Let's be thankful he wasn't going in for a different kind of operation:
Menino undergoes surgery on right knee
Sympathy on the street for Menino, with nudge about mayor’s age
Also see: Menino hospitalized with elbow infection
Menino is in hospital for a second day
Ailing Menino could be home soon after Thanksgiving stay in hospital
Reaction to medicine returns Menino to hospital
Ex-Menino aide pleads guilty to drug charges
Menino, back at work....
Menino is urged to run for US Senate
Let him get to his feet first, will ya?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Boston Globe Liars Club
"The winning entry in a liars' club contest....
The Iraq war lies?
--more--"
Nope.
Related: A liar enabled
George Bush?
Q&A Why leaders lie
Why do newspapers?
The Iraq war lies?
--more--"
Nope.
Related: A liar enabled
George Bush?
Q&A Why leaders lie
Why do newspapers?
The Boston Globe Has a Tip For You
Single tip can now land a person on US terrorism watch list
Excuse me, readers. There are a few people in the neighborhood I do not like and I have to go make some telephone calls.
Excuse me, readers. There are a few people in the neighborhood I do not like and I have to go make some telephone calls.
Myanmar Minutes
If you have a few, dear readers.
"Myanmar elections aside, few see change; Activist’s release is called a sham" by Associated Press / November 21, 2010
YANGON, Myanmar — The shopkeeper, a thin, jittery man who has spent nearly half his life in prison, wishes change were coming to Myanmar.
But the recent elections were a sham, he says, and the promises of democratic reform are empty words.
I know the feeling. I get it every two years.
He celebrated the release of prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, but dismissed the idea it heralds a change in this secretive military-ruled nation.
Do I EVER KNOW THAT FEELING:
The Two-Headed War Party
Yup, AIPAC controls the FOREIGN POLICY and the BANKS RULE on the DOMESTIC SIDE!
“This is not a new era,’’ said Bo Bo Oo, 46, in sentiments echoed around the country, which is also known as Burma. “The generals will not change.’’
I am always amazed that people the world over all feel the same.
Globalization reached the long-isolated nation while Bo Bo Oo was in prison, serving 20 years for helping organize prodemocracy protests in 1988. Amid Myanmar’s withering poverty, you can now buy knockoff iPhones at the Mobile World shop in Mandalay and browse for lingerie at the Sexy Girl store in Yangon. You can live in a high-rise condo and watch CNN on satellite TV.
That's usually the result of globalization -- and forget CNN. Watch a football game instead!
But belief in political change is much harder to find. This is a country battered by its own government, its pessimism shaped by decades of experience. In conversations with dozens of people, little was heard but anguish.
AmeriKans, MEET your MYANMAR COUSINS!!
“The government has the power, and it does not want to give it up,’’ an elderly Buddhist monk said.
They NEVER DO! They must be MADE TO -- one way or another!
He remembers the days of British colonialism, and the Japanese occupation during World War II. He can talk about fleeing into the forests when Allied bombs began falling around the town, and the first military coup, in 1958. In 2007, he watched as monks were arrested and even killed during antigovernment protests dominated by the Buddhist clergy.
He sees modern Myanmar as the darkest time.
I dunno, CNN in the condo, that's pretty good living.
Like most people in Myanmar, he spoke on condition he not be identified, fearing retribution from the ruling junta’s agents and the Tatmadaw, as the army is called.
I feel that way about the commentary you are reading.
A few analysts do see signs of change....
They would be called talking-head pundits here, and should be ignored.
Bo Bo Oo, though, sees no hope. “All this is just about publicity,’’ he said of the Nov. 7 elections and Suu Kyi’s release.
The only hope I see is the Empire collapsing of its own bankruptcy and expanse.
The alternatives are much worse -- for everyone.
Like many, he notes that Suu Kyi’s release came just a week after the first elections in 20 years, giving the junta a desperately needed publicity boost. While the military claims the vote will usher in a democratic government, much of the international community decried it as political burlesque that will entrench the generals behind proxy politicians.
Myanmar's military-industrial complex.
“They want the world to think that this is becoming a democracy. But the Burmese people know the truth,’’ he said.
Yeah, SOMEHOW WE ALWAYS DO despite the propaganda and the lies!
Myanmar holds nearly 2,200 political prisoners. Some of the country’s minority ethnic groups, who have faced brutal repression, back militias that have fought the generals for decades.
With CIA assistance, of course -- all conveniently omitted for your edification, dear American.
The government’s political agenda is seldom clear.
At least us Amurkns have a newspaper for that!
Little is known about Than Shwe, the general who heads the junta, beyond rumors and gossip. International officials can go years without meeting him, and new ambassadors, who get a few minutes with him when they present their credentials, are grilled.
Are they subjected to body scans and invasive cavity searches like at the AmeriKan airports?
--more--"
Also see: Detention illegal, Myanmar icon says
Freed Suu Kyi reunited with son in Myanmar after decade apart
"Myanmar elections aside, few see change; Activist’s release is called a sham" by Associated Press / November 21, 2010
YANGON, Myanmar — The shopkeeper, a thin, jittery man who has spent nearly half his life in prison, wishes change were coming to Myanmar.
But the recent elections were a sham, he says, and the promises of democratic reform are empty words.
I know the feeling. I get it every two years.
He celebrated the release of prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, but dismissed the idea it heralds a change in this secretive military-ruled nation.
Do I EVER KNOW THAT FEELING:
The Two-Headed War Party
Yup, AIPAC controls the FOREIGN POLICY and the BANKS RULE on the DOMESTIC SIDE!
“This is not a new era,’’ said Bo Bo Oo, 46, in sentiments echoed around the country, which is also known as Burma. “The generals will not change.’’
I am always amazed that people the world over all feel the same.
Globalization reached the long-isolated nation while Bo Bo Oo was in prison, serving 20 years for helping organize prodemocracy protests in 1988. Amid Myanmar’s withering poverty, you can now buy knockoff iPhones at the Mobile World shop in Mandalay and browse for lingerie at the Sexy Girl store in Yangon. You can live in a high-rise condo and watch CNN on satellite TV.
That's usually the result of globalization -- and forget CNN. Watch a football game instead!
But belief in political change is much harder to find. This is a country battered by its own government, its pessimism shaped by decades of experience. In conversations with dozens of people, little was heard but anguish.
AmeriKans, MEET your MYANMAR COUSINS!!
“The government has the power, and it does not want to give it up,’’ an elderly Buddhist monk said.
They NEVER DO! They must be MADE TO -- one way or another!
He remembers the days of British colonialism, and the Japanese occupation during World War II. He can talk about fleeing into the forests when Allied bombs began falling around the town, and the first military coup, in 1958. In 2007, he watched as monks were arrested and even killed during antigovernment protests dominated by the Buddhist clergy.
He sees modern Myanmar as the darkest time.
I dunno, CNN in the condo, that's pretty good living.
Like most people in Myanmar, he spoke on condition he not be identified, fearing retribution from the ruling junta’s agents and the Tatmadaw, as the army is called.
I feel that way about the commentary you are reading.
A few analysts do see signs of change....
They would be called talking-head pundits here, and should be ignored.
Bo Bo Oo, though, sees no hope. “All this is just about publicity,’’ he said of the Nov. 7 elections and Suu Kyi’s release.
The only hope I see is the Empire collapsing of its own bankruptcy and expanse.
The alternatives are much worse -- for everyone.
Like many, he notes that Suu Kyi’s release came just a week after the first elections in 20 years, giving the junta a desperately needed publicity boost. While the military claims the vote will usher in a democratic government, much of the international community decried it as political burlesque that will entrench the generals behind proxy politicians.
Myanmar's military-industrial complex.
“They want the world to think that this is becoming a democracy. But the Burmese people know the truth,’’ he said.
Yeah, SOMEHOW WE ALWAYS DO despite the propaganda and the lies!
Myanmar holds nearly 2,200 political prisoners. Some of the country’s minority ethnic groups, who have faced brutal repression, back militias that have fought the generals for decades.
With CIA assistance, of course -- all conveniently omitted for your edification, dear American.
The government’s political agenda is seldom clear.
At least us Amurkns have a newspaper for that!
Little is known about Than Shwe, the general who heads the junta, beyond rumors and gossip. International officials can go years without meeting him, and new ambassadors, who get a few minutes with him when they present their credentials, are grilled.
Are they subjected to body scans and invasive cavity searches like at the AmeriKan airports?
--more--"
Also see: Detention illegal, Myanmar icon says
Freed Suu Kyi reunited with son in Myanmar after decade apart
Sri Lankan Second
Might take a wee bit longer, dear readers.
"Judge weighs threat posed by Tamil Tigers; Man’s sentence in terror case hinges on final decision" by Tom Hays, Associated Press / October 16, 2010
NEW YORK — Assistant US Attorney Jeffrey Knox said the Tamil Tigers pioneered and perfected technology for suicide bombings.
