Religion sucks #19

Indonesia Steps Up Probe Against Jemaah Islamiyah After Blast
By Berni Moestafa
July 20 (Bloomberg) --

Jemaah Islamiya

Funding.

Busy little buggers these guys

Olmert: U.S. must stop focusing on settlements

Last update - 16:44 18/07/2009
By Haaretz Service
Tags: ehud olmert, Haaretz TV

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has called the United States' focus on freezing construction in the West Bank an impediment to the Middle East peace process, in an article published in The Washington Post on Friday...

Bwaaaah ha ha ha ha hahahaaahaaaa.

Chutzpah.

Gold

HISTORICAL GOLD PRICES- 1833 to Present (May '09)

Published on Friday, July 20, 2001 by Salon.com
Exporting Corporate Control
A Gold Company with Ties to the Bush Family Tries to Muzzle a Muckraking Journalist
by Joe Conason

Poppy Strikes Gold by Greg Palast
—By Greg Palast, From The Best Democracy Money Can Buy (Penguin/Plume, 2003)
April 2003 Issue

Gold Mining Threatens Ancient Andean Glaciers
in Top 25 Censored Stories for 2007
Source: CorpWatch.com, June 20, 2005
Title: “Barrick Gold Strikes Opposition in South”
Author: Glenn Walker

Bush permits desecration of Mt. Tenabo for gold mining
By Steven Newcomb
Despite years of well-voiced opposition from traditional Western Shoshones, the Bush administration, by-way-of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), approved a massive open-pit, cyanide heap-leach gold mine at Mount Tenabo.
Posted on November 28th, 2008 by hunwut

Congo suffering

Gee, somehow I didn't buy Obama's admonishment of Africans regarding their corruption. I wonder why?

This is why I don't smoke pot

Because FUCK THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS, the pinche pendejos.

Walter Cronkite died today

bummer

slideshow ABC


Cronkite's regret

San Diego History "The Stingaree"

Unforgettable: A Walk on the Stingaree Side, Part 1 /

Jeff Smith | Published Wednesday, July 1,2009

Unforgettable: A Walk on the Stingaree Side, Part 2

Unforgettable: A Walk on the Stingaree Side, Part 3
By Jeff Smith | Published Wednesday, July 15, 2009

(Next time: Walter Bellon: “The most hated man in San Diego.”)

Friday squirrel blogging

picture from February, when there was some green stuff around.



You simply have got to read BadTux today. He's been closely following the health insurance wankers.

Secrets of the Temple by William Greider

This book is massive.I don't think I've wanted to read a book this long since I read
The Arms of Krupp, by William Manchester

I never really thought about the inflation of the 70's redistribuing wealth more to middle-class homeowners from the investor class, but it makes sense.

I did have an alarming thought when he mentioned that the wealthy buy gold and (US) real estate as a hedge against inflation, like the Chinese have done some of recently.

Memorial Held for Herb Klein; Former Nixon Aide, Union-Tribune Exec

SAN DIEGO — Memorial services were held Tuesday for former Nixon aide and Union-Tribune executive Herb Klein...
...He helped guide the chain's editorial positions, while maintaining contacts in politics and sports. He served a combined 52 years with Copley...


Jeebus, can I puke now? I'm so sick of hearing about this creep. He may have been helpful to the RepugnanThuglicans here, but that's what I hate about this town, and that's what I hated about that paper.

Just Fabulous

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Norma McCorvey

The Scene: Culture Wars Intrude on a Day of Cordiality
By Ann Gerhart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

"...On the way out, an older white-haired woman turned to yell about overturning Roe v. Wade, then slipped through the door, where Capitol Hill police promptly arrested her.
She was Norma McCorvey, 61 -- Jane Roe herself."

Cowardly piece of shit bitch. You got what you wanted in 1971, and you don't have the right to to take the choice that your LIE opened up for other women. You lied about being raped, but the court system was already in motion and it eventually gave women who really were raped the choice regarding keeping a rapist's brat.

