April 2007

Television shows such as Life on Mars, which contain dialogue deemed belittling to gay people, risk fuelling a rise in homophobic bullying in schools, a teachers' leader warned yesterday.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, was speaking after a survey revealed that gay teachers were more likely to be singled out for taunts by pupils than any other group.

She warned that both anti-gay bullying and the taunting of teachers because of their body image were taken less seriously by schools than racist behaviour. continue...

A bloody message from Iraq: nowhere is safe...

The day a suicide bomber struck at the heart of Iraq's democracy
By Patrick Cockburn
Published: 13 April 2007

Nowhere is safe. Insurgents struck in the heart of the Green Zone yesterday, one of the most heavily defended places in Baghdad. The symbolism - and the bloody message - was clear with this attack on the home to the US-imposed democracy.

A suicide bomber cleared at least eight rings of security to blow himself up in the Iraqi parliament, killing eight people including three lawmakers as they were eating lunch. It was the most deadly attack mounted from within the Green Zone.

In a separate attack, the Iraqi capital was cut in two as one of the main bridges over the Tigris was blown up earlier in the day.

The Green Zone bombing was not only an assault on democracy. It was intended to undermine President George Bush's troop "surge", which is denounced as a sham by so many Iraqis. continue...

The Balkan riddle of Beckham's missing armoured BMW

By Terri Judd
Published: 13 April 2007

Very few things about the footballer David Beckham - whether his lifestyle, hairstyle or tattoos - could be described as mundane. But the tale of his stolen BMW X5, which may, or may not be in the hands of a high-ranking Macedonian politician, is beginning to border on the bizarre.

The strange story began a year ago when thieves stole the £75,000 car from an underground car park while Beckham and his family lunched near their Madrid home. Resprayed and its details altered, it travelled through Greece and several owners later turned up in the town of Debar in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. continue...

Régis Debray: The writer and philosopher on religion and revolution

Régis Debray worked with Castro, fought with Che, and later advised Mitterrand. Now he salutes, but does not worship, God. Gerry Feehily meets him in Paris
Published: 13 April 2007

Do all lives lead to and spring from a single moment? An illustration: it's 1964, and Che Guevara, in the gardens of the Cuban Embassy in Algiers, interrupts a game of chess to flick through Sartre's review Les Temps Modernes. He comes to an essay on urban and rural guerrilla movements written by a 23-year-old graduate of the prestigious Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. Guevara has a translation forwarded to Fidel Castro, who invites its author, then teaching philosophy in drab Nancy, eastern France, to Havana. The young man accepts, and so begins a journey from Cuba to the Bolivian jungle, to Allende's Chile, even to the Elysée Palace.

Now, 40 years after setting out, the writer and philosopher Régis Debray sits in an apartment off the Boulevard St Germain in Paris. Volumes of Victor Hugo lie strewn on the table, a portrait of Kafka hangs on the wall. The room looks on to the rue de l'Odéon, where Joyce read from Finnegans Wake at the original Shakespeare and Co. bookshop. The friendly clutter within, the tranquil streets inhabited by literary ghosts without, suggest journeys through mindscapes rather than through rebellion and dictatorships. continue...

Kurt Vonnegut: Me myself and I

One of America's best-loved novelists, Kurt Vonnegut, who died this week, was often asked to explain his craft and the events that inspired him. In this seminal conversation with 'The Paris Review', conducted over more than a decade and finally published in 1977, the writer offers a fascinating glimpse into his early life, shares his wicked sense of humour - and reveals the humanity that underpins his work .
Published: 13 April 2007

INTERVIEWER You are a veteran of the Second World War?
KURT VONNEGUT, JR. Yes. I want a military funeral when I die - the bugler, the flag on the casket, the ceremonial firing squad, the hallowed ground.
INTERVIEWER Why?
VONNEGUT It will be a way of achieving what I've always wanted more than anything - something I could have had, if only I'd managed to get myself killed in the war.
INTERVIEWER Which is - ? continue...

Nurses 'can't afford houses in 99 per cent of UK towns'

By Matt Williams
Published: 13 April 2007

More than two thirds of towns are unaffordable for key public sector workers, a report published today says.
Research by Halifax indicated that a typical property in 70 per cent of towns was now beyond the reach of nurses, teachers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics. The figure is up from 65 per cent last year and almost double the 36 per cent deemed to be unaffordable in March 2002.

