Five Need to KnowRight Moves for CPR

The American Heart Association announced today new recommendations for the way CPR is performed. The small change could make a big difference in the lives of people suffering from cardiac arrest, the organization says.For nearly 40 years, CPR guidelines have trained people to follow these simple A-B-C instructions—tilt the victim's head back to open the airway, then pinch their nose and do a succession of breaths into their mouth, and finally perform chest compressions.

But now, the AHA says starting with the C of chest compressions will help oxygen-rich blood circulate throughout the body sooner, which is critical for people who have had a heart attack. With this shift, rescuers and responding emergency personnel should now follow a C-A-B process—begin with chest compression, then move on to address the airway and breaths. This change applies to adults, children, and babies, but does not apply to newborns.

The revision is a part of the 2010 emergency cardiovascular care report published by the AHA., an organization that reviews its guidelines every five years, taking into account new science and literature. Although the changed procedure will take some time to reach what Monica Kleinman, the vice chair of the AHA's Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee, calls "front-line people", there is a plan in place to implement the recommendations as soon as possible to their training network, medical staffs, and first-responders.

"The sooner chest compressions are started, the more likely there will be a better outcome," Kleinman announced. "Studies performed in labs as well as large-population studies have shown that people do better if they get chest compressions within four minutes."That four minutes is the amount of time it could take for emergency crews to rapidly respond, Chicago firefighter and CPR instructor Kelly Burns notes. Until then, he stresses that any CPR bystanders perform can make a difference."Early activation is critical," Burns says, especially in cities where traffic and walk-up buildings can slow even the fastest respondents during a trauma where every minute counts.When someone needs CPR, the very best reaction is a quick one, he says."In a perfect world, someone else calls 911 while you start chest compressions on the person in need," he advises.

According to Kleinman, however, only about one-third of victims of cardiac arrest get assistance from bystanders.Despite changing guidelines, outdated training, or any confusion in the moment, Burns says that no one who tries CPR is faltering."People are reluctant to jump in and help, especially if the person is not a family member or friend," Burns observes on a weekly basis. "The only mistake a civilian can make in these situations is waiting and not doing anything at all."To that end, the new AHA guidelines are meant to help anyone who encounters this kind of emergency—the idea being, if they know better, they will do better.5 potentially life-saving notes to remember about the new C-A-B method of CPR:

1. There are no mistakes when you perform CPR."One thing most people don't know, " Kleinman says, "is that there is almost nothing you can do [during CPR] to harm a person in cardiac arrest except delay responding."Starting with chest compressions is now viewed by the AHA as the most effective procedure, and all immediate assistance will increase the chances the victim will survive with a good quality of life.If one person calls 911 while another administers CPR, as Burns recommends, emergency operators will give informed instructions over the phone as well as dispatch aid to the scene.

2. All victims in cardiac arrest need chest compressions. The AHA asserts that people having a heart attack still have oxygen remaining in their lungs and bloodstream in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest. Starting chest compressions first thing pumps blood to the victim's brain and heart sooner, delivering needed oxygen. This new method saves the 30 seconds that people performing CPR used to take to open the airway and begin breathing under the old guidelines.

3. It's a myth that only older, overweight men are at risk for a heart attack."Equal numbers of women and men have heart attacks," Kleinman reports. Sufferers are primarily adults.Although infants and children are far more likely to require CPR due to accidents than cardiac arrest, it is important to know how administer care to them. (You can learn how to perform CPR on infants and children with this kit produced by the AHA or by signing up for one of their training sessions.)

4. Nearly all cardiac emergencies occur at home. "Ninety percent of events take place at home. If you perform CPR in your lifetime, it's probably going to be for someone you love," Kleinman reveals.

5. Training is simpler and more accessible than you think.Learning CPR has never been hard, Kleinman says, but guideline changes in the last ten years have reduced the number of steps and simplified the process even more.Traditional CPR classes (listed here on the AHA website) are accessible for many people at local schools and hospitals.

Kits are also available to complete in the privacy of your own home or workplace. Kits available through the AHA include inflatable, disposable mannequins and a training DVD."Anybody can learn to do CPR. It's clearly important for saving lives, and now it is easier than ever," Kleinman asserts.Have you ever administered or received CPR? Would you jump in to the C-A-B method if you saw a person in need?

Twice Bunkrupt for Toni Braxton

According to TMZ, Toni Braxton has filed for bankruptcy again -- claiming she owes somewhere between $10 million and $50 million in unpaid debts all over the country ... including DMVs in TWO different states. Braxton -- sold more than 40 million albums in her career -- just filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in California ... and in the docs, the singer claims she's only worth somewhere between $1 mil and $10 mil ... but she could have up to $50 mil in debts.

In the docs, 43-year-old Braxton lists a ton of creditors to whom she thinks she may owe money... including:

-- AT&T -- The Four Seasons Hotels-- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center-- Various medical bills-- DirecTV-- Neiman Marcus-- The William Morris Agency -- Tiffany & Co. -- Orkin Pest Control-- The Internal Revenue Service -- BMW Financial Services-- ADT Security-- American Express-- Flamingo Las Vegas-- Mesa Air Conditioning -- Nevada Power Company -- Screen Actors Guild-- The Westin -- Wells Fargo BankBraxton also claims she may owe money to the City of L.A. Parking Violations Bureau -- and the DMV in both California and Nevada. Braxton has a storied history of financial problems -- she filed for bankruptcy back in 1998 ... and earlier this year, the IRS filed a lien against her for $396k.

A close relative of Toni Braxton tells TMZ ... the singer's financial undoing can be traced back to her show in Las Vegas. The relative tells us Toni took out "show insurance" through Lloyds of London for her act at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino back in 2007. When Toni was diagnosed with a heart condition -- in the middle of the show's run -- she had to pull the plug, but she was still on the hook to the Hotel for big bucks.

Toni expected Lloyds to cover the loss but Lloyds didn't, arguing Toni had a undisclosed, preexisting medical condition, rendering the policy void. In the end, Toni had to absorb a huge loss, which the relative claims sent her on a downward financial spiral. Toni Braxton showed up to the Dolphins game in Miami on Monday ... wearing some blinged out jewelry, a snakeskin bag and a pair of Louboutin heels which retail for over $800.

How Long Is Too Long for Freezing Food

I thought this was an interesting articled posted on Yahoo.com, the writer is Lori Bongiorno. When it comes to preparing healthy meals at home, don't underestimate the value of your freezer. A well-stocked freezer can save you a trip to the store when you're pressed for time, which could mean the difference between making dinner and ordering in. It also lets you save meals that you prepare in big batches ahead of time, take advantage of discounts at the grocery store, and keep food that might otherwise go to waste.

Freezing is also an easy way to preserve local, in-season, fruits, and veggies that you buy at farmers markets or grow in your garden. If you want to eat delicious tomatoes in the dead of winter, for example, but are intimidated by canning, freezing is worth considering.
But just how long will that casserole or whole chicken last in the freezer? According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, food stored in a freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit will stay safe indefinitely. But that doesn't mean the taste and texture will remain the same.

Here is a guide to how long you can freeze foods before you sacrifice quality. Keep in mind that quality does deteriorate the longer food sits in your freezer, so aim to defrost sooner rather than later.
Bacon: 1 to 2 months
Breads: 2 to 3 months
Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
Cooked beef and pork: 2 to 3 months
Cooked poultry: 4 months
Cookie dough: 3 months
Fruit: 8 to 12 months
Frozen dinners: 3 to 4 months
Hot dogs: 1 to 2 months
Lunch meats: 1 to 2 months
Sausage: 1 to 2 months
Soups and stews: 2 to 3 months
Uncooked chicken (parts): 9 months
Uncooked chicken (whole): 1 year
Uncooked steaks, chops, or roasts: 4 to 12 months
Uncooked ground meat: 3 to 4 months
Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

Basic tips for freezing food:
Freeze foods as close to purchase (or harvest if you have a garden) as possible. The fresher food is when you freeze it, the better the quality when you defrost it.
While most foods can be frozen, there are some foods you should keep out of the freezer. Don't freeze canned foods or eggs in shells (which can crack and allow bacteria to enter). Technically you can freeze mayonnaise, cream sauce, and lettuce, but the quality takes a big hit. Here's a list of foods that don't freeze well with details on their condition after thawing.

