06.Dec.2006 https://www.thecatsdream.com/blog/2006/12/much-worse.htm
What's The Cat's Blog? It's the Blog of The Cat's Dream.

John Pilger : "Excellent site” .

Howard Zinn : "Powerful testimonies! This certainly deserves to be seen by a broad audience. You have done an excellent job."

Ken Loach : "Absolutely indispensable! An important resource in the struggle."

Tony Benn : "Just what we need at time when the American left gets no coverage in the world's press + yet remains the hope for America + the world." The Cat's Dream
06.Dec.2006 https://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6209554.stm
Dr Rosas and colleagues found a north-south variation in Neanderthal jaw bones, suggesting that populations from southern parts of Europe had wider, flatter faces.

The findings may help shed light on the life and death of the Neanderthals, which became extinct about 10,000 years after the arrival of modern humans in Europe around 40,000 years ago.

Many experts believe they were not able to compete with the moderns for food and shelter.

Eight Neanderthal skeletons have been found at El Sidron since 2000.
06.Dec.2006 And On Second Thought, Feds Say New E-Voting Machines Need Backup... But Old Ones Can Stay - BG 

Remember yesterday how the Technical Guidelines Development Committee for the National Institute of Standards and Technology rejected the proposal to require "software independent" e-voting machines (such as ones that had a paper audit trail), claiming that it was just too much work to, you know, have integrity in our elections. However, today, the group got back together and came up with something of a compromise proposal that was accepted. The new proposal says that e-voting machines with a paper trail should be used, but will not decertify existing machines. Of course, while some may see this as a compromise solution, others may suggest that it's a compromise that compromises the integrity of the vote. If current e-voting machines are insecure and probl... Source: https://techdirt.com/articles/20061205/171149.shtml
06.Dec.2006 Is Glen Beck a facist? Recent remarks would say yes. - BG 

Glen Beck, that batshit-crazy ratings whore on CNN has been going after the Muslims..all of them. He now suggests that if the "good ones" don't sign up for our military, we should just go ahead and put them all "behind razor wire". Its all about ratings folks + with Glen and that windbag bitch Nancy Grace, CNN is aiming for Fox New's audience in a big way.

Sample some of his tirade from a recent show: "Hey, you know what? There are good Muslims and bad Muslims. We need [them] to be the first ones in the recruitment office lining up to shoot the bad Muslims in the head.' I'm telling you, with God as my witness… human beings are not strong enough, unf... Source: https://www.teambio.org/2006/12/is-glen-beck-a-facist-recent-remarks-would-say-yes/
06.Dec.2006 Whence White House Leaks - BG Why Is The Leak-Proof White House Leaking? https://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/2006/12/05/why-is-the-leakproof-whi_e_35607.html
06.Dec.2006 Ann Althouse Unhinged - BG -Law Blogger Tries To Explain Terror Detainee Treatment:

"Perhaps There Is A Fear That He Will Communicate In Code By Blinking"... _{https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/12/05/law-blogger-tries-to-expl_n_35632.html}
06.Dec.2006 From Eric Alterman - BG -Eric Alterman: People Say Believe Half of What You See... https://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-alterman/people-say-believe-half-o_b_35622.html
06.Dec.2006 The Conservative Civil War On Iraq Policy - Guest - 

Retreating to the friendly confines of the Weekly Standard magazine neoconservatives have reignited a conservative civil war over foreign policy.

While the Iraq Study Group led by James Baker + Lee Hamilton appears to have backed key elements of a progressive strategic redeployment plan put forth by the Center for American Progress more than a year ago, neoconservatives — reflecting their growing irrelevance and detachment from reality — are still insisting that the U.S. send more troops to Iraq and continue to oppose dialogue with Iraq’s neighbors.

The writers at the Weekly Standard have focused their attacks on the reemergence of Bush 41 “realist” foreign policy conservatives.

In a clear effort to knee-cap the Baker-Hamilton report before it comes out, the Weekly Standard has a slew of articles attacking the Iraq Study Group, James Baker + conservative “realists” like Robert Gates.

Here is a sampling of some of the articles currently on the magazine’s website:

– “A Perfect Failure” by Robert Kagan + William Kristol,

“At home and abroad, people have been led to believe that Jim Baker and not the president was going to call the shots in Iraq form now on. Happily, that is not the case.”

– “Surge and Run” by Thomas Donnelly, “The ‘adults’ of the Bush 41 administration were supposed to talk Bush 43 off the ledge…but the main recommendation of the Baker-Hamilton…has little value outside Washington + none in Baghdad or the region…the insurgents have nearly won the war inside the Beltway.”

– “Surrender as ‘Realism’” by Robert Kagan and William Kristol, “realism has come to be a kind of code word for surrendering”

– “From Metternich to Jim Baker” by Ralph Peters, “Baker is the dean emeritus of a reactionary school of diplomats…

It was the “realist” elevation of stability above all other strategic factors…gave us not only the radical regime in Iran, but, ultimately, al Qaeda + 9/11.” – Max Bergmann
06.Dec.2006 Mobiles 'cleared' of cancer risk Long or short-term mobile phone use is not associated with increased risk of cancer, a major study finds.
06.Dec.2006 Taste test 'may show depression' Scientists say it may be possible to develop a taste test to diagnose depression and to decide on drugs.
06.Dec.2006 Report 'urges Iraq policy shift' A major report on US policy in Iraq urges talks with Iran and Syria over the country's future, leaks suggest.
06.Dec.2006 DR Congo's president sworn in Joseph Kabila is inaugurated in DR Congo, following one of Africa's most significant elections in recent years.
06.Dec.2006 Flights halted at Brazil airports Brazil's air traffic communications system breaks down, causing chaos at three major airports.
06.Dec.2006 Pinochet illness 'not overplayed' Doctors reject claims that Chile's ex-leader Augusto Pinochet has exaggerated his illness to avoid prosecution.
06.Dec.2006 First flight for future fighter The world's most expensive military project, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is due to take to the skies next week.
06.Dec.2006 Thailand buries last tsunami dead Thailand lays to rest the final bodies of those killed in one of the regions hardest-hit by the 2004 tsunami.
06.Dec.2006 Ex-spy contact 'meets UK police' A contact of ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko is to meet UK investigators, an associate has told the BBC.
06.Dec.2006 Dalits stage mass rally in Mumbai Thousands of low-caste Hindus, or Dalits have gathered in the Indian city of Mumbai for a rally.
06.Dec.2006 Planet-detector nears its launch The hunt for Earth-like planets is to be stepped-up as a new mission, Corot, prepares for launch.
06.Dec.2006 Bush's privacy watchdogs make public debut At its first public meeting, a White House panel hears from civil liberties advocates, but sheds little light on its supposed watchdog role.
06.Dec.2006 Would You Trust RFID-Enabled ATM Cards? - Cliff 23 - race_k2 asks:

"As a regular Slashdot reader I've followed the development and implementation of RFID devices in many ubiquitous areas such as clothing, passports and even people. Given that our environment is becoming increasingly tagged, often without our knowledge or consent + can be monitored or hacked by anyone with the proper hardware, skills and motivation, I viewed the recent arrival of two new ATM cards containing RFID chips with skepticism. While this feature may bring the increased convenience of speedy checkouts, it is not something I am completely comfortable using and decided that the safety of my personal data was more important than the ability to buy things quickly. The vulnerable nature of RFID security coupled with recent, though unrelated, reports of a Possible Security Flaw In ATMs make me seriously question whether the marriage of wireless data transfer with personal finance is a wise application of technology." So race's question basically boils down to: How safe and secure are the RFID chips that are being embedded in debit and credit cards? To add another issue on to the fire: Would you trust RFID technology on your cards?
06.Dec.2006 Is Google Too Smart For Its Own Good? - kdawson 43 -

Fortune speculating on what's next for Google.

The writer believes that a supersaturated solution of very smart people, plus stock that may have run out of upside, will yield what he calls Son of Google — a large wave of innovative companies created by Google graduates. And a Google less intent on hiring + less able to hire, the very smartest people around. Could happen.
06.Dec.2006 Solar Cell Achieves 40% Efficiency - kdawson 234 - 
Fysiks Wurks found on the U.S. Department of Energy website news of a breakthrough in solar energy efficiency. From the article:

"...with DOE funding, a concentrator solar cell produced by Boeing-Spectrolab has recently achieved a world-record conversion efficiency of 40.7 % , establishing a new milestone in sunlight-to-electricity performance."

This page, linked from Wikipedia's article on solar energy, calculates the land area that would need to be covered by solar collectors at 8% efficiency to meet the world's energy needs (using 2003 figures).

At 40% efficiency, it looks like a square 265 miles on a side in the American southwest would do it.
06.Dec.2006 Robert Gates: Bin Laden More Symbol Than Threat - BG https://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/12/5/144205.shtml?s=lh
06.Dec.2006 The Cat's Blog: Much worse (Iraq) - BG https://www.thecatsdream.com/blog/2006/12/much-worse.htm
06.Dec.2006 Arresting Cop in Gibson Case Attacked By Sheriff - BG 
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Mel GibsonTMZ.com:

The Deputy who arrested Mel Gibson for D.U.I. is under attack -- by his own department.

L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy James Mee "was forced into an Internal Affairs investigation within 72 hours of the arrest of Mr. Gibson," according to a letter sent... Read more...
Source: https://www.tmz.com./2006/12/05/arresting-deputy-in-gibson-case-attacked-by-sheriff/
06.Dec.2006 William Rodriguez Featured in Devon Newspaper and Interviewed on BBC Bristol - BG 
Hero of 9/11 Won't Stop Speaking Out Against Bush - thisisdevon.co.uk

One minute he was going about his business, the next he was looking at a vision from the depths of hell.

Still reeling from a blast which rocked the World Trade Center, William Rodriguez could hardly believe what he was seeing."

A man came running into the office shouting 'explosion, explosion!'" Mr Rodriguez soon saw a third of his body had been badly burnt by the blast.

"When I realised, I started screaming. I looked at his face and it was missing parts."

It was the start of a day that transformed Mr Rodriguez from a maintenance man to the hero of 9/11.

He ran back into the crumbling tower three times + helped save hundreds of people. .. For Mr Rodriguez... Source: https://www.911blogger.com/node/4826
06.Dec.2006 Common Dreams Article Connects the Dots - BG 
This is a fantastic article -- and I know that much of the gate-keeping left keeps up with the Common Dreams site. Hope it shames them to hell. Published on Sunday, December 3, 2006 by CommonDreams.org The Surreal Politics of Premeditated War by R.W. Behan https://www.commondreams.org/views06/1203-21.htm Here is an excerpt: The story of George Bush's premeditated wars now enters its final chapter. The catastrophic event takes place. A hijacked airliner probably en route to the White House crashes in Pennsylvania, the Pentagon is afire + the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are rubble. In the first hours of frenetic response, fully aware of al Qaeda's culpability, both President Bush + Secretary Rumsfeld seek frantically to link Saddam Hussein to the attacks, we know fr... Source: https://www.911blogger.com/node/4837
06.Dec.2006 Politics: While We Weren't Looking - BG -

foreigners
While We Weren't Looking
We shouldn't be surprised by Alexander Litvinenko's murder.
By Anne Applebaum
Posted Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006, at 6:11 AM ET

In the 12 days that have passed since Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-KGB agent, died of radiation poisoning in London, we have learned a lot about his death. Haven't we?

Well, we have learned that Litvinenko died after somehow ingesting polonium-210, a relatively rare radioactive substance.

We have learned that a mysterious Italian, Mario Scaramella--a self-employed "security expert" who last year claimed he'd found ex-KGB men selling nuclear material in the postage-stamp republic of San Marino-

-has been poisoned, too.

We have learned that various other ex-KGB agents floating around London have also tested positive for polonium-210, as have a Piccadilly sushi restaurant, a London hotel room + a couple of airplanes.

