Paris Parfait

Red alert

Seeing red, London.

If it becomes law, the UK's Digital Economy Bill is basically a license to steal, allowing commercial use of any photograph whose creator cannot be identified "through a suitably negligent search." Further the bill seeks to ban "non-consensual" photography in public places.

For months now, UK police have been stopping ordinary citizens and press photographers alike - as they were taking photos of public buildings and at tourist sites - and deleting their photos. Under Section s44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, police do not have the right to delete photos - or even view them, other than in very limited circumstances. In response to such over-zealous and unwarranted police action, photographers formed a group "I'm a photographer, not a terrorist." 

With the proposed Digital Economy Bill, it appears the British government wants to provide virtually free online content for businesses, while insuring photographers aren't easily rewarded or recognised for their work. In a country where an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras located every few feet record its citizens' practically every move, it is deeply ironic that the government is trying to censor photography in public.

I can't imagine these latest Draconian measures will prove popular with the tourism industry, or with the press trying to cover news events.

For more information about photographers' rights in the UK, visit Photorights.org and "I'm a photographer, not a terrorist."

Health care, party bias and the mainstream media

This person dressed like a banana and standing on a plinth is part of an art installation last month at London's Trafalgar Square. But the photo reminds me of the latest over-the-top activities of so-called "teabaggers" on Washington's Capitol Hill.

John Cole's article about the health care debate, the Republicans' just-released "alternative" bill and the clueless mainstream media coverage is priceless:

"Why is this not a bigger story:

"Late last night, the Congressional Budget Office released its initial analysis of the health-care reform plan that Republican Minority Leader John Boehner offered as a substitute to the Democratic legislation. CBO begins with the baseline estimate that 17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won’t have health-care insurance in 2010. In 2019, after 10 years of the Republican plan, CBO estimates that …17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won’t have health-care insurance. The Republican alternative will have helped 3 million people secure coverage, which is barely keeping up with population growth. Compare that to the Democratic bill, which covers 36 million more people and cuts the uninsured population to 4 percent.

"But maybe, you say, the Republican bill does a really good job cutting costs. According to CBO, the GOP’s alternative will shave $68 billion off the deficit in the next 10 years. The Democrats, CBO says, will slice $104 billion off the deficit.

"The Democratic bill, in other words, covers 12 times as many people and saves $36 billion more than the Republican plan. And amazingly, the Democratic bill has already been through three committees and a merger process. It’s already been shown to interest groups and advocacy organizations and industry stakeholders. It’s already made its compromises with reality. It’s already been through the legislative sausage grinder. And yet it saves more money and covers more people than the blank-slate alternative proposed by John Boehner and the House Republicans. The Democrats, constrained by reality, produced a far better plan than Boehner, who was constrained solely by his political imagination and legislative skill.

"I seriously do not get this country. The subservience to the Republicans by the media at least made sense when they were in the majority and held the Presidency in 2001. But this is 2009, the Republicans have been routed electorally for the past few years, everything the Republican party believed in failed miserably the last eight years and they have been exposed as total frauds. They released a budget with no numbers on April Fools Day; they have been whipping up teabaggers and gun nuts into a froth for months and screaming about death panels because they have no ideas or solutions and when they finally do release their health care “plan,” it totally and completely sucks. It is nothing but fail, fail, fail, from the GOP: they just lost two more seats in the house; they are going through a horrible (yet delicious) civil war; yet according to the media, everything is bad news for Democrats.

"You know what is bad news for Republicans? They used to be able to get elected and be incapable of governing and as the House elections on Tuesday and the CBO score today show, now they are incapable of getting elected and governing.

"And yet somewhere, Chuck Todd or one of the other Beltway drooling class is typing up their next thought piece explaining how all of this is bad news for Democrats and David Gregory’s staff is probably getting touch with McCain and Boehner’s chiefs of staff to see if they are available for Meet the Press on Sunday.

"I can’t tell what is a bigger joke- the Republicans or our failed media experiment. Three decades of screaming liberal media bias is about the only smart long-term thing Republicans have done in my lifetime."

Look out any window

Rain-spattered window, Oxford Street, London. If you and I look out this window, chances are we won't see the same things.

A tsunami in Tonga and the Somoan Islands; an  earthquake in Indonesia. Refugees driven from their homes by the conflict in Yemen. Children going to bed hungry; others dying of malnutrition or curable diseases. These are real people grappling with serious issues; huge problems that cross socio-economic divides and traverse geographic borders.

The world has trouble enough. We don't need manufactured hatred and fear-mongering spread by right-wing talk show hosts and conspiracy theorists, polluting the atmosphere. We don't need personal prejudices of two former drug-addicted radio and television hosts foisted on a gullible and too-often ignorant public. The irresponsibility of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and their ilk (including the RNC and its ill-advised collaboration with "News"max) and the cynicism of their reckless and inflammatory behaviour beggars belief.

Of course those who shout the loudest don't worry about dangerous consequences of their actions, as long as they're raking in big bucks. Money is power in America; just ask Rupert Murdoch and other corporate media moguls and companies who encourage and sponsor ever-increasing vitriol in the name of ratings. Just ask Hollywood moguls (and French politicians) eager to overlook Roman Polanski's crimes, simply because he's an artist and a celebrity (and his films take in big box-office receipts).

Peace begins at home and we need to dial the hysteria register down a notch or two. We need to THINK FOR OURSELVES; read and be informed about the facts, not speculation or conjecture. Searching for common ground - rather than constantly focusing on our differences - would be a good start.

As Jalaladdin Rumi said, "Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there."

And an excerpt of Mary Oliver's poem Mysteries, Yes:

"...Let me keep my distance, always, from those who think they have the answers."

"...Let me keep company always with those who say
"Look!" and laugh in astonishment
and bow their heads."

"Look out any window" is a reference to Bruce Hornsby's song of the same name.

A port in the storm

 

The chef is just back from Lucerne, Switzerland, where he took these lovely images of Lake Lucerne and environs. I'm off to London for a week. Thought I'd leave you with these peaceful images, contrasting with the fake frenzy making headlines today in Washington.

If those poor misguided "teabaggers" would read the actual plan, they'd realise they will benefit from health care reform. Instead, like lambs to the slaughter, they follow along for whatever crazy stunt their "leaders" tell them. These people make an unintended case for education reform, as their ignorance and fear mean they don't bother to learn the facts about anything. Indeed, they appear to believe any and every false assertion and/or rumor spread like a virus by the increasingly-paranoid Glenn Beck and his partners-in-crime at Fox. Of course their corporate master Rupert Murdoch pays them big bucks to fan the flames of controversy.

Wonder what the motives are of conservative politicians like Joe Wilson, who persist in lying to their constituents - even after being proved wrong - rather than helping them? Or Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who apparently doesn't care whether or not his state's residents have adequate health care?  No concern for the poor and uninsured, Mr. Pawlenty?

Really it boggles the mind that profit-driven corporate interests are stealing basic human rights out from under people's noses. Even worse, not only are too few citizens protesting (about anything real), they're cooperating in the theft!

Here's hoping more people will come to their senses and focus on reality, rather than right-wing propaganda. A bunch of cynical and delusional Pied Pipers shouldn't be leading the dance.

 

Freaks and follies

Undoubtedly there's historical relevance to this plaque on a building in Amsterdam. But when I saw the gold and silver coins, it seemed an apt analogy for the greed and unethical behaviour too often seen in both government and business.

Mark Morford: How many hypocritical Republicans can dance on the head of a sex scandal?

Joe Wilson: Still lying, loudly.

The not-so-secret racism in France.

Another reason career diplomats - not political donors - should be ambassadors abroad.

Glenn Beck is a deeply-troubled man. Despite at least 62 advertisers abandoning his television program for Beck's outrageous false claims about President Obama, cynical Fox mogul Rupert Murdoch continues to support Beck. Now Beck is on a witch hunt for communists. And he claims the New Orleans levees were allowed to fail to cover up local corruption - or something like that. Hard to understand the logic behind his ridiculous ramblings.

Let's be clear: Beck's increasingly-paranoid and delusional rantings do not remotely resemble journalism. He sounds like an unbalanced, hysterical snake-oil salesman on the verge of a melt-down. Guess to Murdoch, the more theatrical the better, in terms of television ratings. (People can't seem to look away from trainwrecks).  But at what costs, both to Beck and his viewers? 

