ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://unknownnews.org/RSSfeeds/dailyRSS.xml"> <style type="text/css"><script type="text/javascript">var disqus_iframe_css="http://www.unknownnews.org/disqus-form.css";</script></style> <title>Unknown&nbsp;News | Helen & Harry's cranky weblog of news and opinion | unknownnews@inbox.com </title> <META content="bad cops, civil rights, corrupt cops news, crooked cops, freedom news, liberal news, libertarian news, police blotter, police brutality, police corruption news, police misconduct, progressive news, Fox Lies"name=KEYWORDS> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontmicro {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 5px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontbox {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 8px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fonts {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 6px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontz {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 8px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font10 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 8px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font11 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 9px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font12 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 10px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font13 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 11px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontx {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 11px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font14 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 12px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontzz {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 12px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontsm {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font15 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 13px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fonttnr {font-family: Times New Roman, Bodoni, Garamond, serif;font-size: 17px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fonttnrx {font-family: Times New Roman, Bodoni, Garamond, serif;font-size: 17px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fonty {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 15px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontpq {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 16px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fonta {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 17px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font17 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 17px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.font18 {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 18px;}--></style> <style type="text/css"><!--.fontxl {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size: 30px;}--></style> <!-- 1-80% 2-Danger 3-Destroying 4-EBBV 5-HNMB 6-IB 7-ISN'T THERE SOMETHING 8-BHL 9-LJ 10-NSR-H 11-SOT-BTH 12-YR 13-WWJB 14-IC 15-ION 16-ION (2) 17-BHL (2) 18-LJ (2) 19-WWJB (2) 20-unknownnews 21-unknownnews 22-unknownnews 23-unknownnews 24-wwjb 25-wwjb 26-wwjb 27-wwjb 28-wwjb 29-wwjb 30-Bushisaliar 31-Bushisaliar 32-Bushisaliar--> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> <!-- Begin // Set up the image files to be used. var theImages = new Array() // do not change this // To add more image files, continue with the // pattern below, adding to the array. theImages[0] = 'stic1.jpg' theImages[1] = 'stic2.jpg' theImages[2] = 'stic3.jpg' theImages[3] = 'stic4.jpg' theImages[4] = 'stic5.jpg' theImages[5] = 'stic6.jpg' theImages[6] = 'stic7.jpg' theImages[7] = 'stic8.jpg' theImages[8] = 'stic9.jpg' theImages[9] = 'stic10.jpg' theImages[10] = 'stic11.jpg' theImages[11] = 'stic12.jpg' theImages[12] = 'stic13.jpg' theImages[13] = 'stic14.jpg' theImages[14] = 'stic15.jpg' theImages[15] = 'stic16.jpg' theImages[16] = 'stic17.jpg' theImages[17] = 'stic18.jpg' theImages[18] = 'stic19.jpg' theImages[19] = 'stic20.jpg' theImages[20] = 'stic21.jpg' theImages[21] = 'stic22.jpg' theImages[22] = 'stic23.jpg' theImages[23] = 'stic24.jpg' theImages[24] = 'stic25.jpg' theImages[25] = 'stic26.jpg' theImages[26] = 'stic27.jpg' theImages[27] = 'stic28.jpg' theImages[28] = 'stic29.jpg' theImages[29] = 'stic30.jpg' theImages[30] = 'stic31.jpg' theImages[31] = 'stic32.jpg' // do not edit anything below this line var j = 0 var p = theImages.length; 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// End --> </script></A> </TD></TR></TABLE></td></tr></table> <table width="980" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="830" align="center" valign="top" bgcolor=white class="font14"> <TABLE CELLPADDING="4" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" WIDTH="32%" BGcolor="#dddddd" class="fonty"> <iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/mainmenu.html" height="50" width="815" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe> </TD></TR></TABLE></td><td width="150" align=center valign="middle" bgcolor="#eeeeee" class="font15"><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/stickers.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/buyabumpersticker.jpg" border="0" width="138" height="23"></A> </td></tr></table><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="980" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="830" BGcolor="#dddddd" class="fonty"> <iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/frames-new.html" height="32" width="830" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></TD><TD ALIGN="center" valign="middle" WIDTH="150" BGcolor="#eeeeee" class="fonty"><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/donations.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/makeadonation.jpg" border="0" width="138" height="23"></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> <!-- end uniform header--> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="980" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="10" BGcolor="#eeeeee" class="fonttnr"> </TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="10" BGcolor=white class="fonttnr">&nbsp;</TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="635" BGcolor=white class="fonta"> <A NAME=14></A><!-- =unk --><BR> <!-- health --><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="122" align="left"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"><img src="http://unknownnews.org/healthish.jpg" alt="health care sucks in America" border="0" width="102" height="127"></td></tr></table> <A HREF=http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-12.html#14><font color=black><BIG><B>Drop the confetti and pop the champagne!<BR>Dems achieve utter and complete success!</B></BIG></font></a> <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Hooray! Throw down your homemade crutches and flush your DIY remedies! After five months of tireless effort, the Democrats have finally put their large majorities in both houses of Congress to good use and <A HREF="http://trueslant.com/rickungar/2009/10/13/it%e2%80%99s-olympia-snowe-ing-in-washington-health-insurance-stock-prices-fall-on-announcement/">accomplished their long-cherished goal</A> &#151; they've convinced Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) to vote yes on health care reform.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All sarcasm aside, I have no idea why anyone should give a damn about how Senator Snowe votes, but her vote seems to have been the Holy Grail for Democrats. Health care reform might've been nice, but getting something they could call "bipartisan" was much more important (the sarcasm is back, sorry). Success! <A NAME=14Wig225></A><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; The insurance giants say that under the Baucus health care bill,  <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/11/AR2009101102207_pf.html">the cumulative increases in the cost of a typical family policy under this reform proposal</A> will be approximately $20,700 more than it would be under the current system. Yeah, they're reforming health care. They're reforming health care <A HREF="http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2009/10/no-really.html">sideways up your butt</A>. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Under the leadership of Nobel Peace Prize-winning President Barack Obama, the <A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/11/millions-starvation-food-aid-cuts">US has cut its funding of a UN program to feed the starving</A> by $800-million, and other nations are following America's lead. <A NAME=quote></A> <table border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="60%" align="right"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"><BR><TABLE CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=1><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta"><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="40" class="fonty"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/thinker.jpg" alt="'The Thinker' statue" border="0" width="40" height="40"></TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" class="fonta"><I><B>It made me stop&nbsp;and&nbsp;think</B></I></TD><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="40" class="fonty"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/quesplanation.jpg" alt="Stop and think" border="0" width="40" height="40"></TD></TR></TABLE> <i><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When the Prez wins a prize, wingnuts sneer.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When we lose the Olympics, they cheer.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Country first," they once said.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Seems that sentiment's dead.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If Barack killed bin Laden, they'd jeer. <DIV align="right"><A HREF="http://www.madkane.com/madness/2009/10/11/country-first/">Madeleine Begun Kane</A></div></i> <br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center> <i><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "This is what Barack Obama did to "earn" the Nobel Prize. He put the benevolent face back on things. He is a good-looking black law professor with an obvious bent for dialogue and discussion and inclusion. That he hasn t actually reversed any of Bush s more notorious policies &#151; hasn t closed Guantanamo Bay, hasn t ended secret detentions, hasn t amped down Iraq or Afghanistan &#151; is another matter. What he has done is remove the stink of unilateralism from those policies.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "They re not crazy-ass, blatantly illegal, lunatic rampages anymore, but carefully-considered, collectively-run peacekeeping actions, prosecuted with meaningful input from our allies.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You see the difference? The Nobel committee sure did!" <DIV align="right"><A HREF="http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/10/13/on-the-nobel-prize-for-occasional-peace/">Matt Taibbi</A></div></i> </td></tr></table></td></tr></table> <A NAME=15Wig3229></A><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; In its effort to keep the government's illegal mass-eavesdropping program secret, the Justice Department has argued that <A HREF="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/10/att-doj-foia/">giant telecom companies are part of the government</A>. Judge Jeffery White (Bush43 2002) has ruled correctly that Attorney General Holder's argument is absurd. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; In another matter, <A HREF="http://harpers.org/archive/2009/10/hbc-90005861">Justice Department officials have declined to testify under oath</A> before the House Intelligence Committee about American missionaries murdered in Peru when their plane was shot down by the Americans. It's one of the many odd situations which suggest &#151; nay, <i>shout</i> &#151; that the Justice Department is no less corrupt under Obama than it was under Bush-Cheney, <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; The <i>New York Times</i> gave a few inches of column space to Jim Goodman, a Wisconsin farmer and food-safety activist, and considering the space limitations he's done a good job presenting <A HREF="http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/guest/article_a0d25e39-7b57-5c8a-bda5-baceb3d1a1a9.html">a brief overview of the absurdities of America's food-safety system</A>.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In recent months I've read Eric Schlosser's <i>Fast Food Nation</i> and Michael Pollan's <i>The Omnivore's Dilemma</i>, and seen the movie <i>Food, Inc</i>, and if you've done any one of the above you'll agree that America's food-safety system is almost completely non-functional. It's a misnomer to call it the food-safety system, since it's primarily about making sure that giant corporations are profitable and secondarily about providing the illusion of food-safety. Like our nation's health-care system isn't about health and our nation's defense system isn't about defense, the food-safety system has next-to-nothing to do with keeping our food safe. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that voting is about queuing up and looking all voting-like, but the next step, <A HREF="http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7445">actually counting the votes</a>, isn't important at all. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; As the oceans warm, <A HREF="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/10/091008-giant-sea-mucus-blobs.html">giant mucous-like blobs of organic matter</A> are forming more frequently, lasting longer, and apparently serving as spawning ground for more dangerous bacteria and viruses. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://reason.com/blog/2009/10/08/warning-to-teens-sexting-will">The Iowa Supreme Court has ruined the lives of two teenagers</A>, because one asked for a photo of the other's penis and he obliged. I can't conceive of a just punishment any more harsh than being grounded for the weekend, but the one with the penis will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, and the one who got the photo gets to be haunted by the facts of the matter. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Taser International, maker of those deadly jolt-guns that cops love, now says <A HREF="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/708892--aim-tasers-lower-police-told">Tasers shouldn't be aimed at victims' chests</A>. <A NAME=CrazyJoe</A><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/09/obama-immigration-arpaio-arizona-sheriff">The Department of Homeland Security has rescinded</A> loony Arizona sheriff Joe Arpiao's authority to enforce federal immigration laws, after Arpiao hassled thousands of people on suspicion of looking Mexican. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Has there ever been an enforcement of any "zero tolerance" policy that wasn't just flat-out stupid? This time it's <A HREF="http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/10/firstgrader-who-brought-camp-utensil-to-school-to-be-sent-to-reform-school.html">a 6-year-old Cub Scout</A> who brought a combination fork/knife/spoon, and got himself suspended from school. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Gale Norton, Interior Secretary under Bush-Cheney, is <A HREF="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/12/ahip-report-cost/">under investigation for allegedly peddling herself</A> for a high-priced job with Shell while she was still in the government. She was working for Bush-Cheney, so my assumption is that she's guilty, but are we now pretending that what she's accused of doesn't happen constantly in offices all across Washington DC? <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; I didn't read the article in the <I>Washington Post</i>, precisely because there was no need to read it. I've read that article before, enough times to know that <A HREF="http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/the_point_you_have_missed_it/">Jesse Taylor's take-down of it</A> is perfect. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Federal Judge Clay Land (Bush43 2001) has <A HREF="http://jonathanturley.org/2009/10/13/attorney-orly-taitz-fined-20000-for-frivolous-birther-litigation/">levied a $20,000 fine</A> on bonkers <A HREF="http://www.nndb.com/group/100/000205482/">birther</A> lawyer <A HREF="http://www.nndb.com/people/848/000206230/">Orly Taitz</A> for her repeated frivolous filings. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; In a Massachusetts city, <A HREF="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/10/09/foxborough_to_test_for_drinking_in_school/">school officials administer Breathalyzer tests</A> to students at school dances, school events, and at any given moment during school days. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; To keep the world safe from terrorism, prisoners at the Guantanamo concentration camp are <A HREF="http://badattitudes.com/MT/archives/2009/10/if_they_read_ch.html">not allowed to read Noam Chomsky</A>. How this keeps the world safe from terrorism eludes me, but you could say the same about how Guantanamo. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/09/florida.baseball.lawsuit/index.html">The Philadelphia Phillies tried to steal</A> a historic baseball from a 12-year-old fan. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://jonathanturley.org/2009/10/09/the-blair-witch-project-former-prime-minister-warns-of-atheists-among-us/">Atheists pose a real and growing threat of secular attack</A>, says another religious nutbag. Guess who? If you said former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, you win the bag o nuts. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; In toe-tapping musical form and not safe for work, here's <A HREF="http://geneburnett.com/gb/Media/StreaminG_MP3s/Maybe%20Nothing's%20Wrong%20I/_11.%20Jump%20You%20Fuckers.mp3">a far more insightful and intelligent response to the economic crisis</a> [mp3] than anything we've seen from the Bush-Cheney and Obama administrations. The singer-songwriter is Gene Burnett, and he's seven times better than anything in the Top 40, and he has <A HREF="http://geneburnett.com/Media/music.asp">CDs and other interesting-looking stuff for sale</A>, and you ought to support a good guy. <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="60%" align="right"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="5%" class="fonta">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="95%" class="fonta"><A NAME=nndb></A><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; You might not know about <A HREF="http://www.nndb.com/people/829/000080589/">Frances Perkins</A>, mother of the New Deal. <!-- =hattip --><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; A tip o' the hat to <A HREF="http://www.jrmooneyham.com">JR Mooneyham</A>, <A HREF="http://whynotresist.blogsome.com/">Why Not Resist?</A>, <A HREF="http://jonathanturley.org/">Jonathan Turley</A>, Sherri&nbsp;B., Cassandra, Joseph&nbsp;D., Joe&nbsp;G., Lon Garm, SirJ, Bill&nbsp;T., Wig, the letter Z, big-time mags <A HREF="http://www.motherjones.com/"><i>Mother Jones</i></A> and <A HREF="http://www.thenation.com/"><i>The Nation</i></A>, big time blogs <A HREF="http://crooksandliars.com/">Crooks & Liars</A>, <A HREF="http://mediamatters.org/">Media Matters</A>, <A HREF="http://thinkprogress.org/">ThinkProgress</A>, and the love of my life (who prefers to remain anonymous). <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <i>Updated today:</i>&nbsp; Our <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/cops.html">bad cops page</A>, <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/dialogue.html">daily dialogue</A>, <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/debunk.html">it's been debunked</A>, <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/mysterylinks.html">mystery links</A>, and <A HREF="http://unknownnews.org/rwradicals.html">the right-wing's calls to violence</A>.&nbsp; <i>Next update:</i>&nbsp; Friday, or sooner if something big and newsy happens. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-12.html#14"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</span></div><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="6" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="100%" border=2><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="110" align="right"><tr><TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="font18"><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/dialogue.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/dialogue-bubbles.jpg" border="0" width="110" height="110"></A></td></tr></table><center><B><I>Dialogue</i></b></center><BR><SPAN class="fonta">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>We welcome readers' comments, questions, or criticisms. Just send us an email &#60;<A HREF="mailto:unknownnews@inbox.com">unknownnews at inbox.com</A>&#62;, and if it adds to the dialogue we'll publish it.</i>&nbsp; <span class="fonty"><i>If that email address ever fails you can also reach us at <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/contact.html">these back-up addresses</A>.</i></span> <BR><br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center><BR> <I>Comments on previous entries:</I><BR> <BR><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-12.html#13HB811"><FONT COLOR=blue> Hazel Burke replies to Helen & Harry</FONT></A> <DIV align="right">about recovery in the ruins</div> <BR><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-12.html#14SB923"><FONT COLOR=blue> Sherri B. replies to K-Bell Thomas</FONT></A> <DIV align="right">about the people, united</div> </TD></TR></TABLE></TD></TR></TABLE></td></tr></table></TD></TR></TABLE> <BR><BR><HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=d-14></A><A NAME=dialogue></A> <A NAME=14Willow613></A><BR> <A HREF=#14Willow613><font color=black><BIG><B>Obama weenies out again</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Willow</b><BR><BR> Obama is reneging on his campaign pledge to eliminate tax loopholes that pay corporations to ship American jobs overseas. <A HREF="http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10610725/1/ge-to-save-big-on-obama-tax-backtrack.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA">GE stands to save billions</A>, by un-employing Americans.<BR><BR>Back in the good old days when even Barack Obama believed his lies, here is what he had to say... "President Barack Obama vowed this month to create employment at home by <A HREF="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=aDppCCywYF3s&pid=20601103">ending tax incentives for U.S. companies such as Caterpillar Inc., General Electric Co.</A> and Microsoft Corp. that  ship jobs overseas. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#14Willow613"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;|&nbsp; Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;|&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --><A NAME=16Sisk1049></A><BR> - <A HREF=#16Sisk1049><font color=black><B>Reply from Siskiyousis:</B></font></a><BR><BR> - Sure, okay, fine. Ship them out lock stock and employees all -- on the tankers no longer fit to hold oil in. Register them in Delaware or Liberia, but tax them as though they were still sitting on Manhattan. Cut a deal with the rest of the world to resupply them with cutters, but provide no anchorage. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#16Sisk1049"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><A NAME=16Willow1049></A><BR> - <A HREF=#16Willow1049><font color=black><B>Reply from Willow:</B></font></a><BR><BR> - I think I agree with your point. The Value Added Tax is likely to be imposed in the future, perhaps after the 2012 election. It would generate tax revenues on business done in the US regardless of whether or not the business is US domiciled or foreign. Europe already has that -- everything gets taxed like crazy over there and the US is bankrupt, so it will probably happen (esp. because voters will love hearing that corporations will be paying their fair share...)<BR><BR>Globalization has been a raw deal for workers in the US over the last 25 years and it has been bad for government revenues as well. Corporations are now operating as Transnationals, not Multinationals. meaning that they owe no loyalty to any government, and certainly not to the US or the Constitution here; their legislative agendas tend to be bad for the US and its citizens but good for their share prices (though obviously some of them fucked up really badly and would have been better off under strict regulation -- like the banks in Canada.)<BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#16Willow1049"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=14JK621></A><BR> <A HREF=#14JK621><font color=black><BIG><B>Ten minutes to convict<BR>Obama by his own words</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Jeff Koyre</b><BR><BR>The following article/essay is longer than many internetters like &#151; it might take as much as 10 minutes to give it a good read -- but it rips to shreds the Obama "recovery plan", and does so using Obama's own words as evidence in the court of public opinion!<BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/13-4">Dubious economics: Obama's recovery plan and the median wage earner</A> <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#14JK621"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=14Wig920></A><BR> <A HREF=#14Wig920><font color=black><BIG><B>Disbelief</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Wig</b><BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6310255/Barack-Obamas-Top-10-unfulfilled-pledges.html">Barack Obama's Top 10 unfulfilled pledges</A> <BR><BR>Promises, promises. Does anyone really believe campaign promises? <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#14Wig920"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=14GQ623></A><BR> <A HREF=#14GQ623><font color=black><BIG><B>Hate</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Gertrude Q.</b><BR><BR>Re <A HREF="#hatecrimes">hate crime legislation</A><BR><BR>I'm a big believer in free speech, and I would <i>never</i> want to suppress or silence such hatemongers, and I have more sympathy than you do for the argument that hate crime laws punish what should be free speech. Hate crime laws concern me, and I'm basically against the idea.