We have seen a photograph of Litvinenko flaunting KGB gauntlets, a Chechen sword + a Union Jack.

We have also seen a photograph of Litvinenko with tubes in his body on his death bed. To continue reading, click here.
06.Dec.2006 Unclaimed Territory - by Glenn Greenwald: Howard Kurtz speaks on Jose Padilla: just some leg shackles for the Dirty Bomber - BG _{https://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/12/howard-kurtz-speaks-on-jose-padilla.html}
06.Dec.2006 ScienceDaily: Toward Tracing The Source Of Anthrax In The 2001 Terrorism Attacks - BG https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061204094201.htm
06.Dec.2006 Scene & Heard BY KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL
The seamy underside of asbestos litigation. 12:01 a.m. EST
06.Dec.2006 Panel rejects mandatory audit trails in elections (Stephen Manning / ASSOCIATED PRESS) - BG 
A federal panel yesterday rejected a recommendation that states use only voting machines whose results could be verified independently.... _{Source: https://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Metropolitan-TheWashingtonTimesAmericasNewspaper/~3/57329869/20061204-115409-7301r.htm}
06.Dec.2006 WP: Order reveals FEMA aid shortcomings - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com - BG https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16011645/
06.Dec.2006 US drops plan to open up airlines The US halts plan to give foreign investors more control over its airlines, probably delaying an open skies treaty.
06.Dec.2006 Cavuto to Krugman: ‘You Are Lying To People’ - Judd - 

Princeton economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman went on Fox News this afternoon to talk about his new article in Rolling Stone Magazine, “How the Super-Rich Are Screwing America.”

Krugman’s article is about how income inequality is getting worse and, as a result, even though some aggregate economic indicators are positive, most people aren’t benefiting. Cavuto told Krugman, “Here’s what I’m saying that you’re doing: You are lying to people.” Cavuto claims that income inequality isn’t “dramatically worse now than 10 years ago, 20 years ago.” Watch it:

Actually, Krugman is completely right: things are dramatically worse now than 10 or 20 years ago.

Here’s a chart from the Economic Policy Institute that tracks the ratio of the wealthiest 1 % of Americans to median income in the USA, a standard measure of income inequality: Full transcript:

CAVUTO: Here’s what I’m saying that you’re doing: You are lying to people. That’s what I think that you’re doing.

KRUGMAN: I haven’t heard a lie yet. But, look, if that’s the way you want to do it, I mean, fair and balanced, go all the way. Look, c’mon, the fact of the matter is–

CAVUTO: No, no, you don’t have to be snide. You have to be factual.

KRUGMAN: You’re being snide.

CAVUTO: No, no, you’re mentioning good data. You’re saying there’s a growing divide between the haves and have nots. Others have argued that very effectively and very eloquently, just like you.

All I’m saying is that the math that applied now, can’t you apply it in other periods, when there have been Democratic presidents who’ve had the same dislocations?

You’re saying that it’s somehow dramatically worse now than it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago?

KRUGMAN: Yeah, actually, it is dramatically worse now than it was 10 years, 20 years ago. All of the measures of inequalities have just gone off the charts.

It didn’t start with Bush — and I actually say that if anybody, you know, buy Rolling Stone, read the article — it actually starts even before Reagan, so this is not just Bush.

The point of the matter is that, when, in these last five years, as it’s becomes clear that this is a really growing problem, that most people are not sharing in the economy’s growth,

the policies of Bush have been at every point to push that inequality further.
06.Dec.2006 The Senate Armed Services Committee - Nico -  voted unanimously to approve Robert Gates’ nomination as defense secretary, 21-0. A full Senate is expected tomorrow.
06.Dec.2006 Pundit Attacking Muslim Congressman Is Bush Appointee to Holocaust Memorial Board - Nico - 

Right-wing talk show host Dennis Prager has raised a firestorm charging that Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim elected to Congress, must swear in using a Bible.

He said that if Ellison swears in with a Quran, it would “undermin[e] American civilization” and be akin to swearing in with a copy of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.”

Prager is not a typical talk radio host. In September, he was appointed by President Bush to a five-year term on the taxpayer-funded USA Holocaust Memorial Council.

A statement announcing Prager’s appointment praised his “unique moral voice.”

Yesterday, the Council on American Islamic Relations called on Prager to be removed from this position:

No one who holds such bigoted, intolerant and divisive views should be in a policymaking position at a taxpayer-funded institution that seeks to educate Americans about the destructive impact hatred has had + continues to have, on every society. As a presidential appointee, Prager’s continued presence on the council would send a negative message to Muslims worldwide about America’s commitment to religious tolerance.

Likewise, the Anti-Defamation League, a group battling anti-Semitism and other bigotry, issued a statement calling Prager’s views “intolerant,” “misinformed on the facts,” and “downright un-American.”

Bush_Appointee_to_Holocaust_Memorial">Digg It!
06.Dec.2006 U.S. soldiers punished for having PTSD. - Nico - “A new investigation by National Public Radio looked at troops diagnosed with mental health disorders and concluded that ‘officers at Ft. Carson punish soldiers who need help + even kick them out of the Army.’” Paul Rieckhoff, head of the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, has details.
06.Dec.2006 Cheney reemerges. - Nico - 

“Remember Dick Cheney? The Vice President, rarely seen at public events these days, will preside over the Senate on Thursday during Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s farewell speech on the Senate floor.”
06.Dec.2006 Gates: Attacking Iran Would ‘Worsen The Violence In Iraq And Lead To Greater American Casualties’ - Think Progress - 

The Pentagon is actively planning + the administration is reportedly considering, a preemptive strike on Iran. Today, Defense Secretary nominee Robert Gates was asked about his views on attacking Iran. Gates said “the consequences of a military conflict with Iran could be quite dramatic” and agreed it would “worsen the violence in Iraq and lead to greater American casualties.” Watch it:

Gates joins many other respected national security experts who believe there are no good military options in Iran. Transcript:

BYRD: Mr. Chairman, I thank you.

And, Dr. Gates, our relationship goes back over a number of years.

Do you support — now, we hear all these rumors about the potential for an attack on Iran due to its nuclear weapons program, or on Syria due to its support of terrorism.

Do you support an attack on Iran?

GATES: Senator Byrd, I think that military action against Iran would be an absolute last resort, that any problems that we have with Iran, our first option should be diplomacy and working with our allies to try and deal with the problems that Iran is posing to us.

I think that we have seen, in Iraq, that once war is unleashed, it becomes unpredictable. And I think that the consequences of a military conflict with Iran could be quite dramatic.

And therefore, I would counsel against military action except as a last resort and if we felt our vital interests were threatened.

[snip]

BYRD: Would you say that an attack on either Iran or Syria would worsen the violence in Iraq and lead to greater American casualties?

GATES: Yes, sir, I think that’s very likely.

BYRD: Your answer is yes on both questions?

GATES: Yes, sir, very likely.
06.Dec.2006 Bush still hasn’t seen An Inconvenient Truth. - Judd -  But Al Gore has a plan:

Q: Do you know if President Bush has seen the movie yet?

GORE: Well, he claimed that would not see it. That’s why I wrote the book. He’s a reader. (Via Gristmill)
06.Dec.2006 ‘Smokey’ Joe Barton Calls Global Warming Science ‘Absolute Nonsense,’ Vows To Fight CO2 Caps - Judd - 

For six years, Congress has done nothing to address the climate crisis, thanks in no small part to the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, “Smokey” Joe Barton (R-TX). The 110th Congress will have new leadership, but Barton has pledged to continue fighting against legislation intended to address the problem. Energy and Environment Daily (sub. only) has the story:

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said yesterday he intends to block Democrats from passing a mandatory federal cap on heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions.

“ I will be an active part of any leadership effort to prevent it passing in the House ,” the outgoing chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee told reporters after speaking at an event hosted by the American Petroleum Institute and the Energy Department.

Barton says his action is justified because global warming science is “pretty weak stuff.” Barton added, “But for us to try to step in and say we have got to do all these global things to prevent the Earth from getting any warmer in my opinion is absolute nonsense. It’s not going to happen.”
06.Dec.2006 Gender pay gap narrows, - Nico -  not “because women are making great strides but because men’s wages are eroding, data show.”
06.Dec.2006 Gates Says U.S. Is Not Winning Iraq War - Nico - 

Incoming Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin’s (D-MI) first question to Defense Secretary nominee Robert Gates: “Mr. Gates, do you believe that we are currently winning in Iraq?”

Gates’ answer: “No, sir.” Watch it:

Just weeks ago, President Bush expressed the opposite position. From 10/25/06:

REPORTER: Are we winning?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Absolutely, we’re winning. Digg It! | Reddit!
06.Dec.2006 Milbank: Rumsfeld Memo ‘Headed for the Hall of Fame of Cover-Your-Ass Memo Writing’ - Payson - 

Last night on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank discussed the recently leaked Donald Rumsfeld memo that called for a “major adjustment” to our Iraq policy.

Milbank called the memo a “classic” example of “cover-your-ass memo writing in Washington.”

Rumsfeld “listed every conceivable option” in his memo, Milbank says, to allow himself to claim, “Well, I recommended we go in that direction.” “This was something of an authorized leak by Rumsfeld’s people in order to protect his legacy here,” Milbank added. Watch it: Transcript:

OLBERMANN: Time to call in our own Dana Milbank, national political reporter for the “Washington Post.” Dana, good evening.

MILBANK: Good evening, Keith.

OLBERMANN: I have to say, I’ve fallen in love with the Dickens analogy. Forgive me for going to it again. This reads like Jacob Marley’s ghost warning Scrooge. How do you explain the discrepancy between what the Defense Secretary wrote in the memo + what the President himself was saying on the eve of the midterms?

MILBANK: Oh, I don’t think we’re giving Don Rumsfeld enough credit for this. This is a classic. This is headed for the hall of fame of cover-your-ass memo writing in Washington, when we’ve already had a lot of those. Of course there’s a discrepancy between what the Secretary of Defense was saying and what the President was saying. But look at what he’s done here, is he’s listed every conceivable option so that he can now + for future historians, say whatever the outcome in iraq, ‘Well I recommended we go in that direction.’ Because he has recommended increasing troops, decreasing troops, staying the same, adding trainers, just about every possible permutation.

OLBERMANN: Would that have been written with an expectation that he was not going to be retained? What would have happened if the Republicans had retained both the House and the Senate and there’d been no need to show Rumsfeld the door? Would this memo have not been a noose in which Mr. Rumsfeld would have found his neck?

MILBANK: Well, then his loyalists wouldn’t have leaked the memo. It seems pretty clear that this was something of an authorized leak by Rumsfeld’s people in order to protect his legacy here.
06.Dec.2006 Rep. Jim Moran: Bush Was Warned To Be ‘Extra Sensitive’ About Webb’s Son - Amanda - 

At a recent White House reception, President Bush asked Sen.-elect Jim Webb (D-VA), “How’s your boy?” referring to Webb’s son Jimmy, who is serving in Iraq. Webb answered, “I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President,” to which Bush responded, “That’s not what I asked you.” Webb then replied, “That’s between me and my boy, Mr. President.”

The right wing has been attacking Webb for his reaction to Bush’s question. Last night, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly said Webb was “rude,” “inappropriate,” and “disrespectful,” because Bush was merely trying to extend a “nice gesture.” The National Review’s Corner called him “classless” and conservative columnist George Will labeled him “a boor.”

But according to Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), Bush was told that Webb’s son had a recent brush with death in Iraq and was warned to be “extra sensitive” when talking to the Sen.-elect. ThinkProgress yesterday spoke with Moran’s office and confirmed the congressman’s statement, first reported by hcc in VA:

Not only did Bush know about it, he was specifically briefed on the incident before meeting with Webb + was cautioned to be extra sensitive in speaking with Webb about his son.

