March 11, 2006

News -- March 11, 2006

Islamic websites carryal-Qaida's 'last warning' - "Islamic websites yesterday posted a "last warning" warning by Rakan Ben Williams, who describes himself as an "al-Qaida undercover soldier" in the U.S., threatening two major operations designed to bring Americans "to your knees."" -- And just in time to help Bush with his low poll numbers and deserting Republicans.

Bush says diplomacy way to tackle Iran - "U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday called Iran a "grave national security concern," but said he sought a diplomatic way to cap its nuclear goals."

Ridge: War on terror will not end - "The war on terror will not have a definitive end, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told about 200 people gathered Thursday night for Mercer University's Executive Forum. "We're not going to have a 'VT Day' over terrorism because terrorism has been around for centuries," Ridge said. But that does not mean the United States will be defeated, he said. "We'll prevail for one basic reason," said the former two-term governor of Pennsylvania. "Because America is an idea, not a place. And that idea is freedom.""

Milosevic found dead in cell - "Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been found dead in his cell in The Hague, Netherlands where he was being tried on war crimes charges, according to the United Nations war crimes tribunal. He was 64."

Would eavesdropping bill snag reporters? - "Reporters who write about government surveillance could be prosecuted under proposed legislation that would solidify the administration's eavesdropping authority, according to some legal analysts who are concerned about dramatic changes in U.S. law."

O'Reilly: Blowing Iran "off the face of the earth ... would be the sane thing to do" - ""You know in a sane world, every country would unite against Iran and blow it off the face of the Earth. That would be the sane thing to do.""

Fox Security Threatens Disagreeing O'Reilly Callers - "Bill O'Reilly's on-air threat to callers who disagreed with him that they would receive a visit from Fox security and that their information would be turned over to local law enforcement at first seemed like another sick gimmick, but the stunt became a whole lot more serious when it was revealed that at least two terrified victims had received threatening calls."

O’Reilly: Mass Murder is the “Sane Thing to Do” - "It is now obvious—Fox News loud-mouth Bill O’Reilly is a dangerous sociopath. He should be removed immediately from both television and radio. ... If O’Reilly wasn’t on television and the radio, spreading his misanthropic hate-mongering, demonstrating his fear of those outside the scope of his understanding, it wouldn’t be a big deal—there are plenty of sociopaths loose in the world and they usually only harm a small number of people. But O’Reilly has access to millions of people, as does another dangerous sociopath, Michael "Savage" Weiner. Both ooze hatred and the desire to make people suffer. Remarkably, both are popular here in Bushzarro world, millions of people tune in and nod their heads in agreement."

US asks court to drop ex-detainees' torture suit - "The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal court on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit charging that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld bears responsibility for the torture of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan. In its first substantive response to the lawsuit filed by two rights groups, the Justice Department said the suit against Rumsfeld should be dismissed based on the "absolute immunity" granted federal officials under 1988 legislation on civil lawsuits. ... The government also said that the court had no jurisdiction over cases seeking damages for alleged violations of international law." -- Actions speak much louder than words.

Are you working for impeachment? It's your civic duty - "If you are not working to ensure that the next Representative to be elected to Congress from your district is an outspoken advocate of impeachment, you are SHIRKING YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A US CITIZEN! This is the only cause that matters right now. If you care about the environment, women's rights, social justice, decent health care and education, respect for international law; if you care about the future, GET RID OF THE BAD GUYS! WORK FOR IMPEACHMENT! These people are leading us to nuclear war and destruction of the biosphere. And we are complicit, by allowing them to stay in office. It is time do do the right thing, WORK FOR IMPEACHMENT."

Britain gave Israel plutonium, files show - "Britain secretly supplied Israel with plutonium during the 1960s despite a warning from military intelligence that it could help the Israelis to develop a nuclear bomb, it was disclosed last night."

Supreme Court Justice Scalia: Roe Abortion Case May Never be Reversed - "“There are still five justices on our court who voted in favor of Roe v. Wade,” Justice Scalia said. “If I had to guess, I would say, ‘not yet . . . maybe not never, but certainly not yet.’”"

Man posts photos online of women at abortion clinic - "“I felt it would really give the average person who doesn’t visit there a firsthand view of what it looks like to someone who is there,” Wishnatsky said. “I hope this might contribute to turning people’s hearts back to life.”"

