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Remembering Ed Guthman

New Frontier — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:05:05 +0000

Ed Guthman 1919-2008

“INNOCENT PEOPLE WERE TERRIFIED BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT”

- ED GUTHMAN, 1998

From accused communists to Freedom Riders to the Branch Davidians, Guthman protected and defended their rights

The late Ed Guthman, who died last Sunday at the age of 89, was a rare bird the likes of which we may never see again in the world of American journalism. He was far more than just a journalist, he was an activist- using the power of his pen to bring our attention to society’s ills. His hard-hitting investigative pieces often turned up evidence which cleared the wrongly accused - and his gift of wordsmithing could then argue a persuasive case in defense of the so-called “public enemy” - eventually swaying the tide of opinion in the accused’s favor.

In short, he helped us all to see just how wrong we usually were about things.

Whereas the mainstream media gold-diggers of today love to blindly pile on any celebrity or public servant suspected of wrongdoing and rip their reputations to shreds, Guthman possessed that now-rare quality called empathy. He understood well how lives could be destroyed, families broken and spirits crushed by simple misunderstandings, or even by deliberate disinformation campaigns. Guthman held dear every Americans’ right to privacy, to express themselves freely, and their right to be innocent until (gasp!) actually proven guilty. What a concept.

Guthman didn’t just spend his life defending the famous — in fact, most of the people he helped were ordinary folks you’ve probably never heard of — but he had this uncanny way of always choosing the most unpopular person or cause in the room and taking a stand for their right to an honest, competent defense. Whether it was his investigative series which cleared the name of accused communist Melvin Rader during the 1950’s “red scare,” fighting for the rights of African-Americans while serving in attorney general Robert Kennedy’s Justice Department in the early `60s, or standing up for the Branch Davidians (at a time when it was quite unfashionable to do so) in the 1990s, Ed Guthman defended them one and all.

He knew about media witch-hunts, allright. As a byproduct of post-WWII America, he watched (no doubt in utter horror) as the private lives and political beliefs of so many innocent Americans were flung open to public scrutiny and ridicule. He saw names and careers dragged through the mud, sometimes with little or no evidence other than Joe McCarthy’s finger pointed squarely at them. Commie-hunting was America’s favorite pastime in the 1940’s and 50’s, often preferable to baseball, Mom, and apple pie, and it seemed like everybody was getting into the act: neighbors snooped on neighbors, becoming amateur informants in the federal government’s seriously overreaching effort to round `em all up. Few dared to question, lest they themselves wind up being accused of sleeping with the enemy, too.

Enter Ed Guthman, a 29 year-old reporter for the Seattle Timesin 1948. Having returned from the war (he was highly decorated, having received both the Purple Heart and the Silver Star), young Guthman was certainly eager for a good story - and boy, did he get it in the case of Melvin Rader.

Rader, a mild-mannered University of Washington philosophy professor, had been swept up in the dragnet, accused of being a Red. A paid government witness told a state legislative committee that Rader had attended a secret communist training school in New York state in 1938. In fact, Rader had been with his family at a forest camp near Granite Falls.

Guthman, with the support of his editor and publisher, tracked down information corroborating Rader’s account, exposing the accusations as groundless, and exonerated the professor. His work earned the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished national reporting and was announced by Dwight D. Eisenhower, then president of Columbia University, which hands out the award. It was The Times’ first Pulitzer.

While most journalists toil for a lifetime towards one day achieving that most coveted of awards, for Ed Guthman, winning the Pulitzer Prize was only the beginning of what would be a very long and distinguished career. At age 29, this man was just getting warmed up.

Mr. Guthman left the Seattle Timesin 1961 to work for Robert Kennedy when he was attorney general and then as senator from New York, from 1961 to 1965. Mr. Guthman drew on those experiences to write or co-edit four books about Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968. (Guthman was at the Ambassador Hotel that fateful night and had spoken to Bobby just minutes before shots rang out.)

Last year, Kennedy’s brother, Sen. Edward Kennedy, wrote a letter honoring Mr. Guthman for a lifetime-achievement award Mr. Guthman received in Los Angeles. “In those early days at the Justice Department, on Bobby’s Senate campaign, and later at the RFK Memorial, you’ve always been there with your good judgment, unflappable presence and trademark smile.”

THE MAN WHO DEFENDED PUBLIC ENEMIES BECOMES PUBLIC ENEMY #3

Mr. Guthman’s association with the Kennedys also helped land him on President Nixon’s infamous “enemies list.” (Hey, for that alone, the guy deserves a standing ovation.) They say you can always measure the quality of a man by his enemies, and earning the #3 spot on Nixon’s enemies list speaks for itself, does it not?

Colson’s now-infamous memo described Guthman as “a highly sophisticated hatchetman against us in `68,” and menacingly added, “it is time we give him the message.”

Well, things didn’t work out quite the way Nixon and his ratfuckers had planned. Guthman was instrumental in exposing the Watergate scandal over the next few years, and this time it was Nixon who “got the message” when his presidency ended in disgrace. Score one for Public Enemy #3.

Guthman got on the wrong side of another president’s administration - a Democratic one this time - in 1993 when he expressed his outrage at the Justice Department (yes, the same Justice Dept. where he once served with Kennedy, which had somehow lost its’ moral compass along the way) for launching a military-style raid on the Branch Davidian church at Waco, Texas.