Beck and the misguided "teabaggers"

Update Sept. 12: From Time's James Poniewozik: The stated goal of a rally today in Washington, according to Beck, is to "bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States, or political parties. We were united as Americans..."

UPoniewozik doesn't think Beck's living up to that:

"...What he purportedly wants is to bring back our feeling of "unity." I remember that feeling. After 9/11, I remember hardcore liberal New Yorkers rallying behind Rudy Giuliani, saying nice things about President Bush when he spoke at the WTC ruins. I remember thousands of American flags being flown out of apartment and brownstone windows, not as political statements or in the you-better-prove-your-patriotism spirit of flag pins and Freedom Fries, but simply because we felt we Americans were all in this together.

"So since March, what has Glenn Beck been doing to re-establish that sense of nonpartisan national brotherhood? Calling President Obama a racist, declaring that the government was bringing fascism upon us, asking his fans to dig up dirt on political figures he doesn't like, and predicting civil-war-like uprisings. Because that's how you bring people together ....

"You want to bring back the feeling of national unity and civility, Glenn Beck? You could start by not using this tragedy as your personal political platform."

Hear, hear!

Searching for truth

Sculptural medallion partially obscured by ivy at a private residence, Loire Valley, France.

"Beauty is truth, truth, beauty..." - John Keats.

Seems it's getting harder and harder to find the truth. We really have to search for it, amidst all the politics, lies, spin and stupidity. Thankfully, even amidst bad news and chaos, beauty remains. Here's hoping truth and beauty prevail on this auspicious day (09/09/09).

A reporter survived, but Marines died

NYT journalist freed; Afghan journalist, UK soldier killed in rescue effort

More stupidity from a "teabagger"

A school trip in Kentucky includes surprise baptisms!

It's time to get help

Politics and publicity

Bridge over the River Seine to St. Cloud, Paris.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's sensitivity about his height draws unwelcome publicity.

So much for the peace process. Israel announces plans to build new settlements in the Occupied Territories, in direct violation of international law - not to mention a rebuff to President Barack Obama.  Why are we still giving billions of dollars in aid and weapons to a state that deliberately defies the law and denies basic human rights to the Palestinians?

And here's the full text of President Obama's speech to encourage American schoolchildren to care for their future. Why are right-wing talk show hosts and conservative Republican politicians up in arms about a speech that encourages children to learn, work hard and accept personal responsibility for their actions? Education trumps over stupidity every single time (notwithstanding a certain former Alaska governor).

Bent and twisted

Rusting fence with bent iron finials near Parc Edmond de Rothschild, Paris.

How did we get so far off the path?

Update Sept. 4: Right-wing hysteria and racism

Steyn delusional; proof we need better education

More evidence education essential

Dumb and dumber

Pfizer fined for fraud (another reason we need health care reform).

Health care, not politics

Gone, but not forgotten

The novelist Laila Lalami reminded me that 40 years ago today, Muammar al-Qaddafi overthrew the Libyan ruler King Idris I.

At the time, my friend Muna was living in Libya. Years later in Amman, she told me the story;  how they awoke at dawn, horrified to find tanks trained on the palace.

Muna's mother worked for the Queen; her Palestinian father for an American oil company. The family fled with just the clothes on their backs. They spent some time in Malta, before working their way to Jordan, where they ultimately obtained Jordanian passports. To this day, they live in Amman.

Laila Lalami wrote: "It seems to me that coverage of Gaddafi is broadly limited to two topics: his social antics (e.g. the tent he set up in the garden of the Hotel Marigny, his all-female bodyguard corps, his ridiculous outfits and so on) and the Lockerbie bombing. One rarely hears about all the political prisoners who have been rotting in his jails for several decades.

"A couple of years ago, the novelist Hisham Matar wrote a very moving piece about his father, Jaballa Matar, who was allegedly kidnapped by Egyptian security forces in March 1990 and then rendered to Libya. He has not been seen in nineteen years and has not been heard from in ten.

How does one remain free from becoming a symbol or a victim? How do we remain whole and free from hate, yet truthful to our memory?

Life attempts to teach us about loss: that one can still find peace in the finality of death. And yet, my loss gives no peace. My father is not incarcerated, yet he is not free; he is not dead, yet he is not alive either. My loss is self-renewing, insistent and incomplete.

I was always told to expect to lose my father. Many Libyan political dissidents have been assassinated or kidnapped. But now I know that I had no comprehension of the danger he was in. If I had, I would have held on to him with all I could, or tried harder to persuade him not to engage in political dissent, perhaps. Regret is the cruellest companion for those of us who are left behind.

I did try to persuade him to leave his political work, because I loved my father more than I loved my country; or, to put it another way, I had learned by then to live without my country, but not without my father.

When Father was taken, the world did feel empty. For the first couple of years, our ship was lost, then we recovered our bearings and learnt that the speed by which one resumes living is no indication of the depth of one’s grief."

I knew Jaballa Mater personally. When I was a UN correspondent, I was introduced to Jaballa by a mutual friend at the US-Arab Chamber of Commerce in New York. The friend asked me to take Jaballa shopping for presents for his family. I remember him purchasing a wallet and other gifts at the Cartier counter at Macy's. A group of friends accompanied him to dinner at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center and the waiter snapped our picture. Jaballa with his shock of grey hair and mustache was laughing, wearing a suit with his signature white silk fringed scarf draped around his neck. There were other dinners, always an eclectic group, whose livelihood or lives were rooted in the Middle East.

Jaballa was living in Switzerland at the time and didn't like to discuss Middle East politics; certainly not the minefield of Libyan politics, which had caused such grief for him and his family. Years later, I was dismayed to learn Jaballa had been kidnapped, while living in Egypt. Widespread speculation was that Egyptian security forces had turned him over to Libya, another victim of Qaddafi's thugs. Until reading Laila's piece today, I hadn't known Jaballa had been heard from at all during the last 19 years. It's possible he is still alive, although who knows in what condition, along with Qaddafi's numerous other political prisoners. Human rights seem to have been forgotten in the West's renewed quest for lucrative oil and business partnerships in Libya.

Another friend, Mansour Rashid Kikhia, the former Libyan Ambassador to the UN, was kidnapped from his hotel in Cairo in December, 1993. Kikhia had resigned his job at the UN and was head of the International Arab Jurists Association. Despite the intervention of the US government and the United Nations, no information about his fate has been forthcoming.

Many political prisoners died in a massacre June 29, 1996 at Abu Salim prison in Benghazi.

In December 2006, I wrote a poem, "Dead or disappeared" about these two men and other activists - and one special friend - I came to know.

Bright young thing
in New York watching
history unfold amidst chaos
key players crossed my path
some became friends
admired for their selfless courage


The last time I saw him
he took off his shoes
and put his feet on the table
at a UN press conference
so we could see the pattern of scars
calling card of the Shah's SAVAK*

He got our attention.
Two weeks later he was murdered.


The last time I saw him
he seemed a little drunk and flirtatious,
escorted by aides and guards
in an Amman hotel lobby
talking about an upcoming meeting
promising an interview

A sobering phone call followed:
felled on his front porch in a hail of assassin's bullets.


The last time I saw him
he was impassioned about
his human rights work
looking forward to an international conference
to expand the jurists' scope and focus
helping secure rights for all

Newspaper headlines reported his disappearance in Egypt;
UN and governmental inquiries produced no answers.


The last time I saw him
I took him shopping
for family gifts at Cartier
they snapped our picture at the Rainbow Room
and we went to a dinner party with friends
then he went home to Geneva

Vanished without a trace in Cairo;
more UN inquiries; no answers.


The last time I saw him
he told me he loved me
and kissed me goodbye
then boarded a plane to Amman
to do his father's bidding
and work in the family business

Less than five months later he was dead,
shot three times in the head.


For those still here
an obligation to tell their stories
remember what they held dear
the struggles and small victories
undying commitment to causes
greater than themselves


*Secret police during the reign of the Shah of Iran

Note that Qaddafi is spelled in a number of ways. At the UN, we spelled his name Muammar al-Qaddafi.

Photo of bas relief sculptures over a doorway in Amsterdam.

Reich is right: 'Gang of Six' doesn't speak for us

Painted letter slot in doorway, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France. Time to write, email, fax and phone our senators and representatives about the need for affordable and quality health care for all. Accessibility to proper medical care is what matters; not politics or insurance industry profits. We won't be intimidated by ill-informed right-wing thugs toting guns who show up at town halls and rallies, spoiling for attention and fights.

