As Rodney King would say:  "Why can't we all get along?"From the CBC and other sources today:Clergymen brawl at Bethlehem churchFight erupts at traditional site of Jesus' birthThe annual cleaning of one of Christianity's holiest churches deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy Wednesday, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled each other with brooms until police intervened.The ancient church, built over the traditional site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, is shared by three Christian denominations — Roman Catholics, Armenians and Greek …
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Michael Byers has an excellent analysis on China, the Arctic, oil and international relations in today's Al Jazeera:The dragon looks north China grows hungry for Arctic resources and shipping routes as northern ice melts._______________Snubbed by Arctic countriesChina's laissez-faire approach to Arctic legal disputes has, however, been shaken by the recent actions of Arctic countries.In 2009, China applied for permanent observer status at the Arctic Council, a regional organisation composed of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US. It was a reasonable request, …
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But should anyone listen?From Global Post yesterday:Pope Benedict XVI urges faithful to see through "superficial glitter" of ChristmasPope Benedict XVI has urged worshipers to see through the "superficial glitter" of Christmas during the traditional Christmas Eve Mass at St Peter's Basilica in Rome.Pope Benedict XVI lamented the commercialization of Christmas during the traditional Christmas Eve Mass at St Peter's Basilica in Rome.“Today Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God’s humility, which in turn calls us to humility and …
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The right-wing-billionaire-zealot brother$ koch are about to fully engage their database war on the rest of the civilized world.Feature article in today's GuardianUK reveals the details: The secretive oil billionaires the Koch brothers are close to launching a nationwide database connecting millions of Americans who share their anti-government and libertarian views, a move that will further enhance the tycoons' political influence and that could prove significant in next year's presidential election._______________The database will bring together information from a plethora of right-wing …
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Is not that "people friendly" according to this piece from SocialistWorker.org. A snippet follows, but check out the entire piece here:More generally, the truth is this: Democratic mayors may talk about how they sympathize with the Occupy movement. They may even try to speak in its name, as Quan has. But their office requires them to keep order and protect the interests of the 1 percent--and so they will turn to repression to try to stop the struggle from disrupting business as usual. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THE SAME truth applies further up the chain, in the White House of …
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Something we all can do from home to annoy the 1%:H/T BTO …
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Embed Code removed. Here's the YouTube link . . . . …
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Having only had about an hour and a half to spare, the Occupy Vancouver facilitators were able to get thru the first side of the "Consensus Decision Making" flyer before I had to leave.Lots of discussions, counter-discussions, "are we loud enough?", "where should the translators stand?" kind of stuff.Guess there's lots of time for patience as they are planning on occupying thru December.Don't envy them out there in the cool, damp air at that time of the year in Vancouver but "more power to 'em ! ! ! !" …
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dickhead cheney came to The Vancouver Club tonight to promote his book.Of course I participated to see Vancouverites welcome him in style.To the best of my knowledge, he signed no autographs for the crowd outside the facility . . . . …
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Your guess is as good as mine. From today's Toronto Star: TRIPOLI, LIBYA—Libyan rebels who took control of Moammar Gadhafi’s sprawling compound made a surprising discovery in one of the buildings: a photo album with pictures of Condoleezza Rice. _______________ “I support my darling black African woman,” he said. “I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders. . . . Leezza, Leezza, Leezza. . . . I love her very much. I admire her, and I’m proud of her, because she’s a black woman of African origin.” Although "condescending" …
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On the Canadian election, U.S. politics, the "security perimeter" and proportional representation.All in less than 8 minutes.Concentrated, rational analysis . . . . …
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Two weeks from tomorrow it'll all be moot, anyway.Stock up on emergency supplies and offer to take care of your "believing" friends' pets when they are released from their earthly ties . . . . …
