By Julie Rath, on Fri Jan 4, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET It’s always nice to get a fresh start in the new year. Below are 8 suggested style resolutions to help you abandon old ways and embrace new ones.
 1) Incorporate color. Fall and winter are seasons for dark, moody colors, but Spring is the time to work in some pep and optimism. Try a solid shirt in an unexpected shade like this green above. Keep the rest of the look solid to avoid overkill (or eye strain).
2) Try a different brand. Too often what I see in new clients’ closets is a lack of variety. While it’s natural to stock up if something works for you, think outside the box in the new year, and experiment with new brands. One that I love is Todd Snyder, which now has a website from which you can order directly.
3) Shoe care. An easy way to get right in the new year is to have your shoes refurbished by a good cobbler. My go-to in NYC is The Leather Spa.
Read the rest of…
Julie Rath: So Fresh and Clean in 2013
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Thu Jan 3, 2013 at 3:00 PM ET The Politics of Tech
Last week YouTube discovered and subsequently erased over 2 billion views determined to be faked by the music industry, specifically Universal, Sony, and RCA. [Tom’s Guide]
Intel is reportedly planning a competitor to a traditional cable subscription by allowing that would allow you to subscribe to individual channels or perhaps even individual shows. [Business Insider]
“People Freak Out About Privacy On Facebook, But Ignore Widespread Government Surveillance” [TechDirt]
Carbon Nanotubes could prove as dangerous as Asbestos according to a new study. The study claims inhalation of the nanotubes could lead to lung cancer. [Scientific American]
The Netbook is officially dead. [Business Insider]
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Jan 3, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET If you haven’t seen Django Unchained yet — and you can stand the sight of a lot of fake human blood — go see it this weekend: It’s the best movie of the year.
That’s saying a lot: I loved Lincoln and Silver Lings Playbook and Argo and liked Skyfall a whole lot.
To whet your whistle, here’s a fun compilation — by the good folks at CollegeHumor.com — of all of writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s pop culture references in his earlier movies, arranged chronologically by subject matter:
By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Jan 3, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET I just found out my identity has been stolen and there are over a dozen fraudulent charges on my credit card that are now being investigated.
Thankfully, I’m not as frantic as I thought I would be if my identity got stolen. I am covered by insurance and should be reimbursed for the fraudulent charges within the next 30 days.
But what really got to me is the notion that my identity was stolen nearly 3 weeks ago. That’s 21 days. And no one. Not friends, not family, and not a single colleague ever noticed.
I’ll eventually recover the money. But my confidence has been shattered beyond repair.
 And here’s the kicker. I fully recovered my identify about 15 minutes ago with a new card being issued. And I deliberated but casually struck up a conversation with my wife to see if she even noticed my identity was back. Well, guess what? She never said a word. And sthe still hasn’t commented on my haircut which I got nearly a week ago.
Whoever stole my credit card identity thought they were stealing money from me. Maybe they did. But what they really stole was something much deeper than that. Or apparently, based on the lack of notice by others, they stole something much shallower than money.
My identity.
As soon as I get my new card, I’m not only checking charges daily. I’m also considering developing a loud, over-the-top and obnoxious new identity.
One that no one will forget.
Or want to steal.
By Artur Davis, on Thu Jan 3, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET Tim Scott’s appointment to represent South Carolina in the US Senate has been met with a notable skepticism from most African American commentators, with Adolph Reed’s essay in the New York Times and Jamelle Bouie’s column in the Washington Post providing articulate examples of a common theme: that Scott’s status as a strict fiscal and social conservative means that he will be an impediment to black economic interests as well as the socially liberal agenda that most African American intellectuals have embraced; and that the selection of Scott is an empty and false token meant to prove a Republican inclusiveness that does not exist.
