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20.07.07 - By Izyaslav Slava Koza: Fresh off his comeback win over Kenny Craven, I spoke to Vassiliy about this as well as a few other current issues.
ESB: Hey, Vassiliy, been a while. Happy with the fight?
Vassiliy Jirov: Yeah, went as planned, and I was well prepared. Saw a few tapes on him and that was enough to figure him out. I was also happy that Craven and I spoke after the fight, didnt hold a grudge against each other, and parted on good terms. I am extremely happy that it ended like that.
ESB: I know I can call Thell and ask, but I wanted to know what he told you regarding the fight?
Vassiliy Jirov: He told me I fought correctly. We understand though that we should go higher, and that this is just the first stop to a title fight, and that Kenny helped us a lot. Our next opponent will probably be a journey type and then we will try to target Hill.
ESB: A few days ago Cravens corner-man wrote an article claiming you fought dirty. How would you respond to that?
Vassiliy Jirov: Well, he has a right to his opinion, but in reality, the way Kenny came at me is the way I had to fight in return. I dont judge and dont really know what to say here. Whatever happened, happened, and as I said Kenny and I didnt have any issues after the fight.
ESB: I spoke to Darnell Wilson recently, and he congratulated you with the win, and respects you just as a fan of the sport. Of course, as a fighter he wants to see you in the ring in an eliminator or a unification bout. Do you know him? See any of his fights?
Vassiliy Jirov: If there is a demand from the public to see it, and the fight is picked up by one of the major networks, I dont see a problem with it. If there is a demand from an audience then, yeah, because they buy the tickets to the fights they like. Other than that, I want to thank him for the kind word. I might have seen his fights but I just cant remember right now.
ESB: Any details about negotiations with Hill?
Vassiliy Jirov: Right now we have a working dialogue but Thell could give you more information regarding the details.
ESB: Anything to add in conclusion?
Vassiliy Jirov: Alls good, and Im happy with the win. Write that the Tiger has returned to the hunt. There.
ESB: Thanks. Wish you well and well stay in contact.
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Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is making a bit of new news these days. To wit... * He'll appear on the upcoming album by his former band Exodus, playing a guitar solo on a track called "Salt in the Wound." Hammett has remained friendly with Exodus over the years and performed with them at his first Fear FestEvil during February in San Francisco. He also joined Exodus on stage at the annual Comic-Con over the weekend in San Diego. * At Comic-Con Hammett also unveiled his new Transformers guitar, an instrument he designed in conjunction with ESP Guitars, Hasbro and Nuclear Blast and features images from the popular "Transformers" series. One of the guitars was raffled off during Comic-Con, and Hammett signed autographs on Saturday (July 26) at the Hasbro booth. Metallica is still working on its new album, the long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic," and has one concert -- August 9 at the Heavy Montreal festival -- on its itinerary.
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13' Smith smacks the foot of the post.
37' 0-1 Hearts' pressure pays as Smith's corner finds it way to Paterson for a close-range finish.
45' 1-1 County level, defender Yann Songo'o heading home.
72' Sam Nicholson fluffs a header in front of goal as Hearts go for the winner.
80' 1-2 Scott Robinson slams in the winner after a weak punch by keeper Michael Fraser.


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I know that I said that I was done giving money to Ring of Honor after missing a majority of the Death Before Dishonor X Pay Per View back in September, and thus far I've kept my word. I've still been watching the weekly TV programming thanks to my Ringside Membership which doesn't expire until March (and also allows me to see every event from 2011). So between that and the fact that I know more about ROH than pretty much any other columnist on this site, it still allows me the right to do a year-end look at Ring of Honor.
Overall, 2012 was one of ROH's worst years. Not nearly as bad as 2009, but still pretty low. We've discussed the iPPV technical difficulties ad nauseum, so I would like to look at some other issues that plagued the company this year. ROH ran only 20 live events in 2012 (29 if you count the TV tapings). To put this in perspective, during ROH's "glory years" from 2005 to 2008, they ran 40 shows per year. A drop-off like this cannot be ignored. Even with Sinclair Broadcasting's backing, ROH isn't as profitable as it once was. They no longer have the ability to fly out guys from out west like the Young Bucks or TJ Perkins, let alone international stars, which used to be an ROH staple.
Another ROH staple that has been missing this year is the plethora of high-quality, ****+ matches. In years past, my MOTYC list would be 15 or 20 deep. This year, despite seeing more than half of the live events and all of the TV shows, I struggled to generate a Top 10 of matches I would consider to be **** or higher. Don't get me wrong, the wrestling quality overall hasn't dipped, and you still get the most wrestling action for your dollar than any other company in North America. But the amount of must-see MOTYC caliber matches is at its lowest. We have one clear-cut winner this year, and then a steep drop-off to the next round of contenders. Fans these days are being smarter about what they spend their money on, and if the independent wrestling scene isn't providing blow-away matches, fans will keep their money in their pocket.
But perhaps the biggest knock on ROH in 2012 is the most disappointing part of all for me, because I had the highest of hopes for it. Kevin Steen's title reign, which I thought was going to change the game, ended up being just another heel title run. Steen's goal was to ruin the company, which was tough to book in kayfabe while in real life hoping that Steen's title run would actually save the company. I put my trust in the booking team to balance that line, but instead, they teetered too much into using Steen's reign to save the company (legitimately) and wouldn't push the envelope like I (or maybe even Steen) wanted.
Oh sure, they tried to make this as edgy as possible. Since winning the title, here's what Steen was booked to do to try and destroy the company:
- Cut a heel promo on the NYC fans who were cheering him. I'd imagine that at Final Battle, Steen will still be universally loved, so it didn't really work.
- Slapped two fans at ringside (right in front of me) at the Boiling Point Pay Per View. Apparently this was a work, but it was never brought up again after the fact. I would have liked to see how Steen would deal with a potential "lawsuit" from the fans on television.
- Spat on Jay Lethal's mother during a title match, which led to the match abruptly ending. Steen then used this to make demands of Ring of Honor or else he would refuse to defend the title, but ultimately nothing came of this either, aside from Lethal possibly getting a rematch.
- Threaten to ruin a dinner with ROH and their affiliates. The key word is "threaten." A threat is empty unless it's backed up, and ROH never acted on it. Here's where I think they dropped the ball bigtime. Cornette was having a cow about Steen being the champion and attending this affiliate dinner, and potentially ruining it causing ROH to lose their sponsors. I really liked the idea of filming the dinner and watching Steen ruin it. Hell, you could hire actors to play the affiliates, so this dinner doesn't REALLY have to happen. It would be a chance for ROH to do some angles out of the ring. Steen could have shown up in his tuxedo shirt and turned tables over, leaving all the "sponsors" to quit. It would have at least been SOMETHING. The way the angle went was in a little line in a newswire that said Jim Cornette didn't invite Steen to the dinner. A chance to do something different was squandered, and we're only left with an empty threat, which kinda represents Steen's reign in a nutshell.
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Steen's reign match-quality wise. I really enjoyed his straight-up wrestling matches with Eddie Edwards, Michael Elgin and Mike Mondo. I also liked the brawls with Davey Richards (in the rematch), Eddie Kingston, and Rhino. But Steen is such a special kind of talent, and his reign has been run-of-the-mill. It certainly doesn't help that he had no real challengers and no real possibility of losing the belt until he faced Elgin at Glory By Honor XI. It's possible he could drop the belt to El Generico at Final Battle, but I doubt it (more on Generico later).
But enough about the negative, let's get into the year-end awards.
Wrestler of the Year: Kevin Steen
Honorable Mentions: Davey Richards, Jay Lethal, Adam Cole, Eddie Edwards
Even after everything I just said about Steen, he was still the focal point of all the shows, the main event of all the Pay Per Views, and put together a string of decent matches. He also has a character unlike any other in Ring of Honor, and in a promotion that's more about what goes on in the ring than on the mic, that's a true gem.
Tag Team of the Year: The Briscoes
Honorable Mentions: All Night Express, Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team, The Young Bucks
The Briscoes basically won this by default. That's another problem with ROH in 2012…this was probably their worst year for tag team wrestling, especially considering ROH has always been known for a stellar tag team division. Kenny King deciding to jump to TNA seriously hurt the division, for if he stayed, I'd probably give the nod to ANX. A really underrated facet of the Briscoes is their promo ability. Jay's golden on the mic, and Mark doesn't speak often, but whenever he does, what comes out is usually hilarious.
