click here
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead.
art.blackwater.sign.ap.jpg
Blackwater USA is headquartered near Moyock, North Carolina.
Blackwater, one of many security firms contracted by the U.S. government during the Iraq war, provides protection for American diplomats.
Sunday's firefight took place near Nusoor Square, an area that straddles the predominantly Sunni Arab neighborhoods of Mansour and Yarmouk.
In addition to the fatalities, 14 people were wounded, most of them civilians, the official said.
The ministry said the incident began around midday, when a convoy of sport utility vehicles came under fire from unidentified gunmen in the square.
The men in the SUVs, described by witnesses as Westerners, returned fire, and the witnesses said the vehicles are the kind used by Western security firms.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad confirmed a State Department convoy was in the area.
"We are taking it very seriously. We are cooperating with the Iraqi government on several different levels and will continue this cooperation with Iraqi officials," the embassy official said.
"We will continue to work and address these issues with our Iraqi counterparts on a variety of levels."
There has been insurgent activity in Yarmouk and Mansour, the location of many foreign embassies. Many Western contractors had been based in Mansour at one time but moved out because of insurgent violence and kidnappings.
"We have revoked Blackwater's license to operate in Iraq. As of now they are not allowed to operate anywhere in the Republic of Iraq," Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf said Monday. "The investigation is ongoing, and all those responsible for Sunday's killing will be referred to Iraqi justice."
Blackwater is one of many security firms contracted by the U.S. government during the Iraq war. An estimated 25,000-plus employees of private security firms are working in Iraq, guarding diplomats, reconstruction workers and government officials. As many as 200 are believed to have been killed on the job, according to U.S. congressional reports.
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Some Blackwater personnel died in a grisly incident in Iraq more than three years ago that sparked shock and outrage in the United States.
Four Americans working as private security personnel for Blackwater, all of whom were military veterans, were ambushed, killed and mutilated in March 2004 in Falluja, west of Baghdad.
People close to the company estimate it has lost about 30 employees during the war.
Iraqi authorities have issued previous complaints about shootings by private military contractors, but Iraqi courts do not have the authority to bring contractors to trial, according to a July report from the Congressional Research Service.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee estimated in February that nearly $4 billion had been spent on security contracts amid the insurgency that followed the U.S. invasion in 2003 -- costs that have forced the delay, cancellation or scaling back of some reconstruction projects.
Meanwhile, seven people were killed and 31 others were detained Monday in U.S.-led coalition raids across Iraq, the U.S. military said.
The fatalities occurred west of Yusufiya, southwest of the capital, as coalition forces targeted two buildings used by al Qaeda in Iraq militants, who organize suicide attacks.
Armed men at one building drew weapons as troops approached, and the troops "engaged" the two and killed them, the statement said.
They killed four others who were apparently acting as lookouts and another who wouldn't surrender when ordered. Nineteen people were detained, the military said.
Troops arrested other suspects in regions north of the capital -- north of Taji, near Balad, in Baiji and near the Syrian border.
In Baghdad, three people were killed and 11 others were wounded Monday when a parked car detonated near a Shiite mosque on the edge of a densely populated Shiite neighborhood, an Interior Ministry official said.
Monday, September 17, 2007
abolish the fed for a start
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In Case of Martial Law, Break Glass
Abolish the Fed, for a Start
by
Dale Allen Pfeiffer
31/08/07 (www.mountainsentinel.com) The Federal Reserve Bank should be abolished. It is a private institution, not a branch of the federal government, given the right to print money and so control our economy. It was established in defiance of the constitution and the intentions of our founding fathers, who rebelled against the central bank of England as much as against King George. The Fed is responsible for our system of debt financing, which is nothing more than a legalized pyramid scheme.
Thomas Jefferson warned us explicitly against ever establishing a central bank: "The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered."
It certainly appears that Jefferson knew what he was talking about.
However, if we are aiming to solve our socioeconomic and environmental problems, we cannot stop at dismantling the Fed. The Fed was, after all, only established as an instrument of powerful corporations and financiers. And the history of the United States in the decades prior to the establishment of the Fed is a story of oppression and class warfare. Working people were being starved and mistreated in this country long before the establishment of the Fed. The working class had to fight for everything from their right to vote to their right to earn a decent wage. Worker movements were violently suppressed by the federal government and private militias. The Great Upheaval of 1877 is the story of how worker unrest almost toppled the entire government, from the Atlantic the Mississippi.
No, our problems lie much deeper than the establishment of the Fed. At the heart of our problems is the nature of the business world. We live in a democracy, yet most of us spend our working days chained to the yoke of the most authoritarian form of dictatorship. Social democracy cannot succeed while the work world is a dictatorship. The powerful players of the business world will wind up corrupting the government until it listens only to them and is transformed into fascism.
Thomas Jefferson warned us against the powers of corporations as well: "I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country."
