What van Jones Signed

I posted the full text of the 911 petition signed by van Jones, with comments, under 9/11 date in SJ. The full text can be read here.

After reading the document, it is clear that the petition is not challenging the truth of the event but the incompetence of the US response to it. Some of the questions remain valid to today, esp.. those that ask about the role of Saudi colleagues of Messers Bush and Chaney.

The list of questions seem ... welll .. mostly reasonable.

We Want Real Answers About 9/11.......

1. Why were standard operating procedures for dealing with hijacked airliners not followed that day?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
2. Why were the extensive missile batteries and air defenses reportedly deployed around the Pentagon not activated during the attack?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
3. Why did the Secret Service allow Bush to complete his elementary school visit, apparently unconcerned about his safety or that of the schoolchildren?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
4. Why hasn't a single person been fired, penalized, or reprimanded for the gross incompetence we witnessed that day?
   
   
5. Why haven't authorities in the U.S. and abroad published the results of multiple investigations into trading that strongly suggested foreknowledge of specific details of the 9/11 attacks, resulting in tens of millions of dollars of traceable gains?
   SJ: I do not kniow much about this, but given the close relationship of the Bush family and Mr. Chaney with Saudi officials, wouldn't it be worth asking how much the Islamaic extremist movement in SA was aided and abetted by Saudis allied with Americans?
   
6. Why has Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI translator who claims to have knowledge of advance warnings, been publicly silenced with a gag order requested by Attorney General Ashcroft and granted by a Bush-appointed judge?
   SJ: I know nothing about this.
   
7. How could Flight 77, which reportedly hit the Pentagon, have flown back towards Washington D.C. for 40 minutes without being detected by the FAA's radar or the even superior radar possessed by the US military?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
8. How were the FBI and CIA able to release the names and photos of the alleged hijackers within hours, as well as to visit houses, restaurants, and flight schools they were known to frequent?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
9. What happened to the over 20 documented warnings given our government by 14 foreign intelligence agencies or heads of state?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
10. Why did the Bush administration cover up the fact that the head of the Pakistani intelligence agency was in Washington the week of 9/11 and reportedly had $100,000 wired to Mohamed Atta, considered the ringleader of the hijackers?
    SJ: I know nothing about this either.
    
11. Why did the 911 Commission fail to address most of the questions posed by the families of the victims, in addition to almost all of the questions posed here?
    SJ: Seems likely that the commission wanted not to offenbd our Saudi allies?
    
12. Why was Philip Zelikow chosen to be the Executive Director of the ostensibly independent 911 Commission although he had co-authored a book with Condoleezza Rice?
    SJ: Seems trivial
    

Request for Armed Help

Request for Armed Help

I intend to photograph the Beck gathering at SAFECO.

9/26/09

As a non violent demonstration., I would like to be accompanied by one or more liberals carrying (legally) holstered (unloaded)firearms. Realistic stage weapons or blank guns are also welcome buy I am informed that these will also require carry permits.

My object is to provoke discussion and photograph participants. I would carry myself but do not own a gun and I am told it may take several weeks to get a carry permit.

more SJ on Beck.

Feel free to share. PLEASE ASK PEOPLE TO REPLY HERE.

Is this true ? .. Blog entry

What was Hitler's opinion of Republicanism?: "What was Hitler's opinion of Republicanism?

I was surprised to read in Hitler's table talk that he criticized Napoleon for making himself emperor, and believed aristocratic republic were the best government? Was the Third Reich considered a republic? Did Hitler see the Reich as a third way between republics and monarchies? I was so surprised by Hitler's table talk, where he claimed he supported an aristocratic republic like Venice, with a weak people's assembly, and an appointed senate that elected the Fuhrer. He also claimed to support a strict separation between executive and legislative branches, and military role in politics. While nearly all regimes call themselves republic, I would not have thought hitler would have valued republicanism even as a theory to aspire to. Does anyone have more details on this? I have not read Hitler saying anything similar in any other work. Is it possibly a forgery? This is the passage from Hitler's Table Talk I'm referring to:

'As regards the government of Germany, I've come to the following conclusions:

1. The Reich must be a republic, having at its head an elected chief who shall be endowed with an absolute authority.

2. An agency representing the people must, nevertheless, exist by way of corrective. Its role is to support the Chief of State, but it must be able to intervene in case of need.

3. The task of choosing the Chief shall be entrusted, not to the people's assembly, but to a Senate. It is, however, important that the powers of the Senate shall be limited. Its composition must not be permanent. Moreover, its members shall be appointed with reference to their occupation and not individuals. These Senators must, by their training, be steeped in the idea that power may in no case be delegated to a weakling, and that the elected Fuehrer must always be the best man.

4. The election of the Chief must not take place in public, but in camera.<snip>"

A very good commentary on the book(from reviewer at Amazon."

"His party was called the National Socialist German Workers Party. He was a nationalist and a socialist and a big supporter of the working man. If he were alive today, he would have LED the 'Battle of Seattle'. His motto was 'fair-trade' not free trade and 'our people first'. He hated international capitalism. Get it?"

.

'Biotech violin' outdoes Stradivarius

'Biotech violin' outdoes Stradivarius: "'Biotech violin' outdoes Stradivarius
September 14th, 2009 Empa violin outdoes Stradivarius



The five instruments played during the test. Visually, there is very little difference between them. (Photo: Egmont Seiler)

At the 27th 'Osnabrücker Baumpflegetagen,' one of Germany’s most important annual conferences on all aspects of forest husbandry, Empa researcher Francis Schwarze’s 'biotech violin' dared to go head to head in a blind test against a stradivarius -- and won. A brilliant outcome for the Empa violin, which is made of wood treated with fungus, against the instrument made by the great master himself in 1711."

Warning : Beer Contains Female Hormones!

