Another frightening story out of Colorado

Eric Hamlin, a middle school geography teacher in Jefferson County, Colorado, received a letter of reprimand his very first week of class. The reason? He displayed the flags of Mexico, China and the United Nations in his classroom as teaching aids, as he has always done throughout his geography-teaching career.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

Scrub pants on fire

By now, most readers know that Sen. Bill Frist did not meet the requirements to have his medical license renewed in Tennessee. However, there is now a new twist to the story: Frist not only did not get the 40 ceus he needed for renewal--he informed the Tennessee Health Department that he did. Now Frist says he "may not have done his continuing education, after all."

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

A year after Katrina--what it's like in St. Tammany Parish

The roof looks much better than it did a year ago

A single 'Valentine' rose was blooming against our wall when we returned

We hope we don't have to evacuate again

The traffic was really bad for several months, i.e., you had to allow an hour for a fifteen-minute trip. That problem is gone, but there is another kind of traffic problem: Many of the people who moved here after the storm are inconsiderate and careless drivers. I do not have many good things to say about the residents of this parish overall, but they do tend to be considerate drivers. Now we are afraid to drive during peak hours because of the recklessness all around us.

We are also able to get merchandise again; companies are able to make shipments to stores. Some stores and restaurants continue to have limited hours, though, because they do not have enough employees.

The pine beetles, as I mentioned already, are tearing through the parish, eating our trees, and there is no more recycle pickup, plus no more recycling of anything but newspapers.

Many people are still living in trailers in their relatives' yards. Yesterday, a man came here to do some work. His house was destroyed and he is now living in Opelousas, near Lafayette. In addition to suffering from house and job loss because of the terrible wind damage Katrina did here, and the flooding caused by Rita, a significant number of St. Tammany residents also lost their jobs in New Orleans. Some were put over the edge by having ten to twenty people come and live with them for a while. Others saw older or disabled relatives and friends die from the stress and trauma.

Yesterday, I went down to street to get coffee and there was no charge. The coffee shop was giving people free coffee all day. People struggled to find a way to commemorate the horror of August 29. I have not seen Spike Lee's film. I was busy last week when it was shown in two parts, and last night, I figured I would miss it because of the U.S. Open. As it happened, the tournament was rained out, but I couldn't bring myself to watch the film. Having read the special sections of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, I had seen enough terrible images and descriptions for one day. Also, C-Span covered George W. Bush's visit to New Orleans, and that alone provided my ration of horrific images for a week.

After waiting a year, we had our new roof put on last week (which reminds me, I have a poem, "Things To Do While You Wait for the Roofer," in the upcoming anthology, Hurricane Blues: How Katrina and Rita Ravaged a Nation, to be published in September by Southeast Missouri University Press), and our broken brick wall was fixed. We still have more stumps to be ground, and a fence to be repaired.

Introducing the ONE Campaign

The ONE Campaign seeks to encourage Americans, one by one, to fight global AIDS and poverty. Go here to get involved.

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And go to Mother Jones to see the new Lie by Lie timeline.

Quote of the week

"We're a generous country--we gave millions to the tsunami....HIV-AIDS; we spent $15 billion to help people suffer. America is a respected country."

George W. Bush

In Canada

They know how to sell books.

FBI now looking at Kinkade

In the spring of 2005, I reported that painter Thomas Kinkade had been accused of assaulting women, defrauding galleries, and even urinating on Winnie the Pooh. I am pleased to report that the FBI has taken an interest in "devout Christian" Kinkade, who has been sued by at least six of his Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery owners, who were persuaded to open the galleries because of Kinkade's Christian faith (they never learn, it seems).

The former gallery owners say that after investing thousands of dollars, the company's policies--forcing them to open more galleries in saturated markets, pricing the merchandise higher than nearby discount galleries whose prices they were forbidden to match. There are also charges that Kinkade schemed to devalue his public company before taking it private.

The "painter of light" is about to have the light shown in places I'm sure he would rather remain very dark.

Small New Orleans businesses in trouble

Yesterday, when interviewed on the radio about the need for New Orleans' small business owners to get grants and not loans, George W. Bush said "Don't count on grants." After the hurricane hit, there were a number of grants available for small business owners, but apparently, these have dried up, and there will not be much federal grant money forthcoming.

Small business owners, in many cases, experienced significant damage to their locations. Many have had trouble collecting insurance payments, especially for their business interruption claims. And in many cases, there are few customers or clients. Mayor Nagin, in his recent inaugural address, said of local businesspeople: "I hope they stay, but if they don't, I'll send them a postcard." Yesterday, a Times-Picayune columnist provided an address for Nagin to send one his postcards--to a woman with a small business who discovered she could not operate it without customers. Nagin's staff should look into getting a bulk discount on postcards.

