Monday, December 31, 2012
Psychiatric test for suspect in NYC subway death | WashingtonExaminer.com
Psychiatric test for suspect in NYC subway death | WashingtonExaminer.com
http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2517176
NEW YORK (AP) — A 31-year-old woman accused of shoving a man to his death in front of a subway train because she believed he was Muslim laughed and smiled during a court hearing where she was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Erika Menendez, 31, was charged Saturday night with murder as a hate crime after she told police she spontaneously pushed Sunando Sen, according to prosecutors.
"There is no reason. I just pushed him in front of the train because I thought it would be cool," she said, according to the Queens district attorney's office.
She laughed so hard during her arraignment in Queens criminal court that Judge Gia Morris told her lawyer: "You're going to have to have your client stop laughing."
Defense attorney Dietrich Epperson said Menendez's behavior in court was no different from how she had been acting, and said his client didn't really think the proceedings were funny, according to Newsday. A call by The Associated Press to Epperson was not immediately returned Sunday. Menendez was held without bail and ordered to have a mental health exam.
Queens prosecutors said she pushed the 46-year-old India native to his death because she blamed "Muslims, Hindus and Egyptians" for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims — ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I've been beating them up," Menendez told police, according to the district attorney's office.
Friends and co-workers said Sen, a native of Calcutta, was Hindu. He had lived in Queens for decades and was a graphic designer and copy shop owner. Sen was standing on an elevated platform of the 7 train that travels between Manhattan and Queens when he was shoved from behind as the train entered the station.
Witnesses told police a woman had been mumbling to herself and was sitting on a bench behind Sen until the train pulled in, then shoved him from behind. She then fled.
Police released a sketch and surveillance footage of a woman running from the subway station. Menendez was arrested after a passer-by saw her on the street and thought she looked like the wanted suspect. Witnesses identified her in a lineup and she was questioned by police, when she implicated herself, according to police and prosecutors.
Angel Luis Santiago, who used to work at the Queens building where Menendez's mother and stepfather live, said he was shocked by her arrest.
"It surprised me what she did," he said. "She never acted that way."
Menendez's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 14.
Sen was the second man to die after being pushed in front of a New York City subway train this month. Ki-Suck Han was killed in a midtown Manhattan subway station on Dec. 3. A homeless man was arrested and charged with murder in that case and is awaiting trial. He claimed he acted in self-defense.
Such subway deaths are rare, but transit officials said last week they would consider installing barriers with sliding doors on some subway platforms. Other cities including Paris and London have installed such barriers.
___
Associated Press Writer Karen Matthews contributed to this report.
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12/31/12, 5:10 AM
Hillary Clinton hospitalised with blood clot http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hillary-clinton-hospitalised-with-blood-clot-8433811.html
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
Article: City Room: Crime Is Up, and Bloomberg Blames iPhone Thieves
City Room: Crime Is Up, and Bloomberg Blames iPhone Thieves - NYTimes
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India: Rape Victim’s Death Demands Action
India: Rape Victim's Death Demands Action
by Meenakshi Ganguly, hrw.orgDecember 29th 2012
The death on December 29, 2012, of a 23-year-old student who was gang raped and assaulted should spur decisive action by the Indian government to combat sexual violence, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack catalyzed massive nationwide demonstrations and reopened public debate about reforming India's inadequate laws and practices concerning sexual assault.
The woman, a paramedical student whose name has not been made public, and a male friend were traveling in a private bus in New Delhi on December 16 when five men and a youth under 18 raped and assaulted her and beat her friend. The woman suffered severe injuries and was transferred to a hospital in Singapore, where she died. The police have arrested the accused and are expected to file charges in the first week of January 2013.
"This murderous gang rape is a sobering reminder of the pervasive sexual violence that women and girls across India suffer," said , South Asia director. "The government needs to act now to prevent sexual assault, aggressively investigate and prosecute perpetrators, and ensure the dignified treatment of survivors."
The New Delhi gang rape highlighted the widespread problem of sexual violence in India, Human Rights Watch said. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 24,206 rape cases were registered in India in 2011, and experts say the number of unreported cases of sexual assault is much higher.
Following the New Delhi attack, the Indian central government formed a three-member commission headed by former Indian Supreme Court Chief Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma, to "review[] the present laws so as to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault." While the government's swift action to create a commission to review punishment for aggravated sexual assault is an important step, reform of the criminal law and procedure, plus improved treatment of survivors, is needed to ensure justice for sexual assault victims, Human Rights Watch said.
Strengthen Mechanisms to Implement Laws and Support Survivors
The Delhi gang rape reflects a much larger problem of sexual violence in India, Human Rights Watch said. While officials responded swiftly and promised speedy justice, the attack followed numerous reported sexual assaults in the country, including against women with disabilities and dalits. For example, on December 27 the media reported that a girl in Punjab committed suicide a month after she was gang raped because police were unwilling to register her complaint or arrest the accused.
State security forces have at times been implicated in sexual assault, but the government has not taken action against them. For example, in October 2011 police in Chhattisgarh were accused of sexual assaultof an adivasi teacher, Soni Sori, while she was in their custody. There still have been no arrests and prosecutions in the alleged rape and murder in 2004 of Manorama Devi, who was taken into army custody from her home in the northeastern state of Manipur.
In May 2012, about 90 civil society organizations and individuals, including Human Rights Watch, wrote to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging reforms in responses to sexual assault and calling for greater police accountability. The groups called on the Indian central government to constitute a high-level task force to develop a coordinated response to gender-based violence, especially sexual assault; instruct state governments to monitor police handling of sexual assault reports and investigations, and hold accountable officers who mishandle their duties; and fund an existing scheme for financial assistance for rape victims and monitor its implementation.
The level of care – including counseling – provided to the New Delhi gang rape victim and her family, demonstrates that political will can ensure support and care for victims of sexual assault, Human Rights Watch said. But this only followed public outrage and demonstrations after the attack. Human Rights Watch research has found that survivors usually find it difficult to register police complaints, and often go from one hospital to another even for a medical examination, and often report suffering humiliation at police stations and hospitals.
India does not have a uniform protocol for medical treatment and examination of survivors of sexual assault, making responses ad hoc and unpredictable, and in the worst cases, degrading and counter-productive. This is reflected in the continued use of the so-called "finger test," which Human Rights Watch documented in a 2010 report. While conducting medical examinations, many doctors record unscientific and degrading findings, which involve noting the "laxity" of the vagina or hymen, apparently to determine whether the victims are "virgins" or "habituated to sexual intercourse." Often doctors, police, and judges look for evidence of "struggle" or "injuries," especially hymenal injuries, in the medical examination report, discrediting those who do not report such injuries.
The Indian government should establish national standards and a uniform protocol for the medical treatment and collection of medical evidence in cases of sexual assault, and to eliminate the use of finger tests on sexual assault survivors, Human Rights Watch said.
"The Indian government needs to adopt and enforce measures to ensure the dignified treatment and examination of sexual assault survivors," Ganguly said. "Dignity and accountability should underscore the police and medical responses to sexual assault throughout India."
Urgent Need for Comprehensive Law Reform on Sexual Assault
Indian civil society organizations have long called for laws on sexual assault to be reformed. Under current criminal law, India does not have a general definition of sexual assault. It only defines rape (penile penetration), "outraging the modesty" of women, and "insulting the modesty" of women. Indian law does not recognize the offense of marital rape.
It is especially difficult to prosecute members of the security forces implicated in sexual assault and other human rights violations. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act provides effective immunity to members of the armed forces who are accused of sexual assault and other abuses. Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides effective immunity to police and other security forces by making it mandatory for a prosecutor to obtain permission from the government to initiate criminal proceedings against public servants.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012, which was introduced in the lower house of the parliament on December 4, introduces a definition of "sexual assault" but limits it to all forms of penetrative sexual assault. Rights groups in India have, however, consistently pressed for a comprehensive definition of sexual assault, which includes both penetrative and non-penetrative forms of sexual assault. Instead, the bill retains the archaic definition of "outraging the modesty of a woman" to cover all forms of non-penetrative sexual assault and harassment. It does not introduce any special procedural protections for survivors who report sexual assault by police officers or members of the armed forces.
