PBS NOW Week of 5.15.09
Can the U.N. Keep the Peace?
Bill Moyers Journal
Juan Cole,and Shahan Mufti challenge the notion of Pakistan's impending collapse. "The End of Pakistan?"
"Inside the Banking Crisis"
Psychologist Daniel Goleman on shopping to save the planet. "The Hidden Costs of Stuff."
Now I am going to go read a Chalmers Johnson review of a book that is called "The Bases of Empire."
And finally, cry me a fucking river here, poowah poowwah cohpowations, awah upset that Obama chastised them. They're probably pissed that they might have to actually pay their fair share of the taxes like the rest of us instead of the pathetic 2.3% effective tax rate that they pay now.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Andrew Bacevich explains the folly of Afghanistan
And Danny points us in the direction of Nieman Watchdog's direction as NW highlights that Doctors Ask: Why Such Poor Coverage of Single-Payer?
Hmmmm. How on earth can we pay for health care for all when we are borrowing money like crazy to pay for another military adventure, and a disgustingly bloated military budget, and a fucked up government "by the corporations, for the corporations and of the corporations" that is bankrupting our great great grandchildren?
Besides, you protest during congress and you get arrested.
Five single-payer protestors arrested
Posted: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 12:52 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Fuck me. I'm glad my goofy, entertaining (to me) shows are on tonight.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
This PBS show is absolutely fascinating to me
PBS WWII Behind Closed Doors, Stalin, the Nazis and the West
I saw the first one early Monday morning I'm pissed that I have to wait till next week to see the third and final part.
Stalin was a vicious, ruthless bastard, he switched sides after the Nazis betrayed him and then got pretty damn close to taking over Moscow, but I certainly don't remember learning in US history how Churchill and Roosevelt strung him along and promised to help him with a 2nd front in Europe. Two years later they did. 27 million Russians died during WWII, 16 million of them civilians.
Now I'm watching this
POWER TRIP
by Paul Devlin
Amid pervasive blackouts and corruption, an American energy company purchases a formerly state-run electricity company in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Cultures clash, tempers flare and managers and locals tussle as a struggling nation attempts to build itself from beneath the rubble of Soviet collapse.
The film credits said it was made in 2004. When I first started becoming a news junkie I remember it registering to me that there were a lot of murders in Tblisi, the largest city in Georgia, at one time part of the Soviet Union. The iron fisted rulers of the Soviet era used force and fear to make the people submit to their will. The corruption depicted in the film was atrocious. No wonder the company was sold to a Russian company. A terrorized people don't change overnight, especially if anybody with an independent streak and honesty flees or disappears somehow. The country sits between Asia and Europe and people have been figthing over control of the area between the Black and Caspian Seas for hundreds, probably thousands of years.
Most recently because it's part of Piplineistan
I saw the first one early Monday morning I'm pissed that I have to wait till next week to see the third and final part.
Stalin was a vicious, ruthless bastard, he switched sides after the Nazis betrayed him and then got pretty damn close to taking over Moscow, but I certainly don't remember learning in US history how Churchill and Roosevelt strung him along and promised to help him with a 2nd front in Europe. Two years later they did. 27 million Russians died during WWII, 16 million of them civilians.
Now I'm watching this
POWER TRIP
by Paul Devlin
Amid pervasive blackouts and corruption, an American energy company purchases a formerly state-run electricity company in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Cultures clash, tempers flare and managers and locals tussle as a struggling nation attempts to build itself from beneath the rubble of Soviet collapse.
The film credits said it was made in 2004. When I first started becoming a news junkie I remember it registering to me that there were a lot of murders in Tblisi, the largest city in Georgia, at one time part of the Soviet Union. The iron fisted rulers of the Soviet era used force and fear to make the people submit to their will. The corruption depicted in the film was atrocious. No wonder the company was sold to a Russian company. A terrorized people don't change overnight, especially if anybody with an independent streak and honesty flees or disappears somehow. The country sits between Asia and Europe and people have been figthing over control of the area between the Black and Caspian Seas for hundreds, probably thousands of years.
Most recently because it's part of Piplineistan
Taliban wants 'new world order'
...Speaking during a news conference in London with Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, Zardari said the Taliban are seeking to create a "new world order" and that more effort was needed by the international community to defeat the fighters...
Scores of Afghan girls ill in third school poisoning
Tue May 12, 2009 7:38am EDT
...The early morning mass-poisoning at Qazaaq school was likely the work of Taliban sympathizers hostile to girls' education, the head of security for Kapisa province told Reuters...
Scores of Afghan girls ill in third school poisoning
Tue May 12, 2009 7:38am EDT
...The early morning mass-poisoning at Qazaaq school was likely the work of Taliban sympathizers hostile to girls' education, the head of security for Kapisa province told Reuters...
We Shall Remain
I'm watching the first episode online.
Frankly, it's kind of depressing to know that religious nut-jobs who were a pain in the ass in England were among some of the first to gain a tenacious foothold in the new land.
We are still dealing with harmful religious nut-jobs.
Frankly, it's kind of depressing to know that religious nut-jobs who were a pain in the ass in England were among some of the first to gain a tenacious foothold in the new land.
We are still dealing with harmful religious nut-jobs.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Fronltline -- the Madoff Affair
Holy Crap you have to watch this thing to believe it. I don't feel sorry for any of the people who worked for him. Nobody asked Madoff questions because they were all making really good money on it. And that is how you keep a ponzi scheme going for 30 years. If anything I have sympathy for the underfunded and overworked SEC.
Bernard Madoff , rotten little weasel.
He pulled off a ponzi scheme that even pulled in European royalty.
When I watched this movie, I realized that that a video screen was as close as I ever wanted to be to certain members of European royalty. In fact, a couple of the impressions I had made me grateful that I never had to deal with any of these people in any way, and you can be sure that some of them are glad they never had to deal with me. The American kids are so differerent.
