Misrepresenting what I said during an appearance on Countdown this week, NewsBusters claims that I'm trying to deny Glenn Beck his "constitutionally protected free speech." Wrong. What I said is that words have tremendous power -- they can inspire and they can incite. There's a reason you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater. But even though Glenn Beck is shouting "fire" in a crowded, anxious country, I specifically said that the right response to his steady stream of lies, hate, and race-baiting -- all served up with a not-very-subtle undercurrent of violence -- is to put unrelenting…
Huffington Post
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The Huffington Post | Arianna Huffington
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Sunday Roundup
22 Nov 2009 | 12:55 am -
HuffPost Game Changers: Your Picks for the Ultimate 10
19 Nov 2009 | 7:35 amThree months ago, we asked for your help in picking the HuffPost Game Changers -- 100 innovators, visionaries, and leaders who are harnessing the power of new media to reshape their fields and change the world. You responded with a host of great suggestions. We then began announcing our choices for the top 10 Game Changers in Entertainment, Green, Politics, Style, Business, Sports, Philanthropy, Media, Wellness and Technology -- and asked you to weigh in on who the Ultimate Game Changer is in each category. Again you answered the call, casting over 1.7 million votes. Thank you! Now it's time… -
Memo to Warren Buffett: Put Down the Pom-Poms and Tell Us the Truth About the Economy
16 Nov 2009 | 3:43 pmDifficult times need wise men to tell difficult truths. And, for many years, Warren Buffett, the "Sage of Omaha," has done just that. For example, he was one of the first to sound the alarm about the danger of derivatives, warning in 2003 that they were "financial weapons of mass destruction" that could lead to a "corporate meltdown." So it was deeply distressing to watch his recent CNBC town hall meeting with a group of Columbia business students, followed the next night by an hour spent talking about the economy with Charlie Rose, and see Buffett joining in the economic victory lap the… -
Sunday Roundup
14 Nov 2009 | 7:50 pmPrepare for the latest Palin media onslaught. An hour with Oprah, a multi-parter with Barbara, and appearances all across the country. An initial read shows Going Rogue doesn't reveal much. No surprise there. This isn't about the book, it's about the book tour -- which includes a politically convenient stop in Iowa -- and the money. Besides, it's not like there's much we haven't already learned about Palin since she burst onto the national scene. We even know when her water broke during her last pregnancy. Talk about overexposed. In the end, I expect this will be one of the most mocked books… -
Announcing HuffPost Sports: Let the Games Begin
11 Nov 2009 | 11:09 amLast month, HuffPost launched two new sections that I felt a very deep and personal connection to. Books have been a lifelong passion of mine, and our Impact section, dedicated to service, causes, and giving back, is an idea I've been pursuing in one form or another for over 15 years. Today we are launching another new section, this one covering a subject I have never really cared that much about -- sports. And I couldn't be more excited. Ever since we began adding sections to HuffPost, people have been asking me, when are you going to start covering sports? And when they asked, I could see…
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The Huffington Post | Latest News
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Oregon Beats Arizona, On Track For Rose Bowl
22 Nov 2009 | 1:41 amTUCSON, Ariz. — Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli watched as red-clad Arizona students ringed the sidelines as time ticked down, ready to rush the field. "I saw it and I actually smirked," Masoli said. "It was kind of funny. I wasn't really worried about it." The Ducks' gifted quarterback ruined the celebration in Arizona Stadium and started another one in Eugene. Masoli tied it with a touchdown pass to Ed Dickson with six seconds left, then won it with a 1-yard run in the second overtime as No. 11 Oregon defeated Arizona 44-41 on Saturday night and took a big step toward the Pac-10… -
Texas Blows Out Kansas, Colt McCoy Sets NCAA Wins Record
22 Nov 2009 | 1:19 amAUSTIN, Texas — Colt McCoy fired the cannon. He banged the big drum. Then he left the field to chants of "Colt for Heisman!" There's still plenty of work to do for the quarterback of No. 3 Texas, but for this one last night in front of the home crowd, he was going to have some fun. McCoy passed for 396 yards and four touchdowns, earning his NCAA record 43rd career victory as a starter in a 51-20 win over Kansas and embattled Jayhawks coach Mark Mangino that wrapped up the Longhorns' first Big 12 South title since 2005. "I always love winning," McCoy said. "I'm just so thankful. It's… -
Sacramento Fisherman Arrested In Sea Lion Shooting
21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pmSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities arrested a Sacramento fisherman Saturday in connection to shooting a sea lion in the head. California game wardens said they arrested Larry Allen Legans, 43, on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, negligent discharge of a firearm, and take of a marine mammal. Legans told authorities he grew tired of competing with the protected animals so he fired his 12-gauge shotgun at the sea lion, injuring the creature. "He said he was tired of watching sea lions take his fish," said Warden Patrick Foy. About a half-dozen sea lions have started to spend time… -
Revisiting The Fed's Bailout Of AIG And The Benefits For Goldman Sachs
21 Nov 2009 | 11:12 pmA RAY of sunlight broke through the Washington fog last week when Neil M. Barofsky, special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, published his office's report on the government bailout last year of the American International Group. More on Financial Crisis -
Efren Peñaflorida Wins CNN Hero Of The Year 2009
21 Nov 2009 | 10:59 pmCNN -- Efren Peñaflorida, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.
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The Huffington Post | Most Popular
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If It Were Me, I'd Be Embarrassed
21 Nov 2009 | 10:50 amIt's nice to see that even after the election, conservatives are still playing the "liberal gotcha media" card every time they expose themselves as being shamefully ignorant regarding the issues they care about most. Last Wednesday, a media firestorm erupted after a seventeen-year-old girl named Jackie was interviewed by MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell while standing in line during Sarah Palin's Michigan book signing. Jackie, wearing a shirt that read, "The US government handed out $700 billion in Wall Street bailouts and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," was caught off-guard when O'Donnell informed… -
Pirelli's 2010 Calendar PHOTOS: Topless, Muddy Nudity, And SO Much More (NSFW PICTURES)
21 Nov 2009 | 5:16 amThe 2010 Pirelli Calendar is out, and to celebrate its debut they released the below, undated photos of the models (Daisy Lowe, Lily Cole, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, Marloes Horst, Catherine McNeil, Georgina Stojiljkovic, Enriko Mihalik, and Miranda Kerr) at work with photographer Terry Richardson. There is also Pirelli video from the shoot. Which photo would YOU most want to see hanging in a calendar on your wall? -
Tina Fey Does Sarah Palin At Ad Council Dinner (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pmWhile hosting the Ad Council Annual Dinner Wednesday night, "30 Rock" creator Tina Fey brought back her famous impersonation of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. "Mrs. Palin and I continue to have so much in common," she said. "They recently made a porn movie about Sarah and then this same porn actress, Lisa Ann, played me in a parody of '30 Rock' ... And weirdly of the three of us, Lisa Ann knows the most about foreign policy." "I feel like Sarah Palin right now," she said later, gesturing at her teleprompters. "It's not that hard." She went into her Palin voice, saying, "We'll begin with… -
Palin Booed By Book Tour Crowd
20 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pmUnhappy fans of Sarah Palin went rogue on the Alaska Republican during her book tour stop in Noblesville, Indiana on Thursday. The local Borders outlet had handed out 1,000 wristbands to book purchasers; the wristbands were supposed to procure fans Palin's signature on their hardback copies of "Going Rogue." But several dozen people who had been promised signatures were turned away empty-handed after waiting hours in poor weather, a local news outlet, the Indy Channel, reported. "We gave up our entire workday, stayed in the cold, my kids were crying," one man was quoted saying. "They went… -
30 Rock Goes Green, Al Gore Makes Cameo (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 10:09 amAs part of NBC's Green Week, many programs are incorporating environmental themes into their shows. On this week's 30 Rock, Jack Donaghy gives Kenneth the task of reducing TGS's carbon footprint by 5%. Kenneth first confronts Jenna about her energy-guzzling habits. WATCH: Kenneth then asks Liz to give up her mini-fridge, and watch as she calls out NBC for only doing token green things for Green Week, like making the NBC peacock Green. WATCH: Watch as Kenneth declares Frank The Greenest Person at TGS for his interesting habits. WATCH: Watch this hilarious cameo by Al Gore. WATCH: Get HuffPost…
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John Lundberg: A Big Win For Experimental Poetry
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIf you read a review of Keith Waldrop's "Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy," this year's winner of the National Book Award for Poetry, there's a good chance it will include the word "postmodern" or "avant-garde." These are terms that put a lot of readers on guard, signaling experimental verse. And it only takes a glance at "Transcendental Studies" to see that Waldrop's poetry isn't the sort that will ever turn up in a hallmark card. In an interview with the website The Jivin' Ladybug (we really are in avant-garde territory here) Waldrop suggested that poetry is "having nothing to say and… -
Joseph Sciabbarrasi, M.D.: What You Don't Know About Osteoporosis -- Part 3
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIn this, our final segment on Osteoporosis, let's take a closer look at some of the myths and legends of the effects of eating meat, minerals and proteins and quaffing a pint or two. You can find the two previous segments here. Vegetarians, Carnivores and Osteoporosis While bone mineral density may be a tad or more low in vegetarians, the notable and well documented results are in: vegetarians do not have an increased risk of fractures. Their risk for busting a hip is no better, no worse than those of us who eat meats, even though the vegetarian's diet is typically lower in calcium and some… -
Dana Ullman: Don't Confuse Real Healing With Suppression Of The Disease
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amAnyone who has taken a painkiller certainly knows that there is a big difference between temporary relief and real healing. Even though a person who takes a painkiller may not consciously feel pain, it is widely understood that this relief does not necessarily mean that a "cure" or a “healing” has occurred. And yet, it is surprising how many people think that various conventional drugs have performed some type of miracle just because they provided short-term relief of pain or discomfort. Little do many people know that when a drug “works,” this may be… -
Belleruth Naparstek: The Fort Hood Shooter Didn't Have PTSD, So Can We Please Stop Insulting People with Posttraumatic Stress?
22 Nov 2009 | 3:28 amIt’s always good to see public discussion about posttraumatic stress and elevated concern for the health and welfare of our troops. But, just between you and me, I don’t think the events at Fort Hood had anything to do with posttraumatic stress. First, because the alleged shooter didn’t have PTSD, And second, because it’s an insult to people with PTSD, most of whom function very well in spite of their ugly symptoms, to compare them with this alleged perp. People with posttraumatic stress rarely shoot anyone, period, and on the rare occasion that they do,… -
Arianna Huffington: Sunday Roundup
22 Nov 2009 | 12:55 amMisrepresenting what I said during an appearance on Countdown this week, NewsBusters claims that I'm trying to deny Glenn Beck his "constitutionally protected free speech." Wrong. What I said is that words have tremendous power -- they can inspire and they can incite. There's a reason you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater. But even though Glenn Beck is shouting "fire" in a crowded, anxious country, I specifically said that the right response to his steady stream of lies, hate, and race-baiting -- all served up with a not-very-subtle undercurrent of violence -- is to put unrelenting…
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The Huffington Post | Full News Feed
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John Lundberg: A Big Win For Experimental Poetry
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIf you read a review of Keith Waldrop's "Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy," this year's winner of the National Book Award for Poetry, there's a good chance it will include the word "postmodern" or "avant-garde." These are terms that put a lot of readers on guard, signaling experimental verse. And it only takes a glance at "Transcendental Studies" to see that Waldrop's poetry isn't the sort that will ever turn up in a hallmark card. In an interview with the website The Jivin' Ladybug (we really are in avant-garde territory here) Waldrop suggested that poetry is "having nothing to say and… -
Joseph Sciabbarrasi, M.D.: What You Don't Know About Osteoporosis -- Part 3
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIn this, our final segment on Osteoporosis, let's take a closer look at some of the myths and legends of the effects of eating meat, minerals and proteins and quaffing a pint or two. You can find the two previous segments here. Vegetarians, Carnivores and Osteoporosis While bone mineral density may be a tad or more low in vegetarians, the notable and well documented results are in: vegetarians do not have an increased risk of fractures. Their risk for busting a hip is no better, no worse than those of us who eat meats, even though the vegetarian's diet is typically lower in calcium and some… -
Dana Ullman: Don't Confuse Real Healing With Suppression Of The Disease
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amAnyone who has taken a painkiller certainly knows that there is a big difference between temporary relief and real healing. Even though a person who takes a painkiller may not consciously feel pain, it is widely understood that this relief does not necessarily mean that a "cure" or a “healing” has occurred. And yet, it is surprising how many people think that various conventional drugs have performed some type of miracle just because they provided short-term relief of pain or discomfort. Little do many people know that when a drug “works,” this may be… -
Belleruth Naparstek: The Fort Hood Shooter Didn't Have PTSD, So Can We Please Stop Insulting People with Posttraumatic Stress?
22 Nov 2009 | 3:28 amIt’s always good to see public discussion about posttraumatic stress and elevated concern for the health and welfare of our troops. But, just between you and me, I don’t think the events at Fort Hood had anything to do with posttraumatic stress. First, because the alleged shooter didn’t have PTSD, And second, because it’s an insult to people with PTSD, most of whom function very well in spite of their ugly symptoms, to compare them with this alleged perp. People with posttraumatic stress rarely shoot anyone, period, and on the rare occasion that they do,… -
Oregon Beats Arizona, On Track For Rose Bowl
22 Nov 2009 | 1:41 amTUCSON, Ariz. — Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli watched as red-clad Arizona students ringed the sidelines as time ticked down, ready to rush the field. "I saw it and I actually smirked," Masoli said. "It was kind of funny. I wasn't really worried about it." The Ducks' gifted quarterback ruined the celebration in Arizona Stadium and started another one in Eugene. Masoli tied it with a touchdown pass to Ed Dickson with six seconds left, then won it with a 1-yard run in the second overtime as No. 11 Oregon defeated Arizona 44-41 on Saturday night and took a big step toward the Pac-10…
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The Huffington Post | Featured Posts
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Arianna Huffington: Sunday Roundup
22 Nov 2009 | 12:55 amMisrepresenting what I said during an appearance on Countdown this week, NewsBusters claims that I'm trying to deny Glenn Beck his "constitutionally protected free speech." Wrong. What I said is that words have tremendous power -- they can inspire and they can incite. There's a reason you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater. But even though Glenn Beck is shouting "fire" in a crowded, anxious country, I specifically said that the right response to his steady stream of lies, hate, and race-baiting -- all served up with a not-very-subtle undercurrent of violence -- is to put unrelenting… -
Esther Wojcicki: Creative Commons In 2009: The Accomplishments In Promoting Worldwide Sharing
21 Nov 2009 | 3:19 pmEducation is the pathway out of poverty and Creative Commons (CC) licensing makes it possible to share educational materials (and all creative works) online for free. Their impact worldwide is significant. The licenses allow for legal sharing of text, video, photos, audio, art, music online using one of six free licenses. The annual Creative Commons (CC) campaign is now in full swing and WhippleHill is providing a matching grant for every dollar donated. Please consider donating, even small amounts! Here are some of the important changes that have taken place in 2009 with the help of Creative… -
Bernard-Henri Lévy: We Must Replay the Match
21 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pmNo, American friends, France is not a country of "cheaters." And the affair of Thierry Henry's hand, the scandal of the France-Ireland game that we won, but should have lost, has outraged many in Paris. Today I am publishing on the website of my magazine "La Règle du Jeu" the point of view of one of France's greatest businessmen, Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere. He is the Chairman of Fimalac; the head of the Fitch rating agency; and he is also, most of all, the director of the oldest French review, La Revue des deux Mondes. All this to say that his opinion carries a lot of weight. Here is his… -
Kevin Ross: Does This Black Republican Understand Sarah Palin's Appeal? You Betcha!
21 Nov 2009 | 11:14 amThis was the post that started it: "Many of you know I'm a Republican. Before I give you my thoughts, however, I'm curious to know what you guys REALLY think of former Alaska Governor and GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin?" Who could have imagined that this question would elicit such an avalanche of insightful, hilarious, disturbing, and outrageous comments from many of my African American Facebook friends? I certainly couldn't. But I completely understand why the controversial political vixen is "Going Rogue"... all the way to the bank. Having been on Facebook now for almost two years, I have… -
Dan Agin: How It Was: The Year After the Crash of 1929
21 Nov 2009 | 10:18 amThe reality is that since our Great Recession is only a year old, it may be silly to interpret every upward blip as a sign that it's almost finished. The Great Depression lasted ten years, and probably ended only as a result of the economic pump-priming that occurred as we prepared for the Second World War. The Great Depression and the Great Recession are failures of the free market system, and without serious change in the way we do business in America, catastrophic crashes will certainly occur again down the road. Meanwhile, we need to take the history of the Great Depression seriously.
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The Huffington Post | HuffPolitics
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Senator Says Loophole In Derivatives Regulation Undermines Reform
20 Nov 2009 | 11:23 amThe effort to impose new restrictions on the financial system falls short of true reform if there's a gigantic loophole for foreign exchange derivatives, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said Thursday. "Most people who write about the 'comprehensive reform' -- they're missing the point, which is, you've got to have derivatives regulation," she said in an interview with the Huffington Post. And indeed, bills being considered in Congress would bring transparency and accountability to the complex and opaque derivatives contracts that nearly brought down the financial markets last year -- by forcing… -
GOP Needs Six Weeks To Debate Health Care Bill That All Republicans Will Oppose
20 Nov 2009 | 8:39 amSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) argued last Sunday that Republicans deserve at least six additional weeks to consider health care reform before letting the bill come to a vote. But on Friday, his top lieutenant said the entire GOP has already made up its mind on the legislation. Appearing on Fox News Friday morning, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) insisted that "every single Republican will oppose" even debating health care reform because "they know it will only get worse." "None of the things that they like about the bill will get better; and the things they object to would take 60… -
Rahm Emanuel 'Bedeviling' News Organizations With His Name
20 Nov 2009 | 7:28 amNPR Ombudsman Alicia Shepard makes note of the curious way that news organizations choose to identify White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, whose very name is like a dead fish mailed to everyone's style guide: ...when he's quoted or mentioned on radio, TV, or print, reporters and anchors generally identify him on first reference as Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. But for some reason -- most likely his unusual first name -- news organizations are conflicted on how to identify Emanuel on the second reference. Standard news editorial practice across the board is to give a person's full name on… -
Rep. Steve King: KSM Trial Will Lead To Domestic Terrorists And U.S Deaths
20 Nov 2009 | 6:55 amNever one to shy away from hyperbole, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) insisted on Friday that the Department of Justice's decision to try terrorist suspects in civilian court will result in a growth in domestic terrorism and the increased likelihood of American deaths. Speaking on a conference call with reporters, the Iowa Republican called the Attorney General's decision to try five suspected terrorists, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, in federal court in New York an incomprehensible legal and national security blunder. "It's a complete show trial that will recruit al Qaeda all over the world,"… -
National Republican Congressional Committee Caught Misleading With Ellipses Again
20 Nov 2009 | 5:59 amThe good people over at the National Republican Campaign Committee have a favorite punctuation mark, called the ellipsis. And they enjoy using it, mainly to make strategic truncations in a piece of text to make it look as if it says something completely different from its author's original intent. For example, the NRCC could take a movie review that read, "Gigli is a great big sack of audible farts," and repackage it as "Gigli is great...audible." Or, as they did back in September, they could make Representative Tom Periello appear as if he was intimating that all of the constituents he…
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The Huffington Post | Politics
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Arianna Huffington: Sunday Roundup
22 Nov 2009 | 12:55 amMisrepresenting what I said during an appearance on Countdown this week, NewsBusters claims that I'm trying to deny Glenn Beck his "constitutionally protected free speech." Wrong. What I said is that words have tremendous power -- they can inspire and they can incite. There's a reason you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater. But even though Glenn Beck is shouting "fire" in a crowded, anxious country, I specifically said that the right response to his steady stream of lies, hate, and race-baiting -- all served up with a not-very-subtle undercurrent of violence -- is to put unrelenting… -
Mitchell Bard: It's Too Early to Celebrate the Senate Health Care Vote
21 Nov 2009 | 7:56 pmI swear, I find no no joy in being Debbie Downer. I really wish I could celebrate the Senate's 60-39 vote to begin the debate on health care legislation, narrowly holding off the blocking tactic of the Republicans. I am 100 percent in favor of health care reform (I'm a fan of Rep. Anthony Weiner's proposal to extend Medicare to everyone). But a realistic view of what happened (and what has happened leading up to the vote) reveals far more things to be concerned about than to cheer for. For starters, to get to an up-or-down vote on the final bill in the Senate, this 60-vote procedural hurdle… -
Linda Bergthold: Some Good News About Health Reform
21 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pmYou may feel daunted by the number of pages in these health reform bills, not to mention the legislative language that is often impossible to decipher. But here are some important provisions in the new Senate Health Care bill that you should know about. The White House Blog has highlighted a few, and I have made some comments in "plain English" about what they might mean for you (my comments under the highlighted White House language). Before we get into these provisions, you should know that this is far from the final version, so don't get too excited about it. The bill will change as it is… -
Michael B. Laskoff: Glenn Beck For Governor
21 Nov 2009 | 6:42 pmI first became aware of Glenn Beck in a sort of backhanded way. He was already well on his way to capturing the hearts of conservative America with his nationally syndicated radio show, but not yet a pillar of Fox News. At the time, I was working on a book about business leaders with ADHD (ADD), and a friend directed me to an interview that Beck had recorded with Ty Pennington, host of Extreme Home Makeover. As I learned, both have ADHD and take medication to help manage the condition. As someone with the condition, who also takes Vyvanse (an ADHD medication), and was writing a book, I was… -
Linda Buzzell: Integrating the Best Ideas from Left and Right
21 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pmAs a psychotherapist I've done my share of counseling squabbling couples and have learned to listen carefully to both partners in any dispute, looking for common ground to build on. Lately I've begun to apply this method to politics, with some fascinating results. As I put aside my own particular political taste (progressive/green) and work at being as objective in following the news as I am in the counseling room, I have started to realize that each side of our current polarized society has some really valid ideas that the other refuses to hear. When people aren't heard, they often scream…
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The Huffington Post | Politics Blog
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Arianna Huffington: Sunday Roundup
22 Nov 2009 | 12:55 amMisrepresenting what I said during an appearance on Countdown this week, NewsBusters claims that I'm trying to deny Glenn Beck his "constitutionally protected free speech." Wrong. What I said is that words have tremendous power -- they can inspire and they can incite. There's a reason you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater. But even though Glenn Beck is shouting "fire" in a crowded, anxious country, I specifically said that the right response to his steady stream of lies, hate, and race-baiting -- all served up with a not-very-subtle undercurrent of violence -- is to put unrelenting… -
Mitchell Bard: It's Too Early to Celebrate the Senate Health Care Vote
21 Nov 2009 | 7:56 pmI swear, I find no no joy in being Debbie Downer. I really wish I could celebrate the Senate's 60-39 vote to begin the debate on health care legislation, narrowly holding off the blocking tactic of the Republicans. I am 100 percent in favor of health care reform (I'm a fan of Rep. Anthony Weiner's proposal to extend Medicare to everyone). But a realistic view of what happened (and what has happened leading up to the vote) reveals far more things to be concerned about than to cheer for. For starters, to get to an up-or-down vote on the final bill in the Senate, this 60-vote procedural hurdle… -
Linda Bergthold: Some Good News About Health Reform
21 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pmYou may feel daunted by the number of pages in these health reform bills, not to mention the legislative language that is often impossible to decipher. But here are some important provisions in the new Senate Health Care bill that you should know about. The White House Blog has highlighted a few, and I have made some comments in "plain English" about what they might mean for you (my comments under the highlighted White House language). Before we get into these provisions, you should know that this is far from the final version, so don't get too excited about it. The bill will change as it is… -
Michael B. Laskoff: Glenn Beck For Governor
21 Nov 2009 | 6:42 pmI first became aware of Glenn Beck in a sort of backhanded way. He was already well on his way to capturing the hearts of conservative America with his nationally syndicated radio show, but not yet a pillar of Fox News. At the time, I was working on a book about business leaders with ADHD (ADD), and a friend directed me to an interview that Beck had recorded with Ty Pennington, host of Extreme Home Makeover. As I learned, both have ADHD and take medication to help manage the condition. As someone with the condition, who also takes Vyvanse (an ADHD medication), and was writing a book, I was… -
Linda Buzzell: Integrating the Best Ideas from Left and Right
21 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pmAs a psychotherapist I've done my share of counseling squabbling couples and have learned to listen carefully to both partners in any dispute, looking for common ground to build on. Lately I've begun to apply this method to politics, with some fascinating results. As I put aside my own particular political taste (progressive/green) and work at being as objective in following the news as I am in the counseling room, I have started to realize that each side of our current polarized society has some really valid ideas that the other refuses to hear. When people aren't heard, they often scream…
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The Huffington Post | Politics Latest News
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Glenn Beck As Political Organizer: Fox News Host Sponsoring 7 Conventions
21 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pmGlenn Beck, the popular and outspoken Fox News host, says he wants to go beyond broadcasting his opinions and start rallying his political base -- formerly known as his audience -- to take action. -
Sealed With A Kiss: Dems Unite To Beat GOP Filibuster
21 Nov 2009 | 7:25 pmHarry Reid sealed the biggest legislative victory of his career Saturday night with a kiss. And then a hug. Emotionally reserved doesn't begin to describe the Senate majority leader, a Democrat facing reelection in Nevada. Yet the man was beaming as the members of his caucus left the Senate floor, each one of them having given him their support, leaving him with exactly the 60 VOTES he needed to overcome a filibuster and move to an official floor debate on landmark health care reform legislation. Three of those votes had been uncertain up until the last two days, until Sens. Mary Landrieu… -
Senate Votes To Debate Health Care Reform Bill
21 Nov 2009 | 5:23 pmWASHINGTON — Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare. The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care… -
Senator Debbie Stabenow Tells Benjamin French's Story During Senate Debate
21 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pmIn the debate Saturday about whether to debate the Democratic health care reform bill in the Senate, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) capped her comments on health care reform with brief profiles of two real people who need the system to change. One was 12-year-old Benjamin French, the subject of a recent story from HuffPost Investigative Fund: Benjamin French was born with his right arm missing below the elbow. In his 12 years, he has been fitted with seven prostheses. His most recent replacement will cost nearly $30,000 and his doctor says he will soon grow out of it. But, according to his… -
Democrats Are United -- For Now
21 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pmThe Senate has voted to move forward with the health care bill. The vote was 60-39 in favor of debating the bill put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. At least for the moment, Democrats are united behind Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). All 60 members of the party's caucus have publicly pledged to back him in key vote on the Senate floor Saturday night -- this one to allow debate to proceed on Reid's health care reform bill. But that unity may not last. "That was the easy part. Now it's only going to get tougher from here on out," Reid spokesman Jim Manley told…
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The Huffington Post | Media Posts
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David Vines: If It Were Me, I'd Be Embarrassed
21 Nov 2009 | 10:50 amIt's nice to see that even after the election, conservatives are still playing the "liberal gotcha media" card every time they expose themselves as being shamefully ignorant regarding the issues they care about most. Last Wednesday, a media firestorm erupted after a seventeen-year-old girl named Jackie was interviewed by MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell while standing in line during Sarah Palin's Michigan book signing. Jackie, wearing a shirt that read, "The US government handed out $700 billion in Wall Street bailouts and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," was caught off-guard when O'Donnell informed… -
Rachel Sklar: New Moon Mania! Twilight Saga Characters And Their Media Matches
20 Nov 2009 | 1:22 pmTwilight is upon us! From the frenzy surrounding the release of the second movie in the smalltown-teen-vampire-romance series, you'd think someone had opened a vein. The books in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series — Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn — have sold over 85 million copies — a rare home run these days for the publishing industry. The first film, grossed over $385 million domestically, making Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson household names (or, at least households with teenage girls in them), and making the smallish Summit Entertainment a sudden… -
Robert David Jaffee: The Insanity of the Insanity Defense
20 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pmAt the end of the Charles Bronson film, 10 to Midnight, a serial killer, who has just been apprehended, reverts to a variation of the same plea uttered by Andy Robinson's psychopath in Dirty Harry and Leo Gorcey's punk in Dead End: "society made me do it." Like Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, Bronson, in his post-Death Wish vigilante mode, then shoots the killer dead. No one expects such rough justice to be administered to mass murderers or serial criminals in real life. Yet they still plead insanity as their defense, even though most of us are unlikely to believe them. Surprisingly, some of… -
Glynnis MacNicol: A Palin/Beck Ticket In 2012? The Mind Reels
20 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amObviously, unless sometime between now and 2012 there occurs a rip in the space-time continuum and the country slips into an alternate reality, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck will not be running on a joint ticket for the presidency. But let's speculate anyway. The (sort of inevitable, considering their popularity) topic of a Palin/Beck 2012 was first broached in a Newsmax interview with Palin on Tuesday: "I can envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I'm not there yet," Palin tells… -
David Sirota: How the Media's Proud Know-Nothingism Helped Create the American Idiocracy
20 Nov 2009 | 9:49 amThe term "idiocracy" means a nation run by idiots - and the term idiot is defined as "an utterly foolish or senseless person" and/or a "person of the lowest order in a former classification of mental retardation, having a mental age of less than three years old." There are many reasons to conclude that America has become a full-fledged Idiocracy - bad decisions after bad decisions after bad decisions really have suggested that the last decade has seen the ascension of utterly foolish, senseless people of the lowest order in a former classification of mental retardation. And yet, as I show in…
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The Huffington Post | Media Blog
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David Vines: If It Were Me, I'd Be Embarrassed
21 Nov 2009 | 10:50 amIt's nice to see that even after the election, conservatives are still playing the "liberal gotcha media" card every time they expose themselves as being shamefully ignorant regarding the issues they care about most. Last Wednesday, a media firestorm erupted after a seventeen-year-old girl named Jackie was interviewed by MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell while standing in line during Sarah Palin's Michigan book signing. Jackie, wearing a shirt that read, "The US government handed out $700 billion in Wall Street bailouts and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," was caught off-guard when O'Donnell informed… -
Rachel Sklar: New Moon Mania! Twilight Saga Characters And Their Media Matches
20 Nov 2009 | 1:22 pmTwilight is upon us! From the frenzy surrounding the release of the second movie in the smalltown-teen-vampire-romance series, you'd think someone had opened a vein. The books in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series — Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn — have sold over 85 million copies — a rare home run these days for the publishing industry. The first film, grossed over $385 million domestically, making Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson household names (or, at least households with teenage girls in them), and making the smallish Summit Entertainment a sudden… -
Robert David Jaffee: The Insanity of the Insanity Defense
20 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pmAt the end of the Charles Bronson film, 10 to Midnight, a serial killer, who has just been apprehended, reverts to a variation of the same plea uttered by Andy Robinson's psychopath in Dirty Harry and Leo Gorcey's punk in Dead End: "society made me do it." Like Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, Bronson, in his post-Death Wish vigilante mode, then shoots the killer dead. No one expects such rough justice to be administered to mass murderers or serial criminals in real life. Yet they still plead insanity as their defense, even though most of us are unlikely to believe them. Surprisingly, some of… -
Glynnis MacNicol: A Palin/Beck Ticket In 2012? The Mind Reels
20 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amObviously, unless sometime between now and 2012 there occurs a rip in the space-time continuum and the country slips into an alternate reality, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck will not be running on a joint ticket for the presidency. But let's speculate anyway. The (sort of inevitable, considering their popularity) topic of a Palin/Beck 2012 was first broached in a Newsmax interview with Palin on Tuesday: "I can envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I'm not there yet," Palin tells… -
David Sirota: How the Media's Proud Know-Nothingism Helped Create the American Idiocracy
20 Nov 2009 | 9:49 amThe term "idiocracy" means a nation run by idiots - and the term idiot is defined as "an utterly foolish or senseless person" and/or a "person of the lowest order in a former classification of mental retardation, having a mental age of less than three years old." There are many reasons to conclude that America has become a full-fledged Idiocracy - bad decisions after bad decisions after bad decisions really have suggested that the last decade has seen the ascension of utterly foolish, senseless people of the lowest order in a former classification of mental retardation. And yet, as I show in…
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The Huffington Post | Media Latest News
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Glenn Beck As Political Organizer: Fox News Host Sponsoring 7 Conventions
21 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pmGlenn Beck, the popular and outspoken Fox News host, says he wants to go beyond broadcasting his opinions and start rallying his political base -- formerly known as his audience -- to take action. -
Fred Schulte, Senior Reporter For HuffPost Investigative Fund, Talks Digitizing Medical Records On NPR (AUDIO)
21 Nov 2009 | 9:56 amFred Schulte, a senior reporter for the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, talked with NPR's Scott Simon Saturday morning about the overlooked technology companies that stand to make huge profits in the push to digitize the nation's medical records. "The government's $45 billion plan to jump-start a national shift to electronic medical records has touched off a gold rush among scores of technology firms - even as many experts question whether the benefits of the products are being oversold," Schulte writes in an article on the digitization of medical records, on the Huffington Post… -
Bill Moyers Plays LBJ Tapes, Draws Similarities With Obama And Afghanistan War
21 Nov 2009 | 9:13 amOn Friday night, Bill Moyers played clips from the Lyndon B. Johnson tapes on his PBS television show. Moyers drew correlations between the factors facing President Johnson in his decision to send more troops to Vietnam, and President Obama's conundrum with respect to the war in Afghanistan. From his closing statement: Now in a different world, at a different time, and with a different president, we face the prospect of enlarging a different war. But once again we're fighting in remote provinces against an enemy who can bleed us slowly and wait us out, because he will still be there when we… -
Chris Matthews Criticizes Obama Using Cheney's "Dithering" Remark (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 7:41 pmOn Friday night's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews, MSNBC host Matthews took a page out of Dick Cheney's book and accused the president of "dithering" over Afghanistan. "President Obama has his chin out on just about every hot issue out there. Health care. Terror trials. Job losses." Matthews began. He then launched a series of aggressive questions going after many of the president's recent decisions. "Is he just too darned intellectual? Too much the egghead? Why did he bow to that Japanese emperor? Why did he pick Tim Geithner to be his economic front-man? Why all this dithering over… -
Bill Clinton Blasts Olbermann For Politicizing Health Care Event, Refuses To Go
20 Nov 2009 | 7:01 pmOn Friday, Bill Clinton decided not to attend a health care event organized by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann because Olbermann had "politicized" the event. He explained his decision to FireDogLake's Eve Gittelso, who ran into Clinton in a gift shop of the Clinton Library in Arkansas: "Clinton responded that Olbermann was politicizing the clinic, and that it wasn't helpful for Olbermann to do that. He said he did not feel he could show up now, because the event had turned political....Olbermann, who has invited his viewers to contribute to the National Association of Free Clinics in advance of…
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The Huffington Post | Business Posts
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Michael J. Panzner: Economists: Wrong Again
21 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pmAs if they didn't cause enough damage by espousing theories that failed to account for the inefficiencies and irrationalities of the real world, many economists are advocating aggressive spend-and-borrow policies to revive the financial crisis-hit U.S. economy that reflect an astonishing degree of naïveté and ivory tower hubris. In a word, the Keynesian Kool-Aid drinkers are saying that debt doesn't matter. As I see it, there are plenty of reasons to challenge the apparent indifference of Paul Krugman, Dean Baker, James Kwak, and others to the parabolic rise in public debt,… -
Ruth Sherman: What Artists Could Teach Goldman Sachs
21 Nov 2009 | 10:44 amSchool arts programs are again under assault, having, in many cases, never recovered from past cutbacks. At the same time, Goldman Sachs has image problems its chief, Lloyd Blankfein, did not anticipate, cannot identify with and continues to exacerbate. These matters are linked; one begets the other. In recent decades, the educational establishment, with the support and succor of government and business, has toiled to develop a curriculum that produces "leaders" or at least a capable workforce. Academic subjects reign, while arts programs of all kinds have been decimated. But there is much… -
Pat Earley: It is Not Our Parents Workplace Anymore
21 Nov 2009 | 9:39 amToday's workplace is not the same as our parent's traditional workplace where a high school education and a willingness to work was a ticket to success. For a majority of our parents, their employment expectations included full-time employment with a fixed career objective and a comfortable retirement package to reward their efforts. They defined themselves through their jobs and identified themselves through the work they performed believing that if they were loyal employees, worked hard and followed the rules they could eventually climb the corporate ladder and achieve financial and… -
John Hope Bryant: The Dawning Of The Post-Crisis Entrepreneurship Generation, Here And All Around The World
21 Nov 2009 | 8:03 amFrom civil rights to silver rights. In my new book LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World, I submit that there are two things in the world, love and fear, and that what we don't love what we fear. Further, I submit that the reason our world is so screwed up today is that most of our so-called leaders have led by fear. I go on to say that close relatives of fear are shorter-ism, laziness, greed, a focus on me and not we, and asking the question, "what do I get," versus "what do I have to give." One could say that this current crisis has morphed from a global financial… -
Linda R. Monk, J.D.: We the Populists: How to Make Taxpayer Funded Bailouts Toxic
20 Nov 2009 | 3:56 pmThose creative folks at SEIU (Service Employees International Union) have done it again. They are flooding the switchboards at Goldman Sachs, telling them that union workers are tired of bailing out the companies that are eliminating American jobs. Want to join in the fun? Call Goldman's executive offices at (212) 902-1000, and tell them that nobody makes big profits at public expense while 10.2 percent of Americans are unemployed. The idea here is to make the "transaction costs," as business people say, of using public dollars so high that Wall Street firms will think twice before feeding at…
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The Huffington Post | Business Blog
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Michael J. Panzner: Economists: Wrong Again
21 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pmAs if they didn't cause enough damage by espousing theories that failed to account for the inefficiencies and irrationalities of the real world, many economists are advocating aggressive spend-and-borrow policies to revive the financial crisis-hit U.S. economy that reflect an astonishing degree of naïveté and ivory tower hubris. In a word, the Keynesian Kool-Aid drinkers are saying that debt doesn't matter. As I see it, there are plenty of reasons to challenge the apparent indifference of Paul Krugman, Dean Baker, James Kwak, and others to the parabolic rise in public debt,… -
Ruth Sherman: What Artists Could Teach Goldman Sachs
21 Nov 2009 | 10:44 amSchool arts programs are again under assault, having, in many cases, never recovered from past cutbacks. At the same time, Goldman Sachs has image problems its chief, Lloyd Blankfein, did not anticipate, cannot identify with and continues to exacerbate. These matters are linked; one begets the other. In recent decades, the educational establishment, with the support and succor of government and business, has toiled to develop a curriculum that produces "leaders" or at least a capable workforce. Academic subjects reign, while arts programs of all kinds have been decimated. But there is much… -
Pat Earley: It is Not Our Parents Workplace Anymore
21 Nov 2009 | 9:39 amToday's workplace is not the same as our parent's traditional workplace where a high school education and a willingness to work was a ticket to success. For a majority of our parents, their employment expectations included full-time employment with a fixed career objective and a comfortable retirement package to reward their efforts. They defined themselves through their jobs and identified themselves through the work they performed believing that if they were loyal employees, worked hard and followed the rules they could eventually climb the corporate ladder and achieve financial and… -
John Hope Bryant: The Dawning Of The Post-Crisis Entrepreneurship Generation, Here And All Around The World
21 Nov 2009 | 8:03 amFrom civil rights to silver rights. In my new book LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World, I submit that there are two things in the world, love and fear, and that what we don't love what we fear. Further, I submit that the reason our world is so screwed up today is that most of our so-called leaders have led by fear. I go on to say that close relatives of fear are shorter-ism, laziness, greed, a focus on me and not we, and asking the question, "what do I get," versus "what do I have to give." One could say that this current crisis has morphed from a global financial… -
Linda R. Monk, J.D.: We the Populists: How to Make Taxpayer Funded Bailouts Toxic
20 Nov 2009 | 3:56 pmThose creative folks at SEIU (Service Employees International Union) have done it again. They are flooding the switchboards at Goldman Sachs, telling them that union workers are tired of bailing out the companies that are eliminating American jobs. Want to join in the fun? Call Goldman's executive offices at (212) 902-1000, and tell them that nobody makes big profits at public expense while 10.2 percent of Americans are unemployed. The idea here is to make the "transaction costs," as business people say, of using public dollars so high that Wall Street firms will think twice before feeding at…
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The Huffington Post | Business Latest News
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EPA: Uranium From Polluted British Petroleum Mine Found In Nevada Water Wells
21 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmYERINGTON, Nev. — Peggy Pauly lives in a robin-egg blue, two-story house not far from acres of onion fields that make the northern Nevada air smell sweet at harvest time. But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: "Danger: Uranium Mine." For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells. They say they have… -
New Consensus Sees Stimulus Package As Worthy Step: NYT
20 Nov 2009 | 8:30 pmNow that unemployment has topped 10 percent, some liberal-leaning economists see confirmation of their warnings that the $787 billion stimulus package President Obama signed into law last February was way too small. The economy needs a second big infusion, they say. -
Senator Says Loophole In Derivatives Regulation Undermines Reform
20 Nov 2009 | 4:23 pmThe effort to impose new restrictions on the financial system falls short of true reform if there's a gigantic loophole for foreign exchange derivatives, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said Thursday. "Most people who write about the 'comprehensive reform' -- they're missing the point, which is, you've got to have derivatives regulation," she said in an interview with the Huffington Post. And indeed, bills being considered in Congress would bring transparency and accountability to the complex and opaque derivatives contracts that nearly brought down the financial markets last year -- by forcing… -
Tina Fey Does Sarah Palin At Ad Council Dinner (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pmWhile hosting the Ad Council Annual Dinner Wednesday night, "30 Rock" creator Tina Fey brought back her famous impersonation of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. "Mrs. Palin and I continue to have so much in common," she said. "They recently made a porn movie about Sarah and then this same porn actress, Lisa Ann, played me in a parody of '30 Rock' ... And weirdly of the three of us, Lisa Ann knows the most about foreign policy." "I feel like Sarah Palin right now," she said later, gesturing at her teleprompters. "It's not that hard." She went into her Palin voice, saying, "We'll begin with… -
Rep. Jackie Speier's Tough Bank Amendment Passes With Room Nearly Empty
20 Nov 2009 | 2:34 pmDon't sleep on Jackie Speier. The freshman Democrat from California came into the House Financial Services Committee room Thursday ready to fight for her long-shot amendment to limit the leverage ratio for big banks. "I expected a roll call vote," said Speier, fresh off a star turn on the Colbert Report. Lobbyists and committee staffers expected that the amendment -- which would mandate that banks essentially could not lend out or invest more than 12 dollars for every dollar they keep in reserve -- would only get a roll call and that it'd be soundly defeated, bounced by a coalition of…
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The Huffington Post | Entertainment Posts
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Alex Remington: Of the Heart, Of the Soul, and Of the Cross: A Hip-Hop Road Not Taken
21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pmI've already written that I think P.M. Dawn is one of the great, underappreciated groups of the 1990's. They're nearly 20 years removed from their only #1 hit, "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss," which sampled "True" by Spandau Ballet and rode in from left field with new age philosophy, a nonviolent hip-hop influenced by De La Soul and smooth R&B. Their future albums would leave rap more or less behind, but Of the Heart, Of the Soul and Of the Cross was definitely a rap album, albeit one unlike anything released in the years to come. They're hippies, and noteworthy because there really weren't… -
'New Moon' Crushes Box Office Record
21 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmLOS ANGELES — Vampires and werewolves have vanquished a dark knight. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" took in $72.7 million in its first day to break the single day domestic box office record previously held by "The Dark Knight," which had a $67.2 million opening day last year. The Friday haul for the "Twilight" sequel includes a record $26.3 million from midnight screenings alone. If "New Moon" maintains its pace, it might have a shot at the all-time best opening weekend record of $158.4 million, also held by "The Dark Knight." "New Moon" continues the story of teen romance between a girl… -
Scott Mendelson: Twilight Saga: New Moon shatters single-day record with $72 million.
21 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pmTwilight Saga: New Moon grossed $72.7 million on its first full day of release. This is the biggest single day of all time, besting The Dark Knight's $67 million opening shot back in July of 2008. This is also $3 million more than Twilight grossed in its entire opening weekend. See, this is what happens when you cast Dakota Fanning! Gosh, remember when The Lost World shocked us over Memorial Day weekend of 1997 all by earning $26 million in one day and $72 million in a single weekend? Well, New Moon just grossed $26 million in just midnight and 3am showings, and it clocked $72 million in just… -
Liz Glover: New Moon Cast Members On Kristen & Rob, And Health Care
21 Nov 2009 | 9:03 am -
Levi Johnston Playgirl Pictures: MORE Beefcake Shots (PHOTOS)
21 Nov 2009 | 8:52 am(Lucky?) Playgirl.com members now have access to even more beefcake shots of former Alaskan First Grandbaby Baby Daddy Levi Johnston. The first Levi Playgirl photo was released last week, and now, via gawker, are two more (tamely cropped) shots. But, for those who pay, there is some more body action than the innocent chest (hairless) and brooding headshots seen below. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter!
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The Huffington Post | Entertainment Blog
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Alex Remington: Of the Heart, Of the Soul, and Of the Cross: A Hip-Hop Road Not Taken
21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pmI've already written that I think P.M. Dawn is one of the great, underappreciated groups of the 1990's. They're nearly 20 years removed from their only #1 hit, "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss," which sampled "True" by Spandau Ballet and rode in from left field with new age philosophy, a nonviolent hip-hop influenced by De La Soul and smooth R&B. Their future albums would leave rap more or less behind, but Of the Heart, Of the Soul and Of the Cross was definitely a rap album, albeit one unlike anything released in the years to come. They're hippies, and noteworthy because there really weren't… -
Scott Mendelson: Twilight Saga: New Moon shatters single-day record with $72 million.
21 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pmTwilight Saga: New Moon grossed $72.7 million on its first full day of release. This is the biggest single day of all time, besting The Dark Knight's $67 million opening shot back in July of 2008. This is also $3 million more than Twilight grossed in its entire opening weekend. See, this is what happens when you cast Dakota Fanning! Gosh, remember when The Lost World shocked us over Memorial Day weekend of 1997 all by earning $26 million in one day and $72 million in a single weekend? Well, New Moon just grossed $26 million in just midnight and 3am showings, and it clocked $72 million in just… -
Liz Glover: New Moon Cast Members On Kristen & Rob, And Health Care
21 Nov 2009 | 9:03 am -
Liz Glover: Flava Flav On Khaleid Sheik Mohammed's Upcoming Trial In New York City
21 Nov 2009 | 8:24 am -
William Bradley: Mad Men: Three Seasons On and Looking Forward
21 Nov 2009 | 6:54 amMad Men's brilliant third season finale earlier this month is still echoing in the mind. And in the culture. January Jones was a game host of Saturday Night Live the following weekend. (Though she didn't make anyone forget Jon Hamm's great hosting gig last year. He is seriously funny.) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed that she's a fan of the show. And of course her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is a Mad Men fan as well. Which is simply too perfect for words. I could easily write a column comparing Bill Clinton and Don Draper. Avoiding the obvious cheap shots. Another…
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The Huffington Post | Entertainment Latest News
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'New Moon' Crushes Box Office Record
21 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmLOS ANGELES — Vampires and werewolves have vanquished a dark knight. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" took in $72.7 million in its first day to break the single day domestic box office record previously held by "The Dark Knight," which had a $67.2 million opening day last year. The Friday haul for the "Twilight" sequel includes a record $26.3 million from midnight screenings alone. If "New Moon" maintains its pace, it might have a shot at the all-time best opening weekend record of $158.4 million, also held by "The Dark Knight." "New Moon" continues the story of teen romance between a girl… -
Levi Johnston Playgirl Pictures: MORE Beefcake Shots (PHOTOS)
21 Nov 2009 | 8:52 am(Lucky?) Playgirl.com members now have access to even more beefcake shots of former Alaskan First Grandbaby Baby Daddy Levi Johnston. The first Levi Playgirl photo was released last week, and now, via gawker, are two more (tamely cropped) shots. But, for those who pay, there is some more body action than the innocent chest (hairless) and brooding headshots seen below. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! -
Suri Cruise Has Fun With Security Tape (PHOTOS)
21 Nov 2009 | 6:06 amLittle Miss Trouble Suri Cruise decided to have some fun on the set of her mom's latest movie, The Romantics, in Long Island yesterday. Suri arrived while cameras were rolling, but the action clearly wasn't exciting enough for the youngster. -
The 10 Best Thanksgiving Movies Of All Time (VIDEO)
21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amWhat will you rent this Thanksgiving when the tryptophan kicks in and no one wants to move from the sofa? Vote on your holiday favorites and let us know what we missed in the comments. Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! -
Carrie Prejean's Sex Tape Recipient Helped Fill Out Miss CA Survey
21 Nov 2009 | 5:38 amTMZ has learned Prejean's former cross-country booty call received an email from Carrie on 11/7/07 -- when she was 20 -- in which Carrie asked for help answering several brain-busting questions such as: If you could have lunch with any one (1) person, who would it be and why?
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The Huffington Post | Living Posts
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Dana Ullman: Don't Confuse Real Healing With Suppression Of The Disease
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amAnyone who has taken a painkiller certainly knows that there is a big difference between temporary relief and real healing. Even though a person who takes a painkiller may not consciously feel pain, it is widely understood that this relief does not necessarily mean that a "cure" or a “healing” has occurred. And yet, it is surprising how many people think that various conventional drugs have performed some type of miracle just because they provided short-term relief of pain or discomfort. Little do many people know that when a drug “works,” this may be… -
Joseph Sciabbarrasi, M.D.: What You Don't Know About Osteoporosis -- Part 3
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIn this, our final segment on Osteoporosis, let's take a closer look at some of the myths and legends of the effects of eating meat, minerals and proteins and quaffing a pint or two. You can find the two previous segments here. Vegetarians, Carnivores and Osteoporosis While bone mineral density may be a tad or more low in vegetarians, the notable and well documented results are in: vegetarians do not have an increased risk of fractures. Their risk for busting a hip is no better, no worse than those of us who eat meats, even though the vegetarian's diet is typically lower in calcium and some… -
John Lundberg: A Big Win For Experimental Poetry
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIf you read a review of Keith Waldrop's "Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy," this year's winner of the National Book Award for Poetry, there's a good chance it will include the word "postmodern" or "avant-garde." These are terms that put a lot of readers on guard, signaling experimental verse. And it only takes a glance at "Transcendental Studies" to see that Waldrop's poetry isn't the sort that will ever turn up in a hallmark card. In an interview with the website The Jivin' Ladybug (we really are in avant-garde territory here) Waldrop suggested that poetry is "having nothing to say and… -
Pavel Somov, Ph.D.: Cultivating a Healthy Relationship with Time
21 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pmBeing Means Being in Time A sense of being involves a degree of separateness from the rest of the world. After all, the verb "to exist" literally means to stand out. When you are present, your awareness of your own existence happens against the backdrop of time. Recall that time is really just perception of change, of processes, of movement, of information flow. So, to be, we have to experience ourselves as apart from all this flow. Being is a contrast between our subjective permanence and the objective impermanence of everything that is around us, between our (subjective) timelessness and… -
Lee Schneider: Spitting Into The Future
21 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amIt's been said that the future will be much like the present, only longer. But knowing the future would change your life. If you knew the exact location of your death you might avoid that place and buy a few more years. ("No, I can't go to the Teacups ride at Disneyland ever again and I can't tell you why.") A time machine is one option, and there are instructions for building one to be found on the web. In fact, experts like Dr. J. Richard Gott of Princeton University say that we already know how to travel into the future. All you have to do is travel really fast. "If you accelerated to…
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The Huffington Post | Living Blog
-
Dana Ullman: Don't Confuse Real Healing With Suppression Of The Disease
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amAnyone who has taken a painkiller certainly knows that there is a big difference between temporary relief and real healing. Even though a person who takes a painkiller may not consciously feel pain, it is widely understood that this relief does not necessarily mean that a "cure" or a “healing” has occurred. And yet, it is surprising how many people think that various conventional drugs have performed some type of miracle just because they provided short-term relief of pain or discomfort. Little do many people know that when a drug “works,” this may be… -
Joseph Sciabbarrasi, M.D.: What You Don't Know About Osteoporosis -- Part 3
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIn this, our final segment on Osteoporosis, let's take a closer look at some of the myths and legends of the effects of eating meat, minerals and proteins and quaffing a pint or two. You can find the two previous segments here. Vegetarians, Carnivores and Osteoporosis While bone mineral density may be a tad or more low in vegetarians, the notable and well documented results are in: vegetarians do not have an increased risk of fractures. Their risk for busting a hip is no better, no worse than those of us who eat meats, even though the vegetarian's diet is typically lower in calcium and some… -
John Lundberg: A Big Win For Experimental Poetry
22 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amIf you read a review of Keith Waldrop's "Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy," this year's winner of the National Book Award for Poetry, there's a good chance it will include the word "postmodern" or "avant-garde." These are terms that put a lot of readers on guard, signaling experimental verse. And it only takes a glance at "Transcendental Studies" to see that Waldrop's poetry isn't the sort that will ever turn up in a hallmark card. In an interview with the website The Jivin' Ladybug (we really are in avant-garde territory here) Waldrop suggested that poetry is "having nothing to say and… -
Pavel Somov, Ph.D.: Cultivating a Healthy Relationship with Time
21 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pmBeing Means Being in Time A sense of being involves a degree of separateness from the rest of the world. After all, the verb "to exist" literally means to stand out. When you are present, your awareness of your own existence happens against the backdrop of time. Recall that time is really just perception of change, of processes, of movement, of information flow. So, to be, we have to experience ourselves as apart from all this flow. Being is a contrast between our subjective permanence and the objective impermanence of everything that is around us, between our (subjective) timelessness and… -
Lee Schneider: Spitting Into The Future
21 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amIt's been said that the future will be much like the present, only longer. But knowing the future would change your life. If you knew the exact location of your death you might avoid that place and buy a few more years. ("No, I can't go to the Teacups ride at Disneyland ever again and I can't tell you why.") A time machine is one option, and there are instructions for building one to be found on the web. In fact, experts like Dr. J. Richard Gott of Princeton University say that we already know how to travel into the future. All you have to do is travel really fast. "If you accelerated to…
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The Huffington Post | Living Latest News
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Teaching Children About Death
20 Nov 2009 | 9:14 amWhen children are helped to observe the lifespan of things, whether it is pets, people, or possessions, it helps them to gradually develop an understanding of the concept of lifetime. -
How To Help Someone Grieve
20 Nov 2009 | 8:54 amAmerican culture does not teach us how to grieve. A not-so-uncommon approach is to go to the doctor and get an antidepressant. But this only delays the inevitable. It does not help you to grieve. -
Where Does Your Grief Live Today?
20 Nov 2009 | 8:52 amClose your eyes. Take some nice deep breaths, and begin to scan your body with your inner awareness. It may seem like an odd notion, that the emotion of grief could actually have a physical location. -
Sleep May Enhance Memories
20 Nov 2009 | 8:30 amFor time-starved Americans, few ideas are more appealing than that of learning while sleeping. Why simply doze for eight hours when you can be learning Spanish as well? -
Mourning Jeanne-Claude: Christo's Extraordinary Partner
20 Nov 2009 | 8:28 amOne of the most salient qualities about the 51-year relationship between Christo and Jeanne-Claude is that they were true partners. Theirs was no artist/muse codependency, nor the union of a creative soul and his harried helpmate.