Rookie of the Year: Mike Mondo
Honorable Mentions: QT Marshall, Matt Taven, Tadarius Thomas
Even though Mondo wrestled for ROH a little bit in 2011, I'm letting him sneak into 2012 since it was the first time he was being used a featured wrestler on the card as opposed to enhancement talent. Mondo impressed the hell out of me and everybody else with his show-stealing match against Matt Taven on ROH TV. The match was unlike anything we had seen in ROH recently as it was definitively old-school, but had enough emotion to hook the crowd in. Mondo also stole the show at Boiling Point against Roderick Strong. It's just a shame that he suffered a serious injury at Glory By Honor and may be out for a year, because he was on the fast track to the top of the card.
Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year: Adam Cole
Honorable Mentions: Michael Elgin, Jay Lethal, Mike Mondo
It was really tough to pick Cole over Elgin considering the year Elgin has had, but Cole's performance against his former partner Kyle O'Reilly will be remembered for quite a while, and he added to his growing legacy with great matches against Roderick Strong, Mike Mondo, and Eddie Edwards while Elgin floundered a bit against Fit Finlay and Charlie Haas. Elgin may have had the better breakout match (against Davey), but Cole kept it up throughout the year, so he gets the nod.
Biggest Disappointment: Barely any El Generico all year
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Steen's title reign, Less live events run than in previous years, Young Bucks/TJ Perkins released
I understand the politics sometimes. It's tough to prominently feature a guy who isn't going to be 100% into the company. They made that mistake with Kenny King and it bit them in the ass. I assume that Generico wasn't under contract and wanted to wrestle for Dragon Gate USA and other promotions, and ROH didn't want to push a guy not under contract. But Generico's loss hurt. Even fans of "professional wrestling" over "sports entertainment" love a great character, and ROH has a plethora of wrestlers but a distinct dearth of characters. Plus, Generico is as pure a babyface as can be. His presence this year, especially after appearing on every ROH event in 2011, was sorely missed. It'll be nice to see him again at Final Battle, but it seems to be too little, too late.
Show of the Year: Border Wars
Honorable Mentions: Showdown in the Sun Night 2, Tenth Anniversary Show, Best in the World 2012, Boiling Point
It was definitely nice if you caught the replay, since barely anybody was able to watch it live, but this show was top-to-bottom excellent. Aside from having the biggest money match in ROH all year with Davey Richards defending the World Title against Kevin Steen, it also had serious mainstream appeal with former WWE wrestlers going against young ROH talent in Finlay/Strong, Storm/Bennett, Rhino/Edwards, and WGTT/Briscoes. It certainly says something about the quality of the card when you have a match like Elgin vs. Cole, which may potentially be a main event match as soon as next year, as your midcard match. Border Wars easily gets show of the year.
Feud of the Year: Kevin Steen vs. Ring of Honor/Jim Cornette
Honorable Mentions: Briscoes vs. Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team, Lance Storm vs. Mike Bennett, Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly
This was really tough to choose, because there haven't been many great feuds this year, and that's such a shame from a company that's made its best money (aside from bringing in international talent) on engaging feuds, such as CM Punk vs. Raven, Samoa Joe vs. Homicide, Generation Next vs. The Embassy, Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima, and even most recently Kevin Steen vs. El Generico. But this year, there hasn't been much. The overriding "feud" was Kevin Steen trying to take down Ring of Honor, and in the process, embarrass Jim Cornette. Since Cornette isn't a wrestler and can't really fight Kevin Steen, he first backed the current champion Davey Richards, and when Steen won the belt, Cornette threw everything but the kitchen sink at Steen (Richards again, Edwards, Strong, Lethal, Elgin) and even tried unconventional challengers (Eddie Kingston, Rhino, Homicide, Rhett Titus, Mike Bennett), and Steen has thus far bested them all, all in the main events of Pay Per Views and TV shows. The feud with Cornette took an unceremonious end after Jay Lethal threw Jim over a table, taking him off television. Now it's Steen vs. Generico, and ROH as a whole is out of the picture (for now).
Match of the Year: Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin (Showdown in the Sun, Night 2)
Honorable Mentions: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly (Best in the World), Davey Richards & Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole & Eddie Edwards (Tenth Anniversary Show), Davey Richards vs. Kevin Steen (Border Wars)
Frankly, there wasn't any match that came close this year. From the moment Davey gave Elgin the German Suplex off the top rope until the final bell, there was a 10-minute all-out sprint to the finish filled with holds and counterholds and throwbacks to previous matches and moves that was a testament to the type of matches that Ring of Honor can provide. It was the best match I'd seen from any promotion this year. What also made it so magical was that it seemed like a throwaway title match for Davey, considering that he was really feuding with Roderick Strong and Eddie Edwards, with Kevin Steen lurking in the shadows. Elgin truly came out of nowhere to deliver such a big performance that many people watching live (including myself) truly thought that Elgin was going to win the title. After all, it isn't like ROH hasn't hot-shotted the belt before (think Eddie Edwards in 2011).
That's it for 2012. I may go back and do an abbreviated review of all the shows in 2011 considering they're available as part of my Ringside Membership, but I haven't decided yet. Thanks to everybody for reading, follow me on Twitter @PocketSeagull, and be on the lookout for my DGUSA reviews coming either later this year or early next year.


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Every contact center needs a complaint management strategy. The truth is that you have fewer satisfied clients than you may think. Many of those customers are keeping quiet despite having something to say, which is troublesome for everyone. If you don't hear the complaint, there's no way you can fix it; if customers aren't satisfied, they'll take their business elsewhere.
According to Entrepreneur, there's a simple reason why many customers don't complain: griping is hard on everyone,...continue reading this post »


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Hi I came from Indonesia Is the license Parallels Desktop 8 - Business Edition ESD (Electronic Software Delivery) or only Box ? Thx
- Asked by Sugiharta N
Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac
Product No Longer Available
1 Answer from the Community
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text: LAS VEGAS - DECEMBER 5: OJ Simpson stands during sentencing at the Clark County Regional Justice Center December 5, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Simpson and co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart were sentenced on 12 charges, including felony kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy related to a 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel. (Photo by Issac Brekken-Pool/Getty Images)


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Samuel Wilberforce
7 of 84 portraits of Samuel Wilberforce
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Samuel Wilberforce
by William Edward Kilburn
albumen carte-de-visite, late 1850s-early 1860s
3 1/4 in. x 2 1/8 in. (82 mm x 54 mm) image size
Given by Algernon Graves, 1916
Photographs Collection
NPG Ax30403
Click on the links below to find out more:
Sitterback to top
- Samuel Wilberforce (1805-1873), Bishop of Oxford and of Winchester; son of William Wilberforce. Sitter in 84 portraits.
Artistback to top
- William Edward Kilburn (1818-1891), Photographer. Artist associated with 69 portraits.


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Breaking news and analysis of politics, the economy and activism.
The US media barely covers the world anymore – except stories that involve those countries that the administration is actively considering attacking and, of course, those lands that have already been invaded and occupied. As a result, many Americans have no idea that a critical election is taking place in Britain, where George W. Bush's closest ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair, is taking a battering on the issue that should have been central to last year's US presidential election: the lies that led to the war in Iraq.
Blair's Labour party is unlikely to be voted out of office in Thursday's voting, in part because the main opposition party – the Conservatives – also supported the war, and in part because a third of the Labour Party's members of parliament opposed Blair's efforts to sign Britain on for Bush's war.
But while his party remains viable, the prime minister's personal approval ratings have tanked. A number of recent polls show that a majority of British voters believe Blair lied to the British people--and his own Cabinet--in order to get Britain on board for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. And when Britain's MORI polling agency asked voters whether they approve of how Blair is handling the current situation with Iraq, 63 percent of those surveyed indicated that they disapproved while only 28 percent supported the approach of the man who is derisively referred to as "Bush's poodle."
And as election day draws near, the headlines in the British press, which, unlike the US media, does not take its cues from the spin machines of the various campaigns, has kept the focus firmly on Iraq.
The headline in Tuesday morning's Independent newspaper dismissed Blair's attempts to dismiss the war as a primary issue: "48 hours to go: Iraq, the issue that won't go away"
Other headlines read:
"Widow of soldier says Prime Minister to blame for his death"
"Mother plans court action over Blair's 'war crimes'"
"Iraq war 'will haunt Blair's legacy like Suez'"
"Revealed: documents show Blair's secret plans for war"
British political campaigns are blunt and to the point. They also include a multitude of parties -- including the Liberal Democrats, the nation's third party, and the Scottish and Welsh nationalists, all of which are anti-war. Even the Conservatives have sought to exploit the popular feeling that Blair deceived the country on the eve of the Iraq invasion. An anti-Blair poster seen throughout Great Britain last week featured an image of Blair and the declaration: "If he's prepared to lie to take us to war, he's prepared to lie to win an election." Another deliberately misspells the prime minister's name as "Bliar."
