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The City of Reading is situated between Philadelphia, the cradle of liberty, and the town of Gettysburg, where a great battle for the meaning of that liberty and who was entitled to that liberty was fought. Gettysburg is approximately 87 miles from Reading. In fact, it is four score and seven miles from here.
Some of my Irish ancestors from Pennsylvania fought for the Union in the Civil War, perhaps even in the Battle of Gettysburg. A book written in 1865, entitled Memorial of the Patriotism of Schuylkill County in the American Slaveholder's Rebellion, gives me the impression that fighting for the liberty of people who were enslaved was an important reason that many of them volunteered to serve their country in its greatest moment of crisis.
Over 8000 men died in three days at the Battle of Gettysburg. Tens of thousands more were wounded. The ravages of war were still evident when President Lincoln visited that battlefield to commemorate those who had fallen. President Lincoln recalled the vision our Founding Fathers had of our nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the notion that all men were created equal.
At Gettysburg, President Lincoln reminded America of who she was. His intent was to bring to the forefront of the minds of his listeners the original vision our Founding Fathers had for our nation when they or their ancestors came to this continent from Europe.
Less than 60 miles from here the following words were written and adopted by our Founding Fathers:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…
We meet in Reading today to march for life. In doing so we are not trying to impose anything alien on the American people. We respect the legitimate secularity of government. We are not seeking to impose a religious doctrine on others. We are not seeking to establish a theocracy on this nation. What we are doing is standing up for a basic human and civil right. Indeed, it is the most fundamental right that we have – the right to life.
Today America is sharply divided over very basic issues of life, marriage and the nature and purpose of government. Among the issues that divide us are:
1) Whether one person has a right to chose to take the life of another human being through an act of violence called abortion.
2) Whether the elderly sick and handicapped will be respected and protected. Are people disposable? Can they be dehumanized, ignored and done away when they are expensive or inconvenient to take care of?
3) The definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
4) Whether a nation whose founding documents acknowledge that we have unalienable rights by which we were endowed by our Creator, can acknowledge the existence of that Creator in our public life.
On the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States of America, on September 17, 1796 President George Washington delivered his farewell address to the nation. In it he said:
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
George Washington and many of the other Founding Fathers were influenced by the Great Awakening – a spiritual revival that swept this nation between the years 1740 and 1780. Before the ideas that led to the American Revolution were spread through newspapers, pamphlets and finally recorded in our founding documents, they were proclaimed from the pulpits of America, because those principles have their roots in the Bible.
The Founders believed that our rights were not granted by any king or government, but by God. They believed that the purpose of government is to secure the rights we have from God; that governments derive their just power from the consent of the governed; that the first and foremost right that we have is the right to life. They believed that people have a right to follow their conscience as long as they don't trample on the rights of another person. God gave us liberty not simply to do what we want, but to do what we ought. Our Founders gave us a nation in which we would be able to express our ideas freely and practice our faith publicly. They established a government that guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.
The Founders left us a great heritage. It is up to us to preserve it and call America to live up to the noble principles expressed in our founding documents. As President Abraham Lincoln called for a rebirth of America at Gettysburg based on the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, so also we work for the protection of human life call America to live up those same principles.
In the 1960's, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also challenged America to live up to these principles. He called the Declaration of Independence a promissory note for African-Americans , that is, a promise that had yet to be fulfilled for them. I am privileged to work with Dr. Alveda King, who is one of the pastoral associates at Priests For life who is helping especially to raise awareness about the threat of the culture of death among the African-American community.
Like President Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope John Paul II called America to live up to her founding documents. Before leaving the United States on a visit to Baltimore in 1995, Pope John Paul II said this about our system of government:
Democracy needs wisdom. Democracy needs virtue, if it is not to turn against everything that it is meant to defend and encourage. Democracy stands or falls with the truths and values which it embodies and promotes.
Democracy serves what is true and right when it safeguards the dignity of every human person, when it respects inviolable and inalienable human rights, when it makes the common good the end and criterion regulating all public and social life. But these values themselves must have an objective content. Otherwise they correspond only to the power of the majority, or the wishes of the most vocal. If an attitude of skepticism were to succeed in calling into question even the fundamental principles of the moral law, the democratic system itself would be shaken in its foundations (cf. Evangelium Vitae, 70).
But after giving us this warning the Pope also gave these words of encouragement:
The United States possesses a safeguard, a great bulwark, against this happening. I speak of your founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. These documents are grounded in and embody unchanging principles of the natural law whose permanent truth and validity can be known by reason, for it is the law written by God in human hearts (cf. Rom 2:25).
At the center of the moral vision of your founding documents is the recognition of the rights of the human person, and especially respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life in all conditions and at all stages of development. I say to you again, America, in the light of your own tradition: love life, cherish life, defend life, from conception to natural death.
Today as we celebrate the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Blessed Virgin Mary and the disciples gathered in the Upper Room at Pentecost let us pray for another great awakening in our nation. Pray to the Holy Spirit to grant our leaders and all of our citizens wisdom. Pray to the Holy Spirit, who transformed weak and timid men into courageous evangelizers, that we will speak up for and act on what we know in our hearts is right. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. He calls us to be advocates too.
We march today to send a message that human life is sacred and to call back America to the noble principles expressed in our founding documents, especially as we advocate for legal protection for unborn babies who cannot speak for themselves.


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Haven't found anything yet?
Shine and glamour - This wallpaper shows a fantastic combinition of textile fabrics and classic design that is applied on a wallpaper. The wallpaper 96193-1 by Architects Paper creats with the light shining baroque pattern in beige and grey an elegant living space that has a special effect because of the wallpapers material components. The non-woven wallpaper is washable, dry strippable and has a good lightfastness.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Mueller investigation was cited to President Trump, by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as a specific reason not to declassify certain documents. Here's a link to the General Principles of declassification [SEE HERE] Yes, the President can declassify anything; however, there is a process that must be followed.
With the completion of the Mueller investigation, it would appear that President Trump could now declassify the documents as requested by congress on September 6th, 2018. Additionally, after the original declassification request, there were other documents added to the list. Perhaps it is worthwhile remembering what those declassification documents are:
♦ The first item(s) is/are the Carter Page FISA applications (including specifically pages 10-12 and 17-34 and relevant footnotes). This request was modified to include the last 22 pages of the third renewal of the FISA application (dated July 2016).
♦ The second item(s) on the original request are all of the Bruce Ohr 302's, FBI notes from interviews and debriefing sessions, and other relevant documents associated with the interviews of Bruce Ohr and his internal communications. This request also includes exculpatory evidence that Bruce Ohr may have shared.
♦ The third batch of documents requested by congress was: "all exculpatory evidence regarding Carter Page and others, that were presented to the Gang of Eight, but not presented to the FISA Court."
♦ The fourth request was for the unredacted "Scope Memo", authored by Deputy Rosenstein, that authorized the specific investigative direction of Robert Mueller. With the Mueller probe ended, there should be no reason to withhold and redact the authorization document known as the "Scope Memo".
♦ The fifth item is the originating Electronic Communication or "EC" authored by CIA Director John Brennan to former FBI Director James Comey. The two-page EC is the originating memorandum that outlines the reason why Brennan felt operation "Crossfire Hurricane" should be initiated to investigate the Trump campaign (July 31, 2016).
♦ The sixth item on the original request was for the release of the full and unredacted text messaging and communication between FBI Lawyer Lisa Page and FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok. There are thousands of redactions within the previously released text messages; there are also many that were removed. The request to President Trump was for all redactions to be removed and for all previously withheld communication to be provided.
NOTE: Recently it has been revealed there are also text messages between Lisa Page and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. I would presume the congressional request would also want those added to their original request for declassification and production.
That's the original and modified list of documents that Devin Nunes and congress have requested from the executive. However, there are more documents that are pertinent and would be useful in exposing the seditious conspiracy.
CTH would like to add the declassification of the April 2017 FISC opinion rendered by FISA Court Presiding Justice Rosemary Collyer. This 99-page opinion outlines the 2016 FBI and NSA FISA-702 certification submissions. It's extremely doubtful that anyone in DC would support declassifying this document; however, there is also no document that would be as revealing to declassify. This document is direct evidence of historic FISA abuse; it would show just how far the fourth amendment has been eroded by the administrative state.