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The Huffington Post | Style Posts
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Teresa Rodriguez Williamson: Top 8 Items To Make Your Travels Easier, Safer & Healthier
21 Nov 2009 | 8:08 amI just got back from a grueling trip to Europe. After thousands of miles of travel, I have found some great items that have really helped me out. They have kept me safe, sane, healthy, and fresh. All of these items are super easy to use . Here is a list of my "Great Eight" from this adventure: 1. The Rack Trap: This darling little pocket is the perfect little piece of equipment for women on the road. It acts like a smooth wallet that slips right up against your bosom. No way you are going to get pick pocketed wearing this number. 2. ChicBuds: These cute ear phones are detailed with genuine… -
State Dinner Style! See What Former First Ladies Have Worn (PHOTOS, POLL)
21 Nov 2009 | 5:58 amIt's like the inauguration all over again! Everyone is wondering what (and who?) Michelle Obama will wear when she and her husband welcome Prime Minister Singh for Tuesday night's state dinner. From Jackie Kennedy to Laura Bush (and a lot of Hillary Clinton in between), here's a look back at some other first lady fashion at state dinners. Tell us which looks you think are spectacular and which are just "eh." Get HuffPost Style on Twitter and Facebook! -
Pirelli's 2010 Calendar PHOTOS: Topless, Muddy Nudity, And SO Much More (NSFW PICTURES)
21 Nov 2009 | 5:16 amThe 2010 Pirelli Calendar is out, and to celebrate its debut they released the below, undated photos of the models (Daisy Lowe, Lily Cole, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, Marloes Horst, Catherine McNeil, Georgina Stojiljkovic, Enriko Mihalik, and Miranda Kerr) at work with photographer Terry Richardson. There is also Pirelli video from the shoot. Which photo would YOU most want to see hanging in a calendar on your wall? -
Emanuel Ungaro Chairman Wants Lohan OUT
20 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pmNow, Page Six has learned that Ungaro's chairman, Asim Abdullah, is locked in a fierce battle with Moufarrige over Lohan's future role at the company. "Asim wants her out now," a fashion insider who has seen e-mails between the two executives tells Page Six. "Department stores in the States have already told him they won't be picking up the line if Lohan remains a collaborator, so it's a serious issue." -
Denise Vivaldo: Talking About Turkeys
20 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pmYears ago, I cooked for one of the richest men in the world. He had been a catering client and then asked me to come to work for him full time as his private chef. His peeps offered me a big bag of money, health benefits, and even stock options in his company. He was a commodities broker. Almost never left his home, did all his trading from his bedroom desk, and lived in his pajamas. After a week of working there I knew that all the Lord had given him was money. He didn't have looks, personality, taste or kindness. The day he sunbathed naked outside the kitchen window I swear there was…
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The Huffington Post | Style Blog
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Teresa Rodriguez Williamson: Top 8 Items To Make Your Travels Easier, Safer & Healthier
21 Nov 2009 | 8:08 amI just got back from a grueling trip to Europe. After thousands of miles of travel, I have found some great items that have really helped me out. They have kept me safe, sane, healthy, and fresh. All of these items are super easy to use . Here is a list of my "Great Eight" from this adventure: 1. The Rack Trap: This darling little pocket is the perfect little piece of equipment for women on the road. It acts like a smooth wallet that slips right up against your bosom. No way you are going to get pick pocketed wearing this number. 2. ChicBuds: These cute ear phones are detailed with genuine… -
Denise Vivaldo: Talking About Turkeys
20 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pmYears ago, I cooked for one of the richest men in the world. He had been a catering client and then asked me to come to work for him full time as his private chef. His peeps offered me a big bag of money, health benefits, and even stock options in his company. He was a commodities broker. Almost never left his home, did all his trading from his bedroom desk, and lived in his pajamas. After a week of working there I knew that all the Lord had given him was money. He didn't have looks, personality, taste or kindness. The day he sunbathed naked outside the kitchen window I swear there was… -
Una LaMarche: Project Runway Finale Recap Part Two
20 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pmAnd so, my friends, it has come to this. As Boyz II Men sang so soulfully, we've come to the end of the road. Or, the runway, I guess. Which means we're about to fall off into the lap of the Malaysian Prime Minister, if Zoolander is to be believed. Put on your best vagina dress and grab a cocktail, y'all -- it's time to finish this bitch. Previously on: Charming Southern belle Carol Hannah, icy New York princess Irina, and vapid Ohioan Althea made it to the final three, and are so drama-deficient that the primary story-lines going into the finale are that Althea "copies" Irina--which is… -
Randall Bourscheidt: Meta-Views: The Economic Crisis and America's "Art Ecology"
20 Nov 2009 | 8:59 amThis talk was given on Saturday, Nov 14, 2009, at the symposium called "The Arts and the Economic Crisis," organized by the Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton University. Let me begin with an invocation, in the form of some numbers. $21 billion in economic impact. 160,000 jobs. 26 million visitors. 2 million student visitors. 7.5 million tourists. These are the indicators of the arts industry in New York City, the findings of a recent study by my organization, the Alliance for the Arts. I'll return to these numbers before I close. This morning I'd like to speak about the role of cities. -
Melissa Biggs Bradley: A Slice from Audrey Hepburn's Closet at Sotheby's
20 Nov 2009 | 4:38 amAudrey Hepburn style lovers should run, not walk, over to Sotheby's this weekend for a rare chance to see some of her iconic clothes. Whether you fell in love with oversized sunglasses and stretch ski pants because of her look in the opening scenes of Charade or the little black sheath dress because of how she made it young, and not at all for women in mourning, in Breakfast at Tiffany's, you have to have been influenced in some way by her style. As a diminutive (i.e. short) woman, I found the permission to wear flats from her and how she pulled them them with cropped pants and a tight…
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The Huffington Post | Style Latest News
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State Dinner Style! See What Former First Ladies Have Worn (PHOTOS, POLL)
21 Nov 2009 | 5:58 amIt's like the inauguration all over again! Everyone is wondering what (and who?) Michelle Obama will wear when she and her husband welcome Prime Minister Singh for Tuesday night's state dinner. From Jackie Kennedy to Laura Bush (and a lot of Hillary Clinton in between), here's a look back at some other first lady fashion at state dinners. Tell us which looks you think are spectacular and which are just "eh." Get HuffPost Style on Twitter and Facebook! -
Pirelli's 2010 Calendar PHOTOS: Topless, Muddy Nudity, And SO Much More (NSFW PICTURES)
21 Nov 2009 | 5:16 amThe 2010 Pirelli Calendar is out, and to celebrate its debut they released the below, undated photos of the models (Daisy Lowe, Lily Cole, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, Marloes Horst, Catherine McNeil, Georgina Stojiljkovic, Enriko Mihalik, and Miranda Kerr) at work with photographer Terry Richardson. There is also Pirelli video from the shoot. Which photo would YOU most want to see hanging in a calendar on your wall? -
Emanuel Ungaro Chairman Wants Lohan OUT
20 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pmNow, Page Six has learned that Ungaro's chairman, Asim Abdullah, is locked in a fierce battle with Moufarrige over Lohan's future role at the company. "Asim wants her out now," a fashion insider who has seen e-mails between the two executives tells Page Six. "Department stores in the States have already told him they won't be picking up the line if Lohan remains a collaborator, so it's a serious issue." -
Heidi Klum Debuts HOT Post-Baby Body (PHOTOS)
20 Nov 2009 | 10:34 amHeidi Klum stepped out on the runway at the Victoria's Secret fashion show Thursday night, just five weeks after giving birth to daughter Lou Samuel. This isn't her first post-baby public appearance. She showed off her thighs in fishnets and thigh-high boots when she dressed up as a crow for Halloween with husband Seal. Klum said on Wednesday that she still needs to lose 20 pounds, but she looks pretty good here in her runway corset, an LBD she wore on the red carpet and a body-hugging leather dress she slipped into for the after party. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and… -
Tavi, 13-Year-Old Fashion Blogger, To Travel To Tokyo
20 Nov 2009 | 10:26 amThirteen-year-old fashion blogger Tavi already skipped school in September to attend New York Fashion Week, but WWD reports that the talented teen's next adventure will take place slightly farther away than the Big Apple. She's slated to be the guest of honor at Comme des Garcons' holiday party on November 27 at the 10 Corso Como store in Tokyo. Tavi has expressed her extreme adoration for Rei Kawakubo on her blog, saying she "scatters black petals on her doorsteps and serenades her in rap." We can't wait to read all about their meeting of the minds. Get HuffPost Style on Twitter and…
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The Huffington Post | Green Posts
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Sacramento Fisherman Arrested In Sea Lion Shooting
21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pmSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities arrested a Sacramento fisherman Saturday in connection to shooting a sea lion in the head. California game wardens said they arrested Larry Allen Legans, 43, on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, negligent discharge of a firearm, and take of a marine mammal. Legans told authorities he grew tired of competing with the protected animals so he fired his 12-gauge shotgun at the sea lion, injuring the creature. "He said he was tired of watching sea lions take his fish," said Warden Patrick Foy. About a half-dozen sea lions have started to spend time… -
Andrew Kimbrell: New Report: GMOs Causing Massive Pesticide Pollution
21 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pmThere is one fact about genetically engineered foods that there is no debate about: no one wakes up in the morning eager to buy gene-altered food. There's good reason for this. Genetically modified foods do nothing for the "eating public". They provide no extra nutrition, flavor, safety or any other trait that people actually want. Instead, these food products only offer risks, which include potential toxicity, allergenecity, and lower nutritional value. This presents a tough problem for the Monsantos of the world, who are pushing these GM foods. How can you sell something to the public that… -
Brendan DeMelle: Climategate in Perspective, Featuring Isaac Newton
21 Nov 2009 | 2:25 pmClimate conspriricists pounced at the opportunity yesterday to draw grandiose conclusions from the illegal hacking of private emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit. They wasted no time declaring global warming a vast science-wing conspiracy, orchestrated by a powerful handful of white-coats who, when not publishing in reputable peer-reviewed science journals, were (gasp) emailing each other to talk shop and vent about climate skeptic “idiots” (how un-PC). The scandalistas say little about the fact that this breach of security and publishing… -
EPA: Uranium From Polluted British Petroleum Mine Found In Nevada Water Wells
21 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmYERINGTON, Nev. — Peggy Pauly lives in a robin-egg blue, two-story house not far from acres of onion fields that make the northern Nevada air smell sweet at harvest time. But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: "Danger: Uranium Mine." For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells. They say they have… -
Kevin Grandia: Stolen CRU emails: Who are the criminals behind the conspiracy theorists?
21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 amFormer Republican strategist Marc Morano is having as much fun with the stolen emails from the Climate Research Unit that he did with the Swift Boat Veteran's for Truth attack he led against John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. Morano and his site Climate Depot has become the climate conspiracy hub since this story broke on late Thursday. This cabal of climate deniers seems to think that 12 year-old emails between climate scientists somehow refutes the thousands of research papers produced over decades by thousands of researchers at some of the best scientific institutions in the…
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The Huffington Post | Green Blog
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Andrew Kimbrell: New Report: GMOs Causing Massive Pesticide Pollution
21 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pmThere is one fact about genetically engineered foods that there is no debate about: no one wakes up in the morning eager to buy gene-altered food. There's good reason for this. Genetically modified foods do nothing for the "eating public". They provide no extra nutrition, flavor, safety or any other trait that people actually want. Instead, these food products only offer risks, which include potential toxicity, allergenecity, and lower nutritional value. This presents a tough problem for the Monsantos of the world, who are pushing these GM foods. How can you sell something to the public that… -
Brendan DeMelle: Climategate in Perspective, Featuring Isaac Newton
21 Nov 2009 | 2:25 pmClimate conspriricists pounced at the opportunity yesterday to draw grandiose conclusions from the illegal hacking of private emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit. They wasted no time declaring global warming a vast science-wing conspiracy, orchestrated by a powerful handful of white-coats who, when not publishing in reputable peer-reviewed science journals, were (gasp) emailing each other to talk shop and vent about climate skeptic “idiots” (how un-PC). The scandalistas say little about the fact that this breach of security and publishing… -
Kevin Grandia: Stolen CRU emails: Who are the criminals behind the conspiracy theorists?
21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 amFormer Republican strategist Marc Morano is having as much fun with the stolen emails from the Climate Research Unit that he did with the Swift Boat Veteran's for Truth attack he led against John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. Morano and his site Climate Depot has become the climate conspiracy hub since this story broke on late Thursday. This cabal of climate deniers seems to think that 12 year-old emails between climate scientists somehow refutes the thousands of research papers produced over decades by thousands of researchers at some of the best scientific institutions in the… -
Bob Dinneen: Reminding Al Gore: 5 'Encouraging Truths' About Ethanol
20 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pmHaving an appreciation for Al Gore's commitment to science and advocacy of responsible policies on energy, the environment, and the economy, I was disappointed by his treatment of ethanol and other biofuels in his new book, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. During the late 1970s, Gore was an early supporter of grain-based ethanol and other efforts to promote biofuels. Now, as he writes in his new book, Our Choice, he has changed his mind. Because of his devotion to science and the facts, I have sent him a detailed letter, filled with what I hope he'll consider encouraging, not… -
Andrew Winston: Why Going Green -- And The Climate Negotiations In Copenhagen -- Matter Now More Than Ever
20 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pmFor the past few years, the business world has been swept up in a green wave -- a rising tide of interest and concern about environmental issues. The Great Recession has not stopped the pressure pushing this wave. Environmental crises such as climate change and water shortages continue to evolve. Mega-forces such as technology-driven transparency and the rise of the consumer in India and China -- which will force the price of oil and other resources up over time -- continue to advance. Closer to home, key stakeholders are demanding more of companies than ever, especially corporate customers…
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The Huffington Post | Green Latest News
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Sacramento Fisherman Arrested In Sea Lion Shooting
21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pmSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities arrested a Sacramento fisherman Saturday in connection to shooting a sea lion in the head. California game wardens said they arrested Larry Allen Legans, 43, on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, negligent discharge of a firearm, and take of a marine mammal. Legans told authorities he grew tired of competing with the protected animals so he fired his 12-gauge shotgun at the sea lion, injuring the creature. "He said he was tired of watching sea lions take his fish," said Warden Patrick Foy. About a half-dozen sea lions have started to spend time… -
EPA: Uranium From Polluted British Petroleum Mine Found In Nevada Water Wells
21 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmYERINGTON, Nev. — Peggy Pauly lives in a robin-egg blue, two-story house not far from acres of onion fields that make the northern Nevada air smell sweet at harvest time. But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: "Danger: Uranium Mine." For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells. They say they have… -
Who's Eating Madagascar's Lemurs?
21 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amBit by bit, the natural resources of Madagascar -- a biodiversity hotspot known for its unique vegetation and wildlife -- are being plundered. -
Animals That Light Up (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
21 Nov 2009 | 6:28 amBioluminescence is an incredible thing. Take a look at these photos and videos of the coolest underwater and land animals that have the special ability of light up. Talk about inner glow! Enjoy the slideshow, and vote for your favorite glowing critter. Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter! -
Michael Plank Strapped 15 Live Lizards To His Chest, Arrested At Airport: Authorities Say
20 Nov 2009 | 8:52 pmLOS ANGELES — Federal officials say they arrested a man who strapped 15 live lizards to his chest to get through customs at Los Angeles International Airport. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday that 40-year-old Michael Plank of Lomita, Calif., was returning from Australia when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks – another type of lizard – fastened to his body Tuesday. Plank has been released on $10,000 bond and will be arraigned in federal court on Dec. 21. Authorities say the lizards' value totals more than $8,500. All…
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The Huffington Post | Chicago Posts
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Michael Scott Funeral: Nearly 1,000 Friends And Family Mourn Former School Board President
21 Nov 2009 | 5:26 pmMore than 1,000 friends, family members and colleagues gathered at Holy Family Church on the near west side today to remember Chicago School Board President Michael Scott. -
Wisconsin Vs. Northwestern: Wildcats Upset 17th-Ranked Badgers 33-31
21 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pmASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE BY RICK GANO EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - Mike Kafka hit Andrew Brewer with two first-half touchdown passes and Brian Peters and Jordan Mabin made key defensive plays late as Northwestern beat No. 17 Wisconsin 33-31 on Saturday. Northwestern (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten) improved its bowl positioning with its third straight victory. Fans swarmed Ryan Field after the victory, which wasn't clinched until Mabin intercepted Scott Tolzien with 42 seconds to go. Stefan Demos kicked four field goals for the Wildcats. Northwestern led 27-14 at the half behind Kafka, who finished with 326… -
Notre Dame Vs. UConn: Connecticut Triumphs 33-30 In Double Overtime
21 Nov 2009 | 4:35 pmSOUTH BEND, Ind. — After a string of stinging losses, the Connecticut Huskies finally won one for their slain teammate. Coach Randy Edsall called the Huskies' double-overtime victory against Notre Dame the program's "best win." On the other side, Charlie Weis was left to try to explain another jarring loss on senior day and wonder if it will be his last game at Notre Dame stadium as Fighting Irish coach. Andre Dixon scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second overtime to give the Huskies a 33-30 victory, their first since cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed to death last month. -
Daley's Skin Getting Thinner Under Media Glare
21 Nov 2009 | 3:27 pmMayor Daley's decision to blame the media for Oprah Winfrey's career-altering choice to pull the plug on her syndicated talk show after her 25th season is preposterous. But it's also incredibly revealing. -
Chicago Frets About Life Without Oprah
21 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pmCHICAGO — Step outside Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios and into the near west side neighborhood that's been home to her television talk show for two decades, and it's easy to get a sense of what she's meant to Chicago. "I used to live across the street from Harpo and when I moved there it was me and cross-dressing crack addicts and Harpo. And now it's strollers and little white dogs all over," said Paul O'Connor, whose job has been to sell the city to businesses looking to relocate and those wondering why they should stay. Along with the upscale condominiums and pricey restaurants that…
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The Huffington Post | Chicago Blog
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Edward Lifson: Chicago Tears Down a Mies
20 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pmAnd so it will happen. This week, powers that be in Chicago will demolish a little work by Mies van der Rohe. A small part of his extraordinarily important campus for the Illinois Institute of Technology will bite the dust. Another small piece of when Chicago ruled the architecture and planning worlds will be gone forever. In the hopes that maybe we will save the next small piece of our history to be threatened with sacrifice in the name of progress (see Stock Exchange, Chicago, Louis Sullivan; Arts Club Chicago, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe...) I send this open letter to a friend, the… -
David Murray: Studs Terkel, On His Dance With the FBI: 'Oh Well'
20 Nov 2009 | 7:53 amI read with interest all the stories this week about the late Studs Terkel and his FBI file. To my dismay, they pretended to discover the ironic revelation that Terkel actually applied to work for the FBI in the early 1930s. I scratched my head, waiting for someone to remember that Terkel wrote about his attempt to catch on with the FBI -- and about his subsequent unhappy experiences with FBI agents -- in a book first published in 1973, called Talking to Myself. But no one ever did. Terkel didn't call this the "United States of Alzheimer's" for nothing. "You see, I was unhappy at law school,"… -
Henry Henderson: The Value of Water
20 Nov 2009 | 7:42 amWe have been awash with an array of unhappy water stories in this region of late. On the surface they are unrelated ... scary fish ... E. coli contamination ... improperly regulated pesticides ... intentionally poisoned waterways ... But if you scratch below the surface there's a problematic narrative developing: the water rich communities of the Great Lakes region do not understand the nature, function and value of their most precious resource. For starters, there was Charles Duhigg's devastating series in the New York Times about the state of water policy in the United States. His stories… -
Paras Bhayani: Will Illinois Education 'Race to the Top'? There's Hope on the Horizon
20 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amFor some reason, the State of Illinois thinks I'm qualified to teach history. I didn't major in history, or even political science. Though I did take a couple history courses in college, they had titles like, "The History of International Institutions" and "The Hindu Novel in the 20th Century" -- not exactly the surveys of American or European history that would qualify me to teach high school. Instead, I majored in economics -- a field of study that entails heaps of algebra and calculus (both single and multivariable) and a fair bit of statistics and econometrics. In high school, I took BC… -
Paul Klein: Thankful for Good Art
20 Nov 2009 | 7:13 amIt's always rewarding to see a rock solid painting exhibit by one of Chicago's finest artists. Jim Lutes' exhibition of new work at Valerie Carberry is refreshing after having seen a survey exhibition of his work at the Renaissance Society, which was solid, but by definition, backward looking. This show looks like a bit of a breakthrough with fewer paintings executed in egg tempera -- a painstakingly slow medium -- in favor of more oil paintings. Not only that, there are strong moves into new a new, more figurative direction, overlaying abstract strokes on quirky representation compositions.
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The Huffington Post | World Posts
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Sarah Holewinski: Bad Math in Afghanistan: Deaths vs. Compensation
21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pmNobody's manning the calculator at NATO. This year is on track to be the deadliest for Afghan civilians since the war began in 2001. Yet Oxfam just reported that of the 700 Afghans they interviewed just 1% received any compensation or apology for the harm done to them. War never delivers clean numbers. But no matter how you look at these, something doesn't add up. International forces acknowledge that civilians are key to their mission but still haven't figured out a coordinated way to help Afghan war victims. Just months ago, General McChrystal specifically endorsed a collective policy of… -
Yoani Sanchez: A 1980s Style "Repudiation Rally" Replayed in 2009 Against My Husband [VIDEOS]
21 Nov 2009 | 2:10 pmThe images of what happened yesterday, in G Street, with my husband, Reinaldo Escobar, and other friends are, to me, too reminiscent of repudiation rallies of 1980. Look for yourself and tell me if it doesn't seem the same. Note: The first video is of the 'spontaneous demonstration' against the bloggers Note: This second video shows Reinaldo Escobar attacked by the crowd, before he is taken away by State Security agents. Reinaldo is in a grey shirt, with dark curly hair. Some of the people clinging tightly to him are his friends, trying to protect him from the crowd. Yoani's blog, Generation… -
Bernard-Henri Lévy: We Must Replay the Match
21 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pmNo, American friends, France is not a country of "cheaters." And the affair of Thierry Henry's hand, the scandal of the France-Ireland game that we won, but should have lost, has outraged many in Paris. Today I am publishing on the website of my magazine "La Règle du Jeu" the point of view of one of France's greatest businessmen, Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere. He is the Chairman of Fimalac; the head of the Fitch rating agency; and he is also, most of all, the director of the oldest French review, La Revue des deux Mondes. All this to say that his opinion carries a lot of weight. Here is his… -
Derrick Crowe: An Interview With Matthew Hoh
21 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pmIf Matthew Hoh could tell you one thing to help you understand the U.S.'s predicament in Afghanistan, he'd tell you: The presence of our ground combat troops is not doing anything to defeat al-Qaida. Think about that for a moment. We are paying roughly $1 million per troop, per year in Afghanistan. That's roughly twice the per-troop cost in Iraq. We've suffered well more than 800 deaths in Afghanistan. And yet here is the former top civilian official in Afghanistan's Zabul province, a former Marine who served in Anbar province in Iraq, telling us that the presence of our ground forces does… -
Daniel Altschuler: The Clergy and the Coup
21 Nov 2009 | 9:18 amEarlier this week, Mary Anastasia O'Grady shamelessly pulled the God card to defend the Honduran coup. Specifically, she handed her Wall Street Journal column over to the coup-supporting Cardinal Rodriguez to curry favor for the June 28 ousting of President Manuel Zelaya from power. Her article ignores the Church's troubling historical role in Honduran politics, instead granting this institution legitimacy as the defender of democracy. O'Grady should have known better. O'Grady's piece is one in a long line of conservative attempts to justify the overthrow of a democratically-elected…
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The Huffington Post | World Blog
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Sarah Holewinski: Bad Math in Afghanistan: Deaths vs. Compensation
21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pmNobody's manning the calculator at NATO. This year is on track to be the deadliest for Afghan civilians since the war began in 2001. Yet Oxfam just reported that of the 700 Afghans they interviewed just 1% received any compensation or apology for the harm done to them. War never delivers clean numbers. But no matter how you look at these, something doesn't add up. International forces acknowledge that civilians are key to their mission but still haven't figured out a coordinated way to help Afghan war victims. Just months ago, General McChrystal specifically endorsed a collective policy of… -
Yoani Sanchez: A 1980s Style "Repudiation Rally" Replayed in 2009 Against My Husband [VIDEOS]
21 Nov 2009 | 2:10 pmThe images of what happened yesterday, in G Street, with my husband, Reinaldo Escobar, and other friends are, to me, too reminiscent of repudiation rallies of 1980. Look for yourself and tell me if it doesn't seem the same. Note: The first video is of the 'spontaneous demonstration' against the bloggers Note: This second video shows Reinaldo Escobar attacked by the crowd, before he is taken away by State Security agents. Reinaldo is in a grey shirt, with dark curly hair. Some of the people clinging tightly to him are his friends, trying to protect him from the crowd. Yoani's blog, Generation… -
Bernard-Henri Lévy: We Must Replay the Match
21 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pmNo, American friends, France is not a country of "cheaters." And the affair of Thierry Henry's hand, the scandal of the France-Ireland game that we won, but should have lost, has outraged many in Paris. Today I am publishing on the website of my magazine "La Règle du Jeu" the point of view of one of France's greatest businessmen, Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere. He is the Chairman of Fimalac; the head of the Fitch rating agency; and he is also, most of all, the director of the oldest French review, La Revue des deux Mondes. All this to say that his opinion carries a lot of weight. Here is his… -
Derrick Crowe: An Interview With Matthew Hoh
21 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pmIf Matthew Hoh could tell you one thing to help you understand the U.S.'s predicament in Afghanistan, he'd tell you: The presence of our ground combat troops is not doing anything to defeat al-Qaida. Think about that for a moment. We are paying roughly $1 million per troop, per year in Afghanistan. That's roughly twice the per-troop cost in Iraq. We've suffered well more than 800 deaths in Afghanistan. And yet here is the former top civilian official in Afghanistan's Zabul province, a former Marine who served in Anbar province in Iraq, telling us that the presence of our ground forces does… -
Daniel Altschuler: The Clergy and the Coup
21 Nov 2009 | 9:18 amEarlier this week, Mary Anastasia O'Grady shamelessly pulled the God card to defend the Honduran coup. Specifically, she handed her Wall Street Journal column over to the coup-supporting Cardinal Rodriguez to curry favor for the June 28 ousting of President Manuel Zelaya from power. Her article ignores the Church's troubling historical role in Honduran politics, instead granting this institution legitimacy as the defender of democracy. O'Grady should have known better. O'Grady's piece is one in a long line of conservative attempts to justify the overthrow of a democratically-elected…
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The Huffington Post | World Latest News
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US Seeks Up To 7,000 More NATO Troops For Afghan War
21 Nov 2009 | 8:44 pmU.S. and European estimates of the new troops they may get from NATO allies vary from 3,000 to 7,000. Those would complement the additional U.S. forces Mr. Obama is considering; those options range from 10,000 to 40,000, but U.S. officials have said a combination of combat troops and training forces totaling 35,000 has gained the most momentum. -
EPA: Uranium From Polluted British Petroleum Mine Found In Nevada Water Wells
21 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmYERINGTON, Nev. — Peggy Pauly lives in a robin-egg blue, two-story house not far from acres of onion fields that make the northern Nevada air smell sweet at harvest time. But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: "Danger: Uranium Mine." For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells. They say they have… -
Italian Police Arrest 2 Linked To Mumbai Attacks
21 Nov 2009 | 10:10 amROME — Italian police on Saturday arrested a Pakistani father and son who allegedly spent just over $200 to set up a reliable and untraceable phone network that was used by the militants who carried out last year's terror attacks in Mumbai, India. The two were arrested in an early morning raid in Brescia, where they ran a money transfer agency, and it is was not immediately clear if they were aware of the purpose their funds had served, police in the northern Italian city said. The day before the attacks began on Nov. 26 they allegedly used a stolen identity to send money to a U.S. -
Amanda Knox Trial: Life Requested For US Suspect In Italy Murder Case
21 Nov 2009 | 8:50 amPERUGIA, Italy — Prosecutors on Saturday requested life in prison for an American student and her ex-boyfriend accused in the fatal stabbing of her British roommate during a drug-fueled sex game – charges the U.S. woman dismissed as "pure fantasy." In their closing arguments, the prosecutors said Amanda Knox and Italian Raffaele Sollecito should be convicted on charges of murder and sexual violence for the 2007 slaying of Meredith Kercher. They deny wrongdoing. Knox, who is from Seattle, took a deep breath when Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini requested life imprisonment –… -
Who's Eating Madagascar's Lemurs?
21 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amBit by bit, the natural resources of Madagascar -- a biodiversity hotspot known for its unique vegetation and wildlife -- are being plundered.
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The Huffington Post | Comedy Posts
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The 10 Funniest Missing Pet Signs Of All Time (PHOTOS)
21 Nov 2009 | 9:21 amIt's always sad when your pet runs off, especially if he has giant balls or is a rodent masquerading as a cat. While we hope all the pets found their ways to safe homes, we're pretty sure these people shouldn't be in charge of anything that has a pulse and completely understand why they ran away. -
Andy Borowitz: Inspired By Oprah, Homeless Guy Ends 25 Years of Shouting at Passersby
21 Nov 2009 | 6:59 amNEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) - A homeless man who began shouting at New Yorkers in 1985 said that Oprah Winfrey was the inspiration behind his decision to call it quits in early 2010. "I've had a good run," said Tracy Klugian, who has barked non sequiturs at passersby on the corner of Third Avenue and 29th Street for the past 25 years. "If there's one thing Oprah's taught me, it's quit while you're on top." Mr. Klugian said he was exploring a number of options, including starting his own cable channel and shouting obscenities at people on the subway. More here. -
The Real Housewives Of Late Night Start Thanksgiving Food Fight With The Roots (VIDEO)
21 Nov 2009 | 5:57 amWe're on episode five of this fabulous series, so we thought we'd catch you up on all the drama so far. In the first installment we met Denise Fallon--the brassy wife of Jimmy Fallon who thinks she's the most important person at "Late Night"; Lydia, an older lady who talks about her boobs a lot; Dale, the Christian diva; Yvonne, the no-nonsense binge-eater; and Renee, the alcoholic. They are all nightmares, but no more so than the ladies on any other "Real Housewives" show. In the second episode, we learned that Yvonne and Denise really hate each other and are involved in a constant power… -
Tina Fey Does Sarah Palin At Ad Council Dinner (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pmWhile hosting the Ad Council Annual Dinner Wednesday night, "30 Rock" creator Tina Fey brought back her famous impersonation of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. "Mrs. Palin and I continue to have so much in common," she said. "They recently made a porn movie about Sarah and then this same porn actress, Lisa Ann, played me in a parody of '30 Rock' ... And weirdly of the three of us, Lisa Ann knows the most about foreign policy." "I feel like Sarah Palin right now," she said later, gesturing at her teleprompters. "It's not that hard." She went into her Palin voice, saying, "We'll begin with… -
Matthew Diffee: Naming America's First Marijuana Cafe
20 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pmThe first ever marijuana café in America opened last week. That doesn't surprise me. What shocks me is that it's in Portland, Oregon. That would be like opening a Mormon bookstore in Salt Lake City. Weird, right? The place is called The Cannabis Café, which I must say I find pretty disappointing. If there's anything we know about people who claim to use marijuana for medicinal use, it's that they have a sense of humor. Why not call it something fun. Here's a few ideas just off the top of my head: The Grass Hut The Dopeteria The Weeding Room Stoned Depot De Pot Depot McDoobies International…
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The Huffington Post | Comedy Blog
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Andy Borowitz: Inspired By Oprah, Homeless Guy Ends 25 Years of Shouting at Passersby
21 Nov 2009 | 6:59 amNEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) - A homeless man who began shouting at New Yorkers in 1985 said that Oprah Winfrey was the inspiration behind his decision to call it quits in early 2010. "I've had a good run," said Tracy Klugian, who has barked non sequiturs at passersby on the corner of Third Avenue and 29th Street for the past 25 years. "If there's one thing Oprah's taught me, it's quit while you're on top." Mr. Klugian said he was exploring a number of options, including starting his own cable channel and shouting obscenities at people on the subway. More here. -
Matthew Diffee: Naming America's First Marijuana Cafe
20 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pmThe first ever marijuana café in America opened last week. That doesn't surprise me. What shocks me is that it's in Portland, Oregon. That would be like opening a Mormon bookstore in Salt Lake City. Weird, right? The place is called The Cannabis Café, which I must say I find pretty disappointing. If there's anything we know about people who claim to use marijuana for medicinal use, it's that they have a sense of humor. Why not call it something fun. Here's a few ideas just off the top of my head: The Grass Hut The Dopeteria The Weeding Room Stoned Depot De Pot Depot McDoobies International… -
Bob Saget: Why I Love Thanksgiving
20 Nov 2009 | 10:32 amThanksgiving is a time of family. A time of reflection. A time of giving. And a time of stuffing. It is a time when a man or woman, sometimes a slightly intoxicated man or woman, crams their butter-coated hand into a turkey's butt. If this act were to be done to a live turkey, the person performing that act would immediately become famous, if they weren't already. They would be in all the headlines, on several talk shows, and asked questions like: "What were you thinking -- What was going through your head?" If there were video of this act, that person could instantly win ten thousand dollars… -
Sybil Adelman Sage: Advice to Women: You're Better off Without Medical Care
20 Nov 2009 | 10:23 amThis past week women learned from a task force (consisting of no doctors) that those under the age of 50 should hold off on getting mammograms. An unrelated finding, this from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, is that pap test screenings are best postponed until after the age of 21 and be done less frequently. Other task groups will surely announce that since women have a longer life expectancy and tolerate illness better than men, they should be denied medical care. Diagnostic tests for women may, in fact, be a frivolous… -
Andy Borowitz: Lieberman Exploring New Ways to Be a Dick
20 Nov 2009 | 8:43 amWASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - As the health care reform bill makes its way through the U.S. Senate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) said today that he was "actively exploring" new ways to be as big a dick as humanly possible. For Sen. Lieberman, whose reputation for assholic behavior is legendary, striving to be an even bigger douche than usual represents a formidable challenge, Senate insiders say. But if the Connecticut senator found the burden of being the most egregious asshat in the Senate daunting in the least he did not show it in a brief meeting with reporters in the Capitol…
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The Huffington Post | Comedy Latest News
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The 10 Funniest Missing Pet Signs Of All Time (PHOTOS)
21 Nov 2009 | 9:21 amIt's always sad when your pet runs off, especially if he has giant balls or is a rodent masquerading as a cat. While we hope all the pets found their ways to safe homes, we're pretty sure these people shouldn't be in charge of anything that has a pulse and completely understand why they ran away. -
The Real Housewives Of Late Night Start Thanksgiving Food Fight With The Roots (VIDEO)
21 Nov 2009 | 5:57 amWe're on episode five of this fabulous series, so we thought we'd catch you up on all the drama so far. In the first installment we met Denise Fallon--the brassy wife of Jimmy Fallon who thinks she's the most important person at "Late Night"; Lydia, an older lady who talks about her boobs a lot; Dale, the Christian diva; Yvonne, the no-nonsense binge-eater; and Renee, the alcoholic. They are all nightmares, but no more so than the ladies on any other "Real Housewives" show. In the second episode, we learned that Yvonne and Denise really hate each other and are involved in a constant power… -
Tina Fey Does Sarah Palin At Ad Council Dinner (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pmWhile hosting the Ad Council Annual Dinner Wednesday night, "30 Rock" creator Tina Fey brought back her famous impersonation of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. "Mrs. Palin and I continue to have so much in common," she said. "They recently made a porn movie about Sarah and then this same porn actress, Lisa Ann, played me in a parody of '30 Rock' ... And weirdly of the three of us, Lisa Ann knows the most about foreign policy." "I feel like Sarah Palin right now," she said later, gesturing at her teleprompters. "It's not that hard." She went into her Palin voice, saying, "We'll begin with… -
Linked In...To What? Cartoon Mocks Site That Does "Nothing" (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 9:29 amCraig and Darren are back and since they destroyed the Twittersphere, Craig has moved on from Twitter to Linked In. Darren is still having none of it, begging the question, "Why does anyone use this site?" over and over again. Craig explains that one must be linked in to find a job, even though nobody he knows has ever found one through social networking. Violence ensues. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! -
Kids Reenact The First Thanksgiving With Smallpox Blankets And Whiskey (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 8:57 amHow did the Pilgrims celebrate the first Thanksgiving? According to these adorable young history buffs, with blankets covered in smallpox. While it may appear that these kids are simply playing dress-up, their reenactment is pretty true-to-life, and includes hilarious depictions of The Pequot and King Philip's War. At the end, the Pilgrims give parting gifts to their Native American friends: whiskey, keys to a pickup truck, and of course, more smallpox. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!
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The Huffington Post | Dawn Teo
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John McCain Could Lose Senate Primary To Tea Party Supporter
20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 amPHOENIX, AZ -- Rasmussen announced a new poll on Friday showing Senator John McCain may be in trouble at home where a polarized electorate has him facing constant criticism from both the left and the right. The poll shows McCain tied with former Congressman and current talk radio host J.D. Hayworth in a hypothetical Republican primary. Hayworth, who has become an outspoken local hero among immigration-control activists, lost his House seat to Rep. Harry Mitchell (D) in 2006. Since then, Hayworth has promoted the Tea Parties on his radio show and has spoken at Tea Party events, including the… -
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Besieged by Critics
20 Nov 2009 | 8:33 amUnions and other left-leaning organizations typically oppose the big-business policies hawked in the halls of Congress by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. However, the U.S. Chamber is now being harshly criticized on the record by some unlikely sources: small businesses, medical professionals, and several of their own local chambers of commerce. And today, Twitter users are joining the growing clamor against the U.S. Chamber. Local chambers are disputing the U.S. Chamber's right to speak for and represent its members, and some are openly citing the U.S. Chamber's big business policies as the… -
"Teabagger" Oxford Dictionary Word-of-the-Year Finalist
18 Nov 2009 | 10:36 amLexicographers at the New Oxford American Dictionary have selected teabagger as one of the runner-ups to unfriend for 2009 Word of the Year. The definition of teabagging, according to Oxford, is "a person who protests President Obama's tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as "Tea Party" protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773)." Oxford Senior Lexicographer Christine Lindberg explains the exclusion of the other definition, stating, "It should be noted that the term "teabagger" appears on the Oxford list because of the usage cited on that… -
Tea Partiers Punked, Prankster Calls For Ousting Of "European Immigrants" (VIDEO)
17 Nov 2009 | 9:02 amSaturday, anti-immigration Tea Parties were held in cities across the country to protest the upcoming comprehensive immigration reform bill. In Minnesota, Tea Partiers were punked by one speaker who got the crowd cheering about evicting European immigrants who "stole" this country. Robert Erickson (reportedly an alias) used language similar to that of nativists, starting his speech by saying: Â In Minneapolis where I'm from, we have a huge immigrant population that has been causing a number of problems. With the economy in recession and so many people laid off and unable to find… -
Tea Party Protest Turns Violent (VIDEO)
16 Nov 2009 | 5:59 pmTea Partiers tussled with counter protesters during at least two of the nationwide anti-immigration Tea Party rallies on Saturday. In Ft. Lauderdale, several Tea Partiers brawled in the street with counter protesters from the Florida Chapter of Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER). The video, which was shot by Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), shows two Tea Partiers with their own video cameras making their way through the area designated by police for counter protesters from ANSWER. As the Tea Partiers reach the end of the ANSWER group, one of the Tea Partiers can be seen…
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The Huffington Post | Mark Blankenship
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The Movie "Precious" Tells Two Stories at Once
9 Nov 2009 | 10:10 amWarning: Major spoilers ahead I loved the movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire because it told me two moving stories at once. The film's first story is about Precious herself, a character whose endlessly miserable life is like something out of The Trojan Women: When she's not getting raped and impregnated by her father, she's getting sexually, physically, and verbally abused by her mother Mary (Mo'Nique.) She even gets pushed around by strangers on the street. I found myself rooting for Precious, caring for her, right away. That's partly because of Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe's… -
Should We Want Movies Like Sandra Bullock's The Blind Side?
21 Sep 2009 | 1:49 pmIf I think Sandra Bullock seems appealing in The Blind Side, opening November 20, does that mean I'm a racist? Let's watch the trailer, and then I'll explain... Oh, let's dance around the obvious for a minute. Let's start by saying that as a wealthy, no-nonsense Tennessee housewife named Leigh Anne Tuohy, Sandra Bullock looks like she's giving one of the best performances of her career. She seems focused and specific, and there's an exciting energy in her eyes. And hey, there's a good song by The Fray at the beginning of the trailer. But that's just it. The song is called "How to Save a… -
True Blood Sucker Punch: Episode 12
13 Sep 2009 | 9:35 pmWelcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week's episode of True Blood. (Warning: Spoilers Ahead) --- Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that Miss Jeanette was lying dead in the back seat of Andy Bellefleur's car, and now Eggs is lying dead next to Andy Bellefleur's car. But hey... seasons can't go on forever, and "Beyond Here Lies' Nothin'" sends True Blood out in style. First, I tip my hat to Alexander Woo for writing such satisfying scenes for Queen Sophie-Anne. After her first appearance, I figured I'd be sending her No Thank You… -
True Blood Sucker Punch: Episode 11
30 Aug 2009 | 10:33 pmWelcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week's episode of True Blood. (Warning: Spoilers Ahead) --- Okay, look... I know it's hard to be a television writer. You've got character development and plot continuity and about six million other things to think about, and you're usually juggling multiple episodes at once. From that perspective, it's a miracle that any episode of any series is ever any good, which is why I can forgive my favorite shows when they have a bad episode or two. And I'll definitely have to forgive True Blood for this week's… -
Another Way to See "Inglourious Basterds"
27 Aug 2009 | 11:20 pmAm I the only one who thinks critics have overlooked a valid and exciting interpretation of Quentin Tarantino's new film Inglourious Basterds? Let me explain what I mean... (Warning: Major spoilers ahead.) You see, I was enthralled by this movie, which rewrites WWII history to include both a group of Nazi-scalping American soldiers (called the Basterds) and a Jewish cinema owner who avenges her family's murder by burning her movie house while every important SS officer (including Hitler) is trapped inside. Walking out of the theater, I was buzzing: Like every Tarantino film, Inglourious…
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The Huffington Post | Drew Westen
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Leadership, Obama Style
2 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amIt's been a year since that exhilarating night last year when we heard the news that Barack Obama would be our next president. Over the course of that year, we have seen the leadership style of our new president. Some say it is too early to tell; he's only been in office for a little over nine months. But that's a very literal view of leadership. Sure, we won't know the outcomes of many of his decisions for years. We won't know, for example, if the health care reform bill he ultimately signs really turns out to be "budget-neutral" ten years from now. But we can see how he let its… -
All the President's Values
30 Sep 2009 | 6:24 amI'm starting to gain new respect for President Bush. Wow, that's a scary thought. Sure, he was an impulsive, narcissistic little man of at-best average intellect, who acted on his "gut" even when it was as empty as his head. Sure, he had a Manichean world-view and split the world into those who are "with us" or "against us." Sure, he pursued an economic philosophy (if you can call three or four words strung together at a time, usually with improper syntax, the rudiments of a philosophy) that led to the Great Recession and a trillion dollar deficit to support a massive redistribution of income… -
How Race Turns up the Volume on Incivility: A Scientifically Informed Post-Mortem to a Controversy
23 Sep 2009 | 6:14 amSuppose, over the last 25 years, a half million Englishmen a year had entered the US. Most came on temporary work visas, whereas others came as visitors, but in both cases, they preferred it here and stayed. They were hard workers, but they didn't have papers, so they either took jobs American workers didn't want or just blended into the job market however they could. Over the years, many of them married American citizens and had children who were born on American soil. Like everybody else, they paid sales taxes (unless there's some secret handshake non-citizens know to present to… -
Why the President Has Been Losing on Health Care, and What He Needs to Say
7 Sep 2009 | 8:37 pmPundits have offered a range of reasons for why health reform that was wildly popular and on which the President and two houses of Congress were elected has turned so far south in public opinion: The White House overlearned the lessons of the Clintons by letting a dysfunctional Congress try to create the legislation on their own. The President failed to lay out a clear plan and only suggested a set of principles. The White House emphasized cost, when most people who vote are more concerned with security and stability of their insurance and when the emphasis on cost ultimately drew attention… -
Change We Can Believe In: Feelings Toward the Administration by Those Who Elected It
13 Aug 2009 | 6:44 amOver the last couple of weeks I've been hearing rumblings. They're not from the staged or misinformed protestors at town hall meetings who have decided that shouting down a member of Congress is their right as American citizens. They're not from "the left" -- that wild, unruly group of bloggers and Birkenstockers the White House has called on repeatedly, both in public and in private, to be quiet. They're from the parent who came to pick up her daughter after a play date with my five-year-old, as we stood in the door chatting. They're from my cousin, a family doctor, who called me when he…
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The Huffington Post | Jane Hamsher
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NARAL and Planned Parenthood: Ineffectiveness Anti-Choice Democrats Can Rely On
7 Nov 2009 | 12:10 pmDemocrats in Congress have just proudly signed a deal with the Catholic bishops which allows a bunch of old men who have spent the better part of the last century avoiding their own sexual issues to dictate access to abortion services in the House health care bill. No tax dollars were going to go to pay for abortions, mind you, but now insurance companies that participate in the exchange can't even cover them, thanks to Democrat Bart Stupak. FDL's Jon Walker explains how it works: If the insurance companies offering plans on the exchange are not allowed to turn down any customers,… -
Anna Eshoo's PhRMA Boondoggle: The Devil Is In Her Details
2 Nov 2009 | 11:46 amAs a three-time breast cancer survivor, I have a strong personal stake in health care reform. So when students from the American Medical Students Association wrote us at PublicOptionPlease.com and told me about their campaign to keep biologic "drugs of the future" available and affordable, I was eager to help. Incredible developments have been made in recent years with these "high tech" drugs made from living cells, which now represent 25% of all new drugs and 50% of all important drugs approved. But I know from personal experience that they can be prohibitively expensive, even for people… -
House Health Care Bill: A Death Sentence For My Fellow Breast Cancer Survivors
29 Oct 2009 | 10:48 amThere was much celebration on Capitol Hill today with the announcement of the new House health care bill. For myself, as a three time breast cancer survivor, there was tremendous sadness and disappointment in the Speaker. Nancy Pelosi made a choice with regard to the lifesaving biologic drugs I took when I was in chemotherapy that will cost many of my fellow breast cancer survivors everything they own, and quite possibly their lives. Jeanne Sather is another breast cancer survivor. In 2007, she wrote on her blog The Assertive Patient: I love Herceptin, a drug I have been getting to treat my… -
Protecting Pharmaceutical Profits: The Cost Is Human Lives
27 Oct 2009 | 12:12 pmThe public option has received the lion's share of attention in the health care debate, but there is an equally important issue relating to generic drugs that could mean innovative, lifesaving drugs remain too expensive for all but the wealthy. Biologics are drugs made from living organisms, and they are considered the miracle drugs of the future. They are the new "blockbuster" drugs for the pharmaceutical industry. Herceptin, for breast cancer, costs $48,000 a year, and many insurance companies won't cover it -- or people quickly hit their limits and must pay for it out-of-pocket or go… -
Why is Harry Reid Covering Up a Secret Senate Filibuster?
23 Oct 2009 | 11:58 amThe Huffington Post reports that Harry Reid is working the phones because he's "just one or two Senate votes shy of having a filibuster-proof majority in favor of a public option for health insurance coverage with a provision allowing states to opt-out." "One or two votes shy?" That means Reid is allowing members of the Democratic caucus to threaten a filibuster behind closed doors and dictate what will be in the bill he brings to the floor, but he won't tell the public. It's the "silent filibuster" we've been warning about. I guess you and I don't need to know who is conducting it, because…
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The Huffington Post | Shannyn Moore
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Palin's Oily Lies Drip from the Pages of Going Rogue
16 Nov 2009 | 1:27 amI know facts aren't going to matter to many people buying Sarah Palin's, Going Rogue. Facts certainly didn't matter to folks who voted for her. According to the "fact checkers": PALIN: Welcomes last year's Supreme Court decision deciding punitive damages for victims of the nation's largest oil spill tragedy, the Exxon Valdez disaster, stating it had taken 20 years to achieve victory. As governor, she says, she'd had the state argue in favor of the victims, and she says the court's ruling went "in favor of the people." Finally, she writes, Alaskans could recover some of their losses. THE… -
Stupak's Flaccid Amendment Needs No Viagra
12 Nov 2009 | 1:57 amAmericans Against Chafing (A.A.C.) Unite! Oh, yes, it's time. With the House passing a health care bill with the Stupak Amendment, we really need to start talking about this. The political cross-dressers, also known as "Blue Dogs" not only authored, but voted for the Uterus Police. The Stupak Amendment insures that no federal funds, or federally-funded insurance companies, would be used for abortions. On Saturday night, 21 of the 39 Democrats who voted for Stupak then proceeded to vote against the Health Care bill. One-hundred seventy-five Republicans voted for the amendment but against the… -
Palin's Pavlovian Response to House Health Care Passage
8 Nov 2009 | 10:46 pmI spent a lot of time in a small Alaskan church. I'm glad I did. It helps me interpret Palin's evangelical dog whistles. The title: "The Pelosi Bill Was Rammed Through on Saturday, But Sunday's Coming." Seems harmless to a casual reader, but to the evangelicals? Instant salivation. During sermons about the crucifixion, a typical preacher line goes, "Friday was a dark, dark day, but Sunday's coming." Answered with many "Amens." So, Nancy Pelosi just killed Jesus, and Sarah is going to resurrect him? Is she equating the health care bill to the crucifixion, and the conservative comeback as the… -
Palin's Boob a Fake: Hoffman Loses
4 Nov 2009 | 1:37 amI tried to resist. Glenn Beck and the Teabaggers (sounds like a bad lounge act) will be making the governors' losses in New Jersey and Virginia a "referendum" on Obama's "socialist policies." Fine. Let's just go there. Bend over, I'm driving. When a quitter and a spitter show up to help out your campaign... don't take the money and don't sign a loyalty pledge to a crazy man WHO CAN'T VOTE FOR YOU! Mr. Hoffman was a fake... a true voice for the tea baggin', rapture watchin', gay hatin', health fightin', ladies bakin', race baitin', forced breedin', birth denyin', war lovin' party of Glenn… -
Sarah Palin: Rogue Republican or Democratic Operative?
2 Nov 2009 | 6:09 pm"Why do you still talk about Sarah Palin? Maybe if you shut up she'd go away." Wrong. Sarah Palin isn't going anywhere. Look at her political history. When Sarah ran for mayor of Wasilla, she had to destroy her Republican opponent, John Stein. Once elected, she boasted she was "the first Christian mayor". Mr. Stein replied, "Really?" Palin and Wasilla Republican and Alaska Senate President, Lyda Green, often clashed over politics in Green's district. On a local shock jock talk show, Palin giggled after the host called Lyda Green "a cancer". Green had just recovered from cancer. Plunk, there…
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The Huffington Post | David Weiner
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D Train Stabbing: Subway Passenger Killed Over Seat
21 Nov 2009 | 9:58 amAn argument over a subway seat erupted in deadly violence early Saturday when a straphanger stabbed a stranger on a D train in Manhattan. -
The New York Music Project: Help Map The City In Song
20 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pmSince its founding, New York has been an evergreen inspiration for musicians, from Gershwin to Dylan to the Beastie Boys. "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z's love letter to the city, is just the latest, and perhaps greatest, in a long line of New York-inspired songs. But one day -- maybe soon, maybe not -- someone else will come along and pen a ditty about the city that never sleeps that will fully-encapsulate life in the five boroughs and Jay-Z's will be a worn-out standard, played while fans shuffle out of the new new Yankee Stadium. So in honor of the long and vast history of New York in song,… -
Fernando Bermudez Free; Spent 17 Years In Jail For Murder He Didn't Commit
20 Nov 2009 | 1:06 pmNEW YORK — A prison system official says a New York City man is free after spending nearly two decades behind bars for murder before a judge declared him innocent. Fernando Bermudez was released from the Sing Sing prison in Ossining at about 2:10 p.m. Friday. A Manhattan judge overturned Bermudez's 1992 conviction last week, saying it stemmed from unreliable witness testimony. -
Theodore Pressman Convicted Of Hot-Car Death Of Father, 85
20 Nov 2009 | 1:06 pmPEEKSKILL, N.Y. — A New York state man has been convicted of reckless endangerment after leaving his 85-year-old father in a car on a hot day and finding him dead three hours later. Theodore Pressman of Beacon was found guilty Friday in Peekskill City Court. -
Williamsburg Cocaine Bust Nets More Than 18 Kilos, $800,000 In Cash
20 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pmCops busted a Williamsburg super and two others on Wednesday for running hipster drug den out of defunct bar and hiding their stash in a sauna.
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The Huffington Post | Chris Kelly
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Sarah Palin Tells Rush Limbaugh the Magic Word
17 Nov 2009 | 2:53 pm"I have, of course, all my life read. I'm a lover of books, magazines, and newspapers." - Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin "Sometimes, big shot, you don't seem to give me credit for very much intelligence at all. I've been to school in my life - and I'm a magazine reader!" - Baby Doll Sarah Palin took her book tour to the Rush Limbaugh Show this morning. The Oprah and Barbara Walters interviews have been fun, because they mostly just asked her about Levi Johnston, and it's gratifying that God sent him to ruin her life and save the Republic. (Sometimes God opens a door. And it's to Bristol's… -
2012 Offends Catholics, Dimwits, Ex-Cons
10 Nov 2009 | 9:09 amThe huge new disaster movie 2012 opens this Friday. Everyone but HuffPost blogger John Cusack drowns, but not before a statue of Jesus crumbles, a crack opens in the Sistine Chapel roof -- right between the fingers of God and Adam -- and St. Peter's Basilica falls over on a lot of Italians. These images have offended the usual people in the I'm Offended Industry, but not for the reason you'd think. The offense takers are offended because 2012 forgot to offend any Muslims. Here's Greg Gutfeld, who used to be a HuffPost blogger and now has a public access TV show: But there was one thing… -
Dud, Baby, Dud: The Lesson of Doug Hoffman
4 Nov 2009 | 4:50 am"I believe America is turning the page to a new dawn." ~ Doug Hoffman, Concession Speech Doug Hoffman lost his election last night. He was supported by a plurality of talk radio entertainers, and a majority of former half-term governors of Alaska, but it wasn't enough. An obscure quirk of constitutional law says you also need votes from voters. This is the same cruel hurdle that tripped up three of his other biggest supporters, Gary Bauer, Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani, all of whom ran for President of the United States, but failed the "getting votes" test, because everyone hates their… -
Biased Media, Dirty Tricks and Special Interests Drove Out Republican
31 Oct 2009 | 1:02 pmThree days before the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district, the Republicans have lost their candidate. Dede Scozzafava has dropped out. This leaves upstate New York, parts of which have voted for the party of Lincoln since Lincoln, without a Republican choice. They just have a Democrat -- law professor/Air Force captain Bill Owens. And a Conservative -- cipher Doug Hoffman. But no Republican. Chester Arthur would roll over in his grave, which is in New York's First District, which means he couldn't vote for Doug Hoffman in Tuesday's election, just like Doug Hoffman… -
Doug Hoffman Wins an Olympic Gold Medal, Gets Reagan Elected and F***s a Rat
28 Oct 2009 | 3:02 pmDoug Hoffman is running for Congress on the nonentity ticket. A millionaire accountant who's not even eligible to vote in the district he seeks to serve, Doug has never previously held nor sought elected office. He has no public record of, well, anything. He seems to own cars -- that comes up a lot in his campaign literature -- and I guess that says something. He was in the Army Reserves in the seventies, just like Dan Quayle, but it's unclear if he ever served in an area east of Lake George. He has a full raft of Christian prejudices, but if he's a practicing member of any church, it hasn't…
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The Huffington Post | Verena von Pfetten
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Michelle Obama's Dress: In Defense Of Her Decision
3 Nov 2009 | 9:34 pmEditor's Note: In honor of the one year anniversary of Barack Obama's election, we thought it would be fitting to re-publish this defense of Michelle Obama's controversial election night dress. It originally ran on November 5th, 2008. Read designer Narciso Rodriguez's thoughts on the frock here. Good morning! Happy Wednesday! Happy Hangovers!, etc, et al. I know it's a good day because everyone's favorite candidate won and people were dancing in the streets like it was 1964 and you're probably nursing a hangover that for the first time in your life you're actually happy to have. So,… -
7 Lessons In Life From Lauren Conrad
19 Jun 2009 | 9:44 amOriginally published at Air America Media. Though she is arguably one of the least interesting characters to ever grace the screen of a reality TV show, Lauren Conrad -- star of MTV's increasingly vapid and increasingly fake, "The Hills" -- has managed to weasel her perfectly groomed, throaty-voiced self into my heart. There are many reasons I love that girl, most of them embarrassingly superficial, but the main one is that contrary to most people's opinion and probably better judgment, I think she's a wonderful role model for young girls. Bear with me. Yes, she's on a… -
How To Balance Work And Working Out
26 May 2009 | 11:55 amI want my wrinkles to melt away. I want my belly as flat as the girl in the Google ads. And I certainly want my arms to look as good as Michelle Obama's. But when forced to choose between exercise, work and family, sit-ups and push-ups fall to the bottom of my list. Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy has most of us working more, trying to find a job, or shifting in a new career direction, giving up exercise and fitness the minute it doesn't fit into our schedule. -
Is Happiness An Experience Of Contemplation?
