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The Situation Room
Compromise Over Iraq War Funding; Profile of Monica Goodling
Aired May 23, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now, Democrats battling one another over Iraq. Some are irate about a new compromise with the White House. I'll ask presidential candidate John Edwards to judge the deal and judge his fellow Democrats in the process.
Also this hour, President Bush tries to bolster his Iraq War defense by pointing at Osama bin Laden. We'll see if there's anything new in his warnings about the al Qaeda threat.
And a former aide to the attorney general finally testifies about the firing of those federal prosecutors.
Did Monica Goodling say anything to incriminate her former boss, Alberto Gonzales?
I'm Wolf Blitzer.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
First up this hour, an identity crisis for Democrats. The party that won control of Congress by taking a firm stance against the war in Iraq now embroiled in a new internal conflict.
At issue, a decision by majority leaders to drop a demand for a pullout timetable. Some Democrats believe the compromise with the White House is putting their party in a compromising position, and they're fighting back.
Let's go to our Congressional correspondent Dana Bash.
She's standing by -- Dana, Democrats are having a tough time with this, aren't they?
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They definitely are, Wolf.
I have not talked to a single Democrat who hasn't used words today like "wrenching" or "tough" to describe this vote they're going to have to take tomorrow. But it is especially hard for a group of Senators who really desperately need support from the staunchly anti- war Democratic base.
That group are candidates for president.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BASH (voice-over): It was straightforward -- will she vote to fund the war without a plan to bring troops home? She ducked it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Today we're talking about this very important immigration issue. There will be time to talk about that later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: When pressed later by CNN, she snapped, "If I have something to say, I will say it."
The Democratic presidential contender has good reason to be cautious. Powerful anti-war groups are up in arms about Democratic leaders' decision to relent, send the president a war spending bill with no timeline for troop withdrawal.
ELI PARISER, MOVEON.ORG: There's a price to be paid for Democrats and Republicans who endorse the president's failed strategy here, and I think, you know, that's what you're doing if you vote for this bill.
BASH: Moveon.org alerted its 3.2 million members to contact their representatives, and they're delivering this flier -- "Congress, show some backbone on Iraq."
Leading 2008 presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have added pressure to vote no. Other contenders are hammering them from the left.
JOHN EDWARDS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Any compromise that funds the war through the end of the fiscal year is not a compromise at all. It's a capitulation. Every member of Congress should -- every member of Congress should stand their ground on this issue.
BASH: But it is a wrenching decision, especially for Democratic '08 candidates who have made two conflicting promises -- do whatever it takes to bring troops home, but do nothing to put them in harm's way, like cut their funding.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: I meet with a mother whose son or daughter is in Iraq and they're concerned not only about getting them home, but also concerned about getting them home safely.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
BASH: Now Senator Obama told our Congressional producer, Ted Barrett, earlier today that he has not seen the final product of this bill and won't decide how he is going to vote until he reads it -- Wolf.
BLITZER: So Senators Clinton and Obama, they're not saying how they're going to vote yet.
What about the other Democratic senators who have to make a major decision?
BASH: Well, we just got answers from the other two. Senator Chris Dodd, who is, as you know, has been positioning himself more and more to the left, he just came out ask said he'll vote no on this bill to fund the war without a plan to bring troops home. However, Senator Joe Biden, who, perhaps, you can call more conservative on national security issues, he'll vote yes -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And I'm sure the other Democratic candidate, Dennis Kucinich, on the House side, he's going to vote no. he always votes no on these kind of matters.
BASH: That's for sure.
BLITZER: Dana, thank you.
We're going to be speaking with Senator John Edwards later this hour. He's very, very upset that any Democratic Senators might -- might support this kind of legislation without a firm troop deadline. We'll be speaking with Senator Edwards. That's coming up.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill today, the woman many have been wanting to hear from finally speaks. She's Monica Goodling, the former senior counsel to attorney general, Alberto Gonzales.
Goodling is a key figure in the scandal over those eight fired U.S. attorneys. Testifying today before a House committee, she denied having a major role in choosing which attorneys were to be fired, denied she was having -- she was a primary White House contact during creation of the entire plan and says she's certain she never spoke with the former White House counsel, Harriet Miers, or Karl Rove about those attorney firings while at the Justice Department.
But Goodling did admit one thing. She says she screened applicants for career jobs at the Justice Department based on political affiliation.
It's an admission Goodling was grilled about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it against the law to take political -- those political considerations into account?
You've got civil service laws. You've got obstruction of justice.
Were there any laws that you could have broken by taking political considerations into account "on some occasions?"
MONICA GOODLING, FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AIDE: The best I can say is that I know I took political considerations into account on some occasions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was that legal?
GOODLING: Sir, I'm not able to answer that question. I know I crossed the line.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What line?
GOODLING: I crossed the line of the civil service rules.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's go to CNN's Brian Todd
He's joining us now with a closer look at exactly who this woman is -- Brian, I know you've been looking into her background.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf.
Monica Goodling had certainly been a mysterious figure after resigning from the Justice Department and invoking her fifth amendment privilege. But today we heard directly from Ms. Goodling, not only about this role in this scandal, but also about her motivations.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GOODLING: At heart, I'm a fairly quiet person. I try to do the right thing and I try to treat people kindly along the way.
TODD (voice-over): But today, she was facing questions about the U.S. attorneys' dismissal scandal.
So who is Monica Goodling?
GOODLING: I went to public schools growing up, but I chose Christian universities, in part, because of the value that they place on service.
TODD: Classmates at Messiah College in Pennsylvania describe her as relentlessly hardworking, driven, a loner. She then attended Regent University Law School, founded by Evangelist Pat Robertson.
GOODLING: I enjoyed being surrounded by people that had the same belief system.
TODD: From there, a meteoric rise at the Justice Department, becoming the attorney general's White House liaison.
Facing Congress, she was poised. But as the scandal was breaking in March, a top official has told investigators she proceeded about 30 to 45 minutes to bawl her eyes out and say, "All I ever wanted to do was serve this president and this administration and this department."
But no one outworked Monica Goodling, says a former colleague. And one supervisor said she would be diligently Blackberrying as late as 2:00 a.m. Still, other former colleagues describe a woman who was abrupt and ruffled feathers of U.S. attorneys and others. A close friend at Justice says that's because Goodling was unfailingly honest and sometimes might have been too direct. GOODLING: I've seen in my life what violent crime can do it its victims and I knew that at some point I wanted to do my part to seek justice on their behalf.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
TODD: Goodling said when making recommendations or hiring an applicant or firing an attorney, she never considered the person's faith to be a factor -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Let's not forget, the only reason she testified today is because she was granted immunity. She had earlier decided she was going to plead the Fifth.
Brian, thanks very much.
Brian Todd and Dana Bash are both part of the best political team on television.
So is Jack Cafferty.
Let's go to Jack in New York -- hi, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you doing?
Reminiscent of Fawn Hall.
Remember Fawn Hall?
BLITZER: I remember that.
CAFFERTY: Some things, Wolf, better left unsaid. And we in the news media constantly wrestle with what to divulge and what to hold back. And sometimes there just aren't any easy answers to that conundrum.
For example, ABC News is reporting that President Bush has secretly approved a covert CIA operation aimed at destabilizing the government of Iran. Covert -- that means nobody's supposed to know about it.
But now that ABC has reported it, well, everybody knows about it, including probably anyone that matters in Tehran.
The goal of the operation is to get President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to abandon Iran's nuclear enrichment program -- the one that the IAEA today said that Iran continues to build up in defiance of the United Nations.
This top secret effort by the CIA includes a campaign of propaganda, economic pressure and manipulation of Iran's currency. But it may not work out so well now that the black box, if you will, has been opened.
Here's the question -- is it right for ABC News to report on secret U.S. efforts to destabilize the government of Iran? E-mail your thoughts on that to email@example.com, go to cnn.com/caffertyfile -- Wolf.
BLITZER: You're going to get a lot of different e-mails on this sensitive subject.
BLITZER: Jack, thanks very much.
Coming up, Senator John Edwards takes President Bush and his Democratic rivals to task over Iraq. I'll ask the presidential candidate if it's easy for him to criticize now that he's no longer in the Senate.
Plus, getting intense about Iraq -- is there any issue that fuels voters' passions more?
We have some brand new poll numbers coming out at this hour.
And Vice President Dick Cheney's big news -- will it revive a culture wars' controversy?
Stay with us.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
BLITZER: Top Democratic leaders in the Congress are calling it a compromise, but some members of their own party are calling it a sellout. A decision to drop a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq is a new dividing line between Democrats on Capitol Hill and on the presidential campaign trail, as well.
BLITZER: And joining us now from New York, at the Council on Foreign Relations, Senator John Edwards, the Democratic presidential candidate.
Senator, thanks very much for coming in.
JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thanks for having me, Wolf.
BLITZER: I know you're very upset that the Democrats in Congress blinked on this issue of a troop withdrawal, but they simply don't have the votes to override a presidential veto.
What are they supposed to do if they want to keep funding the troops but at the same time make their point?
EDWARDS: What they should do is continue to submit funding bills supporting the troops to the president with a timetable for withdrawal. And if the president of the United States, George Bush, continues to veto those bills, it's the president who's deciding he's not going to fund the troops. And ultimately that would actually require George Bush to start withdrawing troops from Iraq.
And my basic view about this, Wolf, is not complicated. I think that the American people want a different course in Iraq. They made that clear in the last election. and what I am asking is for the Congress to stand its ground, to do what it needs to do for America. This is not about politics. It's about life and death.
BLITZER: But your critics say it's easy for you to say that, you're not in the Congress right now. You're not a member of the Senate. They have to vote yea or nay on an issue like funding troops and keep troops fully protected with the funds that they need.
So it's easy for you to criticize from the outside. That's what your critics are suggesting.
EDWARDS: Can I just say, respectfully, that I would disagree with that?
First of all, I've been in that position. I have, in the past, voted against the funding bill, $87 billion, when I knew that George Bush was on the wrong course in Iraq. And, secondly, and I think more importantly, I'm running for president of the United States. All of us running for president will be held accountable, ultimately to voters, for the positions that we've taken.
BLITZER: So what are you...
EDWARDS: Every one of my positions, including this one will be evaluated by the voters, as it should.
BLITZER: All right.
So the sitting members, like Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, Senator Biden, Senator Dodd, Congressman Kucinich, what do you expect they're going to do?
EDWARDS: What I expect them to do is stand their ground, to continue to support bills that have a timetable for withdrawal and to use whatever tools are available to them to prevent a bill going to the president that does not have a timetable for withdrawal.
It's not complicated. That's what the American people want and I think that's what they should do.
BLITZER: Some of the Democratic leaders say they're going to find other opportunities in the next few months to attach that kind of troop withdrawal deadline to other legislation that the president wants. So while they're not -- we're not going to get everything they want right now, they're still going to have that opportunity down the road.
EDWARDS: This president is not going to negotiate about this, Wolf.
How clear could anything be?
He will not negotiate. He will not compromise. He does not think he's capable of doing anything wrong. He has to be stopped.
And the power that the Congress has is its constitutional power to fund. And they need to use that power to force this president down a different course. It's that simple.
BLITZER: The president spoke out today at the U.S. Coast Guard commencement and he said the threat right now from al Qaeda in Iraq is enormous. And he made the comparison to Vietnam.
Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT: The enemy in Vietnam had neither the intent nor the capability to strike our homeland. The enemy in Iraq does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right, what do you say to the president, Senator?
EDWARDS: I say the president has used this term that he uses over and over -- global war on terror -- as a political slogan. He uses it to justify everything he does -- Guantanamo, the ongoing presence in Iraq, spying on Americans. He uses it to bludgeon people who disagree with him, who dissent and speak out in this democracy against it.
And he doesn't deal with the fact that he's completely devastated our military, both men and women and equipment, during the course of this war in Iraq, made us more vulnerable.
And on top of that, he's done incredible damage to the America's moral authority in the world. And it's that strength and moral authority that's required in order for America to lead. That's what the president of the United States has to focus on.
