Sun Sentinel, PB Post and Miami Herald will share content

The top editors of the Miami Herald, the Palm Beach Post and the Sun Sentinel announced today a content-sharing initiative that the editors say will serve South Florida readers with unprecedented local coverage while maintaining the competitive nature of each paper.

Anders Gyllenhaal, executive editor of the Herald, John Bartosek, editor of the Palm Beach Post, and Earl Maucker, editor of the Sun Sentinel, announced the sharing arrangement, in which each newspaper can publish stories from one of the other newspapers or web sites.

In each case where an article from one newspaper is published in another, that story would carry attribution to the contributing newspaper or web site.

The three editors, in a statement released Friday, said they believe they can protect the competitive character of each publication by limiting the content sharing to municipal, governmental, courts and political coverage, police reports and entertainment. Enterprise and Investigative stories would be off limits from the sharing agreement, they said.

"Our goal is to better serve our South Florida audiences while protecting the individual brands and identities of our respective newspapers," a release from the three editors said.

"As each newspaper experienced recent staff reductions of our reporting staffs, we believe sharing some content assures thorough coverage, particularly in overlapping areas, and allows us to direct even more resources to enterprise, watchdog and investigative reporting exclusive to each newspaper."

The initiative will begin in September.

[SunSentinel]

McCain Says He Is ‘Obviously’ Against Torture, Forgets His Vote To Allow Waterboarding

When asked to judge the Bush administration this morning during an interview with Fox News’s Chris Wallace, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said “history will judge that” but then immediately began making an attempt to distance himself from President Bush. One area of “disagreement” McCain cited was torture:

McCAIN: I obviously don’t want to torture any prisoners. There’s a long list of areas that we were in disagreement on – WALLACE: You’re not suggesting he did want to torture prisoners. McCAIN: Well, waterboarding to me is torture, OK? And waterboarding was advocated by the administration and, according to published reports, was used. But the point is, we’ve had our disagreements.

Watch it: McCain seems to forget that he voted against a bill that would have banned the CIA from using waterboarding. In fact, when the bill passed, McCain urged Bush to veto it, which he did. Thus, McCain’s claim that he “obviously doesn’t want to torture prisoners” rings hollow. Indeed, because of Bush’s veto, the CIA retains the option of waterboarding prisoners:

Still, waterboarding remains in the CIA’s tool kit. The technique can be used, but it requires the consent of the attorney general and president on a case-by-case basis. Bush wants to keep that option open. “I cannot sign into law a bill that would prevent me, and future presidents, from authorizing the CIA to conduct a separate, lawful intelligence program, and from taking all lawful actions necessary to protect Americans from attack,” Bush said in a statement.

McCain also said he differed from Bush on climate change, yet he plans to run on the GOP’s election platform, which is “loaded with caveats about the uncertainty of science and the need to ‘resist no-growth radicalism’ in taking on climate change.” “I’ve been called a quote maverick,” McCain told Wallace, arguing his point. Yet McCain and his conservative allies have yet to indicate how his administration would be anything but a third Bush term.[ThinkProgress]

Slim Wars: Battle of the Flatscreen TVs

The Slim Wars which started last year at the CES 2007 show enters its next phase in this year’s IFA in Berlin ,as television manufacturers outdo themselves and their competitors in a bid to produce the skinniest LCD TVs.

First off is Sharp, who introduced its Aquos XS1 Series, which was a mere design concept at this time last year. At 23 mm thick (just a tad shy of an inch), Sharp managed to halve its previous offerings of 50 mm-thin TVs, which they showcased only in May this year.

The Aquos XS1 easily impresses with its 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 100Hz motion processing and a 1080p resolution, not to mention they are huge panels at 52- and 65-inches. Expect the XS1 in the UK in October.

Panasonic got in on the act with a trio of prototype plasma screens that measured 24.7 mm in thickness, but until their 50, 58 and 65-inch wafer plasmas enter production, they will have to take a backseat for now.

Similarly, Philips’ prototype 32-inch display looks to have won this round hands down with its 8 mm screen, with plans for a 42-incher in the pipeline.

But until that happens, Sony bags the crown of the thinnest LCD TV in the world with its 9.9 mm-thick KDL-40ZX1. Sony achieved this thickness by streaming 1080i video via an external wireless set top that also houses three HDMI, component, s-video, VGA and USB ports.

Its 3,000:1 contrast ratio may not amount to much alongside Sharp’s XS1 but the 40-inch TV uses a new LED lighting technology that distributes the light evenly across the screen from its four corners, and the picture quality is simply stunning.

Anorexia has never enjoyed a warmer reception anywhere else other than the fashion runway, until now.

Via Luxury-Insider

Did Palin Really Fight The “Bridge To Nowhere”?

Republicans have been heavily touting Sarah Palin's reformist credentials, with her supposed opposition to Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere" as Exhibit A. But how hard did she really fight the project? Not very, it seems. Here's what she told the Anchorage Daily News on October 22, 2006, during the race for the governor's seat (via Nexis):

5. Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?

Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.

So she was very much for the bridge and insisted that Alaska had to act quickly—the party of Ted Stevens and Don Young might soon lose its majority, after all. By that point, the project was endangered for reasons that had nothing to do with Palin—the bridge had become a national laughingstock, Congress had stripped away the offending earmark, shifting the money back to the state's general fund, and future federal support seemed unlikely. True, after Palin was sworn into office that fall, her first budget didn't allocate any money for the bridge. But when the Daily News asked on December 16, 2006, if she now opposed the project, Palin demurred and said she was just trying to figure out where the bridge fit on the state's list of transportation priorities, given the lack of support from Congress. Finally, on September 19, 2007, she decided to redirect funds away from the project altogether with this sorry-sounding statement:

"Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer," said Governor Palin. "Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it's clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island," Governor Palin added. "Much of the public's attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened."

Maybe I've missed something, but it sure looks like she was fine with the bridge in principle, never had a problem with the earmarks, bristled at all the mockery, and only gave up on the project when it was clear that federal support wasn't forthcoming. Now, Charles Homans, who knows Alaska well, says Palin's anti-corruption instincts are fairly solid (she sold off the gubenatorial jet upon taking office, for one), and a casual Nexis search suggests that she's fiscally conservative (insofar as that term makes sense in a quasi-socialist state like Alaska), but this hardly looks like the "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" moment everyone's making it out to be.

P.S. Here's a piece that Palin's special counsel, John Katz, wrote in March of this year for the Juneau Empire, assuring the Alaskan public that Palin was still very much in favor of earmarks, but sadly needed to scale back her requests somewhat (to "only" 31 earmarks this year—down from 54 last year) in response to "unwanted attention" from Congress and the press. [TheNewRepublic]

--Bradford Plumer

Reaction of Sarah Palin for VP

"She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president? Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?"

Sen. Lyda Green, president of the state Senate and a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla

"Sarah Palin's chief qualification for being elected governor was that she was not Frank Murkowski. She was not elected because she was a conservative. She was not elected because of her grasp of issues or because of her track record ..."

Dermot Cole, a longtime columnist for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

"She's old enough. She's a U.S. citizen."

John Harris(R), Alaskan Speaker of the House

New Obama Ad: McCain Still 'Doesn't Get It'

McCain's VP Wants Creationism Taught in School

Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin wants creationism taught in science classes.

In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, the soon-to-be governor of Alaska said of evolution and creation education, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."

