Zainab al-Khawaja, a human rights activist in Bahrain, writes a letter from prison about why she is on a hunger strike and how Martin Luther King Jr. guides her acts of civil disobedience.
Guest blogger Seema Jilani writes about a Pakistani girl who, after being shot alongside Malala Yousafzai last year, is struggling under threats from the Taliban.
Guest blogger Shalini Kantayya writes about her own experience of sexual assault in India, and the unacceptable response she received from American and Indian institutions.
I have my winner for my annual win-a-trip contest: a journalism student at University of Wisconsin at Madison who blogs and produces videos -- and has spent a couple of years in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan.
Guest blogger Lisa Shannon argues that Secretary Clinton must speak up about the recent mistreatment of rape victims when she meets with Somalia's new president on Thursday.
Assuming the account was hacked by a 13-year old techno-geek, Fox News’ Twitter account got fried with a butt-load of hilarity earlier today.
Of course, by the time you comb down to the bottom of the list, the language becomess obvious: The kid was obviously Ferris Bueller because his parents bought him a computer instead of a convertible…which is what they bought for his older-sister. Also obvious; Bill O’Reilly will have to aim his sites on all of those “Not So Fair-And-Balanced” computer hackers out there who are willing to damage their reputation for…Umm… Something or other.
In addition to those seen in the thumbnail, Media ITE (story source) included this juicy Tweet that bears mentioning:
“We want to make out with Barack Obama. That’s how much we love him.”
I haven’t laughed that hard since I fried a Novell file server in ’95 by renaming “syscon.exe” to “jerkwad.com”. (Hint: Geek Humor Alert!)
Fox News is claiming that the account didn’t belong to them (so no harm was done). Meanwhile, they went out on a limb to clarify that they had a conversation with the Twitter-Dudes about the incident and that they had the account deleted (because it didn’t belong to them anyway). It’s the power of “Fox News”: They have that kind of juice with Twitter!
Don’t believe me? Check it out…”jerkwad“! h/t to mparent! Good Eye, Dude!
On the same day that the Justice Department softened its position in a gay-marriage lawsuit, word is emerging that the department has hired a liaison to the gay community.
Matt Nosanchuk, a former adviser to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), will join the department as a senior counselor to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, according to an e-mail University of Pennsylvania Professor Tobias Wolff sent to associates Monday night. Wolff was a top LGBT adviser on the Obama campaign. In the e-mail, obtained by POLITICO, Wolff said Nosanchuk “will be the front office point person on LGBT issues for the DOJ Civil Rights Division” among other duties.
A Justice Department spokeswoman had no immediate comment on the reported hire.
Yellow-highlights are mine – because the attempt is pathetically obvious. That “controversial brief” filed by Obama’s DOJ compared gay-relationships to incest with uncles sleeping with nephews and other disgusting perversions.
I’m still offended. Mr. Nosanchuk’s service to Mr. Obama is a patronizing puppet show. Typical for a Democrat to whip out a dummy in order to perform a thesis for a Ph.D. in Vantriloquism.
Blurring the lines between racism and sexual orientation is a chemistry set. Obama is simply clueless on what to do with his bunson burners.
Bite me, Barack! You hate us – we get it. We were dumb.
Julian Bond of the NAACP supports the GLBT community better than setting up a skinny-white guy to represent us. Thanks for the patsy, Dude-in-Chief. I’m totally convinced that Mr. Nosanchuk will play any role in your adminstration beyond yuk-yuk-jokes, Uranus-laffs and Faggot-gaffs.
While admitting to not knowing all of the facts, Fox News political pundit Ralph Peters goes into full attack mode by accusing Private Bergdahl for everything including”colluding with the enemy” and “abandoning his post” (AWOL). At the end, not willing to leave well enough alone, Peters makes his final point by saying the Taliban should save us the legal expenses and do us a favor (and execute him).
Keeping it classy, huh Fox? You wave that Red, White and Blue flag that proudly?
