A teachers’ strike, a mighty U-turn on the 10p tax band – it’s been a pretty terrible week for the government and for Ed Balls, Gordon Brown’s right-hand man and the secretary of state for children, schools and families. But as he shuttles between London and his Yorkshire constituency with his wife Yvette Cooper, also a cabinet minister, and their three young children, Balls is surprisingly upbeat. Perhaps he has his eye on an even bigger prize
The timing is so perfect that it feels like a plot. Nearing the end of a long tour of a flagship city academy in Leeds, Ed Balls agrees to drop in on one last class and finds himself in the middle of a debate on whether MPs should be allowed to vote against their party.
The irony is probably lost on year 9, most of whom cannot know just how close the government came to melt-down over a threatened rebellion by backbenchers last week.
But for the secretary of state for children, schools and families, Gordon Brown’s closest ally, the seemingly innocent question is painfully close to the bone. It would be hard even for Balls to deny that the prime minister’s authority suffered a severe blow when he was forced to cave in to the demands of Labour MPs who were unhappy about the abolition of the 10p tax rate. Now more rebellions loom, which makes the subject of party discipline acutely sensitive.
So what’s the answer? Twenty pairs of eyes swivel towards the minister, awaiting his verdict.
“The deal is that all MPs vote for the party line on things that are in our manifesto. Otherwise we wouldn’t get anything done,” he says briskly. But he does admit that if the government doesn’t respect or listen to its MPs, “they get angry”.

timesonline.co.uk

From the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (J.W.B.B., A.J.S., S.S. Barker, S.R., R.H., K.B., A.V., G.E.H., A.S., S.S. Bhattacharya, F.W.F., G.S.R., A.T.M., R.R.A.); Moorfields Eye Hospital (J.W.B.B., A.V., G.E.H., A.T.M.); the National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital (J.W.B.B., G.S.R., A.T.M., R.R.A.); the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University College London (N.T.); and the Institute of Child Health, University College London (A.J.T., R.R.A.) — all in London; Michigan State University, East Lansing (S.P.-J.); and Targeted Genetics Corporation, Seattle (B.J.C.).
This article (10.1056/NEJMoa0802268) was published at www.nejm.org on April 27, 2008. It will appear in the May 22 issue of the Journal.
Address reprint requests to Dr. Ali at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath St., London EC1V 9EL, United Kingdom, or at r.ali{at}ucl.ac.uk .
Hanein S, Perrault I, Gerber S, et al. Leber congenital amaurosis: comprehensive survey of the genetic heterogeneity, refinement of the clinical definition, and genotype-phenotype correlations as a strategy for molecular diagnosis. Hum Mutat 2004;23:306-317. [CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
Lorenz B, Gyürüs P, Preising M, et al. Early-onset severe rod-cone dystrophy in young children with RPE65 mutations. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2000;41:2735-2742. [Free Full Text]
Paunescu K, Wabbels B, Preising MN, Lorenz B. Longitudinal and cross-sectional study of patients with early-onset severe retinal dystrophy associated with RPE65 mutations. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2005;243:417-426. [CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
Thompson DA, Gyürüs P, Fleischer LL, et al. Genetics and phenotypes of RPE65 mutations in inherited retinal degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2000;41:4293-4299. [Free Full Text]
Gu SM, Thompson DA, Srikumari CR, et al. Mutations in RPE65 cause autosomal recessive childhood-onset severe retinal dystrophy. Nat Genet 1997;17:194-197. [CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
Marlhens F, Bareil C, Griffoin JM, et al. Mutations in RPE65 cause Leber’s congenital amaurosis. Nat Genet 1997;17:139-141. [CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
Morimura H, Fishman GA, Grover SA, Fulton AB, Berson EL, Dryja TP. Mutations in the RPE65 gene in patients with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa or Leber congenital amaurosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1998;95:3088-3093. [Free Full Text]

