Digital Death
January 20th, 2010
Regular readers might (just) remember that one of my top 10 trends for 2009 (i.e. last year) was ‘Digital Diets’. It didn’t happen. But wait…it’s happening now!
This is just in from Sean Boyle at JWT in New York. Rock star John Mayer has blogged* that his fans should join him for a weekly ‘digital cleanse.’ Meanwhile, if things really get too much you can now use something called the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine.
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No, this isn’t anything physically nasty. Just a way of getting rid of your digital friends. Once you nominate a social network you relinquish your login details to the machine and it proceeds to change your password so that you can no longer access your account. It then systematically deletes every one of your friends from that particular platform and frees you from the shackles of social media.Facebook has blocked the application but Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn have yet to do so.
* I know, the irony of doing this on a blog!
Posted in Predictions, 2010 Trends | No Comments »
Newspaper Statistics (not what you think)
January 19th, 2010
Newspapers are dying right? Wrong. Newspaper circulation grew by 1.3% worldwide in 2008 to almost 540m daily sales. Adding the free daily papers, the circulation increase was 1.62% - or 13% over the previous 5 years. Overall, 1.9 billion people read a daily newspaper and newspapers reach 41% more people than the internet. OK, in 2008 in the US there was a fall of 3.7% , whilst in Europe the fall was 1.8% but so what? The model isn’t broken. It’s just that some titles are badly run, have too much debt and are in the wrong regions.
Posted in Stats, Newspapers | No Comments »
2010 Trends - coming true already
January 18th, 2010
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Remember Unsupervised Adults? (Trend #4 - January 7).
Posted in Travel & Tourism, 2010 Trends | 2 Comments »
Scenarios for the End of America
January 18th, 2010
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Nice article on Slate a while back titled How Is America Going To End? by Josh Levin. Essentially a brief look at the ways in which the US could come to a sticky end over the next 100 years. Overall it’s highly unlikely that the US will ‘end’ but a low probability/high impact event could have some really significant consequences.
Here are a just two of the ideas:
Radical War
What happens when a large group of young, unemployed and disillusioned Hispanics comes up against a small population of relatively affluent whites? This reminds me of China where there is a huge imbalance of young males. This is OK if the economy is booming, not so OK if it tanks.
Human 2.0
What happens when the ordinary people encounter a group of synthetically engineered and biologically enhanced supermen and women? Sounds crazy but it isn’t. Income inequality is increasing significantly and we already have a group of transnational executives that can afford the best schools, the best healthcare (which includes body modification and brain training) and the best transport and security.
Posted in Scenarios, Wildcards | No Comments »
Quote of the Week
January 17th, 2010
“Copenhagen showed us the new normal…the US has lost influence, China plays spoiler and tiny nations veto anything they don’t like.”
- Leslie Geld, the Daily Beast.
Posted in Quotes | No Comments »
Food trends for 2010
January 16th, 2010
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IN OUT
Butchers Mixologists
Lamb Pork
Immunity foods Omega 3
Homebrew Mad science cocktails
Potlucks Formal dining
Chicken Wagu beef
Locally grown Faraway foods
GMO * Overpriced organics
Source: Epicurious & some others
* Way too early actually. But wait and see.
Posted in Food & Drink, 2010 Trends | No Comments »
2000 AD
January 15th, 2010
Nothing dates quite like the future. 2000 AD is a weekly science fiction comic that was first published in Britain in 1977. So, of course, it’s good fun to look back at a few old issues to see what has come to pass.
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What, in short, did the comic get right?
Well there are no utopian futures in AD 2000. People live in mega-cities and there is an absence of work. Cameras are everywhere. So a bit like Britain in 2010 really. There is also cloning and genetic engineering.
One of the key characters in the comic was (is) Judge Dredd, an almost faceless lawman that is empowered as both judge and jury. Another character was Torquemada, a dictator with the slogan “be pure, be vigilant, behave.” The future of policing? Let’s hope not. One thing that the comic didn’t see coming was the demise of comics themselves. It seems that the market is in decline, knocked off the shelf by PSPs, Facebook and MySpace.
Posted in Predictions | No Comments »
Population Estimates for the year 2050
January 14th, 2010
Australia 35m
Saudi Arabia 54m
Iraq 54m
UK 56m
Afghanistan 61m
Germany 73m
Turkey 100m
Iran 114m
Philippines 130m
Mexico 146m
Indonesia 311m
Pakistan 345m
US 349m
China 1,477m
India 1,528m
Ref: World Mapper.org
Posted in Stats | No Comments »
The Ageing Opportunity
January 13th, 2010
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I’m often asked what you can practically do with some of these long-term trends like ageing. Well it’s not rocket science. It’s as simple as a good rocket salad. Here’s a great example of leveraging the ageing demographic from the UK. Link to site in comments.
Posted in Ageing | 1 Comment »
How to be a Futurist (Part 2)
January 12th, 2010
1. Cultivate the look of an expert (glasses are always good)
2. Sound really certain about things (people love precision)
3. Go against any traditional wisdom (always pick the opposite position)
4. Say things that are very difficult to substantiate
5. Be hazy about when things will happen
6. Never reveal your sources
7. If any prediction ever comes true make a lot of noise about it
8. If anything doesn’t come true come true keep really quiet about it
9. Take a big position on big issues…then wait until you are right
10. Steal things from all over the place*
* For example, most of this is adapted from The Evil Futurists’ Guide to World Domination, but I’ve already made the mistake of telling you that!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
One Story Out of Haiti
I have written a few times about the charity, Mercy & Sharing, which has been working exclusively in Haiti for over 15 years. Susie Krabacher and her husband Joe, an attorney in Colorado, have done amazing work for the children in Haiti. Mercy & Sharing, www.haitichildren.org has established schools, orphanages, a hospital, medical clinics and feeding centers despite corruption, threats of violence and a lack of infrastructure. Most of their work is centered in or around Port-au-Prince.
Cartoon by Nate Beeler - Washington Examiner (click to purchase)
Cartoon by Nate Beeler - Washington Examiner (click to purchase)
They have been responsible for saving thousands of children in Haiti from disease, poverty, violence and the black market. However, the earthquake that devastated the area is threatening the well-being of their children as well as everyone on staff.
What follows is an account sent to me by Joe Krabacher of their current conditions as of Sunday morning. It is a disturbing account of the nightmare that has descended on the poorest country in the Western hemisphere that is only 600 miles from the coast of Florida.
Susie drove into Port-au-Prince with a translator, security, satellite phones, medical supplies and new four wheel drives hoping that their children were spared the devastation.
“Susie, Jeff, Bill, Jacques and two Haitian police (as security), crossed the border into Haiti and arrived at the Williamson project this afternoon,” wrote Joe. “Unfortunately, things are not as we had hoped. Typically we have approximately 85 employees working eight hour shifts around-the-clock. There were only a handful of employees on site trying to take care of hundreds of children. They are trying to stabilize the situation in Williamson before nightfall.
“Many of the children have not had water or food in two days; the handicapped children have bed sores. There is no diesel fuel to run the generators, which power the water pumps, electric and internet communications. The well’s hand pumps are largely ineffective. They are getting water and food for the children this evening and then searching for a place to stay that might have internet or other communications.
View cartoons about the situation in Hairi
View cartoons about the situation in Haiti
“We now have reports that the children of the abandoned baby unit have been without food and water for two days. They are reportedly alive but the morgue is piling up with hundreds of bodies, and the morgue is located right next to the abandoned baby unit.
“The office building and hospital in Port-au-Prince have been completely demolished. We have lost all of our paperwork and records, which are lying in the debris and blowing around the streets. The project has been completely looted.
“The team is traveling to Port-au-Prince tomorrow to go to the Cazeau orphanage. We have reports that Cazeau is not safe because the walls collapsed, there are men with machetes robbing anyone with anything or value, and the people in the neighborhood have stormed the building, overpowered the guard and have taken up occupancy in what is left of the buildings on that property. We intend to remove all the remaining children from Cazeau and take them to Williamson tomorrow.
“Madame Chenet, (a staff member) is very traumatized. She has been living in her car and because she has experienced the devastation, she is likely in shock. Dr. Rodriquez lost four family members, Dr. Algenor lost his brother. Our accountant lost his two brothers. Madame Chenet said it is total devastation around her.
“Above all, pray fervently for the US team and the children, as well as the staff, our medical doctors and medical personnel.”
They are in urgent need of cash donations and I’ve seen firsthand the love and support of my readers for others. If you would like to help Mercy & Sharing, you can donate on line at www.haitichildren.org. Please do not send supplies. The money that has been donated so far has helped them to collect over 100 tons of supplies that they are dispersing as quickly as they can to save the children and staff members in their care.
Cartoon by Nate Beeler - Washington Examiner (click to purchase)
Cartoon by Nate Beeler - Washington Examiner (click to purchase)
They have been responsible for saving thousands of children in Haiti from disease, poverty, violence and the black market. However, the earthquake that devastated the area is threatening the well-being of their children as well as everyone on staff.
What follows is an account sent to me by Joe Krabacher of their current conditions as of Sunday morning. It is a disturbing account of the nightmare that has descended on the poorest country in the Western hemisphere that is only 600 miles from the coast of Florida.