83 innocent men, women, and children died in the flames of a church set ablaze by incendiary devices which, as it turned out, had been employed against them by federal agents. This sort of thing doesn’t happen in my America, Guthman said, and he called attorney general Janet Reno on the carpet publicly for having the unmitigated gall to proclaim herself a devotee’ of Robert Kennedy’s. (He was joined by another brave stalwart of Kennedy’s Justice Dept., Ramsey Clark, who also served as attorney general under President Lyndon B. Johnson). Sorry, Mrs. Reno, they bluntly informed her, but Bobby would never torch a church.

In 1993, Guthman was named to a federal panel reviewing the government’s role in the deadly raid on David Koresh’s “compound” (media-speak for offbeat churches these days). The panel concluded that top officials of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the federal agency that conducted the initial action, had been negligent in overseeing the operation.

“…OF THE GOOD GUYS OF AMERICAN JOURNALISM, ED GUTHMAN IS ON THE FRONT PAGE.”

- TOM BROKAW

Guthman’s many amazing true life dramas (a Pulitzer waiting to happen for any journalist who might attempt the Herculean task of writing his biography) and accomplishments are far too numerous to list here. We can only give you a few snippets, as we did in his obituary earlier this week, and encourage our readers to do a bit of homework on their own. Take some time to get to know Ed Guthman, and you’ll surely wonder why his name wasn’t a household word. But his name wascertainly well-known around schools of journalism, and that’s where you’ll find, to this very day, another crop of aspiring writers who benefited from Guthman’s mentor-ship.

He taught for many years at USC’s Annenberg School, influencing the minds of countless young reporters, who have since gone out into this dog-eat-dog world armed with the knowledge - and above all else, the empathy that Guthman always practised in his own craft. He developed in them a thirst for truth, and taught them how to dig until they found it. Then, he inspired in them the courage to publish that truth and stand by it, no matter what the consequences.

Bryce Nelson, a colleague of Guthman’s at both the L.A. Times and at USC, said, “Ed Guthman was a hard-hitting investigative reporter, an editor who believed strongly in the idea of service to his country and his community. … He was a very warm man of great integrity who was totally committed to protecting each American’s rights to freedom of speech and the press guaranteed by the First Amendment.”

Well said, and very true indeed. But of all the tributes to Ed Guthman I’ve heard and read this past week, none can compare to what Tom Brokaw wrote of him a decade ago in his bestselling 1998 book The Greatest Generation, in which Guthman was profiled. Brokaw said: “In any accounting of the good guys of American journalism, Ed Guthman is on the front page…I will always think of him as “Citizen Ed”…”

It seems fitting somehow to conclude this remembrance of Ed Guthman not with my words, or even those of a famous television journalist like Brokaw. Perhaps instead you’d like to read the sentiments of one of those young journalists who rose up, as it were, under Professor Guthman’s wing.

Just this week, I exchanged correspondence with a writer named Michael Stusser, who reads this blog regularly and who posted a comment about Ed Guthman here shortly after his passing. His article about working with Ed (published in Guthman’s old haunt, the Seattle Times), is one of the best tributes to the man I’ve read anywhere. With Mr. Stusser’s kind permission, his original story is reprinted below. Enjoy!

A LIFETIME OF ADVICE, CAREFULLY SCRIPTED WITH A RED PEN

By Michael A. Stusser

Special to The Seattle Times

Over the years, I searched for a mentor like most folks look for deals on eBay. I clung to Hunter S. Thompson’s every drunken move when he showed up comatose at the Berkeley campus. After co-authoring the “Doonesbury Game” with Garry Trudeau, I begged him to get his nose out of his own book and blurb mine (he passed, saying he was too busy). And for several years I worked under Ralph Nader, hoping that some of his mad civic brilliance might rub off on me, only to find the consumer advocate goes through organizations, interns and ideas faster than Diddy changes nicknames.

Turns out there are two types of mentors in this world: ones you wish for, and ones who actually turn out to be invaluable advisers. Ed Guthman was the latter.

I first met Ed in 1989 as a staff writer for the Commission to Draft an Ethics Code for the Los Angeles city government. Superlawyer Geoff Cowan had been appointed to put together a tough new ethics package after Mayor Tom Bradley — and pretty much everyone else in City Hall — had been using the legislative branch to remodel their houses and buy Ferraris. Cowan’s genius was in recruiting experts in various fields to help his staff come up with the best regulations possible. If you ever wanted something hard-hitting, honest, and well-researched, the guy you brought in was journalist Ed Guthman.

In 1989, I was a 25-year-old graduate of the Coro Foundation with no idea where to begin writing a code of ethics, much less my own moral code. Ed cleared that notion up in a hurry. “Ya get out there, talk to everyone you can, and sort the details out later. Now let me see your interview list.” My list — made up on the spot — had the mayor, his chief of staff, and a couple of shady city council members I’d read about in the paper.

Well, these people were fine and dandy for background, according to Guthman, but only to cover yourself once City Hall found out how tough the new rules were going to be. Ed had our staff meet with the most corrupt lobbyists, real-estate tycoons and sleazy schmoozers in California, Republican or Democrat, in order to discover how the game was really played. Only then could you find a way to close revolving-door loopholes, “gift exchanges” and pay-for-play schemes being used by those in the know. Turns out, people love to talk, and better yet, will actually answer pretty much anything you ask them. Ed knew that, I didn’t.

It wasn’t until almost six months working with Ed that I found out — from my mother (who had watched him win a Pulitzer Prize at The Seattle Times) — about his amazing credentials. Not only did he stand up against McCarthyism in the 1950s (saving an innocent professor’s career), but Captain Guthman was a decorated veteran (yes, a Purple Heart and, though he’d never show it to you, a Silver Star), RFK’s press secretary at the Justice Department, and No. 3 on Nixon’s list of enemies!