26 May 2009 | 11:31 amWhat is happiness? How does one get a grip on this most elusive, intractable and perhaps unanswerable of questions? I teach philosophy for a living, so let me begin with a philosophical answer. For the philosophers of Antiquity, notably Aristotle, it was assumed that the goal of the philosophical life -- the good life, moreover -- was happiness and that the latter could be defined as the bios theoretikos, the solitary life of contemplation. Today, few people would seem to subscribe to this view. Our lives are filled with the endless distractions of cell phones, car alarms, commuter woes and… -
WATCH: The Oprah Effect
26 May 2009 | 10:48 amShe's the queen of talk, a cultural and financial icon and her impact on business is worth billions. Oprah Winfrey is the most influential woman in America -- maybe the world. Experts have a term for her unmatched and incredible ability to take companies from no names to brand names: The Oprah Effect. On Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. PT, CNBC will present "The Oprah Effect," hosted by Carl Quintanilla. Quintanilla will interview small business owners to explore Oprah's unparalleled impact on their bottom line. WATCH the trailer:
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The Huffington Post | Bob Cesca
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Famous for Being Famous: The Sarah Palin Show Is On the Air
18 Nov 2009 | 2:58 pmI'm not sure what I have more contempt for. Sarah Palin's pathological lying or the people who can say with a straight face that Sarah Palin is qualified for anything other than a reality show contestant or the the Edie McClurg role in a remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles. What's even more alarming is the constant reporting from the cable news people this week: Sarah Palin is famous! Wow! But no one is digging into exactly why she's famous. And that's the heart of the matter here. She's nothing more than an overrated celebudoof. She's the equivalent of an ex-reality show star that's… -
Joe Lieberman Filibusters Health Care While Americans Suffer
12 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pmOne of many classic episodes of Seinfeld was "The Opposite" -- the finale of season five. While George decides to ignore his instincts and behave in the exact opposite way he normally would, the B-story involves Elaine's boyfriend, Jake Jarmel, being hit by a cab. And instead of rushing to the hospital, Elaine stops at a movie theater concession stand and buys a box of Jujyfruits -- completely unfazed by the gravity of the situation. When it comes to health care reform, Joe Lieberman is Elaine times a thousand. So are Ben Nelson, Tom Carper, Blanche Lincoln and Evan Bayh. But let's focus on… -
Hope, Change and The Long Road: One Year Later
4 Nov 2009 | 11:18 am"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this… -
VIDEO: Vote Against Corporate Agribusiness
2 Nov 2009 | 5:35 amAs a brief follow-up to my post from last Wednesday about Issue 2 in Ohio, here's a fun video about the "lie" regarding this ballot measure. The thumbnail is this: Issue 2 will amend Ohio's state constitution in order to create a small regulatory panel that will be responsible for all of Ohio's livestock. Of course, corporate agribusinesses love this idea because they'll be able to stack, lobby and control this small, vulnerable panel much more effectively than the monolithic federal Department of Agriculture. Consequently, Issue 2 will crush family farms and allow corporations to further… -
We Can't Reform Health Care without Reforming Food
28 Oct 2009 | 2:45 pmIf and when health care reform finally passes, we will have successfully ameliorated only half of the crisis. The treatment half. The next step has to be focused upon doing something about the poisoned filth we've collectively nicknamed "food." Without any real changes in how our food is produced, the health care system will continue to bloat and fall apart. Not unlike the insides of an average American body. Corporate agribusiness has invested nearly $1.2 billion (and growing) on lobbyists -- more money than even the defense lobby. Naturally, much of this lobbying has been aimed at…
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The Huffington Post | Tara Stiles
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Should Insurance Companies Pay For Preventive Care?
21 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amShould government pay for preventive care? Should insurance companies? This topic has been coming up lately around the studio. We encourage people to come to class frequently to give them the best possible benefits. The once a week Strala class is fine for relaxation, or a fun social activity, but if you are interested in cultivating a healthy mind and body, more regular practice is necessary. This brings many people to the problem of managing their already tight budgets. In New York City it tends to break down something like this: Rent, food, insurance, fun. Similar to the fundamental… -
What Would You Do For God? (VIDEO)
14 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amI've been hooked on Netflix streaming for the past few weeks. It's served me as a useful post-book revision wind down, but not so useful in granting a good night's sleep. I've plowed through loads of my queue and started exploring indie documentaries. My latest obsession is the BBC special, The Atheism Tapes. "Six renowned intellectuals debate whether God exists in these fascinating interviews with playwright and atheist Jonathan Miller. Highlights include playwright Arthur Miller discussing the anti-Semitism he's faced and his disbelief in God. Other participants are biologist Richard… -
Relaxation: The Art of Doing Nothing (VIDEO)
7 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amOur minds are occupied with so many useless thoughts that cause tension. When we try to relax we aren't even aware of how to go about releasing the tension that we are gripping, because we don't fully understand why it is there. It happens to all of us. Stress and tension are complicated physically and psychologically. Soothing pictures of sunsets, calming music, and meditation won't help much unless it points us in the direction of understanding our obsession with activity, the cause of our tension. Have you ever been in an argument with someone who told you to relax in a raised tone of… -
Take The Time To Chill Out
31 Oct 2009 | 4:58 amA cool girl that comes to the yoga studio had been buried in a gigantic book for a few weeks right up until class time. It was one of those books that you knew had to suck you in because it's a commitment just to lug the thing around. I asked her what it was and she started to describe a fascinating story about a man that had escaped from prison, fled to Bombay and lived in a slum where he provided medical aid to the residents. She said she had never been to India but the author's use of language took her there. Interesting. Next thing I know she finished the book and passed it off to me. Oh… -
Yoga: Bye Bye Anxiety! (VIDEO)
24 Oct 2009 | 7:33 amI hitched a ride back to my hotel tonight from the car rental place and learned a few very important lessons from the driver. He asked if I was in town for work or fun, and happily I got to reply "both." My work is fun. I told him a little bit about what I do with yoga. He told me his kids have yoga in school and they come home and show off their moves. We both agreed kids are already so limber and usually don't have the psychological blocks that we build up over time. He grew up in Mexico and moved to LA when he was 12, along with his family. He's married with 2 little kids ages 4 and 6. I…
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The Huffington Post | Lindsay Mannering
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Name The Foxy First Lady: A Fun Quiz! (PHOTOS, POLL)
8 Nov 2009 | 8:46 amEditor's note: This quiz was originally published on February 7th, 2009. We're running it again now because, well, it's awesome. First Ladies have always garnered public attention. Their activism, political prowess, and style make most of them household names. Just recently, Martha Washington made headlines because historians are now trying to revamp her once frumpy image-- she apparently wore the Manolo Blahniks of her time on her wedding day and was quite beautiful and witty, despite earlier reports to the contrary. Haters! But how well do you know your history? See if you can name these… -
Dinner Conversation: 5 Fun Food Facts To Share At Your BBQ
4 Jul 2009 | 5:17 amHappy Independence Day! If you're one of the 66 million people headed to a barbeque today, consider taking the hot dog out of your mouth for just two seconds to wow your friends with these five fun food facts about the Fourth. 1) Speaking of that hot dog in your mouth...there's a 25% chance that it came from somewhere in Iowa, where 17.6 million market hogs and pigs call home. And over 150 million hot dogs will be eaten today. But if you subtract Kobayashi's contribution, about six hot dogs will be eaten today. 2) What's that? No hot dogs for you? Not carnivores, are we? If your salad was a… -
Michael Jackson Fashion: Which Decade Did He Wear Best? (PHOTOS, POLL)
27 Jun 2009 | 9:47 pmHe's bad, he's bad, and I know it. And the way he makes me feel, it really turns me on, and knocks me off my feet. And when I've been a victim of, a selfish kind of love, I remember the time when he held me like the river Jordan and asked me, 'Annie, are you OK?' Which was weird because my name is Lindsay. Regardless, I love Michael's music and I love, love, love the outfits. From the 70's fro to the 80's glove to the 90's jackets to the 2000's surgical mask, MJ's looks were always memorable and iconic. My favorite decade was the 90s-- what was yours? Take a look and vote. Read the Michael… -
FAMOUS FAINTERS! (SLIDESHOW)
1 Jun 2009 | 9:43 pmIs there anything funnier than classic physical comedy? It's simple: a frying pan to the face or a slip on a banana peel makes people laugh. And once we make sure they're OK, we can laugh all the way to the doctor's office. It's obvious these nine well-known figures have been paying attention and wanted to bring a little comedy into their routine. Take a look at the following famous fainters. -
Top 10 Prettiest Presidents: A Slideshow And Poll
22 May 2009 | 5:09 amInspired by our handsome new POTUS, I thought we could take a look at some presidential eye-candy from past administrations. While some of their politics might not be agreeable, their pretty faces sure are. Take a look at our top ten prettiest presidents, then vote for who you think is the fairest of them all below.
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The Huffington Post | Ben Sherwood
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Swine Flu Smackdown: How to Avoid Infection (and a Fistfight)
5 Nov 2009 | 7:45 amThe tall woman with dyed reddish blond hair coughed loudly without covering her mouth. The shorter woman with a slicked-back bun wasn't happy about it. They were riding the southbound D train near Rockefeller Center during morning rush hour in New York City this week. A single cough quickly turned into an argument. "You need to cover your mouth," bun-woman reportedly said. "I don't want swine flu." The war of words flared up quickly, according to a reporter for The Business Insider (who witnessed the altercation). Eventually, coughing-woman spit on bun-woman. Then someone threw a punch. In… -
Swine Flu Vaccine: Why You Should Stop Worrying and Roll Up Your Sleeve
3 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pmAs the nurse poked the needle into my son's thigh, I expected to feel some kind of fear or worry. After all, I had heard alarm bells about the new swine flu vaccine. Supposedly, it hasn't been properly tested. It doesn't really work. It contains mercury. And there's a video on YouTube of a person paralyzed by the flu vaccine. And yet, when the nurse was done, I felt genuine relief. The flu is on a rampage in 48 states, the CDC says, and the death toll is going up. Around the world, health officials are spotting devastating H1N1 outbreaks in countries like Ukraine where 71 people have died so… -
"Miracle" Plane Crash Survivor: Six Questions and Answers About Your Next Flight
3 Jul 2009 | 5:32 amThe sole survivor of Yemenia Flight 626 could barely swim and didn't have a life jacket. When Bahia Bakari's airplane crashed into the stormy Indian Ocean this week, killing 152 other passengers and crew, the 12-year-old girl suddenly found herself in the watery darkness. She could hear the voices of other passengers, but couldn't see anyone, including her mother who perished. For 13 hours, Bahia clung to debris until she was rescued. Today, the teenager is back in France with her father. She is reportedly doing well with a few cuts and a fractured collarbone. "She is a very, very shy girl,"… -
Michael Jackson RIP: Does Anyone Survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
25 Jun 2009 | 5:23 pmEvery twenty seconds, a heart attack strikes someone in America, killing five hundred thousand a year. That's fifty-seven deaths every hour, almost one per minute. In the United States and many nations, it's the leading cause of death among adults over age forty. The most lethal kind of heart problem--called sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) --occurs when your ticker's electrical system goes haywire and stops pumping blood to the rest of your body. SCA accounts for an estimated 325,000 deaths every year in the US and -- according to news accounts -- it appears to have killed Michael Jackson. It's… -
Just a Kid: A Ten-Year-Old Battles Breast Cancer
16 May 2009 | 9:31 pmOn May 7th, Hannah Powell-Auslam of La Mirada, Calif. had a mastectomy to remove her left breast, the kind of surgery that takes place around 137 times per day in the US. Some 185,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and around 50,000 will have mastectomies. But Hannah's story is different. She's only 10 years old. According to her family's Website - Hannah is a "typical 10 year old girl. She loves to play sports, ride her bike, watch Hannah Montana and just be a kid." In March, the fifth-grader at Escalona Elementary School complained about an itchy breast. After her mom…
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The Huffington Post | David Flumenbaum
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Paul McCartney's "Good Evening New York City": Exclusive Video Of "I'm Down" From New DVD
15 Nov 2009 | 9:33 pmIn July of this year, performing for over 100,000 people at New York's Citi Field, Paul McCartney played the inaugural concert in the new stadium, covering many of his biggest hits as well as famous Beatles classics. It was a return to the scene where the Fab Four's 1965 appearance at Shea pioneered the concept of stadium rock concerts, and McCartney's electric performance of the Help b-side "I'm Down," one of the three-day event's major highlights, is featured on his new CD/DVD, Good Evening New York City. Here is an exclusive clip of that performance from the DVD: "Good Evening New York… -
Jon Soltz: Why Musicians Are Right, Liz Cheney Is Wrong
23 Oct 2009 | 11:23 amLiz Cheney and her cronies think they can lecture a group that includes veterans on the harm that Gitmo has done to our troops and our own security. What's pathetic is that by lobbying to keep Gitmo open, Liz Cheney's group is helping keep alive one of the greatest recruiting posters that al Qaeda ever had, yet they dare call themselves "Keep America Safe." They might as well call it "Keep al Qaeda Recruiting." -
Robert Reich: Why Wall Street Reform Is Stuck in Reverse
22 Oct 2009 | 12:08 pmEight months ago it looked as if the financial industry was in store for strong regulation -- oversight of derivative trading, pay linked to long-term performance, much higher capital requirements, an end to conflicts of interest. But today, Congress is struggling to produce even the tiniest shards of regulation that would at least give the appearance of doing something to rein in the Street. -
Robert L. Borosage: Where Will the Jobs Come From?
21 Oct 2009 | 11:15 amWall Street can produce another bubble, but that won't put the 15 million without jobs to work, one third of which have been out of work for at least six months. Recovery requires fundamental reform of America's economic strategy. Trickle down should be supplanted by public investment led growth -- large scale investments in areas like infrastructure, research and development, education and training. -
Arianna Huffington: HuffPost's "No Impact Week": Small Steps, Big Results
19 Oct 2009 | 11:38 amArianna Huffington: Last week, we launched our new Impact section -- and had an immediate impact. Now I want to draw your attention to "No Impact." No, we're not suddenly mimicking the faux-balance of the mainstream media. HuffPost's No Impact Week is a project we've launched together with Colin Beavan -- aka "No Impact Man." The goal is to demonstrate ways in which small actions in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our world. Each day for the next seven days, we will show you specific, manageable steps you can take to have a tangible impact on, well, lessening your impact. And No…
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The Huffington Post | Scott Mendelson
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Twilight Saga: New Moon shatters single-day record with $72 million.
21 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pmTwilight Saga: New Moon grossed $72.7 million on its first full day of release. This is the biggest single day of all time, besting The Dark Knight's $67 million opening shot back in July of 2008. This is also $3 million more than Twilight grossed in its entire opening weekend. See, this is what happens when you cast Dakota Fanning! Gosh, remember when The Lost World shocked us over Memorial Day weekend of 1997 all by earning $26 million in one day and $72 million in a single weekend? Well, New Moon just grossed $26 million in just midnight and 3am showings, and it clocked $72 million in just… -
The Super-Awesome, Astoundingly Mathematical Weekend Box Office Prediction for Twilight Saga: New Moon!
19 Nov 2009 | 11:27 pmBased on my top-secret, patented box office estimation formula, I hereby state that Twilight Saga: New Moon will gross $81 million over its first three days. No... wait, it will actually gross $91 million! It will definitely gross $81 million and/or $91 million! How do I know this? Simple. To paraphrase everyone's favorite fictional Spanish teacher, played by Dr. Ken Jeong, I am a box office genius! If you recall, I did a comparison chart of every single franchise launched in the last ten years. I listed every single one unless I'm forgetting a franchise or two and how their sequels did over… -
The official Twilight Saga New Moon weekend box office comparison chart.
18 Nov 2009 | 9:32 amThere will be no predictions, no guesses, and no analysis for the moment. We're just taking a second to do the cold math, using franchises that were created/rebooted in the last ten years. Basically, the list is "If New Moon performs like the opening weekend to sequel Y, then it will gross X over its opening weekend". The variable in play is the increase in opening weekend from the first film in the franchise to the sequel, multiplied by $69.6 million (Twilight's opening weekend) using only three-day Fri-Sun numbers. An asterisk (*) means that said movie opened on a non-weekend day (Tuesday,… -
2012 destroys the global box office as Precious expands and continues to impress. Weekend box office in review (11/15/09)
15 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pmRoland Emmerich's 2012 almost made back its $260 million budget in just three days. The domestic opening weekend was a whopping $65.2 million and the global total was a mammoth $225 million. This is the seventh-biggest domestic bow ever in November, and just shy of the $67 million that Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow pulled in during the Fri-Sun portion of its four-day Memorial Day weekend launch in 2004. With its $160 million non-domestic weekend gross, it's also the fifth-largest non-US debut of all time and the all-time non-US debut champ for a non-sequel/franchise picture. So the film… -
HuffPost Review: 2012 (2009)
14 Nov 2009 | 3:17 pm2012 2009 158 minutes Rated PG-13 by Scott Mendelson Shock of shocks, Roland Emmerich's 2012 is actually a relatively satisfying genre picture. It avoids the over reliance on family melodrama and romantic entanglements that plagued The Day After Tomorrow. Unlike that global warming epic, this new entry actually delivers on the big-bucks carnage, as the last two hours have a pretty steady flow of destruction, epic death, and near-misses. But most importantly, by filling the cast with stalwart character actors and letting them actually act more often than not, Emmerich has created the best-cast…
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The Huffington Post | Lincoln Mitchell
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Obama and Charges of Elitism - Again
15 Nov 2009 | 2:34 amPresident Obama's most enduring political weakness has been his relative difficulty connecting with working class, white Americans. He won the Democratic nomination in 2008 by building a coalition based around African Americans and white liberals. The economic collapse and the widespread anger at President Bush pushed a lot of working class white voters towards Obama in November of 2008, but this was a brief alliance rather than a strong gesture of support. It is, therefore, to be expected that the charge of elitism continues to dog President Obama and will likely to do so throughout his… -
Towards the Next Victory on Health Care
8 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pmThe passage of the health care bill is good news for President Obama and the Democrats, but it is more a case of avoiding defeat than of scoring a decisive victory. Given that the Democrats have control of almost 60% of the seats in the House of Representatives, by a margin of 257-178, and that all that was needed was a simple majority, this was not the greatest challenge facing Obama's health care reform. However, had the bill not passed the house, it would have been a stinging defeat for the president and his party. Now the Democrats must win in the Senate. To do that, it is essential to… -
One Year Later: A Return to Normalcy
3 Nov 2009 | 9:33 amThe election of Barack Obama on November 4th, 2008 was unlike any election day in recent memory. It was not only a day that changed America -- all presidential elections do that -- but it was a day laden with symbolic, and real, meaning. The image of Barack Obama and his family walking onto the stage in Grant Park in Chicago after Obama had been declared the winner of the election will be remembered for years. For many Americans, the day Obama was elected was a day of excitement and hope which had been all but forgotten in our political life. It was also just one day. The excitement and… -
Is Anybody Still Surprised by Joe Lieberman?
28 Oct 2009 | 6:50 amJoe Lieberman's latest announcement that he will vote against cloture for a health care bill that includes the public option should surprise nobody, as Lieberman, in recent years, has demonstrated that his ideological home is no longer in the Democratic Party. Lieberman has also shown once again that he gets a lot more attention and a higher profile by being a Democrat and taking these positions. While he is no longer viewed as a voice of moderation, maturity and sound judgment from within the Democratic Party, as was frequently the case in the late 1990s, he is still in a stronger bargaining… -
Obama and the Political Center
22 Oct 2009 | 6:09 amThe noise in recent months made by Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, the birthers and others on the far right as well as the bizarre accusations and claims that they make has obscured the more interesting story of the failure of any of these people or movements to get any traction outside of the right wing base. While this right wing base may have grown in recent years, and has certainly become louder during that period, it has made no real inroads into mainstream political life. Claims that President Obama is a socialist, or not an American, that his administration is seeking to set…
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The Huffington Post | Stuart Whatley
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Hosenball: Is DHS Scared Of The Far Right?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pmThe Obama administration didn't hesitate recently to pick a fight with Fox News, but its Homeland Security Department now appears to have backpedaled on a report expressing concern about what its analysts earlier this year described as "right-wing extremists." -
Executive Pay Cuts? Hold the Standing Ovation
23 Oct 2009 | 9:47 amThe Obama administration's move this week to slash the pay of top executives at 'too big to fail' firms under TARP should be applauded. And that ovation should last for about one second. The pay cuts are certainly just and good, given the current state of things, but ultimately it's the psychologically palliative equivalent of swearing when you stub your toe. Again, the administration may be buying time with a symbolic and cosmetic tactic that ignores the forest for a few trees -- and whether they're redwoods or saplings is irrelevant. Predictably, administration spokespeople are saying that… -
Rahman Bunairee: Pakistani Journalist Detained By US After Militants Bomb Home
14 Aug 2009 | 5:38 amWASHINGTON — U.S. officials are holding for undisclosed reasons a Pakistani journalist who works for an American media outlet. Rahman Bunairee, a reporter with Voice of America who has been targeted by Taliban militants, was detained Sunday at Washington Dulles International Airport by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency's spokeswoman, Kelly Nantel, said she could not say why Bunairee is being detained because of confidentiality laws. -
Obama Arab Peace Effort Pushed In Letter From US Senators
10 Aug 2009 | 2:12 pmPresident Barack Obama should press Arab leaders for "dramatic gestures" on behalf of Middle East peace, an overwhelming majority of US senators said in a letter made public on Monday. -
Earthquakes In Tokyo, Indian Ocean Shake Asia
10 Aug 2009 | 1:39 pmTOKYO — A powerful earthquake hit Tokyo and nearby areas shortly after dawn Tuesday, halting trains and forcing two nuclear reactors to shut down for safety checks. More than 30 people suffered minor injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said another, unrelated quake with a 7.6 magnitude hit the Indian Ocean about 160 miles (257 kilometers) north of Port Blair in India's Andaman Islands. A tsunami watch was called for India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh. The caution was later lifted without any tsunami being recorded.
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The Huffington Post | Joseph A. Palermo
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Goldman Sachs' $500 Million Mea Culpa
20 Nov 2009 | 8:53 amIt's truly touching that Goldman Sachs' CEO Lloyd Blankfein, who recently said that his too-big-to-fail, Fed-backed holding company is doing "God's work," has offered a mea culpa (of sorts) for his firm's past sins. Our beneficent overlords at Goldman Sachs promise to bestow upon small business a boon of $500 million. This generous sum is about 3 percent of the $16.7 billion that Goldman has set aside for its employees this year -- a year of expected record-breaking profits on Wall Street. Goldman has also retained the services of the high-powered international PR firm, Brunswick, to make… -
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Iraq
17 Nov 2009 | 9:21 amBrit Hume of FOX News once compared Iraq's murder rate to California's to downplay the level of American casualties because the two places are similar in geographical size. On August 26, 2003, Hume opined: "Two hundred seventy-seven U.S. soldiers have now died in Iraq, which means that statistically speaking U.S. soldiers have less of a chance of dying from all causes in Iraq than citizens have of being murdered in California, which is roughly the same geographical size. The most recent statistics indicate California has more than 2,300 homicides each year, which means about 6.6 murders each… -
The "Goldilocks Principle" and Afghan War Options
9 Nov 2009 | 7:01 amA piece in yesterday's New York Times by Peter Baker and Helene Cooper reported that all of the U.S. military options for Afghanistan that President Barack Obama is currently contemplating include some kind of troop escalation. "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates appears to be supportive of the middle option," they write. This search for a military option that nestles agreeably between too much force and too little has a familiar ring to it. During the debates among President Lyndon Johnson's top advisers about whether to escalate the U.S. military commitment in Vietnam, Undersecretary of… -
The Wrath of Suburbanites and Independents
4 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amSuburbanites and independent voters in Virginia and New Jersey broke Republican in yesterday's election. Last night I saw CNN's John King tell his viewers that this phenomenon could only mean that people are sending a signal to President Barack Obama that they're fed up with "all that spending" in Washington. King's assertion is interesting because it sounds a lot like the Republican talking point we'll hear flogged endlessly today and it comes from a network that prides itself on being neither FOX nor MSNBC. But I think the election results show that in today's miserable economic context no… -
Wall Street and Goldman Sachs Party On
2 Nov 2009 | 7:29 amTime magazine's cover story this week titled "What's Still Wrong with Wall Street," by Allan Sloan, is a remarkable indicator of where the public stands on the recent obliteration of the economy by a gang crooked financiers and speculators. It shows that even the corporate media is now making the connection that millions of Americans have already made, namely, that a criminal gang of rich white guys in New York did some extremely reckless things with the nation's collective wealth and the middle class got clobbered. The recent revelations about the criminal "pump and dump" speculative…
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The Huffington Post | Robert L. Borosage
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Jobs, Jobs, Jobs -- Finally
17 Nov 2009 | 3:57 pmHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi gets it. No wonder she drives the wingnuts batty. With the Senate befuddled by the antics of Joe Lieberman and Max Baucus on health care and the White House Clintonistas lobbying the President to devote his January State of the Union address to deficit reduction, Pelosi ladled up a portion of common sense. Unemployment is over 10% and rising. It is time to focus on jobs. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid added his support. The President announced a job summit for December. Democrats finally got the subject right. The need is clear. One in six workers is unemployed,… -
Tripping in China: Barack Obama's Challenge
11 Nov 2009 | 7:28 amThis week, Barack Obama trips to China -- as part of an 8 day trip to Asia. The White House paints a full agenda -- Afghanistan, human rights, North Korean nukes, climate change, trade relations, and the economy. But it's really just the economy, stupid. For decades during the Cold War, the US gave security concerns priority over economic issues. Now the economy is our central security concern. It will simply be another measure of the administration's gathering calamity in Afghanistan if that is allowed to distract from the essential discussions about the economy. On economic issues, Asian… -
Obama's First Year: It Ain't No Crystal Staircase
4 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pmWell, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor -- Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners... - Langston Hughes Barack Obama is a leader of great capacities and great contradictions. Perhaps the measure of his capacities is the magnitude of his contractions. He is a man of exceptional grace. But the grace misleads; this is a politician of intense ambition, discipline and grit. He understands and wields the power of the word. But… -
The New Red Ink Scare
27 Oct 2009 | 8:35 pmWe've got a new red scare. Forget Glenn Beck, the fear isn't that America is going red, it's that it is in the red. Conservatives in both parties are raising alarms about deficits and government spending. Well, get over it. If we are going to generate growth and shared prosperity out of the mess we are in, expanded public investment must be a centerpiece of the new economy. In today's Washington, this verges on heresy. The chattering classes are raising a clamor about Obama's deficits. The growing fixation, fanned by conservatives in both parties, may well cripple any short term recovery. -
Where Will the Jobs Come From?
20 Oct 2009 | 7:52 pmThey are popping the bubbly on Wall Street. Million dollar bonuses; the Dow at 10,000; the casino is open again. Forget President Obama who says we can't go back to an economy where finance pockets 40% of the profits. We're already headed there. The current account deficit is down as Americans have cut back spending. But the deficit with China is hitting new records; companies are still shipping manufacturing jobs over there. The dollar is down, but not against the Chinese currency. Forget about Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke who warns against going back to the unsustainable trade…
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The Huffington Post | Bill Maher
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Vaccination: A Conversation Worth Having
15 Nov 2009 | 5:18 pmWhile America is still in the grips of swine flu mania, let me use this opportunity to clear up a few things about my beliefs concerning the flu shot, vaccines, and health in general. I do this because there is obviously a lot of curiosity about this subject of vaccines -- it comes up in every interview I do these days, and I've been finding that people, including doctors, are privately expressing a skepticism that is still not very prevalent in public. I feel like I've become a confessor for people who want someone to be raising questions about vaccines. But I don't want the job. I agree… -
Is This as Good as It Gets From Obama?
2 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pmYeah, I'm disappointed, too. I thought we were sweeping into power; I thought change meant Change. I believed all that talk about another First 100 Days, a la Roosevelt. Well, that didn't happen. The question is, is this as good as it gets from Obama, or is he pacing himself? He may have a four and eight-year plan and they included a first year of just gettin' to know you and not gonna rock the boat too much. Well, Mission Accomplished on that. It's still too early to lose hope in a guy as smart and talented as Barack Obama. But I would counsel him to remember: If you're going undercover to… -
New Rule: Everyone Deserves Equal Rights
9 Oct 2009 | 9:06 amNew Rule: Everyone deserves equal rights. That's why they're called "equal" and "rights." Tomorrow night President Obama will speak before a gay rights group, and on Sunday there will be a massive gay rally in Washington, or as I call it, the Million Mo March. Which makes this weekend the perfect time for Obama to announce he's repealing "don't ask, don't tell" and committing to a full-throated endorsement of gay marriage. One, because it's the right thing to do and two, because it will throw the conservative base into such a frenzied, pants-shitting panic that they'll drop all that BS about… -
New Rule: If America Can't Get it Together, We Lose the Bald Eagle
25 Sep 2009 | 5:36 amNew Rule: If America can't get its act together, it must lose the bald eagle as our symbol and replace it with the YouTube video of the puppy that can't get up. As long as we're pathetic, we might as well act like it's cute. I don't care about the president's birth certificate, I do want to know what happened to "Yes we can." Can we get out of Iraq? No. Afghanistan? No. Fix health care? No. Close Gitmo? No. Cap-and-trade carbon emissions? No. The Obamas have been in Washington for ten months and it seems like the only thing they've gotten is a dog. Well, I hate to be a nudge, but why has… -
New Rule: You Can't Complain About Health Care Reform If You're Not Willing to Reform Your Own Health
18 Sep 2009 | 1:52 pmNew Rule: You can't complain about health care reform if you're not willing to reform your own health. Unlike most liberals, I'm glad all those teabaggers marched on Washington last week. Because judging from the photos, it's the first exercise they've gotten in years. Not counting, of course, all the Rascal scooters there, most of which aren't even for the disabled. They're just Americans who turned 60 and said, "Screw it, I'm done walking." These people are furious at the high cost of health care, so they blame illegals, who don't even get health care. News flash, Glenn Beck fans: the…
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The Huffington Post | Jason Linkins
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Rahm Emanuel 'Bedeviling' News Organizations With His Name
20 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pmNPR Ombudsman Alicia Shepard makes note of the curious way that news organizations choose to identify White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, whose very name is like a dead fish mailed to everyone's style guide: ...when he's quoted or mentioned on radio, TV, or print, reporters and anchors generally identify him on first reference as Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. But for some reason -- most likely his unusual first name -- news organizations are conflicted on how to identify Emanuel on the second reference. Standard news editorial practice across the board is to give a person's full name on… -
National Republican Congressional Committee Caught Misleading With Ellipses Again
20 Nov 2009 | 10:59 amThe good people over at the National Republican Campaign Committee have a favorite punctuation mark, called the ellipsis. And they enjoy using it, mainly to make strategic truncations in a piece of text to make it look as if it says something completely different from its author's original intent. For example, the NRCC could take a movie review that read, "Gigli is a great big sack of audible farts," and repackage it as "Gigli is great...audible." Or, as they did back in September, they could make Representative Tom Periello appear as if he was intimating that all of the constituents he… -
Lou Dobbs Now Mulling Future In Politics
20 Nov 2009 | 10:07 amSeems like only weeks ago that CNN was parting ways with former anchor Lou Dobbs because everyone was yelling at Dobbs to stop saying crazy birther and anti-immigrant nonsense on the teevee. Despite all that negative attention, Dobbs is setting his post-CNN job-seeking hopes very high, telling reporters that he is "considering career options including possible runs for the White House or U.S. Senate" and that, "Right now I feel exhilaration at the wide range of choices before me as to what I do next." Since his departure, some have speculated he might run as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in… -
Rap Legend Flavor Flav: 9/11 Terrorists Should Be Tried In NYC
20 Nov 2009 | 7:54 amWhat will it take to convince dead-enders that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his 9/11 masterminding ilk should be tried in federal court in New York City? Maybe this will do it: here's intrepid Washington Times reporter and Friend of Eat The Press Liz Glover, asking rap legend-slash-star of reality television shows with loose hygienic standards Flavor Flav about whether KSM and his henchies should be tried in New York City. "Hey, check this out," responded Flav, "That's where he needs to be tried... it's his fault right now that the Twin Towers ain't standing, it's his fault that a lot of… -
Right-Wing Talkers Obsessed With Rape
20 Nov 2009 | 7:13 amOne of the things that's obviously under-appreciated about right-wing radio and television is the way hosts wield this awesome variety of artful metaphors about the state of the nation. In this new mashup video from Media Matters, however, you really see the full measure of their rhetorical brilliance, as various figures from the fringe calmly and with clear heads describe the RAPE RAPE RAPE RAPE RAPE of various things: the nation, the poor, the Statue of Liberty. Michael Savage drops a strange little "rape missing children missing children rape" hip hop verse, and Glenn Beck channels Roman…
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The Huffington Post | Steven Weber
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Pussies Galore
19 Nov 2009 | 3:20 pmRepublicans are pussies. From the congressional chicken hawks to the half-baked Alaskan Sarah Palin; from the wild-eyed doughboys and smug bullies who spew bilge from their televised perches to the shivering talk radio gremlins who broadcast out of their parents' basements, they sure talk a good game but have no stomach for real battle, outsourcing their pathetic rage to the gullible multitudes. These yellow-bellies are in fact consumed with and by fear: fear of anything foreign, fear of empowered women, fear of their own mortality. And let's not even mention their disdain for the arts (for… -
If It's Broke, Don't Fix It
4 Nov 2009 | 9:07 amOne of the trademarked mantras bleated daily (along with "America's the biggest..." and "America's the greatest...") is "When Americans put their minds to something there's nothing they cannot do." And as well as being heart warming and patriotic (and quite possibly narcissistic and inane) it's also patently true and goes a long way towards explaining why so many governmental policies and financial institutions have failed over the last ten years: because that's exactly what the people behind those policies and institutions were aiming for. All those assertions that "government is broken,"… -
To Be Real
28 Oct 2009 | 12:33 pmCNN's in fourth place. No surprise there. Because by playing the other guy's game, you lose. It's the failure of many a formerly conscientious endeavor to fall victim to the undertow of fast trends and easy money. And it's the typical result in a world where the corporate approach to life, liberty and the pursuit of profit dictates virtually everything. For, Fox News is the Jesus Christ of Unregulated Capitalism, the progeny of an all powerful corporate godhead, whose message of universal consumption and tribal division is disseminated by media apostles in the form of twinkling pixels and… -
Deliverance
23 Oct 2009 | 9:40 pmHas it ever occurred to the millions of emotionally charged opponents to the health care initiative that this entire kerfuffle might actually be a deceptive delivery device for something other than fearing a socialist government takeover of the health care system? That it might be like the same deception which discombobulated the millions of blissfully ignorant yet slowly dying smokers who enabled decades of tobacco company profits, that cigarettes, far from being cool and benign as advertised, were actually delivery systems for lethal and addictive nicotine? So, it occurs to me that the… -
Myth Understood
23 Oct 2009 | 7:36 amAmericans like their approximations of reality. We have Las Vegas, which forsook its original cultural identity for amusement park approximations of Paris, New York and ancient Egypt; gigantic malls which are commercially driven approximations of the town square; Fox News, which purports to be a fair and balanced news organization but which is in reality a virtual turkey baster filled with Roger Ailes' hate spunk. And Zeus knows Americans love their myths, from skinny Jewish guys who walk on water to B movie actors who become doddering but avuncular presidents. Our nation may not…
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30 Rock on The Huffington Post
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30 Rock Goes Green, Al Gore Makes Cameo (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 5:09 amAs part of NBC's Green Week, many programs are incorporating environmental themes into their shows. On this week's 30 Rock, Jack Donaghy gives Kenneth the task of reducing TGS's carbon footprint by 5%. Kenneth first confronts Jenna about her energy-guzzling habits. WATCH: Kenneth then asks Liz to give up her mini-fridge, and watch as she calls out NBC for only doing token green things for Green Week, like making the NBC peacock Green. WATCH: Watch as Kenneth declares Frank The Greenest Person at TGS for his interesting habits. WATCH: Watch this hilarious cameo by Al Gore. WATCH: Get HuffPost… -
30 Rock, Biggest Loser And Other NBC Shows Go Green
11 Nov 2009 | 2:43 amNEW YORK — NBC gives new meaning to the phrase "green screen" next week, spreading a pro-environmental message across five of its prime-time entertainment programs. "30 Rock," where Al Gore takes a cameo role, leads the way. Environmental themes were also added to the scripts of "The Biggest Loser," "The Office," "Heroes" and "Community." Read more: Today Show, The Biggest Loser, Community, 30 Rock Goes Green, 30 Rock, Jack McBrayer, Nbc, Green News -
Shawn Adolf Pleads Guilty To Weapons Charges: Colorado Man Threatened Obama Before Democratic National Convention
7 Nov 2009 | 7:35 amDENVER — A man who threatened to kill Barack Obama last summer just before the Democratic National Convention in Denver has pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges. Shawn Adolf faces 10 years in prison after pleading guilty Friday to having firearms as a felon. The 35-year-old man was arrested August 2008 after officers in a Denver suburb pulled over his cousin and found rifles, a bulletproof vest, wigs and fake IDs. Read more: Firearms Charges, Methamphetamines, Democratic National Convention, Federal Weapons Charges, Assassination, Threaten Obama, Shawn Adolf, 30 Rock, Barack Obama,… -
Julianne Moore To Play Alec Baldwin's Girlfriend on '30 Rock': Report
5 Nov 2009 | 5:22 amHoller! Looks like we were most definitely on to something when we reported yesterday that Julianne Moore may be Alec Baldwin's new love interest on 30 Rock. Onlookers in New York City are reporting back that they just saw Julianne and Alec shooting a scene together in Rockefeller Center in New York City this very afternoon. Read more: Television, Julianne Moore 30 Rock, Julianne Moore, 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Entertainment News -
James Franco Doing '30 Rock'
3 Nov 2009 | 2:47 pmReady for the latest twist in the incredibly wild and unpredictable career of one James Franco? Sources confirm to me exclusively that the Spider-Man/Milk actor will follow up his upcoming arc on General Hospital with a guest appearance on 30 Rock. Read more: Television, 30 Rock, James Franco, Entertainment News
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Abc on The Huffington Post
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Nicole Fox Is America's Next Top Model: Who Are Colorado's Reality TV Stars? (PHOTOS, VOTE)
19 Nov 2009 | 8:05 amWith the victory of a Colorado native on America's Next Top Model Wednesday night, we thought we'd take a look at Colorado's reality TV stars, past and present. Colorado has quite the impressive array of reality contestants, chefs, bachelors/bachelorettes, models and singers all vying for their 15 minutes of fame. Take a look at the different reality TV stars who call Colorado home, and vote for your favorite: Follow HuffPost Denver on Twitter and become a fan of HuffPost Denver on Facebook! Read more: Breckenridge, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Bachelor, Slidepoll, The HIlls, America's Next… -
ABC Ratings Best In Over A Year On "Country Music Awards" Boost
19 Nov 2009 | 2:19 amNEW YORK — Country music helped ABC to its best ratings week in more than a year. The network, which narrowly lost to CBS for the distinction of America's most popular TV network last week, aired the Country Music Association awards to 17.2 million people, according to the Nielsen Co. Read more: Country Music Awards, Abc, ABC Ratings, Country Music Awards Ratings, Media News -
Linda Franklin: Since When Did 40 Become Old?
18 Nov 2009 | 4:45 amSince when did 40 become the cross over to old age? Now that I am well past my fourth decade, hearing that 40 is old seems pretty ridiculous to me. But, I do remember when I was 45, feeling like I had stepped over the aging threshold. I think that all the negative spin about reaching middle age threw me into an emotional slump. Of course now, with the benefit of hindsight, it seems pretty silly. Things have changed so drastically since our mothers were our age. Women today are incredibly fabulous into their 50's, 60's, and 70's. We have great role models. Look at Diane Sawyer, Sophia Loren,… -
Charlie Gibson "Shocked," "Angry" Over Diane Sawyer, Wanted George Stephanopoulos To Replace Him: New York Post
18 Nov 2009 | 1:04 amThe New York Post's Page Six reports Wednesday on supposed bad blood between Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer, and says the outgoing ABC "World News" anchor was "shocked" and "angry" when he found out Sawyer would be replacing him upon his retirement: "Charlie has always given Diane the stink eye. He bad-mouths her openly and often," said our source. Gibson, 66, had been pushing ABC News president David Westin to promote George Stephanopoulos, the host of Sunday morning's "This Week," as his successor. "He wanted George to get the job," said one source at the network. "He was shocked when he… -
Lee Schneider: Shoestring Journalism
16 Nov 2009 | 4:29 amLast week I paid a visit to an old friend in television news. I watched the ten screens in his office showing competing news stations and live feeds. I listened to his scanners buzzing with cop voices. His computer instant message system wanted his eyes and ears. His cell phone and Blackberry begged for attention. What was happening? He was marshaling resources so that a local fire might be covered on his station for a lunchtime broadcast. I noticed that he did a lot of running around to accomplish this, unusual for the boss. But his newsroom had lots of empty cubicles, the result of recent…
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Advertising on The Huffington Post
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William Bradley: Mad Men : Three Seasons On and Looking Forward
21 Nov 2009 | 1:54 amMad Men's brilliant third season finale earlier this month is still echoing in the mind. And in the culture. January Jones was a game host of Saturday Night Live the following weekend. (Though she didn't make anyone forget Jon Hamm's great hosting gig last year. He is seriously funny.) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed that she's a fan of the show. And of course her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is a Mad Men fan as well. Which is simply too perfect for words. I could easily write a column comparing Bill Clinton and Don Draper. Avoiding the obvious cheap shots. Another… -
Robert Rosenthal: Poop Culture
20 Nov 2009 | 8:46 amIt's official: The "popularization of poop" is a solid movement. And marketers smell an opportunity. None other than the NY Times recently reported on the increase of marketing activity being devoted to the "moist toilet paper category." (Adult Toilet Training, From Madison Ave., Oct. 19} Wet wiping is a burgeoning business, and it's not just for babies' behinds any more. This makes sense as demographic data demonstrates that the country is aging. That's why, from Cialis to Activia, so much TV advertising now is dedicated to products that harden your tool and soften your stool. So it should… -
Lorraine Duffy Merkl: "Fat Chick" Finally Gets Its "Fat Chance"
19 Nov 2009 | 4:53 amMy debut novel, "Fat Chick," will be published at the end of this month by The Vineyard Press. At age 51, I never thought I'd be "debuting". In fact, I thought I'd be on the downward slope of a successful advertising career. But, plans were meant for changing. HOW MY BOOK CAME ABOUT: I always dreamed of writing a book (about what I don't know), but dreaming doesn't make it happen and for a long time I was more concerned with my copywriting career. I'd worked on staff at ad agencies all over NYC for about 15 years. When my first child was born I went freelance. I felt very fortunate to be able… -
Ad Council's 56th Annual Dinner LIVE
18 Nov 2009 | 10:13 amThe Ad Council is celebrating its annual dinner Wednesday night at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where it will present Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company, with its 56th Annual Public Service Award. Tina Fey will serve as the event's emcee, and over 1,000 media, advertising, and corporate executives are expected to attend. In honor of the event, and the great work the AdCouncil does, we've compiled the most popular AdCouncil public service campaigns uploaded to YouTube in the past year. Check them out! Follow the conversation at the Ad Council's 56th Annual Dinner live… -
11 Awesomely Creative Billboards (PHOTOS)
18 Nov 2009 | 8:21 amWhen jetting down the highway advertisers only have seconds to catch your eye and keep your interest. We're pretty sure these billboards did just that. Also, they made us laugh. Filed by: Alex Leo Read more: Slidepoll, Billboards, Funny Billboards, Awesome Billboards, Creative Billboards, Advertising, Comedy News
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Afghanistan on The Huffington Post
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Sarah Holewinski: Bad Math in Afghanistan: Deaths vs. Compensation
21 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amNobody's manning the calculator at NATO. This year is on track to be the deadliest for Afghan civilians since the war began in 2001. Yet Oxfam just reported that of the 700 Afghans they interviewed just 1% received any compensation or apology for the harm done to them. War never delivers clean numbers. But no matter how you look at these, something doesn't add up. International forces acknowledge that civilians are key to their mission but still haven't figured out a coordinated way to help Afghan war victims. Just months ago, General McChrystal specifically endorsed a collective policy of… -
Derrick Crowe: An Interview With Matthew Hoh
21 Nov 2009 | 7:31 amIf Matthew Hoh could tell you one thing to help you understand the U.S.'s predicament in Afghanistan, he'd tell you: The presence of our ground combat troops is not doing anything to defeat al-Qaida. Think about that for a moment. We are paying roughly $1 million per troop, per year in Afghanistan. That's roughly twice the per-troop cost in Iraq. We've suffered well more than 800 deaths in Afghanistan. And yet here is the former top civilian official in Afghanistan's Zabul province, a former Marine who served in Anbar province in Iraq, telling us that the presence of our ground forces does… -
Carl Levin: New War Tax For Rich May Be Needed To Fund Afghan War
21 Nov 2009 | 5:42 amHigher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for more troops sent to Afghanistan and NATO should provide half of the new soldiers, said Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. An "additional income tax to the upper brackets, folks earning more than $200,000 or $250,000" a year, could fund more troops, Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said in an interview for Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital With Al Hunt," airing this weekend. Read more: Taxes, Carl Levin, Afghanistan, Afghan War, Tax Cuts, Stanley McChrystal, Peter Orszag, War Tax, Politics News -
Bill Moyers Plays LBJ Tapes, Draws Similarities With Obama And Afghanistan War
21 Nov 2009 | 4:13 amOn Friday night, Bill Moyers played clips from the Lyndon B. Johnson tapes on his PBS television show. Moyers drew correlations between the factors facing President Johnson in his decision to send more troops to Vietnam, and President Obama's conundrum with respect to the war in Afghanistan. From his closing statement: Now in a different world, at a different time, and with a different president, we face the prospect of enlarging a different war. But once again we're fighting in remote provinces against an enemy who can bleed us slowly and wait us out, because he will still be there when we… -
Dave Lindorff: Obama Must Dump The Bums In Treasury, End The Wars And Start Leading
20 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amIf you are sitting in class taking a test, and you've chosen to sit amongst your bone-headed, slacker friends, don't turn to them for help when you can't figure out of any of the answers. They may all tell you the same thing, but they'll all be wrong. That's the situation President Obama finds himself in today in the White House. Having surrounded himself with the very Wall Street con men who set up the crooked game that led to the current financial crisis and economic collapse, and finding that the lousy advice they have been giving him since last January has left the country still mired in…
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Africa on The Huffington Post
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Who's Eating Madagascar's Lemurs?