BLITZER: The president has just declassified intelligence, though, suggesting that Osama bin Laden instructed al Qaeda in Iraq to plot attacks against the United States from their sanctuary, from within Iraq.
We're going to be speaking later with Fran Townsend, the president's homeland security director.
Don't they have a point when they say al Qaeda in Iraq potentially could represent a huge threat against U.S. interests outside of Iraq?
EDWARDS: Yes, but they created this mess in the Iraq War.
And what is Osama bin Laden doing still at large?
I mean, this is all the responsibility of the president of the United States and this administration. The reason there are terrorists actively engaged in what's happening in Iraq right now is because of the mess that George Bush and his administration have created there, completely ignoring the advice of military leadership -- uniformed military leadership.
So to now use a mess that they created to justify their ongoing so-called global war on terror makes absolutely no sense.
And this is like - basically what they're doing is they're saying to America, trust us, trust us. We told you the war was over. We told you things were getting better. We told you "mission accomplished." We told you this is all -- trust us. Follow our lead on this.
BLITZER: Let me ask you this, Senator.
Before the U.S. leaves Iraq, shouldn't the U.S. try to destroy al Qaeda in Iraq so that they don't represent a threat down the road?
EDWARDS: Wolf, we have a responsibility -- and the president of the United States has a responsibility -- to identify al Qaeda everywhere it's operating. And not just al Qaeda -- any terrorist group -- anywhere that it's operated. And use every tool available to us to stop them before they can do us harm. And that means military intelligence, our diplomatic tools, our alliances. All those things are an immediate responsibility of the president of the United States.
But what's missing from this administration is any kind of long- term plan to undermine the forces that create terrorism, the forces that create moral authority for America to lead, education, health care, fighting global poverty, fighting the spread of disease.
I mean those are the things that undermine the forces of terrorism, and we're doing nothing about any of those things.
BLITZER: One point, some Democrats are saying that they're opposed to the elimination of the troop withdrawal deadline, but they're happy that they have inserted in this legislation an increase in the minimum wage, which is long overdue.
Is that good enough?
Lord knows I'm for raising the minimum wage. Anyway we can get that done is a good thing. But it shouldn't be tied to what's happening in Iraq. What we should be doing in Iraq is standing our ground, stopping what this president is doing, forcing his hand and forcing him to withdraw troops from Iraq.
BLITZER: One final question.
How is Mrs. Edwards doing?
EDWARDS: Oh, very nice of you to ask.
You always ask.
Thank you, Wolf. She is doing - she is actually doing very well.
BLITZER: Please give her our best and let's -- let's hope for the best.
Senator Edwards, thanks very much for coming in.
EDWARDS: Thanks for having me, Wolf.
BLITZER: And coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, today's long awaited testimony in the fired prosecutor flap.
Did Monica Goodling do her former boss, Alberto Gonzales, justice?
J.C. Watts and Paul Begala are standing by for a Strategy Session.
And can the pain at the pump get much worse?
You bet. The numbers you may not want to hear.
All that coming up.
We'll be right back.
BLITZER: Our Carol Costello is monitoring the wires, keeping an eye on all the video keeps coming into THE SITUATION ROOM from around the world.
She's joining us from New York with a closer look at some other stories making news -- hi, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Hello to all of you.
Officials in Lebanon say a bomb went off in a town east of Beirut today. Five people reportedly hurt. It happened near a shopping center and caused damage to nearby shops and buildings. One source telling Reuters that the area was largely empty.
The White House said he was the right man to protect you, the consumer, but some were not so sure. Now Michael Baroody is withdrawing his nomination as President Bush's pick to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some Senate Democrats strongly opposed him, saying that as a lobbyist for the National Association of Manufacturers, he is not the right person to fight for consumers. But the Bush administration says Baroody has an impressive record of doing just that.
It's not exactly Free Willy, but some in California are still hoping to free these whales from potentially dangerous waters of the Sacramento River. People banging on pipes have managed to herd the mother and her calf back towards the Pacific Ocean. But their progress has stalled, perhaps because of traffic noise coming from a nearby bridge. Scientists are concerned because the health of the two whales has apparently worsened.
And if it seems like gas prices go up just about every time you fill up, well, you aren't that far off the mark. Today, we are seeing the eleventh straight day of record high prices. AAA says a gallon of regular hit just over $3.20 a gallon. But yesterday the average was around $3.20. and experts expect prices to go even higher for this summer.
That's a look at what's happening right now -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Carol, we'll touch base with you shortly.
Still ahead, President Bush on an Al Qaeda terror plot thwarted.
Why is he declassifying the information now?
We'll have a report from the White House.
And later, I'll ask the president's homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend, if Mr. Bush is trying to change the subject away from Iraq.
Stay with us.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
BLITZER: Happening now, new developments in the search for those three missing American soldiers in Iraq. One of their bodies may -- repeat may have been found. We'll get an update.
Also, burning a clothing iron onto a victim's skin or squeezing a victim's head in a vise -- those graphic tactics are said to be among Al Qaeda's torture methods. We have some newly revealed information and images. We're going to share them with you.
And the smallest victims perhaps are suffering the most. UNICEF says Iraq's children struggling right now to survive without access to even the most basic necessities. But the agency says the children can still be helped.
I'm Wolf Blitzer.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
President Bush today is portraying the Iraq War as a battle between the United States and Al Qaeda, with Osama bin Laden still in the mix.
In a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Mr. Bush listed a number of alleged terrorist plots against the U.S. he says were thwarted. Let's bring in our White House correspondent, Ed Henry.
He's joining us right now.
Among other things, he cited alleged post-9/11 plots -- Ed -- to fly airplanes into targets on the East and West Coasts.
What is new about all of this?
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Those are not really new, Wolf. it's just some new intelligence about some Al Qaeda officials.
But those plots -- the president has previously touted stopping those plots. So this is really all about the president scrambling to find justification to keep U.S. troops in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): Delivering the commencement at the Coast Guard Academy, President Bush tried to push back at critics who say Iraq is a Vietnam style quagmire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The enemy in Vietnam had neither the intent nor the capability to strike our homeland. The enemy in Iraq does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Trying to bolster his case Al Qaeda is the chief enemy in Baghdad, the president declassified intelligence showing in 2005 Osama bin Laden was trying to set up a unit in Iraq to launch terror attacks against America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: There are many destructive forces in Iraq trying to stop this strategy from succeeding. The most destructive is al Qaeda.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: But detailing al Qaeda activity in Iraq in 2005, long after the war started, is fuel for Democratic presidential candidates, who charge, the war actually increased the terror threat.
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The worst thing about the global-war-on-terror approach is that it's backfired. Our military has been strained to the breaking point, and the threat from terrorism has grown, not lessened. We need a post-Bush, post-9/11, post-Iraq American military.
HENRY: With weak public support for the Iraq war, declassifying intelligence about terror plots enabled the president to fall back on a strategy that worked in the 2004 and 2006 campaigns: the fear card. BUSH: Here in America, we're living in the eye of a storm. All around us, dangerous winds are swirling, and these winds could reach our shores at any moment.
HENRY: But the president's decision to highlight bin Laden's ability to communicate with his top lieutenants raises questions about Mr. Bush's previous claims that the U.S. has disrupted the al Qaeda leader's activities.
HENRY: Now, the president's homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend, explained that the U.S. has not stopped bin Laden from communicating. They have merely disrupted his activities. Obviously, more than five years after the president said he would get him dead or alive, bin Laden is still at large -- Wolf.
BLITZER: What did she say about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, Ed?
HENRY: Now, she would not go there, but what she did say is that the U.S. believes that, wherever bin Laden is, he's not comfortable. She also vowed that the U.S. is still pressing to either kill or capture bin Laden -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We are going to be speaking with Fran Townsend here in THE SITUATION ROOM in the next hour, the president's homeland security adviser -- Ed Henry over at the White House.
In presidential politics, some are asking, who has got the big mo'? It appears one party may be energizing its voters a little bit more.
Joining us now is our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.
Bill, what looks different about this presidential campaign?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, in this campaign, we're seeing more energy and intensity on the Democratic side.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... style of government in Washington.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Democrats are angry.
OBAMA: We have had a government that defies reason and defies the facts.
SCHNEIDER: Look at fund-raising. During the first four months of this year, Democratic presidential candidates outraised Republican candidates by more than $25 million. Look at the level of interest in the issues. The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll asked people how important they consider each of 17 issues. A majority of Democrats considered five issues extremely important.
At the top of the Democrats' agenda, Iraq, 60 percent.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Asking American soldiers and our military to win a civil war in someone else's country is unrealistic and wrong.
SCHNEIDER: Followed by four domestic issues: education, Social Security, gas prices, and health care.
EDWARDS: We bring down health care costs for everybody, because health care costs are completely out of control.
SCHNEIDER: Republican voters show noticeably less concern about all five issues. What are Republicans' top concerns? Terrorism tops the list, followed by Iraq. Republicans see Iraq as part of the terrorist threat.
BUSH: The enemy in Vietnam had neither the intent, nor the capability to strike our homeland. The enemy in Iraq does.
SCHNEIDER: Most of the Republicans' top issues relate to national security. Even so, Democrats are just as concerned about terrorism, and more concerned about Iraq, Iran, and corruption -- the only issue Republicans are more concerned about, immigration.
REP. JOHNNY ISAKSON (R), GEORGIA: We have had an immigration policy that, for the better part of 21 years, has to been to look the other way as people float across our southern border, to calibrate on a low-basis legal immigration, to say we're doing something about it, while millions come into this country. It's got to come to an end.
SCHNEIDER: Republicans want 2008 to be just like 2004, when the top issue was terrorism. Democrats want 2008 to be just like 2006, when the top issue was Iraq. Each party is trying to replicate its most recent success -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider, some serious analysis for us -- thank you, Bill.
Bill Schneider and Ed henry, by the way, as you know, are part of the best political team on television.
And, remember, for the latest political news that at any time, you can always check out our Political Ticker. Go to CNN.com/ticker.
Also, don't forget, we're gearing up for our big debates in New Hampshire. CNN, WMUR, and "The New Hampshire Union Leader" are sponsoring back-to-back debates early next month.
The Democratic candidates square off Sunday night, June 3. The Republicans go head to head Tuesday night, June 5. You are going to want to see both of those debates. Coming up: The vice president and his family are celebrating a major occasion. And the homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend, she is standing by to join us live from the White House. We will talk about that new intelligence that has just been declassified about Osama bin Laden.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
BLITZER: On Capitol Hill right now, Democrats preparing to tackle another priority, lobbying reform, but opponents charge, they're falling short of their campaign promises.
Our congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel looks at what may and may not be accomplished -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, out on the campaign trail last year, Democrats pledged over and over again that, if they controlled Congress, they would break the link between lobbyists and lawmaker.
Well, come tomorrow, they say they are going to be taking a big step towards making good on that pledge. What's on the table? Well, there are going to be votes on a couple lobbying-related measures, which would include things like creating a public data base on lobbyists, requiring lobbyists to disclose exactly how they're spending money on lobbying lawmakers.
They would restrict members' spouses from lobbying their husband or wife's staff, increasing the penalties for any violations. And, then, they would have to disclose what's known as bundling, whereby lobbyists collect a lot of smaller donations, bundle them together. Anything over $20,000 a year would have to be disclosed.
But Republicans point out that Democrats have also backed off another pledge to double the amount of cooling-off time that lawmakers or senior staff would have to make before they could lobby Congress. Currently, they have to wait a year.
And, finally, Democratic leaders backed off another pledge to create an independent ethics panel to police Congress -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill.
Critics of a Senate immigration reform deal made some progress today in altering the bill. The senators voted 74-24 to cut back on the number of eligible guest workers per year from 400,000 to 200,000. This is the second Democratic amendment to the bill considered by the Senate. The first would have eliminated the guest-worker program entirely. That amendment was rejected yesterday.
A new addition to Vice President Dick Cheney's family -- the White House today announced that Cheney's daughter Mary and her partner, Heather Poe, now are parents of a baby boy. Mary Cheney delivered Samuel David Cheney this morning at a Washington, D.C., hospital.
Cheney has said he would -- the vice president said he would welcome his sixth grandchild, despite some criticism from the right wing, who oppose gay couples having children.
