Center City Philadelphia, the heart of gritty, urban social-life, became the scene of a "24-esque" pursuit last night. Apparently, an SUV pulled up alongside a car parked on the side of Sansom St. near 15th and dispute broke out between a three people in the car, and the man inside the SUV.
Shots were fired.
One man in the car was hit in the shoulder, the other in the arm and the woman was wounded, but not severely. All of them were taken to Jefferson University Hospital. The SUV sped off, but was pursued by police and caught at 22nd and Sansom streets, only seven blocks from the shooting. The suspect crashed the SUV, fired at the police car hitting it twice, and the police officer in the vehicle was shot in the shoulder.
The suspect then abandoned the vehicle and jumped into the Schuylkill river.
Read more from the story we dropped at midnight in Metro or get a more updated story in the Daily News.
What was amazing to me was walking around the scene of the shooting at 15th and Sansom streets less and an hour after it occured, there was no sign of anything abnormal. Partiers dressed in Halloween customes were slinking in and out of bars, panhandlers were doing there deed and the mood in the air was jovial, festive and, well, party!
This morning, there were the usual signs of a hard-party night in the city. A few broken bottles, puke stained sidewalks and confetti strewn in the streets.
Four shot, including an officer... Just another night in Philadelphia.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Katrina of Fire
Associated Press is doing it.
Reuters is doing it.
The New York Times is doing it.
In fact, find me a media source in this country that isn't equating the fires in Southern California to Hurricane Katrina.
Here inlies the problem.
This is not a situation in which poor people were unable to evaqate their homes for lack of transportation or access to information. This is a situation in which rich people have been evacuated from their homes, watched them burn down and will have them replaced by fire and homeowners insurance companies.
This is not a situation that was anticipated and not responded to. No, quite to the contrary, more than 6,000 firefighters backed by a squadron of 90 firefighting aircraft, including a DC-10, 25 air tankers and 40 helicopters, were battling the blaze through coordination of local and state government and promises of support if needed from the national level.
This is not a situation in which a huge population of people in an urban setting were thrown into chaos as they watched their homes and their cities sponged off the map. This was a situation that took place in primarily rural outskirts of the metropolitain centers of Southern California.
This is not a situation in which hospital patients were sacraficed and left for dead, thousands were injured, dead or missing, and people were left stranded for days without access to food or water. In this instance, there was an orderly evacuation of nearly half a million people to shelters and places where they will recieve support.
Southern California has four seasons, contrary to popular belief, though they are not winter, spring, summer and fall.
They are fire, earthquake, mudslide, and draught.
The people of Southern California, though still traumatized, surely, have done this before, they will do it again, and unlike the majority of the country, most of them are not really stunned by this fire.
Stop the comparissons people. It cheapens the recent memory of a true American tragedy.
Rest in peace to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Reuters is doing it.
The New York Times is doing it.
In fact, find me a media source in this country that isn't equating the fires in Southern California to Hurricane Katrina.
Here inlies the problem.
This is not a situation in which poor people were unable to evaqate their homes for lack of transportation or access to information. This is a situation in which rich people have been evacuated from their homes, watched them burn down and will have them replaced by fire and homeowners insurance companies.
This is not a situation that was anticipated and not responded to. No, quite to the contrary, more than 6,000 firefighters backed by a squadron of 90 firefighting aircraft, including a DC-10, 25 air tankers and 40 helicopters, were battling the blaze through coordination of local and state government and promises of support if needed from the national level.
This is not a situation in which a huge population of people in an urban setting were thrown into chaos as they watched their homes and their cities sponged off the map. This was a situation that took place in primarily rural outskirts of the metropolitain centers of Southern California.
This is not a situation in which hospital patients were sacraficed and left for dead, thousands were injured, dead or missing, and people were left stranded for days without access to food or water. In this instance, there was an orderly evacuation of nearly half a million people to shelters and places where they will recieve support.
Southern California has four seasons, contrary to popular belief, though they are not winter, spring, summer and fall.
They are fire, earthquake, mudslide, and draught.
The people of Southern California, though still traumatized, surely, have done this before, they will do it again, and unlike the majority of the country, most of them are not really stunned by this fire.
Stop the comparissons people. It cheapens the recent memory of a true American tragedy.
Rest in peace to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Jay-Z is not the richest man in the world
I attended a meeting on Monday of last week in which the procurator asked a group of about 100 people who the richest man in the world is. From the back of the room - as a testament to the education level of the people in this country - there was a loud and confident response: "Jay-Z."
Contrary to popular opinion in West Philadelphia, Jay-Z is not the richest man in the world.
He was however, voted by Forbes Magazine as the richest Hip-hop mogul of 2007.
Using only 2007 gross incomes, Forbes compiled a list of artists. This is not including the majority of residual income collected, liquidable assets or investment capital - it is merely a reflection of what these cats earned last year... and it is still disturbing.
Here was the list:
1. Jay-Z - $34 million : Keep in mind, will you, the majority of Jay-Z'a income is from endorsements and other investmests, no tfrom record sales... which makes him a business man. I think it's also important to note that he didn't spent half of his billions on getting his teeth capped with gold and diamonds.
2. 50 Cent - $32 million : "Fiddy" presides over a business portfolio that includes apparel, ringtones, video games and cheap fiction. Not bad for a guy that knows niether how to spell nor pronounce his own name.
3. Diddy - $28 million: I'm just so sick of this guy and his lavish trips to Dubai.
4. Timbaland - $21 million: I think the majority of his income comes from boot sales or something.
5. Dr. Dre - $20 million: He made $6.2 million on a revolutionary brain transplant that he performed on George W.
6. Eminem - $18 million: His fortune is in the candy industry.
7. Snoop Dogg - $17 million : The sales of the New Merriam-Snoop Dictionary for "the hip-hop afficianados who can't understand the language that the rapper is speaking" have padded Snoop's purse.
8. Kanye West - $17 million : West made a bet that next year his income with quadruple that of 50 Cent. If it doesn't he will get his teeth capped to match Fiddy's.
9. Pharrell Williams - $17 million : Dude just makes awesome shoes.
10. Scott Storch - $17 million : Who? This a-hole is Canadian... I think just for that, Nelly and his Pimp Juice sport's drink should take this slot... because I said so, and because he will hit the $100 million milestone with his clothing line, investment in a basketball ball team and caffine sales within the next 18 months. Might as well make room for him on the list.
11. Ludacris - $16 million : The majority of Luda's wealth is generated from his bad acting, not his bad rapping.
12. T.I. - $16 million : He is invested in the film industry too, but in the "I just opened my own production company" sense. Look for T.I. to be moving into echelons of P-Diddy soon. Hey, maybe he'll even date J-Lo for a while.
13. OutKast - $14 million : When you write, produce, create the two-disc sound track for and star in your own film, there has to be some residual benefit. But I don't think that Forbes was aware that Outkast is comprised of two people... so does that mean that they really only earned $7 million each?
14. Lil Jon - $14 million : Now that's sad... He made $14 million on three words... and Dave Chappelle was the one who made them famous.
15. Ice Cube - $13 million : I thought he was dead.
16. Jermaine Dupri - $12 million : I think Janet could have something to do with this listing... I mean, for real, it never hurts to have a Jackson on your team in any facet... unless you are an 11-year-old boy with cancer and you get invited over for the family Thanksgiving extravaganza.
17. Swizz Beatz - $12 million : Another producer on the list. Puerto Rico represent. He is the best talent scout in the business at the moment... which says very little for his talent.
18. Chamillionaire - $11 million : Krazy Bone put him here. Don't forget it. Holla.
19. The Game - $11 million : You know that salaries are just higher in California.
20. Yung Joc - $10 million : I've got nothin'.
I though it was interesting that there were no women on this list, AND hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons was not recognized.
Contrary to popular opinion in West Philadelphia, Jay-Z is not the richest man in the world.
He was however, voted by Forbes Magazine as the richest Hip-hop mogul of 2007.
Using only 2007 gross incomes, Forbes compiled a list of artists. This is not including the majority of residual income collected, liquidable assets or investment capital - it is merely a reflection of what these cats earned last year... and it is still disturbing.
Here was the list:
1. Jay-Z - $34 million : Keep in mind, will you, the majority of Jay-Z'a income is from endorsements and other investmests, no tfrom record sales... which makes him a business man. I think it's also important to note that he didn't spent half of his billions on getting his teeth capped with gold and diamonds.
2. 50 Cent - $32 million : "Fiddy" presides over a business portfolio that includes apparel, ringtones, video games and cheap fiction. Not bad for a guy that knows niether how to spell nor pronounce his own name.
3. Diddy - $28 million: I'm just so sick of this guy and his lavish trips to Dubai.
4. Timbaland - $21 million: I think the majority of his income comes from boot sales or something.
5. Dr. Dre - $20 million: He made $6.2 million on a revolutionary brain transplant that he performed on George W.
6. Eminem - $18 million: His fortune is in the candy industry.
7. Snoop Dogg - $17 million : The sales of the New Merriam-Snoop Dictionary for "the hip-hop afficianados who can't understand the language that the rapper is speaking" have padded Snoop's purse.
8. Kanye West - $17 million : West made a bet that next year his income with quadruple that of 50 Cent. If it doesn't he will get his teeth capped to match Fiddy's.
9. Pharrell Williams - $17 million : Dude just makes awesome shoes.
10. Scott Storch - $17 million : Who? This a-hole is Canadian... I think just for that, Nelly and his Pimp Juice sport's drink should take this slot... because I said so, and because he will hit the $100 million milestone with his clothing line, investment in a basketball ball team and caffine sales within the next 18 months. Might as well make room for him on the list.
11. Ludacris - $16 million : The majority of Luda's wealth is generated from his bad acting, not his bad rapping.
12. T.I. - $16 million : He is invested in the film industry too, but in the "I just opened my own production company" sense. Look for T.I. to be moving into echelons of P-Diddy soon. Hey, maybe he'll even date J-Lo for a while.
13. OutKast - $14 million : When you write, produce, create the two-disc sound track for and star in your own film, there has to be some residual benefit. But I don't think that Forbes was aware that Outkast is comprised of two people... so does that mean that they really only earned $7 million each?
14. Lil Jon - $14 million : Now that's sad... He made $14 million on three words... and Dave Chappelle was the one who made them famous.
15. Ice Cube - $13 million : I thought he was dead.
16. Jermaine Dupri - $12 million : I think Janet could have something to do with this listing... I mean, for real, it never hurts to have a Jackson on your team in any facet... unless you are an 11-year-old boy with cancer and you get invited over for the family Thanksgiving extravaganza.
17. Swizz Beatz - $12 million : Another producer on the list. Puerto Rico represent. He is the best talent scout in the business at the moment... which says very little for his talent.
18. Chamillionaire - $11 million : Krazy Bone put him here. Don't forget it. Holla.
19. The Game - $11 million : You know that salaries are just higher in California.
20. Yung Joc - $10 million : I've got nothin'.
I though it was interesting that there were no women on this list, AND hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons was not recognized.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Revolutionary HIV treatment may be released
A new drug is on the market fighting HIV at its genetic root.
Merck & Co. is developing a new drug called Isnetress, which attacks integrase, an enzyme produced by the HIV and AIDS viruses which enable it to integrate with a cells DNA and essentially corrupt it with virus. This new drug would essentially take an aggressive approach, attacking the HIV virus, as opposed to previous treatments which have been designed to build up the body's immune system and create defenses from HIV/AIDS.
