Baron Dave Romm
"Ground Zero Mosque"
By Baron Dave Romm
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Please pardon me as I take a long and winding road to sort out my feelings.
The Auschwitz Convent
In 1984 Cardinal Macharski, archbishop of Cracow, announced the establishment of a Carmelite convent in Auschwitz in a building on the camp periphery which had originally been a theater but was utilized during World War II to store the poison gas used in the Auschwitz-Birkenau crematoria. When a Catholic organization called Aid to the Church in Distress issued an appeal to mark the pope's visit to the Benelux countries in 1985 under the slogan "Your gift to the Pope -- a convent in Auschwitz," the Jewish community -- initially in Belgium -- reacted with outrage. They were joined in their protest by leading Catholic dignitaries in Western Europe. Jews stressed that although others had suffered there, Auschwitz had become a symbol of Jewish martyrdom and while not objecting to a convent devoted to commemoration of Catholic suffering in Auschwitz, it should not be situated within the boundaries of the camp. Although similar Christian institutions existed in other camp sites, Auschwitz, it was felt, was different. The presence of the convent would contribute to the minimization of the Jewish aspect, already scarcely mentioned in the official communist era descriptions on the site as prepared by the Polish government. One reaction in Polish circles was to emphasize the theme of the fate of Poles for whom Auschwitz was also "a synonym for martyrdom and extermination." The issue energized the Jewish world and became the major subject in Jewish-Catholic discussions, overshadowing all other aspects of the ongoing dialogue.
To make a long story short, the convent was moved, at Papal urging, some fifteen years after the crosses were raised.
I was against the nunnery. The Carmelite argument was (and remains) that many Christians were martyrs who were killed in the same Nazi concentration camps. This is entirely true, and all the victims of Nazis must be remembered.
But...
The Third Reich was a particularly Christian disease, and the Final Solution was genocide of the Jews. The tragedy touched and continues to touch many people, but the institutionalized hatred was primarily directed against one specific group of people.
Many of the people murdered were members of my family. This is personal.
I was happy when the convent was moved. Those who wish to honor the victims of the Nazis can and should proceed with their memorials. But they should also be respectful of the other victims.
The "Ground Zero Mosque"
To make another long story short: When a 'Ground Zero mosque' really is neither (Baltimore Sun, 8/14/10):
From the pitched rhetoric of its opponents, though, you'd think a minaret-topped mosque was going to be built right atop the site of the former World Trade Center.
Instead, Park51, as the proposed building would be called, is envisioned as a community center of about 15 stories which, although it would include a mosque for prayer, would also have a swimming pool, an auditorium and other amenities that make it more akin to a YMCA than a dedicated house of worship. And it wouldn't be built anywhere on Ground Zero itself but two blocks to the north.
I don't think the proposed building is a good idea. The argument made by proponents is that two blocks is a long way away by New York City standards, and there has been an Islamic presence (including a mosque) in the area for decades.
But...
Al Queda is a particularly Islamic disease, and the US is The Great Satan. All non-believers are targets and the continuing tragedies continue to touch many people, but the institutionalized hatred is for America, and New York City has been a repeated target.
How far does Ground Zero extend? I can't say. Two blocks seems disrespectful, somehow, for a new development.
However...
This is America, and we're the good guys, dammit.
Al Queda is not Nazi Germany. The madness of the Third Reich was the mainstream ideology of conservative Christians in Europe. The Germans/Austrians/Czechs/Poles/etc. who didn't wholeheartedly embrace genocide at least tolerated it. By comparison, Al Queda taps into the radical thought on the right of Islam, but suicide is specifically prohibited by the Quran. Al Queda are not terrorists because they are Muslim, but despite it.
I'm hardly the first person to make this analogy, nor the first to shoot it down.
So even though I don't think it's a good idea, I fully support their right to do so. Allow me to wave the flag, just a little, and point out that America was founded as a haven for religious freedom, and the Bill of Rights guarantees that even unpopular religions can worship in peace.
