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Sunday, July 31, 2005How Cafta Passed House by 2 VotesDemocrats charged Republicans with buying votes and forcing members to vote against their consciences.  
How medical marketing influences doctors and patients... At least two pharmaceutical marketing strategies converge to alter doctors' prescribing habits. On one hand, sales representatives target physicians with visits and samples, and ads tout drugs in journals. On the other, mass media advertisements urge people to ask their doctors about specific brand-name medications. This direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, which is not permitted in Europe and strictly limited in Canada, has in the past decade grown into a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States. Link
Revisiting the issue that helped spur her ouster from Congress three years ago, Rep. Cynthia McKinney led a Capitol Hill hearing Friday on whether the Bush administration was involved in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The eight-hour hearing, timed to mark the first anniversary of the release of the Sept. 11 commission's report on the attacks, drew dozens of contrarians and conspiracy theorists who suggest President Bush purposely ignored warnings or may even have had a hand in the attack — claims participants said the commission ignored. Link
Friday, July 29, 2005Neoconservatives & their Liberal Economic policiesJ. Marcus Xavier had an interesting post about Sci-Fi’s Portrayals of Christianity. He said maybe this puts me in the same boat as the rest of "those people" who complain that the media has a huge Left-wing bias, but sometimes I have to wonder what people in Media--and specifically entertainment--are getting at. Since I watch a lot of Science Fiction, I generally tend to pick up on an underlying theme about popular secular attitudes toward Christianity. Maybe it's a legacy from Gene Rodenberry's dim views of religion which were expressed through Star Trek: The Next Generation (which has influenced science fiction on TV a great deal over the past 15 years or so), but there's this strong bias toward the view that people who are religious are ignorant, unintelligent or evil, and secular humanists are the "saviors" of true enlightenment. He ended by saying isn’t that just a wee bit bigoted? I’m a Sci-Fi fan myself and I told him in one comment that if you look at the time frame of the episode(s), you will see it was done in a time when people were extremely superstitious about God/life. The writers of the various episodes set the stage for you, the people are even dressed like those in the Dark Ages, they have no electricity, running water, etc. We all know this was a time when people actually believed the earth was the center of the Universe. People were simpler and their beliefs reflected that simplicity. If they had shown religious any other way, it would have been historically inaccurate. As people become more enlightened, the episodes do indeed reflect that. Whenever I read other peoples thoughts about who control the media, it amazes me that they appear to believe in something that they don't fully understand. For instance, the Republican Party may be conservative using a heavy hand of government in social policies, but they are liberal when it comes to economics. The Republican policies have always favored the rich at the expense of the poor and it is no difference when it comes to media ownership. Ten media conglomerates control everything that is disseminated to the world. As one can see, it is not about the politics of the left controlling the media, it is all about the rich and their liberal economic polices implemented by the Neocons that is controlling the world. This is why CAFTA was approved it favored the rich. Since the word liberal is used by Necons in a negative way, I wanted to determine the origin of this word. This site defines "Liberalism" as nothing more than small-government libertarianism, something that the Republican party used to stand for. The article went on to say that somehow the meaning of the word Liberal has been hijacked by social conservatives and made to mean a Socialist Libertarian (Democratic Party). This is a misnomer. Democrats are far from liberal on economics, they favor state intervention. Just as I expected, it appears most people don't even know who are what they are supporting. Since I'm convinced that the average person doesn't understand the Necons agenda, this sites list some of the neoconservatism's most influential leaders and briefly talks about their background and this sites explains some basic concepts about Necons and explains what they believe in and how the term was first coined (Necon 101). And yes you guessed it, Israel and the Muslim world is connected and it appears Israel is the culprit.
The Drama Never Ends... New charges filed against Ohio Governor Bob Taft's former top aide have blazed a new trail between "Coingate" and the GOP theft of the 2004 presidential election. Brian Hicks appears in court today to answer charges that he failed to report vacation trips he took to Coingate mastermind Tom Noe's $1.3 million home in the Florida Keys. A top Taft aide for a dozen years, Hicks stayed at Noe's place in 2002 and 2003. Another Taft aide, Cherie Carroll, is charged with taking some $500 in free dinners from Noe. Noe is a high-roller crony of Taft, US Senator George Voinovich and President George W. Bush. Noe charged the Ohio Bureau of Workman's Compensation nearly $13 million to invest some $58 million. Ohio Attorney-General Jim Petro, to whom Noe once donated money, says some $4 million disappeared into Noe's pocket. Link
This is what I'm talking about, every time the Republicans are in office, they only care about the rich, and the rest of us are screwed. Excerpt from John Conyers: Today the Republicans passed an outrageously bad medical malpractice bill. The bill supersedes the law in all 50 states to cap non-economic damages, cap and limit punitive damages, cap attorney’s fees for poor victims, shorten the statute of limitations, eliminate joint and several liability, and eliminate collateral source. It not only applies to doctors, but also drug companies and HMO’s. The bill totally ignores the real problem – price gouging by the insurance industry. This despite the fact that a recent study showed that over the last five years, medical malpractice claims were flat, while premiums charged to doctors increased by more than 100%. Link
Thursday, July 28, 2005Interesting article if trueCheney makes plans to nuke Iran Excerpt: The print edition of the American Conservative includes a startling passage -- one which my readers will find evocative and horrifying. According to the article, Dick Cheney has personally instructed the Pentagon... Iran will fry even if that nation has nothing to do with the terrorism! Link
Anyone who has read this blog on a consistent basis realizes by now that I am against GM crops and the following is one of the reasons: Modified genes from crops in a GM crop trial have transferred into local wild plants, creating a form of herbicide-resistant "superweed". Although there is enough information to determine that GM crops are unsafe and have many side effects, the US Occupation Authority has imposed legislation, which could have detrimental and lasting impact on Iraqis farmers and Iraq’s ability to produce food for the Iraqi people. There should be some type of general ethical standards that can prevent these types of impositions by dominant societies on less developed societies. This imposition is nothing but pure unadulterated evil no matter which way one look at the situation. Undermining Iraq’s Food Security
Fifteen Democrats Break Ranks, Allow CAFTA Passage... Melissa Bean (IL) Jim Cooper (TN) Henry Cuellar (TX) Norm Dicks (WA) Ruben Hinojosa (TX) William Jefferson (LA) Jim Matheson (UT) Greg Meeks (NY) Dennis Moore (KS) Jim Moran (VA) Solomon Ortiz (TX) Ike Skelton (MO) Vic Snyder (AR) John Tanner (TN) Ed Towns (NY) The vote, 217 to 215, came almost a month after the Senate approved the trade pact and gave Mr. Bush a crucial victory that had seemed in doubt a few days ago. Cyrus has posted a nice summary as to why CAFTA isn't good for anyone. Since it is generally understood that companies will shift jobs held by many Americans to Central America because of CAFTA, I thought it would be appropriate to give links to the ten hottest occupations that are expected to grow in the U.S. through 2012. By now, we all should know that whenever the Republicans are in control of the government, laws are passed that favors the rich at the expense of the poor. It is interesting though, if we consults the US Bureau of Labor Statistics often enough, we will be able to predict with a certain amount of certainty if our chosen profession will become obsolete. Although we may complain about how this society is governed, the information is there for all of us to make informed decisions about career opportunities and remain on the upside of a changing world. Complied by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics... The Ten Fastest Growing Occupations for College Graduates Occupations with the Most New Jobs: Associate's Degrees or Postsecondary Vocational Awards Occupations with the Most New Jobs: Bachelor's Degrees
