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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/20/AR2005072001916.html

https://web.archive.org/web/2005072019id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/20/AR2005072001916.html

Interview: Indian Prime Minister Singh

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Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached an historic accord earlier this week with President Bush that will allow his country to buy billions of dollars worth of military hardware and sensitive nuclear technology long denied because of India's nuclear weapons program. The broad agreement is a significant victory for the world's largest democracy, which built its nuclear program in secret in the early 1970s, and it cements New Delhi's role as a key strategic U.S. ally in Asia for decades to come. In a wide-ranging breakfast interview with Washington Post editors and writers Wednesday, Singh discussed the impact of the deal for India and it's nuclear program. He also spoke about other issues facing his country, including relations with rival Pakistan, terrorism, regional security and the India's growing economic prowess. Here are some excerpts from that interview: Washington Post: With the new special relationship between the United States and India, do you think that your country can use this new relationship in helping the United States on relations with Iran? Singh: We are entirely one with the rest of the world, that countries which take solemn international obligations, that they must honor those obligations. So we would like Iran, for example, to honor its obligations. . . . Our interest would be to work with other like-minded countries that a constructive solution can be found for the problems that Iran is expressing, that the world community is expressing about Iran. We have strong civilizational links with Iran. Also I would say Iran is the largest Shia Muslim country in the world. We have the second largest Shia Muslim population in our country . . . and I do believe that part of our unique history we can be a bridge. Washington Post: Can you discuss India's discussions with building a gas pipeline with Iran? Singh: As far as the pipeline is concerned, only preliminary discussions have taken place. We are terribly short of our energy supply and we desperately need new sources of energy. And that's why with Pakistan we have agreed to explore the possibility of the pipeline. But I am realistic enough to realize that there are many risks, because considering all the uncertainties of the situation there in Iran. I don't know if any international consortium of bankers would probably underwrite this. But we are in a state of preliminary negotiations, and the background of this is we desperately need the supply of gas that Iran has. Washington Post: Following the announcement of the proposed nuclear technology agreement with the United States, can you discuss the issue of nuclear proliferation? Many people in the United States are concerned about this. Singh: . . . Our peaceful nuclear program . . . was not built up by stealing other people's technology. We had this dream that it was better to work toward a world free of nuclear weapons and we had this dream of universal nuclear disarmament. . . . We have been proved wrong and the result is we have seen in our neighborhood reckless proliferation in disregard of all the international obligations. But although we have nuclear assets, our program is totally under civilian control. We are a democracy, there are enough checks and balances in our country and we have an impeccable record of not contributing in any way to nuclear proliferation. . . . Washington Post: If Pakistan asks for a similar agreement, do you expect the United States to say no? Singh: Well, that's a decision the United States has to make, but quite frankly, the state of Pakistan currently -- I wish President Musharraf well, we want to work with him to bring greater balance in our own relations. But I have to be realistic enough to recognize the role that terrorist elements have played in the last few years in the history of Pakistan. Taliban was the creation of Pakistan extremists, the Wahabi Islam which has flourished, thousands and thousands of schools, the madrassas, were set up to preach this jihad based on hatred of other religions . . . and Pakistan is not a democracy in the sense that we know and you know. . . . We wish Pakistan success in emerging as a moderate Muslim state. We will work with President Musharraf . . . but we have to recognize what has happened.

World news headlines from the Washington Post, including international news and opinion from Africa, North/South America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. Features include world weather, news in Spanish, interactive maps, daily Yomiuri and Iraq coverage.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/20/AR2005072000796.html

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Journalists Push for Shield Law

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Journalists asked the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday to back federal legislation to protect reporters from being forced to disclose anonymous sources, with Time Inc.'s editor in chief saying the lack of a federal shield law has led to "chaos." The hearing came two weeks after New York Times reporter Judith Miller was jailed for refusing to disclose her sources during a probe into the leaking of the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Miller remains in jail. In a surprise move yesterday, Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey canceled his scheduled appearance before the committee, with the Justice Department saying he had to attend a briefing with House Republican leaders about the USA Patriot Act. Comey had submitted testimony saying the bill was "bad public policy" that would impair prosecutions of terrorism and health and safety cases. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called Comey's testimony "a rather serious indictment of the legislation in front of us, on many points. I think it has to be taken seriously." The legislation, sponsored by Sens. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) and Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), would establish federal protection for journalists from being forced by the government to disclose the identities of secret sources. The lawmakers modified the measure this week to provide an exception for cases in which there is an imminent threat to national security. "The absence of federal legislation protecting sources has created extraordinary chaos," Norman Pearlstine, Time Inc.'s editor in chief, told the committee. "The federal courts are in a state of utter disarray about whether a reporter's privilege protecting confidential sources exists." Pearlstine turned over the confidential notes of Time reporter Matthew Cooper in the Plame investigation after losing a legal battle. Cooper testified under a last-minute waiver of confidentiality from Karl Rove, White House deputy chief of staff. "The rules of the road are, to put it mildly, quite confusing for a working journalist such as myself in the absence of any clear federal standard," said Cooper, Time's White House correspondent. "Everyone, prosecutors and journalists alike, would benefit from knowing what the rules are." Pearlstine said the pursuit of reporters' notes by federal investigators has had a "chilling effect" on journalism and that after his decision in the Plame case, other Time correspondents received e-mails from sources saying they no longer trust the magazine.

Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2004 elections, campaigns, Democrats, Republicans, political cartoons, opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy, government tech, political analysis and reports.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/07/19/DI2005071900937.html

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Shield Law for Reporters?

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Read the latest: Justice Dept. Opposes Shield for Reporters. Geneva Overholser, Chair in Public Affairs Reporting, Missouri School of Journalism, was online Wednesday, July 20, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on a national shield law for reporters. Jiangsu, China: Both principles held by the press and the government are reasonable, it is hard to evaluate which one is more important when they come into conflict. If journalists have always to show their confidential information to the government, they become another group of people collecting information for the government; if journalists never have to do so, they are not citizens of the U.S. The Supreme Court 5-4 decision in the ruling of 1972 Branzburg Case suggests split in the opinions in the nine justices. After 1972, judges in many of the lower and intermediate federal courts rewrote the Branzburg ruling. Another case involving Judith Miller and Fitzgerald also suggests variability in ruling in similar cases. Do you think all these are competition between journalists and government for truth or status of truth? Geneva Overholser: As you suggest, determining whether journalists should be forced to testify involves a careful balancing of interests which are (on both sides) quite compelling. Any thoughtful observe I think would agree that there are occasions when journalists should indeed testify. The shield law now being considered in the Senate, for example, has exceptions for information affecting the national security. What worries me is that the important public interest on the other side -- the need to guard against government's turning journalists into another information-gathering arm for the government -- is perhaps less readily understood. Bethesda, Md.: My impression is that when these issues arise, it is more commonly at the state level and often involves crimes the prosecutor(s) wouldn't even be aware of without reportage. Is this correct? Has anyone systematically studied patterns? If true, it obviously affects the policy tradeoffs. Geneva Overholser: I'm not familiar with studies or statistics, but I'm quite sure that most cases do indeed arise at the state level. And I'm certain, as well, that many of the cases are based on information that simply wouldn't be public without the reporters' work. As you suggest, this points out the importance of understanding the tradeoffs. Shielding reporters can certainly complicate law enforcement's work. But failing to shield them may well result in less information emerging in the first place -- including, of course, information that greatly aids the law-enforcement process. Arlington, Va.: A comment and a question. Frankly, I don't see how a federal shield law would protect Cooper and Miller. They would still be compelled to testify, because they were participants in a criminal cover-up. And why would a reporter continue to protect a source who has lied to them, repeatedly? Oh, I can answer that: access. Geneva Overholser: It's true that there is little clarity about whether Cooper and Miller would have been protected in this case. But that doesn't make a federal shield law less desirable, in my view. As for the question about sources' lying to reporters, it appears that Karl Rove may have been doing many things in his conversations, but I'm not sure lying was the primary issues. Moreover, sometimes a sources' lying IS the story. And, finally, it isn't easy under the heat of a deadline to know whether someone is lying or not. Fort Collins, Colo.: I'd like to know what the Supreme Court has said in the past about this issue. Do you think this is better handled in the Senate (legislating from the bench is bad) or in the Court (they do interpret the First Amendment from time to time)? Geneva Overholser: The Supreme Court decision on reporter's privilege dates back to 1972 and is quite complex. Its interpretation since then has made it even more complex. You can find a good summary at www.freedomforum.org, clicking on "First Amendment." My own view, given the absence of a federal shield law, is that a law granting at least a qualified privilege is essential, and so I do welcome the involvement of Congress. Geneva Overholser: Another good explanation of the Supreme Court's stand is atGetting to the Source Washington, D.C.: Thanks for doing this. I am puzzled as to why Judith Miller is in jail, given that she didn't write anything. Is there a federal law that compels a citizen to divulge information unrelated to any specific action? Also, did Robert Novak cooperate with the investigation? If he did, why is there any uncertainty as to what happened? If not, why isn't he in jail? Geneva Overholser: Though Judith Miller did not write a story, she was conducting interviews on this subject, and therefore has information that the special prosecutor apparently finds valuable. Novak has refused to talk about whether he has testified, but it seems clear that he has done so. Washington, D.C.: Geneva, isn't the lack of public support just blowback for the shoddy work now practiced in so-called journalism? For example, Ceci Connolly basically manipulated quotes via ellipsis, and dropped corrections down the memory when it came to Al Gore in 2000, making him a caricature. You yourself called her reporting "bizarre" when you were Ombud. In any other industry, she'd be canned. In journalism, she's still a highly paid Post bylined reporter, and now with more money as a Fox News (what a shock) "All-Star". Judy Miller was basically Chalabi's stenographer on WMD. Novak was, for all effects and purposes a co-conspirator with an Admin he ideologically likes. Cooper knew of a crime, and shut up on the details, even though Novak and others in his profession were abetting it. "Reporters" regularly create phony narratives, and then hammer the facts until the square peg fits in a round hole (Gore and the Internet! Love Canal! Dean Screamed! Yadda, yadda). In all of these cases they were utterly wrong, but by the time they got done spinning and corrected (in a tiny box, buried inside), the damage was done, and the 'corrections' was promptly ignored for the narrative (How many times have you seen an article on the "Dean scream" that notes CNN and ABC have publicly apologized for tricking up the audio?). And you want a shield law?! For them? Whatever for? I mean, if they were trustworthy professionals, sure. If the profession honestly self-policed, it would be understood. But the profession as it stands? Are you kidding? The last thing we need is to make these clowns even less accountable. Shouldn't U.S. journalism clean itself up first, before demanding more privileges? Geneva Overholser: Journalists do indeed have much to answer for, though I find your characterizations unduly harsh. I don't think, for example, that they "regularly" make up things or that the wrongdoings are maliciously intentional as your comments imply. But I do think the overuse of anonymous sources has contributed mightily to the mess we're in today. Still, to recommend as "remedy" that we decide there will be no protection for reporters who seek to shield their sources would be hugely damaging -- and primarily damaging to the public interest. Countless stories have come our way precisely because whistle blowers were willing to speak out, confident that reporters would protect them. Journalists now report that they are already seeing a chilling effect from today's climate, in which so many reporters are facing subpoenas. Laurel, Md.: With the proliferation of things like blogs, is a definition of "journalist" even possible? Geneva Overholser: This is definitely one of the stickiest questions in this whole subject. There has never been any kind of certification for journalists, as you know. Unlike professions like medicine or law, there is no required degree. So it's never been easy to say who is a journalist. Now, as you suggest, it's becoming even harder. I've been told that the best way to go about this is not to attempt to define who is a journalist, but rather to consider (in any given instance) whether the material at hand is journalism. Easier to see, for example, whether the information was gathered in the interest of the public, whether it conforms to journalistic norms, etc., than whether the one gathering it is a journalist. Geneva Overholser: One point I think often overlooked is that journalists are generally pretty poor at speaking out on behalf of journalism. (And who else is going to do it?) So one "side" of this delicate balance of public interests is inevitably better understood, and one is often overlooked. Evidently enough, the government has an interest in setting forth the reasons that national security, for example, will be better protected if journalists are forced to reveal their sources. But journalists tend to think it is inappropriate for them to do anything other than journalism, which they hope will speak for itself. Mention the word "lobby," and journalists run for the doors. So the public interest in protecting a whistleblower, whose life or work may be endangered, often gets lost. Add to that the very skillful characterization of journalists -- by both left and right -- as ever-sleazier, ever-more-biased or ever more craven, and it's hard to get much enthusiasm going for protecting the press. But it's the public interest here that needs protecting. Anonymous: Hi, I'm not convinced that reporters should be entirely free of oversight. My understanding is that most of the time reporters tell editors their un-named sources, so these two people effectively decide whether to reveal the source. I don't see any reason why journalists should be left free from judicial coercion, any more than any other citizen. After all, the FIB, police, and CIA, all depend on relations with unsavory people, yet they have no special protections as I understand the situation. So, I don't think there is any need to change things from as they are now. Geneva Overholser: I entirely agree that journalists should not be free of oversight. Indeed, I regularly agitate for all kinds of accountability systems, from ombudsmen (I held that job at the Post some years ago) to reader advisory councils to state news councils (as in Minnesota). Letters to the editor, bloggers, media holding each others' feet to the fire -- there are many forms of accountability, and they're growing by leaps and bounds. But if reporters can never guarantee to a source that they will be able to shield that source from danger, we'll be a lot poorer for it. A shield law, however, would almost certainly contain some exceptions (as the one under consideration in the Senate does.) Keep in mind that 49 states and the District of Columbia do have some kind of protection. Thirty-one states and DC have actual shield laws, and the others have at least partial protection developed in case law. And virtually every other country with a free press has this kind of protection as well. Yet we lack it in federal law. While some journalists acknowledge the Valerie Plame story is different, they argue about a slippery slope. While Judith Miller obviously isn't protecting a whistle blower, some journalists argue that there one day be a case where a jailed journalist just might be protecting a whistle blower. In your view, is this argument reasonable? Also, Matthew Cooper's article revealed the race of the grand jury. What does race have to do with the events unfolding in the Plame case? Also, isn't it illegal to identify members of a grand jury? Geneva Overholser: Good afternoon to you, too (actually, I should note that it's morning here in DC) and thanks for your question. It seems to be not only reasonable to assume, but inevitable, that among the jailings would be people who are protecting legitimate whistle blowers. If there is no protection, what's to keep zealous prosecutors from going against the journalists? Much easier to gather the information that way than to have to dig it up elsewhere. As for the race of jurors, the only thing I saw was Cooper noting that the majority of them were black and the majority of them women, a fact that I assume he passed along simply as a matter of interest. I don't think he made them in any way individually identifiable, did he? Alexandria, Va.: Isn't the whole issue of whether Judith Miller wrote an article or not a red herring? The point is that she has information deemed necessary to the grand jury's work. Her complaint is, essentially, that she's being treated like every other citizen, rather than getting a special pass because she's a journalist. It also seems to me that the fact that she didn't write about the matter undercuts her argument for special treatment, because she never used the information to "inform the public" of anything. To take her argument to its logical conclusion, no journalist can ever be questioned about confidentially obtained information because he or she might someday report something. Geneva Overholser: I think Miller's position would be that the principle of a reporter's ability to protect an anonymous source -- the notion that one must keep one's pledge to do so -- must hold under every condition (except perhaps of cases of national security, though I haven't heard her say that). One could certainly argue that she made a wise judgment NOT to write a story -- that, perhaps, she spotted an effort to bring retribution down on the head of a whistle blower (if she considered Wilson to be one). Or that she didn't think a wife's involvement in recommending a husband for a job is a big story. Or that she understood that "outing" a CIA agent was inappropriate. In any of those cases, the choice not to do a story would be laudable. But the principle of upholding a pledge would still be at stake. What I wish is that she hadn't made the pledge in the first place. I know it's easy for me to see, in hindsight, that this was not an appropriate thing to do -- to promise anonymity to someone planting this piece of information, which at the very least was NOT in the public interest (and may even have been a crime.) But I also know that reporters are WAY too readily inclined to grant anonymity. It's become an addiction, and it's my hope that one outcome of the unfortunate current situation (some two dozen pending subpoenas against reporters) will be (finally!) a real pullback from this profligate use of anonymity. Arlington, Va.: What implications do you think this proposed law would have on the future of journalism in general? Would it help provide journalists with more access to sources and therefore information? What about if there is an exception with national security stories? Does one exception lead to another exception, etc.? Do you see a need for this exception? Curious as to your thoughts on all of this, and thank you. Geneva Overholser: I do think it would help guarantee the freer flow of information. I think there has been a broad (mis)conception that this reporter's privilege already exists. (As indeed it does, for the most part, at the state level.) And so I think whistle blowers have relied on it. And therefore we've had stories we wouldn't have had otherwise, from Watergate to the knowing actions of cigarette companies, from Abu Ghraib to Enron (all brought to light by whistle blowers). As would-be sources become aware that they may indeed be exposed, even if reporters have promise them they won't, I do think it's reasonable to assume that information will dry up. Indeed, we're already hearing from some reporters that their sources are becoming more reluctant. I also think it's reasonable to have some exceptions (national security) which allow for a balancing of important public interests. (Though I do worry about how all-embracing a term "national security" is getting to be!) Some (including a friend of mine, Don Wycliff, reader's editor for the Chicago Tribune) believe a federal shield law is a bad idea -- in part because the very act of asking the government for protection weakens journalists. And because of the difficulty of defining journalists (as I've mentioned, I prefer to define the journalism in question, as opposed to the people who did it). I respect their criticisms, but I think having no shield law is worse. Journalism is in a weakened position in the US today, and journalists have contributed to that position to some degree. But it is the public that suffers in a democracy when the press is weakened. And this (shield law)is an important strengthening step, in my mind. Arlington, Va.: There are lots of businesses where people would find it easier to do their work if they were relieved from any responsibility to testify before a grand jury. If any business other than the media attempted such a stance, however, the press would criticize it as obstructing justice. In this chat, you've repeatedly referred to "collecting information for the government" as a bad thing, but if this is so, why limit the privilege just to the press? Why should anyone be compelled to "collect information for the government"? Geneva Overholser: There are already numerous protections of other kinds -- for doctors, lawyers, psychiatrists, clergy. They recognize an important balancing of rights and liberties. I think this would do the same. Remember that the right being protected here is the right to gather information. The government (and the public) benefits enormously from the information gathered by journalists. Indeed, it's interesting to note that in the Wen Ho Lee case (another case in which the reporter's privilege is now at issue) the press coverage was both extremely helpful to his case as well as problematic for him. It's usually a very complex mix. Maliciously intentional: I'm in no way implying that. I'm implying the following (note, this is the majors, not the Podunk news)... Groupthink. Primarily caused by the following... 3. Class of origin. Reporters used to be working class. Now even gossip columnists like Lloyd Grove are Yalies. It shows in the output (how many journos don't fit the following...pro_Nafta, socially liberal?) 4. Related to #3. Too close in attitudes and just too close (same cocktail parties, etc...) top who they cover. Upton Sinclair exposed the meat packing industry. Today's Sinclair probably went to Princeton with the owner, and plays golf with him. 5. Lack of professional accountability. If I had the track record of veracity in my reports (tech industry) as Judy Miller's WMD, or Ceci's Gore coverage, I'd be canned. They keep drawing checks and climbing up the ladder. Add it all up, and you get massive groupthink. Here's a quote from today's Note which distills the vapidity and self-indulgence of today's major journos. "The factor we think most likely to ensure Judge Roberts' confirmation: that the Washington establishment, and the media establishment, know him and like him. Do not underestimate how hard it will be for Democrats to tar a potential nominee who has given working Washington journalists his cell phone number and who is generally seen as a mensch. And that Seth Waxman support (He is no Zell Miller ) is just going to be the tip of the iceberg of Democrats singing in the "Amen, Roberts" choir." Again, show us that you folks take any interest in accountability before asking for privileges. Geneva Overholser: You're hitting a great many notes that I've hit in my long career of criticizing journalism, so I can't say I disagree with many of them. But (as I mentioned in a previous answer) there ARE forms of accountability and I think their numbers are growing. I'm intrigued (and heartened) by the growing criticism of journalists as being TOO unwilling to question, too comfy in their insider position. Russell Baker said that the great journalistic tradition of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable is undermined today because journalists ARE the comfortable -- a point you obviously agree with. So do I. I just don't think throwing 'em in jail is the cure. Alexandria, Va.: I found your comment that "journalists are generally pretty poor at speaking out on behalf of journalism" disingenuous, to say the least. There's been a huge amount written - in editorial pages and news sections - about the issues, and far more heavily in favor of special treatment for journalists and in favor of a shield law than against. In fact, the opposite argument, that journalists be held to the same obligations as other citizens, has been pretty much ignored. Geneva Overholser: I'll grant you that editorials ring with this point now. I just wish folks would speak out regularly, and not simply in crisis. But, in turn, I can't see how you can say the opposite point is ignored. Indeed, that is the position that's in force. It's what sent Miller to jail. It's what Fitzgerald represents, and what the DC judge gave voice to (vociferously). It's what the Justice Department is arguing on the Hill today. What I think is most important -- and a point that gets missed by too many discussing this on BOTH sides -- is that a shield law is in the PUBLIC interest -- not a special treatment for reporters. The question is whether YOU will be unable to get access to information you need because sources won't talk to reporters who can't protect them. Springfield, Va.: "There are already numerous protections of other kinds -- for doctors, lawyers, psychiatrists, clergy." But these professions all require training, certification and licensing. Journalism is open to anyone with a pencil or keyboard - so a shield law would apply to all of us, making the system unworkable. Geneva Overholser: It's a challenge, for sure. But remember that folks in every state but one (and in countries with free presses across the world) seem to have figured out ways of dealing with it. Arlington, Va.: In an earlier response, you referred to "legitimate whistle blowers", but this characterization just highlights another problem with the proposed shield law. The definition of legitimacy is subjective and easily prone to political interpretation. In the Plame matter, one could easily assert that it is legitimately newsworthy to know the extent of the CIA's involvement in generating the Wilson report, particularly since questions have since emerged about Wilson's accuracy and the CIA's credibility. Yet this matter is almost uniformly dismissed as "illegitimate whistleblowing," and it 's hard to avoid the conclusion that this is for political reasons. Why should the law recognize a privilege that is so easily manipulated on this basis? Geneva Overholser: On the contrary, I think the law will by necessity be applied to all cases (exc. perhaps national security), leaving the political manipulation out of it. So my view (or yours) as to what is "legitimate" whistle blowing will be beside the point. Indeed, I early on held that those reporters receiving this leak should have written about the efforts by some in the administration House to "out" a CIA agent, if that's what they understood to be happening. THAT was a story. And indeed a national security threat. Alexandria, Va.: This isn't exactly a question about the shield law but the current situation is an example of something that I sense has happened to the media. It strikes me that everyone has become very experienced in how the media works and has learned how to use it to its own advantage. The media on the other hand continues to operate in the same way and has, because of its own inability or unwillingness, not changed its ways. This has, in my view, made the media substantially more ineffective. Do you have any comments along this line ? Geneva Overholser: I think your points have a great deal of legitimacy. The media tend to be quite conservative (I don't mean politically, I mean in the sense that they are averse to change) The good news (though it's surely unsettling) is that change is being FORCED upon us. The wide-open world of the Web is democratizing things. I'm heartened by that, though of course it brings on a whole new bag of worries. I want to thank everyone for these terrific questions, and tell you how much I've enjoyed being with you. My first such chat since I was ombudsman. Hope to talk to you again. Alexandria, Va.: Re: Judith Miller not writing a story. It seems there's a divergence between your view and Miller's, and I'm wondering if you think they can be reconciled. You state, "-The best way to go about this is not to attempt to define who is a journalist, but rather to consider (in any given instance) whether the material at hand is journalism." That seems to assume there's some product to consider - some journalistic material produced. On the other hand, "Miller's position would be that the principle of a reporter's ability to protect an anonymous source -- the notion that one must keep one's pledge to do so -- must hold under every condition." Her view is that any time a journalist gives a pledge, even when no product is created, then that pledge is an absolute shield. So, in her view, you're only looking at "who is a journalist," not "is the material at hand journalism." Geneva Overholser: Good point. My thought is that this question of whether the item in question is journalism would only come into play in cases that are doubtful. Question of whether a NYT reporter is a journalist wouldn't be a tough one. I should add that, as I understand it, the law currently under consideration in the Senate does seek to define journalist. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Geneva Overholser: Thanks so much for the good questions. Hope to "talk" to you all again soon. And here's to better journalism in the public interest! Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/19/AR2005071901726.html

https://web.archive.org/web/2005072019id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/19/AR2005071901726.html

Lisa Kudrow Sheds Phoebe's Skin

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Lisa Kudrow is squinting in the sun on the hotel patio. Pleasure to meet you. So tell us everything about Brad and Jen. There is a beat, a professional pause, and then Kudrow gives that little nose crinkle, a trademark tell perfected over a decade of playing the ditz twins Phoebe and Ursula Buffay on "Friends," and snorts, "Yeah, right." In the iconography of the "Friends" ensemble, Kudrow played the space cadet(s), but she is actually known off-screen as "the smart one." Perhaps because she graduated from Vassar and studied biology? Her area of interest: the evolution of the biochemistry of human emotion. A burden. Or not. "When I was first playing Ursula and Phoebe, because people would think you're dumb, they end up saying things in front of you that they wouldn't say in front of a guy or somebody who they thought was paying attention or would do something with the information, like it was way over my head," she says. "That could be useful." Now she is doing something interesting with her career, first in the new HBO show "The Comeback," a dark comedy about a network sitcom and reality TV, which she co-created with Michael Patrick King, of "Sex and the City." And also in the new movie "Happy Endings," by the writer-director Don Roos ("The Opposite of Sex"), which is an ensemble drama masquerading as a comedy about: family, betrayal, relationships, lies, longing, children, and Javier the Latino masseur and hottie sex worker. The reviewers are mostly liking it. (It opened Friday in Washington and select other cities.) First, "The Comeback." The Sunday-night series is about the bottomless need and delusional sado-pathology of a C-level television actress, the character Valerie Cherish, as she struggles to return, way past her stamped expiration date, in a "Friends"-like retread about four sexed-up twenty-somethings. Valerie assumes she is going to play one of the swingles, but her role is switched to the batty upstairs landlady, Aunt Sassy, and she is not the mother of jokes but their butt. To make matters worse, Valerie's stab at a comeback is the subject of a reality TV show, which is pitiless. So, to refresh: "The Comeback" is a TV show about a TV show within a TV show. Valerie is a piñata for the evil show-runners and network suits. Not that Valerie is sympathetic. She would score a zero on the self-awareness scale. She is a damaged being, but still manages to be appalling. And funny. It's a neat trick. "A dog pile of humiliation," says Kudrow, of her character's travails on the back lots of Burbank. "But she'll take it. Because her goal is over there." She is pointing off toward the Hollywood Hills. "And this is nothing. Nothing. She can take anything. That's how much she wants it. She doesn't need it, financially. Doesn't need to work. But it's not like she's an artist, either. She just wants celebrity and that's it." But it's strange, Kudrow says, the feedback she is getting about the show. Many viewers, instead of laughing at Valerie, have begun to cheer her on. "They've invested in what she wants and they want her to have it," she says. Though the show has not attracted huge numbers -- 786,000 viewers last week -- "The Comeback" is the kind of program that its viewers and TV critics feel strongly about. "Teeters on wonderful," wrote Tom Shales of The Washington Post. "The saddest comedy on television," pronounced Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times. On Web sites devoted to audience critiques of TV shows, the viewers seem divided. To say the HBO series is a dark comedy doesn't quite get it right: Some viewers confess they actually wince; others guiltily inhale the anti-Hollywood fumes. "I love it," says David Crane, the co-creator of "Friends." "Your heart breaks every week, which is weird for a half-hour comedy experience." Crane, of long experience in the world of network TV, says: "It's truthful. They're going after everybody, and they do it really well. You don't watch and think, God, I'm so glad I'm in television."

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Willie Nelson Meets Reggae: Just Dreadful

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Please, Willie Nelson, put down the spliff. For the love of Jah. Nelson's legendary tetrahydrocannabinol habit has finally done him in, clouding the music icon's judgment to the point where he found it completely sensible to record a country-reggae album -- as if steel guitar plus Steel Pulse should add up to artistic brilliance. It most certainly did not, as Nelson's new release, "Countryman," is a pop music disaster of the highest order. The album staggers out of the gate and never quite rights itself -- which may be why the rastafied collection of country and reggae songs sat in limbo for all these years: Conceived by producer Don Was in 1995 and completed by Nelson two years later, "Countryman" languished until label executives decided that the world really ought to hear Willie inna reggae stylee . Thus, the Red Headed Stranger officially became the Dread Headed Stranger. Alas, it's a bad look for the country rebel from Abbott, Tex., who was hardly in need of a musical makeover. The opening "Do You Mind Too Much if I Don't Understand," for instance, worked perfectly fine in its old form -- as a rootsy country classic from the 1960s, when it was known as "I Just Don't Understand." Yet producer Was had this half-baked idea that an island infusion was just what the sad song needed, and Nelson apparently agreed. So now, his lachrymose lyrics and Robby Turner's pedal steel licks -- the very sound of heartbreak -- are paired with a jaunty reggae rhythm and soothing female harmony vocals. As a result, "I Don't Understand" has developed something of an identity crisis, coming across as both buoyant and melancholy. Equally perplexing is the notion that Nelson's vocals are somehow compatible with a syncopated reggae rhythm. Nelson sings in a weathered warble that usually occupies the space just behind the beat; rarely will he sit right on it. In the wide-open settings of his best albums, like "Red Headed Stranger" and "Teatro," Nelson's distinctive phrasing works perfectly. Set against a steady reggae beat, however, it sounds awkward, particularly on a dub-style version of Nelson's "Darkness on the Face of the Earth" and a stuttering take on another of his songs, "I Guess I've Come to Live Here." (He redeems himself some on the latter with his guitar picking, which is downright hypnotic.) Nelson goes for a similar effect on a busy cover of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come." But it's hard to focus on his contributions -- or anything else -- once you hear Turner's dobro and Mickey Raphael's harmonica, which both sound freakish and alien in this context. "Sitting in Limbo," another Cliff classic, receives a slightly less countrified treatment and is somewhat more successful. The album's best song, though, is "I'm a Worried Man." It's not so much what Nelson does on the Johnny Cash composition as who's assisting him: The reggae legend Toots Hibbert, who previously went the dustafarian route with his superlative cover of John Denver's "(Take Me Home) Country Roads." Hibbert's vocals here -- so soulful, so impassioned, so reggae -- almost make you forget that this is Nelson's album. Hibbert, however, never returns, and we're stuck with the full Nelson island experience.

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Food

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Today we inaugurated a new weekly feature: an online chat with all of us in the Food Section -- a chance for you to ask questions, offer suggestions and share information with other cooks and food lovers. We hope this will be a place for discussion of food trends, ingredients, menus, gadgets and anything else food-related. This week, we hosted a forum about our stories on the "meal assembly" industry, on left handed products and the YWCA's chocolate chip cookie. Washington, D.C.: Mmm... Food ... Look forward to reading these chats in the future. Where can I buy raw nuts? I would like to make a recipe that requires raw cashews, but I can only find roasted ones. I'm not a big cook, though, so I'm not very familiar with sources for this sort of thing. Thanks! Bonnie: Thanks for being part of our first group chat. You can find raw cashews at Whole Foods on P Street NW, and at the health food stores known as My Organic Market (M.O.M.) in Alexandria and College Park, for starters. Judy: The Food Staff is delighted that you have joined our new chat. We'll try to make it as useful and fun as possible each week. Arlington, Va.: I think this is a great addition to the Post's Live Online chats. I am an avid reader of the Food section and a vegetarian. I wondered if the meal assembly shops in "Make it and Take it" offered vegetarian entrees. The sample dishes in the table on F2 listed only one possibly vegetarian entree (Mexican lasagna) out of eight. Judy: Each company or, in some cases, location, offers different recipes and they change each month. I know one company offers meatless pasta entrees. They are less expensive than the meat dishes. Bethesda, Md.: As a true Foodie, I love the food section of the Post(it must be so much fun to work there)! I've cut out & saved so many recipes & "made them mine". The chicken soup & chicken stock recipes , and the accompanying article about the method, helped me to make such a good soup - And I had never made homemade soup before! Also I loved your recipe for baked apples. So good ! Will you feature any recipes for homemade ice cream or gelato this summer? That would be fantastic. I have a recipe , but would love to try more. The Foraging column and Food 101 are always good. In last week's article on ice cream cakes, you made a few omissions of good local ice cream cakes. Gifford's in Bethesda makes great ice cream cakes(with homemade ice cream), and Thomas Sweet in Georgetown makes the most delicious ice cream cakes(from homemade ice cream, of course) that I've ever tasted. Walter: Thanks Bethesda Foodie. There are so many sources out there for ice cream cakes. And we heard from so many readers who say that the best ones are homemade. Washington, D.C.: I love the idea of the food assembly. I can hardly wait for them to come to downtown Silver Spring! A good friend though said she'd like to see the foods come in individual portions for single people. I think it is an idea whose time has come and it will really take off. Judy: So far the closest "meal assembly" location to your home that we know of is Arlington. Maybe you could go with three friends; the Let's Dish! site in Timonium had no problem with people sharing. Erin: This is this list of local meal assembly franchises. Cookie Recipe: There is a $250 Neiman Marcus recipe circulating. Is it real? Was it really $250 or is this just an urban legend? Marcia: As with most urban legends, it's a little too good to be true. For those who haven't heard it, someone supposedly had a chocolate chip cookie at a restaurant in a N-M store in Dallas and loved it so much that she asked for the recipe. The server said she could provide the recipe for "two-fifty." The customer discovers on next month's charge card statement that it wasn't $2.50, as she thought, but $250. And, of course, as the legend goes, Neiman-Marcus refused to refund her money because she had already seen the recipe. So the customer gets her revenge by making the "recipe" available on the Internet. All very interesting, but not true. Neiman-Marcus doesn't know the origins of the myth, but it has been around so long and repeated so often that N-M addresses the issue on its Web site -- and provides the recipe, gratis. By the way, it's different from the "urban myth" version circulating on the Web. Here's the official one: 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds) 2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. 4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie. Annandale, Va.: Comment: You asked for the original YWCA's choc chip cookie recipe. I have one that Marian Burros, former Food Ed., WPost,published. It is titled "carol finkelesteins" version. Marian said she thought it was the best version she had tried. I only made it a few times, however, it was quite delicious. I never tasted the original YWCA cookie. Judy: If you would send us Carol Finkelestein's version we would be happy to pass it on. (Chatters: Send us your email address after the chat). The original YWCA recipe was a big secret, and in 1980 the Post Food Section held a competition to try to create something just as good. The winner was a recipe from Rhyder McClure of St. Petersburg, Florida. It calls for peanut butter and coffee ("perked"), cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. We'd be happy to send that recipe as well--or the runner up, by then-Gaithersburg resident Penny Reeder. It looks less complicated. Arlington, Va.: I am thinking about going to culinary school. How much could a chef (and pastry chef) expect make upon graduation? And throughout a career? Judith: First of all, you're not a chef when you graduate from culinary school. That title is earned. Secondly, if you expect to make good money right away, forget it. Kitchen wages are hourly, and usually don't come with benefits. Recent research shows (that is, I called a few chefs)that starting salaries can range from about eight to ten dollars an hour at average restaurants to ten to twelve at more high end places. Pastry chefs too. Full chefs (that is, the ones in charge) might make from $50,000 a year on the low end to $90,000 at those same high end places with more than 90 seats, and a lot of turnover per lunch or dinner. Salaries are all tied to the amount of money the restaurant takes in. The restaurant kitchens in hotels generally offer better wages and benefits. It's only the name brand chefs--the ones who are wildly successful--who can expect really high salaries. Lefty for Life!;: I am left-handed and proud to be so. That being said, it is indeed a right-handed world. Until I discovered Oxo products, I couldn't use a vegetable peeler - it just wouldn't work. It was the same thing for conventional ice cream scoops. I find that many Oxo products work very well in my left-handed world and are extremely affordable. They also stand up well over years of use. My frugal soul would never allow me to purchase the $20.00 spatula that was featured in your article, but would have no problem with my spending $4.99 for the Oxo pie server. Walter: Lefty, with more than 750 products for the kitchen, garden, cleaning and storage there are lots of OXO options. Bowie Md.: A comment - I really miss the on-line wine chat! Judy: We could ask one of the Wine Guys to join us from time to time. White Oak, Md.: I'm dying for some good jumbo/male crabs this weekend. Where can I get a good bushel (cost not a factor)? Gracias! Walter: A good choice for a lively bushel is Annapolis Seafood Markets. The Annapolis # is 410-269-5380 and they have additional locations in Severna Park, Waldorf and Edgewater. Washington, D.C.: So excited about this new chat -- what a great idea!; Question: I want to make a huge batch of pesto while the basil is still flourishing, then freeze it to enjoy the rest of the year. Any tips on the best way to do prepare/freeze the stuff? Thanks again for this great new forum!; Marcia: You don't have to do anything differently about preparing the pesto. To freeze it, I like to use a plastic ice cube tray. Just spoon the pesto into the compartments and stick it in the freezer. After it's frozen, use a thin knife along the edges of each compartment to get the pesto loose enough to pop out. (I've tried prepping the compartments with a nonstick spray oil, but that alone is not enough.) Put the frozen pieces into a zip-lock bag and keep it in the freezer. Then whenever you want some, take out as many pieces as you need. I often don't even bother defrosting them, depending on what I'm adding them to. Clifton, Va.: Does any one have a source for good old fashioned pork? Not the lean tasteless stuff in the supermarkets but good old fashioned pork with some fat for taste. Looking for ribs, roasts, loins and ground pork(for ragu)? My former source sold his farm. He had killer sausage too? I think is also referred to as artisanal pork? Prefer Va. Walter: For beautiful pork from Gloucester Old Spot pigs try Home Farm in Middleburg (540-687-8882). Frederick, Md.: Where in Maryland will the Meal Assembly Franchise be located? Judy: See the list of places above. 19th Street, Washington, D.C.: I hope this is the right forum for my question. I wanted to make a streusel with a crumb topping, but the topping calls for walnuts. I'm allergic to walnuts and would like to substitute another nut (not pecans, as I'm allergic to those as well). Are all nuts created equal?? Could I substitute honey roasted peanuts or even almonds? Or do you have a crumb topping recipe that works without nuts? Bonnie: A streusel or crumb topping doesn't have to come anywhere near nuts to be good. A mix of flour (or bread crumbs, depending on what you're trying to top) butter, sugar and cinnamon should do the trick. As for the nuts, some are better suited to certain recipes and food pairings. I'm a huge fan of hazelnuts, which are more readily available in grocery stores than they used to be. They're especially good with the taste of pear. I'd avoid using honey roasted peanuts in sweet/baked dishes, since they're so salty. Food Assembly: Maybe I'm not getting it, but The Food-it-Yourself idea sounds like a big salad bar....but with more ingredients?? I guess it's just not for me... Judy: One of the big sources of appeal of these places seems to be the sociability of preparing meals with other people who are doing the same thing. Arlington, Va.: Is there a way to find old recipes from the Food section? I am looking for a soup recipe called "Ignorant Soup" that was published between 1977-1980. I have tried the Post's archives with no results. Also, I remember the old YWCA very well. I was working at my first "real" job at 1666 K St NW (directly across the street) when they tore it down. How the more senior people in my company moaned and groaned that they couldn't live without the Y's chocolate chip cookies. I didn't share their feelings because, frankly, I prefer my own version and when I made a batch & shared them with my co-workers after the Y was history I received some very nice compliments. And, several months later, a promotion. Not that I can prove a connection but I'm sure it didn't hurt. Then, in 1987, I started a job at 1667 K St NW, the building that replace the Y. Just a boring sterile office building. The Y had a lot more character. Judy: Would you like to share your chocolate chip cookie recipe? Any recipe that wins a promotion seems worth sharing. We will try to look up "Ignorant Soup." Our producers at the washingtonpost.com are working on a recipe archive that would make it easy for you to find recipes on line. It is not ready yet, but in the meantime you can e-mail us a query and we will try to find the recipe. Arlington, Va.: I remember seeing a listing of farms where you can pick your own fruit. Was it in the Food Section? How can I find it? Judy: The pick your own farm list was in the Weekend section recently, and we ran a big key to it in our section. If you can't find it, send us an e-mail and we will send it to you. Washington, D.C.: I'm a young college student with little time and even less money with which to cook nice meals. But I like to eat well, and more importantly, no girls will go out with me if I keep making them meals that look, taste and smell suspiciously like takeout from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Do you have any suggestions for cheap and easy recipes to solve my gastronomical woes? Judith: You could start by buying a stir-fry pan--equipment does make a difference. My son has been stir-frying since he was a junior in college, and once you practice it a couple of times, it will look like you know what you're doing. There are many, many recipes (that you can find on-line), but the basic approach is to clean and cut vegetables into the size pieces you can imagine putting in your mouth, heat the pan, put a tbsp. or so of oil in the pan, and fry the vegetables separately, starting with the harder ones (like carrots) first because they take longer to cook. You'll need flavored sauce (not much) at the end to pull it all together. Recommended ingredients for that tend to be chopped up soy sauce, some more oil--try sesame, salt and pepper, ginger. But you'll need to mix them together before you add them to the stir-fried vegetables. If you want to include a protein with the vegetables--like slivers or steak or chicken, or chopped up shrimp--you should fry them lightly first, and then remove them from the pan before you add the vegetable. Then, you should add them to the fried vegetable mixture before adding the sauce. Also, lose the take-out chicken. Anybody can broil chicken (that is, cut up chicken--not the whole bird) with salt and pepper, and lemon juice. And anybody can make a basic stew. For such recipes and many more, you might look at the new "Absolute Beginner's Guide to Cooking," Que publishing, $21.99. And actually follow the recipes. It's amazing how many people don't bother. Washington D.C.: Where can I buy herb plants (Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme)? Walter: For herbs I head to the National Cathedral greenhouse for a great selection. Marcia: I trek out to DeBaggio Herbs in Chantilly (used to also be in Arlington, but that greenhouse is closed): http://www.debaggioherbs.com/ Reston, Va.: I have always wondered why Kim O'Donnell's chats are fun and full of energy and vibrance while the tone of the food section is dowdy and old-fashioned. Is there any way you can add some more youth and spice to the section? Not all of your readers are bureaucrat wives who summer in New England. Judy: We're glad you like Kim's chat. We are one big organization here at The Post, and appreciate all the readers and chatters we can get. We're surprised, though, that you think the food section is dowdy. We think good food and well-tested recipes appeal to everybody and that stories about trends like the "meal assembly" business are newsy and interesting. Foodie in Alexandria, Va.: I've got a brownie recipe that I created that needs tinkering. It works well in a cupcake tin, but I've had trouble adjusting times for regular brownie pan. Any suggestions on where I might find help? Judy: Send it in, and we can try. Mt. Pleasant, Washington, D.C.: I really appreciate your providing nutritional analysis for every recipe. It's very helpful and healthful. I encourage anything you do to nudge people toward a healthier diet, e.g. using whole grains and meat/dairy alternatives. Keep up the good work! Judy: Thanks. It is pretty shocking sometimes to get the nutritional analysis back from some recipes. Washington, D.C.: What's with the bread salad recipe in today's paper? Seems like an awful lot of toasted bread for a salad. What's the reason? Thanks. Judith: True enough, it's a lot of bread. The result, in this delicious recipe, is a salad where the toasted chunks of bread absorb the dressing and juices, but retain their own character. In traditional Tuscan households,panzanella is a creative use of whatever stale bread is around. First the bread is torn into chunks and soaked in water, then squeezed dry and crumbled into the salad, giving the dressing more substance. Americans usually prefer the toasty approach. Herbs: Not to sounds cheap or un-fancy, but I buy my herbs at Home Depot....and get a cute window box at the same time...the herbs are only about $2 each!; Judy: I have bought herbs there, too. Even I couldn't kill them. Springfield, Va.: I love my Le Creuset dutch oven - it served me so well. But now, it's too small for me and my husband. I bought my last one at Williams and Sonoma and it was expensive, to say the least. Any recommendation on where I can get a larger Le Creuset dutch oven without having to spend as much? Thanks!! Judith: Yes, they are expensive. But they last for many years. And they are very beautiful. Occasionally Williams-Sonoma or Cooking.com or just about any place that sells kitchen equipment will have a mini-sale. But unfortunately, the only way to get really reduced prices--as it is with just about any line of cookware--is to buy sets. If you can do that, it's definitely worth it, but I know that's not always realistic. If I were you, I'd bite the bullet and buy the one piece I really wanted. Bonnie: If you don't mind cooking in last season's colors, there's a Le Creuset store at the Leesburg Premium Outlets (703-777-1747) that has a tall rack of pots on sale. Crystal City, Va.: Do you all know if (and hopefully when) a new supermarket will be opening in Crystal City? The Safeway closed in March, and they are yet to replace it. I have my fingers crossed for a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Judy: I have heard that there will be a new supermarket there soon, but I can't remember who is opening it. Check back next week and I will try to find out. London, UK: I'm not sure I get how the Do-It-Yourself meals work, either. Do you end up with a raw, ready to cook, but virtually finished dish? Or just the ingredients for it? Also, it sounds a lot like half the food in the UK. The markets here, especially Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's, have elaborate half-prepared products, from prepared meats with spices that you just stick on the grill or in the oven to little adorable boxes filled with one pepper, one chicken breast, one spice mix, and one recipe. It's basically letting you do all the cooking, but giving you the ingredients and the recipe. I am constantly amazed at the extensive variety of prepared foods here (perhaps because restaurants are so expensive?) Judy: It depends on the dish you decide to prepare, but in the case of a chicken dish that called for a marinade, the chicken would be already marinated and ready to go. Arlington,Va.: For the person looking for herb plants - try the Arlington Farmers Market at Courthouse Metro (Saturdays, 8am-12noon). There is a lady there who sells only herb plants. I have been buying from her for a couple of years & the plants are very healthy & transplant well. Foodie in Alexandria, Va.: Thank you. And to the college student, I've got it on good authority that Desperation Dinners is also a great book for simple and delicious recipes. As far as must have equipment, a good 10-12" cast iron skillet can often be a lifesaver. It was my favorite kitchen item when I first started college. Munich, Germany: I've been a fan of the Post's Food Section for quite a few years now, and while I can appreciate a good chocolate chip cookie anytime, I was wondering if there's a a main course dish out there that is uniquely and distinctly Washingtonian. If you guys can come up with some kind of consensus, can you also give us the recipe? Judy: We've been talking about that in the Food Section. There are crab cakes in Maryland, and Virginia ham in . . .Virginia. We were joking that if we asked people about a "Washington dish" we would get answers like "pork" for pork barrel legislation and such. We are working on it. Potomac, Md.: I love beets, but only know one way to prepare them: after cooking, dress with vinaigrette, toss with nuts and goat or feta cheese. What else can I do with them that is summery? Bonnie: Potomac beet lover, you are in luck. In our July 27 issue we plan to run a story about the new and different things Washington area chefs are doing with beets -- with recipes. Johnny Monis at Komi on 17th makes a beet tzatziki sauce that goes great with fish. Stay tuned. Washington, D.C. 20005: Gotta disagree with the previous poster about Kim's chats and the Food section. I love the Food section of the printed Post, and do NOT enjoy Kim's chats because she seems so all over the place and so often unrealistic for a regular Jill, as it were. And no, I am not a stay-at-home wife who summers in New England. I am a 30-something married female with a full time job who enjoys cooking and good food! Judy: Thanks for your message. As I said, we try to be a big tent here--food is so varied. Nearly every week we get a message from someone who loved one of our recipes (like the recent recipe for fruit "crisps") and an e-mail within minutes saying: How could you possibly publish such a recipe with so many calories (456)! Our answer, incidentally, is that we think people like an occasional treat and that if the recipe is too caloric, skip it! Washington D.C.: Another good cookbook for beginners to try is Marie Claire Food Fast. Some of the recipes may be a little pricey, but there are only a few ingredients per recipe and the food is easy to make and really tasty. The book uses more creative foods as opposed to the usual basic meals. Judy: Maybe we should do a feature on cookbooks for beginners. Springform pan: I got a great springform pan for my b-day. What can I use it for besides cheesecake?? Judy: I use my springform pans for almost every kind of cake. It is so much easier to get the cake out. Capitol Heights, Washington, D.C.: Do you know of any health food stores in D.C., Md.? Thanks Walter: Take a look at Glut Co-op in Mount Rainier. Farragut, Washington, D.C.: Any tips on where I can find veggies for Japanese cooking in the D.C./Arlington area? I'm looking for things like kabocha, lotus root, etc. I haven't seen them in Whole Foods. And I don't have a car, so near a metro is a must. Thanks in advance. Walter: Without a doubt, the best place for unusual vegetables is Super H market in Fairfax. But I can't help with a store that is Metro-friendly. Washington, D.C.: I'm a big fan of the Neiman-Marcus cookie recipe--basically an oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie. Is there any reason I couldn't substitute dried cherries for chocolate chips in my next batch? Should I make any compensations? Judy: I haven't tried the Neiman-Marcus recipe, but maybe somebody out there has and can advise you. I have substituted dried cherries (reconstituted) for chocolate chips in scones and they worked fine. The cherries provided a completely different taste, of course. Lansing, Mich.: I liked your article on the pre-prepped meals. My wife and I have gone to one of these companies a few times. We enjoy lunch first, then do some "cooking" together. The meals last us in the freezer for a few months as we pop them out when we don't have time to cook normally. My one complaint about it was the "great for girls" approach it took. Don't forget that a lot of us men are out here cooking and enjoying food too! Judy: We women here in the Food Section need to watch ourselves on that score. Usually Walter keeps us in check. Arlington, Va.: For the person who wanted the Le Creuset cookware. Last year, I priced the dutch oven through several sources. The cheapest?-the Betty Crocker catalogue. You need to send in all those coupons from their products, but it was a huge price savings. Judy: Thanks for the tip. Crystal City, Va.: Hi there, where can I buy Indian groceries that's metro accessible? I used to go to Indian Spices near Ballston, but that's closed now. Thanks so much! Judy: We are checking on the "metro-accessible" part of your question. Check back next week if you have time. Wine Question: Why do restaurants allow you to bring in your own wine but charge $15 (or more) corkage? What would the benefit be of bringing your own bottle?? Walter: A corkage fee covers the use of the stemware and the service of opening bottles. In the case of white wine, an ice bucket is provided. The benefit? For special occasions some people prefer what's not on the wine list. Arlington, Va.: Re: raw nuts, many ethnic grocery stores carry them. I can usually find them at Indian stores. Arlington Va.: For the person looking for ice cream recipes. The one I use is clipped from the post several years ago, I think it was about ice cream on the front porch. Anyway, you have to make 1/4 recipe to make the perfect amount for the Krups or similar electric ice cream freezer. Maybe you guys can find the recipe and link to it--you can use it as vanilla ice cream or any other flavor. Judy: We don't have quite enough time today, but we will try to do it next week. Let's Dish: I'm so bummed that you had an article on them!; I have been waiting for the Ashburn location to open for months and now it's going to be hard to get a reservation. My friend has been to the Timonium one a few times (much too far for me), and raves about it. As a working mother of 2, this is absolutely ideal!; Judy: There are going to be six "meal assembly" places opening in the area soon, so it should be possible to get into one of them. Washington, D.C.: Simple question I know, but ... where can I find beef brisket in D.C.? Bonnie: If you're looking for brisket to prepare yourself, Whole Foods Markets in the District usually has them in stock. Larger Giant Food stores in the suburbs carry them, too. Any idea where in Ashburn the new business (food assembly) will be? What a great idea!! Judy: We don't off the top of our head, but if you check back with us later, we will try to find out. Judy: Thanks everybody, see you next week. If you would like an answer sooner, please contact us through [email protected]. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Labor Movement History

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About Pearlstein: Steven Pearlstein writes about business and the economy for The Washington Post. His journalism career includes editing roles at The Post and Inc. magazine. He was founding publisher and editor of The Boston Observer, a monthly journal of liberal opinion. He got his start in journalism reporting for two New Hampshire newspapers -- the Concord Monitor and the Foster's Daily Democrat. Pearlstein has also worked as a television news reporter and a congressional staffer. Laurel: When one thinks of labor unions, the common image is a blue-collar worker. As each generation acquires more education that their parents did, the fraction of the labor force represented by non-immigrant, blue-collar workers keeps shrinking. So it's kind of natural that workers over 50 would represent the largest part of the unionized labor force. But since more younger workers are white-collar, why (other than archaic labor laws) isn't labor doing more to recruit 30-year-old college degree office workers, who are sometimes required to work 50-60 hours per week for their 40-hour salary? Have white-collar employers become so adept at moving jobs around that they can just adopt the Wal-Mart strategy of shutting down any workplace that unionizes? Steven Pearlstein: That's a good place to start our discussion, because I think it brings up the difficulty of talking about unionism in the context of a white collar, service economy. The templates and the vocabulary most unions bring to this discussion is just outdated, and isn't relevant to an office environment, particularly in industries where there is a good deal of judgment and creativity involved in the work. It may be that workers need a greater voice in setting the working conditions and even minimal pay levels. But what they don't want or need is lifetime job security, or a pay scale that has everyone with the same seniority getting the same, or restrictions on how much they can work if they are in the middle of a big project that needs to be done. They certainly don't want a version of some master contract that covers every company in the industry. So the trick is for unions to figure out, in those instances, what kind of services workers want and try to meet those needs. They may be collective services, but they might just as well be individual services. They may be more related to the craft than to the company, which is a real back to the future sort of thing, since that is where the union movement really started. Vienna, VA: US Labor law seeks to remedy the unbalanced power naturally concentrated in employers by protecting organization of unions, collective bargaining, and collective work actions (including strikes). Are there other models for providing employee rights and protections, and what are their advantages and disadvantages compared to the US model? Steven Pearlstein: Actually, that's a good question. I'm not aware of any. I regret that an appointment will prevent me from participating in the online today, but I will read the archive. You make several major points today, some of which I think are fair points for discussion. I must say, however, that you lose credibility and perhaps objectivity when you write the four paragraphs that begin with "How did it come to pass...". As a union lobbyist for five years who is now, for personal reasons, making a transition into high school teaching, I wonder where you have been in terms of monitoring who lobbies for what on Capitol Hill? On behalf of my union, for example, I personally lobbied for health care for all, for higher minimum wages, for consumer protections of various types and against a punitive bankruptcy so-called reform bill. At every turn, my opponents were various sectors of corporate America and the conservative right. As you can imagine, I can go on at length. I will close by saying that I am rather shocked by the parochialism displayed. Steven Pearlstein: I think we all know that unions have lobbied hard on a number of liberal issues for many years. We didn't just fall off a turnip truck. And yes, those big bad corporate types opposed unions and often prevailed in recent years. First of all, that raises the question of the effectiveness of those lobbying efforts. On health care, for example, the insistance on holding out for everything, while doing nothing to in any way negatively impact existing arrangements of unionized workers, has got us nothing. On the other hand, I think you've all done a piss poor job at making Americans aware of the fact that their right to organize unions has been effectively dismantled by the NLRB and the courts. If they really knew this -- and it requires much, much more effort than the AFL-CIO has put into it-- Americans would be appalled. Why do you think the Wal-Mart campaign has been so successful outside of Wal-mart's home base? The general labor view is: "we are right, it is just hat the bad guys have outgunned us because they have all the money and the political mojo." My view is that you aren't always right, you've spread yourselves too thin and you've done a bad job at marketing. Charlotte, NC: The days of Unions have exceeded their usefulness for every industry. I have worked for both Union and non-Union companies and see no advantage to organized labor in today's environment. Work hard, work smart and strive for excellence in the workplace. Choose your employer wisely and stay tuned to the company's performance. A good company rewards good work in every industry. If an employee finds the company failing in any way, he/she has the option to go elsewhere...we've got 50 states to work in. Unions protect poor performers equally with top performers which is unfair to everyone concerned. Unions protect the employee who simply shows up on time, does what they are told at a pre-determined pace and ensures rivalries within the workplace between management and employees. The Union format of organized labor has actually pushed US jobs overseas, not protect them. Our legal system protects workers at every level. Beyond that, the individual is entitles to outperform wherever he/she can. If the company that person works for doesn't reward superior performance, I suggest changing companies. Steven Pearlstein: There is some truth to what you say. But I think that it does not necessarily extend to the bottom rungs of the ladder, where in fact people are taken advantage of. Yes, the best of the best find a way up and out. But we are a rich and generous enough country that we can't deliver a somewhat more comfortable existence to those without the skills or the gumption or the drive to make those difficult leaps, particularly after we have failed to give them a decdent educational foundation. I think you'd be hard pressed to argue, for example, that unionizing janitors in downtown office buildings has been bad for the economy, bad for the janitors, or bad for the economy. I don't even think the building owners and tenants now believe that. New York, New York: Do you think that labor's symbiotic relationship with the Democratic party and labor's failure to shift the party towards the center on social issues, gun control and tort reform has politically and economically undermined union members. For example, most Americans agree Social Security is in trouble but the liberal agenda of just say no to reform has prohibited the Unions from putting forth a compromise solution that works for everybody. Steven Pearlstein: Yes, I think there is something to what you say. The early hints of this, of course, came from the Reagan Democrats, so called. Unions need to be more bipartisan, more focused on issues of concern to workers who really need help, and be seen as the real champions of social justice, not a special interest group. And in the eyes of many Americans, that's what they have become. Northern Virginia: Interesting article. I would go one step further: dissolve unions. Union members generally have higher salaries than there otherwise be in a free market. It harms society as a whole: it keeps out potential (non union) members who would be willing to work for less, and it makes the consumer pay for more expensive products made by the union. These higher labor costs are always passed to the consumer. Thank goodness for globalization. It is forcing all of us to get out of our complacency and to compete. That should apply to any union. Steven Pearlstein: I agree and I don't. Union members SHOULD have pay that is somewhat above the market -- otherwise, they wouldn't have much to offer, would they. But it is ludicrous that they think they can protect wages that are twice what non-union wages for similarly skilled people are. Secondly, it is not clear that all of the extra cost of maintaining a unionized workforce is passed on to consumers. It depends, but a case can be made that some of it is passed on to other employees, executive and shareholders. Annandale, VA: Steve-- How would you resolve the current dispute between the AFL-CIO and the several unions, such as SEIU, who want to break away? What do you think has to happen for these warring factions to get together and work on common problems facing all unions? Steven Pearlstein: I wouldn't resolve it. As I said this morning, I think a good schism is a healthy thing right now. Andy Stern and his friends have got to try to come up with a different model for unionism, and trying to do it within the context of the AFL-CIO will involve so many compromises that it won't work. This is one of those times when competition between differing business models will be in everyone's benefit. It may be messy and uncomfortable for a few years, but in the long run it will be a plus. To argue that by dividing the House of Labor, you will weaken it ignores the fact it can't get much weaker than it has become. Unions are in a death spiral right now, and they need to do something dramatic to pull themselves out of it. Your recent assessment of the state of organized labor was spot on. When unions call strikes to assert their positions, they usually end up hurting the consumers most. It seems to me that labor groups are more interested in protecting their jobs with all of the extraordinary ameneties they receive rather than the health of the companies they work for or even the consumers that feed them. Time for them to wake up and smell the coffee sold in the cheaper, better, non-union coffee shop across the street. Steven Pearlstein: This is a pretty standard anti-union view, I have to say. Why, for example, did you bring up strikes? When was the last time you remember a strike? At this point, the problem isn't that there are too many strikes, the problem is that there are too few. Employers know they can get away with anything, which is not a healthy balance. Washington, DC: Regarding your opinion about the break-up of the AFL-CIO - I'm very puzzled. Your analysis of labor's decline is accurate, although a bit simplistic, but how can dividing the labor movement help the situation? Specifically, you must account for the fact that unlike the CIO split in the 1930's, there are no true "core values" holding the dissident groups together. The Teamsters' Hoffa, for instance, has said he will not practice SEIU Stern's most insistent demand which is to limit organizing to a union's "core industry." It appears you have bought into the SEIU spin that the decline of the labor movement means that their version of reform is the only answer. But this ignores the substantial reforms proposed by Sweeney that move very close to what Stern is seeking. But, every time Sweeney moves closer, Stern moves away. If you study the facts, you'll see that is what has occurred. So again, why would you be pulling for a divided labor movement when the divide is not based on principle? Steven Pearlstein: I think my earlier answer applies here. This is not really about some false choice between organizing or political action. It's about a whole approach to the business of providing services to workers who need it. And the AFL-CIO is so wedded to the past, and so burdened, in a way, by its past successes, that it is in no position at the moment to reform itself from within. By the way, you are about the tenth person this morning to complain about my simplistic analysis. People who know me accuse me of all sorts of faults, but being uninformed, simplistic, having an unsophisticated mind is generally not among them. Writing a 750 word column about the history and future of the labor movement involves sketching, not painting, and I've tried to sketch the best way I can. But obviously I am constrained by space, which makes it impossible for me to put in the details and the nuance that everyone, including me, would like. Sherman Oaks, California: What bothers me about corporate America is the hypocrisy of their views regarding organized labor. How can it be wrong for employees to organize in support of common interests when business is organized in a multitude of trade and industry associations? Why should business be allowed to act collectively in a variety of ways and insist that each employee must stand alone? Steven Pearlstein: I'm not sure that's a fair rap. Actually, when it comes to acting together in a business sense, there are serious limits to what companies in the same industry can do together. Politically, not so. But there are no limits to what workers can do politically if they want to? In that case, the legal playing field is pretty even. Obviously, there are fewer employers and they have a lot of money available to them, so they have a financial and organizing advantage. Danvers, MA: The unions were out-competed. That's what missed opportunities look like. The strategy they couldn't match was opening the labor markets to lower priced competition, which used to be a southern US strategy, what is now global labor arbitrage. Managements look at the global difference in labor costs as an opportunity, and the gains from capturing the differential should flow into management compensation, largely. And the actual arb doesn't have to be that big, because if you can get the marginal cost of labor set in China, you've won. You only need the margin. Just like US unions once set the wage rate in non-union shops as you mentioned. The really interesting part of your column is at the end, what to be done? How can labor act to prevent setting the marginal cost overseas? Is it possible? Dare one suggest action by that other big player, "government intervention"? Steven Pearlstein: I'm not sure what you mean by government intervention? You make it sound so simple. Thank you. Having listened to several hundred stories from non union people who are in struggle to get a union on their job, the political climate has contributed to the non enforcement at the NLRB and state level can't be ignored. I mean here is Bush spending millions on NGO programs overseas to prevent workers from migrating into forced servitude internationally under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and then the Mayor of Chicago is under investigation for kickbacks for steering people into certain jobs. I mean there is no enforcement here at home! We can't give away what we haven't got nationally. Also, many union workers do work politically in our communities to bring focus to the human rights abuses locally and internationally, we just don't get the Washington Post to put us on the front page. Steven Pearlstein: Not sure what I can say to that than to plead nolo contendere. Silver Spring, MD: Can you say more about why a vibrant, market-savvy union movement is in everyone's interest? Are German unions good examples of market-savvy unions? Steven Pearlstein: No they are not, although they're getting better at it pretty quickly, I can say after my trip to Cologne a few weeks ago. But let's not argue using straw men. washingtonpost.com: European Union Bitten by Fear of Free Markets (June 22, 2005) State College, Pa.: How many pilots do you know that make $250,000 a year. Pilots have been taking a beating from the airlines for the past thirty years. Yes there are some and there are some auto workers who make 25,000 a year. But they worked hard to have that. I know your union protects you from repetitive motion injuries. There are column writers who probably make 60,000 a year. The reason the young men on the corner are picked up by homeowners and contractors is that the can get away with paying wages without taxes and Soc, Security and minimum wages. Steven Pearlstein: Some pilots used to make that amount of money until quite recently. And I should have added that their insistence on maintaining their sacred seniority lists has prevented the merger of airlines which could have saved lots of other workers their jobs and pensions. They have been piggy and you know it. Of course you are partially right about why the street corner job market has developed. But what if, rather than trying to close them down and get everyone to pay the very high union wage rates, unions had tried to take this in-house, shown some flexibility when it comes to casual, unskilled day work, and tried to legitimize the process by having it be on-book, with some benefits and workers comp and training. Again, this is what happens when you have wage and benefit rates, and restrictive work rules, that create huge, huge gaps between the union world and the non-union market. Unions still think they can use their clout to wipe out the market and dictate wages, benefits and work rules. They have to get over the fact that they can't do that any more and become more market-oriented, and give provide workers and employers with services and benefits that justify a higher income. Goldsboro, NC: It is not so much labor's leaders missing opportunities to organize as the entry of China and India as suppliers of huge amounts of fungible labor in competition with American workers. This increased supply of labor from Asia means that American manufacturing and certain service wages will stagnate and remain so for the foreseeable future. After Greenspan has raised interest rates 9 times and promises a 10th raise it is only the huge supply of Asian labor that is constraining wages and prices and thus holding the yield on the 10 year treasury note at about 4.20%. Developments in technology and the Internet have created a new world with an unlimited supply of labor and thus a countervailing power to labor. Steven Pearlstein: There is some truth to that, and I've written that myself many times. That's why I think we may need to throw some sand in the gears of free trade at this moment and impose some across the board tariffs on things coming in from China, or require that India open up its markets to U.S. services if they want us to buy theirs. But taht said, the decline in the U.S. labor movement occured long before China and India and Eastern Europe entered the picture. It began, in fact, when people began moving to Goldsboro, N.C. Arlington, VA: Mr. Pearlstein, first, you mention that traditional views of Union members (the blue collar hiring hall guys sitting around with their lunch boxes waiting to be called up) are on the way out and that on the way in are workers with their lunch boxes standing on the street corner or in a parking lot waiting for day labor employment. Obviously this later image conjures up thoughts of immigrants & trabajores (I'm not sure of the correct spelling). Do you think that the Unions and our labor laws are ready to embrace the immigrant workforce? What do you think are the impediments? Second, in terms of a switch from the blue collar mill worker to the white collar service employee, do you think that some of our larger service employers will ever embrace employee work councils (like the German model) or will the emphasis on service sector jobs mean that employees will, once again, have little in the way of collection action to protect their rights? Steven Pearlstein: Immigrants are a big source of whatever growth there is in the union movement. They are a core constituency now. And yes, it may be that some version of works councils may be the right answer for white collar workers who feel they need more voice in their workplace. I wouldn't mandate them by law, as the Germans do. But as a negotiated model, it has possibilities. Eagles Mere. PA: In answer to Vienna, VA, Germany prided itself on a policy of "co-determination" with employees represented strongly in management decisions affecting labor, but Germany is now shedding this practice because it has overly-hampered managerial flexibility. I agree with Mr. Pearlstein's comment regarding unions' overconcern with job security. That's a big part of the reason for their decline. Steven Pearlstein: Overemphasis on job security is a big problem -- thanks for bringing that up. Arlington, VA: Mr. Pearlstein how can the labor movement possibly market one-size-fits-all contracts to a generation that demands merit pay? Steven Pearlstein: It can't and it shouldn't. The government workers union reaction to the president's recent merit pay proposal is so typical, and so dated. This is precisely the sort of narrow-mindedness and knee-jerk reactionism that turns voters against unions and unionism. State College, Pa: Next time you are up in a commuter airline ask the pilot to show you his pay stub, he could make more working for WalMart, but he loves to fly and hopes to get to the larger airllins some day. Steven Pearlstein: Yea, maybe he'll fly for Southwest, which pays its top pilots a very nice, upper-middle class salary consistent with the training and hours and skill you associate with such a job. Washington, DC: To the extent that you believe the NLRB and courts have effectively dismantled organizing, what reforms do you think are necessary? Given that the NLRB seems to operate as a political animal that shifts its views with different administrations and that its remedies seem inadequate to discourage employers from waging illegal campaigns against unions, what as a practical matter can be done especially where Congress seems completely uninterested in such reform? Steven Pearlstein: You've touched on a big problem, for which the unions themselves are not blameless. It used to be that the NLRB was a respected arbiter of labor issues, playing it pretty much down the middle, with a respect for precedent and the rule of law. But over the years, what has developed is that it has taken sides depending on which party is in power, with the unions demanding that it tilt in their favor when Democrats were in power and the Republicans demanding a pro-management tilt when they were in power. Now the tilt has become extreme. Both sides share the blame in this Hatfield-McCoy feud. But is now a travesty that the NLRB has become a wholely owned subsidiary of the National Right to Work Committee. Many of the administrative law judges try to do their best to uphold the law. But they are kicked in the teeth at every turn by the board majority and the general counsel. I've enjoyed your columns in the past, but this one is filled with generalities and conventional wisdom that is beneath your usual high standard. Some unions like the American Federation of Teachers are growing by organizing teachers, professors and other white-collar professionals. The AFT has gained 750,000 members in 20 years of consecutive growth. The engineers union, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers has doubled in size in the past five years. Both of these unions have reached out to groups that have never been organized before. AFT has organized thousands of psychologists and dental technicians for example and IFPTE is currently organizing the British Embassy staff here in D.C. Yes, the labor movement has lost membership, but it has lost membership in areas where our economy has shrunk. The labor laws have been used to club unions down rather than create opportunity for workers. Do you really think it's an even playing field? Don't you think more people would join unions if we had card check like the Canadians and laws that protected workers from intimidation? Steven Pearlstein: I agree with everything you say, including that some sort of card check system would be a good idea. Polls show that as much as 40 percent of the working population would chose to join a union if it were a real option. By the way, I never said that white collar organizing hasn't been going on. But what I'd ask you is if you think it helps the reputation of the union movement when teachers unions continue to hide behind tenure to protect low-performing teachers and oppose merit pay and cling to seniority schemes that deny students access to the best teachers. Unions are not the only reason for the failure of our urban public schools, they aren't even the major reason. But they are a factor and the flexibility they have shown in the last few years, in my opinion, is too little too late. Re: Mary R: C'mon Steve. You can't lay it all on the union. "On the other hand, I think you've all done a piss poor job at making Americans aware of the fact that their right to organize unions has been effectively dismantled by the NLRB and the courts. If they really knew this -- and it requires much, much more effort than the AFL-CIO has put into it-- Americans would be appalled. Why do you think the Wal-Mart campaign has been so successful outside of Wal-mart's home base? The general labor view is: "we are right, it is just hat the bad guys have outgunned us because they have all the money and the political mojo." My view is that you aren't always right, you've spread yourselves too thin and you've done a bad job at marketing." Apparently your view is also that it's up to the union - AND ONLY THE UNION - to get that message out. Nice. Real nice. It wouldn't kill you to report it. I mean, are you here to report? Or poke at the union? Do your job and report. Just like you expect the union to do. Steven Pearlstein: I would think unions would consider this a very high priority, yes. Brooklyn, NY: Very interesting discussion. I think sensible discussions about labor are difficult because everyone's right. I've worked in both union and non- union shops; in some cases, the union helped me and in others, they actively hurt me because they were so intent on protecting the more senior workers at everyone else's expense. What I wish is that unions as a whole would stop selling credit cards and concentrate entirely on one or two issues. Forty- seven million Americans have no health insurance and berating people for using health care--the think-tank solution--really isn't the answer. I wish the unions would take some leadership and push for de-coupling employment and health insurance. I think it would give them more credibility instead of this moat-around-the-current-members philosophy. Do you think that that kind of paradigm shift is possible with today's labor leadership? Steven Pearlstein: Nicely put. And as to your last question, I'm not sure the current AFL-CIO leadership is up to it. They're still too stuck to their past positions and proving they've been right all along, which may or may not be true, but in any case is now irrelevant. Los Angeles, Ca: Thanks for taking questions. During the supermarket strikes out here in California a few years back, a friend of mine commented that unions had outlived their usefulness. She works at a major corporation and enjoys a wonderful benefits program, including TWO retirement plans, retiree medical, LTD insurance, etc. My retort was that if it had not been for unions, she probably would not have such a generous benefits package--I feel it was the unions that fought hard and laid the groundwork for what we have today. Similarly, I feel the decline of union power has resulted in a declining interest on the part of corporate america to fund such benefits for workers. Your thoughts? Steven Pearlstein: Right on both points. There are a lot of non-unionized middle and upper-middle class people today who are free riders on the hard work of previous generations of union members, myself included. I'm appreciative of that. Arlington: There has been some talk that the dissident unions will reach out to Republicans more. How much support can they realistically expect to get from the GOP, given the anti-union views of this administration and the congressional leadership? Especially if the dissidents try to organize Wal-Mart, a huge GOP contributor. And given that SEIU, the lead dissident, is a famously left-wing public-sector union, not a pragmatic private-sector union like the Teamsters or the Carpenters. Steven Pearlstein: Good question. What I imagine is a union that is both pragmatic but also takes the moral high ground in trying to work to improve the lives of the people at the bottom of the working ladder, through organizing but also through political action. It would be nice to pick off some Republican support in that effort, if possible. Alexandria, VA: I disagree with the comments that overemphasis on job security is a problem--because -lack- of job security is what keeps non-union workers going at it 50 hours per week or more, and tell a union worker in a one-employer town that job security shouldn't be such a major concern problem. (After all, most Americans don't have the luxury to shop around for an employer, much less a good one, as a previous poster flippantly suggested.) That being said, I think the responsibility of Andy Stern and other union leaders, along with all workers, is to redefine job security as not being so much about seniority rights but towards work practices and performance that make a difference in company performance. Steven Pearlstein: Thanks for that. Washington, D.C.: "Pilots have been taking a beating from the airlines for the past thirty years." I'd bet most folks would love to take that kind of beating. I am not attacking pilots, but the tired argument that most people throw out when losing perspective. Steven Pearlstein: There's that view and there's this one.... Brooklyn, NY: I disagree profoundly about pilots. They earn nothing compared to the extraordinarily greedy sums the airline execs take for themselves. Furthermore, there are no other professionals, including surgeons, who are so responsible. Pilots routinely hold in their hands the lives of several hundred human beings, not only in the air but also on the ground. In a pure meritocracy, pilots would make the most money of all. Steven Pearlstein: Let's try this one: Pilots used their leverage during the regulated era to win pay that was well above what similarly skilled and educated people were able to earn. The era of regulation ended, price competition came in, and suddenly those salaries were shown to be unsustainable, along with some mechanics and machinists who were paid like kings not only for doing very skilled stuff, but doing lots of menial work as well. And in time, market forces have eaten away at those "rents," as economists call them, both by forcing unionized airlines to demand concessions and by diverting increasing share of the airline market to non-union airlines. Sure, pilots should make more than flight attendants--nobody is arguing that. And sure, corporate executives are overpaid, as this column has written many times--but two wrongs don't make a right. Burke, VA: It seems there was a lot of union busting that has been going on and little upholding of the rules that protect the right to form unions. Look at meatpacking. It's an unpleasant, dangerous job - but it used to pay a good wage and be less dangerous. Starting in the Eighties the unions were broken and now it's a job with mostly illegal immigrants who won't complain much. The speed of the line has increased and the danger has increased, while the pay has gone way down. Steven Pearlstein: Sounds like a good target for some good organizing, as well as some good lawyering to expose and punish and hold up to public disapprobation those employers who operate unsafe workplaces. I bet Andy Stern and his crew could have a field day with those guys. Twincities, MN: A more basic question: One of the reasons unions came into existence was to use collective bargaining to improve wage and employment conditions. With the passage of time, I think unions have achieved their objective across the board. Your assessment that they have to reinvent themselves is correct, but what new can they really offer to employees? There aren't many employers left who are exploiting their workers. I would argue that the unions are facing extinction for the simple reason they have outlived their usefulness. Your thoughts? Steven Pearlstein: There are probably more workers who are taken advantage of than you suggest. And there are even more workers who may feel the need for some greater say in their worklife, beyond narrow questions of pay and benefits. Unions could have a positive role to play for both groups. San Francisco, Calif.: IN response to an earlier question; There is the Employees Free Choice Act that was introduced the second time in Congress April of the this year with 200 house reps and 38 senate sponsors. This act would bring triple sanctions on to employers who engage in retaliation against worker who exercise our right to form a union on our job. It would also force mediation and arbitration if a contract is not signed a year after election. Steven Pearlstein: Not sure of the details of the bill, but the question becomes: Why has the labor movement not used its money, its muscle, etc. effectively to get this thing on the political agenda? Just blaming others isn't going to cut it. It IS possible. Detroit, Michigan: You are absolutely right that unions have been stunningly change-averse. And for sure, change, if it is to come at all, must start somewhere. But it seems increasingly clear that if what's needed is to make better unions-I think it is-"fixing" (and/or splitting) the AFL-CIO is a goofy place to start. Indeed, it is likely yet another spurt that dissipates energy and prevents change rather than advancing it. Like the stock prospectus says, past results are not a guarantee of future outcomes. The conditions that produced the last AFL-CIO split could hardly be more different from those of today. I think that looking to recreate labor's glorious lost past has itself proven a big part of the change-avoidance dynamic. Trying now to cut the AFL-CIO's "foot" to fit it into a long gone "shoe" of oligopolistic industries is a good example of that misguided approach. Steven Pearlstein: Well put, Frank, even if I'm not sure I agree. Indianapolis, IN: You talk about the need for the labor movement to break away from the past and recast its core mission, or objective(s), in order to be a more creative and effective voice. Could you suggest what a couple of those might be...and...to what extent could these be seen as moving the NLRB's role more toward a symbiotic relationship to them? Steven Pearlstein: Stay tuned for Friday's column. Thanks, folks, this has been a real good discussion. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Data, Data Everywhere