But the critical factor in the focus on Iraq is the fundamental difference between British and U.S. media. In Britain, major media does not report from an "on bended knee" position, as most U.S. media does. British newspapers and the BBC are dramatically more willing to challenge the statements and actions of political leaders than U.S. press and broadcast outlets.
The debate about Blair's integrity heated up last week, as leading British newspapers revealed that Britain's Attorney General expressed serious doubts about the legality of going to war against Iraq, but Blair did not share that information with his Cabinet, Parliament or the British people.
The Independent newspaper editorialized that, "The revelations of the Attorney General's initial reservations on the legality of going to war in Iraq have rightly pushed Iraq into the centre of this election and appear to have dealt a fresh blow to Tony Blair's version of events." A Guardian newspaper article by Robin Cook, who was so opposed to the rush to war that he resigned from Blair's Cabinet, was headlined, "We all now know the war would not stand up in court."
Imagine how different the final stages of the 2004 presidential election campaign in the U.S. might have been if the media had actually made an issue of Bush's integrity, particularly with regard to the lies that led this country into a war that has now taken the lives of more than 1,500 of our sons and daughters.
But, of course, that is merely a fantasy. Just before the U.S. election CBS News and the New York Times both spiked major stories on President Bush's integrity. The censored CBS report was an investigation into how the Bush administration manipulated intelligence and played upon fears in order to make the case for war with Iraq. Why was it killed? A CBS statement announced, "We now believe it would be inappropriate to air the report so close to the presidential election."
Apparently, that's the difference between the British media and the U.S. media. In Britain, newspapers and broadcast networks are still in the business of giving citizens the information they need to make informed decisions. In the U.S., they are merely stenographers to power.
John Nichols's new book, Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books) was published January 30. Howard Zinn says, "At exactly the when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift--a collection of writings, speeches, poems and songs from thoughout American history--that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country." Frances Moore Lappe calls Against the Beast, "Brilliant! A perfect book for an empire in denial." Against the Beast can be found at independent bookstores nationwide and can be obtained online by tapping the above reference or at www.amazon.com
Never underestimate the determination of Washington Democrats to try and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Just as it was reported Tuesday that Americans strongly support the Democratic campaign to preserve the judicial filibuster -- and with it their ability of responsible senators to prevent the most rabid extremists from joining the federal bench -- so it was also reported that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, was seeking a compromise on what ought to be a matter of principle. The compromise that Reid was advancing would have seen Republicans back off their push for a "nuclear option" to shut down filibusters in return for Democratic acquiescence to the GOP's demand that some of the White House's most objectionable judicial nominations be allowed to advance.
The good news is that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, rejected the compromise. Frist, who is desperate to get in bed with the religious right in order to promote his 2008 presidential campaign, recognized that his political ambitions would be thwarted if he was seen to be compromising with the demonized Democrats. He also heard the message loud and clear from the White House, where political (and now domestic policy) czar Karl Rove indicated in an interview with USA Today that there is no taste for deal making on judicial nominees.
Forced out his compromising position by the Republican right, Reid can now scramble back to the high ground, where the vast majority of Americans stand. Amazingly, considering the minority leader's missteps of the past few days, Reid and his fellow Democrats might yet win the fight to preserve the system of checks and balances that the founders of the republic established. But no one should forget that, at precisely the wrong moment, Reid wanted to surrender rather than fight. Nor should anyone miss the point here: Reid is not a bad man. He simply suffers from a bad condition: insideritis.
Reid has spent so much time inside the Capitol, and so little time in America, that he does not trust his own rhetoric. Even though he is absolutely right when he says that Frist and the religious right are attempting to force legally-inept judicial activists into positions where they do not belong, Reid succumbed to fears that the American people might not be with him on the question of whether the rule of law ought to prevail in America.
Reid's failure of faith was misguided. As it turns out, the American people overwhelmingly oppose changing the rules of the Senate to make it easier for the Republican majority in that chamber to confirm Bush's court nominees. According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, Americans disapprove of Frist's "nuclear option" by a 66-26 margin. While eight in 10 Democrats opposed the move to undermine one of the essential elements of the Senate's traditional "advice and consent" role, as did seven in 10 independents, the most interesting numbers were those from members of Frist's own party. Almost half of the Republicans who were surveyed said they opposed the majority leader's scheming to make it harder for Democratic senators to prevent final action on the president's most inept and ideologically-extreme judicial nominees.
Those numbers add up to a clear conclusion: Instead of seeking a compromise, Reid and the other Democrats should be going for a win. And the way to do so is by reaching out to the rational Republicans in the Senate. Two Republicans, John McCain of Arizona and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, have indicated that they will side with the Democrats on any vote to eliminate the judicial filibuster. Another Republican, moderate Olympia Snowe of Maine, has said she has "deep concerns about this approach.," and Maine's other Republican senator, Susan Collins , is expected by many to join Snowe in voting with the Democrats.
That means that, to block the "nuclear option," Reid needs just two more Republicans. (Opponents must secure 51 votes in favor of maintaining the right to filibuster, as a 50-50 tie would be broken by Vice President Dick Cheney, who favors going nuclear.) Are there two more Republicans who might be convinced? Conservatives think so. Their blogs are buzzing with concern that John Warner of Virginian, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, among others, might vote reject Frist's "tyranny of the majority" strategy.
Far from being a time for compromise, this is a time for fighting -- not just to score partisan points, nor even to represent the clear will of the American people, but to preserve the system of legislative checks and balances that is so essential to the American experiment.
John Nichols's new book, Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books) was published January 30. Howard Zinn says, "At exactly the when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift--a collection of writings, speeches, poems and songs from thoughout American history--that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country." Frances Moore Lappe calls Against the Beast, "Brilliant! A perfect book for an empire in denial." Against the Beast can be found at independent bookstores nationwide and can be obtained online by tapping the above reference or at www.amazon.com
The Sacred College of Cardinals is supposed to be one of the world's great deliberative bodies.
Yet, despite the many challenges faced by the Catholic church, the deliberations regarding the selection of a successor to the late Pope John Paul II put more of an emphasis on speed and continuity than creative consultation or soul searching.
Barely 24 hours into the first conclave of its kind in more than a quarter century -- and after only a handful of votes -- the cardinals settled on the frontrunner for the job: German Cardinal Joseph Alois Ratzinger.
Past popes have often confounded expectations, so it difficult to say with certainty that Cardinal Ratzinger represents a poor choice to lead the world's largest Christian church.
But all indications suggest that the cardinals have opted for the most cautious and conservative candidate.
Cardinal Ratzinger, who will now be identified as Pope Benedict XVI, has for a quarter century been the church's heavy.
As the prefect since 1981 of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the guardian of Catholic orthodoxy that was formerly known as the Holy Inquisition, he has been more responsible than anyone except John Paul II for the church's rejecting of reform and its persecution of progressive thinkers. The group Catholics for Free Choice notes that, "The cardinal's historic role as a disciplinarian means the tradition of the punitive father is maintained within the Roman Catholic church."
As The National Catholic Reporter reported several years ago, many serious observers of contemporary Catholicism believe that, "Ratzinger will be remembered as the architect of John Paul's internal Kulturkampf, intimidating and punishing thinkers in order to restore a model of church -- clerical, dogmatic and rule-bound -- many hoped had been swept away by the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 assembly of bishops that sought to renew Catholicism and open it to the world. Ratzinger's campaign bears comparison to the anti-modernist drive in the early part of the century or Pius XII's crackdown in the 1950s, critics say, but is even more disheartening because it followed a moment of such optimism and new life."
It was Ratzinger who laid the groundwork in the early 1980s for the crackdown of the Liberation Theology movement, which sought to identify the church more closely with the struggles of the poor. And it was Ratzinger who, in 1985, silenced Franciscan Father Leonardo Boff, arguably the most prominent proponent of efforts to put the church on the side of the Latin American workers and farmers who were seeking a fairer distribution of the region's resources, a fuller democracy and a brighter future for their children.
Ratzinger's modern-day inquisition against Boff and his followers moved a church that had seemed to be entering a new era back toward its most reactionary roots. And it did not end when Boff disappeared into a Franciscan monastery in Brazil.
Over the years that followed, Ratzinger led drives to punish moral theologians who embraced religious pluralism and encouraged dialogue within the church. Liberal Catholics in the U.S. well remember Ratzinger's moves to undermine American bishops who sought to find a place in the church for gays and lesbians such as Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen of Seattle, who was also a leading critic of the Reagan administration's support for military juntas and death squads in Latin America.