Chris Dodd is in today's "Political Radar." He's not getting a lot of attention in the news media, so, Democratic presidential hopeful Dodd is out with his second campaign commercial. In the ad, the senator from Connecticut claims his White House rivals are following him when it comes to the war in Iraq. The new commercials are running in Iowa and New Hampshire.
The Democratic National Convention is not until August of 2008, but, this August, top Democratic presidential candidates are headed to another convention focused on liberal blogs.
Let's go to our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner -- Jacki is standing by.
Jacki, tell us about this latest development.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Well, Wolf, Elizabeth Edwards blogs that YearlyKos Convention is an opportunity for real political dialogue, an unparalleled opportunity.
And that's why she says her husband, John Edwards, is going to be there. So is Senator Barack Obama and Governor Bill Richardson, who attended the YearlyKos Convention in Vegas last year.
Convention organizers say they're still waiting for confirmation from other candidates as to whether or not they will attend. Now, the ones who do go will take part in a presidential leadership forum, where they will take questions from those in attendance and questions submitted by blog readers and bloggers in advance.
Now, last year's convention drew about 1,200 attendees. And the buzz at the time was, who's going to run for president? The big names on the list were General Wesley Clark and former Virginia Governor Mark Warner.
This is named for Daily Kos, the top liberal blog. And it's become a spot online where some of the big-name Democratic candidates go to reach out to the online community -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jacki, thanks very much.
Up next here in THE SITUATION ROOM: the attorney general's former aide in the hot seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONICA GOODLING, FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHITE HOUSE LIAISON: I have never attended a meeting of the White House Judicial Selection Committee. The attorney general and Kyle Sampson attended those meetings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Did Monica Goodling say anything today to help push Alberto Gonzales out of the Justice Department? Paul Begala and J.C. Watts, they're both standing by.
Also in our "Strategy Session": Democrats taking aim at one another over Iraq. Will a new compromise over war funding help or hurt presidential contenders?
Stick around. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
BLITZER: In today's "Strategy Session": A decision by Democratic majority leaders to drop a demand for a pullout timetable from Iraq, now that has got some other Democrats very angry.
Joining us now to discuss that and more, two CNN political analysts. Paul Begala is a Democratic strategist. J.C. Watts is a former Republican congressman from Oklahoma.
Guys, thanks very much for coming in.
The -- the rap is, the Democrats blinked.
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: They did. They did. This is a victory for President Bush.
Yes, there's progress. The Democrats can cite some progress. There's 18 benchmarks, two reports. But, at the end of the day, this is a -- a win for President Bush and for people who believe in an endless war.
Now, I would caution you, this is a Pyrrhic victory. You remember King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans at Heraclea, and, then, the next year, defeated them again at Asculum. And, after the second victory, he lost so many troops, he said, if I have one more victory like this, I'm through.
Well, I think, if Mr. Bush has many more victories like this, he's through, because, at the end of the day, people don't want an endless war in Iraq. And that's what Mr. Bush has won here.
BLITZER: What do you think?
J.C. WATTS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Wolf, I wouldn't frame it as the Democrats having blinked.
I would frame it as -- or I wouldn't frame it as President Bush having won. I think the American people won. I -- I don't -- I will take the Democrats at their word. It was the right thing to do. And I will give them credit for doing the right thing.
There should not -- there shouldn't have been timetables in the bill. There should be benchmarks in the bill. So, therefore, it's a good -- it's a good strategy, a good way to try to move forward in Iraq.
BLITZER: We don't yet know how Senators Clinton and Obama will vote on the final legislation. We do know Chris Dodd will vote against it, one of the presidential candidates.
Senator Biden, listen to what he said. He's the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and himself a presidential candidate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As long as we have troops on the front line, we're going to have to protect them. We're going to have to fund them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right, what do you think? How is this going to play out among the Democrats, the presidential candidates? You heard Senator Edwards in the interview with me. He thinks they should have just held their position, and reject, reject, reject, and let the president change his position.
BEGALA: It's easier for John Edwards -- although he's doing quite well in the polls.
But it's easier for John Edwards, because he doesn't have to vote. OK? Senator Biden has to vote. Senator Dodd has to vote. Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, they all have to vote on this. Congressman Kucinich over in the House, they all have to vote on this.
BLITZER: So, if you were a strategist for either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, what would you advise them?
BEGALA: If I were a strategist for them, I would advise them to vote no, vote against this endless war, although there are many principled Democrats who are going to be for this.
But I would -- on both sides, I would remind them to tell Democrats that this is the beginning of the end of the Bush war in Iraq. It's not the end. This is -- this is just a small battle. The bigger battle will come in a couple weeks, when we have the Defense Department authorization bill. And then the Armageddon will come in September, when we are going to reevaluate whether the Bush escalation has worked in Iraq.
So, Democrats lose this battle, but I still think they win the war.
BLITZER: What do you think?
WATTS: Well, Wolf, it's easy for anybody that is a strategist for Republicans or Democrats. I would say vote for the bill. Don't -- don't deny the troops on the ground, or those generals that are trying to execute this war, don't deny them the funding. It's that simple.
Let's talk about Monica Goodling's testimony today before the House of Representatives, the Judiciary Committee there.
You had a chance to watch her do a little Q&A between the members and her. What do you think?
BEGALA: I think it's embarrassing that I live in a country that has a woman like this at the top of the Justice Department.
I mean, come on. There are so many talented, able, principled conservatives. And she went up there, and she -- she admitted that she may well have violated the law. She admitted that she took partisan political interests into account when making hiring decisions for career prosecutors.
Now, that's against the law. She also, then, essentially accused the deputy attorney general of being a liar. She threw Paul McNulty, who is still in office, by the way -- he's still serving as deputy attorney general. He has announced his resignation, but it hasn't come to fruition yet. So, she now -- she accused him of being a liar.
And, so, we have this completely, you know, like, an ethics-free zone and a competence-free zone at the Justice Department, and, frankly, across the whole Bush administration. How can President Bush watch that and countenance it is beyond me.
BLITZER: And she testified only because she was granted immunity from prosecution by the -- by the committee, because she had wanted to plead the Fifth, so she wouldn't have to testify.
WATTS: Well, I have -- I have heard nothing, Wolf -- I heard nothing today that would encourage me to believe that, you know, she should have pled the Fifth or that she needed...
BLITZER: Well, she did acknowledge, as Paul said, that she may have violated the law when she decided that she was going to ask career civil servant types political questions: Who do you like? Who do you don't?
That's -- that's a no-no.
WATTS: But you know what, Wolf? This administration -- this is not a unique situation to this administration.
President Clinton did it. Jimmy Carter did it. Ronald Reagan did it.
WATTS: H.W. Bush did it. To -- to think that these people are not going to take into consideration someone's political background...
BLITZER: For career civil servant jobs?
WATTS: For -- yes.
BLITZER: It's one thing for political appointees, but it's another thing for career civil servants.
WATTS: You still -- if you're going to make that appointment, I guarantee you, the person making that appointment, they're going to take into consideration, as wrong as it is, they are going to take into consideration...
BLITZER: All right.
WATTS: ... if they're Republican or Democrat, based on the administration.
BLITZER: You served -- you served in the -- in the Clinton administration.
WATTS: But one other thing: In 1990 -- in 1992, when President Clinton was elected, he fired 93 U.S. attorneys. Two of them were investigating him. Now, there was no...
BEGALA: That's not true either, J.C. That's not true.
WATTS: There was no issue about this.
Now, the point -- the point is this.
WATTS: It was wrong for President Clinton to hire for political reasons. It's wrong for the Bush administration to hire for political reasons. It's wrong for both administrations.
BLITZER: We're almost out of time, but go ahead and respond.
BEGALA: I feel like a mosquito in a nudist colony. I don't know where to start. Every place is fertile territory, Wolf.
President Clinton fired political appointees, U.S. attorneys. He has the right to do that.
BEGALA: And he did not do it because of any investigations that were ongoing.
There was an investigation ongoing of Dan Rostenkowski, not of Bill Clinton. And that wound up -- Eric Holder took that job, and wound up putting Danny Rostenkowski in prison.
Second, that's a real smear.
BEGALA: That's a real smear on Presidents Carter...
BLITZER: Very quickly.
BEGALA: ... and Bush and Reagan and Clinton, who...
BEGALA: There's no evidence that they violated the law.
WATTS: They made political decisions every single day.
BEGALA: That's not what we're talking about, man.
BLITZER: All right, we have got to leave it...
BEGALA: You're saying...
WATTS: That is what we're talking about.
BEGALA: No. You're accusing good...
WATTS: That's what we're talking about.
BEGALA: Let me talk.
BLITZER: Go ahead.
BEGALA: You're accusing good people, honorable people, like Jimmy Carter and George Bush Sr. and my boss, Bill Clinton, of doing something for which there is no evidence, putting political hacks in as career civil servants. That's not what they did.
BEGALA: And there's no evidence that ever did do it. Now there is evidence that Mr. Bush did it through Monica Lewinsky...
BEGALA: Monica Goodling's own testimony today.
WATTS: If party affiliation doesn't matter, why would a Republican president fire U.S. attorneys, when...
BEGALA: They're political appointees, J.C.
WATTS: No, but I'm saying, why -- but, if they're there to defend the law, what does it matter? It's not Republican law or Democratic law.
BLITZER: No, no, no, but we have got to end it right there.
BLITZER: But there's a different standard for political appointees and a different standard for career civil servants.
WATTS: All -- and all I'm saying...
BLITZER: And, for political appointees, you can ask all the political questions you want.
WATTS: And -- and...
BLITZER: But, when you hire a civil servant, you're not supposed to ask about the political backgrounds of the individuals.
WATTS: And all I'm saying is, Wolf, we're all naive if we think that somebody doesn't know Paul Begala's political affiliation, if I'm a Republican, and I'm going to hire him...
BLITZER: All right.
WATTS: ... or if I'm a Democrat, and I'm going to hire him.
BEGALA: ... political appointee. I was a political appointee.
BLITZER: You guys will take this discussion into the green room, as they say.
BLITZER: Guys, thanks very much.
BEGALA: Thank you.
BLITZER: Still to come: Which Democratic presidential candidate likes Ray Charles? And who likes the Four Seasons? Who likes U2? We found out, and we are going to tell you. And it reportedly involves secret plans to get Iran's president to abandon Iran's nuclear enrichment program. But, if it's a secret U.S. effort, is it right for one news outlet to reveal it? That's Jack's question. He's standing by with your e-mail -- right after this.
BLITZER: Let's check in with Jack Cafferty for "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, the question this hour: Is it right for ABC News to report on secret U.S. efforts to destabilize the government of Iran?
Before I get to the e-mails, I want to read you a statement. We got a call from ABC. And they gave us this statement -- quoting now -- "In the six days since we first contacted the CIA and the White House, at no time did they indicate broadcasting this report would jeopardize lives or operations on the ground. ABC News management gave them the repeated opportunity to make whatever objection they wanted to regarding our report, and they chose not to. This piece was very carefully reported. And it puts solid facts on the table concerning a crucial foreign policy challenge facing the United States and the world."
That's from ABC.
Here's the stuff that came from you. This is better.
Jennifer writes: "No, it is never OK to report on secret government practices that are trying to protect us, especially from lunatics like Ahmadinejad. ABC should get a fine so big, it shuts them down. No one will miss their programming anyway."
CAFFERTY: Tom in Georgia: "Yes, yes, yes. Somebody desperately needs to keep check on the Bush administration and all future administrations. When was it decided the U.S. government had any right to dictate to the rest of the world? What would be the fallout if Sweden, just for example, decided to attempt to manipulate the U.S. government?"
CAFFERTY: I say, bring it on.
Jason, Scottsdale, Arizona: "Jack, give me a break. If you found about this before ABC, you would be the first one to cluck about it. You are just simply jealous that somebody else got the scoop."
Alicia in Florida: "I think you have the wrong question here, Jack. The real question should be, are we, as Americans, ready to accept the fact our president is a criminal? We, as a country, are numb to this administration's lack of accountability, and have learned to live with it and accept it as a way of life. Don't blame ABC for being the messenger. Blame Bush for being the criminal."
Jim in Malibu may have part of this right: "Part of Bush's war on Iran is to scare the Tehran government. The CIA purposely leaked this information to ABC in order to scare Iran into doing something stupid, like attacking a U.S. outpost or Navy ship. Bush is trying to provoke Iran into attacking the United States."
Michael in Virginia writes: "No, Jack, it's not right for ABC News or any other news organization to spend its time and energy digging up Bush administration plans to overthrow the government of Iran. I would rather have them spend their time digging up Bush administration plans to overthrow the democracy of the United States. Had they and the rest of their brethren done -- done that in January of 2003, the U.S., Iraq, and much of the world might be in less of a mess than it is now."
And, finally, Phillip in Denver: "ABC's revealing of the covert CIA operation is unpatriotic and detrimental to our national security. They should be ashamed of themselves" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And the White House has been saying, Jack, that it will not comment, will neither confirm, nor deny the ABC report, saying they never discuss covert activities, or allegations of covert activities, to be precise.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com