An excerpt of former secretary of labor Robert Reich's piece at Talking Points Memo:

"...who, exactly, anointed these six to decide the fate of the nation's health care?

"I don't get it. Of the three Republicans in the gang, the senior senator is Charles Grassley. In recent weeks Grassley has refused to debunk the rumor that the House's health-care bill will spawn "death panels," empowered to decide whether the sick and old get to live or die. At an Iowa town meeting last Tuesday Grassley called the President and Speaker Nancy Pelosi "intellectually dishonest" for claiming the opposite. On Thursday Grassley told the Washington Post that Congress should scale back its efforts to overhaul health care in the wake of intense anger at town hall meetings. But -- wait -- the anger is largely about distortions such as the "death panels" that Grassley refuses to debunk.

"This week on Fox News Grassley termed the House bill "the Pelosi Bill," and called it "a government takeover of heath care, exploding the deficit because it's not paid for and it's got high taxes in it."

"I really don't get it. We have a Democratic president in the White House. Democrats control sixty votes in the Senate, enough to overcome a filibuster. It is possible to pass health care legislation through the Senate with 51 votes (that's what George W. Bush did with his tax cut plan). Democrats control the House. The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is a tough lady. She has said there will be no health care reform bill without a public option.

"So why does the fate of health care rest in Grassley's hands?

I"t's not even as if the gang represents America. The three Dems on the gang are from Montana, New Mexico, and North Dakota -- states that together account for just over 1 percent of Americans. The three Republicans are from Maine, Wyoming, and Iowa, which together account for 1.6 percent of the American population.

"So, I repeat: Why has it come down to these six? Who anointed them? Apparently, the White House. At least that's what I'm repeatedly being told by sources both on the Hill and in the Administration. "The Finance Committee is where the action is. They'll tee-up the final bill," says someone who should know."

Dan Froomkin writes that the public option is about accountability.

And Sen. John Rockefeller asks insurers to provide their costs vs. patient care statistics.

On a lighter note, Worried Dad is (un)intentionally hilarious.

Meanwhile Sarah Palin and the Wall Street Journal are chatised by the National Review for getting their facts wrong about the US Export-Import Bank.

Buyers beware: Dixons UK fails to honour warranty

This is a story of fraud and forgery; of deception and theft.  I've waited a long time to write this piece, hoping that Dixons would do the right thing and honour their legal and contractual obligation and client commitment. Instead, the company has chosen to drop the matter, apparently hoping I'll tire of fighting for my rights.

In a nutshell, I bought a Toshiba laptop computer from Dixons on Kensington High Street, London (the store has since folded). I felt like a mug when purchasing their three-year extended warranty, but was glad I had when the computer crashed with a hardware problem. I reported the problem via phone; had an IT specialist in Paris verify the technical issue was beyond repair and as per Cover Plan Customer Care instructions, filed a claim. I was told the claim was approved and a cheque in the amount of  £920.98 (about $1,509.68) had been issued to replace the defective computer.

Six weeks went by; still no check. In a flurry of increasingly hostile email exchanges, I was told the check had been sent to the wrong address in London; even worse, it had been cashed!

I reminded Customer Care they knew very well I wasn't living in London - all our conversations and my correspondence had come from France, plus they'd verified my address in France. I informed them if they had in fact issued a check, it had been stolen and forged. I urged Dixons to file a theft report with the bank, as well as a police report in Blackheath, London, where they supposedly had mailed the check.

Dixons refuses to accept responsibility

Over the next five months, various Customer Care representatives assured me the matter was under investigation by their finance department. Yet they refused numerous requests to provide any paperwork confirming their actions or a photocopy of the check - and the forged signature - to provide to my UK bank and the police.

I advised the manager of their "World Wide Product Support" that their company was participating in fraud and encouraging theft, by refusing to pursue the matter. But Dixons' customer care representatives were rude and uncooperative. They informed me they weren't going to do anything else; they'd issued a check and it wasn't their problem if it was sent to the wrong address, stolen and fradulently cashed.

A so-called customer care representative provided a mailing address for Dixons litigation department, where I sent a copy of the file. Yet my correspondence has remained unanswered, despite repeated queries. I wonder if the company's CEO has any idea about his Cover Plan's reckless disregard for customer care?

So the moral of the story is don't buy a computer from Dixons and by all means, don't fall for the false  assurances of their Cover Plan Extended Warranty. Dixons is quick to take your money to pay for an extended warranty, but extremely slow to bother with fulfilling their obligations under that warranty. Dixons still owes me £920.98 - plus interest.

Photo of potted tree root and marble sculpted head, Amsterdam.

Looney tunes and fabricators

Lies, lies and more lies - all in the same day!

From John Cole: "...There is simply nothing these guys will not lie about and they have no problem reversing course hours after publicly stating something completely different. The facts are just optional with these guys. They just don’t care if they tell the truth, they are not ashamed to lie at will and no one in the media will hold them accountable."

On Wednesday, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley repeated the lie that health care reform would set up euthanasia death panels in order to kill senior citizens. Grassley supposedly has been working with Democrat Max Baucus to prepare a compromise health care reform bill.

Grassley has been to the White House several times to meet with President Obama about health care issues, most recently last Thursday. Yet the senator is now openly lying to his constituents! And add Sen. Tom Coburn to the list: he's making the same false claims.

Elected US senators deliberately misrepresenting a position they know to be false??!! Why is this acceptable??!! What sort of lessons are we teaching our children by tolerating such a deliberate, cynical ploy??!!

At least one Republican senator urges Sarah Palin and others to stop lying about health care reform. But Republican Party Chairman Michael Steel has backed Palin's falsehoods, telling Fox "News" it's "perfectly appropriate" to talk about "death panels." The blind leading the blind...

Jonathan Cohn writes about The Swiftboating of Health Reform.

Why does this man still have a job?

Speaking of that faux news channel, on Tuesday Glenn Beck went too far, prompting many advertisers to abandon sponsorship of his program. He stupidly claimed, "This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people...this guy is, I believe a racist." Uh, Glenn, it appears YOU are the racist!

And after those outrageous statements, why does Beck still have a job??!!

Meanwhile, the angry, inflammatory and often threatening mobs continue disrupting town halls throughout the country, When did this kind of loutish over-the-top and even dangerous behavior become acceptable in America? I don't know which is worse - their behavior or the fact that they don't even know what they're talking about... They're repeating right-wing talking points which have no basis in fact.

Even the Chamber of Commerce is getting in on the act! Since when did the US Chamber of Commerce become a political organisation trying to dictate health care reform??!!

I think Murray Fromson is spot on when he writes about Our Sick Society.

Intimidated by thugs? Read M.J. Rosenberg's Talking Points Memo piece about the country's deep divisions.

Ever wonder why so many people seem incapable of thinking for themselves, much less discerning between fact and fiction?

Get the FACTS - not the myths and falsehoods high-ranking Republicans are spouting - here.

Photo of Mickey Mouse statuette in window of Amsterdam home.

Summer shenanigans

Newspapers in five languages, Amsterdam.

Astronomical photography.

"There is no refuge..." A soldier writes from Afghanistan, in The Independent.

Paul Krugman writes in The New York Times about freedom of the press and the Town Hall Mob. Shouldn't these troublemakers be on holiday somewhere, rather than trying to disrupt the Democratic process??!!

Reminds me of the Leonard Cohen song, "Everybody knows:"

"...Everybody knows the fight was fixed.
The poor stay poor and the rich get rich.
That’s how it goes;
And everybody knows..."

The Anti-Defamation League slams Rush Limbaugh's slurs. But no apologies from the highly-paid blowhard or his GOP enablers.

Why is Obama embracing this terrible Bush administration tactic??!! Unacceptable then and even more so now!

Howard Dean on Sarah Palin: "She made that up!"

And these people seem to be competing to see who's crazier - and more violent - than the next.

Finally, someone at CNN shows some backbone

Lately CNN has damaged its reputation by keeping Lou Dobbs and his inane birther talk and anti-immigration rhetoric on air; refusing to air Media Matters ads critising Dobbs, as well as CNN and even refusing to air ads critical of the insurance industry. Rick Sanchez's smackdown today of an arrogant insurance industry shill shows what America is up against in trying to reform health care: hubris and greed.