After such a briefing, Bush perhaps shouldn’t have been so surprised about Webb’s unwillingness to chit-chat about his son.

Bush_Was_Warned_To_Be_Extra_Sensitive_About_Webb_s_Son">Digg It!
06.Dec.2006 December 5, 2006 - Think Progress - 

“A swath of Amazon rain forest the size of Alabama was placed under government protection Monday,” the AP reports. The area “contains more than 25 % of the world’s remaining humid tropical forests and the largest remaining unpolluted fresh water reserves in the American tropics.”

Hearings for Defense nominee Robert Gates are today. Gates has said “that he supported Bush’s decision to invade 00.000.2003 and that leaving Iraq ‘in chaos’ would harm U.S. interests for many years. Beyond that he has not said how the U.S. might get Iraq moving in the right direction.”

Hours after his meeting yesterday with President Bush , powerful Shiite polititian Abdul Aziz al-Hakim gave a speech denying that “Shiite militias are fueling the sectarian strife” and issuing “one of the starkest criticisms of U.S. military strategy by an Iraqi leader.”

A semiannual report filed by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general “highlights a litany of staff misconduct : immigration officials demanding sex in exchange for visas, airport screeners stealing money from tourists’ luggage, federal air marshals smuggling drugs + employees from various DHS agencies committing sex crimes.”

The Supreme Court is set to rule against “what is left, if anything, of Brown v. Board of Education.” After hearings yesterday on two schools’ racial integration programs, “the only question was how far the court would go in ruling such plans unconstitutional .”

Although companies are supposed to pay royalties every time they drill for oil or gas on federal property, the Interior Department has audited just 20 % of companies. “The rest of the time, the payments are made on the honor system. But the government agency ‘could not accurately count‘ its own oil and gas audits.”

100,000: The number of government contractors operating in Iraq, “a total that is approaching the size of the U.S. military force there.” Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL) said the estimate “further demonstrates the need for Congress to finally engage in responsible, serious and aggressive oversight” over private military contracting.

“The Army and Marine Corps have sunk more than 40 % of their ground combat equipment into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Replacing, repairing + upgrading combat equipment will cost at least $17 billion annually for several more years; before the war, “the Army spent $2.5 billion to $3 billion a year on wear and tear.”

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “wants to fast-track efforts to boost the federal minimum wage ,” and she is pushing for a “stand alone” bill that “will go straight to the floor for consideration.”

And finally: Conservative seeking conservative for a radical night out
06.Dec.2006 “[T]he Christian Right - Nico -  has largely retreated from the culture wars,” according to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. Kevin Drum asks, “What planet was this written from?”
06.Dec.2006 “Stop complaining about health care. - Nico - 

There is no solution.” — Sen. John Sununu (R-NH), speaking to state business leaders about their concerns over health care costs.
06.Dec.2006 Justiz eröffnet Prozess gegen 26 CIA-Agenten - sfux 
Die Mailänder Staatsanwaltschaft hat die Eröffnung eines Verfahrens gegen 35 Personen - darunter der Ex-Chef des italienischen Militärgeheimdienstes Sismi, Nicolo Pollari - im Zusammenhang mit der Entführung eines ägyptischen Imams beantragt. Unter den Angeklagten sind auch 26-CIA-Agenten.
Der moslemische Geistliche Osama Mustafa Hassan alias Abu Omar wurde nach eigener Darstellung

00.000.2003 -am helllichten Tag- in Mailand auf der Straße überfallen, in ein Auto gebracht und auf...
06.Dec.2006 Impressionen eines Deutschland-Flüchtlings (1) - sfux Johann U. Bahr ?

00.Aug.2006 : Planmäßig kamen wir in Texas an. Viel Terrorangst und Chaos und die Zeitumstellung müssen erst verkraftet werden. Hier herrschen 38 Grad.
Der Flug war ohne Parfümverkauf und die Leute konnten auch nichts an Bord bringen.

Wir sind 4 bis 8 Mal gefilzt worden.

Aber bei einigen Kontrollstellen konnten wir uns vorbeimogeln.

Zigaretten und Zeitschriften - alles landete im Müll.

Nur Erfrischungstücher wurden an Bord verteilt. Die...
06.Dec.2006 Gates advocated Nicaragua airstrikes - sfux Washington - In

00.000.1984 Robert Gates,

then the No. 2 CIA official,

advocated U.S. airstrikes against Nicaragua's pro-Cuban government to reverse what he described as an ineffective U.S. strategy to deal with communist advances in Central America, previously classified documents say.
06.Dec.2006 Militär putscht Regierung auf den Fischi Inseln - sfux Fidschi -

Auf den Fidschi-Inseln hat nach monatelangem Machtkampf die Armee die Regierung von Ministerpräsident Laisenia Qarase gestürzt.

Das Militär habe die Regierung übernommen und Qarase entlassen, sagte Armeechef Voreqe Bainimarama.
Er begründete den Schritt mit der Weigerung von Qarase zurückzutreten.

Zuvor waren in der Hauptstadt Suva schwerbewaffnete Soldaten vor dem Haus des Regierungschefs aufmarschiert und hatten ihn sowie mehrere seiner Minister...
06.Dec.2006 Ein strahlender Mord - sfux Malte Olschewski -

Es war ein strahlender Mord mit gekonnter PR-Begleitung. Nach dem Tod des ehemaligen russischen Geheimdienstmannes Alexander Litwinenko durch eine Dosis radioaktiven Poloniums am 23.11. sucht Scotland Yard in London falsche und echte Spuren in Richtung eines Motives zu ordnen. An zwölf Lokalen und Personen sind bisher Spuren von Polonium festgestellt worden, was einen einzigartigen...
06.Dec.2006 Quit smoking drug available in UK - A non-nicotine drug specifically designed to help smokers quit is now available in the UK.
06.Dec.2006 Cell Phones Freed! Poor Suffer?
Your legal columnist wins an exemption to the DMCA for consumers who digitally unlock their cell phones to use with other carriers. But now a wireless giant says the new rule will damage the prepaid cell phone industry + hurt those who can't afford monthly service.
06.Dec.2006 Say Hello to the Goodbye Weapon
A new radiation weapon that produces the "Goodbye effect" -- making victims run like crazy - has been certified for use in Iraq. It feels like the skin is being ripped from your face, but the military says it's perfectly safe. A special "Freedom of Information" report by David Hambling.
06.Dec.2006 New Weapon, Human Tests
Here are several documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act detailing the U.S. military's extensive human tests of its Active Denial System -- a nonlethal weapon that uses millimeter wave radiation to induce instant, searing pain that forces people to flee instantly.
06.Dec.2006 Mum's the Word on NSA Spying
Under questioning, the White House's new privacy oversight board admits its knows how many Americans were targeted by a controversial surveillance program. But it won't share the data and won't say if it recommends the data be shared. In 27B Stroke 6.
06.Dec.2006 Iran blocks video sharing site YouTube Blog: Iran is preventing its citizens from accessing video-sharing site YouTube, according to a report by the Associated Press.
06.Dec.2006 Hi-res cam spots space junk on Mars The new hi-res camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has located the remains of space probes sent to investigate the Red Planet.
06.Dec.2006 Panel changes course, approves e-voting checks Reworded proposal would call for new systems to be "software independent," but emphasizes current machines would be unaffected.
06.Dec.2006 U.S. to create 'risk assessments' of air passengers Department of Homeland Security implements data-mining system for passengers traveling to the U.S.
06.Dec.2006 Can statistics predict who'll attempt murder? Blog: In an echo of the science fiction movie Minority Report, a University of Pennsylvania criminologist has devised a statistical...
06.Dec.2006 Turning cell phones into lifelines Cell phones constantly update of their position with cell towers, making them an important tool in finding lost persons.
06.Dec.2006 An Early Warning System For Earthquakes - kdawson 117 - Iphtashu Fitz writes

"Would 15 seconds be enough warning time to prepare for an earthquake? It certainly wouldn't be long enough to evacuate from where you live, but it may be just long enough to get out of a building or brace yourself in a doorframe or under a solid desk. Italian scientists may have discovered a way to measure the initial shockwave of an earthquake two seconds after it starts + from it predict the extent of the destructive secondary wave that will follow. It typically takes twenty seconds for the secondary wave to spread 40 miles, so sensors that can transmit warnings at the speed of light may provide just enough warning before a major quake for people to brace themselves. Even more importantly, such a warning could allow for utilities like gas companies to close safety valves, preventing potential fires or explosions in the aftermath of the quake."
06.Dec.2006 Indian College Students Face Bleak Prospects - kdawson 405 - 
The New York Times has a piece on the lackluster prospects facing the great majority of Indian college graduates. Most of the 11 million students in India's 18,000 colleges and universities receive starkly inferior training, according to the article, heavy on obedience and rote memorization and light on useful job skills. From the article: "In the 2001 census, [Indian] college graduates had higher unemployment — 17 % — than middle or high school graduates... [At a middle-tier college] dozens of students swarmed around a reporter to complain about their education. 'What the market wants and what the school provides are totally different,' a commerce student said.... [A] final-year student who expects next year to make $2 to $4 a day hawking credit cards, was dejected. 'The opportunities we get at this stage are sad,' she said. 'We might as well not have studied.'"
06.Dec.2006 Millimeter-Wave Weapon Certified For Use In Iraq - jdray (posted by kdawson) 720 - jdray writes

"Wired has a story on the certification of the Active Denial System for use in Iraq. The ADS is a millimeter-wave weapon that uses a reportedly non-lethal energy beam to inflict short-term pain on its targets, encouraging them to leave an area. Experimenters call this the 'Goodbye effect.' I can see using this in a wartime situation, but how long before we see these things mounted to the top of S.W.A.T. vans for domestic crowd control? And, is that a bad idea?" From the article: The ADS shoots a beam of millimeters waves, which are longer in wavelength than x-rays but shorter than microwaves — 94 GHz (= 3 mm wavelength) compared to 2.45 GHz (= 12 cm wavelength) in a standard microwave oven... while subjects may feel like they have sustained serious burns, the documents claim effects are not long-lasting. At most, 'some volunteers who tolerate the heat may experience prolonged redness or even small blisters'...

There has been no independent checking of the military's claims." Wired used Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain documents on the military's testing program.
06.Dec.2006 Australia Backs Down on Draconian Copyright Laws - Zonk 68+ -  AcidAUS writes

"The widely-publicized reforms to Australian copyright — which would turn iPod, camera phone and DVD recorder owners into criminals — have been significantly amended. The amendment bill was passed this past Friday, after the changes were put into place. The Labor and Green parties still have problems with the bill as it exists, but the Labor party (at least) wants to let it go based on the fact that it is 'a million times' better than the original proposed legislation." From the article: "Following an outcry by industry bodies and the public, [Attorney-General Philip] Ruddock amended the bill. 'The Government has listened to the Senate Committee and stakeholders and has improved the effectiveness of the reforms,' Mr Ruddock said in a statement. 'The amended reforms make it clear consumers can transfer the music they own onto devices such as iPods and enable the next wave of technology by allowing people to record a TV or radio program on mobile devices to watch it at a more convenient time.' The amendments also removed on-the-spot fines for some copyright offenses, to ensure they didn't 'unintentionally capture harmless activities of ordinary Australians'."
06.Dec.2006 Universal and MySpace Square Off Over DMCA - Zonk 107+ - moore.dustin writes

"Universal and MySpace look to be on a collision course that could shape the future of media companies and the internet. The article discusses the DMCA's impact on their case + talks ways in which the law lags behind the realities of technology." From the article: "Yet, as lawyers prepare for battle, they do so on uncertain legal ground. The legislation at the heart of the debate, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, was written years before social networking sites such as MySpace even existed.