Yeah, Mossad showed 'em how to do it.
Supplying both sides is a good way to keep a war going, isn't it?
Also see: US Helps Sri Lanka Hold Tamil Tigers By Tail
That is why it ended: shipping lanes in the nearby seas
That technology “was borrowed and copied and sold on some occasions to other terrorist organizations — organizations like Al Qaeda,’’ he said.
Yeah, well, which "Al-CIA-Duh" would that be, huh?
The made-up "Al-CIA-Duh?"
Or the "Al-CIA-Duh" CREATION for the COURTROOM!?
Related:
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh and the OSI
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh's Greatest Hits
Prop 101: The "Terrorism" Business
New York Times Admits War on Terror is U.S. Creation
Oh, AmeriKa's MSM KNOWS ALL ABOUT and yet STILL PUSHES the GOVERNMENT CHARADE, huh?
Internal documents show the Tamil Tigers considered other terrorist groups as fellow freedom fighters, and had a policy of sharing black market arms shipments, he said....
Isn't that what Reagan called "Al-CIA-Duh" when they were fighting the Soviets?
Related: US Training Terrorists in Nevada
Yeah, but they were OUR TERRORISTS and they make a GREAT PATSY once the GREAT GAME was OVER!
See: PNAC
A Clean Break
Yeah, it turns out that Muslims didn't do 9/11; Israel did.
It's been THEIR AGENDA being FULFILLED ever since (not that puppet servants and globalist scum like Bush/Cheney/Clinton didn't have their oily interests serviced).
Ever notice that is where the "terrorists" always show up, too?
--more--"
Related: Boston Harbors Tamil Terrorists
Noooooooooo!!!!
They must have been responsible for this:
"Sri Lanka calls deadly blast accidental" by Associated Press / September 18, 2010
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Three containers filled with explosives meant for road construction detonated yesterday outside a police station in eastern Sri Lanka, killing 25 people, most of them police officers, in a blast government officials called an accident....
Images of the blast on Maharaja Television showed the police station reduced to rubble. A nearby agriculture office crowded with farmers who had come to buy fertilizer was also destroyed....
Military spokesman Major General Ubaya Medawala said it was unclear what triggered the explosion of the containers, which were stored near the police station for safety reasons....
Maybe they should store it some place else, huh?
The explosives, probably dynamite, were intended for blasting out rocks for a road construction project being carried out by a Chinese company, he said.
Dynamite doesn't just "accidentally" explode, sorry.
The blast occurred when workers were taking out some of the explosives, Medawala said.
--more--"
The fact that I have seen nothing since makes me smell a cover-up along with the dynamite blast.
Also see: Globe Editorial Probe both sides in Sri Lanka
"Judge weighs threat posed by Tamil Tigers; Man’s sentence in terror case hinges on final decision" by Tom Hays, Associated Press / October 16, 2010
NEW YORK — Assistant US Attorney Jeffrey Knox said the Tamil Tigers pioneered and perfected technology for suicide bombings.
Yeah, Mossad showed 'em how to do it.
Supplying both sides is a good way to keep a war going, isn't it?
Also see: US Helps Sri Lanka Hold Tamil Tigers By Tail
That is why it ended: shipping lanes in the nearby seas
That technology “was borrowed and copied and sold on some occasions to other terrorist organizations — organizations like Al Qaeda,’’ he said.
Yeah, well, which "Al-CIA-Duh" would that be, huh?
The made-up "Al-CIA-Duh?"
Or the "Al-CIA-Duh" CREATION for the COURTROOM!?
Related:
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh and the OSI
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh's Greatest Hits
Prop 101: The "Terrorism" Business
New York Times Admits War on Terror is U.S. Creation
Oh, AmeriKa's MSM KNOWS ALL ABOUT and yet STILL PUSHES the GOVERNMENT CHARADE, huh?
Internal documents show the Tamil Tigers considered other terrorist groups as fellow freedom fighters, and had a policy of sharing black market arms shipments, he said....
Isn't that what Reagan called "Al-CIA-Duh" when they were fighting the Soviets?
Related: US Training Terrorists in Nevada
Yeah, but they were OUR TERRORISTS and they make a GREAT PATSY once the GREAT GAME was OVER!
See: PNAC
A Clean Break
Yeah, it turns out that Muslims didn't do 9/11; Israel did.
It's been THEIR AGENDA being FULFILLED ever since (not that puppet servants and globalist scum like Bush/Cheney/Clinton didn't have their oily interests serviced).
Ever notice that is where the "terrorists" always show up, too?
--more--"
Related: Boston Harbors Tamil Terrorists
Noooooooooo!!!!
They must have been responsible for this:
"Sri Lanka calls deadly blast accidental" by Associated Press / September 18, 2010
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Three containers filled with explosives meant for road construction detonated yesterday outside a police station in eastern Sri Lanka, killing 25 people, most of them police officers, in a blast government officials called an accident....
Images of the blast on Maharaja Television showed the police station reduced to rubble. A nearby agriculture office crowded with farmers who had come to buy fertilizer was also destroyed....
Military spokesman Major General Ubaya Medawala said it was unclear what triggered the explosion of the containers, which were stored near the police station for safety reasons....
Maybe they should store it some place else, huh?
The explosives, probably dynamite, were intended for blasting out rocks for a road construction project being carried out by a Chinese company, he said.
Dynamite doesn't just "accidentally" explode, sorry.
The blast occurred when workers were taking out some of the explosives, Medawala said.
--more--"
The fact that I have seen nothing since makes me smell a cover-up along with the dynamite blast.
Also see: Globe Editorial Probe both sides in Sri Lanka
Back to the concentration camp -- or worse?
Thaing Up Russia
Related: Slow Saturday Special: Thailand Turns on Lord of War
Apparently, so did we:
"Thailand Extradites 'Merchant of Death' to U.S.
Also see: Bangkok officials find 2,000 fetuses hidden in mortuary of Buddhist temple
Thailand ending state of emergency
Gee, who remembers the Red Shirt coup attempt, 'eh?
The extradition of Bout must have bought off the CIA.
Apparently, so did we:
"Thailand Extradites 'Merchant of Death' to U.S.
Also see: Bangkok officials find 2,000 fetuses hidden in mortuary of Buddhist temple
Thailand ending state of emergency
Gee, who remembers the Red Shirt coup attempt, 'eh?
The extradition of Bout must have bought off the CIA.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Unrest in Russia
What, nothing good on TV?
"Freedom of speech in Russia is reserved for government" by Kathy Lally, Washington Post / December 12, 2010
MOSCOW — Here’s what the world looks like in a country where the government controls the media: One evening, the main television channel uses prime time to broadcast a concert across vast Russia, paying tribute to the much-feared tax collectors. Another day, media overseers charge a respected newspaper with extremism — for straightforward reporting on neo-Nazi groups.
The late-November concert in honor of the 20th anniversary of the tax inspectorate is a merry affair. Famous entertainers joke and sing.
A chorus of tax collectors joins in, glowing in stage lights, gold braid suspended from the shoulders of their military-style uniforms, a song of money on their lips — hardly the intimidating agents capable of bringing down a suddenly inconvenient billionaire or ruining a small-business owner without the right friends.
The state does not offer such admiration for crusading journalists....
Here in AmeriKa they just ignore bloggers.
--more--"
Honestly, readers, I'm tired of the AmeriKan media kettle hollering pot!
"Moscow crowds protest government" by Associated Press / December 13, 2010
MOSCOW — The rallies followed violent clashes Saturday just outside the Kremlin walls between riot police and about 5,000 football fans and nationalists, who shouted “Russia for Russians.’’
The police crackdown further angered Slavic Russians who resent the growing presence of dark-complexioned people from Russia’s predominantly Muslim republics in the Caucasus.
--more--"
"Clashes befuddle Russian leaders; Uncertain how to crack down on nationalist groups" by Will Englund, Washington Post / December 14, 2010
MOSCOW — Street melees here the past few days, sparked by the killing of a soccer fan and fueled by nationalists’ hatred of immigrants from the Caucasus, have caught the police and other authorities unprepared for an upwelling of rage that appears to reflect a larger sense of anger in Russian society.
The riots by right-wing nationalists and extremists have put political leaders on the spot: How should they go about cracking down on a movement that up until now has typically been a useful right flank for those in power?
There goes the pot AmeriKan media whistling kettle again.
The Kremlin has spent the past decade nurturing nationalist sentiment in Russia, especially among the young.
America got a 9/11 instead.
Now, hundreds and sometimes thousands of furious young men have been gathering at varying places around Moscow and other cities, shouting nationalist slogans, making fascist salutes, and beating up darker-skinned people who appear to be from the Caucasus or Central Asia.