Merck will recieve a decision from the FDA which could allow the drug to be used on adult patients who are resistent to other forms of treatment. More research is needed before it can begin to be used on children.
Merck & Co. is developing a new drug called Isnetress, which attacks integrase, an enzyme produced by the HIV and AIDS viruses which enable it to integrate with a cells DNA and essentially corrupt it with virus. This new drug would essentially take an aggressive approach, attacking the HIV virus, as opposed to previous treatments which have been designed to build up the body's immune system and create defenses from HIV/AIDS.
Merck will recieve a decision from the FDA which could allow the drug to be used on adult patients who are resistent to other forms of treatment. More research is needed before it can begin to be used on children.
Todays Knights of Templar
I went onto Wiki for a different post, and this was the "Featured Article of the Day." I had to share it.
You know how they say you need to know your history so that you can learn from it? And you know how they say history repeats itself? Put some sand-brown camo on these guys and replace their swords with rifles. Then read the article again.
They acquired large tracts of land, both in Europe and the Middle East; they bought and managed farms and vineyards; they built churches and castles; they were involved in manufacturing, import and export; they had their own fleet of ships; and at one point they even owned the entire island of Cyprus. The Templars arguably qualify as the world's first multinational corporation.
Seperately, it's a beautiful piece anyway. Makes me wonder what ever happened to chivalry. Is it dead? And, would the Knights of Templar have had a scenario like Abu Ghraib?
Answer: It would a heck of a lot worse... remember the famous Pulp Fiction quote, "I'm going to get middiaeval on your ass."
Thursday, October 11, 2007
PA Prof's Partners getting Benefits
The Associated Press reports the governing board of Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities approved a new four-year contract Thursday that gives raises to about 5,900 unionized faculty members and expands benefits for same-sex partners. (Read More!)
Peppermint Patty
I haven't done this in a while, but I was out at a club not too long ago (last night) and the bartender shot me a sample of this lovely drink. Props to Joe at 12th Air Command.
The Peppermint Patty (shot)
1/2 oz Vanilla Vodka
1/4 oz Creme de Cocoa
1/4 oz Peppermint Schnapp's
Peppermint Patty Martini
1 oz Vanilla Vodka
3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate
1/2 oz Creme de Cocoa
1/2 oz Peppermint Schnapp's
1/4 oz Half and Half
Serve in a Chilled cocktail glass with mint leaf garnish
The Peppermint Patty (shot)
1/2 oz Vanilla Vodka
1/4 oz Creme de Cocoa
1/4 oz Peppermint Schnapp's
Peppermint Patty Martini
1 oz Vanilla Vodka
3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate
1/2 oz Creme de Cocoa
1/2 oz Peppermint Schnapp's
1/4 oz Half and Half
Serve in a Chilled cocktail glass with mint leaf garnish
Who's the real Turkey
So, the Turkish ambassador to the US was called back. And?
The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs brought HR 106 to the floor last week, a resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide of World War I in the US official record - I love that this is what our leaders are preoccupied with. The resolution was met with a great deal of hostility and concern from a military perspective. ( Read Rep. Skelton's Letter to Speaker Pelosi on the matter ) Some in Congress feared backlash from the Turkish government and the effects that it might have on the US ability to use air and land space in Turkey.
Presently the US has one military outpost within Turkey. Incirlik Air Force Base is a fully equipped base, complete with the coffee shops, movie theater, basketball court, public park, hotel and of course the golf course. Don't believe it? Check out the pics posted on the base website.
IN reaction, the US embassador to Turkey was called home. Turkish citizens protested. Government officials took supercilious stances on the issue.
"Yesterday some in Congress wanted to play hardball," said Egemen Bagis, foreign policy adviser to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "I can assure you Turkey knows how to play hardball." (CNN.com)
And, of course, the American media lapped it up.
Take a look through the glitz and glamour of the story though.
There was a holocaust in Turkey during WWI. The Turks know it, it must have been hard to miss. The Armenian's certianly know it. But why rub it in the face of the Turks right now? Is it really that essential that it goes down in the record books? Especially with the other issues we have facing this country right now... say, i don't know, the war. A rapidly slowing economy. Allocations, people. Let's talk allocations.
For once, I agree with the Bush Administration. The Associated Press reports that a White House deputy press secretary Scott Stanzel, meanwhile, reiterated that the vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee approving the resolution would be problematic for American efforts in the Middle East.
"While the House is debating the Ottoman Empire, they are not moving forward with appropriations bills," said Stanzel. "The House has not appointed conferees, they aren't coming to the table to discuss children's health care, and they haven't permanently closed the intelligence gap that will open up when the Protect America Act expires."
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Iraqi Refugees Beginning to Get Their Due
BBC is beating me to it.Check out this article on the refugee crisis. The writer makes the point that I have been stressing as loudly as humanly possible for quite some time: With 12 million Palestinians already dislocated within the region, the presence of nearly 2 million Iraqis displaced literally on top of them is only serving to further destablize the region. This situation is, by far, the largest humanitarian crisis in the world right now... have you heard about it?
Keep your eyes peeled on this blog for updates as I make my journey to Jordan and Syria for personal coverage on this issue.
Giving a voice to the voiceless...
Giving power to the powerless...
Giving a face to those who are suffering as a result of the war in Iraq...
And, above all, telling the story of the Iraqi people... finally.
On this Day: Pac-Man Love
It is my dream to someday own one of these machines!
Bryan Los quotes it at around $1700 on The Scripted Lizard ... so you better start saving if you want to buy it for my 30th birthday. Actually, nah, forget it. I am going to buy one for myself on my 30th simply so I can say : "I bought a Nerf dart board for $17 on my 26th birthday. I bought a Pac-Man video game for $1700 on my 30th."
Why the ode?
According to Wired.com, Pac-Man made it's world debut in Japan as Puck-Man in Japan on this day, 1979.
To this day, that little chomper still beats Mario Kart and the Sims on entertainment.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The American courts in turmoil
A gift in the form of email from my roommate... I never pass these along, but this one was too funny.
The following are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty.
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Uh.... I was gett'in laid!
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Are you shitt'in me? Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
Six-packs are coming!
Fact: Pennsylvania has the mos backward liquor laws in the nation.
Fact: Pennsylvania is also the single largest purchaser of alcohol in the world... Why? Because the state buys it and then resells it at a higher rate for profit. Thus, the added expense and strange regulatory laws.
But, all of that is in motion to change.
A state Senate committee approved a bill designed to give beer drinkers more options today. The bill, which passed the Senate Law and Justice Committee on a 9-1 vote, must still receive approval from the full House and Senate.
Fact: Pennsylvania is also the single largest purchaser of alcohol in the world... Why? Because the state buys it and then resells it at a higher rate for profit. Thus, the added expense and strange regulatory laws.
But, all of that is in motion to change.
A state Senate committee approved a bill designed to give beer drinkers more options today. The bill, which passed the Senate Law and Justice Committee on a 9-1 vote, must still receive approval from the full House and Senate.
Under the bill, beer distributors could sell quantities as small as a six-pack - currently, the state's approximately 1,300 distributors must sell quantities of a case or more, the only law of its kind in the nation, according to Senate officials - and individuals the ability to buy three six-packs per person for take-out at bars. Present law allows only two.
The bill still has to be approved by the full House and Senate, but this is a small step forward for beer drinkers, and a giant leap for PennsyPimp-kind.
Burning chilli sparks terror fear
Firefighters wearing protective breathing apparatus were called a London restaraunt after reports of noxious smoke filling the air.
Police closed off three roads, homes were evaquated and crews broke down the door to the Thai Cottage restaurant Monday where they discovered the source - a 9lb pot of chillies.
I think America's "War of Terror," as Borat calls it, has everyone sufficiently terrorized.
BBC reports the restaurant had been preparing Nam Prik Pao, a red-hot Thai dip which uses extra-hot chillies which are deliberately burnt.
But the smell prompted several members of the public to call the emergency services.
Iran: US too thin to invade
Iran’s Foreign Minister made a fervent statement that the United States’ military is spread too thin to attack Iran the Associated Press reports.
In the meantime, Mottaki said Iran is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency to answer questions and calm speculations about its nuclear program. In return for its cooperation with the IAEA, Iran was granted a reprieve until November on sanctions placed on its nuclear program.
The Bush administration, which contends that the nuclear power program in Iran is merely a cover for a weapons program, ceded to demands from China and Russia to give Tehran more time to address questions from the IAEA about its nuclear program.
"Our analysis is clear: [the] US is not in a position to impose another war in our region, against their taxpayers," Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters.
He warned Washington against making such a "mad decision".
Despite its conviction that the US would find launching another military assault extremely taxing, Iran was making preparations for such an attack, Mottaki said.
In the meantime, Mottaki said Iran is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency to answer questions and calm speculations about its nuclear program. In return for its cooperation with the IAEA, Iran was granted a reprieve until November on sanctions placed on its nuclear program.
The Bush administration, which contends that the nuclear power program in Iran is merely a cover for a weapons program, ceded to demands from China and Russia to give Tehran more time to address questions from the IAEA about its nuclear program.
Winning the War on Drugs?
Illegal immigration is still out of control, but maybe the “Great Wall of Mexico” concept is accomplishing something.
According to BBC News, John Walters, head of the Department of National Drug Control Policy, reported that is achieving success in its efforts to disrupt the flow of drugs from Mexico.
US authorities are working with Mexico to combat cartels throughout the country. An estimated $1 billion will be spent on the cause this year. But, Walters said that there is evidence the investment is paying off.
"What's happened for the first time in two decades is we now see widespread reports of cocaine shortages in the United States," Walters said.
Thirty-seven cities in the US have shown a rise in the price of cocaine because dealers are having difficulty receiving supplies.
According to BBC News, John Walters, head of the Department of National Drug Control Policy, reported that is achieving success in its efforts to disrupt the flow of drugs from Mexico.
US authorities are working with Mexico to combat cartels throughout the country. An estimated $1 billion will be spent on the cause this year. But, Walters said that there is evidence the investment is paying off.
"What's happened for the first time in two decades is we now see widespread reports of cocaine shortages in the United States," Walters said.
Thirty-seven cities in the US have shown a rise in the price of cocaine because dealers are having difficulty receiving supplies.
North Korea, Kim Jong-il back down on nuclear program in exchange for oil.
Talks that began Aug. 27 in Beijing appear to bear the fruit of progress as the North Korea has agreed to shut down its primary nuclear reactor and to give disclosure of information on its nuclear program by Dec.1.
Seeking to remove North Korean from the American list of terrorist nations, a blueprint has been drawn for the slow process of removing North Korea from the terror list.
A US-led team of technicians to oversee the dismantling of the major nuclear power plant which produced the weapons tested over the Indian Ocean last November.
As a concession, and despite suspicions that North Korea supplied Syria with nuclear weapons, members of the negotiation team agreed to fulfill a pact made in February to re-supply Korea with oil (The US, Japan and South Korea stopped the influx of fuel supplies Nov. 11, 2002, check out the CNN timeline ). Russia, South Korea and China have agreed to send nearly a million tons of oil to North Korea. President Bush added another 50,000 tons, worth approximately $25 million, to the tally.
North Korea joined the six-way negotiation talks seeking a “non-aggression” pact with the US, and has made some headway.
Japan stated Wednesday that it would cease providing aid of any kind to North Korea because Pyongyang has delayed response to a dispute over the return of several Japanese nationals kidnapped in North Korea.
South Korea has come to the table of negotiation with North Korea for the first time since the Korean War.