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- 3 Beds
- 2 Full
Property TypeResidential – Single Family
Listing Date05/17/19
Year Built1986
Lot Size0.13 Acres (5,663 SqFt)
Parking3 Car Garage, Surface
Property Description
Rare opportunity to own one of Old Eagle's finest in historic downtown neighborhood. Well-maintained, refurbished home with NO HOA, 3 car garage with dual access, huge fenced and beautifully landscaped yard, open floor plan with spacious upstairs master suite and upgraded bath. Garage deck with hot tub, charming front deck, expansion possibilities with unfinished basement and plenty of room for extra parking or vehicles. A true Eagle Gem, a must see! Originally built in 1946.
Presented By
- In Town
- See Remarks
- Golf-Public
- Hiking/Pedestrian Trail
- Cable Available
- Deck
- Hot Tub / Spa
- Multi-Level
- Patio
- Cable TV
- City Sewer
- City Water
- Electricity Avail.
- Natural Gas Avail.
- Snow Removal
- Trash Pickup
- Baseboard
- Natural Gas
- Swamp Cooler(s)
- Dryer - Gas
- Washer
Financial Information
About Eagle
Thirty minutes from the slopes of Vail and Beaver Creek, the charming town of Eagle has become a destination all its own. World-class outdoor recreation includes mountain biking, fly-fishing, horseback riding, off-road motorized trails, hunting, camping and hiking. And the real estate mix is some of the valley's most diverse. Thoughtful developments include a variety of single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums, many of which are just a walk or bike-ride away from restaurants, shops and various community services in downtown Eagle and Eagle Ranch. Originally a ranching community, much of that heritage is still evident as you drive up Brush Creek Road toward Sylvan Lake State Park, where adventurers can explore beautiful hiking trails, paddleboard or fish on the lake, or head into the unknown in the mysterious Fulford Cave. Eagle is the county seat, and its lower elevation equates to a milder, often shorter winter than the towns further upvalley. Eagle's real estate diversity offers everything from condominiums to sprawling ranch estates. There are beautifully designed single-family homes, simple historic houses near downtown, condominiums, flats, and single-family and golf course homes in Eagle Ranch. Eagle also offers buyers good value for their money, just a short distance from Vail and Beaver Creek. Downtown Eagle has become a convenient, family-friendly community with desirable proximity to Interstate 70 and the Eagle County Regional Airport. Just 30 minutes to Beaver Creek Resort, Eagle offers mountain community living with convenient access to the world-class resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek. Hiking trails are plentiful, where you can ascend to a high-alpine lake or trek through colorful aspen groves in the fall. Mountain biking has taken off in the spring, summer and fall, where bikers can explore Eagle's 100 miles of singletrack trails featuring landscapes ranging from deep forest to high desert. The town's events schedule seems to grow each year, where free summer concerts create festive scenes in the park where children play and adults picnic. Other popular events include an outdoor yoga festival, holiday parade, farmers markets, summer outdoor sports festival, Eagle Flight Days and the Eagle County Fair and Rodeo.
Area Market Data
We get asked this question a lot. Below is a tool that gives you the ability to see what the market is like in your community. Find out what homes like your own are selling for right in your back yard. Simply enter in your address, choose the proximity of the search and find out market data for other homes that are selling near you.
While we'll provide you with plenty of information, this is a snapshot of your market data and there are real people behind the high-tech and automated tools. If you would like more detailed information or help in understanding the results we are here to help.
Until then, enjoy the tools!
The data relating to the real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Vail Multi-List Service, Inc.
Copyright © 2020 Vail Multi List, Inc. (VMLS). The information displayed herein was derived from sources believed to be accurate, but has not been verified by VMLS. Buyers are cautioned to verify all information to their own satisfaction. This information is exclusively for viewers' personal, non- commercial use. Any republication or reproduction of the information herein without the express permission of the VMLS is strictly prohibited.
Listing courtesy of Slifer Smith & Frampton - Park Hyatt


text: Create widgets and Web apps for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS X with Dashcode Dashcode is a software application that makes it quick and easy to create dashboard widgets and Web apps for Mac computers, iPhone, and iPad. Widgets and Web apps connect users with content from the Web such as Twitter feeds, movie showtimes, news updates, and more. Dashcode provides a library of graphic elements and standard code that you just drag-and-drop into your app, and this guide shows you how to use it to bring your idea to life. Learn to create, customize, and distribute your apps, even if you're a programming novice. * Dashcode provides a quick and easy way to create dashboard and Web widgets for Apple devices * This guide shows you how to use the built-in Dashcode tools, including graphical elements and functional code, to create Web apps using your data * Learn to customize your app, add media, retrieve data from Web services for your app, and deploy your widgets * Even if you're new to programming, you can learn to create and distribute widgets with Dashcode Dashcode For Dummies gets you up and running with this cool tool for creating unique Web apps and dashboard widgets.


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Hello and welcome to the DownTown Music Hub
We're happy to announce that our new our online booking system is live and ready to reserve your booking to record in one of our fantastic studios.
Once you have signed up and registered with the studio, you'll enjoy the convenience of booking your recording sessions at your convenience by simply browsing available slots in the calendar and securing them right away.
Our partnership with Payfast also allows you to easily budget for your sessions by choosing to pay with one of many secure online payment methods.
To celebrate our new system going live, we're offering SAACYF members 10%-off our already-discounted rates if you book and pay for a recording session by the end of October 2017.
Please note: You don't need to record before the end of October, you simply just need to book and pay for your session by then. Your session can be booked at any time within the next 12-months, but the special offer is a great way to secure it at a great rate 🙂
How does it work?
Simply register with us today by completing the form on this page and we'll set you up on the system so you can log in, book and pay for your session online.
If you have any questions related to this, please ring Dolly, our friendly studio controller on 011 334 7230
What's the special rate for SAACYF Members in October?
Studio 1
- R1579 – First session
- R1579 – Second session
- R792 – Overnight session
- R315 – Hourly Rate (Mon/Tuesday)
Studio 2
- R1282 – First session
- R1282 – Second session
- R643 – Overnight session
- R234 – Hourly Rate (Mon/Tuesday)
Studio 3
- R1080 – First session
- R1080 – Second session
- R540 – Overnight session
- R216 – Hourly Rate (Mon/Tuesday)
Digital Pre-Mastering
- R130 per hour
What's a session?
A session is a 6-hour block of time that you are able to book here at the studios – it's a good amount of time to get some real work done!
What times do sessions run?
- 10 am to 4 pm (First Session)
- 5 pm to 11 pm (Second Session)
- 12 am to 6 am (Overnight Session)
Too short for what you're planning?
No problem, simply book two of these sessions back-to-back and we'll even throw in the extra hour(s) in between for mahala!
But what if I want to work for less than 6-hours?
If you just want to try the studio out, or don't need a full session, then have a look at available hours on Mondays and Tuesdays. We book the studios out for shorter periods on these particular days.
Do I need an engineer?
You are welcome to engineer yourself or to bring your own sound engineer with you. We just have a requirement that your engineer is able to work on our equipment and that you employ the services of one of our in-house sound engineers for the first 2-hours if your engineer is new to our studio.
The reasoning behind this is that you want to maximise your productive time in the studio and not spend it troubleshooting, or trying to find out how to work the equipment.
Our in-house sound engineers are a great bunch of guys and we recommend that you employ their services for your session. You will need to contact them to chat about your project and to find out their rates for the time of day you are working, but you can generally budget for around R120-R140/hour when contracting their services.
Not sure on which engineer to consult with?
No problem – just give us a ring and we'll recommend the best person for your project.
How do I make the best use of my time in the studio?
Download a copy of our Happy Session Guide – there are loads of tips and tricks here to help you prepare for your big day in the studio.
More Questions?
Our handy infographic explains most of the topics related to rates and how to book the studios. It also outlines the regular book procedure, but just remember the special additional 10% off is only applies to online bookings that we receive before October 30th, 2017 🙂
You are also most welcome to give us a ring if you have any other questions.
Contact Tel:
Come visit us – we'd love to meet you!
62 Goud Street (Corner Fox St.) Johannesburg
-26.205038, 28.052178
Yes, I'd like to book and pay online:
Simply send us your details below ↓