<BR><BR>But yeah, saying that black people get hate crime protection but gay people don't, that's just wrong. That's just hate. People should always have the free speech right to hate anyone they choose, but people with that much unbridled hate shouldn't be writing our nation's laws. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#14GQ623"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=13DM907></A><BR> <A HREF=#13DM907><font color=black><BIG><B>Gov't of the people ... etc.</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> David M.</b><BR><BR>This doesn't actually apply to any specific new event. <BR><BR> Last week, I helped-out with taping of public access tv forums for candidates in the local elections coming-up in November. For two days we heard aspirants to school boards and county commission seats, and, of course, the incumbents trying to retain those jobs. They each were questioned by a moderator from the League of Women Voters, getting a few minutes to tell us about themselves and what they think need be done for our communities. Let me tell you, it was refreshing. I have, at long last, pretty much given-up on our state and national politics, believing them corrupted beyond redemption. But this grassroots-type of politics helped restore at least a little hope (oh, that nearly-ruined word!) in our system of government.<BR><BR>But now to my real point about the experience: Along the way, I said to a camera-operator that I like the fact that these local leaders have "real" jobs. Even if they win the election, they will continue to work as engineers, teachers, and small business owners. In other words, they will continue to know what it's like to be a regular citizen. Has anyone else noticed over the years, particularly at the national level, our career politicians have increasingly had to rely on what their fathers or grandfathers worked at in order to connect in a folksy way with the little people whose vote they want? Most of our rulers have no first hand knowledge of what it is like to actually "work" for a living, and that's why it's so easy to come up with lame-brained ideas like forcing poor people to buy health insurance or shipping poor people off to fight needless wars.<BR><BR>I shall now step down off my soapbox. But only for a little while. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13DM907"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=13SB855></A><BR> <A HREF=#13SB855><font color=black><BIG><B>Ted Williams' head</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Sherri B.</b><BR><BR>Re <i><A HREF="#12HB126-HH">Recovery is impossible, period</A>. The body is on the table, but it's just a corpse. It's dead. It's just a matter of pulling the sheet over the head and signing the death certificate.</i><BR><BR> LOL, the powers that be may think that if the "corpse" is frozen it may be resuscitated at some future date and all will turn out for the better. Of course lets hope it will be better respected than Ted Williams' head. <br><br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center><BR> In re to: <A HREF="#skintone">Why Blacks range in skin tone</A>.<BR><BR> This article could be written for any culture as forced servitude existed in every culture; As did colonization. The one thing he missed is... what about all of the people of differing cultures that came together out of nothing but pure love? It happens... all the time... <br><br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center><BR> Is it strange that I'm not even surprised? <BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.alternet.org/blogs/healthwellness/143164/30_gop_senators_vote_to_defend_gang_rape/">30 GOP senators vote to defend gang rape</A> <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13SB855"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --><A NAME=13SB855-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#13SB855-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR>It would be stranger if you were surprised. I'm a little surprised that their female Senators voted sanely. I guess gender trumps ideology. </i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13SB855-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><A NAME=13SB856></A><BR> <A HREF=http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-03-d.html#13SB856><font color=black><B>Reply from Sherri B.:</B></font></a><BR><BR>I don't know if their gender trumped the ideology so much as the idea that if they abstained from the men they'd not have the eye turned on them. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13SB856"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=13JRM805></A><BR> <A HREF=#13JRM805><font color=black><BIG><B>Rupert</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> <A HREF="http://www.jrmooneyham.com">JR Mooneyham</A></b><BR><BR><A HREF="http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idCNN1214454620091012?rpc=44&sp=true">Rupert Murdoch may buy MSNBC</A> to silence what few liberal voices exist on TV at the moment. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13JRM805"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <A NAME=13JRM805-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#13JRM805-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR>Murdoch is a bastard, but MSNBC is such a tiny blip in the realm of cable and a rather remote corner of NBC Universal, I wonder if he even gives a rip about Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann.</i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13JRM805-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><A NAME=14JRM602></A><BR> <A HREF=#14JRM602><font color=black><B>Reply from <A HREF="http://www.jrmooneyham.com">JR Mooneyham</A>:</B></font></a><BR><BR> Super-rich evil bastards already have everything else &#151; so they lust for what's left: complete and absolute power in their chosen industry or region of the world. Murdoch has to feel like Obama's election was a loss of power for him, so he needs to get back what he lost. Plus, he also must know that Obama was helped by the only two channels on TV which ever periodically offer a liberal view of the news: Comedy Central and MSNBC. Of those two, only MSNBC would typically be considered a direct competitor to Murdoch's Fox News.<BR><BR>Murdoch's main top of the line mothership company is CALLED '<A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Corporation">News Corporation</A>'. He figures he who controls the news, controls the world. And he's right. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#14JRM602"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=13AA349></A><BR> <A HREF=#13AA349><font color=black><BIG><B>Off-world</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Angry Annie</b><BR><BR> It's fitting, I think, that Obama was the Nobel Peace Prize on the same day America became the first nation to launch a military attack off-world, bombing the moon. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13AA349"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=13Asparagus702></A><BR> <A HREF=#13Asparagus702><font color=black><BIG><B>Finally</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Asparagus</b><BR><BR>Finally, after all these years, I like Hillary Clinton's stand about something.<BR><BR><A HREF="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/10/hillary_clinton_looks_forward.html">Hillary Clinton looks forward to retiring</A><BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20311666,00.html">Hillary Clinton won't run for president again</A> <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13Asparagus702"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <!-- LAST THING --><center><iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/frames-short.html" height="32" width="600" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=12></A><!-- =unk --><BR> <!-- Big Insurance --><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="215" align="left"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"><img src="http://unknownnews.org/BigMedicine.jpg" alt="Big Insurance can bite my big one" border="1" width="200" height="163"></td></tr></table> <A HREF=http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-12.html#12><font color=black><BIG><B>If this is health care reform, we're against it</B></BIG></font></a> <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Well, yeah, the provisions in the Democrats' health care reform that might actually help Americans desperate for health care <A HREF="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_waiting_time">won't kick in until the year twenty-thirteen</A>. What's unclear is why Associated Press has just figured this out. Maybe someone called AP with a hot tip?<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's been obvious for at least months that "health care reform" is a fancy way to say we're getting screwed. Hell, we've been bitching about the 2013 bit for weeks (and 2013 is just one sell-out among several sell-outs in the proposal). When the Democrats are done doing their business for business, somewhere upwards of 25,000,000 Americans, probably more, will <i>still</i> be without health care, and millions more will have the joy of being required by law to become cash customers of the killer insurance outfits which are, of course, the true beneficiaries of all this. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In case we've been too ambiguous, let's say it in so many words:&nbsp; We're against what's being passed off as "health care reform" by President Obama and a Congress we're repeatedly told is "Democratic-controlled", despite all evidence to the contrary. We've read and heard enough about the five different bills floating through the halls of Congress, and as they're merged together into one bill you can bet <A NAME=think></A> <table border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="60%" align="right"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"><BR><TABLE CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=1><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta"><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="40" class="fonty"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/thinker.jpg" alt="'The Thinker' statue" border="0" width="40" height="40"></TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" class="fonta"><I><B>It made me stop&nbsp;and&nbsp;think</B></I></TD><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="40" class="fonty"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/quesplanation.jpg" alt="Stop and think" border="0" width="40" height="40"></TD></TR></TABLE> <i><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "The US government is totally dominated by corporate interests to the extent that when the interests of the country and its people are in conflict with those of corporations, the government invariably sides with the corporations. Even when the future of the US is in doubt the government is unable to act to save the country &#151; instead they invest in a massive police state apparatus to preempt any possibility of political change rising up from the people." <DIV align="right"><A HREF="#11KBT1158">K-Bell Thomas</A></div></i> <br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center> <i><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "This is a government giveaway to the insurance industry, with or without the public plan option. This public plan option, at least as it's written in HR 3200, is a lame, failed, designed-to-fail public plan option. It's not available until 2013. When it's available, it's not available to people who get insurance from their employers. Those are healthy people. It's not available to people who are upper middle class or wealthier. Those are healthy people. So the public plan option is designed to attract the sickest, most expensive people. And when it fails in 2017 or 2018, by design, the insurance industry is going to point at it and say,  See, the government can't do healthcare. And it'll be the wrong lesson. And I just &#151; this whole thing is being manipulated by the industry with our legislators being complicit in this process." <DIV align="right"><A HREF="http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/29/as_senate_panel_debates_public_option">Paul Hochfeld</A> &nbsp; </div></i> <br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center> <i><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Obama should admit Taliban is not and never was a threat to the West; that the wildly exaggerated al-Qaida has been mostly eradicated; and that the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan is causing more damage to U.S. interests in the Muslim world -- now 25% of all humanity -- than Bin Laden and his few rag-tag allies.&nbsp;...<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We are not going to change the way Afghans treat their women by waging war on them, or bring democracy through rigged elections.