Seeking to remove North Korean from the American list of terrorist nations, a blueprint has been drawn for the slow process of removing North Korea from the terror list.
A US-led team of technicians to oversee the dismantling of the major nuclear power plant which produced the weapons tested over the Indian Ocean last November.
As a concession, and despite suspicions that North Korea supplied Syria with nuclear weapons, members of the negotiation team agreed to fulfill a pact made in February to re-supply Korea with oil (The US, Japan and South Korea stopped the influx of fuel supplies Nov. 11, 2002, check out the CNN timeline ). Russia, South Korea and China have agreed to send nearly a million tons of oil to North Korea. President Bush added another 50,000 tons, worth approximately $25 million, to the tally.
North Korea joined the six-way negotiation talks seeking a “non-aggression” pact with the US, and has made some headway.
Japan stated Wednesday that it would cease providing aid of any kind to North Korea because Pyongyang has delayed response to a dispute over the return of several Japanese nationals kidnapped in North Korea.
South Korea has come to the table of negotiation with North Korea for the first time since the Korean War.
Prego? The flavor of the day.
Looks like questionable pregnancies are in high fashion.
Don’t know about Kid Rock’s assured sentiments about Pamela Anderson’s miscarriage… we probably never will. But it appears we will also forever be in judicious curiosity about Princess Di as well.
In today’s paper, we took a look at Kid Rock’s Rolling Stone interview, in which he claims that ex-wife Pam made up a story about a miscarriage to lure him home from a basketball game. Gasp! Scandalous.
The latest and greatest with the recently reopened Princess Diana investigation: She was killed to cover up a pregnancy and to protect the Royal family image.
According to BBC News Lord Justice Scott Baker, lead counsel, said in opening statements of the inquest that accusations of Diana’s pregnancy were relevant.
Did you really need to know she was on the pill?
Don’t know about Kid Rock’s assured sentiments about Pamela Anderson’s miscarriage… we probably never will. But it appears we will also forever be in judicious curiosity about Princess Di as well.
In today’s paper, we took a look at Kid Rock’s Rolling Stone interview, in which he claims that ex-wife Pam made up a story about a miscarriage to lure him home from a basketball game. Gasp! Scandalous.
The latest and greatest with the recently reopened Princess Diana investigation: She was killed to cover up a pregnancy and to protect the Royal family image.
According to BBC News Lord Justice Scott Baker, lead counsel, said in opening statements of the inquest that accusations of Diana’s pregnancy were relevant.
"First, her pregnancy or suspected pregnancy is said to have provided the motive or part of the motive for killing Diana," he said.Mohamed Al Fayed, the son of Dodi Al Fayed, who was killed in a car crash along side Princess Di in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, called for the inquest to investigate the liability of paparazzi in the death of the princess, his father and their driver. But it doubtful he anticipated the hyper-focus the case has had on the intimate details of Diana’s life.
"Second, her body was embalmed by the French and it is said that the purpose of this was to conceal that she was pregnant."
In questioning, the coroner added that no pregnancy test was carried out on Diana at the Paris hospital where she was taken after the deadly accident, as there appeared to be no reason to do so.
Did you really need to know she was on the pill?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Scooter's Trip to the Big Apple
Let us take a moment to review what the latest, winner of the Most-Demonized World Leader" Award, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (or, Scooter as we have dubbed him) had to say on his three day stint stirring the pot in New York.
On Human Rights:
(In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly)
"Unfortunately human rights are being extensively violated by certain powers, especially by those who pretend to be their exclusive advocates. Setting up secret prisons, abducting persons, trials and secret punishments without any regard to due process, extensive tapping of telephone conversations intercepting private mail... have become commonplace and prevalent."
On Nuclear Weapons:
(At Columbia in Q&A)
"Our nuclear program, first and foremost operates within the framework of law. ...[And] they are completely peaceful. We don't believe in nuclear weapons, period."
Ahmadinejad said Iran's nuclear program was for electricity generation.
On the nation of Israel:
(To Scott Pelley in a 60 Minutesinterview Sept. 23 in Tehran)
PELLEY: Mr. President, you say you love all nations. I have to assume that includes the Nation of Israel.
AHMADINEJAD: Israel is not a nation. Well, we like the people, yes, because they are victims as well. They used to live in their own countries, in their own cities. They were given empty promises, false promises. They said that we are going to give you jobs, we are going to give you security. And they pushed the local Palestinian people out and made them refugees and also made refugees of another community. In other words, from thousands of miles away, people have been emigrating to this country and they are living in fear every day. And we feel for them. Last year in my speech I said that the Zionist entity should open the borders and the gates. Let the people decide where they want to go and settle. They are good people as well. We have no bones to pick with them. We are against terrorism. We are against wrong policies. We are friends with all people, Jewish people, Christians, different people of different faiths. We are, well, we’re in contact with them. Here in Iran there are Jewish communities; there are Christian communities; we’re all friends. Also, non-Muslim countries, we help them when a natural, let’s say, calamity breaks. We love all people. We are opposed to Zionism, occupation, terrorism, dropping bombs on behalf of people when they are inside their own homes, killing men, women, and children. Very openly I have said time and again that I oppose these.
PELLEY: If the Palestinians reach an agreement with Israel for a two-state solution, will you then recognize Israel as well?
AHMADINEJAD: Well, the decision rests with the Palestinian people. This is exactly what I’m saying.
On the Holocaust:
(At a meeting with Quakers in NYC)
He backed off earlier comments which questioned the magnitude of the Holocaust, calling it "a reality of our time, a history that occurred." However, he still said the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews required more research.
On Global Domination:
(In an address to the United Nations Security Council)
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): A scientific and careful analysis shows that the root of the present situation lies in two fundamental factors.
Without doubt, the first factor lies in the relations arising from the consequences of the Second World War. The victors of the war drew the road map for global domination and formulated their policies not on the basis of justice, but for ensuring the interests of the victors over the vanquished nations.
Therefore, mechanisms arising from this approach and related policies have not been capable of finding just solutions for global solutions since 60 years ago.
[Second,] some big powers still behave like the victors of the world war and regard other states and nations, even those that had nothing to do with the war, as the vanquished and humiliate other nations and demand extortion through condescending positions similar to that of the master-servant relationship of the Medieval ages.
They believe that they should have more rights than others and also are not accountable to any international organizations.
On the Occupation of Iraq:
On Iraqi refugees:
"Iran and Iraq are two countries with great nations. Insecurity in Iraq will inflict the most damage on Iran."
Ahmadinejad made left a clear impression that Iran is prepared to fill the void of leadership created by the occupation of Iraq. But he was mum on the issue of opening the borders to refugees.
He did say that Iran is receiving Afghans though. According to PressTV, Ahmadinejad said that more than 2.5 million Afghans live in Iran legally and enjoy all legal rights. "Certain Afghan groups have entered Iran illicitly. A legal position should be adopted towards them to preserve the rights of Afghan refugees."
On Homosexuality:
(At Columbia)
“In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it.” This statement was removed from the official transcripts printed in Farsi in Iran.
On Iran's plans in the global community:
(In address to the United Nations Security Council)
Today, the problems that people around the world face are mainly rooted in the disregard of human values and ethics, and also in the rule of the selfish and incompetent.
Friends, ladies, and gentlemen, the only sustainable way to the betterment of mankind is the return to the teachings of the divine prophets, monotheism, respect for the dignity of humans, and the flow of love and affection in all relationships, ties, and regulations, and to reform the present structures on this basis.
To fulfill this objective, I invite everyone -- everybody to form a front of fraternity, amity, and sustainable peace, based on monotheism and justice, under the name of "Coalition for Peace," (ph) to prevent incursions and arrogance and to promote the culture of affection and justice.
I hereby announce that, with the help of all independent, justice-seeking and peace-loving nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be heading down this path.
Monotheism, justice, and compassion for humans should dominate all the pillars of the U.N. And this organization should be a forum for justice, and every member should enjoy equal spiritual and legal support.
Read More...
On respect:
According to a USAToday report, at a dinner Tuesday night with 60 journalists and Iran scholars, Ahmadinejad listened in silence for more than an hour, taking notes as attendees commented and asked questions. He then responded to each statement, addressing his questioner by name.
For a man who's country has been dragged through the mud for the past five years in the Western media to come to the United States and address the United Nations with humility that is so entirely uncharacteristic is shocking. Everyone anticipated "Madman Iran" outbursts, but there were none. Everyone expected blatant anti-US rhetoric, but on the whole, there was none. Everyone expected words of violence and threatening speech, but instead there was a dissertation on the Islamic views on modern international events.
Was this calm, religious speech on respect and peace a rouse? Was it designed as a public relations stunt to improve the image of Iran? Probably. But if the people of the United States feel threatened by such a display, perhaps they are looking in the wrong places.
On Human Rights:
(In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly)
"Unfortunately human rights are being extensively violated by certain powers, especially by those who pretend to be their exclusive advocates. Setting up secret prisons, abducting persons, trials and secret punishments without any regard to due process, extensive tapping of telephone conversations intercepting private mail... have become commonplace and prevalent."
On Nuclear Weapons:
(At Columbia in Q&A)
"Our nuclear program, first and foremost operates within the framework of law. ...[And] they are completely peaceful. We don't believe in nuclear weapons, period."
Ahmadinejad said Iran's nuclear program was for electricity generation.
On the nation of Israel:
(To Scott Pelley in a 60 Minutesinterview Sept. 23 in Tehran)
PELLEY: Mr. President, you say you love all nations. I have to assume that includes the Nation of Israel.
AHMADINEJAD: Israel is not a nation. Well, we like the people, yes, because they are victims as well. They used to live in their own countries, in their own cities. They were given empty promises, false promises. They said that we are going to give you jobs, we are going to give you security. And they pushed the local Palestinian people out and made them refugees and also made refugees of another community. In other words, from thousands of miles away, people have been emigrating to this country and they are living in fear every day. And we feel for them. Last year in my speech I said that the Zionist entity should open the borders and the gates. Let the people decide where they want to go and settle. They are good people as well. We have no bones to pick with them. We are against terrorism. We are against wrong policies. We are friends with all people, Jewish people, Christians, different people of different faiths. We are, well, we’re in contact with them. Here in Iran there are Jewish communities; there are Christian communities; we’re all friends. Also, non-Muslim countries, we help them when a natural, let’s say, calamity breaks. We love all people. We are opposed to Zionism, occupation, terrorism, dropping bombs on behalf of people when they are inside their own homes, killing men, women, and children. Very openly I have said time and again that I oppose these.
PELLEY: If the Palestinians reach an agreement with Israel for a two-state solution, will you then recognize Israel as well?
AHMADINEJAD: Well, the decision rests with the Palestinian people. This is exactly what I’m saying.
On the Holocaust:
(At a meeting with Quakers in NYC)
He backed off earlier comments which questioned the magnitude of the Holocaust, calling it "a reality of our time, a history that occurred." However, he still said the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews required more research.
On Global Domination:
(In an address to the United Nations Security Council)
AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): A scientific and careful analysis shows that the root of the present situation lies in two fundamental factors.
Without doubt, the first factor lies in the relations arising from the consequences of the Second World War. The victors of the war drew the road map for global domination and formulated their policies not on the basis of justice, but for ensuring the interests of the victors over the vanquished nations.
Therefore, mechanisms arising from this approach and related policies have not been capable of finding just solutions for global solutions since 60 years ago.