Tuesday, July 26, 2005Natural Hazards - Dust Storm Off the Coast of Western AfricaYesterday on PBS, I heard about this dust storm that started in the Sahara. I wonder why a dust storm that is the size of the United States, which is now heading towards Florida is not news worthy? An immense dust storm was sweeping across northern Africa on January 9, 2005, and out over the Atlantic Ocean. On May 16, 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying onboard the Aqua satellite, captured this image of a dust storm off the West Coast of Africa sprawling toward the Cape Verde Islands. Dust storms often cross the Atlantic entirely, bringing mixed blessings to the Americas. Residents of Florida may suffer more respiratory illnesses, and the dust sometimes carries microorganisms that harm Caribbean coral reefs. However, the dust also brings iron and other nutrients that benefit marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
This is a good article to show why there is a push for social security privatization by Bush & co. Excerpt: Analysts have estimated that Wall Street firms would take in nearly one trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) in profits from charging management fees that are significantly higher than Social Security's administrative cost (less than one percent). Moreover, the volatile nature of the stock market means that retirement savings and security would vary significantly from one worker to another. With so much profit on the line, Wall Street and financial interests haven't sat quietly on the sidelines. Financial corporations have lavishly funded politicians, blanketed the Capitol with lobbyists and have paid millions to phony citizen organizations to run multi-million dollar television, radio and print advertising campaigns supporting or attacking candidates based on their pro-privatization record. Link
What does this say about the erosion of the rights and liberties of Americans? Does this means that only the elite is free? Excerpt: I have long had an uneasy relationship with airport security. Before September 11, I resisted the demand that I produce a government-issued ID, believing that it smacked too much of the “Papers, please” of the former Soviet Union that Hollywood movies used to mock and we free Americans used to laugh at. I also used to withhold permission to search my bags.... Link
Monday, July 25, 2005Free Book on HIV and AIDSI found this on Dean's World. I've hit the jackpot on this one. I feel like I've just died and gone to heaven, that is - if I believed in a place called heaven. This is a comprehensive view of all the inconsistencies surrounding HIV/AIDS. A must read for all truth seeking people.
PHC is a relatively new school that has become one of the premiere colleges that are training students for interns in the U.S. government for the eventual transformation of this country to a faith based nation. The graduates of PHC are already advising our congressmen and women. I suspect the demonization of Muslims will only get worst, as more of their graduates become advisors to the White House. The mission of PHC To train Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding. This is interesting since America wasn't founded upon Christian religion/values - just take a look at this site. In order to accomplish this mission, the College provides academically excellent higher education with a biblical worldview using classical liberal arts core curriculum and apprenticeship methodology. The College's vision is "to aid in the transformation of American society by training Christian students to serve God and mankind with a passion for righteousness, justice and mercy, through careers of public service and cultural influence." The only way to get admitted is that you must sign a statement of faith... The College's "Statement of Faith" includes, but is not limited to, the acknowlegement that "Jesus Christ literally will come to earth again in the Second Advent" (I wonder what will happen if Jesus comes back to earth as a black person) and that "Satan exists as a personal, malevolent being who acts as tempter and accuser, for whom Hell, the place of eternal punishment, was prepared, where all who die outside of Christ shall be confined in conscious torment for eternity. I guess this means they will not admit a little ole pagan like me or any other person for that matter who doesn't believe in Jesus Christ. What will become of the U.S. in five, ten, or even fifteen years with such a narrow view of life controlling the government, the pagan lady wonders especially since this site says that no other religion has such a bloodstained record as Christianity... Hmm!!!
From Conyers - I tell you, the man is a saint. He should rightfully be the President. His site harbors a wealth of information.
This case should alert everyone that no one is safe under this administration... New Fact Sheet Details Multiple Administration Security Breaches Involving Valerie Plame Wilson
I smell a rat!!! Citing privacy and precedent, the Bush administration indicated Sunday it does not intend to release all memos and other documents written by Supreme Court nominee John Roberts when he worked for two Republican presidents. Link
From: AfterDowningStreet.org Here's a summary: Audio and video: C-SPAN TAPEDC-Span recorded Saturday's town hall forum with Maxine Waters in Los Angeles, which we know was well worth recording, because we can watch it at c-span.orgevents@c-span.org Phone 202-737-3220 Fax 202-737-6226 RADIO LEFT Beginning with a one-hour program from 5-6 p.m. ET on July 25, Radio Left will air an After Downing Street update every weekday from 4:05 - 4:15 p.m. ET. Listen here:
Saturday, July 23, 2005MegaVoteSince we live in a participatory democracy, the MegaVote tool is the best voter information tool around to let Congress know what you are thinking. If you want to get involved in everyday politics (versus the every-four-years kind that fails miserably every time), check this site out now!!!
Friday, July 22, 2005Poisoning Babies Poisoning babies and children, all over the world, is one of those consequences of using HIV/AIDS drugs. For instance, The House That AIDS Built, by Liam Scheff, describes the situation in New York City's only residence exclusively for children with AIDS (some with deformations resulting from the infamous "treatments"), Incarnation Children's Center (I.C.C.). The drugs being given to the children are toxic - they're known to cause genetic mutation (AZT), liver and kidney failure, bone marrow death, bodily deformations, brain damage and fatal skin disorders. If the children refuse the drugs, they're held down and have them force fed. If the children continues to resist, they're taken to Columbia Presbyterian hospital where a surgeon puts a plastic tube through their abdominal wall into their stomachs. From then on, the drugs are injected directly into their intestines. The four children who've died at ICC in the last year all had tubes. Liver failure is the leading cause of death among individuals being treated with AIDS meds in the United States. That is, for those adults who choose to take the recommended medication; the aforementioned babies and children do not have that choice.
This is not my first time hearing that there is more to the 9/11 tragedy than what was reported by the news media. Cynthia McKinney said a few months back that she was on a commission to investigate and reveal the truth surrounding this issue. There are just too many lies coming out of this administration to count. Why are good people still defending this administration? Come Build a Breakthrough Campaign to Expose and Defeatthe Seamless Deceit behind 9/11, Resource Wars, Troop Betrayal and Constitutional Jeopardy. "Justice is truth in action."- Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) A historic convergence of truth groups, activists, whistle-blowers, indie media and the foreign press to expose and counter the government's most lethal lies and mainstream media complicity. The event series plays off two current icons of official deceit: the first birthday of the 9/11 Commission Report on July 22nd and the third anniversary of the Downing Street Memo on July 23rd.
