-NEW: Each says the other is capable of winning the presidency
-NEW: Obama again is asked to explain his "bitter" comments
-Candidates debate each other for first time in nearly two months
-Pennsylvania debate comes just six days before that state's crucial primary
Neither Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton nor Sen. Barack Obama would commit Wednesday when asked in a debate if they would take the other as their running mate should they win the nomination.
Both candidates responded to the first question of the debate with smiles, prompting laughter from the audience. After a moment, Obama said he was happy to respond.
"I think it's premature at this point for us to talk about who vice presidential candidates will be, because we're still trying to determine who the nominee will be." he said.
Clinton echoed those comments. "I'm going to do everything I possibly can to make sure that one of us takes the oath of office next January," she said. "I think that has to be the overriding goal, whatever we have to do."
Each candidate said they thought the other was capable of winning the presidency.
Initially Clinton did not respond to the question directly but then agreed that Obama could win the presidency.
"Yes, yes, yes," she said. "Now, I think that I can do a better job. Obviously, I believe I would be the best president, or I would not still be here standing on this stage. And I believe I'm the better and stronger candidate against Senator McCain, to go toe-to-toe with him on national security and on how we turn the economy around."
Obama replied in kind to the same question: "Absolutely, and I've said so before. But I, too, think that I'm the better candidate."
Clinton and Obama faced off at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just six days before the Pennsylvania primary. There was much at stake for both.
This was the 21st Democratic debate, and although that seems like a lot, much has happened since their last debate, in Ohio in late February.
While Obama was riding an 11-contest winning streak back then, Clinton won comeback kid honors when she took three of the four primaries held March 4. But Obama still leads Clinton in states won, pledged delegates to the Democratic convention and the overall popular vote in the primaries and caucuses held so far this campaign season.
Clinton needed to change the momentum in the battle for the Democratic nomination, and the best way to do that is to win big in Pennsylvania. But a new CNN Poll of Polls puts Clinton's lead at just 5 points over Obama in Pennsylvania, down from a double-digit lead two weeks ago.
The debate was "probably her last opportunity to change the momentum in the campaign," CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider said.
Clinton might be helped by Obama himself.
By the second question of the debate, the senator from Illinois found himself explaining, yet again, just what he meant when he told campaign donors at a San Francisco-area event 10 days ago that small-town Pennsylvania residents are "bitter" over their economic circumstances and "cling" to their guns and religion. He acknowledged that it is not the first time he has mangled a statement.
Obama went on to say that people who feel that they are not being heard will rely on what they know, such as religion and traditions.
"The problem that we have in our politics, which is fairly typical, is that you take one person's statement, if it's not properly phrased, and you just beat it to death," he said. "And that's what Senator Clinton's been doing over the last four days. And I understand that. That's politics. And I expect to have to go through this process."
In a response Clinton said that "my comments were about your remarks. And I think that's important, because it wasn't just me responding to them, it was people who heard them, people who felt as though they were aimed at their values, their quality of life, the decisions that they have made."
The reporting of the initial comment Friday sparked a controversy that put Obama on the defensive as both Clinton and presumptive GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain, tried to portray Obama as elitist and out of touch with average Americans.
"Obama's been on the defensive over these 'bitter' comments, and this is Clinton's opportunity to exploit that," Schneider said. "So far, we haven't seen any shifts in the polls in her direction, and tonight's debate is her last chance to exploit the situation.
"Obama's objective in this debate is to say 'let's move on' and that Clinton's trying to distract us from the real issues."
But both candidates would use the debate to reach out to voters outside Pennsylvania, CNN Political Editor Mark Preston said.
"While Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be making appeals to Pennsylvania voters tonight, they will also be hoping to build support with some very important audiences who won't be casting ballots next week," he said before the debate. "Clinton and Obama will also be trying to reach voters in Indiana and North Carolina, which hold primaries two weeks after Pennsylvania's April 22 contest."
And there's another more narrow electorate that both candidates hope to reach in Wednesday night's debate.
"The two Democrats will also be making indirect appeals to the undecided superdelegates, who will cast the deciding votes for the next Democratic nominee," Preston said.
"Clinton must score a knockout blow in tonight's debate as she attempts to prove she is more qualified to assume the role of commander in chief on day one. For his part, Obama must avoid making any mistakes and finally put to rest the controversy over his remarks about bitter Pennsylvanians who cling to their guns and religion."
