Ghosts in a nebula?
Bob Morris @ Oct 31st 2006 16:13 - Category: Unfiled ;
Archive for October, 2006
Ministry of Truth
Wood @ Oct 31st 2006 04:51 - Category: Anti-war, Imperialism ;
The newly-established unit would use “new media” channels to push its message and “set the record straight”, Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff said.
“We’re looking at being quicker to respond to breaking news,” he said. “Being quicker to respond, frankly, to inaccurate statements.”
A Pentagon memo seen by the Associated Press news agency said the new unit would “develop messages” for the 24-hour news cycle and aim to “correct the record”.
The unit would reportedly monitor media such as weblogs and would also employ “surrogates”, or top politicians or lobbyists who could be interviewed on TV and radio shows.
So the Pentagon are “correcting” news stories? Maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked.
Newspapers. Dying media
Bob Morris @ Oct 31st 2006 00:17 - Category: Unfiled ;
Out of the top 25 newspaper in circulation, the latest numbers show only two (NY Post and Daily News) had a circulation increase. All the rest were down, with the L.A. Times taking the worst hit, down 8%.
This was before the new “right wing hatchet man” took over at the L.A. Times and, among other things, turned the front page into a mish mosh of multiple fonts in conflicting sizes. It is now demonstrably less readable than before, violates any number of design guidelines, and is no doubt a portent of things to come. More than a few long time Times staffers are polishing up their resume as the hatchet man replaced the former head who was fired for refusing to do major blood-letting. Mr. Hatchet, in addition to having a demented sense of design, will no doubt veer the paper sharply to the Right and this long-time subscriber isn’t staying around to watch it happen.
But the problems facing newspapers are bigger than that. It’s that Internet thing. Newspapers, for the most part, either don’t get it or don’t want to get it. I don’t really need a newspaper plopped on the doorstep in the morning to alert me to what’s happening, because the news I read on the Net before going to bed will be fresher than what the newspaper tells me in the morning. That is the crux of their problem. By the time they get the paper to me, the news is older than what’s on the web.
PS Perusing the L.A. Times this morning, the front page content is becoming fluffier while the political content is tilting rightward. For example, a story on books by former White House staffers has a headline saying the authors want revenge and are tattletales. How very FoxNews of the L.A. Times to say that.
And now…the silly string police?
Bob Morris @ Oct 31st 2006 00:07 - Category: Unfiled ;
(There is, in fact, a logical explanation. This sign is on Hollywood Blvd in L.A. where the annual Halloween parade is held. Past parades apparently have included vast deluges of silly string, which is quite hard to clean up.)
Confused Koslings no more?
Bob Morris @ Oct 30th 2006 07:46 - Category: Unfiled ;
Green Lisa emails that some of the Confused Koslings who, even though they oppose the war, originally supported prowar incumbent Howard Berman solely because he is a Democrat rather than antiwar Green candidate Byron De Lear, are now coming around.
The Religious Right: actually pursuing an entirely new religion
Wood @ Oct 30th 2006 04:22 - Category: Unfiled ;
(Hi, I’m Wood. I’m a friend of Bob’s. Bob asked me if I’d like to contribute to his fine blog. I’m British. That doesn’t make a bad person. Right?)
So. I came across this fascinating post from an alumnus of a seminary who has concluded that the Christianity espoused by the Religious Right in your fine country is not, in fact, Christianity, but is in actuality a bizarre folk religion.
Read it at God School: Christianity vs. American Christianity.
Go for it; look at it phenomenologically, look at it sociologically, and what do you see? Basically a syncretic folk religion, based primarily on American nationalism, an expression of the “pervasive religious dimension of American political life”… Its purposes are basically civil and political. Its morality is taken from a highly selective and individualistic reading of the Old Testament, and it mixes in bits of consumerism, Zionism, Republican political values, and corporatism for good measure. Add to this an almost romantic sentimentality concerning the person of Jesus, much like the contribution of Catholicism to Vodou religions, and suddenly it all makes sense.
More people need to read this. If only because it’ll wind them up. But from this outsider’s view, it seems really quite convincing.
Outsourcing healthcare overseas
Bob Morris @ Oct 30th 2006 00:23 - Category: Unfiled ;
Insurers want to send patients to India for surgery because it saves money. In one case a union blocked such a surgery that would have saved the insurerer $50,000 because they feared such procedures would soon become mandatory. Health care needs to about more than just cost reductions. Patients do not want spent 36 hours in transit each way by plane every time they they need surgery when there’s hospitals nearby that can do it.
Outsourcing healthcare offshore, no matter how good it might be, means the quality of health care here in the States will suffer. Hospitals rely on private insurance income to subsidize their costs. They will get squeezed and cutbacks will occur. Like they need more cutbacks. Here in L.A. it is no exaggeration to say the entire hospital system is in crisis.