Asked by the Anchorage Daily News whether she believed in evolution, Palin declined to answer, but said that "I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class."

"I'm not going to pretend I know how all this came to be," she said.

The battle between evolution and creationism -- specifically, Christian creationism -- in U.S. classrooms dates back to the 1925 Scopes trial, when a Tennessee court banned the teaching of evolution. Since then, state and federal courts have repeatedly rejected so-called creation science in public schools, calling it religion rather than science.

The latest courtroom defeat came in the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover case, when the superficially religion-neutral theory of intelligent design was classified as religious creationism. The Supreme Court ruled in 1987 that teaching creationism violated the separation of church and state.

Nevertheless, pro-creationism education initiatives driven by Christian conservatives have flourished, and defenders of evolution -- and, more broadly, scientific integrity -- worry that Palin's pick will give momentum to this church-over-state push.

"It's unfortunate McCain would pick someone who shares those particular anti-science views, but it's not a surprise," said Barbara Forrest, a Southeastern Lousiana University philosophy professor and prominent critic of creationist science. "She's a choice that pleases the religious right. And the religious right has been the chief force against teaching evolution."

In February, Florida's Board of Education narrowly defeated a bill calling for evolution to be balanced by "alternatives." The language is widely regarded as a euphemism for creationism engineered by the pro-intelligent design Discovery Institute, whose "wedge strategy" calls for the gradual dilution of classroom evolution and its eventual replacement by "a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions."

Armed with courtroom-friendly language, Texas is currently considering creationism-friendly revisions to its own curriculum. In June, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal passed the Louisiana Science Education Act, encouraging schools to provide alternative critiques of global warming, human cloning and evolution. Similar initiatives were defeated in South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Missouri and Michigan.

Palin's statements track with the official Alaska Republican Party platform, which support creation science and intelligent design by name, and says that "evidence disputing the theory should also be presented."

According to Fordham Institute science education expert Lawrence Lerner, Palin's nomination is less worrisome in terms of education than the broad relationship of science and government.

"In the direct sense, vice presidents don't have much to do with what goes on in classrooms. But a person who's a creationist doesn't understand science and technology at all," said Lerner. "It doesn't bode well for science, and doesn't bode well for interaction between science and government."

President Bush has been publicly skeptical of evolution, while Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama has professed support. "I think it's a mistake to try to cloud the teachings of science with theories that frankly don't hold up to scientific inquiry," he said in April.

John McCain's campaign did not respond in time for publication.

When asked about Palin potentially being a step removed from the White House, Forrest responded, "We'd have a creationist as President. But that's not new -- we've already got one." [Wired]

Photo: Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

Palin denies climate change realities on first day as McCain's running mate

What are the ramifications of a US Vice President that is willing to shrug off the scientific realities of global warming? Guess we'll find out if John McCain takes the White House. In an interview with Newsmax today, McCain's vice-presidential running mate Sarah Palin stated that:

"A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made. "

I guess Palin spends her time reviewing climate science as reported on Newsmax and other media outlets (read: Fox News) bent on ignoring and confusing the warnings from top scientists at the nation's most prestigious scientific academies, like NASA and the National Academy of Science.

As the National Academy of Science rightly points out, the link between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is an age-old scientific finding dating back as far as the 1800's:

"The theoretical realization that human activities could have a global discernible effect on the atmosphere came during the 19th century, and the first conclusive measurements of atmospheric change were made during the last half of the 20th century."

And the link between the massive upswing in heat-trapping greenhouse gas, human activity and major disruption to the earth's climate system in the 20th century is also a scientific reality. According to the National Academy of Science:

"The first greenhouse gas demonstrated to be increasing in atmospheric concentration was carbon dioxide, formed as a major end product in the extraction of energy from the burning of the fossil fuels--coal, oil, and natural gas--as well as in the burning of biomass."

Palin's apparent ignorance on the contemporary science of climate change speaks to a much bigger issue about US science policy in general.

If Palin is willing to ignore such robust science concluding catastrophic effects on our climate systems due to our ever-growing over-consumption of fossil fuels like coal and oil, what other scientific realities will a McCain administration be willing to ignore at the behest of its second-in-command? [DeSmogBlog]

I'm Voting Republican...

Not really, although this video almost convinced me. 

Fidel being Fidel: ex-dictator defends judge-kicking Cuban Olympian

Fidel Castro's 82-year old body may be failing him. But, dios mio, his famed obstinance has never been healthier.

You'd think it might be hard to defend a taekwondo athlete who used his potentially lethal skills to attack a sporting judge. But, oh my Capitalist swine, you know little about Cuba's mean grand-dad- the same guy who stared down a gaggle of American presidents and chuckled away a decade's worth of CIA assasination attempts. The last thing Castro is afraid of is humiliating himself. And apparently, the phrase "picking your battles" doesn't have a Cuban Spanish translation.

Yesterday, Castro penned an essay in which he defended Angel Matos, the Cuban fighter who kicked a judge square in the face after being disqualified from a bronze-medal taekwondo match.

Matos was reacting justly to Olympic corruption, Castro wrote, backing up the fighter's coach's claim that he had been offered a bribe to throw the match. His rant really gained some steam around that point, as he rattled of "European chauvinism, judge corruption, buying of brawn and brains..." before taking a cat nap, drinking a mug of herbal tea, re-dipping his quill in an ink well, and resuming with the declaration "I do not have to remain silent in the face of a mafia!" [MiamiNewTimes]

At this point, he's almost adorable.

Cuba may play role in new U.S.-Russia tension

Now that Russia has made its intentions clear, it may be possible that Cuba could well play a role in the new Washington-Moscow Cold War-style tension, according to Cuba analysts. Jaime Suchlicki, an expert on Cuba at the University of Miami, said the recent controversy over published reports in Moscow about the possible dispatch of Russian strategic bombers to Cuba may have been part of Moscow’s efforts to challenge the United States. (The AFP/Getty Images photo shows a Russian TU-160 strategic bomber at the International Aviation and Space show MAKS-2007 at an airfield outside Moscow in August 2007).

   Brian Latell, a former CIA analyst, said Cuba could face a “litmus test’’ in Moscow’s new aggressive strategy.

   The first indication Moscow might be willing to play the Cuba card in a possible new confrontation with Washington came in July when the Russian newspaper Izvestia published an article saying Moscow could deploy nuclear-capable strategic bombers to the island, possibly for refueling stops.

   Though Russian officials denied the story as a “hoax’’ and Izvestia itself sort of retracted the article, Suchlicki said in Miami Tuesday that it could have been a “trial balloon.’’ After all, the report came as Moscow’s anger was beginning to build about Washington’s intentions to establish an anti-missile system in Eastern Europe.

   To Suchlicki, the Cuba bomber flap, the Russian invasion of Georgia and Moscow’s new harsh tone toward the United States are all part of a Moscow strategy to project its worldwide power -- like old times in the old Soviet Union. "Russia has been emboldened by its recently-acquired oil wealth,'' said Suchlicki.

   “There is a new aggressiveness on the part of  Russia,’’ Suchlicki said. "Moscow will test the new U.S. president.’’

   He said a Russian naval visit to Cuba or Venezuela was not out of the question to show Moscow’s new power, but Suchlicki said he doubted Cuban leader Raul Castro would directly challenge Washington by allowing Moscow to build a base on the island. He didn't rule out the possibility that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez might be willing to challenge the United States with a Russian base.

