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Media, politics and culture.
Earlier this month, on several occasions here or at my own blog or on Twitter, I complained about the fawning media coverage of George W. Bush, world-famous painter. From the self-portraits in the shower, to his portrait of Putin, the paintings are amateurish—street-fair quality at best—but that hardly halted the media orgy.
More than once I mused that his true subjects should be dead Iraqi kids or wounded US veterans, not puppies or selfies. You didn't see this expressed in our media, however.
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Imagine how gratified I felt when I saw yesterday that my wish had come true, albeit from an unexpected, "not serious" (except deadly so in this case) source.
Thank god, The Onion goes there—where the mainstream would not—suggesting George W. Bush should be painting the ghosts of dead Iraqi children, or in their version, already is.
"George W. Bush Debuts New Paintings Of Dogs, Friends, Ghost Of Iraqi Child That Follows Him Everywhere"
Read Next: Greg Mitchell Lewis Black on Why He's a Socialist—and Creationists Get the 'Cosmos' Parody They Deserve.
A sentence I thought I'd never write: Comedian at National Press Club this week explains why he's a socialist.
Yes, it happened on Monday, when Lewis Black, of stand-up notoriety and Daily Show sit-down "Back in Black" fame, appeared at the venerable DC venue, and offered this testimonial.
Yes, it was witty—he blamed his parents, for one thing (something I can't do)—but also right on the mark in describing how fringe this is in America (he offers a shout-out to Bernie Sanders) and why it is should be regarded in a positive light as "enforced Christianity." (My own socialist hero, of course, is Upton Sinclair.) Here's a clip:
But it's a good day for fun vids on the inter-tubes. Here's the latest from Funny or Die, purporting to be the "equal time" episode for Cosmos demanded by creationists, and starring the wonderfully apt Timothy Simon—you know him as Jonah from Veep.
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Of course, everything can be explained in the Bible. And God made everything—except for gays (who made that choice themselves). His vehicle of choice for navigating the stars? A church mini-van.
Finally, just for laughs: The Amy Schumer show this week offers a send-up of Aaron Sorkin (and his Newsroom series) with Sorkin veteran Josh Charles.
Read Next: Greg Mitchell: Stephen Colbert gets Letterman's job—and right-wingers freak out.
UPDATE 3 pm: Yes, it's a win—and go here for full list of prizes, and finalists, and comments by Edward Snowden, and more, such as fiction, poetry and theatre winners.
Earlier: They won a prestigious Polk Award the other night for their wide-ranging and groundbreaking journalistic work on the NSA and Edward Snowden—and they took a risk flying to the United States to pick it up. But now it's Pulitzer day, and we'll soon get an answer to the question that's been posed for months: Will the committee up at Columbia University honor them with a major one?
Speculation has run riot for the past several weeks. Back in the days when I was editing Editor & Publisher we would have had that halfway solved by now. My ace reporter Joe Strupp found a way each year to get leaks from Pulitzer panel members, put them together, stick out his neck and predict, or rather reveal, the three finalists in most categories, although the winners, picked at nearly the last moment, were harder to get and we felt we shouldn't reveal them out-front anyway.
However, we would then run fun stories about how most of the winners were told hours or a day in advance, making some of the "surprise" shots at 3 pm on the Monday afternoons a little goofy.
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So it's safe to say that Poitras and Greenwald, and compatriot Bart Gellman, know what's up by now. But stay tuned this afternoon. (Years ago I covered Greenwald's work extensively in my books on Iraq and the media and on Wikileaks and Chelsea Manning.)
Meanwhile, here's the full Greenwald-Poitras press conference in New York.
Read Next: Greg Mitchell: "Stephen Colbert Gets Letterman's Job—and Right-Wingers Freak Out."
Yes, many wanted a woman to break the old- and older-boy network late night line-up, but the news from CBS that Stephen Colbert, as rumored, would take David Letterman's seat next year brought general applause or at least acceptance—except from many conservatives he had long parodied or mocked on his current show.
They got a true "Colbert" bump—and didn't like it. Apparently his satire has hit too close to the bone. On Letterman's ex-show, however, he has vowed to just be himself, not a right-wing blowhard.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Letterman news late last night: Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show with the Colbert news, a clip (the famous gay-banana crack-up), and other exclamations about this "wild" day. He recalled the difficulty in not cracking up on air when Stephen was doing his bits on Jon's show. "The exciting news," he concluded, "is I no longer need a cable subscription to enjoy Stephen Colbert." (This was generous, as Stewart helped create and has a financial stake in the outgoing Colbert Report.)
Then he paid tribute to Letterman as the "best" TV host there ever was but claimed Stephen is "up to the challenge… There's no greater joy than to see a genuinely good man get the success he deserves." He added that he looks forward to seeing Colbert's name on marquee of the Ed Sullivan theater.
Then Colbert opened his show by deadpanning that he'll miss Letterman on the air now. He has watched him since college and "he influenced every host who came after him, and some who came before. And I tell you, I do not envy anyone they try to put in that chair. Those are some big shoes to fill—and some really big pants."
Meanwhile, on the right, as Salon reported:
While many people responded to the news with pleasure and excitement, right-wing talk-radio king Rush Limbaugh was quick to offer his two cents, saying that Colbert's hiring was a declaration of war on the American "heartland" by CBS.
And as a perusal of the right-wing Twitter community shows, Limbaugh was hardly the only conservative to greet Colbert's promotion with anger and dismay. Indeed, the sentiment on the right in response to the news can be summarized like so: Stephen Colbert's being chosen to succeed David Letterman shows that liberal media bias is real. And, also too, Colbert's not funny, anyway.
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Ben Shapiro offered a typical view from those quarters: "Colbert? Really? Why not just wait until President Obama is out of office and hire him to replace Letterman directly?"
And just because it never gets old: here's that classic Colbert putdown of the media and President Bush (to his face) at the White House Correspondents dinner:
Read Next: Stephen Colbert points out the absurdities of lethal injection secrecy laws.
On the morning of this day eleven years ago, in 2003, I happened to be sitting in the ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans waiting for Dick Cheney. This may sound like the beginning of a joke, perhaps with a musical or culinary kicker, but the punch line in this case is quite tragic.
I was covering a newspaper convention as editor of Editor & Publisher and the vice president had been scheduled weeks earlier as the featured morning speaker. We wondered if he'd show up: US forces had just entered central Baghdad and victory had been declared. Now, along with millions of others, I watched as locals, apparently acting on their own, toppled a giant statue of Saddam Hussein. I remember it well. There were two giant, if fragile, screens set up on either side of the stage where Cheney would soon appear—and just as the statue of Saddam was pulled down, live, the screen on the right also started to topple.
I should have known the worst was yet to come right there. Actually, unlike most in the mainstream media, I'd been warning about that for weeks, just the previous weekend on Bill Moyers's PBS show.
A few minutes later, Cheney arrived and naturally hailed the events of the day. He also told us that critics of our conduct of the war were merely "retired military officers embedded in TV studios." Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld, back in Washington, gushed, "The scenes of free Iraqis celebrating in the streets, riding American tanks, tearing down the statues of Saddam Hussein in the center of Baghdad are breathtaking. Watching them, one cannot help but think of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Iron Curtain."
Okay, we expected nothing less from the architects of the war. But what about our media? Commentators suffered from premature ejaculations. Chris Matthews on MSNBC announced, "We're all neo-cons now." Joe Scarborough, also on MSNBC, declared: "I'm waiting to hear the words 'I was wrong' from some of the world's most elite journalists, politicians and Hollywood types."
Fred Barnes at Fox News said: "The war was the hard part. The hard part was putting together a coalition, getting 300,000 troops over there and all their equipment and winning. And it gets easier. I mean, setting up a democracy is hard, but it is not as hard as winning a war." Dick Morris at Fox News: "Over the next couple of weeks, when we find the chemical weapons this guy was amassing, the fact that this war was attacked by the left and so the right was so vindicated, I think, really means that the left is going to have to hang its head for three or four more years."
And William Safire in The New York Times:
Like newly freed Parisians tossing flowers at Allied tanks; like newly freed Germans tearing down the Berlin Wall; like newly freed Russians pulling down the statue of the hated secret police chief in Dzerzhinsky Square, the newly freed Iraqis toppled the figure of their tyrant and ground their shoes into the face of Saddam Hussein….
Even in the flush of triumph, doubts will be raised. Where are the supplies of germs and poison gas and plans for nukes to justify pre-emption? (Freed scientists will lead us to caches no inspectors could find.) What about remaining danger from Baathist torturers and war criminals forming pockets of resistance and plotting vengeance? (Their death wish is our command.)
Alas, extensive looting soon began in Baghdad and many other large cities, with prizes ranging from household items to deadly weapons and bomb-making equipment. Rumsfeld explained, "Stuff happens…. Freedom's untidy." Mobs were greeting Americans as something less than liberators. On April 18, tens of thousands of Iraqis demonstrated against a US occupation in Baghdad. In late April, in separate incidents in Baghdad and Fallujah, US troops fired on demonstrators, killing more than dozen and inspiring grenade attacks on Americans.
