Let me preface this post with a comment: I rant at times. Sometimes for great length. I did not go too long in this post. I started out nice and calm but as I wrote more and more, I began to seethe till finally, I exploded in a torrent of anger and insanity focused on the actions of my government. I do not apologize because I'm exercising my first amendment right to free speech. I honestly don't think its that bad but... whatever.**********************************************************************
I did say I'd find the links to the video of the interview. They are in fact on YouTube. Its in three parts and can be found at these links: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Onwards to the reaction to Clinton.
I know my appreciation for CNN knows no bounds. I can't help it. It was ingrained in me as a child because my parents loved the news and it was the only 24 hour news network there was. They invented the damned thing. I also loved that James Earl Jones ident that you never hear anymore. The only other channel we watched as much was the Weather Channel! Well, in the last 24 hours or so (except for some of 360 last night), I've watched the "others". I wanted to see how Fox and not to mention MSNBC, ABC, and CBS would cover the Clinton interview. I know what Coop said about it last night and that was good enough for me as far as CNN was concerned. I loved it on 360 last night when they revealed this regarding Clinton: "Spokesman Tony Snow, a former FOX News commentator quipped, 'He retorts, you decide.'" Excellant! A "Rush" transcript of 360 can be read here. To Anderson Cooper's credit, he reported the news with nothing in the way of opinion and interviewed numerous people from different schools of thought. That's why I love Anderson!
Earlier in the day, I watched Good Morning America. Diane Sawyer had Bill O'Reilly on to discuss the recently broadcast Bill Clinton interview we all love to analyse to death. He was milder than he normally is. I can only guess it was because it wasn't his show, he wasn't in charge and its Dame Diane Sawyer, a real Lady of Journalism. He said that Clinton as well as many in the current administration such as the hated 4: Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld. Not to bring me back to Cooper but it reminded me of the spinning going on a year ago about Katrina. Mary Landrieu said people were frustrated. People aren't frustrated! People are dying!!! Those people are our servicmen and women! Whatever...
I watched Keith Olbermann and his Countdown over on MSNBC. I like Olbermann and I wish he wasn't on MSNBC which I forget about half the time because its on channel 70 and all the other news channels are clustered together in the 30's. "The Dirty Thirties!" ...Anyway. Olbermann devoted quite a large chunk of his show to an editorial. He pointed out that Clinton's "tear" during the interivew on Fox opened up a lot of doors, not to mention windows, doggie doors, escape hatches and bunker seals to run around and scream at the current administration for their ineptitude and inane stupidity. He also claimed that it was a wake-up call to the media as a whole. That they need no longer swig from the bottle of booze known as Stooge. They could now start ripping down the sets that Bush and his administration built. Olbermann went for quite some time on his own "tear" toward Bush and his administration. So much so I almost jumped up and applauded. I didn't but I shed a tear or ten. Its nice to see the press finally get a spine back. His editorial can (and should) be read here.
This morning on MSNBC, they were still going on about this interview but now they were splitting hairs. An anchorwoman on MSNBC was discussing with two men about Clinton showing a little leg. Apparently, his socks were too low and his pants were too high. Couldn't someone tell him "to pull down his pants?" Oh yeah, that was brilliant! I was astounded that they would devote any more time than 10 seconds mentioning Clinton's wardrobe malfunction.
Ok... things are getting absurd. Maybe they were to begin with. Now, there is talk of pre-planning (isn't planning already pre-whatever? That's like pre-early. "I wanted to beat you here so I got here pre-early") on both sides. Did Wallace plan on brow-beating Clinton to deflect criticsm of Murdoch getting cozy with Clinton and his initiatives? Did Clinton plan on ripping Wallace a new asshole on the GOP leaning Fox news? One may believe that both are correct statements. Fox did need to make an effort to offset the potentially troubling coupling. Dems need help for the election in 5-6 weeks. Leaking parts of the National Intelligence Estimate isn't enough. (Which if you don't know about that, lord, help you!)
Was Wallace even smirking? His colleagues all jokingly told him "just don't smirk!" And Clinton's finger wagging... well, the last time he did that was in fact when he told us he didn't have sexual relations with Monica.