Nurses and firefighters face the greatest difficulty, with 99 per cent of towns unaffordable in March 2007 for nurses, and 97 per cent beyond the finances of firefighters. London and the South-west were the least affordable areas. In all 32 London boroughs and 34 towns across the South-west, average key worker salaries were not enough. continue...

Outrage at India menstrual form

By Monica Chadha  |  BBC News, Mumbai

Women civil servants in India have expressed shock at new appraisal rules which require them to reveal details of their menstrual cycles

The form asks for a "detailed menstrual history"

Under the new nationwide requirements, female officials also have to say when they last sought maternity leave. Women civil servants say the questions are a gross invasion of privacy. One told the BBC she was "gobsmacked". Annual appraisals and health checks are mandatory in India's civil service. The ministry was unavailable for comment. But one of its most senior bureaucrats was quoted in the press as saying the new questions had been based on advice from health officials. more....

Will American Bombs Kill My Iranian Dream?

Tomgram: Yaghmaian, Will American Bombs Kill My Iranian Dream?

Like a giant piece in an intricate, if ugly, jigsaw puzzle, the aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, and its strike group are now sailing toward the Persian Gulf. On arrival, they will join the strike groups of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (which it is officially replacing) and the USS John C. Stennis patrolling the region, as stunning an example of "gunboat diplomacy" as we've seen in our lifetimes. I think it's a fair guess that, like most Americans, few, if any, of the Nimitz strike group's 6,000 sailors and Marines, who may become part of a massive Bush administration air assault on Iranian nuclear and other facilities, know much about modern Iranian history. Most may be unaware of the CIA/British coup d'état in Iran, in 1953, that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh (which had just carried out the nationalizing of Iranian oil), reinstalled the Shah, and ushered in a long, contentious relationship between the two countries -- with all the "unintended consequences" that may end, whether through miscalculation or cold calculation, in a devastating war. conitnue...

Wednesday One-Liners Join the UFC

Hobo to entire platform: You've seen cripple fights. You've seen hobo boxing. Now prepare yourselves for rich white assholes pushing to get on the train. [Train pulls in.] Briefcases may be used as shields. Good luck, folks. --4/5 platform, Union Square Overheard by: Orson

Father holding daughter's hand: You can't just kick people when you don't get what you want, Victoria. --Mott & Canal St Overheard by: Marie

Teacher: See that guy in the mural? See how many muscles he has? If he wanted to, he could kick your ass. Look at Galileo. Even Galileo could kick your ass! --Brooklyn Tech High School Overheard by: Liz

Six-year-old: If you go to my school, you get yo' ass jumped. --107th & Manhattan Overheard by: Emily B.

more.....

Highlights for Wednesday One-Liners

Toddler in stroller: Step one, cut a hole in the box... Step two, put your junk in the box! Step three, make her open the box! --Dressing room, Bloomingdale's

Nine-year-old boy on cell: It's not that I don't understand your vision, I just don't agree with it. --Bus stop, 79th & 5th Overheard by: Melly Mel

Eight-year-old boy whining: Dad, I'm thirsty! I wanna go to the liquor store! --Central Park Overheard by: admiring their childrearing practices

Four-year-old boy to nanny: I talk to strangers! I talk to strangers! Why are you squeezing my hand so hard?! --60th & Lex

Little boy, after bumping into a girl: Sorry, my ass is broken. --City Hall Subway Station Overheard by: Miss Adventure

Three-year-old girl waiting in check-out line: Mommy, I hate this store! Are we in the suburbs? --Trader Joe's, Union Square

Little British girl: Mummy, when I die can I be here? --Evolution, Spring St. Overheard by: stephanie

more....

The Dabbawalla's secret

Zaki points us to the phenomenon of the Dabbawalla. These men deliver thousands of lunches every single day in Mumbai... from the person's home to their office, hot and fresh.

The reported error rate is one in six million.

How is this possible? How do you create and run a service with thousand of employees, no technology and a poorly-educated workforce and have better than six sigma quality?

Simple: the dabbawallas know their customers. If they rotated the people around, it would never work. There's trust, and along with the trust is responsibility. By creating a flat organization and building relationships, the system even survives monsoon season. | April 09, 2007 |  continue...