Susie drove into Port-au-Prince with a translator, security, satellite phones, medical supplies and new four wheel drives hoping that their children were spared the devastation.
“Susie, Jeff, Bill, Jacques and two Haitian police (as security), crossed the border into Haiti and arrived at the Williamson project this afternoon,” wrote Joe. “Unfortunately, things are not as we had hoped. Typically we have approximately 85 employees working eight hour shifts around-the-clock. There were only a handful of employees on site trying to take care of hundreds of children. They are trying to stabilize the situation in Williamson before nightfall.
“Many of the children have not had water or food in two days; the handicapped children have bed sores. There is no diesel fuel to run the generators, which power the water pumps, electric and internet communications. The well’s hand pumps are largely ineffective. They are getting water and food for the children this evening and then searching for a place to stay that might have internet or other communications.
View cartoons about the situation in Hairi
View cartoons about the situation in Haiti
“We now have reports that the children of the abandoned baby unit have been without food and water for two days. They are reportedly alive but the morgue is piling up with hundreds of bodies, and the morgue is located right next to the abandoned baby unit.
“The office building and hospital in Port-au-Prince have been completely demolished. We have lost all of our paperwork and records, which are lying in the debris and blowing around the streets. The project has been completely looted.
“The team is traveling to Port-au-Prince tomorrow to go to the Cazeau orphanage. We have reports that Cazeau is not safe because the walls collapsed, there are men with machetes robbing anyone with anything or value, and the people in the neighborhood have stormed the building, overpowered the guard and have taken up occupancy in what is left of the buildings on that property. We intend to remove all the remaining children from Cazeau and take them to Williamson tomorrow.
“Madame Chenet, (a staff member) is very traumatized. She has been living in her car and because she has experienced the devastation, she is likely in shock. Dr. Rodriquez lost four family members, Dr. Algenor lost his brother. Our accountant lost his two brothers. Madame Chenet said it is total devastation around her.
“Above all, pray fervently for the US team and the children, as well as the staff, our medical doctors and medical personnel.”
They are in urgent need of cash donations and I’ve seen firsthand the love and support of my readers for others. If you would like to help Mercy & Sharing, you can donate on line at www.haitichildren.org. Please do not send supplies. The money that has been donated so far has helped them to collect over 100 tons of supplies that they are dispersing as quickly as they can to save the children and staff members in their care.
Massachusett Senate Race Results and Scott Brown Acceptance Speech
The Massachusett Senate race results would have come to a shock to most as Scott Brown has beating his Democratic challenger Martha Coakley. The race for the seat had been a very close one, with brown winning 52-47 percent; you can watch his acceptance speech below.
This outcome will not be a favored one at the White House, as this certainly changes things. The balance of power has been shifted to the Republicans, this will now put President Barack Obama’s health care proposal in serious trouble.
The deciding factor in the outcome of the Massachusetts results was the independent voters, Digital News Report said, “Tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken.”
The defeat of Martha Coakley is a shocking one; many have not even imagined Brown winning. The result means that things will change in the Senate, we will now have to wait and see what those changes will be.
This outcome will not be a favored one at the White House, as this certainly changes things. The balance of power has been shifted to the Republicans, this will now put President Barack Obama’s health care proposal in serious trouble.
The deciding factor in the outcome of the Massachusetts results was the independent voters, Digital News Report said, “Tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken.”
The defeat of Martha Coakley is a shocking one; many have not even imagined Brown winning. The result means that things will change in the Senate, we will now have to wait and see what those changes will be.
Susan Estrich
Susan Estrich was born on December 16, 1952 in Marblehead, Massachusetts United States. Susan Estrich considered as an American most popular advocate, professor, author, political operative, feminist advocate, lawyer and great political commentator for Fox News.
Susan Estrich got early education from her hometown school “Eveleth School”. She got further education from “Wellesley College” and completed the graduation in 1974. For higher education she joined “Harvard Law School” in 1977 and received degree in “Juris Doctorate in law”. Meanwhile, in 1976 she was selected as the first female president and “editor-in-chief” of the “Harvard law Reviews”.
Susan Estrich started professional career and served as a “Law Clerk” and associated herself to a famous Judge “J. Skelly Wright” (U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia). She also worked for Justice John Paul Stevens (of the U.S. Supreme Court). From 1988 onward she remained as a campaign manager for “Michael Dukakis”.
Beside all these activities she also appeared as a legal and political analyst for “Fox News”. She participated in different debating shows but her popular debate show “Hannity and Colmes” was highly appreciated worldwide. Susan Estrich also worked as Article Writer and wrote many articles for “News Max”.
Susan Estrich also worked for “Harvard University” as a Law Professor and was considered as the youngest faculty member of “Harvard University”.
Nowadays she is a law professor at “The University of Southern California law School” and also a Professor of political science at its own affiliated “School for the Undergraduate”.
Susan Estrich married to “Marty Kaplan” (a great screenwriter, speechwriter and professor). Recently, she wrote on “Hillary Clinton” and “Sarah Palin” as famous personalities. The Subject matter of her writing is “Women in Politics”.
Susan Estrich got early education from her hometown school “Eveleth School”. She got further education from “Wellesley College” and completed the graduation in 1974. For higher education she joined “Harvard Law School” in 1977 and received degree in “Juris Doctorate in law”. Meanwhile, in 1976 she was selected as the first female president and “editor-in-chief” of the “Harvard law Reviews”.
Susan Estrich started professional career and served as a “Law Clerk” and associated herself to a famous Judge “J. Skelly Wright” (U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia). She also worked for Justice John Paul Stevens (of the U.S. Supreme Court). From 1988 onward she remained as a campaign manager for “Michael Dukakis”.
Beside all these activities she also appeared as a legal and political analyst for “Fox News”. She participated in different debating shows but her popular debate show “Hannity and Colmes” was highly appreciated worldwide. Susan Estrich also worked as Article Writer and wrote many articles for “News Max”.
Susan Estrich also worked for “Harvard University” as a Law Professor and was considered as the youngest faculty member of “Harvard University”.
Nowadays she is a law professor at “The University of Southern California law School” and also a Professor of political science at its own affiliated “School for the Undergraduate”.
Susan Estrich married to “Marty Kaplan” (a great screenwriter, speechwriter and professor). Recently, she wrote on “Hillary Clinton” and “Sarah Palin” as famous personalities. The Subject matter of her writing is “Women in Politics”.
Heavy, wet snow on the heels on 10 inches of powder
ROCHESTER — After receiving about 10 inches of powder Monday, another 1 to 3 inches of wet, heavy snow is expected to fall by the end of today, according to Mike Pigott, metrologist for AccuWeather.com.
"It's looking like a weaker storm is coming in," Pigott said, adding light snow is expected to begin this morning, will pick up during the day and could cause flurries into the night.
Pigott said temperatures are expected to rise to a high of 34 degrees which will cause heavier snow to fall. He added winds will be light during the day and not blow the snow around, even when they pick up in the evening.
"Wednesday could be pretty breezy, but that's long after the storm," Pigott said.
Due to the winter weather conditions, Waste Management canceled curbside trash collection in Rochester Monday. Trash collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week in the city and in the Middleton, where it will take place Wednesday this week.
Students in the Gov. Wentworth Regional School District ended up having the day off due to the storm even though classes were scheduled for Monday.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and no school meant that police departments across the region had many fewer accidents to deal with Monday.
While numerous vehicles slipped off the road, including a few which drove into the median along the Spaulding Turnpike Monday morning, the incidents diminished in the afternoon in Strafford and Rockingham counties, according to N.H. State Police.
There were few accidents or serious incidents in Dover, Rochester or Somersworth and Strafford County dispatchers were thankful it was a holiday Monday.
Portsmouth police reported very few problems from the snowstorm that dumped up to eight inches of snow in the region by the time it wound down toward noon. The same was true for North Hampton police, according to a dispatcher.
Maine State Police reported there were some cars that went off the Maine Turnpike from Kittery to Portland, Maine, Monday morning, but none of the accidents involved any serious injuries.
For those who did not have to work or head out, Monday was a perfect day to stay home, plow or shovel the driveway and just enjoy the event. Driving conditions were treacherous on roads such as Route 236 in South Berwick, Eliot and Kittery, Maine, Monday morning as local public works departments cleared, sanded and salted area roadways.
The snowstorm did cause some cancellations, including the City Year Young Heroes rally at the Portsmouth Middle School and parade that was scheduled at 11 a.m. Portsmouth officials also declared a snow emergency beginning at 9 a.m., which means that no vehicles can be parked on city streets so that city snowplow crews can clean up and emergency vehicles can get through.
The affected streets include Deer Street on the north; Market, Bow and Marcy Streets on the east; Court Street on the South; and Middle, Maplewood and Bridge Streets on the West. This area includes State Street (Middle to Marcy), Chestnut Street, Porter Street, Fleet Street, Court Place, Church Street, Pleasant Street (Court to Congress), Penhallow Street, Custom House Court, Sheafe Street, Chapel Street, Daniel Street, Congress Street, Market Street (Congress to Deer), Ladd Street, High Street and Hanover Street (Bridge to Market).
"It's looking like a weaker storm is coming in," Pigott said, adding light snow is expected to begin this morning, will pick up during the day and could cause flurries into the night.