To be even more forceful: If we live in fear, and deny that which makes America great, then the terrorists have won. The people building Park51 did not fly airplanes into buildings. They have the rights of all Americans. I can disagree with what they do and support to the death their right to do it.
Coda
While I reacted negatively to the initial reports of the "Ground Zero Mosque", Anytime the morons on the right are against something, chances are real Americans (who don't want to secede just because they lose an election) should most likely be in favor of it. In doing research for this essay, some of the stupider ones popped up. John Stewart did a great job whacking Glenn Beck. Some of the less vitriolic: No Mosques At Ground Zero (which conveniently ignores the mosque that's there now) and Why the Ground Zero Mosque Must Be Stopped, which aims at the Imam, Faisal Abdul Rauf.
When right-wingers are wrong on the issues, they go after the person. I have no doubt that the Imam and I disagree on many issues. But he clearly isn't quite the evil Dick Cheneyesque warmonger as portrayed by Beck and co. Indeed, 'Ground Zero' Imam: 'I Am a Jew, I Have Always Been One' Atlantic, 8/19/1-:
The right-wing campaign against the so-called "Ground Zero mosque" includes vicious personal attacks on the Muslim cleric who leads the Cordoba Initiative, the organization behind the plan. I know Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, and I know him to be a moderate, forward-leaning Muslim -- yes, it is true he has said things with which I disagree, but I have never expected him to function as a member of the Zionist Organization of America.
In 2003, Imam Rauf was invited to speak at a memorial service for Daniel Pearl, the journalist murdered by Islamist terrorists in Pakistan. The service was held at B'nai Jeshurun, a prominent synagogue in Manhattan, and in the audience was Judea Pearl, Daniel Pearl's father. In his remarks, Rauf identified absolutely with Pearl, and identified himself absolutely with the ethical tradition of Judaism. "I am a Jew," he said.
America has over 300 million citizens. Perhaps 20% or more are lying assholes, and they control the media. Islam has over a billion adherents. Some of them are assholes. Anyone, regardless of religion, is allowed to do pretty much anything within the law. The same constitution that protects Fox "News" and the teabaggers also protects Muslims with strong opinions. That's how America works.
The 2010 MInnesota Fringe Festival
The 2010 Minnesota Fringe Festival ran from Aug. 5-15, 2010CE,
Some Bartcop-E readers followed all my Fringe Festival Coverage on LiveJournal and photos on Facebook and Baron Dave videos on YouTube .
Since my column last week, I've posted four more videos. One of them is related, vaguely, to the discussion above. That Sara Aziz was a Fringe play about Muslim women in the 1990s discussing the hijab, a religious covering of most of a woman, leaving only the face and hands visible. As it happened, a few days later I was at the theater just after a performance of That Sara Aziz and found four women in great debate about the play. They kindly agreed to be video'd about their reactions to the play and the hijab in particular:
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog maintains a Facebook Page, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. A nascent collection of videos are on Baron Dave's YouTube channel. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Shields: The Declaration of Independents (creators.com)
How influential in the most recent national elections were the three out of 10 actual voters who declare themselves to be not Democrats or Republicans, but rather independents? The answer in two words: decidedly and disproportionately.
Connie Schultz: There's No Room for Doubt on Death Row (creators.com)
One of the horrible blessings bestowed on many governors is the occasional duty to play God, one life at a time. In Ohio, for the 28th time in less than four years, Gov. Ted Strickland must decide: Shall a man live? Or shall he die?
Anya Kamenetz: What's Up With Twentysomethings? In a Word, Economics
The cover story of the NYT Magazine this weekend asks "What is it About Twenty-Somethings?" There is no mysterious collective twenty-something malaise. The Times should be talking to its own Paul Krugman, not a psychologist.
roger ebert's journal:Ten things I know about the mosque
1. America missed a golden opportunity to showcase its Constitutional freedoms.
"2000 Years of Mayan Literature" by Dennis Tedlock: A review by Benjamin Moser
The hacking of the Mayan script in the twentieth century is an intellectual epic that is in some respects even more dramatic than Champollion's decoding of Egyptian in the century before. The Mayanists had no Rosetta stone. What they had were a few clues and a consuming curiosity that would be familiar to anyone who has ever stood at Chichen-Itza or Tikal, or encountered the Mayan's weird and elaborate reliefs: a prince drawing a thorn-studded cord through an incision in his tongue, a deity emerging from the jaws of a draconic centipede.