"Law reform efforts should be comprehensive and minimize the risks and delays that sexual assault survivors now endure," Ganguly said. "Police officers, soldiers, politicians, and civil servants should not be above the law for sexual assault or anything else."
Death Penalty Not the Solution
After the December 16 gang rape, high-level government officials announced that they will pursue harsher penalties for rape, including the death penalty. Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as an inherently irreversible, inhumane punishment. A majority of countries in the world have abolished the practice. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution by a wide margin calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions.
"For politicians, supporting the death penalty is an easy but ineffectual way out," Ganguly said. "It is much harder, but more effective, to revamp the response of police, doctors, forensic specialists, prosecutors, and judges to sexual violence. Survivors deserve an effective, coordinated response to sexual assault."
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Former President Bush moved out of intensive care
Former President Bush moved out of intensive care
usatoday.com | Dec 29th 2012
HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush's condition continued to improve Saturday, prompting doctors to move him out of intensive care, a spokesman said.
"President Bush's condition has improved, so he has been moved today from the intensive care unit to a regular patient room at The Methodist Hospital to continue his recovery," family spokesman Jim McGrath said Saturday. "The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes."
The 88-year-old Bush was hospitalized Nov. 23 for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough. He was moved to intensive care at the Houston hospital on Dec. 23 after he developed a fever.
On Friday, McGrath said Bush had improved since arriving in the ICU. He said he was alert and in good spirits and was even doing some singing.
McGrath said Saturday morning that future updates on Bush's condition would be made as warranted.
Bush, the 41st president, is the country's oldest living former president by a few months.
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Legal Lines Asks if There is a Crime Problem in Baton Rouge
Legal Lines Asks if There is a Crime Problem in Baton Rouge
world.einnews.com | Dec 29th 2012 8:12 PMDr Edward Shihadeh, a criminal analysis expert at Louisiana State University has studied the Baton Rouge crime rate for years. He has determined that the per capita murder rate of Baton Rouge is higher than certain larger metro areas.
BATON ROUGE, LA, December 29, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Is there a crime problem in Baton Rouge? The answer as revealed on Legal Lines is unequivocally YES. Dr Edward Shihadeh, a criminal analysis expert at Louisiana State University has studied the Baton Rouge crime rate for years and has determined that the per capita murder rate of Baton Rouge is higher than Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York. Dr. Shihadeh has further observed that the Baton Rouge murder rate has increased more than 40% over the last 10 years and that the violence of a city is the most accurately determined by its homicide rate. Baton Rouge's crime problem is so bad that it was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal for its high crime rate.
All Baton Rouge Law Enforcement Chiefs stress the seriousness of the crime problem in Baton Rouge. Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson pointed out that Baton Rouge is one of the top five worst crime cities in the nation. D.A. Hillar Moore stated that everyday cases come in at increasing rates, and that the homicide count is real. Sherriff Sid Gautreaux pointed out that the Sherriff's department has more homicides to date this year than the prior year, crime is spreading outside of the notorious areas, and that if we do not address the problem, there will be no safe place to live. Baton Rouge City Police Chief Dewayne White acknowledged that within the city limits the homicide rate is outpacing last years pace.
These Legal Lines interviews make it evident that Baton Rouge's Crime problem is serious. The next question becomes who can tackle this problem? Mayor Pro Temp Mike Walker explained that the two players with access to city resources are the Mayor, and the City Council, but that the Mayor is the true director of and authority over resources and implementation. Only the Mayor, has the power to tell people what they can or cannot do. The Mayor appoints department heads, and he holds them accountable to his mission, and if they do not deliver, they are terminated. The Mayor orchestrates what can be done regarding the crime problem.
In a Legal Lines interview, the Mayor indicated that sufficient money does not exist to do more than what has been done regarding crime. The Mayor wants to fund a couple of academies to mitigate the issue. The mayor says that what we need is community support and outreach, not more officers on the ground. The law enforcement chiefs disagree. D.A. Hillar Moore stated that if Baton Rouge knew how few deputies and officers work per shift and location, the city would be scared, and that other cities that do know the number think it is a joke. Sherriff Gautreaux pointed out that there has been a tremendous increase in population, but not a tremendous increase in resources. Chief Dewayne White pointed out that at a minimum, we need enough troops to keep up with the attrition rate, which is absent at present.
In order to beat this problem, Sherriff Gautreaux stated that real resources need to be directed to the City Police, Sherriff's Office, and the D.A.'s office. Hillar Moore pointed out that the funding and direction of resources is a matter of priorities, and we need to figure out where our priorities lie. Chief Dewayne White stressed that we need a united stand against crime. Finally, to beat this problem, all the Chiefs stated that the downtown jail needs reopening for several reasons. Firstly, by not opening, it sends a bad message to both victims and perpetrators that if you commit a crime, nothing happens to you. Secondly, it ties the hands of the law enforcement officers. At present, there is nowhere to send perpetrators of misdemeanor crimes. That is why there are hundreds of thousand of outstanding misdemeanor warrants. Thirdly, it takes the teeth out of the law enforcement bite.
It is evident that Baton Rouge needs a real plan, more boots on the ground, and more resources in order to end this crime problem.
Website: http://www.lockemeredithlaw.com
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Suicide now claims more US troops than enemy fire - Rate of almost 1 per day
Suicide now claims more US troops than enemy fire - Rate of almost 1 per day
by Catholic Online, catholic.orgDecember 29th 2012
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - In 2012, potential suicides among U.S. soldiers reached 303, while combat related deaths in Afghanistan have totaled 212. Some of the probable suicides remain unconfirmed and under investigation. The suicide rate among active duty and reserves is so great that the average is now approaching one per day. That rate continues to increase, even as operations in Afghanistan prepare to draw down.
Suicides continue to occur even in spite of additional training and prevention programs implemented over the past few years to address the issue.
Part of the problem is that soldiers, especially those who have been deployed, face unique stresses, even beyond the threat of the enemy. While troops are deployed, they remain in close contact with loved ones and others back home sometimes this creates stress as opposed to buoying morale. These stresses, such as mortgages and bills, challenges with left-behind loved ones and more, are exacerbated by deployment and the individual's limited ability to influence what happens by virtue of their presence in a combat zone.
Substance abuse also plays a factor, with some soldiers turning to drugs and alcohol to cope.
New legislation is in the works will require that soldiers found to be mentally unstable to tell if they own personal firearms. However, this is a single band-aid type solution and will not do much to curb the overall problem.
Some of these weapons have been used by soldiers to commit crimes, even at home. The number of recent veterans who face criminal charges and even prison for violent crimes has also risen.
Ironically, the Department of Defense has announced that in 2011, 53 percent of the confirmed suicide victims had no history of deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan.
While the military continues to address the issue, society must face a much broader concern. When children are trained to serve as killers to protect our interests both home and abroad, we create casualties that are not simply measured by flag-draped caskets and hospital beds. Some of the casualties continue to walk among us for years, even decades, after the last shots have been fired.
War is hell.
© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.
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Cliff Deal Hinges on Senators
Senate leaders said after a White House meeting that they would launch a last-ditch effort to devise a bipartisan plan to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324669104578207423905083416.html?mod=rss_US_News
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On New Year's Eve, a number of word class cities will harken in 2013 with giant fireworks displays. In New York City, a giant ball suspended above Times Square will slowly descend at midnight. Why?
