Security contractors from Blackwater, USA securing a road in Baghdad.

Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images

 

Blackwater, Custer Battles, DynCorps, Triple Canopy, Agility Logistics. They're among the more than 300 security contractors reported to have worked for the United States government in Iraq. They protect U.S. and Iraqi officials, guard buildings and convoys. Contractors are often former military. They are generally well armed, and well paid. But, there is very little direct oversight by the government or military. Since the war began in 2003, several controversial events have come up. NPR's Corey Flintoff compiled a timeline of several notable events involving Blackwater USA, to which I'll add several other dates:

March 2004: Iraqi insurgents kill four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah, Iraq. Their bodies are set afire and dragged through the streets before being hanged from a bridge over the Euphrates River. The incident was one of the factors leading to the first Battle of Fallujah in April, in which the American military tried unsuccessfully to capture the city.

June 2004: Coalitional Provisional Authority chief Paul Bremer issues Order 17, making private contractors immune from Iraqi law.

September 2004: Private contractor Custer Battles is barred by the Pentagon from receiving further U.S. government contracts.

June 2005: Blackwater guards shoot and kill an Iraqi man in Hilla, south of Baghdad. The guards fail to report the incident, which a U.S. State Department memo describes as "the random death of an innocent Iraqi citizen."

September 2006: A Blackwater security convoy traveling on the wrong side of the road collides with a civilian vehicle. Blackwater personnel reported that they couldn't rescue the civilian driver, because his car burst into flames.

December 2006: A Blackwater guard is accused of killing one of the security guards of Iraq's vice president in the Green Zone. Blackwater fires the man for "violating alcohol and firearm policy," but he is not prosecuted.

September 2007: Blackwater guards on a State Department convoy open fire in Nisoor Square in Baghdad, killing 17 Iraqis and wounding about two dozen others. An FBI investigation finds that at least 14 of the shootings were not justified.

November 2008: Federal prosecutors draft an indictment against six Blackwater security guards who killed 17 civilians in a crowded square in Baghdad.

A Great Depression era family in California.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection

 

It seems folks have become pretty comfortable throwing around the R-word: Recession. Recently, however, fears of the D-word have crept into conversations around me: What if we end up in a depression? The family above knows depression -- the Great Depression. Famed photographer Dorothea Lange captured their image -- and their story. According to her, this family of 13 moved to California in 1936, after they were forced out of Oklahoma by the drought:

Since then has been traveling from crop to crop in California, following the harvest. Six of the eleven children attend school wherever the family stops long enough. Five older children work along with the father and mother. February 23, two of the family have been lucky and "got a place" (a day's work) in the peas on the Sinclair ranch. Father had earned about one dollar and seventy-three cents for ten-hour day. Oldest daughter had earned one dollar and twenty-five cents. Form [From] these earnings had to provide their transportation to the fields twenty miles away. Mother wants to return to Oklahoma, father unwilling.She says, "I want to go back to where we can live happym [happy] live decent, and grow what we eat." He says, "We can't go the way I am now. We've got nothing in the world to farm with. I made my mistake when I came out here."

That was the Depression. That's how a depression, as Americans know it, looked. And there's more. Below are the children of a turpentine worker near Cordele, Alabama. Their father earns one dollar a day.

Children of a turpentine worker, 1936.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection

 

You can find more stories from the Depression, originally published in Michigan History Magazine in 1982, here, and a collection of Depression-era recipes here.

In our second hour, we'll talk with Pultizer Prize winning reporter Steve Fainaru about the role security contractors play in Iraq. Fainaru has traveled to Iraq eleven times since the start of the war with a focus on private secuity contractors. He documented this facet of the military in his new book, Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting In Iraq. Then, we'll talk about the parallel comparisons of the current financial crisis with the major economic downturn that began in 1929. We want to hear from those of you who actually lived through the Great Depression. What was it like, and what did you learn?

This book is actually good.

Source: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Dear Tweenagers* --

I know you're getting all gussied up to go to the mall at midnight and watch Bella and Edward smolder at each other. You're probably knee-deep in kohl (that's eyeliner, kids!) and that Wet 'N Wild lip pencil that should be named "Undead," so I'll make it quick in case you smudge your laptop.