   Suchlicki is director of UM’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies and is the author of the 2006 book Cuba: From Columbus to Castro and Beyond.

   Latell, meanwhile, said it will be interesting to see what Cuba’s reaction will be to Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of Georgia’s breakaway regions.

   “Will the Cuban government recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia? That’s going to be a litmus test for Raul Castro’s government,’’ Latell said. “I’m not willing to predict which way he’s going to go.’’

   Latell is now senior research associate at UM’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies and is the author of the 2007 book After Fidel: Raul Castro and the Future of Cuba's Revolution.[CubanColada]

Funny Comment posted on the source website: 

"Who gives a crap about Cuba ? My property just went down $50K. The cost of living in miami is exuberant. You go to Publix and every trip is $60.00 or more. Gas prices are still high. What do I care what happens in Cuba. What about what's happening in Miami."

KGB master spy praises Cuban pupils

Cuban State Security trainees "were good students. I shared my experience with them to help them fight against what at the time was our common enemy -- the U.S. secret services," says Russian counterintelligence veteran Oleg Maximovich Nechiporenko in an interview published Thursday in the Russian newspaper The Moscow Times. "Neporichenko, once described by the CIA as the best KGB agent in Latin America, served for about 40 years in the KGB's counterintelligence department [and] helped Fidel Castro set up Cuba's secret services," the newspaper says. 

Reminiscing about his work in the 1960s, Neporichenko, 76, recalls that his Cuban students "would listen with attention and learned what we had to teach. Furthermore, they tailored what they had learned to the needs of their country, and they achieved excellent results in the fight against the enemy." The Cuban secret service became so professional, Neporichenko says, that it helped him train recruits for the secret service of Nicaragua's Sandinista government in the 1980s. The Cubans and the Russians "helped [the Nicaraguans] with military advice, since in nearby Honduras and El Salvador the Americans were actively working to prepare forces to destroy the Sandinistas," he says. And then "there were Cuban double agents who pretended to work for the Americans. They did an excellent job. One of them showed us a watch that he got from Henry Kissinger for his good fight against Castro." Read the entire interview (in English). 

[CubanColada]

Raul Martinez Leads Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Speaker Nancy Pelosi would like nothing more than to add a few more people with a (D) after their names do her bidding in the U.S. House of Representatives, and her wish looks like it could come true in a historically Republican Miami district.

Incumbent Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, of Florida's 21st, is trailing in a new poll conducted by Roll Call -- but only slightly. His challenger, notorious former Hialeah mayor Raul Martinez, scored 48 percent of those surveyed to Diaz-Balart's 46.

Diaz-Balart is crushing Martinez in the Cuban vote (70 percent to 28) . But Martinez has made up ground with non-Cuban Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites, and African Americans. He also leads among younger voters.

Meanwhile, McCain and Obama are tied in the district with 48 percent each.

Democrats have targeted three Miami congressional seats held by Republicans that they believe could be captured. Rep. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is facing Annette Taddeo, while Lincoln's little bro, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, is facing Dade County Democratic Chairman Joe Garcia. [MiamiNewTimes]

Broward vote counting delays stoke Nov. 4 fears

Worry that South Florida could once again keep the nation waiting to see who captures the Oval Office resurfaced Wednesday when Broward County officials took 21 hours to count all the precincts from Tuesday's woefully light primary.

The delay not only kept three hot-button races in limbo for nearly a day, it instantly rekindled memories of 2000, when hanging chads and ballot problems in Palm Beach County kept the nation on edge in Bush v. Gore.

This November, the heavily Democratic Broward County is expected to turn out in droves for nominee Barack Obama.

''Based on what you're seeing now, it's a good bet it will take even longer to count the ballots in November,'' said County Commissioner John Rodstrom, who didn't find out until late Wednesday afternoon that he had edged Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Carlton Moore by 144 votes.

The county said the new optical scan voting equipment worked fine, blaming the delay on a breakdown in transmitting results to election headquarters.

Read more here.

Mother Jones interactive military presence map

Mother Jones launched an interactive map that shows US military presence around the world from 1950 to 2007. It's based on worldwide troop data from the Pentagon. From Mother Jones:

These numbers are often fuzzy: Some deployments are classified, others are temporary, and just because the Defense Department claims 30 US troops in Indonesia last year doesn't mean 1,500 didn't pass through on training missions. Even so, the map, and the associated research, should give you a good feel for what the Pentagon is up to around the world.

Mission Creep: US Military Presence Worldwide (Mother Jones)

2008 American Architecture Awards Honor 66 Buildings

” The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, together with The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press Ltd., announce sixty-six (66) new distinguished buildings selected this year in the Museum’s prestigious “American Architecture Awards®” program for 2008.

Established over 10 years ago, the awards program honors and celebrates the most outstanding new accomplishments for new architecture designed and built in the United States by leading American and international architecture firms practicing in the USA. [Architecture Lab]

THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM - New York, New York, Architects: Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects LLP. 

TYROL TOWER - Wörgl, Austria, Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. 

Kimbo Slice x LaDanian Thomlinson Nike Commercial

[Rich Cou]

JetBlue’s Food Court at JFK Terminal 5

New York Magazine’s food section has an article about JetBlue’s Food Court at JFK Airport’s Terminal 5, which will be opening on October 1st.  To build anticipation for the real thing, some renderings of the interior design have been released to give everyone an idea of what it will look like.

Read the article and check out all the renderings - here.[COMPEMORIST]

Bush-McCain "Tijuana Bibles" at DNC

Camelback Contemporary

Today's estate would be a lot to live up to, the cool factor is pretty high. Out of the sleek modern homes perched on Camelback Mountain with views of Phoenix, Arizona, this is one of the best. The three-bedroom home features glass walls which open out onto terraces and a cantilevered pool and submerged Jacuzzi which seem to float above the city lights. The property also includes a 100 foot mountainside waterfall. The mountain comes inside the home in the 16-person home theater which has a rock wall. The home also features a separate catering kitchen, wet bar, full gym with a rockclimbing wall and a two-bedroom guest house. The garage has clear doors to showcase your exotic cars and the property also includes a putting green. A virtual tour with more pictures is here. This home is listed at $9.4 million.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.

[Luxist]

Forget Context, Attack Attack Attack!

Here's the quote from Obama out of which McCain created his current fear-mongering and outright deceptive ad:

"Strong countries and strong Presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean, think about it: Iran, Cuba, Venezuela -- these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying, 'We're going to wipe you off the planet.' And ultimately, that direct engagement led to a series of measures that helped prevent nuclear war and over time allowed the kind of opening that brought down the Berlin Wall."

What does McCain disagree with in that? And do yourself a favor. Read the quote and then watch the ad. Now think about what it says about McCain that he would lie this blatantly for power.[TheDailyDish]

Olympics Closing Day Ceremony Pictures

Cuban Taekwondo Fighter Kicks Ref After Losing Bronze

A Cuban taekwondo athlete has attacked the referee after losing his bronze-medal match.

Angel Matos was declared the loser for taking too much injury time after hurting his leg during the men's over-80 kg (176 pounds) match. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.

Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden. Matos then spat on the floor and was escorted out.

It was not immediately clear whether Matos would be punished.

Frozen Grand Central Experiment

Art Inspired Speakers

Description:
High-quality speakers are disguised as art work which are perfect to compliment modern or contemporary home theaters. Speaker covers are ink jet with stock art or your own custom images.