As the National Catholic Reporter's John Allen Jr. noted in 1999, in an article on Ratzinger headlined, "The Vatican's Enforcer": At the most basic level, many Catholics cannot escape the sense that Ratzinger's exercise of ecclesial power is not what Jesus had in mind."
It was his awareness of Ratzinger's record that led Father Andrew Greeley, one of the American church's most prominent thinkers, to observe before the Cardinals began Monday voting that, "I'd be dismayed if Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the church's official heresy hunter for a long time, is the next pope."
Now, it seems that the best hope is that papal tendency to defy expectation -- that the Vatican's enforcer will pull a "Nixon goes to China" and become the church's modernizer.
Father Greeley says, "Maybe a Papa Ratzinger can change, too." For the sake of the church, and the world that is so frequently influenced by it, let us pray that Greeley's words prove to be more than wishful thinking.
When hundreds of thousands of global justice campaigners flocked to Genoa in the summer of 2001 to protest at the G-8 summit of major industrialized nations, the found an unlikely ally in the powerful and respected cardinal of Milan.
While many influential figures in the Italian political and business spheres sought to dismiss the labor, farm, environmental and human rights activists who confronted authorities in Genoa with mass demonstrations that mirrored the protests two years earlier at the World Trade Organization ministerial in Seattle, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi wrote in a widely-circulated Catholic newspaper that, "There is a clear conflict between capital and labor, and the ones who are suffering aren't the industrialists but the men and women who are working."
As the 115 elector cardinals of the church gather this week to choose a successor to Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Tettamanzi has emerged as a leading contender. He is not the frontrunner – most observers assign that designation to German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a far more conservative player on issues of church doctrine and economics – but Tettamanzi is very much in the running. (Some observers have identified him as the chief rival to Ratzinger.) So, too, are several other cardinals who have been in the forefront of raising economic justice issues.
Though the electorate is small and uniquely homogenous in character, the competition to succeed John Paul II is in many senses like any other election campaign for a coveted position. It is beginning with a wide field, which will eventually be winnowed to a few candidates. Those candidates will, as is true in any campaign, be judged on the basis of a variety of factors, including their personal attributes and their ideology.
Considering the makeup of the College of Cardinals, which was defined by the appointments of the socially-conservative late pope, there can be no more than faint hope for the election of a modernizing liberal reformer who will move the church toward the ordination of women or more moderate stances regarding contraception and gay rights.
But on the economic justice front – which, along with opposition to preemptive war is a zone where the church was frequently at odds with the world's most powerful leaders and nations – the competition becomes more intriguing.
For instance, Cardinal Tettamanzi is no more liberal than the man he hopes to succeed when it comes to social issues; indeed, he helped put together "The Gospel of Life," a papal encyclical that spelled out the church's opposition to birth control, abortion and euthanasia. But the son of a northern Italian factory worker has been an outspoken and generally progressive voice in debates about globalization.
That stands him in stark contrast to Cardinal Ratzinger, who appears to be a bit more conservative than John Paul II on issues of church doctrine and is dramatically more conservative on economic issues. Ratzinger helped to organize and carry out the Vatican's the purge of the left-wing Liberation Theology movement in the late 1970s and 1980s – going so far as to shut progressive seminaries that were teaching priests to actively take the side of the poor in struggles with corporate and political power.
Even more progressive than Tettamanzi on these issues is Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, who at 62 is one of the youngest and most dynamic contenders. The son of a Honduran political activist who was jailed and tortured by that country's U.S.-backed dictatorship, Cardinal Rodriguez has maintained a long a close friendship with the Rev. Gustavo Gutierrez., the Peruvian theologian who was an architect of the Liberation Theology philosophy and movement.
Well regarded by John Paul II, Cardinal Rodriguez has often been the Vatican's point man on economic justice issues. As the leader of the church's drive for debt relief for the world's poorest nations, the Honduran cardinal delivered petitions demanding the easing of the debt burden, which contained 17 million signatures, to the 1999 G-8 meeting in Moscow. The decision of the G-8 to cancel $70 billion in international debts owned by poor countries was seen by many as a response to the lobbying of Cardinal Rodriguez and his allies in and out of the church hierarchy.
Somewhat more moderate than the other contenders on issues such as contraception, Cardinal Rodriguez is seen as something of a long shot, as is Cardinal Jose da Cruz Policarpo of Portugal, another moderate.
But, it is important to note, Cardinal Rodriguez is no more of a long shot than was Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla in 1978. And Cardinal Rodriguez is every bit the intellectual powerhouse and dynamic personality that Cardinal Wojtyla was when he made the move from Krakow to the Vatican.
Most television viewers don't know it, but a huge portion of what they watch on the local news programs aired by their favorite stations is not actually "news." Rather, local television stations around the country have in recent years been taking "video news releases" from the federal government and major corporations – particularly the big pharmaceutical companies – and airing them as if they were news reports.
Video news releases (VNRs) are so common these days that they actually dominate some newscasts, blurring the lines between advertising and news more blatantly than product placements in movies do the lines between advertising and entertainment.
But, from now on, VNRs will be identified as productions of the corporations that developed them, rather than pawned off as part of the news.
The Federal Communications Commission has called on television stations to disclose the origin of VNRs used on their news programs. "Listeners and viewers are entitled to know who seeks to persuade them with the programming offered over broadcast stations and cable systems," reads the FCC statement issued Wednesday, which was unanimously approved by all four FCC commissioners.
The FCC has instructed newscasters that they must abide by FCC sponsorship identification rules when they air VNRs and called for comments from license holders and cable operators about their use of the public-relations and advertising videos – including those produced by the government.
"Today's Public Notice… reminds broadcast stations, cable operators, and others of their disclosure obligations under our rules, if and when they choose to air VNRs, and to reinforce that we will take appropriate enforcement action against stations that do not comply with these rules," explained FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein.
The decision of the FCC came after a campaign organized by the Center for Media and Democracy and the media reform group Free Press, which filed a joint complaint regarding the issue on March 21. Accompanying the complaint was a petition signed by more than 40,000 Americans expressing concern about what the groups refer to as news fraud and that the Government Accounting Office has labeled "covert propaganda."
In the statement from the FCC, the commissioners cited the "large number of requests" for an investigation that had been received by the agency. "Citing the complaints, one commissioner urged the agency to aggressively investigate the use of VNRs that, according to the New York Times, have been produced using taxpayer funds by at least 20 federal agencies seeking to promote Bush administration policies.
"Recently, tens of thousands of citizens contacted the FCC demanding an investigation into the failure of broadcasters to disclose their use of government-generated 'news' stories. They were right to do so," said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps. "This Commission should investigate each such case. And it should strenuously enforce the rules against inadequate sponsorship identification."
That's the hope of John Stauber, the executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy, who said after the decision, "Not labeling VNRs constitutes news fraud and violates the most basic ethical standards of journalism. It's now time for TV news producers to own up their responsibility to the viewing public and fully disclose their use of fake news."
(John Nichols is a co-founder of Free Press, which, along with the Center for Media and Democracy, is helping community groups around the country to develop "citizen agreements" with local television stations. The agreements commit broadcasters to label VNRs produced by corporations and the government. For more on the campaign, visit www.freepress.net/propaganda)
"Im with the Bush-Cheney team, and I'm here to stop the count."
Those were the words John Bolton yelled as he burst into a Tallahassee library on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000, where local election workers were recounting ballots cast in Florida's disputed presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
Bolton was one of the pack of lawyers for the Republican presidential ticket who repeatedly sought to shut down recounts of the ballots from Florida counties before those counts revealed that Gore had actually won the state's electoral votes and the presidency.
The December 9 intervention was Bolton's last and most significant blow against the democratic process.
The Florida Supreme Court had ordered a broad recount of ballots in order to finally resolve the question of who won the state. But Bolton and the Bush-Cheney team got their Republican allies on the U.S. Supreme Court to block the review. Fearing that each minute of additional counting would reveal the reality of voter sentiments in Florida, Bolton personally rushed into the library to stop the count.
Bolton was in South Korea when it became clear that the Nov. 7, 2000, election would be decided in Florida. At the behest of former Secretary of State James Baker, who fronted the Bush-Cheney team during the Florida fight, Bolton winged his way to Palm Beach, where he took the lead in challenging ballots during that county's recount. Then, when the ballots from around the state were transported to Tallahassee for the recount ordered by the state Supreme Court, Bolton followed them.
It was there that he personally shut down the review of ballots from Miami-Dade County, a populous and particularly contested county where independent reviews would later reveal that hundreds of ballots that could reasonably have been counted for Gore were instead discarded.