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or more people might have tuned in to Dawna Friesen's "One on One" interview with stevie this evening.Basically, she ripped him a new one and he didn't look at all comfortable about it. Note how he says "The platform we're not running on is real" at the 4:15 mark.Since Kevin Newman left "Global National" I had been withholding judgment on Ms. Friesen's creds, but she outdid her MSM colleagues on this one.Good job . . . .Sorry, I couldn't locate a non-commercial-included copy of the video. …
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The definitive record of stevie in one place.Spread the word . . . .H/T "drf" …
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But Bennie and his Jerks don't like it.Via the New York Daily News:Officials in Rome have declared that an app available on Apple's iPhones, iPads and the iPod touch cannot serve as a confessional."One cannot speak in any way of confessing via iPhone," Federico Lombardi, the Vatican's spokesman, said in a statement. "This cannot be substituted by any IT application."_______________It also keeps track of your sins and the time between confessions, information it keeps locked away via password protection.Guess the Vatican figured it wouldn't aid in job security for their flock of shepherds* . . …
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As soon as harperco "improves" their citizen's arrest legislation, we can all live like we were in Mayberry, North Carolina.Yee haw . . . . …
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Check out Bennie's leer at the 0:56 mark and tell me he's not having impure thoughts . . . . …
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Thanks to an email "heads up" from good friend Joylene, the following CBC "The Current" broadcast was brought to my attention.Chris Hedges was interviewed on the November 2nd show and it blew me away. Hedges gives - in a 26-minute interview - the cause, effect and chilling prediction of the "Death of the Liberal Class" - the title of his new book.With history on the side of what occurs in the Excited States soon creeps across the 49th parallel, the broadcast and Hedges' book are well worth paying attention by Canadians.Forewarned is forearmed?Let's hope so . . . .H/T Joylene …
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Welcome to Crazytown . . . .H/T: drf …
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The organized lynching of truth-telling by way of FoxNoise, of course.From The Guardian this morning:A Fox News contributor and former state department adviser has accused WikiLeaks of conducting "political warfare against the US" and called for those behind the whistleblowing website to be declared "enemy combatants" so they can be subjected to "non-judicial actions"._______________Whiton ends with the following plea: "How much will our information-collection capabilities have to be diminished, and how many of our friends and collaborators around the world must die, (Ed: Never mind that …
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And gordo campbell may be the one getting rolled.Check out her latest . . . . …
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With today's release of 400,000+ Department of Defense documents on the Iraq war by WikiLeaks, once again the MSM is playing the Pentagon's mouthpiece quite well.Reuters: (Lead paragraph.) The Pentagon said on Friday it does not expect big surprises from an imminent release of up to 500,000 Iraq war files by WikiLeaks, but warned that U.S. troops and Iraqis could be endangered by the file dump.CBC: (Hillary Clinton) "We should condemn in the most clear terms the disclosure of any classified information by individuals and organizations which puts the lives of United States and partner …
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giving peace a chance.Happy Birthday, John . . . . …
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This vs this.It appears the current government's spending priorities need a fiscal adjustment . . . . …
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Michael Moore gives the definitive review of Bob Woodward's new obama administration novel.Excerpts:In fact, after you read Woodward's book, you'll split a gut every time you hear a politician or a government teacher talk about "civilian control over the military." The only people really making the decisions about America's wars are across the river from Washington in the Pentagon. They wear uniforms. They have lots of weapons they bought from the corporations they will work for when they retire._______________It matters not whom we elect. The Pentagon and the military contractors call the …
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bennie and his Jerks are the gift that keeps on giving.Check this out via The Guardian UK today:Vatican bank chief investigated over money laundering claimsIn unprecedented move, judge freezes €23m held in account at financial institution with close church links* John Hooper in Rome* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 September 2010The head of the Vatican bank has formally been placed under investigation in an inquiry into a suspected violation of Italy's money-laundering laws, judicial sources said today.At the same time, a judge in Rome ordered a freeze on €23m (£19.5m) held in an account …