Bernard Madoff , rotten little weasel.
He pulled off a ponzi scheme that even pulled in European royalty.
When I watched this movie, I realized that that a video screen was as close as I ever wanted to be to certain members of European royalty. In fact, a couple of the impressions I had made me grateful that I never had to deal with any of these people in any way, and you can be sure that some of them are glad they never had to deal with me. The American kids are so differerent.
Unemployment, Afghanistan and bankster rescue explained
Ehrenreich: Where is the outrage over unemployment?
By Barbara Ehrenreich
Posted: 05/07/2009 02:56:38 PM PDT
Updated: 05/07/2009 07:10:52 PM PDT
n most parts of the world, mass unemployment brings the specter of mass social unrest. Not in the United States, though, where 13 million people have accepted joblessness with nary a peep of protest.
Many reasons — from Prozac to Pentecostalism — have been cited to explain America's passivity, but the truth might be far simpler: In America, unemployment has been reconfigured as a new form of work....
What the fuck are we doing in Afghanistan?
Posted May 12, 2009 3:37 pm
Tomgram: Pepe Escobar, Pipelineistan Goes Af-Pak
Back in March, Pepe Escobar, that itchy, edgy global reporter for one of my favorite on-line publications, Asia Times, began laying out the great, ongoing energy struggle across Eurasia, or what he likes to call Pipelinestan for its web of oil and natural gas pipelines. In his first report, he dealt with the embattled energy corridor (and a key pipeline) that runs from the Caspian Sea to Europe through Georgia and Turkey -- and the Great Game of business, diplomacy, and proxy war between Russia and the U.S. that has gone with it...
Frankly, this shit pisses me off more than some of the other stuff. Why? Because corporate interests are using war to get their hands on other people's natural resources in order to profit by selling it to yet another area. Corporate America has all but abandoned US citizens. They profited while there were helping to set up a sense of entitlement of a certain standard of living amongst US citizens that is absolutely unsustainable and is in fact contributing to co2 levels that are exacerbating global warming.
Still, though, I wonder what Escobar is trying to pull when he refers to a bill that never became law? update 9:09 PM 5/12/2009 Of course I should have added earlier that what I found shocking was the title of the bill, it was arrogant. The bills passed to fund the war, but they were called something else.
William Greider and Naomi Klein try to explain to Charlie Rose just what is happening to us via the banksters.
By Barbara Ehrenreich
Posted: 05/07/2009 02:56:38 PM PDT
Updated: 05/07/2009 07:10:52 PM PDT
n most parts of the world, mass unemployment brings the specter of mass social unrest. Not in the United States, though, where 13 million people have accepted joblessness with nary a peep of protest.
Many reasons — from Prozac to Pentecostalism — have been cited to explain America's passivity, but the truth might be far simpler: In America, unemployment has been reconfigured as a new form of work....
What the fuck are we doing in Afghanistan?
Posted May 12, 2009 3:37 pm
Tomgram: Pepe Escobar, Pipelineistan Goes Af-Pak
Back in March, Pepe Escobar, that itchy, edgy global reporter for one of my favorite on-line publications, Asia Times, began laying out the great, ongoing energy struggle across Eurasia, or what he likes to call Pipelinestan for its web of oil and natural gas pipelines. In his first report, he dealt with the embattled energy corridor (and a key pipeline) that runs from the Caspian Sea to Europe through Georgia and Turkey -- and the Great Game of business, diplomacy, and proxy war between Russia and the U.S. that has gone with it...
Frankly, this shit pisses me off more than some of the other stuff. Why? Because corporate interests are using war to get their hands on other people's natural resources in order to profit by selling it to yet another area. Corporate America has all but abandoned US citizens. They profited while there were helping to set up a sense of entitlement of a certain standard of living amongst US citizens that is absolutely unsustainable and is in fact contributing to co2 levels that are exacerbating global warming.
Still, though, I wonder what Escobar is trying to pull when he refers to a bill that never became law? update 9:09 PM 5/12/2009 Of course I should have added earlier that what I found shocking was the title of the bill, it was arrogant. The bills passed to fund the war, but they were called something else.
William Greider and Naomi Klein try to explain to Charlie Rose just what is happening to us via the banksters.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Last night I stayed up too late watching TV
I am such a PBS dork. First I watched
Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority
Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority explores the remarkable political story of Patsy Takemoto Mink, an Asian American woman who, battling racism and sexism, redefined American politics.
and then I watched
WWII Behind Closed Doors
Unlikely Friends Summer 1939 to Summer 1942
And then I fell asleep during the Geronimo episode of We Shall Remain. It started at 3 AM and I didn't know that you could watch the series online here . I'm going to watch the whole series because I want to see if they ever bring up the fact that almost every treaty ever signed was broken.
Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority
Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority explores the remarkable political story of Patsy Takemoto Mink, an Asian American woman who, battling racism and sexism, redefined American politics.
and then I watched
WWII Behind Closed Doors
Unlikely Friends Summer 1939 to Summer 1942
Before Joseph Stalin allied the Soviet Union with the United States and Great Britain, he offered help to Hitler and the Nazis much more than the rest of the world knew at the time. But when Hitler turned on Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union, in desperation the Soviet leader looked to the West for help. Although British prime minister Winston Churchill and U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt despised Communism, they also valued anyone who fought against the Nazis.
And then I fell asleep during the Geronimo episode of We Shall Remain. It started at 3 AM and I didn't know that you could watch the series online here . I'm going to watch the whole series because I want to see if they ever bring up the fact that almost every treaty ever signed was broken.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day texting
Kid: Happy Mother's Day! I love you!