Fuck you. We have all done things that we wish we had not. We live with it, we don't hide behind a bunch of fanatical religious nut-jobs in order to take away choices for them.

Obama Repeats Threat to Veto Bill Over F-22 Jet

By CHRISTOPHER DREW
Published: July 13, 2009
President Obama placed his political capital on the line Monday and reiterated his threat to veto a military spending bill unless the Senate removed $1.75 billion set aside to buy seven additional F-22 fighter jets.

Good. The M-I-C doesn't need to be running what's left of the American economy.

As of 2009, the United States government is spending about $1 trillion annually on defense-related purposes

According to this, it's half the federal budget.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
That's Great Now Fix the Economy
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Cheney 'ordered CIA to hide plan'

Putting this mofo (and everyone else who cooperated with this arrogant dickhead) on trial at the Hague is the only way the US will ever reagain any credibility. Do I belive that this piece of shit Cheney will fall on his sword for his country?

Fuck No I don't believe that, too much money for Halliburton to make in the oil, and gas and war biz in Iraq and Iran.

Federal Reserve

AlterNet Video

Holding One of DC's Most Secretive Institutions Accountable
Posted by Harry Hanbury, Lagan Sebert, Mike Fritz, American News Project on July 10, 2009 at 8:40 AM.


The Federal Reserve is one of the most powerful and secretive institutions in Washington, long considered beyond the reach of lawmakers. But now, as details emerge of how the Fed secretly doled out more than a trillion dollars during the financial crisis, a rare bipartisan movement in Congress demands that the Fed be held accountable.

Federal Reserve

AlterNet Video

Holding One of DC's Most Secretive Institutions Accountable
Posted by Harry Hanbury, Lagan Sebert, Mike Fritz, American News Project on July 10, 2009 at 8:40 AM.

The Federal Reserve is one of the most powerful and secretive institutions in Washington, long considered beyond the reach of lawmakers. But now, as details emerge of how the Fed secretly doled out more than a trillion dollars during the financial crisis, a rare bipartisan movement in Congress demands that the Fed be held accountable.

The Governator of Calley-for-nya (title link article is excellent)

... California's ongoing budget crisis hasn't helped. Last year Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed the state's already meager funding for emergency shelters. The year before, he vetoed a $55 million program that would have provided housing for 5,000 people with mental illness. His most recent budget proposal slashes nearly all the services that aid the growing ranks of the poor--cutting eligibility for Social Security and disability and eliminating what's left of the state's welfare system, as well as its entire health insurance program for children. The governor plans to borrow $2 billion from cities and counties, which will mean severely reduced funds on the local level. All of this likely will throw more people onto the streets....


"In May, California voters rejected other parts of the February budget agreement. We believe that voters should be given a choice to decide if they want to keep $2.5 billion in corporate tax loopholes that were passed in secret by the Legislature as part of their failed budget deals," said Lenny Goldberg, executive director of the California Tax Reform Association.


Of course it's not ALL the Governator's fault. Long time Republican homeowners don't want to talk about the The Prop. 13 Gorilla

"The Family" LMAO

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Bible study that. Fundamentalist fucktards. Go figure.

Oh the other hand don't try to tell me that here is not a "Jewish mafia" type organization working in Washington, because I will call you a fucking liar. Why can't we be free of the ball and chain which is the Jewish state of Israel if that is not true? WTF does Israel do for the US?

How many more settlements will this "security aid" protect?

Wendell Potter on Profits Before Patients

This guy is heroic. Watch it. (click on title link)

Friday squirrel blogging

and Arianna keeps us focused on things that should make us squirrelly:

Arianna Huffington
Posted: July 9, 2009 04:58 PM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index
Keeping the Spotlight on Lobbying Outrages and Economic Hard Times

Pyongyang's cyber-terrorism hits home

Korea
Jul 10, 2009

By Donald Kirk (Asia Times)

WASHINGTON - North Korea has caught American and South Korean officials completely by surprise with a shocking cyber-offensive that has broad implications for the North's drive to perfect its ability to deliver weapons of mass destruction to carefully selected targets in Japan, South Korea or possibly the United States.