Pigott said temperatures are expected to rise to a high of 34 degrees which will cause heavier snow to fall. He added winds will be light during the day and not blow the snow around, even when they pick up in the evening.
"Wednesday could be pretty breezy, but that's long after the storm," Pigott said.
Due to the winter weather conditions, Waste Management canceled curbside trash collection in Rochester Monday. Trash collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week in the city and in the Middleton, where it will take place Wednesday this week.
Students in the Gov. Wentworth Regional School District ended up having the day off due to the storm even though classes were scheduled for Monday.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and no school meant that police departments across the region had many fewer accidents to deal with Monday.
While numerous vehicles slipped off the road, including a few which drove into the median along the Spaulding Turnpike Monday morning, the incidents diminished in the afternoon in Strafford and Rockingham counties, according to N.H. State Police.
There were few accidents or serious incidents in Dover, Rochester or Somersworth and Strafford County dispatchers were thankful it was a holiday Monday.
Portsmouth police reported very few problems from the snowstorm that dumped up to eight inches of snow in the region by the time it wound down toward noon. The same was true for North Hampton police, according to a dispatcher.
Maine State Police reported there were some cars that went off the Maine Turnpike from Kittery to Portland, Maine, Monday morning, but none of the accidents involved any serious injuries.
For those who did not have to work or head out, Monday was a perfect day to stay home, plow or shovel the driveway and just enjoy the event. Driving conditions were treacherous on roads such as Route 236 in South Berwick, Eliot and Kittery, Maine, Monday morning as local public works departments cleared, sanded and salted area roadways.
The snowstorm did cause some cancellations, including the City Year Young Heroes rally at the Portsmouth Middle School and parade that was scheduled at 11 a.m. Portsmouth officials also declared a snow emergency beginning at 9 a.m., which means that no vehicles can be parked on city streets so that city snowplow crews can clean up and emergency vehicles can get through.
The affected streets include Deer Street on the north; Market, Bow and Marcy Streets on the east; Court Street on the South; and Middle, Maplewood and Bridge Streets on the West. This area includes State Street (Middle to Marcy), Chestnut Street, Porter Street, Fleet Street, Court Place, Church Street, Pleasant Street (Court to Congress), Penhallow Street, Custom House Court, Sheafe Street, Chapel Street, Daniel Street, Congress Street, Market Street (Congress to Deer), Ladd Street, High Street and Hanover Street (Bridge to Market).
Coakley concedes
Scott Brown has won the US Senate seat, which was left vacant due to Edward Kennedy’s death. With his unexpected victory, Martha Coakley loses the Massachusett Senate Race 2010. The late Ted Kennedy held the US Senate seat for more than 46 years.
Martha Coakley had telephoned Brown and conceded the election and she also said that she would be honest about the assessment of the race. The result was heartbroken for her, as she was not expecting it. According to the reports, which issued at 9:15pm Brown was leading Coakley 52.3% to 46.7%. Martha Coakley has conceded in Massachusetts Senate race against Republican Scott Brown.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) also released a statement and said that he had prepeared it on Monday to save his time. He said after hearing the news that:
Martha Coakley had telephoned Brown and conceded the election and she also said that she would be honest about the assessment of the race. The result was heartbroken for her, as she was not expecting it. According to the reports, which issued at 9:15pm Brown was leading Coakley 52.3% to 46.7%. Martha Coakley has conceded in Massachusetts Senate race against Republican Scott Brown.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) also released a statement and said that he had prepeared it on Monday to save his time. He said after hearing the news that:
Haiti 'Aftershock' - The Long March to Jamaica
Is today's earthquake an aftershock, or the unzipping of a known 'marcher' fault? Obviously, that's a stupid rhetorical question! At least the quakes will be farther away, and our friend's house wouldn't be bothered. However, once these 'little' quakes have lined all their ducks in a row, I'm still expecting an overlapping M8, which is sufficient to 'finish' that end of the fault for another 200 years. M6's and 7's just ain't gonna do it!
Another earthquake rocks Haiti
This one a 6.1 magnitude during early morning hours. Things are going from bad to worse over there and they can certainly use all the help they can get.
If you haven't donated a few dollars to help the people of Haiti, please consider giving what you can to your entity of choice that's collecting for the disaster relief effort. If you're not sure who to donate to, please consider Pan American Relief, the disaster relief arm of the Pan American Development Foundation, an excellent organization that does exceptional work in the region, including Cuba, and which we have worked with before. You can also donate to Pan American Relief via telephone: 1 (877) 572-4484.
If you haven't donated a few dollars to help the people of Haiti, please consider giving what you can to your entity of choice that's collecting for the disaster relief effort. If you're not sure who to donate to, please consider Pan American Relief, the disaster relief arm of the Pan American Development Foundation, an excellent organization that does exceptional work in the region, including Cuba, and which we have worked with before. You can also donate to Pan American Relief via telephone: 1 (877) 572-4484.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Not the Big 12 opener Kansas had envisioned
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Six years ago when Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins came calling, coach Bonnie Henrickson couldn't pass up the opportunity he offered. He wanted her to start a Jayhawks renaissance.
Oklahoma State's Andrea Riley dropped in 43 points Saturday to help stun No. 5 Baylor 78-65.
Perkins, who'd overseen the rise of UConn as a national championship program in women's basketball, saw an opportunity for big things in Lawrence, Kan. While at UConn, he'd admired the success of Henrickson at Virginia Tech. So when longtime KU coach Marian Washington retired during the 2004 season, Perkins knew right away where he'd look for her successor.
We bring up the history because, on this frigid Saturday in the Midwest, Henrickson might just wish she were still in Blacksburg, Va. She watched her Jayhawks play about as badly as a team with talent can play, falling to Kansas State 59-35.
It wasn't the only upset on the Big 12's opening day: Oklahoma State ended No. 5 Baylor's 13-game winning streak with a 78-65 victory behind 43 points from senior guard Andrea Riley.
She has become known for such offensive pyrotechnics, and Saturday she made a statement that Big 12 favorite Baylor and freshman sensation Brittney Griner are not unconquerable.
KU's Big 12 player of the year candidate, Danielle McCray, hoped to open conference season in similar dominant style. Instead, she and her Kansas teammates got dominated.
That the Jayhawks had their beaks handed to them by their in-state rivals -- it was K-State's 17th win in the last 18 meetings with KU -- was bad enough for Henrickson. That KU, which was picked to finish tied for second with Texas in the Big 12, looked so atrociously awful in the loss made it worse. No. 20 Texas, meanwhile, also lost its league opener, 91-70 to 10th-ranked Texas A&M.
The Jayhawks missed their first 11 shots from the field. But when they'd rallied to trail by just two points at halftime, it seemed they were about to get it in gear. Instead, the entire engine fell out of the car in the second half for KU.
After the break, the Jayhawks missed their first 14 shots. It was as if the rim at KU's end had turned into the polar ice cap, with shots clanking and bouncing away. When, that is, the Jayhawks actually got off shots. They also turned it over a lot, too.
By the time freshman Monica Engelman made the Jayhawks' first basket of the second half, K-State had a 25-point lead and the purple crowd at Bramlage Coliseum wasn't even going really berserk. And not because K-State's fans don't love beating KU, mind you, because that's what these folks live for.
There is a Jayhawks billboard alongside Interstate 70 between Topeka and Manhattan, and I always wonder why KU bothers with this particular spot. It's just a little too close to Manhattan for K-Staters to allow it to go unmolested. Something Wildcat-related is usually spray-painted over it; this year, it's the acronym "EMAW."
(That stands for the K-State slogan, "Every Man a Wildcat!" which, obviously, goes back to the days when there wasn't women's athletics at K-State. Now it probably should be EPAW -- Every Person a Wildcat! -- or maybe EHAW -- Every Human a Wildcat! -- but we won't hold our breath waiting for that change.)
Anyway, of course the Wildcats fans love beating the Jayhawks more than anybody else, but … in this case, I think the K-Staters were stunned it was happening so easily. They'd come out in single-digit temperatures to cheer on a gritty group of just nine players, led by seniors Ashley Sweat and Kari Kincaid, trying to hang with the favored Jayhawks. They weren't expecting to almost feel sorry for KU for playing so badly.
K-State lost three starters off last season's team; one of them, Atlanta Dream point guard Shalee Lehning, was just named an assistant coach at K-State this past week. So Sweat and Kincaid are playing with three freshmen, three sophomores and one junior.
KU and K-State had one common opponent during nonconference play: Creighton. KU beat the Bluejays by 21 points, K-State lost to them by nine. Nobody -- and I mean nobody -- expected K-State to clobber Kansas on Saturday.
Now, was the idea of a Wildcats victory totally far out? No, because as stated, they've dominated the series the past eight years, and KU has seemed to freak out a lot coming here. But even those who thought coach Deb Patterson's bunch might win figured it would have to be a squeaker that went down to the wire. Not a complete blowout by the Wildcats.
Afterward, the Jayhawks had no explanation for what happened. They said they weren't sick. They said a disappointing road loss at New Mexico State last Sunday wasn't hanging with them.
For her part, Henrickson sounded as though she had no idea what was wrong with her team. She expressed disappointment with seniors McCray (10 points, 3-of-14 shooting) and Sade Morris (zero points, zero rebounds, 0-of-4 shooting) for not providing leadership the way that Sweat (24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists) did for K-State.