21 Nov 2009 | 3:40 amBit by bit, the natural resources of Madagascar -- a biodiversity hotspot known for its unique vegetation and wildlife -- are being plundered. Read more: Lemurs, Madagascar, Africa, Animals, World News -
Yvonne Malan: Reconciliation Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry
20 Nov 2009 | 3:36 amThere is a telling fable on reconciliation: Once there were two boys, Tom and Bernard. One day Tom stole Bernard's bicycle and every day Bernard saw Tom cycling to school on it. After a year, Tom went up to Bernard, stretched out his hand and said, 'Let us reconcile and put the past behind us.' Bernard looked at Tom's hand. 'And what about the bicycle?' 'No,' said Tom, 'I'm not talking about the bicycle -- I'm talking about reconciliation.' In January 2008 a video found its way onto YouTube showing four white students from the Reitz student residence at the University of the Free State (South… -
Bernard Pollack: In Kenya, Workers in the Tea and Flower Industries Find Strength in Solidarity
20 Nov 2009 | 2:11 amThis is a two-part series of our three day visit with the Solidarity Center in Kenya to meet with workers and look at the tea and flower industries. Part I: Coming Up Roses for Union Members: Flower Workers Improve Workplace Conditions Through Solidarity Lake Naivasha is known as a beautiful place to see wildlife, including thousands of pink flamingos. But just off the main road to the Naivasha national park, are hectares and hectares of greenhouses as far as the eye can see. They're not growing food inside the greenhouses--although Kenya, like other parts of Africa, is experiencing food… -
Saul Garlick: Gen Y: The Social Innovation Generation
20 Nov 2009 | 1:53 amCross Posted from Social Edge Hosted by Saul Garlick (November 2009) My generation doesn’t want to “paint a wall” or “pile bricks” in the developing world. Generation Y wants to do more. Generation Y’s thirst is to create something lasting that works -- sustainable projects that will continue to affect the lives of those in rural communities for years to come My generation is creating a daycare center in South Africa that will attract students by providing lunch that it grows in its own garden. My generation wants to create something from… -
Mendel Kaplan, 'giant in the Jewish world,' dead at 73
19 Nov 2009 | 9:16 amLeading South African-Israeli philanthropist Mendel Kaplan died Thursday in Cape Town after suffering a stroke on Tuesday. He was 73. ... Read more: Cape Town-South Africa, South Africa, Home News
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on The Huffington Post
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Azeem Ibrahim: Why Israel Is Safer (From Iran) Than It Might Seem
20 Nov 2009 | 3:20 amIs Iran's nuclear energy program just a cover for making nuclear weapons? If so, can it be prevented? And if not, will it attack Israel? In thinking about these questions, it might help to imagine a scenario in which Iran did have nuclear weapons capability. I believe that doing so reveals three reasons why they would be unlikely to use it directly against Israel. None of these make it any less likely that Iran would seek to transfer their know how to Hizbollah, Hamas, or other groups. They just mean that the direct threat to Israel from an Iranian strike has been exaggerated. First --… -
Ramin Pourandarjani's Death Raises Suspicions
18 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amBEIRUT — An Iranian doctor who went public with reports of tortured protesters he treated at Tehran's most feared detention facility dies, amid conflicting reports of a heart attack, a car accident or suicide – raising opposition accusations that the 26-year-old was killed. Revelations that protesters detained in Iran's postelection crackdown were tortured, some to death, were a deep embarrassment to the country's clerical rulers. Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani was pressured to change the death certificate of one of the most well known victims and later spoke to a parliament commission… -
UN: Once-Secret Iran Nuclear Facility To Start In 2011
16 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amVIENNA — Iranian construction of a previously secret uranium enrichment site is at an advanced stage, with high-tech equipment already in place at the fortified facility ahead of its 2011 startup, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report Monday. The revelation of the existence of the underground plant known as Fordo, near the holy city of Qom, has heightened concerns of other possible undeclared Iranian facilities that are not subject to IAEA oversight and therefore could be used for military purposes. Read more: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran, Qom, Tehran, United Nations,… -
Iran Rulers More Brutal Than Shah, Opposition Says
14 Nov 2009 | 7:50 amTEHRAN, Iran — Iran's embattled opposition leaders accused the government of becoming more brutal than the shah's regime in Web statements Saturday, and authorities announced a new Internet crackdown aimed at choking off the reform movement's last real means of keeping its campaign alive. Two of Iran's top pro-reform figures said police used excessive force against anti-government protesters who took to the streets last week on the sidelines of state-sanctioned rallies to mark the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover. Read more: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Shah, Iran Leaders, Iran,… -
Amb. Marc Ginsberg: "Qum" Buy Ya
13 Nov 2009 | 8:20 amOn October 25th, inspectors for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were granted access to the secret and recently outed nuclear facility under construction in a secluded mountain inside an Iranian Revolutionary Guard base near the holy city of Qum. We now have definitive confirmation from IAEA and European diplomats that the nuclear installation was too small for peaceful nuclear enrichment, but large enough to hold enough centrifuges to convert low grade enriched uranium into enough weapons-grade uranium needed to make nuclear warheads. In other words, the Qum nuclear facility…
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Aig Bailout on The Huffington Post
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Revisiting The Fed's Bailout Of AIG And The Benefits For Goldman Sachs
21 Nov 2009 | 6:12 pmA RAY of sunlight broke through the Washington fog last week when Neil M. Barofsky, special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, published his office's report on the government bailout last year of the American International Group. Read more: Tarp, Barofsky Tarp Report, Getihner, Goldman Sachs, Tarp Report, AIG Bailout, Neil Barofsky, Goldman, Taxpayers, The Fed, Aig, Bailout, Fed, New York Fed, Treasury, Bernanke, Hedge, Financial Crisis, Hank Paulson, Business News -
Paul Krugman: Government Squandered Our Trust In Wall St. Bailout
20 Nov 2009 | 3:24 amEarlier this week, the inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a k a, the bank bailout fund, released his report on the 2008 rescue of the American International Group, the insurer. The gist of the report is that government officials made no serious attempt to extract concessions from bankers, even though these bankers received huge benefits from the rescue. And more than money was lost. By making what was in effect a multibillion-dollar gift to Wall Street, policy makers undermined their own credibility -- and put the broader economy at risk. Read more: Bailout, Long Term… -
Raymond J. Learsy: The Key Question No One Asked About Goldman's Role In The AIG Bailout
20 Nov 2009 | 1:37 amA key and fundamental question was not broached during the fierce interrogation of Treasury Secretary Geithner during Thursday's hearings before Congress's Joint Economic Committee. The contentious subject at hand was the Fed and Treasury's role on the issue of the American International Group's multi-billion dollar bailout. The key question neither asked nor answered was: What was the nature of the myriad discussions at the height of the crisis in September 2008 between Treasury Secretary and former Goldman Sachs Chairman Hank Paulson and Goldman Sachs Chairman Lloyd Blankfein? It is hard to… -
What Did TARP Accomplish? Simon Johnson In The NYT
19 Nov 2009 | 12:05 amHere is my assessment. In late September 2008, Treasury Secretary Henry S. Paulson asked Congress for $700 billion to buy toxic assets from banks, as well as unconditional authority and freedom from judicial review. Many economists and commentators suspected that the purpose was to overpay for those assets and thereby take the problem off the banks' hands. Indeed, that is the only way that buying toxic assets would have helped anything. Read more: Tarp, Did TARP Work?, What Did TARP Accomplish, Bailout, Lehman Brothers, Troubled Asset Relief Program, Tim Geithner, Financial Crisis, Aig, Henry… -
Audit The Fed Effort Wins Support From An Unusual Coalition
18 Nov 2009 | 11:38 pmAn unusual coalition of progressive economists, labor leaders, and bloggers has decided to fight back against a congressional amendment that would allow the Federal Reserve to continue operating in secrecy. In a Thursday letter to the House Financial Services Committee, economists like Dean Baker and Rob Johnson, author Naomi Klein, and such labor luminaries as the AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka and the SEIU's Andy Stern, urged committee members to shoot down an amendment by Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) that would essentially allow the Fed to keep the lights off while it throws money around. Watt's…
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Airlines on The Huffington Post
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Sarah O'Leary: Marketing in Disguise
16 Nov 2009 | 2:20 amThe primary job of marketing is to promote sales, and those in the industry use a myriad of tactics to entice consumers to action. Advertising, direct mail, sales promotion and PR experts have a host of persuasive armament in their arsenals. When we communicate a meaningful message that delivers on the wants/needs/desires of the consumer, sales increase. However, the manner in which marketers put the carrot in front of the consumer isn't always black and white. Certainly, we know not every consumer will take advantage of every offer presented. Yet, when we knowingly play in the darker parts… -
Man Denied First-Class Seat Because His Tracksuit Was "Too Casual" (VIDEO)
4 Nov 2009 | 4:08 amAnother day, another customer service screw-up for United Airlines. (Check out the hilarious "United Break Guitars" video here.) As MyFoxAtlanta.com reports, a Maryland man claims a United Airlines gate agent refused to let him take his seat in first class because his outfit, a Puma tracksuit, didn't meet the dress code. On October 26, Armando Alvarez, a vice president at Best Buy, was flying from Dulles International to Connecticut for business. A frequent flyer, Alvarez received a free upgrade to first class on the flight, but when the gate agent saw what he was wearing, he told him he… -
Bird Strike Sends Delta Flight Back To Phoenix Airport
2 Nov 2009 | 7:29 amPHOENIX — Authorities say a Delta Air Lines flight headed to Utah has safely returned to Phoenix after one or more birds hit the aircraft. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says Flight 1232 took off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport around 8:40 a.m. Monday on its way to Salt Lake City. Read more: Bird Strikes, Faa, Phoenix Airport, Travel, Arizona, Pilots, Utah, Ntsb, Sky Harbor, Phoenix, Air Safety, Miracle on the Hudson, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Salt Lake City, Flock, Delta, Bird Strike, Airlines, Home News -
Edward Wytkind: Time to Change the Game for Airline and Railroad Workers
29 Oct 2009 | 9:26 amThe deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections. That's why airline CEOs are working so hard to defend current election procedures that count all workers who sit out elections as "no" votes. Americans are accustomed to elections where a simple majority of those voting decides the outcome -- whether they're voting for PTA president or U.S. Senator. Not so for airline and railroad workers -- who must first ensure that turnout exceeds 50 percent. How can we justify imposing higher turnout standards on airline and railroad union elections than we do in… -
Boeing Assembly Line ANNOUNCED: South Carolina Picked For New 787 Plant
29 Oct 2009 | 3:08 amSEATTLE — Boeing Co. will open a second assembly line for its long-delayed 787 jetliner in South Carolina, expanding beyond its longtime manufacturing base in Washington state to take advantage of economic incentives and a nonunion work force. The Chicago-based airplane maker said Wednesday it chose the site in North Charleston over Everett, Wash., because it best suited plans to boost production of the highly anticipated jet, designed to carry up to 250 passengers. Read more: Boeing Manufacturing, 787 Jetliner, Boeing Assembly Line, Boeing and Assembly Line, South Carolina, Airlines,…
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Al Franken on The Huffington Post
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Johann Hari: The Real Reason Obama Isn't Making Much Progress
19 Nov 2009 | 11:48 amAlmost a year after Barack Obama ascended to the White House, many of his supporters are bemused. His health care bill is a hefty improvement but it still won't provide coverage for all Americans, and may not provide a public alternative to the over-charging insurance companies - if it passes at all. His environmental team is vandalizing the vital Copenhagen conference by saying the US -- the single biggest emitter of warming gases -- will not sign up to any legally binding restrictions there. He has placed the deregulation-fanatics who caused the New Depression, like Lawrence Summers, in… -
Mark Udall, Michael Bennet Sign Letter Supporting Exemptions In Cap And Trade For Coal
17 Nov 2009 | 2:19 amColorado U.S. Sens Mark Udall and Michael Bennet with 12 other Senate Democrats signed onto a letter urging Senate leaders weighing climate legislation to consider granting valuable credits to utilities that rely most heavily on coal. Udall and Bennet joined other perceived pro-climate legislation lawmakers such as Minnesota's Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar in making the argument. The lawmakers' proposal clearly aims to save money for residents in coal-dependent energy states like Colorado and Minnesota, but it moves against the spirit of the legislation, which is meant to discourage use of… -
Eli Davidson: Is The Battle of The Sexes Over? Your Sexual Harassment And What To Do About It
6 Nov 2009 | 6:58 amI got splattered with hate tweets after my last post on sexual harassment. The white hot venom that came my way something I had never seen before. As an executive coach, I was surprised to hear of four cases of sexual harrassment in two weeks which prompted me to write the post. However, readers' comments on the last post show that there is a blazing fire of sexual harassment burning in many workplaces. Lungfish said: "At work I was once accused, falsely, of harassment and exonerated but not until the woman had ruined my work life and then she retracted her allegation and killed herself a few… -
Michael Markarian: Helping Vets, Pets, and Primates
22 Oct 2009 | 10:28 amCongress took two steps in recent days on animal issues, as part of its larger bills related to the Department of Defense and military spending. I wrote back in July about legislation introduced by Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Representatives Ron Klein (D-Fla.) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) with the goal of helping to place service dogs with disabled veterans. I'm pleased tell you that that the final National Defense Authorization Act for 2010 approved by both the House and Senate includes a provision backed by Franken, Isakson, Klein, and Whitfield, which… -
Nathan Havey: Republicans for Rape: Lets Get Real
21 Oct 2009 | 4:36 amIf you've been on the net in the past few days, you have probably seen republicansforrape.org. This tongue-in-cheek site satirizes the positions of the 30 senators who voted against an amendment to alter the law regarding mandatory binding arbitration. A few friends and I posted the site to our Facebook walls, and a lively discussion has sprung up on whether the site goes offensively too far. Now, I love it when Facebook can be used as a space for the hashing out of weighty things, but it seems to me that there is a major blind spot in much of this discussion that needs to be dealt with head…
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Alan Greenspan on The Huffington Post
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Jackson Williams: Bush Oil Buddies Divvy Up Iraqi Oil, Now Joined By "Liberal Scion" Peter Galbraith
13 Nov 2009 | 2:48 amThe ongoing saga of the Iraqi oil patch pie adds a new chapter, courtesy of the Thursday New York Times, and its above-the-fold front pager, "American Adviser to Kurds Stands to Reap Oil Profits." In today's installment, we learn that Peter Galbraith, former ambassador, foreign policy expert to Joe Biden and John Kerry, and son of the famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith, is in line to reap $100 million dollars -- maybe more -- from contracts between a Norwegian oil company and the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. As an advisor to DNO, Galbraith and a partner received a 10% stake in a… -
Thomas Frank: The Real Danger of "One Big Regulator"
11 Nov 2009 | 5:26 amFinancial regulation is the next item on the political horizon, and it doesn't have to be the deathly dull wonk-battle that it sounds like. In fact, if the Democrats do their job, it can just as easily become a platform for addressing the greatest issues of them all. Our current way of regulating the financial system is dysfunctional. Oversight is dispersed among numerous confusing bodies that at times have seemed to be racing each other to the bottom. Setting up One Big Regulator would end that problem. The Obama administration's plan is to have the Federal Reserve regulate banks that might… -
Kishore Mahbubani: Obama in Asia: West Looks East After "The End of History"
11 Nov 2009 | 4:09 amSINGAPORE -- The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall has just been celebrated. For many, that momentous event marked the so-called "end of history" and the final victory of the West. This week, Barack Obama, the first black president of the once-triumphant superpower in that Cold War contest, heads to Beijing to meet America's bankers -- the Chinese Communist government -- a prospect undreamt of 20 years ago. Surely, this twist of the times is a good point of departure for taking stock of just where history has gone during these past two decades. Let me begin with an extreme and… -
Nouriel Roubini: 'Too Big To Fail' Revisited
5 Nov 2009 | 8:36 amAlthough the G-20 finance ministers pledged stronger prudential regulation and financial oversight of systemically important firms at their September meeting, there is no consensus yet among regulators, lawmakers and academics on how best to proceed. Read more: Mervyn King, Nouriel Roubini, Financial Reform, Too Big to Fail, Banks, Financial Crisis, Alan Greenspan, Paul Volcker, g20, Financial Regulation, Glass-Steagall, Business News -
Joseph A. Palermo: The Wrath of Suburbanites and Independents
4 Nov 2009 | 1:45 amSuburbanites and independent voters in Virginia and New Jersey broke Republican in yesterday's election. Last night I saw CNN's John King tell his viewers that this phenomenon could only mean that people are sending a signal to President Barack Obama that they're fed up with "all that spending" in Washington. King's assertion is interesting because it sounds a lot like the Republican talking point we'll hear flogged endlessly today and it comes from a network that prides itself on being neither FOX nor MSNBC. But I think the election results show that in today's miserable economic context no…
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American Idol on The Huffington Post
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Michael Bialas: No Grinch will ruin Carrie Underwood's Holiday
19 Nov 2009 | 10:11 amThe Fox network is wishing you -- the home television viewer -- a very Carrie Christmas. And they're gift-wrapping two hours of entertainment in a special package titled Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special that will air December 7 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT). Of course, Fox, the network that brings you American Idol, has the gift that keeps on giving with Underwood. The country vixen from Checotah, Oklahoma, who broke through to national fame by winning the fourth season of A.I., has reason to be in the holiday spirit. Her third album, Play On, was released November 3 (19 Recordings/Arista… -
Ryan Seacrest Gets A Restraining Order
31 Oct 2009 | 1:02 amLOS ANGELES — A judge granted "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest a temporary restraining order against a man arrested on suspicion of stalking the radio and television host outside his workplace on Friday, court records show. Seacrest's attorneys obtained the stay-away order hours after they say Chidi Benjamin Uzomah Jr. was detained at the E! Entertainment Television headquarters in Los Angeles. Read more: Reality Television, Television, Chidi Benjamin Uzomah Jr., Ryan Seacrest, Ryan Seacrest Stalker, American Idol, Entertainment News -
Mark Olmsted: The New Epidemic: Entitlitus
27 Oct 2009 | 8:02 amIn the '30s came radio and newsreels, and with them access to a degree of fame never known before. Still, the vast majority of time, you had to do something to get a microphone or camera in your face. It wasn't until the '50s and '60s that John and Jane Doe might be seen by millions; in fact, I would bet game shows were probably what prompted Andy Warhol to declare: "In the future, everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame." He was off by 45 minutes. The reality show epidemic has produced an entirely new creature: the near-instant has-been. With the rare exception of a Elizabeth Hasselbeck… -
Mike Ragogna: HuffPost Reviews : Jack Johnson, R.E.M., Train, Dolly, Carly, and More, Plus U2 Plays The Rose Bowl, and This Week's New Albums
25 Oct 2009 | 9:50 pmJack Johnson - En Concert In 2008, Jack Johnson toured the world with his Sleep Through The Static concerts, the best of these shows assembled for his new CD/DVD En Concert that captures quite a bit more than your average live album. Jack brings his beach-troubadour style to some of the great cities of Europe--Berlin, The Hague, Munich, Paris, Newquay, and London--with the help of an entourage of kindred souls featuring Adam Topol, Merlot Podlewski, Zach Gill, plus star appearances by G Love, Ben Harper, Mason Jennings, Neal Halstead, and Matt Costa. Eddie Vedder also makes the cut, his… -
Frank Rich: In Defense Of The Balloon Boy Dad
24 Oct 2009 | 4:56 pmFor a country desperate for good news, the now-deflated "balloon boy" spectacle would seem to be the perfect tonic. As Wolf Blitzer of CNN summed up the nation's unrestrained joy upon learning that the imperiled boy had never been in any peril whatsoever: "All of us are so excited that little Falcon is fine." Read more: Steinbeck, Hoax, Major Bowes Amateur Hour, Ed Wood, Balloon Boy, Obama, American Idol, Msnbc, Television, Cnbc, White House, Gary Condit, Grapes of Wrath, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Lear, Reality TV, Wmd, War of the Worlds, Bush, Chamber of Commerce, Books,…
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Amy Winehouse on The Huffington Post
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Amy Winehouse's Implants Are Leaking: Amy's Dad
19 Nov 2009 | 3:08 amHe said: "It wasn't because she had a cold. "She's fine, she just had a little (Mitch points to his chest) leaky something or other." Read more: Amy Winehouse Implants, Amy Winehouse Hospital, Amy-Winehouse-Breasts, Amy Winehouse, Entertainment News -
Amy Winehouse HOSPITALIZED
17 Nov 2009 | 11:47 pmIt's a familiar place for the singer, 26. Her life has been checkered with health issues -- she even came close to death, her father has said. But this time it's different, with Winehouse feeling healthier and more self-confident. Read more: Amy Winehouse Hospital, Amy Winehouse, Entertainment News -
Is Lady Gaga Turning Into Amy Winehouse? (PHOTOS, POLL)
9 Nov 2009 | 6:43 amThe makeup-spackled eyes, big ratty hair, tattooed arms, ugly scowl...Lady Gaga looked like she was channeling Amy Winehouse on German television Saturday. Gaga has said that she dyes her hair blonde to avoid being confused with her raven-beehived counterpart. Here are some pictures of Gaga showing off her tattoo of a Rilke poem. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Slideshow, Lady GaGa, Poll, Lady Gaga Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga Tattoo, Amy Winehouse, Entertainment News -
Amy Winehouse's Boob Job: Singer Debuts Her New Breasts (PHOTOS)
26 Oct 2009 | 11:01 amAmy Winehouse is back in London after months in St. Lucia, a drug addiction and a divorce from husband Blake, and she's showing off her new breasts. Earlier this month Winehouse's dad Mitch complimented the work and said that Amy is, "Fantastic, fantastic. Her boobs are great as well." He then smiled and said, "I shouldn't have said that should I? She looks absolutely fantastic." Sunday night Winehouse attended the 2009 Q Awards in a low-cut red dress. PHOTOS; Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Amy Winehouse Boob Job, Amy Winehouse, Amy Winehouse Breast… -
Trish Kinney: Amy Winehouse (boobs), Tracy Morgan (butts) and Miss Pole Dance, The Week in Review
26 Oct 2009 | 7:16 amCome on, admit it. You are feeling guilty pleasure from reading a certain "news item" while there is at least a small voice in your head questioning why you are reading it at all, why you clicked on a story that, thank God, no one saw you click on. But you simply couldn't resist. In the old days, if it was in the newspaper, it wasn't really something you chose. It was there in black and white so you read it, cover to cover just like you always did. But to be honest, in the old days, the kinds of stories we are talking about rarely made it to print. So I thought it would be fun to peruse the…
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Anderson Cooper on The Huffington Post
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Robert David Jaffee: The Insanity of the Insanity Defense
20 Nov 2009 | 8:05 amAt the end of the Charles Bronson film, 10 to Midnight, a serial killer, who has just been apprehended, reverts to a variation of the same plea uttered by Andy Robinson's psychopath in Dirty Harry and Leo Gorcey's punk in Dead End: "society made me do it." Like Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, Bronson, in his post-Death Wish vigilante mode, then shoots the killer dead. No one expects such rough justice to be administered to mass murderers or serial criminals in real life. Yet they still plead insanity as their defense, even though most of us are unlikely to believe them. Surprisingly, some of… -
Oprah's Replacement: Who Should Be The Next King/Queen Of Daytime TV? (POLL)
20 Nov 2009 | 7:15 amOprah's announcement that she will give up her syndicated talk show in 2011 after 25 years on the air leaves an enormous hole: who will be the next king or queen of daytime TV? Below are some of the names that immediately come to mind as potential heirs to Oprah's throne: Read more: Slidepoll, Ryan Seacrest, Sherri Shepherd, Nate Berkus, Kelly Ripa, Ellen Degeneres, Judge Judy, Anderson Cooper, Sarah Palin, Ellen, Rachael Ray, Dr. Phil, Oprah Replacement, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Kate Gosselin, Katie Couric, Oprah Successor, Dr. Oz, Daytime TV, Oprah, Tim Gunn, Tyra Banks, Tyra, Media News -
Michael Henry Adams: Great Houses of New York: River House, the Best Address, Part IV
11 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pmA great deal has changed at 435 East 52nd Street since the River Club lost its yacht basin in the late 1930's. Or, for that matter, since the Times sensationally reported on May 6, 1939, "Customs Raid on Ayer Penthouse Brings Seizure of $25,000 in Attire; Clothing and Gems, Allegedly Smuggled by Widow of Surgeon, Taken by Federal Agents on Tip From 'Mary Doe'. " Sounding surprisingly like their tabloid rivals, the ordinarily staid Times and Henry Luce's Time Magazine, among other journals, (Henry Luce leased from Mrs. Bondero Macy, for $7,300 yearly, a River House duplex with 15 rooms, 5… -
Qanta Ahmed, MD: Cairo to Fort Hood: Broader Engagement at Home and Abroad
10 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pmArmistice Day, Atlanta, GeorgiaThe atrocious mass murder committed last week at Fort Hood has shaken the nation. Unusually, I didn’t learn of the news until many hours later, spared from the continuous news cycle in transit from the West Coast to New York. When I finally reconnected to CNN late that evening, like many others, I found it hard to absorb in its entirety. I am still having difficulty digesting the multidimensional implications.Mass murders have become a depressingly familiar punctuation in the rhythm of modern day American despair. The death and destruction of… -
Michael Russnow: Windows 7 Not so Great as Advertised and Has Compatibility Issues: Is Microsoft in Collusion With Manufacturers Like HP?
5 Nov 2009 | 11:18 pmA few weeks ago, I had a horrifying PC moment. For the first time in twelve years of Internet surfing, a terrible virus oddly named Total Security disabled my computer. No programs would open. Total Security left me in a total mess. The price for excising the virus was $200. Since my XP computer was almost six years old, I thought that seemed excessive because I could get a new unit for about $700. During my initial panic, Geek Squad Guru Julio Sagastume of West Hollywood's Best Buy kindly devoted lots of telephone time for free as I described my woes. Later he and colleague David McClay…
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Angelina Jolie on The Huffington Post
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Angelina Jolie Gives A Close-Up In 'Salt' Poster (PHOTO, POLL)
17 Nov 2009 | 10:56 amThe yearlong marketing of 'Salt' continues, one coy step at a time. First the trailer was released, and now we have a mysterious teaser poster. 'Who is Salt?' it asks. That would be Evelyn Salt, a CIA operative accused of being a Russian spy out to assassinate the U.S. president. She is played by Angelina Jolie, whose smoldering stare greets you below. 'Salt' opens July 23, 2010. PHOTO: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Angelina Jolie Salt, Salt Poster, Salt, Angelina Jolie, Film, Poll, Entertainment News -
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Design Snake-Themed Jewelry
15 Nov 2009 | 11:44 pmThe series started out as something for children -- 16-month-old Vivienne has already been photographed wearing bangles with the snake motifs-- but has developed into the limited edition "Protector Collection" of high end jewelry and other luxuries, which does still include children's items like a tooth box and silver egg cup. Read more: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie Jewelry Line, Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Asprey, Entertainment News -
Brad & Angelina Together At MOCA Gala (PHOTOS)
15 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pmThey are on the cover of four tabloids this week (Us, Star, OK! and Life & Style) for supposed relationship turmoil, but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie appeared very together Saturday night when they attended the Museum of Contemporary Art's 30th anniversary gala together, held at MOCA in Los Angeles. The pair got a private, early look at the exhibition while there, as seen below. Various magazines have Jolie down under 100 lbs, fighting with Pitt incessantly, adopting a child without Pitt, and spreading rumors about Jennifer Aniston. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! -
Andrew Zack: In Search of Reading Role Models
14 Nov 2009 | 3:14 amAs a father, I regularly look to my toddler son and ponder how will I share with him some of the experiences I so fondly remember from my own childhood: rainy days building forts out of TV tables and blankets, snowy nights building model planes and tanks, and Saturday afternoons watching the Creature Double Feature. And, of course, reading books. Lots and lots of books. As a boy and a teenager, I read voraciously, knocking off a book a day or at least two or three a week. But those days are long gone. If there’s one casualty of a career in publishing,… -
Dr. Alex Benzer: 9 Reasons Why Dating Actors is a Bad Idea
12 Nov 2009 | 5:13 amOne of the most common romantic fantasies that men and women in this country tend to have is to date an actor. The men all want an Angelina Jolie, and all the women want a Brad Pitt. And why not (besides the mildly inconvenient fact of those two being married to each other)? Actors are famous, influential, loved by all, make oodles of money and look good on your arm. And your friends will be mightily impressed. Right? Now I’ve been living in Los Angeles for some years, and for better or for worse have gone out with enough actresses to know what it’s really…
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Animals on The Huffington Post
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The 10 Funniest Missing Pet Signs Of All Time (PHOTOS)
21 Nov 2009 | 4:21 amIt's always sad when your pet runs off, especially if he has giant balls or is a rodent masquerading as a cat. While we hope all the pets found their ways to safe homes, were pretty sure these people shouldn't be in charge of anything that has a pulse and completely understand why they ran away. Read more: Slidepoll, Funniest Missing Pet Sign, Funniest Missing Pet Signs, Animals, Missing Pet Signs, Comedy News -
Who's Eating Madagascar's Lemurs?
21 Nov 2009 | 3:40 amBit by bit, the natural resources of Madagascar -- a biodiversity hotspot known for its unique vegetation and wildlife -- are being plundered. Read more: Lemurs, Madagascar, Africa, Animals, World News -
Animals That Light Up (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
21 Nov 2009 | 1:28 amBioluminescence is an incredible thing. Take a look at these photos and videos of the coolest underwater and land animals that have the special ability of light up. Talk about inner glow! Enjoy the slideshow, and vote for your favorite glowing critter. Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Slidepoll, Underwater Animals, Animals, Bugs, Bioluminescence, Deep Sea, Green News -
Dung Helps Reveal Why Mammoths Died Out
20 Nov 2009 | 12:37 amTheir results showed a slow decline in megafauna that began about 15,000 years ago and appeared to last for about 1,000 years. This discovery rules out one idea that the extinction might have been caused by an extraterrestrial object striking Earth 13,000 years ago. Read more: Dung, Mammoth, Animals, Megafauna, Extinction, Green News -
Cigarette Butts' Toxicity Kills Fish
20 Nov 2009 | 12:28 amEven with a small amount of unburnt tobacco clinging to it, a single cigarette butt soaked for a day is enough to turn a liter of water a sickly yellow brown and kill 50 percent of fish swimming in it. Without tobacco, it takes about 4 smoked filters to do the same job. Read more: Toxic Chemicals, Sustainability, Marine Life, Cigarettes, Animals, Cigarette-Butts, Fish, Green News
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Apple on The Huffington Post
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Gerald Sindell: iTablet Beta Tester Breaks Embargo
20 Nov 2009 | 4:27 amRecently I was given just 24 hours to explore a first production build of the Apple iTablet -- and here are my first impressions and discoveries. First, it's more like an iPhone than a MacBook. The operating system depends on gestures, and expands the vocabulary. Your hand is going to be dancing. Second big news: it's not just an application platform and full-color reader and media player. It's also a dual camera and, yes, read this twice, a phone. And therein lies a tale. For those whose habits have been formed around their iPhones, be very, very careful when your iTablet rings for the first… -
Ed Zitron: Road Wars: Arming for the Subway Commute
19 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amMy commute is far from gruesome. I've seen worse - hiking up hills in Aberystwyth or cross-country marching at 8AM to an early-morning class in University Park, PA were far worse. However, short and sweet as the morning PATH journey is, it lacks the stability of my own two feet, and commonly throws my fellow passengers and I to-and-fro, making anything more than listening to music difficult. And, frankly, I grow very tired of listening to music in the morning. It's something individual to the NYC/NJ commute, too - the rough-and-tumble ride isn't in effect in London, Paris, Japan, or even… -
Robert J. Elisberg: The Writers Workbench: It's an iPod World
19 Nov 2009 | 2:44 amIn the MP3 world, there is the iPod and everything else. In part, that's because it's a good device. In part, that's because it's an innovative device. But, in truth, there are other good and innovative devices. What most has kept the iPod as the King of the Mountain is the world of accessories that have built up around it. Today, if you can plug it in, there's a good chance an iPod accessory will be created for it. From time to time, we like to look at a few of those accessories, and here's the latest few. Griffin Navigate iHome IP9 Clock-Radio Otter Box Defender Case for iPod Touch GRIFFIN… -
eReader Gift Guide
18 Nov 2009 | 5:53 amWe've rounded up a few of our favorite devices, though be warned: with a market this much in its infancy, there's always going to be something just a bit more exciting right around the corner. Read more: Spring Design Alex, Sony eReader, Kindle, Reading, Holidays, Gift Guide, Christmas, Plastic Logic, Irex, Kindle DX, Wikipedia, Ereaders, QUE eReader, Sony, Alex Ereader, Iphone, Ebooks, Books, OpenMoko WikiReader, Nook, Books News -
Blower App Blows Air From Your iPhone, For Those 'Too Lazy To Exhale' (VIDEO)
18 Nov 2009 | 4:15 amiPhones can move. They can make noise. They can play pictures. But did you know they could blow air, too? Using the new iPhone app "Blower," you can "unlock the new mind-blowing secret feature on your iPhone" and "turn your iPhone into a real Air Blower," according to the app's description on iTunes. Blower promises that once you install the app, you can turn your phone into a mini-fan: Switch on your app, turn the iPhone volume to the max and feel the air flowing from the speaker opening. For $.99 cents, you can ensure you'll never have to blow out birthday candles again. Discover calls it…
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Argentina on The Huffington Post
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Buenos Aires Grants First Marriage License To Gays
16 Nov 2009 | 11:24 amBUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Two men were granted a marriage license in Argentina's capital on Monday, breaking ground in a country and region where laws ban gay marriage. Jose Maria Di Bello and his partner Alex Freyre won the right to get married when a judge ruled last week that a ban on gay marriage violates Argentina's constitution. Read more: Argentina Gay Marriage, Gay Marriage, Argentina, World News -
Gabriela Pochinki: Opera Diva Skips Bill, Shoves Owner At Nice Matin
23 Oct 2009 | 3:08 amNEW YORK — An Argentine diva has been charged with creating a ruckus at a Manhattan restaurant, but the case isn't likely to take on operatic proportions. The case against Gabriela Pochinki was adjourned Friday on contemplation of dismissal. That means the misdemeanor disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and obstructing-government charges will be tossed if she stays out of trouble for six months. Read more: Nice Matin, West Side Story, Gabriela Pochinki Misdemeanor Summons, Krakow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gabriela Pochinki, Joe Jackson, Argentina, New York City, New York, New York… -
Miss Pole Dance Argentina 2009: Sexy Or Scary? (PHOTOS, POLL)
22 Oct 2009 | 11:26 amThe Miss Pole Dance Argentina 2009 competition was held in Bueno Aires on Tuesday, October 20th. 24-year-old Brazilian Rafaela Montenero took home the top prize. She had also won Brazil's Miss Pole Dancer 2009. 29-year-old Maria Luz Escalante of Argentina took home the second prize. Both women will compete in the world championships in London in May. Who Is The Ultimate Game Changer In Style? VOTE NOW! And follow HuffPost Style on Twitter and become a fan of HuffPost Style on Facebookwhile you're at it. Read more: Maria Luz Escalante, Slidepoll, Rafaela Montenero, Miss Pole Dance Argentina,… -
Bruce Kluger: LettermanGate: One Week Later
7 Oct 2009 | 6:10 pmIt is now nearly one week since LettermanGate first burst onto TV screens, front pages and BlackBerrys nationwide, and the media remain in unapologetic full-throttle. Having already wrung every drop of dirty dishwater from this odd tale of sex, checks and affections, reporters continue to survey the outer fringes of the story's seedy landscape, hoping to tap a fresh reservoir of bodice-ripping, scurrilous slime. Last weekend, the New York Post heavy-panted its way through a largely empty expose that dubbed Dave a "skirt-chasing funnyman" while depicting his private office at the Ed Sullivan… -
Norm Stamper: Turning the Corner on Drug Law Reform
7 Oct 2009 | 11:50 amA week ago I was in the Bay Area, touring medical marijuana dispensaries in Oakland and Berkeley, speaking to the Sausalito Rotary Club, visiting with police and elected officials, and addressing NORML's annual conference. (Special thanks to the extraordinary Carol Ruth Silver, former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, close friend of the late Harvey Milk, and LEAP speaker extraordinaire for opening doors around the city.) Sunday night, I spoke at the Sydney Opera House, the first in a month-long, 60-event tour of Australia. Around the globe, drug policy reform experts and…
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Asia on The Huffington Post
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China Mine Explosion: 42 dead, 66 trapped
21 Nov 2009 | 2:27 amHARBIN, China — Rescuers working in frigid cold and darkness tried to reach 66 people believed trapped a third of a mile (half a kilometer) underground after a huge gas explosion Saturday ripped through a coal mine in northern China, killing at least 42 people. The pre-dawn blast at the state-run Xinxing mine in Heilongjiang province near the border with Russia is latest to hit China's mining industry, the world's deadliest. Authorities say parlous safety is improving, but hundreds still die in major accidents each year. Read more: Mine Explosion, China, China Mine Explosion, China… -
Arrests in Italy over Mumbai attack
20 Nov 2009 | 8:15 pmTwo Pakistanis accused of providing logistical help to perpetrators of last year's rampage. Read more: Mumbai-India, India, Italy, Home News -
China Close To Fielding The World's First Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile
20 Nov 2009 | 7:50 amChina has built up a sophisticated navy in preparation for a potential conflict with Taiwan, a new report from the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) reveals. The 51-page report is available to download from the Federation of American Scientists website. Since the late 1990s, Beijing has made a conscious effort to increase the strength of the Chinese navy in the shortest time frame possible, the report argues. These efforts are due, in part, to the strengthening of both Taiwan and Japan's navies. In particular, US intervention in the Taiwan Strait crisis of 1996 appears to have prompted… -
North Korean economy sandwiched by the dragon and tiger
20 Nov 2009 | 7:45 amA banner promoting North Korea’s 150-day economic production campaign in August. Photo: Ben Piven Part 6 of 6 in our Inside the Hermit Kingdom series on the people and culture of North Korea. Worldfocus multimedia producer Ben Piven writes about the contrast between the North Korean economy and the booming economies of South Korea and China. “Why does South Korea produce Samsung, LG, and Hyundai?” I asked Jong, our 25-year-old North Korean tour guide. She said that North Korea will manufacture sophisticated goods once the essentials — electrification and rice… -
Jim Calio: Talk to the Taliban
20 Nov 2009 | 7:33 amSooner or later, we will have to talk to the Taliban. It's inevitable, so why delay? It's clear that we cannot "win" in Afghanistan in the traditional since of "winning" -- that is, wiping out the enemy. The Afghans know that the U.S. will some day be leaving their country, but they will not. After all, it's their country, they live there. It was true in Vietnam, and it's true in Afghanistan. After years of propping up sorry, corrupt and ineffective governments in South Vietnam, the U.S. finally decided to enter into peace talks with the North Vietnamese. The same should happen with the…
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Australia on The Huffington Post
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Sarah Holewinski: Bad Math in Afghanistan: Deaths vs. Compensation
21 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amNobody's manning the calculator at NATO. This year is on track to be the deadliest for Afghan civilians since the war began in 2001. Yet Oxfam just reported that of the 700 Afghans they interviewed just 1% received any compensation or apology for the harm done to them. War never delivers clean numbers. But no matter how you look at these, something doesn't add up. International forces acknowledge that civilians are key to their mission but still haven't figured out a coordinated way to help Afghan war victims. Just months ago, General McChrystal specifically endorsed a collective policy of… -
Australia fires rage amid heat wave
19 Nov 2009 | 10:30 pmCountry battles bushfires across three southern states amid record temperatures. Read more: Australia, Home News -
Church Of Scientology Accused Of Torture And Forced Abortions In Australia
18 Nov 2009 | 7:51 amThe church of Scientology has entered another international controversy this week as Nick Xenophon, an independent Australian politician, tabled a number of controversial letters about the church to the Australian Senate. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the letters contain allegations of "forced abortion, torture, perjury and financial coercion." As Xenophon presented the letters to the Senate, he said "Scientology is not a religious organization, it is a criminal organization that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs," reports The Guardian. Australian Prime Minister Kevin… -
Kylie Approved: Gay Bondi Beach Flash Mob
17 Nov 2009 | 6:15 pmOver the weekend, Sydney's Bondi Beach was the site of a flash mob, led by legendary Aussie drag queen Joyce Maynge. Read more: Sydney-Australia, Australia, Home News -
William Horden: God Is One Mind
16 Nov 2009 | 5:48 amThere is One Mind and each of us is one of Its Ideas. Not just us humans, however. The animals, plants, mountains, and rivers. The stars and atoms, galaxies and electrons. Everything is an Idea of the One Mind. It is difficult for some of us to say "God thinks each of us into being" without feeling like we're falling back on childhood Sunday school stories. The aftereffects of coming to terms with the need to break out of naive belief systems can cause us to knee-jerk away from pat answers and anything resembling the old bearded patriarch sitting in Heaven. I know I don't care for the word…
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Autism on The Huffington Post
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Kim Stagliano: How Does It Feel To Be Told You Can't Have A Test?
20 Nov 2009 | 8:27 amAmerica, how does it feel to wake up and learn that you can't have healthcare tests that you think you or your loved one needs? Welcome to the autism treatment world. Kinda sucks, doesn't it? This week we learned that neither mammograms nor pap tests are as necessary as previously recommended. So there will be less testing. I didn't know that the pap smear (scrape?) could lead to procedures that could injure the cervix. But I recall being a young woman and having my gynecologist perform a procedure that hurt like hell - "cauterization," he called it. That's Latin for "insert a small blow… -
David Kirby: Top Autism Panel Backs Research Objectives Mentioning Vaccines -- Dueling Press Releases Ensue
13 Nov 2009 | 3:49 amOn Tuesday, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), Washington's leading arbiter for directing federal funds to autism research, unanimously voted to recommend studies that include investigations into possible links between autism and environmental triggers - including vaccines - in certain subsets of children. The IACC has not yet posted details on what was decided at the meeting, but two opposing autism organizations are already applauding either A) the inclusion of vaccine-autism studies in the federal research plan; or B) the rejection of such studies from the plan -… -
A-List Celebs Line Up For Concert For Autism
12 Nov 2009 | 4:15 amWhat do Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump have in common? They, along with a bunch of other A-List celebrities are making appearances at the Autism Speaks Concert For Autism on November 17 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This year's star-studded event will feature comedian Jerry Seinfeld, with a special appearance by "The Boss", Bruce Springsteen. The evening will be hosted by NBC's Meet the Press moderator, David Gregory, on November 17, at world famous landmark Carnegie Hall. Your participation in this global cause will benefit the families and individuals who live with… -
'I Am Autism' Advocacy Video Draws Controversy
9 Nov 2009 | 7:24 amThe latest Autism-related controversy stems from a video, "I Am Autism," created for Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism advocacy group, reports TIME. Directed by Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón and songwriter Billy Mann, each of whom have a young child with autism, the video has drawn the ire of autistic self-advocates who feel that it portrays the autistic as "burdens and objects of fear and pity." The video depicts images of children with autism, paired with a menacing voiceover that intones: "I am Autism...I work faster than pediatric AIDS, cancer and diabetes… -
Tim Ellis: A Question of Harm -- The Legacy of Vaccination
6 Nov 2009 | 9:23 amThe Age of Vaccines In the early '60s, there were approximately 450,000 measles cases and an average of 450 measles-associated deaths reported each year in the United States [1] . The disease had been a killer for centuries, and at its peak an estimated 3-4 million persons in the United States were infected each year, of whom 400-500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and another 1,000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis. [2] Despite its ubiquity, measles was nothing to sneeze at. Fortunately, in the face of this danger, American ingenuity once again rose to the occasion, and…
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Auto Bailout on The Huffington Post
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Electric Rolls-Royce Could Be Out By Christmas 2010, Rumors Report
20 Nov 2009 | 9:19 amRumors of an electric Rolls-Royce Phantom are back, with the word being the super-luxe automaker could have one on the road within 12 months. Read more: Rolls Royce Phantom, Electric Rolls, Electric Phantom Rols, Electric Rolls Royce, Rolls Royce, Electric Phantom, Electric Car, Electric Rolls Royce Phantom, Electric Cars, Technology News -
Displacement Of Local Peoples As Coporations Buy Carbon Offsets
20 Nov 2009 | 12:33 amTHERE IS ANOTHER vexing question inherent in preserving forests: What happens to the people who use the land? Efforts to protect biodiversity in the dwindling wildlands of the world have increasingly run into a discomfiting tension between the impulse toward absolute preservation and the needs of people--many of them indigenous--who have lived sustainably in forestlands for decades or centuries. Such tensions are playing out in the new economics of carbon offsets. Read more: Chevron, American Electric Power, General Motors, Carbon Offsets, Corporations, Sustainability, Amazon Rainforest,… -
Mike Signer: Drive Like a Jetson
19 Nov 2009 | 9:55 amWhen you watch an episode of The Jetsons, what gets you isn't so much that Elroy wore an antenna on his head or that the family spent their time in cars that levitated. What still resonates about the show is the extreme ease of transportation -- they always just seem to get up and go. For many of us in the modern world, where gridlock and wincing at gas pumps are facts of life, the Jetsons seem spectacularly free of commuter woes. But it's a cartoon. Ambitious clean technology schemes have usually been condemned as the province of dreamers. But this week, a new organization threatened to… -
GM IPO 2010? Offering Could Come Next Year, Says Obama Administration
18 Nov 2009 | 5:31 amWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration wants a fast-track initial public offering of General Motors Co shares to reduce its majority stake in the automaker, a senior official said. An IPO for GM could come as soon as the fourth quarter of 2010... Read more: Auto Bailout, General Motors, General Motors Bankruptcy, Future of General Motors, General Motors Bailout, Initial Public Offering, Business News -
Safest Cars 2010: Ford, Subaru, VW Win Insurance Industry Picks
17 Nov 2009 | 11:27 pmWASHINGTON -- (KEN THOMAS, AP): Ford, Subaru and Volkswagen lead the insurance industry's annual list of the safest new vehicles, according to a closely watched assessment used by car companies to lure safety-conscious consumers to showrooms. (Scroll down for photos of the safest cars and SUVs -- and vote for your favorite.) The Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded its "top safety pick" on Wednesday to 19 passenger cars and eight sport utility vehicles for the 2010 model year. The institute substantially reduced the number of awards compared with 2009, because of…
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Avigdor Lieberman on The Huffington Post
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Ali A. Rizvi: Can Arab/Muslim Countries Criticize Israel Under the UN Anti-Blasphemy Resolution?
29 Oct 2009 | 9:05 pmThe turning point occurred on June 16, 2008 at 4:40 pm, when David Littman took the floor at a UN Human Rights Council meeting to speak on behalf of the Association for World Education (AWE) and the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU). "Mr. President," he said, "In the context of integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system, we wish to draw attention to four examples of widespread violence against women that we believe merits far greater attention from the Council. "One, regarding FGM [female genital mutilation], we are making available our detailed… -
Harut Sassounian: Turkey Exposed: Cannot Pretend to be Both Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israeli
20 Oct 2009 | 10:12 amPlaying the skillful political games of their Ottoman predecessors, Turkey's current masters present their country under various guises -- as European and Middle Eastern, Islamic and secular, pro-Arab and pro-Israeli. It now appears that the end is near for at least one of these Turkish charades. Israeli officials have finally awakened from their prolonged coma to discover that their erstwhile "strategic partner" is far more hostile than their Arab enemies. For a long time, Turkish leaders have been calling the Israelis all sorts of unsavory names and accusing Israel of committing barbaric… -
Turkey TV Drama Shows Israeli Soldiers Brutally Killing Children, Exacerbating Rift Between Nations (VIDEO)
14 Oct 2009 | 9:46 amForeign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday complained to Turkey over a new television drama airing there that depicts Israel Defense Forces soldiers as brutal murderers. Lieberman instructed staff at the Foreign Ministry to protest in the face of their Turkish counterparts. He stressed that airing this type of show reflects a grave level of incitement against Israel - and with government approval. The show, called Ayrilik, features a love story that develops between the lead characters during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media reports. However, a partial… -
Avigdor Lieberman: No Chance For Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal
8 Oct 2009 | 1:11 amJERUSALEM — President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy finds himself increasingly hamstrung, with Israel's foreign minister on Thursday all but ruling out a peace deal for years to come and the Palestinian leader weakened by his decision not to push for a Gaza war crimes tribunal against Israel. Jordan's King Abdullah II added a gloomy warning that prospects for peace are "sliding into darkness." Read more: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Avigdor Lieberman, Lieberman, George MItchell, Israel, World News -
Bradley Burston: Working for Peace is a Form of Prayer
7 Oct 2009 | 10:52 amJERUSALEM -- It's been a decade and a half that fanatics on both sides have ruined our lives. But there's a change coming. Whether the extremists like it or not. The sign came on the eve of the Sukkot festival, when Israel freed a group of Palestinian women prisoners in exchange for a video of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, held by Hamas for well over three years. The exchange was a quiet tectonic shift. The families of the Palestinian women told Israeli television that they hoped that the Shalit family would soon be as happy as they were. A natural response, to be sure, but shocking in contrast…
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Award Season on The Huffington Post
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Oscar Short List SNUBS Michael Moore's 'Capitalism: A Love Story'
19 Nov 2009 | 12:04 amLOS ANGELES — Of the 89 documentary films eligible for Oscar consideration this year, 15 were selected for a short list of potential nominees. And Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" wasn't one of them. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 15 titles Wednesday. Read more: Oscar Short List 2009, Capitalism: A Love Story, The Oscars, Film, Michael Moore, Entertainment News -
Brad Balfour: Q&A: Actor Woody Harrelson Delivers The Messenger
13 Nov 2009 | 7:08 amWhile actor Woody Harrelson has been characterized as a stoner, he's been no slacker lately, having worked hard on three movies coming out virtually back to back -- films that might help get him beyond his past. From starring in the hit television show Cheers to a film like White Men Can't Jump, Harrelson created such iconic characters that he's had a hard time escaping from them. No matter how well he immerses himself into characters unlike himself, he has struggled to get audiences to see past those cynosures with which he saddled himself. Through his gonzo character Tallahassee, Harrelson… -
Patricia Zohn: Culture Zohn Off the C(H)uff: Roger Corman and His Oscar
12 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pmThe list of Roger Corman protégés is amazingly long and stuffed with goodies of all persuasions. There are the famous men: Scorcese (Box Car Bertha); Demme (Caged Heat, Crazy Mama), Nicholson (Little Shop of Horrors), Joe Dante (Cockfighter), Francis Coppola (Battle Beyond the Sun), Ron Howard (Grand Theft Auto) Sylvester Stallone (Death Race 2000), Bruce Dern, Robert De Niro (Bloody Mama) Peter Fonda ( The Wild Angels), Peter Bogdanovich (Saint Jack) Curtis Hanson (Sweet Kill) and Jonathan Kaplan (Night Call Nurses) and those are just a few of the guys who wrote to the Motion Picture… -
Diane Tucker: Women-Made Films Mostly Ignored by the National Film Registry. Why?
9 Nov 2009 | 4:27 amOf the 500 films archived in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress, less than two dozen were directed by women. As I bemoaned this shameful statistic to everyone within earshot, my colleagues reminded me that very few women have ever written or directed a major Hollywood movie. They're right, of course. The situation for women who want to make movies is grim. Despite the fact that film schools graduate as many women as men, just 4% of Hollywood directors are women. That's roughly the same minuscule percentage of women archived in the National Film Registry. (You can help… -
Snuffleupagus Google Doodle Next In Sesame Street Anniversary Celebration? (PHOTOS)
6 Nov 2009 | 6:28 amGoogle's Doodle has been on a Sesame Street spree! First Big Bird's yellow legs were pictured in place of the Google "L". Next, Cookie Monster came along and devoured the Google "O's". Then, Bert and Ernie, two more classic characters from the children's show Sesame Street, were front and center on the Google site. (see screenshots below) Google is featuring these Sesame Street characters in honor of Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, which will be celebrated on November 10. Which character do you think will be next? Could it be Snuffleupagus, the wide-eyed woolly mammoth? Tell us below! See…
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Bailout Bandits on The Huffington Post
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The Economist The Obama Administration Should Have Listened To
12 Nov 2009 | 1:53 amEight months ago, the Obama administration launched a plan to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure by providing $75 billion in taxpayer funds to banks and mortgage servicers. The money was intended to help three to four million homeowners by lowering their monthly payments, largely by cutting their interest rates. The next day, a Yale economist and a colleague penned a New York Times op-ed arguing for a different approach. Rather than cut interest rates, John D. Geanakoplos and Susan P. Koniak wrote, the government should reduce the overall amount owed on the mortgage -- the principal. -
Barney Frank Clashes With Ed Schultz Over Bank Bonuses: "Don't Condescend To Me" (VIDEO)
9 Nov 2009 | 10:34 amMSNBC's Ed Schultz and Congressman Barney Frank (D-Ma.) clashed tonight over Congress's response, or lack of response, to the news that JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are distributing $30 billion in bonuses this year, a 60 percent increase on their bonus payments from last year. The "newsflash" on the bonuses, according to Schultz, is that there is nothing Congress can do to stop it. Frank disagreed, saying Congress has a few tools at its disposal: "We can tax it. Let's not forget that." Schultz argued that this misses the point because "we dished out billions of dollars to Wall… -
At Goldman Sachs, It's Mostly $100 Million Days
4 Nov 2009 | 10:23 amOn three out of every five days this year, Wall Street's leading firm has made at least $100 million trading stocks and bonds, and creating and entering into derivatives contracts. Out of 194 trading days through the end of September, Goldman Sachs earned at least $100 million from its trading division on 116 of them. The firm lost money from its trading activities on just one day during the three-month period ending in September, federal regulatory filings show. It made at least $50 million on four out of every five trading days. The documents show just how much of a trading firm Goldman… -
Dylan Ratigan: Why Keep Geithner?
1 Nov 2009 | 11:45 pmA year ago it was revealed to the American people that our banking system is a legalized Ponzi scheme in which bank and insurance CEOs pay themselves billions of dollars in personal compensation to lend and insure assets with money they don't have to customers who can't pay back the loans. In those dark days between the fall of Lehman Brothers and before the presidential election, we were often carried through that time by the small glimmer of hope that at least we would soon have a new leader who would hopefully fix this mess and punish those responsible. Yet in the past 9 months, not only… -
GMAC Asks For $2.8 Billion More In Taxpayer Money
27 Oct 2009 | 5:21 pmThe U.S. government is likely to inject $2.8 billion to $5.6 billion of capital into the Detroit company, on top of the $12.5 billion that GMAC has received since December 2008, these people said. The latest infusion would come in the form of preferred stock. The government's 35.4% stake in the company could increase if existing shares eventually are converted into common equity. Read more: Car Buyers, Auto Industry, Stress Test, Stress Tests, Financing, Gm, Alvaro De MOlina, Car Loans, Car Dealerships, Automakers, Auto Loans, Fdic, Gmac, General Motors, Bailout Bandits, Car Financing, GMAC…
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Bank of America on The Huffington Post
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'Geezer Bandit' Sought By FBI For San Diego Bank Robberies
18 Nov 2009 | 6:51 amSAN DIEGO — FBI officials say an elderly, thin, gray-haired man nicknamed the "Geezer Bandit" is responsible for holding up five San Diego-area banks since summer. Investigators say the man appears to be in his 70s. Officials say that in the most recent robbery Monday, he approached a Bank of America teller in La Jolla, displayed a handgun and asked for cash. He fled on foot. Read more: Geezer Bandit San Diego, FBI Geezer Bandit, Geezer Bandit, Bank of America Robberies, Darrell Foxworth, Bank of America, Fbi, San Diego California, Bank of America La Jolla, Crime, Criminals, Home News -
Wall Street Profits On Pace For Record, Industry Recovering 'Faster Than Expected': NY State Comptroller
17 Nov 2009 | 11:41 pmIt took Wall Street just one year to make its way back to record profits. According to a report released Tuesday by the comptroller of New York State, Thomas P. DiNapoli, Wall Street is turning around "much faster than expected" and is on pace to pull in record earnings this year. New York City's four largest investment firms -- Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley -- earned $22.5 billion in the first nine months of 2009. Wall Street's earnings, should they remain steady for the rest of the year, could lead some firms to eclipse 2007's record profits. From… -
BofA, Merrill Deal: Republicans And Democrats Square Off Over Government's Role
17 Nov 2009 | 7:02 amWASHINGTON — A senior House Democrat says the government didn't force Bank of America to take over Merrill Lynch, but a bank board member said much pressure was applied and Republicans charged that a committee inquiry was covering up the role of an Obama administration official. "The government pushed us hard to do this deal," Bank of America director Charles "Chad" Gifford said after persistent questioning by lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday. Read more: Merrill Lynch, Edolphus Towns, Tim Geithner, Bofa, Bank of America, Andrew-Williams, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee,… -
Geithner Singled Out In TARP Watchdog Neil Barofsky's Scathing Report On AIG Bailout
16 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pmA brutal report issued Monday by a government watchdog holds Timothy Geithner -- then the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and now the nation's Treasury Secretary -- responsible for overpayments that put billions of extra tax dollars in the coffers of major Wall Street firms, most notably Goldman Sachs. The authoritative new narrative describes how, while bailing out insurance giant AIG last fall, a team led by Geithner failed nearly every step of the way. Instead of bargaining with AIG's numerous counterparties to resolve its billions of dollars in souring derivatives contracts,… -
Derivatives Reform: 'Tricky Exceptions' Leave Market Unchecked: The Nation
13 Nov 2009 | 2:18 amThe Obama administration promised to reform the financial system and make it safe for the rest of us, but recent Congressional action is more likely to reset the fuse for another explosive calamity. The time bomb in this case is that arcane financial instrument known as derivatives--the hedging devices that the big banks sell to investors, corporations and other banks to reduce risk or evade the requirements to hold adequate capital on their books. Read more: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Economy, Derivatives, Barney Frank, Bank of America, Regulatory Reform, Obama…
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Bankruptcy on The Huffington Post
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Swim Club Accused Of Racism To File For Bankruptcy
14 Nov 2009 | 10:52 amPHILADELPHIA — A suburban swim club accused of discrimination last summer after revoking the memberships of mostly black and Hispanic children plans to declare bankruptcy, a newspaper reported Saturday. Valley Swim Club president John Duesler sent an e-mail to club "friends and families" Friday saying the board of directors had voted to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week, The Philadelphia Daily News reported. Read more: Swim Club, Bankruptcy, Children, Valley Swim Club, Summer Camp, Creative Steps, Swimming Club, Race, Day Camp, Philadelphia Swim Club, Swimming, Racist Swim Club,… -
Wall Street Conspiracy Theories: Which Are The Most Plausible?
13 Nov 2009 | 7:04 amSo here's a field guide to the five most prevalent Wall Street conspiracy theories, with each one graded on scope, durability, crowd appeal, and plausibility and each graded on a sliding scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being "fugetaboutit" and 5 being "damn right." Read more: Conspiracy Theories, Conspiracy Theory, Goldman Sachs, Matt Taibbi, Bankruptcy, Wall Street, Lehman Brothers, Banks, Timothy Geithner, Bear Stearns, Transparency, Home News -
Jerry Chautin: CIT's Bankruptcy Is Not Doomsday for Small Businesses
12 Nov 2009 | 8:27 amCIT will not be around much longer if it emerges from bankruptcy without a more sustainable way to finance small businesses. More specifically, it must learn not to depend on the commercial paper market as an ubiquitous source to fund its lending activities. Additionally, it has to do a better job of laddering its bond obligations to match the term loans and lines of credit that it provides to companies. According to the mainstream press, CIT lends to over one million small businesses with an emphasis on franchises, seasonal funding for retailers and lines of credit. Its franchise financings… -
What U.S. Bailout Money Could Do For The Rest Of The World
9 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pmEver wonder how all that money spent on government bailouts of U.S. companies and banks could have been spent differently? The Business Insider did. On the heels of commercial lender CIT's recent bankruptcy announcement and the loss of $2.3 billion in taxpayer money, the publication asked several humanitarian groups how they would have spent the money to help people around the world. Here are a few of our favorites from the International Rescue Committee: 378.3 million malaria-preventing mosquito nets $6.08 would pay for a family-sized, insecticide treated mosquito net. Add to this malaria… -
Big Pharma's Crime Spree: Drug Makers Pushing Products For Unapproved Uses
8 Nov 2009 | 4:23 pmPfizer and Lilly lead a parade of U.S. companies that have paid $7 billion in penalties after promoting drugs for uses not approved by the FDA. This unlawful behavior may not end until prosecutors force a drugmaker into bankruptcy. Read more: Big Pharma, Alzheimer's Disease, Unapproved Uses, Doj, Drug Marketers, Criminal Lawsuit, Eli Lilly, Regulation, Fda, The Fed, Lawsuit, Pharma, Nimh, Jama, Department of Justice, Kickbacks, Federal Reserve, Fed, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Warner Lambert, Marketing, Warner-Lambert, Neurontin, Thalidomide, Depression, Bankruptcy, Off-Label Promotion,…
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President Obama on The Huffington Post
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Democrats Are United -- For Now
21 Nov 2009 | 7:31 amThe Senate has voted to move forward with the health care bill. The vote was 60-39 in favor of debating the bill put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. ------------------- At least for the moment, Democrats are united behind Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). All 60 members of the party's caucus have publicly pledged to back him in key vote on the Senate floor Saturday night -- this one to allow debate to proceed on Reid's health care reform bill. But that unity may not last. "That was the easy part. Now it's only going to get tougher from here on out," Reid spokesman Jim… -
Bill Moyers Plays LBJ Tapes, Draws Similarities With Obama And Afghanistan War
21 Nov 2009 | 4:13 amOn Friday night, Bill Moyers played clips from the Lyndon B. Johnson tapes on his PBS television show. Moyers drew correlations between the factors facing President Johnson in his decision to send more troops to Vietnam, and President Obama's conundrum with respect to the war in Afghanistan. From his closing statement: Now in a different world, at a different time, and with a different president, we face the prospect of enlarging a different war. But once again we're fighting in remote provinces against an enemy who can bleed us slowly and wait us out, because he will still be there when we… -
Human Rights Watch: Join the World in Embracing Children's Rights
21 Nov 2009 | 2:37 amThe most widely and rapidly ratified human rights treaty in history is 20 years old. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was shaped by the United States, which drafted more of its provisions than any other government. Only two countries in the world have failed to ratify the convention: war-torn Somalia - and the United States. Negotiated during the Reagan administration, the Convention reflects basic American values and the conditions that children need to thrive. The United States influenced virtually all of the treaty's substantive provisions, including the rights of children to… -
Andy Ostroy: More Republican Lies and Deception Over Cancer Screening
21 Nov 2009 | 1:50 amIt's highly unfortunate timing for the Obama administration that two new cancer-screening recommendations have been made by government and independent medical groups in a week where the president is seeking legislation for his historic health-care reform bill. While the measures have sparked intense controversy, it's irresponsible and disingenuous for Republicans to label these new guidelines as partisan-based and illustrative of the sort of "rationing" they claim reform will bring. Just like global warming, health-care has become overly politicized, and some things simply aren't political. -
Chris Matthews Criticizes Obama Using Cheney's "Dithering" Remark (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 2:41 pmOn Friday night's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews, MSNBC host Matthews took a page out of Dick Cheney's book and accused the president of "dithering" over Afghanistan. "President Obama has his chin out on just about every hot issue out there. Health care. Terror trials. Job losses." Matthews began. He then launched a series of aggressive questions going after many of the president's recent decisions. "Is he just too darned intellectual? Too much the egghead? Why did he bow to that Japanese emperor? Why did he pick Tim Geithner to be his economic front-man? Why all this dithering over…
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Bear Stearns on The Huffington Post
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Paul Krugman: Government Squandered Our Trust In Wall St. Bailout
20 Nov 2009 | 3:24 amEarlier this week, the inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a k a, the bank bailout fund, released his report on the 2008 rescue of the American International Group, the insurer. The gist of the report is that government officials made no serious attempt to extract concessions from bankers, even though these bankers received huge benefits from the rescue. And more than money was lost. By making what was in effect a multibillion-dollar gift to Wall Street, policy makers undermined their own credibility -- and put the broader economy at risk. Read more: Bailout, Long Term… -
Blake Fleetwood: The $20 Billion Gamble: The Greatest Coup in Financial History
17 Nov 2009 | 4:05 amIn 2007 a little known hedge fund manager pulled in a personal profit $4 billion (firm profit $20 billion), with a daring bet against a real estate boom that everybody knew was going to bust ... someday. In 2006 John Paulson (of no relation to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson ) bet that the sub-prime mortgage market would tank and housing prices would fall on a national scale, according to a new book The Greatest Trade Ever by Greg Zuckerman. Paulson, a prophet of doom for homeowners, committed more than $1 billion to buy insurance on what he saw as risky mortgages. Many economists and savvy… -
David Fiderer: The Moral Compass Missing From The Greatest Trade Ever
16 Nov 2009 | 12:47 amJohn Paulson was dissatisfied. The marketplace had not satiated his appetite for placing bets against subprime mortgage securities. So he cooked up a scheme to issue billions more in new securities designed by him to fail. The scheme worked, and his hedge fund earned billions. The most interesting part of The Greatest Trade Ever, by Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman, describes Paulson’s plan to give irrational exuberance an extra boost. It’s one thing to trade against the value of securities that have already been issued. That’s… -
Wall Street Conspiracy Theories: Which Are The Most Plausible?
