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Monday, February 09, 2009

Israel's elections and U.S. policy

Glenn Greenwald
Monday Feb. 9, 2009 08:35 EST

...International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), surveyed 21 countries from six continents and asked whether the influence exerted by various nations in the world was positive or negative. The three countries most viewed as having a negative influence in the world -- essentially tied with one another -- were Iran, Pakistan and Israel, all of whom finished just behind North Korea -- and this poll was conducted before Israel’s attack on Gaza. Even before the war on Gaza, Israel was viewed overwhelmingly negatively in every country except two -- the U.S., where citizens view Israel favorably by a not very large 13-point margin (47-34%), and Russia, where public opinion is split. In every other country, the view of Israel's influence on the world is significantly negative -- in most cases, overwhelmingly so....




Gaza protests in Chicago stir charges of anti-Zionism
By Manya A. Brachear Tribune reporter
January 16, 2009

Six Jewish institutions have been vandalized in recent weeks, including one arson attempt. On one college campus, a Jewish student was called a Nazi, Benn said.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago has condemned the synagogue attacks.

"There's a fine line between what's anti-Israel and what's anti-Semitic," she said. "If the U.S. were being repeatedly attacked from Canada by rockets, we would retaliate, whereas Israel doesn't have that right . . . Comparing Jews to Nazis [is] problematic."

But Stephanie Weiner, who organized Thursday's protest of Chicago's ties to Petach Tikva, one of Chicago sister cities, simply doesn't want Chicago to support what she believes are war crimes. Seven miles east of Tel Aviv, Petach Tikva was one of the first exclusive Jewish settlements in Israel. Weiner and about five protesters distributed leaflets to guests at a breakfast hosted by Mayor Richard Daley.

"This has nothing to do with religion," she said. "People who know and care know it's a human-rights issue."

mbrachear@tribune.com

Not just Chicago, Europe also.

Violent Gaza protests reveal how gentle civilised Britain has changed into something very ugly indeed
Last updated at 9:37 AM on 11th January 2009
Comments (17) Add to My Stories People who have been at the pro-and anti-Israel demonstrations in London have been producing some absolutely horrifying descriptions and images.
On Harry’s Place pictures (such as the one here from Indymedia) capture the violence and thuggery of the left/Islamist alliance.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Pregnant ladybug at the Grammys



Ummmm. Who dressed this woman?

Update 1:36 PM 2/11/2009 Possible Tamil terrorist supporting pregnant ladybug


Grammys. Meh.
By: TBogg Sunday February 8, 2009 10:02 pm

Energy and the tanking economy, not disconnected



Oy vey. We can complicate the shit out of things and go into all the separate disciplines of Energy Economics or we could open our eyes and see that our economy has been built on cheap energy (oil) that we didn't have to compete for and we thought we'd never run out of.

Things changed. We use so much oil that we started having to import more and more and the fucking geniuses that thought we could always depend on military might to safeguard the energy resources we are so dependent upon were arrogant and wrong.

Click on the book cover to read part of the book. And stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Then read the book...

Update 8:35 AM 2/8/2009 I finished the book and I'll summarize what I think is the most important message in this book:

If the best minds from different countries can learn to work together in energy partnerships then they can save a lot of money and lives that are now being wasted on military expenditures in military adventures using military partnerships because they are competing and collaborating (militarily) for energy resources.

I understand that. I was a competitive swimmer for 6 years and you know what I hated about competitive swimming?

Competing....

Update 10:32 AM 2/8/2009

We ignore the leader of an ex-empire that was our competition to our peril. It is us (well, American foreign policy anyway) who is isolating us by acting unilaterally.




A Russia Reality Check
By Fred Hiatt
Sunday, February 8, 2009; Page B07

Yeah, whatever, Hiatt's been in Washington too long in my opinion.

Update 10:08 AM 2/9/2009 links fixed

Beauty from my friend the artist



Am I lucky to have a friend like this or what?

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Plunder and Blunder; How the 'Financial Experts' Keep Screwing You

By Dean Baker, PoliPoint Press. Posted February 7, 2009.