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I wish Obama would just declare victory in Afghanistan, withdraw western forces, and hand over security to a multi-national stabilization force from Muslim nations. Good presidents, like good generals, know when to retreat." <DIV align="right"><A HREF="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/11-4">Eric Margolis</A></div></i> <br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center> <i><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You know, I wonder if the Democrats in D.C. really get it? Because my e-mail in-box is still overflowing with fundraising pleas from the DSCC, DCCC, DNC, you name it. I'm still getting phone calls from these folks. And I sorta feel like I've done my job. I donated and held house parties and made phone calls and went door-to-door and registered voters and fundraised and wrote letters to the editor and did all of that crap that was asked of me. I've been doing it for the past six or seven years. And I'm done." <DIV align="right"><A HREF="http://sobeale.blogspot.com/2009/10/ive-done-my-job.html">Southern Beale</A></div></i> </td></tr></table></td></tr></table> your life (literally) that the worst aspects of each proposal will be preserved. The legislation that's finally passed is going to kill more people than it helps, and we've asked our Senator and Congresslady to vote <i>no</i> . <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; When the financial collapse hit, the Bush-Cheney administration responded by handing criminal banks all the money they could grab from the Treasury. And then we elected a new President who promised change, but Obama and his people had the same response. <A HREF="http://rawstory.com/2009/10/top-economist-obama-missed-opportunity-to-reform-financial-system/">Nothing has been done about the fundamental problems of our corrupt finance system</A>, except that the most corrupt players have been given a ginormous cash infusion. I'm no Paul Krugman, but to me that seems like a pretty damned stupid response.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The financial collapse was a golden opportunity to restore desperately-needed regulation, because the bottom line (though the right-wing simply can't grasp it) is that capitalism can't work without strong, meaningful regulation. But instead of rebuilding American capitalism as a workable system, it was easier to just inject a few trillion dollars and look the other way.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Has it worked? Well, it's worked pretty well for Wall Street, but I don't think it's worked for real people, or for the American economy outside of Wall Street. And more to the point, do you think handing trillions to criminals will work the next time? Me neither &#151; and the next time is going to come much, much sooner than Obama and his fools seem to think, and it's going to hit much harder. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/10/ex-lobbyist-confirmed-cftc">Obama's latest head-scratchingly wrong nominee</A> has been approved unanimously. Meet Scott O'Malia, a former lobbyist who has argued against the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's attempts to regulate derivatives, and will now be sitting on that very Commission. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; The US House of Representatives has voted to tinker with <A HREF="http://washingtonindependent.com/63402/house-bill-allows-coerced-testimony-and-hearsay-in-military-commissions">the very flexible rules of the kangaroo court system</A>, where people who couldn't be convicted in America's ordinary system of justice will be tried and found guilty. <A NAME=hatecrimes></A><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; As the right-wing argues against extending hate crimes legislation to include anti-gay crimes, it's fairly obvious that they're motivated by hatred of gays. Which sounds like hyperbole on my part, but I mean it literally and honestly, as demonstrated when Congressman Steve <A HREF="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/09/king-shepard/">King (R-Iowa) repeats the disproven canard</A> that Matthew Shepard's murder had nothing to do with his gayness. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A long sigh. You can make reasonable (but wrong, I think) free-speech based arguments against hate crimes legislation, but it's ludicrous to have hate crimes protection for <i>some</i> hated groups but not for gays and lesbians. At its base, the Republicans' position is that being gay is a sin, and that anyone who taunts, beats, or kills gay people for their gayness is basically doing God's work, and why would you want a law that prevents people from doing God's work? <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Four big beef buyers have <A HREF="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/releases2/brazil-cattle-industry-giants">agreed to stop buying cattle from newly deforested areas</A> of the Brazilian Amazon. Give a hug to Greenpeace, it was their hard work that made this happen. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://www.openleft.com/diary/15415/grayson-wins">Right-wingers in the House have decided <i>not</i> to follow through</A> on their threat to introduce some measure to condemn Congressman Alan Grayson (D -Florida) for speaking the blunt truth about the the Republicans' health care plan ("<A HREF="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/09/democratic_congressman_sums_up.html">Don't get sick and if you do get sick die quickly</A> ). And here's <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ery7RZ4tZ2Y">Grayson explaining the need for health care reform</A>, and again sounding like someone who gives a damn. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Why is it so rare</i> to hear a politician giving a damn? (And sure, I've had my cynicism shots, and I'm pretty sure he's speaking to a mostly empty chamber, basically addressing C-Span's camera. And so what?) Listen to what he's saying, and know that Congressman Grayson will win re-election comfortably next year, because most Americans agree with the Dems on most issues, especially when they hear plain speaking from a real Democrat. Voters <i>like</i> Democrats who are, you know, Democrats &#151; they want more of 'em, and Democrats who want to be re-elected should start acting like Grayson. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Two people who protested the fraudulent election in Iran have <A HREF="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-trials11-2009oct11,0,4667014.story?track=rss">received the death penalty</A>, and the same end awaits up to 13 more. <BR><A NAME=MelodyTeague></A><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/63820952.html?showAll=y&c=y">Governor Bobby Jindal (R-Louisiana) has fired</A> a mid-level flunky in the state's Department of Social Services, ostensibly because she did poor work in the disaster food stamps program in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina four years ago. The firing of Melody Teague, we're assured, had nothing to do with her comments critical of the Jindal administration the day before she was fired, when she spoke at a public forum where a state executive "went out of his way to repeat to Teague she would not be punished for her comments".<A NAME=skintone></A><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; Reality 101: There's a reason why <A HREF="http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=10&year=2009&base_name=most_africanamericans_have_whi">black Americans range in skin tone</A> from Anatole Broyard to Serena Williams. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; It's been a few days but the notion that President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize still makes my eyes roll. Obama's Nobel Prize has literally become a running joke when my husband and I chat, but in the interest of fairness, <A HREF="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iAekET4T1D_vzDMN4JW_xZyvgezAD9B7R6O80">let's listen to Thorbjoern Jagland</A>, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, who makes the group's rationale seem rational: "Some people say &#151; and I understand it &#151; 'Isn't it premature? Too early?' Well, I'd say then that it could be too late to respond three years from now. It is now that we have the opportunity to respond &#151; all of us." <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That sounds darn sweet, if you like sweet. Or if you prefer honest, try <A HREF="http://www.truthout.org/101009A">Howard Zinn's perspective</A>. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; The media's hype over <A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/6259582/White-House-angry-at-General-Stanley-McChrystal-speech-on-Afghanistan.html">some ill-advised comments</A> made by Army Gen Stanley McChrystal has been exaggerated and isn't really worth mentioning here, since our readers are presumably already aware that the General is a fetid soul who should not be in the American military, let alone commanding operations in Afghanistan. He was involved in <A HREF="http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-05-13-tillman-mcchrystal-parents_N.htm">the cover-up of Pat Tillman's fratricide</A>, and <A HREF="http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0806TERROR_102?click=main_sr">well aware of US torture</A> long before you were, and there are undoubtedly other literal skeletons in his figurative closet. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But the media's focus on one General''s big mouth has become so overblown that the frickin' Secretary of Defense feels it's necessary to point out that <A HREF="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/76586.html">the military is still following President Obama's orders</A>. McClatchy News Service feels it's necessary to make this headline news. Hello? Despite the fevered dreams of the right-wing's maniacs, we are not in imminent danger of a military coup. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; In some corners of the corporate-controlled media, <A HREF="http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2009/10/09/clinton_media/index.html">it's suddenly OK to hint about the vast right-wing conspiracy</A> that trashed Bill Clinton with lies for eight years. But hints are all we get, when what's rather desperately needed is a whole lot of wholesale confessions from the liars' allies at the <I>Washington Post</i>, <I>New York Times</i>, all the network newscasts, etc., and some smelling salts to bring reporters into the present-day reality that the liars are back, and the lies are bigger than ever, and the media is <i>again</i> acting as the liars' megaphone. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; To the management of MySpace, it's <A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/oct/06/edwyn-collins-sharing-music">incomprehensible that a human being might own the rights</A> to a song he's written. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; God bless America, when Rush Limbaugh is deemed fit to judge the <A HREF="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/09/limbaugh-miss-america/">virtue and beauty of young ladies</A> and perhaps <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4551010">own a pro football franchise</A> that can try to field a team without black players. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091008/ap_on_re_us/us_marijuana_legalization">Three different pot-legalization initiatives</A> are circulating for signatures in California. <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="58%" align="right"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="5%" class="fonta">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="95%" class="fonta"><A NAME=nndb></A>Sign 'em all!<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; It was cute and amusing, but I didn't understand the wedding dance on <i>The Office</i> last week until I became, apparently, the last person in America <A HREF="http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=10490">to see the original</A>. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; You might not know about <A HREF="http://www.nndb.com/people/322/000178785/">Dick McDonald</A>, co-founder of McDonald's. <!-- =hattip --><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; A tip o' the hat to <A HREF="http://www.jrmooneyham.com">JR Mooneyham</A>, Blulady, <A HREF="http://supergee.livejournal.com/">Arthur D. Hlavaty</A>, Sherri&nbsp;B., Cassandra, Joseph&nbsp;D., Joe&nbsp;G., Lon Garm, SirJ, Bill&nbsp;T., Wig, the letter Z, big-time mags <A HREF="http://www.motherjones.com/"><i>Mother Jones</i></A> and <A HREF="http://www.thenation.com/"><i>The Nation</i></A>, big time blogs <A HREF="http://crooksandliars.com/">Crooks & Liars</A>, <A HREF="http://mediamatters.org/">Media Matters</A>, <A HREF="http://thinkprogress.org/">ThinkProgress</A>, and the love of my life (who prefers to remain anonymous). <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp; <i>Updated today:</i>&nbsp; Our <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/cops.html">bad cops page</A>, <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/dialogue.html">daily dialogue</A>, <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/debunk.html">it's been debunked</A>, and <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/mysterylinks.html">mystery links</A>.&nbsp; <i>Next update:</i>&nbsp; NEXTday, or sooner if something big and newsy happens. <!