Haley Barbour is a loathsome sewer creature

"We're not into being victims," Barbour said after a year of post-Katrina life in Mississippi, implying that those of us who live in Louisiana are.

There are a couple of significant differences between Louisiana and Mississippi:

• The towns on the Mississippi do not have to rebuild and repair their levees before they can get down to the business of recovering.

• Our governor did not ever serve as the chair of the National Republican Party

And even if all things were equal, Louisiana's slower progress is certainly not the choice of the people of Louisiana. Most Louisianians have had no choices at all.

There are a lot of people in Mississippi who haven't, either. The casinos in Biloxi/Gulfport are being rebuilt, but there is no one to staff them because there is no rental relief for the working poor. Millions of dollars are flowing to homeowners, but those who rent cannot return to their homes and take low-paying jobs in the casinos and hotels.

Barbour has been nasty from the get-go. He has asked Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco to cooperate on projects that benefit Mississippi, but has refused cooperation on projects that benefit Louisiana.

Suddenly there came a tapping...

A bill that would expand George W. Bush's power to wiretap American telephones is headed for the Senate Judiciary Committee next Thursday, according to The Raw Story. Written by Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter, the bill institutes program-wide warrants that do not expire for a year.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

Fans should be ashamed of their behavior at last night's U.S. Open feature match

Whenever someone plays a French player at the French Open, I am always disgusted by the behavior of the French fans, who cheer when the opponent hits a service fault or makes an unforced error. Last night, during the Agassi/Pavel match at the U.S. Open, Americans made the French look polite. They not only cheered loudly when Pavel made a service fault or hit an unforced error, but they booed whenever he stepped up to the service line. At times, the booing was so loud, Pavel had to wait before he could serve. At one point, before Pavel's serve could be executed, someone yelled out "Fuck you, Pavel!" The chair umpire did little to stop this display. I did notice that Agassi was more restrained than usual in thanking the crowd for support, but I wish he had told them to stop acting like the ill-mannered pigs they were.

What if Sen. Burns had said "little Guatemalan woman"?

Would there have been such offense taken? No way. Such a statement would have been acceptable to everyone, including those who call themselves "liberals." It is only when a male is treated dismissively that people get upset.

Some thoughts on the one-year anniversary of Katrina

Consider these two scenarios:

1. A group of amoral, compulsively religious, insane Islamic extemists mow down the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon, kill around 3,000 Americans, and do major damage to the national economy and the national spirit.

2. A group of amoral, incompetent, careless, negligent, clueless, dishonest scumbags are responsible for the deaths of hundreds (1,600 in Louisiana alone) of Americans, not to mention leaving thousands homeless, financially devastated, and sick with grief and trauma.

After tragedy number 1, people felt traumatized, stuck American flags on their cars, held prayer vigils, stopped buying French wine, became obsessed with "security," decided it was okay to destroy part of the U.S. Constitution, and encouraged the quashing of dissent.

After tragedy number 2, in which Americans destroyed Americans, people were, for the most part, generous and kind and horrified. Except for those who thought the victims "deserved it," of course. But there has been no national call for structural change. Those of us who were victims of the government wear the T-shirts and display the bumper stickers and will never, I hope, shut up about what happened. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has hardly been criticized, the "plan" to protect New Orleans from future storms is nonexistent, and there is no national movement to hold accountable those whose laziness, negligence and callousness brought about a tragedy which most people still cannot fathom.

If we are horrified by foreigners attacking our nation, we should be beyond horrified by our own citizens undermining the health, safety and welfare of Americans.

It is important to remember that Hurricane Katrina, despite predictions, did not hit New Orleans. What happened to New Orleans was the result of years of negligence by a number of government agencies, most notably the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. New Orleans has not taken a direct hit since 1965, when Betsy suddenly turned around in mid-journey, strenghened to one mph short of a Category 5 storm, and hit Grand Isle, which--as far as hurricanes go--amounts to hitting New Orleans.

A direct hit is due. The breached levees have been repaired, though the pumps are not working. But the entire levee system in New Orleans is a disaster, the coastline protection is continuing to fade away, and--as I write this--the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet is still there. There is little that people can do to protect their houses and businesses from wind damage, but it is outrageous that Gulf Coast communities are not protected from storm surge.

What we "learned" from the Katrina experience is what many of us already knew: The U.S. government does not give a damn about "homeland security," and the insurance industry will go to any length to not pay claims. I do not see either of these realities changing.

Honoring--and dishonoring--Billie Jean King

Last night's hour-long ceremony renaming the USTA National Tennis Center the "USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center," despite being cheesy at times, was very much worth watching. The best part, other than King's wonderful speech, was the very moving tribute given by Jimmy Connors. An argument can be made that the worst part was Diana Ross's singing "God Bless America," and that is a worthy nomination. But for me, the worst part was hearing Chris Evert make a reference to bra-burning. Hey Chris--it never happened. Isn't it time you learned that?