The Poverty of the Welfare State

April 11, 2007

By Serhan Cevik | Istanbul

Breaking away from the legacy of welfare state, Israel has achieved faster income growth. Two factors — the lack of political direction to resolve territorial conflicts and the burden of an ever-growing welfare state — have kept the Israeli economy below its true potential. Even though a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians still remains in a distant future, structural reforms and prudent fiscal management in recent years have helped to rationalize Israel’s welfare system and thus reduce its burden on the economy. With intensifying political pressures over the decades, the cost of welfare expenditure and transfer payments to households increased from 31.5% of GDP in 1980 to 42.2% in 2002. As you would have thought, such an extravagant level of social spending not only worsened public finances, but also distorted economic incentives and lowered the economy’s growth potential. Realizing the extent of structural strains, especially on income growth in the private sector, the authorities have finally started moving away from the legacy of welfare state and dealing with institutional constraints. Accordingly, the burden of welfare spending and transfer payments declined rapidly to 36.5% of GDP, helping to lower the overall budget deficit to 0.9% of GDP at the end of last year and giving a significant boost to the economy. continue...

Live the dream in Barcelona - Europe's most vibrant city

More Britons than ever are buying in Barcelona. Graham Norwood gets the lowdown on how to find a chic retreat - or start a whole new life in the sun

Published: 11 April 2007

Barcelona is an attractive city for expats

"Were I to get the hell out of England today, I'd probably go to Barcelona - it has all the good things, a good way of life, reasonable weather." So says the diminutive Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone - although, unlike many Britons, he hasn't yet made the move.

There are now 4,721 British households, from singletons to families, living permanently in Barcelona. That's up from 1,094 a decade ago - and the number is rising all the time. The classic expat's property route is to rent in the old town - familiar territory for tourists who throng the city, but also close to areas most sought-after by Britons - and then buy after two or three months sussing out the local market.

Barcelona's estate agents say that most Britons go for a flat around the old town in the Born, Gotico, or newly regenerated Raval areas, or on the beachfront. Those who know Barcelona well and have a slightly larger budget want a flat or house in the more expensive and elegant Eixample or Zona Alta areas.

Prices are not low in any part of the market - this city is, after all, the most expensive in Spain. The average Barcelona home costs €624,000 (£425,000), some 56 per cent above the figure for Spain generally. Kyero.com, a sales website that measures asking prices, says that a typical one-bedroom flat within the city is €327,500 (£223,000), and a two-bedroom flat €500,000 (£340,000). You'll need €613,000 (£417,000) for the average three-bedroom home. Move on to a four-bedroom house and you must pay €916,050 (£624,000), while a five-bedroom property will set you back a cool €1.2m (£817,000). continue...

Neocons and nepotism? Sex, money & the fall of Wolfowitz

The man affectionately known as 'Wolfie' by George Bush has struggled to make friends in his new job as the head of the World Bank. Now his staff are accusing him of lavishing promotions and pay rises on his girlfriend

By Rupert Cornwell
Published: 11 April 2007

For a mild-mannered and scrupulously polite man, Paul Wolfowitz has a remarkable knack of attracting controversy. There are the minuscule controversies - such as when, in his current incarnation as President of the World Bank, he was seen to have holes in his socks when he took off the mandatory slippers after a visit to a mosque in Turkey earlier this year. Was this handsomely paid international civil servant such a cheapskate that he wouldn't shell out a few dollars for some new socks?

Then of course there are somewhat more serious controversies, among them the war in Iraq, of which Wolfowitz, then deputy Secretary of Defence, was one of the most enthusiastic advocates and principal architects.

Wolfowitz, it will be remembered, fervently believed that the American invaders would be hailed as liberators, and that the occupation would require no more than 100,000 troops at most. These surely rank as two of the more disastrous military misjudgements of recent times.

And now he is in yet more trouble, this time over the promotion and lavish pay rises accorded to his partner, a former senior employee of the Bank. Shaha Riza is a British national of Libyan ancestry who grew up in Saudi Arabia. She and Wolfowitz have been together since his previous marriage broke down in 2001. Indeed, her strong belief in bringing democracy to the Arab world is said to have only strengthened her partner's determination to confer that boon on Iraq. continue...

The Big Question: Does dieting really work, and will it endanger your health?

By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Published: 11 April 2007

Why ask this now?
Fighting the flab may not only be pointless - it could be dangerous, too, according to one of the largest studies of the effects of dieting, published yesterday.

The review of 30 research papers involving thousands of slimmers found that though many of them succeed in shedding pounds while dieting, they pile the weight back on as soon as they stop, with most ending up heavier than they did to start with.