The House of Representatives, ignoring protests from civil liberties groups and some conservatives, moved on Thursday to renew the USA Patriot Act giving the government unprecedented powers to investigate suspected terrorists. Sixteen provisions of the 2001 law, hastily enacted in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, are due to expire at the end of this year unless renewed by Congress. President Bush has repeatedly called on lawmakers to make the entire law permanent. Link
BETWEEN 300 AND 400 EVENTS PLANNED FOR SATURDAY On July 23, over 300 - 400 events around the United States will mark the three-year anniversary of the meeting at #10 Downing Street in London, England, that was recorded in the now infamous minutes known as the "Downing Street Memo." Sign up to attend an event: Get resources (including sample press advisories) and sign up to host a house party: Read about the largest of the planned events hosted by members of Congress:
Thursday, July 21, 2005REPUBLICANS MUST CHOOSE: BUSH OR AMERICA?Karl Rove is loyal to President Bush," a correspondent wrote as Treasongate broke. "Isn't that a form of patriotism?" Not in a representative democracy, I replied. Only in a dictatorship is fealty to the Leader equal to loyalty to the nation. We're Bush's boss. He works for us. Unless that changed on 9/11 (or 12/20/00). Link
A Las Vegas-based white separatist organization has filed paperwork with the secretary of state's office to create a White Peoples Party with the immediate goals of ending affirmative action and illegal immigration. "We are facing a dilemma," said Michael O'Sullivan, chairman of the party. "All the large parties are openly courting the minority vote and completely ignoring the majority. People are fed up. Link
From MoveOn.org 1. Wrong on environmental protection: Roberts appears to want to limit the scope of the Endangered Species Act, and in papers he wrote while in law school he supported far-right legal theories about "takings" which would make it almost impossible for the government to enforce most environmental legislation. 2. Wrong on civil rights: Roberts worked to keep Congress from defending parts of the Voting Rights Act. 3. Wrong on human rights: As a appeals court judge, Roberts ruled that the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to some prisoners of war. 4. Wrong on our right to religious freedom: Roberts argued that schools should be able to impose religious speech on attendees. 5. Wrong on women's rights: Roberts wrote that "Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and should be overruled." He also weighed in on behalf of Operation Rescue, a violent anti-abortion group, in a federal case. President Bush could have chosen many fair-minded and independent jurists to replace Sandra Day O'Connor. Instead, he chose a corporate partisan loved by Bush's right-wing base but out of step with the rest of the country. Tell your senators they need to stop John Roberts now...
Wednesday, July 20, 2005Republicans Bid to Deport All Illegal AliensThis should make many Republicans happy, especially Scud since he wants to send all the liberals and the illegal aliens back to Mexico and Central America and call it the Socialist Utopia of Mexico. At least somebody is getting part of what they want. Although I personally think this is one of the crapiest bills ever. All of the estimated 10 million to 12 million illegal aliens in the United States would have to leave the country under an immigration bill introduced on Tuesday by two conservative Republican senators. The bill by Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl and Texas Sen. John Cornyn is a tougher alternative to a rival bipartisan bill introduced two month ago that would allow some illegals to get jobs legally and eventually gain citizenship without leaving the country. Link
Another study is estimating (that magic word again) the number of South Africans that are infected with HIV/AIDS. This report estimates that more than 6.5 million of South Africa's ~ 27 million people have HIV/AIDS. The increase in the estimates were based upon the National HIV and Siphilis Antenatal Sero-Prevalence Survey which found that 29.5 percent of pregnant women tested positive for HIV in 2004, compared to 27.9 percent in 2003. There are at least 64 factors known to cause false positives and one of those factors is a prior pregnancy, and it is common knowledge that most African women have multiple children; so to make this kind of estimate based upon pregnant women and extrapolate that to the larger population is irresponsible. This article also agrees that using these types of estimates based on sero-surveillance data from pregnant women shouldn't be used on other demographics. Estimating HIV/AIDS cases in this manner will inflate the rate in any society. And since we are talking about South Africa, let us not forget the other infamous study that experimentally demonstrated that the HIV/AIDS tests given to the people produced a false positive rate of 83%. This indicates that these tests are useless in the diagnosis and in the prediction of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in this population. It also suggests that South Africans are being treated for something they don't have. In other words, the very people who are bearing gifts are murdering these people. This is a reality that we must face as African people. This report criticized President Thabo Mbeki's government for its sluggish response to HIV/AIDS, with activists accusing it of seeking to play down the crisis. Until last year, the government refused to provide life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs through the public health system, citing cost and safety concerns. These are legitimate concerns especially in light of the evidence that Mbeki has accumulated. He knows that the antiretroviral drugs cause a multitude of problems. For instance, AZT is a DNA chain terminator (it kills cells that try to reproduce) and destroys the immune system (you get AIDS and die). If an individual take protease inhibitors they will prevent your body from digesting proteins. Finally, this study showed that in utero exposure to HIV/AIDS drugs have caused some infants to have severe neurological disorders and another study demonstrated that there were excess DNA mutations seen in babies whose HIV-infected mothers took antiretroviral drugs. Can you really blame Mbeki for refusing to give his people these drugs in light of all the evidence that shows 1) they don't have HIV/AIDS and 2) they will die if they take these drugs from the very disease these drugs were prescribed to prevent. I would like to know the real reason(s) behind this HIV/AIDS scare when there is ample evidence to show that something is seriously wrong with the diagnosis and the treatment. I must commend President Mbeki because he isn't buckling under the unfair pressure of The West to give his people drugs that are known to kill. I’m beginning to believe that The West has unfairly targeted and sentenced African people all over the world to death. This isn’t the first time in history that leaders in the West have killed people. Look at this site to determine the fate of the Native Americans and this site to determine the involvement of Bush's family with Hitler. And, lets not forget about this unholy and unjust war in Iraq as I write. I'm sick of all these damn stupid ass studies damning African people to death.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005Bush Nominates Judge John G. Roberts Jr.A white male conservative nominated to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on a white male dominated Supreme Court. The Good Ole Boys network is still up and running. Is anyone surprised? Conyers believes the announcement of the Supreme Court nominee was a ploy to distract everybody from the ongoing struggle to root out corruption and deception in the White House. He suggests that we continue to exmine Rovegate, Downing Street, and the ongoing deception in Iraq. For example, there was an important article in the American Prospect indicating that Rove may well have lied to the FBI, which is a serious legal matter. A letter posted by Jacob Matthan written by an Iraqi woman pleading to the British people illustrates why we need to continue the struggle to root out corruption and not let Bush's nomination deter us from the issues at hand.