In her speech, King thanked everyone she could think of who had helped her achieve her goals, and she told some great anecdotes. What impressed me the most, though, is that she wasn't just touched and grateful; she was also openly stunned that a major world facility would be named for a woman. Even in the moment of her greatest glory, she was sending a message that things are not right. King said she considered this event in her life as a message of hope to women, people of color, gay people, and disabled people. That she has always transcended identity politics is a sign of her greatness.

But, oh--the reaction from members of a major women's tennis message board. Many women were angry that tennis was delayed in order to conduct the ceremony. Many wanted to bash the Virginia Slims circuit because it was sponsored by a tobacco company (no one else would go near it). And then there were the young women who didn't understand why such a fuss was being made when everyone knows it was --wait for it--Anna Kournikova who brought tennis to so many women and made the tour what it is today.

I'm not making that up, though I wish I were. And nothing against Kournikova--I am one of her defenders. But the knowledge that young women think that there would be a WTA without Billie Jean King is scary. I cannot imagine anyone in this post-Second Wave world having the courage to do what King did. She risked everything--her career, her friendships (many of which she lost, at least for a while), her professional status, her income, her ability to enter tournaments--so that women could earn money playing tennis, just like men.

Several years ago, an interviewer asked Jennifer Capriati how Title IX had affected her life. Capriati's reply: "What's Title XIX?"

The WTA probably doesn't deserve Billie Jean King, but she will be there for female tennis players as long as she can breathe in and out.

Apple gets low grade from Greenpeace

Greenpeace's new guide to green electronics puts Nokia and Dell at the top of the list and Apple near the bottom. Companies received scores on elimination of toxic chemicals and take-back and recycling. On a scale of 1-10, Apple scored 2.7 overall. Only Acer, Motorola and Lenovo scored lower.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

According to lying, cheating Katherine Harris...

"If you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin."

But if you elect the Christian Harris, you are electing someone so dishonest, you couldn't trust her to change a quarter.

Doesn't give you much choice, does it?

The product that is Maria Sharapova

Tennis star Maria Sharapova, who has just launched her official website, has also just signed a contract with Prince to promote their racquets, which she uses. It is a "lifetime" deal, scheduled to go beyond her tennis career, and will give her $25 million in the next ten years. Sharapova has endorsement contracts with Motorola, Canon, Honda Japan, and Colgate-Palmolive, and she does a lot of modeling. Her breasts have been marketed in Japan without her say-so.

When asked once by an interviewer whether the WTA was selling sex, Sharapova replied: "I don't care what they're selling." The 19-year-old with one Grand Slam title (2004 Wimbledon) is already a multi-millionaire, and is wildly popular throughout the world. She is not, in my estimation, a pretty young woman (though, as I mentioned once before, it is easy to project anything you want onto her unformed face), but she has a classic European presence and style about her (think Catherine Deneuve) that cannot be taught, and that lends her an air of wit and elegance. She is also quite droll, which makes her very enjoyable as a personality. The television commercials that feature her--whether for Canon or Nike or the U.S. Open Series--are all hilarious, largely because of Sharapova's natural wit.

Writing for Bloomberg News, Danielle Sessa asks "Why Can't Mauresmo As Number 1 Tennis Star Match Sharapova's Riches?" Well, duh. First of all, Mauresmo is gay. Second, she speaks with a French, not an American, accent. Third, she does not have long blonde hair and a lack of prominent facial features. That about does it, despite Sessa's offensive suggestion that Mauresmo lacks personality.

Sessa couldn't be more off-base. In her native France, Mauresmo is like a rock star. With her stylish tennis, good looks, motorcycles, horses, impressive wine collection, delicious sense of humor, and gentle persona, there is everything to like. Mauresmo does fashion spreads in Europe, and is quite a celebrity. But to be a world celebrity, you have to be slim and blonde and heterosexual, or at least not gay. And you have to have people who will market the hell out of you.

My instincts tell me that Mauresmo would not want to be a Sharapova. But that is not the point. The point is that Sharapova is the Chosen One, a product extraordinaire, the post-Kournikova bombshell. Some critics like to point out that she is "Kournikova with talent," but that is unfair, because Kournikova is an extremely gifted tennis player who never won a tournament for reasons that are not relevant to this blog post. However, such commentary only underlines the idea that young, slim, blonde female athletes are commodities, not sports icons. The truth of the matter is that Sharapova is a very good tennis player who is chasing her second Slam and will, in my opinion, get it at some point (it should be noted that world number one Mauresmo has become her on-court nemesis). But really, who cares about the tennis?

A year ago today, we were passing through fields of corn and cotton

One of the many murals in Bunkie

The Bailey Hotel was filled with evacuees when we arrived.

