Stomping on America

Duke neighbors tell their story

Newsday: Two men who live next door to the shabby rental where Duke University lacrosse players allegedly raped and beat an exotic dancer said yesterday that the athletes had been drinking and behaving boorishly hours before the incident, and that one player shouted a racially charged insult at the woman as she sped off.

Forty-six of the nationally ranked team's 47 players have submitted DNA samples to police about the March 13 incident. Fourteen members of the team are from Long Island. No criminal charges have been filed.

According to court papers, three lacrosse players trapped the dancer in a bathroom of the house, held her legs apart and physically assaulted her for 30 minutes with punches, kicks and choking. Within minutes of getting away, police said, the woman was driven to a nearby supermarket where an employee called 911.

The one player who was not asked to submit a DNA sample is also the team's only black member, and from Long Island. The victim told police her abusers were white.

The accuser was one of two exotic dancers hired by the team for a party. According to reports, both women are black, and the allegations have reopened racial tensions in this college town.

On a school Web site, team captains apologized for the party but denied the accusations.

The neighbor, Jason Bissey, told Newsday yesterday that he did not know what transpired inside the house, but in its front yard and side driveway he saw and heard a series of tense exchanges between the two women and a group of up to 30 lacrosse players.

Bissey, 26, and his roommate, Derek Anderson, 23, who are not Duke students, said the women hurriedly jumped into a car to leave. Bissey said one young man then made his way across the street to the so-called "Duke wall" that rings part of the campus, shouted a sexist slur, then "Thank your grandpa for my nice cotton shirt."

Oh yeah, there's no racism in American society today. Minorities are overly-sensitive, they blow things out of proportion and rabble-rousers are just trying to push their political agenda; if only we'd stop dividing everyone by color and if only the media stopped sensationalizing these things everything would be fine.

Sheesh. Duke's historically had an image as an exclusive, white bastion of spoiled, elitist, arrogant jerks. It's an image that's been exemplified by its basketball team; captured best perhaps by the 1992 incident where Christian Laettner stomped on the chest of a Kentucky player as he lay on the floor.

All Laettner got was a technical foul; as the Times reported the next day, Mike Krzyzewski said he'd be surprised if the NCAA suspended him, as it had suspended a player who'd elbowed Laettner in the head a year earlier.

Curious to see if the Duke administration continues to circle the wagon around its lacrosse players, or if they respond with more than a slap on the wrist. It may not matter, in any case, as ESPN reports:

Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, lead investigator in the alleged rape case involving the Duke men's lacrosse team, said Thursday that he expects to file charges including first-degree forcible rape, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree sexual offense, if the case can be made based on the gathered evidence.

A conviction on those charges could result in a minimum prison sentence of 16 to 20 years. Nifong's office is investigating allegations made by an exotic dancer who was hired to perform at a private team party on March 13.

"Under North Carolina law, the only felony more serious than that is first-degree murder," Nifong told ESPN's George Smith. "These crimes are actually punishable at a higher level than second-degree murder. ...

Prosecutors asked the entire team to contribute DNA samples. When some declined on the advice of attorneys they hired, Nifong said he sought the court order for samples from all but the team's lone black member. The woman, a black student at nearby North Carolina Central, has said her attackers were white.

The case has prompted daily protests since Saturday, including a small student rally Thursday morning, intensifying the undercurrents of privilege and race in a blue-collar city of 200,000 that is 44 percent black while home to one of the nation's elite universities.

"I guess one of the best ways to describe this is we have the potential for a perfect storm," North Carolina Central chancellor James Ammons said. "You have all of these issues that we're going to have to discuss."

The discussion so far, at least, seems to be driven by the national media. ESPN.com continues its recent trend of hard-hitting journalism on issues beyond sports with Greg Garber's exemplary article, Turbulent times for Duke and Durham. There's a lot in there--some of the quotes are pretty ugly, most of them are thoughtful with an underlying current of either anger, or sadness. Let's give Garber the last word.

On Wednesday night this week, a caller to WUNC's public radio program, "The State of Things," said that Duke treats the town like a plantation.

"That captures it," said Neal, who was a guest on the show. "Durham residents have been looking for a moment like this to address their concerns. This was sort of the last straw. The fact that the university responded at all, I think, was due to that push-back."

Betty Greene, a Durham resident for 10 years, lived in New Haven, Conn., for more than a decade. She said she believes the relationship between Durham and Duke is far more fractured than that of Yale University and its Connecticut city.

"Last weekend was Duke's minority recruitment," Greene said. "What a welcome for minority students to walk into this story. I'm trying not to call it racial terrorism, but that's really what it is." ...

One Central student, who asked not to be named, wondered on Thursday what would have happened if Central's basketball team -- of which 16 of 17 players are black--had been accused of a similar crime against a white woman.

"Somebody," the student said, "would be in jail."

Photo of flyer distributed at the "Take Back the Night" march on the Duke University campus asking people to come forward with any information about a recent sexual attack (the flyer notes that no one pictured is being directly accused) by Chuck Liddy/The Raleigh News & Observer, via Newsday.

Kid gloves

No News Is Woods's News

Richard Sandomir in the Times: In the midst of Ed Bradley's worshipful two-part profile of Tiger Woods on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, I wondered if it was an infomercial or if Woods had paid a fee for these adoring 25 minutes. With nothing new to report — and not a single tough question in his arsenal — Bradley chose to join Camp Tiger.

Bradley looked to be enjoying himself too much as he smiled and chuckled along with Woods in various locales, conjuring comparisons to the buddy act of Ahmad Rashad and Michael Jordan, who, like Woods, surrenders so little to journalists but whose consent to be interviewed is deemed an occasion to send a camera crew.

This puffy profile reminded me of a "documentary" about Woods — "Son, Hero, Champion" — that preceded CBS's fourth-round coverage of the Masters in 1997. It was produced by IMG, the agency that represents Woods, so you know how objective and unconflicted it was.

Softball journalism seems anomalous in the "60 Minutes" canon, but its sports and entertainment profiles sometimes veer to the squishy. At least Bob Simon's recent Bode Miller piece, in which the skier talked about competing with a hangover, made some news and dogged Miller throughout his dismal Olympics in Turin, Italy. ...

As friendly as Bradley was (at one point declaring that Woods's best years are ahead of him), Woods placed limits on him. He would not, as Bradley said, let him into his home or onto his boat, or, more important, to speak to his wife, Elin — restrictions that send up red flags. If entree to elements of his life that would further humanize him are prohibited, why participate? One of the best profiles on "60 Minutes" featured Jackie Gleason, the late Great One, discoursing while playing pool and drinking booze, which enlivened him.

There is only one clear reason for accepting the Tiger Rules and recycling his saga: ratings. Sunday's Tiger-dominated edition of "60 Minutes" generated an 11.0 rating, 18 percent above its season average.

I don't really blame Tiger--who wouldn't try to control their image as much as possible, especially with all the issues of race and power that dog him.

And I'm not surprised that the softball interview was done by Ed Bradley--he's as tough as any in the 60 Minutes stable, except when he's trying to show how hip he is with someone he loves from the world of sports or music or entertainment--especially when it's an African American. Curious as to how the Times reporter justifies that mentioning that aspect in a story ostensibly about hard-nosed journalism.

It's a broader issue than Bradley, of course. Entertainment stars are used to kid treatment from the 'reporters' who cover them, most of whom aren't real journalists. And even real journalists get all star-struck sometimes; it's always been appropriate to me that Barbara Walters' interviews with the stars use those soft-focus lenses.

I think nobody cared about the coverage back in the day when celebrities were limited to Hollywood--but now that they're all over the place, their impact goes beyond their sphere, so the coverage should reflect that. So this attitude that stars have of not being accountable to anyone for anything, and not being held to the fire or forced to back up their childish lives with logic, increasingly grates as the try to have an effect in the real world. I have no problem with Richard Gere pontificating on Tibet--but someone should ask him why Tibet under the Dali Lami was literally a fedual society.

As for sports, I think the journalists covering that sphere do an underappreciated job. Many of the best discussions I've read on race and class in our society has been from the sports section. Some of that I think is because white reporters are inherently comfortable questioning black athletes, and holding them accountable. But it's also because of the historic legacy of tough-nosed journalists who have covered sports, a record contemporary reporters are always trying to live up to.

Maybe we should let loose sports reporters on Hollywood?

AP photo of Tiger Woods after winning the 2005 Masters by Amy Sanetta.

Shine on

'Shining Moment' Lasts 20 Years

ESPN.com: Some musicians might feel slighted that their hit song is broadcast only once a year.

Not David Barrett. He's fine with that arrangement.

David Barrett will forever be known as the 'One Shining Moment' guy.Late Monday night, for the 20th straight year, Barrett's "One Shining Moment" will be paired with a highlight reel at the end of the CBS broadcast of the NCAA Tournament championship game. And unless you're a wedding guest, a video game enthusiast or an iPod downloader who goes in search of the song, that's it. That's the last time you're likely to hear it until the championship game next year, at least over the air.