Cool cooked foods down before freezing so they freeze faster, which helps preserve quality.
Packaging matters and varies depending on what you're freezing. If you choose glass over plastic containers, wrap, or bags, you'll need to make sure it's tempered so it doesn't break.
You can freeze meat in its original packaging, but if you want to store it for long periods of time, add an additional layer of packaging, such as plastic wrap or bags.
It's always a good idea to label items so you know what they are and how long they've been in the freezer.

Resist the temptation to defrost foods on your countertop. The three safest ways to thaw foods are in your fridge, in cold water, and in the microwave.

How to freeze fresh produce:
The key to freezing fresh fruit is to spread out the cleaned, dried, and prepared (cut up) pieces of fruit on cookie sheets. Once the individual pieces of fruit are frozen, you can combine and put in freezer bags. Some people prefer to pack fruits in sugar or sugar syrup to help preserve texture and flavor. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has tips on how to freeze specific fruits such as strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, and many more.
Vegetables usually need to be blanched (boiled or steamed for a short time) before freezing to maintain flavor, color, and texture. Blanching times vary depending on the vegetable. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a chart with blanching times for everything from corn to collard greens and simple instructions for how to freeze a large variety of vegetables.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

ATL's Newest Housewives

The latest installment of Bravo's Real Housewives series, has two new additions to the Atlanta cast, and returns for its third season last night and introduced viewers to: Phaedra Parks who is an entertainment lawyer on shows like 'Entertainment Tonight,' but her personal life is even juicier. Husband Apollo Nido served five years in jail for racketeering before his release in 2009.The other new addition is Cynthia Bailey, a model and restaurant owner whose first booking as a model was the cover of Essence Magazine. She recently got married in a surprise summer ceremony. Find out more about America's favorite 'Housewives,' from why Kim wears a wig to how much the ladies get paid.

Friday Laugh - The Landlord

Its Friday, let your hair down and Laugh, courtesy of Funnyordie.com There is even a funnier video or Tom Brady and Mike Tyson performing Bobby Brown's Every Little Step. I tried to post it but the Landlord pop-up. However, after previewing this video which is equally as funny, I decided to go with it.

How to Get Your Resume Noticed

The following article was posted on Yahoo's home page. I am hopeful you can benefit from the information. The article was written by Karen Burns who is an author, the name of her book is mentioned at the end of the article.

Fact: Job hunters obsess about resumes. Who wouldn't? There's so much to get right--functional versus chronological, objective statements (pro and con), key words, templates, references, font size, white space, action verbs, employment gaps, placement and style of bullets, typos, and whether to include hobbies (probably a "no" on that last one).
So much, in fact, that we often forget the most important ingredient of a really great, interview-obtaining, new-job-snagging resume: It needs to be written specifically for the job you're after.
Does that mean you have to do a new resume for every single position you apply for? Yes, that's exactly what it means.

[See 21 Secrets to Getting the Job.]

Fear not, this is not as laborious as it sounds. You don't have to start from scratch each time. All you need to do is edit--or refocus--your "master" resume to sync with the job in question. How?
--First, read and reread the job description. Study it. Ponder it. Identify the words and phrases the employer uses to describe the position.

--Next, take a look your work accomplishments, certifications, education, and experience. You should be keeping lists of all this stuff. This is the raw data you draw on to craft your resumes and cover letters, too.

--Then ask yourself which of your credentials can honestly be described using the same words and phrases the employer uses in the job description. --Finally, take those words and phrases and use them to describe yourself in your resume. From this point, all you have to do is plug in info from your master resume. See, it's not a total rewrite. In fact, most of your resume will stay the same. You'll find that customizing your resume gets easier each time you do it.

[See more job advice at U.S. News Careers.]

A few more thoughts to consider:
--If you use a career objective at the top of the page, it should include the exact job title of the position you're seeking.
--Remove experience/qualifications that have nothing to do with the job in question. You want to make it easy for employers to see the credentials they most care about.
--Try to figure out what credentials are of highest importance to the employer and put those first. Pretend you are in the employer's shoes and ask yourself, "What's my biggest need? What's most important to me about this job?" Talk to your mentor and contacts in the field. Try to find people who are already doing the job you want and ask them, "What is the most important part of your job?"
--If your past job titles are ambiguous, overly jargony, or don't obviously relate to the job you're applying for, rephrase them in laymen's terms--in a way that shows how those past jobs qualify you for this new job.

So, what's the worst mistake you can make on your resume? Failing to customize. It's a new employment market out there. A cookie-cutter resume just doesn't cut it anymore. You need to show your potential employer that you're applying for this job, not just any job. Good luck.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running

Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

Infant Formula Recall: Bug Contamination

According to Matthew Perrone, a health writer for the Associated Press, there is a recall on Similac baby formula.

WASHINGTON – Drugmaker Abbott Laboratories said Wednesday it is recalling millions of containers of its best-selling Similac infant formula that may be contaminated with insect parts.
The voluntary action affects up to 5 million Similac-brand powder formulas sold in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and some Caribbean countries. The company said the products may contain a small beetle or larvae, which could cause stomach ache and digestion problems.

The recall does not affect any liquid formulas or other Abbott-brand products.
A company spokeswoman said Abbott uncovered the insects last week in one section of a manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

"We immediately shut down that one area and began an investigation," said Abbott's Melissa Brotz. "We're in the process of resolving it now." Abbott manufactures Similac at several U.S. sites. Brotz said the company has been consulting with the Food and Drug Administration, which determined there was no "immediate health risk" from the contamination.

Consumers can enter the lot number on their containers online to determine if they are subject to the recall. The products should be returned to Abbott for a full refund.
"Delivering anything less than the highest quality infant formula is unacceptable to us," said Brotz. "We will do whatever is necessary to maintain the trust of parents in the coming weeks."
The affected products were sold in plastic containers and various can sizes, including 8-ounce (227-gram), 12.4-ounce (352-gram) and 12.9-ounce (366-gram).

Similac is the best-selling infant formula in the U.S. Abbott's nutritional products — which include adult brands like Ensure — had sales of $5.3 billion last year.
Abbott expects to lose $100 million in connection with the recall. However, the North Chicago, Illinois, company confirmed its third-quarter earnings guidance between $1.03 and $1.05 per share. Shares of Abbott Laboratories fell 16 cents to $51.99.

What Does the Patient's Bill of Rights Mean for Us?

The following message was emailed from the White House on behalf of the President:

Good morning,
Six months ago, Gail O'Brien didn’t know whether or not she would be able to treat her cancer. Betsy Burton wasn't sure if she could afford to keep paying the skyrocketing premiums for her employees' health insurance. Paul Horne was struggling to make ends meet after his prescription drug coverage hit the "donut hole." The thing about these stories is that they could happen to anybody. Millions of Americans -- maybe even you or someone you know -- have been struggling for years with our broken health care system. These stories are what inspired me to fight for the Affordable Care Act and made me so proud to sign this landmark legislation into law six months ago. Every day, I hear from Americans like Gail, Betsy and Paul, and a few of these folks have stepped forward to bravely share their stories with the entire country. Take a minute to hear what they have to say:

The Affordable Care Act is already making a difference in the lives of millions of Americans. And starting tomorrow, the Patient's Bill of Rights goes into effect, ending some of the worst abuses of the insurance industry and putting you, not your insurance company, in control of your health care. Here's what the Patient's Bill of Rights means for you:

No more discrimination against kids with pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies can no longer bar families from purchasing coverage because of a child's pre-existing condition.
No more lifetime coverage limits. Insurance companies can no longer put a lifetime limit on the amount of coverage you can receive.

Young adults can now stay on their parent's plan. Young adults can stay on their parent's health insurance plan up to age 26 if their job doesn't provide health care benefits -- a huge relief for many parents and recent college graduates.

Free preventive care. If you join or purchase a new plan, the insurance company will be required to provide preventive care like mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, pre-natal and baby care without charging you any out of pocket costs.

