A week before she was killed by a suicide bomber, humanitarian worker Marla Ruzicka forced military commanders to admit they did keep records of Iraqi civilians killed by US forces.
Tommy Franks, the former head of US Central Command, famously said the US army "don't do body counts", despite a requirement to do so by the Geneva Conventions.
But in an essay Ms Ruzicka wrote a week before her death on Saturday and published yesterday, the 28-year-old revealed that a Brigadier General told her it was "standard operating procedure" for US troops to file a report when they shoot a non-combatant.
She obtained figures for the number of civilians killed in Baghdad between 28 February and 5 April, and discovered that 29 had been killed in firefights involving US forces and insurgents. This was four times the number of Iraqi police killed.
"These statistics demonstrate that the US military can and does track civilian casualties," she wrote. "Troops on the ground keep these records because they recognise they have a responsibility to review each action taken and that it is in their interest to minimise mistakes, especially since winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis is a key component of their strategy."
Sam Zia-Zarifi, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, the group for which Ms Ruzicka wrote the report, said her discovery "was very important because it allows the victims to start demanding compensation". He added: "At a policy level they have never admitted they keep these figures."
Exactly how many Iraqi civilians have been killed in the last two years is unclear. Iraq Body Count, a group that monitors casualty reports, says at least 17,384 have died. But the group bases its totals only on deaths reported by the media, and says it can therefore only "be a sample" of the total actually killed. Its website says: "It is likely that many if not most civilian casualties will go unreported by the media. That is the sad nature of war."
A peer-reviewed report published last year in The Lancet and based on an extrapolation of data suggested that 100,000 civilians may have been killed during the invasion and its aftermath. One of the report's author, Dr Richard Garfield, professor of nursing at Columbia University, said: "Of course they keep records and of course they pretend they don't. Why is it important to keep the numbers of those killed? Well, why was it important to record the names of those people killed in the World Trade Centre? It would have been inconceivable not to. These people have lives of value.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Bugs Bunny in the public domain
Well it’s about damn time!
This is, as far as I am concerned, fantastic news. Thanks to the folks over at Film Chest and at the Internet Archive two Bugs Bunny cartoons are now available in the public domain.
This is how it’s supposed to work. Someone creates something really cool, and for a while they have every right to benefit from that creation. But after a reasonable amount of time, and here I define that as something less than one persons lifetime, that creation enters the public domain.What’s really cool is the the folks over at Film Chest have donated an amazing number of cartoons to the Internet Archive, not just Bugs Bunny. You’ll find Woody Woodpecker and Felix the Cat there, as well as Popeye the Sailor.
But guess what you won’t find there. Give up? The answer is you won’t find a thing from the folks at Disney (no link on purpose). Nope, the folks at Disney think it’s ok to not share. Even though many of the Disney cartoons predate the cartoons you’ll find on the Internet Archive Disney keeps them locked down. Nope, nothing going to the public domain from Disney.
And just for the record, here are some of the things that the folks at Disney have created which they got from the public domain:
This is, as far as I am concerned, fantastic news. Thanks to the folks over at Film Chest and at the Internet Archive two Bugs Bunny cartoons are now available in the public domain.
This is how it’s supposed to work. Someone creates something really cool, and for a while they have every right to benefit from that creation. But after a reasonable amount of time, and here I define that as something less than one persons lifetime, that creation enters the public domain.What’s really cool is the the folks over at Film Chest have donated an amazing number of cartoons to the Internet Archive, not just Bugs Bunny. You’ll find Woody Woodpecker and Felix the Cat there, as well as Popeye the Sailor.
But guess what you won’t find there. Give up? The answer is you won’t find a thing from the folks at Disney (no link on purpose). Nope, the folks at Disney think it’s ok to not share. Even though many of the Disney cartoons predate the cartoons you’ll find on the Internet Archive Disney keeps them locked down. Nope, nothing going to the public domain from Disney.
And just for the record, here are some of the things that the folks at Disney have created which they got from the public domain:
- Snow White
- Sleeping Beauty
- Alice in Wonderland
- Aladdin
Boy but this kind of thing just gets right up my left nostril.
Sermon: Living Under Fascism
March 7, 2005: This sermon by Rev. Dr. Davidson Loehr, originally delivered on November 7, 2004, has recently been the subject of discussion on Air America's "Morning Sedition" as well as in other media outlets.
The word comes from the Latin word “Fasces,” denoting a bundle of sticks tied together. The individual sticks represented citizens, and the bundle represented the state. The message of this metaphor was that it was the bundle that was significant, not the individual sticks. If it sounds un-American, it’s worth knowing that the Roman Fasces appear on the wall behind the Speaker’s podium in the chamber of the US House of Representatives.
Still, it’s an unlikely word. When most people hear the word "fascism" they may think of the racism and anti-Semitism of Mussolini and Hitler. It is true that the use of force and the scapegoating of fringe groups are part of every fascism. But there was also an economic dimension of fascism, known in Europe during the 1920s and '30s as "corporatism," which was an essential ingredient of Mussolini’s and Hitler’s tyrannies. So-called corporatism was adopted in Italy and Germany during the 1930s and was held up as a model by quite a few intellectuals and policy makers in the United States and Europe.
... In an essay coyly titled “Fascism Anyone?,” Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, identifies social and political agendas common to fascist regimes. His comparisons of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto, and Pinochet yielded this list of 14 “identifying characteristics of fascism.” (The following article is from Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 23, Number 2. Read it at http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm) See how familiar they sound.
... This list will be familiar to students of political science. But it should be familiar to students of religion as well, for much of it mirrors the social and political agenda of religious fundamentalisms worldwide. It is both accurate and helpful for us to understand fundamentalism as religious fascism, and fascism as political fundamentalism. They both come from very primitive parts of us that have always been the default setting of our species: amity toward our in-group, enmity toward out-groups, hierarchical deference to alpha male figures, a powerful identification with our territory, and so forth. It is that brutal default setting that all civilizations have tried to raise us above, but it is always a fragile thing, civilization, and has to be achieved over and over and over again. [from DigitalDetritus.org]
The word comes from the Latin word “Fasces,” denoting a bundle of sticks tied together. The individual sticks represented citizens, and the bundle represented the state. The message of this metaphor was that it was the bundle that was significant, not the individual sticks. If it sounds un-American, it’s worth knowing that the Roman Fasces appear on the wall behind the Speaker’s podium in the chamber of the US House of Representatives.
Still, it’s an unlikely word. When most people hear the word "fascism" they may think of the racism and anti-Semitism of Mussolini and Hitler. It is true that the use of force and the scapegoating of fringe groups are part of every fascism. But there was also an economic dimension of fascism, known in Europe during the 1920s and '30s as "corporatism," which was an essential ingredient of Mussolini’s and Hitler’s tyrannies. So-called corporatism was adopted in Italy and Germany during the 1930s and was held up as a model by quite a few intellectuals and policy makers in the United States and Europe.
... In an essay coyly titled “Fascism Anyone?,” Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, identifies social and political agendas common to fascist regimes. His comparisons of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto, and Pinochet yielded this list of 14 “identifying characteristics of fascism.” (The following article is from Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 23, Number 2. Read it at http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm) See how familiar they sound.
... This list will be familiar to students of political science. But it should be familiar to students of religion as well, for much of it mirrors the social and political agenda of religious fundamentalisms worldwide. It is both accurate and helpful for us to understand fundamentalism as religious fascism, and fascism as political fundamentalism. They both come from very primitive parts of us that have always been the default setting of our species: amity toward our in-group, enmity toward out-groups, hierarchical deference to alpha male figures, a powerful identification with our territory, and so forth. It is that brutal default setting that all civilizations have tried to raise us above, but it is always a fragile thing, civilization, and has to be achieved over and over and over again. [from DigitalDetritus.org]
Saudis Seek New Agreement on Nuclear Capability - No Outside Probes
Saudi Arabia has quietly begun talks on a U.N.-sanctioned agreement that could curtail any outside probe of its atomic intentions -- a move that heightens concerns in a region already edgy about rival Iran's nuclear program.
The Saudis deny any plans to develop nuclear weapons, and diplomats close to the International Atomic Energy Agency told The Associated Press that the U.N. nuclear monitor has no firm evidence that would cast doubt on the Saudi assertions. Phone calls to the Saudi representative to the IAEA or the government in Riyadh for comment were not returned.
But the diplomats say that past Saudi nuclear interest is heightening worries, as is the timing of the efforts to sign on to the IAEA's small quantities protocol that would exempt the country from most of the agency's control authority.
Born of more trusting days, the agreement has been joined by dozens of countries, most of which have never experimented with nuclear weapons. But the protocol is now viewed with suspicion within the agency, after revelations of other loopholes that have allowed prewar Iraq, Iran, Libya and other countries to work secretly on known or suspected nuclear weapons programs.
The Saudis deny any plans to develop nuclear weapons, and diplomats close to the International Atomic Energy Agency told The Associated Press that the U.N. nuclear monitor has no firm evidence that would cast doubt on the Saudi assertions. Phone calls to the Saudi representative to the IAEA or the government in Riyadh for comment were not returned.
But the diplomats say that past Saudi nuclear interest is heightening worries, as is the timing of the efforts to sign on to the IAEA's small quantities protocol that would exempt the country from most of the agency's control authority.
Born of more trusting days, the agreement has been joined by dozens of countries, most of which have never experimented with nuclear weapons. But the protocol is now viewed with suspicion within the agency, after revelations of other loopholes that have allowed prewar Iraq, Iran, Libya and other countries to work secretly on known or suspected nuclear weapons programs.
Texas Bill Would Ban Gay Foster Parents
The state House tentatively approved legislation that would prohibit homosexuals and bisexuals from becoming foster parents.
Legislators voted 81-58 Tuesday to approve the ban in an amendment tacked on to a bill that would revamp the state's Child Protective Services agency. The full bill was tentatively approved 126-16. Final approval was expected Wednesday.
"It is our responsibility to make sure that we protect our most vulnerable children and I don't think we are doing that if we allow a foster parent that is homosexual or bisexual," said Rep. Robert Talton, a Republican, who introduced the amendment.
The state Senate has passed its own version of Child Protective Services reform that does not include the ban on gay foster parents.
Legislators voted 81-58 Tuesday to approve the ban in an amendment tacked on to a bill that would revamp the state's Child Protective Services agency. The full bill was tentatively approved 126-16. Final approval was expected Wednesday.
"It is our responsibility to make sure that we protect our most vulnerable children and I don't think we are doing that if we allow a foster parent that is homosexual or bisexual," said Rep. Robert Talton, a Republican, who introduced the amendment.
The state Senate has passed its own version of Child Protective Services reform that does not include the ban on gay foster parents.
Happy 420 Day!
Although many have (wrongly) believed that 420 had something to do with police code relating to marijuana offenses or 4/20 being the dates that Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrisson, and John Belushi died; this infamous number really was simply the time that several San Rafael high school students would meet after school to get baked. [from MetaFilter.com]
MKULTRA LSD Suit Rejected
A federal judge has tentatively ordered dismissal of a $12 million lawsuit against the U.S. government, filed by a former deputy marshal who said he was unknowingly drugged with LSD as part of a CIA mind-control program before trying to hold up a San Francisco bar nearly a half century ago.
In earlier rulings, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel rejected the government's attempts to dismiss Wayne Ritchie's suit and said he had shown that a CIA mind-control experiment code-named MKULTRA was operating in San Francisco in December 1957, when Ritchie says he was drugged.
During the program, which lasted at least a decade at the height of the Cold War, hundreds of unwitting Americans were given LSD and other drugs to study their possible use in behavioral control.
But after hearing Ritchie and other witnesses testify on his behalf at a nonjury trial last week, Patel ruled that Ritchie had failed to prove that LSD led to his criminal and psychological problems.
"It is not clear by a preponderance of the evidence that Mr. Ritchie was administered LSD,'' the judge said at Friday's hearing, according to a transcript obtained Tuesday. "It may be what happened. But this is a court of law. We don't operate on hunches. We have to operate on the facts.''
In earlier rulings, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel rejected the government's attempts to dismiss Wayne Ritchie's suit and said he had shown that a CIA mind-control experiment code-named MKULTRA was operating in San Francisco in December 1957, when Ritchie says he was drugged.
During the program, which lasted at least a decade at the height of the Cold War, hundreds of unwitting Americans were given LSD and other drugs to study their possible use in behavioral control.
But after hearing Ritchie and other witnesses testify on his behalf at a nonjury trial last week, Patel ruled that Ritchie had failed to prove that LSD led to his criminal and psychological problems.
"It is not clear by a preponderance of the evidence that Mr. Ritchie was administered LSD,'' the judge said at Friday's hearing, according to a transcript obtained Tuesday. "It may be what happened. But this is a court of law. We don't operate on hunches. We have to operate on the facts.''
Bolton on Hold
A surprise last-minute defection by an Ohio Republican forced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to postpone a vote that had been scheduled for Tuesday on the nomination of John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.
The chairman of the panel, Richard G. Lugar, Republican of Indiana, reluctantly agreed to put off any vote until next month to allow a review of what Democrats portrayed as troubling new accusations that cast doubt on Mr. Bolton's temperament and credibility.
Until the defection, by Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio, the panel had appeared prepared to send the nomination to the Senate floor on a strict party-line vote. But Mr. Voinovich stunned other senators by announcing that more time was needed to explore accusations against Mr. Bolton.