Abolishing the Fed would do nothing to solve this deeper problem, which is more basic to social inequality and injustice. Some of the most notable advocates of abolishing the Fed say nothing about the dictatorship of the workplace or the power of corporations. Civil libertarians such as Ron Paul, who do campaign for the abolition of the Fed, also support trimming the government down to nothing and leaving all the power directly in the hands of the corporations. They never talk about the dictatorship of the workplace, opting instead to lavish praise on the free market.
Now, I am all for the abolition of the Fed and centralized government. Yet if we were to move to some laissez-faire socioeconomic system, then we will wind up in an even worse situation than in 1877, when the working class was so totally oppressed that they rose up all over the country. For the working class, the outcome of laissez-faire will be starvation wages, epidemic homelessness, 14 hour workdays for those who have a job, and child labor.
William Blum has done a very good job of pointing out errors of Libertarians. Scan down through his Anti-Empire Report for August 10th, 2007, until you reach the heading "Libertarians: an eccentric blend of anarchy and runaway capitalism." http://members.aol.com/bblum6/aer48.htm
Mr. Blum explains what would happen if we did away with government and left corporations in charge of the system. But this is not to say that we need a powerful centralized government. There is another way.
By all means, let's abolish the Fed and dismantle the centralized federal government and replace it with localized federations where all decisions must be ratified by the local citizens. At the same time, let us not neglect corporate power. Let us replace workplace dictatorship with workplace democracy and return corporations back to the community-chartered endeavors that they once were. This is the way to maximize equality and freedom while ensuring a just socioeconomic system.
In Case of Martial Law, Break Glass
Abolish the Fed, for a Start
by
Dale Allen Pfeiffer
31/08/07 (www.mountainsentinel.com) The Federal Reserve Bank should be abolished. It is a private institution, not a branch of the federal government, given the right to print money and so control our economy. It was established in defiance of the constitution and the intentions of our founding fathers, who rebelled against the central bank of England as much as against King George. The Fed is responsible for our system of debt financing, which is nothing more than a legalized pyramid scheme.
Thomas Jefferson warned us explicitly against ever establishing a central bank: "The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered."
It certainly appears that Jefferson knew what he was talking about.
However, if we are aiming to solve our socioeconomic and environmental problems, we cannot stop at dismantling the Fed. The Fed was, after all, only established as an instrument of powerful corporations and financiers. And the history of the United States in the decades prior to the establishment of the Fed is a story of oppression and class warfare. Working people were being starved and mistreated in this country long before the establishment of the Fed. The working class had to fight for everything from their right to vote to their right to earn a decent wage. Worker movements were violently suppressed by the federal government and private militias. The Great Upheaval of 1877 is the story of how worker unrest almost toppled the entire government, from the Atlantic the Mississippi.
No, our problems lie much deeper than the establishment of the Fed. At the heart of our problems is the nature of the business world. We live in a democracy, yet most of us spend our working days chained to the yoke of the most authoritarian form of dictatorship. Social democracy cannot succeed while the work world is a dictatorship. The powerful players of the business world will wind up corrupting the government until it listens only to them and is transformed into fascism.
Thomas Jefferson warned us against the powers of corporations as well: "I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country."
Abolishing the Fed would do nothing to solve this deeper problem, which is more basic to social inequality and injustice. Some of the most notable advocates of abolishing the Fed say nothing about the dictatorship of the workplace or the power of corporations. Civil libertarians such as Ron Paul, who do campaign for the abolition of the Fed, also support trimming the government down to nothing and leaving all the power directly in the hands of the corporations. They never talk about the dictatorship of the workplace, opting instead to lavish praise on the free market.
Now, I am all for the abolition of the Fed and centralized government. Yet if we were to move to some laissez-faire socioeconomic system, then we will wind up in an even worse situation than in 1877, when the working class was so totally oppressed that they rose up all over the country. For the working class, the outcome of laissez-faire will be starvation wages, epidemic homelessness, 14 hour workdays for those who have a job, and child labor.
William Blum has done a very good job of pointing out errors of Libertarians. Scan down through his Anti-Empire Report for August 10th, 2007, until you reach the heading "Libertarians: an eccentric blend of anarchy and runaway capitalism." http://members.aol.com/bblum6/aer48.htm
Mr. Blum explains what would happen if we did away with government and left corporations in charge of the system. But this is not to say that we need a powerful centralized government. There is another way.
By all means, let's abolish the Fed and dismantle the centralized federal government and replace it with localized federations where all decisions must be ratified by the local citizens. At the same time, let us not neglect corporate power. Let us replace workplace dictatorship with workplace democracy and return corporations back to the community-chartered endeavors that they once were. This is the way to maximize equality and freedom while ensuring a just socioeconomic system.
in case of martial law break glass
click here
In Case of Martial Law, Break Glass
by
Dale Allen Pfeiffer
Please Distribute Widely
15/09/07 (www.mountainsentinel.com) Bush now has the ability to declare martial law at his own discretion, and in so doing dissolve the other branches of government, throw out the constitution, and suspend elections. He appropriated the right to do this largely by executive order. He can declare martial law whenever he deems there is sufficient cause; cause being an act of terrorism, an economic crisis, an act of war, civil unrest, or a natural catastrophe. For more information about the executive orders and legislation granting Bush these rights, please watch the short video at mountainsnetinel.com (What We Choose to Ignore), or visit the US Martial Law Timeline.