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Waiting for the Fed
Equity markets have started well, and consensus appears to be that investors are hoping for a sunny assessment of the state of the economy from the Federal Reserve today.
What? Didn’t we just report a 6.1% drop in GDP?
The Federal Open Market Committee, which sets interest rates, concludes its two-day meeting today. Reuters reckons the FOMC won’t advance any new efforts to get liquidity into the economy, and quotes economists talking about “things going according to plan for once.”.
Over at Clusterstock, Joe Wiesenthal reckons we could see positive GDP as early as next quarter.
Hmm. I was at the Milken Institute Global Conference yesterday, and economists and money managers don’t seem quite so sure. About 45 minutes into his panel on the economy, Michael Milken likened the U.S. to a sick man in the emergency room. Hardly an original analogy, but when he turned to one of the surgeons on his panel, Myron Scholes, the Nobel Laureate said he wasn’t prepared to scrub in on this one and would only treat the patient when he was out of danger.
When a hitter likes Scholes isn’t prepared to get his hands dirty, I start to get worried. But at least he and his fellow panelists, Gary Becker and Roger Myerson of the Uni of Chicago, don’t believe we’re in a slump comparable to the Great Depression.
Not yet, anyway.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.

domain: news


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PEACH SPRINGS, Ariz. (AP) -- Attorneys for a Las Vegas developer are asking a federal appellate court to weigh in on a dispute over the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
A judge ruled earlier this month that David Jin's attorneys must fight in Hualapai (WAHL'-uh-peye) tribal court to retain Jin's contractual rights to the popular tourist attraction.
Jin's attorneys contend the court narrowly interpreted a law regarding the bad faith exception to exhausting remedies in tribal court.
They've appealed to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
The tribe and Jin have been locked in a yearlong dispute that led the tribe to cut Jin out of managing the Skywalk.
The glass bridge juts out 70 feet from the Grand Canyon on Hualapai land in northwestern Arizona, giving tourists a view of the Colorado River below.