"My conscience got me," he said after the stormy two-hour session. He said he had gone to the meeting planning to vote for Mr. Bolton, but changed his mind after hearing the case against the nominee made by Senators Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, both Democrats.
"I wanted more information about this individual, and I didn't feel comfortable voting for him," Mr. Voinovich said.
The chairman of the panel, Richard G. Lugar, Republican of Indiana, reluctantly agreed to put off any vote until next month to allow a review of what Democrats portrayed as troubling new accusations that cast doubt on Mr. Bolton's temperament and credibility.
Until the defection, by Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio, the panel had appeared prepared to send the nomination to the Senate floor on a strict party-line vote. But Mr. Voinovich stunned other senators by announcing that more time was needed to explore accusations against Mr. Bolton.
"My conscience got me," he said after the stormy two-hour session. He said he had gone to the meeting planning to vote for Mr. Bolton, but changed his mind after hearing the case against the nominee made by Senators Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, both Democrats.
"I wanted more information about this individual, and I didn't feel comfortable voting for him," Mr. Voinovich said.
Transportation Security Agency Spending Money on Silk Flowers
The Transportation Security Administration wasted money on an operations office lavishly equipped with artwork, tens of thousands of dollars of silk flowers, expensive kitchen equipment and a state-of-the-art fitness center with towel service, according to a report by the inspector general of the Homeland Security Department that was released on Tuesday.
Some of those supplies were improperly bought from a company owned by an acquaintance of the agency's project manager, according to the report.
The spending occurred in 2003 while the agency was setting up a $19 million transportation security center in Herndon, Va., for 79 full-time employees. The site includes seven kitchens and a fitness center more than half the size of one that serves nearly 7,000 employees at the agency's headquarters, the report says.
"Breakdowns in management controls left the project vulnerable to waste and abuse," says the report by Richard L. Skinner, the department's acting inspector general.
The critique was released on the same day that Mr. Skinner published separate reports concluding that the Transportation Security Administration's airport screeners had made no progress since 2003 in detecting weapons or explosives and asserting that the agency was not taking enough steps to prevent its staff from stealing items from passengers' bags during inspections.
Some of those supplies were improperly bought from a company owned by an acquaintance of the agency's project manager, according to the report.
The spending occurred in 2003 while the agency was setting up a $19 million transportation security center in Herndon, Va., for 79 full-time employees. The site includes seven kitchens and a fitness center more than half the size of one that serves nearly 7,000 employees at the agency's headquarters, the report says.
"Breakdowns in management controls left the project vulnerable to waste and abuse," says the report by Richard L. Skinner, the department's acting inspector general.
The critique was released on the same day that Mr. Skinner published separate reports concluding that the Transportation Security Administration's airport screeners had made no progress since 2003 in detecting weapons or explosives and asserting that the agency was not taking enough steps to prevent its staff from stealing items from passengers' bags during inspections.
Non-Christian Air Force Cadets Cite Harassment
"Some complaints had to do with people … saying bad things about persons of other religions or proselytizing in inappropriate places," said academy spokesman Johnny Whitaker. "There have been cases of maliciousness, mean-spiritedness and attacking or baiting someone over religion."
About 90% of the academy's 4,300 cadets identify themselves as Christians; the school's commandant, Brig. Gen. Johnny A. Weida, describes himself as a born-again Christian.
Mikey Weinstein, an academy graduate and a lawyer in Albuquerque, said that his son Curtis — a sophomore at the academy — had been called a "filthy Jew."
About 90% of the academy's 4,300 cadets identify themselves as Christians; the school's commandant, Brig. Gen. Johnny A. Weida, describes himself as a born-again Christian.
Mikey Weinstein, an academy graduate and a lawyer in Albuquerque, said that his son Curtis — a sophomore at the academy — had been called a "filthy Jew."
Democrats: Homeland Security Department Ignoring Right-Wing Threats
A recent internal Homeland Security document lists the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front with a few Islamic groups that could potentially support al-Qaida as domestic terror threats.
The document does not address threats posed by white supremacists, violent militiamen, anti-abortion bombers and other extremists that Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called "right-wing hate groups."
ALF and ELF "are the left-leaning groups that they identified," said Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. "But they absolutely left out any of the other groups."
"If your responsibility is to protect the homeland from these domestic terrorists, then you have an obligation to identify all of them -- not just some of them," Thompson said.
Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the internal document -- which was not meant for public distribution -- identifies only general categories of threats and vulnerabilities, and is not meant to be a comprehensive list.
The document does not address threats posed by white supremacists, violent militiamen, anti-abortion bombers and other extremists that Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called "right-wing hate groups."
ALF and ELF "are the left-leaning groups that they identified," said Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. "But they absolutely left out any of the other groups."
"If your responsibility is to protect the homeland from these domestic terrorists, then you have an obligation to identify all of them -- not just some of them," Thompson said.
Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the internal document -- which was not meant for public distribution -- identifies only general categories of threats and vulnerabilities, and is not meant to be a comprehensive list.
Democrats: Homeland Security Department Ignoring Right-Wing Threats
A recent internal Homeland Security document lists the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front with a few Islamic groups that could potentially support al-Qaida as domestic terror threats.
The document does not address threats posed by white supremacists, violent militiamen, anti-abortion bombers and other extremists that Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called "right-wing hate groups."
ALF and ELF "are the left-leaning groups that they identified," said Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. "But they absolutely left out any of the other groups."
"If your responsibility is to protect the homeland from these domestic terrorists, then you have an obligation to identify all of them -- not just some of them," Thompson said.
Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the internal document -- which was not meant for public distribution -- identifies only general categories of threats and vulnerabilities, and is not meant to be a comprehensive list.
The document does not address threats posed by white supremacists, violent militiamen, anti-abortion bombers and other extremists that Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called "right-wing hate groups."
ALF and ELF "are the left-leaning groups that they identified," said Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. "But they absolutely left out any of the other groups."
"If your responsibility is to protect the homeland from these domestic terrorists, then you have an obligation to identify all of them -- not just some of them," Thompson said.
Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the internal document -- which was not meant for public distribution -- identifies only general categories of threats and vulnerabilities, and is not meant to be a comprehensive list.
AP Sues Pentagon for Guantanomo Documents
Government documents related to military hearings for Guantanamo Bay detainees are of "urgent concern" to the public and should be released, according to a lawsuit filed by The Associated Press against the Defense Department.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, stated AP has been able to report only anecdotally on 558 tribunals conducted since August to let detainees challenge their incarceration at the U.S. base in Cuba. The news agency said the proceedings were "unquestionably of great interest to the public."
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, stated AP has been able to report only anecdotally on 558 tribunals conducted since August to let detainees challenge their incarceration at the U.S. base in Cuba. The news agency said the proceedings were "unquestionably of great interest to the public."
From Hitler Youth to the Vatican
Joseph Ratzinger was not always considered a reactionary. Born in 1927 in Marktl am Inn, the first German pope for nearly 1,000 years comes from the country's traditionalist Catholic heartland, Bavaria.
His father was a police officer from a family of farmers whose career suffered because he refused to become a Nazi. The young Ratzinger served briefly and unenthusiastically with the Hitler Youth and later with a German army anti-aircraft unit guarding the BMW factory in Munich. He says he never fired a shot.
Ratzinger has defended himself from criticism of his war record by claiming - not strictly truthfully - that he could not have avoided military service in the circumstances. Others did and maybe he could have used his training in a seminary to dodge the call-up.
But there is no doubt that his heart was not in his military service and he deserted in April 1944, ending the war in an American prisoner of war camp. [thanks, Mint]
His father was a police officer from a family of farmers whose career suffered because he refused to become a Nazi. The young Ratzinger served briefly and unenthusiastically with the Hitler Youth and later with a German army anti-aircraft unit guarding the BMW factory in Munich. He says he never fired a shot.
Ratzinger has defended himself from criticism of his war record by claiming - not strictly truthfully - that he could not have avoided military service in the circumstances. Others did and maybe he could have used his training in a seminary to dodge the call-up.
But there is no doubt that his heart was not in his military service and he deserted in April 1944, ending the war in an American prisoner of war camp. [thanks, Mint]
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
FDR a Radical by Today's Standards
After talking about the war, which was still being fought on two fronts, the president offered what should have been recognized immediately for what it was, nothing less than a blueprint for the future of the United States. It was the clearest statement I've ever seen of the kind of nation the U.S. could have become in the years between the end of World War II and now. Roosevelt referred to his proposals in that speech as "a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race or creed."
Among these rights, he said, are:
"The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation.
"The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation.
"The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living.
"The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad.
"The right of every family to a decent home.
"The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.
"The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment.
"The right to a good education."
I mentioned this a few days ago to an acquaintance who is 30 years old. She said, "Wow, I can't believe a president would say that."
Roosevelt's vision gave conservatives in both parties apoplexy in 1944 and it would still drive them crazy today. But the truth is that during the 1950's and 60's the nation made substantial progress toward his wonderfully admirable goals, before the momentum of liberal politics slowed with the war in Vietnam and the election in 1968 of Richard Nixon. [thanks, Sharon]
A Coup at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?
BOB GARFIELD: ...If you keep track of where your tax dollars go, you may know that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, by act of Congress, is charged with doling out various federal monies to non-commercial broadcasters, including PBS and the distributor of this program, NPR. Just how much does the CPB kick in every year? Nearly 400 million dollars in 2005 - the third largest source of funds after private businesses and listeners like you. But, like any government go-between, especially one whose board is appointed by the president, the Corporation is vulnerable to accusations of political bias and persuasion - accusations that have surfaced recently over staff shakeups. Long depicted as a tool of the liberal elite, the CPB is now - if you believe Jeff Chester - in the midst of a conservative coup. Chester is executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy in Washington. Jeff, welcome back to OTM.
JEFF CHESTER: Thank you, Bob.
BOB GARFIELD: The 1992 bill that re-authorized the CPB contained a clause mandating balance and objectivity on public broadcasting. Now, you say that that language is being used by the current CPB board, in effect to neuter content. How?
JEFF CHESTER: Up until now, this issue of objectivity, of balance, has been interpreted that overall in a programming schedule throughout the year, there'll be different points of view. But the CPB board, led by former Voice of America chief and Reader's Digest executive Ken Tomlinson is really insisting, now, that almost every program on PBS have that kind of balance - in other words, undermine the ability of PBS to have very strong public affairs programming, investigative programming and independent programming. [more]
JEFF CHESTER: Thank you, Bob.
BOB GARFIELD: The 1992 bill that re-authorized the CPB contained a clause mandating balance and objectivity on public broadcasting. Now, you say that that language is being used by the current CPB board, in effect to neuter content. How?
JEFF CHESTER: Up until now, this issue of objectivity, of balance, has been interpreted that overall in a programming schedule throughout the year, there'll be different points of view. But the CPB board, led by former Voice of America chief and Reader's Digest executive Ken Tomlinson is really insisting, now, that almost every program on PBS have that kind of balance - in other words, undermine the ability of PBS to have very strong public affairs programming, investigative programming and independent programming. [more]
USDA Releases New Food Pyramid(s)
Instead of one cogent nutritional guideline for all Americans, the USDA has released a dozen because "one size doesn't fit all." Dietitians have advocated revision for a while now but change has been slow. According to author Marion Nestle, the nutritional guidelines have become highly politized by industry lobbyists: "My first day on the job, I was given the rules: No matter what the research indicated, the report could not recommend 'eat less meat' as a way to reduce intake of saturated fat." Newspeak for sweets appears to be discretionary calories; are we doing any better? [from MetaFilter.com]
Early Universe was a liquid
The Universe consisted of a perfect liquid in its first moments, according to results from an atom-smashing experiment.
Scientists at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York, have spent five years searching for the quark-gluon plasma that is thought to have filled our Universe in the first microseconds of its existence. Most of them are now convinced they have found it. But, strangely, it seems to be a liquid rather than the expected hot gas.
Quarks are the building blocks of protons and neutrons, and gluons carry the strong force that binds them together. It is thought that these particles took some moments to condense into ordinary matter after the intense heat of the Big Bang.
Scientists at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York, have spent five years searching for the quark-gluon plasma that is thought to have filled our Universe in the first microseconds of its existence. Most of them are now convinced they have found it. But, strangely, it seems to be a liquid rather than the expected hot gas.
Quarks are the building blocks of protons and neutrons, and gluons carry the strong force that binds them together. It is thought that these particles took some moments to condense into ordinary matter after the intense heat of the Big Bang.
Hunger strike ends, sit-in continues
The Student Worker Alliance (SWA) concluded their hunger strike Saturday night after meeting with Chancellor Wrighton and setting up a series of meetings about their proposed "Code of Conduct."
According to the SWA, they ended their hunger strike after receiving verbal agreements from Wrighton on many of the points in their "Code of Conduct." SWA also claimed that Wrighton made a verbal agreement dedicating increased financial resources to workers' rights and benefits.
The University says that their relationship with SWA has not changed. An e-mail sent to the University community Sunday stated that "Washington University reports no change in status regarding the student sit in since Thursday, when the University put forward its plan for supporting lower paid contract workers."
According to the SWA, they ended their hunger strike after receiving verbal agreements from Wrighton on many of the points in their "Code of Conduct." SWA also claimed that Wrighton made a verbal agreement dedicating increased financial resources to workers' rights and benefits.