Chinadaily BBS - China & the World - Warning : Beer Contains Female Hormones!: "UID 226067
Digest Posts 0
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Warning : Beer Contains Female Hormones!

Warning : Beer Contains Female Hormones!

help.lockergnome.com

This is serious stuff...Beer contains female hormones!

Last month, National University of Lesotho scientists released the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer. Men should take a concerned look at their beer consumption. The theory is that beer contains female hormones (hops contain phytoestrogens) and that by drinking enough beer, men turn into women. To test the theory, 100 men drank 8 pints of beer each within a 1 hour period. It was then observed that 100% of the test subjects:

1 ) argued over nothing.
2 ) refused to apologize when obviously wrong.
3 ) Gained weight.
4 ) Talked excessively without making sense.
5 ) Became overly emotional.
6 ) Couldn't drive.
7 ) Failed to think rationally
8 ) Had to sit down while urinating. No further testing was considered necessary"

Cross Posting

Washington Politics News | Politicker.com: "Times endorses, Goldy gloats
By Goldy

Last week I stuck my neck out and predicted the Times endorsements in the Seattle City Council races:
Conlin, Bagshaw, Licata and Royer in the City Council races… If they do dual endorsements in Council Districts 4, 6 and 8, throw in Bloom, Israel, and here’s the reach… Forch.
Well, today the Seattle Times endorsed Bagshaw for [...]"

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

9/11 petition, signed by Van Jones ....

911 Truth Statement from their site.  Posted on this date by SJ to respond to comments about van Jones later in the blog.

Respected Leaders and Families Launch 9/11 Truth Statement Demanding Deeper Investigation into the Events of 9/11

NEW YORK CITY, NY (Oct. 26, 2004)(Updated Sep. 11, 2009) - An alliance of 100 prominent Americans and 40 family members of those killed on 9/11 today announced the release of the 911 Truth Statement, a call for immediate inquiry into evidence that suggests high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the September 11th attacks to occur. The Statement supports an August 31st Zogby poll that found nearly 50% of New Yorkers believe the government had foreknowledge and "consciously failed to act," with 66% wanting a new 9/11 investigation.
Focusing on twelve questions, the Statement highlights areas of incriminating evidence that were either inadequately explored or ignored by the Kean Commission, ranging from insider trading and hijacker funding to foreign government forewarnings and inactive defenses around the Pentagon. The Statement asks for four actions: an immediate investigation by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Congressional hearings, media analysis, and the formation of a truly independent citizens-based inquiry.
The Statement's list of signatories includes notables spanning the political spectrum, from Presidential candidates Ralph Nader, Michael Badnarik, and David Cobb to Catherine Austin Fitts, a member of the first Bush administration, as well as Washington veterans like Pentagon whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern. Other signers range from peace activists like Global Exchange's Kevin Danaher to former US Ambassador and Chief of Mission to Iraq, Edward L. Peck; from environmentalists like Randy Hayes and John Robbins; from populist journalist Ronnie Dugger to renowned investigative reporter Kelly Patricia O'Meara.

The Statement also includes 43 noted authors, including New York Times #1 bestseller John Gray, as well as 18 eminent professors, historians, and theologians. Other notables include five-term Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, singers Michelle Shocked and Michael Franti, and actors Ed Asner and Mimi Kennedy.
The Statement was facilitated by 911truth.org, a leading coalition. The organization has also announced a press conference outside of Eliot Spitzer's Manhattan office (corner of Cedar and Nassau) at 2:00PM on Thursday, Oct. 28th where 9/11 family members and victim group representatives will file a formal complaint demanding the first criminal investigation of 9/11 events by the New York Attorney General.
Page Update 9/9/2009: Following is the actual statement endorsed by these signatories, as referred to in the press release above.
The Statement
We Want Real Answers About 9/11
On August 31, 2004, Zogby International, the official North American political polling agency for Reuters, released a poll that found nearly half (49.3%) of New York City residents and 41% of those in New York state believe US leaders had foreknowledge of impending 9/11 attacks and "consciously failed" to act. Of the New York City residents, 66% called for a new probe of unanswered questions by Congress or the New York Attorney General.

In connection with this news, we have assembled 100 notable Americans and 40 family members of those who died to sign this 9/11 Statement, which calls for immediate public attention to unanswered questions that suggest that people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war.
We want truthful answers to questions such as:

1. Why were standard operating procedures for dealing with hijacked airliners not followed that day?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
2. Why were the extensive missile batteries and air defenses reportedly deployed around the Pentagon not activated during the attack?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
3. Why did the Secret Service allow Bush to complete his elementary school visit, apparently unconcerned about his safety or that of the schoolchildren?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
4. Why hasn't a single person been fired, penalized, or reprimanded for the gross incompetence we witnessed that day?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
5. Why haven't authorities in the U.S. and abroad published the results of multiple investigations into trading that strongly suggested foreknowledge of specific details of the 9/11 attacks, resulting in tens of millions of dollars of traceable gains?
6. Why has Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI translator who claims to have knowledge of advance warnings, been publicly silenced with a gag order requested by Attorney General Ashcroft and granted by a Bush-appointed judge?
7. How could Flight 77, which reportedly hit the Pentagon, have flown back towards Washington D.C. for 40 minutes without being detected by the FAA's radar or the even superior radar possessed by the US military?
   SJ: Seems like a reasonable question.
   
8. How were the FBI and CIA able to release the names and photos of the alleged hijackers within hours, as well as to visit houses, restaurants, and flight schools they were known to frequent?
9. What happened to the over 20 documented warnings given our government by 14 foreign intelligence agencies or heads of state?
10. Why did the Bush administration cover up the fact that the head of the Pakistani intelligence agency was in Washington the week of 9/11 and reportedly had $100,000 wired to Mohamed Atta, considered the ringleader of the hijackers?
11. Why did the 911 Commission fail to address most of the questions posed by the families of the victims, in addition to almost all of the questions posed here?
12. Why was Philip Zelikow chosen to be the Executive Director of the ostensibly independent 911 Commission although he had co-authored a book with Condoleezza Rice?