About 5,000 people, mainly boys and young men, rallied for hours at Manezh Square, just outside the Kremlin, Saturday. Eighty were briefly detained, but riot police chased most of the crowd into the subway, where they rampaged through the cars threatening non-Russians. Three natives of the Caucasus were stabbed and hospitalized, police said.
Sunday, crowds appeared at Pushkin Square and at Sokolniki Park, northeast of the center. Websites promised more to come. Sunday night or yesterday morning, a man from Central Asia was stabbed to death in the southern part of Moscow by a group of about 15 young people, police reported.
President Dmitry Medvedev warned yesterday that Russia itself could be torn apart if seething ethnic tensions spin out of control, and he said the hooligans and racists who rampaged over the weekend will be tracked down and punished....
Rashid Nurgaliyev, Russia’s interior minister, sought Sunday to blame the riots on left-wing radicals, but the chants and slogans point to the right....
But Medvedev’s government seems to be walking a fine line. On Saturday, his deputy chief of staff told a meeting of Kremlin-sponsored youth groups, “Prepare yourselves for the polls, and train your brains and your muscles. You can always count on our support.’’
Vladislav Surkov was meeting with leaders from the groups Nashi (Ours), Molodaya Gvardiya (the Young Guards), and other youth groups
While not as radical or as openly racist as the groups that were at Manezh, these organizations have been active in harassing embassies and diplomats. Molodaya Gvardiya listed on its website a group of journalists who will be punished, shortly before a Kommersant reporter who was on the list, Oleg Kashin, was severely beaten on the street near his home.
--more--"
"1,000 are detained in Moscow to prevent ethnic violence; Action follows weekend rioting outside Kremlin" by David Nowak, Associated Press / December 16, 2010
MOSCOW — Fearing more clashes between racist hooligans and ethnic minorities, Russian police detained 1,000 people in a standoff near a Moscow train station yesterday, taking a strong stance against far-right extremists after weekend rioting left dozens injured.
Hundreds of riot police outside the Kievsky station hauled mostly young men and teenagers shouting racist slogans into police vans. Some in the group were lined up against buses and searched by police.
Officers confiscated an arsenal of weapons, including knives and metal bars, police spokesman Viktor Biryukov said.
Resentment has been rising among Slavic Russians over the growing presence in Moscow and elsewhere of people from the southern Caucasus region, the home of numerous ethnic groups, most of them Muslim.
People from other parts of the former Soviet Union, including Central Asia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, also face ethnic discrimination and are frequently victims of hate crimes.
The train station is popular with street merchants from the Caucasus. The majority of those detained were Slavic Russians shouting racist slogans and calling for violence, although some ethnic minorities from the Caucasus were also taken into custody....
Authorities sought to prevent the kind of rioting that occurred outside the Kremlin Saturday, when mainly soccer fans chanted “Russia for Russians!’’ during clashes that left dozens injured. Some soccer fans are linked with neo-Nazis and other radical racist groups that mushroomed in Russia after the 1991 Soviet collapse.
So did the rise of Jewish organized crime in the former Soviet Republics.
The violence over the weekend had raised new doubts about the government’s ability to control the rising tide of xenophobia, which poses a serious threat to Russia’s existence as a multiethnic state.
MOSCOW — Moscow’s police chief questioned yesterday whether civil liberties are practical when authorities need to keep law and order, the latest sign that ethnic tensions in Russia could lead to more restrictions on democracy....
Kremlin critics say ethnic tensions are being deliberately fanned as a pretext to introduce repressive legislation ahead of Russia’s 2012 presidential election. They say the measures floated by authorities could cripple attempts to hold peaceful antigovernment demonstrations....
A protest outside the Kremlin saw thousands of Slavic hooligans chanting racist slogans, raising their hands in a Nazi salute, and beating nonwhites.
Wait a minute. Russian nationalists doing the Hitler salute?
What is wrong with that picture, huh?
Why am I now getting the feeling outside forces are again using agent provocateurs to destabilize Russia?
While ethnic Russians make up four-fifths of Russia’s population of 142 million, the country is also home to some 180 ethnic groups.
The Caucasus region, with its mountainous terrain and isolated valleys, is home to at least 100 ethnicities, including Chechens, who have waged two separatist wars against Moscow since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
And who were assisted by "Al-CIA-Duh."
--more--"
"Russian leaders differ on Soviet model" by Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press / December 28, 2010
MOSCOW — A rising tide of xenophobia, which threatens the country’s existence.
--more--"
MOSCOW — To Russian prosecutors, imprisoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky is guilty of stealing nearly $30 billion in oil from his own company and laundering the proceeds. To others, he is a dissident who stood up to Vladimir Putin.
Thus he is a hero to the AmeriKan media.
Whatever he is, the verdict also showed that Putin, now the prime minister, still holds great power.
Time for me to fly, readers.
"2 killed, 83 hurt in emergency landing
MOSCOW — Two engines failed on a Russian passenger jet shortly after takeoff yesterday, and the plane made an emergency landing as its third engine cut out. The plane skidded off the snowy runway and broke apart, officials said. Two people were killed and 83 injured. The Tupolev Tu-154, belonging to Dagestan Airlines, was carrying at least 155 people when it landed at Domodedovo Airport. The cause of the engine failure was unclear.
--more--"
Related: Sleet shuts down Moscow airport, knocks out power for 300,000
Also see: Stalin behind Katyn massacre, Russians say
And we know who was behind him.
Russia to miss deadline on chemical arms
So did the U.S.
And what about THOSE WHO USE THEM, huh?
Russian Parliament gives tentative approval to arms pact
Expelled spy lands at Russian energy firm
Update:
"3 killed, 121 escape as jet catches fire
MOSCOW -- A passenger jet carrying 124 people caught fire as it taxied down a snowy runway in Siberia and exploded yesterday, killing three and injuring 43. Most on board were evacuated before the explosion (AP)."
Nothing unusual about snow in Siberia I suppose; however, if I see global warming in my paper again it will get hot around here -- from the steam off the top off my head.
"Freedom of speech in Russia is reserved for government" by Kathy Lally, Washington Post / December 12, 2010
MOSCOW — Here’s what the world looks like in a country where the government controls the media: One evening, the main television channel uses prime time to broadcast a concert across vast Russia, paying tribute to the much-feared tax collectors. Another day, media overseers charge a respected newspaper with extremism — for straightforward reporting on neo-Nazi groups.
The late-November concert in honor of the 20th anniversary of the tax inspectorate is a merry affair. Famous entertainers joke and sing.
A chorus of tax collectors joins in, glowing in stage lights, gold braid suspended from the shoulders of their military-style uniforms, a song of money on their lips — hardly the intimidating agents capable of bringing down a suddenly inconvenient billionaire or ruining a small-business owner without the right friends.
The state does not offer such admiration for crusading journalists....
Here in AmeriKa they just ignore bloggers.
--more--"
Honestly, readers, I'm tired of the AmeriKan media kettle hollering pot!
"Moscow crowds protest government" by Associated Press / December 13, 2010
MOSCOW — The rallies followed violent clashes Saturday just outside the Kremlin walls between riot police and about 5,000 football fans and nationalists, who shouted “Russia for Russians.’’
The police crackdown further angered Slavic Russians who resent the growing presence of dark-complexioned people from Russia’s predominantly Muslim republics in the Caucasus.
--more--"
"Clashes befuddle Russian leaders; Uncertain how to crack down on nationalist groups" by Will Englund, Washington Post / December 14, 2010
MOSCOW — Street melees here the past few days, sparked by the killing of a soccer fan and fueled by nationalists’ hatred of immigrants from the Caucasus, have caught the police and other authorities unprepared for an upwelling of rage that appears to reflect a larger sense of anger in Russian society.
The riots by right-wing nationalists and extremists have put political leaders on the spot: How should they go about cracking down on a movement that up until now has typically been a useful right flank for those in power?
There goes the pot AmeriKan media whistling kettle again.
The Kremlin has spent the past decade nurturing nationalist sentiment in Russia, especially among the young.
America got a 9/11 instead.
Now, hundreds and sometimes thousands of furious young men have been gathering at varying places around Moscow and other cities, shouting nationalist slogans, making fascist salutes, and beating up darker-skinned people who appear to be from the Caucasus or Central Asia.
About 5,000 people, mainly boys and young men, rallied for hours at Manezh Square, just outside the Kremlin, Saturday. Eighty were briefly detained, but riot police chased most of the crowd into the subway, where they rampaged through the cars threatening non-Russians. Three natives of the Caucasus were stabbed and hospitalized, police said.
Sunday, crowds appeared at Pushkin Square and at Sokolniki Park, northeast of the center. Websites promised more to come. Sunday night or yesterday morning, a man from Central Asia was stabbed to death in the southern part of Moscow by a group of about 15 young people, police reported.
President Dmitry Medvedev warned yesterday that Russia itself could be torn apart if seething ethnic tensions spin out of control, and he said the hooligans and racists who rampaged over the weekend will be tracked down and punished....