In addition to a wonderful social conscience, Ed had a warm heart, a huge laugh (always a pleasant surprise when dealing with an intimidating and gruff fellow) and a work ethic that would make an over-caffeinated mule look lazy. Unless you’re dealing with Donald Trump clichés, professional wisdom often needs to be culled over time. Just once, I longed for Ed to say, “Son, let me tell ya how we broke the Watergate story wide open.” But the man was too modest to tell tales of yore or give straight-on advice, so you had to dig for it.

Show him your work and ask for feedback, and he’d happily provide it, red pen and all.

One rule I learned from Ed was that the moment you’d finished your research and assumed the job was done was precisely the time to make another round of calls. There was always someone you’d forgotten to talk to, an item that needed clarification, or one more line of questioning that would surely arise after sitting on the info for a night and pondering the big picture.

Our Los Angeles ethics code was eventually packaged into a successful citizen’s initiative, leading to the creation of a new watchdog agency. Ed served a term as president and was a board member on the committee from 1991-98. For Ed, the road was a rocky one; he had no patience for the infighting from council members. Luckily, he had another gig to distract him, teaching students at USC how to be journalists with integrity and a backbone.

When I moved back to Seattle, where Ed was born and raised, I picked his brain about whom I should meet with. “Everyone,” was his response, and rather than give me names and numbers from a Rolodex, he spouted off the top dozen or so movers and shakers in the community. “Just call ‘em up, tell them you want to talk about what’s going on, and go from there.”

Could I drop his name? “Sure, if you think that’s really going to help.” It did.

I soon found work on another citizen’s initiative, attempting to create a Seattle Commons — sort of a central park funded by taxpayers. I knew the reasons I supported the plan (green space, anyone?), but didn’t quite have a hook for our publicity campaign.

“Go walk the damn thing,” was Ed’s advice. “Have a look around, talk to a few people, see what’s there now, then convince other citizens to do the same.” The suggestion was classic Ed: simple, based on first-person investigation, and not reliant on spin or politics.

A few months back I met a young salesman at the Apple store. He recently asked me to look over a Web site he had created for the Seattle Symphony. “Where’s the information about the musician’s backgrounds?” I heard myself bark. “And make some calls to the two tenors who are still alive or somebody who’ll endorse the damn thing!”

This kid may not be seeking out a mentor, but, thanks to Guthman, it looks like he’s got one.

Edwin O. Guthman passed away last weekend at the age of 89, but his influence on me — and perhaps the next generation — is everlasting.

Michael A. Stusser is a Seattle-based writer, and author of “The Dead Guy Interviews: Conversations with 45 of the Most Celebrated, Notorious and Deceased Personalities in History” (Penguin).

"Touchdown"

stevesomething — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:14:19 +0000

Years after Charles graduated from Dartmouth, where he got his letter playing in the backfield of the Freshman and Varsity football teams, his class notes quote him as saying that "In all modesty, Charlie says he made more yardage for Paramount than for Dartmouth."

Well, Charlie only made two football movies, this one, and "Start Cheering" where he plays a movie star who has a role as a football player. Having seen them both, I have to guess that Charlie didn't handle the ball much at Dartmouth.

This 1931 film is the fifth of seven films he would do for Paramount. The film stars Richard Arlen as Dan Curtis, a former college football star, whose meteoric coaching career takes him to L & M College. Paul Gehring (Starrett) is the son of a major contributor to the football program. He plays half-back. When we meet him, Paul is younger than any character Charlie would play (except for Ted Streaver in "Lady And Gent") -- he's 17 and a big admirer of Dan's, he even has a scrapbook full of pictures of Dan. "Good looking youngster," says Dan.

Dan's big flaw is, as his college coach once told him, "sometimes you're so crazy to win that you're liable to pay too high a price to keep on the top side of the score."

Paul is the star player on the team until he is knocked unconscious during a play. Dan keeps him in and Paul wanders the field, punch drunk, missing passes and tackles. At half-time, he passes out in the locker room. The doctor says it's a concussion and one more blow to the head will kill Paul.

This leads to the tough decision alluded to in the 1931 LA Times review of the film (see blog entry "LA Times Review of "Touchdown"). Does Dan send in Charlie with the big game on the line?

Other than wearing a football uniform once and a while, this role is very close to many of Charles other early roles. He's young, dapper in a suit, and verbally playful. He has a goofy sense of humor, pronouncing "silly" as "thilly". He does play this one awfully naive, and it's believable. He also get the fun of acting distracted and adled for the second half of the film, after his head injury.

The film features a lot of cameo performances by football greats of the day, including Jim Thorpe. Jack Oakie has a rather large part as the funny and big-hearted assistant coach Babe. Jack would play a large role in Charlie's next film, "Sky Bride."

Twilight News

Bessy — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:57:51 +0000

xlormp, The Most Popular Book in the Whole World has been featured in Livejournal's Spotlight and is gaining fame. It is a parody of the Twilight series, but not in a condescending or mean way. I recommend you read it, because it has been the source of my tummyache for the past few days.

LA Times writes an article about whether vampires are sexy or not. Read the small blurb accompanying this photo here.

Remember the Cosmo Girl picture? Here is the coloured one:

(Credits to the Twilight Movie MySpace. Click to enlarge!)

Surprise surprise! We're going to have an unauthorised biography of our dearest Robert Pattinson!

Attention Team Edward!

On October 21, the Bowen Press imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books will publish Robert Pattinson: Eternally Yours by Isabelle Adams, an unauthorized biography of Robert Pattinson, the actor who plays Edward Cullen in the forthcoming movie version of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.

