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On My Radar Today: WI & FL Elections, Fukushima, GOP Medicare Cuts, Transocean 'apology', WikiLeaks & NYTimes, Maine GOPers Spooked...
While prepping for tonight's Mike Malloy Show (which I will be busy guest hosting all week), here are just a few of the items which caught my eye so far today...in no particular order... Record amounts of cash being spent by labor unions and the (supposedly grass-roots) "Tea Party" on tomorrow's Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, as the race between the unabashedly pro-Walker Justice David Pros
blogger-following Suzie-Q ★ 92 
Militarized Conservatism and End(s) of Higher Education
Militarized Conservatism and End(s) of Higher Education Tuesday 5 April 2011 by: Henry A. Giroux, Truthout The Pathologies of War There can be little doubt that America has become a permanent warfare state.(1) Not only is it waging a war in three countries, but its investment in military power is nearly as much as all of the military budgets of every other country in the world combined. The
Winning? Destroying Medicare So The Rich Can Keep Tax Cuts
We must destroy Medicare so Charlie Sheen can keep his tax cut Crooks and Liars- By Brad Reed April 05, 2011 08:00 AM So Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who best exemplifies the soulless Randroid bean-counting dweeb demographic, has decided to release his plan to “reform” entitlements this week. As you can imagine, it completely sucks: Ryan also said that he would propose changing M
Holder On KSM Trial: ‘I Know This Case In A Way That Members Of Congress Do Not’
Holder On KSM Trial: ‘I Know This Case In A Way That Members Of Congress Do Not’ TPM Muckraker Ryan J. Reilly | April 4, 2011, 4:15PM Despite his announcement today [yesterday] that the trials of five alleged Sept. 11 co-conspirators will be held in a military court, Attorney General Eric Holder is standing by his original decision to hold civilian trials for five alleged Sept. 11 conspirato
Kochtopus: 2,000 Protesters Marched On Koch Industries’ D.C. Office
2,000 Protesters March On Koch Industries’ D.C. Office Think Progress Mobile- April 4th, 2011 at 3:03 PM by Alex Seitz-Wald Though they don’t want you to know about it, the billionaire Koch brothers are bankrolling a massive campaign to roll back progressive achievements, and today, labor, civil rights, and climate activists turned out at dozens of rallies across the country to demonstrate agains
Amygdala ★ 6
April What?
video APRIL WHAT?It's still April 1st on the Left Coast for another two hours and five minutes (when I started this post; an hour and ten minutes when I finished), no matter what date you read above this post. Some foolish links are in order!So, out of order!Japan is on everyone's mind, but we need to remember than it's not all doom and gloom, and yet in the spirit of helping:The Tactical Philant
What Is Best In Academic Freedom, Cronon? Not To Crush Your Enemies
video WHAT IS BEST IN ACADEMIC FREEDOM, CRONON? NOT TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIESThe current attempt by the radical "conservative" Republican Party of Wisconsin, which is so typical of the national and other state Republican Party leadership, has met a roadblock.But a reminder of what the philosophy of the GOP is, here:Wisconsin Republic Party Leader: Hao! Dai ye! We won again! This is good, but what is best
Gop'S Radical Breakage Continues
video GOP'S RADICAL BREAKAGE CONTINUESWho is "Wisconsin's most dangerous professor"? He's William Cronon. Who he? He's this incredibly threatening man:[...] In 1991, Cronon completed a book entitled Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West, which examines Chicago 's relationship to its rural hinterland during the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1991, it was awarded t
Michael D. Glicksohn, 1946-2011, Rip
video MICHAEL D. GLICKSOHN, 1946-2011, RIPMike Glicksohn was possibly the second most famous letter of comment writer to fanzines in all of fanzine fan history, after Harry Warner, Jr.Mike was a writer, a publisher, a personality, a math teacher, a good man, a great fan, beloved by many, friend to even more.141 High Park Avenue, Toronto, is an address I'll never forget, I saw it so many times. L
The Angry Black Woman ★ 8
More Housekeeping Ahead
This weekend I finally, finally got around to creating new headers for the blog. Overdue for well over a year, I know. There are four that will rotate randomly. Check the footer for information on the artist. I’m doing a bit of spring cleaning as a result of getting fired up during a conference this weekend. I’m also tweaking the theme’s look to make it easier to read (hopefully) and find informa
Signal boost: What should sci-fi or fantasy sound like?
Missing Voices NK Jemisin and Podcastle are looking for a voice actor who is at least black male southern for a new fantasy story about New Orleans that they are about to release in audio book form. You do not have to be a professional voice actor, though if you are, yeah!! Signal boost, pass it along, enter if you got the qualifications. Don’t be shy!!! Or fantasy. A short story of mine, “Sin
Signal boost: What should sci-fi or fantasy sound like?