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There was a time not too long ago when offseason meant turmoil for the Los Angeles Galaxy. But a club that once appeared to be in perpetual upheaval in recent years finally appears to have taken on an air of stability.
Only five players have not returned from last season, when the club made the playoffs for the first time in five years and reached the MLS Cup Final. Midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi was taken by Philadelphia in the expansion draft, veteran defender Tony Sanneh was not invited to training camp, and midfielder Kyle Patterson and defenders Julian Valentin and Leonard Griffin all were put on waivers.
Alan Gordon, the longest-tenured member of the Galaxy who is entering his seventh season with the organization, admitted he breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of significant offseason changes. Take it from someone who's been through three general managers and five head coaches, and that doesn't even include two coaches who were on an interim basis: stability is more than welcome.
"It's a relief. It's a different feeling, that's for sure," he said. "It's almost not normal. You look around and you see everybody back. We've gotten off to a much faster start than any other year.
"We already know each other, we've played with each other for a full year for the most part. It's all about getting back in shape now. You don't have to worry what the other guy's like, what his tendencies are ... you kind of know. It's definitely going to help us, I think."
Head coach/general manager Bruce Arena arrived in Los Angeles in August of 2008 and knew he had to make a number of changes in order to restore the organization to its once-lofty status. He outdid himself with more than a dozen new faces in 2009 and the result was one of the team's most successful seasons in years.
But just as much as he need to reverse the club's sagging fortunes a year ago, there was no need for a repeat scenario in 2010 and Gordon, for one, was happy to see it.
"It makes all the difference," said Gordon, who has 15 career goals and 12 assists since he joined Los Angeles after being named A-League Rookie of the Year with the Portland Timbers in 2004. "You look at the successful teams in this league like Houston, New England, and they've been good for the past five years because they've kept their squads together. For the most part, the nucleus sticks around.
"We've got our nucleus back and we've added a couple new faces that I think can add some quality to the team. That's what it takes."
Stability also has entered Gordon's personal life. The 28-year-old got married in December.
"She's helped me out tremendously," he said of his wife, Sandi. "She was not a soccer fan, but now she is. She didn't know how many people were in it or if it even existed, but now she likes to support me and the team.
"It's pretty funny when someone who doesn't know the game starts to get interested, and learning what's offside is pretty funny. It's nice to see."
The sense of calm that is almost unmistakeable in this year's camp not only is a welcome change, Gordon said, but long overdue.
"It's awesome," he said. "This is a club that deserves stability. It's supposed to be one of the top franchises in the league. I think that it should be a privilege to be here and have somethere where every single year we are continuing to get better ... not changing the whole deal.
"We have to keep the stability, keep the good people that built up this club and helped make it great."
Larry Morgan is a contributor to MLSnet.com.


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
View any reasons that one may be excused or exempt from jury duty.
Access the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana federal juror website.
View the rights allowed for jurors.
View helpful answers to frequently asked questions regarding jury duty.
View the local jury rules for St. Joseph county.
Access the State of Indiana's rules for jury duty.


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PetzOFF necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 40 diseños de 10 diseñadores freelance.
PetzOFF Interantiona Inc. "A harmless solution to keep the loved ones off furniture" , http://www.petzoff.com ,
PetzOFF is revolutionary blanket that was created to train your pets to stay off your furniture. Non Shocking , Non Spraying , Non Scaring... A harmless solution to train your pets.
If you look through our site you can see what we have and how the current packaging needs to be redone.
Our Target Audience are dogs and or cat owners across the world that have issues keeping their pets off the furniture.
Package needs to be a box. Big enough for a 56 X 72 blanket folded, to fit in it. I'll get the final dimensions soon. Size can be modified anyways right?
The Logo needs to be present along with an As seen on TV logo on it too.
I've attached some stuff. There is a basic design of a box... never been used. It's not good enough. It needs to pop out!! more pazzaz... the design of the package is needed so that we can be able to land new retail outlets. This could and will be huge.
The winner or best design will be recognized and considered for future employmnet amongst multiple projects...
good luck..
I will update more specifics and requirements in the next few days.