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Deming and Luna County community calendar for Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021
Community Coalition meets
The Community Coalition meets at noon today at the La Fonda Restaurant Banquet Room, 601 E. Pine St. in Deming, NM.
Today's agenda includes presentations from:
• Help-New Mexico Office of Economic Empowerment presentation on the SNAP Employment Training offered (Adrianne Ybarra, Christina Garcia, and Jesse Bolaños)
• Mimbres Memorial Hospital: Tamara Hand
• Deming Police Department
The Community Coalition will not meet in January. The next meeting will be at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022 at the La Fonda.
Columbus Club Bingo
The Columbus Club will host Bingo games at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 1400 S. Ruby St. in Deming, NM. Doors open at 5 p.m.
Cash prizes ranged from $150 to $300 per game.
There is a concession stand on site and no outside food of drink is permitted.
Church barbecue plates
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church will have a barbecue fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3 at the church, 513 W. First St. in Deming, NM. Delivery is available within city limits. Please call 575-936-4279 on Friday after 10 a.m. for orders. Proceeds benefit the building revitalization projects.
Menu: Ribs plate, $10; brisket plate, $10; combination plate (brisket and ribs), $12. All plates include corn, salad and chocolate cake.
Deming Photo Club meets
The Deming Photo Club meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 at the Marshall Memorial Library, 110 S. Diamond Avenue. Please wear a mask to enter the building and bring photo project ideas, field trip ideas and 3 to 5 photos you have taken using the subject of water..
If you are interested in photography or want to learn more about the photos you are taking, please plan on attending. Meetings are open to the public.
Deming MainStreet events
Deming MainStreet has planned a series of events slated for Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.
• Christmas Market, 1 to 4 p.m. at the Luna County Courthouse Park
• Lighted Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. Route will be Columbus Road and Spruce Street to Gold Avenue and Luna County Courthouse Park
Registrations forms for both events are available online at www.deming ms.org or at the Deming Visitor Center (800 E Pine St.).
• Community Tree Lighting, 7 p.m. in front of the historic Luna County Courthouse. Lighting will take place immediately following Santa's visit with children in the Luna County Courthouse Park pavilion
DMS is also hosting a Light-up Downtown contest for businesses. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three storefronts via community votes.
Businesses interested in participating will need to register online at www.demingms.org or at the Deming Visitor Center (800 E Pine St.) by December 2, 2021.
Community voting will be from Dec. 4-18 online at www.demingms.org. Only one vote per day per email.


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Dogs Wearing Soccer Jerseys Score With World Cup Fans
PetGuide.com can’t wait for 2014 FIFA World Cup to start tomorrow. And when it kicks off in Brazil, we’ll all be watching with our pooches, sporting our home country’s jersey. But even if you’re not a soccer fan, you will be – once you see these dog breeds sporting their nation’s jersey.
The creative folks at Life On White came up with the idea to pair applicable national dogs with its World Cup Jersey. Starting off the World Cup is the Dalmation for Croatia and the Brazilian Mastiff for Brazil. There’s also the Kooikerhondje for The Netherlands, the Cane Corso wearing an Italian football jersey, an English Bulldog for England and Chihuahua cheering on Mexico. All the dogs look adorable in their team uniforms and we hope they can all play nicely together. You can see all of the dogs and the team jerseys at Life On White.

domain: sports


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Teens submitted twenty-five strong videos to the Colorado challenge from across the state. Bethany Hagerott of Longmont submitted the winning video, entitled “Inspire,” through the Longmont Public Library. Colorado also recognizes two videos as runners-up, both from the Denver Public Library, entitled “Spark and Emotion” and “Reading to Solve Depression,” as well as five honorable mentions. All eight videos are available for viewing.
To view all twenty-six of this year’s winning videos from across the country, please visit CSLP’s website.


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13 Oct in Music TechThis week, our list of free plug-ins includes a fun little synth with lots of modulation, a free guitar amp and a unique stereo delay. Get ready for ModSynthMono, Crunck V2 and Spread Delay Lite.
525 Results for "Windows"
10 Oct in Music TechNeed some new inspiration for your beats? Audiomodern has released Playbeat, a pattern generator plug-in that helps you come up with new ideas by randomizing grooves.
10 Oct in Music TechDrum Gate aims to dispense with the inconsistencies and difficulties of traditional drum gating by means of intelligent detection and optimisation, and combines several tools in one.
03 Oct in Music TechiZotope dropped Ozone 9, introducing the typical improvements and forward-looking technologies found in a major Ozone release. There's a new bass processor, instrument level editing, and plenty more.
03 Oct in Music TechM-Audio has unveiled the AIR series USB audio interfaces. With USB-C connectivity, Crystal preamps, low latency and low prices, the M-Audio AIR series interfaces are sure to make an impact.
02 Oct in Music TechBabelson Audio has released the FD1N and FD3N Tube EQ Saturator plug-ins. They look almost exactly like the FD2N Tube EQ from a few weeks ago. What's the difference, and do you need all three of them?
29 Sep in Music TechGet a load of tape wow, shake, hiss, squeal, harm and detune - each with color, saturation, speed and mix controls to shape and dial tape destruction exactly the way you want.
23 Sep in Music TechDevious Machines has released Pitch Monster, a pitch shifting and vocal processing plug-in. With granular, formant shifting and vocoder engines, Pitch Monster sends your vocals into another dimension.
22 Sep in Music TechThis week's free plug-ins let you delve into the vintage glory of the Ensoniq SQ80, create smooth delays with SevenDelay and get experimental with the KLANG series from Cinematique Instruments.
20 Sep in Music TechSKnote has released the MainEQ dynamic equalizer plug-in. With features like poly grouping of filters and inter-band / inter-track dynamic control, MainEQ looks quite powerful.
19 Sep in Music TechSwitching to Thunderbolt 3, the new UAD-2 Satellite doesn't require a TB3 to Legacy TB adapter and cables for connection to Type-C ports, which brings convenience and removes a considerable expense.

domain: artistic


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It may have been a cloudy day, but the streets of Asheville were lined with bright colors for the Asheville Mardi Gras parade on Sunday, March 2. Following the parade, folks in feathered costumes followed one another across downtown to pack into Pack’s Tavern for the Queen’s Ball.
Revelers took to the streets for Asheville Mardi Gras on Sunday, March 2.
Twelfth Night is an old, traditional time of merriment in many Western cultures. Most now think of it as the start of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras.

domain: sociology


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Phone: (778) 381-9977
Sekhon v. Sekhon, 2020 BCSC 1422
Cancellation of Child Support Arrears
Hayre v Bagri, 2020 BCSC 1316
Urgent Return of a Child
Covid-19 - Parenting
Sandy Sihota is the founder of SiLaw Group. She practices exclusively as a family lawyer. In 2021, Sandy was accredited as a Family Law Mediator by the Law Society of BC.
In 2019, Sandy found SiLaw Group Family Lawyers with a unique vision to be an approachable and friendly firm by providing straightforward, stress-free and cost-effective personable services to family law clients. She saw first hand the impact of a separation on clients and was eager to make this process as easy as possible for them.
Sandy’s family law experience is extensive and includes all types of matters from separation agreements, division of assets, spousal support, and child custody issues. She brings sensitivity to these matters, but concentrates on delivering results for her clients.
As a litigator, Sandy has appeared before all levels of courts and tribunals in British Columbia. She prides herself on her pragmatic approach to successfully settling disputes along with her strong listening and negotiation skills. She is fluent in both English and Punjabi.
Sandy is contract Instructor for the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) with the Law Society of British Columbia.
Outside of work, Sandy enjoys travelling, and chasing her two young boys.
Memberships and Affiliations
Law Society of BC (PLTC) - Contract Instructor
NEVR Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships - Board Member
Trial Lawyers Association - Member
Canadian Bar Association - Member
Law Society of BC - Member
South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce - Member
Education and Credentials
Law Society of BC - Accredited Family Law Mediator
Bachelors of Arts in Political Science - Simon Fraser University
Bachelors of Law (LLB) - Kingston London University
Called to the BC Bar in 2013

domain: law


We’re getting ready to celebrate in April our 8-year anniversary of meeting as the “Emerging Church Discussion Group” (a.k.a. the Charlotte Emergent cohort). The group has changed a lot over the years, but one thing remains the same: There is still a need for a safe(r) space for theological conversation, because most churches do not create space for it.
This is still true here in Charlotte (“the city of 1,000 churches”), and I suspect it’s true of the many cities where other Emergent cohorts are continuing to meet and discuss ideas and ask questions. No matter what persuasion the church may be — liberal or conservative (or somewhere in-between / beyond) — the fact is most churches are not modeled on conversation or participation but on coercion and capitulation.
But I’m deeply encouraged by stories of faith communities like Englewood Christian Church on the near east side of Indianapolis. Chris Smith is the editor of the church’s Englewood Review of Books, and he’s the author of a new e-book that tells Englewood Christian Church’s story of transformation, entitled The Virtue of Dialogue: Conversation as a Hopeful Practice of Church Communities (2012, Patheos Press).
I’m excited to be interviewing Chris Smith tonight on Twitter for this month’s (third Monday) #missionalchat. We’ll primarily be discussing the new e-book and the power of theological conversation, but we might slip in a little discussion of Slow Church, as well. Please join us online tonight starting at 9pm ET!