Miami-Dade County Elections Supervisor David Leahy argued at the time that 2,257 voters had apparently attempted to mark ballot cards for Gore or Bush but had not had them recorded because they had been improperly inserted into the voting machines. A hand count of those ballots revealed that 302 more of them would have gone for Gore than Bush. That shift in the numbers from just one of Florida's 67 counties would have erased more than half of Bush's 537-vote lead in the state.
But attempts to conduct a hand count were repeatedly blocked by the Bush-Cheney team, culminating with Bolton's December 9 announcement that, "I'm here to stop the count." A few days later, the U.S. Supreme Court would stop the count permanently, with a pro-Bush ruling in which five Republican-appointed justices, in the words of noted attorney Vincent Bugliosi, "committed the unpardonable sin of being a knowing surrogate for the Republican Party instead of being an impartial arbiter of the law."
Bolton was a key player in the fight to delay the Florida count long enough to allow for the Supreme Court's intervention, and he got his reward quickly. Despite his record of making controversial and sometimes bizarre statements regarding international affairs, he was selected by the Bush administration in 2001 to serve as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control. And he is now in line to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Before he is given that position, and charged with the job of promoting the spread of democracy around the world, however, senators would do well to consider the disregard John Bolton showed for democracy in Florida.
John Nichols is the author of Jews for Buchanan (The New Press), a review of the Florida recount fight that was hailed by Studs Terkel as "the best thing anyone has written on that whole damn election." The book is available in independent bookstores nationwide and at www.amazon.com)
Among the members of Congress who attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II last week was U.S. Rep. David Obey.
It would be difficult to identify a more appropriate representative than the Wisconsin Democrat who has served in Congress for the better part of four decades.
As the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Obey is one of the most prominent and powerful members of the Congress. He is, as well, one of the most thoughtful and outspoken members of the Catholic faith in Washington. Indeed, the veteran congressman has credited his Catholic upbringing with helping to shape his values and his commitment to public service. "I was raised a Catholic," says Obey. "I know in my bones that I would not hold the views I hold today if it were not for the values I learned in Catholic school."
Yet, there are some who object to the suggestion that a progressive such as Obey is a "good Catholic."
Last year, Archbishop Raymond Burke published a public notice in the La Crosse, Wisconsin, diocesan newspaper that told Catholic legislators in the diocese who support abortion rights or euthanasia not to attempt to receive Communion and ordered priests not to give it to them. Burke, a moral hardliner who occupies the right fringe of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Biships, was then the Bishop of La Crosse; he is now the Archbishop of St. Louis.
Obey, who was widely believed to be one of the targeted legislators, responded with an opinion piece that appeared in America, a weekly Jesuit magazine that is one of the U.S. church's most well-regarded publications.
In it, Obey wrote that he would not let Burke "coerce" him into imposing the church's teachings on abortion upon America's pluralistic society. The piece, "My Conscience, My Vote," noted that, "In my view, Bishop Burke attempted to use his interpretations of theology to coerce me into taking specific positions on matters that I believe are matters of constitutional law. The difference between us is that I am not trying to force him to agree with my judgments, but he is attempting to force me to agree with his. That in conscience I cannot do."
Obey also urged that "the full texture and context of all my legislative actions" -- which includes many courageous votes to promote social and economic justice goals that parallel priorities of church leaders -- be reviewed before judging him.
Obey's bold statement was broadly circulated, and greeted with a great deal of relief by members of the faith who objected to the whole debate -- stirred by conservatives looking to derail the presidential campaign of John Kerry, who is also a practicing Catholic -- about whether politicians who did not follow the church line on abortion were "good Catholics."
Unfortunately, as the group Media Matters has noted, some in the media continue to perpetuate the "good Catholic" line.
Last week, on CNN's Inside Politics, CNN host Wolf Blitzer discussed the pope's funeral with Crossfire co-hosts Paul Begala and Robert Novak, both of whom are Catholics. Blitzer opened the segment by announcing that, "While they were united today in mourning the death of the pope, U.S. Catholics are a diverse group, as illustrated by two of our Crossfire co-hosts, the conservative Robert Novak, the liberal Paul Begala. Both good Catholics -- I don't know 'good' Catholics, but both Catholics. I'm sure Bob is a good Catholic, I'm not so sure about Paul Begala."
Noting that his son is named John Paul, after the late pope, Begala, a Democratic campaign aide, objected and, when Blitzer seemed to dismiss him, said, "I'm serious, that annoys me. I don't think anybody should presume that a liberal is not a good Catholic."
Begala continued, "The Holy Father is liberal. And in fact, when [CNN contributor] Carlos [Watson] was speaking [earlier in the program], I was in the green room. Underneath, some producer had written, 'Many Catholic doctrines are conservative.' Absolutely correct. Many are liberal as well. The Holy Father bitterly opposed President Bush's war in Iraq. He came to St. Louis -- and I was there -- and he begged America to give up the death penalty. President Bush strongly supports it, as did President Clinton and others. Many of the Holy Father's views -- my church's views -- are extraordinarily liberal. The Pope talked about savage, unbridled capitalism..."
Begala was right to challenge the casual use of the "good Catholic" label. When the national media joins the most extreme church hardliners and conservative ideologues in casting judgements about the faith of individual Catholics, they do damage to discussions about both religion and politics. And they foster the fallacy that the only issue of concern to Catholics is abortion.
John Nichols's new book, Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books) is drawing great reviews. Howard Zinn says, "At exactly the when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift--a collection of writings, speeches, poems and songs from thoughout American history--that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country." Frances Moore Lappe calls Against the Beast, "Brilliant! A perfect book for an empire in denial." Against the Beast can be found at independent booksellers nationwide and at www.amazon.com.
Expect to see a lot of George W. Bush over the next day or so, as he attends the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The White House is going out of its way to hype the fact that Bush is the first U.S. president ever to attend the funeral of a pope. And don't be so naive as to think that White House political czar Karl Rove and his minions -- all of whom are deeply concerned about the president's declining poll numbers -- have failed to calculate the political advantage that might be gained by associating the president with a pontiff whose passing has drawn unprecedented attention in the U.S. and around the world.
As Bush and other global leaders pay their final respects to John Paul II on Friday, however, it is important to remember that the Catholic pontiff was not a fan of this American president's warmaking.
John Paul II was an early, consistent, passionate and always outspoken critic of the president's scheming to invade Iraq. The Pope went so far as to meet with world leaders who were close to Bush, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in a high-profile attempt to prevent the war. Finally, the Pope sent a special envoy to Washington -- Cardinal Pio Laghi, who has long been close to the Bush family -- to try and derail the administration's rush to war.
When the war began, aides said that the Pope was "very disappointed and very sad" that Bush had ignored appeals to give peace a chance.
The Pope remained a critic of U.S. actions in Iraq, especially after it was revealed in May, 2004, Iraqi prisoners had been abused by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison.
"From all continents come endless, disturbing information about the human rights situation, revealing that men, women and children are being tortured and their dignity being made a mockery of. ... It is all of humanity which has been wounded and ridiculed," John Paul II said.
Those who are honoring the Pope's memory this week frequently refer to him as a man of peace. They would do well to recall that this is more than just a phrase. While the Pope was not a pacifist, he was an ardent foe of unjust and unwise wars. And hisopposition to the war in Iraq -- and to all forms of preemptive war -- is at the very heart of the legacy he has left with regard to international relations.
John Nichols's new book, Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books) was published January 30. Howard Zinn says, "At exactly the when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift--a collection of writings, speeches, poems and songs from thoughout American history--that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country." Frances Moore Lappe calls Against the Beast, "Brilliant! A perfect book for an empire in denial." Against the Beast can be found at independent bookstores nationwide and can be obtained online by tapping the above reference or at www.amazon.com
Many of the most devout followers of the most famous of all victims of capital punishment, the Nazarene who was crucified on the Calvary cross, took a long time to recognize that state-sponsored execution is an affront to their history and their faith. For close to 1,500 years, the Catholic Church taught that the state had a right to punish criminals "by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty."
For centuries, that line in the Catechism of the Catholic Church was used by Catholic politicians--and others who sought a moral justification for their actions--to place a veneer of legitimacy on even the most cavalier executions of the young, the mentally handicapped and the innocent. Even as Pope John Paul II moved the church closer and closer to explicit opposition to the death penalty during his long tenure, the loophole in the Catechism remained.