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Webster and co-author Chris Stakutis wrote " Inescapable Data: Harnessing the Power of Convergence" (IBM Press, 2005). The book discusses a range of issues, from the emerging " connectivity divide" to information security risks. Webster is founder of Data Mobility Group, a research firm based in New Hampshire. A transcript of the discussion is below. washingtonpost.com: Mr. Webster, thanks for joining us today. Before we get started with questions from our readers, give us a quick snapshot of the book you wrote with Chris Stakutis -- "Inescapable Data: Harnessing the Power of Convergence." What's your overall thesis, and who did you write this book for? John Webster: The book is really about three things: 1) the fact that wired networks are being extended outward by pervasive wireless devices. 2) the pervasive extension of "the network" creates new sources of data that can be converged and leveraged in real time, and 3) that this pervasive technology is available to virtually anyone. We see significant changes that will impact business and society as a result. Boston: We may very well be at the beginning stages of massive data accumulation and availability. With wireless being pervasive, could this new fluidity spell a massive step in world effeciency and knowledge or is it too optimistic to see this as the start of the next internet-type boom? John Webster: Hmm next internet type boom. To me the Internet boom was mostly characterized by an overly optimistic view of a "new" business model. This new model wasn't viable. As we can now see however, the collapse of that model didn't spell the death of the internet or most its promise for the future. New emerging companies that will leverage the efficiencies yielded by the wired/wireless convergence technology will I think be far more cautious. The name of the game for startups in this space will be to create products and eventually sell the company to a larger partner as an exit strategy vs the IPO route of the internet boom. To answer the first part of your question, yes - we think this leads to a massive step in efficiency IF both businesses and individuals wish to embrace it. However, doing so will require a willingness to share information with others about ones business and personal lives. For many, that's a scary thought right now. Washington, D.C.: How do we balance privacy and civil liberties with the increasing inconnectedness of databases and powerful computers? John Webster: In a free society we should be able to embrace technology. However, there have to be some guidelines that protect personal privacy. The government is normally where that gets done. The ACLU can help here, but for now it has chosen to "nay say" See my blog on http://www.inescapebledata.com/ Baltimore: Amazon.com is often touted as a new economy company that is far ahead of the pack when it comes to data mining. Would you agree, and are there other companies worth studying? John Webster: Yes. Wall Mart is another. There is a new initiative in EU called the Metro Future Store that leverages many of the technologies we spaek of in the book. Also check out StreamSQL as a real time data processing engine. washingtonpost.com: In the book, you write about a "universal virtual computer." What is this concept? John Webster: Basically, it is a way of storing and retrieving documents without worring about how they were created electronically. Send me an email to [email protected] and i'll send you the original paper. Keene, NH: Hi John, I just now learned about your book and look forward to reading it! How do you see the proliferation of sensors, predicted by futurist Paul Saffo (see http://saffo.org/sensors.html), impacting us? And what about the integration of sensor-generated data (and data from RFID and GPS) into enterprise and personal systems? John Webster: Not familiar with the book you mention, however the integration is coming. you can already see it in cell phones - the new electronic jack-knife. Portland, Maine: What is the future of cable television?; Will it be obsolete as we start to access more of our TV programming via computer download or podcasting or whatever? John Webster: I see the future of cable as far more interactive than it is now. i think we're already seeing this in reality TV. We'll also see it in sports where the very outcome of a game could be influenced by viewers. The "players" will also be connected in various ways (GPS, heads-up video, video regognition, etc. The NBA has a deal with Silicon Graphics to do some things along these lines. Silver Spring, Md.: Do you think Internet connectivity is akin to public utilities like water, power and gas? And if so, given the increasing important of data convergence, should municipal governments be providing access at a free or extremely low-cost rate? John Webster: We argue for this free access in the book. However, nothing really comes for free. If it's provided by a municipality, then maintenance of the system shows up in your tax bill. If it's funded privately, then acess will probably be given to advertisers as a way of funding the maintenance of the system Washington, D.C.: Isn't there such a thing as too much information? Do we risk being overwhelmed by an abundance of data that can be readily delivered to us via lots of different devices? John Webster: Absolutely, and there is at least one book on the subject called Data Smog. New York: Do we put ourselves at risk by entrusting more and more information (and the power to use that information) to the global computer network? I am thinking of unintended consequences like the northeast power grid outage in 2003. John Webster: Absolutely again. There are a number of dangers we as users must all be aware of. One is the age-old idea of trusted source - ie to we depend on these sources to the point that we being to trust them implicitly and what happens if the source is somehow corrupted or compromized. Also, we can grow to depend on them as part of our daily lives to the point that when they break down, their loss is very disruptive and possibly dangerous (to your point about the utility grid). Bethesda, Md.: Is the venture capital industry putting money into early stage/start-up firms that are working in wired technologies? John Webster: My sense of the VC community right now is that they are all hungry for investments of any sort that look promissing. Its a case of too many dollars chasing too few opportunities that they see as viable. One noted VC (Howard Anderson) just packed up and left the VC biz. Reston, Va.: One of my biggest disappointments about the new digital economy is the unwillingness of many major employers to embrace telecommuting. For my job, a secure, reliable Internet connection and a phone are all I really need to do my job 80% of the time. But my employer would be very reluctant to let me do that. Do you see a future where "where" you live matters less than what skills you have? John Webster: Absolutely yes, and we give fuel to your arguement in the book. I think when the price of gas exceeds $3.00 per gallon, we'll see an overwheling demand by the workforce to become connected, mobile, and work wherever you want oriented. Louisville, Ky.: I worry that we're too fragmented into niche worlds. Parsing and delivering unique data sets (entertainment or news or whatever) allows people to wall themselves off from much that they should be exposed to. John Webster: Your worry is shared by the author of Data Smog. I'm a good/bad example in that, as an analyst, I have to comb data source and filter as part of what I do. As such, I see only what I have the time to see and only what I've selected. Philadelphia: Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to account for privacy in the digital age? John Webster: Hmmm...interesting thought. In other words should there be an absolute guarentee to personal privacy as part of the Bill of Rights? Or should the phrase be worded: "..life liberty, privacy, and the pursuite of happiness"? I think so. ID theft is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. However, be aware that in a society threatened by outside forces such as the one we saw in the Lonon bombings, some degree of surveillance could be welcomed. washingtonpost.com: In your book, you offer some suggestions for what readers can do to take advantage of the data convergence wave. Some examples you provide are: "Get your doctors to move to electronic records and get access" and "Consider home video-surveillance devices." These suggestions suppose two things: Financial resources to acquire technology, and leverage to influence how existing bureaucracies function or the cost of new technologies. For many readers, those are hard things to accomplish. How can all consumers do the things you urge them to do? John Webster: I actually think that these things might be more available than you now may think. Wireless digital video cameras are less than $100 (I believe). My dentist does the kind of scheduling we mention (although he admits, it has some bugs). Washington, D.C.: In the book, you make a bold prediction about the movement of manufacturing back into the United States. Why do you think that will happen? I would argue that labor will remain so cheap in China for the forseeable future that manufacturing there will always be cheaper -- at least for the next century. John Webster: I think that what we're essentially trying to say (and its not very clear I admit) is that the massive efficiencies we believe to be possible from convergence technologies will in fact tip the scale back in favor of "home" manufacture for example. washingtonpost.com: Should the U.S. government have one chief privacy officer? John Webster: Probably. Another good suggestion for the ACLU. Alexandria, Va.: Can computer hardware keep up with the demands a wired society will place on it? I heard that computer chip engineers are starting to hit the boundaries of being able to speed up processing power. John Webster: I'm arguing that most compute technologies as we now know them can't keep up. There's a "real time" data demand and traditional computing isn't really designed for real time processing on a massive scale. However, there are some emerging technologies. One is "database in memory" sources are SGI and Progress Software as examples. Another is StreamSQL as distributed by StreamBase. Washington, D.C.: How do you see the data revolution changing academia? John Webster: I think that academia has been slow to embrace the electronic classroom of the "virtual" classroom if you like. There is this notion that the education one gets from these kinds of learning environments is somehow below that of the traditional environment. So I think that academic institiution really need to decide how to embrace technologies that are already out there. Some already have. On the reasearch side, convergence is an incredible accellerator of scientific understanding. I could go on... San Francisco: Not all data is equal. Computers cannot always discern the quality of a data set. Comments? John Webster: In the storage industry, this is the subject of major debate - can one assigne a "value" to data? Yes, some forms of data are more important or valuable if you will than others. There are now emeging systems that help IT administrators sort the more valuable from the less valuable. Many times, the separation boils down to usage patterns - ie that which is accessed most often is most valuable. Another way to assign value is to associate data value with the application that uses it. Payroll data can be accessed very infequently but is very valuable. In the end, and system that assigns value to data needs to be set up and monitored by humans. This process is called Policy and machines can't create or figure out policy in a vacuum. Dulles, Va.: What digital devices do you carry? John Webster: A multifunction cell phone and a blackberry. Laurel, Md.: What good is tons of data unless people know and care what to look for. Example -- Enron's 1999&2000 financial reports carried footnotes at least hinting that it was carrying some highly unusual transactions; but even people with tens of thousands of dollars invested im the company didn't read it? John Webster: True and that's I think what the Googles of the world are all about. I believe you'll see more "google-like" things coming to market in the future. Reston, Va.: The data revolution of the 1990s was incredible, but many Americans may forget what that revolution made possible. Can you provide a concrete example -- i.e. something that's commonplace now and made possible by data convergence that was impossible 15 years ago&? John Webster: I think the cell phone itself is perhaps an example. It combined RF, voice, and data switching technologies. Another point to make about the cell phone (and about technology in general) is that it demonstrates an ability of the average citizen to own and use an advanced form of technology that was previously beyond ones financial reach. This process continues at an ever acellerating rate. washingtonpost.com: Mr. Webster, thank you again for your time today. Do you have a few suggestions for further reading on the topic of data convergence? John Webster: Thanks for inviting me. I've had fun. For further reading: "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Troubled Waters in the Shenandoah

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BENTONVILLE, Va. -- It's quiet on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River here, save for the steady sound of rain dimpling the surface of the water. A canoe shop near the river's edge is stocked with a rainbow of recreational equipment -- red kayaks, orange life jackets, yellow plastic inner tubes -- waiting for the weekend or a sunnier day to bring crowds of people. But business is down this summer, said Trace Noel, owner of Shenandoah River Trips. Normally, regular customers would return week after week toting buckets of minnows or live shiners in their rented canoes to fish the nationally renowned waters for smallmouth bass. This year, a fish kill wiped out as much as 80 percent of the adult smallmouth bass population, the third major strike in four years affecting rivers in the region. And though nobody has identified a clear cause, the trend raises new questions about the quality of water that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay. "The entire upper mileage of the Potomac River watershed is sick," said Jeff Kelble, 33, a full-time fishing guide based in Boyce, near Winchester, who travels two hours to the lower Potomac and small rivers where he can still find popular game fish. Some guides who spend lots of time on the Shenandoah said the water quality is deteriorating, while others said it has always been poor. Starting in April, while they were spawning and their immune systems were suppressed, smallmouth bass, as well as redbreast sunfish, began developing lesions. Locals described them as cigar burns or canker sores. Before long, dead fish could be seen floating in the river. The same sequence occurred last spring on the North Fork of the Shenandoah, and two years before that on the South Branch of the Potomac. If nothing else happens to the river, it still could take several years for the young fish, which were passed over in the kill, to grow large enough to interest anglers. "This is not a typical fish kill," said Steve Reeser, a fish biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. A more typical kill can be traced back to a source of pollution such as a chemical spill or a pipe from a sewage treatment plant. "Those are things that are easy to manage or regulate," Reeser said. The state Department of Environmental Quality, the lead agency investigating the case, sent live fish with lesions to pathologists and fish disease specialists, who could not find a particular virus or cause of death but confirmed that the fish had been subject to environmental stress.

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Behind Patterson, Nats End Slide

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There was no Cristian Guzman at shortstop. Nor was Vinny Castilla over at third. The lineup looked as if it had been assembled by scribbling names on sheets of paper, placing them in a bin, spinning it around and pulling them out. But this Washington Nationals team has never been about offense, and that didn't change overnight. Instead, John Patterson showed up at the ballpark, his right arm feeling good, his gaze focused. "I wanted a win tonight, plain and simple," Patterson said. "That's all I was trying to do." Given the environment around the Nationals these days, that result is neither plain nor simple, yet Patterson delivered in brilliant fashion. He pitched into the ninth inning of a 4-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies at RFK Stadium, sweat glistening off his forehead on a sweltering evening on which the Nationals needed a win like they hadn't at any previous point in the season. "He was unbelievable," said Brad Wilkerson, who normally leads off and plays the outfield, but in this strange new world hit third and played first base. Patterson allowed just three singles over those eight-plus innings, striking out eight, walking just two. He showed the kind of stuff that has his teammates believing he could be a top-flight starter, one other teams fear. Yet had he not received the win last night -- he hadn't won since June 11, and had 11 no-decisions this season -- he might have been near his breaking point. Pick up the paper this morning, and his record is just 4-2. He knows, though, that doesn't reflect how he's pitched. "I know what I'm doing," Patterson said. "The team knows what I'm doing. And that's all I'm really concerned with right now." In four starts in July, Patterson has a 1.33 ERA, has twice pitched shutout ball for at least seven innings, and has walked only seven while striking out 32 in 27 innings. That culminated in what was arguably his most important start of the year, when the Nationals were reeling -- having lost nine of 12, in their worst slump of the year. Asked if he felt pressure to end the skid, Patterson was direct. "Yeah," he said. "I did." The victory ensured, at least for the night, that the Nationals could once again rest their heads on their pillows knowing they would wake up in first place. After a miserable 5-4 loss to Colorado on Monday, the Atlanta Braves had closed to within a half-game. But the Nationals know this: Win, and there's no way the Braves can catch up. (Atlanta lost, 5-4, last night in San Francisco.) The lineup changes -- as sweeping as they could be on a team with limited offensive resources -- were designed to make sure they remained in first place, not to mention to ignite a stagnant offense. Not only did Guzman, hitting .190, sit down in favor of utility man Jamey Carroll, but Carlos Baerga replaced the ailing Castilla, who will rest his balky left knee for a few days. But Manager Frank Robinson made changes other than those because of slumps or injuries. Each of the 87 previous times Wilkerson started a game for the Nationals, he batted first. Last night, Robinson hit him third. Carroll moved to the leadoff spot, where he hadn't been before. Catcher Brian Schneider, on a tear over the past month, hit fifth for the first time all year. Former Rockie Preston Wilson was sixth, and Ryan Church, who had hit second, fifth and sixth, started in the seventh spot, where he had never hit before. Baerga -- who as recently as July 7 hit cleanup -- was in the eighth spot for the first time this season.

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Coaches Say New NCAA Academic Plan Is Flawed

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Five months before the NCAA plans to enforce the academic reform package its president, Myles Brand, called a "sea change" in college athletics, many top men's basketball coaches say they don't entirely grasp the new system, see significant flaws in what they do understand, and will not change the way they recruit players because of it. Some even went so far as to say that maintaining a satisfactory Academic Progress Rate, or APR, was incompatible with trying to build a winning program in an era when virtually all top players turn professional before exhausting their collegiate eligibility. "When I take a player, I am not going to be concerned about my APR," said North Carolina Coach Roy Williams, whose national champion Tar Heels lost four non-seniors to the NBA this spring, a development that will hurt the school's score under the new requirements. "I am not going to care about the APR at all. The fact of a guy leaving early for the NBA, that may be what I think about, but the APR is not what I will be thinking about." The new reform package arose from concern over poor academic performance by student-athletes, particularly men's basketball players. It is intended to reward schools whose players perform well in the classroom and penalize those whose do not. But while supporting its intent, many coaches say the APR's complex system, in which programs can be penalized for scores below 925 on a 1,000-point scale, seems to invite "what-if" scenarios and is full of confusing parlance such as "contemporaneous penalties" and "10 percent gap." Baylor Coach Scott Drew, one of several coaches interviewed at a camp for top high school players in Hackensack, N.J., joked that he had to take a semester course in the APR before grasping it. "It's like the salary cap in the NBA and NFL," said Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo, who acknowledged that he does not completely understand it. "You've got to have a capologist just to figure out the numbers. Instead of hiring an assistant, I'm going to hire an accountant for my next assistant job." When a reporter asked Washington Coach Lorenzo Romar about North Carolina's APR score being adversely affected because four underclassmen left early for the NBA, Romar countered, "Not if they are in good [academic] standing." Told that the Tar Heels would still be penalized one point for each player who left early, regardless of whether he was eligible, Romar acknowledged: "See, that's what I mean. It's confusing, very confusing," adding that he doesn't "totally" understand the APR. University of Hartford President Walter Harrison, the chairman of the NCAA's Committee on Academic Performance, said: "It seems to me, the central message for coaches is, 'You'd better recruit students capable of doing academic work at your institution.' . . . That does not seem to me to be too complicated. Whether they have focused on it or not, they are going to have a vested interest in making sure their athletes are doing well academically." Harrison's committee is expected to discuss significant adjustments to the APR next week in San Francisco, and recommendations will be made to the board of directors in early August. In December, the NCAA will for the first time notify schools of penalties for unsatisfactory scores. "What we will try to do is come up with solutions that are responsive to legitimate concerns by coaches and students," Harrison said, "but at the same time not create a loophole big enough to drive a truck through."

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Goss's Garage

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Pat Goss has worked on cars for more than 40 years. He owns a car repair company that bears his name, has authored numerous books on auto maintenance, and makes weekly appearances on Motorweek, a PBS television program. He visits right here once a month to answer questions about fixing your car. Germantown, Md.: 1993 Eagle Vision TSI with a climate control problem -- the climate control system on my vehicle appears to be possessed. Regardless of the setting (temperature or panel selection), it blows hot air at the highest fan setting, usually on a defrost setting. In most instances, no matter what buttons I push, I can't even turn it off. It simply starts back up or keeps blasting the hot air without even shutting off. Does this sound like a computer problem? Any idea how much it would cost to fix? Pat Goss: Because it is operating in the default mode (you mentioned defrost) I suspect you have a broken or disconnected vacuum hose. I'd check the vacuum hoses first. Damascus, Md.: Good Morning Pat, Thanks for excellent insight and direction when it comes to things in the automotive realm. I have a 2004 MDX, and have 24,000 miles on it. I could not locate in the owner's manual whether a transmission flush is okay to perform, but the dealer claims that the transmission should never be flushed on my vehicle and could void the warranty if performed. To the best of your knowledge, is this factual? Pat Goss: The dealer is potentially violating the law by threatening warranty cancellation. If done properly, just like all service, it will enhance the longevity of the transmission. Washington, D.C.: My daughter drives a 1991 Camry, 205,000 miles, it can't pass Maryland's emissions test without something like $800 in repairs ... time to donate? Pat Goss: Unless there' some extenuating circumstance or great sentimental value --- donate the sucker. Burke, Va.: Do you know the type of throttle control that Honda uses in my 2004 Accord V6EX? When pulling out at low speeds the accelerator pedal seems to shimmy. If also does this if the front wheels loose traction and the "traction control" cuts on. Is this anything to be concerned about? Also, do you have any favorite mid to full size vehicles you would recommend? My father is looking to replace his 1993 Pontiac Bonneville to take advantage of the GM/Ford/Chrysler employee pricing deals. Thanks, I really enjoy your radio and t.v. shows. Pat Goss: This could be improper activation of the traction control system. That happens sometimes due to faults in the wheel speed sensors. It really should be checked. A favorite automobile of mine would be the new Buick LaCrosse. Bowie, Md.: Pat I have '99 Honda Odyssey whose check engine light refuses to go off. The mechanic we've used for a long time can't get it to stop, and suspects it's the catalytic converter. Van is in great shape, 103,000 miles, always maintained ... converter apparently will be around a grand ... typical? Worth spending the money? If we want to get by MD emissions check I think I have to. Pat Goss: Think it's the converter? I don't think I'd spend a grand on 'I think'. It would make sense to test the vehicle to determine what is actual wrong with it, and then repair accordingly. If the 'I think' it's a converter is based on a code, look out, because codes do not necessarily tell what is wrong but what is being affected by what is wrong. For each code there is a matching numbered test. Wilmington, Del.: Is the fuel injection treatment where they hook up a can of cleaner and turn off the fuel pump and the engine runs on the cleaner, fine to clean injectors? You have mentioned certain services by name but I couldn't find them in my area. Pat Goss: The service you describe is perfectly fine although it is extremely basic. The better services use a machine and enough chemical for the car to run 1-2 hours. I've got a 2005 with the 5-speed manual transmission. When briefly stopped (in traffic or at a stop light, say), does it make a difference if the car is in first gear, with the clutch pedal fully depressed of course, or in neutral, foot off the clutch? Does either option affect gas consumption, engine/transmission/clutch wear-and-tear, or anything else? Related question ... if it's a long light (a minute or more), go I gain anything by shutting down the engine while I'm waiting? Hybrids do this, but since I learned to drive in the '60s I've always heard that starting the engine uses a lot of fuel, and of course it may shorten the life of the starter motor. Pat Goss: To minimize wear on the transmission it should remain in gear (first gear) with the clutch pedal held to the floor. This will add slightly to the wear on the clutch release (throw out) bearing but save wear on the transmission. The transmission repair would usually cost it least 10 times what the release bearing repair would cost. Do not turn off your engine. Hybrids do not use a conventional starter, over time you'll kill your starter and the $20 you saved over 10 years of shutting the engine will be off set many times over by repeated starter failure. Gaithersburg, Md.: I have a '99 Saturn SL1 with 94,000 miles. At a recent oil change, the technician suggested using a high-mileage or a synthetic oil. My car has never leaked oil, so I stayed with the regular oil. When are high-mileage or synthetic oils appropriate? Should I switch as a preventive measure? Pat Goss: Synthetic oils are appropriate any time. The first oil change in the life of the vehicle is the best time. But, any vehicle can be changed over at any time and will enjoy the significant benefits of the synthetic product. High mileage oils are quite a different story and really should not be used until the engine shows problems, such as increased oil consumption. It is extremely cavalier of oil companies to suggest that all engines will have the same amount of wear at 75,000 miles. This is absolutely not true. Don't use high mileage oils until there use is warranted. I have heard that if you leave your car or motor home standing for long periods of time on concrete the calcium in the concrete will leach into the rubber and contact the steel belts where it will cause them to rust and fail. You can't see the damage, but the tire could then blow out on the open road. Any truth to this? Pat Goss: Technically it isn't supposed to happen. And is probably something someone dreamed up to explain why vehicles that sit for long periods of time experience high tire failure rates. Sitting for extended periods of time causes the steel belts to assume a flat contour at the bottom of the wheel, as the vehicle moves down the road this causes severe shock loads on the belt every time the flat spot hits the pavement. This weakens the belt leading to blow outs. Another problem is that tires have a safe usable life. Some say five years, others say six years. Because motor homes, trailers, and the like, rarely get high mileage in a short period of time, the tire typically becomes stale dated and dangerous long before they wear out. HELP! My air conditioner compressor went bad on my '98 Honda Civic. It started smoking and died. It cost me about $1000 to replace. Last week I noticed that the air was not cooling properly. I took the car back expecting to hear that it was just low on coolant. They called and said bad new, the compressor is bad again. Rather than have them replace it, I asked them to just fill the coolant, which they did. Now the air is cool and all seems well. Is the compressor a running issue with the Civic? Should I pay the 90 bucks for the complete evaluation of the AC to see if another garage has a different opinion? Should I just keep filling the coolant as needed? Pat Goss: Help, I guess. You shouldn't be paying for the a/c refill unless the leak is in another area of the system. If the leak is at the replacement compressor the fix should be covered by your repair warranty. You need to have a chat with the folks that did the job. Falls Church, Va.: Pat ... enjoy your chats here and other programs. I have a 2001 Toyota Sienna with a 6 cyl engine. A few weeks ago, the check engine light came on and I took it to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed it with bad oxygen sensor and estimated the repair at about $550, which included a "fuel service". I approved the work and a while later, they called again, saying the sensor was stuck, and after having put a torch on it (presumably to loosen it) they needed me to authorize an additional $650 for a new manifold. Does this sound right? If I defer the work until my next emissions inspection is due (2007), will I harm the motor? Is "fuel service" a legitimate service? Pat Goss: It's possible but very unusual. Even if it is necessary, I would want an absolute test to verify the oxygen sensor has failed. Frequently technicians base repair recommendations on codes and codes typically do not tell what is wrong, only what is being affected by what is wrong. Oxygen sensor codes are the most common of all codes and oxygen sensors are the most over sold parts of vehicles. It's estimated that less than 10% of all the oxygen sensors sold worldwide are actually needed. There is a test procedure that matches the code, which should be performed to verify the need for the sensor. If the sensor is indeed bad, it is extremely unusual that applying heat (significant heat) and rust penetrating oil does not loosen the stuck sensor. Fuel service, depends, some are some aren't. In my shop I use BG products and have found significant benefits. But not all products are created equal. Arlington, Va.: Pat, enjoy your show very much. Recently I had my car's exhaustive pipe replaced (Honda Civic DX) at a garage. The pipe is abut 7' long. Now whenever I push the accelerator, I hear "bang, bang" sound coming from the pipe, especially when I start my car. There's no sound when I drive on highway or when the speed is high. The mechanic told me that it might have something to do with my muffler. Now I have my muffler replaced, but the sound is still there. Any idea what's wrong with that? Thanks. Pat Goss: Sounds like either a defective exhaust pipe or a improperly installed exhaust pipe. McLean, Va.: Hiya Pat, I just got a new Labrador puppy. It is 10 months old and already weighs 80 pounds. I need a big crate to transport the pooch, and my Camry won't work. What do you recommend for a vehicle that can carry such a load? If possible, I would like to avoid a big honkin' SUV. Thanks Pat! Pat Goss: There are many 'cross over' vehicles available now. That mimic SUVs but are based on passenger car chassis. Things like Toyota Highlander, Ford Freestyle, and several others. These vehicles provide better economy a much more car like driving experience and significantly lower cost than a full blown SUV. Problem is there are lots of them, so you'll have to do research that meets all your needs. Severn, Md.: My Jeep seems to weep through the power steering pump (not the gear). Would you recommend the product that advertises that it stops automatic transmission leaks? Pat Goss: No, I wouldn't recommend it. You might stop one leak at the cost of damage to other much more expensive parts. D.C.: On synthetic oil ... I take my '04 Solara 6-cyl into the dealer for my every 3,000 mile free oil change, ask for synthetic, he says it'll' be an extra $20-$25 and they don't recommend it because regular oil today is so advanced ... I didn't push but is that too much $ and why wouldn't they recommend it if they'll make more $$? I'd like that Solara to be around a long time ... thanks! Pat Goss: I would think $15-20 would be more appropriate. They probably don't recommend it because they don't understand it. Most dealers do not seriously become involved in oil. Some only stock a basic conventional oil and charge considerably extra for synthetic because they have to special order it. Synthetic oil can double, triple, or even quadruple the life expectancy of your engine. Pomfret, Md.: Hi Pat, I have a 2002 Mercedes ML 500. We bought it used last year, with only 10k miles. The car runs great, but the brakes squeak 99% the time. It's very annoying, and we've taken it in 3 times to be fixed. They finally replaced the brakes completely, and it STILL squeaks! Finally, the mechanic said "Well, ML's are known to squeak." Are they? Should I accept that answer? Isn't there SOME way to make them stop? I mean, c'mon! It's a Mercedes! Pat Goss: Yep, they're known to squeak. Well they are if you only have the dealer work on your brakes. There are a lot of things that can be done to stop brake squeal. These items or services are usually, primarily available in the aftermarket not at the dealer level. Some research and $50-100 worth of service, should get rid of 90-95% of the problem. Arlington, Va.: On my '02 Toyota 4Runner, when I make sharp right turns, sometimes the traction control/wheel slip kicks in and makes for difficult turning. I've taken it in several times and they can't point to a specific issue. Can you assist? Thanks. Pat Goss: They need to interface your 4Runners computer and monitor the signals from the wheel speed sensors during one of the events. If there is signal drop out it would suggest improper sensor adjustment or contaminated sensor or trigger ring. Also depending on mileage this sometimes indicates excessive play in a wheel bearing. D.C.: Thanks on the synthetic oil, now I'll push ... Mobil 1 the best? Pat Goss: Mobil 1 is popularly priced offers exceptional protection is available just about every where, so it would be number 1 in my book. Actually it is what I use in my vehicles. Silver Spring, Md.: Hi, Pat. I have read and have been told that if your car gets a flat tire, you should replace two tires (on the same axle), not just the flat one. This is what I did when I got a flat the other month. A colleague of mine recently got a flat, and only replaced the flat tire and asked me for the reasoning on why you need to replace two tires. Both of our tires had similar wear (20k to 30k) and we both got new replacements. I didn't really have a reason on why you need to replace two, and now am beginning to wonder if I did the right thing myself. Any thoughts? Pat Goss: You don't necessarily have to replace 2 tires. If the opposite tire has more than 50% tread remaining, you can replace 1 tire. Now there is an exception to this, it applies to all-wheel drive and 4 wheel drive vehicles, where it may require replacement of all 4 tires (depending on wear). Bottom line there is no hard and fast rule, except it all is based on the wear of the remaining tire or tires. Texas: I hope you will take my question. When I turn on the A/C in my 1998 Nissan Sentra, the engine sort of "rumbles" and doesn't accelerate the same. It doesn't stop until I turn the A/C off. The A/C itself cools beautifully. Pat Goss: You need to have the condition of the A/C compressor checked. In the early stages of failure they frequently make a rumbling noise due to rough bearings. This in turn makes the compressor require more power from the engine and reduces performance. Sterling, Va.: Thanks for the chat, Pat. My mechanic (who I very much trust) is putting a new steering rack in my 1991 BMW 318 is with 140K miles. I had essentially the same work done about five to seven years ago. Is this a known problem area for the old E30 bimmers or is mine just a fluke? I love the car and figure I can still get 200K miles minimum from it so I'm plunking down the cash. Pat Goss: I presume you aren't flushing your power steering system every 2 years or 24,000 miles. Regardless of year, make or model, newer cars without power steering flushing will consume steering racks about every 3-7 years. Step up your maintenance, save the big bucks. Annapolis, Md.: Hello Pat. Owner of a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer. Just took to the dealer for service due to transmission problems. In essence, the transmission stuttled or lagged when shifting from 3rd to 4th, and most noticeably when shifting from Park into Reverse. The dealer said he would replace the solenoid. What is this thing and will it likely fix my car's transmission problem? Pat Goss: A solenoid is simply an electrical switch inside the transmission, that is controlled by the computer. When the computer determines it's time for the transmission to shift it sends a signal to the solenoid and the solenoid allows the shift to take place. Will it fix your problem, possibly. But I'm surprised they didn't do the recall on the transmission, which involves adding a chemical to deal with the park to reverse concern. Had my '04 done about 2 months ago. I have a 2001 Acura CL-S. There was a recall on the transmission to add a jet kit to cool it down and Honda extended the warranty to 7 yeas 100000 miles. I recently took it to my mechanic for a 50000 mile maintenance and he said he has never seen transmission fluid so dark and dirty. He said it looked like burnt motor oil. The transmission seems ok for now after he flushed it. I have heard they are just replacing failed trannies with rebuilds of the defective one. Have you heard anything about this Acura situation? Should I keep this car until my warranty runs out unable to take it far from home in fear of the transmission failing or trade it in while it still holds some value. Thank you. Pat Goss: I presume you aren't flushing the transmission (should be done every 2 years or 24,000 miles). If you were the fluid would most likely look like new. Can't take it far from home, that's puzzling. Even if you bought a new car any part of that new car (including the transmission) could fail at any time with or without warning. Why take a horrible financial beating to get a 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty. It's going to cost you several times what a replacement transmission would cost and hundreds of time what a little bit of preventive maintenance would cost to get that warranty. I've heard you talk on the radio quite frequently about replacing the cap on your radiator as part of your maintenance routine. You seemed to chastise your listeners a little bit for not knowing this bit of automobile upkeep. I was a little bit embarrassed since I felt like I at least knew the basics of maintaining my car. So, I checked through my owners and maintenance manual but found nothing on the subject. I don't question the fact that this should be done, my question is: if this is as common (and simple) a practice as you say, why isn't it more widely documented as part of a maintenance program? You've been downright harsh to some of your callers on this subject. Almost as if they had forgotten to do something so simple as fill up the gas tank. Pat Goss: If everything that I talked about was readily available in every owner's manual than I really wouldn't have anything to talk about. Now would I? Give me a break, I haven't managed to maintain a national television show and a radio show for 25 years by talking about the things everyone knows. I discuss the things that people don't know. Mostly what I try to bring across to people is information that make people say "gee, I didn't know that" or "gee, I never heard that before". Mostly I base much of what I discuss on my experience in owning and operating a repair shop and information I acquire through reading approximately 140 publications every month. Also keep in mind owner's manuals are written by people that want to sell automobiles, and most maintenance recommendations in owner's manual are based on an expected life of 100,000 miles. My recommendations are based on an expected life of 250,000 miles. Arlington, Va.: Pat, I'm a longtime listener to your show, but never dreamed I'd have a question! However, I have one that my dealer was unable to figure out but could be dangerous. I have a 2000 Saturn LS2 4-door sedan. When driving slowly about 15-25 mph, all the lights on my dashboard will flash on, and then every system on the car powers down. The steering wheel locks, too. This happened twice, two days in a row. If I immediately restart the car, it starts up with no problem. The dealer could not figure it out -- the computer says everything is fine. They also ran tests on the fuel line that were fine. This was a few weeks ago and the car has not done it again since, but I am concerned because it could be dangerous. Thanks. Pat Goss: Very dangerous. I absolutely agree, unfortunately it's going to be almost impossible to diagnosis by any means and will be totally impossible to diagnosis if the dealer is only looking for codes. They need to perform base line system tests, and pinpoint tests and forget the miserable codes. Seabrook, Md.: So, has NASA asked for your help with the shuttle's fuel sensor yet? They should! Pat Goss: Oh, I wish. But they don't talk to dummies like me. Baltimore, Md.: In an earlier question on "high mileage oils" you said they should not be used on vehicles with low mileage. Could you elaborate more on this. Most of these oils are group III meaning they are slightly more refined and should be ok to used if they are of proper weight (5w-30 etc.) I don't understand why they should be avoided in newer engines. They are usually priced a bit below a synthetic such as Mobil 1. Makes them a bit more affordable! Pat Goss: Once you use the costly high mileage oil, you are committed. There claim to fame is more seal swellers. Once you swell the seals they wear in to this new configuration. Often if you try to go back, oil consumption skyrockets. And they have know where near the capability of a full synthetic oil. They aren't in the same universe. I am considering getting a hybrid car. However, I have heard that they stall out if you drive at high speeds. Is there validity to this? Pat Goss: Excuse me? They don't run any differently than anything else. They may not be the best value on the market, but they run fine. McLean, Va.: I have a '99 Ford Explorer with about 88,000 miles. At the end of the winter, the oil pressure gauge was not jumping up like it normally should immediately after the engine started. I checked the oil and it was ok and when the car warmed up, the gauge would jump back to where it should be (and yes, I know I should not have let the engine keep running with the gauge showing 0 psi). Since the weather got warmer it hasn't been an issue. Any thoughts? Pat Goss: You're right, you shouldn't have let the engine run with the gauge reading 0. Due to the fact that Ford uses a dummy oil pressure gauge, it my not be as bad as it seems. A Ford oil pressure gauge works exactly like an oil warning light. It is either on or off. Check the oil pressure switch, if it's good, perform a mechanical oil pressure test. I own a '99 Lexus ES-300 with 120,000+ mileage. A maintenance service recommends that I flush and completely replace the automatic transmission fluid, yet the dealer never mentions it whenever I leave my car there for service. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Pat Goss: Be careful. Be very, very careful. Your nearly a 100,000 miles over due on this very important maintenance service. Someone highly qualified must evaluate the condition of your transmission and transmission fluid before touching it. The transmission may already be severely damaged, and service could lead to its demise. Woodbridge, Va.: Pat, I have a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan. About 6 months ago I noticed a pulsing when I stepped on the brakes. I had my mechanic replace the brake pads as they were about due and asked him to check the rotors. He said he had to "cut" the rotors quite a bit and the pulsing stopped. It is now back and getting increasingly worse. I am assuming the rotors will need to be replaced as opposed to cut any further. Have you heard of problems with warped rotors on this vehicle and is there any tips to keep it from happening again? Thanks ... Joe in Woodbridge. Pat Goss: The most common cause of repeated brake war page is failure to use a torque wrench to install the wheels, use of an air impact wrench almost guarantees warped rotors. Also we find some shops that still do not have a brake lathe that cuts the rotors on the car in there normal position. Without this, pulsation is common. Herndon, Va.: Pat, I've got an '02 Jeep Grand with a recent unevenness in my braking at speeds over 30 mph. It's almost a rhythmic, pulsing feeling in the brakes that causes the steering wheel also to shimmy when braking at higher speeds. No squeaking or squealing. Brake calipers? Also, with an full extended warranty, this should be covered, no? Thanks! Pat Goss: Nope, not calipers. Warped brake rotors, you might be able to convince the dealer to cover it, but usually its caused by improper tightening of the wheel lug nuts. They must be done with a torque wrench not an air impact wrench. Herndon, Va.: Pat, appreciate your wisdom here and on WJFK: I have a BMW 323i approaching 60,000 miles. I purchased it with 25,000 miles as a "certified" by the dealer. The dealer uses "BMW synthetic" oil when it's changed, but the car's computer "requests" oil change times that are far longer than I what I think is safe. For a 50/50 mix of short distance and highway driving, would you say oil/filter every 6,000 or so is right? And is Mobil 1 ok, if I use someone other than the dealer (who insists on BMW oil)? Pat Goss: I would agree with your 6000 miles and Mobil 1 is actually several steps above the product you have been using. Bowie, Md.: So how often should we change the radiator cap? And (seriously) is there a need to also change the gas cap? Pat Goss: Radiator caps every 2 years. Gas caps on 1996 and newer cars often need to be changed every two to three years. Gas caps account for roughly 40% of all illuminated check engine lights. Arlington, Va.: 2003 Infiniti G35 sedan -- is it known to go through brake pads quickly? Dealer said it will, offered free first-time pad replacement. Is this a common problem on new cars, or just Infiniti problem? Pat Goss: I've heard some problems. Can't offer any details yet, as I don't know them. And no, it is not a common problem on all new cars. Linden, Va.: Pat, I'm looking for a used SUV-type vehicle. I need something 4-wheel drive that can handle a family of 4, and that's not a pick-up. This is a whole new world for me, so I'm wondering if you have any suggestions of brands or models, or anything to avoid? Pat Goss: Unfortunately, it's next to impossible to make a recommendation with out lots more information. That's due to the fact that there are so many excellent SUVs that meet that criteria. They ultimate decision comes down to driving, comparing features, performance, fuel economy, comfort, visibility, and matching those factors to what is comfortable for you. It would hard to go wrong with any new SUV. Pat Goss: Thank you everyone. As always it has been fun. Take care, see you next time. Pat Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Pat Goss has worked on cars for more than 40 years. He owns a car repair company that bears his name, has authored numerous books on auto maintenance, and makes weekly appearances on Motorweek, a PBS television program.

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Got Plans?

2005072019

Every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET, washingtonpost.com's Entertainment Guide experts share their best bets for local flavor, great dates and family fun. Got plans? Great. Need plans? Just ask. We have the skinny on the bars and clubs, concerts, kitchens, theaters and special events that keep life interesting. We're going out gurus, and we're at your service. Of course, we're happy to answer questions about local entertainment, but we need to hear from you, too. Introduce us to the coolest DJ or the fastest bartender you've encountered. Sound off on the week's best concert or the city's best burger. Tell us about the best place to amuse little kids or a big art fan. Together we can plan fun ways to spend weekdays, weekends, dates and holidays. The pleasure is ours, and yours. Each week a different guru will act as host or hostess, but the entire staff is at your service. If you're looking for more ideas, see the Entertainment Guide . washingtonpost.com: Hello, everybody. We're here with an almost-full house: Jen, Rhome, Anne, David, Erin, Janet and me, Fritz. What're you up to this weekend? We're trying to escape the heat while enjoying the respite from insufferable humidity. Let's get underway... Georgetown, Washington, D.C.: Going out Gurus, Please help, as this has been driving me crazy all week long. What is the name of the new lounge/restaurant next to the movie theaters in Georgetown? Have you heard anything about it? I've tried looking all over the place, but can't find mention of it anywhere. Erin: It's all good, Georgetown. You're wondering about Maté (with an accent so it rhymes with latte). The restaurant is a Latin sushi concept (think Spicy Tamalito roll with tuna, plantains, corn masa and crab or a mango/salmon roll). It's brought to you by the man behind Chi-Cha Lounge, Agua Ardiente, Gazuza and Gua-Rapo. When I went last week, the vibe was very Euro swank. Washington, D.C.: How soon should I make Restaurant Week reservations? Erin: Don't hesitate! Many of the restaurants are already booked through the week, so call ASAP. Open table has a list of participating restaurants with online reservations. Nostalgia Lane: Does any pub in D.C. run a Simpsons pub quiz? If not, is there any that would be willing to? We had one in Boston and it was super-awesome. Fritz: I know that some -- Quizzo at the Pour House and the now-defunct quiz at the Flying Scotsman -- had "Simpsons"-themed rounds, but haven't heard of an entire quiz based on the TV show. But yeah, that would be cool. And I know who I'd want on my team, too. Bethesda, Md.: Why oh why didn't you warn us about how awful War of the Worlds was? I just saw it last night. The plot was like swiss cheese with all of those holes. Sounds like you saved me some money with Fantastic Four though, I've heard that it is just brutal from everyone. Jen: I didn't think it was awful, Bethesda. I completely agree that there were several plot holes, not to mention a lousy ending. But I thought the filmmaking style, the special effects and the overall visceral experience compensated for that. At least for me. It may have helped that they screened "War of the Worlds" for press at the Uptown. "Fantastic Four" is brutal. It saddens me that it's the movie that finally broke the box office slump. On the more positive side, there are several worthwhile movies coming out this weekend, including "Murderball," "Hustle & Flow" and "Bad News Bears." Have any of you eaten at Dukem for Ethiopian food? I am looking for another Ethiopian restaurant to try that is not in Adams Morgan. Dukem looks good, but I wanted to get some opinions on the food, atmosphere, and authenticity of the food. Thanks! Erin: Etete is also getting good reviews, but I've yet to try it myself. I would definitely recommend Dukem, but let's throw it out to the peanut gallery. Chatter reviews? Sitting on the Floor in Bethesda: Hi Gurus! My boyfriend and I have been looking for a couch now for about a month with no luck. We're on quite a budget (looking to spend less than $1100 on a couch and love seat). We've been to tons of local stores with no luck, and I remember last year you talking about a large store outside of Baltimore that has all sort of overstock items from clothes to household stuff to furniture. Please save my butt and remind me what the name of the store is! THANKS! Janet: I think you may be referring to C Mart . It's near Baltimore. Does that ring a bell? Fairfax, Va.: Was going to try to head to Tapatinis tonight. Any suggestions about parking and what time to get there so that we can get a seat? Fritz: Early, early, early. The giveaways -- tonight, FREE MAKERS MARK -- begin after 9, so you want to be there before 8 to get a seat. The upside is that happy hour ($5 top-shelf martinis) runs until 8. As for parking, if you go off the main strip, you should be fine. I've heard that it's safer to park closer to either Pennsylvania Ave. or the Marine Barracks (naturally). Silver Spring, Md.: GOG's- I was wondering if you could help me. I run a small company, and we want to have a BBQ for our employees (about 50 people) to get ready for the fall season (which is our busiest). I was told that there are areas near the Mall where we can BBQ. Are there grills and rentable space? Do you know of where I could get this information? Thanks! Anne: I've never seen anyone grilling on the Mall. You can bring your own charcoal-only grill to Hains Point and set it up on a picnic table, but Rock Creek Park is the main place I think of where you can reserve picnic sites with grills. Reservations are required on weekends for Hains Point (202-619-7225). To reserve sites in Rock Creek Park, you have to fill out an application at the office on 16th Street (open weekdays 8:30-6). Call 202-673-7647 for details. Upper Marlboro, Md.: Hi Gurus, I'm going out with about 20 friends, mostly out-of-towners, on Sat night and we're looking for a good place to dance. We're young professionals, mid 20's-30's and into R&B, Top 40 and the like. We were thinking of doing Pollyesther's but I haven't been there in a few years and don't know if this is the right fit. Not quite the college crowd but not making enough for $20 drinks either. We decided Dream wouldn't appeal to everyone in the group. Any ideas, preferably in D.C.? Rhome: Avenue . Spacious and nice looking on the inside but hasn't yet developed the attitude that Dream can have sometimes. Saturday nights have a more mixed clientele and you can get mainstream (hip-hop, R&B) and non-commercial (house, dance classics, soul) tunes in the same space. Alexandria, Va.: Hi there Gurus, need some help. I'd like to get my ears pierced. I haven't had it done before for fear of pain, but I'm over that now. Since I'm well past the age most kids have this done (pre-teen years) I'd rather not be center stage in the mall at one of those little booths. I've checked a few piercing locations, but they are quite pricey ($60/ear). Is there anywhere I can go that's in between? Not a pre-teen piercing palace, but not a super-expensive shop? I was thinking jewelry stores or something along those lines. Thanks very much! Janet: How about a store in the mall --- like Claire's ? Arlington, Va.: One of my friends and I want to hit Georgetown for brunch at around 11 on Saturday morning. I'm woefully uneducated as to decent restaurants in that area, esp. for brunch. She mentioned something about water, but it's my understanding that places overlooking the canal aren't that great. We're open to all styles of food, and would probably like the bill to be under $50 for the two of us. Thanks! Erin: You're quite right about the spots in G'town Harbour. You'll enjoy a pretty view, but you'll pay heavily for less-than-satisfactory eats/service. Up in the town, I am a fan of Peacock Cafe , but Cafe Bonaparte on Wisconsin is good. Mendocino Grille is also a good choice for lunch. Washington, DC: Thanks, Gurus, for helping to keep me in the know! I got a disappointing email from DJ Dredd earlier saying he was discontinuing his Friday night set there due to an "unfortunate event" their last week. Can you shed any light on what happened? Rhome: We know but it wouldn't be appropriate to put folks on blast. You can ask him at Uncle Q's tonight. Alexandria, Va.: HI GOG's! I recently heard about an outdoor movie screening on the main street in Shirlington - possibly on Thursday nights? Have you heard about this? Do they have a schedule? Thanks! Erin: It's called Movies Under the Stars, but it only runs in July, so you'd better go next week when they close with "Hitch." They screen next to the fountain in Shirlington Village. Washington, D.C.: I am interested in joining one of the many music bands I see performing in local bars and clubs. I don't know how to play the instruments but can learn quickly if there is a band or a school that will teach me. Any suggestions? David: Wait, you want to learn how to play an instrument, THEN join a band? That's no fun. Just start a band, technical proficiency be damned, like The Shaggs or Half Japanese or even The Sex Pistols. But if you're really intent on learning how to play, I'd suggest House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park. They offer lessons on everything from accordion to banjo to didgeridoo. Yes, didgeridoo. I know there are plenty of local bands looking for a didgeridoo player, so you'd be in high demand if you went that route. Fairfax, Va.: Does anyone know when the Clyde's Oktoberfest in Reston is this year? In the past, it's been either the 3rd or 4th weekend in September, but I can't seem to find any info on this year's event. Thanks! Erin: Due to "monsoons striking" the past three years' events and the chaos surrounding the opening of two new Clyde's locations, managers tell me that they won't be hosting an Oktoberfest this year. Sniff! Bacteria-free pedicures?: I read an article in O Magazine that said you should only get pedicures at salons that use portable foot baths. Can you recommend any salons that use them? Evidently the chairs w/ jacuzzi-like jets are bacteria breeding grounds, particularly due to the water that lingers & festers in the piping behind the tubs. Yick. Janet: I thought I read something to that effect but apparently it didn't sink in. The one place I know for sure that has portable foot baths is Potomac Hair Design . Places such as Serenity and Jolie Day Spa use jacuzzi-style ones. I just called Aveda, and according to a salesperson there, they use portable baths. Arlington, Va.: I know you've answered this question many times before, but please help! I'm looking for highlights--last time I went someplace cheap and regretted it for a year. This time I want nice, natural, high quality, but I can't afford the DC price tag. What's a girl to do? Janet: Hmm. My hairdresser will put in a few highlights in strategic areas in order to give some light to the face. Would that work for you? It could definitely cut down on the price. Washington, D.C.: My fellow bridesmaids and I want to take out our bride for karaoke for her bachelorette party. I've been to Peyote and was wondering what else is out there. Also, it'll be on a Thursday evening. Erin: A little sake at Cafe Japone and you'll be belting out songs any night of the week, Champps Americana in Reston and J.J. Muldoon's in Gaithersburg both do kitsch karaoke that starts on Thursdays around 9 p.m. Woodley Park, Washington, D.C.: This isn't so much of going-out query, but I was wondering if any of you might know of a place where one could go to do some do-it-yourself framing. I have a big, 30's-era travel poster that I'd like to matte (sp?) and frame myself without spending the $125-150 to do it. Thanks! Janet: Have you tried the Michaels Crafts stores? I'm a 24 y.o. guy yet live like I'm 64. Most of my friends from college and high school have left the area so I need a crew. A few potential dates would be nice too. Lived here all my life yet starting from scratch - where to begin? Rhome: Start some new hobbies. Revisit some old ones. As long as they don't include translating sacred scripture with monks who have taken vows of silence, you should run into social minded individuals who share your interests. When you do, talk to them! What sort of activities do you dig or are curious about that you haven't tried before? Where are folks doing them in DC? Those are questions we're better equipped to help you with. Do you like music? Check out the local listings and go to a show. Talk to the other show attendees. It's okay to go shows alone, I often do it. I've made new friends that way too. Bethesda couch seeker: Three years ago I bought a sofa/love seat combo at Value City Furniture for $600. It appears to have gone up $100. I've had it for three years and think it's great... If the link below doesn't work, go to vcf.com and search for the Shelter Cove collection. Janet: A suggestion for the Bethesda couch seeker. Re: Brunch in G-town: Any discussion about brunch in Georgetown should begin with Clyde's, and also include Clyde's cousin The Tombs (which is surprisingly pleasant in the summer without all the students). The Tombs actually gives out free coffee cake during Sunday brunch. Erin: I'm a huge Tombs fan, but the question was for Saturday. Tombs coffee cake is only on Sundays! Ear Piercing: I don't know if this would be to pricey or not but I remember when I was 13, I got my ears pierced at my Dr's office. Now that I think about it, it's kind of strange but I guess it is the safest place you could get it. Falls Church, Va.: It doesn't seem like there are many options for things to do in D.C. for the crowd of 17-20. Any suggestions? Many ideas for things to do after-dark seem to be the obvious bar scene but what about the people who can't drink yet? Anne: It sounds like you're looking for a bar experience, so I'd suggest some key reference works: the Interns' Guide (relevant even if you're not an intern) with its stories Where to go if you're under 21 and the companion piece ... if you're under 18 . This Sunday, Lulu's is luring in youngsters (18 and older) for $10 to see Army of Me (scroll to the July 24 entry). But I hasten to add that there's a lot to do after dark that doesn't have to involve a bar. Especially in the summer there's outdoor movies or concert series . Plus all year round there are readings, repertory movies, restaurants that feel like a lounge -- things people of any age can do. For Couch Shoppers: There are a lot of sales going on now at the furniture stores. Plenty of options to get a couch for around $800 - try Hecht's, JCPenney, Marlo, etc. Janet: More suggestions for the couch shopper. Dupont Circle, D.C.: Hi Gurus, Have you heard anything (good or bad) about the new-ish show at the Studio Theater (I think it has Jenny Chow in the name)? Erin: Hey, the buzz about "The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow" is great -- our reviewer, Peter Marks, says that the play "sets off just the kind of tingles that might be brought on by a spoonful of banana split." I'm going next week! Dukem: Dukem is the best. When I first started going there I was one of the few non-Ethiopians. The food is good and not to expensive, they have out door eating w/Ethiopian BBQ, and some nights they even have live music with dancers. Erin: Yes, I'd say that Dukem is the place to try. Washington, DC: Gurus, love your column. Can you suggest a DC lounge/bar that plays hip-hop on Saturday nights? Rhome: We wish we could but the only Saturday night options are the big clubs (Dream, H20, Home, Pearl, etc.) I am planning to go to D.C. this weekend for a day of sightseeing. Originally I thought about taking the train (expensive), but I figured I would just drive. Any suggestions on good places to park that are somewhat affordable (I know, wishful thinking) and are at least close to the metro so I can move around (without driving around). Anne: It's easier than you think, Philly. You can park at Metro station parking lots for free on weekends, then take the train to your destination downtown. My family visits from PA often and always travels this way to avoid the hassle of looking for parking in the city. When you come down 95 South toward DC, stay left at the Beltway split (follow signs for 95 South). Then follow signs for the Greenbelt Metro station. Easy as pie. Alexandria, Va.: Any good sober fun this weekend that doesn't involve Christian "rock"? David: How about the Virginia Scottish Games, which is right in your neighborhood. Highland dance competitions, sheep herding demonstrations, hammer throw, Putting the Stone (which I'm pretty sure isn't a euphemism for something dirty). Should be quite a scene. Could you please remind me when the various art galleries stay open later for events such as "First Friday" in Dupont. I seem to recall a weekly event like this on 7th Street and one in Georgetown, but I can't find any info. Fritz: Tonight is Third Thursday at the galleries along the 7th Street corridor, and tomorrow is Third Fridays in Georgetown. (Head for Canal Square.) Bethesda's monthly art crawl is on the second Friday of the month. Jewelry Store: Hi Gurus- I really hope you can suggest a few jewelry stores in the Washington, D.C. area to look for wedding bands. Time is no longer on our side...we want some place where employees are willing to talk and work with us despite our limited budget, but also that has options for more unique designs. Janet: Know some folks who have good luck with Gold Works-David Martin Design in Old Town, Alexandria. Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: My dad is coming to visit this weekend and I'm looking to take him out for some Indian food. I'd like it to be good but inexpensive. I'm also looking for a good play/performance to go to on Saturday night. Thanks! Erin: Dupont, do you want the Indian food to be near the performance? Saturday night, I'd recommend that you hit "The Clean House" at Woolly Mammoth, "Take Me Out" or "The Intelligent Design..." both at Studio Theatre or check out the free show by KUKU at the Millennium Stage. For Indian, I love the vegetarian Amma in Georgetown and Heritage India near you. Indique might be a little pricier than what you're looking for. If this is an all-in-one-night affair, go to a show at Studio and Heritage India. Arlington, Va.: Hi, I'm taking a date to Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont on Saturday night. Any tips where we could go for drinks before or after in the area? Erin: How about the new Mark and Orlando's, Tabard Inn or Firefly ? NoVa.: Suggestions for a reputable place to take a somewhat expensive watch for cleaning (inside & out) and battery replacement -preferably in NoVa. Thanks. Janet: Don't know of a specific place in Northern Virginia. How about Lynn Jeweler's in downtown D.C.? They've got a good rep for watch repairs. Washington, DC: I have been to Dukem several times post-carousing on the weekends, and have found it to be a great alternate to Ben's for good late night eats. They serve past 2 am (not sure how late), the food is good, the service is good, and they usually have some sort of interesting music going on on the weekends. (can't vouch for how the food would taste sober, but I reckon it would still be pretty tasty). Rhome: One can never too many good late night eating options. I'd also recommend Madjet on that same block (for good Ethiopian, not for late night dining). Silver Spring, Md.: Hmm. This is probably an unusual question for y'all. However, you guys -are- the best for advice, so. . . where is the best place around here to sell jewelry that has lost its sentimental value? I realize that there are pawnshops, but I'm not looking to get these pieces back at any point. . . or, if pawnshops are the best option, which around here, close to Silver Spring, specialize in jewelry? Janet: There's a place called Art & Jewelry Exchange at 8150 Leesburg Pike, Vienna; 703-893-0566. Try it. I'm submitting early because I can't make the chat this afternoon and I really hope you'll take my question!! Due to work, I'm spending the week in the Tysons Corner area and am having a friend visit me this evening for dinner. What restaurants can you recommend? I've already exhausted everything in the Tysons Galleria. Erin: Have you done Busara, Konami and Infusion ? Adams Morgan, DC: What are fun bars in the Chinatown and MCI Center area? What nites are best to go down there? Fritz: Fado Irish Pub is great on Thursdays, when Scythian performs, crowded on Fridays, and lots of fun during the Monday pub quiz. Zola has great cocktails and that spy-theme decor. The tropical drinks at Atlantico -- mojitos, pisco sour -- are among the best in the city. Poste's classy bar is perfect for a night out with that special someone. And, of course, there's Coyote Ugly, which now has poker on Tuesday and Thursday. Washington, D.C.: Hi - Any ideas for going out during the day this weekend? Are any festivals on in town? David: If you can swing it, go to Baltimore, because they are hosting one of the best festivals in the country this weekend. Artscape is certainly worth the drive up there. Tons of music (Morris Day & The Time, Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, Drive By Truckers, plenty, plenty more), theater and dance performances, visual arts, short films, interactive workshops ... and it's all free. NW DC: I'm going to Oya on Saturday night. What can I expect... and more importantly what should I be wearing? Fritz: It's a gorgeous bar with pricey ($15) cocktails. It's not been much of a scene when I've been through on Saturdays, which is nice -- more of a spot to enjoy your drink and chat. What to wear: Look nice. "Fashionable" would be fine. There's no dress code. McLean, Va.: Hi! I'm trying to help plan a bachelorette party with five other bridesmaids and no one can make a decision! Please help us, Gurus, you're our only hope... The idea is that the group of women (over 30, per the bride!) are going on a bar crawl on a Saturday night in August; the idea is to hit three or four bars, with the last one being one that the groom and HIS group of guys can meet us at! So there needs to be enough options for not only the girls, but the guys as well so our paths don't intersect until the end. Metro accessible is also good because it means less of us on the road. What neighborhood (and perhaps establishments) would you recommend? Ones that've been recommended include M Street, Georgetown, Adams-Morgan, and Old Town Alexandria... any big thumbs up or down? Got a better idea? Thank you so much! Rhome: You're starting out with 30+ folks before you even meet up with the groom and his friends? How much will your population swell to then? That's just not realistic for a bar crawl. You'll have a hard enough time keeping a group that large together as you get increasingly more drunk, much less getting all those people into any non-cavernous non-franchised bar. You might want to try one of those pre-packaged services where they drive you all around in a small bus or something. Dukem Ethiopian: My husband I have been to Dukem Ethiopian on U St. It's great. My husband swears it is the best place for Ethiopian food in DC. We also like Zed's in Georgetown a lot. Bon Appetit! Fritz: I like Roha and Sodere, myself. The Sodere platter for two is like $18 and includes heaps of tibs, which makes me happy. Adams Morgan tonight!!: I need help!!! We're having dinner at Cashion's for 10 and then we want to take our group (summer interns/partners) out in Adams Morgan. We'd prefer to reserve a table... Chloe maybe? Any other suggestions?? I'm clueless!! Fritz: If you want to reserve a table at a club in Adams Morgan, Chloe is your best bet. I've done it with friends, and you get seats in the upstairs balcony and a great view of the crowd. Be warned: There's $500 minimum. The other place you might try is Mantis. Nice lounge upstairs, funky house dance music in the basement, and outdoor seating is available. Tysons Corner, Va.: Hello - Do you think you could mention a fun charity event we are holding this Sunday? We are hosting a Charity Dog Wash to raise money for equipment for the K9 units overseas. We are supporting three different units, one in Camp Fallujah, one in Mosul, Iraq, and another in Afghanistan. We started on the July 4th weekend and have already sent over more than 250 lbs of toys, treats, biscuits, and other items for the dogs and their handlers. The event is this Sunday, July 24th, from 11 am - 4pm at our location in Tysons Corner, Va. Slapshot from the Caps will be here, as well as several military members, and we will have games for both kids and dogs! More info on our website - www.happytailsdogspa.com Fritz: Here's an event for charity-minded dog-owners. Hungry in Bethesda, Md.: Hey GoG! Thanks for taking my question. I have a friend coming in from out of town and we're meeting up with another friend from the area for brunch on Sunday. I live in Bethesda and my other friend lives in Georgetown so we're looking for a place somewhere in the middle that has an excellent but not too expensive brunch (we're all recent college grads...woo hoo)! Any good ideas for us? We're open to any type of cuisine. Thanks! Erin: 2 Amys is good, Ardeo in Cleveland Park, Cashion's in the Morgan? Coyote Ugly: I don't know what it is like on the weekends, but is sure is NOT a fun bar in the week. I went there for a friends birthday the other week (on a Thursday), and the place was pretty much dead. The staff also doesn't, um, perform--i.e. dance or do any of the other stuff you'd expect from hearing the place--on the week nights according to our bartender. So, it basically was a seedily contrived seedy place and b-o-r-i-n-g. We were there on "poker night", which is upstairs, but even that seemed seedy. Fritz: I've found the same thing. A female friend wanted to check it out (for some reason), so we went in on a Thursday. There were like 20 guys in there, and they all turned around and looked at her in a weird way, as if they were wondering how soon she was going to get on the bar and start dancing. We made our excuses and left. Washington DC: Have any of you been to Panache? What's the scene like? What should we expect? Thanks! Fritz: Panache: Crowded on weekends. DJ spins a mix of top-40 rock and hip-hop. Mixed international crowd. Not a bad time. I also like the place for happy hour, myself. Rockville, MD: Mate is awful. On the same visit the waitress admitted she didn't know any drinks justifying this w/ "I don't drink" and the bartenderess managed to make the worst martini ever (salty water), a alcohol-free clear tom collins, etc. The waitress said we couldn't have sake b/c the sake machine was broken. The look is cool but the staff was laughably incompetent. Erin: Yeah, I can believe that. I think that it has potential, but it'll be a while (if ever) before it becomes a kink-free destination drink spot. My family is in town. Some of us would like to go out for Thai food this weekend. Some members of the fam (teenage boys) haven't acquired a like for much more than tacos, chicken and beef. Any idea of a place that may offer Thai, and meat, potato, simple style food? I've been to just about every Thai place in Bethesda, Rockville and D.C. Erin: I think that picky eaters are usually happy with massive quantities of chicken/beef satay skewers. They're simple enough to please. If that doesn't work, you may have to drop the boys off at a local 5 Guys (or smuggle it in)! White Plains, MD: What about Blue Gin for Hip Hop on Sat. Fritz: Well, they do play hip-hop. Whether you'd make Blue Gin your destination because they play hip-hop is another question entirely. I think the dance floor there is a little small, and it doesn't seem to be the focus of the bar, you know? But you're right. It's an option. I'm looking for places that do wine flights, preferably somewhere with a little atmosphere and decent munchies. Any suggestions? Fritz: Evening Star Cafe/Majestic Lounge in Old Town, Mendocino in Georgetown and Bardeo in Cleveland Park are all good places to go for flights. These days, though, I prefer to go to Tallula, buy "half pours" (about 4 oz.) of wine for $3-5 each and make my own. Their "amuse yourself" menu is top-notch, too. Washington, DC: Are there any bars that have Ms. Pacman? Fritz: Wonderland has it. We think the Black Cat does, too. Anyone else want to help us out? 30?: just a random musing, but perhaps the "over 30" group of bar crawlers are over 30 in age as opposed to population? just a thought... Rhome: You make a good point. Fritz and I both went to the tape and the call is that it the question could be read either way. Would McLean care to clarify? In the meantime, I'd say that all of those neighborhoods she mentioned in the original question would suffice with the possible exception of Georgetown. It doesn't have the density that puts many good choices in easy stumbling distance. Karaoke: Consider Rock It Grill in Old Town Alexandria for karaoke...it's sort of a dive bar, but in a fun way, with people of all ages and from all walks of life, and it is cheap too! Fritz: Rock-It Grill does not get enough karaoke love on this chat. It is indeed cheap and a lot of fun. My picks for karaoke would be Freddie's Beach Bar in Crystal City (it's primarily gay, but gets a mixed crowd for singing) or the private rooms at Cafe Muse in Annandale. Washington, DC: I notice lots of fun new restaurants cropping up in DC lately... Have you tried Mark & Orlando's? Dino? Thoughts? Erin: Several of the GOGs have tried Dino within the last week. We concur that, while we have our gripes, we're happy it's there. It fills the niche of mid-range Italian joint. If you go, eat chicken or fish. The pastas are below average. As for Mark and Orlando's, I haven't eaten there yet, but it looks delicious and I like the scene. It's towards the top of my list of spots to try. Last night, I tried Chez Mama-san, the new Cady's Alley restaurant from the owners of Japan Inn. My mother is bringing my nieces (6 & 10) in for a visit this weekend. We're planning to head into D.C. on Saturday. Do you have any suggestions for any exhibits or Imax movies or pretty much anything that would be exciting to that age group? Thanks so much, as always, fabulous gurus! Anne: Saturday, the Hirshhorn is hosting a family day from 10-4 with special programs for younger ones. Many of the activities focus on the current exhibit Visual Music, which explores the connections between images and sound. Other good bets are the Mammal Hall at Natural History, or exhibits at American History (that's where the exhibit of first ladies' inaugural ball gowns is) or the new Museum of the American Indian . IMAX movies downtown can be found at Air & Space and Natural History 's theaters. Court House: Is Dr. Dremo's really in danger of closing? I keep hearing really persistent rumors it's shutting down in the spring, but that seems like a really long lead time to know when something's going out of business. What's the deal? Fritz: It's shutting down if the property owners get permission to put a huge condo/retail high-rise on the space. They won't know if they can do that for a couple months, and then there's some lead time before construction actually begins. That's why it can't shut down until next spring at the earliest. There's a chance, of course, that the Arlington County Board will decide that Wilson Boulevard is overbuilt already and veto the proposal. In that case, Dremo's stays open longer. Fritz Contradiction: Why did Fritz recommend coyote ugly in one question (the person looking for a fun bar in the chinatown area) and then agree with the poster who said the place was boring? Fritz: Because, as the poster said, it's slow during the week but revs up on the weekends. Washington, D.C.: I heard there was some kind of edible flowers or blossoms theme at one of the local restaurants. My co-worker is a huge fan of edible flowers (grows them herself) and wants the info. Can you help? Erin: Do you mean the squash blossoms at Oyamel? Check out GoG blog -- I posted on it a few weeks back. GO (if you like blossoms). Mt. Pleasant: Toledo Lounge has Ms. Pac Man. Dupont Circle, D.C.: Hi Gurus, I am looking for a cute summer dress for under $100--I have looked at the usual retail suspects and don't want to go too far. Also, do you know of a place in DC that might be a good bet for an inexpensive (under $150) formal dress? Erin: Hey Dupont, I don't know of a place that generally offers those, but Hysteria in Old Town and Wink (and possibly Sugar and Urban Chic) in Georgetown are having big sales right now with great deals on cute dresses that would generally be pretty pricey. Waiting for the weekend in Washington, D.C.: Hi Gurus! It's my birthday this weekend, so I'm planning on going out to Adams Morgan with a bunch of friends to celebrate and maybe even shake our groove thang. Besides Tom Tom or Chloe, what are some other places that you would suggest? Fritz: Mantis for funky house, Chief Ike's for hip-hop and some '80s, Chloe for the hip-hop and house club experience. If you're just looking for bars where you can chill out, consider Soussi -- great cocktails, large patio. Chez Mama-San: So? How was it? (And where is Cady's Alley?) Erin: I think that it has some high points. I am not a fan of heavy/fried food, so the breaded skewers, meatloaf in gravy and croquettes didn't appeal, but the tuna tartare with avocado was awesome and I always like seaweed salad. The restaurant is on 33rd Street just below M (as in towards the river)across from the bike shop. Fritz Contradiction Part II: Why I wrote that originally was in your original reply to the person looking for a fun bar, you specifically mentioned Tues. and Thurs. with Coyote Ugly. Fritz: Yes, because those are the days they have poker (which I specifically mentioned). I don't agree that playing poker at Coyote Ugly is lame or sketchy. Washington DC: submitting early...What can you tell me about the Out of Town Blues Band at New Vegas Lounge-fun? can you dance? And do they play on Fridays? Fritz: It's fun. They play old Motown and R&B, and there's room to dance in front of the band. They play Friday and Saturday nights. Desperate Auntie: Hi Gurus, love the chats! I'm heading home in August for my niece's 2nd birthday and I want to get a really cute outfit for her. Every time I see her she's got some adorable thing on that her Nana picked out for her and I want my chance to spoil the little cupcake rotten too. Only thing is, I don't know where to go in D.C. to find cute children's clothes. Can you recommend any good children's clothing stores that have cute pieces (not GapKids)? Thanks for your help! Erin: There are two really cute kids' spots that I can think of in D.C. One is Piccolo Piggies at 1533 Wisconsin Ave. The other is Full of Beans in Chevy Chase. Old Town has cute places along King Street if you're willing to head that way. Dupont: Is the crowd at Dream friendly to gay white guys? I'm all about Ludacris at the end of the month, but worried I'll stick out like Mariah on rye. Rhome: White people go to Dream, I've seen them there. I couldn't ascertain whether any of them were gay though, although my gay friends tell me that Dream has a healthy clientele of gay men that don't register on my admittedly weak gaydar. I say that if you like Luda than you go. Kensington, Md.: My girlfriend turns 21 this weekend, but she's not really into the college bar thing. Where are some nicer, quieter places where we could go grab a cocktail at around midnight? Fritz: Congrats, Kensington. We're thinking that you may want to go to one of the nicer hotel or restaurant bars. I think Topaz or Degrees might be nice. They're a little more laidback than what you'll find in Adams Morgan. Stop Contradicting Fritz Part I: Gosh, people are so aggressive on these chats sometimes! Give the man a break, he's probably hung over as his job is to drink all week!! P.S. what are your thoughts on "Smokefree DC". If you can't smoke in a bar, what's next? No peeing in the pool?? Erin: No comment, but Fritz maintains that he's "not hungover." As for the truth, read his answers and decide for yourselves.... Having spent time in Los Angeles and New York, I'm all for the smokeless bars. Fritz and I are constantly quarreling over this topic, though. Arlington, VA: Hey guys, What can you tell me about the Jazz in the Garden concerts that happen on Friday nights? Should I bring a blanket? Or are there chairs set up by a stage? Fritz: Don't worry about it. The grass is mostly roped off, but there are plenty of seats and benches. Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Gurus, What's to become of the two now-empty, now-closed venues in Cleveland Park -- Bricks and the Park Bench Pub? What a shame that poor Chong couldn't keep those places afloat. Bricks started out so strong (as did the PB Pub years ago). What a shame. Will a Phoenix rise from the ashes and resurrect these places? Fritz: Atomic Billiards is taking over Park Bench, and the guys who own Vida have purchased Bricks. The latter is going to be a casual Italian pizza joint with a wood-fired oven and that awesome rooftop deck. washingtonpost.com: All right, we're done. See you next Thursday. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071500548.html