Which is fine with Barrett.

"I'm thrilled with how it turned out because I pretty much just wrote this song for my own amusement," said Barrett, who trademarked the song title in August 2003. "The fact that it found its way into the right place is a miracle. And how many people can say that they've had their song played for two decades like this?"

Inspired by highlights of Larry Bird on "SportsCenter," Barrett penned the song on a napkin back in 1986. He sent a tape of it to his high school friend, CBS reporter Armen Keteyian, who passed it up the network's food chain.

And the rest is history.

ESPN.com is the website, along with the New York Times, that I think is consistently in touch with the zeitgeist. What a great article--it's nothing that's gonna win a Pulitzer (are online-only articles even eligible for the Pulitizers?!) but it's the perfect morsel to read in the run-up to the Final Four.

And it's one of those things that everybody knows about--anyone who's ever played basketball, anyone who's ever watched March Madness knows exactly what you mean when you talk about how much you like watching One Shining Moment. I wonder in our 500-channel cable universe how many more oddly-shared things like this we have left... it's like how everybody knows about Electric Company, despite it not having been on TV for like 20 years.

It's appropriate that they only play the song once a year; it'd be weird to hear it and not see highlights and the names of CBS sports employees scrolling. NBC needs to hire Barrett to write something for the Olympics. And heck, how many songs have their own website?! Where, of course, you can listen to a clip of the song.

While checking out the lyrics, as published by ESPN.com.

The ball is tipped
and there you are
you're running for your life
you're a shooting star
And all the years
no one knows
just how hard you worked
but now it shows ...
(in) ONE SHINING MOMENT, IT'S ALL ON THE LINE
ONE SHINING MOMENT, THERE FROZEN IN TIME.

But time is short
and the road is long
in the blinking of an eye
ah that moment's gone
And when it's done
win or lose
you always did your best
cuz inside you knew ...
(that) ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU REACHED DEEP INSIDE
ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU KNEW YOU WERE ALIVE

Feel the beat of your heart
feel the wind in your face
it's more than a contest
it's more than a race ...

And when you're done
win or lose
you always did your best
cuz inside you knew ...
(that) ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU REACHED FOR THE SKY
ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU KNEW
ONE SHINING MOMENT, YOU WERE WILLING TO TRY
ONE SHINING MOMENT ....

Uncredited AP photo of Michigan State players during their 2000 championship run via website.

Pray it's not true

Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer

The Times: Prayers offered by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people who were undergoing heart surgery, a large and long-awaited study has found.

And patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of post-operative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested.

Because it is the most scientifically rigorous investigation of whether prayer can heal illness, the study, begun almost a decade ago and involving more than 1,800 patients, has for years been the subject of speculation.

The question has been a contentious one among researchers. Proponents have argued that prayer is perhaps the most deeply human response to disease, and that it may relieve suffering by some mechanism that is not yet understood. Skeptics have contended that studying prayer is a waste of money and that it presupposes supernatural intervention, putting it by definition beyond the reach of science.

At least 10 studies of the effects of prayer have been carried out in the last six years, with mixed results. The new study was intended to overcome flaws in the earlier investigations. The report was scheduled to appear in The American Heart Journal next week, but the journal's publisher released it online yesterday.

Well, duh... a bunchof people praying for people they've never met who have no idea they're being prayed for has no benefit? I think Chicago Cub fans could've told you that.

What kind of a world would we live in if random prayer did have a benefit? Heck, China and India would truly be unstoppable, then.

Or do Westerners think their prayers would count double?

Uncredited photo of Muslims in Agra offering Eid prayers with the Taj Mahal in the background via The Milli Gazette ("India's leading English newspaper").

Out fishing

House committee votes to ban Asian carp

The AP: The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to ban imports of Asian carp, a fish that officials from Great Lakes states fear will wreak havoc on the lakes' ecosystems.

"This invader is a threat to the Great Lakes' multibillion-dollar fishing industry and Wisconsin's fishing tradition," said Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., the bill's sponsor. "We have an obligation to stop it while we can."

The bill would ban the importation and interstate transfer of Asian carp, which southern fish farmers use to control parasites.

Some carp have escaped the farms and made their way north along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and could soon push into the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes region, the world's largest surface freshwater system, already is battling other exotic species, such as zebra mussels.

The committee chairman, Wisconsin Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, noted that Asian carp can grow to over 100 pounds.

"Now these pests are moving upstream towards the Great Lakes, threatening the food supply of sport fish such as the yellow perch, walleye and smallmouth bass and threatening fishermen as well," he said. ...

Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., said the southern aquaculture industry has already agreed to a ban of fertile Asian carp, which would allow fish farmers to continue to use sterile versions of the fish. The idea would be that if the sterile fish made their way to the Great Lakes, they could not reproduce.

"I think this law is overkill," Berry said. "We've got agreement in the industry that these sterile fish are safe to use, and they're critical to the mid-South aquaculture industry to control various problems that they have."

But backers of Green's bill question the enforceability of such a modified ban.

Berry also said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should be making the call on this, not Congress. The agency has not acted on a proposal made several years ago to ban the importation of black carp, a species of Asian carp favored by southern fish farmers.

"My goodness gracious, it's not like we don't have enough to do in the Congress to deal with serious matters," Berry said. "We can't micromanage the whole world."

My gosh, just drop the word 'carp' and you've got a dream bill come true for a lot of Republicans.

Talk about yellow peril... it's ironic, the Bush administration has pushed our overall trade deficit to an all-time high, and Congress is bickering over overgrown goldfish.

Image of Asian carp via Goldfish Utopia.

An anti-terror indictment!

Ex-Prosecutor in Terror Inquiry Is Indicted

The Times: A grand jury charged Wednesday that a former federal prosecutor in Detroit who led one of the Justice Department's biggest terrorism investigations concealed critical evidence in an effort to bolster the government's theory that a group of local Muslim men were plotting an attack.

The former prosecutor, Richard G. Convertino, and a State Department employee who served as a chief government witness were each indicted on charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The grand jury charged that they had conspired to conceal evidence about photographs of a military hospital in Jordan that was the supposed target of a terrorist plot by the Detroit defendants.

Mr. Convertino, once a rising star at the Justice Department who fell out of favor with supervisors in Washington, denied that he had ever withheld evidence, and he pledged that he would be vindicated.

"These charges are clearly vindictive and retaliatory, and it's an effort to discredit and smear someone who tried to expose the government's mismanagement of the war on terrorism," he said in a telephone interview.

The indictment of the former prosecutor and one of his star witnesses marked a dramatic turnaround in a case once hailed by President Bush and John Ashcroft, his first attorney general, as a major breakthrough against terrorism plotted on American soil.

After four Muslim men were arrested days after the Sept. 11 attacks in a dilapidated Detroit apartment, federal authorities charged that they were part of a "sleeper" terrorist cell plotting attacks against Americans overseas.

Two of the men were convicted on terrorism charges after a high-profile trial in 2003, with Mr. Convertino as the lead prosecutor. But the case soon began to unravel amid accusations of concealed evidence and government misconduct. The Justice Department ultimately repudiated its own case, leading to the dismissal of all terrorism charges against the men in 2004.

"I can't recall a case like this in recent memory where you have not only the collapse of the prosecution's entire case, but now the prosecutor himself indicted," said Brian Levin, a professor at California State University, San Bernardino, who has written on terrorism prosecutions.

"The government has made clear it's going to do everything it can to go after terrorism, but here you have a case where it appears that hubris might have intoxicated the prosecutor, and he might have taken one step over the line," Mr. Levin said.

I think it's a little more than hubris, professor. Try racism. It might even be a hate crime, not necessarily with Convertino as the defendant, but the Bush administration's Justice Department. They've created an atmosphere where it feels like anything goes if you can attach the word anti-terrorism to it.

I look forward to this case getting wall-to-wall coverage on FOX News and the rest of the media... much as the discredited case against the four men did when it first broke, and like all the other anti-terror cases that were trumpeted initially only to upon closer examination fallen apart.

Like in those cases Convertino, of course, is innocent until proven guilty. The Times gives him the last word; I'll give that to one of the men he went after.

Richard Helfrick, a public defender in Detroit who represented Karim Koubriti, one of the defendants originally convicted and then cleared on terrorism charges, said his client was gratified to learn of Mr. Convertino's indictment on Wednesday.

Mr. Koubriti "wants to be in court when Mr. Convertino is arraigned," Mr. Helfrick said.

Photo of Richard G. Convertino by Robin Buckson/The Detroit News, via the AP.

Goal draws nearer

Lots of screaming as another elimination show starts. My bottom five were Lisa, Ace Elliott, Bucky, and Chris. Am sure eliminated person will be one of them. They start with an extended commercial, the idols get Ice Age preview. Getting ready for photo shoot gets less air time.