"Thou Shalt Not Criticize the Zionists!" - " The 11th Commandment states: "Thou Shalt Not Criticize the Zionists!" ... The New York Theater Workshop was planning on putting on a play honoring the memory of Rachel Corrie, but then it got cold feet. ... The artistic director of New York Theater Workshop, James C. Nicola, decided to "postpone" the Corrie drama after he polled leaders of NYC’s Jewish community. He supposedly discovered that many of these ultra-sensitive souls were "uneasy’ about it being performed at the present moment. [4] Oh, the poor things! Running an American girl over with a nine-ton Israeli bulldozer, snuffing the young life out of her is no problem, but please, don’t do a play about that evil deed. It will make the NYC Zionist crowd feel "uneasy." Pure baloney! I think this is a classic example of the 11th Commandment at work. ... By way of reflection, what has happened to America? Before 1948, and the creation of the Zionist state of Israel, the U.S. had hardly any enemies in the Middle East! Now, we have countless foes there and around the Islamic World, too. And, thanks to Israeli Firsters, and others, we're presently fighting an unjust war in Iraq, which is based on a pack of damnable lies. [7] And, if we don't watch out, our sons and daughters will soon be dying in Iran! And, for what? [8] We're now getting ready to bar even those Arab countries, who are friendly towards us, like the United Arab Emirates, from doing business in our major port cities. [9] When the Zionists' influence over any aspect of our national interest becomes harmful, the people need to speak out about it. [10]"

Lose your job for America - "So far, the promised payoff hasn't materialized for anyone but the shareholders of multinational corporations, most of whom seem to have reinvested their profits elsewhere. While the administration says it created nearly 5 million jobs since 2003, the vast majority of those jobs were in the low-paying service sector. At the same time, U.S. manufacturers have shed 2.9 million jobs from 2001 to 2006 - jobs such as the ones that used to exist in abundance here in Freeport, jobs that had benefits and paid enough to actually support a family on. Companies that aren't shedding jobs are paying less and eliminating pensions. Real wages have declined across the board, even as the costs of healthcare and energy skyrocket. Speaking of health care, isn't it ironic that the free-trade gospel doesn't seem to apply to the purchase of Canadian prescription drugs, which for some reason cost half as much or less than they do here?" -- That's a good point.

Wages, jobs show solid, steady gains - "Wages rose by the most since 2001 and jobs posted solid gains last month, offering some relief for financially strapped consumers faced with climbing costs for energy, housing and other needs." -- Huh? And just who are getting these increases?

Alaska hit by 'massive' oil spill - "An oil spill discovered at Prudhoe Bay field is the largest ever on Alaska's North Slope region, US officials say."

Chicago's Blind Kids: Why Driver's Ed? - "Ramirez is blind, yet she and dozens of other visually impaired sophomores in Chicago schools are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam in order to graduate — a rule they say takes time away from subjects they might actually use."

Court upholds "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" student banner - "An Alaska high school violated a student's free speech rights by suspending him after he unfurled a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" across the street from the school, a federal court ruled on Friday."

Compared to some high schools, Harvard's a bargain - "Harvard is great, but it's no Riverdale Country School. The Bronx private school will charge tuition of $31,200 next school year for sixth- through 12th-graders, more than $3,300 higher than this year's rate at the esteemed university. Bus rides are not included. Riverdale is among several elite New York City high schools that has surpassed or is approaching the $30,000 mark."

Scientists find source of Saturn ring - "An international team of scientists has found that the source of Saturn`s outer ring is water vapor from the planet`s moon Enceladus."

Scent of a Woman - "Salon's Broadsheet reports that a German perfumer is now marketing a fragrance called Vulva that "beguiles the senses with the scent of a real vagina, thus opening up completely new vistas for enhancing your sex life." ... But there's something I can't figure out: Who needs this product? The Web site calls the fluid "the object of every man's desire," so it seems it's being marketed to people who want to have sex with men. (Quick warning for anyone who wants to visit said Web site: Unless you want to view many Euro-trashy photos of a nude woman with the Vulva perfume vial covering her actual vulva, you probably don't want to visit the Web site.) But if you're a woman, and you want to use the scent of a real vagina to entice a man ... you already have a real vagina!! You don't need to buy this! If you're a man who wants to become the object of every man's desire ... is the scent of a real vagina really going to attract the kind of guy you're looking for?"




Quote of the Day
"Every war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac."
~ George Orwell, 1984

4 comments:

Agi said...

Great Orwell quote. I think I need to re-read "Politics and the English Language".

Randy Anderson said...

Thanks. I think we all need to re-read (or finally read) many things. If only reading was a high priority in American culture.

Unknown said...

Quick comment about the "Scent of a Woman" post...

There's a theory that pubic hair gathers the scent of a woman's pheromones, which causes her male companion to go ga-ga (or at least to increase the ga-ga impulse). So with the recent trend of women shaving their privates, many women are not collecting the scent in the same amounts (however one quantifies "amount of scent")... and while it is visually more stimulating, it causes less of a instinctual reaction within the male.

This might be an attempt to sway things back the other way... fool the male psyche to increase ga-ga while avoiding the 70's porno look, which is invariably accompanied by funky bass guitar.

Randy Anderson said...

Now, I will have the bass line stuck in my head the rest of the day. Thanks.