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Robert MacMillan - My Sundry Best

2005071719

Summertime Fridays can turn into the laziest days of the year in the news business, and today, at least on the tech beat, is no exception unless you count Apple's big iPod news. But you can read about that anywhere. I, meanwhile, turned up a few fun nuggets that remained in the shadows for the past week. The first shows how teenagers are using the power of the Internet to fight for their right to go to the mall. The Associated Press reported that a Massachusetts teenager posted a petition on his Web site to get the Holyoke Mall in Ingleside to revoke its policy that people under 18 years of age must be accompanied by adult escorts when they show up on weekend nights. "Michael A. Lemme of Chicopee posted his petition on the Web at noon Wednesday and by midnight 665 names were added. Many added comments such as 'this is an outrage!' Lemme told The Republican of Springfield that he and his friends are upset. "It's ridiculous," the 15-year-old Chicopee Comprehensive High School student said. 'You shouldn't have to be a certain age just to go to the mall with your friends. You should be able to go at any age, as long as your parents let you.' ... Lemme wants to obtain 1,000 signatures in hopes of persuading mall owners to dump the new rule. But William J. Rogalski, general manager of the mall owned by The Pyramid Companies, said the decision stands." The story first appeared in the Springfield Republican , which reported that the mall made the move to put a stop to "fighting, horseplay, harassment and offensive language." Rogalski put on his best condescension tone, saying in a second article in the Republican : "We won't change our mind. ... I do applaud the fact that they're doing this, whoever took the initiative." I remember the mall as being the place where we'd go when we couldn't get our hands on anything that was simuutaneously mind-altering and ingestible. Then again, we didn't have e-mail back then either. Say what you want about Sheryl Crow, but she's no intern. The popular singer made a deal to hawk personal computers and consumer electronics manufactured by Dell Inc., the Austin American-Statesman reported . The television spots -- scheduled to start airing last night -- also are designed to get fans and casual music listeners excited about her new single, "Good Is Good," the paper said: "Although it's limited to a few products, this campaign is Dell's highest-profile advertising initiative since it retired one featuring a cast of earnest Dell 'interns' in 2003. And the new ads underscore the company's effort to keep driving sales in the consumer market. ... The commercials feature Crow at home, playing around with her guitar and Dell's home entertainment products. At one point, she watches her new video on a Dell plasma TV and flips through on-screen menus using the media center remote control. The initial spots will hawk the Dimension 5100 desktop PC with Microsoft Corp.'s media center software, which is designed primarily to play and manage digital media, including music, photos and TV. The package comes with a digital tuner built in and will go for $849." The Hollywood Reporter said more deals could be in the works: "Additional ideas involving Crow are being explored, said Michael Farrello, Dell's vp electronics and accessories. These might include a partnership with Yahoo!'s MusicMatch digital music service or having Crow's music come preloaded on a Dell DJ portable music player." Crow is no stranger to digital media, as Jordan Running noted on thep2pweblog . He pointed out that she is vice president of the Recording Artists' Coalition, and is among the ranks of major-label artists to speak out against illegal music sharing. Here's an excerpt from a statement she released in April:

From Sheryl Crow to John Stuart Mill, we've got the dusty corners of technology news covered today.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/14/AR2005071401697.html

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Europe's Native-Born Enemy

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Last Nov. 2 Theo van Gogh, Dutch filmmaker and descendant of the painter, was cycling through Amsterdam. He was accosted by Mohammed Bouyeri, who shot him six times as van Gogh pleaded, "We can still talk about it! Don't do it!" Bouyeri then cut his throat with a kitchen knife, practically severing his head. Bouyeri was not done. He then took a five-page Islamist manifesto and with his knife impaled it on van Gogh's chest. On trial now in the Netherlands, Bouyeri is unrepentant. In court he turned to van Gogh's grieving mother and with infinite cruelty said to her, "I do not feel your pain." He feels instead glory. Van Gogh had made a short film about the oppression of Muslim women. Bouyeri was acting "purely in the name of my religion," championing his faith by butchering a filmmaker critical of it. Bouyeri is no newly arrived immigrant. Nor is he, like the Sept. 11 hijackers, a cosmopolitan terrorist sent abroad to kill. He was born and bred in Holland. Likewise, three of the four London bombers were second-generation Pakistani Brits. The most remarkable discovery is that Europe's second- and third-generation Muslim immigrants are more radicalized than the first. One reasonably non-political and non-radical Muslim activist, raised in the suburbs of Paris, explained himself (to the Wall Street Journal) as having "immigrated to France at the local maternity ward." The fact that native-born Muslim Europeans are committing terrorist acts in their own countries shows that this Islamist malignancy long predates Iraq, long predates Afghanistan and long predates Sept. 11, 2001. What Europe had incubated is an enemy within, a threat that for decades Europe simply refused to face. Early news reports of the London bombings mentioned that police found no suspects among known Islamist cells in Britain. Come again? Why in God's name is a country letting known Islamist cells thrive, instead of just rolling them up? British Islamists had spoken of a "covenant of security" under which Britain would be spared Islamic terrorism so long as it allowed radical clerics free rein. Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammed, for example, a Syrian-born, exiled Saudi cleric granted asylum 19 years ago, openly preaches jihad against Britain. He is sought by the press for comment all the time. And, a lovely touch, he actually lives on the British dole -- even though he rejects the idea of British citizenship, saying, "I don't want to become a citizen of Hell." One of the reasons Westerners were so unprepared for this wave of Islamist terrorism, not just militarily but psychologically, is sheer disbelief. It shockingly contradicts Western notions of progress. The savagery of Bouyeri's act, mirroring the ritual human slaughter by Abu Musab Zarqawi or Daniel Pearl's beheaders, is a return to a primitiveness that we in the West had assumed a progressive history had left behind. Our first response was, therefore, to simply sweep this contradiction under the rug. Put the first World Trade Center bombers on trial and think it will solve the problem. Even today there are many Americans and even more Europeans who believe that after Sept. 11 the United States should just have done Afghanistan -- depose the Taliban and destroy al Qaeda's sanctuary -- and gone no further, thinking that would solve the problem. But the problem is far deeper. It is essentially a civil war within a rival civilization in which the most primitive elements are seeking to gain the upper hand. Sept. 11 forced us to intervene massively in this civil war, which is why we are in Iraq. There, as in Afghanistan, we have enlisted millions of Muslims on the anti-Islamist side. But what about the vast majority of European Muslims, the 99 percent who are peace-loving and not engaged in terror? They must also join the fight. They must actively denounce not just -- what is obvious -- the terrorist attacks, but their source: Islamist ideology and its practitioners. Where are the fatwas issued against Osama bin Laden? Where are the denunciations of the very idea of suicide bombing? Europeans must demand this of all their Muslim leaders. They must also dismantle and destroy all "known" Islamist cells before trains and buses are blown up. A modest beginning might be removing the likes of Sheik Omar -- and Bouyeri -- from the teat of the infidel taxpayer: "He [Bouyeri] had the time to plan this," van Gogh's mother told the court, "because for three years he was on unemployment benefits." Decadence is defined not by a civilization's art or music but ultimately by its willingness to simply defend itself.

Last Nov. 2 Theo van Gogh, Dutch filmmaker and descendant of the painter, was cycling through Amsterdam. He was accosted by Mohammed Bouyeri, who shot him six times as van Gogh pleaded, "We can still talk about it! Don't do it!" Bouyeri then cut his throat with a kitchen knife, practically severing...

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Trail From London to Leeds Yields Portraits of 3 Bombers

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LEEDS, England, July 14 -- They were three native sons, local boys who spent their entire lives in the Leeds area, each from respected families of Pakistani descent. One had prosperous parents; another was praised for his teaching ability. Last Thursday, they met at the train station shortly after dawn and bought one-way tickets to the British capital, toting rucksacks filled with explosives. Along with a fourth conspirator from another city, the suspected bombers from Leeds killed at least 54 people in coordinated suicide attacks on London's public transport system. In the two days since investigators traced the trail back to this multiethnic, multiracial old mill town, a clearer portrait has started to emerge of the assailants, even as confusion deepened over their motives. As parents dropped off their children at the Hillside Primary School in Leeds on Thursday, they had nothing but good things to say about a teaching assistant, Mohammed Sidique Khan, one of the suspected bombers. They called the 30-year-old instructor kind, bright and popular, especially with the special-needs students he was trained to help. "He was brilliant with the children. He went on trips with the kids, and my little girl went with him on a trip to London," Sharon Stevens, whose 11-year-old daughter attends the school, told reporters. "I just can't believe that somebody like Mr. Khan could be involved in something like this," said another mother, shaking their head. Shehzad Tanweer, 22, was about to earn a college degree and had received a red Mercedes from his father as a gift. Hasib Hussain, 18, told his parents he was going to London for the day to attend a religious conference. On Thursday, police publicly named the two for the first time as the bombers who joined Khan and a fourth, unidentified man as the culprits in the worst terrorist attack in British history. Mohammed Iqbal, a Leeds city council member who represents Beeston and who knows Tanweer's family, said it was hard to reconcile how three local young men could have become religious radicals and planned such a violent assault in a city three hours away without anyone in the neighborhood noticing. "There's parents who didn't know what their children were doing, that is for certain," he said. "Everybody is in a shocked state. They can't believe this has landed on our doorstep." While the exact nature of the bombers' relationship remains unknown, as well as how they met and how long they knew one another, friends and acquaintances described Khan as someone whose personal magnetism made him a likely mentor to the two younger men. He was erudite, having graduated from a local college with a degree in education. And his charm and education made him a welcome presence in the hardscrabble neighborhood of Beeston, a community of fading red-brick row houses and trash-strewn alleys, located about 200 miles north of London. In addition to teaching, Khan volunteered his time in the local cultural centers and sports leagues that catered to young people. In a 2002 interview with the Times of London Educational Supplement, Khan said he enjoyed helping less-privileged children. "A lot of them have said this is the best school they've been to," he said proudly of the elementary school where he taught. Investigators and residents said Khan spent time at a storefront mosque in Beeston with Tanweer and Hussain. Residents said Khan also volunteered at an Islamic bookstore where he reached out to teenage boys and young adults.

LEEDS, England, July 14 -- They were three native sons, local boys who spent their entire lives in the Leeds area, each from respected families of Pakistani descent. One had prosperous parents; another was praised for his teaching ability. Last Thursday, they met at the train station shortly after...

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Rehnquist Says He Has No Plans to Leave Court

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Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist emphatically denied yesterday that he intends to step down from the Supreme Court in the near future, as he sought to halt a spiral of speculation about his possible retirement. In a statement, Rehnquist, who is 80 and suffering from thyroid cancer, said flatly: "I am not about to announce my retirement." "I want to put to rest the speculation and unfounded rumors of my imminent retirement," Rehnquist said. "I am not about to announce my retirement. I will continue to perform my duties as chief justice as long as my health permits." In a sign that the announcement reflected a spontaneous personal reaction to the rising tide of speculation, Rehnquist released the statement through his family, which contacted the Associated Press shortly before 9 last night -- rather than putting out the news through the court's public information office during business hours, as he has done on other occasions. Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg confirmed the statement's contents to The Washington Post. The announcement came just hours after Rehnquist had returned home from a two-day stay at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, where he had gone Tuesday night complaining of a fever. The White House had no notice of Rehnquist's intentions, press secretary Scott McClellan said. "We didn't know before the statement," he said by telephone last night. McClellan added: "The chief justice is doing an outstanding job, and we are pleased that he will continue his great service to the nation." Although the chief justice denied only an "imminent" retirement, Rehnquist's statement ends the near-term uncertainty facing President Bush, who has been weighing a choice for a successor to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. O'Connor unexpectedly announced on July 1 that she will retire upon the confirmation of a successor. Many in Washington had assumed that the White House might be delaying a nomination for O'Connor's seat until Rehnquist clarified his plans. Last night's statement also appears to refute another popular speculative notion: that Rehnquist had already told the White House of his retirement and was waiting for a prearranged moment to make it public. Both allies and adversaries of the White House said Rehnquist's statement restores the focus of political activity to the choice of a replacement for O'Connor. "It makes things easier in a certain sense, because it makes it clear this is a process about picking a single justice," said Sean Rushton, executive director of the Committee for Justice, a conservative group formed to support Bush judicial nominees. Elliot M. Mincberg, vice president of People for the American Way, a liberal advocacy organization, said a two-nomination scenario for this summer is now "extremely unlikely."

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist denies "unfounded rumors" regarding his possible retirement from the Supreme Court hours after his release from the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington.

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Rove Confirmed Plame Indirectly, Lawyer Says

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White House senior adviser Karl Rove indirectly confirmed the CIA affiliation of an administration critic's wife for Robert D. Novak the week before the columnist named her and revealed her position, a lawyer involved in the case said last night. The operative, Valerie Plame, is the wife of Joseph C. Wilson IV, a former ambassador who had publicly disputed the White House's contention that Saddam Hussein had sought to buy uranium from Niger for possible use in a nuclear weapon. The lawyer, who has knowledge of the conversations between Rove and prosecutors, said President Bush's deputy chief of staff has told investigators that he first learned about the operative from a journalist and that he later learned her name from Novak. Rove has said he does not recall who the journalist was who first told him that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, or when the conversation occurred, the lawyer said. The New York Times reported the conversation between Rove and Novak in its Friday editions. The lawyer confirmed that account and elaborated on it. The account suggests that Rove could not have been Novak's original source but may have been a secondary source. Novak has refused to comment about his sources or to say whether he has cooperated with prosecutors. The lawyer said that Novak showed up on a White House call log as having telephoned Rove in the week before the publication of the July 2003 column, which has touched off a two-year federal investigation and led to the jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who has refused to testify about her conversation with a source involved in the case. The White House turned over call logs relating to the case, along with stacks of printed e-mails, at the request of federal investigators. Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has been investigating the leak of Plame's name, which could be a felony under certain circumstances, such as if the person who leaked her name did so knowing that the government was working to keep her identity a secret. The new account means that Rove talked to both of the journalists who are known to have published original accounts about Plame. Rove's representatives have said that he mentioned the issue in the most general terms and did not name Plame. Democrats say he was trying to fuel stories that would punish an administration critic. The lawyer said Novak had telephoned Rove to discuss another column, about Frances Fragos Townsend, who had been named deputy national security adviser for terrorism in May 2003. That column ran in Novak's home paper, the Chicago Sun-Times, on July 10, 2003, under the headline "Bush sets himself up for another embarrassment." At the end of that 15- or 20-minute call, according to the lawyer, Novak said he had learned that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. "I heard that, too," Rove replied, according to the lawyer, confirming the Times account.

Senior Bush advisor Karl Rove confirmed the CIA operative's identity after columnist Robert Novak raised her name in a telephone interview, according to a lawyer involved in the case.

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Senate Does Battle Over Rove's Role in Plame Leak

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In bitingly partisan exchanges yesterday, lawmakers plunged into the dispute over Karl Rove's hand in leaking a covert CIA operative's identity, as the Senate rejected a bid to strip the White House aide of his security clearance. A day of dueling news conferences ended with a Senate debate that turned unusually personal. It began when Democratic leaders proposed an amendment, aimed at Rove, to deny access to classified information to any federal employee who discloses a covert CIA agent's identity. Republican leaders retaliated with a measure designed to strip the security clearances of the chamber's top two Democrats. Even as he urged support for his amendment, Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) acknowledged the blatantly political tone of the debate. "This is a sad and a disappointing afternoon here in the United States Senate," he said. Frist's amendment failed, 64 to 33, when 20 Republicans joined all present Democrats in voting against it. The Senate then rejected the Democrats' measure aimed at Rove, by a 53-to-44 vote along party lines. Both items were offered as amendments to a homeland security appropriations bill. Rove, President Bush's deputy chief of staff, accompanied the president on a trip to Indianapolis -- both men walking together from the White House to the Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn. Bush usually walks alone to the helicopter, and their public stroll was widely perceived as a presidential show of support. Through his attorney, Rove in recent days has acknowledged discussing CIA official Valerie Plame -- though not by name -- with a Time magazine reporter shortly before columnist Robert D. Novak named her in a July 2003 column, citing two senior administration officials as his sources. Plame's husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, had written that the Bush administration manipulated intelligence about Iraq's pursuit of nuclear weapons material to justify the invasion there and the ouster of Saddam Hussein. Democrats say the White House unmasked Plame in an effort to undermine Wilson's allegations. As part of its case for going to war in 2003, the administration cited evidence that Iraq may be trying to obtain uranium in Niger. Wilson said his own 2002 trip showed there was no evidence for such a claim. But administration officials told reporters that Wilson's Niger trip deserved little credibility, since he was dispatched at the recommendation of his wife at the CIA. A special counsel is investigating, and Rove is among several senior White House officials who have spoken to a grand jury. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) hosted Wilson at a Capitol news conference yesterday in which both men criticized Rove and defended Wilson's allegations of manipulated Iraq intelligence. "I made my bones confronting Saddam Hussein and securing the release of over 2,000 Americans in hiding in Kuwait," Wilson said. "Karl Rove made his bones doing political dirty tricks." Several House Democrats also criticized Rove. Senate Republicans responded with their own news conference. "I have seen nothing so far that would indicate that there was any law broken by Karl Rove," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Tex.) said. Sen. Christopher S. Bond (Mo.) said: "Joe Wilson's attacks were a political sham. They were then, and they still are today." On the Senate floor, Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) offered the measure targeting Rove's security clearance, and Frist offered his aimed at Reid and Democratic Whip Richard J. Durbin (Ill.). Frist's amendment would have denied clearance to any senator who refers to a classified FBI report on the floor, a shot at Reid's May 12 reference to a report on a Bush judicial nominee. It also would have stripped access to classified information to an officeholder making a statement that is "based on an FBI agent's comments which is used as propaganda by terrorist organizations." That was aimed at Durbin's comments last month comparing the treatment of detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to techniques used by the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge. Reid called Frist's amendment "about as juvenile and as mudslinging as I have seen." A dismayed Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) vowed to vote against both measures and chastised her colleagues for veering from the homeland security funding issue. "This is exactly why the American public holds Congress is such low esteem," she said in a brief floor speech. On Frist's amendment, several Republicans did not vote nay until it was clear the measure would fail. Virginia and Maryland senators voted against the Frist amendment except for Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), who was absent.

In bitingly partisan exchanges yesterday, lawmakers plunged into the dispute over Karl Rove's hand in leaking a covert CIA operative's identity, as the Senate rejected a bid to strip the White House aide of his security clearance.

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Armstrong Waiting For the Big Climbs

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Saturday's 14th stage took riders into the Pyrenees for the first time on a brutal 137-mile trek from Agde to Ax-3 Domaines. Georg Totschnig, Austria, Gerolsteiner, in 5 hours, 43 minutes, 43 seconds. Lance Armstrong, United States, Discovery Channel, was second, 56 seconds behind; Ivan Basso, Italy, Team CSC, was third, 58 seconds behind; Jan Ullrich, Germany, T-Mobile, was fourth, 1:16 behind. Six-time champion Armstrong keeps the yellow jersey - and extends his lead over Mickael Rasmussen of Denmark to 1:41 and over Ivan Basso to 2:46. Ullrich is 4:34 behind. "We don't have a choice. The Gods deal us the weather and you have to be smart about it. I tried to put as much water on my head and legs as possible, stay cool and ride a conservative race." - Sunday's 15th stage is considered the hardest of the race so far, a punishing 127.7 mile route from Lezat-sur-Leze to Saint-Lary Soulan. It will mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Fabio Casartelli, Armstrong's former Motorola teammate. Stage 14 Results • 1. Georg Totschnig, Austria, Gerolsteiner, 5 hours, 43 minutes, 43 seconds. • 2. Lance Armstrong, United States, Discovery Channel, 56 seconds behind. • 3. Ivan Basso, Italy, CSC, :58 behind. • 4. Jan Ullrich, Germany, T-Mobile, 1:16. • 5. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Gerolsteiner, 1:31. • 6. Floyd Landis, United States, Phonak, same time • 7. Francisco Mancebo, Spain, Illes Balears, 1:47. • 8. Mickael Rasmussen, Denmark, Rabobank, same time. • 9. Andreas Kloden, Germany, T-Mobile, 2:06. • 10. Haimar Zubeldia, Spain, Euskaltel-Euskadi, 2:20. • 11. Alexandre Vinokourov, Kazakhstan, T-Mobile, 3:06. • 12. Stefano Garzelli, Italy, Liquigas-Bianchi, 3:35. • 13. Jorg Jaksche, Germany, Liberty Seguros, 4:03. • 14. Cadel Evans, Australia, Davitamon-Lotto, same time. • 15. Walter Beneteau, France, Bouygues Telecom, 4:16. • 16. Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine, Discovery Channel, 4:18. • 17. Bobby Julich, United States, CSC, 6:01. • 18. Eddy Mazzoleni, Italy, Lampre, 6:04. • 19. Leonardo Piepoli, Italy, Saunier Duval, same time. • 20. Laurent Brochard, France, Bouygues Telecom, 6:06. Also • 40. George Hincapie, United States, Discovery Channel, 13:28. • 60. Jose Azevedo, Portugal, Discovery Channel, 21:25. • 61. Jose Luis Rubiera, Spain, Discovery Channel, same time. • 62. Paolo Savoldelli, Italy, Discovery Channel, same time. • 80. Christopher Horner, United States, Saunier Duval, 29:08. • 91. Guido Trenti, United States, Quick Step, 32:15. • 139. Pavel Padrnos, Czech Republic, Discovery Channel, 35:50. • 154. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez, Spain, Discovery Channel, same time. • 158. Fred Rodriguez, United States, Davitamon-Lotto, same time. Overall Standings • 1. Lance Armstrong, United States, Discovery Channel, 55 hours, 58 minutes, 17 seconds. • 2. Mickael Rasmussen, Denmark, Rabobank, 1 minute, 41 seconds behind. • 3. Ivan Basso, Italy, CSC, 2:46. • 4. Jan Ullrich, Germany, T-Mobile, 4:34. • 5. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Gerolsteiner, 4:45. • 6. Floyd Landis, United States, Phonak, 5:03. • 7. Francisco Mancebo, Spain, Illes Balears, same time. • 8. Andreas Kloden, Germany, T-Mobile, 5:38. • 9. Alexandre Vinokourov, Kazakhstan, T-Mobile, 7:09. • 10. Christophe Moreau, France, Credit Agricole, 8:37. • 11. Jorg Jaksche, Germany, Liberty Seguros, 8:52. • 12. Cadel Evans, Australia, Davitamon-Lotto, 9:14. • 13. Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine, Discovery Channel, 9:59. • 14. Georg Totschnig, Austria, Gerolsteiner, 10:39. • 15. Haimar Zubeldia, Spain, Euskaltel-Euskadi, 11:43. Also • 16. Bobby Julich, United States, CSC, 11:54. • 25. George Hincapie, United States, Discovery Channel, 24:59. • 30. Jose Azevedo, Portugal, Discovery Channel, 33:42. • 32. Paolo Savoldelli, Italy, Discovery Channel, 37:10. • 36. Christopher Horner, United States, Saunier Duval, 43:44. • 46. Jose Luis Rubiera, Spain, Discovery Channel, 1:02:18. • 96. Pavel Padrnos, Czech Republic, Discovery Channel, 1:44:26. • 102. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez, Spain, Discovery Channel, 1:53:19. • 123. Fred Rodriguez, United States, Davitamon-Lotto, 2:16:14. • 140. Guido Trenti, United States, Quick Step, 2:28:10.

MONTPELLIER, France, July 15 -- Lance Armstrong retained his overall lead in the Tour de France's flat, fast stage 13 on Friday, won by Robbie McEwen in a sprint.

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IT Experts Laud DHS Nominee

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The White House has nominated Stewart A. Baker, a Washington lawyer with ties to the technology industry, to be assistant secretary of homeland security for policy development. Technology executives yesterday applauded the nomination as one of several signs that new Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is moving to address what they see as the department's long neglect of cyber-security issues. In a reorganization of the 180,000-employee agency announced earlier this week, Chertoff also set a higher profile for the person responsible for protecting the nation's computer and telecommunications networks. Those duties will come under a new assistant secretary position. During the administration of Secretary Tom Ridge, a cyber-security division was run by a lower-level director and kept separate from telecommunications security. Last month, the White House nominated Scott Charbo to be chief information officer at the Homeland Security Department, in charge of the agency's internal computer systems. The systems have gotten poor grades from government auditors, while Charbo is highly regarded for his work in the same job at the Department of Agriculture. Taken together, executives say, the moves demonstrate a knowledge of, and concern for, cyber-security that was missing among previous top homeland security officials. "It's a trifecta," said F. William Conner, chief executive of Entrust Inc., a computer security firm. "This is what we've been looking for." Arthur W. Coviello Jr., chief executive of RSA Security Inc., said, "Secretary Chertoff has shown early on in his tenure that he understands how technology can be better utilized to protect the homeland as well as address the vulnerabilities of the country's critical infrastructures." With online fraud, network attacks and the potential for cyber-terrorism escalating, the department launched a splashy cyber-security initiative in late 2003, asking the industry to take the lead but vowing to help and warning that the government would step in if the private sector failed. But after months of task force meetings, reports and industry group recommendations for how companies could better protect computer systems, top homeland security officials declined to endorse or push for them. Amit Yoran, the agency's first head of the cyber-security division, resigned in frustration shortly before the 2004 election, followed by some others in the unit. The position has been vacant since, and technology executives and many members of Congress worried that it would be impossible to recruit a top-flight replacement unless the job's title and clout were elevated. If confirmed to the policy development position, Baker, 58, will not be directly involved in cyber-security oversight, but his work has long involved technology and intelligence. A onetime general counsel for the National Security Agency, Baker recently served as executive director of a trade group of Internet service providers. He also served as general counsel for the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. In recent testimony before a public board advising the Homeland Security Department on privacy issues, he spoke at length about the underappreciated threats of bioterrorism. Baker, who will be responsible for internal policy planning and coordination at the department, declined to comment pending his congressional confirmation hearing.

Nomination of Stewart Baker is applauded as one of several signs that the Department of Homeland Security is moving to address its long neglect of cyber-security issues.

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Report Details Environmental Harm to Fetuses

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Unborn babies in the United States are soaking in a stew of chemicals, including mercury, gasoline byproducts and pesticides, according to a report released yesterday. Although the effects on the fetuses are not clear, the survey prompted several members of Congress to press for legislation that would strengthen controls on chemicals in the environment. The report, by the Environmental Working Group, is based on tests of 10 samples of umbilical-cord blood taken by the American Red Cross. They found an average of 287 contaminants in the blood, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA. "These 10 newborn babies . . . were born polluted," said Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who spoke at a news conference about the findings yesterday. "If ever we had proof that our nation's pollution laws aren't working, it's reading the list of industrial chemicals in the bodies of babies who have not yet lived outside the womb," Slaughter said.

Get Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland and national news. Get the latest/breaking news, featuring national security, science and courts. Read news headlines from the nation and from The Washington Post. Visit www.washingtonpost.com/nation today.

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U.S. Arrests Insurgent Tied To Egyptian Envoy's Killing

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BAGHDAD, July 14 -- The U.S. military said Thursday that it had arrested a member of the group known as al Qaeda in Iraq who was involved in the recent kidnapping and execution of an Egyptian diplomat. Khamis Farhan Khalaf Abdul Fahdawi, known as Abu Seba, was captured Saturday in Ramadi, 60 miles west of Baghdad, the military said in a statement. Described in the statement as a member of al Qaeda in Iraq's leadership cell, Abdul Fahdawi was allegedly involved in the abduction of Ihab Sherif, Egypt's top diplomat in Iraq, in Baghdad on July 2 and Sherif's subsequent killing. He also played a role in attacks on diplomats from Bahrain and Pakistan on July 5, the statement said. Al Qaeda in Iraq asserted responsibility for the kidnapping and killing of Sherif, posting a video on the Internet that showed the blindfolded diplomat and saying he had been sentenced to death for what the group called Egypt's apostasy from Islam. The military said Abdul Fahdawi was one of more than 30 suspected insurgents arrested in a handful of recent raids, including another alleged al Qaeda lieutenant, Abdulla Ibrahim Muhammed Hassan Shadad, known as Abu Abdul Aziz, who was apprehended in Baghdad on Sunday. The statement said both Abdul Fahdawi and Shadad were closely linked to the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqawi. The military's characterizations of the two men could not immediately be verified independently. Al Qaeda in Iraq acknowledged in an Internet statement that Abdul Fahdawi had been captured but said he was "nothing but a leader of one of the brigades in Baghdad." Al Qaeda in Iraq also issued a statement Thursday denying involvement in a suicide bombing that killed 27 people, including more than a dozen children and one U.S. soldier, in Baghdad on Wednesday. In the Shiite Muslim neighborhood in east Baghdad where Wednesday's attack occurred, streets were lined with mourning tents and banners on Thursday as families attended funerals for the children, who were gathered around U.S. soldiers handing out candy and toys when the bomber struck. Kareem Rubae was receiving neighbors who had come to mourn his two nephews because the boys' father -- his brother -- was so grief-stricken that he had to be hospitalized. "We've all lived in this neighborhood for more than 30 years. We know each other and so do our kids," Rubae said, adding that his brother was not the only one robbed of two sons: "My neighbor, Qayis Dayni, waited for 10 years to have kids, till he had two, Ali and Abbas, and yesterday he lost them both." Across the Tigris River on Thursday, at a police station adjacent to Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, a multiple suicide bombing killed two police officers and two bombers, according to the Associated Press. Witnesses and police said a third bomber was captured. "The first explosion was a suicide car bomb, and one minute later, a man wearing an explosive belt blew himself up, causing casualties among the police and army who were gathering near the checkpoint," said Sgt. Karrar Omran of the Iraqi army. A second man wearing an explosive belt apparently was wounded by shrapnel from the first belt bomb and unable to detonate his own device, police and witnesses said. Police at the scene said that the man lay on the ground calling for help and that it was only as they moved closer that they realized he was wearing an explosive belt. "He was wounded by shrapnel near his heart, and he could hardly speak," said police Lt. Mohammed Aref. "When we saw the explosive belt, we all ran away until the explosive experts arrived and removed the bomb from his body." A statement released by the U.S. military said the Iraqi police shot the wounded bomber and loaded him in the back of a pickup truck before the bomb disposal team arrived. "The wounded bomber, paralyzed by bomb shrapnel and the IP [Iraqi police] gunfire, was taken to the 86th Combat Support Hospital where he remains in critical condition," the statement said. Col. Ed Cardon, commander of the Army's 4th Brigade Combat Team, said the Iraqi police and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team "performed their jobs well. These suicide bombers failed in their mission while the police succeeded in theirs. I am in awe of the bravery of the Iraqi EOD specialist that disarmed the vest on the wounded suicide bomber at great risk to his own life." Special correspondent Bassam Sebti contributed to this report.

World news headlines from the Washington Post, including international news and opinion from Africa, North/South America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. Features include world weather, news in Spanish, interactive maps, daily Yomiuri and Iraq coverage.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/14/AR2005071401725.html

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Metro Plans To Create Riders Panel

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Metro board members decided yesterday to create a Riders Advisory Council made up of rail, bus and paratransit customers from across the region to address concerns that the agency is unresponsive to the public. But critics from several organizations concerned about transit service said Metro's plan will do little to open the organization to public scrutiny. T. Dana Kauffman, chairman of the board and a Fairfax County supervisor, acknowledged that Metro has had problems communicating with its customers and called yesterday's decision to establish the council a first step to opening up the transit agency to public view. "That specific proposal has been the most consistently requested for two decades," Kauffman said. "Now we're on the cusp of really making that happen." The board is asking for public comment before finalizing details about how the advisory panel would work. Under the board's proposal, the 18 members of the council -- six each from Maryland, Virginia and the District -- would meet one night a month to discuss such issues as the transit agency budget, proposed route changes and customer service. It would develop recommendations for the board and hold public meetings to hear views on various issues. The plan calls for several months of review and selection before the council is finalized in December, a year after it was initially proposed. Riders and some government leaders have said the agency's board and its managers do not know enough about what it is like to ride the trains and buses and are unresponsive to customers. The board's latest move does not go far enough, some groups said. "They've begun to make some progress, but their response to real reform is paralysis," said Dennis Jaffe of the Sierra Club, which proposed starting the advisory council but now is withholding its support. "What's needed is a powerful message from outside of the agency that clearly articulates that this is what you've got to do to change." The Sierra Club has been pushing for creation of an independent committee of riders that can hire staff members and, if necessary, go directly to lawmakers with complaints. Under the plan, the transit authority would appoint a staff member to handle administrative tasks and be a liaison between the advisory council and the board of directors. But that means the staff person would be beholden to the board and unwilling to take on tasks that might embarrass it, Jaffe said.

Metro board members decided yesterday to create a Riders Advisory Council made up of rail, bus and paratransit customers from across the region to address concerns that the agency is unresponsive to the public.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/14/AR2005071401844.html

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Doctor Formerly In Va. Applies For Tex. License

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A former Virginia physician who moved from state to state to keep practicing, after she was forced out of hospitals in North Carolina and New Mexico when questions arose about her surgical skills, has applied for a license to practice in Texas, records show. Pamela L. Johnson, an obstetrician and gynecologist, applied for a license last month, according to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners. The board typically does not approve a license for a doctor who is not in good standing in other states, according to board spokeswoman Jill Wiggins. Johnson's Virginia license was suspended in 2003 after officials learned that the New Mexico board had suspended her license for lying about being fired from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. "If she is indeed suspended, she would be deemed ineligible," Wiggins said. However, a final decision on whether to issue Johnson a Texas medical license probably won't be made for several months, Wiggins said. Johnson, 46, did not respond to a message left on her phone in Texas. A Washington Post investigation published in April found that Johnson was one of hundreds of doctors across the country who were facing problems in one state and simply moved and restarted their careers, despite a federally imposed tracking system known as the National Practitioner Data Bank. The data bank was created to prevent troubled doctors from moving around. The newspaper's analysis of medical board records between 1999 and 2004 found that nearly two dozen physicians licensed in the District, Maryland and Virginia got into trouble in one jurisdiction and then moved elsewhere to practice. Nationally, 972 doctors during that period were disciplined in one state, then moved at least once and were punished again for a separate infraction, according to federal statistics. Johnson was forced to leave her job at Duke in 2000 after officials there questioned her surgical skills and "high surgical complication rate." Duke officials failed to notify the data bank that she had been terminated and gave her letters of recommendation. She then moved to Virginia and got a job with a medical practice and privileges at Danville Regional Medical Center. She quit after five months because she was not being paid enough and landed a job with a New Mexico medical group and privileges at Los Alamos Medical Center. She lied on her New Mexico application about losing privileges at Duke, but no one checked. By the time New Mexico realized she had lied and suspended her license, Johnson had moved to Michigan and obtained a license. Six patients in North Carolina and New Mexico have filed malpractice claims against Johnson, including Ted Vives, whose wife, Gwyneth, died several hours after giving birth to a boy in December 2001. "She's going to try to fly under the radar and get another license in another state and try and jump-start her career," Vives said in a phone interview yesterday from New Mexico. "How many states does this woman have to have her license suspended in before somebody takes notice?" Johnson admitted Gwyneth Vives, 36, to the hospital and induced labor with the help of a midwife. Vives suffered a vaginal tear during delivery and other lacerations that caused profuse bleeding, according to a lawsuit filed by her husband. She died from excessive blood loss because an amniotic fluid embolism, according to the autopsy. The lawsuit alleged that Johnson's "negligence and recklessness" contributed to Vives's death. Johnson has denied the allegations.

Get Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia news. Includes news headlines from The Washington Post. Get info/values for Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia homes. Features schools, crime, government, traffic, lottery, religion, obituaries.

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Tell Me About It

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Appearing every Wednesday and Friday in The Washington Post Style section and in Sunday Source, Tell Me About It Bæfers readers advice based on the experiences of someone who's been there -- really recently. Carolyn Hax is a 30-something repatriated New Englander with a liberal arts degree and a lot of opinions and that's about it, really, when you get right down to it. Oh, and the shoes. A lot of shoes. Mail can be directed to Carolyn at [email protected] . Capitol Hill, Washingotn, D.C.: Hi Carolyn, I love your column and think your advice is always so thoughtful. I'm having a hard time dealing with some personal/relationship issues right now, have decided I'm probably depressed, and want to get help. What should my first step be? How do I decide between a counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, etc.? I feel weird just finding someone in my health plan and making a cold call, without knowing anything about them. How do I go about finding someone I'll feel comfortable talking with? Thanks! Carolyn Hax: If you like your regular doc, you can start there, with a diagnosis, conversation and referral. You can also see if your employer offers an Employee Assistance Plan for situations just like yours. You call a confidential number to discuss your problem with someone, and that someone directs you to an affiliate provider (psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker), who then meets with you (usually free, for up to X sessions) to discuss your problem, and then recommends a course of treatment. That discussion can include what type of therapist would be best for your circumstances, along with some names you can call. Vienna, Va.: I am a person who is usually on time, mostly early, to everything. for some reason I get anxious if I am going to be late. However, my girlfriend is habitually late, something always comes up. Any recomendations on how to deal with this developing problem? I'm sure it cant be too uncommon. Thanks. Carolyn Hax: The people who make conflicts like this work are, in my experience, the ones who accept that this is the way both of you are and so you have to work around each other. E.g., if you want your GF to be on time, build her normal tardiness margin into your plans--tell her to meet you at X for something that starts at X:30. Of course some people have a problem with that in principle, and it's understandable--you end up having to lie, whcih sucks, to compensate for someone who is behaving disrespectfully by always being late, which sucks. So the prompt one essentially takes both hits with the so-called compromise. However, if you've decided you love your girlfriend completely and understand that the lateness is part of who she is, then a little clock manipulation will seem like a small price to pay. Theoretically. Just wondering: Do you ever see a question and think, "Well, actually, there is NO solution to this problem?" Carolyn Hax: About every third question. It's a bummer. Washington, D.C.: I just secured a great new job, and while I love 95 percent of my work, there is an element that has me worried. Public speaking was briefly mentioned in the job description, but it never came up in the interview and I didn't offer up my reputation as World's Worst Public Speaker (I seize up and get sweaty palms just thinking about standing behind a podium). For several days I have lived in fear of being sent to address a conference next week; I just found out this morning that it won't happen. While I feel lucky to have dodged this bullet, I know that this is something I need to conquer to be successful in my new job. Any suggestions from you, or the peanuts? Carolyn Hax: I'm going to lean hard on the legumes for this one, since I have absolutely no specifics to offer except that if I were you I'd enroll in a reputable public speaking program today. Trying to derail my diet on purpose!: One of my coworkers knows I am trying to lose weight. I made the mistake of mentioning to her that my willpower is not very strong when it comes to chocolate. So now, a few times a week she says stuff to me like "wouldn't you like a candy bar right, now?" Always with a sugary smile on her face. What is up with this type of nastiness? This woman clearly has some problems and seems very unhappy, but I don't know why she thinks it gives her license to try and make others feel bad. Carolyn Hax: "Why are you trying to make me feel bad?" Call her out. Monsters hate daylight. Love your advice! Here's one for you and the nuts. I was dating a man and the physical side of things was proceeding along their natural course. This bring the couple to a discussion about safe sex and condom use. Man can't (refuses?) to use them and I am shocked speechless. I had never come across this situation before. Man seemed to think this was normal and I was the one with trust issues. Needless to that was the end of things and I'm quite clear I dodged a bullet. However, I am left curious -- do men really do this and do women go along with it?! Carolyn Hax: For every person who does bleepy things there is someone who agrees to go along with them. All you can do is try not to be either of these people. For the public speaker: Find a Toastmaster's chapter! And if they force you to speak, find another one where you won't be pressured (because that will only make you feel worse)... Boulder, Colo.: For the poster scared of public speaking. Try Toastmasters. I've not used them, but know many who did and enjoyed it. washingtonpost.com: There's also the "Just Do It" school of thought. I used to be the same way, but I found that the more I do it, the less scary it has become. You may just surprise yourself. Carolyn Hax: I'm with Liz on this one--tho while fear is no longer the issue, I still hate it. Public Speaking: You're not alone in being afraid to speak in public. I'd discuss this your new employers, find out what kinds of presentations and how much you're going to do. Maybe they will even send you to a class or something like that. Carolyn Hax: I went back and forth on suggesting this, but now seeing the way you phrased it, I'm not sure why I hesitated. Thanks. Speechless: I'm sure you'll get a thousand responsese that say "Join Toastmasters!" which I would definitely second. I'd also like to suggest practicing in low key ways. Volunteer to read to children at a local school or library. Volunteer to read to the elderly at a nursing home, and once you are comfortable with an individual, ask him/her if you can practice presenting your what-sit to them. He/she can give you great feedback, and you'd also be establishing a great friendship. Last thought: see your doctor for meds for the day-of that will supress your physical response so that you can work on your mental response. Because once that physical response kicks in, it's game-over buddy. Good luck! Carolyn Hax: Great suggestions, thank you. Though I think presenting your whatsit to people can get you arrested in some jurisdictions. Neither Here Nor There: If you want to be friends with an ex, is it always necessary to cut off contact for a while? Ex and I were together for a year and split a few weeks ago. We were friends first and still like each other as people. But as a couple, we were incompatible -- too much fighting, not enough enjoying. We ended things amicably and had a week of radio silence. Since then, we've had phone calls and instant messenger conversations, and we've chatted briefly when we run into each other, but decided not to have in-person alone time. On the up side: Every time we talk, I remember why we're not good as a couple. On the down side: Sometimes we talk about missing each other. Obviously, we're not Just Friends yet, but we're not going to restart the relationship either. Do we need to stop talking until the numbness sinks in, or is it okay to keep pining a little as we try to segue back into friendship? I'm 20, if it matters. Carolyn Hax: If you and your ex had kids or, um, say, worked together full-time, cutting off contact would be a luxury you couldn't afford--so there's no general "need to" with a question like this. You just figure out what works for you, usually by tripping over a few things that don't work for you first. Springfield, Ill.: Any advice on dealing with parents (who think pointing out differences in opinion equals disrespect) who constantly tell you that they are disappointed in you because you didn't turn out the way they wanted? Carolyn Hax: Less time with your parents, coupled with less hope that they'll ever give you the satisfaction of a pat on the back. Start by reducing each a little bit, and then a little more if they're still getting to you, and a little more, etc. Let go gradually and find your proper distance that way, since it's harder to do it in reverse--ie by cutting off contact/giving up on them and then trying to work your way back in. Diet: "wouldn't you like a candy bar right, now?" Wow, that spoiled my appetite. Thanks. Carolyn Hax: Didn't it? People can be just awful. Washington, D.C.: I've had some tough blows lately, the kinds of things that lead friends and even slight acquaintances to offer sympathy and help. My style was to tough it out, which earned me great praise for strength, dignity, blah blah blah. Trouble is that now that everyone has moved on, assured that I am just fine, I am starting to crumble. Seems too late to ask for support and frankly I don't want to lose all those strength and dignity points. Yes, I am in therapy -- just started. Did I do adversity wrong? Is it too late to correct? Carolyn Hax: There's no "wrong," you did what you felt you needed to do. Now you're seeing that you needed to do something else, and so you're doing something else. Yay. It may not feel like a rousing success story but you're actually succeeding wildly at something so many people struggle with--listening to themselves, and taking action. Not as easy as it sounds. As for the specifics, it's not too late, and the dignity points don't mean anything if they're obtained through falsely brave pretenses. You'll rack up genuine dignity points if you choose to confide in one or two of your close friends that you may have underestimated your strength and suddenly find yourself feeling all crumbly and in need of someone to lean on. That takes guts. Therapy vs. Psychiatry: Dear Carolyn, My boyfriend has all the signs of General Anxiety Disorder. He has anxiety attacks a few times a week that sometimes wake him up at night. They're generally connected to an irrational fear that he's crazy, but sometimes come out of nowhere. He can trace them back to his best friend's suicide three years ago. After a year in therapy, he's beginning to get frustrated by his lack of progress and is considering asking for anti-anxiety medication. His therapist is discouraging him from doing this (she's not a psychiatrist and can't prescribe it anyway), telling him that if he takes medication he'll never get to the root of his problems and therefore never really fix them. He doesn't know what to do and I don't know what to tell him. Any advice from you or the peanuts? Carolyn Hax: The specifics of this disorder and its treatment are beyond my ken, but for all things serious and health-related, any responsible course of action involves a second opinion. Not just on the medication idea, in this case, but on the length and direction of treatment in general. He can start with a call to local branches of a couple of the major professional organizations, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Assn, to name two, to request names of members who specialize in treating anxiety. Then he can talk about what he and his therapist have been doing, what he feels they have and haven't accomplished, what mnedication would do, etc. Kansas City, KS: You're pretty fast at addressing questions online. (And thorough, I might add). How long does it take you to write a column? Carolyn Hax: Two hours to two days, depending on the subject matter and the severity of mental blockage. I'm really just posting this because you're the first person who ever said I was fast. (Pretty, even!) Some City: My therapist and I had an interesting discussion at my last session, and I wanted to throw a question out to you and the 'nuts based on the discussion. She says that if one person in a marriage wants some alone time, they should be able to tell the other person, "I'm going to the mall now because I need to have some alone time to think about things/clear my head/whatever." While I agree that in theory this would be nice, I know that if I said this to my husband or he said this to me, the other would have a small freak-out that something was wrong. Do most people in healthy relationships feel comfortable saying this to their spouse? I know when my husband needs alone time, because he'll go out (to the bookstore or whatever) and won't invite me along. And I do the same if I need alone time, and I think he understands as well. Is this as unhealthy as my therapist makes it seem? What do we need to be so naked/honest with each other all the time when it could be perceived in a hurtful way (e.g., I'd rather be alone than with you right now)? Carolyn Hax: See, your parenthetical says it all. Why do you automatically pair alone time with the pejorative, "I'd rather not be with YOU"? It doesn't have to have anything to do with you at all. It can be, "I'd rather not be with anyone," or a much more positive, "I'd like to be with my own thoughts." And so, yes, I think it is part of a healthy relationship to be able to ask explicitly for alone time, because being healthy means you don't automatically internalize your partner's fundamental, human need as an automatic rejection of you. It's just a fundamental human need, which you gladly grant. Unless it's on your anniversary or birthday, in which case any explicit requests ought to be accompanied by a delicate explanation and a lot of jewelry. Anchorage, Alaska: I'm on a diet, too. I've lost 33 pounds so far since January, so it's now big secret that I'm dieting. I have people say things like that to me, too. (Why do people behave that way?) I just tell them "I'd love one. But I won't." On the flip side, I've also had people make comments when I treat myself to a doughnut on Fridays. Carolyn Hax: As if that weren't bad enough, consider that all these people probably feel they've done you a favor. And they wonder why we're all reaching for doughnuts. Congratulations on your progress, btw. Somewhere out there: I'm engaged, we have been dating for several years, living together for almost three. He drinks, to me, a lot. In the past month or so it has really been bothering me. The questions "can I live with this forever?" keeps running through my mind, since I know I can't expect or force him to change. Of course, he has every excuse in the book. I'm a non-drinker, so sometimes I question as to if it is "normal" and if I really am overreacting. I'm making a counseling appointment for us. Any other thoughts as to what to do, and how to figure out the answer to the "forever" question? I know I need to answer it, but how on earth do you figure that out? (side note, he is a very happy drunk, never angry, never violent, its just the drunk part that bothers me) Carolyn Hax: I think the "forever" question will get a lot easier to answer if you get some help with the "normal" question. A good site for that is http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/ Alcohol-abuse guidelines tend to be written conservatively, for obvious reasons, but I don't think you need to be a drinker to have a reasonable grasp of what people who drink can be like. Presumably you have others in your life (friends, family members, coworkers) who have collectively provided you with a range of normal to work from. That and the NIAAA info and the counseling will put your judgment on some strong footing. From there, you just need to be strong. Good luck. Albuquerque, N.M.: Any update on the sleep-deprived mom from last week? I've been sending her all my calm-baby vibes. Carolyn Hax: Nope. Either I wasn't helpful, or she's asleep at her keyboard and still hasn't opened my email. Alone time: I think the reason this may come off as threatening to a partner is if you've never expressed that need before. If you've been together for a few years and suddenly for the first time say, "I just need to be alone for a little while," that can only seem uncharacteristic and worrisome, no matter how normal the desire. Maybe it is in the phrasing, ("I just need some down time" or "I need a dose of my own company for a moment") but I think it's also necessary to make this part of a relationship that both parties understand and use from the start. Carolyn Hax: I agree, thank you, except with the "necessary" part. It is something you can introduce later on, it has to be, but it just requires a bit of explaining. E.g., "I've always been this way, but I've also always been afraid to say something because I thought it might hurt your feelings. Now I see that I should have just trusted you and been honest from the start." Since we all really talk like this. Re: Washington, D.C., poster: I am on the other end of this -- have a friend who was dealt some tough blows, assured everyone he was fine, joked a lot about it, etc. But he's obviously not OK, not the way he used to be anyway. I'm not sure if he's in therapy or not. But is there any way to gently broach this, or do I have to wait for him to come to me if he need someone to lean on? I should probably note that we're not as close as we used to be before all of this occurred, so I'm not sure if its my place anymore. But I'm worried about him. Carolyn Hax: I'd start just by being present in his life, without pressing him to talk--maybe by offering to bring dinner over, to take him out to lunch or a ballgame, whatever. Then if it comes to pass that he wants to lean on someone, you'll be right there, instead of out in the sea of faraway "call me if you need me" people who (in his mind at least) may or may not have meant it. Rockville, Md.: My husband constantly refers to pants as "pantaloons," to the point where he refers to the guy who lives in a pineapple under the sea as "SpongeBob SquarePantaloons." I'm scared. Should I divorce him? Carolyn Hax: That's not what he's called? Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Hi Carolyn, Would you please give me your thoughts on trust and forgiveness? I've been working hard on forgiving my father, but none of that work has translated into trusting him. Trusting him seems foolhardy, at best, yet some keep telling me I won't have fully forgiven him until I also trust him. Unloading the anger and pain is all to the good, but trusting him seems like an invitation for more. Your thoughts would be most welcome. Carolyn Hax: I don't see, at all, where forgiving is shackled to trusting. You can forgive a person for, say, molesting you as a child without handing over your firstborn. Holy head injury, Batman. Sorry your advisers have let you down, and I'm sorry that has translated into a heavier burden on you. Set the burden down, you have done enough. Re: drinker's girlfriend: Please, run in the opposite direction. In graduate school I had a bf who regularly drank until he passed out. Drunk or not, he was pleasant and charming, but it was always clear that the alcohol came first and I came second. It's one thing to be addicted to cigarettes, Starbucks, or really nice shoes. These don't alter your consciousness like drugs or alcohol do. Please, your conscious, subconscious, and instincts are talking to you--you -must- listen to yourself. Carolyn Hax: Thanks. (Though please note that lung cancer, coffee breath and pointless consumer debt are forces to be reckoned with unto themselves.) Pants?: I call them trousers. Carolyn Hax: But does an overheated dog pantaloon or trouser to cool himself off? That's when I'd worry. Sand Castle, New England: Dear Carolyn, Hi. We rely on you. Thanks for being here for us. So, a year ago today, I made a committment to myself to stay with my husband until today. I gave him a year to see if he would do what he promised last year after my many attempts to get him into marriage counseling and weekly dates, etc. I told him and he laughed because a year was so long to change and he would have no problem. He has done almost nothing -- almost no household chores, no counselors, a few dates, personal estrangement like having nothing to say and no kisses. I have tried in our relationship and reminded him several times of our goals and tried to ask him out, etc. But he is a combination of offended that I am holding us to this and also quite sure he can be reconnecting with me and have everything be okay with no real change, like not even a counselor, although he has called several in the last 24 hours. The problem is that talking to him in the dark last night it came over me that I have no real hope of him changing, even if he does something this week, and I also realized that I am strongly attached to him but also completely fed up because of his lack of committment to changing. He admits the problems, says he's done nothing but is sure that now that we've had this talk we can suddenly understand and work things out. Ever since we got married years ago he's copped out on his word on a number of things. It's bad with him the way he is -- unreliable in some ways, insulting as a strategy -- which he did admit last night and say sorry and he doesn't know why he does it. Should I give him longer, which is what he wants? Although he really wants to change nothing himself because he's not "so bad" but says if I "just don't do" certain things (like even ask about something he promised) he could handle things better. Is it fair to say I have to be perfect by his constantly changing standards before he needs to be nice? And how can we discuss and rely on goals and promises? It feels harsh on him to go and harsh on me to stay... it's almost too hard to imagine what staying with him without changing would feel like as I've been soothing myself with "only a few more months left;" yet in some way it feels so so good to talk to him and have him be loving, it's what I've wanted all along. What should I do? And do I have to do it all at once? I left him once years ago for similar but less bad reasons and went back because he needed me, and for a while until I realized how he wasn't trying I was really happy to be back. I don't trust myself -- I don't feel confident in acting on my year plan but I think it is a big chunk of time to have not met promises -- I can't think how things got to this point, I was just trying to be a good guy. And I don't feel confident in my ability to have a fair mature relationship... even when I can kinda tell it's not true, I always feel as if I've being too hard on him and I can fix everything by giving up stuff and making more effort. Which works, short term, but the price has gotten higher. It's gotten like a farce -- I even told him some special sand from a local beach we'd been on with a note from him would be a fine birthday present for me and he couldn't even get the few grains of sand. Carolyn Hax: Such a short answer to such a long question might feel like an implied slap, but it's not, it's just short: Counseling (for you) and a trial separation. You need to clear your head before you make any final decisions. And, you also need to start backing up your words. Your husband isn't taking you seriously because so far he hasn't had to--you said yourself he's copped out on his word a number of times, and with what consequences? He's still the same and you're still there. This time you said a year, but he knew you didn't mean it, more than even you knew. Did you mean it? Then prove it. If you didn't, then stop saying these things. Counseling, for you. And if you mean to keep your commitment, then trial separation. Austin, Tex. (YEE HAW!): First of all, let's get the kudos out of the way -- notwithstanding the fact that I really don't know you, you are the second coolest person in those United States after my wife. You do a very good job with this column. I need a refresher course on when to offer unsolicited advice. I have a younger brother that needs guidance on various life matters. He just got back to work at a $10/hour job after 18 months of unemployment. His wife quit her job two months before he was laid off, so for a few months her father was slipping them cash to make ends meet. She's been working for the last year as a teacher, so they are keeping afloat though her dad doesn't hesitate to give his opinion on their financial state. I assume he feels he's entitled to do so since he's paid his price of admission to this... play. With that as a backdrop I do a fairly good job of biting my tongue regarding some of their escapades (e.g., he turned down a $8/hour job at one point because unemployment paid better, and there was that trip to Las Vegas while they were both unemployed because they had already paid for air and hotel). Taking my halo off for a second, I am thinking on a regular basis, "How can you be so stupid?" I wouldn't deny this attitude doesn't bleed into our conversations. What's prompting this question to you is they have decided to move back home -- she has a teaching position back at the hometown high school, he has a good opportunity for a $20/hour job in an area where cost of living is cheap -- and are fearful that they own more on their house than they can sell it for (they put virtually no equity into the house), and I have heard on the family grapevine that they have some credit card debt as well. Thus the other family rumor is they are considering filing for bankruptcy. I have suggested credit counseling, but they had some friends that were burned by some unscrupulous credit counselors so they dismiss this as an option. We talk on a regular basis, but he doesn't cross the line of actually asking for advice. On the one had I'm on the verge of finally yelling the stupid question, but on the other I tell myself they are both in their early 30s and this is a helluva learning experience. Please advise me mistress of wisdom. Carolyn Hax: Thanks! I think. Mistress of wisdom, not the first person you want to invite to your parties. Certainly you don't want the stupid question to bust out of the corral. You can ask, though, when he's mid-complaint-stream, whether he's interested in hearing your advice--especially if you add that you'll respect his wishes if he says no. Then if he says yes, you can go judiciously to town. But before you do, you might want to arm yourself with something concrete to say, or else you'll just be using 1,000 flowery words to cushion the stupid question. Find a reputable credit counselor and have the number and bona fides ready; talk to someone about the up and down sides of bankruptcy (especially since the law either has changed or is soon changing or a change is being debated ... OKAY so I don't follow the news like I used to); banish any opinions on actions already taken, especially if the Vegas tickets were nonrefundable. You can't take control of his judgment, so the best you can do is supply him with sturdy resources. Re: Sandcastle: Over and over Sandcastle said she wants her husband to change. She needs to understand that there is no leverage in the world that is strong enough for one person to change another person. Attempting to make over the other person in the relationship in an attempt to find happiness is the most futile, useless thing you can ever attempt to do. The only person who you can surely, absolutely, positively change is yourself. Sandcastle needs to stop looking at her husband and believing that if she can change him, she will be happy. She needs to start looking at herself as the one who needs to change and who can change, and to understand that her husband (whether he changes or not) is not responsible for her happiness. She is. Been there, done that and know it can be done. Carolyn Hax: Thanks. I say it so many times I forget how many times it needs to be said. It's Summer!;: So can we have a designated chat equivalent to a Bacon Pants chat? Like a wedding chat (okay, those questions can get serious) or a shoe chat? We need more than one a year!; Carolyn Hax: Actually, I think a wedding chat would be perfect for that, since the serious questions about weddings are part of the problem with weddings. Let me think about it. Shoes, no. Their beauty is in their resistance to ideas, intrigue, intelligence, or anything else worth discussing. I'm a downer:: So, my BF just told me I suck the life out of him, drag him down, am the most negative person he's ever known, being with me makes him miserable, and he doesn't want my overbearing unhappiness in his life. But if I change, he'd want that person. I had no idea I'm such a downer, and actually, I don't think I am. What's a succubus to do? Carolyn Hax: This is for anyone who's ever complained about getting an, "It's not you, it's me." Wow. I guess the succubus has to retrace her steps, pretty closely and pretty far back, to see if Tact Man has a legitimate point, or if you need to have a celebration in honor of chasing this jerk from your life, by whatever means. Like most things I imagine it's a combination of the two--say, you complain a lot and he tends to exaggerate--but in that combination I also imagine you can find something constructive. There are people who are relentlessly negative, we all run across them all the time, and while they might not be unhappy themselves there is a water-torture-like effect in receiving bad news, dire predictions, and traffic stories in a steady supply uncut by optimism. My guess is it's habit that has these people reaching for bad news when they're bored and there's a lull in conversation, just like they'd reach for a bag of chips when they're bored and they feel vaguely hungry. If that's true, and if you see yourself in this, then it's something a little perspective change (courtesy of Sr. Tact) and willpower can fix. That is, assuming you feel you're genreally happy. If there's any chance you're depressed, then it's not a habitual-Eeyore thing and you need to take seriously the possibility that you might need treatment. www.depression-screening.org, and/or talk to your doctor. Re: Forgiveness: I read this definition of forgiveness: Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past. Accepting that something has happened and moving forward can be healthy and it benefits person doing the forgiving. It doesn't absolve the forgivee of wrong doing. And it doesn't make them worthy of trust. Carolyn Hax: Whoever said it, well said. Thanks for passing it along. Washington, D.C., re Bacon Pants?: What on earth is a "Bacon Pants Chat?' Carolyn Hax: You must be new here. Check out the archives, early December ... how many years back? Five? Boston, Mass.: Re: For the poster scared of public speaking. Try Toastmasters. I don't understand how making toast is going to help. Can you help me out? Carolyn Hax: The fresh-toast aroma is a non-prescription beta-blocker. Pantaloons: But you didn't answer the original question. The answer is of course yes, divorce him. Carolyn Hax: Right. Duh. Sorry. Britches?: Sponge Bob Square Britches has a nice ring to it, too. washingtonpost.com: I'm for "Sponge Bob Square Slacks" myself. Carolyn Hax: Just the excuse to leave I was looking for. Thanks everybodies and type to you next week. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Bombing in Iraq Kills Mostly Children

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BAGHDAD, July 13 -- Inside the morgue at Kindi Hospital lay the remains of Amjad Kudeer. Flying shrapnel from a suicide car bomb struck him in the head and chest Wednesday, killing him instantly. He was 13. Outside the door to the refrigerated room, Amjad's sobbing mother called his name over and over, as if trying to summon him back to life. Then she looked up and asked: "What did he do to deserve this? They are killing children. Why? Why?" Amjad and more than a dozen other children from east Baghdad's al-Khalij neighborhood made up the majority of the 27 people killed when a suicide bomber drove into a crowd that had gathered around U.S. soldiers who were handing out candy and small toys, police said. The attack also killed one soldier, according to the U.S. military, and wounded at least 50 people. In north Baghdad, meanwhile, 11 Sunni Muslim men were found dead hours after being arrested by Iraqi police, according to the head of the government agency that administers Sunni religious affairs. The suicide bombing occurred at 10:50 a.m. in al-Khalij, a mostly Shiite Muslim district adjacent to a U.S. military base in the Iraqi army's former Rashid Barracks. Two Army Humvees had parked in the street, and their crews blocked off a small area with razor wire and began giving gifts to children who immediately swarmed around them. A speeding Suzuki sedan plowed into their midst and exploded, turning a festive scene into one of carnage, witnesses said. "The kids were laughing and playing with the solders when the suicide bomber drove his car bomb very fast into the crowd and blew himself up, killing all the kids who were around the soldiers, and some cleaners who were there," said Ali Hussein, a police officer. The attack was grimly reminiscent of one last September, when several bombs detonated at a ceremony celebrating the opening of a sewage plant, killing 35 children who were accepting candy from American soldiers. In addition, it was the second suicide bombing in Baghdad in four days to kill more than 20 people. On Sunday, a man wearing an explosive belt blew himself up at the entrance to a military recruiting center, killing at least 21 people. Iraqi security forces and foreign troops have been frequent targets during the nearly two-year-old insurgency in Iraq. But Hussein, who was shot in the right leg last week in an attack that killed another officer, said targeting children was beyond comprehension. "I do not know how anyone in the world -- whether they believe or do not believe in God -- could do something like kill a kid," he said. The attackers "are after us and the American forces, and we understand that because we are after them, too. But how could they hurt those innocent kids?" A U.S. military spokesman, Maj. Russ Goemaere, said in a statement that "the terrorist undoubtedly saw the children around the Humvee as he attacked. The complete disregard for civilian life in this attack is absolutely abhorrent." The car bombing also destroyed two houses, killing several people inside. Ahmad Kareem, 17, said he had been in one of the houses with six members of his family when the bomber struck. "I was sitting in the living room, and there were some U.S. soldiers and Hummers outside. The kids gathered around the solders," Ahmad said afterward, a bandage around his head and his shirt covered with blood. "All of a sudden I heard a big boom, and my head started bleeding. The house became dark, as if the night had come back again, and black smoke was the only thing I could see." Ahmad said he was the only one in the house who had been able to come home from the hospital. "Thank God, no one died, but my oldest sister is in critical condition," he said.