[Second,] some big powers still behave like the victors of the world war and regard other states and nations, even those that had nothing to do with the war, as the vanquished and humiliate other nations and demand extortion through condescending positions similar to that of the master-servant relationship of the Medieval ages.
They believe that they should have more rights than others and also are not accountable to any international organizations.
On the Occupation of Iraq:
On Iraqi refugees:
"Iran and Iraq are two countries with great nations. Insecurity in Iraq will inflict the most damage on Iran."
Ahmadinejad made left a clear impression that Iran is prepared to fill the void of leadership created by the occupation of Iraq. But he was mum on the issue of opening the borders to refugees.
He did say that Iran is receiving Afghans though. According to PressTV, Ahmadinejad said that more than 2.5 million Afghans live in Iran legally and enjoy all legal rights. "Certain Afghan groups have entered Iran illicitly. A legal position should be adopted towards them to preserve the rights of Afghan refugees."
On Homosexuality:
(At Columbia)
“In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it.” This statement was removed from the official transcripts printed in Farsi in Iran.
On Iran's plans in the global community:
(In address to the United Nations Security Council)
Today, the problems that people around the world face are mainly rooted in the disregard of human values and ethics, and also in the rule of the selfish and incompetent.
Friends, ladies, and gentlemen, the only sustainable way to the betterment of mankind is the return to the teachings of the divine prophets, monotheism, respect for the dignity of humans, and the flow of love and affection in all relationships, ties, and regulations, and to reform the present structures on this basis.
To fulfill this objective, I invite everyone -- everybody to form a front of fraternity, amity, and sustainable peace, based on monotheism and justice, under the name of "Coalition for Peace," (ph) to prevent incursions and arrogance and to promote the culture of affection and justice.
I hereby announce that, with the help of all independent, justice-seeking and peace-loving nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be heading down this path.
Monotheism, justice, and compassion for humans should dominate all the pillars of the U.N. And this organization should be a forum for justice, and every member should enjoy equal spiritual and legal support.
Read More...
On respect:
According to a USAToday report, at a dinner Tuesday night with 60 journalists and Iran scholars, Ahmadinejad listened in silence for more than an hour, taking notes as attendees commented and asked questions. He then responded to each statement, addressing his questioner by name.
For a man who's country has been dragged through the mud for the past five years in the Western media to come to the United States and address the United Nations with humility that is so entirely uncharacteristic is shocking. Everyone anticipated "Madman Iran" outbursts, but there were none. Everyone expected blatant anti-US rhetoric, but on the whole, there was none. Everyone expected words of violence and threatening speech, but instead there was a dissertation on the Islamic views on modern international events.
Was this calm, religious speech on respect and peace a rouse? Was it designed as a public relations stunt to improve the image of Iran? Probably. But if the people of the United States feel threatened by such a display, perhaps they are looking in the wrong places.
News Gone Wild: Media on E!
Elton John was found with nudey picks of underage {gasp!} girls! Read It!
Michael Vick was caught smoking weed. Read It!
Barry Bonds record-breaking ball will go to the Hall of Fame bearing an asterix, literally. Read It!
Halo 3 steals two records: most sales and most complaints on the first day. Read it! Here and here.
Cops' accusal in Biggie's murder turns out to be a lie, part of one inmates attempt to make some money by suing the city for wrongful death. Read It!
Idiocracy is a real thing. Congress is actually debating the "enhanced" value of Gatorade. Read It!
Super Troopers had its place today, too. But instead of insects, it's the super-germ kind of bugs. Read It!
And these were our leading headlines today... Oh, wait, I forgot, the US condemned Iran again.
Michael Vick was caught smoking weed. Read It!
Barry Bonds record-breaking ball will go to the Hall of Fame bearing an asterix, literally. Read It!
Halo 3 steals two records: most sales and most complaints on the first day. Read it! Here and here.
Cops' accusal in Biggie's murder turns out to be a lie, part of one inmates attempt to make some money by suing the city for wrongful death. Read It!
Idiocracy is a real thing. Congress is actually debating the "enhanced" value of Gatorade. Read It!
Super Troopers had its place today, too. But instead of insects, it's the super-germ kind of bugs. Read It!
And these were our leading headlines today... Oh, wait, I forgot, the US condemned Iran again.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Mow Your Lawn, Power Your Car
Admit it, you can't imagine living without your car.
Admit it, you really do think those hybrids are ugly.
Admit it, you too suffer from "Oil Addiction."
Wired Magazine reports There is a cure in sight if we are willing to bear the costs. Turns out your lawn clippings will do the job of powering you car.
Seems Forrest Gump was on to something.
Scientists have the technology to convert cellulose into fuel. It's pretty simple too, or at least it sounds simple. Take a plant, extract the cellulose, add some enzymes and convert the cellulose molecules into sugars. Then, like they do with wine and beer, ferment the sugar into alcohol and distill it to maximum potency. High enough proof= flammable. Flammable= combustible, which means, powering an engine with plants instead of Middle East oil.
Admit it, you really do think those hybrids are ugly.
Admit it, you too suffer from "Oil Addiction."
Wired Magazine reports There is a cure in sight if we are willing to bear the costs. Turns out your lawn clippings will do the job of powering you car.
Seems Forrest Gump was on to something.
Scientists have the technology to convert cellulose into fuel. It's pretty simple too, or at least it sounds simple. Take a plant, extract the cellulose, add some enzymes and convert the cellulose molecules into sugars. Then, like they do with wine and beer, ferment the sugar into alcohol and distill it to maximum potency. High enough proof= flammable. Flammable= combustible, which means, powering an engine with plants instead of Middle East oil.
Even God Gets Drunk Sometimes
Jack Bauer is a god. He has died and been reincarnated on three seperate occassions, and every time, he is back to chasing the bad guys within 20 minutes. If that's not god quality, then what is?
FoxNews reports that Kiefer Sutherland, the actor who plays Jack Bauer on Fox's hit show "24", was busted on a DUI in Los Angeles at 1:15 a.m. today. Though they would not divulge Sutherland's actual blood-alcohol level, the actor was taken to jail where he was booked, charged and then released at 4 a.m. on a $25,000 bond. LA County Sheriff's said he will appear OCt. 16 in court.
What can you say? It has to be tough being a god. But considering this is Sutherland's second DUI since 2004, perhaps he needs to stop thinking he's god and start thinking about not driving after a few brewskys.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Deja Moo
There is actually a law in California's Driver's Manual which prohibits honking or other means of frightening cows.
YouTube Television: Philly's Latest Creation
Public access television is taking on a new face, and it in the process, it may just redefine the way we think about journalism.
As my buddy Brian X. McCrone at Metro Philly pointed out, public television is synonamous with Wayne's World in the mind of the average American. The words conjure images of hippies with guitars giving the weekly review of medical marijuana initiatives, Korean dramas and, if you are lucky, a whack-job teaching you how to bake a pie the southern way.
If WYBE has it their way, that's about to change.
MiND TV, set to launch late this year, is the brain-child of WYBE's new CEO, Howard Blumenthal. It's a completely new format compling five-minute spots of member-created programming into one hour sets. Basically, its YouTube-style television.
The challenge: keep it education, yet make it entertaining. It should be interesting to see what they come up with. To learn more about MiND, click here.
WYBE recieved a boost this week as the City of Philadelphia and Comcast came to an agreement over a the city-based cable network's obligations to provide funding for public access within the city. Metro reported today that this dispute has been ongoing for the past three decades.
The public access television agreement requires approval of two ordinances that are expected to be introduced in the City Council within the next two weeks. Specifically, the ordinances outline the franchise agreement between the city and Comcast and for a long-term lease on a new public access television headquarters, according to The Bulletin.
If approved, Kathleen Sullivan, regional director of government and community relations for Comcast, said they pledged an initial one-time capital grant of $1.8 million and a second grant of $900,000 due in two years. The funding will go to five stations within Philadelphia, and include the construction of a new studio, set to open at the old site of South Philly's Free Library, and to purchase equipment for the newly established nonprofit organization, Philadelphia Access Corporation, which would oversee the programming.
As my buddy Brian X. McCrone at Metro Philly pointed out, public television is synonamous with Wayne's World in the mind of the average American. The words conjure images of hippies with guitars giving the weekly review of medical marijuana initiatives, Korean dramas and, if you are lucky, a whack-job teaching you how to bake a pie the southern way.
If WYBE has it their way, that's about to change.
MiND TV, set to launch late this year, is the brain-child of WYBE's new CEO, Howard Blumenthal. It's a completely new format compling five-minute spots of member-created programming into one hour sets. Basically, its YouTube-style television.
The challenge: keep it education, yet make it entertaining. It should be interesting to see what they come up with. To learn more about MiND, click here.
WYBE recieved a boost this week as the City of Philadelphia and Comcast came to an agreement over a the city-based cable network's obligations to provide funding for public access within the city. Metro reported today that this dispute has been ongoing for the past three decades.
The public access television agreement requires approval of two ordinances that are expected to be introduced in the City Council within the next two weeks. Specifically, the ordinances outline the franchise agreement between the city and Comcast and for a long-term lease on a new public access television headquarters, according to The Bulletin.
If approved, Kathleen Sullivan, regional director of government and community relations for Comcast, said they pledged an initial one-time capital grant of $1.8 million and a second grant of $900,000 due in two years. The funding will go to five stations within Philadelphia, and include the construction of a new studio, set to open at the old site of South Philly's Free Library, and to purchase equipment for the newly established nonprofit organization, Philadelphia Access Corporation, which would oversee the programming.
Rather Sues CBS for "Old News"
Remember this story?
In fact, Rather narrated a story on CBS's "60 Minutes II" back in Sept. 2004, and is suing the network for $70 million under the premise that the story caused him serious financial loss and damage to his reputation.
Rather and Mary Mapes, the producer of the piece, have since left CBS.
Network spokespeople scratching their heads about the lawsuit filed by the veteran newsanchor, and are calling the story "old news."
Read more!
Pentagon Says Bush Records of Service Were Destroyed
HOUSTON, July 8 - Military records that could help establish President Bush's whereabouts during his disputed service in the Texas Air National Guard more than 30 years ago have been inadvertently destroyed, according to the Pentagon.It said the payroll records of "numerous service members," including former First Lt. Bush, had been ruined in 1996 and 1997 by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service during a project to salvage deteriorating microfilm. No back-up paper copies could be found, it added in notices dated June 25.
The destroyed records cover three months of a period in 1972 and 1973 when Mr. Bush's claims of service in Alabama are in question.
Source: New York Times, July 2004
Dan Rather does.
In fact, Rather narrated a story on CBS's "60 Minutes II" back in Sept. 2004, and is suing the network for $70 million under the premise that the story caused him serious financial loss and damage to his reputation.
Rather and Mary Mapes, the producer of the piece, have since left CBS.
Network spokespeople scratching their heads about the lawsuit filed by the veteran newsanchor, and are calling the story "old news."
Read more!
Mercenary Security Forces Under Fire
Eleven Iraqi civilians were killed Sunday when guards from the Blackwater company, a "private security company", opened fire in a busy Baghdad.
Blackwater, which is basically a mercenary group, was founded in 1997 by a former Navy Seal and is presently handling security for US State Department employees in Iraq. In a statement today, the group said its guards acted in self-defense Sunday, protecting an envoy that came under attack in al-Nisur Square.
Iraqi eyewitnesses disagreed, accusing the security team of "firing randomly at civilians."
Nouri Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, has described the shooting as a "criminal act" and vowed not to tolerate killing of citizens "in cold blood," and stated that this was the seventh shooting of its kind involving Blackwater employees.