Hard as it might be to believe, there is a very real possibility that Bush will exercise these rights before his term ends. All he needs is an excuse. At present, the economy is on the verge of collapse, the Iraqi Occupation is going badly no matter what Bush and his chosen generals say, energy supplies are unable to keep pace with demand, disapproval of the Bush administration is growing, and Bush wants to attack Iran and so complete his Middle East conquest. He has all the reason in the world to declare martial law. All he lacks is a sufficient excuse.
Many people who follow the news are worried that Bush will declare martial law sometime in the months ahead. If natural crises prove insufficient, they are afraid that he will stage another 9/11. The current economic climate is very similar to the climate at the time of 9/11, though the present brewing economic hurricane will be much worse than the dot.com bust. The economic crises we currently face could very well result in bank closings, the crash of the US dollar, and the impoverishment of a large segment of the US population. What is more, with peak oil and the dawn of a new era of energy depletion it is unlikely that we will be able resuscitate our economy once the collapse is complete.
In the past couple weeks, we have heard about nuclear weapons being "mistakenly" shipped across the country onboard B-52 bombers. These weapons, which have a very limited capacity, were accidentally shipped to one of the bases that coincidentally functions as a staging grounds for the Middle East. While it is possible that these weapons were intended to be used for tactical strikes against Iran, I think it more likely that they were going to be used on US troops in Iraq, or perhaps even citizens within the US. A nuclear terrorism attack would clear the way for an immediate attack on Iran and provide a sufficient excuse to declare martial law within the US. (See Was a Covert Attempt to Bomb Iran with Nuclear Weapons foiled by a Military Leak? by Michael E. Salla, M.A., Ph.D.)
This sounds far-fetched and paranoid, doesn't it? Well, word is circulating around Wall Street that billions in put options were made at the end of August. Put options are short term bets that a corporation will do poorly. From the number and size of these puts, some big players are betting that the stock market is going to take a major fall before the end of September. The last time there was a move in put options this large was just prior to 9/11.
(See Dispelling the 'Bin Laden' Options Trades, 'Bin Laden' Options Trades Have Wall Street Whispering, and $4.5b bet on another 9/11 within 4 weeks)
Whether or not there are plans to stage another terrorist event, the fact remains that Bush has cleared a path towards establishing a dictatorship within the US. Given Bush and Cheney's psychological profiles, it is unlikely that this pathway was cleared for altruistic purposes, and it seems equally unlikely that they will not now take advantage of it. Nor did Bush clear this pathway for some future president. Bush and Cheney are both far too selfish and egotistical for that. So it is likely that Bush will walk this path sometime before the next election.
Now the question arises, what will we do if Bush declares martial law and usurps our government?
What to Do
Should Bush declare martial law, life in this country will quickly become untenable for a great many of us. Halliburton subsidiaries are currently building internment camps to house detainees. The first sweep will pick up radicals and known dissenters, along with Blacks and Hispanics. Successive sweeps will capture more disruptive minorities, along with any newly vocal critics.
Knowing this, my first impulse was to head for the woods and disappear in the event of martial law. Yet this would not solve the problem. And I would have to hide forever, while my family and friends suffered the consequences. Hiding is not an option; the only recourse is to fight back.
The establishment of martial law and dictatorship depends on a majority of the public going on with their daily lives as usual. They cannot arrest everyone; they cannot even arrest a sizable portion of the population should they all decide to resist in solidarity. Therefore, the key to defending our country against martial law and dictatorship lies in massive resistance and solidarity.
If martial law is declared we must, each of us, tell everyone we know that the US government has been overthrown. Everyone must know that it is time for each of us to stand up and resist. Do not go to work, do not go to school. That is what they want us to do. Far from complying, it is our duty to rise up for freedom and justice. Our forefathers and foremothers would be ashamed of us if we did anything less.
Simply refusing to serve is not enough. Nor is a march through downtown an adequate response. Short-term protests will be dismissed as soon as they end. Nor is any resistor safe so long as he or she remains at home. We must rally, for safety and power. And we must stay together until the dictatorship is toppled and martial law is ended.
Rallying
There are a few possible targets for rallying. Progressive communities such as college towns would be relatively safe places to rally, and might attract large numbers of people supported by the local community. Yet for greatest effect, rallies should target seats of government and finance. The most effective targets would be state capitals, Wall Street, and Washington DC. For those desiring an even more confrontational approach, you could rally at military bases and National Guard armories. Bear in mind that these military targets have the greatest potential for bloodshed.
It would be best to plan rallying locations ahead of time. There is no telling how disrupted communications might be after martial law is declared. If the internet is still functioning, that would be great. But do not plan on it.
Print up flyers explaining what is taking place and what needs to be done about it. Tell people that it is their duty to resist. Let them know where they can rally to protest. If need be, drive down the street with banners and/or megaphones.