13 Nov 2009 | 7:04 amSo here's a field guide to the five most prevalent Wall Street conspiracy theories, with each one graded on scope, durability, crowd appeal, and plausibility and each graded on a sliding scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being "fugetaboutit" and 5 being "damn right." Read more: Conspiracy Theories, Conspiracy Theory, Goldman Sachs, Matt Taibbi, Bankruptcy, Wall Street, Lehman Brothers, Banks, Timothy Geithner, Bear Stearns, Transparency, Home News -
Janet Tavakoli: Ralph Cioffi: Off the Hook for a Long Time Pattern of Behavior
11 Nov 2009 | 7:31 amThe following is an excerpt from my book, Dear Mr. Buffett, What an Investor Learns 1,269 Miles from Wall Street, in response to the acquittal Tuesday of Bear Stearns Asset Management heads Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin. I worked at Bear Stearns in the late 1980s and remembered amiable newcomer Ralph Cioffi to be Bear Stearns' most talented and successful salesman of mortgage-backed securities. He was usually even tempered, always hard working, and thoughtful. I headed marketing for the quantitative group run by both Stanley Diller, one of the original Wall Street "quants," and Ed Rappa…
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Ben Bernanke on The Huffington Post
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Dodd Muted On Bernanke Renomination Prospects
20 Nov 2009 | 5:06 amJust six weeks after he told Reuters it was essentially a done deal, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd punted when asked about the likelihood of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's confirmation for a second term. Asked by a citizen journalist if it was a foregone conclusion that Bernanke's nomination for a second term would be confirmed by the Senate, Dodd replied: "Not necessarily, not necessarily. We'll see how members react." The intervening six weeks have seen a growing public anger about skyrocketing unemployment, and a growing recognition that government bailouts… -
Raymond J. Learsy: The Key Question No One Asked About Goldman's Role In The AIG Bailout
20 Nov 2009 | 1:37 amA key and fundamental question was not broached during the fierce interrogation of Treasury Secretary Geithner during Thursday's hearings before Congress's Joint Economic Committee. The contentious subject at hand was the Fed and Treasury's role on the issue of the American International Group's multi-billion dollar bailout. The key question neither asked nor answered was: What was the nature of the myriad discussions at the height of the crisis in September 2008 between Treasury Secretary and former Goldman Sachs Chairman Hank Paulson and Goldman Sachs Chairman Lloyd Blankfein? It is hard to… -
Mike Elk: Protestors to Goldman Sachs: "You Are Not God" - Bernanke Explains Why
17 Nov 2009 | 4:20 amSomebody call up Pat Robertson! Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein is going around claiming he's "doing God's work." That's exactly what he's quoted as saying last week in an interview for the Times of London. A group of around 200 protesters gathered outside the company's Washington headquarters Monday to say that while the company may have enough power to wreck the United States economy, that doesn't place it on the side of God. As one protester pointed out Goldman Sachs is, in the words of Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi, "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity,… -
Banking Sector Fix In Six Steps: Roger Lowenstein
17 Nov 2009 | 4:18 amFinancial reform seems to be flailing. Legislation has been proposed, but it is complicated and diffuse. Most of the proposed fixes are incremental changes that don't seem likely to prevent a future bubble. The House and Senate are squabbling over which federal agency should take the lead in supervising banks. The administration, as well as the Congress, have fallen into the trap of trying to fix everything. Instead, they should agree on the most important remedies. Read more: Standard and Poor, Banking Crisis, Aig, Sec, Ben Bernanke, Banking Industry, Business News -
Fed Chairman Blames Banks For Continued High Unemployment
16 Nov 2009 | 6:23 amFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Monday blamed banks for slowing the recovery and keeping unemployment high. Despite hundreds of billions in dollars in taxpayer bailouts, the nation's banks have dramatically reduced their lending this year. "Banks' reluctance to lend will limit the ability of some businesses to expand and hire," Bernanke said. "Because smaller businesses account for a significant portion of net employment gains during recoveries, limited credit could hinder job growth." Bernanke predicted that the unemployment rate will get worse before it gets better. "The best thing…
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Ben Silverman on The Huffington Post
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Ben Silverman's Electus To Take Over College Humor
5 Nov 2009 | 12:48 amIAC is considering throwing CollegeHumor, in addition to cash, into Ben Silverman's nascent branded-entertainment company, Electus. Read more: Ben Silverman, Electus College Humor, College Humor, Ben Silverman College Humor, Iac, Ben Silverman Electus, Electus, Media News -
Jordan Hoffner: YouTube Loses Head Of Content To IAC Venture
3 Nov 2009 | 2:11 amJordan Hoffner, the head of content partnerships for YouTube, is leaving the company, and joining Ben Silverman's new content venture at IAC (NSDQ: IACI), we have learned. The move from YouTube was announced internally today. Read more: Jordan Hoffner, YouTube Content Head, Ben Silverman IAC, Hoffner YouTube, Jordan Hoffner YouTube, Head of Content Youtube, Youtube, Google Brain Drain, YouTube Loses Head, Ben Silverman, Technology News -
Nina Tassler, CBS Executive, Mocks Ben Silverman With "D-Girl" Comment
3 Aug 2009 | 7:51 amPASADENA, Calif. — Ben Silverman is gone from NBC as entertainment chief but he's not forgotten by the industry. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler was asked by reporters Monday about the departure of Silverman, who declared in a 2007 Esquire magazine article that he was a rare network executive and those who hold the job elsewhere are merely "D-girls." Read more: Ben Silverman, Ben Silverman D-Girls, Nina Tassler, Media News -
Ben Silverman's Barry Diller Deal: $100 Million In Development Money: New York Post
28 Jul 2009 | 1:18 amOnly Ben Silverman could parlay a two-year hitless streak as NBC's chief programmer into a new gig that gives him total control and $100 million in development money. That's the amount of cash that Barry Diller's IAC plans to use to seed Silverman's unnamed new venture, according to two sources with knowledge of the funding plans Read more: Ben Silverman, Ben Silverman Barry Diller, Ben Silverman IAC, Barry Diller, Iac, Media News -
Ben Silverman Leaving NBC To Start Venture With IAC, Jeff Gaspin Taking Over
27 Jul 2009 | 2:23 amNEW YORK — Ben Silverman will be leaving his job as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Movie Studios to head a new venture with Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp focusing on producing and distributing multimedia content. NBC named Jeff Gaspin, president and chief operating officer of the company's cable entertainment group, to replace him. Gaspin also will keep his current duties as the new chairman of NBC Universal's television entertainment unit. Read more: Ben Silverman, Ben Silverman Barry Diller, Nbc, Jeff Gaspin NBC, Ben Silverman IAC, Ben Silverman NBC, Iac, Jeff…
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Bernard Madoff on The Huffington Post
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Steven Mesler: Imagining a Post-Bernie Madoff New York City
19 Nov 2009 | 8:14 amIt's not often we get to see video surveillance of a crime in progress, but that's one of the many fascinating things you'll find on the website of the Philoctetes Center for the Multidisciplinary Study of the Imagination. It's Bernie "the perp" Madoff during a round-table discussion titled "The Future of the Stock Market". He's there sitting among his peers, an employee, and in the house his clients built expounding on what a mensch he is. You see, according to Bernie, it isn't luck and it isn't pure mathematics, it's the blend of these things and his own cunning instincts for the perfect… -
Bernie Madoff Auction: Mets Jacket, Jewelry Sold To Benefit Victims (PHOTOS)
16 Nov 2009 | 3:50 amNEW YORK (Associated Press) -- It was about fascination with big money – and the life of a couple at the center of the biggest financial fraud case in U.S. history. Bernard and Ruth Madoff's belongings fetched several times their estimated values at auction Saturday for a total of about $1 million, twice as much as the auctioneers had hoped for. The fallen financier's blue satin New York Mets baseball jacket with his surname stitched on the back, valued at up to $720, sold for $14,500. The jacket carries its own special meaning: Team owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz were among the… -
Bernie Madoff's Yacht, Smaller Boats Up For Auction
16 Nov 2009 | 3:50 amFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A vintage 55-foot yacht named "Bull" and two smaller boats that once belonged to imprisoned financier Bernard Madoff are headed for the auction block, along with an even bigger yacht once owned by Madoff's right-hand man. Madoff's 1969 Rybovich sportfisher, a wooden boat meticulously restored, is the prize offering at Tuesday's private auction. As of Monday, 29 people had put up a $100,000 deposit for the opportunity to bid and more were expected to register, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Read more: Madoff Auction, Fort Lauderdale, Madoff Car, Bernard… -
Zsa Zsa Gabor Has $118,321 Tax Bill, Blames Madoff
14 Nov 2009 | 12:49 amLOS ANGELES — Zsa Zsa Gabor's lawyer blames convicted swindler Bernard Madoff for a hefty tax bill owed by his client. According to documents obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, the Internal Revenue Service filed a lien of more than $118,000 for the years 2001 and 2002 against the 92-year-old actress on Oct. 5 in the Los Angeles County Recorder of Deeds. Read more: Bernard Madoff, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Entertainment News -
Madoff's Items Auctioned: Jewelry, Clothes And Stationary Up For Grabs
9 Nov 2009 | 12:25 pmNEW YORK — Of all the items set to go on the auction block this week at a midtown Manhattan hotel, there's one that would take some mettle to wear in public: A satin New York Mets baseball jacket emblazoned with the name "Madoff." The jacket – valued at between $500 and $700 – is among hundreds of pieces of jewelry, clothing and other personal effects once owned by disgraced financier and vanquished Mets fan Bernard Madoff and his wife, Ruth. Read more: Madoff Personal Effects, Bernard Madoff, Madoff Items Auctioned, Madoff Effects Auction, u.s. Marshals Service, Madoff Valuables,…
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Bike Culture on The Huffington Post
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Dion Morgan, Biking Bank Robber, Captured Within A Mile Of The Crime Scene
17 Nov 2009 | 9:49 amA gun-wielding Dion Morgan allegedly held up Liberty Savings Bank in Lakewood, Colorado Tuesday morning. He then proceeded to hop on his bike for a not-so-speedy getaway. According to The Denver Post, the suspect was found shortly afterward: Lakewood police agents spotted Morgan on a bike at Florida Avenue and Carr Street and pulled him over. In his possession were both the gun and money. Channel 7 reports that Morgan was only on the "run" for about six minutes. He was taken to the Lakewood Police department where he was booked for investigation of armed robbery. Snowy Denver roads may have… -
What's Stopping Teenage Girls From Riding Bikes?
17 Nov 2009 | 3:13 amTeenage girls don't ride bikes [...] On average, boys cycle 138 miles a year and girls only 24 miles. Read more: Bicycling, Teenage Girls, Green Living, Biking, Teenagers, Bike Culture, Green News -
Top 10 Tips For Winter Bike Riding
20 Oct 2009 | 1:50 am1. Winterproof your bike To help your steed cope with gritted roads and grimy puddles, you need to prepare it for the horrors ahead. Clean it properly and then apply an all-weather lubricant to the chain and any other parts where metal meets metal. Don't go mad. The oil should not drip and must under no circumstances must it touch your brake pads or wheel rims. Read more: Bike Riding Tips, Bike Culture, Bicycling, Winter Bike Riding, Bike Tips, Green News -
David Sacher: Riding My Bike To Give Bikes To Others
16 Oct 2009 | 3:24 pmOn July 25th, I left for Prudhoe Bay on the north shore of Alaska to begin a solo bicycle journey 15,000 miles south along the Pan-American Highway to Tierra Del Fuego, the bottom of South America. I will travel through the vast Alaskan wilderness, into Canada and cross into the forests of northern Washington. From there I follow the coast down, all the way through the deserts of southern Baja, where I take a ferry to the mainland. I continue to follow the coast south through the rain forests of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Then comes South America:… -
Will E-Bikes Be The New 'Commuter Cool'?
16 Oct 2009 | 11:03 amElectric bikes are still somewhat of a novelty in the United States, but in China they're everywhere. In fact, Chinese electric bikes number more than 100 million -- which is about four times the number of Chinese private cars, according to Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports. The bikes are popular in Europe as well. Read more: Bike Culture, Electric Bikes, Bikes, Green Transportation, Commute, Commuting, E-Bikes, Green Living, Transportation, Green News
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Bill Clinton on The Huffington Post
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William Bradley: Mad Men : Three Seasons On and Looking Forward
21 Nov 2009 | 1:54 amMad Men's brilliant third season finale earlier this month is still echoing in the mind. And in the culture. January Jones was a game host of Saturday Night Live the following weekend. (Though she didn't make anyone forget Jon Hamm's great hosting gig last year. He is seriously funny.) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed that she's a fan of the show. And of course her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is a Mad Men fan as well. Which is simply too perfect for words. I could easily write a column comparing Bill Clinton and Don Draper. Avoiding the obvious cheap shots. Another… -
Bill Clinton Blasts Olbermann For Politicizing Health Care Event, Refuses To Go
20 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pmOn Friday, Bill Clinton decided not to attend a health care event organized by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann because Olbermann had "politicized" the event. He explained his decision to FireDogLake's Eve Gittelso, who ran into Clinton in a gift shop of the Clinton Library in Arkansas: "Clinton responded that Olbermann was politicizing the clinic, and that it wasn't helpful for Olbermann to do that. He said he did not feel he could show up now, because the event had turned political....Olbermann, who has invited his viewers to contribute to the National Association of Free Clinics in advance of… -
State Dinner Guest List: Bobby Jindal Will Attend; Bill Clinton Won't
20 Nov 2009 | 12:06 amWASHINGTON — It's the hottest ticket in town. Just don't ask the White House who got them. The White House is saying very little about next week's state dinner with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the first for President Barack Obama. Folks aren't talking about the menu, the guest list or even where it's being held. (Hint: That tent going up on the White House South Lawn is a clue.) Read more: White House State Dinner, Bobby Jindal State Dinner, State Dinner Guest List, Bill Clinton State Dinner, State Dinner, 2009 State Dinner Guest List, Bill Clinton, Guest List for First White… -
Brent Green: To End War in Afghanistan, Reinstate Military Draft?
19 Nov 2009 | 5:42 amOn December 1, 1969, a single number hung over my head like the Sword of Damocles. That innocuous written number had been tucked inside a blue plastic capsule, mixed with 365 other identical capsules, and then pulled randomly from a large glass jar. The number represented my birthday; it was the 71st capsule drawn. I will never forget the nation’s first military lottery since 1942 because I would henceforth be more vulnerable to being drafted if I lost tenuous grasp on a student deferment, classified as 2-S. Rampant rumors warned: the first 150 birthdays drawn that year would be needed… -
Les Leopold: Clinton's Cash for Caulkers? Not enough Economic Insulation
19 Nov 2009 | 2:18 amBill Clinton and John Doerr, the venture capitalist, are urging the Obama administration to use unspent TARP funds to stimulate jobs and reduce energy wastage by providing cash to homeowners and businesses for weatherization. It's being sold as a way to counteract our jobless recovery (make that our job-loss recovery). They claim that the two-year $23 billion program will pay for itself in the not-so-long haul because of the obvious energy savings. To be sure, using TARP money for something other than increasing Wall Street profits and bonuses would be a welcomed change. But it is…
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Bill Gates on The Huffington Post
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Microsoft Shareholders Grill Ballmer: Apple Ads Make Us Look 'Like Buffoons'
20 Nov 2009 | 12:10 amBallmer, on the other hand, had plenty to say -- particularly in response to shareholder questions about Macs, Windows, and the company's struggle to regain its footing in the market for mobile phones. Read more: Shareholder Meeting Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates, Microsoft Shareholders, Shareholders Steve Ballmer, Shareholders Ballmer, Shareholder Microsoft, Microsoft Shareholders CEO, Technology News -
Paul Allen Diagnosed With Cancer: Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
16 Nov 2009 | 12:22 pmSEATTLE — Microsoft Corp. co-founder and billionaire investor Paul Allen has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is undergoing chemotherapy. In a memo sent to employees, Jody Allen, Paul Allen's sister and the CEO of his investment firm Vulcan Inc., said the 56-year-old received the diagnosis early this month. According to the memo, Paul Allen has diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a relatively common form of lymphoma. Read more: Paul Allen Cancer, Allen Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Vulcan, Paul Allen, Microsoft, Bill Gates, Cancer, Technology, Business, Non Hodgkin S Lymphoma,… -
Don McNay: President Obama's Entrepreneurial Mindset
16 Nov 2009 | 6:07 amI can give you anything but time -Elvis Costello I'm sometimes critical of President Obama because it often seems to me that he doesn't understand people like me – an owner of a small business in a small town. I have not seen much evidence of Obama being in touch with small-town Kentucky, but after reading David Plouffe's new book, The Audacity to Win I have become convinced that he knows what it takes to run a business. I'm a devoted student of Dan Sullivan, the “Strategic Coach" for entrepreneurs. I went through Sullivan’s program in Toronto. -
Bill Gates: Steve Jobs Is 'Fantastic,' 'Saved The Company' (VIDEO)
13 Nov 2009 | 7:06 amDuring CNBC's TV special featuring Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, Microsoft's Gates had warm words for Apple CEO Steve Jobs. According to CNBC, a Columbia Executive Business School student asked this question: If you could just comment and tell us what your thoughts are on the job Steve Jobs has done as the CEO of Apple? (Audience laughs as Gates smiles.) Gates' response, CNBC reports: GATES: Well, he's done a fantastic job. Apple is in a bit of a different business where they make hardware and software together. But when Steve was coming back to Apple, which was actually through an… -
Bill Gates: Wall Street Pay Is "Often Too High"
12 Nov 2009 | 5:48 amBill Gates said on Wednesday he believes Wall Street pay is "often too high" and that U.S. government ownership of American International Group Inc worries him because it has devalued the giant insurer. Read more: Wall Street, Financial Bailout, Bill Gates, Wall Street Pay, Fiscal Policy, Wall-Street-Bonuses, Business News
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Bill Gates on The Huffington Post
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Microsoft Shareholders Grill Ballmer: Apple Ads Make Us Look 'Like Buffoons'
20 Nov 2009 | 12:10 amBallmer, on the other hand, had plenty to say -- particularly in response to shareholder questions about Macs, Windows, and the company's struggle to regain its footing in the market for mobile phones. Read more: Shareholder Meeting Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates, Microsoft Shareholders, Shareholders Steve Ballmer, Shareholders Ballmer, Shareholder Microsoft, Microsoft Shareholders CEO, Technology News -
Paul Allen Diagnosed With Cancer: Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
16 Nov 2009 | 12:22 pmSEATTLE — Microsoft Corp. co-founder and billionaire investor Paul Allen has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is undergoing chemotherapy. In a memo sent to employees, Jody Allen, Paul Allen's sister and the CEO of his investment firm Vulcan Inc., said the 56-year-old received the diagnosis early this month. According to the memo, Paul Allen has diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a relatively common form of lymphoma. Read more: Paul Allen Cancer, Allen Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Vulcan, Paul Allen, Microsoft, Bill Gates, Cancer, Technology, Business, Non Hodgkin S Lymphoma,… -
Don McNay: President Obama's Entrepreneurial Mindset
16 Nov 2009 | 6:07 amI can give you anything but time -Elvis Costello I'm sometimes critical of President Obama because it often seems to me that he doesn't understand people like me – an owner of a small business in a small town. I have not seen much evidence of Obama being in touch with small-town Kentucky, but after reading David Plouffe's new book, The Audacity to Win I have become convinced that he knows what it takes to run a business. I'm a devoted student of Dan Sullivan, the “Strategic Coach" for entrepreneurs. I went through Sullivan’s program in Toronto. -
Bill Gates: Steve Jobs Is 'Fantastic,' 'Saved The Company' (VIDEO)
13 Nov 2009 | 7:06 amDuring CNBC's TV special featuring Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, Microsoft's Gates had warm words for Apple CEO Steve Jobs. According to CNBC, a Columbia Executive Business School student asked this question: If you could just comment and tell us what your thoughts are on the job Steve Jobs has done as the CEO of Apple? (Audience laughs as Gates smiles.) Gates' response, CNBC reports: GATES: Well, he's done a fantastic job. Apple is in a bit of a different business where they make hardware and software together. But when Steve was coming back to Apple, which was actually through an… -
Bill Gates: Wall Street Pay Is "Often Too High"
12 Nov 2009 | 5:48 amBill Gates said on Wednesday he believes Wall Street pay is "often too high" and that U.S. government ownership of American International Group Inc worries him because it has devalued the giant insurer. Read more: Wall Street, Financial Bailout, Bill Gates, Wall Street Pay, Fiscal Policy, Wall-Street-Bonuses, Business News
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Bill Kristol on The Huffington Post
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Bob Cesca: Famous for Being Famous: The Sarah Palin Show Is On the Air
18 Nov 2009 | 9:58 amI'm not sure what I have more contempt for. Sarah Palin's pathological lying or the people who can say with a straight face that Sarah Palin is qualified for anything other than a reality show contestant or the the Edie McClurg role in a remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles. What's even more alarming is the constant reporting from the cable news people this week: Sarah Palin is famous! Wow! But no one is digging into exactly why she's famous. And that's the heart of the matter here. She's nothing more than an overrated celebudoof. She's the equivalent of an ex-reality show star that's… -
Rove, Cheney, Gingrich and Kristol Fail To Rally 9/11 Trial Foes
18 Nov 2009 | 4:29 amOn Monday, Karl Rove sent a tweet to his 92,000 followers: "Don't sit out: 9:30am 11/18 Dirksen Senate Bldg Rm G-50 to oppose Atty Gen's testimony on trying terrorists on U.S. soil." On Tuesday, Newt Gingrich dispatched a similar message to his 1.2 million Twitter devotees: "Join @keepamericasafe at 9:30am Wed at Dirksen Senate Bldg to protest Holder's testimony on bringing terrorists to US." Keep America Safe is Elizabeth Cheney's new hawkish group--neocon godfather Bill Kristol is one of its three board members--and on Tuesday it tweeted followers: Read more: Keep America Safe, Liz Cheney,… -
Lesley Stern: How to Live on $0 a Day: Assuaging Rage, One Prick at a Time
12 Nov 2009 | 2:53 amIf you've lived your life believing that hard work, ethics, observing the golden rule and fiscal responsibility will be rewarded, you're probably a little ticked off right now. Okay, you're probably roiling with rage (especially if you stopped taking your anti-depressants because your insurance company canceled you for being depressed). A lot of that anger comes from a sense of betrayal and helplessness at seeing people who broke every law of decency living high on the hog while the rest of us are hard pressed to afford a swine flu shot (if we could find one). The logical recourse is to seek… -
Frank Rich On Scozzafava Fallout: The GOP Stalinists Invade Upstate New York
31 Oct 2009 | 12:47 pmBarack Obama's most devilish political move since the 2008 campaign was to appoint a Republican congressman from upstate New York as secretary of the Army. This week's election to fill that vacant seat has set off nothing less than a riotous and bloody national G.O.P. civil war. Read more: Fred Thompson, Hoffman, Democrat, New York, John Boehner, Scozzafava, Fort Drum, Bill Kristol, Doug Hoffman, William Kristol, Republican Party, Democratic Party, Dede Scozzafava, Steve Forbes, Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, Rick Santourum, Michelebachmann, Republican, Tim Pawlenty, Gop, Dick Armey, Deirdre,… -
Naomi Wolf: "Friending" Binyam Mohamed
29 Oct 2009 | 9:52 amFor four years now, I have been following the fates of the hundreds of men who have been -- and the 200 plus men who still are -- being held at Guantánamo Bay, and, the record is now clear, most of whom have been tortured. But until this week I had never actually heard such a single man's actual voice. When I went to the prison in June of this year, we journalists were brought to view the prisoners from afar -- exactly as if they were dangerous animals in a cage. They called to us, anguishedly, in a voice that still haunts me. "Can I talk to them?" I asked. Many of them speak English. No;…
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Bill Maher on The Huffington Post
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Jonathan Tisch: Funny Business
10 Nov 2009 | 4:38 amNew York City can be a funny place. Last week the city was hilarious thanks to the sixth annual New York Comedy Festival, a week-long celebration of stand-up comedy founded by Caroline Hirsh and Andrew Fox. Some of the biggest names in the business like Steven Colbert, Dane Cook, Ricky Gervais, Bill Maher, Tracy Morgan, Andy Samberg, and many others, headlined at venues around the city from Avery Fisher Hall to Madison Square Garden. Even lesser known comedians were in on the joke. Thursday night at Caroline's Comedy Club, owned by Caroline Hirsch and known as America's premier comedy… -
RJ Eskow: Base to Obama: Come In, Please
3 Nov 2009 | 11:28 amAs Year One of the Obama Era draws to a close, the recent Arianna Huffington/David Plouffe exchange illustrates a structural defect in the coalition Obama's seeking to build. And make no mistake: Some might call it The Year of Living Non-Dangerously, but it looks more like a deliberate strategy. It's not waffling or weakness: Barack Obama wants to become the Tony Blair of American politics. The President seems to be deliberately moving his party rightward in order to capture the political spectrum from center/right to left, freezing out the Republican Party. It worked for Blair, but will it… -
Bill Maher: Is This as Good as It Gets From Obama?
2 Nov 2009 | 2:11 pmYeah, I'm disappointed, too. I thought we were sweeping into power; I thought change meant Change. I believed all that talk about another First 100 Days, a la Roosevelt. Well, that didn't happen. The question is, is this as good as it gets from Obama, or is he pacing himself? He may have a four and eight-year plan and they included a first year of just gettin' to know you and not gonna rock the boat too much. Well, Mission Accomplished on that. It's still too early to lose hope in a guy as smart and talented as Barack Obama. But I would counsel him to remember: If you're going undercover to… -
GOP, Democratic Senators Agree: Get Swine Flu Vaccination
18 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pmRight-wing pundits like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have recently spoken out against government direction on the H1N1 vaccine, saying that individuals should make up their own minds whether to get vaccinated or not. Some left-wing pundits, such as Bill Maher, have made similar statements. In the Senate, the topic has accomplished the rare feat of uniting Democrats and Republicans -- members of both parties are promoting vaccinations regardless of the rhetoric. Read more: Conspiracy Theory, Sebelius, Kathleen Sebelius, Swine Flu Vaccine, Swine Flu, Conspiracy, Obama, Rush Limbaugh, House,… -
Harold Pollack: Get your flu shots -- and ignore Bill Maher
17 Oct 2009 | 10:08 amI just want to endorse Linda Bergthold's recent HuffPo column about Bill Maher. Maher is a funny guy who often displays a sharp intellect. On matters of public health, however, my view of him parallels President Obama's opinion of Kanye West. As Bergthold notes, there is a lot of good evidence out there indicating that seasonal flu and H1N1 immunization are safe and valuable to protect the public health. There is also a lot of misinformation out there from misguided celebrities among others. Dubious claims sometimes even find their way onto Huffington Post. You should enjoy these web pages…
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Bill Oreilly on The Huffington Post
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David Vines: If It Were Me, I'd Be Embarrassed
21 Nov 2009 | 5:50 amIt's nice to see that even after the election, conservatives are still playing the "liberal gotcha media" card every time they expose themselves as being shamefully ignorant regarding the issues they care about most. Last Wednesday, a media firestorm erupted after a seventeen-year-old girl named Jackie was interviewed by MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell while standing in line during Sarah Palin's Michigan book signing. Jackie, wearing a shirt that read, "The US government handed out $700 billion in Wall Street bailouts and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," was caught off-guard when O'Donnell informed… -
"Hannity" Ratings HUGE On Sarah Palin Interview, Beats O'Reilly
20 Nov 2009 | 1:40 amNow Bill O'Reilly might really be mad. After O'Reilly reportedly threw a "hissyfit" because Sean Hannity's interview with Sarah Palin would air before his, the ratings show Wednesday's "Hannity" was a huge hit and even beat "The O'Reilly Factor." "Hannity" was the top show on cable news Wednesday, averaging 4.200 million total viewers and 1.149 million viewers in the A25-54 demographic. That's more than O'Reilly's 3.868 million total viewers/1.065 million A25-54 viewers and enough for the second highest "Hannity" episode of 2009 (behind only Election Night 2009, when he averaged 4.224 million… -
J. Richard Cohen: To Bill O'Reilly: You Lose Dobbs Bet
18 Nov 2009 | 4:39 amTo: Bill O'Reilly The O'Reilly Factor Fox News Network Dear Bill, You lost the bet. Time to pay up! When I appeared on your show in July, you were so certain that the Southern Poverty Law Center's call for CNN to fire Lou Dobbs was a waste of time that you bet $10,000 (with the proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity) that it wouldn't happen. "CNN's never going to fire him -- you know that," you said. I told you that I disagreed, because I wasn't as cynical as you. I believed that if enough people spoke out -- and they did -- that CNN would do the right thing. I expect you will argue that Lou… -
Bill O'Reilly Had "Hissyfit" Over Sean Hannity's Sarah Palin Interview: The Wrap
18 Nov 2009 | 4:37 amThe Wrap's Dylan Stableford reports that Sarah Palin has caused tension inside the halls of Fox News — namely, between its two biggest primetime stars, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. Both hosts landed interviews with Palin, and both filmed their interviews Tuesday. But Hannity's is set to air Wednesday, while O'Reilly's will air in three parts: Thursday, Friday, and Monday nights. Stableford quotes a Fox News insider as saying O'Reilly had a "hissyfit" over the fact that Hannity's interview with Palin would air first, so he released the following teaser of his Palin interview on his… -
Olbermann Names O'Reilly "Worst Person" TWICE! (VIDEO)
18 Nov 2009 | 1:38 amBill O'Reilly achieved the distinction of being named not just Keith Olbermann's worst person in the world Tuesday night, but also his second-worst. The Fox News host took both the silver and the gold in Olbermann's "Countdown" segment Tuesday. First, Olbermann slammed "Bill-O The Clown," giving him the "Worse" badge over his recent legal debate with Judge Andrew Napolitano, in which O'Reilly said, "I don't care about the constitution" and called Napolitano a "pinhead" when he invoked it. Next, Olbermann knocked "Bill-O The Fraud," giving him the "Worst" crown over comments so irrational even…
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Bill Richardson on The Huffington Post
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Cindy Padilla, New Mexico Cabinet Official, Resigns After DWI Arrest
6 Nov 2009 | 12:34 pmSANTA FE, N.M. — A top official in Gov. Bill Richardson's cabinet has resigned over a drunken driving arrest just days after she was appointed to a spot in President Barack Obama's administration. Secretary of Aging and Long-Term Services Cindy Padilla submitted her resignation on Oct. 26. The governor's chief of staff requested the resignation because the administration has a zero tolerance policy for drunken driving, according to a Richardson spokeswoman. Read more: New Mexico Official, Bill Richardson, Cindy Padilla Resigns, Bill Richardson Governor, Cindy Padilla, Politics News -
Dave Maass: Former New Mexico Governor, Toney Anaya, Talks Death Penalty Politics
25 Sep 2009 | 10:56 amNew Mexico repealed the death penalty during the 2009 Legislative session, but since the lawmaking body is prohibited from enacting retroactive laws the two men currently on death row are still eligible for execution. Gov. Bill Richardson has said he would not commute the sentences of the remaining two individuals and last week the New Mexico Supreme Court declined to rule on whether it should finish what the Legislature began. In this week's Santa Fe Reporter I write about how the death penalty debate could effect the 2010 governor's race, since this decision may be up to Richardson's… -
John R. Bohrer: The GOP Is Too Crazy To Be Racist
16 Sep 2009 | 7:28 amNot to go all Maureen Dowd on you, but today's Republican Party is a lot like the line from that old Brando movie, The Wild One. Somebody asks Brando, "What're you rebelling against, Johnny?" And he says, "Whaddya got?" With all due respect to former President Carter, he is wrong when he says that "an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man... that he's African American." Perhaps someone who grew up in the rural South as Carter did is more likely to see race as the basis for the Republicans'… -
Source: Bill Richardson To Be Cleared In Fed Pay-To-Play Probe
27 Aug 2009 | 1:38 amSANTA FE, N.M. — A dark cloud over Gov. Bill Richardson's political future has lifted after the federal government's decision against indictments in a pay-to-play investigation that prompted the governor to withdraw his nomination as U.S. commerce secretary earlier this year. Political analysts said the yearlong probe's end could even revive Richardson's chances of finding a place in President Barack Obama's administration in the future. The governor's second term expires at the end of 2010 and he can't seek re-election. Read more: Richardson Donor, Richardson and Federal Investigation,… -
North Korea Diplomats To Meet With Gov. Bill Richardson
18 Aug 2009 | 5:59 pmWASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that information her husband brought back from North Korea has been "extremely helpful" by providing a window into what's happening in the reclusive country. But it didn't change the Obama administration's position on North Korea, which is under pressure from the U.S. and its allies to end its nuclear weapons program. Read more: Bill Clinton, North Korea, Gov. Bill Richardson, Bill Richardson, New Mexico, United States Diplomacy, World News
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Billionaires on The Huffington Post
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Martha Stewart On Rachael Ray: "Not Good Enough For Me" (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 4:38 amMartha Stewart told Cynthia McFadden that while Rachael Ray may be popular, her style is "not good enough" for the domestic diva. "She professed that she cannot bake," Stewart told "Nightline" co-anchor Cynthia McFadden. "She just did a new cookbook which is just a re-edit of a lot of her old recipes. And that's not good enough for me. I mean, I really want to write a book that is a unique and lasting thing. Something that will really fulfill a need in someone's library." Stewart's candid comments were not as much an insult to Ray as it was a clarification of the differences between their… -
Number Of Indian Billionaires Doubles Despite Recession, Poverty
19 Nov 2009 | 4:26 amIn India, the rich just got richer. Despite one of the worst global recessions in history, the number of billionaires in the subcontinent has almost doubled since last year. Read more: India Billionaires, India, India Poverty, Mukesh Ambani, Lakshmi Mittal, Billionaires, World News -
Les Leopold: Please Welcome Peter W. Galbraith and Andrew J. Hall to the Billionaire Bailout Society
13 Nov 2009 | 2:54 amPeter Galbraith wanted to do well by doing good. He passed himself off as a diplomat who was helping the Kurds to write their constitution and to develop their oil fields. But winning a peace prize was not on Peter's mind. He wanted to secure his place in the Billionaire Bailout Society. So, reportedly, he got himself a $100 million piece (or more) of a Kurdish oil field as he was doing his good deeds. (See New York Times. We're lucky he wasn't negotiating a peace treaty in Jerusalem or he might have sold the Dome of the Rock to the settlers.) But really, he was only doing what every other… -
A-List Celebs Line Up For Concert For Autism
12 Nov 2009 | 4:15 amWhat do Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump have in common? They, along with a bunch of other A-List celebrities are making appearances at the Autism Speaks Concert For Autism on November 17 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This year's star-studded event will feature comedian Jerry Seinfeld, with a special appearance by "The Boss", Bruce Springsteen. The evening will be hosted by NBC's Meet the Press moderator, David Gregory, on November 17, at world famous landmark Carnegie Hall. Your participation in this global cause will benefit the families and individuals who live with… -
Charlotte Safavi: Met Home Gets the Hatchet
11 Nov 2009 | 8:03 amIt feels like déjà vu. Metropolitan Home is the latest decorating magazine to go under the guillotine. Only yesterday Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. announced the closure of the magazine fondly known as Met Home to the urban, sophisticated home decor cognoscenti. December 2009 will be the last issue of a surprisingly stable publication that has been under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Donna Warner for 17 years. Metropolitan Home was not the first shelter magazine closure for the parent company. Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. shuttered Home magazine in 2008, and is in the throes of an…
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Blackwater on The Huffington Post
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Iraqis Probe Blackwater After PAYOFF Charges
12 Nov 2009 | 2:46 amA senior Iraqi official said Wednesday that he had ordered an investigation into whether top officials of Blackwater Worldwide approved of bribes to Iraqi government officials after shootings by Blackwater guards in 2007 left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. In an interview with CNN, Iraq's interior minister, Jawad al-Bolani, said that his ministry was beginning an investigation that was prompted by a report in The New York Times on Tuesday that top Blackwater officials approved cash payments intended to silence criticism and win support for the company after the shootings in Nisour Square in… -
Jon Soltz: Paying Peter to Kill Paul
12 Nov 2009 | 12:23 amWhen we began our careers in military service, conflicts were often presented to us in black and white terms. There were good guys and bad guys, clear battle lines and we always knew which side we were on, as well as the side of the enemy. However, our experiences on active duty and in the reserves, as well as overseas deployments has taught us that this is regularly not the case. There are myriad complex relationships that transcend roles of good and bad guys. Private security contractors are among the most complex relationships we have in overseas contingency operations. Since the beginning… -
Blackwater Still In Business: State Department Fumbles Effort To Oust Them From Iraq
6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amYour tax dollars at work: as part of their effort to stop doing business in Iraq with companies affiliated with the controversial paramilitary contractor formerly known as Blackwater, the State Department earlier this year hired a rival contractor to fly civilian U.S. personnel around the war-torn country by helicopter. But officials subsequently learned that helicopters the replacement contractor, Dyncorp International, was planning to use for this service didn't meet government safety standards. So as a result, the Department was forced to extend for several months its air-transport… -
Kerry Candaele: R.I.P. Shane Ratliff, Halliburton Whistleblower
29 Oct 2009 | 8:25 amShane Ratliff died on Monday. I met him in Ruby, South Carolina during the filming of Robert Greenwald's film Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers. Shane was one of the many people we interviewed for a documentary about how the likes of Halliburton/KBR, CACI, Blackwater, and other corporations stuck their snouts into the deep trough of the wasted and unaccounted-for-cash that now defines how the Iraq war quickly morphed from "mission accomplished" to fiasco, imperial hubris, and descent into chaos. But Shane was a favorite of ours, a man with a off-beat sense of humor and a wry southern and,… -
Judge Shuts Public Access To Blackwater Hearings
14 Oct 2009 | 9:33 amWASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday shut down public access to pretrial hearings in the prosecution of five Blackwater security guards for allegedly killing Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. The hearings will delve into whether government investigators were tainted by statements the guards gave shortly after the shootings on Sept. 16, 2007, that killed 14 unarmed civilians. Read more: Blackwater Trial, Blackwater Guards, Baghdad-Iraq, Iraq, Blackwater, Politics News
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Bobby Jindal on The Huffington Post
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Judge: Hurricane Katrina Flooding Was Caused By Army Corps Of Engineers' Negligence
18 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pmNEW ORLEANS — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina, a decision that could make the federal government vulnerable to billions of dollars in claims. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sided with six residents and one business who argued the Army Corps' shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish. He said, however, the corps couldn't be held liable for the flooding of… -
Josh Nelson: Will the GOP Nominate a Climate Change Denier in 2012?
18 Nov 2009 | 6:55 amIn the early stages of the race for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012, eight names are mentioned most frequently: Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal and Dick Cheney. Of these eight early contenders, five outright deny or question climate science, while the remaining three are opposed to all meaningful action. If Gingrich, Jindal or Barbour wish to claim they are not opposed to all meaningful action, they'll have to present plans that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the extent scientists say is necessary, which… -
Bobby Jindal "Crippled" Louisiana Ethics System: Lawyer
3 Nov 2009 | 1:42 amLouisiana's ethics system has been "crippled" as a result of legal changes made during Gov. Bobby Jindal's 2008 special session on ethics, the chairman of the Louisiana Board of Ethics said Monday. "This is a convoluted and crippled ethics system we have today," Ethics Board chairman Frank Simoneaux said. "It does not make sense. It does not work well." Read more: Bobby Jindal, Frank Simoneaux Ethics, Louisiana Board of Ethics, Louisiana Gop, Bobby Jindal Republicans, Bobby Jindal Gop, Bobby Jindal Louisiana Ethics, Gop, Frank Simoneaux, Frank Simoneaux Bobby Jindal, Bobby Jindal Ethics,… -
Julie Farby: 2012 GOP Candidates as Diverse And Exciting as Their Ideas
27 Oct 2009 | 8:26 amIn the vast wasteland that is the 2012 GOP presidential landscape, fresh-faced stars join seasoned statesman to create a powerful right-wing juggernaut designed to bring down NObama and the rest of those God-awful Democrats ruining America.Now normally this would sound like a delightful plan to reinvigorate a hurting Grand Old Party and restore America's faith in the conservative movement by reclaiming their rightful place on vacation on a ranch in Texas in the White House.Of course, this would require that the candidates are people who voters actually think are competent enough to babysit… -
Miles Mogulescu: A Call For a Bipartisan National Campaign to Overturn Insurance Companies' Exemption From Anti-Trust Laws
16 Oct 2009 | 7:15 amWhatever their differences on comprehensive health care reform or regulation of Wall Street, here's something that progressives, liberals, centrists, and even free-market conservatives and some tea-baggers should be able to agree on: The insurance industry should not be virtually the only business in America -- other than professional baseball -- to be exempt from federal anti-trust laws that prohibit monopolies, price-fixing, market manipulation and other anti-competitive practices which are anathema to a free market. I'm hereby urging the formation of broadest possible national coalition of…
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Brad Pitt on The Huffington Post
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Kim Morgan: Fight Club Ten Years Later
19 Nov 2009 | 10:43 amIf any picture was the movie to usher in the new millennium, it was David Fincher's Fight Club. To me, it was the movie of the 1990s -- as prescient as Network was in the 1970s towards the future of "news," and as equally misunderstood. As Fight Club revealed and essentially, proselytized, we live in a world where we seek to express ourselves, either through conspicuous consumption, or following philosophies for supposed betterment, or to simply remember what it was like to actually feel like a man after the world has feminized us so (something as a woman I find… -
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Design Snake-Themed Jewelry
15 Nov 2009 | 11:44 pmThe series started out as something for children -- 16-month-old Vivienne has already been photographed wearing bangles with the snake motifs-- but has developed into the limited edition "Protector Collection" of high end jewelry and other luxuries, which does still include children's items like a tooth box and silver egg cup. Read more: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie Jewelry Line, Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Asprey, Entertainment News -
Brad & Angelina Together At MOCA Gala (PHOTOS)
15 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pmThey are on the cover of four tabloids this week (Us, Star, OK! and Life & Style) for supposed relationship turmoil, but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie appeared very together Saturday night when they attended the Museum of Contemporary Art's 30th anniversary gala together, held at MOCA in Los Angeles. The pair got a private, early look at the exhibition while there, as seen below. Various magazines have Jolie down under 100 lbs, fighting with Pitt incessantly, adopting a child without Pitt, and spreading rumors about Jennifer Aniston. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! -
Quentin Tarantino Does Kung-Fu In Japanese Commercial (VIDEO)
13 Nov 2009 | 3:36 amQuentin Tarantino will appear in an upcoming Softbank commercial, the company announced this week. The Japanese telecommunications giant, whose past spots have included quirky advertisements starring American actors Brad Pitt and Dante Carter, released a clip of Tarantino rehearsing for the spot. Tarantino, wearing a Japanese kimono, was shown playing the character of "Uncle Tara-chan" in the company's "White family" serial. One of his costars in the commercial, Aya Ueto, a Japanese pop star and actor, said Tarantino "was very energetic and did a lot of adlibbing." WATCH: Get HuffPost… -
Dr. Alex Benzer: 9 Reasons Why Dating Actors is a Bad Idea
12 Nov 2009 | 5:13 amOne of the most common romantic fantasies that men and women in this country tend to have is to date an actor. The men all want an Angelina Jolie, and all the women want a Brad Pitt. And why not (besides the mildly inconvenient fact of those two being married to each other)? Actors are famous, influential, loved by all, make oodles of money and look good on your arm. And your friends will be mightily impressed. Right? Now I’ve been living in Los Angeles for some years, and for better or for worse have gone out with enough actresses to know what it’s really…
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Brazil on The Huffington Post
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Judy Platt: Congress: Protect American Writers and Publishers from Being Sued Overseas
18 Nov 2009 | 2:48 amPicture this scenario: you're an American author who's written a well-researched, well-documented book on a topic of broad public interest. Your book's been published in the United States for an American audience. Someone who's mentioned in the book doesn't like what you've written and sues you for libel, but he doesn't sue you here, where the book has been published. He doesn't sue you where you live or where he lives. He sues in England, where the courts have been more than willing to allow foreigners to sue other foreigners over matters that don't involve English interests, and where he… -
James Boyce: What's Up With the Rainforest: Stopping Rainforest Destruction Can Cut World Emissions By 17%
17 Nov 2009 | 5:33 amAround the world rainforests are hurting. The deforestation of vast tracts of these precious lands does more than just ruin local ecosystems. The health and vitality of rainforests help maintain life for everything on the planet. Reason enough for all of us to contribute to ending their destruction and encouraging their growth. This is why, working with The Rainforest Alliance, we helped create The Rainforest and The Rainforest NewsLadder. Every couple of weeks I will check in to see what's buzzing in The Rainforest providing you with the latest news and media surrounding this priority issue. -
Leo W. Gerard: Business Council Honors Vale CEO for Clipping Workers, Wacking Towns
16 Nov 2009 | 7:09 amA business group is honoring Roger Agnelli, the CEO of Vale, one of the largest mining companies in the world, which, coincidentally, is in the midst of its longest ever labor dispute. The award is for exceptional accomplishments in corporate social responsibility. The Business Council for International Understanding will give Agnelli the Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Citizenship Award, feting him for his corporate behavior five months after he provoked the strike by more than 3,000 miners, mill workers and smelters in my hometown of Sudbury and neighboring Port Colborne, Canada. The strikers… -
Chris McGowan: Brazil's Big Blackout of 2009
11 Nov 2009 | 9:17 amBrazil's Big Blackout of 2009 hit us a little after 10pm last night in Rio de Janeiro. I was online, talking on Skype with my friend Barry in Florida, when the power went off and on, off and on, and then out completely. Our home was plunged into darkness, as was our street, our block, the city, the state, indeed all of Rio and São Paulo, much of eighteen states in Brazil, and Paraguay. An estimated sixty million people were without power for three hours or more. A friend of mine who lives in the northern suburbs reported that his house was without electricity for six hours. We lit some… -
Brazil Looks For Answers After Huge Blackout
11 Nov 2009 | 5:42 amRIO DE JANEIRO — Heavy rain, lightning and strong winds caused blackouts that left nearly a third of Brazilians – 60 million people – in the dark, officials said Wednesday as they scrambled to restore confidence in the country's infrastructure before soccer's 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The weather made transformers on a vital high-voltage transmission line short-circuit, Brazil's energy minister said. Two other transmission lines also went down as part of an automatic safety mechanism. Read more: Olympics, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics, Rio…
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Brian Williams on The Huffington Post
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Brian Williams Accepts Cronkite Award, Says Cronkite Wouldn't "Have Cracked Through" In Today's Media Landscape
18 Nov 2009 | 9:53 amPHOENIX — NBC newsman Brian Williams said Wednesday he's not sure if Walter Cronkite would have succeeded in the age of cable news, blogs and Twitter. "I am convinced that had he come along today, I don't think he would have cracked through. I think there's too much noise, too much to cut through for a modest man from Missouri," Williams told an audience in Phoenix. "But God and history combined to give him to us right when we needed him." Read more: Brian Williams Cronkite Award, Cronkite Award, Brian Williams, Walter Cronkite, Media News -
Jim Luce: NBC's Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better
13 Nov 2009 | 8:39 amSeveral weeks ago Brian Williams profiled the children of the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO) and its founder Andeisha Farid in Kabul, Afghanistan for NBC Nightly News’ segment Making a Difference (video Brian is anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News based in New York. Last week, his show, including the segment Making a Difference, had 9.5 million viewers. The show spikes up to 11 million viewers frequently. I had interviewed the orphanage’s founder Andeisha of Kabul in New York in September and have followed her progress… -
Alicia Keys Works With Keep A Child Alive, Featured on "Making A Difference"
10 Nov 2009 | 9:02 amAlicia Keys was featured on "NBC Nightly News" tonight as part of their "Making A Difference" series. Though the series typically focuses on ordinary people doing extraordinary things, this week's segments feature celebrities and how they're giving back. Lester Holt talked with Alicia Keys about her work with Keep A Child Alive, providing drugs and aid to people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Holt also traveled to South Africa with Keys to meet some of the children she's helped in an orphanage. WATCH: Get HuffPost Impact On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: HIV/AIDS, South Africa, HIV/AIDS… -
Jon Bon Jovi On NBC Nightly News: Making A Difference Through Foundation
9 Nov 2009 | 11:42 amAs previously mentioned on Impact, NBC Nightly News is devoting a week of "Make A Difference" segments to profiling celebrities and their charitable efforts. Monday's segment is on Jon Bon Jovi and the millions of dollars he's used to help impoverished families in Philadelphia and New Jersey as part of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. The foundation places low income and special needs families into apartments in Newark on a temporary basis until they can find jobs. It's often the first time that many of the beneficiaries have had a home of their own. Bon Jovi encourages people who've… -
NBC Nightly News "Making A Difference" Week Profiles Celebrity Causes
9 Nov 2009 | 5:02 amAll this week, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will be featuring celebrities who "make a difference" in local communities and around the world. Featuring Jon Bon Jovi, Alicia Keys, Halle Berry, Tim McGraw and Glenn Close, the "Make A Difference" series will profile several organizations working for several causes, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS and mental illness. Typically, the series features what the show considers "ordinary people doing extraordinary things." This week is special, in that a different segment in the "Make A Difference" series will be broadcast each night, featuring…
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Britney Spears on The Huffington Post
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Britney Spears' Ex Sentenced To Jail
21 Nov 2009 | 12:31 amLOS ANGELES — Britney Spears' ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib is being sent to jail for 45 days for leaving the scene of an accident. Los Angeles District Attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison says Ghalib was taken into custody immediately after being sentenced Friday. Read more: Adnan Ghalib, Adnan Ghalib Jail, Britney Spears, Entertainment News -
Qanta Ahmed, MD: From Wall Street to Neverland: The Year America Didn't Sleep
16 Nov 2009 | 3:11 amAmerica didn’t just lose money in the Crash -- America lost a lot of sleep. The annual Sleep in America Poll published by the National Sleep Foundation focused on Health and Safety this year. The report is available on line for anyone to download. It makes for compelling reading. From Wall Street to Neverland, Americans have been sleepless. The starkest example of the struggle with insomnia came earlier this year on June 25th, when Michael Jackson’s quest for sleep resulted in death. In these columns we have discussed some of the painful lessons derived of those Propofol… -
Britney Twitter HACKED With 'Satan' Posts (PHOTOS)
12 Nov 2009 | 1:52 am*See photos below* Britney Spears' Twitter account appears to have been hacked by hijackers looking to create mayhem for the pop star. The hackers changed the background on Britney's Twitter account, and switched her profile picture to a more Satanic, red-hued image. (See screenshots below). The hackers also Tweeted two messages from her account, which since appear to have been deleted: I give myself to Lucifer every day for it to arrive as quickly as possible. Glory to Satan! i hope that the new world order will arrive as soon as possible! -Britney See screenshots of the two Tweets below:… -
Michelle Madhok: Learn From Braless Starlets' Missteps - These Bras Could Have Saved Them
11 Nov 2009 | 8:29 amSeeing a braless celebrity is a little like spotting a shooting star -- it happens more often than you'd think. From Kate Moss to Britney, the minor epidemic spans across celebs of all ages. Luckily, there are lessons in all this. Below, some of our favorite (unfortunately braless) starlets and the best bras they can opt for to save themselves from ending up on our list again. See the full slide show on SheFinds. We're not sure why Kate Moss left her camisole at home; those boxes don't hide much. NuBra's Feather Light Adhesive Bra would have provided Kate with nip-slip insurance and a bit of… -
Fans Storm Out Of Britney Spears Lip-Syncing Concert
9 Nov 2009 | 12:32 amOn Friday, about 100 angry fans reportedly stormed out of Britney's concert at the Burswood Dome in the Western Australia city of Perth, saying they were disappointed by the lackluster performance and Spears's lip-synching during her two-hour show. Spears gave Perth fans a generic welcome, never mentioning their city by name. "What's up Australia?," she said from the stage. "How you feeling tonight? It's so good to be here tonight. Your country is beautiful." Read more: Britney Spears, Music, Britney Spears Lip Synching, Entertainment News
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Burma on The Huffington Post
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Obama tells Myanmar junta to free Suu Kyi
14 Nov 2009 | 5:59 pmSINGAPORE — President Barack Obama on Sunday told Myanmar's junta to free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during an unusual face-to-face interaction with a top leader of the ruling military. Obama delivered the strong message during his summit with leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations, which included Myanmar Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein. Read more: Burma, Typhoon, Obama, Democracy, Myanmar Democracy, General Election, Suu Kyi Release, Association of Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Asia Visit, Myanmar Elections, Asean, Junta, Communism, Military Junta, Barack Obama, Southeast Asia, Suu… -
Obama speech on Asia well-received in region
13 Nov 2009 | 11:15 pmUS President Barack Obama's first big speech on Asia had a little something for just about everyone. He was tough on North Korea and Myanmar, but offered a way back to the fold. He was big on Japan and on China, whose rise, he said, should be welcomed, not feared. Read more: Japan, North Korea, Myanmar, China, Home News -
Allison Kilkenny: War On Drugs Doesn't Go Well, CIA Bugs DEA Agent's Coffee Table
11 Nov 2009 | 4:30 amThe settlement of a 15-year-old lawsuit has resulted in the U.S. agreeing to pay $3 million to a former government worker who accused officials with the CIA and State Department of spying on him with a "bugged coffee table." Richard Horn, a former special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, alleged that Franklin Huddle, Jr, the former State Department's mission chief at the U.S. embassy in Burma, and Arthur Brown, who worked for the CIA at the time in Burma, planted listening devices in his home while he was stationed in Burma (now known as Myanmar). Threat Level reporter, Kim… -
Christopher Herbert and Victoria Kataoka Rebuffet: Weekly Foreign Affairs Roundup
6 Nov 2009 | 8:11 amThis Week's Top Stories in Foreign Affairs: Like Him or Not, Karzai's the Man in Afghanistan SI Analysis: After opposition candidate Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from the election in protest that voting officials suspected of fraud during the first round would not be replaced, Hamid Karzai was officially attributed another term as President of Afghanistan. The decision to give the victory to Karzai without a runoff election was fraught with debate where some said that his tenure would be legally and effectively illegitimate to those that his victory was certain either way and it was better to… -
Burma Takes On Wa Rebels In North, Both Sides Brace For Conflict
5 Nov 2009 | 10:11 amMONG HPEN, Myanmar Conquering armies of centuries past avoided this remote, mountainous area along the present-day border with China, a place once described by a British colonial official as "an unpenetrated enclave of savage hills." Read more: Burma Wa, Burmese Junta, Burma Drugs, Myanmar, Burma, Myanmar Wa, Golden Triangle, Foreign Affairs, Wa, Burmese Rebels, World News
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Canada on The Huffington Post
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Sarah Holewinski: Bad Math in Afghanistan: Deaths vs. Compensation
21 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amNobody's manning the calculator at NATO. This year is on track to be the deadliest for Afghan civilians since the war began in 2001. Yet Oxfam just reported that of the 700 Afghans they interviewed just 1% received any compensation or apology for the harm done to them. War never delivers clean numbers. But no matter how you look at these, something doesn't add up. International forces acknowledge that civilians are key to their mission but still haven't figured out a coordinated way to help Afghan war victims. Just months ago, General McChrystal specifically endorsed a collective policy of… -
Leo W. Gerard: Business Council Honors Vale CEO for Clipping Workers, Wacking Towns
16 Nov 2009 | 7:09 amA business group is honoring Roger Agnelli, the CEO of Vale, one of the largest mining companies in the world, which, coincidentally, is in the midst of its longest ever labor dispute. The award is for exceptional accomplishments in corporate social responsibility. The Business Council for International Understanding will give Agnelli the Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Citizenship Award, feting him for his corporate behavior five months after he provoked the strike by more than 3,000 miners, mill workers and smelters in my hometown of Sudbury and neighboring Port Colborne, Canada. The strikers… -
"Thatcher Dead" Text Sparks Fears - Despite Referring To A Cat
13 Nov 2009 | 2:15 amA misconstrued text message announcing the passing of a beloved pet has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity in Canada. Read more: Margaret Thatcher, Stephen Harper, England, Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada, Thatcher, World News -
Paul Nicklen's Polar Obsession Photos
11 Nov 2009 | 11:55 pmRenowned National Geographic extreme photojournalist Paul Nicklen has released a new book titled Polar Obsession, which chronicles his expedition underwater and across the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. From documenting the lives of polar animals to majestic landscapes, Nicklen hopes to inspire people to protect these vulnerable regions and its inhabitants. Check out these photos from Polar Obsession and vote for your favorite! Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Photography, Leopard Seal, Slidepoll, Antarctica, National Geographic, Penguin, Polar Bear, Animals,… -
Robert Amsterdam: Obama's Human Rights Opportunity in Singapore
10 Nov 2009 | 6:47 pmThe effusive praise President Barack Obama has for former Singaporean Prime Minister and now Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is another gesture that has led many to wonder where the present administration sits on human rights issues. The forthcoming APEC summit in Singapore presents an opportunity for the president to set the record straight. Asia is vital for the Obama Administration for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the imperative that even perceptions of democracy must be judged against not just American values, but universal values. Amnesty International recently released an…
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Caption Contest on The Huffington Post
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Susan Moeller: Media Literacy 101: The Doritos Challenge
8 Nov 2009 | 5:13 pmToday's your last chance to win a million bucks. The clock is ticking. Don't throw your money away on a lottery ticket. Instead just write, shoot and submit a Super Bowl XLIV commercial for Doritos by midnight central time today (Monday, November 9th.) If you make it as one of the six finalists, you'll win $25,000. If you are voted into the top 3, your ad will air during the Super Bowl. And if your ad makes it to first place on the USA Today Ad Meter, you'll win the cool million. Oh, but you're not a Madison Avenue wannabe? The Faces of Hunger in America film contest: Voting is going on now. -
Rinku Sen: Caption Contest Post Has Moved!
25 Aug 2009 | 11:02 amHey all: Thanks for participating! Head on over to the new caption contest post, and bring your A game! ---------------------------------------------- AND SPEAKING OF: Last week's winner is (drumroll please) RaceWire commenter tonymacias, with: "Y'all come on outside for a minute... and HL, be ready to hold that young man down... I'm going to cut me a switch in the rose garden- be right back with a world of hurt." Totally reprehensible, Tony! Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who commented on RaceWire, Jack & Jill Politics, and Huffington Post! As you can see, the competition is fierce,… -
Rinku Sen: Caption Contest: President Obama, Professor Gates and Sgt. Crowley
20 Aug 2009 | 1:00 pmcrossposted to RaceWire and Jack & Jill Politics. official White House photo by Pete Souza Almost two months later, the White House has officially released the photo above, with President Barack Obama walking to the Rose Garden, followed by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge, Mass. police sergeant James Crowley. So we're holding a caption contest. Give us what you've got. Bonus points if you make us ROTFL. If you submit the epic caption and win, we'll send you a copy of Tram Nguyen's "Language Is a Place of Struggle: Great Quotes by People of Color." We'll announce the winner… -
Obama Dolls & Bingo Protests: HuffPost's Caption Contest!
6 Jul 2009 | 3:25 amOriginal Caption: A souvenir seller displays matryoshka dolls, or Russian nesting dolls, painted with portraits of U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev near Red Square on July 5, 2009 in Moscow, Russia. Barack Obama will arrive for his first visit to Russia as president on July 6. FRIDAY'S FAVORITES: WEDNESDAY'S WINNER: "OH NO !!! my wife just pulled into the driveway, quick hide under the lamp !" By -Dusso-. Read more: Obama Russia, Caption Contest, Poll, Comedy News -
Bingo Protests & German Fashion: HuffPost's Caption Contest!