Advice from Rep. John Conyers, D, MI By DU Poster Autorank Posted at Democratic Underground Here is a summary of “What Went Wrong In Ohio” by Rep. John Conyers (Book Website & Original Report in PDF format.). It is vital that we realize the scope of theft in just that state and get angry and motivated. The excerpts are followed by some excellent links showing how Bush stole Ohio and the national election. The very best election fraud work around takes place right here on the Democratic Underground in the Elections Forum. full link
President Bush settled on a nominee for the Supreme Court on Tuesday and the White House made arrangements for a nationally televised prime time announcement. "I'll let you know when I'm ready," he said at a midday news conference where he declined to tip his hand. Link
I've had this article for a few days and I’ve just gotten around to reading it. It makes some interesting points about American politics and what and who is driving it. The Church Secretary also made some good points about this topic. Gone are the days of truth and justice if that truth and justice contradicts Karl Rove’s Republican agenda. Excerpt John Gibson of Fox News says that Karl Rove should be given a medal. I agree: Mr. Rove should receive a medal from the American Political Science Association for his pioneering discoveries about modern American politics. The medal can, if necessary, be delivered to his prison cell. What Mr. Rove understood, long before the rest of us, is that we're not living in the America of the past, where even partisans sometimes changed their views when faced with the facts. Instead, we're living in a country in which there is no longer such a thing as nonpolitical truth. In particular, there are now few, if any, limits to what conservative politicians can get away with: the faithful will follow the twists and turns of the party line with a loyalty that would have pleased the Comintern. I first realized that we were living in Karl Rove's America during the 2000 presidential campaign, when George W. Bush began saying things about Social Security privatization and tax cuts that were simply false. At first, I thought the Bush campaign was making a big mistake - that these blatant falsehoods would be condemned by prominent Republican politicians and Republican economists, especially those who had spent years building reputations as advocates of fiscal responsibility. In fact, with hardly any exceptions they lined up to praise Mr. Bush's proposals. Link
Monday, July 18, 2005Black Congressional Leadership Drives Demand for Downing Street Minutes InvestigationHooray for the CBC and those other patriotic Congress Members that are willing to stand up for what is right. Of the 123 Congress members who signed Conyers' letter, 30% (37) are black. When nine white men met and plotted at #10 Downing Street in London, England, on July 23, 2002, they probably did not anticipate that three years later a small group of U.S. Congress Members, led by black men and women, would make that meeting a focus of public attention. But when Congress Members John Conyers, Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, Charles Rangel, Sheila Jackson Lee, and others hold town hall forums all over this country on the three-year anniversary of the meeting recorded in the Downing Street Minutes, they will be demanding an investigation supported by a majority of Americans. Indeed, the outcome of their campaign could be more than the erosion of support for the war in Iraq; it could be the erosion of American credulity for the next several wars that presidents try to sell us on false pretenses. Link
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has collected at least 3,500 pages of internal documents in the last several years on a handful of civil rights and antiwar protest groups in what the groups charge is an attempt to stifle political opposition to the Bush administration. The F.B.I. has in its files 1,173 pages of internal documents on the American Civil Liberties Union, the leading critic of the Bush administration's antiterrorism policies, and 2,383 pages on Greenpeace, an environmental group that has led acts of civil disobedience in protest over the administration's policies, the Justice Department disclosed in a court filing this month in a federal court in Washington. Link
This weekend I received an email from J. Marcus Xavier, owner of the blog called Very Small Doses. He said that he found my blog through the SistersTalk list, and so I figured I'd share this post, An Honest Look at Black Culture's History since I was looking for some feedback (and maybe even dialogue) from other African Americans on the 'net. While checking out his site, I looked at the comment section and found that Michael King from Ramblings' Journal had visited the site and it appeared he wholeheartedly agreed with Marcus' analysis and posted it on his blog. It's interesting to note that Michael made a comment regarding a post I made earlier although his reference to that post is out of context. Michael said the following: Many people refuse to deal with taking personal responsibility for their actions, instead pointing to some sort of "generational post-traumatic" disorder or some other such gobbly-de-gook. I think this type of reference is just plain dishonest, confusing the issues to make your point. After reading the post, I immediately thought this isn't an honest look at Black cultural history and if this author knew anything about me, then he knows that my thoughts are contrary to his. Just in case this is an honest attempt to engage more African Americans, I left a comment (which I'm yet to see it come through) and told him that there are many things missing in his analysis and I wasn't sure if they are willful omissions or just plain neglect. Either way, the analysis is so simplistic that I think the readers of his post will agree or not with him based upon their political affiliations and/or what agenda they are trying to push at the moment.
Forty-four government scientists have violated ethics rules on collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, a preliminary review by the National Institutes of Health shows. Nine of the scientists may have violated criminal laws, the report said.
Saturday, July 16, 2005This is Funny - I wish I was this creative...Dear Red States... We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California. To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share. Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire. With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners) 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you. Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties. Sincerely, Author Unknown in New California
Friday, July 15, 2005Downing Street Memo - July 23rd eventsAfterDowningStreet.org Over 150 Events Planned on the 3rd Anniversary of Downing Street Memo For details on events in any part of the country, see this map: Another 16 events on surrounding days are also listed on the site. In addition, Congressman Conyers' office has organized 105 house parties through their Website. Congressman Conyers' press release about July 23 events.
Scientists in the UK are failing to consider potential terror threats resulting from their work and dismissing warnings about bio-weapons, new research reveals. Link
A $7,500 hand-tailored business suit. A $1,500 designer tie. A $450 belt. $2,500 for hand-made shoes. A $350 hand-made silk underwear. And, a $25,000 hand-made watch. Who's wearing this? Every one of the roughly seven thousand lobbyists working for "Big Pharma" trying to get laws, and treaties, favorable to their aims, through the US Congress. They dress like this for two reasons (1) with the money "Big Pharma" is paying them they can afford to, and (2) they want to make "the right impression." Their current project is to get CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement) passed. It's important to them - and they've pulled out all of the stops. Why are they pulling out all the stops? Two reasons (1) As the New York Times reported July 2nd, 2005, in their article "Drug Lobby Got a Victory in Trade Pact Vote" passing CAFTA is at the top of "Big Pharma's" list, for it gives them a total monopoly in Central America, and (2) the language in CAFTA, section six, sets up the complete destruction of "Big Pharma's" major competitor for US health dollars - the American supplement industry Yes, it's true that the "Codex Alimentarius" commission in Rome, July 4th, 2005, passed restriction of supplement guidelines that would, in effect, destroy the supplement industry in it's entirety - except for that controlled outright by "Big Pharma." Yes, it's true that the "CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement)" legislation currently being rushed through the US Congress contains, within its language, the mechanism to force "harmonization" of US laws to "Codex" requirements destroying the protection afforded under the1994 DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act) law. Yes, it's true that "Big Pharma" is behind this move - they have that much power and money The "German Model" of health care will now be the law of the land - in every land. Link
I've met Roland before and he is not one of my favorite people. He is full of himself and this is putting it nicely. What nerves!!! Blogs are just a great bore: Apparently journalism as we know it is about to end because of the invasion of the bloggers, a band of techno warriors who are practicing citizen journalism in a way media big wigs have never seen.Excuse me if my eyes roll out of my head. Link
National Geographic and The Field Museum are introducing a new Fall season of this popular series now in its fifth year in Chicago. Guns, Germs & Steel Jared Diamond Tuesday, October 11 Lost Treasures of Afghanistan Fredrik Hiebert Tuesday, October 25 In the Shadow of the Sunfish Tierney Thys Tuesday, November 15 Piranhas, Grizzlies, and Flesh-Eating Pigs Joel Sartore Tuesday, December 6
Thursday, July 14, 2005The End of Cheap OilThis is unfortunate. I drive a toy SUV and it already costs me ~$31 to fill my tank. I'm going to really have to consider the two-hour train ride to school. It probably would take a little less time (a half hour) if I confined myself to riding the train during the peak rush hour times only. Three decisive factors are pushing the price of crude up permanently: 1) The geological depletion of conventional oil (inexpensive to extract); 2) the entry into a world of terrorism and of permanent wars for the control of oil; 3) the strong increase in demand due to Asian growth and the maintenance of Western consumption.