-- =insert --> <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-12.html#12"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</span></div><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="6" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="100%" border=2><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="110" align="right"><tr><TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="font18"><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/dialogue.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/dialogue-bubbles.jpg" border="0" width="110" height="110"></A></td></tr></table><center><B><I>Dialogue</i></b></center><BR><SPAN class="fonta">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>We welcome readers' comments, questions, or criticisms. Just send us an email &#60;<A HREF="mailto:unknownnews@inbox.com">unknownnews at inbox.com</A>&#62;, and if it adds to the dialogue we'll publish it.</i>&nbsp; <span class="fonty"><i>If that email address ever fails you can also reach us at <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/contact.html">these back-up addresses</A>.</i></span> <BR><br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center><BR> <I>Comments on previous entries:</I><BR> <BR><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-01.html#10TC1020"><FONT COLOR=blue> The Canadian replies to Wig</FONT></A> <DIV align="right">about Middle East peace</div> <BR><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-01.html#10Sisk357"><FONT COLOR=blue> Siskiyousis replies to Shannon O.</FONT></A> <DIV align="right">about L. Neil Smith's <i>Probability Broach</i></div> <BR><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-03-d.html#10Wig545"><FONT COLOR=blue> Wig replies to Heidi Papademetriou</FONT></A> <DIV align="right">about religious tolerance</div> <BR><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-03-d.html#10Wig4107"><FONT COLOR=blue> Wig replies to Helen & Harry</FONT></A> <DIV align="right">about religion and cults</div> </TD></TR></TABLE></TD></TR></TABLE></td></tr></table></TD></TR></TABLE> <A NAME=d-12></A><A NAME=dialogue></A><BR><BR><HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=12HB126></A><BR> <A HREF=#12HB126><font color=black><BIG><B>See the blindness<BR>and self-delusion</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Hazel Burke</b><BR><BR><A HREF="http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,635051-4,00.html">Part 4</A> and <A HREF="http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,635051-5,00.html">Part 5</A> of this article describe in detail the warnings provides by Bank for International Settlements (BIS) economists to Greenspan and Bernanke &#151; who blithely disregarded all warnings ... and now Bernanke is responding to the crisis with zero percent interest rates and massive monetary injections just as Greenspan did during all previous bubble-explosions!<BR><BR>It is as if the financial system suffered a nuclear plant meltdown and explosion and the government fully bailed out the nuclear plant utility but did little for the radioactive victims in the nearby city, and THEN paid the utility to rebuild the nuclear plant using the same design as before except much, much bigger.<BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,635051,00.html">The man nobody wanted to hear:<BR>Global banking economist warned of coming crisis</A><BR><BR>The economic recovery is slow at best now in the US because so many people participated in the real estate bubble. Rich, middle and poor &#151; nearly all decided that the time was right to buy a house or to buy a bigger house or vacation retreat. Years of overbuilding motivated millions of people to pursue careers in related industries.<BR><BR>Most of those jobs aren't coming back; we don't need as many real estate agents, mortgage bankers, home builders, etc. Recovery will take years and years more because paying down the debt and retraining so many workers is a slow process &#151; if it can even be done. Many people will need to be persuaded to move or to just default on their debts using the bankruptcy court, and decisions like those are never easy!<BR><BR>There is a saying, "Markets make opinions." That means that opinions about reality are driven by market price action instead of being the other way around. Common sense would predict that individual opinions aggregate to drive market prices, but experience shows that to be a fallacy.<BR><BR>Remember when oil went over $150 last year? Suddenly everyone became a believer in "Peak Oil" and alternative energy stocks went wild. This explains why bubbles happen and why even now the US is stuck in a rut following the same destructive policies over and over again. After 225 years of prosperity the Masters of the Universe in DC and New York are not only unwilling to change course or surrender any control, they are unable to even perceive the true nature of our problems. (When Alan Greenspan looks in the mirror he sees a heroic firefighter instead of the reality: clown shoes!) They are blind and self-deluded.<BR><BR>You can see the blindness and self-delusion of DC right here. And it's not limited to economic disasters &#151; the government is a disaster in everything everywhere. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#12HB126"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --><A NAME=12HB126-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#12HB126-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR>I'm still reading that article (it's long!) but your response seems more optimistic than mine, because you seem to think recovery is possible but unlikely. I don't think so.<BR><BR>Recovery is impossible, period. The body is on the table, but it's just a corpse. It's dead. It's just a matter of pulling the sheet over the head and signing the death certificate. Our clueless leaders keep jolting the corpse's heart, and of course the body is jolted and shaken every time they do, and with every jolt and shock the experts say "There's signs of a recovery" but c'mon, dead is dead.<BR><BR>The whole damned system needs to be taken off the table, embalmed, memorialized, and buried, preferably with a stake driven through its heart. And then we need to start over, pretty much from scratch, learning from past mistakes and building a system with real regulations, with each industry overseen and regulations written by its harsh critics (not its best friends).<BR><BR>Of course, nobody's even daydreaming about that except me and you and a few other crazies, and it just ain't going to happen until millions and millions of us demand an honest, fair, system. That's the only way to make it happen, so meet me in the streets. </i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#12HB126-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><A NAME=13HB811></A><BR> <A HREF=http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-03-d.html#13HB811><font color=black><B>Reply from Hazel Burke:</B></font></a><BR><BR>Well, yeah. You right. "Recovery" back to where we were is not going to happen. Something different this way comes...<BR><BR>There are possible futures not of the Mad Max variety.<BR><BR>Just as a side note: our newest roommate moved here from Hawaii. Took him 3 weeks to land a job, with healthcare benefits. Security guard. Another roomie was laid off from his bookstore chain job in February, and just got rehired at a bookstore about 30 miles away. Those examples don't mean much, I guess, except to point out that the economy is part of a human ecology and there are available niches in some parts of the country. It is "doable", as Bruce Sterling would say...<BR><BR>IMO, we're going to see (I've said this before several times) the US come under new ownership. As the dollar continues to fall, US assets will become tempting to foreign buyers. Houses, companies, farms, factories, Senators, patents, you name it. Our government will become more rational eventually because they'll be acting on behalf of our new alien overlords, like the Chinese. And Americans will get tougher, better educated and thriftier. Maybe smarter too, and less credulous. We will learn to like doing things that are free. We will quit fucking around so much. And we will hang in there - except our overseas military which will be coming home in 10 years or so...<BR><BR>P.S. Glenn Beck has been advising people to buy gold. Using his TV show to do it, and then advertising gold on his show from a company that mentions Glenn Beck on their website (according to Olbermann.) In my view, if a jerkoff like Beck is on TV saying buy gold *NOW* then I would say wait for a sell-off... don't be a tool, play it cool. Notice that the weekly RSI just hit 70, so <A HREF="http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SC.web?c=GLD,uu%5Bh,a%5Dwacayiay%5Bdf%5D%5Bpc40%21b65%5D%5Bvc60%5D%5Biut%21Ub14%21Lg%5D&pref=G">a correction is likely</A> before the bull market continues. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#13HB811"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=12Wig1241></A><BR> <A HREF=#12Wig1241><font color=black><BIG><B>Israel is a NATO partner?</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Wig</b><BR><BR><A HREF="http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/10/2009101163135387487.html"> Israel: Turkey cancels air drill</A><BR><BR>When did Israel become a member of NATO? Don't recall other non-NATO countries engaging in maneuvers. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#12Wig1241"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=11KBT1158></A><BR> <A HREF=#11KBT1158><font color=black><BIG><B>Totally dominated by corporate interests</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> K-Bell Thomas</b><BR><BR>This is stunning. Read for yourself, I won't even bother trying to excerpt from it:<BR><BR> <A HREF="http://rawstory.com/2009/10/top-economist-obama-missed-opportunity-to-reform-financial-system/">Top economist: Obama  missed opportunity' to reform financial system</A><BR><BR>The "capture" of the government by Wall Street and the Banksters is apparently not limited to those industries. Instead, as mentioned in the article, that capture has been ideological as much as via straight bribes, etc. So... it also extends to other industries such as healthcare because ... wait for it ... healthcare is such a big part of the economy and true reform of healthcare would heavily impact Wall Street and the Banksters! For example:<BR><BR><A HREF="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_waiting_time">Wait for benefits is 3 years if health care passes</A><BR><BR>By 2013 imagine how high insurance premiums will have been raised by the health insurance companies! The tax credits to be given to the lower income people will be completely offset by the premium increases between now and then!<BR><BR>Another area of "capture" is the military industrial complex which dominates spending in Washington. One trillion dollars a year for "defense" &#151; which amounts to a defense of overseas enterprises by corporations such as Exxon and Chevron. Afghanistan and Iraq are more about private profits of US corporations, at taxpayer expense, than they are about fighting "terror" or supporting "democracy".<BR><BR> The US government is totally dominated by corporate interests to the extent that when the interests of the country and its people are in conflict with those of corporations, the government invariably sides with the corporations. Even when the future of the US is in doubt the government is unable to act to save the country &#151; instead they invest in a massive police state apparatus to preempt any possibility of political change rising up from the people.<BR><BR>I don't know how long this all takes to play out but the US has internal contradictions which seem to guarantee a horrible outcome for Americans. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11KBT1158"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --><A NAME=14SB923></A><BR> <A HREF=#14SB923><font color=black><B>Reply from Sherri B.:</B></font></a><BR><BR>Really? Do people really think that when the fur flies that people will not rise up? I'd think twice about that. All of the weapons in the world won't match pure desperation... <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#14SB923"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <A NAME=11KBT1158-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#11KBT1158-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR> We've all been watching for years, decades, as the system's been gamed and the regulations have been repealed or simply ignored, and the big crisis was a hell of a wake-up call &#151; and Obama has hit the snooze button.<BR><BR>Yeah, big kudos are in order for Bill Moyers and Simon Johnson (and for you) for saying it plainly. Stock up on canned goods and basic tools, and prepare for the worst. We are going to endure, I believe, a Depression akin to the one my Grandma endured in the 1930s. Not exactly the "change" we were promised. </i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11KBT1158-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=11SB421></A><BR> <A HREF=#11SB421><font color=black><BIG><B>This ain't Disneyland</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Sherri B.