I don't know how we stop that pesky little megalomaniacal asshole Kim Jong-Il. Hopefully whichever of his brats he puts up as the next leader is useless, like a lot of spoiled brats are.

I promise I'll get all politicky again soon

Till then, here's this.

I'm sad today

People who flip out when they drink and do destructive things shoud be in jail when they do that, right? People who hit other people shouldn't be set free if they flip out when they don't take their medication and do booze and tweak, right?

Metinks de system broken. I hope my friend don't get more broken too. I guess bruises aren't enough evidence to charge someone.

San Diego Celebrates Independence Day

POSTED: 8:30 am PDT July 4, 2009
UPDATED: 8:53 am PDT July 4, 2009

The best places to view the nearly 20-minute-long fireworks show, according to organizers, is from Shelter Island, Harbor Island, North Embarcadero, Seaport Village and Coronado Ferry Landing...


Right. No smoking or drinking allowed on the beaches any more. So, a bunch of squirelly, whiny kids who are only awake because they've been drinking soft drinks all day and their grumpy, sunburnt parents? Parking nightmares?

No thanks.

There's about a dozen other places where they do fireworks displays around this county. I wish I cared. I don't like crowds or loud noises. I'll be doing the BBQ thing with a small group, wondering how many idiots will set fires with illegal fireworks? How many R-wing morons, or ignorant Mexicans will be shooting guns in the air? That's also illegal around here.

So, that was kind of a grumpy post, eh? Lemmee fix that. I love Craig Ferguson, this is a monologue that cracked me up last month. A Scottish guy who probably loves America more than I do, go figure.


Craig Ferguson 6/15/9B Late Late Show MONOLOGUE XD


And any excuse to use this pic. Buh-bye Molly McMooseturd, stay out of the public eye pleeeeeeeeeease.

Change Congress in 20 minutes

First seen posted by Agi over at Guys from Area51 , who also posts over at Agitprop

This might be a good reason to do so:

Weapons: Our #1 Export?
Frida Berrigan | June 30, 2009
Editor: John Feffer

God I hate this town sometimes

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Update: 6:08 PM 7/2/2009 TPM says
SD DA Bonnie Dumanis may get involved?
I decided to back off from the blogging and reading of blogs to do a little fiction reading. I've known for years that I like Joseph Wambaugh, so I decided to see how long it takes me to read his books that I've neglected over the years. I've recently started on his fiction. I read "Floaters" which I thought was too kind to San Diego law enforcement in general. I guess he didn't spend any time with any Sheriff's dept guys. I've always been hesitant to live in an area where they are in charge because they have a reputation for being assholes. Now keep in mind that this is coming from someone who has bent over backwards to stay within the confines of the law and have no arrest record to prove it.

Don't get me wrong, I personally have had a mixed bag of results with police. A couple of times as a victim of crime I was treated very respectfully. Once, I was absolutely terrified by this bitch cop because her cynical, nasty response to a beating victim (me) was so vicious. Once on a traffic violation the cop bent over backwards to be kind to me. If he had had a partner with him at the time I might not be writing this now because I was pissed and couldn't figure out what I had done wrong and I thought the siren was way the fuck over the top since I was looking for a safe place to pull over and that wasn't in the middle of the fucking intersection when he put the damn siren on.

Anyway, when you don't pay guys shit, and around 90% of the cops or sheriffs come originally from rednecked shitkicking towns all over the US, and decide that they just can't bear to part with the great weather in SD after they get out of the military you get what you get.