2 Jul 2009 | 12:32 amOriginal Caption: Two women wearing Alistair Darling masks on their heads play a game of bingo during a protest in front of the Houses of Parliament against the Government's increase in bingo taxation from 15% to 22% on July 1, 2009 in London, England. The Bingo Association has criticized the increased taxation in a difficult time for the industry with over 90 bingo clubs closing in the last three years. WEDNESDAY'S FAVORITES: TUESDAY'S WINNER: These two men misunderstood when she said, "Beat It!" By Ctron. Read more: German Fashion, Bingo, Caption Contest, Poll, Comedy News
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Careers on The Huffington Post
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Julia Moulden: Top 10 New Radical Gifts
20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmAre you like me -- suddenly realizing that the holidays are only weeks away? And are you totally and completely convinced that you don't want to give the same old, same old this year? Then my favourite New Radical gift ideas might just come in handy. Hopefully you'll find something for the hearts, minds, and souls of the ones you love. (New Radicals are people who are putting the skills they acquired in their careers to work on the world's greatest challenges. For more about the New Radicals, please see archived articles.) JOY Let's begin with toys. But not just any toys. The cute and clever… -
Jason Mannino: Your Network Is Your Net Worth
20 Nov 2009 | 4:46 amGeneral consensus and research shows that the serious unemployment we are experiencing will lag 12-18 months behind any economic recovery. What's more, 60-80 percent of all jobs are filled through networking, inside contact and word of mouth. It is through networking contacts that you will hear about the hidden job market, which, are jobs that are filled without ever being publicized, especially in an economy where new jobs are few. You need to have a way to hear about jobs that are being filled due to attrition before they are ever advertised. Consider that in this job market your network is… -
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins: Navigating the Jobs Crisis: Clean Energy and Good Jobs Go Hand in Hand
19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amAs part of the Roosevelt Institute's 10-part series on the Jobs Crisis, running on the New Deal 2.0 blog from Nov. 12-25, I was asked to reflect on what can be done to get Americans working again. Here's my take. It's difficult for most Americans to accept data indicating an end to the recession for a simple reason -- they don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Despite a quarter of growth, the unemployment rate has topped 10%, the highest it has been since 1983. Among people of color, the rates are even higher, with Latino unemployment exceeding 13%, and unemployment in the… -
Les Leopold: Clinton's Cash for Caulkers? Not enough Economic Insulation
19 Nov 2009 | 2:18 amBill Clinton and John Doerr, the venture capitalist, are urging the Obama administration to use unspent TARP funds to stimulate jobs and reduce energy wastage by providing cash to homeowners and businesses for weatherization. It's being sold as a way to counteract our jobless recovery (make that our job-loss recovery). They claim that the two-year $23 billion program will pay for itself in the not-so-long haul because of the obvious energy savings. To be sure, using TARP money for something other than increasing Wall Street profits and bonuses would be a welcomed change. But it is… -
Dave Johnson: The Problem With a Jobs Bill -- And With Everything Else
18 Nov 2009 | 8:34 amThe country needs a jobs program and needs it right now. Cash for Caulkers would be a good start. A new Civilian Conservation Corps would be another. But let's not allow a jobs program to cover over the need for real changes in the structure and core principles of our economy. Yes, an effective jobs program can help people hold out a while longer - until necessary changes are made. It can make the unemployment rate will look better, for a while, and maybe the GDP will climb a little bit. But our low-wage, everything-to-the-top economy is not sustainable and needs to be redesigned and…
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Carly Fiorina on The Huffington Post
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Susan J. Demas: How Sarah Palin and Tea Partiers Are Blowing Up the GOP
9 Nov 2009 | 5:20 amWingnuts of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but election ... after election ... after election. That's the lesson from the far right's stinging defeat in yet another Republican congressional district this week. Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman harangued GOP Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava into dropping out -- hailed as a huge victory for Real Republicans -- and then the clueless teabagger-cum-carpetbagger went on to lose the upstate New York seat to a little-known Democrat. Brilliant strategy. But it's one we've seen from Republicans over and over again, thanks to the shadowy… -
Fiorina: Next Target For Teabaggers?
4 Nov 2009 | 9:27 amA California Republican aiming to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) next year has gotten a boost from conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). DeMint announced last night his Senate Conservatives Fund was endorsing state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore over former Hewlett Packard chief Carly Fiorina. The group supports only "rock solid" conservatives, organizers told supporters on a conference call last night as election results came in. Read more: Teabagging, Fiorina, Teabaggers, Carly Fiorina, Los Angeles News -
Former HP CEO Fiorina Announces Bid For US Senate
4 Nov 2009 | 5:52 amGARDEN GROVE, Calif. — Former Silicon Valley executive Carly Fiorina announced Wednesday she is running for the chance to seize liberal stalwart Barbara Boxer's U.S. Senate seat, depicting the three-term Democrat as a Capitol Hill do-nothing who penned novels while jobs vanished and government spending soared. The former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO's entry into the race could present California's junior senator with her most formidable re-election challenge, but Fiorina first will have to survive what could become a scalding Republican primary against state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, who has… -
Carly Fiorina Senate Bid Kicks Off
4 Nov 2009 | 3:09 amFormer Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina says she'll run for the U.S. Senate seat held by California incumbent Barbara Boxer. Fiorina ended months of speculation Wednesday with an announcement in an opinion piece she wrote for the Orange County Register. She's scheduled to make a formal announcement later in the day. Read more: Barbara Boxer, Carly Fiorina Challenge, Carly Fiorina, Carly Fiorina California, Carly Fiorina Gop, Carly Fiorina Barbara Boxer, Carly Fiorina Republican, Carly Fiorina Hp, Carly Fiorina Senate Run, Carly Fiorina for Senate, Politics News -
Carly Fiorina Admits Not Voting For Years
15 Oct 2009 | 2:07 amRepublicans Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina face a tall order in their quest for the state's highest political offices: Persuade voters they're not just wealthy ex-CEOs looking to indulge their egos in politics now that their business careers are tapped out. That's why their failure to perform the most basic civic duty -- voting -- for much of their adult lives is a potentially powerful issue, analysts say. It reinforces the notion that their interest in politics is less than sincere. "It confirms voters' suspicions that they're running out of boredom or because they like the trappings of…
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Caroline Kennedy on The Huffington Post
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Reese Schonfeld: "Informed Sources": What Really Happened When Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin Got Into Upstate New York Politics
8 Nov 2009 | 11:50 amAs New York residents know, ever since Governor Spitzer got caught in the wrong hotel room, Albany has been in turmoil. The latest tempest involved the 23rd Congressional district where, to the astonishment of the political establishment, the Republican candidate was forced out of the race because of her positions on gay and abortion rights. Her departure left the field wide open for the Conservative Party nominee. Who forced her out--Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and the other far-right Conservatives, who argued that a woman who supported abortion rights and gay marriage should not run be on… -
Pennsylvania Avenue Princesses: Who Came Before Sasha And Malia? (PHOTOS)
17 Oct 2009 | 1:23 amSasha and Malia Obama aren't the first first daughters to pass their time in the public eye. You remember Chelsea Clinton and Barbara and Jenna Bush. But what about Helen Taft or Lynda Bird Johnson? Peruse our photo album of America's Pennsylvania Avenue princesses, and tell us which family you'd like to be adopted into and whose you could do without. Follow HuffPost Style on Twitter and become a fan of HuffPost Style on Facebook! Read more: Susan Ford, Slidepoll, Helen Taft, Chelsea Clinton, Tricia Nixon, Presidents Daughter, Eleanor Wilson, Anne Roosevelt, First Daughters, Patti Reagan,… -
Ali A. Rizvi: The Real Reason Obama Deserves the Nobel Win
9 Oct 2009 | 5:50 amIn the next 200 years, wars will come and go, the economy will recover and crash and recover again, and the geopolitical landscape will morph repeatedly, as it always has. But people will still remember Barack Obama as a legendary historical figure worldwide, centuries from now, because of his single most revolutionary accomplishment: being elected. Not only is Obama the first black president elected in a white majority country -- a massive accomplishment in itself -- he is also a black man who was elected with a last name that rhymes with Osama and the middle name Hussein. With less than two… -
Christian Nwachukwu, Jr.: The Colossus Comes on Stilts
29 Sep 2009 | 6:04 amAll along Sugar Hill Harlem, we think it began with Caroline. The slide, the trenchant derision, the Partied and, some hope, parting exile. "He should have appointed Caroline Kennedy," my neighbor, Ms. Helen, told me on Saturday. By "he," Ms. Helen meant the embattled Governor of the State of New York, David Alexander Paterson; and by "appointed," she, of course, was referring to the United States Senate seat recently vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and now held by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the former congresswoman from New York's 20th District. "I mean, Biden appointed who --… -
Vickie Karp: The Literary Kennedys
26 Aug 2009 | 5:07 pmLots of poetry batting about in honor of Ted Kennedy, including some very moving lines within his famous speeches --Tennyson's "I am a part of all that I have met." And in spirit if not quotes, Hughes' "What happens to a dream deferred?" "Poetry played a special role in my family life," Caroline Kennedy writes in the introduction to her second poetry anthology, A Family of Poems (Hyperion Books for Children, 2005). Her first poetry anthology, published in 2001, was a collection of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' favorites. "... My grandmother recited The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere to teach us…
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Cars on The Huffington Post
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Electric Rolls-Royce Could Be Out By Christmas 2010, Rumors Report
20 Nov 2009 | 9:19 amRumors of an electric Rolls-Royce Phantom are back, with the word being the super-luxe automaker could have one on the road within 12 months. Read more: Rolls Royce Phantom, Electric Rolls, Electric Phantom Rols, Electric Rolls Royce, Rolls Royce, Electric Phantom, Electric Car, Electric Rolls Royce Phantom, Electric Cars, Technology News -
Displacement Of Local Peoples As Coporations Buy Carbon Offsets
20 Nov 2009 | 12:33 amTHERE IS ANOTHER vexing question inherent in preserving forests: What happens to the people who use the land? Efforts to protect biodiversity in the dwindling wildlands of the world have increasingly run into a discomfiting tension between the impulse toward absolute preservation and the needs of people--many of them indigenous--who have lived sustainably in forestlands for decades or centuries. Such tensions are playing out in the new economics of carbon offsets. Read more: Chevron, American Electric Power, General Motors, Carbon Offsets, Corporations, Sustainability, Amazon Rainforest,… -
Mike Signer: Drive Like a Jetson
19 Nov 2009 | 9:55 amWhen you watch an episode of The Jetsons, what gets you isn't so much that Elroy wore an antenna on his head or that the family spent their time in cars that levitated. What still resonates about the show is the extreme ease of transportation -- they always just seem to get up and go. For many of us in the modern world, where gridlock and wincing at gas pumps are facts of life, the Jetsons seem spectacularly free of commuter woes. But it's a cartoon. Ambitious clean technology schemes have usually been condemned as the province of dreamers. But this week, a new organization threatened to… -
GM IPO 2010? Offering Could Come Next Year, Says Obama Administration
18 Nov 2009 | 5:31 amWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration wants a fast-track initial public offering of General Motors Co shares to reduce its majority stake in the automaker, a senior official said. An IPO for GM could come as soon as the fourth quarter of 2010... Read more: Auto Bailout, General Motors, General Motors Bankruptcy, Future of General Motors, General Motors Bailout, Initial Public Offering, Business News -
Safest Cars 2010: Ford, Subaru, VW Win Insurance Industry Picks
17 Nov 2009 | 11:27 pmWASHINGTON -- (KEN THOMAS, AP): Ford, Subaru and Volkswagen lead the insurance industry's annual list of the safest new vehicles, according to a closely watched assessment used by car companies to lure safety-conscious consumers to showrooms. (Scroll down for photos of the safest cars and SUVs -- and vote for your favorite.) The Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded its "top safety pick" on Wednesday to 19 passenger cars and eight sport utility vehicles for the 2010 model year. The institute substantially reduced the number of awards compared with 2009, because of…
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Cbs on The Huffington Post
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Tallulah Morehead: Survivor: Samoa: Lord of the Gnats
19 Nov 2009 | 10:41 pmWe are right at the midway point of Survivor: Samoa. We began with twenty players; we now have ten. Our early villains, Evil Russell, and idiot Shambles, have grown into heroic (seeming) crusaders against a true villain, Evil Laura, the Sarah Palin wanna-be conservative lobbyist co-ordinator and Christer pastor, who believes she's now running the show. We've seen two players sidelined by physical collapse: elderly obese Chef Mike, and athletic, bull-like Black Russell. We've seen a lot of puzzles solved and knots untied. And now-just-Russell has shown an amazing ability to find hidden… -
Dr. Jon LaPook: Doctors Answer Mammogram Concerns
19 Nov 2009 | 6:50 amShould You Get a Mammogram or Not? The new breast cancer screening guidelines announced November 16th by the U.S Preventive Services Task Force have sparked widespread anger and confusion. The debate centers on the relative risks and benefits of various methods of trying to pick up breast cancer at an early stage. All current techniques, including mammography, MRI, ultrasound, and breast exam, can reveal abnormalities that end up being benign. These so-called "false positives" often lead to expensive, anxiety-producing, and invasive testing such as biopsy and fine-needle aspiration. The big… -
CBS News Preps "Where America Stands," Turn-Of-Decade Project
16 Nov 2009 | 4:46 amNEW YORK — CBS News is planning an ambitious turn-of-decade look at America's position in the world that's also designed as an opening competitive shot at Diane Sawyer. Called "CBS Reports: Where America Stands," the series will look at issues such as health care, the military, the economy and crime. Reporters will show what was happening 10 years ago and compare it to now, with predictions about how things will be like at the start of the 2020s. Read more: CBS News, CBS News Where America Stands, Where America Stands, Media News -
Dr. Jon LaPook: How To Save Billions in Health Costs Starting Now
12 Nov 2009 | 10:59 amPresident Obama has stressed the importance of "bending the cost curve" in order to put the brakes on galloping health care expenses that total 2.5 trillion dollars a year and are increasing at 6% a year. The fastest way to do this is shockingly simple: carefully explain to patients the known risks and benefits of procedures. Dr. Elliott S. Fisher, Director of Dartmouth's Center for Health Policy Research, estimates that thirty to forty percent of elective procedures are unnecessary. This includes elective angioplasty ($16,000), spinal fusion ($22,300), knee replacement ($14,400), and hip… -
Jerry Zezima: The Mustache Movement
10 Nov 2009 | 3:35 amI may not be British, even though my favorite breakfast cereal is Cheerios, but for the past three decades, I have kept a stiff upper lip. Now, after all these years of hair-raising adventure, I am celebrating the 30th anniversary of my mustache. I had never thought to grow one because mustaches are not common in my family. Two of the only relatives who ever had them were my Uncle Bill, who sported a dapper mustache, and my grandmother, who wasn't dapper but had inner beauty and made a mean dish of spaghetti and meatballs. Then, in 1979, I had surgery to correct a deviated septum, which in my…
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Celebrity Kids on The Huffington Post
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Guess The Celebrity Daughter (PHOTO)
17 Nov 2009 | 12:37 amThe "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" premiere in Los Angeles Monday night was the hottest ticket in town, and one dad scored some bonus points with his daughter, 12, by bringing her as a date. Who was it? ********SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT******** Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora brought, Ava, his adorable daughter with ex-wife Heather Locklear. Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: New Moon, Twilight New Moon Premiere, Film, Celebrity Kids, Entertainment News -
Rebecca Gayheart Pregnant: Eric Dane To Be A Father
12 Nov 2009 | 4:08 amTwo of the three stars of the summer's greatest nude tape will soon be parents. Though she was seen smoking just a couple of months ago, Rebecca Gayheart has confirmed that her bump is the baby kind. In Touch Weekly reports: After months of not addressing her growing bump, Rebecca Gayheart opened up to In Touch exclusively about the impending addition to her family with husband Eric Dane. "We've always wanted to be parents. I think Eric is going to be a wonderful dad, and hopefully I'll be a good mom. We're absolutely looking forward to it!" the glowing actress gushed at the IWC Schaffhausen… -
Will Reeve, 17, Recalls Favorite Memories Of Parents Christopher and Dana Reeve
11 Nov 2009 | 12:11 amWhen he was a kid Will Reeve didn't understand why strangers called his parents, Christopher and Dana Reeve, "an inspiration." But now at age 17, he is attempting to carry on the message his parents worked hard to impart. "To me, Mom and Dad were the people who forced me to eat broccoli and to turn the TV off to do my homework," the 17-year-old told a rapt audience at the annual gala for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Monday night. "I never consciously viewed them as inspirations then, but their heroic efforts shaped who I am today and who I hope to become tomorrow" Read more:… -
Suri Cruise Wears Silver Leggings (PHOTOS)
9 Nov 2009 | 5:05 amBut we couldn't help but notice, like all fashion icons these days, she was still dressed ever sooooo stylishly, just in case the papas were waiting to get her picture. Click through for more photos: Read more: Suri Cruise Photos, Celebrity Kids, Suri Cruise Pictures, Suri Cruise, Entertainment News -
Suri Cruise Cuddles With A Squirrel (PHOTOS)
6 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amWhile her mom Katie Holmes is busy filming her latest movie, The Romantics, in Long Island, NY, little Suri Cruise needs someone to keep her company. Click through for more photos: Read more: Suri Cruise Pictures, Celebrity Kids, Suri Cruise, Entertainment News
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Celebrity Skin on The Huffington Post
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Levi Johnston Playgirl Pictures: MORE Beefcake Shots (PHOTOS)
21 Nov 2009 | 3:52 am(Lucky?) Playgirl.com members now have access to even more beefcake shots of former Alaskan First Grandbaby Baby Daddy Levi Johnston. The first Levi Playgirl photo was released last week, and now, via gawker, are two more (tamely cropped) shots. But, for those who pay, there is some more body action than the innocent chest (hairless) and brooding headshots seen below. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Levi Johnston Playgirl, Playgirl, Levi Johnston, Levi Johnston Playgirl Photos, Celebrity Skin, Levi Johnston Playgirl Pictures, Entertainment News -
Pirelli's 2010 Calendar PHOTOS: Topless, Muddy, Monkeys And SO Much More (NSFW PICTURES)
21 Nov 2009 | 12:16 amThe 2010 Pirelli Calendar is out, and to celebrate its debut they released the below, undated photos of the models (Daisy Lowe, Lily Cole, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, Marloes Horst, Catherine McNeil, Georgina Stojiljkovic, Enriko Mihalik, and Miranda Kerr) at work with photographer Terry Richardson. There is also Pirelli video from the shoot. Which photo would YOU most want to see hanging in a calendar on your wall? Read more: Slidepoll, Catherine McNeil, Pirelli Calendar Photo, Pirelli Calendar, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, Lily Cole, Marloes Horst, Miranda Kerr, Daisy Lowe, Enriko Mihalik,… -
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show PHOTOS: Boobs, Lace, And Balloons (POLL)
20 Nov 2009 | 12:40 amBy Samantha Critchell, AP: NEW YORK -- Heidi Klum and her post-baby body led the parade at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, which returned to New York with some fresh faces after four years on the road. The lingerie retailer inducted five more women into its "Angel" ranks - a designation reserved for top models - in front of a packed house Thursday night at the Lexington Avenue Armory. They are Emanuela de Paula, Chanel Iman, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lindsay Ellingson and Candice Swanepoel. But Klum, who gave birth to a daughter five weeks ago, was the audience favorite in her… -
Megan Fox Wears Panties, Lifts Foot Above Head
18 Nov 2009 | 4:10 pmThese outtakes (via Megan-Fox.net) didn't make the Megan Fox profile in last weekend's NYT Magazine, maybe because they depict the manufactured Megan rather than the real one. "When I sit down to talk to men's magazines, there's a certain character that I play," she told the NYT Magazine. "She's not fully fleshed out -- she doesn't have her own name -- but she shows up to do men's-magazine interviews." Megan says girls call her slutty because she is beautiful and smart, but her crotchy posing might also have something to do with it. *** PHOTOS REMOVED *** Get HuffPost Entertainment On… -
Claire Danes: Sheer Dress Lovely In London (PHOTOS)
18 Nov 2009 | 9:51 amA luminous Claire Danes glowed right through her dress at the London premiere of "Me & Orson Welles" in London Wednesday night. She costars in the movie with Zac Efron. Danes, who wed fellow actor Hugh Dancy earlier this year, wore a black dress with cap sleeves that showed off more than just her arms. The Richard Linklater movie opens in the US later this month. PHOTOS: Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Claire Danes, Celebrity Skin, Claire Danes Sheer Dress, Film, Claire Danes London Premiere, Claire Danes London, Me-and-Orson-Welles, Entertainment News
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Celebrities Talk Politics on The Huffington Post
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Sting: Obama "Exactly What We Need In The World"
29 Oct 2009 | 9:10 amNEW YORK — Sting isn't a religious man, but he says President Barack Obama might be a divine answer to the world's problems. "In many ways, he's sent from God," he joked in an interview, "because the world's a mess." Read more: Sting, Obama, Celebrities Talk Politics, Sting Obama, Entertainment News -
Sting: Obama Best Person To Handle World's 'Mess'
29 Oct 2009 | 8:43 amNEW YORK — Sting isn't a religious man, but he says President Barack Obama might be a divine answer to the world's problems. "In many ways, he's sent from God," he joked in an interview, "because the world's a mess." Read more: Sent From God, On a Winter's Night, Love Obama, President Obama, Sting, Support for the President, Barack Obama, Celebrities Talk Politics, Politics News -
U2 Adapts To Changing Times, Laments Loss Of Obama Election Joy
23 Oct 2009 | 1:04 amEven while maintaining its status as one of the few musical acts that can still fill stadiums, U2 is struck by how quickly its world is changing – musically and politically. Charismatic front man Bono, in a reflective mood as U2 closes the North American leg of its "360" tour, notes the different, more polarized atmosphere in the United States since the band performed its anthem, "City of Blinding Lights," at President Obama's inauguration in January. Read more: Celebrities Talk Politics, U2, Music, Entertainment News -
Andy Williams: Obama Wants The Country To Fail
29 Sep 2009 | 4:40 amOld pop crooner Andy Williams, whose hits include 'Moon River,' has some choice words for "Marxist" President Obama. Williams, 81, has always been a Republican (Ronald Reagan once declared his voice "an American treasure") but in the past has held more moderate views. He claims good friendship with the Kennedy family and thought that Bobby would have made a great president had he lived. No such goodwill towards the current president, the Telegraph reports: "Don't like him at all," he said, "I think he wants to create a socialist country. The people he associates with are very Left-wing. One… -
Ben Wyskida: Exclusive: The First Excerpt from "Going Rogue"
28 Sep 2009 | 4:06 pmEditors Note: Below is the exclusive first excerpt from Sarah Palin's forthcoming autobiography, Going Rogue. This post first appeared at PinkoMag.com, where it was translated from Sarah Palin's original english by Stirling McLaughlin. Chapter One: “I Am Therefor Such As”By Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Say it ain’t so Joe! My name is Sarah Palin. Recently several year I the State of Alaska had the pleasure, north the hugeness, am the zealous public servant! My husband and I have blessed with many attractive children. In 2008 I even has the pleasure is presidential…
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Ceos on The Huffington Post
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Chip Conley: When an Entrepreneur Becomes a CEO
9 Nov 2009 | 8:20 amWhy are entrepreneurs loved and CEO's hated? It's a bit of irony that has not been lost on me this past week as a bunch of cyber-strangers weighed in on their perception of me based upon a photo. Is this a crazy entrepreneur or a CEO who has lost his mind and proper bearings? Back in June, the Rasmussen Reports released a survey of Americans' favorable vs unfavorable ratings of various professions. At the top of the list with almost no negativity were small business owners and entrepreneurs. Religious leaders were a fair percentage back, but still near the top. Bankers were evenly loved and… -
Leslie Pratch, Ph.D.: Men, Women, and Balance
3 Nov 2009 | 8:07 amWhen Arianna Huffington introduced Marcus Buckingham as a new blogger she wrote that she was particularly interested in how women achieve balance. I am too. Much of the work I do is with men: In fact, 98% of the executives I assess (all executives I assess are for senior management roles) are men. The one study I performed on successful CEOs of private equity funded ventures found that their wives played pivotal roles in their success as executives and in their sense of balance. The choice of wives was no accident: No developmental psychologist could view it as such. The CEOs generally came… -
Paul David Walker: CEO Secrets Part Two: A Meditation Practice
27 Oct 2009 | 1:45 pmThe best leaders are able to be totally present at will. In a board meeting or when closing an important deal, the best leaders can be in the present while integrating their knowledge and all the events that are happening around them simultaneously. The truth is anything can cause your conscious mind to let go of comparative thought and find "Integrative Presence." It would be impossible to catalog all experiences people have had. What is important is to know the difference between the two states of mind. Meditation is a practice that will help you find your personal road map into this… -
Richard Trumka: Showdown in Chicago
22 Oct 2009 | 6:44 amI'm going to Chicago next week for the American Bankers Association meeting. Oddly, I haven't been invited to the Roaring '20's dance party I hear they're having. Why wouldn't they celebrate the era of wild money and hot times (which slid into the Great Depression)? After all, the bankers are doing well these days. They're doing well because after financial institutions caused the global economic crisis, we bailed them out, to the tune of some $700 billion. Now they're in good enough shape to pay the suits $7 billion in bonuses for driving working families and our economy to our knees -- to… -
Greg Coleman: "Sharpen the Saw," Whether You Like It or Not
21 Oct 2009 | 2:54 amThere are a lot of stories about corporate layoffs in today's cruel world. Mine is different than most, and I certainly don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. Over the five months that I took off, I learned a lot of very valuable lessons and came out of this experience feeling like the luckiest guy in the world. But it didn't start out that way. In early February of 2009, I was recruited to run a very large division for AOL. My tenure only lasted 10 weeks. The CEO who had hired me was fired five weeks after I started, and the new boss wanted to bring in his own team. I had a significant…
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Charlie Crist on The Huffington Post
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William Bradley: The Inevitable Fluke That Is Sarah Palin
17 Nov 2009 | 4:06 amFive minutes into yesterday's Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain's presidential campaign manager: "So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?" His immediate reply: "I didn't, untrue." Palin had just said that Schmidt, the evident villain of her new book, Going Rogue, and other top McCain advisors had already known that her teenage daughter was pregnant with an illegitimate child and had marching orders for her even before she was picked as McCain's shock vice presidential nominee. Ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin provides insight… -
David Frum: GOP Headed For "Bloodbath" In Florida
17 Nov 2009 | 12:33 amConservative David Frum wrote on CNN Monday night that Republicans are headed for a "spectacular bloodbath" in 2010. The Republican fratricide in the Nov. 3 special election in upstate New York may prove just an opening round of an even more spectacular bloodbath in Florida in 2010. In New York, Republican feuding lost the party a seat in the House of Representatives. At stake in Florida is not only a senatorship -- but very possibly Republican hopes for 2012 as well. Frum points out that Marco Rubio, the conservative candidate challenging Gov. Charlie Crist for the Senate, has won an… -
Castellanos Whacks Crist, Questions Palin's Appeal
13 Nov 2009 | 12:59 amOne of the Republican Party's most respected and relied-upon consultants has serious reservations about two the party's biggest names. Alex Castellanos, a conservative media strategist and regular presence on CNN, raised questions of Sarah Palin's viability for office and took major swipes at Florida Senate candidate Charlie Crist during an appearance at Bloomberg News' Washington Summit Thursday. The harshest lines were saved for Crist, who Castellanos said was not really a Republican. "Nobody is running out the Charlie Crists of the world," Castellanos said, when asked about the shrinking… -
Hilary Kramer: Utilities Under Siege
12 Nov 2009 | 4:45 amUtilities stocks were traditionally considered one of the best places for investors to put their money. Dividends were dependable and investors knew that these "boring" companies would always come through with consistent earnings. But now, many of these utilities are experiencing a double-whammy of financial and political pain. Many utilities have suffered double-digit decreases in revenue simply because customers are losing their homes to foreclosure and small businesses are shutting down in historically record numbers. To make matters worse, these battered utilities have become hotbeds of… -
Obama Appointments: This Day In Pointless Obstruction
12 Nov 2009 | 3:17 amIf you thought that the filibuster was the only means by which senators could engage themselves in self-indulgent and pointless political warfare, think again! There's also the hold procedure, by which individual senators can obstruct an executive branch appointment just because they feel like it. The most recent example is the case of Tom Shannon, a former Bush State Department appointee who has been appointed to serve as the Ambassador to Brazil by President Obama. For reasons that defy understanding, Senator George LeMieux (R-Fla.) has decided to place a hold on Shannon, because, as Dave…
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Chile on The Huffington Post
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Jim Luce: El Museo del Barrio: Fifth Avenue on Fire
10 Nov 2009 | 2:54 amForty years ago, El Museo del Barrio was a dream contained in a single classroom so far north that “sophisticated” Manhattanites would not visit there after dark. It was founded in 1969 by artist and educator Raphael Montañez Ortiz and a coalition of parents, educators, artists, and activists who noted that mainstream museums largely ignored Latino artists. Last week, on a cold, windy night, over 1,600 New Yorkers arrived to welcome the opening of the Museum after more than a year of renovations. The place was so alive, so hot – so on fire. It was the… -
Easter Island Indigenous Population Considers Travel Restrictions On Immigrants
6 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amSANTIAGO, Chile -- They are the face of Chilean guidebooks: giant statues made of volcanic rock scattered across Easter Island. Constructed centuries ago, the figures are thought to represent ancestors or chiefs of the indigenous Polynesian population. It is their descendants who now inhabit the tiny triangular island nearly 2,000 miles off the Chilean coast. Read more: Chile, Easter Island Chile, Immigration, Foreign Affairs, Easter Island, Chile Easter Island, World News -
Chile Outraged Over Giant Pope Statue
22 Oct 2009 | 7:32 amSANTIAGO, Chile -- The neighbors couldn't help but notice the huge head of Pope John Paul II rising out of the sculptor's workshop next door. Hidden behind the walls, the pope's left hand gripped Jesus on the cross while his right extended outward, an imitation of the gesture he had made during his visit to Santiago two decades earlier. Read more: Chile, Chile Pope, The Pope, Latin America, Chile Pope Statue, Foreign Affairs, Pope, Pope Statue Chile, Santiago, World News -
Chile Anti-Smoking Laws Fail To Kick The Habit
13 Oct 2009 | 8:37 amRead more: Chile, Anti-Smoking, Chile Smoking, Tobacco, Smoking, Chile Anti-Smoking, World News -
Ariel Dorfman: Forever: A Letter to Obama
9 Oct 2009 | 7:03 amAmnesty USA recently asked me, along with nine others, to write a letter to President Obama asking him to prosecute all those responsible for torturing in the name of the United States of America during the previous administration. This is the letter I sent to him. Dear President Obama: Forever. That's the word I want to offer you, the one word shared by the man who tortures and his victim, the one word that defines them both. Because for the victim that moment of pain and degradation, those many moments, will never end. Torture does not happen just that once but repeats itself in the mind…
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China on The Huffington Post
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Thomas Friedman Explains Causes Of America's 'Sub-Optimal Solutions' (VIDEO)
21 Nov 2009 | 4:22 pmNew York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman is worried that America is producing "sub-optimal solutions" to big problems like global warming, an education system in decline and a weak economy. The author of Hot, Flat, and Crowded appeared on The Charlie Rose Show on Friday night to discuss President Obama's recent trip to Asia, and more specifically China. Friedman lamented the failure of US governance and the "forces of paralysis" that surround President Obama. He is worried that China's streamlined, one-party system will be in a better place to implement solutions to large global problems… -
China Mine Explosion: 42 dead, 66 trapped
21 Nov 2009 | 2:27 amHEGANG, China — Rescuers worked in frigid cold to reach 21 miners trapped underground Sunday as the death toll from a huge gas explosion in a northern Chinese mine jumped to 87 – the deadliest blast to hit the beleaguered industry in nearly two years. The pre-dawn blast Saturday at the state-run Xinxing mine in Heilongjiang (pronounced HAY-long-jeeahng) province near the border with Russia was the latest to hit China's mining industry – the world's deadliest. Authorities say safety was improving, but hundreds still die in major accidents each year. Read more: Mine Explosion,… -
China Close To Fielding The World's First Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile
20 Nov 2009 | 7:50 amChina has built up a sophisticated navy in preparation for a potential conflict with Taiwan, a new report from the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) reveals. The 51-page report is available to download from the Federation of American Scientists website. Since the late 1990s, Beijing has made a conscious effort to increase the strength of the Chinese navy in the shortest time frame possible, the report argues. These efforts are due, in part, to the strengthening of both Taiwan and Japan's navies. In particular, US intervention in the Taiwan Strait crisis of 1996 appears to have prompted… -
Inez Moore Tenenbaum: Keeping Our Children Safe this Holiday Season
20 Nov 2009 | 5:20 amIt's that time of year again. The holidays are fast approaching, and families across America are starting their shopping. As any parent or grandparent knows, there are few greater rewards than seeing the smile spread across a child's face as they open the perfect present. But we also know how quickly that great joy can devolve into our greatest fear if the appropriate attention isn't paid to safety. Fortunately, this year, you can shop for your child or grandchild with more confidence than ever before. That's because there are new rules on your side and the side of America's children -- and… -
316,000 Bongs, Disguised As Christmas Ornaments, Seized By Customs Agents In LA
20 Nov 2009 | 2:11 amLOS ANGELES — Customs officials say they got a surprise when they found 316,000 glass bongs disguised as Christmas ornaments at the Los Angeles harbor. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday that agents found the highly decorated drug pipes in 860 boxes shipped from China. The cargo, estimated to be worth more than $2.6 million, had been described as glass figures and Christmas ornaments. Read more: Bong, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Marijuana, Drug Paraphernalia, China, Business News
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Chris Brown on The Huffington Post
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Steve Marmel: Hey, Carrie (and Chris Brown, and Jon Gosselin, and Others) -- You Can Leave Now
10 Nov 2009 | 5:27 pmSo, Carrie Prejean is having a bit of week, isn't she? I mean, one week you're the darling of the conservative movement, and the next thing you know, you're being called a hypocrite as your image as a high-falutin' blonde ball of judgment stops meshing with the low-falutin' images you sent your boyfriend five years ago. Right now, there are a lot of people doing an endzone dance over Prejean's misfortune. Luckily, she's apparently an actual blonde (sorry. Easy joke) and doesn't seem bright enough to navigate the Mark Sanford-esque minefield she's laid out for herself. -
Rihanna: You're Blinded By Love
10 Nov 2009 | 6:10 amNEW YORK — Rihanna says recording songs on her new album was such an emotional experience that she sometimes had to leave the studio to prevent herself from breaking down. "I walked out the studio a few times just trying not to be in tears," she said Monday about recording her fourth studio album, "Rated R," to be released on Nov. 23. Read more: Rihanna Chris Brown, Rihanna, Rihanna Rated R, Music, Rated R, Rihanna Beating, Entertainment News -
Trish Kinney: Rhianna and MTV Shine a Light on Domestic Violence
9 Nov 2009 | 10:36 amChris Brown's choices following the violent incident that took place in a car in February on the night of the Grammy Awards did not surprise me, and neither did Diane Sawyer in her recent 20/20 interview of Brown's girlfriend, the victim of his attack. They both pretty much did what I would have expected them to do. On the other hand, Rhianna blew me away in the Sawyer interview and MTV's Sway turned out to be the best role model of all. Trying to sort out what happened between these two very young, very big superstars is not an easy task. But anytime abuse and violence against women hits the… -
Chris Brown Wishes Rihanna Had Remained Silent About Beating
6 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pmChris Brown has heard what Rihanna has said about her beating -- and while he supports her right to speak out, he wishes she had kept quiet. Read more: Chris Brown Domestic Violence, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Rihanna Beating, Chris Brown Rihanna, Entertainment News -
Rihanna: Chris Brown 'Had No Soul In His Eyes' After Beating (VIDEO)
6 Nov 2009 | 1:13 am**AP Text, Scroll down for video** NEW YORK - Rihanna on Friday described the horror she felt as her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown was biting and punching her during a violent argument in February, saying she saw "no soul in his eyes." "There was no person when I looked at him," the 21-year-old singer recalled during the second installment of an interview airing on ABC's "Good Morning America." "He had no soul in his eyes. Just blank." Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna after the two argued over another woman. He later pleaded guilty to felony assault. In the…
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Chris Matthews on The Huffington Post
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Chris Matthews Thinks Health Care Reform Is Being "Hung Up By The Left"
4 Nov 2009 | 10:27 amOn this evening's edition of Hardball, Chris Matthews hosted Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele, and the two men proceeded to have the following preposterous conversation: STEELE: Excuse me. What about the left wingnuts who won't let the President get his agenda through? What about all the left wingnuts that are the reason we don't have health care right now? You have 60 votes in the Senate. You have a 78-seat majority in the House and I don't see anyone talking about the left wingnuts who are stifling the health care for my mother, my family and my community. Don't give me… -
Steven G. Brant: Wall Street and the US Government: Where's Jimmy Stewart When We Need Him?
18 Oct 2009 | 3:34 amHow fitting that the scandalous relationship between Goldman Sachs and the Obama administration (thank you Glenn Greenwald) and Goldman Sachs' "no value added to the American people's way of life" methods of earning the bulk of its profits (thanks Dylan Ratigan) and a brilliant analysis of the overall control Wall Street has over Washington (thank you Frank Rich) have all come out on or about the 17th or October. "What's so special about the 17th of October?" you ask? Here's what's so special (thanks to Wikipedia)... When it was first released -- the film premiered in Constitution Hall in… -
Linda Milazzo: Step Up to Mike's Challenge
17 Oct 2009 | 9:47 amOur great buddy Mike is angry. For the past twenty years, Michael Moore, our everyday hero, has worked hard for us. He's documented sadistic acts against us by industry and government. He's exposed case after case of devious schemes that robbed us of our homes and our jobs, sent our children to war, and sacrificed our health. He's given us irrefutable proof that our leaders lied us to war, our insurers denied us care, and our lenders deceived us into hopelessness and destitution. Mike's been our teacher, our ally and our devoted friend. Few people in recent memory have worked harder to inform… -
Glenn Beck Mocks Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews (VIDEO)
14 Oct 2009 | 5:57 pmGlenn Beck mocked his cable news competitors Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews Wednesday afternoon on his Fox News show. "The president has an entire network devoted to singing his praises," Beck said of MSNBC. "There's a guy on at night I love, and he's like Shakespearean. He is waxing poetic about his oratory skills, writing soliloquies," he said, showing off his impression of Olbermann. "And then another guy's like, 'I've got a thrill going up my leg' when they just hear him speak." he said of Matthews. "It's incredible!" Beck also knocked the network news broadcasts and "Saturday Night… -
Joseph A. Palermo: Reaction to President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize is Another "Teaching Moment"
10 Oct 2009 | 5:55 amDuring the initial 24-hour news cycle following the announcement that the President of the United States had won the Nobel Peace Prize we heard all manner of demeaning, diminishing, and ridiculing of the President and the prize. Beltway pundits David Brooks and Ruth Marcus appearing on Jim Lehrer's News Hour both bashed President Obama and the Nobel prize as being unwarranted and insignificant. Brooks called it "a joke." On Democracy Now! I heard Naomi Klein say pretty much the same thing as the Beltway savants. A lot of commentators heaped praise on John McCain for being "gracious" because…
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Christianity on The Huffington Post
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Joan E. Dowlin: Homosexuality and Nature
16 Nov 2009 | 5:55 amLast week I observed Pastor and author Joel Osteen on The View talking about Christianity. When questioned about gays by co-host Whoopi Goldberg, Osteen declared that his church welcomes them but that he felt the lifestyle was wrong and we should give to God our best. I'm not sure what he meant by that. Was he saying homosexuals were not God's best creation or that gay people should become straight to give their best to God? Either way, as a gay Christian, I am offended. I believe that I am a child of God and that I was born a lesbian. Therefore, by being true to my self and my nature, I am… -
Carrie Prejean: The Bible Allows Breast Implants, My Hairdresser Is Gay
12 Nov 2009 | 8:20 amCarrie Prejean is just carrying out God's plan, she tells Christianity Today in an interview that fails to address her solo sex tape--the topic that nearly caused her to walk off 'Larry King Live' Wednesday night. She also answers a question about her topless photos by discussing a need for Christians to unite against the Enemy and says she can't be homophobic because she lives in California and has gay hairdressers. Then she breaks down her conversion time line in a way that refutes her ex-boyfriend's claim that she sent him the masturbation tape when she was 20, not 17 as she has stated. -
Atlantic: Did Christianity Cause The Housing Crash?
12 Nov 2009 | 12:13 amAmerica's churches always reflect shifts in the broader culture, and Casa del Padre is no exception. The message that Jesus blesses believers with riches first showed up in the postwar years, at a time when Americans began to believe that greater comfort could be accessible to everyone, not just the landed class. But it really took off during the boom years of the 1990s, and has continued to spread ever since. This stitched-together, homegrown theology, known as the prosperity gospel, is not a clearly defined denomination, but a strain of belief that runs through the Pentecostal Church and a… -
Huff TV: HuffPost Editor Roy Sekoff Discusses The Sarah Palin Coin Controversy On The Joy Behar Show
11 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pmHuffPost Editor Roy Sekoff appeared on The Joy Behar Show Wednesday night to talk about religion in politics and the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin's "In God We Trust" coin conspiracy. Joining Roy, was Libertarian and magician Penn Jillette. Behar started off the discussion by playing a clip from Fox News, debunking claims by former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin implying that President Barack Obama was trying to secularize the nation's currency by moving the term "In God We Trust" from the faces of American coins and onto the edge of coins. The decision to move the… -
Amy Novogratz: The Charter For Compassion: Read, Affirm, Share
11 Nov 2009 | 7:17 amToday, the culmination of more than a year's work was unveiled as the Charter for Compassion was officially introduced in Washington, D.C. The Charter is the direct result of Karen Armstrong's 2008 TED Prize wish to establish a document that would define anew the ancient principles of justice and respect for all human beings. I am asking all our Huffington Post readers to go to the Charter website Thursday, CharterForCompassion.org, to read the Charter and join people around the world in affirming its principles and goals. I hope you will then share the Charter with your friends, family and…
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Citigroup on The Huffington Post
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Citigroup Credit Cardholders Will See Rates Jump -- Unless They Spend
19 Nov 2009 | 11:49 pmNEW YORK — For Citibank credit card holders, there is one way to escape the bank's rate hikes currently under way: Meet a monthly spending requirement. Those who meet the spending minimum – in some cases $750 a month – will be able to get a rebate on their total interest charges for that month. The rebate could cover some or all of the interest rate hike. Customers also need to make payments on time to qualify for the rebate. Read more: Vikram Pandit, Consumer Debt, Citibank Rate Hike, Citibank, Credit Card Debt, Credit Cards, Citigroup, Business News -
CFTC Gets Derivatives Advice From Industry Insiders
18 Nov 2009 | 7:37 amLike many federal agencies contemplating reform these days, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission is hearing a lot from the industry it regulates. But executives and lobbyists don't always have to knock on the commission's door. Some are already inside. They belong to the Global Markets Advisory Committee, which was set up by the CFTC to provide it with private-sector expertise. All of the committee's 19 members are representatives of financial exchanges, investment banks or other industry groups - an imbalance that is coming under fire from a key senator, farm and consumer… -
Charles Gasparino: Goldman and the Smell of Guilt
18 Nov 2009 | 6:15 amThe Wall Street bonus season is fast approaching and so is the anxiety level among the financial industry's CEOs. Goldman's Lloyd Blankfein is in the biggest tizzy. Just a few days after telling a newspaper reporter he was doing "God's work" at Goldman Sachs by trading stocks and bonds and keeping the markets liquefied, he has now apologized for risk-taking that nearly tanked the firm last year. More than that, he has now confirmed a story I broke weeks back about how Goldman was planning a large charitable contribution as a way to make $20 billion in bonus money, earned mostly from the… -
Citigroup Raises Salaries For CFO, Global Markets Chief
18 Nov 2009 | 12:44 amNEW YORK — Citigroup Inc. said its chief financial officer and co-head of global markets are getting raises, while CEO Vikram Pandit will continue to collect a salary of $1 per year. Citigroup, based in New York, faces restrictions on executive compensation because it received $45 billion in government bailout money after the peak of the credit crisis last fall. Salary caps for top executives were recently set by the Obama administration's pay czar, Kenneth Feinberg, for Citi and six other companies that received big bailouts. Read more: Citi, Stephen Volk, $C, Citibank, Citi Global… -
Blake Fleetwood: The $20 Billion Gamble: The Greatest Coup in Financial History
17 Nov 2009 | 4:05 amIn 2007 a little known hedge fund manager pulled in a personal profit $4 billion (firm profit $20 billion), with a daring bet against a real estate boom that everybody knew was going to bust ... someday. In 2006 John Paulson (of no relation to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson ) bet that the sub-prime mortgage market would tank and housing prices would fall on a national scale, according to a new book The Greatest Trade Ever by Greg Zuckerman. Paulson, a prophet of doom for homeowners, committed more than $1 billion to buy insurance on what he saw as risky mortgages. Many economists and savvy…
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Civil Rights on The Huffington Post
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Jonathan Horowitz: The New Bagram: Has Anything Changed?
20 Nov 2009 | 8:16 amLast weekend, the United States unveiled its new state of the art detention facility to journalists, diplomats, Afghan officials, and nongovernmental organizations. After participating in the tour, I give the new facility a "vastly improved" grade compared to the Bagram Theater Internment Facility (BTIF), but U.S. detention policy has a long way to go before reaching "satisfactory." It's clear that the authorities looked back at lessons learned from eight years of blunders and abuse in designing the new lock-up facility. However, since the detainees have not yet been transferred, the reality… -
Parental Notification Teen Abortion Law On Hold Until New Year
20 Nov 2009 | 5:06 amAn lllinois law requiring doctors to tell the parents of teen-aged patients' before performing an abortion won't come into effect this year. Read more: Abortion, Abortion Parental Notification, Illinois Abortion Laws, Abortion Rights, Illinois Parental Notification Law, Chicago News -
Rep. Lois Capps: Stupak-Pitts Goes Beyond Status Quo
20 Nov 2009 | 3:06 amThere is no question that reproductive health care has become a hot button issue in health care reform. This is very unfortunate. But despite the emotions and sensitivity surrounding the topic of abortion, lawmakers must not lose sight of the facts. Here are a few: The Stupak-Pitts amendment goes well beyond the status quo and is in no way the simple extension of the Hyde amendment its proponents claim. It will result in a major step backwards for women's access to abortion, a legal medical procedure. Proponents of Stupak-Pitts say that individuals purchasing health insurance plans in the… -
Victoria Fine: Where Do We Stand on the Rights of Children?
20 Nov 2009 | 1:04 amNovember 20 marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which mandates and enforces basic human rights for children around the world. This anniversary serves to publically remind American citizens that the U.S. is the only member of the United Nations apart from Somalia that has not yet ratified the Convention. To understand why, HuffPost sat down with Eduardo Garcia, a longtime humanitarian aid worker and currently a Child Protection Technical Advisor at the International Rescue Committee. HuffPost: Mr. Garcia, could you start us off by explaining what the… -
Brian Levin, J.D.: New Study: U.S. Hate Crimes Fall Slightly In '08; But Data Is Limited
20 Nov 2009 | 12:50 amHate crimes reported to police declined about 2% in 2008 according to an analysis of official composite government data from 14 states in every region and the District of Columbia conducted by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. The survey total for 2008 of reported hate crime was 4,911-- a decline of 100 from the 5,011 hate crimes reported to police by the same jurisdictions in 2007. Of the 15 jurisdictions surveyed, including the six most populous states, only four-New Jersey, Washington State, Texas and Tennessee, reported…
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Climate Change on The Huffington Post
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Andrew Kimbrell: New Report: GMOs Causing Massive Pesticide Pollution
21 Nov 2009 | 9:50 amThere is one fact about genetically engineered foods that there is no debate about: no one wakes up in the morning eager to buy gene-altered food. There's good reason for this. Genetically modified foods do nothing for the "eating public". They provide no extra nutrition, flavor, safety or any other trait that people actually want. Instead, these food products only offer risks, which include potential toxicity, allergenecity, and lower nutritional value. This presents a tough problem for the Monsantos of the world, who are pushing these GM foods. How can you sell something to the public that… -
Top 25 Reasons To Care About Climate Change
20 Nov 2009 | 10:14 amFor some people, climate change is a tough cause to rally 'round--even those who understand that it's happening and that it's human-caused get distracted by things like eating, working, having sex, watching TV, or watching people on TV have sex. While social scientists ponder the best ways to get the message out and motivate the masses--and since we're gearing up to cover December's climate talks in Copenhagen--we've devised a Grist list of good reasons to care about this global crisis. Read more: Co2, Climate Change, Copenhagen 2009, Global Warming, Green News -
Kevin Grandia: Stolen climate science emails just ain't the conspiracy some want it to be
20 Nov 2009 | 8:33 amI'll admit, as someone who spends most days looking for leaked documents, the package of stolen emails and documents from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University is pretty juicy. Anything provides insight into the inner-workings of your opponents is pretty much manna from heaven in this line of work. I have been going through all the files today and I hate to disappoint but it just ain't the scandal climate conspiracy theorists want it to be. These emails are blissfully being spun by the climate contrarians as proof of some type of worldwide conspiracy by scientists to fake the… -
Climate Depot: Everything You Need To Know About 'ClimateGate'
20 Nov 2009 | 7:26 amA group of hackers recently broke into the email system at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU), one of the leading climate research centers in the world. The emails have been leaked to the public, and are being touted by global warming deniers, including the website Climate Depot, as evidence of an alarmist global warming conspiracy. Climate Depot is an anti-global-warming website, which promotes skepticism and disbelief about the realities of climate change. The website is similar in format to The Drudge Report, and has a particular focus on criticizing former Vice… -
Tensie Whelan: Expecting More from Copenhagen
20 Nov 2009 | 3:34 amExpectations for a climate treaty had been in a dramatic downward spiral until President Obama's meeting with Hu Jintao in Beijing this week, where they agreed to shoot for emissions targets, and press for an agreement at Copenhagen that would "rally the world." Was it was all part of a concerted White House strategy to downplay expectations for a global treaty, then build them up again, so Copenhagen felt like a success? While I don't go that far, there is an odd disconnect between the pessimistic and optimistic story lines that we have to transcend. Instead of letting our expectations be…
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Cnbc on The Huffington Post
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Jim Luce: NBC's Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better
13 Nov 2009 | 8:39 amSeveral weeks ago Brian Williams profiled the children of the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO) and its founder Andeisha Farid in Kabul, Afghanistan for NBC Nightly News’ segment Making a Difference (video Brian is anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News based in New York. Last week, his show, including the segment Making a Difference, had 9.5 million viewers. The show spikes up to 11 million viewers frequently. I had interviewed the orphanage’s founder Andeisha of Kabul in New York in September and have followed her progress… -
Raymond J. Learsy: Thank You, Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, For Educating Us On Oil Prices
13 Nov 2009 | 3:08 amThe oil patch mumbo jumbo continues unabated. Today, Rex Tillerson, the CEO of the nation's largest oil company, Exxon, took a minute or two to instruct us about the reasons for the current price of oil. This is the same personage who, a while back informed us, his customers, that "ethanol is moonshine." This time around, according to Tillerson, "Inventory levels are at historic high levels--especially in the U.S." he then provides us with his particular self-serving oil patch rationalization for high oil prices. You see, it is not the machination of OPEC of which Exxon and its peers are the… -
Henry Blodget: CNBC Reporter Says NYC Marathon Winner Is Only "Technically" an American
3 Nov 2009 | 3:33 amAn insidious form of nationalism is threatening the very core of what makes this country great. There has been an outcry of protest that Meb Keflezighi is not really the first "American" to win the New York marathon since 1982--because he was born in Africa and moved here when he was 12. Never mind that Keflezighi is an American citizen. Never mind that he's lived in the United States for 22 years. Never mind that he has raced for the United States in the Olympics. Never mind that every single person in this country who doesn't happen to be a Native American either came here from somewhere… -
Raymond J. Learsy: Oil's Massive Price Distortion Militates the Reconvening of the 1970s Federal Oil Price Task Force
3 Nov 2009 | 1:16 amSteven Chu, our Secretary of Energy in his October 30 post on the Huffington Post "Weatherization: Saving Money by Saving Energy" focuses on the savings that can accrue to those conscious of how to reduce energy/electricity in their homes; insulation, programmable thermostats, efficient windows and the like. "I have always been an energy efficiency nut", he tells us. He then goes on to inform about the various programs instituted by the Department of Energy to assist homeowners to weatherize homes and encourage home energy efficiency. Well and good, and as it should be. But the Department of… -
Carmen Wong Ulrich: Uninsured: A Personal Price
28 Oct 2009 | 3:03 amMy mother died because she didn't have health insurance. She was in her late fifties when all six of us grown kids were told that she had gone to the emergency room in extreme pain. The doctors and nurses didn't even need to test her blood or run a scan to diagnose her. They took one look at Lupe's yellowing eyes, one touch of her distended belly that she'd hid from us with bulky clothes and they made the correct diagnosis: fatal colon cancer. We all had the same questions we wanted answered right away: Why had she waited until tumors had grown into every organ? Why did she wait until she'd…
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Cnn on The Huffington Post
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Arianna Huffington: Sunday Roundup
21 Nov 2009 | 7:55 pmMisrepresenting what I said during an appearance on Countdown this week, NewsBusters claims that I'm trying to deny Glenn Beck his "constitutionally protected free speech." Wrong. What I said is that words have tremendous power -- they can inspire and they can incite. There's a reason you can't shout "fire" in a crowded theater. But even though Glenn Beck is shouting "fire" in a crowded, anxious country, I specifically said that the right response to his steady stream of lies, hate, and race-baiting -- all served up with a not-very-subtle undercurrent of violence -- is to put unrelenting… -
Qanta Ahmed, MD: Guests of God: 2.5 Million Muslims Worship in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in This Year's Hajj
19 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amThey will arrive from over 160 countries; many have already departed for their journey as I write. Some are old, some young, some unborn, some about to leave this life and go into the next. They will all come, however, just as the Qu’ran predicted: “on every kind of camel”. This week, Thursday marks the eve of Hajj, centered on the ancient city of Makkah, located in the Hijaz area of southwestern Saudi Arabia. Today more than 1.4 million Muslims will arrive by air. Often at the rate of 50,000 per hour, columns of robed pilgrims will stream through Jeddah’s specially… -
Jon Stewart, Lou Dobbs Discuss CNN, Argue Over Health Care Reform (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 2:28 amThe Daily Show's Jon Stewart welcomed former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs with a Mariachi band because... why not? Over a long interview, only portions of which aired, Stewart and Dobbs discussed the newsman's decision to quit on the air... or not quit on the air... or come to some sort of mutual understanding tied up in contracts that dissolved the relationship between CNN and the controversial anchor. Dobbs basically offered that CNN "wanted to move in another direction," to which Stewart replied, "I see the direction they're going in, I believe it's called down." Then, praising Dobbs for having… -
J. Richard Cohen: To Bill O'Reilly: You Lose Dobbs Bet
18 Nov 2009 | 4:39 amTo: Bill O'Reilly The O'Reilly Factor Fox News Network Dear Bill, You lost the bet. Time to pay up! When I appeared on your show in July, you were so certain that the Southern Poverty Law Center's call for CNN to fire Lou Dobbs was a waste of time that you bet $10,000 (with the proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity) that it wouldn't happen. "CNN's never going to fire him -- you know that," you said. I told you that I disagreed, because I wasn't as cynical as you. I believed that if enough people spoke out -- and they did -- that CNN would do the right thing. I expect you will argue that Lou… -
Jackson Williams: Obama Bows, Conservatives Bitch, Reality Bites
17 Nov 2009 | 7:10 amIn the 1980's, billionaire conservative gadfly Ross Perot received the prestigious Winston Churchill Award at a lavish Dallas dinner. Prince Charles himself came across the pond for the event, and local high society, Republican to a fault, rushed around town in the two weeks beforehand booking lessons on how to curtsy in front of royalty. Never mind that America fought a war to escape British tyranny. The social set is big on ceremony, and this was as big as it gets. Fast forward a quarter-century. President Obama bowed this week when greeting Japanese Emperor Akihito, and the conservative…
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Colin Powell on The Huffington Post
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Agnes Gund: Art, Design and How We Learn
16 Nov 2009 | 7:59 amThere's a lot to be learned from visiting art museums - walking their corridors, perusing exhibitions, looking at the varied work on the walls. We know, when we are inside MoMA or the Met or any of the other great museums in this country, that we are experiencing art; no doubt about it. What is less clear to us, perhaps, is that we are also experiencing art when we wander the avenues and alleys, the gardens and parks in our neighborhoods, and when we enter or walk by the buildings around us. In fact, architecture, landscape, the surroundings and objects of everyday life, are as artful as… -
Colin Powell To Obama On Afghanistan Troop Decision: "Take Your Time"
11 Nov 2009 | 7:41 pmIn an interview with Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell revealed that he recently advised President Obama to take his time in devising his strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read more: Pentagon, Karzai, Handover, Afghanistan, Exit Strategy, Troop Levels, Pakistan, Timeline, Kabul, Afghanistan Strategy, Obama, Taliban, Withdrawal, Foreign Policy, Mcchrystal, White House, Al Qaida, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Tom Joyner, Afghanistan Decision, Politics News -
Harry Shearer: Afghanistan--A Voice for the Choice Obama Has Rejected
28 Oct 2009 | 10:02 pmIn case you haven't noticed, the "debate" about Afghanistan going on inside the White House (thanks for the transparency) has already been decided, and the answer is: we're staying. The remaining question being considered is: how many troops? The question not being considered, if leaks are any indication, is why? If there's any consistency to the foreign-policy mistakes of America in the post-World War Two era, it's the saga of brilliant men deciding upon wars in countries they barely understand, countries whose history they ignore--at our peril. That was the story of… -
Hoyt Hilsman: A Regional Summit on the War in Afghanistan?