Then right away a break for a bunchof commercials. Then another, idols for Ford. Mandisa looking huge; whole thing is nonsensical and stupid. 'Ace makes me flush' reads a sign in the audience. Then Shakira shows up, does belly dance. Her vocals aren't that great, but her performance is pretty memorable. She spends half the song just gyrating. Face hidden by hair. Simon has stoic look on his face as rapper guy runs into crowd and up to judges. Rapturous crowd at the end, Ryan quips he feels guilty watching.

Recap of performances, mostly harsh reviews shown; they continue their pumping of Katharine.... Bottom row, everyone's safe--wow, they totally get that out of the way with early. Mandisa, Chris, Kellie, Taylor, and Paris. The heavy hitters--and yaaay, Katharine's up with the possible losers.

Elliott is safe, cool. Either Ace or Katherine... first, Lisa. She's definitely vulnerable and she is indeed down there; great outfit. Ace next, hopefully safe... and he's in the bottom again. Katharine and Bucky; yaaay! She's in the bottom three, and Bucky's safe. Lotsof boos, but I'm telling you, there's something about her that's just not that likeable. No wonder Simon et al have been trying to pump her up.

Poor Ace, looks so unhappy up there. Katharine just looks smug. I'm assuming Lisa's gone, but who knows anymore. And Ace is back to safety, so Katherine's support base is at best 2nd-worst! Simon says Katharine was nowhere as good watching show back as he'd thought, says he has no problems with bottom three. Wow, a switch in his position, maybe he sees the ship sinking. Randy says you're never really safe, it's unpredictable. Lisa says she's fine with whatever people decide. Katharine says whatever God's plan for me... ugh.

And it indeed is Lisa leaving, she says I love you to Katharine, and then sings us out. Ryan calls her one of the greatest contestants he's ever seen. She's got a great attitude, good clips too. Gosh, she's really quite likeable--she was just too young, and never really broke out personality-wise. Poor Paris is just sobbing over there... gosh, hope she never gets eliminated herself.

Lisa sings us out; wow, she sings well, if still a bit off-key, it's the most passionate we've seen her in a while. The other people come on stage after a while to give her a backdrop. Paris' tears are just streaming down her face; and they show the whole song for once.

Photo of Shakira by by C. Gomez via Flikr.

Pros and the fools

They start by reviewing last week's show--most of which I didn't see due to the tape being used up taping American Idol (it was a fair tradeoff). The frat boys won, followed by hippies; mother/daughter finished last. About time for a non-elim show....

Anyway, they went from Russia to Munich, Germany. It's one of the most important business centers in Europe, they tell us; ironically a 'monument to peace' was their pit stop. Frat boys leave at 2:14 a.m., flying to Palermo, Italy, then taxi to an opera house. They say they're not overanalyzing, just competing, getting chicks. Hippies leave about an hour later, talk about how they use humor to get people to wanna help them. Then unhappy Southern couples, catch up with hippies and follow them; idiot husband says he thinks she can do better, he's still the leader of this team. Frats get booked on Air Italia, getting there 10:15, flirt with the help; then find some wheelchairs, mock-fight. Hippies just join them, no thinking for themselves--then a funny obstacle course race between the two.

Hippies book their own flights online, same as frat boys--well, actually frat boys waiting in line for Italia to open. Southerners try, no succcess--hmmm, did hippies get last tickets?! Next, Dave/Lori daters, talk about how they're falling deeply in love. Then Joseph/Monica, who I like, they're just decent people.

Frat boys can't get on first flight, fully booked; Southerners squabble, try Lufthansa, instead of doing stand-by--they book something that arrives at... 2:00? Old couple happy to get on 1:25 flight; squabble with Southerners, telling them ot stand back. Hippies are off, frat boys work it with Air Italia so they get on same flight too. Jeez, it's like the pros and the fools.

It's almost 7, Ray/Yolanda on their way to the airport just now. Chick friends last, bit after them. Show the B-teams on the second flight out already; the C-teams get lucky, only like 30 minutes behind the top guys. Connecting flights in Rome, hippies on flight one to Palermo, frat boys a bit behind.

But way ahead of other idiots. Southerners squabble, husband blames wife, starts swearing about workers. Bad karma, dude, just keeps swearing--and doesn't even know that he didn't just go from first to last. Frat boys are starting to grow on me, at least they just play the game, and with some skill. Stupid wife kisses up to Southerner husband; meanwhile R/Y and pinkies join them.

Hippies at clue box already, now gotta drive 42 miles to seaside town, look for a box on a fortress. Frat boys, then old couple and Dave/Lori, then all else. They show frat boy fixing his hair. Hippies already at detour, foundry or laundry. Either pick up a 110 lb church bell and carry it up to a church; or search 2400 pieces of laundry to find one of 16 marked clothing. Uh, duh....

And idiot hippies choose laundry, unbelievable. Don't they watch this show, you should never look for stuff when you can just do stuff. Other teams all bunching up, in race to drive to small town. Old people driving crazy, kindof funny. Dave/Lori get caught in traffic. Patient hippies searching laundry, and find the tag already, totally lucky. Ham it up, they're having fun. Next, drive 13 miles to old city, look for old amphitheater. And there's a yield ahead, they'll yield frat boys.... All in good fun.

Pinkies have trouble with stick.... Frats choose laundry too, search together dumbly. Joseph/Monica in third now, doing church bells; frat boys already find tag, my guess is they're farther back than editing shows. Beautiful countryside for hippies, hopefully they don't use yield now--they may need it more later. And they fake us out, choose not to yield! Good. Roadblock--need to piece together Greek statue, with two extra pieces.

Dating couple quibble over bell carrying speed. Guy lifts it up stairs by himself, pretty cool. Off they go to next town. Old couple can't even find cluebox, of course they're gonna do laundry. Perfect task for a confused old couple, they wonder if young kids know what a clothespin is. J/M do laundry too; old people find tag pretty quickly. R/Y doing the bell, good. Southerners find box, wife praises husband for seeing it. Pinks drive blindly, find clue box by luck, in last place but right next to Southerners. R/Y carry bell together; D/L looking for laundry; idiot Southerners go right past laundry place, pinks show up as D/L as still searching, so now 3 couples search at once. D/L getting frustrated, they've been there a while.

Southerners are amazing at sheer amount of laundry, Ray carries bell by himself too, Yolando says she's in awe. D/L find it, then Southerners, total luck. Pinks still search. R/Y looking for directions, D/L just drive, beat them by a bit. Hmm, R/Y get lost; frat boys get to yield place. Hippies still doing statue, finish, figuring two extra pieces. Then gotta run downhill to temple pit stop, one of the best-preserved buildings of ancient times they say, they mock say ooh, we better hurry; see frat boys coming up as they finish.

Frat boys work on statue, finish; J/M in 3rd, start on statue as frats finish, not happy to be second. Hmm, odd, they replay Southerners finding or something? Thought it was much earlier. Southerners speed off, hopefully they screw up; wonder if they should yield girls, wife says I'll let you decide. R/Y may be lost, oh-oh; and they are, think they lost like 30 minutes. Old people in 4th, up to statue place, J/M having some trouble with statue. Husband tells wife to relax, beautiful view. Dumb M flummoxed by extra pieces, figure it out, helps out old couple too. Southerners catch J/M, race to see who yields who; dumbly Southerners see J/M finishing, ran to pit stop by mistake, lots of swearing, old couple finish and say they can't tell them where statue place is. R/Y are still driving and it's dark... pinks show up next. Southerners swear quite a lot, some crazy editing here--apparently people are having trouble just getting up to the top, not a good sign.

Southerners yield pinks, say they're sorry... now girls gotta wait, R/Y have a shot. It's harder putting together statues in the dark. R/Y make it, finally--girls are crying; call the Southerners hicks, mock their accents. Idiot husband is yelling like an idiot. Idiot J/M take statue back apart, two extra pieces screw them. Girls say they're gonna ramp it up, finish yield--before R/Y get there. Stupid J/M team is breaking theirs up, she's like totally freaking out, trying to force things, boy what a bunchof idiots, her boyfriend isn't helping her any. Meanwhile, calm pink girl just putting it all together. Stupid girl finally just shows work, and she's done. Stupid Southerners on way down tell R/Y they can still not be eliminated if they run (almost taunting); Southern guy starts crying, finishes 5th not dead last.

Pinks vs. R/Y, race to finish statue first, then run to temple. D/L finish 6th, both totally crying, mad they were frustrated with each other; actually she comforts him. Ray taunting pinks, saying he's coming fast. Wife tells him to ask it you're done with two extra pieces; pinks not done--R/Y are done, and off they go. Now pinks, off they run--no way they'll beat them. Oh oh, R/Y can't find the temple, have to look at a map--but they get there first. They finish 7th, not even sure how teams there are.

Pinks are last--and they're eliminated, not devastated, actually pretty cool final speech, girls from New York. Ugh, talk about frat boys though, problem is the girls never thought they'd be able to beat all the guys.

Hmm, next episode looks interesting--the old team is gaining steam, Monica/Joseph flip out.