(See what I mean? "Abbott, 29, is a former Marine who has been employed by the Sheriff's Department since 2006" More and more of these guys are gonna overreact 'cause they get whacked out in war zones. They could get away with this shit after Nam and before cell phone cameras and the internet. )

They got pepper sprayed in Rancho Santa Fe at a political fundraiser. Rancho Santa Fe is one of the most expensive places to live in San Diego. I'm doubly pissed because I've met Francine Busby and she is a sweet, gentle, intelligent woman. Unfortunately she is a Democrat, which in this fucktard RepugnanThuglican run town is a bad thing.

Read the comments, notice the way that our local newZ covers this, you will see why the local law enforcement gets away with this shit.

Yeesh, your average cop is a sweetheart compared to these godamned greedy motherfucking fuckhead fucks:

Economic Crisis, The Audit — July 01, 2009 02:57 PM
NYT: Banks Gearing Up to Kill New Consumer-Protection Agency
By Ryan Chittum

I was never really a big Michael Jackson fan

But today it hit me that it seems like his music has always been part of the background noise in my life. I never saw the the movie Ben , but I remember the song Ben . I remember hearing ABC on the radio and I'll be there .

I heard a disturbing bit on the radio this morning about Joe Jackson promoting his record label at the Michael tribute thing and I got curious about Michael's young life, so I looked it up on Wikipedia . The kid was singing in strip clubs before he was 10?

Yeesh, no wonder Janet and Michael wrote Scream .

I found this song called Sugar Daddy on youtube but I don't really remember it. I remember the more innocent, sweet songs from when he was a boy.

I always hated PYT because the girl who antagonized a boyfriend that beat the crap out of me in front of her and then refused to go with me to file a police report loved that song. But who could forget Rock With You , or Human Nature or what a big deal that Thriller was?

Tragic death, but not uncommon it seems like, for a life lived in the spotlight.

The grandmother was granted temporary custody of Michael's children.

Someone put together a nice montage on youtube called Michael Jackson History

He was talented and successful and he leaves us lots of music and memories.

Russia blames US for flood of Afghan heroin into country

Why does this not surprise me?

And then there is this:


Obama creates a deadly power vacuum
By Spengler Middle East (Asia Times)
Jun 30, 2009

I've been reading mostly non-fiction since September 12, 2001. I feel like I am in retreat. I went to the library today and picked up some fiction. Granted, some of them are Joseph Wambaugh, and it is not all fiction, but sometimes all the shit I read is just overwhelming. I need a break occasionally and movies mostly suck, so I read.

Friday squirrel blogging, and climate change that won't affect the rotten little rodents

Proposed climate bill a breath of fresh air
David Greising
June 26, 2009

China welcomes U.S. climate bill, says more needed
Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:56am EDT

Wow, I find the title of the above article a bit ironic since

China blames pollution for surge in birth defects
The government's acknowledgment of the problem is a victory for environmentalists, who say the rate of defects is highest in coal-producing regions.
By Barbara Demick
February 02, 2009

and

US scientists believe that as much as 25 per cent of the air pollution in Los Angeles comes from China.

And finally as long as we are talking about pollution, might as well throw in the most dysfunctional part of the US budget, and the worst polluter on the planet -- the US Military.

The farm lobby vs. the global warming bill
The agriculture lobby's fingerprints are all over a crucial bill aimed at fighting global warming.
June 26, 2009

Rep. Broun receives applause on the House floor for calling global warming a ‘hoax.’
...Broun’s tired hoax claims aside, Broun’s $3,100 talking point is contradicted by the Congressional Budget Office, which found that that the average cost of the legislation would be only 48-cents a day, the price of a postage stamp,...

Media reported conservatives' high cap-and-trade cost estimates, but not lower CBO number
June 23, 2009 3:52 pm ET

Reprimanded Psychiatrist? Bad Advice?

Give that documentary a Peabody!
The Observatory — June 24, 2009 01:10 PM
By Paul Scott

But where her film was generous in its inclusion of heartbreaking personal stories about depression, its broad survey of the science of the illness included frequent appearances by Charles Nemeroff, M.D., a leading— some say powerful —mood disorders researcher from Emory University. Last fall, Nemeroff also became one of the most prominent psychiatrists to be rebuked for failing to disclose funds earned from the drug industry.