Business Week reports the health insurers have already won.

Meanwhile President Obama's attempts to involve the Party of No in any sort of compromise suggests the "Gang of Six" are seriously watering down the proposed health care reform bill. As usual, middle class and poor Americans are the pawns - and the losers - in these cynical chess games between government and big business.

Smokescreens and attacks

Update: Steven Pearlstein at the Washington Post: "...The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they've given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They've become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems." Hear, hear!

Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh has stooped to a new low in his hate-filled rhetoric, comparing Democrats to Nazis.

And the group calling itself "Freedom Works" has released an "August Recess Action Kit," which features more erroneous information about health care reform - apparently no fact-checkers there - and urges people to continue disrupting public forums and town halls. Mob violence already is in evidence in Florida and other venues.

Voices of reason

At Salon, Joan Walsh questions Republican and insurance company tactics, while Glenn Greenwald wonders about Limbaugh's Nazi references and GOP and media reaction today, compared to 2004, when MoveOn.org was pilloried after a statement about George Bush.

Media takes Clinton story and twists it every which way

An excerpt of Joe Conason's excellent Salon article about reaction to Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea:

"On display in the wake of his successful effort to secure the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee is the purest and most virulent form of a disorder all too familiar to anyone who lived through the Clinton presidency.

"Here was an effort that exemplified the best of America -- a society that values the lives of its citizens enough to send a former head of state, with all the power of government behind him, to the aid of two women in distress. Here was a happy reunion, bringing wives home to their husbands and a mother back to her little girl, that surely uplifted the spirit of anyone who actually believes in family values. Here was a moment of pride and joy.

"But not for Gordon Liddy, the demented felon and radio bigot who cackled about "Ling Ling and Wee Wee being locked up for nine hours in an airplane with Bill Clinton." Not for Rush Limbaugh, the obsessive guttersnipe who wondered aloud whether Clinton "hit on those two female journalists on the long flight home." Not for Andrea Peyser, the curdled tabloid columnist who insisted that "the whole shebang was nakedly scripted and staged as a device to help rehabilitate the image of former President Bill Clinton" (and who neglected to mention that Clinton did not speak to the eagerly waiting press corps and has given not a single interview on the North Korea mission). Not for Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who predictably seized on Clinton's mission as an opportunity for gratuitous and ugly insults to his wife, weirdly imagining that the prisoner release was "some clever North Korean revenge plot, giving the limelight to Daddy to punish Mommy." And not for the editors of the Huffington Post, who posted a very strange headline -- "Bill Upstages Hillary ... Once Again" -- on an Associated Press story that didn’t mention her at all."

"...Finally there are the "serious" commentators, most notably former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, the former diplomat best known for disdaining diplomacy and rattling the atomic saber until he was mercifully relieved of public responsibilities. In him the syndrome’s most noticeable effect is a severe case of amnesia. On the pages of the Washington Post, he complained that despite "decades of bipartisan U.S. rhetoric about not negotiating with terrorists for the release of hostages, it seems that the Obama administration not only chose to negotiate, but to send a former president to do so." Leaving aside the question of whether this situation in any way fits that description, Bolton has clearly forgotten the Iran-Contra affair, when his colleagues in the Reagan administration, all the way up to and including the president, negotiated with Iran’s leaders to release hostages in exchange for deadly missiles -- violating statute and policy. He also seems to have forgotten how he tried to help cover up that outrage as an assistant attorney general."

Sarah Palin: Still lying; more dangerous. And now she's embraced Michelle Bachman! Talk about a dastardly duo!

--------------------------------

Really, such political, media and business shenanigans are enough to make one want to move to a deserted island...

The very bad behavior of the extreme right

Graffiti and political portraits on a doorway, Amsterdam.

Just when you think right-wing Republicans can't get any more uncooperative, vindictive, or obstructive, this happens. I've said it before: these politicians only support democracy if they get their own way. And believing the rules apply only to ONE party isn't democracy; that's fascism.

It's too bad these people continue to resort to childish shouting matches and intimidation in attempts to silence reason and dissent. Guess these particular American citizens don't believe in free speech, nor do they care about the good of the country; otherwise, they'd be trying to help solve our problems, not create more. Pathetic.

Wreaking havoc.

Still bitter and belligerent.

Completely clueless.

From the Associated Press:

"He's become a publicity nightmare for CNN, embarrassed his boss and hosted a show that seemed to contradict the network's "no bias" brand. And on top of all that, his ratings are slipping.How does Lou Dobbs keep his job?!"

Even as the cable network's reputation continues to deteriorate, CNN management still supports Dobbs - and won't air a Media Matters ad criticising Dobbs' erroneous and misleading statements. Where I grew up in the South, we have an expression, "If enough people tell you you're drunk, you'd better sit down."

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!

Lou Dobbs gets it wrong - again.

Ed. note: I have emailed CNN expressing my concerns about Lou Dobbs and his irresponsible behavior in spreading lies and falsehoods. See Jon Stewart's brilliant smackdown of Dobbs here. This is a letter from Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center to CNN President Jonathan Klein: July 24, 2009 Jonathan Klein President CNN/U.S. 1 Time Warner Center New York, N.Y. 10019-6038 Dear Mr. Klein, As an important and respected news organization, CNN has a special responsibility to ensure the accuracy of its reporting. We have written to you before about our concern that Lou Dobbs repeatedly fails to live up to this standard in his reporting on immigration. Now, Mr. Dobbs is again trading in falsehoods and racist conspiracy theories, questioning President Obama's American citizenship. On the July 15 edition of "Lou Dobbs Tonight," Mr. Dobbs questioned the official certificate provided by the president and the State of Hawaii and complained that President Obama has not made public the "original document." On his radio program, Mr. Dobbs has repeatedly questioned the president's fitness for office, demanding he "show the documents" and, at one point, jokingly suggesting President Obama may be "undocumented." The truth about the president's birth is not in dispute. It has been verified by Factcheck.org, among many other serious news organizations, and his official birth documents have been made public. CNN itself has repeatedly reported on the falsity of the claims of the "birthers," and the network's esteemed legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, recently called those claims "a joke." As you know, even Mr. Dobbs' frequent fill-in anchor, Kitty Pilgrim, debunked the birthers on the July 17 edition of Mr. Dobbs' own CNN show. The fact that Mr. Dobbs suggests otherwise on CNN — while real CNN reporters tell the truth — is both deplorable and an embarrassment to all serious journalists. As he has in several other instances, Mr. Dobbs, in taking up the birthers' claims, is adopting an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that originated on the radical racist right. As Gawker.com has reported, this particular conspiracy theory was first developed by an open anti-Semite and circulated by right-wing extremists who cannot accept the fact that a black man has been elected president of the United States. Among its adherents was neo-Nazi James von Brunn, the alleged murderer of a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., this June. Von Brunn had helped spread the birthers' claims on the Internet and attacked the "dishonest & conspiratorial Media" for not taking them up. This is not the first time Mr. Dobbs has pushed racist conspiracy theories or defamatory falsehoods about immigrants. We wrote you in 2007 to bring to your attention his utterly false claim that 7,000 new cases of leprosy had appeared in the United States in a recent three-year period, due at least in part to immigrants. (The real number, according to official statistics, was about 400. Mr. Dobbs took his spurious information from the late right-wing extremist, Madeleine Cosman.) In addition, Mr. Dobbs has reported as fact the so-called Aztlan conspiracy, which claims that undocumented Mexican immigrants are part of a plot to "reconquer" the American Southwest. He has suggested there is something to a related conspiracy theory that claims the governments of Mexico, the United States and Canada are secretly planning to merge into the "North American Union." He has falsely claimed that "illegal aliens" fill one third of American prison and jail cells. And Mr. Dobbs has routinely disparaged, on CNN's air, those who have had the integrity to point out the falsity of these and similar claims. Respectable news organizations should not employ reporters willing to peddle racist conspiracy theories and false propaganda. It's time for CNN to remove Mr. Dobbs from the airwaves. Sincerely, J. Richard Cohen President

Photo of Pinocchio marionette, Barcelona, Spain by Tara Bradford.

G-8 to focus on climate change

Global warming graffiti, Amsterdam.

Key climate meeting looms at G8

US agrees landmark pledge to slash admissions

In other news, the extremist British Nationalist Party leader Nick Griffin told the BBC that the European Union should sink boats carrying illegal immigrants to prevent them from entering Europe!