A year ago today, we arrived in Bunkie, in central Louisiana, where we stayed at the old Bailey Hotel. We were there for ten days, and that was the most intensive blogging I have done in my blog career, covering the hurricane chaos for both The Dees Diversion and MoJo Blog. I also watched just about every match of the U.S. Open, which gave me great pleasure and took my mind off the fact that New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast were being destroyed.

It wasn't all bad. Karaoke at The Heretik's Lefty's Lounge got me through some bad times, and bloggers and well-wishers were in constant touch with us via the Web and this blog. Also, the people who work at the Bailey were very nice to all of us, the ice chest stayed full, and Roxie and Velma--once they got adjusted--were their usual entertaining selves.

Throughout the week, I'll be posted photos that were not posted on the blog last year, and reviewing the post-Katrina year.

Davenport injured again--this is getting hard to bear

When I wrote about the hard luck and hard times experienced by Lindsay Davenport for the past few years, I had no idea things were about to take a turn for the worse. On Saturday at the Pilot Pen tournament, Davenport played a high quality, tension-filled semifinal match against Samantha Stosur (who appears to have gotten past her mental toughness problem) and won 7-6, 7-6. During the match, Davenport's shoulder became sore. The next day, she was unable to serve or effectively hit a forehand in her final against Justine Henin-Hardenne. She took an injury break for what turned out to be a shoulder strain, got a heat pack and wrap, but it was too late. The pain had moved all the way to her wrist.

Davenport, in tears, retired at 0-6, 0-1. She was the Pilot Pen defending champion. Much worse, though, is that her participation in the U.S. Open is now in doubt. For most of the summer, I assumed that Davenport would be at Fushing Meadows in name only, since she had not played during the hardcourt season. But at Pilot Pen, she looked so sharp, I again listed her as a contender. Now it looks as though she may have to withdraw.

For WTA fans, this is the worst possible news. I don't even like to think about what it feels like for Davenport.

Ignorance takes so many forms

Although the laid-back staff does not embrace militant flesh-free attitudes that could turn away open-minded carnivores, the restaurant does embody some vegetarian stereotypes. Its low-sodium, mostly nondairy and meatless cooking (the one exception is a tuna sandwich), for example, tastes vegetarian. Sometimes bland, sometimes mostly raw, the food tastes as healthy as it is.

This is part of a restaurant review I just happened to run across (of a restaurant I used to eat at many years ago).

"Militant flesh-free attitudes"?!" That would make me laugh out loud if it weren't so ridiculous. First of all, restaurant employees are not permitted to publicly embrace any attitudes. Second, meat-eaters entering a vegetarian (though it is no longer strictly vegetarian, with tuna being served) restaurant--unless they sit at the table and talk loudly about how much they love chicken and steak--are not revealing whether they are vegetarian or just "open-minded," so how could anyone develop an "attitude" about them? (Bear in mind that this restaurant is in a sophisticated urban area.)

But the corker is: "tastes vegetarian." What in hell is that supposed to mean, other than, as the reviewer says "sometimes bland." Or perhaps she means that the vegetables are not made to taste like meat. What a concept.

What an idiot.

In observance of Women's Equality Day

Here is Ellen Goodman's annual Equal Rites Awards.

Happy Women's Equality Day to you, too

"Our Nation remains committed to advancing the equality of women in the world's newest democracies and fighting threats to women around the globe."

George W. Bush

Of all the garbage that spews from the filthy mouth of this amoral philistine, this particular piece bothers me the most. "Fighting threats to women around the globe." Right. Like making sure that hundreds of thousands of African women cannot obtain birth control education and therefore continue to die of AIDS or commit suicide after getting botched abortions. Or abandoning women in Afghanistan so that they are once again subject to the terrors of the Taliban. Or how about the thousands of women in Iraq who have been left widowed, homeless, childless, or dead because of Bush's invasion of their country?

And let's not forget how Bush has advanced the equality of women in his own country. From removing women's program websites to removing women's programs--especially for military women--to funding school programs that teach children that girls are supposed to be submissive, to permitting pharmacists to refuse to fill women's prescriptions...the Bush administration has done a bang-up job of advancing equality.

In all fairness, however, Bush's attitudes toward women reflect those of the nation and the world. When Eve Ensler said that while behaviors toward women may differ from nation to nation, attitudes toward women were the same everywhere, she hit the nail on the head.

Who is raging against the disgusting hypocrisy in Bush's proclamation for today? Where are the leaders? Where are the men and women who will stand in public and say what I have said in this post?

Guess who's sitting at the back of the bus?

Via Tennessee Guerilla Women, I have learned that in Coushatta, Louisiana, a school bus driver named Delores Davis--a white woman, let me add, for clarification--ordered nine African American students to--wait for it--sit at the back of the bus.

By now, you have no doubt concluded that the front seats were reserved for the white kids, and you are correct.

There is nothing more to say.