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Ebbers Gets 25-Year Sentence For Role in WorldCom Fraud

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NEW YORK, July 13 -- A federal judge Wednesday sentenced former WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers to 25 years behind bars for his role in the nation's largest accounting fraud, the harshest prison term yet to flow fromcorporate scandals that rocked the stock market three years ago. The once-brash mogul, 63, wept and sniffled as U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones imposed the sentence in front of a packed courtroom. Ebbers, a former basketball coach who built a telecommunications empire from scratch, must serve 85 percent of the prison term -- making him eligible for release in about two decades. The judge recommended he be sent to a low-security facility in Yazoo City, Miss., so relatives and friends who live nearby could visit. "Although I recognize . . . this is likely to be a life sentence for Mr. Ebbers, I find anything else would not reflect the seriousness of the crime," the judge said. Ebbers, who maintains his innocence, waived his right to speak. He hunched over and clutched the back of his chair after the two-hour proceeding ended. His wife, Kristie, stepped forward and cried on his shoulder. Defense lawyers swiftly vowed to appeal and sought to delay his Oct. 12 deadline to report to prison. "We're not giving up," lawyer Reid H. Weingarten told reporters as a light rain fell outside the courthouse. "Bernie Ebbers is not giving up. We're going to pursue an appeal as vigorously as possible." The lengthy sentence was the latest move in a long-running government effort to hold business executives accountable for malfeasance that occurred on their watch. Earlier this year, the 80-year-old founder of Adelphia Communications Corp., John J. Rigas, received a 15-year prison sentence. Two weeks ago, an Alabama jury acquitted former HealthSouth Corp. chief executive Richard M. Scrushy on 36 fraud and conspiracy charges. Former Tyco International Ltd. chief L. Dennis Kozlowski is scheduled to be sentenced next month on larceny charges. The final chapter is set to begin when onetime Enron Corp. leaders Kenneth L. Lay and Jeffrey K. Skilling face trial in Houston in January. Prosecutors opposed efforts that would allow Ebbers to remain free pending the results of the appeal. The judge, who expressed doubts about the likelihood of overturning the March conviction on securities fraud, conspiracy and false-statements charges, nonetheless ordered the government to file court papers within three weeks responding to the defense request. "This case is almost the standard for large frauds," Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Anders told the judge. "It's the case defendants for years to come will point to." The fraud at WorldCom ultimately topped $11 billion and led to the country's biggest bankruptcy filing, in July 2002. Nearly 17,000 employees lost their jobs as a result of the scheme to bury expenses and inflate revenue, according to a probation report. The Ashburn company has since emerged from bankruptcy protection and renamed itself MCI Inc. Last month Ebbers agreed to pay $5.5 million cash and to hand over his Clinton, Miss., mansion and other assets worth as much as $40 million to resolve claims filed by WorldCom shareholders who lost billions of dollars when the company collapsed. His wife will be allowed to keep a smaller Mississippi house, $50,000 in cash and a retirement account under the terms of the deal. Ebbers has repaid only a small portion of the $408 million in personal loans the company made before WorldCom's board forced him to resign. Former WorldCom salesman Henry J. Bruen Jr. decried the "untold human carnage" wreaked by Ebbers and his co-conspirators, in a brief statement he read to the court before the judge handed down the sentence. Bruen, who was laid off from the company's Manhattan office in 2003, told the judge he has been unable to find a sales job in part due to the "stigma" of being an employee at a scandal-ridden firm. Gino Cavallo, a service consultant at the company's New York office who said he lost tens of thousands of dollars in retirement savings, told reporters after the proceeding that he was satisfied with the "stern" sentence. "Well, the man's 63, he's going to die in jail," Cavallo said. "How much sterner could it get?" Defense lawyers had pleaded with the judge for leniency, citing Ebbers's heart condition and more than $100 million he gave to charity. "If you have lived 60-something years and you have an unblemished record, doesn't that count, particularly on this day?" Weingarten asked, his voice rising with emotion. The defense also blamed former WorldCom finance chief Scott D. Sullivan for coming up with the scheme in an effort to meet Wall Street analysts' expectations. Sullivan, the star witness against Ebbers, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges and faces sentencing Aug. 4. Four other former company officials, including its former controller and accounting director, will be sentenced later this summer. "It seems quite clear to me that Mr. Ebbers was really a leader of criminal activity in this case," Judge Jones said. The judge said testimony from the trial showed that Ebbers repeatedly misled investors and employees and filed phony financial information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Disclosures about extensive fraud at WorldCom in June 2002 devastated investor confidence and prompted Congress to pass legislation increasing criminal penalties for business fraud. The company and its founder, Ebbers, since have become synonymous with that era. It is a remarkable fall for the Canada-born Ebbers, who strode down the halls in cowboy boots, graced the cover of business magazines and boasted that he would reshape the telecommunications sector. Under the judge's calculations, Ebbers could have faced 30 years to life in prison. But she said she knocked off five years after considering nearly 170 letters from friends and neighbors describing the defendant's good works. The judge said she would recommend that prison officials treat Ebbers as if he were eligible for a low-security facility, which is available to defendants with sentences of no more than 23 years and six months. "A medium-security facility would be absurd in this case and a waste of taxpayer dollars," defense lawyer Brian M. Heberlig told the judge. "Mr. Ebbers is a danger to no one."

A federal judge Wednesday sentenced former WorldCom Inc. founder Bernard J. Ebbers to 25 years in prison, imposing what could be a life sentence on one of the country's most prominent chief executives.

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A Three-Day Jam at Wilson Bridge

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The biggest traffic jam likely to occur during the 11-year construction of a new Woodrow Wilson Bridge will begin this Friday night and last the entire weekend while workers realign a section of the Capital Beltway, project managers said yesterday. Lane closures and detours could back up northbound traffic on Interstate 95 in Virginia for 15 miles. They will be in place from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday while workers lay asphalt for the realigned highway section near the western end of what will become a 12-lane bridge across the Potomac River. Sustained rains or extreme heat could interfere with the work schedule. A final decision on whether to go ahead will be made about 6 p.m. Friday, project officials said. During the paving, the Beltway's outer loop will be reduced to one lane from the river to Springfield, backing up traffic for at least that six-mile stretch. But the worst of the backups probably will stretch south from Springfield, where cars heading to I-95 will be diverted to prevent tens of thousands of motorists from heading toward the old bridge, scheduled to close in 2006, when the first of the replacement spans is complete. If the closures take place, normally moderate delays will turn monumental, project officials said. Delays could last as long as 90 minutes and considerably longer if there is a fender bender or other problem. A second set of traffic-stopping weekend-long closures is scheduled to occur within the next month for similar work on the inner loop. The Beltway realignment will clear room for workers to complete an overpass at South Washington Street in Alexandria, one of the many phases of what is now the biggest and most expensive construction project on the East Coast, and one that is rapidly moving toward completion of its major goals. But the reverberations from cutting off two major arteries this weekend will cascade across the Washington region as well as the East Coast as local and long-distance drivers are forced to alternate routes. Traffic is likely to surge on the western portion of the Beltway crossing the American Legion Bridge and Interstate 395 heading into Washington. Officials also expect increased traffic on Route 301 through Southern Maryland as motorists look for other ways to get around the area. Project officials said they also expect local roads across Northern Virginia to be overwhelmed, as some are used for detours and others are jammed by drivers looking for their own escape routes. Local drivers will have trouble getting to Beltway interchanges between Springfield and the bridge. "Our core message is, 'Stay away if you can,' " said John Undeland, Wilson Bridge project spokesman. The new, $2.43 billion bridge will replace an aging span that is crumbling under the strain of carrying nearly 200,000 vehicles a day, considerably more than the 75,000 it was built to handle.

The biggest traffic jam likely to occur during the 11-year construction of a new Woodrow Wilson Bridge will begin this Friday night and last the entire weekend while workers realign a section of the Capital Beltway, project managers said yesterday.

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Four Britons Tied To London Blasts

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LONDON, July 12 -- Four young British citizens of Pakistani origin appear to have carried out last week's bombings of the London transit system, blowing themselves up along with their victims in what would be the first suicide attacks in Western Europe, British police said Tuesday. In a day of fast-moving developments, heavily armed police backed by army units raided six houses in and around the northern city of Leeds seeking evidence, arrested a relative of one of the suspects and carried out a controlled detonation of explosives at one of the sites. The preliminary findings against native-born Muslims brought expressions of anguish from a prominent Islamic community leader, as well as warnings from security officials that other people involved in the plot were probably still at large and dangerous, including the presumed bombmaker behind the operation. Britain remained on its highest-ever security alert. Investigators say they believe the men drove to the Luton train station 30 miles north of the capital early Thursday morning and boarded a train to King's Cross station in north London. They were recorded there on closed-circuit security cameras just before 8:30 a.m. Three of them boarded subway trains heading in different directions -- one toward Liverpool Street and Aldgate, one toward Edgware Road and one toward Russell Square. Bombs blew up on those three trains within 50 seconds of one another about 8:50 a.m. The fourth man wound up on a No. 30 double-decker bus that was diverted to nearby Euston station after the explosions shut down King's Cross. His bomb detonated nearly an hour after the others at nearby Tavistock Square, killing at least 13 people. In total, at least 52 people were killed and about 700 wounded. The Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers used suicide attacks against targets in the United States; the tactic has become common in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East. But it has not been used before in Western Europe. The attacks on commuter trains in Madrid in March 2004 were carried out with planted bombs. Seven suspects later blew themselves up after being cornered by police; a police officer also died in that blast. Counterterrorism officials in Europe have long feared that radical groups on the continent would eventually embrace suicide attacks as a strategy, copying a tactic that has been used widely against Israel for years. "It's a pretty dramatic thing," said Evan F. Kohlmann, a New York-based terrorism consultant and researcher. "The British had felt that this kind of attack was inevitable, that it would happen no matter what. They had stopped a number of these guys before, but some finally got through." Officials say they believe that the three men who attacked the London trains intended to kill themselves. Personal documents bearing the names of two of the men were found close to the seats where two of the train explosions took place. Officials believe that those two men died on the trains. They suspect that the body of the third train bomber may be trapped in the wreckage of a subway car in the underground tunnel between the King's Cross and Russell Square stations.

British police have identified four men who allegedly carried out last week's deadly bombings in London and arrested another suspect on Tuesday after a series of raids in northern England.

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Bolton May Accept Recess Appointment

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John R. Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations was the hottest issue in Congress a few months ago. But it has virtually evaporated this summer, eclipsed by speculation over a Supreme Court nominee and the fate of the president's top political adviser. With neither the White House nor Senate Democrats showing any sign of yielding in their long-running dispute over documents related to Bolton's State Department work, speculation is rife that Bolton is prepared to accept a recess appointment good through the end of 2006, despite warnings from some GOP senators that it would weaken his influence and effectiveness. Although the Senate has twice voted to sustain a filibuster against his nominee, President Bush has refused to surrender the fight over Bolton. "The president continues to believe that John Bolton should receive an up-or-down vote, and he encourages the Senate to move forward on his nomination," spokeswoman Erin Healy said yesterday. But an administration source who is close to Bolton said that Bolton is prepared to accept a recess appointment next month unless the administration and Senate Democrats can resolve differences that have held up the confirmation for four months. "He'll take the recess" appointment, said the administration source, who is familiar with Bolton's thinking. "The president has made his selection, and the president is asking the Senate to confirm the selection, and if the Senate refuses to do that, then most assuredly [Bush] will make a recess appointment." The president is constitutionally empowered to fill vacancies when the Senate is in recess, and the appointments are effective through the final adjournment of the sitting Congress. The White House took no action during last week's Fourth of July break. The next recess, scheduled to last a month, starts July 30. There is no indication that Bush has considered withdrawing the nomination and seeking another candidate. Bolton, an outspoken conservative who had often criticized the United Nations, triggered controversy from the moment Bush nominated him March 8. State Department officials accused him of berating career officials and analysts who challenged his views, and of selectively choosing intelligence to support his assertions about the dangers posed by Cuba and other nations. When a Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. George V. Voinovich (Ohio), decided to oppose Bolton, the nomination moved to the full Senate with no recommendation. Since then, the impasse has focused on Democrats' demands to see two sets of documents related to Bolton's State Department work. One involves national security intercepts of conversations. Democrats want to know whether Bolton was seeking secret information on rivals in the intelligence and foreign policy communities. The other documents involve Syria and questions of whether Bolton misled lawmakers about his role in compiling them. "I haven't heard anything," Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), a central player in the dispute, said in an interview Monday. "I talked to the White House today on other matters, and it didn't come up." Bolton -- who lost the title of undersecretary of state June 1 when his successor, Robert Joseph, was sworn in -- has spent the past four months in a transition suite at the State Department, and colleagues said he continues to ready himself for the ambassadorship. Two months ago, while his confirmation was in trouble, Bolton began efforts to double the office space reserved within the State Department for the ambassador to the United Nations, according to three senior department officials who were involved in handling the request. Previous ambassadors have kept a small staff in Washington in a modest suite. Bolton told several colleagues he needs more space and a larger staff in Washington because, if confirmed, he intends to spend more time here than his predecessors did. "Bolton isn't going to sit in New York while policy gets made in Washington," the administration source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the source lacks authorization to discuss this on the record. But Bolton's efforts to obtain more space have encountered resistance. Two colleagues said Bolton's request was inappropriate because he had not been confirmed.

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Big Shift in China's Oil Policy

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SHANGHAI -- Until recently, China's view of the global energy map focused narrowly on the Middle East, which holds roughly two-thirds of the world's oil. Special attention was directed toward one well-supplied country: Iraq. Through cultivation of Saddam Hussein's government, China sought to develop some of Iraq's more promising reserves. Beijing advocated lifting the United Nations sanctions that prevented investment in Iraq's oil patch and limited sales of its production. Then the United States went to war in Iraq in 2003, wiping out China's stakes. The war and its aftermath have reshaped China's basic conception of the geopolitics of oil and added urgency to its mission to lessen dependence on Middle East supplies. It has reinforced China's fears that it is locked in a zero-sum contest for energy with the world's lone superpower, prompting Beijing to intensify its search for new sources, international relations and energy experts say. As a vocal camp in Congress recoils at the prospect of a Chinese state-owned company, Cnooc Ltd., taking control of the California-based Unocal Corp., the Bush administration's decision to wage the war in Iraq stands out as a crucial factor in explaining how China came to scour the earth for energy and why the effort is likely to remain central to U.S.-Chinese relations for some time, those analysts say. "Iraq changed the government's thinking," said Pan Rui, an international relations expert at Fudan University in Shanghai. "The Middle East is China's largest source of oil. America is now pursuing a grand strategy, the pursuit of American hegemony in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is the number one oil producer, and Iraq is number two [in terms of reserves]. Now, the United States has direct influence in both countries." Many other factors help explain China's motives in dispatching its energy companies abroad for new stocks. Oil demand is exploding in China as people embrace automobiles and as factories, apartment towers and office buildings proliferate. For the third summer in a row, China is rationing energy, limiting production in industrial areas. In little more than a decade, China has changed from a net exporter of oil into the world's second-largest importer, trailing only the United States. Concern is mounting about future prospects for China's domestic oil production, which supplies about two-thirds of the country's crude oil needs. China's government estimates that it will need 600 million tons of crude oil a year by 2020, more than triple its expected output. Worldwide, the best oil fields are already claimed. For the United States, Europe and Japan, the oil shocks of the 1970s supplied the lessons that have shaped their thinking about energy. China is a latecomer to the vagaries of the global energy business. It is grappling with how to manage dramatic growth and soaring demand for energy at the same time it confronts the implications of interventionist U.S. foreign policy. "Many people argue that oil interests are the driving force behind the Iraq war," said Zhu Feng, a security expert at Beijing University. "For China, it has been a reminder and a warning about how geopolitical changes can affect its own energy interests. So China has decided to focus much more intently to address its security." Throughout China's modern history, and particularly under Communist Party rule, the country's leaders have sought self-sufficiency -- a drive fueled by nationalist pride and the experience of colonialism, which fed notions that the outside world wants to prevent China's rise as a great power. Under the rule of Mao Zedong, China -- under the banner of fending for itself -- focused on oil production in its northeast, near the city of Daqing. The government's current push to secure foreign oil fields is driven by worries that there may one day be too little oil to meet worldwide demand and that foreign powers -- in particular the United States -- will choke China.

SHANGHAI -- Until recently, China's view of the global energy map focused narrowly on the Middle East, which holds roughly two-thirds of the world's oil. Special attention was directed toward one well-supplied country: Iraq.

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The Ballerina's Exclamation Pointe

2005071319

Her swan tutu is off, the comfy orange and brown coverup is on, and the Band-Aids have been peeled from her blistered toes. In her dressing room at the Metropolitan Opera House, Amanda McKerrow is winding down from one of the last performances of her 23-year career with American Ballet Theatre. After tomorrow's performance, McKerrow, who grew up in Rockville and began her career with the Washington Ballet, will retire from ABT, and she wants to relish every one of her final moments on the stage. But on this particular night, she is coughing and hoarse, sick with a cold. Under the reddish-gold mane of her hair, her shoulders shudder every time she barks into a tissue. The essence of ethereal, unblemished beauty just minutes ago in an excerpt from "Swan Lake," McKerrow now has a Goth-babe-meets-Cirque-du-Soleil look. She has wiped one eye clean of makeup, and in contrast the other one, still rimmed with black eyeliner and fringed with thick false lashes, is huge. Her small face with its single prominent eye takes on a Picasso kind of disproportion. But this is no time for vanity. There is a knock on the door. In sweeps the venerated former ballerina Irina Kolpakova, McKerrow's coach, who -- in the cherished ballet tradition of experienced elders passing the art form down to the young -- has overseen her rehearsals for nearly a decade. "Amandashka, it was beee-ooooteeful," Kolpakova purrs in a thick Russian accent, taking McKerrow's face in her hands and planting a kiss. "But why you do this?" She begins to pick apart McKerrow's dancing, zeroing in on one moment when, finishing a turn, McKerrow found herself too close to her partner and had to make an adjustment to a step. It had been all but imperceptible to the audience, but Kolpakova and McKerrow dissect the misstep at length, more in movement than in words. Extending one slender orange leg behind her in a lunge that easily spans half the room, then rising up in a half-turn, McKerrow shows the older woman how she got into the predicament. Kolpakova proposes a string of options for a smoother transition while McKerrow watches attentively, nodding in earnest agreement. "Yes, you're right, I'll do that next time," she croaks, trying to stifle a cough and failing. They hug, and Kolpakova leaves. McKerrow sits back down with a contented sigh. "Well, I don't know what I'd do without her," she says to her visitor, sounding not the least bit bothered by having her mentor point out the imperfections of a performance in which she managed to look astonishingly lovely considering how awful she feels. Ballet is not for the thin-skinned. But even in this masochistic arena, McKerrow -- barely 100 pounds of devotional purpose -- has raised the ability to withstand pain to an art form. McKerrow's performance of the title role in "Giselle" tomorrow will cap a career of uncommon distinction. She has interpreted just about every leading role in ABT's repertoire of story ballets -- "Swan Lake," "Sleeping Beauty," "Don Quixote," "Coppelia" and "Romeo and Juliet," among others. Her elasticity and musical instincts have been put to use in a healthy portion of contemporary works by such diverse masters as George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Agnes de Mille, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Clark Tippet and even the spare modernist Merce Cunningham. She rocketed to worldwide renown in 1981 when, at 17, she became the first American ever to win a gold medal at the famed Moscow International Ballet Competition. Part of a rotating circuit of elite competitions, the Moscow contest is held every four years and, until McKerrow showed up, it had historically favored Soviet competitors. The young American's upset was the artistic equivalent of the U.S. hockey team's "Miracle on Ice" Olympic victory against the Soviets the year before. McKerrow, who at the time was a Washington Ballet apprentice -- not yet a full company member -- and had hardly ventured beyond it and her family's home in Rockville, became an instant international sensation. It all seemed to come so easily to the waifish dancer with a steely sense of self-discipline. Talk to the teachers and colleagues who have known McKerrow throughout her years as one of ABT's stars and during her youth and you hear the same thing over and over: She was born to be a dancer. Born to ballet. Endowed not only with pleasing physical proportions -- long limbs, high waist, small head atop a slender neck and sloping shoulders -- but also with those elements of the art that cannot be taught, qualities such as musical sensitivity, honest and unmannered expressiveness, natural agility.

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Energy Bubbles To the Top in Arena's 'Crowns'

2005071319

"Crowns," the millinery retrospective about African American women and the caps, turbans and straw hats that adorn their heads on all-important occasions, is back for yet another engagement at Arena Stage. The show, the most popular Arena's Kreeger space has ever housed, percolates on an abundant supply of goodwill, courtesy of an ebullient cast and an equally high-octane roster of gospel songs. It's a perfectly harmless evening, sweet-tempered and nostalgic, and if you enjoy perky chitchat further enlivened by rousing church music, the production will not disappoint you. But don't expect too intense a rendezvous with black culture. Although there is the occasional snippet of guided-tour-type detail -- "The idea of adorning oneself for worship is a holdover from African tradition," the audience is told -- the slight "Crowns" is more concerned with glorification than dramatization. Adapted by Regina Taylor from a book of photographs by Michael Cunningham and reminiscences collected by Craig Marberry, the play imposes a modest structure on the testimonials of women about their hats. (A new follow-up piece, "Cuttin' Up," about black barbershops, is to be unveiled to the world this season at Arena.) The dialogue, delivered from the church pews and mortuary galleries that are suggested by Dale F. Jordan's spare set and lighting, serves as little more than embroidery for the play's simple conceit. "I'm going to meet the King," one of the devout church women says, "so I've got to look my best." What story there is has to do with a young hip-hop girl (Roz Beauty Davis) from New York who is instructed on the finer points of fancy headwear after being sent to live with relatives in South Carolina. Since jagged edges are nowhere to be found in "Crowns," the play offers only the mildest humor -- and has no cumulative power. It's more a scrapbook than anything else, a notion that's reinforced in the chapter headings -- "Morning Service," "Baptism," "Funeral" -- projected onto the back wall of the set. The approach works best when "Crowns" goes to church, where the energy of the piece meshes naturally with the rhythms of the service. In some other scenes, though, the play takes on a draggy quality. The last 20 minutes of a nearly two-hour performance (without intermission) feels too much like an overextended summation. As one might expect, the evening's effectiveness depends greatly on a liberal application of effervescence. Here's where the production earns its stripes. This latest incarnation of "Crowns," directed and choreographed by Marion J. Caffey, was developed at regional theaters in Buffalo and Rochester. (The first production at Arena, in December 2003, was directed by Taylor and was revived there last summer.) Caffey elicits the requisite vivacity from the performers, and especially from the trio of Angela Karol Grovey, LaVon D. Fisher and Joy Lynn Matthews. Gretha Boston, a Tony winner for her work in the 1994 revival of "Show Boat," exudes a creamy craftsmanship in a strong a cappella solo. Davis, Barbara D. Mills and Rob Barnes, the last serving as an all-purpose male figure, are assets as well. The actors are accompanied by a polished pair of musicians, Romero Wyatt and e'Marcus Harper. As for the hats the performers spend so much time celebrating: Well, they fit the bill, but only just. They're not that interesting to look at. In this regard, they're a match for the occasion. With "Crowns," you do at times find yourself wishing for something with a bit more dazzle. Crowns , by Regina Taylor, adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry. Directed and choreographed by Marion J. Caffey. Set and lighting, Dale F. Jordan; costumes, Emilio Sosa; sound, Rich Menke; music direction, e'Marcus Harper; original music arrangements, Linda Twine. Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. Through Aug. 7 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit http://www.arenastage.org/ .

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Ask Tom - washingtonpost.com

2005071319

In a city loaded with diverse restaurants, from New American chic and upscale Italian to sandwich shops and burritos on the run, finding the best places to eat can be a real puzzle. Where's the best restaurant for a first date or an anniversary? Father's Day? What's the best burger joint? Who has the best service? Ask Tom. Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post's food critic, is on hand Wednesdays at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions, listen to your suggestions and even entertain your complaints about Washington dining. Sietsema, a veteran food writer, has sampled the wares and worked as a critic in Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Milwaukee, and can talk restaurants with the best of 'em. Tom's Sunday magazine reviews, as well as his "Ask Tom" column, are available early on the Web. Washington, D.C.: Tom: When's the next "big deal" restaurant going to open in town? The last one, I guess, was CityZen. Is there anything similar to that on the horizon? Tom Sietsema: There are a few Big Deals coming up, but nothing so grand as CityZen. In Penn Quarter, Richard Sandoval is expected to set sail later this year with something Latin in flavor; the group that owns DC Coast/Ten Penh and Ceiba are coming up with a Louisiana-style concept near the late city museum; and (cough cough) is rumored to be opening a pizza place next to his popular (cough cough) restaurant up on Connecticut Ave. I'm "coughing" because I can't confirm the details. And far be it from me to spread rumors! Washington, D.C.: I'm sure the Restaurant Week questions will be flooding your inbox this week, but I've had some bad luck in the past, that I'm hoping maybe the peanut gallery can help me with this time around! Has anyone out there found a restaurant that serves good vegetarian food for restaurant week? I'm hoping for places that serve more than just steamed vegetables or the side dishes from other meals all haphazardly combined on one plate. I also find that at a lot places, it is actually less expensive to order the vegetarian options from the regular menu, than it is from the restaurant week menu. So do you or any vegetarians have suggestions that might overcome these setbacks? Alexandria, Va.: Here's a story of customer service. In December 1999 we had an unfortunate dining experience at Mike's American Grill in Springfield. As best I can remember they forgot to bring our soup and it arrived at the same time as the entree. We said we didn't want the soup at that point. Then when I cut into my steak it was underdone and I had to send it back to be cooked a little more. These are hardly high crimes and we didn't complain. Yet, a manager stopped by our table, apologized, and gave us a $50 gift certificate for our next visit. Fast forward six years: we're cleaning out a kitchen drawer and find the gift certificate. We went to Mike's and asked if it was still valid. Not only did they honor it, they apologized again for whatever happened long ago, and when our bill fell short of the $50 (you can't apply it to alcohol) they asked us if we preferred to either order dessert or keep the certificate and bring it back next time with friends. While Great American Restaurants have good basic food and occasional service snafus, as opposed to gourmet and trendy foods with impeccable service, their friendliness and grace under fire have kept me a loyal customer at several of their restaurants over the years. Tom Sietsema: I'm beginning to think EVERY restaurant should send its dining room staff to a Great American Restaurant for training. The locally owned chain does a first-rate job with its service. I just wanted to echo your sentiments of praise for the new Mark and Orlando's in Dupont Circle. I was pleasantly surprised to see the small, yet "happy" dining room completely filled, so obviously word is catching on. I ordered the prawns which were delicious, and my roommate had the crab cakes that were equally good. Your readers (myself included) are always inquiring about good, yet not terribly overpriced meals. While certainly not cheap (the entrees ranged between $16-$21) the atmosphere and creativity of the menu made it feel like we would be paying much more elsewhere. In fact, both Mark and Orlando were making the rounds in the dining room, checking on tables and introducing themselves. Additionally, the wines by the glass were very generously poured; a gesture that I certainly appreciate. While I am sometimes hesitant to share these neighborhood gems, this space has changed and been vacant for far too long that it needs a permanent tenant. Keep up the great work!; Tom Sietsema: Mark and Orlando's seems to be filing a niche in its neighborhood, doesn't it? Cleveland Park: Have you tried Dino yet and if so what do you think? It has to be better than the other Italian in the neighborhood Tom Sietsema: Indeed it is. I wrote about the fresh face in today's Weekly Dish column. It needs work, but it brims with promise. I appreciate the thought the owner is putting into his food, his wine service and his staff. Wash, D.C.: Hi Tom, as the server who last week expressed a desire to work where the big money is, I have to take a slight offense at the gm who assumed I am a mediocre server. It was rather presumptuous of her/him to judge my skills as a server based on my desire to make more money. I too realize that there is more than money to make a job satisfying but a yearning for more money does not make a poor server. In fact, I think it can be a motivating factor for better service, more wine knowledge, etc. Yes, support from management, a compatibility with other workers, these all combine to make a server's job enjoyable. But let's face it, a professional server (which I have been for over 10 years) is not to be condemned for searching for a better paying position. To the gm, maybe I'll come in and apply and see if I can get you to hire me. One question (and how does the gm address this one when she/he gets it?), how much money will I be making? Tom Sietsema: At least your honest! Dupont Circle: I just wanted to give some praise where praise is due. I have made it a habit to got to Pizza Paradiso in Dupont for an almost-weekly pizza fix. I always am by myself and offer to sit at the counter to free up tables. They usually seat me a window seat table anyway and never make me feel rushed or uncomfortable that I am taking up room as a single diner. And they are simply the friendliest group of servers around. It really makes a difference to me that I feel like I am valued as a customer. Great job, Pizza Paradiso!; Tom Sietsema: Hear that, solo diners? Washington, D.C.: Tom, I was having dinner in one of the top steakhouses in D.C. over the weekend, when in the middle of my dinner a customer at another table noticed and pointed out to me a large roach running across the floor and under my table. When I mentioned this to my waiter he passed the info to the manager. The manager came over to our table and asked if we weren't sure it was just a water bug? "Is that better," I asked. I thought the manager should have either picked up our tab or made some adjustment to the bill- what do you think? Tom Sietsema: The host was wrong not to acknowledge your concern, but the restaurant doesn't owe you a gratis meal just because you saw a bug. I'm sorry, but bugs happen. They're not pretty, and they should be pointed out and removed from sight, but to expect a free meal is over the top. My husband and I had our anniversary dinner at the CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Although we enjoyed the food immensely, there were two glaring mishaps, where I got drenched by a glass tipped over, and my husband found a rock (yes a real rock) in his dessert. Is it wrong for me to have expected something from the restaurant? I realize the menu is prix fixe,... but given the caliber of the restaurant I expected impeccable service... I would love to hear what you opinion of this situation. Tom Sietsema: What did the restaurant do to make up for the spilled water and the rock in the dessert? Was there any attempt to smooth over those slips (which are human)? Georgetown: Sea Catch seems to have been through some changes. Looks like Jeff Shively's no longer the head chef there. Anyone know what's up with changes to the menu and the Executive Chef at Sea Catch? The crab cakes are different (still good but different) and the pumpkin/pecan tart is gone. Tom Sietsema: Sorry to report, chef Shively took his pecan pie recipe with him when he left the kitchen in February. His replacement is George Chaffman, who worked at the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City (and previously, under Gerard Pangaud at Gerard's Place). Has anyone been in recently for a meal? Washington, D.C.: What are your opinions of: Cafe Mozart and Cafe Saint-Ex? Tom Sietsema: Cafe Mozart: Decent German cooking. Cafe St. Ex: Better for sipping than supping. Washington, D.C.: Any place you can recommend for authentic Polish food - a home style place would really be great! Tom Sietsema: I guess you missed my recent review of W Domku in Petworth. College Park: Can you define "Great American Restaurant?" Tom Sietsema: GAR operates such popular eateries as Artie's, Sweetwater Tavern and Carlyle in Northern Virginia. All do a stellar job of handling and feeding the masses. Shaw: Tom and other chatters, Thanks for the time. Do you know on what corners of this city I can get some good street food. No more of the legendary half smokes which I have already had too many of in my lifetime. I am looking for a good gyro, sausage, or cheesesteak. You know what I mean. I have lived here my life and I can't recall ever noticing a gyro cart,etc. Thanks Tom Sietsema: Do you like burritos? There's a guy on the corner of Connecticut and K who does a nice job with the flavors and bundling. Re: Sea Catch: Forgive the naive question but...do chef's "own" their recipes? He took his pecan pie recipe but nobody there knew how to make it? How does that all work? Tom Sietsema: I was joking there. But the dessert -- based on a Shively family recipe -- has been removed from Sea Catch's menu. No, chefs don't "own" their recipes per se. Bethesda, Md.: Maybe a roach on the floor is OK, but how about a roach in the teapot (a few years ago in a certain Chinese restaurant)? Tom Sietsema: Now THAT is gross. And THAT deserves some compensation (besides a replaced pot of tea). To the solo diner at Pizzeria Paradiso: Your business is just as important whether you're alone or with a pal. Why feel bad for "taking up room as a single diner."??? Please. It doesn't matter if you're a party of one or a party of 6. I dine solo a lot. I prefer to sit at the bar only because there's rarely a wait if the place is crowded OR because I can get quicker service. But for those times I do sit at a table - hey, I'm a paying customer. I have as much right to sit at a table as anyone else. I certainly don't "feel bad for taking up space". Tom Sietsema: Fair point! And I second your recommendation: when dining alone, sitting at the bar tends to be more interesting than sitting at a table. which restaurant should I go to during the Bethesda restaurant week? Tom Sietsema: If they're participating, Rock Creek, Raku and Jaleo would be my first choices. Washington D.C.: To balance out some of the "constructive criticism" submissions, thought I'd throw in some applause for Palena. (Not that they need it.) I went there last week with someone as a gift to them and it was really a wonderful treat. It's pricey, but it's quite obvious the skill and ingredients you're paying for. I ordered more adventurously than usual and swooned over a roasted and fresh beet and lobster salad. Never thought I liked beets, but I never had them in such a tempting combo. The atmosphere was lovely and comfortable. And the service was great- attentive, but not smothering; informed but not intimidating or arrogant. Bravo. Tom Sietsema: I'm glad to hear that. However, I am getting more than a few complaints about slapdash service at that otherwise fine restaurant in Cleveland Park. McLean, Va.: I am going to Paris in two weeks. Will be there only Wednesday - Friday. Evenings already arranged with business dinners/events. But I'm free during the daytime. Recommendations for lunch? I've a preference for bistrot / brasserie environs. Think Brasserie Jo in Chicago... Thanks! Tom Sietsema: La Regalade is not in a pretty neighborhood (the 14th), but I love the lusty cooking. Lunch starts out with a rich pork terrine, from which you're allowed to take as much as you like, and continues blissfully from there. Washington, D.C.: I hear the Beacon Bar and Grill downtown has just hired a new executive chef. Any thoughts on how it rates as a hotel restaurant? I've only ever been to the bar and was curious if the food is something worth checking out!; Tom Sietsema: I liked much of former chef Ron Reda's American-style food -- but not the goofy service -- when I reviewed Beacon earlier this year (and gave it one star). Reda was recently replaced by the chef of the Landmark restaurant in the Melrose Hotel, James Balster. He told me he plans to add more fusion elements and healthier items to the script. As in: Chilean sea bass with roasted tomatoes and a spiced ginger sauce. Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Tom - In today's Weekly Dish, you wrote: "The choices start with crostini -- crisped bread topped with whipped cod, roasted vegetables or chicken pate -- and move on to cicchetti, the little snacks so beloved by Venetians in their wine bars." Now, of course, being very familiar with the cuisine of Venice as I am, I know what cicchetti are, but for all those poor slobs out there who aren't as informed, perhaps you should explain what cicchetti are? Tom Sietsema: I thought I was pretty clear: cicchetti are small plates, or bites, of food. They are to Venetians what tapas are to Spaniards. Dim Sum: Please take my question this time!;!; What are the best places for Dim Sum in the area? I have tried Good Fortune in Wheaton which is good, but am hoping to find an even-larger selection elsewhere. Tom Sietsema: I also like Fortune in Falls Church. But my current favorite is the newish Hollywood East on the Boulevard in Wheaton. Restaurant Week Vegetarian Suggestion: 15ria provided a nice vegetarian option in the form of its mix and match FIVE side dish as a RW main course option. These included Mac & Cheese, Onion Rings, Brussel Sprouts, Mased Potatoes. It was not only vegetarian friendly, but quite fun and filling. Tom Sietsema: The problem is, those are all side dishes -- and chef Jamie Leeds has left to open her own place, Hank's Oyster Bar, in Dupont Circle. Washington, D.C.: Street food: the best burrito guy is at 15th and K. Accept no substitutes. The medium with refried and Blair's Mango is a taste experience not to be missed. Tom Sietsema: Yes, yes, I meant 15th & K streets. Sorry! What is your opinion of Coastal Flats Restaurant in Fairfax? Tom Sietsema: It's LOUD. And BUSY. And sometimes delicious. RE: Alexandria, Va.: : I may sound like a grinch here, but you redeemed a 6 year old gift certificate? The restaurant was very gracious, but still... Would you have done this to any of type of establishment? I guess I amazed at what some people expect restaurants to "honor." Tom Sietsema: Yeah, six years is a reaaaaaal stretch! I'm lost: where can I find the link to the weekly dish? Tom Sietsema: Here is the link to The Weekly Dish . You can find it on the Food and Dining front . Md.: How do you deal with a place that won't accommodate their OWN mistakes? My waitress forgot (and admitted she forgot) to put in our order for the appetizer. I asked about it prior to the meals arriving, at which point she did put in the order. She came back to say our meals were up. I told her to have the kitchen remake the meals after we'd had our appetizer. The chef refused - said he'd hold it, but that the meals would suffer for it. So, she brought the meals, then the appetizer about 10 minutes later. I was appalled, and as much as I like the place, I won't go back. For them to refuse to remake the meal when their own staff caused the problem seems a little off. I was shocked that they flat out refused to remake it (and while the owner came over, he stood by the chef's decision). Moral: you can't get upset, and don't ask to be comped anything - just don't go back, and make sure that they know why. They won't CARE, but make sure they know. then go find the other (many) lovely places out there. Tom Sietsema: Something tells me this restaurant -- and its staff -- aren't going to be around for long. The best thing to do in a situation like that is to fess up, apologize and try to make good. D.C.: I've been trying to find good BBQ in the area, with little success. Do you know of anyplace? If not, can you throw the question out to the very intelligent, gifted, worldly, knowledgeable, wonderful people in your audience? Please? Tom Sietsema: Well, it sure isn't at Old Glory, which I used to like but recently revisited to find pale imitations of what it used to serve. Funny thing: My pal and I left a whole basket of wings uneaten and our waiter asked if we minded GIVING THEM AWAY to the next table, to a bunch of ravenous college guys! Yech. But back to your question. Who's had great 'cue recently? Washington, D.C.: Is there any place in or around D.C. where I can get kolaches? Tom Sietsema: Has any chatter seen the Czech pastries around here? They typically come with fruit or cheese fillings. Arlington, Va.: I may be the last person in the Washington area to figure this out, but how do you pronounce your name? Most conversations I have about local restaurants includes something like, "I read the review by Tom Site-seema...Seat-sema...that guy in the Post." Tom Sietsema: Thanks for asking. My name is pronounced SEET-suh-ma. Washington, D.C.: The Passion at Zola, the Mojito at Cafe Atlantico, the Blackberry Mojito at Indebleu, the Lychee Bubbles at Indique, the "Apple Martini" at CityZen... sometimes the cocktails are more memorable than the food. Tom Sietsema: But just as expensive as some of their entrees, huh? I recently paid $18 for a libation in a popular Washington watering hole. EEEK. Arlington, Va.: Great BBQ? ROCKLANDS. Tom Sietsema: I need to get back there. It's bee awhile. Old Glory: Giving away wings to the next table? That is about as repulsive as I think a restaurant could be. You should have told those ravenous college kids to get a job and then taken the wings to give to a homeless person. The chutzpah of those kids!; Tom Sietsema: Well, the waiter INITIATED it. The "kids" merely accepted the offer. Solo Vegetarian Bug Lover: I was dining solo the other night, and felt rushed so I invited the cockroach on the floor to join me. Since they had a vegetarian menu for Restaurant week, he accepted. The management then comped my entire meal because the sun had set a bit too quickly. I will still never go back. Tom Sietsema: I think I know who this is. And yes, you made me laugh. Washington, D.C.: Re: Beacon Bar & Grill I have had lunch there on several occasions in the past few weeks as one of my client's offices is now nearby ... yesterday I enjoyed one of the new salads added to the menu by the new Exec Chef. It was the perfect price, perfect size and I would definitely return to try another one of his creations. Unfortunately I can not say the service was quite as delightful as the new food. Tom Sietsema: Ah, so they're STILL working out the kinks then ... Mike's Followup: I had a similar experience with a Great American Restaurant... I had been eating the same salad at Sweetwater Tavern for years upon years and was surprised recently when I went in and order the salad and it came back completely different than what I knew it to be. They had apparently changed the salad menu on me and I didn't realize it. I submitted a comment on their website asking about the change and how disappointed I was and didn't respect any kind of response. I got a signed letter from the manager as well as a $25 gift card for a future meal. I wasn't planning to go back, but with that kind of a response, I'll definitely give it another go. Disappointed with Neyla's trustworthiness: Mr. Sietsema, I tell this story to warn your readers about trusting restaurant websites and on-line reservation systems. I also was wondering what you thought of this situation and whether I'm overreacting to what in my view is an absolutely horrible way to treat customers: On Father's Day last month, my family made a reservation at Neyla's, which we had found on the web and thought its brunch menu sounded great. The Web site said they would start serving brunch on Sundays in June, so I made a reservation through their online link for Father's Day for 11 a.m. without any problem. However, when we arrived, the restaurant was closed. When I spoke with a manager a couple of days later, he apologized profusely and said they had not yet opened for brunch despite the message on their website and ability to make a reservation through their online link. He said they would change their website, which they never did. He then invited my family to come as guests of the restaurant to make up for the situation, and I asked him to send me a letter confirming that offer. It has now been almost a month and no letter. I called the restaurant too to follow up and no one has called me back. In my opinion, this is no way to treat customers, and I'm so disappointed because I've always heard such wonderful things about it. But I've learned the lesson not to trust a restaurant's website and that making a reservation through the restaurant's website is not the simple thing it should be. Tom Sietsema: Yep, restaurant websites can not always be trusted. Businesses REALLY need to have a staff member dedicated to keeping information correct and up-to-date. Having learned the hard way, I now make a point to reconfirm important information -- and asking for the staff member's name --BEFORE I head out to a restaurant. Neyla did not handle this unfortunate situation very well. Shame on the restaurant for promising something -- a reservation, a gift to make up for being closed -- and not delivering. First off, I'm a big fan, keep up the good work. Ok, out of all the restaurants in D.C., have you encountered service as poor as that of Belga Cafe? I've lived in DC for 20 years and have never had worse service or heard as many complaints from friends. Tom Sietsema: As a matter of fact, I found worse service at the recently reviewed Leopold's Kafe in Georgetown. Arlington, Va.: Tom, if Leopold's Kafe was so bad, how come it still got one star, whereas your somewhat favorable review of Grace Bamboo did not garner any higher rating? (Meanwhile there are some restaurants that have gotten no stars!;) Tom Sietsema: I awarded one star -- a satisfactory rating -- to Leopold's because I really liked the design and some of the food was interesting. I awarded one star to Grace Bamboo because, while the service was endearing and the setting was inviting, a lot of the food was standard. Grace Bamboo isn't breaking any new ground, and tastes about average for area Chinese restaurants, which is what was comparing it to. (Hollywood East on the Boulevard, for instance, is better. I gave it two stars, a "good" rating.) Help extend my honeymoon?: Tom, I've tried asking this a few times, but I'm hoping persistence pays off. My question: After a 2-week honeymoon on Crete, my bride and I would really like to find a local restaurant that serves good Cretan (or at least Greek) food, preferably inside the beltway. What do you, or your loyal readers, recommend? Tom Sietsema: Didn't I answer this last week? Zaytinya is tops for Greek (and Lebanese and Turkish fare), followed by Mourayo in Dupont Circle and Mykonos Grill in Rockville. Wash D.C.: No identifiers, but just some silly gossip -- while dining in a lovely D.C. restaurant this past weekend, I saw the chef sitting with a pal at an empty table... reading aloud from the menu of another local restaurant. Guess he was curious. Bug Lover: You don't know me, but I am glad I made you laugh. People are nuts, I don't know how you do this every week--patience Tom Sietsema: It can be a challenge some Wednesdays, but I'd hate to drop this format. Thanks. Washington: Can you recommend a good watering hole for happy hour in Crystal City? Tom Sietsema: It doesn't get more colorful than at Oyamel. I'm partial to its specialty margaritas myself. Website Updates: When it comes to updating restaurant websites, I have to say, the worst offender may be Palena. Shame that a restaurant of that caliber has such a lousy site. Get the word to them, will ya? Tom Sietsema: Frank, you there? Washington D.C.: A few chats back people were posting about small children in restaurants and how disruptive they can be. I thought I'd share an experience I had this past week- I was having drinks at David Greggory when a woman came in with her toddler, ostensibly to pick up some food to-go. Long story short, Mom wasn't watching her kid, and he managed to pull the fire alarm in the front hall. Sirens and lights went off until the fire department showed up to turn it off. We thought it was amusing, but my guess is that more than a few dining guests had their meal disrupted! At least the mom was suitably mortified... Tom Sietsema: And the other kids were outside, waiting in her trunk, right? What am I missing here -- why do I need to leave a tip for carry out? While I certainly appreciate someone ringing up my check, does that truly constitute service worthy of a gratuity? Am I a cheapskate??? Tom Sietsema: More goes into carryout than just "ringing up the check." Typically, a server or host has to put the food and utensils together -- and sometimes assemble the food. So I always tip on carry-out (the tip varies according to the establishment). Washington, D.C.: Tom: Birthday lunch or dinner coming up, and I've narrowed it down to 4 places to which I've never been: Bucks, Etrusco, Ginger Cove or Komi. I know they are all over the map, but what should I choose for a festive meal in the middle of summer? Tom Sietsema: Buck's is always a treat. I like the arty interior, the great cocktails and whatever chef Carole Greenwood is doing to whatever is in season. District of Columbia: Hello Tom, I'm a regular reader but this is my first posting. First, let me say THANKS for all your good work. As you've said many times, D.C. is a great place to eat. It is! And we've a great guide in you. Keep it up! My comment today is about your readers, more specifically the chatters that post on your Wednesday live chats. There's an element that's mostly missing from these exchanges and that is discussion about FOOD. I think it's obvious to regular diners that there's an element of theater to a good restaurant experience. Of course the decor and the service are integral but that's not why we go, is it? Surely the FOOD's the thing! A good chef is an artist like any other and his/her cooking will be appreciated most by those with a trained pallette. We look to our food expert, you Tom. to help us educate ourselves and make informed choices regarding our fine dining. With each review you show us how to make all the little judgments that add up to a memorable meal. The ingredients, the flavors, the combinations that make a dish a success, or not. Being able to ask our objective expert a question directly is a remarkable resource. Everyone participating would benefit from an exchange of ideas that concerned the true subject. Each week I read the text of your chats and feel the resource is squandered with all the tittle-tattle. A bartender is grumpy, a waiter is clueless, a floor manager was indifferent, kids, dogs, what do I tip? Good god. Comments regarding the FOOD are confined to, 'we had a great meal' or 'what a terrible meal'. OK, but what did you THINK? Sure, an occasional question of etiquette answered by an expert is helpful. But...Hello, what was the FOOD like? M.F.K. Fisher can describe drinking a glass of milk in a way that is enticing. Calvin Trillin will make you want to go and eat third world cuisine from a cart in Queens. Eating is a sensual experience and good talk about FOOD can lead us to delights that make life, especially city life, so much richer. If I'm at the racetrack, placing a bet on a horse, do I care if the trash cans are too full or the beer costs a dollar too much. Sure, empty trash cans are nice and cheaper beer is always welcome but what I want to know is; can he run? If so, I can put up with a lot. I realize that eating in restaurants is not about world peace or anything beyond the momentary. However, as city dwellers we spend a lot of time and money in restaurants. It seems a pity, that with a resource like your live chats at hand we don't use it more effectively to optimize our investment. Chatters; Quit carping! Keep your eye on the ball! I suppose this is too long to post Tom. It's as short as I could make it. I know you're a believer in good editing. By all means feel free to cut it if you think it'll do in a shorter form. Otherwise, it'll be our secret. Thanks for the space to rant and have a nice meal..... Tom Sietsema: First, thanks for the kind words. Some chats do indeed seem to brim with gripes, but complaints (and how to deal with them) shouldn't be excluded from a restaurant forum. If I have the chance to spread some helpful information or shed light on a problem, don't you think that's a good thing? On the other hand, any complaint should be a full account. I find people tend to leave out important details, especially if the facts reflect poorly on themselves. The same goes for readers who praise a place: tell us exactly WHAT made the meal so memorable. I used to think food was all. I don't anymore. People go to restaurants for many reasons: service, ambience, etc. In the end, I prefer a mix of questions and comments as opposed to a single theme in this hour we have on Wednesday. Vegetarian Options --Restaurant Week: Try TenPehn. Their whole menu is available and includes a vegetarian option. Tom Sietsema: The whole menu? If true, I'm impressed! Alexandria, Va.: What's your take on Vermilion Restaurant on King St? I think they recently changed chefs. Tom Sietsema: I smell a publicist! lol This is like, the 15th "Vermilion" question today. (I haven't been since Bobby Beard took over the kitchen, by the way, so I'm not yet qualified to answer.) Falls Church Va.: Tom How do you find/pick new restaurants to visit. Sorry this question is late I hate my computer!! Tom Sietsema: I hear about them from readers ... I discover them on my restaurant rounds ... chefs or owners occasionally send me a letter or menu .... there are many ways, actually, of "finding" places. As I've mentioned previously, I aim for a mix of neighborhoods, cuisine styles and price ranges from week to week. Not so Happy with GAR: I must be the exception to the great service rule. At Sunday Brunch at the Carlyle a few weeks ago to confirm that the sticky buns had pecans and not walnuts, as I am extremely allergic to walnuts. After asking four times, I finally spoke with a manager - who also rudely brushed me off. One place I will never go back... Tom Sietsema: There are always exceptions to the rules, right? Arlington, Va.: Following up on the chat about the "mind-reading" wait staff at Charlie Palmer's, I'm pleased to share the following experience I had at the Lebanese Taverna on Washington Blvd in Arlington last Friday night. I took my fiancee there for dinner, knowing she enjoys exotic food more than I do. I decided to be bold, ordering a lamb dish that sounded great on paper. When it arrived, I realized my gamble had backfired. The dish itself was very well-prepared, but it simply didn't suit my palate. I ate the lamb, but left most of the meal on my plate. The waiter seemingly 'weighed' my plate when he came to clear the dishes. Sensing I had not eaten much, he asked if I enjoyed the meal. I smiled, and after a momentary pause, I told him, "Yes, it was delicious, thank you." After all, it was a fine dish that just didn't appeal to me. Moments later, the waiter returned with a flan-based dessert and two forks, compliments of the house. We were extremely impressed with this gracious gesture, and left a hefty tip accordingly. Moral of the story: Some waiters and waitresses are indeed "just that good" and can seemingly read minds. We'll be going back to Lebanese Taverna because of it. Tom Sietsema: I'm always happy to share incidences of good service here. Thanks for the smile. D.C.: Hi Tom! I really hope you can answer my question. I made a reservation for the tasting room at Restaurant Eve and was really excited about it, until I heard that it's "just not what it used to be." Is this true? I'll go anyway, because I've been wanting to check it out for a long time. Should my expectations be lowered a bit? I don't want to be disappointed. You're the best. Thanks! Tom Sietsema: I have heard nothing from readers about any decline in quality at Eve, either in the bistro or the chef's tasting room. I say, full speed ahead! I'm going to be in San Antonio this weekend. Any recommendations? Tom Sietsema: Sorry, I've never been there. Chatters? 60th B-Day for Dad: Hi Tom, I have made a reservation at 1789 for a Saturday evening meal for 5 adults to celebrate my father's 60th birthday. He is a huge history buff and loves good food and wine and is one of those people that loves to "get to know" his server as he feels that is all part of the experience. We want to have a great meal and not feel rushed through it and plan to stay a while (which I have told the restaurant). Have I chosen correctly or should I look elsewhere for this celebratory meal. We have a few weeks so hopefully a reservation during the summer won't be too hard to come by. Tom Sietsema: I think you'll be just fine, particularly if you dine early -- Saturdays tend to be busy, obviously -- and provided you get a table on the ground floor rather than upstairs. A couple of weeks ago my husband and I went to dinner at the Little Fountain Cafe. We have been there multiple times and love the food, ambience, service, etc. Unfortunately, this last time, we were seated next to a very large flower arrangement filled with lilies (?). The fragrance was overwhelming and perfumed our entire meal. We were unable to enjoy our food. We were unable to be reseated as the place was full, and the server did apologize. Can you spread the word to restaurants not to have such large flower arrangements (though lovely) so close to the diners? Tom Sietsema: And might I add: waiters should go easy on the cologne and perfume! Arlington, Va.: I'm leaving for two weeks in Seattle, Victoria, BC and Portland next week and I would like to have some dining suggestions. Any last minute suggestions for any of these cities? Thanks. Tom Sietsema: I've not been to Victoria, but in Seattle, you'll want reservations for Lampreia, Lark and Macrina Bakery (the last for breakfast); in Portland, I like Wildwood a lot, and if you happen to be there on a Saturday, don't miss the first-class farmers market there. Dessert Help, Washington D.C.: Have a meeting submitting early... Hubby's birthday is the same week as Restaurant Week. I have dinner reservations at The Caucus Room, but wanted to go somewhere else for dessert and after dinner drink. Any suggestions in the ever popular Penn Quarter? If not there, Metro accessible? I'm familiar with your reviews of most of the restaurants, but only for dinner... I'm really hoping to make this a very special birthday! Thanks. Tom Sietsema: That's tricky, because if the past is any indication, the participating restaurants are going to be busy. Do you mind doing drinks and dessert at the bar instead of a table in the dining room? In Penn Quarter, you might try Poste or Le Paradou. A short Metro ride away, try 21 P or the Tabard Inn in Dupont Circle. Please, please, please answer this! My boyfriend's birthday is next week and he absolutely loves seafood (oysters, salmon you name it). Where should I take him for a memorable dinner? Kinkead's, Oceanaire (which I've been to without him and liked) or is there any other place that would be better? (I understand it won't be cheap and I'm fine with that). Tom Sietsema: Those are two fine choices. You might also throw Pesce into your mix of possibilities. Re: Vegetarian Restaurant Week: I have had nice (vegetarian) restaurant week visits to Palette, Rosa Mexicano, and Melrose. All were accommodating and offered me the standard vegetarian option on their regular menu as a substitution. (I say standard, because there is usually only one vegetarian entree available at most restaurants with seasonal/periodically changing menus.) Of those three, only at Melrose did I actually save money by participating in the restaurant week promotion, as a vegetarian entree is rarely more than $15 anyway. The selections included a vegetarian napoleon (Palette), enchiladas suizas (Rosa Mexicano), and sauteed seasonal mushrooms (Melrose). Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the suggestions (and keep in mind, Melrose is poised to close if it hasn't already). That wraps up another hour of food talk. Thanks, folks. Se you next week! Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.

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Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter

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Bowling alone. At first it's not so bad. Then it gets a little old, a little cold. I discover that on a recent summer's day when I sneak down into Virginia and try one of the newest and one of the oldest bowling centers in America. And I learn a few other things along the way. Lane 18 at one of the spanking-spiffiest bowling centers in the country -- Hanover Lanes, just northeast of Richmond -- is where I begin. Everything looks shiny and human-made. The alley is jam up against the executive offices of AMF Bowling, which has its worldwide headquarters here. My shoes: rented AMFs. My ball: a 15-pound purple orb from a many-tiered rack of brightly colored spheres -- red, orange, green, purple -- that looks like a giant's abacus. My score is tallied automatically on a TV screen overhead. When I roll a strike, a cartoon on the TV goes ballistic. When I roll a spare, a figure dances around. The Williamsburg Inn's Lawn Bowling Club plays every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00.Some lanes away, George Alexander, 62, a retired subway dispatcher from Queens, also bowls alone. Major difference between Alexander and me: He knows what he's doing. He wears a glove and brace on his left hand, his bowling hand. He slides his right foot to a special place and takes four steps, then swings left foot behind right and releases his 15-pound black ball. Ka-blocka-blocka-blockie. Pins fall. TV goes ballistic. He shoots a 222. He averages just over 200 a game. That's pretty good, considering 300 is the best you can do. Being a left-handed bowler is an advantage, Alexander says, pointing down Lane 1. "There are better lines," meaning fewer ruts. He speaks of the oil on the wood and other esoterica of the centuries-old sport. Still, this is the up-to-the-nanosecond version of bowling. Overhead speakers blast out Robert Palmer singing, "I've got a bad case of loving you." The scorekeeping monitors also show ads and some ABC television shows. Nearby, in the video arcade, the death machines and virtual-reality racing simulators hum and whistle and explode. There are 10 pool tables, air hockey tables and scads of snack-bar tables where you can partake of a hot dog combo with up-size fries and a 44-ounce Wild Cherry Pepsi for $5.38. There are neon colors and flashing lights. The air conditioner is on full-bore; the summer sun seems far away. On Friday and Saturday nights, they turn on the black lights and everything glows for "cosmic bowling." And I wonder how we got to this point in bowling history. On the lawn bowling green at Williamsburg, less than an hour away, everything is serene. And natural. And warm. Coming here straight from Hanover Lanes, just 40 minutes on I-64, is like traveling back in time to see the creation of a life-form. Ten bowlers, mostly dressed in white, play the ancient game in the afternoon swelter. "It's a game of finesse," says Jack Edwards, "not a game of power."

Bowling alone. At first it's not so bad. Then it gets a little old, a little cold. I discover that on a recent summer's day when I sneak down into Virginia and try one of the newest and one of the oldest bowling centers in America. And I learn a few other things along the way.

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Powell to Join Storied Venture Capital Firm

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After four decades of military and government service, former secretary of state Colin L. Powell is pursuing a new trail of business entrepreneurship. Powell said yesterday that he is joining Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley's most storied venture capital firms, to work with young executives on leadership and help their businesses grow worldwide. Powell, 68, will be a limited partner, remaining in the Washington area but traveling to California or teleconferencing frequently to confer with companies that receive seed funding from the firm. Like other venture capital groups, Kleiner Perkins plays an ongoing role in the management of companies in its stable. In Kleiner Perkins, the retired four-star general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is joining a 33-year-old Silicon Valley institution that has backed some of the biggest names in technology, including Amazon.com Inc., America Online Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Compaq Computer Corp. Powell said he was energized by a recent visit to the Mountain View, Calif., headquarters of search giant Google Inc., in which Kleiner Perkins also invested. "When I walked into the cafeteria area [to give a speech], there were about 1,000 people there," Powell said in an interview. "And I think I increased the average age by about 15 years." Powell said he also spoke with Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, discussing leadership, organization and "scaling up" a global business. "People hunger for this," said John Doerr, one of Kleiner Perkins's senior partners. "They hunger for the kind of leadership, wisdom, confidence and inspiration that Colin Powell brings." Powell has some roots in technology, having served on the board of America Online before its merger with Time Warner Inc. It was in that capacity that he met Doerr, who began pursuing Powell soon after he stepped down as secretary of state. Powell said he was flattered by an array of new career opportunities but chose Kleiner Perkins for the chance to work with young entrepreneurs. Powell said he is particularly interested in health care, search, energy and networking ventures. He recently joined a group of executives as investors and board members of Revolution Health Group, billed as a new kind of consumer health care company founded by former America Online chief executive Steve Case. He added that he wants his work to "have a humanitarian aspect," helping companies bring their technologies to developing countries to help alleviate poverty. Powell said he bought his first personal computer in 1993, after he left the Army. He said the power of computers was especially evident during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, during which global positioning technology played a prominent role. Now, Powell said, he has three computers, multiple fax machines and two cell phones in his home office and is "deeply into" online shopping. Powell said he plans to continue his other business activities. He is active on the lecture circuit and is a partner in one of the groups bidding to purchase the Washington Nationals baseball team. He has no plans, he said, to run for political office.

Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland business news headlines with stock portfolio and market news, economy, government/tech policy, mutual funds, personal finance. Dow Jones, S&P 500, NASDAQ quotes. Features top DC, VA, MD businesses, company research tools

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For Latino Teens, a Taste of College and Money to Go

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Alberto Camacho, a sparkly-eyed 16-year-old with a crew cut and a firm handshake, held the scrawled notes of the speech he was given two minutes to prepare for and faced the judges who could give him a $2,000 scholarship. With a quick " Buenas tardes " and not a hint of nerves, he tackled his topic: How can education better the Hispanic community? Alberto, back straight and hands gesturing, connected the dots: Schooling brings better jobs, better jobs bring better housing and, of course, more money. "We will be able to open doors all over. . . . We need to change the stereotype of the Hispanics that are illiterate. The Hispanics who don't go to school," said the Prince William County high school student. "The dishwashing Hispanics." Alberto's message would have made George Cushman proud. It is the same message Cushman, the development director of the Hispanic College Fund, and scores of volunteers want to send to the 164 Latino teenagers from across the Washington region who attended a three-day Hispanic Youth Symposium at Marymount University in Arlington. Over the past two days, the students have gone to sessions on Hispanic heroes and college costs. They have heard from Justice Department officials about bomb squad jobs and hospital personnel about work in health care. They have learned to network -- like Alberto, they offer solid handshakes and business cards -- and have bonded in late-night dorm gatherings. The students were selected based on applications and have at least a C average and proven leadership ability, Cushman said. Nearly half of them will win college scholarships of $500 to $2,000, awarded for such skills as speechmaking and art. Winners will find out today. Another three-day program begins today at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The event, said Cushman, its organizer, gives the youths a taste of campus life and pushes them toward a place that he said too few Hispanics choose: college. According to Census Bureau data, 11.1 percent of Hispanics 25 and older had completed a college education as of March 2002. By comparison, 27.2 percent of whites had. "It's a matter of building a legacy for these students by turning them into Hispanic professionals," Cushman said. "As they say in Spanish: Sí se puede -- it's possible." Leaving the Justice Department career session, Starr Acosta, 16, and Fabio Camacho, 17, raved about the fun they were having. Fabio, a student at Alexandria's T.C. Williams High School with an iPod cord hanging out of his shorts pocket, said he had traded reggaeton and hip-hop tunes with his new dorm buddies. Starr, a student at Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, talked about the session with college admissions counselors. "I liked the schools so much I actually wrote them on my arm," she said. Later, across campus, Fabio sat in an engineering session presented by Lockheed Martin and waited for Estefany Carrillo, 15, to build the nose and wings of a Lego airplane, urging her with an " Apurate, vamos, vamos " -- hurry up, let's go, let's go. Passing it off to him, Estefany said she wasn't wooed by engineering. But she glowed when she talked about picking up new Spanish slang that is not used in her native Ecuador. "The most exciting thing for me is everyone knows two languages," said Estefany, a student at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. Outside the cafeteria, five speech contest finalists were hanging out. Alberto said he was pretty sure his speech was far too repetitive. "But I think I made my point, you know?" he joked. They all said they had no doubt they would go to college. Alberto, armed with a 4.125 grade-point average and four Advanced Placement classes on his schedule at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge next year, said he would apply to Harvard and Yale. Juan Garcia, 16, whose mother left school in El Salvador after second grade, said he would go somewhere with a good political science program. "I'll be the first to graduate in my family," said Juan, a student at Freedom High School in Woodbridge. "It's our priority now."

Alberto Camacho, a sparkly-eyed 16-year-old with a crew cut and a firm handshake, held the scrawled notes of the speech he was given two minutes to prepare for and faced the judges who could give him a $2,000 scholarship.

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U.S. Berated Over Indians' Treatment

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In a scathing rebuke of the federal government's treatment of Native Americans, a federal judge yesterday ordered the Interior Department to include notices in its correspondence with Indians whose land the government holds in trust, warning them that the government's information may not be credible. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, who has presided for nearly 10 years over a class-action suit on behalf of 500,000 Indians whose land the government has leased to mining, ranching and timber interests, issued one of his most strongly worded opinions on the case. Lamberth ruled that the government essentially has to tell trust-account holders the information it sends them is not reliable. He also described in his 34-page opinion the history of the lawsuit as proof that the government continues to treat Indians "as if they were somehow less than deserving of the respect that should be afforded to everyone in a society where all people are supposed to be equal." Lamberth wrote: "For those harboring hope that the stories of murder, dispossession, forced marches, assimilationist policy programs, and other incidents of cultural genocide against the Indians are merely the echoes of a horrible, bigoted government-past that has been sanitized by the good deeds of more recent history, this case serves as an appalling reminder of the evils that result when large numbers of the politically powerless are placed at the mercy of institutions engendered and controlled by a politically powerful few." The Interior Department, in a statement, said the opinion "contains intemperate rhetoric uncommon to jurisprudence, but made common in this case" and pointed out that the District Court's opinion has been overturned in the three most recent appeals filed. Since 1996, when Eloise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Indians of Montana, brought the class-action lawsuit against Interior seeking a complete accounting of the money collected and distributed in the trust accounts dating to 1879, Lamberth has found that the federal government has not lived up to its responsibilities in handling the trust accounts or the lawsuit. He has held two interior secretaries, Gale A. Norton of the Bush administration and Bruce Babbitt of the Clinton administration, in contempt of court. Yesterday, he wrote that "the entire record in this case tells the dreary story of Interior's degenerate tenure as Trustee-Delegate for the Indian trust, a story shot through with bureaucratic blunders, flubs, goofs and foul-ups, and peppered with scandals, deception, dirty tricks and outright villainy, the end of which is nowhere in sight." Elliot Levitas, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the opinion could be a turning point in the case. The ruling will require the agency to notify individual trust-account holders who were not aware of the suit that they have a place to turn to if they suspect the government has been withholding money or information. "I predict that as a result of that, we'll be getting information from class members who will tell us about misconduct, misdeeds and mismanagement that we've not heard before. That will help us pursue the litigation," Levitas said. "I think that the public and the Congress are going to be enlightened, and be motivated to see that this injustice is ended and that the taint on our government be removed."

In a scathing rebuke of the federal government's treatment of Native Americans, a federal judge yesterday ordered the Interior Department to include notices in its correspondence with Indians whose land the government holds in trust, warning them that the government's information may not be...

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Bush Begins Consultation With Key Senators

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When President Bush met with Senate leaders at the White House yesterday to discuss the Supreme Court, it marked the opening act in a process of consultation to which both sides say they are committed. But Republicans and Democrats have very different views of what that process should entail, coloring the early stages of what could easily become an all-out battle over Bush's nominee. White House officials and Senate Republicans have already declared that the outreach to lawmakers about the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is unprecedented, with more than 60 senators contacted or consulted about the choice. "He has gone way beyond what any president has ever done," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah). But Democrats are trying to establish their own standard for the consultation, with demands likely to increase. Unless Bush shares the names of potential nominees, they say, the process will have been a charade that could affect the confirmation battle. "There has to be more consultation," Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said after the meeting. "This was only a first step." This yawning divide is the latest front in the ongoing war over the judiciary, part of the jockeying for advantage in advance of Bush's decision. But the two sides have consulted the Constitution and reread the pertinent Federalist Papers, and both are looking at the record of other presidents for evidence to support their interpretation of what the consultation requires. Democrats assert that two recent presidents -- Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan -- did what they want Bush to do. Republicans say the Democrats misinterpret those cases and argue that nowhere does the Constitution require a president to share such information in advance with anyone in the Senate. The next days and weeks will test Bush's and the Democrats' willingness to come together. Yesterday's meeting was more intimate than many that Bush conducts with members of Congress. Held in a study off the Oval Office, the group talked for an hour, although much of the discussion involved process and not potential nominees. "No one came into the meeting with lists," a Senate aide said. The small Senate delegation included Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Leahy. In addition to the president, the White House contingent included Vice President Cheney and Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. Attendees said Bush noted that, in his campaign, he had laid out markers on nominating strict constructionists who are not activists and that he is in intent on hewing to those principles. In a light moment, Democrats said there are plenty of activist conservatives, as well as liberals. At one point, the Democrats offered the names of three Hispanic federal judges and suggested that they could win broad Senate support. The three are Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, who was named a district judge by President George H.W. Bush and elevated to the appeals court by Clinton; Edward Charles Prado of the 5th Circuit, nominated to be a district judge by Reagan and named to the appeals court by President George W. Bush; and U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa of McAllen, Tex., nominated by Reagan. One area of agreement came over scheduling, with senators in both parties saying they prefer to hold hearings in September rather than during their August recess. But Bush gave no hint of his timetable and made no promises to share names in advance. The issue of consultation was a key part of the agreement among the "Gang of 14" senators, which averted a meltdown on the Senate floor over judicial nominees this spring, with Sens. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) crafting the language calling on Bush to consult senators on future nominations. Since the O'Connor resignation, Card, White House counsel Harriet Miers and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove have made calls to lawmakers soliciting opinions, an action that Warner praised. "I feel very definitely that it meets and really exceeds the spirit of that agreement," he said. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), another member of the Gang of 14, agreed that the consultations have been helpful, but he said future talks should be more intense and be limited to members of the Judiciary Committee, Senate leaders and, perhaps, Byrd and Warner. Democrats point to Clinton's conversations with Hatch as the kind of consultation they want to see. Clinton, according to Hatch, raised the names of a number of possible nominees with him in 1993. Hatch told Clinton that the nomination of then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt could cause problems in the Senate, but he also told Clinton that the two eventual nominees, now Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer, would have a far easier time. However, Hatch says that, unlike some Democrats, he never threatened a filibuster and he said the president is not required to get a stamp of approval in advance. "For some Democrats, consultation means 'do things the way we want,' " he said. "No president's ever put up with that." Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) recalls being asked by Reagan for his views on potential nominees after the Senate rejected the nomination of Robert H. Bork. Among them was now-Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. But Biden said Reagan had already made up his mind about Kennedy. Biden said he told Card yesterday that the president should draw up a list, including the names of some probably not under consideration, and ask key senators their opinions. David Alistair Yalof, a University of Connecticut professor who wrote "Pursuit of Justices," said that real consultation on Supreme Court picks has generally occurred when a president was weak or had higher priorities. "None of the circumstances that typically produced real input are present here," he said. "Ultimately, the president holds all the cards, and the president knows that." Democrats know that, too, which is why they are trying to put down markers on consultation. But Leahy said they hold one important card, as well. "I have no problem with the fact that the final choice is the president's and the president's alone," he said. "But the final choice of consenting is ours alone."

Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2004 elections, campaigns, Democrats, Republicans, political cartoons, opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy, government tech, political analysis and reports.

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Judge Refuses to Drop Case Against DeLay Ally

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A Texas state judge yesterday reaffirmed the indictment of a political associate of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), turning aside his claim that a state law barring the use of corporate funds in the 2002 Texas election was unconstitutionally vague. The ruling was the latest of several in Texas courts to run against former officials of Texans for a Republican Majority, which was created by DeLay and his political aides to orchestrate a 2002 takeover of the Texas House. That victory in turn led to a redistricting of Texas congressional seats and helped cement GOP control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The legal dispute has its roots in Texas's long-standing prohibition on the use of corporate money in state elections and the group's collection of more than a half million dollars of such funds, which it poured into the races of 17 Republicans elected to the state House. In September 2004, a grand jury indicted John Colyandro, who directed the Texas group, on charges of illegally collecting the money. Colyandro, a veteran of White House political adviser Karl Rove's direct-mail firm, had sought to have the indictment dismissed on grounds that the law was poorly drafted and infringed on protected rights. District Judge Robert Perkins, ruling in Austin, denied the motion, clearing an obstacle to Colyandro's eventual trial after appeals are heard. In remarks from the bench, he indicated he plans to dismiss next month a similar motion by Jim Ellis, the Texas group's chief fundraiser, who was indicted for money-laundering in the case. In May, another state judge, ruling in a civil case, similarly upheld the election law's constitutionality. That judge found the group's treasurer, Bill Ceverha, had illegally failed to report the contributions and ordered him to pay $196,660 in damages to five of the defeated Democratic candidates. DeLay, who has not been charged with wrongdoing in the case, served on the board of the Texas group, and called or met with some of its corporate donors. He also wrote a cover letter for its fundraising brochure. Ellis still runs DeLay's federal political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, which served as a model for the Texas group. Staff writer Caroline Keating contributed to this report from Austin.

Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2004 elections, campaigns, Democrats, Republicans, political cartoons, opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy, government tech, political analysis and reports.