Mom: Thanks. I love you too.
Kid: Well thanks. Do you want to have lunch or something?
Mom: That is sweet, but no thank you, the restaurants are full of crazy people who hate their mothers.
Kid: HaHa OK
Mom: I love you big. Just you being you is the best present ever that a mom could get 4 Mother's Day.
Mom: Thanks. I love you too.
Kid: Well thanks. Do you want to have lunch or something?
Mom: That is sweet, but no thank you, the restaurants are full of crazy people who hate their mothers.
Kid: HaHa OK
Mom: I love you big. Just you being you is the best present ever that a mom could get 4 Mother's Day.
The End of Free Speech?
May 7, 2009
The End of Free Speech?
Criminalizing Criticism of Israel
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
On October 16, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the Israel Lobby’s bill, the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act. This legislation requires the US Department of State to monitor anti-semitism world wide.
To monitor anti-semitism, it has to be defined. What is the definition? Basically, as defined by the Israel Lobby and Abe Foxman, it boils down to any criticism of Israel or Jews.
Rahm Israel Emanuel hasn’t been mopping floors at the White House.
As soon as he gets the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 passed, it will become a crime for any American to tell the truth about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and theft of their lands.
It will be a crime for Christians to acknowledge the New Testament’s account of Jews demanding the crucifixion of Jesus.
It will be a crime to report the extraordinary influence of the Israel Lobby on the White House and Congress, such as the AIPAC-written resolutions praising Israel for its war crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza that were endorsed by 100 per cent of the US Senate and 99 per cent of the House of Representatives, while the rest of the world condemned Israel for its barbarity.
It will be a crime to doubt the Holocaust.
It will become a crime to note the disproportionate representation of Jews in the media, finance, and foreign policy.
In other words, it means the end of free speech, free inquiry, and the First Amendment to the Constitution. Any facts or truths that cast aspersion upon Israel will simply be banned.
Given the hubris of the US government, which leads Washington to apply US law to every country and organization, what will happen to the International Red Cross, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and the various human rights organizations that have demanded investigations of Israel’s military assault on Gaza’s civilian population? Will they all be arrested for the hate crime of “excessive” criticism of Israel?
This is a serious question.
A recent UN report, which is yet to be released in its entirety, blames Israel for the deaths and injuries that occurred within the United Nations premises in Gaza. The Israeli government has responded by charging that the UN report is “tendentious, patently biased,” which puts the UN report into the State Department’s category of excessive criticism and strong anti-Israel sentiment.
Israel is getting away with its blatant use of the American government to silence its critics despite the fact that the Israeli press and Israeli soldiers have exposed the Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the premeditated murder of women and children urged upon the Israeli invaders by rabbis. These acts are clearly war crimes.
It was the Israeli press that published the pictures of the Israeli soldiers’ T-shirts that indicate that the willful murder of women and children is now the culture of the Israeli army. The T-shirts are horrific expressions of barbarity. For example, one shows a pregnant Palestinian woman with a crosshairs over her stomach and the slogan, “One shot, two kills.” These T-shirts are an indication that Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians is one of extermination.
It has been true for years that the most potent criticism of Israel’s mistreatment of the Palestinians comes from the Israeli press and Israeli peace groups. For example, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and Jeff Halper of ICAHD have shown a moral conscience that apparently does not exist in the Western democracies where Israel’s crimes are covered up and even praised.
Will the American hate crime bill be applied to Haaretz and Jeff Halper? Will American commentators who say nothing themselves but simply report what Haaretz and Halper have said be arrested for “spreading hatred of Israel, an anti-semitic act”?
Many Americans have been brainwashed by the propaganda that Palestinians are terrorists who threaten innocent Israel. These Americans will see the censorship as merely part of the necessary war on terror. They will accept the demonization of fellow citizens who report unpalatable facts about Israel and agree that such people should be punished for aiding and abetting terrorists.
A massive push is underway to criminalize criticism of Israel. American university professors have fallen victim to the well organized attempt to eliminate all criticism of Israel. Norman Finkelstein was denied tenure at a Catholic university because of the power of the Israel Lobby. Now the Israel Lobby is after University of California (at Santa Barbara,) professor Wiliam Robinson. Robinson’s crime: his course on global affairs included some reading assignments critical of Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
The Israel Lobby apparently succeeded in convincing the Obama Justice (sic) Department that it is anti-semitic to accuse two Jewish AIPAC officials, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, of spying. The Israel Lobby succeeded in getting their trial delayed for four years, and now Attorney General Eric Holder has dropped charges. Yet, Larry Franklin, the DOD official accused of giving secret material to Rosen and Weissman, is serving 12 years and 7 months in prison.
The absurdity is extraordinary. The two Israeli agents are not guilty of receiving secrets, but the American official is guilty of giving secrets to them! If there is no spy in the story, how was Franklin convicted of giving secrets to a spy?
Criminalizing criticism of Israel destroys any hope of America having an independent foreign policy in the Middle East that serves American rather than Israeli interests. It eliminates any prospect of Americans escaping from their enculturation with Israeli propaganda.
To keep American minds captive, the Lobby is working to ban as anti-semitic any truth or disagreeable fact that pertains to Israel. It is permissible to criticize every other country in the world, but it is anti-semitic to criticize Israel, and anti-semitism will soon be a universal hate-crime in the Western world.
Most of Europe has already criminalized doubting the Holocaust. It is a crime even to confirm that it happened but to conclude that less than 6 million Jews were murdered.
Why is the Holocaust a subject that is off limits to examination? How could a case buttressed by hard facts possibly be endangered by kooks and anti-semitics? Surely the case doesn’t need to be protected by thought control.
Imprisoning people for doubts is the antithesis of modernity.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
The End of Free Speech?