Rashid Nurgaliyev, Russia’s interior minister, sought Sunday to blame the riots on left-wing radicals, but the chants and slogans point to the right....
But Medvedev’s government seems to be walking a fine line. On Saturday, his deputy chief of staff told a meeting of Kremlin-sponsored youth groups, “Prepare yourselves for the polls, and train your brains and your muscles. You can always count on our support.’’
Vladislav Surkov was meeting with leaders from the groups Nashi (Ours), Molodaya Gvardiya (the Young Guards), and other youth groups
While not as radical or as openly racist as the groups that were at Manezh, these organizations have been active in harassing embassies and diplomats. Molodaya Gvardiya listed on its website a group of journalists who will be punished, shortly before a Kommersant reporter who was on the list, Oleg Kashin, was severely beaten on the street near his home.
--more--"
"1,000 are detained in Moscow to prevent ethnic violence; Action follows weekend rioting outside Kremlin" by David Nowak, Associated Press / December 16, 2010
MOSCOW — Fearing more clashes between racist hooligans and ethnic minorities, Russian police detained 1,000 people in a standoff near a Moscow train station yesterday, taking a strong stance against far-right extremists after weekend rioting left dozens injured.
Hundreds of riot police outside the Kievsky station hauled mostly young men and teenagers shouting racist slogans into police vans. Some in the group were lined up against buses and searched by police.
Officers confiscated an arsenal of weapons, including knives and metal bars, police spokesman Viktor Biryukov said.
Resentment has been rising among Slavic Russians over the growing presence in Moscow and elsewhere of people from the southern Caucasus region, the home of numerous ethnic groups, most of them Muslim.
People from other parts of the former Soviet Union, including Central Asia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, also face ethnic discrimination and are frequently victims of hate crimes.
The train station is popular with street merchants from the Caucasus. The majority of those detained were Slavic Russians shouting racist slogans and calling for violence, although some ethnic minorities from the Caucasus were also taken into custody....
Authorities sought to prevent the kind of rioting that occurred outside the Kremlin Saturday, when mainly soccer fans chanted “Russia for Russians!’’ during clashes that left dozens injured. Some soccer fans are linked with neo-Nazis and other radical racist groups that mushroomed in Russia after the 1991 Soviet collapse.
So did the rise of Jewish organized crime in the former Soviet Republics.
The violence over the weekend had raised new doubts about the government’s ability to control the rising tide of xenophobia, which poses a serious threat to Russia’s existence as a multiethnic state.
It also embarrassed the Kremlin just days after FIFA awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and raised questions about Russia’s ability to safely hold international sporting events, including the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
--more--"
"Moscow police chief says liberties, keeping order may conflict; Kremlin fanning strife for political gain, critics say" by David Nowak, Associated Press / December 23, 2010
MOSCOW — Moscow’s police chief questioned yesterday whether civil liberties are practical when authorities need to keep law and order, the latest sign that ethnic tensions in Russia could lead to more restrictions on democracy....
Kremlin critics say ethnic tensions are being deliberately fanned as a pretext to introduce repressive legislation ahead of Russia’s 2012 presidential election. They say the measures floated by authorities could cripple attempts to hold peaceful antigovernment demonstrations....
A protest outside the Kremlin saw thousands of Slavic hooligans chanting racist slogans, raising their hands in a Nazi salute, and beating nonwhites.
Wait a minute. Russian nationalists doing the Hitler salute?
What is wrong with that picture, huh?
Why am I now getting the feeling outside forces are again using agent provocateurs to destabilize Russia?
While ethnic Russians make up four-fifths of Russia’s population of 142 million, the country is also home to some 180 ethnic groups.
The Caucasus region, with its mountainous terrain and isolated valleys, is home to at least 100 ethnicities, including Chechens, who have waged two separatist wars against Moscow since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
And who were assisted by "Al-CIA-Duh."
--more--"
"Russian leaders differ on Soviet model" by Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press / December 28, 2010
MOSCOW — A rising tide of xenophobia, which threatens the country’s existence.
Putin suggested yesterday that the authorities might restore harsh Soviet era-restrictions on movement into big cities like Moscow or St. Petersburg. Such a move would target dark-complexioned people from the Caucasus, who flee their impoverished regions for big cities.
“We went for liberal rules of registration too early,’’ Putin said.
Medvedev, however, warned against trying to isolate ethnic groups. “We can’t block people from moving around the country, although we need to control that,’’ he said. “We are a single country, and we must learn to live together.’’
Medvedev warned that ethnic tensions could break Russia up if the government fails to stem violent nationalism and act more harshly to disperse riots.
Somehow that seems acceptable in USrael's case.
“Interethnic conflicts are deadly dangerous for Russia,’’ Medvedev said.
“We went for liberal rules of registration too early,’’ Putin said.
Medvedev, however, warned against trying to isolate ethnic groups. “We can’t block people from moving around the country, although we need to control that,’’ he said. “We are a single country, and we must learn to live together.’’
Medvedev warned that ethnic tensions could break Russia up if the government fails to stem violent nationalism and act more harshly to disperse riots.
Somehow that seems acceptable in USrael's case.
“Interethnic conflicts are deadly dangerous for Russia,’’ Medvedev said.
--more--"
"Jailed oil tycoon convicted again in Moscow; Backers say he’s punished for opposing Putin" by Lynn Berry, Associated Press / December 28, 2010
MOSCOW — To Russian prosecutors, imprisoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky is guilty of stealing nearly $30 billion in oil from his own company and laundering the proceeds. To others, he is a dissident who stood up to Vladimir Putin.
Thus he is a hero to the AmeriKan media.
Whatever he is, the verdict also showed that Putin, now the prime minister, still holds great power.
Hundreds of Khodorkovsky supporters rallied outside the courthouse, holding up signs saying “Freedom’’ and “Russia without Putin.’’ Police roughly detained some of them.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton led a chorus of political figures in the United States and Europe in condemning the verdict.
It “raises serious questions about selective prosecution and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations,’’ she said....
She was drunk, wasn't she?
See: Western double standards: the cases of Khodorkovsky and Guantanamo
Yeah, it's okay if you have "terror" show trials for pathetic patsies framed by the FBI.
Once one of the reviled oligarchs who controlled much of Russia’s economy and dictated their terms to the Kremlin, Khodorkovsky has become a modern-day political dissident and intellectual, a symbol of the struggle for democracy in Putin’s Russia.
The new Sakharov.
Like millions of political prisoners under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, he spent time in a Siberian prison camp, where he was assigned to a workshop sewing gloves. For much of the past two years, he has been shuttling back and forth in handcuffs from a Moscow jail to the courtroom he sat in yesterday....
Like an innocent Muslim in U.S. custody.
--more--"
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton led a chorus of political figures in the United States and Europe in condemning the verdict.
It “raises serious questions about selective prosecution and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations,’’ she said....
She was drunk, wasn't she?
See: Western double standards: the cases of Khodorkovsky and Guantanamo
Yeah, it's okay if you have "terror" show trials for pathetic patsies framed by the FBI.
Once one of the reviled oligarchs who controlled much of Russia’s economy and dictated their terms to the Kremlin, Khodorkovsky has become a modern-day political dissident and intellectual, a symbol of the struggle for democracy in Putin’s Russia.
The new Sakharov.
Like millions of political prisoners under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, he spent time in a Siberian prison camp, where he was assigned to a workshop sewing gloves. For much of the past two years, he has been shuttling back and forth in handcuffs from a Moscow jail to the courtroom he sat in yesterday....
Like an innocent Muslim in U.S. custody.
--more--"
Related: Russia rejects criticism of trial
Time for me to fly, readers.
"2 killed, 83 hurt in emergency landing
MOSCOW — Two engines failed on a Russian passenger jet shortly after takeoff yesterday, and the plane made an emergency landing as its third engine cut out. The plane skidded off the snowy runway and broke apart, officials said. Two people were killed and 83 injured. The Tupolev Tu-154, belonging to Dagestan Airlines, was carrying at least 155 people when it landed at Domodedovo Airport. The cause of the engine failure was unclear.
--more--"
Related: Sleet shuts down Moscow airport, knocks out power for 300,000
Also see: Stalin behind Katyn massacre, Russians say
And we know who was behind him.
Russia to miss deadline on chemical arms
So did the U.S.
And what about THOSE WHO USE THEM, huh?
Russian Parliament gives tentative approval to arms pact
Expelled spy lands at Russian energy firm
Update:
"3 killed, 121 escape as jet catches fire
MOSCOW -- A passenger jet carrying 124 people caught fire as it taxied down a snowy runway in Siberia and exploded yesterday, killing three and injuring 43. Most on board were evacuated before the explosion (AP)."
Nothing unusual about snow in Siberia I suppose; however, if I see global warming in my paper again it will get hot around here -- from the steam off the top off my head.