</b><BR><BR> As a child the mention of a trip to Disneyland provoked the most intense emotions possible: gleeful joy,hope,expectation, excitement. I would be bouncing off of the ceiling until the trip came. I'd be sleepless and wired the whole way. When we arrived I cried with happiness,played, and had pictures taken.<BR><BR>Then came the long lines for short trips, the dirty bathrooms, the rollercoasters, the high-priced food and gifts. Then came the rude, screaming children and their short-tempered parents.<BR><BR>Eventually came the directives for me to rest &#151; to take a nap &#151; I wouldn't do it. By sunset I was cranky, irritable and restless. The magic had worn off for me and I was "bored". The adults had paid their money and by God we were going to"enjoy ourselves". By the midnight fireworks I was re-energized, drinking coke, and eating candy.<BR><BR>I stood in awe and watched the fireworks burst in the sky. I oohed and aahed and then finally gave in to sleep. My dad would carry me unconscious to the car. The trip home would pass with me dreaming of everything I'd experienced.<BR><BR>In the morning I would awaken, sullen and cranky. The trip was already fading in my mind. I'd pout, say I was bored, and express the need to do "something". I was then told to shut it, read a book, and deal with it-or risk a spanking.<BR><BR>So it goes for American culture. We put our faith in the possibility of an exciting change. We ride the rollercoasters of expectation and emotion. Then we become exhausted when the hype doesn't live up to the expectations. We experience tears, fears, meltdowns, arguments, and the eventual submission to our circumstances. We awaken the next morning lost, bored, and needing a new "experience" to give our life a push forward.<BR><BR>But the bottom line? We have to shut it, educate ourselves, and deal with what's before us. Or risk the inevitable backhand that life gives us due to either our inaction or our thoughtless, pointless acting out.<BR><BR>I don't need any more trips to Disneyland. I'm all grown up. <br><br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center><BR> <A HREF="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_go_co/us_abuse_photos_congress">Congress could thwart bid to view torture photos</A> <BR><BR> Sigh. After melting right down during the Bush years I told myself to at least give the new politician a chance. Yes I do realize it's only been ten months but my patience is running very thin... <br><br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center><BR> Re: <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-01.html#10SB420">they really hate women in Oklahoma</A>.<BR><BR>I'd be packing my things right this minute if I lived there... What about the room for error/disinformation? What if some spiteful nutjob that works in the medical field wants to endanger his ex-girlfriends life by lying and saying she had an abortion? What if some woman had an abortion to save her life? Or was raped? Or sh*t whatever? Very scary. This needs to be looked at on a federal level. I will be writing the Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma to ask about this in 3, 2, ... <br><br><center>== &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; == &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ==</center><BR> In regard to: <A HREF="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/09/obama-nobel-peace-prize/">President Barack Obama awarded Nobel Peace Prize</A><BR><BR> Obama didn't want it, he didn't ask for it, he had no clue about it but somehow he's up on the cross again. Yep he has two wars to dissect-not initiated by him of course and I'm beginning to think everyone wanted him to wave his wand, pull out every single troop overseas, then...what? Lose it because we're not "safe" from anything brown with a latin or arabic based last name? This is beginning to be tiresome. <BR><BR>I should be happy at the news of Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, but instead I'm stunned at the absolute vitriol spewing out of people. This is getting way past the red. I'm starting to hold my breath... Something wicked this way comes...<BR><BR> I want to know why Oslo gave Obama the Nobel Peace prize. To truly do a subliminal call for global peace or to tank the US in the eyes of the world? Or to create even more division in an already clearly,clearly divided country? I think people need to shift from the hype of whether or not Obama deserves it to the more important question: Why did Norway do this?<BR><BR> The devil's advocate in me is now looking to all the other countries on the globe that are watching this development. What do they think of the clear and loud screams of rage of a people against their President?<BR><BR>The conspiracy theorist in me is really thinking that we are almost due for the perfect storm of blindness. While we're railing against every single thing the President is doing we just may be missing the trojan horse careening through the neighborhood.<BR><BR>The anarchist in me is thinking: This would be a perfect time for an attack. From any faction.<BR><BR>Pay attention America: focus on the bottom line. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11SB421"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <A NAME=11SB421-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#11SB421-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR>Handing the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama raises my eyebrows and lowers my spirits, but I haven't yet heard the flood of vitriol that I'm sure is spewing from the Right-side's insultmongers. I try to keep myself a little insulated from that valley of darkness.<BR><BR>I'm looking at it from the Left, where I could easily rattle off the names of dozens who deserve the honor more. The more I think about it, the more I think my first reaction was right &#151; the only way Obama can come out ahead on this is by turning it down, perhaps with a classy speech promising to actually earn such an honor by ending America's wars. <BR><BR> On the proposed act of Congress to help keep American torture under wraps, let's just say there's no surprise. I think we could have all the decent Democrats in Congress over for tuna fish sandwiches, all at the same time, and they'd fit in our apartment without making the place seem crowded. </i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11SB421-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><A NAME=12SB111></A><BR> <A HREF=#12SB111><font color=black><B>Reply from Sherri B.:</B></font></a><BR><BR>LOL, you'd probably have room left to mop the rug <NOBR>:)</NOBR> I want to be patient. I mean I let that idiot Bush go for three years before screaming for impeachment. From Bush's 2nd"election" I protested for impeachment throughout his entire term. Is my fuse shorter, expectations higher, or am I just plain tired? I'd love to throw the lot of them under a moving train. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#12SB111"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=12Blulady858></A><BR> <A HREF=#12Blulady858><font color=black><BIG><B>Many cops are criminals</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Blulady</b><BR><BR> Better sit down before you watch this one. No kids allowed.<BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=82447">Strip search of woman by Sheriff's Deputies called outrageous</A><BR><BR> I don't think this is going to change unless more people become as outraged as you guys and continue to hit the subject. I think cops are tanked up on steroids. I further think they are more dangerous than some of the criminals running around.... but I repeat myself. Many cops ARE criminals. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#12Blulady858"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 12, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=11SJ1143></A><BR> <A HREF=#11SJ1143><font color=black><BIG><B>And they did it on purpose</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> SirJ</b><BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcLLCgId0O7Th_dj4uWFrHHSou_wD9B7Q3800">US, other nations stop counting pandemic flu cases</A><BR><BR> There are too many deaths from the swine flu to count? Absurd. Roughly $5 billion is spent on vaccine and now there will be no way to know its effectiveness. As the AP article said, "And they did it on purpose." <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11SJ1143"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --><A NAME=11SJ1143-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#11SJ1143-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR>Yeah, I saw it in July when they announced that they weren't going to keep updating the numbers. I don't fully grok the why of it, and it's odd enough to make me go huh, but I don't see anything that's necessarily nefairious about it. You have dark suspicions? </i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11SJ1143-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <A NAME=12SJ902></A><BR> <A HREF=http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-03-d.html#12SJ902><font color=black><B>Reply from SirJ:</B></font></a><BR><BR>The H1N1 vaccine has not been tested for effectiveness. It's been shown to stimulate your body to produce antibodies, but that is not the same thing as demonstrating it reduces the incidence of infection. If you don't bother to keep any stats at all, then you can continue claiming it is effective without risk of contradictory evidence.<BR><BR>There will be no way to know if it saves one life, 1,000 or a million lives. Let's say it saves 10,000, which sounds fabulous until you do the math and find out $300,000 to $500,000 was spent per life saved. With no data being kept, any statement whatsoever about effectiveness is sheer speculation.<BR><BR>Counting has ceased not because there are too many sick and dead, but because there are too few. Instead of saying 600 (or 700) have died, which isn't going to get the majority scared enough to get vaccinated, they can now say there are too many to count and this is evidence you really need to be vaccinated.<BR><BR> See "<A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/health/08flu.html?hp">Areas hit hard by flu in Spring see little now</A>" for more. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#12SJ902"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=11LB436></A><BR> <A HREF=#11LB436><font color=black><BIG><B>Laugh track</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Lamar B.</b><BR><BR> HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! I'm probably the last one to send this in. I just feel the need to make sure you've seen it.<BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/09/obama-wins-nobel-peace-pr_n_314907.html">Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize</A> <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11LB436"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <A NAME=11LB436-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#11LB436-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR>When I saw the first headlines I had to doublecheck, then triplecheck. It is, suffice to say, a little <i>Onion</i>esque. </i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#11LB436-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=10Wig804></A><BR> <A HREF=#10Wig804><font color=black><BIG><B>Getting through to Obama</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> Wig</b><BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.alternet.org/story/143173/%22tired,_strained,_confused%22_--_why_u.s._troops_have_h%20it_the_breaking_point_in_afghanistan">"Tired, strained, confused" -- Why U.S. troops have hit the breaking point in Afghanistan</A> <BR><BR> Is this side of the story getting through to Obama as he is considering the next move? <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#10Wig804"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <A NAME=10Wig804-HH></A><BR> <A HREF=#10Wig804-HH><font color=black><B>Reply from Helen & Harry:</B></font></a> <I><BR><BR>We'll see eventually, after a lot more people have been killed, but my impression is that the answer is no. Obama has never given much indication that he thinks outside the box that's been constructed to box him in, about this issue, or any issue. </i><BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#10Wig804-HH"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <A NAME=10Wig805></A><BR><A HREF=#10Wig805><font color=black><B>Reply from Wig:</B></font></a><BR><BR> Yet he gets the Nobel Peace Award? <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#10Wig805"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div> <HR NOSHADE> <A NAME=10TC10221></A><BR> <A HREF=#10TC10221><font color=black><BIG><B>History repeats itself</B></BIG></font></a><BR> by<b> The Canadian</b><BR><BR> Re <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-01.html#Oct5">Republican Party as religious organization</A> Religion is not really political, but these days, organized religious and political movements have certainly blurred the lines. Incidently, right wing and left wing political parties have always utilized the organizational power that a religious movement can muster. It's called Christian Nationalism.<BR><BR>The NAZI party would not have come to power without the support of the Conservative Christian organizations -- follow these threads to note that history repeats itself in modern America sooner than you think.