Missing Voices NK Jemisin and Podcastle are looking for a voice actor who is at least black male southern for a new fantasy story about New Orleans that they are about to release in audio book form. You do not have to be a professional voice actor, though if you are, yeah!! Signal boost, pass it along, enter if you got the qualifications. Don’t be shy!!! Or fantasy. A short story of mine, “Sin
Sci-fi technology heavy books by POC authors?
video Hey there readers of ABW! I’ve been gone for far too long haven’t I? Sorry. Been rather busy. This is going to be a short update, unfortunately. 1. Con or bust, the auction programme that works towards sending POC fans to Wiscon, is now open and will be until March 6. All sorts of fun stuff are on offer, from autographed books to pretty shiny jewelry to short story critiques to to spice blend
Is it a More Convenient Season yet?
“I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the abse
Syria Comment ★ 30
Assad Responds to Clerics’ Demands
I leave for Paris today and will not be blogging until I return Sunday. Here is my latest Foreign Policy article: As quiet returns, Syrians ponder the future. It covers the ground of my last post, but I have changed a number of elements in response to reader criticisms on SC, some of which I have posted below. Here are some thoughts on the reform process that is now taking shape. President Assad h
Syria: Sectarian War or Class War
video Syria: Sectarian War or Class War Part 2 of short videos on Syria. I discuss the sectarian and class background to the Baath regime and what it means for today’s opposition movement. Part 1 is here.
As Calm Returns to the Streets, Syrians Ponder Their Future
Syria experienced its first day of political calm in over two weeks on April 3. The Sunami of protest and youth awakening that swept over Syria as part of the earthquake that hit the Arab World over two months ago has profoundly shaken Syrians. So accustomed to being the “island of stability” in the Middle East, Syrians are now wondering how long the Assad regime can last. The Baathist regime has
Syrians are trying to assess the meaning of the last few weeks of demonstrations...
Syrians are trying to assess the meaning of the last few weeks of demonstrations. As quite returns to the country, citizens are asking themselves if they will return to their old lives or if they have begun a new era of protest and change. All Syria has been shaken by the events of the last few weeks. The storm sweeping the Middle East did not spare the country as President Bashar al-Assad predict
“Is Syria Different?” by Heydemann, Lawson, Lesch, and Seale
Roundtable on Syria Today (Part 3): Is Syria Different? by Steven Heydemann, Fred Lawson, David Lesch, and Patrick Seale This is the last installment (Part 3) of the first Jadaliyya Roundtable on Syria, moderated by Bassam Haddad and Joshua Landis, of Syria Comment. It features Steven Heydemann, Fred Lawson, David Lesch, and Patrick Seale. This post will be published on both Jadaliyya and Syria Co
Duma; Turkey Hosts Musl. Brotherhood; Press Services; More
A note from a friend in Duma, where four protesters were killed today. Hurrah! I made it! Had the full adventure today: was in Duma, the hardest hit. talked with the shebab, experienced tear gas (found that cats are apparently immune, as they went on as nothing was), got out safe and sound though there was shooting, and got stopped at Al Tall by you know who. Also saw Damascus’ squares empty, the
IPS Inter Press Service Earth Alert: Confronting Climate Change ★ 22
CLIMATE CHANGE: World Bank Under Fire for Role in New Global Green Fund
The World Bank is facing mounting opposition from a broad network of green and grassroots activists over its role in a new global Green Climate Fund (GCF) aimed at helping developing countries combat the ravages of climate change.
EXCLUSIVE: Japan Requires Collective Efforts to Contain the Nuclear Tragedy
My decision to visit Fukushima - the area worst hit by the massive quake, tsunami and nuclear power accident on Mar. 11 - was taken one afternoon last week after a long meeting with scientists.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain Future of Kyoto Protocol Alarms Green Groups
With just seven months to go before a pivotal U.N. climate change summit in South Africa, green groups are raising the alarm here about the future of the Kyoto Protocol, the world's only international treaty that mandates most industrialised nations to cut their environment polluting greenhouse gases (GHG) to save the planet from overheating.
UGANDA: Sun Smiling on Renewable Energy Initiative
Clementine Auma was still living in a displaced person's camp in Gulu district when she acquired the treasure she's gone into the house to fetch. She re-emerges from her home with a white box in her arms: a solar oven.
Sky-High Oil Prices Here to Stay
As the Arab world continues to pitch and heave with flashes of popular uprisings here and sparks of brutal crackdowns there, analysts are painting a grim picture of the regional unrest's economic consequences, predicting the persistence of high oil prices in the coming years.
JAPAN: Disaster Highlights Economic Vulnerability
As authorities struggle to control dangerous radioactive material spilling from the quake ravaged Fukushima nuclear power reactors, a more difficult question has begun to unsettle Japan: is the country's post-war prosperity as invincible as was believed till now?