View full story at http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/12/why-nyc-drops-an-11-875-pound-ball-on-new-years-eve/266654/
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Violence Against Women
Violence Against Women
ibenedictines.org | Dec 29th 2012News that the medical student brutally raped in New Delhi a few days ago has died of her injuries ought to give us all pause. Violence against women is tolerated in many societies, including our own. If that seems to you very shocking and makes you want to protest, you have clearly not listened to some of the terrible stories I have listened to in the course of my monastic life. What particularly struck me about some of them was the fact that otherwise decent, kindly men seemed to think it acceptable to slap or strike their wives/partners for what they (the men) perceived as domestic failures — a dish not cooked to their liking, forgetting to buy a particular brand of toothpaste and so on. The violence wasn't always physical, of course. Some of the insults and disparaging remarks still make me wince. Also upsetting is the memory of those occasions where the man blamed the woman, 'She provoked me. She made me do it.' I don't believe it. We can all restrain our fist if we want to. The truth is, we don't want to; and we're only annoyed when we don't get away with it.
Now, I am not suggesting that women are always right and men always wrong; nor am I suggesting that violence is always male on female; but women are much more vulnerable, if only because we aren't usually as big and heavy as men. The inability of the Indian government to do anything constructive about the situation in New Delhi highlights the basic problem that needs addressing. We need to change the culture which allows women to be perceived as of less value or consequence than men. By that I don't just mean making it unacceptable to assault or rape women, but making it unacceptable to disparage or belittle women simply for being women. Where there is no respect, no real respect, all kinds of gross behaviour become possible.
It is important to note that what I am talking about is not equality but respect. Equality can be measured; respect cannot. The Christian Churches bear a great responsibility in this matter but I'm not sure we live up to it. Some of the comments following the Church of England Synod's rejection of the Measure to admit women to the episcopate were embarrassing in their contempt; some of the remarks made about nuns (usually meaning religious sisters) in my own Church have made me very hot under the wimple at their arrogance and injustice; I'm sure you could think of other examples for yourself.
Today we celebrate the feast of St Thomas Becket whose thinking about a difficult question of the day led him into conflict with the king. Perhaps we all need a bit of Becket in us on precisely this question of violence against women. Unless we show that it is unacceptable in all its forms, major and 'minor', it will go on being tolerated; and the brutal truth is more women will die. I don't want that on my conscience. Do you?
N.B. For thoughts on St Thomas Becket and conscience, see this post.
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Friday, December 28, 2012
5 New Year's Resolutions for Congress in 2013
While many Americans resolve to make 2013 the year they really do slim down, exercise more, and spend less, Congress could afford to commit to a few such resolutions of its own. Call them budget resolutions—something Congress hasn't had in a while. Here are five suggestions:
- Cut spending. The federal government is on course to run a trillion-dollar-plus deficit for the fifth consecutive year, driven by excessive spending. It spent $29,691 per household in 2012, borrowing $3.20 of every $10 it spent. Just as families must make budget priorities and live within their means, so too should Congress. Lawmakers should scale back the size and scope of the federal government, reform entitlement programs, and root out waste and abuse. If debt and deficits are ever going to be brought under control, Congress must curb its spending addiction.
- Return to the regular budget process. Congress has fallen out of the practice of budgeting, instead opting for ad hoc budget measures such as the debt limit deal (Budget Control Act of 2011) and continuing resolutions to fund the government. Budgeting is one of Congress's main responsibilities; it forces Congress to regularly prioritize spending on programs, which is sorely needed. Congress must return to budgeting according to the regular order to control spending and promote transparency.
- Avoid budget gimmicks. Lawmakers and the White House have demonstrated their penchant for claiming savings that do not in fact exist. Practices currently en vogue include counting already planned reductions in war spending, promising vague savings, and exploiting budget loopholes to justify "emergency" spending and disaster assistance without offsetting it with cuts elsewhere. Lawmakers should reject these gimmicks and build their budget on policies that deliver real savings to restore their credibility and to rein in spending.
- Reform entitlement programs. Much more ominous than the fiscal cliff is the country's real fiscal crisis, driven by the unsustainable growth in entitlement program spending. Social Security and Medicare spending in particular will be unaffordable if these programs remain unchanged. By the time today's kindergartners enter college, spending on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the debt will consume all tax revenue. Congress should pursue reforms with confidence, as some entitlement reforms—raising the Social Security and Medicare eligibility ages, adopting a more accurate measure of inflation for Social Security's cost-of-living-adjustments, or reducing the Medicare subsidy for upper-income beneficiaries—claim bipartisan support. Bottom line: Washington must get serious about entitlement reform in 2013.
- Say NO to tax increases. Hiking taxes, particularly on the wealthy, as President Obama and some lawmakers want to do, would harm job creation when it is most needed. Higher taxes won't fix Washington's spending problem, relieve the burden of entitlement program spending, or close budget deficits. Tax hikes would only ensure more spending. Lawmakers must resist pressure to raise taxes and instead remain steadfast in efforts to cut spending.
The start of a new year invites a sense of optimism and offers an opportunity to get back on course. To reduce uncertainty in the economy, save young Americans from a mountain of federal debt, and restore its own institutional integrity, Congress should embrace these resolutions.
Let the work begin.
Don't Give Up
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." — Thomas A. Edison
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Queen Elizabeth II delivers first Christmas message in 3-D
Queen Elizabeth II delivers first Christmas message in 3-D
by Cassandra Vinogr, washingtontimes.comDecember 25th 2012
LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II has hailed the holidays in a new dimension, delivering her Christmas message for the first time in 3-D.
In the annual prerecorded broadcast, the monarch paid tribute to the armed forces, "whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends" over the holidays, and expressed gratitude for the outpouring of enthusiasm for her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The queen said she was struck by the "strength of fellowship and friendship" shown by well-wishers to mark her 60 years on the throne.
"It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago," she said as footage showed crowds lining the River Thames in the rain earlier this year for a boat pageant. "People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations."
The queen also reflected on Britain's hosting of the Olympic Games in 2012, praising the "skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes" and singling out the volunteers who devoted themselves "to keeping others safe, supported and comforted."
Elizabeth's message aired shortly after she attended a traditional church service at St. Mary Magdelene Church on her sprawling Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Wearing a turquoise coat and matching hat, the monarch rode to church in a Bentley, accompanied by two of her granddaughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Her husband, Prince Philip, walked from the house to the church with other members of the royal family.
Three familiar faces were missing from the family outing. Prince William is spending the holiday with his pregnant wife, Kate, and his in-laws in the southern England village of Bucklebury. Prince Harry is serving with British troops in Afghanistan.
After the church service, the royals usually gather to watch the queen's prerecorded television broadcast, a tradition that began with a radio address by King George V in 1932.
The queen has made a prerecorded Christmas broadcast on radio since 1952 and on television since 1957. She writes the speeches herself, and the broadcasts mark the rare occasion on which the queen voices her own opinion without government consultation.
Her switch to 3-D was not the only technological leap for prominent British figures this Christmas.
The archbishops of Canterbury and York chose to tweet their sermons for the first time in order to bring Christmas to a new digital audience.
In his speech, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said he has been inspired by meeting victims of suffering over the past decade while leading the world's 80 million-strong Anglican Communion.
Delivering his final Christmas Day sermon from Canterbury Cathedral, Archbishop Williams also acknowledged how a vote against allowing women to become bishops has damaged the credibility of the church.
Still, he said, it was "startling" to see after the vote how many people "turned out to have a sort of investment in the church, a desire to see the church looking credible and a real sense of loss when — as they saw it — the church failed to sort its business out.
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And then there were none... Jack Klugman, last of the 12 Angry Men, dies aged 90
And then there were none... Jack Klugman, last of the 12 Angry Men, dies aged 90
by James Cusick, independent.co.ukDecember 25th 2012
The death of the American actor Jack Klugman will be mourned by TV fans of the slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and the forensic medic Quincy, M.E.