Above all, make it clear that these rallies will not end until the coup leaders have been arrested and martial law has ended. Ceasing our efforts before our goals are achieved is simply not an option. What is more, we will all be safer if we stay together. They cannot pick us off separately; they will have to deal with us en masse.
Breaking Hard
We should be prepared for the worst. It is likely that they will try to break our rallies with force. Stand fast and be prepared. It would be wise to learn how to improvise body armor, procure helmets with safety visors, and gas masks. First aid stations should be established at all rallies.
Above all, resist any impulse towards violence. Violence will achieve nothing, but will provide them with an excuse to crack down. The violent overthrow of government by the masses simply isn't possible in this day and age, nor is it desirable. Our strength lies in our solidarity and our ability to bring the machine to a screeching halt. When we resort to violence, we have compromised our strength and made ourselves weak.
Appeal to the police and the National Guard that you are the citizens they were hired to serve and protect. Help them to understand what has happened. It may be that many of them will side with you.
If the military does attack, stand firm, but be prepared to give up ground and reform elsewhere. Do not simply scatter and give up. In the face of a military advance, pass along word of a secondary rallying point. And send an advance team to secure that area and prepare.
Remember, martial law and the establishment of dictatorship will only succeed if we let it. Know that if you do nothing as martial law is declared and nothing as they come for your neighbors, then the day will arrive when they come for you. Or you will be left to answer for what has happened while you were looking the other way and going on with your own life.
We, the people, have the power, and never let us forget that.
In Case of Martial Law, Break Glass
by
Dale Allen Pfeiffer
Please Distribute Widely
15/09/07 (www.mountainsentinel.com) Bush now has the ability to declare martial law at his own discretion, and in so doing dissolve the other branches of government, throw out the constitution, and suspend elections. He appropriated the right to do this largely by executive order. He can declare martial law whenever he deems there is sufficient cause; cause being an act of terrorism, an economic crisis, an act of war, civil unrest, or a natural catastrophe. For more information about the executive orders and legislation granting Bush these rights, please watch the short video at mountainsnetinel.com (What We Choose to Ignore), or visit the US Martial Law Timeline.
Hard as it might be to believe, there is a very real possibility that Bush will exercise these rights before his term ends. All he needs is an excuse. At present, the economy is on the verge of collapse, the Iraqi Occupation is going badly no matter what Bush and his chosen generals say, energy supplies are unable to keep pace with demand, disapproval of the Bush administration is growing, and Bush wants to attack Iran and so complete his Middle East conquest. He has all the reason in the world to declare martial law. All he lacks is a sufficient excuse.
Many people who follow the news are worried that Bush will declare martial law sometime in the months ahead. If natural crises prove insufficient, they are afraid that he will stage another 9/11. The current economic climate is very similar to the climate at the time of 9/11, though the present brewing economic hurricane will be much worse than the dot.com bust. The economic crises we currently face could very well result in bank closings, the crash of the US dollar, and the impoverishment of a large segment of the US population. What is more, with peak oil and the dawn of a new era of energy depletion it is unlikely that we will be able resuscitate our economy once the collapse is complete.
In the past couple weeks, we have heard about nuclear weapons being "mistakenly" shipped across the country onboard B-52 bombers. These weapons, which have a very limited capacity, were accidentally shipped to one of the bases that coincidentally functions as a staging grounds for the Middle East. While it is possible that these weapons were intended to be used for tactical strikes against Iran, I think it more likely that they were going to be used on US troops in Iraq, or perhaps even citizens within the US. A nuclear terrorism attack would clear the way for an immediate attack on Iran and provide a sufficient excuse to declare martial law within the US. (See Was a Covert Attempt to Bomb Iran with Nuclear Weapons foiled by a Military Leak? by Michael E. Salla, M.A., Ph.D.)
This sounds far-fetched and paranoid, doesn't it? Well, word is circulating around Wall Street that billions in put options were made at the end of August. Put options are short term bets that a corporation will do poorly. From the number and size of these puts, some big players are betting that the stock market is going to take a major fall before the end of September. The last time there was a move in put options this large was just prior to 9/11.
(See Dispelling the 'Bin Laden' Options Trades, 'Bin Laden' Options Trades Have Wall Street Whispering, and $4.5b bet on another 9/11 within 4 weeks)
Whether or not there are plans to stage another terrorist event, the fact remains that Bush has cleared a path towards establishing a dictatorship within the US. Given Bush and Cheney's psychological profiles, it is unlikely that this pathway was cleared for altruistic purposes, and it seems equally unlikely that they will not now take advantage of it. Nor did Bush clear this pathway for some future president. Bush and Cheney are both far too selfish and egotistical for that. So it is likely that Bush will walk this path sometime before the next election.
Now the question arises, what will we do if Bush declares martial law and usurps our government?
What to Do
Should Bush declare martial law, life in this country will quickly become untenable for a great many of us. Halliburton subsidiaries are currently building internment camps to house detainees. The first sweep will pick up radicals and known dissenters, along with Blacks and Hispanics. Successive sweeps will capture more disruptive minorities, along with any newly vocal critics.