Uranium Coming Out of the Ukraine
"Ukraine transports uranium to Russia" by Desmond Butler, Associated Press / January 1, 2011
WASHINGTON — In a secret operation to secure nuclear material, the United States has helped Ukraine send to Russia enough uranium to build two atomic bombs.
This week’s removal of more than 110 pounds of highly enriched uranium followed a pledge by Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yanukovych, to get rid of all of his country’s highly enriched uranium by April 2012. The material will be blended down in Russia, rendering it useless for bomb making.
Details of the operation were provided by the National Nuclear Security Administration.
A nuclear security summit deal also has the United States building a $25 million “neutron source facility’’ nuclear research project for Ukraine, the administration said.
I'm glad American taxpayers have the spare change.
The facility will be able to produce 50 types of medical isotopes, using only low-enriched uranium....
But Iran can not have one.
--more--"
Also see: Ukraine will open Chernobyl site to tours
The dream vacation.
"Rights group finds abuse of migrants by Ukraine; Urges EU nations to suspend pact on deportations" by Maria Danilova, Associated Press / December 17, 2010
KIEV —Migrants and asylum seekers caught in Ukraine en route to the EU or sent back to Ukraine through a deportation program with the EU risk severe abuse that sometimes amounts to torture, Human Rights Watch said in a report released yesterday.
Boris Marchenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, said the agency will conduct a thorough investigation based on the report, but he called Human Rights Watch findings “subjective and one-sided.’’
Rights groups and asylum seekers contend that security forces and smugglers are in cahoots, with border guards taking kickbacks or even actively participating in smuggling, then abusing migrants once they are sent back.
--more--"
Maybe not if your papers are no in order.
WASHINGTON — In a secret operation to secure nuclear material, the United States has helped Ukraine send to Russia enough uranium to build two atomic bombs.
This week’s removal of more than 110 pounds of highly enriched uranium followed a pledge by Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yanukovych, to get rid of all of his country’s highly enriched uranium by April 2012. The material will be blended down in Russia, rendering it useless for bomb making.
Details of the operation were provided by the National Nuclear Security Administration.
A nuclear security summit deal also has the United States building a $25 million “neutron source facility’’ nuclear research project for Ukraine, the administration said.
I'm glad American taxpayers have the spare change.
The facility will be able to produce 50 types of medical isotopes, using only low-enriched uranium....
But Iran can not have one.
--more--"
Also see: Ukraine will open Chernobyl site to tours
The dream vacation.
"Rights group finds abuse of migrants by Ukraine; Urges EU nations to suspend pact on deportations" by Maria Danilova, Associated Press / December 17, 2010
KIEV —Migrants and asylum seekers caught in Ukraine en route to the EU or sent back to Ukraine through a deportation program with the EU risk severe abuse that sometimes amounts to torture, Human Rights Watch said in a report released yesterday.
Boris Marchenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, said the agency will conduct a thorough investigation based on the report, but he called Human Rights Watch findings “subjective and one-sided.’’
Rights groups and asylum seekers contend that security forces and smugglers are in cahoots, with border guards taking kickbacks or even actively participating in smuggling, then abusing migrants once they are sent back.
--more--"
Maybe not if your papers are no in order.
Belarusian Belligerence
Belarus says it will give up nuclear materials by 2012
That doesn't seem belligerent at all.
What does is how the article turns into one about Iran.
Related:
Opposition protesters beaten by riot police after Belarus election
Belarus president tops election win with crackdown on rivals
Opposition leaders face jail in Belarus
Belarus’s strongman president reelected; rivals reject results
Belarusian KBG raids focus on media
Also see: Kyrgyzstan puts exiled former leader on trial
He's the CIA's man; that is why you have not seen a word in the Boston Globe since.
That doesn't seem belligerent at all.
What does is how the article turns into one about Iran.
Related:
Opposition protesters beaten by riot police after Belarus election
Belarus president tops election win with crackdown on rivals
Opposition leaders face jail in Belarus
Belarus’s strongman president reelected; rivals reject results
Belarusian KBG raids focus on media
Also see: Kyrgyzstan puts exiled former leader on trial
He's the CIA's man; that is why you have not seen a word in the Boston Globe since.
Bolivian Belligerence
"Bolivia’s leader fires pointed remarks at Gates" by Associated Press / November 23, 2010
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — President Evo Morales of Bolivia had a blunt message for the visiting US Pentagon chief yesterday: Latin American nations will pick their own friends and business partners, including Iran, regardless of US opinion.
The colorful leftist leader said Bolivia is more democratic and representative than the United States, and democracy would improve in the entire region if the United States stopped interfering.
I agree with that!
He mentioned the spread of Iranian and Russian business and other ties in Latin America, and said it is not the place of the United States to complain.
Morales has allied Bolivia with Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran, and drawn criticism from the United States for the Tehran ties.
Last month, Bolivia said it is interested in buying Iranian-made airplanes and helicopters for military training and transportation. Bolivia also wants to team up with Iran to build a nuclear power plant and establish a joint development bank. Venezuela is teaming with Russia on a civilian nuclear plant....
--more--"
Also see: Bolivian Busts US Coup
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — President Evo Morales of Bolivia had a blunt message for the visiting US Pentagon chief yesterday: Latin American nations will pick their own friends and business partners, including Iran, regardless of US opinion.
The colorful leftist leader said Bolivia is more democratic and representative than the United States, and democracy would improve in the entire region if the United States stopped interfering.
I agree with that!
He mentioned the spread of Iranian and Russian business and other ties in Latin America, and said it is not the place of the United States to complain.
Morales has allied Bolivia with Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran, and drawn criticism from the United States for the Tehran ties.
Last month, Bolivia said it is interested in buying Iranian-made airplanes and helicopters for military training and transportation. Bolivia also wants to team up with Iran to build a nuclear power plant and establish a joint development bank. Venezuela is teaming with Russia on a civilian nuclear plant....
--more--"
Also see: Bolivian Busts US Coup
The Boston Globe's Slice of Brazilian Pizza
Tastes like cardboard to me.
"The fault lines under the crust; The Upper Crust pizza chain was, from the start, favored by foodies — and by scores of illegal workers from one Brazilian village. It was a bond that benefited all, until it suddenly didn’t" by Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff / December 5, 2010
Benefited all except that legal citizen looking for work.
MARILAC, Brazil — In this remote valley of sugarcane fields and cattle farms, where horses and bicycles outnumber cars and poverty binds the community like mortar, people searching for a better life have one choice: They can leave town.
The most coveted destination has long been Boston — more precisely, one high-end local pizza chain....
Either that or the strip club.
And honestly, I am tired of illegality being celebrated by the Boston Globe -- whether it be immigrants that serve the wealthy, the defense of looting bankers, or the promotion of war with lies.
Upper Crust, founded by Sharon native Jordan Tobins in 2001, needed lots of kitchen help; the Brazilians worked hard and didn’t complain about workweeks that routinely stretched to 80 hours.
Related(?): Mass. Migration: What's the Difference Between a Brazilian and Dominican?
Marilac prospered as Upper Crust’s immigrant employees sent thousands of dollars home, and the company swiftly expanded from its original store in Beacon Hill to one upscale suburb after another.
Also see: Memory Hole: Money Leaving Massachusetts
Globe says it is a good thing.
--more--"
Related:
Three allegedly confess in death of deliveryman
Two Boston high school students and a 20-year-old man confessed to police in gruesome detail how they lured a pizza deliveryman to a vacant Hyde Park apartment on Sept. 1, stabbed him 16 times, and pulled $143 from his pocket as he was dying, a prosecutor said in court yesterday.
Police cite gang connection of 3 slain in pizza shop battle
The name of the popular pizzeria in Jamaica Plain is the Same Old Place, but events Sunday night were shockingly out of the ordinary: A gang-affiliated gun-and-knife fight inside the shop took three lives and unsettled a neighborhood not accustomed to such violence.
"Police seek guns-for-gift cards swap
New Bedford police are teaming up with local churches to get guns off the city’s streets. Each person who turns in a working handgun during today’s event will get a $100 gift card as well as a coupon good for a large pizza. Those who bring a working rifle or shotgun will get a $75 gift card, while those who turn in broken guns will get $50 cards. City officials say the guns can be turned in anonymously and without fear of prosecution. Firearms and ammunition can be handed over between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church; Potter’s House Church; Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Catholic Church; and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church (AP)."
Attorney general reportedly to probe pizza chain
Why does she always seem to be the last to know?
Also see: Pizza shop stiffed by man with Dylan pass
Brazil says deforestation is slowing
"The fault lines under the crust; The Upper Crust pizza chain was, from the start, favored by foodies — and by scores of illegal workers from one Brazilian village. It was a bond that benefited all, until it suddenly didn’t" by Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff / December 5, 2010
Benefited all except that legal citizen looking for work.