Those who are demanding deeper inquiry now number in the hundreds of thousands, including a former member of the first Bush administration, a retired Air Force colonel, a European parliamentarian, families of the victims, highly respected authors, investigative journalists, peace and justice leaders, former Pentagon staff, and the National Green Party.
As Americans of conscience, we ask for four things:

1. An immediate investigation by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
2. Immediate investigation in Congressional Hearings.
3. Media attention to scrutinize and investigate the evidence.
4. The formation of a truly independent citizens-based inquiry.

Given the importance of the coming election, we feel it is imperative that these questions be addressed publicly, honestly, and rigorously so that Americans may exercise their democratic rights with full awareness.
In closing, we pray and hope for the strength to approach this subject with wisdom and compassion so that we may heal from the wounds inflicted on that terrible day.
Signed,
Signatories
Note: All organizations are mentioned for identification purposes only. Individuals have signed this statement as an act of their own conscience, not to signify organizational endorsement.
Update 9/11/2009: Signatories removed.
Posted by Janice Matthews, current Director, 911Truth.org
Following recent media-generated controversy over Obama appointee Van Jones' signature on this Statement, he and two other signatories have requested their names be removed. That has been done.

1. Virginia Deane Abernethy, Ph.D., anthropologist, author, Population Politics
2. Ed Asner, actor, activist
3. Marshall Auerback, international portfolio strategist for David W. Tice & Associates, Inc.
4. Catherine Austin Fitts, Asst. Secretary of Housing in the first Bush administration
5. Keidi Obi Awadu, aka The Conscious Rasta, talk show host, LIBRadio
6. Michael Badnarik, Libertarian candidate for President
7. Byron Belitsos, publisher, Origin Press, author Planetary Democracy
8. Philip J. Berg, Esquire, former deputy attorney general, Pennsylvania
9. Medea Benjamin, activist, author, co-founder, Global Exchange and Code Pink
10. Dennis Bernstein, investigative reporter, radio host of KPFA's Flashpoints
11. Steve Bhaerman aka Swami Beyondananda, author, political comedian
12. Brad Blanton, Ph.D., psychotherapist, author, Radical Honesty
13. Saniel Bonder, spiritual teacher and author, Great Relief
14. Dr. Robert Bowman, USAF Lt. Col. (Rtd.), founder, Institute for Space and Security Studies
15. John Buchanan, author, candidate for the Republican Party Presidential nomination, 2004
16. Gray Brechin, Ph.D., author, environmental historian, professor, UC Berkeley
17. Fred Burks, presidential interpreter for Bush, Clinton, Cheney, and Gore
18. Norma Carr-Rufino, Ph.D., author, professor of management, San Francisco State University
19. Angana Chatterji, Ph.D., scholar-activist and professor of anthropology
20. Paul Cienfuegos, co-founder, Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County
21. David Cobb, attorney, national presidential candidate, US Green Party
22. John Cobb, Ph.D., theologian, co-author, For the Common Good
23. Ernest Callenbach, founder/editor, Film Quarterly, author, Ecotopia
24. Kevin Danaher, Ph.D., author, speaker, co-founder, Global Exchange
25. Stephen Dinan, author, Radical Spirit
26. Ronnie Dugger, journalist/author, co-founder, Alliance for Democracy
27. Daniel Ellsberg, author, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
28. (Name removed by request 9/9/2009)
29. Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law, Princeton University
30. Michael Franti, musician, filmmaker, human rights worker
31. Janeane Garofalo, actress, comedienne, talk show host, Air America Radio
32. Jim Garrison, Ph.D., president, State of the World Forum, author, America as Empire
33. Bruce Gagnon, Chair, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
34. Ric Giardina, author, consultant, speaker, former Director of Trademarks and Brands for Intel
35. John Gray, Ph.D., #1 bestselling author, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
36. Stan Goff, 25-year Army Special Ops veteran, author, Full Spectrum Disorder
37. Melvin Goodman, senior fellow, Center for International Policy, author, former Senior Analyst, CIA, professor, National War College
38. Morton Goulder, Deputy Secretary for Intelligence and Warning under Nixon, Ford, and Carter
39. David Ray Griffin, Ph.D., theologian, author, New Pearl Harbor
40. Doris "Granny D" Haddock, campaign finance crusader, NH Democratic candidate for Senate
41. Thom Hartmann, radio host; author, Unequal Protection
42. Richie Havens, singer, songwriter, performer, artist
43. (Name removed by request 9/9/2009)
44. Randy Hayes, founder, Rainforest Action Network, US National Director, Direction Conservation
45. Richard Heinberg, author, The Party's Over, core faculty, New College of California
46. (Name removed by request 9/10/2009)
47. Rob Kall, editor, OpEdNews.com, president, Futurehealth, Inc.
48. Georgia Kelly, executive director, Praxis Peace Institute
49. Sean Kelly, Ph.D., author, professor of philosophy and religion, CA Institute of Integral Studies
50. John Joseph Kennedy, Democratic Write-in Presidential Candidate for 2004
51. Mimi Kennedy, actress, Dharma and Greg, progressive activist
52. Faiz Khan, M.D., Triage Emergency Physician on 9/11, Assistant Imam
53. David Korten, author, When Corporations Rule the World
54. Frances Moore Lappe, author, Diet for a Small Planet; founder, Small Planet Institute
55. Scott M. Legere, 25 year radio broadcaster as Scott Ledger, Tampa FL
56. Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, TIKKUN Magazine, author, Healing Israel/Palestine
57. Michael Levine, bestselling author of Deep Cover, journalist, 25-year veteran of the DEA
58. Joanna Macy, Ph.D., eco-philosopher, author
59. Enver Masud, founder, The Wisdom Fund, author, The Truth About Islam
60. John McCarthy, former Special Forces Captain, president, Veterans Equal Rights Protection Advocacy
61. Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst, co-founder, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
62. Cynthia McKinney, five-term Congresswoman from Georgia
63. Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., author, professor, co-founder, Green Earth Foundation
64. Mark Crispin Miller, media critic, author, professor, New York University
65. Joseph W. Montaperto, New York City Fire Department
66. Leuren Moret, geoscientist, radiation specialist, environmental commissioner
67. Ralph Nader, Independent candidate for President
68. Craig Neal, author, co-founder, The Heartland Institute, former publisher, Utne Reader
69. Jeff Norman, executive director, Tour of Duty
70. Jenna Orkin, Esquire, World Trade Center Environmental Organization
71. Kelly Patricia O'Meara, investigative journalist, public relations
72. Michael Parenti, Ph.D., author, Superpatriotism and The Terrorism Trap
73. Edward L. Peck, former US Ambassador and Chief of Mission to Iraq, former Deputy Director to the White House Task Force on Terrorism
74. Peter Phillips, Ph.D., professor, Sonoma State University, director, Project Censored
75. Henri Poole, Internet pioneer, board member, Free Software Foundation
76. Robert Rabbin, author, speaker, creator of TruthForPresident.org
77. Paul H. Ray, Ph.D., sociologist, author, The Cultural Creatives
78. John Renesch, business futurist, author, Getting to the Better Future
79. John Rensenbrink, professor emeritus, Bowdoin College, co-founder, US Green Party
80. John Robbins, author, founder, EarthSave International
81. William Rodriguez, 9/11 rescue effort hero, founder, Hispanic Victims Group
82. Neal Rogin, Emmy-award winning writer, performer, social observer
83. Allen Roland, Ph.D., psychotherapist, published author and peace activist
84. Rosemary Radford Ruether, professor of feminist theology, Graduate Theological Union
85. Michael Ruppert, publisher/editor, From The Wilderness, author, Crossing the Rubicon
86. Chris Sanders, founder, Sanders Research Associates
87. Karl W. B. Schwarz, President, CEO, Patmos Nanotechnologies, LLC
88. Peter Dale Scott, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, author, Drugs, Oil, and War
89. Firefighter Kevin Shea, FDNY Hazmat Operations
90. Michelle Shocked, singer/songwriter, activist
91. Indira Singh, risk management and computer systems consultant
92. J. Michael Springmann, attorney, former Foreign Service Officer, US Department of State
93. Douglas Sturm, Ph.D., university professor emeritus, Bucknell University
94. Marjorie Hewit Suchocki, Ph.D., theologian, author
95. Chuck Turner, Boston City Council
96. James W. Walter Jr., venture investor, philanthropist, founder of Walden Three
97. Dan Whaley, E-commerce pioneer, founder of GetThere.com, acquired for $750M
98. Burns H. Weston, J.S.D., Professor of Law Emeritus, Director, Center for Human Rights, U-Iowa
99. Howard Zinn, professor, historian, author, A People's History of the United States