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Adding a Headlights Warning Buzzer to my Series III Land Rover
Dear Avid Reader,
Despite the superb performance of my Landy in the snow, the poor beast fell foul of that terrible affliction… human error.
It seems that I simply cannot remember to turn off the headlights when getting out of it on a cloudy day (or at dawn/dusk).
In order to save the embarrassment of having the guys at the office try to bump-start it (with a completely flat battery), or the ignominy of being jump-started by a Nissan Micra (yes… it happened), I developed a simple circuit using an old relay and a cheap buzzer in order to stop this happening again.
If you want to check wiring colours for your Land Rover, look at my Manuals page [here]
As you can see, the Relay being in a ‘Normally Closed’ position would make the buzzer sound all the time the lights are on, but the power from the ignition opens the relay and stops the buzzer sounding. When you turn off the ignition and remove the key, the relay closes, and if the lights are still on, the buzzer sounds.
This isn’t complicated, but boy does it save some hassle.
Now… the next thing to do is build this into as small a package as possible, and determine the least intrusive way of connecting the 3 wires to the Land Rover without having to dismantle the dashboard!
After procuring a simple NC relay (courtesy of the local Motor Factors), I planned the connections out as follows:-
I then soldered some wires onto the buzzer, and crimped connectors onto all the cables as you can see. The reason for using a ‘NC’ (Normally Closed) relay, is that when then ignition is in the ‘on’ position, the relay is charged, and the contacts open. Therefore breaking the connection and stopping the buzzer from sounding. When you turn off the ignition, the buzzer will sound if there is power to the bottom leg of the relay (labeled ‘Lights+’ above). Therefore If the lights are off, no power = no buzzer, and if the ignition is on, open-contacts = no buzzer.
Next, I needed to connect it to the wiring in my Landy (which as you can see, is a bit archaic!) – On my ex-Military model, the Blue/Black wire is live when the main headlamps are on (I didn’t want the buzzer for side-lights, just in case I wanted to park it on a lane and leave those on). The earth was snagged from a screw into the bulkhead (where most of the relays seem to be earthed anyway!), and the Ignition live was derived from a spare spade connector on the Ignition barrel. You can probably find your particular wiring diagram [here]
Job’s a good ‘un – Buzzer sounds now if I leave the headlamps on with the ignition off.

domain: hobby


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Education Malaysia Global Services (“EMGS”) wish to announce that we do not endorse China Student Association Malaysia (firstname.lastname@example.org) on any activities and information carried out by the said entity, neither through its WeChat platform or any other platforms to disseminate information on behalf of EMGS to all international students from China. In response to the recent write up by China Student Association Malaysia, EMGS does not authorise the information released and the information posted by the said association is misleading.
To all international students from China who are currently in Malaysia, if you encountered any issues related to Student Pass during your stay, you may contact the EMGS team directly. Thank you.
EDUCATION MALAYSIA GLOBAL SERVICES
23rd APRIL 2020


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Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions to Prevent HIV Acquisition
Authors: Geoffrey Garnett, Shari Krishnaratne, Kate Harris, Timothy Hallett, Michael Santos, Joanne Enstone, Bernadette Hensen, Gina Dallabetta, Paul Revill, Simon Gregson, James Hargreaves
Because of the severe health consequences of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and the costs of lifelong treatment, inexpensive and effective HIV prevention is bound to be cost-effective. But what constitutes HIV prevention, and can it be affordable and effective? The use of condoms that cost a few cents and prevent a young adult from acquiring a chronic and fatal disease will, over time, be cost saving. Avoiding sex with someone who is infected with HIV/AIDS will be even more so. What can be done to get people to use condoms? What can be done to facilitate the avoidance of risky sexual encounters?

domain: medical


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Twist endings in movies may shock the audience or pull the plot in new directions, but that doesn’t mean twist endings in films always make sense. Plenty of twist endings ruin the movie, and in many cases, this happens because the sudden revelation lacks logical coherence.
Far too many movies with twist endings make it clear that filmmakers want an easy way to trick the viewer. Some movie plot twists put forth unspoken consequences that offer inadequate build-ups and explanations; others break far from the reality of the film and leave audiences wondering "why?" It's far better to provide an ambiguous ending so the audience can arrive at its own conclusion rather than shoehorning a terrible plot twist that makes no sense whatsoever.
- 1607 VOTESPhoto: EuropaCorp
- 21,003 VOTESPhoto: Columbia Pictures
- 31,052 VOTESPhoto: 20th Century Fox
- 4574 VOTESPhoto: Universal Pictures
- 51,371 VOTESPhoto: Buena Vista Pictures
- 6529 VOTESPhoto: Fox Searchlight Pictures

domain: entertainment


In a July 2021 interview with Variety, former model Tyra Banks said that her role model was Walt Disney. She described the iconic mogul as someone who is ‘still relevant to this day’ and that ‘his legacy lives on — the family entertainment, the happiest place on Earth. That’s what I want, a legacy.’ She said this while promoting her new ice cream shop, creatively titled Smize Cream, a reference to one of the many strange catchphrases and buzzwords birthed from her tenure as the host of America’s Next Top Model. On top of buying flavors like The Best Vanilla I Ever Had, Cookie Caramel Queen and Chocolate Barbeque, visitors will encounter a cast of original animated characters including DJ Splitz and Lil Y. Banks also shared her plans to write a book about these characters and to finally open her themed attraction, ModelLand.
Ya’ll ready for this week’s photo challenge?! Let’s see if you have what it takes to win! The theme: HOUSEWORK, but make it FASHION. 1) FOLLOW @ModelLand 2) Snap your best photo while serving us those housework looks 3) tag #ModelLand in your photos and we might just post YOU! 💛 pic.twitter.com/nSBwi6M4ik— Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) April 14, 2020
The interactive event has been described as an amusement park but seems more in line with the Instagram-ready attractions of places like the Ice Cream Museum. The website says that ModelLand is ‘not just an attraction. It’s a place full of story that battles what “attractive” means. When you step into ModelLand, you enter a fantastical world where we will celebrate your uniqueness while we help you master your angles and up your photo game.’ This ‘first-of-its-kind’ place promises a story-driven experience for visitors with photoshoots, runways, shopping, and theater. Essentially, it’s supermodel LARP-ing with the Tyra seal of approval.
If you’ve followed Tyra for a while now, the term ModelLand will probably inspire some truly bananas reactions. Ten years ago this month, Banks published Modelland, her first (and currently only) YA novel, which later inspired one of the more questionable episodes of America’s Next Top Model. In 2011, I was a YA book blogger who spent a lot of time on Goodreads with fellow reviewers trying to figure out what the hell was going on with this 576-page behemoth. To call it a mere vanity project didn’t do it justice, even by Tyra’s notoriously self-aggrandizing standards. This disjointed blend of fantasy, dystopia (which was very big in YA at that time), motivational speech, and self-insert fanfiction was a startling mixture of untethered ambition and artistic ineptitude. I can’t say that it left much of an impact on young adult fiction beyond its status as a subject of morbid curiosity, but it certainly feels like a natural extension of Brand Tyra and her attempt to be a true multimedia mogul.
Modelland is set in a universe called Metopia where supermodels are revered on the level of Nobel Peace Prize winners, and everything is twisted to accommodate their strutting glory. The eponymous Modelland is a magical boarding school where the lucky attendees can compete for the chance to become an Intoxibella, the A-grade of models who may also be deities. This illustrious academy chooses its new students through The Day of Discovery (also known as TDOT), which is essentially a souped-up scouting session. Your chances of being picked are greatly increased if you find a SMIZE, a talisman that enhances your natural beauty. These SMIZEs are dumped into the water supply for people to locate, Willy Wonka style. Our heroine is Tookie De La Creme, a ‘Forgetta-Girl’ who is constantly described as being hideous because she has frizzy hair, a large forehead, and mismatched eyes. Her family, who are Dickensian levels of evil, are grooming her younger sister Myrracle for model stardom but, surprise, it’s Tookie who is chosen to attend Modelland.
Was that a lot of words to describe the basic setup of this novel? That’s a pretty accurate way to convey the sheer crushing weight of reading Modelland. There’s simultaneously not enough plot and too much of it, while every detail is described to agonizing levels with the most perfunctory of language choices and made-up fantasy words that feel as though they were created by someone who had never spoken a day in their life up until that moment. That last part won’t surprise Top Model viewers who watched season upon season of Tyra trying to make various catchphrases and Banks-ish vocabulary stick (‘pot ledom’, anyone?) Half the time, just figuring out how to pronounce such terms is tough enough. The famous Intoxibella who disappeared and who is clearly another Tyra stand-in is called Ci~L. Other characters have names like Zarpessa Zarionneax and Shiraz Shiraz. Rather than just refer to places like Australia or Mexico, she renames them Didgeridoo and Texicoco. If a word seems too mundane, it’s re-Tyra-ed.
Modelland itself is somewhere between Hogwarts, Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and a morally questionable experiment from A Clockwork Orange. David Cronenberg and Junji Ito combined couldn’t come up with images as grotesque as what Tyra deems to be magical. When the new recruits get to the school, their periods are magically synced up without their consent then gotten rid of entirely. The hospital nurses (called purses) have knives coming out of them and the doctors all have roller skates instead of feet. Students are fed by being strapped into harnesses and lowered into giant vats full of food in a scene that reads like someone’s Deviantart feeder fantasy. One teacher’s head is just an enormous hand.
It gets worse when Modelland tries to be serious. Banks talks a lot about how she wants to be a healing figure, an inspiration to younger generations on topics such as body image and self-acceptance. Tookie isn’t the only unconventional beauty welcomed to Modelland. Her outcast friends include a little person, a plus-size girl, and an albino girl who speaks in offensive broken English. Tyra wants the world to know that real beauty is on the inside, but her literary offering to this mantra is one that manages to be unhelpful and often deeply gratuitous. Her attempts at bleak, Dickensian backstories are unintentionally hilarious, such as the moment where it’s revealed how Tookie’s acrobat father got his glass eye. Themes such as disordered eating, self-harm, and bullying are handled with the deft touch of a wrecking ball to the point where one wonders if Banks’s emotional inspiration was Mommy Dearest. It doesn’t help that Tookie, Tyra’s obvious young stand-in, is constantly bemoaning her looks in a way that only highlights her obvious beauty. Oh, you have eyes that are two different colors? Yikes for you, sweetie. Even by the standards of Banks’s notorious narcissism, it’s pretty grating. It makes you wonder how the ghost-writer dealt with working with her.
Yes, believe it or not, this book was ghost-written. Usually, this revelation wouldn’t surprise me since the majority of books by celebrities, including these YA titles, aren’t authored by the biggest name on the cover. But this book is so truly out-there, so undeniably the singular vision of someone’s unfettered id, that the mere image of Banks having to dictate ideas to a beleaguered and underpaid ghost-writer is funnier than anything within the many pages of Modelland. I have to give the author, Michael Salort, credit here: he certainly captured what it meant to be Tyra Banks, for better or worse. This is a woman who truly seems to view modeling as the pinnacle of human achievement, an occupation nobler than peacekeepers and more magical than witchcraft. It’s a mindset that explains a lot about both Modelland and Banks’s growing business empire.
It also seems like a reasonably solid basis for this kind of story. Being plucked from obscurity as a teenager to travel the world, have your photograph taken endlessly, and be positioned as a legendary beauty must have been a surreal experience. Banks has talked openly about feeling like the ugly duckling in the industry and experiencing racism as one of a scant handful of Black models in the room at any given time.
Tyra Banks’s legacy has shifted throughout the years, as have memories of Top Model. Even its die-hard fans couldn’t overlook for long how messy and insidiously manipulative the series became with its pseudo-camp machinations and reality TV tropes. This is a show that had more than one episode with blackface challenges, plus various contestants accusing the producers of racism and dirty dealings. In one season, Banks chastized a gay contestant for ‘constantly’ talking about her sexuality. Fatphobia was common, as was good old-fashioned emotional manipulation. This isn’t a genre that has ever been kind to people, especially women, but the cultural shift of Top Model has been drastic, realigning Banks into an unexpected villain role.
The series was always about her, about her ego and eagerness to mold an empire. During the height of the series, she had her own talk show, which received surprisingly solid reviews. She’s hosted major network shows like America’s Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars. She’s acted and made music and made a big deal about going to Harvard Business School to do a non-degree certificate program. While she doesn’t do much modeling these days, she did return to the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 2019, becoming the oldest woman to do so at the age of 45. She has certainly made her impact on the world of modeling, an industry defined by the endless disposal of young women and girls’ bodies, and she’s spun that career into something highly lucrative with multiple profitable side-hustles.
Her journey towards Disney-esque power has not been without controversy, however. In 2015, Vice published a piece diving into the shady practices of some of her business ventures. On top of multiple Top Model contestants condemning her for her exploitation and cruelty — one woman said that she and others were treated ‘like slaves’ — her beauty empire, Tyra Beauty, was described as a multi-level marketing scam that deliberately targets young women and forces them into signing non-disparagement contracts. Imagine Mary Kay Cosmetics tactics but with more gibberish vocabulary.
It remains to be seen where Tyra goes from here. She certainly still has her fans and is in a position to make basically whatever she wants to happen. We never did get the second or third planned novels in the Modelland saga, which may be for the best. I shudder to think of how much more incomprehensible Tyra’s word choices could get.
Header Image Source: Bobby Bank // Wire Image via Getty Images