It’s not just surgeries either. Evaluations, scans, radiology, and well as billing and IT are outsourced to India too. The doctors and staff in India appear highly qualified and well-trained now. But if Bangladesh, Uruguay, and Mongolia start undercutting prices in India and prices wars break out, then it’s a given the qualiity of healthcare will then suffer.
Capitalism is so near-sighted, always looking to maximize profits short-term, rarely looking at the long-range big picture. We need affordable health care here for all rather than a two-tiered system, one for the well-off, another for everyone else.
Defend the people of Oaxaca!
Bob Morris @ Oct 30th 2006 00:15 - Category: Unfiled ;
ANSWER has detailed info on the multiple protests happening this week after Mexican federal police attempted to seize Oaxaca.
From Narconews, who often is first with news in situations like this.
Mexican police march on Oaxaca
Indymedia journalist killed by paramilitary
More on the murdered journalist
[tags]oaxaca[/tags]
Cindy Sheehan
Bob Morris @ Oct 29th 2006 09:34 - Category: Anti-war ;
Maybe one reason Cindy Sheehan has so resonated with the public is that, at heart, she is Everymom, a completely normal and mainstream mother - who lost her son in Iraq…
Ron Kovic and ‘the devil’
Bob Morris @ Oct 29th 2006 09:27 - Category: Anti-war ;
Ron “Born on the Fourth of July” Kovic explains to George “the devil” Bush the errors of his ways. (Ok, it was actually Bush impersonator James Adomian.)
She’s been to more demos than you have
Bob Morris @ Oct 29th 2006 09:23 - Category: Anti-war ;
Aftermath
Bob Morris @ Oct 29th 2006 09:19 - Category: Anti-war ;
It take dozens of volunteers to put on a big demo. We use several trucks to ferry around all the gear, sound equipment, banners, placards, etc. After the demo, we take everything back to the office. This is what the office looks like when it’s over…
ANSWER L.A. antiwar rally, Oct. 28, 2006
Bob Morris @ Oct 29th 2006 00:23 - Category: Anti-war ;
Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star mother. “We have to hold corporate media responsible too.” Cindy Sheehan YouTube video (3:03)
Gloria Romero, California Senate Majority Leader. “Bring our troops home now.” Gloria Romero You Tube video (3:08)
Bill Paparian, (lawyer, candidate for Congress, former mayor of Pasadena) details the many laws that George Bush has broken. He then introduces James Adomian as George “the devil” Bush who attempts to defend himself. (Adomian starts at about 3:35.) He has the Bush mannerisms and incoherent speaking style down pat and reminds us that “You folks are the oppositioners.” Check him out, he was great! Bill Paparian/James Adamian YouTube Video (9:52)
Mike Farrell, actor on M.A.S.H., long-time activist. “I want my country back.” Mike Farrell YouTube video (1:36)
October 28 protests nationwide today
Bob Morris @ Oct 28th 2006 00:23 - Category: Anti-war ;
From ANSWER LA
Oct. 28 is here - be counted among the thousands of people who will be joining together in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and all over the world to say “Stop the War on Iraq - Bring the Troops Home Now” and “End Occupation: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Haiti and Everywhere!” In Los Angeles, we’ll gather at Hollywood and Vine at 12 noon and march to CNN at Sunset and Cahuenga for an exciting rally and Public Anti-War Tribunal.
Oct. 28 speakers and participants include:
-Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star mother
-Paul Haggis, Double Academy Award-winner (”Crash” Best Picture)
-Gloria Romero, California Senate Majority Leader
-Ron Kovic, Vietnam war veteran and author “Born on the Fourth of July”
-Pablo Paredes, Iraq war resister
-Arun Ghandi, Indian activist and grandson of Mahatma Ghandi
-Maria Bello, Two-time Golden Globe-nominated actor (”Thank You for Not Smoking”)
-Bill Paparian, Green Party Candidate for U.S. Congress, 29th District
-Harrison of Air America’s “Harrison on the Edge”
-Mimi Kennedy, Award-winning actor “Dharma and Greg”
-Juan Jose Gutierrez, Latino Movement USA, Director
-Margaret Prescod, Global Women’s Strike organizer and KPFK host
-Jim Lafferty, National Lawyers Guild-LA, Executive Director
-Muna Coobtee, Free Palestine Alliance organizer
-James Adomian as George “the devil” Bush, (“Mind of Menciaâ€)
-Los Caché, Los Angeles progressive ska band
I’ll be driving the truck that leads the march. If you live it L.A., be there!
Kevin McKeown works for everyone in Santa Monica
Bob Morris @ Oct 28th 2006 00:14 - Category: Unfiled ;
My friend Kevin McKeown is a member of the Santa Monica City Council and is running for reelection. He’s been targeted by real estate developers and slimed in ads.
Respected columnist for the LA Times Steve Lopez wondered why and took a look.
But why is the hotel company, which last tangled with McKeown over the living wage issue for hotel workers, so determined to run him out of office?