Freedom to choose your own doctor. If you purchase or join a new plan, you have the right to choose your own doctor in your insurer network.

No more restrictions on emergency room care. Insurance companies will not be allowed to charge you more for out of network emergency services if you purchase or join a new a plan.
This is a long-overdue victory for American consumers and patients. For years, millions of Americans have been at the mercy of their insurance companies as they jacked up rates, denied coverage or dropped patients all together.

Now, some opponents of this reform have pledged to "repeal and replace" all of the progress we've made over the past six months. But I refuse to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny a child health care due to a pre-existing condition or impose a lifetime limit on care for a cancer patient. Those days are over.

The Affordable Care Act provides basic rules of the road that make our health care system work for consumers. It cuts costs and will help us begin to get our fiscal house in order. And most importantly, it provides Americans with the peace of mind that their insurance will be there for them when they need it.

To learn more about the Patient’s Bill of Rights and the Affordable Care Act, visit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform
Sincerely,
President Barack Obama P.S. Last week, I surprised Gail O'Brien by calling her at home. You can see what happened here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform

Acid Attack A Hoax

According to AOL on line reporting, The Washington state woman who said a stranger threw acid on her face admits she inflicted the injuries on herself and made up the attack story, police said today.

Bethany Storro told police an unknown woman threw acid on her face outside a Starbucks in Vancouver, Wash., causing disfiguring burns.Bethany Storro, 28, had claimed an unknown woman approached her outside a Starbucks in Vancouver, Wash., on Aug. 30. Storro said the woman asked her, "Hey, pretty girl, want something to drink?" then threw acid in her face.Storro suffered disfiguring burns on her face. Police released a composite sketch of the attacker, described as a black woman with a ponytail, but they were unable to find any witnesses who had seen the incident. "During the course of the investigation, several discrepancies began to emerge regarding the alleged attack," Vancouver Police Chief Clifford Cook said today, according to KOMO News.Police served a search warrant at Storro's home this morning and removed several items. They did not say what those items were.After the search, police interviewed Storro again, and they said she admitted she made up the whole thing.

This is a police sketch of the woman who Storro said threw acid on her face."She is extremely upset and very remorseful," Cook said, according to The Columbian newspaper, which first raised suspicions about her story. "In many ways, this just got bigger than she expected."Police said they did not know a motive for the hoax. Clark County Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Fairgrieve told The Columbian his office would review the case. He said Storro could face charges of making a false or misleading statement to police, which is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Fairgrieve said prosecutors would take into account Storro's mental health before making any decision on charges.Reports of the attack made national headlines, and Storro made several media appearances. She had been scheduled to go on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" but canceled the appearance.
Filed under: Nation, Crime, Top Stories

Alternative Ways to Purchase Event Tickets

According to Lou Carlozo the are a number of alternative ticket sellers for the hottest ticket in town, Not so long ago, snagging a ticket to a concert or sporting event was as simple as sauntering up to a booth with cash in hand. Holy Hot Stub: You could buy a ticket to the first Super Bowl in 1967 for $10, and not worry about missing the action. The game wasn't even a sellout. Tickets to the last Beatles concert ever in 1966, just four months earlier? Between $4.50 and $6.50 (with more than 17,000 empty seats at Candlestick Park).

So why is it that today, if Lady Gaga staged 45 minutes of synchronized sneezing, or Miley Cyrus announced "Hanna Montana's Lipsynch Bonanza 2010," that tickets would be so freaking hard to get? Among other things, the ways people gain admission have multiplied faster than you can say "boy band." People use computers and charge cards; smartphones and ticket agencies; search engines and public auction sites. So numerous are the options, we wouldn't blame you if you thought you needed a ticket just to queue up to buy some tickets.But really, it's not that bad. Your friends at WalletPop have done the requisite research -- manning the phones, laptops and long lines so you don't have to -- all in the name of giving you a reserved seat to the bargain hunting. Care to join the show? Join us, then: We reserved a seat just for you, and you're just in time to watch the curtain rise on another Savings Experiment.That's the ticket: What options do I have?

To get a sense of how ticket buying works these days, it helps to know your options -- though not all of them, it's worth noting, seem either fair or attractive.First, there's ticketing's 800-pound gorilla -- or Snidely Whiplash, if you prefer: Ticketmaster. Remember them? They're the company that arena rockers Pearl Jam famously took on for their convenience charges. Well guess what? Ticketmaster won, and Eddie Vedder still has to explain that terrible cover version of "Last Kiss" -- though that's a debate for another time. But there's no debate that Ticketmaster's so-called "convenience charge" ranks as one of the most despicable monikers in the biz. Imagine if they called real estate taxes "public service enhancement fees," or parking tickets a "vehicle reminder certificate."

A convenience, in the true sense of the word, makes you feel good -- not like you've been ripped off thanks to someone's ability to spin the language. For every ticket Ticketmaster sells, that convenience charge amounts to roughly 20% of the total order price. On top of this, Ticketmaster also tacks on a non-convenient processing charge (less than $3 per order), and additional taxes. So all told, a $30 general admission ticket has about $9 worth of fees -- including a $2.50 printing charge. Hmmm. That must be some expensive ink and paper they use. You might think LiveNation would offer a more viable option, but since they're part of the same company that owns Ticketmaster, you're just going to get redirected to them. That leads us to option number 2, StubHub. Their service charges are lower -- about 10% of the ticket with a minimum of $5 -- but their shipping costs can run unreasonably high, in the $15 to $20 range. If you can print your own tickets, you're in luck. But that's only good for limited numbers of tickets, so be careful. It's also possible that certain high-demand concerts simply won't be listed there.

Additional sites do exist, among them TheTicketisRight.com, Lastminutetickets4less.com,Ticketsinventory.com and Ticketluck.com. But as with StubHub, watch out for delivery charges. Occasionally, these services will have better prices and and more availability. But you could spend a lot of time shopping around. What to do?Ticket freak, meet Seatgeek Seatgeek's unofficial motto is "We do math to save you money." Well, then: Since I hate math, love saving money and now have someone else to do the math for me, I think that's worth a definite look-see.Essentially, this is the go-to search engine for finding concert tickets. Seatgeek doesn't sell tickets; rather it gives you a list of sellers from five of the most popular online ticket vendors, showing you where the seats are and how much they'll cost (with fees included in the estimate). You can even set a price range, so it will only search for what you can afford.Also, Seatgeek has a "price forecast" that combines several market factors, as well as the history of sales, to figure out if it's worth buying tickets now -- especially if they're selling fast, or won't get any cheaper. It will also tell you whether you should hold out, as prices will likely hit a "sharp decrease." Geeky? You bet. But saving dough is way cool, thus Seatgeek has become a very popular site.

We highly recommended it.Note that Seatgeek can take a little while to load, but it's worth the wait, since it's a one-stop shop on the Internet for finding the cheapest concert ticket, or exactly where you want to sit for the big game. Also Seatgeek's estimates of how much a ticket costs do not include shipping, so beware, as most concert tix don't have an online printable option.Craigslist: Worth sticking your toe in for a stub?I continue to be an outspoken critic of Craigslist for many reasons. My personal experiences have been flaky, to say the least. One woman offering a couch refused to part with it until I and other interested parties answered a quiz: Most right answers wins! (Huh?) Another man listing a piano refused to return my calls. It simply fails to inspire the same kind of accountability in sellers that eBay does, and stories about people being victimized via Craigslist now seem to make headlines with increasing frequency.

Make no mistake: To work Craigslist, you will need patience, keen negotiating skills and a nose for sniffing out bargains as opposed to scams. But if you're a savvy shopper, it's a pretty decent option for scaring up tickets. Make sure to use a secured payment method such as Paypal, and beware of any after-dark rendezvous in a parking lot. Comparing the ticket vendors head to headWe chose a double bill of Arcade Fire and Spoon at two venues: in Nashville (at the Ryman Auditorium) and New York (at Madison Square Garden).