Thomas Friedman wrote in The New York Times, "As far as I'm concerned, we do not need to find any weapons of mass destruction to justify this war…. Mr. Bush doesn't owe the world any explanation for missing chemical weapons." David Ignatius of The Washington Post wrote a column along the same lines. Richard Perle on May 1 advised in a triumphal USA Today op-ed, "Relax, Celebrate Victory."
The same day, President Bush, dressed in flight suit, would land on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declare an end to major military operations in Iraq—with the now notorious "Mission Accomplished" arrayed behind him in the war's greatest photo op. Chris Matthews called Bush a "hero" and PBS's Gwen Ifill said he was "part Tom Cruise, part Ronald Reagan."
Of course, there is much that can be, and has, been written about the decade that followed in Iraq, the treasure squandered, the media malpractice, the hundreds of thousands of lives lost (see my updated book on Iraq and the media, So Wrong for So Long). But on this day, I'd simply recommend a now-forgotten 2011 piece at The New Yorker and Pro Publica by Peter Maass.
He had covered the taking of Baghdad for The New York Times that day as a non-embedded or "unilateral" reporter. His article lays out, in detail, what actually happened that day in Baghdad—revealing the full nature of the media malpractice. The crowds that gathered around the statue of Saddam were much smaller and less enthusiastic than the TV images showed, and US marines played a central role in pulling down the statue. And the images would have profound and long-lasting negative effects in America, he argues. He also quotes from the likes of John Burns of The New York Times admitting that his gratitude toward the US marines that day was explicit. "They were my liberators, too. They seemed like ministering angels to me."
Maas reveals that two CNN correspondents elsewhere in Baghdad were each ready to go on air with coverage of Iraqis firing on US troops but producers kept the focus on the statue for two hours. One of them, Walter Rodgers, seemed to defend this later: "Pictures are the mother's milk of television, and it was a hell of a picture."
Meanwhile, on CNN, Wolf Blitzer described the toppling as "the image that sums up the day and, in many ways, the war itself" and anchor Bill Hemmer added, "You think about seminal moments in a nation's history … indelible moments like the fall of the Berlin Wall, and that's what we're seeing right now." Fox anchor Brit Hume said, "This transcends anything I've ever seen…. This speaks volumes, and with power that no words can really match."
Maass relates that a study found that between 11 am and 8 pm that day, "Fox replayed the toppling every 4.4 minutes, and CNN every 7.5 minutes. The networks also showed the toppling in house ads; it became a branding device."
Anne Garrels, a leading NPR reporter in Baghdad, revealed that her editors requested that she emphasize the celebratory angle, because the television coverage was more upbeat. In an oral history, Garrels claimed she told her editors that they were getting the story wrong: "There are so few people trying to pull down the statue that they can't do it themselves…. Many people were just sort of standing, hoping for the best, but they weren't joyous."
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Robert Collier, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter, "filed a dispatch that noted a small number of Iraqis at Firdos, many of whom were not enthusiastic. When he woke up the next day, he found that his editors had recast the story. The published version said that 'a jubilant crowd roared its approval' as onlookers shouted, 'We are free! Thank you, President Bush!'" Collier told Maass, "That was the one case in my time in Iraq when I can clearly say there was editorial interference in my work. They threw in a lot of triumphalism. I was told by my editor that I had screwed up and had not seen the importance of the historical event. They took out quite a few of my qualifiers."
Among Maass's conclusions:
I had little awareness of the media dynamics that turned the episode into a festive symbol of what appeared to be the war's finale. In reality, the war was just getting under way. Many thousands of people would be killed or injured before the Bush administration acknowledged that it faced not just "pockets of dead-enders" in Iraq, as Rumsfeld insisted, but what grew to be a full-fledged insurgency. The toppling of Saddam's statue turned out to be emblematic of primarily one thing: the fact that American troops had taken the center of Baghdad. That was significant, but everything else the toppling was said to represent during repeated replays on television—victory for America, the end of the war, joy throughout Iraq—was a disservice to the truth….
The media have been criticized for accepting the Bush administration's claims, in the run-up to the invasion, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The WMD myth, and the media's embrace of it, encouraged public support for war. The media also failed at Firdos Square, but in this case it was the media, rather than the government, that created the victory myth.
Among the handful of studies of Firdos Square, the most incisive was George Washington University's, led by Sean Aday, an associate professor of media and public affairs. It concluded that the coverage had "profound implications for both international policy and the domestic political landscape in America." According to the study, the saturation coverage of Firdos Square fueled the perception that the war had been won, and diverted attention from Iraq at precisely the moment that more attention was needed, not less. "Whereas battle stories imply a war is going on, statues falling—especially when placed in the context of truly climactic images from recent history—imply the war is over," the study noted.
Read Next: Greg Mitchell: "New Surge in Death and Violence in Iraq—Eleven Years After We Took Baghdad."
In the wake of George W. Bush's gaining serious treatment as an artist over the weekend, and being greeted warmly at NCAA basketball finals last night—even as we mark eleven years since the US took Baghdad (based on his lies)—there's this today from Agence France-Presse:
Attacks in Iraq left 15 people dead Tuesday while security forces said they killed 25 militants near Baghdad amid worries insurgents are encroaching on the capital weeks ahead of elections.
The latest violence is part of a protracted surge in nationwide bloodshed that has left more than 2,400 people dead since the start of the year and sparked fears Iraq is slipping back into the all-out sectarian fighting that plagued it in 2006 and 2007.
The unrest has been driven principally by anger in the Sunni Arab community over alleged mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government and security forces, as well as spillover from the civil war in neighboring Syria.
In Tuesday's bloodiest incident, soldiers killed 25 militants in an ambush southwest of Baghdad, the capital's security spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said. Elsewhere in Iraq on Tuesday, attacks north of the capital killed 15 people overall, security and medical officials said, including six members of the same family shot dead inside their home on the outskirts of the restive city of Mosul.
Near-daily bloodshed is part of a long list of voter concerns that also include lengthy power cuts, poor wastewater treatment, rampant corruption and high unemployment.
Looking through an article in The New York Times eleven years ago today (Baghdad would fall on April 9, 2003), one is struck by how many were already noting that we were not being greeted as liberators and that tough times were ahead, though none recognized the true scope of the problem (and the crime of the invasion to start with). "Chaos" and "looting" were also beginning, amid false US reports that "barrels" of chemical agents had been found, a possible "smoking gun," as one official put it.
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Thomas Friedman, later rightly mocked for his prediction, over and over, for years, that things would be turning around there within six months, was pretty clear-eyed in a column titled 'Hold Your Applause," which closed with:
America broke Iraq; now America owns Iraq, and it owns the primary responsibility for normalizing it. If the water doesn't flow, if the food doesn't arrive, if the rains don't come and if the sun doesn't shine, it's now America's fault. We'd better get used to it, we'd better make things right, we'd better do it soon, and we'd better get all the help we can get.
Greg Mitchell's new book on Iraq and media malpractice is So Wrong for So Long.
Read Next: Greg Mitchell: "Eleven Years Ago: Questions Arise About 'Embedded' Media Coverage of Our Iraq Invasion."
UPDATE: LIsten to me talk about this and more on Sam Seder's Majority Report radio show today.
In the wake of the latest US Supreme Court ruling, the problem of money in politics will soon reach a true crisis point, if it's not already there. Of course, this has been a slow, steady match to this precipice.
The first modern campaign to raise massive amounts of money, secretly, via front groups or consultants outside the political party offices, sometimes with strong-arm tactics, and across the country—even though it was a state contest—took place in 1934, when the famous Socialist author Upton Sinclair swept the Democratic primary and appeared headed for victory leading a mass movement known as EPIC (End Poverty in California). I've written about this at length previously here (and in my book The Campaign of the Century), so I'll just provide a link to the full story.
But one of the key sources of money was right in California—within the Hollywood studios, where tens of thousands toiled. My new e-book, When Hollywood Turned Left, was published last week. It focuses on the wild response in Hollywood—then controlled by conservative Republicans—to Sinclair, which included the creation of the first use of the screen for "attack ads," thanks to MGM's Irving Thalberg. The right-wing attack was so outrageous it sparked liberals out there to organize, and Hollywood has tilted left ever since.
Here's an excerpt about one of the most notorious aspects: almost all the studio chiefs docked their employees, from low-level to top stars, one day's pay to go for the slush fund of the hack Republican candidate, Frank Merriam. One of those who protested but lacked the clout to resist was the young screenwriter (later famed director) Billy Wilder, who had arrived in the US just recently. Jimmy Cagney and Kate Hepburn, already top stars, did fight back.
* * *
Stars in the studio system enjoyed a wide variety of benefits and privileges. The studio bosses at least asked them to donate to the Merriam fund before threatening to dock them. Some writers, such as Donald Ogden Stewart, went along with the request. Less established figures were given no choice in the matter.
Take the young writer Billy Wilder over at the Fox studio, for example. Wilder, who was still trying to salvage Raoul Walsh's East River, received his latest paycheck, normally $250, only to find $50 missing.
"There's something wrong," Billy said to the studio cashier in his heavily accented English. "There's been a mistake."
"There was no mistake," she replied. "They took fifty dollars from everyone to give to Governor Merriam. If you have any complaints, talk to Mr. Sheehan."