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Federal Diary Live

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Trying to figure out which "lifecycle" fund might meet your needs in the Thrift Savings Plan? Interested in TSP efforts to lower plan costs while improving services to participants? Gary A. Amelio, executive director at the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, joins The Post's Stephen Barr, who writes the Federal Diary column, to take your questions about the TSP. Before joining the thrift board, which oversees the TSP, Amelio served as senior vice president and managing director of the retirement and investment services department at PNC Bank. Amelio has more than 20 years of banking experience in employee benefits, executive compensation, tax and fiduciary areas. He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and in 1981 earned a degree from the university's law school. Stephen Barr: Thanks to all joining in this important discussion today about the TSP and its future. A special thanks to Gary Amelio, the thrift board's executive director, for taking time from his busy schedule. To get this discussion rolling, Mr. Amelio, would you tell us what "lifecycle funds" are, and, as a follow up, what you think they will mean for the typical TSP participant? Again, thanks for joining us today. Gary Amelio: You are welcome, Steve. Always glad to join with your readers. You inquired about the lifecycle funds. They are a marvelous new feature that will be available to participants in just a few weeks. Lifecycle funds are asset allocation models which hold the five existing TSP funds i.e. G, F, C, S & I Funds. They are allocated based upon the participants time horizon to their ultimate retirement and withdrawal date. For example, a participant who is 60 years old and will retire and begin withdrawing assets in two years will have an allocation heavily weighted towards the G & F funds. A 19 year old soldier who is perhaps 45 years from retiring and withdrawing assets will have a lifecycle allocation which is heavily weighted towards the C, S & I equity funds. As that soldier progresses towards his/her time horizon the investments will automatically re-allocate to more holdings in the G F funds. I am a 29-year-old who has been with the federal government for two years. I have always invested the maximum in my TSP, but I am not sure what fund would work best. As a result, my funds are lagging in G. What are the pros and cons of lifecycle funds for me? Gary Amelio: There is significant upside potential to your using a lifecycle fund. Investment experts recommend investing on the efficient frontier, and this is as close and effortless as you can get to this concept in the TSP. In your case at age 29 you have a time horizon which would be roughly 30 years or more so you would be looking at the 2040 lifecycle fund. The major advantage is that your assets will be rebalanced daily and reallocated quarterly to maintain your investments on the efficient frontier. This will be done for you at no additional cost and you need do nothing, other than continue to make contributions to the plan. Fairfax, Va.: With the life cycle fund, do you recommend putting 100 percent of your contributions into it or treating like another fund by putting, for example, 20 percent in it? Gary Amelio: This is a GREAT question. All investment experts recommend that you invest 100% of your account balance in the 1 single lifecycle fund that best fits your circumstances. Any other use of the TSP funds may result in less than optimal returns, a higher amount of risk in your portfolio or both. Will there be management fees incurred with these new fund offerings? Gary Amelio: There is no additional cost to participants in utilizing the lifecycle funds. The fees for the underlying G, F, C, S & I funds are the only fees that apply to TSP participants. Arlington, Va.: Thanks for being here, Mr. Amelio. I understand that TSP now has no more open seasons and that the maximum contribution has changed. Would you please provide us with a quick update? Gary Amelio: The TSP has no more open seasons, a change made by legislation effective July 1st of this year. This change benefits the participants who are now able to change the amounts of their contributions on a current basis. The percentage limitations on contributions will be lifted in 2006, pursuant to legislation. It seems to me that the lifecycle funds are a no-brainer. However, I'm new to federal service (37 yrs old and recently moved over from government contracting.) What reason(s) would there be for not making the move to lifecycle funds? Thank you! Gary Amelio: Lifecycle funds are a great concept for every TSP participant. In fact, the only participants for whom lifecycle funds may not be appropriate would be those who hold assets outside of the TSP and who have engaged a professional investment consultant to manage their personal investment portfolio. Washington, D.C.: How much does it cost to administer the TSP? I've heard it costs about 6 cents per account which is remarkably low. If that is accurate, why is it so low compared to other funds? Gary Amelio: While I would like to focus on lifecycle funds, I am always pleased to talk about the TSP's 6 basis point expense ratio, which is the lowest fee of any legal investment in the world. Many private sector 401(k) plans pay between 50 and 150 basis points. Our low costs can be attributed to several factors including the use of index funds, the large size of plan assets over which to distribute the cost, competitive bidding of services, and self administration. To put this in perspective, 6 basis points means that participants paid just 60 cents per $1,000 of account balance last year for participating in the TSP. Arlington, Va.: What did TSP officials see as the need or reason(s) for offering lifecycle funds ? Gary Amelio: Industry surveys have shown that 90% of 401(k) plan participants either never reallocate their account balance or do so less frequently than once a year. The high percentage of TSP assets being held in the G fund gave creditability that this trend was also true in the TSP. Lifecycle funds offer ongoing professional asset allocation to participants at a low cost, and with no effort required by plan participants other than to continue to make contributions. I'm 37 and due to the miracle of compound interest (and aggressive investing for the past 13 years) I have 111K in my TSP account. IF I pick a lifestyle fund, am I stuck with it? I really have no idea when or even IF I will ever be able to retire (no, I don't think I will be able to afford anything beyond a McD lunch once a month with Social Security), so I don't want to pick a day too soon and not get the overall great growth I've enjoyed for quite some time. Thanks. Gary Amelio: Experts recommend that a participant select the one lifecycle fund that best fits his/her personal circumstances, and invest 100% of current assets and future contributions into that fund and stay with it. HOWEVER, the TSP is not restricting participant investment in lifecycle funds. This means that you can invest in any or all lifecycle funds as well as any or all of the existing five TSP funds and may change your investment direction at any time. Washington, D.C.: Is there an exact date that these funds will be available for investment? Gary Amelio: The lifecycle funds will be available for investment in the next several weeks. Keep watching the web site and your mailbox for the postcard and DVD. Arlington, Va.: I'm interested in the factors used to make automatic choices for investors. Is age of employee the only factor? Or do lifecycle changes occur due to economic conditions and financial market influences? Gary Amelio: Lifecycle funds are based solely upon time horizon, meaning a participant's plan to begin withdrawing assets. Time horizon may but is not in every circumstance based entirely upon a participant's age. High percentage in G Fund: Could it be that those people who are in the G fund (which you use as evidence of the need for the lifecycle fund) will still not change their allocation simply because they really aren't thinking about changing it? Gary Amelio: The substantial start up effort with the respect to the rollout of lifecycle funds is the investment education efforts the TSP is providing to participants. This education focuses on the importance of asset allocation and the need to invest on the efficient frontier over a longer time horizon to obtain optimum results. Some participants will elect the ease of automatic asset allocation offered by the lifecycle funds, some others will allocate on their own, and some no doubt will not feel comfortable with anything other than the G fund. In all of these cases, however, the participants will still benefit by receiving asset allocation education materials so that they can make an informed decision. Rockville, Md.: Will the new funds be available to retirees? What are pros and cons of moving assets from G fund to the most conservative lifestyle fund? Gary Amelio: Lifecycle funds are available for retiree participants and retirees are encouraged to utilize the L income or L 2010 fund. There is no additional cost for a retiree to do this and the retiree will benefit from the asset allocation mix into the equity markets offered by the lifecycle funds, but not within the G fund. Arlington, Va.: I'm going to be 40 next year, and have about 9 years with the feds. I've been putting in the maximum amount, with the vast majority (80-90%) in C, with the rest in G and F. What would be a reason to change to a lifecycle fund? Gary Amelio: The primary reason is the lifecycle fund is a professionally designed asset allocator, and continually rebalances and reallocates your account assets based on your time horizon with no effort required on your part. Solomons, Md.: My partner and I are seventeen years apart in age. She is the one saving funds in a TSP. How would lifecycle funds accommodate generational gaps between couples? Gary Amelio: The lifecycle fund is established based upon an individual participant's time horizon. The time horizon is not based upon age, but withdrawal date. Washington, D.C.: Will the allocation of each lifecycle fund be announced before the availability date? Gary Amelio: YES. They will be described in detail in the TSP Highlights and on the L Fund information sheet which will be published on www.tsp.gov, in the next couple of weeks. Q&As about the lifecycle funds are currently on the web site, click on special interests from the home page. Springfield, Va.: I am retiring in three months and may begin withdrawing my TSP money in regular monthly amounts. Would you recommend a lifestyle fund over simply transferring all my money into the G Fund and withdrawing it from there? Gary Amelio: While we cannot "recommend" an investment, you should look at the L Income fund. Arlington, Va.: I just had a look at www.tsp.gov, and it was not obvious at all that these plans are available. Gary Amelio: Steve has just advised me that we are out of time. I am appreciative of having this opportunity to address the rollout of the lifecycle funds with all of you. Thank you for your questions which were very insightful. I encourage you all to keep an eye out in the coming several weeks for additional information on our web site www.tsp.gov as well as your mailbox for the postcard and the L fund DVD. For now, click on the special interests button which can be found on the web site home page, and if you have a small screen you will need to scroll down towards the bottom of the home page. The lifecycle fund Q & As are there. Stephen Barr: Our thanks to Gary Amelio for bringing Federal Diary readers up to speed on the upcoming additions to the TSP. Thanks to all of you joining in this discussion and taking the time to read the transcript. We'll see you back here at noon next Wednesday. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.

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President Holds Firm As G-8 Summit Opens

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GLENEAGLES, Scotland, July 6 -- Leaders of the world's eight major industrial powers convened a three-day summit here Wednesday, with President Bush promising to help alleviate suffering in Africa but holding firm against mandatory cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases. As police fended off protesters trying to march on this highlands resort hotel, Bush met with Irish activist rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof to discuss financial assistance to combat poverty, disease and war in Africa. Later, the Group of Eight leaders sat down to a formal dinner with Queen Elizabeth. A few hours before arriving, Bush sought to defuse international tension over U.S. opposition to the Kyoto accord of 1997, which calls for mandatory reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases. "I recognize that the surface of the Earth is warmer and that an increase in greenhouse gases caused by humans is contributing to the problem," Bush said during a news conference in Denmark, where he stopped overnight en route to the summit. But the president also tried to preempt any moves by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other leaders who want the United States, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, to adopt the Kyoto treaty. The United States is the only nation represented at the summit to have rejected it. Saying the treaty's mandates would cripple the U.S. economy, Bush called instead for a "post-Kyoto era," in which nations work together by sharing new technologies to voluntarily curb greenhouse emissions and ease global warming. Blair, who is hosting the G-8 summit, wants a strong international agreement that man-made pollutants are contributing to the problem and that mandatory reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are the prudent solution. When Blair was asked by reporters if he would compromise with Bush on issues, he said, "You've got to be prepared to hold for what is right." U.S. officials said the leaders were working on a joint statement that emphasizes common ground on the extent of the climatic problem but stops short of embracing Blair's solution. The meeting brings together the leaders of the Group of Eight -- the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia. Discussions are also expected to turn toward Iraq, an issue that unites Blair and Bush but often alienates them from other world leaders. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking support for greater participation by the United Nations in Iraq and may propose a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal. Bush has rejected the idea of an exit date. The leaders plan to discuss the recent kidnapping of the senior Egyptian diplomat in Iraq, as well as what appears to be a new strategy by insurgents to target Muslim diplomats. In Denmark, Bush addressed his European critics, saying, "I understand that people aren't going to agree with decisions I make. But my job is to make decisions that I think are right, and to lead." Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who came under fire in Europe for supporting U.S. foreign policy, echoed Bush's language when talking about Iraq during a joint news conference. "It's our common desire to spread liberty and promote democracy," Rasmussen said. "We do not accept the thesis that certain peoples and nations are not yet ready for democracy and therefore better suited for dictatorship. We share the belief that freedom is universal, and we share the belief that in the struggle between democracy and dictatorship, you cannot stay neutral." Denmark has about 500 troops in Iraq. Bush said that in their private talks, Rasmussen expressed concern about the treatment of terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the effect on the U.S. image abroad. Bush said the prisoners were treated respectfully and afforded better accommodations than many criminals in other countries. As for Danish and other European critics of the detention center, Bush said, "I'd suggest buying an airplane ticket and going down and look -- take a look for yourself." Before he arrived at the summit, Bush appeared to have eased some of the international concern over U.S. financial assistance to Africa by promising new funds to combat poverty, AIDS and malaria. Rasmussen, who plans to travel to Africa this year, praised Bush's plan to double aid to Africa, but gently chided the president by pointing out that Denmark contributes a much larger percentage of its gross domestic product to the cause than the United States and other nations do.

Leaders of the world's eight major industrial powers convened a three-day summit in Scotland Wednesday, with President Bush promising to help alleviate suffering in Africa but holding firm against mandatory cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases.

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Imported Gas Cited In Rash Of Leaks

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Washington Gas officials said yesterday that a change from domestic to imported natural gas was the "key contributing factor" in a rash of leaks in underground mains and service lines in Prince George's County over the past two winters. A company-sponsored study, launched after a District Heights house exploded in late March, found that subtle molecular differences in the imported liquefied natural gas the utility began using in August 2003 were drying the rubber seals of aging metal couplings that link sections of pipe. The utility, which serves almost a million customers in the Washington region, said it now expects to spend $144 million -- almost double its original estimate -- to repair an estimated 1,400 leaks in Prince George's and to replace thousands of old couplings. Whether the replacement program -- which company officials said is two-thirds complete -- will translate into higher rates for customers is an open question. The company has not asked state regulators for an increase, but retains the right to do so. The frequency of leaks began to soar in late 2003, soon after the company started supplying Prince George's with imported gas, mainly from Trinidad, brought in by tanker through Dominion's Cove Point liquefied natural gas terminal in Calvert County. The leaks tapered off as customer demand for gas fell in the summer, but they surged again this past winter. The study's full results will be released at a news conference today, the company said. Washington Gas has scheduled a conference call this morning for industry analysts to discuss the findings and their financial implications for its publicly traded parent company, WGL Inc. Washington Gas said it expects to be able to continue to use the imported gas through additional processing. It did not specify how. "We believe that we can reverse seal deterioration by conditioning the Cove Point gas entering the system to prevent future drying of seals," Adrian Chapman, Washington Gas's vice president of energy acquisition and regulatory affairs, said in a statement. Cove Point officials yesterday sharply disagreed with the Washington Gas interpretation of the study. An analysis performed by Dominion Resources Inc., which operates the terminal, found that the chemical makeup of gas from its facility closely matched gas generally used in the Washington Gas system. "There was and is absolutely nothing wrong with the natural gas from Cove Point," Dominion spokesman Dan Donovan said last night. "The gas meets the stringent standards set by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and agreed to by Washington Gas and other companies that receive it." Donovan added that the full Environ report, which Dominion engineers have reviewed, shows that the age of the equipment, particularly the 40- to- 50-year-old seals, was the real cause of the problem. The Maryland Public Service Commission launched an inquiry into the leaks in April after the District Heights explosion, in which no one was injured. Residents complained of gas odor before the blast.

A study finds that subtle molecular differences in the imported liquefied natural Washington Gas began using in August 2003 were corroding pipe couplings.

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Warming Up to Hit Hard

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MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Just 23 weeks after the second inauguration of the 43rd president, someone who aims to be the 44th came here for the annual luncheon of the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women. It was a target-rich environment for George Allen. He has the same name as his father, the late Hall of Fame head coach of the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins, who was, to say no more, tightly wound, as coaches tend to be. If the son is similarly driven -- and he must be to embark on this marathon -- he conceals it beneath a demeanor akin to Ronald Reagan's, which was once described as "Aw, shucks, I just stepped on my sneaker laces." Except there are no laces on Allen's cowboy boots, which go with the smokeless tobacco in the circular can in his pocket. One of his father's mantras was "Hit hard and good things will happen." The son, who as a University of Virginia graduate headed Young Virginians for Reagan in the 1976 nomination contest with President Gerald Ford, has Reagan's knack for expressing strong views in an unthreatening manner. By 2008 it will have been 48 years since the country chose a senator to be president, so the ideal candidate is not a senator, or, if he is, he has been a governor, someone with an executive's temperament and experience. Allen served a single term as governor of Virginia, where the constitution forbids consecutive terms. He is in the fifth year of his first term in the U.S. Senate, which prudence might tell Allen is enough, because full-time campaigning often wins presidential nominations. Asked if he enjoys the Senate, he pauses, then says: "Every now and then. It's better being governor." The ideal Republican candidate can meld two Republican tendencies that are in tension -- social conservatism and libertarianism. Social conservatives have no complaints with Allen, and libertarians vibrate like tuning forks to his invocations of "Mr. Jefferson," as Virginians refer to their saint of minimal government. For example, concerning the inheritance tax, which conservatives call the death tax, Allen cites New Hampshire's motto: "We want to 'Live free or die,' but when we die we don't want that to be a taxable event." He says he asked a Virginian, the great-great-great-granddaughter of the state's first governor, Patrick Henry, for permission to paraphrase him: "No taxation without respiration." One Allen supporter, who, like many New Hampshire conservatives fled liberal Massachusetts -- "I was like a Mennonite living in Las Vegas" -- is the kind of Republican primary voter who relishes Allen's description of New Hampshire as "what America was." As Allen drove from Massachusetts into this state -- one of just nine states without an income tax -- he took note approvingly of motorcyclists riding lawfully, if not wisely, without helmets. Allen's luncheon speech cited his achievements as governor -- welfare reform, school accountability and the end of "social promotions," abolition of "the lenient, dishonest parole system" -- and his current interest in America's technological competitiveness. The product of a football family, he believes in meritocracy, is implacably opposed to taxation of the Internet and favors government measures to encourage the education of more engineers. John McCain won New Hampshire's primary in 2000, but party activists regard as a betrayal, not a compromise, the deal he helped fashion to confirm some of the president's judicial nominees while preserving the right to filibuster others. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who is leaving the Senate to pursue the presidency, was hurt by that deal, which prevented him from pleasing the Republican base by ending judicial filibusters. Allen expects them to be ended, and he hopes the occasion will be the confirmation of William Myers to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, the hyper-liberal and frequently reversed court that declared the Pledge of Allegiance phrase "under God" unconstitutional. Allen says, let the Democrats define themselves by filibustering Myers to preserve the 9th Circuit as it is, while also filibustering John Bolton to preserve the United Nations as it is. Bolton, says Allen, speaking the lingua franca of Republican activists, "will not be seduced by the vacuous platitudes and meaningless pontifications of international bureaucrats." Four of the first five presidents were Virginians, then one more was, John Tyler, but none since 1840. It could produce two candidates in 2008. Gov. Mark Warner, a red-state Democrat, seems interested in asking Democratic primary voters, "What red state can Hillary Clinton turn blue?" Warner might challenge Allen in next year's Senate race, but not if he is as serious about the presidency as Allen is. Instead, their paths could cross here.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Just 23 weeks after the second inauguration of the 43rd president, someone who aims to be the 44th came here for the annual luncheon of the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women. It was a target-rich environment for George Allen.

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In President's Strategy, Two Prongs Collide

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President Bush has long pursued a calculated strategy to build a lasting Republican majority, coupling courtship of the party's conservative base with efforts designed to attract support from Hispanics and targeted swing voters. But rarely have the two sides of this strategy been in such conflict as they are today with the possible nomination of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to the Supreme Court. Well before Bush makes his decision known, a fierce battle has erupted over Gonzales, the former White House counsel and Texas Supreme Court justice. It pits the ideological priorities of social and religious conservatives, who think Gonzales is insufficiently opposed to abortion, against the aspiration of the Latino community to see the first Hispanic named to the high court. Bush has skillfully balanced his appeals to both groups throughout his career as an elected official, but he faces the prospect of disappointing one side, with potentially serious repercussions for his party. Nothing prevents Bush from trying to skirt the conflict by naming another Hispanic who would be more acceptable to the right than Gonzales, such as Emilio M. Garza, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. But the uproar over Gonzales, longtime friend and confidant of the president, has heightened the political stakes of Bush's decision and has alarmed some senior GOP strategists. Whichever way Bush moves, his decision is likely to be interpreted in part through the prism of the argument over Gonzales that precedes the announcement of a successor to retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. After Bush pointedly complained about the attacks on Gonzales, critics on the right have grown more tentative in directly criticizing the attorney general. But they cannot mask their unease about his possible nomination to the Supreme Court. Hispanic leaders are equally clear about their resentment over attacks on Gonzales. "We don't like it, and we'll have to deal with it as it unfolds," said Hector Flores, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. He added that many Hispanics think this nomination should be Gonzales's. "We feel very strongly that Alberto Gonzales should be the first one to bat," he said. All this may be premature, given that only a handful of people know who is on Bush's list of possible nominees. But the conservative criticism of Gonzales has alarmed some GOP strategists, although they are reluctant to inject themselves publicly into the middle of the fight before Bush makes a decision. "There is a lot of grumbling about this, about whether we seem to be catering to just one side of the party," said one Republican strategist. "We need to be inclusive to all. If it's 'our way or no way' [among social and religious conservatives], that's really not a party." Bush's political project, which he shares with his chief political adviser, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, has moved the party close to the kind of dominance Republicans and conservatives have worked toward for more than three decades. It rests on a foundation of rock-solid support among conservatives -- economic, social and religious -- and often has been seen as little more than that. But between 2000 and 2004, Bush was successful in expanding GOP support at the margins among others outside that base, from Roman Catholics to women to Hispanics. Noting that Bush got 11.6 million more votes in 2004 than in 2000, Rove told Washington Post editors and reporters this week, "It's a misread to suggest that we got that by appealing to the base." Asked whether Gonzales fits the mold of Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas, whom Bush has cited as examples of conservative justices he admires, Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families said: "Only the president can answer that."

President Bush has long pursued a calculated strategy to build a lasting Republican majority, coupling courtship of the party's conservative base with efforts designed to attract support from Hispanics and targeted swing voters. But rarely have the two sides of this strategy been in such conflict as...

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Divisive Issue Is Decisive for Some

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But Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, a possible Supreme Court nominee, has never voiced such a harsh assessment of the Roe decision. At least twice he has called it "the law of the land." In each of his high-profile government roles -- as a justice on the Texas Supreme Court, as White House counsel and as attorney general -- he has shown little personal zeal for the antiabortion cause. Perhaps more than any other aspect of Gonzales's record, it is his cautious attitude toward Roe that fuels the conservative groundswell against his possible elevation to the high court. "It's one reason there's near-unanimity against Gonzales among conservative groups," said J.C. Willke, president of the Cincinnati-based Life Issues Institute, an antiabortion organization. Willke said his doubts were confirmed by the answer he got from Gonzales at a May 30, 2003, meeting, when he asked the then-White House counsel whether, "regarding Roe v. Wade , stare decisis would be governing." Stare decisis is the legal principle that courts should avoid overruling existing precedent. "Yes," Gonzales replied, according to Willke. The audience of about 500 conservative activists murmured disapprovingly and there was some booing, Willke said. Willke e-mailed his account of these events to fellow antiabortion activists last year, and the message was sent out again earlier this week by Manuel A. Miranda of the conservative Third Branch Conference. Justice Department spokesman Kevin Madden said Gonzales would not comment on Willke's account or any other issues related to the Supreme Court nomination process. As attorney general, Gonzales is in the unusual position of both helping in the search for a candidate for the court while also being a candidate himself. In an interview over the weekend during a trip to Baghdad, Gonzales declined to comment on his chances. "I love being attorney general," he said. Gonzales's most recent public acknowledgment of Roe 's status as precedent came during his confirmation hearings on Jan. 5. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) asked whether Gonzales, like his predecessor, John D. Ashcroft, would pledge to enforce Roe despite any personal disagreements he has with the decision.

Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2004 elections, campaigns, Democrats, Republicans, political cartoons, opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy, government tech, political analysis and reports.

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The A-Team Of Collectors

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The first thing that Greg Rivera and Mike Essl want you to know about their massive collection of Mr. T memorabilia -- a trove that includes lunch boxes, ceramic piggy banks, Thermoses, plush toys, greeting cards, pencil sharpeners, toothbrushes, Mr. T crayons, gumball machines, comic books, wallets, badges, action figures, drinking glasses, a Mr. T Chia pet, four boxes of Mr. T cereal, about 600 handmade Mr. T dolls and more than 5,000 other Mr. T items -- is that it is not a joke. It might look like a joke, particularly when viewed at Essl's one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, where you'll find dozens of cardboard boxes crammed with Mr. T stuff in a storage room, as well as a mini shrine above his dining table and Mr. T artwork and posters on the walls. And when you meet Rivera and Essl you might assume that they are the sort of guys who might acquire all of this ironically. They are 26 and 31, respectively, which means they were reared in the age of irony, and they look suspiciously like scenesters. On this particular evening Rivera is wearing a Dolce & Gabbana trucker hat, the bill pulled slightly to the left. Essl has brightly colored tattoos up and down each arm, plus studs in both ears and a shaved head. He looks like a bouncer at a club where they offer bands you've never heard of at volumes you won't enjoy. ("There's a whole section of society that is scared of you because of tattoos," says Essl, chuckling. "I think I enjoy that.") They understand the perplexed looks they get whenever anyone grasps the full extent of their Mr. T commitment. But as Essl puts it, "I don't come at this from a place of irony." Then he tells a story about something that happened a few years ago. "When I met Mr. T, I cried. It was at an autograph signing, with Mary Lou Retton, of all people, and I got my arm signed and my photograph taken with him. Then I just went outside and I cried." Even as he recalls the moment, Essl verges on welling up. "I wanted him to sign my arm because I wanted to tattoo his signature on my biceps. He was totally friendly -- he called me 'big buddy' -- but he had this guy who was there to make sure people moved along and before I knew it, the whole thing was over. So instead I got this." Essl rolls up a sleeve. On his arm is a huge, brightly colored tattoo of Mr. T. "I got mine first," says Rivera, smiling. He rolls up one pant leg. Mr. T is glowering on Rivera's shin. This is what it's like to kneel at the altar of Mr. T: They have collected him, catalogued him, warehoused him, fetishized him. And still, in popular lore, the rest of us tend to consider Mr. T to be a sideshow. He is legendary yet absurd, both cursed and blessed with an instant recognizability that spans decades. He is a 53-year-old walking talking cartoon character sporting a mohawk and several pounds of bling around his neck, always ready to spout his signature declaration: "I pity the fool!" In his world, fool was pronounced "foo," and Mr. T pitied plenty of them -- Rocky Balboa, or the thugs who'd dare cross him on the 1980s TV action series "The A-Team," or the characters in his Saturday morning cartoon show who lacked his moral clarity. With impish Gary Coleman and regal Nancy Reagan by his side, Mr. T pitied the fool who would not "just say no" to drugs. But his shtick faded, until finally Mr. T was himself pitied as a piece of celebrity flotsam. Except for all those little boys in the world who adored him, long past childhood, and who perhaps needed him in ways not previously articulated.

Get style news headlines from The Washington Post, including entertainment news, comics, horoscopes, crossword, TV, Dear Abby. arts/theater, Sunday Source and weekend section. Washington Post columnists, movie/book reviews, Carolyn Hax, Tom Shales.

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The A-Team Of Collectors

2005070919

The first thing that Greg Rivera and Mike Essl want you to know about their massive collection of Mr. T memorabilia -- a trove that includes lunch boxes, ceramic piggy banks, Thermoses, plush toys, greeting cards, pencil sharpeners, toothbrushes, Mr. T crayons, gumball machines, comic books, wallets, badges, action figures, drinking glasses, a Mr. T Chia pet, four boxes of Mr. T cereal, about 600 handmade Mr. T dolls and more than 5,000 other Mr. T items -- is that it is not a joke. It might look like a joke, particularly when viewed at Essl's one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, where you'll find dozens of cardboard boxes crammed with Mr. T stuff in a storage room, as well as a mini shrine above his dining table and Mr. T artwork and posters on the walls. And when you meet Rivera and Essl you might assume that they are the sort of guys who might acquire all of this ironically. They are 26 and 31, respectively, which means they were reared in the age of irony, and they look suspiciously like scenesters. On this particular evening Rivera is wearing a Dolce & Gabbana trucker hat, the bill pulled slightly to the left. Essl has brightly colored tattoos up and down each arm, plus studs in both ears and a shaved head. He looks like a bouncer at a club where they offer bands you've never heard of at volumes you won't enjoy. ("There's a whole section of society that is scared of you because of tattoos," says Essl, chuckling. "I think I enjoy that.") They understand the perplexed looks they get whenever anyone grasps the full extent of their Mr. T commitment. But as Essl puts it, "I don't come at this from a place of irony." Then he tells a story about something that happened a few years ago. "When I met Mr. T, I cried. It was at an autograph signing, with Mary Lou Retton, of all people, and I got my arm signed and my photograph taken with him. Then I just went outside and I cried." Even as he recalls the moment, Essl verges on welling up. "I wanted him to sign my arm because I wanted to tattoo his signature on my biceps. He was totally friendly -- he called me 'big buddy' -- but he had this guy who was there to make sure people moved along and before I knew it, the whole thing was over. So instead I got this." Essl rolls up a sleeve. On his arm is a huge, brightly colored tattoo of Mr. T. "I got mine first," says Rivera, smiling. He rolls up one pant leg. Mr. T is glowering on Rivera's shin. This is what it's like to kneel at the altar of Mr. T: They have collected him, catalogued him, warehoused him, fetishized him. And still, in popular lore, the rest of us tend to consider Mr. T to be a sideshow. He is legendary yet absurd, both cursed and blessed with an instant recognizability that spans decades. He is a 53-year-old walking talking cartoon character sporting a mohawk and several pounds of bling around his neck, always ready to spout his signature declaration: "I pity the fool!" In his world, fool was pronounced "foo," and Mr. T pitied plenty of them -- Rocky Balboa, or the thugs who'd dare cross him on the 1980s TV action series "The A-Team," or the characters in his Saturday morning cartoon show who lacked his moral clarity. With impish Gary Coleman and regal Nancy Reagan by his side, Mr. T pitied the fool who would not "just say no" to drugs. But his shtick faded, until finally Mr. T was himself pitied as a piece of celebrity flotsam. Except for all those little boys in the world who adored him, long past childhood, and who perhaps needed him in ways not previously articulated.

Get style news headlines from The Washington Post, including entertainment news, comics, horoscopes, crossword, TV, Dear Abby. arts/theater, Sunday Source and weekend section. Washington Post columnists, movie/book reviews, Carolyn Hax, Tom Shales.

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Rebels in Iraq Threaten to Kill Abducted Diplomat

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BAGHDAD, July 6 -- Al Qaeda in Iraq said Wednesday that it would execute an Egyptian diplomat who was kidnapped in Baghdad four days ago, calling him a traitor to Islam and representative of a country that is "allied to Jews and Christians," according to a statement on an Internet site associated with al Qaeda. The statement said an al Qaeda Islamic law court would hand the diplomat, Ihab Sherif, over to the group's guerrillas "to carry out the punishment of the apostate . . . and to kill him." The authenticity of the statement could not be verified independently. But earlier Wednesday, another posting bearing al Qaeda's name included photos of identification cards belonging to Sherif, whom the statement called "the devil's ambassador." Sherif, 51, is Egypt's top diplomat in Iraq and had been scheduled to be promoted to ambassador. He disappeared Saturday night after reportedly leaving his house and driving alone to buy a newspaper. His four-wheel-drive vehicle was found Sunday, and a statement Tuesday attributed to al Qaeda asserted responsibility for his kidnapping. Iraqi and foreign officials feared that Sherif, who would have been the first Arab ambassador in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, was targeted by insurgents to deter other countries from strengthening diplomatic ties with the new government of Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari. On Tuesday, two more Muslim diplomats were targeted in what authorities described as kidnapping attempts. In separate incidents, gunmen opened fire on the convoys of Pakistani Ambassador Mohammed Younis Khan and Bahrain's charge d'affaires, Hassan Malallah Ansari. Pakistan immediately ordered Khan withdrawn to neighboring Jordan. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Khalifa announced Wednesday that Ansari, who suffered a minor gunshot wound, had been promoted to ambassador. Jafari urged foreign countries not to withdraw their diplomats from Iraq, which values international ties as a sign of legitimacy for a Shiite Muslim-led government that has been in office for a little more than two months and is due to hand power to another government after elections set for Dec. 15. "We hope all countries will stand beside us, to bolster the democratic process and continue to carry out their political work in Iraq, mindful of security procedures," Jafari told reporters. A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Adam Hobson, said: "With Iraqi forces on the street getting increasingly better at providing security and with an elected government working hard to create a democratic and prosperous Iraq, we believe it's important for the international community to show support for the Iraqis by establishing and maintaining a diplomatic presence in the country." Al Qaeda in Iraq -- led by Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian who has pledged loyalty to Osama bin Laden -- has asserted responsibility for some of the deadliest attacks in Iraq's two-year-old insurgency and for kidnapping and killing numerous foreigners. Many of the kidnapping victims have been beheaded, and video images of their executions have been posted on the Internet. The Internet statement posted Wednesday in al Qaeda's name accused Egypt of fostering "disbelief" of Islam by recognizing the Iraqi government. Egypt had sent an ambassador "upon the suggestion of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice," the statement said. The Egyptian government did not issue any immediate public response to al Qaeda's pledge to kill Sherif, and the Egyptian Embassy in Baghdad did not answer telephone calls. In Cairo, a Foreign Ministry official quoted anonymously by the Associated Press said the government was "in continuous contact" with the Iraqi government "and all other forces of the Iraqi society" in an effort to win Sherif's release. Another Egyptian diplomat was kidnapped last July and later released unharmed. Meanwhile, two car bombings near Hilla, 60 miles south of Baghdad, killed at least 11 people and wounded 19 Wednesday, police officials told the Reuters news agency. The attacks in Jbeila occurred on a road into the town and at a car sales lot. The dead were mostly civilians. The U.S. military said in a statement that Operation Sword, a sweep by about 1,000 U.S. Marines, soldiers and sailors and 100 Iraqi troops in the western city of Hit, had been completed and that a contingent of Marines and Iraqi soldiers would remain in the city "indefinitely to provide a security presence." Hit, which has a population of about 120,000 and is 95 miles west of Baghdad, will be the westernmost town in Iraq to have a standing force of fully trained Iraqi troops, the statement said. In the northern city of Tikrit, gunmen killed a city council member, Ali Ghalib. Witnesses said that the council member's tribe had promised to avenge the killing and that tensions in the city were high. Special correspondent Salih Saifaldin in Tikrit contributed to this report.

Al Qaeda in Iraq said Wednesday that it would execute an Egyptian diplomat who was kidnapped in Baghdad four days ago, calling him a traitor to Islam and the representative of a country that is "allied to Jews and Christians," according to a statement posted on an Internet site associated with al Qaeda.

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5 Americans Held By U.S. Forces In Iraq Fighting

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Five detainees who are believed to be American citizens are being held in U.S. military detention facilities in Iraq after their arrests there over the past few months, the first Americans taken into custody during the war in Iraq on suspicion of aiding the insurgency or for terrorist activity, Pentagon officials said yesterday. In addition to one detainee with dual U.S.-Jordanian citizenship who was arrested in late October, coalition forces have snared four suspects since April in unrelated cases involving potential insurgent activities throughout Iraq, said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman. Three of those arrested are Iraqi Americans and one is an Iranian American who said he was in Iraq to film footage for a historical documentary. All of those arrested held dual citizenship, but defense officials would not identify the detainees by name or divulge where they lived in the United States. It was also unclear yesterday how involved the detainees were in the fight against the coalition. Whitman said one of the Iraqi Americans was arrested for "engaging in suspicious activities," another for alleged involvement in a kidnapping, and the third for "having the knowledge of planning associated with attacks on coalition forces." The Jordanian American, arrested after a search of his Baghdad home in late October, is believed to be a high-ranking associate of Abu Musab Zarqawi's terrorist network. Officials described him as an emissary with intimate knowledge of and participation in terrorist activities in Iraq. But in the case of the Iranian American -- 44-year-old Cyrus Kar of Los Angeles -- lawyers who are working to return him to his home in the United States argue that he was arrested by mistake as he was traveling through Iraq in a taxi while working on a film documentary about Cyrus the Great, the ancient Persian king. Kar, a native Iranian who served three years in the U.S. Navy, was arrested by Iraqi security forces almost immediately after he entered Iraq from Iran on May 17, when soldiers found several washing machine timers in the taxi's trunk. Those timers can be used on improvised bombs, military officials said, and are a trademark of insurgents who have launched attacks on coalition forces throughout the country. The soldiers took Kar, his Iranian cameraman and the taxi driver into custody, and Kar eventually landed at Camp Cropper, the highest-level U.S. detention facility in Iraq. Kar's story, which is detailed in a legal petition filed in federal court in the District yesterday, was first reported by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times yesterday. In the court papers, Kar's family members allege that he has been held without reason for nearly two months and that the FBI has cleared him of wrongdoing after searching his home and files and after he apparently passed a polygraph test. But he remains behind bars in Iraq, without significant contact with the outside world, and with no charges filed against him. "We don't understand why they won't let him come home, especially since the government said he hasn't done anything wrong," Shahrzad Folger, Kar's first cousin, said in a statement released yesterday. Cathy Viray, a spokeswoman for the FBI field office in Los Angeles, said she was prohibited from providing any details about the Kar case. A U.S. law enforcement official in Washington confirmed that Kar's home was searched by the FBI, as alleged in the lawsuit, but declined to provide further details. American Civil Liberties Union lawyers filed the petition yesterday, alleging that Kar is being held by the U.S. military "without the slightest hint of legal authority." Lt. Col. John Skinner, a Pentagon spokesman who specializes in detention operations, said yesterday that all of the U.S. citizen detainees have been treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and have been treated humanely. All five of the detainees are at one of three main detention facilities -- Camp Cropper near Baghdad International Airport; at the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad; or at Camp Bucca, near the southeastern port city of Umm Qasr. Skinner said nationality is nearly irrelevant when people are taken into custody on suspicion of wrongdoing. Pentagon officials said there are approximately 420 foreign nationals in U.S. detention facilities in Iraq, many of whom are Syrian, Saudi Arabian and Iranian, among many others. The American nationals make up a tiny fraction of the 10,000 detainees in custody, and an even smaller percentage of the more than 70,000 detainees who have been held in Iraq and Afghanistan since the wars began. "If you're engaged in suspicious activities or acts, or with suspicious individuals, you're going to be scrutinized heavily, and nationality doesn't play a role in that," Skinner said. But the American citizens' detention in U.S. military facilities raises distinct legal issues because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that even enemy combatants who are U.S. citizens deserve certain rights -- such as a legal status hearing and access to a lawyer -- rights the detainees have not yet been able to exercise. Whitman said such detainees fall into a "special category" but are not entitled to military commissions or legal representation, because they are being held as "imperative security" internees and have not been charged with a crime. Whitman said there are several options for dealing with the five specific cases, and discussions are underway with Iraqi government and U.S. government officials. Ultimately, the cases could be transferred to either government. Whitman added that the detainees will have their detention and legal status reviewed by a three-member panel. Staff writer Dan Eggen and researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.

Five detainees who are believed to be American citizens are being held in U.S. military detention facilities in Iraq after their arrests there over the past few months, the first Americans taken into custody during the war in Iraq on suspicion of aiding the insurgency or for terrorist activity,...

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Connecting With Kids, Wirelessly

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New cell phones are extra-small to fit children's hands, with "mommy" and "daddy" buttons for one-touch dialing. They come in colors called X-Ray and Bubblegum. Still others are set to feature animated characters on the display screen and have educational software built right in. Cell phone companies, having captured most of America with lucrative service contracts, are coming for the children. Yesterday, Walt Disney Co. announced a deal with Sprint Corp. to offer wireless service directed at 8- to 12-year-olds, joining at least two other companies competing for the same age group. "There are a lot of parents trying to decide how to take advantage of cellular phones to keep connected to their families," said Stephen H. Wadsworth, president of Walt Disney Internet Group, which plans to launch the Disney Mobile service next year. "Obviously, it needs to be something that appeals to kids." Appealing to kids is rich terrain for wireless companies, which have already locked up nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population through service contracts. In the past year, the industry's biggest growth has come from 14- to 24-year-olds buying from specialized brands like Virgin Mobile or Boost Mobile LLC. Now, 55 percent of teens have wireless phones, so companies see green in the even younger market, where 25 percent of kids 12 and under own mobile phones, according to the Yankee Group. Since March, Firefly Mobile Inc. has signed up more than 100,000 users under age 12. Enfora LP plans to sell phones this fall equipped with LeapFrog educational software directed at the 6-and-over crowd. "It's a segment of the market that's under-penetrated," David Bottoms, vice president of strategic partnerships for Sprint, said of the "tween" population of 8- to 12-year-olds. That demographic is 20 million to 30 million strong in the United States, according to analysts. Disney can tap that base because of its vast library of kids' entertainment, he said, and because "Disney is considered safe and trusted." Cell phones are only the latest product to target the elementary and middle school age group, with companies racing to get everything from snack foods to debit cards into kids' hands. Because of their cost, mobile phones pose a special dilemma for parents. On the one hand, putting wireless devices in younger hands can ease the demands of scheduling on the fly and monitoring whereabouts. But some say the added distraction -- and the expense -- raise a question about whether cell phones should be introduced to children at a young age. Kids can rack up charges on cell phones without parental consent, said Morgan Jindrich, director of the HearUsNow.org Web site for Consumers Union, which collects consumer complaints. One mother recently wrote to complain that her child rang up $87 in Internet usage and download charges on her cell phone bill, Jindrich said. Parental controls and simple design are perks that Disney, Firefly and Enfora are touting to appease parents' concerns. Firefly, for example, designed a smaller phone that comes with only five large buttons instead of the usual numeric keypad. Because it is a simplified device that only makes and receives calls, children cannot exchange text messages with friends during class or download pornography off a wireless Internet connection. Jeannie Pfeffer, a single mother of two children, ages 12 and 13, said she rejected the idea of putting a normal cell phone in the hands of her children. But she warmed to the idea of buying her kids $129 Firefly phones, which she can program so they can dial only a list of numbers she controls. "It's a really nice safety feature," said Pfeffer, a Mills River, N.C., resident whose kids call her with their phones when basketball practice finishes early. At $20 a month for each account, the cost was manageable, said Pfeffer, whose signature ring tone on her kids' phones is "The Entertainer." "This gave them an opportunity to show me that they would be responsible enough [to own a phone]. The teachers don't complain a lot about Firefly because they can't just call anybody." Tracking one's child may eventually be another selling point for parents, said Mark Weinzierl, president and chief executive of Enfora, a start-up cell phone provider based in the Dallas area. While a tracking service will not be available in Enfora's first version, the company may add such a service with later models, he said. For parents concerned about children habitually losing their phone, Firefly is negotiating potential insurance arrangements for child-owned cell phones, said Robin Abrams, chief executive of the Chicago-based company, which conducted 3,000 focus groups and surveys of parents and kids before launching its service. Selling the product to parents is key because, in most cases, they pay the bills. Of cell phone users between the ages of 13 and 17, 53 percent get service through a family plan -- a payment method that allows parents to add children to their accounts for as little as $10 a month, according to the Yankee Group. Disney, which is disclosing little about its specific marketing plans, said it will present its service in the form of a family plan, offering Mom and Dad as well as their kids appropriate phones, all on one bill. The move to supply kids with phones is a clever one for cell phone companies, said Roger Entner, an analyst with Ovum, an independent research firm. Parents have already shown their willingness to purchase portable gaming devices for young children, so a cell phone may be no different, he said. Besides, entertainment companies already know how to launch an effective marketing campaign. "Little kids can be relentless if they see something they want," he said. "They won't give up."

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Kirov's 'Corsaire': Heavy on the Russian Dressing

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As ballet, it has its drawbacks, but as a circus, the Kirov's "Le Corsaire" is unrivaled. What else can you call a stage production that has so many things going on at once, and with such brash eagerness to please? Ballerinas in bikini tops -- lots of 'em! Wacky Turks in huge mushroom-cap turbans! There's also a bumbling, skirt-chasing Pasha, a stable of gallant pirates and a "slave" who gets the plum role, stealing the show with one eye-popping, contortionist display after the other. The gaudily draped sets leave no doubt about it: You're peeking under the Big Top. "Le Corsaire," which opened Tuesday for a six-day run at the Kennedy Center Opera House, does not so much romance you as pummel you with Russian might. In fact, it looks quite a bit more like a hard-driving production of Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet than a work by that company's historically more refined and artful rivals in St. Petersburg. Lately, however, the Kirov seems to be aiming beneath the artistic high bar it so famously set in past decades. Lacking the athletic standard of the current age, a melt-your-heart stylist like Natalia Makarova wouldn't stand a chance in her native company now. With the exception of last year's "Swan Lake," the Kirov's aggressive edge has felt sharper with each of the troupe's appearances here. Yet pushiness is not entirely out of place in "Le Corsaire," nor is spectacle. Inspired by Lord Byron's poem about the high-seas escapades of a corsair, or pirate, the ballet typifies the mid-19th-century fascination with adventure and exoticism (it takes place in Turkish-patrolled Greece, processed through a Russian view of how the French might see it). It revised the G-rated standard of romantic ballet, with its fairies and sylphs and noblemen, to a PG-13 level, appealing to a baser appetite for violence and (implied) sex. No single composer would do for this extravaganza; the score is a pastiche of works by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Leo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo and Pyotr Oldenburgsky. There is a good degree of fun in the ballet. The Turks are full-bellied buffoons; the harem-building Pasha is a witless voyeur. The plot is essentially a game of who-gets-the-girl, as Conrad, the corsair of the title, frees the maiden Medora from the Pasha's clutches, and Lankedem the slave-trader plots to get her back, only to have Conrad ultimately whisk her off in his getaway ship. Credit the Kirov with attempting to make something of the drama in this silliest of ballet story lines. There is more scene-setting and exposition here than in, say, American Ballet Theatre's swifter-paced version. The choreography in this 1987 redo is by Pyotr Gusev, based on the 19th-century work of Marius Petipa, and the emphasis is squarely on the dancing. Swaths of standard-issue ensemble work are studded with virtuosic displays by the principals. Inexplicably, however, most of the A-list dancers have stayed in St. Petersburg, especially among the ballerinas -- according to the announced casting, company standouts Diana Vishneva and Daria Pavlenko will not be here this week. Tuesday's Medora, Viktoria Tereshkina, possessed force but little impact. True, she had all the technical prowess you could ask for, as well as courage to match any pirate. She had encountered some slick spots on the stage a few times earlier in the evening, falling once and slipping a few other times, but there was nothing tentative about her seemingly endless series of whipping fouetté turns; they could have been computer-generated for all their jackhammer precision. Yet she often left a ragged edge on her steps. Her footwork lost its neatness after the flashy bits were done, and her arms and hands were brittle rather than soft. She offered no hint as to what kind of a creature Medora was, nor as to why Conrad should risk all for her. Ekaterina Osmolkina was a similarly twiggy, steely Gulnara, Medora's best girlfriend. As Conrad, Ilya Kuznetsov was less a swaggering pirate than a prince among men -- big, blond and polished, consuming the stage with his leaps, hanging in space for extra revolutions in airborne turns. He grew unbecomingly desperate, though, in the ballet's central pas de trois, a dance for Medora, Conrad and Ali, Conrad's slave. This segment is most often danced (and frequently excerpted) as a duet between the maiden and the devoted slave, and you have to wonder why the Kirov returned to its three-way origins. Conrad came across as unnecessary, especially next to Leonid Sarafanov's Ali. A slight dancer who can bounce like a superball, Sarafanov ignited the single loudest burst of shouts and applause I can recall hearing at the Kennedy Center in decades of performances. An acrobatic wizard, he could twist his pelvis around his spine -- his torso going one way while his legs pinwheeled the other -- as he shot lengthwise through the air, grimacing like a sprinter at the finish line. He did it twice, and it was a perfect 10 each time (as you would expect, since he had abandoned the realm of ballet for the Olympic arena at that point). Kuznetsov couldn't top that, and looked put out by Sarafanov's ovation, but he gets points in my book for sticking to ballet steps. Teymuraz Murvanidze's set designs presented a spectacle of another order; each scene took place beneath a bizarrely abstract thundercloud of fabric. It looked as though great golden orbs were dripping multicolor goo over the first act's marketplace, while in the second act the pirates' cave was overhung with wads of crumpled foil. Worst of all was the riot of pinks framing the garden scene in Act 3, where the Pasha's harem dances for him. The dancers even wore peach-colored wigs. Evidently this wasn't enough for the designers. About halfway through this scene, fountains start gushing loudly in the background. It was the ballet's single metaphoric moment: Like those waterworks, "Le Corsaire" pours on the effects, the colors, the technical dazzle and every sort of extreme, but for all its exertions it never enters your heart. Still, I'm not sorry I saw it. Excess is a tradition in ballet, and nobody carries it on with more relish than the Russians. Performances continue through Sunday, with cast changes.

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Raising the Bar

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Okay, here's a pledge: I will do my darnedest to get through this story without a single candy cliche. Nothing will be "sweet"; experiences will not be "morsels" and in any case they won't be "rich," "scrumptious" or "delicious." And if you catch me summing up our departure at the end of a fun-filled but exhausting day as "bittersweet," feel free to strangle me with a Twizzler. It's going to be tough, though. Hersheypark has got to be America's Biggest Chocolate Metaphor. From the theme park's own slogans ("The Sweetest Place on Earth," "Unwrap the Fun") to the living candy bars patrolling the premises to the fistfuls of Kisses, Krackels and Kit Kats they ply you with at the hotels and restaurants, Hershey expects you not just to eat chocolate but to enter a sort of chocolate universe. At Hersheypark, a Kiss is not just a kiss, it's your host.Well, I'm not going to bite. (That doesn't count!) This report from Hershey will be sugar-free. (Close one.) It will not be, if you will, a cocoa puff piece. (Okay, forget it. They win.) Hersheypark, about two hours from Washington just east of Harrisburg, Pa., is an odd member of the amusement park genus. It's much smaller than that place in Orlando by which all amusement parks are judged. And it's a one-off operation, unlike the many-membered Six Flags chain. There's an almost haphazard feel to the park's several parts, with a theme park, zoo, sports arena and acres of parking all tucked tightly into the company town of Hershey itself, an entertainment complex flanked by mill housing and a massive chocolate factory. In spite of its current corporate parentage (Hershey Co. is a $4 billion concern, after all), Hersheypark retains some of the personal, small-world feel it must have had when Milton S. Hershey opened it as a "pleasure ground" for his factory workers in 1907. With an abundance of kiddie rides, carnival-style games and some posted admonitions against inappropriate dress and line-jumping, it feels at times as if we've been invited into an elaborate, old-fashioned company picnic. On a hot June morning 98 years later, Mr. Hershey was still very much a presence at the empire that bears his name. Visitors coming through the turnstiles into Founder's Circle are met by a statue of the man who did for chocolate what Henry Ford did for the automobile -- found a way to mass produce it for the hoi polloi. The Cocoa King stands forever near the vintage carousel that he purchased in the 1940s, one of the park's oldest mechanical rides, and within screaming range of one of its latest, the maniacal Storm Runner, a high-tech, stomach-twisting roller coaster that debuted last year. Many of the guests speeding by the bronze Mr. Hershey carry beach towels, making the spot a good one to assess the three things Hersheypark does best: roller coasters (there are 10 of them), imaginative ways to get wet on a blistering summer day and, surprisingly, food. From tacos, sushi and even a decent Caesar salad, we would find much more to noshing at Hershey than candy bars. In fact, you've got to be a true chocolate glutton not to max out pretty quickly on the sweet stuff. The lunch bill at the Hershey Lodge came covered in Mr. Goodbar miniatures; check-in included a Hershey Bar for every guest, and the kids' program at the fascinating Hershey Museum featured edible craft projects made from Kisses. Within an hour, I was laden with that day-after-Halloween feeling -- halfway through your plastic pumpkin and one Crunch bar over the line. Oops! Crunch bar is a Nestle candy, isn't it? Sorry. It feels somehow disloyal to invoke other brands of chocolate around Hershey and, needless to say, there isn't an M&M or Snickers in sight. When a six-foot Hershey bar walked by, surrounded by adoring kids, I asked loudly if we'd be seeing Lady Godiva at all. My wife clapped a hand over my mouth. It's funny, this idea of coming to visit a line of consumer products and counting them as hosts and pals. They're not even on a cartoon, but the children gladly run up to hug every lumbering Kit Kat bar or walking Kiss. Guests at one of the three Hershey hotels can even pay $14 for the daily Breakfast at the Park, a Pennsylvania Dutch meal of apple pancakes, eggs and sausage that features face time with Hershey "product characters." I wasn't positive I wanted a colossal Milk Dud coming at me before I'd had coffee, but it was a chance to get into the park an hour before the official opening time of 10 a.m. And my kids did love it when the playful Reese's Peanut Butter Cup tried to swap my chocolate chip muffin. "You," said the woman at a table next to a very large York Peppermint Pattie, "are my absolute favorite." All over the park, people lined up to take pictures with their preferred confection and bought T-shirts, hats and key chains with those same familiar logos. It seems that certain household brands really do assume pal status in our lives. (But not all. You wouldn't spend $40 to enter Preparation H World, would you? Or send the kid to hug a walking can of Desenex?) Our morning at Hershey was spent on rides, both carnival style (Tilt-A-Whirl, a swinging pirate ship and a grand Ferris wheel) and theme-park style (a steam railroad, a monorail, the excellent simulated journey through the chocolate-making process and a killer 3-D movie in a cleverly booby-trapped theater). The weekday lines were never more than about 15 minutes, allowing me to bag six of the park's roller coasters. My favorite was the Comet, a classic wooden coaster with a go-forever ride and a racket like a herd of mustangs crossing an old metal bridge. The Storm Runner, with its rocket-sled hydraulic launch, boasted the most intense first four seconds of any coaster I've ever ridden, followed by a rapid-fire succession of rolls and a disappointingly quick finish. At the far end of the park, the Lightning Racer is an insanely complicated nest of swoops built of weathered timber. It looks like something left behind by a flood, but the twin coasters race each other through the tangle with thrilling zippiness.

Okay, here's a pledge: I will do my darnedest to get through this story without a single candy cliche. Nothing will be "sweet"; experiences will not be "morsels" and in any case they won't be "rich," "scrumptious" or "delicious." And if you catch me summing up our departure at the end of a...

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Uniform Adjustment

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McDonald's Corp. is planning to hire celebrity designers -- perhaps names as big as Tommy Hilfiger or P. Diddy's Sean John -- to remake the work wear for its 600,000 U.S. employees. Negotiations are in the early stages, and no deals have been inked, said Steve Stoute, a brand consultant who pairs celebrities with Fortune 500 companies. He is working with McDonald's to arrange for designer input, and after he made overtures to some big names in the business, designers have been calling him. Besides Tommy Hilfiger and Sean John, he said he is talking to designers such as Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, retail chain Abercrombie & Fitch, and rapper Jay-Z's Rocawear line. McDonald's is shooting for clothes so hip that employees will want to wear them outside of work. The goal, said McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman, is to "capture that spirit of being forever young." Others involved in developing the program say the new look will likely have a retro feel that takes its cues from the era when McDonald's was first expanding, in the 1960s. It's an effort to update the fast-food giant's image and connect with young employees and customers. It's unclear if the new look will sell more burgers, but experts say cool clothes could help its mass-market image and make its entry-level jobs a little more attractive. If the fashion is good, employees will probably see getting the clothes as a good reason to take the job, said Rick Levine, publisher of Made To Measure, a uniform industry trade publication. "My first job as a freshman in high school was at Long John Silver's, back when they had those little pirate hats and a fake earring," Levine said. "Try to get a kid today to wear that. No way. Now they've all got golf shirts." Designers are working in the airline industry, as some companies attempt to distinguish themselves from the pack. Last year, Delta Air Lines' low-cost subsidiary Song launched uniforms designed by handbag maven Kate Spade. Air France flight attendants have been dressed by Christian Dior. And pilot uniforms for United Airlines and JetBlue Airways got some help from New York designer Stan Herman. McDonald's will probably hire more than one designer so the company's look can change frequently, both with the seasons and with fashion, Stoute said. Introducing modern fashion to the fast-food industry is a natural progression for McDonald's, which already places its brand in the worlds of music and film through promotional tie-ins, Stoute said. The next step is having the company's young workforce look more hip and therefore more in tune with the young customers walking through the door to order a cheeseburger and fries. "Brands that want to get closer in proximity to popular culture have to start taking steps internally to get there," Stoute said, adding that he is expecting other quick-service restaurants to follow suit. "You can't just manage your relationship to pop culture through 30-second spots," he said. Experts say a McDonald's fashion statement could cause a ripple effect in the restaurant and uniform industries, as others jump to emulate the chain's hip looks. "They're firing the first salvo with a new uniform," said Harry Balzer, food industry analyst for market research firm NPD Foodworld. "The restaurant industry is very much a 'me too' world. When you find someone who's done something successful, you find a way to bring it into your business, too." One caveat that uniform experts offer is the possibility that a brand might suffer if employees really do wear the clothes outside of work. Rather than identifying and differentiating employees, the look may blend so seamlessly into modern fashion that the stores will no longer project a unique look. But that is clearly a gamble McDonald's is willing to take and one that industry observers say is not surprising, given how intent McDonald's is on updating its image. It regularly tweaks its uniforms, with the most recent reworking last year. The chain has rolled out more modern menu fare at its 13,700 U.S. locations, such as its recent fruit and walnut salad, and has updated its decor. Its new advertising campaign is built around the jingle, "I'm lovin' it," which is an attempt to refocus the chain on its core, youthful market. To that customer, fashion is essential. "I'm surprised they haven't done it already," said Ron Paul, a restaurant industry consultant with Technomic in Chicago. "It's part of the marketing of the brand."

McDonald's Corp. is planning to hire celebrity designers -- perhaps names as big as Tommy Hilfiger or P. Diddy's Sean John -- to remake the work wear for its 600,000 U.S. employees.

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Some Cox Internet Customers Lose Service

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Cox Communications Inc. said yesterday that some of its Northern Virginia customers wereunable to access the Internet after June 22, when the company began upgrading its high-speed service. Customers using Toshiba PCX 1000 or Toshiba PCX 1100 cable modems have the problems. The upgrade raised connection speeds for customers with two of the three Internet packages that Cox offers, and those modems are not compatible with the higher speeds. The company, which has 2.7 million high-speed Internet customers nationwide, sent notification letters only to customers who paid for the priciest and fastest package. Those who paid for the second-fastest Internet speed -- more than 80 percent of the company's subscribers -- were not warned because their service was less likely to be interrupted, the company said. "We decided that we felt that the majority of those customers would be fine no matter what modem they have," said Alex Horwitz, a spokesman for Cox in Northern Virginia. That left Northern Virginia customers such as Mitch Schlesinger without Internet service for almost a week. The Fairfax County resident said he started noticing problems with his Internet connection right after he received an e-mail from Cox advertising the upgrade. "The Internet connection slowed to a crawl, what I would term slower than a 56K dial-up speed," said Schlesinger, 38, who works at an investment management firm. About five days ago, he couldn't reach the Internet at all. Cox estimates that about 1 percent of its high-speed Internet customers in Northern Virginia could not connect to the Internet after the upgrade. It would not say exactly how many customers were affected, citing competitive reasons. The company mailed about 600 letters to customers with the Toshiba modems who subscribed to the fastest Internet option, which costs $70 a month, or $55 with cable television. The option now provides an Internet speed of 15 megabits per second for downloads and two megabits for uploads, about three times the speed before the upgrade. The second-level option costs $55, or $40 with cable, and has speeds of five megabits download, two megabits upload. Not all customers who had Toshiba modems and used the second option were affected. Cox said it didn't want to alarm all customers using the second-fastest option by sending them letters. The company planned to deal with those who had problems case by case, Horwitz said. "We didn't want to be proactive and have customers call us worried that the service would go out," he said. He said that customers who rent the Toshiba modems from Cox and cannot access the Internet after the upgrade can go to the Cox retail stores in Kingstowne or Herndon to trade for compatible modems, without charge. They can also call Cox's customer service department to have new modems installed, also free. Schlesinger said he called Cox and will receive a rebate for the week he had no Internet access. He said he had Internet service yesterday morning, but that he does not know if the problem has been permanently fixed. Cox used to lease out both of the Toshiba modems that now may be incompatible with the new Internet speeds, but stopped offering them in April to customers subscribing to its more expensive packages. Until a few weeks ago, the modems were still available for customers paying for Cox's slowest Internet option, which costs $25 a month. Those customers are not affected by the upgrade, the company said.

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In the Center, Hers Was the Vote That Counted

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Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement leaves a hole at the center of the Supreme Court and, in a sense, at the center of the country. During her 24-year tenure, the Republican and Democratic parties came increasingly under the influence of their ideological cores, and Washington grew deeply polarized between left and right. JavaScript is required to display this interactive graphic. If it is turned off, please enable JavaScript in your browser preferences. But O'Connor remained something of a throwback: a moderate Republican, known as a broker of compromises during her long-ago tenure as Arizona's Senate majority leader, who used her pivotal position on the court to keep the law under which all Americans must live from veering toward any extreme. On a nine-member court that often mirrored the liberal-conservative split of the larger society, O'Connor repeatedly cast the fifth and deciding vote, not to establish sweeping new constitutional principles but to make law that she thought would make sense to the American people. The first woman on the court thus became the most powerful woman in the United States -- a fact that was acknowledged even by her conservative rival on the court, Antonin Scalia, who said in a statement yesterday that "she has become a star. The statistics show that during her tenure she shaped the jurisprudence of this Court more than any other Associate Justice." O'Connor was guided not only by her political fingertips. She had a deep-rooted pragmatic sensibility that owed much to her upbringing on a desolate western cattle ranch -- and rather less to the fixed doctrinal principles contained in law books. "Justice Scalia said the rule of law is the law of rules," said Eugene Volokh, a former law clerk to O'Connor who teaches constitutional law at UCLA. "Justice O'Connor's view was that the work of the law is making the law work." Or, as O'Connor put it in dissenting from a ruling by liberal and conservative colleagues who teamed up to strike down state sentencing guidelines in a 2004 decision, "If indeed the choice is between adopting a balanced case-by-case approach . . . and adopting a rigid rule that destroys everything in its path, I will choose the former." But when they were not angling for her vote, lawyers of both the left and the right would sometimes complain that her approach introduced too much instability into the law and made too many important issues into guessing games about her intentions. "We have a living Constitution. Her name is Sandra Day O'Connor, and thank God she's retiring," Kevin J. "Seamus" Hasson, founder and president of the conservative Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said yesterday. "Her support for separation of church and state was not consistent," said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of the liberal Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In his 1980 GOP presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan, concerned about the pro-Democrat "gender gap" that had opened up among voters, promised that he would name a woman "to one of the first Supreme Court vacancies in my administration."

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement leaves a hole at the center of the Supreme Court and, in a sense, at the center of the country.

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Ex-Tennessee Senator to Squire Bush Nominee Through Confirmation

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Fred D. Thompson, a "Law & Order" actor, lobbyist and former senator, said yesterday after being named to shepherd President Bush's future choice for the Supreme Court that he will counsel the nominee to be restrained in answering senators' questions. Thompson's declaration was a fresh indication of a possible collision between the White House and Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee, who call it their duty to thoroughly question the nominee. "Anything that would either directly, or implied, indicate how a person would decide a particular case or a particular kind of case would be out of bounds," Thompson said on CNN. He said it is not appropriate to give legal views "that are outside the bounds of, maybe, what somebody's already written in a judicial opinion." Bush aides said Thompson will serve as an informal adviser who will walk the nominee through the confirmation process, accompanying the nominee on courtesy calls to senators' offices and sitting near the nominee during hearings. Thompson's selection had been secret, even from high-level GOP aides, until after White House press secretary Scott McClellan announced it in Scotland, where Bush is attending the Group of Eight summit. Thompson will be joined by former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie. Republicans said Thompson will be "Mr. Inside," dealing privately with senators and providing gravitas, while Gillespie will be "Mr. Outside," developing Bush's nomination message. McClellan declined to discuss Gillespie's role, calling it "not ready to announce." McClellan said Bush called Thompson on Monday to thank him for taking on the role. Thompson will not work out of the White House complex, and McClellan said he will not be part of the selection process. Thompson, 62, was first elected in 1994 to a partial term as senator from Tennessee and served on the Judiciary Committee but did not run again in 2002. He played an admiral in "The Hunt for Red October," and was minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee in 1973-74. Asked on CNN what would happen to his television career, he said his new role "is not going to last long enough to make me give up my show" as the cast gets most of the summer off. He said that if the process "pours over into" the fall, he can "make adjustments and make it all work." Karen Finney of the Democratic National Committee said that "blurring the line between fact and fiction is nothing new for our Republican colleagues." The liberal Alliance for Justice pointed out remarks Thompson made in 2001 before a Judiciary Committee subcommittee, in which he took a more expansive view of questions that are appropriate for judicial nominees. "We want to make sure that that person is not an extremist in any way." But Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the announcement encouraging and said Thompson "is the kind of person who can bring people together and can avoid something no one wants -- a confrontation." Staff writer Charles Babington and research editor Lucy Shackelford contributed to this report.

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As Bolton Battle Continues, A Steady Hand at the U.N.

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UNITED NATIONS -- The face of American power here is a 5-foot-1 woman who can charm foreign envoys even when she is enforcing policies that infuriate them. Anne W. Patterson, the acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, represents a stark contrast to the confrontational John R. Bolton, whom President Bush has nominated to represent the United States at the world body. With Bolton's confirmation at risk, Patterson is leading U.S. efforts to grapple with a series of U.N. scandals, monitor the 191-member institution's multibillion-dollar peacekeeping enterprise, and reorient it to halt terrorism and the spread of the world's deadliest weapons. Senior U.N. delegates say they value her pragmatism and they are in no hurry to see her replaced by Bolton. "There are plenty of people who would like to see Bolton delayed indefinitely," one senior U.N. official said. "I haven't heard anyone saying we'd rather work with her than him, but obviously that's implicit." John C. Danforth, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the U.S. mission "clearly suffers" from not having an ambassador in place. But he noted that Patterson had exhibited the skills to run the large mission when she served as his deputy. "I don't know how the Bolton nomination stands," said Danforth, who resigned in January. "But she could certainly do that job and anything else." Patterson, 55, is a career Foreign Service officer and has headed U.S. embassies in El Salvador and Colombia. She is the first woman to serve as U.S. deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, the second-highest-ranking U.S. official here. Since Danforth's departure, she has been coping with a broad range of crises -- including a recent upsurge of violence in Haiti that may require the deployment of U.S. troops -- with a thinly staffed and undersupported mission. Three of the mission's five ambassadorial posts, including Bolton's, remain unfilled (although the United States has temporarily assigned a retired senior diplomat to oversee U.N. peacekeeping). The Bush administration has yet to appoint an assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, which oversees U.N. policy. "The women is doing four jobs," said Catherine Bertini, a former senior adviser to Secretary General Kofi Annan and the top U.S. citizen at the U.N. Secretariat before leaving the organization this spring. Patterson has won high marks from her colleagues and staff members, who describe her as a smart manager who listens to advice from her specialists. She has won praise from human rights advocates for her role in implementing one of the largest U.S. foreign assistance programs, Plan Colombia, while serving as ambassador to Colombia. "Anne Patterson was an outstanding ambassador," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of Human Rights Watch. Vivanco said that an unprecedented number of senior Colombian officers with alleged links to the country's paramilitary death squads were denied visas under her watch to travel to the United States. "She was never shy about raising human rights concerns or even criticizing publicly the poor record of the Colombian armed forces," he said. But Patterson has also been targeted by congressional critics, who have faulted her role in scaling back a U.S.-backed opium-eradication program in Colombia in 2001 in order to step up spraying of Colombian coca. The decision coincided with an increase in heroin use in U.S. cities.

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U.S. Medical Team Attacked by Afghan Insurgents

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KABUL, Afghanistan, July 6 -- Rebels attacked a U.S. military medical team as it was helping villagers in the same region of eastern Afghanistan where a U.S. airstrike last week killed as many as 17 civilians, the U.S. military said Wednesday. No one was wounded in the assault on the medical team, which took place Tuesday near the town of Asadabad in Konar province, a military statement said. U.S. forces responded to the attack with mortar fire, causing the insurgents to flee. "It's incredible to us that the enemy would attack our forces while we are providing innocent Afghans with health care," said Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara, a U.S. military spokesman. The airstrike Friday also was in Konar and targeted a known terrorist base, the U.S. military said. But an Afghan government spokesman said the deaths of the civilians, including women and children, could not be justified. The comments marked unusual criticism from the government of President Hamid Karzai, often derided by critics as an American puppet. The United States provides security for the president as well as hundreds of millions of dollars a year in aid to Afghanistan. The reprimand also highlighted the Afghan government's concern that deadly mistakes could erode public support for the U.S. presence here. In the past, Karzai's government has expressed interest in a long-term U.S. military presence in the region as Afghanistan recovers from nearly a quarter-century of war. U.S. forces, meanwhile, spent an eighth day in the mountains of Konar searching for the final member of an elite, four-man Navy SEAL commando team that was reported missing June 28. One team member was rescued, while the bodies of two others were recovered Monday and taken to Bagram air base north of Kabul, a U.S. military statement said. A transport helicopter sent to rescue the four was shot down the day the team went missing, killing all 16 U.S. servicemen aboard. "We're of course doing everything we can to find the last of the four SEALs. And it's a real priority, and something the president asked to get briefed on this morning," President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, told reporters aboard Air Force One. Another U.S. military spokesman, Col. James Yonts, said, "We are conducting a very aggressive, 24-hour, around-the-clock search for this individual." "I can't go into detail, but we are very hopeful that we will recover this individual back into our care soon. We are working this very hard," he told reporters in Kabul, the capital. He said the U.S. military had 300 troops in the area as well as numerous aircraft. A U.S. military statement said the sole rescued serviceman was receiving medical treatment at Bagram for "non-life-threatening injuries." The airstrike that killed the civilians targeted a house in the same area. The total number of people killed was still unclear, but "roughly half" may have been civilians, while the rest were Taliban or al Qaeda fighters, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Tuesday. U.S. forces described the house as "a known operating base for terrorist attacks . . . as well as a base for a medium-level terrorist leader." "We deeply regret any loss of civilian life in the course of military actions," said Sean McCormack, a State Department spokesman.

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Egyptian Candidate's Trial Is Postponed

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CAIRO, July 6 -- A court on Wednesday postponed the forgery trial of Egypt's most prominent opposition presidential candidate until late September, almost certainly after the country's first contested national election. Ayman Nour and his attorneys said they were unhappy with the postponement until Sept. 25. No election date has been set, but political analysts here say the vote almost certainly will be held by mid-September. "They want me to go into the elections burdened with this case, and don't want me to be found innocent before the elections," Nour said. "That would be great publicity for me and embarrassment to the regime." For the government of President Hosni Mubarak, his likely rival, a postponement means avoiding, for now, a trial that became embarrassing last week when a key witness recanted. Egypt's prosecutor-general has classified this as a criminal, and not a political, case. Egypt's government has said the country's judiciary is independent and not subject to political pressure. Nour's arrest on Jan. 29 and his detention for 42 days without charges strained Egypt's relations with the United States. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice canceled a visit in March, and when she eventually came in June, she met with Nour and other opposition figures. The United States has announced that it is following the trial closely. Egypt's pro-government news media has cited U.S. pressure as proof that Nour is an "American agent." As Nour entered the courtroom Wednesday, some in the crowd shouted: "Go out, you American agent." Nour's supporters shouted back: "Here comes the honest one" and "Mubarak, round up your dogs." Mubarak, 77, has been in power since 1981. He has not yet announced whether he will run for a fifth six-year term but is widely expected in Egypt to do so. He won his four previous terms unopposed, in straight yes-or-no referendums. Nour, 40, who was not widely known in Egypt until his arrest, announced his presidential bid while still in jail earlier this year, shortly after Mubarak announced a constitutional amendment allowing the contested election. Nour has pleaded not guilty to forging signatures to get his Tomorrow Party officially registered last year. His co-defendants said Nour ordered them to commit the forgery, but Nour has said he does not even know them. One defendant recanted his testimony during Wednesday's court session. The witness, Ayman Ismael Refai, threw the trial into turmoil last week when he blurted out in court that he wanted to withdraw his accusations. The chief judge stormed out of the courtroom and adjourned the session before Refai could explain -- but he later told journalists that security forces had threatened to harm his young nieces if he didn't implicate Nour. On Wednesday, the judge gave Refai a chance to speak, and his allegations were recorded in the court's documents. Refai's attorney then demanded the judges "protect his client from those who forced him to confess."