There used to be something about “innocent until proven guilty”. But that was old school. Now, we’ve got Fox!
Richard Cohen, of the Washington Post has decided that Michael Jackson’s tragic demise wasn’t a problem of political over-exposure for Governor Sanford. Within four weeks, two Republicans have been apologizing for failing to keeping their trousers zipped up in the sense of “Holy Sanctity of Marriage” and an additional Republican governor is stepping down with her own two-week notice complete with hip-waders and fish-nets. Thankfully, super-star King of Pop-Legend, Michael Jackson has croaked. This funeral has over-shadowed the entire train-wreck of a political party in less than a month.
But Dick Cohen is quite comfortable with the situation. He points to the recent “Quiting Becuase I’m Not a Quiter Governor Sara Palin (R-AK) resignation as trivial. Governor Mark Sanford: “Oh phhhhphphp…Big Deal… Get over it already!!
Almost as interesting as Palin is South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. Never mind his affair. These things happen. Concentrate instead on how he hid his affair — by disappearing and calling attention to himself. Note also that even before he somehow took the Appalachian Trail to Buenos Aires, he was renowned for rejecting federal stimulus money. Before that, as a congressman, he claimed to have forsaken a housing allowance — and a cot — and said, “I sleep on the floor of my office.” Most of us would consider this weird behavior. In the GOP, it was seen as presidential timber.
Okay, can you guess what’s wrong with this picture?
If you’re AWOL from your post as Governor, and lie to the good folks of your state by telling them you’ve gone on a hiking trip, meanwhile you spend tax-payer dollars to fly to Argentina to boff your Argentinian Lolita…so what? These things happen. Additionally, if you sleep on a cot, and claim publicly that you really slept on the floor: Some folks might think you’re weird — But the GOP will think you’re Presidential Timber!
Insert a lame “I got a woodie” joke here.
Tim Graham, the director of media analysts over at the conservative Media Research Center is expressing relief over the recent tragic death of Michael Jackson on behalf of Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC).
You see, according to Graham; if it hadn’t been for the overwhelming media attention on Michael Jackson’s demise, poor Governor Sanford would have suffered a lot more needless media scrutiny than he already has received and doesn’t deserve at all, whatsoever.
How pedestrian can the GOP’s propaganda machine continue to be?
“If you took a Democratic Sanford, a Democratic governor having one mistress, they would all yawn over that,” he contends. “They would really not find that very interesting at all, and yet these people will find Republican mayors cheating as an interesting national story.”
Mayors? There are Republican mayors out there skanking on their wives in addition to the boat loads of US Senators, Governors and Congress-Creatures?! There are mayors that we don’t know about, Mr. Graham?!?
Here’s the martyrdom line-up for the public consumption: “It’s those horrible infidels over on the Left who are so willing to crucify those of us Righteous Righties. If those Liberal Lefties are caught…Well, nobody would care! But if we’re caught.. “Oh horror…! Oh poor us! Why do you persecute us so?!!”
Graham continues (weeping bitterly):
“They know that people like you and me are disgusted by a Mark Sanford — and they know that that guy will be toast. And they know that adultery is not going to hurt a liberal,” he adds. “When we discuss how the media behaves, we understand that the same people who are all making an enormous, big deal out of Mark Sanford thought that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what Bill Clinton did [while in office].
Graham says; “It’s a clear double-standard.”
How much lying are these conservatives allowed to get away with before they’re called on it? Furthermore, how much stupidity can the American public take from these jack-asses.
Now they’re weeping because Michael Jackson didn’t croak soon enough to protect Sanford’s “Great Trouser Snake Escape”?!
These Republicans are cheating around on their spouses (breaking God’s “Holy Sanctity of Marriage”), and the Conservatives will complain that it’s everybody else’s fault. Or, they’ll whip out with: “We’ve got a Double-Standard Here, people!” (They don’t want hate crimes legislation to protect the gays…But they’ll jump at the chance for a “don’t pick on a Republican” legislation in a New York Minute!
