Want to dance?

t toDon't ask. I don't know the origin of this.Talented toddler-- at least that.click below.

Wanna dance?

Chossudovsky on the G8 Meetings

Iraq’s Ancient Ruins Face New Looting

Holly Pickett for The New York Times

DHAHIR, Iraq — The looting of Iraq’s ancient ruins is thriving again. This time it is not a result of the “stuff happens” chaos that followed the American invasion in 2003, but rather the bureaucratic indifference of Iraq’s newly sovereign government.

.

Thousands of archaeological sites — containing some of the oldest treasures of civilization — have been left unprotected, allowing what officials of Iraq’s antiquities board say is a resumption of brazenly illegal excavations, especially here in southern Iraq.
Iraq’s Ancient Ruins Face New Looting - NYTimes.com

Bang a gong with Stockhausen

Stockhausen’s Mikrophonie I (1964) is a beautiful meeting of five people, a large gong, a microphone (used as a friction device) and a filter. From that unlikely grouping comes a cosmos of sound, so ripe is the idea of amplfied resonant metal. Need I point out that this is a major root of the later Neubautens and Organums of the world ? The clip below is packed full of interesting info so you can read along whilst having your face melted. click below for video of piece. One of the fathers of electronic music.

Dangerous Minds | Bang a gong with Stockhausen

A documentary on the Gulf spill with Avie Lewis of Al Jazeera

Ignored and Forgotten

Ignored and Forgotten | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters

Energy for the Future: LIFE, NIF & Photon Science

LIFE, an acronym for Laser Inertial Fusion Engine, is an advanced energy concept under development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Based on physics and technology developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF), LIFE has the potential to meet future worldwide energy needs in a safe, sustainable manner without carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy for the Future: LIFE, NIF & Photon Science

Embargoes and Blockades used as a Method of Warfare

I'm reminded of all the talk in the past week about the U.S.'s longest war is going on in Afghanistan. That would be 7 years now. Did somebody forget about the start of the embargo of Iraq in 1990. I would venture a guess that this would be the longest war so far-- like 20 years. And that one isn't exactly over. If it was I haven't heard about it. Of course these things aren't necessarily announced any more..

In 1990, in arguably some of the most chilling lines written in recent history, Gary Clyde Hufbauer, et al., wrote, regarding embargoes, in an advisory document for the George H.W. Bush Administration: ": ... We present our short list of 'do's and don'ts' for the architects of a sanctions policy designed to change the politics of the target country ... (3) Do pick on the weak and helpless ...(5) Do impose the maximum cost on your target ..." (1) On Hiroshima Day 1990, the most comprehensive embargo ever imposed by the UN., was imposed on Iraq.

Embargoes and Blockades used as a Method of Warfare

Global Research TV | Centre for Research on Globalization

This is to announce the formation of GRTV, which will be the video arm of the Canadian-based web site, Global Research. I've been subscribing to it for a few years and love it. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

Global Research TV | Centre for Research on Globalization

Stephen Harper delighted to help flotilla 'farce'

While governments around the world denounced the Israeli attack and Turkey decried it as an act of "state terrorism," Prime Minister Stephen Harper cheerfully followed through with a planned meeting the next day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Appearing with Netanyahu, Harper merely expressed regret about the loss of life and the fact that it interfered with Netanyahu's visit to Canada: "I'm sorry this has coloured this [visit]," said Harper, "but delighted you were able to join me at least last night and today, and we've had some important talks, so welcome to Canada."
Welcome to Canada?
Stephen Harper delighted to help flotilla 'farce' | rabble.ca

Haitians see Canadians as ‘the occupiers’ « Yves Engler

Three weeks ago, the front page of Haiti Liberté showed a picture of President René Préval next to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and two Canadian soldiers. Part of the caption below read, “Préval under the surveillance of the occupying forces.”
While Canada’s dominant media rarely describe this country’s role in Haiti critically, it’s common in Haiti’s left-wing weeklies. Since Ottawa helped overthrow Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s government in February 2004, Haiti Liberté and Haiti Progrès have described Canada as an “occupying force”, “coup supporter” or “imperialist” at least a hundred times. (continue below)

Haitians see Canadians as ‘the occupiers’ « Yves Engler

Moon Has a Hundred Times More Water Than Thought

Andrew Fazekas

for National Geographic News

Published June 14, 2010

Could this be the final blow to the theory that the moon is bone dry?

Not only does the moon's surface hold a "significant amount" of water—as two NASA crashes confirmed in October—but, a new study says, the moon's interior may hold at least a hundred times more water than previously estimated.

Moon Has a Hundred Times More Water Than Thought

Ancient Mars Had Vast Ocean, New Evidence Shows

Mars Had Earth-like Atmosphere?

An ancient ocean on Mars would mean the planet once had a thick atmosphere and a hydrological cycle similar to that of Earth.

"If Mars had an ocean, it must have had clouds and rain, snow in the highlands, ice caps forming, a groundwater system, and all of these things that we have here on Earth," Hynek said.