Uncredited photo of frat boy Jeremy at Teatro di Segesta via CBS.

The kids disappoint

Blogging entirely off tape. I guess everyone tonight is waiting to see if they ask Chris about his version of Walk the Line from last week, which the judges praised as original but may not have been (his attribution may have been cut from the broadcast). Theme is songs of the 21st century. I guess they got tired of waiting for everyone to show their youth. Ugh, it's only one hour tonight! 10 people to get through, they go right to it.

Lisa first, singing Because of You in nice green top and jeans, looks hip. Some vocal problems right at first, but a pretty powerful delivery. Doesn't soar, whcih she pretty much needed, vocally just okay, performance not bad. Ugh, some more vocal problems. Also it seems like songs are back to being short. Randy says odd song choice, just okay version. Paula with some mike problems, tough choice; we all know you can sing great, but you gotta get your own take on the song. Simon says song's too big for your voice, some parts were painful--she has pained look on her face; didn't work, sorry. Simon and Ryan get into it, very stupid; I think Simon's tired of his passive agressive and not so passive stuff. Poor Lisa, she'll be out.

Kellie next, back to a more country look, odd. Suds in the Bucket; hmm, they show her intro video, no such vidoeo for Lisa, very strange. In pink tank top and jeans. Country is definitely her niche; also some pitch problems herself, but she's very believable singing this song. Reminding me more of Carrie Underwood, not really a great thing but at least she no longer seems so much like a one-trick pony, really feels like she belongs. Crowd gives her standing O, Randy says song choice odd, need more exciting song, you're better than that. Paula says you're waaay better than that song choice, it didn't show your range or anything. Simon also pooh-pahs her song choice, it's like a gimmicky song. I got a feeling this'll be a rallying cry for her supporters.

Ace next, wow, they are just zipping through it. Drops of Jupiter, which is a great song. Unfortunately he's flat right off the top. Silverish countryish shirt, jeans. Thin voice, just not working for me, no real energy off audience either. And he's shaking; pulls apart his shirt a bit, odd. No real energy in his performance; and you really feel the shortness of the night, it's over so soon. Randy isn't happy, totally the wrong song and you didn't sing it right, I didn't like it, dude. Paula says it's refreshing after last two performances, but not a great song choice. They do a close-up on his scar. Simon says essentially you guys aren't proving you're as good as the people around today, quite karaoke actually.

Taylor next, in black leather, black t-shirt and jeans. Randy asks him what Soul Patrol is, he says it's his legion of fans from the beginning. Doing Trouble. Wow, it's good from the start. Slow and soulful, he's totally in control. Pretty sedate performance; not sure how strong vocals in middle are. These songs are so short, hard to really build anything, but he's clearly the best so far. They show his friends, who all look middle aged; wow, George Huff's in the audience! Randy says it's not a great song, didn't let you show off--you almost got going at the end, not quite there. Paula says she agress with Taylor's comments, nice to see you just stand there and sing a song. Simon says he likes the song, excellent vocal; slight problem is styling, very Clay Aiken--clothes aren't different like he is, pop school.

Mandisa doing I Wanna Praise You, in black, whoah, comes out strong, it's some gospel praise song. They have technical problems with displaying her number at first. Wow, it's like being in church, she's just doing her own thing, totally relaxed and into it, like let loose. Love it or hate it, you can't help but hear it. Randy says you can definitely sing, but song choice isn't good. Paula says there's a new religion, church of Mandisa, brilliant singer, want more vulnerability though. Simon says he thought it was a bit indulgent, didn't get it. He's right.

Back with Chris, in tan leather yellow top, jeans. They talk about last week, he says he loved Live's version and just wanted to take it and do his own thing. Doing What If, by Creed. Whoah, it's definitely as he says heavy, just very loud, powerful, if you like that kind of thing. For me it's just a wall of noise. No interaction with the audience, he just powers through. The beneficiary of some good camera work. Ugh, even if technically spot on, just not enjoyable for me. Randy is like I like the song, but not my favorite you've done, but you were sharp most of the time, not your best vocal. Paula just repeats she's one of his biggest fans. Simon says he thought it was indulgent, line you don't cross--Creed would not be caught dead on this show, you've gotta show a different side of you; can't just keep doing this week after week after week.

Katharine, ugh. The Voice Within; hmm, she reminds me of that Kirsten Dunst actress. In oddly tailored outfit, tight princess top, jeans, high boots. Vocally sounds off from the start. Pretty big vocals, decent performance. She's just always rubbed me wrong, nothing's changed--hard to listen to her, not enjoyable at all for me. Randy's like I like you, but you sang it just like the record, didn't bring anything new to it, although good song choice. Paula says she wouldn't have changed a thing, it was good, Christina would feel honored. Uh, okay. Simon says best tonight, almost as good as Christina--he delivers it like a back-hand comment, I'm telling you they're trying to boost her chances.

Bucky next, doing Real Good Man, back to the country stuff. In full country regalia, black shirt and hat. Hmm, does it pretty well; just not that exciting of a song, so I kindof drift off. They show his wife? and kids? Randy says you're back at home, likes this better. Paula is like it's familiar to you, be careful of your diction. Simon says he agrees with Paula, couldn't understand a word you said; very impressive, just winging it.

Next, Paris! Work it Out by Beyonce. Man, I hope she hits it outof the park. Comes out strong and confident, purple top and jeans--kindof an odd outfit. I think this might complete her transition to being like Fantasia, hair is weird and she's a little nuts. But good vocals; and some attitude. She's fun to watch each week, you have no idea who she'll come out as. And she totally does all the dance moves, totally gets audience into it--it's just fun to watch the performance, and that's totally what it is. Randy is like that was fearless, that was the bomb, loved it, this is a hot one. Paula is like those weren't kid moves, wow, awesome. Simon thought it was precocious, like a little girl pretending to be Beyonce. Eh, I disagree--there was no pretending, she pulled it off.

After the shortest commercial break of the season, Elliott finally. Can he save what's been a pretty forgetable night? I Don't Want to Be, just like Bo Bice did last year. Rocker side... okay. In hip hop outfit, it's a bit dumb from the get go. Trying to be like Eminem, but no edge--he's even got a twinkle in his eye still. Not bad parts in the middle, no real performance, just bouncing. Totally bad song choice I think, just not believable--who's his fan base for this? Randy is like wasn't quite sure, but liked it, another hot one. Paula is like besides herself with excitement, you are one funky white boy. Simon says great song, bad arrangement, good vocal, and the dancing was hideous.

And on that note, we end what's the worst American Idol so far this year. Even the clips at the end aren't any good. Nobody said once yo, I'd buy that record, rush out and record it. Oh well; maybe next week will be better; the rushed nature of the show totally didn't help, it was like roll out and perform on command tonight.

Worse, after watching the tape who's on Letterman but Willie Nelson--now that's a real singer, just reminds you how huge the gap is with the kids.

Paris
Taylor
Mandisa
Kellie
Katharine
Lisa
Ace
Elliott
Bucky
Chris

Photo of Lisa Tucker's final real performance by C. Gomez via Flikr.

Bush and Blair skulk

Bush Was Set on Path to War, British Memo Says:

The Times: In the weeks before the United States-led invasion of Iraq, as the United States and Britain pressed for a second United Nations resolution condemning Iraq, President Bush's public ultimatum to Saddam Hussein was blunt: Disarm or face war.

But behind closed doors, the president was certain that war was inevitable. During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made clear to Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second resolution, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons, said a confidential memo about the meeting written by Mr. Blair's top foreign policy adviser and reviewed by The New York Times. ...

The memo indicates the two leaders envisioned a quick victory and a transition to a new Iraqi government that would be complicated, but manageable. Mr. Bush predicted that it was "unlikely there would be internecine warfare between the different religious and ethnic groups." Mr. Blair agreed with that assessment.

The memo also shows that the president and the prime minister acknowledged that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq. Faced with the possibility of not finding any before the planned invasion, Mr. Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Mr. Hussein.

Those proposals were first reported last month in the British press, but the memo does not make clear whether they reflected Mr. Bush's extemporaneous suggestions, or were elements of the government's plan.

Ah, yes, this is what we what in our leaders--hanging out on the eve of war brainstorming ways of provoking a confrontatation.

I actually did support invading Iraq, but not for any of the reasons Bush professed. Just wish the U.S. had been upfront about it, that public opinion post-9/11 made possible something that should've been done long before. The means actually do matter, for hard-nosed political reasons as well as in a moral sense. If you have a good argument, put in the time and energy to convince people--don't use any shortcuts, it's cheap and indefensible to have people die for a straw man cause.

The parellels aren't exact, but the kind of duplicity Bush and Blair were throwing around made me think of what the Germans did on the eve of WWII. As the Wikipedia entry on the Gleiwitz incident says:

The Gleiwitz incident was a simulated attack against the German radio station Sender Gleiwitz (Polish: Radiostacja Gliwicka) in Gliwice, Poland on the eve of World War II in Europe. It was one component of Operation Himmler, a German project to create the appearance of Polish aggression against Germany, which would be used to justify the subsequent invasion of Poland.