CAIRO, July 6 -- A court on Wednesday postponed the forgery trial of Egypt's most prominent opposition presidential candidate until late September, almost certainly after the country's first contested national election.

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Area Officials May Look to 2016

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Dan Knise, who led Washington-Baltimore's unsuccessful attempt to bid for the 2012 Olympics, met with more than a half-dozen of his former partners at a downtown District restaurant yesterday for what was intended to be a purely social lunch to chat about the selection of London to host the 2012 Games earlier in the morning. The outing, however, morphed into something closer to a business meeting as the group pondered making a pitch for the 2016 Games. Just hours after New York met with a resounding defeat -- eliminated in the second round of voting by the International Olympic Committee in Singapore -- the U.S. Olympic Committee surprisingly announced it would soon open a new bidding process to determine its candidate for the 2016 Olympics by the end of next year. New York officials have not said whether they will bid again. In any case, the USOC said, New York would have no advantage. The dissolved but still-connected D.C.-Baltimore group, which three years ago finished behind New York and San Francisco after three years of campaigning, spent nearly two hours discussing the possibility of resuscitating the bid, Knise said. "We're interested," Knise said. "The key is we have more to find out [from the USOC] and clearly more bases to touch within the community. . . . So far, the feedback I've gotten about this from a variety of sources is positive: Let's give this a try." Washington Mayor Anthony Williams said yesterday, "If New York were no longer the U.S. city, then of course, I think we should renew our bid." Knise said the Greater Washington Sports Alliance, a nonprofit group he helped found, would sponsor the bid if it were to go forward. He said officials at the luncheon agreed the region could put together a more compelling bid than the previous one given recent developments in the local sports landscape, such as planned stadiums for D.C. United and the Washington Nationals to be built along the Anacostia waterfront. "We've got a better situation than we probably did three years ago," said Knise, who was joined yesterday by former D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission president Bobby Goldwater, former bid team communications director Kelley Mullaney, Maryland Sports Corp. head Barbara Bozzuto and others. "The harder part is figuring out what the USOC process is going to be and what's the lay of the land." USOC Chairman Peter Ueberroth and CEO Jim Scherr said the 11-member USOC board would meet in the coming weeks to devise the terms of a selection process designed to move far more quickly than the one that whittled New York from a field of eight candidates. "We'd have to have it solid, done, announced and moving forward certainly in the calendar of '06," Ueberroth said by phone from Singapore. The USOC's quick shift from New York's failed bid to an almost eager announcement of an open selection process that gives New York no right-of-first-refusal caught Knise and other Olympic officials off-guard. The readiness to move forward with or without New York suggests either that USOC officials don't expect New York to bid again for 2016 or that they were frustrated by certain elements of New York's plan and would welcome a different approach. New York's bid was undermined just a month ago when a state board failed to approve funding for the bid's central component, an Olympic stadium on the west side of Manhattan.

SINGAPORE, July 6 --London won the right Wednesday to host to 2012 summer Olympics, defeating rivals New York, Moscow, Madrid and Paris.

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The Fight Against Spam

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Like the Internet itself, e-mail is an innovation born out of idealism that has found itself stymied by abuse. Junk messages, or "spam," has grown from 50 percent of all worldwide e-mail in July 2003 to about 69 percent today. The industry's failure to adopt a solution that all agree is necessary is a lesson in the complicated nature of who controls the online world. Post staff writer Ariana Eunjung Cha (read her story here) was online Thursday, July 7 to discuss why -- if everyone agrees that the problem has to be fixed -- none of the critical players seems to be able to agree on how. Washington, D.C.: Fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the e-mail battle, but I think the story went too easy on Microsoft. The company is evil and the justice department says so. Ariana Eunjung Cha: Good morning everyone and welcome. Aha! I expected a few of these question-opinions about Microsoft. Other companies certainly have reason to be suspicious of Microsoft, but so far Microsoft seems to be living up to its promises when it comes to its efforts to fight spam. Bill Gates has personally stated his commitment to the cause. Even Microsoft's arch enemy, locally based America Online, in recent months has come around to supporting Microsoft's efforts on spam. Washington, D.C.: Are the major ISPs cooperating at all on the spam problem? Ariana Eunjung Cha: Yes. Many of these companies have taken a leadership role in the fight against spam. Yahoo, Earthlink, Microsoft and AOL have been holding "secret" (closed) meetings for several years about the problem and as early as 2003 they agreed that the only way to stop or reduce spam is if the big companies work together. Cooperation seems to have increased recently. In addition to Meng Wong and Microsoft's efforts to merge their systems, to create one standard so that there's less work and confusion for administrators of e-mail systems, Yahoo and Cisco have also announced they will merge their technology. Washington, DC: Has Microsoft's Hotmail changed it's spam policy recently? Many times I receive mail that is spam, but other messages that were sent directly to me from a valid source get blocked, or never arrive. Ariana Eunjung Cha: Microsoft tells me that has been aggressively experimenting with better spam filtering systems since the end of last year. That's when they started using the SenderID authentication system on the backend to help them make a better guess about which e-mails are spam and which are legitimate. According to their "honeypot" accounts, which are fake accounts set up simply to capture spam, this has dramatically reduced the amount of spam going into people's Hotmail accounts. It is possible this system has also mistakenly captured some messages from valid sources. It's a work in progress. For more detailed information about Microsoft and e-mail you might want to check out this very helpful Web site. Kingstowne, VA: I frequently respond to spam e-mails by simply writing UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line and hitting the reply button. Yet they often bounce back saying "unknown user." How can they be an unknown user if they just spammed me? Ariana Eunjung Cha: A great question. The way the e-mail system was built makes it very easy to "spoof" one's email address. On many e-mail programs you can just type in a fake address in on the sender or from line and they will not check it against any database. So when you hit reply, you are trying to reply to a fake address. That's why it bounces back. Alexandria, VA: I use MSN and haven't seen anything that led me to believe they were checking the authentication of the address. Are they planning on using it themselves? Ariana Eunjung Cha: Yes, they already are. But it's really only been a few weeks since they made their use of authentication visible to the user so that's why you may not notice any changes yet. Look carefully at the e-mail headers. You may see that certain e-mails contain a highlighted line that says, "The sender of this message could not be verified by SenderID." It's very subtle. Ijamsville, MD: You know, not all unsolicited mail is spam. Just the other day I got an e-mail from a Nigerian billionaire who promised me several million dollars for no apparent reason. Ariana Eunjung Cha: Wow, what a coincidence. He promised me the same thing! Washington, D.C.: I've heard the Wong/Microsoft technology won't get rid of all spam, that there are problems with it. Ariana Eunjung Cha: I don't think anyone believes that SenderID will solve the spam problem completely. Even Meng Wong and Microsoft say it's a good first step to fighting spam. The advantage of their program is that it's extremely easy for e-mail administrators to implement. You see, at this point no one's been able to come up with a solution that wouldn't involve some sort of modification to ALL the e-mail servers at all the companies, government agencies, etc. that send e-mail on the Internet. So ease of implementation is important. One of the main disadvantages of SenderID is that things get complicated if e-mails are forwarded. One scenario that might confuse the system: If you keep a college alumni account, for instance, and Amazon sends you a receipt there and then it's forwarded to your Yahoo account. Yahoo would check to see if the college alumni account is valid but if that college does not use SenderID (even though Amazon does) it might not be authenticated. Yahoo and Cisco have come up with a cryptographic solution that solves this issue but it's not as easy to implement. So that's a long way of saying that I don't think the spam problem is going completely away anytime soon -- if ever. OAK HILL, VA: Just charge a penny an e-mail -- that will stop most of it. Ariana Eunjung Cha: Sounds like a great idea -- theoretically speaking. But you'd have a rebellion on your hands from legitimate e-mail users. Once you give something away for free it's hard to start charging for it, even if it's only a penny. Baltimore MD: With nearly 70% of all e-mail being spam, is it not possible that these abusers will eventually shut down the Internet entirely due to overload? Many industries, hospitals and emergency information services are dependent on the Internet. Why is it not possible to imprison these "terrorists" who thrive on creating chaos in civilized societies? Ariana Eunjung Cha: Definitely, that's the nightmare situation. I hear reports practically every day about spam clogging up certain companies/accounts on a smaller scale. A few weeks ago, I got tens of thousands of copies of an e-mail (I guess it's debatable whether it's actually spam or not; it was a press release) and it crashed my e-mail system. If this happens at the same time to tens of thousands of hundreds of thousands of people, it is possible it could slow the Internet down. Some states have anti-spam laws and some people have been sent to prison for sending out too much spam. It's not easy to catch many spammers because they either operate out of the country or they route their spam through computers that are out of the country so it's hard to gather evidence for use in a case against them. New York NY: It seems to me that spammers are, in fact, protected by whomever should regulate this behavior. Why not just forward spam to an authority who is charged with pursuing and shutting down spam abuse? I'd even support paying a tax, in my cable payments, to allow this service (I might even be very happy to do this work!). Ariana Eunjung Cha: That's the billion dollar question -- who should be responsible. The FTC? The FBIT? The Internet service providers? For now, many security experts say they forward one type of spam (phishing e-mails which try to steal people's financial or other personal information) to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, a volunteer organization. It is dedicated to building a repository of these e-mails to educate people and prevent people from being scammed by these solicitations in the future. Burke, Va.: "So when you hit reply, you are trying to reply to a fake address. That's why it bounces back." More importantly, replying to spam is almost always a very bad idea: (1) Even if it doesn't bounce, it's probably forged, so in many cases your "unsubscribe" e-mail is going to some innocent third-party who had nothing to do with the spam (2) Even if the reply actually does go back to the spammer, all you've done is tell the spammer they've hit a valid address, and you'll actually get much more spam than if you hadn't replied at all. Very few spammers are going to take the trouble to remove you from their lists -- if they were that considerate, they wouldn't be spamming you in the first place. Ariana Eunjung Cha: Absolutely -- well said. Washington, DC: Augh! Kingstowne, never, never, never, NEVER reply to spam. NEVER. If the e-mail address that you reply to does happen to be valid, you've just told them that your e-mail address is valid as well, and you'll get even more spam. You will never be removed from a spammer's list by asking, because spammers are soulless, worthless, morally bankrupt scum who will do anything to make a buck off of you. Ariana Eunjung Cha: More good advice... Potomac, Maryland: I'm just an "ordinary" computer user -- not in IT security, government. Can I contact the Internet Storm Center? Ariana Eunjung Cha: Yes -- If you believe you've encountered a new/interesting/major problem on the Internet, I'm sure they'd love to hear about it. But you should think about the storm center like you would think about calling 911. They are not there to troubleshoot your personal computer problems or walk you through installing software or anything like that. Best way to reach them is via their e-mail form on their site. Before you contact them about an issue, you might want to check out their "diary" a daily log of problems on the Internet. Cap Hill, DC: Thank you for taking questions. I don't understand how we are able to track down terorrists bank accounts online, locate hackers, crack child porn rings etc., but we can't figure out who is sending thousands of fake Citibank, Ebay or other company e-mails that ask me to "confirm my account information" or "re-enter my password." These phishing scams are as blatant as ever. Are they really impossible to trace to the source? Ariana Eunjung Cha: The Internet is not as anonymous as many people might think. There are many ways of tracing where an e-mail was sent from. Computers on the Internet are linked to numerical addresses called IP addresses which can be used to pinpoint what cable provider, corporate network, etc. was used to send the e-mail. The big challenge is that many spammers cleverly route their spam through computers that are abroad so it's more challenging for U.S. law enforcement to get access to their logs. Ariana Eunjung Cha: Thanks for all the great questions! Let's do this again soon. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions/comments. [email protected] Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Washington Week: Gwen Ifill

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Each week, the country's top reporters join moderator Gwen Ifill for an in-depth discussion of the week's top news from Washington and around the world. The longest-running news and public affairs program on PBS, "Washington Week" features journalists -- not pundits -- lending insight and perspective to the week's important news stories. Now, Ifill brings "Washington Week" online. Ifill will be online Thursday, July 7, at Noon ET to take questions and comments. Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion. Ifill is moderator and managing editor of "Washington Week" and senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." Ifill spent several years as a "Washington Week" panelist before taking over the moderator's chair in October 1999. Before coming to PBS, she spent five years at NBC News as chief congressional and political correspondent. Her reports appeared on "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," "Today," "Meet the Press" and MSNBC. Ifill joined NBC News from The New York Times where she covered the White House and politics. She also covered national and local affairs for The Washington Post, Baltimore Evening Sun, and Boston Herald American. " Washington Week ," airs on WETA/Channel 26, Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. ( check local listings ). Anaheim, Calif.: Good morning Gwen. Just wondering your opinion of Time turning over Mr. Coooper's notes. Especially in light of the fact that he was told he'd still have to testify. Any consensus among your colleagues? Gwen Ifill: This is a tough one. Matt Cooper and I have known each other and covered politics for more than a decade. He's a great Dad, funny friend and good reporter. Like Matt, I wish Time had not turned over his notes. It's a slippery slope for all of us. I am also very sad for Judy Miller, whis in jail for doing her job. As for my colleagues, I'd say we're all feeling "There but for the grace of God go I." We are all more vulnerable today than we were yesterday. Alexandria, Va.: Although the London bombings are on all our minds, I am still interested in yesterday's (and today's... and for a while) jailing of Judith Miller. Do you believe we should have a federal shield law for journalists so they do not risk spending a part of their careers in jail for keeping their word? I think their ability to promise confidentiality is as beneficial to our society as is a priest, a lawyer, or a doctor's. Maybe there are weird exceptions like a source announcing he is about to blow up a building (ie, in the future, after talking to the journalist), but for ordinary leaks about matters of public interest, the reporter must be able to stand by his/her confidentiality, and we should behind them, backing them up. Gwen Ifill: I agree with you. A shield law would be helpful, but certainly most reporters know the difference between protecting a source and enabling a terrorist or murderer. Detroit, Mich.: The coverage of Miller and Cooper refuses to lock onto the real news story that the public is engaged in -- the ongoing investigation. Fox News for example has steered clear of mentioning Karl Rove, and reports only on his denial of involvement. The Post story on Rove being a source for Cooper read more like a press conference devoid of any journalism ("Lawyer Says Rove Talked to Reporter, Did Not Leak Name"). Are mainstream journalists intent on reporting this as a story about the protection of confidential sources? Has investigative journalism been relegated to the blogosphere? Gwen Ifill: The so-called "blogosphere" is a great place for free speech. How nice that it can exist. But let's not lose sight of the line between journalism and much blogging. Reporting suspicion and partisan-driven assumption should not be the role of a responsible journalist. If there is a provable, reportable link here to Karl Rove or any other administration official, I expect it to be published when it is provable and reportable. Washington, D.C.: Hooray for Judith Miller going to jail! It is a mistake to view this case as protecting the principal of confidentiality of a whistleblower or someone disclosing an illegal activity for public scrutiny. It is one thing to report about a crime, or disclose that one has been committed in violation of the public trust, it is another to help perpetrate one. In this case and in much of Miller's reporting on Iraq, she has been simply the "go to" person for disseminating government attacks and propaganda. That isn't courageous muckraking, and it is insulting to the legacy of Stone, Woodward, and others to mistake it as such. Find another panelist to give insider disinformation. Gwen Ifill: So you are arguing that Judy should go to jail for reporting you disagreed with? For trusting a source who burned her? Or, as is the case here, for talking to a source and then NEVER writing the story? Falls Church, Va.: To continue the thread on the Valerie Plame investigation -- what is being said among the news professionals concerning Bob Novak's silence? Gwen Ifill: We all remain curious at what's at the root of Mr. Novak's involvement. But I don't know anyone who knows. Concord, N.H.: This is not my idea (although I wish I had thought of it): have you considered doing a show from Miller's prison with her on the panel? Akron, Ohio: How come Robert Novak is able to remain so aloof on this and get away with it? Gwen Ifill: I am hoping we find out soon. Ft. Myers, Fla.: During the VP debates, you asked a question regarding AIDS and African American women. Cheney said that he and Bush would use a "combination of education and public awareness" and drug research to alleviate the suffering. I haven't really seen much progress on that front. What happened? I know fighting terror is a job that requires "thinking about it every day," but Bush and Cheney have also made time for plenty of vacations. Is this just another promise we should forget about? Gwen Ifill: You will also recall the President mentioned this issue during the State of the Union speech. He mentioned a lot of other things as well. As is usually in the case in government and in politics, priorities shift. Whatever did happen to John Bolton? Wilmington, Del.: From last week's Washington Week in Review: When Sandra Day O'Connor joined the Court she was considered a conservative, but now is considered a moderate. However, her views did not seem to change much. QUESTION: Who gets to define what a "conservative" is? It seems like we shouldn't give way to the right wing and let them define the term, but instead stick with the original definition. Gwen Ifill: Interesting point. Certainly, the name of the game these days is being the first to "define" an issue or a person. Democrats, for instance, have been "defining" O'Connor as a mainstream conservative. Some conservative Republicans have been defining Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as a traitor because of his writings on abortion and affirmative action back in Texas. And what to make of these same conservatives' definitions now of Justices Kennedy and Souter? Suffice to say, definitions can be situational. Best to know what you believe and come up with your own. Dallas, Tex.: Why aren't we hearing about Robert Novak in the Valerie Plame case? He is the one who first published the story. Why isn't he at the center of the investigation? Washington, D.C.: First of all, I'd like to express my deep sadness at the events that occured earlier in London. I'm sure that we will stand by them as they stood by us after 9/11. Unfortunately, politics are involved in every situation -- good or bad. What do you think the ramifications will be for Tony Blair? Will the British rise together as one like we did? (momentarily, anyways) Will there be ripples across the pond in the U.S.? Gwen Ifill: One has to wonder about Tony Blair's stamina these days. He is head of the G-8 summit in Gleneagles. He has been pushing a policy ball uphill trying to get other nations to sign on to his vision for aid to Africa and climate change. He is not particularly popular at home, where everyone is waiting for him to step aside. So he finally gets good news: London Olympics in 2012? And now this. On a human as well as a political level, he must be the single world leader facing the most overwhelming challenges right now. Richardson, Tex.: How will the President continue with his "better to fight them in Iraq than here" rationale for the Iraq war in the light of the bombing in London? Gwen Ifill: Crystal ball's on the fritz. But if we take the President's reaction to the Madrid bombings as any guide, I suppose we can expect him to say this validates his call for global engagement in the war on terror. Oakton, Va.: Does the fact that the stock markets are holding up so well mean that today's attack was unsuccessful in its intended effect? Gwen Ifill: If you can assume that, you are much better at reading stock market tea leaves than I. Helena, Mont.: I don't mean to be critical, but if you review your answers to reader's questions, you'll find that you have developed the Washington MO of not answering, only providing the most general of responses. On your broadcast appearances you come across as very insightful. I'd like to see more of that in your online chats. Thanks. Gwen Ifill: I AM insightful, really! -- mostly because I only answer questions I know the answers to. I also pride myself on being a reporter rather than a pundit, so you won't much find me popping off with opinion. Iowa: Bob Novak (he of the vast supply of unknown news sources) is saying that Justice Rehnquist will also resign within a week. Do you think this will make the situation easier for the administration as they can then appoint a very conservative person in Rehnquist's stead and finesse the O'Connor replacement? Or will they go for the scorched earth pick in both cases? Gwen Ifill: Maybe Mr. Novak is right, but I'd rather wait to see what happens before I begin to imagine what it means. Superior, Wis.: The president makes his faith a central part of his explanation for his policy decisions. Is there any prevalent thinking among the mainstream press as to directing to the president a question such as: "Mr. President, which of Jesus Christ's words do you offer to give solace to the souls of our soldiers who have killed innocent Iraqis under your orders?" Gwen Ifill: "prevalent thinking among mainstream press?" What do you think -- we have meetings or something where we agree on what to ask, and how? Trust me, we are way too undisciplined for that. That said, I do wonder how the President might answer that one. Nashville, Tenn.: Do you think the London bombings will stir the U.S.' interests in guarding against terrorism, which has become somewhat complacent as of late. For example, I don't recall any of your guests on Washington Week questioning whether the FBI's latest date for having its virtual case file system (now called Sentinel) fully operational, 2009, would be soon enough. Gwen Ifill: Whenever there is a huge news event, it always serves to revive scrutiny and debate. I am sure today's attacks will be no different. As I type this, in fact, New York Governor George Pataki is on TV saying the attacks in London are "a reminder that the war on terror is not over." Nashville, Tenn.: In a nation that prides itself on the "rule of law", the Plame case has brought to light that there is a huge volume of law out there that every single citizen is responsible for knowing. Doesn't the prosecutor have a point that Judy Miller should not have promised anonyminity to her source, when she couldn't deliver on that promise? If she wants to go to jail, because she didn't bother to know the law, or didn't want to obey it, why should we martyr her? Gwen Ifill: You don't have to martyr her. You apparently already know what you think. Dale City, Va.: The so-called "blogosphere" is a great place for free speech. How nice that it can exist. But let's not lose sight of the line between journalism and much blogging. Reporting suspicion and partisan-driven assumption should not be the role of a responsible journalist. What about the issue of the information that is being leaked? If someone is leaking just to be malicious, does that source deserve the same protection as someone who is leaking because they feel the country needs to know? Whoever the source is who leaked to these reporters is obviously a government official and that person should come forward and accept responsibility for their cowardly gossip mongering. This information served no purpose to the general public and the sleazy leaker does not deserve to be painted as some sort of martyr for being exposed. Gwen Ifill: Oh now, the LEAKER is the martyr? And how do we know the motivations of the leaker? Consider for a moment that -- for now -- we do not know what's really going on behind the scenes in this investigation. Washington, D.C.: Gwen Love your work. So Gwen... I was watching the movie "The War Room" not too long ago and I think I saw a very young journalist who looked just like you standing in a doorway while one of her colleagues was talking to an even younger looking George Stephanopolis. And this girl reporter was really giving him the hairy eyeball like "you are so full of it, buddy"... Was that you? If so, can you talk a little about what that campaign was like? Thanks. Gwen Ifill: Lord, are people still renting that movie? Yes, the reporter in question was I. The reporter standing next to me was Susan Feeney (then of the Dallas Morning News, now of NPR). In reality, we were looking annoyed because another reporter had intruded in what had been a prolonged lobby stakeout for Mr. Stephanopoulos. You all will recall that at the time he was a top campaign aide for Bill Clinton, and this occured during the Democratic nominating convention. The 1992 campaign, as you can see from noting how young we looked in that film, aged us all. Minneapolis, Minn.: RE: Superior Wisconsin question and your response. When has our President EVER given our Soldiers the order to kill innocent Iraqis? Gwen Ifill: Good point. I went back and read the (loaded) question more closely, and retract my endorsement. Was typing too fast. If Rove turns out to be the leak, can we give him the Watergate-esque nickname "Fat Head?" Gwen Ifill: Boy, that's mean. What are you people eating for breakfast? Kansas City, Mo.: I read a column by Jonah Goldberg and he mentioned he worked at PBS and the tone of the column, while in a sense positive for PBS, said we shouldn't kid ourselves that PBS is run by liberals even when running conservative shows. To me the best known political show (thanks to Saturday Night Live) is the McLaughlin Group (although I am waiting for the takeoff of your show!) and it is hardly liberal. What is your take on this? Is PBS liberal and run by liberals? Gwen Ifill: No and no. Gwen Ifill: ...and by the way, Washington Week "took off" 34 years ago -- long before the McLaughlin group ever saw the light of a flickering screen. Fairfax, Va.: I've noticed that the format of Washington Week seems to be that each person gets one subject to talk about, and the others ask that person questions about the subject. Is it an unspoken rule that the others try to let that person be the subject matter expert and not pontificate on the subject themselves? Gwen Ifill: It is a SPOKEN rule that we are reporters who are there to talk about what we know about -- and to ask about what we do not. That's one of the reasons reporters like to appear on Washington Week. They don't have to worry that I may ask them about what they think aboutTom Cruise. Dale City, Va.: Do reporters view all sources as equal? Maybe the public has not been quick to support the reporters because it appears the reporters were willingly being used to spread the Administration's position without questioning. Many of us see reporter's jobs as being to tell us what people in power don't want us to know. It doesn't seem fair that anyone who wants to get his view out there can call a reporter and have it printed based on the caller political job. That said it does seem extreme to jail the a reporter who did not report the propoganda. Gwen Ifill: Once again, I am reminded how little the general public understands about how we do our jobs. If most of the reporters I know printed or reported everything anyone said to them, the newspapers and airwaves would be a jumble of misinformation. So, of course we do not view all sources as equal. Anonymous: I've read that some sources (I think Scooter Libby?) released reporters from the confidentially pledges. However do some reporters still feel a pledge is a pledge no matter what? Gwen Ifill: There is unhappiness at the New York Times and at Time Magazine that the so-called confidentiality pledge release form seemed to be a coerced document. Matt Cooper would only agree to cooperate with the grand jury after his source specifically and personally released him from his pledge. Bethesda, Md.: Which of the events in the past seven days will have the greatest impact within the Beltway for the next year, 5 years, 10 years? Gwen Ifill: The Supreme Court retirement, I'd guess. But what do I know? Wichita, Kan.: What impact if any will the recent protest at the Mexican Consulate have on Mexico's President, Vincente Fox's decision to allow a racist stamp to be distributed in his country. It appears to me that Mr. Fox has a double standard when it comes to African Americans -- on one hand he can make racist comments about African Americans not "taking the jobs" that illegal Mexicans take in our country and yet he allows/permits a racist stamp in design and tone to be distributed in his country. As an African American this says to me -- hey, I can do what I want because "they" don't matter. Yet, African Americans and other Americans go to Mexico on mission trips providing on aid and help his people with food and shelter. My concern is that if Mr. Fox truly feels and believes this way about African Americans then he should take better care of his citizens so they will not have a need to flee and come to America for a better life. But DONOT come or make racist comments about African Americans who built this country with their blood, sweat and tears as slaves and who made contributions to the American society that his "illegal citizens" now enjoy -- i.e., inventors, scientist, doctors, lawyers, artists,etc. Mr. Fox should do what it takes to keep Mexicans in his country and not complain about any American for that matter. Gwen Ifill: Was there a question there? Washington, D.C.: A bit of a philosophical question here: I have been spending a bit of time thinking about this question. How does one avoid becoming a "Beltway insider?" I'm still young and interested in politics -- and if it sounds idealistic -- it's because I want to help people. Is it inevitable to become detatched and arrogant? What do you do to stay realistic? Maybe you will find this hard to believe, but most of the politicians, reporters and even lobbyists I meet in Washington are not "Beltway insiders" in the sense you mean. Sure, we have a more pointed interest in issues they may not be discussing in the aisle at the Piggly Wiggly, but in my years in journalism I have met an enormous number of people who came to Washington to "help people." You may not see their faces on the party pages or on cable TV, but they are out here doing difficult and thankless work. In order to do my job, I have to assume these people exist, and that they mean well. So, hang in there. Philadelphia, Pa.: If a second Supreme Court vacancy arises, what would you think of the President naming his father and former President Clinton to the vacancies? Are you trying to make my HEAD explode??? Gwen Ifill: Thanks everybody. I couldn't even begin to get to all your questions. As I type, our plans for tomorrow night's program are in flux. But we do plan to be talking about the latest attacks in London and what that means for the U.S. and the G8, with David Sanger of the New York Times; about the Supreme Court maneuverings with Jeanne Cummings of the Wall Street Journal, and the Cooper/Miller case with Michael Duffy, the Washington Bureau chief for Time Magazine. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

WETA's "Washington Week" moderator Gwen Ifill takes questions and comments about her weekly PBS program and the latest news.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/07/05/DI2005070501311.html

https://web.archive.org/web/2005070919id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/07/05/DI2005070501311.html

"Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong"

2005070919

The American Masters documentary "Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong" features the life and career of the jazz musician. The film aired on Wednesday, July 6, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). Phoebe Jacobs, executive vice president of the Louis Armstrong Foundation and close friend of the Armstrong family, and Stanley Crouch, editorial columnist for the New York Daily News, were online Thursday, July 7, at Noon ET to discuss the American Masters documentary and the life and career of Louis Armstrong. A self-taught trumpet player and singer burst onto the scene at age 17 in 1918, replacing the legendary King Oliver in Kid Ory's band. Over the next six decades he would become one of the world's most recognized and best-loved entertainers. He recorded albums in every conceivable genre, from country to show tunes, toured the globe and influenced virtually "every musician of worth in popular music or jazz," as Tony Bennett says in this film by Gary Giddins. He was also an outspoken symbol of the civil rights movement, making a goodwill tour of western Africa and refusing to patronize New York clubs from which he had once been excluded. Named Best Music Video by Jazz Times Magazine in 1989, this film tracks Armstrong's life and career through recordings, performance footage, rare home movies, and interviews with friends and colleagues - among them Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Lester Bowie, Dexter Gordon, Milt Hinton and many others. Crouch has written for such publications as the Village Voice, The New Yorker and The New York Times. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation grant, a Jean Stein Award, and an Alphonse Fletcher Fellowship. His books of essays include "Notes of A Hanging Judge," "The All-American Skin Game," "Always in Pursuit" and "The Artificial White Man." Crouch has served as Artistic Consultant for jazz programming at Lincoln Center and is a founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is also a frequent panelist on television and radio talk shows such as "Topic A" and "Charlie Rose." Jacobs has spent her life as a jazz enthusiast. She has also spent her career as a publicist and public relations consultant in the world of jazz, and she was born in the Bronx in New York City into a family of music lovers and musicians. Her uncle owned several Manhattan jazz clubs and she began her association with jazz working as a hat check girl in one of those clubs, "Kelly's Stable." She then worked at Decca Records with Sy Oliver and met a number of jazz musicians including Duke Ellington. Jacobs has held positions as director of public relations for Basin Street East (another club her uncle owned), the Rainbow Room and the Rainbow Grill. Through it all, she established and maintained friendships, and often worked with jazz legends including Benny Goodman, Eubie Blake, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and, most closely, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Phoebe Jacobs: First of all if you have Stanley Crouch you do not need me! It's like having three shoes and only two legs. Stanley is the expert, I'll stand up. Stanley Crouch: I appreciate Phoebe's sentiment, but Phoebe is as much an expert as anyone, she actually knew the man and knew him well. Greetings to the public, hello, let's go! Washington, D.C.: Can you describe more of Mr. Armstrong's personality? What stands out foremost in your mind when you think of him? Thanks much. Phoebe Jacobs: His genuineness and caring for people, he was real, what you saw on stage was what he was. He never had two faces. He belonged to the human race, all people were important to him. He started out loving everybody until they proved themselves otherwise. Arlington, Va.: What are some of the best aspects of Armstrong's music, in your opinion? Thank you. Stanley Crouch: Well, his tone, his rhythm and the kind of grand optimism of his melodic inventions. And his conception of how to develop material was so profoundly effective that it affected everyone who came after him regardless of what style they played. For music he was like the guy who invented the jab or right cross, the boxers use those basic materials. Stanley Crouch: His inventions had a depth so much that he can influence people with opposite styles, completely, he could influence an Art Tatum and a Thelonium Monk, a Sarah Vaughn and a Billie Holiday. And an Ella Fitzgerald. You can't sing jazz without singing like him. He was as influential for singers as he was for players. He was a master of the blues idiom and one of the supreme interpreters of Broadway popular songs. Any kind of way you wanted to come into it you had to come thru him. It didn't even matter if the person listened to him or not, because whoever they had listened to had listened to him. It's kind of hard to make clear to people just how profound an influence this man had. But once you've listened to him, you can hear him in everybody's playing. New Orleans, La.: I'm too young to have lived in the 1960s, a turbulent era when Louis Armstrong was criticized by some folks for being an "Uncle Tom." Who were making these claims? Was there anything to this argument? Or was there something about his world view and/or nature that people perhaps misunderstood? I do know that upon his triumphant return to New Orleans he was deeply saddened by the racial segregation and discrimination that he continued to see here. American Masters also explored his criticism of Eisenhower regarding school desegregation. Stanley Crouch: The thing is the people who were critical of Armstrong in or out of the jazz world never took the stand he did when he refused to tour for the government and when he made the criticisms of Eisenhauer. The loud mouths, Miles Davis, Max Roach or whoever happened to be critical of him, none of those people took any stands at all in that particular situation. When he came under attack they didn't gather around him either. People didn't like his style. That was the people where so many musicians decided in order to be taken seriously they had to present themselves like concert musicians, they didn't think his presentation was dignified enough. We can easily see at this point that the analysis of older people by younger people in the sixties was often insane. Or naive or completely uninformed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mr. Crouch and Ms. Jacobs, what a wonderful program. American Masters has a fantastic lineup this summer with profiles on Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong, Sweet Honey in the Rock and so many other incredible performers. Is there anyone you would like to see added to this list for the American Masters series? Phoebe Jacobs: Got anything on Dizzy Gillepsie? Dizzy and Wynton Marsalis. If you haven't done it, do it! Washington, D.C.: Dear Mr. Crouch, I a big admirer of your writings on Jazz and have enjoyed hearing your expertise on Jazz and in Ken Burns' Jazz, an unforgettable series in my opinion. Just curious to know what you are listening to these days? Do you follow other genres of music? Thank you. Stanley Crouch: Mostly no. Actually that's not true. I listen to American concert music, Beethoven, Wagner, Bach, Debussy, Ravel and so on. And some third world music now and again. Marcus Roberts, Eric Reed, Roy Haynes, George Coleman, there's this kid from Italy named Francesco I think Califa. John Hicks, I listen to a lot of people, it's hard to list them now or it would take 15 minutes... Alabama: I've read that Armstrong was influenced by Buddy Bolden, the New Orleans cornettist often credited with "inventing" jazz. (I know that's a loaded term.) Bolden, as you know, did not leave any surviving recordings behind. Can we hear any of his style in Armstrong's recordings, to at least get a sense of what Bolden's horn sounded like? Stanley Crouch: Armstrong himself said that he used to go to this hall that Buddy Bolden played in, he used to hang around there as a little kid. If he heard him, he heard him then. But we don't know if he sounded like him. All we know are some photographs and some stories. Morristown, N.J.: Some of my favorite CD's are the collaborations of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. They are masterpieces in my opinion. How did these two musical giants get along personally? Phoebe Jacobs: I can tell you, I was present at the first recording they did. They had as close a love affair as you could have without sex. She dug him and he dug her. In fact, she came into Louis' funeral and she was so emotional, she was supposed to do the Lords Prayer, and she couldn't do it, she was there sobbing. Alexandria, Va.: Good Afternoon, I have read in many stories about Louis Armstrong that he had two medicines that he took daily -- a laxative known as "Swiss Kris" and marijuana. Mr. Armstrong found that the use of these two medicines were essential in maintaining good health. I would appreciate any additional information about the truth of these stories ... assuming, of course, that you will actually respond to my inquiry. Many thanks, Seeking truth in Alexandria Stanley Crouch: Armstrong was a legendary consumer of marijuana and of laxatives. Neither the smoking of marijuana or the taking of laxatives make someone an Armstrong. For those who get confused, always understand you are dealing with a supreme talent, and no external stimulants, drugs, etc. is going to create that level of talent. Pensacola, Fla.: Saw the PBS show tonight. Excellent show! I have always had a special place in my heart for Louis Armstrong. Even as a kid in the early 60s with a b/w 3 channel tv he would captivate me when I saw him on Ed Sullivan or elsewhere. My question is in the show they spoke of "Hello Dolly" as being his last number one hit. I really enjoy a song he did for a James Bond movie. I think it is called "All the time in the world". Was this song done just for the movie or was something that had been around? Was this done in a time of fading popularity or after "Hello Dolly" career resurgence? Also if known how was he approached by the movies producers and did it hit the charts or have any affect on his career. Thank you. Stanley Crouch: Armstrong was always popular. And so when he had Hello Dolly he was always popular. Every so often they would rediscover that this guy who was traveling the world and filling concert halls was still around. He was never at a loss for a job! I don't know of any period where he was sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. His biggest problem was he couldn't clone himself and play more jobs. I don't know that song though. Phoebe Jacobs: I think it came off of one of his LP's, a Decca recording. Phoebe Jacobs: If you get in touch with Dan Morgenstern at the Institute for Jazz Studies at Rutgers, 973-353-5595, he can probably fill you in about details about that song. Future PR Professional ('06!): Ms. Jacobs, your background is in (among many other things) public relations, so I hope you don't mind sharing some professional insight. I'm wondering if you were officially involved in PR for your friend Louis Armstrong. From what you said earlier, it's easy to imagine him being a "publicist's dream." Did he indeed have a good relationship with the press? How did he feel about media coverage during the turbulent moments of his career? Thank you. Phoebe Jacobs: He did it for himself, you couldn't resist him. We had to fight the press off. When he arrived somewhere, like in Africa, they had a turnout of 50,000 people. He had to fight them off. This was before television. I was hired by Joe Glazer to take care of Mr. Armstrong's needs, that's what he told me. If he needed his laundry done or tickets, etc. I did it. I didn't consider it labor, it was love. And I got paid for it too. And God is still paying me. Phoebe Jacobs: The greatest compliment I got in my life was the fact that Louis Armstrong trusted me. He left me in charge in writing of his legacy and heritage. And no woman could get a greater blessing than that. The other blessing is that I got Stanley Crouch in my life -- and I know he's a married man! Palestine, Tex.: When or will the PBS Special on "Satchmo" play again? I missed it and am a big fan! Stanley Crouch: Check your local listings. And the link is below... Arlington, Va. via New Orleans, La.: Over the last year I have lived down in New Orleans. The city comes alive every night with music and people come from every corner of the USA to partake in the tradition of this city. However, I am worried that jazz and blues music is losing its appeal, especially on the younger musicians of the city. There doesn't seem to be people who want to be the next Armstrong or Marsalis, but rather they wish to become the next 50-cent or the like. However, one night as I came upon the Funky Butt, I heard something that just asked me to come in. The music of Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews ... keep an eye on this kid, because he gives me hope that he will keep jazz alive. As Mr. Armstrong used to say, "Red beans and ricely yours." Phoebe Jacobs: You know Wynton took this boy up to NY when he was 15 years old and had him on the Today Show. Wynton Marsalis started a Louis Armstrong jazz camp in New Orleans 10 years ago. And Trombone Shorty started at the age of 12 or 13. And Wynton was aware of what was going on and gave this young boy an opportunity to come to NY and put him on the Today Show with 3 other students from the jazz camp which is currently by Jacky Harris. This year Clark Terry will be the visiting professor for the jazz camp. So these kids are getting plenty of inspiration. Phoebe Jacobs: The number of the camp if you want more info is 504-527-5935. Speak to Ms. Harris. She's the director of the camp and that's her office. Phoebe Jacobs: And Louis Armstrong in 1969 started his own foundation, called the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. Stanley Crouch is our vice-president. We support music and education. Ten years ago we also started a music studies program at the University of New Orleans. Every year the French Quarter salutes Louis with a Satchmo festival, with school children, amateur and professional, performing at the US Mint BUilding in the French Quarter. Mr. Crouch has contributed many times there for the festival. This year they are having Dan Morgenstern from Rutgers, Michael Cogswell from Queens College who is in charge of the Louis Armstrong house and archives. They will be participating in seminars during the Satchmo Festival. That is July 26 for three days. Phoebe Jacobs: We also have a program for blind children to be taught. Henry Butler met Stanley Crouch several years ago down there. Phoebe Jacobs: They have a ton of programs down there to teach music to blind kids. Nani, Tex.: One of my fondest childhood memories is of my mother, a jazz enthusiast, dancing around the kitchen, apron strings flying, using a large wooden spoon as a "microphone" as she scatted along with Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong records. And, my most prized possession is a jazz album titled The Jazz Scene, a limited edition issued in 1953, which contained in addition to the 78s, large black/white photos of Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Gene Krupa, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kenton, Neil Hefti and others. The photo of Mr. Armstrong, blowing that horn, cheeks puffed out to the max, face dripping perspiration is my favorite. My granddaughter plays trumpet in her school band and loves listening to my old jazz records. Yes my old turntable still works. New York City, N.Y.: "We Have All The Time In The World" was 1969, for the James Bond film Her Majesty's Secret Service. I think it was one of Armstrong's last (if not last) studio sessions. Phoebe Jacobs: That's correct. He died on July 6, 1971. Yesterday was the anniversary of his passing. He joined Gabriel in the heavens. Phoebe Jacobs: We have things for purchase relative to Louis, 718-478-8274. That's the telephone number of the Louis Armstrong House and Archives. They have a shop in the house where they sell CD's, tapes, and they have a catalogue. You can call to make an appointment to see the house. People come from all world. It's www.satchmo.net. Baltimore, Md.: Thanks for sharing your expertise with us. I read a biography of Louis Armstrong called In His Own Words. In it, I was surprised to find that Louis greatly appreciated Guy Lombardo and his band. This came as a shock to me, because the syrupy qualities of the Lombardo band are so dissimilar to the more raw sound of Armstrong. Yet he identified himself and his music more with Lombardo than with "beboppers," as he called them. Was his sound the result of his attempt and failure to sound saccharine? I am interested in your opinion of his intent as an artist ... the results speak for themselves. Stanley Crouch: Well, everyone is fascinated by this because Guy Lomardo neither sounded good nor swung. But Armstrong always sounded good and always swung, so it's one of the mysteries of individual taste. Phoebe Jacobs: When I was working for Pops I asked him How could you dig Guy Lomardo? And he said, "the man gets the melody right". Herndon, Va.: I had the privilege (and it was a privilege) to hear Mr. Armstrong in concert in the mid-60s. As an aspiring trumpeter at the time, it was awesome to hear him play. One matter which was well-covered in your outstanding documentary, but which is often forgotten - his influence on singers -- from Bing Crosby to Frank Sinatra and so many others in the US, to others all over the world. I remember a news story a few years ago about a Russian singer whose popularity was based mainly on imitating Louis! Stanley Crouch: Tony Bennett basically said, he said that they all come from him. Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet himself, anyone who sings American music sounds like him. He's the father of them all. Phoebe Jacobs: I wanted to say to all the fans out there enjoying Louis, Louis is forever. People might tell you he's dead, but he's not. His music is going to be around for a very long time. And we have found the music is therapeutic, for all people, the music is very helpful. Louis used to say, a note is a note in any language. Thank you very much! washingtonpost.com: Next week's American Masters film, "George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey," airs on Wednesday, July 13, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). A Live Online discussion with George Stevens, Jr. will follow on Thursday, July 14, at Noon ET. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

The American Masters documentary "Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong" features the life and career of the jazz musician. The film aired on Wednesday, July 6, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/07/06/DI2005070601564.html

https://web.archive.org/web/2005070919id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/07/06/DI2005070601564.html

Scientology

2005070919

Washington Post staff writer Richard Leiby was online Thursday, July 7, at 1:30 p.m. ET to field questions about Scientology teachings and its celebrity adherents. Leiby has covered the Church of Scientology for 26 years, on and off, ever since he was a young reporter in Clearwater, Fla., where Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard established an international headquarters in the 1970s. In 1979-80, he covered the criminal proceedings against 11 Scientology officials convicted of participating in plots to plant spies in federal agencies, break into government offices, steal documents and bug at least one IRS meeting. (Among those convicted was Hubbard's third wife, Mary Sue.) Over the years, Leiby has reviewed thousands of pages of Scientology internal policy documents and its uppermost teachings. In 1995, the church sued The Post, Leiby and another Post reporter in an attempt to prevent publication of its copyrighted, secret scriptures. The church lost the case. Frank K. Flinn, adjunct professor of religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., was online Tuesday, July 5, at 3 p.m. ET to discuss Scientology. The transcript of the discussion with Richard Leiby follows. Richard Leiby: Before we begin, I'd like to thank everyone for their well-considered questions. Although Scientology has been around for more than 50 years, it remains a source of mystery, confusion and controversy. Here is how the church defines itself on its Web site, Scientology.org: "Scientology is an applied religious philosophy. The fastest growing religious movement on earth, Scientology has become a firmly established and active force for positive change in the world in less than half a century. In a word, Scientology works." The church says it can help people learn better, and live better, improving their communication skills, keeping believers off drugs, giving them confidence,assisting them with family life and solving day-to-day problems. But critics of the church -- and there are many who've left its fold in recent decades -- say the only thing that works in Scientology are its lawyers. The church has a long history of retaliating against critics with hardball litigation and other tactics, including the use of private investigators to dig up dirt on journalists and detractors. (So far as I know, I have twice been investigated by Scientology operatives in my career.) I have been in Scientology churches a few times, but never formally participated in "auditing" -- a central practice of the group, involving the use of a crude lie detector device that supposedly helps you locate and eliminate spiritual problems. Another basic: Scientology believes that people have souls and we have experienced past lives. And, at the highest level of training, members can gain superhuman powers: what founder L. Ron Hubbard called control over "MEST": Matter, Energy, Space and Time. Hubbard, a former sci-fi writer who died in 1986, developed his own language, replete with acroymns, for the church he founded. To outsiders, it is impenetrable. While we've gotten used to hearing celebrities in Scientology endorse its positive impact on their lives, they never give the public any hint of the group's closely held secret beliefs. I'll attempt to do that here. Reading, Pa.: Why is Scientology opposed to mainstream psychiatric treatment and associated drugs such as Paxil and Lexapro? Richard Leiby: It's important to get this one out of the way first. Many people are coming to hear about Scientology only through Tom Cruise's recent, highly publicized condemnations of psychiatry and psychiatric medications. He is essentially following a script set in place by Hubbard many years ago --Hubbard openly declared war on the psychological and psychiatric profession in response to its doubts about the theories he put forth in his breakthrough 1950 book, "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health." Many medical practicioners (including psychiatrists) considered Hubbard a dangerous quack. He, in turn, considered shrinks to be butchers, not healers. He incorporated his hatred for psychiatrists in his spiritual views, claiming that the "psychs" were part of an evil alien force that helped to enslave humanity millions of years ago. Hubbard wrote in an internal policy bulletin in 1982: "The psychs have been on the [time] track a long time and are the sole cause of decline in this universe...They destroyed every great civilization to date and are hard at work on this one." At the highest level, Scientologists such as Cruise and Tom Travolta are taught about the alleged evils of psychiatry. They echo many of Hubbard's policy statements (which are considered sacred scripture) but never fully explain why Hubbard hated "psychs" so much. Berlin, Germany: Have you ever had a discussion about Xenu with a scientologist? Richard Leiby: Ah, Xenu. A key player in the overall Scientology cosmology -- but only those well-schooled in its upper teachings know about this intergalactic overlord named Xenu. Bear with me here as I explain Xenu's crucial role. Then I'll answer your question. The apex of Scientology spiritual counseling occurs at the secret Operating Thetan (OT) Levels, which promise superhuman powers. Here, members pass through what Hubbard described as the Wall of Fire, at the OT III Level. (Tom Cruise and John Travolta have both reached this level.) Here, Scientologists -- who have already spent thousands to reach the level of "clear" -- pay tens of thousand more to learn that their spiritual traumas stem from an intergalactic holocaust perpetrated 75 million years ago by Xenu. As a Scientology brochure for members puts it: "Here you will find...the precise details of a catastophe that harmed billions and laid waste to this sector of the universe, encompassing a confederacy of 75 planets." In the secret texts, portions of which have been widely leaked by disgruntled members, Hubbard wrote that Xenu, the leader of the Galactic Federation, solved an overpopulation problem by freezing excess people in a compound of alcohol and glycol and transporting them to Teegeeack -- which we now know as Earth. There they were put in volcanos and exploded with hydrogen bombs. And hence our spirits became infested with evil alien spirits, called "body thetans." There could be untold numbers of such bad thetans fomenting problems in each of our souls and minds. To become truly free, Hubbard teaches, parishioners must detect these alien invaders and get rid of them using the E-meter device (Hubbard's lie detector). You hold a metal can in each hand and focus on a point in the body where a sensation or pain is perceived. Only through such rigorous "auditing" can they be removed -- allowing the untormented Operating Thetan (the OT) to emerge. Getting back to your question: At the lower levels, Scientologists don't know anything about Xenu -- they just know about the basic communication courses and Dianetics. (I can assure you that Katie Holmes, for example, isn't hip to Xenu.) Even those who reach "clear" don't have the Xenu material. Those who have passed through OT-III will not discuss it with outsiders. In 1979, I first heard about Xenu's holocaust and published an article about it in the Clearwater (Fla.) Sun. When I called a Scientology spokesman for comment, he basically accused me of attempting to ridicule his religion. Richard Leiby: I checked and it turns out that my first article on Xenu -- whom I indentifed as "Xemu" based on a variant spelling used at the time -- actually ran in 1981. Here is a link: http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/clearwatersun/sun-leiby-083081.htm Downtown Washington, D.C.: The recent Tom Cruise/Brooke Shields argument made me go online to research scientology and why it was so opposed to psychiatry. I was amazed at some of the stuff I unearthed about church doctrine: aliens, Xenu, past lives, etc. If all this is true, why in the world does Scientology have any shred of credibility? To me it sounds like science fiction on acid. Richard Leiby: Well, most religions have their share of stories that you have to take on faith. Did Moses really part the Red Sea? Did Jesus walk on water? Are our spririts really reincarnated, as other religions hold? But critics of Scientology contend that the church should be more open about its sci-fi beliefs -- and not wait for parishioners to pay upwards of $300,000 before they get the core message. Laurel, Md.: Mr. Leiby, contrary to what many advocates of increased religious presence in government argue, the press generally treads very lightly on completely groundless belief systems if they represent a religion. Ignoring for the moment their imtimidation tactics, do you think their psychological pseduo-science has gotten much too free a pass from a press that treats religious claims with insufficient skepticism? Richard Leiby: Yes, over the years the press has definitely gotten softer on Scientology and other so-called "cults." Unlike in the 1970s, when cults and deprogrammers flourished, the public, I think, has come to accept the fact that informed adults have a right to join groups despite their controversial, non-conventional beliefs. The press doesn't question Cruise or Travolta or others too hard on Scientology for fear of losing a big-name celeb. washingtonpost.com: War of Words (Brooke Shields, The New York Times, July 1, 2005) Philadelphia, Pa.: I've seen Scientology do a lot of good for a lot of people. In a country where freedom of religion was a founding principle, it is imperative that we protect that freedom and maintain one of the principles that makes American great! Richard Leiby: Philadelphia Freedom: Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the First Amendment. And for that very reason, I strongly believe that the press has the right to cover Scientology and that the church should divulge, up front, its core beliefs to anyone who participates in its counseling sessions. Sewell, N.J.: I have been in Scientology for over 20 years now. It has helped me considerably in my personal life (getting off drugs), my married life (I have had a wonderful marriage now for about 20 years), and has helped me with my children (two outstanding young men who contribute to society in an ethical manner). AND - I still consider myself Jewish! So, I would venture to say that there are critics out there that do not understand how valuable and vital Scientology is to the world. Are journalists that hell-bent on not reporting truth or researching all aspects before they slander? Is the "story" just more important then the FACTS? Richard Leiby: Well, you know what Hubbard himself said: Journalists are "merchants of chaos" and "suppressive persons." In other words, if we hold Scientology to any standard of examination or critique, we are deemed enemies. Arlington, Va.: It has always been rumored, at least among Scientology's detractors, that Hubbard founded Scientology as the result of a bar bet with Robert Heinlein (or some other sci-fi writer). Is there any truth to this rumor? Richard Leiby: I've heard that rumor but never was able to substantiate it. However, I was able to find witnesses to Hubbard's famous statement that writing was no way to get rich -- that it would be smarter to start a religion. In a 1994 article I wrote for the Post ("Scientology Fiction," inked on this page) I investigated a statement in the church's media guide. "Question: Did L. Ron Hubbard state that the way to make money was to start a religion?" "Answer: No. This is an unfounded rumor." The rumor got started in 1948, according to the church, when "one individual" claimed he heard Hubbard make such a comment during a lecture. "The only two people who could be found who attended the very lecture in 1948 denied that Mr. Hubbard ever made the statement," says the media guide. But the man who invited Hubbard to speak, Sam Moskowitz, a 74-year-old science fiction editor in Newark, swears to this day that Hubbard made the remark in front of 23 members of the Eastern Science Fiction Association, most of whom are now dead. The church also ignores a 1983 book by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, "Over My Shoulder: Reflections of the Science Fiction Era." Eshbach recounts a 1948 meeting with Hubbard and two others in New York: "The incident is stamped indelibly in my mind because of one statement that Ron Hubbard made. What led him to say what he did I can't recall -- but in so many words Hubbard said: 'I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is!' " Two other Hubbard contemporaries quote him similarly in the unauthorized 1987 biography "Bare-Faced Messiah." And two science fiction experts contacted for this story confirm that Hubbard made such remarks before he wrote his treatise on Dianetics, which was first published in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction. But church officials maintain that these people are sorely confused. The church says another famous writer said the exact same thing -- George Orwell, who wrote to a friend in 1938 that "there might be a lot of cash in starting a new religion." "It seems that Orwell's comment has been misattributed to Mr. Hubbard," the church media guide tells reporters. Only one problem: The Scientology operative who says he came up with the Orwell "explanation" is Robert Vaughn Young, who quit the central church in 1989 after 20 years as a spokesman. While researching the life of the Founder, Young says he talked to three Hubbard associates from the science fiction days who remembered Hubbard talking about getting out of the penny-a-word game for the more lucrative field of religion. Young ignored those comments, of course, and, by a stroke of luck, came up with the Orwell quote. Washington, D.C.: In your estimation, why is Scientology growing so fast across the planet? Do you really think that millions of people are just "stupid" or have they actually found a religous philisophy that, when applied, improves their lives? Richard Leiby: I do not believe that millions of people practice Scientology. Former insiders say that the church's numbers have steadily dwindled since the 1970s and that the core membership is now no higher than 50,000. (Footnote: The church counts everyone who's ever signed up for a course, ever, as a member.) Washington, D.C.: Does the church seek out high profile people like Cruise and Travolta for indoctrination? And are they then used to put a public face on the beliefs? Also, how do they justify the "fees" charged to become enlightened? It seems like it runs the risk of coming off as a glitzy pyramid scheme. Richard Leiby: To Hubbard, celebrities were always key to gaining public acceptance for Scientology. In 1955, he launched "Project Celebrity," urging followers to target "prime communicators," and to hunt as their "quarry" the big names of the time--including Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Sid Ceasar, Liberace and even Billy Graham. "These celebrities are well-guarded," he warned, "well-barricaded, overworked, aloof quarry." But he generously promised, "If you bring one of them home you will get a small plaque as your reward." A former Scientology official once told me that the creation of church "Celebrity Centers" -- the main one is in Los Angeles -- was aimed at bringing more stars into the fold so they could serve as mouthpieces for Scientology. Hubbard craved celebrity endorsements because he knew the media loves celebrities -- and they could be used to vouch for Scientology's effectiveness in handling their problems. The goal, according to a church directive, was to "mold the opinions" of the fans and the public into accepting the "good works" of L. Ron Hubbard. Sometimes celebs were brought in to offset negative publicity. One example: In 1985, John Travolta participated in a massive protest by Scientologists in Portland, Ore., following a damaging court decision against the church. When some of the sacred scriptures--including the Xenu story--ended up in a court file, 1,500 Scientologists crammed the courthouse to block public access to the documents. In 1986 Travolta himself marched into Los Angeles Superior Court, hoping to make a pro-church speech in the case where the documents had been revealed. (The judge instructed Travolta to sit down, and he complied.) Winston Salem, N.C.: Why not divulge your core beliefs? How does Scientology get people interested in joining their "faith" if they are unwilling to show why they believe what they believe up front? For example, in the tent Tom Cruise had set up on the set of "War of the Worlds", what kind of recruiting literature did he have? Richard Leiby: I don't know for sure what sort of literature Cruise passed out on the "War of the Worlds" set but it was likely to include brochures written by Hubbard (e.g., "The Way to Happiness") and anti-drug literature touting Scientology groups such as Narconon. Dumfries, Va.: Are you aware of the social betterment programs of the church of Scientology? Richard Leiby: I am aware that some schools and prisoner-rehab programs use Hubbard-based materials. My problem with the schools program is simple: it's a gateway to a religious organization, and I don't believe ANY religion has a place in public schools. As for the anti-drug program: Fine, but it masks Scientology's anti-psychiatry agenda. Herndon, Va.: Why does Scientology go to such great lengths to hide thier involvement in anti-Prozac/Paxil/Zoloft etc Groups? If they Truly think they are dangerous, why do they create so many front groups and shell corporations to get this message out? Do you think it has more to do with the fact that Hubbard was himself involuntarily committed by his first ex-wife or at this point is more because a lot of their inital recruiting is aimed at the depressed and bordeline mentally ill? Richard Leiby: I don't believe Hubbard was ever committed for psychiatric treatment but he did seek help from the Veterans Administration after World War II -- citing his own mental instability. You can find documentation of that, as well as other documents relating the Hubbard's divorce, bigamy and ravings to the FBI about commies, on the Smoking Gun site. Richard Leiby: As for the first part of your question: Scientology has long used front groups in its war against psychiatry, but it's not hard to discover the connections. More obscure and worth noting, perhaps, are Hubbard's teachings on psychiatry. Since the early 1960s, as best as I can determine, Hubbard religious edicts focused on his belief that Earthings are the pawns of aliens -- some of whom happen to be evil psychiatrists. He believed that we're all trapped on what he called the "whole track," a stort of eternal time loop. He preached that in a past civilization, in a distant galaxy, alien "psychs" devised implants that would ultimately wreck the spiritual progress of human beings. The psychs and their "blackened souls," he said, were to blame for all violence, crime and sin. "There is only one remedy for crime," Hubbard told followers in a 1982 policy lettter. "Get rid of the psychs! They are causing it! ... Their brutality and heartlessness is renowned." And in his paranoia, he saw the evil hand of the pyschiatrists everywhere. According to his internal policy letters (which have since been reissued, giving them the status of holy writ), Hubbard considered the church's enemies to be "the heads of news media who are also directors of psychiatric front groups" and "bankers who are also directors of psychiatric front organizations." Is it any wonder that Tom Cruise is so worked up about psychiatrists? St. Pete Beach, Fla.: Richard, Is it true that Scientologists now run the Cult Awareness Network? If so, how did this come about? Richard Leiby: Yes, Scientologists do indeed now run the Cult Awareness Network (CAN). How the takeover occurred is a very long and complicated story, but it was essentially the result of a long and harsh legal campaign by Scientology to put CAN out of business. The church succeeded -- and then its members went on to buy the name after CAN went bankrupt. Reston, Va.: Why do you credit the assertions of people who've left Scientology, while implying that the assertions to the contrary by Scientologists aren't valid? Do you feel that people who've left (or been kicked out) of a group have no axe to grind? Richard Leiby: I'm not saying the views of practicing Scientologists aren't valid. Nor do I dispute that Scientology has given some people better life skills. But alternatively, those who spent 20 or 30 years of their life in Scientology tell very persuasive stories about being mentally indoctrinated and abused. As a journalist I've been hearing such stories for many years -- and I have covered cases where juries awarded significant damages for the church's actions against members. The public has the right to know about what the critics and courts say. New York, N.Y.: In other words, if we hold Scientology to any standard of examination or critique, we are deemed enemies. Don't we see this from any faith based groups? Although the comments may not be as direct ... there are enemies of "the church," identified all the time. Richard Leiby: True, but are those enemies subject to a church policy called "fair game"? That specific Scientology policy encourages the use of litigation and trickery to destroy those who challenge it. USA: Does Scientology use hypnosis? Richard Leiby: One of the early criticism of Dianetics (by medical professionals) is that it was, indeed, a form of hypnosis. I have never been "audited" personally, so I wouldn't know. Cambridge, Mass.: As a Scientologist for about 15 years I have found the religion to be very helpful. For example I am now a successful photographer and artist. As a matter of fact I have found that artists in general do very well with Scientology because it unleashes their creativity. Why do you think Scientology is so helpful for artists? Richard Leiby: I'm not sure. It's possible that you would have been a successful artist WITHOUT spending thousands on Scientology. Just as it's possible that John Travolta, who was a very promising actor in high school, would have become a screen star without joining Scientology. Portland, Ore.: I read that that Purification Rundown by L. Ron Hubbard, has helped hundreds of NY firemen involved in the horrific 911 event permanently rid their bodies of the toxins and poisons they were exposed to. Wouldn't you consider this, at the very least, a very good thing? Richard Leiby: The Purification Rundown, as I understand it, is a vitamin and sauna regimen. Is there any medical evidence that it has "permanently rid" those firemen of toxins? Or is that just your claim? Good for the Goose?: I can't help noticing how much the "Scientology has done a lot of good for a lot of people" comments meant to justify its oddities sound eerily familiar to a recent discussion about how psychiatry and prescription drugs have "helped a lot of people I know personally." Howling at the moon might help a lot of people too ... that doesn't mean it's not a little abnormal. Richard Leiby: Good point! Except medical techniques are based on science, as I understand it. However, there is the placebo effect. And people are easily persuaded by the notion of "experts." I bet if I wore a white coat, called myself a doctor, and told somebody that he'd feel much better if he stood on his head in the corner, he might just do it. And just wondering: When is the next full moon? N.Y., N.Y.: Do Scientologists believe in a God? Do they pray? Also, I believe Tom Cruise has said you can be a Scientologist and a Christian (or a Muslim, etc., I guess). How is this possible? Thanks for taking my questions? Richard Leiby: Scientology literature says you can hold on to your original religion and still practice Scientology, but based on the internal documents I've seen, Hubbard believes that Heaven and Christ and other religious beliefs are, in fact, images implanted in our minds by aliens. Washington, D.C.: Your assertion about the Church having a Fair Game Policy is completely false. You have been supplied documentation on this and yet repeat such false allegations. What is your bias? Richard Leiby: The church's fair game policy was not canceled, just renamed by Hubbard to avoid bad PR. Here is the proof: In a 1968 policy letter, Hubbard wrote: "The practice of declaring people FAIR GAME will cease. FAIR GAME may not appear on any Ethic Order. It causes bad public relations. This PL [policy letter] does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of any SP." (An SP is a "suppresive person," of enemy of the church.) Arlington, Va.: What is the job of a "minder" in Scientology. I keep seeing pix in US and People mags pointing out a Church of Scientology minder who has been appointed to stay with Katie Holmes 24/7. What's she likely doing with Katie? Richard Leiby: I have no idea. But celebrities in Scientology are treated as royalty so having a personal Scientology assistant on call would not surprise me. Washington, D.C.: Very interesting ...this explains why TC thinks aliens are among us. So who are some of the celebrities beside TC and Travolta and Juliette Lewis? Richard Leiby: Kirstie Alley, Beck, Chick Corea, and Isaac Hayes...and in the media, Greta van Susteren. Silver Spring, Md.: What about these marriage contracts I've been hearing about? Are the common in Scientology? Richard Leiby: I don't know about formal "contracts," but from what I know from covering the church, a mixed marriage won't work in Scientology: You have to get your spouse to become involved, too. Northern, Va.: Why does Scientology make such direct connections from spiritual enlightenment to monetary costs? Most other religions seem to do a better job of hiding the fact that they are charging for their services. More bothersome are the billion year contracts for those that cant afford the costs. What is the full story behind this? Richard Leiby: We could go on for several hours and never get to the "full story" of Scientology, I'm afraid. For those who want to know more, I suggest you plunge onto the Internet and look for both pro- and anti-sites. There are many archives containing internal church policies, as well as testimonials from members, and ex-members, and much court testimony. As for the billion-year contracts: It's true. Staff members in the "Sea Org" sign them. Just Google and perhaps all will be revealed -- in this life or the next. Thanks for your time and insightful questions. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Washington Post staff writer Richard Leiby was online Thursday, July 7, at 1:30 p.m. ET to field questions about Scientology teachings and its celebrity adherents.

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Mall Crowd To Undergo 'Emergency' Evacuation

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The sprawling crowds on the Mall for Monday's July 4 fireworks display will participate in the first major test of Washington's downtown emergency evacuation routes since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, officials said yesterday. Starting 15 minutes after the fireworks show ends, police officers are to direct tens of thousands of pedestrians and motorists leaving the Mall to seven evacuation routes, in which green and red traffic signals will be extended to four minutes. The test will last 45 minutes. "This is a major step forward in emergency transportation planning, which we hope we never have to use for real," Dan Tangherlini, the District's director of transportation, said in a statement, adding that the test "will show how traffic and pedestrians are affected and how our transportation systems work in an emergency." The routes in "Operation Fast Forward" include Constitution Avenue between 15th and 23rd streets NW; Independence Avenue between Third Street and Washington Avenue SW; and 14th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and C Street SW. Department of Transportation officials will observe the evacuation from the command center in the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center on 14th Street NW, watching televised images from some 50 traffic cameras at the intersections. To replicate emergency conditions, officials will alter the timing of the traffic signals using laptop computers. Douglas Noble, the department's chief traffic engineer, said the agency will view the test as a success if "we have an uneventful and quick exiting for people leaving the event. We will have collected information in terms of how well this works in getting people out of the city." Law enforcement and transportation officials across the region have struggled since 2001 with the logistics of evacuating Washington during a terrorist attack. Concluding that the region's roads and transit network cannot accommodate an evacuation of the entire city, officials have focused on moving smaller groups from specific locations. Metro estimates that more than 300,000 spectators traveled underground to last year's Fourth of July celebration, which was marred by rain. More than 500,000 people rode Metro to the fireworks display the year before. About 125,000 vehicles -- more than a sixth of the number that drive city streets during a weekday rush hour -- are expected to travel downtown for the event, said John B. Townsend II, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. Recalling the panic downtown on Sept. 11 as people tried to leave the city, Townsend said that conducting the test on a holiday weekend is an effective way to "approximate what you have on a good workday in D.C." The test would help motorists leave the area more quickly, he said, as well as demonstrate how officials can improve evacuation plans. "It's a litmus test for how the situation will work during an emergency," he said. The list of downtown evacuation routes also includes Ninth Street between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Interstate 395; South Capitol Street between Washington Avenue and M Street; Washington Avenue between Independence Avenue SW and South Capitol Street; and Third Street between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW.

Get Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia news. Includes news headlines from The Washington Post. Get info/values for Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia homes. Features schools, crime, government, traffic, lottery, religion, obituaries.

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For Armstrong, Last Tour De France Is No Time to Coast

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CHALLANS, France -- Lance Armstrong is going on 34 years old, with nothing left to prove in the event he has won six times since returning from life-threatening testicular cancer -- except that he can win it again at will. Days before he will start his bid for a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory, Armstrong, distracted by a bee sting on his face, took a low-speed tumble off his time trial bike last week. The fall left him with road rash and a black eye. It could have been worse. His helmet was split by the impact. As the race starts on the Atlantic coast Saturday, Armstrong will be riding without one of his most reliable teammates. Skeptics have questioned his drive and fitness after a winless spring season. In other words, conditions are perfect for an athlete who has always fed off the potential for drama along the Tour route. "I'd venture to say that I feel better than I've ever felt," a relaxed-sounding Armstrong said earlier this week. He said his goal is not only to win but to leave the peloton with the sense that he could, if he wanted, win another Tour. "Not necessarily for the other riders, not for the media, but for my own good, for whatever reason, I'd like to leave that impression," he said. Bobby Julich of Team CSC, who has watched Armstrong up close for more than a dozen years, doesn't doubt his resolve. "There's no one on the planet that would accept failure at this juncture less than he would," Julich said earlier this month. Armstrong has declared that this race will be his last, eschewing any ceremonial farewell rides. "He wasn't much interested in the rocking chair tour," said his agent, business partner and friend, Bill Stapleton. Armstrong has arranged for his three children to be present for the finish on the Champs-Elysees. "The kids weren't there last year and that was a real bummer for me," the Texan said. "They're old enough now to understand what Dad does for a living. To come into my office and see their father at work -- I would love for them to see me in a yellow jersey." Anyone who still doubts Armstrong's motivation might want to consider this: In early June, riding in the hills above Los Angeles, he was about to check e-mail on his ever-present, beloved BlackBerry when he thought better of it and impulsively chucked the device into a river.

CHALLANS, France -- Lance Armstrong is going on 34 years old, with nothing left to prove in the event he has won six times since returning from life-threatening testicular cancer -- except that he can win it again at will.

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Improving Metrobus

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HOW FAR DOES Metrobus have to go to live up to its potential? According to a panel of public transportation officials who came to Washington to review the system, a long way. But a start can be made that won't require any great infusion of cash. Metro need only adopt a simple principle: The needs of riders must come first. The creation of an independent advisory board made up of bus and rail riders from across the region could help Metrobus focus on what its customers really want. One thing they want is well-maintained buses. Riders who have other options are likely to shun dirty or dented buses. Also, passengers need more of the full-color route maps that are missing from many bus shelters and Metro stations. Steps must be taken to ensure better driving. Currently, the biannual driver certification process involves an operator chatting with an instructor about certain procedures. The recertification course advocated by the panel would be more formal, involving a written exam and a driving test. With an average bus age of about 10 years -- the panel advises bringing it down to five or six -- it is all the more important that operators inspect their vehicles before each route. Federal law requires such inspections, and yet virtually no Metrobus drivers were performing them until the panel informed Metro of the neglect earlier this year. Months later, the compliance rate is about 70 percent. That's an improvement, but why is the law still being ignored the other 30 percent of the time? The answer lies in a lack of supervision, especially on nights and weekends. The panel has provided a clear outline of what needs to be done. Metrobus must focus on the basics: purchasing new buses, filling staff vacancies to reduce costly overtime, hiring more supervisors and keeping route maps and timetables stocked on buses and in train stations. Metrobus may never be the most glamorous way to travel, but it's a necessity for too many residents to let it languish.

HOW FAR DOES Metrobus have to go to live up to its potential? According to a panel of public transportation officials who came to Washington to review the system, a long way. But a start can be made that won't require any great infusion of cash. Metro need only adopt a simple principle: The needs of...