The University says that their relationship with SWA has not changed. An e-mail sent to the University community Sunday stated that "Washington University reports no change in status regarding the student sit in since Thursday, when the University put forward its plan for supporting lower paid contract workers."
Columbia, Yale grad students strike for right to unionize
"We at Columbia and Yale felt very strongly that we wanted to send a message to our respective university presidents, and to President Bush, that graduate teachers still demand the right to unionize on their campuses," said Rachel Sulkes, a spokesperson for the Graduate Employees and Students Organization at Yale.
The strikes come after a National Labor Relations Board ruling in July, in a case brought by the Brown University administration, that Brown graduate students are not University employees and do not have the right to unionize.
GESO at Yale and Graduate Student Employees United at Columbia have urged all graduate students who work as teaching or research assistants not to work this week, and all other graduate students not to attend class in support.
The strikes come after a National Labor Relations Board ruling in July, in a case brought by the Brown University administration, that Brown graduate students are not University employees and do not have the right to unionize.
GESO at Yale and Graduate Student Employees United at Columbia have urged all graduate students who work as teaching or research assistants not to work this week, and all other graduate students not to attend class in support.
'Food Pyramid' Replaced by 12 Different Ones
The government on Tuesday discarded its one-size-fits-all food pyramid in favor of 12 different triangle-shaped guides, each geared to people's differing lifestyles and nutritional needs.
Inside the familiar pyramid shape, rainbow-colored bands representing different food groups run vertically from the tip to the base. The old pyramid's sections ran horizontally.
• Click here to learn more about the new food pyramid.
Inside the familiar pyramid shape, rainbow-colored bands representing different food groups run vertically from the tip to the base. The old pyramid's sections ran horizontally.
• Click here to learn more about the new food pyramid.
White House drug agency giving away anti-drug ringtones
Freevibe is an anti-drug website produced by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, producing teen-hip don't-smoke-pot messages. They offer free hip-hop ringtones to make you think about not doing drugs every time your phone rings.
You want the Funk? We've got the Funk! This ringtone will get you in the groove and remind you where to go to get the facts on drugs. And remember, you have the power to stop your friends from using drugs or alcohol. That's right--your cell phone is a powerful way to help start a conversation with a friend who might be using drugs.Link (via CoolGov)
Tom DeLay Lies to Constituents and Refers to Himself in the Third Person in Long Rebuttal to Ethics Charges
Tom DeLay Has Never Been Found in Violation of Any Law by Anyone
- Tom DeLay does not stand accused of any violation of any law or rule in any forum and has never been found to have violated any law or rule by anyone.
- The Ethics Committee disposed of all matters but one (deferred at DeLay’s request) without sanction.
- Partisan DA Ronnie Earle has never even contacted Tom DeLay to appear as a witness.
- Tom DeLay does not stand accused of any violation of any law or rule in any forum and has never been found to have violated any law or rule by anyone.
- The Ethics Committee disposed of all matters but one (deferred at DeLay’s request) without sanction.
- Partisan DA Ronnie Earle has never even contacted Tom DeLay to appear as a witness.
Boston: Anthrax scare in Porter
A United States postal worker was stripped of his uniform and carted off to the hospital Tuesday after a white powder leaked from an envelope onto his hands.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the worker was sorting mail in his truck on Eustis Street, near Porter Square, when the powder fell from a Ft. Worth, Texas-postmarked envelope.
Postal officials contacted the Cambridge Fire and Police departments, who responded to the worker on the street, washed his hands, outfitted him in a Tyvec suit and transported him to Massachusetts General Hospital for decontamination, said spokesman Robert Cannon.
The letter, which Cannon said contained "pornographic wording," was taken to a Department of Public Health lab in Jamaica Plain. As of the Chronicle's deadline Wednesday, the powder's test results weren't available, but Cannon said he doesn't believe it's anything harmful. The worker's mail truck was also towed to a lot where it will be quarantined until the test results are in.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the worker was sorting mail in his truck on Eustis Street, near Porter Square, when the powder fell from a Ft. Worth, Texas-postmarked envelope.
Postal officials contacted the Cambridge Fire and Police departments, who responded to the worker on the street, washed his hands, outfitted him in a Tyvec suit and transported him to Massachusetts General Hospital for decontamination, said spokesman Robert Cannon.
The letter, which Cannon said contained "pornographic wording," was taken to a Department of Public Health lab in Jamaica Plain. As of the Chronicle's deadline Wednesday, the powder's test results weren't available, but Cannon said he doesn't believe it's anything harmful. The worker's mail truck was also towed to a lot where it will be quarantined until the test results are in.
Canada: Anthrax scare keeps Surrey tax workers locked in office
"They are testing for six different things, anthrax being one," said Surrey RCMP Sgt. Paul Bissonnette. "We don't know what substance we are dealing with here. There were workers in close proximity to it and other workers who were in the same room. We've got 78 people that may have been exposed."
It's the second time in a month that a white-powder-filled envelope has been sent to a Lower Mainland tax office.
Yesterday afternoon, Bissonnette said an envelope containing a mysterious white powder was opened by staff at Surrey's Canada Customs and Revenue Agency office.
It's the second time in a month that a white-powder-filled envelope has been sent to a Lower Mainland tax office.
Yesterday afternoon, Bissonnette said an envelope containing a mysterious white powder was opened by staff at Surrey's Canada Customs and Revenue Agency office.
Iran closes al-Jazeera offices
The Iranian authorities have shut down the Tehran offices of al-Jazeera, accusing the broadcaster of inflaming ethnic riots in the south of the country.
Al-Jazeera said today it had appealed to the government to reverse its decision.
"Al-Jazeera assures its audience that it will continue to cover Iranian affairs objectively, comprehensively and in a balanced way, and calls on the relevant Iranian authorities to reconsider the decision to suspend its bureau's activities," the broadcaster said.
Al-Jazeera said today it had appealed to the government to reverse its decision.
"Al-Jazeera assures its audience that it will continue to cover Iranian affairs objectively, comprehensively and in a balanced way, and calls on the relevant Iranian authorities to reconsider the decision to suspend its bureau's activities," the broadcaster said.
Pentagon: Guantanamo Inmates Yield 'Valuable' Data
Interrogations of inmates at Guantanamo Bay have yielded "valuable insights" into the al Qaeda network, including its quest for powerful weapons, a Pentagon document stated, but rights activists on Monday called the document self-serving and untrustworthy.
The Pentagon released an unclassified summary of more than 4,000 interrogation reports from the prison for foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Detainees have given information to interrogators on people involved in al Qaeda's pursuit of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, it stated, but provided scant detail.
The Pentagon released an unclassified summary of more than 4,000 interrogation reports from the prison for foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Detainees have given information to interrogators on people involved in al Qaeda's pursuit of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, it stated, but provided scant detail.
Terrorism reports 'had errors'
The United States state department said on Monday it will stop publishing annual statistics on terrorism activities after discrepancies were found last year in figures for the number of attacks and casualties.
Department spokesperson Richard Boucher said "the government has decided that the National Counterterrorism Centre should compile and publish the statistical data on terrorism that has previously been included by the state department in our report."
But he dismissed news reports that the department would do away with its annual Patterns of Global Terrorism report, which is mandated by law.
Department spokesperson Richard Boucher said "the government has decided that the National Counterterrorism Centre should compile and publish the statistical data on terrorism that has previously been included by the state department in our report."
But he dismissed news reports that the department would do away with its annual Patterns of Global Terrorism report, which is mandated by law.
Terry Jones: Let them Eat Bombs
A report to the UN human rights commission in Geneva has concluded that Iraqi children were actually better off under Saddam Hussein than they are now.
This, of course, comes as a bitter blow for all those of us who, like George Bush and Tony Blair, honestly believe that children thrive best when we drop bombs on them from a great height, destroy their cities and blow up hospitals, schools and power stations.
It now appears that, far from improving the quality of life for Iraqi youngsters, the US-led military assault on Iraq has inexplicably doubled the number of children under five suffering from malnutrition. Under Saddam, about 4% of children under five were going hungry, whereas by the end of last year almost 8% were suffering.
These results are even more disheartening for those of us in the Department of Making Things Better for Children in the Middle East By Military Force, since the previous attempts by Britain and America to improve the lot of Iraqi children also proved disappointing. For example, the policy of applying the most draconian sanctions in living memory totally failed to improve conditions. After they were imposed in 1990, the number of children under five who died increased by a factor of six. By 1995 something like half a million Iraqi children were dead as a result of our efforts to help them.
A year later, Madeleine Albright, then the US ambassador to the United Nations, tried to put a brave face on it. When a TV interviewer remarked that more children had died in Iraq through sanctions than were killed in Hiroshima, Mrs Albright famously replied: "We think the price is worth it."
But clearly George Bush didn't. So he hit on the idea of bombing them instead. And not just bombing, but capturing and torturing their fathers, humiliating their mothers, shooting at them from road blocks - but none of it seems to do any good. Iraqi children simply refuse to be better nourished, healthier and less inclined to die. It is truly baffling.
This, of course, comes as a bitter blow for all those of us who, like George Bush and Tony Blair, honestly believe that children thrive best when we drop bombs on them from a great height, destroy their cities and blow up hospitals, schools and power stations.
It now appears that, far from improving the quality of life for Iraqi youngsters, the US-led military assault on Iraq has inexplicably doubled the number of children under five suffering from malnutrition. Under Saddam, about 4% of children under five were going hungry, whereas by the end of last year almost 8% were suffering.
These results are even more disheartening for those of us in the Department of Making Things Better for Children in the Middle East By Military Force, since the previous attempts by Britain and America to improve the lot of Iraqi children also proved disappointing. For example, the policy of applying the most draconian sanctions in living memory totally failed to improve conditions. After they were imposed in 1990, the number of children under five who died increased by a factor of six. By 1995 something like half a million Iraqi children were dead as a result of our efforts to help them.
A year later, Madeleine Albright, then the US ambassador to the United Nations, tried to put a brave face on it. When a TV interviewer remarked that more children had died in Iraq through sanctions than were killed in Hiroshima, Mrs Albright famously replied: "We think the price is worth it."
But clearly George Bush didn't. So he hit on the idea of bombing them instead. And not just bombing, but capturing and torturing their fathers, humiliating their mothers, shooting at them from road blocks - but none of it seems to do any good. Iraqi children simply refuse to be better nourished, healthier and less inclined to die. It is truly baffling.
High School To Pay Student Informants For Tips On Campus Crime
Using revenue from its candy and soda sales, Model High School plans to pay up to $100 for information about thefts and drug or gun possession on campus.
"It's not that we feel there are any problems here," said Principal Glenn White. "It's a proactive move for getting information that will help deter any sort of illegal activity."
Under the new policy, a student would receive $10 for information about a theft on campus, $25 or $50 for information about drug possession, and $100 for information about gun possession or other serious felonies.
"It's not that we feel there are any problems here," said Principal Glenn White. "It's a proactive move for getting information that will help deter any sort of illegal activity."
Under the new policy, a student would receive $10 for information about a theft on campus, $25 or $50 for information about drug possession, and $100 for information about gun possession or other serious felonies.
Casino Pays $650,000 for Right To Name New Species Of Monkey
The Internet casino paid $650,000 for the right to name the foot-high primate, online auction house CharityFolks.com announced Wednesday. GoldenPalace.com won a March 3 online auction that raised money to help manage Madidi National Park in Bolivia, where the species of titi monkey was discovered by a Wildlife Conservation Society scientist last year. A statement from GoldenPalace.com CEO Richard Rowe suggested the company was looking for a publicity-generating investment more enduring than an item it paid $28,000 for in another online auction last year: a 10-year-old, partly eaten cheese sandwich thought to contain the image of the Virgin Mary.
Florida agency rejected Schiavo abuse claims
The Florida agency charged with protecting families and children concluded that the husband of Terri Schiavo was not abusive, as her parents bitterly contended, according to documents released Friday.
Mary and Bob Schindler alleged to the Department of Children and Families that Michael Schiavo, who also was his wife's legal guardian, tried to starve her, beat her, inappropriately medicate her, and wanted her dead to gain financially.
"No information or evidence was found to support the allegations," the agency reported following several extensive investigations. It noted that its conclusions were supported by years of legal and medical documentation.
Mary and Bob Schindler alleged to the Department of Children and Families that Michael Schiavo, who also was his wife's legal guardian, tried to starve her, beat her, inappropriately medicate her, and wanted her dead to gain financially.
"No information or evidence was found to support the allegations," the agency reported following several extensive investigations. It noted that its conclusions were supported by years of legal and medical documentation.
Ohio Agents Legally Use Innocent Woman's Identity in Strip-Bar Sting
Supporters of Ohio's identity theft law are livid that state liquor control agents gave a college student the driver's license and Social Security number of another woman so she could pose as a stripper for a sting.
Investigators and Miami County Prosecutor Gary Nasal came up with nothing more than misdemeanor charges in the 2003 vice operation targeting the Total Xposure strip bar near Troy in western Ohio.
Nasal said the ploy was legal because a change in Ohio's law the previous year aimed at curbing identity theft. The law allows police to use a person's identity within the context of an investigation, he said.
And the tactics were justified because authorities managed to close the club, Nasal said.
''I don't apologize for the investigation and the conduct,'' he told The Columbus Dispatch for a story Sunday. ''The result speaks for itself.''