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ZKittlez Cali Weed
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Zkittlez, also known as “Skittles,” “Skittlz,” and “Island Skittles” is an indica marijuana strain bred from a mix of Grape Ape and Grapefruit that is crossed with another undisclosed strain. This candy-flavored strain was bred by 3rd Gen Family and Terp Hogz. The ZKittlez is just as enticing as its taste, although it is relatively mellow in nature. It starts with an uplifting head buzz that leaves you euphoric and creatively inspired but not anxious or overwhelmed.
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text:
early photos / List
of Former Street Names / History
of Jamaica Avenue
Below is a rough rendering from the original 1905 Real Estate Map of Richmond Hill issued by C. M. Hillman Realtor. The map shows the many communities that once co-existed with Richmond Hill until they were all consolidated later into Richmond Hill with the exception of Ozone Park which still exists south of Richmond Hill.
Researched by Carl Ballenas

domain: history


text:
Nov. 2, 2022
Springfield police investigating a murder/suicide
Springfield, Mo. – On Nov. 1, 2022, at approximately 1:16 p.m., the Springfield Police Department was dispatched to Cox North Hospital at 1423 N. Jefferson St., in reference to two males with injuries from an assault with a hammer. After talking to one of the victims at the hospital, officers determined the assault occurred at 4525 W. Chestnut Expressway. When officers arrived at the Chestnut Expressway location, they found the crime scene from the assault and another deceased male.
One of the male victims, identified as Phillip N. Campbell, 53, from Springfield, had sustained life-threatening injuries and was later transported to another local hospital for treatment. On Nov. 2, 2022, Campbell succumbed to his injuries. Campbell’s family has been notified.
The second male victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
The Springfield Police Department’s Homicide Unit investigated the incident and determined the suspect, Vincent Odom, 35, from Springfield, attacked both victims inside a building at 4525 W. Chestnut Expressway. Shortly after the assault, Odom walked outside and committed suicide. Odom’s family has been notified.
Detectives continue to investigate and are asking anyone who has information about this incident to contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477).
This incident marks the 15th homicide investigation for 2022.
# # #
Case number: 22-35571
Media Contact: PAO Cris Swaters
Release authorized by Lt. Bryan Welch


text:
It looks like any other classroom of a government school with its dull and gloomy lime-yellow walls and desks in bright colours. The students, uncharacteristically quiet, stare intently, not at the blackboard, but on the screen of a smart television fitted in specially-designed wooden cupboard.
Soon, the screen flickers to life and a slide flashes. “Speaking test on international platform,” reads the header of the slide, which also shares the details that the test is three parts in which the students will answer questions about themselves; speak on a given topic; and hold have a longer discussion with the examiner.
As students gear up with pen and paper, in one part of the screen appears a lecturer and starts “English Speaking” class for the day.
Seated on the benches at Government Senior Secondary School, Mullanpur Garibdass — a rural pocket in Punjab’s Mohali district — are Class 11 students, attending their weekly class under the ‘IELTS module’, to better their English language skills in all four categories– listening, reading, writing and speaking, one class at a time.
Not to be mistaken with the International English Language Testing System, the module, however is seems to be modeled after the English proficiency test, which is a pre-requisite for entry into 140+ countries.
The Interactive English Language Training for Students is a teaching module especially prepared by Punjab education department teachers to ensure that students who wish to fly abroad do not end up spending thousands of rupees on private coaching to appear in the IELTS, conducted by the Australia-based IDP Education Pty Limited and co-owned by the British Council and Cambridge Assessment.
The module, a mandatory part of English course for class 11 and 12, trains students in LRWS on the pattern similar to IELTS, at school-level itself.
Amid political din over brain drain and successive governments failing to stop it, and multiple appeals of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urging youths to stay back instead of seeking greener pastures abroad, the fact remains that nearly every second person appearing for the IELTS is from Punjab. The numbers are high also because some take it multiple times after failing to secure the requisite band. Several people running IELTS coaching institutes opine that those appearing for the test often fail to score big in the listening and speaking components.
The one good thing that new teaching module has done is make practical components of “listening and speaking” a part of the students’ regular English course, which till few years back was limited to reading and writing.
Teachers say that since the module is mandatory for Classes 11 and 12, and a part of the evaluation system, students not wishing to fly abroad were also being benefitted, as basic English speaking skills will help them anyway. Students coming from rural backgrounds, making even a small effort in speaking English, is a major achievement, they say.
Akshpreet Singh, a student attending the class, plans to move to Canada for higher studies. “I might have to go for coaching classes to prepare for IELTS, but these classes in the school are very helpful. They are making me familiar with the test pattern,” says the youngster, whose father is a farmer.
Akshpreet makes an effort to speak the entire sentence in English.
A migrant from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya, who aspires to move to Germany for medical studies, is attentive as the lecturer on the screen explains what points have to be included while introducing self and mistakes to be avoided. “Private coaching for IELTS costs at least Rs 10,000 a month. I cannot afford it right. So these classes are helpful. Maybe I will go for private coaching later,” she says.
At Ludhian’s Ayali Khurd village-based Government Senior Secondary school, a “Listening” class is on. The students put on headphones, as the teacher announces that she would soon play an audio clip, and they would have to write the answers after listening to it. “Earlier, our English syllabus was only limited to reading and writing, but with listening and speaking included, it is giving practical exposure to students, especially from rural areas who need a lot of practice,” says the teacher, requesting anonymity.
It was in 2019-20, during the previous Congress government, that the proposal to start IELTS training in government schools was given a go-ahead by then Education Secretary Krishan Kumar, who wanted that children coming from underprivileged families, especially in rural areas, should not spend lakhs on coaching at private institutes. Each IELTS test costs over Rs 16,000 per attempt.
The proposal had met with political backlash with Opposition parties accusing the government of accelerating migration of youths from state instead of stopping them. Post the backlash, the project was renamed as “Communication Skills”. “But it failed to attract students. We eventually had to name it IELTS again, but with our own full form. We also had to explain in Vidhan Sabha session that education department hasn’t created its own testing tool but a training module to help underprivileged students,” says an official.
Cut to 2023, from EDUSAT lectures to PM e-Vidya YouTube channel, listening labs in schools to Punjab Educare mobile app, the IELTS module is being taught on all platforms by state education department.
Varinder Kaur Sekhon, state resource person and course head for English, says that it was an uphill task for English teachers to create the module. “For Listening part, our teachers recorded and created a bank of audio scripts for practise and uploaded them on EduCare phone app, YouTube channel and other online media. The lectures for all four categories were recorded for EDUSAT and they are also being telecast on NCERT channel PM e-Vidya. Several schools are now equipped with ‘listening labs’ which have Bluetooth speakers and headphone. Workbooks are provided having exercises on all four components,” says Sekhon.
“It not only about preparing students for IELTS to go abroad but also about enhancing their skills in the language. Now 15 marks are dedicated to Listening and Speaking in final exams. There has been an uptick in number of students participating in declamation, poetry and other speaking contests. We teach what we test, so we had to make it a part of evaluation system so that teachers and students both take it seriously,” adds Shekhon.
“Our biggest achievement is to see rural students having spoken English a part of their curriculum which wasn’t the case earlier. Ours in the only module which is offering training in “While Listening” (answering questions while hearing the audio) which even private schools do not,” she adds.
Khushbir Kaur, an English lecturer at Mullanpur Garibdass, however, admits that the IELTS module classes were not enough to stop private centres from looting students. “These classes are very basic. The syllabus isn’t good enough for appearing in IELTS but yes, it is making students familiar with what they would face. Recently, an ex-student of mine landed in Canada. He sent a message that he had taken his first IELTS practise test in the school.”