content.nejm.org

It was 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 42 hours after Mr. Pequeño, his wife, Maria, and their four sleepy children left Spring, Tex., on a pilgrimage to see Pope Benedict XVI.
After singing hymns, saying the rosary and listening to a traveling companion discuss the mysteries of Jesus Christ, they were in their S.U.V. somewhere near Falls Church, Va., leading a dozen Texas neighbors in an accompanying van, hopelessly lost.
It was not the trip’s first test of their faith, said Mr. Pequeño, a 44-year-old mechanic and follower of the Neocatechumenal Way, a back-to-early-Christianity movement, who had once waited 14 hours in a bus to catch a glimpse of Pope John Paul II passing through the airport in Monterrey, Mexico.
But he said: “This is not a vacation. This is not a pleasure trip. This is a pilgrimage, a trip of faith. We want our faith to be stronger. The Lord wants us here.”
Not that he had much chance of seeing the pope, Mr. Pequeño acknowledged. Only his son, Ricky, 17, had been given two tickets by their pastor to the papal Mass in Nationals Park on Thursday, and he had invited a friend, Stephanie Zavala. The rest of the family would try for glimpses on the street here and in New York, to which they planned to drive on Friday.
But as Ricky reminded the family, “You don’t have to get close to the pope to have him touch you.”
Ricky credited prayer and his faith for helping him overcome a brush with the law over a gang affiliation and criminal mischief several years ago.
“What I hope to get out of this trip is an answer from God, what he wants from me,” he said.
“I’ve been hearing God’s voice for some time,” he added. He had once thought of becoming a priest but was no longer so sure. Now he said, “It’s up to me to open my ears.”

nytimes.com

“On the day it is all sold and settled, I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other,” says Ian Usher, who is selling his life on EBay. And according to his poll, 18,569 people think it’s an awesome idea.
The Australian adventure enthusiast, who lives in Perth, Australia, is ready to give up his home, vehicles (car, motorbike, jet ski), business, sky-diving gear, friends – everything to start new after having split with his wife.
Alife4sale.com is the tell-all website where serious buyers (and voyeurs) can get details and watch videos of what’s being offered. You can even meet with Ian and check out his home and belongings before you bid — by appointment only, of course. There are a whole bunch of ALife4Sale videos on YouTube, too. (Click the “YouTube” image here to watch.)
Cost: The bidding will start at $1 (Australian).
Caveat: If Ian’s story excites you so much that you’re ready to pack it in and rush to Perth, hold your horses. The auction doesn’t start until noon June 22; it ends June 29.
How much do you think Ian’s life will go for?
— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel Deal Blogger
If you are under 13 years of age you may read this blog, but you may not participate. Here’s the full legal spiel.
Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this blog until the author has approved them.
All fields are required

travel.latimes.com

The shareholders of the IMF have squandered the political will for governance reform of the institution by making marginal changes that will fail to shift the balance of power.
The Fund’s members have been debating how to revamp the formula that sets voting rights at the institution for more than two years (see Update 58, 55). Much of the rancour has been directed at Europe, which has been the obstacle to quicker progress. A deal was finally approved by the IMF board at end March and sent to the IMF board of governors for approval. The total increase for developing countries is only 1.6 percentage points, meaning that rich countries, representing about 15 per cent of the membership of the IMF, will continue to wield nearly 60 per cent of the voting rights at the institution.
The final quota formula included the use of GDP measured at purchasing power parity (PPP
), a key demand of developing countries, as part of the increase of the weight of GDP in the formula to 50 per cent. But PPP-weighted GDP will only make up 40 per cent of the new GDP measure, with the balance continuing to use GDP weighted by market exchange rates. Additionally the use of PPP in the formula has only been approved for 20 years, after which it must be reassessed.
The new formula continues to give a 30 per cent weight to trade openness, which the G24 group of developing countries has repeatedly called flawed because it is highly correlated with GDP and it tends to favour small rich countries with lots of trade. The balance of the formula is made up of 15 per cent variability and 5 per cent international reserves. The variability factor, which measures the volatility of trade and investment flows, has also been highly criticised by the G24 because it is not scaled by the size of the economy. A small compression factor of 0.95 has been introduced as a mechanism to shrink the dispersion in calculated quotas, as it will slightly increase the quotas of the smallest countries and slightly shrink the quotas of the largest.