Family Members

1. Joanne Barbara, wife of FDNY Asst. Chief of Dept. Gerard Barbara
2. Gayle Barker, sister of William A. Karnes, WTC
3. Michele Bergsohn, wife of Alvin Bergsohn, Cantor Fitzgerald
4. Derrill Bodley, father of Deora Bodley, passenger on Flight 93
5. Kathryn C. Bowden, sister of Thomas H. Bowden, Jr. WTC1, 104th floor
6. Janet Calia, wife of Dominick Calia, Cantor Fitzgerald, WTC1
7. Maggie Cashman, wife of William Joseph Cashman, United Flight 93
8. Lynne Castrianno Galante, sister of Leonard Castrianno, 1WTC, 105th floor
9. Elza Chapa-McGowan, daughter of Rosemary Chapa, Pentagon
10. Bruce De Cell, father-in-law of Mark Petrocelli North Tower, 92nd floor
11. Ralph D'Esposito, father of Michael D'Esposito, WTC, 96th floor
12. Loisanne Diehl, Surviving Spouse, Michael D. Diehl, WTC2, 90th floor
13. Adina D. Eisenberg, sister of Eric Eisenberg, WTC
14. Jonathan M. Fisher, son of Dr. Gerald Paul "Geep" Fisher, Pentagon
15. Michael J. Fox, brother of Jeffrey L. Fox, Tower 2, 89th floor
16. Laurel A. Gay, sister of Peter A. Gay, AA Flight 11
17. Irene Golinsky, wife of Col. Ronald F. Golinski USA RET, Pentagon
18. Lori, Jerry, and Beatrice Guadagno, sister and parents of Richard Guadagno, Flight 93
19. Kristen Hall, daughter of fallen firefighter Thomas Kuveikis 9/11
20. Kurt D. Horning, father of Matthew D. Horning, WTC Tower One, 95th floor
21. Jennifer W. Hunt, wife of William C. Hunt, Euro Brokers
22. John Keating, son of Barbara Keating, passenger on AA Flight 11
23. L. Russell Keene II, father of Russ Keene III, WTC2, 89th floor, KBW
24. Peter Kousoulis, sister died in WTC
25. Paul & Barbara Kirwin, parents of Glenn Davis Kirwin, Cantor Fitzgerald 105th floor
26. Barbara Krukowski-Rastelli, mother of William E. Krukowski, NYC firefighter
27. Laura and Ira Lassman, parents of Nicholas C. Lassman, died in WTC, Tower One
28. Johnny Lee, husband of Lorraine Greene
29. Alicia LeGuillow, mother of Nestor A. Cintron III
30. Francine Levine, sister of Adam K. Ruhalter, who died on 9/11
31. Bob McIlvaine, father of Robert McIlvaine, WTC, Merrill Lynch
32. Mary McWilliams, mother of FF Martin E. McWilliams- Engine 22
33. Daryl J. Meehan, brother of Colleen Ann Barkow, WTC 1, 105th floor
34. Elvira P. Murphy, wife of Patrick Murphy, WTC 1
35. Natalee Pecorelli, sister of Thomas Pecorelli of Flight 11
36. James L Perry, M.D and Patricia J. Perry, parents of John W. Perry, Esq., NYPD Officer 9/11
37. David Potorti, brother of James Potorti, North Tower, WTC, Marsh & McLennan
38. Terry Kay Rockefeller, sister of Laura Rockefeller, North Tower, WTC
39. Grissel Rodriguez-Valentin, wife of Benito Valentin, WTC1, 94th floor
40. Alissa Rosenberg-Torres, widow of Luis Eduardo Torres, post-9/11 mother, writer
41. Elaine Saber, mother of Scott Saber
42. Julie Scarpitta, mother of Michelle Scarpitta, WTC Building 2, 84th floor
43. Paula Shapiro, mother of Eric Eisenberg, WTC2
44. Elizabeth Turner, wife of Simon Turner, lost on 11th September 2001
45. Adele Welty, mother of Firefighter Timothy Welty, FDNY, Squad 288
46. Joan W. Winton, mother of David Winton, WTC, South Tower, 89th floor
47. David Yancey, husband of Vicki Yancey, American Airlines Flight 77
48. Nissa Youngren, daughter of Robert G. LeBlanc, flight 175