Take this how you want to. There's spinning on either side. Case in point: Condaleeza Rice has come out today to talk about Clinton's claims that the Bush administration was asleep at the wheel its first 8 months. "The notion somehow for eight months the Bush administration sat there and didn't do that is just flatly false - and I think the 9/11 commission understood that," she said in interview with many staff members of the New York Post. She also mentioned "we were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al-Qaida" contradictory to Clinton's assertion that he did. The same article ends with Hillary, always defending her husband, saying "I just think that my husband did a great job in demonstrating that Democrats are not going to take this." And, in fact, it is likely they won't take any of this any more.
But before I declare the Democrats awake and out of torpor, I must briefly mention that many of these people went along with every brazen and emboldened thing Bush could think up to ruin this country. Why? Fear be damned, its politics! The Politics of Fear, in fact, a strategy most usefully employed by lords and kings in the feudal era. That was when "Might makes Right" was the slogan of the day. The Bush administration continues to use fear as a political tool to keep the left doing their bidding, the media reporting what he says they can and the American people as a whole sweating and re-electing. He keeps us scared for his own ends. And we are turning into the country we swore we never would, that we wouldn't be terrorized by terrorists. But we are! We are scared because of our privacy isn't, our rights are infringed, we can't bring liquids on airplanes, there's anthrax in the air and e. coli on our spinach (Ok, the last one isn't related but whatever...). They keep asking if Americans feel safer now and the answer is no!!! How could we be? And how can we feel safer with a government that reveals nothing? Even if al-Quada didn't exist, I'd still be scared becuase my government is frightening!!!
So, our government still runs on the medieval idea of whomever has the ability to kill more must be the best. In a WWE smackdown, sure! But this is Global Politics and we are a democracy. Conflict should never be settled with bombs and bullets but debate and discourse. I'm hoping Bill Clinton opened the flood gates for the Democratic Party. I hope they launch into scathing attacks of not only the failings of the current administration but also the lies, the deception and the stupid strategies employed by nitwits who can't win either war we're in. I hope...
And if I sounded crazed and Clinton looked crazed its because we are. Fox did itself a disservice by advertising the crazed Clinton. Anyone would be crazed at this day and year for all the shit we see happening. I feel as though I'm living in Nazi Germany before the war: I'm watching the beacon on the hill become the cesspool in the sewer. And I just can't take it anymore!!!!!
There are too many things to bitch about. I'm done. There is nothing else to say. Whatever...
Former president William Jefferson Clinton was inteviewed by Chris Wallace for Fox News' Sunday show. the 42nd President seemed to lose it and go on a "tear". He accused Wallace of being unfair. Not to quote him or anything but he told Wallace "you did Fox's bidding on this show. You did your nice little conservative hit job on me". Clinton was asked specifically Why he didn't put Bin laden and al-Qaeda "out of business". He immediately became aggressive in his reply. He claims that he was obsessed with finding and killing Bin Laden, that he planned strikes on Afghanistan but scrubbed them because of backlash. He also planned an invasion to get Bin Laden but was denied basing abilities in Uzbekistan.The entire transcript should be read but it doesn't do it justice. Can't wait to find the whole thing on YouTube.
On a completely different train of thought, The 12 signs of fascism. Must be seen!
Night!
Its a Friday and therefore, don't give me a lot of news to ponder over the weekend. However, having said that, I know I will ponder away and listen to NPR because I cannot get my XM to work at my job (deep in the bowels of a pool hall kitchen) so I'm without my beloved CNN. One could do with worse things...First off, the major international shakeup in diplomacy. Ya gotta love "he said, he said, denial" moments even if they aren't on a sitcom or soap. The President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, remarked to CBS that a US official (Richard Armitage, who was Deputy Secretary of State to Colin Powell) told Musharraf that he had to cooperate with the US or Pakistan would be bombed "back to the stone age". Whether this can be done is not a question. Look at what a hurricane did here! The question is did he? Armitage may have made the comment but everyone is deying it in a scramble to cover their own ass...ets. Armitage would never have had the authorization to implement force of any kind and so making a comment like this would have been foolhardy. Food for thought: If one makes threats he can't fullfil, he's a jackass. If one believes them, he's an idiot. Regardless, this will play out as the current administration takes criticsm from foreign leaders visiting the US and from even our allies. There isn't a lot of room for latitude and this only adds to the melee.