The paperback original, which is the only biography of the actor on the market, was originally scheduled to be published November 4, but when the Twilight film moved to November 21 from December 12, HarperCollins adjusted its pub date as well. Harry Potter fans may also remember Pattinson as Cedric Diggory in two of the films.

(Credits to Children's Bookshelf.)
It is already available for pre-ordering on Amazon.com, and you can see the cover of the book here.

We have a new picture of Edward and Bella! Click here to see it.

Many articles have been recently written about Stephenie Meyer's decision to currently stop writing of Midnight Sun. NY Mag criticises Stephenie for this, citing the many advantages for the leaked chapters of the book. On the other hand, Twilight Guy steps up to defend the author who created this saga. Whose side are you on?

If you're interested on how Stephenie's directorial debut for Jack's Mannequin's The Resolution is going, MTV wrote an article on it. She's using mermaids by the way, and from the looks of it, filming is going pretty well so far. :)

Rob was caught out and about again. He looked extremely drunk, and guess what? A girl tried to attack him! Watch the video here. Pictures of him over here.

Talking about him, TM-F did an article on Rob playing Salvador Dali in Little Ashes and asked if he could play a good Dali. What do you think?

The new cover of the book is out!

Pre-order only available at Barnes & Noble, but I'll just put the link up.
Also, the Collector's Edition of the book:

Click here to pre-order.

That's it for now! Enjoy your VMAs, people!

LA Times is Scared Sh*tless of President Palin (Who Isn't?)

gripedujour — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:12:14 +0000

Excerpt from today's LA Times:

"As many people have noted, placing Palin on the ticket has made these final months of the already overlong 2008 campaign much more interesting. Is Palin remotely qualified to be president of the United States? No. But that's precisely what is so interesting. McCain not only has thrown all sensible concerns about good governance aside merely to pander to a sliver of female and masses of conservative Christian voters, he has turned this period of American history into an episode of high-stakes reality television: Don't look now, but our cousin Sarah just became leader of the free world! Tune in next week and watch her get sassy with Pakistan!"

"McCain has so little respect for the presidency of the United States that he is willing to put the girl next door (soon, too, to be a grandma) into office beside him. He has so little respect for the average American voter that he thinks this reckless and cynical ploy will work."

Full piece here.

speaking for themselves

sweaterweather12 — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:16:55 +0000

Hello! I'm glad you're at my page. I like you already.

So I've been working on ideas for my first post for a while, but with the recent crap-storm that is the national coverage of Sarah Palin, I have decided that this week, CNN, MSNBC, the beloved NY Times, Gloria Steinem of course, the ever-noble US Weekly, the LA Times, CNN's online feed...did I mention Gloria Steinem?...anyway, I think they're all speaking for themselves right now, and I am loving it. Man, am I loving it.

So, the topic of this post is: the ridiculous bias of the 'let's-get-'er' Sarah Palin coverage (they're so scared of her aren't they?! Great stuff).
and my talking points on this topic is: please see any of the above news outlets. And no, Campbell Brown, I didn't get these talking points from the McCain camp.

Bring popcorn, and be ready to laugh!

Welcome to the blog. I'm happy to have you!

Beautiful day in Memphis, TN: De La Soul, Woody Allen on bananas and a bad, BAD Crossword Day

manastojones — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:29:00 +0000

[caption id="attachment_127" align="alignright" width="235" caption="from pknitty86's Flicker page (click image to view the post)"][/caption]

It's a such a great day in Memphis (clear skies, 78 degrees, soft breeze) that I couldn't help but get out of the house and take a drive downtown. I know it's really early, but, because the onset of Fall is my favorite time of year, I couldn't help but feel that buzz you can only get from the weather.

Any way, I truly realized it was such a great day while I was driving down Union Ave. with my windows down when my iPhone started on the De La Soul song "Breakadawn", which is how it came to be that it's the song for today:

Song of the Day

"Breakadawn"

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="207" caption="De La Soul, "Timeless: The Singles Collection""][/caption]

If you know De La Soul, than you don't need me to tell you why this song is so good (preview it here). The reason it hit me today was because it was around this time last year in North Carolina that me and a friend were driving to Carolina Beach on a similar day. We probably listened to it 5 or 6 times on the forty-minute drive. Anyway, it starts off with a soft, whirly keyboard and really smooth bass line that feeds the slow introduction to the beat. The way the entire group rhymes over the song fits the feel so perfectly it's almost intrumental. For me, it's one of those songs that is perfect for driving on days like this, but would be even better if you were walking down a neon-lit street like Beale St. on a busy Saturday night with your friends and a guy tailing you with a boom box blasting:

"Uncondition my ways, of the every day sunset,

Wagin my days, to the one bet

Cause your breaks'll have the carrot of cakes, whether mine

Out of line, I breeze into the early mournin"

Note: At the end of the line "Wagin my days, to the one bet", a sample comes in, a chorus of Na Na Na's, that is the exact same sample used in Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy With it", if anybody but me remembers that one (they rammed it down our throats when it came out). I'm positive that this is where the producers of the song got the idea for the sample, but I have no idea where the sample came from.

Woody Allen's take on Bananas

I was at the dentist office when I came across this Jennie Yabroff article entitled either "Still Working, Still terrified", or "Take the Bananas and Run" from the August 18-15, 2008 issue of Newsweek magazine. The first paragraph sums up pretty well the image of Woody Allen I already had in my head. Still, it's nice to see him in the public:

Woody Allen cuts his banana into seven slices each morning. Six slices, or eight, and something bad might happen. "I know it would be total coincidence if I didn't slice it into seven pieces, and my family were killed in a fire," he says. "I understand that there could be no correlation, but, you know, the guilt would be too much for me to bear, so it's easier for me to cut the stupid banana."