Criminalizing Criticism of Israel
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
On October 16, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the Israel Lobby’s bill, the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act. This legislation requires the US Department of State to monitor anti-semitism world wide.
To monitor anti-semitism, it has to be defined. What is the definition? Basically, as defined by the Israel Lobby and Abe Foxman, it boils down to any criticism of Israel or Jews.
Rahm Israel Emanuel hasn’t been mopping floors at the White House.
As soon as he gets the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 passed, it will become a crime for any American to tell the truth about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and theft of their lands.
It will be a crime for Christians to acknowledge the New Testament’s account of Jews demanding the crucifixion of Jesus.
It will be a crime to report the extraordinary influence of the Israel Lobby on the White House and Congress, such as the AIPAC-written resolutions praising Israel for its war crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza that were endorsed by 100 per cent of the US Senate and 99 per cent of the House of Representatives, while the rest of the world condemned Israel for its barbarity.
It will be a crime to doubt the Holocaust.
It will become a crime to note the disproportionate representation of Jews in the media, finance, and foreign policy.
In other words, it means the end of free speech, free inquiry, and the First Amendment to the Constitution. Any facts or truths that cast aspersion upon Israel will simply be banned.
Given the hubris of the US government, which leads Washington to apply US law to every country and organization, what will happen to the International Red Cross, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and the various human rights organizations that have demanded investigations of Israel’s military assault on Gaza’s civilian population? Will they all be arrested for the hate crime of “excessive” criticism of Israel?
This is a serious question.
A recent UN report, which is yet to be released in its entirety, blames Israel for the deaths and injuries that occurred within the United Nations premises in Gaza. The Israeli government has responded by charging that the UN report is “tendentious, patently biased,” which puts the UN report into the State Department’s category of excessive criticism and strong anti-Israel sentiment.
Israel is getting away with its blatant use of the American government to silence its critics despite the fact that the Israeli press and Israeli soldiers have exposed the Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the premeditated murder of women and children urged upon the Israeli invaders by rabbis. These acts are clearly war crimes.
It was the Israeli press that published the pictures of the Israeli soldiers’ T-shirts that indicate that the willful murder of women and children is now the culture of the Israeli army. The T-shirts are horrific expressions of barbarity. For example, one shows a pregnant Palestinian woman with a crosshairs over her stomach and the slogan, “One shot, two kills.” These T-shirts are an indication that Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians is one of extermination.
It has been true for years that the most potent criticism of Israel’s mistreatment of the Palestinians comes from the Israeli press and Israeli peace groups. For example, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and Jeff Halper of ICAHD have shown a moral conscience that apparently does not exist in the Western democracies where Israel’s crimes are covered up and even praised.
Will the American hate crime bill be applied to Haaretz and Jeff Halper? Will American commentators who say nothing themselves but simply report what Haaretz and Halper have said be arrested for “spreading hatred of Israel, an anti-semitic act”?
Many Americans have been brainwashed by the propaganda that Palestinians are terrorists who threaten innocent Israel. These Americans will see the censorship as merely part of the necessary war on terror. They will accept the demonization of fellow citizens who report unpalatable facts about Israel and agree that such people should be punished for aiding and abetting terrorists.
A massive push is underway to criminalize criticism of Israel. American university professors have fallen victim to the well organized attempt to eliminate all criticism of Israel. Norman Finkelstein was denied tenure at a Catholic university because of the power of the Israel Lobby. Now the Israel Lobby is after University of California (at Santa Barbara,) professor Wiliam Robinson. Robinson’s crime: his course on global affairs included some reading assignments critical of Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
The Israel Lobby apparently succeeded in convincing the Obama Justice (sic) Department that it is anti-semitic to accuse two Jewish AIPAC officials, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, of spying. The Israel Lobby succeeded in getting their trial delayed for four years, and now Attorney General Eric Holder has dropped charges. Yet, Larry Franklin, the DOD official accused of giving secret material to Rosen and Weissman, is serving 12 years and 7 months in prison.
The absurdity is extraordinary. The two Israeli agents are not guilty of receiving secrets, but the American official is guilty of giving secrets to them! If there is no spy in the story, how was Franklin convicted of giving secrets to a spy?
Criminalizing criticism of Israel destroys any hope of America having an independent foreign policy in the Middle East that serves American rather than Israeli interests. It eliminates any prospect of Americans escaping from their enculturation with Israeli propaganda.
To keep American minds captive, the Lobby is working to ban as anti-semitic any truth or disagreeable fact that pertains to Israel. It is permissible to criticize every other country in the world, but it is anti-semitic to criticize Israel, and anti-semitism will soon be a universal hate-crime in the Western world.
Most of Europe has already criminalized doubting the Holocaust. It is a crime even to confirm that it happened but to conclude that less than 6 million Jews were murdered.
Why is the Holocaust a subject that is off limits to examination? How could a case buttressed by hard facts possibly be endangered by kooks and anti-semitics? Surely the case doesn’t need to be protected by thought control.
Imprisoning people for doubts is the antithesis of modernity.
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
Friday, May 08, 2009
Senator Dick Durbin On Bill Moyers Journal tonight
May 8, 2009
In a recent radio address on Radio Chicagoland Senator Richard (Dick) Durbin remarked on power the financial services industry still wields at a time when that industry is theoretically under great scrutiny: "The banks — hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created — are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill.And they frankly own the place."
The banking lobby won a significant victory in Congress on May 1, 2009 when 12 Democrats joined a united Republican Caucus to vote down an amendment to President Obama's housing bill. At issue was a measure that would have allowed bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
Woo hoo!!! I know where my butt is going to be parked at 8pm PST.
Update 8:34 PM 5/8/2009 click on title link, it's well worth watching.
