Friday, December 09, 2005

Another bright idea from the oil men

Rather than a gasoline tax, which encourages people to use vehicles with better gas milage, the Bush Administration is piloting a plan to tax miles travelled. This would allow them to elimiate the tax on gasoline, and "lower gasoline prices". We need to revist all our taxation policies. It was the issue of taxes that caused the calling of the Estates General, and led to the French Revolution.

The new black: the poor

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Turn off the camera #4


An incident in New Orleans. An officer orders AP Television News producer Rich Matthews to stop recording.[AP] Another officer, on horseback, attempts to block the camera's view of the incident.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Let's overturn Brown v. Board
and go back to Plessy: at least equal


Clarence Thomas says that separate is OK
Regarding de facto segregation due to white flight from poor schools, in Missouri v. Jenkins (1995), he says "The supposition that black students suffer an unspecified psychological harm from segregation ... (relies) on questionable social science research, (and reflects) an assumption of black inferiority."

Friday, September 30, 2005

Video from the tribal areas


A Frontline video taken in the Pashrun tribal regions east of Peshawar:
Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North and South Waziristan
Where in the world is Osama Bin Laden? Quetta

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Friend of the poor


Carol Bellamy
[wiki]

Why has Africa floundered


while Vietnam succeeds
1.the individual  : poor health
2.the village  : poor soil and no irrigation
3.the region  : poor transportation
[the video]

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Monday, September 26, 2005

One question for John Roberts


Would you go duck hunting
with Dick Cheney ?

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Fester


Should they have lawyers?   No
1. They are not charged with anything.
2. They will not be going to trial.
Do the Geneva Accords apply to them?   No
1. We are not at war.
2. They are not a recognized army.
3. They are not signatories to the accords.
So we can do what we want with them?   Yes
1.make them kneel for hours, for months
2.in handcuffs and gloved
3.blindfolded and deafened

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Groundhog Day in the Gulag
1956, Budapest


33 more years of winter.

1968, Prague


21

Kind Master

Many slaves had kind masters.
But they had to accept slavery.

Those who would not accept slavery
were sold down river.

The new Pharisees


What we have become:   camel swallowers.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Michael Robertson

asks a question that isn't asked too often:
Should we sell other people out?

Bush Waives Saudi Trafficking Sanctions


President Bush decided Wednesday to waive any financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia, for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced labor. [PDF see waiver]

In related news, strip clubs have re-opened in New Orleans.

Saudi ambassador chats with Bush


Prince Bandar was the Saudi ambassador for 20 years. His dad is crown prince. Saudis will always have access to presidents, because:
1. they pay a legion of well-connected lobbyists
2. they have a lot of oil, and we need oil to make gasoline
3. they buy Bradleys, F15s and AWACS
4. they supply matching money for CIA and DoD wars
5. they buy US bonds
6. they provide work if the party loses the election
7. they spend like there is no tomorrow

George II opposed the 9/11 commission

George Bush II opposed the commission. He settled for being allowed to appoint its head. The first two people he appointed, Kissinger and Mitchell, were not able to serve because of conflicts.

The final report was missing 27 pages on Saudi Arabia.   Truthout reports that however one interprets the 27 pages, all who have read them agreed on one thing:

If they are made public, they will prove extremely embarrassing...

Friday, September 16, 2005

Turn your equipment off, #3


[no photo available]


At 1:58 into the audio, by Baton Rouge police, at refugee center.

from Democracy Now Sept 16th.
----
Note that both the police and the reporter are very well instructed on the legal issue of status - and there are only two. You are:
1. under arrest, or
2. free to leave

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Single Lens Reflex: Put the camera down.


The recovery effort will be done with dignity, meaning "no press"
.
"Zero access" says Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore.
Army Lt. Col. Richard Steele later explained that that does not reflect the current or past position of the U. S. Government.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Opposing tyranny ®


Bread! Work! Justice! Freedom! ®
----
Or later, when it is already too late, the poor cry
Guns! We need guns!