"She's a tough kid -- that's the poise you want in your seniors," Henrickson said of Sweat, adding she told her seniors, "'You've left me speechless probably for the first time in my career. I don't know what to say. That you two could be that bad … how can we help you? What do you need from us?' They don't know what to say. They're great kids; they don't intend to come in and do this."
The Jayhawks lost their Big 12 opener at Kansas State by 33 points last year. So McCray and Morris finish their careers having never won in Manhattan. KU hasn't been victorious here since 2001, and the Jayhawks haven't made the NCAA tournament since 2000.
It's not as if the Jayhawks' hopes of returning to the Big Dance went down the drain Saturday -- it was just the first conference game, after all. But it was a game most people expected them to win, and by a comfortable margin.
"We've got to be resilient, we've got two days to get ready and find a way to beat Oklahoma State," Henrickson said of the Jayhawks' game Tuesday (ESPNU, noon ET). "You have to let it go, and not let it drag you down."
But losing big to K-State and next having to face a red-hot Riley? Definitely not the way the Jayhawks wanted to begin Big 12 play.
Oklahoma State's Andrea Riley dropped in 43 points Saturday to help stun No. 5 Baylor 78-65.
Perkins, who'd overseen the rise of UConn as a national championship program in women's basketball, saw an opportunity for big things in Lawrence, Kan. While at UConn, he'd admired the success of Henrickson at Virginia Tech. So when longtime KU coach Marian Washington retired during the 2004 season, Perkins knew right away where he'd look for her successor.
We bring up the history because, on this frigid Saturday in the Midwest, Henrickson might just wish she were still in Blacksburg, Va. She watched her Jayhawks play about as badly as a team with talent can play, falling to Kansas State 59-35.
It wasn't the only upset on the Big 12's opening day: Oklahoma State ended No. 5 Baylor's 13-game winning streak with a 78-65 victory behind 43 points from senior guard Andrea Riley.
She has become known for such offensive pyrotechnics, and Saturday she made a statement that Big 12 favorite Baylor and freshman sensation Brittney Griner are not unconquerable.
KU's Big 12 player of the year candidate, Danielle McCray, hoped to open conference season in similar dominant style. Instead, she and her Kansas teammates got dominated.
That the Jayhawks had their beaks handed to them by their in-state rivals -- it was K-State's 17th win in the last 18 meetings with KU -- was bad enough for Henrickson. That KU, which was picked to finish tied for second with Texas in the Big 12, looked so atrociously awful in the loss made it worse. No. 20 Texas, meanwhile, also lost its league opener, 91-70 to 10th-ranked Texas A&M.
The Jayhawks missed their first 11 shots from the field. But when they'd rallied to trail by just two points at halftime, it seemed they were about to get it in gear. Instead, the entire engine fell out of the car in the second half for KU.
After the break, the Jayhawks missed their first 14 shots. It was as if the rim at KU's end had turned into the polar ice cap, with shots clanking and bouncing away. When, that is, the Jayhawks actually got off shots. They also turned it over a lot, too.
By the time freshman Monica Engelman made the Jayhawks' first basket of the second half, K-State had a 25-point lead and the purple crowd at Bramlage Coliseum wasn't even going really berserk. And not because K-State's fans don't love beating KU, mind you, because that's what these folks live for.
There is a Jayhawks billboard alongside Interstate 70 between Topeka and Manhattan, and I always wonder why KU bothers with this particular spot. It's just a little too close to Manhattan for K-Staters to allow it to go unmolested. Something Wildcat-related is usually spray-painted over it; this year, it's the acronym "EMAW."
(That stands for the K-State slogan, "Every Man a Wildcat!" which, obviously, goes back to the days when there wasn't women's athletics at K-State. Now it probably should be EPAW -- Every Person a Wildcat! -- or maybe EHAW -- Every Human a Wildcat! -- but we won't hold our breath waiting for that change.)
Anyway, of course the Wildcats fans love beating the Jayhawks more than anybody else, but … in this case, I think the K-Staters were stunned it was happening so easily. They'd come out in single-digit temperatures to cheer on a gritty group of just nine players, led by seniors Ashley Sweat and Kari Kincaid, trying to hang with the favored Jayhawks. They weren't expecting to almost feel sorry for KU for playing so badly.
K-State lost three starters off last season's team; one of them, Atlanta Dream point guard Shalee Lehning, was just named an assistant coach at K-State this past week. So Sweat and Kincaid are playing with three freshmen, three sophomores and one junior.
KU and K-State had one common opponent during nonconference play: Creighton. KU beat the Bluejays by 21 points, K-State lost to them by nine. Nobody -- and I mean nobody -- expected K-State to clobber Kansas on Saturday.
Now, was the idea of a Wildcats victory totally far out? No, because as stated, they've dominated the series the past eight years, and KU has seemed to freak out a lot coming here. But even those who thought coach Deb Patterson's bunch might win figured it would have to be a squeaker that went down to the wire. Not a complete blowout by the Wildcats.
Afterward, the Jayhawks had no explanation for what happened. They said they weren't sick. They said a disappointing road loss at New Mexico State last Sunday wasn't hanging with them.
For her part, Henrickson sounded as though she had no idea what was wrong with her team. She expressed disappointment with seniors McCray (10 points, 3-of-14 shooting) and Sade Morris (zero points, zero rebounds, 0-of-4 shooting) for not providing leadership the way that Sweat (24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists) did for K-State.
"She's a tough kid -- that's the poise you want in your seniors," Henrickson said of Sweat, adding she told her seniors, "'You've left me speechless probably for the first time in my career. I don't know what to say. That you two could be that bad … how can we help you? What do you need from us?' They don't know what to say. They're great kids; they don't intend to come in and do this."
The Jayhawks lost their Big 12 opener at Kansas State by 33 points last year. So McCray and Morris finish their careers having never won in Manhattan. KU hasn't been victorious here since 2001, and the Jayhawks haven't made the NCAA tournament since 2000.
It's not as if the Jayhawks' hopes of returning to the Big Dance went down the drain Saturday -- it was just the first conference game, after all. But it was a game most people expected them to win, and by a comfortable margin.
"We've got to be resilient, we've got two days to get ready and find a way to beat Oklahoma State," Henrickson said of the Jayhawks' game Tuesday (ESPNU, noon ET). "You have to let it go, and not let it drag you down."
But losing big to K-State and next having to face a red-hot Riley? Definitely not the way the Jayhawks wanted to begin Big 12 play.
The Buried Life List
The Buried Life follows four young men who fix up a bus and drive it across America. Ben Nemtin is the leader, Dave Lingwood as the funny guy, Duncan Penn as the problem solver, and Jonnie Penn as the brains.
The four travel to Beverly Hills for episode one. Their mission is to crash a party at the Playboy mansion. The Buried Life team gets help from people they meet on the road to help them accomplish their goals.
The Buried Life is different from other reality television in that the four shoot, produce and edit the show themselves. The series isn’t faux reality like Big Brother, filming in a specially constructed house on a studio lot. An objective with TheBuried Life is to keep it real.
The four travel to Beverly Hills for episode one. Their mission is to crash a party at the Playboy mansion. The Buried Life team gets help from people they meet on the road to help them accomplish their goals.
The Buried Life is different from other reality television in that the four shoot, produce and edit the show themselves. The series isn’t faux reality like Big Brother, filming in a specially constructed house on a studio lot. An objective with TheBuried Life is to keep it real.
My Life as Liz
My Life as Liz is the newest drama from MTV . This show explores high school life through the eyes of Liz Lee, a precocious, sometimes sarcastic, always witty teenage girl trapped in a conservative Texas town. Here's a summary:
“My Life as Liz” explores high school life through the eyes of Liz Lee, a precocious, sometimes sarcastic, always witty teenage girl trapped in a conservative Texas town. Ever the outsider, the series explores Liz’s attempt to make the best of her senior year by carving out a place of her own among her more “normal” peers. While Liz’s off-kilter outlook and impeccable comedic timing make her journey of self-discovery an often humorous one — her openness and honesty allow viewers to bear witness to the truest and most tender moments of being ateenage girl
“My Life as Liz” explores high school life through the eyes of Liz Lee, a precocious, sometimes sarcastic, always witty teenage girl trapped in a conservative Texas town. Ever the outsider, the series explores Liz’s attempt to make the best of her senior year by carving out a place of her own among her more “normal” peers. While Liz’s off-kilter outlook and impeccable comedic timing make her journey of self-discovery an often humorous one — her openness and honesty allow viewers to bear witness to the truest and most tender moments of being ateenage girl
A new approach to China
Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.
First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.
Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.
Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers.
We have already used information gained from this attack to make infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online. You can read more here about our cyber-security recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks can read this Report to Congress (PDF) by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (see p. 163-), as well as a related analysis (PDF) prepared for the Commission, Nart Villeneuve's blog and this presentation on the GhostNet spying incident.
We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China's economic reform programs and its citizens' entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic progress and development in the world today.
We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China."
These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.
The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.
First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.
Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.
Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers.
We have already used information gained from this attack to make infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online. You can read more here about our cyber-security recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks can read this Report to Congress (PDF) by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (see p. 163-), as well as a related analysis (PDF) prepared for the Commission, Nart Villeneuve's blog and this presentation on the GhostNet spying incident.