brettonwoodsproject.org

“War and imperialism are Siamese twins joined at the hip. Each thrives off the other. They cannot be separated. Imperialism is the single-greatest cause of war, and war is the midwife of new imperialist acquisitions.” Chalmers Johnson
While other nations realize it full well, Americans do not want to accept that the United States dominates the world through military power. Due to the extreme secrecy of the present administration, the American people are completely ignorant of the fact that the United States “garrisons the globe.” There is a huge network of military bases in more than 150 countries. It is called the new empire. It is the American Empire. Our government employs more than half a million soldiers, spies, technicians, teachers, dependents and civilians as well as civilian contractors all over the world. In addition to officially listed bases, the US has numerous secret bases not to be found on any government listing. Some of these bases are engaged in listening to people all over the world, including American citizens – keeping track of what they are saying, faxing and emailing.
This Empire began back in the 19th century, when the US declared Latin America as being under its “sphere of influence,” and proceeded to enlarge its territory while ignoring or slaughtering those who stood in the way; i.e., the indigenous peoples of North, Central and SouthAmerica. Today we have a similar group of imperialists in power who, under the guise of the “war on terrorism” are expanding American bases all over the world, particularly in Middle Eastern countries.
It was after World War II that America emerged as the richest nation and became a natural successor of the British Empire, which floundered economically due to the heavy costs of the war. The Cold War of the 1970s justified the US government creating scores more bases, all to fight the communist threat. Government officials of course denied that the bases indicated global imperialism.

biddho.com

[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]
MTV Celebrates The Convergence Of Music Democracy and Youth Culture With The Renewal Of Smash-Hit “Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew,” And Two New Series, “Rock The Cradle” And “Celebrity Music Mentor Project (Working Title)”
Santa Monica, CA (March 11, 2008) Tapping into young America’s aspirations, inspirations and the music nation, MTV announces 2 new series and a series pick-up, offering gateways for young people to demonstrate their talents, and passionate fans a front row seat to participate in the journey.
“These series and their companion custom vertical sites empower the audience to realize their musical dreams, play out their own aspirations and reflect their own passionate musical opinions on-air and online, a virtual and perpetual forum for convergent musical participation and expression,” said Brian Graden, President of Entertainment, MTV Networks Music Channels.
“These series represent the heart and soul of MTV innovative cross-platform musical extravaganzas that empower our viewers and reflect their world,” said Tony DiSanto, EVP of Series Development & Programming, MTV. “We are showcasing their dreams and passions, giving them an emphatic voice for the world stage, and embracing the power of music in all its forms presented in a way that is uniquely visual, uniquely inspiring and uniquely MTV.”
The young, aspiring offspring of music royalty find their own inspiration outside the lives of their famous parents as they journey through “Rock The Cradle,” the new, live’ music competition series from FremantleMedia North America, set to premiere on April 3 at 10:00PM (ET/PT). Chloe Rose Lattanzi (daughter of Olivia Newton John), Crosby Loggins (son of Kenny Loggins), Jesse Money (daughter of Eddie Money), Lucy Walsh (daughter of Joe Walsh/The Eagles), Lil Al B Sure (son of Al B Sure), Jesse Blaze Snider (son of Dee Snider), Lara Johnston (daughter of Tom Johnston /The Doobie Brothers), A’keiba Burrell-Hammer (daughter of MC Hammer) and Landon Brown (son of Bobby Brown) will battle it out every week in front of their parents, a panel of judges, and a live studio audience to see who has what it takes to step out of the shadows and onto a worldwide stage of their own. Home viewers are offered a 24/7 tactile experience as they vote for their favorite second generation singer or chat up their legendary parents on the site, iamonmtv.com, the 12th vertical to be launched by MTV, designed to give fans a social media experience and unprecedented access to the cast and crew behind many of MTV’s most popular franchises. The iamonmtv.com vertical has collectively garnered over 25 million page views, and over 1.5 million uniques since its launch.