Craig Murray ★ 35
Whistleblowers Not Welcome at New Statesman/Frontline Debate
The New Statesman and Frontline Club are holding a debate at Kensington Town Hall on Saturday on the subject of whistleblowing. I was invited to be on the panel, and then my invitation was abruptly withdrawn. The main interest will of course be Julian Assange, but I should have liked to have contributed from my own, very difficult experience. What is really annoying is that, having disinvited me
Ivory Coast Tragedy
In the short term, military force might be able to install Ouattara as President of Ivory Coast. But the ethnic and religious divisions of the civil war have been reopened, and deepened. Ivory Coast desperately needs a healing figure, somebody who is not Ouattara or Gbagbo. Having been imposed on Abidjan by force, Ouattara will only stay there by force. The future looks bleak. Many thousands h
For Cengiz Songur
This afternoon I visited the family of Cengiz Songur. Cengiz died, age 47, when he was shot in the chest from point blank range by an Israeli soldier on board the Mavi Marmara. Cengiz was unarmed. he had never been armed in his life. Cengiz lived in a small but clean apartment, occupying the middle floor of a three floor tenement, in the suburbs of Izmir, Turkey. He is still a tangible presenc
St Andrews University Should Be Privatised
After a tiring trip from Accra to Izmir via Frankfurt and Munich (in which I discovered Lufthansa incredibly do not offer a wireless connection in their business class lounges) I arrived in my hotel last night and put on BBC World to catch up on events before getting my kip. Imagine my horror on hearing “Now for a half hour report on the highlights of this week’s preparations for the royal weddin
At 16.00 Today I Was
On my way to the airport to check in for my overnight flight to Frankfurt, then Munich, then Izmir. Accra airport is dreadful in the evenings so I like to check in early and get rid of my bags, come back home to relax, and then saunter up just before boarding. When I started this 16.00 thing it was 16.00 both in Ghana and the UK. Then the UK changed to BST while Ghana stayed on GMT. I kept with
Tragedy in Mazar
The fatalities in Mazar-i-Sharif are a terrible tragedy. I include in that the deaths of Europeans, Gurkhas and Afghans. They are all dresdfully tragic. Because I am immersed in studying Burnes, I hope you won’t think I am heartless if I say that I am struck by the very strong parallels between this event and the circumstances of Alexander Burnes’ own death. The parallels between the hopeless
altmuslim ★ 17
Indonesia: Overcoming fears of radicalism in MENA
Many scholars are pessimistic that Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution and the political transition in Egypt will successfully bring about democracy in these countries, and worry that there is a significant risk of Islamic political groups, some with radical interpretations of shari’a (Islamic principles of jurisprudence), taking on an inordinately influential role during the political transition. Is the
Islamic law in the US: The Sharia within
There are more than a dozen states that are currently trying to enact laws seeking to ban Sharia law, the amorphous corpus of Islamic law that has been developed – and is still being developed – over the last 15 centuries. These lawmakers are trying to protect the American public from the “creeping threat” of Sharia law to the safety and security of the United States. But, I am here to declare tha
Muslims in the public square: Is this about American Muslims, or America?
Lately, Congress appears to be obsessed with Muslims. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) held hearings Tuesday (March 29) on "Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims," and Chairman Peter King has announced a second set of hearings on "Radicalization in the American Muslim Community" in the House Homeland Security Committee, this set focusing on radicalization in prisons. Although the word "Muslim" is
Muslims in the public square: Is this about American Muslims, or America?
Lately, Congress appears to be obsessed with Muslims. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) held hearings Tuesday (March 29) on "Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims," and Chairman Peter King has announced a second set of hearings on "Radicalization in the American Muslim Community" in the House Homeland Security Committee, this set focusing on radicalization in prisons. Although the word "Muslim" is
Bigotry: ‘Islamophobia’ is not a phobia
The expression "Islamophobia" to describe anti-Muslim hostility in Europe and North America is becoming increasingly common. Even though the use of this expression is still not quite as trendy as a Lady Gaga song, one can already find numerous books, articles and websites that expound on the phenomenon of "Islamophobia". The views on "Islamophobia" are quite diverse, ranging from people on one end
Internment: The experience of Japanese-Americans in WWII resonates
The unrelenting gray of my Indiana winter was just barely beginning to promise spring recently when I said goodbye to a friend and neighbor. Myrtle Goldfinger was born in Tokyo in 1917 and came to America as a child. Her father, a minister, brought his family to live in California, where he founded the Hollywood Japanese Independent Church. I met her toward the end of her rich and wonderful life,
Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center ★ 25
FAIR Bringing Anti-Immigrant Talk Radio Hosts to D.C.