Eggs Not Hot on Rice
Perhaps Pope Benedict XVI thought Condi Rice was a Thai dish. After all, it does sound like one. And, perhaps Thai isn't his favorite cuisine because the pope refused a request from the Secretary of Defense for an audience late last month.
BBC had a couple, slightly more intellectual thoughts on the matter. They suggested that the pope's refusal was the result of Bush administration policies which run contrary to the Vatican on Iraq's Christians and the immorality of launching an invasion in 2003.
Read more!
BBC had a couple, slightly more intellectual thoughts on the matter. They suggested that the pope's refusal was the result of Bush administration policies which run contrary to the Vatican on Iraq's Christians and the immorality of launching an invasion in 2003.
Read more!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Clintons Making the Rounds
Bill and Hillary are on the campaign trail making appearances on talk shows around the country. If you own a TV, you have seen them somewhere in the last two weeks. They have covered the Today Show, Letterman, Larry King, Oprah, and Ellen. Not too shabby for the post-Labor Day blitz.
But does anyone else feel that it is a bit strange that they aren't appearing anywhere together, and that there is a distinct Clintonian advantage as they double-team the country?
More than a blitz, this feels more like a full-court press.
But does anyone else feel that it is a bit strange that they aren't appearing anywhere together, and that there is a distinct Clintonian advantage as they double-team the country?
More than a blitz, this feels more like a full-court press.
Defeating the Purpose: Volunteering in America
I have to admit, I was a bit jaded when I saw this piece pop up in Time Magazine because I pitched the same story to Philly Weekly about two months ago and got the cold shoulder. However it's refreshing to know that someone picked it up... it needed to be done, and what better venue.
Our country is changing, as are the priorities of our youth. I went to Washington D.C. in June on a lead from a friend about a protest to end the occupation of Palestinian territories. Originally, I was told that the Palestinian front was going to hold their rally on the east lawn of the Capitol Building, a Zionist group was setting up camp on the west lawn - which is a formula for disaster - and that the Capitol Police were revoking licenses for barricades between the two groups because of a Gay Pride event taking place down the street. It was an odd mix that day.
That was not the case when I got there. Three city blocks and a monumental fountain sufficiently separated everyone.
Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the concentration of gray-haired hippies in the crowd, and the ethnic diversity amongst the much smaller percentage of young people participating.
Naturally, I went to find out more about the disparity by talking to the young people.
The findings were interesting. On both sides of the fence, the fountain and the political issue, the majority of the youth were not there to voice a concern, they didn't want to dialog with the opposition, they on a mission to educate or even to get their side of the issue heard. They participated because it made them feel as though they were doing something for the cause they were so passionate about. It made them feel good.
This is the new wave of community service. More young people are signing up for programs like Teach for America, AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. each year, and they are also finding new outlets to serve their communities. It's a movement being exhibited all around the country - service for service sake - and the way it is happening is a postmodern conception.
This weeks cover story, "A Time to Serve" honored some of New Yorks leaders in community service, and it detailed several ways to get involved.
This kind of service is inspiring politicians to bring service under some sort of federal control to help funding reach more people and to get everyone involved. In fact. according to the article, 70 percent of Americans are in favor of a universal service plan in the US. Proposals are currently in Congress that would create just such a national service program. Some have even suggested creating a cabinet position for national service and volunteerism. FDR would be impressed.
However most of the programs being proposed are offering services presently met by other organizations - public, private and nonprofit alike - there is a movement to develop a system in which these organizations could collaborate with federal support. This raises the question, why recreate the wheel if its is rolling toward progress? Of the 10 recommendations discussed in the Time article, five of the are replicas of existing programs, and two were bond measures. So much for service for service sake.
The fact is that this trend toward community service among young people would be stifled by government involvement. Why?
As the author of the piece states in the article, "People, especially young people, the the government and the public sphere are broken, but they feel they can personally make a difference through community service." They will not contribute to a broken system.
The postmodern youth are too smart for that. They believe in their communities. They believe in the small, nuclear groups that they can touch. They don't trust the big guns of the federal government, nor do they respect it. Believe it. They will see many of the proposed programs are thinly veiled attempts manipulate people into civil or military, rather than community, service while simultaneously removing the burden of certain social programs from the central government.
The best example of this is the proposal to create a National-Service Baby Bond. The concept here is that the government would create a bond in every American child's name at birth which could be applied to college education under the condition that the child commits to one year of military service.
Bear in mind that at 7 percent interest, the $5,000 bond would be worth about $19,000 by the time th child turns 20. Let's do the math here. A child born tomorrow will graduate high school at 17 in 2025. That child, say he/she volunteers for military service straight out of high school, will complete his/her one-year military commitment at age 18 in 2026. If he/she goes directly to college, he/she will still be too young to reap the full benefit of the $19,000, so say there is a student loan taken to cover tuition until the bond matures. Interest must be paid on the student loan, generally around 4 percent. The majority of student loans are federal, so that 4 percent goes back to Uncle Sam.
Also consider that the present growth rate for tuition is approximately 7 percent annually (7.1 percent last year, out-pacing inflation and taking the annual average to over $30K according to an October 2006 CNN Money report), so in the end, the bond will only cover the growth difference.
The gray-haired hippies still attending Washington protests might think mandatory volunteerism is a great idea. Most Democrats do too. But don't expect America's youth to embrace the idea. If you want everyone to volunteer, leave them alone. Leave them to their own devices to see the benefits that lie on the other end of getting involved.
Our country is changing, as are the priorities of our youth. I went to Washington D.C. in June on a lead from a friend about a protest to end the occupation of Palestinian territories. Originally, I was told that the Palestinian front was going to hold their rally on the east lawn of the Capitol Building, a Zionist group was setting up camp on the west lawn - which is a formula for disaster - and that the Capitol Police were revoking licenses for barricades between the two groups because of a Gay Pride event taking place down the street. It was an odd mix that day.
That was not the case when I got there. Three city blocks and a monumental fountain sufficiently separated everyone.
Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the concentration of gray-haired hippies in the crowd, and the ethnic diversity amongst the much smaller percentage of young people participating.
Naturally, I went to find out more about the disparity by talking to the young people.
The findings were interesting. On both sides of the fence, the fountain and the political issue, the majority of the youth were not there to voice a concern, they didn't want to dialog with the opposition, they on a mission to educate or even to get their side of the issue heard. They participated because it made them feel as though they were doing something for the cause they were so passionate about. It made them feel good.
This is the new wave of community service. More young people are signing up for programs like Teach for America, AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. each year, and they are also finding new outlets to serve their communities. It's a movement being exhibited all around the country - service for service sake - and the way it is happening is a postmodern conception.
This weeks cover story, "A Time to Serve" honored some of New Yorks leaders in community service, and it detailed several ways to get involved.
This kind of service is inspiring politicians to bring service under some sort of federal control to help funding reach more people and to get everyone involved. In fact. according to the article, 70 percent of Americans are in favor of a universal service plan in the US. Proposals are currently in Congress that would create just such a national service program. Some have even suggested creating a cabinet position for national service and volunteerism. FDR would be impressed.
However most of the programs being proposed are offering services presently met by other organizations - public, private and nonprofit alike - there is a movement to develop a system in which these organizations could collaborate with federal support. This raises the question, why recreate the wheel if its is rolling toward progress? Of the 10 recommendations discussed in the Time article, five of the are replicas of existing programs, and two were bond measures. So much for service for service sake.
The fact is that this trend toward community service among young people would be stifled by government involvement. Why?
As the author of the piece states in the article, "People, especially young people, the the government and the public sphere are broken, but they feel they can personally make a difference through community service." They will not contribute to a broken system.
The postmodern youth are too smart for that. They believe in their communities. They believe in the small, nuclear groups that they can touch. They don't trust the big guns of the federal government, nor do they respect it. Believe it. They will see many of the proposed programs are thinly veiled attempts manipulate people into civil or military, rather than community, service while simultaneously removing the burden of certain social programs from the central government.
The best example of this is the proposal to create a National-Service Baby Bond. The concept here is that the government would create a bond in every American child's name at birth which could be applied to college education under the condition that the child commits to one year of military service.
Bear in mind that at 7 percent interest, the $5,000 bond would be worth about $19,000 by the time th child turns 20. Let's do the math here. A child born tomorrow will graduate high school at 17 in 2025. That child, say he/she volunteers for military service straight out of high school, will complete his/her one-year military commitment at age 18 in 2026. If he/she goes directly to college, he/she will still be too young to reap the full benefit of the $19,000, so say there is a student loan taken to cover tuition until the bond matures. Interest must be paid on the student loan, generally around 4 percent. The majority of student loans are federal, so that 4 percent goes back to Uncle Sam.
Also consider that the present growth rate for tuition is approximately 7 percent annually (7.1 percent last year, out-pacing inflation and taking the annual average to over $30K according to an October 2006 CNN Money report), so in the end, the bond will only cover the growth difference.
The gray-haired hippies still attending Washington protests might think mandatory volunteerism is a great idea. Most Democrats do too. But don't expect America's youth to embrace the idea. If you want everyone to volunteer, leave them alone. Leave them to their own devices to see the benefits that lie on the other end of getting involved.
Eggs Hot on Syria
Pope Benedict XVI was today in Syria to meet with Vice-President Farouk al-Sharaa to discuss Syria's role in restoring peace in the Middle East. The International Herald Tribune reported that the pope focused on the condition of Christians in Syria and the international influence presently held by Syrian leadership.
Seems the Vatican's stance is that Damascus is going to be a key factor in developing peace throughout the region. No doubt this will prove to be true if Syria continues to hold its doors open to refugees from Palestine and Iraq, a practice supported by the pope. But policy seems to be shifting in another direction.
Reuters reported Monday that Syria is to have imposed visa requirements on Iraqi nationals, limiting entry to those in the economic, commercial and scientific sectors, in a bid to control the flood of Iraqi refugees into the country. This moves is to take effect on September 10.
The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees estimates that Syria is presently hosting approximately one million Iraqi refugees, and that number is growing by 30 thousand each month.
Seems the Vatican's stance is that Damascus is going to be a key factor in developing peace throughout the region. No doubt this will prove to be true if Syria continues to hold its doors open to refugees from Palestine and Iraq, a practice supported by the pope. But policy seems to be shifting in another direction.
Reuters reported Monday that Syria is to have imposed visa requirements on Iraqi nationals, limiting entry to those in the economic, commercial and scientific sectors, in a bid to control the flood of Iraqi refugees into the country. This moves is to take effect on September 10.
The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees estimates that Syria is presently hosting approximately one million Iraqi refugees, and that number is growing by 30 thousand each month.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Bucs Season Looks Uphill From Here
I miss Mike Alstott! And I miss Warren Sapp, John Lynch and Simeon Rice.Whatever happened to the days of the dominant defense at Raymond James?
The Bucs season is shaping up much like every every one in the past - with weak prospects. The defense last season left us wanting and the inability to find a solid quarterback made offensive development difficult at best.
So far, this season isn't looking to much different.
Signing Jeff Garcia after his strong 2006 season with the Eagles had eyebrows raised across the country. Garcia looked great in the preseason, but one week to regular season and coach Jon Gruden still could not commit to him as his starting QB. There are currently two other QB's fighting for that spot. Gruden is still flirting with the idea of putting the ball in the slippery hands of Chris Simms (spleen). He should some play time this weekend. Bruce Gradkowski, last years surprise rookie performer has been solid throughout the preseason. Frankly, any of these guys will do, but Gruden needs to make up his mind already. The team has got to have time to adjust to the leadership of their quarterback and going into the first game without a settled starter is never a good sign.