In a recent radio address on Radio Chicagoland Senator Richard (Dick) Durbin remarked on power the financial services industry still wields at a time when that industry is theoretically under great scrutiny: "The banks — hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created — are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill.And they frankly own the place."
The banking lobby won a significant victory in Congress on May 1, 2009 when 12 Democrats joined a united Republican Caucus to vote down an amendment to President Obama's housing bill. At issue was a measure that would have allowed bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
Woo hoo!!! I know where my butt is going to be parked at 8pm PST.
Update 8:34 PM 5/8/2009 click on title link, it's well worth watching.
Analysis: Obama charts active role in Mideast
Friday, May 8, 2009
| By BARRY SCHWEID AP Diplomatic Writer |
Thursday, May 07, 2009
On May 5, Mexican dominance irks other Latinos
By MANUEL VALDES Associated Press Writer
...But for Dagoberto Reyes, a Salvadorian immigrant living in Los Angeles, May 5 is more a reminder of the dominance Mexican culture has in a country that is home to immigrants from many Latin American countries. His prime example: Los Angeles-area public schools...
...It's often as simple as commanding the dominant slang - for example, a jacket for Central Americans is "chaqueta," but for Mexicans it is "chamarra" - but it can range to more overt hostility or competition in the work force, and it can spark worries of losing cultural identity.
Ignorance and apathy by Americans adds to the mix...
Who the fuck wrote this piece of shit? I was actually thinking, "Hey Dagoberto, tell that to the immigrants from non Spanish speaking countries who have NO choice but to learn English, while your kids can languish in bi-lingual classes for years, never really learning English."
...But for Dagoberto Reyes, a Salvadorian immigrant living in Los Angeles, May 5 is more a reminder of the dominance Mexican culture has in a country that is home to immigrants from many Latin American countries. His prime example: Los Angeles-area public schools...
...It's often as simple as commanding the dominant slang - for example, a jacket for Central Americans is "chaqueta," but for Mexicans it is "chamarra" - but it can range to more overt hostility or competition in the work force, and it can spark worries of losing cultural identity.
Ignorance and apathy by Americans adds to the mix...
Who the fuck wrote this piece of shit? I was actually thinking, "Hey Dagoberto, tell that to the immigrants from non Spanish speaking countries who have NO choice but to learn English, while your kids can languish in bi-lingual classes for years, never really learning English."
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
REGULATION VACATION CELEBRATION!
My friend sent me this this morning, it made me laugh. Enjoy.
Food Irradiation Supports Agribusiness, Not Health
by Heidi Stevenson
2 May 2009
hat tip, Raw Story
irradiation?
Dude, I'd never heard of irradiation until I was watching a silly horror flick called "28 Days Later." The apple the character was eating was probably safer than the seemingly crack addicted zombies he was escaping at the moment, but how safe was it?
What is food irradiation?
Food irradiation is a process in which approved foods are exposed to radiant energy, including gamma rays, electron beams, and x-rays. In 1963, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the irradiation of food to be safe. Irradiation of meat and poultry is done in a government-approved irradiation facility. Irradiation is not a substitute for good sanitation and process control in meat and poultry plants. It is an added layer of safety.
Wait, did I read that right?
...good sanitation and process control in meat and poultry plants...
Bwaaaa ha hahahahaha ha ha ha ha ha
Seriously folks, the corporations get just what they want, even from George Bush's Soooopreme Court.
Food Irradiation Supports Agribusiness, Not Health
by Heidi Stevenson
2 May 2009
hat tip, Raw Story
irradiation?
Dude, I'd never heard of irradiation until I was watching a silly horror flick called "28 Days Later." The apple the character was eating was probably safer than the seemingly crack addicted zombies he was escaping at the moment, but how safe was it?
What is food irradiation?
Food irradiation is a process in which approved foods are exposed to radiant energy, including gamma rays, electron beams, and x-rays. In 1963, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the irradiation of food to be safe. Irradiation of meat and poultry is done in a government-approved irradiation facility. Irradiation is not a substitute for good sanitation and process control in meat and poultry plants. It is an added layer of safety.
Wait, did I read that right?
...good sanitation and process control in meat and poultry plants...
Bwaaaa ha hahahahaha ha ha ha ha ha
Seriously folks, the corporations get just what they want, even from George Bush's Soooopreme Court.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: Who'd be female under Islamic law?
In Muslim states, violence against women is validated. A dark age is upon us
Monday, 4 May 2009
UAE fines mother over baby death
Page last updated at 18:53 GMT, Monday, 4 May 2009 19:53 UK BBC
The bereaved woman says the accident was not her fault
A court in Dubai has found a woman who lost her unborn child in a traffic accident guilty of manslaughter in what is said to be an unprecedented ruling.
Islamic Gender Apartheid
Pajamas Media 4 May 2009
By Phyllis Chesler
Saudi Arabia clamps down on unlicensed female gyms
An Honor killing in Sadr City
Members of family hang woman and turn themselves in, expecting little punishment.
UN Report: "Honor Killings" Rampant in Iraq
Mark Leon Goldberg - April 29, 2009 - 11:08am
Human Rights Women
UNAMI has reported 139 cases of gender based violence 15 in the last six months of 2008 in five governorates in northern Iraq16. Out of the total number, 77 women were seriously burned, 26 were victims of murder or attempted murder and 25 were cases of questionable suicide
Honour killings start to bring shame
The taboo surrounding the cruel murder of family members in the name of honour is slowly being broken
Comments (125)
Khaled Diab guardian.co.uk, Sunday 3 May 2009 15.00 BST Article history
Emigrants
bring
this
with
them.
I can be culturally insenstive regarding this issue, I'm a woman. A woman who doesn't submit to anyone's bullshit. Fuck this ignorant part of their culture
I can't help but think of stories like these when I hear some asshole like this talk about "Protecting our Muslim women."