That fact has injected considerable uncertainty into the matter, according to copyright experts + helps explain why lawyers from both sides are proclaiming that the DMCA, as it is known, is on their side."
06.Dec.2006 Open Source Spying - ScuttleMonkey 89+ - eldavojohn writes

"The New York Times is running a very lengthy but amazingly interesting article on the short history of open source software and information on the inside of the intelligence community. The article discusses the transformation of the intelligence community from fighting the Cold War with traditional information exchange to fighting terrorism today utilizing things like wikis & blogs. From the end of the article, 'Today's spies exist in an age of constant information exchange, in which everyday citizens swap news, dial up satellite pictures of their houses and collaborate on distant Web sites with strangers. As John Arquilla told me, if the spies do not join the rest of the world, they risk growing to resemble the rigid, unchanging bureaucracy that they once confronted during the cold war. "Fifteen years ago we were fighting the Soviet Union," he said. "Who knew it would be replicated today in the intelligence community?"' You may recall that the CIA now has their own classified Wiki. I think it's interesting that the 9/11 Report recommended that USA agencies such as the DoD, CIA & FBI learn to share information more freely to overcome terrorism and now they're turning to internet community applications to accomplish that."
06.Dec.2006 NASA Unveils Strategy for Return to the Moon - ScuttleMonkey 296+ -  mknewman writes to tell us that

NASA recently announced plans to build a permanent base on the moon by 2024. The (still tentative) plans call for building the base on one of the moon's poles, which constantly receive light from the sun and have less temperature fluctuation. This base will start small 00.000.2020 and grow over time with the hopes of eventually supporting 180-day stays and providing a jumping-off point to Mars."
06.Dec.2006 9/11 WTC and Hooey-mania - BG 
Update: 9-11: FEMA's hired gun: "Towers columns 'sunk'''==== Structural engineer describes collapse of the World Trade Center towers https://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2001/december5/wtc-125.html
06.Dec.2006 UK policies driving wedge between Muslims, wider society: study - Irna - BG https://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-239/0612048367135437.htm
06.Dec.2006 Video Is a Window Into a Terror Suspect’s Isolation - New York Times - BG 

Jose Padilla, fitted with blacked-out goggles, was videotaped by the government when he was allowed outside solitary confinement to see a dentist. _{https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/us/04detain.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1165208400&en=02ab7b458c838c22&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin}
06.Dec.2006 UN chief tells of Iraq war sorrow
The killing in Iraq is now worse than a civil war, outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says in a BBC interview. https://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6204980.stm
06.Dec.2006 - Chavez wins Venezuela election
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela declares a "defeat for the devil" as he wins a fresh term in office. https://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6205128.stm
06.Dec.2006 Nation Of Flimflam
Ever hear of a country called the dominion of Melchizedek? It's said to include much of Antarctica, most of the western Pacific and all of the Middle East.
Nonetheless, we're not talking about an emerging superpower. https://www.disinfo.com/site/displayarticle17924.html
06.Dec.2006 Kansas Outlaws Practice Of Evolution'

TOPEKA, KSIn response to a

07.Nov.2006 referendum, Kansas lawmakers passed emergency legislation outlawing evolution,

the highly controversial process responsible for the development + diversity of species + the continued survival of all life. https://www.disinfo.com/site/displayarticle17927.html

- Breathing While Black
'There is nothing like being made to feel like a nigger. Just having to verbalize it or commit such a thought to text is gut-wrenching. https://www.disinfo.com/site/displayarticle17926.html

- Every Old Meme Is New Again
'It's the idea that just won't die: A scientific experiment to track the viral spread of a "meme" -- a contagious quantum of thought -- has become so popular that its creator has had trouble tracking it.'

The experiment being conducted by comparative literature graduate student Scott Eric Kaufman was intended to measure how quickly a simple idea would jump between blogs covering different academic disciplines.

https://www.disinfo.com/site/displayarticle17925.html
06.Dec.2006 Troops Start Disarming Police in Fiji - SUVA, Fiji (AP)

Soldiers moved against at least two police compounds in Fiji on Monday,

seizing weapons in the apparent first step toward taking over the South Pacific island nation. _{https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FIJI_COUP_FEARS?SITE=INKEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT}
06.Dec.2006 Chavez Wins Easily in Venezuela, Showing Wide Support
President Hugo Chavez was re-elected in a landslide, giving him a stronger mandate for his socialist-inspired policies. _{https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/world/americas/04venezuela.html?ex=1322888400&en=d311be52b8bc78db&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss}

- Philippines Buries Dead; Typhoon?s Toll at 406
Officials warned that the death toll would certainly climb and that there was little hope of finding more survivors. _{https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/world/asia/04philippines.html?ex=1322888400&en=2a89ca5f51493082&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss}
06.Dec.2006 THE HUFFINGTON POST | FULL NEWS FEED -
- Repair Work To New Orleans Levees Dragging...
For months, the Army Corps of Engineers raced through the city, frantically patching broken levees and building floodgates to prepare for a hurricane season, now ended, that produced no hurricanes here.
That repair work is essentially complete and the corps has moved on to the task of strengthening flood protection in New Orleans beyond its pre-Hurricane Katrina level, hoping to entice residents back.

https://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/~r/huffingtonpost/LatestNews/~3/56982286/repair-work-to-new-orlean_n_35482.html

• Early Obama Rumors Accelerating Race For 2008 Dem Nomination...
  Senator Barack Obama's announcement that he might run for president is altering the early dynamics of the 2008 Democratic nominating contest.

• The move has created complications for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as she steps up her own preparations and is posing a threat to lesser-known Democrats trying to position themselves as alternatives to Mrs.

https://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/~r/huffingtonpost/LatestNews/~3/56982287/early-obama-rumors-accele_n_35481.html

- Conditions Of Detention...Unprecedented In The Military Justice System...
One spring day during his 3 + a half years as an enemy combatant, Jose Padilla experienced a break from the monotony of his solitary confinement in a bare cell in the brig at the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, S.C

https://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/~r/huffingtonpost/LatestNews/~3/56964237/conditions-of-detention_n_35478.html

- Wal-Mart Launches Thank You Program To Calm Employee Discontent...
Faced with public demonstrations of discontent by its employees, Wal-Mart Stores has developed a wide-ranging new program intended to show that it appreciates its 1.3 million workers in the USA + to encourage them to air their grievances. https://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/~r/huffingtonpost/LatestNews/~3/56957716/walmart-launches-thank-y_n_35477.html

- Report: US-Trained Afghan Police "Largely Incapable' Of Routine Work...
Five years after the fall of the Taliban, a joint report by the Pentagon and the State Department has found that the American-trained police force in Afghanistan is largely incapable of carrying out routine law enforcement work + that managers of the $1.1 billion training program cannot say how many officers are actually on duty or where thousands of trucks and other equipment issued to police units have gone.

https://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/~r/huffingtonpost/LatestNews/~3/56946316/report-ustrained-afghan_n_35473.html
06.Dec.2006 Lou Dobbs Turns on the CEOs - BG .News: To understand the shifting tectonics of American politics, look no further than cable's high priest of populism. _{https://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/dobbs.html}
06.Dec.2006 US tells banks to shut down Iran operations - BG 
The Independent on Sunday: Several of the UK's largest banks fear they could face the full legislative wrath of the US government unless they bow to Washington's pressure to shut their operations in Iran....
Source: https://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9395
06.Dec.2006 Federal case may redefine child porn | CNET News.com - BG https://news.com.com/DOJ+case+may+redefine+child+porn/2100-1030_3-6139524.html
06.Dec.2006 Bill O'Reilly's Question - BG 
Stan Goff is somebody worth reading and listening to.

He's a veteran of the US Army Rangers, Airborne, Delta Force + Special Forces, who served in Vietnam, El Salvador, Grenada, Panama, Honduras, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Somalia + Haiti.

Which is to say, he's seen imperialism up close in a way few of us ever will. Now he's a very determined, very smart + very thoughtful activist, working against war, patriarchy + empire.

Here's a post of his on a question of Bill O'Reilly's: There is nothing more tragically amusing than watching the right-wing catch liberals off guard.

Bill O'Reilly has caught the whole crew flat-footed with one of those trick questions:

Do you want the USA to win in Iraq? Set aside for the moment that this ignores the fact that the US government has already ... Source: https://www.pastpeak.com/archives/2006/12/bill_oreillys_q_1.htm
06.Dec.2006 New York Post Online Edition: News - BG _{https://pqarchiver.nypost.com/nypost/access/571046101.html?dids=571046101:571046101&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+29%2C+2004&author=SUSAN+EDELMAN&pub=New+York+Post&edition=&startpage=016&desc=MASS+RAIDS+ON+PORT+AUTHORITY+ASBESTOS+CONTRACTORS}
06.Dec.2006 Across the Borderline - BG 
The House of Death (The Observer, via Avedon Carol at The Sideshow) This is a dirty story, about as dirty as it gets. It's a story of top government officials knowingly, deliberately, willingly countenancing a string of horrific murders – then punishing decent, law-abiding colleagues who tried to work through the proper channels in order to rectify the government's egregious complicity and ensure such barbarity wouldn't happen again. Those who sought to do right were beaten down. Those who covered up the truth + the crimes – and even dismissed the multiple murder charges when they finally came to light – were hardwired into the very center of the country's political power grid, with close, long-time ties to the national leader himself. And no, this story did not take place in the vasty de...
Source: https://www.chris-floyd.comhttps://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=946
06.Dec.2006 Hume After Interview With Bush: ‘Spirits Are Good,’ ‘Attitude Is Confident,’ ‘Seems To Enjoy The Work’ - Think Progress - 

Iraq is in a civil war, the administration’s domestic agenda has stalled and Bush’s approval ratings are mired in the the thirties. But Brit Hume interviewed the president and he wants you to know that none of it has affected his mood.

Previewing the interview, Hume reported that “His spirits are good, his atmosphere is — you know, his attitude is confident. He seems confortable, he seems to enjoy the work.” Watch it: Full transcript:

His spirits are good, his atmosphere is — you know, his attitude is confident. He seems confortable, he seems to enjoy the work. He said the burden of this office is not heavy, it’s light. +++

He’s fine, he’s in good spirits. Now, look, Neil, you and I have been around a long time + you can smell this embattled, troubled quality on a politician at 100 yards. It’s not there. +++

This interview, Shep, I was not in the presence of a man who gave off that sense + you can always smell it, of being an embattled politician.
06.Dec.2006 Inhofe’s last stand. - Nico - 

Senate environment committee chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) “will hold his last hearing as chairman Wednesday to highlight media coverage of global warming,” National Journal reports.

“Inhofe has criticized news outlets for their coverage of global warming, which he believes is a hoax.” The last time Inhofe challenged the media, it didn’t go so well.
06.Dec.2006 Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former tobacco lobbyist, - Judd - 

has successfully withdrawn “all funding for Mississippi’s highly successful anti-smoking program.”

Barbour’s lobbying firm, “Barbour, Griffin, & Rogers, was paid a total of $3.8 million by the tobacco companies, according to reports obtained by the United States Senate Office of Public Records.”
06.Dec.2006 Climate Change Will Empty America’s Breadbasket - Payson - 

Last summer, National Review editor James Robbins touted the “benefits” of climate change:

Consider the large landmasses in the northern hemisphere, say north of 55 degrees. These are very extreme climates for human habitation.

A population distribution map of Canada shows most people live in a belt running along the southern border with the USA. But add global warming and vast regions would become comfortably habitable.

As well, there would be more land available for cultivation .

Yesterday, the BBC published a graphic showing the impact that climate change will have on crop production.

The graphic shows the areas in which wheat grows now (yellow) compared to where it will grow 00.000.2050 (blue). It demonstrates the devastating effect climate change would have on America’s wheat crop:

“True, there might be some dislocations as crops shifted northward, but so what?” Robbins asked.