Thursday, September 08, 2005

September 11th


Toppled by terrorists on second try.
The CIA tried to oust Allende in 1970, but failed.
On September 11th, 1973, Allende was finally killed.
He was succeeded by General Augusto Pinochet. [wiki]
[book:Pinochet&me] [movie:Missing]
Following the coup, a period of terror followed.
Pinochet was indicted for torture, in Spain, once he left office.

Most favored kleptocracy


Some facts about Saudi Arabia
1. The rulers get all the money.
2. The money trickles down, a lot to the bodyguards.
3. Everyone is wahhabi or discreet.
4. The oil infrastructure can't be protected.
5. Fifteen of the hijackers came from here.
[book:Sleeping]

Sunday, September 04, 2005

The only good X is a dead X


prolonged aggravated genocide (HIV)
AntiRetroVirals for jailed rapers, in Arusha,
but not for the women raped, in Rwanda.

Translations from the Arabic


Middle East Media ... latest

-----
"No muslims were involved in 9/11" [video]
Dr. Abd Al-Subour Shahin teaches at that prestigious
seat of Sunni learning, Al-Azhar University [1] in Cairo.
This is not Dr Emad Shahin of the American University of Cairo/Poly Sci. [2]
-----
[other MEMRI vidoes]

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Gretna police shoot at pedestrians
But allow cars to leave New Orleans


1. Shep Smith from the bridge above the Convention Center,
2. Geraldo Rivera from the Convention Center below.

They refer to an armed checkpoint keeping pedestrians from crossing, while cars are seen passing behind Shep Smith.
----
The convoy in the video is by the Dome, on Sugar Bowl Dr and Stadium Dr.

Traffic in Los Angeles


Nice.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Can the eye see itself?



Can the mind grasp itself?

Can a computer emulate itself? Actually, yes it can, but the emulation will run slower and seem to have less memory.
So what? Well, by analogy, the brain could have a model of itself in itself, but the model will fall short.

Monday, August 29, 2005

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Put the camera down
Put the camera down. Now.


Police swat party in Utah. No pics please. [wikinews]

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Philosopy of the mind

John Searle
How exactly do neurobiological processes in the brain cause consciousness.

Friday, August 19, 2005

Serial killer


He was our ally at one time. By mistake.
Are these leaders mistakes?
Saudi Arabia's Abdullah [1]
Russia's Vladimir Putin [2]
China's Hu Jintao [3]
Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo [4]

Divine Right of Kings


Divine Right in today's language: National Sovereignty.
-----
"Why is it right that the world takes no action when millions are ... dying in a dictatorship?" Haider asked. "In the Red Zone", p54.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Elevated walkways and bikeways


The Highline in New York City.
The cars have taken the earth.
Let's have elevated bikeways and walkways.

Banana Republicans


Richest country.   Poorest government.

Monday, August 15, 2005

The "All Volunteer" army: the War Core


Americans in the Spanish Civil War
----
Many soldiers are extended against their will via "Stop Loss".

Valerie Plame


is not the largest issue.
That was a "dirty trick", and criminal.
Whose idea was it to forge the Niger "yellow cake" documents?
Italian military intelligence officer Rocco Martini? Let's ask him.
Democracy Now! contemplates Berlusconi as a co-consiprator
----
Adrianna speculates, darkly, on why Judith won't talk.
Similarly, Cockburn squints at Judy Miller's War
----
John Dean comments on Karl's problems with Title 18 USC 641.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Peak coal


500 billion tons is 10 Quintillion BTUs (US share = 2.3 Quint BTUs)
Current USA coal usage is 23 Quadrillion BTUs per year.
2.3 Quints is a 100 year supply if used at the current rate.
----
Wyoming produces the most coal. The black hills.

What comes before Hydrogen cars?


Coal cars.
What comes after hydrogen cars?
Bike paths.

Fetus


This was you.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

TV: The whole world is watching


Genocide IS news.[play video]
----
August 23rd:
Networks refuse to carry ads about themselves. [story]