Jesse Kornbluth: The Greatest Muslim Poet? He's Also the Best-Selling Poet in America (huffingtonpost.com)
At Rumi's funeral, Christians proclaimed, "He was our Jesus!" while Jews cried, "He was our Moses!" Both were right. It makes perfect sense that this 13th century Muslim is now said to be the best-selling poet in 21st century America.
"The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (Myths)" by Philip Pullman: A review by Doug Brown
Philip Pullman is primarily known for the excellent 'His Dark Materials' series, in which religion was the bad guy. Now he has taken on the life of Jesus, adding the literary twist that Jesus had a twin brother named Christ. Christ is the smaller introvert who always has to get Jesus out of trouble. As Jesus begins his ministry, a stranger tells Christ he should begin documenting his brother's sayings and exploits, which he does. Over time The Stranger lectures Christ on the difference between history and a truth that transcends facts, and Christ thus begins to color his chronicles in this new truth. It is this revisionism that sets the stage for the Christian church, and it's why Pullman refers to Christ as a scoundrel.?
Tim Jonze: The Libertines and their fans (guardian.co.uk)
They threw impromptu gigs, pulled beer-soaked all-nighters and tattooed their fans. As the Libertines reform, Tim Jonze salutes the band that put the madness back into pop.
Geoffrey Dunn: Rocker Sheryl Crow Records Anti-Palin Anthem (huffingtonpost.com)
"Say What You Want To" -- a driving fusion of funk and country rock -- opens with direct denunciation of Palin. Crow has obviously grown troubled by Palin's impact on American political discourse.
David Bruce: The Funniest People in Families, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
A Kindle Book: $1.
Lucy Mangan: The beauty of boredom (guardian.co.uk)
'Let them do nothing. Really nothing. Boredom is a life lesson in itself.'
Hubert's Poetry Corner
Final Aggregate
Everybody is a sum body!
The Weekly Poll
EMMY CONTEST
The First Ever BadtotheboneBob's Emmy Contest!™
Well then, Poll-fans, here are the 21 categories and nominations. I would suggest a cut and paste action and then adding yer predictions... Best of luck be upon ya!
Drama
Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC
Dexter • Showtime
The Good Wife • CBS
Lost • ABC
Mad Men • AMC
True Blood • HBO
Lead Actor, Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad • AMC
Michael C. Hall, Dexter • Showtime
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights • NBC
Hugh Laurie, House • FOX
Matthew Fox, Lost • ABC
Jon Hamm, Mad Men • AMC
Lead Actress, Drama
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer • TNT
Glenn Close, Damages • FX Networks
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights • NBC
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife • CBS
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • NBC
January Jones, Mad Men • AMC
Supporting Actor, Drama
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad • AMC
Martin Short, Damages • FX Networks
Terry O'Quinn, Lost • ABC
Michael Emerson, Lost • ABC
John Slattery, Mad Men • AMC
Andre Braugher, Men Of A Certain Age • TNT
Supporting Actress, Drama
Sharon Gless, Burn Notice • USA
Rose Byrne, Damages • FX Networks
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife • CBS
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife • CBS
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men • AMC
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men • AMC
Comedy
Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
Glee • FOX
Modern Family • ABC
Nurse Jackie • Showtime
The Office • NBC
30 Rock • NBC
Lead Actor, Comedy
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory • CBS
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
Matthew Morrison, Glee • FOX
Tony Shalhoub, Monk • USA
Steve Carell, The Office • NBC
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock • NBC
Lead Actress, Comedy
Lea Michele, Glee • FOX
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine • CBS
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie • Showtime
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation • NBC
Tina Fey, 30 Rock • NBC
Toni Collette, United States Of Tara • Showtime
Supporting Actor, Comedy
Chris Colfer, Glee • FOX
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother • CBS
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family • ABC
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family • ABC
Ty Burrell, Modern Family • ABC
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men • CBS
Supporting Actress, Comedy
Jane Lynch, Glee • FOX
Julie Bowen, Modern Family • ABC
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family • ABC
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live • NBC
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock • NBC