I don't know what it is about that quote that makes me laugh, but at the same time, there's something about it that's very well thought out. It probably comes from years and years of that kind of circular thinking. I think that this quote is best left without picking it apart.

I'll also share this with you from the table of contents page in that same issue of Newsweek because I think it's interesting which picture they chose to represent the current Woody Allen:

[caption id="attachment_74" align="aligncenter" width="215" caption="Apparently, Woody still has a really good eye for women (Scarlett Johansson) "][/caption]

Crossword Clues

September 6, 2008

[caption id="attachment_134" align="alignright" width="218" caption="Michael Wiesenberg's LA Times Crossword Grid from September 6, 2008"][/caption]

I really need to stick to the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday league because apparently, Saturday and Sunday's are for the major league crossword junkies. Every once in a while I'll get a Saturday or Sunday puzzle I can feel pretty good about, but it's so rare I can't say I deserve to brag when I do. Just look at the LA Times grid for today from Michael Wiesenberg, because when I did, I knew I should probably just hang it up.

Anyway, I dredged on, filling in about 40% of this puzzle. I fared a little better on Barry Silk's NY Times puzzle, but still couldn't complete it on my own. Here's the good and bad from today:

The Good

•Let's start with the NY Times:

56a: Ran off, in a way (XEROXED)

61a: Comeuppance (DESERTS)

For the first one [56a], it hit me like a ton of bricks. There's not much else to say about it. I didn't realize I had the two X's from the down fills immediately, but once I did (about 15 minutes in), I was like, "You little SOB!". It was a tough clue for XEROXED, considering people don't really refer to making copies as "xeroxing" anymore, at least the people I know, but it still fit really well. Pretty straight forward, I think.

This other one [61a] is also pretty straight forward, which is what I like about both of these clues. The answers are there, you just have to wreck your brain a little bit. "Comeuppance" is much more interesting way to clue DESERTS than "Mohave and Sahara, e.g" or "Abandons", and is equally more challenging.

•From the LA Times:

33a: Writing letters, e.g (LOST ART)

10d: Kind of trip (EGO)

I might not have done enough of this puzzle by myself to qualify to post on it, but I did pretty well with the middle section of this one and eventually forced myself to fill in LOST ART [33a]. Not as straight forward as the others. There is no way I would have gotten this one with out some down fill help, but nevertheless, highly enjoyable.

I point out 10d only because I already mentioned De La Soul once today and this fill made me think of another one of their songs [EGOtrippin' (Part Two)]. "Mercy!"

The Bad

•Sticking with the LA Times:

7d: Not under (AT LEAST)

42a: Rocker tools? (KNITTING NEEDLES)

In no way could I possibly understand cluing AT LEAST in this way. I had ON TOP OF for freaking ever! I'm not going to say I can think of any clue for AT LEAST, but there's got to be something out there for it. I think a fill in the blank would have fit this one better... just one more gimmie on this difficult puzzle would have been greatly appreciated.

As for the next one, in my opinion, I think cluing KNITTING NEEDLES this way should be reserved some kind of puzzle in which it's a theme answer. I know, once you fill it in you completely realize that it makes sense, and it's probably alot easier than I'm making it sound, but I just didn't like this on.

•NY Times:

9d: "_____ Nice Clambake" ("Carousel" tune) (ARE AL)

I might just be picking on this clue for my own personal reasons, but I have absolutely no idea what ARE AL is, or if I am even spacing it out right. I think this is stretching it a little bit as far as "crosswordese" goes, and all to save a corner of the puzzle that is full of some really "fact-full" words. I mean that the words are just ok and the clues are full of random bits of knowledge and facts, but don't really contribute to the type of crossword fill I am used to or enjoy. I guess I am really saying that the NE corner of this puzzle was more like a Jeapordy application than a crossword puzzle and I don't see the point in using a fill like ARE AL just to make it work.

That's it.... I might give the NY Times a try tomorrow, but I doubt I'll feel good enough about it to comment on it. By the way: check out my crossword links for some blogs that go a lot more in depth than I do. Later....

LA Times: Palin appears to disagree with McCain on sex education

emilyes — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:15:03 +0000

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/06/palin.waves.jpg caption="Sarah Palin and John McCain campaigned together Friday."]
Teen pregnancy and sex education were thrust into the spotlight this week when Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin revealed that her 17-year-old daughter is five months pregnant.

Palin's running mate, John McCain, and the GOP platform say children should be taught that abstinence until marriage is the only safe way to avoid pregnancy and disease. Palin's position is less clear.

In a widely quoted 2006 survey she answered during her gubernatorial campaign, Palin said she supported abstinence-until-marriage programs. But weeks later, she proclaimed herself "pro-contraception" and said condoms ought to be discussed in schools alongside abstinence.

"I'm pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues," she said during a debate in Juneau.

Such statements could raise concerns among social conservatives who have been some of Palin's most enthusiastic supporters since she was tapped for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket last week.

Leslee Unruh, president of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse and campaign manager of the Vote Yes for Life effort, said children must be given a "clear and concise" message on the benefits of abstinence.

Asked about Palin's statement, Unruh said, "I don't think it's clear. It seems disjointed to me."

Full story

L.A. Times Feature on "Touchdown"

stevesomething — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:27:14 +0000

The following appeared in the Nov. 15th, 1931 edition of the L.A. Times, page B13.