That doesn't sit well with a number of people, including the Republican state representative who sponsored the legislation and David Dawson, the father of the woman whose identity was used.
''I don't know much about law, but I would say that's just baloney,'' said Dawson, who lives part time in Columbus.
Investigators and Miami County Prosecutor Gary Nasal came up with nothing more than misdemeanor charges in the 2003 vice operation targeting the Total Xposure strip bar near Troy in western Ohio.
Nasal said the ploy was legal because a change in Ohio's law the previous year aimed at curbing identity theft. The law allows police to use a person's identity within the context of an investigation, he said.
And the tactics were justified because authorities managed to close the club, Nasal said.
''I don't apologize for the investigation and the conduct,'' he told The Columbus Dispatch for a story Sunday. ''The result speaks for itself.''
That doesn't sit well with a number of people, including the Republican state representative who sponsored the legislation and David Dawson, the father of the woman whose identity was used.
''I don't know much about law, but I would say that's just baloney,'' said Dawson, who lives part time in Columbus.
What’s in a Name? That’s Classified, Even 40 Years Later
Conrad began to recall his high school days in the mid-1960s at Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya. In the course of that recollection, the senator said: “Five blocks away lived a relative of mine who happened to be the CIA station chief, Harden Smith.”
It was a throwaway line, but in fact, it was classified because CIA station chiefs are covert operatives. After the hearing, the Budget Committee got a call from the Pentagon requesting that the panel delete the line from its official transcript, which it did. On the committee’s Web site, most hearings are available on Real Video, but clicking on the link to watch the March 1 hearing brings up “file not found.”
Conrad was not the only one who was asked to delete the information. Congressional Quarterly, which posts transcripts of hearings on CQ.com, likewise was asked to remove this one. The request to CQ, like that to the Budget Committee, came not from the CIA but from the Pentagon’s Office of Legislative Affairs. It did not come until a month after the hearing, without explanation of the putative security risk. CQ declined.
There’s nothing wrong with the government asking news organizations to delete information that it deems to be classified, as long as there’s no explicit or implied threat of retaliation against the news outlet, said Steven Aftergood, an expert on government secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists. But in this case, he said, there does not appear to be a security imperative that justifies a deletion.
It was a throwaway line, but in fact, it was classified because CIA station chiefs are covert operatives. After the hearing, the Budget Committee got a call from the Pentagon requesting that the panel delete the line from its official transcript, which it did. On the committee’s Web site, most hearings are available on Real Video, but clicking on the link to watch the March 1 hearing brings up “file not found.”
Conrad was not the only one who was asked to delete the information. Congressional Quarterly, which posts transcripts of hearings on CQ.com, likewise was asked to remove this one. The request to CQ, like that to the Budget Committee, came not from the CIA but from the Pentagon’s Office of Legislative Affairs. It did not come until a month after the hearing, without explanation of the putative security risk. CQ declined.
There’s nothing wrong with the government asking news organizations to delete information that it deems to be classified, as long as there’s no explicit or implied threat of retaliation against the news outlet, said Steven Aftergood, an expert on government secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists. But in this case, he said, there does not appear to be a security imperative that justifies a deletion.
Lecture on 9/11 by Christian Theologian David Ray Griffin
I attended a lecture tonight at the UW-Madison campus by Christian theologian David Ray Griffin. This is the author of "The New Pearl Harbor – Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11". His most recent book is "The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions". The title speaks for itself
The lecture this evening was reported to be the first of its kind - the first time a formal lecture has challenged the official 9/11 story. In addition, it was being recorded for broadcast on C-SPAN! The lecture was entitled "9/11 and the American Empire: How Should Religious People Respond?" He started off with some definitions of "religious people" (apparently Christianity isn't the only religion), and "American Empire" - the conservatives would have you believe America is the world's first "benign" empire, but I think the point is pretty debatable. Then he gets into the heart of the lecture with a discussion of 9/11. He categorizes people into 4 groups:
1. People who believe the official story that the 9/11 attacks were a surprise attack orchestrated by 19 Islamic Al-Qaeda terrorists.
2. People who believe 9/11 was used opportunistically by the Bush administration to advance an agenda
3. People who believe that the Bush administration had foreknowledge of the attacks but did not stop nor prevent them. No national polls have been taken, but one Zogby poll in New York City showed 50% of the people thought Bush knew.
4. People who believe the Bush administration orchestrated the 9/11 attacks
The lecture this evening was reported to be the first of its kind - the first time a formal lecture has challenged the official 9/11 story. In addition, it was being recorded for broadcast on C-SPAN! The lecture was entitled "9/11 and the American Empire: How Should Religious People Respond?" He started off with some definitions of "religious people" (apparently Christianity isn't the only religion), and "American Empire" - the conservatives would have you believe America is the world's first "benign" empire, but I think the point is pretty debatable. Then he gets into the heart of the lecture with a discussion of 9/11. He categorizes people into 4 groups:
1. People who believe the official story that the 9/11 attacks were a surprise attack orchestrated by 19 Islamic Al-Qaeda terrorists.
2. People who believe 9/11 was used opportunistically by the Bush administration to advance an agenda
3. People who believe that the Bush administration had foreknowledge of the attacks but did not stop nor prevent them. No national polls have been taken, but one Zogby poll in New York City showed 50% of the people thought Bush knew.
4. People who believe the Bush administration orchestrated the 9/11 attacks
Bill for Mandatory Sentences - 5 Years for Passing a Joint, 2 Years for not Snitching
Republican Congressman James Sensenbrenner has launched his next assault on freedom. The full House Judiciary Committee is set to vote as early as next week on H.R. 1528, which creates a new group of mandatory miniumum penalties for non-violent drug offenses, including a five year penalty for passing a joint to someone who's been in drug treatment.
That's right: Passing a joint to someone who used to be in drug treatment will land you in federal prison for a minimum of five years.
The "Defending America's Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2005" (H.R. 1528) was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) on April 6, and it has already passed out of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
From the bill:
- `SEC. 425. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person who witnesses or learns of a violation of sections 416(b)(2), 417, 418, 419, 420, 424, or 426 to fail to report the offense to law enforcement officials within 24 hours of witnessing or learning of the violation and thereafter provide full assistance in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the person violating paragraph (a).
- `(b) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this section shall be sentenced to not less than two years or more than 10 years. If the person who witnesses or learns of the violation is the parent or guardian, or otherwise responsible for the care or supervision of the person under the age of 18 or the incompetent person, such person shall be sentenced to not less than three years or more than 20 years.'.
Bread is Dangerous!
Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Horrifying, personal John Bolton story
Excerpt: Mr. Bolton proceeded to chase me through the halls of a Russian hotel -- throwing things at me, shoving threatening letters under my door and, generally, behaving like a madman. For nearly two weeks, while I awaited fresh direction from my company and from US AID, John Bolton hounded me in such an appalling way that I eventually retreated to my hotel room and stayed there. Mr. Bolton, of course, then routinely visited me there to pound on the door and shout threats.
When US AID asked me to return to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in advance of assuming leadership of a project in Kazakstan, I returned to my project to find that John Bolton had proceeded me by two days. Why? To meet with every other AID team leader as well as US foreign-service officials in Bishkek, claiming that I was under investigation for misuse of funds and likely was facing jail time. As US AID can confirm, nothing was further from the truth.
He indicated to key employees of or contractors to State that, based on his discussions with investigatory officials, I was headed for federal prison and, if they refused to cooperate with either him or the prime contractor's replacement team leader, they, too, would find themselves the subjects of federal investigation. As a further aside, he made unconscionable comments about my weight, my wardrobe and, with a couple of team leaders, my sexuality, hinting that I was a lesbian (for the record, I'm not).
When I resurfaced in Kyrgyzstan, I learned that he had done such a convincing job of smearing me that it took me weeks -- with the direct intervention of US AID officials -- to limit the damage. In fact, it was only US AID's appoinment of me as a project leader in Almaty, Kazakstan that largely put paid to the rumors Mr. Bolton maliciously circulated.
As a maligned whistleblower, I've learned firsthand the lengths Mr. Bolton will go to accomplish any goal he sets for himself. Truth flew out the window. Decency flew out the window. In his bid to smear me and promote the interests of his client, he went straight for the low road and stayed there.
When US AID asked me to return to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in advance of assuming leadership of a project in Kazakstan, I returned to my project to find that John Bolton had proceeded me by two days. Why? To meet with every other AID team leader as well as US foreign-service officials in Bishkek, claiming that I was under investigation for misuse of funds and likely was facing jail time. As US AID can confirm, nothing was further from the truth.
He indicated to key employees of or contractors to State that, based on his discussions with investigatory officials, I was headed for federal prison and, if they refused to cooperate with either him or the prime contractor's replacement team leader, they, too, would find themselves the subjects of federal investigation. As a further aside, he made unconscionable comments about my weight, my wardrobe and, with a couple of team leaders, my sexuality, hinting that I was a lesbian (for the record, I'm not).
When I resurfaced in Kyrgyzstan, I learned that he had done such a convincing job of smearing me that it took me weeks -- with the direct intervention of US AID officials -- to limit the damage. In fact, it was only US AID's appoinment of me as a project leader in Almaty, Kazakstan that largely put paid to the rumors Mr. Bolton maliciously circulated.
As a maligned whistleblower, I've learned firsthand the lengths Mr. Bolton will go to accomplish any goal he sets for himself. Truth flew out the window. Decency flew out the window. In his bid to smear me and promote the interests of his client, he went straight for the low road and stayed there.
Brian Eno and Danny Hillis in LA, Monday, April 25, 8:00 p.m.
Listen in on a conversation between two of the most innovative thinkers of our times. Legendary musician, producer, and visual artist Brian Eno sits down with scientist and technical wizard Danny Hillis to discuss their inventive careers and explore the theme of creativity. Both Eno and Hillis are board members of the Long Now Foundation, an organization that aims to promote "slower/better" thinking.
An Interview with Futurist-Inventor Ray Kurzweil
Kurzweil believes in the Singularity. In his 1990 manifesto, "The Age of Intelligent Machines," Kurzweil persuasively argued that we were on the brink of meaningful machine intelligence. A decade later, he continued the argument in a book called The Age of Spiritual Machines, whose most audacious claim is that the world’s computational capacity has been slowly doubling since the crust first cooled (and before!), and that the doubling interval has been growing shorter and shorter with each passing year, so that now we see it reflected in the computer industry’s Moore’s Law, which predicts that microprocessors will get twice as powerful for half the cost about every eighteen months. The breathtaking sweep of this trend has an obvious conclusion: computers more powerful than people; more powerful than we can comprehend.
Now Kurzweil has published two more books, The Singularity Is Near, When Humans Transcend Biology (Viking, Spring 2005) and Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever (with Terry Grossman, Rodale, November 2004). The former is a technological roadmap for creating the conditions necessary for ascent into Singularity; the latter is a book about life-prolonging technologies that will assist baby-boomers in living long enough to see the day when technological immortality is achieved.
R. Crumb at the New York Public Library
The discussion was Mr. Crumb's only public speaking appearance in the United States to promote his new book, "The R. Crumb Handbook," a memoir in collaboration with his friend, Peter Poplaski, published this month. While Mr. Crumb, who now lives in southern France, has often shunned popular culture (he famously turned down offers to be the host of "Saturday Night Live" and to design an album cover for the Rolling Stones, saying he hated that band), he has ventured much further into public in recent years, partly because of the urging of his wife, the cartoonist Aline Kominsky-Crumb.
Mr. Crumb, who has said he loathes the fashion world, recently helped the designer Stella McCartney make a limited-edition T-shirt with his comics on the front that sells for more than $150. He has appeared at lavish parties for the T-shirt in London and New York. He now has a Web site, www.crumbproducts.com, where fans can buy a Mr. Natural table lamp for $825. And to promote the new book, its publisher, MQ Publications of London, is conducting an R. Crumb look-alike contest in the United States. (The winner gets a "date" with Ms. Kominsky-Crumb.)
Today's Propaganda Posters
Loose lips sink ships!!!1 (There be images, some quite big here) I suspect a lot of MeFi shares my obsession with propaganda (and propaganda-style) posters, both domestic and foreign, as well as the photoshops that the Something Awful or Fark crowds generate. CoolGov has a link today to the Office of the National National Counterintelligence Executive and their Anti-Espionage poster collection. Some are great, some are almost pure propaganda, and some show how obsessed with secrecy our government has become. That lead me to Google to look for posters on the *.gov and *.mil domains. Check out the posters for "Venemous Snakes of Afghanistan and Pakistan", or what the well dressed airmen is wearing (*note the "Essentials"), posters from the NOAA telling you that "lightning kills", the Code of Ethics for Government Officers and Employees, and this one telling GI's why smoking could kill them. [from MetaFilter.com]
Washington Post: The Costs of Secrecy
The assumption underlying this remark is that secrecy and security go hand in hand and that openness in government carries risks. This is certainly often true; yet what's less recognized is that secrecy can be harmful, not only to democratic values but to national security as well, because it can impede the flow of information to those who need it. Recently the National Academy of Sciences, as part of a report on the security of spent fuel at nuclear plants, provided an example, noting that "security restrictions on sharing of information and analyses are hindering progress in addressing potential vulnerabilities."