MARILAC, Brazil — In this remote valley of sugarcane fields and cattle farms, where horses and bicycles outnumber cars and poverty binds the community like mortar, people searching for a better life have one choice: They can leave town.
The most coveted destination has long been Boston — more precisely, one high-end local pizza chain....
Either that or the strip club.
And honestly, I am tired of illegality being celebrated by the Boston Globe -- whether it be immigrants that serve the wealthy, the defense of looting bankers, or the promotion of war with lies.
Upper Crust, founded by Sharon native Jordan Tobins in 2001, needed lots of kitchen help; the Brazilians worked hard and didn’t complain about workweeks that routinely stretched to 80 hours.
Related(?): Mass. Migration: What's the Difference Between a Brazilian and Dominican?
Marilac prospered as Upper Crust’s immigrant employees sent thousands of dollars home, and the company swiftly expanded from its original store in Beacon Hill to one upscale suburb after another.
Also see: Memory Hole: Money Leaving Massachusetts
Globe says it is a good thing.
--more--"
Related:
Three allegedly confess in death of deliveryman
Two Boston high school students and a 20-year-old man confessed to police in gruesome detail how they lured a pizza deliveryman to a vacant Hyde Park apartment on Sept. 1, stabbed him 16 times, and pulled $143 from his pocket as he was dying, a prosecutor said in court yesterday.
Police cite gang connection of 3 slain in pizza shop battle
The name of the popular pizzeria in Jamaica Plain is the Same Old Place, but events Sunday night were shockingly out of the ordinary: A gang-affiliated gun-and-knife fight inside the shop took three lives and unsettled a neighborhood not accustomed to such violence.
"Police seek guns-for-gift cards swap
New Bedford police are teaming up with local churches to get guns off the city’s streets. Each person who turns in a working handgun during today’s event will get a $100 gift card as well as a coupon good for a large pizza. Those who bring a working rifle or shotgun will get a $75 gift card, while those who turn in broken guns will get $50 cards. City officials say the guns can be turned in anonymously and without fear of prosecution. Firearms and ammunition can be handed over between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church; Potter’s House Church; Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Catholic Church; and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church (AP)."
Attorney general reportedly to probe pizza chain
Why does she always seem to be the last to know?
Also see: Pizza shop stiffed by man with Dylan pass
Brazil says deforestation is slowing
Doing Time in Chile
Turns out all governments are pretty much the same:
"Chile debates prison changes after deadly fire" by Federico Quilodran, Associated Press / December 9, 2010
SANTIAGO, Chile— Prison overcrowding is severe throughout Latin America, where bureaucratic legal systems have been overwhelmed with suspects since countries began cracking down on drugs in the wake of a 1988 United Nations treaty that urged jail terms for even petty offenses.
Many governments haven't invested in improving prisons, where most inmates languish for months or years without trial, said Pien Metaal of the Transnational Institute, an Amsterdam-based think tank.
I can't criticize. I'm an AmeriKan citizen.
Together with the Washington Office on Latin America, a non-governmental organization based in Washington, the institute published a study Thursday on drugs and prisons in Latin American countries.
"Criminalizing personal drug use is the main cause of this overpopulation, so the solutions should start with changing the laws and having fewer people prosecuted for minor offenses," Metaal told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Yeah, time to legalize drugs and stop enriching western intelligence agencies and their reactionary counterparts "fighting" the "war" on drugs.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter on Wednesday rejected suggestions from the country's Roman Catholic Church that the government solve prison overcrowding by giving some of the prisoners amnesty....
If ever there were a time amnesty should be granted!
--more--"
Also see: Fire in Chilean prison kills at least 81
"Chile debates prison changes after deadly fire" by Federico Quilodran, Associated Press / December 9, 2010
SANTIAGO, Chile— Prison overcrowding is severe throughout Latin America, where bureaucratic legal systems have been overwhelmed with suspects since countries began cracking down on drugs in the wake of a 1988 United Nations treaty that urged jail terms for even petty offenses.
Many governments haven't invested in improving prisons, where most inmates languish for months or years without trial, said Pien Metaal of the Transnational Institute, an Amsterdam-based think tank.
I can't criticize. I'm an AmeriKan citizen.
Together with the Washington Office on Latin America, a non-governmental organization based in Washington, the institute published a study Thursday on drugs and prisons in Latin American countries.
"Criminalizing personal drug use is the main cause of this overpopulation, so the solutions should start with changing the laws and having fewer people prosecuted for minor offenses," Metaal told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Yeah, time to legalize drugs and stop enriching western intelligence agencies and their reactionary counterparts "fighting" the "war" on drugs.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter on Wednesday rejected suggestions from the country's Roman Catholic Church that the government solve prison overcrowding by giving some of the prisoners amnesty....
If ever there were a time amnesty should be granted!
--more--"
Also see: Fire in Chilean prison kills at least 81
The Other Columbian Drug Cartel
Five Columbia students held in drug ring
Undercover officer posing as drug middleman
Yeah, usually is government behind the drug-dealing.
Also see:
"Suspected drug lab found in dormitory
Police arrested three men suspected of creating a drug lab in a freshman dormitory at Georgetown University in Washington. Investigators said they found a lab to make dimethyltryptamine, a hallucinogenic drug. Two of the men are students and one was a visitor, police said. About 400 students were evacuated from Harbin Hall. Seven people were exposed to noxious chemicals but none were hospitalized (AP)."
Undercover officer posing as drug middleman
Yeah, usually is government behind the drug-dealing.
Also see:
"Suspected drug lab found in dormitory
Police arrested three men suspected of creating a drug lab in a freshman dormitory at Georgetown University in Washington. Investigators said they found a lab to make dimethyltryptamine, a hallucinogenic drug. Two of the men are students and one was a visitor, police said. About 400 students were evacuated from Harbin Hall. Seven people were exposed to noxious chemicals but none were hospitalized (AP)."
Caught in Canadian Crosshairs
Canadian allegedly used crossbow to kill father
Report attacks Canada’s exports of asbestos to poor nations
Hey, if it is good enough for Larry Summers....
Report attacks Canada’s exports of asbestos to poor nations
Hey, if it is good enough for Larry Summers....
Slow Saturday Special: Banker Hangover
Yeah, they sure have partied hard the last three years at taxpayers and citizens expense.
"Lawsuit deals setback to Bank of America as it tries to put mortgage woes in past" by David S. Hilzenrath, Washington Post / January 1, 2011
Don't worry, Americans.
There will certainly be football to watch!
What I stayed away from yesterday.
Drink what you want, readers. Globe will shut you off at five.
Page one
Democrats seek to curb filibusters
"Lawsuit deals setback to Bank of America as it tries to put mortgage woes in past" by David S. Hilzenrath, Washington Post / January 1, 2011
WASHINGTON — Bank of America’s hangover from the housing bubble could be harder to shake in the new year as a result of a recent court decision.
Aren't they making billions in profits per quarter?
Were they fraudulently foreclosed upon?
The whole framing of the issue proves it's a banker's paper.
The bank lost a major procedural ruling in a lawsuit over its liability for allegedly toxic mortgages. The ruling will make it harder for the bank to defend itself in that case, and it could set a standard for similar disputes....
Yeah, POOR FRIKKIN' BoA!
They JUST HAVE YOUR HOME to BACK UP the BAD PAPER from which they BENEFITED!
Lenders are confronting demands that they buy back billions of dollars of loans from investors....
That's why Bernanke has that printing press running full steam and why banks want to foreclose on homes. They need the hard assets, not a bunch of promised paper that will be worthless through their own actions to placate Europeans and others who got ripped off.
Related: Oil prices fall, but gasoline rises
Yeah, it is also why the price of gas is flying through the ceiling when it should be dropping during the post-holiday season.
MBIA’s suit focuses on loans issued by Countrywide Financial, a mortgage lender that was taken over by Bank of America. When Countrywide pooled loans into securities and sold them, MBIA provided insurance.
In the suit, MBIA is trying to recoup money it has lost to make good on its insurance policies.
Just wondering why AIG didn't sue.
--more--"
Related: Goldman's Switcharoo on AIG
Also see: MBIA might again insure muni bonds
Don't they ever learn?
Aren't they making billions in profits per quarter?
Were they fraudulently foreclosed upon?
The whole framing of the issue proves it's a banker's paper.
The bank lost a major procedural ruling in a lawsuit over its liability for allegedly toxic mortgages. The ruling will make it harder for the bank to defend itself in that case, and it could set a standard for similar disputes....
Yeah, POOR FRIKKIN' BoA!
They JUST HAVE YOUR HOME to BACK UP the BAD PAPER from which they BENEFITED!
Lenders are confronting demands that they buy back billions of dollars of loans from investors....
That's why Bernanke has that printing press running full steam and why banks want to foreclose on homes. They need the hard assets, not a bunch of promised paper that will be worthless through their own actions to placate Europeans and others who got ripped off.