Billy didn't know what this was all about, but he knew one thing: he desperately needed that fifty dollars to make the rent on his tiny room at the Chateau Marmont and to pay for his English lessons. He was behind on payments on his '28 De Soto, too. In no position to approach Winnie Sheehan, Fox's top man, he cornered another studio exec instead.
"Will you please explain?" Wilder asked. "I'm just here on a visa, I'm not interested in politics."
"Sinclair is dangerous," the executive replied, "he must be defeated. The Communists want to take over."
"Shouldn't I have the privilege of making the donation myself?" Billy asked innocently.
"No, the house is burning down," the exec said, "and we need as much water as possible to put it out. That son of a bitch bolshevik Sinclair must be stopped."
"And my hard-earned fifty dollars is going to stop him?" Wilder wondered.
Billy was aghast. It seemed childish, foolish and incipiently fascist at the same time. And he knew something about fascism. He went back to his office and asked his colleagues, red-blooded Americans all, what he should do. After all, he was just a hick from Austria and unwise to the ways of American politics. This just didn't seem like the American way, as he understood it.
They said, "It had to be done," and "There's nothing you can do." You can't fight city hall, and all that. Some of them agreed that Sinclair
was a Communist. Wilder said he knew a little bit about Sinclair and he was not by any means a Communist.
"Oh, you're a Communist too?" one writer replied. "You better watch it."
Wilder was out of fifty dollars and left with two conflicting thoughts concerning the forced donations. One was: It may not be democratic, but it's a brilliant idea. Maybe if businessmen in Germany had deducted fifty marks from their workers to stop Hitler, Europe would be a safer place today.
The other was: I fled fascism for THIS?
Another Hollywood figure rebelling against the so-called Merriam tax was that "professional againster" James Cagney. He was back in Los Angeles after shooting Devil Dogs of the Air in San Diego. Politically, Jimmy was still skating on thin ice thanks to the flap over his alleged role in last summer's Communist uprising, so it behooved him to go along with Jack Warner's request for money for Merriam. But Cagney wouldn't sign the studio's check.
At least that's what he told Frank Scully, head of the writers' committee for Upton Sinclair, when they met, for secrecy's sake, just outside the Warner Brothers gate. Scully found it amusing that two solid Americans were huddling on the street, speaking in whispers, as if they were plotting a revolution. Cagney told Scully not only that he had refused to sign the check delivering one day's wage to Merriam but that if the studio forced him, he would donate one week's salary to Sinclair. Since that represented a six-to-one advantage for EPIC, Jimmy figured that would stop them.
Unlike the writers, Hollywood's acting talent, with the exception of Jimmy Cagney and a handful of others, seemed to go along with the Merriam tax without much of a fuss. Early reports that Jean Harlow planned to buck the system proved premature. But the name of another
young star supposedly fighting the Merriam tax had surfaced in Hollywood. It raised eyebrows, for the actress, Katharine Hepburn, had much to lose, having just won an Academy Award. While Jean Harlow's career, in the Production Code "decency" era, appeared to be imperiled, Hepburn had clear sailing.
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But 1934, by and large, was not kind to Kate. After a flop or two, criticism of Hepburn's cool manner and unconventional dress mounted. Gossip columnists referred to her as La Hepburn. One writer dryly commented that she "occasionally has human impulses and she is not all snobbery and self-satisfaction." On October 7, Louella Parsons revealed that "photographers have agreed not to take a single pic of her because she's been so rude."
Yet, if anything, Hepburn took herself less seriously than others did. When her habit of wearing men's pants caused a stir in Paris, she commented, "I couldn't be dignified if I tried." She hated reading references to Kit Hepburn as the mother of Katharine Hepburn. "My mother is important," she explained, "I am not." Kate wished she could paint, play music, or write books instead of act, but "alas, I'm not talented at all." With her friend Laura Harding she lived in an isolated home in Coldwater Canyon.
As the California governor's race heated up this autumn, Hepburn was filming The Little Minister, based on the J. M. Barrie play, for RKO. It was a big-budget production, and the studio expected the film to put Hepburn's career back on track. With that much invested, RKO executives could not have been pleased when rumors circulated that Kate Hepburn favored Upton Sinclair or would not pay the "Merriam tax," or both. Now the Los Angeles district attorney had sent an investigator to find out what Hepburn really believed—and whether RKO had threatened to punish her for those beliefs.
Read Next: Greg Mitchell on racial politics in the New York theater
Once again the site BagNewsNotes has done a service for journalists and readers by raising concerns (following on recent work by others) about possibly staged or faked news photos widely-published by Reuters from Syria in recent weeks.
BagNewsNotes focuses on analysis and "literacy" of images in the media. As they explain, "No other site is as committed and singularly focused on the social, cultural and political 'reading' of the individual picture. Given the power of photos to influence and persuade, we feel it is vital for citizens to become better 'readers' and consumers of visual news, messaging and spin."
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This email from the site's longtime publisher Michael Shaw provides key links and background (you'll see many of the photos in question) so I will excerpt here:
Over the last three weeks, serious questions have been raised about the accuracy and integrity of photos and photo stories by freelancer/activists in Syria affiliated with Reuters. The first story was published by the New York Times Lens blog, the second by the NPPA. We published two more stories last week at BagNewsNotes:
Were the Reuters "Boy in a Syrian Bomb Factory" Photos Staged?—with analysis provided by photojournalists, photo editors and reporters familiar with the workings of these rudimentary factories in Aleppo.
The Dysfunctional Guitar: More on the Reuters Syria Photo Controversy—details the repeated appearance of the same damaged instrument in multiple images along with a look into a Reuters explanation.
In a post published last night by the British Journal of Photography, Reuters' resistant stance -- and a hostility toward those raising questions -- was specifically called out. Because the news sphere has a short attention span and Reuters is such a powerful player in the world of news photography, there's a real risk that time will pass (while compromised pictures might even keep coming) and this situation will just be forgotten. Given the risk to the industry for the loss of integrity – including the integrity of all the talented and ethical people working for Reuters — that would be quite a blow.
That post closes with these questions:
When asked whether Khatib still worked for Reuters, the news agency refused to comment.
When asked whether the recent allegations had resulted in a change in Reuters' news-gathering practices in Syria, the news agency refused to comment.
When asked whether Reuters would consider opening another investigation following the recent and specific allegations against its news operations in Syria, the news agency refused to comment.
And, more importantly, when asked why Reuters had been using Syrian activists as freelance photographers without informing its clients, the news agency again refused to comment.
We'll update as needed.
Read Next: Tom Engelhardt: How Sensational News Stories Distract Us From Real Crises.
You have to hand it to the Wall Street Journal. They do it cleverly and between the lines, but in an editorial today they pinpoint as the main reason for yesterday's shootings at Fort Hood by a mentally-troubled soldier the actions and inactions of agencies under the Obama Administration (with no mention of the easy purchase of the weapon or any other factors):
And as military officials seek lessons from the tragedy to try to prevent similar events in the future, they should expect no help from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as Samhsa. According to a Journal editorial this week, this arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services "uses its $3.6 billion annual budget to undermine treatment for severe mental disorders."
Samhsa bureaucrats spend much of their time and taxpayers' money opposing efforts by doctors to promote medical intervention in such serious cases. Among the reforms sought by health professionals—and impeded by the bureaucracy—are "'need for treatment' standards in civil-commitment laws, or assisted-outpatient laws so courts can require the mentally ill to receive treatment to avoid hospitalization."
Military officials might also wish to consider the work of E. Fuller Torrey, who last year described in our pages how the federal government spends far too much time and money treating "the worried well," rather than the truly ill—and the truly dangerous.
Torrey, in fact, is a well-known advocate of returning to the days of institutionalizing the mentally ill against their will. Here's a piece at Scientific American criticizing a recent "60 Minutes" segment after the Naval Yard massacre that featured Torrey. You can find online much other criticism of Torrey from top professionals and journals.
Of course, it's absurd that the shooter would have been locked away before the attack. Latest reports reveal that he had a clean record, a psychiatrist had indeed seen him in the past month and found no threat of violence, and simply prescribed a sleep aid.
The assistant managing editor at Bloomberg's Businessweek.com, meanwhile, largely blames the media for 'fueling" copycat shootings even as they exaggerate the number of mass killings in America which he claims are not increasing at all. (At least he mentions the problem of maybe not quite enough gun control.)
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Fox & Friends, of course, places the blame on soldiers not being able to have arms at the ready to defend themselves—when attacked by other soldiers with arms at the ready.
"There you have our soldiers not being able to arm themselves," host Elisabeth Hasselbeck opined. "Still, if they have a weapon, they are to register it within five days of purchase, and obtaining it. But then that must be stored away in these lockers so that it cannot be carried on their person, therefore leaving them vulnerable."
Co-host Steve Doocy noted that the military had decided to restrict sidearms on bases during President Bill Clinton's (D) administration.
Doocy then pointed to the current Democratic president by quoting a conservative blogger: "Gateway Pundit, which is a way right-leaning blog, what they write this morning is, 'The Obama administration is responsible for this mass shooting. They witnessed this before, they didn't learn a thing. Gun-free zones are death zones. It is time to stand up to the lunacy.'"