We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China's economic reform programs and its citizens' entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic progress and development in the world today.
We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China."
These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.
The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.
IPL auction 2010: live
Find out who has signed for who as the Indian Premier League franchises look to invest in the world's best one-day talent.
0730: Graeme Swann failed to attract a single bidder at the Indian Premier League auction on Tuesday morning sending a clear message that the limited availability of England’s players has put off potential buyers.
But there was good news for Eoin Morgan. England’s Irish one-day batsman joins Kevin Pietersen at Bangalore Royal Challengers on a $220,000 contract, only $1.3m lower than his England colleague.
Morgan, unlike Swann, is only a member of the England one-day squad in Bangladesh and is therefore available for almost the entire IPL.
Swann, the England off-spinner, was priced at the highest level and was named in the first pool of players to be sold, normally reserved for the highest profile cricketers, but his name was greeted with silence in the auction room at the New Trident Hotel.
The fact Swann had an incredible 2009 in Test cricket, which saw him reach number three in the world rankings for bowlers, made no difference with IPL sources confirming that his limited availability ruled him out.
Due to England’s tour to Bangladesh Swann would have only have been able to play in the final three weeks of the IPL.
Instead the franchises spent their cash on West Indian allrounder Kieron Pollard and New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, who were both sold for the maximum value of $750,000 after a controversial closed tie-break round.
Franchises were only able to bid a maximum of $750,000 but if more than one side pledged the maximum price for a player then a sealed bid secured their signing.
Mumbai Indians outbid Chennai, Bangalore and Calcutta to sign Pollard, who can play in the entire IPL. Calcutta then entered another tie-break but this time were successful in beating Deccan to Bond, who at 34 and recently retired from Test cricket, has a very lucrative final payday.
Bond was barred from the first two IPL tournaments because of his links to the rebel Indian Cricket League.
Wayne Parnell, South Africa’s 20 year-old left arm fast bowler, was bought for $610,000 by Delhi
A frantic final 24 hours in the run up tot eh auction saw Ricky Ponting bought out of his contract by the Calcutta Knight Riders due to his lack of availability.
0730: Graeme Swann failed to attract a single bidder at the Indian Premier League auction on Tuesday morning sending a clear message that the limited availability of England’s players has put off potential buyers.
But there was good news for Eoin Morgan. England’s Irish one-day batsman joins Kevin Pietersen at Bangalore Royal Challengers on a $220,000 contract, only $1.3m lower than his England colleague.
Morgan, unlike Swann, is only a member of the England one-day squad in Bangladesh and is therefore available for almost the entire IPL.
Swann, the England off-spinner, was priced at the highest level and was named in the first pool of players to be sold, normally reserved for the highest profile cricketers, but his name was greeted with silence in the auction room at the New Trident Hotel.
The fact Swann had an incredible 2009 in Test cricket, which saw him reach number three in the world rankings for bowlers, made no difference with IPL sources confirming that his limited availability ruled him out.
Due to England’s tour to Bangladesh Swann would have only have been able to play in the final three weeks of the IPL.
Instead the franchises spent their cash on West Indian allrounder Kieron Pollard and New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, who were both sold for the maximum value of $750,000 after a controversial closed tie-break round.
Franchises were only able to bid a maximum of $750,000 but if more than one side pledged the maximum price for a player then a sealed bid secured their signing.
Mumbai Indians outbid Chennai, Bangalore and Calcutta to sign Pollard, who can play in the entire IPL. Calcutta then entered another tie-break but this time were successful in beating Deccan to Bond, who at 34 and recently retired from Test cricket, has a very lucrative final payday.
Bond was barred from the first two IPL tournaments because of his links to the rebel Indian Cricket League.
Wayne Parnell, South Africa’s 20 year-old left arm fast bowler, was bought for $610,000 by Delhi
A frantic final 24 hours in the run up tot eh auction saw Ricky Ponting bought out of his contract by the Calcutta Knight Riders due to his lack of availability.
Taliban stage bold attack in heart of Kabul
KABUL — A team of militants launched a spectacular assault at the heart of the Afghan government Monday, with two men detonating suicide bombs and the rest fighting to the death only 50 yards from the gates of the presidential palace.
The attack paralyzed the city for hours, as hundreds of Afghan commandos converged and opened fire.
The battle unfolded in Pashtunistan Square, a traffic circle where the palace of President Hamid Karzai, the Ministry of Justice and the Central Bank, the target of the attack, are located.
As the gunbattle raged, another suicide bomber, this one driving an ambulance, struck a traffic circle a half-mile away, sending a second mass of bystanders fleeing. Afghan officials said three soldiers and two civilians — including a child — were killed, and at least 71 were wounded.
The assault was the latest audacious operation by insurgents meant to shatter the calm of the Afghan capital.
The Taliban are a mostly rural phenomenon in a mostly rural country; the overwhelming majority of U.S. troops are deployed in small outposts in the countryside.
On most days, the war does not reach the urban centers.
But increasingly the Taliban are bringing the fight into the cities, further demoralizing Afghans and lending to the impression that virtually no part of the country is safe.
The effect of Monday's attack seemed primarily psychological, designed to strike fear into the usually quiet precincts of downtown Kabul — and to drive home the ease with which insurgents could strike the U.S.-backed government here.
In that way, the assault succeeded without question. Five hours after the attack began, gunfire was still echoing through the downtown as commandos searched for holdouts in a nearby office building.
The Faroshga market, one of the city's most popular shopping malls and where some militants holed up, lay in ruins, belching black smoke.
The seven militants who carried out the attack died; five were gunned down and two killed themselves.
The streets of Kabul emptied. Merchants closed their shops, and Afghans ran from their offices.
Even guards assigned to Karzai came to join the fighting; it was that close.
"All of a sudden three men came in wrapped in shawls — and then they pulled them off and we could see their guns and grenades," said an Afghan man who witnessed the attack and who had been in the market.
"They told us to get out, and then they went to the roof and started firing."
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Reached by telephone, a spokesman said the group had sent 20 suicide bombers for the operation. That was an exaggeration.
The attack began at 9:30 a.m., when the streets of downtown Kabul were jammed with traffic.
A man wearing a suicide belt approached the gates of the Central Bank, which regulates the flow of currency in the country, and tried to push past the guards.
The guards shot him, but not before the bomber managed to detonate his explosives in the street.
The other militants, who were apparently intending to follow the suicide bomber into the bank, took cover in the Faroshga market, a five-story building next door.
They expelled the shoppers and shopkeepers, ran to the higher floors and began shooting.
Other fighters slipped into the Ministry of Justice and the Ariana theater, the police said, but a survey of both sites revealed no evidence of that.
Within minutes, hundreds of Afghan commandos, soldiers and police officers surrounded Pashtunistan Square and attacked. Some of the Afghan fighters were part of specially formed anti-terrorism squads.
Monday's battle was notable for the absence of U.S. soldiers. A small group of commandos from New Zealand were the only Western soldiers on the scene.
Bullets flew in every direction, thousands of them. The militants, holed up on the upper floors of the market, fired and fought as their building exploded and burned.
A blast sounded, and then another — the sounds of heavy guns firing inside.
The attack paralyzed the city for hours, as hundreds of Afghan commandos converged and opened fire.
The battle unfolded in Pashtunistan Square, a traffic circle where the palace of President Hamid Karzai, the Ministry of Justice and the Central Bank, the target of the attack, are located.
As the gunbattle raged, another suicide bomber, this one driving an ambulance, struck a traffic circle a half-mile away, sending a second mass of bystanders fleeing. Afghan officials said three soldiers and two civilians — including a child — were killed, and at least 71 were wounded.
The assault was the latest audacious operation by insurgents meant to shatter the calm of the Afghan capital.
The Taliban are a mostly rural phenomenon in a mostly rural country; the overwhelming majority of U.S. troops are deployed in small outposts in the countryside.
On most days, the war does not reach the urban centers.
But increasingly the Taliban are bringing the fight into the cities, further demoralizing Afghans and lending to the impression that virtually no part of the country is safe.
The effect of Monday's attack seemed primarily psychological, designed to strike fear into the usually quiet precincts of downtown Kabul — and to drive home the ease with which insurgents could strike the U.S.-backed government here.
In that way, the assault succeeded without question. Five hours after the attack began, gunfire was still echoing through the downtown as commandos searched for holdouts in a nearby office building.
The Faroshga market, one of the city's most popular shopping malls and where some militants holed up, lay in ruins, belching black smoke.
The seven militants who carried out the attack died; five were gunned down and two killed themselves.
The streets of Kabul emptied. Merchants closed their shops, and Afghans ran from their offices.
Even guards assigned to Karzai came to join the fighting; it was that close.
"All of a sudden three men came in wrapped in shawls — and then they pulled them off and we could see their guns and grenades," said an Afghan man who witnessed the attack and who had been in the market.
"They told us to get out, and then they went to the roof and started firing."
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Reached by telephone, a spokesman said the group had sent 20 suicide bombers for the operation. That was an exaggeration.
The attack began at 9:30 a.m., when the streets of downtown Kabul were jammed with traffic.
A man wearing a suicide belt approached the gates of the Central Bank, which regulates the flow of currency in the country, and tried to push past the guards.
The guards shot him, but not before the bomber managed to detonate his explosives in the street.