I don't want to belittle the Twilight series too much -- first of all, I really admire Stephanie Meyer's work ethic, and second of all, I like it when people your age (youngsters! as my mom used to say) read. After all, there's so much good reading for you to do! Also, I love vamps, from Nosferatu to Buffy, and I'll roll with a good sex/death metaphor a pretty long way.

Okay, so, prepare for the sacrilege, here. What really bugs me isn't the schlock ("Look after my heart, I've left it with you."), or the redundant descriptions of how beautiful Edward is (He's hot! He's pale! He's dangerous! He's a VAMPIRE!). It's the conceit that someone as smart as Bella would run off with a dude who seems to only dig her because she smells good. Ladies, hear me now. You can do better. Find a guy that makes you laugh, and loves your flaws -- a Mr. Knightley instead of a Mr. Rochester.

And in the meantime, if you must get dark and deep, read Meredith Ann Pierce's excellent Darkangel series. It's still hot, I promise you.

That's it. Have fun at the movies if you must, but don't stay out too late. There are much worse things then the Volturi clan waiting for you -- and most of them are human.

Best of luck,
Barrie

*I know, the chances that a tween would be reading this are as great as a tween knowing the difference between the Messrs. Knightley and Rochester.

You too, can buy an expensive handbag for less than half its price, and then overfill it until it looks like a garbage sack anyway.

Source: Barrie Hardymon

So, you've spotted something gorgeous online while working. (Sometimes Bluefly gives me story ideas!) And let us also suppose that you are quite deserving of a little soupcon -- an eensy lagniappe that would make you work even harder in the future. (I've picked something very extravagant, yes, but that's because I've been working reeeeaaaally hard.) But no way are you going to pay upwards of five bills for that thing! Here's how:

1.) Get a pen and pencil. And maybe a cup of tea! (You have to keep your strength up.)
2.) Find five websites that carry it. Or ten! (It depends on your stamina.) Do a bunch of searches for the different names of the item -- and keep those windows open in tabs, or if you prefer, write down the websites.
3.) Note which websites have free shipping standard (many of them do now), or which have free shipping over a certain amount.
4.) All right, people -- here's the thrilling bit (Take a bracing sip of tea): Head for the coupon meccas of the web! My favorite is this one: RetailMeNot. I usually hit it first, and find what I need. And check the comments section there too -- the community is really great at pinpointing how to use codes properly. I really like NaughtyCodes, which collects coupons that are sent to select customers only. Of course, there's always DealCatcher, Currentcodes, Couponmountain, and the active folks at Fatwallet.
5) Now start comparing prices! And don't forget to include shipping. A 20% off coupon doesn't mean anything if the store is going to nail you on the taxes and shipping (I'm looking at you, RH).
6) Bingo! Found it for 30% off, free shipping! Now that nasty $528 purse is a cool $369. Wait. That's still kind of expensive. Sigh.
7) Do this every time, for every thing! You will save so much money. I don't buy cat litter without comparing online coupons -- and I'm getting to the point where paying shipping costs seems idiotic.
8) Waterproof your fancy new bag as soon as you get it. (You can find a coupon for leather treatments, too.)
9) Repeat.

The Saudi-owned oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates.

William S. Stevens/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

 

The more frequently I hear reports about pirates commandeering oil tankers and taking hostages, the more agitated I become. It's all about semantics*. When I think of pirates, I think of Johnny Depp, I think of Captain Hook and Smee, and I think of that little lego guy. What I do not think of, however, is scary thugs taking down ships and gathering hostages off the coast of Africa. Of course, actual pirates were and continue to be terrifying criminals (as opposed to swashbuckling rogues), but to me, anyway, the Disney-fication of their vocation has changed things. Many of us at TOTN are having a little trouble calling them pirates, and today we brainstormed some new ways to talk about the high-seas hijackers. Or nautical terrorists. Or maritime marauders. What do you think? Am I being ridiculously nit-picky, or is there something a little strange about calling these criminals "pirates"?

*Shocking, I know.