Like they say on NPR: Science Friday. In many ways it was the newsmaker today. One of the astronauts who returned from their 12 day mission aboard Atlantis collapsed not once but twice today during a ceremony to welcome the crew home. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper collapsed once after beginning to appear confused. After being revived she attempted to continue speaking only to collapse again in a similar manner less than a minute later. She was then escorted through the side door at Ellington Air Base. NASA officials are citing fatigue and adjustment from the Cosmic Electricians 2 grueling spacewalks and her time in zero gravity.
The First Iraninan into space is a woman. She's also the first woman who is a space tourist. Iranian-born US citizen Anousheh Ansari has been enjoying herself aboard the International Space Station after arriving on a Soyuz spacecraft with a cosmonaut and astronaut. She is taking photos, listening to amateur radio and staying out of the way of those trying to actually work. She is a 40-year-old telecoms entrepreneur by day.
Twenty-three people died in a accident involving a maglev train in Germany. The train wsa only warrying 15 passengers since it was testing the track. Reportedly, the accident was caused by human error after the train struck a mainenance vehicle on the track. In addition to the 23 fatalities, 10 others are also listed as injured. These numbers may change. This is the first such incident in the life of the Magnetic Levitation trains. The train was estimated to be travelling at 125mph at the test track in northwestern Germany. Currently, the only commercially operated train is in Shanghai and the trains may reach up to 270mph. That being said, the Japanese have clocked one going as fast as 361mph. At thi time, German officials are laying blame on Human Error. It seems there may have been a series of failures leading to the vehicle being on the track.
And finally, in legal (and local news), Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. was given the Death Penalty for his kidnapping, beating, raping and later stabbing of University of North Dakota student, Dru Sjodin. This story has been huge around here. Almost as big as the psycho hmong hunter last fall. The case, though tried in North Dakota, was a federal case. The man is from Crookston, MN and crossed state lines. Since the case was federal, a death penalty was always possible. In North Dakota, the death penalty is not legal. It has been nearly a century since such a fate has been handed out by a jury in North Dakota.
Please remember the bright, wonderful person that was Dru Sjodin. She had her whole life in front of her and had it ended so mercilessly.
Yesterday, at the United Nations, Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, spoeke out against the United States and its hegemonic political policies. In fact, here is the juicy bits where Chavez refered to President George W. Bush as the devil.I think that the first people who should read this book are our brothers and sisters in the United States, because their threat is right in their own house.
"The devil is right at home. The devil, the devil himself, is right in the house.
"And the devil came here yesterday. Yesterday the devil came here. Right here." [crosses himself] "And it smells of sulfur still today."
"Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world."
A transcript of the speech can be found on this site. Want to watch it?
The book he refers to is Noam Chomsky's book Hegemony or Survival: The Imperialist Strategy of the United States which has jumped to the top of Amazon's sales rankings after being somewhere in the very obscure. He encouraged Americans to read it and evidently, they are taking him up on it.
Also, Anderson Cooper interviewed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his show last night. Cooper only got 20 minutes with the leader so there wasn't time to get into the most meaty questions such Iran's plans for world domination and the spread of Islam. He did however ask him if the President does indeed believe the holocaust did not occur. Ahmadinejad circtitiously answered the question with evasion and repetition. He did make sure that we know that the Iranian people love Americans and peace. At one point he accused Cooper of asking him similar questions and that his questions were given to him. Anderson Cooper retorted that they were his and we have free press in this country unlike Iran. In defense of Anderson, what could he do? Ahmadinejad never came out and answered a question and Cooper wanted --WANTED -- those answers so he fought for them but eventually moved on.
Which is what I'm doing now. The military coup in Thailand was apparently a bloodless coup. However, the political machinations of the country such as the ability to speak out and assemble have been banned. Radio and Television operatrions are under the control of the military. Ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is in London after arriving there from New York. He was in the US for the opening if the 61st General Assembly of the United Nations. Four of the Prime Ministe's government are being detained by the militray which has declared martial law. The man in charge now is General Sonthi Boonyaratglin who has stated that he intends to return Thailand to Democracy as soon as possible. The King evidently approves of the coup and its likely it wouldn't have occured if he hadn't given prior blessings. Lukman B. Lima, exiled leader of Muslim rebels, hailed the coup d'etat as a move in the right direction. The Army Cheif is a Muslim and could help end the conflict between the Buddhist and Muslim factions within Thailand.
