Les Artistes

Istanbul Hosts Istancool

(Edited notes from NOWNESS.)For three mind-expanding days and nights, Istanbul plays host to Istancool, the city’s annual cultural extravaganza. Filmmakers Carlo Lavagna and Roberto de Paolis caught the festivities on camera this year for NOWNESS, skipping between the spectacular glass-and-mirrored Vakko Fashion Centre and the grand 19th-century Pera Museum. The starry guestlist included a luminous Kirsten Dunst, fresh from her best actress win at Cannes; director Terry Gilliam, who chatted about his turbulent adventures in filmmaking with Istanbul-based director Alphan Eseli; and Tilda Swinton, who dissected life in front of the camera with Turkish film star Serra Yilmaz. The festival closed with an electrifying live set by Courtney Love.

The Istanbul International Festival of Culture was held in association with AnOther Magazine and is the brainchild of 27-year-old cultural entrepreneur Pablo Ganguli, whose organization, Liberatum, has hosted arts festivals in Papua New Guinea, Morocco, Delhi and St Petersberg.

With Istancool, Ganguli aims to forge relations between Turkey and the international creative community: “It’s the soul of this city that makes it work,” he explains. “One of my favorite things is to the watch the ferries on the Bosphorus, sailing between two continents. Istanbul is such a vast melting pot of cultures and ideas, a juxtaposition of east and west. You feel quite blessed to be here.”

Boys Club

Big Rumor | Estrogen Power At IMF & World Bank

Exclusive: Clinton in talks about possible move to World BankReuters

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that America welcomed “women who are well qualified” to run big institutions like the International Monetary Fund but stopped short of officially endorsing Christine Lagarde, the favourite candidate for the job left vacant by Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s resignation. A spokesperson for Hillary Clinton, Philippe Reines, denies that she has had conversations with the White House about heading up the World Bank, should the Bank’s current president Robert Zoellick leave at the end of his term, in the middle of 2012. (Updated: another denial from Abu Dhabi. Interestingly, Bill Clinton answered that the only job he knew for certain that his wife wants is to be a grandmother. Beyond that … Note also that the current president haasn’t said whether he’s staying or leaving. )

“Hillary Clinton wants the job,” said one source who knows the secretary well.
A second source also said Clinton wants the position.
A third source said Obama has already expressed support for the change in her role. It is unclear whether Obama has formally agreed to nominate her for the post, which would require approval by the 187 member countries of the World Bank.

To date the head of the IMF has always been a European and the World Bank has always been headed by an American. Neither institution has been led by a woman. While the hot emerging economies are testing this ‘gentlemen’s agreement’, Clinton at the World Bank would be nothing but good news for developing countries.

Hillary Clinton has long been an advocate on global development, with a special focus on girls. There’s probably no better combo for the world’s females than a Lagarde-Clinto combo. Breathtaking!

The World Bank provides billions of dollars in development funds to the poorest countries and is also at the center of issues such as climate change, rebuilding countries emerging from conflict and recently the transitions to democracy in Tunisia and Egypt.

With Bill Clinton heading one of the most effective global change agents — the Clinton Initiative — the possibilities are frankly amazing.

Calls Mount for Resignation; Weiner Firm on ‘No’

Rep. Schwartz, other Democrats calll for Weiner to quitPhiladelphia Inquirer

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is on record saying Weiner should quit, and suggested he get mental-health treatment.

“What I think Anthony Weiner should do is, he still has a lot to offer, he should resign, he should get treatment - and I mean real treament, maybe in-patient treatment,” Rendell told Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s Hardball Wednesday evening.
“If he can rehabilitate himself, can he someday down the road in New York run for office? Maybe, maybe. But he’s got to resign. He owes it to the party, he owes it to Congress, and he owes it to the issues he fought for.”

Stay at Home Dad?

Weiner’s gamechanging pregnancy dramaSalon.com

Is Anthony Weiner clueless to the reality that Democrats lose all leverage in fighting the Republican War on Women if the party also allows him to digitally hump women on the Internet after just planting his manly seed in his lovely new wife Huma Abedin.

How disgusting is it that the new daddy-to-be is online sending text messages like this one to 40-year-old Las Vegas blackjack dealer Lisa Weiss:

According to RadarOnline, which published the text messages between Weiner and his digital girlfriend, the Congressman’s gift for prose includes: ‘baby you’d be crawling for the door to prevent me from f***ing you silly.’

She responds ‘Nice, just what I’m looking for. I want to bang the future mayor of NYC!’

‘making me hard’ says the Weiner.

Has Bill Clinton counseled Weiner about the real possibility of putting his wife’s pregnancy in danger with this unbelievable stress and humiliation? Does Weiner give a crap about the pain he’s causing Hillary Clinton, dragging out all the dirty details of her humiliation at the hands of her philandering, great president husband?

How do the Democrats allow one self-absorbed man who can’t keep his pants on to shift the dialogue away from Republicans and women to Democrats? The man’s congressional seat will probably disappear in redistricting anyway.

Lead By Example, Rep Weiner

This is what we’d like to see happen with the Hot Doggy. He resigns and seeks treatment. He becomes a stay-at-home dad, so that his brainiac wife doesn’t have to take a leave of absence from her outstanding career — assuming that all the stress of his obnoxious behavior doesn’t cause her to have a miscarriage.

Huma Abedin can be the positive professional career model for their child, while the former Congressman learns the backbreaking responsibilities of caring for a newborn. He starts a daddy blog, and then he writes a book about his reformation into a genuinely good person and model parent. Perhaps the Democratic party will then give him another chance in office.

Such a decision would send a clear message to America’s women that Boys Club behavior is not tolerated when discovered in the Democratic party, and that only the Republicans engage in a war on women. The are then free to turn renewed attention to Senator David Vitter.

Rachel Maddow reminded us last evening that from her perspective, one key member of the DC Boys Club Louisiana Senator David Vitter has never done his penance, although he insists that God has forgiven him and that is enough.

Senator’s Number on ‘Madam Phone ListWashington Post July 10, 2007

“Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling,” Vitter continued. “Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there — with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.”

Larry Flynt Explains His Crusade Against Senator David Vitter

Republican Family Values: Senator David Vitter’s Prostitute

We are left wondering if God forgives Republican and Democratic men equally. New research project. Just hearing the name David Vitter last night takes us back to C Street. Disgraced former senator from Nevada called C Street home. Gov Mark Sanford lived at C Street when he was in the House of Representatives. Pro-family Senator Tom Coburn’s (R-OK), Ensign’s roommate at C Street, was named by the Senate Ethics committee for his involvement and collaboration in the cover-up of Ensign’s affair.

Leisha Pickering filed an alienation of affection complaint a few years back that alleges her estranged husband conducted an affair with Elizabeth Creekmore-Byrd of Jackson, Miss., while living in the C Street complex in Washington, D.C. And yes, David Vitter lived at C Street.

Caught With Their Pants Down: A Political Sex Scandal RetrospectiveTPM