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin keeps lying about state ethics probes. Gary Kamiya writes in Salon about "The Poison of Celebrity:"

"...Her (Palin's) strange story demonstrates the utterly distorting power of fame in America. Carried too high, her wings melted off - a meltdown evident the moment she took the national stage and painfully apparent in every tortured sentence of her rambling, illogical resignation speech. In a country not besotted by fame, a politician as intellectually deficient as Palin, whose ambitions are that untethered and above all who is petulantly unwilling to do the hard, prosaic work of governing, would be ushered permanently offstage. But in a culture of celebrity, the very theatricality of Palin's disgraceful resignation immediately becomes part of her résumé."

As Glenn Greenwald points out, President Barack Obama and the justice department have some serious questions to answer!

Nostalgia

On Wednesday, I was in a little grocery store and saw Cherry Cokes! Nostalgia, pure and simple, made me buy one. Today when I opened it, nice and chilled, I was dismayed to find it tastes a bit like cough syrup. Ever have that experience, when you find something isn't quite the way you remember? Or perhaps they're using a different formula these days. Either way, it's a reminder that nostalgia isn't always a good thing.

Digital manipulation

The National Press Photographers Association's latest newsletter links to a piece about digital manipulation. The New York Times magazine has pulled a photo essay, after bloggers discovered the images had been digitally altered. Read the newspaper's statement here.

Of politics and ethics

Living sculpture, Amsterdam.

Sarah Palin: More reality-challenged than we thought.

I wonder what Katherine Graham would think about the Washington Post publisher exchanging editorial ethics for money? With such bad decisions, it's no wonder the Post is faltering.

Scott Rosenberg has an interesting article in Salon about "How blogging changed everything."

And here is an astonishing account of forced marriage; thankfully, the victim escaped, though not unscathed.

Clever crafting

My friend Anjie at Studio Wellspring forwarded a link to her brother-in-law Dennis King's terrific etsy shop. Dennis creates wonderful solid-wood children's furniture, handmade using eco-friendly products. Each piece can be custom-made with colors and sizing, as you prefer.

Expensive lessons

Murals, graffiti and bicycles, Amsterdam. Click to enlarge and read quote.

Well, that was an expensive lesson! Moral of the story: If you need a photography website put together, make sure the person you ask has actually done such work previously and can provide examples. Since returning from Amsterdam Monday night, I've spent at least 15 hours a day glued to the computer, trying to salvage a photography presention. But you won't see any links to that website here; the less said about it, the better. The site will have to be completely redone by a professional.

In another expensive lesson, certain right-wing Republicans and their cheerleaders at Faux "news" and talk radio have flipped over the new Minnesota Senator Al Franken. Um, who was it that dragged the recount out over seven months? Why that would be those same disrespectful Republicans! Apparently, democracy only applies if they get their own way - just ask the Rupert Murdoch owned-and-influenced Wall Street Journal.

This weekend, I'm hoping to find time to catch up on your blogs and email. I also have some stories and photos from Amsterdam to prepare. My British chef (oh, the irony!) will prepare a proper Independence Day feast. Hope you have a great Fourth of July weekend!

La vie en rose

The famous Berthillon ice cream and a pink car, Ile Saint-Louis, Paris.

La Charlotte de l'isle, a chocolate shop on Ile Saint-Louis. Vintage chocolate moulds are on display.

Purple shoes at Shakespeare & Co. "When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple..."

Searching for bargains at the popular bookstore across the street from Notre Dame.

Tourists taking a break at Shakespeare & Co.

Complex flower.

Pink rose.

Weekend guests

On Friday, the daughter of a long-time friend came to spend the weekend with us. Sarah is a smart, funny and engaging linguistics student, currently studying French in Nantes. On Saturday, we met the delightful Jeanie, visiting from Michigan, for a trek to the flea market at Vanves. All three of us bought some lovely things.

For me, the find of the day was a bound set of The Studio for 100 euros. Last week I saw The Studio books, filled with illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley and other Art Nouveau artists, at an Arts & Crafts exhibit in London. The books were priced at £400 each! To get an entire set for 100 euros was incredible; I think the dealer didn't realise their value.

I also found two more aqua opaline Hermes wine glasses to add to my collection; they're so rare, I come across maybe one per year. Saturday, I was doubly lucky.

Jeanie and her friend Jerry came to our apartment for dinner Saturday night, Thanks to my husband the chef, we had delicious food. We also had a lot of fun! Jeanie brought lovely treats from the US, including a beautiful set of her handmade collaged cards. Plus she brought gifts from two other Michigan girls, Judy Winter and Jane Rosemont. Judy sent a signed copy of her book Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs, while Jane sent cards and a magnet featuring her gorgeous photography. For me, it was just like Christmas! Many thanks to the three Js!

On Sunday afternoon, I took Sarah to the train station. Along the way, we saw well-dressed senior citizens rummaging through the garbage near a grocery store, looking for discarded vegetables. So sad. We often see older people looking through too-ripe or damaged fruit and vegetables that vendors throw out on market days.

I was so exhausted from racing around for three days, I completely forgot about a brocante at Parc des Princes - in my own neighborhood! The weekend was also Fete de la Musique in Paris, so we listened to noise music from across the street in the Bois de Boulogne until early this morning.

Solidays

Beginning this Friday, it's Solidays in the Bois, the annual three-day music festival which raises funds for AIDS charities. We're going to skip impossible-to-sleep-due-to-booming-bass-from-bands-performing-on-three- stages Solidays and spend four days in Amsterdam.

Nattering neocons

If only the nattering neocons would take off their rose-colored glasses and stop talking! Their aversion to reality is pathetic, not to mention their numerous attempts to rewrite history.

How the mighty have fallen

Bas-relief sculpture, Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona, Spain.

The Washington Post is the latest newspaper to cow to conservative and/or corporate critics, firing the excellent columnist Dan Froomkin. Glenn Greenwald has written an insightful article about the abysmal state of the establishment media in the US.

Is it any wonder newspapers around the country are dropping like flies? A newspaper's job is to investigate, discover, question and report; to call the government, as well as corporations and citizens alike to task. A newspaper is NOT supposed to publish bland press releases that suit corporate advertisers' sensibilities. Nor is it the reporter's job to throw up smokescreens or implement spin on a story - that's public relations; not journalism. Just the facts, please!

From Dan Froomkin's statement on his dismissal at the Washington Post:

"...I think that the future success of our business depends on journalists enthusiastically pursuing accountability and calling it like they see it. That’s what I tried to do every day. Now I guess I'll have to try to do it someplace else."

Mirror images

Three-way mirrors, fourth floor, Liberty, London.

Stack of painted wooden chairs, Liberty.

Like all big cities, Paris struggles with issues related to globalisation and immigration. The latest issue of the online magazine Triple Canopy explores the phenomenon of monoactivite: Chinese textile wholesalers taking over the Sedaine-Popincourt neighbourhood.

Local residents, angered by the displacement of boulangeries, bistros and longtime businesses, want the Chinese businesses gone. The French government is trying to further regulate the Chinese wholesalers, who sell garments only in bulk and block streets with trucks loading and unloading merchandise.

Chinese employers operate sweatshops behind elegant facades, piecing together goods arriving from China in partially-finished condition and adding “Made in France” labels. The goods are then shipped to developing markets. Jules Treneer, an Oberkamp resident, writes about Parisians' views on French culture and their ambivalence towards immigration and the global marketplace.

Human trafficking

It just boggles the mind that modern-day slavery - also known as human trafficking - is so widespread. Read Megan Butel's eye-opening blog post "Stop! Where are you going with this?"

Who's afraid of a book?

Think book-banning and book-burning is a relic of another era? Not in West Bend, Wisconsin, where a few dunces are determined to censor their local library's selection of books. Read Laura Miller's piece about the groups fearful of Francesca Lia Block's book Baby Be-Bop.

I find it infuriating that a small group of ignorant and judgmental people try to impose their narrow views on everyone else, never mind if civil liberties are violated in the process!

Liberty

"Liberty Man" at Liberty, London. Where have all the heroes gone?

"...War will compel nations the most attached to liberty to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destory their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they at length become willing to run the risk of being less free." - Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist, No. 8

Shades of The Green Lantern. Click the words below for links to articles.

Scary. Shocking. Sad. Sickening.