Here's what we found:TicketmasterRyman: $49 + $11.09 in taxes/fees (for lower level) = $62.59 ... or $39 + $10.49 taxes/fees (for balcony) + $2.50 printing fee = $51.99. Ticketmaster sold out as of July 26.MSG: $49.50 (standard admission) + $10.70 taxes/fees (per ticket) + $2.50 printing fee = $62.70. Best seat: 200sStubHubRyman: No tickets available. MSG: $32 (sec. 340) + $6.40 service fee + $4.95 printing fee = $43.35 (cheapest option) ... or $75 (floor seating) + $7.50 (service fee/ticket) + $4.95 printing fee = $87.45. Cheaper than Ticketmaster (if you have option to print online), but seats are not as good (one section higher).Theticketisright.comRyman: $167 + $5.00 delivery = $172MSG: $45 (100s sec.) + $9.00 service fee + $5.00 delivery = $59CraigslistRyman: $110-220/ticket (sold out show, no tickets on Ticketmaster or StubHub)MSG: $50-60 each (prices negotiable)

You can see that Craigslist does offer the option of buying tickets sold out elsewhere, and that where you buy tickets for other shows depends on a number of variables, including where you'd like to sit. Taking a swing at sports tixTwo key differences exist between sporting events and concerts: 1) sporting events have season ticket holders who, depending on the city and team, are often happy to sell their unused tickets for a reduced price, and 2) tickets can almost always be printed at home (from Ticketmaster and StubHub only) which saves a bundle on shipping ($10-15). StubHub is the uncontested winner for sports. Printable tickets are not an issue for sporting events; season ticket holders always have that option, so it's likely available on StubHub, and for prices below face value. Remember that StubHub gives people the option to sell their tickets, so it's become a popular destination for folks trying to unload passes for games they won't get out to see. Comedy, tragedy, seats for me: Scoping out theater eventsIn the theater world, it's the Big Apple, and everything outside it.

Let's look at New York first.TKTS Booths: There are three of these around the city, each usually open from 3-8 p.m. These provide discounts between 20-50% off full price of select Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, for performances that day (or next- day for matinees). There's a $4 service charge per ticket, but some downsides: Long lines (with only three booths), limited availability and hit-or-miss selection of shows. Plus, it's cash only. Student rush/lottery: This offers the best discount to Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Check a show's website to make sure that this is an option; often shows will hold a lottery for tickets a couple of hours before the show (see sites, time of lotteries vary). Since this is a crap shoot, resist making ironclad plans until you know what you can scoop up. But if you do get in, you'll pay about $20 a ticket. TDF (Theater Development Fund): This members-only option provides newsletters and huge discounts for various shows and performances. More than 80,000 qualified theater lovers who enjoy discounts of up to 70% on admissions to hundreds of Broadway, Off Broadway, music and dance productions each year.

To qualify for TDF membership, you must belong to one of the following groups: full-time students, full-time teachers, union members, retirees, civil service employees, staff members of not-for-profit organizations, performing arts professionals, the armed forces or clergy.Box Office purchases: Broadway tickets online cost an additional $7 per ticket plus a handling fee. Eliminate these costs by walking to the theater and buying your tickets there.Outside of New York, try these options for cheap seats:Goldstar.com: Most helpful in major cities: Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. It lists events going on in the area and provides significant discounts to those events with a (free) membership. Sometimes events are free, too.TKTS-type programs: These exist in cities around the U.S. in various forms. Search for non-profits in the area that support theater and the performing arts to find locations near you.

One example is Atlanta Performs' AtlanTIX.Youth discounts: Many local theaters and organizations have special discounts for young theatergoers, but info on such programs must be found on the theater's/organization's websites.Making the ticket schtick stick: Our best ticket advice condensedAs you try to make sense of shopping the best ticket prices, remember that you'll do best weighing several options, and jumping into the fray early rather than later in the sales cycle. That said, you can do well for same-day theater tickets, for example, provided you're flexible with what you see and where you'll sit. For small concerts, small bands, small venues and medium/large venues that will not sell out, it's usually best to simply buy your ticket at the door, or pick it up at will call. There are no printing or service charges and hopefully, this can be done without Ticketmaster and their fees. It's possible to find tickets on Craigslist for a discounted price (if it's a non-returnable ticket that the seller doesn't intend to use), but it's only a shot in the dark. Keep in mind concerts that cost $15-$30 aren't going to have major bargains anyway.

When a show is big/popular enough where tickets are severely limited on Ticketmaster, a better option will be StubHub and/or Craigslist. Ticketmaster will have the price to beat -- that is, if tickets are plentiful -- but StubHub will have more options if seating arrangements can vary. Craigslist is the best place to search for hidden gems. People often buy too many tickets, expecting to sell at a profit when the concert sells out. But if it doesn't, these people will be left desperate to sell their extras, probably at face value or cheaper; most people in this situation are willing to negotiate a price. Always check Craigslist; it's worth a shot, often people are friendly and willing to negotiate. That said, exercise proper caution when dealing with strangers here.

StubHub will likely have better sections and seating options (unless it's general admission). But these come with StubHub's burdensome shipping issue-- if there's no printable option, expect $15-$20 in shipping fees, on top of their 10% service fee. Don't expect to find too many bargains on StubHub.For sold out shows, Ticketmaster is usually not the answer. To them, a sold out show is a sold out show. But do keep in mind that in some cases, tickets go back on sale -- if a person's credit card, for example, denies the charge after they've "purchased" the tickets. Your best bet, though, is to check out StubHub, Craigslist, eBay, or sites suh as lastminutetickets4less.com or theticketisright.com – you won't get a discounted price, but you will find a ticket to the show.

For those with nothing to lose, show up at a concert venue and hour before the show and see if a last-minute pool of tickets has been released. Bands often hold tickets for industry big shots, media or friends; if those tickets go unclaimed, they're released for last-minute sale. As you might've guessed, these seats are usually the best in the house. For theater events, check out the show/theater's official site first. Details on how to receive discounted tickets are spelled out for most shows. Local non-profits that support the performing arts could also have discount ticket initiatives that are well worth checking out.For sports, look to StubHub for a healthy market on tickets being unloaded by season ticket holders who want to get rid of seats to events they can't attend. Check out Seatgeek.com as you begin your quest for the best ticket price.And so, we bring the curtain down on this version of the Savings Experiment. We hope that you enjoyed the show, and that the next time you stand in line, get on the phone or fire up the web browser to land a ticket, you'll think of us and the splendid time we spent together in search of entertainment bargains.

You might even say that all the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely savers.
Read more.

Ron Artest Auctioning Championship Ring for A Great Cause

The fact that Ron Artest(notes) is promoting mental health in schools today is amazing in its own right. Considering Artest went from throwing medicine in the garbage to being a government-approved mental-health spokesman in a matter of years, he knows as well as anybody the effectiveness of seeking out help. If that were the end of Artest's foray into mental-health awareness, that would be more than enough.
But since that was only the first graph of a blog post, that's not the end of the story. And really, since it's Ron Artest, there should be no surprise that there's more. Here's the latest development, which just might be more surprising than Artest's school speaking adventure. From NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper:
Artest finally won a title in June after 11 regular seasons of trying ... and now he's planning to sell the championship ring as a fundraiser to put more psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists in schools.

"I'm never going to put it on," he said.
Artest plans to soon announce details of what he hopes will become a worldwide auction, and he takes possession of the jewelry in an Oct. 26 pre-game ceremony before the Lakers open against the Rockets. It's an incredible gesture. But it's even more meaningful as a statement.
"You work so hard to get a ring, and now you have a chance to help more people than just yourself, instead of just satisfying yourself," he said. "What's better than that? For me, this is very important."

Awesome? Awesome. No one was happier to win last year's title than Ron Artest, so to see him give up something that obviously means the world to him — just to help people — is really cool. Better than cool, actually. Splendid? Heartwarming? Delightful? No words, really, but let's go with "astonishing." Yeah, that fits.

Ron Artest is a complicated dude — one day he's getting pulled over for driving a miniature race car and the next he's selling his championship ring for charity. Seems like a chill bro, nowadays. Pretty decent basketball player, too.