Jon Stewart, your move.
Read Next: Greg Mitchell: Stephen Responds to #CancelColbert—After Jon Launches #CancelStewart.
Two wildly different takes on the racial politics of our time opened in New York theaters in the past two weeks.
The most heralded: Bryan Cranston, at height of his fame coming off Breaking Bad, on Broadway in All the Way as President Lyndon B. Johnson twisting arms and skulls to promote passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is, by all accounts, a solid, if somewhat wonkish, play with a bravura performance (see New York Times review). Naturally, J. Edgar Hoover, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Senator Richard Russell all put in appearances. Johnson is shown pushing hard, partly because believes in the bill and partly to further his political ends (he needs a big win to prove he deserves to be president). Of course, Vietnam hovers in the distance.
I haven't yet seen the play so let me concentrate on one I did experience, just last night: Satchmo at the Waldorf, written by the estimable Terry Teachout, author of acclaimed books, including biographies of H.L. Mencken--and Louis Armstrong. It, too, puts racial politics upfront, not music.
This may seem odd to some. Armstrong was nothing less than the most important American musician of the last century--and the most influential singer. (Ponder that for a moment.) His recordings from about 1925 to 1932 changed the course of popular music and jazz forever. The play pays tribute to that but it's true aim is elsewhere.
It's set in Armstrong's dressing room at the Waldorf in New York in 1971, where he has just staggered through a performance, practically on his death bed (indeed, he would die of a heart attack a short time later, in his bed). John Douglas Thompson, in this fantastic one-man show, portrays a not-quite-broken "Satchmo" recalling some of the highlights of his life, going back to growing up fatherless and poor in New Orleans, through his breakthrough years in Chicago and New York and onward to world fame and riches. With Teachout at the helm, it adheres closely to facts (and I can vouch for this, having read several Armstrong bios).
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But much of the play revolves around Armstrong's racial identity and relationship with his white, Jewish, mob-connected manager Joe Glaser (also played by Thompson). Slowly we learn how and why Armstrong's stage persona and move away from innovative jazz mainly for black audiences to popular entertaining almost exclusively for whites developed. Glaser wanted the dough and also had to placate his mob partners; he easily exploited Louis, who just wanted to blow--and make people happy, black or white. (Watch part of it here.)
Armstrong was such an ambassador of goodwill it didn't take much arm-twisting. But along with that he lost his creative edge and drew the ire of other black jazz giants, who felt he treated Glaser like his "master" and often acted "minstrely" on stage. Miles Davis (Thompson, again) appears to voice these cruel putdowns. Indeed, most Americans today remember Armstrong for "Hello Dolly," not for the depth of early classics such as "Black and Blue."
But Armstrong counters: He genuinely wanted to please folks. He may have played to segregated audiences in the South--but he was the first to bravely tour there with a mixed-race band. He opened doors for black musicians everywhere (even in Hollywood). And, in one of the best scenes, he recalls famously cursing out President Eisenhower for moving too slow during the Little Rock school integration crisis.
In the end, it's a kind of tragedy within triumph: One of the giants of American history afflicted with doubts that maybe he had let Glaser push him too far from his genius and his race. Yet he remains justly proud of what he did accomplish. And getting ready to delight one more audience, which sadly would be the last.
Below: Early Armstrong with race-based complaint "Black and Blue."
Read Next: Katrina vanden Heuvel: On Universal Pre-K, de Blasio Shows Democrats How to Lead From the Left.


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Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed
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Half Moon Bay bed & breakfast with a complimentary breakfast
With a stay at Zaballa House in Half Moon Bay, you'll be close to Poplar State Beach and Half Moon Bay Golf Links.
This bed & breakfast is within the vicinity of Miramar Beach and Pillar Point Harbor.
Make yourself at home in one of the air-conditioned rooms featuring kitchenettes. Cable television is provided for your entertainment. Conveniences include phones and desks.
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A complimentary breakfast and evening social are offered (may not be available daily). This Half Moon Bay bed & breakfast also offers a library, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and air conditioning in public areas. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
- Free self parking
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To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
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Hello Flash Player community,
We are tracking the issues being reported on Flash Player 10.3.181.14 and Internet Explorer 9 and actively investigating them. Users are reporting that Flash content is being displayed in the upper left corner of the screen. We want to give those who are encountering these issues an update.
First, we apologize to everyone affected. We know you count on Flash Player as an integral component of the web and we strive for high quality and performance in each release. We are actively looking into the root cause of this issue. Thanks to many of you submitting information via email and our online bug database, we now have some solid leads we are pursuing.
Flash Player 10 and later can use your system's graphics hardware to accelerate video decoding, and can also accelerate video presentation on some sites. Starting with Flash Player 10.2, Flash Player will also take advantage of hardware accelerated graphics in Internet Explorer 9, utilizing hardware rendering surfaces to improve graphics performance.
With Flash Player 10.3.181.14, reports indicate that systems with Intel HD Graphics adapters running Internet Explorer 9 are the only systems impacted by this particular bug. If you are encountering this issue and have a different configuration we'd love to hear from you. Please review the instructions on this page for details on generating the information we'll need for further investigation.
Solution #1
Adobe has officially released Flash Player 10.3.181.16 for Internet Explorer to address the graphical issues introduced in 10.3.181.14. You can get this release by visiting our official download page, directly downloading and running the installer file, or using the Flash Player auto update mechanism.
After installing, we recommend you re-enable hardware acceleration if you had it previously disabled. We also recommend you clear your browser cache and restart your system.
If you continue to encounter issues, please create a new thread and we'll do our best to investigate further.
Solution #2
On some systems, you may be able to resolve this issue by updating the Intel HD Graphics drivers. It has been reported that driver versions 188.8.131.521 and above do not exhibit this bug. Unfortunately, some systems might require updates directly from your system manufacturer. We're working with system manufacturers to make sure they include the latest drivers in future releases.
Solution #3
You can disable hardware acceleration in Internet Explorer 9 using the instructions on this page. Please note that you should re-enable hardware acceleration once this problem has been resolved to enjoy the full benefits of hardware acceleration.
Thank you,
The Flash Player team
Update 5/20/11 - We've temporarily disabled the automatic update notification for Flash Player 10.3 and Internet Explorer. We're making progress on a fix and hope to have a new version available next week.
Update 5/24/11 - Added link to the 10.3.181.15 test update
Update 5/27/11 - Added instructions for post install of 10.3.181.15
Update 5/31/11 - Updated thread with the official 10.3.181.16 announcement
My experience with the 10.3 update had to do with FireFox 4 (and other say Chrome does he same thing!
I installed the 10.3 update and then could only see a white (or in a few cases, black) spot where the video was supposed to be. I was able to hear the audio and click the place where the video was supposed to be and pause it. It was weird! even YouTube video and other content that used Flash Player could not be seen. I either had to logon to my old computer (which I know has a virus and Trojan, so I thought it went through the network to my new computer.
After 4-5 days of trying to find a virus, trojan, bug, etc., I finally went to this forum and found out thatt there were many peole with the same problem, helping me realize it wasn't my computer, it was the update!
Any information as to when 10.3 willl be fixed so this doesn't happen would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Tim,
Does it make any difference if you disable hardware acceleration via step one on this help page? Would you mind sending me (email@example.com) a copy of your dxdiag report and a sample URL so I can forward them off to our video team for further review?
I disabled and at first, it seemed to work. went to www.azcardinals.com, started a video, maxed the window then reduced it and the problem seems to be back. when i open a new browser, it seems to work at first. some sites seem ok but this one i found to have issues.
One problem is that we need a way to make the installer for 10.2 not force you to download 10.3, rendering the installer for 10.2 ineffective
Hi Bob,
What did you disable? Are you refering to the IE9 bug from the original post? Do you mind sending me a copy of your dxdiag report and a recap of what's occuring on your system?
Hi Chris - I selected "Use Software Rendering instead of GPU Rendering" as I understood this disabled the hardware acceleration.
Attached is my dxdiag report.
Essentially the flash objects appear in upper left corner, overlays other sites menu bars, etc. when I selected the option described above, it seems like the media plays ok. When I went to azcardinals.com and played the video, maxed the size of the video window then reduced it, the media went back up to the upper left while the controls remained in the center of the screen as well as a snapshot of the video (not sure that makes sense - see screen shot)
Really appreciate your help –
1. Flash object in upper left corner, flickers, jumps
2. Selecting "Use software rendering…" option in IE Advanced Options – flash/video appears ok in center where it should be
3. Video starts ok in center – white screen in back but at least video is in right place
4. When I maximize video window then reduce, the object moves back to upper left while controls are in center as well as snapshot image from video.
GeoffreyStarr wrote:
One problem is that we need a way to make the installer for 10.2 not force you to download 10.3, rendering the installer for 10.2 ineffective
I haven't seen this occur. Did you follow the manual uninstall procedure I linked to? I should have specified this originally, but when you download the .zip archive, you'll want to install the "fp_10.2.159.1_archive\10_2r159_1\flashplayer10_2r159_1_winax.exe" file.
While we don't recommend disabling automatic update notification, this can be done by following the instructions at: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/713/a7138026.html
Hi Bob,
I believe file attachments are disabled in this forum. Would you mind emailing me at email@example.com?