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With Anti-Gay Bill, Museveni Seeks To Divert Attention As Regime Crumbles From Multiple Crises
Yoweri Museveni
[Commentary: Uganda]
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda signed into law an anti-gay bill on February 24, 2014, which criminalizes lesbianism and imposes severe penalties, including life imprisonment, for what it terms "aggravated homosexuality."
He did this despite the fact that homosexual acts are already not only illegal but also regarded as a social taboo in Uganda, as is the case in most African countries. The signing of the anti-gay bill by President Museveni generated divergent reactions from different quarters.
Western governments, which had until then tolerated and bankrolled President Museveni's regime, despite far graver and more widespread human rights violations than what the anti-gay bill will perpetrate, condemned it. US Secretary of State John Kerry, for example, compared the tough new anti-gay laws enacted in Uganda to anti-Semitic legislation in Nazi Germany or apartheid in South Africa. He said, "You could change the focus of this legislation to Black or Jewish and you could be in 1930s Germany or you could be in 1950s- 1960s apartheid South Africa," and he added: "It was wrong there egregiously in both places and it is wrong here."
Secretary John Kerry's condemnation is understandable, although to liken Uganda anti-gay law to Nazism and apartheid tends to trivialize the crimes committed under both Nazism and apartheid.
And various human rights groups and activists have also condemned the anti-gay bill. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel laureate for peace who is widely regarded as Africa's conscience, for instance, has suggested that the bill was reminiscent of fascist regimes that in history attempted to "to legislate against love or marriage across class, caste and race."
On the other hand, it is fair to summarize that the general population in Africa has tended to support the anti-gay bill, because President Museveni's regime has marketed it as "protecting" African culture. Although it might be true that prejudice can be part of any culture, the fact of the matter is that cultures are never immutable: they often change in the context of time. Take for example racism, which not too long ago was regarded the world over as ordained by God and integral to global cultures. Today, only mostly alienated fringe elements in society still believe that racism is part of their culture.
Whatever views different people take about the anti-gay law in Uganda, it is fair to say that it has not only exposed the nature of President Museveni's regime, but also opened a window of opportunity to discuss the various human rights violations in the country.
Given the divergent reactions that the anti-gay law in Uganda has generated, how are we to understand and explain both the timing of bringing it into force and the dramatic shift away from the working relations with the USA to Russia that President Museveni signaled a day before he signed the bill?
The proponents of the bill have asserted that it is intended to protect so-called African culture, as if prejudice is an unchangeable African culture, which remains immutable or regressive despite the march of time and changing conditions and the state of scientific knowledge in the world.
Some other writers have sought to explain President Museveni's anti-freedom actions by reference to the influence exerted on him by some conservative Christian groups from the USA. This explanation, though it has a hint of truth, downplays other significant factors. For one, it ignores the fact that some of the conservative Christian groups and individuals had been frustrated by President Museveni's manipulation of them, including telling them many naked lies with a straight face.
In fact, a number of the conservative Christian individuals and groups that had supported President Museveni based on disinformation that he was a Christian had begun to disassociate themselves from the regime. Some disagreed with him and refused to dignify him with the title "Christian." It is also apparent that the various conservative groups and individuals distancing themselves from President Museveni were doing it out of self-interest and in order to salvage their credibility.
But of far greater relevance is the fact that those who place most of the blame for President Museveni's anti-freedom laws at the doorsteps of conservative Christian groups and individuals unwittingly tend to divest him of moral and political responsibility for his actions.
If we are to properly understand and explain President Museveni's anti-freedom laws, we must place them in context and examine them by reference to the purposes they are intended to achieve. In summary, the anti-freedom laws he's pushed through in Uganda, which include the Public Order Management and the Anti-Pornography Laws, are intended for political consumption. They come at a time when President Museveni has been buffeted by a multitude of crises, has seen his credibility and support dwindle dramatically both externally and internally and is faced with determined efforts to end his rule of nearly 30 years.
Like most bankrupt and unprincipled politicians in crises who either bemoan past glories or find refuge in perverted nationalism, President Museveni is using the stratagem as a formula to deflect attention away from, and conceal, evident conditions of crises and of his decline and growing irrelevance.
It should be remembered that Uganda is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in 2016. Significantly, over the past several months, if not years, there has been mounting opposition to President Museveni's dictatorship. Why? Because in close to 30 years in power, except for a tiny circle of cronies and family members, President Museveni has brought about the ruin of the country on an unprecedented scale. Indeed, every sector and group in Uganda has suffered unmitigated disasters at the hands of President Museveni's totalitarian rule; and it is clear that he could not win in a free and fair election.
In summary, over the past three decades, President Yoweri Museveni has used a cocktail of lethal politico-military tactics to fashion a personal dictatorship and to accumulate wealth. The tactics have included playing off one group against another, otherwise known as divide and rule; encouragement of massive corruption and the fostering of poverty; ordering the assassinations and torture of his political opponents; manipulating and muzzling of the press; perpetrating military adventures into neighboring countries and fomenting conflicts there; using the war on terror to win support from Western countries; and destroying public services to such an extent that they are the worst in the region, which has given rise to myriad health crises, including outbreaks of famine.
A few specific examples should illustrate the extent of the crises President Museveni faces:
The cancer of corruption, whether in the form of bribery or misappropriation of public funds has reached epidemic proportions. In 2012, Transparency International found that Uganda was the most corrupt country in the East Africa region, which includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Inequality and ravaging poverty in the country have reached obscene levels. In fact, Uganda government's own study in 2012 concluded that about 70 per cent of Ugandans were either poor or highly vulnerable to poverty. The study found that 23.1 million people, out of a population of about 34.5 million, were prone to poverty and about 8.4 million (about 24,5 percent) were trapped in absolute poverty.
Add to the above data is the fact that unemployment has reached crisis level. The situation is more or less hopeless when youth unemployment is considered. Last year, in 2013, a study found that 62 per cent of Uganda's youth are jobless. This year, 2014, the figure has gone up to 72 per cent.
In international affairs, President Museveni has sponsored and exported conflicts all over the Great Lakes Region of Africa, with devastating consequences. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found, for example, that from the mid-1990s until early this century, President Museveni exported illicit arms to, recruited child soldiers and incited ethnic conflicts in, and plundered, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The military invasion of the DRC by Uganda did not only set into motion the rape epidemic in that country, but also resulted in the deaths of over five million people. The ICJ fined Uganda US$10 billion in damages for the plunder and devastation of the DRC.
This year, 2014, President Museveni sent his troops to South Sudan on a mission similar to the destructive one in DRC. The results so far have been catastrophic; dislocation of millions of people in South Sudan, escalation of ethnic-base civil wars and general ruin of the country. Unlike in the DRC, however, Ugandan troops have suffered huge losses; and leaders in the regions have demanded that President Museveni withdraw his troops.
The various military adventures in neighboring countries have left him quite isolated and hated by the majority of people in the region.
These developments have been complicated by the changing attitude of Western powers in general towards him. It is apparent that enlightened policy makers in the USA in particular have come to realize President Museveni's duplicity in dealing with them. In particular, it had become increasingly apparent in the USA that President Museveni was cynically manipulating the war on terrorism to garner undeserved support, when he in fact did not share the values that informed the war on terrorism.
With all these crises, and more, closing in on him, President Museveni decided to resort to an old stratagem used by bankrupt and unprincipled politicians. That is to prey on the most vulnerable in society and to call to his rescue perverted nationalism. It was in that context that he adopted an Africanist posture to "champion" so-called African heritage against gay people. What in fact President Museveni has done is to skillfully and cynically serve "the people" opium of prejudice in the hope that he can lull them to the failures of his regime.
It should be remembered that a few months before President Museveni signed the anti-gay bill, he had assented to an anti- pornography piece of legislation. Among other things, the new legislation outlaws material that shows parts of the body including breasts, thighs and buttocks, or any erotic behavior intended to cause sexual excitement. In Uganda, the legislation has become known in short-hand as "anti-mini skirt" law, because it targets almost exclusively women.
Interestingly, the law does not make it a criminal offence for poor people or those from marginalized communities to dress scantly. A common element about both the anti-gay and anti-pornography laws is that they target arguably the most marginalized if not powerless members of society. In other words, President Museveni and his cronies picked on women who are generally treated as second-class citizens and gay people who are regarded as pariahs, to prey on.
This fact gives the twin laws an odious tinge. As a general principle, normally, laws are enacted to protect those who are vulnerable. In these cases, the laws focus punishment on groups who are already marginalized in society.
To add spice to the political context, a day before he signed the bill, President Museveni made a statement in response to US President Barrack Obama's warning that if the anti-gay bill was signed into law, it would complicate the relationship between Washington and Uganda. President Museveni announced that he would, henceforth, work with the Russians instead of the US government.
President Museveni's announcement caused quite a ripple if not consternation among a cross-section of people because until then the US had been a principal source of diplomatic and financial support for the dictator. For example, between 2006 and 2010, the USA was Uganda's biggest donor, providing $1.7 billion; followed by Britain with $694 million.
Over-all, Uganda under President Museveni has been not only one of the largest recipients of mostly Western aid but has also been treated with "scandalous exceptionalism," when it comes to respecting human rights to quote a prominent Ugandan politician. According to Britain's Overseas Development Institute, the country was the world's 20th largest aid recipient.
President Museveni justified his shift and preference to work with the Russian government on the grounds that it does not meddle in the internal affairs of other countries. It is interesting that President Museveni used the red herring of US meddling in the internal affairs of other countries as justification for his shift. This is so because when he enjoyed the diplomatic and financial largesse of the USA, he never complained about Washingtgon tolerating his abysmal human rights record nor about it superintending various Western interests in Africa and beyond.
President Museveni's statement is evidently reminiscent of the political games rulers from the so-called Third World countries used to play for their benefits during the Cold War. Although most Ugandans would prefer that the USA, Western powers and institutions should take a principled stand against President Museveni for his various egregious contravention of international law and massive violations of human rights over the years rather than focus simply on the anti-gay law, it is nonetheless a welcome beginning.
For Africans in general who have suffered needlessly as a result of President Museveni's military adventurism, and for Ugandans in particular who have endured 30 years of his sordid corruption and divide and rule, they should not be hoodwinked by neither his rhetoric of social populism that homosexuality is un-African, nor by his deployment of the yesteryear language of anti-imperialism against the so-called arrogant West.
The historical truth about President Museveni is that he has not an ounce of patriotism in him and cares not an iota about the country's sovereignty and independence. Moreover, the West, China and Russia should all know that President Museveni does not care about their interests either. Rather, he is essentially a political prostitute who will do anyone's bidding as long as he is given resources to stay in power.
As President Museveni reinvents and reveals himself with many gimmicks, it is hoped that enlightened policy makers all over the world will realize that he is deserving of censure rather than provision of extravagant and undeserved praise, propaganda, military materiel, diplomatic cover and financial resources.
Any manipulation of popular rhetoric by President Museveni should not be allowed to conceal his abysmal record in power for close to 30 years. During that period, Ugandans have been subjected by President Museveni to the cancer of corruption, crippling poverty, lack of basic health care and quality schools and dilapidating infrastructure, all of which have become a nightmare that haunts the lives of the great majority of people who have been rendered miserable and disunited.
As Ugandans rise up as a tidal wave, the time has come for the international community to discard its selective morality and to support the people's struggle for freedom and democracy from three decades of President Museveni's dictatorship.
Ugandans deserve the right to establish a united and democratic society in which all citizens enjoy fundamental human rights regardless of their social backgrounds and orientations.
Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu is the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights at the University of Connecticut and Chairman of Uganda's Freedom and Unity Front (FUF)
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Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
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The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
A deeply weird thriller as exotically perverse as they come, The Lady from Shanghai is a solitary entry in the exclusive canon of "maritime noir." Much like The Big Sleep -- in that the plot is so utterly convoluted it becomes impossible to figure out who is double crossing whom -- yet is doesn't matter because the film succeeds as a glamorous nightmare, a proto-Lynchian exercise in atmospheric dread. It is less than a full vision of Welles's inimitable imagination because, as usual, the studio hacked away at the movie, adding corny musical cues, and soft-focus close-ups of Rita Hayworth where they didn't belong. But it mostly works because the images are so original and inspired and because Welles and Hayworth bring a genuine spark of sexual chemistry to their roles. Even when it's painful to notice the studio's inane additions to the film in compromise of Welles's artistry it's hard to regard the intense, dreamy, fragmented bits of brilliance the film is comprised of as a complete tragedy.
Welles plays Mike "Black Irish" O'hara, an "able-bodied seaman" for hire in New York. Mike's a romantic - a tough guy who writes poetry and killed a Franco spy fighting in the Spanish Civil War. He's a brooding, sexy tough guy with depth. He meets Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth), the wealthy wife of a crippled trial lawyer, Arthur Bannister, one night in Central Park. After rescuing her from an attempted gang rape in the park he is later propositioned by her husband to work on their yacht as they sail to Mexico. Mike can't say no to Elsa and soon they're sailing to Mexico. It's here where the film is most memorable as the landscape changes from a back lot version of Manhattan to actual location shooting of the ocean and a Mexican fishing village. As the characters are revealed to be more sinister the cinematography gets more and more darkly beautiful. Welles gets great things out of his cast and crew, and the result is unlike any thriller from the period. It's noir but in Welles's hands it transcends genre trappings.Continue Reading