Sibel Edmonds on with Brad Friedman as he fills in for Mike Malloy KTLK right now

click title link

The Health Care Industry vs. Health Reform

Submitted by Wendell Potter on June 24, 2009 - 12:12pm.

Amy Smart says Congress needs to strengthen the Waxman-Markey bill

Update: 2:10 PM 6/25/2009 the other side speaks here
...Cap-and-trade is an ineffective tool for that, because it does not reliably end fossil fuels' price advantage....

Fuck Wall Street, Fuck Wall Street, FUCK WALL STREET

Why not? They can't get enough of fucking us in the ass and we ain't even getting kissed first!


Foreclosure Fiasco
Posted on Jun 24, 2009
By Robert Scheer

...California couldn’t get the White House to guarantee $5.5 billion in short-term notes to avert severe cuts in state and local payrolls, from prison guards to schoolteachers. Compare that with the $50 billion already given to Citigroup, plus an astounding $300 billion to guarantee that institution’s toxic assets. Citigroup benefits from being a bank “too big to fail,” although through its irresponsible actions to get that large it did as much as any company to cause this mess...



Obamanomics: The Good, the Bad, the WeakOn bank regulation, the White House goes too far, and not far enough.
—By Nomi Prins (Mother Jones)
Wed June 17, 2009 7:07 PM PST

Wall Street players reimburse Treasury with money we lent them—and Geithner celebrates?
—By Nomi Prins (Mother Jones)
Sun June 14, 2009 6:41 PM PST

10 Sleazy Ways That Goldman Sachs Distracted Us While Pocketing Billions from the Treasury
By Nomi Prins, AlterNet. Posted May 28, 2009.

Madoff says 12 years is plenty

71-year-old Ponzi fraudster faces a maximum of 150 years in the slam. His lawyer asks judge to consider 12 years - an 'effective life sentence.'

By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: June 23, 2009: 11:39 AM ET

..Madoff is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29. He has been locked up in the Metropolitan Correctional Center since March 12, when he pleaded guilty to masterminding the largest Ponzi scheme of all time. He pleaded guilty to 11 criminal counts, including fraud, money laundering and perjury.

Madoff perpetrated the scheme through his firm, which he founded in 1960. Thus far, federal investigators have identified 1,341 investors in Madoff's firm, with losses exceeding $13 billion...

Are you fucking kidding me? Oy. Oy Vey. Oy Gevault.

Americans Want Real Health Care Reform. Help Us Make Congress Understand

By Howie Klein Sunday Jun 21, 2009 11:00am (Crooks and Liars)

Dueling government priorites

Gov. Dean: 'Why Would You Put A Trillion Dollars Into Something That Hasn't Worked?'
By Susie Madrak Saturday Jun 20, 2009 3:00pm

Umm. yeah. I know that is a wonderful question regarding the healthcare "debate" in this country but ummm.....

What The Fuck?

The Three Trillion Dollar War:

As Part of Crackdown on Journalists, Iranian Security Forces Detain and Beat Canadian Journalist

In his first public remarks after days of demonstrations, Ayatollah Khamenei denied any possibility that last week’s vote had been rigged and defended President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad as the rightful winner of the election. At the same time, the Iranian government continues to arrest journalists, prominent reformists and associates of the opposition candidates, including twenty-six-year-old Mohammadreza Jalaeipour, the top strategist for presidential challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi. We speak to Toronto Globe and Mail reporter George McLeod. On Sunday, he was arrested, briefly detained, and beaten by Iranian security forces.

Middle East (Asia Times)
Jun 20, 2009
Beijing cautions US over Iran
By M K Bhadrakumar

After 8 years of discouragement in this arena

Yesterday, a House subcommittee approved the Fiscal Year 2010 State/Foreign Operations Appropriation bill that includes a substantial increase in funding for international family planning.