Holland Taylor, Two And A Half Men • CBS
Miniseries or Movie
Miniseries
The Pacific • HBO
Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS
Made-for-TV Movie
Endgame (Masterpiece) • PBS
Georgia O'Keeffe • Lifetime
Moonshot • HISTORY
The Special Relationship • HBO
Temple Grandin • HBO
You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Jeff Bridges, A Dog Year • HBO
Ian McKellen, The Prisoner • AMC
Michael Sheen, The Special Relationship • HBO
Dennis Quaid, The Special Relationship • HBO
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Maggie Smith, Capturing Mary • HBO
Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keeffe • Lifetime
Dame Judi Dench, Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS
Hope Davis, The Special Relationship • HBO
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin • HBO
Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Michael Gambon, Emma (Masterpiece) • PBS
Patrick Stewart, Hamlet (Great Performances) • PBS
Jonathan Pryce, Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS
David Strathairn, Temple Grandin • HBO
John Goodman, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Kathy Bates, Alice • Syfy
Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin • HBO
Catherine O'Hara, Temple Grandin • HBO
Brenda Vaccaro, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Susan Sarandon, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Reality and Variety, Music or Comedy
Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow • PBS
Dirty Jobs • Discovery Channel
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution • ABC
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List • Bravo
MythBusters • Discovery Channel
Undercover Boss • CBS
Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race • CBS
American Idol • FOX
Dancing With The Stars • ABC
Project Runway • Lifetime
Top Chef • Bravo
Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race • CBS
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol • FOX
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars • ABC
Heidi Klum, Project Runway • Lifetime
Jeff Probst, Survivor • CBS
Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Colbert Report • Comedy Central
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central
Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO
Saturday Night Live • NBC
The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien • NBC
Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Bill Maher "...But I'm Not Wrong" • HBO
Hope For Haiti Now • Tenth Planet Productions and MTV
The Kennedy Center Honors • CBS
Robin Williams: Weapons Of Self Destruction • HBO
The 25th Anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Concert • HBO
Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me • HBO
Total correct predictions takes The Prize. Again, that would be a $50 VISA gift card mailed directly to you from 'yours truly'.
Also, again, ties will be resolved in a scientific manner involving the ever fabulous, Maddie Muffin (Future Nobel AND Pulitzer Prize winner, President of the United States AND General Secretary of the UN amongst other notable achievements to numerous to mention)...
"My Grampa is The Best!"
The 21 nominations/categories will run daily until August 28th.
Response cut-off time is 3pm EDT, Saturday, August 28th, and will be posted for all to see August 29th (Emmy Day).
The winner will be the one with the most correct predictions and will be announced Tuesday August 31st.
Oh, and please make it easy on me and don't wait until, like, the last minute and flood me with your predictions, eh? Good luck be on ya, Poll-fans!
Send your predictions to:
BadToTheBoneBob
Here's a complete list of all Emmy Nominations - 2010.
wrote:
responded:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
BadtotheboneBob
Rescued Hummingbird
Hey, M...
See if'n ya can work this in, would ya now?
It's WAY cool! Yer bird lovin' pals (like me!) will really appreciate it... Thanks!
BttbB
p.s. It was sent to me by 'Light Princess', from somewhere in the 'outback' of SoCal...
"This is actually a pretty amazing story about a baby hummingbird that was found on a sidewalk. He couldn't fly, so I took him under my wing. At night, he would come home to our house for safety. During the day, he was in the backyard of the house near where I found him.
About 4 days after I found him, I was holding him in my cupped hands when his mama came by to feed him. She had seen me around, I guess, because she just flew over, perched on my hand and then fed him. This happened a number of times, so I called a friend who is good with a video camera, and he came over to film some of the amazing goings on that I told him about."
I hope this is enough info to give you some context for the video we posted to YouTube. Here's the link:
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and hot.