thefutoncritic.com

Sen. Barack Obama meets with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune on Friday, March 14, 2008. (Chicago Tribune photo by Zbigniew Bzdak)
by James Oliphant
Earlier today, the Clinton campaign demanded that Barack Obama release all the documents pertaining to the purchase of his home in 2005 on a piece of land adjacent to land owned by Tony Rezko.
The Obama campaign’s response: We already have!
Says Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor,
Here’s the link to the documents Vietor is talking about. And on this fine Saturday afternoon (it’s a beautiful day in Washington) if you would like to examine some fence construction documents, via con Dios.
Just to review: Clinton’s campaign has said she will release her tax returns before the Pennsylvania primary. But it hasn’t made a pledge about donors to the Clinton library. The Obama campaign has long made an issue about Bill Clinton’s post-presidency business connections.
You know HRC will just release this yrs returns. Why wait for April 15th? What about the rest going back to Bill’s Presidency? No way we’ll see those. I know HRCers are having fun today at Obama’s expense, but that will go away and HRC will still be the most secretive, power grabber in the mix.
Yes Hillary, let’s talk about Rezko, afterall he raised money for Bill, remember?
Rezko made a $1,250 contribution during the Clinton re-election campaign in 1996 to a Democratic party account that funded activities in Illinois to help win the election for Bill.
Let’s also talk about Norman Hu, shall we Hillary?
For those who have wondered what happened to Clinton fundraiser Norman Hsu, here is your answer. Norman was indicted in New York on 15 counts of duping investors with a nationwide Ponzi scheme.
The Clintons need to be put down like the rabid Rovian dogs that they are. It will never stop until their man McCain is Prez.

weblogs.baltimoresun.com

The North's former first minister, David Trimble, made a similar assertion in the London Daily Telegraph last week, suggesting that Mrs. Clinton did little more than accompany former president Bill Clinton on visits. "She visited when things were happening, saw what was going on, she can certainly say it was part of her experience. I don't want to rain on the thing for her; but being a cheerleader for something is slightly different from being a principal player," he said.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams told The Irish Times that, although he admires all three remaining US presidential candidates and is not endorsing any of them, Mrs. Clinton is justified in claiming a role in the peace process. "David Trimble is reported as saying Senator Hillary Clinton played no part in the Irish peace process. That is not true. Senator Clinton played an important role in the peace process," he said. "I met the senator on many occasions when she was First Lady, and subsequently when she became a senator for New York State. I always found her to be extremely well informed on the issues."
Former SDLP leader John Hume has also come to Mrs. Clinton's defense, expressing surprise that anyone should doubt the importance of her contribution.

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Edna Fitzmaurice picked shamrocks in fields on the way to Mass every St. Patrick’s Day.
The Ireland native would pin the shamrocks onto her lapel, sometimes with the dirt still on the ends of stems. The smell of spring and the sound of birds doesn’t seem that long ago now.
“I can still hear the spring birds,” she said to her family.
On Sunday, Fitzmaurice celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with children, grandchildren and friends eating a traditional meal of corned beef, cabbage, fried boxty and sherry trifle at her Winona home.
The low-key family dinner was not much different from the big St. Patrick’s Day feasts Fitzmaurice remembered in her homeland, but it was far from the daylong festivities of folklore, music and dancing of her past.
Many Irish descendents and transplants such as Fitzmaurice living in Winona observe the holiday under the radar or in a larger city, where the festivities are grander. St. Patrick’s Day is simply not celebrated in Winona, they say.
“I don’t think Winonans understand the Irish,” she said. “I guess you have to be born Irish to understand the Irish.”
It wasn’t always that way, said Dr. Bill Crozier, an archivist and former history professor of 30 years at Saint Mary’s University.

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