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Joe's Tears: the Political Power of Paternal Lov

Joe Biden did more for the equality of the sexes with his honest display of paternal emotion during the vice presidential debate than Sarah Palin's presence on the executive ticket has or will ever do.

Biden visibly teared up when he rebutted the idea that "just because I am a man" he didn't understand what it was like to wonder whether or not a child would "make it" in recovering from a life-threatening medical situation. At the time, he was likely recalling the tragic automobile accident that killed his wife and daughter and severely injured his two sons. It was an authentic, moving and powerful moment. It was, in fact, the strongest expression of real paternal love we have seen from a public official in recent memory and maybe ever.

By bringing that reality to a national political stage, Biden demonstrated that -- for all of us, not just feminists -- the personal is political, that women alone do not have the sole responsibility for caring about the future of our children and that the concern of fathers is a largely untapped pool of political energy. In his acceptance speech, Barack Obama paved the way for this when he talked about fighting for equal pay for equal work because he wants "my daughters to have the same opportunities as your sons" -- and said this while looking with protective ferocity straight into the camera. He has continued this message on the campaign trail with great impact.

Political equality for women will not come from the minimization or idealization of motherhood -- but rather from recognizing fatherhood as a significant factor in our culture and politics.

Thank you, Joe, for bringing us to the next level and keeping it real.

Pagetop

Paris 2008: Lamborghini LIVE

You've seen the whole Estoque shebang in Lamborghini's words, pictures, and videos. Let us add our own word to it: hmmm. It's a Lamborghini, so it's hard not to like it. And we hate to tread out the refrain, but it's much nicer in person. It feels, though, like they wanted to get this thing done in time for the show, and it needs a couple more drafts. The front aspect is spot on -- not a tough feat since it's Lamborghini's language. From the side, the it looks a little too stretched forward of the A-pillar, and there's more than one personality fighting for attention if you follow the car from snout to rear. And the back, while beautiful, is... yes... Challenger-esque... But don't take our words for it -- have a look at the high-res gallery below and give us yours.

Pagetop

Little guy claims foul in dispute with Apple

A Saanich web design school is holding its ground, following a threat by Apple to take legal action if the local firm does not change a corporate logo it has used since 2005.

Calling his company a dedicated customer that uses Apple hardware and software almost exclusively in its operation, Victoria School of Business and Technology vice-president Christopher Boag said he and partner Dieter Gerhard were surprised to receive a strongly worded letter with no advance warning.

"It was a total shock," he said. "It was like the small guy was kind of getting blown away and Apple was pushing hard in order to get us to (submit to their demands)."

Boag and Gerhard argue that the apple is a "traditional representation of education" and that the logo in question, which incorporates the mountain logo of a sister company and has the words VSBT in one corner, in no way can be confused with the Apple logo.

"It's 100 per cent unique. It's an original idea that came from a flow and a process we worked through here in the office," Boag said. "We've never had anyone make a comparison between the Apple logo and the VSBT logo."

The computer giant believes otherwise.

A letter sent on behalf of Apple Inc. by the Toronto law firm of Baker and McKenzie, stated that VSBT's logo "reproduces, without authority, our client's Apple Design Logo which it widely uses."

It went on to say such use infringes upon Apple's trademark registrations and legal rights, which it claimed allow Apple the "exclusive right to use its trademarks and any confusingly similar trademarks and trade names" to market its products and services.

The letter said Apple is prepared to waive any potential punitive claims against VSBT if the company removes the apple component of its logo, refrains from using any Apple trademarks and co-operates with Apple to remove the VSBT logo from any third-party publications or websites.

Media lawyer David Sutherland said cases of trademark infringement often come down to whether there is a reasonable possibility of confusion between two entities on the part of the consumer.

"It's not so much whether it looks like the other guy's mark, as much as it is using it with something identified with the other person," he said, noting that both Apple and VSBT are both involved in the computer field.

He gave as an example a political cartoon in the Maritimes in which the Michelin Man was stepping on a worker during a factory strike. The judge ruled against trademark infringement since the cartoon was being used for comment, not as a trademark by another organization.

Boag knows his company couldn't fund an extended legal battle with deep-pocketed Apple, but he said the situation seems like a classic case of corporate bullying.

"It's a matter of them trying to push over the little guy, to some degree. They figure we're going to roll over and play dead, but we want to be more vocal."

In its classrooms, VSBT has 20 large-screen iMac computers and has another 20 on order, Boag said, in addition to nearly a dozen Mac laptops and a handful of iPhones used by staff.

"I feel ethically 100 per cent behind our decision," he said. "I just hope Apple can take a look at this and realize we're on their side."

Apple is no stranger to lawsuits relating to its logo. Earlier this year it challenged the City of New York in court over use of an apple logo used in the Big Apple's GreeNYC campaign. Apple Corps., the Beatles' corporate entity, battled the computer company for years over its use of the trademark and ultimately settled by allowing Apple the entire brand and agreeing to license certain other trademarks from the computer giant.

Pagetop

Report: Drug testers warned minor leagueteams

NEW YORK (AP) -- Minor league baseball teams received advance notice of drug tests this season, eight people who work in the minor leagues told The New York Times.

In a story posted on the newspaper's Web site on Tuesday night, four minor league managers, two team trainers, one general manager and one clubhouse attendant said a club official was called by a tester the day before drug testing was to be done at the ballpark.

None of them told the paper that they knew of any instances when players were told about the tests ahead of time, which would have given them time to rid their system of drugs.

The news comes less than a year after the Mitchell Report noted allegations of tipoffs received by major league teams. Commissioner Bud Selig eliminated the advance notice.

''Under the minor league policy, collections are performed by the Center for Drug Free Sport, which is a wholly independent entity,'' Richard Levin, a spokesman for Major League Baseball, said in an e-mail dated Sept. 15. ''The center was directed to give only nominal notice, no more than 45 minutes, to a club prior to a collection.''

When asked in an e-mail the next day as to how Major League Baseball planned to address the issue, Levin responded in an e-mail: ''Once we learned that there were occasions on which the Center for Drug Free Sport gave overnight notice to clubs, we took prompt corrective action to prevent such notice from being given in the future.''
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Levin did not respond to two subsequent e-mails and a phone message asking for details about the nature and timing of the corrective action.

Pagetop

Sharon Stone wanted to botox son's feet to stop them smelling court papers claim

The judge presiding over Sharon Stone's custody battle has questioned the actress' commitment to her son Roan Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The claim was reportedly contained in court papers obtained by a celebrity website following Ms Stone's unsuccessful custody battle with her former husband Phil Bronstein.