<BR><BR> <A HREF="http://nobeliefs.com/speeches.htm">nobeliefs.com/speeches.htm</A><BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/paul_23_4.html">http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/paul_23_4.html</A><BR><BR> No social construct, like religion for example, can be understood as being this thing or that thing. The above sites provide a small starting point to get people to think critically about the subject of Christian Nationalism. Democrats, too, have their religious undepinnings. Deep within US culture, both Republicans and Democrats know that anger, fear and sadness can be focused through the lens of Christian Nationalism into a powerful laser beam. When people willingly disconnect themselves from the earth for the promises of heaven, they are capable of great evil for they do not consider themselves morally bound to the physical consequences of their behaviour. A dull mind is a powerful weapon.<BR><BR>I personally know and respect some very Spiritual people. Very few of them attend a church or identifiy themselves by any traditional or nontraditional religious/new-age ideology. Their thinking syle is highly critical, but alas they are also quite rare. I also recognize that such people could become dangerous but effective leaders should they ever become corrupted. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><SPAN style="background-color:#eeeeee">&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#10TC10221"><font color=blue>Permalink</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <A HREF="#comments"><font color=blue>Comments?</font></A> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;</SPAN></div><!-- reply --> <HR NOSHADE> <!-- xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx below is duped at 0910-01.html xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx --> <center><iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/frames-short.html" height="32" width="600" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><HR NOSHADE> <BR><center><HR NOSHADE width="535">Recommended sites for gathering unknown or underreported news:<BR> &nbsp;<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://mediamatters.org/">Media&nbsp;Matters</A>&nbsp; &nbsp;<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.propublica.org/">Pro&nbsp;Publica</A>&nbsp; &nbsp;<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://thinkprogress.org">ThinkProgress</A>&nbsp; &nbsp;<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/">Washington&nbsp;Monthly</A>&nbsp; &nbsp;<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.truthout.org/">TruthOut</A>&nbsp; <HR NOSHADE width="535"></center><BR> <A NAME=thanksmore></A><center><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="300" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonty"> <center><iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/support-wide.html" width="600" height="550" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></TD></TR></TABLE></center> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" WIDTH="23%" class="fonta"> <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-01.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.org/leftarrow.jpg" alt="arrow pointing left" border="0" width="75" height="11"><BR>Older entries</A> </TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="54%" class="fonta"> Compiled by Helen&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Harry&nbsp;Highwater<BR>for&nbsp;<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/">www.unknownnews.org</a></TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" WIDTH="23%" class="fonta"> <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/0910-16.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/rightarrow.jpg" alt="arrow pointing right" border="0" height="10" width="75"><BR>Newer entries</A></TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="2%" class="fonty">&nbsp; </TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="96%" class="fonty"> © &nbsp;Helen & Harry Highwater and the individual authors.</center> </TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="2%" class="fonty"><!--WEBBOT bot="HTMLMarkup"startspan ALT="Site Meter"--><script type="text/javascript"language="JavaScript">var site="sm4unknownnews"</script><script type="text/javascript"language="JavaScript1.2" src="http://sm4.sitemeter.com/js/counter.js?site=sm4unknownnews"></script><noscript><A HREF="http://sm4.sitemeter.com/stats.asp?site=sm4unknownnews"target=_top><img src="http://sm4.sitemeter.com/meter.asp?site=sm4unknownnews&refer=&hours=8&minutes=53&rtype=4" border=0 title="Site Meter" height="10" width="10"></A></noscript><!-Copyright (c)2000 Site Meter --><!--WEBBOT bot="HTMLMarkup"Endspan --></TD></TR></TABLE> </TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="5" BGcolor=white class="fonttnr">&nbsp;</TD> </TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="5" BGcolor="#eeeeee" class="fonttnr">&nbsp;</TD> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="310" BGcolor="#eeeeee" class="font14"> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="300" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" WIDTH="1%" BGcolor="#eeeeee" class="font14">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" WIDTH="57%" class="font14"><BR> <!-- Translation--> <form action="http://www.google.com/translate" ><script language="JavaScript"> <!-- document.write ("<input name=u value="+location.href+" type=hidden>") // --></script> <input name="hl" value="en" type="hidden"> <input name="ie" value="UTF8" type="hidden"> <input name="langpair" value="" type="hidden"> <input name="langpair" value="en|ar" title="Arabic" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagArab.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> <input name="langpair" value="en|zh-CN" title="Chinese" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagChina.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> <input name="langpair" value="en|fr" title="French" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagFrance.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> <input name="langpair" value="en|de" title="German" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagGermany.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> <input name="langpair" value="en|it" title="Italian" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagItaly.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"><BR> <input name="langpair" value="en|ja" title="Japanese" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagJapan.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> <input name="langpair" value="en|ko" title="Korean" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagKorea.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> <input name="langpair" value="en|pt" title="Portuguese" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagPortugal.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> <input name="langpair" value="en|es" title="Spanish" src= "http://unknownnews.org/flagSpain.gif" onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" height="16" type="image" width="23"> </form> </TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="middle" WIDTH="42%" BGcolor="#eeeeee" class="font13"> <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/RSSfeed.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/RSS-button.gif" alt="Subscribe to our RSS feed" border="0" width="72" height="54"></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> <A NAME=casualties-box></A> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="290" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" bgcolor=black WIDTH="100%" class="fonty"> <iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/casualtieslog.html" width="100%" height="115" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe> </TD></TR></TABLE> <A NAME=today></A><A NAME=wdwb></A><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="8" WIDTH="295" border=1><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="300" bgcolor=white class="fonta">Like the URL says, this website is about unknown news.&nbsp; We try to track news that merits more attention, only from mainstream, professional journalists, or (rarely) other sources we trust entirely.<BR><BR><center><BIG><B>What we believe</B></BIG></center><BR> We believe in liberty and justice for all, so of course, we oppose many US government policies. This doesn't mean we're anti-American, redneck scum, pinko commies, militia members, or terrorist-sympathizers. It means we believe in freedom, as more than merely a cliché. <BR><BR> We believe you have the right to live your own life as you choose, and others have the equal right to live <I>their</I> lives as <I>they</I> choose. It's not complicated.<BR><BR>We believe freedom leads to peace, progress, and prosperity, while its opposite -- oppression -- leads to war, terrorism, poverty, and misery. <BR><BR> We believe it's preposterously stupid to hate people because of their appearance, their race or nationality, their religion or lack of religion, how they have sex with other consenting adults, etc. There are far more apropos reasons to hate most people. <BR><BR> We believe in questioning ourselves, our assumptions, each other -- and we especially believe in questioning authority (the more authority, the more questions). We believe obedience is a fine quality in dogs and young children, but not in adults. <BR><BR> Like America's right-wingers, we believe in individual responsibility, hard work to get ahead, and stern punishment for serious crimes. We believe big government should not be blindly trusted.<BR><BR> But unlike most right-wing leaders, we mean it. <BR><BR> Like America's left-wingers, we believe in equal treatment under law, war as a last (not first) resort, and sensible stewardship of natural resources. We believe big business should not be blindly trusted.<BR><BR>But unlike most left-wing leaders, we mean it. <BR><BR> Like libertarians, we believe it's wrong and <I>reprehensible</i> to arrest people for what they think, believe, look like, wear, eat, smoke, drink, inhale, inject, or otherwise do to themselves. <BR><BR> But unlike many libertarians, we're not obsessed with the gold standard, we don't believe incorporation is humanity's highest achievement, and we don't believe everything in life comes down to dollars and cents. We've read and enjoyed Ayn Rand's novels, but we understand that they're works of fiction.<BR><BR> We're skeptical, and we're sick of so-called 'journalists' who aren't skeptical at all. <BR><BR>A reader asks, what are our solutions?<BR><BR>We propose no solutions except common sense, which is never common. We like the principles of democracy, and the ideals broadly described as 'American'. The US Constitution is a fine and workable framework for solutions, when it's actually read and thoughtfully understood by intelligent statesmen and women. So, no manifestos from us. We don't dream that big, and if there's one thing the world <i>doesn't</i> need it's yet another manifesto.<BR><BR>Our suggestion is: think.<BR><BR>A fact-based instead of faith-based approach leads to solutions for most of the recurring issues of our time, from abortion to global climate change, pollution to universal health care, careful but real regulation of industry and economy, hunger, war, terror, human rights for humans not for corporations, science not religious doctrine in public schools, equal protection and prosecution under law, etc. Approach problems without glorifying stupidity, without demonizing intelligence, and answers usually come into focus. <BR><BR> These pages are published by <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.net/bighowdy.html">Harry and Helen Highwater</A>, happily married low-income nom de plumes and rabble-rousers from Madison, Wisconsin (with a few friends scattered around the world helping out). <BR><BR> We try to spotlight news that hasn't gotten enough (or appropriate) attention in American media, along with our opinions and yours. <BR><BR> We bang our keyboards against the wall, because it doesn't hurt as much as banging our heads. <BR><BR><center><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/bighowdy.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/Highwaters-oldtime.jpg" border="3" width="199" height="277"></A></center><BR> <DIV align="right"><i><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/contact.html">Helen &amp; Harry Highwater</A></i> &nbsp; <BR><BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;(from <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/about.html">About <I>Unknown News</i></A>)&nbsp;&nbsp;</div> </TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <A NAME=comments></A><TABLE CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="295" border=2><TR> <TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta"><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <B><I><font color=darkred>Got comments?</font></I></B><BR><BR> <center><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/dialogue.html"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/dialogue-bubbles.jpg" border="0" width="230" height="230"></A></center><BR><SPAN class="fonta">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>We welcome readers' comments, questions, or criticisms. Just send us an email &#60;<A HREF="mailto:unknownnews@inbox.com">unknownnews at inbox.com</A>&#62;, and if it adds to the dialogue <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/dialogue.html">we'll publish it</A>.