Features:
Art-covered high-quality speakers.

[purecontemporary]

Ryan Johnson Art

[DesignMilk]

http://www.guildgreyshkul.com

Screens vanish in a roll with Media Décor’s solutions

Plainly stated, projection screens, in spite of their good looks, do look out of place once they are temporarily rendered lifeless. Then you want something nice to occupy the space till next projection begins. Stewart Media Decor System does precisely that. A result of the partnership between Stewart Filmscreen and Media Décor, this product lets you hide the screen in a matter of seconds. Press a button on the accompanying remote control and an artwork will roll pronto to cover up the front of your projection screen. Thereafter nothing would seem out of place in your carefully furnished living room. And Media Décor makes sure that you are not cursing lack of options either; Stewart Media Decor System has over 1,000 pieces of art and 40 standard picture frames to choose from, and one can even personalize by using own digital photographs. The solution is good enough to hide flat-panel televisions too. With support for screen sizes from 20 to 120 inches (width), The Stewart Media Decor System starts from a price range of $7,250.

Semi Truck Tries To Outrun Train

Plymouth Voyager Shorty

Gas prices are high, parking hard to find, yet we have the answer without losing any of the style and elegance. 

South Florida Independent Advocacy Group Launches Issue Campaign

To: POLITICAL EDITORS

Contact: English-language: Keith Donner, +1-305-804-7686, keith@50blue.com; Spanish-language: Ray Ruga, +1-305-733-3155, Ray.ruga@cvoxgroup.com

MIAMI, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- One South Florida Media Fund, an independent "527" advocacy group, launched its issue campaign today in South Florida to promote an agenda that will strengthen the region's struggling middle class.

One South Florida's first web-based issue advertisements focus on the failure of Congressmen Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-21) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25) to deal with issues critical to South Florida families.

"Some of our elected leaders have forgotten that they were elected by South Floridians and not the special interest groups lining their coffers," said Tony Jimenez, a former Bush administration official and One South Florida's co-director. "It's appalling that while we are at the epicenter of a national foreclosure crisis, our elected leaders are more concerned about preventing a Vermont Little League team from playing in Cuba."

The English-language 30-second video, "Out of Touch," details just how out of step the Diaz-Balarts are with average South Floridians. The two brothers voted to give themselves pay raises and tax breaks to millionaires, while voting against combat pay for our troops and raising the minimum wage for working families.

The Spanish-language 30-second video, "Hypocrites," exposes the Diaz-Balarts' double-dealings in advocating the current U.S.-Cuba policy, which restricts U.S. citizens from visiting or sending financial assistance to relatives in Cuba but allows U.S. multinational corporations to trade with Cuba and reap millions of dollars in profits.

Many of these corporations have rewarded the Diaz-Balarts with more than $100,000 in contributions to their campaigns and political committees.

Both spots are posted on the organization's website, http://www.onesouthflorida.org. In the coming weeks and months, One South Florida will roll out other components of its issue campaign, in both English and Spanish, via television, mail, radio and phone calls.

To date, the group has raised more than $150,000 in contributions from donors concerned about the region's struggling middle class and our nation's misguided policy toward Cuba. "We will have the resources necessary to ensure that South Floridians are well informed of how the actions of their representatives are affecting their personal finances and families," Jimenez said.

SOURCE One South Florida Media Fund

Ad: Out of Touch

Ad: "Hypocrites" in Spanish

It's about time!

I'm not an advocate for negative campaigning. Although I'm not one that puts their in the sand and thinks that it doesn't work. It does work, extremely well. As a recent Pew Reacher polls shows, many Americans could care less for politics and don't pay much attention. They don't understand which policies are the good policies and which ones aren't, so they simply make a judgement on the character of the candidate. This is where negative campaigning works to sway the crucial swing voters. 

Obama has been taking hit after hit with negative ads and it's time to hit back, hard! I much rather Obama win the presidency and implement the right policies for this nation then for him to stay the angel and run a completely positive campaign and lose it. 

Colbert, Stewart viewers more well-informed than those watching O’Reilly, Dobbs.

A new Pew Survey on News Consumption released yesterday reveals that viewers of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are more knowledgeable about current events than those who watch Bill O’Reilly, Lou Dobbs, Larry King, and the “average consumers of NBC, ABC, Fox News, CNN, C-SPAN and daily newspapers.” Thirty percent of Daily Show and 34 percent of Colbert viewers correctly identified Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives, compared to the national average of just 18 percent.

Complete Report

Should Obama, If Elected, Make a Clean Break With Bush's Latin America Policy?

In the last decade political change has swept across most of Latin America. Much of the region - including the majority of South America - is now run by left governments. These governments have also become much more independent of the United States - in their foreign policy they are more independent than Europe is. Washington's dream of a hemispheric "Free Trade Area of the Americas" is now dead and buried. The attempt to replace this with bilateral "free trade" agreements is losing steam every day.

Much of this is a result of the democratic choices of the Latin American electorate. In country after country - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela - voters rejected the "Washington Consensus" economic policies after more than two decades of unprecedented economic failure. Similarly, by popular demand, the government of Ecuador has announced that the Washington's most prominent military base in the region will close when its lease expires in 2009.

The administration's reaction to this new Latin American reality has been characterized by denial and hostility. It supported military coups in Venezuela (2002) and Haiti (2004). It has funded opposition groups in countries such as Bolivia and Venezuela, provoking further friction. The United States has clearly been a destabilizing force in the region, undermining democracy.

The Bush administration has tried to divide the left-of-center democracies into "good left" (Brazil and Chile) versus "bad left" (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, and sometimes Argentina). The goal has been to isolate the "bad left," especially Venezuela. But this is a fantasy-based foreign policy.

Brazil's President Lula da Silva, for example, of the "good left" has consistently defended Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez against Washington's attacks, and joined with Venezuela in its major initiatives such as the Bank of the South. Brazil has also recently stepped up its commitment to Cuba, a country with which Lula's Worker's Party has long had ties - more deeply rooted historically, in fact, than Chavez of Venezuela. Cuba is another example of failed U.S. policy toward Latin America. Washington has maintained an economic embargo and other hostilities against Cuba for nearly half a century. This has succeeded only in winning condemnation from the rest of the world, expressed in many overwhelming votes in the United Nations, and sowing more distrust in Latin America.

The "divide and conquer," Cold War strategy in Latin America has only succeeded in further reducing Washington's standing in the region, which is now lower than it has ever been.

Obama would have a chance to make a fresh start. But would he? So far there has been little indication that he would.

He has adopted some of the same hostile rhetoric toward Venezuela, pledged to maintain the embargo on Cuba, and even showed support for Colombia's March 1 raid into Ecuador. This was a violation of sovereignty and a dangerous regionalization of Colombia's conflict - supported by the Bush administration - that was publicly rejected by nearly every government in the hemisphere.

Against these statements, Obama's expressed willingness to possibly meet with Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro do not offer much cause for optimism, and indeed there is not much hope for change among Latin American diplomats here in Washington.

Of course, Latin American governments are sophisticated enough to know that U.S. presidential campaign rhetoric is oriented to right-wing Cuban Americans in South Florida. Indeed, if there were 800,000 American voters who believed that Elvis Presley were still alive, and they were concentrated in one swing state with 27 electoral votes, we might expect to hear some campaign speeches accommodating these eccentric views.