Starting today, the anti-immigrant hate group Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is holding its fifth annual Hold Their Feet to the Fire (HTFT) event. Fifty talk radio hosts are in Washington, D.C., for what FAIR calls “the largest immigration ‘town hall’ of the airwaves to date.” The hosts will broadcast from near the Capitol, chiefly to demand that members of Congress and other of
Anti-Muslim Activists Gingerly Deplore Jones’ Koran Burning
Anti-Muslim activists are walking an ideological tightrope, condemning the actions of the Florida pastor whose burning of the Koran on March 20 set off murderous riots last weekend in Afghanistan, while condemning President Obama for not emphatically reaffirming the pastor’s right to do what he did. Terry Jones, the non-ordained “pastor” of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., held
Traditional Values Coalition Jumps on Anti-Shariah Bandwagon
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), long listed as an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of its demonizing and false propaganda directed at LGBT people, is casting its net of hate even wider. The organization has created a new grassroots campaign called “The Task Force to Stop Shariah Law in America.” According to one of the latest TVC fundraising letters, the group
Black Extremists Blast Obama’s Decision to Weaken Qaddafi, With One Predicting Spaceships
President Obama’s decision to intervene militarily in Libya to cripple dictator Muammar Qaddafi’s ability to combat rebels trying to topple his regime didn’t sit well with two American black nationalist leaders who consider the long-time strongman a friend and ally. “Now you may laugh, but in a few days, something is going to wipe the smile and the laugh from your face,” Louis Farrakhan, leader of
Enraged by Florida Pastor, Afghan Crowds Kill Foreigners
Is Terry Jones a mass murderer? Probably not, under American law. But does he bear moral responsibility for the deaths today of at least a dozen people in Afghanistan, after mobs enraged by his March 20 burning of the Koran stormed a United Nations building and killed men and women inside? That’s an entirely different question. Jones is the wretched “pastor” who tried to hold an “International Bur
Muslim-Basher Pam Geller, Fresh From Call for Censorship, to Testify to Alaska House Today
Pamela Geller, one of America’s most rabid Islamophobes and a woman who is scheduled to testify today to the Alaska House of Representatives, thinks people like her should be able to decide what news people like you get to see. And she doesn’t think you can handle news presented by Middle East-based Al Jazeera English. Geller, writing for the right-wing Daily Caller website Saturday, offered her i
Pickled Politics ★ 29
Michael Gove goes down the ‘scary Muslims’ dog-whistle route
Education minister Michael Gove does not usually do this kind of stuff explicitly, so this is very unusual… and dangerous. There’s some controversy over a proposal to build a mosque in Sandhurst, which wound end up being quite close to the military academy. This is Michael Gove’s constituency. Riazat Butt at the Guardian wrote up a summary of the controversy earlier. In an interview with BBC Londo
“They wanted independence, they got it. Why are they complaining?”
Apparently David Cameron has gone to Pakistan and admitted the obvious: that a lot of the world is shaped by Britain’s past and therefore it has responsibility for some of its ills. This doesn’t mean the UK has to constantly apologise or pay reparations necessarily: it’s just a fact. The partition fiasco was precipitated by the British Raj’s hurried exit, which forced millions of people to uproot
Also convicted…
OBV report: For over a decade Terry Fitzpatrick has waged a race hate campaign against a number of leading Black figures working in race equality, including Unite against Fascism boss, Weyman Bennett, Lee Jasper, Lester Holloway and myself. Last Friday a jury of his peers at Snaresbrook Crown court found… Fitzpatrick unanimously guilty of racially aggravated harassment charges. … For many years Te
EDL’s “Sikh” spokesman Guramit Singh faces excommunication by global Sikh authorities
Further to the recent joint statement by multiple British Sikh and Hindu groups condemning the English Defence League (EDL) and any Sikhs who support them, the EDL’s “Sikh” spokesman Guramit Singh has been given an ultimatum by the Sikh signatories involved: He must publicly renounce the EDL by the end of the major Sikh festival of Vaisakhi on 13 April 2011. Failure to do so will result in the mat
India world cup victory open thread
Enjoy. And if you live in Hounslow or Southall, have fun listening to the fireworks and car horns.
Middle East’s only democracy continues to oppose more democracy
Hey look, Israel is still rooting for Middle Eastern dictators: As popular unrest threatens to topple another Arab neighbor, Israel finds itself again quietly rooting for the survival of an autocratic yet predictable regime, rather than face an untested new government in its place. Syrian President Bashar Assad’s race to tamp down public unrest is stirring anxiety in Israel that is even higher th
Green & White ★ 13
SocialLinks.co Link preview service
SocialLinks.co is a service launched by an ex Employee of AboutUs.org Ali Ibrahim. SocialLink creates small popups around html links in your website or blog. SocialLinks.co was launched on 16th March 2011 and since then 2000+ link popups have been created using this service and more people have started to embed the script on their blogs and websites. Ali has provided us with some details I will qu
Convofy getting spotlight on the web.