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A really important story's brewing. Alice Ollstein reported on it for Free Speech Radio News and this is from the set-up to her report:
The state of Missouri argued before the US Supreme Court today that it shouldn't have to get a warrant in order to take a blood sample from someone suspected of driving drunk. But some states and civil liberties groups disagree, saying a possible DUI conviction shouldn't allow a violation of privacy rights.
Robert Barnes (Washington Post) reports on the arguments and includes:
Justices across the ideological spectrum seemed to recoil during oral arguments from what Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. described as the "pretty scary image of somebody restrained, and, you know, a representative of the state approaching them with a needle."
For once, I agree with Chief Justice Roberts, this is something to recoil over. For the ACLU, Steve Gosset has a good write-up:
The ACLU told the U.S. Supreme Court today that warrantless blood tests of drunken driving suspects should not be allowed, especially when a search warrant could be obtained in a timely fashion.
The ACLU represents Tyler McNeely, the respondent in the case, Missouri v. McNeely. He was pulled over in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 2010 on suspicion of drunk driving. After refusing a field sobriety test, he was taken to a local hospital where blood was forcibly drawn to obtain a sample to test his blood-alcohol content. The arresting officer did not obtain a warrant prior to the blood draw. Two Missouri courts later ruled the blood evidence could not be used against McNeely.
On Wednesday, the high court heard arguments made by lawyers for Missouri and the federal government that obtaining a warrant in DWI cases could be time-consuming and that any delay would risk the blood-alcohol level diminishing to the point where there would be no evidence of drunken driving. Several justices questioned the approach Missouri advocates, to effectively rely on a police officer's determination that there is probable cause to compel a blood draw if a suspect refuses a sobriety test.
"The probable cause is almost surely not enough, otherwise we'd never need to get a warrant," said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
What bothers me though is how everyone is staying with what the case is. By that I mean, yes, they are taking blood. And I don't approve. But do we get that blood contains other things like DNA? So if they're allowed to take blood without a warrant that means they can obtain your DNA without your permission as well.
C.I. has a good point at the end of the snapshot. We were on the phone late this afternoon and I asked her about the Bradley Manning thing, Judge Denise Lind giving him 112 days off a potential sentence?
C.I. said that it was wrong and broke the law (Bradley's treatment by the US government) but that a military judge was never going to toss the case out for that reason. She said Lind would be more likely to set up holes that a lawyer could kick through in an appeal, holes in terms of the government, than to take on the military system. And from that view, I do see why people were happy about the 112 days and Lind's remarks there. So be sure to read that part if you haven't already because when she was explaining it, I said, "Please put it in the snapshot."
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Wednesday, January 9, 2013. Chaos and violence continue, Nouri closes a road and a port, Allawi and Barzani meet, impeachment is floated, a development in the Bradley Manning case, and more.
As protests continue in Iraq, a new development emerges. Al Arabiya explains, "The Iraqi ministry of defense has closed the country's border crossing near Jordan on Wednesday at 6 a.m. (local time) without stated official reasons, an Al Arabiya correspondent reported. The Teraibeel border crossing near Jordan, an important commercial thoroughfare, is located in the Sunni stronghold Anbar province. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets on a daily basis in the area against Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his government, accused of marginalizing Sunnis." Petra notes that the road wasn't the only thing closed, Port Trebil on the border Jordan shares with Iraq was shut down by the Iraq Ministry of Defense and that Anba Province's Vice Chair, Saadoun al-Shaalan, declared that the protesters did not disrupt the port or the international highway, that the provided services to those traveling on the road and he decries the closing of the port. Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) quotes protest organizer Saeed Hmaim stating, "The closure . . . serves only on purpose, and that is to damage the image of the protesters and depict them as troublemakers who want to make the lives of Iraqis more difficult. We will stand firm on our demands, and we will not be shaken by this irresponsible act." UPI continues that thread, "Hikmat Suleiman, a Sunni council leader in Anbar province, said the border closure was to put pressure on protesters. Local leaders expressed similar sentiments, saying the central government was waging an economic war on the anti-Maliki movement, reports al-Arabiya." Emirates News Agency adds that Jordan issued a statement which including that "Jordan is maintaining contact with Iraq through security and diplomatic channels to follow up on the issue." Reuters explains, "The protests have become a major test for Maliki, a Shi'ite nationalist whom many Sunni leaders accuse of marginalising their minority sect, shoring up his own authority and pushing the OPEC country closer to Shi'ite non-Arab power Iran." Alsumaria adds that Anbar Province council officials told them they will sue the federal government over the closing of the Port of Trebil ("without justification") .
Iraq came up in yesterday's US State Dept press briefing with regards to protest.
QUESTION: Iraq?
MS. NULAND: Yeah.
QUESTION: Some Iraqi officials are blaming the U.S. for supporting the demonstrations in Iraq against the government. Do you have any reaction?
MS. NULAND: We've talked about this a couple of times last week. We are not taking a side in any of these internal difficulties inside Iraq. We want to see the Iraqi stakeholders sitting down, talking, meeting, discussing, finding constitutional solutions to the various grievances on all of these issues. Our role has simply been to try to encourage the various stakeholders to talk to each other.
There was no mention of Iraq today. And Nuland still hasn't called out the violence on Monday against protesters in Mosul -- at least four were injured -- today Al Mada's Mohammad Sabah reports that 70 MPs have signed off on an investigation into how the protests in Nineveh Province ended in violence. Considering that Nuland's the one who raised the issue of violence -- when she falsely smeared the protesters -- you might think that now that it's been used against the protesters, Nuland would be right up front calling it out. But nothing. She's got nothing to say on the topic? How telling.
Like Nuland's insanity, Nouri's crazy knows no bounds. Press TV quotes him without question stating, "If rallies go on without permission, or carry banners that compromise national security or private work, security should prevent them. " The protests are not illegal, they are not unconstitutional. The judiciary and the Parliament already rejected those claims by Nouri. As for a baner being able to "compromise national security," there's you clue right there that the US government better get its act together real damn quick and stop supporting Nouri. He is Little Saddam and every days he grows into a bigger and bigger despot.
A banner can be a threat to national security? That sounds like something Pinochet would do. When that despot came to power, the Guardian notes there were "four hundred US CIA experts [to] assist Pinochet." Thanks to Ted Koppel's report for Rock Center with Brian Williams (NBC) in December of 2011, we do know that the CIA has maintained an office and presence in Iraq.
MR. KOPPEL: I realize you can't go into it in any detail, but I would assume that there is a healthy CIA mission here. I would assume that JSOC may still be active in this country, the joint special operations. You've got FBI here. You've got DEA here. Can, can you give me sort of a, a menu of, of who all falls under your control?
AMB. JAMES JEFFREY: You're actually doing pretty well, were I authorized to talk about half of this stuff.
As to whether Nouri gets 400 (like Pinochet did) or more CIA agents hasn't been divulged at present.
As more and more walk away from Nouri, Salar Raza (Rudaw) offers his take on the status between the Kurds and Sunnis currently:
Their growing opposition to Iraq's Shiite-led government has pushed the country's Kurds and Sunni Arabs closer together, but problems between the two still persist, MPs from both sides say.
For the past several weeks Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has been besieged on two fronts, first by the autonomous Kurdistan Region's anger over Baghdad's efforts to take over security in disputed northern territories, and lately by Sunni-led protests over alleged discrimination against provinces where they are the majority.
"The Sunni Arab protests in Iraq have unified the Sunni and Kurdish position, but the two sides have not come close enough to solving problems between themselves," said Bakir Hama Sidiq, an MP from the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU).
"It is just events that have brought us and the Sunni Arabs together, nothing more," he added.
He said that while the two sides are in agreement in their opposition to Maliki, a signed alliance between them would have to be "based on belief in the rights of the Kurds, not only on mutual interests." He said he did not believe that the Sunni Arab Iraqiya coalition was ready to accept Kurdish rights, including those over the energy-rich disputed territories.
When talking about the relations between the Kurds and Iraqiya, one thing to note is that Iraq's president, who is Kurdish, is seeking medical help out of the country. Saturday, AP noted that the office of Iraq President Jalal Talabani has finally issued a statement identifying the incident that led to Talabani's hospitalization: a stroke. The incident took place late on December 17th (see the December 18th snapshot) and resulted in Jalal being admitted to Baghdad's Medical Center Hospital. Thursday, December 20th, he was moved to Germany. He remains in Germany currently. Al Mada reports today that Fuad Masum of the Kurdistan Alliance states he visited with Jalal yesterday and that he is "steadily improving" that Jalal was able to shake hands, that he listened and spoke -- and spoke to those in the room in Kurdish, Arabic and English.
Today Ayad Allawi, leader of Iraqiya visited Erbil in the Kurdistan Regional Government (semi-autonomous region in nothern Iraq). While Allawi is a Shi'ite, Iraqiya is a mixed slate with a large Sunni presence. Alsumaria reports Allawi was in Erbil to meet with KRG President Massoud Barzani and that the two agreed on a path to solving one of the country's current crises. As that relationship sorts itself out, Nouri is more and more isolated. From yesterday's snapshot:
Patrick Markey, Aseel Kami, Raheem Salman and Alistair Lyon (Reuters) report that "Iraqi Sunni Muslim and Kurdish ministers boycotted a cabinet sessions on Tuesday to show support for protests that threaten Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's fragile cross-sectarian government, lawmakers and a government source said." Karafillis Giannoulis (New Europe) adds, "A senior government source confirmed that the ministers had missed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Cabinet Session because the ministers did not see a governmental action to implement protesters' demands."
AFP quoted Iraqiya's Jaber al-Jaberi who stated, "They made a decision to boycott the session today. They don't see a response from the government to the demands of the protesters . . . or to accepting power-sharing." Today al-Jaberi tells Reuters that the signatures are being gathered to compell Nouri to appear before Parliament for questioning and he's quoted stating, "The first step is questioning him and we presented a request today. The next stage will be a vote of no confidence if we can get enough votes." Could it happen? Yes. Nawzad Mahmood (Rudaw) notes:
Iraq's Kurds have been too patient with the Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and it is time to have him impeached, Kurdish MPs said.
"We have to show Maliki our strongest reactions," urged Bakir Hama Siddiq, an MP from the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU).
"Maliki's policies and behavior must be ended. This prime minister has practically proven that he has nothing positive in his agenda," Siddiq said.
"Impeaching Maliki is still on the table and a consensus has formed among the political parties about the dire consequences facing Iraq if his State of Law party continues on its current path," according to Shwan Muhammad Taha, an MP of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Baghdad.
In other news, the Iraq Times has obtained a government document from the Ministry of Planning addressed to the Parliament which details the 'progress' of Nouri al-Maliki's Cabinet in 2011. The newspaper states it is a clear portrait of government failure in all areas. Less than 30% of tasked goals were accomplished for that year. The most succesful branch was the Endowment which had a completion rate of 97.86% -- that would be a praise worthy figure for a cabinet or department in any country's national government. The next most successful would be the Christians Bureau Endowments which had an 82.42% success rate. The Ministry of Displacement (79.83%), the Supreme Judicial Council (85.79%) and the Ministry of Human Rights (78.73%) were among the other successful departments. But then there were the very unsuccessful ones. The Ministry of Education -- so important to what and where Iraq will be 20 years from now -- only managed to meet 5.46% of their written tasks for the year. (The Ministry of Higher Education did somewhat better with 31.65%). If you're wondering how so many departments could fail -- and the bulk fail -- you need look no further than the completion rate for Nouri's office. 24.53% was the completion rate for the Prime Minister's Office.