The woman who stole the baby in Missouri is allegedly Shannon Torrez. She claims to have miscarried a baby the morning of the abduction. She arrived at her hearing today and kept her head down. The hearing lasted about 20 minutes and the woman never spoke above a whisper. She was seen to be wiping tears away. One can only wonder what is going through her mind during this time. As for the baby, she has been returned to her mother and father. The baby was spotted by Torrez' sister-in-law when they went to take the baby to the doctor. She noticed makeup and the baby's forehead that was no doubt there ot cover the baby's distintive and well pubilcized birth mark. After rubbing it off, she confronted Torrez and then took the baby and handed her over to authorities. Good on ya, lady!
One last comment regarding Bill O'Reilly whom I don't hate because he's fiercely conservative. In fact, I don't hate him. My serious issues with O'Reilly are his tendency to believe he knows everything and his desire to try and convict people on his show despite his being ill qualified for both. My other large problem with the talking head is his propensity to yell down others and disrepect those of different opinions. Unless you're a conservative lapdog (or as they were called back in the early 90's, populist) or Ann Coulter, you're going to crucified if you go on his show. To add to my list of peeves against the "No Spin" guy is his apparent gloating about being on Al-Quaeda's death list while being interviewed by Barabara Walters for ABC's 20/20. "With the controversy comes death threats on a daily basis," O'Reilly said on Wednesday night's show. "Not only from kooks. But the FBI came in and warned me and a few other people at Fox News that al Qaeda had us on a death list. That's a little disconcerting." But who goes about telling people about that? Apparently, O'Reilly who lives on the edge, keeping alive by doing whatever it is he does.... On RADAR online, people at FOX and the FBI both denied the claim. An angent for the FBI even went so far as to say "I'm not aware of any FBI agents warning anyone at Fox News of their presence on any list....For that matter, I'm not aware of any al-Qaeda hit list targeting journalists. Agents from the D.C. field office, FBI headquarters, and an agent from the kidnapping unit went to Fox's offices in New York last month to advise them specifically on the Gaza kidnapping [of Fox employees Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig]. But they only talked to management, they didn't talk to any individual journalists".
There's a lot of news todayPresident Bush spoke at the opening day of the United Nation's 61st General Assembly. By the way, The President this year is Sheika Haya Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain. Shie is the first woman from the Middle East ot hold such a position. (w00t) Kofi Annan gave his Annual Report, the the President of Brazil spoke. President Bush finally got up to speak about Weapons of Mass Destruction and laid out our issues with Iran. Later today, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will also address the UN General Assembly. One can only believe that the Iranian president plans to reply to President Bush's demands for Iran to UN resolutions.
In Thailand, while the Prime Minister is in New York attending the UN General Assembly, a military coup was staged. This is a current event. CNN is reporting that all external news channels are blocked so residents are not getting CNN, the BBC or other international broadcasters.
According to CNN, there is space debris in the same orbit as Space Shuttle Atlantis. It is unclear whether it is merely debris or a piece of the shuttle itself that has broken off. Astronauts will likely need to do another spacewalk to inspect the ship again before reentry. Obviously, the reentry itself will have to be delayed until the necessary precautions can be taken.
Judge Abdullah al-Amiri, the jurist who was hearing the trial of Saddam Hussein and his cronies, has been replaced under the direction of the Primie Minister of Iraq. He was soft on the ousted dictator and even had said to Hussein during the trial that he was not a dictator. It can safely be assumed that moments like these were what led to the change of judges.
Unless you've been living under a rock, in cave in Tennessee or wherever news is not printed or broadcast, the US has enemy combatant detainees. We are holding them in Guantanomo Bay, Cuba. As long as we are a nation held ot the standards of the Geneva Convention which outlines treatment of Prisoners of War, we have to label these individuals as such. If not, we'd be in severe violation. So on a technicality, we hold these people in prison indefinitely. President Bush proposes that we amend Article 3 of the Geneva Convention to make trying these individuals easier and less recrimination on the CIA for questionable interrogation techniques. In fact, persons could be tried without access to the very evidence that the prosecution will use against them. This violates the due process we hold dearly in this country. They've already violated habeas corpus so this isn't a stretch. Senator John McCain, a Republican form Arizona, is leading two other Republican rebels, John Warner of Virginia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, in the senate who are opposed to this proposal. In addition, General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State under President Bush, has also voiced his opinion against the amendment. Several questions remain" If we amend Article 3, do we negate the very convention? Will other nations amend theirs, leave it alone, or disregard it as blatantly as our government has? Can we amned it? Will our service people be treated as bad or worse than we do?