Convofy after its initial launch and video is getting some rave reviews, here is the feedback. Robert Scoble has done a detailed demo run with Faizan, embedded below with come comments from around the world wide web. And twitter is exploding with Convofy too Just when we thought we figured out the new “social enterprise” market along comes Convofy. I tried to be skeptical, but the collaborative
Google Summer of Code Program 2011. Opportunity for Pakistani Students
BrightSpyre’s blog had this useful information about a Google Program. Some snippets for quick information from the post are (do follow the link for details on BrightSpyre original post) According to Google Summer of Code Program “Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is a global program that offers student developers stipends to write code for various open source software projects.” In this program along
Abid Beli sells Beliscity.com
Beliscity.com is one of the top online shopping site of Pakistan, founded as early as 2001. Abid Beli was the founder of this thriving online business. More recently they have diversified their offering from typical online products by adding a dedicated book section (in partner ship with Liberty books) and an online Grocery store. However recently Abid Beli has sold his venture to an online distri
Love Cricket? have BlackBerry? Download Cricket theme by pepper.pk
Cricket fever is on and Pakistan Cricket team has made it to the Quarter Finals. People of our beloved country will celebrate Pakistan day this year by watching the first Quarter Final and Pakistani software industry has not been left behind. Pepper.pk who have been doing a great job with their BlackBerry apps have launched their free Pakistan Cricket Theme to celebrate the success of the cricket
iScrybe’s Team Brings Convofy – Private Social Network for Companies
All of you Remember iScrybe. The immensely cool calendar app which got Rave Reviews, their Video got Viral and Got Funded by LMKR and Adobe. Things went very quiet after that on iScrybe front. However now it seems they are now ready with another venture. They have seemed to designed a Social Network for Companies. Similar to what Yammer did for bringing short twitter conversations to companies Con
Obsolete ★ 26
An accident prone coalition.
For a government less than a year into its first term, the coalition is already becoming remarkably accident prone. All governments through initial hubris or power of will tend to implement reforms which they either later regret or have to put right; others become so addicted to legislation that they either manage to bore or overwhelm those potentially opposed into submission: just witness New La
Yeah, what about the Ivory Coast?
There are times when I just can't get my head around this internet thing. There I was, reading Sunder Katwala's latest effort on just how completely wrong "whataboutery" is, which initially seemed like the throwing down of a gauntlet to those of us still unconvinced by the international intervention in Libya (passim ad nauseam) vis-a-vis the deteriorating situation in the Ivory Coast only for it
Last Daily Sport reader found on the moon.
So. Farewell Then to the Daily Sport. Unlike some others, I was genuinely sad for at least a couple of moments on hearing of its passing - not because I ever read it, if indeed you could in the proper sense of the word, more for the simple fact that back in 2006 it had more humanity than the rest of the tabloids combined. It was also at least honest at what it did, was shorn of the inherent con
Damocles revisited.
This apparently isn't an early April Fools:Members of the NATO alliance have sternly warned the rebels in Libya not to attack civilians as they push against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, according to senior military and government officials. ...“We’ve been conveying a message to the rebels that we will be compelled to defend civilians, whether pro-Qaddafi or pro-opposition,” said a se
On arguing for war.
It's sad to note that unless I've missed it (one honourable exception is this piece by Sean Matgamna on Shiraz, rather different to the usual posts there on the Guardian's soft Stalinism and how anyone sceptical about the intervention in Libya is a scab) there hasn't really been a substantial debate even within the left in this country over our in action in Libya, not helped by the leadership of a
Texas Liberal ★ 42
ALL THINGS PAKISTAN ★ 22
Who is Protesting in Pakistan? Businessmen, Doctors and Academics.
Adil Najam News from Pakistan (at least the television variety) is always full of protests. Everyone seems to be forever protesting about something or the other. But the protests flashing on the screens right now do seem qualitatively different. Guess who is protesting right now: businessmen, doctors and academics. The three protests are distinct, unrelated, and none of them is really clear-cut.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Death Anniversary: What If He Had Not Been Killed?
Adil Najam On the first death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto we had carried a post asking “What if she had not been killed?” Today, on the 22nd death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) it may be a good time to ask the same question about him. On previous anniversaries of ZAB’s death we have asked you to comment on Mr. Bhutto and his legacy and about the rationale and reasoning given for his d
( The oldest posts at my.opera.com/oldephartte/archive reposted at oldephartte.blogspot.com are December 2007 and include news clips dealing with the Mafia-style hit on Bhutto, which had security lapses and irregularities reminiscent of the Dallas shooting of JFK )
( The oldest posts at my.opera.com/oldephartte/archive reposted at oldephartte.blogspot.com are December 2007 and include news clips dealing with the Mafia-style hit on Bhutto, which had security lapses and irregularities reminiscent of the Dallas shooting of JFK )
A Child Dreams of Heaven at Sakhi Sarwar
Adil Najam For the fifth time in as many days, a bomb ravaged through Pakistan killing innocent Pakistanis. Muslims killing other Muslims they considered less Muslim than themselves. This time the target was the shrine of 13th century Sufi saint Sakhi Sarwar in District Dera Ghazi Khan. This time more than 40 were killed. That number is likely to rise. This was, once again, a target killing of a S
Ultimate Lollywood (3): Mast Qalandar in English
Adil Najam ‘Ultimate Lollywood’ is not a title that I would give lightly to any song. Only twice before have I used this title in the post (here and here). I dare say that I have now found a third specimen to match the first two. Have a look and listen and decide for yourself. WPvideo 1.10 The film is ‘Dekha Jaye Ga’; the singer is the legendary Ahmad Rushdie; and the actor is Shahid. But the U
Pinglish Goes Into the Toilet: Barra ya Chota?