Newly Released Documents Show Flimsiness of Iraq / al Qaeda Link
On October 7, 2002, President Bush asserted that "Iraq has trained al Qaeda members in bomb-making and poisons and deadly gases."
However, according to the newly declassified excerpts of classified documents:
- A June 21, 2002 CIA report, "Iraq and al-Qa'ida: Interpreting a Murky Relationship," states that, relative to a report that Iraq provided chemical and biological weapons assistance to al Qaeda, "the level and extent of this is assistance is not clear." The document notes the "many critical gaps" in the knowledge of Iraqi links to al Qaeda because of "limited reporting" and the "questionable reliability of many of our sources."
- The October 2, 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq's Continuing WMD Programs states: "As with much of the information on the overall [Iraq-al Qaeda] relationship, details on training and support are second-hand or from sources of varying reliability." It also notes that that the Intelligence Community "cannot determine...how many of the reported plans for CBW [Chemical and Biological Warfare] were actually realized."
- A January 29, 2003 CIA report, "Iraqi Support for Terrorism," discusses the lack of "evidence of completed training," and says most of the reports of training "do not make clear whether training" was "actually implemented." It indicates that some number of the reports appeared to be based on "hearsay," and that others were "simple declarative accusations of Iraqi-al Qa'ida complicity with no substantiating detail or other information that might help us corroborate them."
WMD panel threatened resignations
Members of the presidential commission that examined U.S. intelligence failures told White House officials they would resign en masse if President Bush did not ensure that the nation's spy agencies cooperated with their inquiry -- and had to repeat the threat more than once.
Laurence Silberman, the federal judge who was co-chairman of the inquiry said he told officials, "If we did not get support from the White House at any time we ran into any difficulties, I and others would resign."
"I did occasionally have to remind the White House of the commitment I had made to resign," Silberman continued, saying he had done so to "focus their attention."
Laurence Silberman, the federal judge who was co-chairman of the inquiry said he told officials, "If we did not get support from the White House at any time we ran into any difficulties, I and others would resign."
"I did occasionally have to remind the White House of the commitment I had made to resign," Silberman continued, saying he had done so to "focus their attention."
President Bush Talks to Newspaper Editors on Transparency
Q: Mr. President, Tim Franklin from the Baltimore Sun. I know you'd be disappointed if you didn't get an FOI question
THE PRESIDENT: I thought you were going to ask about the, like the Oriole-National thing, you know. (Laughter.) The broadcast agreement or -- (laughter.)
Q: In processing FOI requests, should government officials presume that information should be given to citizens? Or should the burden fall on citizens to convince government to give them access to information?
THE PRESIDENT: That's an interesting way to put the question. Look, the presumption ought to be that citizens ought to know as much as possible about the government decision-making. Rich and I talked about this backstage a little bit, of course. He's constantly lobbying me. (Laughter.)
I know there is a tension now between making the decision of that which is -- that which can be exposed without jeopardizing the war on terror -- and I understand there's a suspicion that we -- we're too security-conscience [sic]. Let me refer you to the WMD report that -- the Silberman-Robb Commission -- as an example, however, of how I hope that we're becoming balanced between that which the public ought to know and that which, if we were to expose, would jeopardize our capacity to do our job, which is to defend America.
...And to answer your question, I believe in open government. I've always believed in open government. Rich is right. You know, I don't email, however. And there's a reason. I don't want you reading my personal stuff. There has got to be a certain sense of privacy. You know, you're entitled to how I make decisions. And you're entitled to ask questions, which I answer. I don't think you're entitled to be able to read my mail between my daughters and me.
Members of Congress Address Group on Terrorism List
Several members of Congress addressed a gathering today of hundreds of Iranian exiles who the government considers terrorists.
Reps. Bob Filner, D-Calif., Tom Tancredo, R-Col., Ted Poe, R-Texas, Dennis Moore, R-Kan., and staffers for Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, and James Talent, R-Mo., spoke to MEK supporters at a convention hall just four blocks from the White House.
The MEK has been listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department since 1997, but some in Congress and close to the Administration want the group to be removed from the terrorist list. Even President Bush has called the MEK a "dissident group."
In addition to incursions into Iran and targeted killings of Iranian officials and security agents, MEK attacks have often killed civilians there. The MEK has been accused of attacking coalition troops in Iraq, carried out attacks on the Iranian consulate to the UN and 12 other Iranian embassies in 1992, assisted Saddam Hussein in his suppression of Shiite and Kurdish insurgencies in the early 1990s, and killed U.S. military and civilian personnel working in Iran in the 1970s out of anger for American support of the shah. Members of the MEK also supported the 1979 takeover and hostage taking at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Here is more on the group.
Reps. Bob Filner, D-Calif., Tom Tancredo, R-Col., Ted Poe, R-Texas, Dennis Moore, R-Kan., and staffers for Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, and James Talent, R-Mo., spoke to MEK supporters at a convention hall just four blocks from the White House.
The MEK has been listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department since 1997, but some in Congress and close to the Administration want the group to be removed from the terrorist list. Even President Bush has called the MEK a "dissident group."
In addition to incursions into Iran and targeted killings of Iranian officials and security agents, MEK attacks have often killed civilians there. The MEK has been accused of attacking coalition troops in Iraq, carried out attacks on the Iranian consulate to the UN and 12 other Iranian embassies in 1992, assisted Saddam Hussein in his suppression of Shiite and Kurdish insurgencies in the early 1990s, and killed U.S. military and civilian personnel working in Iran in the 1970s out of anger for American support of the shah. Members of the MEK also supported the 1979 takeover and hostage taking at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Here is more on the group.
Search giants court TiVo
TiVo is in talks with Internet search giants Google and Yahoo over a possible deal aimed at bridging television and the Web, CNET News.com has learned.
The talks are still fluid and could result in a number of outcomes, two sources familiar with the negotiations said.
One scenario that's been discussed would see TiVo partner with Google or Yahoo on a new service that would let consumers search for videos on the Web and then watch them on their television sets, according to one person with knowledge of the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The talks are still fluid and could result in a number of outcomes, two sources familiar with the negotiations said.
One scenario that's been discussed would see TiVo partner with Google or Yahoo on a new service that would let consumers search for videos on the Web and then watch them on their television sets, according to one person with knowledge of the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Archivist vows records will be open and online
The man who successfully sued the FBI for historical files in a 1975 Freedom of Information Act case is now in a position to open historical records to the public.
Allen Weinstein is the ninth archivist of the United States. He will be leading the National Archives and Records Administration and the agency’s Electronic Records Archives project. The $500 million ERA is an ambitious federal effort to save the government’s records, regardless of their format, and make them available on whatever type of hardware and software people might be using in the future.
"It's our moon shot or our Manhattan Project," Weinstein said. "It's got that level of importance."
The soft-spoken former professor was sworn in last February. His new job is to preserve all official presidential and government documents going back to the nation’s founding.
The Pope's CIA File
CIA documents recently made public under the Freedom of Information Act provide an unusual, behind-the-scenes portrait of the importance of the Catholic Church and its new Polish pope, John Paul II, to Poland's rapidly unfolding Solidarity movement of the late 1970s and early '80s. John Paul was buried today in Rome, at the age of 84.
Headed by Lech Walesa, Solidarity was a nonviolent federation of labor groups, church people, and noncommunist leftists. For thhis fledgling resistance to Soviet bloc rule, the pope became a galvanizing figure. The CIA papers hint at the extent of the planning to force a confrontation with the Soviet Union, but in such a way as to avoid a direct invasion by Soviet forces.
Rising in what turned out to be the waning days of the Soviet Union, Solidarity presented a direct challenge to Moscow, and sent a message across the eastern bloc. These papers, posted by paperlessarchives.com, include ongoing reports and analyses of the situation as the movement spread. The files track the struggle of church leaders who traveled back and forth from Rome to the Polish churches to support Solidarity and at the same time made efforts to cooperate with the communist government in such a way as to prevent violence. Most of all, the CIA is shown as carefully watching for signs of a Soviet invasion of Poland and a crushing of the movement, along the lines of what had happened in Czechoslovakia in 1968.
Headed by Lech Walesa, Solidarity was a nonviolent federation of labor groups, church people, and noncommunist leftists. For thhis fledgling resistance to Soviet bloc rule, the pope became a galvanizing figure. The CIA papers hint at the extent of the planning to force a confrontation with the Soviet Union, but in such a way as to avoid a direct invasion by Soviet forces.
Rising in what turned out to be the waning days of the Soviet Union, Solidarity presented a direct challenge to Moscow, and sent a message across the eastern bloc. These papers, posted by paperlessarchives.com, include ongoing reports and analyses of the situation as the movement spread. The files track the struggle of church leaders who traveled back and forth from Rome to the Polish churches to support Solidarity and at the same time made efforts to cooperate with the communist government in such a way as to prevent violence. Most of all, the CIA is shown as carefully watching for signs of a Soviet invasion of Poland and a crushing of the movement, along the lines of what had happened in Czechoslovakia in 1968.
Halliburton Audit Data Suppressed by Bush Administration
Data showing that Halliburton had overcharged more than $200 million for its work on Iraqi oil contracts were withheld by the Bush Administration from international auditors responsible for overseeing the contracts, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) reported this week.
"Both the amount of Halliburton's overcharges and the extent of the information withheld from the auditors at the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) are much greater than previously known," the Waxman analysis stated. In an April 11 letter to Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Rep. Waxman cited several classification and information policy experts who agreed that "contractor overcharges are not proprietary information that can be withheld" from disclosure. See "DOD Audits: Halliburton Overcharges Top $212 Million," House Government Reform Committee Minority Office, April 11: http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=823
Former CIA Operative Would Call Gonzales, Tenet as Witnesses in Federal Trial
A former CIA operative accused of beating an Afghan prisoner who died in custody wants to subpoena the U.S. attorney general and the former head of the CIA to prove he acted under government authority, according to documents unsealed Tuesday.
...Passaro, 38, is charged with four counts of assault. He is accused of beating Abdul Wali with his hands, feet and a large flashlight while he was interrogated for two days at a U.S. base in Afghanistan in June 2003. Wali had turned himself in to U.S. forces, who sought him as a suspect in rocket attacks on the base. He later died in custody.
Passaro is the first civilian prosecuted on charges of mistreating a military detainee in the U.S. war on terrorism.
In the documents supplied to the media Tuesday, Passaro indicates he intends to use a "public authority" defense, arguing he acted under the authority of President Bush and the CIA - specifically then-Director George Tenet.
Tenet and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, formerly Bush's counsel, are among those Passaro wants to call as witnesses.
...Passaro, 38, is charged with four counts of assault. He is accused of beating Abdul Wali with his hands, feet and a large flashlight while he was interrogated for two days at a U.S. base in Afghanistan in June 2003. Wali had turned himself in to U.S. forces, who sought him as a suspect in rocket attacks on the base. He later died in custody.
Passaro is the first civilian prosecuted on charges of mistreating a military detainee in the U.S. war on terrorism.
In the documents supplied to the media Tuesday, Passaro indicates he intends to use a "public authority" defense, arguing he acted under the authority of President Bush and the CIA - specifically then-Director George Tenet.
Tenet and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, formerly Bush's counsel, are among those Passaro wants to call as witnesses.
Hidden federal detainee cases not rare, U.S. attorney says
The department is no longer demanding a $373,000 fee to research an FOI Act request from People for the American Way Foundation for records relating to government court sealings in the wake of Sept.11, 2001. Rather, the department flatly denied the request in March as "overly broad" and "unduly burdensome."
The foundation, which in a lawsuit accuses the government of improperly withholding documents that detail the secret post-Sept. 11 detentions of immigrants, recently asked the department to obtain from local U. S. attorneys and their assistants the number of "supersealed" cases that were entirely sealed from the public and to release the numbers according to geographic area.
But Marcia Berman, an attorney in the Justice Department's civil division, said during a March 17 hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., that "while we certainly acknowledge that the plaintiffs have narrowed their request here, and we appreciate that, by limiting it to cases sealed in their entirety, that's still not as rare as it seems on its face, "according to the hearing transcript.
Berman cited the "many material witnesses who were picked up and arrested" immediately following Sept. 11, 2001, as the reason for the number of supersealed cases.
The foundation, which in a lawsuit accuses the government of improperly withholding documents that detail the secret post-Sept. 11 detentions of immigrants, recently asked the department to obtain from local U. S. attorneys and their assistants the number of "supersealed" cases that were entirely sealed from the public and to release the numbers according to geographic area.
But Marcia Berman, an attorney in the Justice Department's civil division, said during a March 17 hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C., that "while we certainly acknowledge that the plaintiffs have narrowed their request here, and we appreciate that, by limiting it to cases sealed in their entirety, that's still not as rare as it seems on its face, "according to the hearing transcript.
Berman cited the "many material witnesses who were picked up and arrested" immediately following Sept. 11, 2001, as the reason for the number of supersealed cases.
Guantanamo Detainee Suing U.S. to Get Video of Alleged Torture
A detainee at a U.S. military prison alleges that U.S. military guards jumped on his head until he had a stroke that paralyzed his face, nearly drowned him in a toilet and later broke several of his fingers, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday in federal court.
The detainee, Mustafa Ait Idr, 34, an Algerian citizen living in Bosnia, has been held at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for three years on suspicion that he plotted to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia. The lawsuit, filed by his attorneys in federal court in Boston, alleges that the government has probably videotaped Idr's beatings and demands that it produce any such tapes and all records of alleged torture and interrogation tactics at the detention facility.