Unborn U.S. babies are soaking in a stew of chemicals, including mercury, gasoline byproducts and pesticides, according to a report to be released Thursday. Although the effects on the babies are not clear, the survey prompted several members of Congress to press for legislation that would strengthen controls on chemicals in the environment. Link
Rep. John Conyers posted a little blurb on his site about the Reauthorization of the Patriot Act. It looks like it will be passed without any improvements to the bill that would actually make us safer. Anyway, I briefly looked through the comment section and one of them was quite interesting. I never thought of it this way, but the Democrats could actually be more treacherous to minorities than the Republicans. Hmm!!! Congressman Conyers Could this be the real reason that we are in trouble?================================== The number of Americans in prison for drug offenses has multiplied by 10 since 1980, from 41,000 to 458,000. The 458,000 men and women now in U.S. prisons on drug charges are 100,000 more than all prisoners in the European Union, whose population is 100 million more than ours. The annual cost of incarcerating them is $9 billion.The great irony of the growth in imprisoned drug users--much of it occurring under Democratic administrations, is that it probably cost the Democrats the Presidency and the Congress. ================================ Locking people away for behavior which is not criminal costs much more than money. It costs Freedom. And not just thiers. The 130th anniversary of the first drug prohibition law is coming around on November 15. After six generations drugs are as prevelant as they could possibly be. What have we learned from this, and what have we earned? Thank you. Kertis
Members of the Progressive Ohio Backbone Campaign traveled to Hocking County on Monday morning, July 11, and filed criminal charges with the Hocking County Sheriff’s Department against the county’s Board of Elections (BOE) Director Lisa Schwartze.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005News You Won't Find On CNN - OutfoxedThis is a very interesting video. It talks about the election and how John Ellis, Bush's first cousin was in charge of the decision desk at FOX on election night and he declared Bush President of the U.S. although the votes hadn't been properly tabulated, afterwards every other network followed suit and declared Bush President. This isn't news to me, but this is the first time I've listened to the video. Outfoxed examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know. full link
John Conyers has asked for assistance in preparing a comprehensive chronology--a time line of everything that is known about the fixation with the war in Iraq, the manipulation of intelligence, and the deliberate misrepresentations made both to the Congress and to the public. You guys should really take a look at what the readers of his blog has put together. This database is absolutely phenomenal. Fixing the Facts:
More than 60 years of back-scratching has linked the U.S. & the House of Saud since oil was discovered in the desert kingdom in 1938. An overview of the deep ties between the two countries - and how the bin Laden family has fit into the picture over the years. Full Link
I think it is amazing that people are still defending the indefensible. "Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day." Theodore Roosevelt (April 19, 1906) Full Link
Tuesday, July 12, 2005Coingate - The Republican Party never ceases to amaze me..If it was left up to me, Conyers would be the next President of the U.S. This man has been working relentlessly to uncover the truth about many issues. He has dedicated his life to righteousness. By now, we all should know about the fiasco with the Ohio election. But, the newest scandal in Ohio is called Coingate. I have to agree with Conyers if this scandal had been disclosed and/or investigated prior to the election, even with all the irregularities in this past election, Bush & Cheney probably would have had a very difficult time stealing votes (although Conyers didn't use the words steal). Something is seriously wrong with this Republican Party & Ohio. Excerpt Every single statewide office in Ohio is held by the Repubicans, along with the State Senate, State House, and the Supreme Court (sort of scary, but not too dissimilar from DC). Anyway, a big time GOP fundraiser, Tom Noe, from Toledo, somehow convinced these Republicans that it would be good idea to invest state workers' compensation funds in his rare coins. Not surprisingly, this has proven to be a bad investment for everyone but Noe, and many of the coins are now missing. Noe is under investigation for illegal campaign donations as well. Nearly every Republican in the state is involved in some way or another, and state and federal investigations are pending. Link
John Conyers blogged about new Rove revelations over at The Huntington Post Excerpt: Cast in its best light, the Bush Administration’s Karl Rove defense boils down to this: Rove never revealed the NAME of an undercover CIA operative because he didn’t know her name. He might not have even known she was an undercover CIA operative, and you can't prove it anyway. Actually, he was merely spreading false information about the operative in an effort to smear her husband. Link
How Nerdy are you? Mid-Level Nerd. Wow, it takes a lot of hard nerdy practice to reach this level.  Extracted from Church of the Bad News I guess this explains a lot about my personality. This is scary because I know I would have scored higher because there were better answers to at least three questions that I didn’t choose. So it's official, I am a nerd.
Sunday, July 10, 2005PE-2 ELEMENTS OF TEAM IRAQ ATTACK LONDON TODAYStewart Webb sent this email to the group - African Americans For Democracy. This is an interesting read. Official Press Release July 7, 2005 6:00 AM Central Time London Terrorist Attack Bush and Blair the Culprits PE-2 ELEMENTS OF TEAM IRAQ ATTACK LONDON TODAY By Tom Heneghan & Stew Webb Federal Whistleblowers Presidential & Vice Presidential Candidates 2004 The attacks on London were orchestrated by Bush & Blair using PE-2 Elements of Team Iraq and have been identified by the American French Alliance. Team Iraq was secretly setup to do insurgency attacks in Iraq by Bush, Blair and Answar Bin Shari of Israel to further the Iraq War Machine into Iran and Saudi Arabia for personal gain, and control of the World Oil Reserves for their own personal benefits. PE-2 Consists of Rogue British MI-5, Mossad and US Pentagon Secret Teams under Bush, Blair and Shari's Control. PE-2 also known as Propaganda Dewey was set up by George H. W. Bush when he was Vice President under President Ronald Reagan. After Iran Contra was exposed Bush set up PE-2-Propaganda Dewey. This the Bush CIA Shadow Government within the US Government that is behind the Terrorist attack on America 9-11 WTC and the Oklahoma City Bombing Shadow Government Players. PE-2 is the Bush Illegal Dirty Illegal Shadow Government within the Government. This attack in London today upon innocent British People was for their own Satanic Political Agenda. Expect possible more attacks by Bush, Blair and Shari's PE-2 Terrorist Rouges in England, Israel and the USA. This is all to undermine Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's investigations of Bush and Cheney's leaks of CIA Valerie Plame, Ambassador Joseph Wilson wife's CIA Team investigating Bushes and Cheney's involvements into the orchestrated 9-11 attacks on America. Plame's CIA network was compromised and many were killed as a result of The White House Bush-Cheney leaks in violations of National Security Laws and murder of U.S. CIA Federal Agents. Judith Miller, a Mossad Stooge, was jailed for her involvement in the leaks of the CIA Plame investigations which violated National Security laws and the murder of many CIA agents. Miller was not protecting Whistleblower sources but was in fact part of the Bush espionage plot to stop the Plame team from uncovering Bush Cheney's plotted, planned and orchestrated 9-11 attack upon America on September 11, 2001 which is Treason. Judith Miller stated in the Courtroom July 6, 2005 when asked if she was ready to reveal her source stated: "I cannot take the risk. It is to grave, this Government is too powerful." Congressman Conyors in a June 2005 Congressional hearing called for Impeachment hearing to proceed in July 2005 against George W. Bush after testimony by Ambassador Joseph Wilson and CIA Analyst Ray McGovern. Sources says Conyors now has 130 plus Congressman ready Impeach The White House Occu-punk George W. Bush. PE-2 Terrorist Cell Fox News reported MI-5 British agents warned Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in his hotel room 30 minutes prior to the London attacks. Intelligence sources have revealed Michael Shipton, MI-5 British Agent, is tied to the London Terrorist attack, Grab Him. The Signal man walked with a clipboard in his hand down the street, there are enough cameras to identify this terrorist. Expect possible attacks in America by this PE-2 Bush-Blair-Shari terrorist teams in order to further their Martial Law agenda over the coming weeks. Bush will keep pushing for more support of his war machine expansions into Iran and Saudi Arabian for Oil Fields for his families personal gain, with possible attacks on United States Soil. Crisis Creation, Crisis Solution for Crisis Control. Further remember Adolph Hitler's Mein Kemp strategy of evil. Fear, Fear, Fear. False Evidence that Appears Real. George W. Bush save us from your created Big Bad Boogie Man Terrorist Al Qaeda. American Militias and Patriots be prepared to defend America. Bush intends on declaring Martial Law to avoid his coming Indictments, Impeachment and his going to Jail for Treason and murder for his terrorist attacks on 9-11-2001. This has now been investigated and proven by U.S. Intelligence agents and others. America's enemy has been identified as Bush-Cheney. End. Tom Heneghan and Stew Webb
Seven arson fires broke out yesterday in a neighborhood in this small Middle Tennessee town, inflicting heavy damage on two black churches and burning five vacant houses, authorities said. Sparta police detective Allen Selby said there's no evidence to suggest the arsons were part of a racist hate crime, but authorities are not ruling out anything.