“The city owns property adjacent to Casa del Mar [a hotel owned by the developers]. It’s intended for affordable housing, and they do not want it on that site.” [said McKeown]
This story’s got legs, doesn’t it?
Kevin is the real deal; hard working, ethical, he cares about the community as a whole not just the wealthy. We were allies when we were active in the Green Party. He’s fighting to keep Santa Monica a place for everyone rather than it becoming “Beverly Hills of the Beach” with $600,000 1 bdr condos and building density that turns the streets into constant parking lots.
KevinMcKeown.net Contribute to his campaign.
[tags]kevin mckeown[/tags]
German ministers ‘knew about CIA torture cells’
Bob Morris @ Oct 27th 2006 00:33 - Category: Torture ;
This is huge. Stern magazine has documents that show 1) the existence of secret U.S. prisons in Europe, 2) that torture was used, and 3) that German ministers knew.
Antiwar protests this Saturday
Bob Morris @ Oct 27th 2006 00:23 - Category: Anti-war ;
ANSWER national has full details for the demonstrations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, and Chicago.
If this was a government of, by and for the people, the November 2006 election would be a referendum on Iraq. The popular will of the people is to end the war against Iraq. But the question of Iraq is not on the ballot. Most people will only have the chance to vote for politicians from one of the Twin Parties of Militarism. Protest on October 28th, and force the call for immediate withdrawal onto the U.S. political stage .
Momentum for these demos has been building steadily the past several days and they could be sizable. Let’s get into the streets. Only the people can end the wars.
Blogger and the elections
Bob Morris @ Oct 27th 2006 00:15 - Category: Unfiled ;
Blogger has been having serious problems lately. Quite often lately I’ll try several Blogger blogs and get “internal server error 500″ on all of them.
AmericaBlog says Blogger, which is erratic on a good day, probably won’t be will be able to handle the upcoming crush of election-related blogging.
Blogger is owned by Google. But they’ve orphaned it from Day One. For free stable hosting for blogging, I suggest WordPress.com, which is where my tech blog is. It’s solid, virtually always up, plus WordPress has way more features than Blogger.
Palm Springs fire
Bob Morris @ Oct 27th 2006 00:09 - Category: Unfiled ;
Santa Ana winds happen in hot weather, they are bone dry with steady, strong winds. That’s what’s fueling the Esperanza fire in Cabazon near Palm Springs. Four firefighters are dead as I write this and it was arson. This is a bad one.
Update: Forecast is for continued Santa Ana winds Fri. and Sat. Since it was arson and four are dead, this is now a murder investigation.
War Games in the Persian Gulf
Davide Simonetti @ Oct 26th 2006 21:28 - Category: Uncategorized Tags: Iran;
The build-up of US Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf is continuing with the USS Boxer joining USS Enterprise and USS Iwo Jima to conduct ‘war games’ in the Persian Gulf which are being seen by Iran as a provocation.
The exercise, set for Oct. 31, is the 25th to be organized under the U.S.-led 66-member Proliferation Security Initiative and the first to be based in the Gulf near Bahrain, across from Iran, the officials said.
A senior U.S. official insisted the exercise is not aimed specifically at Iran, although it reinforces a U.S. strategy aimed at strengthening America’s ties with states in the Gulf, where Tehran and Washington are competing for influence
This might not be the much talked about October surprise, but with tensions mounting as they are in the region, the chances of an incident occurring which could trigger some sort of retaliation are greatly increased.
CIA tried to silence EU on torture flights
Bob Morris @ Oct 26th 2006 11:09 - Category: Torture ;
And may have at least partially succeeded in doing so.
Stephen Grey’s new book, Ghost Plane, the true story of the CIA torture program, has more on the Bushies’ torturing for democracy.
PS Cheney: “detainees” were water-boarded.
Confused Koslings
Bob Morris @ Oct 26th 2006 09:11 - Category: Anti-war ;
Daily Kos says they’re against the war but when faced with a genuine antiwar candidate, Byron De Lear vs. the prowar incumbent Howard Berman, they rabidly back the prowar incumbent. Why? Because the incumbent is a Democrat and the candidate is a Green. Yeah, that’ll really help end the war(s)…
Their tortuous logic in defending their indefensible positions is always fun to read. It’s not the first time they’ve done this nor will it be the last. I’m sure their Thought Police are busily cleansing the comments of any deviantionist rhetoric but you might want to hop over there anyway and explain how being antiwar means you actually have to BE antiwar.
PS I’ve been remiss in not blogging about the De Lear campaign. Byron is running a strong, highly progressive campaign in the Congressional District next to Bill Paparian. who I’ve blogged about often. Both deserve support.
[tags]Byron De Lear[/tags]
Capitalism will comodify anything
Bob Morris @ Oct 26th 2006 08:17 - Category: Unfiled ;
“A capitalist will sell you rope on Monday for a revolution on Tuesday in which he gets hung on Wednesday.”