On the night of August 31, 1939 a small group of German operatives led by Naujocks seized the Gleiwitz station and broadcasted a message in Polish that urged the Poles living in Silesia to strike against Germans. The Germans' goal was to make the attack and broadcast look like the work of anti-German Polish insurgents.

In order to make the attack scene more convincing, the Germans brought in Franciszek Honiok, a German Silesian known for sympathizing with the Poles, who had been arrested the previous day by the Gestapo. Honiok was dressed to look like an insurgent; he was then killed by lethal injection, given gunshot wounds, and left dead at the scene, so that he appeared to have been killed while attacking the station. His corpse was subsequently presented as proof of the attack to the police and press.

In addition to Honiok, several other convicts were kept available for this purpose. The Germans referred to them by the code phrase "Konserve" ("canned goods"). For this reason some sources incorrectly refer to the incident as "Operation Canned Goods".

In that case, Nazi Germany displayed their penchant for adding perfidy to evil; better if they had just invaded Poland straight-up, because they wanted it and could.

The U.S., and Britain too, is better than that. We didn't invade Iraq for evil reasons; we shouldn't have skulked around acting like we did.

Photo of Tony Blair and George Bush arriving for a White House news conference on Jan. 31, 2003 by Doug Mills for The New York Times.

Right up there

They Just Got in, Now They're Headed for Indy

ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski: If ever a game deserved to be enclosed in glass, this was it. George Mason's 86-84 overtime victory against Connecticut in the regional final is more than an upset, it's history. It belongs on the Mount Rushmore of March Madness not simply because the 11th-seeded Patriots, who almost didn't get into the NCAA Tournament, beat a top-seeded UConn team stocked with future NBAers, but because of the quality of their win. ...

The Patriots are more than bracket busters, they're giant-killers, disposing of Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn during what the gracious Huskies coach Jim Calhoun called GMU's "magic carpet ride."

The Patriots were intimidated by nothing. Not by their opponents' hoops pedigree. Not by their surroundings. Not by the weight of the moment. This is what happens when you're led by a carefree 56-year-old coach who doesn't equate college basketball with the Battle of Dunkirk.

Jim Larranaga, whose name or photo is nowhere to be found on George Mason's regular-season or postseason media guides, is the guy responsible for this Al Michaels mini-miracle. He recited the words of famed orator William Jennings Bryan to his team, telling his players, "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice."

And they bought it.

He told them that the No. 11, as in their seed, was irrelevant. And they bought it.

He told them, actually ordered them, to have fun. And they did.

Minutes before they took the court to face America's office pool favorite to win it all, Larranaga reminded his players they were from the CAA — not the Colonial Athletic Association, but from the "Connecticut Assassins Association." And sure enough, by afternoon's end UConn was resting with a white lilly on its chest, its Final Four hopes deader than William Jennings himself.

During nearly every timeout, even when UConn bullied its way into overtime and almost everyone in the building figured the Huskies would at last take control, Larranaga repeated the acronym: "C-A-A … C-A-A." A week earlier, as they prepared to face 2005 NCAA champion North Carolina, Larranaga had told his team, "They're Superman, we're kryptonite." The man deserves an honorary degree in psychology. ...

As the final buzzer sounded, Larranaga made a beeline for the other side of the court and waited for his wife of 35 years, Liz, to make her way down from her seat. That's when they embraced and Larranaga said into her ear, "I love you."

Meanwhile, UConn's players quietly left the floor, with the exception of Anderson, who peeled back to congratulate the George Mason coach.

Ladders were positioned under each basket and the snipping began. Liz Larranaga gazed at the scene in amazement.

"It's what's good in sports," she said.

It was definitely one of the most amazing games I've ever seen. Connecticut was all-world, just about everyone had the blue-chip-laden team making the Final Four. And then GMU, which barely even made the tournament, beats them....

What a great sport; what a great event. Leave it to ESPN.com to run an article about it that mentions Dunkirk and William Jennings Bryant. And Andy Katz, in his column, doesn't forget the school's namesake:

It's hard to gauge what this historic win has done for this university located just 20 miles from here, one that is named after one of the founders of the U.S. Constitution, an idealist who refused to sign the document because he wanted the abolishment of slavery included (history lesson courtesy of head coach Jim Larranaga). Given that history, though, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the basketball team that bears George Mason's name has plenty of passion.

The Patriots were one of the last five at-large teams to make the field, and all they did was knock off three of the last six national champs: Michigan State (2000) in round one (without GMU's suspended second-leading scorer, Tony Skinn), North Carolina (2005) in round two and Connecticut (2004) at the Verizon Center in overtime in the Elite Eight. Wedged in there was Missouri Valley champ Wichita State in the Sweet 16.

Let's go over this again: The Patriots took out Tom Izzo, Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun, the latter a Hall of Fame member and the first two likely to be enshrined some day.

"I don't know if I've ever seen anything as remarkable," Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said as he watched Larranaga, his good friend, cut down the nets at the expense of his league's best team. "Connecticut played well, but George Mason played out of [its] mind. It reminded me of the night Villanova beat Georgetown [in 1985 to win the national title]."

Photo of Jim Larranaga and a player by Andy Lyons/Getty Images.

It's just a hijacker

Watched the end of an American Experience documentary on PBS, Hijacked, about the hijacking of three--and then four--planes by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine on September 6, 1970. It was an astonishingly different time; reading through the documentary's online components you wonder how we all could have been so--innocent? Naive? Young?

Today the commanders who planned and carried out the attack resist comparison to the terrorists who masterminded the events of September 11, 2001: members of the P.F.L.P. were not religious extremists, but secular Marxist Leninists. And of the almost 600 passengers taken hostage, none were killed. And yet more than three decades later, it is clear that a connection exists between the two seminal events, that September 6, 1970 gave birth to a new era of terrorism. ...

The Jordanian "airport" [Dawson's Field] to which the planes were directed was just a strip of hard ground; there was no guarantee the planes would be able to land safely. In the words of P.F.L.P. member Abu Samir, "We were afraid. Could you imagine how the passengers felt?" ...

The hijackers viewed themselves as fighters in a just war, with these skyjackings their only way to get the world's attention. The militants by and large treated the hostages well, making sure they had food and water. They allowed select groups of passengers to speak with the media and permitted one man to get vital medicine for his daughter from the airplane luggage.

And yet at the same time, the P.F.L.P. was telling the world that these hostages would suffer the consequences if imprisoned Palestinian militants were not freed. Sharif acknowledged this duality at a press conference, admitting that hijacking was an inherently violent act, but he stressed that his people did not want to hurt any of the passengers, only use them to obtain the release of captured comrades.

And in the end, the P.F.L.P. threats turned out to be only that; although the hijackers could have killed the hostages, every one of them was eventually released. Khaled would pointedly note that on her flight, only the hijacker died. But even though in general these particular militants were not willing to kill hostages for their cause, a precedent had been set, with goals sought not through negotiation but armed hijacks. In the years to come, future militants would have considerably fewer qualms about ending innocent life.

I guess the terrorists succeeded, in the sense that everyone now knows about the Palestinian problem. But as an Arab commentator on the show says he told them the hijackers at the time, you had a sympathetic cause--by doing this you're destroying it.

The response by the hijackers was, in effect, so what? We had a sympathetic cause, which made those few Westerners who knew and cared feel bad for us--but we weren't making any progress, our people are dying and we're losing more of our land every day. We needed to do something to shock the world and get onto everyone's radar screen.

Everyone's radar screen included that of nascent terrorists. As recalled on a site called Peace Online, in an interesting first-person account by P.F.L.P. spokesman Bassam Abu-Sharif:

Three days later, quite unexpectedly, yet another airliner arrived at Dawson's Field. It was a British Overseas Airways Corporation VC-10. It had been hijacked from Bahrain. Haddad was very surprised: this, too, was a completely unexpected development. He had not ordered the hijack. Who had done it? The control towers at Beirut and Amman airports were in constant touch with us at Dawson's Field. All sorts of officials and ministers were attempting to negotiate on behalf of the passengers. The Beirut controller radioed to Amman that there was a hijacked BOAC flight on its way, and could it have permission to join the merry throng at Dawson's Field? I was with Haddad when the news came in.

'But this was not planned,' he exclaimed, suddenly alarmed. 'We must get ready. This plane might well have a very special passenger-list -like Israeli commandos, for instance.' Beirut tower told us the hijacker was alone, and insisted he was a bona fide Palestinian who wanted to help our cause.

