Hundreds of thousands of protesters dressed in black and green flooded the streets of Tehran on Thursday in a somber, candlelit show of defiance and mourning for those killed in clashes after Iran’s disputed presidential election. The massive march — the fourth this week — sent a powerful message that opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has the popular backing to sustain his unprecedented challenge to Iran’s ruling clerics.

Even President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, named the landslide winner in the June 12 election, appeared to take the growing opposition more seriously and backtracked on his dismissal of the protesters as “dust” and sore losers.

The government tried to placate Mousavi and his supporters by inviting him and two other candidates who ran against Ahmadinejad to a meeting Saturday with Iran’s main electoral authority, the Guardian Council. Abbasali Khadkhodaei, a spokesman for the council, said it received 646 complaints from the three candidates.

By NASSER KARIMI and ANNA JOHNSON Associated Press Writers

Environmental Film Festival Welcome Video

Welcome to the 17th Annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital!

As the first decade of the 21st century closes, the Environmental Film Festival marks its 17th year in Washington, D.C. with an astounding diversity of films that capture the majesty of our world and address the ever-increasing threats to life on earth. The 2009 Festival spotlights earth’s final frontier, the ocean, source of all life, covering nearly three quarters of the globe but less known than the surface of the moon. Please join us this March to explore our water planet through the Festival’s 140+ films, enhanced with the perspectives and knowledge of 50 filmmakers and 72 special guests who will be on hand for the Festival.

Here comes the rain...

I’m glad Justin decided not to sail to Andros Island because the weather right now would be terrible to sail in! I can barely walk a few straight steps without being knocked around by the strong winds. After spending a lonely, cold and windy night on the sailboat, I decided it’d be best for me to return to the Yoga Ashram at Paradise Island. I feel there are a lot of things I can learn from this particular place and wanted to take some time for myself. This is a new concept for me. One which I’m still fighting to get comfortable with.

At the Ashram, I noticed a girl with a wool hat on that looked a bit like mine. After getting food, I noticed her sitting by herself, so I walked over and asked if she’d like to join my new friends and I for dinner. She gratefully accepted. Her name is Stephanie and she’s from NYC. She actually lives in Queen’s but takes the subway in to the city everyday for work. She’s here to “escape” the rat race of New York City. Go figure?!

Three things that I have been told to meditate on:

1.)   Who am I?

2.)   What do I want?

3.)   What is my Darhma? 

December 1st: The first day of my personal interactive memoir 

I booked my plane ticket and I will land in the Bahamas on Friday, December 5, 2008 - Nassau to be exact. I will be meeting my best childhood friend, Justin, at the Green Parrot NP around noon. I’m not actually sure what the NP stands for but he made sure to let me know that there are two Green Parrots on the island, so I’ll be sure to emphasize the NP to the cabby.

I told Justin to look out for the tallest, palest gal he sees at the cove with some luggage and I got an “LOL” in return. You see, I haven’t actually spoken to Justin, we’ve been communicating online through Facebook. (I swear, Facebook is a blessing, and perhaps a curse in some ways too, but it’s a great social media platform that’s been very helpful to re-connect with friends and family.) Around Thanksgiving Day, I commented on the photos that he recently posted of his sailing adventures. Being half-a-fish myself and going through serious withdrawal from the ocean, I half-jokingly told him I was booking a ticket and coming to meet him. To my surprise, he messaged me back saying, “Come on then!”

I just finished up a couple video projects based around the U.S. election and a Korean trade show, so my new company Tectonic Productions has fully launched itself - so that’s good. Plus the sailboat has 110v power and the island coves are wired with WIFI, so I can bring my laptop and stay connected. And since I don’t have to report in each day to a full-time job, what’s the difference if I work from D.C. or work from a sailboat?

Militants and security forces in Mumbai continued to clash in gun battles as the violent standoff stretched into its third day. The death toll in the terrorist attacks has grown to at least 148 people, including 5 Americans. Two who were traveling with a Virginia-based, nonsectarian spiritual and educational organization.

Obama\’s Thanksgiving Message on YouTube

Bush\’s Final Thanksgiving Message on YouTube

Friday is the last day to voice your opinion on whether the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) should regulate carbon dioxide pollution, a primary cause of the climate change. 

Special interests, like the oil and coal lobbies, are working overtime to defeat a positive ruling and have already gotten thousands of comments submitted in opposition.

Most people don’t know about this opportunity for public comment, so your voice can make a real difference. And with a new president in the White House, it’s likely that someone will actually be listening. Submit your public comment to the EPA here:

http://www.RepowerAmerica.org/EPA

This is your chance to go on the public record — all the comments will be posted on the EPA’s website.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has said that he plans to use some of the government’s $700 billion bailout money to unveil a new loan facility that will issue credit cards, make student loans and finance car purchases. Meanwhile the government has said that the economy shrank at a 0.5 percent rate in the third quarter, meaning that he nation is almost surely in a recession.

Question: Have you tightened up your spending?

Today President-elect Barack Obama announced the leaders of his economic team and his plan to help turn around an economy that’s been struggling now for months. His team will include Timothy Geithner as secretary of the Treasury, Lawrence Summers as director of the National Economic Council and Christina Romer as chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisors.

This announcement comes on the heals of another government announcement that it must bail out yet another major bank -this time it’s Citigroup that needs the help.