Superb. Splendid. Soothing.

Diva

My friend Sophie's dog Diva in an antique urn on opening day of the Antiquites Brocante at Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris. Like many divas, this one couldn't be coaxed into posing for the camera.

Sophie had to hold Diva so she would look at the camera lens. Check back later for more photos from the brocante.

Leave the white sneakers at home

We witnessed an incident in which an Australian tourist became distraught over something and argued loudly with an antiques dealer. She said, "You're only doing this because I speak English." And an audible collective gasp arose from all the French stall-holders nearby, who demurred, "No, Madam, not at all. We all speak English. You simply misunderstood about the price." But the tourist flounced off, shaking her head and muttering about how they were trying to take advantage of her.

She was wearing khaki trousers and pristine white sneakers/running shoes. A word of advice: leave the white sneakers at home when you come to Paris. They are unacceptable here, unless you're on court at Roland Garros. And if you don't understand something, don't shout at the proprietor!

Thank you, President Obama

I listened to the president's speech in Cairo and was impressed by his respect for other cultures and customs, as well as his evenhandedness in approaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I think his speech did much to begin restoring dignity for the United States and our reputation in the Middle East.

At the same time, I was thinking how the narrow-minded right-wingers in the US would have a field day, simply because President Obama quoted the Koran (he also quoted the Torah and the Bible) and spoke a few words of Arabic.

Update Friday, June 5: Add an Oklahoma senator to the list. He must have been listening to a different speech and living in a different reality the last few years, since he seems unclear about how war in Iraq began.

More revisionist history from the Cheneys

Will the Cheneys please stop lying - for that matter, just stop talking? Why is Dick Cheney sending his daughter out to rehash the same false claims and failed talking points??!! Why is the news media giving her a forum, without someone to refute the falsehoods she's spouting? Completely irresponsible journalism by MSNBC, not to mention deceitful behaviour by the publicity-mad Cheneys.

Saint-Sulpice, Normandy and Guantanamo Bay

French 18th-century satin slippers at Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons.

If you're in Paris, you might enjoy browsing for antiques and collectibles at the 32nd Foire aux Antiquaires at Place Saint-Sulpice. Beginning Thursday, June 4, the brocante is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through June 15. Tomorrow night only, antique dealers will keep their stalls open until 10 p.m. Admission is free.

Stop by and see Sophie Pretelat's amazing antiques and collectibles at Anges et Demons, Stand K8. Sophie's great style and flair for display alone is worth a visit. Nathalie Cottier - who usually has wonderful Guignol puppet theatres on hand, among other offerings - will be at Stand A10.

Normandy banner

Regular readers are aware that I routinely rotate Paris Parfait mastheads. The current banner contains my photos of beaches at Normandy, France, where American, British and Canadian troops landed on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The large background photo is of Pont du Hoc, the steep cliff that American troops scaled, only to be met by German fire. The smaller photos are of driftwood on Utah Beach; a steel sculpture on Omaha Beach created by French sculptress Anilore Banon to honour American troops; trotter horses training at low tide on Utah Beach and a canal in the town centre of Bayeux.

President Barack Obama will join French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Britain's Prince Charles and others this weekend to mark the D-Day anniversary.

Another suicide at Guantanamo Bay

On a somber note, the constitutional lawyer and columnist Glenn Greenwald has an excellent piece at Salon about the latest suicide at Guantanamo Bay and the government's complicity. Can you imagine what a nightmare it would be,locked in a cell for seven years without charge? It's no wonder prisoners are driven to despair. So much for our so-called democracy's respect for human rights!

Both Republicans and Democrats - even those who called loudly for its closure during the Bush administration - are now blocking Obama from immediately closing Guantanamo Bay. How? In a shameful abdication of responsibility, they've refused to approve needed funding. These "not in my back yard" politicians are also balking at accepting current prisoners for trial within the United States, as though they are some sort of terrible monsters, not human beings.

Most prisoners at Guantanamo haven't even been charged and well may be innocent victims of gross miscarriages of justice. It defies belief that those elected to represent us are being obstructive in the rule of law. Meanwhile, those men in Guantanamo remain prisoners for what reasons, exactly??!!

"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." - John F. Kennedy

Stuck in a time warp?

"I'm a guy who sees nothing good having come from the Internet. Period." - Michael Lynton,
CEO of Sony Pictures

It seems Michael Lynton has been spending too much time at the movies and not enough paying attention to the way communications are evolving.

George Tiller is latest victim of extremism

Today much of Europe is on holiday, commemorating Pentecost. Photo, candles at the historic St. Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

It is deeply tragic when the religious right - whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish or any other faith - decide they are above the law. For decades, religious right groups targeted Dr. George Tiller, before he was murdered Sunday morning in church. No matter one's views about abortion, the law provides this option for every pregnant woman. Dr. Tiller operated strictly within the law. And he did not deserve to die.

Dr. Tiller is the latest victim targeted by extremists or domestic terrorists. Five police officers were killed in recent weeks. And hate groups are on the rise - no doubt fueled in part by the ignorance and intolerance espoused by certain irresponsible talk radio hosts and faux "news" television commentators. Read Mark Potok's editorial in the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report about the dangerous resurgence of hate groups.

Cecile Richards at Planned Parenthood issued a statement about Dr. Tiller's murder:

"...Dr. Tiller was the epitome of high quality medical care underscored by deep compassion for his patients. While he was not a Planned Parenthood provider, Dr. Tiller provided critical reproductive health care services, including abortion services, to women facing some of the most difficult medical circumstances. He was continually harassed by abortion opponents for much of his career - his clinic was burned down, he was shot by a health center protestor and he was recently targeted for investigation, only to be acquitted by a jury just a few months ago.

"None of this stopped George Tiller from his commitment to providing women and their families with compassionate care that others were unwilling to offer.

"His death is an enormous loss for the patients who relied on him, his dedicated staff and the medical community. And it is also a loss for each of us for whom Dr. Tiller represented courage against unbelievable adversity."

Lawsuit seeks justice for children in Mississippi

The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a federal class action suit to stop the "shockingly inhumane" treatment of children at a juvenile detention center. The lawsuit seeks to force officials to provide sanitary facilities and mental health treatment to young people confined there.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on behalf of a 17-year-old boy. While in the facility, the boy attempted suicide, yet has received no mental health treatment. He has been subjected to physical abuse and filthy conditions,forced to sleep on the floor in an overcrowded, insect-infested cell.

The Harrison County Juvenile Detention Center in Biloxi, Miss., has been operated by a private corporation, the Mississippi Security Police, for more than nine years at an annual cost of $1.6 million. "It is a travesty that the county has chosen to let a private company profit by neglecting and abusing our children," said Vanessa Carroll, a staff attorney for the SPLC's Mississippi Youth Justice Project and counsel for the children.

Most children confined at the facility have not been found guilty of any crime and are awaiting court hearings. Many are there for minor offenses like truancy.

The lawsuit describes how the county has failed to provide the most basic, constitutionally-required services to the plaintiff, known in the suit as D.W. "Toilets and walls are covered with mold, rust and excrement," the lawsuit says. "Insects have infested the facility and the smell of human excrement permeates the entire building. Children frequently have to sleep on thin mats that smell of urine and mold. Defendants do not provide children with adequate personal hygiene items."

Children who have been confined there describe assaults by guards, being locked in their cells for 23 hours every day, inadequate medical and mental health care and widespread infections caused by filthy conditions. Marlon, 17, said children are treated like animals at the facility. "I've seen the guards slam kids, mace them and do things they wouldn't even do to their own dog, let alone a human."

Photos at Merci, Paris.

Distorting the view

Vitrine, Galeries Lafayette, Paris.

Notice how this Islamic pattern overlay distorts the view through a plate glass window? You may be interested in these three examples of efforts to "change the view:"

A fascinating 100-second video at Talking Points Memo: Dueling speeches.

Joan Walsh's Wild Dick Cheney at the Neocon Corral. I ask again, why is anybody listening to the former vice president, as he continues to tout the failed policies of the Bush administration??!!

Glenn Greenwald's excellent article about the sometimes contradictory statements in Obama's civil liberties speech.

Weighing the balance

Louis-Phillipe scales with the original weights used to measure gold (more weights are in a small compartment beneath the wood piece on the right). I purchased this rare example from Gunnar Pettersson at the Antiquites Brocante at Bastille, as an anniversary present for my husband. Visit Monsieur Pettersson at Stand 514 for many intriguing finds, daily through Sunday, May 17th at Place de la Bastille.