Tamashbeen This is not the first bathroom humor post at ATP. “Long” and “Short” Toilet is, of course, English Translation, or maybe Pinglish, for “Barra” and “Chota” Peshaab. I am not going to explain what that means here. If you do not know, just move on to another post.
Match Mubarak, India. Thank You, Pakistan.
Adil Najam How do I feel today with Pakistan having lost to India in the Semi-Final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup? I feel exactly as I did on November 4, 1987. I was at the Ghaddafi Stadium in Lahore, as a sports reporter for the newspaper The Muslim, covering the Semi-Final match between Pakistan and Australia in the 1987 World Cup. Pakistan was the clear favorites. Pakistan lost. How did that fe
WWF - Latest News ★ 24
Little action apparent on toxic tailings six months after Hungary red mud disaster
Kolontár, Hungary: Six months after being deluged by a tide of toxic red sludge, towns downstream of the failed alumina tailings dam near Ajka, Hungary remain ruined and largely deserted, with residents and former residents still waiting for authorities to deliver on much of the promised assistance. Elsewhere in Eastern Europe, residents of other towns threatened by tailings dams are noting that
WWF and Rabobank enter into partnership
With the signing of a global partnership agreement on March 30th, WWF and Rabobank have joined forces to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy – one within the bounds of the planet's ecological limits. A more sustainable finance sector As part of the partnership, Rabobank and WWF will show how the financial sector can be transformed, and prompt businesses to invest in more sus
Water shortage becoming growth risk for business, says DEG and WWF report
According to a new study by WWF and German development bank DEG, the shortage of freshwater is not only becoming more and more of an ecological risk, but it also is rapidly becoming a major business growth risk – one that investors need to take into account. Assessing Water Risk: A Practical Approach for Financial Institutions, states that climate change, population growth and increasing living
Oil platform must be halted to save critically endangered whale
The Russian government must oppose the development of a proposed oil and gas platform off Russia’s Sakhalin Island because the project has not been subject to appropriate environmental risk assessments, according to an international coalition of leading NGOs. The coalition, which includes WWF, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Pacific Environment and Sakhalin Environment Watch, will submi
Oil platform must be halted to save critically endangered whale
The Russian government must oppose the development of a proposed oil and gas platform off Russia’s Sakhalin Island because the project has not been subject to appropriate environmental risk assessments, according to an international coalition of leading NGOs. The coalition, which includes WWF, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Pacific Environment and Sakhalin Environment Watch, will submi
Marine park bolsters community facing climate change
video Since 2007, the entire island group of Nosy Hara, Madagascar, has been under MPA (Marine Protected Area) temporary protection status, safeguarding the waters and islands, and all species that live there. At the northern most tip of Madagascar, the country frazzles and explodes into many small islands that dot the Indian Ocean. Nosy Hara is the queen of these islands, and she wears a crown of
ArmsControlWonk ★ 44
FEPC Info Sheet 4/5
I have nothing clever to say. The full-text of the latest FEPC Info Sheet is after the jump. Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) Washington DC Office As of 11:30AM (EST), April 5, 2011 Radiation Levels o The concentration of radioactive nuclides from the seawater sampled at the screen device (installed to r
Career Counseling
Once a year or so, I devote a blog post to career counseling. Aspiring wonks: this one’s for you. Those who have already been through this drill, feel free to weigh in. The best reason to pursue a career in arms control is that you will engage in meaningful work, one of life’s great rewards. Beware of trying to save the world: the world is a very difficult place to save, and the more you seek pe
FEPC Info Sheet 4/3
The current problem of the moment at Fukushima is the amount of water with high levels of radioiodine flowing into the ocean from Unit 2. TEPCO tried to stop up the leak with a mixture of “polymer absorber, sawdust, and shredded newspapers.” One wag emailed me, noting that this proves newspapers can do at least one thing that blogs cannot. He also sent along a picture of Blinky, the three-eyed fis
Is Mrs. Merkel Irrational?