Then, in 1997, Sister Helen Prejean, the American nun and death penalty abolitionist who authored the book Dead Man Walking, asked Pope John Paul II to close the loophole. Later that year, the Pope removed the reference to the death penalty from the Catechism and, when he visited the United States two years later, he denounced the death penalty as "cruel and unnecessary." Referencing moves by countries around the world to ban capital punishment, the Pope declared in St. Louis that, "A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil."
So pointed and passionate was the Pope's message on the issue that the then-governor of Missouri, Mel Carnahan, a Baptist and a supporter of capital punishment, commuted the sentence of a condemned man who was scheduled to be put to death by the state several weeks after the Papal visit.
It is to be expected that the death of a pope will be attended by hyperbole. And the passing on Saturday of John Paul II has proven to be no exception to the rule. The late pontiff has been credited with everything from defeating communism to healing the age-old rift between Catholics and Jews, just as he faces legitimate criticism for everything from undermining the fight against AIDS by preaching against the use of condoms to consigning the women of the church to second-class citizenship.
The legacy of a pope who served twenty-six years, five months and seventeen days--longer than all the popes in history, save St. Peter and the nineteenth-century pontiff Pius IX--will, of course, be subject to debate. Wise souls will for centuries ponder the accomplishments and the missteps of the man who began his earthly journey as a Polish boy named Karol Jozef Wojtyla and ended it as one of the most recognized and respected figures in the world.
But one aspect of this pope's legacy is not up for debate. During John Paul II's pontificate, the Catholic Church closed the loophole that had served as all-too-many justifications for the taking of the lives of prisoners of the state. New Orleans Archbishop Francis Schulte said the change opened up "a whole new area (of consideration) for many Catholics." Sister Helen Prejean described it as a "Seismic shift" in church teaching. That shift had a profound influence on former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who declared the capital punishment system in Illinois "broken," and commuted the sentences of all 167 inmates sitting on death row in Illinois jails in 2003. And it continues to be felt today, as the US Conference of Catholic Bishops wages a newly launched national campaign to end the use of the death penalty in the United States.
There will be many grand eulogies to mark the passing of Pope John Paul II. But none will be more eloquent than the ongoing campaign to bar the barbaric practice of state-sponsored execution. Perhaps John Paul II was not the most modern pope, but he recognized the progress of society and moral teaching when he preached that, "Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform."
Think of Ann Veneman as the Paul Wolfowitz of food policy.
Just as Wolfowitz used his position as the Bush administration's deputy secretary of defense to spin whacked-out neoconservative theories into the justification for an illegal and unnecessary war, so Veneman used her position as the administration's secretary of agriculture to spin equally whacked-out theories about the genetic modification of food and free trade into disastrous policies for farmers and consumers.
And, just as Wolfowitz is being rewarded for his missteps and misdeeds with a prominent new position as president of the World Bank, so Veneman is also moving onto the world stage, as the likely nominee to be the next executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
When Veneman was nominated to serve as George W. Bush's first secretary of agriculture, this column detailed the many reasons why that was a horrible idea. A militant advocate for the genetic engineering of food and an unblinking proponent of the North American Free Trade Agreement, U.S. entry into the World Trade Organization, and other trade policy moves that were designed by agribusiness conglomerates to benefit agribusiness conglomerates, Veneman was on the wrong side of every issue that mattered to working farmers in the United States and abroad. And as a veteran beneficiary of agribusiness largesse - as a lobbyist, corporate board member and industry insider - she was not about to start listening to reason simply because she was briefly leaving the private payroll to take a government check.
Veneman lived up to the most dire expectations regarding her nomination, creating a record of service to the interests of multinational corporations at the expense of farmers and consumers. She drew the boos of farmers on her rare visits to rural America. And for good reason. She turned the Department of Agriculture into an echo chamber for the advocates of free trade agreements that have dramatically undermined the income and long-term viability of U.S. farmers, and for Monsanto and other firms that are seeking to force farmers to plant genetically modified crops and inject cows with bovine growth hormones.
Worst of all, on issues such as the discovery of mad cow disease in the United States and Canada, she seemed at every turn to be more interested in the business and trade impacts of those revelations than the very real public health issues that they raised.
Veneman has stepped down as secretary of agriculture but, in what has now become a pattern for the Bush administration, her years of disservice have been rewarded with selection to serve as the new executive director of UNICEF, the U.N. agency that is responsible for protecting children's health, welfare and rights.
Veneman is expected to get the job because of the defining role that the Bush administration plays in the selection process, just as U.S. pressure set up Wolfowitz for the World Bank position.
The notion that Veneman would be placed in a position to decide how to feed and care for the planet's most destitute children is every bit as alarming as the notion that Wolfowitz would be charged with providing aid to developing countries.
Indeed, as Ravi Narayan, coordinator for the global secretariat of the People's Health Movement, wrote in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the members of the executive board of UNICEF: "Ms. Veneman's training and experience as a corporate lawyer for agribusiness do not qualify her for the substantial task of leading the agency most responsible for the rights of children worldwide. There is no evidence in her tenure as U.S. secretary of agriculture, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, or deputy undersecretary for international affairs of the USDA of her interest in the world's children or their health and well-being.
"Indeed, her performance in these positions has been characterized by the elevation of corporate profit above people's right to food (U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25). Such a philosophy and practice would reverse almost six decades of UNICEF's proud humanitarian history and prove disastrous for the world's children."
Just as it is vital for responsible Americans to object to the selection of Paul Wolfowitz to serve as president of the World Bank, so it is equally vital that we object to the selection of Ann Veneman to lead UNICEF.
John Nichols's new book, Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books) was published January 30. Howard Zinn says, "At exactly the when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift--a collection of writings, speeches, poems and songs from thoughout American history--that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country." Frances Moore Lappe calls Against the Beast, "Brilliant! A perfect book for an empire in denial." Against the Beast can be found at independent bookstores nationwide and can be obtained online by tapping the above reference or at www.amazon.com


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35 year old woman | Jacksonville, FL, USA | Seeking men 34-52 within 50 miles of Syracuse, NY
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A source told a leading daily, "The reason could be that the family wants to avoid media frenzy that happens around most celebrity weddings in the country."
The source further added, "The entire Pataudi family will be going to Bhopal next week and that is when the exact venue and date will be decided."
Also, it has been said that Saif Ali Khan wants a very quiet wedding away from media and that is why he is planning to wed his beloved Kareena Kapoor in London.
Interestingly, earlier Sharmila Tagore had announced that Saif and Kareena will marry on October 16, but later her son Saif denied that his wedding date has not been fixed yet.
Well, we think that the family really needs to spend some time together!
Story first published: Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 10:55 [IST]


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The Sheriff's Station crisis management team made contact with the suspect at approximately 2:40 p.m.
They are still in communication and trying to get him to "peacefully step out," according to Deputy Josh Dubin.
Don't miss a thing. Get breaking Santa Clarita news alerts delivered right to your inbox.
The standoff continues between deputies and a potentially armed and suicidal man inside a residence on Hidden Oak Place.
Deputy Josh Dubin said that the station's Crisis Management and Mental Health Evaluation teams are on scene, trying to make contact with the suspect.
A SWAT team is also at the scene on standby, in case they are needed.
"It's still under investigation if he has a weapon," Dubin said. "It's still under investigation if a crime has occurred."
He said that this may just be a mentally unstable individual "who needs our help."
About six homes have been evacuated near the home that deputies have surrounded, said Sgt. Richard Nagler.
Residents are not being evacuted to any specific location, just out of the area.
"We don't know anything about any explosives. We just want to be careful in case there's any gunfire," Nagler said.
Santa Clarita deputies responded to a house on the 29000 block of Hidden Oak Place in Canyon Country after reports that there was a potentially armed and suicidal person inside.
"We have a situation where we got a call of a possible structure fire in Canyon Country," said Sgt. Richard Nagler of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. "We were updated to the call that the person had possible mental issues and may be armed and dangerous."
Deputies are evacuating residents in the area.
"We've set up and we're trying to determine exactly what's going on," Nagler said.
California Highway Patrol units are en route to assist with road closures.
Witnesses are reporting that three ambulances, paramedics, a fire truck and patrol cars have responded to the scene. A SWAT team is also en route.
"There's police tape all over my neighborhood," said Thresa Katz, resident of Begonias Lane and co-host of Friday Matinee on KHTS AM-1220. "I am at the corner of Edgeview Place and Begonias."
A crisis negotiator is being called to the scene.
No one has been hurt at this time, Nagler said.
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at email@example.com.
Source: Santa Clarita News


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Sept. 14, 2013
NEWARK, DEL. - Consistency has been a key to the Seton Hall women's cross country team's impressive start to 2013 and the team's top performers showed up in full force once again to lead the squad to a fourth-place finish at Saturday's 6K Delaware Invitational.