The superdelegates are crucial to determining the Democratic presidential nomination. The primary calendar ends June 3, and neither Obama nor Clinton is expected to reach the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the nomination by then. So the decision is likely to come down to the 800 or so superdelegates, who are Democratic governors, members of Congress and party leaders.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Clinton, Obama face off in Pennsylvania
How to Fight a Speeding Ticket
Mel Leiding, an attorney from Anaheim, California and author of a 53-page guide titled "How to Fight Your Traffic Ticket and Win," says he would rather be mugged than get a traffic ticket. Why? Getting mugged is faster, cheaper and has no long-term repercussions, such as increased insurance premiums, loss of a license or being forced to attend traffic school. According to HowStuffWorks.com, millions of traffic tickets are issued annually in the United States with many tickets costing $100 or higher. It's a billion dollar business. If you pay the ticket by mail, you're admitting guilt and will pay the maximum fine. In addition, the ticket will be part of your DMV record for three years. Here are the only two legitimate ways you might be able to wiggle out of it. The key word is "might." Good luck!
1. Ask for a warning.
When you're pulled over by a police officer for speeding, remain in your car. Never get out. When the officer comes to your car window, look contrite. Be very polite. Do apologize -- profusely. And ask very nicely for a warning instead of a ticket. Never answer such questions as: "Do you know why I stopped you?" or "Do you know how fast you were going?" Say "I'm not sure," instead of saying something that admits your guilt.
2. No matter what the facts are, plead "not guilty" and ask for a court date.
Never pay the ticket by mail since that is the same as admitting guilt. Remember, this is the United States where you are innocent until proven guilty. Even if you think the evidence is solidly against you -- after all, there is that radar gun the cop was using -- don't give up. There are many ways the police can make mistakes that will result in your ticket being dismissed. Leiding says that as many as half of the traffic tickets issued in this country are dismissed because the police officer who wrote the ticket doesn't come to court. Those odds notwithstanding, when you do go to court, be prepared to fight the ticket. Consider hiring an attorney, which could be cheaper than the increased insurance premiums you'll have to pay if you're found guilty.
How to avoid getting a speeding ticket in the first place:
-Know the speed limit. While you want to keep up with traffic around you, try to not exceed the speed limit by more than nine mph.
-Don't drive in the left lane. Use it only for passing. More tickets are given to drivers who are in the left lane than other lanes.
-Realize that police officers with radar guns position themselves so you can't see them until it's too late, such as in parking lots or around a bend in the road.
-If you see a police officer giving someone else a ticket or driving on the opposite side of the highway, don't assume you're safe. The police could still be tracking you.
-Don't call attention to yourself. Keep the bumper stickers and vehicle modifications to a minimum. Make sure your car isn't loud.
-And what about speed cameras, the hottest new tool to catch speeders? Forget it. You're stuck with that bill. The only good news is that it's not reported to your insurance company or your DMV record.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Fake Million Dollar Bill Lands Man In Jail
The Aiken County Sheriff's Office arrested an Augusta man who tried to open a bank account with a counterfeit $1,000,000 bill.
Alexander D. Smith is charged with disorderly conduct and forgery.
Investigators say Smith gave the counterfeit bill to a teller at Regions Bank in Clearwater, South Carolina. The employee refused to accept the bill and called the sheriff's office.
Officers say Smith also purchased several cartons of cigarettes with a stolen check over the weekend.
The largest denomination of currency ever printed is the $100,000 bill. The bill was printed back in the 1930s.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Was Mumtaz really buried at Taj Mahal?
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the 17th century Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died delivering their 14th child in Burhanpur, a town in Maharashtra.
The queen's body was buried in Burhanpur itself but was believed to have been recovered for transportation to Agra where it was reburied in a grave in the Taj Mahal complex for at least 12 years to be again shifted to her final resting place in the basement of the monument.
As there is no detailed description or reference to any kind of treatment given to the body to keep it in recognisable shape for more than 12 years, two conjectures are now being offered.One, the body remained buried in Burhanpur, only some symbolic relics were brought to Agra in a lead coffin. Two, the body decomposed and virtually vanished, leaving behind some bones and perhaps the bare skelton.
"Obviously the coffin was not opened, otherwise we would have had some account of what remained inside it," says R. Nath, a Mughal historian. "In any case, how does it matter what state the body was in."
Afzal Khan, a historian of Aligarh Muslim University, says, "It is possible that the body might have been thoroughly decomposed, given the long duration for which it was kept outside and the time taken to transport it from the south to Agra. Since there are no accounts of how the whole process was carried out, one can only guess what could have happened to the body of Mumtaz."