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Let's Proudly Hail the Rights of All

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Principles of liberty and justice always draw a focus on the Fourth of July. In 1852 Frederick Douglass used the occasion to bring attention to the gross injustice of slavery, telling an anti-slavery audience in Rochester, N.Y.: "The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. . . . This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." On this Fourth of July, what must Muslims in America be thinking? Do they feel within or beyond the pale of our national celebration? Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union released a report last month called "U.S.: Scores of Muslim Men Jailed Without Charge." The groups charge that after Sept. 11, 2001, the Justice Department, operating behind a wall of secrecy, thrust scores of Muslim men living in this country into a world of indefinite detention without charge because of baseless accusations of terrorist links. The men -- 70 in all -- were held as "material witnesses." Sixty-four were of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent. Seventeen were U.S. citizens. All but one were Muslims. Many weren't told why they were arrested and were not given immediate access to lawyers or allowed to see the evidence against them. The report said that court proceedings were conducted against the men behind closed doors, and that all the court documents were sealed. "Almost half of the [men] were never brought before a grand jury or court to testify. The U.S. government has apologized to 13 for wrongfully detaining them. Only a handful were ever charged with crimes related to terrorism," according to the report. In a time of national peril, protecting America from terrorists should be paramount, you might argue. Yes, but pulling Muslims of Middle Eastern descent off the streets for indefinite incarceration because they have worked, dined or prayed with someone who looks like them or has a similar name and is under suspicion as a possible terrorist -- this is inconsistent with our notions of justice and the full and free exercise of rights. Think about it as we commemorate our anniversary. And please don't pooh-pooh the fear that race or national origin could be used as the basis for the U.S. government's mistreatment of people in this country during a time of war. To do that is to ignore history. "A Jap's A Jap," read the headline on a Washington Post editorial on April 15, 1943. That was a quotation from an American general concerning thousands of Americans who had been moved against their will from the Pacific Coast after Pearl Harbor because of their racial background. The commander of the evacuation and relocation, Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt, declared: "A Jap's a Jap. It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen or not. . . . The West Coast is too vital and too vulnerable to take any chances." And just like that, as The Post observed, without having been charged with any violation of law or sentenced by any court and having been found guilty of nothing except the peculiar pigmentation of their skins, these native-born Americans of Japanese ancestry, known at the time as "Nisei," were rounded up by the government and held indiscriminately. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were still around in World War II. But we also had the panic of Pearl Harbor, governmental zeal and prejudice, as expressed by Sen. Tom Stewart, a Tennessee Democrat who, in arguing for his bill to seize all Japanese living in the United States regardless of where they were born, told the Senate: "Where there is a drop of Japanese blood there is Japanese treachery." And, of course, the oxen being gored were not America's majority. The Post, arguing against the continued internment, warned in a Dec. 17, 1943, editorial: "Every American has a direct interest in protecting the rights of these citizens of Japanese ancestry, for our own rights may be vitally linked to theirs." Continuing the editorial campaign into 1944, The Post observed that excluding Japanese Americans based on nothing more than racial hostility raised an ugly threat to the fundamental principles of American life. "If the freedom of citizens can be restricted because of the spelling of their names, then none of us can claim more than a temporary and illusory hold upon freedom." Ah, you might say, that was then. It was a time when the Hood River American Legion Post took out an advertisement in a local paper urging Japanese not to return to Hood County, Ore.; when the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Gardena, Calif., refused to put the names of Japanese Americans on the World War II honor rolls and scratched off the names that had been posted; when a barber in Parker, Ariz., refused to cut the hair of a wounded soldier because he was Japanese American. All that, you say, is in the past -- another time in America. Well, yes. But consider June 2005:

Principles of liberty and justice always draw a focus on the Fourth of July. In 1852 Frederick Douglass used the occasion to bring attention to the gross injustice of slavery, telling an anti-slavery audience in Rochester, N.Y.: "The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence,...

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Nomination Could Be Defining Moment for Bush

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There are few genuine earthquakes in American politics, but yesterday's announcement by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor easily qualifies as one. Her retirement is likely to trigger one of the most consequential confirmation battles in a generation, with the ideological balance of the Supreme Court and the future of contentious social issues now firmly in the hands of President Bush. For more than three decades, the right has been ascendant in America. A Republican Party fueled by the energy and activism of its religious and social conservatives has seized control of the executive and legislative branches of government in Washington and has seen its strength widen and deepen across the country. JavaScript is required to display this interactive graphic. If it is turned off, please enable JavaScript in your browser preferences. The Supreme Court is the lone branch of government where conservatives have been unable to gain the dominant voice, to the great frustration of those on the right. Among the most ardent conservatives, there is no better evidence of the need to change the court than two decisions that marked the end of the term this summer, which limited displays of the Ten Commandments on government property and gave local governments the power to seize private property for commercial development. The choice ahead for Bush in selecting a successor to O'Connor may prove to be the most important domestic decision of his presidency, given its potential impact on abortion and other issues and rivaling Iraq in its ability to split the country. He will soon decide just how far to try to push the court in a different direction. The bolder he is, the more likely he will touch off a battle that will consume Washington and much of the country for the rest of the summer and whose impact could be felt in the 2006 elections and beyond. There are huge risks for Bush no matter which way he moves. He faces enormous pressure from the right to appoint someone more conservative than O'Connor. But such a move risks a potentially bruising battle with Senate Democrats and a backlash among voters in the middle of the ideological spectrum, who may worry about the GOP's social and cultural agenda. But leading Republicans said Bush must move decisively to remake the court. "Given the disastrous decisions of the last few days on private property rights, the Ten Commandments and violent criminals, I think the majority that elected Bush and the House and Senate clearly expects a very conservative nomination," said former House speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia. The coming decision will prove a defining moment for Bush's presidency. His political strategy is founded on the assiduous courtship of his conservative base, and on big issues he has rarely chosen to disappoint them. But it has never been clear how comfortable the president is in pushing a sharply conservative social agenda. He opposes abortion but has resisted championing the cause of overturning Roe v. Wade . He pushed a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriages, but at a time when it was clear it could never pass Congress. Bush has been forthright, however, in trying to change the complexion of the courts, a political project that he shares with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and other top advisers. Bush has nominated a series of conservatives to fill federal district and, especially, appellate courts, locking horns with Democrats, whose filibusters of those nominations only heightened the White House's determination to keep pushing forward. But the president also has a contrarian streak, and in personnel decisions he often likes to go with his instincts. Only a handful of people know the full range of calculations he and his advisers are bringing to this decision, but there is no more important issue to social and religious conservatives than the Supreme Court, and there aren't many ways for Bush to fudge on his intentions in the selection of a successor to O'Connor. "The court is the pivot point on social policy, and O'Connor's seat is the pivot point on the court," said William Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard, who had predicted O'Connor's retirement. "So it's a pretty dramatic moment." Both sides believe the political landscape tilts in their direction in a Supreme Court battle, reflecting sharply contrasting philosophies about the role of the courts. Democrats think Bush has been hurt by Republican-led intervention in the Terri Schiavo case and by the comments of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and others warning that they intend to do whatever they can to rein in the courts. In their estimation, moderate voters, particularly women, recoil at the prospect of a Republican Party that already controls the White House and Congress gaining control of the majority at the Supreme Court. Instead, they want a court system that provides a check and balance rather than a ratification of the conservative agenda.

Retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor places the ideological balance of the Supreme Court and the future of contentious social issues firmly in the hands of the president.

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Supreme Court Justice O'Connor Resigns

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Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a self-described "simple cowgirl" who became the first woman on the Supreme Court, announced her retirement yesterday after nearly a generation as the court's pivotal voice on society's most burning issues, from abortion and race to capital punishment and terrorism. O'Connor, 75, stunned the capital with her simple three-sentence letter hand-delivered to the White House yesterday morning, touching off what both parties expect to be a media-saturated struggle to choose her successor. The consequences could hardly be greater, given the precarious ideological balance on the court and O'Connor's role for many years as the deciding vote. Her announcement threw off balance the political and legal establishment in Washington, which had expected Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist to retire when the court's term ended Monday and then stood down after he did not. President Bush first got word Thursday that a sealed envelope from the court would arrive the next morning but did not know from which justice, and he kept even that news secret from everyone in the West Wing but Vice President Cheney and two aides. Within minutes of the letter's arrival, all manner of activists, lawmakers and administration officials -- many heading off for the holiday weekend -- scrambled to activate long-prepared battle plans. Bush and senators from both parties rushed to the microphones to lay down markers. Interest groups launched television advertising and sent millions of e-mail messages. The coming nomination will be the first in 11 years and the first of the Internet era, an opportunity for Bush to remake the court in a decisive fashion. Scheduled to fly Tuesday to Europe for an international summit, Bush will not name a nominee until after he returns Friday, the White House said, but advisers have already produced a list of more than half a dozen candidates for him to consider, mainly conservative federal appellate judges. Appearing in the Rose Garden an hour after receiving her letter, Bush praised O'Connor as "a discerning and conscientious judge" and promised to pick a successor "who will faithfully interpret the Constitution." Bush, whose selections of lower-court nominees provoked a bitter months-long standoff in the Senate, pledged to consult lawmakers and called Senate Democratic leaders yesterday with a promise to meet after his European trip. "The nation deserves, and I will select, a Supreme Court justice that Americans can be proud of," the president said. "The nation also deserves a dignified process of confirmation in the United States Senate, characterized by fair treatment, a fair hearing and a fair vote." But liberal critics wasted no time going on the attack even without a nominee identified. The advocacy group MoveOn.org released a television ad asking, "Will George Bush choose an extremist who will threaten our rights?" Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), whose early opposition to Robert H. Bork helped doom his nomination to the Supreme Court in 1987, threatened to do the same to a Bush candidate. "If the president abuses his power and nominates someone who threatens to roll back the rights and freedoms of the American people," Kennedy said, "then the American people will insist that we oppose that nominee, and we intend to do so." Conservative allies of the president responded with their own media onslaught, including a webcast mocking Democrats in a satirical news show reporting that they were opposing George Washington and Benjamin Franklin after Bush named them to the court. "Today the battle is joined," said a statement from the Committee for Justice, a group founded to support the White House, singling out 12 Senate Democrats from conservative states "who will be held accountable" if their party blocks Bush's choice. "This is the most important resignation and nomination . . . in our lifetime and probably more than that," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel to the American Center for Law and Justice, an advocacy group founded by evangelist Pat Robertson. "It's very, very significant. Justice O'Connor is the pivotal vote on so many key cases. This has got gargantuan" implications, Sekulow said. The nominee could reshape not only the court but also the president's place in history. "The person will serve for life and long outlive" Bush's presidency, said C. Boyden Gray, who was White House counsel to Bush's father and founded the Committee for Justice. "Presidents are in some cases defined by their nominations."

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A Dedication to Excellence From a Jurist Without Precedent

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When Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart announced his retirement in 1981, President Reagan summoned a former Republican activist and lawmaker, a judge sitting on the Arizona Court of Appeals, to the Oval Office. Sandra Day O'Connor was a wife, married for almost 30 years at that point to a law school classmate; a mother, whose three boys were nearly grown; and a daughter of the West, whose rancher daddy taught her to brand cattle and brandish a .22 by the time she was 8. Reagan said later she charmed him immediately with her passion for horses, which he shared. They chatted about judicial issues; he never mentioned the Supreme Court opening. She said later she "got on the airplane and sat down and took a big breath and said, 'My, that was an interesting time to go to Washington. But thank goodness I don't have to do that job.' " O'Connor, 75, yesterday announced she is giving up "that job," which she held for nearly a quarter-century. For much of that time, she has been described as the most influential woman in America, a designation that always stuck in her craw. The way she was raised, and the way she has lived, is simply to work hard and attentively in all the realms of her life, from the law to the Arizona Senate to court trials, from the Junior League to her golf game, from her friendships to her 1988 battle with breast cancer. "All her life, whatever she did, whether it was important, or unimportant, or semi-important, or very important, she just would do it to perfection," her younger brother, H. Alan Day, told The Post years ago. "If you said, 'The job is to wash dishes well,' she would do it better than anyone else." The very nature of her vaunted position has allowed her to blend and balance all these realms with a grace and dignity many powerful women never achieve. Outside the publicity glare that descends on first ladies and female politicians, O'Connor in Washington created quite a modern model for any women who hope to fashion lives both professionally and personally full. She is her own mix of frontier woman and distinguished jurist, able both to mug in a cowboy hat and to cast the crucial swing vote in more than a dozen 5-4 decisions. Friends and family members have said she is a down-to-earth woman, generous and funny, given to throwing birthday celebrations for her clerks and sending thank-you notes seemingly written as soon as she arrived home. But she is also reserved and private; her own son told the Associated Press that yesterday's resignation caught him by surprise. In her letter to President Bush, the justice made no mention of why she was ending her lifetime appointment. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said O'Connor said she "needs to spend more time with her husband," John, 75. The justice has told close friends that he is suffering from Alzheimer's. None of the couple's three sons and six grandchildren lives in the area. Her husband has been a full partner in her life from their days at Stanford Law School, where they were editors on the law review. Sandra Day graduated third in her class (first in the class was William Rehnquist, now the chief justice). The two of them dated, "a few movies and one thing or another," as O'Connor explained it, but once she accepted a date from John O'Connor, they had dates the next 39 nights in a row, "until he decided he needed to get some rest," she said. When she brought O'Connor back to the 198,000-acre ranch straddling Arizona and New Mexico, her father tormented him by taking a piece of baling wire, skewering the testicles of the bull he had just castrated and grilling them in the branding fire. Then he held out the delicacy, standard cocktail-hour fare on the Day ranch, and said, " 'Here, John, try these.' " O'Connor recalled. "And poor John, he had to take one and gulp, 'Very good, Mr. Day.' " With that test passed, the couple wed as soon as she graduated law school. She was 22. None of the law firms in California would hire her as a lawyer, although she did get an offer to be a secretary, "depending on my typing," she likes to recall, and not with total amusement, even all these years later. She took a job as a deputy county attorney. After her husband's military tour of duty in Germany, he got a well-paying corporate job in Phoenix and she hung out a shingle with another attorney. When her second child was born in 1960, she decided to stay at home. She threw herself into volunteer work, becoming president of the Phoenix Junior League, and kept her hand in the law with the occasional appointment as trustee in a bankruptcy case and juvenile court referee.

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Surprise Retiree Raises the Stakes of Battle to Come

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After preparing for months for a battle to replace Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, conservative and liberal groups were caught by surprise yesterday and immediately began reworking their strategies for a fight that they believe will be even more ferocious and carry higher stakes. Activists on both sides said the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has been a crucial swing vote compared with Rehnquist's reliable conservatism, gives conservatives an unexpected chance to shift the court rightward. Liberals, anxious to prevent such a move, said they must pour more money and energy into a campaign to educate Americans about the role O'Connor played and the importance of replacing her with a fellow centrist. The multimillion-dollar campaigns, which activists say will nearly rival presidential candidacies in their scope and sophistication, kicked off within an hour of O'Connor's announcement. Both sides launched ads designed to build momentum for their causes before President Bush names his nominee, which some senators expect during the week of July 11. The liberal MoveOn PAC began airing a television ad in five states recalling the president's role in the Terri Schiavo case and asking, "Will George Bush choose an extremist who will threaten our rights?" The conservative group Progress for America, which spent $45 million on Bush's reelection, sent an e-mail to 8.7 million people about 45 minutes after the news broke, urging them to distribute a Web video mocking anticipated Democratic attacks. The group said it is rethinking its plan to refrain from airing TV ads next week. Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, said his group plans to spend millions of dollars on the fight and will increase the budget and intensity because of the O'Connor opening. "To replace Justice Rehnquist with a nominee who respects the Constitution would be the status quo," Perkins said. "To replace Justice O'Connor with a nominee who respects the Constitution would change the composition of the court." Nan Aron, head of the liberal coalition Alliance for Justice, said, "It's hard to overstate the stakes now with Justice O'Connor's resignation." Liberal activists, she said, must embark on a crash education course to tell Americans about potential changes in rulings on abortion, the environment, workers' rights and many other issues. "We need to share with the American people the importance of her seat . . . and secure their engagement in this national debate," Aron said. The timing of O'Connor's announcement was awkward for senators, who will vote -- presumably in the early fall -- on whether to confirm Bush's pick to succeed her. Senators had met late into the night Thursday to begin their week-long Fourth of July recess yesterday, and most were gone or about to leave Washington when the word came at 10:30 a.m. At least one, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), quickly jetted back to hold a Capitol news conference, where he urged the president to convene "a summit" of senior Republican and Democratic senators to consult on a possible nominee. The White House said Bush will meet with a few top Republican and Democratic leaders, including those on the Senate Judiciary Committee, before announcing his choice. Bush placed a 14-minute call to Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the committee's ranking Democrat, that forced the senator to interrupt his news conference in Burlington, Vt. But White House aides stopped far short of promising a "consensus" nominee, which Democrats and liberals called for throughout the day. Several Democrats noted that President Ronald Reagan, a conservative icon, had nominated O'Connor, who was approved by the Senate 99 to 0. "This president should follow the Reagan standard," said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.). "President Bush should use this opportunity to bring the country together, not to tear us apart," said Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). "It's what President Reagan did when he nominated Justice O'Connor." But some Republicans urged Bush to nominate a strong conservative, even if it means a bruising confirmation fight in the Senate, where the GOP holds 55 of the 100 seats. "While it may seem expedient to nominate people who can easily be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, history shows that is not the proper course of action," said Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.). Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said: "I would hope that President Bush's nominee will swing the court back toward the Constitution and away from an era of self-indulgent judicial activism."

After preparing for months for a battle to replace Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, conservative and liberal groups were caught by surprise yesterday and immediately began reworking their strategies for a fight that they believe will be even more ferocious and carry higher stakes.

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Timeline: Sandra Day O'Connor's Key Decisions

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March 29, 2005: Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education Decision allows a male teacher to bring a Title IX claim if he complains about sex discrimination. April 28, 2004: Hamdi v. Rumsfeld This decision rejected the Bush administration's position on enemy combatants and rules that a citizen held in the United States must be given an opportunity to challenge the factual basis of the detention before a neutral decison maker. Dec. 10, 2003: McConnell v. FEC The ruling, which O'Connor co-authored with Justice John Paul Stevens, declares the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law constitutional. June 23, 2003: Grutter v. Bollinger, Gratz v. Bollinger O'Connor publishes her second book, The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice. March 5, 2003: Ewing v. California and Lockyer v. Andrade O'Connor affirms California's "3-Strikes" law that long prison terms for repeat offenders are legal Dec. 12, 2000: Bush v. Gore O'Connor votes with the 5 to 4 majority that effectively makes George W. Bush the 43rd president of the United States. June 28, 2000: Stenberg, Attorney General of Nebraska v. Carhart O'Connor calls on judges nationwide to ensure fairness for all. June 24, 1997: Agostini v. Felton O'Connor delivers the decision allowing public school teachers to enter parochial schools to provide remedial education. June 29, 1992: Planned Parenthood of Southeastern PA v. Casey Justices O'Connor, Anthony M. Kennedy and David Hackett Souter reaffirm what they called the "central holding" of the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade. O'Connor votes to strike down a portion of an antiabortion law that would have required a minor, virtually without exception, to notify both parents before obtaining an abortion. June 11, 1990: United States v. Eichman O'Connor dissents when the court rules that flag-burning is protected by the First Amendment. June 21, 1989: Texas v. Johnson O'Connor dissents as the court protects a citizen's right to make a political statement by burning s privately owned U.S. flag. April 22, 1987: McCleskey v. Kemp O'Connor joins with the court in upholding capital punishment law. June 4, 1985: Wallace v. Jaffree O'Connor concurs in the court's judgment that moments of silence in public schools are in and of themselves constitutional, but may not "characterize prayer as a favored practice." July 1, 1982: Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan O'Connor rules in favor of a male applicant seeking admission to the Mississippi University for Women nursing school. O'Connor takes the oath of office. O'Connor is confirmed by the Senate. O'Connor is nominated by President Reagan as the first woman associated justice of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court upholds two key abortion rights, with O'Connor voting with the majority.

The following are key decisions and events in the career of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Decision allows a male teacher to bring a Title IX claim if he complains about sex discrimination. This decision rejected the Bush administration's position on enemy combatants and rules that...... O'Connor...

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The O'Connor Court

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Uniquely among current members of the court, Justice O'Connor was a politician -- an Arizona legislative leader and later a judge -- before she was appointed by President Ronald Reagan. Her background has given her an unusual political sophistication and savvy both in her substantive jurisprudence and in her role on the court. Allergic to the sort of broad principles that excite more ideological justices of both the left and right, her opinions generally lacked lively or stirring rhetoric. Her instincts were pragmatic. She had a pronounced tendency to decide cases on their facts, leaving herself room to shift gears when facts were different. These traits often exposed her to charges of judging with insufficient analytical rigor or consistency, charges that were sometimes justified. Though certainly a conservative, she has not been a reliable enough conservative to develop much of a following within the conservative movement. Yet because she has been wedged between the court's liberal and conservative flanks, her attitudes took on enormous importance. Many of the most significant tendencies and rulings of the court during Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist's tenure reflect them: its adjustment of the balance between state and federal power back toward state authority; its deference to state court convictions and criminal proceedings even where they produce manifest flaws; its ultimate refusal to overturn federal abortion rights even while granting states somewhat greater leeway to regulate abortion; its decisions to defer to states on affirmative action in higher education and to Congress on the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law; and its expansion of judicial power in a host of areas. Putting aside the notable exception of the court's recent rewriting of the rules of criminal sentencing -- from which Justice O'Connor has been a vociferous dissenter -- it's hard to think of major areas of modern jurisprudence not affected by her thinking. As a consequence, her departure will leave a dramatic hole and a no less dramatic opportunity for a new justice to nudge the court in a different direction across a significant array of hot-button issues. President Bush's coming choice may therefore prompt an ugly political fight. No sooner had Justice O'Connor announced her retirement than the distasteful jockeying among any number of interest groups began: conservative groups demanding satisfaction; liberal groups pretending they get to dictate the president's choice. Everyone should take a deep breath. Mr. Bush ran for and won election as a conservative who would name justices who share his philosophy, and he can be expected to name a conservative in this case. In doing so, however, Mr. Bush needs to bear in mind the fractious state of American politics and the capacity of a divisive nominee to trigger an all-out war that would hurt the court and the country as a whole. The president should consult as broadly as possible and seek a nominee who would satisfy his requirements while also garnering broad support from moderates of both parties. It is not too much to ask of Mr. Bush that he work for consensus in replacing a justice who, in a very real sense, had come to represent a bridge between left and right.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT yesterday of the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor brings to an end the career of one of modern America's most important jurists. Justice O'Connor came to the Supreme Court in 1981 as its first female member, and she has served the court since with honor and distinction. In...

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Justice for the Next Justice

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This week marks a historic occasion, not only for the U.S. Supreme Court, but for America -- the retirement announcement of our nation's first female Supreme Court justice. The process in the U.S. Senate for considering her successor should reflect the best of the American judiciary -- not the worst of American politics. Justice O'Connor has provided a voice of judicial restraint on a number of important issues on which the court was closely divided. Throughout her 24 years on the nation's highest court, Sandra Day O'Connor worked to restore common sense to our criminal justice system and foster due regard for the powers reserved to the states under the Constitution. Thanks to her, victims of crime are more likely to receive justice and inner-city children are no longer constitutionally barred from access to school choice programs. And although I have not always agreed with her rulings, I have always felt a deep and abiding respect for her commitment to public service and reverence for the law. The announcement of Justice O'Connor's retirement has now set a familiar process in motion. Soon the president will nominate, and the Senate will have the responsibility to consider, an individual to serve a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. As a senator, I must decide whether to vote to confirm or reject this nomination. This is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. The president has the sole responsibility to pick his nominee. It is crucial that he do so with an eye toward character and temperament. The nominee must be intelligent and wise, thoughtful and careful, and always fair-minded and impartial. The nominee must have good moral character and demonstrated commitment to public service and the common good. And he or she must be open-minded and willing to consider all arguments before the court. That is why, when evaluating the nominee, I will not be asking for commitments as to how he or she will rule on cases involving such contentious issues as abortion, affirmative action, same-sex marriage, the war on terrorism or any other specific issue on which the nominee might eventually rule. To ask a judicial nominee how he or she will rule on future cases is to force the nominee to prejudge these cases. Imagine going before a judge whose mind was already made up concerning your case. Imagine a judge who had promised the president or some senator that he would rule against you -- no matter the merits of the case. That would not be a judicial process; it would be a political process. It's crucial that judges approach every case free from political commitments. They must be free to disappoint their supporters and surprise their opponents and critics. Judges must be free to do their jobs -- to listen to the facts, to carefully divine the law and to be faithful to the Constitution. As soon as the president announces his nominee, media reports and interest groups will probably attempt to demonize or paint the nominee as a right-wing extremist. Some Senate Democrats -- who often insist on asking nominees to prejudge cases and issues -- will subject the nominee to controversial questioning during the hearing process. The American people should recognize such questions for what they are: an attempt to politicize the process and badger the nominee to reveal personal feelings about any given issue. This is unfair to the nominee and the American people, and grossly distorts the Senate's role of providing advice and consent. Before her service on the federal bench, Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- a distinguished jurist and liberal favorite -- served as general counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union, a liberal organization that has championed the abolition of traditional marriage laws. Before becoming a judge, Ginsburg expressed her belief that traditional marriage laws are unconstitutional but that prostitution is a constitutional right. She also wrote that the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are discriminatory institutions, and that courts must require the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortions -- hardly views Americans would consider mainstream. Yet Senate Republicans and Democrats alike set aside such concerns and approved her nomination. By contrast, we have seen during the past four years a partisan minority obstruct this president's judicial nominees -- who hold views shared by millions of Americans and enjoy bipartisan majority support in the Senate -- suffer vicious attacks and unprecedented obstruction at the behest of liberal interest groups. Our role as senators is to ensure that the nominee is qualified and has the intelligence, character, and judicial temperament to perform the job, to guarantee that all senators have an opportunity to evaluate the nominee, to allow as much debate as is necessary to fully discuss the nomination, and then to come to a vote. Yet there are some who argue that the Senate can refuse to vote altogether, and that the Supreme Court should be forced to operate without a ninth justice. While I am confident that the nominee to replace Justice O'Connor will be an able jurist, I am less confident in the treatment he or she will receive from the president's opponents. The writer is a Republican senator from Texas.

This week marks a historic occasion, not only for the U.S. Supreme Court, but for America -- the retirement announcement of our nation's first female Supreme Court justice. The process in the U.S. Senate for considering her successor should reflect the best of the American judiciary -- not the worst...

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Agents Search Homes, Yacht Of Contractor, Congressman

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Federal agents armed with search warrants descended on the California house of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham yesterday, the latest step in a criminal investigation into his relationship with the owner of a District-based government contracting firm. Agents from the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the Pentagon inspector general's office participated in the search of Cunningham's house near San Diego, as well as the Washington home, office and boat of Mitchell J. Wade. Wade was until recently the chief executive of MZM Inc., which does intelligence work for the Pentagon. Cunningham, a California Republican who was a fighter pilot in Vietnam and an instructor at the Navy's Top Gun school, is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and defense appropriations subcommittee. The investigation began three weeks ago after news reports that Wade had purchased Cunningham's home in late 2003 for $1.675 million and then sold it months later at a $700,000 loss. Cunningham also was living rent-free on Wade's 42-foot yacht at the Capital Yacht Club on the Potomac River. But he has not stayed on the yacht for about two weeks, according to a source close to the congressman. Cunningham acknowledged last week that he showed "poor judgment" in selling his house to Wade but denied he had improperly helped MZM obtain government contracts to work on intelligence programs. Cunningham's lawyers, K. Lee Blalack II and Mark Holscher, issued a statement calling the search of Cunningham's home in Rancho Santa Fe "an appalling abuse of government power" because the congressman agreed Monday to cooperate with a federal grand jury subpoena seeking essentially the same documents. "They will apparently not take yes for an answer and have instead opted to use strong arm tactics that were designed to generate headlines," the lawyers said. In Washington, around 10 a.m., more than a dozen federal agents entered the headquarters of MZM, a secure white brick building on New Hampshire Avenue NW, and ushered employees into the reception area, according to one person who was there but spoke on the condition of anonymity. The agents took the names and phone numbers of the 15 to 20 employees before allowing them to leave, then did not allow anyone to reenter, the source said. Agents also searched Wade's Kalorama home and the yacht the contracting executive bought in late 2002 and soon renamed Duke-Stir, apparently after the congressman. In an unsigned statement, MZM said that it was cooperating with the investigation and that its legal counsel, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, had been in contact with authorities. "The search warrant process will not impede the ability of MZM's more than four hundred employees to continue to carry out critical national security support missions for our government," the statement said. Attorneys at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP who represent Wade declined to comment.

Federal agents armed with search warrants descended on the California house of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham yesterday, the latest step in a criminal investigation into his relationship with the owner of a District-based government contracting firm.

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Targeting the 'Art' Around Every Corner

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A bright arrow hovering over the rush of city life usually means "get moving": Hang a left, take a right, barrel straight ahead. But the bright yellow arrow stickers that have started popping up in the Washington area have a different goal: to slow people down, maybe even stop them for a moment. Launched last summer by Counts Media, a New York-based arts and gaming company, the Yellow Arrow Project is a kind of geographical blogging. Adherents have been placing the palm-size stickers -- each with a unique code -- on street signs, city monuments, store windows, abandoned buildings -- anywhere, really, that observers encounter what they deem to be "art." Then, using a cell phone, they send a brief text message -- which could be an interesting historical fact, a restaurant review or just some goofy poetry -- to Yellow Arrow. People who come across an arrow can call the Yellow Arrow phone number, punch in the sticker's code and receive that message. Outside a building at Seventh and S streets in Northwest Washington, for example, the sticker offers up this discovery: Old wonderbread factorys not abandoned. a bike graveyard inside. Another, posted in an auditorium at George Mason University, conveys a hopeful dream: And even though today we play to an empty house, perhaps tomorrow the whole world will applaud . "It's a creative platform where people can contribute collectively to the places they live," explains Jesse Shapins, Counts Media's creative development manager. So far, he says, about 2,800 arrows -- which are sold on Yellowarrow.net for 50 cents each -- have been planted and registered by participants worldwide, from New York to Berlin to Cairns, Australia. More than 100 of them are in the Washington area. Molly Aeck, who placed the Wonder Bread arrow, is one of the area's more dedicated participants. Aeck, 23 and a recent Stanford grad, has gone the extra step of logging 11 of her arrows on the project's Web site, complete with digital snapshots and a helpful locator map. On a scorching weekday afternoon, she is walking along 14th Street NW with a yellow arrow stuck to her index finger, looking for her next target. Her arrow seems to be wilting. For the academically-inclined Aeck, the arrow project is reminiscent of the place-based artistic expressions of the situationist movement, a group of 1950s thinkers and artists who, among other things, theorized about the pleasures of a process they dubbed "psychogeography." "These situationists would walk around and fall into these 'observational drifts' -- to find new perspectives in urban life," she says. "It's an appreciation for observing things around you." The situationists originated in Italy, where they must have drifted around on cooler days. Aeck's sticker is beginning to curl up. "I think these arrows can engage a passerby who doesn't have time but just to pass by," she says. Many more people are likely to pass by them in the future. That's because about 300,000 more stickers are being released through "Lonely Planet's Guide to Experimental Travel," the guidebook empire's foray into eccentric, participatory tourism. (It suggests, for example, writing a poem about every main square visited.) Six bright stickers come with every book.

A bright arrow hovering over the rush of city life usually means "get moving": Hang a left, take a right, barrel straight ahead. But the bright yellow arrow stickers that have started popping up in the Washington area have a different goal: to slow people down, maybe even stop them for a moment.

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Chinese Firm Gives U.S. Details of Bid To Buy Unocal

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China's CNOOC Ltd. energy company submitted its $18.5 billion bid for Unocal Corp. to the federal government for a national security review yesterday, hoping to jump-start the regulatory process while it allays political concerns in Washington. Typically, such reviews -- carried out by the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS -- do not begin until a takeover bid is accepted. But by making its request quickly, CNOOC, which is 70 percent owned by the Chinese government, hoped to signal wary U.S. lawmakers that the company recognizes their concerns and is ready to cooperate. Company officials also hope to convince Unocal shareholders that U.S. regulatory requirements would not unduly delay a deal's completion. CNOOC's unsolicited bid last week to wrest Unocal from it U.S. suitor, Chevron Corp., has deepened anti-Chinese animosity in Washington. By a vote of 333 to 92, the House on Thursday passed an amendment to an appropriations bill that would bar the Treasury Department -- which leads CFIUS -- from spending any money to approve the CNOOC takeover. CNOOC has shored up its political position, retaining the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP to handle its lobbying, and Public Opinion Strategies, a firm with ties to the Bush White House, to lead its public relations. Chevron has been at least as active, mobilizing its Washington office and its large number of contract lobbyists, according to corporate lobbyists familiar with the oil giant's effort. Chevron, which has offered Unocal shareholders $16.5 billion in cash and stock, yesterday revealed it had already offered promotions to 25 top Unocal executives, available if shareholders accept Chevron's offer. Of those, 20 have already accepted, said Chevron spokesman Charles R. Stewart. In an interview this week, Chevron Vice Chairman Peter J. Robertson said few Unocal workers outside the company's Southern California headquarters would lose their jobs in an acquisition, implying that CNOOC could make no such promise. The promotions could entice senior Unocal executives to pressure shareholders, while signaling again that a Chevron takeover would be quick and seamless. Unocal shareholders cannot consider the CNOOC bid until after Aug. 10, when they are scheduled to vote on Chevron's offer, Robertson said. If Chevron is rejected, then CNOOC would begin its regulatory process and security review. "They're in for a long and drawn-out process," Robertson said. But Mark Palmer of Public Opinion Strategies said the process would be faster than Chevron depicts. A CFIUS review that finds no threat to national security in a foreign takeover can take less than 30 days, and there is precedent for the process to begin before a takeover bid is formally accepted, he said. "We want to provide timing and certainty to Unocal stockholders for our superior offer," Palmer said, "and we want the committee to begin the process as soon as possible."

Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland business news headlines with stock portfolio and market news, economy, government/tech policy, mutual funds, personal finance. Dow Jones, S&P 500, NASDAQ quotes. Features top DC, VA, MD businesses, company research tools

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Future of Salmon Leads to Dispute Over Federal Dams

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LITTLE GOOSE DAM, Wash. -- Behold the slab of concrete called Little Goose -- ground zero in the salmon wars that are escalating across the Pacific Northwest. Little Goose has turbines for power, locks for river transport and a Rube Goldberg device for distilling young salmon out of the river, sorting them by size, and hosing them into trucks and barges for passage downriver. This hulking gizmo has become part of the "environmental baseline" here on the Snake River. At least that is how the Bush administration characterizes Little Goose and 13 other federal dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers. This characterization, though, has stuck in the craw of a federal judge. In his courtroom in Portland, Ore., U.S. District Judge James A. Redden described the administration's 2004 biological opinion -- it says dams are an ineluctable part of the river's environmental baseline -- as a document written "more in cynicism than in sincerity." The sincerity of the administration's policy is also being questioned by some scientists who work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, according to a survey of agency employees released Tuesday by the Union of Concerned Scientists and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. It found that about two-thirds of those surveyed did not believe the agency, responsible for protecting endangered fish and their habitat, was effectively doing its job. More than half of respondents said they knew of cases in which "commercial interests" or senior administration officials have "inappropriately" influenced agency decisions. Results of the survey, which went to 460 science professionals and had a response rate of 27 percent, are similar to those of a survey early this year of scientists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The chief science adviser at NOAA Fisheries challenged the latest survey, saying it obtained responses from only 6 percent of more than 2,000 agency scientists. Steven Murawski said the survey itself is poor science because it was not sent to "the overwhelming number of our science professionals." In Portland, Redden has tossed out as "legally flawed" the administration's 2004 biological opinion for the Columbia and Snake. He declared that it "ignored the reality of past, present and future effects" of dams on 12 species of endangered fish. Before the dams were built, these rivers were conduits for the world's premier salmon run. "As currently operated, I find that the DAMS strongly contribute to the endangerment of the listed species and irreparable injury will result if changes are not made," Redden wrote. To that end, he supported a request from the National Wildlife Federation and other salmon advocates, ordering that water be spilled over Little Goose Dam and other dams in the lower Snake. The spill started June 20. Spilling water over dams keeps migrating juvenile fish in the river, while keeping them out of turbines that often kill them. When less water goes through its turbines, though, Little Goose produces less electricity. Through the end of August, this dam will spill water that would be worth $267,288 a day, if it had been fed into turbines to generate electricity, said Carl Knaak, operations manager at the dam. The total tab for the spill ordered by Redden will come to about $67 million, according to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which sells power from federal dams in the Northwest and adamantly opposes the spill. For the average electricity customer whose utility buys all its power from BPA, the cost will be relatively low. It will require an increase of about 1.2 percent in the monthly bill (about 87 cents), said Ed Sheets, a private consultant with expertise in the Northwest hydro system. The spill -- and Redden's coruscating language in tossing out the government's approach to running the river -- appears to have angered the Bush administration. The Justice Department tried last month -- and failed -- to persuade the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco to issue an emergency order to stop the spill. Last week that court also ruled against the administration on another salmon dispute, upholding a Seattle federal court ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to protect salmon from harmful pesticides.

Latest politics news headlines from Washington DC. Follow 2004 elections, campaigns, Democrats, Republicans, political cartoons, opinions from The Washington Post. Features government policy, government tech, political analysis and reports.

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Negroponte to Review Intelligence Changes

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Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte will review changes made at the Army's National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) to address criticism by a presidential commission in March that found there was "gross failure" in the center's analysis of Iraqi arms in 2002, said Gen. Michael V. Hayden, Negroponte's deputy. Two NGIC analysts, who since 2002 have received annual performance awards, judged in September 2002 that the aluminum tubes that Iraq was purchasing were "highly unlikely" to be used for rocket motor cases because of their "material and tolerances," according to the report of the president's commission on intelligence. The NGIC finding, which the commission termed "completely wrong," bolstered a CIA contention that the tubes were meant for nuclear centrifuges and were evidence that Saddam Hussein was reconstituting a nuclear weapons program. The NGIC said it discovered its errors before the president's intelligence commission started its review, and as a result "instituted changes to training and procedures to improve analytic products," according to an Army statement delivered in answer to written questions from The Washington Post. The two civilian analysts responsible for the tube analysis "were instrumental in developing that training and procedure improvement," the Army statement said. Hayden told reporters Wednesday that the NGIC and two other intelligence agencies cited by the presidential commission -- the Defense Intelligence Agency Humint Service, which handles human intelligence, and the intelligence community's Center for Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation and Arms Control (WINPAC) -- would be held accountable for mistakes on prewar intelligence. "They are doing their own look, and we will do our own," said Hayden, who added that the NGIC's activities fall under the DNI's purview. The House and Senate intelligence committees have also opened inquiries into the NGIC, according to congressional sources. The NGIC has a staff of 900 full-time scientists, engineers, intelligence analysts and soldiers, with most of them at a relatively new facility near Charlottesville. It provides analyses of foreign armies, including scientific and technical work on their weapons. Meanwhile, the NGIC has also been in the spotlight as a result of a controversy involving MZM Inc. MZM is a research company whose government contracting business has come under scrutiny after it was disclosed that its president, Mitchell J. Wade, purchased the California home of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) for $1.6 million, but shortly thereafter sold it, taking a $700,000 loss. Cunningham, a subcommittee chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, lived on a yacht owned by Wade docked in the Capital Yacht Club on the Potomac River. A federal investigation is underway covering the Wade-Cunningham house sale, which the congressman last week acknowledged showed "poor judgment." On Oct. 18, 2002, MZM got the first of what would grow to be a series of orders for NGIC work. This initial one was for a seven-week, $194,000 study analyzing a computer program concept called "FIRES," according to material provided by the Pentagon. FIRES was a program first suggested by an NGIC employee who believed that if U.S. operatives around the world collected blueprints of important buildings worldwide, an important intelligence database could be developed. At the time, the NGIC's senior civilian employee and executive director was William S. Rich Jr. Rich had been the top civilian official at the NGIC since its inception in 1994. In September 2003, Rich retired from the NGIC and thereafter went to work as senior executive vice president for strategic intelligence for MZM, according to former NGIC colleagues and Pentagon documents. Rich has not returned telephone calls, and MZM has refused to comment on its NGIC work. Other NGIC employees have been hired by MZM. The former sergeant major at the NGIC, George A. Peeterse, is an MZM vice president. Contacted by telephone at home last week, Peeterse declined to discuss MZM or the NGIC. "We have been told to refer all questions to MZM headquarters in Washington," he said.

Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte will review changes made at the Army's National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) to address criticism by a presidential commission in March that found there was "gross failure" in the center's analysis of Iraqi arms in 2002, said Gen. Michael V....

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Lawmakers Agree on Road Spending

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House and Senate negotiators have agreed to a level of spending for highway and transit projects that is acceptable to the White House. The agreement clears a major hurdle in the two-year effort to develop a new federal transportation plan. Negotiators "have been working on a compromise for a transportation bill that would make much-needed improvements to federal highways," House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said in a midnight speech on the House floor Thursday. "Tonight they came to an agreement . . . to move that bill forward." Hastert provided no details. Congressional aides said the two sides have agreed on spending $286.5 billion over the six-year period ending in September 2009. The aides said the administration would accept that level. Yesterday, President Bush signed an extension of the previous transportation bill for the eighth time since it expired in 2003. The program was funded at $218 billion over six years. Congress has been unable to come up with a new bill, in part because lawmakers have sought significant increases in spending for transportation projects, drawing a veto threat from the White House over the cost of the bill. This year the White House has warned that President Bush would veto any bill that went over $284 billion, the level approved in the House bill passed last March. The Senate in May passed a $295 billion bill. Its sponsors proposed increasing revenues by cracking down on tax fraud and other measures so that it would not add to the federal deficit. Money for highway and transit spending is derived from the Highway Trust Fund, which comes from the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal tax that drivers pay at the gasoline pump. The latest extension goes through July 19, giving negotiators several weeks after they return from the Independence Day recess to work out details of the legislation, including the formula that determines how much states get in federal grants in relation to their contributions to the trust fund.

Get Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland and national news. Get the latest/breaking news, featuring national security, science and courts. Read news headlines from the nation and from The Washington Post. Visit www.washingtonpost.com/nation today.

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Kissinger Apologizes for '71 Remarks About I. Gandhi

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NEW DELHI, July 1 -- Former secretary of state Henry A. Kissinger, who derided Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in a private conversation with President Nixon in 1971, expressed regret in an interview broadcast Friday and insisted that the comments should be viewed in the context of the Cold War. The transcript of the conversation between Nixon and Kissinger, his national security adviser, in the Oval Office on Nov. 5, 1971, was declassified Tuesday and made front-page news across India. They discussed Nixon's meeting with Gandhi on the previous day. "We really slobbered over the old witch," Nixon told Kissinger. Nixon's remark came as the two men speculated about Gandhi's motives and discussed India's intentions in a looming conflict with neighboring Pakistan. The United States was allied with Pakistan and saw India as too close to its Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. "The Indians are bastards anyway," Kissinger responded to Nixon. "They are starting a war there. . . . While she was a bitch, we got what we wanted, too. She will not be able to go home and say that the United States didn't give her a warm reception and therefore in despair she's got to go to war." Kissinger, in an interview Thursday at his New York office, told the New Delhi Television channel that the conversation must be viewed as a reflection of the Cold War. "I regret that these words were used. I have extremely high regard for Mrs. Gandhi as a statesman," he said. "The fact that we were at cross purposes at that time was inherent in the situation, but she was a great leader who did great things for her country." Gandhi served terms as prime minister between 1966 and 1984, when she was assassinated by two of her bodyguards. Kissinger said the conversation with Nixon reflected U.S. concern about India's friendship with the Soviet Union. In 1971, Gandhi was also seen as seeking a military conflict with Pakistan, which the United States was trying to avoid. The war broke out a month later, leading to the creation of Bangladesh. "This was not a formal conversation. This was somebody letting off steam at the end of a meeting in which both President Nixon and I were emphasizing that we had gone out of our way to treat Mrs. Gandhi very cordially," Kissinger, 82, said in the interview. "There was disappointment at the results of the meeting. The language was Nixon language."

World news headlines from the Washington Post, including international news and opinion from Africa, North/South America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. Features include world weather, news in Spanish, interactive maps, daily Yomiuri and Iraq coverage.

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Persistence Pays For Officer in Prince George's

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On Oct. 2, 1985, a 26-year-old Temple Hills woman was walking to a bus stop to ride to her D.C. government job when a man forced her into some woods, raped her, beat the back of her head, then cut her throat all the way to the spine. The woman staggered to a nearby road and flagged down a motorist, who drove her to a convenience store and called 911. She pressed a palm to her wound. She was determined to survive, and she did. The horrific attack consumed Linda A. Dixon, a young Prince George's County police investigator. For months, Dixon checked leads, worked 20-hour days, seven days a week. The trail grew cold; other cases came along. Dixon moved steadily up the career ladder, to sergeant, lieutenant, captain and finally major. She remained determined to find the Temple Hills attacker. She did -- nearly two decades after the assault. Dixon's persistence paid off last fall when the county police lab -- at her request -- checked DNA from the attacker against a statewide database of convicted felons. A match came up. On May 27, Theodore R. Reed, 48, pleaded guilty in Prince George's Circuit Court to first-degree rape and attempted murder. Under the plea agreement, Reed is expected to be sentenced to 32 years in prison on July 22, prosecutors said. "Outstanding police work," said State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey. For Dixon, 49, the arrest and guilty plea were a satisfying coda to a brutal crime that burrowed itself deep into her psyche. "It haunted me for years," said Dixon, director of the policy research, management and accreditation division and the highest-ranking woman in the department. Dixon had said all along that if she ever solved the case, she would do a cartwheel. She was true to her word: After helping arrest Reed, "I did a cartwheel in front of the chief's office," she said.

On Oct. 2, 1985, a 26-year-old Temple Hills woman was walking to a bus stop to ride to her D.C. government job when a man forced her into some woods, raped her, beat the back of her head, then cut her throat all the way to the spine.

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Second-Quarter Mutual Fund Performance

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Washington Post staff writer Ben White answered your questions on second-quarter mutual fund performance. White's article, 'Gauging Two Booms,' anchored The Washington Post's special report. Coverage includes best and worst performers. You can also check out how the largest funds fared. Greetings folks, hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. Lots of good questions on mutual funds and the markets already qeued up, so let's jump right in. Washington, D.C.: Does anyone have a good explanation of why long-term interest rates have stayed low and what this interest rate behavior may mean for the economy, the markets, and mutual funds? Ben White: That's the million (or multi-trillion) dollar question these days, D.C. Fed Chair Greenspan of course has called the stubborn refusal of long term rates to rise, despite short term Fed hikes, a "conundrum." But theories abound. One says long term rates are predicting an economic slowdown, as they usually do. But GDP for the last quarter just got revised upward. So that may not be right. Other theories include pension fund managers flooding into t-bills to generate steady cash to pay retiring boomers and international money continuing to snap up treasuries because the returns, while low, are still better than elsewhere. Another theory is that we are in a new sub-4 percent 10-year note environment based on the fact that all other investments (real estate etc are too expensive) and the certainty of government bonds is still attractive even at these low rates. Sadly, I don't which of these theories is correct, but when anyone starts talking about a new paradigm it makes me nervous. And if rates do finally start to rise that could send real estate prices lower as mortgages get more expensive and fewer new buyers show up and it could hurt stocks and the economy because it would be harder for companies to invest. And of course current bonds get hurt when newer issues come to market at higher rates... Kill Devil Hills, NC: Of all the shares of stock owned by mutual funds, who does the voting for the stocks at the companies' annual meetings? What percentage of the daily stock trading is done by mutual funds? And , pardon my pessimism, if all the little people's 401k money goes into mutual funds and sit there, doesn't this mean that small groups of manipulators can screw around with the prices? Wouldn't it be interesting to see who really controls mutual funds? Ben White: Kill Devil Hills. Great name. Mutual fund proxy voting has been a hot topic the last couple years. To answer your question, mutual fund companies vote the shares they hold for their investors. In the past they did not have to disclose those votes. Now they do. And it seems from what research has been done that they typically vote with management and against any shareholder proposals on executive comp, expensing of stock options etc. I havent done much reporting lately to see if that's changed much since the disclosure rule went into effect but its certainly worth looking into. As for manipulating, that of course was at the heart of the mutual fund scandal of the last couple years, hedge funds and others coming in and trading mutual fund shares after hours and in other ways that harmed investors. Hopefully the prosecutions and rule changes the scandal touched off have cleaned up much of the abuse. We'll see. Warrenton, VA: As an investor on the tail end of the baby-boomer generation, my risk tolerance is going down, along with the rest of us baby boomers. Do you see an increase in mutual funds that specialize in dividend paying stocks? Personally, that has been my belief for the past year and I'm starting to see more signs of it. washingtonpost.com: Make Sure You Give Dividends Their Due Ben White: Absolutely, especially with the favorable tax treatment given to dividends these days. In addition, one of the arguments in favor of continued strong performance by funds that invest in REITs, Real Estate Investment Trusts, is that boomers like yourself will continue to migrate to their high dividends. By law they have to pay out 90 percent of taxable income in dividends. The Washington Post's coverage of second-quarter mutual fund performance includes: Gauging Two Booms: How Long Can Oil And REITs Stay Hot? A Modest Recovery From Winter's Pain Biotechnology: Anticipating the Effect of Mergers Utilities: The Appeal of Reliability Hedge Funds: Changing Strategies In a Growing Sector Make Sure You Give Dividends Their Due Washington, D.C.: What's the buzz about Morgan Stanley's new chief? This question refers to John Mack, who recently returned to Morgan Stanley as CEO after the ouster of CEO Phil Purcell. The buzz is generally quite positive. I notice the stock is up about 1.5 percent this morning after a positive research note from Merrill Lynch. The thinking is Mack will right the very troubled ship, retain top talent, spin off Discover card and generally heal open wounds between the two sides of the firm, the old line investment bank and trading desks and the Dean Witter retail side of the firm. Could just be a honeymoon period, but right now Mack looks good. Silver Spring, Md.: Everyone says the safe bet is against the U.S. dollar. Are fund companies seeing more inflows into international funds? Ben White: Yes, flows into international funds are rising. I imagine this will continue after people see how well some international funds, especially those invested in Latin America, performed in the second quarter. Brazil, Mexico and Chile are especially hot right now. But one should always keep in mind that chasing performance is a very risky and usually foolish strategy. You might want to think about getting a bit more international exposure but don't go putting all your money into a Brazil fund or something crazy like that! Anonymous: What kind of economic signals are the Wall Street pros looking for these days? Is there a sense that the 2nd half will produce the same sort of breakout gains this year as what happened last year? I think the big think right now is second quarter earnings, which will be coming out the next couple of weeks. They are expected to be down from last year's strong double-digit pace but if there are enough positive suprises Wall Street pros think that could get a rally started as stock price-to-earnings ratios are at fairly reasonable levels. Of course everyone is also looking for any signal that the Fed is going to stop raising rates so data on inflation will be critical. Jobs numbers will also continue to be key to see whether economic growth can keep on a steady, if not blockbuster, pace. One problem with a big late rally this year is that there is no presidential election to kick it off. If you'll remember, last year's gains came largely after the election ended w/out any recounts or other oddness. Baltimore: I'm struck by the utter insanity of the real estate market these days and found your analysis well written. Still, given the huge influx of foreign funds into U.S. REITs, it seems like the boom may continue on for another few years. Thoughts? One important distinction here is that REITs tend to invest in commercial real estate while the biggest "froth" in the real estate market is in residential areas such as the Florida coast (and in my opinion New York City, but many don't share my belief on that). I'm not sure that REITS can continue to return double digits each quarter but with the foreign flows and continued strong performance especially among hotels and retail stores there is certainly a chance that they will keep producing in the mid to high single digits. Arlington, Va.: The CEO of NAREIT was just on cnbc talking about reits' performance over the past 30 years. But he also stressed them as a tool to diversify portfolios. Think he senses people are considering a pullout? Hmm. Interesting question, Arlington. I doubt he thinks that. But some are pointing to big volatility in mutual fund flows into REITs as a signal of nerves and that a little bit of bad performance could lead to a lot of speculative money coming out. So tread carefully. But he makes a good point about diversity. REITs can be especially good hedges against inflation. But they should just be a piece of the larger pie. Ithaca, NY: I think the Post does a tremendous disservice by trumpeting quarterly mutual fund performance. All the research shows that average investors have time horizons for performance that are far too short, and that this leads them into value-destroying behaviors like chasing funds that have recent, hot track records. I suppose you could make an argument that you present this information because that's "what your readers want". But a lot of people want crack, too. I wish you'd do more to provide real investor education, and frame your data around what investing techniques that actually work, rather than feeding the beast of short-term performance focused mentality. Your short bit at the end about the perils of chasing hot sectors falls far short of this - especially when the remainder of the article is geared towards near-term market timing concerns on energy and real estate and the yield curve. Sure, I'd love to believe that I'm going to be the one to predict the yield curve. But do I really think I'm better positioned to do it than George Soros? Bob Rubin overseeing the prop desk at Citi? Don't feed readers' hubris. How about next quarter you write about how to set a true long term asset allocation plan, about how to ignore the quarterly ups and downs of one sector or another, and talks about 5 year mutual fund performance? How about longer than 5 years - go open the Ibbotson books and talk about asset class returns over the last 75 years. Talk about how damaging transaction costs are to long-run returns. That would be adding real value to the conversation. Ben White: Thanks Ithaca. This is a very common complaint about quarterly mutual fund coverage and the points are well taken. I would however take some issue with your characterization of the piece, which I think focused fairly heavily on the risks of chasing performance and the wisdom of diversification and long-term investing. That said, people DO want to know how their funds are doing both short and long term and I see no harm in providing this information. For those just tuning in: DONT MOVE ALL YOUR MONEY TO ENERGY OR REAL ESTATE FUNDS! DONT CHASE SHORT TERM PERFORMANCE. Washington, DC: Which are better, ETFs or mutual funds, especially from a diversification viewpoint? Don't think I can say which are better. Anybody out there have an opinion on this? ETFs can certainly offer instant diversification across a range of different companies and I don't believe they carry loads as some mutual funds do, but I'm not an expert on them. Thoughts from others welcome on this topic... Alexandria, Va.: How are the tech-focused funds doing these days? Any signs of life? Yes, there are some signs of life, Alexandria. Growth funds, which tend to invest in faster growing industries such as technology, finally started outperforming value funds in the second quarter, after a long run of value dominance. I talked to a few money managers for the Sunday piece who are very bullish on corporate spending on technology in the coming months and so very much like technology-focused growth funds. Bowie: What good is it to know what are the 30 (or whatever) best performing funds, when they probably all own pretty much the same holdings? Fair point, especially in a quarter so dominated by real-estate. I think the value generally is to see what different kinds of funds did well, i.e. real estate, utilities, tech, etc... Bowie: ETF vs. Mutual Funds: ETFs cost more to buy and sell. Mutual Funds cost more to hold. If you're dollar-cost-averaging your way in with regular (e.g. monthly) purchases, buy funds. If you have a lump sum to put in at once, but ETFs. Here's what sounds like a very smart answer on the ETF vs. mutual fund question. Many thanks, Bowie. Go Baysox! Ben White: OK folks. We are about out of time here. Thanks for the excellent questions on mutual fund investing and have a great week! Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Washington Post staff writer Ben White answered your questions on second-quarter mutual fund performance.

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Religion and Politics in America

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Always important, the religious factor in American politics has become pervasive, converting public life into a battle of uncompromising extremes, says Newsweek managing editor Jon Meacham in an article in Sunday's Outlook section. Whether the subject is terrorism, Iraq, abortion, gay marriage, the judiciary or stem-cell research, virtually every issue is being viewed through the prism of faith. Our public background music has moved from "Stars and Stripes Forever" to "Onward, Christian Soldiers." Perhaps on this anniversary of our independence, Meacham says, we can rediscover that America is at its best when religion is one, but only one, thread in the tapestry of public discourse and life. Jon Meacham , who is also the author of "Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship," was online Tuesday, July 5, at Noon ET to discuss his Sunday Outlook article, Believers, Save the Republic! . Jon Meacham: Hello, I'm Jon Meacham of Newsweek and I'm looking forward to answering your questions. Richmond, Va.: Thank you for your insight and taking our questions! Interesting idea. "Religion ought to be one aspect of our public discourse and life." (paraphrase) Please flesh this out a bit more please. If someone is very religious and practicing their faith (Christian, Jew, Muslim, conservative, liberal, orthodox, reformed, etc.) how does one shift to a one dimension view of religion and public life? Should Martin Luther King have just seen it as one aspect? Billy Graham? Ghandi? Jon Meacham: Thanks for your kind words, and for the good question. The examples you cite are just what I had in mind when I wrote about religion being one thread in the tapestry of our public life. For King or Ghandi or Graham, faith was (and, in Dr. Graham's case, is) the central element, the driving force, and the animating principle by which they lived. But they were not in government; their voices, lifted to make the case for justice and for righting wrongs, were lifted in and shaped the public square. Their role was to bear witness, and the role of the public and of the politicians was to hear them out, realize where they were right, and change society's course accordingly. Their testimony and their courage was vital, and I would hope---and pray---that we will always be blessed with figures like King, Ghandi, and Graham, people who can point us forward to what Winston Churchill once called "the broad, sun-lit uplands." Kansas City, Mo.: The phrase "separation of church and state" is found nowhere in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, and most specifically, certainly not in the First Amendment. Most historians agree that the original intent of the First Amendment regarding the sentence which contains the words "establishment of religion" had to do with preventing a state sponsored church to the exclusion of any other such as the early English immigrants had faced in Great Britain. Your comments? Jon Meacham: You are right: the chief force behind the establishment clause was to avoid the Old World problem of state religion, which nearly always led to coerced professions and limitations on individual freedom and individual conscience. There is another factor here, too, though. An old line of religious thought holds that the church is too important to be mixed up in what Saint Paul called "the principalities and powers" of this world---essentially, that believers should be more focused on the kingdom of God than on the kingdoms of the earth. The genius of the American solution to the church-state question, I think, was to avoid an established faith and to allow for the "free exercise" of religion. The much-vaunted "wall" between church and state has always had cracks in it (whenever I hear the phrase, I can't help but think of that wonderful scene in "A Midsummer's Night Dream"), but the important thing, I believe, is that we should make room for both the religious and the secular. Greenbelt, Md.: Inserting religion into politics is poisonous to democracy. One cannot hold a rational discussion with individuals who base their positions on faith, and public policy has suffered greatly for it in the U.S. It is impossible to discuss facts with someone who argues from faith. Faith is a deliberate suspension of rational thought, faith flies in the face of facts, and our country is in decline because of it. Can we actually subpoena god to testify about his position on gender equality, for example? Or do we rely on a self-interested individual to "interpret" this position in an unchallengable reading of "god's will"? How can the reasoned debate that is necessary for democracy take place in this poisonous atmosphere? People who value democracy need to fight against the hijacking of politics by religion as the founders of this nation did. Oddly enough, at the same time we are trying to bring democracy to the middle east we are becoming more and more like the Taliban-style regimes we deposed... Jon Meacham: With respect, I disagree with your central point. The idea that one cannot have a rational conversation with a person of faith is a historical, for Judaism and Christianity have always prized reason. Judaism is rich with ongoing arguments about the nature of God, the nature of man, and the work of this world; Christian theologians from Augustine to Aquinas have argued that faith without reason is no faith at all. In the historically accurate Christian world view, for example, science is a wonderful undertaking for it reveals the mysteries of God's created universe. That's why Christians who argue against the teaching of the theory of evolution are wrong, I think, for they are foreclosing the life of the mind in favor of literalism. Faith and reason should not be at war, but should be allies. I recommend John Paul II's "Fides et Ratio" on just this point. Philadelphia, Pa.: Jesus said we would be judged by questions such as: when I was hungry, did you feed me, when I was naked, did you clothe me, when I was in prison, did you care about me? How does the Religious Right reconcile this with their stands on cutting back social programs and increasing prison sentences? Jon Meacham: You make an important point. Intellectual and theological consistency is tragically rare, and many Christians are unwilling to follow the Gospel to its logical conclusion, which is very much as you characterize it. Christians, drawing on an image in Leviticus, are called to love their neighbors as themselves. Another example of a troubling inconsistency among some believers is that many American Protestants do not follow the Roman Catholic teachings on the "culture of life," which holds that one should be anti-abortion, anti-capital punishment and fight for economic justice. These three positions do not seem to be often held by the same American believer in our current climate. Salem, Ore.: Jon, I love seeing you on TV (Charlie Rose and other shows) but there is a biographical question I have always wanted to ask. There is something about your manner, your knowledge of religion, and the way you speak which makes me wonder if you were ever a clergyman. Former Sen. Danforth is among those members of clergy who have served on Capitol Hill. Has anyone ever told you that you sound like a clergyman? Jon Meacham: You are very generous, and because you ask a question about my biography while we are talking about very personal issues, I feel I should answer quickly. I am not and have never been a clergyman, though I am a churchgoing Episcopalian and was educated at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, which is an institution of the Episcopal Church. But what you see is what you get: a journalist who cares very much about these issues trying to write and speak about them as honestly and as clearly as I can. I may not always succeed---I'm sure I don't---but I try, which is all any of us can do. Philadelphia, Pa.: Was Winston Churchill very religious? Did he invoke religion much in his political speeches and discussions? Jon Meacham: Churchill was religious but not a churchman. He did indeed use religious imagery in his speeches, using the phrase "Christian civilization" to describe what Britain was fighting for in 1940. He spoke of how America would come to England's aid "in God's good time," and on the night Pearl Harbor was attacked he bade farewell to Franklin Roosevelt during a telephone call with the words "God be with you." And as an old man he would often say: "Whether you believe or disbelieve, it is a wicked thing to take away Man's hope." Boston, Mass.: Jon, I love your work. It's fair, it's balanced, it's not ideological. But it's rapidly becoming an endangered species. We seem headed for a country where all three branches are run by extremist right-wing Christian ideologues. I can't believe that's what the founding fathers wanted. In your view, how did we get to this point? I thought most Americans see themselves as moderates, yet increasingly the ultra-religious are making the rules for the rest of us. Where's the outrage-- or are Americans really not as moderate as they claim to be? Jon Meacham: Thank you. I think we got here---"here" being a political and cultural moment in which believers think themselves under siege and more secular Americans thinking the believers have taken over---for two reasons. First, the conservatives: I think the 1962 Supreme Court decision ending mandatory school prayer is the Pearl Harbor of the culture wars. I remember covering a pro-life rally about 15 years ago in north Georgia and meeting an activist who carried a chart detailing how bad things had gotten in America since 1962---the crime rates, that sort of thing. Then came the sexual revolution, the abortion-rights decision, the apparent coarsening of the entertainment culture, and so, for more than 40 years, the right has felt that the country was slipping out of control. I'm not saying I agree with this view, I am only describing it in what I think are generally accurate terms. Then you have the secular part of the country, which is more or less liberal. To my mind, the left has gone about 40 years without a clear White House champion. Lyndon Johnson's landmark domestic achievements came in the mid-60's, but then came Vietnam, and neither President Carter nor President Clinton were really beloved of liberals. Add that long historical exile to the Bush v. Gore election and to the frustration the left feels over the Iraq War, and you have a ripe climate for liberal anger about religious conservatism. Fairfax, Va.: I hear about one Christian Church that allows Muslims to use some of their facilities on Friday for Muslim worship. Do you know of any other enlightened Christians trying to reach out to the Muslim brothers and sisters in that way? We need more of that type of outreach. Jon Meacham: I completely agree. The great work of our time, I believe, is to make America (and, insofar as we can without exacerbating the situation abroad, the world) a place where pluralism is celebrated and people of all faiths and no faith at all feel at home. Strict believers in different faiths will disagree with this, but as a believer, I think my tradition encourages humility ("For our knowledge is imperfect ..." as Paul said) and charity toward all. To paraphrase Shakespeare, there are more things in heaven and on earth and are dreamt of in any philosophy, or any single religion. Harrisonburg, Va.: I've been a regular church-goer for 72 yrs (Lutheran). I watch all the news programs and talk shows. When I see or hear any of the "religious right" for the first time I am afraid they will take over all the churches and our government. this is a real concern, are they that strong? Can we hold our own? Jon Meacham: May I restate your question slightly, and then answer it? You and I, it seems, are both churchgoers and news junkies, and I get uncomfortable when I see any one, either on the "religious right" or the left, claiming to have a monopoly on truth or taking an extreme position. I think many Americans feel shut out of the broader culture of debate and discussion because they are essentially moderate---perhaps liberal on Issue X and conservative on Issue Y, and confused about Issue Z---and the extremes seems to have the microphones. I must say, though, whenever I get gloomy, I take comfort in some words of Churchill's, who once wrote: "The future is unknowable, but the past should give us hope." He was right: for all our sins and shortcomings, injustices and mistakes, the story of America has largely been one of progress and expanding liberties, and while we have a long way to go, the country's heart always seems to end up in the right place. Jon Meacham: Thank you all for your thoughtful questions. Many thanks for joining in. Best, Jon Meacham Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Jon Meacham, managing editor of Newsweek, discusses the role of religion the American political scene.