Knowing this, my first impulse was to head for the woods and disappear in the event of martial law. Yet this would not solve the problem. And I would have to hide forever, while my family and friends suffered the consequences. Hiding is not an option; the only recourse is to fight back.
The establishment of martial law and dictatorship depends on a majority of the public going on with their daily lives as usual. They cannot arrest everyone; they cannot even arrest a sizable portion of the population should they all decide to resist in solidarity. Therefore, the key to defending our country against martial law and dictatorship lies in massive resistance and solidarity.
If martial law is declared we must, each of us, tell everyone we know that the US government has been overthrown. Everyone must know that it is time for each of us to stand up and resist. Do not go to work, do not go to school. That is what they want us to do. Far from complying, it is our duty to rise up for freedom and justice. Our forefathers and foremothers would be ashamed of us if we did anything less.
Simply refusing to serve is not enough. Nor is a march through downtown an adequate response. Short-term protests will be dismissed as soon as they end. Nor is any resistor safe so long as he or she remains at home. We must rally, for safety and power. And we must stay together until the dictatorship is toppled and martial law is ended.
Rallying
There are a few possible targets for rallying. Progressive communities such as college towns would be relatively safe places to rally, and might attract large numbers of people supported by the local community. Yet for greatest effect, rallies should target seats of government and finance. The most effective targets would be state capitals, Wall Street, and Washington DC. For those desiring an even more confrontational approach, you could rally at military bases and National Guard armories. Bear in mind that these military targets have the greatest potential for bloodshed.
It would be best to plan rallying locations ahead of time. There is no telling how disrupted communications might be after martial law is declared. If the internet is still functioning, that would be great. But do not plan on it.
Print up flyers explaining what is taking place and what needs to be done about it. Tell people that it is their duty to resist. Let them know where they can rally to protest. If need be, drive down the street with banners and/or megaphones.
Above all, make it clear that these rallies will not end until the coup leaders have been arrested and martial law has ended. Ceasing our efforts before our goals are achieved is simply not an option. What is more, we will all be safer if we stay together. They cannot pick us off separately; they will have to deal with us en masse.
Breaking Hard
We should be prepared for the worst. It is likely that they will try to break our rallies with force. Stand fast and be prepared. It would be wise to learn how to improvise body armor, procure helmets with safety visors, and gas masks. First aid stations should be established at all rallies.
Above all, resist any impulse towards violence. Violence will achieve nothing, but will provide them with an excuse to crack down. The violent overthrow of government by the masses simply isn't possible in this day and age, nor is it desirable. Our strength lies in our solidarity and our ability to bring the machine to a screeching halt. When we resort to violence, we have compromised our strength and made ourselves weak.
Appeal to the police and the National Guard that you are the citizens they were hired to serve and protect. Help them to understand what has happened. It may be that many of them will side with you.
If the military does attack, stand firm, but be prepared to give up ground and reform elsewhere. Do not simply scatter and give up. In the face of a military advance, pass along word of a secondary rallying point. And send an advance team to secure that area and prepare.
Remember, martial law and the establishment of dictatorship will only succeed if we let it. Know that if you do nothing as martial law is declared and nothing as they come for your neighbors, then the day will arrive when they come for you. Or you will be left to answer for what has happened while you were looking the other way and going on with your own life.
We, the people, have the power, and never let us forget that.
anti- war speach censored at emmys
click here
The Emmys censored Sally Field!
Producers of Sunday's Emmy telecast bleeped best drama actress winner Sally Field in the midst of a controversial acceptance speech attacking U.S. involvement in Iraq.
"If mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any god -" she said when the sound went dead and the camera suddenly turned away from the stage so viewers would be distracted. Chopped off were the words "god-damned wars in the first place." (The phrase was not censored in the Canadian telecast.)
"This belongs to all the mothers of the world - may they be seen and valued," she added when she won best actress in a drama series for her work as matriarch Nora Walker on "Brothers & Sisters." While the two-time Oscar winner already has two Emmys, this was her first nomination for series work, and she bested a field that included favorite Edie Falco of "The Sopranos."
Backstage, in the press room later, Field told reporters, "I would have liked to have said more four-letter words up there!
"Oh, well. I've been there before!" Field added when asked what she thought of the gagging. "Good. I don't care. I have no comment other than, 'Oh, well.' I said what I wanted to say. I wanted to pay homage to the mothers of the world. And I very, very seriously think that if mothers ruled the world we wouldn't be sending our children off to be slaughtered."
When she was pressed for further comment, she added, "Too bad. That's a shame. And I think I probably shouldn't have said the 'god' in front of the 'damn.'
"If they bleep it, oh, well. I'll just say it somewhere else."
Technically, Field's censored words are not profane. A 2004 FCC ruling specifically stated no objection to the use of "god damn" on TV when making a judgment on the uproar over Bono swearing at the Golden Globes in 2003 where he used more colorful language. See the ruling — CLICK HERE
Field has a history of making controversial acceptance speeches.