The other militants, who were apparently intending to follow the suicide bomber into the bank, took cover in the Faroshga market, a five-story building next door.
They expelled the shoppers and shopkeepers, ran to the higher floors and began shooting.
Other fighters slipped into the Ministry of Justice and the Ariana theater, the police said, but a survey of both sites revealed no evidence of that.
Within minutes, hundreds of Afghan commandos, soldiers and police officers surrounded Pashtunistan Square and attacked. Some of the Afghan fighters were part of specially formed anti-terrorism squads.
Monday's battle was notable for the absence of U.S. soldiers. A small group of commandos from New Zealand were the only Western soldiers on the scene.
Bullets flew in every direction, thousands of them. The militants, holed up on the upper floors of the market, fired and fought as their building exploded and burned.
A blast sounded, and then another — the sounds of heavy guns firing inside.
Australian Open 2010: Roger Federer progresses after first round scare
World No 1 Roger Federer survived an uncharacteristically sloppy display to edge past a battling Igor Andreev in four sets as he began his quest for a fourth Australian Open title.
The Swiss recovered from losing the opening set and, while not completely convincing, wrapped up the match 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 in two hours and 44 minutes.
It was the first time in Roger Federer's past 25 first-round grand slam matches that he had been taken past three sets.
That was testament to some big shot-making from Andreev, the world No 37, whose aggressive style forced the top seed into some unlikely unforced errors.
After a closely-fought battle the turning point of the match came at the end of the third set when Andreev failed to take three set points on his serve, before losing the tie-break.
The Russian, who had taken Federer to five set in their previous meeting at the 2008 US Open, then meekly conceded the fourth set and the match in quick time.
"It was a tough third set, I definitely got lucky to get out of that one," Federer said. "It was a fortunate third set but that's the way it goes sometimes.
"I prefer easier matches, but this worked."
Federer uncharacteristically conceded the first set after having claimed the opening break.
The Swiss immediately handed the advantage back following some loose shot making, before Andreev gave himself a chance to serve for the set when he fired back-to-back winners.
The 26-year-old made no mistake to take the opener in 41 minutes on the back of 10 winners.
Federer had looked lethargic in the face of Andreev's free swinging, but with his radar was off at the start of the second set as Federer raced into a 3-0 lead.
The world No 1 did not let his advantage slip this time and with his usual steely focus returning the momentum was shifting his way.
Andreev, however, continued his full throttle shot-making and his enterprise again unsettled Federer in a pulsating third set.
After trading early breaks of serve the pair both failed to serve for the set.
Andreev had his chance at 6-5, but passed up three set points as it went to a tie-break, where the Russian was made to pay for his earlier profligacy.
After Andreev won the opening point of the tie-break Federer reeled off the next five and put his serving woes behind him to sew it up with an ace before Andreev could only fend a powerful serve long on set point.
That capitulation was the beginning of the end for Andreev, who for the first time looked tired as he was immediately broken in the opening game and failed to trouble the scoreboard in the fourth set.
The Swiss recovered from losing the opening set and, while not completely convincing, wrapped up the match 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 in two hours and 44 minutes.
It was the first time in Roger Federer's past 25 first-round grand slam matches that he had been taken past three sets.
That was testament to some big shot-making from Andreev, the world No 37, whose aggressive style forced the top seed into some unlikely unforced errors.
After a closely-fought battle the turning point of the match came at the end of the third set when Andreev failed to take three set points on his serve, before losing the tie-break.
The Russian, who had taken Federer to five set in their previous meeting at the 2008 US Open, then meekly conceded the fourth set and the match in quick time.
"It was a tough third set, I definitely got lucky to get out of that one," Federer said. "It was a fortunate third set but that's the way it goes sometimes.
"I prefer easier matches, but this worked."
Federer uncharacteristically conceded the first set after having claimed the opening break.
The Swiss immediately handed the advantage back following some loose shot making, before Andreev gave himself a chance to serve for the set when he fired back-to-back winners.
The 26-year-old made no mistake to take the opener in 41 minutes on the back of 10 winners.
Federer had looked lethargic in the face of Andreev's free swinging, but with his radar was off at the start of the second set as Federer raced into a 3-0 lead.
The world No 1 did not let his advantage slip this time and with his usual steely focus returning the momentum was shifting his way.
Andreev, however, continued his full throttle shot-making and his enterprise again unsettled Federer in a pulsating third set.
After trading early breaks of serve the pair both failed to serve for the set.
Andreev had his chance at 6-5, but passed up three set points as it went to a tie-break, where the Russian was made to pay for his earlier profligacy.
After Andreev won the opening point of the tie-break Federer reeled off the next five and put his serving woes behind him to sew it up with an ace before Andreev could only fend a powerful serve long on set point.
That capitulation was the beginning of the end for Andreev, who for the first time looked tired as he was immediately broken in the opening game and failed to trouble the scoreboard in the fourth set.
Want payback? Vote for Scott Brown!
This election is payback, for everyone in Massachusetts who has to work for a living, who isn’t on the dole, or a trust fund. It’s for everyone who hates getting dozens of robo-calls from clueless pols pushing “Marsha” Coakley and from union thugs living large off your union dues.
Vote for Brown if you’re tired of the 25 percent increase in the sales tax, and the brand new 6.25 percent sales tax on alcohol, on top of the 37 percent excise tax.
Send the hacks a message.
Vote for Brown if they ignored you when you voted for the death penalty, and to cut income taxes, and they wouldn’t even let you vote on gay marriage. If you’re still waiting for your property tax cut. If you’re still waiting for the attorney general to send a corrupt pol - any corrupt pol - to the can.
Send them a message.
If you’re old and worried about the Medicare cuts they’re proposing, if you’re young and don’t want to pay the fine for not having health insurance, if you have a good health-care plan and you dread paying Obama’s 40 percent tax. Marsha - er, Martha - had a message on TV yesterday morning for everyone who falls in those three categories:
“They are wrong.”
That’s what these people always say. You’re wrong, they’re right. Nothing to see here, move along. And make damn sure you pay your taxes, and forget what Obama said about not raising taxes on anybody making under $250,000. That was then, this is now.
On Sunday I called Coakley “Mike Dukakis in a skirt.” I would now like to apologize to Mike Dukakis.
Did you see this woman on Ch. 25 yesterday? Does she ever take her foot out of her mouth? She claimed she’s been running a “positive” campaign - you know, like Chuck Schumer calling Scott Brown a “teabagger.” Then she said her big problems have been “bad weather” and “the holidays” - Christmas, in other words. You should check out the whole thing. She’s not standing for the big insurance companies, even though she went down to D.C. last week to pick up some cash from them.
You want irony? Do you realize that if the state Democrats hadn’t changed the Senate succession law twice in the past five years, they wouldn’t be in meltdown mode this morning?
Their lame (soon-to-be) lame-duck governor could have appointed whatever stiff he wanted.
Irony? Here’s another one: Steve Lynch, the congressman from Southie, was basically kicked to the curb by the unions because he wasn’t gung-ho enough for their scheme to destroy health care. Maybe he couldn’t have won the Democrat primary last month, but a couple of things you can say about Lynch.
Unlike Martha, he knows who Curt Schilling [stats] roots for, and he also knows that there are still terrorists in Afghanistan. Come to think of it, I’ll bet he can also spell Massachusetts.
This is Martha yesterday on the voters she says are wrong: “I think they’re gonna send someone to Massachusetts who has a proven record.”
Vote for Brown if you’re tired of the 25 percent increase in the sales tax, and the brand new 6.25 percent sales tax on alcohol, on top of the 37 percent excise tax.
Send the hacks a message.
Vote for Brown if they ignored you when you voted for the death penalty, and to cut income taxes, and they wouldn’t even let you vote on gay marriage. If you’re still waiting for your property tax cut. If you’re still waiting for the attorney general to send a corrupt pol - any corrupt pol - to the can.
Send them a message.
If you’re old and worried about the Medicare cuts they’re proposing, if you’re young and don’t want to pay the fine for not having health insurance, if you have a good health-care plan and you dread paying Obama’s 40 percent tax. Marsha - er, Martha - had a message on TV yesterday morning for everyone who falls in those three categories:
“They are wrong.”
That’s what these people always say. You’re wrong, they’re right. Nothing to see here, move along. And make damn sure you pay your taxes, and forget what Obama said about not raising taxes on anybody making under $250,000. That was then, this is now.
On Sunday I called Coakley “Mike Dukakis in a skirt.” I would now like to apologize to Mike Dukakis.
Did you see this woman on Ch. 25 yesterday? Does she ever take her foot out of her mouth? She claimed she’s been running a “positive” campaign - you know, like Chuck Schumer calling Scott Brown a “teabagger.” Then she said her big problems have been “bad weather” and “the holidays” - Christmas, in other words. You should check out the whole thing. She’s not standing for the big insurance companies, even though she went down to D.C. last week to pick up some cash from them.
You want irony? Do you realize that if the state Democrats hadn’t changed the Senate succession law twice in the past five years, they wouldn’t be in meltdown mode this morning?
Their lame (soon-to-be) lame-duck governor could have appointed whatever stiff he wanted.