Related: Oil prices fall, but gasoline rises
Yeah, it is also why the price of gas is flying through the ceiling when it should be dropping during the post-holiday season.
MBIA’s suit focuses on loans issued by Countrywide Financial, a mortgage lender that was taken over by Bank of America. When Countrywide pooled loans into securities and sold them, MBIA provided insurance.
In the suit, MBIA is trying to recoup money it has lost to make good on its insurance policies.
Just wondering why AIG didn't sue.
--more--"
Related: Goldman's Switcharoo on AIG
Also see: MBIA might again insure muni bonds
Don't they ever learn?
Don't worry, Americans.
There will certainly be football to watch!
What I stayed away from yesterday.
Drink what you want, readers. Globe will shut you off at five.
Page one
Democrats seek to curb filibusters
Frustrated Senate Democrats, frequently thwarted by a record number of Republican filibusters, are preparing an effort to weaken the much-lamented tactic that allows a minority in the chamber to delay or derail legislation.
How come you guys never used it to stop the wars, spying, torture, etc?
And what are you fools going to do when you are the minority in 2012?
Talking trash over parking
I'm sick of BG trash talk.
Nation
Metro
How come you guys never used it to stop the wars, spying, torture, etc?
And what are you fools going to do when you are the minority in 2012?
Talking trash over parking
I'm sick of BG trash talk.
Nation
- Flaws in diplomatic cable database allowed leaks (By Joby Warrick, Washington Post)
- Upkeep long put off, nation’s state parks crumbling (By Chris Blank, Associated Press)
- Grizzly bear deaths up near Yellowstone (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- 48 mine deaths in 2010; worst since ’92 (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- Ariz. official’s daughter accused in sex case (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- Porn king offers to pay off Nadya Suleman's mortgage (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- Political Notebook Murkowski wins seat (Boston Globe)
- Uneven progress on Gulf cleanup (By Cain Burdeau and Harry R. Weber, Associated Press)
- Bloomberg concedes New York handled blizzard response poorly (By Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press)
- Putin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky gets 6 more years (By Clifford J. Levy, New York Times)
- 10 Iraq bombings target Christians (By New York Times, Boston Globe)
- Vatican creates a fiscal watchdog agency (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- Thatcher appealed to Iran over US hostages (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- Pakistan says it will defend spy chief (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- Swede sentenced in Auschwitz sign theft (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)
- Israeli court finds former president Moshe Katsav guilty of rape (By Isabel Kershner, New York Times)
- Big natural gas field off Israel confirmed (By Ethan Bronner, New York Times)
- Roadside bomb kills 14, injures 4 in minibus in Afghanistan (By Michael Kamber, New York Times)
- US troubled by disappearances in Pakistan’s restive provinces (By Eric Schmitt, New York Times)
- Inquiry into mass graves blocked (By Marco Chown Oved, Associated Press)
Metro
- Army of his peers salutes slain Woburn officer (By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff)
- Boston to mark New Year with performances, parade, fireworks (By Eric Moskowitz and Akilah Johnson, Globe Staff)
- Gingerbread man in Haverhill holiday display vandalized (By L. Finch, Globe Correspondent)
- Brown surveys damage from nor’easter in Scituate (By Jessica Bartlett, Globe Correspondent)
- Finances, schools top the agenda for Providence's new mayor (By Michelle R. Smith, Associated Press)
- Turner asks judge to reinstate him (By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff)
- BOSTON $330m bill is OK’d, most for Medicaid (Boston Globe)
- BOSTON Mayor reappoints 2 to School Committee (Boston Globe)
- BOSTON Republican said to violate campaign law (Boston Globe)
- BROCKTON Teen found guilty of fatal 2007 stabbing (Boston Globe)
- BROCKTON No bail for man in girl’s shooting death (Boston Globe)
- WORCESTER Driver denies fifth drunken driving charge (Boston Globe)
- Preparing for First Night, trucks haul snow to vacant city lots (By Matt Rocheleau, Globe Correspondent)
- Penalties will rise for some uninsured (By Michael Norton, State House News Service)
- Report cited minor issues on ski lift at Sugarloaf ski resort (Associated Press)
- ‘He was bad, bad news,’ ex-detective says of Cinelli (By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff)
- National Grid storm response scrutinized (By Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff)
- Liquor store owners celebrate end of tax (By Kathleen Pierce, Globe Correspondent)
- Tax holiday fell short of state’s expectations (By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff)
- Oprah passes on Watertown blogger’s talk show bid (By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff)
- Banker pays $10m to end influence-peddling suit (By David B. Caruso, Associated Press)
- Fewer claims for jobless benefits may mean US has turned corner (By Paul Wiseman, Associated Press)
- Home-buying contracts rise in Nov. (Associated Press)
- Italian shipbuilder gets Navy contract (Associated Press)
- Tobacco ads target would-be quitters (Associated Press)
- Ford, Chrysler recall 165,000 vehicles (Associated Press)
- (Associated Press)
- Tesla says its batteries lower costs (Bloomberg News)
- Around the region Deal for Hancock Tower complete (Associated Press)
- Groupon raises $500m so far (Bloomberg News)
- Liberty Mutual, AGs settle lawsuit (By Stephanie Reitz, Associated Press)
- Nintendo won’t let young children use 3-D device (Bloomberg News)
- Many in Slovakia rue decision to adopt euro (By Karel Janicek and George Jahn, Associated Press)
- Candice Choi Here’s something that never gets old: discount prices for senior citizens (By Candice Choi, Associated Press)
- Skype introducing app for Apple devices (By Olga Kharif and Joseph Galante, Bloomberg News)
- Investors putting money into US stock funds again (By Whitney Kisling, Bloomberg News)
- Regulators move to the other side (By Zachary A. Goldfarb, Washington Post)
Slow Saturday Special: Weather Down Under
Here:
The region has been bracing for severe weather for much of the week. Gulf moisture riding southerly winds pushed temperatures into the upper 60s and 70s on Thursday — ahead of a cold front expected to drop temperatures into the teens by Saturday morning.
Global warming aga.... ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
I thought I could get through typing it without laughing, but...
Not really funny when you think about the deaths and misery it is causing in Al Gore's home state and the surrounding areas that are not used to freezing cold.
--more--"
Related: Globe Going South
2010 may be warmest year on record for Boston
After 2010 setbacks, US environmentalists plot change in course
Someone else going south on the Globe because of this absolute s***.
From now on I will follow my nose and my own senses, if you will.
Related:
Pile it there . . . and pay the price
This month’s blizzard has brought a flurry of tickets from the Boston Code Enforcement Police, 173 yesterday alone, compared with 20 issued in all of December 2009. And officers are out today looking for more violators.
Yeah, hope you enjoyed the fascism with your snow flinging.
Also see:
City's '10 tally: 72 homicides, most unsolved
Too busy ticketing snowpiles, 'eh?
Related: On the Beat in Boston
Gotta get back to where it's warmer:
Jamestown well yields pipes made 400 years ago for Colonial, British elites
I'm about ready to hit the pipe, readers (sigh).
And there:
"Australia vows more aid for massive floods" by Associated Press / January 1, 2011
BRISBANE, Australia — Rising rivers inundated or isolated 22 towns in Queensland.
The relentless flooding began last week after days of pounding rain caused swollen rivers to overflow. While the rain has stopped, the rivers are still surging to new heights and overflowing into low-lying towns as the water makes its way to the sea.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh warned that drenched communities could be stuck underwater for more than a week, and cleanup efforts were expected to cost billions.
--more--"
The region has been bracing for severe weather for much of the week. Gulf moisture riding southerly winds pushed temperatures into the upper 60s and 70s on Thursday — ahead of a cold front expected to drop temperatures into the teens by Saturday morning.
Global warming aga.... ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
I thought I could get through typing it without laughing, but...
Not really funny when you think about the deaths and misery it is causing in Al Gore's home state and the surrounding areas that are not used to freezing cold.
--more--"
Related: Globe Going South
2010 may be warmest year on record for Boston
After 2010 setbacks, US environmentalists plot change in course
Someone else going south on the Globe because of this absolute s***.
From now on I will follow my nose and my own senses, if you will.
Related:
Pile it there . . . and pay the price
This month’s blizzard has brought a flurry of tickets from the Boston Code Enforcement Police, 173 yesterday alone, compared with 20 issued in all of December 2009. And officers are out today looking for more violators.
Yeah, hope you enjoyed the fascism with your snow flinging.
Also see:
City's '10 tally: 72 homicides, most unsolved
Too busy ticketing snowpiles, 'eh?
Related: On the Beat in Boston
Gotta get back to where it's warmer:
Jamestown well yields pipes made 400 years ago for Colonial, British elites
I'm about ready to hit the pipe, readers (sigh).
And there:
"Australia vows more aid for massive floods" by Associated Press / January 1, 2011
BRISBANE, Australia — Rising rivers inundated or isolated 22 towns in Queensland.