Another distrubing report on the goverment comes via Wael Grace (Al Mada) reports that Parliament's Committee on Human Rights has discovered that 34 prisoners or detainees died in October, November and December 2012. The last three months alone, saw 34 deaths. That is an alarming number (the prisons, jails, et al are responsible for maintaining the health of the prisoners and for treating any illness or medical conditions). In other news of government abuse and neglect, All Iraq News notes Iraqiya MP Muhammad Iqbal notes that human rights continue to be violated and that arrests continue to take place without arrest warrants. He points out that human rights are linked to a stable and prosperous life and sees the high rate of unemployment and wide rates of illiteracy as alarming signals that human rights may be declining across the board in Iraq. He specifically calls out the arrest -- the warrant-less arrests -- of Iraqi women because the authorities want the women's sons or husbands or fathers.
All Iraq News notes that today Parliament began the first reading of the bill on the term limits for the three presidencies which, the outlet notes, has to do with limiting Nouri to two terms. They don't note it but he did make a pledge to limit himself to two terms back in early 2011. The press ran with it and applauded him. Here? We noted it wasn't sincere. Sure enough, his spokesperson retracted the pledge in a news cycle and ever since, Nouri's attorney repeatedly tells the press that Nouri can run for a third term.
A third term of Nouri? There would be no one to arrest (other than crooked Nouri). He's done mass arrests for so long. With some perspective on that, Alsumaria notes that Diwaniya Province's Police Brigadier Abdul Jalil al-Asadi told them that they had arrested 4871 people last year, 125 on charges of terrorism (200 on trafficking in drugs).
Moving over to some of today's violence, Alsumaria reports that 2 Iraqi soldiers got into a dispute near the border with Syria and 1 shot the other dead and a Mosul roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 children and left four more injured. Just 9 days ago, December and 2012 ended and December 31st was a day that saw tremendous violence:
Violence slams Iraq today as both the month and the year wind down. Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) notes Iraq witnessed "a wave of bombings and shootings." EFE counts 23 dead and seventy-five injured.
Specific incidents of violence? All Iraq News notes a Baghdad mortar attack which left "multiple" people injured, an undisclosed number of people were injured in a Tuz Khurmatu car bombing, a Mosul polling stationg was attacked leaving 2 guards dead, there was an attack on a Sahwa leader's home in Diyala Province today that left 1 of his bodyguards dead, 3 Musayyib bombings have left 4 people dead and another seven injured, a Khalis car bombing has left fiften people injured and 2 Balad Ruz bombings left 4 members of one family dead and a child injured. Alsumaria notes that Ammar Youssef survived an attempted assassination by bombing today in Tikrit -- two civilians were injured in the bomb targeting the President of the Salahuddin Province Council. Alsumaria reports a Baghdad car bombing has claimed 3 lives and left sixteen injured. All Iraq News adds that the victims were largely part of a convoy planning a pilgrimage to pay respects to Imam Hussein. AP explains Imam Hussein is the grandson "of the Prophet Muhammad" who died in the 7th century. Press TV notes that the death toll in the Baghdad bombing has risen to 4 and 1 in Latifyah and 1 in Tuz Khurmatu. There was also a bombing in Hilla and Reuters quotes hospital worker Mohammed Ahmed who states, "We heard the sound of a big explosion and the windows of our office shattered. We immediately lay on the ground. After a few minutes I stood up and went to the windows to see what happened. I saw flames and people lying on the ground." On Hilla, Nehal el-Sherif (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) reports, "Seven people were killed and four wounded when gunmen blew up three houses, security sources told the German news agency dpa. The attack followed a car bombing that killed one person and wounded 17 near a Shiite mosque in the city." All Iraq News also notes that visitors to a Shi'ite shrine in Babylon were targeted with a car bombing, leaving 1 dead and three injured. And Alsumaria notes a Kirkuk rocket attack that left 5 police officers dead and six other people injured. RTE offers, "No group has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, which targeted government officials, police patrols and members of both the Sunni and Shia sects."
AFP has an article today that explains why you don't use SITE -- it tells you nothing. A group has claimed credit Rita Katz & company say. What group? Uh . . . uh . . . A group! An al Qaeda front group!!!!! Well that narrows it down. Poor Rita Katz, life was so much easier when she was making things up in a 60 Minutes interview.
Did someone say 60 Minutes? Abu Ghraib is just to the west of Baghdad but is sometimes billed as part of the city of Baghdad. The confusion is aided by the fact that the infamous Abu Ghraib prison is known as Baghdad Central Prison today. (It is in Baghdad Province.) In 2004,
60 Minutes II broadcast the story of Abu Ghraib Prison and the abuses taking place there. Iraqis were being abused by Americans. It was part of terrorizing them and breaking them to use them in the future -- that was the purpose of the photographic evidence that 'intelligence' had guards taking.
The Bahrain News Agency notes, "US defense contractor whose subsidiary was accused of conspiring to torture Abu Ghraib prisoners has settled with former inmates for $5m (£3m, the BCC reported." The defense contractor is Engility Holdings. AFP elaborates that there were 72 plantiffs and they will split the $5.28 million (minus lawyers fees). AP says contractor CACI has yet to settle and that case is set to be tried over the summer.
Hamilton Nolan (Gawker) uses sarcasm in "Abu Ghraib Victims Richly Compensated for Their Troubles" and some may take him as being sincere. He's not. He's noting that the victims suffered rape, assault, humiliation, beatings and more and, before any expenses (attorneys' fees, etc) are deducted, each Iraqi would be getting $74,366. That's really nothing wonderful. Marjorie Censer (Washington Post) also points out, "For these sizeable contractors, a settlement of several million dollars generally isn't damaging to stock prices, but analysts said the companies are focused on defending their record."
There is a new development in the Bradley Manning case. Who?
Monday April 5, 2010, WikiLeaks released US military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people were killed in the assault including two Reuters journalists Namie Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. Monday June 7, 2010, the US military announced that they had arrested Bradley Manning and he stood accused of being the leaker of the video. Leila Fadel (Washington Post) reported in August 2010 that Manning had been charged -- "two charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The first encompasses four counts of violating Army regulations by transferring classified information to his personal computer between November and May and adding unauthorized software to a classified computer system. The second comprises eight counts of violating federal laws governing the handling of classified information." In March, 2011, David S. Cloud (Los Angeles Times) reported that the military has added 22 additional counts to the charges including one that could be seen as "aiding the enemy" which could result in the death penalty if convicted. The Article 32 hearing took place in December. At the start of this year, there was an Article 32 hearing and, February 3rd, it was announced that the government would be moving forward with a court-martial. Bradley has yet to enter a plea and has neither affirmed that he is the leaker nor denied it. The court-martial was supposed to begin this month was been postponed until after the election .
Last night, Elaine covered Adrian Lamo -- the digusting person who claims he turned Bradley in. Llamo. Free Speech Radio News broke the news for many today (link is text and audio):
A military judge ruled today that Private First Class Bradley Manning should get 112 days off of his potential sentence, because he was unnecessarily put on suicide prevention watch while detained at Quantico's military prison. Manning's defense had previously asked the tribunal to drop Manning's charges entirely or greatly reduce his sentence, arguing the pretrial conditions violated the Constitution and international law. But the Judge, Colonel Denise Lind, said 8th Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment don't apply to pretrial detention. And according to FIREDOGLAKE reporter Kevin Gosztola, she said Manning was not held in solitary confinement for nine months, because he had some human contact. But many legal and human rights experts, including attorney Michael Ratner with the Center for Constitutional Rights, have called the military's treatment of Manning torture. Ratner told FSRN that the evidence presented at the hearings he attended reminded him of his clients' experience at Guantanamo.
"Bright lights, stress positions, no sleep, and stripping, you look at what happened to Bradley Manning, you have to say yourself: what they did at Guantanamo they're doing to Bradley."
A military judge ruled today that Private First Class Bradley Manning should get 112 days off of his potential sentence, because he was unnecessarily put on suicide prevention watch while detained at Quantico's military prison. Manning's defense had previously asked the tribunal to drop Manning's charges entirely or greatly reduce his sentence, arguing the pretrial conditions violated the Constitution and international law. But the Judge, Colonel Denise Lind, said 8th Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment don't apply to pretrial detention. And according to FIREDOGLAKE reporter Kevin Gosztola, she said Manning was not held in solitary confinement for nine months, because he had some human contact. But many legal and human rights experts, including attorney Michael Ratner with the Center for Constitutional Rights, have called the military's treatment of Manning torture. Ratner told FSRN that the evidence presented at the hearings he attended reminded him of his clients' experience at Guantanamo.
"Bright lights, stress positions, no sleep, and stripping, you look at what happened to Bradley Manning, you have to say yourself: what they did at Guantanamo they're doing to Bradley."
I covered the development for Kat at her site and Mike offered
They should have let him loose. They have held him more than long enough, they have denied his right to a speedy trial and they have abused him.
Bradley should have walked today.
Bradley should have walked today.
It is more than understandable that Mike would feel that way. Bradely has been treated very badly, it's criminal and it's inhumane. But it's a military court and they're not big on fairness. That Judge Lind saw enough to call out what was done to Bradley can be seen as a suprise and a pleasant one. Lind's finding also creates a way for Bradley's attorneys to argue, in a higher court. Amy Davidson (The New Yorker) notes that the trial is now set to begin in June after having been set for March -- however, that's the current start date and it could change again -- and that: "In the preliminary hearings in the court-martial of Private Bradley Manning, at Fort Meade, the lawyers spent a good part of Tuesday arguing about coded advertisements in newspapers during the Civil War." And that if this sort of argument is pursued, it could put the press on trial as well.
International labor journalist, David Bacon, author most recently of the book Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which won the CLR James Award, is known for text and for photographs. He continues to use both talents to tell the stories that are a lot more important to society than the multitude of celebrity profiles (that's political celebs as well as entertainment ones) that take up the bulk of the press today. One example of that can be found in his "Making A Life, But Not A Living" (TruthOut):
I was born in a little town called San Francisco Higos, Oaxaca. I've worked all of my life. I started to work in Baja California when I was a little girl. I've worked in the fields all of my life, because I don't know how to read or write. I never had an opportunity to go to school. I didn't even know what my own name was until I needed my birth certificate for the immigration amnesty paperwork after I'd come to the U.S.
When I was seven, my mother, stepfather and I hitchhiked from Oaxaca to Mexicali, and I lived there for two years. I spent my childhood in Mexicali during the bracero years. I would see the braceros pass through on their way to Calexico, on the U.S. side. I would beg in the streets of Calexico and they would throw me bread and canned beans on their way back home. I also begged in Tijuana. I'm not ashamed to share that because that is how I grew up.
I began working when I was nine years old. In Culiacan I picked cotton, then I went to work in Ciudad Obregon, Hermosillo and Baja California. I would get three pesos a day. From that time on, I have spent my entire life working.
I was born in a little town called San Francisco Higos, Oaxaca. I've worked all of my life. I started to work in Baja California when I was a little girl. I've worked in the fields all of my life, because I don't know how to read or write. I never had an opportunity to go to school. I didn't even know what my own name was until I needed my birth certificate for the immigration amnesty paperwork after I'd come to the U.S.