Irony? Here’s another one: Steve Lynch, the congressman from Southie, was basically kicked to the curb by the unions because he wasn’t gung-ho enough for their scheme to destroy health care. Maybe he couldn’t have won the Democrat primary last month, but a couple of things you can say about Lynch.
Unlike Martha, he knows who Curt Schilling [stats] roots for, and he also knows that there are still terrorists in Afghanistan. Come to think of it, I’ll bet he can also spell Massachusetts.
This is Martha yesterday on the voters she says are wrong: “I think they’re gonna send someone to Massachusetts who has a proven record.”
Conan using 'Tonight Show' site for eBay sales
This is the finest NBC sit com since "The Office."
The spittle being tossed by Conan O'Brien toward NBC executives who have removed his show from its time slot and Jay Leno, who is re-taking it over, is both tautly orchestrated and touchingly sincere.
Last week, O'Brien offered to sell the "Tonight Show" on Craigslist.
Now, in what appears will be his final week as host of the NBC show, he is using the "Tonight Show" Web site to link to show memorabilia he claims to want to sell on eBay.
O'Brien is currently offering a "Tonight Show" carry-on bag. This Victorinox Mobilizer NXT 4.0 has some impressive features: A "legacy of both Swiss innovation and a 7-month-run of a late night institution!"; it also enjoys "Isotech ballistic nylon fabric" and a "43 inch aluminum handle".
The NBC site links through to the eBay listing for the bag. The seller is listed as "thetonightshowwithconanobrien" and, according to its eBay profile, this merchant of mirth has 100 percent positive feedback.
Bidding ends January 22, which might, indeed, be the last night of the show's existence.
At the time of writing, there were already 74 bids. Some, offering as much as $999,999, appear not to be entirely serious. However, the need to pay for the shipping appears to be entirely serious.
One can only hope that the proceeds will be shared among the members of O'Brien's staff.
The spittle being tossed by Conan O'Brien toward NBC executives who have removed his show from its time slot and Jay Leno, who is re-taking it over, is both tautly orchestrated and touchingly sincere.
Last week, O'Brien offered to sell the "Tonight Show" on Craigslist.
Now, in what appears will be his final week as host of the NBC show, he is using the "Tonight Show" Web site to link to show memorabilia he claims to want to sell on eBay.
O'Brien is currently offering a "Tonight Show" carry-on bag. This Victorinox Mobilizer NXT 4.0 has some impressive features: A "legacy of both Swiss innovation and a 7-month-run of a late night institution!"; it also enjoys "Isotech ballistic nylon fabric" and a "43 inch aluminum handle".
The NBC site links through to the eBay listing for the bag. The seller is listed as "thetonightshowwithconanobrien" and, according to its eBay profile, this merchant of mirth has 100 percent positive feedback.
Bidding ends January 22, which might, indeed, be the last night of the show's existence.
At the time of writing, there were already 74 bids. Some, offering as much as $999,999, appear not to be entirely serious. However, the need to pay for the shipping appears to be entirely serious.
One can only hope that the proceeds will be shared among the members of O'Brien's staff.
GOLDEN GLOBES RED CARPET: 'Inglourious Basterds' Director Quentin Tarantino 'Could Never Think Like' James Cameron
Quentin Tarantino walked the red carpet at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards last night to support his latest contender, "Inglourious Basterds." What if things had gone differently though? What if the filmmaker had helmed one of the other nominees? Perhaps Best Picture and Best Director winner "Avatar"?
"I'm not James Cameron, I could never think like that," he told MTV's Josh Horowitz. "I don't think he could think like me either."
"But," he continued, "If I could think like that-- if I could go into a time machine and think like that and be able to do what he could do, that would be great."
The director is fine with the way things turned out though. "Basterds" star Christoph Waltz scored a Best Supporting Golden Globe last night, for one. Also, Tarantino just liked the movie.
"Obviously, i loved ['Avatar,']" he said. It's a great movie. It's a fantastic experience."
What would a Tarantino-directed "Avatar" look like? How about a Cameron-directed "Inglourious"?
"I'm not James Cameron, I could never think like that," he told MTV's Josh Horowitz. "I don't think he could think like me either."
"But," he continued, "If I could think like that-- if I could go into a time machine and think like that and be able to do what he could do, that would be great."
The director is fine with the way things turned out though. "Basterds" star Christoph Waltz scored a Best Supporting Golden Globe last night, for one. Also, Tarantino just liked the movie.
"Obviously, i loved ['Avatar,']" he said. It's a great movie. It's a fantastic experience."
What would a Tarantino-directed "Avatar" look like? How about a Cameron-directed "Inglourious"?
UN chief arrives in quake-hit Port-au-Prince
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived on Sunday in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Caribbean nation Haiti, which was destroyed by a Tuesday quake that registered 7.3 on the Richter scale.
Ban came to see first hand the effects of the catastrophe, to show solidarity to Haiti's citizens and to the UN's workers, as well as to help boost the speed of aid distribution in the nation.
He began with an inspection of the UN headquarters in Port-au-Prince, which collapsed in the quake killing both Hedi Annabi, the UN's special representative in Haiti, and his deputy Luiz Carlos da Costa alongside dozens of UN staff.
Annabi, a Tunisian who led the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah), was found dead on Saturday by Chinese rescue workers in the ruins of the building.
Ban also met quake survivors, telling them that rescue teams and international aid are being accelerated.
"I am here with a message of hope, that aid is already on the way," said Ban, a South Korean, during a press conference at the National Palace, the presidential seat.
During the same conference, Haiti's Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimated that around 100,000 people had died due to the quake and that more than 90 percent of the nation's buildings are damaged, adding that these were estimates and not final figures.
At a separate Sunday meeting with Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, Ban proposed a special UN-backed European Union mission to Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with former Spanish colony the Dominican Republic. Spain is the current holder of the rotating, six-month EU presidency.
The UN is evaluating the opening of a so-called humanitarian corridor linking the Dominican Republic and Haiti, in order to boost the number of sources of aid, given that Port-au-Prince airport has been overwhelmed by the large number of planes arriving from across the world.
Ban came to see first hand the effects of the catastrophe, to show solidarity to Haiti's citizens and to the UN's workers, as well as to help boost the speed of aid distribution in the nation.
He began with an inspection of the UN headquarters in Port-au-Prince, which collapsed in the quake killing both Hedi Annabi, the UN's special representative in Haiti, and his deputy Luiz Carlos da Costa alongside dozens of UN staff.
Annabi, a Tunisian who led the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah), was found dead on Saturday by Chinese rescue workers in the ruins of the building.
Ban also met quake survivors, telling them that rescue teams and international aid are being accelerated.
"I am here with a message of hope, that aid is already on the way," said Ban, a South Korean, during a press conference at the National Palace, the presidential seat.
During the same conference, Haiti's Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimated that around 100,000 people had died due to the quake and that more than 90 percent of the nation's buildings are damaged, adding that these were estimates and not final figures.
At a separate Sunday meeting with Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, Ban proposed a special UN-backed European Union mission to Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with former Spanish colony the Dominican Republic. Spain is the current holder of the rotating, six-month EU presidency.
The UN is evaluating the opening of a so-called humanitarian corridor linking the Dominican Republic and Haiti, in order to boost the number of sources of aid, given that Port-au-Prince airport has been overwhelmed by the large number of planes arriving from across the world.
Marin celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.: 'Great outpouring in a downpour' as volunteers build community garden
Torrential rain failed to dampen the spirits of volunteers who built a community garden Monday morning in Marin City.
"There was a great outpouring in a downpour," said Will Becker, a manager with Conservation Corps North Bay, the group overseeing the garden's construction. "We had 277 volunteers sign up here today."
The garden is at the Martin Luther King Jr. Academy in the Sausalito Marin City School District and will become an outdoor classroom for students and community members. Cooperation between the district and area foundations, nonprofits, service organizations and businesses has made the community project a reality.
"The main focus of this garden is to grow healthy food and share it with members of the community,"
said
Gary Gherardi (left) and William Waters assemble a raised bed planter as other volunteers help build a community garden at the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy on Monday. (IJ photo/Robert Tong)
Marika Bergsund, founder and director of Growing Great Marin City, a nonprofit that promotes gardens, nutrition education and healthy eating.
The work session coincided with the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration held at the nearby Manzanita Community Center. It attracted an unprecedented slate of volunteers, including 30 students and the entire faculty from MLK Academy and members of Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps and HealthCorps, some of whom came from as far away as Ukiah, Becker said.
Bergsund said that inclement weather, soggy clothing, deep mud and standing water did not stop volunteers from installing plant boxes, spreading woodchips and planting apple and plum trees, grapes, blueberries, currants, elderberries,
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and in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., three peace rose bushes.
Marin businesses donated everything from woodchips to plants to coffee and bagels for the volunteers.
"We even had a drummer to get the energy going and to get people warm," Bergsund said. "And about 60 children in rainboots to tamp down trails for the workers."
Started by local rock icon Carlos Santana, the San Rafael-based Milagro Foundation received a $720,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich.,
Volunteers divert rain water from the community garden at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy as others wheels in mulch on Monday. (IJ photo/Robert Tong)
last year to fund three-year projects advancing healthy food and nutrition education projects in low-income communities.
Marin City was one of four such recipients nationwide and will receive $65,000 a year initially, said Shelley Brown, executive director of the Milagro Foundation.