Late Signatories (starting toward 200 ...)

1. Rita M. Haley, President, National Organization for Women, New York Chapter
2. Immortal Technique, Harlem-based hip-hop artist with Viper Records, Revolutionary I&II
3. Bob Kirkconnell, served in the U.S. Air Force 27 years, reaching the rank of Master Sergeant
4. Dennis Kyne, former Army air medic, 18th Airborne Corps during Gulf War I, musician, author, "Support the Truth"
5. Paul Landis, author, "Stop Bush Now!"
6. Eric H. May, former Army military intelligence officer and media essayist
7. Charles Shaw, Editor, Newtopia Magazine, National Peace Action Coordinator, National Green Party
8. Peter Erlinder, professor, William Mitchell College of Law, past-President National Lawyers Guild
9. Daniel Robert Rezac, 2004 Vice-Presidential Write-In Candidate, former Aviator & Armor Officer, Army National Guard, B.S.B.A.
10. Joel Horwitz, lost beloved cousin in WTC 1
11. Jessica Murrow, lost husband Stephen Adams, Beverage Manager, Windows on the World, WTC 1
12. Ellen Mariani, lost husband Neil on Flight 175
13. Jean Hunt, disabled survivor of Pentagon attack
14. Ralph & Brigitte Sabbag, lost son Jason in WTC 2

Take action!

1. Send this information to your congresspeople and journalists, demanding attention
2. Help New York citizens and 9/11 family members, beginning Thursday, Oct. 28th, by signing an online petition in support of their formal complaint to be filed with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Petition at www.justicefor911.org
3. Stay informed here at www.911truth.org and get active in local groups.

Strike Settled, Oakland U. Professors Return to the Classroom - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Strike Settled, Oakland U. Professors Return to the Classroom - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education: "Strike Settled, Oakland U. Professors Return to the Classroom

By Audrey Williams June

Professors at Oakland University are back in front of their classrooms.......

A written statement issued by the Oakland University chapter of the American Association of University Professors said the new contract resolved sticking points in negotiations that began in May. The union said the contract, which faces a ratification vote before it becomes official, preserves faculty governance at the 18,000-student institution, limits the use of full-time professors who aren't on the tenure track, protects faculty members' intellectual property, and includes a choice of the current health-care plan or an alternative backed by the university.

'We believe that the university was not bargaining in good faith, and we appreciate the work of the judge to bring this to closure,' said Lizabeth Barclay, grievance officer and spokeswoman for the 600-member union.

A lesson to the UW?

Last Days of Big American Physics: One More Triumph, or Just Another Heartbreak? | Wired Science | Wired.com

Last Days of Big American Physics: One More Triumph, or Just Another Heartbreak? | Wired Science | Wired.com: "BATAVIA, Illinois — High-energy particle physicists around the world are collectively holding their breath waiting for the Large Hadron Collider to come online and start unlocking the most elusive secrets of the universe. It’s as if time is standing still until their shiny new toy is ready to play with.

But not at Fermilab. Here, physicists are in the scientific equivalent of an all-out sprint, still clinging to the ever-thinning hope that before the LHC ramps up to full power, their own 28-year old particle collider, the Tevatron, will catch the coveted Higgs boson, a theoretical particle that is at the heart of the Standard Model of physics."

Runner is a 'hermaphrodite' | The Sun |News

Runner is a 'hermaphrodite' | The Sun |News: "THE controversy over gender row champion runner Caster Semenya deepened today — after reports claimed sex swap tests have shown she is a HERMAPHRODITE."

Beck

Who Will He Attack Next?

Academic Freedom to ????

The faculty at Oakland University, Oakland University, a Michigan institution, have been told summarily that the admin. is ending tenure, hiring faculty on ad hoc contracts, changing the curriculum, etc.

So ... the faculty have gone on strike and a the Oakland U. administration has asked a judge to order striking professors "Back to Work."

I wonder ...

if the judge does make such a ruling, just how will she or the admin monitor the reluctant professors' work?

Some intriguing examples:

Theology 101 just what is free will?

History of Labor 232 labor unions exist because ....

Drama 222 to display anger, you need to feel it ...

Creative writing 342 write an essay on the ability of administrators to grade your essays

Art 245 can one enforce creativity in an art class?

Conversational German 134 Compare uses of state power under Hitler to forced labor by intellectuals

of course, one could just determine if the professors are adhering to the administrator's lesson plan.