The lawyers asked for the material seven months ago under the Freedom of Information Act. The lawsuit asserts that the Defense and Justice departments are refusing to provide the material.
The detainee, Mustafa Ait Idr, 34, an Algerian citizen living in Bosnia, has been held at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for three years on suspicion that he plotted to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia. The lawsuit, filed by his attorneys in federal court in Boston, alleges that the government has probably videotaped Idr's beatings and demands that it produce any such tapes and all records of alleged torture and interrogation tactics at the detention facility.
The lawyers asked for the material seven months ago under the Freedom of Information Act. The lawsuit asserts that the Defense and Justice departments are refusing to provide the material.
Dept of Ed Goes Silent on FOIA Requests after Facing Criticism in Vouchers Report
Yesterday, People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF) filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education in federal court in the District of Columbia over the Department’s unlawful failure to disclose certain records concerning the new federally funded school voucher program in the District of Columbia. The law firm of Jenner & Block is co-counsel with PFAWF in this lawsuit.
PFAWF requested the records under two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Over the span of seven months the Department disclosed a number of records in response to the first FOIA request. However, after PFAWF published a report concerning the implementation of the DC voucher program that was critical of the Department -- a report based in part on the previously disclosed records -- the Department stopped responding to PFAWF’s outstanding second FOIA request, despite prior representations that additional responsive records had been collected and would be disclosed. Furthermore, the Department has not responded to any communications from PFAWF about its failure to comply with its FOIA obligations, leaving PFAWF with no choice but to file suit.
PFAWF requested the records under two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Over the span of seven months the Department disclosed a number of records in response to the first FOIA request. However, after PFAWF published a report concerning the implementation of the DC voucher program that was critical of the Department -- a report based in part on the previously disclosed records -- the Department stopped responding to PFAWF’s outstanding second FOIA request, despite prior representations that additional responsive records had been collected and would be disclosed. Furthermore, the Department has not responded to any communications from PFAWF about its failure to comply with its FOIA obligations, leaving PFAWF with no choice but to file suit.
IRS won't release records but denies withholding them
The Internal Revenue Service recently refused to provide two university researchers with records requested under the Freedom of Information Act while simultaneously asserting, “We are not denying the release” of the documents.
Meanwhile, the Education Department recently cut off all communication with an interest group about its FOIA request after the group published a critical report based on the first batch of documents released in response to that request.
Both requesters now have filed federal lawsuits in Washington to obtain the records they seek.
Meanwhile, the Education Department recently cut off all communication with an interest group about its FOIA request after the group published a critical report based on the first batch of documents released in response to that request.
Both requesters now have filed federal lawsuits in Washington to obtain the records they seek.
Inquiry Finds White House Knew of Pact With Writer
Officials at the Education Department expressed concerns about a contract with the conservative commentator Armstrong Williams last year, even bringing it to the attention of a White House policy adviser when it came up for renewal, according to an internal department report released on Friday.
The report, by the department's inspector general, found no evidence of unlawful or unethical behavior in connection with Mr. Williams's contract but criticized top department officials for "poor management decisions" and lax oversight.
"As a result," it said, "the department paid for work that most likely did not reach its intended audience and paid for deliverables that were never received."
The report did not address questions about whether hiring Mr. Williams to promote President Bush's signature education initiative amounted to covert propaganda.
Several measures to tighten accountability over contracts were suggested, and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings promised to put them in place.
The report, by the department's inspector general, found no evidence of unlawful or unethical behavior in connection with Mr. Williams's contract but criticized top department officials for "poor management decisions" and lax oversight.
"As a result," it said, "the department paid for work that most likely did not reach its intended audience and paid for deliverables that were never received."
The report did not address questions about whether hiring Mr. Williams to promote President Bush's signature education initiative amounted to covert propaganda.
Several measures to tighten accountability over contracts were suggested, and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings promised to put them in place.
Columbine Parents Seek More Documents
Parents of two former Columbine High School students asked officials to make public ballistics reports and other still-unreleased documents about the deadly 1999 shooting rampage.
Brian Rohrbough, whose son Daniel was killed in the attack, said he planned to sue if the county does not respond to his 22 open records requests made Thursday.
They are seeking police ballistics reports, including records of what shots officers fired in response to the attack; e-mails from then-Sheriff John Stone; and materials used to prepare search warrants following the shootings.
They also asked for sheriff's interviews with Columbine teachers and investigators' notes.
Brian Rohrbough, whose son Daniel was killed in the attack, said he planned to sue if the county does not respond to his 22 open records requests made Thursday.
They are seeking police ballistics reports, including records of what shots officers fired in response to the attack; e-mails from then-Sheriff John Stone; and materials used to prepare search warrants following the shootings.
They also asked for sheriff's interviews with Columbine teachers and investigators' notes.
FBI Waited to Check Out Tip on Nichols
he FBI initially dismissed a tip that convicted bomber Terry Nichols had hidden explosives and they might be used for an attack this month coinciding with the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.
While the FBI has found no evidence supporting the idea that an attack is in the works for the April 19 tenth anniversary, the information that explosives had been hidden in Nichols' former home in Herington, Kan., turned out to be true.
The tip came from imprisoned mobster Gregory Scarpa Jr., 53, a law enforcement official said this week. Scarpa is an inmate in the same maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colo., where Nichols is serving life sentences for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred Murrah federal building that killed 168 people. Timothy McVeigh was convicted of federal conspiracy and murder charges in the bombing and executed in 2001.
While the FBI has found no evidence supporting the idea that an attack is in the works for the April 19 tenth anniversary, the information that explosives had been hidden in Nichols' former home in Herington, Kan., turned out to be true.
The tip came from imprisoned mobster Gregory Scarpa Jr., 53, a law enforcement official said this week. Scarpa is an inmate in the same maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colo., where Nichols is serving life sentences for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred Murrah federal building that killed 168 people. Timothy McVeigh was convicted of federal conspiracy and murder charges in the bombing and executed in 2001.
MATRIX Defunded - Surveillance System to be Scrapped
A three-year-old crime and terrorism database that came under fire for sharing and collecting personal information was closing down Friday because a federal grant ran out.
Elements of the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange -- Matrix -- may live on if individual states decide to fund it on their own, said Bob Cummings, executive vice president for the Institute for Intergovernmental Research in Tallahassee, which helped coordinate the Matrix network.
"We're winding up the project today. The system that the federal government has basically paid for, the application itself to the users and the states, will either be assumed by the states or will no longer exist," he said.
Matrix was down to four participants -- Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Connecticut -- after several states opted out due to privacy concerns, legal issues or cost. It operated with grant money from the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, but that funding expired Friday.
Elements of the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange -- Matrix -- may live on if individual states decide to fund it on their own, said Bob Cummings, executive vice president for the Institute for Intergovernmental Research in Tallahassee, which helped coordinate the Matrix network.
"We're winding up the project today. The system that the federal government has basically paid for, the application itself to the users and the states, will either be assumed by the states or will no longer exist," he said.
Matrix was down to four participants -- Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Connecticut -- after several states opted out due to privacy concerns, legal issues or cost. It operated with grant money from the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, but that funding expired Friday.
Climate of Denial - Special Interests, Pseudoscience and Global Warming
The rest of the developed world took Kyoto seriously; in the eight years since then, the Europeans and the Japanese have begun to lay the foundation for rapid and genuine progress toward the initial treaty goal of cutting carbon emissions to a level 5 to 10 percent below what it was in 1990. You can see the results of that long Kyoto night in the ranks of windmills rising along the coast of the North Sea, in the solar panels sprouting on German rooftops, and in the remarkable political unanimity in most of the world on the need for rapid change. Tony Blair's science adviser has repeatedly called global warming a greater threat than terrorism, but that hasn't been enough for Britain's Conservatives; the Tory leader (the equivalent of, say, Tom DeLay) rose last summer to excoriate Blair for moving too slowly on carbon reductions.
In Washington, however, the lobbyists did get things "under control." Eight years after Kyoto, Big Oil and Big Coal remain in complete and unchallenged power. Around the country, according to industry analysts, 68 new coal-fired power plants are in various stages of planning. Detroit makes cars that burn more fuel, on average, than at any time in the last two decades. The president doesn't mention the global warming issue, and the leaders of the opposition don't, either: John Kerry didn't exactly run on solving the climate crisis. The high-water mark for legislative action came in 2003, when John McCain actually managed to persuade 43 senators to support a bill calling for at least some carbon reductions, albeit much lower than even the modest Kyoto levels. But given that it takes 60 votes to beat a filibuster and 66 to override a veto, and given that the GOP has since added four hard-right senators to its total, it's safe to say that nothing will be happening inside the Beltway anytime soon.
In Washington, however, the lobbyists did get things "under control." Eight years after Kyoto, Big Oil and Big Coal remain in complete and unchallenged power. Around the country, according to industry analysts, 68 new coal-fired power plants are in various stages of planning. Detroit makes cars that burn more fuel, on average, than at any time in the last two decades. The president doesn't mention the global warming issue, and the leaders of the opposition don't, either: John Kerry didn't exactly run on solving the climate crisis. The high-water mark for legislative action came in 2003, when John McCain actually managed to persuade 43 senators to support a bill calling for at least some carbon reductions, albeit much lower than even the modest Kyoto levels. But given that it takes 60 votes to beat a filibuster and 66 to override a veto, and given that the GOP has since added four hard-right senators to its total, it's safe to say that nothing will be happening inside the Beltway anytime soon.
Newspapers Look to Internet as Opportunity Rather than Threat
Newspapers can transform one of their main financial threats -- the Internet -- into a lucrative opportunity by pursuing sometimes risky online experiments and partnerships, a group of industry executives said Sunday at the Newspaper Association of America conference here.
The Internet worries newspaper publishers because more readers are turning away from print media and connecting to the Web. The trend is driving more advertising to the Internet, threatening the newspaper industry's robust profit margins.
"We have to be willing to take a lot of swings with the bat and realize we are only going to make contact a certain amount of the time," said Hilary Schneider, a Knight Ridder Inc. senior vice president who oversees the newspaper company's online operations.
The Internet worries newspaper publishers because more readers are turning away from print media and connecting to the Web. The trend is driving more advertising to the Internet, threatening the newspaper industry's robust profit margins.
"We have to be willing to take a lot of swings with the bat and realize we are only going to make contact a certain amount of the time," said Hilary Schneider, a Knight Ridder Inc. senior vice president who oversees the newspaper company's online operations.
Where did all the protesters go?
"What happened in the wake of Seattle was that many people went into the community and organised from home," she said.
"It isn't that the movement has got smaller, people are just taking action in their communities - which is where they are making the most difference."
Another reason protests have gone off the boil is that some believe that while the problem have not been fixed, the international community is moving towards addressing the big issues.
And corporate leaders increasingly see major world problems - like poverty, inequitable globalisation or climate change - as bad for business.
In January, protests planned for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, were called off.
"It isn't that the movement has got smaller, people are just taking action in their communities - which is where they are making the most difference."
Another reason protests have gone off the boil is that some believe that while the problem have not been fixed, the international community is moving towards addressing the big issues.
And corporate leaders increasingly see major world problems - like poverty, inequitable globalisation or climate change - as bad for business.
In January, protests planned for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, were called off.
Iraqi Refugees Turned Away by US
Alyaa said she was the first woman in her neighborhood to sign up to work with the U.S. government after Saddam Hussein fell.
She used to stand shoulder to shoulder with an American soldier in front of the U.S. military's Camp Scania in the Rashid section of Baghdad. As a translator, Alyaa, 24, talked to Iraqis who lined up at the entrance seeking compensation for dead relatives and destroyed homes.
Now, because of that work, her life is in danger and in limbo.
Alyaa, who asked that her last name be withheld out of fear for her safety, fled to Jordan with her cousin Shaimaa after insurgents killed an uncle and kidnapped Shaimaa and another cousin. Alyaa hoped to find a haven in the United States but discovered the State Department isn't resettling refugees from Iraq. She's lost her faith in the country she once loved.
"We gave them our friendship," Alyaa said during a recent interview at an Amman restaurant, wearing jeans and smoking cigarettes. "We gave them our hard work. And they don't even help us to have a new life." Is it so hard, she asked, "for America to give a visa to Iraqis to have a new life that they took from them?"
England: Conservatives will take the axe to cash for environmental protection
The biggest-ever assault on environmental protection in Britain will be carried out by the Conservatives if they win the general election.
Massive cuts will be made to the budgets and staff of Britain's main pollution and wildlife watchdog bodies, in a programme of which no mention at all is made in the Tory election manifesto.
The shadow Environment Secretary, Tim Yeo, is preparing to take the axe to the Environment Agency, which controls pollution from industry, and flood risk, and English Nature, which is responsible for protecting wildlife from increasing threats.
He has asked the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Sir Brian Bender, to have contingency plans drawn up so he can chop more than 1,500 staff and more than £60m in annual funding from the two bodies.
Sunni Cleric: Iraqi hostage crisis 'grossly exaggerated'
At first it looked like a very tense situation. Media reports indicated that over 150 Iraqi Shiites had been taken hostage by Sunni insurgents in the town of Madain, 30 kilometers south of Baghdad. The town of 100 families is evenly divided between Sunni and Shiite families.