Anyone with common sense, a grasp of simple arithmetic and a desire to go against the consensus should have seen the financial crisis coming.

Naomi Klein: Public Revolt Builds Against Rip-off Rescue Plans for the Economy
Naomi Klein

More stories by Dean Baker

Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from Plunder and Blunder: The Rise and Fall of the Bubble Economy by Dean Baker, published by PoliPoint Press, 2009.

Facing Foreclosure? Don't Leave. Squat.
By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
Posted February 6, 2009.

My parents bought a brand new house almost forty years ago for $39,000. It had five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a living room and a family room, 26,00 square feet, and it was in a nice neighborhood. They raised their kids in it and maintained it well. Still, when they told me a few years of years ago it was worth $750,000 I knew the economy was in deep shit, and that the price was overinflated.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Foreclosures too numerous in your city?

Help for the Homeowners?
PBS NOW
Week of 2.6.09

Glenn Greenwald and Jay Rosen on Bill Moyers.

Birds instead of squirrels out today

That Gawd-awful noise you hear is the wet 10 or 12 or 14 lane freeway I was standing 15 yards away from. They keep widening the freeway instead of improving the mass transit system here. If you listen closely you can hear the birds.



I'm reading about another fine mess that Barack Obama has to try to clean up. It's big and a bummer.

Tomgram: The Empire v. The Graveyard
Whistling Past the Afghan Graveyard
Where Empires Go to Die
By Tom Engelhardt

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Dinosaurs in San Diego

Backhoe Operator Finds Mammoth Tusk, Skull
Posted: Feb 4, 2009 04:10 PM PST

And some idiot making a porn in his helicopter
Posted Feb 5th 2009 11:30AM by TMZ staff

Flying while distracted, real safe asshole.

On teh Gays

I support Gay marriage. I have a new icon on the sidebar and it, like the gays I have known and loved, brings some color to my life.

You don't like that? Well, there's about a gazillion blogs out there, have at it!

I don't blog about it a lot, because frankly, it seems silly to me to have to.

Yes, I was shocked and disappointed with the h8er bigots on the corner by my house and I told them so.

Yes, I was shocked and disappointed when Prop (h)8 passed.

This showed up in my mailbox this morning and it broke my heart.


California Supreme Court to hear Prop. 8 arguments
The justices announce a March 5 hearing on the constitutionality of the ban on same-sex marriage. Their decision will come within 90 days of the session.
By Maura Dolan and Jessica Garrison
February 4, 2009

Moving on to the big Supreme Court.

Ginsburg is hospitalized with pancreatic cancer
Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer, apparently at an early stage.

Head of Supreme Court worries about 'partisanship'
By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN Associated Press Writer
Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009

Are you fucking kidding me?
He wasn't before!

Update 1:30 PM 2/6/2009 Scalia gets nasty with a college student over a question
By John Amato Friday Feb 06, 2009 11:45am

State Department To Blackwater: You're Fired, Leave Iraq by May


$1.2 Billion Contract Won't Be Renewed Following Iraqi Refusal to License U.S. Firm
By BRIAN ROSS and KIRIT RADIA
January 30, 2009


How the hell did I miss this one?
WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

The Anti-Empire Report

February 3rd, 2009
by William Blum
http://www.killinghope.org/ (I've read Killing Hope, and some other stuff too)

Change (in rhetoric) we can believe in.

hat tip to Left I on the News

Why are you still here? Click on the title link. This guy knows the history of American foreign policy, and no, not the crap they try to shove down your throat in your basic high school American History class.


The War on Terror is a Hoax
By Paul Craig Roberts
February 04, 2009
...If America were infected with terrorists, we would not need the government to tell us. We would know it from events....

...Yet, the neocons, who are the Americans most hated by Muslims, remain unscathed.

The “war on terror” is a hoax that fronts for American control of oil pipelines, the profits of the military-security complex, the assault on civil liberty by fomenters of a police state, and Israel’s territorial expansion...

...The great mystery is: why after 60 years of oppression are the Palestinians still an unarmed people? Clearly, the Muslim countries are complicit with Israel and the US in keeping the Palestinians unarmed...