Upon winning the Academy Award as best actress of 1984 for "Places in the Heart" five years after winning for " Norma Rae, " she delivered one of the most memorable thank-yous in Oscar history: "This means so much more to me this time, I don't know why. I think the first time I hardly felt it because it was all too new. But I want to say 'thank you' to you. I haven't had an orthodox career. And I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it. But this time I feel it. And I can't deny the fact that you like me . . . right now . . . you like me. Thank you."
At Sunday's Emmycast, Fox also bleeped "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl when its camera zoomed in on the surprised winner who gasped "Sh*t!" upon hearing her name called.
The Emmys censored Sally Field!
Producers of Sunday's Emmy telecast bleeped best drama actress winner Sally Field in the midst of a controversial acceptance speech attacking U.S. involvement in Iraq.
"If mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any god -" she said when the sound went dead and the camera suddenly turned away from the stage so viewers would be distracted. Chopped off were the words "god-damned wars in the first place." (The phrase was not censored in the Canadian telecast.)
"This belongs to all the mothers of the world - may they be seen and valued," she added when she won best actress in a drama series for her work as matriarch Nora Walker on "Brothers & Sisters." While the two-time Oscar winner already has two Emmys, this was her first nomination for series work, and she bested a field that included favorite Edie Falco of "The Sopranos."
Backstage, in the press room later, Field told reporters, "I would have liked to have said more four-letter words up there!
"Oh, well. I've been there before!" Field added when asked what she thought of the gagging. "Good. I don't care. I have no comment other than, 'Oh, well.' I said what I wanted to say. I wanted to pay homage to the mothers of the world. And I very, very seriously think that if mothers ruled the world we wouldn't be sending our children off to be slaughtered."
When she was pressed for further comment, she added, "Too bad. That's a shame. And I think I probably shouldn't have said the 'god' in front of the 'damn.'
"If they bleep it, oh, well. I'll just say it somewhere else."
Technically, Field's censored words are not profane. A 2004 FCC ruling specifically stated no objection to the use of "god damn" on TV when making a judgment on the uproar over Bono swearing at the Golden Globes in 2003 where he used more colorful language. See the ruling — CLICK HERE
Field has a history of making controversial acceptance speeches.
Upon winning the Academy Award as best actress of 1984 for "Places in the Heart" five years after winning for " Norma Rae, " she delivered one of the most memorable thank-yous in Oscar history: "This means so much more to me this time, I don't know why. I think the first time I hardly felt it because it was all too new. But I want to say 'thank you' to you. I haven't had an orthodox career. And I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it. But this time I feel it. And I can't deny the fact that you like me . . . right now . . . you like me. Thank you."
At Sunday's Emmycast, Fox also bleeped "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl when its camera zoomed in on the surprised winner who gasped "Sh*t!" upon hearing her name called.
secret investor
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Mystery Trader To Collect On Financial Meltdown?
Suspicion increases about so-called Bin Laden trades as markets tumble after bank run
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Monday, September 17, 2007
A run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain has increased the possibility that a mystery trader could stand to collect around $2 billion should a panic send markets tumbling during the course of this week, as investors have predicted.
Last month, we reported on the mystery trader who risks losing around $1 billion dollars after placing 245,000 put options on the Dow Jones Eurostoxx 50 index, which led many analysts to speculate that a stock market crash preceded by a new 9/11 style attack or another catastrophe could take place before or during the third week of September.
The anonymous trader only stands to make money if the market crashes by a third to a half before September 21st, which is when the put options expire.
Following the run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain, specialist investors are now warning of an imminent and severe correction in the markets.
Mystery Trader To Collect On Financial Meltdown?
Suspicion increases about so-called Bin Laden trades as markets tumble after bank run
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Monday, September 17, 2007
A run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain has increased the possibility that a mystery trader could stand to collect around $2 billion should a panic send markets tumbling during the course of this week, as investors have predicted.
Last month, we reported on the mystery trader who risks losing around $1 billion dollars after placing 245,000 put options on the Dow Jones Eurostoxx 50 index, which led many analysts to speculate that a stock market crash preceded by a new 9/11 style attack or another catastrophe could take place before or during the third week of September.
The anonymous trader only stands to make money if the market crashes by a third to a half before September 21st, which is when the put options expire.
Following the run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain, specialist investors are now warning of an imminent and severe correction in the markets.
(Article continues below)
“The credit cycle has turned, bad debts are soaring, banks will go bust and stock markets will fall much further,” Ken Murray, the founder and chief executive of Blue Planet Investment Management, told the Financial Times today, shortly after selling half the equities in his portfolio.
The Northern Rock crisis was followed by Alan Greenspan's warning that both the US and UK housing markets are on the verge of a major downturn as Prime Minister Gordon Brown holds an emergency meeting with US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson today.
Thousands of people around Britain queued for hours at Northern Rock branches throughout Friday and Saturday attempting to withdraw their money as the global credit crunch sunk its teeth in again following the sub-prime mortgage fallout in the US.