“Economies change all the time.” Tell that to every wheat farmer in the USA.
06.Dec.2006 Bush avoiding legacy talk? - Faiz -  U.S. News writes,

“The Bushies aren’t eager to start talking legacy about their prez yet. ‘Really,’ says one, ‘he’s not obsessed with his legacy.’ …

‘His legacy won’t be written for 50 years,’ shrugs an ally, ‘and, anyway, there’s nothing we can do about it now.’”
06.Dec.2006 Bush Opposes School Desegregation Plans That Close Educational Achievement Gap - Judd - 

Today, the Supreme Court considered a constitutional challenge to school desegregation plans in Seattle, WA and Louisville, KY. The stakes are high. From the Christian Science Monitor:

“ This is about what is left, if anything, of Brown v. Board of Education ,” Theodore Shaw, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said in a recent debate hosted by the Century Foundation.

If the high court strikes down the Seattle and Louisville programs, “it will be a reversal of historic proportions,” he said.

Data collected pursuant to No Child Left Behind, Bush’s signature education initiative, shows that desegregating schools improves the educational achievement of minority students.

A study examining the data by American Progress Affiliated Scholar Douglas Harris found:

– African Americans and Hispanics learn more in integrated schools. Minorities attending integrated schools also perform better in college attendance and employment.

– Controlled choice and other forms of desegregation benefit minority students .

– Racial integration is a rare case where an educational policy appears to improve educational equity at little financial cost.

President Bush has long claimed that reducing the educational achievement gap between white students and minority students is a priority.

Here’s Bush on

18.Oct.2006 “We have an achievement gap in America that is — that I don’t like and you shouldn’t like.

It’s the difference between reading of African American students and Latino students and white students.

The gap is closing + that’s incredibly important for the United States of America to see that achievement gap close.

How do we know?

Because we’re measuring.

And yet, “the Bush administration has taken the side of the parents who are suing the school districts” who are trying to desegregate schools.

Bush_Opposes_School_Desegrations_Plans_That_Close_Education_Achievement_Gap">Digg It!
06.Dec.2006 MSNBC Airs Multiple Segments On C-SPAN Caller Smearing President Carter - Nico - 

During an interview yesterday, an anonymous C-SPAN viewer called former President Jimmy Carter “a bigot + a racist + an anti-Semite” + accused him of “cozying up with every dictator, thug, Islamic terrorist there is.”

Video of the exchange is being promoted by several popular right-wing websites, including the Drudge Report and Michelle Malkin’s Hot Air.

Apparently, the rantings of this random C-SPAN viewer are considered “news.”

MSNBC has already run two segments today on this irrelevant non-story, one titled “Carter Controversy” and another called, “Pres. Carter: Anti-Semetic?”
06.Dec.2006 Bolton’s future plans? - Nico - 

BoltonWatch’s Scott T. Paul says “two independent sources in the U.S. Mission” tell him that John Bolton is planning to “write a book + hit the speaking circuit

to blast the Bush Administration for abandoning ultra-conservative foreign policy principles.”
06.Dec.2006 14. - Nico - The number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq in the first three days of December. 2,904 U.S. military personnel have now died in the Iraq war.
06.Dec.2006 Klein: Saying We Need A Timetable For Iraq ‘May Well Be True, But It’s Wrong To Say It’ - Faiz - 

On the Chris Matthews Show yesterday, Time magazine senior writer Joe Klein said of Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) support for setting a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq: “That may well be true, but it’s wrong to say it.” Watch it:

Obama has argued that the Bush administration should begin redeploying U.S. troops out of Iraq in the next four to six months.

That is the same position articulated by incoming Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI). Last June, the Levin amendment proposed the withdrawal of U.S. forces, earning strong support.

Levin’s new amendment is expected to also gain strong support from the new majority.

Voters favor setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by a 54-39 % margin.

Klein himself, after first arguing that it was not “responsible,” has embraced the call for withdrawal from Iraq.

And yet he wants us to believe that a position that is right, supported by a majority of Americans + favored by the new majority in Congress should not be uttered in public.
06.Dec.2006 The federal minimum wage set a new record - Amanda - on Saturday “for the longest period without a raise since its establishment 00.000.1938.

02.Dec.2006 -As of- the $5.15-per-hour wage rate has remained unchanged for nine years and three months.”
06.Dec.2006 BREAKING: John Bolton To Resign - Think Progress - 

“President Bush has accepted the resignation of U.N. Ambassador John Bolton when his recess appointment expires,” CBS News reports.

UPDATE V: Copy of Bolton’s resignation letter here.

UPDATE IV: President Bush releases a statement:

I am deeply disappointed that a handful of United States Senators prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up or down vote he deserved in the Senate.

They chose to obstruct his confirmation, even though he enjoys majority support in the Senate + even though their tactics will disrupt our diplomatic work at a sensitive and important time.

UPDATE III: ABC reports, “Alex Wolff — currently Bolton’s deputy — will serve as acting Ambassador until a successor is named.”

UPDATE II: Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Jim Walsh (R-NY) have led a push to promote Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) — the top Republican on the House International Relations Committee who lost his House seat in November’s election — as the new U.N. Ambassador.

“He is the most diplomatic politician I have ever met,” [Blumenauer] said of Mr. Leach, a moderate from Iowa known for his professorial sweaters,

his low-key, nonpolitical approach to issues + his opposition to the war in Iraq.

“I can’t think of any American better qualified to represent our interests before the United Nations,” Rep. Jim Walsh, a Republican of New York said.

Mr. Walsh yesterday joined Mr. Blumenauer in circulating a letter in the House seeking support for Mr. Leach if the acting U.N. ambassador, John Bolton, is forced to resign.

UPDATE I: Citing White House sources, MSNBC reports that Bolton is expected to leave his position “within a matter of days.”
04.Dec.2006 December 4, 2006 - Think Progress - 

The pace of the $6 billion second phase of levee work in New Orleans has slowed significantly . To “save money,” the Army Corps plans to focus on longer-term plans that critics say “will leave the city at risk until 2010 at least.” The corps “has also scaled back plans to armor the levees against being scoured away when water flows over the top.”

“The Pentagon is invoking emergency authority to fast-track funding of a comprehensive war-crimes court compound at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba ,” the Miami Herald reports. Pentagon spokesmen “would not say when — if ever — the Pentagon had last invoked similar authority.”

Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, “yesterday rejected suggestions that an international conference be held to address the violence wracking his country, echoing sentiments expressed” by other leading Iraqi politicians.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the incoming Senate Rules and Administration Chairwoman, will push for “legislation to require that there be an independent paper record of every ballot .” See a summary of the Ballot Integrity Act here.

Every schoolchild in Scotland will be offered the chance to see An Inconvenient Truth under a plan presented by energy company ScottishPower. “ScottishPower, which has also given copies of Mr. Gore’s book…to hundreds of its staff, plans to pay for cinema screenings for older children in primary schools and all secondary pupils.”

At least 70 trade unionists were assassinated in Colombia last year, the highest number of any country in the world, a new report finds. The Bush administration signed a trade deal with Colombia in November that “ignores fundamental workers’ rights.”

The Iraq situation is ‘much worse’ than civil war , according to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. “We had the strife in Lebanon and other places, we called that a civil war,” Annan said, “this is much worse.”

“At least 21 people were killed at school during the 2004-2005 academic year, a slight increase from the year before,” according to the Justice Department.
06.Dec.2006 Two of the country’s largest Episcopal congregations - Nico -  will “vote next week on whether to leave the U.S. church on ideological grounds and affiliate instead with a controversial Nigerian archbishop” who has advocated the imprisonment of gays.
06.Dec.2006 Gingrich Lies To Assault Free Speech Again - Paul Joseph Watson -Unrepentant, arch Neo-Con crafts deceptive Ahmadinejad boogeyman argument to con Americans into First Amendment
06.Dec.2006 Why The Quiet Release Of The Doubletree 9/11 Video? - Paul Joseph Watson -Where was the FOX news fanfare? Total media blackout suggests new strategy may be to ignore 9/11 questions
06.Dec.2006 Annan: Lage im Irak schlimmer als im Bürgerkrieg - sfux Bagdad -

Der scheidende UNO-Generalsekretär Kofi Annan hat die Lage im Irak als "viel schlimmer" als in einem Bürgerkrieg bezeichnet. Das Leben für den normalen Iraker sei heute schlechter als unter dem Regime des Diktators Saddam Hussein.
Die Situation sei "extrem gefährlich", erklärte Annan in einem Interview der britischen BBC. Zugleich äusserte er Zweifel, dass die Regierung in Bagdad die eskalierende Gewalt allein unter Kontrolle...
06.Dec.2006 Intelligence archives chief found dead on job in Bulgaria - sfux Sofia News Agency -

The chief of the "Archives and Secret Files" division in the National Intelligence Service was found dead in his office, but the news on his death emerged a day later.
The body of Bozhidar Doychev was discovered Wednesday evening in his office after his family...
06.Dec.2006 Minarette sind Bajonette!? - sfux 
Kemalismus versus Islamismus im Balanceakt der Türkei Malte Olschewski -

Von oben dekretiert der Kemalismus und von unten drängt der Islam heran, sodass es einmal zur Kollision kommen muss. Hatte bis in die Achtzigerjahre der von Staatsgründer Kemal Atatürk verordnete Laizismus und die Trennung von Staat und Religion gegolten, so ist seitdem ein...
06.Dec.2006 Welt AIDS Tag in Südafrika ? 1400 Neuinfektionen und 950 Tote täglich - sfux Dr. Alexander von Paleske - Am Welt-AIDS-Tag, dem

01.Dez.2006 wurden neue Statistiken für Südafrika bekannt, die eigentlich nur Schrecken verbreiten können. 1400 Neuinfektionen jeden Tag;
06.Dec.2006 Garagentore geschlossen ? Guantánamo nicht - sfux Harald Haack ?