Creative Arts Emmys
Betty White
Betty White won an Emmy Award for best guest actress in a comedy series for her turn as "Saturday Night Live" host. The honor came Saturday at the creative arts ceremony that is precursor to the main Aug. 29 Emmy show.
The trophy is the fifth prime-time Emmy received by the 88-year-old White, according to the TV academy. Her previous honors came for classic sitcoms including "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls."
She did not attend Saturday's ceremony, which included presenters Jane Lynch of "Glee," Elizabeth Mitchell of "Lost" and Christina Hendricks of "Mad Men."
Neil Patrick Harris was a presenter and winner, taking the trophy for best guest actor in a comedy series for his appearance on "Glee." The guest acting trophies for drama series went to John Lithgow for "Dexter" and Ann-Margret for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," which has won Emmy acting honors for six consecutive years.
Betty White
Here's a complete list of all Creative Emmy Winners - 2010.
Portrait Debuts At Smithsonian
Michelle Obama
Move over Martha Washington. Martha Stewart and Michelle Obama are getting space in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington for the first time.
A new exhibit, "Americans Now," opened Friday, featuring famous names from science, business, government and the arts.
President Barack Obama and the first lady are among those portrayed. It's the first time Michelle Obama's individual portrait has been shown at the gallery.
Familiar names in the collection also include actor Tom Hanks and music artists Willie Nelson and LL Cool J. Video portraits in the exhibit feature late-night comedians Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and David Letterman, as well as actor George Clooney and NBA star LeBron James.
Michelle Obama
Raises $100,000
Leno
Jay Leno brought comedy and cash to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help the area recover from the BP oil spill.
More than 1,000 people watched Leno perform Saturday night at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi to raise money for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Tickets were $40 to $150.
At the end of the show, Leno presented an oversized check for $90,336 to foundation president Rich Westfall. Leno chipped in some of his own money, topping off the evening's fundraising total at about $100,000.
Leno
Returning For 62nd Season
Vin Scully
In the autumn of his life, Vin Scully has decided to prolong summer for another year.
The 82-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster said Sunday he'll return to the broadcast booth to call Los Angeles Dodgers games for his 62nd season in 2011 because "when push came to shove, I just did not want to leave."
Scully, whose nearly 61 years of service make him the longest tenured broadcaster in sports history, said he made the decision with the blessing of his wife, Sandy, and his five children.
He has said that while he loves the job he's had with the team since 1950, when the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn, it's increasingly hard to be away from his wife of 36 years.
Vin Scully
Wedding News
Paquin - Moyer
"True Blood" co-stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer have taken their true love to the altar.
The couple's publicists said in a statement the 28-year-old Paquin and 40-year-old Moyer were married Saturday night at a ceremony in Malibu, Calif., "surrounded by their family and friends."
On the hit HBO series, Paquin stars as Sookie Stackhouse, a Southern waitress who falls for vampire Bill Compton, played by Moyer. Compton is a Confederate veteran who was turned into a bloodsucker around the Civil War era.
Paquin also co-starred in the first three "X-Men" superhero movies and won a supporting-actress Academy Award at age 11 for 1993's "The Piano."
Paquin - Moyer
Defends Actions
Swedish Prosecutors
Swedish prosecutors defended their handling of a rape allegation against the founder of WikiLeaks, saying Sunday that they had made no mistakes in issuing an arrest warrant and withdrawing it less than a day later.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority said an "on-call" prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Julian Assange late Friday only to see it revoked the next day by a higher-ranked prosecutor, who found no grounds to suspect him of rape.
"The prosecutor who took over the case yesterday had more information, and that is why she made a different assessment than the on-call prosecutor," said Karin Rosander, a spokeswoman for the authority.
She declined to specify what the new material was, but said there was "absolutely nothing" that suggested errors had been made by either prosecutor.
Swedish Prosecutors
Points At Pentagon
WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in an interview published Sunday he believed the Pentagon could be behind a rape allegation against him that was swiftly dropped by Swedish authorities.