The University of California scientists who conducted the review, published in the journal American Psychologist, say this kind of yo-yo dieting may also be damaging to health. Research has shown repeated rapid weight gain and loss may increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and premature death. continue...

Robert Fisk: Divide and rule - America's plan for Baghdad

Revealed: a new counter-insurgency strategy to carve up the city into sealed areas. The tactic failed in Vietnam. So what chance does it have in Iraq?
 
Published: 11 April 2007

Faced with an ever-more ruthless insurgency in Baghdad - despite President George Bush's "surge" in troops - US forces in the city are now planning a massive and highly controversial counter-insurgency operation that will seal off vast areas of the city, enclosing whole neighbourhoods with barricades and allowing only Iraqis with newly issued ID cards to enter.

The campaign of "gated communities" - whose genesis was in the Vietnam War - will involve up to 30 of the city's 89 official districts and will be the most ambitious counter-insurgency programme yet mounted by the US in Iraq.

The system has been used - and has spectacularly failed - in the past, and its inauguration in Iraq is as much a sign of American desperation at the country's continued descent into civil conflict as it is of US determination to "win" the war against an Iraqi insurgency that has cost the lives of more than 3,200 American troops. The system of "gating" areas under foreign occupation failed during the French war against FLN insurgents in Algeria and again during the American war in Vietnam. Israel has employed similar practices during its occupation of Palestinian territory - again, with little success.

But the campaign has far wider military ambitions than the pacification of Baghdad. It now appears that the US military intends to place as many as five mechanised brigades - comprising about 40,000 men - south and east of Baghdad, at least three of them positioned between the capital and the Iranian border. This would present Iran with a powerful - and potentially aggressive - American military force close to its border in the event of a US or Israeli military strike against its nuclear facilities later this year. continue...

In Overture to Iran, Qaddafi Declares North Africa Shi'ite and Calls for Establishment of New Fatimid State

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1535
April, 6th 2007 - No.1535

On March 31, 2007, Libyan leader Mu'ammar Qaddafi called, in a speech in Niger to Tuareg tribal leaders, for the establishment of a second Shi'ite Fatimid state in North Africa, after the model of the 10th-13th century empire that ruled North Africa, Egypt, and parts of the Fertile Crescent. In his speech, Qaddafi denounced the division of Muslims into Sunni and Shi'ite as a colonialist plot, and rebuked the Arab League members for "hating Iran."

At the beginning of the month, on March 1, 2007 - the eve of the anniversary of the coup that brought the Libyan Free Officers to power - Qaddafi gave a speech in which he denied the existence of a non-Arab Berber people (this also being a colonialist plot), provoking protest among Berbers and supporters of minority rights in the Middle East and North Africa. continue...

Lessons of Heart Disease, Learned and Ignored

---

April 8, 2007

By GINA KOLATA

Keith Orr thought he would surprise his doctor when he came for a checkup.

His doctor had told him to have a weight-loss operation to reduce the amount of food his stomach could hold, worried because Mr. Orr, at 6 feet 2 inches, weighed 278 pounds. He also had a blood sugar level so high he was on the verge of diabetes and a strong family history of early death from heart attacks. And Mr. Orr, who is 44, had already had a heart attack in 1998 when he was 35.

But Mr. Orr had a secret plan. He had been quietly dieting and exercising for four months and lost 45 pounds. He envisioned himself proudly telling his doctor what he had done, sure his tests would show a huge drop in his blood sugar and cholesterol levels. He planned to confess that he had also stopped taking all of his prescription drugs for heart disease.

After all, he reasoned, with his improved diet and exercise, he no longer needed the drugs. And, anyway, he had never taken his medications regularly, so stopping altogether would not make much difference, he decided.

But the surprise was not what Mr. Orr had anticipated. On Feb. 6, one week before the appointment with his doctor, Mr. Orr was working out at a gym near his home in Boston when he felt a tightness in his chest. It was the start of a massive heart attack, with the sort of blockage in an artery that doctors call the widow-maker.

He survived, miraculously, with little or no damage to his heart. But his story illustrates the reasons that heart disease still kills more Americans than any other disease, as it has for nearly a century.

Medical research has revealed enough about the causes and prevention of heart attacks that they could be nearly eliminated. Yet nearly 16 million Americans are living with coronary heart disease, and nearly half a million die from it each year. continue...