Versprechen kann sich jeder einmal. Doch bei US-Präsident George W. Bush sind Versprecher legendär und füllen die Witzecken im Internet. So versprach er im Juni 2006 dem dänischen Ministerpräsidenten Anders Fogh Rasmussen, bei dessen Besuch in Washington, die Schließung des umstrittenen Gefangenenlagers Guantánamo.
?Wir wollen Guantánamo schließen?,...
06.Dec.2006 Revamp of brain 'could slow CJD' Scientists say they might be able to slow progress of "mad cow disease" by genetically revamping the brain.
06.Dec.2006 Psychopaths' brains 'different' There are biological brain differences that mark out psychopaths from other people, scientists say.
06.Dec.2006 Pfizer shares hit by drug failure Shares in US drugmaker Pfizer tumble after it halts development of its most important experimental drug.
06.Dec.2006 Fridge magnets 'can be a killer' Fridge magnets and decorative jewellery could be a killer if you have a weak heart, experts warn.
06.Dec.2006 Richest 2% own 'half the wealth' The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of all household wealth, a new study by the UN finds.
06.Dec.2006 US 'not winning conflict in Iraq' US Defence Secretary nominee Robert Gates tells his confirmation hearing the US is not winning the war in Iraq.
06.Dec.2006 Row erupts over Israeli textbooks Israel's education minister says schoolbooks should show the pre-1967 borders, sparking fierce right-wing criticism.
06.Dec.2006 US plans base on Moon Nasa says it will start building a permanent base on the Moon after astronauts return there 00.000.2020.
06.Dec.2006 Vietnam lashed by tropical storm Tropical Storm Durian kills at least 47 people in Vietnam, after causing havoc in the Philippines.
06.Dec.2006 Vatican Holocaust claim disputed New papers cast doubt on Vatican claims about when it learned of the atrocities at Auschwitz.
06.Dec.2006 Musharraf pushes Kashmir proposal President Musharraf suggests Pakistan would give up its claim to Kashmir if India accepts his peace plan.
06.Dec.2006 US drops plan to open up airlines The US halts plan to give foreign investors more control over its airlines, probably delaying an open skies treaty.
06.Dec.2006 Foetal cells 'to treat strokes' A UK company is applying for permission to transplant stem cells made from human foetal tissue into the brains of stroke patients.
06.Dec.2006 China Aids patients win damages China is to compensate 19 people who caught HIV from a hospital blood transfusion, in a landmark case.
06.Dec.2006 India's Sensex hits record high India's main stock index, the Sensex, hits another record high and breaks the 14,000 points barrier.
06.Dec.2006 Pollution 'reducing rice harvest' Pollution-laden clouds may be partly to blame for India's dwindling rice harvests, according to research.
06.Dec.2006 Finland ratifies EU constitution Finland becomes the latest country to ratify the European constitution, as its EU presidency draws to a close.
06.Dec.2006 'Malaria atlas' project launched UK and Kenyan researchers say they are creating a global map to pinpoint areas where malaria is most likely to strike.
06.Dec.2006 Fiji military chief stages coup Fiji's military chief says he has taken over government and dismissed elected Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.
06.Dec.2006 Hungry ancients 'turned cannibal' Starvation and cannibalism were part of life for a population of Neanderthals living 43,000 years ago.
06.Dec.2006 Chavez victory to be proclaimed Hugo Chavez is due to be declared the winner of Venezuela's presidential poll in a ceremony.
06.Dec.2006 US firms call for Chinese reforms US manufacturers want a US trade delegation to call on China to open its markets and reform its currency.
06.Dec.2006 YouTube 'should check copyright' Video website YouTube should proactively check if videos infringe copyright, a rights group says.
06.Dec.2006 So. Many. Letters The volume of responses to the Wired magazine story on the New Atheism movement is totally overwhelming. So we're posting every single one online.
06.Dec.2006 Blueprints for a Revolution A cadre of unknown designers shapes everyday human-machine interactions.
06.Dec.2006 My Hybrid Saved Me Cash A Honda Civic Hybrid cost $3,000 less to operate for 3.5 years than a Mazda6 when considering trade-in value and the cost of gasoline. In Autopia.
06.Dec.2006 Novell "Forking" OpenOffice.org - ScuttleMonkey 339+ - l2718 writes to mention that

In the wake of their recent deal with Microsoft, Novell has announced a new version of OpenOffice.org which will support Microsoft's planned Office formal, Open XML. From the article: "The translators will be made available as plug-ins to Novell's OpenOffice.org product. Novell will release the code to integrate the Open XML format into its product as open source and submit it for inclusion in the OpenOffice.org project. As a result, end users will be able to more easily share files between Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org, as documents will better maintain consistent formats, formulas and style templates across the two office productivity suites."
06.Dec.2006 Reuters and Yahoo! Enlist Camera Phones - kdawson 86+ - eldavojohn writes

"In a huge advancement of citizen journalism, Reuters and Yahoo! are asking average people to be journalists with their cell phones. I hope participants don't run the risks others have for photographing the police. You can expect to see these new photos being used at Yahoo! and Reuters.com starting tomorrow." From the article: "'People don't say, "I want to see user-generated content,"' said Lloyd Braun, who runs Yahoo's media group. 'They want to see Michael Richards in the club. If that happens to be from a cellphone, they are happy with a cellphone. If it's from a professional photographer, they are happy for that, too.' Users will not be paid for images displayed on the Yahoo and Reuters sites. But people whose photos or videos are selected for distribution to Reuters clients will receive a payment."
06.Dec.2006 Detecting Tailgaters With Lasers - stoolpigeon (posted by kdawson) 922+ -  stoolpigeon writes

"Police in Arizona are using laser range finders to detect and ticket tailgaters. An officer can now measure not only the speed of passing vehicles but also how close they are to one another. The detectors described in the article are built by Laser Technology Inc., a company that provides lasers for traffic control, engineering + even tactical/military solutions.

The article mentions how tailgating is connected to many accidents and incidents of road rage."
06.Dec.2006 Computer Simulation of Cancer Growth - kdawson 66+ - Roland Piquepaille writes

"For a long time now, researchers and scientists have used computer simulations in the physical sciences: physics, chemistry + engineering. But what about biology? An international team of U.S. and Scottish mathematicians and biologists has built a math model to predict tumor behavior. The researchers say their approach is similar to the one used by weather forecasters. So far, this approach is entirely theoretical. But the scientists see their effort as the beginning of a new era in cancer research — 'a sea change in how biology is being done,' as the lead researcher described it. Read more for additional references and illustrations about this use of computer simulation to predict a cancer evolution."
06.Dec.2006 Verisign Retains .com Control Until 2012 - kdawson 83+ -  Several readers wrote to note that

the U.S. Department of Commerce, in a controversial deal, has extended Verisign's control of the .com domain. Verisign got the right to raise prices in four of the six years of the contract, by up to 7% each time. From the article: "Verisign has control of .com and .net locked up for the next several years, but there will still be a modicum of oversight. [Commerce] retains final approval over any price hikes + has said that any subsequent renewal of the contract will occur 'only if it concludes that the approval will serve the public interest in the continued security and stability of the Internet domain name system... and the provision of registry services at reasonable prices, terms and conditions.'"
06.Dec.2006 Bank of New York "overweight"
Rating-Update: New York (aktiencheck.de AG) - Die Analysten von Prudential Financial stufen die Aktie der Bank of New York (ISIN US0640571024/ WKN 858206) von "neutral" auf "overweight" hoch. Das Kursziel werde von 35 auf 46 US-$ angehoben. (05.12.2006/ac/a/u)
06.Dec.2006 Vodafone Upgrade
Rating-Update: Zürich (aktiencheck.de AG) - Die Analysten der Credit Suisse stufen die Vodafone-Aktie (ISIN GB0007192106/ WKN 875999) von "neutral" auf "outperform" herauf. (04.12.2006/ac/a/u)
06.Dec.2006 Pfizer Upgrade
Rating-Update: New York (aktiencheck.de AG) - Die Analysten von Cowen & Co stufen die Aktie von Pfizer (ISIN US7170811035/ WKN 852009) von "underperform" auf "neutral" hoch. (04.12.2006/ac/a/u)
06.Dec.2006 Kofi Annan Regrets Cooperating With Bush War Crimes - BG 
All the criminals responsible for the Iraq fiasco are fumbling about, spreading blame, wishful thinking and in general, avoiding responsibility for destroying not just Iraq but the United Nations and a lot of other important things supposedly set up to stop wars just like this stupid war. Bin Laden, on 'The Family Guy', nearly laughs to death. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE... _{Source: https://elainemeinelsupkis.typepad.com/culture_of_life_news/2006/12/kofi_annan_regr.html}
06.Dec.2006 https://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=consp_911&Number=293140235

If they really wanted to 'practice' then they wouldn't have deployed early.
Somehow I don't think our government at any level is sharp enough to execute this so well.

In fact, I fully expect that Norad and the national guard fighters were simply doing a keystone cops performance that day + proved to the world how incompetent they are.
It really would not take all that big a team to hijack the planes and to fly them by remote control, especially if you have moles in the FAA or with the manufacturer of flight systems. It would not be that difficult to convince a few ignorant or fanatic arabs to take out the pilots and follow instructions. It is not hard to imagine an opportunistic property owner demolishing his own structures for cost/insurance reasons (doing so before the upper floors evacuated makes it murder) independently of the hijacking operation. This entire operation could be done with less than fifty operatives.
The U.S. government has covered up every single phase of the investigation + left we the people with no information. This, more than any of it, is what is wrong with the picture. We know much more about the Scott and Lacy Peterson case than about the biggest terrorist act on American soil. What's with that?   No longer Candidate for Colorado HD13
06.Dec.2006 Aldo Moro ( 1916 – 1978) was five times Prime Minister of Italy - BG LINKS -(Christian Democrat).

00.000.1978 he was kidnapped and killed. Moro's widow recounted his meeting with Henry Kissinger + an American intelligence official, who warned him to end the strategy of bringing the Communist Party into his cabinet, telling him "You must abandon your policy of bringing all the political forces in your country into direct collaboration... or you will pay dearly for it."

"Mario Moretti, the man who organized and led the kidnapping and assassination of Aldo Moro, was part of a group, headed by one Corrado Simioni, which was under control of the Sogno-NATO organization."

The Sphinx and the Gladiators: How Neo-Fascists Steered the Red ... aangirfan:... Source: https://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2006/12/links-aldo-moro-1916-1978-was-five.html
06.Dec.2006 Nails In The Coffin of Trade Seven - WTC-7 Collapse Footage Shows Unmistakable Demolition Charges - Forums powered by Reason and Principle - BG _{https://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=consp_911&Number=293140235}
06.Dec.2006 Loving the Terrorists - BG 
Now you can find out just how unpatriotic you are, by taking a scientifically vapid survey.

Here's my score. Your 'Do You Want the Terrorists to Win' Score: 100% You are a terrorist-loving, Bush-bashing, "blame America first"-crowd traitor.

You are in league with evil-doers who hate our freedoms.

By all counts you are a liberal + as such clearly desire the terrorists to succeed and impose their harsh theocratic restrictions on us all.

You are fit to be hung for treason! Luckily George Bush is tapping your internet connection and is now aware of your thought-crime. Have a nice day.... in Guantánamo!

Do You Want the Terrorists to Win? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz I'm glad to report that I'm rated even more likely to be sent to Guantánamo than Matt Yglesias, probably because I cannot bring...
Source: https://www.robertsilvey.com/notes/2006/12/loving_the_terr.html
06.Dec.2006 Lieberman - BG As a coda on the previous post, Lieberman is such a buffoon. It'd be funny if people weren't, you know, getting killed + stuff.... _{Source: https://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_12_03_atrios_archive.html#116517083127953208}
06.Dec.2006 The 911-Pound Gorilla in Cato's Room - BG 
This article is dedicated to the reality-based community, members of which often rightly state, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

"I should not believe such a story were it told me by Cato, was a proverbial saying in Rome, even during the lifetime of that philosophical patriot.

The incredibility of a fact, it was allowed, might invalidate so great an authority."

David Hume, Of Miracles.

"When anyone tells me, that he saw a dead man restored to life,

I immediately consider with myself, whether it be more probable, that this person should either deceive or be deceived, or that the fact, which he relates, should really have happened."