What about this?
1 - Old desktop amd athlon x2 cpu, vga radeon hd4830 (win 7 x32)
2 - New Dell notebook intel i5 cpu, vga intel hd 3000, nvidia gt525m (win 7 x32)
IE9 (software rendering unchecked) -> Newest flash player version 10.3.181.14 -> youtube -> right mouse click -> "show video info" -> "accelerated video rendering" only if I press Full screen before flash starts. If after only show "undefined" or "software" video rendering.
With "accelerated video rendering" in Full screen press esc, again Full screen checking "show video info" only "undefined" or "software" video rendering. WHY?
With new Dell notebook Optimus technology work, when flash starts, nvidia gpu ON.
The same thing happening and with Opera 11.10.
Hi MaestroWS,
The behavior you describe is a different issue than my original post. The results you describe are specific to YouTube and Flash Player's stage video technology. Just to be clear, are you saying that you don't see the same behavior between the two systems? Is system #2 always displaying "accelerated video rendering" regardless of the window mode?
The same behavior on the two systems. Dell IE9, old AMD PC with IE9 and Opera.
"Accelerated" only in "Full screen" if lucky to press fast button "Full screen".
Something wrong is with stage video technology ?
Maybe behavior "content is being displayed in the upper left corner of the screen" is affected by this "stage video technology" behavior?
Full Accelerated http://www.ipix.lt/images/50072108.jpg
Undefined http://www.ipix.lt/images/79758746.jpg
Full Undefined http://www.ipix.lt/images/67547272.jpg
To view full size images right mouse click on image link and open in new tab.
I've downloaded and saved the Flash Player 10.2 and still nothing... video still not working
Allbrave: please start your own topic, and give all information about your environment - operating system & version, browser & version, and the full Flash Player version you have.
Also describe exactly what you are seeing when you try to view a video; "not working" means nothing.
Wow...my IE9 pages are all screwed up--moving any flash asset to the upper left quadrant of my screen. Guess I'm going to have to stop accepting all the annoying popups to install yet another version of the flash player. Please get this fixed.
Open IE9 Browser window > Click on "Tools" > Click on "Internet Options" > Selct the "Advanced" Tab > Turn on/Click the "Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering" > Click "Apply" > Click "OK" > Shut down and then restart your IE9 browser.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/XSGBVzeBUbk?wmode=direct <- embed wmode=direct
Opera 11.10 with this flash all OK, "accelarated video rendering" with Full screen or nofull.
IE9 - "accelarated video rendering" only in Full screen, nofull - "undifined".
IE9, Opera - "accelerated video rendering" only if I press Full screen before flash starts. If after only show "undefined" or "software" video rendering.
Embed, wmode=direct - flash OK.
Why, another flash not work well?
Hi MaestroWS,
From my understanding, the accelerated vs software vs undefined video rendering issue on YouTube is a deliberate decision on their part. What you get will, from what I can tell, depend on the browser, OS, and window type (fullscreen, window, etc.) We're continuing to work with them to improve the experience.
I believe the video status breaks down like this:
undefined = standard video object
software = stage video with software decoding
accelerated = stage video with hardware decoding
I fixed my Flash Player 10.3 problem, by enabling software rendering until Adobe fixes FP 10.3.
Here is the link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2528233
Goodluck everyone ~
Following the suggestion in step #4 worked for me.
Lenovo T410 laptop running Win7 Pro SP1 x64, IE9 32-bit, with Intel HD Graphics driver version 126.96.36.1992 (02/22/2011)
We've temporarily disabled the automatic update notification for Flash Player 10.3 and Internet Explorer. We're making progress on a fix and hope to have a new version available next week, at which point automatic updates will be re-enabled. I've updated the original post with this information.
If you are interested in helping us test our new version, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com
Thanks for the update, Chris.
I've just sent you an email regarding testing.
Eh, My Pc crashes still with hardware accelator enabled, When is this gonna be fix or is their something wrong with my pc?
Im on:
Firefox 4
Radeon HD 4350
Windows XP SP3
They are working on the patch and they said it will be out next week....try using Mozilla Firefox for now until the patch comes out....you will know when the patch is ready because you will get the automatic update alert again....but this time we hope it will work
Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G
Hi Sykls,
This post is specifically about Internet Explorer. I don't want to loose track of your issue, would you mind creating a new topic and describe what you're seeing? Please give specific URL's and a copy of your dxdiag report to help in the investigation.
Thanks Chris. Will try to keep up while in Europe and look to see if you still need people to test when I get back.
Testing a patched version of 10.3 since last night. So far, so good. Win7 Pro SP1 x64, Intel HD Graphics with hardware acceleration enabled, IE9.
Have tried several websites with flash videos and all seem back to working normally.
EUREKA .That worked!! .It does seem to slow the system down a little, but it's way better than that flashing around the screen all the time .Thank You .You f genius
I have not noticed any slowdown with the patched version I am testing.
I may be just a little impatent now that it is working properly .But thats me .Allso my hot key volume control isn't working .But that may be totally unrelated.I did have to uninstall Adobe F P and restore from backup files .And that allways causes some glitches wich I will have to fix .Thanks for keeping me in the loop .I will look forward to a permanent solution to our problem. Steven H Anderson.
And I really must remember to use Spellchecker .Impatient not impatent
I had gone back to ver 10.2 when this problem surfaced. When I got the patched file to test late yesterday, I used the uninstall program Chris linked to in his opening post and uinstalled ver FP 10.2. I rebooted the PC and installed the patched version of FP 10.3. Both steps went smoothly, no errors or problems.
My laptop has dedicated volume/mute buttons and those are still working. So far, I have not experienced any "new" problems with the patched FP 10.3.
Message was edited by: nikki605 - fixed typo.
That's good . I had to uninstall FP as well .I think the solution
steveNjennifer suggested will hold until they can come up with a
better one . I fixed the hot key volume control issue {my fault } I was
disabling things to isolate the problem and forgot to enable it when I found
that not to be involved in the cause . Thank's for your input ,it's good
to know I am not alone in wrestling with with all this technology.Steven H
I don't know that I "had" to uninstall FP10.2 first, I just decided to uninstall it to avoid any possible "over the top" installation problems. I was going for as clean an install as possible for the new FP 10.3.
I clicked on your link to install flash player 10.2 and it did not install on my
computer, what would the problem be. I attempted to install 10.2 and it will
not install because it is not the latest version.
I just came upon this forum and I'm happy that I did! For
the past few days I've been having the same problem with FP
10.3 and IE9 flashing all over my screen. I have a brand new computer and didn't have a clue how to resolve this problem. I uninstalled and reinstalled FP10.3 several times with no change. Finally I took the advice from this forum and disabled hardware acceleration, closed IE9, and when I opened it again everything worked just fine.
Can someone tell me how I will know when there is a patch for the flashing problem so that I can enable hardware acceleration again?
Thanks for the help!
Just keep watching this topic. I'm sure Chris from Adobe will make a post here when a fix is released since he is the one who started the topic.
Thanks Nikki.... I'll keep an eye on it.
It's so nice to be able to see everything without all that flashing going on!
It's all well and good advising people to roll back flash player to a previous version, but that doesn't work, as it says there is a newer version and refuses to download it, I have had to reinstall the latest version which has resulted in the accelerated graphics tab being blocked in internet options. Is this your doing? if so I don't think you should be meddling with the settings without first telling people as I use the GPU rendering in another programme and it is now unuseable Or is it another problem to be resolved?
Anyway best of luck in sorting things, these things are sent to try us. Steve.
chris.campbell wrote:
Hi Tim,
Does it make any difference if you disable hardware acceleration via step one on this help page? Would you mind sending me (email@example.com) a copy of your dxdiag report and a sample URL so I can forward them off to our video team for further review?
Sorry, I have been really sick for the last week!
I did not see your message before I restored my computer to an earlier dat, before I installed the 10.3 update. I wish I would have, or maybe not, not sure how much 'hardware acceleration' affects the browser/internet/computer.
I know there are many other people with the same problem when using FireFox 4, so I imagine by now you have the information you were asking for.
Once again, sorry I wasn't able to help!
P.S. Sice you disabled the 10.3 automatic update does that mean when we see it the issue will be fixed? If so, will it tell us which browsers it will work for or will it not be released until all issues are fixed?


text:
i should be there if I can catch a ride with theory or somebody.
i should be there if I can catch a ride with theory or somebody.
I haven't lived the life I wanted, just the lives I needed too at the time.
Maybe you can catch a ride with me, and I catch a ride with somebody else, so by the time we get to ECG we will be finishing one bottle of your brandy.
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
-Niels Bohr
If my KKF Inbox is full (or not), please contact me via Email: email@example.com
hate to be another "maybe", but I'm going to plan on coming. The changing factor could possibly be that we're having s baby one month prior to this. We'll see how things are, but wifey is being surprisingly supportive in regards to me going, unless of course it's s trap...
David (WildBoar's Kitchen)
I will be there assuming I can get the day off. I can pick up people on the way assuming I am going.