'OK,' replied Haddad. 'Let him give me a sign.' The hijacker's voice crackled faintly over the airwaves: 'Wara kusa'. I started laughing. Wara kusa is a traditional Arab dish of vine-Ieaves stuffed with courgettes in a special sauce; it happened to be one of Haddad's favourites. 'Yes,' said Haddad, a broad grin splitting his features. 'This man is definitely one of us. Let him come.' It turned out that a Palestinian worker in Bahrain heard on the news that Leila Khaled had been imprisoned in London. Leila was a heroine to this man, as she was to all Palestinians, so he decided to do a bit of freelance hijacking to show support. Single-handedly, he would force the British to release the queen of freedom-fighters. The Palestinian worked in a metal-working shop. In his spare time he fashioned an imitation pistol, took it to the airport, and calmly hijacked the first British airliner he laid eyes on.

Sheesh, in his spare time.... This feeling of everyone being amateurs is reinforced by Haddad's description of the passengers.

When they got to the bottom of the chutes, many passengers set off running wildly into the desert. They had no idea where they were going, or how they would survive if they ever got there. Quite soon after they had begun running, the heat would hit them, they would realise they were at greater risk wandering around without food, water or shelter in the middle of a vast stretch of sand than they were with us, and they would come back, looking sweaty and sheepish.

I asked one American who had done this where he thought he was. 'Somewhere in Africa?' he asked dazedly. 'No,' I told him 'You are in Jordan, and we are Palestinian guerrillas.' 'In Pakistan?' he asked, completely bewildered. 'No,' I said patiently. 'We are Palestinian. From Palestine. You know, the country that is now occupied by Israel.' But he didn't know. He had obviously never heard of Palestine. We will just have to go on hijacking until every American in the world has heard of it, I thought.

Instead of setting off at top speed into the desert, some hijacked passengers tried bribery. One woman, also American, emerged from the aircraft clutching her handbag fiercely to her chest. As soon as she reached the bottom of the chute, she rushed up to the nearest PFLP guerrilla, opened her bag, took out a big roll of dollar bills and shoved them into the surprised man's hands. I strolled over to her. 'Lady,' I asked, 'what the hell do you think you're doing?' She looked at me, uncertain what I meant. Then she understood my question for what it was: extreme disapproval. 'Oh, nothing, nothing,' she said. 'I was just giving him a tip.' 'A tip! A tip for what?' I asked her incredulously. 'For hijacking you here? Put it back in your purse, lady. We are not thieves. This is not a robbery.' Crestfallen, she tucked the dollars back into her purse.

Freedom fighter, hijacker, terrorist, guerilla--all these terms have action at their root; no matter what they are, these men aren't passive.

They're acting upon others--aside from the terror they felt, I wonder if the confused passengers weren't also a bit indignant. How dare these swarthy men use us for their own ends. They're not white, who do they think they are imposing their ideas on us by force. And they won't take our money?!

It's a worthwhile reminder that terrorism isn't the birthright of Arabs. There once was a time when you were a metal worker one day, principled guerilla the next. And someone could utter the words 'it's only a hijack' without irony.

As the desert grew very cold at night, we put the passengers back on the planes to sleep. They were already beginning to adapt to their situation. A strange sort of community spirit was springing up. They were forming friendships, talking animatedly in little groups, sometimes singing quietly together. I went on board to tuck them in and help keep them calm. 'Don't worry, it's only a hijack. Nobody will be hurt,' I said in my best bedside manner, while my PFLP colleagues went around wiring detonators to large lumps of plastic explosive placed under their seats. ...

Examining the passports, I found that three of the Israeli citizens were cabin staff, two were rabbis and two were passengers with dual US-Israeli nationality. Next day we released all the women, children and old people; but we kept a small group of passengers with high political value: all the diplomats - and all the Israelis who'd ditched their passports.

One of the rabbis who had tried to flush away his passport signalled that he wanted to talk to me. He was actually from New York. He was certainly scared, as anyone would be, but he asked me to give him some books to pass the time. I sat down next to him, and we began a discussion. Naturally, he was very much against the idea of taking innocent third parties to advance our cause. We ended our talk without reaching any common ground. The next day we picked up the discussion where we had left off. I enjoyed matching wits with him, and found myself looking forward to our daily exchange of views.

In the end, having listened to the case I put for the people of Palestine, the rabbi said that, in my place, he would do the same. Whether he said that under the strain of the position he was in I cannot tell, but he did say it. Later, when he was interviewed on television. All he would say to the assembled press was, 'These people deserve to live, and they have a just cause.' He refused to say anything further.

Uncredited photo of guerrillas blowing up three planes (TWA, Swissair, BOAC) at Dawson's Field in the Jordan desert, September 12, 1970.

Uncredited photo of hostages on the fourth BOAC plane.

March of angels

More Than 500,000 Rally in L.A. for Immigrants' Rights

Teresa Watanabe and Anna Gorman in the LATimes: Joining what some are calling the nation's largest mobilization of immigrants ever, hundreds of thousands of people boisterously marched in downtown Los Angeles Saturday to protest federal legislation that would crack down on undocumented immigrants, penalize those who help them and build a security wall on the U.S. southern border. Spirited crowds representing labor, religious groups, civil-rights advocates and ordinary immigrants stretched over 26 blocks of downtown Los Angeles from Adams Blvd. along Spring Street and Broadway to City Hall, tooting kazoos, waving American flags and chanting "Si se puede!" (Yes we can!). The crowd, estimated by police at more than 500.000, represented one of the largest protest marches in Los Angeles history, surpassing Vietnam War demonstrations and the 70,000 who rallied downtown against Proposition 187, a 1994 state initiative that denied public benefits to undocumented migrants.

The marchers included both longtime residents and the newly arrived, bound by a desire for a better life and a love for this county. ...

Saturday's rally, spurred by anger over legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last December, was part of what many say is an unprecedented effort to organize immigrants and their supporters across the nation. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is to take up efforts Monday to complete work on a comprehensive immigration reform proposal. Unlike the House bill, which beefed up border security and toughened immigration laws, the Senate committee's version is expected to include a guest worker program and a path to legalization for the nation's 10 to 12 million undocumented immigrants.

In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have staged demonstrations in more than a dozen cities. The Roman Catholic Church and other religious communities have launched immigrant rights campaigns, with Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony taking a leading role in speaking out against the House bill and calling on his priests to defy its provisions that would make felons of anyone who aided undocumented immigrants. In addition, several cities, including Los Angeles, have passed resolutions against the House legislation and some, such as Maywood, have declared itself a "sanctuary" for undocumented immigrants.

"There has never been this kind of mobilization in the immigrant community ever," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "They have kicked the sleeping giant. It's the beginning of a massive immigrant civil rights struggle."

It's nice to turn on the tube and for once see a sea of brown faces in America. I think one day this L.A. rally may well be remembered the same way people remember the giant anti-Vietnam war and civil rights marches; if the movement had an MLK it might be seen as the spark that ignited a new era in this country.

Not sure I remember when hundreds of thousands of people last marched in cities all over the country on the same day for the same narrow issue--and seemingly out of nowhere. Which might say more about the poor state of mainstream media coverage of the Hispanic community.

I don't think Republicans had any idea what they were getting into. President Bush is on the right side of the issue, actually, but members of his own party seem intent on currying favor with those they see as their constituents at the expense of national political suicide.

It's about time that Hispanics stood up and said enough with racism, enough with crazy rhetoric, enought with silent suffering. It's just the latest evidence that we live in epochal times--on a variety of fronts things that have been one way for generations are undergoing momentous changes, whether the status quo likes it or not.

Until we transition to this post-old white boy era in America, the old guard will try to make last stands, and at times will succeed in stemming change or even turning the clock back. But the demographics will prove overwhelming in the end, not to mention the moral force of the arguments arrayed against bitter white guys.

It's interesting that the Catholic Church was such a key part of these rallies. There's a great history in this country of socially progressive Christianity, and it's almost always been elements of the Catholic church in the vanguard. I'm glad the Catholics have again flexed their muscles after a period where it seemed like conservative evangelical Christians became the face of the faith... which is ridiculous when you consider how small in number evangelicals are compared to Catholics in this country. It's the winning Democratic coalition reborn--this time led by Hispanics.

The L.A. Times article has some amazing photos with it. But, as the New York Times reports, it's the images in conjunction with the words of the previous seemingly-invisible and voiceless that really drive this issue:

"It's unbelievable," said Partha Banerjee, director of the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, who was in Washington yesterday to help plan more nationwide protests on April 10. "People are joining in so spontaneously, it's almost like the immigrants have risen. I would call it a civil rights movement reborn in this country." ...

Until the wave of immigration rallies, the campaign by groups demanding stringent enforcement legislation seemed to have the upper hand in Washington. The Judiciary Committee was deluged by faxes and e-mail messages from organizations like NumbersUSA, which calls for a reduction in immigration, and claims 237,000 activists nationwide, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which has long opposed any form of amnesty, including a guest-worker program advocated by President Bush.

Dan Stein, president of the federation, acknowledged the unexpected outpouring of protesters, but tried to play down its political significance. "These are a lot of people who don't vote, can't vote and certainly aren't voting Republican if they do vote," he said. ...

In a telephone briefing sponsored last week by the National Immigration Forum, the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Jr., president of the National Hispanic Association of Evangelicals, warned that elected officials would pay a price for being on the wrong side of the legislative battle.