I didn't talk about the G8 Summit because I'm very suspicious of the motives of The West. All of a sudden, they want everyone to believe they have this benevolence for Africa. Well I don't buy it. After all the research I've done trying to find how they diagnose, treat, and quantify HIV/AIDS I'm very skeptical of anyone trying to unilaterally say Africa's biggest problem is HIV/AIDS especially if you look at the public and private views of HIV/AIDS and you will see that there are two very different stories being told. Now if you couple that with a recent study done by the South African Medical Research Council, which demonstrated that the HIV test given there is 83% inaccurate, then I am suspect of a conference that want to give more money to treat something that may not even exist in this population. It is obvious to me that Africa needs help. However, there are more important issues that could easily improve the quality of people’s lives in Africa if The West was concerned such as helping Africans obtain clean potable water, decouple the classification of treatable & preventable diseases from HIV/AIDS, etc., etc. Surely, we all know that diseases such as malaria, TB, dysentery are not the same thing as HIV/AIDS. It is interesting to note that Ousman believes it is not enough to give African leaders billions of dollars, but these leaders have to be held accountable for the aid they receive since most of the monies will not end up helping the majority of the people. Now lets see what positive things came out of the G8 conference: Africa did receive promises for aid; after all - the leaders of the conference did cancel the debt of the 18 poorest nations and boosted aid by $50 billion. At least one reporter thought the Summit was a success. Although the reporter qualified his statement by saying it really depends on how you use measure success. If you look at it this way, the G8 summit agreed to renew efforts to forge a trade deal, pledged $3bn for the Palestinian authority, and said it would increase access to Aids treatment. The summit also broke new ground by bringing poverty campaigners and leaders from developing countries face to face with the world's eight most powerful leaders. In the words of Tony Blair: "It isn't the end of poverty in Africa, but it is the hope that it can be ended. It isn't all everyone wanted but it is progress - real and achievable progress." According to other sources, the G8 Summit offered Africa very little and it offered it with a price. For instance, the G8 offered help in building "the physical, human and institutional capacity to trade, including trade facilitation measures.” But not a word about the agricultural subsidies in the European Union and the United States that make competition so tough they are crippling African farmers and their produce in their own land. I guess it is not the West intention to allow Africa to gain autonomy. What ever happen to teaching a man how to fish? Another article said that the G8 condemned Africa to miss the Millennium Development Goals. The article went on to say, “The final communiqué is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of campaigners who listened in good faith to the world leaders’ claim that they were willing to seriously address poverty in Africa. More importantly, it is a disaster for the world’s poor. The agreements on trade, debt, aid and climate change are nowhere near sufficient to tackle the global poverty and environmental crisis we face. “We are furious, but not surprised. Calling on the G8 to Make Poverty History, this year was always a brave attempt to put aside 30 years of knowledge of G8 failures and suspend our disbelief at the notion that the countries responsible for causing so much poverty could become the solution.
Saturday, July 09, 2005It's Just Too Convenient!Blogged by Winter Patriot on 7/8/2005 @ 7:38pm PT... Extracted from Brad Blog Did anyone else happen to notice that the timing of the explosions in London on Thursday morning was Just A Shade Too Convenient? Or was I the only one who thought "Gladio Smites Britannia" as soon as I heard the news?No, it turns out that I wasn't the only one at all. Far from it, in fact. Psst! Keep this quiet, will you? We've been whispering about it all day.
Friday, July 08, 2005A Timeline of Events Surrounding the Neoconservative Takeover of the United States (1897-2004)Written and Compiled by Black Max (http://www.iraqtimeline.com/) Spanish-American War; US occupies Philippines and much of the Caribbean. The oil companies exert their control over the Middle East. Woodrow Wilson uses falsities and exaggerated claims to bring the US into World War I. Balfour Declaration establishes Britain's intent to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Treaty of Versailles. Sykes-Picot agreement divvies up the Middle East by British and French dictates. Iraq formed. Palmer purge of US Communists. The Bush and Walker families help subsidize the Nazis. Teapot Dome scandal. Great Depression. World War I vets, known as the "Bonus March" protesters, attacked by US troops. Hitler's rise to power, subsidized by US corporate interests. Roosevelt presidency. Hitler's "Final Solution." Batista takes control of Cuba. House UnAmerican Activities Committee formed. World War II; many American conservatives, including Bush and Walker family members, continue their support of Nazi Germany. Historical (1897) to present (2004) Iraq time line continued The 2002-2003 Military timeline for Iraq invasion Path of war time line (1998-2001)
When I first heard about the London attack my gut reaction was that although they are going to blame this on Islamic extremist, I told Ous Cessay that I think I'm one of the few people who believe that the government was behind this bombing just like I believe the U.S. government was behind the 9/11 attack in the U.S. I don’t have any proof, but the timing of both incidences is just too convenient. It is unfortunate for Muslims that they have a long history of doing these types of acts. When people know your habits, they can use it against you. It really doesn't matter if they did it or not, because this is what people will believe (Muslim extremists are guilty - period). I bet the next illogical step from Blair et al. in this unfortunate event is that the blame will be shifted from Al-Qaeda to a war on terrorism in Iran just like Bush shifted from Al-Qaeda to a war on terrorism in Iraq when they knew Iraq had nothing to do with the bombing of the WTC. I received an email yesterday that was titled “ATROCITIES IN LONDON THIS MORNING” and this person shares similar feelings about this horrific act. -------------------------------------------- The timing of the attack is very suspicious, coming on the heels of the start of the G8 conference. Both Tony Blair and George Bush in their speeches have tried to paint the attack as an assault on globalization and the G8 itself. This means that if you're against the G8 and globalization, then you're with the terrorists! It's a tried and tested method they've used time and time before. Jones continues - as I sit in my office today, I hear the whispers of co-workers now utterly convinced our war on terror must continue. Despite American and British involvement in the Middle East birthing wave after wave of rebel forces, the Bush doctrine is now justified in the minds of millions. Petty grievances such as the Downing Street Minutes, the President's flagging support and Karl Rove's treasonous outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame are unimportant. A shadowy conglomeration is out to kill us. Link...