A foul trap for all the cyber-innocents

Published: 10 April 2007

I woke up on Easter Sunday, and checked my email. I found some MySpace friend requests, which I felt I should reply to, and then checked my profile on Facebook, where I saw I had been invited to join Twitter, so I clicked on the link and then ... Well, by the time I logged out it was almost Easter Monday. Christ had died and risen and all I had done was approve a few friend requests and deleted an inane message from a man from Oregon. And lo, I was filled with a great hatred of the online networking community.

Joining Facebook is a bit like applying a leech to your lifeblood. This is a social networking site with more than 10 million members worldwide, which only goes to show what danger there is in numbers. You begin casually, just browsing. But you can't browse unless you start a profile. A "profile". It sounds so simple, so effortless. Be warned! This is the end of bank holidays spent in the sunshine, chasing rabbits and watching little things grow. It is the beginning of myopia, agoraphobia and days in the dark in your pyjamas.

But because you are a cyber-innocent, you create a "profile". As you do so, it sucks all the addresses out of your email account, so that you can be in touch with all the people you are already in touch with, but on a parallel internet site. Instead of one account to keep on top of, you now have two to check; more, if, like me you are fool enough to log into more than one different networking group. Can you smell the stench of futility that hangs over the whole system yet? continue...

The most crucial contest for a generation

Published: 10 April 2007

France's presidential campaign seems to have been in progress for months, but it has only begun officially this week. The pace now becomes frenetic, as candidates criss-cross the country. Posters, election broadcasts and mass rallies now all come into play.

Of the 12 candidates registered, only four have a chance of reaching the second round. The others, representing the further reaches of left and right, the urban and rural, can be enjoyed as features of the rich landscape of French politics. Their only bearing on the first-round result will be in the votes they deflect from the main candidates. The bitter lesson of five years ago, when too many Socialist voters stayed at home, propelling the far-right candidate into the second round, has probably been learnt. We suspect fewer voters will select the "exotic" options on 22 April.

But it is not only the wrenching experience of five years ago that defines this election. After 12 years under Jacques Chirac, France stands at a crossroads, and voters know that. They are disillusioned, but unsure of how France needs to change. They are treating this election with deadly seriousness. This is the other reason why there may be fewer "exotic" votes. It is also why so many - almost 40 per cent - say that even at this late stage they have not yet made their choice. continue...

Independent Online Edition > Magazines

Independent Educational Publishing produces a diverse portfolio of magazines for schools, colleges, and universities. These encompass all age groups, from 14- to 21-year-old students to careers advisers, parents and professionals. Publications include: School Leaver; Which Course; Fresh (for postgraduate students); The Guide; Career Driven (motor industry careers); and Retail Therapy (retail careers). Below you can find articles from these six magazines

 

Click here for the emagazine version of Careers Advisor

http://education.independent.co.uk/magazines/http://education.independent.co.uk/magazines/

Spin machines then and now

Charles Nevin
Published: 10 April 2007

Britishness, we note, is much discussed. Indeed, the very existence of our national characteristics is under attack. Many Britons, though, believe in them, and would judge them to encompass a certain attractive reticence, a nicely understated sense of humour and an unabating interest in the weather.

But there are others which I trust will also find their way into the new Britishness tests, including a strong commercial instinct (as recognised by both Napoleon Bonaparte and the current Ministry of Defence), a penchant for small wars and sport, a talent for invention and fabled shortcomings in the catering department. continue...

A cheerless anniversary in a broken country

Published: 10 April 2007

In one sense, Tony Blair and George Bush could draw comfort from yesterday's scene in Najaf. There they were, tens of thousands of Iraqis marching peacefully on the fourth anniversary of the day when a crowd in Baghdad toppled the statue of Saddam Hussein.

Surely, Blairite spokesmen will say, this is evidence of the new Middle Eastern democracy we fought for. Could such a demonstration have taken place under the old regime? Of course not. Never mind that the rally was bitterly anti-American, reflecting the sentiments of its absent mastermind, Muqtada al-Sadr. That's what democracy is all about.

The freedom to hold rallies apart, this is a doleful, cheerless anniversary. Even if we accept that the sight of the statue of the Iraqi dictator crashing down was more choreographed than we then realised, the gap between the hopes raised on 9 April 2004 and reality four years on is shocking. It is not simply the sheer number of sectarian killings that numbs the spirit; it is the absence of hope - the lack of any apparent strategy to bring this horror to a close.