It’s pathetic!
It’s Weak!
Let’s try this one step at a time. Because Tim Graham is just out right lying to his readership with this whole “double-standard idea”.
Double Standard #1:
John Edwards (D) v. Sarah Palin (R)
When it was discovered that John Edwards had been having an affair on his wife, the entire GOP Propaganda Machine (a.k.a. Mainstream Media) gasped: “His career is over with! His career is finished!!! Oh, his dear poor wife!”
The GOP gasped in horror – but not at the fact that Palin’s career was as was apparently Edwards’. They gasped that the National Enquirer would even print such an alleged malicious lie!
In fact, the GOP threatened lawsuits against the Enquirer for even considering publishing the idea that they’re Political Lolita from Alaska would be a skank in the first place.
Governor Palin’s political career wasn’t over like Edwards’ career was “over”. Quite the contrary! The GOP loves Sarah Palin! We don’t know why, we think she’s dumber than a pail of nails! But, then that only means Sarah Palin’s Fan Club is grouped together by some very stupid pails.
Say, Mr. Graham! Is this one of those “double standards” you’re talking about?!
Double Standard #2:
Jim McGreevey (D-NJ) v Larry Craig (R-ID)
When Governor McGreevey came out of the closet, he came flying out. He came out flying with a closet-full of boas; admitted to having an affair with another man. Governor McGreevey was gay. He immediately resigned.
Republican Media gasped in horror: Not another Democrat with an infidelity problem?!
But, what happened to the Senator for Not-Coming-Out?
Nothing! He’s happily back at his office doing whatever it is that he does for his good citizens of Idaho! It’s embarrassing for them. But, there’s no consequences for his actions? He plead guilty for soliciting sex in a men’s restroom and there’s nothing wrong with that? What kind of GOPervert party is this anyway?
Say, Mr. Graham! Is this one of those “double standards” you’re talking about?!
Double Standard #3:
Eliot Spritzer (D-NY) v. David Vitter (R-LA)
Governor Spitzer (D-NY) was caught in a prostitution ring. He was kicked out of office immediately. Boom! Out of a job! Go away!
He drags his wife Wendy out wearing a tight leopard-print dress and shouts into the microphone
I’M SORRY!!
…And he goes back to work. Not a care in the world… Nothing about the fact that he was getting wrapped in a diaper while tens of thousands of his fellow Louisianans were floating dead in the drink.
So, the Democrat bangs some prostitutes, he’s sent home with a report card full of F’s. But if a Republican bangs a brothel full of prostitutes, he drags his wench-looking wife in front of the cameras and apologizes and he gets to go back to work?!
Say, Mr. Graham! Is this one of those “double standards” you’re talking about?!
Double Standard #4:
Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) v. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
This Governor of Illinois was arrested and charged with a wide-variety of corruption charges, including an attempt to acution off the US Senate seat that was vacated by then President-Elect Barack Obama. Within weeks, the Illinois Legislature impeached the governor who went later to stand trial and eventually convicted.
Ted Stevens (R-AK) was charged and convicted on seven counts of corruptions charges. Stevens plead innocent of the charges, he was brought in front of a jury and he was convicted, unanimously on each count. What happened? He continued to run for US Senate. In December, following the election, what happened?
Governor Blagojevich didn’t get an applause. He didn’t even get a trial until after he was impeached! Both plead not-guilty but only the Republican got to go on and receive his homage while the Democrat was shunned and pulled out like a weed from an old lady’s garden.
Say, Mr. Graham! Is this one of those “double standards” you’re talking about?!
There’s no truth to back-up what these conservatives are saying these days. Their truth is their demise. Because each time a Democrat goes down for some unscrupulous practice, they step down and the party becomes more united to try harder. The Republicans, this isn’t the way they work. Although they “claim” those “Good American Family Values”, they are values you and I are expected to uphold. Their values are way off-base to the ones they preach. And that’s one of the many reasons the GOP is not going to make it in the end.