Oh,oh ... how would you evaluate grading?

BBC NEWS | Africa | Makeover for SA gender-row runner

BBC NEWS | Africa | Makeover for SA gender-row runner: "Makeover for SA gender-row runner

Caster Semenya's makeover has become a talking point

Makeover for SA gender-row runner

Caster Semenya's makeover has become a talking point Enlarge Image

South African runner Caster Semenya, whose gender was queried by athletics officials, has defended her looks and taken part in a makeover in a magazine.

Ms Semenya, the 800m world champion, posed for the cover of South Africa's You magazine.

"I am who I am and I am proud of myself," the 18-year-old said.

"I'd like to dress up more often and wear dresses but I never get the chance," she said as she was photographed in several outfits.

The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says the outfits show a softer side of Ms Semenya, who most of the world has seen only in a green-and-gold running outfit and training shoes.

The outfits included black leather trousers with a sequined top, a grey knee-length dress worn with a grey cropped jacket and a black-and-white cocktail dress worn with stilettos.

The controversy over Ms Semenya's gender has angered many in South Africa, including her family who insist she is female.

Now that I know I can look like this I'd like to dress like this more often Caster Semenya Homecoming for Semenya

And our reporter says her makeover has become a talking point since the magazine hit the shelves on Monday evening.

Listeners have been phoning up radio stations to give their thoughts on "the new and improved" Ms Semenya.

Some felt she should not have been "improved" while others said it was a "great look".

Ms Semenya, who has said very little about the gender controversy surrounding her, says she is not bothered by the negative publicity following her gold medal at the Berlin World Championships last month.

"I see it all as a joke, it doesn't upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself," she said.

"I've never bought my own clothes, my mum buys them for me, but now that I know I can look like this I'd like to dress like this more often," she added.

The magazine said it was "under strict obligation not to comment" on the makeover, but said the cover has sparked a lot of international interest.

Enlarge Image

South African runner Caster Semenya, whose gender was queried by athletics officials, has defended her looks and taken part in a makeover in a magazine.

Ms Semenya, the 800m world champion, posed for the cover of South Africa's You magazine.

'I am who I am and I am proud of myself,' the 18-year-old said.

'I'd like to dress up more often and wear dresses but I never get the chance,' she said as she was photographed in several outfits.

The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says the outfits show a softer side of Ms Semenya, who most of the world has seen only in a green-and-gold running outfit and training shoes.

The outfits included black leather trousers with a sequined top, a grey knee-length dress worn with a grey cropped jacket and a black-and-white cocktail dress worn with stilettos.

The controversy over Ms Semenya's gender has angered many in South Africa, including her family who insist she is female.

Now that I know I can look like this I'd like to dress like this more often
Caster Semenya

Homecoming for Semenya

And our reporter says her makeover has become a talking point since the magazine hit the shelves on Monday evening.

Listeners have been phoning up radio stations to give their thoughts on 'the new and improved' Ms Semenya.

Some felt she should not have been 'improved' while others said it was a 'great look'.

Ms Semenya, who has said very little about the gender controversy surrounding her, says she is not bothered by the negative publicity following her gold medal at the Berlin World Championships last month.

'I see it all as a joke, it doesn't upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself,' she said.

'I've never bought my own clothes, my mum buys them for me, but now that I know I can look like this I'd like to dress like this more often,' she added.

The magazine said it was 'under strict obligation not to comment' on the makeover, but said the cover has sparked a lot of international interest."

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

Traces of the Detroit Jews .... their synagogues.

Lost Synagogues of Detroit.

The data from Bronx

A statistical analysis of the present sites of each synagogue shows that:

78 are churches

54 are empty lots

38 are public buildings (schools, city projects, a

correctional facility, etc

27 are private houses

14 are private agencies (12 in original buildings

13 are businesses

9 are now replaced by an industrial park

7 are now replaced by the Cross Bronx Expressway

4 are now synagogues

5 are now new homes

5 are now city parks

4 are abandoned synagogues

3 are in presently inhabited apartment buildings

3 are in presently utilized office buildings

1 is a parish house

1 is an abandoned apartment house

Detroit

The Detroit News | detnews.com | Tuesday, September 8, 2009 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan: "Dread builds for Detroiters as decision looms on bus cuts
Riders board the bus for the Grand River route at the Rosa Parks Transit Center on Sunday. Grand River, Greenfield and Eight Mile are among main routes that could be affected.

In a city where at least 20% of households do not have cars and poverty and unemployment are rampant, the prospect of scaling back bus service has many Detroit residents on edge. - 11:32"

Michigan State Fair ends 160-year run

Amid the thrill of neon amusement rides, baby animals and cotton candy, Michigan residents said goodbye to an old friend Monday. The Michigan State Fair ended its 160-year run amid pouring rain Monday night, a victim of state budget cuts, but many attending the final day still were hoping that the blue-ribbon fair could be revived. - 12:02 pm

he/sheisms Orshee?

Moscow News - Columnists - It’s not personal, it’s pronouns: "In English-speaking cultures, however, people ponder away furiously, if largely fruitlessly, over gender marking for pronouns. Take this quick fill-in-the-blank quiz: 'If a performer arrives late for a concert, _____ (he; she; it; they) should apologize to the audience.' The correct answer is ... that there is no correct answer, at least not right now; while a plurality of English speakers would probably write 'he,' there are significant constituencies for 'she' and 'they' as well. And if present trends continue, an 'it' voting bloc could arise in the near future.

Extreme Extra Credit: In what recent American novel was a pronoun-hypersensitive professor awarded the nickname "Orshee"?