15 Oct 2009 | 4:58 amAs President Obama and his advisors debate a strategic change in the war in Afghanistan, it has become increasingly clear that this war has become a regional conflict that stretches into Pakistan, and even India and beyond. While the original rationale for the war was the elimination of a sanctuary for Al Qaeda, the conflict has now broadened into threats presented by a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and, even more ominously, by a nuclear-armed and destabilized Pakistan. While the recommendation by General Stanley McChrystal to bolster the counterinsurgency effort represents an advance in… -
Jamal Dajani: Israel vs. Iran: The Writing Is on the Wall
2 Oct 2009 | 4:02 amIran has agreed to allow international nuclear inspectors to view its recently revealed uranium enrichment plant near the city of Qom, and President Obama has called talks between U.S. diplomats and their Iranian counterparts about the country's nuclear program a "constructive beginning." However, recent events and heated rhetoric concerning Iran's nuclear program are reminiscent of the final days that lead to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 when then U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the United Nations Security Council on February 5th of that year with what he called "solid"…
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Colombia on The Huffington Post
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Butterfly Photos
13 Nov 2009 | 9:53 amThis Thursday, a butterfly vivarium was inaugurated in Colombia. The vivarium holds 500 butterflies of over 20 species, and is intended to spread awareness about the country's biodiversity. Most importantly, the photos are BEAUTIFUL. Have a look, and send in your vote for which butterfly is the most glorious. Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Animals, Animal Photos, Butterflies, Colombia, Biodiversity, Slidepoll, Green News -
Chavez Tells Troops To Prepare For War With Colombia
9 Nov 2009 | 8:31 amCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez on Sunday ordered Venezuela's military to prepare for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying his country's soldiers should be ready if the United States attempts to provoke a war between the South American neighbors. Chavez said Venezuela could end up going to war with Colombia as tensions between them rise, and he warned that if a conflict broke out "it could extend throughout the whole continent." Read more: President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, Colombia FARC, Venezuela Hugo Chavez, Colombia, Venezuelan President Hugo… -
Jim Luce: U.N. Birthday Rocks for Its Peacemakers
6 Nov 2009 | 4:41 amFlashbulbs popping non-stop, H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations in New York, entered the U.N. General Assembly Hall in New York City. He has attained the status of a rock star. Speaking at the U.N. Day Concert 2009: A Tribute to Peacekeeping in the General Assembly last week, it seems that the Secretary General commands the world’s attention as much as Barack Obama. One year older than the U.N., at 65, the Secretary General spoke of his mourning – the world’s mourning – for the 11 peacekeepers who died last month in a helicopter crash… -
Diane Tucker: Terrorist Or Activist? A Young Colombian, Gabriel Gonzalez, Fights For His Country, His Reputation (VIDEO)
5 Nov 2009 | 6:07 amLast week in Manhattan, veteran journalist Tom Brokaw presented the 2009 Human Rights Award to Gabriel Gonzalez, a young activist who opposes the inhumane treatment of Colombian prisoners. The thoughtful young man then flew home to Colombia, where he is charged with being a terrorist and faces seven years in prison. Call it one heck of an identity crisis for Gonzalez, or better yet, call it "same old, same old" in Colombia, where the difference between "hero" and "rebel guerrilla" can be a matter of opinion, and all too often a matter of life and death. Last year, 11 human rights workers were… -
U.S.-Colombia Military Deal Angers Activists
5 Nov 2009 | 1:13 amColombian opposition groups have reacted angrily after details of a controversial military deal with the US were made public. Read more: Us-Colombia, Colombia Us, Us Colombia, US Military, Colombia, Latin America, World News
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Comedy Central on The Huffington Post
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Hannity: Jon Stewart Was Right About Protest Footage (VIDEO)
11 Nov 2009 | 5:03 pmFox News' Sean Hannity responded to Jon Stewart Wednesday evening after the Daily Show host called out the network for using old footage from a larger September 12, 2009 "Tea Party' protest to illustrate a much smaller health care rally on Capitol Hill last week. Speaking directly to the camera, Hannity said that it pained him to admit it, but Stewart was correct. "And although it pains me to say this, Jon Stewart, Comedy Central, he was right. Now on his program last night, he mentioned that we had played some inccorect video on this program last week while talking about the Republican… -
Onion, Comedy Central Team Up For Sports Satire
5 Nov 2009 | 9:17 amNEW YORK — ESPN had better watch its back. Comedy Central has ordered a pilot from the satirical news magazine The Onion. Read more: The Onion, Onion Tv Show, Onion Comedy Central, Comedy Central, Media News -
The Jeff Dunham Show: The Worst Thing In The Entire World? (NSFW)
23 Oct 2009 | 6:14 amBefore I talk about last night's premiere of The Jeff Dunham Show on Comedy Central, I would first like to issue a couple of apologies. I'm sorry, Jay Leno, I was wrong. Your comedy is hackneyed, aggressively middlebrow, toothless, and focuses way too much on your expensive car collection, and your exit from the Tonight Show only to reclaim the 10PM slot was obnoxious. But you are the Louis C.K. of late night with the manners of Princess Grace compared to Jeff Dunham. And I'm sorry, Seth MacFarlane, I was wrong. Your TV shows are stupid, repetitive, poorly written, and insufferably… -
Beverly Wettenstein: No Women Featured in NY Comedy Festival! No Joke!
11 Oct 2009 | 6:38 amWe're With The Banned: Cracking The Crass Ceiling The New York Comedy Festival ad features ten men and no women. Broadly speaking, comedy is, obviously, still a male-dominated bastion within the entertainment business. The Primetime Emmy Awards showed that women writers on a comedy or variety series are a rare and endangered species. Only seven of the 81 writers were women. There are no women writers on Leno (of 19), Letterman (of 14), and O'Brien (of 16). Colbert has two women of 14 writers. The Daily Show has one of 16. Samantha Bee is a busy worker bee and a "correspondent." "Saturday… -
2morrowknight: 12 Media Professionals on Twitter Who Rock The Planet
18 Sep 2009 | 4:32 amIf you're a media observer like myself, you not only follow the hot trends, and follow the new and emerging technologies, but, you also follow the people whose name, presence, and body of work permeate the social landscape. People like the twelve media professionals below. Your simple curiosity will be more than satisfied, as I'm sure you'll come to admire and respect their work, and their work ethic, as much as I do. This list is in no particular order of significance or accomplishments. Just twelve media professionals making a difference all over our planet, and undeniably making Twitter a…
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Comics on The Huffington Post
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Robert J. Elisberg: Moose and Squirrel Celebrate Their 50th Anniversary
19 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amThis will be unreasonably brief and lacking in far too much detail, but sometimes things must be rushed and not overlooked, and today is one of those times. Today marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most beloved and still-appreciated cartoon shows, ever. Yes, on November 19, 1959, Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in the first episode of Rocky and His Friends, from the maniacally clever mind of Jay Ward. The series was populated by Rocket J. Squirrel and his adorably dimwitted friend Bullwinkle the Moose from Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, along with their nemeses Boris Badanov (the name being… -
Archie Marries Veronica
9 Nov 2009 | 2:42 amHuffington Post: Yes, we know this is a comic book, but so many of us began our reading lives with them. The love triangle of our childhood has finally ended. Archie married Veronica when we all wanted it to be Betty. And apparently they now have twins. Supposedly the marriage is working, but the editor hints it might not last. When it was first announced that Archie Andrews was putting an end to the most famous and enduring love triangle in comics by choosing to propose to sexy, savvy and rich Veronica instead of girl-next-door Betty, the shock waves were larger than even Archie Comics… -
Mort Gerberg: Out Of Line: Greed Out!
31 Oct 2009 | 6:05 amRead more: Cartoon, Political Cartoons, Comedy News -
Mort Gerberg: Out Of Line: Most Frightening
31 Oct 2009 | 4:19 amRead more: Cartoon, Political Cartoons, Comedy News -
Matthew Filipowicz: WATCH: The Scariest White House Halloween Costume
29 Oct 2009 | 1:25 pmWith Halloween just around the corner, some folks in the White House are getting into the spooky spirit. Namely, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. We have obtained exclusive footage of Gibbs revealing to President Obama what can easily be described as "the most frightening Halloween costume of all time". Be warned, the costume may be too scary for pregnant women, small children, or those with a weak heart. Take a look. Read more: Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, Halloween, Public Option, Joe-Lieberman-Filibuster, President Barack Obama, Filibuster, Horror, Obama Health Care, Barack Obama, Halloween…
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Computers on The Huffington Post
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Robert D. Atkinson, Ph.D.: Whack-A-Mole Security: Bad Policy, Bad Legislation
20 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pmGuest post by Daniel Castro, Senior Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation The recent disclosure of a confidential Congressional document has at least one congressman calling for a ban on peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing software, but a closer look at the problem reveals that this effort would merely be treating the symptoms, not the disease. First some background. Last month the Washington Post revealed that more than thirty members of Congress and staffers were under investigation for possible ethics violations, including for "accepting contributions or other items of… -
David Sullivan: The Conflict Minerals Trade Act
19 Nov 2009 | 4:35 amWith the introduction of the Conflict Minerals Trade Act today, Congo activists now have bipartisan legislation percolating both in the Senateand the House of Representatives. To hear a bit more about this bill and why it's so important, check out the latest edition of the Ask the Expert video series, where I discuss why this legislation has catalytic potential to cut armed groups and rights abusers out of the supply chains for our cell phones, laptops, and other electronic gadgets: Be sure to take action on this issue: urge your representative to cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act and… -
Pat Choate: Trying To Strangle American Innovation
18 Nov 2009 | 9:09 amAmerica is a far more creative place than other nations largely because it relies on "small entity" inventors -- independent inventors, small companies with fewer than 500 employees, research institutes, and universities -- for its major innovations. Other countries, such as Germany and Japan, rely on large firms with more than 500 employees, called "large entities," for their major innovations. This difference is of vital importance because what large entity and small entity inventors create is startlingly different. Big corporations seek marginal improvements. Small entity inventors seek… -
Cerebral Cortex: Cat's Brain Simulated By Scientists Making 'Thinking Computers'
17 Nov 2009 | 11:50 pmSAN FRANCISCO — Scientists say they've made a breakthrough in their pursuit of computers that "think" like a living thing's brain – an effort that tests the limits of technology. Even the world's most powerful supercomputers can't replicate basic aspects of the human mind. The machines can't imagine a wall painted a different color, for instance, or picture a person's face and connect that to an emotion. Read more: Thinking Machines, Cat Cerebral Cortex, Cat Brain, IBM Thinking Computers, Simulate Brain, IBM Cerebreal Cortex, IBM Cat Brain, Thinking Computers, Ibm, Simulate… -
Don McNay: President Obama's Entrepreneurial Mindset
16 Nov 2009 | 6:07 amI can give you anything but time -Elvis Costello I'm sometimes critical of President Obama because it often seems to me that he doesn't understand people like me – an owner of a small business in a small town. I have not seen much evidence of Obama being in touch with small-town Kentucky, but after reading David Plouffe's new book, The Audacity to Win I have become convinced that he knows what it takes to run a business. I'm a devoted student of Dan Sullivan, the “Strategic Coach" for entrepreneurs. I went through Sullivan’s program in Toronto.
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Conan Obrien on The Huffington Post
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Michael Bialas: No Grinch will ruin Carrie Underwood's Holiday
19 Nov 2009 | 10:11 amThe Fox network is wishing you -- the home television viewer -- a very Carrie Christmas. And they're gift-wrapping two hours of entertainment in a special package titled Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special that will air December 7 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT). Of course, Fox, the network that brings you American Idol, has the gift that keeps on giving with Underwood. The country vixen from Checotah, Oklahoma, who broke through to national fame by winning the fourth season of A.I., has reason to be in the holiday spirit. Her third album, Play On, was released November 3 (19 Recordings/Arista… -
Conan O'Brien Responds To Kirstie Alley: "My Penis Is Not On The Weight Watchers Diet" (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 1:18 amConan O'Brien responded to an angry Kirstie Alley last night after she tweeted that the "Tonight Show" host acts like she "bit his d**k off." The tweets were part of conversation with Star Jones who bemoaned being called fat and ugly on TV. Alley responded with this: Kirstie: I'll tell you ONE BITCH I'm gonna knck [sic] out next time I see her is CONAN O'BITCH O'BRIAN..that guy acts like I bit his dick off O'Brien acknowledged that he regularly mocks the actress for her weight issues and showed clips of several jokes to prove it. He got one final insult in ("My penis is not on the Weight… -
Kirstie Alley Slams Conan O'Brien: He "Acts Like I Bit His D**k Off"
18 Nov 2009 | 9:14 amConan O'Brien should watch out when he makes fat jokes. Kirstie Alley, now filming a reality series about her current weight loss venture and working on a line of products, went after the "Tonight Show" host on Twitter in a tweeted conversation with Star Jones, part of which is below. She says he "acts like I bit his dick off" and refers to him as Conan O'Bitch O'Brian [sic]. It's not the first time she's slammed him, as she also did back in July. Star: Like I don't know what it is to be called FAT, UGLY & LAZY. Hell...people called me that on TV & in print! I'm not preaching...I'm sharing! -
Zach Galifianakis Gets Conan O'Brien Between Two Ferns (VIDEO)
16 Nov 2009 | 11:59 pmThe latest installment of "Between Two Ferns" did not go well for guest Conan O'Brien who got absolutely no laughs from host Zach Galifianakis or his friend Andy Richter. He was so offensively unfunny to Galifianakis that the "Hangover" star repeatedly played cricket sounds to let O'Brien know how badly he was doing. In all fairness to O'Brien, none of the interviews that take place between two ferns go well. Charlize Theron called Zach a "fat garden gnome" and he told her he hoped her dog died. When Zach's "Hangover" co-star Bradley Cooper was trapped between two ferns, Galifianakis didn't… -
In The Year 3000: Sammy Sosa's Face, Lou Dobbs's New Job, And More! (VIDEO)
13 Nov 2009 | 4:19 amThe revival of the beloved "Late Night" segment (plus 1,000 years) gets off to a hilarious start with a wardrobe malfunction of sorts and, of course, LaBamba's sweet-sounding voice. Conan and Andy rip on Levi Johnston, Jon Gosselin and other current media stars who, apparently, are going to be alive for a very long time. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: The Tonight Show, In the Year 3000, Andy Richtor, Conan O'Brien, Comedy News
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Conde Nast on The Huffington Post
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Katya Wachtel: Morgan Stanley CEO Calls for More Regulation of Wall Street at Vanity Fair -Bloomberg Event
18 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pmAt a Vanity Fair and Bloomberg event in Manhattan on Wednesday night, audience members were delighted by an impromptu ( and slightly coerced) appearance by Morgan Stanley CEO, John Mack, who called for far more stringent policing of Wall Street. Mack, sitting inconspicuously amongst a crowd of business journos and financiers, was cheekily ambushed by Bloomberg's Margaret Brennan during the 'additional questions' portion of the evening, after a stellar panel of business reporters (and one historian) speculated on the causes of the financial crisis and analyzed how governmental and news… -
Conde Nast To Publish Digital Version Of Wired For Apple Tablet
18 Nov 2009 | 9:50 amHere's yet another content creator convinced that Apple has a tablet device in the works: Condé Nast says it will have a digital version of Wired magazine ready for the rumored gadget by the middle of next year and will eventually create similar versions for all of its 18 titles. Read more: Conde Nast, Wired Magazine, Wired Apple Tablet, Conde Nast Apple Tablet, Apple Tablet, Wired, Wired Digital Edition, Magazines, Media News -
Karin Tanabe: Magazines, Magazines, Oh Where Have You Gone?
18 Nov 2009 | 2:21 amFirst Playgirl, published since 1973 (c'mon ladies, support a good cause!), got the ax. Then CosmoGirl, Men's Vogue, Domino, Hallmark Magazine, Portfolio, Vibe, Southern Accents, Cookie, Gourmet, and, most recently, Metropolitan Home. No naked men, no southern chintz, and no minimalist interiors so white and clean that you never dare drink red wine again? What happened to my tomes of aspirational living? These 100+ glossy pages that appeared magically in my mailbox bearing gifts of oiled-up men wearing nothing but a smile, must-know stock tips, and recipes for "so simple even a child could… -
Catie Lazarus: Top 10 Reasons This Woman Can't Write for Late Night Comedy Shows
12 Nov 2009 | 12:07 pmIn the New York Times, Bill Carter writes ,"very few women make it inside the writing rooms for late-night television hosts, despite that women make up a larger proportion of their audience than men. There are no female writers on the new “The Jay Leno Show,” none on “Late Show with David Letterman,” none on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”" Based on his article and Nell Scovell's personal account in Vanity Fair, I have come to understand why the odds are stacked against my wedging my paw in the door. I still have… -
Anne Hill: Two Dreams That Changed Hollywood
11 Nov 2009 | 10:37 amBig dreams still come when we are at the top of our game, but sometimes the most influential ones come to us on the way up. If you read closely the profiles of those at the top, chances are you will find the moment when everything changed for them -- and chances are that moment came in a dream. In The New Yorker last month, director James Cameron tells about being sick and broke, staying in a tiny flat at a time of struggle early in his career. One night, he said, he dreamed of "a chrome skeleton emerging out of a fire." Then he sketched the figure cut in half and crawling after a woman. He…
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Congo on The Huffington Post
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David Sullivan: The Conflict Minerals Trade Act
19 Nov 2009 | 4:35 amWith the introduction of the Conflict Minerals Trade Act today, Congo activists now have bipartisan legislation percolating both in the Senateand the House of Representatives. To hear a bit more about this bill and why it's so important, check out the latest edition of the Ask the Expert video series, where I discuss why this legislation has catalytic potential to cut armed groups and rights abusers out of the supply chains for our cell phones, laptops, and other electronic gadgets: Be sure to take action on this issue: urge your representative to cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act and… -
Hopenhagen Ambassador Contest: HuffPost Citizen Journalist Will Win A Trip To Copenhagen
16 Nov 2009 | 4:48 amMost people don't know it, but the fate of the world is at stake this December. The UN is holding a Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark where the world's leaders will decide whether there will be any framework at all on limiting carbon emissions before the Kyoto protocol expires and the before the amount of carbon in the atmosphere climbs to even higher, and harder to reverse levels. While this might sound abstract, bureaucratic or boring, this global gathering will determine the future of our planet. The effects of global warming are already lapping at the world's shores, destroying… -
Georgianne Nienaber: Ashley Judd: Please, Population Control is Not the Answer for Congo
11 Nov 2009 | 7:08 amAshley Judd's op-ed in USATODAY drove me to the Tao Te Ching before my head exploded. In another example of celebrity naiveté falling prey to the obfuscations of non-governmental organizations in Congo, Judd wrote: "In Congo, 600,000 babies a year are born only to suffer and die." She added, "My husband and I despondently call these precious little ones 'the born to dies.'" Judd's solution, a parroting of the NGO Population Services International, is that family planning is the answer, since fewer babies means less babies will die and society as a whole will benefit. Image: Ashley Judd This… -
Zoe McMahon: Accountability for Minerals in the Eastern DRC
11 Nov 2009 | 7:03 amRecently, at the annual BSR conference, I had the opportunity to elaborate on the challenges the overall IT sector faces with regards to traceability through our supply chain and the activities underway at Hewlett Packard. The topic of traceability is gaining momentum. Industry sectors ranging from food, textiles and many others, are expected to know both the country of origin of their raw materials and the sustainability of the methods used to extract them. During my participation in the conference, I described the challenges of tracing "conflict minerals" in HP's supply chain. These… -
Jim Fruchterman: Training Human Rights Defenders In The Democratic Republic Of Congo
10 Nov 2009 | 4:49 amHuman rights and social justice groups throughout the world gather and collect large amounts of data, yet these organizations often lack the resources to document human rights violations systematically and securely. Much of their information is stored in insecure formats that prevent it from being effectively shared. Critical documentation is also lost to viruses, computer theft, fire, neglect and staff turnover. Information about human rights abuse is the key asset of human rights groups. The loss of this information is a problem with far-reaching implications. Social justice organizations…
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Craig Ferguson on The Huffington Post
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Catie Lazarus: Top 10 Reasons This Woman Can't Write for Late Night Comedy Shows
12 Nov 2009 | 12:07 pmIn the New York Times, Bill Carter writes ,"very few women make it inside the writing rooms for late-night television hosts, despite that women make up a larger proportion of their audience than men. There are no female writers on the new “The Jay Leno Show,” none on “Late Show with David Letterman,” none on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”" Based on his article and Nell Scovell's personal account in Vanity Fair, I have come to understand why the odds are stacked against my wedging my paw in the door. I still have… -
Craig Ferguson: Cheney Ogled My Wife's Breasts
29 Oct 2009 | 8:33 amLate-night comic Craig Ferguson had to hold his tongue about the Bush administration during his performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2008. In his new memoir, American On Purpose, Ferguson reveals how surreal that night was for him, from bonding with Bush over their struggles with alcoholism to catching Cheney ogling the breasts of Ferguson's wife. On meeting the Cheneys, Ferguson recounts that his wife discussed art with Mrs. Cheney, who proudly described the Picasso sketches she owned. When Megan [Ferguson's wife] asked Cheney where she hung the artwork, Cheney's response… -
Craig Ferguson & Crew Open Show With 'In The Navy' Rendition (VIDEO)
28 Oct 2009 | 2:46 amIt's no secret how much we love Craig Ferguson's dance numbers. From "Wonderful Night" to "MMMBop," we post them all which is why we were so excited to see Craig open his show last night with "In The Navy"--a song that has come to represent bar mitzvah dances and gay icons. Of course, Craig took the theme to the next level and dressed as a pirate, perhaps to celebrate the impending holiday. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Craig Ferguson in the Navy, Video, In the Navy, Craig Ferguson in the Navy Video, Craig Ferguson, Craig Ferguson Navy, Ferguson in the Navy,… -
Ferguson Tapes Show By Flashlight During Power Outage (VIDEO)
28 Oct 2009 | 2:35 am(AP) LOS ANGELES — "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson had to finish taping his program by flashlight on Tuesday after high winds knocked out power at CBS Television City in central Los Angeles. Show publicist Katie Barker says lights started dimming and then suddenly went black about 5:45 p.m. as Ferguson was interviewing actress Alicia Silverstone, leaving both in the dark as to what was going on. Producers decided to keep the blackout as part of the show and handed Ferguson a flashlight. With wind gusts reaching up to 70 mph, scattered power outages have been reported around the… -
Beverly Wettenstein: No Women Featured in NY Comedy Festival! No Joke!
11 Oct 2009 | 6:38 amWe're With The Banned: Cracking The Crass Ceiling The New York Comedy Festival ad features ten men and no women. Broadly speaking, comedy is, obviously, still a male-dominated bastion within the entertainment business. The Primetime Emmy Awards showed that women writers on a comedy or variety series are a rare and endangered species. Only seven of the 81 writers were women. There are no women writers on Leno (of 19), Letterman (of 14), and O'Brien (of 16). Colbert has two women of 14 writers. The Daily Show has one of 16. Samantha Bee is a busy worker bee and a "correspondent." "Saturday…
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Crime on The Huffington Post
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Sacramento Fisherman Arrested In Sea Lion Shooting
21 Nov 2009 | 6:39 pmSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities arrested a Sacramento fisherman Saturday in connection to shooting a sea lion in the head. California game wardens said they arrested Larry Allen Legans, 43, on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, negligent discharge of a firearm, and take of a marine mammal. Legans told authorities he grew tired of competing with the protected animals so he fired his 12-gauge shotgun at the sea lion, injuring the creature. Read more: Animal Cruelty, California, Larry Legans, Crime, Verona, Larry Allen Legans, Shotgun, Sea Lions, Sea Lion Shot Sacramento, Sea Lion… -
Larry Whitfield Found Guilty: Man Blamed For Scaring Grandmother To Death After Running From Bank Robbery
21 Nov 2009 | 9:35 amCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A man will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty in what prosecutors said was a case of scaring a 79-year-old North Carolina grandmother to death. Multiple media outlets reported a federal jury found 21-year-old Larry Whitfield not guilty of murder Friday in the death of Mary Parnell last year. But they did find him guilty of causing her death by kidnapping her, and that carries an automatic life sentence. Prosecutors say Whitfield was looking for somewhere to hide after a failed bank robbery attempt in Gastonia in September 2008 when he broke into… -
University Of Miami Shooting Scare Ends With Suspects In Custody
20 Nov 2009 | 9:35 amThe University of Miami police lifted its lockdown orders after reporting that at least two suspects who reportedly fired a BB-gun on school grounds have been taken into custody. Read more: University of Miami Florida, Crime, Miami University, University of Miami, School Shootings, Miami Shooting, miami.edu, Miami Herald, University of Miami Shooting, Home News -
Brian Levin, J.D.: New Study: U.S. Hate Crimes Fall Slightly In '08; But Data Is Limited
20 Nov 2009 | 12:50 amHate crimes reported to police declined about 2% in 2008 according to an analysis of official composite government data from 14 states in every region and the District of Columbia conducted by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. The survey total for 2008 of reported hate crime was 4,911-- a decline of 100 from the 5,011 hate crimes reported to police by the same jurisdictions in 2007. Of the 15 jurisdictions surveyed, including the six most populous states, only four-New Jersey, Washington State, Texas and Tennessee, reported… -
'Junior' Gotti Jury Possibly Deadlocked
19 Nov 2009 | 8:55 amNEW YORK — Jurors at the racketeering trial of John "Junior" Gotti raised the specter of a fourth mistrial in the case, telling a judge Thursday that they were deadlocked on murder and other charges against the son of the infamous mob boss. "We are unable to reach a verdict," the jurors wrote in a note to U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel on the seventh day of deliberations in federal court in Manhattan. Read more: John Gotti, Mafia, Crime, Junior Gotti Mistrial, Junior Gotti, Junior Gotti Trial, New York News
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Cuba on The Huffington Post
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Edward Jay Epstein: Annals of Unsolved Crime: The Oswald Mystery
21 Nov 2009 | 3:16 amThe endless tangle of questions about bullets, trajectories, wounds, time sequences and inconsistent testimony that has surrounded the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and has obsessively fascinated, if not entirely blinded, two generations of self-styled assassination investigators, probably never will be satisfactorily resolved. Each new release of documents from the various bureaucracies involved in the nearly half century old investigation may only deepen the apparent contradictions. Within this morass of facts. however, there is a central actor, Lee Harvey Oswald. His… -
Yoani Sanchez: Obama Answers Top Cuban Blogger
19 Nov 2009 | 3:38 amHAVANA — President Barack Obama has answered questions submitted by a celebrated Cuban blogger, saying he isn't interested in "talking for the sake of talking" with Raul Castro and indicating he won't visit the island until the communist government changes its ways. In an unusual written response to Yoani Sanchez, who has gained international acclaim for daring to criticize her government online, Obama also said it is up to Cuba to act if it wants normal relations with Washington, saying that a true thaw in nearly 50 years of deep-freeze "will require action by the Cuban government."… -
Yoani Sanchez: President Obama's Answers to My Questions
19 Nov 2009 | 2:03 amAs I reported yesterday, I submitted seven questions to the American president, Barack Obama. He kindly took the time to respond; following are the answers I received from the White House. President Obama's Responses to Yoani Sanchez's Questions Thank you for this opportunity to exchange views with you and your readers in Cuba and around the world and congratulations on receiving the Maria Moore Cabot Prize award from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for coverage of Latin America that furthers inter-American understanding. You richly deserve the award. I was disappointed… -
Steve Clemons: Howard Berman/Richard Lugar Bipartisan Team Call for End to Cuba Travel Ban
16 Nov 2009 | 6:34 pmSenate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) have jointly written a compelling case to end the travel ban for all Americans desiring to go to Cuba. In fact, their piece, titled "Lift the Ban -- Let Americans Visit Cuba" really calls for ending travel restrictions on Americans going anywhere since Cuba is the only place in the world where America's democratic government restricts the travel freedom of its citizens. It is a remarkable but true fact that the US government cannot stop regular Americans… -
Yoani Sanchez: The Younger Generation is Coming Like a Whirlwind to Dismantle Everything
16 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pmAt times here, one breathes in the aroma of a funeral. On the television news the images of funeral ceremonies have become common, almost monthly: a bugle note calling for silence, twenty-one gun salutes, soldiers marching, tears and words of farewell. They initiate new mausoleums and restore existing ones. Added to this is the fevered mania to commemorate anniversaries of some event, to sing the praises of what previously occurred on these days marked by obligatory celebration. The senile worry about preserving memories has displaced the restless creativity of youth. The Cuban population has…
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Cute Animal Videos on The Huffington Post
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100 Heartbeats: The Mass Extinction of Wildlife (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 12:33 amJust 210 elephants and 190 tigers remain in Indonesia, and within 20 years, all of Sumatra's orangutans could be extinct. This is the extraordinary tale told by MSNBC's Jeff Corwin as he travels the globe in his show, 100 Heartbeats. Corwin stumbles upon inspiring feats of human care for the world's endangered animals and even encounters a black rhino with an entourage of six armed guards. The lengths people are going to fight back against the destruction of the environment makes for a fascinating and inspiring story. WATCH: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the… -
Puppies Explain Science (VIDEO)
18 Nov 2009 | 9:12 amVia The Daily What comes this awesome video of golden retrievers explaining how atoms interact with each other. The group that made the video, "Pets Teach Science," says they want to "demonstrate tricky scientific concepts ranging from quantum physics to chemical structure - with the help of man's best friend and other furry companions." Sounds great to us! WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Golden Retriever Atoms, Video, Pets Teach Science, Animals, Cute Animal Videos, Comedy News -
Cute/Ridiculous Animal Thing Of The Day: Pet Otter Plays With Toys (VIDEO)
18 Nov 2009 | 7:07 amIt may not be the next teacup pig but this video of an adorable baby otter could certainly start a hot pet trend. All five minutes of this video are sickeningly cute; however, it makes you wonder if this is really how otters are meant to be living. It may look like an overgrown ferret or a kitty/rodent hybrid, but unless there's a tank and bucket of chum in the backyard, this cute little guy should probably be in the wild. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Video, Adorable, Animals, Domesticated, Cute, Otters, Cute Animal Videos, Comedy News -
Kitten Climbs Cop During Traffic Stop (VIDEO)
17 Nov 2009 | 9:16 amAn officer in Texas got an unexpected visitor during a routine traffic stop. Officer Keith Urban was writing a citation when a kitten ran up and started climbing him. Officer Urban notified his supervisor who laughed. When a Fox crew went to find the friendly feline, they were met with the same warm reaction. This little one may have some attachment issues! WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Video, Kitten Climbs Cop, Animals, Cute Animal Videos, Kitten and Cop Video, Kitten Climbs on Cop, Kitten and Cop, Comedy News -
Cute/Ridiculous Animal Thing Of The Day: Kitten Fed With Chopsticks (VIDEO)
16 Nov 2009 | 9:04 amWow, someone's spoiled! This critter is adorable but also exceedingly patient. If it were me I'd probably knock the dish out of my owner's hand and dig in. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Video, Animals, Kitten Eating With Chopsticks, Kitten Chopsticks, Cute Animal Videos, Comedy News
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Daily Show on The Huffington Post
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Jon Stewart Enlists Pro-Wrestler Mick Foley To Protect 10-Year-Old Gay Marriage Activist (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 11:59 pmLast week we told you about young Will Phillips, a boy who refuses to pledge allegiance to the flag and the United States of America until gays and lesbians are allowed to marry. While Will is finding support from op-ed columnists and his parents, the kids at school are not as kind. They are harassing Will and calling him a "gaywad." Well, last night Jon Stewart decided to do something about it. After praising this precocious 10-year-old, he decided the boy must be protected so he brought out professional wrestler Mick Foley to deliver a message. "I was touched by young Will's plight so I'll… -
Jon Stewart: New Yorkers React To "Going Rogue" (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 3:10 amHow are New Yorkers reacting to the recent release of Sarah Palin's new book, "Going Rogue"? Last night on "The Daily Show," John Oliver went to New York bookstores to find out, only to find that most fans had dressed up as the villains in the book, and that New York kids would rather jump into a volcano than read "Going Rogue." WATCH: The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c -
Jon Stewart, Lou Dobbs Discuss CNN, Argue Over Health Care Reform (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 2:28 amThe Daily Show's Jon Stewart welcomed former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs with a Mariachi band because... why not? Over a long interview, only portions of which aired, Stewart and Dobbs discussed the newsman's decision to quit on the air... or not quit on the air... or come to some sort of mutual understanding tied up in contracts that dissolved the relationship between CNN and the controversial anchor. Dobbs basically offered that CNN "wanted to move in another direction," to which Stewart replied, "I see the direction they're going in, I believe it's called down." Then, praising Dobbs for having… -
Lou Dobbs On "Daily Show": Mariachi Band, CNN's "Flavorless Gruel Of Journalism" (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 1:58 amLou Dobbs continued his post-CNN media tour Wednesday with a stop at "The Daily Show." Jon Stewart greeted Dobbs with a Mexican mariachi band — a clear reference to his stance against illegal immigration. Dobbs took it in stride, laughing and saying the band "could play at any party." Discussing his departure from CNN, Dobbs repeated the talking point that he and CNN are heading in different directions, citing CNN/US President Jon Klein's decision to practice "middle of the road journalism" instead of Dobbs' "advocacy journalism." "You sure it wasn't adult contemporary journalism?"… -
Jon Stewart Explains To Conservative Pundits Why He Doesn't Like Sarah Palin (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 12:25 amJon Stewart gave what seemed like his final word on Sarah Palin last night, explaining to Fox News pundits that he doesn't dislike her because she's from Alaska or because she hunts, but because "when you peel back the pretty, shooty layers of the Palin onion, there's no onion. It's just a conservative boiler plate mad lib: 'Freedom is good and taxes are--ooh I need an adjective--how about, I don't know, silly?' And the worst part it's a mad lib delivered as though it were the hard-earned wisdom of a life well lived," he explained. Stewart took exception to the accusations that Democrats…
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Dan Rather on The Huffington Post
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Berlin Wall Newscasts 20 Years Later: Watch Brokaw, Jennings & Rather Report The News (VIDEO)
9 Nov 2009 | 8:22 amMonday marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which provides a nice opportunity to look back at the coverage of the historic event. Below, relive the coverage from Tom Brokaw (NBC), Peter Jennings (ABC), and Dan Rather (CBS) — and vote for who you think delivered the authoritative Berlin Wall broadcast. Share your memories — or reflections on just how much has changed in the media since then — in the comments section. Read more: Slidepoll, Berlin Wall 20th Anniversary, Tom Brokaw, Berlin Wall 20 Years Later, Peter Jennings Berlin Wall, Peter Jennings, Dan… -
Leslie Griffith: Black-Op at Black Rock
8 Oct 2009 | 8:54 amBlack-op at Black Rock In all the world only one man challenged the Killing of JFK: Jim Garrison, a bold and dauntless New Orleans D.A. "It was a coup d'etat," he told a nation. But how could that be? And, if it was and Americans did nothing, what sort of country are we? Lord Tennyson was quoted in the lone prosecutor's closing arguments: "Authority forgets a dying King." An eternal flame is a much more palatable thing! With a Grand Canyon of lies, a president's life is erased. Whew...glad that's over. America is once again safe! That "Magic Bullet" sure did the trick. And, with Vietnam… -
Eric Alterman: Think Again: CBS and Dan Rather -- Doing the Right's Dirty Work
8 Oct 2009 | 6:24 amCrossposted with the Center for American Progress. With Mickey Ehrlich. Last week, a New York appeals court dismissed Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS. Rather contends that the network violated his contract by giving him insufficient airtime on "60 Minutes" after forcing him to step down as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" in March 2005. He also says the network committed fraud by commissioning a "biased" and incomplete investigation of a "60 Minutes" broadcast in order to "pacify the White House." The broadcast presented as authentic documents from the Air National Guard showing George W. -
Dan Rather: Lawsuit "Not Over," I'm "Determined"
1 Oct 2009 | 9:22 amDan Rather told Fox News/Fox Business' Neil Cavuto Thursday that his lawsuit against CBS "is not over." Rather called the case "a long, hard fight" and said, "despite what CBS and their lawyers would have you believe, it is not over. The New York Court of Appeals gets to decide. And they decide, not CBS' lawyers and their promotion and publicity team." Rather told Cavuto that his lawsuit is about much more than his dismissal from the network. "The most important principle and the basic reason I'm in it is, what kind of news are we going to have?" he said. "We have very large corporate… -
Dan Rather To Speak To Neil Cavuto About Lawsuit
30 Sep 2009 | 3:55 pmThe Huffington Post hears that Neil Cavuto has landed an exclusive interview with Dan Rather, his first since his lawsuit against CBS was dismissed Tuesday. The interview is expected to air on Cavuto's Fox News program, "Your World with Neil Cavuto," as well as on his Fox Business Network program. Rather is expected to discuss his decision to appeal the dismissal of his case. Rather's $70 million breach of contract suit — in which he claimed that CBS wrongfully fired him over his report on George W. Bush's service in the National Guard — was thrown out Tuesday by a judge in the…
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Darfur on The Huffington Post
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Jerry Fowler: Presidential Silence in Beijing
18 Nov 2009 | 2:56 amLess than a month after his Administration proclaimed in its new strategy for Sudan that "American leadership is essential to a more effective multilateral approach," President Obama left China early this morning without any public reference to having brought up Sudan with his hosts. There were background statements to journalists that it was on a list of things discussed. Such low-key treatment was a huge missed opportunity to enlist the support for the new strategy from a crucial country. It also was a rejection of the recent, bipartisan plea by 44 Members of Congress: As you prepare to… -
Jerry Fowler: China: Obama's Test
16 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pmAs President Obama travels to China this week, he unquestionably has a full plate of priorities to discuss with the Chinese government. The economy, trade wars, nuclear proliferation, and security cooperation will all receive significant amounts of attention, as well they should. Some commentators are describing the president's trip to China as a test of his foreign policy prowess; it will also serve as a test of his dedication to resolving one of the thorniest problems currently plaguing the international community: Sudan. On October 19th, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Ambassador… -
John Prendergast: To Obama in China: Don't Shy Away From Sudan, Congo
16 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amPresident Obama has a huge opportunity to advance two of the most important peace and human rights causes on the continent of Africa during his meetings with Chinese officials this week, and particularly in the follow-up to this potentially historic visit. In both Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the two deadliest wars in the world, China has invested or struck trade deals worth billions of dollars and thus has a vested interest in peace and security in both of those troubled countries. President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao may not see eye to eye on human rights… -
Michael Macher: To Give Is To Gain: Bobby Sager's Philosophy Of Philanthropy
13 Nov 2009 | 2:14 amWe've all heard the familiar criticism--that despite our relative wealth and high standard of living, modern life has left many of us feeling lonely, disconnected, and spiritually bankrupt. At a time when so many of us are working ourselves to death, struggling to support ourselves and our loved ones, and seeking balance in our personal and professional lives, it seems that there is no time to step outside of our immediate experience and ask ourselves the deeper questions about community, connection, and what it means to reach out and help another human being. Given the break-neck pace of our… -
Stephen Schlesinger: Obama Gets Good Grades at the United Nations
3 Nov 2009 | 8:10 amBarack Obama promised throughout his presidential campaign to reengage with the United Nations. And he has. He's compiled an extraordinary list of accomplishments already at the UN building. Let's begin with his decision to appoint a new ambassador, Susan Rice, who actually believes in the UN and has made her commitment clear. Next, his early meeting with Ban Ki Moon at the White House in his seventh week of his presidency, which demonstrated in a public way Obama's determination to link America up again with the UN. Then his early decision to pay up our annual dues and peacekeeping arrears,…
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David Axelrod on The Huffington Post
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Axelrod Knocks Romney: 'Never Had Responsibility For Any Decision Akin To This' (VIDEO)
15 Nov 2009 | 2:30 amOn CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, White House senior adviser David Axelrod responded to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's criticism of the president. Romney expressed incredulity that President Obama had not made up his mind on Afghanistan. "Why is it taking so long?" host John King asked. "Governor Romney has to choose one argument of another," Axelrod responded. "Either he has to say he is not paying attention or he has to say he is taking too long because he has been involved in a rigorous review ... You know, I know that Governor Romney has never had responsibility for any… -
Anonymous Democratic Strategist Claims White House Discouraged Fox News Appearances
8 Nov 2009 | 10:53 amAt least one Democratic political strategist has gotten a blunt warning from the White House to never appear on Fox News Channel, an outlet that presidential aides have depicted as not so much a news-gathering operation as a political opponent bent on damaging the Obama administration. Read more: Gop, White House, Anita Dunn, Opinion, News, Obama Fox News, Pundits, Axelrod, Programming, Obama, Propaganda, Commentators, David Axelrod, Television, Sean Hannity, Tv, Fox News, Dnc, Republicans, Media News -
John R. Bohrer: Can Paterson Learn From The Secret Race to Replace Jon Corzine?
6 Nov 2009 | 2:16 amThe White House wants David Paterson out of the running for New York's 2010 gubernatorial election. Paterson hopes they'll reconsider. Because hey -- it worked for Jon Corzine. In early August, David Axelrod and Patrick Gaspard met at a New York City hotel with Corzine's campaign staffers, asking whether or not the incumbent governor could actually win. Corzine's people assured them that he could. Obama's pollster became a top level adviser and it was settled. Corzine would remain the nominee. This is patty-cake compared to what the White House did to Governor Paterson -- planting a story on… -
David Axelrod Gives Interview To Fox News' Major Garrett
4 Nov 2009 | 6:24 amWhite House senior adviser David Axelrod has given an interview to Fox News' Major Garrett, the latest sign that the administration is ramping down its feud with the cable news outlet. Clips of Axelrod's interview will air on Fox News throughout the day as well as on "Special Report with Bret Baier" at 6PM and "The Fox Report" at 7PM. The interview touched on topics including Afghanistan, health care, Iran, yesterday's election and the one year anniversary of the President's election to office. No word if the two also discussed the White House's feud with Fox. Fox News executive Michael… -
Axelrod: "Everything About The Politics Of Washington Works Against Hope And Optimism And Unity"
4 Nov 2009 | 12:56 amIn the White House, the wistfulness for the simpler days is palpable. "The day was just suffused with emotion and hope and warmth," David Axelrod, Mr. Obama's senior adviser, recalled about Election Day last year. "But it is an emotional peak that you can't maintain day to day as you do the business of government. The challenge is to maintain that degree of idealism and optimism as you work through the meat grinder. "Everything about the politics of Washington works against hope and optimism and unity. So you have to push against that every day, understanding that it's going to be an…
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David Letterman on The Huffington Post
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Colbert On "Letterman": Obama Is The Meryl Streep Of Presidents (VIDEO)
20 Nov 2009 | 12:52 amStephen Colbert sat down with David Letterman last night and reminisced about his trip to Iraq. He recounted for Dave his visit to the White House where the president taped a segment for Stephen to show the troops. Turns out the president is an unnervingly talented actor who made Colbert feel bad about how long it took him to make a career in comedy. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Stephen Colbert, Late Night Shows, Video, Meryl Streep, Obama Meryl Streep, Letterman Colbert, Colbert on Letterman 2009, Colbert Letterman, Barack Obama, Colbert on Letterman,… -
Top 10 Highlights From Obama's Fox News Interview (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 3:54 amAfter months of tension between the Obama White House and Fox News, the president sat down with Major Garrett this week to discuss the economy, health care and national security. Last night, David Letterman revealed the top ten highlights of the interview including the fact that Garrett called Obama the "alleged president" and that Barack wore Michelle's halter top. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: David Letterman, Letterman Obama, Obama Fox, Video, Major Garrett, Major Garrett Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Comedy News -
Letterman Skewers Bud Adams: "Top 10 Signs Your NFL Team Owner Is Nuts" (VIDEO)
18 Nov 2009 | 2:35 amIn light of Titans owner Bud Adams receiving a $250,000 fine for giving the finger to fans at Sunday's Bills-Titans game, David Letterman explored NFL ownership last night with his top ten list, "Signs Your NFL Team Owner Is Nuts." The list includes "Pre-game pep talk asks team to lose by more than seven-and-a-half" and "Team plays in North Carolina, builds new stadium in North Dakota." Check out the full list below. WATCH: Get HuffPost Sports on Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Video, Bud Adams, Nfl, Top 10 Signs Your NFL Team Owner Is Nuts, The Late Show, Bud Adams Finger, Top 10 List,… -
Penelope Cruz Won't Say If She's Engaged (VIDEO)
17 Nov 2009 | 11:47 pmPenelope Cruz still won't say whether marriage and/or a baby with longtime boyfriend Javier Bardem is in her immediate future. "I don't feel comfortable talking about my private life in public," she told David Letterman when he asked her on his show Tuesday night if she was engaged. Letterman persisted, but Cruz refused to budge. "I've been here a few times with you, you know I'm tough. One thing I don't do, I don't lie about my personal life," she said. "It's sacred to me. It's my life. But I don't give details about it because I am allergic to that." Cruz stepped out with a big rock on her… -
Letterman Takes On Palin's Book (VIDEO)
17 Nov 2009 | 1:58 amDavid Letterman released his newest Sarah Palin top ten list last night revealing the biggest surprises in her book. This is not to be confused with a list Dave did six months ago called the "Top Ten Surprises In Sarah Palin's Memoir." Both lists are full of Palin shots, but the new one (below) takes on Sarah's relationships with Tina Fey and Todd. In addition to the top ten lists, Letterman has been running a series for weeks now on "Things More Fun Than Reading The Sarah Palin Memoir," which include drinking pee and getting hit by cars. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!
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Democratic Convention on The Huffington Post
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DNC Raises $11.5 Million In October, Outpacing RNC
19 Nov 2009 | 7:54 amThe Democratic National Committee raised $11.5 million during the month of October, a party source tells the Huffington Post. The haul, the source says, is a monthly record for a non-presidential election year since restrictions on campaign fundraising went into effect under the McCain-Feingold Act. The DNC still finds itself $4.4 million in debt. But the committee is gaining ground on its Republican counterpart. The Republican National Committee reportedly took in $8.79 million in October (up from the $8.74 it raised in September. As of now, the DNC has $12.3 million cash on hand to the… -
Joanne Bamberger: Sarah Palin: Going Rogue to the White House Or Someplace Else?
18 Nov 2009 | 6:36 amSarah Palin in 2012? Some are chuckling, but they might want to rethink their take on the first woman on a GOP presidential ticket. Conservative pundit David Brooks laughed out loud at the suggestion, calling her a "joke". Others point to 2008 wannabes Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee as more qualified and doing better in polls than Palin when people talk about GOP Presidential hopefuls. Of course, most thought that quitting her day job as Alaska Governor was the death knell for her political career, but I think this is just the beginning of Palin's national political career. After all, she was… -
Jennifer Vanasco: Gays Boycott the Democrats - Finally
10 Nov 2009 | 1:29 amPresident Barack Obama was AWOL when it came to the marriage vote in Maine and the partnership vote in Washington. The DNC was worse, actively working against us by sending out an email to Maine Democrats asking them to campaign for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine -- instead of asking them to staff phones in their home state, working for marriage equality. Despite a supposed commitment to gay civil rights expressed in the DNC platform and by the Obama campaign and administration, there has been relative silence on our issues. That needs to change. And thanks to John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay,… -
Emma Ruby-Sachs: What the Gay Boycott of the DNC Can Do
10 Nov 2009 | 12:56 amThere is a gay boycott of the Democratic Party afoot, and it has the potential to turn into something that leads to real change in American politics. I'm not selling hope here, but I can't help but feel it when I see the momentum gathering behind AMERICAblog's "Don't Ask, Don't Give" campaign. What is most exciting? The places this campaign could go. It is nothing new to complain about the two-party system in the United States. While many countries give voters four or five or more options at the polls, Americans are forced to decide between a centrist party with conservative social views or a… -
Starz Denver Film Festival: What Movies Will You See? (VOTE)
9 Nov 2009 | 11:43 amThe 32nd annual Starz Denver Film Festival begins this Thursday, bringing Denver 11 days with more than 200 films from 40 different countries. Screenings taking place at the Starz Film Festival at the Tivoli, King Academy and Performing Arts Center and at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House will show films ranging from documentaries to comedies. We've found the trailers for some highly-anticipated festival movies, and want to know which ones you're looking forward to seeing. Follow HuffPost Denver on Twitter and become a fan of HuffPost Denver on Facebook! Read more: Two Spirits, Dnc, The Young…
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Dick Cheney on The Huffington Post
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Mary Cheney Daughter Born, Her Second Child
19 Nov 2009 | 1:57 amMary Cheney, former Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, had her second child this morning at Sibley Hospital in Washington, DC. Sarah Lynne Cheney was born at 8:17 a.m., weighing 6lbs., 14 oz. Her parents are Mary and her partner of 18 years, Heather Poe. The couple's first child, Samuel David Cheney, was born in May 2007. Read more: Mary Cheney Gives Birth, Sarah Lynne Cheney, Dick Cheney, Mary Cheney, Dick Cheney Grandchild, Mary Cheney Has Baby, Dick Chaney Grandfather, Politics News -
Josh Nelson: Will the GOP Nominate a Climate Change Denier in 2012?
18 Nov 2009 | 6:55 amIn the early stages of the race for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012, eight names are mentioned most frequently: Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal and Dick Cheney. Of these eight early contenders, five outright deny or question climate science, while the remaining three are opposed to all meaningful action. If Gingrich, Jindal or Barbour wish to claim they are not opposed to all meaningful action, they'll have to present plans that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the extent scientists say is necessary, which… -
Rove, Cheney, Gingrich and Kristol Fail To Rally 9/11 Trial Foes
18 Nov 2009 | 4:29 amOn Monday, Karl Rove sent a tweet to his 92,000 followers: "Don't sit out: 9:30am 11/18 Dirksen Senate Bldg Rm G-50 to oppose Atty Gen's testimony on trying terrorists on U.S. soil." On Tuesday, Newt Gingrich dispatched a similar message to his 1.2 million Twitter devotees: "Join @keepamericasafe at 9:30am Wed at Dirksen Senate Bldg to protest Holder's testimony on bringing terrorists to US." Keep America Safe is Elizabeth Cheney's new hawkish group--neocon godfather Bill Kristol is one of its three board members--and on Tuesday it tweeted followers: Read more: Keep America Safe, Liz Cheney,… -
William Bradley: The Inevitable Fluke That Is Sarah Palin
17 Nov 2009 | 4:06 amFive minutes into yesterday's Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain's presidential campaign manager: "So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?" His immediate reply: "I didn't, untrue." Palin had just said that Schmidt, the evident villain of her new book, Going Rogue, and other top McCain advisors had already known that her teenage daughter was pregnant with an illegitimate child and had marching orders for her even before she was picked as McCain's shock vice presidential nominee. Ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin provides insight… -
Laura Bush Opens Up (VIDEO): 'There's Great Relief ... When You Leave The White House'
16 Nov 2009 | 4:52 amHow is life these days for Laura Bush? "Freedom," "relief," and "relaxed" were a few of the words Bush used to describe it in her interview with CBS' Maggie Rodriguez. Bush has been keeping herself busy at her new digs in Dallas, Texas, writing her memoir and acting as chairwoman for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. However, a running motif in the interview was the "great feeling of freedom" that comes with leaving the White House, and that she and former President Bush are "both a lot more relaxed." "There's great relief, believe me, when you leave the White House after serving…
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Don Imus on The Huffington Post
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Chris Christie: "I'm Pretty Fat"
29 Oct 2009 | 12:05 pmTRENTON, N.J. — The Republican in New Jersey's race for governor wants the incumbent to weigh in more candidly about the challenger's heft. Chris Christie says Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine should quit hinting at his weight with unflattering ads and "Man up and say I'm fat." Read more: Chris Christie Fat, Chris Christie New Jersey, New Jersey, Chris Christie Obese, Don Imus, Chris Christie Corzine, Chris Christie Overweight, Fat Governor, New Jersey Governor's Race, New York News -
Karl Frisch: Is Dr. Fox-enstein - Roger Ailes - Building Another Monster?
14 Oct 2009 | 1:29 amIn Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, her classic work from 1818, Dr. Victor Frankenstein brings life to the lifeless. Larger and more powerful than an average man, Dr. Frankenstein's creation strikes fear in the hearts of those it encounters. Remember, this monster was only man-like -- a far cry from the real thing. With Halloween just around the corner, Fox News president Roger Ailes -- a former Republican communications guru -- is looking more and more like the news industry's Dr. Frankenstein. For months now, he has been putting the finishing touches on his first monster, Fox News Channel, just… -
Don Imus' Fox Business Deal Worth Around $3 Million
9 Oct 2009 | 5:47 amThe Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove raised some eyebrows earlier this week when he speculated that Don Imus' contract with Fox Business Network was worth more than $25 million: Fox News czar Roger Ailes has been wooing the radio jock for the past two years, and finally pried him loose from a reported $25 million contract with the rural-oriented RFD-TV network, flashing presumably bigger bucks to simulcast Imus' Citadel-produced radio show and lift Fox Business Network out of the ratings basement The contract is actually valued at around $3 million, according to insiders with knowledge of the deal. -
Glynnis MacNicol: I'm Sorry, So Sorry: Top Ten On-Air Apologies
7 Oct 2009 | 4:14 amDavid Letterman's public apology Monday night for bad behavior is merely the latest in a long list of famous public apologies. Mostly these are for similarly bad behavior (Letterman has the rare privilege of adding extortion victim to the list), though a couple of times it's been the result of someone shooting their mouth off. Letterman joins a list that includes a whole lot of politicians -- Bill Clinton, Jim McGreevey, Mark Sanford, Eliot Spitzer -- and one or two jackass entertainers. Strangely, it was hard to come up with women for this list! Paris Hilton was a last-minute addition, but… -
Diane Tucker: Who Duped Rolling Stone Gonzo Reporter Matt Taibbi?
6 Oct 2009 | 5:35 amIt's starting to look like basketball-player-turned-political-reporter-turned-overnight-authority-on-Wall-Street Matt Taibbi may have fallen for a stock-trading ruse. Heaven knows he's an easy mark. "I can't even balance my checkbook," he told radio talk show host Don Imus. Taibbi, Rolling Stone magazine's teen heartthrob, became a sensation last month after calling Goldman Sachs "a giant vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity." His piece contained as many errors as facts, but few of us minded because the imaginative writer memorably captured the national zeitgeist. Taibbi knows…
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Dubai on The Huffington Post
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Jean-Pierre Lehmann: The Post-Berlin Aftermath: Many Walls Still Need to Be Brought Down
9 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amThe destruction of the Berlin Wall and the global market revolution that followed emancipated hundreds of millions of people. Though censorship and various forms of state control persist in different parts of the world today, never have so many people on this planet been able to penetrate through the walls of information to gain knowledge and connect with others. Estonians are members of the EU, many children of the new Russian elite attend Swiss schools, while the Chinese appear among the most visible tourists at the Olympic Museum located in the city in which I live, Lausanne. Yes, but. -
Dubai Hosts Olympics 2020?