A senior guide, 75-year-old SK Tripathi, says the body is believed to have been placed in a lead and copper coffin, which was air tight and sealed. It was kept at the Taj Mahal premises for a little over 12 years and was shifted as soon as more than half the edifice was constructed. The real graves of the two are in the basement, totally sealed.
"No one has gone there to see what state they are in now," he adds.
Archaeological Survey of India officials in Agra say they have no idea when was the last time someone had a close look at the basement and the foundation of the Taj Mahal, let alone the original graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
"We have no records of any such inspection," says one official.
The one little passage near the stair case leading to the main marble edifice was sealed more than a decade ago with a brick wall, which means there is now no way one can enter the sealed chambers below the Taj.
RC Sharma, a historian, says the body of Mumtaz Mahal was buried in Burhanpur. "What came to Agra must have been just bones in a coffin which was again reburied in the Taj complex."
From historical records available this was a unique feat. "Mumtaz was buried thrice at three different places," says Amit Mukherjea, who heads the history department of St John's College in Agra.
Most people do not know that the foundation of the Taj was actually laid in Burhanpur but because of the problems and costs involved in the transportation of marble from Rajasthan, Agra became the final choice.
"It was in Ahu Khana in Burhanpur on the bank of the Tapti river that her body was buried to be later transferred to Agra," according to KK Mohammed of ASI.
But the question relating to the technique of embalming and preservation remains unanswered.
Afsar Ahmed, a media researcher deeply interested in Mughal history, told IANS, You might find it difficult to believe but there's a possibility that the body of Mumtaz Mahal is still preserved in the Taj Mahal in the same condition as she was when she passed away. Mumtaz Mahal was buried six months after she passed away in June 1631. She was, however, buried in Jan 1632."
The question that arises now is: how was her body preserved? Ahmed quotes a report prepared by Armanul Haq, the curator in the Museum of History and Medicine in the Jamia Hamdard University, who claims that Mumtaz Mahal's body was preserved according to Unani techniques.
The process was used because cutting a body after death is prohibited in Islam. That is why when Mumtaz Mahal passed away in 1631 in Burhanpur, her body was kept in a tin box filled with such herbs as would stop the decay of flesh.
"The airtight tin box was filled with herbs like the ash of Babul tree (acacia), Mehendi (henna), Kapoor crystals (camphor), sandalwood ash, and then again camphor applied in layers upon layers. These herbs would have created a vacuum inside the box and prevented the decay of the body. A point to be noted here is that none of these herbs were put inside Mumtaz Mahal's body," says Ahmed.
If her body is still preserved and in fine shape, shall we call it the success of the Indian technique of mummification?
Camels in beauty contest
IT'S the only beauty contest in the world where the curvature of the ears, the size of nose relative to face and fullness of hump are all-important.
It's the camel beauty contest held in the United Arab Emirates, and more than 15,000 of the animals have vied for prizes including Range Rovers, Toyota pick-ups and over $10 million in cash.
Full story at The Times Online
Parrot teaches mates to swear
BARNEY the parrot is proving to be the most foul-mouthed bird in the world after it was revealed he is now teaching other birds to swear.
The yellow and blue Macaw has forged a notorious reputation for turning the air blue after his outbursts at the Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in Nuneaton, England.
Two years ago Barney had to be given a private pen at the wildlife sanctuary, after swearing repeatedly at distinguished visitors including a mayor, a vicar and two police officers.
Now his owner Jeff Grewcock says he has taught other parrots to swear, The Sun reports.
Mr Grewcock said: "They just sit there swearing at each other now. It sounds like a builders' yard, with all the abuse flying about."
It is believed a previous owner taught Barney his bad habit.
Barney had redeemed himself last year when it was revealed he was helping to teach an autistic boy to speak.
Sadly though it looks like Barney has gone back to his old ways.
A 27 Hour Long Kiss Made Her Owner of a chevrolet car
A WOMAN in China won a car after kissing it for 27 hours and 40 minutes to beat 120 other competitors in a bizarre contest.
Beijing Real estate saleswoman Zhang Chunying was allowed two 10-minute breaks and had to stand on one leg after 24 hours were up in the contest run by a shopping mall in the Chinese capital. With six contestants left after a full 24 hours, one contestant collapsed from dehydration after 25 hours of kissing the Chevrolet Lova, the South China Morning Post reports.Four other contestants dropped out over the next two hours, unable to remain kissing and standing on one leg long enough to win.
Although Zhang was learning dance which helped in mainting her body flexibility and increased her stamina but even she did not come out unscathed."I can't walk now," Zhang was quoted as saying by the newspaper."My legs are numb, and my waist is aching, but I'm happy I GOT the car."The contest is one of a number of bizarre stunts and promotions organised to promote the luxury shopping centres that have sprung up around booming Beijing in recent years.