Campbell Testifies in Diamond Case

According to Toby Sterling a writer for the Associate Press - LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands – Naomi Campbell testified before a war crimes tribunal Thursday that she had received some "dirty-looking stones" after a 1997 dinner party with former Liberian ruler Charles Taylor. Still, the supermodel said she didn't know if the stones were actually diamonds or if the gift came from Taylor.

Campbell, an extremely reluctant witness at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, was being questioned in Taylor's war crimes trial about claims made by actress Mia Farrow. Farrow had said Taylor gave the model an uncut diamond or diamonds after an event hosted by then-South African President Nelson Mandela at his presidential mansion in Pretoria.

Prosecutors had hoped Campbell would provide evidence that Taylor traded guns to neighboring Sierra Leone rebels in exchange for uncut diamonds — sometimes known as "blood diamonds" for their role in financing conflicts — during Sierra Leone's 1992-2002 civil war.

Prosecutors say from his seat of power in Liberia, Taylor armed, trained and commanded Sierra Leone rebels who murdered and mutilated thousands of civilians across the border. Taylor, 62, says he is innocent of the 11 war crimes charges he faces, including murder, rape, sexual enslavement and recruiting child soldiers.

After fighting for months to avoid testifying, Campbell arrived at the courthouse in Leidschendam surrounded by a police escort. In contrast to her usual edgy fashion style, the British supermodel wore a demure cream two-piece outfit and piled up her straight dark hair into a classic chignon. The look was topped off with a silver "evil-eye" necklace.

Entering the courtroom fashionably late — several minutes after she was first summoned to take the stand — Campbell was calm and composed as she quickly answered questions from prosecutor Brenda Hollis for nearly two hours. "I didn't really want to be here," she said. "I just want to get this over with and get on with my life, this is a big inconvenience for me."

Campbell had declined to cooperate with prosecutors until judges last month ordered her to appear or face a possible sentence of up to seven years for contempt. Speaking confidently Thursday, Campbell testified that she was awakened in the middle of the night after the September 1997 dinner party by two black men at her door. She said they offered her a pouch they said was a gift for her with no further explanation. She said she frequently receives gifts from admirers and didn't look at it until the following morning.

"I saw a few stones in there. And they were small, dirty-looking stones," she said.
She said, at breakfast the following day, either Farrow or Campbell's former agent Carole White had told her the rocks must be diamonds and were probably a gift from Taylor. Campbell said she gave the stones to a friend, Jeremy Ratcliffe, who was the director of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, intending he use them for charity. She said she had called Ratcliffe a year ago to ask what he had done with the stones, and he told her he still had them.

It was the first time Ratcliffe's name had appeared at the trial. He is still a trustee of Mandela's charity but it was not immediately possible to reach him Thursday. There was no response to phone calls to his South African homes in Johannesburg or Plettenberg Bay or to his cell phone.
Hollis asked Campbell why she had been so reluctant to appear before the war crimes tribunal, and the model said she was afraid to be associated with Taylor.

"This is someone that I read up on the Internet that killed thousands of people supposedly and I don't want my family in any danger in any way," Campbell said. Taylor's defense attorney, Courtenay Griffiths, angrily objected, saying the line of questioning was "totally irrelevant" to Campbell's testimony. Campbell had been called to the stand by the prosecution, but she often seemed more comfortable answering questions from Griffiths, the defense attorney. Griffiths got Campbell to testify that some statements about the dinner given to prosecutors by Farrow and White were wrong. He said White has suggested that Campbell was seated next to Taylor at the dinner and flirted with him.

White is enmeshed in a legal dispute with Campbell. "This is a woman who has a powerful motive to lie about you?" Courtenay asked. "Correct," Campbell answered, with a slight smile. She said she sat between Mandela, whom she idolizes, and music producer Quincy Jones at the dinner. Appearing to take great pains to distance herself from former Liberian president, she repeated several times that she couldn't verify the stones were diamonds or that they came from Taylor. "They were kind of dirty looking pebbles ... when I'm used to seeing diamonds I'm used to seeing them shiny in a box," she said, smiling. "If someone hadn't said they were diamonds I wouldn't have guessed right away that they were."

She said Farrow had suggested they came from Taylor, and she merely agreed. She added she has never seen Taylor before or since that dinner. "I had never heard of Charles Taylor before, never heard of the country Liberia before, had never heard the term 'blood diamonds'," she said.
Both White and Farrow are to testify before the war crimes tribunal on Monday.
Frustrated by Campbell's answers, Hollis said Campbell appeared to be downplaying her friendliness with Taylor, pointing to a photograph in which they were standing next to each other at the dinner.

But Griffiths said it wasn't right for the prosecution to challenge the credibility of its own witness, and Judge Julia Sebutinde agreed. Hollis then argued Campbell should be considered a court witness, given that she had stonewalled prosecutors ahead of Thursday's testimony.
"You subpoenaed her and it was a prosecution witness," Sebutinde retorted.
Taylor, sitting in the defendant's chair, smiled at the exchange.

International law experts said Thursday's testimony by Campbell was unlikely to affect the course of the trial. But media turnout was extremely heavy, with more reporters and television crews attending than at any time since the trial began in January 2008.

"This whole episode with Naomi Campbell being called to testify, what's welcome about that is that it's thrown the international media attention back on to the issue of blood diamonds," Global Witness spokesman Oliver Courtney told AP Television News. "This is a problem that hasn't gone away, as we see continued human rights abuses linked to diamonds in countries like Zimbabwe."

Taylor has been in custody in the Netherlands since June 2006. He is the first former African head of state to stand trial at an international war crimes court. Campbell became one of the world's highest-paid models after being discovered while shopping in London at age 15. Now 40, the hot-tempered supermodel is no stranger to courtrooms, having faced a series of minor lawsuits and criminal cases over the years.

In June 2008 she pleaded guilty in an incident where she cursed, kicked and spat at police at London's Heathrow airport in a rage over a missing piece of luggage. She was sentenced to 200 hours of community service for that. Campbell also did a week of community service sweeping floors and scrubbing toilets in a Manhattan garbage-truck garage in 2007 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault for hurling a cell phone at her maid because of a vanished pair of jeans.
In 2000, Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto to an assault charge for beating an assistant who said the model whacked her on the head with a phone.
A few of Campbell's former aides and maids have sued her, accusing her of violent outbursts; some cases have been settled on undisclosed terms.
___
Associated Press Writer Michelle Faul in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

Supplements to Avoid

We Americans do love our dietary supplements. More than half of the adult population have taken them to stay healthy, lose weight, gain an edge in sports or in the bedroom, and avoid using prescription drugs. In 2009, we spent $26.7 billion on them, according to the Nutrition Business Journal, a trade publication.

What consumers might not realize, though, is that supplement manufacturers routinely, and legally, sell their products without first having to demonstrate that they are safe and effective. The Food and Drug Administration has not made full use of even the meager authority granted it by the industry--friendly 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
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As a result, the supplement marketplace is not as safe as it should be.
• We have identified a dozen supplement ingredients that we think consumers should avoid because of health risks, including cardiovascular, liver, and kidney problems. We found products with those ingredients readily available in stores and online.

• Because of inadequate quality control and inspection, supplements contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, or prescription drugs have been sold to unsuspecting consumers. And FDA rules covering manufacturing quality don’t apply to the companies that supply herbs, vitamins, and other raw ingredients.

• China, which has repeatedly been caught exporting contaminated products, is a major supplier of raw supplement ingredients. The FDA has yet to inspect a single factory there.
The lack of oversight leaves consumers like John Coolidge, 55, of Signal Mountain, Tenn., vulnerable. He started taking a supplement called Total Body Formula to improve his general health. But instead, he says, beginning in February 2008, he experienced one symptom after another: diarrhea, joint pain, hair loss, lung problems, and fingernails and toenails that fell off. “It just tore me up,” he said.

Eventually, hundreds of other reports of adverse reactions to the product came to the attention of the FDA, which inspected the manufacturer’s facilities and tested the contents of the products. Most of the samples contained more than 200 times the labeled amount of selenium and up to 17 times the recommended intake of chromium, according to the FDA.

In March 2008 the distributor voluntarily recalled the products involved. Coolidge is suing multiple companies for compensatory damages; they have denied the claims in court papers. His nails and hair have grown back, but he said he still suffers from serious breathing problems.