On Monday morning March 28, I appeared at the opening panel discussion at the 2011 Carnegie Nuclear Policy Conference, to discuss “Implications of Japan’s Nuclear Disaster,” together with two colleagues, Eli Levite, ex of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, and former NRC Chairman Dick Meserve; Vallumpadugai Arunachalam of the Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy in India; Irv Rotter
FEPC Info Sheet 4/1
Greetings from foggy Monterey! I was traveling yesterday (and managed to irretrievably lose my iPhone), so I didn’t get around to posting the daily information sheet from FEP on the situation at Fukushima. Full-text after the jump. Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) Washington DC Office As of 11:00AM (EST), April 1
FEPC Info Sheet 3/31
Busy day today; full text after the jump. Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) Washington DC Office As of 11:00AM (EST), March 31, 2011 Radiation Levels o At 8:51AM (JST) on March 31, it was announced that radioactive nuclide I-131 was detected from the seawater sampled near the seawater discharge point (sout
Obsidian Wings ★ 31
missing the point
by russell Congressional Republicans released their budget proposal today. Called the "Roadmap for America's Future", the proposal builds on ideas proposed by Paul Ryan, and seeks to reduce or eliminate deficit spending by making large cuts in the federal budget. Among the changes proposed are replacing the current single-payer model for Medicaid with one where the feds would provid
What to make of this?
by liberal japonicus The Washington Post has an article on the immigration reform package in Utah, and it might be surprising to a lot of people here. Some key grafs below the fold Utah, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by better than three to one in the state legislature, has passed the nation's most liberal - and most reality-based - policy on illegal immigration. And the Republican
the new rentiers
by russell I offer this without much comment, because I'm not sure there's all that much to say. The top executives of Transocean Ltd. were awarded bonuses this year. The bonuses included safety bonuses for, as the company put it in it's regulatory filing, "significantly improving the company's safety record". You will, of course, remember Transocean as the operator the
What Is Best In Academic Freedom, Cronon? Not To Crush Your Enemies
by Gary Farber The current attempt by the radical "conservative" Republican Party of Wisconsin, which is so typical of the national and other state Republican Party leadership, has met a roadblock. But a reminder of what the philosophy of the GOP is, here: Wisconsin Republic Party Leader: Hao! Dai ye! We won again! This is good, but what is best in life? Cronan: The open steppe, fleet
April What? An Open Thread
by Gary Farber It's still April 1st on the Left Coast for another two hours and five minutes (when I started this post; an hour and ten minutes when I finished), no matter what date you read above this post. Some foolish links are in order!So, out of order!Japan is on everyone's mind, but we need to remember than it's not all doom and gloom, and yet in the spirit of helping: The Tacti
Catholics, Gay and Lesbian Issues, and a Null Hypothesis
by Doctor Science The Public Religion Research Institute's recent report, Catholic Attitudes on Gay and Lesbian Issues (pdf) was widely linked -- I heard about it from Andrew Sullivan first, IIRC. As someone raised (mostly) Catholic who has many, many Catholic relatives, I was all fired up to love this report. Alas, I believe it to be meaningless -- or at least, to not have the meaning ascribed
American Leftist ★ 15
Vote or Die
It has been awhile since I have posted on the subject as to whether the US political system provides any meaningful opportunity for participation for the vast majority of the populace. I have periodically elaborated on this theme in posts entitled Vote or Die, an sarcastic reference to someone here who commented that the choice in the 2008 election was either death or voting for Obama. If you ar
Free Fire Zone Afghanistan
You may have seen this elsewhere already, but I think it is important to acknowledge these atrocities. From Mark Boal's article in Rolling Stone, The Kill Team: The morning of May 2nd, the platoon was on a routine patrol in a village called Qualaday, a few miles from base. Following standard procedure, the unit's leaders entered a house to talk with a man who had previously been arrested for havi
The Sub-Proletarianization of America
UPDATE 1: t responds to this post at Pink Scare.INITIAL POST: General Electric made 14.2 billion dollars in profit last year, paid no taxes and now insists upon substantial concessions from its unionized workers: This year, 14 unions representing more than 15,000 workers will negotiate a new master contract with General Electric. Among the major concessions GE has signaled that it will ask of unio
A New Japan?
An excerpt from a thoughtful article by Kojin Karatani: In the ruins of postwar Japan, people reflected upon the path the country had taken in modern times. Standing against the Western powers, modern Japan strived to achieve the status of a great military power. The shattering of this dream in the nation's defeat led to another goal, to become a great economic power. The ultimate collapse of t
The Libyan Enigma
UPDATE 4: Sarkozy and Erdogan are still going at it: Nicolas Sarkozy has belittled Nato's role in the military operations against Muammar Gaddafi, re-igniting the row over who replaces the Americans in charge of the campaign in Libya.Senior Nato officials said the alliance would decide within days whether to take over the bombing campaign against Gaddafi's forces and David Cameron announced that N
Revolution the Only Solution
Good news in Yemen: Defense Ministry Mohammad Nasser Aliis just gave a brief statement saying the army would defend Saleh against any coup against democracy.There have been dozens of major defections today, including the most powerful military officer, who controls 60 percent of the army.France's foreign ministry has said that Saleh's departure is is unavoidable, according to Al Jazeera. Washingto
(title unknown) ★ 13
Why I Appreciate the Black Blogosphere and the Afrosphere
Universal Negro Improvement Association and the African Communities League Because our voices are local and they are global. Black people are all over the world speaking truth to power in the way that matters to them! And just what are we talking about? And do we have a right to speak “our truths”? Well as I have gone through the black blogosphere, I have found numerous interesting voices
Les Twins — Hip Hop Dance Straight Outta Sarcelles
At the beginning of the year, I was on Facebook when I noticed a post of young twin hip hop dancers. I was blown away by their talent as I watched the brothers Larry and Laurent start actually dancing. Fantastic doesn’t even begin to describe them! There are many dancers out there and most of them are a dime a dozen. Any old movie star or football player can start dancing and do well enough.