"We are talking to the politicians telling them that the Hispanic community will not forget," he said. "I know there are pure hearts that want to protect our border and protect our country, but at the same time the Hispanic community cannot deny the fact that many have taken advantage of an important and legitimate issue in order to manifest their racist and discriminatory spirit against the Hispanic community."

Photo of L.A. rally by Bob Chamberlin/LAT.

Sweetest 16

From top to bottom, I don't think I remember a better NCAA basketball tournament than the one going on now. It seems like an outlandish number of games have gone down to the final seconds, and into overtime.

In just the sweet 16 games:
-#4 seed LSU upset #1 seed Duke 62-54 in a game that wasn't decided until the final seconds.

-#2 Texas beat #6 West Virginia 74-71 on a long three after WVU tied it on a three with 5 seconds left.

-#2 UCLA beat #3 Gonzaga 73-71, scoring the final 11 points after being down 17 points earlier, with the final two coming in a ridiculous sequence as UCLA got a steal after Gonzaga inbounded the ball up by one. UCLA then survived a length-of-the-court pass by Gonzaga that gave them a clean shot at the basket that nearly went in.

-#1 Villanova survived #4 Boston College 60-59 in OT, on a goaltending call off an inbounds play with 3 seconds left, with BC having a shot at a running three at the buzzer.

-#3 Florida beat #7 Georgetown in the final seconds 57-53 on a falling-down made shot and free throw off what should've been a tie-up.

-#1 UConn surviving #4 Washington 96-92 in OT; UConn made a 3-point play late in regulation to tie only to have Washington hit a 3, then UConn hit a long 3, and watched as Washington just missed on a 3 at the other end. Washington still nearly won despite having 5 players foul out, UConn taking 47 foul shots, and having at least two bad calls going against them in the final minutes of regulation.

The only games that weren't as close was #1 Memphis beating #13 Bradley 80-64 and #11 George Mason taking out #7 Wichita State 63-55.

Can't wait for the elite eight games.

AP photo of Gonzaga's Adam Morrison falling to the floor after losing to UCLA by Marcio Jose Sanchez.

Dear Jose

Inquiring Gringos Want to Know

Ask a Mexican," the [OC Weekly alternative newspaper] headlined it.

The column, published in 2004, was meant as a one-time spoof, but questions began pouring in.

Why are there so many elaborate wrought-iron fences in the Mexican parts of town? What part of the word "illegal" do Mexicans not understand? Why do Mexicans pronounce "shower" as "chower" but "chicken" as "shicken"?

Arellano has responded each week, leading an unusually frank discussion on the intersections where broader society meets the largest and most visible national subgroup in the country: Mexicans.

Nothing is taboo. When asked to explain the inclination of Mexicans to sell oranges at freeway offramps, he fired back:

"What do you want them to sell — Steinways? According to Dolores, who sells oranges off the 91 Freeway/Euclid onramp, in Anaheim, she can earn almost $100 per week hawking the fruit. That averages out to more than $5,000 a year — and since it's the underground economy, she doesn't pay taxes!"

Heh heh. I think this is great--you've reached critical mass as a culture when you start making the jokes about yourself, and decide when things are funny or when they're offensive.

Not to mention when you start providing the answers.

'Ask a Mexican' illustration by Mark Dancey for OC Weekly.

Plugging fire with water

White House Trains Efforts on Media Leaks: Sources, Reporters Could Be Prosecuted

Dan Eggen in the Post: The Bush administration, seeking to limit leaks of classified information, has launched initiatives targeting journalists and their possible government sources. The efforts include several FBI probes, a polygraph investigation inside the CIA and a warning from the Justice Department that reporters could be prosecuted under espionage laws.

In recent weeks, dozens of employees at the CIA, the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies have been interviewed by agents from the FBI's Washington field office, who are investigating possible leaks that led to reports about secret CIA prisons and the NSA's warrantless domestic surveillance program, according to law enforcement and intelligence officials familiar with the two cases.

Numerous employees at the CIA, FBI, Justice Department and other agencies also have received letters from Justice prohibiting them from discussing even unclassified issues related to the NSA program, according to sources familiar with the notices. Some GOP lawmakers are also considering whether to approve tougher penalties for leaking.

In a little-noticed case in California, FBI agents from Los Angeles have already contacted reporters at the Sacramento Bee about stories published in July that were based on sealed court documents related to a terrorism case in Lodi, according to the newspaper.

Some media watchers, lawyers and editors say that, taken together, the incidents represent perhaps the most extensive and overt campaign against leaks in a generation, and that they have worsened the already-tense relationship between mainstream news organizations and the White House.

"There's a tone of gleeful relish in the way they talk about dragging reporters before grand juries, their appetite for withholding information, and the hints that reporters who look too hard into the public's business risk being branded traitors," said New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, in a statement responding to questions from The Washington Post. "I don't know how far action will follow rhetoric, but some days it sounds like the administration is declaring war at home on the values it professes to be promoting abroad."

President Bush has called the NSA leak "a shameful act" that was "helping the enemy," and said in December that he was hopeful the Justice Department would conduct a full investigation into the disclosure.

It's scary in many ways; as well as being nonsensical. What better way to hurt the enemy than by cleaning up our act? What's more American than exposing wrongs and pushing society to right them?

Keller's quote hits the nail on the head. Democracy is messy, unpredictable and yes, at times, maybe even dangerous. But it's better than a fascist state.

If reporters are hauled before hearings and asked about their sources, I think they should name names--not just the ones being asked about, but also times when the inquisitors have themselves been the source of leaks. Who knows what else a chatty reporter might decide to start revealing.

I think the administration would find out pretty quickly this war against people who buy their ink by the barrels is about as well thought out as the quagmire in Iraq.

April 23, 1994 cartoon of Richard Nixon by Pat Oliphant.

News photos of the year

The National Press Photographers Association has handed out its annual photo and photographer awards. Many of the photos are simply amazing; it's mind-boggling that they were taken on deadline and in the course of a day's work.

A little girl who is an earthquake survivor sits inside a tent at a camp in the devastated city of Muzaffarabad November 24, 2005. The head of the U.N. refugee agency said on Thursday the focus of Pakistani earthquake relief efforts was now to avert a tragedy over the imminent winter. Photo and caption by Goran Tomasevic, Reuters

TAL AFAR, IRAQ - JANUARY 18: An Iraqi girl screams after her parents were killed when U.S. Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division out of Ft. Lewis, Washington, fired on their car when it failed to stop and came toward soldiers, despite warning shots, during a dusk patrol January 18, 2005 in Tal Afar, Iraq. The car held an Iraqi family of which the mother and father were killed. Photo by Chris Hondros, Getty Images.

An angry Jewish settler boy looks out from inside a synagogue as Israeli policemen and solider storm inside in the Neve Dekalim settlement in the Gush Katif, August 18, 2005. Israeli troops stormed two Gaza Strip synagogues and dragged out screaming settlers and supporters on Thursday in assaults on the last bastions of resistance to a pullout from the occupied territory. Photo and caption by Damir Sagolj, Reuters.

Horror in Uganda—WATCHFUL: A child bundled in a blanket stands outside a hospital near Gulu in northern Uganda. He is one of the “night commuters,” children who flock to provincial towns at night to avoid the kidnappers that stalk their rural villages. Photo and caption by Francine Orr, Los Angeles Times.

AFGHAN YOUTH: PANSJHER VALLEY, AFGHANISTAN. NOVEMBER 2004. A YOUNG MINER TAKES A SHOWER AFTER A DAYS WORK AT A COAL MINE IN THE PANSJHER VALLEY. Photo and caption by Moises Saman, Newsday.

A guarding tower with Israeli flag hangs on it August 9, 2005 in Shirat Hayam, Israel. Hundreds of unti-disengagement Israelis from all over the country and the West Bank came to support the settlers of Shirat Hayam in the last few weeks. Entire families and groups of young people built up tents all along the beach. Photo and caption by Yoray Liberman, Getty Images.

CAPTURED: Born in Germany and raised by turkish-egyptian parents, dancer and choreographer Nejla Y. Yatkin chose to bring the tragic life of Mata Hari on stage. In her solo dance show named 'Deconstructing Mata Hari', Nejla explores images often associated with Mata Hari such as exoticism, espionage, criminal proceedings, confusion and uncertainty. At the end of her show, the question whether Mata Hari deserved to be executed remains timelessly unanswered. Phot and caption by Astrid Riecken, The Washington Times.

Texas Rangers pitcher Kameron Loe delivers a ninth-inning pitch in a downpour against Baltimore. Photo and caption by Louis DeLuca, Dallas Morning News.

Finding Fall: An Oregon tree farm decorates the roadside. Photo and caption by Jed Conklin, The Spokesman-Review.

Mixed-up

Mixed Race, Pretty Face?