Talk about sloppy journalism… Those folks over at Fox – check it out!
They put a “D” behind his name!!!
You know – it seems like this happens at Fox News a lot! They keep bungling up the “crawl” and putting a “D” behind the Republican’s name trying to pretend it was an innocent mistake!
Remember this?
Or this little gem from February 2008, when McCain still was hated Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the Republican Thugs:
Brad Friedman said:
Fox “News”, of course, tells Newser (re: the Foley Flubbed-Photo) that “this was gross incompetence by a producer — nothing more.” In the Foley matter, they said “it was an honest mistake,” and thus never bothered to issue an on-air correction or apology.
With these repeated mistakes, one would think that an intelligent news agency would simply terminate the employ of incompetancy like this. There’s an obvious track-record of screwing up the political party identity – perhaps someone over at Fox News’ Human Resources should step in and restore Fox News’ good name as a professional news source!
Of course; Fox News could admit to being an amateur news agency. Much better appeal than acting like they’re being managed by junior high children who are more concerned with acne medication than they are with any sort of professional journalism with a story to tell its audience.
Poor pathetic little Ann. That Adams Apple just bobs up and down while she lies her little fanny off, all for the American people to see.
When she prattles on along with that condescending, snotty tone of hers, why do people find that appealing? She’s missing her tennis racket, her white Nike visor a fuzzy green ball and her BFF’s Tiffany and Amber!
See Ann Lie.
Lie Ann, Lie!
Senator David Vitter (R-LA) was a phlanderer and he wasn’t punished. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) was caught and plead guilty for being a philanderer and he’s still in office.
She blames Barney Frank for being a philanderer and that’s another lie! Barney Frank’s boyfriend was caught running a prostitution ring, not Barney Frank!
The Republican Party: They’re the Gasoline and their audience is the Hand-Grenade. The rest of us are considered “ashes” of their hate.
It begs the question: What’s the difference between Rush Limbaugh’s hate-filled rhetoric and the anti-American rhetoric coming out of Iraq’s Moqtada al-Sadr? Nothing! Both of them peddle hate, and their poodles follow along as if they’re relevant.
Now you know more about the American Taliban than the average Ditto-Head. Wait for more assasinations, more killing and more hate-speech before these freaks start talking about “love” and “companionship” and “kindness towards others”.
They all love Jesus! …But they really…REALLY hate you!.
They’ll insist on fear! And while we sit back and watch them melt into a green-puddle of what was the Wicked Witch of the West, they’ll ramp up the volume and demand we pay more attention to their demands, and their nonsense.
They’re worthless, and they’re the American Taliban. Because “fear” isn’t enough!
And CBS! Let’s not forget that “Liberal Media Giant”! Here’s Howard Arenstein:
Israeli TV newscasters Tuesday night interpreted a photo taken Monday in the Oval Office of President Obama talking on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an “insult” to Israel.
They saw the incident as somewhat akin to an incident last year, when the Iraqi reporter threw a shoe at President Bush in Baghdad.
It is considered an insult in the Arab world to show the sole of your shoe to someone. It is not a Jewish custom necessarily, but Israel feels enough a part of the Middle East after 60 years to be insulted too.
Was there a subliminal message intended from the White House to Netanyahu in Jerusalem, who is publicly resisting attempts by Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to force Israel to stop any kind of settlement activity in occupied territories once and forever?
Whether or not it is true, it shows the mood in Israel. They feel cornered. The reactions out of Israel reflect that feeling.
(The highlight’s mine..) Huh! It isn’t a Jewish custom…But Isreal has adopted Arab culture to construct an insult out of a guy wearing a pair of shoes?!
Arenstein just stereotyped the entire Isreali nation with an Arab custom and that dude gets to keep his freaking job?!
“American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert, who has been coyly noncommittal about his sexuality since becoming a sensation on the TV talent show, will come out in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in next month’s edition, the New York Post reported today.