The Dirty Dozen
Working with experts from the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, an independent research group, we identified a group of ingredients (out of nearly 1,100 in the database) linked to serious adverse events by clinical research or case reports. To come up with our dozen finalists, we also considered factors such as whether the ingredients were effective for their purported uses and how readily available they were to consumers. We then shopped for them online and in stores near our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters and easily found all of them for sale in June 2010.

The dozen are aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, comfrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia, and yohimbe. The FDA has warned about at least eight of them, some as long ago as 1993.

Why are they still for sale? Two national retailers we contacted about specific supplements said they carried them because the FDA has not banned them. The agency has “the authority to immediately remove them from the market, and we would follow the FDA recommendation,” said a spokeswoman for the Vitamin Shoppe chain.

Most of the products we bought had warning labels, but not all did. A bottle of silver we purchased was labeled “perfectly safe,” with an asterisked note that said the FDA had not evaluated the claim. In fact, the FDA issued a consumer advisory about silver (including colloidal silver) in 2009, with good reason: Sold for its supposed immune system “support,” it can permanently turn skin bluish-gray.

Janis Dowd, 56, of Bartlesville, Okla., says she started taking colloidal silver in 2000 after reading online that it would keep her Lyme disease from returning. She says her skin changed color so gradually that she didn’t notice, but others did. “They kept saying, ‘You look a little blue.’” Laser treatments have erased almost all the discoloration from Dowd’s face and neck, but she said it’s not feasible to treat the rest of her body.

Under the DSHEA, it is difficult for the FDA to put together strong enough evidence to order products off the market. To date, it has banned only one ingredient, ephedrine alkaloids. That effort dragged on for a decade, during which ephedra weight-loss products were implicated in thousands of adverse events, including deaths. Instead of attempting any more outright bans, the agency issued warnings, detained imported products, and asked companies to recall products it considered unsafe.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on Yahoo!

$1.00 Popcorn and Drinks - This Sunday Only

Valid through July 25Haven't seen the latest box office blockbuster? This Sunday, July 25, AMC Lowes is giving movie fans a break at the concession stand. You can buy any size fountain drink and popcorn for just one dollar each. Just click on the "claim coupon" button, enter your information and print your individual coupons for soda and popcorn, which can be used together, but not with any other offers. The coupons are valid for one moviegoer only, so if you're going with a group, make sure to pass this deal on to them before you meet up. AMC Glendale 12, AMC Olde Town 14, and all Canadian locations are not participating in this offer. Now sit back, enjoy the show and know you got a great deal!

GOP Thinks Cain Can Unseat Obama

Herman Cain is many things, including an African-American Republican, a former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza, a cancer survivor -- and the host of a popular radio show in Georgia. Recently, a "Draft Cain" movement has emerged, with the goal of drafting Cain into a presidential run. According to Doug Deal, the creator of the "Draft Cane" Facebook page, this is a grassroots effort to "try to help convince him that there's support out there for him."What makes Herman Cain an especially potent force is his charisma, and the fact that his supporters don't just admire him -- they love him. "He has the ability to really have the 'wow' factor," said Maurice Atkinson, another leader of the Draft Cain movement.

Almost everyone I talked to described Cain as a man of principle and someone with strong leadership skills -- desirable traits in the Oval Office, regardless of ideology. "Herman Cain is an unconventional politician and a leader in every way," said Martha Zoller, host of a popular conservative radio talk show based out of Gainesville, Florida. "He makes things happen and understands the two things lacking in the current administration -- American exceptionalism and economic principles."The fact that Cain is a black Republican doesn't hurt his chances, either. As Politico's Roger Simon recently wrote of Michael Steele: "As a black Republican nominee, Steele could get many of the white votes a Republican usually gets while cutting into the Democratic black vote. In this manner, he could defeat Obama in 2012.

And that would be his pitch for getting his party's nomination."If that's true, then Herman Cain may be Michael Steele without the baggage. "I think Herman could effectively heal the race divide," Atkinson said. Cain has been laying the groundwork for a run. For example, he was the featured speaker at a recent Tea Party held in Des Moines, Iowa, he has already lined up the support of Joe the Plumber – and he has launched a political action committee called The Hermanator PAC.When not speaking to Tea Party conservatives, Cain has been buttressing his party bona fides, speaking at insider GOP events like the recent 2010 Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) in New Orleans.

It was there that Cain publicly hinted he might be planning on running for president. In his closing remarks in New Orleans, Cain said: "There are a lot of people that might be interested in seeking the nomination, but I want you to remember one thing – there might also be a dark horse candidate you don't know about." Cain walked off stage as the crowd went wild. After the speech, Cain reiterated his possible interest in running, telling Melissa Clouthier and Tabatha Hale, "If I don't see results, I may just have to take matters into my own hands."Although Cain is hardly a household name, few would deny that his resume is anything but impressive. He holds a master's degree in computer science from Purdue University and was a corporate vice president for Burger King before running Godfather's Pizza. Previously, he served as chairman of the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City -- and was chairman of the board for the National Restaurant Association.He's never been elected to public office, but Cain did briefly run a quixotic campaign for president in 2000.

In 2004, he ran for U.S. Senate in Georgia, coming in second place to then-Congressman Johnny Isakson in the Republican primary (many believe that had Cain forced a runoff, he would have defeated Isakson in a head-to-head match-up). During the campaign, Cain was criticized for having previously donated money to former Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, a Democrat.Cain says his presidential campaign in 2000 was more about making a point than winning. "George W. Bush was the chosen one," Cain told me. "He had the campaign DNA that followers look for." But Cain also added, "I believe that I had a better message and I believe that I was the better messenger."Cain blames himself for the loss in 2004, however, saying, "I did not start soon enough." He added that he intends to avoid that same mistake next time around, saying he learned he entered the race too late last time, adding, "that's why I'm in prayerful consideration now."GOP strategist Carlyle Gregory said he liked Cain, but doubted that voters would send someone to the White House who has never held office. "Although it sounds like a great idea to elect a non-politician," Gregory said, "the last time that worked was in 1952 when we elected Ike, and he was a revered and respected household name, having been successful in another rather important endeavor."

Dan Hazelwood, a veteran Republican campaign consultant, echoes Gregory, reminding me that movement conservatives who pine for the next Ronald Reagan sometimes forget that Reagan set the stage for his presidency by traveling the country speaking about bedrock American values for more than a decade while working as a spokesman for General Electric, and that the Gipper followed that stint by serving for two terms as governor of the most populous state in the union. While at G.E., Ronald Reagan honed his skill as the "Great Communicator," and in Sacramento, he learned how to horse trade with a Democratic majority in the legislative branch. "Herman Cain can point to his values and business, but he can't say he's ever successfully translated that politically," Hazelwood said. "Everyone forgets Ronald Reagan not only had a vision, but he also had the political skills to change the system."These strategists raise a good point. We all like to denigrate career politicians, but they do know how to win elections. When I asked Cain if he would be willing to put some of his personal fortune into winning the 2012 Iowa caucuses -- a move some GOP strategists tell me would be needed for Cain to be viewed as viable -- he flatly answered, "No.""The typical strategists want to give you a typical strategy for the usual suspects.

I'm not the usual suspect," he said, laughing. "There are certain fundamental things you need to do, but I've chosen to go unconventional in some ways."Cain has had much success by being unconventional. When he took over the struggling Godfather's Pizza, parent company Pillsbury thought it was a lost cause. The conventional wisdom said to invest more money in marketing, but Cain cut the marketing budget and focused on providing the best service in the business. His move paid off, Godfather's became a success -- and Herman Cain learned he could win by doing things his own way.Cain is aided by the fact that he is a full-spectrum conservative with solid fiscal and social credentials. Christian conservatives love him, but unlike, say Mike Huckabee, who excited social conservatives but alienated fiscal conservatives, Cain also has solid economic credentials. The Club for Growth (an influential organization of economic conservatives -- a group Huckabee once called "The Club for Greed") endorsed Cain for senate in 2004.