State Farm accused of cheating Katrina customers

Kerri Rigsby and Cori Rigsby, two independent insurance adjusters who worked exclusively for State Farm for eight years, say they have turned over to the FBI and Mississippi investigators thousands of documents proving that the insurance company systematically cheated victims of Hurricane Katrina. In an interview with ABC News, Rigsby and Rigsby describe what they call "widespread fraud" in State Farm offices in Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

Mrs. Federline, just fine--Mr. Spears, oh the horror

I read this morning that people believe that poor Kevin Federline's major source of embarrassment is that he is considered "Mr. Spears."

The sad thing isn't Federline's status; it is the fact that the thousands of people who think this and say this don't appear to have a clue that they are insulting women. The last time I checked, it was 21st Century America, but it is still considered not only okay, but appropriate, for women to be subordinate in status to men and to be happy being "the wife of," but for a man to be considered "the husband of" is a deep insult.

The sexism in this culture is so deeply ingrained it is a like one of those viruses that keeps mutating itself to avoid being wiped out. And it is indeed making me feel sick.

Beginning Monday, the U.S. Open!

Justine Henin-Hardenne has been in every
Grand Slam final so far this year

Svetlana Kuznetsova--can she win another U.S. Open?

The last Grand Slam of the year starts Monday in Flushing Meadows, New York. This year's U.S. Open has some special features: a ceremony observing the USTA National Tennis Center's new name, a farewell to Andre Agassi, and a final farewell to Martina Navratilova. Both Navratilova and Don Budge will be inducted into the Court of Champions.

The U.S. Open Series winners are eligible to win bonus money at the U.S. Open, depending on how well they do. This year's WTA winner is Ana Ivanovic.

Sadly, last year's U.S. Open winner, Kim Clijsters, will not be in New York. Clijsters has injured the wrist that she injured in 2004, an injury which kept her out for most of the season and threatened to take her out of tennis altogether. And last year's finalist, Mary Pierce has been out much of this year with an injury, also. She will play at the Open, but she isn't expected to get very far. Venus Williams, also suffering with a wrist injury, has withdrawn from the tournament.

Players to watch:

Martina Hingis
Hingis's comeback has been so successful, she is already back in the top 10 and is therefore seeded at the Open, which is a big advantage. She played terribly against Ivanovic in the Rogers Cup final, however, and her second serve is still unbelievably bad (her coach says both her serves are much better during practice). Hingis needs to improve her first serve, get a second serve that isn't a joke, and use that amazing backhand down the line all the time, like she used to. If she can make these changes at the U.S. Open, she can have a great run. If not, she will not be a real contender. (I should add that Martina, unfortunately, has not consulted me.)

Nicole Vaidisova
The phenom who has cracked the top 10 stands a good chance of doing well on the world's biggest hard court. She has the power and the precision, but there is still some question as to whether she has the mental toughness to endure the final rounds of a Slam.

Ana Ivanovic
Ivanovic has always had the serve and the court sense to be a top player, but she was very sluggish around the court, and therefore incapable of performing defensively. She hit a slump and looked like as though she might end up just an almot-phenom. But with her new coach, that has changed. Ivanovic is moving pretty well, and she has the forehand from hell.

Shahar Peer
Confident, big-hitting Peer knows how to put a game together and how to keep her head together. She is headed for a breakthrough of some kind, and it could very well occur at the Open.

Jelena Jankovic
Like Ivanovic, Jankovic showed great promise, but then slumped. It didn't help that she had a debilitating virus, or that she has chosen to go to college while she plays professional tennis. This summer, however, Jankovic has shown us some entertaining and inventive tennis, and she now looks to be a contender again, though I think she will probably have to choose between tennis and college. Jankovic also has a great court personality and is a lot of fun to watch.

Anna Chakvetadze
Chakvetadze is another player who looked promising, then slumped, and now is back again with some strong tennis. She has had a really good hardcourt season and could cause some trouble at the Open. However, Chakvetadze has some maturing to do. Until she can get better control of her emotions, she cannot compete that well on a big stage.

Serena Williams
Williams isn't seeded for this Open because she was out for so long with injuries. However, she is playing well, and can eliminate some big players in early rounds.

The contenders:

Justine Henin-Hardenne
The remarkably talented Belgian player won the U.S. Open in 2003, but in her other tries, she has not done that well. All the same, her all-court tennis is always a threat. Henin-Hardenne won the French Open this year, and was a finalist in both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. There is every reason to believe she can win her second 2006 Slam in New York.

Amelie Mauresmo
World number one Mauresmo finally broke through this year and won two Grand Slams. Her confidence level, always her biggest weakness, has taken a big turn, and now she comes onto the court as a champion. Hardcourts have never been her strength, but this is a new Mauresmo, and she is definitely a contender.