Continuing a trend that began in the 2012 finale, senior Nyala Eddings (Chicago, Ill.) and junior Mary Migton (Ledgewood, N.J.) served as the pace-setters for the Pirates; finishing first and second respectively among 14 Pirates who took to the course this afternoon.
Eddings registered a time of 23:40.07 and was followed to the finish soon after by fellow team captain Migton (23:47.27) as both placed among the top-30 Division I competitors on the day.
Freshman Desyre Blackburn (Aloha, Ore.) picked up her third-straight top-3 team performance as well, collecting a time of 25.03.49. She joins Eddings and Migton as the only three Pirates to score in all three meets thus far in 2013.
Sophomore Amanda Quaglia (Reading, Pa.) was among SHU's top-five in every race a year ago and on Saturday; she returned to the scoring group for the first time in the new season with a 25:56.68 effort. Senior tri-captain Kristen May (Shrewsbury, Mass.) crossed just over a second later (25:57.85), collecting her second top-five team performance in the last three weeks.
After the first two meets of her career were at the 4K distance, freshman Tiffany Callanan (Toms River, N.J.) navigated the added 2,000 meters well; ranking sixth for SHU with a final mark of 26:39.39.
The Hall totaled 110 points for the meet while Princeton, the #4 team in the Mid Atlantic region and 28th-ranked squad in the nation, took home the team title with a final tally of 21 points.
Next up for the cross country program is a trip down the coast to Princess Anne, Md., where the Pirates will compete at the UMES Cappy Anderson Invitational next Saturday, September 21.


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Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Clippers
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Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers speaks to Blake Griffin during... News PhotoBlake Griffin,California,City Of Los Angeles,Doc Rivers,Houston Rockets,Los Angeles Clippers,Match - Sport,National Hockey League,Sport,Staples Center,Talking,USA,VerticalPhotographer Andrew D. BernsteinCollection: National Basketball Association 2013 NBAELOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 4: Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers speaks to Blake Griffin #32 during their game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on November 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)


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Game 5
Country Singer Flubs Lyrics To National Anthem Before World Series Game 5 In San Francisco
There was an error at Game 5 of the World Series even before the first pitch.
Bumgarner Strikes Out 8 As Giants Shutout Royals For World Series Game 5 Win
With every pitch, Madison Bumgarner etched his place among the World Series greats.
Colin Dunlap: All The Pressure On Cardinals In Game 5
Pressure on the Pirates? Save it. There is zero, nada, zilch.
Manu Ginobili Sparks Spurs To Game 5 Win
Manu Ginobili ran onto the floor as fans stood and screamed. He went to the bench, and they chanted his name. The sights and sounds of so many San Antonio spring nights were back Sunday — and the real party might be just a few days away.
Undaunted A's Face Verlander In Decisive Game 5
Detroit took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday before Oakland scored three times off Jose Valverde to tie this series at two games apiece.


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Swonder's free lessons provides chance for youngsters to try the ice
EVANSVILLE - When Julia Gaylord was growing up in northern Illinois, one her favorite things to do with friends was ice skating on a neighborhood pond.
"Our parents would drop us off, and we'd have bonfires and skate around, totally unsupervised," she joked.
Since then, the times have changed, and when it came time for her 7-year-old son Jack to learn the basics of ice skating, she opted to bring him to Swonder Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon for their annual day of free ice skating lessons and a public skate session.
Swonder sponsors the free skating and lessons in recognition of January being U.S. Figure Skating's National Figure Skating Month. It was the second year the Gaylords participated in the event.
Her son, who had already received excellent instruction playing for the Evansville Youth Hockey Association last year, didn't need much help Saturday, she said. Jack was pumped up for the day, already wearing his full Philadelphia Flyers uniform before he stepped foot inside Swonder.
Jack said his favorite part of ice skating was that he gets to go fast and make ice fly everywhere when he comes to a "snow plow stop."
Gaylord describes her son on ice as a "daredevil and a speed demon," adding, "thankfully not a menace to others."
He can be quite helpful to others on the ice, giving them pointers whenever he can, she said.
Gaylord isn't sure if she passed on her ice skate genes to her son, but believes he's a natural.
"I'm not going to take credit for it, but he's definitely got it going on," she said.
Jack's love for hockey intensified last year when he got the chance to play in an Evansville IceMen half time show. About 30 children, mostly ages 4-6, played a three-minute game in front of a packed house at Swonder, which was then home to the IceMen. And while game was going on, the Charlie Brown theme song played over the PA system.
"They were moving at the speed of sloths," said Gaylord. "It was hysterical."
Gaylord appreciates Swonder offering free skating lessons to the public and feels it's the best way for parents to see if their children will like ice skating.
Swonder has offered the free lessons for the past five years and attempts to bring awareness to the community of the sport of figure skating and its benefits.
Jill Plough, arena skating director, feels ice skating brings those who do it a sense of confidence, as well as good exercise. Ice skaters learn flexibility and balance, but it all comes with a price, she said.
"You have to fall, that's just part of it," said Plough, who's been at Swonder since 2007. "That's one of the first things we teach beginners is how to fall and how to get up."
Plough said they teach people to try and fall on the meatiest parts of their body like the thighs and buttocks, and to keep their arms and hands flat across their chest so they're not sticking straight out.
Last year, more than 400 ice skaters attended the event. Each participant, after filling out a waiver form, received a free 15-minute lesson where they learn the basics of skating such as how to stop and turn. After lessons, they move on to another ice rink for a public skate session that lasts an hour and a half.
Plough said the popularity of ice skating is growing in Evansville, party due to the buzz around the Evansville IceMen hockey team, who currently lead their conference.
"It's fun for all ages," she said.
Judy Housemen brought her daughters, Emily, 10, and Ella, 4, Saturday for their first ice skating session hoping they would develop a taste for it like she did when she was young. Depending on if they enjoy it, she said she hopes to sign them up for full time lessons
"They've been wanting to take lessons, but I wasn't sure how they'd do," she said. "I think it's great Swonder has this free lesson, it gives them to chance to see if they like it or not."
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MLB Betting News and Notes Monday, May 12
MLB Betting News and Notes Monday, May 12
MLB Betting News and Notes
By Dave Essler
Cubs-Cardinals: Obviously Wood is the Cubs best hope, and the Cardinal coming back from a late game in Pittsburgh, so as a matter of course it's the Cubs RL or nothing. Warm with a little breeze blowing slightly out (it looks like) so I'll be interested to see where this total goes. Obviously like 7 but doubt it gets there.
Washington-Arizona: D-Backs first game back from a decent road trip from Chicago and A's at the moment pounding the Nationals into submission. Have to wonder where Washington's heads' are at after the weekend, so it's POSSIBLE to look at the D-Backs. At 9 I'd like the under (roof probably closed) but that's about gone already.
Miami-Dodgers: A little surprised to see the Dodgers only -160 or so given the Miami road woes. But, Koehler has been almost un-hittable of late. The biggest problem I have is that he three-hit the Dodgers recently in Miami and the Dodgers should make adjustments. However, off a tough series with the Giants, this would't surprise me if it were the public disaster/parlay killer of the day.
Atlanta-Giants: Long flight for the Braves who finally scored a few runs against the Cubs, and the Giants coming home off the series with the Dodgers. Not sure what to do with a side here, but do think both teams get to three, somehow.
Angels-Toronto: Well, the Blue Jays could be one of our two losses out of seven on Sunday. Annoyed at the Mariners at the moment, who will be the other one. Almost have to think Wilson is the right side given Toronto's woes against LHP this season, but are they ever that easy. See Seattle. Buehrle quite capable. Perhaps some showers in the area and the roof closed, to perhaps the total might end up too high.
Detroit-Baltimore: Two teams going in the wrong direction on Sunday, and perhaps the Tigers' loss stung more. Of course not for us on the Twins, but it happens. I like Bud Norris and always have because he can keep the ball down, and Miggy hasn't hammered him. Key thing here is that Detroit gave him his worst outing of the season in the first game. Porcello is almost "due" to lose. He's given up flyball but been able to get away with it. Lean Orioles and maybe under.
Houston-Texas: Peacock is actually coming around an is no longer an auto fade. I don't mind taking teams like Houston in the first game back, especially after a win, because they have no expectations. Rangers going in the wrong direction. Always value in the over in Houston if the roof is open and it should be. But, neither team has seen much of the opposing starter. Maybe HST F5 here.