Some local parents question showing Obama speech to their kids

Some local parents question showing Obama speech to their kids: "By Tired

Sep 8, 2009 8:40 AM | Link to this

Lets see, we have a president that could have been born in Africa, possibly Canada, He's says Hawaii, but names two different hospitals at different times, the notary seal on the supposed birth certificate is not embossed but flat showing it's a forgery, Would not wear the American flag on his suit during his campaign, (except until he caught flak about it), had a huge picture on the wall of his campaign headquarters in Houston of the revolutionary Che, and wants our schoolchildren to pledge their allegiance to HIM. Starting to sound like 'our glorious leader' in North Korea? And then people like 'I voted for Obama' get online and post stuff that insinuates that people that did not vote for Obama are all white, redneck, meth head, suicidal Klan members. Nothing I said above is racially based, so don't bother answering IVFO. All people are concerned about are his policies. He got elected on a platform of 'a dream' by a society that follows celebrity's. He won the largest 'who's most popular contest'. What we need is leadership in this country to do what is best for all the people. Not to punish the people who work hard for a living. Not to take what they work hard for just to give it to people who don't want to work."

Dawn of Agriculture, ctd.

Eureka! Science News | Latest science news articles: "Half of the fish consumed globally is now raised on farms, study finds

These are moi, or Pacific threadfin, being sorted for market after harvest from an offshore aquaculture cage in Hawaii.Aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the industry..."

Post on a local Judeo Christian Blog ... nuff said.

Faith and Freedom Network: "I know Gary and he does like all people, including homosexual people. What he and others, myself included, are against is gay people re writing morality and affitrming it by making it law.
...His basis of belief is your Scripture, what we Christians call the Old Testament, and the teaching in the New Testament letters to the Christian church. His belief is based on your holy book and the Christian New Testament. That is Judeo-Christian.
None of us in the traditional marriage side are trying to take anything away from you or any other gay person. You have the same rights I or anyone else has. You have a legal right to marry, just like I do. ....?"

Hamas approval rating extremely low | Middle East | Jerusalem Post

Hamas approval rating extremely low | Middle East | Jerusalem Post: "....While the numbers indicate ongoing, deep hostility toward Israel in the Arab world, the poll also shows signs that powerful players in the region, such as Hamas, are in deep trouble at home, and that the people living under their direct rule are becomingly increasingly vocal in their criticism.

'Gaza is a big open sore for Hamas, and it's become a symbol that has turned people against armed struggle and in favor of negotiations,' Greenberg told The Jerusalem Post in an interview on Friday. 'Hamas has become marginalized politically.'

According to the poll, 58 percent of Gazans said they disapprove of the job being done by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while 42% of them said they 'disapprove strongly.'"

Horsey on Google

The Hawaiian in the Oval Office
Napili Beach, Maui – How Hawaiian is Barack Obama?

Cougar caught in Seattle released in wild

Cougar caught in Seattle released in wild: "The animal likely preyed on house cats during its time in the park, Hebner said. Earlier, he noted the heavily forested park was a perfect urban retreat for the cougar because there's no competition for the territorial animal. There's also plenty of food in the form of rabbits and other small animals, along with neighborhood pets.
.............
In an unrelated incident, a cougar was struck and killed by an automobile Saturday evening ....

Trouser Law

Al Jazeera English - AJE: "Sudanese woman fined over trousers
Court convicts Lubna al-Hussein of indecency but spares her 40 lashes."

Sudanese woman fined over trousers

Court convicts Lubna al-Hussein of indecency but spares her 40 lashes.

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

I Want Al Jazeera English

In the era of Glen Beck and Faux, this campaign by Al Jazeera is a VERY good idea. SJ reads AJE regularly and I would place it at the top of world news sources.

Tower to Unbabel

Latest Science and Health News, Articles & More | Reuters.co.uk: "Computer algorithm to decipher ancient texts 3:32pm BST

BEERSHEBA, Israel (Reuters) - Researchers in Israel say they have developed a computer program that can decipher previously unreadable ancient texts and possibly lead the way to a Google-like search engine for historical documents. Full Article"

Khaddafi vies with Beck

Newsweek - National News, World News, Health, Technology, Entertainment and more... | Newsweek.com: "Newsweek
It requires a certain special kind of chutzpah to blanket your country's capital city with signs about yourself reading 'May Glory be Yours, O Maker of Glories.' Muamar Kaddafi has never had trouble delivering on that. And so, right no...w, Tripoli is hosting a week-long blowout celebration of the one and only Colonel Kaddafi on the 40th anniversary of the coup that brought him to power.Read More"

Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post

Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post: "Obama To Deliver Major Health Care Address To Joint Session Of Congress
Barack Obama"

This is Insane. God wants war?

Rabbis: Jews who sell land to Arabs can't be part of minyan | Jewish News | Jerusalem Post: "A Jew who sells land to an Arab in Israel should not be allowed to lead prayers in synagogue, should not be given the right to make a blessing during the Torah reading, should not be counted among the quorum needed for public prayers and is considered an abettor to the enemies of Israel, according to a halachic decision issued on Monday night by a group of rabbis calling themselves 'The New Sanhedrin.'"

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

China's new Weapon

Danger Room: "The precision weapons used by the U.S. military share something in common with the Toyota Prius: They both depend on components made from rare-earth metals. China is the world’s dominant rare earths producer, and strategic thinkers are starting to worry about this strategic supply — particularly amid concerns that China may hoard or restrict access to the rare-earth materials that the military depends on."

Russia's Answer to US Air Superiority

Danger Room: "At last month’s Moscow air show, Russia proudly displayed the Igla-S, its latest generation man-portable air defense system, or Manpads, which it is selling to foreign customers. The shoulder-fired missile is proving a hot commodity on the international market, and a major concern to the U.S. government because of the threat it poses to commercial and military aircraft. The irony is that the United States is desperately afraid that other countries will get their hands on the Igla-S (also known as the SA-24), even though the United States is having problems acquiring one for itself."

Yiddish

Latest news headlines - CNET News: "y! Google Translate now speaks Yiddish

August 31, 2009 12:48 PM PDT

Google adds nine new languages to its translation service--which can translate text, comments, live chat, or entire Web pages--bringing the total to 51.