"INSIDE" OF FOOTBALL NOW TOLD

Former Dartmouth Back Awarded Role in Intimate Gridiron Tale

Charles Starrett, Dartmouth full-back in 1924 and 1925, is cast in one of the leading roles in "Touchdown", a story humanizing the great American sport by revealing the intimate relationships of coaches and players, now at the Paramount Theater.

Coincidental to Starrett's role in this picture is his football career. Hurt as a freshman and recuperating during his sophomore year, the young actor first tried out for the Dartmouth varsity in his junior year. His injured knee bothered him, however, and he was unable to make his letter. In 1925, Starrett made a name for himself playing the first three games. During the live-dummy tackle practice one day he dived for his man, missed him and sustained a badly cut eye and a broken nose. Courage and pride in his position as a member of the team urged him on to continue in the game only to suffer further injuries.

After the game his coach realized the mistake in having let Starrett play. "I'll never take a chance like that again," he told Starrett.

In "Touchdown" just such a situation develops when Richard Arlen, as coach, is faced with the decision of sending an injured player onto the field or keeping him off and chancing the loss of the big game. The climax and his decision revolve around the fact that he has in his hands the life of a young college student and risks losing his fiance, who misunderstands his motive.

Well! I will let you know what happens, tomorrow, when I view this film.

Libs at L.A. Times Attempt to Connect Palin with Dan Quayle

tsfiles — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:48:00 +0000

The Stalinist media treated Dan Quayle with outright disrespect during his tenure under George H. W. Bush. Having created a caricature of Quayle, they now they attempt to equate the selection of Palin to Quayle.

Convenient, yes?

And the media desperation continues.

L.A Times: Before Sarah Palin, the GOP had Dan Quayle By Cathleen Decker

Walk On By

deeanaoh — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:42:56 +0000

Nice little piece in the LA Times about a 93-year old man who takes a 5:00am walk in Griffith Park everyday. Some great accompanying photos, too.

To the big-spending, do-nothing congress: Change is coming

Mick — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:23:40 +0000

Sen. John McCain's blockbuster line: "Let me offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first-country-second Washington crowd: Change is coming."

It's not "global warming" climate change John McCain is talking about, it's a red-state tide coming in to take back America from European socialists. Democrats, be afraid. Be very afraid.

[caption id="attachment_983" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Change is coming. "][/caption]

Bushy Eyebrows are Back...

lastylistmom — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:48:30 +0000

...however this particular look might be a bit extreme. Click here to read the full LA Times article.

Will it be Biden or Palin to go "under the bus"

nuke — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:38:31 +0000

Already the Democrat long knives are out, clearing the path for the exit of Joe Biden from the Democratic Party ticket.

CBS News and The Politico have picked up on the story by investigative reporters Chuck Neubauer and Tom Hamburger in the LA Times.

a potential conflict of interest involving Biden and one of the nation's biggest asbestos litigation law firms — which also happens to be his top contributor.

The report seems to provide fuel to Obama supporters enraged Illinois senator picked a running mate with such deep ties to the D.C. cash-politics-lobbying world.

The Associated Press has the story of Biden, and his questionable relationship with MBNA, the largest employer in Delaware. Coincidentally, employees of MBNA make up the largest source of campaign contributions for Biden.

A son of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden was paid an undisclosed amount of money as a consultant by MBNA, the largest employer in Delaware, during the years the senator supported legislation that was promoted by the credit card industry and opposed by consumer groups.

And, oh, by the way:

In a separate matter in which Hunter Biden's lobbying activities were referenced, he and Biden's brother Jim have been sued for allegedly defrauding an ex-business partner.

As Obama's under-the-bus crowd continues to grow, it is clear that the preparations for an emergency Bidenectomy have been made. The only thing standing between this happening is Sarah Palin's Wednesday night acceptance speech at the RNC. If she does poorly, then Biden stays. But, if she performs well, and wows not only the partisans in St. Paul but also the independents watching on their television screens, then the worst fears of the Liberals will have been realized.

Obama will have no other choice but to dump Biden and choose the only VP candidate that will give him a winning shot.

Hillary Clinton.

She's Baaaack. Just remember folks, you read it here first.

Update:Ralph Nader adds more fuel to the fire ... Why Biden is the “MasterCard Senator”

Update 2: Susan Estrich estimates 30% of HRC voters will bolt for McPal

Update 3: CNN takes a look and concludes that it will be Palin who withdraws. [note to Mina Kimes: Intrade had Mitt Romney as the odds-on favorite for the veep slot last week.]

+++++

Photoshop credit: Jawa Report
cross-posted at NN&V

Best Paragraph I've Read Today

polisciafterparty — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:44:34 +0000

Care of the LA Times:

The actuarial tables on the Social Security Administration website suggest that there is a better than 10% chance that McCain will die during his first term in office. Needless to say, the Reaper's scything only grows more insistent thereafter. Should President McCain survive his first term and get elected to a second, there is a 27% chance that Palin will become the first female U.S. president by 2015. If we take into account McCain's medical history and the pressures of the presidency, the odds probably increase considerably that this bright-eyed Alaskan will become the most powerful woman in history.

Paying the Price for not Having the Money

rachelfirm — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:41:42 +0000

Today, the LA Times has an article highlighting how difficult it is to obtain adequate legal representation in our country's Immigration Courts.

Unlike defendants in criminal courts, individuals in immigration court do not have the right to free representation. Though there are no local statistics on the number of people who appeared in immigration court without lawyers, 58% of respondents nationwide were unrepresented, according to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the courts.