Man offers his face as tattoo advertising space
JASON Niebling wants to be a "human advertising billboard" and work for whichever company is permanently tattooed on his head.
And the 37-year-old from Ipswich doesn't care if people think he's an idiot just as long as the crazy scheme pays off and he can better provide for his wife Amy and children Tre, Tanika, Candis and Finette.
Mr Niebling already has the left side of his face and his bald head covered in non-advertising tattoos, but the right half is up for sale to the highest bidder.
He is set to become the first person in Australia to ink a permanent tattoo advertisement on their body.
"My ultimate goal is that instead of getting up every morning and having to work for the man, I want to work for whoever's on my head," the labourer said.
"I thought, 'things are getting a bit rough and rent's going up. What better way to connect my love of art and support my family as well?'.
"As long as I look after them I don't care what anybody says about me."
Mr Niebling has spent a total of 24 hours in the chair having his body tattooed and he's loved every minute of it, despite the pain.
"It's like when you jump out of a plane, the rush you get, that's what happens when the needle hits my skin," said Mr Niebling, who will also feature in a documentary called Show Us Ya Tatts funded by anthropologist Dr Mair Underwood.
Tattoo advertising has been around since 2003 when American Jim Nelson sold the space on the back of his head to a web hosting service for $US7000 ($7550).
Two years later Andrew Fischer, from Omaha, Nebraska, gained worldwide notoriety for auctioning his forehead space on eBay for temporary tattoo advertising, with the final bid coming in at $US37,375 ($40,316) for 30 days of display.
"I want to be a human advertising billboard," said Mr Niebling, who aims to have his first tattoo advertisement inked on live television.
"If someone comes up with enough money, they can have the entire right side of my face, which would be the ultimate advertising space."
Mr Niebling has ruled out any offensive tattoos and plans to donate 10 per cent of his fees to charity.
So how much will he charge?
"If it's a little one it'll be nice and cheap but if they want to take half my head up, it'll be a larger price," he said.
"I take the chance they're not going to go broke next year and they take the chance I'm not going to go on the road and get hit by a car."
He's waiting for an answer from a Mexican restaurant in Brisbane that was looking at buying a $10,000 ad space on his head.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Gays get to lie straight
HOMOSEXUALS have been designated an area in a Copenhagen cemetery for those who want to be buried among people who shared their sexual orientation.
"We founded an association called Regnbuen (Rainbow) and our goal is that gays and lesbians can be buried next to each other," Ivan Larsen said.
The association has rented spots that can hold up to a total of 45 urns at Assistens cemetery. Each space costs $565.
The cemetery already hosts figures as diverse as the Danish fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen and the philosopher Soeren Kierkegaard.
The area the group has booked is separated from the rest of the cemetery by a large triangle of pebbles on the ground, with a huge rock on one of the angles.
"The triangle is our old symbol, but it is also a sign of suffering," Mr Larsen said.
The rainbow flag, a universal symbol for homosexuals representing diversity, would be placed on the rock, he added.
"We don't want to isolate ourselves but we also feel a need to be together. We see this as a family grave, one that will be taken care of by our family," said Mr Larsen.
Killer bees in police sting
ABOUT 100 police officers in Mexico were forced to bolt from an open-air firing range when they were attacked - and stung - by swarming killer bees.
Some 70 officers were stung and wounded, including three seriously, during the attack in Chiapas state near the Guatemalan border on Monday. "From the first shot (on the firing range), there was a loud buzzing noise and tonnes of bees began to appear, attacking everyone in sight,'' said civil guard official Miguel Serrano. The barrage took place in the town of Tapachula, where the Africanised bees' aggressive reaction forced the police to seek refuge in their own training headquarters, with many suffering stings all over their bodies. Among the more severely wounded were three female police officers who required emergency treatment at the scene, while the remaining victims were sent to a hospital in Tapachula, Mr Serrano said. Officials said the three female officers were in stable condition while the others were out of danger.
Bush to Cut Army Tours to 12 Months
President Bush plans to announce today that he will cut Army combat tours in Iraq from 15 months to 12 months, returning rotations to where they were before last year's troop buildup in an effort to alleviate the tremendous stress on the military, administration officials said.