To be sure, Scott’s ascension is the polar opposite of the kind of racial breakthrough that the same critics have fantasized about. When Scott stands for election in 2014, he will depend on the conventional alliance of white suburban and rural conservatives that sustains the GOP’s hold on the Deep South, as opposed to the coalition of blacks and metropolitan whites that liberals assume as a prescription for the election of a black candidate to statewide office. In blunter terms, Scott’s win would mean that he had reassured voters who hold the prevailing right-leaning views in his state that he is one of them, and of a piece with their vision of limited government and traditional cultural values, as opposed to the ideal progressive pathway of convincing those voters to rethink their mindset.
 But regardless of the reservations on the left, Scott’s victory scenario is likely the only kind of African American electoral win in the Deep South that is conceivable at this point. In the parts of the region (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi) where the Democratic share of white voters has slipped to the upper teens, and even in the slightly less polarized areas of Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, not a single one of the seven black Democrats who hold congressional seats are regarded as plausible statewide figures. Only Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed, a pro-business moderate, is regularly cited as a prospective black contender for a governorship or a Senate seat, and it is worth noting that the last two black Democrats nominated for Senate seats in Georgia have hovered around the 40 percent threshold.
Read the rest of…
Artur Davis: Tim Scott’s Rise
By Josh Bowen, on Thu Jan 3, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET
Sign up Here For The RP Fitness Challenge:
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 Welcome everyone to the #TeamRP versus #TeamJYB3 Fitness Challenge Extravaganza!
I will be serving as the resident fitness extraordinaire/referee/personal trainer. To increase your interest and to curve your appetite for all things funny and fitness, we will be documenting everyone that will be occurring between John Y. Brown III and Jonathan Miller on their quest to their fitness Mount Everest. We will also be supplying the most up to date fitness tips and tricks from yours truly.
Now who am I and why should you care about what I say? For the past 10 years I have dedicated my life to fitness; through training clients, educating trainers and writing fitness articles. I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and along the way I have collected 15 nationally accredited certifications.
 More important than all the accomplishments, my experience in dealing with most every situation imaginable holds to be the greatest aspect of me as a trainer. I am currently training at Fitness Plus 2, a training studio off Harrodsburg Rd. in Bellerive Plaza next to Kroger’s, on the Lexington/Nicholasville line
Now that you know who I am and what I do, let’s talk about the challenge. Jonathan and JYB3 will be competing to see who can influence the most amount of people to enlist into our fitness challenge. The challenge is simple, just pledge to workout and eat healthy for the next six months. On a weekly basis I will be emailing everyone in the challenge fitness tips and motivational quotes to keep everyone going. Also, everyone will be receiving a consultation, via email, with yours truly! I will also be offering discounted personal training session with me as we go along.
So join the challenge and see the changes both Jonathan and JYB3 go through on their quest to be in the best physical shape of their lives.
Follow me on twitter @jbtrainer, follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/joshjbbowen and check my blog out at www.joshjbbowen.com. Welcome to the challenge, you won’t regret it.
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Jan 2, 2013 at 4:00 PM ET I am honest enough to admit when I’m wrong, and boy was I ever wrong to deny the “War on Christmas.” Thanks to David Frum for helping me see the light and realize my sad, sad role in this international conspiracy.
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Jan 2, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET I’ve written extensively at this site and The Huffington Post about the liberal, Zionist case for a two-state solution that provides for a Palestinian homeland on most of the West Bank, and a safe and secure Jewish State next door.
Turns out an overwhelming majority of Israelis — 67% in fact — agree with me. From The Times of Israel:
A broad majority of the Israeli public would vote in favor of a peace agreement with the Palestinians, if the government brought a plan that offered security guarantees to a referendum, polls published Sunday by the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace found.
Roughly two-thirds of respondents (67 percent) expressed support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with land swaps; a demilitarized Palestine; and Jerusalem’s Old City administered jointly by the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians, with Israel maintaining control of the Western Wall.
The S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, a non-profit advocacy group based in Washington DC, approached two Israeli research companies, the Dahaf Institute and Smith Consulting, requesting that they survey Israeli opinions regarding a future peace agreement with the Palestinians. Each poll was conducted independently…
In both polls, respondents were asked how they would vote if the government brought to a referendum a peace agreement that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the following provisions: Its implementation would take place only after the Palestinians would fulfill all their commitments with an emphasis on fighting terror, and the implementation would be monitored and verified by the United States.