"Immigration laws are extremely complex," said Immigration Judge Dana Leigh Marks, president of the National Assn. of Immigration Judges. "It's a tremendous aid to us when someone is competently represented."

But finding an inexpensive or free attorney can be extremely difficult, advocates and lawyers said. And the stakes are high: Foreigners can face deportation, family separation and even political persecution.

And with the increase in raids and "enforcement only" tactics, the number of immigrants being pushed through the judicial system on Immigration charges is steadily increasing. Without the expertise of an Immigration Attorney, the majority of people have absolutely no shot at a favorable outcome - even if the law is on their side.

Advocates said the situation is worse for detained immigrants, who may have an even harder time finding attorneys. To address this, the federal government contracts with organizations to provide legal orientation in immigration detention centers nationwide.

Locally, attorneys from Catholic Charities of Los Angeles visit the Mira Loma Immigration Detention Center in Lancaster three times a week to inform detainees of their rights and to try to match some with attorneys willing to work at no cost.

During a presentation this spring, Julianne Donnelly, director of Catholic Charities' immigrant rights project, told detainees that she was there to answer their questions about the law, and explain possible defenses against deportation and how they can obtain a bond.

But Donnelly said the orientation is a "short-term fix for the larger problem."

"It's immigration law 101 in two hours," she said. "How much can you really take away from that?"

Biden: the next to go under the bus

nuke — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:44:26 +0000

Already the Democrat long knives are out, clearing the path for the exit of Joe Biden from the Democratic Party ticket.

CBS News and The Politico have picked up on the story by investigative reporters Chuck Neubauer and Tom Hamburger in the LA Times.

a potential conflict of interest involving Biden and one of the nation's biggest asbestos litigation law firms — which also happens to be his top contributor.

The report seems to provide fuel to Obama supporters enraged Illinois senator picked a running mate with such deep ties to the D.C. cash-politics-lobbying world.

A son of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden was paid an undisclosed amount of money as a consultant by MBNA, the largest employer in Delaware, during the years the senator supported legislation that was promoted by the credit card industry and opposed by consumer groups.

And, oh, by the way:

In a separate matter in which Hunter Biden's lobbying activities were referenced, he and Biden's brother Jim have been sued for allegedly defrauding an ex-business partner.

Obama will have no other choice but to dump Biden and choose the only VP candidate that will give him a winning shot.

Hillary Clinton.

She's Baaaack. Just remember folks, you read it here first.

Update: Nader adds more fuel to the fire ... Why Biden is the “MasterCard Senator”

Update 2: Estrich estimates 30% of HRC voters will bolt for McPal

Update 3: CNN takes a look and concludes that it will be Palin who withdraws. [note to Mina Kimes: Intrade had Mitt Romney as the odds-on favorite for the veep slot last week.]

+++++

Trackposted to Jawa Report, ProsperGroupThink, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson's Website, Is It Just Me?, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Rosemary's Thoughts, A Blog For All, Right Truth, DragonLady's World, Shadowscope, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Cao's Blog, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, third world county, Political Byline, McCain Blogs, A Newt One- Ronald Reagan in a skirt, DragonLady's World, The World According to Carl, A Newt One-McCain/Palin out front, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Beagle Scout, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Leftovers: Delicious Deals

Miles Clements — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:00:45 +0000

PHOTO by GLENN KOENIG / LOS ANGELES TIMES

Financial times are still troubling, so tough it out with this year's Delicious Deals guide from the LA Times. Included are my own blurbs on the burgers at Bouchees Bistro, the honey bread (above) at Mammoth Bakery and the bun bo hue at Quan Hy. Nothing tastes better than a deal.

Largest Workplace Raid in History - Laurel, Mississippi

rachelfirm — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:04:19 +0000

Last Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided Howard Industries in Laurel, MS, arresting nearly 600 unauthorized immigrant workers.

The raid surpassed May's raid in Postville Iowa as the largest workplace raid in history, and it continues the increasingly aggressive enforcement only policy of the current Bush administration.

Media coverage of the raid was sparse, since it coincided with the first night of the DNC and Michelle Obama's powerful appearance. However, the little attention given to the raid worked to hype up racial and non-union/union worker tentions.

From the LA Times:

It was the black co-workers who clapped and cheered, Pena said, as she and hundreds of other Latino immigrant laborers were arrested and hauled away.

"They said we took their jobs, but I was working from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.," said [Fabiola] Pena, 21, a day after the raid last week that resulted in the arrest of nearly 600 suspected illegal immigrants. "I didn't see them working like us."

And from the Washington Post:

One worker caught in Monday's sweep at the Howard Industries transformer plant said fellow workers applauded as immigrants were taken into custody. Federal officials said a tip from a union member prompted them to start investigating several years ago.

However, there are reports coming out of Mississippi that the raid was politically and financially motivated. Not only does Howard Industries have close ties to the MS state government, but there was a growing coalition of workers pushing for better conditions and union contracts with the company.

There is a great analysis of this at New American Media:

Jim Evans, a national AFL-CIO staff member in Mississippi and a leading member of the state legislature's Black Caucus, said he believed "this raid is an effort to drive immigrants out of Mississippi. It is also an attempt to drive a wedge between immigrants, African Americans, white people and unions - all those who want political change here." Patricia Ice, attorney for the Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA), agreed that "this is political. They want a mass exodus of immigrants out of the state, the kind we've seen in Arizona and Oklahoma. The political establishment here is threatened by Mississippi's changing demographics, and what the electorate might look like in 20 years."