2 Nov 2009 | 7:19 amDUBAI, United Arab Emirates — This Gulf boomtown has set its sights on becoming the first Arab city to host the Olympics with a committee meeting Monday to consider a possible bid for the 2020 games. The city-state's media office said Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum met with the group, urging it to devote its full efforts to the campaign. Read more: Sports, Olympics 2020, Dubai Olympics 2020, Dubai Olympics, Dubai, World News -
Gulf Sees Arts Explosion (VIDEO)
29 Oct 2009 | 8:09 amThe Gulf state of Qatar is preparing to welcome the Hollywood glitterati onto its shores, for the country's inaugural Doha Tribeca Film Festival. The festival is just one of a host of projects in the country that are aimed at giving a boost to the arts. But neighbouring Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates are also working to increase their cultural capital by investing large amounts of money to bring famous names to their region. Joanna Blundell reports on a rivalry that could transform the Gulf. Check out more Al Jazeera English videos here. Get HuffPost World On Facebook and… -
Autistic Artist Stephen Wiltshire Draws NYC From Memory
26 Oct 2009 | 11:07 amStephen Wiltshire was mute when he was diagnosed with severe autism at the age of three. He began communicating through his drawings after being sent to Queensmill School in London, and with the support of his special-needs teachers, gradually learned to speak. It was during those school years that they discovered Stephen's special talent, when he drew the ornate Albert Hall following a class field trip -- without the aid of a photograph. Wiltshire has the uncanny ability to draw and paint detailed landscapes and cityscapes entirely from memory. Wiltshire can look at the subject of his… -
Dubai's Dazzling New Metro Upsets Nation's Rigid Social Hierarchy
19 Oct 2009 | 7:15 amBy Tom Hundley DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- When his kingdom's roads became so swollen with assorted Mercedes and Hummers that even short trips across town turned into slow motion marathons, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, the ruler (and unofficial CEO) of Dubai, decreed that a metro be built. Three-and-a-half years and $7.6 billion later, Sheikh Mohammed, resplendent in royal blue robes and accompanied by the usual pomp and glitz, became the first passenger on the Arabian Peninsula's first rapid rail transit system. Built by a Japanese consortium and operated by a British…
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Politics of Food on The Huffington Post
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The Yes Men Take On Coca Cola And Dasani Water (VIDEO)
19 Nov 2009 | 12:23 amThe Enviro-Pranksters The Yes Men were at it again with a recent trip to Boston, where, posing as Coca Cola representatives, they unveiled a new name and label for Dasani water, called "Deception." The Yes Men, working with the Think Outside The Bottle Campaign of Corporate Accountability International are drawing attention to how bottled water is marketed as healthier, but its actually less regulated than city water and comes with serious environmental costs. Kristin Urquiza from the Think Outside The Bottle campaign discusses in the video that 40% of bottled water actually comes from the… -
Paula Crossfield: The Fair Food Project Tells Farmworkers' Stories (VIDEO)
17 Nov 2009 | 6:13 amIf you eat, you rely on farmers, but you also rely on the labor of 2.5 million farm workers in the United States who earn wages below the poverty limit ($10,000 per year) while risking their lives in the harshest conditions in order to bring us most of the food we eat on a day to day basis. Photographer and writer Rick Nahmias and the California Institute for Rural Studies have created a multimedia project called "Fair Food: Field to Table," allowing farm workers to tell their own stories, and featuring the voices of farm worker advocates and producers who are pursuing solutions to creating… -
Diane Dimond: Terrorism That Hits the Bread Basket
17 Nov 2009 | 5:27 amMy husband says I worry too much. Naturally, I don't agree. But there I was at the grocery store the other day and my mind began to work overtime. Given the nature of the work I do -- writing about crime and justice -- I admit my brain doesn't necessarily think like other people's brains. As I went about spending $271.52, which took a while, I noticed an unattended child in the cookie aisle. Fast as a cat he opened a bag, snatched a cookie and shoved it in his mouth. He then expertly sealed up the package again lickedy-split. No one was the wiser except for me. In retrospect I think I should… -
Eating A Deep Fried Fish That's Still Alive (VIDEO)
17 Nov 2009 | 3:57 amEating "rare" delicacies just got to a new level. In China, chefs have figured out a way to keep a fish alive as it gets deep fried and then waits to be eaten. Below is the shocking video of a deep-fried fish that's still living and moving on a plate. Warning, this may be too graphic for some readers. WATCH: Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Animal Cruelty, Video, Poll, Live Fish, Food Politics, Eating Meat, Meat, Impact of Eating Meat, Seafood, Eating Live Fish Video, Eating Deep Fried Fish Alive, Fried Fish Alive, Deep Fried Fish Alive, Fried Fish Eaten Alive, Live… -
California's 'Happy Cow' Ads Will Be Filmed In New Zealand
16 Nov 2009 | 4:18 amThe New Zealand cows, soon, will have a say in the matter because the CMAB is bringing its production crews to Auckland, New Zealand, to shoot a new series of 10 commercials claiming that California cows are happier. Read more: Happy New Zealand Cows, Happy California Cows, Happy Cows, Milk, Food Politics, Green News
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Economy on The Huffington Post
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Linda Buzzell: Integrating the Best Ideas from Left and Right
21 Nov 2009 | 9:40 amAs a psychotherapist I've done my share of counseling squabbling couples and have learned to listen carefully to both partners in any dispute, looking for common ground to build on. Lately I've begun to apply this method to politics, with some fascinating results. As I put aside my own particular political taste (progressive/green) and work at being as objective in following the news as I am in the counseling room, I have started to realize that each side of our current polarized society has some really valid ideas that the other refuses to hear. When people aren't heard, they often scream… -
NY Legislature Goes Home Without Budget Deal
20 Nov 2009 | 5:12 amALBANY, N.Y. — New York lawmakers headed home Thursday without agreement on how to address the state's fiscal crisis. The Legislature was in session all week – at a cost of about $70,000 a day – but couldn't agree on how to close this fiscal year's $3.2 billion deficit. The Assembly, Senate and Gov. David Paterson have been talking about steps that would likely have to include cuts in spending on schools and health care, each protected by powerful special interests. Read more: Albany, New York Legislature, Budget Crisis, David Paterson, Economy, New York Budget Crisis, New… -
New York Unemployment Rate Rises To 9 Percent; Highest Since 1983
20 Nov 2009 | 1:37 amALBANY, N.Y. — New York's unemployment rate inched to 9 percent in October from 8.9 in September. State labor department officials say that's the highest level since April 1983. Read more: Unemployment, Unemployment Rate, New-York-Jobless, Economy, Economic Crisis, New York Unemployment, Recession, New York, New York News -
National Debt To Increase By $9 Trillion Over Next Decade, $4.8 Trillion Just In Interest Alone
20 Nov 2009 | 1:07 amNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Here's a new way to think about the U.S. government's epic borrowing: More than half of the $9 trillion in debt that Uncle Sam is expected to build up over the next decade will be interest. More than half. In fact, $4.8 trillion. Read more: Interest Rates, Economic Stimulus Package, National Debt, Congressional Budget Office, National Debt Soars, Economy, Business News -
State Unemployment Rate Reaches 11 Percent
19 Nov 2009 | 11:22 amCHICAGO — Illinois' unemployment rate continued to climb last month, rising to its highest level in more than a quarter century, officials reported Thursday. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rose from 10.5 percent to 11 percent between September and October, bringing the rate to its highest mark since August 1983. As recently as October 2008, the unemployment rate was 6.8 percent. Read more: Unemployment, Illinois Unemployment, Job Cuts, Economy, Recession, Illinois Unemployment Rate, Chicago News
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Egypt on The Huffington Post
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Egyptian Soccer Fans Riot Against Algeria (PHOTOS)
20 Nov 2009 | 3:36 am(AP) CAIRO — Egyptian soccer fans burned Algerian flags and rioted outside the Algerian Embassy in Cairo, smashing cars and shop windows, in an escalating row between the two countries over a bitter World Cup rivalry. Egyptian fans – and the country's media – have been thrown into a frenzy over reports that Algerians attacked and injured Egyptians after their countries' teams squared off in a World Cup qualifier in the Sudanese capital Khartoum this week. Algeria won the game 1-0, giving them a spot in the 2010 Cup in South Africa. Read more: Egypt, Soccer, Egypt Riot, Egypt… -
Egypt Recalls Algerian Ambassador As Soccer Rift Grows
19 Nov 2009 | 8:18 amCAIRO — Egypt on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Algeria for consultations as part of a growing diplomatic row caused by a bitter soccer rivalry between the two Arab nations that has sparked violence among fans. Egyptian fans were attacked after Algeria won a make-or-break World Cup qualifying game Wednesday in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and offices of Egyptian companies in Algeria were ransacked after a matchup in Cairo over the weekend. Read more: Egypt Algeria, Algeria Egypt, Algeria, Egypt, Soccer, Soccer Sudan, Soccer Egypt, World News -
Soccer In Sudan: Guns And Soldiers Required
19 Nov 2009 | 2:08 amKHARTOUM, Sudan -- The streets emptied at sunset. Twitchy-faced soldiers hit the pavement, literally thousands of them, wearing all stripes of camouflage, blues, greens, grays and browns. They twirled clubs and AK-47s and plastic pipes and ragged old beating sticks. Their giant trucks with four-foot-high wheels blocked the roads. This did not feel like a major sporting event. It felt more like a presidential coup. Read more: Sudan, Sudan Soccer, Egypt, Algeria, Soccer, World News -
Egypt Vs. Algeria, November 18: Sudan Hosts World Cup Soccer Qualifier
18 Nov 2009 | 1:30 amPARIS — The first rock was thrown with such force that it traveled through the bus, smashing windows on its way in and out, Michel Gaillaud, a French doctor, recalls. Panicked, he and the soccer players he treats dived for cover. Read more: Egypt vs Algeria, Egypt Algeria, Egypt vs Algeria November 18, Egypt vs Algeria in Sudan, World Cup, Algeria, Egypt, Soccer, Egypt vs Algeria 18 November, Sports News -
Ancient Mummies Had Heart Disease
17 Nov 2009 | 11:03 amORLANDO, Fla. — You can't blame this one on McDonald's: Researchers have found signs of heart disease in 3,500-year-old mummies. "We think of it as being caused by modern risk factors," such as fast food, smoking and a lack of exercise, but the findings show that these aren't the only reasons arteries clog, said Dr. Randall Thompson, a cardiologist at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City. Read more: Heart Problems, Egyptian Mummies, Cairo, Egypt, Mummies Heart Disease, Mummies, Health News, Risk Factors, Egyptian National Museum of Antiquities, Heart Disease, Ancient Mummies,…
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Election Anxiety on The Huffington Post
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Jennifer Merolla Ph.D.: Cracks in Obama's Coalition or Conventional Wisdom?
9 Nov 2009 | 9:38 amThere have been countless articles this week interpreting the electoral tea leaves. One common interpretation of the results is that there may be some cracks in the coalition that ushered Obama into office. The stories generally then conclude that these cracks may serve as a warning sign for Democrats in the future. An example of this type of article appeared the day after the election in the Washington Post in an article by Dan Balz. In assessing the results of the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, he argued: "Neither gubernatorial election amounted to a referendum on the… -
Michael Russnow: David Letterman Apology Redux: Shame on Dave for Buckling Under to Palin's Lies
15 Jun 2009 | 11:21 pmI feel sad for David Letterman, because in spite of the reasons he put forth in his latest mea culpa Monday night on The Late Show, he caved in, I believe, out of misplaced fear that he might be banished from his late night throne. He won't admit it, but I believe it's true. In my article last week I felt he went too far when he went on and on about how he would never, ever tell a sexual joke about a fourteen-year-old. He looked straight at the camera and then said something to the effect of, "Hey, I'm sorry we made a mistake as to who was at the game, but you have to believe I was talking… -
Virginia Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Vie For Black Vote
8 Jun 2009 | 2:55 amIn a race without a clear front-runner, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (Bath), former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe and former state delegate Brian Moran (Alexandria) have touted endorsements from civil rights leaders and black newspapers, mailed thousands of fliers and competed on radio for support in areas that are not a natural base for any of the three. Read more: Election Anxiety, Virginia-2009-Primary, Black Voters, Terry McAuliffe, Terry Mcauliffe Virginia Governor, Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate, Brian Moran, Creigh Deeds, Politics News -
David O. Stewart: Putting "Justice" Back Into D.O.J.
6 Apr 2009 | 9:52 amSometimes the good news can slip right past us, so it's important to savor it when it happens. New Attorney General Eric Holder is the source of this month's cautious hope that the rule of law is returning to the Department of (irony intentionally withheld) Justice. Several weeks ago, Holder set the hearts of rule-of-law junkies aflutter when he directed that the government abandon its long-held position that Ali Saleh Kahlah Al-Marri, a legal resident of Peoria, IL, could be detained indefinitely by the military without ever being charged with a crime. Now Al-Marri is preparing for trial in… -
Marc Gunther: The Recession Hits Home
16 Dec 2008 | 10:44 amOops! I got scooped on the news of my own layoff. Willie Brent had it first on his blog, and then my friend Joel Makower reported the story, as part of a blogpost headlined, "Are environmental journalists an endangered species?" He writess: Just after Thanksgiving, Fortune magazine gave layoff notices to Marc Gunther, one of the leading business writers on corporate environmental practices (whose blogs also appear on GreenBiz.com), along with Todd Woody, whose coverage of clean technology has led the pack. (Gunther has been asked to stick around as a "contributing writer" and again chair next…
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Election Day on The Huffington Post
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Steven G. Brant: How Budget Cuts at the Times Helped Give NYC Bloomberg III
16 Nov 2009 | 2:52 amBloomberg (the Business) Conquers The World I was struck on Saturday by the New York Times' long (nearly 3,000 word) article entitled "At Bloomberg, Modest Strategy to Rule the World". Some choice excerpts:...the data behemoth that Michael R. Bloomberg created and named after himself in 1981, long before he became mayor of New York, finally has the reach, resources and appetites to try snaring the mantle of Most Influential -- at least in the rarefied world of business news. ...Publishing giants like Condé Nast, Time Inc. and the New York Times... have laid off people and scaled back. -
Rick Horowitz: Post-Election Punditry: It's Perfectly Obvious
5 Nov 2009 | 3:59 amClick. " -- and we're back. Time now to ask our Pack o' Pundits for the big takeaways from Tuesday's election results. What did you guys see in all those numbers? And what does it all mean?" "No question about it, Joe: It was a great night for the Republicans. Barack Obama comes out of Election Day a very damaged brand. The voters made it absolutely clear that they don't support his activist agenda, and they think he's been a complete failure at getting this economy up and running like he promised to do. He's definitely on the ropes." "No question about it, Joe: It was a great night for the… -
Bob Cesca: Hope, Change and The Long Road: One Year Later
4 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this… -
Mitchell Bard: Candidate Obama Might Have Some Questions for President Obama
3 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pmAs Barack Obama stood in Grant Park a year ago tonight and gave his victory speech, it was a galvanizing moment, one I (and millions of others) will never forget. A year later, many of the president's supporters are expressing concern as to whether he has kept faithful to the vision he laid out in his campaign. Today, Arianna argued that candidate Obama might not be so thrilled with the job President Obama is doing. She wrote: "Would he look at what the White House is doing and say, 'that's what I and my supporters worked so hard for?'" I understand the dismay some, like Arianna, are… -
See HuffPost's Front Pages From Election Day 2008
3 Nov 2009 | 3:50 amBrowse the front pages from last year's races by clicking on a front page from any given day, then slide the hour to see how the page changed throughout the day. Feels like 2008 was ages ago, doesn't it? Read more: Home Page, Election Day November 2009, House, Obama's Election, Off Year Elections, Election Day, Archives, Congress, Election Day 2009, Front Page, Senate, Hillary Clinton, Media News
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Election Results on The Huffington Post
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Gilbert B. Kaplan: President Obama Brings 10,000 Manufacturing Jobs Back from China (Headlines We'd Like to See)
6 Nov 2009 | 6:16 amI am glad that a company called Teletech Governmental Solutions in Englewood, Colorado used our stimulus funds to hire 635 call center employees to provide assistance to people transitioning to digital TV's. But I would be happier if a single one of those TV's were being made in the United States. The simple fact is, over and over again the United States is using its economic might and even our stimulus dollars to send jobs overseas. Some of this is conscious and obvious. There is no doubt that televisions are all made abroad these days. There was simply no reason that, coupled with the… -
Michael Steele Flip-Flops On Moderate Republicans [UPDATE]
5 Nov 2009 | 8:06 amRemember Election Night 2009? The big takeaway from the 23rd District of New York -- where Democrat Bill Owens prevailed as the first Democrat to win that Congressional seat since the Ice Age -- was that conservatives were at war with each other. Brother against brother! Establishment against fringe! Well, as it turns out, that battle is being waged most bloodily inside the Imaginarium Of Michael Steele. Yesterday, Michael Steele was defending Delicate Flower of Center-Right Moderation Olympia Snowe from the stern rhetoric of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, telling the Morning Joe… -
2009 Election: Young Voters Who Helped Obama Stayed Home
4 Nov 2009 | 9:07 amRICHMOND, Va. — Last year, 23-year-old Rashida Hill watched the presidential debates, visited the college political party meetings and put a Barack Obama bumper sticker on her townhouse door. She voted for Obama because she felt like the election was about "being a part of something." But on Tuesday, the Virginia Commonwealth University student didn't bother voting in the governor's race because, she said, the candidates didn't give her anything to get excited about. Read more: Virginia Governors Race, 2009 Election, New Jersey Governors Race, Election Results, Nj Governors Race, Obama… -
Rove Criticizes White House Response To Elections: "A Contemptuous Gesture"
4 Nov 2009 | 8:51 amKarl Rove wasn't too happy about the way the White House dismissed the Most Important Off-Off-Year Elections In United States History, and amid a weird counterfactual analysis in which he reverse-extrapolated a few races in three states and applied them to the 2008 election results, he let Fox News viewers know it, saying: ROVE: Actually, it was almost contemptuous of the process. And who's kidding themselves? I've been inside the West Wing. Every president on every election night is watching the returns. And so, [White House Press Secretary Robert] Gibbs, by going out there and saying,… -
The State Of Your Post-Election Media Memes
4 Nov 2009 | 3:08 amIf you missed out on last night's election, well, don't you know that you missed out on the most important off-off-year election in our lives? It's true! Expectations were set and memes were created and votes were cast and winners were selected and the results were a resounding... uhm: MEH? Mixed bag, really. So, hey: here's a rundown of real talk on what happened last night. Virginia Governor's Race: So, what happens when a Democrat who lacks Barack Obama's popularity runs against a Republican who doesn't alienate Virginia conservatives the way John McCain does? The Republican wins, to the…
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Eliot Spitzer on The Huffington Post
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Eliot Spitzer: Obama Economic Policies Ineffective, A Continuation Of Bush (WATCH)
18 Nov 2009 | 7:31 amAre Obama's economic policies actually working? Intelligence Squared posed this question to six policy experts at a debate in New York this week. The statement, "Obama's economic policies are working effectively," was defended by Lawrence Mishel from the Economic Policy Institute; investor and former 'Car Czar' Steven Rattner; and Mark Zandi, the chief economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com. Arguing that Obama's economic approach is failing were James Galbraith of the University of Texas; Carnegie Mellon's Allan Meltzer; and former New York governor Eliot Spitzer. The speakers… -
Will Schwartz: What We're Not Saying: Why I Miss Eliot Spitzer
16 Nov 2009 | 10:30 amWhy are we still talking about Eliot Spitzer’s sex scandal? The internet seemed to erupt in collective anger last week when Mr. Spitzer gave a speech on ethics at Harvard Law. Every New York paper took the opportunity to remind the public of the low-brow, obvious irony of Harvard’s pick: that Eliot Spitzer is a whore-mongering hypocrite, a disgraced Democratic Golden Boy, a public sociopath with little to no remorse about his crime. Well, to me that’s not the angle they should be pursuing. They’re ignoring the moral of the Spitzer story: that we were perversely… -
Eliot Spitzer Talks Financial And Personal Crisis In BBC Interview (AUDIO)
14 Nov 2009 | 2:22 amIn a wide-ranging interview with the BBC's Carrie Gracie, former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer discusses crashes -- both personal and financial. During his tenure as New York State Attorney General, Spitzer gained a reputation as a foil to Wall Street. "It is very difficult to have watched this story unfold," Spitzer told Gracie, referring to the economic crisis. "It was during the decade of financial excess that I...played a significant role in trying to highlight the failures that ultimately metastasized to bring down an entire financial system." Spitzer also discusses his personal trials… -
Eliot Spitzer's Harvard Speech Calls On Wall Street To 'Tell The Truth' (VIDEO)
12 Nov 2009 | 4:54 pmCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The head of an ethics program at Harvard University strongly defended the choice of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to deliver a lecture on integrity in the nation's financial markets. Spitzer, driven from office by a prostitution scandal, did not make reference to the episode during the more than hourlong speech Thursday to an audience of about 300 at the Ivy League school. Spitzer, a graduate of Harvard Law School, said only government can enforce integrity and transparency in the markets, and that its failure to do so helped trigger the Wall Street meltdown. "We… -
New York Times Bent Over Backwards To Please Spitzer Flacks During Scandal
4 Nov 2009 | 6:14 amHey kids! Remember that time when South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford disappeared off the face of the earth, leaving his perplexed staff behind to guess that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, except that actually he was off having an affair with his Latin American soul mate? Good times. And the media responded to the news with extensive offers to give Sanford some help during his time of need, the crowning example coming from David Gregory, who was all: Hey, Mark Sanford, why don't you use Meet The Press as a venue for you to "frame the conversation how you really want to... and then move…
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Ellen Degeneres on The Huffington Post
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Oprah's Replacement: Who Should Be The Next King/Queen Of Daytime TV? (POLL)
20 Nov 2009 | 7:15 amOprah's announcement that she will give up her syndicated talk show in 2011 after 25 years on the air leaves an enormous hole: who will be the next king or queen of daytime TV? Below are some of the names that immediately come to mind as potential heirs to Oprah's throne: Read more: Slidepoll, Ryan Seacrest, Sherri Shepherd, Nate Berkus, Kelly Ripa, Ellen Degeneres, Judge Judy, Anderson Cooper, Sarah Palin, Ellen, Rachael Ray, Dr. Phil, Oprah Replacement, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Kate Gosselin, Katie Couric, Oprah Successor, Dr. Oz, Daytime TV, Oprah, Tim Gunn, Tyra Banks, Tyra, Media News -
Michael Bialas: No Grinch will ruin Carrie Underwood's Holiday
19 Nov 2009 | 10:11 amThe Fox network is wishing you -- the home television viewer -- a very Carrie Christmas. And they're gift-wrapping two hours of entertainment in a special package titled Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special that will air December 7 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT). Of course, Fox, the network that brings you American Idol, has the gift that keeps on giving with Underwood. The country vixen from Checotah, Oklahoma, who broke through to national fame by winning the fourth season of A.I., has reason to be in the holiday spirit. Her third album, Play On, was released November 3 (19 Recordings/Arista… -
Don McNay: President Obama's Entrepreneurial Mindset
16 Nov 2009 | 6:07 amI can give you anything but time -Elvis Costello I'm sometimes critical of President Obama because it often seems to me that he doesn't understand people like me – an owner of a small business in a small town. I have not seen much evidence of Obama being in touch with small-town Kentucky, but after reading David Plouffe's new book, The Audacity to Win I have become convinced that he knows what it takes to run a business. I'm a devoted student of Dan Sullivan, the “Strategic Coach" for entrepreneurs. I went through Sullivan’s program in Toronto. -
A-List Celebs Line Up For Concert For Autism
12 Nov 2009 | 4:15 amWhat do Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump have in common? They, along with a bunch of other A-List celebrities are making appearances at the Autism Speaks Concert For Autism on November 17 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This year's star-studded event will feature comedian Jerry Seinfeld, with a special appearance by "The Boss", Bruce Springsteen. The evening will be hosted by NBC's Meet the Press moderator, David Gregory, on November 17, at world famous landmark Carnegie Hall. Your participation in this global cause will benefit the families and individuals who live with… -
Ellen Degeneres: I'll Be With Portia De Rossi Until The Day I Die (VIDEO)
9 Nov 2009 | 6:34 amEllen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi visited Oprah Monday for their first interview as a married couple. "This is the smartest, kindest, most wonderful woman that you'll ever, ever know," Ellen gushed as she introduced her wife. Oprah asked Portia when she knew Ellen was the one. "When I first laid eyes on her," Portia said. "But it took me three years to actually tell her how I felt about her, because I was on 'Ally McBeal' at the time and wasn't living as an openly gay person. I was closeted and very very afraid that if I talked about being gay it would be the end of my career. So I wasn't…
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Energy on The Huffington Post
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Les Leopold: Clinton's Cash for Caulkers? Not enough Economic Insulation
19 Nov 2009 | 2:18 amBill Clinton and John Doerr, the venture capitalist, are urging the Obama administration to use unspent TARP funds to stimulate jobs and reduce energy wastage by providing cash to homeowners and businesses for weatherization. It's being sold as a way to counteract our jobless recovery (make that our job-loss recovery). They claim that the two-year $23 billion program will pay for itself in the not-so-long haul because of the obvious energy savings. To be sure, using TARP money for something other than increasing Wall Street profits and bonuses would be a welcomed change. But it is… -
Deepak Chopra: Your Energy is Infinite and This is Why
18 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pmWhere do you get your energy? Until you know the answer, your sources of energy will be limited. Food can only supply so many calories, and quite often, if those calories come from fat or sugar, there is actually a falling off or dulling of energy. If your energy comes from being with people, you won't be energized when you are alone. If your energy comes from working, it will last much longer and be more renewable but eventually bring fatigue. To continue go to oprah.com For more information go to deepakchopra.com Follow Deepak on Twitter Read more: Energy, Spiritual Energy, Spirituality,… -
George Pataki: Putting Natural Gas to Work for America
18 Nov 2009 | 10:32 amEvery day it's becoming clear to more and more Americans that our continued over reliance on foreign oil is not just an environmental disaster but an economic disaster for this country as well. People appreciate that while we will have great sources of renewable fuel down the road, we need something now. And what is available now and has been proven to be in great abundance in the United States is natural gas. We are fortunate by virtue of geology, science, and technology to have the ability now to access natural gas from shale deposits that in the past were economically off limits. I think… -
Jesse Jenkins: Rising Tigers, Sleeping Giant -- New Report on Competitiveness in Clean Tech
18 Nov 2009 | 8:46 am"Rising Tigers, Sleeping Giant: Asian Nations Set to Dominate Clean Energy Race by Out-Investing the United States," a major new report released today by the Breakthrough Institute and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, is the first to comprehensively benchmark the competitiveness positions of the United States and key Asian challengers - China, Japan and South Korea - in the global clean energy race. The new report examines the competitive position of each nation in core clean energy technologies, including solar, wind, and nuclear power, carbon capture and storage,… -
An Activist's Guide To Copenhagen
18 Nov 2009 | 8:19 amNever mind the boring old delegates at next month's climate talks in Copenhagen. Nearby at the "alternative people's summit" Klimaforum09 and at events and actions around the city, the largest ever gathering of climate activists will take place which aims to create a global network that will take the environment movement forward for the next year and beyond. Read more: Energy, Sustainability, Climate Change, Green Energy, Copenhagen 2009, Green News
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England on The Huffington Post
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Video: McDonald's Goes Upscale
20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amA McDonald's in Manhattan's posh Chelsea neighborhood is the first in the nation to undergo a sleek, European-style makeover that has already debuted in London and Paris. CNBC.com's Brooke Sopelsa has the story. (CNBC) Paris - London - Manhattan - McDonald's - France Read more: Paris-France, France, London-United Kingdom, United Kingdom, Home News -
Britain Floods: Lake District Devastated; Many Rescued (PHOTOS)
20 Nov 2009 | 12:29 amAP COCKERMOUTH, England Military helicopters winched dozens of people to safety and emergency workers in inflatable boats rescued scores more as floods on Friday swamped northern England's picturesque Lake District. One police officer died after a bridge was swept away by the surging waters. British soldiers conducted house-to-house searches for those trapped by floods as deep as 8 feet (2.5 meters). Troops also dropped down on lines from air force helicopters, breaking through rooftops to pluck people to safety. Emergency services said more than 200 people were rescued in the hardest-hit… -
9 Weirdest Things Left On The London Underground (PHOTOS, POLL)
19 Nov 2009 | 6:58 amDavid Finkleson of The Times of London has pointed out that this year will be the 75th anniversary of the London Underground's Lost Property Department. To celebrate this milestone, Finkleson has found a list of the weirdest things left on the London Underground over the years, via the London Underground Blog. Little explanation is given to how or why these things might have been left on public transportation. The mind boggles. Let us know what you think is the weirdest, any ideas as to why it might have been left there, and things you have left/seen left behind on public transport. Get… -
Mark Olmsted: Do We Want to Be Right, or Have Rights?
19 Nov 2009 | 6:57 amI'm a gay man who supports the right of consenting adults to enter into whatever relationship they'd like, including marriage. I have several married friends who took advantage of the pre-Prop 8 window. I love these men and respect their relationships. I volunteered in the campaign against Prop 8 and was disappointed by the results in Maine. But just because I believe gays should be able to marry if straights should doesn't mean I think marriage is a very good idea. One advantage of same-sex love is that we are relatively unshackled by the expectations most heterosexuals are hard put to… -
U.K. Jews lambaste TV 'exposé' of Britain's pro-Israel lobby
18 Nov 2009 | 7:46 amA television program purporting to expose the unknown power and influence Britain's pro-Israel lobby has triggered a wave of condemnation by British Jews, some of whom accused the report of stoking anti-Semitism. ... Read more: United Kingdom, Britain, Israel, Home News
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Eric Holder on The Huffington Post
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Chris Weigant: Friday Talking Points: Harry Reid's Glacial Progress Grinds On
20 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pmOur illustrious (cough, cough) White House press corps showed it could get to the bottom of a story with impressively journalistic and probative skills this week. The story that so obviously required multiple questions to President Obama on his trip to Asia? Whether he's eating enough, and whether he's losing weight. Oh, and his gray hair. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Somebody, obviously bored on the excruciatingly long plane ride, decided they'd float the rumor that Obama was skipping meals and getting dangerously thin. Because the reporters were all trapped in the same flying… -
Michael Winship: New York's Tough Enough for Terrorist Trials
20 Nov 2009 | 7:29 amIf you want to royally tick off New Yorkers, try telling us what to do. That's probably why the police stopped trying to enforce the jaywalking laws here years ago (as opposed to Washington, DC, where I once got one too many tickets and was sent to pedestrian school). And that's why in the weeks after 9/11, my favorite sign was the one that appeared in the windows of Italian-American neighborhoods near where I live downtown. In bright red, white and blue, it read: "One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You got a problem with that?" So imagine how pleased many… -
Bush DOJ Vets Defend Holder's KSM Decisions
20 Nov 2009 | 12:02 amReasonable minds can disagree about Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to prosecute Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other alleged Sept. 11 perpetrators in a Manhattan federal court. But some prominent criticisms are exaggerated, and others place undue faith in military commissions as an alternative to civilian trials. Mohammed is many things: an enemy combatant in a war against the United States whom the government can detain without trial until the conflict ends; a war criminal subject to trial by military commission under the laws of war; and someone answerable in federal court for… -
Michael Smerconish: KSM: Ready For His Closeup?
19 Nov 2009 | 9:56 amUnited States Senator Arlen Specter -- former chairman and current member of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- would like to see Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's federal court trial be televised. "I'd be for that. Absolutely," the senator told me one day after questioning Attorney General Eric Holder about the decision to bring KSM to the Southern District of New York. "I would let the world see exactly what went on -- how calculating, how ruthless, how brutal they were, how devoid of any humanity. Contrasted with the decorum of federal court, where they are accorded rights, where they are treated… -
Adam Hanft: Quakers and Shakers: Giuliani and Paterson Unlikely Bedfellows in the Axis of Anxiety
19 Nov 2009 | 6:50 amTough-guy enforcer Rudy Giuliani, and touchy-feely David Paterson are in unlikely and violent agreement: making Manhattan Ground Zero for the Khalid Sheik Mohammed trial is a very bad idea. As the Times put it, "Giuliani said the trial would give 'an unnecessary advantage to the terrorists' and pose risks to New York. 'Anyone that tells you this doesn't create additional security problems, of course, isn't telling you the truth.'" Now wait a minute. Wasn't it Giuliani and President Bush who encouraged us to go shopping on September 12th, who said that if we live our lives in fear, it will…
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Eric Schmidt on The Huffington Post
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Eric Schmidt: Attacks On Execs Have 'Gone Too Far' (VIDEO)
6 Nov 2009 | 1:01 amGoogle CEO Eric Schmidt sat down with Neil Cavuto on Fox Business Network for an extensive interview that probed Schmidt's take on everything from Google to Twitter, Obama to bankers. See what Schmidt has to say about Microsoft ("Hopefully we won't repeat the mistakes that Microsoft made 10 years ago that ultimately led to all these things that happened to them"), Google's hunger for content, and what he thinks about Twitter -- as well as his take on health care reform, the "demonization" of CEOs, and his discussions with Obama about serving in his administration. WATCH: Read more: Eric… -
Eric Schmidt: Weather, Few "WASP-y Americans" Make Silicon Valley Special
5 Nov 2009 | 12:30 amHere's what Mr. Schmidt, a 33-year resident of the Bay Area, had to say about Silicon Valley hiring and the role of the weather in the local labor market: Read more: Eric Schmidt, Google-Ceo-Eric-Schmidt, Eric Schmidt Silicon Valley, Schmidt Silicon Valley, Interview Eric Schmidt, GOOgle Ceo, Silicon Valley, Technology News -
Eric Schmidt: Web Will Be 'Dominated By Chinese Language, Social Media'
27 Oct 2009 | 10:36 amGoogle CEO Eric Schmidt envisions a radically changed internet five years from now: dominated by Chinese-language and social media content, delivered over super-fast bandwidth in real time. Read more: Future of Internet, Web in Five Years, Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, Google CEO Schmidt, Schmidt Future, Eric Schmidt, Future Web, GOOgle Ceo, Technology News -
Eric Schmidt: Princeton Receives $25M From Google CEO For Tech Fund
14 Oct 2009 | 6:47 amGoogle CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy, have donated $25 million to Princeton University to create an endowment fund supporting technology research. According to the Ivy League university, from which Schmidt graduated in 1976 with a degree in electrical engineering, the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund will award funding through an annual campus-wide, peer-reviewed competition. The endowment will support the "invention or implementation of entirely new technologies that will have a major impact on a field of research," and could also be used for the acquisition of… -
Google's Post-Recession Culture: Perks Are Out, Just Be Happy You Have A Job
7 Oct 2009 | 9:47 amHey Googlers! All those perks -- the great food, the high-end daycare, the fancy bathrooms -- that the company is famous for? Overrated, your bosses say. So is the dream of getting insanely wealthy at your job. Instead, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said today, you ought to be happy to work at Google... because it's Google. In that sense, Schmidt said, the recession of the past year has been good for the company, since it's highlighted the difference between working at his company and other options -- including not working at all. Read more: Sergey Brin, Google Corporate Culture, Google Perks, Eric…
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Europe on The Huffington Post
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Chavez lauds Carlos the Jackal as 'great' pro-Palestinian fighter
21 Nov 2009 | 4:16 amVenezuelan president Hugo Chavez has defended the alleged terrorist mastermind Carlos the Jackal, saying the Venezuelan imprisoned in France was an important revolutionary fighter who supported the cause of the Palestinians. ... Read more: France, Venezuela, Home News -
Ireland: France Replay Request Has "Fallen On Deaf Ears"
21 Nov 2009 | 3:38 amDUBLIN — Ireland has given up hope of a World Cup playoff replay against France because of Thierry Henry's hand ball. Henry's deliberate handling set up a goal for William Gallas in Wednesday's 1-1 draw that sent France to next year's tournament and knocked out Ireland. The Irish appealed to the French federation to agree to a replay but were turned down Friday. Read more: France, France Ireland Handball, Ireland, Thierry Henry Handball, World Cup, Ireland France Replay, Sports News -
Arrests in Italy over Mumbai attack
20 Nov 2009 | 8:15 pmTwo Pakistanis accused of providing logistical help to perpetrators of last year's rampage. Read more: Mumbai-India, India, Italy, Home News -
Video: McDonald's Goes Upscale
20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amA McDonald's in Manhattan's posh Chelsea neighborhood is the first in the nation to undergo a sleek, European-style makeover that has already debuted in London and Paris. CNBC.com's Brooke Sopelsa has the story. (CNBC) Paris - London - Manhattan - McDonald's - France Read more: Paris-France, France, London-United Kingdom, United Kingdom, Home News -
Marta Mondelli: Pick-Up Lines In Rome: Sexual Harassment Or Poetry?
20 Nov 2009 | 5:31 am"God bless the milk your mother fed you at birth" was what a young man told me while passing by on a street in Rome. It was a beautiful summer day and that sentence was a joyful verse of poetry. I wasn't at all offended by it: it felt more like a serenade rather than a perverse intrusion. In the United States (and now that I think about it, in all the non-Mediterranean countries of Europe I've visited), men don't really look at women in the street. People in general don't look at each other. I've been living in NYC for seven years now and when I go back to Italy, I'm surprised at the way men…
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European Union on The Huffington Post
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The New EU Chiefs: Rompuy-Pumpy And Cathy Who?
20 Nov 2009 | 5:20 amLONDON — Catherine Ashton: International woman of mystery. Ashton is Europe's new foreign policy chief, the international representative of half a billion people, with a euro7 billion ($10.5 billion) budget and a salary of more than $300,000 a year – but in her homeland, it's hard to find many who have heard of her. Read more: Herman-Van-Rompuy-Eu-President, European Union, Catherine Ashton, Herman Van Rompuy Belgium, Europe, Herman Van Rompuy, World News -
The Telegraph Asks Its Readers For 10 Reasons To Dislike The Belgians
20 Nov 2009 | 3:20 amAmid growing tensions over the final vote for the EU presidency, the French-language regional newspaper La Capitale offered a list of our most irritating national traits. Read more: The Telegraph, European Union, Europe, Belgium, European-Union-President, World News -
EU Leaders Deadlocked Over President Decision
19 Nov 2009 | 4:06 amBRUSSELS — After years of effort the European Union named its first full-time president and powerful foreign policy chief on Thursday – but handed the jobs to two little-known compromise figures instead of global heavy hitters. The choice by national leaders behind closed doors broke a stalemate in choppy, often pained negotiations intended to give Europe a voice on the world stage commensurate with its economic heft. That hope was apparently dashed by a desire for consensus instead of a potentially divisive figure who could have overshadowed leaders of nations such as France and… -
The New EU Presidency - Contenders And Odds (PHOTOS, POLL)
18 Nov 2009 | 5:46 amThis Thursday, the European Council is expected to announce their first-ever elected President. However, with a baffling selection process taking place firmly behind closed doors, and no clear candidates or actual vote, the European public is struggling to get excited for what may be an important decision. The role, whilst largely administrative, represents a new era of European integration. It would be the first time the European Union would have a recognizable, elected leader. As Reuters put it: The post of EU president was created to give Brussels more clout and respect in world affairs. -
Why Europe Feels Rejected By Obama
16 Nov 2009 | 8:59 amWhy would an American president not come to a celebration marking the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with it, the triumphant end of the Cold War -- one of the high points of the United States' and Europe's common 20th-century history? Read more: Obama Europe, President Barack Obama, President Obama, Angela Merkel, Berlin Wall Anniversary, European Union, Obama, Berlin Wall, Europe, Obama Europe Trip, Barack Obama, World News
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Evan Bayh on The Huffington Post
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Bob Cesca: Joe Lieberman Filibusters Health Care While Americans Suffer
12 Nov 2009 | 8:18 amOne of many classic episodes of Seinfeld was "The Opposite" -- the finale of season five. While George decides to ignore his instincts and behave in the exact opposite way he normally would, the B-story involves Elaine's boyfriend, Jake Jarmel, being hit by a cab. And instead of rushing to the hospital, Elaine stops at a movie theater concession stand and buys a box of Jujyfruits -- completely unfazed by the gravity of the situation. When it comes to health care reform, Joe Lieberman is Elaine times a thousand. So are Ben Nelson, Tom Carper, Blanche Lincoln and Evan Bayh. But let's focus on… -
Senate "Moderates" Delaying Health Care Bill With Demands
4 Nov 2009 | 1:29 amModerate lawmakers are exerting their outsize influence in the divided Senate to secure changes to health-care reform legislation, potentially adding more delays to a bill that has already missed several announced deadlines. Although they have yet to achieve the "gang" status accorded to previous centrist coalitions, a dozen or so moderate Democrats are emerging as pivotal to the fate of the health-care measure -- beginning with the procedural vote that Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) must win to launch the historic debate. Read more: Olympia Snowe Health Care, Senate Moderates,… -
Senators Who Could And/Or Will Screw Up Health Care Reform
27 Oct 2009 | 8:27 amThe public option: it (sort of) lives (maybe)! Or so says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who boldly announced in yesterday's anxiously-anticipated press conference that the bill would contain something public option-esque. Since then, it has quickly become the fast-moving subject du jour. Naturally, it's worth pointing out that Reid didn't manage to get behind the so-called "robust," chipotle-flavored public option that progressives favor. Nor is it the Chuck Schumer, "cool-ranch" version of the public option. Instead, we get the "opt-out" public option, in which various states… -
Jessy Tolkan: Youth Vote 2010: Millennials Demand Clean Energy Economy
20 Oct 2009 | 8:38 amIf our leaders who are running for re-election in 2010 want to benefit from the youth vote that rocked Campaign 2008, they need to understand that creating new jobs through the development of a clean and independent energy future is a paramount issue for young people. The financial crisis, health care and our strategy in Afghanistan may be dominating news coverage as the country prepares for the holidays, but we also have incredible opportunities to win notable victories in the fight against harmful pollution and develop an aggressive clean energy policy. The question is: Will our… -
Peter Dreier: Who Should Pay for Health Insurance Reform?
15 Oct 2009 | 10:06 pmThe escalating battle over health insurance reform is taking place on three fronts. The debate over "who should pay?" for reform has so far taken a back seat to the fight over the public option and the struggle over requiring insurance companies to end their practice of denying coverage to sick people. But the clash over "who should pay" will soon take center stage. Most of the media attention over health reform has focused on whether Congress will embrace a "public option" - an expansion of Medicare that would compete with private insurance companies and give consumers more choices. This…
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Extreme Weather on The Huffington Post
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Britain Floods: Lake District Devastated; Many Rescued (PHOTOS)
20 Nov 2009 | 12:29 amAP COCKERMOUTH, England Military helicopters winched dozens of people to safety and emergency workers in inflatable boats rescued scores more as floods on Friday swamped northern England's picturesque Lake District. One police officer died after a bridge was swept away by the surging waters. British soldiers conducted house-to-house searches for those trapped by floods as deep as 8 feet (2.5 meters). Troops also dropped down on lines from air force helicopters, breaking through rooftops to pluck people to safety. Emergency services said more than 200 people were rescued in the hardest-hit… -
Judge: Hurricane Katrina Flooding Was Caused By Army Corps Of Engineers' Negligence
18 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pmNEW ORLEANS — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina, a decision that could make the federal government vulnerable to billions of dollars in claims. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sided with six residents and one business who argued the Army Corps' shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish. He said, however, the corps couldn't be held liable for the flooding of… -
Help Rebuild John McDonogh High School in New Orleans
18 Nov 2009 | 9:57 amComing here from joe.msnbc.com? Scroll down to the widget below and click the "Contribute" button to give to City Year. Don't know what we're talking about? Read on... As we've previously reported on Impact, MSNBC's "Morning Joe" has teamed up with the HandsOn Network and Starbucks for Brewing Together, a new joint initiative aimed at encouraging public service and community involvement. Their partnership kicked off a few months ago, with the "Morning Joe" crew proudly sipping from Starbucks cups during their morning broadcasts. Just last week, Starbucks announced an updated coffee, named… -
Tim McGraw: Neighbor's Keeper Fund Featured on NBC NIghtly News
13 Nov 2009 | 11:24 amNBC Nightly News wraps up its weeklong celebrity causes spotlight on "Making a Difference" with country music artist Tim McGraw and his unyielding belief in the power of neighbors to help and influence local communities. After years of charity work and benefit concerts, Tim McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill, founded Neighbor's Keeper Fund in 2004 to nurture the spirit of neighbors helping neighbors and strengthen communities in need. The two both grew up in small Southern towns where people were always willing to lend a helping hand, and the fund aims to emulate that philosophy. Neighbor's… -
Jim Luce: NBC's Brian Williams: Changing the World for the Better
13 Nov 2009 | 8:39 amSeveral weeks ago Brian Williams profiled the children of the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO) and its founder Andeisha Farid in Kabul, Afghanistan for NBC Nightly News’ segment Making a Difference (video Brian is anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News based in New York. Last week, his show, including the segment Making a Difference, had 9.5 million viewers. The show spikes up to 11 million viewers frequently. I had interviewed the orphanage’s founder Andeisha of Kabul in New York in September and have followed her progress…
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Facebook on The Huffington Post
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Kevin Ross: Does This Black Republican Understand Sarah Palin's Appeal? You Betcha!
21 Nov 2009 | 6:14 amThis was the post that started it: "Many of you know I'm a Republican. Before I give you my thoughts, however, I'm curious to know what you guys REALLY think of former Alaska Governor and GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin?" Who could have imagined that this question would elicit such an avalanche of insightful, hilarious, disturbing, and outrageous comments from many of my African American Facebook friends? I certainly couldn't. But I completely understand why the controversial political vixen is "Going Rogue"... all the way to the bank. Having been on Facebook now for almost two years, I have… -
USocial: Facebook Threatens Firm Selling Online Friends
20 Nov 2009 | 1:29 amFacebook has threatened legal action against a service that sells friends on the social networking site. It said it would take the action against marketing firm USocial unless it stopped violating Facebook's rights. Read more: Usocial Facebook, Buy Followers, Buy Friends Facebook, Facebook Warn Usocial, Buy Followers Facebook, Facebook, Usocial, Buy Fans Facebook, Technology News -
Nathalie Blanchard: Depressed Woman Loses Benefits Over Facebook Photos
20 Nov 2009 | 12:36 amA Quebec woman on long-term sick leave is fighting to have her benefits reinstated after her employer's insurance company cut them, she says, because of photos posted on Facebook. Read more: Depressed Woman Facebook Photos, Depressed Woman Facebook, Benefits Taken Over Facebook, Benefits Lost Over Facebook, Benefits Facebook, Nathalie Blanchard, Facebook, Technology News -
Jim Cashel: Can Facebook Promote World Peace?
19 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pmWhen Facebook recently launched its "Peace on Facebook" section, many were puzzled: Why would a site which initially catered to college freshmen have the gumption to identify itself with world peace? But a closer look suggests Facebook is onto something beguiling. Despite the "version 1.0" feel of the site, there are two remarkable components. First, Facebook presents information regarding friendships crossing national, religious and political boundaries which is very compelling. Just yesterday, for example, 5567 Israelis and Palestinians "friended" on Facebook - and that's probably a good… -
Jonathan Fields: The Truth About Author Platforms
19 Nov 2009 | 7:55 amIt's the rally cry of publishers... Want a book deal? Show me your platform. If only they knew how easy it's become to fake a monster platform in a 2.0 world... A few years back, proving your platform meant whipping out your big black book of press clipping. You know, the ones that proved you could get into the media at will. Not any more. Now, publishers want to see a different set of metrics. But, many publishers don't realize that in today's digital world ... platforms can be faked. Why and how, you ask? The answer to why is money. Bigger platforms lead to the attention of bigger…
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Fashion on The Huffington Post
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Tavi, 13-Year-Old Fashion Blogger, To Travel To Tokyo
20 Nov 2009 | 5:26 amThirteen-year-old fashion blogger Tavi already skipped school in September to attend New York Fashion Week, but WWD reports that the talented teen's next adventure will take place slightly farther away than the Big Apple. She's slated to be the guest of honor at Comme des Garcons' holiday party on November 27 at the 10 Corso Como store in Tokyo. Tavi has expressed her extreme adoration for Rei Kawakubo on her blog, saying she "scatters black petals on her doorsteps and serenades her in rap." We can't wait to read all about their meeting of the minds. Get HuffPost Style on Twitter and… -
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show PHOTOS: Boobs, Lace, And Balloons (POLL)
20 Nov 2009 | 12:40 amBy Samantha Critchell, AP: NEW YORK -- Heidi Klum and her post-baby body led the parade at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, which returned to New York with some fresh faces after four years on the road. The lingerie retailer inducted five more women into its "Angel" ranks - a designation reserved for top models - in front of a packed house Thursday night at the Lexington Avenue Armory. They are Emanuela de Paula, Chanel Iman, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lindsay Ellingson and Candice Swanepoel. But Klum, who gave birth to a daughter five weeks ago, was the audience favorite in her… -
Taiwan Firm Crafts Stylish Shoes From Recycled Paper
19 Nov 2009 | 11:53 pmTAIPEI, Taiwan — Confronted with an ever-growing pile of old newspapers, Taiwanese fashion designer Colin Lin came up with the idea of using them to make shoes and tote bags for her environmentally friendly footwear company. Lin, 50, says they are now hot items in Taiwan as well as markets from the United States to Europe, finding a niche with green-minded customers who have a fondness for novelty. Read more: Colin Lin, Fashion, Style News -
Gemma Ward To Continue Modeling, Might Enroll At Yale
19 Nov 2009 | 3:08 am"She's been doing some great drama theater courses and is considering doing a three-year course at Yale, which is a great possibility. She's making one step at a time," Ward's mother said of her daughter, whose break from modeling was spurred by the death of Ledger in early 2008. Read more: Gemma Ward, Gemma Ward Yale, Fashion, Gemma Ward Model, Style News -
Green Model Competition
18 Nov 2009 | 3:11 amMeet Project Green Search winner Rachel Avalon and the other stunning contestants, who show how we can all be fabulously green. Read more: Green Living, Fashion, Green Fashion, Green Models, Green News
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Wall Street on The Huffington Post
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Linda Buzzell: Integrating the Best Ideas from Left and Right
21 Nov 2009 | 9:40 amAs a psychotherapist I've done my share of counseling squabbling couples and have learned to listen carefully to both partners in any dispute, looking for common ground to build on. Lately I've begun to apply this method to politics, with some fascinating results. As I put aside my own particular political taste (progressive/green) and work at being as objective in following the news as I am in the counseling room, I have started to realize that each side of our current polarized society has some really valid ideas that the other refuses to hear. When people aren't heard, they often scream… -
David Vines: If It Were Me, I'd Be Embarrassed
21 Nov 2009 | 5:50 amIt's nice to see that even after the election, conservatives are still playing the "liberal gotcha media" card every time they expose themselves as being shamefully ignorant regarding the issues they care about most. Last Wednesday, a media firestorm erupted after a seventeen-year-old girl named Jackie was interviewed by MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell while standing in line during Sarah Palin's Michigan book signing. Jackie, wearing a shirt that read, "The US government handed out $700 billion in Wall Street bailouts and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," was caught off-guard when O'Donnell informed… -
New Consensus Sees Stimulus Package As Worthy Step: NYT
20 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pmNow that unemployment has topped 10 percent, some liberal-leaning economists see confirmation of their warnings that the $787 billion stimulus package President Obama signed into law last February was way too small. The economy needs a second big infusion, they say. Read more: Unemployment Numbers, Economic Stimulus Package, Economic Crisis, Stimulus Package, Financial Crisis, Stimulus, Unemployment Rate, Second Stimulus, Business News -
Senator Says Loophole In Derivatives Regulation Undermines Reform
20 Nov 2009 | 11:23 amThe effort to impose new restrictions on the financial system falls short of true reform if there's a gigantic loophole for foreign exchange derivatives, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said Thursday. "Most people who write about the 'comprehensive reform' -- they're missing the point, which is, you've got to have derivatives regulation," she said in an interview with the Huffington Post. And indeed, bills being considered in Congress would bring transparency and accountability to the complex and opaque derivatives contracts that nearly brought down the financial markets last year -- by forcing… -
Poker Pros Make Excellent Traders, Says Harvard Finance Professor
20 Nov 2009 | 7:06 amNov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Brandon Adams, who teaches behavioral finance at Harvard University's Department of Economics, says some of the best candidates for Wall Street trading jobs are the professional card players at FullTiltPoker.com and similar Web sites. Read more: Phli Ivey, World Series of Poker, Wall Street, Poker, Risk Management, Traders, Harvard, Recession, Steve Begleiter, Business News
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Food on The Huffington Post
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Chris Weigant: Friday Talking Points [102] -- Harry Reid's Glacial Progress Grinds On
20 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pmOur illustrious (cough, cough) White House press corps showed it could get to the bottom of a story with impressively journalistic and probative skills this week. The story that so obviously required multiple questions to President Obama on his trip to Asia? Whether he's eating enough, and whether he's losing weight. Oh, and his gray hair. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Somebody, obviously bored on the excruciatingly long plane ride, decided they'd float the rumor that Obama was skipping meals and getting dangerously thin. Because the reporters were all trapped in the same flying… -
Dr. M.J. Wegmann: 4 Ways To Avoid The "Holiday Weight Gain"
20 Nov 2009 | 9:21 amOne of the toughest times of the year for those trying to lose weight is the holiday season. Many people will gain between 5 and 7 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Year's. While the holidays are a time to rejoice, celebrate and share fond memories, they are also a time for eating, eating and more eating. Wherever you go, whatever you do, food always seems to be the central focus. Cookies, chocolates, fruit cake, eggnog, holiday breads and a myriad of other 'goodies' can been seen in the kitchen, on the coffee table, at the office, grocery store, friend's house... even your chiropractor's… -
Irene Rubaum-Keller: What Did You Eat Today?
20 Nov 2009 | 8:20 amI help people lose weight. It's what I do professionally and what I have done personally. I lost 50 pounds in 1990 and have kept it off. The most important thing I teach people to do is to keep food records. By that, I mean you write down everything that you eat, the amounts and the calories. Yes, tedious I know, but the only true way to find out what is going on with your intake, output and your weight. What I ask people to do is to get on the scale every day. Yes, every day. Write down your weight each day and average it out over the course of a week. This keeps you awake and aware to what… -
Thanksgiving Recipes (PHOTOS)
20 Nov 2009 | 12:18 amHere at HuffPost Green, we think Thanksgiving is a pretty green holiday. It focuses on food and spending time together rather than buying new things. Plus, Thanksgiving is one of the most prominent cultural examples of eating seasonal food -- and many traditional ingredients are available to buy locally in many parts of the US. We asked around the HuffPost office for some family recipes -- pick the one you'd like to have at your Thanksgiving dinner and send in your favorite recipe with a photo. Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter! Read more: Slidepoll, Food, Local Food, Recipes,… -
Wendy Gordon: Organic, Heritage, Sustainable -- When Talking Turkey, Does it Matter?
19 Nov 2009 | 5:03 amMy good friends in the Catskills look forward to turkey hunting season. They shoot only what they can eat and make many delicious meals from one bird. Most of us don't hunt for our Thanksgiving turkey, unless you count as hunting our quest for the perfect bird at farmers’ markets and supermarkets. Suffice it to say, the Thanksgiving turkey you are likely to find today in the supermarket is nothing like the wild turkey my friends hunt, and in fact it's quite different from what your grandparents ate 50 years ago. Today, 99% of all turkeys raised in the U.S. are the "Broadbreasted White"…
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Foreign Policy on The Huffington Post
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Peter Henne: A Call for Clarity on Afghanistan
19 Nov 2009 | 8:59 amAs casualties mount in Afghanistan, pundits and bloggers eagerly await Obama's decision on US policy toward that conflict. The American public is growing wary of the war, with Democratic lawmakers and activists calling for reduced troop levels. Yet, many commentators emphasize the risks of a withdrawal, while Republicans are preparing their inevitable smear campaign. Beneath the debates about troop levels, though, is a division between two broad approaches to the war; whether it will be a narrow counter-terrorism campaign or a comprehensive counterinsurgency (COIN). This distinction--and the… -
Jim Wallis: Build, Don't Destroy in Afghanistan: An Open Letter to President Obama
19 Nov 2009 | 7:20 amAlready, thousands of our readers have signed a letter and contacted the White House urging a new way forward in Afghanistan. Today, Sojourners staff will be meeting with White House officials to hand-deliver the following letter. I encourage you to read it and to endorse this message if you have not done so already. Support for a new way forward is growing. InterAction, a coalition of 187 non-governmental relief and development organizations focused on the world's poorest and most vulnerable people, has now issued a letter of support for this new approach that you can read here. As the… -
Michael J.W. Stickings: Sarah Palin on Obama, Israel, and the Jewish Settlements
19 Nov 2009 | 6:08 amSarah Palin has said a lot of stupid things since entering the national stage last year, but this, from her interview with Barbara Walters, is right up there with the stupidest of them all: I disagree with the Obama administration on that. I believe that the Jewish settlements should be allowed to be expanded upon, because that population of Israel is, is going to grow. More and more Jewish people will be flocking to Israel in the days and weeks and months ahead. And I don't think that the Obama administration has any right to tell Israel that the Jewish settlements cannot expand. She's… -
Gilles Dorronsoro: Fixing a Failed Strategy in Afghanistan
18 Nov 2009 | 8:27 amAs the debate on future U.S. strategy draws to a close, the war in Afghanistan is spreading to the North (an area that had previously been relatively quiet), the balance of power in Afghanistan has shifted in the Taliban's favor, and the Afghan government continues to lose legitimacy in the eyes of the population and international community. More U.S. troops alone will not fix a flawed approach. Here is what a new, successful U.S. strategy should look like: Secure key cities and roads: If a state can be rebuilt in Afghanistan it will start in the cities, so less energy should be focused on… -
David A. Love: Will Obama Help Change Asia's Racism?
18 Nov 2009 | 6:39 amFor the nations that were a part of President Obama’s recent Asian tour, surely this was a new experience for them. For the first time, they greeted and hosted the most powerful person in the world, one of the most brilliant people they’ve ever met. And for the first time, that person is a man of African descent. It has been a long journey since the 1955 Bandung Conference, that historic meeting of African and Asian states striving for self-determination and against colonialism. Meanwhile, black people today are often stereotyped in Asian countries as dirty, violent,…
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Homelessness on The Huffington Post
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Liz Glover: Flava Flav On Khaleid Sheik Mohammed's Upcoming Trial In New York City
21 Nov 2009 | 3:24 amRead more: Liz Glover, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Homelessness, Flava Flav, New York City, Entertainment News -
Andy Borowitz: Inspired By Oprah, Homeless Guy Ends 25 Years of Shouting at Passersby
21 Nov 2009 | 1:59 amNEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) - A homeless man who began shouting at New Yorkers in 1985 said that Oprah Winfrey was the inspiration behind his decision to call it quits in early 2010. "I've had a good run," said Tracy Klugian, who has barked non sequiturs at passersby on the corner of Third Avenue and 29th Street for the past 25 years. "If there's one thing Oprah's taught me, it's quit while you're on top." Mr. Klugian said he was exploring a number of options, including starting his own cable channel and shouting obscenities at people on the subway. More here. Read more: Borowitz Report,… -
Judy Montero: The "Home" in Home for the Holidays
20 Nov 2009 | 6:20 amIn all the talk about budgets and dollars and cents and how much to spend on homelessness, it's important to remember the human beings we are making decisions about. During this holiday season when we celebrate our blessings with our families, I find it is important to remember those who are less fortunate. There are a great many people who are homeless today that just a year ago had homes. They had jobs. They paid their taxes. And, they never thought they would find themselves on the streets and needing help. We're talking about people like Amber Batson-Vasquez. Amber was trapped in an… -
Karen Olson: Because Every Child Deserves A Home
18 Nov 2009 | 6:22 amAmerica's promise is that each generation's prospects shall be brighter than their parents'. How often, as children, were we assured that our futures were limited only by our imagination? Now, however, that promise is under siege and those assurances ring hollow to children across the country lacking basic necessities like a place to call home, nutritious meals and access to schools. 3.5 million people were homeless in America within the past year, including almost 1.5 million children. Families now comprise 40% of the homeless population and are its fastest growing segment. On a typical day… -
'Project Healthy Neighbors' Fair Helps Santa Barbara Homeless
18 Nov 2009 | 6:22 amDid you know that the largest mobile medical clinic in Southern California serves the homeless community? The fifth annual "Project Healthy Neighbors" fair, held at Casa Esperanza Homeless Center, provides a wide range of health and counseling services for Santa Barbara's homeless population. According to Imelda Loza, associate executive director of Casa Esperanza, the goal of "Project Healthy Neighbors" is to prevent disease, illness and death within the homeless population. Loza said this objective is especially important considering that 26 homeless people have died in Santa Barbara within…