"God sends meat and the devil sends cooks." - Thomas Deloney
Dammit! Our new restaurant, and new bakery are going to be opening right around then. I'll probably have a hard time finding a shower/change of clothes in June, nevermind taking a day or two away. Sucks as I'd really like to meet some of you folks in person. Maybe next year:/
Today is as good a day to die as any. Except for tomorrow. I have plans tomorrow.


text:
Reviews of Smooth N Melty® 10 lbs bulk
Smooth 'N Melty® is exactly that. Rich, pastel chocolate mints decorated with candy seeds.10 lb case.NOTE: 10 lb bulk case is delivered in a food grade cardboard box. All Confections by Jelly Belly are certified OU Kosher by the Orthodox Union.
These candies are delicious. The taste is sweet, but not over bearing. The small sprinkles on the bottom add for a delicious crunch.


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May 2004
Agricultural research: its role and contribution to sustainable rural development
The FAO concept of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) was one of a number of concepts that crystallized during the 1980s. The importance of the SARD concept1 was recognized and confirmed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, with Chapter 14 of Agenda 21 setting out the programmes and specific actions needed to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development. In the years since the UNCED Conference, the concept of SARD has evolved to include social, institutional and economic sustainability, as well as environmental sustainability.
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International Conference on Transforming Agriculture Extension in Africa
This five-day conference on "Transforming Agricultural Extension in Africa" was held in Accra from 24-28 November 2003 as a follow-up to a similar worldwide conference in Washington D.C. last year. The focus was to exchange experiences in the fields of 'Extension and Poverty Reduction', Decentralization, and Public-Private Partnership in Agricultural Extension Delivery and Rural Development. This workshop was held under the auspices of the Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture supported by the German Development Corporation (GTz), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
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A new extension vision for food security : Challenge to change
This publication addresses the challenges faced by agricultural extension services in their provision of support to food security initiatives . The content of this booklet has been drawn from a major paper, "Agricultural Extension, Rural Development and Food Security Challenge", written by William M. Rivera, Visiting Scholar, University of Maryland, College Park, USA and M. Kalim Qamar, Senior Officer (Agricultural Training and Extension), FAO Extension, Education and Communication Service. The authors address the dynamic role of agricultural extension services today.
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Inventory of walnut research, germplasm and references
All walnut species of the genus Juglans are trees or large shrubs having shoots with chambered piths, large aromatic compound leaves, staminate catkins on one year old wood and female flowers on the top of the current year's twigs. The husked fruit is a false drupe containing a large woody-shelled nut. All Juglans produce edible nuts, although size and extrability differ considerably. Most species are highly regarded for their timber. The genus Juglans consists of approximately 20 species grouped taxonomically into four sections: Rhysocaryon, Cardiocaryon, and Trachycaryon, Dioscaryon.
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Extension through women community development groups: A case study of female extension assistants
Azad Jammu and Kashmir is located in the north of Pakistan. Male migration in the region has resulted in crop farming and livestock raising and management becoming increasingly women's domain. According to a senior administrator at Azad Jammu and Kashmir's Department of Agriculture, livestock care and management is entirely in the hands of women in almost 90 percent of households. Similarly, women's participation is significant in farming-related operations such as harvesting and the cleaning and storing of major crops (wheat, maize, fodder, etc.).
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Innovations in agricultural extension in India
In view of the future trends in agricultural extension worldwide (pluralism, decentralization, etc.), the purpose of this study is primarily to review and analyze the national policy and strategy of the public extension system, the on-going programmes and the various approaches to provide farming communities with necessary assistance. Based on the innovations in agricultural extension identified in different states of the country, it was possible to draw some preliminary lessons and make suggestions for policy reform taking into consideration emerging support needs of farmers in India.
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Facing the challenge of an HIV/AIDS epidemic: agricultural extension services in sub-Saharan Africa
The mandate of extension services, whether public or private, has always been rural human resources development with an aim to increase food production through the introduction of improved agricultural technology. The very survival of these human resources, both within the extension organization and among the clientele, however, is currently at stake due to the HIV/AIDS menace. Urgent and major efforts are needed by the extension services to prepare themselves for battle against the epidemic, to educate the farming population about the disease, and to develop new strategies to serve the extension needs of thousands of new entrants in farming.
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Addressing extension and training needs of farmers with physical disabilities
This study examines the extension and training needs of disabled farmers in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The idea for the study arose when extension workers in the region noted the large number of Iran-Iraq War-disabled veterans returning to their villages to continue their earlier activities in the agricultural sector. In speaking to local extensionists, it became apparent that there was no special training for extension workers to assist these farmers with disabilities with their adjustment back to the agricultural sector.
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Agricultural extension, rural development and the food security challenge
The World Food Summit held in Rome in 1996, followed by the World Food Summit: five years later, in 2002, and the Millennium Development Goals, all underline the importance of food security. The obligation to eradicate food insecurity requires several actions, involving various public and non-public institutions. The purpose of this publication is to highlight the important role of agricultural and rural extension in the fight against hunger. Extension is seen as a broad effort directed at rural development linking with other sectors, and not just as an agricultural technology transfer service. This paper touches upon the global trends in
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Wrongdoers should take responsibility, not make excuses
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I read recently, with some disdain, that former Boys & Girls Club of Greater Waterbury Executive Director Robert Generali cited the stress, pain and suffering he endured as a result of the untimely death of one the kids at the club as the reason he stole a large sum of money from the kids in the club (Sept. 4 article, "Alcohol blamed for thefts").
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TAR syndrome
Other Names for this Disease
- Absent radii and thrombocytopenia
- Thrombocytopenia absent radii
- Thrombocytopenia absent radius syndrome
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News Performance by Nimbus Dance Works at Marlboro College
MARLBORO, VT – (January 24, 2013) – Nimbus Dance Works will present a night of contemporary dance on Thursday, February 7 at 7:00pm at the Dance Studio, Serkin Center at Marlboro College.
The performance features Shadow of Sound by Taiwanese choreographer Huang Yi performed by American and Taiwanese dancers, and Charles Weidman's 1936 masterpiece of socio-political dance, Lynchtown. Nimbus Dance Works is a Jersey City-based dance company comprised of dancers drawn from major companies including the Martha Graham Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico and Ailey II.
Huang's interests in robots and his focus on the pure choreographic human form won him a place in 2011 among the world's "25 to Watch" in Dance Magazine. The China Post calls Huang's performances "hyperfocused on drama," an "elimination of all sound and sight enhancements."
"I'm discovering that when I think about movements, I think in terms of programming. I quantify it," explains Huang. "What's the speed, what's the pressure? Is there a change in speed? Are there dots that I need to connect? When I think about action, I think about it in mechanized terms. I want the dancer to be like a human, not a robot. It's a different kind of challenge."
This performance is free and open to the public.
Images available upon request. For more information, contact the Marlboro College marketing and communication office at 802-251-7644 or email@example.com.
Marlboro College (www.marlboro.edu) provides independent thinkers with exceptional opportunities to broaden their intellectual horizons in a small and close-knit learning community, create a strong framework for personal and career fulfillment and make a positive difference in the world. With two locations in southern Vermont's Green Mountains, our undergraduate campus in the town of Marlboro and our graduate school in Brattleboro, students discover new avenues for using their skills to benefit themselves and others. Marlboro students engage in deep exploration of their interests in an atmosphere that emphasizes critical and creative thinking, independence, social justice, sustainability and community.


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The burned remains of Big Tex stand at the State Fair of Texas Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, in Dallas. Fire destroyed Big Tex on Friday, leaving behind little more than the metal frame of the 52-foot-tall metal-and-fabric cowboy that is an icon of the State Fair of Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Read the article: Fire destroys State Fair of Texas icon Big Tex


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A Moviehole scoop is confirmed as "Boy Meets World" character makes his return
We caught up with Skarsgard to talk about the show's first season, now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Your hands won't be exactly sticky from sheer thrill, but Marc Webb's Lloyd Dobler vs Horace Pinker bout may be good enough to spoil the Raimi's Easter
The trailer for the new Pierce Brosnan/Emma Thompson comedy has been released.
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Computer and tech shows are flat, says TradeshowWeek. The 89 shows in its "Eighth Annual Computer & Electronics Show Report" averaged less than a 1 percent increase in number of exhibiting firms and net square feet in 1999. But 13-year-old Supercomm breaks the pattern in a big way, "growing at an 18 percent to 20 percent clip each year," says its general manager, Jack Chalden. In fact, in the Tradeshow Week 200, a ranking of the 200 largest U.S. trade shows in terms of net square feet of paid exhibit space, Supercomm moved up from 61st place in 1998 to 44th in 1999.
At 465,000 net square feet, Supercomm 2000, held this year from June 4 to 8, maxed out the exhibit space at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Nearly 800 exhibitors were at the show, and several hundred more were on the waiting list.
What Is Show Management Doing Right? There's no short answer. The explanation is not simply about being at the right place at the right time during this high-tech tidal wave. Supercomm's success is owed to a willingness to reinvent itself and a commitment to research. The Supercomm staff does a mind-boggling number of online surveys, focus groups, brainstorming sessions, and multiday planning meetings on its own and with its partners to track industry trends and learn what exhibitors and attendees want. "The base document that drove decisions for this year's show had more than 200 suggestions for ideas and new initiatives," says Chalden. "With that volume of changes, the show is refreshed."