So maybe Obama is just kidding when he adopts the Bush administration's rhetoric and policy stances on Latin America. For now, at least, that is the best hope we can hold on to.

This op-ed was distributed by McClatchy Tribune Information Services on August 12, 2008.

Anti-Gravity Treadmill

The G-Trainer

Overview G-Trainer Anti-Gravity Treadmills are changing the weight of the world. G-Trainers enable people to improve mobility and health, recover from injury and surgery more effectively, overcome medical challenges that limit movement, and enhance physical performance. Whether you're an elite athlete who can't afford bench time or an individual whose daily life doesn't have time for sitting still, G-Trainers are designed for everyone.

The G-Trainer Difference

Unrestricted Mobility
The G-Trainer enables individuals to reduce their body weight easily, offering the benefits of unweighting and mobility without restriction. The person is able to maintain a normal gait, stride length, bounding, leg kick, and normal body positioning.

Natural Body Movement
The G-Trainer overcomes limitations such as water resistance and cumbersome harnesses associated with conventional unweighting systems allowing for a natural gait pattern. The G-Trainer's supportive force is at the individual's core and is uniformly distributed over the person's lower body making it very comfortable while allowing for natural body movement.

Full Range of Motion
Individuals can walk or run with a full range of motion. While using the G-Trainer, not only do you have a full stride length but your upper body is not restricted in movement. Other systems that support a person's weight make it nearly impossible to achieve a full range of motion. Because the G-Trainer allows the user to reduce their body weight they're able to even extend their range of motion which means they can condition muscles more thoroughly.

Extended Variable Options
With the G-Trainer, individuals can add reduction of body weight to traditional treadmill variables of speed and incline. Variables can be adjusted and programmed to meet any health, medical, therapeutic, training, or conditioning need. The G-Trainer continually adjusts to ensure the accuracy of set variables is consistent throughout a session.

Broad Variable Range
Weight, speed, and incline settings can be set with precision and include a broad range. Effective body weight can be reduced to as low as 20% of the individual's body weight with reduction increments of 1% allowing for progressive weight bearing. Speed variables can be adjusted up to 18 miles per hour in forward motion or 10 miles per hour in reverse and incline can be set up to 15%.

In-use Setting Adjustment
In contrast to other unweighting systems, each variable can be adjusted to different levels while in use. This advantage means the individual can adjust settings to meet their own performance levels and tailor their workout to account for ability level, pain or fatigue. An individual isn't committed to a programmed workout. Variables can be altered on-the-fly by not only a clinician or trainer, but also by the individual without interrupting their workout.

The Technology

The anti-gravity technology behind the G-Trainer was originally developed at NASA. Air pressure is used to accomplish unweighting allowing individuals to set body weight as low as 20% in 1% increments.

Learn more about the technology.

McCain used to oppose tax cuts

Sen. John McCain was one of the few Republicans who opposed tax cuts proposed by President George W. Bush in 2001, and he opposed them again when they came up for renewal in 2003.

In 2001, McCain voted against a $1.35-trillion tax cut package, arguing that the tax cuts didn't do enough for the middle class, and because of a need for increased defense spending.

Two years later, McCain again citied fiscal prudence for opposing $350-billion in additional tax cuts, specifically citing the unknown costs for the war in Iraq.

"No one can be expected to make an informed decision about fiscal policy at this time," McCain said. "Let us wait until we have succeeded in Iraq."

When they came up for renewal again in 2006, though, he voted in favor of them.

McCain said he supported the tax-cut extensions, which also reduced tax rates on capital gains and dividend income, because “American businesses and investors need a stable and predictable tax policy to continue contributing to the growth of our economy. These considerations lead me to the conclusion that we should not reverse course by letting higher tax rates take effect."

In an interview on Fox News on Dec. 28, 2007, McCain expressed no regrets about his tax votes against Bush. He said he would have preferred a plan that included spending cuts as well as tax cuts, but added that he believes the tax cuts should now be made permanent.

"I had significant tax cuts, and there was restraint of spending included in my proposal," McCain said during the appearance onHannity & Colmes. "I saw no restraint in spending. We presided over the greatest increase in the size of government since the Great Society. Spending went completely out of control. It's still out of control. Wasteful earmark spending is a disgrace, and it caused us to alienate our Republican base. So these tax cuts need to be made permanent. Otherwise, they would have the effect of tax increases. But, look, if we had gotten spending under control, we'd be talking about more tax cuts today."

Justifications aside, this is an actual change of position for McCain, so we rate his change on the Bush tax cuts a Full Flop. [CQ/PolitiFact]

John McCain, Barack Obama Duke It Out - Rocky Theme

The Fox Satirical Game Show

The FOX smears are continuing and we need to stop them from spreading to the rest of the media.  Watch FOX's laughably inaccurate distortions, as they smear Barack Obama on everything from the economy to race to patriotism to flag pins.  

In the coming weeks, FOX will escalate its gross misrepresentations of Obama, and we know from painful past experience that some in the corporate media will spread FOX's canards by presenting them as fact.  We must stop the spread.

Now that you've had the chance to watch we need you to make sure everyone else sees the distortions as we work to stop them. Sign our petition and demand FOX stop serving up blatant lies for the rest of the media to swallow.  It's critical that you send it to everyone you know, get it to your local newspapers and TV stations, and post it on blogs and networking sites.  

This is a game show because satires sometimes can be a powerful weapon.  Let's use it to make sure the media know that when it comes to Obama, The FOX Is Wrong! [FoxAttacks]

The Digital Beijing Building

At the Digital Beijing Building, four reinforced concrete and steel frame blocks line up like dominoes and rise 11 storeys, with two additional levels underground.

Construction of the project, the first to be inaugurated among the projects in the Olympic central zone, started on June 20, 2005. Occupying a land surface of 16,000 square meters, it has a construction area of 96,518 square meters. With a height of 57 meters, the 11-storey building comprises of a communication equipment room, office and business rooms, and auxiliary facilities.

The four blocks interconnect in a large central area, but from some exterior vantage points, the blocks look disconnected. That is, it appears as though three voids separate four solid entities. In alternating between void and solid, the building creates the effect of a barcode.

Exterior materials include curtain walls of precast concrete panels and glass, as well as metallic grids covering open shafts between the four blocks.

Touting the building's green features, the firm maintains that the LED lighting system can significantly reduce electricity usage for lighting and that the building collects rainwater.

Does McCain have a Vets Problem?

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCAin a D grade by his votes against veterans (Obama got a B+), while the Disabled Veterans of America gave McCain a 20% vote rating.

McCain voted against Vietnam Veterans of America on the group's position on key issues 15 times and with the group eight times. Obama, in contrast, voted with the VVA 12 times and against only once.

Further Reading:

http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/08/08/mccain-veterans/

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/12/the-veterans-vote-is-far-from-locked-up/

The Truth About Negative Ads

Negative campaigning is nothing new. John Beckley, one of the first men to go negative, worked as campaign manager for Thomas Jefferson claiming that George Washington had stolen public funds and called for his impeachment. Fast forward to the 1970s and you have a new breed of campaign consultants. Sawyer Miller Group, one of the most powerful consultant groups in American history, revolutionized negative campaigning by championing the use of a new technology called television. 