Cain is also close with fiscal conservative, and two-time presidential candidate, Steve Forbes.If Cain does decide to run, some are sure to compare him to Alan Keyes, another African-American Republican who ran quixotically for president in 2000. This would be a faulty analogy, almost as off-base as Bill Clinton's comparison of Barack Obama to Jesse Jackson. Most serious conservatives have long considered Keyes a fringe candidate. Cain, conversely, has actually gained credibility in recent years.My guess is that Cain will run. I'm skeptical about his chances of winning, but I'm bullish about his odds of surprising a lot of people with a strong showing. Every cycle, a select few among the candidates emerge from the presidential scrums with their reputations enhanced. And who knows? Maybe Republicans will decide it takes the former Godfather's boss to take on a political machine some refer to as, "The Chicago Way."
Filed Under: Republicans, 2012 President, Conservatives, Matt Lewis and the News
Tagged: Herman Cain

Page Three of McCrystal's Interview

The assembled men may look and sound like a bunch of combat veterans letting off steam, but in fact this tight-knit group represents the most powerful force shaping U.S. policy in Afghanistan. While McChrystal and his men are in indisputable command of all military aspects of the war, there is no equivalent position on the diplomatic or political side. Instead, an assortment of administration players compete over the Afghan portfolio: U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, Special Representative to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, National Security Advisor Jim Jones and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, not to mention 40 or so other coalition ambassadors and a host of talking heads who try to insert themselves into the mess, from John Kerry to John McCain. This diplomatic incoherence has effectively allowed McChrystal's team to call the shots and hampered efforts to build a stable and credible government in Afghanistan. "It jeopardizes the mission," says Stephen Biddle, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who supports McChrystal. "The military cannot by itself create governance reform."

Part of the problem is structural: The Defense Department budget exceeds $600 billion a year, while the State Department receives only $50 billion. But part of the problem is personal: In private, Team McChrystal likes to talk shit about many of Obama's top people on the diplomatic side. One aide calls Jim Jones, a retired four-star general and veteran of the Cold War, a "clown" who remains "stuck in 1985." Politicians like McCain and Kerry, says another aide, "turn up, have a meeting with Karzai, criticize him at the airport press conference, then get back for the Sunday talk shows. Frankly, it's not very helpful." Only Hillary Clinton receives good reviews from McChrystal's inner circle. "Hillary had Stan's back during the strategic review," says an adviser. "She said, 'If Stan wants it, give him what he needs.' "

McChrystal reserves special skepticism for Holbrooke, the official in charge of reintegrating the Taliban. "The Boss says he's like a wounded animal," says a member of the general's team. "Holbrooke keeps hearing rumors that he's going to get fired, so that makes him dangerous. He's a brilliant guy, but he just comes in, pulls on a lever, whatever he can grasp onto. But this is COIN, and you can't just have someone yanking on shit."

Michael Hastings at the ISAF base in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Photograph by Mikhail Galustov for RollingStone/Redux
At one point on his trip to Paris, McChrystal checks his BlackBerry. "Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke," he groans. "I don't even want to open it." He clicks on the message and reads the salutation out loud, then stuffs the BlackBerry back in his pocket, not bothering to conceal his annoyance.

"Make sure you don't get any of that on your leg," an aide jokes, referring to the e-mail.
By far the most crucial – and strained – relationship is between McChrystal and Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador. According to those close to the two men, Eikenberry – a retired three-star general who served in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2005 – can't stand that his former subordinate is now calling the shots. He's also furious that McChrystal, backed by NATO's allies, refused to put Eikenberry in the pivotal role of viceroy in Afghanistan, which would have made him the diplomatic equivalent of the general. The job instead went to British Ambassador Mark Sedwill – a move that effectively increased McChrystal's influence over diplomacy by shutting out a powerful rival. "In reality, that position needs to be filled by an American for it to have weight," says a U.S. official familiar with the negotiations.

The relationship was further strained in January, when a classified cable that Eikenberry wrote was leaked to The New York Times. The cable was as scathing as it was prescient. The ambassador offered a brutal critique of McChrystal's strategy, dismissed President Hamid Karzai as "not an adequate strategic partner," and cast doubt on whether the counterinsurgency plan would be "sufficient" to deal with Al Qaeda. "We will become more deeply engaged here with no way to extricate ourselves," Eikenberry warned, "short of allowing the country to descend again into lawlessness and chaos."

McChrystal and his team were blindsided by the cable. "I like Karl, I've known him for years, but they'd never said anything like that to us before," says McChrystal, who adds that he felt "betrayed" by the leak. "Here's one that covers his flank for the history books. Now if we fail, they can say, 'I told you so.' "

The most striking example of McChrystal's usurpation of diplomatic policy is his handling of Karzai. It is McChrystal, not diplomats like Eikenberry or Holbrooke, who enjoys the best relationship with the man America is relying on to lead Afghanistan. The doctrine of counterinsurgency requires a credible government, and since Karzai is not considered credible by his own people, McChrystal has worked hard to make him so. Over the past few months, he has accompanied the president on more than 10 trips around the country, standing beside him at political meetings, or shuras, in Kandahar. In February, the day before the doomed offensive in Marja, McChrystal even drove over to the president's palace to get him to sign off on what would be the largest military operation of the year. Karzai's staff, however, insisted that the president was sleeping off a cold and could not be disturbed. After several hours of haggling, McChrystal finally enlisted the aid of Afghanistan's defense minister, who persuaded Karzai's people to wake the president from his nap.

This is one of the central flaws with McChrystal's counterinsurgency strategy: The need to build a credible government puts us at the mercy of whatever tin-pot leader we've backed – a danger that Eikenberry explicitly warned about in his cable. Even Team McChrystal privately acknowledges that Karzai is a less-than-ideal partner. "He's been locked up in his palace the past year," laments one of the general's top advisers. At times, Karzai himself has actively undermined McChrystal's desire to put him in charge. During a recent visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Karzai met three U.S. soldiers who had been wounded in Uruzgan province. "General," he called out to McChrystal, "I didn't even know we were fighting in Uruzgan!"

Growing up as a military brat, McChrystal exhibited the mixture of brilliance and cockiness that would follow him throughout his career. His father fought in Korea and Vietnam, retiring as a two-star general, and his four brothers all joined the armed services. Moving around to different bases, McChrystal took solace in baseball, a sport in which he made no pretense of hiding his superiority: In Little League, he would call out strikes to the crowd before whipping a fastball down the middle.

McChrystal entered West Point in 1972, when the U.S. military was close to its all-time low in popularity. His class was the last to graduate before the academy started to admit women. The "Prison on the Hudson," as it was known then, was a potent mix of testosterone, hooliganism and reactionary patriotism. Cadets repeatedly trashed the mess hall in food fights, and birthdays were celebrated with a tradition called "rat fucking," which often left the birthday boy outside in the snow or mud, covered in shaving cream. "It was pretty out of control," says Lt. Gen. David Barno, a classmate who went on to serve as the top commander in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. The class, filled with what Barno calls "huge talent" and "wild-eyed teenagers with a strong sense of idealism," also produced Gen. Ray Odierno, the current commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.

The son of a general, McChrystal was also a ringleader of the campus dissidents – a dual role that taught him how to thrive in a rigid, top-down environment while thumbing his nose at authority every chance he got. He accumulated more than 100 hours of demerits for drinking, partying and insubordination – a record that his classmates boasted made him a "century man." One classmate, who asked not to be named, recalls finding McChrystal passed out in the shower after downing a case of beer he had hidden under the sink. The troublemaking almost got him kicked out, and he spent hours subjected to forced marches in the Area, a paved courtyard where unruly cadets were disciplined. "I'd come visit, and I'd end up spending most of my time in the library, while Stan was in the Area," recalls Annie, who began dating McChrystal in 1973.
McChrystal wound up ranking 298 out of a class of 855, a serious underachievement for a man widely regarded as brilliant. His most compelling work was extracurricular: As managing editor of The Pointer, the West Point literary magazine, McChrystal wrote seven short stories that eerily foreshadow many of the issues he would confront in his career. In one tale, a fictional officer complains about the difficulty of training foreign troops to fight; in another, a 19-year-old soldier kills a boy he mistakes for a terrorist. In "Brinkman's Note," a piece of suspense fiction, the unnamed narrator appears to be trying to stop a plot to assassinate the president. It turns out, however, that the narrator himself is the assassin, and he's able to infiltrate the White House: "The President strode in smiling. From the right coat pocket of the raincoat I carried, I slowly drew forth my 32-caliber pistol. In Brinkman's failure, I had succeeded."

