| Women lose in Mexico Indian rights gain
It was here, in a village that has struggled for centuries to preserve its Zapotec traditions, that Eufrosina Cruz, 27, decided to become the first woman to run for mayor - despite the fact that women aren't allowed to attend town assemblies, much less run for office. The all-male town board tore up ballots cast in her favor in the Nov. 4 election, arguing that as a woman, she wasn't a "citizen" of the town. "That is the custom here, that only the citizens vote, not the women," said Valeriano Lopez, the town's deputy mayor. Rather than give up, Cruz has launched the first serious, national-level challenge to traditional Indian forms of government, known as "use and customs," which were given full legal status in Mexico six years ago in response to Indian rights movements sweeping across Latin America.
TORCH NEWS TICKER 1/27: ROH notes including title change, Smackdown ...
Updated throughout the day, it's the Torch News Ticker with all the news and info that's not fit for print. Bookmark it every Monday! Sunday, January 27, 2008 9:00 a.m. - We're looking for reports from the two TNA house shows this weekend and last night's WWE supershow in Providence. - TV ratings: Smackdown from Friday night averaged a 2.7 rating, down slightly from last week's 2.8 rating. The show finished fifth out of the five networks on the night, but finished fourth in adults 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. - Mike Mooneyham's Sunday column has an interview with Jeff Hardy. Hardy talks about his rise to legit main event status, his current injuries, and avoiding serious injury. Regarding doing dangerous stunts, Hardy says, "I'm usually pretty comfortable with anything I look at or stand on top of.
Snuff out that cigarette
On Jan. 1, Maryland added another buck to the sales tax on cigarettes, taking the per pack cost of most brands over $5. It follows years of attempts to ban smoking at the state level. Smoking bans already have been passed in Washington, New York City and several Maryland counties including Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's. "We are catching up," said Del. Barbara Frush, D-Beltsville, the lead sponsor of the legislation. "Seven years ago when I started this process, we were among the first. But they've all passed us by. However, we needed the right governor and the right timing. For the last four years we've had a governor that threatened to veto it ... If I don't accomplish anything else in Annapolis, I feel that I have done something very good for the people of Maryland." Ms.
In India's Huge Marketplace, Advertisers Find Fair Skin Sells
The trend reflects deep cultural preferences for fair skin in this predominantly brown-skinned nation of more than 1 billion people. But analysts say the fondness for "fair" is also fueled by a globalized economy that has drawn ever more models from Europe to cities such as Mumbai, India's cultural capital. "Indians have a longing for that pure, beautiful white skin. It is too deep-rooted in our psyche," said Enakshi Chakraborty, who heads Eskimo India, a modeling agency that brings East European models here. "Advertisers for international as well as Indian brands call me and say, 'We are looking for a gori [Hindi for white] model with dark hair.' Some ask, 'Do you have white girls who are Indian-looking?' They want white girls who suit the Indian palate." Indians' color fixation is also evident in classified newspaper ads and on Web sites that help arrange marriages.
Coastal Post Online
The company's "Health and Wellness" website pictures a smiling family in tennis shoes and workout clothes enjoying a brisk walk. All are consuming Pepsi products. Dad is drinking a can of Pepsi. Grandma is toting a bag of Lay's potato chips. Aside from the questionable workout, we're left to wonder: When did Pepsi become an advocate for health?
Marsha Holmberg, a food editor at the Oregonianwho flew in from Portland, says too many Americans have become culinary illiterates, convinced by television commercials that processed food is nutritious. "Nobody thinks they have the time to cook," Holmberg says. "They think it's complicated. In reality, it takes as much time to make from a mix as it does to make from scratch. It's an illusion that food preparation takes time."
At the convention's bookstore, neat rows of dietitian guidebooks -- with covers of colorful fruit and vegetables, alongside the occasional whole grain cereal or wheat stalk -- lined the booths.
MSM Hound Won't Hunt!
The one that is the most problematic is (John) Edwards, who voted for the Patriot Act, campaigns against it. Voted for No Child Left Behind, campaigns against it. Voted for the China trade deal, campaigns against it. Voted for the Iraq war ... MyDD is temporarily stunned! ... 2:33 P.M. ______________________________ Thursday, January 17, 2008 'Bradley Effect' Update: Obama is ahead by 9 points over Hillary in the most recent Mason-Dixon poll of South Carolina voters. But can we trust voters to have told pollsters the truth--or are racial concerns (including the desire not to offend) leading them to give inaccurate answers? a) Black 'Bradley' Voters? Noam Scheiber weighs in again on the possiblity of such a "Bradley Effect" for black voters.
|