Maurice Sonnenberg, one of Sawyer's first partners, remembers how "David used to say that it is in an irony that negative campaigns are more honest than positive campaigns. Positive campaigns, you're saying how wonderful you are. Negative campaigns, you're doing some research and finding out some things about the candidate." Scott Miller developed a whole body of thought around the idea of going negative. 

Miller's view is that there are three circumstances when negative ads do not work: if the ad is not true; if the ad is personal, voters may sympathize with the person being attacked; if it is irrelevant, as it may be considered a distraction and voters will be resentful. They understood that negative ads may not be popular, but the reason they are so commonplace is because they work. 

"Mr. Schneider Goes to Washingon," a new documentary by Jonathan Scheider. A clip from the his journey with experts explaining negative ads.

When Havana Was the "Paris of the Caribbean"

It's now somewhat synonymous with decay of both a socioeconomic and physical nature, but there was a time before the Socialist revolution when Havana was known as the "Paris of the Caribbean," a place where Americans came to hang out in nightclubs, gamble, smoke cigars, hit on showgirls and drink copious quantities of rum. This prelapsarian paradise is celebrated in Peter Moruzzi's brilliant new book, Havana Before Castro: When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground (Gibbs Smith, $30), filled with hundreds of photos, brochures, postcards, artifacts and other ephemera. 

From Hemingway hangout La Floridita, where the daiquiris flowed like water, especially during Prohibition, to the Tropicana and other casinos that were cutting edge in the 1950s thanks to the interest of American mobsters, Moruzzi provides a gorgeous and engaging glimpse of an all but forgotten era. See the gallery for a preview. [Luxist]

    Showgirls at the Tropicana

Ernest Hemingway celebrates his Nobel Prize in 1954 with a daiquiri

The Tropicana Casino in 1954

Obama's New "Embrace" Ad

Most companies in US avoid federal income taxes

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005, according to a new report from Congress.

The study by the Government Accountability Office, expected to be released Tuesday, said about 68 percent of foreign companies doing business in the U.S. avoided corporate taxes over the same period.

Collectively, the companies reported trillions of dollars in sales, according to GAO's estimate.

"It's shameful that so many corporations make big profits and pay nothing to support our country," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who asked for the GAO study with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

An outside tax expert, Chris Edwards of the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington, said increasing numbers of limited liability corporations and so-called "S" corporations pay taxes under individual tax codes.

"Half of all business income in the United States now ends up going through the individual tax code," Edwards said.

The GAO study did not investigate why corporations weren't paying federal income taxes or corporate taxes and it did not identify any corporations by name. It said companies may escape paying such taxes due to operating losses or because of tax credits.

More than 38,000 foreign corporations had no tax liability in 2005 and 1.2 million U.S. companies paid no income tax, the GAO said. Combined, the companies had $2.5 trillion in sales. About 25 percent of the U.S. corporations not paying corporate taxes were considered large corporations, meaning they had at least $250 million in assets or $50 million in receipts.

The GAO said it analyzed data from the Internal Revenue Service, examining samples of corporate returns for the years 1998 through 2005. For 2005, for example, it reviewed 110,003 tax returns from among more than 1.2 million corporations doing business in the U.S.

Dorgan and Levin have complained about companies abusing transfer prices _ amounts charged on transactions between companies in a group, such as a parent and subsidiary. In some cases, multinational companies can manipulate transfer prices to shift income from higher to lower tax jurisdictions, cutting their tax liabilities. The GAO did not suggest which companies might be doing this.

"It's time for the big corporations to pay their fair share," Dorgan said.[AP]

Another Ridiculous Ad by McCain

Just when you thought McCain and his campaign might begin to talk about real world concerns, they have topped the childish and self-defeating charts yet again. This ad, resembling a YouTube video made by a teenager in a basement, depicts Obama supports as excited! Is that such a negative? Well it continues... Prevaricating Obama's tax plan and showing a white woman saying she loves Obama's because he has "soft eyes." 

Now, at this point one might think that it's odd to put such a remark into a campaign ad, what would be the purpose? Are they attempting to subtly insert a theme that is similar to Scott Howell's attack ad "Harold, call me!"? This is confirmed by the following clip showing man saying, "Hot chicks dig Obama." 

I do not doubt that the idea as been thrown around in the 'War Room' of the McCain campaign with consultants and pollsters, knowing that it worked to defeat Harold Ford. It's a subtle yet effective way to inflame up racial tendencies of people that aren't racist in normal circumstances, yet who do not approve of interracial relationships. 

Decide for yourself:

Obama Ad Strikes Hard

Cuba backs Russia over crisis

CUBA has backed Russia in its conflict with Georgia, saying Russia's demand for Georgia's full pullout from South Ossetia before agreeing to a ceasefire was "just".

"The demand for prior withdrawal of the invaders is just, and our government supports it,'' Cuban President Raul Castro said in a written statement.

Mr Castro said Russian troops had been deployed in South Ossetia legally as a peacekeeping force.

"Therefore, it is false to assert that Georgia is now defending its national sovereignty,'' he said.

Russia sent its tanks and troops to pro-Moscow South Ossetia on Friday in response to pro-Western Georgia's military offensive to take back the province, which broke away in the early 1990s after a separatist war.[News.com.au]

Obama's Denver Speech & Text Messaging

Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, where 75,000 Democrats will pack in to watch Barack Obama on the final night of the Democratic Convention in Denver. Although they won't just be there to cheer him on, the Obama campaign has a larger strategy in mind. They'll form the world's largest phone bank--armed with data gathered through "microtargeting" unregistered voters the campaign believes are ripe to back Obama. Steve Hildebrand, Obama advisor overseeing the effort, says the campaign has identified 55 million unregistered voters across the country. "If we do this right, we'll be unbeatable," said Hildebrand. 

Want tickets for the Barack Obama speech? Democrats plan to hand out 60,000 stadium tickets to state party leaders with instructions to distribute with the maximum impact. That means, rewarding local organizers who are volunteering their time for voter registration and independents or Republicans who might be persuaded by hearing Obama acceptance speech for the nomination of the Democratic Party. 

Georgia, a state Hildebrand points to as an example of the impact this effort has the potential to have. Nearly a third of the voting-eligible population is unregistered--more than half of those black, Hispanic or under 24.  With the additional impact of McCain losing Republican votes to Bob Bar, the former GOP congressman from Georgia running for president as a Libertarian, Georgia is ripe for the picking. 

The underlying sociological genius of this effort is in knowing that people are persuaded more by their neighbors than by traditional advertising campaigns. By sending out the masses who will be in Denver with instructions and training, they will have a task force bring in people that they have a relationship and rapport with. 

"What has won elections for 200 years is a neighbor talking to a neighbor, some peer talking to a peer," said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. "People need other people to do their validating, especially young voters who are more resistant to ads and mainstream media reports."

In addition to this effort, the Obama campaign is building a phone bank by the use of text messaging to distribute their message quickly and efficiently. Today, a text message has been sent out from the campaign, urging them to sign up, because Obama will be announcing his Vice Presidential choice through a text message between now and the convention. The text message is as follows:

Barack will announce his VP candidate choice through txt msg between now & the Conv. Tell everyone to test VP to 62262 to be the first to know! Please forward.

Invisibility Cloak: Scientists Engineer Material That Can Bend Visible Light Around Objects

INVISIBILITY devices, long the realm of science fiction and fantasy, have moved closer after scientists engineered a material that can bend visible light around objects.