This Story
Bush to Cut Army Tours to 12 Months
Washington Sketch: From the GOP, the General Gets Unfriendly Fire
ANALYSIS: Next President Will Discover If U.S. Footprint Stabilizes Iraq
Wednesday, April 10 at noon ET: Debating the Petraeus-Crocker Hearings
Wednesday, April 10 at 1 p.m. ET: Washington Sketch
Generally Speaking
U.S. Wants Iraq to Pay More of Refugees' Costs
CAPITOL HILL HEARINGS: Petraeus and Crocker Testimony Off the Radar of Most in Baghdad
Congress Hears Iraq War Update
McCain Questions Petraeus
Petraeus Wants More Time
Transcript: Rep. Skelton Delivers Opening Remarks at House Hearing on Iraq
PODCAST: Tuesday's Petraeus and Crocker Highlights
Petraeus's Remarks During the House Committee on Armed Services Hearings on Iraq
Crocker's Remarks During the House Committee on Armed Services Hearings on Iraq
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The move is in response to intense pressure from service commanders who have expressed anxiety about the toll of long deployments on their soldiers and, more broadly, about the U.S. military's ability to confront unanticipated threats. Bush will announce the decision during a national speech in which aides said he will also embrace Army Gen. David H. Petraeus's plan to indefinitely suspend a drawdown of forces.
The twin decisions may set the course for U.S. policy in Iraq through the fall and perhaps for the rest of Bush's presidency. Frustrated by their inability to force Bush to shift direction since they took over Capitol Hill more than a year ago, congressional Democrats began coalescing behind a strategy of trying to force the Iraqis to shoulder more of the costs of the war and reconstruction. Key Republicans signaled support for the approach.
The political maneuvering came as Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker completed two days of lengthy congressional hearings in search of continued support for the war effort. Their conclusion that Iraq has begun making significant but fragile progress on both security and political fronts changed few minds and left lawmakers in both parties impatient for a clear path to resolution.
The bottom line seems to be that after pulling out the extra forces Bush sent last year, the United States will keep about 140,000 troops in Iraq at least through the November presidential election. In the short term, the debate in Washington instead will focus more intently on trade-offs at home, including the strain on the armed forces and the Treasury.
The elimination of 15-month tours will restore deployments to an equal balance of one year in the war zone followed by one year at home. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates extended the tours almost exactly a year ago to provide enough forces for Bush's "surge" of 20,000 additional combat troops and 8,000 support troops. But Army leaders have complained about the strain.
Gen. Richard A. Cody, the Army's outgoing vice chief of staff, told the House Armed Services Committee yesterday that the Army is "out of balance" and that the current demand for forces in Iraq and Afghanistan "exceeds the sustainable supply." He added that "soldiers, families, support systems and equipment are stretched and stressed by the demands of lengthy and repeated deployments, with insufficient recovery time."
Petraeus said he favors scaling back the combat tours. "I have certainly given my support to 12-month deployments," he said. "Operationally, we would welcome that, both because of the strain and the stress, and really just a general recognition of the value in that, and hopeful that this reduction can allow that over time."
But Bush's decision will affect only those troops sent to Iraq as of Aug. 1 or later, meaning that those already there still have to complete their 15-month tours. Bobby Muller, president of Veterans for America, an advocacy group, said that nearly half of the Army's active-duty frontline units are currently deployed for 15 months, and that Bush's decision leaves them out.
"In short, this is a hollow announcement; it has no immediate effect," Muller said. "It is nothing more than political posturing at the expense of our troops. Our soldiers are unraveling and they need their commander in chief to provide immediate relief."
House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) applauded Bush's move. "But it only resets us to where we were last winter," he added. "This pace will still wear our troops out." Ilan Goldenberg, a scholar at the National Security Network, said on a conference call organized by antiwar activists that Bush cannot portray the move as a sign of progress. "The military is so strained, the president really didn't have a choice," he said.
Democrats moved to press Bush on another front, linking the sagging U.S. economy to escalating war costs. On a day when oil hit $112 a barrel for the first time, lawmakers said that energy-rich Iraq should be footing more of its own bills. "We've put about $45 billion into Iraq's reconstruction . . . and they have not spent their own resources," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.). "They have got to have some skin in the game."
Athens School 'Attack' Proven To Be False, Girl To Be Charged
There are major new developments today in the case of a supposed beating of a student from Athens Middle School.
Charges are being filed against 13 year old Melanie Bowers by Athens ISD through the Henderson County District Attorney's office for filing a false report, said AISD officials today.
Bowers claimed earlier this week that she was beaten and threatened - with killing and rape, no less - by a group of students at Athens ISD last Friday, for creating a protest sign saying, "If you love our nation, stop illegal immigration."