text:
I could not have been happier.
I have so many people to thank.
Renny, you did it.
My bestest, onliest, favorite BFFBUSINESS partner, Olivia.
Jesse for hanging with me until 3:30 am and everything.
Asher, Doug, Jose, Clay, Liz D, Allison Joe, Suzanne Phan, Liv Moe,
Nick Miller, Laura Carter Tim Foster, Jon, Richard, Nate, Aaron, Paul and Paul,
Steven, Jairus, Melissa, Melinda, SUBMERGE, Daniel W. and Daniel T., Liz L, Michelle, Judd,
Savannah, Kandis, Chris, Hummel, Debbie, Phil, Matt and Melody, Jen W, Adam, Addam, Jessica, Jocelyn, Jared, Michael. Thank you guys for being a part of this huge ball. It will keep rolling.
holy shit.
What a fun group project!
Half the shirts sold off the rack last night, and a few from
the wall too! You can buy the ones on the wall!
I cafeully pinned their price tags inside each one,
they range from $15-$100,
are all ONE OF A KIND.
made by my favorite local word, sound, and visual artists.
I still have the screens and can make you your very own Prescription piece !
Bring me the shirt you want to make it on,
Or set up at date with me at my VERGE studio
and we can print it together!
or ORDER your own on FIBERS.COM
and liz.
sun and moon.
she has helped me so much
i can not even begin to express
my appreciation for this creature.
JEN WADE and MIKEY
( they created LAUNCH, and it was
a successful fucking blast last week!)
miss jules. my sea of bees.
she's finally home.
and ganna play some tunes
for us all at BOWS! yeah!
(we have four live music shows to announce !
stay tuned)
(has a show here next month!
and a work in this show)
Jose is telling Jesse about
nipples i think.
(they both have work in this show)
HE has a Show here in OCTOBER!
most lovable bows bartender, artist (he has work in this show),
builder, speaker of Japanese, collector,
jackassofall trades
mister matt hummel.
(has work in this show)
first dude i met many years back that
got me thinking we can
do this. he's always been
THE BIGGEST supporter
of local music and arts.
CONCERTS for CHARITY.
check him out.