Maria Sharapova
Tennis Magazine, Tracy Austin and Jon Wertheim have picked Sharapova to win this year's U.S. Open. Though it is tempting to see Sharapova as just a powerful ball-whacker, there really is more to her game than that. She has precision, and she anticipates extremely well. This summer, she has used her outstanding serve to her full advantage, and she is in a good position to take the whole thing.

Lindsay Davenport
I had no idea I would be placing Davenport, who has been out five months with injuries, on this list. But last night, at the Pilot Pen tournament, she beat Mauresmo, and did it with such precision that I now see her as a possible to win the Open. In her match last night, Davenport was superb at the net, an area which has generally been outside of her comfort level. I would love to see Lindsay get her fourth Grand Slam--finally.

Elena Dementieva
Dementieva has come very close, but has never won a Slam. Her poor serve has been the major factor in keeping her from holding a big trophy. But Dementieva's serve has improved, and her defensive play, like that of Kim Clijsters, is almost untouchable. Dementieva is due a Slam, and she is just wonderful on the hardcourts, so this could be her chance.

Svetlana Kuznetsova
The 2004 U.S. Open winner had a bad 2005, but has come back rather well this year. She likes hardcourts, has a big serve, and can really move around on the court. Kuznetsova can be a head case from time to time, but if she can keep the negativity in check, she has a chance to repeat her Slam win in New York.

Ben & Jerry's--liar of the month

For years, Ben & Jerry's has bragged about its progressive, socially aware approach to business, but like so many liberal individuals and groups, those concerns go out the window when it comes to animal suffering. The company uses eggs from battery cages, and though it has been promising for almost a year to stop, there is no sign that Ben & Jerry's intends to h0nor that promise.

You can contact Ben & Jerry's here, by telephone and email.

Friday cat blogging--sofa takeover edition

It's bad enough that McDonald's provides kids with the evil products of factory farming and a double helping of saturated fat. To make things even worse, now the fast food chain is pushing Hummers by giving away thousands of miniature Hummers with Happy Meals and Mighty Kids Meals. The asthma medicine makers and Big Oil are the only winners here.

Billie Jean King to be honored by the USTA

On Monday, opening day of the 2006 U.S. Open, the USTA National Tennis Center--world's largest public tennis facility--will be renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. No one deserves this honor more than King, who founded both the WTA and World Team Tennis, (making her one of the first women to coach men) and without whose courage female tennis players could not have competed as professionals.

King's accomplishments as both an athlete and a feminist are numerous and impressive. I remember her as an amazing tennis player, but I remember being even more impressed that she and her small band of outlaws were willing to give up everything to see to it that women were paid professional fees for their work on the tennis court. It wasn't easy. Most of the women on the tour were too afraid to break away and upset the status quo. None of the men supported King, and those who she thought were her friends turned their backs on her.

King is the second person to have a major American tennis facility named for her. Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows, New York, home of the U.S. Open, honors another American tennis great. When King was told that her name would be alongside Ashe's, she talked about the year they both won Wimbledon, and about how Ashe, too, fought for justice.

What King was too polite to say is that when she and her cohorts formed the WTA, Ashe was not at all interested in fighting for justice. In fact, he was quite angry that some uppity women were trying to move into the men's territory. "Men are playing tennis for a living now," Ashe said. "They don't want to give up money just for girls to play. Why should we have to split our money with them?" According to King, Ashe was the worst of them (until he met his wife), proving once again that the oppressed do not necessarily feel empathy for the oppressed.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that King, who even inspired a hit song, is a "legend among legends." She is.

A year after Katrina, the pumps don't work, but the thieves do

In its own after-deadline time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--designers of the biggest urban catastrophe in recent American history--built thirty-four new pumps for New Orleans' major canals. Now, it appears that most of them will have to be re-built (beyond any deadline set, you can bet) because they are vibrating. This new project will delay even longer the start of a major floodgate project that is designed to keep the city from flooding overwhelmingly, as it did after Katrina.

Now that the Corps has been found out for the incompetent, negligent and probably dishonest organization that it is, it is at least bothering to tell the public that something is wrong and that the pumps must be re-built. The Corps' silence many years ago resulted in the near-destruction of the entire city.

One is tempted, however, to guess that the pumps don't work 'cause the vandals took the handles. They took everything else. In March, a New Orleans police officer was arrested after he and a crime partner were caught stealing parts from a car (mysteriously, there "wasn't enough evidence" to charge the policeman). In St. Bernard Parish, thieves stole the copper wire that was stretched between telephone poles. One thief made $50,000 selling the copper to a salvage company. Just recently, someone stole $100,000 worth of heavy equipment from a site where a Katrina memorial is being built. And just a few days ago, two National Guardsmen were arrested for armed robbery in New Orleans. The two men were stopping motorists and taking money out of their wallets. The Guard was sent to New Orleans to assist with the crime problem, and obviously, these two guys took "assist" the wrong way.