Analysts from TheStreet.com dismissed last month's so-called Bin Laden trades as nothing out of the ordinary, but still noted that the transactions outstrip anything else seen in a year.
Though the current climate will undoubtedly send stocks tumbling, to see a downturn of a full third within a week is unlikely bar a catalyzing outside event like the announcement of military operations against Iran or a terror attack in the west on the scale of 9/11.
Mystery Trader To Collect On Financial Meltdown?
Suspicion increases about so-called Bin Laden trades as markets tumble after bank run
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Monday, September 17, 2007
A run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain has increased the possibility that a mystery trader could stand to collect around $2 billion should a panic send markets tumbling during the course of this week, as investors have predicted.
Last month, we reported on the mystery trader who risks losing around $1 billion dollars after placing 245,000 put options on the Dow Jones Eurostoxx 50 index, which led many analysts to speculate that a stock market crash preceded by a new 9/11 style attack or another catastrophe could take place before or during the third week of September.
The anonymous trader only stands to make money if the market crashes by a third to a half before September 21st, which is when the put options expire.
Following the run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain, specialist investors are now warning of an imminent and severe correction in the markets.
Mystery Trader To Collect On Financial Meltdown?
Suspicion increases about so-called Bin Laden trades as markets tumble after bank run
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Monday, September 17, 2007
A run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain has increased the possibility that a mystery trader could stand to collect around $2 billion should a panic send markets tumbling during the course of this week, as investors have predicted.
Last month, we reported on the mystery trader who risks losing around $1 billion dollars after placing 245,000 put options on the Dow Jones Eurostoxx 50 index, which led many analysts to speculate that a stock market crash preceded by a new 9/11 style attack or another catastrophe could take place before or during the third week of September.
The anonymous trader only stands to make money if the market crashes by a third to a half before September 21st, which is when the put options expire.
Following the run on the Northern Rock bank in Britain, specialist investors are now warning of an imminent and severe correction in the markets.
(Article continues below)
“The credit cycle has turned, bad debts are soaring, banks will go bust and stock markets will fall much further,” Ken Murray, the founder and chief executive of Blue Planet Investment Management, told the Financial Times today, shortly after selling half the equities in his portfolio.
The Northern Rock crisis was followed by Alan Greenspan's warning that both the US and UK housing markets are on the verge of a major downturn as Prime Minister Gordon Brown holds an emergency meeting with US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson today.
Thousands of people around Britain queued for hours at Northern Rock branches throughout Friday and Saturday attempting to withdraw their money as the global credit crunch sunk its teeth in again following the sub-prime mortgage fallout in the US.
Analysts from TheStreet.com dismissed last month's so-called Bin Laden trades as nothing out of the ordinary, but still noted that the transactions outstrip anything else seen in a year.
Though the current climate will undoubtedly send stocks tumbling, to see a downturn of a full third within a week is unlikely bar a catalyzing outside event like the announcement of military operations against Iran or a terror attack in the west on the scale of 9/11.
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Feds quash tax evaders' Plainfield "Freedom Fest"
Local News More >>
Teacher Arrested for Child Sexual Abuse
Burlington Burglary Spree
Cancer Survivors Cast a Line
Berlin Demolition Goes Awry
UVM Promotes Mobility for the Disabled
CSWD Expands Plastic Recycling
Falling Smoke Stacks Mark End of an Era
NH Authorities Enforce Brown Blockade
Made in Vermont: Four-Legged Fashion
Associated Press - September 17, 2007 6:25 AM ET
PLAINFIELD, N.H. (AP) - Authorities did their best to quash a festival and get-together at the hilltop compound of convicted tax evaders Ed and Elaine Brown of Plainfield (New Hampshire).
Local, state and federal officers set up a checkpoint on the way to the Browns' home, handing out fliers to motorists warning them of a court order and possible criminal charges if they tried to go any farther.
U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier says officers turned about 20 vehicles. They detained one person who tried to get past the barricade and seized one car over an expired registration.
The Browns were convicted of federal tax evasion in January and are refusing to report for prison sentences. They claim their is no law requiring payment of federal taxes.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Feds quash tax evaders' Plainfield "Freedom Fest"
Local News More >>
Teacher Arrested for Child Sexual Abuse
Burlington Burglary Spree
Cancer Survivors Cast a Line
Berlin Demolition Goes Awry
UVM Promotes Mobility for the Disabled
CSWD Expands Plastic Recycling
Falling Smoke Stacks Mark End of an Era
NH Authorities Enforce Brown Blockade
Made in Vermont: Four-Legged Fashion
Associated Press - September 17, 2007 6:25 AM ET
PLAINFIELD, N.H. (AP) - Authorities did their best to quash a festival and get-together at the hilltop compound of convicted tax evaders Ed and Elaine Brown of Plainfield (New Hampshire).
Local, state and federal officers set up a checkpoint on the way to the Browns' home, handing out fliers to motorists warning them of a court order and possible criminal charges if they tried to go any farther.