After Melanie's accusations, administrators reviewed school survellience videotape of the incident - which, instead of showing students beating or attacking her, showed Bowers scratching herself on her arms, face, and neck, and walking through the halls of the school calmly long after she claimed the incident happened.
After Melanie's parents were presented with that information and the video, the school confronted Melanie, and she admitted that she made the story up.
The poster was indeed taken from Melanie, but she reported the incident to a teacher and was sent back to class. 3 students involved in taking Melanie's project were in 'in school suspension' for today only.
Bowers' parents have apologized to school administrators for their daughter, and Bowers' father, Gary Bower Jr., is agreeing with the charges against her. "I have reviewed the recording and agree with the charges that will need to be filed," he has said today.
Melanie's mother, Shera Bowers, released a statement which reads, "I see my daughter was not assaulted, and put the marks on her body. No gang violence as witnessed. She filed a false report."
KLTV 7 News will have video of the tape from Athens ISD tonight on KLTV 7 News at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00 pm.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Newman Penalized for Cheating
Antiwar lawmakers look to November
Lacking the votes to bring U.S. troops home, Democrats hope a new president and more seats for their party in Congress will mean a change in Iraq policy.
WASHINGTON -- The antiwar rhetoric from congressional Democrats remained as sharp as ever Tuesday as Army Gen. David H. Petraeus came to Capitol Hill to testify about progress in Iraq.
But underscoring the partisan deadlock over the war, even some staunch critics acknowledged that the drive for legislation to withdraw U.S. troops was in effect over.
Democrats who have struggled since becoming the majority last year to force a pullout now point to the fall election as the only hope for changing U.S. policy in Iraq.
"It is clear that we do not have the votes," said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who was among the first Senate Democrats to push for a binding troop withdrawal timeline. "The American people are going to speak in November."
Kerry and other Democrats have repeatedly failed over the last year to persuade more than a few Republicans, who can block legislation in the Senate with a filibuster, to break with President Bush and force him to bring troops home.
Not every antiwar lawmaker has accepted the futility of insisting on a congressionally mandated withdrawal.
"We should not be waiting around," said Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), one of the leading advocates of a pullout. "We must redeploy our troops to break the paralysis that now grips U.S. strategy in the region."
In the House, leaders of the influential Out of Iraq Caucus, who last year helped push congressional Democrats to back a timeline for withdrawing troops, are, like Feingold, also threatening to oppose any additional funding for the war.
The House is scheduled to consider Bush's next war funding request in May.
But with many lawmakers looking to focus on legislation to provide additional aid to Americans hard-hit by the faltering economy, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has thus far refused to endorse a new legislative fight over money for military operations in Iraq.
And last week, Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and 12 other senior Democrats did not even mention a mandatory troop withdrawal in a two-page letter they sent to Bush calling for a new strategy in Iraq.
Instead, the Democratic leaders urged the president to intensify efforts to encourage reconciliation among Iraq's political leaders and to focus on broader initiatives to deal with instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East.
The diminished focus on a forced pullout offers a marked contrast to the defiance that Democrats brought to their drive last spring to pass a war funding bill that would require Bush to start bringing troops home.
But it reflects a year of failures to enact any meaningful limits on the president's prosecution of the war.
Nearly every time Democrats tried to push legislation mandating a withdrawal, GOP leaders successfully rallied their caucus to block it.
The last Democratic move to limit funding for the war, in December, which came as violence was waning in Iraq and some voters were turning their attention elsewhere, attracted fewer votes in the Senate than a similar attempt seven months earlier.
Republican lawmakers -- led by Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the party's presumptive presidential nominee -- remain almost unanimously opposed to any attempt to force a change of strategy in Iraq.
Tuesday, Democratic senators continued to sharply criticize the war while Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, appeared before the Senate armed services and foreign relations panels.
"Has the war in Iraq made America safer?" Reid asked on the Senate floor. "There is no question that it has not. The surge may have provided a temporary window for the Iraqi government to make progress, but it is becoming increasingly clear every day that the Iraqi government has squandered that opportunity. Even now, with the war in its sixth year, President Bush has failed to articulate an exit strategy."
Reid also indicated Tuesday that Senate Democrats would continue to hold votes on war-related bills.
But with little expectation that any meaningful legislation can overcome a Republican filibuster in the Senate, many Democratic lawmakers are looking to achieve other objectives by continuing to talk about Iraq.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, one of the architects of last year's Democratic antiwar initiative, said this week that further congressional debate may have more effect overseas than it would in Washington.
"It's important to have these debates . . . to send the strongest possible message to the Iraqis," Reed said.