Since returning to Paris, I've been trying to catch up with deadlines and email. Am still feeling very much in the breakdown/breakthrough mode I wrote about recently. So please bear with me, as I try to get back on track. I'm also bothered by a carpal tunnel issue in my left hand, so any posts will be brief.

Meanwhile, some news of note:

The bright and light

The Cannes Film Festival opened and French television has full-blown coverage, with virtually non-stop interviews and photo ops.

Is the "French Elvis" really bidding adieu to his fans?

The dark

Blame the victim. This is just wrong, on so many levels.

A humanitarian disaster is brewing in Sri Lanka.

President Obama, what are you thinking??!! Surely you learned what NOT to do from your predecessor's bad judgment!!

And why is anybody listening to that torture-loving and fear-mongering former vice-president Dick Cheney? Seriously: enough is enough!

Look closely...

...but don't count on television news for truth and accuracy.

Glass photographic plates from 1910-1918, found at the flea market at Vanves, Paris.

In recent years, the mainstream media - particularly television news - in the US has veered dangerously off course. Gone is the objectivity that's drilled into our heads in journalism school; instead, money, power, influence and politics have corrupted the news agenda. And I'm not talking only about Fox "News," which is known for its right-wing slant. I'm referring to ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, as well as Fox.

The most recent example of abysmal reporting concerns the television news coverage of the Putlizer Prize. David Barstow of The New York Times deservedly won for his "tenacious reporting that revealed how some retired generals, working as radio and television analysts, had been co-opted by the Pentagon to make its case for the war in Iraq and how many of them also had undisclosed ties to companies that benefited from policies they defended," according to the Pulitzer Committee.

But, as Glenn Greenwald of Salon noted, the television networks "kept completely silent about Barstow's story, even though it sparked Congressional inquiries, vehement objections from the then-leading Democratic presidential candidates and allegations that the Pentagon program violated legal prohibitions on domestic propaganda programs. The Pentagon's secret collaboration with these "independent analysts" shaped multiple news stories from each of these outlets on a variety of critical topics. Most amazingly, many of them continue to employ as so-called "independent analysts" the very retired generals at the heart of Barstow's story, yet still refuse to inform their viewers about any part of this story."

American television networks simply eliminated Barstow's name from their Putlizer coverage or any direct reference to Barstow's honor. Obviously, to do so would shine a spotlight on their own cupability, as outlined in Barstow's investigation.

NBC's Brian Williams was one of the worst offenders,prompting Media Matters to call him out for his so-called "reporting" on the pervasive impact of the Pentagon's program on television news coverage. Greenwald called Williams' behavior "disgraceful on this issue, almost certainly due to the fact that some of the 'analysts' most directly implicated by Barstow's story are Williams' favored sources and friends."

CNN ran a lengthy story on the Pulitzer winners, conveniently omitting any mention of David Barstow's prize for uncovering corruption at the core of CNN's Iraq War coverage, as well as its reporting about other military-related matters.

Such disgraceful, shameful and unethical behaviour on the part of American television news! It seems many, many pronouncements of television reporters must be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism. If you want the true story, best to check in regularly with Media Matters, which does an excellent job of dissecting the mainstream media's reporting and separating fact from fiction.

Scroll down the page to read about Kelaya's story and how you can help.

The way some people live

Sunlight filtered through stained glass casts coloured rays on a pew and tiled floor, St. Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

Bonjour les tous! I am back in Paris and will write later about my trip. Meanwhile, my thoughts are with the people of L'Aquila, Italy and the surrounding villages, left devastated and homeless after an earthquake. But I have little regard for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who told a German television station that the earthquake survivors "should see it like a weekend of camping."

Berlusconi made his typically clueless remarks after visiting one of the temporary camps set up to shelter and feed the earthquake survivors. "They have everything they need, they have medical care, hot food...," Berlusconi said. "Of course, their current lodgings are a bit temporary. But they should see it like a weekend of camping."

One has to pity the nation that keeps electing such a buffoon. Last week at the NATO summit in Strasbourg, Berlusconi's car pulled up, he got out, nodded to German chancellor Angela Merkel waiting to greet him, but kept talking on his cell phone! After welcoming two other world leaders - with Berlusconi still talking on the phone - Merkel lost patience and left Berlusconi behind, as she and other NATO leaders crossed the bridge to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Dubai's glittery facade threatened by shifting sands

I urge you to take ten minutes to read The Independent's Johann Hari's eye-opening article about Dubai's failing fortunes. It is a cautionary tale of greed, deception and modern-day slavery. The many twists and turns of a barren playground without water suggests the city ultimately will be absorbed by the shifting sands of Arabia. Meanwhile, Sheik Maktoum and his entourage continue the ruse of a solvent business mecca, racing champion thoroughbreds at Longchamp and acting as though there's no tomorrow. I read this late last night and have not been able to get it out of my mind.

An excerpt:

"...and then there is the foreign underclass who built the city and are trapped here. They are hidden in plain view. You see them everywhere, in dirt-caked blue uniforms, being shouted at by their superiors, like a chain gang – but you are trained not to look..."

"Every evening, the hundreds of thousands of young men who build Dubai are bussed from their sites to a vast concrete wasteland an hour out of town, where they are quarantined away. Until a few years ago they were shuttled back and forth on cattle trucks, but the expats complained this was unsightly, so now they are shunted on small metal buses that function like greenhouses in the desert heat. They sweat like sponges being slowly wrung out.

"Sonapur is a rubble-strewn patchwork of miles and miles of identical concrete buildings. Some 300,000 men live piled up here, in a place whose name in Hindi means "City of Gold." In the first camp I stop at – riven with the smell of sewage and sweat – the men huddle around, eager to tell someone, anyone, what is happening to them."

April fools amidst signs of spring

A vintage Indian sari, The Paris Market, Savannah, Georgia.

Backpacks filled with flowers, Les Passages, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, snapped with my pocket camera.

Another flower-stuffed backpack at a store entrance.

Window display, Les Passages.

Giant Easter eggs, birds and birdhouses in a chocolate shop vitrine in my neighbourhood.

April fools

It doesn't look as though Miss Universe will choose a career in diplomacy.

And Avigdor Lieberman certainly is starting off on the wrong foot in his role as Israel's new foreign minister.

On the eve of the G20 Summit in London, most protests have been organised and peaceful. But live news feeds showed a group of 30 to 40 hooded and masked guys shouting obsenities and deliberately trying to provoke police in a cordoned-off area near the Bank of England. Some of these "protesters," - who weren't carrying any signs, so appeared to be just thugs and troublemakers - were brandishing sticks and throwing smoke bombs; one young man even bashed a police officer in the head. Still, the police showed admirable restraint, refusing to rise to the bait.

Other "protesters" smashed windows of the Royal Bank of Scotland and entered the building.

Scroll down the page for an additional post today.

Picture hope

Curiosities at Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons in Val d'Loire, France. Today Europe moved its clocks forward one hour for Daylight Savings Time.

 
"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." - The Dalai Lama.

It appears China has been using its technology for sinister purposes. Why is such a huge, powerful nation so afraid of the Dalai Lama and his influence over Tibet? Read Tracking GhostNet and get more information  here, here and here.

Meanwhile, Spain is considering trying a court case involving alleged abuses by six former Bush administration officials.

On a brighter note, Shutter Sisters Jen Lemen and Stephanie Roberts are vying for their dream assignment, Picture Hope.  Register here, then cast your vote here. It takes only a few seconds and can help push their dream closer to reality.

From Stephanie's website: "Jen Lemen and I, supported by our Shutter Sisters, are on a mission to find hope in unlikely places. Our dream assignment will take a community of dreamers on a journey to five continents to find the essence of hope – that elusive quality that makes it possible to believe this is not the end of your story no matter how simple your stress or profound your tragedy. We'll search for hope in the lives of the very people who have had every reason to abandon hope as nothing more than wishful thinking. We'll begin in northeastern Rwanda in a quiet village where two young girls wait to be reunited with a mother they've been missing for over three years. Our journey ends in the hills of Nepal where an American teenager became the mother of twenty orphans when she decided to follow her heart."

At present, Picture Hope is in third place in the Name Your Dream Assignment competition. Please help it spring forward by casting your vote today. Thank you!