U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier says officers turned about 20 vehicles. They detained one person who tried to get past the barricade and seized one car over an expired registration.
The Browns were convicted of federal tax evasion in January and are refusing to report for prison sentences. They claim their is no law requiring payment of federal taxes.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
i robot
Robot maker builds artificial boy
By MATT SLAGLE, AP Technology Writer Thu Sep 13, 7:36 AM ET
ADVERTISEMENT
At 17 inches tall and 6 pounds, the artificial Zeno is the culmination of five years of work by Hanson and a small group of engineers, designers and programmers at his company, Hanson Robotics. They believe there's an emerging business in the design and sale of lifelike robotic companions, or social robots. And they'll be showing off the robot boy to students in grades 3-12 at the Wired NextFest technology conference Thursday in
Unlike clearly artificial robotic toys, Hanson says he envisions Zeno as an interactive learning companion, a synthetic pal who can engage in conversation and convey human emotion through a face made of a skin-like, patented material Hanson calls frubber.
"It's a representation of robotics as a character animation medium, one that is intelligent," Hanson beams. "It sees you and recognizes your face. It learns your name and can build a relationship with you."
It's no coincidence if the whole concept sounds like a science-fiction movie.
Hanson said he was inspired by, and is aiming for, the same sort of realism found in the book "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," by Brian Aldiss. Aldiss' story of troubled robot boy David and his quest for the love of his flesh-and-blood parents was the source material for Steven Spielberg's film "Artificial Intelligence: AI."
He plans to make little Zenos available to consumers within the next three years for $200 to $300.
Until then, Hanson, 37, makes a living selling and renting pricey, lifelike robotic heads. His company offers models that look like Albert Einstein, a pirate and a rocker, complete with spiky hair and sunglasses. They cost tens of thousands of dollars and can be customized to look like anyone, Hanson said.
The company, which has yet to break even, was also buoyed by a $1.5 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund last October. The fund was created by Gov. Rick Perry in 2005 to improve research at Texas universities and help startup technology companies get off the ground.
Hanson concedes it's going to be at least 15 years before robot builders can approach anything like what seems to be possible in movies. Zeno the robot remains a prototype.
During a recent demonstration, Zeno could barely stand and had to be tethered to a bank of PCs that told it how to smile, frown, act surprised or wrinkle its nose in anger.
Robotics, Hanson believes, should be about artistic expression, a creative medium akin to sculpting or painting. But convincing people that robots should look like people instead of, well, robots, remains a challenge that robot experts call the "uncanny valley" theory.
The theory posits that humans have a positive psychological reaction to robots that look somewhat like humans, but that robots made to look very realistic end up seeming grotesque instead of comforting.
"Nobody complains that Bernini's sculptures are too darn real, right? Or that Norman Rockwell's paintings are too creepy," Hanson said. "Well, robots can seem real and be loved too. We're trying to make a new art medium out of robotics."
So just how did Hanson end up with two Zenos, anyway?
It all goes back to when his wife, Amanda, gave birth to their first child and Zeno the robot was already in the works.
They rattled off several names to their baby boy, but it wasn't until they whispered "Zeno" that "this look of peace fell over his face; it was like soothing to his ears," Hanson recalled.
"There was no way we could give him any other name. He chose Zeno as his name," he said.
That was just fine with Amanda.
"I thought that it was very endearing, very sweet," she said.
The similarities go beyond the name. Though Zeno the robot was built to resemble the animated Japanese TV show character Astro Boy, his plastic hair and saucer-shaped eyes bear a striking resemblance to the curly locks and wide-eyed smile of the real Zeno.
"So by coincidence they're both Zeno, and in other ways this robot has become more of a portrait sculpturally of the son, although it's almost coincidence," said Hanson, whose previous jobs include working as a character sculptor for The Walt Disney Co. "We didn't consciously sculpt this robot to look like him. It's the way things filter through the hands of the artist."
Hanson says one of the robot Zeno's biggest advancements is that its brains aren't inside the robot. Instead Zeno synchs wirelessly to a PC running a variant of Massive Software — the same Academy Award-winning code that enabled the fantastical battles among humans, orcs and elves in the "Lord of the Rings" movies.
Like some modern version of Geppetto's workshop, Hanson's office is crammed with rows of shelves stacked with books about robots next to toy robots and plastic skulls. Notes ranging from mathematical formulas to design sketches cover several white boards like high-tech graffiti.
There are scattered bits from Hanson's previous creations, including Albert Hubo, a white robotic body topped with a realistic head of Albert Einstein that has graced magazine covers and even shaken hands with President Bush.
Hanson has been recognized for his work, garnering accolades from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence in 2005 and a "best design" award at the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Triennial last year.
But Hanson is most proud of the real Zeno, a rambunctious toddler who frolics with free rein among priceless electronics.
"If the robots become popular I suppose it will pose an identity crisis for my son," Hanson said. "But I think that the amount of love that he receives will make him feel like an individual no matter what."
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