By increasingly focusing on the cost of the war at a time when American voters are worried about their personal finances, Democrats also are trying to weaken Republicans going into the November election, when they hope to increase their majorities in the House and Senate.
Few believe they will be able to influence the current president, however.
"The commander in chief has incredible authority," said Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, one of the freshman Democrats swept into Congress in 2006 amid promises to challenge the war.
"It's going to take the election for the policy to change," Tester said. "It's going to take a different president."
Can the US Government see what website we visit?
Imagine you're shopping at a mall. You browse different stores, make a few purchases and move on. Then, you notice that a man you don't know seems to be following you. You even catch a glimpse of him taking notes on what you're looking at and buying. The entire time you've been shopping, you've been spied on!
Many people fear that a similar thing is happening on the Web. They're worried that someone, usually the government, is recording and analyzing their Web browsing activity. They argue that these acts are an invasion of privacy. Are they right to be worried? Can the government keep track of all the Web sites everyone visits, and would it be able to act on that information?
It's easy to understand why some people are worried. The United States Patriot Act expands the government's ability to perform searches and install wiretaps. It doesn't seem like a big stretch to add tracking people's Internet activity to the list. These people fear that they'll be spied on whether they've done anything to justify it or not.
In some ways, fear about the government's ability to keep tabs on Web activities has reached the level of a conspiracy theory. In the most extreme version of the theory, the government is tracking not only Web site activity, but also is building a database of potential suspects for crimes ranging from corporate sabotage to terrorism. Other theories don't go that far, but still suggest the government is treating everyone like a suspect -- even if people aren't doing anything illegal or questionable.
Conflicts between Shah Rukh and Aamir Khan
These Bollywood Baadshahs haven’t done any films together and nothing much have they ever took part together in public gatherings. Recently, things were revealed that though friendly in nature, both of them posses some sort of internal conflict between themselves.
The reason is that for the film Rang De Basanthi, Shah Rukh Khan was offered to play the role of his Aamir’s friend. But negligent to small roles, Shah Rukh refused to take up the offer and later Madhvan picked up the same role.
Recently released Om Shanthi Om had Shah Rukh Khan in lead roles and you know that main limelight of the film was 31 stars dancing together with King Khan for the song. However, as Director Farah Khan approached Aamir to trip his light toes with Shah Rukh for a song. But, this time Aamir Khan refused to shake his legs with him.
Well, if we think that these actors aren’t friends and will not actor? But they are joining hands together for the film Dhoom 3, one of the greatest expected blockbusters of this year.
Shah Rukh Khan turns Spider Man
After acquiring six-pack abs, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has another gift for his fans, this time, the young ones. SRK is now planning to do an Indian version of the Spider Man as a gift to his son Aryan who is a big fan. According to reports the director chosen to put together what is arguably the most expensive movie ever made in Bollywood is Anubhav Sinha. The superstar is said to be very excited about the project.
Bollywood ka Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan has his fans throughout the far-flung corners of the globe. His very appealing performance as a stylish icon has been upgrading the bar graph of his career. After entertaining the youngsters and elder groups with all his films, he is now set ready for a film completely aimed at delighting the children.
Yup! King Khan will now get geared up with Indian version of Spider Man for Yash Chopras Production. At present, Shah Rukh Khan is busy shooting for Adhitya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana De Jodi and after this, he will be joining hands with Karan Johar for the film ‘Khan- My Name is Khan’. So, by this yearend, he will be kick-starting with the fantasy movie of Spider Man.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Every Click You Make
The online behavior of a small but growing number of computer users in the United States is monitored by their Internet service providers, who have access to every click and keystroke that comes down the line.
The companies harvest the stream of data for clues to a person's interests, making money from advertisers who use the information to target their online pitches.
The practice represents a significant expansion in the ability to track a household's Web use because it taps into Internet connections, and critics liken it to a phone company listening in on conversations. But the companies involved say customers' privacy is protected because no personally identifying details are released.
The extent of the practice is difficult to gauge because some service providers involved have declined to discuss their practices. Many Web surfers, moreover, probably have little idea they are being monitored.
But at least 100,000 U.S. customers are tracked this way and service providers having been testing it for as many as 10 percent of U.S. customers, according to tech companies involved in the data collection.
Although common tracking systems, known as cookies, have counted a consumer's visits to a network of sites, the new monitoring, known as "deep-packet inspection," enables a far wider view -- every Web page visited, every e-mail sent and every search entered. Every bit of data is divided into packets -- like electronic envelopes -- that the system can access and analyze for content.