The subcommittee, under the leadership of Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), allocated $648 million for family planning and reproductive health care, including $60 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This amount is significantly higher than President Obama’s budget request of $593 million with $50 million for UNFPA.

Overall funding for international family planning declined by nearly 40% between 1995 and 2008. President Obama indicated his intent to reverse this trend by designating more than half of his proposed global health budget increase for family planning.

Yesterday’s move by the House subcommittee goes even further, signaling that they understand that, even in a difficult economic climate, real investment in international family planning will pay dividends: it will increase maternal and child survival, ease pressure on the environment, and encourage social stability in the developing world.

The bill will be considered by the full Appropriations Committee next week. We will keep you updated as the bill makes its way through the House and Senate.

Nunya sez Yaaaaaayyyy, good news from Population Connection.

Republicans still worried about Obama 'infomercial' despite ABC promise

BY Richard Huff
DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR
Updated Thursday, June 18th 2009, 10:22 AM

Call for 'day of mourning' in Iran

UPDATED ON:
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
20:25 Mecca time, 17:25 GMT


Middle East (Asia Times)
Jun 18, 2009
Page 1 of 2
Khamenei rides a storm in a tea cup
By M K Bhadrakumar

...Besides, "unity rally" held in Tehran by supporters of Ahmadinejad condemned "enemies, particularly the US, Britain and Israel. [for] interfering in Iran's internal affairs, plotting against the government and giving media support to the enemy groups, rioters and social and political hooligans who are trying to fuel chaos in the Islamic Republic".

Dude is whacked.

Following up on yesterday's happy news

Bitchin'. Who better to help put the nail in the coffin than Ahmadinejad?

Here's to stolen elections, corruption, OILigarchs and the American race to the bottom of the living standards. I'm sure the rich won't mind if we live like poor Brasilians,

as long as they live like the rich Brasilians, in gated communities with bullet proof SUVs and bodyguards.

The American Empire Is Bankrupt

Posted on Jun 14, 2009 TruthDig
By Chris Hedges

This week marks the end of the dollar’s reign as the world’s reserve currency. It marks the start of a terrible period of economic and political decline in the United States. And it signals the last gasp of the American imperium. That’s over. It is not coming back. And what is to come will be very, very painful... (click on title link)




From The Times (UK)
June 15, 2009
World Agenda: Looking to the future without the West


US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive Uk Telegraph
By Tom Leonard in Flint, Michigan
Published: 6:30PM BST 12 Jun 2009
Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic "shrink to survive" proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline.

Update 4:30 PM 6/17/2009
China, Russia sign five-point joint statement
www.chinaview.cn 2009-06-18 05:26:55

BRICs Don't Flee The Dollar
Paul Maidment, 06.17.09, 11:30 AM EDT
The dollar's reserve currency status remains unchallenged, despite rhetoric.

Bric in search of elusive common cause
..."Do not expect any short-term initiatives with respect to the dollar," said Roberto Mangabeira Unger, Brazil's minister for strategic affairs, backing that position. "No one wants to say things or do things that would increase volatility in the ... crisis."

Iranian election

I don't speak Farsi, but it looks like a lot of people are not happy about the Ahmadinejad "win." My blogger friend Naj sent me this, she has more.

Tehran in support of Mousavi UK Times online

EU leads international pressure on Iran over vote
Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:36am EDT

Iran's Stolen Election May Spark Global Crisis
Writer, founder of GlobalEconomicCrisis.com (article from HuffPo)
Posted: June 13, 2009 03:41 PM
Sheldon Filger
...Moreover, the regime announced the predetermined outcome only a few hours after the polls had closed, a logistical impossibility given the geography and demographics of Iran. However, when a regime decides what the outcome of an election will be in advance, electoral logistics are inconsequential....

Big crowd turns out for pro-Mousavi rally in Tehran
Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:52am EDT
..."Where are the 63 percent who voted for Ahmadinejad?" they chanted, referring to his official election tally...