</i><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="fonty"><i>If that email address ever fails you can also reach us at <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/contact.html">these back-up addresses</A>.</i></span></TD></TR></TABLE> <A NAME=thanks></A><BR><table cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" width="295" border=3><tr><td align="left" valign="top" width="100%" bgcolor=white class="fonta"><table border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="140" align="left"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/thankyou.jpg" border="0" width="130" height="72"></td></tr></table> Sherri&nbsp;B., Mr.&nbsp;Chuckles, <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Nursing-Mothers-Problem-Solver/dp/0684857847">Claire&nbsp;Martin</A>, <A HREF="http://www.jrmooneyham.com">JR&nbsp;Mooneyham</A>, SirJ, Siskiyousis, Wig, <A HREF="#thanksmore"><FONT COLOR=blue>everyone else who's helped</FONT></A>, everyone we've forgotten to mention, and the love of my life (who's asked to remain anonymous).</td></tr></table> <A NAME=help></a><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="295" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" bgcolor=white WIDTH="100%" class="fonta"><center><B>You can help</b></center><BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If the news frustrates or angers you, please, <A HREF="http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml"><b>contact your elected officials.</b></A> Seriously. Perhaps it sounds hokey and futile, but someone on the other end will actually take your call or read your letter and pay attention to what you say &#151; and if you say it well you can make a difference.<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A helpful hint:&nbsp; Sending a letter on paper or making a phone call takes more time and might cost a little more than sending an email, which is why <A HREF="http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa020199.htm"><b>a well-written letter</b></A> or a well-rehearsed phone call is <i>more effective</i> than an email.<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As for our work on the website, we try <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="72" align="right"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="right" width="100%"><BR><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/begging.jpg" border="0" width="62" height="110"></td></tr></table> not to whine too much or too loudly, but we are poor and this site eats a lot of time and especially <I>money</I>. 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ALIGN="left" VALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor=white class="fonty"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="50" align="left"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"> <A HREF="https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=36"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/thumbtack.jpg" border="0" width="40" height="40"></A> </td></tr></table><BR> <A HREF="https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=36">Help ACORN fight<BR>the Right-wing's&nbsp;lies</A><BR><BR></TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="3%" class="fonty"> </TD><TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="49%" class="fonty"> <A HREF="http://article31.org/"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/article31.gif" border="1" width="148" height="70"></A> </TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="4%" class="fonty"> </TD><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="37%" class="fonty"><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=1><TR> <TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor=white class="fonty"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="50" align="left"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="left" width="100%"> <A HREF="http://www.actblue.com/page/blueamerica08"><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/thumbtack.jpg" border="0" width="40" height="40"></A> </td></tr></table> <BR><A HREF="http://www.actblue.com/page/blueamerica08">Act<BR>Blue</A><BR><BR> </TD></TR></TABLE> </TD><TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="7%" class="fonty"> </TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="295" border=2><TR> <TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonty"> <TABLE CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="100%" border=0><TR> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonty"> "A mind-blowing mix of<BR>fact and fantasy, hard science<BR>and well-grounded speculation, with concrete how-to info to top it all off -- resulting in some of the best and strangest stuff on Earth..."<BR><BR> <A HREF="http://www.jrmooneyham.com">www.jrmooneyham.com</A> </TD></TR></TABLE></TD></TR></TABLE></center></TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <A NAME=height></A> <A NAME=cops></A><A NAME=cops-box></A><!-- =cops= --><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="295" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta"><iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/policelog.html" width="295" height="1000" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="auto" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="295" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="375" bgcolor=blue class="fontbox"><TABLE CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="8" WIDTH="295" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor="#ffffff" class="fontsm"><I>Scroll down or click for more&nbsp;</I><BR><A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/cops.html"><B>unknownnews.org/cops.html</B></A>&nbsp;</TD></TR></TABLE></td></tr></table><BR> <A NAME=debunk></A><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="295" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" class="fonta"><iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/debunk-frame.html" width="295" height="1000" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="auto" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="295" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="375" bgcolor=black class="fontbox"><TABLE CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="8" WIDTH="295" border=0><TR><TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor="#ffffff" class="fontsm"><I>Scroll down or click for more&nbsp;</I><BR><A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/debunk.html"><B>unknownnews.org/debunk.html</B></A>&nbsp;</TD></TR></TABLE></td></tr></table><BR> <A NAME=oldnews></A><A NAME=unymhm></A><TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" 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ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor=white class="fonta"> <center><A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/mysterylinks.html"><b><i>Our mystery&nbsp;links</i></b></A><BR>(mostly just for fun)</center><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Links in <FONT COLOR=red><B>red</B></FONT> are not safe for work, and<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;links in <FONT COLOR=magenta><B>pink</B></FONT> include audio and/or video.<center><iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/myslinks.html" width="295" height="225" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><DIV align="right"><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/mysterylinks.html">... more mystery links</A>&nbsp;</div></TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <A NAME=introduction></a><TABLE CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="8" WIDTH="295" border=1><TR><TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="300" bgcolor=white class="fonta"> <B><I>If you're new to Unknown News,</I></B>&nbsp; here are some answers to <A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/faq.html">frequently asked 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We're generally disinterested in such non-news as reports on what politicians might do, may do, or should do, and we don't usually mention the murders, kidnappings, house fires, auto wrecks, celebrity crap, wacky fluff, and other nonsense that's pushed <i>real</i> news right out of the newscasts. <A NAME=disclaimer></A> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" width="60" align="right"><tr><td class="fonty" vAlign="top" align="right" width="100%"> <img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/right-PG13.gif" border="0" width="45" height="250"> </td></tr></table><BR><BR> <B><I>Disclaimer for&nbsp;dummies:</I></B>&nbsp; Our front page is free from nudity and profanity, but interior pages and external links may not be safe for work, and you may be shocked, offended, or in trouble with your boss. A link doesn't imply that we agree with every sentence and every sentiment on every site we link to. 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We try to avoid coding practices that intentionally frustrate or annoy readers. <BR><BR><DIV align="right"><i><A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/contact.html">Helen &amp; Harry Highwater</A></i> &nbsp; </TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="300" border=2><TR> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor=white class="fonty"> <iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/blogroll.html" width="295" height="1375" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="auto" frameborder="0"></iframe> <DIV align="right"><BR> <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #dddddd">&nbsp;&nbsp;<A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/kissback.html"><FONT COLOR=blue><B>unknownnews.org/kissback.html</B></FONT></A>&nbsp;&nbsp;</SPAN></div><BR> </TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="300" border=2><TR> <TD ALIGN="center" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor=white class="fonty"> <iframe src="http://www.unknownnews.org/recentthanks.html" width="295" height="1375" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="auto" frameborder="0"></iframe> <DIV align="right"><BR> <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #dddddd">&nbsp;&nbsp;<A HREF="http://www.unknownnews.org/credits.html"><FONT COLOR=blue><B>unknownnews.org/credits.html</B></FONT></A>&nbsp;&nbsp;</SPAN></div><BR> </TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <TABLE CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%" border=8><TR> <TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" bgcolor="white" class="fonta"> <center><img src="http://www.unknownnews.net/bill-of-rights.jpg" alt="U.S. Bill of Rights" border="0" width="270" height="151"><A NAME=preamble></A></center><BR> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <!-- 300x168 --> Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution expressed a desire in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several states as Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all or any of which articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures to be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the said Constitution. viz: Articles in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress and Ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.<BR><A NAME=FirstAmendment></A><BR> <b>The First Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. <BR><A NAME=SecondAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Second Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. <BR><A NAME=ThirdAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Third Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. <BR><A NAME=FourthAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Fourth Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. <BR><A NAME=FifthAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Fifth Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. <BR><A NAME=SixthAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Sixth Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense. <BR><A NAME=SeventhAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Seventh Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. <BR><A NAME=EighthAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Eighth Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. <BR><A NAME=NinthAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Ninth Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. <BR><A NAME=TenthAmendment></A><BR> <b>The Tenth Amendment</b><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. </TD></TR></TABLE><BR> <center><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-2996608746973398"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; google_ad_format = "300x250_as"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_ad_channel = ""; google_color_border = "8B0000"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "000000"; google_color_text = "000000"; google_color_url = "0000FF"; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script></center><BR> </TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="5" BGcolor="#eeeeee" class="fonttnr"> </TD> </TR></TABLE> </body> </html>