"United 93"

Sorry, but I'm not gonna see this propagandist film that further promotes the "official" falsehoods behind the events of September 11, 2001.

By the way, according to the co-producer of the movie, "Our mandate was not the same as the 9/11 Commission Report," Levin said. "Our mandate was to what Paul wanted to say with this movie. We're not journalists. Paul is an artist."

Oh, and about certain "facts", he responds they are "a moot point, because at that point you're in the area of metaphor,"

Ah, Hollywood.

- Vox

Some people understand the big picture

'MTA should not underestimate how volatile they can make this situation become'
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/412515p-348793c.html
"Once inside, Toussaint was still more than Inmate No. 300-06-00-286 - he was hailed as a hero.
Inmates greeted his arrival with applause; correction officers have offered their respect."

Support Toussaint. Support the TWU. Support the labor movement. Even if you don't belong to a union. Because as they go, so do we all.

- Vox

8th General Calls For Rumsfeld’s Resignation

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/24/eighth-general
"Ret. Marine General Paul Van Riper said he constantly talks with many active duty and retired senior officers who share his feelings that Secretary Rumsfeld has not fought the Iraq war competently."

It's about time Gen. Van Riper gets some press. I first heard about him on Democracy Now! and in an article in the NY Daily News a couple of years ago. Here's the article:
Just be thankful he's on our side
"Be thankful we are only facing Saddam Hussein and not the retired U.S. Marine general who played the dictator in last summer's $235 million war game."

I actually clipped the article out and still have it. I guess I'm just weird like that.

- Vox

8th General Calls For Rumsfeld’s Resignation

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/24/eighth-general
"Ret. Marine General Paul Van Riper said he constantly talks with many active duty and retired senior officers who share his feelings that Secretary Rumsfeld has not fought the Iraq war competently."

It's about time Gen. Van Riper received some press. I first heard his name on Democracy Now! and in an article in the NY Daily News a couple of years ago. See the link below:
http://www.nydailynews.com/03-30-2003/news/wn_report/v-pfriendly/story/71277p-66210c.html
("If the games had been real, it would have been the worst US naval defeat since Pearl Harbor.")

I actually tore out the article and still have it. I guess I'm weird like that.

- Vox

Chávez seeks to peg oil at $50 a barrel

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1745467,00.html
"Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez is poised to launch a bid to transform the global politics of oil by seeking a deal with consumer countries which would lock in a price of $50 a barrel."

Good idea, but it'll never happen. Why cap prices at $50/barrel, when you can fleece the populance at $72/barrel?

Caping oil prices? That's enough to get a man killed!

- Vox

An "embassy" or a base of operations...

The new US 'embassy' in Iraq: 21 buildings on 104 fortified acres
http://www.unknownnews.org/0604180414theUSembassy.html

"BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The fortress-like compound rising beside the Tigris River here will be the largest of its kind in the world, the size of Vatican City, with the population of a small town, its own defense force, self-contained power and water,..."

..."It's somewhat self-evident that there's going to be a fairly sizable commitment to Iraq by the U.S. government in all forms for several years," he said in Washington."

- Vox

A message from the ice cream man...

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12779.htm

Keep this in mind...

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12774.htm

As we await the latest Israeli "response" to the latest Palestinian susicide bombing, keep this in mind:

"In the last two and a half weeks (since the previous suicide bombing) Israeli forces have killed at least 26 Palestinians -- at least 5 of them children -- and injured 161 Palestinian men, women and children. A college student lost her right eye today after being shot by an Israeli sniper last week."

"Since the current Palestinian uprising against Israeli military occupation and confiscation of Palestinian land began in fall 2000, approximately 3,863 Palestinians and 1,084 Israelis and have been killed. Among these have been approximately 720 Palestinian children and 124 Israeli children."

- Vox

The US Nuclear Bunker Buster

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_weapons/nuclear-bunker-buster-rnep-animation.html

Interesting flash-movie. Especially the "More Information" at the end.

- Vox

Carlyle Group to be biggest-ever foreign investor in China SOE

http://www.chinaknowledge.com/news-detail.aspx?id=2747

Apr. 18, 2006 (China Knowledge) – American private equity firm Carlyle Group has just received permission to acquire 85% of Xugong Construction Machinery Group Inc., China's largest construction machinery company by revenue.
Carlyle Group will pay US$375 million for the purchase, following the authorization from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), to make it the biggest-ever acquisition by a foreign investor of a controlling stake in a leading State-owned enterprise (SOE).
The deal was announced some six months ago but the MOFCOM and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) have been stalling the decision-making since January.
The sale of the company was kicked off by Xugong's controlling shareholder, the Xuzhou municipal government, in early 2003.

Omaha Schools Split Along Race Lines

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/04/13/D8GVGPE80.html
In a move decried by some as state-sponsored segregation, the Legislature voted Thursday to divide the Omaha school system into three districts _ one mostly black, one predominantly white and one largely Hispanic.