There are currently 40 events planned around the country for Saturday, July 23, the three-year anniversary of the famous meeting on Downing Street. It's definitely not too late to make it 41. Early next week we'll announce these events to the media. Sign Up to Attend an Event Sign Up to Host an Event Get Resources for Your Event http://www.afterdowningstreet.org Dramatic Readings of the Downing Street Minutes These minutes make a nice one-act play, and performing it helps people understand what went on at the meeting. Here's a straight version. Here it is with humor added. News from Downing Street Cindy Sheehan, on the Mike Malloy Show, talks about her meeting with Bush http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/685 Expose a Dishonest War: Prevent the Next One http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/640 London Bombings and the Downing Street Minutes http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/674 Talking Points on Downing Street Minutes http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/612 Joseph Wilson on Bush Crowd: "A Real Threat to Our Republic" http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/661 Something Rotten in Denmark http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/647 It's imperialism, stupid http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/643 Bush’s Uranium Lies http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/619 They have no idea how to win their war http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/665 Hinchey presses for Iraq probe http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/682 Rove must explain role in CIA outing or resign http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/653 Novak Squealed http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/671 Michael Smith discusses Downing Street Memo http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/683 The Impeachment Question http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/660 Speakers Available for Events http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/675
The pharmaceutical and health products industry has spent more than $800 million in federal lobbying and campaign donations at the federal and state levels in the past seven years, a Center for Public Integrity investigation has found. Its lobbying operation, on which it reports spending more than $675 million, is the biggest in the nation. No other industry has spent more money to sway public policy in that period. Its combined political outlays on lobbying and campaign contributions is topped only by the insurance industry. The drug industry's huge investments in Washington—though meager compared to the profits they make—have paid off handsomely, resulting in a series of favorable laws on Capitol Hill and tens of billions of dollars in additional profits. [See What the Industry Got.] They have also fended off measures aimed at containing prices, like allowing importation of medicines from countries that cap prescription drug prices, which would have dented their profit margins. Pfizer, the world's largest drug company, made a profit of $11.3 billion last year, out of sales of $51 billion. The industry's multi-faceted influence campaign has also led to a more industry-friendly regulatory policy at the Food and Drug Administration, the agency that approves its products for sale and most directly oversees drug makers. [See FDA: A Shell of its Former Self] Link
Thursday, July 07, 2005London rocked by explosionsFour explosions in London's transport system have killed at least two people and wounded dozens more in what UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said was an apparent terrorist attack.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005US rapper Lil' Kim gets one year in jail in shootout case Rapper Lil' Kim (Kimberly Jones) was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for lying to a federal grand jury in the case of a 2001 gunfight outside a radio station. What about Bush & Co. - they fixed the facts and intelligence around the policy when they decided to invade Iraq and they are free? Her crime seems so insignificant compared to what is coming out of our Nation's capitol.
More details on current issue of The Ecologist: 10 FAVOURITES ON GM 1.Jeffrey M. Smith, Seeds of DeceptionTotnes, Devon: Green Books, 2004An account of the GM foods scam that's as riveting as a thriller without compromising on the science. 2.Luke Anderson, Genetic Engineering, Food and Our Environment: A Brief GuideTotnes, Devon: Green Books, 1999The activist's handbook that's stood the test of time - comprehensive, concise and affordable! 3.Andrew Rowell, Don't Worry (It's Safe to Eat): The True Story of GM Food, BSE and Foot and MouthLondon: Earthscan, 2003Definitive accounts of the Pusztai and Chapela affairs from the journalist who broke the news of the dirty tricks campaigns designed to destroy these whistleblowers. 4.Aaron deGrassi, Genetically Modified Crops and Sustainable Poverty Alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Assessment of Current EvidenceAfrica: Third World Network Africa, 2003, Damning report exposing the biotech industry's PR use of flagship projects in Africa - projects that are harming the interests of the very African farmers they're supposed to help. 5.Mae-Wan Ho, Living with the Fluid GenomeLondon: Institute of Science in Society, 2003A geneticist explains why genetic engineering cannot work, and tells of her own struggle against a corrupt scientific establishment. I have this book (a very interesting read). 6.George Monbiot, Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of BritainLondon: Macmillan, 2000 For the big picture, a scintillating expose of how corporations have gained control over Britain's schools, hospitals, universities and public assets - and are now consolidating control of the food chain through GM. 7.Helena Paul and Ricarda Steinbrecher, Hungry Corporations: Transnational Biotech Companies Colonise the Food ChainLondon and New York: Zed Books, 2003 A very well documented account of how a handful of multinational companies are using genetic engineering as a tool to control the world's food supply. 8.Devinder Sharma, GM Food and Hunger: a view from the South New Delhi: Forum for Biotechnology & Food Security, 2004 (orders: dsharma@del6.vsnl.net.in) A collection of Sharma's passionate essays exposing how the 'gene revolution', just like the Green Revolution, will bypass the hungry. 9.Andrew Rowell, Green Backlash: Global subversion of the environment movement London and New York: routledge, 1996 Exposes how the multinationals, their PR flaks and right wing supporters work to nullify the critics. See this site (lobby.org) for more on how these actors impinge on GM and other contemporary debates. THE STINKER 10.The Nuffield Reports: Genetically modified crops: the social and ethical issues, and, the use of genetically modified crops in developing countries London: Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 1999 & 2004 The Nuffield reports have declared there is a moral imperative to make GM crops available to developing countries. The first report was characterised by George Monbiot as "perhaps the most asinine report on biotechnology ever written. The stain it leaves on the Nuffield Council's excellent reputation will last for years." The update is no better. Despite which, the Blair Government have repeatedly turned to the reports for support for their pro-GM position while ignoring the views and reports of the British Overseas Aid Group (BOAG) member organisations - Action Aid, CAFOD, Christian Aid, OXFAM and Save the Children. For more information, including how to obtain copies:http://www.gmwatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=98
The beginning of a new era. New York Times reporter Judith Miller was jailed Wednesday for refusing to divulge a confidential source to a grand jury investigating the Bush administration's leak of an undercover CIA operative's name. It added legal drama to what was already one of the most closely watched press freedom cases in recent history.