By Josh Lowensohn in Web Crawler"

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Parents for sale

Latest news headlines - CNET News: "Man tries to sell parents on Craigslist

September 1, 2009 10:22 PM PDT

A Connecticut insurance executive offers his parents on Craigslist for $155. He claims he has had many bidders.

By Chris Matyszczyk in Technically Incorrect"

Herring

The Local - Sweden's news in English: "Health supplements from smelly herring

‘Surströmming’ – the slimy, smelly, fermented Baltic herring, that is sold in cans and is a popular favourite for many Swedes and converts – is to be turned into a health food supplement. READ »"

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » Cantwell on Public Option

@7 Dave S.

Trying to double guess Pres Obama on not making his own healtcare proposal is hard. Hillary effed up hig time by doing just that.

I like to think that what BHO has done is laid a base. When healthcare passes, esp if it is done by over riding the filibuzz-bomb, the Repricans are going to look asinine and he will get huge cred.

I am convinced this is the strategy, but am concerned about the details. Liberal orthodoxy in these issues is a problem too. There are a number of myths that could hurt the final plan:

1. Insurance/admin overhead. Maybe BUT from what I read the costs of cooperatives, where one assumes there is no profit, are as high as the costs of insurance plans. There is something to be said for competition ... IF the bill is written so as to encourage that!

2. Preventative medicine in adults. This does prolong life but it increases healthcare costs.

3. "death panels" of course any health care plan will have some sort of utilization/triage process. This is NOT just a matter of who gets what final care it is also a matter of who gets different forms of preventitive medicine.

4. cost shifting ... I suspect that a huge part of American inefficieny is do to endemic cost shifting. Some illegal immigrant is injured in a state where state law prohibits paying for =care but federal law requires it. Who do you suppose pays for this?

5. American Subsidies .. All this debate about Americans being able to buy drugs in Canada misses the point. The drug companies operate accdording to a bottom line. If CA gets a discount, we pay for it. If we become more rigorous, then something will go .. the mix of drugs developed will change to conform to whatever is most profitable. That mix may or may not be what is best for patients.

6. Education ... our current model .. $200,000 and more in loans .. is untenable. Med schools are also overly slective in the US. We need to educate more students and do so without creating a debt structure that forces students to choose specialty by recompense.

Russia and Poland trade insults on 70th anniversary of World War Two - Telegraph

Russia and Poland trade insults on 70th anniversary of World War Two - Telegraph: "As world leaders gather in the Polish city of Gdansk today to commemorate the first shots of the conflict, Poles are fuming over what they perceive as an insulting Russian propaganda campaign targeting their nation.

In the days leading up to anniversary, Russian media has aired a string of accusations against Poland, claiming that Warsaw intended to collaborate with Hitler in an invasion of the Soviet Union, and that Jozef Beck, Poland's foreign minister in 1939, was a German agent. Moscow broadcasters have also claimed that there was a 'German hand' in the 1940 Katyn massacre of thousands of Polish PoWs, an atrocity generally held to have been the exclusive work of Stalin's secret police."

R71, the movie

HorsesAss.Org » Blog Archive » R-71 qualifies for the ballot: "(R71 is actually a MOVIE gimmick! The flick is being jointly produced by Spike Lee and Woody Allen. The movie stars John Voight as a Beck-like talking head who campaigns on the radio against gay marriage and Merry Streep and jay-Z as an improbable mixed couple (she is Jewish and conservative he is Black and a closet gay-christian. Sheriff Reichert plays the cop investigating the supposed kidnapping of Voight’s daughter .. but the kidnapping turns out to be a publicity hoax to raise the station’s ratings. Production has already begun with scenes filmed at DL .. the opening scene has a DL group sitting around the table debating R71 when the sheriff walks in …)."

A Soldier’s Service in Iraq Leads to a Custody Battle at Home - NYTimes.com

A Soldier’s Service in Iraq Leads to a Custody Battle at Home - NYTimes.com: "TEANECK, N.J. — During the 10 months she was deployed in Iraq, Leydi Mendoza, a 22-year-old specialist in the New Jersey National Guard, did everything she could think of to ease her longing for the year-old daughter she had left back home.

Ms. Mendoza's daughter, Elizabeth, who was a year old when her mother was deployed.

A picture taken on her baby Elizabeth’s first Christmas was tucked inside the camouflage patrol cap she wore while guarding prisoners at Camp Cropper in Baghdad. Several times a week, she would phone her former companion, Daniel Llares, who was caring for their daughter, aching as she heard her little girl’s vocabulary grow from babble to phrases like “I miss you” and “I love you.”"

Gross Outs .. Ultimate Tattoos

No comment .. see this link

Pookas at DL

What is a Pooka?

I realize that some here are illiterate or spiritually deprived so I wanted to provide a link on the pooka.

For those who would like to meet a pooka, one usually attends DL on Tuesday nights. He is the big fella in the empty chair by the bar.

Some FAQs on the DL pooka:

1. Darryl is not a pooka. For one thing his ears are too short.

2. SJ is not a pooka, though he fantasizes about that.

3. Roger Rabbit might be a pooka, has anyone asked him?

4. Pookas always pair with a human and do so for life. This is not covered by R71 since pookas don't have gender.

5. The partner for the DL pooka remains a mystery. Goldy is too serious to have a pooka. Pookas also would not pair with anyine as intense as Lee. This also pretty well rules out anyone who works for Microsoft.

6. As a pooka expert, I suspect that the DL pooka might belong to Clark? OTOH, has anyone ever seen Clark without the fedorah .. is he hiding EARS under that hat?

7. A true TROLL can not be a pooka but could be a puca. This might explain Puddy.

7. Buying a beer for the DL pooka is an act recognized by God as a class 2 good deed.