Installation and set up
Your SilverLink product box includes one gateway, 4 object sensors and 1 wearable sensor.
Setting up your SilverLink system is really easy!
1) Plug your gateway into a power source
2) Place the object sensors around the house and use the wearable sensor as a pendant/keychain
3) Switch on the gateway
Voila! your system is ready for use. No additional setup required!
Place object sensors on any object of your choice, e.g., refrigerator door, pillbox, chair, etc. The location of the sensor can be used to monitor a specific application as is shown in the table below:
|Recommended objects to attach the sensor||Use cases|
|Pillbox||the user has taken his/her medication|
|Refrigerator Door||the user has eaten a meal|
|Shower Curtain||the user has taken a shower|
|Front door||the user has opened or closed the front door|


The iPhone 13 range is here and, as is customary, brings a big boost to the cameras for both video and photography.
The iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro/Max all bring considerable, if not groundbreaking improvements over their counterparts. Apple says the all-new Pro model camera array is the best its ever made, as you’d expect.
There’s professional, Hollywood-style video modes, better Night Mode photography with some top Pro features from last year also trickling down to the standard and mini editions. Let’s take a closer look at what’s on offer when the iPhone 13 lands range goes on sale later this month.
iPhone 13 camera specs
The iPhone 13 and its mini counterpart include a dual 12-megapixel camera with a Wide and Ultra Wide sensor (1.7 µm pixels, ƒ/1.6 aperture) and an Ultra Wide camera (ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view).
The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max phones also offer a trio of 12-megapixel cameras. The telephoto offers ƒ/2.8 aperture, while the Wide camera ƒ/1.5 aperture.
The Ultra-wide camera may be the star of the show this time around with 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out and a 6x optical zoom range overall.
As well as bringing a 92 percent improvement for low-light environments, the Ultra-wide camera also powers the new macro mode on the iPhone 13 Pro range, but more on that later. the standard Wide camera promises 2x low light performance compared to the iPhone 12 Pro.
Available on all four new iPhone models, the new Cinematic mode aims to bring an en vogue Hollywood-style filming technique to your iPhone. It’s arguably the headline camera feature on this year’s models, for those interested in videography.
The feature can intelligently adjust focus based upon the depth in the frame. As Apple showed during the iPhone 13 reveal, the system can focus on one subject within the scene and blur the background elsewhere.
If that person shifts their gaze, the focus can intelligently be transferred to that other area, person, pet or object. It’s also possible to lock the focus to follow a face or item around the scene, continually blurring the background.
The feature also can be adjusted in post-production, shifting the focus after the video has been shot using certain pieces of video editing software.
The iPhone 13 Pro range now includes support for macro photography via the Ultra-wide camera. That’s thanks to the autofocus capability (a first for the ultra wide), along with the new lens design and software enhancements. This will enable photographers to capture detailed images from as close as 2cm. Apple says it’ll also work for video, time-lapse and slow motion modes.
Smart HDR 4
Apple’s computational photography skills are getting better in the iPhone 13 range, offering an upgrade on the Smart HDR 3 tech on the iPhone 12.
In the announcement, Apple said colour contrast and lighting are all being boosted this time around, including for multiple subjects in group photos.
Apple says: “Smart HDR 4, now with improved colour, contrast, and lighting for each subject in a group photo, including in challenging conditions, making images more true to life, as well as improved Night mode.”
Night Mode improvements
Speaking of Night Mode, for the first time ever, the low-light tech will be available on all three of the iPhone 13 Pro’s rear cameras. On the iPhone 13 and mini, Smart HDR 4 and Apple’s Deep Vision tech contributes to improved Night Mode photography. Night Mode in Portrait shots courtesy of LiDAR Scanner remains a Pro exclusive feature at this stage.
End-to-end HDR video
Apple says the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will offer “end-to-end” pro workflows in Dolby Vision HDR. That means you’ll be able to capture, edit, and share the footage in the high dynamic range standard. Dolby Vision HDR video can be captured at 4K/60fps.
Sensor-shift OIS expanded
Sensor‑shift optical image stabilisation debuted on the iPhone 12 Pro Max in 2020, but it’s available on all four iPhone models this time around. Essentially, it means the sensor handles the image stabilisation rather than the lens, as is traditional on smartphones.
Apple explained last year: “Until now, sensor‑shift stabilisation was only on DSLR cameras “This is the first time it’s been adapted for iPhone. Whether you’re shooting video of your kids as you chase them around the park or holding your iPhone out the window on a bumpy road, you’ll get more precise stabilisation than ever.”
You might like…
ProRes for iPhone 13 Pro
Apple is announcing what it believes to be another groundbreaking feature for smartphone videography. The Pro models get an A15 Bionic-aided feature called ProRes which the company says is only available on iPhone.
It’s “an advanced video codec used widely as the final delivery format for commercials, feature films, and broadcasts, to offer higher colour fidelity and less compression” that creatives using Mac computers will be familiar with.
Users will be able to capture video at 4K/30fps using the ProRes format, which is well suited for Apple’s own Final Cut Pro video editing software for Mac. It’ll be enabled in a future iOS 15 update.
The post iPhone 13 Cameras: What’s new? appeared first on Trusted Reviews.


text:
Immunofluorescence Studies of Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan Biosynthesis: The Use of Monoclonal Antibodies
- Vertel Barbara M, Barkman Linda L
- Collagen and Related Research SCOPUS
- 1p ~ 20p ISSN 0174-173X
- Cited Count
Several monoclonal antibodies which recognize different antigenic determinants of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan were used to study chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan biosynthesis in chicken chondrocyte cultures. The intracellular sites of synthesis and processing and extracellular deposition in matrix were localized by double immunofluorescence reactions. One rat monoclonal antibody, S103L, which recognizes an antigenic determinant of the core protein of the chicken cartilage chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan monomer, was used to identify both extracellular chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and intracellular compartments containing chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan precursors. Intracellular staining with S103L was localized to perinuclear regions, and, in some chondrocytes, to a few other cytoplasmic vesicles as well. When chondrocytes were not fed for several days, intracellular chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan precursors were accumulated in larger compartments distributed throughout the cytoplasm. Polyclonal chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan antibodies displayed similar staining characteristics. In contrast, several of the monoclonal antibodies, including the rat monoclonals S11D and P100D, and the mouse monoclonals 1-B-5, 3-B-3 and 9-A-2, did not recognize native chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, but reacted only with chondroitinase ABC-digested (and/or hyaluronidase-digested) chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. These antibodies were particularly useful in the demonstration of the extracellular codistribution of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan with either type II collagen or fibronectin. In other experiments, the monoclonal antibodies to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan served to demonstrate that the perinuclear subset of intracellular compartments is uniquely involved in the addition of chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides to the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan core protein. Lastly, using the mouse monoclonal 5-D-4, which recognizes keratan sulfate determinants, the perinuclear region was identified as the site for keratan sulfate addition. Results suggest heterogeneity of keratan sulfate synthesis at the level of individual chondrocytes, even for cells apparently containing equivalent amounts of intracellular chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan.
1.Cell culture and cloning techniques. Methods in Developmental Biology. 493530(1967) Cahn R.D. et al.
2.Immunological methods for the detection and determination of connective tissue proteoglycan. J. Invest. Dermatol.. Vol. 79. 45s50s(1982) Caterson B. et al.
3.Caterson, B., Christner, J. E. and Baker, J. R.: Identification of a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes corneal and skeletal keratan sulfate. J. Biol. Chem. in press, 1983..
4.Chemical and physical changes in proteoglycans during development of chick limb bud chondrocytes grown in vitro.(1977) S De Luca et al. Journal of Biological ChemistryChemistry cited 49 times
5.Proteoglycans from chick limb bud chondrocyte cultures. Keratan sulfate and oligosaccharides which contain mannose and sialic acid. J. Biol. Chem.. Vol. 255. 60776083(1980) De Luca S. et al.
6.Synthesis and extracellular deposition of fibronectin in chondrocyte cultures. Response to the removal of extracellular cartilage matrix. J. Cell Biol.. Vol. 79. 342355(1978) Dessau W. et al.
7.Extracellular Matrix Formation by Chondrocytes in Monolayer Culture(1981) Waltraud Dessau et al. The Journal of Cell BiologyBiology cited 15 times
8.Proteoglycan biosynthesis. Cell Biology of Extracellular Matrix. 115138(1981) Dorfman A.
9.Clonal Antibodies for Core Protein of Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan(1980) Albert Dorfman et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaGeneral Sciences cited 3 times
10.Studies on cartilage. V. Electron microscopic observations on the autoradiographic localization of 35s in cells and matrix. J. Ultrastr. Res.. Vol. 11. 166172(1964) Fewer D. et al.

domain: chemistry