When turning on CNN this morning, I was impressed by the fact that it must be a slow news day. They aren't reporting about a lot of different things. They did another instalment of Genius Reports. These are items about genius that are supposed to entice us to watch Neurologist and CNN medical contributor, Sanjay Gupta, and his special report this Sunday on Geniuses. All this does is make me depressed. I'm a smart gal but I never got the oppurtunity to learn in a way that suited my abilities better. Islugged it out for years in relative misery.But beyond my own self-disparaging, CNN is just not doing a great job today. They did a report on NASA unfurling the solar array for the International Space station. However, it was slowed down by a computer glitch. First bolts, now glitches. NASA can't expect to have a robust recruiting program.
The Montreal shooter was named Kimveer Gill. He was also known as the Angel of Death. He was a 25-year-old from the Montreal suburb. Laval. He fit the dark, sulky loner type that is often the perpetrator of sucha cts at schools like the Columbine massacre. He even wore atrench coat and dark clothes. The gunmen hated authority figures and "jocks".
Like Lysistrata, Women are forgoing sex to protest violence. In the classic Greek play by Aristophanes, the women of Athens withhold sexual acts from their men until they end their war. Women in cities in present day Columbia that are the wives and girlfriends of gang members are holding a "Strike of Crossed Legs". Go Girls! The mayor of one of the most violent cities, Pereira, also backed the strike. The women are asking the men to disarm forgo gang violence.
Claudia Mitchell, ex-Marine and Motorcycle rider, received a bionic arm recently. She and Jessie Sullivan, the first recipient of such an appendage, showed off the devices at a press conference in Washington, D.C. today. Mitchell lost hers in motorcycle accident two years ago and Sullivan lost both arms in an industrial accident. The two can move their respective arms with a though since nerves in the brain are connected to electronics that mobilize the bionic arms.
Now, I will explain my headline. Anderson Cooper, CNN's hot prematurely grey news anchor will have actor/director George Clooney on his show 360 tonight. Clooney will be discussing the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan after speaking at theUN on the subject. These two men are at the top of my list of suave, sexy, intelligent men. I will be watching every second of this program, trying not to drool.
In Montreal today, a violent hostage situation erupted at Dawson College. It is asmall school with a student body of 10,000 or so. Four people are believed injured and a shooter has killed himself. There exists a possibility of more shooters. There may have been 1-2 more shooters. Though CNN can't give a lot of details, CBC said there was a man in a trench coat and mohawk storming into the cafeteria. But there was also mention of a shooter wearing fatigues and long hair. Other suspects may indeed be among the fleeing students. So this is definitely a developing story. The Astronauts. They waited. A long time. But that apparently does not mean they won't lose shit. This is not a new thing for astronauts. Just in July, Discovery spacewalkers lost a 14-inch spatula that floated away. This time they've lost two bolts. To begin, with it took three astronauts to unscrew a bolt on the International Space Station. This answered the age old question: How many astronauts does it take to screw in a bolt?
In Dolton, Illinois, there is a present hostage situation at a bank. A man attempted to rob the bank and holds two employees in the vault.
El Niño has formed in Pacific Ocean and, according to NOAA, will last well into 2007. This may account for the quieter Atlantic hurricane season. It will likely mean milder Winter temperatures for Western and Central Canada as well as Western and Northern US. Florida and the gulf will probably be wetter and Ohio, drier.
Anna Nicole Smith lost her son, Daniel WayneSmith on September 10th, in the Bahamas. He had come there to visit with his mother after giving birth to a baby girl on September 7th. A formal inquiry has been scheduled for October 23. The events surrounded his death are suspicious and the least amount of details have been revealed to keep the investigation running. Regardless of how anyone feels about 1993 playmate of the year, her loss is heavy and devastating. She should be celebrating the new addition to her family. And this little girl will never know her brother.