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What's Cooking

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A graduate of Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, Kim spends much of her time in front of the stove or with her nose in a cookbook. Catch up on previous transcripts with the What's Cooking archive page . Listen to Kim's most recent cooking segment on WTOP radio. Kim O'Donnel: Hello, cookers. How was Fourth o' July eatin'? Me, I had fun making the blueberry pudding cake pictured on the front of the current issue of Gourmet. Easy, breezy, lots of room for the blues to shine. Not too sweet, so you can eat it for breakfast. What else...I know some readers were complaining about cherries not being too sweet this season. Well, I picked up a quart on Sunday at Columbia Pike farm market, and they were the rockingest cherries I done eat this summer. That garlic scape pesto I mentioned a few weeks ago? Mixed it with some boiled potatoes for a lovely riff on potato salad. On my way home from yoga on Wednesday, I stopped off at the new farm market at Foggy Bottom, at 24th and New Hampshire. Small but could be nice for a little stop on way home from work. I'll be curious to see how it grows and develops. Saw apricots this weekend but didn't pick up. Made me think about how luscious this time of year...all the stone fruit, all the vine fruit like tomatoes, melons...and all the berries. What a treat. So what's the newest thing you've tried recently? Tell and inspire us. Charlotte, N.C.: A friend of mine let me borrow a West Indian (I think) cookbook which has a recipe for curried chicken. The recipe calls for 2 tbsp of curry. What is that exactly? I guess I can use the powdered form w/no problems, but I would like to make this as authentic as possible? Any suggestions? Thanks! Kim O'Donnel: yes, that's what the recipe is referring to -- curry powder. Thing is pre-mixed curry powders tend to be flat and lackluster. Try making your own, mixing your own blend of spices, which can include cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, even a hint of cinnamon, some black pepper. Buy small amounts in bulk section of your market, if you can, and then mix them up. If you want to take this even further, you can buy seeds, then toast, then grind yourself. Have fun whatever you do. Baltimore, Md.: The farmer's market is full of cherry tomatoes these days. Other than dropping them in a basic green salad, what else can I do with these wonderful fruits? Kim O'Donnel: Had a delicious simple salad Friday night at Colorado Kitchen (she's a dear old friend) of cherry tomatoes, feta and pine nuts. Simple yet delicious. Cherry tomatoes are wonderful with corn cut off the cob, some herbs and a little diced onion. Throw in w/ some scrambled eggs, into pasta. Garlic loves these little guys, too. Mount Pleasant, Washington, DC: Hello Kim. I was wondering if you knew of a good resource for finding cooking schools/classes in Europe. I'm headed to Spain next year and wanted to take a cooking class while I was there. Kim O'Donnel: Hey there, I always find an interesting list of classes through Shaw guides, which has a comprehensive Web site. Try that first. any other ideas? Ellicott City, Md.: I made an apricot tart for the 4th, the apricots were very, very tangy, maybe a little too ripe, but good all the same with a easy pastry crust made right in the pan with flour, sugar, salt, almond extract, milk and olive oil. Yummy! Kim O'Donnel: Nice, Ellicott! Thanks for the first-hand report. I'm eager to get my hands on some apricots within the week. Washington, D.C.: Kim, Just for fun, tonight you have free reign over what Hubby and I eat for dinner. I have chicken breasts defrosting. I am definitely making the couscous-yellow squash casserole from this month's Cooking Light. What to do to the chicken? I don't want to overpower the lovely side dish, but apartment living prohibits grilling. Kim O'Donnel: Do what I'm planning to do...Remove the skin, then make an "x" with your knife. Squirt a lil lemon, plus a sprinkling of salt. Make a paste of fresh ginger and garlic, with some olive oil, cumin, coriander, cayenne, turmeric. Rub it into the chick, then let it marinate for about 25 minutes. Roast at 400 or so. Tell me how it all works out. Zuchinni-ville, D.C.: Kim, The most wonderful and random thing happened yesterday as my husband and I were doing some gardening. A neighbor walked by with an armful of HUGE zucchini's from her garden and offered us the largest zucchini I have ever seen! Larger than a small child! Anyways. we were thinking of zucchini cakes, linguini with basil and zucchini. Any other fun light, summery meals come to mind? Kim O'Donnel: I was just talking about zucchini yesterday. Love it sauteed with pinenuts and lemon zest, then top it off with some chopped fresh mint and/or parsley. Larger zukes work well as "boats" -- hollowed out halves that you can fill with bread crumbs, herbs, garlic, onions, tomatoes, then bake in oven at 350 or so, until tender with a fork. I am in love with zucchini skillet cakes, which I recently experimented with -- lots of shredded zucchini (water drained out), with pinenuts, capers, lemon zest, an egg. fried thin in a skillet. Killer. Greenbelt, Md.: Here's a conundrum. I hurriedly made some potato salad yesterday for a party, and I didn't have time to cool the boiled potatoes. When the dressing went over them (mayo-based, of course), they were still quite hot. The instant I did thought, I realized that the hot potatoes actually might cause the mayo to spoil! I decided to bring it to the party and tried it before serving. It tasted fine, we ate it, and no one got sick. But I'm curious -- did I do the wrong thing by serving it? Can you even taste if mayo has gone bad? Kim O'Donnel: Well, actually, when you make potato salad, you need to season the potatoes while they are still warm, so they can absorb the seasonings, etc. The mayo wouldn't have spoiled -- but it might have curdled a bit. The key here is to keep potato salad chilled until using. One thing you can try is to pour a bit of olive oil over the spuds after cooking, plus some salt, THEN your dressing. I'm in Alsace for the summer, and the produce and other food is amazing!; Much of it (especially the cheese!;) is much cheaper than in the U.S., too. My mom is coming to visit, and I need to make a non-dairy appetizer. She likes eggplant, so I was thinking of something with eggplant and tomatoes and basil, all of which are great right now. I bought some at the farmer's market near my house this morning. I'd prefer stove-top, since the oven is already taken for the main course, but roasting could also be good. Main course, if it matters, is roasted chicken with garlic green beans and saute potatoes. Kim O'Donnel: Lucky you! A fun thing to make is eggplant "caviar" which is roasted eggplant until it's absolutely tender on the tongue...seed it if you can...put through food mill or food processor. Mix with garlic and all the other stuff you were talking about, plus some olive oil, salt, a little lemon zest. This will take about an hour. Great with crusty bread or crackers, will keep in fridge for a few days. Arlington, Va.: Where are folks seeing apricots? I couldn't get to the Courthouse market this weekend and haven't seen them in Whole Foods. Thanks! Kim O'Donnel: I got a glimpse at Columbia Pike market on Sunday... I had a wonderful feast at the 4th of July bbq I attended. My contribution was tabbouleh (chopped up parsley, tomatoes, onion, mint leaves, mixed with bulgar wheat, evoo and lemon juice). Yum! In addition to the usual bbq staples, we also had a great buffalo chicken dip (cream cheese, blue cheese, sour cream and buffalo sauce, all mixed together with chunks of chicken). But the best part of the night was definitely the traditional Scottish deep fried Mars bars. Oh WOW! Our host chilled the candy bars, made a batter (which tasted sorta like the fried dough you can get at a fair) and deep fried 'em! Best 4th of July ever! Kim O'Donnel: glad you had fun, dear. I love stories of eating with friends. Reston, Va.: What kind of buns can I serve with bratwurst? Hot dog buns seem too small and not strong enough, and potato rolls are too soft. Kim O'Donnel: Buns for bratwurst...hmmm. Who knows of an appropriately sized bread item? Star Tannery, Va.: I am overloaded with berries from my woods - a few black raspberries and little blueberries, a sticky red raspberry-looking thing that grows out of a furry pod, and starting next week, about 6 million big fat blackberries. We got enough this weekend to make a blackberry slump - basically berries and sugar topped with a easy biscuit crust and baked. Any other suggestions (besides eating them plain)? I am horrible with pie crusts so prefer something more informal. Also I'd like to try jam.....But I thought you might have an idea I hadn't thought of. How I'd like to be in your woods right about now. What a wonderful problem to have! Slump is always killer. I wonder if the blueberry cake I mentioned at top of hour. Blackberries would be wonderful in pancakes and waffles for breakfast this weekend. You also can make a wonderful smoothie, with a banana and a touch of vanilla yogurt... Springfield, Va.: Zucchini suggestion: Sliced zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers and portobello mushrooms are great marinated in some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then grilled or broiled until everything browns a bit. Eat as is or mix some of the marinade back in and serve over pasta. Really easy and really good. Shepherd Park, Washington, D.C.: Hey Kim, We just returned from a Cretan honeymoon where we had the most wonderful pork and lemon dish. I've been looking all over for a recipe, including the Greek cookbooks we brought back, but I can only find a pork and celery recipe. I tried it and it's not the same. Any thoughts? How to make or where to find the recipe ... Kim O'Donnel: Alas, I have only one Greek cookbook, and it's not the one I want -- that by Diane Kochilas. Look her up. She's the diva of Greek cuisine. Springfield, Va.: Rolls for bratwurst: Have you looked at the in-store bakery at the supermarket for hard sandwich rolls or hoagie rolls? They are a little larger and more substantial than a regular hot dog bun. Kim O'Donnel: a hoagie roll might be the ticket...wonder if there's a German variation thereof... Washington, D.C.: (But midwestern born and bred.) I've always used hot dog buns for bratwurst, but not the mushy, white, Wonderbread style, like at a baseball game -- but the heartier, bakery style. Kim O'Donnel: Another thought on the rolls for brats... Speaking of apricots: Has anyone tried the plum apricot hybrids, pluots? I am seeing them everywhere but haven't gotten the courage to try them yet. Seem kind of odd to me. Kim O'Donnel: Strange. Good. Worth a taste. Blackberries: What I wouldn't give to be stuck in the woods with all those blackberries ... make ice cream. Freeze some and make your friends jealous this winter. Toss them with sugar so they form a juice, them add sliced bananas and 1/2 and 1/2 for a yummy breakfast. Or just bring them all to my house. Kim O'Donnel: Yes, if she's got a ice cream maker, ice cream is a most fab idea... Burke, Va.: Kim, Do you have any recommendations for a book on cooking meat for my husband? He has totally gotten into grilling and roasting meat this year. Over the weekend he bought and craved a whole beef tenderloin and roasted a Chateaubriand cut that was incredible. The grilling books he has don't focus enough on the other cooking methods for meat and all my cookbooks are too general. Thanks for any suggestions! BTW, the idea for cole slaw last week to use my CSA radishes was spot on. Very yummy and healthy. Thanks for the help. Kim O'Donnel: Hey Burke, I love "How to Cook Meat" by Schlesinger and Willoughby. Covers gamut on various techniques. You may also want to look at titles by Bruce Aidell. Westerly, R.I.: What on earth is a plumot? Instructed to buy fruit at the market, this is what my charming husband returned home with. It's a pretty piece of fruit, but what will it taste like? Kim O'Donnel: A plumcot is a newfangled fruit -- a cross between a plum and an apricot. Astoria, NY: Hi Kim!; I've never made meatloaf and I have a recipe that looks pretty easy. Do you have any tips to make it extra tasty/not dense and dry? Thanks!; I lather mine up with a swig or two of olive oil. Gives it good flavor and keeps things moist. Salt well, plus some black pepper, and don't fuss it too much with bread crumbs and the like. If you're looking for a binder, consider an egg white. Help please!;: Am throwing a dinner party for 8 this weekend and wanted to keep it seasonal. All my plans started unraveling when I started to learn about guests who don't eat fish and/or seafood, others who shun red meat, and even a few veggies on the no-no list. Any suggestions for a seasonal summer dinner menu involving no fish, seafood or red meat? Chicken seems so uninspired... Kim O'Donnel: What about homemade pizza? You could make a bunch of dough, guests can roll theirs out and top it the way they like...you can have all kinds of fun stuff on hand, including arugula, garlic, spinach, pitted olives, ricotta, sharp provolone. Everyone's dietary preferences would be met, and you'd have a fun activity to engage everyone in. Whaddya say? Only glitch is that you have a hot kitchen for a while... Berkeley, Calif. -- bratwurst suggestion: You could wrap an uncooked crescent roll around it and bake it in the oven for 10-15 minutes -- like a bratwurst in a blanket. Kim O'Donnel: The bratwurst blanket suggestions continue to roll in and inspire... Bethesda, Md.: I'd like to try my hand at grilling peaches. Do I need to marinade them first? Baste them with something during the grilling process? I'm thinking something with honey and mint -- does this sound doable? Kim O'Donnel: You don't need to marinate them. You can baste with olive oil Honey would get a bit messy. But i highly recommend serving the peaches with honey afterwards. A little ginger would be nice here as well... Washington, D.C.: Re: What to do with zucchini. Slice lengthwise and marinate in olive oil with garlic then throw on the grill when you are almost done with meat. Goes with anything. Kim O'Donnel: Grilled zukes are indeed divine...thanks for the reminder. Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are just about my fave kind. Tonight, I'll be adding mine to the skewers for shish kebob, but my mom likes to stuff hers with a little Boursin garlic/herb cheese spread and chill them for a delish appetizer. I like keeping them in the fridge for a cold squirt--beats chips any day! Kim O'Donnel: I like your comment on eating natural goodies rather than those out of a bag. Keep up the good work. Re: Large Zucchini Squash: The only thing that you should remember about very large squash or zucchini is that it has probably gone to seed, so the inner bit is probably inedible. The outside of the squash also tends to get a bit fibrous and watery. It may not be so good for grilling or sauteeing, but would still work well in a zucchini bread. Kim O'Donnel: Excellent point. Thanks for adding on... Simple question about blueberries: Hey Kim, I have a couple of larger containers of blueberries, but I'm going out of town and need to use them quickly. I was thinking that I could make some delicious blueberry jam How do I go about doing this? Is it equal parts berries to sugar? Was also thinking that some lemon zest might be good. Maybe some ginger or all-spice? Kim O'Donnel: What's interesting about blueberries is that you can make a compote without adding pectin because of its naturally pectinous state. Put berries in saucepan and add water, but don't cover berries. Add a smidge of cornstarch, some lemon zest, some cinnamon. Sugar depends on sweetness of berries. For a pint, maybe 1/2 cup sugar, but really try the berries first. Simmer, let cook down, then strain. For thicker results, add less water and don't strain out all skins. If you do it this way, you'll have more of a blueberry syrup than a jam, however. Bratwurst: Ditch the bun! Pile of sauerkraut on the plate, brat on that, mustard and raw onions on the side, stein of beer. Sit down with a knife and fork already! Kim O'Donnel: You're my kind of brat... Solomons, Md.: Bratwurst buns -- in Ohio, home of the Bratwurst festival -- we serve them on rye hotdog buns. All the bakeries have them there, but you can probably ask the local bakery for them. Kim O'Donnel: that sounds pretty swell...I love the idea of rye hotdog buns... Takoma Park, Md.: Re: Apricot sightings ... there were apricots for sale at the Takoma Park farmers market this past Sunday. But I was too focused on the delicious cherries and blueberries this time. Kim O'Donnel: Yeah, it's a wonderful problem to have at this time of year...you'll get'em next week... Hyattsville, Md.: I want to try to eat more fresh foods (not processed). I am not a good cook and do not enjoy cooking. I'm looking for easy recipes -- like chicken breast with homemade salsa, baked fish, egg and vegetable casserole. Do you have any suggestions (recipes with a little of this and a little of that do not work for me) or a cookbook? thanks Kim O'Donnel: Hyatts, try "Now You're Cooking" by Elaine Corn for basic food geared for beginners. Very helpful. Kim O'Donnel: Sorry I have to dash. Lots left over and I'm out of time. Til next...all best. Don't forget the power of the blueberry! Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Scientology

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Flinn received his undergraduate degree from Quincy College, a Bachelor of Divinity, magna cum laude, from Harvard Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Special Religious Studies from St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. He also serves as an expert in forensic religion, testifying on the legal definition of religion and religious practices in the United States and abroad. He has appeared on radio and television around the globe on issues relating to the New Religions, Waco, the militia in the United States, Heavensgate, and religious violence. Washington Post staff writer Paul Schwartzman reports in his article "Testing Openness to Scientology" (Post, June 12) that the church offers stress exams, and a pitch, at local public booths: "The Rev. Susan Taylor, the D.C. church's president, said the stress test is a way for the organization to spread the message of Scientology, a faith movement that acolytes have lauded for helping people gain control of negative emotions but that skeptics have dismissed as a cult. 'It goes back to' the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Taylor as she retreated from the table to the shade. 'After 9/11, it was realized by many people the amount of stress is incredible, and we feel we have some tools that can be beneficial.'" In January, Washington Post staff writer Peter S. Goodman reported on Scientology and tsunami survivors in southern India in his article "For Tsunami Survivors, A Touch of Scientology" (Post, January 28): "Amid the grief and loss in southern India, against a clamor for food and attention to the threat of disease, the Scientologists are here, offering up "locational processing," cognition and "spiritual beingness." Washington Post staff writer Richard Leiby was online Thursday, July 7, at 1:30 p.m. ET to field questions about Scientology teachings and its celebrity adherents. The transcript of the discussion with Frank K. Flinn follows. Frank K. Flinn: Hi! My name is Frank K. Flinn. I teach religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis and have published a number of articles on Scientology. I have also appeared as an expert witness in a number of their court cases. Charlotte, NC: What are the basic principles or dogma of the church? Articles I've read indicate the church clergy exercise a great deal of control over the members' personal lives. Is this true? Frank K. Flinn: Many people have asked whether Scientology is a religion. I answer that to be a religion a group has to have 1) beliefs in something transcendental or ultimate, 2) practices (rites and codes of behavior) that re-inforce those beliefs and 3) a community that is sustained by both the beliefs and practices. Scientology has all three. In its belief system it holds that humans are immortal "thetans" (or substantial souls) that have an eternal destiny with the Infinite. Second its religious practices are centered on "auditing" and training for auditing, whereby thetans are freed from "engrams" (more or less the equivalent of the Jewish and Christian concepts of "sin"). Third they definitely have a community set up in a number of churches throughout the world with headquarters in LA. Columbia, Md.: Potentially dumb question ... but why is Scientology called 'Scientology?' It doesn't seem to embrace what we would consider mainstream science (i.e. medicine, psychology/psychiatry). Yet the name seems to indicate a scientific provenance or bias. Just curious. Frank K. Flinn: The term "Scientology" means, literally, the study of (logos) knowingness (scientia). The church teaches that people have to attain knowingness if they are to fulfill their eternal destinies as thetans. In this they are remarkably like early Christian Gnostics who sought the secret and saving knowledge about their own selves as spirits. Washington: Hi. I've been reading a little about Scientology thanks to Tom Cruise's recent outbursts, and I was wondering if you could just explain the money factor a little more. I read that a member of the church couldn't hear the truth about Scientology and the alien souls here on earth without giving a lot of money (like $300,000 to $500,000) - is that true? I am generally supportive of outside the mainstream religions (being agnostic myself) but any religion that charges money to learn the truth is not a religion -- it is a cult. Frank K. Flinn: Generally, Scientologists offer fees for receiving auditing services. There are a number of ways a person can receive free services, for example, volunteering to work at the local church. There is fee set in stone ahead of time that a person must pay in order to begin the process. They believe in being self-reliant for your own spiritual welfare and paying for the auditing is one way to do that. Many new religions expect high up front fees from members in order to survive. Scientologists have been much criticized for this practice, but it is no different that the fixed tithes certain evangelical churches demand of their members, or the tithes that Mormons pay. Many Jewish synagogues still have fixed fees for seating at the High Holidays. Catholics used to collect stole fees for baptisms, weddings, etc., and today it is still customary for members to "offer" fees (they are expected!) for these kinds of services. Munich, Germany: Since both cavort with aliens and practice psychic healing, how do you compare the New Age Movement, a la Shirley Maclaine, with Scientology? I know for a fact that Scientology is frowned upon in Germany since I was once suspected of being a Scientologist. A friend of mine, who was deeply interested in New Age Religion, and I, were once accused by a mutual acquaintance of having Scientology brochures mailed to him. Harassment and invasion of privacy was the result. Is there proof to the claims that the Scientology movement uses brainwashing to recruit new members, and is there any truth to the stories of Hubbard's South Sea "Scientology Armada"? Frank K. Flinn: Scientology has come under severe governmental surveillance in both Germany and France, and somewhat less so in other European countries. However in 2003 they won a major court battle in Spain in which their religious status was verified. This will have repercussions throughout the EU. Washington, D.C.: Can you explain the connection between the novel Battlefield Earth and Scientology? Is it supposed to be the Bible-equivalent? What is the deeper meaning that readers are supposed to take from the novel? Frank K. Flinn: Scientology holds as sacred scripture the writings of L. Ron Hubbard relating to Dianetics and Scientology proper, including the auditing and training for auditing material. There is a vast amount of material there. While important to Scientologists, Hubbard's novels, including Battleship Earth, is important but do not have the same canonical status. College Park, Md.: Do you practice Scientology? Frank K. Flinn: I have been asked: Do I practice Scientology? The answer is no. I am a practicing Catholic. San Francisco, Calif.: I note that you chose not to respond to an earlier question regarding the nature and extent of control that Scientology wields over its members. Thus, I have the following series of questions regarding Scientology's policies and practices regarding "Suppressive Persons" and "Fair Game." Isn't it true that Scientology in policy letters from the Hubbard Communication Office that Scientology labels any persons "who impedes the advancement of Scientology or any Scientology as a "Suppressive Person?" Hasn't Scientology in its policy letters characterized someone who is a "Suppressive Person" as being subject to its "Fair Game Policy?" Doesn't it's Fair Game Policy say that an SP is an "enemy" of Scientology and therefore may be "sued, lied to, tricked or otherwise destroyed" by any Scientologist without such person being subjects to Scientology "ethics," its name for discipline? Didn't the California Court of Appeal in Wollersheim v. Church of Scientology find that Scientology's practice of "Fair Game" to be so inherently coercive as to not be worthy of religious protection under the First Amendment and characterize it as a modern day parallel to the Christian inquisition? Frank K. Flinn: Because of abuses and the potential for abuse, the Church of Scientology discontinued the policy known as Fair Game in the early 80's. That does not mean the church will not vigorously defend itself if it believes it has been attacked unfairly. It also vigorously defends the secrecy of its upper level auditing materials. washingtonpost.com: Frank K. Flinn notes a correction to this answer later in the transcript. Dallas, Tex.: Reviewing your definition of a religion, could those same answers be a foundation for a cult? What is the true difference between the two? I'm also intrigued on the secrecy aspect -- how many other religions, similar to Scientology and the Mormon Church have secrets or revelations that are shown when a person has achieved a certain level of 'enlightenment'. Why is the secrecy necessary? Frank K. Flinn: Sometime ago I published an article in Liberty: the Magazine of Religious Liberty in which I discussed the terms church, sect, denomination and cult. The word cult is very ambiguous. I always liked the definition of Leo Pfeffer, the great scholar of the 1st amendment. When as to define a "cult," said at a lecture here at Washington University in the mid 80's: "I am happy to define it. If you like a person, you call his religion a faith. It you are indifferent, you call it a sect. But if you really hate the b------d, you call it a cult!" All kidding aside, the term cult used to apply to 19th century New Age groups like Theosophy. It meant those whose approach to God was through mysticism. Today the term means 1) a deranged leader who 2) entertains insane ideas and 3) engages in financial skulduggery and 4) practices sexual hanky-panky and 5) brainwashes his or her followers. In other words, the term has become a pejorative stereotype. I have argued in a number of court cases that the U.S. Constitution uses only one term--religion. So the only proper constitutional question is: Is this a religion or not a religion? Whether a group is a church, sect, cult, denomination, meeting, gathering, fellowship, synagogue, or whatever, is absolutely and completely constitutionally irrelevant. Washington, D.C.: Does Scientology have tax-exempt status with the U.S. government? Frank K. Flinn: Scientology has tax-exempt 5013c status as a religious entity. It was in a long-lasting suit with the IRS (I appeared in that suit) which, guessing--correctly in my estimation--that it was going to lose, settled with the church in the early 90's. P.S. Scientology church leaders receive comparatively modest salaries and nothing to approach evangelicals like Billy Graham, Benny Hinn or Joyce Meyers! Brooklyn, N.Y.: Could you give us some background on the birth and spread of Scientology? Was it all the work of Hubbard? Frank K. Flinn: A big question. The short answer is: The growth of the church, in my estimate, started with the publication of Dianetics, a kind of self-help therapy in 1948. After doing auditing many people started experiencing past-lives. Hubbard was asked to confirm or disconfirm ca 1952. He refused to disconfirm as it was happening to too many people. At that moment, in my estimate, Dianetics became a religion and the term Scientology came into use. The Dynamics were expanded from four to eight and the concept of "thetan" received sharp definition. Remember, there is always a bit of untruth in short answers. Clarendon, Va.: Earlier you compared the "start-up" costs to audit oneself under Scientology with the costs of belonging to other denominations that encourage tithing and other contributions. But the belief and practice of, say, Christianity is not dependent on spending money or even attending a specific church or following a given denomination. Is the same true here? Can you be a believing/practicing Scientologist without getting audited, and paying for the privilege? Frank K. Flinn: In the early stages of Christianity, new converts very often turned over all their assets to the church. Read Acts 4! Falls Church, Va.: Although you have discussed the basic ideas of Scientology, you talk about training. What is training and what does it consist of? Frank K. Flinn: Training is what one does in order to become an auditor, who helps others do their own auditing. NW Washington, D.C.: How do Scientologists view L. Ron Hubbard? As Prophet or god or other? How do they believe he received or came to know his truths/beliefs? Frank K. Flinn: I think Scientologists see L. Ron Hubbard as their teacher,the discover of the "technology", the way many Indians view their teachers as their "guru" or guide to the Godhead. Jesus was called teacher, too ("Rabbi" means "My Teacher"). Scientologists do not worship Hubbard, though. Does that answer your question? Alexandria, Va.: Do Scientologist eschew other medical services, or just psychiatric medications? Frank K. Flinn: The Tom Cruise celebrity brouhaha has created a lot of confusion. Scientologists go to regular medical doctors they way you and I do for physical ailments and will take medications indicated for physical diseases. They have an animus toward the field of psychiatry in general, because that profession so readily resorts to psychotropic drugs which Scientology opposes. Likewise Scientologists oppose the use of electro-shock therapy. Both psychotropic drugs and electro-shock, in their view, can do damage to the self as "thetan." This is one of the reasons Scientology founded the Narconon program, which is affiliated but not under the direct direction of the church. Arlington, Va.: How many members of the Church of Scientology are there in the United States? How many worldwide? Also, I've heard that a person can practice Scientology and also be a Christian. Can you please elaborate on this? Frank K. Flinn: The census numbers on Scientology, as with all other newer religions, are very iffy. Scientologists count about 8 million people worldwide, but that includes people to took just an introductory course without necessarily continuing. Baltimore, Md.: What is auditing? Frank K. Flinn: Auditing (which literally means "listening" in the sense of listening to one's own spiritual state) is a process whereby a believe deals with unresolved flashpoints or "engrams" from this life or past lives that have left a mark on the self as "thetan." Most members use the E-meter (= electrogalvanometer) to check on whether or not they have successfully rid themselves of engrams. Washington, D.C.: I have heard, as the story of Scientology's origins, that Hubbard boasted to fellow sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov that he could create his own religion and attract followers. Asimov scoffed at the suggestion, so Hubbard went home and wrote Dianetics. Frank K. Flinn: I have heard this story too, but have never been able to verify any actual words published or recorded. No matter what was said, there is no doubt in my mind, or in the mind of the United States courts, or the High Court of Australia, or the Appeals Court of Spain, or many other courts around the world that Scientology is a bona fide religion. You may not like it, but it is a religion. Frank K. Flinn: Thanks for all your questions. I think it is about time for me to sign off. I am happy to do this some other time. There were a lot of good questions. Frank K. Flinn: P.S. L. Ron Hubbard officially cancelled the Fair Game policy in 1968. I put down 1980's because that is when I did most of my initial study of the church, and by that time I saw no practice of Fair Game. Self-defense yes, Fair Game no. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Getting A Head Start on Owning

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After returning from his job as a writer for the American Civil Liberties Union one evening this spring, William Potter grabbed an iron pry bar and, with a few whacks, demolished the kitchen of his Petworth rowhouse. For Potter, 25, this act of destruction was just another thing he thought he would never accomplish so early in life. He certainly didn't think so a year ago, when he was living frugally in a group house in Mount Pleasant and saving for a down payment. Now the first-time homeowner has a second job: rehabbing his house to a livable standard. Potter, three months into a kitchen-less lifestyle, is among a growing group of young people who came to Washington for school or work and now want to own their own little bit of it. According to Census Bureau figures, thousands of people in their late twenties and early thirties moved to the District from 2000 to 2004, even while Washington's population dropped overall. Most people in this age group are still renters, and most of this region's growth is in the suburbs, not the city. Still, there is a notable group who, like the "urban pioneers" of the 1970s, seek to take risks on up-and-coming D.C. neighborhoods in the hope that their willingness to buy houses rather than apartments now gives them space to grow as they start families later. It's not always easy. For one thing, as prices in the District have soared, gentrification has come under fire from those who say that new, well-off homeowners are displacing long-time, poorer residents. Potter said his neighbors "either see me as increasing the property value -- that's a good thing -- or as a gentrifier. I don't know. I don't really feel like either. I guess I'm both. There's no way around it." It's not easy financially, either. On top of sometimes-hefty monthly mortgage payments, young owners of old houses often face pricey renovations, some of which they must do largely on their own in fits and starts as the money becomes available. Some receive financial help from parents, who give thousands toward down payments and hope that the area's lucrative real estate market will offer a hefty return. Others take on roommates to help shoulder the burden. Many of these young homeowners say they bought at least in part because of the fear that if they did not act now, they would forever be priced out of homeownership. "Every time I moved, my rent was increasing and my living situation wasn't necessarily improving," Michael Halpern, 27, said. "Everything was increasing in value so much that I'd have to buy now or I'd be living in Falls Church. It was a now or never situation." After four years of renting rooms in group houses throughout Northwest Washington, Halpern wanted more space than an efficiency could provide. But on his salary from a nonprofit, he could qualify for a mortgage of only about $160,000. He wanted to buy in the District, in part because of the $5,000 federal tax credit available to first-time buyers in the city. He convinced his parents to co-sign for a loan, and in August, bought a $386,000 three-bedroom house on Shepherd Street in Columbia Heights. To the help pay the bills, he took in two roommates. Potter said that because of his youth, he struggled during his search to convince family and friends that his desire to buy was serious, though he remained firm and found a real estate agent he trusted. He bought his house, an 82-year-old three-bedroom on Longfellow Street in Northwest, for $325,000 in March, using a fixed-rate 30-year mortgage. Potter used savings and money from a personal injury lawsuit settlement to put 10 percent down. To say the house needs work is an understatement. The only vestiges of the old kitchen are pipes that snake through holes in freshly hung drywall. But it was the best he could find -- other houses in his price range had water damage or featured shoddy renovation jobs that were left half-done; one even included the tools needed to complete the work. That people were bidding on some of these properties "as-is" was a shock to him. "Another place I looked at was just a shell," Potter said. "This city isn't meant for people who really just generally want a home."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/28/AR2005062801525.html

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Mr. Bush on Iraq

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PRESIDENT BUSH sought last night to bolster slipping public support for the war in Iraq by connecting it, once again, to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and to the war against terrorism. That connection is not spurious, even if Saddam Hussein was not a collaborator of al Qaeda: Clearly Iraq is now a prime battlefield for Islamic extremists, and success or failure there will do much to determine the outcome of the larger struggle against them. But Mr. Bush didn't explain how a war meant to remove a tyrant believed to wield weapons of mass destruction turned into a fight against Muslim militants, a transformation caused in part by his administration's many errors since Saddam Hussein's defeat more than two years ago. The president also didn't speak candidly enough about the primary mission the United States now has in Iraq, which is not "hunting down the terrorists" but constructing a stable government in spite of Iraq's sectarian divisions and violent resistance from the former ruling elite. It's harder to explain why Americans should die in such a complex and ambitious enterprise than in a fight with international terrorists, but that is the case Mr. Bush most needs to make. When he did turn to Iraq's reconstruction Mr. Bush mostly described the bright side of a very mixed picture. While acknowledging that "our progress has been uneven," his dominant theme was success: in training Iraqi security forces, holding elections and promoting political accord. The progress he described is genuine, as is the reality that the United States has no reasonable alternative to continuing to support the construction of a representative Iraqi government. Mr. Bush rightly argued that a deadline for withdrawal would be a "serious mistake." Once again, however, the president missed an opportunity to fully level with Americans, even though some of the hard truths he elided have been spelled out by his aides and senior military commanders. The insurgency, they have said, is not growing weaker; most likely, said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, it will never be defeated by American troops, and it will continue for many more years. Iraqi troops probably will not be ready to take over from U.S. units for several years, at least. For now, the combined U.S.-Iraqi force is nowhere near large enough to hold territory taken from the insurgents or to secure the country's borders. Yet Army and Marine units are being pressed into their third tours of duty, even as recruitment of fresh soldiers at home lags badly. Mr. Bush's account of his strategy for Iraq, which has remained virtually unchanged in the past year, doesn't answer the worrying questions raised by these facts. How will the insurgency be contained during the considerable time it will take to prepare Iraqi troops? How will the Army and Marines manage years more of heavy deployments while addressing their recruitment problems? And how will continued heavy spending on the war affect the federal budget and domestic priorities? The president's evasion of the hardest facts about Iraq is coupled with a reluctance to candidly describe the likely price of success -- though Mr. Bush did make an appeal last night for military service. Fortunately, most Americans appear to have a hardheaded appreciation of the problems and stakes in Iraq. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that most do not believe the administration's claims of progress, but a majority still is willing to support an extended stay by U.S. forces. If those forces are to succeed in the difficult months and years ahead, Mr. Bush will need to preserve and nourish that fragile mandate -- which will mean speaking more honestly to Americans than he did last night.

PRESIDENT BUSH sought last night to bolster slipping public support for the war in Iraq by connecting it, once again, to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and to the war against terrorism. That connection is not spurious, even if Saddam Hussein was not a collaborator of al Qaeda: Clearly Iraq is now a...

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/28/AR2005062801248.html

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Greenhouse Hypocrisy

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Almost a decade ago I suggested that global warming would become a "gushing" source of political hypocrisy. So it has. Politicians and scientists constantly warn of the grim outlook, and the subject is on the agenda of the upcoming Group of Eight summit of world economic leaders. But all this sound and fury is mainly exhibitionism -- politicians pretending they're saving the planet. The truth is that, barring major technological advances, they can't (and won't) do much about global warming. It would be nice if they admitted that, though this seems unlikely. Europe is the citadel of hypocrisy. Considering Europeans' contempt for the United States and George Bush for not embracing the Kyoto Protocol, you'd expect that they would have made major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions -- the purpose of Kyoto. Well, not exactly. From 1990 (Kyoto's base year for measuring changes) to 2002, global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, increased 16.4 percent, reports the International Energy Agency. The U.S. increase was 16.7 percent, and most of Europe hasn't done much better. Here are some IEA estimates of the increases: France, 6.9 percent; Italy, 8.3 percent; Greece, 28.2 percent; Ireland, 40.3 percent; the Netherlands, 13.2 percent; Portugal, 59 percent; Spain, 46.9 percent. It's true that Germany (down 13.3 percent) and Britain (a 5.5 percent decline) have made big reductions. But their cuts had nothing to do with Kyoto. After reunification in 1990, Germany closed many inefficient coal-fired plants in eastern Germany; that was a huge one-time saving. In Britain, the government had earlier decided to shift electric utilities from coal (high CO2 emissions) to plentiful natural gas (lower CO2 emissions). On their present courses, many European countries will miss their Kyoto targets for 2008-2012. To reduce emissions significantly, Europeans would have to suppress driving and electricity use; that would depress economic growth and fan popular discontent. It won't happen. Political leaders everywhere deplore global warming -- and then do little. Except for Eastern European nations, where dirty factories have been shuttered, few countries have cut emissions. Since 1990 Canada's emissions are up 23.6 percent; Japan's, 18.9 percent. We are seeing similar exhibitionism in the United States. The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently endorsed Kyoto. California and New Mexico have adopted "targets" for emission cuts, reports the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. All this busywork won't much affect global warming, but who cares? The real purpose is for politicians to brandish their environmental credentials. Even if rich countries actually curbed their emissions, it wouldn't matter much. Poor countries would offset the reductions. "We expect CO2 emissions growth in China between now and 2030 will equal the growth of the United States, Canada, all of Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Korea combined," says Fatih Birol, the IEA's chief economist. In India, he says, about 500 million people lack electricity; worldwide, the figure is 1.6 billion. Naturally, poor countries haven't signed Kyoto; they won't sacrifice economic gains -- poverty reduction, bigger middle classes -- to combat global warming. By 2030, the IEA predicts, world energy demand and greenhouse gases will increase by roughly 60 percent; poor countries will account for about two-thirds of the growth. China's coal use is projected almost to double; its vehicle fleet could go from 24 million to 130 million. Like most forecasts, these won't come true. But unless they're wildly unreliable, they demonstrate that greenhouse emissions will still rise. Facing this prospect, we ought to align rhetoric and reality. First, we should tackle some energy problems. We need to reduce our use of oil, which increasingly comes from unstable or hostile regions (the Middle East, Russia, Central Asia, Africa). This is mainly a security issue, though it would modestly limit greenhouse gases. What should we do? Even with today's high gasoline prices, we ought to adopt a stiff oil tax and tougher fuel economy standards, both to be introduced gradually. We can shift toward smaller vehicles, with more efficient hybrid engines. Unfortunately, Congress's energy bills lack these measures. Second, we should acknowledge that global warming is an iffy proposition. Yes, it's happening; but, no, we don't know the consequences -- how much warming will occur, what the effects (good or bad) will be or where. If we can't predict the stock market and next year's weather, why does anyone think we can predict the global climate in 75 years? Global warming is not an automatic doomsday. In some regions, warmer weather may be a boon. Third, we should recognize that improved technology is the only practical way of curbing greenhouse gases. About 80 percent of CO2 emissions originate outside the transportation sector -- from power generation and from fuels for industrial, commercial and residential use. Any technology solution would probably involve some acceptable form of nuclear power or an economic way of removing CO2 from burned fossil fuels. "Renewable" energy (wind, solar, biomass) won't suffice. Without technology gains, adapting to global warming makes more sense than trying to prevent it. Either way, the Bush administration rightly emphasizes research and development. What we have now is a respectable charade. Politicians and advocates make speeches, convene conferences and formulate plans. They pose as warriors against global warming. The media participate in the resulting deception by treating their gestures seriously. One danger is that some of these measures will harm the economy without producing significant environmental benefits. Policies motivated by political gain will inflict public pain. Why should anyone applaud?

Almost a decade ago I suggested that global warming would become a "gushing" source of political hypocrisy. So it has. Politicians and scientists constantly warn of the grim outlook, and the subject is on the agenda of the upcoming Group of Eight summit of world economic leaders. But all this sound...

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Bush Says War Is Worth Sacrifice

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FORT BRAGG, N.C., June 28 -- President Bush appealed to the American public Tuesday night to remember "the lessons of September 11th" and not lose faith in the Iraq war effort despite unremitting violence, declaring in a prime-time address that "the proper response is not retreat." Surrounding himself with uniformed soldiers and standing before a backdrop emblazoned with American flags, Bush portrayed the two-year-old war in Iraq as the logical extension of a larger struggle that began when hijackers slammed passenger jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001. But with the public support wavering in recent polls, Bush spoke in blunt terms about the trauma in Iraq and the desire to bring troops home. "Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed," Bush said in a 28-minute address from this military base, broadcast on all the major television networks. "Every picture is horrifying, and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country." Bush wore a metal bracelet with the names of two soldiers killed in Iraq, given to him just before the speech by the widow of one. His sober language was a shift in tone from some of the administration's more optimistic statements lately, exemplified when Vice President Cheney asserted that the insurgency is in its "last throes." But Bush rejected any change in course, ruling out either a deadline for troop withdrawals or an increase in troop levels, as critics from opposite sides of the spectrum have endorsed. Instead, he tried to reassure Americans that the U.S. venture in Iraq has made powerful strides toward establishing a democratic government that ultimately will be able to defeat the insurgency, and he urged Americans not to lose "our heart, our nerve" during "a time of testing." Notably, at a time when military recruiting has suffered, Bush made his first direct pitch to young Americans to enlist. "We fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we will fight them there, we will fight them across the world, and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won," Bush said in the only moment when the audience of 750 soldiers and airmen in dress uniforms interrupted him with applause. Bush invoked Sept. 11 five times in his speech and referred to it by implication several more times. Although he has previously agreed with investigators that there is "no evidence" of a link between Saddam Hussein's government and the attacks masterminded by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda, he used much of his speech to depict the militants in Iraq as the same breed of Islamic terrorist who struck the United States. The White House titled his remarks a discussion on the "War on Terror," not Iraq. "This war reached our shores on September 11th, 2001," Bush said. "The terrorists who attacked us -- and the terrorists we face -- murder in the name of a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom." He added that many of the insurgents in Iraq "are followers of the same murderous ideology that took the lives of our citizens in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania." The address continued a shift in the administration's emphasis as it has justified the Iraq war, beginning with the threat posed by Hussein's suspected weapons of mass destruction, continuing to the need to promote democracy in the Middle East and now suggesting a more seamless link to the attacks on American soil. "The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11th, if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi, and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like bin Laden," Bush said Tuesday night, referring to Abu Musab Zarqawi, the insurgent leader in Iraq. Bush quoted bin Laden calling the Iraq conflict a "third world war" and added that terrorists "are trying to shake our will in Iraq, just as they tried to shake our will on September 11th, 2001." After the speech, Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) issued a biting statement saying that Bush's "numerous references to September 11th did not provide a way forward in Iraq" but instead "served to remind the American people that our most dangerous enemy, namely Osama bin Laden, is still on the loose."

President Bush urges Americans not to lose faith in the Iraq war effort, using a prime-time address to argue that the Iraq insurgents are the same breed of Islamic terrorist that struck the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

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Instant Analysis

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President Bush addressed the nation Tuesday night about the continuing war in Iraq, portraying the war as an extension of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. But with the public support wavering in recent polls, Bush spoke in blunt terms about the trauma in Iraq and the desire to bring troops home. Washington Post associate editor Robert G. Kaiser was online Tuesday, June 28 immediately following President Bush's speech to answer questions and provide instant analysis. Laconia, N.H.: Do you think it is really possible for U.S. troops to restore civil order in Iraq at this point? Wouldn't some type of International peacekeeping be necessary? Also wouldn't it help if we were better at restoring the infrastructure instead of awarding U.S. companies? Robert G. Kaiser: Good evening. This is a very good question with which to begin a discussion of the president's speech on Iraq. To me, as an old (journalistic) veteran of Vietnam, this is really the key issue. I'd put the question slightly more broadly than you have: can American troops and their allies and employees achieve the political changes in Iraq that would make this war an American success? Is political stability and an Iraqi democracy something we can achieve? Of course I don't know the answer, but I confess I'm worried that the means available to us may not be able to achieve the ends we would hope for. This, I think, is what happened in Vietnam. In the end, our effort there could only be salvaged by Vietnamese--South Vietnamese who were willing and able to sustain an independent nation in the southern half of that country. We couldn't do it for them. And in the end, they couldn't do it for themselves. Now we depend on Iraqis to form a viable new state that can prevail against what increasingly looks like an internationalized force. Today I don't think Iraqis themselves know if they can do this. We'll just have to wait and see. I personally would like to hear this administration acknowledge that they were poorly prepared for the aftermath of the initial invasion. I believe it was Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld who before the invasion predicted that it would take five days, five weeks, or five months but no longer. That statement contrasts sharply with what they're saying now -- which is up to 12 years. Would it be political suicide for them to acknowledge errors? Robert G. Kaiser: You know, I think it might be political salvation at this stage for the administration to admit what we all know - that this war didn't go the way our senior officials thought, and said, it would. There's a real disconnect now between public opinion (as measured, for example, in the latest Post-ABC Poll, to which I hope we can link here) and the assertions of the administration. That is a formula for continued political trouble for the president. washingtonpost.com: Post-ABC News Poll , ( June 28 ) Falls Church, Va.: David Gergen said if Bush does not make some kind of mea culpa for what went wrong he'll lose support? Did Bush do that? Now what? Robert G. Kaiser: No he didn't do that. He says he told us it would be hard going, and it has been. I think what happens next is more political trouble for Bush. But maybe not right away. This was a speech to pull on the patriotic heartstrings. It will have a short-term effect. There will be lots of activity around this request to use July 4 to support the troops. His poll numbers are likely to go up a little in the next few days. The problem is in Iraq. Without good news from there, none of this is likely to matter much in a month or two. Lakewood, Colo.: Why doesn't the Administration come clean and give us an idea of the amount of time they are planning to stay in Iraq? This "until we are no longer needed" is so open-ended. Rumsfeld has said the insurgency could last 12 years. Other sources (I can't remember who) said at least another five years. I think when Bush pussyfoots around and is vague, he is creating a credibility gap. I thought a democracy was when the leader trusted the people and didn't have to dissemble (disassemble?). Robert G. Kaiser: To be fair, I don't think Bush or Rumsfeld has the slightest idea how long it may be necessary to stay in Iraq. How could they? How could anyone predict what is going to happen there, or when? washingtonpost.com: Text of President Bush's speech , ( AP ) Robert G. Kaiser: Here's a link to the full text. Cambridge, Mass.: The president sited the worthiness of volunteering for military service. In your opinion, is his pitch for enlisting likely to have any impact? Robert G. Kaiser: I have no idea, but will be intrigued to see what happens. The Pentagon faces a genuine crisis now on enlistment. They are not getting the men and women they need. This is one of the many dangers created by the war in Iraq over which the administration has very limited control. Fremont, Calif.: Will the press rise up at least now and point out to the president that the reason we went in was for "WMD" and not to spread "freedom and democracy?" Or, are journalists too afraid of bringing down the wrath of The Bush on themselves? Robert G. Kaiser: Mama, heeeellllppp! How are we supposed to respond to questions like this? A responsible free press is supposed to "rise up"? What on earth would that mean? We are afraid of "bringing down the wrath"? What is the evidence for that? I have to say this kind of rhetorical flourish is extremely discouraging. But I am going to ignore it. Upland, Calif.: We were told that the reason we went into Iraq was because they possessed WMDs. I got tired of seeing that acronym. Why are WMDs never discussed? Has the Bush Administration ever admitted that they were wrong about WMDs in Iraq? Robert G. Kaiser: Yes of course. Memphis, Tenn.: I gotta agree with Lancaster, Pa., and really just want, at this point, someone to stand up and take responsibility. At the same time, the pointless partisan bickering has got to stop. We're there and we're going to be there. We can't pull out with the country in chaos, can we? Robert G. Kaiser: I don't see how we can pull out abruptly now. Thanks for the comment. Gaithersburg, Md.: If the President says he won't set a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq because that would affect the job, how can he say, without reservation, that he won't send more troops to Iraq? If the job, the insurgency or the support the Iraqi government and people need, requires more troops, does that mean we lessen the goals or only partially complete the job but still call it accomplished "at the right time?" Robert G. Kaiser: My hunch is we have enough troops in Iraq to prevent this insurgency from every taking or holding a major city or piece of territory, so the problem you describe isn't a real one. The real difficulty is, we have no endgame in sight, no obvious way to "win." Washington, D.C.: Does the White House have a one-size-fits-all speech? And since this is the same old speech that Bush has been peddling, don't you think that he at least could have it memorized by now? Robert G. Kaiser: Without endorsing your somewhat nasty last thought, I would agree that this speech was awfully similar to previous efforts, and a reflection of the fact that there is really nothing new to say, at least until the president decides, if he ever does, that he has to acknowledge having made bigger mistakes than he is prepared to acknowledge today. Bush's inability to admit errors of any kind is a big problem for him, in my opinion. It threatens to create a barrier between him and ordinary Americans who remain a common-sense people who believe what they see with their own eyes. Nashville, Tenn.: It seems that when things are going badly in the country that the press is a target for blame. Tonight the president said, "they take innocent lives to create chaos for the cameras" and in the recent hearings both senators such as Sen. Byrd and the generals took shots at the press. Any comments? Robert G. Kaiser: This is exactly like Vietnam, where it was commonplace for the Johnson administration to blame us for their woes on the ground. It wasn't true then, and it isn't true now, that news reports are the problem. American casualties and a difficult war are the problems. Sacramento, Calif. (again): Mr. Kaiser, While I adamantly disagree with the war in Iraq, I have to agree with the President when he says that he can't set a definitive pullout date. How do you fight a war with a timeline? Do you think the American people want a timeline or do you think the recent poll numbers reflect the frustration with an Administration that has (deliberately or not) misled the American public for the reasons for the war and the effort it will take to win said war? Robert G. Kaiser: The new Post-ABC poll, to which we link above, is evidence of the common sense of Americans, who do seem to realize that there are no easy alternatives now. I recommend that all readers look at the poll with some care. It is really fascinating. San Diego, Calif.: Will the Washington Post call Bush on his repeated and thoroughly discredited attempts to link 9/11 and Iraq? Robert G. Kaiser: Well, I will. To me the weakest aspect of this speech, intellectually, was the attempt to imply that we have been in one continuous war against the perpetrators of 9/11 since that date, and that what is happening in Iraq now is, like the original war in Afghanistan in 2001-2, a direct American response to the attack on this country. I do believe that the war in Iraq can only be understood in the context created by 9/11--that Bush saw toppling Saddam is a response to 9/11, if not retribution for its authors. But I fear he was wrong then, and is quite wrong now to suggest to the American public that we can prevent future terrorism against Americans by prevailing in Iraq now. That doesn't mean it wouldn't be better to prevail in Iraq than to be forced to withdraw in humiliation. Withdrawal could be truly disastrous, I fear. But establishing a working independent Iraq is not going to solve our terrorism problem, I'm quite confident of that. Los Angeles, Calif.: The administration keeps saying that the Iraqis will ultimately be responsible for their own security. The question I have yet to hear asked or answered is this... If the American military, which is the best equipped and trained in the world, cannot suppress the insurgency, how do they expect an hastily trained, ill-equipped and seemingly unmotivated Iraqi military accomplish that task? Additionally, how do the Iraqi people feel about the fact that the U.S. created this situation and now wants to lay responsibility at their feet when they did not invite us in there. Robert G. Kaiser: these are reasonable questions which I cannot answer. New York, N.Y.: What do you expect will be the Democratic reaction to the president's speech? Robert G. Kaiser: I don't know what to expect. The Democrats remain in a pickle on Iraq. Cambridge, Mass.: What about the money allocated for infrastructure improvement and economic development? Doesn't the president need to account for our investment to demonstrate that progress is being made? Robert G. Kaiser: You know, billions have been spent in mysterious ways in Iraq. I expect we'll be learning about just how for years to come. San Francisco, Calif.: You made some interesting comments about the Johnson administration's blaming of the press during Vietnam. Do you feel the overall role of the media, and the pro-war commentators' attempts to portray the media as being in bed with the enemy, is any different now? Robert G. Kaiser: Well, the world is very different now. The media universe is much louder, much more intense. The ideological division in the country is much sharper. But from the earliest days of the Republic, officials and politicians in trouble have found it useful to blame the press, the media, for their woes. This truly is as American as apple pie. And it is usually pretty meaningless, I think. Washington, D.C.: What is Bush campaigning against? Is anyone suggesting that we quit Iraq tomorrow or that we impeach Bush or impeach Rumsfeld? What was at stake other than the objective of popularizing a policy that has no alternative? So what happens if it fails? Robert G. Kaiser: Very good comment in my opinion. At points in this speech I felt Bush's speechwriters were trying to convince us that we are in a struggle akin to the cold war or something like Korea or Vietnam. But of course this new "war" is very different than all previous contests. Carrboro, N.C.: One thing is on my mind -- should we really believe that the generals on the ground don't want more troops? I mean, it is possible they haven't asked, but I've seen enough comments from former military brass that seem to suggest that the consensus is to truly "win," we really need more boots on the ground. Maybe they haven't asked, but is it really because they don't think more qualified, well-trained troops are needed? Is it because they know and fear the political fallout? Is it because they fear stretching the army even thinner? The President has given the generals an open bully pulpit if they are willing to step into it. If they thought they should request more troops, would they feel comfortable asking? If the answer is not yes, God help our troops. Robert G. Kaiser: I was interested in the remarks of Sen. Chuck Hagel to U.S. News&World Report. You can find them here. Hagel, a Vietnam veteran himself, says we are losing the war, and that we needed far more troops than we ever deployed to Iraq. Richmond, Va.: Re: Los Angeles, Calif., first question, could it be that our soldiers are emphasizing "force protection" over Fallujah-style fighting which means higher U.S. casualties? Robert G. Kaiser: My sense is the real problem is, there are no Fallujah-like targets in Iraq now. The enemy is slippery, elusive, hard to find, and has the initiative. Not a good situation. Las Vegas, Nev.: From the pre-speech press coverage, I had understood the President would outline a plan for the future in Iraq. I did not hear any of that in his speech. Should I have more carefully read the earlier press coverage, or did the President simply fail to deliver the promised plan for success that the White House had suggested was coming? Robert G. Kaiser: Well, you'll have to judge the news reports, but I agree that we didn't learn anything new about a plan. The way ahead is "clear" the president said. Was it clear to you? It wasn't to me. Please elaborate on the Democrat's pickle? That seems like a dodgy thing to leave dangling out there... Robert G. Kaiser: Do you need me to elaborate? Most Democrats supported the war from the outset; few Democrats have found the voice to criticize it directly since. Hagel is a much more eloquent war critic than any Democrat I am aware of, though he too voted to support it originally. Mountain View, Calif.: Thanks for holding these chats. I listened to the entire speech on the radio, and came away disappointed. As far as I could tell, almost all of this speech could have just as easily been given at any point in the last two years. There was no real acknowledgement of the current difficulties there, and because of that I felt that Bush simply isn't willing to level with us. Furthermore, the repeated references to 9/11 were tiresome if not downright misleading. I think after all the buildup, this was a big missed opportunity by the White House. Robert G. Kaiser: I think I agree with you. Near Tokyo, Japan: I watched the speech on The Washington Post Web site. While presidential addresses are often broadcast by NHK (the national network), today they are showing the Yankees vs. Orioles game instead. I know that the White House asked the networks to broadcast the speech live. Did they? It didn't sound as though GWB had anything really new to say. Robert G. Kaiser: ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel all carried the speech. London, U.K.: The President's delivery seems very halting tonight. At the risk of trivializing the very important issues at stake, do you think these verbal stumbles detract from the effectiveness of his message? Robert G. Kaiser: I never know. Columbus, Ohio: Mr Kaiser, I am a Republican and voted for the President last November with great enthusiasm. However, I have to say that I am very disappointed with his lethargic performance since then. I have the strong impression that he has little or no idea of what he wants to do with his second term. My question is -- do you think that many Republican members of Congress share my concern? Robert G. Kaiser: I think there is a lot of nervousness among Congressional Republicans now. Richmond, Va.: I believe that for political purposes the White House has asked for minimal public sacrifice in the War on Terror and the Iraq War. They have been financed with deficit spending rather than war bonds or a direct war tax, and fought using people already enlisted in the services, National Guard, and Reserves, versus a draft as in other major wars. From this perspective (with which you may not agree), do you see a shift the President's approach in this speech? Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks for the comment. I don't see any shift on this score tonight. St. Louis, Mo.: Can someone explain to my why we haven't secured the borders yet? Is it because we don't have enough troops in Iraq? Robert G. Kaiser: there are many long miles of borders, far more than the U.S. could secure with the forces on the ground today. Seaview, Washington State: Good discussion. My sense several months ago (and I say this with much trepidation), that once we entered Iraq, we could never leave. I.e., that we will have to leave a presence for five decades plus and strong enough to hold up a government and/or provide a military footing. We could not leave in the sense that the rise of China, India, etc in the world economy would present a situation where no one could bear to live down the consequences of leaving aka Vietnam. The reasons could be anything for dominance in the world economy, military dominance or something as simple as oil. Has some semblance of this opinion surfaced? Robert G. Kaiser: I'm not certain I understand the last half of your question, but I do see a big difference between accepting defeat in Vietnam, as we did in 1975, and withdrawing unsuccessfully from Iraq today. I don't think we can do that, because the consequences could be too grave. Iraq has huge oil reserves--so is potentially wealthy. It is strategically located at the heart of the vast oil pond of the Middle East on which the entire global economy depends. We simply cannot afford chaos in Iraq, or a failed state, or another rogue regime there. So yes, we may be in Iraq for many long years to come. Washington, D.C.: How realistic do you think it is to expect the Iraqis to have a constitution by the deadline when it has taken then over a half a year just to form a provisional government? Robert G. Kaiser: I wouldn't bet the farm on it. But then, I don't have a farm. Silver Spring, Md.: What struck me the most about this speech, was the somber mood of the audience. In previous speeches before a military audience, the president was frequently interrupted by applause and whoops. I didn't hear much of that tonight. Perhaps the troops are having second thoughts about the value of this this war. Robert G. Kaiser: thanks for posting. Richmond, Va.: Mr. Kaiser, particularly in the last few months it has seemed to me that we are failing in the basic duty of an occupier to protect civilians. What concern about this do you see at top levels of the Administration and Pentagon? Robert G. Kaiser: If you follow closely Mr. Rumsfeld's public statements, I think you see an official who is in a kind of despair over his inability to stabilize the situation on the ground. Of course they are concerned. But that doesn't help much. Washington, D.C.: In disagreement with "London, U.K." -- and speaking as one who never gives Bush an ounce of unearned credit -- I found his delivery unusually confident and secure. But I tend to attribute that to the kind of divorcement from reality that believes wars are won through marketing. Robert G. Kaiser: thanks for the comment. To repeat, I find my own reactions to the "performance" at events like these is nearly always way off the mark. I am a Tom Shales fan; I hope he is writing tonight about the speech. His reaction is useful, unlike mine. Robert G. Kaiser: Thanks to all for enlivening this humid summer evening. A good batch of questions and comments. I hope to be back soon. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Washington Post Associate Editor Robert G. Kaiser answers questions and provides instant analysis of President Bush's Tuesday evening speech.

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A Case for Progress Amid Some Omissions

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In his speech last night, President Bush ignored some uncomfortable facts about the U.S. enterprise in Iraq and overstated the extent of overseas support. But he correctly identified the gains made by the nascent Iraqi government in the past year in the face of a fierce insurgency. The president portrayed the war in Iraq as a central front in the anti-terrorism effort, a sort of quarantine for terrorist groups that might otherwise attack the United States. But the original rationale for the invasion of Iraq was ignored last night: a conviction by the Bush administration that Saddam Hussein's government possessed chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons of mass destruction. In fact, the U.N. resolution that the Bush administration used as a rationale for the war dealt entirely with Iraq's failure to give up those weapons -- none of which were found after the war. Bush, announcing the invasion on March 19, 2003, said the military operations were "to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger." Two and a half months later, when he declared that major combat operations were over, the president said it was a victory in the war against terrorism because Hussein was "a source of terrorism funding" (referring to Iraq's role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) and because "no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime." Bush also described Hussein as "an ally of al Qaeda," a point he suggested again last night, but the Sept. 11 commission concluded there had been no collaboration between Hussein and the terrorist group headed by Osama bin Laden. Now, many analysts inside and outside the government portray Iraq as a breeding ground for terrorist groups, in part because of mistakes made by the administration after it defeated Hussein and occupied Iraq. Bush emphasized the gains fighting terrorism, but the Pentagon commander for the Middle East, Gen. John P. Abizaid, said this month that more foreign fighters are now moving into Iraq than were six months ago. In other sections of his speech, the president strained to make the level of international support higher and broader than in reality. He said the "international community has stepped forward with vital assistance," with 30 nations providing troops in Iraq. He also said the insurgents have failed to "force a mass withdrawal by our allies." But the U.S.-led coalition, which once included about three dozen nations, has become a political liability for several participating countries. In the past year, more than a dozen countries have withdrawn or have announced plans to leave. Spain, one of the three original co-sponsors of the invasion, withdrew more than a year ago. Portugal, Norway, Hungary, the Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Tonga have also pulled out. Among three of the largest contributors, Ukraine and Poland have announced they will pull out by year's end, and Italy plans to begin reducing its presence this fall. Bush also asserted that "some 40 countries and three international organizations have pledged about $34 billion in assistance for Iraqi reconstruction." But he did not say that $20 billion of that amount is from the United States, and much of it has been diverted to security or has not yet been delivered. Moreover, only about $2 billion of the remaining pledges -- made nearly two years ago -- has been delivered by the rest of the world. Even if the full $34 billion is eventually delivered, it is well short of the $56 billion that the World Bank and the United Nations said in 2003 that Iraq would need over the next five years. Yet, as Bush noted, the international community has become convinced that success in Iraq is important and that it is necessary to support, at least rhetorically, the transitional government. Bush said Iraq's political transformation is sparking change across the Middle East. Yet Yasser Arafat's death was the turning point that brought new Palestinian leadership -- and new prospects for talks with Israel and U.S. intervention. The suicide bombing that assassinated Lebanon's opposition leader provoked the "Cedar Revolution" and demands for Syria's withdrawal. And the process that led to Libya's surrender of its weapons of mass destruction was started before Bush came to office. Indeed, because of bloodshed, rather than Iraq being viewed as a model, many in the region say they fear the kind of change that Iraq has experienced over the past two years. On several points, Bush accurately portrayed the situation. Despite the slowness in forming Iraq's current government, the three-phase transition has met most of the deadlines. More than 60 percent of Iraqis defied the violence to vote in January's free elections. Iraq has made significant gains in both the quantity and quality of its security forces over the past year, although together the 150,000-strong international coalition that ousted Hussein and the 160,000 Iraqi forces have not been able to handle the insurgency. Indeed, as Bush said, Iraqi insurgents and foreign fighters have so far failed to achieve their strategic goals -- and hundreds have been killed or captured. Their activities are still largely in three of Iraq's 18 provinces. Bush also noted that the insurgents have "failed to incite an Iraqi civil war." That is correct, thus far, but senior Iraqi officials warn that intensifying sectarianism makes a civil war increasingly possible.

In his speech last night, President Bush ignored some uncomfortable facts about the U.S. enterprise in Iraq and overstated the extent of overseas support. But he correctly identified the gains made by the nascent Iraqi government in the past year in the face of a fierce insurgency.

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Survey Finds Most Support Staying in Iraq

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As President Bush prepares to address the nation about Iraq tonight, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that most Americans do not believe the administration's claims that impressive gains are being made against the insurgency, but a clear majority is willing to keep U.S. forces there for an extended time to stabilize the country. The survey found that only one in eight Americans currently favors an immediate pullout of U.S. forces, while a solid majority continues to agree with Bush that the United States must remain in Iraq until civil order is restored -- a goal that most of those surveyed acknowledge is, at best, several years away. Amid broad skepticism about Bush's credibility and whether the war was worth the cost, there were some encouraging signs for the president. A narrow majority -- 52 percent -- believes that the war has contributed to the long-term security of the United States, a five-point increase from earlier this month. The findings crystallize the challenges facing Bush this evening in his nationally televised address from Fort Bragg, N.C., an event the administration sees as a critical opportunity for the president to restate the case for his Iraq policies. The goal is to reinvigorate public support for a war that has grown unpopular over time and convince Americans the administration has a policy that will lead to success over time. So far, continuing spasms of violence in Iraq are competing with regular declarations of progress in Washington. Few people agree with Vice President Cheney's recent claim that the insurgency is in its "last throes." The survey found that 22 percent of Americans -- barely one in five -- say they believe that the insurgency is getting weaker, while 24 percent believe it is strengthening. More than half -- 53 percent -- say resistance to U.S. and Iraqi government forces has not changed, a view that matches the assessment offered last week in congressional testimony by the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. John P. Abizaid. Views of the current status of the insurgency were deeply colored by partisanship. More than a third of all Republicans, 35 percent, agreed with the administration that the insurgents were growing weaker in Iraq, compared with 13 percent of all Democrats and 19 percent of all political independents. By a narrow margin, the public continues to think the war has not been worth the cost and bigger majorities fear that Iraq has crippled the ability of the United States to respond to conflicts elsewhere in the world and has damaged efforts to recruit young people into the military. A large majority, about six in 10 people, say the United States is "bogged down" in Iraq. Overwhelming majorities of Americans think the Bush administration and U.S. military leaders fundamentally underestimated the difficulty of the war and failed to anticipate the tenacity of the insurgency in Iraq. Part of the administration's apparently growing credibility problem may be the result of recent disclosures about prewar planning, including what has come to be known as the Downing Street memo, reflecting notes of a July 2002 meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his top advisers. The memo said that the Bush administration had decided to go to war and that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy." The administration has dismissed the conclusions of that memo, but the memo's wide circulation may have raised new doubts or reinforced old suspicions about Bush's motives for going to war. For the first time, a narrow majority -- 52 percent -- said the administration deliberately misled the public before the war, a nine-point increase in three months. Forty-eight percent said the administration told the public what it believed to be true at the time. On a number of measures, public disapproval of Bush's policies has diminished slightly in the past month. Overall, however, Americans remain negative in most of their assessments about the cost of the war. A majority -- 51 percent -- disapproves of the way Bush is handling his job as president, compared with 48 percent who approve, the same as a month ago. On Iraq, 56 percent disapprove of his handling of the situation vs. 43 percent who approve.

As President Bush prepares to address the nation about Iraq, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that a clear majority is willing to keep U.S. forces there for an extended time to stabilize the country.

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Shelby Foote, Giving Voice To a Land of Great Stories

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Shelby Foote is gone, at 88. He had his own internal conflict. He wanted to be known as a novelist but will forever be remembered as the author of a sweetly written, three-volume narrative history of the Civil War and as a television star because of his bourbon-voiced contributions to Ken Burns's PBS series on the war. His novels were good: His Civil War history was everlasting. He made the war interesting on TV because he looked and sounded like he had been there. "Shelby loved to tell stories," his friend, Hodding Carter, recalled yesterday, adding that his personal stories didn't always square with the facts. In 1936, when Carter's father was hired to be editor of the Greenville, Miss., newspaper, "Shelby always claimed that he carried me in from the car." Foote, who grew up in Greenville, worked for the newspaper. With his voice breaking, Carter said, "My dad loved him for years, the way you love your somewhat crazed youngest son." Carter said: "Shelby was one of the truly wildasses of the Delta. That's hard to say because everybody from the Delta is a wildass." Other Mississippi writers, Walker Percy and Josephine Haxton (who writes under the name of Ellen Douglas), were also his friends. Foote lived in Memphis most of his life. He died there Monday night. Another pal, Bill Pearson, was in a book club with Foote for 30 years or so. He was a valuable addition to the club, Pearson recalled yesterday, because he had read everything. Over the years, Foote assigned some of his own books -- including his first novel, "Tournament" -- to the club. He was to be the host in February to discuss Carson McCullers's "The Member of the Wedding," but he got sick. "Shelby always said that if he could, he would take six weeks off and read Proust all over again," Pearson said. A couple of weeks ago, Pearson visited Foote in Baptist Hospital in Memphis. They talked about books. According to my mother, Mary, who went to Greenville High School with Foote, "Shelby was always a rebel." She remembered that he worked on the high school newspaper, the Pica. She laughed and said that for some reason they pronounced it "the peekah."

Get style news headlines from The Washington Post, including entertainment news, comics, horoscopes, crossword, TV, Dear Abby. arts/theater, Sunday Source and weekend section. Washington Post columnists, movie/book reviews, Carolyn Hax, Tom Shales.

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VA Faces $2.6 Billion Shortfall in Medical Care

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The Bush administration disclosed yesterday that it had vastly underestimated the number of service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking medical treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and warned that the health care programs will be short at least $2.6 billion next year unless Congress approves additional funds. Veterans Affairs budget documents projected that 23,553 veterans would return this year from Iraq and Afghanistan and seek medical treatment. However, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson told a Senate committee that the number has been revised upward to 103,000 for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. He said the original estimates were based on outdated assumptions from 2002. "The bottom line is there is a surge in demand in VA [health] services across the board," Nicholson told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Just last week, the VA revealed that the rise in demand for VA health facilities had caused a $1 billion shortfall in operating funds for the current year. That would more than double in the coming year without congressional intervention. Senate Republicans, embarrassed and angered over the revelations, yesterday announced plans to pass emergency legislation this morning to add $1.5 billion to the fiscal 2005 appropriation. The move is designed to appease angry veterans groups and preempt a Democratic proposal calling for $1.42 billion in increased VA spending. The action represents a reversal of GOP policies toward the VA. For the past four months, House and Senate Republicans have repeatedly defeated Democratic amendments to boost VA medical funding. Nicholson, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, faced criticism from House and Senate committee chairmen at two hearings. "I sit here having recently learned that the information provided to me thus far has been disturbingly inaccurate," Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) told Nicholson. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) told Nicholson that the failure to alert Congress earlier about the VA's money problems "borders on stupidity." "Somebody was hoping they could hide the ball for a while and talk about it later, and frankly in this arena you can't afford to do that," Lewis said. As GOP House and Senate leaders scrambled to deal with the politically damaging shortfall and quell criticism from veterans' advocacy groups, Democrats intensified charges that the Bush administration and the Republican congressional majorities are failing to care for those who put their lives on the line for the country. Rep. Chet Edwards (Tex.), the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee on military quality of life and veterans affairs, said the administration and Republican leadership had been made aware of the problems as far back as 2004 when Reps. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) and Lane Evans (Ill.,), then chairman and ranking Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, called for major increases in spending. Instead of dealing with the problem, Edwards said, the House Republican leadership "fired Smith," forcing him out of the chairmanship. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee issued a news release declaring: "Republicans can't hide from their record of neglecting our nation's veterans." The release cited repeated rejection by the Senate Republican majority of amendments sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to boost spending. The new efforts by Republican leaders to increase veterans spending may jeopardize administration and congressional efforts to reduce the budget deficit. The budget resolution already passed by Congress calls for $31 billion for VA health care in fiscal 2006, a limit that now appears virtually certain to be broken. The House yesterday rejected an Edwards move to boost 2005 VA spending on a party-line vote, 217 to 189. By all accounts, there have been dramatic improvements in VA health care, and its accessibility, over the past 15 years. In addition, the current co-payment on prescription drugs is $7, far lower than that of private plans and the new drug benefit under Medicare. Nicholson said the VA and its actuarial advisers based their calculations for the patient load in 2005 on data from 2002, before the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts were fully engaged. The revised projection of 103,000 new enrollees this year includes some of the 13,700 veterans wounded in action in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as others who served overseas seeking medical care.

The Bush administration disclosed yesterday that it had vastly underestimated the number of service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking medical treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and warned that the health care programs will be short at least $2.6 billion next year...

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Put Ebbers Away for Life, Government Asks Judge

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Federal prosecutors in New York have asked a judge to sentence former WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers to spend the rest of his life in prison for leading the largest accounting fraud in U.S. history. In a court filing unsealed yesterday, the government urged U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones to reject any plea for leniency, arguing that Ebbers's sentence should match the extent of the fraud at the telecommunications company. Ebbers was found guilty March 15 on nine counts of conspiracy, securities fraud and false regulatory filings for his role in orchestrating $11 billion in improper accounting entries. "One person established the culture that allowed this fraud to occur and, more fundamentally, specifically directed WorldCom employees to commit fraud rather than reveal WorldCom's true financial condition to the public: Bernard Ebbers," the government said. A probation office report to Jones on May 11 determined that sentencing guidelines allow her to impose a life sentence, based on Ebbers's role, the size of the fraud and the number of victims. Earlier this month, lawyers for Ebbers urged against using the guidelines, saying his heart condition, his charitable works and other factors argued for leniency. Ebbers's lawyers also said Jones could depart from the guidelines, citing a Supreme Court ruling this year that allowed judges to sidestep the federal sentencing rules. Reid H. Weingarten, who led Ebbers's defense, did not return calls seeking comment. Government lawyers said that a review of case law and recent high-profile executive criminal cases supports following the sentencing guidelines. They also argued that the WorldCom fraud -- and Ebbers's role in it -- "cannot be overstated." "The fraud at WorldCom was the largest securities fraud in history. Along with Enron, the name WorldCom has become synonymous with fraud," the government said. The government said investors lost more than $2.2 billion as a result of WorldCom's fraud, which was announced in the summer of 2002. WorldCom ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reorganized its finances, and emerged as MCI Inc. MCI, which moved its headquarters from Mississippi to Ashburn, has agreed to be purchased by Verizon Communications Inc. In arguing that Ebbers, 63, should go to prison for life, the government also cited the recent sentence of John J. Rigas, the founder and former chief executive of Adelphia Communications Corp., for securities fraud and for siphoning millions of dollars from the cable television company. On June 20, a federal judge sentenced Rigas, 80, to 15 years in prison. The prosecution also cited the case of an insurance executive convicted of defrauding insurance regulators who was sentenced to 22 years. The government also said Jones should disregard the more than 100 letters from Ebbers friends and family testifying to his charitable works and character. "Ebbers has clearly gathered during his life a group of loyal and dedicated friends, which reflects well on him," the government said. "However, this does not distinguish his good works from what would ordinarily be expected of any individual who claims to care about others, and particularly those with the means to devote time and resources to assisting others in need." Ebbers is scheduled to be sentenced July 13. His lawyers have said he will appeal his conviction.

Federal prosecutors in New York have asked a judge to sentence former WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers to spend the rest of his life in prison for leading the largest accounting fraud in U.S. history.

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Dairy Industry Sued Over Weight-Loss Claims

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An activist physicians group entered the battle of the bulge yesterday, filing lawsuits in Alexandria that accuse the dairy industry of fraudulently claiming that people can shed pounds by consuming more dairy products. The two lawsuits by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, filed in Alexandria Circuit Court, contend the industry has promoted the weight-loss notion through a "massive, deceptive advertising campaign." In fact, the committee says, overwhelming scientific evidence shows that dairy products cause weight gain or have no effect on weight. The sole plaintiff in the suits, Catherine Holmes of Arlington, said in an interview yesterday that she went on the so-called "dairy diet" late last year because she "just wanted to drop a dress size or two." Holmes, 46, said she wound up gaining three pounds. "I was thinking that I wasn't seeing the fat melting off like all those skinny little girls in the ads," said Holmes, who is 5 feet 5 and weighs 163 pounds. "They need to pull these ads and quit misleading people." One of the lawsuits seeks an order from a judge halting the dairy industry campaign, and the other lawsuit seeks damages for Holmes. Among the defendants are Kraft Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., the Dannon Co. Inc. and three dairy industry trade groups. The dairy industry strongly defended the advertising campaign and reiterated its contention that consuming dairy products helps with weight loss when coupled with calorie restriction. One of the groups that was sued yesterday, the National Dairy Council, has spent $200 million promoting the idea since 2003. "A growing body of scientific research continues to strengthen the connection between dairy consumption and weight management," industry groups said in a statement. Adults who cut calories and get three servings of milk products a day, the statement says, "are more successful at weight management and weight loss than those who don't." As concern grows nationally over increasing obesity among children, researchers have been debating the role of dairy products in the trend. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. The largest study to examine the question found this month that children who drink more than three servings of milk each day are prone to becoming overweight. The more milk children drank, the more weight they gained, according to the study, which followed more than 12,000 children nationwide. But other studies have found a benefit from drinking milk. The lawsuits filed yesterday charged that the dairy industry's weight-loss campaign is based solely on studies conducted by Michael B. Zemel, a professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of Tennessee. His objectivity is "compromised," the lawsuits say, because his research is funded by the dairy industry. In an interview, Zemel did not dispute that he has accepted nearly $1.7 million in research grants since 1998 from the National Dairy Council. But he added: "The notion of my work being tainted because of my funding source is ridiculous. You'd have to be a fool -- and a career-ending fool -- to let your funding source dictate your results." Zemel and industry groups tried to focus attention on the physicians committee, a Washington-based nonprofit group that advocates a plant-based diet. About 5,000 of the group's 100,000 members are doctors, according to Howard White, a spokesman. The industry statement criticized the committee as an "anti-meat, anti-dairy group" and an "animal rights group." Marybeth Thorsgaard, a spokeswoman for General Mills Inc., said that the company plans to fight the lawsuit and that its advertising is accurate. "There is a substantial body of scientific evidence that supports the connection between calcium and potential weight loss," she said. A Kraft Foods spokeswoman, Alyssa Burns, said the company is no longer running dairy weight-loss ads, but "any statements we made in the . . . ads we ran at the beginning of the year are fully substantiated."

Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland business news headlines with stock portfolio and market news, economy, government/tech policy, mutual funds, personal finance. Dow Jones, S&P 500, NASDAQ quotes. Features top DC, VA, MD businesses, company research tools

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