Basically, unions were working to increase their immigrant membership, in order to ensure fair pay and good conditions for all Howard employees. This is when the raid occurred.

I have posted before about the idea of raids as union-busting efforts, and this seems to be no different.

Additionally, there were multiple financial reasons for going after Howard Industries. For more on this analysis, check out this blog post at Immigration talk with a Mexican American. The post connects the dots between the current Bush Administration, Howard Industries (whose CEO is a big-time GOP contributor), and GEO Corp (who runs the Jena, LA detention center where detainees are currently being held).

The media should start covering the real story behind these raids. The Bush administration is denying due process and basic human decency to thousands of workers, while big business and government continue to profit both financially and politically.

For more on this perspective check out this post at VivirLatino.

Intervju med Bleach skapare Tite Kubo hos LA Times

Andre Lindholm — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:47:09 +0000

Om man surfar sig in på "The LA Times" hemsida så kan man där läsaen intervju med Tite Kubo, skaparen bakom en av de mest populära anime och manga serierna som finns just nu, Bleach. Intervjun och inledningen till intervjun är väldigt bra, den tar upp många ämnen kring vem Kurosaki Ichigo är, och mycket av det som skrivs förklarar faktiskt hur jag själv känner inför honom, och det som faktiskt fick mig att älska denna karaktär. Även om Bleach har blivit en väldigt utdragen och lång serie så är Ichigo ironiskt nog en av mina favoritkaraktärer.

Intervjun rekommenderas starkt, jag tyckte den var mycket bra skriven och väldigt enkel att läsa.

Källa: LA Times

Andra åsikter om Anime, Manga, Tite Kubo, Serie, Bleach, Intervju, Japan, LA Times

08/28/08: Local Writer says "beware" of Paraclete

paracletefootball — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:52:33 +0000

LA Times High School sports guru Eric Sondheimer says opponents should take note of the Spirits in a recent blog entry.....link

Go Clete!!!

Ford Dedraws the Racehorse

kellene23 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:12:44 +0000

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Ford Redraws the Racehorse

Holy of holies, they're messin' with the Pony!

Ford Motor Co. said today that its much-anticipated 2010 Mustang will have a redesigned badge. In most circles, this falls somewhere in the yawner category, about on par with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures recalibrating the meter.

Yet Mustang lovers are a special clan, avid enough to support at least six monthly Mustang-themed magazines, roughly 100 U.S.-based owner clubs and thousands of niche websites, including the Icelandic Mustang Club and the Mustang Mafia. By comparison, another legendary fan car, the Chevrolet Corvette, has only four magazines.

So there is little doubt that what Ford describes as its "more defined, more angular" Mustang badge will make tsunami-size waves in the 'Stang world.

The new badge (pictured, top), which will grace the six-cylinder and GT models, comes in a new tinted chrome color. And what was formerly an Art Nouveau-smooth racing stallion, all smooth curves and liquid grace, has become a Deco beast, shoulders squared off, mane a series of hard spikes. It is, at heart, a rougher, far less gentle, animal.

“It’s more chiseled and more defined and looks more like a wild horse,” said Douglas Gaffka, chief designer for the Mustang. “It’s more realistic in terms of proportion to an actual Mustang.”

To bring the badge redesign -- the first since the 1994 model year -- to life, Ford tasked senior designer Rick Howard (who apparently rides horses) with equine duties. The company required him to spend "hours researching images of horses and understanding their appearance in natural, wild settings."

Of course, to the untrained eye, the changes Mr. Howard achieved are minimal. They also raise the question of whether Ford, which lost $8.7 billion in the second quarter and has seen sales slip 14% this year (including a 25% decline for Mustangs), ought to spend less time plonking senior designers in front of pictures of National Velvet and more time producing cars people actually want to buy.

Then again, perhaps such things matter. As one anonymous Mustang enthusiast put it on the allfordmustangs.com forum.

The Mustang is my shepherd; I shall not want.
It maketh me burnout on black pavements;
It leadeth me beside busy freeways;
It restoreth my soul;
It leads me in the path of quickness for its names sake.
Yea I walk through the valley of rice,
I shall fear no turbo, for Torque art with me;
Thy clutch and thy throttle they comfort me.
Thou preparest a Track for me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou hast anointed my engine with oil;
My car overpowers.
Surely traction and victory shall follow me,
All the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Fast Fords Forever.
~Amen

--Ken Bensinger

Photo of new and old Mustang badges courtesy of Ford

From the LA Times

LA Times, please Fact Check

homelessinla — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:17:42 +0000

Medi-Cal cards are Blue and White

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="196" caption="image from cencalhealth"][/caption]

Medi-CARE cards are Red, White, and blue.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="361" caption="by paradiseislandinsurance"][/caption]

I love that you are printing about the homeless and their issues, but little mistakes like this make you less credible. here is the quote:

"Some solicitations were direct, but others were coded, according to the city attorney's lawsuit. One alleged street pitch referred to the color scheme of the Medi-Cal eligibility card: "Red, white and blue, just make it do what it do, for me and you."Some solicitations were direct, but others were coded, according to the city attorney's lawsuit. One alleged street pitch referred to the color scheme of the Medi-Cal eligibility card: "Red, white and blue, just make it do what it do, for me and you." -

-article by Cara Mia DiMassa, Richard Winton and Rich Connell, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
August 7, 2008

Legalize It

Miles Clements — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:16:47 +0000

PHOTO by TONX

The LA Times reports today that a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has overturned the city's ordinance banning taco trucks from staying in one spot for more than an hour. Some expect the city to try and rewrite the ordinance, but today those mobile meals are legal again.