If there are any friends or family members of mine who are reading this post, please be advised: You will not be getting any Christmas presents from me this year. Seriously. No, I mean it. I may get creative this year, though. If it's something that I made or something that I baked, I may catch the Christmas spirit, wrap it up, and give it to someone. But you've got to admit... it will take some creativity to get through the holidays in the middle of this financial crisis. In our second hour, Ylan Mui, retail reporter for The Washington Post, will tell us what stores and malls are doing to separate us from our cash. Following that, we'll talk with Derek Reveron of the Naval War College about the pirate hijacking of a Saudi supertanker off the coast of Africa that happened earlier this week. And a National Geographic staff writer will tell us what he learned about pirates after he spent time with them in Southeast Asia.

"Wait, wait. I have change. This is a dime, right? No, I never remove my sunglasses."

Source: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Image

 

Karl Lagerfeld inspecting a gold coin worth 5,900 euros (that's 7,440 dollars), with 'Coco' Chanel on it -- he designed 10,000 of the coins. He's wearing fishnet leather driving gloves. That's all.

If you suspect that your daughter is struggling with ADHD, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor about it -- but here's the link to the National Institute of Mental Health's page on ADHD -- scroll down and you'll find a symptom list, and a helpful chart that will tell you what kind of professionals can help you with treatment and diagnosis. Also, Scholastic has a helpful list of ADHD behaviors that teachers can look for in their female students, like excessive emotionality, extreme untidiness, or unfinished work.

Remember, the most important thing is to get a professional opinion -- so stop reading this blog and talk to your doctor.

We're all ears, Sen. Lieberman!

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

 

It's no secret Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) supported Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president, and today we learned that, in spite of it all, he'll get to keep the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Talk about turning the other cheek! So, what, exactly, is "it all?" Here are some of Lieberman's ring-shaking Obama slams... Or, more accurately, wiggly, vaguely equivocal put-downs...

Marxist? Maybe. In April, on the Brian and the Judge radio show, Fox News' senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano asked Lieberman if Obama might be a Marxist. Lieberman responded,

I must say that's a good question. I know him now for a little more than three years since he came into the Senate and he's obviously very smart and he's a good guy. I will tell ya that during this campaign, I've learned some things about him, about the kind of environment from which he came ideologically. And I wouldn't...I'd hesitate to say he's a Marxist, but he's got some positions that are far to the left of me and I think mainstream America.

Probably Bad for America. At a foreign policy forum held at at the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Lieberman delicately denigrated Obama's trade policies:

If Senator Obama really follows through on some of the things he's said, I think that those anti-trade policies will have the net effect of putting us -- I don't want to be alarmist but putting us into a lot worse shape economically than we otherwise would be, let me be as diplomatic as that... This is a fateful decision.

Kinda Unpatriotic. Stumping for McCain in York, Penn., in August, Lieberman let the crowd know the real choice, as he saw it, in the race for the presidency,

...between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put his country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate that has not.

So, now that we know Lieberman will keep his seat, he's going to have to work with this possibly Marxist, potentially unpatriotic president-elect and his bad ideas. Good luck with that, fellas!

In our second hour, we'll talk about the effects of ADHD on young girls. Although a majority of ADHD studies have concentrated on boys, some recent research found that just as many girls struggle with the disorder but tend to be overlooked. We'll talk with a researcher on girls with ADHD about why they are under-diagnosed. And we want to hear from you, particularly women and girls with ADHD, and the parents of girls struggling with the disorder. Call us or send in your blog and email comments. At the end of the hour, we'll talk about Sen. Joe Lieberman and his political future. Senate Democrats have allowed Lieberman to hold his post as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee in a vote on Capitol Hill this morning. What does this mean for Congress... and for the Democratic Party?

Eligible for membership with the American Mustache Institute.

Source: Darny

Who knew there was an American Mustache Institute (stated goal: "facial-hair advocacy")? As a bearded American, you'd think I'd know these things. And any group that has a "Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Award" (congrats to 2008 winner Tim Galvin) deserves a little recognition.