Chevron found new oil reserves off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. This may, in fact, dwarf the reserves in Alaska. The oil reserves may be the biggest find in 38 years. However, the deposits are years away from production. Furthermore, finding more oil does not mean we should stop looking for alternative fuels sources and types. This only heightens the need to develop different methods since finding new desposits is a rare event. It will only become rare as peak oil runs its course.Japan can breathe easier. Princess Kiko has given birth to a son. He weighed in at only 5.6 lbs. and had to be delivered by caesarean section but the hospital claims he is healthy. Up till now, there had been discussion of changing succession laws in Japan to enable Princess Aiko, the neice of the Princess and her husband, Prince Akishino. Her husband is second in line to the throne behind his elder brother, Crown Prince Naruhito. The new Prince is third in line.
Samir Shehadeh's car was blasted by a bomb controlled by remote near the Southern Lebanese city of Sidon. He is an intelligence official who was investigating the death of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri early last year. Four of his aides and bodyguards were killed.
An Indian official announced that Billoo Gujjar of the Islamic separatist group Hizbul Mujahedeen was killed in KIasmir, specifically, the Udhampur district. He was killed in the Indian controlled section of Kashmir and there was an estimated $12,000 reward on his head.
A man by the name of Christian Nielsen was arrested after a killing spree that left four dead over the weekend in Maine. The cook killed an Arkansas man and then, two days later, killed a bed-and-breakfast owner, her daughter and her daughter's friend. He later dismembered the man and burnt his remains in the woods.
Felipe Calderon has finally been declared the winner of Mexico's hotly contested July 2nd election. Lopez Obrador, his opponent, objects to the ruling. Obrador's supporters lit fireworks and wept as the decision was announced. Many claim there is corruption.
On this day in 1666, London caught fire. Despite 10,000 buildings being burned, only 16 people perished.
On this day back in 1972, the terrorist group "Black September" took Israeli athletes hostages during the Munich Olympic Games. They later were killed 9 during a rescue attempt. Two of the total 11 died at the beginning of the massacre. Of the eight terrorists themselves, five were killed while the remaining three were captured. A German police officer was also killed during the massacre.
Israel and Hezbollah agree to talks about the two soldiers whose kidnapping sparked the recent conflict in Lebanon. Kofi Annan, Secretery General of theUnited Nations. Israel will undoubtedly be asking for unconditional return of the prisoners. Hezbollah has stated that it would like a swap of Arab prisoners held in Israel. Both sides requested Anna's mediation in the talks.Sudan changed the conditions for the African Union. Instead of kicking them all out, they will be allowed to stay only if they stay without any involvement in the United Nations. The UN is still struggling to get peacekeeping forces in Sudan. Sudan is split over its black African population and its Muslim majority. Darfur, the region of the rebellion as well as the most bloodshed, has suffered greatly at the hands of the pro-government militias. With the rejection of resolution 1706, Sudan chooses to go on this alone. Though the UN has never called what is happening in Sudan genocide, it is close. The destruction is systematic and to some degree, calculated.
A man was shot dead near an ancient Roman amphitheater in Amman, Jordan. The fatality was a British. Others were Dutch, British and Jordanian. More as this develops.
Yesterday, a military helicopter was shot down in the South Ossetian region of Georgia. No one was injured but it has sparked a maelstrom. Georgia, once a part of the now-defunct USSR, has had its share of problems with regions desiring autonomy. In addition to South Ossetia, Abkhazia in the west would also like to be independent.
Convert now or forever hold your sins. A man calling himself Assam the American called on the US and many non-muslims to convert. As long as Americans are ignorant to Islam, they will accept and even applaud wars and conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon by Israel, according to Assam. He also stated "To Americans and the rest of Christendom we say, either repent [your] misguided ways and enter into the light of truth or keep your poison to yourself", according to the BBC. Assam the Americans' real name is believed to be Adam Gadahn and he is wanted by the FBI for questioning.Not only does Sudan reject the UN resolution to put Peacekeeping troops on the ground, it also told the African Union, which does have troops there, to leave. Since 2003, fighting between the pro-government military and rebel factions has caused thousands to die, millions to go homeless and suffer hellish conditions. This may indicate that Sudan plans to handle the rebels with military strikes. The AU has reported that rebel held villages in Darfur are already being attacked by troops. Sudan has given the 7,000 strong AU troops till the end of September to leave.