But his death at 90 will be noted by Hollywood historians for another reason. Klugman was the last survivor of the dozen jurors in Sidney Lumet's landmark 1957 film, 12 Angry Men.
Five years ago the Library of Congress selected the film as being culturally and significantly important in US history. The US Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, recently said the jury drama was crucial to her decision to follow a career in the law.
Klugman made his name on television in the early 1950s, but got his big-screen break in Lumet's film. For the 12 actors who appeared together in the one-set jury room throughout virtually all the film's 96 minutes, the drama became the defining, and in many cases the proudest, project of their careers.
Based on a teleplay by Reginald Rose, it explores the tense road towards a unanimous verdict of a jury following the murder trial of an 18-year-old Puerto Rican in New York.
The acting credits for 12 Angry Men are a Hollywood rarity. No names are used in Rose's script. The accused is simply referred to as "the boy". Klugman played juror # 5 whose backstory included a violent slum past and support for Baltimore's baseball team. He was the youngest of all the jurors.
For an American audience that had for six years endured the anti-Communist witch hunts of McCarthyism, Lumet's film would have made uncomfortable viewing. For Lee J Cobb, who played juror #3, a hot-tempered businessman who was the main antagonist for juror #8, Henry Fonda's liberal architect, the horrors brought by Senator McCarthy were real. Cobb was accused of being a Communist, and refused to give evidence to the House Un-American Activities Committee, for which he was blacklisted. But in 1953, after his wife had been institutionalised, he "named names", 20 of them. He said he'd been worn down.
Klugman went on to appear in a succession of film and TV roles throughout the 1960s before securing his starring role in The Odd Couple from 1970 to 1975, for which he was nominated for two Emmy Awards. A year later he was back on the small screen in Quincy, the series about a medical examiner in Los Angeles who used forensic science to get to the bottom of suspicious deaths. The show aired on NBC until 1983 and netted Klugman another four Emmy nominations. He described Quincy as a precursor to later crime-scene investigation shows, which he said "just took what we did and made it bloodier and sexier".
Whatever happened to... the 12 angry men
Martin Balsam Juror (foreman). Died 1996. Appeared in 'Psycho', 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and 'All The President's Men'. Won an Oscar in 1966 for 'A Thousand Clowns'.
John Fielder Juror. Died 2005. Best known as Vinnie in film version of Neil Simon's 'The Odd Couple' (alongside Klugman). Voice of Piglet in Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh films.
Lee J. Cobb Juror. Died 1976. Nominated for an Oscar for his role opposite Marlon Brando in 'On the Waterfront'.
E G Marshall Juror. Died 1998. One of the original group of actors, alongside Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, to join the Actors' Studio union in 1948.
Jack Klugman Juror. Died 2012.
Edward Binns Juror. Died 1990. Played General Bedlell Smith in award-winning 1970 film 'Patton'.
Jack Warden Juror. Died 2006. Oscar nominations for 'Shampoo' and 'Heaven Can Wait'.
Henry Fonda Juror. Died 1982. Hollywood legend who won best actor Oscar for 'On Golden Pond' (1981). Also appeared in 'The Longest Day' and 'Once Upon a Time in the West'.
Joseph Sweeney Juror. Died 1963. '12 Angry Men' came at the end of a distinguished stage career in the US.
Ed Begley Juror. Died 1970. Won 1962 Oscar for 'Sweet Bird of Youth'. Appeared in 'Bonanza'.
George Voskovec Juror. Fled to the US from Prague in 1939.
Robert Webber Juror. Died 1989. Appeared with Dudley Moore in '10'.
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Monday, December 24, 2012
Online spending for holiday increases
Online spending for holiday increases
by Ross D. Frankli, usatoday.comDecember 24th 2012
Consumers spent more money this holiday season compared to last year, says a report from commerce research firm comScore.
Online shoppers have spent nearly $37 billion between Nov. 1 and Dec. 21, up 16% versus the same time period last year. Last week was particularly strong thanks to a "Free Shipping Day" option offered by retailers. Consumers spent 53% more online last week compared to the same time in 2011.
"We typically do not see such heavy spending this late in the season, but the fact that Free Shipping Day occurred on a Monday, combined with the fact that so many retailers extended their promotions into the middle of the week -- with guaranteed shipping by Christmas -- helped deliver an encouraging late-season surge," says comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni in a statement.
Cyber Monday, which fell on Nov. 26, saw the heaviest online spending at more than $1.4 billion. Consumers passed the $1 billion spending mark 12 days this season, up from 10 last year.
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Actor Jack Klugman dies in Los Angeles
Actor Jack Klugman dies in Los Angeles
usatoday.com | Dec 24th 2012LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's The Odd Couple and the crime-fighting coroner in Quincy, M.E., died Monday, a son said. He was 90.
Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side.
"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.
Jack Klugman apparently died suddenly, and family members were not sure of the exact cause.
Never anyone's idea of a matinee idol, Klugman remained a popular star for decades simply by playing a gruff but down-to-earth guy, his tie stained and a little loose, a cigar in hand during the days when smoking was permitted.
His was a city actor ideal for The Odd Couple which ran from 1970 to 1975 and was based on Neil Simon's play about mismatched roommates, divorced New Yorkers who end up living together. The show teamed Klugman — the sloppy sports writer Oscar Madison — and Tony Randall — the fussy photographer Felix Unger — in the roles played by Walter Matthau and Art Carney on Broadway and Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1968 film.
Klugman had already had a taste of the show when he replaced Matthau on Broadway, and he learned to roll with the quick-thinking Randall.
"There's nobody better to improvise with than Tony," Klugman said. "A script might say, 'Oscar teaches Felix football.' There would be four blank pages. He would provoke me into reacting to what he did. Mine was the easy part."
They were the best of friends in real life. When Randall died in 2004 at age 84, Klugman told CNN: "A world without Tony Randall is a world that I cannot recognize."
In Quincy, M.E., which ran from 1976 to 1983, Klugman played an idealistic, tough-minded medical examiner who tussled with his boss by uncovering evidence of murder in cases where others saw natural causes.
"Everybody said, 'Quincy'll never be a hit.' I said, 'You guys are wrong. He's two heroes in one, a cop and a doctor,'" he said in a 1987 Associated Press interview.
For his 1987 role as 81-year-old Nat in the Broadway production of I'm Not Rappaport, Klugman wore leg weights to learn to shuffle like an elderly man. He said he would wear them for an hour before each performance, "to remember to keep that shuffle."
"The guy is so vital emotionally, but physically he can't be," Klugman said.
"We treat old people so badly. There is nothing easy about 80."
The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, he was born in Philadelphia and began his acting career in college drama. He made his Broadway debut in 1952 in a revival of Golden Boy. His film credits included Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men and Blake Edwards' Days of Wine and Roses, and an early television highlight was appearing with Humphrey Bogart and Henry Fonda in a production of The Petrified Forest.
His performance in the classic 1959 musical Gypsy brought him a Tony nomination for best featured (supporting) actor in a musical.
Throat cancer took away his raspy voice for several years in the 1980s. When he was back on the stage for a 1993 revival of Three Men on a Horse, the Associated Press review said, "His voice may be a little scratchy but his timing is as impeccable as ever."
"The only really stupid thing I ever did in my life was to start smoking," he said in 1996. Seeing people smoking in television and films, he added, "disgusts me, it makes me so angry — kids are watching."
Klugman's wife, actress-comedian Brett Somers, played his ex-wife, Blanche, in the Odd Couple series. The couple, who married in 1953 and had two sons, Adam and David, had been estranged for years at the time of her death in 2007.
In February 2008, at age 85, Klugman married longtime girlfriend Peggy Crosby.
In 1997, Klugman was sued by an ex-girlfriend, Barbara Neugass, who claimed he had promised to support her for the rest of her life. But a jury rejected her claim.