Matt Kasper hit the road for the River Front Times to visit their yearly get-together:

Welcome to the 'stache Bash, an annual affair hosted by the St. Louis-based American Mustache Institute. Total membership: Eight. If you don't have a mustache, organizers are only too happy to provide one for you. Some 1,000 people have bucked up a $25 cover charge this October night to pay homage to the mustache. At 9:30 p.m., Aaron Perlut, the director of the three-year-old Institute, bounds onstage in floppy yellow shoes and a tuxedo top. Perlut's brother and dad are both wearing lab coats and stethoscopes - the standard uniform, one reckons, for mustacheologists.

And the Institute isn't just all fuzzy fun and games. They occasionally come to the defense of maligned mustached Americans, according to Kasper:

A news story about an Ohio police officer who's been suspended for the girth of his mustache is drawing attention. The Institute sent an e-mail protesting the decision to officials in Sylvania Township, Ohio. "Indeed, one of our inalienable rights as Americans is the freedom of expression as long as it does not pose a safety threat to our fellow citizens," the e-mail read. "But despite this, the Mustached American people have faced grave discrimination in this nation, as so few of us find our ways into positions of authority or leadership outside law enforcement."

My Google search for "American Beard Institute" doesn't turn up anything obvious. Maybe it's time to start one. Neal can be our spokes-beard-person. Anyone with me?

Grey days spent in the red at GM.

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

 

In putting together today's show about the struggling, gasping, floundering American auto industry, producers read a lot, naturally. If you've heard the show and you still don't know where you stand, here's a roundup of opinions that may bring you some clarity:

Bail 'em out now, and quickly: Jeffrey D. Sachs in The Washington Post:

A government-supported restructuring of the auto industry is urgently needed for our economic and energy security... Washington should seize the opportunity to begin a new era of U.S. technological leadership in the global auto industry, starting with an immediate loan.

Just say no to Detroit: Finance professor David Yermack in The Wall Street Journal:

We would do better to set this money on fire rather than using it to keep these dying firms on life support, setting them up for even more money-losing investments in the future.

Do it for the troops, who need Humvees: Retired Army general Wesley Clark in The New York Times:

In 1991, the Persian Gulf war demonstrated the awesome utility of American land power, and the Humvee (and its civilian version, the Hummer) became a star... The lives of hundreds of soldiers and marines have been saved, and their tasks made more achievable, by the efforts of the American automotive industry.

Even a bailout's not enough: Paul Ingrassia in The Wall Street Journal:

In return for any direct government aid, the board and the management should go. Shareholders should lose their paltry remaining equity. And a government-appointed receiver -- someone hard-nosed and nonpolitical -- should have broad power to revamp GM with a viable business plan and return it to a private operation as soon as possible.

OK, after all that, now what do you think?

We've talked with Lani Guinier about what this American moment means to African-Americans.

We've asked the question, "Has the election of Barack Obama made you re-think how you treat others?"

And we've gathered folks like Mayor Michael Coleman, Gary Bauer, and Dawn Turner Trice to muse about how the campaigns used race to advance their causes, and how that changed the national dialogue.

They're all variations on conversations we overheard on the bus, participated in at the dinner table, and mulled over privately, reading link after forwarded link. The New Yorker's David Remnick picked up on a somewhat quieter undercurrent of race, one about president-elect Barack Obama's own questions about, and definition of, his identity. If you'd like, take a minute to reflect on the public questions we've asked and answered, then tune in to hear Remnick's complex account of how Obama answers questions about his own race, and the roll it plays in his public life.

By now you've heard General Motors is in really bad financial shape, and this week Congress will consider whether or not to pass a bill to bail them out. Enter the debate. Should the government bail them out, or should they let GM file for bankruptcy? What do you think? What's the best option? Bankruptcy or bailout? Call in, send us an email or comment on our blog. We'll have our weekly opinion page at the end of our first hour. Stay tuned.

In 2002, a box of ancient bones was discovered that archaeologists said could prove the existence of Jesus... and his brother James! Several months after the discovery came ANOTHER discovery... it was all a fake. Journalist Nina Burley will tell us the story (literally) in our second hour. Burley is the author of Unholy Business: A True tale of Faith, Greed, and Forgery in the Holy Land. How important are religious artifacts are to your faith? At the end of the hour, The New Yorker editor-in-chief David Remnick will talk about race, the "Joshua generation" and President-elect Barack Obama's campaign.