Monday, 4 May 2009
UAE fines mother over baby death
Page last updated at 18:53 GMT, Monday, 4 May 2009 19:53 UK BBC
The bereaved woman says the accident was not her fault
A court in Dubai has found a woman who lost her unborn child in a traffic accident guilty of manslaughter in what is said to be an unprecedented ruling.
Islamic Gender Apartheid
Pajamas Media 4 May 2009
By Phyllis Chesler
Saudi Arabia clamps down on unlicensed female gyms
An Honor killing in Sadr City
Members of family hang woman and turn themselves in, expecting little punishment.
UN Report: "Honor Killings" Rampant in Iraq
Mark Leon Goldberg - April 29, 2009 - 11:08am
Human Rights Women
UNAMI has reported 139 cases of gender based violence 15 in the last six months of 2008 in five governorates in northern Iraq16. Out of the total number, 77 women were seriously burned, 26 were victims of murder or attempted murder and 25 were cases of questionable suicide
Honour killings start to bring shame
The taboo surrounding the cruel murder of family members in the name of honour is slowly being broken
Comments (125)
Khaled Diab guardian.co.uk, Sunday 3 May 2009 15.00 BST Article history
Emigrants
bring
this
with
them.
I can be culturally insenstive regarding this issue, I'm a woman. A woman who doesn't submit to anyone's bullshit. Fuck this ignorant part of their culture
I can't help but think of stories like these when I hear some asshole like this talk about "Protecting our Muslim women."
Banksters On The War Path To Stop New Regulations
By Danny Schechter.
How Wall Street Is Fighting Back And Winning Their Fight For The Status Quo
Dick Durbin knows his way around the Senate. He’s been there a long time, long enough to know how things really work. Over the years, the man from Illinois has come to realize that it’s not the elected officials who are in charge. Last week, he said it was the bankers “who own the place” acknowledging that Senators may be in office, but not necessarily in power.
Blogged by Sibel Edmonds on 5/4/2009 1:41PM
SIBEL EDMONDS: In Congress We Trust…Not
The former FBI translator and whistleblower suggests blackmail may be at the heart of Congressional refusal to bring accountability and oversight to its own members - such as both Hastert and Harman - in matters of espionage and national security
Exclusive to The BRAD BLOG... Guest Editorial by Sibel Edmonds (Who ?)
How Wall Street Is Fighting Back And Winning Their Fight For The Status Quo
Dick Durbin knows his way around the Senate. He’s been there a long time, long enough to know how things really work. Over the years, the man from Illinois has come to realize that it’s not the elected officials who are in charge. Last week, he said it was the bankers “who own the place” acknowledging that Senators may be in office, but not necessarily in power.
Blogged by Sibel Edmonds on 5/4/2009 1:41PM
SIBEL EDMONDS: In Congress We Trust…Not
The former FBI translator and whistleblower suggests blackmail may be at the heart of Congressional refusal to bring accountability and oversight to its own members - such as both Hastert and Harman - in matters of espionage and national security
Exclusive to The BRAD BLOG... Guest Editorial by Sibel Edmonds (Who ?)
Tuesday May 5, Frontline -- Sex Slaves
On PBS Frontline -- Sex Slaves
An undercover journey deep into the world of sex trafficking, following one man determined to rescue his wife -- kidnapped and sold into the global sex trade.
This particular show is three years old. I wonder if there will be any updates?
Update. There weren't any updates. The show broke my heart.
An undercover journey deep into the world of sex trafficking, following one man determined to rescue his wife -- kidnapped and sold into the global sex trade.
This particular show is three years old. I wonder if there will be any updates?
Update. There weren't any updates. The show broke my heart.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Bling Dynasty: Enter the Dragon
How China is picking over America's carcass.
—By Joshua Kurlantzick
Oy, there' s another article, similar to this one:
Defying the Economic Odds
The World Melts Down, China Grows
By Dilip Hiro
—By Joshua Kurlantzick
Oy, there' s another article, similar to this one:
Defying the Economic Odds
The World Melts Down, China Grows
By Dilip Hiro
Sleuthing Swine Flu
Chance Test Led CDC Investigators to Link Cases in U.S., Mexico
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 3, 2009
...A Fortuitous Test
...Interesting but not stunning, thought Daniel B. Jernigan, Cox's deputy in the flu division. As the person overseeing the rapid-flu-test project in San Diego and other sites, Jernigan makes his living tracking influenza cases. He had seen a dozen swine flu cases in recent years, most often a child who had visited a petting zoo or a farmer who had come in contact with a sick pig.
WHO Influenza A(H1N1) - update 11
3 May 2009 -- As of 0600 GMT, 3 May 2009, 17 countries have officially reported 787 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Mexico has reported 506 confirmed human cases of infection, including 19 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico in the past 48 hours reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States Government has reported 160 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 3, 2009
...A Fortuitous Test
The medical detective work that unearthed the 2009 outbreak of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) -- more commonly known as swine flu -- began with a bit of happenstance.
On March 30, a 10-year-old boy in Southern California developed a cough and fever. Normally, doctors wouldn't have bothered testing for the flu; they would have given him medicine and sent him home.
But the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego was participating in a clinical trial of new, 30-minute flu tests, so they took a nasal swab and tested it the next day....
...Interesting but not stunning, thought Daniel B. Jernigan, Cox's deputy in the flu division. As the person overseeing the rapid-flu-test project in San Diego and other sites, Jernigan makes his living tracking influenza cases. He had seen a dozen swine flu cases in recent years, most often a child who had visited a petting zoo or a farmer who had come in contact with a sick pig.