The principles of the hypothetical agreement included:
- Two states: Israel the state of the Jewish people and Palestine the state of the Palestinian people.
- Palestinian refugees will have a right to return only to the new state of Palestine.
- The Palestinian state will be demilitarized, without an army.
- Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem will come under Israeli sovereignty and Arab neighborhoods under Palestinian sovereignty.
- The Old City within the walls will be without sovereignty and will be jointly administered by the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians. The Holy Places will be under the same religious supervision as current arrangements (for example, the Western Wall will be under Israeli supervision and responsibility).
- Borders will be based on the 1967 lines and will include land swaps equal in size that will take into consideration Israel’s security needs and will maintain the large settlement blocs under Israeli sovereignty.
According to the Dahaf poll, 67% of respondents would vote in favor of such an agreement, 21% would oppose it and 12% did not answer. The Smith poll found that 68% would support the agreement (of them 40% would strongly support it), 25% would oppose it (17% strongly oppose it) and 7% had no opinion.
Click here for the full article.
By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Jan 2, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET I am coming to the conclusion that all human relationships are a variation of parasite-host.
That’s not as bad as it sounds. And often can work. For a while.
Some hosts don’t know they are the host and once they find out are appalled and demand change.
By contrast, a parasite always knows (or suspects) he (or she) is a parasite. And if they learn they are acting like a host, they are appalled and demand change immediately back to their original role exclusively as parasite only.
The stages of most human relationships seem to follow this course:
Stage 1: Host —Host
Stage 2: Parasite–Host
Stage 3: Host–Parasite
Stage 4: Parasite-Parasite.
It’s usually during stages two and three that problems start to occur. But not until stage four before the parties realize these problems. And by the time both parties are behaving like a parasite, it is too late. Hosts can become parasites. But parasites almost never become hosts.
There are instances of this happening with medication, group therapy and behavioral modification. But takes a long time and changes are unstable. It is usually more efficient for each party (each parasite) to instead find a new host to befriend than try to change or get the partner to change.
Or simply try to eat one another.
By RP Staff, on Wed Jan 2, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET From the St. Louis Beacon:
 More than three years after a federal campaign-finance probe destroyed then-state Sen. Jeff Smith’s political career, he has worked to create a new life for himself that still includes politics.
And it appears that he may have succeeded.
In fact, Smith’s role in Missouri governmental affairs appears to have grown, even though he continues to reside in suburban New York City.
Smith confirms that, as of a few months ago, he became executive director of the Missouri Workforce Housing Association, which is made up of 135 groups – up from 35 members just 18 months ago. The association’s chief mission is advocating for affordable housing.
Smith said the member groups include “community organizations, public agencies, contractors, private and nonprofit developers, construction material suppliers, and other professionals.”
“I’d consulted for them for over a year and we agreed that, given the organization’s growth and increased capacity, it made sense to formalize the arrangement,” Smith said in an interview.
“My role has been to a) grow the membership; b) work with our diverse membership to shape our policy objectives; c) manage our grassroots advocacy efforts; and d) oversee our day-to-day efforts within the Capitol, which are handled by Jorgen Schlemeier of Gamble & Schlemeier.”
Although he travels to Missouri about once a month, Smith expects to remain in New York for the foreseeable future. Now 39, he is married and has a 15-month-old son, along with two dogs.
“Life is great,” Smith said. “We just bought a home in the ‘burbs — sort of. We’re in the Montclair, N.J., area, which is like University City….Lots of restaurants, culture, diversity, vibrancy. Home to a lot of academics, writers, and other creative types, most of whom commute to the city.”
Smith is among them. He has a full-time position as a professor in the urban policy graduate program at the New School. “The students are bright and passionately committed to making a difference in the world; I love teaching them,” he said. “And my colleagues are both impressively credentialed as scholars and keenly interested in real-world issues — a relatively rare combination in academia. It’s a special place.”
Click here for the full piece.
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