70% of Post-Katrina Contracts Awarded Without Full Bidding

Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted by FEMA in the awarding of Katrina recovery contracts, according to a U.S. House of Representatives study released today by House Democrats. Audits show that of $10.6 billion worth of contracts awarded, more than $7.4 billion were given with either no bidding or limited bidding. In addition, nineteen contracts worth $8.75 billion wasted taxpayer money in part through double-billing or non-use of purchased items.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

In women's tennis, sexism rules

This is almost too disgusting to read.

"People here in the U.S. don't understand these things about constitutional rights"

That's what a Jordan-born man says he was told by airport security personnel when they asked him to remove his T-shirt before boarding a flight to California at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The man, whose name is Raed, says he was told "People are feeling offended because of your T-shirt." Raed was wearing a shirt that said in both Arabic and English, We Will Not Be Silent. He was asked to put on another shirt instead, but all of his other shirts were in his checked baggage.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

Gale Harold fan alert!

I never thought I'd be tuning in to watch anything on the Fox Network, but last night, I saw the first episode of Fox's new series, Vanished, because it stars Gale Harold, who I think is compelling beyond words. Not so the show, however. The first installment had a poorly written script (at one point, one character has a totally fake conversation with the other in which he delivers the entire backstory--a writing device that a high school writer knows to avoid), and already one major logical flaw: It turns out that the case is about the FBI agent, which means that, in real life, he would be taken off of it.

Alas, poor Gale also has to wear atrocious FBI clothes in the show. What a comedown from Brian Kinney's wardrobe.

Lindsay Davenport is down, so the WTA kicks her

I can't think of a more frustrating tennis career than the one Lindsay Davenport has had. In the late 90s, when no one in particular had picked her to be winner, she won three Grand Slam tournaments. Later, she had to face a very serious injury with a grueling rehab, and was out for a long time. And for the last few years, everyone agrees she has played better tennis than when she won the Slams.

Still, further Slam victory has eluded her. In 2004, she went on a hardcourt tear and won every tournament in the U.S. Open series except for the one she didn't enter. She seemed a shoo-in to win the U.S. Open. But during her quarterfinal match with Svetlana Kuznetsova, she injured her foot. Davenport was able to play out the match, but not able to win it. Kuznetsova went on to win the U.S. Open.

In January of 2005, Davenport reached the finals of the Australian Open, where there is always blistering heat. She also reached the finals of the doubles competition, playing with her best friend, Corina Morariu, who was making a comeback from cancer. There was no way Davenport was going to pull out of doubles. By the time she got to her final against Serena Wiliams, she was so tired, there were moments when she just stood on the court as the ball whizzed by her. Williams won.

The biggest heartbreak of all came at Wimbledon last year, when Davenport held a match point in her final against Venus Williams (who defeated her in the 2000 Wimbledon final), but could not close. In a lengthy, stunning, still-talked-about final, Williams walked away with the Venus Rosewater dish, and Davenport was once again left with finalist status. She appeared sluggish and out of sorts at the U.S. Open, and lost her quarterfinal to Elena Dementieva.

During her epic struggle against Williams at Wimbledon last year, Davenport hurt her back. The injury became worse over time, and she has missed a great deal of this season, withdrawing from both the French Open and Wimbledon. While she was at home recovering, she passed out and apparently hit her head on something, and sustained both whiplash and a concussion. It has just been one damned thing after another.

Davenport's career is coming to a close. It is hard to believe that--playing at the level she's been playing at for the last few years--she has not won at least one more Slam. I expected her to win two more and retire as a five-time Slam winner (and Olympic gold medal winner, too). Time is running out. She is entered in the U.S. Open, which begins later this month, but no one expects her to do that well because she has been out for so long. She is also scheduled to play at the Australian Open, and many of us think that she will call it quits next year at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, her home tournament.

Davenport's U.S. Open chances would have been improved this year if she could have played a couple of warm-up hardcourt tournaments in the U.S. Open Series. Enter the WTA: Davenport requested wild card entries into both the Acura Classic in San Diego and the Rogers Cup in Montreal, and was denied them. Technically speaking, the denial was appropriate because Davenport had not fulfilled the commitment requirements needed to be eligible for a wild card.

However, there is some wiggle room in the system which allows the WTA to grant an exemption to the commitment rule if the circumstance calls for it. But Sony Ericsson WTA Tour executive director Larry Scott refused to invoke the exemption for Davenport--even after the USTA intervened--because, he said, the exemption was intended for semi-retired players (indeed, it was created for Monica Seles), and not for a player who began the year as number one in the world.

Again, there is some technical validity to what Scott is saying. And it so happens that I am a stickler for following rules. But the bottom line is that Scott is allowed to use his discretion, and he chose to deny Davenport the wild cards.