"Our goal was to get nutrition programs and a garden installed locally," she said.
Aside from the garden, the three-part program includes a cooking and nutrition class for students kindergarten through eighth grade and community nutrition workshops, Bergsund said.
Natasha Griffin teaches nutrition and cooking to students at MLK Academy and Bayside Elementary School and is bullish about the garden's bounty.
"It will be good for the kids to see where food comes from, the work that goes into feeding the family and the basics of healthy living," she said.
Site preparation had been taking place for six weeks. The Conservation Corps put up a fence around the garden's perimeter and DD&L Trucking of Marin City loosened the soil in preparation for planting.
"The Marin Farmers Market grew the collard greens for this year's Martin Luther King celebration, but we will grow the greens in the garden for next year's celebration," Bergsund said.
"There was a great outpouring in a downpour," said Will Becker, a manager with Conservation Corps North Bay, the group overseeing the garden's construction. "We had 277 volunteers sign up here today."
The garden is at the Martin Luther King Jr. Academy in the Sausalito Marin City School District and will become an outdoor classroom for students and community members. Cooperation between the district and area foundations, nonprofits, service organizations and businesses has made the community project a reality.
"The main focus of this garden is to grow healthy food and share it with members of the community,"
said
Gary Gherardi (left) and William Waters assemble a raised bed planter as other volunteers help build a community garden at the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy on Monday. (IJ photo/Robert Tong)
Marika Bergsund, founder and director of Growing Great Marin City, a nonprofit that promotes gardens, nutrition education and healthy eating.
The work session coincided with the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration held at the nearby Manzanita Community Center. It attracted an unprecedented slate of volunteers, including 30 students and the entire faculty from MLK Academy and members of Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps and HealthCorps, some of whom came from as far away as Ukiah, Becker said.
Bergsund said that inclement weather, soggy clothing, deep mud and standing water did not stop volunteers from installing plant boxes, spreading woodchips and planting apple and plum trees, grapes, blueberries, currants, elderberries,
Advertisement
EarthShare
and in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., three peace rose bushes.
Marin businesses donated everything from woodchips to plants to coffee and bagels for the volunteers.
"We even had a drummer to get the energy going and to get people warm," Bergsund said. "And about 60 children in rainboots to tamp down trails for the workers."
Started by local rock icon Carlos Santana, the San Rafael-based Milagro Foundation received a $720,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich.,
Volunteers divert rain water from the community garden at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy as others wheels in mulch on Monday. (IJ photo/Robert Tong)
last year to fund three-year projects advancing healthy food and nutrition education projects in low-income communities.
Marin City was one of four such recipients nationwide and will receive $65,000 a year initially, said Shelley Brown, executive director of the Milagro Foundation.
"Our goal was to get nutrition programs and a garden installed locally," she said.
Aside from the garden, the three-part program includes a cooking and nutrition class for students kindergarten through eighth grade and community nutrition workshops, Bergsund said.
Natasha Griffin teaches nutrition and cooking to students at MLK Academy and Bayside Elementary School and is bullish about the garden's bounty.
"It will be good for the kids to see where food comes from, the work that goes into feeding the family and the basics of healthy living," she said.
Site preparation had been taking place for six weeks. The Conservation Corps put up a fence around the garden's perimeter and DD&L Trucking of Marin City loosened the soil in preparation for planting.
"The Marin Farmers Market grew the collard greens for this year's Martin Luther King celebration, but we will grow the greens in the garden for next year's celebration," Bergsund said.
Haiti earthquake: Drunk looters, desperate survivors
LOOTING is spreading in the Haitian capital as hundreds of young men, some drunk for extra "courage", roam the streets nearly a week after the earthquake which is now estimated to have killed 200,000 people.
While hundreds of millions of dollars have been pledged to help Haiti, aid is still not reaching some of the hardest hit areas because survivors are too scared of attacks on aid convoys to accept assistance.
But while the has Red Cross has warned that violence by desperate Haitians is growing, the top US officer on the ground, Lieutenant-General Ken Keen, has insisted: "The level of violence we see now is below pre-earthquake levels".
"Is there gang violence? Yes. Was there gang violence before the earthquake? Absolutely," he said.
Thousands of peacekeepers, police and soldiers have been sent in to Haiti from nearby nations to restore order and help distribute aid. Agencies on the ground in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have said the effort is now running more efficiently after the confusion of the initial aftermath of the 7.0 quake which hit last week.
But the situation for survivors is still one of unimaginable horror. Gangs of looters roam the streets - the top target is toothpaste, which is smeared under the nose to mask the constant stench of death.
In one instance, looters scavenging a collapsed market were fired on by police as they tried to steal bottles of rum, armed with broken bottles, machetes and razors. "I am drinking as much as I can. It gives courage," one young looter, carrying a piece of wood with nails in it, told the Associated Press.
As the death toll approaches that of the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, there are still another 250,000 injured and 1.5 million left homeless in desperate need of attention. Even those whose homes survived are sleeping on the streets for fear of aftershocks.
About 50,000 people are sleeping on a golf course in Port-au-Prince and the World Food Program is planning a tent city on the outskirts for 100,000, the AP reported.
Reports from the city have said about 70,000 bodies have been buried, but many more bodies still line the streets.
Survivors are reportedly dumping corpses at intersections in the hope aid agencies or authorities - even garbage trucks - will eventually remove them.
There have been some uplifting tales of survival emerging - such as the story of the text message to the UN that led to the rescue two days later of two adults and a young girl after they were trapped in a collapsed supermarket for 100 hours.
When rescuers shouted out seeking signs of life, a girl's voice came back: "I'm seven". The girl, named as Ariel, reportedly said she was stuck next to a dead man but covered with food.
But while some hope remains, it is becoming more faint by the hour and Ariel's story is expected to be one of the last of its kind.
In another indication of the catastrophe Haiti is now living through, a Dutch charter plane is due to pick up 100 Haitian children - many but not all now orphans - for adoption outside the country.
The UN's humanitarian body has said hospitals are overwhelmed and suffering a severe shortage of supplies and staff. It has also said the fuel shortage in Haiti was becoming "more and more critical".
Emergency workers are now reaching battered communities outside the capital, including Gressier, Petit Goave and Leogane, which were all flattened by the quake. "Patients arrived on handcarts or on men's backs," said Medecins Sans Frontieres emergency coordinator Hans van Dillen.
Many foreigners are trying to flee - hundreds of US citizens, or people claiming to be, have formed a long line outside the US embassy in hopes of arranging a flight out of the country.
While hundreds of millions of dollars have been pledged to help Haiti, aid is still not reaching some of the hardest hit areas because survivors are too scared of attacks on aid convoys to accept assistance.
But while the has Red Cross has warned that violence by desperate Haitians is growing, the top US officer on the ground, Lieutenant-General Ken Keen, has insisted: "The level of violence we see now is below pre-earthquake levels".
"Is there gang violence? Yes. Was there gang violence before the earthquake? Absolutely," he said.
Thousands of peacekeepers, police and soldiers have been sent in to Haiti from nearby nations to restore order and help distribute aid. Agencies on the ground in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have said the effort is now running more efficiently after the confusion of the initial aftermath of the 7.0 quake which hit last week.
But the situation for survivors is still one of unimaginable horror. Gangs of looters roam the streets - the top target is toothpaste, which is smeared under the nose to mask the constant stench of death.
In one instance, looters scavenging a collapsed market were fired on by police as they tried to steal bottles of rum, armed with broken bottles, machetes and razors. "I am drinking as much as I can. It gives courage," one young looter, carrying a piece of wood with nails in it, told the Associated Press.
As the death toll approaches that of the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, there are still another 250,000 injured and 1.5 million left homeless in desperate need of attention. Even those whose homes survived are sleeping on the streets for fear of aftershocks.
About 50,000 people are sleeping on a golf course in Port-au-Prince and the World Food Program is planning a tent city on the outskirts for 100,000, the AP reported.
Reports from the city have said about 70,000 bodies have been buried, but many more bodies still line the streets.
Survivors are reportedly dumping corpses at intersections in the hope aid agencies or authorities - even garbage trucks - will eventually remove them.
There have been some uplifting tales of survival emerging - such as the story of the text message to the UN that led to the rescue two days later of two adults and a young girl after they were trapped in a collapsed supermarket for 100 hours.
When rescuers shouted out seeking signs of life, a girl's voice came back: "I'm seven". The girl, named as Ariel, reportedly said she was stuck next to a dead man but covered with food.
But while some hope remains, it is becoming more faint by the hour and Ariel's story is expected to be one of the last of its kind.
In another indication of the catastrophe Haiti is now living through, a Dutch charter plane is due to pick up 100 Haitian children - many but not all now orphans - for adoption outside the country.
The UN's humanitarian body has said hospitals are overwhelmed and suffering a severe shortage of supplies and staff. It has also said the fuel shortage in Haiti was becoming "more and more critical".
Emergency workers are now reaching battered communities outside the capital, including Gressier, Petit Goave and Leogane, which were all flattened by the quake. "Patients arrived on handcarts or on men's backs," said Medecins Sans Frontieres emergency coordinator Hans van Dillen.
Many foreigners are trying to flee - hundreds of US citizens, or people claiming to be, have formed a long line outside the US embassy in hopes of arranging a flight out of the country.
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