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So is ATI gone forever, as a brandname at least? Apparently not, AMD Chief Technology Officer Phil Hester revealed today. He also indicated the two companies' fusion may not necessarily mean it's curtains for ATI's Intel-oriented chipsets.
Speaking in London today, Hester told Reg Hardware the ATI name will continue to be used in association with what are now AMD's discrete graphics products and its chipsets.
This makes eminent sense if only because its allows Nvidia and its new arch-rival to continue to describe each other as the 'red guys' and the 'green guys'. If AMD dropped ATI, all GPUs - well, the ones that matter - would be all green, and how would anyone tell them apart?
Separately, Hester indicated ATI would continue to be the brand for the Intel chipsets, suggesting that AMD at least wants to continue to offer such product. Whether Intel will let it do so, by withholding future bus licences, remains to be seen. ®
Sponsored: How to simplify data protection on Amazon Web Services


text:
May 24 Baracutanga
May 31 Big Head Todd & The Monsters
June 7 Liver Down The River, Chamberfest
June 14 Shamarr Allen, Hillstompers
June 21 Manzanres & The Max Pack
June 28 Katy P & The Business
July 5 Ozomatli
July 12 Chevel Shepherd
July 19 The Damn Band
July 26 Concepto Tambor & Sol Connection
August 2 Igor & The Red Elvises
August 9 Leftover Salmon
August 16 Jimmy Stadler
August 23 Last to Know
August 30 James Carothers
Do you want to delete all occurrences of the recurring appointment "Los Alamos Summer Concert Series", or just this one?
Delete this occurrence.
Delete this series.
1000 Central Ave
Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA


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Kansas Native Named To Pheasants Forever's National Board Of Directors
Ed Holland introduced to upland bird hunting at Kansas State University.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. –-(Ammoland.com)- Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QU) have announced that Ed Holland of Bucyrus, Kan., has been appointed as the newest member of the organization's national board of directors.
The 17-member board meets three times a year and oversees the operations of PF and QU, the nation's largest upland conservation organization. Born and raised in Kansas City, Holland has spent 30 years as a restaurateur, overseeing daily operations of Myron Green American dining restaurant. He is one of the Kansas City area's leading proponents of upland conservation, support that's led to his appointment.
"It's an honor to be named to serve on the national board of directors for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever," Holland said.
"I have been lucky enough to see great upland hunting in Kansas and would like to help make a difference in improving habitat for future hunters nationwide." Naturally, Holland is excited that his hometown will be hosting Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012, the organization's largest event, on Feb. 17-19, 2012.
A passionate outdoorsman, Holland learned to appreciate upland hunting and the outdoors from his fellow rugby teammates at Kansas State University. During his senior year, he received his first shotgun and has been an avid hunter since. No matter how busy his schedule, Holland always finds time to spend with his family, teaching them the value of the outdoors.
"Hunting is really the one sport we have always done as a family," he said. "When my son was growing up, hunting was a big motivator for me because it was an opportunity to spend time with him."
PF and its quail conservation division, QU, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. The organization has more than 130,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally-raised conservation funds are spent.


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Wacky attractions
Why not visit a museum on your next holiday? Where else can you see vampire teeth, Hello Kitty children's furnishings or historical toilets close up? Here are a few suggestions.
Watery adventure
Dive down and marvel at the sight of hundreds of sculptures underwater, populated by swarms of fish, algae and corals, at the Cancún Underwater Museum in Mexico. Depending on your diving skills, you can scuba drive, snorkel or take the glass-bottom boat to explore.
Kitty love
Dying for a selfie with the world's most famous cat? No problem at the Hello Kitty Island museum on Jeju Island in South Korea. The cute creature, whose real name is Kitty White and who's a big fan of homemade apple pie, is everywhere here – and there's even a fully furnished, pink Hello Kitty kid's bedroom.
Behind the suitably blood-red door of the Vampires and Legendary Creatures private museum in Paris, you'll find gruesome exhibits galore: vampire books, paintings, film posters, costumes, teeth and the autographs of Dracula actors. There's even an authentic 19th-century kit for slaying vampires. Reservations required.
Broken hearts
The love of your life has left, leaving behind only a shoe. Or a necklace. Or a fortune cookie wrapper. The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb shows mementos of painful break-ups and lost love, plus the back stories. Croatia too far away? There's a branch in Hollywood.
Call of nature
If you gotta go, you gotta go. We urge you to pay a visit to the Toilet Museum in New Delhi, where you can follow the history of sanitary installations, from brick toilets in Indian homes around 2500 BCE to elaborately tiled Victorian lavatories and ultramodern toilets from Korea and Japan. There's also culture in the shape of poems celebrating what is possibly the most important room in the house.
Chamber of wonders
The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles is a kind of dark treasure chest brimming with weird objects from various different centuries, including microscopic sculptures in the eye of a needle, oil paintings of all the Russian dogs that ever flew into space, and a mysterious mouse sandwich that's said to cure a stutter. The museum belongs to a private collector, but it's open to the public.
City of gnomes
Just outside Bunbury near Perth, Australia, you'll find a veritable army of garden gnomes. You can even bring your own little guy to Gnomesville and place it anywhere you wish, as long as you include the details of its name and the date it joined the throng. But don't even think of moving a previous occupant to make space for yours it brings bad luck!
The Illustrator
Andy Rementer (The New Yorker, The New York Times) illustrated this story. His favorite museum? "The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. My favorite part is one doctor's collection of 2374 objects removed from the airways and digestive tracts of his patients: buttons, coins, screws …"
More curious museums around the world
The American Pigeon Museum & Library in Oklahoma City is dedicated to the relationship between humans and pigeons.
Watering Cans
Located in Gießen, Germany (gießen means "to water/pour"), this museum boasts a collection of 1200 watering cans that are long-term loans or donations.
The British Lawnmower Museum in Southport, England, features more than 300 mowers.
Mysterious Creatures
The Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Oregon, is dedicated to creatures whose existence is unproven, like Bigfoot and the Yeti.


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PALISADE, Colo. (KKCO) -- Officials are getting the Western Slope ready for wildfire season and say land owners need to be prepared as well.
Today was the first controlled fire of the year. Officials said the weather conditions, such as the wind, snow pact levels and sun light contributed to all the right conditions for firefighters to light a controlled burn.
Lathan Johnson, head of Fire Management at the BLM says they have a very specific protocol when starting a fire.
"A prescribed burn that the federal government does not matter what land management agency has a very stringent set of rules that we follow and we have a written burn plan that's prepared months in advance," said Johnson.
The agency is preparing the community for the wildfire season that looms ahead.
"Wildfires generally pick up in the end of May beginning of June down here in Grand Junction with lightening season," said Johnson.
Officials say burning vegetation, in areas like the open Palisade acres of land near The Grand Mesa, is to help alleviate the threat of fires during wildfire season," explained Johnson.
Today's exercise is an important part of keeping the community safe.
"The big goal of this whole project- it's been a multiple year effort is to reduce the risk of wildfire up here, what we did today is going to make this place fire-proof for years to come," said Johnson.
Officials say they try to do several prescribed fires each spring, but a lot of it depends on weather conditions. However, the BLM says they are looking to do more controlled fires in the next couple weeks.
The BLM tracks the snow pack and because of the level it is at right now they were able to do the burn and says last year that wasn't the case because of a lack of snow.