David Hume, Of Miracles. "The American people know what they saw with their own eyes on

11.Sep.2001. To suggest... Source: https://ningens-blog.blogspot.com/2006/11/911-pound-gorilla-in-catos-room.html
06.Dec.2006 All this from the alleged opposition party. - BG https://www.american-reporter.com/3,041W/641.html
06.Dec.2006 New York Times Reaches To Remove Mote In Blogger's Eye - BG 
NYT: It is so troubling that liberal Peter Daou works for Hillary Clinton and operates a blog. But it is not troubling that the New York Times held a story on extra-judicial surveillance until after the election, at the behest of the President. ... Source: https://vaguenihilism.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-york-times-reaches-to-remove-mote.html
06.Dec.2006 Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor by Garrett Hardin -

The Garrett Hardin Society - Articles - BG _{https://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_lifeboat_ethics_case_against_helping_poor.html Tags: lifeboat ethics}
06.Dec.2006 9/11 WTC and Hooey-mania - BG Update: 9-11: FEMA's hired gun: "Towers columns 'sunk'''=== Structural engineer describes collapse of the World Trade Center towers_{https://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2001/december5/wtc-125.html} 06.Dec.2006 _{https://www.africaintelligence.com/ps/AN/Arch/AEM/AEM_362.asp}
NIGERIA Transworld Tries Again
Africa Energy Intelligence has learned that Transworld, a company owned by renowned trader John Deuss, is talking with Summit Oil on buying into its acreage in Nigeria. (...). [Total : 178 Words]. (3,25USD)
06.Dec.2006 _{https://www.africaintelligence.com/ps/AN/Arch/AEM/AEM_362.asp}
AFRICA ENERGY INTELLIGENCE n° 362 - 28/01/2004
06.Dec.2006 _{https://www.africaintelligence.com/ps/AN/Arch/AEM/AEM_362.asp}
AFRICA James Dunlap
A trusted adviser to Walter Kansteiner

during his mandate as head of the State Department's bureau of African affairs,

James Dunlap has followed his former boss in taking up a job with the Scowcroft Group named after Brent Scowcroft, national security adviser to George Bush Sr. (...). [Total : 205 Words].(3,25USD)
05.Dec.2006 "Gates says U.S. is not winning Iraq war" -- Duh!
House Republicans abruptly pulled from floor action Tuesday a bill to open a large area of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling after it became clear the legislation lacked the two-thirds vote needed for passage.
Robert Gates Hearing for Defense Secretary is Much Ado about Nothing: Policy Change Still in Bush's Hands -- A BuzzFlash News Analysis
Ex-Prez Bush Sheds Tears of Pride Praising son Jeb in Speech. If he Talks for Dubya, Tears will be for Much Different Reason -- A BuzzFlash News Analysis
Here Come the Defense Contractors: "U.S. Army Battling To Save Equipment: Gear Piles Up at Depots, Awaiting Repair"
Tony Snow: President Disagrees With Gates, Says We Are 'Winning' in Iraq. But, of course, Bush plays "fantasy Iraq" while our troops and everyone else have to deal with "reality Iraq." 12/6
Tomgram: Fiddling While Baghdad Burns; How to Stay in Iraq 12/6
Only 9% in U.S. Say Iraq Situation is Getting Better 12/9
Vote the News Up or Down at BuzzFlash.net!
Nearly as Many Contractors as Soliders in Iraq
05.Dec.2006 _{https://www.cannonfire.blogspot.com/} The RFK assassination Some of the best writing about the RFK assassination is available for free. Lisa Pease did a massive two-part piece on this conundrum; go here and here. Permalink
05.Dec.2006 Fall Litwinenko: Polonium- Spuren am Stadion von Arsenal London gefunden
05.Dec.2006 Gesunde Ernährung: New York streicht schädliche Fette von der Speisekarte
05.Dec.2006 "Open Skies"- Abkommen: USA machen Rückzieher
05.Dec.2006 Groteske Ungleichheit: Halbe Menschheit besitzt nur ein % des Global- Vermögens

05.Dec.2006 Ende einer Ära: Deep Fritz besiegt Schachweltmeister Kramnik

05.Dec.2006 Afghanistan: Taliban schlagen britische Armee zurück
05.Dec.2006 Fall Masri: Ermittler sollen Journalisten belauscht haben
05.Dec.2006 Fall Litwinenko: Britische Ermittler dürfen in Moskau keine Fragen stellen

05.Dec.2006 Erwärmung: Arktis könnte 2080 frei von Meereis sein
05.Dec.2006 Gates' Senatsanhörung: Gewinnen die USA im Irak? - "Nein, Sir"
05.Dec.2006 Wintereinbruch in den USA: Etliche Tote, Zehntausende ohne Strom

05.Dec.2006 Heros- Prozess: Prokurist zweigte zehn Millionen ab
05.Dec.2006 Urteil: Gericht korrigiert Stammzell- Patent
05.Dec.2006 Umfrage: Deutsche fühlen sich vom Klimawandel bedroht

05.Dec.2006 Pentagon: Rumsfeld- Nachfolger warnt vor Flächenbrand im Mittleren Osten
05.Dec.2006 Emissionshandel im Luftverkehr: "Fliegen muss teurer werden"
05.Dec.2006 Tödliches Gift: Was kostet eine Portion Polonium?

05.Dec.2006 Beirut: Schiiten drohen Siniora mit dem Tod
05.Dec.2006 "Weimarer Dreieck": Gefechtsverband mit Polen und Frankreich

05.Dec.2006 Statistisches Bundesamt: Über zehn Millionen leben an oder unter der Armutsgrenze

05.Dec.2006 Kramnik gegen Deep Fritz: Das Finale Mensch gegen Maschine
05.Dec.2006 Verschleppter Terrorverdächtiger: Mailänder Staatsanwälte wollen CIA- Agenten anklagen
05.Dec.2006 Streit über Atomprogramm: Russland lehnt Sanktionen gegen Iran ab
05.Dec.2006 https://uk.ask.com/web?q=Coue%20%2B%20critics&qsrc=1&o=312&l=dir&dm=all
Brainwashing ... polarizing issues which separate the camps of cult sympathizers and cult critics . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwashing
05.Dec.2006 Recent Portuguese Publications Bulletin 52

Camarate : relatórios finais das comissões parlamentares de inquérito. ...

The event has given rise to conspiracy theories. 123. CARVALHO, Miguel. www.livroraro.com/B52/B52pt12.htm
30.Nov.2006 Northern Lion Gold Corp.: Airborne Geophysical Survey Completed on Cercal Project, Portugal
05.Dec.2006 Leader of Oaxaca Protests Arrested
05.Dec.2006 Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov Warns Against 'Politicizing' Litvinenko Affair
05.Dec.2006 darthsebulba.is-a-geek.org - Gregarius »

06.Nov.2006 Controversial Dutch mult-imillionaire businessman John Deuss , who was arrested ...

The official denial + the ridicule began

00.000.1942 with the Battle of Los ... darthsebulba.is-a-geek.org/news/2006/11/06

Catalogue of the archive of the Anti-Apartheid Movement,

00.000.1956-00.000.1998 John Deuss + oil exports to South Africa,

00.000.1985-00.000.1990 ... Nelson Mandela International Reception Committee,

00.000.1989-00.000.1990 Shelfmark: MSS AAM

00.000.1942 ... www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/rhl/aam/aam000.html

- Actueel nieuws Dat was de voormalige authandelaar John Deuss die samen met de leiding van de ... Maart/april 1942 rapporteerde een in Londen gearriveerd lid van de als ... www.stelling.nl/kleintje/actueel2001.html
05.Dec.2006 Project for the Exposure of Hidden Institutions -

Le Cercle He did this with controversial partners as John Deuss + Ted Shackley, ... (SOE) by Colonel Sir Charles Hambro, who would become head of the SOE 00.000.1942 . ...
home.planet.nl/~reijd050/organisations/Le_Cercle.htm

PEHI - Project for the Exposure of Hidden Institutions -

Le Cercle ... Shackley was hired by oil baron John Deuss to organise shipments of oil to South Africa ...

Appointed to the board of directors of Italcementi

00.000.1940- 1942 . ... home.planet.nl/~reijd050/organisations/Le_Cercle_membership_list.htm
05.Dec.2006 https://marx2mao.com/Lenin/Index.html
". . . the whole of political life is an endless chain consisting of an infinite number of links.

The whole art of politics lies in finding and gripping as strong as we can the link that is least likely to be torn out of our hands,

the one that is most important at the given moment, the one that guarantees the possessor of a link the possession of the whole chain." What Is To Be Done? (1902)   

" . . . You must be able at each particular moment to find the particular link in the chain which you must grasp with all your might in order to hold the whole chain and to prepare firmly for the transition to the next link; the order of the links, their form, the manner in which they are linked together, the way they differ from each other in the historical chain of events, are not as simple and not as meaningless as those in an ordinary chain made by a smith."

The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government (1918)   

All texts, unless otherwise noted, are from V. I. Lenin, Collected Works , 4th English Edition, Moscow, 1960-1972.
00.000.1345 - What happened in 1345 ?

1345 - What happened in 1345 ? What happened in

1344. What happened in

1346. November 29th. December 1st. Search by Date: ... www.spiritus-temporis.com/1345
Francisco Sá Carneiro - Biography of Francisco Sá Carneiro

04.Dec.1980 - Oporto - Camarate - Lisbon - Conspiracy theories. ~.

Dependent to a considerable extent on Sá Carneiro's personal ... www.spiritus-temporis.com/francisco-s%E1-carneiro
05.Dec.2006 Francisco Sá Carneiro - QuickSeek Encyclopedia

19.Jul.1934 Oporto -

04.Dec.1980 Camarate ... Rumours have continued to fuel conspiracy theories that the crash was in fact an ... encyclopedia.quickseek.com/index.php/Francisco_Sá_Carneiro
05.Dec.2006 Camarate (2001) Camarate - Cast, Crew, Reviews, Plot Summary, -, Discussion, Taglines, ...

Intriguing conspiracy theory , but feeble drama , 7 November 2001 ... www.us.imdb.com/title/tt0120624
Conspiracy in the Gulf: Assassination and the October Surprise

Conspiracy in the Gulf.

International plot killed in Camarate.

The tragedy in Camarate * was provoked by arms deal during the Iran-Iraq war. cryptome.org/pt-surprise.htm
20050405 2005 afixe : Camarate : comissão de peritos conclui que existiu sabotagem . ... Conspiracy related discusion about MITRE Corporation in the Above Top Secret ...
alfatomega.com/20050405.html
20041212 2004 Camarate : comissão de peritos conclui que houve sabotagem ... Quem conhece um pouco da história do " acidente " de Camarate sabe perfeitamente que ... alfatomega.com/20041212.html
para mim tanto faz Camarate –

Divulgação Integral dos Pareceres Periciais e de Peças Elucidativas ... Firewall - Iran - Contra Conspiracy and Cover - up , The ” , Lawrence E . paramimtantofaz.blogspot.com/2004/10/documentos-perigosos-para-nossa.html Portugal: inquiry concludes bomb killed Prime Minister Carneiro in ... In his book,

The Crime of Camarate , Sa Fernandez claims the intended victim of the ... “a conspiracy theory run wild” + “the conspiracy that wasn’t”. www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jan2005/port-j10.shtml
05.Dec.2006 John Deuss - Wikipedia

John Christiaan Martinus Augustinus Maria Deuss ( 1942 ) is een Nederlands zakenman. ... John Deuss is betrokken (geweest) bij de volgende bedrijven: ... nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Deuss

Wikipedia:Nieuwe artikelen - Wikipedia ...

Primaire emissie · Bankleitzahl · Verolme Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij · John Deuss ... burgemeester!!partij of stroming |- | - 30 januari [[ 1942 ]. nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Nieuwe_artikelen

123.Dec.2006
Elsevier.nl - Weekblad - Hoe er miljarden worden verdiend aan ...

Het leven van de Nederlandse oliemiljardair Jan ( John) Deuss ( 1942 ) zit vol turbulente episodes.

De tegenwoordig in Bermuda woonachtige Deuss begint zijn www.elsevier.nl/magazine/artikel/asp/artnr/121061/jaargang/62/week/42/index.html

AMSTERDAM - Het leven is een mysterie en dat van John Deuss wel in het bijzonder. ... van de

00.000.1942 geboren Jan Christiaan Martinus Augustinus Maria Deuss, ... tros.nl/index.php?id=473&uid=396
05.Dec.2006 Scoop: Norma Sherry: Genocide When British Malaya fell to the Japanese Imperial Forces in February 1942 , ... Media & Finance: John Deuss The Publisher - THE HUSH HUSH nature of the John ...
www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0604/S00318.htm

00.Dec.2006 Charles Mozley (1914-1991): artist, illustrator + graphic designer 4 : Army (Oxford University Press, 1942 ). ...