Receivers are unreliable based on the past performances. Word on the street is that the Bucs are shopping WR Michael Clayton. So that leaves Joey Galloway.
Galloway has been consistent over the past three seasons with the Bucs - last year he gained more than a thousand yards, averaging 17 per reception. For a team without a quarterback, that's not bad. But Galloway is 35-years old and not getting any younger. The question will be if he has what it takes to lead this offense.
The Bucs lost their long-time offensive anchor in full-back Mike Alstott when he announced his retirement on Aug. 9. And just this week Gruden cut problem child Michael Pittman. As a running team, the Bucs might be in trouble. But, who knows, maybe there is a surprise up Gruden's sleeve. Somehow they are currently ranked 3rd in the league in preseason rushing yards. Rookie Rb Ken Darby out of Alabama can take credit for that, and there is also the powerhouse Cadillac Williams. Though Williams charged out of the gate strong with a huge first season in 2005, he did not quite meet expectations last year rushing for less than 800 yards. The Bucs need him to step up this year.
Defense is a scary place to be for the Bucs. After winning the 2003 Superbowl, key players like Warren Sapp left, Tony Dungy's defense was dismantled and Jon Gruden has been trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again ever since.
There has been a lot of chatter about LB Jeremiah Trotter working out with the Bucs this past week after being released from the Eagles last Tuesday. But Trot was allegedly released from Philadelphia due to his weight and lack of mobility. Though his experience and leadership might be just what the Bucs defense needs, he may have a hard time adjusting to the high-speed cover-2 defense in Tampa.
Ronde Barber is always a influential presence on the field, but he's getting old over at Corner.
Julian Jenkins is solid, but his isn't the dominating force of Simeon Rice. And, Jermain Phillips may have come up with 2 picks last season back at strong safety, but the Bucs haven't been able to recover from the loss of leader-safety John Lynch.
There is still work to do on the defense, and the shape up of the D-Line will make or break this teams season.
Larry Craig is NOT GAY!
So the story on this has shifted in the media from the facts to the sound bytes, and the one that is sticking is:
"I should not have kept this arrest to myself, and should have told my family and friends about it. I wasn't eager to share this failure, but I should have done so anyway because I'm not gay."
Story in brief, in case you missed the first two minutes of coverage and are at a loss on why this guy is so emphatically defending his sexual orientation, is that Craig was arrested on June 11 after an incident in a Minneapolis airport restroom.
Apparently Craig was rolled into a sting operation that was being conducted by the police to catch men using this particular bathroom to commit "lewd acts." Edward Morrissey gives a great synopsis of the arresting officer's statements on Captain's Quarters.
So, why is this such a big deal?
If coverage of this story emphasized the fact that Craig was allegedly abusing his position to escape arrest, and that he shunned his duty as a civil servant by not being forthright about his arrest, Craig's constituents would have been equally harsh on the Senator and the image of political leadership in America would not have been tarnished with yet another sex scandal.
Instead, this has become a media assault on the purity of the Republican party which bears the public label of the "party of conservative moral values."
"I should not have kept this arrest to myself, and should have told my family and friends about it. I wasn't eager to share this failure, but I should have done so anyway because I'm not gay."
Story in brief, in case you missed the first two minutes of coverage and are at a loss on why this guy is so emphatically defending his sexual orientation, is that Craig was arrested on June 11 after an incident in a Minneapolis airport restroom.
Apparently Craig was rolled into a sting operation that was being conducted by the police to catch men using this particular bathroom to commit "lewd acts." Edward Morrissey gives a great synopsis of the arresting officer's statements on Captain's Quarters.
So, why is this such a big deal?
- First, everyone knows that if you tap your right foot in a men's room, you are looking for sexual favors... right? The story itself is vague enough to make the details irrelevant and still allow room for the media to paint this highly conservative Senator as a creep. After all, there is no need to bog down a great headline with the details of the story. Key words: sex scandal. They always make great press.
- Second, Craig's conduct upon arrest was pompous and obnoxious. Apparently, the Senator passed the arresting officer a business card to prove that he was in fact a Senator. Of course, no one wants to face the fact that this is standard procedure for our leaders in this country and that one of the perks of public office is the VIP treatment. Public officials receive special treatment every day. But Craig is being chastised for expecting to receive what Kat Williams would refer to as a "hook up."
- Finally, we should be looking at Craig's advisers on this one and questioning their judgment. After all, this botched political strategy most likely killed Craig's career. Craig did not go public after his arrest. Instead he went to court on the matter over the summer, plead guilty and prayed the whole thing would go away. Unfortunately for him, it didn't. It came out from under Craig's rug three months later with a neon sign attached to the front of it that flashes with the word "SCANDAL."
If coverage of this story emphasized the fact that Craig was allegedly abusing his position to escape arrest, and that he shunned his duty as a civil servant by not being forthright about his arrest, Craig's constituents would have been equally harsh on the Senator and the image of political leadership in America would not have been tarnished with yet another sex scandal.
Instead, this has become a media assault on the purity of the Republican party which bears the public label of the "party of conservative moral values."
Wisc. Attorney Finds Goat's Head in Office
A Milwaukee attorney may have been expecting Victoria's Secret gift set from a client Victoria's Secret when a pink bag was found outside of her office. Instead, attorney Robin Shellow found a bloody goat's head.
There was a note in the goat's mouth which reportedly contained a name, but not the name of a suspect.
So far, Milwaukee police have been unable to trace where it came from. They have checked area meat-packing plants but found none that processed goats.
The culprit is either a practitioner of Santeria or an enormous fan of CSI. This story is somewhat reminiscent of that episode of CSI:Miami when they discovered a goat's head in the closet of a dead woman (CSI:Miami, Curse of the Coffin, 2006). Based on Shellow's somewhat tongue-in-cheek response, she might actually agree.
"August 27th was a full moon and also a lunar eclipse. It is my understanding there haven't been any of our elected officials' sons or daughters charged with slashing tires or voter fraud, and since I haven't invented any new criminal defenses for any clients in the last few months, I assume the individual was trying to get my attention."
Shellow may be best known recently for representing one of the men convicted of slashing the tires of Republican campaign workers in Milwaukee during the 2004 presidential race.
Check out video on the story here.
Taking the Side of Bush
President Bush was in New Orleans to remember the one of the nations largest natural disasters in history which occurred when Hurricane Katrina struck two years ago today.
The president arrived in the region on Tuesday, meeting Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin at the city's famous Dooky Chase restaurant.
He praised the efforts of the people of New Orleans in their efforts to rehabilitate the city.
Mr Bush observed a moment of silence at the Dr Martin Luther King Charter School for Math and Science, the first school to reopen in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, one of the areas most affected by the flooding.
"Hurricane Katrina broke the levees, it broke a lot of hearts, it destroyed buildings, but it didn't affect the spirit of this community," he said in a speech after the ceremony.
Mr Bush listed federal government moves to get the ravaged city back on its feet, including the $114bn (£57bn) allocated for the relief and rebuilding efforts.
Props to him for not giving into the frustrations expressed by many about the tediousness of the reconstruction effort, or the blame game being played by Nagin and Blanco.
Nagin refused to share the stage with the President.
The president arrived in the region on Tuesday, meeting Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin at the city's famous Dooky Chase restaurant.
He praised the efforts of the people of New Orleans in their efforts to rehabilitate the city.
Mr Bush observed a moment of silence at the Dr Martin Luther King Charter School for Math and Science, the first school to reopen in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, one of the areas most affected by the flooding.
"Hurricane Katrina broke the levees, it broke a lot of hearts, it destroyed buildings, but it didn't affect the spirit of this community," he said in a speech after the ceremony.
Mr Bush listed federal government moves to get the ravaged city back on its feet, including the $114bn (£57bn) allocated for the relief and rebuilding efforts.
Props to him for not giving into the frustrations expressed by many about the tediousness of the reconstruction effort, or the blame game being played by Nagin and Blanco.
Nagin refused to share the stage with the President.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Holocaust denials hot, but are they legit?
There are always interesting and thought provoking emails coming across my screen. I received one today that begged an investigation into its validity. I was fascinated by what I found, and reassured when I put the issue into logical focus.
It read:
Anti-Semite Rationale
Now it is not an unnatural idea to grasp, but Palestinians and Arabs, in turn are generally anti-Semetic groups. They hate the Jews. So, is it logical that they would resent the global attention given to The Holocaust. It's a natural progression to understand that they would deny any harm done to Jews throughout the world. And with this in mind, it then makes sense that they would draw resentment over the fact that genocides around the globe - Armenia, Durfur and Rwanda as examples - are drawing such limited response or concern from the global community in general and the Western world in specific.
Muslim Rationale
Muslims in general can't be labeled as universal Holocaust deniers. And we must remember most Muslims are not anti-Semetic. Radio Islam did a piece on this very issue and concluded: "For purposes of their own, powerful special interest groups desperately seek to keep substantive discussion of the Holocaust story taboo. One of the ways they do this is by purposely mis-characterizing revisionist scholars as 'deniers.' But the truth can't be suppressed forever: There is a very real and growing controversy about what actually happened to Europe's Jews during World War II. Let this issue be settled as all great historical controversies are resolved: through free inquiry and open debate in our journals, newspapers and classrooms."
They did not embrace the statements of the deniers, and they agreed that this is a topic which needs to be examined through open-minded and academic means.
So the removal of The Holocaust from United Kingdom curriculi cannot be directly attributed to the Mulim community.
Radical Islamic Rationale
Radical Islamic leadership, however, have embraced this idea of Holocaust denial. In April of 2000, a senior member of Hamas issued the following statement in Stockholm:
Ahmedinajad and the Iranian Rationale
As for Mohamed Ahmendinajad, it is important to realize that the man may be the president of Iran, but according to the constitution of Iran he is powerless for all intents and purposes. He is a figure-head with less power than Prince Charles of Wales. While he is a public figure, and a representative of the government, his statements often differ from the official line of the Iranian government and he is often denounced for being too outlandish and a showman to the point of self-indulgence.
Though he never specifically denied the Holocaust, quotes I found from President Ahmedinajad implied that he feels the number of Jews reported to be killed as part of the Holocaust was inflated to gain sympathy throughout the world for the Jewish cause. For example but that it was unconfirmed and therefore untrue. He used the reaction of the press and the people to draw attention to a new agenda he is promoting: encouraging the European states to create a Zionist homeland in Europe rather than continuing to for the Arab nations to endure the Jews.
I could find no material in which Ahmedinajad's statements are were endorsed by the Iranian government. But there is no real benefit to Iran in denying The Holocaust. There will be no revision of Israeli territories, nor will there by any additional aid or clemency awarded to Iran as a result. A public denial of the Holocaust only positions Iran even more in conflict with the West and reinforced the image being painted of the country as backward, confrontational, ignorant and irrational.
But, in a Boston Globe article from December 2006, discussed the preparations being made for a Holocaust denial conference in Iran. It said "Last week, as he prepared for the conference [Khaled Mahameed, an Arab citizen of Israel] told the Globe that his message to Ahmadinejad would be: "Do not deny or even argue about the authenticity of the Holocaust. By doing this, you are not helping the Palestinian people. You are hurting their cause.'"
Perhaps this is a more official stance for the Iranian people.