The truth. It's chunkylicious today. Chew on that fer a spell.

For more on the Byzantine politics of the Middle East and the West

read Treacherous Alliance By Trita Parsi

The stimulus bill

$100 billion jolt of 'green stimulus'

Transit Paradox: Ridership Up, Services Down
Wednesday February 4, 2009

Stimulus: Economic Boon or Bloated Bust?
BU experts pick apart the plan
BU Today staff

Stimulus package: Big money, huge plans
Where $800 billion would go and what it might produce
Janet Hook, Noam Levey, Jim Puzzanghera, Richard Simon and Jim Tankersley contributed to this report Washington Bureau
February 1, 2009

...The bill also increases by $7,500 the tax credit for first-time home buyers, if they make less than $75,000 a year. It provides a new tax credit for up to $2,500 in college tuition and related expenses for people earning less than $80,000 a year....

...In addition to the $30 billion for highway and bridge construction and maintenance, the bill provides $20 billion for school projects, from repairs to projects such as installing solar roofs. Among other provisions: $3 billion for airport improvements; $2.5 billion for new commuter or other light rail systems; $2 billion to modernize existing transit systems; $1.1 billion to improve intercity passenger rail service.The measure also provides $4.5 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers for "environmental restoration, flood protection, hydropower, and navigation infrastructure critical to the economy"; $3.1 billion for infrastructure projects on federal lands; and $1.5 billion to make low-income housing using green technologies


Yeah. From what I've seen the amount that is headed for long term sustainability seems like a pretty small portion of $800 billion. In a country where next fucking quarter's earnings are stressed to a ridiculous degree, this does not surprise me.

We suck at long term planning. Nobel-prize-winning physicist Steven Chu, the new head of Energy is concerned about climate change affecting California's farms.


According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, "California agriculture is nearly a $36.6 billion dollar industry that generates $100 billion in related economic activity."

Hump day

Holder is in.

Greed is out.

My congressman is a dickhead.

Oh look, he proved it again.

Recent House Votes
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 - Vote Passed (250-177, 6 Not Voting)The House gave final approval to this wage discrimination measure.

Rep. Brian Bilbray voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Fer christsakes, this dickhead has at least one daughter. I sure hope she marries well. Somehow I doubt that, but hey there's always dickhead congressmen besides her father that she could latch onto.

I'm going to go finish reading another depressing yet important book.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Blogroll Amnesty Day



Whew. I've been all over blogtopia (skippy's word) and I've discovered a few things.

1) People who don't have blogrolls bug me.

2) People who insist on posting really long posts bug me.

3) People who are catergorize their posts endlessly bug me.

4) People who blog and appear to believe that they are the best writers evah bug me.

You know what doesn't bug me?

The fact that anybody who can get to a computer with an internet connection can have a blog, and they can choose to write about whatever they want to, and they can set it up and run it however they want to.

And I can read what they write.

Or not.

So, here's another batch, & don't forget my
first batch.


WOK3
"is dissent illegal yet?"

I haven't asked what the blog title means yet, but I like the blog.

The Sunny Skeptic
Some great stuff from a "militant atheist."

Tome of the Unknown Writer

Who (unlike me) is a real writer.

Reverend Manny and The Twilight Empire

(who always leaves a cute or peaceful sign off when he leaves comments!)

Shamanaqua
"In the Natural World, there is no good nor evil, only the footsteps of Man"

You link to me I link to you.

Snow in London bringing poeple together?


click on pic for audio report

Yeah yeah, like the blackouts in New York...

The hurricanes and tornadoes in Texas and Florida

The rain in southern California…

BZZZZZZZT. Wrong answer, people still drive like assholes in the rain here.

Like earthquakes in southern California.

BZZZZZT. Nope. We laugh at those unless it’s a really bad one, which is rare.

Hmmmm, what brings people in SoCal together?

I was going to make a joke about that silly show True Beauty. Yeah I watch it, so what? My artist friend and I are rooting for the SD County kid, who happens to be an artist, and doesn't appear to take himself overly seriously (he likes streaking to lighten things up) OK?