The breakthrough could lead to systems for rendering anything from people to large objects, such as tanks and ships, invisible to the eye - although this is still years off.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, whose work is funded by the American military, have engineered materials that can control light's direction of travel. The world's two leading scientific journals, Science and Nature, are expected to report the results this week.

It follows earlier work at Imperial College London that achieved similar results with microwaves. Like light, these are a form of electromagnetic radiation but their longer wave-length makes them far easier to manipulate. Achieving the same effect with visible light is a big advance.[TimesOnline]

More Beijing Olympic Ceremony Pictures

Beijing Olympic Ceremony Pictures

More Pictures from ESPN

GTR Roadster

The Iconic GTR Roadster is being introduced at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Car Show. For the uninitiated, only the most beautiful and luxuriously designed cars are showcased at Concours d’Elegance. The car has an enviable chassis made of high strength chromoly and an air management system to die for. The GTR has a V-8 engine that generates 800hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The car can reach speeds of more than 200mph and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a blazing 2.8 seconds. This could be one of the finest American cars designed ever and it was also needed at a time like this, when cars from the Japanese and Korean companies have flooded the markets. This car brings home the luxury and muscle American cars were once known for. With advanced machinery and gadgets, the GTR is well equipped to face even the best-engineered cars of today. Finally, an American car that belongs to the Rodeo Drive in L.A but not the rodeo that happens in the country. At $600,000, the GTR promises to deliver the performance and elegance that is expected of it.[BornRich]

Key Features: 

800+ Horsepower 420 CID (6.9 Liter) Iconic-Designed All Aluminum V8

200+ mph

2,200 Pound Curb Weight

World-Leading Power to Weight Ratio of 2.75 lb/hp or 727.3 hp per ton

Formula One-Derived Racing Suspension

Torsional Rigidity Approaching 80% of a Typical Formula One Race Car

MHT Porsche Photoshoot

Stunning women and the exquisite craftsmanship of Porsche. 

Tim Pawlenty, Possible McCain Running Mate, Says GOP Needs Obama's Positive Message

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, often mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, said Wednesday GOP candidates would do well to adopt a positive tone like that of McCain's Democratic rival Barack Obama.

"Say what you will about Barack Obama," the Minnesota Republican told a conservative group, "people gravitate when you have something positive to say." He added that McCain has been positive as well.

"People want to follow hopeful, optimistic, civil, decent leaders," Pawlenty said in a speech to GOPAC, which helps recruit Republican candidates. "They don't want to follow some negative, scornful person."

Ronald Reagan still offers important lessons for today's Republican Party, Pawlenty said, because the former president was civil, optimistic, pragmatic and a good communicator.

"He actually had some ideas," Pawlenty said, adding that the Republican idea factory has seemed "a little stagnant in recent years."

Pawlenty, 47, said he came of age during President Reagan's tenure in the 1980s, but acknowledged the Republican icon is ancient history to young people.

"If you're under 40, that was a long time ago, man," he said to laughter.

The party needs to update its message to appeal to voters who want new ideas and government results and to counter the perception that Republicans are "not for the working person," Pawlenty said. He advocated policies like better training and performance pay for teachers, online college education opportunities, and reworking health insurance to reward providers that show good results and save money.

Pawlenty shied away from talking about joining McCain on the ticket.[HuffingtonPost]

Obama Sticker on McCain’s Bus

TNA writer Lonnie Affrime spotted the Straight Talk Express in the parking lot of an Embassy Suites in Boca Raton, FL. 

Artie Lange in Rehab

Get Well Artie! 

The Bader House

Fresh, and the best of everything in modern, original design. This home was created by the Russell group and Palumbo Design team in order to fulfill the wishes of Bader's personal dream-bachelor home. Absolutely meticulous, with a wealth of amenities to infuse it, it is the ultimate, ultra sexy bachelor pad. How can it not be, with its romantic head-on city views and its beauteous simplicity? With floor-to-ceiling walls of glass, it is able to bring the city life into the serenity of home. Furthermore, the Bader House features unique architectural details-from a parking spot in the living room and mechanical dining room table, to a sensuous fire elevating from an open pit. Among other highlights are the plush theater, stylish master bedroom, second bedroom, and gourmet kitchen. You'll never miss a thing. 

Price: $5,995,000

Location: Los Angeles

Mauricio Umansky Real Estate

SOFIA VERGARA

Sofia is a Columbian model and actress. 

Sofia made her first public appearance at the age of 17 in a Pepsi commercial that was widely telecast all over Latin America. In order to support her son, mother, and younger siblings who needed her financial support in the absence of her father, who had departed the family, she dropped out of college in order to earn good wages.

Vergara moved to Bogotá at the age of 20, where she worked as a model on the runway and on TV. From 1995 to 1999, she was co-host with Fernando Fiore on Fuera de Serie ("Out of the Ordinary" or "Over-the-Top"), a series which sent her to exotic places all over the world (this is similar to the U.S. Wild On! travel series). It was telecast on the international Univision Spanish-language network, and it made her a star in the Latin American market and gave her some USA TV exposure. She also co-hosted the Univision show A que no te atreves ("I Dare You"). She recently appeared as a guest star on the HBO series Entourage.

Besides runway and catalog modeling work, Vergara also did independent projects. She was photographed for posters swimsuit calendars in 1998, 2000, and 2002. These were top sellers in Latin America, and also penetrated the North American market. She did South American television ads, and also posed in swimsuits for posters for beer advertising, especially for Miller Lite beer.

Imperial History of the Middle East

Who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history? Pretty much everyone. Egyptians, Turks, Jews, Romans, Arabs, Persians, Europeans...the list goes on. Who will control the Middle East today? That is a much bigger question. [MapsofWar]

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad

Paris has just hit this one out of the ballpark. She's funny and deceivingly smart, fluctuating her public vacuous persona to proposing in an eloquent fashion her intelligent position on energy policy. Whether it is scripted or not, I still believe that there is an intelligent person behide her public facade.

Extra: Paris' mother Kathy Hilton slamming McCain on the ad. 

FELDBALZ

Feldbalz is a new home overlooking Lake Zurich designed by Swiss architect Gus Wustemann. 

The three-storey house includes space for children on the ground floor, which leads to the garden, family living rooms on the first floor and the parents’ rooms at the top of the house.

A concrete path connects the garden with the house, bordering a swimming pool.

Arcitect's own words:

It’s not a house but a family sculpture looking for freedom and social interaction.

Family life / public life

We created the sculpture that contains the family life, where everybody meets and circulates on the first floor, where you have a great view over the lake of Zurich. This sculpture separates the parent’s area which is on top of the sculpture and the children’s area which lies underneath.

The children live in the garden where everything is white, like in a Greek village; happy, but protected by the family sculpture. There is the access to the garden and the pool, the playing, active area.

The main living area is connected to the garden by a concrete garden sculpture, which is a tribune with a great view, to rest and have a drink with friends. This social hub has water in a hole, that’s where the swimming pool is.[KayneWest]

Jimmy Justice

He calls himself "Jimmy Justice," a self-styled "cop-arazzi," armed only with a video camera as he prowls the streets of New York looking for law enforcement officers who are breaking the law. His targets are illegally parked city government vehicles -- particularly cars of traffic cops blocking bus stops, sitting in "no parking" zones or double-parked.

Cop cars blocking fire hydrants make him particularly incensed.