———
Biographical material in this story was written by former AP staffer Polly Anderson.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Salt Lake Tribune: Two senators say Hagel would face tough confirmation
Two senators say Hagel would face tough confirmation
the Associated PressPublished Dec 23, 2012 11:58PM MDT
Washington • Two senators predicted Sunday that former Sen. Chuck Hagel would face a difficult confirmation if nominated by President Barack Obama to be defense secretary. Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who's retiring and wouldn't have a vote, cited Hagel's less-than-hawkish positions on Iran. Lieberman told CNN's "State of the Union" that it would be "a very tough confirmation process." On NBC's "Meet the Press," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said it would be "a challenging nomin...Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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While making 'Django Unchained,' his new movie about Southern slavery, Quentin Tarantino worried he was going too far
While making 'Django Unchained,' his new movie about Southern slavery, Quentin Tarantino worried he was going too far
by Marshall Fine, nydailynews.comDecember 23rd 2012 6:00 AM
Even Quentin Tarantino thought he might have gone too far as he prepared to make "Django Unchained," opening Tuesday.
He had written scenes of a chain gang of slaves en route to auction, slogging through the mud of Greenville, Miss. ("Like a black Auschwitz," Tarantino termed it), and of more slaves picking cotton in a field under scorching sun with armed overseers guarding them on horseback.
But the idea of shooting those scenes in Louisiana, where most of "Django" was filmed, with black actors being asked to portray slaves, unnerved the usually self-confident director.
The prospect made him so edgy that he considered shooting those scenes in the West Indies or even Brazil, just so he wouldn't be reenacting slave-related atrocities upon the landscape where such events actually happened.
So Tarantino turned to actor-director Sidney Poitier, the first African-American to win a Best Actor Oscar, for advice.
"Sidney basically told me to man up," Tarantino says. "He said, 'Quentin, for whatever reason, you've been inspired to make this film. You can't be afraid of your own movie. You must treat them like actors, not property. If you do that, you'll be fine.' "
By choosing to set his blend of spaghetti Western, 1970s revisionist action movie and blaxploitation film in pre-Civil War Mississippi, Tarantino wanted to confront the reality of slavery in a way Hollywood has avoided for virtually its entire history.
While there have been films — from "Gone With the Wind" to "Glory" — that have dealt with slaves and slavery, few of them have shown its brutality and inhumanity the way Tarantino does.
"It's touchy, painful and uncomfortable," the 49-year-old filmmaker says. "It makes people afraid — both black and white.
"Most countries have been forced to deal with the atrocities in their history — the world has made them. They've gotten through it." But in the United States, he adds, the nation "didn't even deal with our genocidal past with the American Indians until the 1960s.
"My goal with 'Django' was not to dramatize a history book or take it into a 'Schindler's List' direction, though I think 'Schindler's List' is a great film," he says. "I wanted to tell an exciting adventure story with a 21st-century view."
Having audaciously killed Adolf Hitler in the 2009 "Inglourious Basterds," Tarantino goes completely hot-button with "Django Unchained." He doesn't just grab the live-wire issue of America's shameful history of slavery. He does it in a movie that blends wildly violent action, adventure, romance, light comedy and more than 100 uses of the most verboten of racial epithets.
The film stars Jamie Foxx as a freed slave named Django, who sets off to free his wife (Kerry Washington) with the help of a courtly German bounty hunter (Oscar winner Christoph Waltz). But the wife is the property of a despicable plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), who trains male slaves — "mandingos" — for to-the-death, bare-knuckle boxing matches.
Notes Waltz, whose bounty hunter becomes Django's partner and ally: "In a way, slavery is an unresolved issue, a topic that hasn't been universally addressed. You would think that the victory of the North over the South would have ended the discussion, but it's never been properly dealt with."
With its frequent spurts of blood, depictions of slaves being whipped and worse, the film has aroused controversy, as much for its nonstop use of the N-word as for the violence.
That misses the point, Washington says.
"I'm fascinated that, in this epic adventure love story, we'd spend so much time just talking about one word," she tells the Daily News.
"To tell the story and be true to the culture, you have to use it. It was used as a weapon, to make people feel less-than. I think it's important that today's young people, who use it and don't know the history, see it in that context — that it was evil."
Focusing on the sensational aspects of the film misses a larger point, Washington says.
"So many films about slavery are about powerlessness. This is about a black man who finds his freedom and rescues his wife. Django is a liberator, a hero — there's nothing shameful about that," she says.
Indeed, says Jamie Foxx, the romance is what drew him to the script.
"What I gravitated to was the love story," Foxx says. "When you see stories about slavery, you never get a chance to see slaves fighting back. That's a first. We kept saying that during shooting — that there were a lot of firsts. And it's just a fantastic ride."
Still, DiCaprio squirmed when he sat down for the first reading. As the villain of the piece, Calvin Candie had to be not just on the wrong side of history — but thoroughly rotten, someone who was reared by black slaves but still viewed them as subhuman and thought nothing of dropping the N-bomb frequently.
"I hated him," DiCaprio says of his character. "I was incredibly uncomfortable with the language, with the degree to which he treated other people as badly as he did. It was very disturbing. I even said to Quentin, 'Do I need to be this atrocious?'
"And Jamie and [co-star] Samuel L. Jackson both said, 'If you sugarcoat it, if you hold back, people will feel we're not telling the truth.' That ignited me to go as far as I did."
Jackson recalls the moment: "I took him aside and said, 'This is just another Tuesday, motherf—. Let's do this.' "
Since his 1992 breakthrough, "Reservoir Dogs," Tarantino has always been a provocative filmmaker, from his use of fractured time lines to his gleefully vulgar dialogue to his lavish way with gore. Still, "Django Unchained" is the work of a more mature director, one who made sure that the cast and crew were comfortable every step of the way, even as they dealt with material that was alternately dark, incendiary and outrageously funny.
"Could I have made this film 20 years ago? Maybe, but it probably would have been so different you wouldn't recognize it," says the outsized personality known to friends as Quentin and to fans as QT.
"I doubt I would have tried to make it a love story. It would have been more about retribution.
"I think I'm the same artist I was, going on the same journey. I've grown into my profession, into my talent. I know more what I'm doing, instead of working on instinct. I want to try bigger, bolder, broader things."
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Sen. Inouye praised as humble leader at Hawaii Capitol
Sen. Inouye praised as humble leader at Hawaii Capitol
by Oskar Garci, csmonitor.comDecember 23rd 2012
The late US Sen. Daniel Inouye is being praised as a humble leader who embodied honor, dignity, and duty during a public visitation at Hawaii's state Capitol.
Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie told hundreds of people gathered Saturday night that Inouye went from being considered undesirable as a Japanese-American at the start of World War II to gaining the respect of the country's leaders in Washington.
"Rest easy, you are at home with us in paradise," Abercrombie said. Abercrombie's remarks toward the end of an hour-long ceremony marked the start of seven hours of public visitation.
Inouye's closed casket, covered with an American flag, was escorted in by seven pallbearers along a red carpet to the center of the Capitol courtyard.
After the ceremony, it was placed in a large tent with the U.S. and Hawaii flags behind it, as people lined up outside to pay their respect, starting with Inouye's wife, Irene Hirano Inouye.
Inouye is just one of several Hawaii icons to lie in state at the Capitol in Honolulu. Sen. Hiram Fong was honored the same way in 2004, as was U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink in 2002 and singer Israel Kamakawiwoole in 1997.
"The Senator was the quintessential man of his word," said state House Speaker Calvin Say, who said Inouye understood that trust is the strongest currency in politics.
Say said Inouye let his work do the talking for him.
The 88-year-old World War II hero and federal lawmaker of more than five decades died Monday.