Qatar is sending up to 300 troops to help in Lebanon.
Fresh fighting in the Philippines between Abu Sayyaf rebels and Filipino troops, has claimed five Filipino soldiers and several rebels. The Abu Sayyaf are a militant Muslim terrorists with alleged links to al-Qaeda. According to the BBC, "Troops have been fighting Abu Sayyaf rebels on the remote southern island of Jolo since late July in a bid to flush out leader Khadaffy Janjalani."
India is dealing with floods in two of the strangest places: Rajasthan and Kashmir. Neither know floods intimately. Rajasthan is the Thar Desert, in fact, and usually knows drought. But it was recently flooded by immense monsoon rains and 135 people lost their lives. In Kashmir, 1 person has died after being swept away while 200,000 are effected by the flooding. As many as 200 villages have been "marooned". Villagers are reluctant to leave their homes despite the water. Southern Kashmir and Jammu are the worst effected.
A fire at a chemical plant in the Galicia region in Spain last week, resulted in a highly toxic petroleum spill that is slowy creeping down the Umia river to the Atlantic ocean. Water supplies to residents have been cut off form the river and shell fishing industries have been closed for the interim. In the meantime, the government is trying to prevent the pollution of the Ocean by rigging dams to stop the spill.
Sri Lankan troops have taken control of an area near Trincomalee, a town held by Tamil Tiger rebels. A cease-fire had been declared in 2002 but conflict was sparked earlier this year and continues to excalate.
Two hostages have been taken by inmates in a Russian prison in Moscow. The prison is a pre-trial center. The head of the center is believed to be one of the hostages. The inmates have not made any demands yet
A bomb has gone off at a bar in Bujumbura, Burundi, on the eve of talks reconvening. The National Liberation Forces (FNL) has not signed the peace deal and is the last group. Four people were killed and twelve injured in the explosion.
In Somalia, the provisional government took control of the Baidoa from clan militias. The clans were exacting taxes of $20 on every passenger and $100 on every plane using the airport. After some policement were trying to leave for Kenya for training, conflict broke out. Six died while seven more were left wounded.
In Hyderabad, India, a 60-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her daughter-in-law. Laxmi, the daughter-in-law, supposedly smashed H. Ramabai, the mother-in-law, in the head with a boulder while she slapt. The woman admitted to the Saroornagar police that she had done the deed over criticism on trivial matters. There may have been another motive. Laxmi apparently was having an affair and the older woman discovered it. Desperate Housewives: India?
Gene Therpay has cured two men of skin cancer and may be a highly feasible method of conquering cancer. The method uses T-cells from patients, modifies them and retransfuses them. The cells attack tumor cells rather than ignore them.
Today, Steve Irwin, better known as the Crocodile Hunter, died after being stung by a Sting ray in the shallow waters off Port Douglas, Australia. Reportedly, a barb from the sting ray punctured his heart. Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to do anything for the wildlife enthusiast. He is survived by his wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue and Robert "Bob" Clarence. He was 44.
On this day back in 1781, Los Angeles was founded by the Spanish.
On this day in 1888, George Eastman registered his Kodak camera that used rolls. It would be 100 years and then some before the next big innovation in cameras: Digital.
34 years ago, Mark Spitz won his seventh gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. He set a record that still stands today. Many a male swimmer contends to break this record. In 2008, will it be Phelps or Thorpe?
I missed posting more on Friday and posting at all on Saturday due to the arrival of a friend long since gone to the Army. Due to my own choices, he was still in high school the last time I saw him. He's now 26 and on working on his second marriage. Anywho, where was I? Ah, yes: the News.
A bomb explodes in Catak, a town in Eastern Turkey near the border with Iran. There was reportedly a suspicioud package in a tea garden (really an outdoor cafe) and the police were summoned. The package exploded as polic arrived killing one of the officers as well as a bystander. It is believed to be the work of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has been pressuring the United States and the UN to erradicate hideoutsi n neighboring Iraq.
Over 200 Taliban and 4 Canadian soldiers die in Southern Afghanistan. NATO has begun Operation Medusa since taking over the area near Kandahar in July. They also are working with Afghan troops.