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*Updated link due to the Lady Alison's astute discovery. (Thanks, Alison!) Apparently the story disappeared off the web 'til it reappeared this morning at the updated link to the Montreal Gazette below . . . .As "drf" exclaimed when he pointed this* out to me: "WTF?!?"What the hell has harperco wrought now ? ? ? ?RCMP warn against threat of coup d’etatBy Ian MacLeod, Postmedia NewsSeptember 12, 2010OTTAWA — RCMP officials have identified a new threat to national security: a coup d’etat.The reference to a violent overthrow of the federal government is contained in the RCMP’s plans …
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Corporate USA is doing their damnedest to mess with your Internet for the benefit of their profit structure. You now have another chance to express your displeasure at this prospect.Via PC World today:September 02, 2010 6:18 AM FCC Takes Net Neutrality to Court of Public Opinion (Again)By Tony Bradley, PC WorldThe FCC has opened the next chapter in the debate over net neutrality with a new Notice of Inquiry seeking public comments and feedback on specific aspects of the proposed rules. Net neutrality advocates, however, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the FCC dragging its feet …
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This article from the local paper in our former homeland is too good to pass up. Here in it's entirety because as "drf" says, there's too many good lines to single out just a few*:Bikini-clad strippers protest church in rural Ohio August 27, 2010 By JEANNIE NUSS Associated Press Writer Strippers dressed in bikinis sunbathe in lawn chairs, their backs turned toward the gray clapboard church where men in ties and women in full-length skirts flock to Sunday morning services.The strippers, fueled by Cheetos and nicotine, are protesting a fundamentalist Christian church whose Bible-brandishing …
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It's crap like this that validates my decision to leave the Excited States."They" just don't get it.Kind of makes one crazy, eh ? ? ? ?And so it goes, ya'll . . . . …
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Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have done it again, and BIG TIME. Apparently, the leak of tens of thousands of Afghan war documents makes the Pentagon Papers look like child's play.The Guardian UK has the full story with lots of background links.Fascinating stuff to wade thru which I've just begun to do.Something for you to do on a summer Sunday afternoon, eh ? ? ? ?UPDATE: Glenn Greenwald has now weighed in on the topic, and his summary is spot on:Whatever else is true, WikiLeaks has yet again proven itself to be one of the most valuable and important organizations in the world. Just as was …
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Matt Taibbi weighs in on the "Vati-scum" - aka, "bennie and the jerks" - in action.A sample:That’s all the church is. They’re a giant for-profit company using predatory salesmanship to sell what they themselves know is a defective, outmoded, basically unnecessary product.The full article here.As usual, his writing is on-target and verbiage more than entertaining . . . . …
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Idealistic Pragmatist has the definitive post on the US dems, health care "reform" and the sorry condition of the Excited States here.Go, read and hope the situation doesn't creep across the 49th . . . . …
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Quick!What do george w.bush, stephen harper and tiger woods have in common?The Universe indeed works in mysterious ways . . . . …
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The Lady Alison posted a few days back about Coca Cola bottlers in Columbia and a documentary on same.As luck would have it, my friend PC and her Solidarity Notes Choir had a live performance on the same topic at the Granville SkyTrain Station on Sunday. Enjoy, and think about that the next time you enjoy a beverage from an "Owe-lympic" sponsor: …
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It's time for WEB to make some changes for the New Year. You probably won't see much activity from me here for awhile on "The Beav" site - as far as posting goes, anyway. Who knows? That, too, may change. We'll see. (I'll definitely still be reading and commenting!)In the meantime, you can catch me at this location.Hope to see you soon . . . . …
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Check out pale. A picture really is worth a thousand words . . . . …
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So, according to the AP, Janet Napolitano is claiming her words on Sunday's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" regarding the airport security screening system were "taken out of context." Huh.Here's the Secretary of Homeland (In)Security on the "Today Show" this morning:And here on "Morning Joe":Well, Gang. Here's the transcript:(Georgie was off this week, so there was actually a decent reporter handling the show - Jake Tapper.) JANET NAPOLITANO, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Good morning.TAPPER: I want to get your reaction to a comment from the chairman of the Senate Homeland …
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Times are tough all over, and folks are in need of gainful employment.How 'bout a job with lots of pluses?:Travel opportunities;Paid benefits;Stress reduction techniques;Multiple skill categories.What more could you ask for?Well, maybe not having to support the military-industrial-congressional complex for one thing . . . .(Cross-posted from Moved to Vancouver) …
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