Lambert has cheerfully ducked questions about his sexual preference, despite photos posted on the Web showing him kissing men, dressing in drag and otherwise acting like a British comedian.
The Post, quoting a “well-placed” source at Rolling Stone, said Lambert will put the speculation to rest in his cover-story interview.
“He didn’t want it to be an issue during the contest, but he’s fine with his sexuality,” the source told the New York Post. As recently as this week, Lambert told people to “keep speculating” when asked about his sexual preference.
“Conforming is not cool,” he adds. “Embracing who you are and what makes you different is actually what’s really cool … The kids that are different and out there and expressive and are bold with those choices, those are the people that grow up to be people we all want to hang out with, that become celebrities or become really successful in what they do because they believe in who they are.”
I had lunch with my Dad the other day. I like having lunch with him because he gives me an insight as to what the “Joe Turnip” Republican conservative is talking about politically these days, and he’s able to maintain his cool even when I’m telling him things that he doesn’t want to hear. Well, most of the time he keeps his cool. It’s all part of a healthy dialog between differences of opinion! Face it, if you can’t have an intelligent and rational conversation with someone of your political-opposite – you’re probably the “crazy political” person that nobody wants to be around.
Calm, rational and intelligent political conversation is challenging! Keeping your cool is difficult!
Of course, my Dad repeats Republican “talking points”; Rush Limbaugh’s (ridiculous) ideas and whatever Fox News is currently pushing out on their noise-maker, which is helpful to know what the “average Joe Turnip” from their camp is thinking. It’s partly why I love Keith Olbermann so much: He’s running stories that clarifies the GOP/Fox Noise Talking Points and throws their views under the proverbial bus by explaining the history of the subject, the back-drop surrounding the subject with a wrap-up on why the GOP is wrong in every aspect of the subject.
At one point in time, between finishing our chips and salsa and our fish tacos arriving, Dad’s kinda stressing out on the topic of Republicans’ views towards this whole Turture thing – thanks to Team Obama. My Dad’s pretty ticked off: Obama smeared Bush and was enacting revenge by releasing these torture memos – blah blah blah. After years of these “political power-lunches”, it’s more like meditation with an organic “ohmmmmmmmmm” and holding it as long as necessary. You just let them scream – while you hum: “ohmmmmmmmm”
“And you know… This waterboarding was not torture! It wasn’t! Look, no soft-body tissue was damaged and they were not killed. In fact, they had a doctor standing by to make sure that the prisoner was safe! If no soft-body tissue damage occured, and there’s a doctor standing-by – then it wasn’t torture!!”
During the 1898 Spanish-American war: US soldiers were using a technique called “water cure” on POW’s in the Philippines and they were courts marshalled.
In 1968, the Washington Post published a photo of a US Troop waterboarding a North Vietnamese POW. Following an Army Investigation, that soldier was courts marshalled.
Huh?! Huh?! You see what I mean? I like Olbermann because he educates me instead of telling me what my opnion should be.
I repeated these points to my Dad, and by noting that torture via waterboarding isn’t something new!
It’s gone on a long time, and the information collected from torture is completely useless: Just ask John McCain!
Dad didn’t agree – He wanted to get technical by pointing back at the face that “soft tissue” of the body wasn’t harmed – so it doesn’t equate to the technicality of “torture”. (In other words – we didn’t cut, pierce or gouge skin, limbs or flesh. Since we didn’t cut off their ears, for example, this couldn’t be considered, techincally “torture”.) Again, he’s stuck on the issue of “soft-tissue damage” as if it’s something…anything…that prevents his beloved Republican President from being accused of War Crimes.
He lost the argument, again. Two more gold stars for me.