"You don't want the phone company tapping your phone calls, and in the same way you don't want your ISP tapping your Web traffic," said Ari Schwartz of the Center for Democracy and Technology, an advocacy group. "There's a fear here that a user's ISP is going to betray them and turn their information over to a third party."
In fact, newly proposed Federal Trade Commission guidelines for behavioral advertising have been outpaced by the technology and do not address the practice directly. Privacy advocates are preparing to present to Congress their concerns that the practice is done without consumer consent and that too little is known about whether such systems would adequately protect personal information.
Meanwhile, many online publishers say the next big growth in advertising will emerge from efforts to offer ads based not on the content of a Web page, but on knowing who is looking at it. That, of course, means gathering more information about consumers.
Advocates of deep-packet inspection see it as a boon for all involved. Advertisers can better target their pitches. Consumers will see more relevant ads. Service providers who hand over consumer data can share in advertising revenues. And Web sites can make more money from online advertising, a $20 billion industry that is growing rapidly.
With the service provider involved in collecting consumer data, "there is access to a broader spectrum of the Web traffic -- it's significantly more valuable," said Derek Maxson, chief technology officer of Front Porch, a company that collects such data from millions of users in Asia and is working with a number of U.S. service providers.
Consider, say, the Boston Celtics Web site. Based on its content, it posts ads for products a Celtics fan might be interested in: Adidas, a Boston hotel and so on.
With information about users from deep-packet inspection, however, advertisers might learn that the person looking at the Celtics Web site is also a potential car customer because he recently visited the Ford site and searched in Google for "best minivans." That means car companies might be interested in sending an ad to that user at the Celtics site, too.
For all its promise, however, the service providers exploring and testing such services have largely kept quiet -- "for fear of customer revolt," according to one executive involved.
It is only through the companies that design the data collection systems -- companies such as NebuAd, Phorm and Front Porch -- that it is possible to gauge the technology's spread. Front Porch collects detailed Web-use data from more than 100,000 U.S. customers through their service providers, Maxson said. NebuAd has agreements with providers covering 10 percent of U.S. broadband customers, chief executive Bob Dykes said.
In England, Phorm is expected in the coming weeks to launch its monitoring service with BT, Britain's largest Internet broadband provider.
NebuAd and Front Porch declined to name the U.S. service providers they are working with, saying it's up to the providers to announce how they deal with consumer data.
Some service providers, such as Embarq and Wide Open West, or WOW, have altered their customer-service agreements to permit the monitoring.
Embarq describes the monitoring as a "preference advertising service." Wide Open West tells customers it is working with a third-party advertising network and names NebuAd as its partner.
Officials at WOW and Embarq declined to talk about any monitoring that has been done.
Each company allows users to opt out of the monitoring, though that permission is buried in customer service documents. The opt-out systems work by planning a "cookie," or a small file left on a user's computer. Each uses a cookie created by NebuAd.
Officials at another service provider, Knology, said it was working with NebuAd and is conducting a test of deep-packet inspection on "several hundred" customers in a service area it declined to identify.
"I don't view it as violating any privacy data at all," said Anthony Palermo, vice present of marketing at Knology. "My understanding is that all these companies go through great pains to hash out information that is specific to the consumer."
One central issue, of course, is how well the companies protect consumer data.
NebuAd promises to protect users' privacy in a couple of ways.
First, every user in the NebuAd system is identified by a number that the company assigns rather than an Internet address, which in theory could be traced to a person. The number NebuAd assigns cannot be tracked to a specific address. That way, if the company's data is stolen or leaked, no one could identify customers or the Web sites they've visited, Dykes said.
Nor does NebuAd record a user's visits to pornography or gaming sites or a user's interests in sensitive subjects -- such as bankruptcy or a medical condition like AIDS. The company said it processes but does not look into packets of information that include e-mail or pictures.
What it does do is categorize users into dozens of targeted consumer types, such as a potential car buyer or someone interested in digital cameras.
Dykes noted that by a couple of measures, their system may protect privacy more than such well-known companies as Google. Google stores a user's Internet address along with the searches made from that address. And while Google's mail system processes e-mail and serves ads based on keywords it finds in their text, NebuAd handles e-mail packets but does not look to them for advertising leads.
Such privacy measures aside, however, consumer advocates questioned whether monitored users are properly informed about the practice.
Knology customers, for example, cull the company's 27-page customer service agreement or its terms and condition for service to find a vague reference to its tracking system.
"They're buried in agreements -- who reads them?," said David Hallerman, a senior analyst at eMarketer. "The industry is setting itself up by not being totally transparent . . . The perception is you're being tracked and targeted."