UPDATE
As for the Jewish / Israeli Rationale, (neccessary to provide balance as I was informed by the person who sent the original email)
Ummm.... I think they were there.
It read:
In Memoriam: Recently this week, the UK removed The Holocaust from its school curriculum because it "offended" the Moslem population which claims it never occurred. This is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it. It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russian peoples looking the other way!
Now, more than ever, with Iran, among others, claiming the Holocaust to be "a myth," it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide. Join us and be a link in the memorial chain and help us distribute it around the world. Please don't just delete this email, send it to the people you know and ask them to continue the memorial chain. It will only take you a minute to pass it along - Thanks! >
Anti-Semite Rationale
Now it is not an unnatural idea to grasp, but Palestinians and Arabs, in turn are generally anti-Semetic groups. They hate the Jews. So, is it logical that they would resent the global attention given to The Holocaust. It's a natural progression to understand that they would deny any harm done to Jews throughout the world. And with this in mind, it then makes sense that they would draw resentment over the fact that genocides around the globe - Armenia, Durfur and Rwanda as examples - are drawing such limited response or concern from the global community in general and the Western world in specific.
Muslim Rationale
Muslims in general can't be labeled as universal Holocaust deniers. And we must remember most Muslims are not anti-Semetic. Radio Islam did a piece on this very issue and concluded: "For purposes of their own, powerful special interest groups desperately seek to keep substantive discussion of the Holocaust story taboo. One of the ways they do this is by purposely mis-characterizing revisionist scholars as 'deniers.' But the truth can't be suppressed forever: There is a very real and growing controversy about what actually happened to Europe's Jews during World War II. Let this issue be settled as all great historical controversies are resolved: through free inquiry and open debate in our journals, newspapers and classrooms."
They did not embrace the statements of the deniers, and they agreed that this is a topic which needs to be examined through open-minded and academic means.
So the removal of The Holocaust from United Kingdom curriculi cannot be directly attributed to the Mulim community.
Radical Islamic Rationale
Radical Islamic leadership, however, have embraced this idea of Holocaust denial. In April of 2000, a senior member of Hamas issued the following statement in Stockholm:
This conference bears a clear Zionist goal, aimed at forging history by hiding the truth about the so-called Holocaust, which is an alleged and invented story with no basis. . . . The invention of these grand illusions of an alleged crime that never occurred, ignoring the millions of dead European victims of Nazism during the war, clearly reveals the racist Zionist face, which believes in the superiority of the Jewish race over the rest of the nations.
Not only does this attempt to focus on an alleged story ignore the suffering of our people and disregard the massacres committed by the Zionists against them, such as Dir Yasin, Kafr Qasem, Tanturah, Jerusalem, Hebron and Sabra and Shatila...
The Zionist entity is using psychological and ideological terrorism through the Stockholm conference and the alleged Nazi Holocaust...
We call the free scholars of the world and its vital forces to expose the crimes of global Zionism against our people, our nation, and against all human civilization, and to refute them and not to fear the hostility of the Jews and their ideological terrorism or their influence through which they shut mouths and prevent objective, unbiased scholars from revealing the Zionist claims as lies. By these methods, the Jews in the world flout scientific methods of research whenever that research contradicts their racist interests.
From their perspective, this position makes absolute sense. By taking a hard-line stance, they draw attention to the issues that effect their people directly and also expose Western Zionism as self-serving.
Ahmedinajad and the Iranian Rationale
As for Mohamed Ahmendinajad, it is important to realize that the man may be the president of Iran, but according to the constitution of Iran he is powerless for all intents and purposes. He is a figure-head with less power than Prince Charles of Wales. While he is a public figure, and a representative of the government, his statements often differ from the official line of the Iranian government and he is often denounced for being too outlandish and a showman to the point of self-indulgence.
Though he never specifically denied the Holocaust, quotes I found from President Ahmedinajad implied that he feels the number of Jews reported to be killed as part of the Holocaust was inflated to gain sympathy throughout the world for the Jewish cause. For example but that it was unconfirmed and therefore untrue. He used the reaction of the press and the people to draw attention to a new agenda he is promoting: encouraging the European states to create a Zionist homeland in Europe rather than continuing to for the Arab nations to endure the Jews.
I could find no material in which Ahmedinajad's statements are were endorsed by the Iranian government. But there is no real benefit to Iran in denying The Holocaust. There will be no revision of Israeli territories, nor will there by any additional aid or clemency awarded to Iran as a result. A public denial of the Holocaust only positions Iran even more in conflict with the West and reinforced the image being painted of the country as backward, confrontational, ignorant and irrational.
But, in a Boston Globe article from December 2006, discussed the preparations being made for a Holocaust denial conference in Iran. It said "Last week, as he prepared for the conference [Khaled Mahameed, an Arab citizen of Israel] told the Globe that his message to Ahmadinejad would be: "Do not deny or even argue about the authenticity of the Holocaust. By doing this, you are not helping the Palestinian people. You are hurting their cause.'"
Perhaps this is a more official stance for the Iranian people.
UPDATE
As for the Jewish / Israeli Rationale, (neccessary to provide balance as I was informed by the person who sent the original email)
Ummm.... I think they were there.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Get Your Fugee On...
Latest on Iraqi refugee situation on Syria is the Prime Minister of Iraq, Nuri al-Maliki, met with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria yesterday to discuss trade, security and the refugee crisis.
Interesting article from al-Jazeerah.
With nearly 30,000 refugees arriving in Syria from Iraq each month, the situation has been called the most rapidly developing refugee crisis in the world by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). Syria has already absorbed nearly two million Iraqi, as has Jordan.
Both countries are faltering economically under the strain of added social and political burden. Medical aid for refugees and education are traditionally cited, but provision of basic needs such as housing, food and clean water are taking their toll as well.
To read more about the Iraqi Refugee Crisis, check out a project I did a nominal amount of work on for the American Friends' Service Committee: the Symposium on Iraqi Refugees.
Interesting article from al-Jazeerah.
With nearly 30,000 refugees arriving in Syria from Iraq each month, the situation has been called the most rapidly developing refugee crisis in the world by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). Syria has already absorbed nearly two million Iraqi, as has Jordan.
Both countries are faltering economically under the strain of added social and political burden. Medical aid for refugees and education are traditionally cited, but provision of basic needs such as housing, food and clean water are taking their toll as well.
To read more about the Iraqi Refugee Crisis, check out a project I did a nominal amount of work on for the American Friends' Service Committee: the Symposium on Iraqi Refugees.
Big Day for MP3's
Personally, I hate WalMart, and will encourage everyone to go and buy these products from WalMart's competitors who are also in the business of selling MP3's - Amazon.com, BestBuy and - especially- RealNetworks Inc .
But, in the news,
MTV announced today that it will be rolling its online MP3 business into new venture with RealNetworks. Expected to roll-out on September 9 with the MTV Video Music Awards, RealNetworks, owner of Rhapsody music subscription service, will assume MTV's Urge music to form Rhapsody America.
Also,
But, in the news,
MTV announced today that it will be rolling its online MP3 business into new venture with RealNetworks. Expected to roll-out on September 9 with the MTV Video Music Awards, RealNetworks, owner of Rhapsody music subscription service, will assume MTV's Urge music to form Rhapsody America.
Also,
Associated Press reports the multi-national WalMart broke into a new market selling songs free of copy-protections technology at their online music store this week. The highly controversial music, ranging from rock to rap to KidsBop, began selling Tuesday for 94 cents per song.
They will play on most portable media devices, including iPod's.
"Although many independent music labels have for years sold their tunes without copy restrictions, major recording companies have insisted on digital-rights management, or DRM, technology in hopes of curbing online piracy... Copy-protected songs sold through iTunes, for instance, generally won't play on devices other than the iPod, and iPods can't play DRM-enabled songs bought at rival music stores."
They Needed Jack Bauer
Just released by the Associated Press (08.21.07 5:30 EST):
Michael Hayden, Director of the CIA. He's no Jack Bauer.
Photo Source:http://www.af.mil/shared/media/bio/hi_res/hayden_mv4.jpg
CIA FAILURE: A report, kept classified until now, finds extensive fault with CIA leaders and others beneath them leading up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
STOPPING SHORT: Yet the report's authors found neither a "single point of failure nor a silver bullet" that would have stopped the attacks.
NOT THRILLED: CIA Director Michael Hayden said he was making the report available as required by a new law.
Michael Hayden, Director of the CIA. He's no Jack Bauer. Photo Source:http://www.af.mil/shared/media/bio/hi_res/hayden_mv4.jpg
Jack Bauer wouldn't whine about the past. He IS the "silver bullet." He would have raided Osama bin Laden's cave and capped all of his men with a single Glock .45. There wouldn't be a report to make in public. No, Jack would handle business and make it right. No apologies.
I'm sick of these wimps. Politicians in military roles.
My vote: Jack Bauer for CIA Director.
I'm sick of these wimps. Politicians in military roles.
My vote: Jack Bauer for CIA Director.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Selling Out is Not Their Thing Either
The NFL issued a mandate that photo journalists on the sidelines will wear red vests which will bear the logos of Reebok and Canon. Many journalists feel that they are being made into corporate billboards.
One of many dissenting organizations, Society of Professional Journalists issued a statement rebuking the vests. Citing their code of ethics, which encourages journalists to “remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility,” their stance is that by agreeing to wear these vests, journalists are - for lack of a better phrase - selling-out to the man.
Joe Strupp, senior editor at Editor & Publisher Magazine makes a good point in his editorial on the issue: this is not the first time photographers have been forced to wear vests like these, and if they really have a problem with wearing them, then boycott the NFL until the restriction is lifted.
I am waiting to see the vests... If we are talking about a LaCoste alligator-sized logo, then who cares? If we are talking Times Square-neon billboards, then I have a problem. But either way, maybe the red vests are a good idea in the end. Football players from lineman to safety's to place-kickers are trained to avoid the guy in red. Perhaps it will aid in protecting the unassuming photogs from injury.
One of many dissenting organizations, Society of Professional Journalists issued a statement rebuking the vests. Citing their code of ethics, which encourages journalists to “remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility,” their stance is that by agreeing to wear these vests, journalists are - for lack of a better phrase - selling-out to the man.
Joe Strupp, senior editor at Editor & Publisher Magazine makes a good point in his editorial on the issue: this is not the first time photographers have been forced to wear vests like these, and if they really have a problem with wearing them, then boycott the NFL until the restriction is lifted.
I am waiting to see the vests... If we are talking about a LaCoste alligator-sized logo, then who cares? If we are talking Times Square-neon billboards, then I have a problem. But either way, maybe the red vests are a good idea in the end. Football players from lineman to safety's to place-kickers are trained to avoid the guy in red. Perhaps it will aid in protecting the unassuming photogs from injury.
Maintaining the Highest Quality in News Today
The Philadelphia Inquirer may be laying off its entire staff of new-writers and going strictly AP. They may even be sliding down the slippery slope of lax news coverage. But, at least they are still entertaining...
Announced today, with Brian Tierney as MC, they will host the "first U.S. Sudoku Championship" October 19 through 21 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Now that is what I call quality.
Announced today, with Brian Tierney as MC, they will host the "first U.S. Sudoku Championship" October 19 through 21 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Now that is what I call quality.
Marijuana on One, Reefer on Two...
Police found a $10 million crop of marijuana in the hillside Los Angeles-suburb of Glendale yesterday. I think this goes a bit beyond personal use.
According to the LA Times, the cultivators tapped into an emergency water supply to support the crop. The supply was intended to protect the city in case of brush fire.