His comments came as prosecutors justified their treatment of the 39-year-old Australian, whose whistleblowing website is embroiled in a row with Washington over the publication of secret Afghan war documents.
The Aftonbladet newspaper quoted Assange as saying he did not know who was "hiding behind" the rape claim, which prompted prosecutors to issue a warrant for his arrest on Friday but which was cancelled the following day.
"But we have been warned that for instance the Pentagon will use dirty tricks to destroy us. I have furthermore been warned about set-up sex traps," he said, in a translation of comments published in Swedish.
WikiLeaks
To Appeal Electoral Rejection
Wyclef Jean
Musician Wyclef Jean plans to appeal his rejection as a candidate in Haiti's November presidential election, his spokeswoman said on Sunday.
Haiti's provisional electoral council, the CEP, ruled on Friday night that the singer-songwriter did not meet the requirement that presidential candidates maintain five consecutive years of residency in Haiti prior to running.
Jean told his spokeswoman, Marian Salzman, that he would appeal the ruling, Salzman said.
Jean left Haiti with his family to live in New York at age 9 and launched his music career in the United States. He had presented evidence that his lawyers said showed a "constant presence" in Haiti, which is struggling to recover from January's devastating earthquake.
Wyclef Jean
DUI Charged
Faith Evans
Grammy-winning singer Faith Evans has been arrested after being stopped at a drunken driving checkpoint in the Los Angeles area.
Officer Cleon Joseph of the LAPD says the 37-year-old Evans was arrested Saturday night near Marina del Rey on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving. He says Evans was held for a few hours and released on bail Sunday morning. Her car was impounded.
The R&B singer is the widow of rapper Christopher Wallace, also known as the Notorious B.I.G. She won a Grammy in 1998 for the song "I'll Be Missing You."
A reality series chronicling Evans' life is reportedly in production, and a new album is scheduled for release in October.
Faith Evans
Painting Stolen
Van Gogh
A Van Gogh painting worth an estimated $55 million was stolen from a Cairo museum on Saturday and after reporting it had been recovered, the state news agency quoted a minister as saying it was still missing.
Citing Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, the MENA news agency reported that security had caught a young Italian man with the painting by the Dutch post-Impressionist master at the airport and also had detained an Italian woman with him.
Later the agency, which said the painting was worth an estimated $55 million, issued another statement from the minister saying "measures were continuing to recover the painting," which according to the Arabic statement was called the "Poppy Flower."
The minister said information that initially had been given about its recovery was "not accurate and was not confirmed until now by the responsible agencies." He made similar comments to a state television channel.
Van Gogh
'Ne-VAH-da' Pronunciation
Nevada
You know the old adage: You say to-MATE-o, I say to-MAHT-o. You say Ne-VAH-da, I punch you in the face.
That may sound extreme, but many Nevadans get irritated by the mispronunciation of the state's name - using an "ah" instead of the correct "a."
However, outgoing Assemblyman Harry Mortenson is proposing more tolerance. The Las Vegas Democrat is working on a resolution for the 2011 legislative session to make the "Ne-VAH-da" pronunciation equally acceptable.
Mortenson says he's not asking Nevadans to change. He just wants the Spanish pronunciation recognized.
Nevada
Weekend Box Office
'The Expendables'
Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables" fought off an onslaught of newcomers to finish on top of the weekend box office again.
Lionsgate's "The Expendables" remained No. 1 for a second straight weekend with $16.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Directed by and starring Stallone, the action romp about mercenaries aiming to overthrow a dictator raised its total to $64.9 million.
Five new wide releases debuted to crowd the market, but none managed to pack in huge audiences and knock off "The Expendables."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Expendables," $16.5 million.
2. "Vampires Suck," $12.2 million.
3. "Eat Pray Love," $12 million.
4. "Lottery Ticket," $11.1 million.
5. "The Other Guys," $10.1 million.
6. "Piranha 3D," $10 million.
7. "Nanny McPhee Returns," $8.3 million.
8. "The Switch," $8.1 million.
9. "Inception," $7.7 million.
10. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," $5 million.
'The Expendables'
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