Refreshed, Indeed Supercomm today is very different from the event launched in 1988 by the two trade associations that still own it: The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and United States Telecom Association (USTA). The original Supercomm was a telephone industry product showcase held three times a year. But as the products and services provided by the associations' members evolved, so did their event. Today, TIA's 1,000 member companies provide a vast array of communications and information technology (IT) products, systems, and services worldwide. USTA's 1,200 member companies oversee local access telephone lines and provide long distance, wireless, Internet, and cable services. And Supercomm is now an annual communications and IT exhibition and conference. "Wireless, satellite, the Internet, traditional telephone communication, the convergence of data and voice--all are part of the mix now," says Chalden.
By 1998, Supercomm had grown so large that it was no longer practical for the associations to manage it. A dedicated staff, now numbering about 14 people, was hired, and Chalden was brought in as general manager. A 30-year veteran of the exhibition industry, Chalden had most recently been executive vice president of the Atlanta Market Center; he has experience in trade show management, marketing, and acquisition. Since then, Chalden and his team have continually revamped every area of the show--exhibit floor, attendee mix, conference program.
Listening Skills Supercomm has an impressive repeat-exhibitor rate. Between 75 percent and 80 percent of its exhibitors return each year, says Susan Krys, director of exhibit sales and marketing. A key reason, according to Krys: "We ask them who they need to see, and try to make sure we're reaching the right buyers." But that's just the beginning.
Like many shows, Supercomm conducts post-show exhibitor surveys; new this year are surveys on its Web site. It also has an exhibitor advisory committee (EAC) that meets three or four times a year.
Less common is a 2.5-day exhibit planning meeting open to all exhibitors. Supercomm holds such a meeting in late August. About 130 people, representing 75 to 100 exhibiting companies, attend. The meeting includes a "we listened" section, as Krys characterizes it, in which participants find out what actions were taken as a result of past EAC and exhibit planning meetings.
At the 1998 meeting (for the 1999 show), "They asked for separate exhibitor and attendee registration, so we did that," says Krys. "And we put exhibitor registration in the connector concourse; it's more central and easier for exhibitors on both sides to reach. We also provided on-site computerized registration, which they recommended.
"Exhibitors felt that the procedure for rebooking promotional opportunities took too long," she continues. "They suggested that we use a procedure similar to on-site space selection. So now we have scheduled appointments, and we do it by priority points, the same as with space selection."
Many exhibitors want to hold their own meetings during the show. Because the conference program uses all the meeting space at the convention center, Supercomm used to refer them to local hotels. But this year, in response to a survey, show management literally built meeting rooms in the Georgia Dome. "The rooms sold well," says Krys. "We did this as a service, but now it's also a source of revenue."
The exhibit planning meeting has several components in addition to "we listened." There's a mini trade show with local vendors--caterers, restaurants, destination management companies--that "gives exhibitors a jump start in their event planning," says Krys. And there are roundtable discussions on subjects such as training booth personnel, generating booth traffic, and tracking sales leads. This year there was also a seminar by Susan Friedmann, who bills herself as the Trade Show Coach. "We got great feedback on that," says Krys.
Even though exhibitor renewals are strong, there are still many new companies--just over 200 this year. And starting this year, newcomers got special care. "We heard from some new exhibitors that Supercomm is so big it's overwhelming," Krys explains. "They get tons of information. There's a public relations manual, a marketing manual, a service kit with operations information."
Krys laughs as she tells how Supercomm responded: by producing yet another manual. This one, for first-time exhibitors, provides a condensed list of critical information, such as key contacts, deadlines, rules and regulations exhibitors often overlook, and free or low-cost promotional opportunities at the show. There's also a glossary of trade show terms and--of course--a survey asking exhibitors' opinion of the manual. "We're getting wonderful positive feedback," says Krys.
Into the Vertical Zone Over the years, there's been a change on the exhibit floor that helps both exhibitors and attendees: the creation of product-focused areas. The first, in 1995, were for fiber optics and wireless technology. "They were the hot technologies then," says Krys. "We wanted to help exhibitors be cohesive and show that we were making these technologies a destination point for attendees."
The early focused areas were merely pavilions--a few booths grouped together. Supercomm 2000, in contrast, had four enormous "zones"--enterprise communications, carriers/service providers, IT, and wireless and satellite technology. The first IT pavilion was about 5,000 square feet; the IT zone at Supercomm 2000 nearly filled two halls.
Technologies change, and fiber optics is no longer a focused area because it is so common. But even the new zones aren't self-contained. "We try to communicate that a zone is a starting point," says Krys. The technologies can also be found elsewhere in the show.
Zones on the show floor tie in with the ever-sharper vertical targeting of attendees. "Historically, we've been generically focused," says Todd Clark, director of Supercomm marketing. "Now we're looking at bringing in the vertical markets." For the 2000 show, Supercomm developed three specialized campaigns, targeting the enterprise market (corporations, educational institutions, industry, associations); carriers/service providers (competitive local exchange carriers [CLECs], Internet service providers, and application service providers); and the wireless marketplace (including satellite and cellular technologies). IT people are now too broad a group to be targeted separately.
E-Mail Merge Ads targeting the three segments ran in 52 publications and on the publications' Web sites. But the biggest change this year was the addition of e-mail promotion. "Our attendees are sophisticated," says Clark. "E-mail gets to them faster. For us, it's much more economical and reaches more people" than direct mail.
Originally, 18 e-mails were planned. "But we didn't want to spam people," says Clark. "We decided to send nine, and put two messages in each one." Messages promoted, among other things, the Telecom Investor Forum (see sidebar, page 64), a special show supplement in Forbes magazine, the hot new exhibitors, and the keynote speakers; several e-mails also included a downloadable free pass.
The first e-mail, in December, went to the Super Circle, people who have attended two consecutive Supercomms and thus receive benefits such as early registration, early housing reservations, and VIP seating at keynote addresses. Broadcast e-mail began in February and followed every two weeks. Recipients could click on a link in the e-mail and go directly to the Web site to register.
For the 1999 show, 25 percent of attendees registered online. As of two months before Supercomm 2000, 78 percent had been done online. "The e-mail campaign definitely contributed to the increase," says Clark. Supercomm 2000 expected about 50,000 registrants, including both attendees and exhibitors.
Direct mail was not dropped, however; Clark anticipated sending more than 3 million promotional and collateral pieces between late November and show time, including customized, vertically focused preshow planners that directed attendees to relevant exhibit areas and conference sessions.
Clark works closely with Stackig, a full-service agency that has been involved with Supercomm since the original show in developing the advertising, marketing, and public relations materials, and producing the official show directory. Because Stackig works almost exclusively with tech companies, "they provide the technical view of what's happening," he says.
Program Notes The conference program is another critical element in keeping a tech show like Supercomm fresh, building the show's credibility, and pulling in desired attendees. A major leap forward occurred five years ago, when TIA and USTA partnered with the International Engineering Consortium (IEC), which provides educational programs for industry and universities. "We increased the focus on the conference program and on improving the quality of the keynotes and the plenary sessions," says IEC Managing Director Roger Plummer. Today, Supercomm's conference program has more than 240 sessions with nearly 800 speakers. Free programs include plenary sessions, industry updates, and keynote speeches. Paid programming includes sessions by IEC and the International Communications Association, as well as Supercomm's two-year-old Global Telecom Market Forum.
Some 80 percent of registrants attend only the free programs, says Plummer, calling that "typical." So it's the free programming, he says, that "creates the aura, sets the tone." At Supercomm 2000, keynoters included John D. Zeglis, president of AT&T and chairman & CEO of the AT&T Wireless Group; Edward J. Zander, president and COO of Sun Microsystems; and Robert W. Lucky, corporate vice president of Telcordia Technologies and chairman of the FCC Technical Advisory Committee.
Because the plenary panels in particular draw a large audience, it's important to "complement the experience the person has walking the show floor," says Plummer. Adding to what the Supercomm people have been saying, he goes on: "We've recently tried to bring a more vertical focus to the program. For example, if people are interested in wireless, why not carve wireless out?
"To decide what we'll do next, we look at what's on the show floor," says Plummer. "We're also diligent about collecting feedback at the sessions. And we do surveys of our own all year for the programs that IEC runs, so we have the benefit of our own experience."
There are also conference planning sessions, which are held about nine months before the show and could last four days. "We bring in mid- to senior-level executives from information and technology companies," says Plummer. "The industry itself decides what the key issues are, and we are a staff to them. IEC is about the needs of Supercomm."
And Supercomm is about the evolving needs of its exhibitors and attendees.
When Supercomm analyzed its attendee demographics a few years back, an interesting fact came to the surface, which triggered an idea, which became a new event at Supercomm: the Telecom Investor Forum.
"Many companies looking for capital or looking to be bought come to Supercomm because they know that's where the action is. It's high profile," says Supercomm general manager Jack Chalden. "But we didn't realize that 1,500 financial professionals attended the show. Our attendee demographics showed us that."
In other words, the people who had money were in the same place as the people who needed money. "We decided to create an event that would serve their needs," says Chalden. And so the Telecom Investor Forum was launched at Supercomm '99.