It came from John Deuss , a Dutch-born entrepreneur, at that time very active in the retail oil business in the ... www.reading.ac.uk/library/colls/special/exhibitions/mozley/index.html

Sascha Prive © Thung Mò: Top 10, 2004 feitjes 1 Casablanca ( 1942 ) 2 Gone With the Wind (1939) 3 West Side Story (1961) ... 7

John Deuss , oliehandelaar, vermogen: 0,75 miljard 8 Teunis van Wettum, ... saschaprive.web-log.nl/saschaprive/2004/07/top_10_2004_fei.html
05.Dec.2006 BIBLIOGRAFIA- A Guerra de Ordenamento Mundial (Robert Kurz)
Hoyng, Hans (2001); Richter und Henker [Juiz e carrasco]; in: Der Spiegel 52/2001. Huntington, Samuel P. (1996): Kampf der Kulturen (The Clash of ... https://obeco.no.sapo.pt/rkurz179.htm
05.Dec.2006 British Empire - Search.com Reference ...

strengthen its military might + as a result ,

extend its territories ,

conquering most parts of India with the massive Indian army it has acquired . www.search.com/reference/British_Empire?redir=1
05.Dec.2006 USA Patriotism! ... President Ronald Reagan’s Address On Lebanon ... The physical presence of the marines lends support to both the Lebanese Government and its army. It allows the hard work of diplomacy to go forward. www.usa-patriotism.com/tribute/speeches/reagan5.htm

USA Patriotism! ...

President George Washington's Famous Quotes

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak + esteem to all.

As Mankind becomes more liberal, ... www.usa-patriotism.com/tribute/quotes/washington.htm
05.Dec.2006 https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,druck-452278,00.html

in der englischen Stadt Leicester ausgegraben wurde.

Fluchtafel: "Dem Gott Magulus übergebe ich den Übeltäter"

Fotostrecke starten: Klicken Sie auf ein Bild (3 Bilder) -->

"Dem Gott Magulus übergebe ich den Übeltäter, der den Mantel von Servandus gestohlen hat. Silvester, Riomandus [...] dass er ihn vor dem neunten Tag zerstöre, die Person, die den Mantel von Servandus gestohlen hat."

So lautet die bruchstückhafte Übersetzung der in Latein verfassten Inschrift einem Experten der University of Oxford zufolge. Unter der Fluchformel sind die Namen von 18 oder 19 Verdächtigen aufgelistet.

Aus der Inschrift der gut erhaltenen Fluchtafel lesen Wissenschaftler nicht nur den Fluch, aus der Namensliste nicht nur die beschuldigten Stadtbewohner:

Das handgeschriebene Latein spiegele die Umgangssprache wider, sagte der an der Ausgrabung beteiligte Archäologe Richard Buckley.

Die Namensliste zeige außerdem die kulturellen Verhältnisse in der Stadt, die die Römer im Jahr 50 vor Christus als Militärsiedlung gegründet hatten: Zu Lebzeiten des fluchenden Servandus, im zweiten oder dritten Jahrhundert nach Christus, gab es in Leicester Bewohner mit rein römischen Namen (etwa Silvester und Germanus), aber auch mit keltischen Namen (Riomandus und Cunovendus) sowie römischen Namen, die in keltisch sprechenden Regionen vorkamen (Regalis).
05.Dec.2006 https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,druck-452278,00.html
Magulus, der Titel des angeflehten Gotts, ist nach Angaben der Forscher eine keltische Bezeichnung für Prinz.
05.Dec.2006 Volkswagen: Brüsseler Monteure sollen länger arbeiten

05.Dec.2006 Antike Verwünschung: 1700 Jahre alter Fluch ausgegraben
05.Dec.2006 Fall Litwinenko: Britische Ermittler beißen in Moskau auf Granit
05.Dec.2006 Rekordtemperaturen: Wärmster Herbst seit 500 Jahren
05.Dec.2006 Türkei- Verhandlungen: Erdogan warnt Merkel vor falschen Entscheidungen
05.Dec.2006 Sizilien: Aschefontänen des Ätna stören Flugverkehr

05.Dec.2006 Bilanz des Rütli- Rektors: "Eine Berliner Hauptschule kann nicht gesund werden - das System ist krank"
05.Dec.2006 Emissionshandel: Tiefensee will Klima- Auflagen für Fluglinien

05.Dec.2006 Mobilfunk: Vodafone rechnet mit einer Halbierung der Preise

05.Dec.2006 Nasa- Plan: Mondbasis soll im Jahr 2024 stehen
05.Dec.2006 Mögliche Vergiftung: Ärzte rätseln über Erkrankung Gaidars
05.Dec.2006 Fall Litwinenko: Britische Ermittler bezichtigen russischen Geheimdienst des Giftmords

05.Dec.2006 Nikotin- Opfer: SPD- Politiker fordert Schock- Bilder auch in Deutschland
05.Dec.2006 Heute in den Feuilletons: "Du Opfer!"
05.Dec.2006 Niederlande: Orden für Uno- Soldaten von Srebrenica
05.Dec.2006 Moskau: Mysteriös erkrankter Gaidar aus Klinik entlassen
05.Dec.2006 Aufschwung: Lohn- Streit entzweit Wirtschaftsweise
05.Dec.2006 Fidschi- Inseln: Putsch im Inselparadies

05.Dec.2006 Vatikan- Besuch: Der Historiker Gottes
05.Dec.2006 Auftragsmorde: Chef von russischer Gasfirma erschossen
05.Dec.2006 Profiling aufgebohrt: Kriminologen wollen Morde vorhersagen
05.Dec.2006 9/11 Pentagon Video – BG -Video Description

This video was just released today.

Shot from "the hotel". As usual, you cannot see an airplane. For full in depth factual analysis on American 77, its Flight Data Recorder (black box) as provided by the NTSB, please visit https://pilotsfor911truth.org .
05.Dec.2006 Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/27/2006 | Subject of FBI probe tells of Weldon ties - BG https://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16104541.htm
05.Dec.2006 - Report: N.Korea Offers Uranium to Russia
TOKYO (AP) -- North Korea has offered Russia exclusive rights to its natural uranium deposits in exchange for support at the stalled talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, a newspaper reported Sunday..

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JAPAN_NKOREA_RUSSIA?SITE=INKEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
05.Dec.2006 Times Of London : Putin Wanted Blair To Gag Poisoned Spy...Death May Ignite Diplomatic Rift...
THE Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has expressed his anger at Britain's failure to gag Alexander Litvinenko in the final hours of his life, the cabinet has been told.
Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, told ministers that the Russian government had "taken exception" to the poisoned former spy's deathbed letter accusing the Putin regime of murdering him.

https://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/~r/huffingtonpost/LatestNews/~3/56648601/times-of-london-p_n_35428.html

- Tom Daschle Will Not Run For President...
He served as a senator representing South Dakotans in Washington for more than 25 years and has invested more than a year laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign.
Tom Daschle was expected to make a decision about running for president by the end of the year + Saturday, he told KELOLAND News he has decided not to seek the USA' highest office 00.000.2008.

https://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/~r/huffingtonpost/LatestNews/~3/56630219/tom-daschle-will-not-run-_n_35427.html
03.Dec.2006 Today's Papers: Rummy's Parting Shot - BG today's papers
Rummy's Parting Shot
By Jesse Stanchak
Posted Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006, at 6:51 AM ET

Everyone's top non-local story is a classified memo from outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, written just two days before his resignation, in which he admits that U.S. strategy in Iraq is in need of a "major adjustment." Rumsfeld lays out a number of possible plans to turn things around, including decreasing troop levels, setting benchmarks for progress with the Iraqi government, limiting aid to violent parts of the country and putting Iraqi political and religious leaders on the U.S. government payroll to win their loyalty.

The New York Times originally obtained the memo, posting the text on its site. The NYT points out that Rumsfeld is not endorsing any particular alternative + he stresses that some of his suggestions are less desirable or "below the line." The NYT also notes that Rumsfeld's ideas are not particularly new + many of them have been floated by White House critics for some time. The Los Angeles Times calls the memo "rambling" and characterizes the memo as "an admission of failure." The Washington Post questions the timing and significance of the memo's leak, given that it's just a list of options, devoid of real analysis-- and given that Rumsfeld is now on his way out and his opinions are of greatly diminished importance. Which asks a bigger question: why is this front page news? Is it a window into how the White House is thinking now? Is it just a sign of how much the political tide has shifted? Is it a victory dance of sorts-- the satisfaction of seeing a man known for his inflexibility admitting there may be better courses of action? Or maybe it's just the irony of Rumsfeld admitting that something had to change, just two days before that something turned out to be him. To continue reading, click here.
05.Dec.2006 The Progressive Review: Where we are headed in the next 10 years.... (from 1997) - BG https://prorev.com/greenorbust.htm
05.Dec.2006 Pajamas Media: STAR WARS REDUX: Democrats to Gut Missile Defense / Bush to Announce "Orbital Battle Station" - BG 
Pajamas Media has learned that the Bush administration is going to ask Congress for funding to begin development of an "orbital battle station" that will be able to attack enemy missiles in their vulnerable boost phase.
https://pajamasmedia.com/2006/12/star_wars_reduxdemocrats_to_gu.php
05.Dec.2006 Peter Lance's Flawed Triple Cross - BG 
Blogger Thoughts: Larry Johnson fails to touch on the true nature of 9/11 and the true errors of Peter Lance
by Larry C Johnson I believe that Peter Lance's new book, TRIPLE CROSS, is a flawed and inaccurate piece of investigative reporting. Not the kind of work one would expect from a five time Emmy award winning reporter. I write this not out of animus towards Peter Lance. I reached this conclusion based on evidence I have that flatly contradicts several of Lance's claims. Let's start with a minor issue. Peter Lance presents inaccurate and misleading information about me on page 384 of his book. Lance writes: He [Johnson] then compounded that mistaken assessment five weeks later with a Times Op-Ed piece entitled "The Declining Terrorist Threat," describing al Qaeda as a "a loose amalgam of people with a shared ideology, but a very limited direction."[vi] ... Source: https://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/12/peter_lances_fl.html
05.Dec.2006 Rumsfeld's Shocking Memo; Over 100 Dead in Sectar... - BG 
Over 100 Dead in Sectarian Violence The NYT has gotten hold of a memo by Donald Rumsfeld detailing options on Iraq. Several things struck me about it: 1. Rumsfeld doesn't understand the magnitude of the crisis or the tightrope the US is walking in the Gulf. His attitude is almost lackadaisical. Doing an all right job, but it isn't working fast enough or well enough. So maybe make some changes-- apparently any old changes will do because there are infinite lives to play with and infinite monies to spend. 2. Rumsfeld spends more time plotting out how to manipulate the American public than how to win the war. Everything is about spin, about giving the image of progress even in the face of a rapid downward spiral into the abyss. Consider these p... Source: https://www.juancole.com/2006/12/rumsfelds-shocking-memo-over-100-dead.html
05.Dec.2006 Corporate Media Uses Fuzzy Math to Minimize Size of Lebanese Demonstrations - BG 
As usual, here in America, the corporate media has a problem counting. "A siege on Lebanon's American-backed government continued Saturday with tens of thousands of demonstrators sympathetic to the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah militia and its allies packing downtown Beirut and calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and his cabinet," reports the Mercury News. Meanwhile, closer to the "siege," actually a widespread call for the neolib sponsored government of free trader (or free plundering by international financiers) Siniora to step aside, the counting is a bit more realistic. "Hundreds of thousands of opposition protesters crammed into the heart of Beirut Friday and besieged the headquarters of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government... Source: https://kurtnimmo.com/?p=686
05.Dec.2006 CNN - Earth's radiation belts a hazard to satellites, astronauts - December 8, 1998 - BG https://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9812/08/radiation.belts/
05.Dec.2006 WTC 7 - BG https://billzyblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/greatest-trick-devil-ever-played-was.html Tags: 911, WTC 7, 9/11
05.Dec.2006 Freedom (to rape) may no longer be "on the March" in Pakistan - BG Update: (