WHO Influenza A(H1N1) - update 11
3 May 2009 -- As of 0600 GMT, 3 May 2009, 17 countries have officially reported 787 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Mexico has reported 506 confirmed human cases of infection, including 19 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico in the past 48 hours reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States Government has reported 160 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Farmers fear pigs may get swine flu from people
By Carey Gillam, Reuters
Friday, 1 May 2009
Humans have it. Pigs don't. At least not yet, and US pork producers are doing everything they can to make sure that the new H1N1 virus, known around the world as the "swine flu," stays out of their herds.
Meanwhile, a certain species named Sus domestica Rumsfeldica may be benefiting from all the swine flu media hype.
And Oh yeah, peoples need to stay the fuck out of the bat caves.
Friday, 1 May 2009
Humans have it. Pigs don't. At least not yet, and US pork producers are doing everything they can to make sure that the new H1N1 virus, known around the world as the "swine flu," stays out of their herds.
Meanwhile, a certain species named Sus domestica Rumsfeldica may be benefiting from all the swine flu media hype.
And Oh yeah, peoples need to stay the fuck out of the bat caves.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
World Health Organization update on swine flu
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 6
30 April 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 17:00 GMT, 30 April 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 257 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.
The United States Government has reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 97 confirmed human cases of infection, including seven deaths.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (19), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).
Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.
WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.
There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.
Related links
Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Meanwhile in Congress the real swine continue to lobby.
Real swine continue to get away with shit in Iraq
Americans want torture investigated and they are ignored.
Real
swine
continue squeezing
people
all over
the world
30 April 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 17:00 GMT, 30 April 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 257 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.
The United States Government has reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 97 confirmed human cases of infection, including seven deaths.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (19), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).
Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.
WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.
There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.
Related links
Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Meanwhile in Congress the real swine continue to lobby.
Real swine continue to get away with shit in Iraq
Americans want torture investigated and they are ignored.
Real
swine
continue squeezing
people
all over
the world
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Our buddies torture too, lookit, how neato..
They can do whatever they want because they buy our shit:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been purchasing advanced weaponry from leading suppliers of military hardware at an alarming rate, fueling what some believe could be a new conventional arms race in the Middle East.
CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER
Raspanti Says Defense Procurement Fraud is on the Comeback Trail23 Corporate Crime Reporter 17, April 24, 2009
Raspanti is one of those rare lawyers who does both white collar criminal defense – he heads the white collar practice at his firm – and plaintiffs side qui tam cases.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Color me cyinical on the whole swine flu thing
5:03 PM 4/28/2009
Wow, it's Swine Flu all the time, Russia and China think you can get it from eating pork products, Cuba won't fly to Mexico, yeesh. What a media circus. Mexico City is 22 million people. How are you going to quarantine that? It's in New York City
There are no deaths in the US from this yet, I'm still not freaked out by this.
World Health Organization Page
Update 9:23 AM 4/28/2009
So, I'm listening to public radio this morning and here comes the head of the Health Department in San Diego and she says ( I'm parapharasing) the swine flu is a new bug (virus, not bacteria, so antibiotics don't work) that was identified first in the US in San Diego and goes on to say 'Don't overwhelm the "ED" (Emergency Departments ?) by coming in unless you've already been sick for more than a week' and then she goes on and on and in a few minutes she says that 'Tamiflu is effective if taken within the first 48 hours of infection.'
What. The. Fuck?
When was the last time she tried to get an appointment, especially one that requires lab results withing 48 hours of feeling ill?
Why am I cynical?
U.S. health experts noted, meanwhile, that deaths from influenza are common. In an average year in the United States, about 35,000 people die from the flu, and in bad years nearly twice that number.
The Pan American Health Organization said Friday that there have so far been 854 cases of "influenza-like illness" in Mexico City, with 59 deaths. Another 24 cases with three deaths have occurred in San Luis Potosi, in central Mexico, and 24 cases with no deaths in Mexicali, near the U.S. border.
Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?
Not unless an infected pig you happen to be preparing to slaughter sneezes in your face, duh
Swine flu fears grip world markets
By PAN PYLAS AP Business Writer
...though pharmaceutical companies rallied on expectations that demand for anti-viral drugs may surge to deal with any pandemic.
Swine flu fears close schools in NY, Texas, Calif.
By KAREN MATTHEWS Associated Press Writer
a strain of swine flu suspected in the deaths of 103 people in Mexico. It has now spread throughout the United States, where authorities have confirmed 20 cases.
Venture capital firm set to reap rewards on swine flu
Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:11pm BST
Flu Kills The Torture Memos
Donald Rumsfeld owns stock in the company that makes Tamiflu = TRUE
Swine flu 'debacle' of 1976 is recalled
The episode triggered an enduring public backlash against flu vaccination, embarrassed the federal government and cost the director of the CDC his job.
Wow, it's Swine Flu all the time, Russia and China think you can get it from eating pork products, Cuba won't fly to Mexico, yeesh. What a media circus. Mexico City is 22 million people. How are you going to quarantine that? It's in New York City
There are no deaths in the US from this yet, I'm still not freaked out by this.
World Health Organization Page
Update 9:23 AM 4/28/2009
So, I'm listening to public radio this morning and here comes the head of the Health Department in San Diego and she says ( I'm parapharasing) the swine flu is a new bug (virus, not bacteria, so antibiotics don't work) that was identified first in the US in San Diego and goes on to say 'Don't overwhelm the "ED" (Emergency Departments ?) by coming in unless you've already been sick for more than a week' and then she goes on and on and in a few minutes she says that 'Tamiflu is effective if taken within the first 48 hours of infection.'
What. The. Fuck?
When was the last time she tried to get an appointment, especially one that requires lab results withing 48 hours of feeling ill?
Why am I cynical?
U.S. health experts noted, meanwhile, that deaths from influenza are common. In an average year in the United States, about 35,000 people die from the flu, and in bad years nearly twice that number.