Inouye was a high school senior in Honolulu on Dec. 7, 1941, when he watched dozens of Japanese planes fly toward Pearl Harbor and other Oahu military bases to begin a bombing that changed the course of world events.
He volunteered for a special U.S. Army unit of Japanese-Americans – including several who attended the Saturday night ceremony. Inouye lost his right arm in a battle with Germans in Italy. That scratched his dream of becoming a surgeon. He went to law school and into politics instead, becoming a congressman and the first Japanese-American elected to the Senate.
He became known as a solo economic power in his home state as part of the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he steered federal money toward Hawaii to build roads, schools and housing.
Colleagues and aides lined the rotunda of the US Capitol on Thursday to bid aloha to Inouye during a rare ceremony to demonstrate the respect he earned over decades.
He was eulogized by President Barack Obama.
Obama, who arrived early Saturday in Honolulu for his annual Christmas family vacation, said during a service at Washington's National Cathedral on Friday that Inouye's presence during the Watergate hearings helped show him what could be possible in his own life.
Visitors began signing condolence books at the governor's office on Friday, with additional books available at the Saturday service.
The service brought a steady stream of mourners toward downtown Honolulu one day before another service for Inouye was scheduled at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Obama plans to attend that ceremony, White House officials said on Saturday.
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Obama begins Hawaiian Christmas vacation by playing golf with friend arrested for soliciting prostitute (and leaves fiscal cliff negotiations hanging)
Obama begins Hawaiian Christmas vacation by playing golf with friend arrested for soliciting prostitute (and leaves fiscal cliff negotiations hanging)
by James Nye, dailymail.co.ukDecember 22nd 2012
As the nation peers over the edge of the fiscal cliff, President Obama kicked off his Christmas vacation in Hawaii today by playing a round of golf with friends - including his longtime pal Bobby Titcomb, who was arrested last year on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute.
Arriving in Hawaii aboard Air Force One late last night, the president enjoyed a morning at his family's vacation residence which lies along the shores of Kailua, which is on the island of Oahu.
Then, gathering White House chef Sam Kass, staffer Marvin Nicholson, and friends Mike Ramos and Bobby Titcomb, Mr. Obama traveled to the Kailua Marine Corps Base, where he started his round at the Kaneohe Clipper Course.
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President Obama has known Titcomb since they attended Honolulu's Punahou School together in the 1970s - the president graduated in 1979, a year before Titcomb.
Titcomb was arrested in April 2011 in an undercover prostitution sting operation after allegedly approaching an undercover police officer for sex in downtown Hawaii.
The close friend of the President pleaded no contest to the charges and was fined $500 and the judge accepted his request for a deferral, which meant that the charge was struck from his record if he stayed out of trouble with the law for six months.
At the time the 49-year-old said he did not fully agree with the facts of the case but wanted to take responsibility, according to his lawyer.
He was one of four men arrested in a police sting on April 4 after officers received reports the area was a hotbed for prostitution.
According to the spring 2007 edition of the Punahou Bulletin, he worked as a commercial fisherman and Northwest Airlines flight attendant.
The pair often get together to golf and dine when the president visits the state, and he was one of a few close friends to accompany him when he scattered the ashes of his grandmother Madelyn Dunham, who died of cancer in 2008.
Titcomb was pictured alongside Mr Obama and his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng as they paid their last respects at the Lanai Lookout, a scenic area of coastline on the south-east corner of Oahu, Hawaii.
Titcomb has visited the White House on numerous occasions to visit the president, the most recent of these visits was during Mr. Obama's August birthday when he was included in a round of golf with the commander in chief's closest friends at the golf course of Andrews Air Force Base.
According to White House visitation records after the round of golf, President Obama invited the golfing party over to the White House for a barbecue.
Before being arrested for soliciting a prostitute in April, Titcomb was convicted of a speeding offence in March 2011.
In June 1987, he was arrested for driving under the influence, for crashing into an unattended vehicle and criminal contempt of court.
He pleaded to those charges in August 1989, when a judge fined him $290 and suspended his licence for 90 days.
He has spoken to the press about the president on several occasions.
In 2004, just before Mr Obama successfully ran to become senator for Illinois, Titcomb spoke to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
He said: 'I could see he [Obama] was bound for bigger things. He looked at the world more globally than the rest of us. There was something driven about him.
'But he also played basketball, tennis and hung out at the beach with the rest of us.
'He's honest, he's truthful and he's always encouraged the better things in you. And you always go back to those people who water your plant, who water your garden.'
The Obamas touched down in Hawaii early on Saturday, kicking off the first family's tropical holiday celebration in the president's homeland.
United States President Barack Obama and Sasha Obama head down the jetway after arriving on Air Force One in Hawaii
President Obama and his wife, Michelle, and two daughters Malia and Sasha emerged from Air Force One at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, looking at ease and ready to enjoy a laid back holiday as they ditched their cold weather gear for warm weather wear.
The president traveled to his native state after an emotional week of mourning the Sandy Hook elementary tragedy, paying his respects to Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, who passed away this week, and the ongoing back-and-forth with Congress over the looming fiscal cliff.
With Mr Obama away from Washington, the White House released his pre-recorded Weekly Address, starring the first lady, in which they wished Americans a happy holiday and made special note of the many members of the military who were finding their way home 'to join the family and share in the holiday spirit.'
'After a decade of war, our heroes are coming home and all across America, military families are reuniting.'
'So this week, let's give thanks for our veterans and their families. And let's say a prayer for all our troops - especially those in Afghanistan - who are spending this holiday overseas, risking their lives to defend the freedoms we hold dear.'
'Our military families sacrifice so much on our behalf, and Barack and I believe that we should serve them as well as they serve this country,' the first lady added.
The president is starting his vacation after a busy week of political maneuvering and negotiation in the beltway.
On Friday, he nominated Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as his new Secretary of State and he still needs to name a permanent head to the Central Intelligence Agency and new Department of Defense head, as part of his expected cabinet shake-up in his second term.
He had also delivered a statement on extending the last Bush administration's tax cuts, urging lawmakers to reach agreement on averting tax hikes on the middle class and saying he was ready committed to reaching a deal by January 1st.
Obama said he had spoken with Republican House Speaker John Boehner and met with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid about the fiscal cliff. The president said he was an optimist and believed a deal could be hammered out.
Festive Spirit: U.S. President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia depart the White House for a Christmas vacation in Hawaii
One day after House anti-tax rebels torpedoed Republican legislation because it would raise rates on million-dollar-earners, Obama said he still wants a bill that requires the well-to-do to pay more.
'Everybody's got to give a little bit in a sensible way' to prevent the economy from pitching over a recession-threatening fiscal cliff, he said.
He spoke after talking by phone with House Speaker John Boehner - architect of the failed House bill - and meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
'I still think we can get it done,' Obama said as he struggled to pick up the pieces of weeks of failed negotiations and political maneuvering.
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama walks with her daughter Sasha on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington before the first family departure to Honolulu, Hawaii
The president spoke at the end of a day in which stocks tumbled and congressional leaders squabbled as the fiscal cliff drew implacably closer.
'How we get there, God only knows,' said Boehner at a morning news conference, referring to the increasingly tangled attempts to beat the January 1st deadline and head off the perilous combination of across-the-board tax hikes and deep spending cuts that threaten to send the economy into recession.
There was no immediate response from his office to the president's remarks.
Obama spoke shortly before a scheduled departure to join his family in Hawaii for Christmas, but in an indication of the importance of the issue, he told reporters he would be returning to the White House next week.
He said that in his negotiations with Boehner, he had offered to meet Republicans halfway when it came to taxes, and 'more than halfway' toward their target for spending cuts.
He said he remains committed to working toward a goal of longer-term deficit reduction, but in the meantime he said politics should not prevent action on legislation to keep taxes from rising for tens of millions.