And then I remembered that people come together in San Diego when the fires are bad here.

Tilt

Suck it up, this is a way bummer dude post.

It’s Not Going to Be OK
Posted on Feb 2, 2009
By Chris Hedges

How Taxpayers Finance Fantasy Wars
By Chalmers Johnson

Road Trip
Clusterfuck Nation by Jim Kunstler

Our stystem and infrastructure are pretty flawed and about to wreak havoc on us.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Fixing the blogroll *sigh*

Gah

I give up. I'll be switching back to the blogger bloglist. If you'd like me to link to you and you will reciprocate, please let me know and I'll fix it as I slog through adding the links again, one by one.

Update 5:19 PM 2/2/2009 Ok, I think I'm ok now. If I goofed and deleted your link whilst slogging a way here, please let me know in the comments section, and I'll fix it.

For today though, poke me with a fork, I'm done.

I should read this:


Tomgram: Chalmers Johnson, Economic Death Spiral at the Pentagon posted February 02, 2009 5:32 pm

Nah fuggit, it's that time again...



I swear I'm addicted to this song.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

The Cars -- Just What I Needed



Ok. Whether you love this song or hate it, if you were there, you remember it. It was my bridge from mainstream pop rock to New Wave . Well, that and this one by the Pretenders. It meant that computers and music were going to get along nicely. And they have.

Whoa, there's a lot of us out there doing the BAD thing

Small Bad2

More sites to gawk at, thanks skippy!

You missed my picks? Here.

Ob Rag BlogFreaks, Uppity Women and Politicos
Indigenous Nudity A frank commentary of American politics, personal finance and culture.
One Sided War gods are mean but people are worse
Oh Well: A Commentary on News and Politics This is a blog examining the political, social and economic issues from my own irrelevant perspective. When examining some of these issues, I just have to shake my head and say, "Oh well. Whatever happens, happens."
San Diego Politico News, commentary and opinion dedicated to advancing a Progressive Political and Social agenda here in San Diego County.
The Rational Realist Opinions and insights on alternative investments with a focus on real estate securities.
Angry Renter.comRenters and responsible homeowners against a government mortgage bailout



Uh Oh, I'm supposed to go watch movies with a friend, because we're not into football. Mmmmmmmm, I have a feeling that I may not make it.

Yeah, and one other thing--- Can somebody tell me why a college age kid smoking a bong hit is a huge newz story? Fer Christsakes, I was a competitive swimmer and the first time I took a bong hit I was twelve. BFD. When he starts training again he's not going to have time for it. He's got ADHD and he's not working out right now, he's probably trying to shut his head up and calm down for ten freaking minutes. I could have told you this was coming.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Blogroll Amnesty Days

Small Bad2


This BAD thing is fun. I've been moving outside of my comfort zone and have rediscovered blogs that I used to read a long time ago , but thought they had completely quit. I've also been checking out what other bloggers have found and proudly posted. I've added Jon Swift and Blue Gal, because frankly, they have some great stuff on their blogs.

Blogrolling is still doofed up, So I'll have to change the blogroll slowly, one by one. I don't have a humongus blogroll because I try to check every one at least twice a week, maybe less if you blog less, maybe more if you blog more. Maybe I'll change the blogrolls around a bit. There are so many blogs I've never visited before, heh, I feel like a kid in a candy store.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Here's my six picks again.


Ob Rag Blog
Freaks, Uppity Women and Politicos

(I was born in OB, heh)

Indigenous Nudity
A frank commentary of American politics, personal finance and culture.

One Sided War
gods are mean but people are worse

Oh Well: A Commentary on News and Politics
This is a blog examining the political, social and economic issues from my own irrelevant perspective. When examining some of these issues, I just have to shake my head and say, "Oh well. Whatever happens, happens."

San Diego Politico
News, commentary and opinion dedicated to advancing a Progressive Political and Social agenda here in San Diego County.

The Rational Realist
Opinions and insights on alternative investments with a focus on real estate securities.