Messrs Bush and Blair disagree, pointing to evidence of a lull in sectarian violence in Baghdad as a result of the so-called "surge" in US forces in Iraq. All decent people, whether they backed or opposed the war, must hope this is true for the sake of the long-suffering Iraqis. But the evidence is inconclusive at best, and tends rather to suggest that this last gasp of US military power in Iraq resembles the frantic buzzing of a dying wasp. continue...

Enmities ancient and modern: Britain's forgotten battlefields

As planners and archaeologists fight over the site of a 1066 confrontation which, experts say, may have changed the course of history, Ian Herbert reports on the places that shaped the nation
Published: 10 April 2007

Students who write essays about England's great battle of 20 September 1066 invariably have their dates wrong. They mean 14 October, when King Harold's men were up against the Normans at Hastings - or the engagement at Stamford Bridge, near York, just before it.

The September date does have a significance, though. It marks the Battle of Fulford - the third, forgotten great conflict of that year - and campaigners believe they are on the brink of winning a battle of their own to preserve its site against a 700-home development plan. continue...

The best graduates are now becoming teachers

A new spirit of public service is abroad, and teaching is its purest expression
Published: 10 April 2007 

The annual teacher union conferences at Easter are an unchanged fixture in the school year. Yet look beyond and a quiet revolution is taking place in the classroom. Thanks to a decade of investment and reform, teaching is once again the career of choice for a large proportion of able graduates. Increased education spending has made possible a sizeable expansion of the profession. There are 36,000 more teachers than in 1997, and 92,000 more teaching assistants.

Extra spending has also made possible a 15 per cent real-terms increase in the average teacher salary since 1997, a 26 per cent real increase in the average headteacher salary, the introduction of training bursaries for PGCE students for the first time, extra "golden hellos" for maths and science graduates, and the creation of the National College for School Leadership to train headteachers. continue...

Is your computer a criminal? - The Red Tape Chronicles - MSNBC.com

Posted: Tuesday, March 27 at 04:00 am CT by Bob Sullivan


Kim Carney / MSNBC.com

Your home computer may be committing a crime at this very moment. It might be sending out spam. It might be buying stock as part of a pump-and-dump scheme. Or it might be helping attack the Internet itself, silently and invisibly, as you read this story. And the odds your computer is a criminal are quickly rising. continue....

Offensive or Funny?

Liv Tyler: Tell Me about It

Doctor #1: about Norah Jones: Did you know her father is Ravi Shankar?
Doctor #2: Her mother must be extremely good-looking.

--Doctors' lounge, St. Vincent's Hospital


Overheard by: Danny D

Overheard in New York

NY EVENT: Tonight: 10 Years of South Asian Arts & Activism in NYC

Just heard about this important event, folks. They are still accepting RSVPs... Let your NYC friends know. If you live in another city, this topic might be a trigger for something similarish you might want to do. Or not.

1997: Ten Years of South Asian Arts and Activism in New York City

Monday, April 9
6-8 PM
NYU Kimmel Center
60 Washington Square South
Shorin Performance Studio, Fl.8
New York, NY 10012

RSVP by Friday, April 6 to apa.rsvp@nyu.edu or call 212-992-9653. Visit
www.apa.nyu.edu for more information.

Fifty years after the formation of nuclear-enabled states of India and Pakistan, with New York City's South Asian community reaching a political and artistic critical mass responding to the growing needs of a diverse, vibrant, marginalized community, several art and community organizations were born. Join us for a discussion and reflection on the last ten years of South Asian art and activism with founding members of various organization that were a part of this movement.

Rekha (Panel Curator)
Cultural Producer, Founder Basement Bhangra, Bollywood Disco, Sangament,
co-founder Mutiny
and A/P/A Institute Artist in Resident 2006-07

Deepti Hajela (Moderator)
The Associated Press report, President of
the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA)

Madhulika Khandelwal
Director of The Asian/ American Center at
Queens College, Author Indian In New York City

Sayu Bhojwani
Founder of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!)
and former NYC Immigrant Affairs Commissioner

Fariba Alam
Filmmaker and photographer; director of
the documentary "BANGLA EAST SIDE."
South Asian Women's Collective Board Member

Svati Shah
Youth Solidarity Summer, Assistant Professor/
Faculty Fellow of Social and Cultural Analysis