Then Iraqi security forces launched a dramatic raid on Sunday, backed by US forces, who conducted door-to-door searches. And what did they find?
The BBC reports that the Iraqi forces found some explosives but no hostages in the town. They also said there was no resistance offered when they entered the town. The Associated Press reports that it appears events in the town had been "grossly exaggerated."
On Sunday, former interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said "an Al Qaeda-affliated group" had taken over the town. But the same day, the leading Al Qaeda group in Iraq said on its website that it had nothing to do with the events in Madain.
And now a leading Sunni cleric, Sheikh Abdulsalem al-Qubaisi of the Committee of Muslim Scholars, is charging that the raid was an attempt to "inflame sectarian violence" against Sunnis in the mixed towns. Reuters that there are also charges that some Shiite politicans intiated the raid in order to divert attention from their repeated failures to form a government following election in January.
Then Iraqi security forces launched a dramatic raid on Sunday, backed by US forces, who conducted door-to-door searches. And what did they find?
The BBC reports that the Iraqi forces found some explosives but no hostages in the town. They also said there was no resistance offered when they entered the town. The Associated Press reports that it appears events in the town had been "grossly exaggerated."
On Sunday, former interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said "an Al Qaeda-affliated group" had taken over the town. But the same day, the leading Al Qaeda group in Iraq said on its website that it had nothing to do with the events in Madain.
And now a leading Sunni cleric, Sheikh Abdulsalem al-Qubaisi of the Committee of Muslim Scholars, is charging that the raid was an attempt to "inflame sectarian violence" against Sunnis in the mixed towns. Reuters that there are also charges that some Shiite politicans intiated the raid in order to divert attention from their repeated failures to form a government following election in January.
Mass Graves Found in Iraq
Investigators have discovered several mass graves in southern Iraq that are believed to contain the bodies of people killed by Saddam Hussein's government, including one estimated to hold 5,000 bodies, Iraqi officials say.
The graves, discovered over the past three months, have not yet been dug up because of the risks posed by the continuing insurgency and the lack of qualified forensic workers, said Bakhtiar Amin, Iraq's interim human rights minister. But initial excavations have substantiated the accounts of witnesses to a number of massacres.
If the estimated body counts prove correct, the new graves would be among the largest in the grim tally of mass killings that have gradually come to light since the fall of Saddam's government two years ago. At least 290 grave sites containing the remains of 300,000 people have been found since the U.S. invasion two years ago, Iraqi officials say.
The graves, discovered over the past three months, have not yet been dug up because of the risks posed by the continuing insurgency and the lack of qualified forensic workers, said Bakhtiar Amin, Iraq's interim human rights minister. But initial excavations have substantiated the accounts of witnesses to a number of massacres.
If the estimated body counts prove correct, the new graves would be among the largest in the grim tally of mass killings that have gradually come to light since the fall of Saddam's government two years ago. At least 290 grave sites containing the remains of 300,000 people have been found since the U.S. invasion two years ago, Iraqi officials say.
Woman Who Counted the Dead Now Among the Dead in Iraq
Californian Marla Ruzicka was the head of an NGO whose blend of tenacity and optimism kept her in Iraq long after almost every other humanitarian aid organization had left.
Marla and her Iraqi driver died Saturday when their car was tragically caught between a suicide car bomber and a US military convoy.
After the Iraq war, she moved her push for an accurate count of civilian casualties to Baghdad. At a time when the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations were leaving Iraq, Marla started the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. Through that, she helped Iraqi families navigate the process of claiming compensation from the US military for injuries and deaths.
When she died Marla was traveling to visit some of the many Iraqi families she was working to help. Lately, she had been attempting to aid the relatives of a toddler whose parents were killed after the mini-bus they were traveling in was hit by what was believed to be an American rocket. The baby was thrown out of a window to save her life.
Marla and her Iraqi driver died Saturday when their car was tragically caught between a suicide car bomber and a US military convoy.
After the Iraq war, she moved her push for an accurate count of civilian casualties to Baghdad. At a time when the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations were leaving Iraq, Marla started the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. Through that, she helped Iraqi families navigate the process of claiming compensation from the US military for injuries and deaths.
When she died Marla was traveling to visit some of the many Iraqi families she was working to help. Lately, she had been attempting to aid the relatives of a toddler whose parents were killed after the mini-bus they were traveling in was hit by what was believed to be an American rocket. The baby was thrown out of a window to save her life.
New State of Matter, 'Nearly Perfect' Liquid, May be Quark-Gluon Plasma
When the researchers analyzed the patterns of the atoms' trajectories after these collisions, they found that the particles produced in the collisions tended to move collectively, much like a school of fish does. Brookhaven's associate laboratory director for high energy and nuclear physics, Sam Aronson, remarks that "the degree of collective interaction, rapid thermalization and extremely low viscosity of the matter being formed at RHIC make this the most nearly perfect liquid ever observed."
Some of the observations of the characteristics of the nearly perfect liquid match those predicted for a type of matter called a quark-gluon plasma (QGP), which is theorized to have existed just microseconds after the big bang. One large discrepancy, however, is that QGP was predicted to behave like a gas. "The current findings don't rule out the possibility that this new state of matter is in fact a form of the quark-gluon plasma," Aronson says, "[it is] just different from what had been theorized." Measurements collected over the coming years of planned experiments at RHIC should help the physicists to resolve the discrepancy.
Some of the observations of the characteristics of the nearly perfect liquid match those predicted for a type of matter called a quark-gluon plasma (QGP), which is theorized to have existed just microseconds after the big bang. One large discrepancy, however, is that QGP was predicted to behave like a gas. "The current findings don't rule out the possibility that this new state of matter is in fact a form of the quark-gluon plasma," Aronson says, "[it is] just different from what had been theorized." Measurements collected over the coming years of planned experiments at RHIC should help the physicists to resolve the discrepancy.
Congress Renews Interest in Identity Theft
Responding to outrage from consumers whose personal information has been stolen from companies, Congress is primed to pass new laws to try to prevent break-ins and to require businesses to confess to customers when private data is taken.
The government's new interest in requiring such embarrassing disclosures reverses years of efforts by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors to shield corporations that have been victims of hackers from bad publicity by keeping such crimes out of headlines.
The government's new interest in requiring such embarrassing disclosures reverses years of efforts by the FBI and U.S. prosecutors to shield corporations that have been victims of hackers from bad publicity by keeping such crimes out of headlines.
Adobe to Acquire Macromedia in $3.4B Deal
Adobe Systems Inc., one of the world's largest providers of document-design software, will acquire Macromedia Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion, the companies announced Monday.
Adobe's software includes the popular Acrobat and Photoshop program. San Francisco-based Macromedia makes the Dreamweaver and Flash web-design software.
Adobe's software includes the popular Acrobat and Photoshop program. San Francisco-based Macromedia makes the Dreamweaver and Flash web-design software.
Iraq Reconstruction Part 3
For the third time in nine months, the Bush administration has redrafted its project to rebuild Iraq, forcing planners to cancel more of the water, sewage and power plants that were part of the grand American design to transform the shattered country.
Many of the halted projects are now described by American officials as "noncritical" and "long term" because they are scheduled to start two years from now.
The need for the reallocation of money grew not only from unanticipated security costs but also from what many experts said were flawed assumptions by Pentagon planners and Congress when they set out to pepper Iraq with large infrastructure projects built by American companies. The latest changes mean less money being spent on building new facilities and more on training and maintenance, with less reliance on expensive Western firms and more on smaller local firms.
Many of the halted projects are now described by American officials as "noncritical" and "long term" because they are scheduled to start two years from now.
The need for the reallocation of money grew not only from unanticipated security costs but also from what many experts said were flawed assumptions by Pentagon planners and Congress when they set out to pepper Iraq with large infrastructure projects built by American companies. The latest changes mean less money being spent on building new facilities and more on training and maintenance, with less reliance on expensive Western firms and more on smaller local firms.
Bolton Often Blocked Information, Officials Say
In some cases, career officials found back channels to Powell or his deputy, Richard L. Armitage, who encouraged assistant secretaries to bring information directly to him. In other cases, the information was delayed for weeks or simply did not get through. The officials, who would discuss the incidents only on the condition of anonymity because some continue to deal with Bolton on other issues, cited a dozen examples of memos or information that Bolton refused to forward during his four years as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security.
Bush Changes Push on Farm Subsidies
The subsidy cuts and other proposed changes in the farm program were hailed by budget cutters, environmentalists and foreign governments when they were included in the administration's budget proposals in February. They have run into heavy resistance in some parts of the Farm Belt. Southern cotton and rice growers in the GOP's political base would be hit particularly hard.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Blog censorship wins support
Web hosting company Hostway this week released the results of its poll of 2,500 respondents on blogging. Eighty percent of respondents did not believe that bloggers should be allowed to publish home addresses and other personal information about private citizens.
A further 72 percent favoured censorship of personal information about celebrities, and 68 percent information about elected or appointed government officials such as judges or mayors.
However, more than one-third of respondents had never heard of blogs before participating in the survey, and only around 30 percent of participants had actually visited a blog themselves.
While Americans were concerned about free speech, the survey revealed more moderate attitudes when it compared bloggers to journalists. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed said bloggers should have the same rights as traditional journalists, while 27 percent did not express an opinion. Free speech rights are protected under the first amendment of the US Bill of Rights, which says the US Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press.
A further 72 percent favoured censorship of personal information about celebrities, and 68 percent information about elected or appointed government officials such as judges or mayors.
However, more than one-third of respondents had never heard of blogs before participating in the survey, and only around 30 percent of participants had actually visited a blog themselves.
While Americans were concerned about free speech, the survey revealed more moderate attitudes when it compared bloggers to journalists. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed said bloggers should have the same rights as traditional journalists, while 27 percent did not express an opinion. Free speech rights are protected under the first amendment of the US Bill of Rights, which says the US Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press.
Activists Turn from Washington to Wall Street
For the past 35 years, Common Cause has lobbied Congress on everything from open- meetings laws to campaign-finance reform. But facing stiff resistance to its issues in Washington these days, the good-government group is opening a second front in its push for reform: Wall Street.
...By forging a political coalition with shareholders at the nation's 30 largest mutual funds, Common Cause aims to pressure corporations to reveal which political campaigns they have supported. Its hope: Outraged shareholders will force more scrutiny and demand change.
It's a strategy that activists of various stripes are using. If a Republican Congress and administration prefer free markets to regulation, the thinking goes, then use marketplace dynamics to raise standards. Wall Street is listening.
...By forging a political coalition with shareholders at the nation's 30 largest mutual funds, Common Cause aims to pressure corporations to reveal which political campaigns they have supported. Its hope: Outraged shareholders will force more scrutiny and demand change.
It's a strategy that activists of various stripes are using. If a Republican Congress and administration prefer free markets to regulation, the thinking goes, then use marketplace dynamics to raise standards. Wall Street is listening.
Over 200 Troops to Run Marathon
Monday on Patriot's Day, as 20,400 runners tackle America's oldest marathon, in Boston, 265 soldiers in southern Iraq will be joining them in spirit to run the first-ever "Iraq/Boston Marathon."
..The Iraq/Boston Marathon is one of several races run by deployed soldiers over the past half-year that have been complete with T-shirts, timing chips, and finisher medals. In December, 184 soldiers and civilians working for the US military ran a marathon in the thin air of Tirin Kot, Afghanistan, timed to finish just a few hours before the Honolulu Marathon began.
..The Iraq/Boston Marathon is one of several races run by deployed soldiers over the past half-year that have been complete with T-shirts, timing chips, and finisher medals. In December, 184 soldiers and civilians working for the US military ran a marathon in the thin air of Tirin Kot, Afghanistan, timed to finish just a few hours before the Honolulu Marathon began.
Bush: Bad Data Means Stop Publishing
President Bush has said that "in a society that is a free society, there will be transparency." That means that in America, we have a government where the public gets to see as much information as possible about its government.
But as the record shows, Bush is anything but pro-transparency. A careful look shows the Bush White House has systematically tried to stop publishing government information that it finds embarrassing or disagrees with - the opposite of "transparent." See the record for yourself.
But as the record shows, Bush is anything but pro-transparency. A careful look shows the Bush White House has systematically tried to stop publishing government information that it finds embarrassing or disagrees with - the opposite of "transparent." See the record for yourself.
The Unregulated Offensive: "Constitution in Exile" Movement Wants Pre-New-Deal Interpretation
By ''Constitution in Exile,'' Ginsburg meant to identify legal doctrines that established firm limitations on state and federal power before the New Deal. Unlike many originalists, most adherents of the Constitution in Exile movement are not especially concerned about states' rights or judicial deference to legislatures; instead, they encourage judges to strike down laws on behalf of rights that don't appear explicitly in the Constitution. In addition to the scholars who articulate the movement's ideals and the judges who sympathize with them, the Constitution in Exile is defended by a litigation arm, consisting of dozens of self-styled ''freedom-based'' public-interest law firms that bring cases in state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court.