The relentless flooding began last week after days of pounding rain caused swollen rivers to overflow. While the rain has stopped, the rivers are still surging to new heights and overflowing into low-lying towns as the water makes its way to the sea.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh warned that drenched communities could be stuck underwater for more than a week, and cleanup efforts were expected to cost billions.
--more--"
Slow Saturday Special: Are You Kidding Me?
Please say yes (sob).
Billy the Kid could get pardon at last
Ambiguity snarls pardon for Billy the Kid
Maybe it will start a trend with the war criminals that walk above us.
Billy the Kid could get pardon at last
Ambiguity snarls pardon for Billy the Kid
Maybe it will start a trend with the war criminals that walk above us.
Slow Saturday Special: No Longer Looking to the Past
I already paid my respects to those I cared about when they passed, and noted the demons of importance who have been called home to the cauldron of fire.
Remembering those who shined
Related: Author of pedophile book gets attention
Not here.
Remembering those who shined
Related: Author of pedophile book gets attention
Not here.
Slow Saturday Special: They Hate Us For Our Freedoms
After all we have been through the last ten years the editorial staff over there expects us to buy this drivel?
"Timely intelligence, sound police work, and a determination to win a war of ideas against the irrational doctrines of Islamist extremism.
Then how come all the "extremists" are false-front Jewish converts or pathetic patsies framed by the Fascist Bureau of Instigation?
--Globe Editorial Terrorism: Looking beyond al Qaeda--"
Yeah, well, which "Al-CIA-Duh" would that be, huh?
The made-up "Al-CIA-Duh?"
Or the "Al-CIA-Duh" CREATION for the COURTROOM!?
Related:
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh and the OSI
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh's Greatest Hits
Prop 101: The "Terrorism" Business
New York Times Admits War on Terror is U.S. Creation
Oh, AmeriKa's MSM KNOWS ALL ABOUT and yet STILL PUSHES the CHARADE, huh?
I guess that's why the stack of unread Globes grows and grows.
"Timely intelligence, sound police work, and a determination to win a war of ideas against the irrational doctrines of Islamist extremism.
Then how come all the "extremists" are false-front Jewish converts or pathetic patsies framed by the Fascist Bureau of Instigation?
--Globe Editorial Terrorism: Looking beyond al Qaeda--"
Yeah, well, which "Al-CIA-Duh" would that be, huh?
The made-up "Al-CIA-Duh?"
Or the "Al-CIA-Duh" CREATION for the COURTROOM!?
Related:
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh and the OSI
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh's Greatest Hits
Prop 101: The "Terrorism" Business
New York Times Admits War on Terror is U.S. Creation
Oh, AmeriKa's MSM KNOWS ALL ABOUT and yet STILL PUSHES the CHARADE, huh?
I guess that's why the stack of unread Globes grows and grows.
Slow Saturday Special: Front-Page F***-Up
Why not get the new year started off right?
Wait until you see where they put the correction this morning.
Page one Abuser held in death of infant son
Page one lead, SECOND SECTION: State erred on man accused in son’s death
Today's lead:
Page one O’Brien resigns amid scandal
Related: Boston Globe Probation Office Visit
Also see: At Probation, new chief keeps focus on future
Slow Saturday Special: Boston Globe Probation Violation
Now I understand why Massachusetts has so many BS laws: it is so self-serving politicians can help their family and friends who will then kick back campaign loot.
Related:
Woburn mourns fallen officer
’09 parole of officer’s killer gets hard look
DA not notified of parole hearing
Killings a year apart show parole’s risks
Solemn rites for Woburn officer who gave all
Wait until you see where they put the correction this morning.
Page one Abuser held in death of infant son
Page one lead, SECOND SECTION: State erred on man accused in son’s death
Today's lead:
Page one O’Brien resigns amid scandal
Related: Boston Globe Probation Office Visit
Also see: At Probation, new chief keeps focus on future
Slow Saturday Special: Boston Globe Probation Violation
Now I understand why Massachusetts has so many BS laws: it is so self-serving politicians can help their family and friends who will then kick back campaign loot.
Related:
Woburn mourns fallen officer
’09 parole of officer’s killer gets hard look
DA not notified of parole hearing
Killings a year apart show parole’s risks
Solemn rites for Woburn officer who gave all
Cerberus Roars
Catholic Caritas didn't read the fine print.
"Low-profile portfolio; Caritas’s owner, Cerberus, has a history of quiet buyouts that pay off" by Robert Weismann, Globe Staff / November 28, 2010
NEW YORK — This is the nerve center of Cerberus Capital Management, the hard-nosed and secretive private equity firm that earlier this month completed its $895 million buyout of Boston’s Caritas Christi Health Care. But truth be told, it isn’t that intimidating.
There is no statue in the lobby, high above Park Avenue, of Cerberus, the mythological three-headed watchdog guarding the gates of Hades.
Who chooses these "mascots?"
There is no trumpeting of its powerhouse roster of movers and shakers, among them former vice president Dan Quayle, former treasury secretary John W. Snow, and former Home Depot chief executive Robert Nardelli.
Otherwise known as the front men.
And mementos from the company’s one-time ownership of Chrysler Corp. — an ill-fated investment — are conspicuously absent.
So is one deal the article never mentions.
See: Catholic Caritas Makes Deal With the Devil
It's like a mortgage-security sale: just keep rolling those souls over.
Cerberus has always been an unusually guarded and low-profile financial titan. It makes money by buying stakes in businesses, slashing costs and strengthening operations, and taking them public or selling them at a profit. The magazines in its modest lobby track the ups and downs of capital markets. Reporters are about as welcome as Red Sox caps on the streets of the Bronx....
Investors include giant pension funds, mammoth university endowments, and rich people — known in the parlance of the private equity business as “high net worth individuals.’’
Now you know why your pension went bust and why tuition is rising, 'murkn public.
Cerberus manages $23 billion of their capital, a gargantuan sum even by Wall Street standards....
Yes, MONEY F***ING HOWLS in this world.
Though it is best known for a pair of high-profile failures, Chrysler and auto financing firm GMAC, which lost billions for Cerberus and its partners and led to government bailouts, most of the 18-year-old company’s investments have generated healthy profits for investors....
This "deal" keeps getting worse all the time!
While it has slashed jobs and closed operations at many companies in which it’s invested, Cerberus has added jobs and worked with labor unions at others....
And at the bottom of it all?
Reclusive founder and chief executive, Stephen A. Feinberg, a financial whiz kid who cut his teeth at the Drexel Burnham Lambert investment bank....
--more--"
Also see: Killing Caritas
Already dead.
"Low-profile portfolio; Caritas’s owner, Cerberus, has a history of quiet buyouts that pay off" by Robert Weismann, Globe Staff / November 28, 2010
NEW YORK — This is the nerve center of Cerberus Capital Management, the hard-nosed and secretive private equity firm that earlier this month completed its $895 million buyout of Boston’s Caritas Christi Health Care. But truth be told, it isn’t that intimidating.
There is no statue in the lobby, high above Park Avenue, of Cerberus, the mythological three-headed watchdog guarding the gates of Hades.
Who chooses these "mascots?"
There is no trumpeting of its powerhouse roster of movers and shakers, among them former vice president Dan Quayle, former treasury secretary John W. Snow, and former Home Depot chief executive Robert Nardelli.
Otherwise known as the front men.
And mementos from the company’s one-time ownership of Chrysler Corp. — an ill-fated investment — are conspicuously absent.
So is one deal the article never mentions.
See: Catholic Caritas Makes Deal With the Devil
It's like a mortgage-security sale: just keep rolling those souls over.
Cerberus has always been an unusually guarded and low-profile financial titan. It makes money by buying stakes in businesses, slashing costs and strengthening operations, and taking them public or selling them at a profit. The magazines in its modest lobby track the ups and downs of capital markets. Reporters are about as welcome as Red Sox caps on the streets of the Bronx....
Investors include giant pension funds, mammoth university endowments, and rich people — known in the parlance of the private equity business as “high net worth individuals.’’
Now you know why your pension went bust and why tuition is rising, 'murkn public.
Cerberus manages $23 billion of their capital, a gargantuan sum even by Wall Street standards....
Yes, MONEY F***ING HOWLS in this world.
Though it is best known for a pair of high-profile failures, Chrysler and auto financing firm GMAC, which lost billions for Cerberus and its partners and led to government bailouts, most of the 18-year-old company’s investments have generated healthy profits for investors....
This "deal" keeps getting worse all the time!
While it has slashed jobs and closed operations at many companies in which it’s invested, Cerberus has added jobs and worked with labor unions at others....
And at the bottom of it all?
Reclusive founder and chief executive, Stephen A. Feinberg, a financial whiz kid who cut his teeth at the Drexel Burnham Lambert investment bank....
--more--"
Also see: Killing Caritas
Already dead.
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