Chicago-Oakland: Wow that Jesse Chavez is a -180 pitcher. I guess he's earned it and the A's have seemingly woken back up while the White Sox have fallen asleep. Danks gives up a lot of long outs at times, but may get away with it in this huge park. He's fared well against the A's, so perhaps if Joe Q lets this go to 8 we could look at the under. Slight breeze out and fairly warm, so it's possible.
Seattle-Tampa Bay: One of our leans was the Indians who we left off on Sunday, in lieu of the Mariners, perhaps. Felix a little shaky last time out and it's obvious both teams have some back-end issues right now. Long flight for the Rays after a loss while the Mariners stew overnight. This ones' ALL on the starters, and I can't make a case for laying the price w/Felix yet. Ramos is probably not going to go more than five innings, so perhaps this is a F5 U bet.
Yankees-Mets: We've been fading the ageless one sans PED's and it's been quite profitable. Kuroda is also an old man whose best years seem to be behind him. He's been unimpressive this season, really, even at home. I might make a reasonable case for the over, since the Mets have actually been hitting the ball. We'll see.
Re: MLB Betting News and Notes Monday, May 12
MLB Odds and Picks
By: Micah Roberts
LAS VEGAS -- If you've been betting Travis Wood in all seven of his starts this season, you're down -2.9 units, which isn't that bad considering the Cubs are 2-5 in those starts. Last season he turned into a very reliable starter and finished the season with a 3.11 ERA, but lacked run support and ended up with a losing record. Things looked promising in his first four starts this year, but two of his last three were way out of character.
The left-hander had his shortest outing of the season on Wednesday against the White Sox, lasting only four innings while giving up eight earned runs. He was pick 'em (-105) in that road game against a shaky John Danks, who ironically had given up eight runs in his last start (at Cleveland). That price alone shows a considerable downgrade on Wood's rating from the tough pitcher we got used to and respected last season.
Part of the downgrade is because of what Wood did in his previous two starts where he allowed eight runs combined over 12.2 innings of work.
So here he is tonight at St. Louis as a massive underdog against lefthander Tyler Lyons (-165), who has yet to pitch in a game this season that the Cardinals have won. Between three starts and two relief appearances, the Cardinals are 0-5.
The -165 price might be acceptable if we were talking about last year's Cardinals that drove everyone home with runners in scoring position, but this year's version is another story. They have scored only 3.6 runs per game. The Cubs, known for their lack of support, have scored 3.7 runs per game.
After a season-high win streak of three games on May 3, the Cubs have now lost five of their last six. The Cardinals just avoided a sweep in Pittsburgh to take them back up to .500, but they've lost 12 of their last 19. They're going to bounce back big eventually, and the Cubs are a good punching bag, but if you took the names and records off the stats, and just looked at them closely side by side, you might make the Cardinals -120, and only that high because of home field.
One stat we can now add to the mix, after revealing the team names, is that the current Cardinals roster has collectively hit .328 off of Wood. Yadier Molina, who broke out of a three- game hitless streak yesterday, has gone 12-for-30 (.400) with three homers and 11 RBIs off of Wood.
But now we have to file in some positive stuff about Wood, which really illustrates why this line is out of whack. On May 2nd, Wood beat Adam Wainwright, 6-5, at Wrigley Field for his second win of the season. Wainwright, one of the highest-rated pitchers in baseball, was only -160. Give about seven cents to the Cubs for home field, but there's a huge difference compared to today's price just because of a really poor outing by Wood, which just happened to be his last one.
We also have to factor in the Cardinals going only 3-6 against lefties this season. Yes, the Cubs have gone only 12-24 in 2014, and wins are rare for them, but this is the type of value you have to call on.
Obviously, betting against the Cubs (-8.9 units) has been a good venture, but the rating on Wood is at a two-year low. No one is betting on the Cubs and the sports books are tired of losing on them nightly, so they'll welcome the Cubs money and don't mind giving +152 to get it. They've cast their fishing line out with the number dangling and this one is worth biting.
Speaking of Fish
The Marlins are getting +151 at Dodgers Stadium tonight, despite the roll Tom Koehler has been on. He hasn't given up a run in his past two starts, including 10 days ago at home against the Dodgers in a 6-3 Marlins win. The Marlins just lost their last three at San Diego, dropping them from the NL East lead by two games to Atlanta (on a three-game win streak). The Dodgers come off losing three of four at home to the Giants and will send Dan Haren to stop the bleeding. The Dodgers have lost two of his last three starts, but his turn in the rotation wasn't up when they visited Miami. A second time around against the Dodgers so quickly for Koehler might not be a preferred scenario if weighing options on the game, but the +151 is hard to pass up.
Monday's selections:
Cubs (Wood) +152 at Cardinals
Marlins (Koehler) +151 at Dodgers
Giants (Lincecum) -110 vs. Braves
Re: MLB Betting News and Notes Monday, May 12
MLB: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue Jays
As mentioned in yesterday's baseball betting focus, the Angels just keep feasting on the Blue Jays. Toronto batters unable to solve L.A.'s ace Jered Weaver on Sunday lost the third straight of this four-game series and have now been bested in 10 of 11 encounters with Halos and in 8 of 10 when playing host to Mike Scioscia's troops. Enough already, if there was ever a chance for Toronto to pick up a rare win it's handing the ball to Mark Buehrle who is 6-1 in seven starts with an A.L. best 1.91 ERA. The left-hander off seven shutout innings in a victory over Philadelphia moving his May team start record to smart 11-2 has also been a great skid stopper for Toronto. The Jays are 15-8 off a loss handing the ball to the hurler including 7-3 at the Rogers Center. Digging deeper to get a better take on the situation finds Toronto 4-1 at home in Buehrle's subsequent appearance following a quality start of =>7 Inn, =< 2 runs. One final betting nugget. The lone victory Toronto has earned vs Halos the past eleven was when Buehrle took to the mound.
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Metro Manila is world's second riskiest capital to live in–poll
MANILA, Philippines— Lying smack in the middle of a fault-line and a typhoon path, Metro Manila is basically sitting on a ticking time bomb.
In a recent poll by Swiss Re, an international reinsurance company, Metro Manila is the world's second riskiest 'city' in terms of natural disasters waiting to happen, behind only Tokyo-Yokohama in Japan.
The survey uses only the word "Manila", which is just one of the cities in the Philippine capital. But citing the population of 34.6 million, the survey technically refers to Metro Manila.
Also called the National Capital Region, Metro Manila is composed of 15 cities and one municipality. They are the cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon, San Juan, Taguig and Valenzuela. Pateros is the only municipality. There are about 34.6 million residents as of 2013.
"Besides being exposed to frequent tropical cyclones and storm surges, many cities in the region are also located in zones of high seismic activity, including Tokyo, Taipei, and Manila," Swiss Re said in a report.
Swiss Re based its findings on cities that are most susceptible to five natural disasters, earthquake, storm, storm surge, tsunami, and river flood.
According to Swiss Re, 34.6 million people are potentially on the receiving end of the five catastrophes.
"The vibrancy of these cities is a key driver for economic development," Matthias Weber, Group Chief Underwriting Officer, said in the report. "However, the growing concentration of people, assets and infrastructure also means that the loss potential in urban areas is high and rising."
Metro Manila, which has the Manila Bay on its west side, is very susceptible to flooding once the rainy season starts.
Rounding out the top ten riskiest cities were Tehran in Iran, Los Angeles in the United States, Shanghai River in China, Kolkata in India, Nagoya in Japan, Jakarta in Indonesia, Osaka-Kobe in Japan, and the Pearl River Delta in China.
Top five
In the crosshairs of the rankings, the region of Tokyo-Yokohama in Japan, Swiss Re said, is "by far the most earthquake exposed community" in the rankings with almost 30 million people potentially considered as victims.
It also tops the list in terms of the risk of a possible tsunami with 2.4 million people potentially affected.
As a region, the Pearl River Delta is comprised of the urban districts of Hong Kong, Shenzen, Dongguan, Macau, and Guangzhou, and is one of China's main economic centers.
According to Swiss Re, the Pearl River Delta is highly susceptible to typhoon-related storm hazards, river and coastal flood zones and earthquakes.
Japan's Osaka-Kobe region, according to the report, has 32.1 million people who are potential victims of the calamities and Jakarta has a potential of 27.7 million victims.
Osaka-Kobe, the report said, has a high risk of experiencing storm surges as its metropolitan areas were developed on large coastal plains.
In terms of the number of potential victims the rest of the rankings are Nagoya with 22.9 million, Kolkata with 17.9 million, Shanghai with 16.7 million, Los Angeles with 16.4, and Tehran with 15.6 million.
10 deadliest natural disasters in the Philippines
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