After graduation, 2nd Lt. Stanley McChrystal entered an Army that was all but broken in the wake of Vietnam. "We really felt we were a peacetime generation," he recalls. "There was the Gulf War, but even that didn't feel like that big of a deal." So McChrystal spent his career where the action was: He enrolled in Special Forces school and became a regimental commander of the 3rd Ranger Battalion in 1986. It was a dangerous position, even in peacetime – nearly two dozen Rangers were killed in training accidents during the Eighties. It was also an unorthodox career path: Most soldiers who want to climb the ranks to general don't go into the Rangers. Displaying a penchant for transforming systems he considers outdated, McChrystal set out to revolutionize the training regime for the Rangers. He introduced mixed martial arts, required every soldier to qualify with night-vision goggles on the rifle range and forced troops to build up their endurance with weekly marches involving heavy backpacks.

In the late 1990s, McChrystal shrewdly improved his inside game, spending a year at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and then at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he co-authored a treatise on the merits and drawbacks of humanitarian interventionism. But as he moved up through the ranks, McChrystal relied on the skills he had learned as a troublemaking kid at West Point: knowing precisely how far he could go in a rigid military hierarchy without getting tossed out. Being a highly intelligent badass, he discovered, could take you far – especially in the political chaos that followed September 11th. "He was very focused," says Annie. "Even as a young officer he seemed to know what he wanted to do. I don't think his personality has changed in all these years."

Page Two of McChrystal's Interview

From the start, McChrystal was determined to place his personal stamp on Afghanistan, to use it as a laboratory for a controversial military strategy known as counterinsurgency. COIN, as the theory is known, is the new gospel of the Pentagon brass, a doctrine that attempts to square the military's preference for high-tech violence with the demands of fighting protracted wars in failed states. COIN calls for sending huge numbers of ground troops to not only destroy the enemy, but to live among the civilian population and slowly rebuild, or build from scratch, another nation's government – a process that even its staunchest advocates admit requires years, if not decades, to achieve. The theory essentially rebrands the military, expanding its authority (and its funding) to encompass the diplomatic and political sides of warfare: Think the Green Berets as an armed Peace Corps. In 2006, after Gen. David Petraeus beta-tested the theory during his "surge" in Iraq, it quickly gained a hardcore following of think-tankers, journalists, military officers and civilian officials. Nicknamed "COINdinistas" for their cultish zeal, this influential cadre believed the doctrine would be the perfect solution for Afghanistan. All they needed was a general with enough charisma and political savvy to implement it.

As McChrystal leaned on Obama to ramp up the war, he did it with the same fearlessness he used to track down terrorists in Iraq: Figure out how your enemy operates, be faster and more ruthless than everybody else, then take the fuckers out. After arriving in Afghanistan last June, the general conducted his own policy review, ordered up by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The now-infamous report was leaked to the press, and its conclusion was dire: If we didn't send another 40,000 troops – swelling the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan by nearly half – we were in danger of "mission failure." The White House was furious. McChrystal, they felt, was trying to bully Obama, opening him up to charges of being weak on national security unless he did what the general wanted. It was Obama versus the Pentagon, and the Pentagon was determined to kick the president's ass.

Official White House photo by Pete Souza
Last fall, with his top general calling for more troops, Obama launched a three-month review to re-evaluate the strategy in Afghanistan. "I found that time painful," McChrystal tells me in one of several lengthy interviews. "I was selling an unsellable position." For the general, it was a crash course in Beltway politics – a battle that pitted him against experienced Washington insiders like Vice President Biden, who argued that a prolonged counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan would plunge America into a military quagmire without weakening international terrorist networks. "The entire COIN strategy is a fraud perpetuated on the American people," says Douglas Macgregor, a retired colonel and leading critic of counterinsurgency who attended West Point with McChrystal. "The idea that we are going to spend a trillion dollars to reshape the culture of the Islamic world is utter nonsense.

In the end, however, McChrystal got almost exactly what he wanted. On December 1st, in a speech at West Point, the president laid out all the reasons why fighting the war in Afghanistan is a bad idea: It's expensive; we're in an economic crisis; a decade-long commitment would sap American power; Al Qaeda has shifted its base of operations to Pakistan. Then, without ever using the words "victory" or "win," Obama announced that he would send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, almost as many as McChrystal had requested. The president had thrown his weight, however hesitantly, behind the counterinsurgency crowd.

Today, as McChrystal gears up for an offensive in southern Afghanistan, the prospects for any kind of success look bleak. In June, the death toll for U.S. troops passed 1,000, and the number of IEDs has doubled. Spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the fifth-poorest country on earth has failed to win over the civilian population, whose attitude toward U.S. troops ranges from intensely wary to openly hostile. The biggest military operation of the year – a ferocious offensive that began in February to retake the southern town of Marja – continues to drag on, prompting McChrystal himself to refer to it as a "bleeding ulcer." In June, Afghanistan officially outpaced Vietnam as the longest war in American history – and Obama has quietly begun to back away from the deadline he set for withdrawing U.S. troops in July of next year. The president finds himself stuck in something even more insane than a quagmire: a quagmire he knowingly walked into, even though it's precisely the kind of gigantic, mind-numbing, multigenerational nation-building project he explicitly said he didn't want.

Even those who support McChrystal and his strategy of counterinsurgency know that whatever the general manages to accomplish in Afghanistan, it's going to look more like Vietnam than Desert Storm. "It's not going to look like a win, smell like a win or taste like a win," says Maj. Gen. Bill Mayville, who serves as chief of operations for McChrystal. "This is going to end in an argument."

The night after his speech in Paris, McChrystal and his staff head to Kitty O'Shea's, an Irish pub catering to tourists, around the corner from the hotel. His wife, Annie, has joined him for a rare visit: Since the Iraq War began in 2003, she has seen her husband less than 30 days a year. Though it is his and Annie's 33rd wedding anniversary, McChrystal has invited his inner circle along for dinner and drinks at the "least Gucci" place his staff could find. His wife isn't surprised. "He once took me to a Jack in the Box when I was dressed in formalwear," she says with a laugh.
The general's staff is a handpicked collection of killers, spies, geniuses, patriots, political operators and outright maniacs.

There's a former head of British Special Forces, two Navy Seals, an Afghan Special Forces commando, a lawyer, two fighter pilots and at least two dozen combat veterans and counterinsurgency experts. They jokingly refer to themselves as Team America, taking the name from the South Park-esque sendup of military cluelessness, and they pride themselves on their can-do attitude and their disdain for authority. After arriving in Kabul last summer, Team America set about changing the culture of the International Security Assistance Force, as the NATO-led mission is known. (U.S. soldiers had taken to deriding ISAF as short for "I Suck at Fighting" or "In Sandals and Flip-Flops.") McChrystal banned alcohol on base, kicked out Burger King and other symbols of American excess, expanded the morning briefing to include thousands of officers and refashioned the command center into a Situational Awareness Room, a free-flowing information hub modeled after Mayor Mike Bloomberg's offices in New York. He also set a manic pace for his staff, becoming legendary for sleeping four hours a night, running seven miles each morning, and eating one meal a day. (In the month I spend around the general, I witness him eating only once.) It's a kind of superhuman narrative that has built up around him, a staple in almost every media profile, as if the ability to go without sleep and food translates into the possibility of a man single-handedly winning the war.

By midnight at Kitty O'Shea's, much of Team America is completely shitfaced. Two officers do an Irish jig mixed with steps from a traditional Afghan wedding dance, while McChrystal's top advisers lock arms and sing a slurred song of their own invention. "Afghanistan!" they bellow. "Afghanistan!" They call it their Afghanistan song.

McChrystal steps away from the circle, observing his team. "All these men," he tells me. "I'd die for them. And they'd die for me."