From the People For The American Way auction:

Madonna — Ray of Light platinum award, signed personally to buyer

Palestinian-Israeli hotline melts hate

Sammy Waed never thought he would become friends with an Israeli soldier, especially one who had occupied his hometown of Ramallah.

But a month ago, the 20-year-old called a new hotline and ended up speaking to Arik, a 23-year-old from Tel Aviv.

“Arik told me how much he hated his army service, because he was in the middle of a civilian population, policing children and causing harm to innocent people,” Waed said.

“Before, I thought Israelis didn’t care at all when innocent Palestinians suffer and are killed,” he said. “But now I know they do care. And now I have hope that there can be peace.”

Waed is just one of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians who are using the Hello Shalom-Hello Salaam hotline, a phone service that enables Palestinians and Israelis to reach out across the divide of hate, violence and mistrust that characterizes the two worlds.

…

You decide: Real Men Real Workouts

I saw a postcard for this in one of those card racks that show up everywhere in NYC. Is this for real? It makes GQ look straight.

From ABCNEWS.com:

Here is what Senator Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi, said yesterday at Senator Strom Thurmond’s birthday party, according to ABCNEWS’ O’Keefe. "I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had of followed our lead we wouldn’t of had all these problems over all these years, either."

Thurmom was running as a Dixiecrat, a pro-segregration party whose platform stated that for a black person, "his racial constitution has been fashioned to exclude any idea of voluntary cooperation on his part. "

Read Eschaton for more.

Trent Lott is one of the most powerful men in our country. We don’t have much room to criticize other countries for their right-wing politicians.

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There is another article here.

From Crain’s New York Business:

The city’s debt per capita has more than doubled since fiscal 1990, to $5,083 per head, according to a new report from the city comptroller’s office. The figure was $2,490 per citizen in 1990. That rate of growth exceeds the inflation rate by 63% and the growth in city tax revenues by 55%, the charter-mandated report said

In addition, the comptroller found that debt service costs will grow about 25% by fiscal 2006, reducing the funds available for city services. The costs are projected to approach 20 cents of every tax dollar, compared with 16 cents of every dollar today.

Aren’t we glad Giuliani used the boom years of the 90s to get NYC in better financial shape, fix up all of the roads and bridges, improve public transit…

Not that most of you want to read more political blogs, I suspect, but she is really good. On the state of the Washington Post:

The point is, it just feels like such a waste of time to try to read stories by journalists who are really just reporting on what’s going on inside their own heads. Fair enough for me to do it on my own weblog, but no one’s paying me for this. But in The Newspapers of Record? It’s like a horrible joke, except that it’s not funny.

[via Rittenhouse]

I’m going to the White Columns and Schroeder Romero openings tonight. I should be at the latter (in Williamsburg) at 8ish. E-mail me or call me if any of you want to meet up there.

Danziger on Leave No Child Behind.

[via TBOGG]

Gay men, lesbians and bisexual people are to be offered the same rights as married couples, a government minister indicated today, although she said this will not amount to "gay marriages".

I love the Guardian! They have a link to Peter Tatchell’s home page at the bottom under “useful links”.

Nicole Kidman isn’t the only fabulous woman in Australia.