Psychology Today: Actor Keanu Reeves and supermodel Devon Aoki have more in common than fame, fortune and good looks—both are also part Asian. Known in popular culture by the Hawaiian term hapa (meaning "half"), people with mixed Asian and European origins have become synonymous with exotic glamour. In Hong Kong and Singapore, half-Asian models now crowd runways once dominated by leggy blondes. In the elite world of Asian fashion, half-Asian is the new white.

The trend may seem little more than an effect of 21st century globalization. As more individuals of mixed descent achieve fame (think Norah Jones and Tiger Woods), it seems natural that society would embrace the mixed look. Media exposure, however, doesn't fully explain the perception of hapa beauty.

Eurasians may possess genetic advantages that lead to greater health and, as a result, enhanced attractiveness. That's according to a study, the first to find that hapa faces are rated as more beautiful than European or Japanese faces. Researchers say the finding may extend to other racial mixes as well.

The experiment by Gillian Rhodes, a psychologist at the University of Western Australia, found that when Caucasian and Japanese volunteers looked at photos of Caucasian, Japanese and Eurasian faces, both groups rated the Eurasian faces as most attractive. These visages were created by first digitally blending a series of faces from each race into "composites" to create average, middle-of-the-road features typical of each race. Past studies show that "average" features are consistently rated as more attractive than exaggerated features—such as an unusually wide forehead or a small chin.

The finding that Japanese and white subjects preferred mixed-race faces was surprising because, earlier in the same study, most volunteers rated their own race as more beautiful than others. That is, white people typically prefer whites when choosing an ideal image of beauty; blacks prefer blacks; etc.

So why might hapas be considered particularly beautiful? Evolutionary psychologists say it's because Eurasians and other mixed race individuals appear healthier. Humans, like other animals, look for markers of good genetic health in their quest for a reproductive partner. Take facial symmetry, for example: Studies show that, whether they know it or not, people prefer individuals with evenly spaced eyes and other signs of congruence. In evolutionary terms, these markers are associated with healthy conditions in the womb. Infants exposed prenatally to toxins or pathogens may develop facial irregularities and asymmetry. The human brain may be wired to avoid these overt cues of lackluster health, says R. Elisabeth Cornwell, a psychologist at the University of Colorado. "The signs of beauty are the signs of health," she says. Rhodes' findings seem to fit this paradigm: Participants in her study said the Eurasian faces appeared healthier, too.

Similarly, evidence suggests that half-Asians' diverse genetic ancestry would enhance health. According to evolutionary psychologist Randy Thornhill, at the University of New Mexico, "If you hybridize two genetically diverse populations—another way of saying you cross races—then you create more genetic diversity in the offspring."

This is kindof a crazy article--it uses a trite theme to bring up an important issue. I mean, who cares if more people find mixed people attractive--what about the genetic advantages mixed people may have?!

Besides which, what does this mean: "In the elite world of Asian fashion, half-Asian is the new white."

Is 'white' a known synonym for beauty?

Uncredited photo of Kristin Kreuk from Kryptonsite

Dogcatcher

Is Freedom Just Another Word for Many Things to Buy?

Barry Schwartz, Hazel Rose Marcus and Alana Conner Snibbe in the Times: In today's America, everyone from President Bush to advertising executives to liberal activists appears to agree that freedom is about having choices and that having more choices means having more freedom. Choice, even in mundane matters, embodies the larger ideal of the individual as arbiter not just of what tastes or feels good but also of what is good. This is why we now regard 32 kinds of jam in the supermarket, 50 styles of jeans in the department store and 120 retirement plans in the workplace as signs of both economic progress and moral and political progress. Choice is what enables all of us to live exactly the kind of lives we want to and think we should.

But this "wisdom" is suspect for two reasons. First, most Americans do not think that freedom is about exercising more and more choice. And second, even for those who do equate freedom with choice, having more choice does not seem to make them feel freer. Instead, Americans are increasingly bewildered — not liberated — by the sheer volume of choices they must make in a day.

As behavioral scientists, we have found that the people who frame freedom in terms of choice are usually the ones who get to make a lot of choices — that is, middle- and upper-class white Americans (most of our study participants are white; we can't make any claims about other racial and ethnic groups). ...

What conception of freedom should Americans pursue? While the upper and middle classes define freedom as choice, working-class Americans emphasize freedom from instability. These perspectives echo the distinction between freedom to and freedom from made by Franklin Roosevelt and by the philosopher Isaiah Berlin half a century ago. For all our red-versus-blue rancor, most Americans agree that ours is a free country. But what freedom is, and where it should be nurtured and where constrained, are hotly contested issues.

Similarly, many of the freedoms endorsed and advocated by U.S. foreign policy may not always resemble those desired by the people whom we hope to help. To govern well, both at home and abroad, Americans would be wise to listen to how freedom rings in different cultural contexts. Knowing that "we love our freedom," as President Bush said in his recent State of the Union address, should be the beginning of a national conversation, not the end of it.

Whoah, wait a minute, and go back two paragraphs--the study's conclusions are limited to white Americans?

So how can they say "we" and "Americans" and draw conclusions about the U.S., when their results don't apply to 35% of the country?

It's worse when you consider the Times is published in a city where a majority of the residents are non-white immigrants or the children of non-white immigrants.

At the least they should qualify every use of their universal terms. Even better, if they wanna paint a picture of 21st century America--how about making sure they design the study to include 21st century Americans?

It's part of a recent trend of articles with questionable language appearing in the Times. In A Spectator's Role for China's Muslims, Jim Yardley writes:

Yet Chinese Muslims should not be considered completely housebroken by authoritarian rule. Since the seventh century, when Islam began arriving in China along trading routes, there have been periodic Muslim revolts. Under the Communist Party, Muslim rage, if mostly contained on international issues, has erupted over localized affronts.

Just replace Chinese Muslim with black, and see how it plays.

Language choice like this has its roots in feeling like you're writing about other; not quite humans like you and me and your neighbors. So you get cute, dash off generalizations, and get lazy with making sure your words don't get in the way of your argument.

Of course, in some cases the argument's at fault too. It's a little too easy for the Times to paint Muslims as rage-filled and use the same language usually reserved dogs. Most Americans just roll past the phrases, since they fit into our conscious and subconscious views of Muslims. The entire Times article has the air of isn't it odd that in China Muslims haven't rioted much; are they not Muslims, do they not get violent when pricked?

And it's not just Muslims who the Times feels comfortable referring to as dogs.Wanted: A Few Good Sperm has about as crazy a quote as I've ever seen:

Jennifer Egan in the Times magazine: Last October, when I visited the Manhattan apartment of Daniela, a 38-year-old German advertising executive who had recently been inseminated with the sperm of a male friend, her guest room was peppered with toys belonging to the young son of a visiting friend who had broken up with the boy's father by the time he was born. "They got a child out of love, and the parents couldn't deal with one another," Daniela, who asked that I use only her first name, told me. "And now she lives in Germany; he lives here. He doesn't pay any money if he doesn't see the child. So there's a constant battle over it. The child is torn in between. She has to deal with the father. I won't have to deal with the father."

Daniela's apartment is neat and spare, with hardwood floors, a basket of colorful slippers by the front door for guests and an entire wall devoted to pictures of her family in Germany. (She also has a married sister with three children who lives in New Jersey.) A 6-foot-1 blonde who speaks with disarming frankness, she came to America 10 years ago with the man she would later marry, only to find that he didn't want children. ...

Sperm banks do try to address the amorphous question of character; many include psychological studies of donors as well as "staff impressions." Some offer audiotaped interviews in addition to the lengthy written questionnaires, but Daniela said she felt that these materials would only confuse her. She did have a few ideas of what she might look for: she wanted a man of her same blood type, O positive. Because she herself is so tall, she preferred a medium height. (Short donors don't exist; because most women seek out tall ones, most banks don't accept men under 5-foot-9.) She was also attracted by the idea of a donor of another race. "I believe in multiculturalism," she said. "I would probably choose somebody with a darker skin color so I don't have to slather sunblock on my kid all the time. I want it to be a healthy mix. You know how mixed dogs are always the nicest and the friendliest and the healthiest? If you get a clear race, they have all the problems. Mutts are always the friendly ones, the intelligent ones, the ones who don't bark and have a good character. I want a mutt." Her African-American friends questioned this strategy, suggesting that her child's life would be harder if he or she was perceived as nonwhite, but Daniela said: "If that's what I believe, I have to go by that. And it might help the world also if more people are doing it that way."

That's how the article ends; it's the Times' idea of a kicker.

Oh yes--do choose someone with a darker skin color so you don't have to slather sunblock on your kids. And by all means, characterize mixed race people as dogs, refer to them as mutts; and make the whole issue of whites raising non-white children a flip case of 'why not?', if it floats your boat....

The Times, post-Jason Blair, now has a "reader's representative", Byron Calame. He's recently written about covering conservatives, perks for Times employees, roll-call votes, space constraints....

How about payings some attention to the words in the paper of record?

Uncredited photo of Byron Calame from the New York Times.