The Pan American Health Organization said Friday that there have so far been 854 cases of "influenza-like illness" in Mexico City, with 59 deaths. Another 24 cases with three deaths have occurred in San Luis Potosi, in central Mexico, and 24 cases with no deaths in Mexicali, near the U.S. border.
Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?
Not unless an infected pig you happen to be preparing to slaughter sneezes in your face, duh
Swine flu fears grip world markets
By PAN PYLAS AP Business Writer
...though pharmaceutical companies rallied on expectations that demand for anti-viral drugs may surge to deal with any pandemic.
Swine flu fears close schools in NY, Texas, Calif.
By KAREN MATTHEWS Associated Press Writer
a strain of swine flu suspected in the deaths of 103 people in Mexico. It has now spread throughout the United States, where authorities have confirmed 20 cases.
Venture capital firm set to reap rewards on swine flu
Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:11pm BST
Flu Kills The Torture Memos
Donald Rumsfeld owns stock in the company that makes Tamiflu = TRUE
Swine flu 'debacle' of 1976 is recalled
The episode triggered an enduring public backlash against flu vaccination, embarrassed the federal government and cost the director of the CDC his job.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Protesters, Police Clash Near IMF Meetings in DC
Posted: 11:05 AM Apr 25, 2009
Last Updated: 11:05 AM Apr 25, 2009
Reporter: Nafeesa Syeed AP
...A 22-year-old man accused of using pepper spray on an officer during the scuffle was arrested...
That made me laugh, sorry but it did. How many times have the cops used pepper spray on protesters?
Last Updated: 11:05 AM Apr 25, 2009
Reporter: Nafeesa Syeed AP
...A 22-year-old man accused of using pepper spray on an officer during the scuffle was arrested...
That made me laugh, sorry but it did. How many times have the cops used pepper spray on protesters?
Do your part: Every San Diegan has an obligation to save water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 26, 2009 at 7:04 am
From the San Diego Union Tribune, this editorial:
Now that the San Diego County Water Authority has declared a drought alert, aggressive water conservation throughout this semi-arid corner of Southern California is more imperative than ever.
Are you ready to do your part?
More than 80 percent of the water San Diegans use is imported from outside the region, primarily from the Colorado River to the east (54 percent) and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the north (28 percent). Because of the drought and a court order restricting pumping from the Delta to protect fish, San Diego will receive in the year ahead 48,000 acre-feet of water less than its projected demand of 629,000 acre-feet. (An acre-foot is enough for two typical households for a year.)
This translates into a mandatory cutback of 8 percent countywide – a reduction that can be achieved with a minimum of economic disruption if every individual does his part to conserve. Even before the drought alert was issued, the Water Authority was calling for savings of 20 gallons per person per day. This remains a good personal target.
Read the full text of this editorial from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here
Update 4:31 PM 4/27/2009
Ok, I live in a county full of morons: asked how they'd cut back if required, more residents said they'd save water by cutting indoors than outdoors.
In all fairness though, I went to school in this county and I don't remember them teaching us about where our water actually came from. My kid learned in high school, but suburban land developers never learn,and they have a lot of power in Southern California. Then also there is the issue of people moving here (after playing tourist here) from wetter areas of the country, and insisting on landscaping their yards like they did where they were originally from.
From the San Diego Union Tribune, this editorial:
Now that the San Diego County Water Authority has declared a drought alert, aggressive water conservation throughout this semi-arid corner of Southern California is more imperative than ever.
Are you ready to do your part?
More than 80 percent of the water San Diegans use is imported from outside the region, primarily from the Colorado River to the east (54 percent) and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the north (28 percent). Because of the drought and a court order restricting pumping from the Delta to protect fish, San Diego will receive in the year ahead 48,000 acre-feet of water less than its projected demand of 629,000 acre-feet. (An acre-foot is enough for two typical households for a year.)
This translates into a mandatory cutback of 8 percent countywide – a reduction that can be achieved with a minimum of economic disruption if every individual does his part to conserve. Even before the drought alert was issued, the Water Authority was calling for savings of 20 gallons per person per day. This remains a good personal target.
Read the full text of this editorial from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here
Update 4:31 PM 4/27/2009
Ok, I live in a county full of morons: asked how they'd cut back if required, more residents said they'd save water by cutting indoors than outdoors.
In all fairness though, I went to school in this county and I don't remember them teaching us about where our water actually came from. My kid learned in high school, but suburban land developers never learn,and they have a lot of power in Southern California. Then also there is the issue of people moving here (after playing tourist here) from wetter areas of the country, and insisting on landscaping their yards like they did where they were originally from.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
RIP Bea Arthur
...As a favor to her longtime pal Norman Lear, Arthur has appeared on a 1971 episode of the smash hit "All in the Family" as Edith's liberated cousin Maude who dared to contradict the bigoted Archie Bunker. So successful was this guest shot that CBS asked Lear to create a spin-off for the character.
"Maude" premiered in September 1972 and ran for six seasons. As "that old compromisin', enterprisin', anything but tranquilizing" Maude Findlay, Bea Arthur created a memorable persona that earned her a place in the TV pantheon. She was the first lead character in TV history to have an abortion in a powerful two-part episode that aired in November 1972, months before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the issue...
Somewhat related. Man, I love Hillary Clinton.
Hat tip to bastard.logic
"Maude" premiered in September 1972 and ran for six seasons. As "that old compromisin', enterprisin', anything but tranquilizing" Maude Findlay, Bea Arthur created a memorable persona that earned her a place in the TV pantheon. She was the first lead character in TV history to have an abortion in a powerful two-part episode that aired in November 1972, months before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the issue...
Somewhat related. Man, I love Hillary Clinton.
Hat tip to bastard.logic
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