Why does Howard Dean's own party consider him the most dangerous character in Washington? Two things make Democratic Party powers lose sleep over Dean. The first and less distinct is his taste for the populist rhetorical style. He has a flair for articulating popular anger in popular terms, and he is very good at seeing where to strike. It doesn't matter much that he is sometimes inarticulate or in less than full command of his factual claims for the same reason it hasn't mattered in the far more egregious case of George W. Bush: Rank-and-file Democrats and independents who see Dean tend to like him. The unprecedented war chest he amassed from nickel-and-dime donors before the Iowa Massacre is ample proof of it. And this brings us to the more material reason the Democrats hate Howard Dean: He threatens to refigure the fundraising base of the party, however modestly, and thus to shift the balance of power in the party hierarchy. Full Link
Tuesday, July 05, 2005CHICAGO BRIEFINGCourtesy of Economist.com On June 29th, a group of aldermen from Chicago’s city council introduced a measure that would ban smoking inside most public places in Chicago. The ban, if enacted, would be among the most strict in America, forbidding puffing not just in restaurants and bars, but also in bingo parlours, limousines, outdoor sport stadiums and on train platforms. The only indoor refuges for smokers would be private homes, hotels, motels and retail tobacco shops, provided patrons didn’t exhale too forcefully. Smokers would even be banned from indulging within 25 feet of an enclosed area where smoking is banned. Chew on this Chicagoans may associate the name with baseball, but the rest of the world knows Wrigley as a gum- and confectionery-maker. Based in Chicago since the late 19th century, it is the world’s largest such company. But on June 29th, William Wrigley Jr, the chief executive and the great-great-grandson of the company’s founder, announced that it would shut its last remaining Chicago-based factory on the city’s south side. The company is offering the 600 workers at the historic chewing-gum plant a choice between early retirement or a transfer—either to Yorkville, in the city’s far western suburbs, or Gainesville, Georgia, the company’s largest plant. The company’s research and corporate headquarters will remain in Chicago. The south-side factory comprises a warren of multi-storeyed, interconnected buildings, some of which date back to its opening in 1911. The factory employs a mere 33% of the workforce it did as recently as the 1960s, even as the Wrigley company has grown. Wrigley recently acquired most of Kraft Foods' confectionery business, which includes the Life Savers and Altoids brands, and plans to transfer a number of former Kraft researchers to Chicago. Sugary haze Chicago has taken a dim view of marijuana-flavoured sweets: on June 29th, it became the first big city to ban the sale of lollipops, gumdrops and other sweets flavoured with hemp oil. The oil imparts the musky taste of marijuana but none of the high. The sweets, sold under names like Purple Haze, Rasta and Chronic Candy, are available at corner shops across the country. Though they are technically forbidden to anyone younger than 18, Chicago’s city council justified the ban by arguing that the sweets are designed to cultivate a taste for marijuana among children. Edward Burke, who chairs the city’s finance committee, raised an even more frightening spectre: the sweets are endorsed by Snoop Dogg, a rapper who has made a career extolling the virtues of “the chronic”. “If we need any other reason to vote in favour of this [ban], it’s now being endorsed by Snoop Dogg,” Mr Burke thundered. “Snoop Dogg wants all of our kids to buy this product.” Higher and higher On July 1st, Chicago’s sales tax will rise to 9%, the highest of any big American city, and the second-highest in Illinois (Stone Park, a wealthy western suburb of Chicago, boasts a 9.25% sales tax). Heading for the hills Chicago may be the country’s third-largest city, with an estimated 2.8m people, but its population has fallen by 34,000 since the 2000 census. Demographers cite two reasons for the decline: first, new arrivals to the area are settling in the city’s suburbs rather than in the centre; and second, much of the new housing construction in the city is aimed at singles, couples and empty-nest households rather than families. Latinos have joined blacks and whites in fleeing the city, though demographers say that Chicago is retaining its population better than most other Midwestern cities. Among the country’s ten largest cities, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia all saw slight declines in their estimated populations. Nationally, the Sun Belt states of California, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Nevada saw the largest increases in population. Strangely, though, Joliet—a western suburb of Chicago most famous for its maximum-security state prison—is one of the country’s fastest-growing areas, thanks mainly to two riverboat casinos and a racetrack. What's not being said is that Chicago has this gentrification going on all over the city. This is displacing many poor people. A few years ago, Mayor Daley said something to the effect (on a Sunday Morning talk show) that the city will change and people better get used to it and only those that can afford to pay the increase will be able to live in Chicago. Because of this, there are very few affordable houses/apartments and this is causing the flavor of the city to change. The crime in Chicago is decreasing while it is increasing in the surrounding Suburbs.
I've always thought that there was more to this story than what was being told. It just didn't make sense to me. But anyway, here is a different version of a terrible story. What happened in Rwanda in 1994? The standard line is that a calculated genocide occurred because of deep-seated tribal animosity between the majority Hutu tribe in power and the minority Tutsis. According to this story, at least 500,000 and perhaps 1.2 million Tutsis–-and some moderate Hutus--were ruthlessly eliminated in a few months, and most of them were killed with machetes. The killers in this story were Hutu hard-liners from the Forces Armee Rwandais, the Hutu army, backed by the more ominous and inhuman Interahamwe militias–-“those who kill together.”“In three short, cruel months, between April and July 1994,” wrote genocide expert Samantha Power on the tenth anniversary of the genocide, “Rwanda experienced a genocide more efficient than that carried out by the Nazis in World War II. The killers were a varied bunch: drunk extremists chanting ‘Hutu power, Hutu power’; uniformed soldiers and militia men intent on wiping out the Tutsi Inyenzi, or ‘cockroaches’; ordinary villagers who had never themselves contemplated killing before but who decided to join the frenzy.” [1]The award-winning film Hotel Rwanda offers a Hollywood version and the latest depiction of this cataclysm. Is the film accurate? It is billed as a true story. Did genocide occur in Rwanda as it is widely portrayed and universally understood? With thousands of Hutus fleeing Rwanda in fear of the Tutsi government and its now operational village genocide courts, is another reading of events needed? [2] Is Samantha Power--a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist--telling it straight? [3]Read the article (it is long) http://www.allthingspass.com/journalism.php?jid=135
Recently I talked about two reasons that may explain the exponential increase in homosexuality and bisexuality in the black community and while I was presenting my argument I prefaced it with the following statement: Although homosexuality may exist today in African societies, it was not a widespread practice during ancient times. Therefore, the crust of the argument was that homosexuality was introduced into the African American society during slavery and is currently being perpetuated because of intergenerational trauma and/or because of external factors such as too much exogenous hormones in the environment. If homosexuality existed or was widely practiced in African cultures in ancient times - there should be evidence of this just as there is evidence that it existed in Greek & Roman cultures. Although it appears male/male homosexual behavior in these cultures were widely practiced and thought of as the ultimate form of sexuality, female homosexuality at least initially in the Roman culture was frowned upon. With the introduction of Christianity, male homosexuality was also viewed as an unnatural and ungodly act. So, this is a major achievement for homosexuals to have at least one church pass a resolution in support of equal marriage rights for all people regardless of gender.  Book Review Excerpt The New York Review of books Greek & Roman Sexualities, a detailed but long article
Listed below are some very interesting and important questions. I don't think Scientists will be out of a job soon. The Top 25 Essays by our news staff on 25 big questions facing science over the next quarter-century. 1. What Is the Universe Made Of? 2. What is the Biological Basis of Consciousness? 3. Why Do Humans Have So Few Genes? 4. To What Extent Are Genetic Variation and Personal Health Linked? 5. Can the Laws of Physics Be Unified? 6. How Much Can Human Life Span Be Extended? 7. What Controls Organ Regeneration? 8. How Can a Skin Cell Become a Nerve Cell? 9. How Does a Single Somatic Cell Become a Whole Plant? 10. How Does Earth's Interior Work? 11. Are We Alone in the Universe? 12. How and Where Did Life on Earth Arise? 13. What Determines Species Diversity? 14. What Genetic Changes Made Us Uniquely Human? 15. How Are Memories Stored and Retrieved? 16. How Did Cooperative Behavior Evolve? 17. How Will Big Pictures Emerge from a Sea of Biological Data? 18. How Far Can We Push Chemical Self-Assembly? 19. What Are the Limits of Conventional Computing? 20. Can We Selectively Shut Off Immune Responses? 21. Do Deeper Principles Underlie Quantum Uncertainty and Nonlocality? 22. Is an Effective HIV Vaccine Feasible? 23. How Hot Will the Greenhouse World Be? 24. What Can Replace Cheap Oil -- and When? 25. Will Malthus Continue to Be Wrong? So Much More to Know . . . A roundup of 100 additional problems that should keep researchers busy for years to come.
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