'Averting this middle class tax hike is not a Democratic responsibility or a Republican responsibility. With their votes, the American people have decided that government is a shared responsibility,' he said, referring to a Congress where power is divided between the two parties.
'Everybody's got to live a little bit in a sensible way. We move forward together or we don't move forward at all,' he added.
Adding to the sense of a busy day for the president, he nominated Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, one of Washington's most respected voices on foreign policy, as his next secretary of state.
The move is the first in an expected overhaul of Obama's national security team heading into his second term.
As the nation's top diplomat, Kerry will not only be tasked with executing the president's foreign policy objectives, but will also have a hand in shaping them.
The longtime lawmaker has been in lockstep with Obama on issues like nuclear non-proliferation, but ahead of the White House in advocating aggressive policies in Libya, Egypt and elsewhere that the president later embraced.
'He is not going to need a lot of on-the-job training,' Obama said, standing alongside Kerry in a Roosevelt Room ceremony.
'Few individuals know as many presidents and prime ministers or grasp our foreign policies as firmly as John Kerry.'
He is expected to win confirmation easily in the Senate, where he has served since 1985, the last six years as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier on Friday, with reverential words and warm memories, President Barack Obama led the admirers paying tribute to the late Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, a war hero and senator for 50 years who was hailed for his leadership and modesty. Obama said Inouye was the one who 'hinted to me what might be possible in my own life.'
'For him freedom and dignity were not abstractions,' Obama said at the National Cathedral Service. 'They were values that he had bled for.'
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Inouye died Monday of respiratory complications. He was 88.
The tributes from the nation's political leaders were deeply personal. Vice President Joe Biden said he remembered thinking of Inouye: 'I wish I could be more like that man. He's a better man than I am.'
Former President Bill Clinton described Inouye as 'one of the most remarkable Americans I have ever known.'
Inouye was the first Japanese-American elected to both houses of Congress and the second-longest serving senator in U.S. history. He was awarded a Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor, for bravery during World War II, including a heroic effort that cost him his right arm.
'They blew his arm off in World War II, but they never, never laid a finger on his heart or his mind,' Clinton said.
On Sunday, the President and First Lady will attend a memorial service for the late Senator Daniel Inouye at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.
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Redskins game not meaningless for returning McCoy
Redskins game not meaningless for returning McCoy
miamiherald.comPHILADELPHIA -- This time, it was the grain of conventional wisdom LeSean McCoy was cutting back against, but McCoy did so with just as much quickness and precision as he shows on the field.
Asked Wednesday why he would want to play now, with the Eagles eliminated from postseason consideration, McCoy said: "Why would I want to play? Why wouldn't I want to play? They pay me to play this game. I love to play this game, so why wouldn't I play? What would that be, for me not to play?"
Theoretically, by starting as scheduled Sunday against the Redskins, McCoy could risk another concussion, or of course, any other kind of injury that might dim his 2013 prospects, trying to win a game many Eagles fans probably would just as soon lose, to enhance their draft position. But nobody in the locker room or on the presumably doomed coaching staff is thinking about that.
"We're all part of the team," coach Andy Reid said. "It's not a hierarchy that way," in which some starters are allowed to risk injury while others aren't. "That's not how it works. If you're healthy, you play. LeSean understands that, our team understands that, and so, that's how you go about business. LeSean wouldn't want it any other way, and that's how I feel."
Of course, quarterback Michael Vick is scheduled to sit out the final two games, but that mainly has to do with the Eagles wanting to get a better read on rookie Nick Foles, and probably with thinking Vick isn't in their plans for 2013.
Reid said McCoy won't carry a normal workload Sunday; McCoy said he felt "real rusty" in his first practice since he suffered the concussion, in the final moments of the Eagles' loss at the Redskins Nov. 18.
"I don't live like that, just take off," McCoy said when asked about sitting out. "Just like the play when I got hurt - people blame coach for it, but I wanted to be in there (during the final minutes with the game out of reach). I'm a competitor. So, I'll finish the season out, hopefully."
It's possible fans will get a preview of what a backfield that prominently features both runners could be like next season, but keep in mind that McCoy will take a lesser role than he would seem likely to command going forward. Brown never managed more than five carries in a game until McCoy went down; the next two weeks, the seventh-round rookie from Kansas State ran for 347 yards on 43 carries, the most yardage by an Eagles back in successive games since Steve Van Buren in 1949.
Brown has gained only 40 yards on 28 carries the last two weeks, with defenses keying on him, and he has lost four fumbles in four starts.
"When you sit out for four weeks, then expect to go out there and get, what, 20-something carries, it just doesn't work well," McCoy said. "(Brown) is a good back. A lot of teams rotate their guys. I don't think my role will decrease at all" in the future.
Foles hasn't had McCoy in his arsenal since Foles' first start, that 31-6 loss at Washington.
"LeSean's very experienced," Foles said Wednesday. "He's been here for several years, and he's made a lot of guys miss, so just to have his ability out there playing again is exciting for us."
McCoy said, "Just getting my wind back, listening to the plays again" was a struggle Wednesday.
Before this, he had never missed more than one game in a season, certainly hadn't gone anywhere near a month without practicing.
VICK OFFICIALLY THIRD
Andy Reid confirmed what Michael Vick alluded to on Monday - Vick is the Eagles' third quarterback on Sunday, behind Nick Foles and Trent Edwards. Reid reserved the right to change his mind on whether Vick is second or third as the week progresses, but Vick doesn't seem to be expecting any upgrade.
"Right now, I just want to get him back in the swing and going here, and make sure he's good," Reid said.
Vick said he is simulating Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III for the scout team - a step up for the defense from when the teams played last month and wideout Marvin McNutt performed that task.
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told a conference call with Philadelphia reporters that Griffin III, sidelined last week with a knee injury, practiced fully Wednesday and should start against the Eagles, pending medical approval. In the previous meeting, Griffin completed 14 of 15 passes for 200 yards, four touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. He also ran for 84 yards on a dozen carries.
THE SKINNY ON PATTERSON
Defensive tackle Mike Patterson said he lost 20 pounds during his bout with viral pneumonia and now weighs 286, less than he has since entering the NFL from USC in 2005.
Patterson said there were no hard feelings from the back-and-forth last week between his agents and the Eagles over the initial decision to cut Patterson's pay when he went on the non-football illness list. (The Eagles ultimately rewrote the contract so they wouldn't be doing that.)
"A business move, that's the only way to look at it," Patterson said. "Everything's back to normal, and I'm just happy with the end result."
BIRDSEED
Asked about the potential of this being his last home game with the Eagles, and of the fans perhaps giving him some sort of "send-off," Andy Reid said: "I haven't even thought of it ... I haven't even gone there." ... Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said the defense has been gelling the past few weeks, and "you wish the fix had happened sooner." ... Michael Vick, as he exited the locker room: "I ain't done. Far from done." ... Mike Shanahan was asked on a conference call to assess his son, Kyle, the Redskins' offensive coordinator, as a head-coaching candidate. Shanahan said he leaves matters like that for the offseason.
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Is putting a cop in every school even possible, or wise?
Is putting a cop in every school even possible, or wise?
FOX NEWS | DECEMBER 23, 2012
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Well before the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre called for an armed police officer at every school in America, Jon Hayden had given the re... Read more
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Targus iNotebook: Pen, paper and iPad
Targus iNotebook: Pen, paper and iPad
TUAW - THE UNOFFICIAL APPLE WEBLOG | DECEMBER 22, 2012
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Despite having the latest in high technology at my fingertips, I like to take notes on good old paper. Yeah, I know -- I should at least snap photos o... Read more
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Sweden outs an accused pirate for the first time ever
Sweden outs an accused pirate for the first time ever
DAILY DOT | DECEMBER 21, 2012
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It held out for more than three years, but even the end, even Sweden snitched on one of its citizens accused of copyright infringement. Sweden, consi... Read more
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Ryan Freel dead at 36 of apparent suicide
Ryan Freel dead at 36 of apparent suicide
usatoday.com | Dec 23rd 2012During an eight-year major-league career that took him to five teams, Ryan Freel enjoyed a reputation among teammates as high-energy, outgoing and hilarious. That's why so many were shocked to learn that Freel, 36, was found dead Saturday in his Jacksonville, Fla., home with what police told the Florida Times-Union appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sean Casey, Freel's former teammate with the Cincinnati Reds, tweeted about his death: "RIP Ryan Freel!! Great teammate, great guy, n loved his family! Such a sad day today with his passing! Awful news! Prayers are with his family!"