Ancient Mars Had Vast Ocean, New Evidence Shows

A Very Canadian Coup d'Etat in Haiti

by Richard Sanders

Things went from bad to worse after Canada's Liberal government helped plan and carry out the 2004 regime change that illegally ousted President Aristide's democratically-elected government. Canada then helped empower and entrench an illegal coup-installed puppet regime that launched a reign of terror in which thousands of prodemocracy supporters were executed, jailed without charge, driven into hiding, or exiled. This Canadian-financed dictatorship, propped up by UN-sanctioned occupation forces, was applauded by corporations greedy to profit from "reconstruction" contracts, the privatisation of public services, and the wage-slavery of Haitian sweatshops.

Canada has a lot to answer for. Here are ten ways in which our government contributed to this major travesty of justice in Haiti:

A Very Canadian Coup d'Etat in Haiti

Twilight of the Gods (of Film Criticism) « The Bygone Bureau

In April of 2008, Sean Means, the film critic at The Salt Lake Tribune, began to compile a list of his colleagues who no longer had their full-time gigs. Since January, ten major publications, including Newsweek and the Village Voice, had eliminated their film criticism spots, and another eleven would follow suit: by the end of the year, there would only be 126 full-time reviewers left in the United States. No wonder critics declared that the sky was falling. (continue below)

Twilight of the Gods (of Film Criticism) « The Bygone Bureau

Canada’s Deepening Democracy Crisis

Global Research, June 13, 2010

Murray Dobbin's Blog - 2010-05-03

Canada is in the midst of a crisis in democracy unique in its history. There is simply no other historical example that one can compare it to. It is multi-faceted and it affects every aspect of our national politics and political discourse. It is inexorably eroding the political fabric of the country and therefore our viability as a democratic nation.

First, we have a government so contemptuous of democracy that it is utterly unapologetic in trying to impose on the country an agenda opposed by probably 75 per cent of the population — treating its minority status not as a mandate to work with other parties but as an irritating impediment to re-engineering the country along the lines defined by the U.S. Christian right.

Second, we are amongst a tiny handful of countries still saddled with the absurdly anachronistic voting system that allows for government by executive dictatorship by any party that can get 40 per cent of the vote.

Third, Canada is witnessing a continuing catastrophic decrease in voter turn out with just 59 per cent voting in the October 2008 election — a result which put us 16th out of 17 peer nations. This aspect of the crisis is largely the result of the first two: a deliberate plan by the political right to downsize democracy through relentless partisanship and people’s frustration at seeing their votes count for nothing.

Fourth is the crisis within the Liberal Party and its virtual collapse as a vehicle for nation-building. The era of Trudeau and Turner has been replaced by that of Paul Martin and Ignatieff — cynical servants of the wealthy and spear-carriers for neo-liberal economic policies that are anathema to genuine democracy and nation-building. This internal crisis has led to a ceiling for their popular support of no more than 35 per cent. While one party’s problems may not fully qualify as a crisis in democracy, the absence of a strong centre-left mainstream party puts the fruits of democracy at risk

Canada’s Deepening Democracy Crisis

The Anti-Empire Report

By William Blum

killinghope.org

Friday, Jun 11, 2010

The worst thing that ever happened to the Jewish people is the Holocaust. The second worst thing that ever happened to the Jewish people is the state of Israel.

The Anti-Empire Report | Global Empire |Axisoflogic.com

The Method of the Madness

Why did the Israelis open fire on members of the ship? Israel, Turky, the U.S, Brazil, Russia, Iran.......
Pepe Escobar

Why would Israel, in a deliberate and methodical operation planned over a week in advance - according to statements by senior Israeli military commanders made in Hebrew-language media days before the attack - target an unarmed ship on a humanitarian mission flying the flag of Comoros? (Unlike Turkey, Comoros is a party of the Rome

Statute of the International Criminal Court, which has jurisdiction over war crimes committed on vessels of member states.)

Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs

China increases wages

Obviously things aren't standing still in China. Unions there have seen steady pay increases. All good for China as it ramps up domestic demand. Watch out folks; prices are on the rise at Wallmart.

By Olivia Chung

HONG KONG - As workers in the United States and Europe face layoffs and growing unemployment lines, their Chinese counterparts are demanding and getting higher pay and better conditions as they seek a larger slice of the country's growing prosperity.

Putting more cash in pay packets also supports the government's twin goals of reducing threats to social stability and rebalancing the export-dependent economy by boosting domestic consumption.


Asia Times Online :: China News, China Business News, Taiwan and Hong Kong News and Business.

The Truth Behind the Israeli Propaganda

by Robert Fisk

I have, of course, been outraged at armed men boarding ships in international waters, killing passengers on board who attempt to resist and then forcing their ship to the hijackers' home port. I am, of course, talking about the Somali pirates who are preying on Western ships in the Indian Ocean. How dare those terrorists dare to touch our unarmed vessels on the high seas? And how right we are to have our warships there to prevent such terrorist acts.

The Truth Behind the Israeli Propaganda | CommonDreams.org

Gulf Oil Spill (PHOTOS): Animals In Peril

A photo essay from Huffington Press. I couldn't look at them all but here they are.

Gulf Oil Spill (PHOTOS): Animals In Peril

Economic Hit Man- Perkins