Angry Renter.com
Renters and responsible homeowners against a government mortgage bailout

Celebrating Blogroll Amnesty Days (BAD)

Small Bad2

These are blogs that I discovered recently and I enjoy. I found a couple of local gems.

Ob Rag Blog
Freaks, Uppity Women and Politicos

(I was born in OB, heh)

Indigenous Nudity
A frank commentary of American politics, personal finance and culture.

One Sided War
gods are mean but people are worse

Oh Well: A Commentary on News and Politics
This is a blog examining the political, social and economic issues from my own irrelevant perspective. When examining some of these issues, I just have to shake my head and say, "Oh well. Whatever happens, happens."

San Diego Politico
News, commentary and opinion dedicated to advancing a Progressive Political and Social agenda here in San Diego County.

The Rational Realist
Opinions and insights on alternative investments with a focus on real estate securities.

Angry Renter.com
Renters and responsible homeowners against a government mortgage bailout

Friday, January 30, 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

I knew somebody was going to pick up on this one when I read it yesterday.

It's a real bummer. Especially as it coincides with reports about the increasing. troop suicides . Watching CSPAN is sometimes frustrating.

Here's a question. How come they never counted troop suicides till the 1980's? And how much of it is the war, and how much is the economy. Don't tell me service members don't have family members who have lost jobs in this economy.

The Financial Crisis Is Driving Hordes of Americans to Suicide
By Nick Turse, Tomdispatch.com. Posted January 29, 2009.

The depression has begun.
Amy Goodman talks to William Greider about it today This bullshit ain't going away and I know why it's happening AND why those who really can do something about it, won't. I have a theory anyway, but I could be wrong. I sure hope I'm wrong.


Christ Almighty, Abu Dhabi has it figured out, WTF is wrong with us?

Oh look, it's a right wing weenie roast

ABC & CBS Chide Republicans for 'Turning Cold Shoulder' to Obama


They don't know what a mandate IS.

Mr. President, please tell them, and thank you :)

Covington’s White Collar Unit Depleted by Exodus to Justice

23 Corporate Crime Reporter 5, January 27, 2009

Woooooooooot!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Trying to find bloggers for BAD



Obviously I've gotten a bit loopy.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Reading Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet

The New Geopolitics of Energy
by Michael T. Klare


I'm finished with The Way of the World by Ron Suskind.

Frankly, one of the things that struck me was that it was a legal filing from military lawyer who happend to be a Holocaust survivor's child that started the ball rolling that led to Obama's order to close Gitmo.


Sunday, January 25, 2009

World Celebrates Inaugural of Barack Obama as 44th President

Published Jan 20, 2009, by ■ Carol Forsloff

As an American this kind of blows me away. I knew that Americans would celebrate, but the world?

Wow.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Gaza tunnels resume smuggling

Gah.

Za.

Russia ready to cooperate with US on Afghanistan

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev says Moscow is ready to help U.S. efforts in Afghanistan by allowing the Americans to ship cargo intended for coalition forces across Russian territory.

Medvedev says that Russia also is ready to help international efforts to combat drug-trafficking and terrorism.

He spoke in televised comments during Friday's visit to Uzbekistan, a central Asian nation bordering Afghanistan.

Medvedev expressed hope that President Barack Obama's administration will be more successful in stabilizing Afghanistan than its predecessors.

Medvedev's comments appeared to reflect the Kremlin's hope of mending relations with Washington following a breakdown in ties under former President George W. Bush.

2009-01-23 13:28:07 GMT

Afghanistan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

...Afghans display pride in their religion, country, ancestry, and above all, their independence. Like other highlanders, Afghans are regarded with mingled apprehension and condescension, for their high regard for personal honor, for their clan loyalty and for their readiness to carry and use arms to settle disputes.[63] As clan warfare and internecine feuding has been one of their chief occupations since time immemorial, this individualistic trait has made it difficult for foreign invaders to hold the region...

Why are those in power so fucking stupid?

Update 9:23 PM 1/30/2009
Hmmmm. Looks like these people have another angle on the same problem.
Bill Moyers interview