Plessy v. Ferguson (aka "separate but equal")
"That [the Separate Car Act] does not conflict with the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery...is too clear for argument...A statute which implies merely a legal distinction between the white and colored races -- a distinction which is founded in the color of the two races, and which must always exist so long as white men are distinguished from the other race by color -- has no tendency to destroy the legal equality of the two races..." (emphasis added by Vox)

Brown v. Board of Education (aka "separate is not equal")
"Segregation of white and Negro children in the public schools of a State solely on the basis of race, pursuant to state laws permitting or requiring such segregation, denies to Negro children the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment -- even though the physical facilities and other "tangible" factors of white and Negro schools may be equal." (emphasis added by Vox)

- Vox

What the eff?!?!

Muhammad Ali sells rights to name, likeness

"Entertainment and licensing firm CKX announced Tuesday that it is paying Ali $50 million in cash in exchange for selling 80 percent interest of his name and likeness."

""This relationship with CKX will help guarantee that, for generations to come, people of all nations will understand my beliefs and my purpose," Ali said in a prepared statement."

Bullshit! No one today understands and remembers what he stood for. This just GUARANTEES that in the future, no one ever will. Yet another victory for capitalism over the moral soul.

I CAN'T BELIEVE ALI IS SELLING OUT LIKE THAT. I just can't believe it. Fuck Michael Jordan. (Please excuse my language)

- Vox

Wow. People-Power works!

France to scrap youth jobs law
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/10/france.labor.law/index.html
"Students and trades unions claimed victory after President Jacques Chirac announced the decision on Monday."
..."The CPE would have allowed employers to fire workers 26 years old and younger at any point during their first two years on the job. Young people and unions responded bitterly, arguing that the measure would rob them of current job protections."

Bush 'is planning nuclear strikes on Iran's secret sites'

"The Bush administration is planning to use nuclear weapons against Iran, to prevent it acquiring its own atomic warheads, claims an investigative writer with high-level Pentagon and intelligence contacts."
"President George W Bush is said to be so alarmed by the threat of Iran's hard-line leader, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, that privately he refers to him as "the new Hitler", says Seymour Hersh,..."

Here's the original article.

- Vox

BOO, Yankees!

Stadium deal hits homer in Council
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/406440p-344104c.html

"Mayor Bloomberg cheered the vote, saying, "This is a critical investment that is expected to generate considerable economic and fiscal benefits during both construction and operation of the new stadium.""

What about the community? The loss of parkland and property? All dollars and cents, but no sense. - Vox

..."Under the deal, the city will turn over 22 acres of Macombs Dam Park and John Mullaly Park to house the new stadium and its environs..."

Good deal for the Yankee organization (perhaps). Bad deal for the Bronx.

- Vox

V for Vendetta

Just saw the movie last night. HIGHLY recommended. 'nuff said.

- Vox

On the immigration "debate"

I think that this "debate" on immigration is intentionally being misdirected. The debate is being framed as a matter of immigration, when in actuality, it is not a matter of immigration at all, but A MATTER OF SLAVE LABOR.

Check it: For some reason, it's now popular to believe that the jobs (Mexican) immigrants work are jobs that Americans citizens "don't want" or "are unwilling to take". This is untrue and insulting. The fact is this: An employer will not pay someone $20/hr, when they can pay someone else less than half that amount.

So this "debate" is being spun to ignite individual's passion's regarding immigration (once again "us" vs "them"), which is convenient in this climate of fearing anything and anyone who is "different". Immigrants are an easy target. But this is the RED-HERRING. What this legislation is really about is an employer's right to continue to pay low-wages (off the books with no healthcare or anything else) to those with no ground to stand on. An American worker has labor laws which protect them, but WHERE IS THE LEGISLATION PROTECTING THE WAGES OF THE SO-CALLED GUEST WORKER? You won't find it, because there is NO WAY corporate America is going to be prevented from hiring cheap, slave labor. They even say as much when they imply how many businesses will shut down if they had to pay a decent, livable wage.

And that is what this debate should be about: An employer's right to not only ignore the needs of American citizens but continue to take advantage of migrant workers.

- Vox

On Halliburton

Documents Describe US Auditors' Battles With Halliburton
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040206D.shtml
"The 15-page report cites findings by auditors that Halliburton overcharged - "apparently intentionally" - on the contract by using hidden calculations, and attempted in one instance to bill the government for $26 million in costs it did not incur. Auditors also challenged $45 million in other costs, labeling them as "unreasonable or unsupported," the report said."

""Halliburton has pulled off the impossible," (Rep. Henry A.) Waxman, a staunch critic of the firm, said in releasing the report. "It has actually done a worse job under its second Iraq oil contract than it did under the original no-bid contract.""