Lindsay Davenport believes that Scott did this in order to set an example to other players; the WTA tour has been riddled with sudden withdrawals, the most recent being a mass withdrawal by top players from the Rogers Cup. She also considered filing suit against the WTA, but then changed her mind. Scott made a judgment call, yes, but there is something very wrong when one of the sport's best ambassadors who has always played by the rules and has been an exemplary sportswoman, is treated this way. And considering that Davenport won't be on the tour much longer, there is a particular harshness in denying her a chance to compete in any significant way in what is probably her last U.S. Open.

Quote of the week

"When I first came back and I was playing well, it was 'well, the women's field is not that good,"' she said. "When Martina (Hingis) comes back and does well at the Australian Open, it's 'well, the women just aren't that deep.'

"But Mario Lemieux comes back after a couple of years' absence, and it's 'well, that's amazing.' When Michael Jordan comes back, it's 'he's the best of all time.' There's such a double standard for women athletes."

Martina Navratilova

16% of Katrina victims say their lives are back to normal

A survey of over six hundred adults from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama reveals that only 16% consider their lives as "back to normal" after Katrina hit their communities. A third of those who have returned to their homes say they may move away, and half of those who have not moved back say they are unlikely to do so. 63% are living in the houses in which they lived before the storm; this is 8% higher than a fall of 2005 survey showed. 60% are in the same jobs they were in before the storm, compared with 61% last fall.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

Watertown church gets jiggy with Bible verse and fires long-time Sunday School teacher

Mary Lambert taught Sunday School at the First Baptist Church of Watertown, New York for fifty-four years, and was prepared to go on teaching it until she was fired this month by the minister, Rev. Timothy Labouf. Labouf, who is also a member of the Watertown City Council, dismissed Lambert because the church suddenly decided to get really serious about the first epistle to Timothy: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."

Just like that. "I believe that a woman can perform any job and fulfill any responsibility that she desires to," as long as it is outside the church, Labouf "explains." The church's board of directors maintains there were other, more significant, issues behind the Lambert's dismissal, but no one has stepped forward to name any of them, ostensibly to be "polite." But if saying something derogatory about Lambert would insult (and it would not insult, if it were true) her, telling the world that women cannot teach in the church insults millions of women.

Labouf seems bent out of shape that the community is actually discussing his action:

"I want you to know that my desire is to not hurt anyone or to belittle anyone but only to ensure that the scripture is upheld in our church and not compromised. Now having said all of this I am heartbroken that this situation has created pain in the lives of many in our community and I am truly sorry for that."

Labouf has been the pastor of First Baptist for a while, so one has to wonder how the church carried on so long without upholding scripture. On August 6, Labouf told his congregation that Jesus said not using one's God-given abilities was a sign of laziness. Oh, this dogma is so confusing!

Since Labouf obviously wants to put this issue behind him, you may be tempted to email him: tklabouf@msn.com.

I think this says it all

From The Raw Story: "Jail time is a rare sentence for recruiters who sexually abuse recruits."

Christian attorneys being trained throughout the nation

Last week, a commenter on one of my posts expressed surprise/disgust that "groups with Constitutional law expertise" were assisting West Virginia's Harrison County Board of Education in its fight to keep a painting of Jesus on the wall next to the principal's office at Bridgeport High School in Clarksburg. Such groups have been around for a while, using their legal knowledge to fight the ACLU in church/state separation cases. Of course, this gets a bit confusing from time to time, since the evil ACLU has represented some of the Christian defendants.

(Continue reading at MoJo Blog)

Years from now, will someone write about this moment?

Yesterday, Karl Rove spoke at an Associated Republicans of Texas dinner at a hotel in Austin, Texas, where about $250,000 was raised. A group of war protesters, led by Cindy Sheehan, were told by the police to leave, but some of them had rented rooms at the hotel and therefore could not be evicted. One woman managed to slip into the ballroom, where she began to shout about the men and women dying in Iraq. She was escorted out, while Rove quipped "Pat, did you get her check before she left?"

Ha ha. I'm falling out of my chair laughing. Rove then said: "I don't question the patriotism of our critics. Many are hardworking public servants who are doing the best they can. Some of them are people looking for a free meal." That got huge laughs.

Ha ha. This guy is cracking me up. Have you ever heard anything so funny in your life?

No Darwin, No Christopher Columbus

No kidding.

Security Moms feeling inscure--who cares?

I am so confused. These Security Moms who are allegedly abandoning the Republican Party--what was it that, up until now, made them think their children were safe? Was it George W. Bush's refusal to ban harmful lead levels in schools and playgrounds? Was it Bush's allowing increased air and water pollution throughout the country? Maybe it was his cutting back of healthcare funds for children. Wait--I know--it was his invasion of a country that was not a threat to us, thereby causing millions of people to hate us and a new breed of terrorism to flourish.

The Security Moms' children have not been so at risk for a long, long time as they have been during the Bush administration.

So now that the Democrats are salivating over getting the Security