Monday, June 15, 2009
Iran supreme leader orders vote fraud probe By ANNA JOHNSON and ALI AKBAR DAREINI Associated Press Writers
...The students set a truck and other vehicles on fire and hurled stones and bricks at the police, he said. Hard-line militia volunteers loyal to the Revolutionary Guard stormed the dormitories, ransacking student rooms and smashing computers and furniture with axes and wooden sticks, Akbar said.

Before leaving around 4 a.m., the police took away memory cards and computer software material, Akbar said, adding that dozens of students were arrested....

Washington has wait-and-see stance on Iran
Published: June 15, 2009 at 9:24 AM UPI
...The Obama administration has been low key in its reaction to Iran's election and the days of protests that followed, The Washington Post reported Monday. Obama, during his campaign and while in office, has indicated a willingness to re-establish a diplomatic relationship with Iran...

I think the Obama administration is doing the right thing by staying low key about this. Obama needs to be very careful considering the US govt's history in Iran, and Iranian sensitivity to Washington meddling. If the powerful in Iran need to close off access to foreign press, internet access, and cell phones, facebook, and then use thugs to push people off the streets the people's anger at injustice will leak out no matter how hard the regime tries to hide it.

If Ahmadinejad really does end up with the presidency, then Obama needs to be very careful about ignoring the right-wing nutjobs in this country.

More touristy pics.

As I took this picture of the fountain, I was acutely aware of the coming exhibit poster being displayed on the outside museum wall to my left. I had no interest in paying to see it, in fact I was repulsed. Not just because I'm squeamish about being around dead humans, but because this guy gives me the creeps and there are still questions about whether or not the bodies were all willing to to be plastinated and displayed when they were still alive. There are a a lot of medical and nursing students in San Diego, and people who really want to see this, so I figure they don't need my $25 .

Sino-Russian baby comes of age

Asia Times
Jun 13, 2009
from page 2 of 3

....The Obama administration's proposed budget for the State Department allocates of $41.5 million for Kyrgyzstan and $46.5 million for Tajikistan, whereas the corresponding figures for the current fiscal year are $24.4 million and $25.2 million, respectively. US military aid to the two countries will also similarly be increased under the new budget.
The justification given is that Central Asia's strategic importance has risen of late for US regional policies. According to budget justification documents released by the State Department in Washington on May 7:

"Central Asia remains alarmingly fragile: a lack of economic opportunity and weak democratic institutions foster conditions where corruption is endemic and Islamic extremism and drug trafficking can thrive. For this region, where good relations play an important role in supporting our [US] military and civilian efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, the [budget] request prioritizes assistance for the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan."

The political rationale for in Washington's decision to step up aid to Central Asia at a time when the Russian capacity to bankroll Central Asian economies is in serious doubt. "The United States rejects the notion that any country has special privileges or a 'sphere of influence' in this region; instead the United States is open to cooperating with all countries in the region and where appropriate providing assistance that helps develop democratic and market institutions and practices.


Sunday, June 14, 2009
NEWS BRIEFS

KYRGYZSTAN: RUSSIANS KANT LEAVE MILITARY AIRBASE FOR 49 YEARS
5/29/09

The Americans may have to be out of their base by August, but the Russians can look forward to at least another 49 years in Kyrgyzstan.

Under a new deal, the Russian air base at Kant, outside of Bishkek, will be leased to Moscow for 49 years, with an automatic option for a 25-year extension. Kant was opened in 2003 and serves Collective Security Treaty Organization forces. Russia pays $4.5 million annually to the Kyrgyz government in rent, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on May 29.

President Kurmanbek Bakiyev ordered US forces out of the Manas Air Base in February in a move that was widely linked to the receipt of a massive aid and loans package from the Kremlin. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Posted May 29, 2009 © Eurasianet

When you live in San Diego

Sometimes you just gotta go play tourist.












Time spent with a really good friend is the best.

No, I'm not posting the pics of me and my friend goofing off in Balboa Park or on the roof, just the few of the pictures I took.