Seeking serenity

A series of arched entranceways, Cathedral de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Today I am hoping for calm, peace, safety and justice and reason. Please spare a few moments for Fatima's story and view her extraordinary photographs.

An anti-Twitter stream of consciousness

A corner of my cabinet d'curiosities, Paris.

Update March 26: Read Di Overton's take on the subject: "Twitter away, I'm not playing."

Lately, I've been feeling completely overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. Book rewrites that are taking longer than expected, forcing me to revisit old wounds; an apartment that feels claustrophobic, after spending too many hours at the computer; a family situation that's made me realise how little control we really have in this life.

So today, instead of doing what I was supposed to, I went for a walk. I had tabouleh and coucous and yoghurt with cucumber and olive foccacia for lunch. I wondered if having breast-reduction surgery might make it easier to carry heavy camera gear around - but when would I have the time? Of course, the real reason to consider that surgery is back pain from being top-heavy. Can you imagine what it's like to live in a city filled with glamorous lingerie, but all the bras are the sizes we wore as teenagers? Sigh. But I am very reluctant to undergo surgery that requires anesthesia, unless absolutely necessary. Have you had this surgery? Were you pleased with the results?

OK, that was an unexpected diversion in this stream-of-consciousness post. And here's another: Why are girls still being force-fed in Mauritania? This is child abuse, not to mention barbaric!

Last night I watched the DVD of The Tudors until 3 a.m. (and slept in today). All that palace intrigue - thank goodness women no longer are subjected to having their children housed elsewhere, at the whim of their husbands.

I also edited some photos for a magazine piece and played with my camera. I talked to my husband, who's in Vienna for a conference; then answered some email. Why do companies keep emailing about "unique partnership opportunities with Paris Parfait," which really means they want me to link to their company, without them paying for a text ad? Do you get such requests?

I read the news with skepticism, dismay and delight and curiosity. And I am still hopeful - really hopeful - that things will improve for us all.

But don't ask me to Twitter - I get lots of those emails too - because if you've waded through this post, that's pretty much like a day's worth of Twitter feeds. I don't have the time for Twitter - and how do YOU find the time? And who really cares about the minutia of my life? Isn't that just too much information?

I was at a BlogHer seminar in San Francisco last July and the girl next to me spent 90 minutes "twittering" to her friends about buying clothes online. I wondered why she bothered to attend the session, as she obviously wasn't interested in the subject. But all you Twitter followers, don't let me dampen your enthusiasm. Twitter away! If you find the time, please tell me why you find the Twitter trend so appealing.

P.S. Some of my dearest friends have enthusiastically embraced Twitter; please don't take my opinion as a personal affront. It's not you, it's Twitter!

South Africa chooses commerce over human rights

Follow the leader, courtyard, Cathedral de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Breaking news 1 p.m.: The peace conference has been called off, due to South Africa blocking the Dalai Lama from attending, BBC News reports.

Both South Africa and Tibet have suffered for decades at the hands of brutal oppressors. So it is with considerable dismay that the world witnesses a defiant South Africa choosing commerce over human rights, much like its government during the dark decades of apartheid. During that time, South Africa suffered organised boycotts and was ostracised by the international community.

The current South African government is apparently willing to accept its new indentured servitude - this time, to China. The government's action certainly doesn't bode well for it hosting the 2010 World Cup.

South Africa is bowing to Chinese demands to refuse entry to the Dalai Lama for a peace conference beginning Friday, March 27th. Both Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former South African President F.W. de Klerk have announced they will boycott the event, if the Dalai Lama is forbidden from attending.

Yet the South African government persists in its unprincipled stance, while the Chinese government freely admits it pressured South Africa to exclude the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. Further, the Chinese government has announced it will oppose any nation's overtures to meet with the Dalai Lama.

They've forgotten their history,
this ignorant new government
struck blind by greed.
Unaccustomed to power
after decades of none,
they close their eyes
to the consequences
and agree to all terms
and conditions spelled out
by the lenders and investors.

This fledgling government,
still unused to the ways of politics,
stifles any thought of the oppressed
and risks its reputation
for a brand new bank and ongoing servitude
to a demanding Chinese host
who exports injustice, along with investment,
denying human rights to one nation,
while insisting others do the same,
lest the coffers slam shut.

South Africa forgets its lessons of apartheid; blocks the Dalai Lama from attending peace conference

More prayer manuscripts from a Buddhist temple, Tibet, 18th-century.

It seems South Africa has forgotten its painful lessons of apartheid. Apparently bowing to pressure from China, the South African government has blocked the Dalai Lama from attending a peace conference. The Dalai Lama was to have joined Nobel Peace Prize laureates Desmond Tutu, Martti Ahtisaari and FW de Klerk, as well as Norway’s Nobel Peace Committee, at a conference March 27th.

Both Tutu and de Klerk have indicated they'll boycott the conference, if the Dalai Lama is not permitted to attend. Dai Bing, speaking for the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria, told reporters his government appealed to the South African government to prevent the Dalai Lama from entering the country, as "this would harm bilateral relations."

Is China attempting to perpetuate its own disregard for human rights within South Africa? Read more of the shameful story here and here.

Murder in Gaza and other crimes

Exhibition poster, Paris metro.

Israeli army vets admit killing innocent civilians in Gaza

Read Donald McIntyre's piece in The Independent about the appalling litany of war crimes in Gaza. Read more about the soldiers' admissions at Haaretz.

"Journalists" defend the indefensible

The pathetic lack of objectivity among some "journalists" in the mainstream media is amplified by stupid rhetoric about Dick Cheney. The former vice president - who openly advocated torture, among other human rights violations - continues to make false and misleading statements about the current administration. Read Glenn Greenwald's insightful article in Salon.

Iranian blogger dies in prison

Human rights campaigners call for justice after an Iranian blogger dies in prison.

Newspapers continue their struggle

The Columbia Journalism Review writes about the challenges for the few remaining two-newspaper towns.

Keep calm and carry on

The World War II Keep Calm and Carry On posters are doing a brisk business in Britain, as a "stiff upper lip" reaction to the faltering economy. I have a poster from Barter Books and two tote-bags bearing the Keep Calm and Carry On slogan from the Victoria & Albert Museum gift shop in London. My daughter also has a totebag and my husband has a poster in his office.

Burning up the headlines

Flowers in an Art Nouveau vase at La Pedrera, Barcelona, Spain.

This week I've been preoccupied with an uncomfortable inflammation of my left eye, writing deadlines and planning a trip West. Haven't been spending much time at the computer, due to the eye problem (on Wednesday, the opthamalogist prescribed eyedrops, rest and more sleep). But I can't resist comment about certain news events:

Iraqi jailed for Bush shoe attack

Three years??!! Isn't that a bit excessive, considering the crime? Particularly in a lawless place like Iraq, where murderers walk around free.

Now here's a guy that has caused real problems; yet remains defiant about his reckless disregard for the Constitution and the Fourth Amendment. I'd like to know why UC-Berkeley gave this calculating charlatan tenure.

Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff is finally sent to jail to await sentencing for fraud, perjury and money-laundering.

The Mississippi legislature honors an event hosted by a white supremecist. I am reminded of President Obama's words, "The world has changed and we must change with it."

An off-duty New York cop is part of a racist attack on a Long Island black man.

Seattle's best newspaper joins the list of city stalwarts forced to fold.

And BBC reporter James Reynolds writes of the whisper of a single monk in Tibet.

Closed Zone

Imagine being trapped in a poverty-stricken, war-damaged area. Yoni Goodman made this 90-second video to help us understand the frustrations of living under such harsh restrictions. Goodman, the director of animation for the award-winning film Waltz with Bashir, produced Closed Zone for the Israeli human rights organisation Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement.

Gisha, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 2005 to protect Palestinians' freedom of movement, especially Gaza residents. Gisha calls on the Israeli government to fully open Gaza's border crossings and allow freedom of movement for the 1.5 million Palestinians currently forced to remain within its borders.

Thanks to Marianne for the link.

Meanwhile, human rights investigators say Israeli forces engaged in "wanton destruction" of Palestinian homes during the recent conflict in Gaza. Amnesty International said the Israeli military may have committed war crimes. An investigator told the BBC that the way many houses had collapsed suggested mines were planted beneath the structures. This would suggest there was no danger to Israeli troops, thus no reason to destroy the buildings.