"Something like that is just despicable," Jimmy fumed, pointing to a police enforcement vehicle parked next to a fire hydrant on 33rd Street on Manhattan's West Side on a muggy July afternoon. "They're never allowed to block a fire hydrant -- but they do it."

He posts his best videos on YouTube and sends regular e-mail to the union representing the city's traffic enforcement agents, pointing out the most egregious parking offenses. And he has gotten results, he said, with some parking enforcers being fined because of his videos.

"I'm using a video camera as a weapon," he said. "I believe a video does not lie."

Keep reading here.

OR

Watch videos of "Jimmy Justice" in action.

Kristall Chandelier

This illumination gives the word chandelier a new brand meaning. The hidden fibre optic light source makes the acrylic rods forming the modern corona very visible. The rods emit a unique combination of background light and spotlight. They spread the light through out the room and create a very special atmosphere. Perfect over the dinner table as well as in the hotel lounge. Created by Designer Jonas Wannfors. PDF Product Sheet.

VERONICA ZEMANOVA

Veronica Zemanova is a Czech model. Moving to Prague at age 18.

Veronica has worked with FHM, ARENA, Playboy, Penthouse, Perfect 10, Perfection, Model Directory, Hustler, High Society and Gallery. More pictures at her official website.

Another McCain "attack" ad released

Is this an attack ad? Of course the intent of the McCain campaign is for this ad to be stinging attack, but did they actually release an ad that has embedded positives for Barack Obama? It begins by saying that "In 2008, The world will be blessed, They will call him 'The One,' then displaying video of Barack speaking eloquently on thousands, thus creating an association.

'The One'? Is this something that you want to put into a voters mind? You may be attempting to create satire, but there is a fine line between satire and invoking frames in a person's mind that creates an impression that Barack Obama IS the one. 

'He can do no wrong,' invoking another positive frame, then moving to an interview with Lara Logan asking "Do you have any doubts?" Barack responds confidently, "Never." with a corresponding congruent head nod "No." A character trait that voters have overwhelming said that they want to see in a leader. 

Then, the narrator goes on to ask, "Can you see the light?" Cutting to an out of context clip of a speech with Barack stating, "A light will shine down upon you from somewhere, you will experience an epiphany, and you will say to yourself 'I have to vote for Barack.'" While watching this, I had to laugh. 

How can the McCain campaign be paying to air a clip with such persuasive language patterns by Barack Obama? I don't know, but I'm glad they did. 

When a person listens to another person's language, they have to process the information to understand it. And in doing so, people are processing "Say to yourself" compounded by Obama using a command tonal down inflection, then having them say to themselves, "I have to vote for Barack." 

Let me end in saying that this will most likely have no affect on McCain supporters or Obama supporters. After watching this ad they will be an even more staunch supporters of whoever they already support. But who really matter are the independent voters and this ad I believe will have an overall positive or at least a neutral effect on Obama. 

McCain New Web Ad

In the last week, there has been a heated debate if the McCain campaign is injecting race into their campaign ads. Contrary to the campaign's position that they are not, they must have forgotten to included their web ad creators into the circle. An ad entitled "Barack Obama Forgot Latin America" claims that in Obama's Berlin speech he forgot to include a Latin American city. Quite a vote changer, except for the contrary conservative negative reaction to Obama's speech in Berlin focusing on the "citizen of the world" line and not talking about America's issues. Another, damn if you do, damn if you don't. 

[Translation]

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña have issued the following statement in response to McCain's ad:

"Once again, this is just another low road attempt by John McCain to distract from his own record on Latino issues by making false attacks on Barack Obama. On a day when our economy lost another 51,000 jobs and when Latino families all over the country are struggling, John McCain chose the low road rather than offering a real plan for the Latino community. What is clear is that Barack Obama has fought for issues Latinos care about for the past 20 years as a community organizer, Illinois State legislator, US Senator and as President he will continue his fight for comprehensive immigration reform, education equality and healthcare for everyone."

High-Ranking McCain Campaign Staffer Lobbied For Repeal Of Economic Sanctions Against Cuba

A high-ranking campaign staffer for John McCain lobbied for years on behalf of a major corporation in favor of repealing economic sanctions against Cuba, a position that is directly at odds with McCain's position, according to lobbyist disclosure forms.

The staffer, John Green, who has held the key post of chief campaign liaison to members of Congress since early March, lobbied members of Congress extensively on behalf of French alcohol company Pernod Ricard, in their efforts to get sanctions weakened or repealed. In the process, according to the disclosure forms, he also did extensive work with members of Congress who favor repealing the Cuba embargo entirely, a position that is also strongly opposed by McCain.

Such conflicts between lobbyists on McCain's campaign staff and McCain's hard-line foreign policy positions have already created controversy and generated criticism for McCain. Campaign manager Rick Davis, for instance, made news and was criticized by Democrats for his lobbying on behalf of a Ukrainian businessman with deep commercial ties to Iran -- even though McCain has called for divestment against Iran.

McCain has argued in favor of keeping all sanctions against Cuba in place until they undertake various democratic reforms. What's more, he has aggressively attacked Obama for not taking as hard a line on Cuba. Obama argues in favor of easing travel restrictions with the country, something McCain says would "send the worst possible signal" to Cuba's leaders by unilaterally dropping travel restrictions.

McCain's employment of a lobbyist who pushed for the lifting of Cuba sanctions could also prove to be a controversial issue in the critical swing state of Florida, where many in the large Cuban exile community favor a hard line against Cuba.

Much of Green's lobbying, which he did for a firm called Ogilvy Government Relations, has involved pushing for a proposed bill -- never passed -- that would repeal a 1998 U.S. law that disregards Cuban trademarks. Hard-liners on Cuba, McCain included, bitterly oppose repealing that law, because doing so would essentially recognize the legitimacy of Cuba's seizure of private property and businesses from way back when Fidel Castro first came to power.

Green's lobbying is detailed in disclosure forms and was confirmed to us by Stewart Hall, Ogilvy's managing director. Green's lobbying for the repeal started in 2001 and ended when he joined the McCain campaign.

Pernod wants the law repealed amid a dispute between Pernod and Bacardi over the claim to the prestigious Havana Club rum brand name, which Pernod maintains around the world and Bacardi has attempted to market over here. Repeal of the law would give Pernod exclusive rights to sell rum under that name in the United States, when the day comes that they can actually import it from Cuba.

Starting in 2007, according to disclosure firms and Ogilvy itself, Green and his firm also worked with members of Congress on H.R. 624, which would repeal the Cuba embargo entirely, and also for H.R. 2819/S. 1673, which would leave the embargo but lift other trade sanctions, as well as fighting other efforts to strengthen sanctions against Cuba.

Hall, Ogilvy's managing director, told Election Central that the company has never worked directly on repeal of the Cuba embargo, and only listed it on the forms because members of Congress friendly with them on the trademark issues gave them that bill, as well. "Our objective has never been to affect that timeline one way or another," Hall said.

But Hall confirmed the firm's work with members of Congress pushing for repeal of the embargo, and confirmed the firm's efforts to lift trademark sanctions. "Our objective has been to protect our client's right to sell their product in the United States under their legally registered trademark when that day comes," he said.

Green's lobbying work was put on hold back in March, when he joined the McCain campaign as its Congressional liaison. But it doesn't look as if much scrutiny was applied to the content of his lobbying work before he was hired, and now it could create another lobbyist-related headache for the McCain camp.

The McCain camp declined to comment.[TPM]