Lieutnenat James Daniel of the United states Army has recommended that three soldiers face the death penalty. Army Staff Sgt Raymond Girouard, Spc William Hunsaker, Pfc Corey Claggett and Spc Juston Graber admitted to killing detainees during Operation Iron Triangle in Tikrit in May. They also threatened another soldier if he told anyone about the killings. The last US soldier to be executed was in 1961. Even though there is precedent, it is rare.
The beleaguered nation of Myanmar (Burma) has not had a constitution in a long time. It has actually been run by the miltary since 1962. Aung San Suu Kyi and her political party won election in 1990 by a very large margin but she has never been allowed to govern. Apparently things may be changing... for the better. At various times there have been talks to building a new constitution in an effort to create a democracy. The US has put pressure on the UN to put this in their security council agenda. We'll see if this makes a difference.
Another news item related to Myanmar: Karen refugees livingi ncramped camps in THailand have finally been given the greenlight to live somewhere after nearly 10 years. THe United States is taking them. There was a clause in a National Security Act that banned people who had contact with Rebel forces. This has been waived. The clause is set up to get those who were in the armed forces, not those who happen to live amongst the hotspots they came from. It would be like banning the Irish because the PIRA came from Dublin. There may be 130,000 coming to live here in the US. Welcome!!!
Europe's first spacecraft to the moon crashes after its three year mission. And they were happy about it. It crashed in the Lake of Excellence and sent debris kilometeres into space. They hope that the behavior of the debris will help them study the geology and composition of the moon. Wouldn't getting moon rocks back be better?
This should not be considered news. The American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that those who live in extreme poverty tend to have more chronic illnesses. In other words: you poor, you sick. It does not take a great stretch of the imagination to notice that those who cannot affored to eat well and by extension, live well, will not be well. If a large part of your caloric intake comes from nutritionally poor substances because its affordable then your diet does not help you either. This is news?
Tom Cruise apologized to Brooke Shields. Its been some time since he's made some dubiously sane remarks on the Today Show about Brooke Shields and her treatment for post-partem depression. She decided to anti-depressants to help with extreme symptoms of the depression. In his conversation with Today Show host Matt Lauer, he slammed Shields for her decision and used her as an example of those that should seek help from Scientology, a religion he espouses. He also heralded himself as an expert on psychiatric pharmaceuticals though he is only a highly (over)paid movie star. Cruise, though sincere according to Shields, may be motivated by Paramount dropping his production company and features that he was working on. At the time, he, his associates and his representatives waved it off like it was nothing. But it may have made Cruise think twice about being such a jerk.
Lastly, Andre Agassi ended his 21 year career Sunday after losing to Benjamin Becker. Becker, ranked only 112th, beat him in three sets to move past the third round of the US Open, in New York. As Agassi left Arthur Ashe Stadium, he waved to crowd and was honored with a four minute ovation. He will now be able to spend more time with his wife, Tennis champion Steffi Graf, and their two children.
Why must I always write about Iran? They always seem to come up somehow. There was a fire on a plane in Mashhad, Iran today. Eigthy people died, none of whom were crew members. The plane was carrying 147 passengers. The plane in question is a Russin Tupolev 154. Incidents with planes, whether crashing or what not, are a common occurrance in Iran. Economic sanctions make it very difficult for the country to import the spare parts it needs. Regions in Russia are making Russian Orthodoxy a subject in school. The Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga and Smolensk regions will make it compulsory while 11 other regions will make it an optional course. The curriculum stresses history rather than theology. However, opponents point out that the Russian constitution clearly states that there is a seperation of church and state. Moreover, the Muslim minority, who constitute at least 10% of the federation, are feeling slighted. They say that the same measure should be extended to Muslim students with Islamic history an optional subject.
The European Union apparently is growing faster economically than Japan or the good ole USA. However, their ability to create jobs is less than stellar. It is expected to lessen somewhat as we go into the end of the year. Another African country banning homosexual parties, Ghanian Information Minister Kwamena Bartels noted that since it is illegal to by gay in Ghana, there shouldn't be a conference for homosexuals there. The conference is set to take place next month. My question is why they choose Ghana, a place that does not accept Homosexuals in the first place, for that kind of party? Tropical Storm Ernesto came ashore at Long Beach, North Carolina. It is now headed northward. Norfolk, Virginia better look out.
Hurricane John is a Category 3 storm and headed for Baja California. Cabo San Lucas is in the bull's eye. I'll have more later.
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