Freel played for the Reds from 2003 to 2008, and during one three-year stretch had 110 stolen bases. He was paid $11.55 million in his career, which ended prematurely because of a succession of injuries that plagued him after 2006. He was hit in the head with a pickoff throw in 2009, an injury that put him on the disabled list.
After retiring in 2010, Freel returned to Jacksonville, his hometown, and coached youth players for an organization called Big League Development. He was named head coach of St. Joseph Academy in June but resigned shortly after taking the job.
Freel was raised by his Cuban-American mother, who worked 16 hours a day as a teacher and housecleaner in Jacksonville. He credited her for his gritty, all-out style of play. Freel also had a goofy side. He told the Dayton Daily News in 2006 that he had an imaginary friend named Farney.
"He's a little guy who lives in my head who talks to me and I talk to him," he told the paper. "That little midget in my head said, 'That was a great catch, Ryan.' I said, 'Hey, Farney, I don't know if that was you who really caught the ball, but that was pretty good if it was.'"
Freel twice was arrested for alcohol-related offenses but said he'd stopped drinking. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. In 2006, he was charged with misdemeanor disorderly intoxication.
"I have not had a sip of alcohol in (nearly) three years. I definitely learned from that," Freel told the Baltimore Sun when the Orioles acquired him in 2009. "Me and drinking probably wasn't a good thing. Kicking that whole thing was probably the best thing to happen for me, my family and my career."
His former teammates recall a personable, giving person. The Reds released a statement that said in part: "His teammates and our fans loved him for how hard he played the game, and he loved giving back to the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
Brandon Phillips, another of Freel's teammate with the Reds, tweeted, "Really hurt by his passing. You never will be forgotten."
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Saturday, December 22, 2012
Egyptians vote on disputed constitution
Egyptians vote on disputed constitution
usatoday.com | Dec 15th 2012
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptians voted on Saturday in the second and final phase of a referendum on an Islamist-backed constitution that has polarized the nation, with little indication that the result of the vote will end the political crisis in which the country is mired.
For some supporters, a 'yes' vote was a chance to restore some normalcy after nearly two years of tumultuous transitional politics following Egypt's 2011 revolution, or to make society and laws more Islamic. Opponents saw their 'no' vote as a way to preserve the country's secular traditions and prevent President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood group from getting a lock on power.
"I came early to make sure my 'no' is among the first of millions today," oil company manager Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz said as he waited in line outside a polling station in the Dokki district of Giza, Cairo's twin city on the west bank of the Nile. "I am here to say 'no' to Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood," he said.
Another Giza voter, accountant and mother of three Sahar Mohamed Zakaria, had a different take on Saturday's vote.
"I'm voting 'yes' for stability," she announced.
Saturday's vote is taking place in 17 of Egypt's 27 provinces with about 25 million eligible voters. The first phase on Dec. 15 produced a "yes" majority of about 56 percent with a turnout of some 32 percent, according to unofficial results. Unofficial votes for the second round are expected late Saturday or early Sunday.
As was the case in last week's vote, opposition and rights activists reported numerous irregularities: polling stations opened later than scheduled, Islamists outside the polling stations trying to influence voters to say "yes," and independent monitors denied access.
The vote comes a day after clashes between Morsi's opponents and supporters in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. It was the latest outbreak of street violence in more than four weeks of turmoil, with the country divided first over the president's powers then over the draft constitution.
The clashes — in which opponents of Islamists set fire to cars and dozens of people were hurt — illustrated how the new constitution, regardless of whether it is adopted or not, is unlikely to ease the conflict over the country's future.
In Fayoum, the capital of an oasis province of the same name where Islamist groups have traditionally had strong support, a member of the local Christian community said she also supported the charter.
Hanaa Zaki said she was also voting "yes" for stability and an end to the country's deepening economic problems. Most Christians elsewhere in the country are seen to oppose the draft.
Speaking as she waited in line along with bearded Muslim men and Muslim women wearing headscarves, Zaki said: "I have a son who didn't get paid for the past six months. We have been in this crisis for so long and we are fed up."
In the village of Sanaro, also in Fayoum province some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Cairo, farmer Azouz Ayesh sat with his neighbors as their cattle grazed in a nearby field. "I don't trust the Brotherhood anymore and I don't trust the opposition either. We are forgotten, the most miserable and the first to suffer. If I say 'yes' there will be stability and if I say 'no' there will still be no stability," he said.
"But I will vote against this constitution," he added.
In the neighboring village of Sheikh Fadl, a car fitted with loudspeakers toured the area with a man shouting, "Yes, yes to the constitution!" In the city of Fayoum, a man could be seen painting over posters urging people to vote "no."
In Giza's upscale Mohandiseen neighborhood, a group of 12 women speaking to each other in a mix of French, Arabic and English said they all intended to vote "no."
"My friends are Muslim and are voting 'no.' It's not about Christian versus Muslim, but it is Muslim Brotherhood versus everyone else," said one of the 12, Christian physician Shahira Sadeq. "Voting 'yes' does not mean stability."
Kamla el-Tantawi, 65, voted with her daughter and grand-daughter. "I voted 'no' against what I'm seeing," she said, gesturing to a woman standing close by wearing the full-face veil known as niqab and as a hallmark of ultraconservative Muslim women. "I lose sleep thinking about my grandchildren and their future. They never saw the beautiful Egypt we did."
"Morsi, God willing, will be better than those who came before him," said Zeinab Khalil, a mother of three who wears the niqab, said. "A 'yes' vote moves the country forward. We want things to calm down, more jobs and better education," she said, while waiting for her turn to vote in Giza's poor Imbaba district, a one-time stronghold of militant Islamists.
In part, Egypt's split has been over who will shape the country's path nearly two years after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago.
An opposition made up of liberals, leftists, secular Egyptians and a swath of the public angered over Morsi's 5-month-old rule fear that Islamists are creating a new Mubarak-style autocracy. They accuse the Brotherhood of monopolizing the levers of power and point to the draft charter, which Islamists on the Constituent Assembly rammed through despite a boycott by liberal and secular members. They are calling on supporters to vote "no."
Morsi's allies say the opposition is trying to use the streets to overturn their victories at the ballot box over the past two years. They also accuse the opposition of carrying out a conspiracy by former members of Mubarak's regime to regain power.
If the constitution is adopted, Morsi will call for the election of parliament's law-making lower chamber to be held within two months while giving the mostly toothless upper chamber legislative powers until the lower house is seated.
The upper chamber, known as the Shura Council, was elected by less than 10 percent of the country's 50 million registered voters. It is dominated by Islamists.
Morsi was already gearing up for the next steps after the constitution's passage, making a last-minute appointment of 90 new members to the Shura Council, a third of its total membership. Current rules allow him to do so, but if he waited until the charter was passed he could only appoint 10.
Friday's appointments added to the handful of non-Islamists in the upper house, but preserved the Islamists' overwhelming hold.
A spokesman for the main opposition umbrella National Salvation Front dismissed the appointments, accusing Morsi of setting up a token opposition much like Mubarak did.
———
Associated Press writer Maggie Michael reported from Fayoum, Egypt.
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