Quote(s) of the Day
via Lonnie Plaxico: John Henrik Clarke “Powerful people cannot afford to educate the people that… they oppress, because once you are truly educated, you will not ask for power. You will take it.” Krishnamurti/Freedom from the Known, p.11: DISORDER :”The primary cause of disorder in ourselves is the seeking of reality promised by another… It is a most extraordinary thing that although most of
Blackout of humanitarian crisis in Cote d’Ivoire
In the wake of the enormous media coverage of the uprisings and so-defined “revolutions” in North Africa and the Middle East, I am hard pressed to find any media coverage of the escalating atrocities and impending civil war in Cote d’Ivoire. The “blackout” of this media coverage I am referring to is not within the mainstream media… which is understandable… it’s within the AfroSphere itself. One c
“What Can the Tea Party Do to Attract Minorities?” by Emery McClendon
Op-ed submission by Project 21 As a tea party organizer and black man, I am often asked how a movement with the critical mission of saving and restoring our republic can attract minorities currently weak in numbers in tea party ranks. The mainstream media and civil rights lobbyists have perpetuated the myth that tea partiers have racist tendencies. These untrue accusations must be countered. Tea
infowarsnews at Yahoo! Groups ★ 31
Globalist Bid To Ban Cars Is Part Of "Planned-Opolis" Agenda
Globalist Bid To Ban Cars Is Part Of "Planned-Opolis" Agenda Only the elite will be allowed to drive vehicles, while the rest of the population will be tightly
Nuclear Expert Calls Global Warming Alarmist Monbiot "Criminally Irr
Nuclear Expert Calls Global Warming Alarmist Monbiot "Criminally Irresponsible" For Downplaying Fukushima Dr. Christopher Busby calls Monbiot's claims "total
Pseudo-Intellectual Hit Piece Emblematic Of Crumbling Elitist Media
Pseudo-Intellectual Hit Piece Emblematic Of Crumbling Elitist Media New York Magazine smear portrays Alex Jones as paranoid, Fox News-wannabe while assuring
Japanese Authorities Admit Deadly MOX Plutonium Reactor Is Leaking
Japanese Authorities Admit Deadly MOX Plutonium Reactor Is Leaking Has cover-up of leakage been ongoing since massive March 14 explosion? Paul Joseph Watson
Chernobyl-Style Yellow Rain Causes Panic In Japan
Chernobyl-Style Yellow Rain Causes Panic In Japan Authorities assure alarmed citizens yellow powder is pollen, but victims of Chernobyl radiation were told the
Fukushima Radiation Release Rivals Chernobyl
Fukushima Radiation Release Rivals Chernobyl Despite media spin downplaying severity of crisis, Fukushima is likely to be a worse catastrophe than 1986
Blood & Treasure ★ 106
war on a whim
Yes, precisely: “Just because you can’t intervene everywhere doesn’t mean you can’t intervene somewhere” translates into war on impulse. The decision to send the bombers in to Libya wasn’t a result of any kind of informed analysis matching the needs of the people there with the military capabilities of the West. It happened because we saw the uprising on telly, because Gaddafi is a well known loon
significant creatures
Gibraltar and the howler monkeys. Ravens and the Tower of London. The giant turtle of Vietnamese independence.
r2p explained
First they say they don't need you, then they rejoice at your involvement, then they complain you're not killing more for 'em. Sounds about right. And if you’re looking for the kinetics, I’d recommend CJ Chivers’ twitter feed.
silver-plated dustbin
A friend brought me a bit of the Berlin Wall back just after it was broken up and just before grateful Ossies harvested it all to flog to tourists in exchange for oats or freedom certificates or whatever. I gave it to my mum; and when she died I couldn’t find it. Either she’d used it to hold something down in the shed or it got taken by the house clearers, no doubt wondering why a lady in her sixt
christ on a bike, they get everywhere
In recent days the Libyan rebels have been stopping people trying to get to the front lines who are not part of at least partly organised military units. And here’s why.
a murder foretold
Fabulous New Yorker piece about a political murder in Guatemala here. I won't spoilt the ending, but the whole affair makes China seem like a relatively straightforward, easy-going kind of place by comparison.
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