At the Forum, selected private and public telecommunications companies have 20 minutes each to present their case. Their audience includes institutional investment executives, venture capitalists, analysts, and the financial press. Presentations take place on three consecutive mornings, leaving the afternoons free for follow-up meetings and attending the exhibits. "People can go onto the show floor and actually see the products" that the presenting companies described, says Chalden.
At Supercomm 2000, 54 companies had the opportunity to take the floor. "When we select the companies, we try to provide a mix," says Chalden. "We ask industry analysts and our research partners [to identify] the hottest companies. The list changes up to the last minute; we hold back a few slots to be sure we have the freshest of the fresh. These are the companies that within the next year or two could become a Cisco."
What Have You Done for Me Lately? The mantra of Supercomm: adaptability. Here are some of the changes introduced in the past two years alone: * First-time exhibitor manuals
* E-mail meeting promotion
* New Web site features including an interactive floor plan, an itinerary planner, and exhibitor descriptions (beyond a listing)
* Telecom Investors Forum
* Web-based post-show exhibitor surveys
* Separate exhibitor and attendee registration
* On-site, computerized registration
* A new system for rebooking promotional opportunities that is similar to the booth space selection process
* Additional meeting space built for exhibitors rather than sending them to local hotels for their events.
A Giant Suggestion Box The constant reshaping of Supercomm is guided by what might be called the mother of all suggestion boxes--a document impressively titled "Consolidated Debriefing/Initiative Summary." It is "a living document to which we add responses and suggestions that surface as the year progresses," says Supercomm general manager Jack Chalden.
Among the sources feeding into the report:
lThe boards of the Telecommunications Industry Association and United States Telecom Association, the two associations that own the show. The boards meet three or four times a year to discuss and evaluate the show.
lFocus groups. These can be manufacturers or service providers.
lThe exhibitor advisory committee
lHard copy and electronic surveys to attendees and exhibitors
lOfficial debriefing sessions, within six weeks after the show, conducted by all the major players, including the owner associations, Supercomm staff, and program developers.
The next step is to code each suggestion or problem to indicate (1) correct/implement for next show; (2) requires more time/resources--implement for future show; (3) good idea--requires further study to determine feasibility; or (4) cannot consider due to reasons provided.
Chalden says, "That is nothing new in the spectrum of show production except that, I believe, it is more comprehensive and proactive than many event organizations choose to undertake."
In other words, show management listens.


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Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a condition in which the body does not make enough of a protein that protects the lungs and liver from damage. The condition can lead to emphysema and liver disease.
AAT deficiency; Alpha-1 protease deficiency
Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) is a type of protein called a "protease inhibitor." It is made in the liver and it works to protect the lungs and liver.
AAT deficiency means there is not enough of this protein in the body. It is caused by a genetic defect. The condition is most common among Europeans and North Americans of European descent.
Studies show that AAT deficiency may be more common than was once thought.
Adults with severe deficiency will develop emphysema, often before age 40. Smoking can increase the risk of emphysema. Other patients can have higher levels of AAT in their blood, and therefore have a less severe condition.
Persons with this deficiency may also develop liver disease.
A physical examination may reveal a barrel-shaped chest, wheezing, or decreased breath sounds. The following tests may also help with diagnosis:
Your doctor may suspect you of having this condition if you develop:
Treatment for AAT deficiency involves replacing the missing AAT protein. The protein is given through a vein each week. However, it is not yet well known who may benefit from such therapy.
If you smoke, you need to quit.
Other treatments for emphysema and cirrhosis are also used.
Some people with this deficiency will not develop liver or lung disease. However, emphysema and cirrhosis can be life threatening.
Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of AAT deficiency.
Bacon BR. Inherited and metabolic hepatic disorders. In:Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 93.
Niewoehner DE. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In:Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 88.
Shapiro SD, Reilly JJ Jr, Rennard SI. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In: Mason RJ, Broaddus CV, Martin TR, et al. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 39.
Silverman EK, Sandhaus RA. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. N Engl J Med 2009;360:2749-2757.
Last reviewed 8/30/2012 by David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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1390 N Kraemer Blvd, Placentia, CA | Directions 9287033.885971 -117.862843
Lunch: Mon-Fri (11-2:30pm), Sat (11:30-2:30pm) Dinner: Mon(5-8), Tues-Thurs (5-9pm), Friday-Sat (5-10pm) Sunday: Closed
where is it??? – Sophia's was always my "go to" place. However, just "went there" and it's gone. What the heck??
Anybody know where it is anymore or why it is gone?
BEST ATMOSPHERE!!! – My brothers and I went to a wine tasting and 5 course meal at Sophias. It was really entertaining and a fun night out for the guys. This place has improved dramatically since it changed ownership. I would go again- tasty food, full bar, and nice atmosphere for family or friends.
Great Greek Food – I brought my boyfriend to Sophia's after I read the positive reviews on Citysearch. I have to say that I was not dissapointed. I am a big fan of greek food, and have to say the food here was not only more authentic than other places, but hte amount of food you get for your money, is a great value. Although my boyfriend was able to finish his meal, I ended up taking half of mine home for later.
The restruant itself is in a strange location, and the decor is a little less to be desired, but it makes up for it with their excellent service, and great food.
Excellant Atmosphere and Great Food! – I love Sophias, this place is great to take a date or the family. It's a very comfortable atmosphere, the owner is always onsite and makes you feel like you're his only customer. The food tastes great! I will go again.
Great Flaming Cheese – Great food and excellent service. I'm typically not the type of person to try new things, but when my husband insisted on eating at Sophia's Greek Cuisine I couldn't resist a night out no matter how hesitant I was to eat Greek food for the first time. My husband consistently eats at Sophia's for and he's always bragging about how much he enjoys their food. When we went for dinner we started out with an appetizer...it was some sort of flaming cheese and it was AMAZING. For dinner I ordered the Paidakia (lamb chops) that were marinated with the best herbs I had the opportunity of eating. It came with a salad too and their proportions are huge...which I like. I actually liked my husband's dinner more than mine although both were very good. He ordered the Arni Kleftiko which also was made with lamb. The sauce that came with his dish was really good I would actually love the recipe because it would taste great on anything. Everything tasted fresh and the restaurant really seemed to take pride on its wonderful food. I should also mention that the menu had a variety of choices like pasta and chicken if you don't want lamb. It was pretty busy when we went but you really feel like the waiter wanted you to enjoy your experience. I finally was able to tell why my husband made such a big deal about Sophia's food.
Awesome food and personal service – It has now been my fourth time to Sophia's and each any ever time I have received great portions and a personal welcome from the owner. As a business owner myself, it is nice to see the owner mingling with his/her customers. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great Greek food experience.
George Lopez
The Best Greek Experience – I've just got back from yet another wonderful experience at my favorite Greek Restaurant and wanted to share my experience. I 'll be quite honest with you that I was completely floored with a review that I read here. Cold feeling, below average...Sophia's is nothing of the sort! My wife (who was born and raised on the island of Mykonos) and I are frequent visitors and I must say Sophia's is nothing short of spectacular! To be completely honest, we have tried time and time again to find a restaurant whose experience was just like my wife's experience back in Greece. We were truly fortunate to have found such a gem right in the middle of Orange County.
Each time that we've visited, Sophia's has been crowded and by the looks of the customers, they were having just as good a time as we were! Now let's talk about the food, which we can't get enough of. First off, the Saganaki is full of flavor but never overpowering, the Mousaka was exactly what the doctor ordered! The portions were large enough that we able to enjoy them the next day. Each time that we've visited we were unable to finish everything! Now, you think that would be it, but Sophia's has continues to feed the soul through its fabulous entertainment. WOW! We're regular visitors on Fridays and just last week I laughed and clapped as my wife took to the floor to dance with the regular Belly Dancer. What a delight! Also on Saturday nights, we've sat and watched a troup of Greek Folk Dancers who kept the entire restaurant cheering for more!!!
If you haven't had the chance to experience Greek hospitality away from Greece then this is the place! I promise you, you won't be disappointed and I am sure that you'll end up being regulars like my wife and I!
Hidden Treasure.....Wow! – The Family and I were invited to this restaurant by my best friend who has been coming here for the past 28 years. The food is amazing, Great atmosphere, excellent service and very authentic. The food portions were large and the value was very good. The wait was about 30 minutes long but they always recomend that you make reservations for a party of 6 or more on the weekends. Despite the wait, the staff was very friendly and made sure we were comfortable...they made sure we sat in time to enjoy the Syrtaki Dancers ( Greek folk Dancers) show that evening. The entertainment was awesome... I would recomend this cozy restaurant to anyone looking for authentic Greek cuisine.
Unfortunatley under new ownership... – I am so devasted! I recently went back to my favorite little Greek spot in Orange County after a few years of living in Pheonix only to find that they are under new ownership! The restaurant feels cold and empty and the service is horrible! Not to mention, the food quality has drastically decreased along with the sizes of the meals.
Great food – Hi,
I love this restaurant. Its cozy and the staff is friendly.
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I accidentally deleted my 8yr old blog today. I CRY. #comfortfood
i only like the comfort food
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