Critics of the movement note, with some anxiety, that it has no shortage of targets. Cass Sunstein, a law professor at the University of Chicago (and a longtime colleague of Epstein's), will soon publish a book on the Constitution in Exile movement called ''Fundamentally Wrong.'' As Sunstein, who describes himself as a moderate, recently explained to me, success, as the movement defines it, would mean that ''many decisions of the Federal Communications Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and possibly the National Labor Relations Board would be unconstitutional. It would mean that the Social Security Act would not only be under political but also constitutional stress. Many of the Constitution in Exile people think there can't be independent regulatory commissions, so the Security and Exchange Commission and maybe even the Federal Reserve would be in trouble. Some applications of the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act would be struck down as beyond Congress's commerce power.'' In what Sunstein described as the ''extreme nightmare scenario,'' the right of individuals to freedom of contract would be so vigorously interpreted that minimum-wage and maximum-hour laws would also be jeopardized.
Critics of the movement note, with some anxiety, that it has no shortage of targets. Cass Sunstein, a law professor at the University of Chicago (and a longtime colleague of Epstein's), will soon publish a book on the Constitution in Exile movement called ''Fundamentally Wrong.'' As Sunstein, who describes himself as a moderate, recently explained to me, success, as the movement defines it, would mean that ''many decisions of the Federal Communications Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and possibly the National Labor Relations Board would be unconstitutional. It would mean that the Social Security Act would not only be under political but also constitutional stress. Many of the Constitution in Exile people think there can't be independent regulatory commissions, so the Security and Exchange Commission and maybe even the Federal Reserve would be in trouble. Some applications of the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act would be struck down as beyond Congress's commerce power.'' In what Sunstein described as the ''extreme nightmare scenario,'' the right of individuals to freedom of contract would be so vigorously interpreted that minimum-wage and maximum-hour laws would also be jeopardized.
Ancient Texts Now Legible in Infra-Red
In the past four days alone, Oxford's classicists have used it to make a series of astonishing discoveries, including writing by Sophocles, Euripides, Hesiod and other literary giants of the ancient world, lost for millennia. They even believe they are likely to find lost Christian gospels, the originals of which were written around the time of the earliest books of the New Testament.
The original papyrus documents, discovered in an ancient rubbish dump in central Egypt, are often meaningless to the naked eye - decayed, worm-eaten and blackened by the passage of time. But scientists using the new photographic technique, developed from satellite imaging, are bringing the original writing back into view. Academics have hailed it as a development which could lead to a 20 per cent increase in the number of great Greek and Roman works in existence.
OpTruth: Here's How You Can Support Veterans Suffering from PTSD
We need your help to support Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
On Wednesday, I stood with Rep. Lane Evansin
Click Here now and click on the "Support Veterans with PTSD" Action Alert to quickly and easily send a message to your Representatives urging them to support this bill!
As many as one in six veterans will be suffering from PTSD when they return from Iraq, so the time is now for Congress to make our Troops' mental health a priority and adopt these changes.
But this bill may not pass without your help! Just last week, Congress voted down a bill to provide more funding for the Veterans Administration. If our more than 30,000 online supporters email their representatives in Congress, it will send a powerful message that the health of our veterans is an issue that cannot be ignored.
GOP Leaders' Pledge Loyalty to the Religious Right's Agenda at Secret Meetings with the Family Research Council and Council for National Policy
In the mid-1990s, during a speech to the Montana Christian Coalition, Ralph Reed, then the national Christian Coalition's executive director and more recently a top advisor to President Bush, advised the group to heed the words of the ancient Chinese military philosopher Sun Tzu. "The first strategy and in many ways the most important strategy for evangelicals is secrecy," Reed suggested. "Sun Tzu says that's what you have to do to be effective at war and that's essentially what we're involved in, we're involved in a war. It's not a war fought with bullets, it's a war fought with ballots."
...In late March, a tape of Republican Party leaders kowtowing to another powerful Religious Right group surfaced. While it isn't the president's voice we hear sermonizing to the faithful, the tape -- obtained and released by Americans United -- has generated a fair amount of political buzz, particularly in light of the fact that the meet-up was held during the height of the hubbub over the Terri Schiavo case.
According to Americans United, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), offered their remarks during a Family Research Council (FRC - website) -- "closed-door Washington Briefing" March 17-18 at Washington, D.C.'s Willard Hotel. At the gathering, "The pair plotted strategy and talked about a range of political promises, using Mrs. Terri Schiavo's case as a springboard."
...In late March, a tape of Republican Party leaders kowtowing to another powerful Religious Right group surfaced. While it isn't the president's voice we hear sermonizing to the faithful, the tape -- obtained and released by Americans United -- has generated a fair amount of political buzz, particularly in light of the fact that the meet-up was held during the height of the hubbub over the Terri Schiavo case.
According to Americans United, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), offered their remarks during a Family Research Council (FRC - website) -- "closed-door Washington Briefing" March 17-18 at Washington, D.C.'s Willard Hotel. At the gathering, "The pair plotted strategy and talked about a range of political promises, using Mrs. Terri Schiavo's case as a springboard."
Paul Krugman: The best places to get sick
U.S. health care is so expensive that our government spends more than the governments of other advanced countries, even though the private sector pays a far higher share of the bills than anywhere else.
What do we get for all that money? Not much.
Most Americans probably do not know that we have substantially lower life-expectancy and higher infant-mortality figures than other advanced countries. It would be wrong to jump to the conclusion that this poor performance is entirely the result of a defective health care system; social factors, notably America's high poverty rate, surely play a role. Still, it seems puzzling that we spend so much, with so little return.
What do we get for all that money? Not much.
Most Americans probably do not know that we have substantially lower life-expectancy and higher infant-mortality figures than other advanced countries. It would be wrong to jump to the conclusion that this poor performance is entirely the result of a defective health care system; social factors, notably America's high poverty rate, surely play a role. Still, it seems puzzling that we spend so much, with so little return.
Naomi Klein: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
In close cooperation with the National Intelligence Council, Pascual's office [of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization] keeps "high risk" countries on a "watch list" and assembles rapid-response teams ready to engage in prewar planning and to "mobilize and deploy quickly" after a conflict has gone down. The teams are made up of private companies, nongovernmental organizations and members of think tanks--some, Pascual told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in October, will have "pre-completed" contracts to rebuild countries that are not yet broken. Doing this paperwork in advance could "cut off three to six months in your response time."
The plans Pascual's teams have been drawing up in his little-known office in the State Department are about changing "the very social fabric of a nation," he told CSIS. The office's mandate is not to rebuild any old states, you see, but to create "democratic and market-oriented" ones. So, for instance (and he was just pulling this example out of his hat, no doubt), his fast-acting reconstructors might help sell off "state-owned enterprises that created a nonviable economy." Sometimes rebuilding, he explained, means "tearing apart the old."
...According to [Focus on the Global South's Shalmali] Guttal, "It's not reconstruction at all--it's about reshaping everything." If anything, the stories of corruption and incompetence serve to mask this deeper scandal: the rise of a predatory form of disaster capitalism that uses the desperation and fear created by catastrophe to engage in radical social and economic engineering. And on this front, the reconstruction industry works so quickly and efficiently that the privatizations and land grabs are usually locked in before the local population knows what hit them. Kumara, in another e-mail, warns that Sri Lanka is now facing "a second tsunami of corporate globalization and militarization," potentially even more devastating than the first. "We see this as a plan of action amidst the tsunami crisis to hand over the sea and the coast to foreign corporations and tourism, with military assistance from the US Marines."
The plans Pascual's teams have been drawing up in his little-known office in the State Department are about changing "the very social fabric of a nation," he told CSIS. The office's mandate is not to rebuild any old states, you see, but to create "democratic and market-oriented" ones. So, for instance (and he was just pulling this example out of his hat, no doubt), his fast-acting reconstructors might help sell off "state-owned enterprises that created a nonviable economy." Sometimes rebuilding, he explained, means "tearing apart the old."
...According to [Focus on the Global South's Shalmali] Guttal, "It's not reconstruction at all--it's about reshaping everything." If anything, the stories of corruption and incompetence serve to mask this deeper scandal: the rise of a predatory form of disaster capitalism that uses the desperation and fear created by catastrophe to engage in radical social and economic engineering. And on this front, the reconstruction industry works so quickly and efficiently that the privatizations and land grabs are usually locked in before the local population knows what hit them. Kumara, in another e-mail, warns that Sri Lanka is now facing "a second tsunami of corporate globalization and militarization," potentially even more devastating than the first. "We see this as a plan of action amidst the tsunami crisis to hand over the sea and the coast to foreign corporations and tourism, with military assistance from the US Marines."
John Linnell from They Might Be Giants Helps Preserve Obscure English Words
Use It or Lose It
Activist lexicographer Erin McKean sets her sights on singer/songwriter John Linnell of the group "They Might Be Giants." She's hoping he’ll bring back to common parlance some words that are threatened by obsolescence.
Listen (RealAudio)
Use It or Lose It, Part II
Activist lexicographer Erin McKean checks up on John Linnell of the band "They Might Be Giants," to see if he's delivered on his promise to promote three under-appreciated words.
Listen (RealAudio)
A regular on The Next Big Thing, McKean wants writers to use endangered words before dictionaries drop the terms into obsolescence or oblivion. John Linnell's assignment:
Activist lexicographer Erin McKean sets her sights on singer/songwriter John Linnell of the group "They Might Be Giants." She's hoping he’ll bring back to common parlance some words that are threatened by obsolescence.
Listen (RealAudio)
Use It or Lose It, Part II
Activist lexicographer Erin McKean checks up on John Linnell of the band "They Might Be Giants," to see if he's delivered on his promise to promote three under-appreciated words.
Listen (RealAudio)
A regular on The Next Big Thing, McKean wants writers to use endangered words before dictionaries drop the terms into obsolescence or oblivion. John Linnell's assignment:
contrecoup - A concussion or shock produced by a blow or other injury, in a part or region opposite to that at which the blow is received, often causing rupture or disorganisation of the parts affectedShort work for one of the Johns (who arguably have already written numerous songs on these subjects). -- McLir [thanks to Jay]
craniosophic - learned in skulls (as in phrenology)
limerent - the state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person, typically involuntarily, characterized by a strong desire for reciprocation of one's feelings, but not primarily a sexual relationship
Sports events leave a giant 'ecological footprint'
Andrea Collins of Cardiff University in the UK and her colleagues looked at the 2004 soccer FA Cup final, held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. They converted the energy and resources used on the day of the match into an ecological footprint - the hypothetical area of land required to support the use of those resources. Energy consumed, for example, was converted into the area of forest needed to soak up the carbon dioxide generated in its production, while food consumption was represented as the amount of farmland needed to make it. This method gave the match a footprint of 3051 hectares. [11.78 square miles - conversion table]
Gamblers Take Note: Scientists Tone Down Asteroid Warnings
Astronomers have significantly softened the wording of the Torino scale -- an asteroid risk-assessment system for evaluating the danger of Earth-bound meteors.
Akin to the Richter scale, the Torino scale goes from zero to 10, with zero representing no risk and 10 warning of an impact that could wipe everything off the planet. But scary phrases from the old warning system like "localized destruction," "regional devastation" and "certain global climatic catastrophe" have been modified.
...The outdated wording, agreed upon in 1999 in Torino, Italy, by the International Astronomers Union, used alarming language sometimes resulting in doomsday headlines like the Kansas City Star's "Look! Up in the sky! A big asteroid is heading our way!!" (registration required).
Comcast sued for disclosing customer info to RIAA
In a lawsuit filed in King County, Wash., Dawnell Leadbetter said that she was contacted by a debt collection agency in January and told to pay a $4,500 for downloading copyright-protected music or face a lawsuit for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Leadbetter, a mother of two teenage children, was a customer of Comcast's high-speed Internet access service.
...But no court authorized Comcast to release names and addresses of its customers, or notified his client that her information had been given to an outside party, Lybeck said.
"Comcast should respect the rights of privacy who pay them monthly bills," Lybeck said.
Representatives from Comcast said they could not immediately comment on the lawsuit.
The RIAA has filed thousands of lawsuits since September and settled several hundred for about $3,000 each.
Ceremonial Tea Under Fire from Bush Administration
The administration is challenging the New Mexico group -- O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao Do Vegetal -- and its practice of drinking hoasca, a sacred herbal tea that members believe connects them to God. The tea contains dimethyltryptamine, a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act and one the administration claims is banned by international treaty. The Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the case, Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao Do Vegetal, No. 04-1084, at its conference Friday.
O Centro Espirita was founded in Brazil in 1961. The tea, hoasca, which in the Quechuan Indian language means "vine of the soul," "vine of the dead," and "vision vine," comes from the Amazon rainforest. Members drink the tea at least two times a month during ceremonies. Approximately 130 members of the church reside in the United States, 8,000 in Brazil.
O Centro Espirita was founded in Brazil in 1961. The tea, hoasca, which in the Quechuan Indian language means "vine of the soul," "vine of the dead," and "vision vine," comes from the Amazon rainforest. Members drink the tea at least two times a month during ceremonies. Approximately 130 members of the church reside in the United States, 8,000 in Brazil.
Possible Fraud in New WIPO HQ
Investigators said the judge was trying to determine if Mr. Wilson had bribed a senior official at the United Nations agency to win the renovation contract. Edward Kwakwa, the agency's legal counsel, said Khamis Suedi, a top official at the intellectual property agency, acknowledged having received 325,000 Swiss francs, about $270,000, from Mr. Wilson, but said the money was from a private business venture that had no connection to the agency's construction contract. In an interview, Mr. Suedi said he had had nothing to do with the awarding of the contract.
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