Police spent the night preparing the crop to be removed, but have made no arrests and have no leads. They did, however, take some awesome pictures.
In other related news, New Mexico says it won't start growing pot for medical use.
According to the LA Times, the cultivators tapped into an emergency water supply to support the crop. The supply was intended to protect the city in case of brush fire.
Police spent the night preparing the crop to be removed, but have made no arrests and have no leads. They did, however, take some awesome pictures.
In other related news, New Mexico says it won't start growing pot for medical use.
The Reds and the Blues of Marriage by Another Name
Married With Children ran for 10 seasons, but perhaps Mr. Belvedere had more to offer in terms of moral education. Seems that Amehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifricans, Red, White or Blue have not learned the value of marriage at all, and they are certainly not getting the rule that you should be married when you have children. According to , a publication of the Anglican Church, the state of marriage in the United States is in crisis, even in "Red States" where the whole "Gay thing" is a non-issue.
Items missed by this article are the important distinctions between Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership - all of which are equally weighted according to VirtueOnline
Rights guaranteed to couples in Civil Unions, Domestic Partnerships or Registered Partnership are defined by the state in which they are granted. In ALL cases, they are only a fraction of those extended to Married couples, and these unions are NOT recognized outside of the granting state.
Examples of rights not yet included the definitions of unions in any state:
Countless Inheritance Laws - i.e. Protection from being disinherited and election or waiver of community property.
Rights to Bereavement Leave
Laws Protecting the Rights of Surviving Spouses - i.e. "Homestead" Protection Against Creditors and Tax Reassessment Upon Death
Laws Protecting Social Security and Workers Compensation Benefits for Surviving Spouses - i.e. benefits for the entire family, increased Social Security Payments, and Social Security Death Benefits
Pension and Tax Laws protecting Surviving Spouses - i.e. IRA and 401K roll-over, and Unlimited Marital Deduction which allows transfer of property to a spouse upon death without the gift or estate taxes applied.
Burial Rights - i.e. protection of plots and family cemeteries
Countless laws protecting the Decision-Making Rights of Surviving Spouses in Burial Arrangements
Law Protecting the Benefits of Surviving Spouses of Veterans, Firefighters and Police Officers
Death is not the only time married couple reap the benefits of getting hitched. There are also laws which govern a spouses responsibility to protect one another in marriage and in divorce, and any children involved in the family. These rights are not protected in any other type of union.
So, perhaps VirtueOnline needs to do some research before stating that Civil Union or Domestic Partnership is marriage by another name. Yes, there is the initial tax breaks, but that does not mean that those participating in these unions are protected by the thousands of laws that make a marriage legally binding.
STATS FROM THE ARTICLE
While this is not exactly groundbreaking news, the stats were cool.
States Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage
Massachusetts
States Legalizing Civil Unions for Same-Sex Couples
Connecticut
Vermont
New Jersey
New Hampshire*
Domestic Partnerships for Same-Sex Couples
California
Oregon
Washington
Hawaii
Twenty-Seven states currently have constitutional bans on Same-Sex Marriage, or have constitutionally defined marriage as being "between one-man and one-woman."
Marriage Rates by State
So-Called "Red States": between 5 and 7 percent, annually
Examples given were Arkansas, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah
So-Called "Blue States": between 2.4 and 2.8 percent
Examples given were Pennsylvania**, New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut.
Cohabitation Outside of Marriage by State
"Reds"
Alabama - 6%
Mississippi - 8%
Kansas - 8%
Arkansas - 8%
"Blues"
Vermont - 14%
Maine - 13%
Oregon - 12%
Washington - 12%
"However, there are moral chinks in the armor of the Red States, which have the highest divorce rates and the highest percentages of babies born out-of-wedlock. Half of the babies born in Mississippi and Louisiana are to unwed parents - which is double the rate of New Hampshire."
And, "...Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are tied for the lowest divorce rates at 11 divorces per 1,000 married couples per year, while Arkansas and Oklahoma are more than twice as high at 25 divorces each per 1,000, and West Virginia, at 23."
*Note that the article called New Hampshire a "Blue State," but it is historically swing state. In the past 6 elections, New Hampshire has gone Republican three times. The three times it went Blue it was by a margin of less than 2 percent.
**Pennsylvania is also, historically, a swing state.
Items missed by this article are the important distinctions between Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership - all of which are equally weighted according to VirtueOnline
Rights guaranteed to couples in Civil Unions, Domestic Partnerships or Registered Partnership are defined by the state in which they are granted. In ALL cases, they are only a fraction of those extended to Married couples, and these unions are NOT recognized outside of the granting state.
Examples of rights not yet included the definitions of unions in any state:
Countless Inheritance Laws - i.e. Protection from being disinherited and election or waiver of community property.
Rights to Bereavement Leave
Laws Protecting the Rights of Surviving Spouses - i.e. "Homestead" Protection Against Creditors and Tax Reassessment Upon Death
Laws Protecting Social Security and Workers Compensation Benefits for Surviving Spouses - i.e. benefits for the entire family, increased Social Security Payments, and Social Security Death Benefits
Pension and Tax Laws protecting Surviving Spouses - i.e. IRA and 401K roll-over, and Unlimited Marital Deduction which allows transfer of property to a spouse upon death without the gift or estate taxes applied.
Burial Rights - i.e. protection of plots and family cemeteries
Countless laws protecting the Decision-Making Rights of Surviving Spouses in Burial Arrangements
Law Protecting the Benefits of Surviving Spouses of Veterans, Firefighters and Police Officers
Death is not the only time married couple reap the benefits of getting hitched. There are also laws which govern a spouses responsibility to protect one another in marriage and in divorce, and any children involved in the family. These rights are not protected in any other type of union.
So, perhaps VirtueOnline needs to do some research before stating that Civil Union or Domestic Partnership is marriage by another name. Yes, there is the initial tax breaks, but that does not mean that those participating in these unions are protected by the thousands of laws that make a marriage legally binding.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Marine Convicted of Murder
Plymouth Marine sergeant convicted of murdering Iraqi man
THOMAS WATKINS / Associated Press
CAMP PENDLETON, C.A.— A Marine Corps squad leader was convicted Thursday of murdering an Iraqi man during a frustrated search for an insurgent.
Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III, 23, also was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, making a false official statement and larceny. He was acquitted of kidnapping, assault and housebreaking.
Hutchins, of Plymouth, Mass., could be sentenced to life in prison without parole. He had been charged with premeditated murder but the military jury struck the premeditation element from the verdict.
Hutchins stood rigidly and stared straight ahead in the silent courtroom as the verdict was read. A few minutes later he answered a procedural question with a loud and clear, “Yes, sir.”
Prosecutors said that during a nighttime patrol in Hamdania, Iraq, in April 2006, Hutchins’ squad hatched a plan to kidnap and kill a suspected insurgent from his house. When they couldn’t find him, they instead kidnapped a man from a neighboring house, dragged him to a hole and shot him.
Prosecutors said squad members tried to cover up the killing of Hashim Ibrahim Awad by planting a shovel and AK-47 by his body to make it look like he was an insurgent planting a bomb.
Several witnesses testified the plot was born out of frustration after suspected insurgents kept evading prosecution.
The squad was pulled from the battlefield after the slaying.
Lawyers for Hutchins argued that he participated in the plot because his own officers had set a poor leadership example and given approval for Marines to use violence in capturing and interrogating suspected insurgents...
Eight other squad members were charged with kidnapping and murder. Cpl. Marshall Magnicalda, though not convicted, was also charged with murder for participating in the plot. Faced a sentencing hearing yesterday after being found guilty of larceny and house breaking.
Four lower-ranking squad members bargained out over the course of the past 15 months. One corporal was acquitted last months, and another was given a conduct unbecoming discharge.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Public Transit on the Radar... Again.
Public Transit is a good thing. Read why. They love to tell you about it: saving on emissions, reducing traffic and providing an invaluable service to the disabled and the under-privileged. There are more than 100 systems throughout the country, serving urbanand increasing number of rural areas. Use of these systems is increasing proportionately with the rise of fuel. You would think that the increase in use would result in an increase in profits for these agencies.
So, why is it that when budget time rolls around, there is inevitably discussion about SEPTA which, without out fail, includes the threat of fare increases and strikes. And, every two years, the State of Pennsylvania will throw another $150 million at the "fledgling" SEPTA.
SEPTA spokespeople will brag that there has not been a rate increase in years. Still, the agency is the MOST expensive in the nation for riders.
So, why is it that when budget time rolls around, there is inevitably discussion about SEPTA which, without out fail, includes the threat of fare increases and strikes. And, every two years, the State of Pennsylvania will throw another $150 million at the "fledgling" SEPTA.
SEPTA spokespeople will brag that there has not been a rate increase in years. Still, the agency is the MOST expensive in the nation for riders.
Selling Out is Not My Thing
Reese Withersoon is going to be the next Avon girl? Why?
Reese has the stay power and self-respect to find a better gig than this one. Yeah, Catherine Zeta-Jones sold-out to T-Mobile. Sure, Sheryl Crow is hocking Revlon. And, yes, Jennifer Love Hewitt has made buko bucks selling Hanes. But, Reese! You're so much bigger than that! Com'mon, girl. You don't need the money that badly, even with all of that divorce business.
Reese has the stay power and self-respect to find a better gig than this one. Yeah, Catherine Zeta-Jones sold-out to T-Mobile. Sure, Sheryl Crow is hocking Revlon. And, yes, Jennifer Love Hewitt has made buko bucks selling Hanes. But, Reese! You're so much bigger than that! Com'mon, girl. You don't need the money that badly, even with all of that divorce business.
Euphemisms: Gotta love 'em
An AP article today was headlined "Saudi's Back Mideast Plans." Metro picked this one up as a top international story. The lead read - brace yourself, this is my favorite part- "Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that it would seriously consider attending a Middle East peace conference proposed by the Bush Administration for later this year..."
"Seriously consider."
Let's contimplate all of the things I seriously consider on a daily basis:
Quitting smoking. Buying a house. Filing bankruptcy to avoid medical bills. Moving to Canada. Jumping from roof to my nieghbors roofs, just to say I did it. Dying my hair green... hey you only live once. Stalking Angelina Jolie. The amount of profit generated by Pat's Steaks. Parenting. The best blend for an Apple Martini. And, more.
So, let's see... according to the AP definition of "seriously consider," I must be an un-American, suicidal,alcoholic stalker with self-image problems, conflicted ideas of finance, and a deep seeded desire to procreate.
"Seriously consider."
I think I will seriously consider taking every story I read on the Mideast with and entire box of Morton's Salt.
"Seriously consider."
Let's contimplate all of the things I seriously consider on a daily basis:
Quitting smoking. Buying a house. Filing bankruptcy to avoid medical bills. Moving to Canada. Jumping from roof to my nieghbors roofs, just to say I did it. Dying my hair green... hey you only live once. Stalking Angelina Jolie. The amount of profit generated by Pat's Steaks. Parenting. The best blend for an Apple Martini. And, more.
So, let's see... according to the AP definition of "seriously consider," I must be an un-American, suicidal,alcoholic stalker with self-image problems, conflicted ideas of finance, and a deep seeded desire to procreate.
"Seriously consider."
I think I will seriously consider taking every story I read on the Mideast with and entire box of Morton's Salt.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
ANGELINA JOLIE-ON WORLD REFUGEES x AC 360° JUNE 18. PART 1
So excited to see that refugees are finally getting some attention
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