Me:
“Dad: You don’t get to the priviledge all-of-a-sudden to simply redefine what constitutes “torture” because it’s politically convenient! US Law, International Law, the UCMJ and the Geneva Convention has clearly defined what constitutes “torture”, and the subject of “soft-tissue damage” isn’t included! If you want to re-define what constitutes “torture”, based on a technicalities – you’re going to have a lot more work ahead of you than simply dismissing the topic because it’s politically convenient!”
Batiste: Morally, I think most Americans would agree now, that what had happened was torture, pure and simple. If you don’t believe it, Google “common article three of the Geneva Conventions”, read about it and reconcile that with the pictures you’ve seen of Abu Ghraib, and make your own decision.”
An interesting idea, No?!!
From the NY Times and Anti-War.com, let’s look at the Geneva Convention’s “Common Article 3″ and align it along with photos taken directly from Abu Gharaib:
In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:
(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed ‘hors de combat’ by sickness, wounds, detention, .or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria
To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:
(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) taking of hostages;
(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;
(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.
An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.
The Parties to the conflict should further endeavor to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.
The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.
The GOP is furious with President Barack Obama for releasing the Bush Administration’s memos related to torture. And yet, Maj Gen. Janet Karpinsky makes a great point: Where were these Bushies when these photos being released to the public sector years ago? They should have been proud of themselves by noting all of the “good information” they obtained from this torture!
But they’re not saying that now. Today, they’re saying that since there wasn’t any “soft-tissue damage”, then it doesn’t equate to the technical word — the clinical word that defines: “Torture”.
Years ago, I heard a story about the Germans who lived during the World War II Nazi Germany Days. Long after the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunals had finished, Germans who were alive and active in supporting the Nazi’s never understood exactly what made the rest of the world so horrified by what they had done. For decades, Hitler’s Youth grew up, had children – eventually grandchildren and all the while, they never really grasped exactly what made everybody around the world view their actions as being so heinous, so vile.
They became an oddity from within their own society and they never fully understood why all the attention.
Perhaps that’s the lesson I have to learn when I have lunch with my Dad the next time. He’s never going to understand anyway. Along with what remains of the GOP, he’ll never understand exactly why it was wrong what we did, and all of the miscellaneous details that identified these men to be tortured this way under our watch, will be a legacy that will be left to the rest of us.
We tortured these people. And for once, instead of adding to a long history of indigenous peoples quarrantined on Native American reservations, POW’s given blankets infested with tuberculosis and small-pox, Japanese-Americans being thrown into prisons, and another President Bill Clinton deciding to ignoring the Iran-Contra crimes…We need to stop this train-wreck once and for all. We should bite the bullet, and let the Bush Administration face the War Crimes Tribunals and let the Republican Party find a way to work around the situation on their own. They stood-by and did nothing when they had the chance when those photos first appeared back then — so their inaction has to have consequences.
If gay people were in charge of FEMA; all of those people in New Orleans would not only have bottled water, but they'd also have sun-screen and ponchos in three different colors!
-The Agenda with Joe Solmonese on XM Radio
Of course, by the time you comb down to the bottom of the list, the language becomess obvious: The kid was obviously Ferris Bueller because his parents bought him a computer instead of a convertible…which is what they bought for his older-sister. Also obvious; Bill O’Reilly will have to aim his sites on all of those “Not So Fair-And-Balanced” computer hackers out there who are willing to damage their reputation for…Umm… Something or other.
Fox News is claiming that the account didn’t belong to them (so no harm was done). Meanwhile, they went out on a limb to clarify that they had a conversation with the Twitter-Dudes about the incident and that they had the account deleted (because it didn’t belong to them anyway). It’s the power of “Fox News”: They have that kind of juice with Twitter!
Of course; Fox News could admit to being an amateur news agency. Much better appeal than acting like they’re being managed by junior high children who are more concerned with acne medication than they are with any sort of professional journalism with a story to tell its audience.
![Varhaug old church (Long exposure) [Explored #4]](http://static.flickr.com/7389/8753098499_c0604184a6_t.jpg "Varhaug old church (Long exposure) [Explored #4]")
